(no subject)

[thawed_pride]

Open/locked?: Open!
Who: Vexen/Even/Whatever nickname you give him
What: A new arrival!
Warnings: Copious amounts of sass and sarcasm? Nothing serious to start with, will tag individual threads if the Traumatic Backstory comes up.
It's a lovely, frost-trimmed morning in Auradon, blades of glass glittering in the sunlight, and...a dismayed looking scientist staring at a castle that very definitely isn't the one he lives in? There's no shock or confusion on his face as he takes in his decidedly unfamiliar surroundings, but just a tired sense of annoyance-tinged dread.

"Oh, Darkness take me, not again..."

Darkness take him home, he means. Whatever this is, he doesn't have time for it! An aura of inky purple-black rises from the ground to envelop him...and deposit him a mere ten feet away. That's obviously not where he meant for it to take him, as he scowls and tries again, this time stepping out of a darkened portal on a nearby wall. Increasingly frustrated, he digs a crown-themed smartphone from a pocket and checks the screen, before shooting it a glare that would be able to peel paint even if his eyes weren't an uncannily vibrant, acidic-looking green.

"What..." It comes out a tired sounding mutter, as he pinches the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Is the point of a phone that functions across worlds if the signal cannot reach those worlds I must actually call for assistance from?"

Alright, worlds so utterly cut off from the rest that even the Darkness can't reach out from it are most certainly outside the scope of what the designers had in mind, but the fact remains, his phone is useless. So he supposes...all that's left is to try to learn what he can about where he is. And that means recon.

While he's not making active effort to go unseen, he doubts he'll have any reason to need to operate in secrecy, he still isn't quite in the habit of simply approaching people and asking them to explain things to him. He still has some pride left, after all, and it demands that he at least make some notes of his own, first. So, if someone didn't catch him complaining to himself, they might instead spot the scientist simply observing, with an expression of curiosity mixed with concern. It doesn't, after all, take him look to note that the area is oddly deserted, even for what must be the fringes of winter.

He's going to try not to think about what that reminds him of. If the corridors can't reach this place, after all, then neither can they.

Comments

[queen_butterfly]

The area isn't completely deserted after all -- it takes a bit, perhaps, but eventually he'd spot a lady coming down the path around the side of the building, holding something in her hands, looking lost in thought.

She's an older teenager here, or thereabouts, black hair twisted up above her subtly pointed ears, twirling up and back on both sides from the front, rather than being braided like that, to be held with some ribbon and a dark blue rose and then hang down around her shoulders and back in faint waves. She's distinctly not dressed as warmly as one might expect for this weather, but merely in a long, flowy sort of black dress with panes of purple fading into it from the lower hems, the garment clinging a bit up top. The fabric couldn't possibly hold much heat at all; it looked rather a lot more like an evening gown meant for a prom someplace, and even with a few layers visible at the bottom of the skirts and what may have been a cape of some sort hanging loosely down her back, the way it swished around and behind her as she walked said that it was entirely for fashion, not so much function. But she was relaxed, her breath invisible before her as she went, her large dark purple eyes down on a pair of little bottles of something there in her hands.

Really, the bottles might've been of more interest than her seeming disregard for the temperatures around her. Though the liquid seemed to be clear -- what of it he could see, at least -- it had a distinct glow to it, as if someone had mixed the contents of some yellow and white glowsticks into it and given it a good shake again, diluting them without entirely destroying their effect. She seemed lost in thought as she walked down the path, not looking up... until she took another turn into a shadier spot in what had to be a garden area. The lighting change seemed to pull her free from whatever spell of concentration and distraction had claimed her, and she blinked, looking up and around.

And she seemed a little baffled by this, sighing to herself. She didn't comment, just looked around, body language betraying her disappointment at having evidently missed whatever turn she was supposed to have taken, and she gestured, tucking the bottles... away? They'd seemed to simply disappear while hidden from view by the drape of her sleeves; a skirt like hers allowed for no pockets which could have feasibly concealed those bottles just now, and yet....

