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(no subject)

Who: Espio + anyone
What: One very belated intro
Where: Here and There
When: "November", if November exists
Content Warnings: Likely references to him being from a sex-or-die CRAU in the tags.

1. The Sky

[Why, you might ask, is there a short man with a lizard tail standing on a rock, arms spread wide as he laughs almost maniacally at the sky? There must surely be a reason, right?

Before he can be interrupted, he notices whoever approaches him and his laughter trails off as he turns to face them.]

Look at that! Five years, and they give me this - it's like going home! How long's that been like that?

[He jabs a thumb towards the sky behind him, where shapes are twisting and coiling just like in the weird part of the Special Zone. It has been so long since he's seen a sky as colourful as the one he was once used to that the little taste of home actually makes him feel slightly ill... still, seeing it, all he can do is laugh, even if it's not a happy laugh.]

2. How to Be Social

[Still convinced this is only an illusion, just like the countless illusions he's experienced in the past several months, Espio has not been particularly inclined to socialise. The problem with that is that while he does not want to go through meeting and greeting new people who might not even be real, being alone is... well, it's lonely! So while he has mostly been steering away from more obvious social hubs and has instead wandered what feels like the entire habitable area for he doesn't know how long, eventually he gives in and shows his face somewhere with people. What few people there are in this place, anyway...

The Heavenly Blanc is as good a bet as any, but he can also be found somewhere in the Underground Academy. Either way, his idea of a greeting is questionable:]

Still haven't seen anyone I know. How 'bout you?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'Void'... is that what they're calling this place?

[He shrugs, and turns his attention back to the sky.]

Well, we've all got better places to be. Just can't get there right now. At least this if this is some other reality, it's an improvement.

Essentially. It could use some updating. Something catchier and less basic.

[Gotta critique everything]

I don't know about you, but I have a company to run and time is money. [It was evident that he was itching to take over the reigns again. Mostly he was worried about his brother- but didn't say so.] What pressing business do you have?

Do you want the whole list?

[He does give Kaiba a curious look, noting that he's quite young to be running a company, but he's not going to make a big deal out of it.]

I don't care about your business, and you don't care about mine. We're both stuck in the same situation, but all I'm thinking is how much worse it could be. If you're struggling to wrap your head around the 'void', you'd never survive Between.

Abridged would have been enough.

[Unable to resist rolling his eyes at the evasive dialogue. Just 'running a company' hadn't really listed his obligations in full detail either, but if this guy wanted to be smart about it, then forget it. Kaiba had his fill of small talk anyway]

You got that right. [Not even trying to deny it, though- knowing whether the stranger possessed any skills might have come in handy later] Feh- don't get cocky just because it's sedate now. Who says that I'm struggling with anything. You're the one that was laughing maniacally into the sky. I'm the one that's composed. You can keep your underestimation of my endurance to yourself.

[Espio sighs, because this... boy, who he can’t quite tell the age of but he’s guessing around twenty, could have at least asked him what he was talking about first instead of making assumptions.]

You... might have wanted to establish context first. I’m not questioning your endurance, I’m questioning your sex life.

[A little younger than that actually, but the height could have easily thrown off the assessment. He was 6'1"]

Would you even have provided it, if I asked? [This part-lizard guy hadn't been forthcoming with information thus far] Then what are you questioning? [Nothing could have prepared Kaiba for the response that followed. His mouth involuntarily gaped open, his eyes widening in surprise. Though he hated to project this, he was noticeably flustered]

My what?! [Emotions mixing into a bizarre cocktail he wasn't sure whether to be more confused or angered.] What does that have to do with anything?!

I’m not that cagey!

You try living in a reality where your existence is tied to your sex life. I’d give you maybe a week.

[Though he says that with a casual flippancy, his tone quickly shifts to something more level and serious, just to impress it upon him:]

And I’m not making that up - everything was fuelled by ‘belief’, and ‘belief’ was fuelled by sex. No, I don’t understand the logic, but everything we went through proved it. Compared to that, I can handle a bit of nonsense - I’d be a poor New Teker if I couldn’t.

