nexus_sages | Will accept character sheets

Entry tags:

Will accept character sheets

A multiversal plane is not an every day occurrence. Aliens, zombies, sentient robots... they're not a familiar sight either. Despite all of this, Isidor Briar Durant strides into this unfamiliar territory chin up, tailored suit, heels clicking against the ground, as if she owns the place. Viatorus follows nervously behind her, offering her answers whenever the smallest spark of confusion appears in her eyes as she scans area. She takes her time about putting names and terms to the things around her. It is important. She needs to be more than just informed about the Nexus, she needs to be familiar with it.

And then, when she decides she's ready, her intense examination changes with a blink. Isidor clasps her hands together and smiles, becoming the picture of a friendly stranger. "Hello. This is an exciting place, isn't it? Full of interesting people, I'm certain. I'd very much like to get to know you. Your name, a little bit about you and where you come from, maybe."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He gets a bright, if brief, smile.

"Isidor, you make it sound like I'm a bad influence." Yeah, she knows she's probably considered the worst sort by the family: the kind they can't find a good excuse to get rid of. "The most dangerous thing we do is try pastries without asking what the filling is. We're exceptionally boring people. Really. Anyway I'd make him wear his seatbelt..."

The joking gets a sceptical, "Mm." Then she sighs. "Honestly, I'm more worried about all these portals." She catches the expression on Viatorus' face. "I know it's part of your studies, but that doesn't mean I won't wish you were studying herbs or shields. It makes things... challenging."

Viatorus thinks about this for a second. "If it wasn't challenging, you'd probably be bored. Besides, I have Verity." He smiles at his friend. "We're keeping each other safe."

Perhaps it's because she doesn't say anything that it's clear she's unconvinced.

"I don't go wandering through random portals," Verity volunteers. She's quite serious now. "I only go through when I know what to expect on the other side. And after I'm reasonably sure I've had all the necessary shots. And he's going to have more bodyguards soon, right? He'll be the safest person here, and this place is basically built of safety."

Isidor lifts a finger and points at Verity, equally serious now. "You. Try to drill some of that sense into him."

"But I'm meant to be exploring dreamlands. They're not dangerous."

Her finger swivels to point at Viatorus. "That's a false statement. You know it. She can tell it."

He lifted his hands and shoulders. "I meant that it's not the same as walking into someone else's portal."

"Yes, ma'am." She doesn't much like the pointing, but after the finger gets a look she settles into a more thoughtful expression. "Does this mean I have your permission to get him preventative medical treatments? Because if he's going to go exploring he's going to need something better than a 21st-century flu shot. I've had some preventative and emergency treatments from somewhere around thirty thousand years in our future. Extremely useful."

Viatorus' eyelids flutter and he turns to Verity. "Um, what?"

"I would need to know the side effects and potential dangers of any treatments he was getting."

"... Shots...?"

"If, however, the risks of any treatments are minimal, and they're delivered from a reliable source... Yes. That would be an exceedingly good idea."

"I don't want shots."

"I wouldn't let him get anything I haven't been through first." She wants that to be clear. "Nobody I know who's had the treatment has had any bad side-effects beyond the usual feeling a little crummy for a few days. No worse than getting an ordinary flu shot. I can bring the details next time I visit."

She gives V a reassuring look before adding, "And no needles. It's just pills and hyposprays."

That's a little encouraging, but he's still going to fidget. "What's a hypospray?"

"That would very kind of you, thank you." Isidor hesitates and then tilts her head at Verity. "Is there anything you would like from us?"

"A hypospray... it turns the medicine into a mist that it injects into your skin. It kind of tingle-itches, but it doesn't really hurt." With Isidor, she can be all business; but with V she's gentle, her tone soft, her words unhurried. Everything is calm and peaceful, and her hand is held out to him. "You don't have to do it if you don't want to. But you might regret turning it down when you get a cold this winter and I don't."

Isidor's question is answered with a faint smile. "Viatorus has been taking excellent care of me since... it happened. I like being able to return the favor." The fact she'd like this arrangement to continue is implied.

The hand gives him pause. He looks from the offering to his sister's indiscernible expression and then to Verity. It's almost too long a pause before he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. "Thank you. I will. I... I should. Even if it doesn't sound very nice." And then he lets her hand go.

She waits for a long moment after Verity's answer before her smile returns. "Alright then. So we've covered health, working on safety and accommodation... Then I suppose it's communication and protocol to sort out before everything is set. There is... one other thing. The Archon has expressed that if you do come to visit our world for extended periods, he would be interested in speaking with you."

Annnd there goes Viatorus fidgeting again. This time he notices it and puts his hands behind his back instead. Now nobody can see him rubbing his fingers!

A squeeze for a squeeze, and she understands why he's brief about it. Patience. "It's really not so bad. I promise." Not compared to some of the other things she does. Then again... they may have very different scales for these things.

It's pretty obvious he's fidgeting, but Verity will pretend not to notice. "That's your... the head of your family?" She's still not clear about the exact relationship. Someone will tell her someday, she hopes. Maybe they've got a very convenient and useful family tree hanging up somewhere. "Wants to make sure I'm not too bad an influence? I was kind of expecting that. When is he expecting me to accept his 'gracious hospitality'?"

She'll only play along with this stuff to a point. For now, she chooses to see it all as terribly amusing. She's Jane Goodall, going to study the rare and elusive Stuffy British Fancypants.

The encouragement is enough to make him smile briefly and give a thankful nod. Honestly, he think shots are nicer than meeting the Archon but he's not about to say that out loud.

