[ Kirigan absolutely knows what she means, but he is curious to hear how Alina would fill in the details of exactly what the Apparat is like (he is always like that). He feigns ignorance for the time being in hopes she'll fill in her answer with something appropriately colorful. ]
[It takes her a moment to put into words what she means. The Apparat hadn’t been mean to her, but there was something distinctly unpleasant about the man, even when he seemed to be trying to help her.]
You know...off-putting. Ominous. Creepy? Maybe a little bit slimy?
[ Ah, yes, as colorful as he could have hoped. The slimy descriptor sends a protective wave through him as his shoulders tighten in response, wondering if he needs to have a talk with the Aparat. It is always important for him to be careful within the royal court, but most of the nobles don't read the disdain within his eyes as he plasters on a polite smile. The Aparat is... different. ]
Ominous and creepy are common descriptors for the man. Slimy is new. What did he do?
[ That is enough to anger him. His shoulders straighten in his sudden angered reaction, but he is good at concealing his true emotions especially when he only has to transmit words in response. Still he does not like the Aparat speaking to her in such a way. ]
Uncomfortable and wrong. Grisha have always suffered. They suffer still. Simply because they can live in a palace with nice clothing and an education does not mean they do not still suffer.
Fjerdans burn us at the pyre. The Shu take and experiment upon us. We've enemies all around. [ The royalty in Revka sees them as entertainment, something to be used. ] I do not believe he was wrong in stating you would suffer more. It is the price of being a saint.
[She knows very well that being disliked can lead to suffering. And she'd been on the receiving end of Fjerdan hatred once already. The Apparat's view of things definitely felt biased.]
I still don't feel very much like a saint. [She has to admit this, especially with how her first lesson with Baghra went.] But I have a book about them now, I'll see what I can learn from it.
I am no expert, [ far from it after all, quite the opposite after all- a heretic is no saint, but he is not concerned with that. once he had to live in hiding, once he was feared even by his own kind, and now he has a position of power and the world will change for the better after all his trying] I do not believe saints often feel like they are ones at the time they are moving mountains or destroying folds.
They change the world because they have the ability and drive to do so. Not because they see themselves as a saint. Did you like the library?
[ he may pride himself in the library. he has always found knowledge to be incredibly important. many grisha don't know what they can do, don't know the history of grisha themselves because they are never given the chance to learn. here at the little palace, they can. they can learn to read, they can pour over the stories written within the pages. ]
That is the reaction I aim for. I try to make sure it is stocked with as many options as possible. Are there any books in particular that interest you?
[ if they are not here already, he can have them sent for. ]
I found a book I used to read as a child. It was nice to see it again.
But, besides that, I think I should take a look at anything about the history and lore surrounding the Grisha. I might not have taken it seriously enough before.
[She definitely hadn’t taken it seriously enough before. She had no reason to since she’d convinced everyone including herself that she couldn’t possibly be one.]
A book of fairytales? [ He's curious. He couldn't read much when he was especially young (the centuries ago that it occurred during), but when he had the chance, he read everything he could get his hands on. ]
I believe there must be every book available about the history and lore surrounding our people available in that library. You may not feel a saint yet, but do you feel as if you're Grisha?
Sort of. It was about a stag. I used to sketch it sometimes, for practice.
[She has to think about his question a moment before answering. Baghra certainly hadn't instilled much confidence in her in terms of her ability, but then again from what Marie and Nadine have said, finding Baghra frustrating was common among Grisha learning to harness their power.]
I don't know. I'm getting there? I think I'll feel more like a Grisha when I can summon on my own and Baghra stops yelling at me.
I am familiar with that one. Do you sketch still? Beyond maps that is.
[ Being 'familiar' with the stag, of course, is putting it mildly, but like with many things, he does not elaborate. The last bit at least makes him smile in quiet amusement though she cannot see it. ]
I am sorry to tell you, but Baghra yelling at you is an integral Grisha experience.
Sometimes, but I haven’t lately. Everything has happened so fast since coming here, I haven’t had time. Perhaps I’ll start again now that I’ve started to settle in, though.
