"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.
"I am actually surprised you stuck it out so long in that case, but it's good that you did." Istredd has only slightly started to understand what Lucifer means by teenage attitude, considering he did get some of it when he first reached out. He was too connected to Lucifer at the time, and Wilhelm was angry. Obviously he did not have a typical childhood or teenage experience. Hard to cop an attitude at adults when they can eel you.
"It's hard to get worse than our particular brands of issues, to be fair." Wilhelm is too normal to end up there.
Michael does have the confidence of someone who has all his power intact. A casualness that comes with certainty. If he's lying, he's hiding it well. It wasn't a big hope, to hold onto anything small as an example of them being able to stay together. Any day could be their last anyway. No sense in dwelling. Istredd is a champion at not dwelling.
"We were talking about Solvunn and also about having to leave Thorne some day, I asked him if there was any chance the two of you could tolerate each other. He said, and I quote 'If you have to ask, you don't know me well enough to be asking in the first place.'"
"I was dug in too deep at that point to do any more but keep going," he complains. His problem would've been solved if he just Wilhelm die in the Nocwich Hunting Grounds but he couldn't by that point. He reacted on instinct, anyway. He didn't have to like the instinct.
Wilhelm sure has Lucifer's attitude problems which could become an issue as his power grows, but he doesn't have Lucifer complete fractured family package. No one has that level of family problems as Lucifer.
Speaking of...
He draws back to get a good look at Istredd's face, giving him a look.
"You did what."
Why. Why did that seem like a good idea, Istredd...
Istredd sighs, rolling his eyes. "What? It's not tomorrow. It might be months or years, maybe you two can tolerate each other by then." Hope springs eternal, okay, he just wants more options as places to flee to for Lucifer. They were pretty limited and while neither of them liked Solvunn, it would be nice to have an option.
"You're already talking more than you probably thought you would when he first arrived without violence. It's possible." Is he a little defensive? Yes, but he thinks he's right, he usually does.
He's still giving Istredd that same look. We'll tolerate each other by not being near each other," he says. "On our own terms, not because we suddenly have to be in the same space. We're all extremely lucky that we weren't brought into the same faction."
And here they were talking about Istredd meddling with others of Lucifer's family.
Shocker.
"You had to have known how that was going to go." By asking Michael that.
"I didn't think there was any harm in asking. I'd hate to cross off an option permanently by assuming the answer."
Istredd is a big meddler! Just ask Geralt considering how blindsided he was that one brief adventure with the mage led to him figuring out all the details about Ciri out of sheer curiosity and stubbornness.
"Not to mention there is a possibility we won't have a choice in how that all goes, Lucifer, if we do end up having to escape Thorne."
It's not the same thing as choosing to move somewhere. They're not going to ask permission. The idea of leaving has always been more of a case of emergency or if they think it's a safe movement. But if a war starts, it may not be as simple.
He waves his hands in a conciliatory way. "But yes, fine, I'm a meddler. I'll stop."
If they have to spontaneously flee to Solvunn Lucifer is not making plans for the possibility. Michael may be more annoyed short-term but maybe forgiving long-term if they react on a hair-trigger decision.
... Or it'll be the opposite effect and Michael gets pissy about Lucifer's poor planning.
Whatever.
Either way it's a losing game for Lucifer, so he'll choose Option 1.
"That's like saying you'll stop reading," Lucifer points out. YEAH. SORRY, ISTREDD. They've both got their faults. "Good luck getting him to talk to you again anytime soon. He'll cool off, probably. Find him some tedious clerical work to do and maybe he'll forgive you." Okay that last part likely isn't fair but this other option was find some people for Michael to boss around which is less plausible.
He has nothing useful for Istredd to make peace with Michael, nor is he......... particularly interested in helping in that venture.
"Does it count if I try to stop?" He says wryly. Istredd's intentions may be to do that, but then something will happen that seems like an opportunity and he'll jump on it anyway. They've both got their faults for certain. Lucifer's already pointed out some of his worst, the tendency to get tunnel vision and impulsively reach for what he wants without thinking of the consequences.
Stop and think. A pretty simple request. Also might have helped him here. Istredd shrugs.
"He's been willing to share Solvunn information and if the Summoned are ever in danger, it's good to know what assets we have. It's not deeper than that." It really is more of a logical situation than a personal one. "If I'm annoying, that's fine. Hopefully not so annoying he'll want to pop my head off if he sees me."
Istredd is in love with one angel and friendly with another. He really does not actually need the trifecta here.
He'd say no but then that'll come back to bite him and his own efforts so really he's trapped himself.
Istredd wants it to be a logical situation, certainly.
"If Michael pops your head off he's got more consequences than he can properly deal with."
Wanda more than Lucifer, power wise. But he'll burn a lot of bridges that he may think he doesn't need but will eventually realize their importance.
He waves it off, anyway. Lucifer's the one of the two of them that would kill someone for annoying him. Lucky for him harming another Summoned here wasn't worth the temporary relief. "I don't think I have any other enemies that will personally try and use you against me, so you should actually be safe disclosing our relationship to the rest of the world."