"The Archon is our elected head of family, yes. That is, the family including all extended branches of our bloodline. It's an incredibly involved and influential position." In their defence, referring to him by his title is a deeply ingrained habit. The whole point is to keep a degree of formality between them. "He expects that you will arrange it through me at some point in the near future. You both have your different schedules to work with, after all."

Have faith, Viatorus. She's doing really well with Isidor, right?

Maybe it's better she not know. It wouldn't make her think any better of him. "Sounds busy. My schedule's pretty flexible, so with a couple day's notice it's not a problem for me to work it out." The rest is really up to Viatorus. She won't push for an invitation for a longer visit. "And I don't want to make things needlessly difficult."

Discretion is the better part of something.

"That should be fine. I'll work it out with you and Viatorus when an opportunity presents itself." Isidor's smile curls ever so slightly into a grin. "I'm sure that won't be long. The only reason he hasn't invited you to the manor already is probably because the Archon lives there."

"That's not true!" And, despite his cheeks taking on a shade of red, he's telling the truth. He has been trying hard not to look like he's trying to wow Verity with money and privilege. Not after some of their conversations.

Whether it's true or not isn't particularly important to Isidor, though. She shrugs her head and moves on. "You'll need to visit shortly anyway. Hephaestia and Stathis want you to have a look at how they're containing the Casket of Fimbulwinter."

She believes V, and gives him a little smile to let him know it's okay. Then she turns back to Isi with a grin. "Well, you can't blame him for wanting to make sure the wild American girl can pretend she knows how to behave, right? I'm sure you've heard all kinds of stories about how rebellious we can be."

Mention of the casket makes her smile fade. "Oh. Okay, yeah." But... she just can't bring herself to pretend she cares all that much. "I hope it hasn't given anyone trouble?" That's a genuine concern, although she suspects if anyone had opened it V would have told her already.

And Verity gets a smirk back. "So long as you don't throw any tea into a harbour we'll be fine."

She blinks, confused for a second before looking apologetic. "Oh. No. I meant that they want Viatorus to take a look at it. From what I gathered, you've already shared with us all you know about keeping the Casket safe. It hasn't caused any real trouble, and we're eager to keep it that way. The method they've decided to use involves the kind of magic Viatorus is more familiar with, so they'd like another pair of eyes to come and check it."

"I would never. That's so 18th century."

That's a relief. "Oh good. That makes a lot more sense." Verity is happy to write that thing off as 'not my problem', and anyone who might have tried to peg her as an expert on the thing would have been sorely disappointed. Her attention turns to V then. "You can go riding while you're there. That'll be nice, right?"

The grin become cemented. "Wonderful."

"Maybe." His eyes flicker about as he imagines it. Somehow it seems so much less appealing that it had done before. He's not sure why. Curious. He'll have to figure that out. "If the weather's nice."

"No, I know exactly what you'll be doing." Isidor waits until she has Viatorus' attention before continuing. "You'll be chatting." Again, she waits, this time for the puzzled frown on his brow. That he's so predictable tugs to widen her grin briefly. "Oraskis should be visiting."

Just keep grinning and don't ask what she would do.

All of this family talk is going right over Verity's head, but other than giving V a curious look at the mention of a new name, she doesn't ask. But whoever Oraskis is must be nice if it's someone he's want to talk to. She'd been all set to try and do something about Isi being so bossy, too.

Clint and Jim do not even know how easy they have it with Verity as their big sister.

"Oh!" He visibly perks up at the mention of Oraskis and deflates just slightly as he looks to Verity. "Oh... He'll want to meet you." It's clear that he's thinking things through when he turns to his sister. "Do you think meeting with the Archon will take long?"

Isidor shrugs. "Probably not. He doesn't waste time."

Viatorus looks back to Verity, twisting his fingers as he debates. "I wouldn't want to overwhelm you. But you should meet Oraskis." A wide smile. "He's very nice."

Studying the ups and downs of his moods is becoming a habit of hers, and she wonders what she did to make him deflate like that. Why is it so bad if his family wants to meet her? She thought she was doing well.

"I'm sure I can handle it." At least, she'll do her best for him. It's easier to be brave when she's not alone. "This is... another cousin?"

"First cousin, once removed," Isidor recites off. "And the family Seer. He's not always the easiest to talk to, but he and Viatorus get along extremely well."

Viatorus gives his sister a gently disapproving look. "He's not hard to talk to. Not if you get to know him." Then it's back to smiling at Verity. "He'll like you, I'm certain." The smile flickers. "But you should meet the Archon first. You can meet Oraskis afterwards if you feel like it, but you don't have to."

Isidor sighs, "Viatorus, you're going to stress her out over nothing."

He looks from Isidor to Verity, brow raised in concern. "I-I don't mean to."

She does her best to follow that, and V's smile is answered with one of her own.

"Thank you, Isidor. I appreciate that Viatorus understands how hard it is for me to deal with new people. So, we'll see how it goes." Isi's overprotectiveness of her brother may be understandable, but Ver doesn't want to get folded into that category with him. "He's a Seer... like a psychic? We'll probably have a lot to talk about."

That surprises Isidor a little and she lifts an eyebrow. "You will? Do you... see the future?"

"Oh, gods no," she admits with a brief laugh. "I don't think I could handle anything else." And then she's looking serious again. "But we both see more than other people, and it can be lonely." Her gaze wanders over to V because he's included in that group as far as she's concerned. They've both been isolated by their powers, her from people and him from the world. What a pair they make.

She won't call him Al. It'd probably confuse him if she tried.

It really would. Not that that's difficult.

Did he even get to popular music growing up?

Wagner, Bach and Debussy? :D?

The best of both worlds: https://youtu.be/JZPSV78iQxg

A Viaty disco would be straaange....

But lots of fun!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject