[ It's still something of a struggle to come to terms with this new reality (if he would even dare to name any 'life' of his as such). While accepting that this has had to be an entirely different painting, there's been enough conflicting realizations that have left him even more bewildered than before. 'Chroma' appears something of an alien concept to any he's spoken to thus far, and nobody seems to understand what he means when he references pictos.
Already practiced at keeping things close to his chest, he learned fast to stop talking and try listening, but that's done little to help him understand. If he thought he had little purpose to exist before, what is even the point of him here? He needs to get back, but the beacon keeps rejecting him, and the one called Vanessa had claimed she had no knowledge of how to repair it.
The natural response to this is fine wine, when it's late and so many others are sleeping, and about a week prior he had scouted out an abandoned building that had looked to once be something of a gambling den. After digging through the cheaper liquor, he had been lucky enough to find some fine vintages, marking the bar as somewhere to disappear to when he became too weary of figuring out this strange city.
This night, though, it seems someone else must have discovered his stash. Already, there's a bitterness in the back of his throat at having his little sanctuary invaded, but then he spots who it is. He had seen the young man around before, usually in proximity to this world's Paintress, which only makes him all the warier on his approach. He had been able to discern that the relationship between the two seemed complicated, and the boy's demeanor did not much fit his appearance, but it's still difficult to behave too defensively toward someone who looks so young. Even younger than Maelle.
Arms folded, Verso squints while leaning against the doorframe of what once must have been a rather prosperous establishment. ]
A bit young to be that deep in the cups, aren't you? You'll make yourself sick all over my lovely abode.
[ Five is well aware that he shouldn't be here. Not in the sense that he has more important things to do than ransack what little alcohol was left in a seemingly-abandoned gambler's den. It was bad enough to exist out of time, but now he's bounced around one too many realities while never settling in any of them. He's practically a ghost.
As such, he has the freedom to go where he pleases.
Even halfway through a bottle of wine, the confrontation with Vanessa lingers on his mind, along with the unbearable certainty that he should have the ability to work his way out of this mess. For a while he tried, but not-trying is easier. Following a suspicious man who fits a description Vanessa gave him barely takes any effort when you can blink through walls.
It isn't long before he became more interested in his stash and the promise to forget how trapped he is for a few minutes. When said-suspicious man interrupts him with an immediate quip about his age, he scoffs and downs another mouthful. Maybe he has something worth prying out, and maybe he doesn't. Maybe the world won't end this time and this is as good as it's going to get. It's always easier to accept things when he's put back a few. ]
You're running low. [ Five can't be blamed for that, and he flashes the man an unkind smile. He only just got here, and he's hardly finished. ] You're going to have to come up with a better hiding place.
[ Of course he was hiding. The weight of one world on his shoulders was unbearable enough. He may not deserve much, but a little privacy now and then should be a respectable ask. At least others seemed to understand from Verso's demeanor that he might be too dangerous to cross, but then it seems fitting that a teenager would feel brave enough to cross him.
His sigh is more weary than bitter, but there's a sharpness to his own half-smile as he uncrosses his arms and pushes from the door to stroll over towards the bar. ]
If you're here to try and uncover my secrets, you aren't going to find them at the bottom of a bottle.
[ It seems fair to assume that the lad is that woman's spy, but Verso's had decades of practice it evading such attempts. It's best not to show that this bothers him.
Really, he's more sore about his stash being broken into than anything. A man needs a quiet place to drink alone, after all. ]
[ Five shrugs at the first comment. If he found any bottles of wine worth saving, he would have been smart to bury them away somewhere less obvious. Then there's the insinuation that he's been following him to 'uncover his secrets' — which is an upgrade to assuming Five is some rebellious teenager. Maybe he did pick up on someone taking note of his oddities. If he did, that's even less of an excuse not to hide the good wine.
He's used to being judged for his drinking. For a while, after the fallout from lifting his curse, he listened. It would certainly be easier to interrogate someone if he had stuck to that, but he reasons that it puts his guard down. If anything, he's at an advantage because of this useful trick he came up with on the spot. ]
Assuming I want something else. [ He does and he doesn't. Mysteries never lead him anywhere good, but looking at the man and focusing a little too long on the streaks of gray, he's somehow more amused by the idea than he normally would be. ] I didn't have to go looking for you, so technically you're wrong. If I was trying, it's effective. You came right back.
[ At the bar, Verso will pause to lean over and check the state of the lower shelves against the wall. It's true that he was already running a bit low, but that makes the 'theft' even worse. It's a bit harder to want to share when there's so little to go around.
No doubt, either of them could find more elsewhere, but this had been convenient. Until it wasn't. ]
I would still mark it a sorry attempt. Neither of us seem to be in charitable spirits at the moment.
[ With a graceful hop over the bar, Verso will appear to outright ignore the young man's invasion as he crouches down to rescue what's left for himself. Of course, his senses are sharp enough to notice should a move be made against him.
Otherwise, so long as he can save a bottle for himself, he'll refrain from complaining. None of this was really his, anyway. ]
If all you wanted was to lose yourself in wine, that woman who runs things around here would have access to the finest vintages in the city, wouldn't she? Or is she not big on sharing with her friends?
