(no subject)

Who: Everyone
When: July 1 and onward. See this post for info.
Where: Kauto + Chioni + Ingress Complex
Warnings: Potential violence. Please label warn-worthy content in your subject headers.

There's a burst of light in the sky when the Ingress breaks, a final flare followed by a shuddering that only those in the facility can feel. A flurry of panicked activity in the complex follows, ushering new arrivals to where they need to go in a hurry, with little time to give them the needed information, much less answer questions. The lights remain on, but dimmer now, life functions still operating but little else. On Kauto and Chioni below, the sky fades into an early twilight, followed by night, and day does not come again.

nerds save the world

Before the end of the day, all TABs receive an emergency broadcast notification outlining the situation. The speaker, a lead Savriite Ingress technician, does not invite panic but nor does he mince words. The Ingress is broken; their best efforts have failed to restore it. The time has come to turn to anyone who can help: scientists, engineers, those who have worked with advanced technology on any world. Formal qualifications don't matter when it could be the end of everything.

"Help us. Before it is too late."

Those who come will have the run of the complex and full access to the Ingress, as well as whatever tools are available and as much coffee as they can drink. People are encouraged to work in groups and share ideas, and a small number of young and nervous technical assistants will be on hand.

the land below

As Thisavrou is denied light and warmth, the weather becomes brisk and descends into bitter cold. Chioni is evacuated due to the effects on the already-harsh weather cycles there, although a skeleton crew of scientists remain behind. On Kauto, the arboreal Region Three and pastoral Region Two suffer the most from the temperatures and the snow that eventually begins to fall. Many crops are frozen over, and refugee citizens are driven from their homes to the Regions One and Five, where stored energy will keep dwellings warm. Save for those who choose to leave the underwater facilities, Region Four remains largely unchanged, but there are unverified accounts of strange aquatic animal behavior near the surface.

Overcrowding, limited supplies and a pervasive fear presents the opportunity for both heroism and foul deeds. Many come together to share resources, supplies and fellowship in what could be the end of worlds, while others take what they can from the unwilling or exploit the desperate. Sentient evacuees are followed by fauna from Region Three and unsettled lands beyond, in search of warmth or food or merely confused by the change in habitat. Some are unthreatening herbivores, while tanglesnakes and clownbees are more troublesome. Others are poisonous hunters, while still others are small, but dangerous when faced as a pack.

Just when all seems lost, light returns to the sky. The Ingress begins to function once more.

the coming days

As the temperatures rise, many demand answers, but most turn to the rebuilding of their lives first. Damage has been done that isn't so easily fixed, and even in the least-affected areas, remnants of the crisis show in the lack of fresh food, in the increased signs of criminal activity. Those who can help others through their own efforts of by organizing assistance are needed, but those with impure intentions are more likely to go unnoticed.

Eavesdropping on the streets may reveal a desire for vengeance. "Those intruders from last week. They're responsible for this, aren't they? What's being done?" But don't listen too closely, or a suspicious eye may be turned on you. "Aren't you one of the refugees from the Midway Hub? You should return to where you came from! All the trouble began when your people showed up!"

Life goes on. But life does not go on unchanged.

[quick ooc note: the Region 4 search & retrieval mission/RNG fight will be posted in a separate log.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Absolutely nobility, well born to nobility anyway, if you run away from it all does it still count? Dorian likes to think so, there's something inborn about it, attitudes and a taste for decadence that's just very difficult to shake.

(And it's always the most refined who have the most spectacular mustache)]

I do that anyway, by virtue of being myself. They don't approve of my choices which I'm completely fine with, I never fit in.

[Dorian makes a gesture to follow him, if Ocelot is so inclined.]

Quite possibly not the sort you're used to, but yes, something like that.

[Like the gentleman he is he opens the door to the apothecary and gestures for his companion to enter first, following only after. To his immediate left there are stairs that spiral upward into a study, but Dorian guides him into the main room where there are leather-bound hand written books in a language that has all of the appearances of being latin, there are skin care products on shelves, prismatic glowing potions in in a glass encasement casting an arch of color about the room, and a variety of magical items or items associated with magic scattered about.

By way of magic he lights several candles, because nothing runs on contemporary power in this place, and then starts a fire in the far fireplace bringing a bit of cheery warmth to the room which he appreciates because...cold.]

