abraxaslogs | as we circle the moon [open]

[It isn't often that Lucifer visits.

Well. That's untrue. He's been by, certainly. High up in the trees with the birds, avoiding her and his problems and but still being a presence.

He's never visited in search of her. He's never been so far in to actually walk inside her house, though he's found his way to it before. He should have sent a message beforehand to see if she was in, or could be in, but he figured worst case he could do it after he entered. It's just--he wanted to avoid it. As out-of-sorts as his thoughts are, he does not want to know how poorly that would translate over him trying to send her a message, because it went so swimmingly the last time.

So he ducks his way in, calling out 'Wanda!' as he does so, and as luck would have it she's in, having tea.

With Michael.

Goddammit.

Really. He really wishes he was surprised.

He rubs both his hands over his head. Oh. Oh, he does not need this right now. He should just leave. Say nah and drop out. The humiliation isn't worth it, and he'd thought perhaps Michael had already seen him at his worse. Ha! Hilarious!

But he came here because he needed her. And... hell. This is--it's too important for him to just walk away, and he doesn't see Michael leaving just because Lucifer asked.

So he pointedly ignores his brother's presence and looks right at Wanda, all frayed nerves and panic and all.] I--I need your help.

[to say that michael is having tea is a stretch, as the cup sits empty before the man and like a gesture more so than anything else. she is halfway through bringing the cup to her lips, some discussion about faith and the purpose of it all or some other between them, when lucifer bursts right in, her name called out and his entrance catching her off guard.

had her ravens grown too comfortable with his constant presence that they deemed it unnecessary to let her know he was going to storm in?

—part of her worries, mostly, because michael is here, and wanda isn't sure how exactly the two will react together. had they spoken before? was michael aware of lucifer? was michael aware that she knows his brother—?

oh, good. he's looking a little erratic, as are the thoughts she catches onto.]

My help? [it's not every day the devil walks in asking her for help. wanda sets her cup down on the table and stands, pushing the chair with the back of her knees, uncertain if lucifer would want her to walk into his personal space without invitation.] What happened?

Edited 2022-11-20 16:47 (UTC)

[Michael would argue that Wanda isn't exactly having tea, either. It's the Horizon. Her full cup is as much a prop as his empty one, and drinking it as much of an act as it would be if he joined in.

His expression goes from impassive to annoyed in the same moment his brother barges in. Wanda's domain is more likely to host visitors than his, but he didn't expect Lucifer of all people to be joining them. He wasn't even aware that the two know one another, let alone that they're—associates? Allies? Michael struggles to picture Lucifer having a friend these days.

It serves to answer at least one question he's been asking himself ever since his brother stumbled into his domain, however.

That Lucifer doesn't so much as acknowledge him only adds to his darkening mood. If Lucifer's going to ignore his presence, he'll return the favour. Michael addresses Wanda without leaving his seat.]

You might have mentioned that you're on friendly terms with my little brother.

[Then again, if she's the one who'd told Lucifer he was here without telling him the same, maybe he ought not expect her to tell him everything.

Michael looks back to Lucifer, taking a moment to note the stress in his posture, the overall air of anxiety about him. Interesting. That's not on his account. Lucifer's never been afraid of him.]

[Lucifer struggles to picture himself having a friend these days, too, but here they are.

It's uncomfortable all around!

But he'd rather Wanda not take the hit for this.] I asked her not to. [He snaps. And it's... relatively true. He implied it, certainly. Common sense and all that.

And now that he has actually acknowledged Michael, that makes this whole thing much more difficult. Enough that he's started to pace about more or less in a fixed circle. He thinks maybe it's only been once that he hasn't been around Wanda as a vessel holding unruly nerves.

And that one time, she was the one that was... off.

It takes a bit for him to talk with Michael being here, but it still comes out. The same answer, to start, that he gave Mildred.] Me. I happened. [He points at Michael without even facing his brother.] Don't. [Don't what? Don't be sarcastic, don't say isn't it obvious. Just don't, bro.] The kid. Wilhelm. I-- [He breaks off to laugh.] He talked about you. Seemed to get along with you. I need you... to keep an eye on him. Check in. I-I can't. He's not-- ['going to want to talk to me.'

Dammit.

