eyemind | toto?

Entry tags:

toto?

Who: Kaz Brekker and whoever finds him first
What: Kaz just woke up and is skulking about the ship
When: Backdated to before the ship lands I guess?!
Warnings: None currently!

Generally speaking, Kaz liked to consider himself pretty prepared for any number of possibilities, but admittedly this one had him a bit stumped. By itself, being abducted wasn't too farfetched to fathom, but waking up to a voice in his head in a room where the lights kept flickering? That certainly shook things up a bit. Other than the usual pain in his leg, he was feeling about as whole and righteous as he could have hoped following an abduction, so he set about taking inventory of himself and his surroundings. Or, trying to, as the room kept going dark at random intervals. From what he could tell, though, the stuff in his pockets and hidden up his sleeves seemed to be mostly left alone, and he found his cane leaning against the wall near the bed which was a relief, though whoever had pinched him seemed to have misplaced his hat. They'd owe him a new one.

Well, whatever their play was, they hadn't restrained him and hadn't bothered locking him into the room (which just saved him the hassle of getting it open himself, as far as he was concerned), so he made his way out to the equally dim hallway, casting a glance around to see if any patrols were around before setting off. For now, his main goal was to put as much distance from himself and where he started as possible, so he set off limping quietly down the hallway, cane tucked under his arm since he didn't want the added echo announcing his presence any sooner than it needed to be. He figured he'd run into someone at some point, and if luck was favoring him today, he'd hear them before they heard him.

Ignoring the elevator, he made his way down the stairs, stopping to check each (thankfully, better lit!) hallway before descending the next set. Everything about the walls around him to the floor beneath him seemed unnatural somehow, but for now he tried to shake off the unsettling feeling and instead focus on the task at hand of covering as much ground as he could. That is, until he made it to the observation room, and his eyes caught that giant window and view into space, which made his eyes widen with alarm. He stood there stupidly for a minute, before slowly making his way closer for a better look.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The ship itself might’ve been unsettling and creepy, but the tall man standing at the big window in the observation room wasn’t, really. Mostly he was just attractive, maybe a bit enigmatic.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” he said with a faint smile to the newcomer. He assumed this was probably a newcomer, based on the shocked expression on his face as well as the fact that by now, Lucifer was pretty sure he knew almost everyone on the ship by sight. It wasn’t difficult when there were so few of them, and he’d always been good with faces.

“Not as good as the work I did, back in the day,” he adds, indicating the stars. “But pretty, at least.” He took a sip from the glass of something he was holding.

Kaz had hoped that getting a better look would reveal that he was mistaken about what he thought he saw, but the closer he got, the more unnerving the view became. Somehow, it made the oppressive interior of the ship even more unsettling, juxtaposed with the seemingly endless expanse spread out before him. The whole situation had put him into a daze, and his mind had simply gone blank instead of offering an explanation.

That is, until he heard the voice from somewhere behind him, which brought his attention back to his immediate surroundings. He tore his gaze from the window which was now just a few feet away from him, turning it until it landed on the man who had spoken to him, eyes narrowing. Throwing a last quick glance towards the window, he pivoted to face the man, bringing his cane down to rest on the floor where he could lean on it, folding both hands over the crow's head adorning the top.

With some effort, he schooled the panic out of his features in an attempt to look more impassive, though the harsh lines of alertness still rested on his face as he gave the man a studying glance. Confident, well dressed and well groomed, all the signs of a merch if he had to guess, and yet that still didn't seem quite right.

"Oh? And what kind of work was that?" he finally replied after a brief pause, his voice the texture of rough gravel, though his tone was easy and conversational, as though this was a planned business meeting.

“The stars,” Lucifer says matter-of-factly. “That was a very long time ago, however.”

The newcomer does seem a little shell-shocked.

“Let me guess, this is your first foray into the larger multiverse? It may take some adjustment.”

