closed | stop drop and roh shi--!

[shrinkage]

Who: Freya Mikaelson & Ray Palmer
Where: Magic Studies Room
When: 23-Aug
Rating: PG
Summary: Ray finds himself in over his head when looking for a friend...
The Story:

[ he'd simply wandered in, assuming freya would be hanging around. she studies magic, right? he figures yes she'll probably be in the room of studying magic. only, when he'd got there it was empty.

and he got curious.

and now ray's stopped, dropped, and rolling on the floor. but the magical fire just isn't going out. ]

Comments

[deathlessness]

[Freya does spend time in the magical library, so Ray wasn't far off there! She just happened to be out doing other things for once and taking a magical break. When she does return, however, and happens to find her science buddy on the ground on fire she reacts quickly, extinguishing the fire with a wave of her hand.]

Ray! Are you alright?

[shrinkage]

Freya! Hi!

[ he keeps instinctually flailing for a moment before realizing he's been rescued which results in a man looking like everything's ok while thinking things are not ok but they really actually turn out to be totally fine. ]

I think I'm good now-- [ his shirt seems to be the only thing still smoking. but ray laughs nervously, patting it against his chest. ] How, uhh, how are you? I was looking for you.

[deathlessness]

I'm well.

[And you're preciously endearing, Ray. You are literally pleasant than anyone she has ever met, to the point where she has to question if he's capable of being negative. And she'll reach down to offer him a hand to help him up.]

What can I do for you?

[shrinkage]

[ he sits up a little more, but seems to be fine with sitting on the floor, forearms draped over bent knees. ]

Well, I've been thinking... [ uh oh. ] We kinda made a really good team, don't you think?

[deathlessness]

We did.

[For that moment. She isn't sure if he has another puzzle to solve or if there was a bigger picture here that she was missing.]

And people say that science and magic can't work together.

[shrinkage]

Exactly! So, maybe we could try again. [ he presses his lips together, swallowing uncertainly. ] But I had a couple questions first.

[deathlessness]

[She regards him for a moment, her head tipping to the side, before she considers.]

This sounds like the kind of conversation that may require a drink.

[shrinkage]

[ at first, his face lights up-- then ray overthinks it. he stutters as he gets to his feet. ]

Oh-- uhh, I'm not, uhm. I didn't mean-- [ errrr awkward hand motions here ] I was just hoping to talk shop? Don't get me wrong! You're very beautiful and also smart. But I'm very in love with a woman here in Wonderland and we're pretty serious, and...

[deathlessness]

[She laughs - not because she wouldn't be interested, but more because of the misunderstanding of her offer and the way he manages to stumble towards an explanation. She reaches forward, resting a hand on his arm gently.]

I'm not trying to sleep with you. I'm just saying that this subject may be heavier than you realize and you might want a drink to go with it.

[shrinkage]

[ his face pales a little, and then ray chuckles. ]

Oh my god I'm so sorry. Yes, of course. I'll follow your lead.

[ since clearly he doesn't lead well :\ ]

[deathlessness]

[And she will lead the way to the bar on the fifth floor, since it's usually quieter than Lux, and grabs a bottle and two glasses before they go find a booth.]

So. What would you like to know?

[shrinkage]

Well-- oh, thanks. [ he folds himself into the booth, and then looks around surreptitiously. clearly this is very sensitive stuff. ] You said there were vampires. In your world.

[deathlessness]

Yes. And witches, and werewolves.

[There's a pause as she debates how much information she wants to drop on him right then, but she decides that full disclosure is likely best.]

My mother is actually the witch who created vampires, and did so using my siblings.

[shrinkage]

Oh. Wow.

[ the voluntarily-given information serves to put ray a little more at ease. this is far out of his own element, even if he claims to have experience mixing magic and science. this is ... cryptid horror type stuff. (there's no genre savviness to lean back on for ray, for once.) ]

Why-- [ no, that feels rude and intrusive. he shakes his head. ] Is that why they can manipulate memories too?

[deathlessness]

[She pauses for a moment, because she isn't entirely sure how to answer that question. She isn't sure what it was that made him ask that question, but it may be one of the few she doesn't have an answer for.]

