element_wizard | (no subject)

While Alec's exit from Abe's office is quick and clean on the outside, on the inside Alec has decided to go through a scream of panic. He flicks off into the in between spaces of reality to give himself some time to think. Or not time to think. Time is over-rated.

In that not space he paces. Obviously he needs someone to talk to about this. It's been a while since he's gone off and adopted someone... or well... it was something more his older self tended to do. Or...well... time was a chowder soup. In any case, the adopting part wasn't so hard. He knew had to take care of kids and teenagers. Which is what Zack is sort of. The demon... really screwed up in the head part on the other hand is a bit beyond him. Alec is aware enough of some of his weaknesses. Dealing with emotional things is a one.

He needed to talk to someone.

Two people popped into mind.

One he immediately dismissed. Rhys wouldn't be useful here. He wasn't apart of these realities and he wanted to keep his friend out of it as much as possible. The realities. Cross contamination could be bad sometimes.

Which did leave the other. Vahl was from Zack's set of realities and would be familiar with what he was. Also, he was good at dealing with head problems. Besides it would be nice to see him again. It'd be ages.

Flicking through realities like one flipping through the pages of the book, Alec searched around for "his" Vahl. So many different variations. But he could find him. He could find anyone and anything. Perfect sense of direction made it possible.

And there it was, the little flickering bit of him and the bigger flickering of Phoenix.

Good.

Good.

Good.

Being on the edges of Dreamtime amused Alec as he'd been poking at an alternate of himself who existed near the edges of dream and awakening as a Changeling. That one is far away from here in a different part of the Dreaming. They were all connected eventually somewhere. It was one of those ways some people traveled between realities.

Lots of things could travel through them.

In a rather messy ripple of reality, Alec appeared in front of Vahl, ignoring the scenery. "I accidentally adopted a not-demon and he's really screwed up in the head which I'm really bad at dealing with so I was hoping you could help?" Then. "Hi. Long time no see. How are you?"

Maybe a bit backwards there...

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"Older me separated out some of those realities into its own little bundle," Alec said poking through a desk drawer. "Probably not. It'd be uncomfortable."

It's his perfect sense of direction. To know exactly where he is, he needs to know where everything else is. That being said, he needs to still dig around the drawer.

"That's... actually uncharacteristically neat of him." Phoenix imagines the strands all tied up in blue ribbons. Or pink ones. Or even labelled with something misleading. Like the genderswitch potion, which Phoenix hasn't forgotten and will never let Older Alec forget either.

He wants to pick up something to fidget with it, but the desk he's leaning against is bare, and Alec's desk is probably vagually hazardous.

"What you looking for?"

"We can be neat if we want to." He can be. "Especially when it comes to important things like your world." The potion wore off. It's fine.

"So, I accidentally claimed a ... not demon... I'm not exactly sure what he is. The first death in a man made apocalypse given human form. He's been living in a hell dimension adjacent to yours. Drake might know it. Anyway, like I said, I accidentally claimed him. He's messed up in the head; Vahl's going to help with that." He's rooting around some more. "He doesn't know how to read... doesn't know a lot... he's been kept very sheltered... so I wanted to get him something to help with that."

Cue goofy grin. Alec thinks Keldra is important, and Phoenix loves him all the more for it, if that's possible. Huh. As did the pink hair thing, as did the rainbow fruit loops, and the turning-Moshti-tartan. Oh yes, Phoenix has a list.

"Hnh, Drake knows a lot of shit; chances are he's familiar." Now the reason for the consultation with Vahl is revealed, Phoenix is actually a little relieved. At least it's not Alec who needs shrinking. Well, he always has been a bit crazy, but that's not the point. "Yeah, when it comes to hell dimensions, 'sheltered' is usually all the kinds of crap that fucks you in the head."

He's a little curious about what Alec has that might help this illiterate not-demon learn to read. What with Alec's dyslexia and all, it sounds like a tall order. "We can help teach him too," he volunteers.

Of course Keldra is important. It's Phoenix's home. What sort of person would he be if he didn't protect it? Blah, blah, blah... he's fine.

"More so than I, at least." He rarely has reasons to delve into hell realms. Shrinking Alec does no good. The reason why he would need help in the head is because of being aware of the 4th wall all the time. That's not something Vahl can help with. "Especially when you've deliberately been kept so. He was spelled to prevent him from thinking too much." There's a scowl briefly.