And then in looking around, she finally spotted him. She turned toward him, took another step, tried putting on a faint smile. "Hello... I don't believe we've met...?"

[hotheadwarmheart]

Thankfully it wouldn't be too long before Vexen would see a familiar face. Or rather, a familiar head of red hair. Lea was dressed in sweater that matched the color of his hair almost perfectly over black pants and sneakers. He was making his way across the lawn, stretching a bit as he walked, and leaving a narrow trail of frost-free grass in his wake. Thanks to the angle, he was unlikely to notice Vexen immediately unless he called out, but Vexen might be able to catch what Lea was saying to himself if he approached a bit closer.

"Man," Lea said. "I'm gonna have to see if I can get Aqua to move practices inside somewhere. It's getting to be too cold to do it outside, especially in the mornings."

[thawed_pride]

The only part of this that warranted surprise from him was her being so at ease in the cold. Though his own clothing looks warm, itswa nothing more than a coincidence, as his own breath produced no vapor in the chilly air. His own hair hung loose behind his shoulders, somewhat covering the back of his neck but offering no protection from chill breezes that blow against him, nor even covering his ears. All in all, the lab coat over sweater vest ended up looking more like a formality than a genuine protection against discomfort. And it really wasn't often at all that he met others so perfectly at home in frigid temperatures, as his work had come nowhere near Arnedale.

The bottles, however, did draw his eye and curiosity. He couldn't help turning a quick Scan spell on them, wondering if it was magic or chemistry at work. Some manner of potion, he expected, but a true scientist always looked to confirm their theories whenever possible.

Despite said curiosity, he didn't seem fazed when she stowed the bottles in what looked quite a bit like the same manner of magical storage popular in Radiant Garden. If anything, the sight of magic used so openly and casually brought a hint of a relieved smile to his lips as he inclined his head in an almost formal greeting. Some worlds, after all, didn't understand or even believe in magic.

"I would be surprised if we had, seeing as I just arrived here this morning. If it's a name you're looking for..." Ah, that old question...he'd felt it inappropriate to retake the name Even on the train, disconnected as he was from the life that name belonged to, but returning home had let him return to that identity. And yet, simply discarding the name Vexen...as much as the name had once signified shame to him, he'd managed to turn it into something not wholly negative. After a moment of thought, he gave a light shrug. "That depends somewhat upon who you ask, but under current circumstances, 'Even' will do fine."

[thawed_pride]

There definitely would not ever be any mistaking that hair. Even among all the worlds he'd visited, it was rare to see a humanoid with hair that red. What complicated matters, however, was his commentary. He'd clearly been here for some time, meaning he couldn't be the Lea from back home. He'd been in fairly frequent contact with either Lea or Isa, and the latter would have certainly informed him if anything strange had happened to the former.

Well, so long as there wasn't enough time travel involved for Lea to be regarding him as the Chilly Academic, it shouldn't be much of a problem. Though, he was going to keep a comfortable distance, relishing the natural temperature as he was. His magical armor might render him slightly resistant to high temperatures, but he still much favored the cold.

"You say this whilst so casually defrosting the lawn?"

[hotheadwarmheart]

"Look, just because I can generate extra heat doesn't mean I-", Lea began somewhat automatically before abruptly halting in both mid-sentence and mid-step when the source of the voice registered. He turned to face Vexen, obviously surprised. "Vexen?" He changed course to close the distance between them a bit, if only enough to facilitate easy conversation. Though as he got closer, he noticed something a bit odd. "Or... are you back to Even again now?" The gold eyes were gone, but... no, he still had that subtly pointy ears. Definitely Vexen. Well, a Vexen anyway.

"...Judging by the lack of both being creepy and any form of freaking out, I'm guessing that you're version of 'new Vexen' who's had a chance to talk with me- or a version of me- about... everything. Am I right?"

