"There's a woman named Himeka who has been around since the start." Lucifer might not meet her for some time, but the name at least might resonate. Istredd's known her from the start of his time here, but only in passing. She seems pleasant and helpful enough. Wanda's just been his go-to. They have their connection but Lucifer might be right, Wanda has plenty going on without the two of them constantly prodding at her.
"I suppose I wonder ...." Istredd considers, tipping his head to the side, taking Lucifer's hand because he likes points of contact. "Let's say we're right about the gods being former Summoned. Let's say these rift monsters proved that other entities have that same connection if pulled from other worlds. And that there's corruption possible in those examples. What does that mean for us? Should we be concerned about our future? What will we do if everything we suspect is true?"
"Of course we should be concerned about our future," he says, very much thinking that's obvious. "We already know we can be influenced against our will and not even on purpose." Lucifer and the Myriapod Arcana Problem. "There's likely at least a baker's dozen of ways we can be corrupted and half of them are likely just environmental, half be done against us. Heck, maybe the Singularity's connection will straight-up eventually poison us." There's the tie-breaker thirteen of the split.
For someone that tries to look multiple steps ahead to their Fate when a problem comes up, even Lucifer knows the rest of his answer, "We can't plan for every eventuality, Istredd. Maybe we can save us, or someone else, from going down that potential road." Look at Dean and the Mark. An other-world problem crept into Abraxas, but still an impossible problem solved, presumably with next-to-no known consequences. "But we may just have to put someone down, one day."
"I've never been very good at looking forward." He's a historian, his job is literally to be stuck in the past. Looking for answers to things that were long dead and buried, and knowing he may never get them. Istredd didn't have much he considered worth looking forward to. A long life that he saw as more books and historical digs and avoiding all the things in his continent he didn't want to engage with.
But it changed there. The Book of Monoliths made him invested, and then it all fell apart. And here? Istredd's been intensely engaged with Abraxas, the opposite of his aloof indifference to his own sphere. He knows that he wants to stay here for his future, he's said as much. Here with Lucifer, here with the others. But what that looks like in a hundred or five hundred years, he hasn't thought ahead to it.
"You know I can't help it. I'll have to plan for those eventualities, as best as possible." It's the Pit all over again, obsessively putting everyone's problems on himself, but it's better in that he's not actively dying. They have time. The new gods didn't go from Summoned to that overnight. They all are on paths. But Lucifer said 'We can save us' and that means it doesn't have to be him alone. Not just with Lucifer, but in general. It's all of them who has to have a buy in.
Istredd kisses him firmly, reminding himself how close they keep getting to losing everything, but they haven't yet. "It won't be us." Having to be put down. He's determined. "If it's me, I give you full permission. But don't offer me the same because I wouldn't be able to." He's honest about his weakness.
"Ahhh, that's why you keep making me look forward, because you're bad at it," Lucifer says in a sage-like tone. Now it all makes sense. The fact that Lucifer's even a little bit better of again looking forward is impressive because he was fully loose-cannon after Dad used and ditched him again. Heck, it's how he ended up with a child. He had no plan and no care and just wanted everyone to feel what he did, damn the consequences.
It's no wonder Crowley got a one-up on him.
It probably will be them, more than anyone, but Lucifer doesn't push that certainty.
"Oh, don't worry, if I become irreparably corrupted I'm taking you down with me and we'll both be walking disasters on the world."
Is that a kindness? Well it's better than being on the other side, isn't it? Lucifer thinks it is.
Istredd laughs. "Partners are supposed to balance each other out. Fill in each other's weaknesses. I think that's why we work so well." They aren't a case of opposites attract exactly, although they are very different people, but from the beginning it was more about how one of them bled into the other when they needed to. Lucifer used to be the one who pulled Istredd out of the library and into the world. Istredd did the same emotionally, soothed his darker edges, broke down his walls.
