"If I'm using your own tactics, should you not too get credit?"
After all, Lucifer knows shit about relationships. Hell, Lucifer knows shit about friendships. He's just making a tower from the building blocks around him, who all equally have their own faults.
"No." He moves onto his knees to face Lucifer and runs his hand up shirt, hanging them over his shoulders in a semi-embrace. Affectionate and comfortable. "You get the credit for your work." Lucifer did this himself. He may have learned from experiencing, but it's still his choice. And Istredd will always give him the credit.
"Sometimes I just really ...." Istredd smiles and leans his forehead against Lucifer's. "Love you." It could come with a dozen demons threatening his life every day and it wouldn't matter to him. It's not like he has to say it, Lucifer can feel it radiate out of him daily. "I know, I'm obnoxiously sentimental."
"Extremely obnoxiously," he agrees, weakly, because he's said it before that Istredd's going to kill him with kindness one of these days. That it feels like an overwhelming likely scenario instead of just a joke.
But it's also more like a few hundred demons wondering what the hell this one mage did to their father/creator, if there's ever a bleed between worlds, anyway. He's made up more bogus theories than that before.
"Alright, alright, I won't be modest, I'm amazing."
Istredd's love and romanticism can be intense, something only Lucifer and Yennefer really understand, but he probably needs to be this way to pull them clawing down into a relationship. And joy has been found because of it. He said he was going to enjoy this while they still had it, before Lucifer lost all of it becoming an archangel again.
He pulls his head back to look at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Did you say you had Dertsi eat him?"
Circling back to the start, since the terror and concern over Dean is now long past.
"Oh, yeah. I doubt she actually killed him or if he dropped out of the Horizon on his own, I left before I could have any real confirmation because I didn't want to deal if he came back. She seemed pleased regardless."
It's an intentional reprieve. He doesn't shift topics like that without purpose. He understands Lucifer needs breaks in between adoration. Not easy to stomach it all at once.
"Well, I did ask you to stop killing people, but this one was deserved." He meant more people like Geralt or Kyle, demon Dean would have it killing. Istredd doesn't know what to think or feel about whether or not Dean survives this. For Castiel who loves him, he probably would lean that way, but he doesn't like anyone who wants to hurt Lucifer sticking around. It's not their choice.
"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me that you didn't think to, like what Dean looks like?"
Istredd is a lot and it's progress that Lucifer doesn't withdraw physically from him and put space, comfortable with limbs and touches, but man. Maaaaaaaaaan. Such casual mentions of affection are a weapon themselves, though unintentionally used that way, and they hit hard.
"Ohhhhh yeah, you did ask me that," he says, as though it has slipped his mind.
But also he'll kill Dean as much as he feels like, thank you, not sorry.
"Uhhhh... no?" He tilts his head, thinking. He hums, pulling one of Istredd's arms off him and around to him and turning his hand so that it's palm up. He holds it steady between them with one hand before he begins very faintly, with the tip of a nail from his other hand, tracing a symbol--the simpler of two versions. In their minds he's filling in the lines on Istredd's hand of the actual devil's trap.
Hope you're not ticklish, Istredd.
"A devil's trap," he explains. "Usually painted or etched large enough on a floor, or ceiling. A demon steps on or under and they're trapped, though I don't imagine it'll hold him for long. I have one beneath the trickle of water at the entrance of my cave in the Horizon, and one under a rug in your private study in your domain." Which has actually been there for awhile but he never considered it maybe being necessary it was just born out of paranoia!!!
The only reason Istredd is confident enough to touch him as much as he does now is from experience and Lucifer giving him inch by inch. It also helps that it's Lucifer who likes to splay all his limbs on top of Istredd every night at bed, so covered in him at times he can't always tell which person's leg it is. It's nice but an adjustment for him too.
He and Yenenfer never got to spend their nights together, their relationship was always in stolen moments. The day to day reality of living with the person you're in a relationship with is a step them jumped straight past.
Istredd lets him move his arm as he wants and moves his palm up, watching what he's doing. He knows many signs and sigils himself, it's actually interesting to see some aspects of magic continue through the spheres. He memorizes it easily since the concept is familiar to him. "Lucifer, no one can get trapped in the Horizon unless they want to."
So it is paranoia but it is also pointlessly so. Istredd more than many understands who fluid the psychic plane is. It would be very difficult to hurt him in the Horizon, ever. "But we could make one for the room." Their room is already heavily warded so why not. Istredd contemplates. "I would say you could sneak them other places in Thorne, but they'd notice."