[thawed_pride]

Subtly pointed ears, and eyes just a shade too vibrant...they were a darker, less caustic looking shade of green when he was human. He was taller as a Nobody, too...though with the way he'd slouched all the time, even on the train, it was hard to tell. The way he held himself now was different enough that...well, he'd have understood the confusion even if there were no physiological cues that he wasn't human.

At least this Lea seemed to be on the same page as him otherwise. Good. That had still been an awkward talk the second time around, and he hadn't been looking forward to a third. (Nor could he really argue with the characterization of his initial reaction to Lea...)

"I am from after Xehanort's re-enactment of the Keyblade War, yes, and...well, whether or not 'Nobody' is still the correct term for one who has regained significant emotional capacity without going through the process of recompletion is a matter for academic debate that I suspect you would find too long-winded. I am not human, however, that much is certain."

As for whether or not that made 'Vexen' more appropriate than 'Even'...well, that was something he didn't have much of an opinion on, beyond the fact that the others back home still had a visceral association between his name from the Organization and the shame they all shared about having been complicit in their decade-long nightmare. Without chance any of them were likely to be affected, all he can muster is an indifferent shrug.

"I have also had two different versions of you profusely apologize for your actions in Castle Oblivion."

[queen_butterfly]

The Scan he did would reveal a few interesting tidbits... like that it was probably nothing more than water in those, chemically speaking. But as for what wasn't chemistry, there was far more energy there than simple, mundane water was known for having. It was somehow serving as something akin to a battery. This was no simple MP refill potion, no ether, but it would probably serve much the same purpose.

And given that she was holding onto them, it was probably not a great surprise that a few clues about her were caught, in fetching that information about the bottles. Primarily, that she herself seemed to be mostly, if not entirely, energy as well -- some sort of being of manifest magic, rather than conventional flesh and blood. And, another layer on the puzzle cake, the bottles hadn't actually disappeared entirely when she'd pocketed them. Rather than being sent elsewhere, as with any kind of dimensional pocket or some types of Bags of Holding, they were somehow still present, though certainly out of view, his Scan's sense of them dulled, blocked by... her? ...Her clothes? But her skirt had no pockets...? So even if it were her outfit that had been conjured up, it still didn't quite add up.... It was a contradiction, and not one that advertised its answer very plainly.

And if she were pausing for more than a blink to make certain she had his name in mind, she was hiding it well. She nodded once, a not-quite-bow hinted in the way she did so. "Even... And my name is Mallia. Lovely to meet you. Although, I'm going to guess already that this isn't your world, any more than it is mine?" That odd little smile she gave, at that... no, this was not her world, and she was admitting to as much.

She seemed friendly enough... and she didn't quite come across as a Nobody, in what of his Scan had caught of a bit of her. She couldn't rightly be one, could she, when she also plainly enough had a heart still. And it was one with plenty of Light, at that; she was probably unlikely to be in an actually poor mood, let alone evil....

[thawed_pride]

Not in a poor mind, nor evil, nor even a Twilight walker like himself. Certainly no Princess, but likewise no chance she might be a similar oddity to Xehanort's Heartless having retained a copy of the man's mind and memories. It was fascinating, and he had to stop himself from asking about it. He hadn't meant to examine her personally, and it would be rude to pry about the metaphysical details of someone he'd just met. Or about the curiosity of her chosen storage method.

Instead, he chose to focus on her comment about this not being her world. That brought him even more visible relief than the evidence that magic was known here, as though he'd just realized he could step out of some sort of performance role.

"It most certainly is not my home world, no. Nor is it any I am familiar with, either through direct experience or from others' accounts."

He shook his head, brows furrowed in thought and worry.

"Not that I can boast familiarity with every world there is, but it must be quite far from my home indeed."

Across a stretch of Voidspace, perhaps? He'd have to make practical tests of the Voidcraft theory he'd studied on the train a priority.

[lovebites_sodoi]

During his initial portal try-outs, Vexen may have been too preoccupied with this to notice he was being watched. To be more specific, he was being watched by a pair of bats. Intrigued by what they'd seen, they flittered away before they could be caught in order to report back to their mistress.

