entrancelogs | 005 ♟ closed } { bombs are falling everywhere

Actually, it's brighter than I thought it'd be.

[Just ... given what she knows about Fitz and what he's done. It's certainly lighter than hers, but he's never cursed an entire race of people, that she knows of.]

I thought it would be more black.

[In some ways, it's validating for him. He's known since the start that his ideas were rooted in heroism. He's the victim in all of this. He's here to do the things that are Right.]

I've taken great pains to keep it safe from otherworldly influence. [The black marks are obviously from her witchcraft.] Until today.

[She raises an eyebrow at that, before shaking her head.]

That's not what that means, but it's cute that you think it does.

[ it's close enough to making fun of him that he tightens anew, scowling. ]

Then please, enlighten me.

[ how dare she. The absolute nerve. ]

The black is all of your "evil" choices. Killing the innocent, using power for your own personal gain, rather than the good of all - basically for every bad life choice you make, your heart gets a little bit darker.

[It's hard for her to be threatened by that scowl when she holds all of the power in her hand.]

All these black streaks, you did to yourself.

I've found that there are very few innocent people in the world. [ he's always known the murders were justified, and that the Inhumans he's rounded up were nothing more than animals. ]

Compassion is a luxury that is regularly unavailable. A story such as yours could be used to twist the behavior of gullible people. Do you find it easier to control those who believe your superstitions?

[ it's all cosmetic. He's still Right. ]

[He's not entirely wrong. Darkening her own heart a long time ago had been a means of taking back her own control, of keeping her life from being used to bring life to something that has long been dead - being discarded and thought of as worthless was still somehow better than being an acceptable sacrifice for Anastasia because at least then she got to live.

But at the same time, she knows everything that compassion and kindness has done for her, as well as everything that her bitterness and anger had swallowed her into, and she can't really say that her way was better.]

Compassion is the root of love - you felt compassion enough for your true love to try and conquer another world for her. It's always easier to be cruel and much harder to be kind.

[Compassion being a luxury is what makes it so powerful, and that's why almost every fairy tale involving a curse starts with someone who didn't care enough to use it.]

But what do I know? I'm from a world where True Love's Kiss is an actual thing.

You're from a world that's deluded enough to normalize magic. I'm sure you've been raised among several unrealistic narratives.

[She speaks of compassion in a way that would make his father's blood boil.It's by force of will alone that his face remains impassive. It's his responsibility to fight on, so weaker people can indulge in the emotions that hold him back. He's doing them a service.]

Has anyone told you that you're different when you have access to your abilities? [She sounds just ever so slightly touched.]

[At first there's silence, as she weighs the response to all of that, because in some ways he's not wrong. Magic is fairly normal, though not everyone has it. And magic is feared, despite the normalcy. But unrealistic narratives and when he tries to make it personal just put her slightly on edge.]

You know next to nothing about me and magic, so I'd be careful what you assume. Moreover, you don't know the trust that I'm risking trying to help you.

[Her voice is surprisingly level for something that is a bit touchy, but she knows the edge of the precipice that she's just balancing on the edge on. The things she's done to help him are likely not going to be looked favorably upon by other people if they were to come out.

But Regina trusted her enough to give her her magic back, and she's trying very hard to keep that balance and not abuse it.]

That weak fledgling witch you manipulated into helping you during that event isn't even close.

[Her fingers squeeze, ever so slightly, just like a reflex. It's not enough to cause him any pain, but it's enough to have him feel that squeeze in his chest, just a little.]

You're dealing with the real deal, and to answer your question, yes. They did tell me I was different. But it wasn't because of the magic. It was because of what I did with it.

[When she squeezes, he withdraws in discomfort, grunting and instinctively clutching his chest. It's enough that her message is received.

He's expected this. They'll all betray him, in the end.

His other hand retrieves a pistol from his vest pocket. He's aiming for her before he's finished straightening his back again.]

Make another move like that and I'll make sure you don't live long enough to regret the mistake.

[She's testing her limits. He needs to show her where they are.]

[If he's out, he's bound to run into something. Not Fitz, but someone. Natasha has the look of someone who's looking for something too.

She's not sure what yet, but she has the feeling she'll know it when she sees it.]

[The gun doesn't bother her, even though it probably should. Instead, she just smirks and shakes her head.]

