i saw a fox by the rabbit hole

[flightofdeath]

Who: Lord Voldemort (flightofdeath) and Vriska Serket (dicey)
What: Voldemort has promised to help Vriska hone her newfound abilities.
When: Day 340 directly following this thread.
Where: Outside Hel Hall at first. Will update.
Rating: PG until further notice.

[Hel's hall is not entirely unlike Baldr's, and for that reason he is unsurprised to see the general shape remain the same. When he arrives, he does not approach the building, merely stands outside of it taking it in from a fair distance away. It is not that he is wary or even afraid of such a place, on the contrary, he simply waits to see how Vriska will approach him, and how she'll figure he is the one she agreed to meet.

She may not be familiar with Earth's fashions, but anyone who looks out the windows of Hel might recognize his style as distinctly old-fashioned. He wears a fitted sweater with a dress shirt (and dark tie) underneath, with bleat trousers and dark brogue shoes completing the ensemble. But while he may not look the part of Lord in fashion, it can be unmistakable in the way he carries himself. He has summoned this girl, and so he waits, standing still and with purpose as he stares into the building, awaiting her approach with an eagerness that is not readily apparent.]

Comments

[dicey]

[A few seconds after his text comes through, the curtains on one of the fourth floor windows stir. They're then pulled tightly shut again, and she sends a quick return text before pulling on her outdoor clothes and heading downstairs.

She'll be dressed pretty oddly, herself-- she's wearing a baggie hoodie with the sleeves pulled down over her hands, and the hood-- stretched up and over her horns-- pulled as low as she can get it.]

Hey. Lord Voldemort, right? ... Does everyone just call you that all the time? It's kind of a mouthful!

[flightofdeath]

[Hiding away, is she? That won't do, and still, he smiles upon seeing her.]

If you would rather, you may call me "my Lord" instead. [Is he joking? Is he serious? Take your pick, Vriska, because he doesn't give her long to think it over before ushering:]

Come. I have a destination in mind for us.

[And so he begins to walk, expecting her to follow.]

[dicey]

Is it some place with shade?

[She starts to follow, apparently taking his response about his name at face value-- or at least not questioning any more.]

[flightofdeath]

Is that why you're hiding yourself away? Not used to sunlight?

[As a matter of fact, the place he's taking her doesn't have the most shade. He's fine changing tactics, however, and isn't terribly attached to his current plan.]

[dicey]

Yeah, I don't like it. It's not as bad here as on my planet, but still.

[flightofdeath]

[Time to change tactics, then. No time like the present, after all, and so stops walking, standing still within the road quite still.]

Very well. If you would like to seek out the shade, make me walk.

[dicey]

Make you-- oh.

[Vriska stops walking too, though she's still not totally sure how to go about this-- it's only the second time she's tried her power, and even though she could use mind control at home, Body Control feels different. Like it works a whole new set of mental muscles.

[Concentrating, she focuses her entire will at moving his legs. She hasn't yet figured out that she can only move one limb at a time, so she's trying to move them both at once.]

[flightofdeath]

[Voldemort isn't surprised when nothing happens. In fact, he was expecting it.]

You're going to have to do better than that.

[It comes out a little amused, because he can tell she's concentrating. He says it as something to motivate her, to see if emotion and drive has any sway over the power. While she's experimenting with her power, he is too.]

[dicey]

[Vriska grits her teeth, concentrating harder. Trying to block out any and all other thoughts.]

Can you feel it? Can you at least feel me trying?

[flightofdeath]

[He sees it, her concentration, and yet, nothing more than the breeze is felt in his legs.]

I'm afraid not. Perhaps your intention is too wide. This is a new ability, after all. First you must cover the basics. Focus on a very specific and particular movement, something simple. Think of walking not as one continuing movement at first, but a series of them you must put me through one at a time. See the initial movement clearly in your mind, before you intend it of me. Simply keep your eyes closed and see it. Once you're able to see it in clear detail, then you may attempt once more.

[dicey]

[She stops a moment, and considers this. It makes sense.]

So...

[She tries again, this time focusing on moving just one leg, in just one motion-- forward.]

[flightofdeath]

[He is very familiar with how magic works, and so it doesn't surprise him when he feels a hint of something tug at his leg, and yet it remains immobile.]

Better, but not quite there. Perhaps we began with too willful a target. Let's instead focus on something with a little less sentience... A squirrel, perhaps?

[His eyes find one easily, then, as it climbs up a vine growing along the side of a building.]

Make it let go. [Make it fall, he leaves unsaid, to test her powers against the survival instinct inherent in every living creature.]

[dicey]

A squirrel?

[She sounds distinctly unimpressed with the idea, but... maybe he's right. Maybe she does need to start even smaller, even if it feels like degrading kid stuff.

But she turns away from Voldemort, and focuses her attention on the animal. After a few seconds of concentration, one of its legs begins to falter... and from there its a domino effect. She makes that one leg let go, and the squirrel loses its balance entirely, falling off the vine.]

