element_wizard | (no subject)

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The other side of the portal lead to the end of everything. Or an everything. It was a surprisingly nice end of everything. A bar with plenty of tables, booths and comfortable chairs sitting by a fire with fish swimming within the flames. Rats wearing little suits scurried around carrying trays with food and drink on them to various patrons at various locations.

There's a scattering of people around with friends or by themselves. Doing everything from nothing, to eating to reading to making a mess on the table because they've pulled apart a machine. The rats are not happy about that.

And of course there's the Window where the end of the universe can be seen in all its glory. As it is the natural time of death for the universe, it won't do anything to Zack beyond looking beautiful. Repeating every few minutes or so as time is rewound. People pay to watch the universe end, not be there when it ends after all.

Alec stands on the other side of the portal, which also corresponds to a doorway, even though he was behind Zack a second ago.

"Welcome to Milliways. The restaurant at the end of the universe."

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No one likes the look of that blade. That is half the point of the blade. The blade is only used for one thing. Murder. (And apparently cleaning fingernails.) But if he is going to use it on someone it's going to be for a killing blow. He can miss, but he doesn't aim to injure. Betrayal is killing something in someone.

It's not his fault. He doesn't know how Alec or anything really works. Alec barely knows how Alec works.

"Just like that." The bead is dropped into his hand. "I talked to some people."

This is true.

Zack swallows as the magical thing lands on his open palm. He's still jittery from his recent encounter and magic is anathema to him. It's a scary proposition, but...

The reward outweighs the risk. Especially as this is Alec. Zack looks from the bead to Alec, still suffering from guilt at the way he questioned his intentions just now.

"You should know, I thought... maybe, you'd decided to abandon me. And I got a bit lost about how we made friends. Dunno what I was thinking."

Or why.

Alec gives a soft laugh. "I wouldn't blame you for thinking that. You've not had good experiences with other people. And I am an outside factor, you don't know how I act," he said. Also he'd been talking to someone who encourages that sort of thinking.

"As for how we made friends? I don't know. I forced myself into your life, I guess."

He's not going to press Zack to do anything with the bead. His choice.

"Just thought... friends are honest, right? Anyway. Felt bad about it after, and now."

He picks up the bead between the thumb and forefinger of his free hand, and examines it more closely. "M'glad you did. It's about the only way anyone could've got to know me."

Still a little perplexed as to how simple the process is, Zack just checks, "So I crush it? In my hand, or underfoot?"

"Generally speaking, yes. And you can feel bad about it. I mean, no experience. I shouldn't ding you for that." It would be like dinging a child for not knowing social rules. Which Zack is in someways.

"You were interesting. You are interesting. I collect interesting things." There's a finger waggle. "Not always in the physical sense." He's not planning on locking Zack up in a bottle somewhere.

"Crush it in your hand. It needs the skin contact to know where it's going," Alec said. "And hopefully it'll work."

He's mucked about with it. He's good at cross classing magics from different realities, but it's still always an iffy endeavor. Volitle things. Especially when it comes to anti-magics. But he has no idea if it'll work or not. That is not up to him.

That's true. Both childlike and childish at times. He may be a mature adult, but there's a small part of Zack that's always remained as a ten-year-old child, at his time of death.

He does grin at that. Being kept in a jar would be boring as... well, Zack isn't over acquainted with boredom, but he does have some idea.

"Okay." He drops the bead back into his palm and stares at it a bit before finally closing his fist. He's not preternaturally strong, but Zack is a little stronger than an average mortal man. He figures that the bead is meant to be broken fairly easily though. His fist tightens and the bead breaks into tiny pieces.

For a moment there's nothing and Zack glances at Alec to see if he's done it right.. but then, very quickly, he can feel a drawing sensation somewhere at the back of his mind. In his head, but in his thoughts too... It increases steadily, and Zack grits his teeth. It does make his head hurt but in a different kind of way. It's sort of clean pain one feels when a thorn is removed from flesh, or of a tumour being cut away.

His entire dust form alters and shimmers like sand. It's still Zack-shaped, but it becomes a humanoid figure composed entirely of ash and grit, and what passes for sand or dirt. it feels like the spell is working on his spirit, the part of him that holds the dust-body together; because after all, that's where the pain is.

Dust has no nerve-endings. It can't feel things.

It attracts curious glances from the other people in the restaurant, but apparently magic is nothing new here. Finally... it really really HURTS... and Zack snarls with the pain...