As they knew, she was curious. It was at least something to break the tedium! So she ordered her bats to keep an eye on him so she could find him, and eventually spotted him doing some quiet observing off in the distance.

... Alas, she couldn't resist a good trolling.

So she waited another moment or two for him to be comfortable in his silence... before ripping a particularly loud note on her guitar, and flashed a grin to see his reaction.

[queen_butterfly]

"I'm afraid I wouldn't know; until I found myself here, I didn't know that there were other worlds. Other places within the world, lands quite a bit further away than I'd ever visited, yes, but...." She shook her head, an odd smile on her face as she stepped closer, folding her hands in front of her idly. "It's been... quite interesting."

A little pause, her eyes searching his, taking in the details of his face a little more obviously, "And, if I'm honest... to a point, something of a minor relief. I'm used to a world filled mostly with humans, and ones that were, at times, overall quite hostile to those that didn't look entirely like them. Including those similar to how I appear now." And given that she looked mostly like a human herself, with the biggest obvious differences being her eyes, the irises a bit larger and a great deal more vibrantly purple than any human's, and her ears subtly more pointed... his own features definitely hadn't escaped her notice. "...And at least that hasn't been the basis of any tensions here, that I've experienced."

[thawed_pride]

His own ears, if she looked, had subtle points of their own. Nothing like the stereotypical depiction of an elf, they'd barely be noticeable if he'd bothered to cover them with his hair, but visibly inhuman. Some might call it uncanny, how close he looked to a human while still just barely missing the mark, but the way he kept his hair pulled back to leave his ears uncovered suggested he at least didn't consider them unsightly.

"Most don't. Those who travel between worlds consider it unwise to share that information freely. Some, as is your experience, simply aren't prepared for the implications of such knowledge."

The range of sapient species he's seen, how different they could be in not just form, but also physiology and psychology, made it clear that a broad mind was a necessity for dealing with the whole of the universe.

"Those who do knowingly interact with natives of other worlds, however, often do tend to be unconcerned with such trifling matters as whether or not their neighbor appears to be of the same species as them. What is concerning is the fact that people are arriving here without intending to...such things never happen in good circumstances."

[queen_butterfly]

"There's been some explanation given to us, that it was something involving magic gone wrong. Everyone who belonged here, save a small handful, were suddenly absent, and then people began being brought in from elsewhere. ...Such as us. And a great deal of... things... all sorts of sundries, from children's toys to trees, were relocated from wherever they'd been previously, to form a barrier that's been restricting travel here.

"This place is called Auradon." She gestured a little around them. "And there's an island we've recently reached by boat, after clearing a path to the docks on our side, where yet other people brought here were trapped. And most of them returned with us." It was difficult to read how she felt about that part from the look on her face, neutral as she was managing to keep it. "On the Isle, there's a similar problem of barriers having appeared... but there, the issue is a mass of thornbushes of some sort I've never seen before. The place is horrid, even from what little I've seen of it from the shore... polluted, lifeless.... I've been informed that it was a prison of some sort. The whole island!" She looked back to him, lifting her hands a bit in a gesture of exasperation. For as schooled as her expression had been a few sentences ago, she as clearly expecting him to disapprove as well, it seemed.

Teenagers, right? So dramatic....

1/2

[thawed_pride]

He might have noticed there were animals about, but hadn't been paying enough attention to realize they were animals of a sort that shouldn't be active in the morning. He'd later noticed he was being watched, but as he had no intention of hiding his activities, hadn't bothered to pay it much mind beyond making a note to be cautious in case of hostile intention.

This had the unfortunate, for him, side effect of leaving him alert to things such as sudden, loud noises.

The unexpected note garnered an impressive reaction, as he jumped so sharply that his feet almost actually left the ground. He quickly turned toward the source of the noise with a yelp, eyes wide with alarmed surprise...

[thawed_pride]

Before they narrowed into a glare as he stomped forward, his earlier composure entirely shattered by the jolt.