That spell was wrong. Even if he wasn't a chaos entity, preventing people from thinking just didn't sit well with him.

"Hah!" he pulls out a tablet like thing, but with more symbols on it. "Fic reader; used it to check canon compliance while in the fan fics. They made it so it was easier to read for me."

"Vahl's probably speaking to him about it right now." It's not like Vahl to hang about when he has a potential new patient. Phoenix knows his Alpha likes to prepare himself with as much background, or direct information as possible.

That makes Phoenix's eyes flash briefly in anger. He's an angel of the Arc. Free Will is a big fucking deal. "Gobshite bastards. So ..who's doing all this 'sheltering'?" And please can Phoenix take his baseball bat to this hellscum?

He moves away from his perch to examine the fic reader. "You gonna explain the whole fanfic thing to him? Or disguise it as like... 'my first abc' kinda thing?"

"His name is Abe... well... that's his nickname but I've forgotten what his full name is." It had gotten filed away into the unimportant department which then got dumped into the trash. "He's the guy in charge of the hell realm. Claims to be Zack's brother. But he's more like Zack's creator. His one redeeming quality and it's a tiny one, is that he actually is really fond of Zack. Got spooked at the concept of not seeing Zack again." So, no. No baseball bats. ... Yet.

Laughing softly, Alec said, "No. I can put other stuff on the reader. As long as it's written text." There is no way he's going to try and explain fan fic to Zack. A guy who barely understands what social things are. Or even entertainment that doesn't involve violence.

It's rare that even hellgods have no redeeming features whatsoever, Solus being one exception. Demons might be a different proposition though. they usually lack the imagination to possess such features. At least he bastard has the decency to give a damn about his so-called brother.

Phoenix still wants to beat the fucktard into a bloody pulp, though.

"I didn't think you were," he says, sheepishly. "But you know, was wondering."

Alec doesn't blame him and would enjoy watching it. But again, it would also make Zack unhappy. Which he's trying not to do.

Giving Phoenix a long, long look, Alec said, while grinning, "You did. You totally did."

Couched in terms of not making some abused kid miserable, Phoenix will grudgingly lay down the bat.

"Okay, fine. I totally did." So not fair, Alec. You can see right through him. "Need anything else from here?"

Perhaps some day he can do it. Or perhaps, preferably, Zack can do it - maybe not physically with an actual baseball bat but, you know... break away.

Leaning over, he gives Phoenix a light kiss. "You're very predictable at times." This is said very lovingly. "No. I think that's it."

Glancing down at the reader he thumbs it on to see what fic is on there. "Oh. A Rivendell fic. There's some lovely waterfalls there."

He pretends to grumble a bit at first, but Phoenix does respond to the kiss with a hand on Alec's shoulder, giving him an affectionate rub.

And maybe a bit of a grin.

"That's the elf place from Lord of the Rings, right?" He does have a little bit of a clue.

Alec gives Phoenix a Look.

It is the Look of someone who has gabbled on about a Thing to excess and has gabbled about it for eons and apparently not a Single Thing has gotten into the Person's Head that he's been gabbling at. It is a Look that says there is a High Level of Irritation and The Person Better Be Joking Or There Will Be Murder.

"Yes. It is an elf place from the Lord of the Rings."

Oh gods. Phoenix knows that look. Him and his casual grammar. "I meant it like... you know, Chicago is the mortal place in America, when there's plenty more cities. So really, it's a mortal place in America. People just use the. It's normal."

It's been a few more centuries for him, than it has for Alec. "Of course there's others. Uh. Lothlórien, Eregion... and all those others."

There's a long speculative look. Then he relents. It's not Phoenix's fault that he's not an obsessive Lord of Rings fanboy. Even after all these years. He pats Phoenix gently on the cheek.

"That's fine. It's fine," he said with a quirking smile. It's hard to stay mad at the angel.

It's a miracle he can remember what he does. Phoenix returns the pat on the cheek with a kiss on the nose.

"C'mon. Let's go somewhere nice and just be us for a bit." The multiverse is pretty much their oyster. It'll be great to spend some time with Alec.