[It might give her something else to do in her spare time besides pen letters to Mal. Not that she has any plans to stop that but maybe she should give her letters a chance to get to him before writing new ones.
Besides she’s been dreaming of the stag lately, maybe it would help to get the images out on paper.]
So, yelling is just part of Baghra's charm, is it? I was afraid of that.
You should take the time to sketch if it would make you feel more at home.
[ Aleksander did intend to make this place as a save haven for those who are Grisha. He did not quite anticipate someone joining the Little Palace who already had a life of their own.
But his smile widens slightly. ]
I'm afraid I can give you no reassurance there. I would be more worried if she stopped yelling.
[ They can easily find whatever she might need and more.
There's a pause after that bit if only because he doesn't like to think of Baghra hitting her, but he is also well aware of Baghra's technique. He... experienced it himself after all when he was much younger than Alina. If he wants the sun summoner to be as strong as he knows her to be, she has to be trained by the best, which is Baghra. If Kirigan had the time through fighting a war, through travelling through the country to fight at his army's side, he would want to teach her himself.
But their time is limited, and the threat grows every day. ]
I am afraid so, Alina. Her methods are extreme. But they do provide results.
I went through similar training when I was younger than you.
If you insist. I could gather them myself, though, if it's too much trouble.
[But she suspects he might insist.
She has to take a moment to consider what he says about Baghra. In spite of hearing some stories, she hadn't yet thought much about how young some of the Grisha must be when they first started training. At least she's not a child any longer.]
I know. I've heard the same from some of the other Grisha here.
I'm sorry, though. It must have been difficult to deal with as a child.
[ Kirigan insists. She has much more important things to be doing than gathering supplies at the moment, and there are plenty of servants who could do so with ease. When she retires this evening, she will find everything she needs laid out upon her bed.
There is a long pause following what she says. It is strange to hear her say it given the reality she does not know, that no one knows. It is certainly nothing he deserves though he wonders if one day he may be able to tell her the truth. Speak of what he hasn't truly ever spoken about, what he rarely thinks about anymore- he has changed so much within his lifetime.
They have time after all - more than she knows. ]
It is an unfortunate necessity of being at war. [ of being only valued for what they can do for the king, of being in danger otherwise. ] At least here Grisha can be safe.
[ safe to fight a war for a king who cares not for their interests. ]
And one day perhaps we will not have to fight so hard any longer. That is the hope you bring. Is it not?
[Ah, there it is again. The pressure. The spike of anxiety in her chest and the doubt that eats at her. Being the people’s symbol of hope is a heavy weight to carry, and she’s not accustomed to bearing it yet.]
So they keep saying.
[Well, except Zoya. On some level Alina wonders if Zoya is the only one who sees the truth. She’s completely out of her depth.
Then again, proving Zoya wrong is excellent incentive not to give up.]
I still have a lot of work to do before I can live up to it, though.
Witches, mages are relegated to specific roles- the advisors to royalty, the herbalists near villages making remedies for coin. They are controlled, and control is important, but control can also be a way to use them, monitor them, kill them should they step out of line. In that time, he has created his own school, quietly-
The Brotherhood is unaware of it, and he would like it to maintain so, which is why he is careful with who he informs about it.
Kirigan ends up in Rinde where Yennefer has been selling her magic to the townspeople. They went to school around the same time though they went to different ones- schools that taught them to control their source. There was some crossover- some events that let them run into one another, formal or training all together. It's why he knows her though it's been some time since they saw one another last.
He steps inside, knowing his presence isn't going to necessarily be a welcome one- not if she is trying to hide from the Brotherhood who he doesn't associate with, but she has no way of knowing that.
take your pick, also open for felderwin shenanigans, if it moves you
Something is hunting witches in the world. As if vampires and werewolves were not enough of a threat among the many other monsters and supernatural creatures scattered through the world, there has to be a threat from another plane.
A monster consumes them for their magic - gone before it can be found, gone before it can be hunted. This is after centuries of witches being used for spells to benefit others.