"Until it's actually proven I think a test of willpowers, plus the constrained knowledge knowing the mechanics of a world could outweigh the mechanics of this place," he says. Dean doesn't want to be caught but somewhere in Dean's brain he knows he should be caught, if even to trip him up. "Put enough mental strength into what should work and you might win out, at least against a lesser psionicist."
Paranoia, but they still don't know all the workings of the Horizon, and they likely never will.
"Also given that it is possible to be trapped in the Horizon for a period of time against our will... something had enough willpower to do that to you," he argues. The Heralds, maybe. The Heralds affect on Abraxas, and the Singularity, and the link the Summoned hold to the Singularity. Or something else entirely.
"I'd rather not trap him in here. But yes, Thorne would definitely take notice and not be particularly happy."
"That was done by a divine herald, I'm not more powerful than one of those." Istredd did get trapped very neatly in that extremely frustrating maze. He still has no idea what any of that meant.
"If the gods have been around here for thousands of years at least, that means they've had that long to get close to the Singularity." Or they're made of the Singularity. Or they are the Singularity. These are questions they are still no closer to answering, unfortunately, but Istredd thinks they're probably all mixed together.
"Anyway." That'll just take them down theory road. "Put them anywhere you want, Lucifer." Istredd raises an eyebrow at him. "Should I put one on me? Trap myself a devil?" Blatant flirting.
"And I'm a divine archangel against Demon Dean Winchester, ergo my argument is still potentially correct, regardless of differing power levels," he sings, poking Istredd rudely in the middle of his palm before finally dropping his hand. He quirks his brows, continuing in the same tone, "And I amstronger than Dean mentally, any day."
But it's not like the demon is going to stay put nor cooperate in any such experimentation, so.
"Cute, but it doesn't actually work on me." Nor would it be able to function that way, but that's... the logistics aren't the point. "Don't ask me the origin of its name, it does sound better than 'demon's trap' but it is very misleading."
"Oh yes, you are so very divine, great archangel." Istredd takes his hand back and uses it to playfully ruffle Lucifer's hair. He isn't being disrespectful, it's just funny to him when the reality sets in that again, he is but a (powerful) human mage compared to his primordial supernatural partner.
He knows it wouldn't function that way, flirting doesn't have to make sense. "Maybe I should be called the devil's trap then." Considering he has neatly managed to get Lucifer wrapped around his finger, for better or for worse.
"Wow, I think I've fed your ego too much, didn't we say something about how we weren't supposed to do that?" he asks this as he bends up out of his crossed-legged position with more sinewy grace than should be allowed. He does reach a hand down to Istredd.
"I guess that would make me your thirst trap."
Lucifer spent too long on social media while he wore Vince. And had an assistant that kept him in the loop with all the newfangled slang.
"I'm new to having one, I still need time to balance it to a healthy level." It is only partly true, Istredd has a reasonable ego when it comes to learning and magic, his areas of expertise and interest, he works hard at those. The personal level he's starting to get better at, thanks to the archangel in question.
He takes Lucifer's hand and pulls himself up, his expression quizzical. "Lucifer, you know there are terms you have to explain." It's the thirst that is confusing him, but it is an accurate term. He has been embarrassingly thirsty for a long time, only revealed in recent times.
"Nope! It would fill me with so many warm fuzzies if you asked someone else what it meant," he says, grinning maniacally. He rubs at his chin, giving it some extra, serious thought, "I don't think it'd be embarrassing." Because he's not looking for Istredd to be laughed at, but he's still not feeding Istredd the answer.
"I don't trust you, you're setting me up." Istredd probably will ask someone. It would have to be someone who is from a world adjacent to Lucifer's. That crosses out Kell and probably Kyle. Natasha seems like the obvious choice. She'd understand all of these terms.
"Library. I have exhausted every avenue for High Magic details. They are officially useless." It's simply impossible here. Istredd knows they both have been in contact with Michael and Wanda in Solvunn, the only people who can actually get close to those answers. But he couldn't help but make absolute certain there was nothing to be done on their end.
He smooths over Lucifer's shirt, often wrinkling it when he gets a hold. "Are you satisfied that I'm not in any danger?"
"You'll be fine," he reassures, patting Istredd on the back.
Natasha would love it.
"I mean, it was always going to be a long shot," he says. "An incredibly long shot. But you still had to try."
He wishes he could say he was surprised, but he would have been more so if Istredd did get something of use, out of any of it, any of them.
He catches Istredd's hand on his shirt but doesn't remove it. "No," he admits. It's the truth. That concern isn't going to just go away. "But it's better now."
