abraxaslogs | as we circle the moon [open]

[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.]

[Hearing that last part would be what would break the tense truce brought on by Wanda. That it's held this long is... well. Not a miracle, but impressive by its own right.]

... Yeah.

[It's a tired agreement, but an agreement nonetheless. That's the miracle of this meeting.

And then to completely and utterly derail this entire conversation because as much as he does want to ask Michael about his son... he sincerely doubts he's going to get a decent answer. Or an answer at all. And he doesn't need Michael getting all egotistical because Lucifer of all being gave him the equivalent of 'you're right.' So he just... puts it all in a little compartment of thoughts because surely it won't ever matter to him in Abraxas.] I named one of your birds by mistake. [How do you name a bird by mistake, Lucifer? Well, you accidentally call it something and it seems partial to reacting to it.] Staccato.

[it must be somewhat ironic, that lucifer gets to name one of her ravens—staccato—and seems to have been unawares of the name given to his own son. she isn't sure if he sees that, but as a mother herself—

wanda glances at him, curious, and confused.

'losing your grace' must be some biblical reference she's vaguely familiar with, but she doesn't know what it implies in the context of this conversation.]

It's a good name.

[she isn't sure of what else to say, but at least both michael and lucifer seem to have lost the want to fight each other over whatever they have hung up between them.]

I'll talk to Wilhelm. Offer him some runes to help him.

as we circle the moon [open]

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