· OPEN ·

[carmesi]

Who: Wanda Maximoff, featuring others
When: July 22-August 5
Where: Solvunn and Horizon
What: Catch-all for Wanda's Sadbatical; closed starters within. Her magic is doing some messing around within Horizons, but this is opt-in! It's not happening throughout, and only when she is present in the Horizon.
Warnings: Grief, guilt, shame, mild-suicidal thoughts, Multiverse of Madness themes, TBA

[it has been a week since wanda removed herself from gardsbruk farm and found a place to isolate herself in—a small woods hedging the border of solvunn. the journey there had been fraught with substantial pause, and, at times, she felt she couldn't breathe. all she remembers is sitting in the darkhold castle atop wundagore mountain and forcing it to fall, its destruction surrounding her, the fury of her mistakes heavy stone. to be back here, now, it's not mercy.

wanda wishes she were dead.

her first week away, exiled to this far-off forest, she's set up a hex in it. slowly, as the days went by, the hex became smaller and smaller, until it encompasses a small portion towards the center of it. at first glance, it seems inconsequential, nothing of note to be seen, but an individual more adept at magic would see that its placid visage is interrupted by the back-and-forth of red static. anyone attempting to enter it would be rejected, expelled immediately.

the days go past without her taking any conscious recollection of them. magic bursts forth from her, her sorrow, her shame inclement against her psyche. it isn't long before she starts confusing reality with delusion, in this state, in her own isolation—she tries eating because her body demands it, but she can't seem to keep anything down, water from the stream that goes past the only thing keeping her mildly aware of her circumstances. and as she stares at the stars, and the sun, and the moon, past the canopy of the trees, her eyes blur the images she sees.

finding herself barefoot, she walks the trail of trees, the silence deafening. the leaves under her feet crunch and break. unbeknownst to her, her magic trails along with her, a mind of its own, subsuming different domains in red. it remains so, until she blinks back awake into the real world, an ache in her throat. her scarlet magic pulses again in tired exhaustion, her screams unheard within her self-imposed jail.]

Comments

[carmesi]

If it's not the name you use now, then—

[she didn't come here with the purpose of inflicting him pain, nor hurt him, being intrigued instead by the beauty of this horizon, instead. perhaps she was startled, but truly this kind of reaction stems from something so much bigger than claude. what was it again? she forgets—

perhaps it isn't all that important.

with another twirl of her wrist, she pulls the sword away from his neck, makes it disappear in crimson smoke.]

Is it because you've got something to hide?

[wanda approaches him, one foot after the other, her hands in front of herself, atop each other, fingers threading together.]

My intent isn't to harm you. [and yet, every time they meet... she considers his invitation, tilting her head.] I like tea.

[godshattering]

Don't we all have things to hide?

[ It's said with no trace of malice, and not even judgmentally: another truth, perhaps even more so for Claude who keeps things neatly tucked away until they're ready to be shared. The smile he offers now is a little more genuine and not just because there's no longer a sword pointed at him. It's one meant to make fun of himself and not even to pry into why she's here even if either one might not be immediately obvious. So in case that wasn't clear - ]

But you're not wrong. I just might have a few more details hidden away than most.

[ He does believe her about not meaning harm - someone who did want to do so would have already either here or out of the Horizon at the first opportunity. When she approaches and accepts being invited for tea, Claude's smile just grows a little bit wider and he nods back over his shoulder to a settee away from the training grounds where it all waits if she'd like to follow. ]

We have tea in common then. I know this is the horizon and we could just make anything appear, but instead I'm gonna ask you to humor me and tell me your favorite kind first. Otherwise, I have some different varieties from home if you'd like to try those instead.