Kirigan barely escaped. It helps that he is difficult to kill, powerful, being a rare shadow-witch. However, he is not strong enough to defeat it himself, and he continues to hear stories of witches killed throughout the world - their bodies drained of magic. After his own narrow escape (feeling the magic seeping from his body), he knows he has to reach out to bigger help, stronger allies. It's been some time since he has seen Freya Mikaelson, but he can think of few strong enough to face such a threat.
Using his resources, he sends her a message through magic: We need to speak when you have the opportunity. In person. Where are you these days?
Freya has set down roots in the time since they've seen each other last. She's found her family, found her home, tried to build a life for herself in New Orleans, for better or for worse. She's still a Mikaelson and that name will always carry a certain amount of baggage, but she's also done enough good for New Orleans that she's managed to balance some of her siblings crimes.
Emphasis on the word some.
Still, when the note appears in her pocket and she scans over the familiar handwriting, surprised that Kirigan has reached out after all this time. Flipping the paper over, she replicates the spell and scribbles down a message to send back to him, along with her current address.
Kirigan will be here soon. One of the benefits of being a rare shadow witch is he can use those same shadows to travel with, bringing him over temporarily to the shadow plane and then placing him wherever he wishes to be in the world. He did not used to be so good at teleportation via shadows.
It took time and practice.
But now it only takes the current address and knowing the person he is teleporting to to find his way to them. A moment later, there's a sweep of shadows as he appears in a corner where the light did not particularly reach well. He steps out from those shadows into the room properly.
"I appreciate your quick response and the offer of drinks."
They will both need one is the implication within the gravity of his otherwise smooth voice.
"Whenever someone says they need to meet in person, I assume it's a drinking situation."
That's just how they roll in New Orleans. She passes the drink off to him as she looks him over, trying to see what storm might be following him in from the shadows. Not that she's one to assume that Aleksander only wants to see her when he's in trouble. But usually when someone indicates they need to with some urgency, something bad is coming.
Aleksander takes the drink from her to have a long sip from the glass as he closes his eyes through the taste of it, simply allowing himself this moment to be centered again. He tends to be less dramatic when he wants to meet to spend time with another person. It's true.
He opens his eyes again to look at her at the question. He is not one to beat around the bush - certainly not when their people are at stake.
"...there is a monster after witches. A beast that feeds on magic."
"I take it the two of you have been personally acquainted?"
She's guessing from the urgency of his request. He seems to have been able to fight it off for now, but that doesn't mean that whatever it is isn't following him. The witches of New Orleans will need to be prepared.
Aleksander takes a longer sip from his drink at the question though he does not answer it immediately. He lets the burn slide down his throat, remembering being in the moment, feeling a fate worse than death- his magic sucked from him, his very being torn from his soul.
"We have. I barely escaped. There were bodies left behind in the wake."
He attempted to save them. He could not.
"No. The magic it consumes- it's gone. It hollowed out the witches it swallowed."
Aleksander takes another drink from his glass, savoring the taste of it even as he nods in agreement. His dark eyes lift from the liquor to her - his gaze sharp with anger in the dark of his eyes. He is grateful for the drink to soothe it.
"We do. The bait is easy enough given its hunger for magic, but what can be used to trap it is limited to non-magical options. I suppose there could be magic it cannot consume, but we may waste valuable time testing those methods out and still end up unsuccessful."
The killing it is another matter entirely.
He doesn't carry around mundane weapons so he doesn't know how it would fare against bullets.
She runs her finger along the lip of her glass as she considers her options. Given how much magic runs New Orleans, it certainly makes things complicated. But Freya has other resources, it's just a matter of selecting the right ones.
"What about vampires or werewolves? They were created with magic - do they still count as magical as far as the creature is concerned?"
"I am not certain." It is a good question - one he had little time to consider in his race to escape it. He stares into his glass and then takes another long sip from it, letting the burn slide down his throat as he weighs the possibility. "I only know of witches who have succumbed to the beast, but I imagine they would have some draw to the beast as well. Perhaps not as much as a witch."