Shellshocked is certainly putting it mildly! Where Kaz comes from, they only recently started putting ships up in the air, and it was a technology that people were scrambling to catch up with. Moving beyond the skies above was absolutely unheard of, but what he'd seen outside the window seemed... bottomless, endless.

Forgive him being skeptical, there's a lot to take in right now, and what this man is telling him is only making a bigger mess of things to reason out in his head.

There's a long pause as he continues to fix his gaze intently on the stranger, and for a moment he stands as still as a statue. Finally, though, he stirs, shifting his weight slightly off his bad leg and letting a skeptical brow shoot up. His tone mimics Lucifer's matter-of-fact manner, though there are traces of disbelieving sarcasm to be detected.

"...The stars."

“Mm!” Lucifer’s taking another sip of his drink, either oblivious to Kaz’s skepticism or just not caring (probably the latter). “I had to get the name from somewhere, after all. Oh, sorry.”

He steps forward, extends a hand to shake. “Lucifer - Morningstar, pleasure to meet you.”

Edited (iconsssss) 2021-06-25 17:35 (UTC)

The name didn't sound at all familiar to Kaz, which was probably for the best, as if he had realized the full implication of who Lucifer was claiming to be he might have burst out laughing. The result of a combination of frayed nerves and a cynical, faithless heart.

Instead, when Lucifer stepped forward and extended a hand to shake, Kaz tensed and his body rigidly jerked backwards ever so slightly, hands tensing and gripping down on the head of the cane even more. It wasn't quite a flinch, but almost. His eyes glanced down curiously at the hand offered him for a moment before moving back up to meet Lucifer's gaze. After a second, he finally did lift one gloved hand from it's perch on the cane, but instead of shaking he brought it up to idly run his fingers through his hair, then down to adjust his tie while giving his neck a stretch. They were the idle motions of someone fighting to keep their composure.

He really didn't like feeling this unprepared.

After a moment, the hand finally drops back down to rest on the cane, forgoing the handshake for now. Sorry, Lucifer, where he comes from those are for making deals, and in this particular moment it'd feel a bit too much like laying down and being cowed. However, his tense facial expression does finally relax some, and his lips even settle into a slight smile which might have been charming on it's own, if it weren't for the way his eyes still gave that piercing stare.

"Not to cause any offense, Mr. Morningstar, but I think we're getting ahead of ourselves. You see, an introduction this early would imply I intended to stay..." Despite the fact he was feeling extremely on edge, he managed to keep his tone passably calm and civil. "....Which I don't."

Boy is he in for a rude awakening.

Lucifer laughs. Oh, this one is definitely in for an unpleasant surprise. He does take note of the fact that he doesn’t shake hands - but there are a lot of potential reasons for that, including things like is just an asshole and it’s just not a thing in his culture so he’s reserving judgment on that one.

“I suppose there’s probably an airlock around here you could try to toss yourself out of if you’re so determined, but it’d just kill you,” he finally says, to clarify. “That’s if Navi would even let you get that far to begin with.” He gestures vaguely around them. Like, at the ship. “Navi is sentient, you see. Has thoughts and feelings of their own, and might not want any of you shuffling off your mortal coils.”

Is just an asshole is true enough, but Kaz can have manners when he wants to! But, for now, there's a lot more he has to worry about than manners. Though he sounded confident enough, the truth was his current plan didn't extend any farther than he's Kaz Brekker and nothing could keep him in or out if he willed it. Beyond that, he had to admit that nothing about the view outside gave him the impression it'd be smart to make a beeline for the exit and head straight out. Still, he had to have gotten here somehow, right?

Before he could work that puzzle out anymore, Lucifer had pinged his memory with that name, Navi. Since waking up, he'd determined that whoever Navi was must have spoken to him while he was still unconscious and he just remembered it, because that was more plausible than hearing voices. It was also more plausible than what Lucifer was suggesting, and he can probably see Kaz's mind working to put the pieces into place as it sinks in, the smile he had a moment ago fading.