He pinches the bridge of his nose, pressing knuckles in towards closed eyelids. 'It's not my fault' his thoughts argue.] The Heralds messed us up pretty bad, Wanda. I didn't-- ['It's not my fault.']--let's just say I had some plans for the kid that he didn't appreciate finding out about. [He drops his hand. Still adamantly avoids looking at his brother, not that he really keeps his gaze on Wanda.] And he's certain I only cared about him enough to manipulate him. [His tone is... wrong. Weird. He knows his last statement isn't accurate but he still doesn't know what to do with the truth, and what does it matter anymore, anyway?]

[wanda gives michael a look as if saying that this isn't the time to be acting like this, especially when lucifer is obviously distressed. whether their relationship is forever destroyed or not, and regardless of michael having thousands of siblings, she would imagine that seeing one of them like this would at least make this animosity falter.

but—maybe—she is also projecting, seeing how she'd give the world to have her brother here to get annoyed at.

thankfully, lucifer is quick to assuage the situation (for now), taking responsibility for what was or wasn't relayed to michael prior to this sudden visit.]

Wilhelm?

[to think that the young boy has had the unfortunate privilege of being close to both herself and lucifer, adults who aren't entirely the best people to trust or have around. wanda frowns at him as he continues to explain—about the heralds, about these 'plans' lucifer had for him, about manipulating him.

but isn't that the devil's deal?]

You know I'm all the way in Solvunn. I— [how can she help, when she made some pretty big fouls as far as wilhelm's trust is concerned.] What plans?

[how bad is it?]

[Wanda's chastising look ruffles feathers that Michael doesn't have in this form. He's irritated now, which makes this the perfect time to act it no matter what state Lucifer is in. This isn't far off from best behaviour for him and Lucifer, anyway. No one's pulled a knife yet.

Michael's still got an eye on Lucifer, directing the bulk of his annoyance at his brother.]

Did you, now. [He glances at Wanda.] I didn't realize you take orders from him.

[Following Lucifer's command puts Wanda in the company of demons. It's a veiled insult, not that Wanda has any way to know it. Or, maybe she knows exactly what it means.

Either way, they both knew, and neither told him. As far as Michael is concerned, that makes them both guilty.

The name Wilhelm means nothing to him, but he gets that he's young and that Lucifer feels protective of him. That rings a familiar note. Michael's expression turns sour, nose wrinkled as he looks at Lucifer with mild distaste, whether or not his brother cares to meet the look.]

'The kid'. You didn't father another nephilim, did you?

[Lucifer really does not have the grace to spare to be going around doing that kind of thing.]

Edited 2022-11-29 02:34 (UTC)

[Yeah sorry Wanda they're only likely to get worse, not better. It would be the same thing if Michael was in a similar state to Lucifer, and maybe that's why he continues to snap at his brother, because he wants to--always--pull him down to Lucifer's level.

He's always got to be so high and mighty when it's all a load of bull and one day Michael will truly understand that.]

Weird what friends will do for each other, but you wouldn't know about that, would you, Michael? [This is in fact that surreal world where Lucifer is having this conversation and seems to actually mean it.

What a time to be alive.] He's not mine! [But he took some strange responsibility for him and look what happened.] He's just another Thorne Summoned that was perfectly malleable! [He bites off his words because something in the way that Michael says 'you didn't father another nephilim' shakes him.

Has Michael met his son where Lucifer hasn't even been allowed?

He stops pacing and thumps his back against a wall. It feels good against his spine. His head follows with a second thump before he looks exhaustively at Wanda. There's still a reluctance to telling her the truth, but if she does reach out to Wilhelm, he'll have no trouble explaining. Better Lucifer does it first.] He's a naive kid that people would have no trouble telling anything to. Get him to go be social, maybe come back with something useful. Had the means to be a perfect spy. [He draws in a sigh.] I know you're in Solvunn. Just--talking to him. Getting him to leave his room before now was difficult.

[michael i swear to GOD]

I'm not about to get in the middle of a squabble with two brothers trying to teach each other about what friendship is.

[she likes them both enough to not enjoy being pulled to choose one side over the other. she frowns, her eyes on michael. she can read his thoughts clearly, reading into the insult he thinks will go over her head. comes to show how little he knows of the source of her powers and how, exactly, her chaos magic presents itself. michael is lucky to have met her when she is moderately sane. the following is, thus, directed at him.]

Don't act like my silence in knowing Lucifer was done to slight you.

[because it would be an offense, a real insult, for michael to think that after all wanda has shared and done for him to be invalidated simply because she omitted the truth over a matter the brothers should work on resolving themselves.

it's the thump against the wall that makes her look back towards lucifer. she stays where she stands, but her shoulders are more relaxed; lucifer's idea of self flagellation seems to be standard, here.]