I'm reluctant to use a healing potion just yet until I know how bad my injuries are...I just have no wish to look into a mirror at the moment.

[Which is criminal in his case, but dorian does withdraw a basin, he has cloth that is reminiscent of gauze, there is also a plant from which he withdraws several leaves, and an ointment that is very fluid.]

This is what qualifies where I'm from...I know the basic properties...elfroot [he points to the leafy things] for example, has incredible healing properties, especially when distilled. Granted I know this is something more familiar to my world so your own experience is probably more valuable.

[Meaning Dorian would rather he do what's most comfortable for him.]

[ he gives the other man would could almost pass as an apologetic smirk. everyone and their issues with their parents.

he decides to go with "charming" (perhaps partially because of the exquisite mustache though he would certainly not admit it). ]

Smart man. Though they clearly don't know a good thing when they see it.

[ though, in a strange sense, he can almost relate. while he barely knew his own parents, and while they had apparently loved him enough (in their own way), he knew for a fact that there was another man his mother had always seen as a favored son.

(not that it had really mattered to him that much in the long run)

Ocelot follows the man when he asks, taking a moment to absorb the settings. it was almost like walking into what he imagined an American Renaissance Faire must look like (though again, he reminds himself that others are from far different worlds than he was... at least that much was evident with the extent of this guy's powers). ]

You'll have to take off your top so I can get a better look. If you need help, let me know.

[ he says, incredibly frankly as he looks at what he's working with. while it was far from ideal he could work with this, at least until the man found a proper medic. ]

Do you have any pure alcohol? It's the best thing to use for a disinfectant.

[ barring... actual disinfectant, of course. ]

[Dorian doesn't seem all that put out by it to be honest, not on the outside at least, he has plenty of feelings about the subject on the inside, but he opts to bury most of those feelings at the bottom of a wine bottle. No one needs to see that.]

That is the Imperium for you, we tend not to breed children in my homeland, but traits, everyone's trying to sire the perfect leader. Their long game for me fell through, they wanted me to be the Imperial Archon, not because he has any real power, but because he gets invited to all of the parties. Boring.

[Dorian had strayed so far off of that path that there was not even a glimmer of hope that he would return to it, something that had been the deepest disappointment for his parents who'd worked so hard at getting along with one another just to produce him. A cautionary tale.]

Be careful what you wish for, I think.

[Dorian didn't even bother hiding an unrepentant grin. He wasn't sorry for anything he's ever done, feeling absolutely justified, though he quickly returned his focus to the task, his mind working on what the man needed of him. Pure alcohol, yes, he carried it in one of his many cabinets as one of the compounds he used in brewing up many of his concoctions so he produced that first. It came in a clear, glass, bottle with an attractive glass stopper...everything in this room had a sense of elegance about it in spite of how dated it appeared.

Perhaps that was part of the attraction for some people, Dorian didn't know.]

This should work.

[Now for the armor, he'd gotten himself into it and could easily get himself out, if he didn't feel like he'd just thrown mercilessly into the pavement. Which he had been, so his limbs didn't want to work the way he wanted them to.]

I could use a bit of help, Grey Warden armor is pretty solid in it's construction. The biggest problem is going to be the plate of armor on the right arm.

[Dorian's pretty good with instruction, actually, especially when it comes to clothing and he absolutely layers the stuff. Underneath the straps of leather, metal, and sturdy cloth work Dorian wears silks and undershirts for more padding and to prevent any sort of chaffing. It takes effort to get down to the skin, but as the layers were peeled off it became easier to see where the wound was, he was bleeding, not terribly, but it was enough to slowly soak his clothing. It was also enough to draw a hiss from him as the last layer was finally sloughed off.]

Not as bad as all that I think.

[Aside from his present injuries Dorian is, for lack of a better word, flawless. He had no scars and no outstanding marks on his body. Every line and muscle seemed to be very intentional and he was often aware of this fact.]

[ yet another thing Ocelot could relate to. once, when he was a young man, someone had also insisted that he pass along his genes to the next generation. he'd refused, rather adamantly. in retrospect, it might've been better if he'd taken a different approach.

but, that was hardly relevant to the situation, now was it? ]

Sounds like a charming place. Where I come from, we're all meant to be equal, from our top general, right down to the lowest farmer, and everyone works together for the betterment of all, according to their own skill.