...until suddenly, there's a harsh tightening, followed by a sense of release.

His illusionary skin and surface bodyparts return to their usual state, apart from the one noticeable thing. Zack sits here now without his warpaint. It shows his features more clearly. He looks exactly like any ordinary human, apart from his unnaturally blue eyes.

But there's no more pain.

"That didn't feel so good," he mutters, studying Alec's reactions. "But better now.. I think?"

It really would be dull. Though Zack might appreciate boredom after the excitement of his life. Just nothing at all happening at all. Sitting and being nothing. Staring into space.

During the entire time, Alec keeps himself quiet, watching things beyond the physical and visual spectrum. He's watching the magic unravel. It's always fascinating watching magic do its thing. Reality do its thing. As it comes and goes.

Watching Zack as he deconstructs and reconstructs. Trying to find every finger print on the magic. Trying to find out what exactly got changed. What to do next. How to keep it so Zack doesn't get zapped back to how he was.

The missing markings make him laugh internally. His tattoo isn't magical, really. More of a physical decoration. It was the 90s when he got it. The scar across his eye has become more of a mark on his essence. It might change. But right now... it's become a way to mark an "Alec" in worlds where he wouldn't have the tattoo.

"You look different."

It may be entirely unlike Zack's face markings, but Alec's tattoo has always reassured him some. Another being with facial markings seemed appropriate to have as a friend. In fact, back in Antillioch, Zack did spend a few hours trying to make his red marks appear blue. Without success.

It tends to stop people staring at them, or so Zack likes to think. Safety in numbers.

He's about to grin at Alec, and remark on what a piece of cake that was, only in fun; but the comment makes Zack balk.

“Different?” His hands go to his face. He hadn't stopped to think about that... ”Different how?” He already knows the answer and doesn't want to hear it. At the same time, he needs the confirmation.

That is adorable. And Alec is flattered that he tried to do that. Though they are now off. How will that affect his life back home, who knows? They'll find out.

"Calmer? There's less... jitteriness in your essence. Like it's no longer trapped and can flow properly." Physical looks are secondary to a person, really. They can change easily, like clothing. A person's essence, inner being, is harder to change.

That's what makes a person a person.

But they can't be off! He needs them! He needs his shark cage. Zack will look around frantically to see who's watching, before lowering his voice.

"Not what I meant. I mean it's good. M'grateful, but the marks. I still have the marks?"

He'll stop and asses himself as a person once, he's stopped flapping.

"Oh. Right. They're not there." It is probably a good idea to keep them on until Zack gets some more control of his life back home. "That is probably a bad thing in the short term."

Short term, because as mentioned, if Zack gets his life under control then he won't need them. The question then becomes what happens when Zack is no longer compatible with Antillioch.

That is a problem for future Alec, though. Soon in the future Alec as opposed to older Alec.

"Very bad." He's not emotionally equipped to be free of them just yet. they may not keep the demons at bay, but any victim of abuse will carve out some kind of safety for themselves, however much it's only an illusion of safety. "For a couple of reasons..."

That, and Abe will go mental if he thinks Zack has broken free of the magic. It's a very good point too, what's going to happen when Zack isn't compatible with 'home' any more. Perhaps by then, he'll have discovered a real safety, somewhere and somehow; or have evolved enough for Abe not to be able to lay claim to him.

He buries his face in his hands and speaks. Unfortunately, it's unintelligible. It's clear he's trying something though, when his dust body shifts again, each speck flickering over and over again, like a Mexican wave in particle form.

"Can you make fake marks? You've changed how you look before." Changed his shoe color, if not how they were physically.

Alec has a good idea what a few of those reasons are so he doesn't ask about them. He needs to help Zack calm down a bit and come up with a solution that he can control to the problem. After all, Alec isn't going to be there to watch over him and who knows what might happen. He has no plans on keeping an Eye on Zack for the rest of eternity.

Clothing is easier than body colour or shape. Zack has no idea why. It must be the way he's made. Clothing is meant to be changed. Physical appearance, not so much. Although people do change the length of their hair and fingernails, so Zack can at least do that.

"Uh-huh." His voice is muffled behind his hands, but can just about be heard. "Give it a bloody good try."

They can also apply make-up. Which is why he's attempting it. When Zack removes his hands, the marks are back. They may not be identical, but they were never exactly the same when he made them appear or disappear before. After all, one cant apply eyeshadow identically every time. This works on the same principle.

"Good enouigh?" he asks.