"Wanda would be very put out, it's true." One of the few people who seems to have any connection or sway with Lucifer's brother. The two of them are psychically connected in a way only two telepaths really can be, Lucifer's bond with him the closest to it for a non-telepath. He wouldn't be particularly judgmental of Michael, he just likes his head where it is.
"Oh good, I'll make a public statement then." He smiles and lifts his hands to play with Lucifer's shirt again. It's difficult for him not to touch. "Announcement, my romantic status is now partner to Lucifer, he allows me all kinds of indulgences and I am very smug about it."
He laughs into the kiss because he definitely would not, but it is funny to taunt him with it. Not that they're incredibly subtle currently. Istredd nips at Lucifer's lip playfully.
Lucifer hums, his fear and paranoia temporarily slipping away completely. They'll be rekindled, eventually, but he lets them fall away, lets whatever illusions of safety they have in this room alone, let alone Thorne's excessive, obsessive warding.
He follows Istredd's instructions to a T, crowding Istredd up against the wall and taking his words from him for just a little while.
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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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"It's hard to get worse than our particular brands of issues, to be fair." Wilhelm is too normal to end up there.
Michael does have the confidence of someone who has all his power intact. A casualness that comes with certainty. If he's lying, he's hiding it well. It wasn't a big hope, to hold onto anything small as an example of them being able to stay together. Any day could be their last anyway. No sense in dwelling. Istredd is a champion at not dwelling.
"We were talking about Solvunn and also about having to leave Thorne some day, I asked him if there was any chance the two of you could tolerate each other. He said, and I quote 'If you have to ask, you don't know me well enough to be asking in the first place.'"
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Wilhelm sure has Lucifer's attitude problems which could become an issue as his power grows, but he doesn't have Lucifer complete fractured family package. No one has that level of family problems as Lucifer.
Speaking of...
He draws back to get a good look at Istredd's face, giving him a look.
"You did what."
Why. Why did that seem like a good idea, Istredd...
"'Annoyed him a little.' Yeah, Istredd."
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"You're already talking more than you probably thought you would when he first arrived without violence. It's possible." Is he a little defensive? Yes, but he thinks he's right, he usually does.
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And here they were talking about Istredd meddling with others of Lucifer's family.
Shocker.
"You had to have known how that was going to go." By asking Michael that.
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Istredd is a big meddler! Just ask Geralt considering how blindsided he was that one brief adventure with the mage led to him figuring out all the details about Ciri out of sheer curiosity and stubbornness.
"Not to mention there is a possibility we won't have a choice in how that all goes, Lucifer, if we do end up having to escape Thorne."
It's not the same thing as choosing to move somewhere. They're not going to ask permission. The idea of leaving has always been more of a case of emergency or if they think it's a safe movement. But if a war starts, it may not be as simple.
He waves his hands in a conciliatory way. "But yes, fine, I'm a meddler. I'll stop."
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... Or it'll be the opposite effect and Michael gets pissy about Lucifer's poor planning.
Whatever.
Either way it's a losing game for Lucifer, so he'll choose Option 1.
"That's like saying you'll stop reading," Lucifer points out. YEAH. SORRY, ISTREDD. They've both got their faults. "Good luck getting him to talk to you again anytime soon. He'll cool off, probably. Find him some tedious clerical work to do and maybe he'll forgive you." Okay that last part likely isn't fair but this other option was find some people for Michael to boss around which is less plausible.
He has nothing useful for Istredd to make peace with Michael, nor is he......... particularly interested in helping in that venture.
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Stop and think. A pretty simple request. Also might have helped him here. Istredd shrugs.
"He's been willing to share Solvunn information and if the Summoned are ever in danger, it's good to know what assets we have. It's not deeper than that." It really is more of a logical situation than a personal one. "If I'm annoying, that's fine. Hopefully not so annoying he'll want to pop my head off if he sees me."
Istredd is in love with one angel and friendly with another. He really does not actually need the trifecta here.
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"Yeah, yeah, it counts."
He'd say no but then that'll come back to bite him and his own efforts so really he's trapped himself.
Istredd wants it to be a logical situation, certainly.
"If Michael pops your head off he's got more consequences than he can properly deal with."
Wanda more than Lucifer, power wise. But he'll burn a lot of bridges that he may think he doesn't need but will eventually realize their importance.
He waves it off, anyway. Lucifer's the one of the two of them that would kill someone for annoying him. Lucky for him harming another Summoned here wasn't worth the temporary relief. "I don't think I have any other enemies that will personally try and use you against me, so you should actually be safe disclosing our relationship to the rest of the world."
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"Oh good, I'll make a public statement then." He smiles and lifts his hands to play with Lucifer's shirt again. It's difficult for him not to touch. "Announcement, my romantic status is now partner to Lucifer, he allows me all kinds of indulgences and I am very smug about it."
for our Sanity we should wrap this soon LOL
"Oh, shut it."
The affection is there in his voice, regardless, impossible to miss.
LOL wrap with them making out.
"Shut it for me."
A++
He follows Istredd's instructions to a T, crowding Istredd up against the wall and taking his words from him for just a little while.