But between you and me, it hasn't always worked out that way.

[ Ocelot returns the grin with one of his own. despite the relative severity of the situation, he was enjoying the man's company well enough.

he gives a nod of approval when greeted with something that could at least pass for a disinfectant. occasionally, he'd been in spots with his men where the only thing available was vodka.

he follows along, careful to avoid the impacted area. as the other man shrugs off the last of his layers, Ocelot sets to work, grabbing a cloth and lightly soaking it in alcohol.

he pauses a moment, before applying the cloth covered in alcohol to the main wound. ]

As a warning, this will probably sting for a bit. But, from how I see it, the wound's not too bad. For the most part, you should be fine, though if you don't get an official medic's attention, it could leave a nasty scar.

[ a pause. ]

Although, it could give you a good story to tell someone in the future.

[Dorian honestly couldn't envision himself with children given that he was rather awkward around them anyway, it was difficult to have an intellectual conversation with them...and he wasn't always the most adult adult in the room. There was that and he wasn't entirely sure he could endure the process that made children possible without a lot of alcohol in his system and another man in the room.

Livia was much better off without him given her abhorrence for him could rival his own for her.]

Charming, if you can survive the double-dealing, elegant poisons, and barely filling canapés. [Navigation was one of the more interesting tasks in his world.]

That sounds suspiciously like the Qun where I come from, but I suspect your methods are probably different and you're not a group of conquerors...or are you? [It was a rhetorical question, Dorian didn't really know the man, other than his assumption that he was new to these parts.]

In my experience very little tends to work out the way we would like them to, ideally.

[In fact, he couldn't think of a single aspect of his world that wasn't corrupted by some form of inequality, though this was, probably, not the most pleasing of topics anyway. There were more important things to worry about, like the injury and exactly how much it was going to sting...probably not quite as much as hitting the pavement had stung so he could handle it.

That doesn't mean he handles it stoically when the man pressed the alcohol soaked cloth to his wound. He laughs a bit at the idea of having a scar as a good story as if his vanity would allow for it, but he hisses not a moment later, tensing just a bit.]

I think I'll remember burning the man's face off with more fondness than this. [That the injury felt real with the application of alcohol only made him wished he'd burned the man to a crisp...okay, extreme, but he was justifiably angry.] The natives have been quite the little bastards lately, you should be cautious as well.

[Dorian exhaled, dropping his head as he let some of the tension drain away.] By the way...I haven't even told you my name, if you'll excuse the rudeness, Dorian Pavus.

[He's dropped most of the formality from his usual greetings, they clearly do not mean as much here.]

[ooc: my inbox just keeps eating everything, so sorry for the late response]

I can't say that I've ever heard of "The Qun", but if it's meant to be a religion, we're all "godless heathens". [ said with a smile, of course. while there's clearly something waiting for them after death, he's not one to believe in a higher power. ] And whether anyone would call us conquerors really depends on who you ask. Our enemies like to say that we're an "evil empire", while they try and overthrow governments that get a little too cozy with us.

[ and while he says nothing, he can certainly empathize with Dorian's words. how many times had he anticipated one thing to happen, only to turn around and have the opposite occur in its place?

for someone who (likely) hadn't gone through something like this before, he's truly putting for a valiant effort of holding. once Ocelot is done with the alcohol, he begins the tedious process of bandaging. ]

Some people do find scars attractive. [ a shrug. ] But, don't worry, I can handle myself. [ to emphasize the point, he gestures to the revolver at his waist. not that he'd go straight for the lethal kill in this climate. too many uncontrollable variables. ] I can't exactly melt a man's face off, but I've got a few surprises tucked away.

I'd say getting stabbed is a pretty good excuse to forgo manners. [ and after all, he hasn't shared his name either. ] By the way, you can call me "Ocelot".

It's more like...a code of honor, but they are still fanatical in their codes, it makes for a very peculiar mindset. They are very rigid in following their codes to the letter, everyone is assigned a place, and while that place is important and serves a function, there is no room for lateral movement.

[There are other things as well, but Qunari culture is quite a massive thing to try and explain and he cannot claim to be the expert on the subject. Of course he's probably more acquainted with the Qunari than most given the extremely long history of war between their people and the Tevinter Imperium.