"I did have to try, you would just think that finding out how successful High Magic is would make them think now about taking it more seriously." That is how Istredd reacts, and how the Brotherhood would have acted. For all their flaws, they take magical power seriously. It would be their first thing, to get to the bottom of the power that outclassed them and learn it. Alas.
"I've got some tricks up my sleeve. Don't count me out." Istredd may not be lethal the way Lucifer and Dean are, but he's not helpless either, as he's reiterated a few times. He gives him a long and lingering kiss. "I'm sorry I ended up a weakness for you."
He gives him an annoyed, light, thwap. "It's not about your capabilities, I'm allowed to be irrational too." Until proven, he's never going to be the one that doubts Istredd's capabilities. He will keep reminding him of that.
He sighs into the kiss. "It was going to be inevitable, even without a relationship."
"I'm glad not to be the only irrational one." They have already agreed to running over fighting anyway, which is the right call in this situation. He doubts Lucifer would have agreed to run from Dean Winchester all those months ago, when he first decided to put Istredd's safety over crushing his enemy. But now it's clearly the right choice.
Istredd pulls Lucifer in for a hug, burrowing his head briefly into the crook of his shoulder. "I know." It was inevitable because Istredd's been his weakness for a long time now. "But I still hate being used against you. I'm going to throw something really heavy at his head if we do see him."
"Better you than the kid," Lucifer says. They're both a weakness but only one is so openly known, or predictable, anyway. "At least you can defend yourself--though I would enjoy Wilhelm shoving all his overblown anxieties at Dean. That would slow him down far more than anything we could do." Lucifer knows. Lucifer experienced it once, and it's something he'd would never like to feel again.
"Better me than the kid, yes. Although he is getting better with magic. He's been different since we came back. Determined, eager, even, to get control over his life." Istredd isn't surprised, necessarily. After what they went through, and Wilhelm in particular being mind twisted, being that helpless led to a need for security. "He could wield that power impressively some day."
The two of them are both pillars of Wilhelm's life and growth now, and Istredd's been relieved to see the change in the boy. Not that it would matter compared to Dean. If he could tear through Lucifer, they're all in trouble. He pulls back to look at him. "Should you warn Michael? I would, but I think I annoyed him a little the last time we talked."
"The kid has so much potential. It's what drew me to him, originally. Power unrecognized, unshaped, in a form so new to existence," Lucifer says. Don't @ him for the truth alright. He groans. "And then I understood the trademarked Teenage Drama and had some regrets, but I'm stuck with him now."
Which is. Fine.
He wouldn't be able to fool any of them into thinking otherwise.
"Michael is the last one Dean is going to go after," Lucifer says. "He's at full power, anyway. I'd rather Wanda not get her Chaos magic," and her shiny new patron, "mixed into the Mark business--I imagine they won't go well--but they have a better chance of leaving a lasting, heh, mark."
He chuckles, kissing the top of his head. "Oh I think it was your Drama that kicked in before his Teenage Drama." Lucifer did upset the boy before he started giving back his attitude, after all. They are all far past that now. Wilhelm and Lucifer are closer than ever, and he is excelling at his studies. "I think if we continue to do our jobs well, he may end up better than both of us."
That job being his adopted mentors, more or less, although Lucifer is more of a father, with Istredd still preferring a teacher role. Far better than any of his, considering he would never threaten anyone with eels. They're both going outside of their own experiences.
"I would not back Dean against Wanda, even if he is a demon now. She is something else." Probably closer to a goddess than a human at this point, but it is her heart that actually matters. "He is at full power?" Istredd did know that Michael was more powerful than Lucifer, it isn't hard to see. "But he cares for Wanda, and for his vessel, you said?" Meaning ... maybe a full archangel is capable of some feelings.
It's cute that Istredd thinks that. "No, no, no, you weren't here until like... a month after us. He was plenty beforehand all on his own. I was very reasonable for what I put up with." It's impressive he didn't break on his own without the affliction, honestly.
"He'd better end up better than both of us," he continues primly. Otherwise what's the point!!
"As far as I know he is," Lucifer says. He has no reason to assume any differently. Michael would likely hide it as much as the rest of them (until Lucifer realized how detrimental it was to hide from the others in Thorne), but he'd like to think he would have noticed. "In the sense of a dog caring for its favorite toy, maybe," Lucifer says. Which is not a winning statement.
He doesn't actually know how Michael feels about Wanda. He's not even sure they're talking, he just assumes Wanda is too stubborn to accept indifference from Michael.