When given a choice between the two, it would go after the larger source of food, but it must sense magic even in those created from it.
"Then perhaps it might be a good idea to have an Original vampire or two on hand."
Just for back up. Freya doesn't do much alone anymore, and she doesn't think that this is solely a witch problem to solve. Tapping her finger against her chin, she considers the plan.
"They'll at least be able to supply a bit of brute force."
"You would be the one to make that happen. They are also more difficult to kill, yes?"
They might not die simply from having the magic drained from them, but then again, they also could. They are moving through new territory now after all, and there's no telling what could result. However, they would not leave Freya to deal with any of this alone. Aleksander has met all of them- her siblings at least briefly. They do not always get along, but they can face a similar goal when it presents itself.
"Regardless I am certain your family will want to assist against this threat."
"When someone tries to siphon the magic out of a vampire, they simply dessicate. So while, yes, they would be put out of commission, it likely wouldn't kill them."
They would just need a little bit of a blood infusion, and they'd be good to go. Easy breezy.
"Especially considering Hope might also be a target as well." Speaking of, she frowns. "Which direction was the beast heading in? Do you know?"
Aleksander lifts his gaze and meets her own - his expression is one of quiet reassurance. He knows how important her family is to her as difficult as that may be to wrap his own head around. He has never quite had a family- Baghra does not count.
"It was in Europe. I do not believe it had an easy or fast way to travel as I came here without trouble once I escaped it. Your niece should be safe for the time being at least."
But ultimately, this monster would threaten her as well simply for being what it is, wanting what it does.
"Still, we should warn them. Between her and the last scions of the Gemini coven, as well as all the other witches, there's a large concentration of powerful magic at that school."
Either way, it'd be a rather solid meal between it and where they are now. She'll call Alaric after she and Aleksander are done here.
"We should. I would hate for anything to happen because we did not take proper precautions," Aleksander says and then lifts the drink up further to his mouth to down it slow.
When he sets the glass down once more, he lifts his dark gaze toward her. There's a soft smile then despite his otherwise frazzled appearance. He escaped. The monster is still out there, and he will not be settled until what threatens witches has been killed, but he can relax. somewhat.
"I wouldn't call it confidence so much as grim determination."
When Freya sets her mind to something, she intends to see it done. There is no option for failure, because failure means that she clearly hadn't tried hard enough. It's not a healthy mindset by any sense of the word, but she knows herself and she knows her skills.
Not many things have tried to come up against her and lived.
"I prefer to focus on the goal rather than the what-if's."
His gaze lingers on her at the response and then he tilts his head to the side as if in thought, as if in consideration. He approves of this line of thinking. Half success is simply believing that no other possibility can manifest.
He nods then after a moment, stepping away from the wall he'd found himself on to walk closer to her.
"It is a smart way to focus. The what-ifs can make a person lost in them. Rather grim-determination than total despair."
Though she can't say the what ifs don't sneak up on occasion. Sometimes in the heat of a bad time in New Orleans, she can be paralyzed with the possibilities, especially when she truly experiences how bad things are. But that's not a problem for now. That's a problem for future Freya to worry about.
She smirks as he comes closer before straightening to meet his gaze.
"Perhaps our best course of action is setting a trap."
Kirigan keeps her gaze as she straightens and smirks, and he smirks too in turn, breathing in, taking strength in knowing he has such a powerful ally against an enemy so great. His gaze lingers on her own.
"I like the way you think. If we set an effective trap, we may be able to get the jump on the monster."
Instead of being surprised by it, overwhelmed by it. He prefers being a step ahead.
So does Freya. The more steps they are ahead, they better they can be prepared for surprises. "So. We'll need a large concentration of magic, the means to hold it in place and the means to kill it."
She pauses for a moment, taking stock of the spells she has in her mind. "I do have a spell for neutralizing magic in a given space. Do you think that could set a boundary to keep it trapped?"
Kirigan breathes in deeply, nodding after a moment. He takes the time to truly think of what she suggests, to decide if it will be worth effort or not-
He truly knows so little of the beast. He was surprised by it, escaped from it as soon as he could.