As for his wound, Dorian is quite proud of himself, though that's something he'll internalize. He hasn't whimpered once this whole time and his eyes weren't burning from the sting of alcohol on flesh, but they might from the smell of it.]

Oh, scars are attractive, I admire them greatly, they're often fun things to trace when you're lying in bed with nothing pressing to do and you have a partner who's body happens to have a lot of character. [Too much information? Ah well, he's still a little punch drunk from before, he's not in any position to be in control of the words coming out of his mouth...that's his excuse anyway.] As long as they're not on me I adore them.

[He's vain Ocelot.]

Perhaps, but it would still be a terrible shame not to know your name. [You know, because you're patching him up and all.] Ocelot...that is a breed of feline, yes?

We're not quite that bad. In the early years, especially, there was always plenty of room for advancement. But for all our flaws, it's still better than our old way of doing things.

[ monarchs who subjugated the masses, and preferred to speak French over their native language. the horror.

he finishes bandaging the wound, looking rather pleased with himself. ]

You have good taste. [ what's a little oversharing among complete strangers? ] Just make sure you see a professional soon, otherwise the next time you end up in someone's bed, they might ask you about why you only have one scar.

And, I'll also have to get the smaller scratches. But they should be fine.

[ sorry, Dorian. it's better than them getting infected. ]

You've got it. [ even now, he still enjoys talking about ocelots, though not to the same extent as when he'd been in his early twenties. ] They're small, but fierce. And particularly apt at hunting snakes. [ ~~or rather he was particularly apt at hunting Snakes~~ ] When I was a younger man, I was put in charge of a military unit with that name. It ended up sticking, even after I moved up the ranks.

[ besides, most people didn't know his real name, and that had always been the way he liked it. "Adamska" doesn't have quite the same flare to it, and its Americanized version, "Adam" is far too biblical. and only one person really has permission to call him by that name. ]

Well you haven't bound me, gagged me, and sewn my mouth shut, I'd say you're rather charming...and because yoou are I'll take you're word for it.

[It's the sort of thing they do to mages in Qunari territory, Tevinter may be corrupt, but it's the only place where mages have some modicum of respect.

Not exactly an expert at bandaging wounds, Dorian takes that pleased look to mean that this has gone well so far.]

You're observant to say so. [It all starts with flattery, just so you know.] We wouldn't want that, but I do make an excellent elfroot and dawn lotus lotion that does wonders for scarring, perhaps it won't come to that.

[Can't you tell he's vain, Ocelot?]

Oh? [The smaller scratches weren't as bad, that doesn't stop him from raising his borws in interest.] Well who am I to say "no" if you think it's best.

[As if he would object to another man's hands on him, even if it is in a professional manner. His touch is far from cruel.]

Apt at hunting snakes...that seems to be an ongoing theme I keep running into. [Naturally the snake is the symbol of Tevinter, it's adorned in several pieces of his clothing and some of his accessories, and he knows quite a few people who go by the name Snake. They're code names, he's well aware, but he's not one to pry too much into it.] So Ocelot is a code name then, you certainly could have done worse, they're an attractive animal.

[The arch of his lip suggests he could be referring to the actual cat or he could be referring to his caregiver, it could be taken either way. ]

[ he laughs. ]

You don't have to worry about that. I prefer men who can talk.

[ in war, it was all about knowing your enemy. and a man or woman who couldn't give up any information was utterly useless.

with Dorian's permission, he begins to slowly dab the cloth over the other scratches, keeping a light touch. never let it be said that "Shalashaska" couldn't be kind when he wanted to be. ]

You know much about snakes? [ now that is interesting. his whole life, after all, had been one game of chasing after one Snake or another. and, given what he'd heard about his own future, he wasn't likely to stop any time soon. ]

I might've heard that once or twice. Like I said, you have good taste.

[ he returns that smirk with one of his own. ]

Edited 2017-07-16 02:14 (UTC)

That would be my preference as well, though if our agenda is the same, I'm not entirely certain.

[Dorian just enjoys a good conversation, a good conversation can only take place when one can actually use the mouth. And dinner, dinner was difficult to consume with sewn lips.

The kindness wasn't beneath Dorian's notice and as they barely knew one another he did have to wonder why Ocelot was taking all of this upon himself. Given where he came from Dorian could never quite wrap his mind around the concept of true altruism without ulterior motive.

At the moment however, it was welcome.]