Slowly, his eyes moved from the man in front of him to the ceiling, the walls, the window, the floor, remembering that unsettling feeling he'd been getting. It wasn't like any building material he'd seen in Ketterdam, but with parem and Grisha there was no telling what types of materials they'd be able to make. Eyes lingering on the floor, he lifted his cane and gave a couple taps against the material, as though he was testing it. Then, he returned to sizing up Lucifer, fingers tapping idly on the back of his hand still resting on his cane as though he were carefully considering how big of a wager to place.

"I'm trying to decide whether you're a madman," he started finally, the rasp of his voice losing the trace of humor and growing slightly more harsher for it, "or a very convincing liar trying to pull my only good leg." Indeed, though everything Lucifer had suggested sounded completely absurd, there was still the nagging sensation that the man appeared to be telling the truth. Or, at the very least, believed it was the truth.

It's easy enough for Lucifer to shrug off accusations of madness. Dad knows, people assume that about him a lot. He's used to it, in fact sometimes plays it up (without ever actually claiming insanity, of course, because - well).

"In my experience, mortals are very good at ignoring things they don't want to see in order to maintain their world view," he comments easily after a moment. "And generally I don't care what anyone thinks of me, but there is one thing you should know: I never lie."

Just for a moment, his demeanor turns slightly more serious - he means the bit about the lying. His appearance doesn't change, no red eyes, no devil face, nothing like that. Just a gravity, a weight that is suddenly there behind what he says, and then he's back to his fun-loving self.

"Regardless, we're both equally stuck here, so you could at least try not to be a killjoy about it."

For the briefest moment, Kaz's brows furrow together and he looks almost struck. If you replaced the word mortal with pigeon, it was a sentiment he frequently expressed to his associates when they were being too foolishly sentimental. Naturally, no one likes having the script flipped on them, and he especially didn't like the feeling of being a child admonished by someone who knew better. However, the truth was, despite how he felt, Kaz was still young, and this was one of the times when his youth would probably really stand out on his features.

As for everything else, he still wasn't quite sure what to believe, but though he kept his gaze fixed pointedly on Lucifer it was clear that despite his momentary silence, his mind was working rapidly. Finally, he let out a sigh, the tension in his frame relaxing some as though he came to some sort of decision. He wasn't necessarily going to trust Lucifer, but he'd finally been sufficiently rattled enough to have his world view punctured and was willing to at least humor it for the time being, in lieu of a better option.

"Brekker. Kaz Brekker," he finally relented, though he didn't raise the hand to shake. "An admirable trait, if it's true, but I can count on one hand the number of times I've heard others claim it and mean it, so forgive my skepticism. For the time being, though, the least I can do is extend the same courtesy and let you know that I can't promise the same."

An odd admission to make in an introduction perhaps, but though he was a liar and thief by profession, he did have a habit of refreshing honesty now and then. Pretending to be a righteous, upstanding citizen was too long and exhausting a con to invest in.

Lucifer grins. “Remarkably and refreshingly honest of you, Mister Brekker, I commend you. Most humans, in my experience, will swear up and down that they’re honest, but rarely does that actually turn out to be true.”

He, of course, is not mortal. Rules don’t always necessarily apply to him.

Kaz offered a smirk of his own in return, brows giving a slight twitch as he shifted his weight again to adjust his bad leg. Damn stairs.

"Sometimes a man's only as good as his word, and I don't make promises." Indeed, if you couldn't keep your word in Ketterdam, you'd quickly find yourself running out of work. Or worse. He relied on the people around him being liars and thieves, as long as they didn't lie to him.

He was definitely catching on to the fact that Lucifer was claiming to be something other than mortal, though he knew Grisha could have rather long life spans if misfortune didn't befall them first. However, whatever digging around he wanted to do there could wait, as there were more pressing concerns. Shifting again, he pivoted to face the large window once more, grin fading as he focused on the expanse before him.

"So, at the very least, I'll accept that my plans for today seem to be cancelled," he started with a sigh. "What is this place?"

