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.

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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."

If there was any way to know it was the case, he would feel better knowing that nothing would go awry while he was taking care of this mess.

"That'd certainly save me a lot of lost profits, but I've never been an optimist," he said, shifting in his seat a bit to lean his head back against the back of the chair, lacing his fingers together and folding his hands over his stomach. It was hard to believe that all of this had been an accident, but if it wasn't, he couldn't see what the point of it was. There were a number of people who would have liked to see him locked up indefinitely and out of the way, but for all the effort that went into the ruse a bullet in his head would have been cheaper and easier.

Lucifer shrugs. "There's almost nothing more relative than time. If I told you when we are right now - or when I was back home - would either of those things mean anything to you? Or vice versa."

Kaz considered the inquiry carefully, eyes fixing on some point out in the distance. He'd never had cause to consider the intricacies of time and space before, as they were never of any tangible consequence other than the passage of night and day.

"No, it'd mean nothing to me."

"Precisely. And the people here from my reality - they're both from what, to me, is the future. Time is funny like that."

He might as well be talking about the weather or the traffic on I-10.

Funny, indeed. There were a lot of implications to what Lucifer was saying, and for a moment he continued to stare out the window in silence as he considered them. If someone were to appear here from the future, would he want to know if anything happened to him? More importantly, if anything happened to her?

For now, there was only one conclusion he could come to.

"So, for the time being I needn't worry about my affairs at home." Too many variables, it would do no good to sit around fussing over them. Besides, if things did go belly up by the time he went home, it was probably time for some staff adjustments.

"There's definitely no point to it," Lucifer says lightly. Which is not to say that he's not also worried about his affairs back home. He has an Underworld to rule, after all, and demons to keep in check, yada yada.

But he's good at giving out advice he doesn't follow himself.

"Anyway, welcome to Navi. Best settle in - we're probably stuck here for a bit."

As for Kaz, he would go with his usual unhealthy tactic of burying it down out of sight for the time being and pretending it didn't bother him.

He continued to recline back, turning over the thoughts in his head before he finally shifted and moved his hands to pull himself more upright. Idly, his fingers moved to tug at and adjust his gloves.

"I suppose the flickering room I woke up in are meant to serve as my quarters?"

"No, you can choose any unoccupied room - I hadn't noticed any flickering lights in mine, though I've been... a bit distracted lately. The cabins are all identical, however."

Lucifer shrugs. "I've had worse, I suppose. In the Middle Ages, lots of humans just slept on straw. Itchy as all get-out. The beds here are a bit better than that, though I do miss my Egyptian cotton sheets."

He shot a sideways glance at Lucifer, an acknowledging look that he was still listening. For a moment, he sat quietly, waiting to see if Lucifer would add anything else, then gave a humorless chuckle. "At least we have the illusion of choice."

Kaz had definitely had worse, having slept on the streets and under the bridges over the canals more times than he would like to remember, not that he'd be mentioning any of it. Instead, he continued to look at Lucifer out of the corner of his eye, contemplating his words.

"Distracted by more than being confined to a sentient ship?" he finally asked, quirking a thoughtful brow. After another brief pause, he decided to pursue the other question nagging at his mind. "And from what you've been saying, you seem to suggest that you're not mortal."

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