I come from a land of vipers, where the heraldry of our nation is a serpent wrapped around a dragon...we use it in our clothing a lot as well. Then I come here and meet people with the name Snake, it's odd how that seems to be an ongoing theme. [Some he knew better than others, if he had to be honest.

Dorian acknowledges the comment about his good taste with a nod and a pleased grin, of course he knows.]

It's a pleasure, Ocelot.

Now, that all depends on your agenda, doesn't it?

[ in all honesty, he'd been impressed with the man's precision at melting someone's face off, and this had been as good of an excuse as any to get to know him, see what made him tick. and, it had been nothing short of an incredibly enjoyable and pleasant experience.

Dorian was certainly the sort of man that he'd be more than happy to speak to again.

especially given that he apparently knows something about certain Snakes. ]

You've met a few Snakes here, have you?

[ unless he knows which ones they are, he has to choose his words carefully. ]

Please, the pleasure is all mine.

You can always count on my agenda to be shockingly licentious.

[Dorian doesn't have the taste for torture and drilling people into spilling information, he's not at all military. Defending himself, oh, that he would do without question, he'll burn faces, freeze heads, and shock someone with such extreme prejudice there would be nothing left of them but a black stain where they once stood. Slow and intentional pain just wasn't in him beyond that, and even then he wanted to make things quick.

When the conversation focused on the Snakes he met, Dorian had a feeling that he wasn't the only one in the room who knew about a certain Snake or two.]

Mmm...yes, I think I owe my life to one. I don't know much about grappling and throwing and I'm not very good at it, but what he taught me really helped back there...he tossed me on my ass several times before I picked it up...but he offered to buy me beer...not a bad motivator.

Then we'll find ourselves in agreement, more often than not.

[ was it a lie? who could really be sure. the fact of the matter was, the man did make a good first impression. ]

What does he look like? Piece of shrapnel sticking out of his head?

[ again, that narrows it down. if it's Venom, then he can say more on the matter. ]

Always a pleasant surprise to come across like-minded individuals.

[Of course anything was better than the hostile natives, right? At least the encounter had done a great deal to improve his mood, Dorian could have gone very sour very quickly.]

That's him. [So this man knew Ahab, not surprising, he had friends from his own world here as well.] He's quite singular and unexpectedly, he's gentle. You wouldn't think it though, not with his streak of sadism.

And, were I come from, such an unfortunate rarity.

[ on a number of different levels. not that he minded that much, however. ]

I've worked with him for years. [ keeping it vague, in accordance with the stories they'd set up. ] I even helped him raise DD, the dog he's always with. He's a good man to have as a friend, though I'd say you've yet to really see sadistic.

[ some might call him such, after all. and they might not be entirely wrong, when the occasion arose. ]

And yet a part of me can appreciate that uncommoness, it's the rare birds that are often the most intriguing. If everyone we of a similar mind, well, bantering would be less enjoyable.

[And bantering is about fifty percent of who he is, it's a lot like oxygen, if he can't have that back and forth badinage he'd simply die. On the inside.]

Ah...yes, DD is an improvement over the Dogs in Thedas...at least he doesn't smell like a Mabari. [Thank the maker, because Mabari war hounds could work up such an awful stink as to be enjoyed for miles around. Dorian's not the biggest dog fan, but a nice smelling, or even mildly pleasant smelling dog, that happened to be friendly, was a vast improvement.] No, I can't imagine him ever being truly sadistic, not with me anyway...he seems like the sort of man who would do what is necessary if it came down to it.

[Dorian is aware that Venom holds back on purpose with him, obviously because Dorian isn't a soldier.]

I suppose what I was really getting out of Venom was...play time? Sparring seems to be fun for him and he was baffled by my lack of knowledge in hand-to-hand combat, it was adorable, so I indulged.

[ it is somewhat refreshing to be bantering with someone who doesn't loathe every fibre of your being. not that Miller wasn't a joy to associate with. ]

You won't find a better dog than him anywhere. [ the pride shines through in his voice. as much as he is Venom's dog as well, he's probably the closest thing to a child that Ocelot will ever have. ]

He's probably... the second-best person I've known when it comes to hand-to-hand. [ number one went to John, of course. ] You're lucky to have him as a friend. [ a beat ] If you would ever like to learn about other weapons from our world, though, I'd be more than happy to give you a few pointers.