Honestly, I'm not sure where the compulsion came from. When my mother created her immortality spell, she did it with the intention of making my siblings stronger and faster, so they could properly defend themselves against their werewolf neighbors.

But with all immortality spells, there were consequences to that magic - nothing is given for free. So the bloodlust, the aversion to sunlight - all of that is the price paid for this gift.

[Her head tips to the side.]

I also wasn't there when she cast it, however, so I can't truly say for sure. Have you been compelled?

[shrinkage]

he listens to the information more intently than he might otherwise. it's new data, from someone ray is working on trusting.

No-- well, not by any vampires. [ he sighs, confession following in a rush. ] I went to the vendors to get the CI machine we used on Rip. Which means I'm missing something.

[deathlessness]

Ah.

[There's a small, sympathetic grimace at that, because while she hasn't used the vendors herself, she's aware of the cost that comes with it.]

While I can't do anything to protect you from the vendors, I can tell you how to protect yourself from vampires. There's an herb called vervain. If you keep it on your person or drink it as a tea or with your coffee every day, it will prevent you from being compelled.

[shrinkage]

Oh, that's good to know. [ he frowns, and can't help but press further. ] So ... there are vampires in Wonderland right now?

[deathlessness]

Yes.

[She won't lie about that, she wouldn't tell him to be cautious without reason, but she will draw the line somewhere.]

But who they are isn't really my secret to tell, you understand?

[Especially since most of them do not mean any harm.]

[shrinkage]

[ he wants to argue-- and he might still, eventually. his curiosity is generally unquenchable even though his interests are obviously focused on something else.

and it's that focus that for once stays his curiosity from spilling over into a different conversation with freya. ]

I won't ask you to.

[ he's careful with his words for once, too. because he doesn't quite understand or agree. but the moral safety of the mansion is a discussion that the public as a whole should have. he isn't wonderland's warden. he isn't its hero. right now, he's trying to arrange a partnership and for all his usual heroics, he was a businessman first. and deals require concessions.

there's another moral matter here, which he doesn't phrase as a question so much as an assumption based on what he has managed to glean from freya. ]

Especially if I'd be asking you to put your family at risk.

[deathlessness]

It's not my family that I'm worried about.

[She admits that freely, and her brother has never really been shy about what he is and his behavior.]

My brother is all that remains and he is very difficult to kill. It's the more fragile of them, for I have seen enough witch hunts in my time that began with good intentions only to end with innocent, harmless people being hurt.

The vampires here haven't harmed anyone. They get their blood from the closets and they are just living their lives. Not all monsters do monstrous things.

[shrinkage]

There are a lot worse fates than death.

[ ray doesn't puff up to make his words form a threat. instead, he sounds sad. understanding, even. and it seems he realizes how his words could be taken potentially, so ray hurries to clarify his stance with a more direct statement. ]

Wonderland does the same amount of damage to all of us. I think it's more important to try to band together than help it tear us down. [ a small smile smooths out his brow. ] And I think you and I can do some of the groundwork on that. Start working on that magic versus science attitude?

[deathlessness]

I would love to work on that.

[She is more than willing to let him smoothly change the subject away from her family for a moment.]

So many people are so resistant to the idea that they can work together.

[shrinkage]

Right? And we have a success story already! You ask me, we're ahead of the game, here.

[ sounds like the beginning of a beautiful partnership...? ]

[deathlessness]

[It definitely does to her.]

I agree. I think there's a lot to gain in keeping your mind open to other possibilities.

[Depending on what she's dealing with, anyway.]

[shrinkage]

I'm thinking we should get together again soon? Hash out anything you've been thinking of doing, or solving a problem it seems like people talk about a lot. There's plenty of data on what has and hasn't worked in the past-- I could put together some of that for review.

[ he catches himself in his own puffing. ]

Well, I'll ask Gideon to collect it all and make it mean something, that is...

[deathlessness]

[She gives a small shrug.]

We can figure it out together, one way or another. But yes, I'd like that a lot.