The Grounds

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil's attention was definitely caught by the keen whistle from below, making his head turn down to spot an, he assumed, older boy he had never seen around before though his appearance shrieked of delinquency (not that he minded). His wings raised and he fluttered down, feather tipped hair settling as he landed in front of him catching the name. He took the objects held out to him gently while speaking his own polite introduction and gratitude, "I ahm Vergil.. und thahnk yu." Arms wrapped around the sketchbook, he held it to his chest and looked at the older boy curiously.

[zesend]

He saw a familiar look in Vergil's eyes - curiosity, wariness. Giving a sarcastic smile, he put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, distorting the world. Colors became their opposite, as if the world was becoming a photo-negative. Then the colors changed to a bright, cartoony version as the cat returned, able to speak as a hallucination. "Hello, Vergil, remember me? I certainly remember you." It was mimicking his accent, the devilish grin still plastered on its little face. This could possibly be seen as offensive, but Zesend didn't realize this; he was just having a little fun.

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil was about to move away from the approaching hand but it landed on his shoulder and he found himself drawn into a world that still certainly felt very much real but the colors and sights were definitely not. He stared at the cat that had approached him earlier with bubbling fear as it mimicked him tauntingly. The deceptive, sweet kitten was something straight from a horror film or something one would perhaps think up of whilst on drugs. He didn't reach for his tome though the book shook violently against his hip threatening to break the leather bindings; even the beads on his arm constricted but he was much too lost to really notice, "Vhat ahre yu..?"

[zesend]

Zesend could say that he was sympathizing with the kid a little bit; he had to be shocked out of his skull at all of this. The initial appearance of the cat, and now this. Typically, people just straight freaked out when he showed them worlds such as this, but Vergil was acting with a sedated wonder, though the book at his side was vibrating violently and he was looking at the cat in fear. The cat dissolved, and appeared on Vergil's shoulder, though it wasn't tangible due to Zesend's inability to create tactile or tangible hallucinations. "I, Vergil," It whispered into his ear. "Am pure imagination, the product of an overactive mind with nothing to do and nowhere to go. I could leave, if you wish."

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil continued to stare forward into the unfamiliar world as the strange feline dared to purr into his ear words that could have been lies for all he knew. It was strange to consider imagination being an audacious cat with a sense of humor or something relatively amusing by the way it grinned so broadly.. He finally took notice of the beads strangling his arm like a panicked snake and wondered if his hip was bruised by now with the way the book struggled vigorously still. His hand slammed against the top of it to stifle its movements, swallowing thickly as he gave the cat a sideways glance, hissing roughly echoing in his core, "Leev yu say..? Vhat vould yu du eff I ahsked yu tu stay..?"

[zesend]

Zesend scowled when Vergil asked what would happen if he wanted the cat to stay. Well, this certainly was a first. An interesting first, but a first nonetheless. "And why would you want that? Don't you find me disturbing?" The terrain shifted again, to a volcano's rim. The hallucination was notably unreal, due to the lack of heat. Still, the sight of magma boiling below your feet was still a terrifying sight. "Step forward, Vergil." The cat suggested, the boy already standing on the edge. "You will be alright, this is not real, you know that. "

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil's breath caught in his throat when he looked down and found himself on the precipice of a volcano, precariously dangling over forceful, angry reds and oranges that spitted and murmured heatedly. He wanted to step back not forward- who in their right mind would step forward fake or not?! With another glance to the cat he slowly began to shake his head. There was no way in hell he would take the step forward but he wouldn't chicken out and walk back either. Sick of being ignored, the book resumed its pounding and Vergil was forced to open it while lost in the hallucination, Der Beschütze's card thrusting herself before the trinity knot ring on his right hand to unlock in slashing bands of bronze and gold. She swung the halberd in her hand at Zesend, the seven foot tall sentient spirit angered.

[zesend]

About time the kid did something predictable. However, what happened next had most certainly not been expected. A giant creature appeared, swinging a weapon at him. Startled, he dove out of the way, the hallucination broken. "Jesus, you could've warned me about that." He said coldly, standing up and brushing dirt off his clothes, then staring warily at the giant, weapon-wielding woman before him. "What are you, some kind of... warlock? As you've discovered in the process of almost splitting me in half, I can conjure illusions and hallucinations, though I can't make tactile hallucinations." Well, this had turned out way more interesting than Zesend had ever intended.

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil blinked a few times and rubbed at his eyes to make sure he was indeed back home, or at least, what he would be calling home for a while. Der Beschütze had a cold gaze viciously set upon Zesend, chillingly observing the human boy with distaste as she stood firmly in front of her wielder. He started forward and put a hand on her tasset, "Der Beschütze, Hör auf," then looked to the older boy who just explained what that entire thing had been: a hallucination. The whole thing had been an illusion and it had been quite spectacular to experience as well as frightening. Der Beschütze stood down and set the tip of her halberd onto the ground calmly, hand on Vergil's head protectively.
"I ahm sohrry abaut hur Herr Zeh-sehnd. She ess ah leetle... ruff.." He trailed off as he looked up to her and returned his attention to Zesend.

[zesend]

Zesend inspected the Amazonian warrior before him, clearly conjured by the book - sentient, he would guess - to protect its owner from perceived danger. Very interesting power, certainly more interesting than most of the ones he'd seen before. Brushing Vergil's apology off, he looked in fascination at the leatherbound book, not daring to come near. "If you conjured her," He began, swallowing briefly. "Are there others? Is that how you got the wings?" Really, he had no idea how the ability worked, all he knew was that it was fascinating as hell. Veritable magic, basically. And while his own power could be arguably called magic, Vergil's ability was closer to the textbook definition, as far as he could tell.

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil still clutched his sketchbook closely and the re-strapped tome at his side was calm as it hung there, pencil and eraser now in his jacket pocket. His stretched his wings, bringing one to caress the back of Der Beschütze to calm her further lest she might try to go for a round two. She gave a coo in a core and relaxed a little in her stance, kneeling to him to check for any injuries like a worried mother might do for her curious young. He allowed her to for her peace of mind and nodded to Zesend, "Ett ess hau I goht the vings. Lyke I tehl many peophul hu ahsk, I ahm a suhmonhur." Der Beschütze brushed the long white hair from his face and stood back up to return to being on guard.

[zesend]

Zesend nodded. Warlock, summoner... different ways to express the same idea. Physically, Vergil's power was much more useful than his own. What could one do when someone was going to stab you or hit you when all you could do was make them see things? Well, sure, you could do things, but a tome full of spirits devoted to protecting you would be much, much more useful (if you were being pragmatic). If he could summon wings and bodyguards, what else could he conjure up from that book? "What kinds of things can you summon, besides the obvious?" His innate curiosity had completely bypassed his naturally aloof nature, making him more friendly than he normally would have been. It was odd, having an actual conversation.

[Vergil von Wulf]

Der Beschütze cooed once more and Vergil sealed her again when he was sure she was alright, the slashing bands of bronze and gold all curling around to become the card she resided within, the picture on the front of a calm and at ease warrior leaning against her halberd without her helmet in place. He opened the tome to reveal the other cards tucked into the section cut into the book where he placed her snuggly and shut it once again, replacing the bindings on the book and letting it hang at his hip from the strap around him.
Vergil gave an honest shrug and sighed, "I havf ohnly explhord so much, eevhun I du noht kno ahl I cahn du Herr Zeh-sehnd." He didn't want to exactly reveal half of his deck didn't even trust him enough to allow him to touch them too long in card form, let alone use them. His wings have a flutter as he stretched them again while crimson eyes intently observed the older boy.

[zesend]

"Hmm."Zesend murmured to himself, no meaning apparent in the phrase. The cat he had created just moments before reappeared, except it was earthbound this time, chasing an equally imaginary mouse. Allowing the two a certain amount of intelligence, the creatures began a series of cartoonish antics, similar to the cartoon Tom and Jerry. They made small vehicles out of thin air, and Zesend didn't even know what they were going to do. Of course, they were purely imaginary, and could not affect the existing world. "I haven't really explored the extents of my ability, either.. then again, I have to have another person to really practice the hallucinations, which is arguably the more useful of the two."

[Vergil von Wulf]

Vergil watched the two with amusement very clearly written on his face; it was a very entertaining sight to watch the two go after one another plot after plot, almost as if he was sitting in front of a television and the cartoonist was making the show up as he rapidly went along. He diverted his eyes from the scenes developing when Zesend spoke instead of making another noise. "Vhy du yu noht havf ahnothur phursohn? Zhurely sohmvuhn muhst vohlunteer tu halp yu?" It made sense he needed another body to practice but to have no one help doesn't.