[carmesi]

[for what it's worth, wanda appreciates someone who has no fear in softening his words or being earnestly dishonest to her. she can tell—from his words and the emotions that exude from his, as she gazes into his eyes—that he is being technically truthful, and it isn't her desire, after all, to delve into something that may not have anything to do with her at all.

the invitation is appropriate, and wanda can see that there is no ill-intent towards her. an ounce of respect is the least she deserves, so claude is doing something right, especially when he is being such a gracious host.

the question about her favorite kind makes her pause, thinking, until she settles on a far-off memory of times before now.]

Black tea. Plain is fine.

[wanda walks, then, towards the settee, following after him, and it is when they reach it that she takes a seat, careful to not step on her cape, and considers for a moment the disparity of her situation. however, when she glances up at her host, she sees that he dresses with an obvious stitching of regality in them—it's in the seams, in the fine details, in the layers and fine materials. perhaps she is not overdressed, after all.]

If not Khalid, [abruptly, raising her hand towards him, black-tar fingers curled inwards] what should I call you?

[godshattering]

[ Black tea: he has to think about that, considering most of the loose tea in the caddy on the table are ones from Fodlan where tea leaves are so often combined with other flavors. Those sachets are also his friends' favorites, as though he'd expected to find them here, somewhere, only to be greeted with the reality of being alone again. That thought's pushed aside as he remembers something he's had in Cadens that's likely close to what she's asking for - or so he hopes.

Claude summons a sachet of it up and drops it into a teacup as he takes a seat in a chair next to her. Her question isn't unexpected as he pours the water in for it to steep, and he glances up with another easy smile. ]

Claude von Riegan at your service. It's a pleasure to meet you. [ After he sets the teapot down, he immediately goes into a purposefully flourishing half bow made all the sillier by still being seated. Mostly for entertainment value, and partially because some part of him strangely misses the overly formal way Fodlan conducts introductions. ] But no need for the full name. Claude will do just fine. I'll turn that question back onto you now, though. What should I call you as well?

[ After setting a plate of various snacks in front of her for the taking if she'd like anything to go with her drink, he sits back in his seat with his own cup of pine needle tea in hand. There's no point in pretending like he's not studying her, is there? Only for a couple seconds, anyway, and not longer to avoid it being (too) awkward as he taps a finger idly against the cup in thought. ]

I looked for you after the dream. Not that I have all of Cadens memorized by a long shot, but my search wasn't very successful. Are you also there or somewhere else?

[carmesi]

[the flourish, the bowing, it's all like a show—and part of her thinks that it makes sense, with the type of secrets that he's keeping buried deep, deep. with him consciously not thinking of them, wanda can only catch small glimpses of them.

but she does smile at him, a small smile of amusement.]

Wanda Maximoff. Though if I am to call you Claude, you can call me Wanda.

[the snacks, however, catch her eye. when is the last time she had tea with biscuits? wrapped chocolates, butter cookies, syrupy desserts on a few occasions. she glosses over it all before settling on a cookie, watching it curiously as— yes, she remembers something similar. she glances up in time to see him looking away.

wanda tilts her head.]

—you would not have found me there. I'm in Solvunn. [she keeps leaning forward, removing the satchel from the cup, and grabbing a small spoon to stir it all together.] Were you worried I would reveal your name to others?

[and with a clink, she pulls the spoon away from the cup, down on the saucer, and brings it to her lips for a sip, her eyes on him.]

[godshattering]

I'm amending my previous statement just slightly then. It's a pleasure to meet you, Wanda.

[ Fair's fair, and it is nice to have a name to put to her face. When she mentions she's in Solvunn Claude nods slightly. It makes sense that he hadn't found her among the Summoned he knows if that's the case - never mind that he could've likely found her through them if that'd occurred to him before now - but what she chooses to ask? That's intriguing.

He considers it, fingers paused around his cup as he studies the tree nearby them in thought. Would it matter if she told others his true name? Possibly, and mainly in the sense that no one appreciates being lied to. But being Khalid: that carries no real weight in Abraxas. Not even the Free Cities had called him by it when he'd been unceremoniously yanked through that pool and they'd greeted him as Claude. Perhaps if someone from Fodlan happens to appear, it might be worth worrying about depending on who said person is. At least his Deer have already received notice there's more to him than just being Duke Riegan.

