[LOCKED: April, DBFS Journals] Vortex Traps Aftermath

[twinpharaohs]

((OOC: The following journals are likely to turn up at some point: twinviziers, fmalchemist160/Edward Elric, stonebluesorrow/Zelgadis Graywords, toreador_saviour, lionheartedgangrel/Harry Potter, and any of the DBFS NPC journals (all begin with "dbfs_").))

When Yugi turns up in the Nexus to meet April, he looks considerably more battered than he ever has before, bandages wound around one arm and several cuts on his face held shut with those little white medical strips they use for small cuts. One of his legs bounces nervously, and he's rubbing at his bandaged arm. He's twirling what appears to be a Tarot card—or at least, something superficially similar to a Tarot card—between two fingers. Yami is nowhere in sight—for now.

Comments

[slayers_desire]

April is not sure what to say or do for a moment. She has questions, but is not sure how many of them she can ask.

"Kat, how have your adjustments been going?"

[toreador_saviour]

Kat's expression sobers somewhat. "Kind of... I don't know. Something happened in Egypt that..." She chews gently on her lower lip, then says, "The sorceress there overrode all of the safeguards you put in place. A sort of magically-induced Frenzy. We managed to get them put back into place, but..."

[slayers_desire]

"That can be difficult, when someone else messes with your mind." April spoke softly.

[toreador_saviour]

Kat grimaces and nods. "And there probably isn't a way to permanently close that particular hole in my defences. The only solution the PTBs could offer was to have someone whose job it is to shield my mind from that kind of attack on my team."

"Harry," Yugi notes. "Think he's up yet?"

"It's after dusk, isn't it? Probably," Kat answers. "Doesn't necessarily mean he's in, though."

[slayers_desire]

"Harry Potter, right?" That is at least one name April is familiar with.

[toreador_saviour]

Kat grins. "That's him! He got involuntarily Embraced like me—and, in fact, we have the same Sire. Only for him, it happened 1,000 years ago. He and one of my Guardians, Zel, moved into the flat directly below us."

"So the PTBs apparently decided that the best person to protect a psychically-vulnerable young Kindred is a magically-inclined, old, and powerful Kindred," Yugi adds.

[slayers_desire]

"They found you someone to learn from, and help you learn about your powers. That is great Kat." April is happy for her. She is. She is just a little sad that it seems she lost a responsibility.

[toreador_saviour]

Kat has always been pretty good at picking up on other people's feelings, without needing telepathy. She goes to sit next to April and gently lays a hand on her shoulder. "Hey," she says, "just so you know... I'd still like to have your help with this kind of thing too. Two mentors are always better than one."

[slayers_desire]

April has just been through a lot. Her own world is in trouble, and her father never bothered to tell her. (Ending her up in trouble). And in her shared universe with Clark, she had to let go of her hero persona because of being pregnant. It has been a challenge being involved... and being careful.

"I know we aren't the same kind of vampire. But I am always here to help my friends."

[toreador_saviour]

Kat smiles again and squeezes April's shoulder. "So, you want me to see if Harry's at home? I'm certain Zel is, he's... understandably nervous about going out in public here. You'll see why."

[slayers_desire]

"Sure. I am always good with meeting new people."

[toreador_saviour]

Kat grins again. "Right then! I'll just pop downstairs real quick. Won't be a minute. In the meantime, guys, you can just... y'know, chat, or whatever. Maybe ask Ed about how he got those prosthetics."

"Kat..." Ed says in a warning tone of voice.

"Never said you had to tell the whole story. Anyway, back in a minute!" She grabs her keys and hurries out the door, shutting it a little harder than she intended to.

After a moment, Yugi pipes up with, "Oh! Somehow I completely forgot to mention this, but Bakura finally asked Kat out on a date!"

[slayers_desire]

"Did he now? That is exciting." April chuckled. She could sense that Ed was uncomfortable about the prosthetics conversation, so avoided that.