Wilhelm is very much a child compared to many of us, but you dug your grave in treating him like one. He doesn't have many people he can trust — and you used that against him. [this being from what she gleamed in his mind, from what he's told her. to wanda, this seems pretty obvious.] Have you thought of apologizing?

Edited 2022-11-29 03:13 (UTC)

[God does not listen and God does not care, especially not about Lucifer and Michael's squabbling. Nevermind that He was the one who put them up to it in the first place.

Michael frowns right back at Wanda. Later he'll see his own thoughts (and illogic) more clearly, but right now his temper burns hot and bright as it always does. The assurance that she didn't intend her actions as a slight to him goes only so far to douse it.]

Keeping secrets from me at his behest puts you in unenviable company.

To be perfectly clear: Lucifer is the brother I was meant to kill.

[Maybe Lucifer told her as much, maybe he didn't. It ought to explain the other half of his ill humor if not.

He's not interested in debating the definition of friendship with his brother. He hears what Wilhelm was to him: malleable, naive, useful. They're some of the same traits Michael prized in his underlings. Lucifer doesn't understand the concept of a friend any better than he does.

Michael tilts his head and looks around Wanda, more mocking than aggressive this time as he addresses Lucifer.]

What possible use would you have for a child spy? Are you all out of demons?

[Ah.]

You really think I cared about that? [There's the yelling, the anger. The spitting words she--well, both of them--should have enough familiarity with. He would like to think it's directed at everyone and everything else, but that would be a joke.

Oh, his words are knives and he's the target.] He was one of the first people I met! [Before he met Wanda. And that--it shouldn't matter. It shouldn't make a difference. But he was unchangeable before he met her and still it took some chipping away at layers before he willingly let her in. Let anyone in. And he thinks she must know that to some extent.] I did as much as he would let me! Sannleikr took everyone else away from him! Even if I apologized it won't matter right now!

[Not with how much anger there was redoubled right back. Not with how much fight there was. Lucifer is seething in the middle of the room, having again moved off, his rage an almost-tangible thing. He grits his teeth.] He needs to cool off before he listens to a damn thing I say and I need him to have an outlet in the meantime so he doesn't get arrested.

[He very slowly picks up his gaze to look at his brother, a sneer cracked across his face. It's almost there, an unrealized reply; Wanda would be able to pick up on it. The thought of 'and are you? going to kill me now?' but he doesn't ask it because he doesn't want to know if that's how he died, if that's the misstep he made in the future, if that's what's already happened in another Fated dance.]

[A lie:] I am, in fact, all out of demons, although the thought of creating some has occurred to me. You've got any souls to spare, Michael? [He stutters a step towards his brother, his fury still vibrating about him, but he stops partway across the floor. There's the bare minimum of his control: he hasn't physically lashed out at his brother. Won't. Not here, not in Wanda's domain.] He didn't think he could be useful to anyone, I just opened an avenue for him!

[wanda comes to the very substantial realization that michael and lucifer are both beings far much older than she is—mystical beings of instrumental value in the foundations of their world as it is, with history between so infinite that she would hardly be a speck in the entirety of it.

lucifer was the brother michael was meant to kill—she knew this.

is she meant to... mediate here? michael keeps throwing fuel into the fire, and fire is what lucifer spews, seeming to get closer and closer to an impending explosion. his words more fraught with emotion as the seconds tick by.]

Stop it. [this subtle bickering and the not-so subtle one.] Not in my house.

[the warning is clear—to the both of them. she will not take them getting at each others' throats, literally or not, sitting down. and they really would not like to see her angry, even if the horizon would only allow her to remove them quite rudely from it and back into their corporeal selves.

now, she moves closer to lucifer, hands in front of her as if she'd like to appease him but isn't certain if he'd appreciate her putting her hands on him to ground him at all.]

You want me to talk to Wilhelm, make sure he's okay? I can do that. [as it were—] Why would he even get arrested?

[Michael and Lucifer are neither as instrumental nor as valuable to their world as either of them would like to believe, which is fitting for a pair of siblings trading insults like they're about to start a fight in the back of their parent's car.]

I don't trade souls.

[He does not, in fact, have any to offer even if he did. A reality which would undoubtedly be visible to Lucifer, though his brother has no way to know how deep that fact cuts for Michael. His frown is severe, but why would it be otherwise when faced with a belligerent little brother?

