seeingscarlet | open RP post

[Despite everything she's heard about him, Loki keeps his word, and so Wanda keeps his presence to herself. Of course Thor notices she seems unsettled and withdrawn when he comes to collect her, but it's easily explained away. Of course she's nervous at being in a new place and of course she's disappointed that her teachers don't quite know what to do with her.

But she doesn't ask to go home. The thought crosses her mind that night - what is she doing? - although in the end, her decision hasn't wavered. She has to see where this goes.

Surprisingly, Loki is the first teacher whose bravado lives up to reality. She actually enjoys their theory discussions, and not just because she could listen to his voice for hours. Wanda has always liked learning, even if her official schooling's been spotty. Understanding why her powers work is just as important as the finer points of control.

She is wary the first time he leads her off into the wilderness, but the more sessions they have, the more Wanda starts to look forward to their lessons. As fall comes to Asgard, she realizes she's reached a strange state of peace she hasn't felt in years. She's not sure she'd call it happiness, nor that she'd attribute it entirely to Loki. But it's nice to not feel like someone has a proverbial gun to her head anymore.

Whatever her the rest of Asgard thinks of Thor bringing her here, not once has someone looked at her and seen a thing.

As the days grow colder, Wanda starts to supplement the clothing she's been given with things she'd brought from home - high socks peeking through the slits in her gowns, leather jackets, boots instead of the dainty sandals ladies of the court prefer. She's wearing the socks and boots today for practicality's sake but a more traditional Asgardian woolen wrap over her dress.]

Not much. Pietro and I had a kind of clay when we were little. [What an odd thing to ask out of the blue.] Why?

[ He halts before a large boulder, taller than himself, and gestures to it with a half-turn. ]

Would you like to give it another ago?

[ Patches of moss and spiderwebs made brittle from the cold fill the nooks and crannies; withering leaves caught between them finally break free with the next gust. There is a respectable radius around the stone, diminishing the risk of Wanda catching other objects unintentionally in the activity he has planned. ]

[The wind's starting to pick up, and Wanda wishes she had something more practical than these thin silk dresses. Fall is beautiful here - why wouldn't they expect her to want to go exploring?

...hopefully no one will miss this boulder, or if they do, won't think to pin it on her. Wanda has a pretty good idea of what Loki wants her to do with it, and she's not at all surprised that he picked such an unforgiving medium. There's no reshaping it if she messes up.

Nodding, she adjusts her wrap so she can move her arms more freely.]

What do you want me to make?

[ With a flick of his wrist, he summons a small object into his hand and shows it to her: a wooden carving of a perched hawk. ]

I want you to replicate this figure to the best of your ability, beginning with the basic shape. [ He holds the hawk out for her to take. ] Don't just use your eyes. Feel it.

[ It is as much an exercise for her as it is an opportunity for Loki to observe how precise Wanda is with her magic and how it might change with frustration, of which he expects some degree given the task and weather. Is she visual? Tactile? Does she lose sight of the forest, caught up in the intricate lines of feathers?

If he can understand her innate pitfalls, then he can know how to teach her -- just as Frigga had done for him. ]

I am not much of an artist...

[But Wanda takes the little figure anyway, turning it over and over in her hands. If Loki hasn't noticed that Wanda's a tactile person by now, this will confirm it. She's sensing it out with her psychic powers as well as her fingers, her gaze too focused to be practically staring through it.

This isn't going to be easy, but she was never expecting it to be. But the basic shape shouldn't be too hard...right? It's not life-or-death, at least.

Wanda gestures, and the first pass of scarlet energy starts to shape the curve of the head down the hawk's back. Mostly. All of her initial passes are far too cautious, and she has to go back repeatedly to whittle it down into something proportional for the size of the boulder. Clearly Wanda suffers from an overabundance of caution, like someone who is deep-down terrified of her own abilities.

She also seems prone to overfocusing the longer this continues. Something inanimate could easily startle her.]

[ Positioning himself a few feet behind her, he crosses his arms and watches with an air of indifference that is truly anything but. Cast aside their supposed connection -- the scarlet witch is still intriguing in her own right. The power Loki senses within her is just the tip of the iceberg, something he can't deny some measure of envy -- and apprehension. She sits upon an untamed beast, her hold on the reins feeble; she understands that much, it seems.