[twinpharaohs]

Yugi grins. "Yep! Far as I know they're still hammering out details. Malik wasn't happy, though."

It's not that Ed's uncomfortable talking about it, it's just that he won't tell the whole story without hearing a story about April that's equally as traumatic. Since he's just met her, he's not going to ask that of her.

[slayers_desire]

"I guess dating when you have a spirtual companion can be a challenge."

[twinpharaohs]

Yugi smiles a bit. "Sometimes. Depends on how well the two get along. And who you're dating. Malik's main problem is that he's still in love with his ex, 'Kheru. And Kat's not 'Kheru's anchor."

[slayers_desire]

"I couldn't imagine how my life would have been different if my voices didn't get along with Clark." April placed her hand on her belly with a soft smile.

[twinpharaohs]

Yugi returns the smile. "I couldn't imagine what my life would be like if Yami and I didn't get along as famously as we do."

Right about then, Kat returns with two men in tow. "You're in luck," she says as she opens the apartment door. "Both were home."

Harry's close behind Kat as she enters, and Zelgadis Graywords is not far behind him. Zel lowers his hood as he steps over the threshold to the apartment, and it's readily apparent why he wouldn't normally be able to go out in public, what with the blue, stony skin, pointed ears, and all.

Harry, meanwhile, pauses on spotting April, squints at her, then smiles a bit and says, "I thought your name sounded familiar when Kat mentioned it. It's been awhile."

[slayers_desire]

"A long while. I never imagined you were connected with Yugi and Yami." April blushes.

[lionheartedgangrel]

"At the time we met, I wasn't," Harry replies wryly. "For me, that was nearly a hundred years ago."

"Wow," Yugi says. "That's the first time I've had one of those 'small world' moments Kat keeps telling me about."

"Hmm?"

"One of those moments when you realize you're more closely connected to someone than you thought, in a six-degrees-of-separation way," Kat clarifies.

"Ah."

((April's met Zel once before too, but it was a different version of him, since I use stonebluesorrow for a few of his alternates.))

[slayers_desire]

And after such a long time (longer for Harry), it might be interesting to explain that she is now pregnant. But if Harry is anything like Kat, she might not have to say a word. He will know.

"Come to think of it... I think I met an alternate of your friend too. Zelgadis? Is that right?"

[stonebluesorrow]

Harry does notice, but for the moment opts not to say anything, especially after April mentions having met Zel, or, at least, another version of him.

At this, Zel's expression becomes mildly confused before he looks over at Kat, arching a rocky eyebrow expectantly. Apparently this is becoming a habit between them: if something about this world confuses Zel, he seems to automatically look to Kat for an explanation.

Kat arches an eyebrow in return. "Should be fairly self-explanatory: alternate version of you, probably from a different timeline."

"Right," Zel mutters under his breath. He looks back at April, clears his throat, and replies, "Yeah, that's me. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage... April, wasn't it?" After a moment, he sticks out his hand, remembering his manners.

((Back in about an hour and a half; have to work on my portolio >.>))

[slayers_desire]

"April Kent. Nice to meet you." One of the unique things about her adventures in the Nexus is that is has given April the opportunity to meet other people. And of course, alternates of those people too.

[stonebluesorrow]

Zel allows a small smile to slip across his face. "And you, Ms. Kent." His skin probably feels really... odd; after all, it is stone. However, he is wearing a pair of finger-less gloves, so it might not be noticeable.

Harry steps forward and offers his (right) hand as well, surveying April closely for a moment, something like a combination of curiosity and confusion colouring his expression. "There's one thing I can't figure out," he says cautiously. "You're a vampire; I remember that from the last time we ran into each other. So how is it you're pregnant?"

[slayers_desire]

"It is a miracle." April chuckles, placing a hand on her only slightly-swollen pregnant belly.

"I was a miracle myself, born to two vampires because of the Powers That Be. And this child... is such a blessing."