[New Tek being his home city.]

Other reason I don’t like the ‘simulation’ idea - that’d mean someone is watching.

...

[Wait. Give him a minute with this one.

Kaiba's irate expression fell into mild consternation as he tried and failed to process this information. It just didn't make a wit of sense]

Look- the details of my sex life are [non-existent] best left unsaid but why in the hell would you ever believe something so preposterous?!

[There was always an alternate explanation for going along with such a stipulation. Maybe, the prospect hadn't been as unappealing as lizard boy was insinuating]

Sounds more like you were nothing more than an easily manipulated gigolo, and that your clients weren't as particular about appearances.

[Also, he couldn't allow for such a condition to exist. Not in his reality, it didn't matter what the stranger had personally witnessed. Seto often rejected unpleasant notions as if he could somehow shield himself from having to deal with it in earnest]

Someone is. It accounts for many of the alterations to the mechanics.

[There's a small snort at that, because really. That's what he's going to assume?]

Nice try, but I think I know my job. Got a big fancy title if you want it.

I'm sure you'd believe it too if you'd experienced it yourself - finding yourself on the edge of nonexistence one too many times is usually enough to convince someone. Not the best of experiences... I don't think it was a simulation, but if it was, I bet something very real was happening to our bodies.

[There are so many reasons he does not like the simulation theory! But not liking it doesn't mean he's discounting it completely, because as Kaiba goes on it does make more sense - alterations in mechanics, alterations to the setting...]

...and I have questions for anyone who gets off to people stuck in a dusty dead wasteland being forced into sex...

[Pretty much]

Yet I'm still waiting to hear what it is, and I'm not sure that I still care enough to listen.

I sincerely doubt it. [In a setting like that, if it in actuality existed he would most likely perish on principles than degrade himself for someone's entertainment. He had issues with physical contact as it was and he didn't need to add more. Also he had past experiences to back up his stubborn assertions that he wouldn't be easily convinced. He actually had been close to nonexistence on more than one occasion and yet he still insisted that magic wasn't real...] You clearly are unaware of what technology of capable of. With the right components and programming you can subvert reality and utterly replace it with a wholly immersive experience. [The stimulation- not of a physical sort- but a mental one could fire off certain sections of the brain and convince a person that what they experienced actually happened]

....

[I MEAN- Kaiba would have issues with that as well but there are sickos out there]

Look- can we just stop talking about sex.

If you stop trying to persuade me you know my experiences better than me, sure.

[If not, he'll be happy to continue, especially now he knows it makes him uncomfortable. It seems like a fair trade to ask for.]

...SeeD 43172, Piloting and Weapons Specialist Operative, Martial Arts Platoon, Level 3.

[It's been a long time since he last gave anyone his full operating title, so it feels a little odd, but he's pretty sure that will give this sour-faced lad some idea of his actual role.]

[~~That may not be how canon FFVIII Garden refers to their SeeDs, but it's how it was in Witches Reign.~~]

[Although Kaiba made no verbal guarantee, he just made a mental note to end all discussion on the related topics.

It certainly did seem to bother the youthful ceo.]

Military? [Crinkling his nose at that.] I moved Kaiba corp out of that trade the moment I seized control. [His disgust with the idea wasn't hidden under a thick veil. World domination could be achieved through more efficient means with less loss of life. He'd rather tie everything up financially]

Paramilitary. Mercenary, technically, but my role's mostly instruction.

[Despite Kaiba's clear disapproval of the idea of 'military', Espio can at least be perfectly accepting of that, and gives a small nod. People have to stick to their principles, after all.]

...never heard of your company. Might not be the same world... what did they do? Before you took over.

Same difference really- if not worse.