That is true. Alec has changed his own clothes plenty of time just by thought. Though body shape is just as easy for him, he just doesn't like doing it. More change he does, the harder time he has keeping himself himself. One of the reasons why the eye scar keeps on returning.

"The color is black instead of red. If that's fine with you, then it's good enough," he said, gestured with his finger.

Alec not being himself would bother Zack. He likes his friend just as he is. Although Zack is at least sensitive enough to still like the Alec inside, if he changed his appearance some. Changing inside though, that's when a person becomes not-themselves.

He does frown a little at that. And to Zack's vast surprise, as he considers this, his head doesn't hurt. Which makes him smile. His feelings run the gauntlet a bit over this issue, however.

"Fine with me, yeah. Abe's gonna notice though. Not sure if that's gonna be a problem." It's a bit tricky. "He might be able to tell they're fake anyway."

Gods can be unpredictable that way. and As Abdiron did make him, Zack is pretty sure his brother will be able to tell the magic has been dispelled.

"You going to be able to handle that? If he does?" Not like he has a choice in the matter. Alec couldn't put them back on properly even if he felt like it.

He reaches over to grab a fried paradox and notices there were a few less of them than when he left. Someone made off with a few before sauntering off. Ah well. Taking one of the remaining ones he munches on it thoughtfully.

This is, he has to admit, a fun experiment and he can't wait to see what happens. Oh sure, he likes Zack and all. The boy's nice. But still. He is what he is. And poking at stuff is what he does.

"Gonna have to start handling shit soon, aren't I?" Zack sits back in his seat, assessing himself some. He doesn't mean to be self-absorbed, but everything feels that bit different. He feels lighter. Scared shitless in some ways, not least the purple fit Abe's gonna throw when he finds out.

The rat brings over the replacement water and cider. Zack gives it a nod.

"Table got knocked so I got you another drink," he explains to Alec. "Maybe next time, I can buy you a meal, for change." It sounds like a nice thing to do. If he ever sees the light of day again. oddly though, Zack doesn't feel quite as intimidated by his brother. He wonders if the magic had something to do with that too. Although the kind of punishments one gets in any hell realm tend to inspire dread.

"Theoretically. There's plenty of stuff I've been avoiding for eons that I should probably deal with, but they're less immediate of a problem than you and Abe." He flops back into his seat not at all minding that Zack is being all self-absorbed. This is all done for him, after all.

"Noticed." Death's Shadow tends to do that to people. There's a grin as he lifts up the new cider and salutes Zack. "I'd be more than delighted for that." While he doesn't need someone for to pay for him, it's still lets Zack feel like he's in control of the situation. Make him feel like he's an "adult" and his own person.

It's easy to not feel intimidated in a place of light and with a friend. The tricky part comes from when you actually face the darkness. That will be the true test.

This makes Zack feel a bit guilty. "You probably got more to worry about than us," he points out. "I'll find some way to deal with it. "There's always something isn't there? Some way out of any bad situation, even if it's bad for a bit."

Zack thinks about that for a minute, and finds he can, with no ill effects. It's great. and is going to take some getting used to. The worst thing he could currently think of is being kept in a jar. He wonders if even the likes of Solus Kaelen could find his way out of Alec's jar if he genuinely went about it the right way. Not that he would but that theoretically, he could.

For the most defenceless creature to get out of a horrific situation must be doable. Even if it means death. That still counts as a way. Except in some hell realms.. even then, there are ways of making one's life less awful. Zack has seen it happen.

Then again, he has seen a lot of hell, and it could also always be made worse.

Oh. Hang on...

"Hey, guess what," he grins at Alec, picking up the glass of lovely clean fresh water. "I just tied myself in knots with a train of thought, and it didn't hurt."

That earns a bark of laughter. "I do, but you are assuming I'm actually bothering to do anything about it. I am quite fond of procrastinating and being able to travel through time makes it even easier to procrastinate." The executive dysfunction that comes with being ADHD isn't so hard for him since he can just bop back in time whenever he's got the spoons to deal with it. "That being said, you are right. There is always a way out of a bad situation and you're smart enough to figure it out."

There's a slight tilt of his head and a quick blank expression as if his attention has skittered off somewhere. Then just as quick, it's back. "I might have something more to help you with that."

"Aren't you a lucky one," He says teasingly, and with no malice intended. Sometimes people who aren't magically bound can hurt themselves when trying to figure out a knotty train of thought. "It'll help when you get back. Prevent it from happening again."

Hopefully.

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