"I believe it is an intelligent idea- a step in the right direction if nothing else. We should try it." There is a more lengthy pause then, because he means to say something else, something important- He rests a hand over her own briefly. "Thank you, Freya." for her help, for believing him without question.
She can't say that she's surprised creatures like this have been appearing. With what she's heard about the things coming out of Malivore, it makes sense that something that eats magic would be on it's to-eat list.
"There have been a lot of strange creatures appearing these days. It wastes less time if we avoid the skepticism. And you certainly aren't one to jump to conclusions in that respect."
You wish to strike a bargain, and so you come north, until the land ends, and you can go no farther. You stand on the rocky coast and face the water, see the waves break upon two great islands, their coastlines black and jagged. Maybe you pay a local to help you find a boat and a safe place to launch it. You wrap yourself in sealskins to keep the cold and wet away, chew whale fat to keep your mouth moist beneath the hard winter sun. Somehow you cross that long stretch of stone-colored sea and find the strength to scale the angry cliff face, breath tight in your chest, fingers nearly numb in your gloves.
Then, tired and trembling, you traverse the island and find the single crescent of gray sand beach. You make your way to a circle of rocks, to a little tide pool, your wish burning like a sun in your mortal heart. You come as so many have before—lonely, troubled, sick with avarice. A thousand desperate wishes have been spoken on these shores, and in the end they are all the same: Make me someone new.
...
Or so the story goes. All but the desperate would discount stories about the witch who dwells in the sea north of Fjerda. The desperate, or the half brother who watched their mother return his baby sister to her father in the sea. Who has met her once since, a long, long time ago, and shared with her the secret of a terrible spell. When he hears the stories, he might suspect the truth of them. That things went horribly wrong in the aftermath of her spell. That she survived the spell and perhaps even caused the destruction that followed it, too stubborn and too angry to die.
He asked her to join him once before. Maybe now her answer would be different. Maybe they could serve each other's purposes.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
TEXT
no subject
Is he always like what specifically, Alina?
no subject
You know...off-putting. Ominous. Creepy? Maybe a little bit slimy?
no subject
Ominous and creepy are common descriptors for the man. Slimy is new. What did he do?
no subject
[After a moment of consideration, she adds:]
I don’t think he meant it as a threat or anything. But it was just...an uncomfortable way to end a conversation.
[She remembers Genya calling the Aparat a greasy rat. She can understand why now.]
no subject
Uncomfortable and wrong. Grisha have always suffered. They suffer still. Simply because they can live in a palace with nice clothing and an education does not mean they do not still suffer.
Fjerdans burn us at the pyre. The Shu take and experiment upon us. We've enemies all around. [ The royalty in Revka sees them as entertainment, something to be used. ] I do not believe he was wrong in stating you would suffer more. It is the price of being a saint.
no subject
[She knows very well that being disliked can lead to suffering. And she'd been on the receiving end of Fjerdan hatred once already. The Apparat's view of things definitely felt biased.]
I still don't feel very much like a saint. [She has to admit this, especially with how her first lesson with Baghra went.] But I have a book about them now, I'll see what I can learn from it.
no subject
They change the world because they have the ability and drive to do so. Not because they see themselves as a saint. Did you like the library?
no subject
[It's worth remembering that all saints were people once, before the stories and the legends started to spread.]
The library was wonderful. I might have been a little overwhelmed by the selection.
no subject
That is the reaction I aim for. I try to make sure it is stocked with as many options as possible. Are there any books in particular that interest you?
[ if they are not here already, he can have them sent for. ]
no subject
But, besides that, I think I should take a look at anything about the history and lore surrounding the Grisha. I might not have taken it seriously enough before.
[She definitely hadn’t taken it seriously enough before. She had no reason to since she’d convinced everyone including herself that she couldn’t possibly be one.]
no subject
I believe there must be every book available about the history and lore surrounding our people available in that library. You may not feel a saint yet, but do you feel as if you're Grisha?
no subject
[She has to think about his question a moment before answering. Baghra certainly hadn't instilled much confidence in her in terms of her ability, but then again from what Marie and Nadine have said, finding Baghra frustrating was common among Grisha learning to harness their power.]