That Wanda might genuinely get angry or that there'd be consequences if she did doesn't faze Michael, but the fact that this is her space resonates with him. Though he'd given up the throne willingly by the time he left the Cage, he'd led Heaven for millennia. He remembers well just how little he appreciated challenges to his authority or attempts to alter what had been his home at the time.

Michael glances between Lucifer and Wanda. He is capable of a modicum of respect for at least one of them.]

Your domain, your rules.

[He waves his hand from where he's still seated. Let Lucifer finish whatever he came here to say. Regardless of what Lucifer and Wanda might get up to when he's not around, Wilhelm is undoubtedly in better hands with the latter than with his brother.]

[He closes his eyes and takes a breath and tries to genuinely center himself and dislodge from his anger.

It is not easy in the slightest. But he came here for help and he's not going to get into a verbal throwdown if she's determined to stop them.

He knew what he would get from Wanda, knew what that might look like, and came anyway.

'Your domain, your rules.' And that resonates with both of them.] Talk to him, reach out to him through the Horizon, I don't know. [He opens his eyes and focuses on her.] He did something. [Lucifer will absolutely not say what. It does not matter how much he trusts Wanda and how much he assumes the knowledge would be useless to Michael. That information is not coming from him. And as though he knows his thoughts and mental protections have been frayed, they lock back up to their usual white noise.] A mistake, but it's Thorne. Age doesn't matter to them. A Summoned is a Summoned. They'll destroy him. [Just like they did Libertas. All they need is a reason and a target.]

[wilhelm did something worth getting arrested over?

it all comes to wanda now, the conversations she's had with julie and others about how unwelcoming thorne was—how they would send some summoned to the dungeon and keeps others in the castle free to roam about. thorne has always felt that way to wanda.

and with the queen's quickness to anger and making abrupt decisions? wanda worries it might not bode well for those she knows there.

libertas echoes in her mind at the same time that it does in his. wanda frowns.]

Did it have to do with the attack in Nocwich? [—she might not really get an answer for this, she knows—] I'll reach out to him soon.

[as for what's currently in front of her—]

Are you safe? In Thorne?

[Thorne punishes children? It's an informative view into life in the neighbouring faction. Michael had heard of the attack on the Free Cities, but he knows little about day to day existence in Thorne. It's easy for him to feel removed from the other factions here in Solvunn. He doesn't have friends outside of it. There is Lucifer, of course, but he and his brother don't exactly talk.

For all that Thorne sounds a ruthless and thus fitting home for the likes of Lucifer, he guesses his brother would enjoy the habitual reverence the Solvunn natives bear towards their Summoned.

Michael directs a comment to Wanda. If he says another word to Lucifer, it'll start a fresh argument.]

It might bear asking that again when I'm not around.

[He's expecting Lucifer to insist he's fine, because of course he is. He's an archangel. Tattered grace or not, that makes him dangerous. He's also prideful—or usually is. This frazzled showing is not what he's accustomed to from him, which says something about Wanda that Michael is still too annoyed to figure out.

In any case. He assumes Lucifer will be reluctant to admit to any weakness while he's listening.]

[Whether or not she wants to be, Wanda is their mediator. Because even despite whatever wronged feelings Michael had from this encounter, there's respect there. The petty part of Lucifer wants to try and sever his brother and Wanda's companionship.

The other, smaller part, hopes that they patch up what Lucifer's presence derailed because maybe it'll help the burned bridges he has with his brother. Some kind of developed understanding through a person who has, frankly, changed many of Lucifer's outlooks on life since finding himself in Abraxas.

For the moment though he just gives Wanda a dull look. He is not answering the question about Nocwich, even if he knows not answering is enough of a giveaway.

Then he rolls his eyes his brother's way.] Thanks for the concern to my dignity, bro. [But it's the most mild thing he's said to Michael. It's the best they'll all get.] I'm fine, for the moment anyway.

[perhaps wanda has overestimated where these brothers stand, to the point where they'd be unwilling to answer something as simple as how they are. michael seems self-aware enough of it, and lucifer's response is hardly one she can draw any real answer out of.

at least they're being moderately civil.

(how did she ever get tangled in something like this?)]

Is there someone else in Thorne you are — on talking terms with? Someone I could contact if I don't hear from you or Wilhelm?

[wanda hopes it's someone she knows (like istredd) and not someone she'll feel awkward explaining why she's befriended the devil to (like stephen).]

[He was being perfectly honest! He is fine with Thorne! He's well-accustomed to staying under the radar and in their good graces!