He doesn't believe it will be them. They've managed to keep it together for Thorne so far, and if their connection to each other becomes corrupt, they still have the others. It's why Lucifer's comment makes him laugh again, kissing his forehead.
"Well, I'd prefer it to the other option." He agrees with that. If they're together, he has faith in them. They've always brought out the best in each other so far. Killing Lucifer is too impossible of an idea. He's already said before he'd go down protecting him, and he meant it.
"Let's get some rest, love. Our brains have been bleeding." Painfully! This new bond will help that, but it was still not easy, and Lucifer's been struggling with the monster.
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Date: 2024-03-07 03:52 pm (UTC)"I suppose I wonder ...." Istredd considers, tipping his head to the side, taking Lucifer's hand because he likes points of contact. "Let's say we're right about the gods being former Summoned. Let's say these rift monsters proved that other entities have that same connection if pulled from other worlds. And that there's corruption possible in those examples. What does that mean for us? Should we be concerned about our future? What will we do if everything we suspect is true?"
no subject
Date: 2024-03-14 12:09 am (UTC)"Of course we should be concerned about our future," he says, very much thinking that's obvious. "We already know we can be influenced against our will and not even on purpose." Lucifer and the Myriapod Arcana Problem. "There's likely at least a baker's dozen of ways we can be corrupted and half of them are likely just environmental, half be done against us. Heck, maybe the Singularity's connection will straight-up eventually poison us." There's the tie-breaker thirteen of the split.
For someone that tries to look multiple steps ahead to their Fate when a problem comes up, even Lucifer knows the rest of his answer, "We can't plan for every eventuality, Istredd. Maybe we can save us, or someone else, from going down that potential road." Look at Dean and the Mark. An other-world problem crept into Abraxas, but still an impossible problem solved, presumably with next-to-no known consequences. "But we may just have to put someone down, one day."
no subject
Date: 2024-03-14 01:07 am (UTC)But it changed there. The Book of Monoliths made him invested, and then it all fell apart. And here? Istredd's been intensely engaged with Abraxas, the opposite of his aloof indifference to his own sphere. He knows that he wants to stay here for his future, he's said as much. Here with Lucifer, here with the others. But what that looks like in a hundred or five hundred years, he hasn't thought ahead to it.
"You know I can't help it. I'll have to plan for those eventualities, as best as possible." It's the Pit all over again, obsessively putting everyone's problems on himself, but it's better in that he's not actively dying. They have time. The new gods didn't go from Summoned to that overnight. They all are on paths. But Lucifer said 'We can save us' and that means it doesn't have to be him alone. Not just with Lucifer, but in general. It's all of them who has to have a buy in.
Istredd kisses him firmly, reminding himself how close they keep getting to losing everything, but they haven't yet. "It won't be us." Having to be put down. He's determined. "If it's me, I give you full permission. But don't offer me the same because I wouldn't be able to." He's honest about his weakness.
no subject
Date: 2024-03-14 04:09 am (UTC)It's no wonder Crowley got a one-up on him.
It probably will be them, more than anyone, but Lucifer doesn't push that certainty.
"Oh, don't worry, if I become irreparably corrupted I'm taking you down with me and we'll both be walking disasters on the world."
Is that a kindness? Well it's better than being on the other side, isn't it? Lucifer thinks it is.
We can wrap on here or you can end tag!
Date: 2024-03-14 12:41 pm (UTC)He doesn't believe it will be them. They've managed to keep it together for Thorne so far, and if their connection to each other becomes corrupt, they still have the others. It's why Lucifer's comment makes him laugh again, kissing his forehead.
"Well, I'd prefer it to the other option." He agrees with that. If they're together, he has faith in them. They've always brought out the best in each other so far. Killing Lucifer is too impossible of an idea. He's already said before he'd go down protecting him, and he meant it.
"Let's get some rest, love. Our brains have been bleeding." Painfully! This new bond will help that, but it was still not easy, and Lucifer's been struggling with the monster.
stamps APPROVAL
Date: 2024-03-14 09:18 pm (UTC)