"And I suppose you think you're funny, don't you?"

[thawed_pride]

Her description of the Isle brought out an expression even more intense than she might have expected. The moment she mentioned the strange thorn bushes, his entire body tensed, a look one might have attributed to him having seen a ghost, if such a thing could have been expected to have its usual effect on him. When she paused, he took a deep breath and held up a finger.

"One...moment. Before I say my piece about the concept of the need for such an expansive prison, or the conditions therein, there is something I must be absolutely certain about."

Because that witch would be able to do something like this, had she the motivation. She hadn't seemed concerned with any of the Nobodies lately, but he wasn't inclined to forget their quarrel. Not when they were both capable of holding spectacular grudges.

After taking a moment to compose himself enough for a degree of focus, he waved his hand in front of him, palm down. Where his arm passed, an illusion of a tangle of black thorns appeared in miniature. A faint cloud of shadow hung around the image, betraying its magical nature as the detail of the illusion stretched his skill with a type of magic that was outside of his focus, but it wasn't so thick as to obscure any of it.

"These thorn bushes...they wouldn't happen to resemble these, would they?"

[queen_butterfly]

"Ah... somewhat?" She frowned, confused as to why that had been the thing to catch his attention. She looked from him to the illusion and back.

"More like this, if I recall...." A small gesture that came off more as directing his attention, than using magic herself....

Except, she absolutely was using magic. It was swift, a darkness that sprang up from the shadows in the area, stretched high as it took form into a replica of the thorns she'd seen before. This was no small illustration, this was life-sized and quite convincing. If he wanted to go right up to inspect it, he'd absolutely be able to. It cast shadows of its own, it disrupted the airflow just enough to be able to hear it, faintly, as it now had to wind around the barren branches... if he should try making contact with it, it would indeed feel quite solid. And sharp, likely....

...It even had a scent, one of green wood and traces of saltwater spray and settling smoke....

[hotheadwarmheart]

"Two versions, huh?", Lea said, considering. "So I'm guessing this probably isn't your first time getting hauled across time and space by the seat of your metaphorical pants either. Hmm... This might be a long shot, but does the name Voidtrecker Express mean anything to you?"

[thawed_pride]

Not identical to the thorns she barricaded her demesne with, but unnervingly similar. Like oversized rosebushes, but dead and leafless. The sight of it left a bad taste in his mouth, and he pressed his lips together in a thin, displeased line as he dismissed his own illusion with a flick of the wrist that was more for show than necessity.

"I hope this is wholly unrelated to the last time I saw similar thorns. If I know that witch half as well as I think I do, she would take...unkindly to having been trapped as we are."

...Even so, he couldn't help a faint sense of awe, and even of twisted nostalgia, at seeing such a masterful illusion. Zexion had been capable of such feats, and greater still, with the same ease with which Even could analyze the flow of the magical energy in front of him. The boy had a true gift for the craft, and yet now Ienzo denied himself the calling of the arcane. It was a painful shame, and the thought of how poorly Ienzo would take to such a display brought a pang of grief to the Nobody's half-formed heart.

"I must take a moment, however, to compliment your craftsmanship. What appears to be a solid magical construction of this scale and level of detail, woven from naught but threads of shadow, speaks of incredible talent."

[thawed_pride]

Well...he wasn't sure if that was coincidence, or destiny. He chuckled, and instead of a verbal answer, simply unclipped a Fire Chain from his belt. Scratches and scuffs showed that he had worn it through some violent ordeals, of the sort the scientist preferred to avoid whenever practical.

"Have we not learned by now never to presume the odds are as they seem? It's no wonder your debt to Luxord rivals Dilan's."

[hotheadwarmheart]

"Hey, I'll have you know I paid him off, so we're even now," he said. What he would not have Vexen know was how many extra Heartless he had to clobber and random treasure chests he had to raid to get enough munny to do so. "And I learned my lesson, which is more than can be said for Dilan." The lesson being 'don't play poker with Luxord'.