It was a broad question, but at least now he was willing to hear Lucifer out even if he wasn't fully prepared to blindly accept it just yet. It'd at least give him something to start with when he went to gather information later. Depending on what else Lucifer told him, though, it might be easier if he was a liar.

"I am always a devil of my word," Lucifer says dismissively. But that's neither here nor there. He's not making any promises right now, either. Or any deals. Maybe, eventually, he will.

"Right, a crash course in the multiverse," Lucifer says, seating himself in a chair, crossing his legs, fussing a bit with his cuff links. "It's both very simple and very complicated. Whatever your world is, whatever it looks like, whatever rules govern it - it's just one of many. One of infinite worlds, to be precise. Worlds, universes, realities - whatever you want to call them. Usually, they never intersect. They exist more or less independently of each other, and the lines don't get crossed. There are commonalities, of course, and occasional bleed-through. Humans, for instance, exist in nearly all of them, in one form or another. But the cultures, histories, technologies, even basic rules of time and space can all be different."

He gestures at the ship around them. "This sentient ship, however, has pulled us from different realities. Not intentionally, is my understanding. It's been known to happen, though rare. Navi is, however, seeking a way for us all to return to our own realities, so to get home, our only option for the moment is to sit tight."

Kaz stood silently, still facing the window and leaning on his cane, fingers tapping idly against his knuckle. He couldn't deny that a great number of unusual things had been happening since the appearance of parem, and just when he thought he'd seen it all something else came along to top it. Demon kings, the dead rising, dragons... Lucifer was correct when it came to ignoring things he didn't want to see, and as much as he wanted to believe all this was impossible, if he'd learned anything it's that nothing was impossible. Still, it was a large jump to go from demons and dragons to infinite universes, and it would take him a bit to fully digest it if it did prove to be true. Not that he had any other explanation for it at the moment, really.

Sit tight. One of the biggest mistakes people made was diving into the storm instead of waiting for it to pass, and Kaz knew all too well how important patience was. Two points Lucifer was right about, then.

For a few moments, he didn't say anything, simply standing there and keeping his gaze fixed on the window in front of him. Finally, he sighed, a hand moving to run his long fingers through his hair again. What a mess.

"So, it's all one big misunderstanding, and we'll be dropped off at their earliest convenience with deepest apologies?" He imagined getting home and figuring out how to bill a ship for lost profits (and a new hat, of course). Even now he had the sinking feeling he'd have to cut his losses, but that could wait until later.

Looking away from the window, he cocked his head to look over his shoulder at Lucifer. "Do you believe them?"

Lucifer contemplates that question for a moment, staring out at the unfamiliar stars.

"If you mean about the accidental nature of our kidnappings, yes, I believe it. The species the Navi comes from is subjugated, enslaved. Navi escaped, but they know what it's like. Having no free will. They aren't hostile, or interested in torturing us."

He flatters himself that he knows that sort pretty well. Even if it's not human.

Considering he'd woken up unharmed and unrestrained, it at least seemed as though Navi wasn't hostile outright. Of course, there was always the possibility Lucifer was a paid shill placed here to pacify him and push an agendy, but admittedly he couldn't see what that could be right now. Little of what he said was anything Kaz wanted to hear, so if the goal was to keep him compliant, surely the game wouldn't be so convoluted.

Again, he hated feeling out of his depth.

Something else Lucifer said sent a jolt through him too, making him think of something - or someone - from home, but he quickly pushed the thought aside for now. Instead, he pressed forward with the task on hand.

"I saw markings on the walls as I made my way here. That mark on your hand, is it an accident too?"

Admittedly, Kaz hasn't removed his gloves yet so may or may not be aware of the mark on his own hand.

Lucifer glances at the back of his hand, and his mouth twists faintly at the sight - the reminder - of the mark.

"The only thing I'm not really a fan of. It's definitely not my usual aesthetic," he mutters, shaking his head. "You'll have one as well. You've been partnered, with someone else here. You'll know when you find them. It's impossible not to."

