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open rp post

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( code from supersuits | gif from ahgiffers )

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[striketwice]

Was that a joke?

[ He sounds unimpressed, though he’s privately amused. Maybe the idea of justice or whatever gets her to loosen up a little? There’s something out there for everybody, he supposes.

Once she’s on the roof, he hauls himself up the rope, flipping on his Enhancements with a thought to help ease his passage and he makes it up top rather quickly. (Maybe a little too quickly? Eh.) He leaves the skylight to her as he gathers up the rope, looping it back up. ]

Well my lady, this has been a wonderful and enlightening experience, but I believe this is where we part ways.

[arkhein]

[The skylight is quietly taken care of, and when is all and said and done, they've done a good job looking as if no one had been there at all. The documents in Emily's coat already feel like they're burning a hole in her pocket; she feels eager to return to the Tower and see to this matter first thing in the morning.

But something causes her to linger a moment more before they depart, and she doesn't turn to leave or even acknowledge Alec's parting words just yet.]

I still have questions for you that you never answered. [It's probably obvious what she's referring to.]

[striketwice]

[ Fuck. He was really hoping she had forgotten that.

He turns to face her, expression bland, ]

Our little agreement didn’t cover answering questions, so… no.

[arkhein]

[Fine.

She'll be a bit more direct, then.]

Have you been using dark magic?

[It would be something she had seen before, all those years ago -- the day her mother was killed, wielded by Daud's assassins. It's the only kind of magic she knows of, dark and dangerous, borrowed from the Void. If it's what Alec's been using, she has to know, even if it doesn't feel quite the same.]

[striketwice]

[ Her directness has the intended effect, and Alec freezes in his tracks, turning to regard her with and evaluating look. A reevaluating look, more like. He had suspected that she knew about magic, of course, based on her conviction when they first met, but most people don’t just ask that. That she asks about dark magic and not… magic in general suggests a familiarity with the former, but not necessarily the latter.

The gears in his head are clearly turning as he looks at her, tongue coasting over his lower lip as he thinks.

Then finally, cautiously, ] Not dark magic, no.

[arkhein]

[He's budged, at least. But her bringing up the subject seems to spark a motivation in her; it's hard to erase the association between magic and the moment her life changed completely, even if she tries very hard not to think about that day too often.]

Then what? [She steps forward, not even realizing it.] The last people to have used magic in my life did not leave a particularly good impression. You've proven yourself so far to not be as loathsome as them, but surely you can understand my being wary.

[striketwice]

[ When she steps in, he steps back, raising both of his hands. ] Easy, princess. It’s just magic. I was born with it- I’m not making pacts with demons or anything.

[arkhein]

[She's surprised to see him stepping back, and she blinks, setting her jaw and exhaling through her nose. Her composure comes back to her, practiced and smooth.]

I've never heard of anyone just being "born with it".

[striketwice]

Wizards don’t exactly advertise their existence.

But if all you’ve seen is the nasty stuff, I’m not sure how to convince you that I’m on the up and up.

[arkhein]

Well. [She crosses her arms, as if being defiant against her own following concession.] Thus far, you've made a better impression, as... frustrating as you can sometimes be. And you haven't murdered anyone yet.

[Emily watches his reaction carefully. Truthfully, she doubts that he's anything as terrible as an assassin. She's more inclined to believe that he is what he states, a man who takes "jobs" to screw over the wealthy.

One can't be too careful, though.]

Dark magic or no, I need more of an explanation than that. You said you're a wizard?

[striketwice]

Wow, Em. That’s the nicest thing anybody’s ever said to me.

[ That whole “frustrating” thing is still in full swing apparently. Though, now that he’s convinced she’s not gonna attack him or anything, his posture eases a little. ]

I did. What more of an explanation do you need?

[arkhein]

["Em"? No one calls her Em. Not even Corvo or Wyman calls her that; she's caught between being put-off and surprised, and settles somewhere in-between with her correction.] It's Emily.

[The frustrating thing is definitely in full swing.]

What kind of magic is it? Who taught you?

[striketwice]

[ That was about the reaction he was expecting from his little nickname, so Emily does not disappoint. ]

Okay, Emily. Can we have this conversation somewhere other than the roof of the guy we just robbed?

[arkhein]

[She doesn't quite huff, though it may be apparent she's holding one back.]

...Fine.

[striketwice]

[ He just assumes she’ll follow him when he goes, so he doesn’t say anything. He turns and bounds away, leaping from rooftop to rooftop in a seemingly random direction. To his credit, he doesn’t make any attempt to lose her, and keeps a steady pace. Once he seems satisfied with the distance, he picks a rooftop with high chimneys for cover and stops there, waiting for her. ]

Let’s take this one question at a time. What do you wanna know first?

[arkhein]

[She follows easily enough, eyes squarely planted on his back as Alec leads her to a more remote rooftop. It's not so much that he looks like he's going to turn tail and run, but rather that she's feeling particularly motivated to get answers.

She steps forward, now that he finally seems willing to entertain this conversation.]

Tell me about your magic, specifically what it is you can do.

[striketwice]

A little bit of everything. Well, not everything, but a pretty decent amount.

[ He leans against one of the chimneys, ticking off items on his fingers. ] I can camouflage myself, enhance my strength and speed, pick locks, throw lightning, etcetera, etcetera.

[arkhein]

[How casually this man talks about something as potent as magic. She doesn't know if she should be impressed or annoyed, though her features skew to the latter.]

And enhancing your speed and strength was how you managed to not break your legs after throwing yourself off the roof before, isn't it?

[I knew it, lies implied between her words.]

[striketwice]

Got it in one. [ He usually leaves the matter of his Enhancements off the table when discussing his skills, but she’s already seen them in action, and he’d rather avoid even more prying questions. ]

But we both see how well that ended for me.

[arkhein]

[wow rude] I'd say it ended very well for you, considering you found the evidence you were originally looking for.

[So there.]

Are you self-taught?

[striketwice]

Could have done without the detour is what I’m saying.

[ Don’t so there him!! ]

A little yes and a little no. The thing about magic is that I don’t just wave my hand and things happen. It’s a language, and it takes a lot of studying.

[ To demonstrate his point, he lifts a hand and begins etching a mark into the air, index and middle fingers extended. Light flows from his fingertips, grayish purple in color, a little muted and not especially pretty. Usually he can crank out this spell in a couple of seconds, but he’s taking his time with it so she can see. Once the spell is complete, the air crackles with electricity, and a bolt of lightning lances from the mark, striking a weathervane across the roof and dissipating. ]

[arkhein]

[Emily tenses a little at the magic (she can't help herself), but watches with growing curiosity as light emanates from his fingertips. She opens her mouth to say something, but before the words come out, the air brims with electricity and lightning arcs through the air, and she actually jumps.

Enjoy that, Alec.

She regains her composure as quickly as it slipped from her; however all she can manage right now is:]

Subtle.

lmao apparently DW works?? ok

[striketwice]

[ To say that he didn’t enjoy that reaction would be a big ol’ lie. It’s nice to know she’s not totally unflappable, and he feels a smug sense of satisfaction for getting her composure to break for a second. ]

It can be. I was using magic to pick locks when we were on the roof before.

DW is exempt from the rules of the internet??

[arkhein]

[She frowns at this revelation. Because, seriously, he was doing that right under her nose? She chastises herself for not being more observant, even though there was really little else she could have improved upon.

She crosses her arms.]

You said it takes study. Who taught you, then?

i guess

[striketwice]

What, you think I had some kind of wizarding teacher who took me aside and explained the mysteries of magic to me? My dad taught me a few things, but I got most of my spells from books and some old friends of his.