Thread by @qelossas

#luceferth seer!luke tlk verse, neither accurate nor scientific description of an inter/sex character, because i made all of this up.

"do i unnerve you, monk?" the seer- lucerys- throws the question over his shoulder at osferth, to which osferth wants to say yes.

in every way, osferth thinks, from your beauty "that blinds you like the sun," as they say, to the way your blood stained fingertips ghosted over my face, the way you whispered words i could not understand into my ear. but he does not say it. "no," he lies.

"i knew a seer once, and she was the devil herself. i do not fear you."

luke huffs a laugh. "is that what you think? what your scriptures taught you? that i am evil, that i am of the devil? only because you don't understand what i do, what i can do?"

"keep walking," osferth says instead, not daring to answer. he does not understand why luke insisted upon being watched by osferth and none other while he washes. but "do as he wants, lets you want him to curse you, curse us all," lord uhtred has said.

"besides, he gave us his worth. keep him happy."

"are you not going to unbind me? i cannot wash without the use of my hands," luke says. they've arrived at the riverbank. the water must be cold. "i told you, i shall throw no curses. you have nothing to fear from me."

we have everything to fear from you, osferth thinks but doesn't say. he undoes the ropes that bind luke's wrists together, feeling luke's gaze on him. it raises gooseflesh on his arms. he keeps his eyes fixed upon luke's hands instead, studies the patterns on his pale fingers.

"i make you uneasy," luke murmurs.

"no," osferth lies through gritted teeth. "just wash. please."

luke rubs his wrists. "meet my eyes."

"no. i shall not look into the eyes of the devil simply because he asks."

"again with your devil nonsense," luke sighs. "you christians are easily unnerved. there is much you do not know."

osferth says nothing.

"i simply wish to look into your eyes. see the color of them, if they are indeed the ones i've seen. that is all."

osferth clasps his hands behind his back. he hopes the seer doesn't see the way he's fidgeting out of his third eye or whatever it is that seers have that they use to peer into the hearts of weaker men. "the eyes you've seen?" he asks, despite himself.

"i told you.-

i knew you would come, saxon. monk. osferth."

when osferth does not answer, luke lifts his face with a finger underneath his chin. he tries to look away but can't, meeting luke's gaze. luke's eyes are dark as night.

his heart thumps, loud, and he prays that luke doesn't hear.

he feels like a specimen under a knife, a flower being pressed unto the page. luke's finger is stained in blood, its touch making osferth's skin crawl.

osferth says nothing.

"i know you. and i know your eyes," luke says, after some time. "the same i have seen."

the finger leaves. osferth doesn't realize he has been holding in a breath. it shakes when he exhales.

then, without looking away from osferth, luke begins to undress.

osferth knows he should protest, look away, turn around. but he stays rooted firmly in place, eyes wide as luke slips his cloak over his shoulders, undoes the laces of his tunic.

he can only watch as luke pushes the last of his clothings off of him, lets it pool at his feet.

luke is bare before him, his skin soft and pale as milk. and his body-

osferth's breath quickens. theres a lump in his throat, making his mouth dry. he salivates.

"some said i was cursed at birth," luke says. "and some said i was blessed by the gods, with this body."

"a boy with the parts of a girl. the core, the source of my powers," luke continues as he makes his way into the water. he knows osferth is watching, listening. "my boon and my curse."

"it's freezing," osferth chokes out. "the water. won't you be cold?"

"it's not," luke says. the water does not seem to cling to his skin somehow. "watch me. stay there until i'm finished."

heres the drawing that goes with this

https://twitter.com/qelossas/status/1622885758993309696?t=2OhRYYIkKUfPioL5U_Rg6w&s=19