Fatigue doesn't seem to be an issue, though. A light snow begins to fall, initially melting as it hits the ground, and still she focuses harder. As the snow grows heavier and coats their shoulders and surroundings in white flecks, another gust of wind blows unapologetic through the trees, whipping their hair and cloaks all willy-nilly and taking several branches with it. Loki glances up at the sky, its clouds thick and foreboding.

Not yet.

In that split second of distraction, a weakened branch concedes with a sharp crack and whips towards Wanda head-on. ]

[Clearly stamina isn't a problem. The scarlet energy seems almost limitless, only bound by Wanda's ability to channel and direct it. She's lost track of how long they've been out here, but she isn't tired at all, just cold. The tingling of power in her hands helps mask it for a little while, but it doesn't shield her from the wind.

The boulder is starting to take the basic shape of the little hawk figurine with a few details like the contour of the wings and talons. Wanda's left the head for last because that worries her most. It would be so easy to mess it up and then no matter how well she does with the rest of the statue, it won't look right.

While technically she shouldn't need to see her work, Wanda's been walking around the boulder as she focuses on different parts. She needs all the help she can get, after all. Thankfully, Loki's stayed quiet while she works so she can concentrate. She's working up to starting to shape the beak when the sharp crack of the branch finally breaks through her concentration. Wanda gasps and jumps, spinning around.

She doesn't have time to register what it is and barely has time to react and throw up a shield.

...it's just a branch. She almost jumped out of her skin over a branch. Good thing the Avengers weren't here to see that. They'd never let her live it down.

It remains to be seen if Loki will.]

[ By all accounts the roaring wind should have drowned out her gasp, but it snatches Loki's attention in a heartbeat. He follows her line of sight and lurches toward her, spurred by a visceral need to intervene -- the same he'd done with Jane Foster, who he'd assumed -- Thor's soul -- but who could know?

But unlike Foster, Wanda doesn't need his help. The branch splinters against her shield and scatters past her. Loki studies the shield for a brief second before straightening. ]

Impressive reaction time. You've done this before?

[He lunged for her. Had he meant to help her if she'd been too slow? It's the only explanation that makes sense.

The question is why. It could be general courtesy...or maybe it's something to do with the same way the mere suggestion that she could betray his presence made her stomach turn.]

I've fought before I came here, gone on missions with the Avengers. [A wry grin.] Usually it is something worse than a branch...

[When in doubt, shield and ask questions later.]

Something like me.

[ Said matter-of-factually.

Gaze shifting to the boulder, he walks past Wanda to assess her progress, the pelting snow doing little to disturb his carriage. The cuts aren't smooth, their paths aborted out of a fear to commit like the jagged lines of a neophytic artist. Loki flattens his palm to the stone, tracing the curve of the figure's neck to its would-be beak. The bastardized power of the scepter lingers in every crevice, inoculating the rock with its signature.

A small frown creases his expression. ]

Where is the stone now?

[ Most might suspect foul motive for asking -- not without due reason -- but he doesn't sound invested. A muted sort of troubled, perhaps. ]

[If Wanda goes a little paler as she nods, it's not from the cold. Objectively, he's right. Loki's been brought up more than once as a reason Earth needs people like the Scarlet Witch and Vision. What if someone like him comes back? Her existence may frighten plenty of people, but they can't deny that one day they might need her strength.

She shifts uncomfortably, pulling her wrap tighter around herself. Now there's nothing at all to distract her from the cold and her extremely noticeable lack of gloves, and the conversation's certainly taken a turn she doesn't care for.]

It's...safe. [She's not going to say exactly where - he has not earned that much trust yet - but there's no accusation in her voice. If anything, her tone mirrors his. Wanda knows firsthand what a twisted power the Mind Stone is.] It won't hurt anyone again.

[ The ghost of a chuckle passes his lips.

He drops his hand from the boulder. ] Do you truly believe that?

I trust the one who has it.