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After all, Lucifer knows shit about relationships. Hell, Lucifer knows shit about friendships. He's just making a tower from the building blocks around him, who all equally have their own faults.
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"Sometimes I just really ...." Istredd smiles and leans his forehead against Lucifer's. "Love you." It could come with a dozen demons threatening his life every day and it wouldn't matter to him. It's not like he has to say it, Lucifer can feel it radiate out of him daily. "I know, I'm obnoxiously sentimental."
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But it's also more like a few hundred demons wondering what the hell this one mage did to their father/creator, if there's ever a bleed between worlds, anyway. He's made up more bogus theories than that before.
"Alright, alright, I won't be modest, I'm amazing."
He is definitely deflecting.
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Istredd's love and romanticism can be intense, something only Lucifer and Yennefer really understand, but he probably needs to be this way to pull them clawing down into a relationship. And joy has been found because of it. He said he was going to enjoy this while they still had it, before Lucifer lost all of it becoming an archangel again.
He pulls his head back to look at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Did you say you had Dertsi eat him?"
Circling back to the start, since the terror and concern over Dean is now long past.
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Sometimes Istredd is merciful.
"Oh, yeah. I doubt she actually killed him or if he dropped out of the Horizon on his own, I left before I could have any real confirmation because I didn't want to deal if he came back. She seemed pleased regardless."
Fake snake with a fake Happy Meal.
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"Well, I did ask you to stop killing people, but this one was deserved." He meant more people like Geralt or Kyle, demon Dean would have it killing. Istredd doesn't know what to think or feel about whether or not Dean survives this. For Castiel who loves him, he probably would lean that way, but he doesn't like anyone who wants to hurt Lucifer sticking around. It's not their choice.
"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me that you didn't think to, like what Dean looks like?"
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"Ohhhhh yeah, you did ask me that," he says, as though it has slipped his mind.
But also he'll kill Dean as much as he feels like, thank you, not sorry.
"Uhhhh... no?" He tilts his head, thinking. He hums, pulling one of Istredd's arms off him and around to him and turning his hand so that it's palm up. He holds it steady between them with one hand before he begins very faintly, with the tip of a nail from his other hand, tracing a symbol--the simpler of two versions. In their minds he's filling in the lines on Istredd's hand of the actual devil's trap.
Hope you're not ticklish, Istredd.
"A devil's trap," he explains. "Usually painted or etched large enough on a floor, or ceiling. A demon steps on or under and they're trapped, though I don't imagine it'll hold him for long. I have one beneath the trickle of water at the entrance of my cave in the Horizon, and one under a rug in your private study in your domain." Which has actually been there for awhile but he never considered it maybe being necessary it was just born out of paranoia!!!
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He and Yenenfer never got to spend their nights together, their relationship was always in stolen moments. The day to day reality of living with the person you're in a relationship with is a step them jumped straight past.
Istredd lets him move his arm as he wants and moves his palm up, watching what he's doing. He knows many signs and sigils himself, it's actually interesting to see some aspects of magic continue through the spheres. He memorizes it easily since the concept is familiar to him. "Lucifer, no one can get trapped in the Horizon unless they want to."
So it is paranoia but it is also pointlessly so. Istredd more than many understands who fluid the psychic plane is. It would be very difficult to hurt him in the Horizon, ever. "But we could make one for the room." Their room is already heavily warded so why not. Istredd contemplates. "I would say you could sneak them other places in Thorne, but they'd notice."
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Paranoia, but they still don't know all the workings of the Horizon, and they likely never will.
"Also given that it is possible to be trapped in the Horizon for a period of time against our will... something had enough willpower to do that to you," he argues. The Heralds, maybe. The Heralds affect on Abraxas, and the Singularity, and the link the Summoned hold to the Singularity. Or something else entirely.
"I'd rather not trap him in here. But yes, Thorne would definitely take notice and not be particularly happy."
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"If the gods have been around here for thousands of years at least, that means they've had that long to get close to the Singularity." Or they're made of the Singularity. Or they are the Singularity. These are questions they are still no closer to answering, unfortunately, but Istredd thinks they're probably all mixed together.
"Anyway." That'll just take them down theory road. "Put them anywhere you want, Lucifer." Istredd raises an eyebrow at him. "Should I put one on me? Trap myself a devil?" Blatant flirting.
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But it's not like the demon is going to stay put nor cooperate in any such experimentation, so.
"Cute, but it doesn't actually work on me." Nor would it be able to function that way, but that's... the logistics aren't the point. "Don't ask me the origin of its name, it does sound better than 'demon's trap' but it is very misleading."