For. Now.

Lucky her, there is a person and it's exactly who she's hoping for.] Istredd is best. [But he's not always around. Ugggggh. Few people know his entire brand of bullshit, and while the other name he gives doesn't like him, for better or for worse he knows Lucifer sees Wanda as a friend. If she reaches out to him, he might lend a hand.] Jack, only as the absolute last resort.

[Whatever else Michael was about to suggest—smuggling Wilhelm out of Thorne if he's so at risk, perhaps—falls to the wayside at the mention of Jack. It's not an uncommon name, but it's too great a coincidence not to be the nephilim. It seems as though Michael bumps into a new someone from their universe every week.

His earlier sarcasm is absent from his tone, his expression incredulous.]

Your son is in Thorne? And you're on speaking terms?

[Maybe not quite, if he's an option of last resort.

Still, that's two children his brother is looking after. Is Lucifer running a daycare across the border? Is he going to show up next month and ask Wanda to watch over that one, too? Surely being caught between Michael and Lucifer is already enough for her to manage.]

I know Istredd.

[she says quickly and earnestly, the relief on her voice at it being someone she feels comfortable with leaps and bounds from her previous more cautionary tone as she traipses through this conversation. the other name she doesn't recognize, but it doesn't really matter—her connection with istredd goes beyond the normal here in abraxas. it'll be easy enough.

but then michael drops in a piece of information that is both devoid of the sarcasm he's been implementing and surprising.

son?

wanda turns to lucifer with an expression that reads clear surprise, but also one that is hovering the line of sympathy, from a parent to another. he is not in speaking terms with his son?]

Your son?

[His... what? How is that the conclusion Michael got to? Unless--

He stares at Michael.]

... His name is Jack?

[He's certain it isn't Istredd anyway.

And surprise, surprise, he's not on speaking terms with his actual son. Three guesses how that happened and the first two don't count.

But the fact that Jack Townsend would get mistaken for his son. Eugh.

Euuuuugh.]

[Michael's expression is tinged by a new kind of surprise. He stares at Lucifer a moment, then spares a glance at Wanda.

He can understand that there is much about Lucifer that Wanda might not know. Misdirection is one of his brother's specialties. But Lucifer being under-informed about one of his own creations? He hadn't been counting on that.

His attention turns back on Lucifer.]

I take it his mother named him.

[Lucifer must not have been on speaking terms with her, either. Which begs the question of how Jack came to be in the first place, but Michael has a lot of questions about how and why the angel who most hates humanity has a half-human son.

A line of interrogation for another time.]

He seemed to know you well enough when last I saw him. Before being drawn here.

[there is so much more to unpack here that goes well past what lucifer came here for, well past whatever point of contention both these brothers have. it is clear that lucifer is aware he has a son, but to not know his name—?

this is not something she might be equipped to tackle, not to mention lucifer. she actually is not too sure on what to say to lessen whatever this is, other than to try and divert the attention elsewhere.]

Not the same Jack, then.

[wanda doesn't think, either, that michael is the person to give lucifer answers about this.

hm—]

Should you urgently need anything next time, sending a message might be quicker.

Ah, mm, and how's that going, I wonder? I'm sure swimmingly and not at all like this. [He twirls a finger and falls into a very childlike humor.] Especially since, oh, Jack should be stronger than an archangel due to being a nephilim and I got my grace cut out by your dumb alternate self, so that's... That's a recipe for great parenting, amiright?

[Not the same Jack, thank god. He sighs for the umpteenth time.] I would've if you weren't here, but eh... Eh. [It's way more likely he would've aborted and then had her again angry at him, again.] Despite your company, this was... easier.

[Michael throws Wanda a dark look. Telling Lucifer to send her a message rather than show up unexpectedly sounds like wanting to keep him unaware of their interactions, which reminds him of what irked him about this encounter in the first place.

The expression he turns on Lucifer not much lighter. He's never appreciated being met with Lucifer's brand of sarcasm.]

Losing your grace wasn't the issue.

[Jack had been little more than human by the time he'd met him. Like father, like son? There were certainly worse traits he might have inherited. The kid had seemed to share very little of his father's personality. Michael is pretty sure Lucifer doesn't care to hear about the future where he's dead and his son still doesn't like him, though.]

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thedevilwhorose - 2022-12-05 02:17 (UTC) - Expand

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carmesi - 2022-12-09 17:21 (UTC) - Expand

as we circle the moon [open]

Wanda + Michael / Horizon

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