[Theoretically the possibility exists that someone could try to take it from Vision, but they all agreed that it wasn't very likely to succeed. At the very least, it's safer with him than 'locked up' somewhere anyone could run off with it and start causing trouble.]

It is not so twisted anymore. [Though she has no idea if it takes its cue from the wielder or if Vision is unconsciously holding it in check.

The wind picks up again, and this time with nothing to distract her Wanda almost gasps at the sudden invasive cold. It would be much more manageable without the wind.]

[ If a Midgardian trusts its location and bearer, then it must still remain in their own realm. He finds it laughable that one of her own would be qualified to guard the stone, but as she doesn't seem of the blindly optimistic ilk, 'the one who has it' is likely of 'Avengers' caliber.

Which is still piss poor, he thinks (naturally), but the humans couldn't afford to be picky. It is a deduction he may follow up on later, perhaps -- or perhaps not. Loki fears the shadow Thanos may still cast from the stone. He has something good right now: the throne, Asgard's peace, albeit under the guise of another...

...and this. Whatever 'this' is -- it has not turned sour.

Yet.

He turns to face her, hands lifting in a shrug. There's a casual bite in his tone as he says, ] There it is: the unsurprising ignorance of your race. I suppose it can't be helped. You've only just accepted the existence of other realms.

[ Noticing the way she's holding herself, he squints up at the sky again. ]

Shall we call it quits?

[Wanda gives him a flat, unimpressed look, as if to ask, "are you done?" The Asgardians can go on and on about their supposed 'superiority' but she knows better. They may have more experience, but she can still overpower them. Even Thor hadn't been able to shake her off.

They may call it 'cheating,' but she still won and easily at that. And Loki remains the only person who has any sort of actual plan to help her.

It's frustrating at best and infuriating at worst. Still, Wanda won't let Loki goad her into giving up any further information about Vision or the Mind Stone. She's not so easy to manipulate.

...mostly.]

Are we done for today?

[She's too stubborn to admit that she's cold and give him an actual reason to insult her...and definitely too stubborn to admit that aside from the last comment, she's not quite ready to part ways and return to the palace.]

[ The question is if she is done. Loki can't imagine the alternative -- pissing away the time in the palace by herself -- to be terribly enticing, but he has a way of lowering the daily dose people are willing to take of him.

So he quirks his brow and casually says, ] Well, that depends on you.

[ He hasn't actually got a plan here (shockingly); the weather turned for the worse sooner than he'd anticipated. Perhaps let her loose into the city? But what if. ]

I'm not tired. Not from that.

[That's not how her powers work, and nothing they've done today has strained her physically or psychically. She really doesn't relish the thought of holing up in her room by herself (as far away from the balcony as possible) for hours.

Given the choice, she'd rather just suck it up and stay out a little longer, wherever that takes them.]

[ But you are cold, he thinks, while he is, as usual, not. His gaze floats back to the rock, arms crossing over his chest. ]

We ought to see what will tire you. Always smart to know one's limits.

[ Rich, coming from him.

Loki considers her for a moment. ]

You haven't ventured beyond the palace, have you?

Some things I can do are more draining than others, but this - [She gestures, twining a small wisp of scarlet around her fingers.] - no. Not even after a mission.

[There's a definite bitter edge to her smile because oh, Strucker tried, and he was never gentle about it. But Wanda seems to have been either blessed or cursed with stubborn perseverance and her body will give out long before the scarlet will.

This isn't to say that the scarlet itself doesn't have limits, but Wanda's ability to generate it is no different before a battle than after it. It might hurt if she is already suffering psychic backlash, but she can.

She shakes her head in response to his question.]

This is the first time I've left since I came here.

[ So there is more to it than raw power. Given its source, Loki has a hunch to what that might be; it is not reassuring. The fingers concealed beneath his arm clench at his cloak in agitation.

Would he know if she tried? The stone itself had been as slick as its energy. The red is raw, untamed. He cannot ask without exposing weakness and she is already a breathing liability.

No. She may have the capability, but not the character -- not unless she's been playing him this whole time, and he is doubtful. No, this is not when he abandons ship. There is still potential.