I don't know. I'm getting there? I think I'll feel more like a Grisha when I can summon on my own and Baghra stops yelling at me.
no subject
[ Being 'familiar' with the stag, of course, is putting it mildly, but like with many things, he does not elaborate. The last bit at least makes him smile in quiet amusement though she cannot see it. ]
I am sorry to tell you, but Baghra yelling at you is an integral Grisha experience.
no subject
[It might give her something else to do in her spare time besides pen letters to Mal. Not that she has any plans to stop that but maybe she should give her letters a chance to get to him before writing new ones.
Besides she’s been dreaming of the stag lately, maybe it would help to get the images out on paper.]
So, yelling is just part of Baghra's charm, is it? I was afraid of that.
no subject
[ Aleksander did intend to make this place as a save haven for those who are Grisha. He did not quite anticipate someone joining the Little Palace who already had a life of their own.
But his smile widens slightly. ]
I'm afraid I can give you no reassurance there. I would be more worried if she stopped yelling.
no subject
[Indeed, the Little Palace seemed to have everything. A charcoal pencil and a sketch pad is probably easy enough to find.
As for Baghra:]
What if she stopped hitting? Would that be worrying, too?
[Of course she understand why Baghra does it. The sudden pain triggers a Grisha's power. But, it's very frustrating.]
no subject
[ They can easily find whatever she might need and more.
There's a pause after that bit if only because he doesn't like to think of Baghra hitting her, but he is also well aware of Baghra's technique. He... experienced it himself after all when he was much younger than Alina. If he wants the sun summoner to be as strong as he knows her to be, she has to be trained by the best, which is Baghra. If Kirigan had the time through fighting a war, through travelling through the country to fight at his army's side, he would want to teach her himself.
But their time is limited, and the threat grows every day. ]
I am afraid so, Alina. Her methods are extreme. But they do provide results.
I went through similar training when I was younger than you.
no subject
[But she suspects he might insist.
She has to take a moment to consider what he says about Baghra. In spite of hearing some stories, she hadn't yet thought much about how young some of the Grisha must be when they first started training. At least she's not a child any longer.]
I know. I've heard the same from some of the other Grisha here.
I'm sorry, though. It must have been difficult to deal with as a child.
no subject
There is a long pause following what she says. It is strange to hear her say it given the reality she does not know, that no one knows. It is certainly nothing he deserves though he wonders if one day he may be able to tell her the truth. Speak of what he hasn't truly ever spoken about, what he rarely thinks about anymore- he has changed so much within his lifetime.
They have time after all - more than she knows. ]
It is an unfortunate necessity of being at war. [ of being only valued for what they can do for the king, of being in danger otherwise. ] At least here Grisha can be safe.
[ safe to fight a war for a king who cares not for their interests. ]
And one day perhaps we will not have to fight so hard any longer. That is the hope you bring. Is it not?
no subject
So they keep saying.
[Well, except Zoya. On some level Alina wonders if Zoya is the only one who sees the truth. She’s completely out of her depth.
Then again, proving Zoya wrong is excellent incentive not to give up.]
I still have a lot of work to do before I can live up to it, though.
idk i just thought they could be interesting
no subject
The Brotherhood is unaware of it, and he would like it to maintain so, which is why he is careful with who he informs about it.
Kirigan ends up in Rinde where Yennefer has been selling her magic to the townspeople. They went to school around the same time though they went to different ones- schools that taught them to control their source. There was some crossover- some events that let them run into one another, formal or training all together. It's why he knows her though it's been some time since they saw one another last.
He steps inside, knowing his presence isn't going to necessarily be a welcome one- not if she is trying to hide from the Brotherhood who he doesn't associate with, but she has no way of knowing that.
take your pick, also open for felderwin shenanigans, if it moves you
tvd-ish w/ a splash of d&d
A monster consumes them for their magic - gone before it can be found, gone before it can be hunted. This is after centuries of witches being used for spells to benefit others.