Boys and their toys. You'll have to catch me first.

[And with that, she disappears, in a cloud of magical smoke.]

[Whatever the favour Regina might have been expecting, it wasn't this. It's easy to see why Drizella came to her, but. Hm. Picking up one of the bracelets, she gives it a look over.]

... Alright, let's talk. You want your magic back? Convince me.

You know as well as I do that Wonderland isn't exactly the safest place. I'd rather not play around with the five death rule, and while I know it doesn't mean that my magic will work for every event, it'll at least up my odds a little.

[And she misses it. She misses feeling whole, even though she knows she shouldn't put that kind of stock in magic because that's what got her down this rabbit hole in the first place, but part of her wants to learn how to use it properly.]

And I have this friend, I want to try and help. I've tried doing it the normal way, but ... it's a magic problem, I need a magic solution.

( klaus knows it when he sees it: he sees that redhead. he was watching the doctor quite observantly on new year's eve and while he was unable to overhear every conversation in which he partook, klaus made an effort to note each of his social liaisons.

he stops at the mouth of a hallway, cognizant of the heartbeat and breath of another. when he spots natasha, he stalks down the hall after her. ) You. ( not quite a friendly greeting, but honestly more respectable than can be expected from klaus atm. he stops in front of her. ) What's your name?

[The argument she gets first is the argument she expected - it's a sound one, after all. Regina would be close to hitting her fifth death without her magic.]

You have a friend. [Definite disbelief there.] Besides the point. I'm sure you understand why you having a magic problem gives me pause. But let's say I trust you and help. What happens after that?

Believe it or not, I do have those sometimes.

[But that's about all she's going to elaborate on in terms of who.]

I do a locater spell to find out if he's right or just ... trying to make sense out of something that's nonsensical. And then once that's done, I try and see if I can really do this.

[Because it's one thing if she's good without any kind of temptation. It's another to really put it to the test. Someone else would probably say that wanting to get the magic back is probably a step towards failure in the first place because magic is what got her into this mess, but she doesn't think so. Her magic was always there, even before Ana died.]

And you can keep those.

[She gestures to the bracelets.]

If you think I'm starting to go off the rails, you can take the magic back.

[Natasha stops when he addresses her, raising an eyebrow. Well, she was looking for something...]

Natasha. Natasha Romanoff. I don't think we've met...?

Klaus Mikaelson. ( the name is provided without pause, with the tone of someone eager to get the distraction of pleasantries out of the way. or rather, to get to the point. ) How do you know Leopold Fitz?

Klaus. [It's a name she's heard before. She nods slightly, letting some curiosity show.] We had some connections back home. Work related.

Oh, good. ( his tone is more flat than the enthusiasm the words convey, but he does mean them. he may or may not say the next with an easy bluntness to see her reaction. ) So you're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Or Hydra. Either way, I'd like you to help me find him. ( protip: he does not intend for this to be a request. )

[That gets an arched eyebrow out of Natasha. If she's intimidated, she doesn't show it.]

Formerly, SHIELD. [Just so they're on the same page.] And if you're looking for him, I'd say it sounds like we have a common interest.

( she should be, as far as klaus is concerned. her careful cultivation of emotion and reaction does not go unawares to him. more to the point, considering her allegiance with intelligence organizations, he can guess what to expect from her. ) And what's your interest? ( so they're on the same page.

not that he'll believe her, but he'll take her word for it. either she'll help him, or he'll use her. )

That's a complicated question. [Or rather, it's a complicated answer, and one Natasha's not sure she wants to elaborate.

She'll play it by ear.]

You could say I'm looking for him too. [Which puts them approximately on the same side.] What do you know about magic?

( bold of her to assume this is at all to be done on her terms, and while the audacity of her non-answer certainly grates, he admires the attempt at dominance. klaus, however, doesn't play that game. there's something violent about his dimples as he smiles, something hard as steel in his eyes. ) Well, that's a complicated question. ( he's certainly not going to illuminate anything for her if she has no intention of doing so herself. ) Where do you think he'd go?

Edited 2019-02-11 14:38 (UTC)

005 ♟ closed } { bombs are falling everywhere

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i literally had to roll if he'd be more amused or more annoyed. right in the middle~