He inhales deeply; the breath released dissipates in a thin cloud of steam. His fingers relax. ]

What a poor host my brother has been. I can't say that I'm terribly fond of the taverns, but they are an excellent place to stave off the cold and watch people make fools of themselves while doing so.

Care to give it a try?

[There are reasons Wanda hasn't directly mentioned that aspect of her powers yet. Of course it would make Loki extremely nervous, and while there are a thousand reasons either of them could logically reject the bond, that one would hurt the most.

But what he doesn't know won't hurt him if Wanda doesn't intend to rifle through his thoughts anyway.]

Something warm would be nice. [That even coaxes a smile out of her, though it fades quickly as she glances back at the rock. Given more time, she could smooth over it and cut away the more birdlike features until it looked less unnatural, but if he's offering her a break from the cold, she'd really like to take it now.] Is it all right to leave the rock like this?

[ He shrugs, dismissive. ] Very few bother with this place.

[ Which is why he chose it, and also why he doesn't conceal it when they leave for the city. He drops the veil completely from Wanda as they enter the streets, but as for himself -- well.

It's under the guise of an Asgardian citizen that Loki walks alongside her, short-haired and brunette with a plain face to match his attire. Even his voice is of another, lighter as he holds back the drapes of one of many entrances into the closest tavern and says, ] After you, lady.

[ The golden hues of the establishment's interior are probably a welcome contrast to the grey bitterness outside. Braziers line the walls, casting warmth and dancing shadows among the many patrons seeking respite from the cold. These taverns are not like those of Midgard where small tables fill the spaces for small groups. Asgardians drink and tell stories as a whole, suffocating the room with a boisterous merriment heard before seen.

It makes Loki grimace. ]

[Well, if he's sure, Wanda's too cold to argue further. She manages a gracious 'thank you' when Loki pulls the tavern's entry drapes for her and it takes all of her willpower not to make a beeline for the nearest source of warmth. But ditching Loki like that would be rude and she doesn't want to lose him in a place like this.

It's loud on several levels, though not necessarily in a bad way. Exuberant happiness is a refreshing change. Loki, however, doesn't seem to share in that opinion and Wanda nudges him gently.

It's such a casual touch, but it's the first time she's touched him at all.]

Are you all right?

[It was his idea, but surely they can find somewhere else to go if he's having second thoughts. It's not like she has anything that passes for money here anyway.]

[ It's such a casual touch that Loki initially thinks nothing of it, instead scanning the place for any seating that isn't squished between bodies -- slim pickings. ]

Oh, certainly. I'm right at home.

[ Light as it may be, there's no attempt to hide the sarcasm.

Another party enter behind them; Loki grabs Wanda's arm, not unkindly, to usher her aside and let them pass with minimal jostling. They smell of sweat and burnt coals -- blacksmiths from the look of them, men and women alike -- and call for mead as they somehow make themselves right at home on a table that's already bursting with other patrons.

He glances down at Wanda. ]

You'd better pick a seat before they're all taken.

[It's pure instinct for her to grab lightly at his arm as he guides her out of the entryway. She's standing very close to him now out of necessity - clearly if one has issues with personal space this is not the place to be.

Wanda's not really sure why he brought her here when he can't hide his disdain for the crowd. Was it so obvious that she was uncomfortable that this was preferable?]

Come on, I think I see room over there.

['Over there' is the end of one of the farther tables, and it might be generous to say there's room for both of them. Wanda gives his arm a gentle tug but still doesn't let go. They have to walk through the crowd to get there and although she knows she can't lose him in a confined space it just feels like the thing to do.

Wanda knows she looks like an outsider - she does not wear her hair or do her makeup in the Asgardian style, nor is she wearing clothing that would excuse her lack of elaborate braids. Still, few people seem to pay them any serious mind, too engrossed in their mead or their companions or their lover on their lap. One man gives her the kind of once-over that makes her skin crawl, but she glares at him and keeps moving towards the empty space.

It's only once they reach it that she lets go of Loki. He can take the end of the bench. She has the impression that if he's already grimacing at the sound that he'd hate being wedged between her and a stranger far more than she would.

She offers an apologetic smile and a shrug.]

It could be worse? [It's definitely not getting better than this, that's for sure.]

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