Kirigan barely escaped. It helps that he is difficult to kill, powerful, being a rare shadow-witch. However, he is not strong enough to defeat it himself, and he continues to hear stories of witches killed throughout the world - their bodies drained of magic. After his own narrow escape (feeling the magic seeping from his body), he knows he has to reach out to bigger help, stronger allies. It's been some time since he has seen Freya Mikaelson, but he can think of few strong enough to face such a threat.
Using his resources, he sends her a message through magic: We need to speak when you have the opportunity. In person. Where are you these days?
no subject
Emphasis on the word some.
Still, when the note appears in her pocket and she scans over the familiar handwriting, surprised that Kirigan has reached out after all this time. Flipping the paper over, she replicates the spell and scribbles down a message to send back to him, along with her current address.
New Orleans. I'll pour us some drinks.
She assumes that he'll be here soon.
no subject
It took time and practice.
But now it only takes the current address and knowing the person he is teleporting to to find his way to them. A moment later, there's a sweep of shadows as he appears in a corner where the light did not particularly reach well. He steps out from those shadows into the room properly.
"I appreciate your quick response and the offer of drinks."
They will both need one is the implication within the gravity of his otherwise smooth voice.
no subject
That's just how they roll in New Orleans. She passes the drink off to him as she looks him over, trying to see what storm might be following him in from the shadows. Not that she's one to assume that Aleksander only wants to see her when he's in trouble. But usually when someone indicates they need to with some urgency, something bad is coming.
"What happened?"
no subject
Aleksander takes the drink from her to have a long sip from the glass as he closes his eyes through the taste of it, simply allowing himself this moment to be centered again. He tends to be less dramatic when he wants to meet to spend time with another person. It's true.
He opens his eyes again to look at her at the question. He is not one to beat around the bush - certainly not when their people are at stake.
"...there is a monster after witches. A beast that feeds on magic."
no subject
She's guessing from the urgency of his request. He seems to have been able to fight it off for now, but that doesn't mean that whatever it is isn't following him. The witches of New Orleans will need to be prepared.
"Have you seen anything like it before?"
no subject
"We have. I barely escaped. There were bodies left behind in the wake."
He attempted to save them. He could not.
"No. The magic it consumes- it's gone. It hollowed out the witches it swallowed."
no subject
She doesn't mean to sound so casual about it. It's just Freya's default setting, her emotions simmering until she needs to use them for fuel.
"So it sounds like we need bait, a trap and the means to kill it."
Because this is about killing it, isn't it?
no subject
"We do. The bait is easy enough given its hunger for magic, but what can be used to trap it is limited to non-magical options. I suppose there could be magic it cannot consume, but we may waste valuable time testing those methods out and still end up unsuccessful."
The killing it is another matter entirely.
He doesn't carry around mundane weapons so he doesn't know how it would fare against bullets.
no subject
She runs her finger along the lip of her glass as she considers her options. Given how much magic runs New Orleans, it certainly makes things complicated. But Freya has other resources, it's just a matter of selecting the right ones.
"What about vampires or werewolves? They were created with magic - do they still count as magical as far as the creature is concerned?"
no subject
When given a choice between the two, it would go after the larger source of food, but it must sense magic even in those created from it.
no subject
Just for back up. Freya doesn't do much alone anymore, and she doesn't think that this is solely a witch problem to solve. Tapping her finger against her chin, she considers the plan.
"They'll at least be able to supply a bit of brute force."
no subject
They might not die simply from having the magic drained from them, but then again, they also could. They are moving through new territory now after all, and there's no telling what could result. However, they would not leave Freya to deal with any of this alone. Aleksander has met all of them- her siblings at least briefly. They do not always get along, but they can face a similar goal when it presents itself.
"Regardless I am certain your family will want to assist against this threat."
no subject
They would just need a little bit of a blood infusion, and they'd be good to go. Easy breezy.
