The clap on his shoulder shocks him out of his contemplation of the strange device, but he is hesitant to commit Essence to anything he doesn't know how it works first. Or something that is useless to him here, wherever 'here' happens to be. He casts one last glance to the Heart of the Realm, and closes the locker, trailing after Shepard, still scowling down at the thing in his hands.
"How does this thing work?" He holds up the comm device, a brow raised, his hair regaining its normal spring, naturally falling in that way around his face that is artfully unkempt, the silver streaks near his temples more evident against the nearly black of damp hair. "Do I need to commit Essence to it?" And for the first time, his confidence falters. He has no idea what he's doing here, or why, or who anyone is. Lysander generally prides himself on his ability to roll with the punches, but it's one thing to go in fully armed and on the defensive, and quite another to wake up nude and covered in goo in a strange place surrounded by strange people.
If he'd heard the phrase from Shepard's mouth a few minutes prior, he'd certainly use 'existential crisis' to describe the floundering sensation that suddenly overcomes him.
Well. That's a new one. Shepard slows her pace considerably, actually turning the angle of her shoulders to actually look at him as she continues drifting in her previously established trajectory toward the lift.
"What? No, you just press the buttons." There's a pause as the question she wants to ask fights its way up. She frowns very briefly, then-- "What's 'Essence?'"
The slowed pace makes him glance up, a brow raising as she looked in confusion at his face. "Essence is..." His lips thin, brows creasing again as he glances down at the thing in his hands. "Well. It's a form of energy... It powers machinery, but it also allows the use of sorcery and charms. It's a life force, what allows Creation to exist... I could demonstrate but I think it would be best if I didn't, since I'm not sure I would be able to regain mine out of Creation, if that's where we are."
A hand runs through shaggy dark strands, golden eyes shifting down to the comm unit again. "I'm not as eloquent as Eryon about all this shit. He's a sorcerer, studies the stuff for a living. I tend to tune him out most of the time, too much technical babble..." It's strange to think of someone not knowing what Essence is, and trying to describe the very thing that powers and gives life to the world you live in, as well as all its applications is a lot harder than it seems.
Most of that explanation - sorcerers and the like - she dumps by the proverbial wayside. But energy she understands. It almost sounds like a concentrated brand of eezo and that much is familiar that once she has something to compare it to, it becomes a non-issue. Shepard's not really one to get too into the logistics of science beyond what's required of her on the field, so the explanation satisfies.
"Here--" She reaches out, abruptly taking the comm from him. She powers it up with a touch, tipping the screen to him so he can follow along as she navigates through the minimal menu systems. "This is your connection to the ship's comm net. You'll get alerts, messages to sort through - that kind of thing. There's also some local files you should probably read like Ianto's guide to the ship."
Bright eyes narrow, memorizing the motions, watching the swift, easy movements of Shepard's fingers across the screen. "I see..." Well, he didn't really understand, but he would figure it out. "And Ianto... Another passenger?" He gestures vaguely at the ship, and reaches out, indicating he's ready for the comm unit again. "Or prisoner." The wry lightness disappears from his voice, and a flash of something new is visible momentarily in his eyes. "I assume, given the lack of information you've offered about this place, you don't know much more than I do?" Which was almost nothing, really.
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"How does this thing work?" He holds up the comm device, a brow raised, his hair regaining its normal spring, naturally falling in that way around his face that is artfully unkempt, the silver streaks near his temples more evident against the nearly black of damp hair. "Do I need to commit Essence to it?" And for the first time, his confidence falters. He has no idea what he's doing here, or why, or who anyone is. Lysander generally prides himself on his ability to roll with the punches, but it's one thing to go in fully armed and on the defensive, and quite another to wake up nude and covered in goo in a strange place surrounded by strange people.
If he'd heard the phrase from Shepard's mouth a few minutes prior, he'd certainly use 'existential crisis' to describe the floundering sensation that suddenly overcomes him.
no subject
"What? No, you just press the buttons." There's a pause as the question she wants to ask fights its way up. She frowns very briefly, then-- "What's 'Essence?'"
no subject
A hand runs through shaggy dark strands, golden eyes shifting down to the comm unit again. "I'm not as eloquent as Eryon about all this shit. He's a sorcerer, studies the stuff for a living. I tend to tune him out most of the time, too much technical babble..." It's strange to think of someone not knowing what Essence is, and trying to describe the very thing that powers and gives life to the world you live in, as well as all its applications is a lot harder than it seems.
no subject
"Here--" She reaches out, abruptly taking the comm from him. She powers it up with a touch, tipping the screen to him so he can follow along as she navigates through the minimal menu systems. "This is your connection to the ship's comm net. You'll get alerts, messages to sort through - that kind of thing. There's also some local files you should probably read like Ianto's guide to the ship."
no subject