-- I did it!

[flightofdeath]

Very good.

[The resounding 'plop' of the squirrel hitting the ground goes ignored, as that's considerably less important than her success. He is smiling at her, should she look back at him.]

It seems the issue is the strength of will, in that case. Shall we find some natives?

[dicey]

[Vriska also doesn't seem concerned about the fate of the squirrel; she's turning back to Voldemort now.]

Won't I just have the same problem with them that I did with you?

[flightofdeath]

Not necessarily. Forgive me if I come across a bit... self-important, but it was cruel to have you begin with me. Not only have I experience resisting the control of others, my will is not to be underestimated. I am, admittedly, curious to see the extent of your current powers, and the only way to do so is by testing them. I imagine travelers will be the subjects to give you the hardest time controlling them, as the gods have made it clear we are where the color in this world comes from. This... "grayness" is an interesting condition a few of the natives are unfortunate enough to have cling to them, and yet it gives us the opportunity to test both the consciousness levels of those underneath its pull and the strength of your powers against that level of consciousness.

[And so, he begins to walk, gesturing her to come along behind him.]

Come, Vriska. We have natives to find.

[dicey]

Oh yeah, the "gray people" thing. I find that a little bit offensive!

[She's mostly joking.]

So it turns them into zombies? It sounded like that to me, when I read about it in that post.

[flightofdeath]

We shall see what they are like soon enough.

[Although admittedly, he isn't entirely sure what the term 'zombie' refers to. All he knows of are Inferi, and the connection eludes him at this time.]

Although, whatever they are like, I highly doubt they will appear the same as you.

[dicey]

Yeah, I know. I'm not really offended.

[she just likes making dumb jokes]

But I definitely want to try this out on them. It's so different from how my old mind-control powers worked! I didn't really expect it to be.

[flightofdeath]

It has to do with the composition of the world itself. The gods claim we are unable to have our previous powers due to the very nature of our existence here, in order for us to be present on this plane. It would only follow that the powers they bestow upon us, powers that are able to exist in this world, are unlike what we were previously capable of.

[dicey]

Do you think they're telling the truth, or just bullshitting us?

[flightofdeath]

I cannot tell either way. As much as I would like for them to be lying, to believe that my power is still available to me through some alternate means, there has been no indication of it. I grieve the loss of it, and yet to move forward and accomplish anything here I must accept it is no longer within my reach. I am, for the moment, accepting the gods' explanation, or at the very least allowing myself to become knowledgeable in it. I would know exactly the sort of lie they have created down to the last detail, should it be reveled to be thus, so I may know exactly how much suffering each and every one of them deserves should it prove false.

[dicey]

[god this guy is cool-- ruthless and organized and just all-around awesome]

Welllll, if we go back we'll get our powers back, right? Our real powers.

Or do you think they're gone forever?

[flightofdeath]

If we return, theoretically our true powers should return as well, if what they have claimed is true. There is the issue of our state of existence continuing should we be returned, as Ragnarok is still as much a threat to us there as it is here according to what they'd have us believe.

In any case, I do not believe they are gone forever. My power is as much a part of me as my intelligence, as my physicality. As far as I'm concerned, no being has the power to deny me it, so much as temporarily keep it at bay.

[dicey]

So you definitely believe the gods? I think I do, but it's not like I've seen definite proof or anything, so sometimes I think maybe I should be skeptical!

[flightofdeath]

Haven't I just told you? I've allowed myself to work with their claims. I would hesitate to call it a definite belief, but a tentative one, surely. I've found myself falling into it, to grasp at something to work towards, and choosing not to believe the gods leaves a much less clear course of action.

I would like to return to my world, powers restored and with all threat of existence wiped out.

[dicey]

You did, I'm just kind of surprised! I had you pegged as an overly-skeptical kind of guy.

I get it, though. You're right; if there were lying, what the hell would we do? I think your way is smart.

[flightofdeath]

Make no mistake. I am skeptical. Without my power, deduction of the truth in the words of others is decidedly more difficult. However, if one is skeptical of everything, then what is there to act upon? I am glad you see it my way.

[He lets that hang in the air until they run across a few natives. Colorless, these ones, which should make them easier targets. They're walking down the road towards Vriska and him, far enough away that they shouldn't be able to hear what he says next.]

Have them trip.

[dicey]

[She stops, and focuses in on the natives-- or rather, the leg of one in particular. After the success with the squirrel, she's more confident in regards to her power, and feels like she has more of an idea on how to use it-- and so, it isn't long at all before she's able to stall that leg, making its owner stumble. She drags it back a little bit more, and he falls flat on his face.

Gleefully, she moves on to the next person.]

[flightofdeath]

[He smiles, something gleeful and wild but still fairly subdued in comparison to what it could be. In any case, he's as aware of her focusing her attention on the natives as she is, so it's of little consequence.]

Very good, Vriska.