"Especially considering Hope might also be a target as well." Speaking of, she frowns. "Which direction was the beast heading in? Do you know?"
no subject
"It was in Europe. I do not believe it had an easy or fast way to travel as I came here without trouble once I escaped it. Your niece should be safe for the time being at least."
But ultimately, this monster would threaten her as well simply for being what it is, wanting what it does.
no subject
Either way, it'd be a rather solid meal between it and where they are now. She'll call Alaric after she and Aleksander are done here.
"Though we'll likely get to it first, I'm sure."
no subject
When he sets the glass down once more, he lifts his dark gaze toward her. There's a soft smile then despite his otherwise frazzled appearance. He escaped. The monster is still out there, and he will not be settled until what threatens witches has been killed, but he can relax. somewhat.
"Are you truly so confident?"
no subject
When Freya sets her mind to something, she intends to see it done. There is no option for failure, because failure means that she clearly hadn't tried hard enough. It's not a healthy mindset by any sense of the word, but she knows herself and she knows her skills.
Not many things have tried to come up against her and lived.
"I prefer to focus on the goal rather than the what-if's."
no subject
He nods then after a moment, stepping away from the wall he'd found himself on to walk closer to her.
"It is a smart way to focus. The what-ifs can make a person lost in them. Rather grim-determination than total despair."
no subject
Though she can't say the what ifs don't sneak up on occasion. Sometimes in the heat of a bad time in New Orleans, she can be paralyzed with the possibilities, especially when she truly experiences how bad things are. But that's not a problem for now. That's a problem for future Freya to worry about.
She smirks as he comes closer before straightening to meet his gaze.
"Perhaps our best course of action is setting a trap."
no subject
"I like the way you think. If we set an effective trap, we may be able to get the jump on the monster."
Instead of being surprised by it, overwhelmed by it. He prefers being a step ahead.
no subject
She pauses for a moment, taking stock of the spells she has in her mind. "I do have a spell for neutralizing magic in a given space. Do you think that could set a boundary to keep it trapped?"
no subject
He truly knows so little of the beast. He was surprised by it, escaped from it as soon as he could.
"I believe it is an intelligent idea- a step in the right direction if nothing else. We should try it." There is a more lengthy pause then, because he means to say something else, something important- He rests a hand over her own briefly. "Thank you, Freya." for her help, for believing him without question.
no subject
She can't say that she's surprised creatures like this have been appearing. With what she's heard about the things coming out of Malivore, it makes sense that something that eats magic would be on it's to-eat list.
"There have been a lot of strange creatures appearing these days. It wastes less time if we avoid the skepticism. And you certainly aren't one to jump to conclusions in that respect."
no subject
You wish to strike a bargain, and so you come north, until the land ends, and you can go no farther. You stand on the rocky coast and face the water, see the waves break upon two great islands, their coastlines black and jagged. Maybe you pay a local to help you find a boat and a safe place to launch it. You wrap yourself in sealskins to keep the cold and wet away, chew whale fat to keep your mouth moist beneath the hard winter sun. Somehow you cross that long stretch of stone-colored sea and find the strength to scale the angry cliff face, breath tight in your chest, fingers nearly numb in your gloves.
Then, tired and trembling, you traverse the island and find the single crescent of gray sand beach. You make your way to a circle of rocks, to a little tide pool, your wish burning like a sun in your mortal heart. You come as so many have before—lonely, troubled, sick with avarice. A thousand desperate wishes have been spoken on these shores, and in the end they are all the same: Make me someone new.
...
Or so the story goes. All but the desperate would discount stories about the witch who dwells in the sea north of Fjerda. The desperate, or the half brother who watched their mother return his baby sister to her father in the sea. Who has met her once since, a long, long time ago, and shared with her the secret of a terrible spell. When he hears the stories, he might suspect the truth of them. That things went horribly wrong in the aftermath of her spell. That she survived the spell and perhaps even caused the destruction that followed it, too stubborn and too angry to die.
He asked her to join him once before. Maybe now her answer would be different. Maybe they could serve each other's purposes.