[ He frowns when the man hops over the bar and closer into his personal space. To his credit, he makes no move to grab the bottle out of Five's hand. It would have been a bold move, but he's come to expect disregard for his autonomy after being criticized for drinking at his age. It's one curse he's yet to grow out of, as everyone loves to remind him.
Even as the man opts to dig into his own stash, Five holds the bottle closer to himself, and his eyes narrow as he tries to make sense of what he's being asked. The pieces are slow to come together. He'll have to tell Vanessa she needs to be more subtle. ]
You really think I'm here for you? [ 'Friends' is better than some of the words he could have used, but now he's distracted by something else. It seems he thinks he has something someone would be after. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
five — (act 3 spoilers)
Already practiced at keeping things close to his chest, he learned fast to stop talking and try listening, but that's done little to help him understand. If he thought he had little purpose to exist before, what is even the point of him here? He needs to get back, but the beacon keeps rejecting him, and the one called Vanessa had claimed she had no knowledge of how to repair it.
The natural response to this is fine wine, when it's late and so many others are sleeping, and about a week prior he had scouted out an abandoned building that had looked to once be something of a gambling den. After digging through the cheaper liquor, he had been lucky enough to find some fine vintages, marking the bar as somewhere to disappear to when he became too weary of figuring out this strange city.
This night, though, it seems someone else must have discovered his stash. Already, there's a bitterness in the back of his throat at having his little sanctuary invaded, but then he spots who it is. He had seen the young man around before, usually in proximity to this world's Paintress, which only makes him all the warier on his approach. He had been able to discern that the relationship between the two seemed complicated, and the boy's demeanor did not much fit his appearance, but it's still difficult to behave too defensively toward someone who looks so young. Even younger than Maelle.
Arms folded, Verso squints while leaning against the doorframe of what once must have been a rather prosperous establishment. ]
A bit young to be that deep in the cups, aren't you? You'll make yourself sick all over my lovely abode.
no subject
As such, he has the freedom to go where he pleases.
Even halfway through a bottle of wine, the confrontation with Vanessa lingers on his mind, along with the unbearable certainty that he should have the ability to work his way out of this mess. For a while he tried, but not-trying is easier. Following a suspicious man who fits a description Vanessa gave him barely takes any effort when you can blink through walls.
It isn't long before he became more interested in his stash and the promise to forget how trapped he is for a few minutes. When said-suspicious man interrupts him with an immediate quip about his age, he scoffs and downs another mouthful. Maybe he has something worth prying out, and maybe he doesn't. Maybe the world won't end this time and this is as good as it's going to get. It's always easier to accept things when he's put back a few. ]
You're running low. [ Five can't be blamed for that, and he flashes the man an unkind smile. He only just got here, and he's hardly finished. ] You're going to have to come up with a better hiding place.
no subject
[ Of course he was hiding. The weight of one world on his shoulders was unbearable enough. He may not deserve much, but a little privacy now and then should be a respectable ask. At least others seemed to understand from Verso's demeanor that he might be too dangerous to cross, but then it seems fitting that a teenager would feel brave enough to cross him.
His sigh is more weary than bitter, but there's a sharpness to his own half-smile as he uncrosses his arms and pushes from the door to stroll over towards the bar. ]
If you're here to try and uncover my secrets, you aren't going to find them at the bottom of a bottle.
[ It seems fair to assume that the lad is that woman's spy, but Verso's had decades of practice it evading such attempts. It's best not to show that this bothers him.
Really, he's more sore about his stash being broken into than anything. A man needs a quiet place to drink alone, after all. ]
no subject
He's used to being judged for his drinking. For a while, after the fallout from lifting his curse, he listened. It would certainly be easier to interrogate someone if he had stuck to that, but he reasons that it puts his guard down. If anything, he's at an advantage because of this useful trick he came up with on the spot. ]
Assuming I want something else. [ He does and he doesn't. Mysteries never lead him anywhere good, but looking at the man and focusing a little too long on the streaks of gray, he's somehow more amused by the idea than he normally would be. ] I didn't have to go looking for you, so technically you're wrong. If I was trying, it's effective. You came right back.
no subject
No doubt, either of them could find more elsewhere, but this had been convenient. Until it wasn't. ]
I would still mark it a sorry attempt. Neither of us seem to be in charitable spirits at the moment.
[ With a graceful hop over the bar, Verso will appear to outright ignore the young man's invasion as he crouches down to rescue what's left for himself. Of course, his senses are sharp enough to notice should a move be made against him.
Otherwise, so long as he can save a bottle for himself, he'll refrain from complaining. None of this was really his, anyway. ]
If all you wanted was to lose yourself in wine, that woman who runs things around here would have access to the finest vintages in the city, wouldn't she? Or is she not big on sharing with her friends?
no subject
Even as the man opts to dig into his own stash, Five holds the bottle closer to himself, and his eyes narrow as he tries to make sense of what he's being asked. The pieces are slow to come together. He'll have to tell Vanessa she needs to be more subtle. ]
You really think I'm here for you? [ 'Friends' is better than some of the words he could have used, but now he's distracted by something else. It seems he thinks he has something someone would be after. ]
What did you do to get her interest?