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He knows it wouldn't function that way, flirting doesn't have to make sense. "Maybe I should be called the devil's trap then." Considering he has neatly managed to get Lucifer wrapped around his finger, for better or for worse.
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"I guess that would make me your thirst trap."
Lucifer spent too long on social media while he wore Vince. And had an assistant that kept him in the loop with all the newfangled slang.
So.
Sorry.
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He takes Lucifer's hand and pulls himself up, his expression quizzical. "Lucifer, you know there are terms you have to explain." It's the thirst that is confusing him, but it is an accurate term. He has been embarrassingly thirsty for a long time, only revealed in recent times.
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Just gotta take his word for it, eh?
"What did I pull you from, anyway? Classes?"
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"Library. I have exhausted every avenue for High Magic details. They are officially useless." It's simply impossible here. Istredd knows they both have been in contact with Michael and Wanda in Solvunn, the only people who can actually get close to those answers. But he couldn't help but make absolute certain there was nothing to be done on their end.
He smooths over Lucifer's shirt, often wrinkling it when he gets a hold. "Are you satisfied that I'm not in any danger?"
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Natasha would love it.
"I mean, it was always going to be a long shot," he says. "An incredibly long shot. But you still had to try."
He wishes he could say he was surprised, but he would have been more so if Istredd did get something of use, out of any of it, any of them.
He catches Istredd's hand on his shirt but doesn't remove it. "No," he admits. It's the truth. That concern isn't going to just go away. "But it's better now."
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"I've got some tricks up my sleeve. Don't count me out." Istredd may not be lethal the way Lucifer and Dean are, but he's not helpless either, as he's reiterated a few times. He gives him a long and lingering kiss. "I'm sorry I ended up a weakness for you."
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He gives him an annoyed, light, thwap. "It's not about your capabilities, I'm allowed to be irrational too." Until proven, he's never going to be the one that doubts Istredd's capabilities. He will keep reminding him of that.
He sighs into the kiss. "It was going to be inevitable, even without a relationship."
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Istredd pulls Lucifer in for a hug, burrowing his head briefly into the crook of his shoulder. "I know." It was inevitable because Istredd's been his weakness for a long time now. "But I still hate being used against you. I'm going to throw something really heavy at his head if we do see him."
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"Better you than the kid," Lucifer says. They're both a weakness but only one is so openly known, or predictable, anyway. "At least you can defend yourself--though I would enjoy Wilhelm shoving all his overblown anxieties at Dean. That would slow him down far more than anything we could do." Lucifer knows. Lucifer experienced it once, and it's something he'd would never like to feel again.
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The two of them are both pillars of Wilhelm's life and growth now, and Istredd's been relieved to see the change in the boy. Not that it would matter compared to Dean. If he could tear through Lucifer, they're all in trouble. He pulls back to look at him. "Should you warn Michael? I would, but I think I annoyed him a little the last time we talked."
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Which is. Fine.
He wouldn't be able to fool any of them into thinking otherwise.
"Michael is the last one Dean is going to go after," Lucifer says. "He's at full power, anyway. I'd rather Wanda not get her Chaos magic," and her shiny new patron, "mixed into the Mark business--I imagine they won't go well--but they have a better chance of leaving a lasting, heh, mark."
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That job being his adopted mentors, more or less, although Lucifer is more of a father, with Istredd still preferring a teacher role. Far better than any of his, considering he would never threaten anyone with eels. They're both going outside of their own experiences.
"I would not back Dean against Wanda, even if he is a demon now. She is something else." Probably closer to a goddess than a human at this point, but it is her heart that actually matters. "He is at full power?" Istredd did know that Michael was more powerful than Lucifer, it isn't hard to see. "But he cares for Wanda, and for his vessel, you said?" Meaning ... maybe a full archangel is capable of some feelings.
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"He'd better end up better than both of us," he continues primly. Otherwise what's the point!!
"As far as I know he is," Lucifer says. He has no reason to assume any differently. Michael would likely hide it as much as the rest of them (until Lucifer realized how detrimental it was to hide from the others in Thorne), but he'd like to think he would have noticed. "In the sense of a dog caring for its favorite toy, maybe," Lucifer says. Which is not a winning statement.
He doesn't actually know how Michael feels about Wanda. He's not even sure they're talking, he just assumes Wanda is too stubborn to accept indifference from Michael.
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for our Sanity we should wrap this soon LOL
LOL wrap with them making out.
A++