At that, he quirked a brow, fingers tensing and flexing over the head of his cane. He'd checked through his pockets and took inventory of the surroundings, but considering the floor he woke up on had been dark and flickering, he hadn't thought to check his body.

Turning his head away from Lucifer, he bowed it down, keeping his back to the man behind him. Slowly, he removed a glove halfway, then scowled at seeing that Lucifer was, once again, correct. Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes and heaved a sigh, tugging the glove back on. He stood silently like that for a moment, collecting his thoughts before stirring again.

He gave the floor another tap with his cane, as though punctuating his annoyance with the ordeal. "I've never been fond of surprises. Is there anything else I should know about?"

Finally, with a last glance out the window in front of him, he turned his back to it, limping his way towards Lucifer to sink in a seat a couple spots away from the man. He stretched his bad leg out in front of him, giving it another shake and resting his cane against his knee, a hand idly smoothing the fabric of his pants.

"Partnered? I don't play nice with others."

"Yes, well, I don't much care for it either, I already have a partner, and I'm not interested in doing psychic ice breakers with anyone else."

Lucifer rolls his shoulders faintly and scowls a bit.

"I haven't been here long, myself, so I can't tell you much more. Except that the arrivals seem to be random, but that doesn't rule out the possibility that people you know may, sooner or later, be among them. I myself have two others from my reality here with us."

The hand that was smoothing his pant leg before moved to rest on his cane, then froze in midair as Lucifer mentioned other people showing up. Visibly tensing, he almost jerked his head a little too quickly to look at Lucifer but managed to restrain himself, though he hadn't been able to prevent the reaction altogether. After a second, the hand continued to its destination and came to rest.

Abducted. Trapped. Enslaved. There was that thought from earlier. He'd heard from her not long ago, but the last thing he remembered was getting ready to leave his office to take care of business for the day. There was a tightening in his chest thinking about her here.

But, he wouldn't ask about her, and for now he just hoped it hadn't shown too much in his reaction. He was still working on burying that part of him. You know, the part that feels.

"Psychic ice breakers? So I'm guessing there's more to it than being paired up for arts and crafts."

"Oh no," Lucifer says with a hollow sort of chuckle. "You've been gifted a psychic link, with a total stranger. Congrats. Whether you want it or not."

He is clearly not particularly pleased with his.

Kaz narrowed his eyes, brows sinking into a scowl as we worked out what Lucifer meant. If anything, he looked equally as unimpressed at the thought. His gaze roamed over the back of his hand, where his glove hid the mark that was now on his hand.

"You mean how Navi introduced themselves?" So maybe it was a voice in his head, but he still couldn't bring himself to word it that way out loud. There was still that sliver of hope he was wrong, but barely. He knew better than to hope for anything.

"Precisely." He makes another face. "Terribly invasive, psychic links. Also the potential to drive you insane, depending on who you get partnered with."

Turning his head, he fixed Lucifer with that piercing stare again, fingers drumming a steady rhythm on the head of his cane. Heartrenders where he came from had the ability to manipulate the human body, emotions, and even compel people to do their bidding. As far as he knew, even the most powerful of Heartrenders couldn't invade a persons mind. But then, it seemed those rules didn't apply here.

What a mess.

"Nothing personal, but I'd rather find out you were lying to me. Just this once, I'd even forgive you." Of course, Kaz knew better than to hope for the best, and even if he did find out Lucifer was lying, he didn't think the true version of events would be any more palatable.

Though, speaking of hope, that thought had come back to tug at him. Adjusting slightly in his seat, he turned his gaze back out the great window in front of him, hands moving to idly adjust his gloves.

"And the places we came from, has there been any contact with them? How do we know they're still there, whole and righteous?"

How would he know she's still there?

Lucifer shrugs. "Not that I'm aware of. Best case scenario, whenever we do manage to get back to our respective worlds, we'll be dropped back from the precise moment we were originally taken. Assume a great big pause button until then, if it makes you feel better."

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject