sddnlyvotagers

Dorian sucked in his lips, unsure how he was going to explain this. “Uh... no just some candle wax... ignore the weaponry, I swear it's just wax.” Dorian said as he pulled the knife out of sight, and he was not lying he had red candles a light at the moment. No blood spilled. yet anyway. He guessed the library wasn’t as closed as he thought it was this late if he was caught right as he was preforming a spell. He clears his throat, “Sorry um, this isn’t becoming of the library, or me for that matter,” Dorian’s sweating from the effort and honestly exhausted. Even though the spell had only begun he couldn’t link himself back to his past, reach the Fade to link to his time or what it was looking like, his universe. He wasn’t getting home. The spell was still exhausting. “um, this is awkward. If you give me a moment I can clear this up and help you if needed or disappear.”

🥃 - watching her antennae perk up was not as alarming as he imagined it should be - but maybe it was the alcohol or maybe he just found everyone, even the non-humans - to be normal anymore. after all, he spent all his life knowing that humans weren’t the only things out there that lived their lives. the mention of her being a larva was a fact for her, and he couldn’t dismiss it, but it did alarm him just a little bit. “that honestly must have been pretty horrible for you, i’m sorry.” he admitted, after he gave it some thought.

to be an empath - a true empath that relied on touch - damn, it had to be lonely too. “does it always happen no matter what or can you touch people and be able to block it?” he felt it was a fair question to ask, but the worry for her was still admittedly there. dean knew as a person his past had forced himself into a messy adult who was touch-starved. he wouldn’t survive with powers like hers. she was strong for that. “costumes are for fun, people dress up to pretend to be something else - usually just on halloween or parties that rely on it. it’s fun, and honestly if you’re that curious you should give it a try.” he smiled at her and then let out a loud laugh at the mention of david hasselhoff and knight rider. “david is real, that’s true - but the car was just something created for a television show called ‘knight rider’. i used to watch it as a kid. it’s kinda lame but it was entertaining at the time.” he paused again and shrugged, “do you like celebrating human stuff?”

“It does, through clothing or armor at times.” She explains looking down thinking about all the times even the slightest touch has seemed to offer her a look into someone’s mind. “I haven’t found a way to block it myself, I’m afraid that this ability is somehow... almost like it’s coded in my DNA. It’s not just a mental ability with a physical trigger, I once lived on a planet that was an extension of someone and I could feel them with every step I took. It was overbearing.” She admits looking down at her hands where she had started to rub her knuckles. “I cherish those who let me touch them freely, They are few and far between but I appreciate that they let me close physically.” Mantis smiled, “I have never been to a party that required dressing up, perhaps I should but I know little of what I would want to be.” That would have to be Mantis’s next task for herself. She’s heard of dressing up as being someone else entirely for one night and she would like to live out this fantasy for a night to see what it was like. Mantis was confused, she hadn’t heard of it as a TV show but she was interested in seeing if it truly was ‘lame’ or not. 

“ordinarily, i would say that an invitation to my library would be impossible - humans from my world cannot enter the dreaming unless they do so by accident from their dreams. but you…” 

he tilted his head. “dreams to you seem to be different. a mage or a dreamer can enter the ‘Fade’ you say?” fascinating. “can you show me? perhaps those creatures you term ‘demons’ are simply nightmares, and this ‘Fade’ is my kingdom, the Dreaming.”

and perhaps for him - it could open a way back to his kingdom. oh, he missed it: his palace, his library, lucienne… he had been stuck in the waking realm before for far too long, and while this visit was far more pleasant, he still ached to return home.

“Your kingdom?” Fascinating. Dorian thought to himself and his task of putting books away was merely forgotten for the prospect of possibly finding both a way home and to somewhere familiar. Though he and the Fade had a very tumultuous relationship he was very much interested to see if these supposed two realms correlated in some way.

“The Dreaming? I have many more questions now, however I am actually very willing to test this theory.” Dorian will say this is one of his more full hearty ideas but he knows he’s ready to go into some drastic forms to find his way home and out of them, paired next to possibly leaning to blood magic, this is certainly a more sane route. 

🪲 - she smiled endearingly at him, partly leaning over to bump shoulders before turning her attention to the tablet and deciding that she wanted the fishbowl of some blue cocktail concoction. she’d likely regret the alcohol later but, well, time and place - and dorian was certainly a fun time and being in space in the future was the best place to truly be stuck at. after a short laugh, she nodded. “andraste? is that your god?” her curiosity had piqued and she looked to him for answers.

it hadn’t quite dawned on her until this very moment that various other gods existed. lyrium another strange reference, but at least he’d promised to explain as he hailed down the bartender and began to order. humming softly, she raised her brows at his valid inquiry and then gave a passive shrug. “no, at least not from my culture nor from others. besides, i’d safely say we’re friends now, wouldn’t you, dorian?” she asked, beaming at him before holding the bartender hostage to add on some parmesan garlic fries to share.

“alcohol makes me snacky, and you’ve got to try these fries.“ she admitted before turning her attention back to dorian. “so, andraste, tevinter, and lyrium - you’ve got me, i’m curious and i’d be happy to share with you about my world as well, so - have at it.“

Dorian historically doesn’t have man friends, due to many factors in his life, he was very isolated in that regard and he can blame a multitude of bad and scarring experiences. However, in the Inquisition, it was hard not to realize that he had many friends among him if he just opened himself up to it. And that still took time, being abrasive is part of his charm, and it worked out in the end. He has friendships he couldn’t possibly forget. Because along with making him feel less lonely it taught him how to make friends. “Yes, we are friends.” He could now say, honestly to Layla. Dorian also made it a point to get the ‘fries’ Layal suggested delivered to them. Then he came back to begin to explain, “Okay, so Tevinter, also known as the Tevinter Imperium, the oldest extent of human society, our leaders are called Magisters. All mages like myself. It’s apart of our society that’s largely different from most of Thedas, you see Magic is heavily constricted outside the Imperium, to a terrible degree.” Dorian explains and then sighs heavily and maybe a little sad in a sense. “For all the good I could speak of my homeland I’m afraid that there’s more bad that I could add on to it. It’s sad really, but we don’t have the best history and what was is currently making up my country is a lot of cruelty and underhanded politics. And much worse, so much worse.” Dorian doesn’t know if he can ever truly get into the details, at least not right now. He fears explaining how his people trampled the gates of the gods and made a mad man. The shame it brings him and should have brought his country men would have anyone a little tight lipped when introducing their country to someone new.

“I would love to hear about your word this will be good, the differences are astounding no?” He brushed his messy locks back to a slightly more straightened look and began, “So Andraste is the Bride of the Maker, our god, she was a human woman, a prophet really, who changed the way the Chantry....I believe a good universal for that is Church? Anyway she paved a way to change how the Chantry operated and spiritually believed to be blessed by the Maker.”

“Ah yes, you have come!” Mantis says as she opens her door to Natasha and ushers her in. “Yes, come in, come in! I know it was short notice but I did not know who else to ask and I am- nervous.” Mantis says obviously barely holding on to that nervous energy. She was jittery and unable to stand still it seemed. She closed the door behind Natasha and stepped into her living room. “I had not asked if you liked Tea or not but I have made you some in case? I needed something to do while I waited.” She gestured to the cups on her coffee table. “Okay so to why I asked for you.... I am having trouble putting on a costume.” Mantis said suddenly becoming more subdued and shy, she could feel her cheeks heating up feeling ridiculous for asking another over for such a thing, but she truly was having problems accomplishing the task and she wanted someone she felt a little more comfortable with than most assistance for a clothing issue. “I know it is a silly ask, but in my excitement of celebrating a new holiday I got a lovely gown to emulate a princess and Terran folklore and wished to dress up as one. For fun of course! But some of the pieces require tightening and tying I am unfamiliar with.” She explains. “Could you help me Natasha?”

“But you did. You bumped right into it and it fell.” Mantis protested with a confused face as they stood among the crowd. This was when it clicked that maybe she shouldn’t say that as she looked around them and the broken trinket on the ground. This was one of the moments where Mantis was instructed that she was to cover up the fact that something happened that they did so they wouldn’t get in trouble. 

She suddenly felt awful, she had gotten them in trouble like this before, because she still couldn’t read the room properly as Rocket once said. Mantis couldn’t really explain why she always blurted out the first thing that came to mind, she does it with emotions still. Rocket also had a comment about this, apparently she had ‘no filter’. She still doesn’t know what that means. She covers her mouth though, thinking back to the task at hand, and gasps as she moves closer to Peter, “Oh no, am I getting us in trouble again?” She asked nervously. “I’m sorry Quill.”

Nowadays, Bucky honestly isn’t used to receiving positive remarks when it comes to his appearance anymore— not the way he used to back in the 40s. At the time, it seemed like people would compliment him on his looks left and right— but then all the shit that happened to him over the course of several decades, happened, and Bucky’s come to feel less confident about his own personage, his appearance and the like, than he used to be.

Losing your left arm and being turned into a g h o s t of the former man you used to be will tend to do that to a guy, really. And even with Bucky’s hair finally cut short again just like it used to be back before the War, and before his decades spent as the Winter Soldier, he still doesn’t receive many compliments on his looks even now. 

So needless to say, when the word “handsome” escapes Dorian’s lips, accompanied by a wink… to hear that someone could still find him attractive— handsome, at that — even after all this time? It’s enough to catch the former assassin off guard, cause him to blink a few times at the compliment and stare at Dorian in confusion for a few seconds before it finally registers in his mind that Dorian had continued talking after giving the compliment itself. 

“Uh,” he snaps out of his confused, and admittedly somewhat startled, daze, before clearing his throat softly and managing to get some words of his own out. “If it’s okay with you I can take at least the first two, and then come back for the other three? I’m a fast reader, it won’t take me long.” On top of being an avid and fast reader, he’s been good about returning books on time. “I mean I’m sure I’ll like all five of them, but I don’t want to overdo it by checking out too many at a time.”

“And, oh — Bucky. My name’s Bucky. Bucky Barnes. It’s nice to meet you, Dorian.”

“You as well Bucky,” Handsome and cute, Dorian thought as he took the first two in the line up and stacked them together. The other three he placed to the side. He logged into the screen to check out these books for Bucky while he thought about his next move. 

Which wasn’t that an odd thing? He hadn’t thought he would get this far and he wasn’t sure what he was really doing. All he knew about Bucky was that he’d seen him go straight to the science fiction section ever since he started coming here or learned about the library from other sources. He couldn’t help but be intrigued when he saw him come back every few days to get another book, looking up whether or not it was a series and getting faintly excited when he did. And he found that oddly endearing, what can he say?

He took the first two and scanned them, “I understand, I tend to overdue it and get frustrated till we get something else for me to look at so you’re better at keeping pace then I am. But what can I say, I uh-” Dorian paused in speaking becoming a little nervous as a ticket was printed for Bucky, standard rule was two weeks to return but he had a feeling Bucky wouldn’t take the long. He opened a cover of the first book and placed the ticket in it then closed it and stacked it with the others. “The future is new to me, and apparently there are centuries of history still left for me to discover. Should be a joy if I wasn’t still adjusting.”

🥃 - meeting mantis would have been a shock to many people, the antennae and the overall bug-like features, but dean’s seen a lot of species, a lot of different people, and honestly mantis seemed pretty tame. she’d struck up a conversation with him, or he did with her - between the haze of good conversation and even better whiskey it was hard to tell who started it - which also didn’t really matter. still, his attention was on her - and as she spoke, he listened. “heard and lived,” he confirmed, giving her a nod of his head and a smirk. she had a point, and despite wanting to agree with her - he felt the need to be stubborn.

“i mean, most non-humans look alien - alien just means different. hell, i’m alien to you. which is fine and fair. but yeah, i think it just stems down to the fact that i’m really just not the most comfortable with things and the mind.“ he paused and looked her over, an appreciative smile curling at his lips. glad she hadn’t taken an initiative to go diving into his plethora of fucked up emotions. probably better for her in the long way. but damn if her antenna drooping didn’t make him feel bad for it. “were you born with this power or was it something you learned? i’m trying to just understand - you can ask me things too, happy to play fair.”

Mantis still pouted but at least Dean’s reasoning was sound. Quill once explained to her that normal humans wouldn’t like or would feel very uncomfortable with her powers and she was to be weary. So she takes to talking about it typically before she touches someone, she hasn’t met anyone able to keep her out of their mind yet so that seems the best option. Dean expressed his weariness so this would be something she would keep in mind. 

“i see,” dream replied. “there is indeed something about the weight of a book – i had a library; one where every book that was ever written… or ever would be … was kept. shelves upon shelves…” he looked around at this place. “still, everything changes. books replaced papyrus, papyrus replaced stone.”

he glanced over. “you must come from an era before these electronic versions became common.” 

a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. “i sense magic, and more than that. you are a dreamer, a man who longs for a better world. i should not be surprised that you were loathe to leave your world behind.”

“but tell me: what do you know of dreams and the dreaming in your realm?”

“Ever would be?” He asked a little astonished. “I have many questions and one requests an invitation to enter this library if possible in the future.” A library of that description is something he would have only been tempted to in the Fade, and maybe this was a manifestation of Fade and he was talking to a demon again. Who knew, but he would be more than happy to tempt possession for a treat such as this. 

“I’ve been trying to calculate what era is best to describe, seems we are centuries upon centuries behind most of those who walk this ‘space craft’. We were still only seeing the stars from telescopes, not even in the realm advanced as the ones here.” Dorian began to describe. “No electricity, intercoms, we delivers calls through pipes with good echo maybe but besides that a raven was a perfect messenger.” 

👻 ( @sddnlyvoyagers​ ) 🤖 MAEVE MILLAY & INGRID HANNIGAN

🤖 ( location ) castle p’mav, night market

🤖 - “well, they certainly know how to show a guest a good time, don’t they?” she asked, leaning over towards ingrid with a raised brow, a small smirk playing at her lips. maeve was certainly curious about everything that this enipul-p’mav system had to offer, especially considering nothing here really could hurt her. the castle was absolutely massive and just as dark and gothic as the outside, the inside seemed to hold the same theming. “it’s like the addams family, only strangely less inviting. do you sense hostility? i sense hostility.” she continued, looking back towards their host with pursed lips and a challenging glare. “shall we, dear ingrid? and don’t worry, you’re safe with me.”

🌙 - stephen strange & mantis || @sddnlyvoyagers​ reacted for a starter !!

location: a century of looks

stephen was honestly surprised to find a place that seemed straight out of fifth avenue or savill row in what had hereto felt more like chatuchak market. he’d rounded the corner from market row, gliding past all the hawkers trying to persuade him to drop his cambria credits on them, and it felt like he had stepped into an entirely different world.

a century of looks, the place called itself, although it gave off an air of having existed for far longer. the fashions were different from earth, of course, but stephen found himself drawn to a three piece suit, startlingly similar to one of the many he’d owned back when he’d been new york’s most famous surgeon.

nostalgia hit him like a punch in the gut, and for a moment his heart longed for days that had long passed. it took him a moment to realise that one, he was staring, two, he wasn’t alone in the shop, and he’d just been about to turn and leave, when recognition set in. 

“mantis,” he called out. he’d seen quill running around cambria, but this was the first time he’d run into any of the other guardians. “are you – with the ship? the cambria? or did you arrive here separately..?”

he paused, remembering the whole multiverse thing. “do you even know me?”

Terran fashion looked very comfortable and quite soft. Mantis found her clothing lacking in anything as varied as the fashion of everyone else. So with her new found earned currency, she finds herself shopping for clothes. She wanted a wardrobe like everyone else so all the shops that had something of semblance to clothing she was more than eager to see if she could. 

During her search she hadn’t know she would meet someone else she knew, but she turned when her name was called and smiled at seeing Dr. Strange, as she remembered he was named.  “Oh yes! Of course I do! It would be terribly rude of me, we fought together, it would be rude not to remember a comrades name. Unless there is a reason that I should not?” She doesn’t believe she has terrible memory but perhaps there were some other factors Strange was worried about.

 Mantis said and then took on a sad look when she answered the other questions the sorcerer asked. “I am afraid I did not come with the other Guardian’s, I awoke from cryo-freeze sometime ago on the ship.” She then tilts her head curiously. “Did you as well? You were taken by this Cambria as well? Can you not return to Terra?”

He’d be lying to anyone and everyone and himself if he said he wasn’t, at heart, a fan of science fiction and science in general (his idea of a double date with Steve back in the forties had been a s c i e n c e e x p o, for god’s sake. If that isn’t self-explanatory, he doesn’t know what is).

Because of this, Bucky’s always taken to reading as much science fiction as he’s been able to get his hands on, especially in the 21st century after being freed from Hydra’s clutches and his brainwashing as the Winter Soldier — and, for the most part, he’s always enjoyed whatever it is he’s read. Verne, Asimov, even Arthur C. Clarke, you name it.

Which is why he’s been drawn to frequent trips to the Cambria’s library — and he’ll admit, it’s an impressive one at that — as often as possible; Bucky’s discovered they, too, have a science fiction section (which is actually surprising, considering the setting in which the library itself exists) and it’s honestly a means of setting his heart at ease, a means of relaxing and letting his mind wander in a safer and more secure setting. Something he enjoys, has always enjoyed, and can indulge in privately, so to speak.

… Well. Privately being a theoretical term, at least; it seems he’s been found out. He raises an eyebrow and freezes, his right hand hovering over a particular title, as the librarian approaches him and speaks up — looking excited at the idea of maybe getting to show Bucky something else. And sure enough, when Bucky follows him to the front desk there’s a small selection, one he guesses the guy’s picked out just for him, of books he surprisingly hasn’t actually read yet but judging by their covers appear to be sci-fi titles, and in that moment Bucky honestly can’t help the small —  albeit grateful — smile that appears.

“That’s… impressive, actually,” he muses, tearing his eyes away from the books in front of them and up to the other’s face. “I gotta ask, though, pal — do you do this for all of your patrons? Or just me?” He asks, still smiling.

"Do I keep an eye on every tall, bright-eyed, handsome stranger who visits the science fiction section? No, just you. And I've decided your tastes are exceptional and worth my time." He said then gave a playful wink in turn. Dorian will admit it, loves fascinating people and things, and Bucky has become fascinating. Maybe it’s a little off, you’re not just supposed to stare at someone who comes into where you work and watch them a little longer than most. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so focused on the titles Bucky read but, well, Dorian could never control him impulses. Why start now?

At least he hasn’t been found creepy, Dorian wouldn’t be able to handle that if he was seen that way, he already felt a little bad for being nosy, he couldn’t possibly handle the shame if this wasn’t received well. 

Dorian loves literature. It’s why he picked the library as his haunt when he joined the Inquisition and they had a castle tower for their use. And it is why he currently calls the library his home, it's his norm and his safe place. He knows every inch of this place now and where all the sections end and begin. It was too bad he couldn’t find a place to put a little nook together for himself where he could lounge during breaks, but Layla was great company in their back offices so he really couldn’t complain.

And as Dorian loves the library and literature he tends to take particular interest in those who read books often and stumble their way through the doors. First he helps those who are new and need something to help them learn and adjust to space travel easily. But those who keep coming looking for something else, he takes an interest and likes to be nosy on what they like. Like the man currently perusing their sci-fi section looking for a new book. Bucky, he believed his name was.

“Ah! I was wondering when I’d see you again.” Dorian said rather joyously and made a waving gesture to where Bucky was reaching to look at other book titles, possibly just running his hands over them, but he was gesturing for Bucky to stop. “No, ignore those and come here to the front I have a selection for you.” Dorian doesn’t wait for a response or anything but ushers Bucky on as he walks to the front desk and starts to pull a small selection of sci-fi. He took books out, lined them up to face Bucky so he could read the titles and see the cover art. 

“Based on your previous selections I have these choices for you. Sure the sci-fi gets into a little more realism in a few of these but I find anyone who has the creativity to make sci-fiction sound real a treasure.” Dorian comments. He places his hands on the table with a smirk on his face, “C’mon, am I hitting the ball park in your tastes? I must know. I need something to brag about to Layla later.” 

🌙 dream & dorian pavus || @sddnlyvoyagers​

there had been a time when dream had known every being he encountered. no one was a stranger, unless they neither slept nor dreamt. something had changed with the cryosleep. he was cut off from his realm, separated from the dreaming, and he could no longer access the dreams of others as well as he had been able to. yet not all was lost - even here, he received flickers, impressions; fleeting and easily lost, but better than nothing. 

from the one who tended to the library, he sensed life, passion, and magic. 

“a sorcerer, i see,” he commented, running his fingers over the edges of the books on the shelves. the library was big, yet so limited compared to the one of his own realm. his heart ached for the familiarity of it.

“did you arrive here by design, or by happenstance?” 

🐺 - he had been curious about her the moment he saw her - her optimistic approach to things had certainly caught his eye. when he finally had the courage to ask her about her hope - and he was not disappointed by her answer. he smiled at that, the simplistic nature of having a routine that you like, a job to keep your hands busy, a way to entertain the mind. he looked to the orchids and the ferns and then back to her. “that is a beautiful answer,” he admitted, kneeling down near her but still giving her the space she deserved.

“dusted? i don’t understand… what does that mean?“ was it his curiosity or was it odin’s? at this point to eivor it did not matter. still, he understood the context enough to smile. “i do know salvation and understand it. i am eivor, it is good to meet you and i thank you for giving me the time to answer my question.“

She could feel her cheeks heat up and her smile became more shy. Beautiful is a word she doesn’t hear often unless Gamora is reassuring her of her looks so hearing someone else use it, even when not referring to her made her feel special. Mantis might not be beautiful but she is glad her reasoning and simple wants and needs can be seen as such.