In the end, Wanda gets a shrug of one shoulder, smile returning as he looks back at her. ]

Oh, not particularly. Both of my names are rather common. Though I'll admit anyone from my world would recognize me as Claude, and Khalid would tell them where I'm actually from.

Then again, so does this. [ Claude waves a hand around in a vague gesture to encompass their surroundings but the courtyard specifically. ] This is part of the house where I grew up and definitely isn't common at all where I last lived. In that sense I suppose I'm telling on myself no matter which name I go by.

[ All said casually enough, but he is appraising Wanda ever so slightly. Curiosity still prevails over anything else; there's so many ways this could go. ]

[carmesi]

[that's a lie, she immediately clocks as he claims that his names are common. something about his entire explanation is... off, like he is still trying to hide something while making it unimportant.

is it something worth focusing on? wanda can imagine the reasons why one would be careful about their identity—she's been there—but it is still curious to her.

no matter, either way, as his diverting the attention elsewhere brings to mind what she was picking up on, that familiarity with living a life full of secrecy—necessary secrecy. as wanda's eyes roam the courtyard, the building and its stonework, claude will find himself having an advantage as he assesses her (such action going unnoticed). in fact, a small smile of recognition appears on her face.]

Where I grew up was similar to this place. It was colorful and beautiful.

[but her memories are marred, the war in sokovia keeping her recollection of her earlier childhood years as just that: something of a fantasy.]

But the war made my country gray and ugly. It lost its life, even as we tried to take back what was ours.

[godshattering]

[ As he watches her take in the scenery, it's difficult for Claude to not wonder what she's thinking and even more so when that smile, slight as it is, appears. It reminds her of home, she says in not so many words, and he raises an eyebrow just a bit wondering how much their homes share in common even if his domain has facets of both of his running through it.

When she mentions her country was marred by war, there's a familiar sinking feeling in his chest. It's something he watched play out even as they did their best to prevent destruction where they could, but it still happened all over Fodlan. Too many battles, too many lives lost. Is there anyone here in Abraxas whose life hasn't been touched by some kind of heavy conflict? He's starting to doubt it. It makes that they're staring down another one where none of them have any control that much worse to him. ]

I would rather no one ever have to go through war again, if I could make that choice for us all.

[ Because I'm sorry or I understand can't begin to cover it, can't possibly even touch beyond the surface of what she could have seen and lived through summed up in those words. It'd be meant as an offer of empathy to an extent, he knows, but still. The apology is still at the tip of his tongue regardless as Claude's silent for a long moment in thought. Of war, of leaving home, of the nightmare and being told stay out. ]

I understand if the answer to this is no, [ said slowly and meant to add to the weight of sincerity already present in those words, ] but I'd like to hear about your country sometime, but only if you're up for telling me.

[carmesi]

[they are the right words to say, for someone who seems to keep a lot under the surface, locked deep inside. it is honest, truly, and wanda can hear that in his voice. her smile is softer now as she turns her attention back to him, as he requests something from her.

and he's so polite, almost as if wary of her.

or perhaps that's just how he is?]

My country— does not exist anymore.

[and her head lowers in thought for a moment. no one really cared to ask her about it, remembered sokovia only for what it was in the later years of its existence.]

War broke it, but it was our naivety that destroyed it. [the city of novi grad, falling from the sky, a gaping hole where it once stood; thousands dead.] No one cared to ask what it was that we wanted.

When the war did finally end, the country was absorbed by the surrounding ones. My people displaced, homes lost, families gone; nothing but a memorial promising to never let something like it happen again. [and yet it does, again and again.] Most of my memories aren't... perfect, of what it was. I was a child when the war started.

