Will accept character sheets

[heirtothedragonsfire]

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."

Comments

[brave_heart_verity]

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.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

"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."

[brave_heart_verity]

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?"

[heirtothedragonsfire]

"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."

[brave_heart_verity]

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."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

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

[brave_heart_verity]

"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.

[heirtothedragonsfire]

He smiles weakly, sadly when their eyes meet, and then looks down at his hands. She's right, but it's not something he enjoys thinking about.

Even though she's not part of the group, Isidor can see the looks on their faces and nods in understanding. "Ah, yes. I suppose then you will have plenty to talk about."

[brave_heart_verity]

They don't need to dwell on it if it makes him sad. She'd rather never talk about anything that makes him sad. She could deal with the world and keep him safe and--oh, wait, then she'd be Isidor.

"We could start a lonely people club, but the paradox might make that a non-starter." Always with trying to make V laugh. Like it's her job or something. "Is there anything else I can help you find today, Isidor? Because if you can spare him for a few minutes, there's something I'd like to talk to Viatorus about."

[heirtothedragonsfire]

The joke pulls at the corner of Viatorus' lips but Isidor smirks outright. "It might. Perhaps it might work with a different name."

Looking between the two, Isidor considers briefly and then shakes her head. "I can spare him for a few minutes. Hopefully not too long, there are things to be done and the sooner the better. We spotted a café not far from here. I'll enjoy a tea and see you there, Viatorus."

He smiles a little wider and nods. "Alright."

"It was nice seeing you again, Verity." She gives the woman a last smile before heading off.

[brave_heart_verity]

"Not too long," she promises. "It was nice to see you too."

She watches Isidor go for a moment before turning to V, excited and worried in equal measure. "So... I don't know if you heard, but I wanted to tell you myself... a Loki came to the Nexus a couple of days ago. He's not my Loki, and I'm not his Verity, but. I thought you'd want to know." There's more, but for now she'll give him time to think about the news. She'd like to hold his hands while he does, and her fingers brush against his searchingly, but she won't press beyond that.

[heirtothearcane]

It doesn't take much of a prompt. After the look of surprise, his face bursts into a smile and he takes her hands, squeezing them tightly. "I hadn't! That's wonderful!" There's a moment where he hesitates. "It is, isn't it? Have you talked to him? Does he know you?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"It is," she assures him. Her fingers lace into his and the fact he can see it as good news is a major relief for her. "He's. He's from another universe, and he's... the next version of Loki. He's got a Verity of his own that he seems to have misplaced." It's not all happy news, but she needs to talk about it with someone, and that's what best friends are for.

"It was nice to see him. To know that there's some version of him still around, even if my friend isn't coming back. But it made me realize something, too." There's been a blush creeping over her cheeks, and she looks down for a moment while she gathers the courage to look up at him and admit this. "You're my best friend. You're the one I want to be with. I'll always love him, but..."

She pauses for a breath and her hands squeeze his. "This is where I belong now."

[heirtothearcane]

How much Loki meant to Verity was one of the first things he learnt about her. This has to be good news, even if it sounds a little bit messy, complicated. So he holds her hands and waits, his features prepared to mirror hers as she talks, ready to smile or frown or whatever else this exciting news prompts. And then... she offers him that confession. He's... not sure which expression to have and in the wake of his puzzlement, he looks surprised.

"But Verity... If one Loki is here... maybe yours will come too. You shouldn't give up hope. Doesn't this make it more promising? More likely that you'll find him again?" He says all this with stops and starts, uncertain but still upbeat. These things he says, he means them, but that doesn't mean he doesn't want to accept what she's saying wholeheartedly and easily. "I know how much he means to you."

[brave_heart_verity]

That wasn't the reaction she'd been hoping for. The easy and wholehearted acceptance of her heart would have been preferable. Not that this isn't expected. Her gaze drops for a moment and she bites down hard on her lower lip to contain herself.