Lea grinned though. "Anyway, good to see you again, Vexen," he said. "I take it you just got here and are wondering where 'here' is?"

[thawed_pride]

A lesson Vexen never had to learn. Partially because he'd been too devoted to his work to spare time for Luxord's frivolities, but he'd also been quick to pick up on the gambler's subtle calculating streak. The odds he offered were never as simple as they seemed.

"Dilan's competitive streak has often clouded his judgment that way. I once even had to scold him for attempting to leave his post to follow a Keyblade wielder in pursuit of an Unversed."

Okay, so Dilan probably didn't have keen enough magical senses to be able to 'see' a stowed Keyblade, but Ventus had most assuredly not looked like he was in over his head at the time.

"But, in this case, your presumption is not ill founded. And it is good to see you as well, provided I shan't have to suffer through yet more apologies for something I have already forgiven."

[queen_butterfly]

She looked like perhaps she'd have asked what he was on about -- who he suspected of involvement -- but before she could ask, he'd spoken up again. She blinked, pausing to look between him and the bit of thorn hedge she'd made appear, and... was that a bit of a blush starting? It certainly seemed to be, as she looked away. "...Thank you...."

The thorns disappeared, darkening into shadow as they turned into a thick smoke, only to dissipate far, far quicker than any real smoke should have been able to. Within a second or two, there was no sign that they had ever existed, the snow undisturbed where they'd stood. Perhaps Even would feel a shift nearby, as she recalled the energy she'd used to make it to her again? She didn't give any outward indication that she'd done so, nor did the environment seem to betray the move, at least to anyone without any but the more usual, mundane sort of senses....

Well, no, that wasn't quite accurate. The shadows had seemed just a little darker in the area as she'd done it, just for that moment... but the sunlight resumed its normal duties in short order. It would have been easy for most people to miss -- or more accurately, difficult for most to accurately identify, had they even noticed that something looked a bit off for a moment.

"I... I do realize that this is a bit of a topic change, but I don't suppose...." She seemed quite hesitant, though she was smiling a little, looking back up to him, trying not to be too hopeful, "...I mean.... You certainly look as though you could be from my world, and...." Why was it complicated, to ask what she wanted to ask?

Oh, right, because it was a complicated possibility, wasn't it? How would they know if they were even speaking of the same world? Then again, they could always establish stories of what they knew of each of their worlds, and see how they lined up. That seemed like a possibility to her....

[thawed_pride]

That was interesting...the ability to reclaim and recycle mana, rather than waiting for it to recover with time? And not simply that, but drawing on the energy of the natural world to supplement one's own stores of magic...no wonder she'd so casually done something as demanding as crafting a solid illusion.

Her question drew him away from that line of thought, at least momentarily, and he shook his head. From his perspective, at least, it was an easy answer.

"The humans of my world have never, to my knowledge, been unwelcoming to those of other species. Pointed ears, of all things, are scarcely worthy of note, much less prejudice."

[hotheadwarmheart]

"Ventus, I'm guessing?", Lea said. Vexen hadn't mentioned meeting Aqua or Terra back then, after all, and both of them had been basically adults at the time. Not someone Dilan would likely feel the need to charge off and rescue. "To be fair to him, Ventus was a kid, and he had no way of knowing he was tougher than most adults. I know I sure didn't." And had thoroughly gotten his butt kicked because of it.

"As for where we are, this is Auradon. More specifically, we're on the grounds of Auradon Prep, high school for the kids of the kingdom's elites. The people who designed the place were not shy in the slightest about going 'hi, look how much richer and better than you we are', but the few locals who are actually still around here are alright."

"We actually set up a little information booth for new arrivals in the school lobby." He gestured for Vexen to follow him. "C'mon. I'll show you."

[queen_butterfly]

"They've... never...?" She blinked a few times as that processed, staring at him. "They've never hunted the unicorns and dragons, never-- never sunk a city out on the sea, for being excluded from it...? I have it on good authority that the humans have improved, in my world, since I was much of it last, but... truly, never?"