[godshattering]

[ Curiosity's gotten the better of him in asking what even Claude can admit is borderline tactless, to want to know more about something said in such decisive past tense, that he almost expects her not to answer. Change the subject, perhaps, or flat out say no. He's about to move the topic along when she looks back at him with a smile, and he waits.

The story she tells is familiar in some ways: Fodlan went through less devastation than what he's reading between the lines of what Wanda says, but the elements of war's fallout ring true as he listens. I was a child, she clarifies about her memories and Claude's thoughts turn fleetingly to Cyril, who lived through wars as a child in Almyra that he himself knew only the barest details of and certainly not any of the reality of what that meant. Not until hearing the brutal truth of it in Cyril's words. ]

Where I'm from - [ deliberately vague from his side of this knowledge, what with the basic description conveniently applying to both homes - ] there's been a long war at the shared border between two countries. What's happened is in some ways much like what you described and particularly on one side and in one country.

[ And now western Almyra will have to wait if that's how being here works, something that pains him even as he tries to not think about it. Another thing totally out of his hands now that they're in Abraxas, another weight on his shoulders among everything else. But they're supposed to be talking about Wanda, not him. ]

No one's memories are ever perfect, but that doesn't make them any less important to have. Even the bad ones that are beyond painful that we have to carry with us too. [ A wry smile gets paired with that because this is far from subtle in terms of quietly opening a door for her to talk more if she'd like to, or even ask what he means. He'd share. Probably. ] What was the name of your country?

[carmesi]

Sokovia.

[she says, emphasizing the syllables in her native tongue.

there is much that she is pulling into a net from the way claude speaks—the things he says, what little (but how much) he offers as explanations. there are similarities here, and perhaps not perfect, they really speak of two people—him and her, here—who can very well relate to each other and the suffering their people have undergone.

this is why his words about memories don't sound like an empty attempt at embellishing something tragic. it's genuine, and wanda appreciates that.]

What about yours?

[whatever his answer is, wanda will nod and listen, before ultimately saying:]

You've given me something I thought I could not have again. [memories of when sokovia had been beautiful, something she will definitely have to treasure.] I will have to pay you back this favor, Claude.

[godshattering]

[ He's careful to repeat the country name exactly as Wanda's said it, both to commit it to memory and to respect the name she's willingly shared. Not one from his world, he's positive, what with everything he recalls from the nightmare still that didn't match Fodlan or even Almyra's settlements. Though he doesn't know the source of those sights, at least he can be one more person to remember where she's from all the same no matter what she shares.

When Wanda asks for the same in turn, he hesitates. There's likely no harm in saying Almyra aloud and a large part of him wants to. But. There are so many unknowns about Abraxas and what the factions may want with him or any of them, and while he trusts Wanda - a realization that startles him in its simplicity instead of needing to run circles around it first - he'd also rather not put her in any harm's way if it turns out the Free Cities has some other motive for bringing him here. ]

Fodlan is where I'm from. [ Though at the suggestion of being paid back, he follows that up with a slight twirl of one hand as thought to brush that thought away. ] Oh, I'm not really in the habit of asking for payment for favors these days. I'd be happy enough if you decided to stop by for tea now and then if it's not too much to ask.

[ Or, on second thought: maybe there is something she can for him after all. Something small, and on the topic of memories. In reality only a couple of seconds go by before Claude speaks again, but to him it feels like much longer as he weighs each word in turn before putting on a tentative smile. ] Though - if you wanted to call me Khalid when it's just the two of us here, I suppose that would do, too.

[carmesi]

[fodlan.

she will remember that, even if— well, it seems highly unnecessary as a point of focus for them, doesn't it? for claude offers that she should stop by for tea some other time, an offer she might just have to take as she is overly fond of tea.

but before she can even respond to him, claude speaks again—and as his words form into something solid and meaningful, wanda's smile grows.]

Is it wrong that I like Khalid better? [she offers as way of her answer; she would be more than delighted to call him by his real name when it's just the two of them.] I would be happy to visit again for tea.

[that, at least, is a certainty.]