[Since mercenaries could pick and choose to serve the highest bidder with real allegiance to none. So this guy didn't engage in combat himself, but sent others to do so with the knowledge he imparted on them. Figures]

I'm not surprised, no one here has so far. [Taking a moment to draw in a breath he continued] Manufactured arms in a wide variety. Everything from tanks to assault rifles. The previous ceo wasn't all that particular about who purchased his products either.

Good riddance to both.

[If he thinks Espio doesn't engage in combat, he should try to fight him! That'll go well.]

You have principles. Good.

I have reasons for being paramilitary, and it's not the pay. ...definitely not the pay.

[A small cough there, because the pay is shit.]

Their academy is one of the few places that's open to aliens like me, and I will defend it. I'd prefer it if it didn't need defending.

[Look he tries to limit physical contact as much as possible.. that one altercation was a fluke. Oh- and that time he grabbed Blue- also.. a... fluke.]

I have my convictions. [The correction being unnecessary but principles sounded high-handed]

I'll just bet.

[Trying to figure this guy out. If he wasn't there for the money, then why? At least an explanation is forthcoming.]

When you go out looking for trouble, it's bound to come back at you.

[Alien. Sure. Kaiba had met another alien here but that was beside the point.]

[Eh, same difference. The meaning was clear.]

The problems were there long before I arrived, and I'm in no position to change them. I just have to deal with them.

Edited 2020-11-27 05:07 (UTC)

[It really was nit-picking]

Had. It's past tense now, as far as I'm aware. I've never heard of that unit before.

[... And so was that.]

So what do people call you...?

Edited 2020-11-27 05:59 (UTC)

[Nitpicking indeed, and Espio can’t see the point. He just furrows his brow, gives a sharp exhale through his nose, and makes an effort to withhold comment. For now.]

Espio.

[It's a struggle for a lot of people, it's not just you Espio]

It's succinct.

[Short for espionage? Fake name? Highly probable. Still that wouldn't be unheard of for paramilitary.]

It's actually Espio 'the Chameleon', but all that's left of the 'chameleon' is this.

[His tail swishes a little from side to side. It's not just that, but it's the most visible chameleon trait he has.]

I'm not meant to look human.

.. Of course it is. [Said with a disbelieving shake of the head] Why wouldn't it be? [A better question might be, 'Why can't I meet anyone semi-normal?]

[The fact that the tail looks convincing and doesn't seem to be operated by animatronics is a bit impressive.. however the claim is still preposterous]

I'm not meant to look human either, none of us are. [Briefly feeding in to the delusions.]

Nice try.

[Given that Kaiba has generally been disbelieving and has something of an attitude, he’s going to go ahead and guess he’s taking the piss.]

It wouldn’t surprise me, but the vast majority of off-worlders I’ve met have been human. Most from some version of Earth or another. No reason to think here’s any different.

[He sighs, and offers a big shrug.]

Met a lot of trolls and ponies too, but it’s been mostly humans.

[Given the response, Espio seemed to understand how ridiculous what he was proposing sounded]

Gee, I wonder why that could be. [Maybe because bipedal talking animals were the stuff of fiction so of course this guy would have run into mostly humans.] So- we've basically established where I'm from, it is Earth, but where are you supposed to be from again? Where is it normal to have a sky that looks like this outside of an intense aurora borealis?

[What was Kaiba prolonging his own suffering with this small talk- eh.. strangely enough he found himself oddly intrigued by this peculiar person]

Now you're putting me on.. [Has to be] Why would it be trolls and ponies specifically? [~~Because homestuck, and mlp exist~~]

Dunno. Probably just common in some other world.

[It’s a sensible enough reason, he thinks! However, he then makes a disgruntled, annoyed sound, and shakes his head.]

...why is it always Earth? And so many different Earths, too! No wonder you nuts always think reality revolves around your own damn planet, but you all can’t even be consistent on what Earth even is!

[Really, why? He sounds genuinely put out by this. What the hell is so important about that one planet that it’s got countless different versions??

To be fair, he’s also well aware there’s multiple versions of Mobius, but still.]

I’m from Meridian. And yes, the sky looks like that.