"He's gone. I have to accept that. Things were... there was..." She takes a breath and shakes her head. "It's too complicated to explain right now, your sister is waiting for you. I think he was forced to go wherever gods go when they're replaced by new incarnations. My Loki wasn't the first, and I'm glad to know he wasn't necessarily the last, but he's not coming back."

And she is not crying, not really, it's just the one tear. Maybe two. "And even if he did. Even if the Loki I knew came, and wasn't from my past, and wasn't from a different universe... he still left me to die with everyone else." She frees a hand from his to wipe away those treacherous tears before they get too far before looking up at him again. "I can't live my whole life waiting for someone who would do that. Maybe I'll never come first to anyone but myself, but I deserve that much."

[heirtothearcane]

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he coos softly, using one of his own hands to help wipe away her tears. "I didn't mean to upset you. You're right. Of course you're right. I don't want you to think I wouldn't support you, that's all."

He pulls his hand back so that he can hold her shoulders and look her in the eye. "But I am happy. That you want to stay. That you want to be my best friend, and that you consider me to be yours. I just want you to know that I'll always be happy for you when you're happy." A weak, crooked smile appears. "But I might be a bit happier when it means I get to spend more time with you."

[brave_heart_verity]

The touch of his hand on her cheek is unexpected, and she's blushing again. Blushing and smiling and turning her head into his hand just as it moves away. She'll have to be faster next time. "No, don't apologize. You didn't upset me."

Her eyes are a little glassy still, but her gaze is locked on his. "I..." Oh, dear. This is a lot of complicated and unexpected feelings now. She smiles, but she seems to be out of words, so she nods and steps forward to give him a hug. It'll have to be enough of an answer for now. "Thank you."

[heirtothearcane]

He's a bit better prepared for the hug this time round more than he has been before. This seems like a hug-worthy situation. It's easy for her to wrap her arms around him and he gives her a small squeeze when he has her in his arms. "You're welcome."

[brave_heart_verity]

Is he coming to accept that one of his sacred best friend duties is to give her lots and lots of hugs? Because sometimes it's like she can't get enough of them. The squeeze makes her laugh softly.

"Don't ever feel like you can't tell me when you want something. It's my job to help you get what you want in life. It is a privilege and an honor." She's sure he's heard those words stressed in lectures before, but probably not with a barely-contained laugh behind the voice. Sure, they're valid concepts, but you can't take these things too seriously.

[heirtothearcane]

She had better be careful. In his world, words like that aren't thrown around lightly by the people closest to you. Still, he laughs lightly. "Your only job is to make sure I never settle for stale cupcakes again."

[brave_heart_verity]

"Okay. The rest is entirely on a volunteer basis." It's still happening. Once he tells her what it is he wants. Don't make her try and guess, V, she'd be really bad at that. He'd end up with a whole pack of corgis and two kittens and some fish and a couple of parrots with colorful vocabularies that used to belong to sailors and a serious attempt at a partridge in a pear tree but she wouldn't be able to keep the partridge in place. It'd be so sad.

[heirtothearcane]

"Well if you have a job then I have to have one too," he points out playfully. Pulling back, he tilts his head at her with a smile. "What am I meant to do for you that you can't do ten times better than me?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"You're a better dancer," she points out quickly. She knows they're meant to be playing, but she can't resist the opening for a real compliment. With hugtime over she'll take his hands again. "And you've been taking excellent care of me. You're getting better at the hugs, which is important. But you are falling down in the 'spoiling me with expensive presents' department. I don't even have a flying car, darling, where is the justice in the world?"

[heirtothearcane]

"My accountant has banned me from going near flying cars, but I can get you more gifts. I want to save a couple for Yule though... You do celebrate Yule, don't you?"

[brave_heart_verity]

"I do. I'll celebrate just about any holiday that means I get to bake. Your presents are almost all done. Not the cookies, obviously. But the others are done and they're pretty nice, so you'd better be really thinking about how to measure up." She gives him a smirk before suggesting, "What I really want is one of those diamond-covered bras. That would be the best thing ever."

He'd really better not believe that.

Like, at all. Even in jest.