Primus. [Video]

[defrostedpride]

[The video shows a room at the hotel, the communicator having apparently been set on a table. There are already signs of sustained, or at least emphatic, occupancy, mostly in the form of crumpled papers strew hither and, indeed, thither. Even looks a little more pinched than usual about the face.

[He gets right down to business without preamble.]

I gather that there are some among you who are skilled in physical combat. I wish to request the assistance of one such in gathering resources from unfriendly Dream Eaters. You would be entitled, of course, to an equal share in the proceeds.

Is anyone available?

Comments

[wavesinherheart]

I could help, if you need.

[defrostedpride]

That would be appreciated. ...I assume you have a name of some kind?

[wavesinherheart]

It's Aqua.

[defrostedpride]

Aqua. I am Even. [His lips twitch in a hint of a smile at the sound of his own name. The lustre has not worn off it yet.] I don't believe we've met. Oddly enough, since it seems half my acquaintanceship is about somewhere. [The wrong half.]

[wavesinherheart]

I don't think we have, no. I've been... busy, I guess you could say.

[skysmirror]

I'll help.

[defrostedpride]

Thank you, Xion. I assume that despite your...apparently brief tenure with the Organization, you are practiced in combat?

[skysmirror]

[Oh, right, he doesn't remember she can use the Keyblade. Not mentioning that here, though.]

Ah, yes. We all had to be able to deal with the Heartless.

[defrostedpride]

As long as you are certain your skill level is suited to such a task, then.

[skysmirror]

[Oh if only he knew.]

I should be fine. What would you need me to bring back?

[hiptobe_eraqus]

I could be available...what did you need the resources for, specifically?

[defrostedpride]

Aside from the obvious need for funds to secure lodging et cetera, I am a chemist, among other fields. I wish to acquire the ingredients and, of course, equipment necessary to resume that practice, making potions, at least to start with.

[hiptobe_eraqus]

Hmm, I see...

While I am not a chemist, it would seem the ingredients for them would not be dependent upon Dream Eaters, considering their use outside of this realm.

[defrostedpride]

No, obviously not, but I don't see anything else here liable to provide them.

Unless there are Heartless here, and I just haven't seen them, which would be entirely in keeping with the nature of this world and its surprises.

Besides, I am not in the habit of keeping lab equipment in my pockets [Much. Not large lab equipment, anyway.], and I cannot titrate by will alone. Yet.

[hiptobe_eraqus]

I haven't seen any Heartless here, either. I would rather not get that sort of surprise.

I suppose those things would take some manner of investment.

[nightmaresfear]

[Geez. Castle Oblivion really is crawling out of the woodwork in this place, and generally not in a good way.]

Why ask for people to do your dirty work when you can just create your own servants? Or have you given up on that little pet project of yours?

[dork_of_keys]

[Didn't they just get done arguing about Ienzo? On the other hand, Sora's not so sure about Even. Going by the snarkfest between them when Namine and Ienzo posted about help cleaning up the shop, Even doesn't seem to have any particularly redeeming qualities. His loyalty seems to be to his research.]

Okay, I don't even know what to say here. Just... no violence.

[nightmaresfear]

[Yes, they talked about Ienzo. They didn't talk about mad scientists who liked to play god.]

You don't have to tell me twice.

[Considering the last time they fought, Vexen took Riku's data for his replica, he's not in a hurry to have a repeat experience.]

[dork_of_keys]

[Sora doesn't know about the playing god part. He just knows Even gives him the creeps.]

I'm more asking you to be the cooler head. He seems more likely to be the one to start it.

[shadearchivist]

[Oh great, telling Even not to reply will probably actually result in a reply, but saying nothing could ALSO result in a reply that would do no one good.]

Even's situation is analogous to my own, though I do agree that he could stand to do some of what he considers busy work himself.

[nightmaresfear]

Meaning...? You're telling me he regrets everything he did, too?

[Forgive Riku if he has a hard time believing that. To Vexen, his replica project was likely nothing more than an experiment -- a tool to be used as a means to an end. It was cruel.]

[shadearchivist]

I honestly don't know. Possibly not. But he's in possession of his heart again. ...and he helped raise me, so I feel that I should say something in his defense.

[He's probably not sorry, though. Though Even at least understood restraint, and he wasn't a bad person, just annoying and fussy, as far as Ienzo was concerned.]

[defrostedpride]

[Oh, wonderful. Of all the people he was hoping not to see here...well, to be strictly accurate, Riku isn't even in the top three. But there's room for improvement.]

Congratulations, you've guessed it. I'm asking for help merely as a ploy. In actual fact, I can speedily build complicated equipment from scrap lumber, and recreating the accumulated data of years is a mere bagatelle. You're brilliant. Go away.

[nightmaresfear]

Fine. If that's not what you're up to, what are you doing?

[defrostedpride]

I fail to see how that's any of your business. It's nothing to do with you, and you're clearly resolved to be of no help, regardless.