[ though, melting someone's face is again, pretty impressive. ]

[Won't Ocelot be surprised that Dorian adores Kazuhira, how could anyone not find the man charming, it would come as a complete shock to the mage.]

Heh...you may end up having an argument with Hawke over that one, she'll insist her Mabari is the best there ever was. Of course the dog lords of Ferelden and similarly the ones in the Free Marches take a lot of pride in their war hounds...expected when you worship dogs I suppose. [Dogs in the south...dogs everywhere...except in Orlais...well, okay, they had dogs, but they were the tiny ones, the kind that a Mabari could take a single bite out of and it would be finished.]

Second-best? Well, I would be curious to know who the best is then so I can avoid them, I've enough bruises from Venom, I should like not to tempt my fate. [Especially if number one was similar to Venom in his way of thinking that this sort of sparring was an exercise in bonding.] Well I'm not one to turn down a lesson in culture, so, by all means.

[ well, Dorian, that's a long story. one that involves Miller going behind Ocelot's best friend's back to work with the guy who helped ruin said best friend's life, then having those actions directly result in a series of events that led to his best friend ending up in a nine-year coma and Ocelot being used once again as a pawn in said life-ruiner's plans. while having to work with Miller, the guy at least partially responsible for this mess in the first place for nine years with no guarantee that his best friend would ever wake up. and then when said friend woke up, Miller had to go and throw a tantrum about not being kept in the loop when the whole point was none of them could be kept in the loop.

and THEN it didn't exactly help that when he arrived here, he found out that Miller would be at least partially responsible for said best friend's future death didn't exactly help their relationship here. or the fact that Miller insists on calling their mutual friend by his first name when that's his and John's thing.

tl;dr, he has GOOD reasons to dislike Miller. that involve more than his completely normal relationship with his best friend. ]

Well, those dog lords, as you call them have clearly never met DD. He's one-of-a-kind. [ it could very well turn into an all-out war. but, few had any hope of going against the Russians. ] People who worship dogs, and an entire country built on solely on breeding the perfect human. Your world sounds like an interesting place.

[ of course, Earth had its own share of quirks, but... ]

His name's Ishmael. [ seriously though guys, couldn't you have chosen better fake name. ] I've known him for... probably over twenty years now, and I still haven't been able to beat him.

[ much to his chagrin, though he has gotten close a couple of times. and any resemblance to Venom is because they're... definitely brothers. ]

Let me know on the TAB when you're feeling more up to it. [ don't want you to open up your wound and get yourself a nasty scar, after all. ]

[Nooooo. Not Dorian's Kazuhira, his too sweet for this world, Kazuhira! Given where he comes from Dorian would listen to the story with the notion that there are always two sides to every story. Still, Dorian couldn't help himself and his sense of loyalty, the man had done so many wonderful things for him after all.]

I'll have to take your word for it, I know very little of dogs myself -- never had personal pets. [Most of the animals on his family's estates were work animals, horses and cattle of some sort. Treated well, naturally. Still no dogs or cats for this one here.] Heh...my world is one, giant, cautionary tale where there are holes in the sky and demons fall from them, while under the ground we're besieged by darkspawn, and people on the surface are at ideological odds with one another. If you enjoy barely contained chaos, then it's actually quite pleasant.

Ishmael? [Dorian chuckled softly to himself, not because he had any idea about the relationship between Ahab and Ishmale to a certain story, but because the name reminded him of something else completely.] Where I come from there is a desire demon with a similar name, move a few letters around...

[Not that it was important, just an amusing coincidence.] Well, you're probably better off than I am, best I've been able to do against Venom islearn the technique, applying them against him has been a exercise in humiliation.

[Nedless to say he wouldn't be going up against Big Boss in hand-to-hand combat anytime soon.]

It shouldn't be long, once I get the okay I'll drink a healing potion and I should be perfectly well. So many benefits to magic.

[The brother story would actually be a sell of skepticism on Dorian's part who was under the impression that Ahab was a representation of someone else. A blank slate redesigned.]

[ of course, even if he knew about their friendship, he'd never say anything bad about Miller to someone he just met unless he had a very good reason to. he likes to keep his cards close to his chest, and Miller has become something of a sore spot for him in recent weeks. ]

I can't say that I did either. DD was something of an exception. [ but despite his codename, he had always liked the dogs growing up in the military, even if he never had one of his own. besides, it's not like his "guardian" would've ever allowed something like that. ] Sounds positively medieval. All we've had to worry about is someone setting off a nuclear weapon at the wrong time, and inadvertently destroying all life on the planet.

[ but, enough about nuclear Armageddon and back to a topic that he vastly prefers. hearing that almost causes Ocelot to burst into laughter. thankfully he manages to contain himself and instead manages a snort. ]

A desire demon. That's a good one. If you ever meet him, be sure to mention that to him. [ as much as he loves his best friend, this was still a man who'd thought someone was a cannibal when she told him she wouldn't mind eating him. ] He looks a little like [ almost exactly like ] Ahab, though he's got shorter hair and is a little grayer. [ it suits him, honestly. and while he tries not to sound overly fond, his fatal flaw has always been that he's painfully obvious about his feelings for his best friend.

~~well, obvious to everyone except for John.~~ ]

I've been told that I'm pretty good [ look, he can even be humble, too! ] but you seem like you're a quick learner. [ another flash of a grin. ] And, I'll be looking forward to it.

[ wow Miller, way to be honest with your friends. ]

[Everyone has their demons and Dorian found he was in no way in the right place to judge the matter or the people, but his affection for Kazuhira did make him somewhat biased in the favor of his friend. He already knew Kazuhira had issues with that and was concerned with letting anyone too close to him, but Dorian was far too irrepressible once he's decided he liked someone. There is certainly a loyalty about him that was uncommon in his countrymen.]

Oh? That's all you had to worry about...like a castoff thing, like waking up to a bad hair day...well it does sound a lot faster than being assailed by another Blight or a demonic takeover, I've seen the latter in an alternate future, nasty business the end of the world. [Something you might want to avoid, like stepping in horse shit.

But the end of all days is a very morbid topic, especially since he feels as though they are experiencing something similar to that now in this world, what with random attacks from their ever gracious hosts.]

Well, now I have to meet him, otherwise I won't be able to scrub that image out of my head. [Dorian has no filter really and he doesn't care for rank terribly much, he's no one's soldier after all and has even called Ahab insolent, bossy pants, and a few other names in play without fear of retribution.

Though when the topic takes another turns to what this Ishmael looks like Dorian makes a face, there is a spark of recognition in there as though he might be recalling a bit of information he'd been told under the strictest of confidence. He'll fix that expression quickly, however, with a nod and a grin.] Should make him easy to spot then.

[Were Dorian privy to such thoughts, he'd just have to tell Ocelot to be more direct in expressing himself, the worst that could happen? He'd turn you down...well maybe not the worst, but it certainly feels like the worst.]

It's a date then. [Not the candy and flowers kind, obviously, because he's teasing.] And with the Savrii behaving like savages my days are open.

[ well, there was certainly much more to his own world that he might be able to share, but unfortunately, Ocelot is anything but an open book. more of one with a very alluring cover, with all the pages stuck together. ]

I'm sure you will. He and Ahab are quite close. [ Ocelot definitely notices that face, though again, it's hardly something you talk to another person about when you've first met him. though, he can't help but wonder if Venom told him his true origins or if... someone else entirely did (Miller). a question for another time.

~~and look one of the last people to tell him he loved him did so while pregnant with his clone children it was not a good time for anyone.~~ ]

I'm looking forward to it. [ and with that, he takes a step back. ] You should be all patched up, with no scarring.

[Aren't they all a little bit tight-lipped? Dorian has no problem sharing information, but he's selective in the things that he'll share and to the degree of what he'll share until he knows someone.

Not that secret identities and code names have all that much meaning to him, he supposed it was better suited for spies and assassins, but everyone had their secrets.]

If he and Ahab are that close, I can only imagine that several of my acquaintances know him. [Kazuhira did mention this other man he used to love, though he didn't mention him by name exactly and Dorian didn't ask. He wondered if this was the same person, but speaking of, it was Kazuhira who mentioned it to him only because Dorian was keenly aware of the fact that Ahab lacked a self-awareness when it came to his appearance. Something he found odd.

~~And this is why Dorian chooses to avoid complications.~~]

Now I have to think of a way to repay you for this...especially since the no scarring bit is very important to me.

(no subject)

shashka - 2017-08-06 23:10 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only