001 ✶ video

[scarletcast]

[ username reads: wanda ]

​​​​[ Having had time to recover from the fight, Wanda looks no worse for wear. She's outside in the abandoned village, out of the glare of sunlight, moving her fingers slowly. Thin red wisps of hex energy weave around her fingers. A small rock, part of a doorframe, and a water bottle are moving in a slow, lazy circle like they're being turned on an invisible Ferris wheel. ]

​​​​[ She's quiet at first, concentrating. Then, she pulls the water bottle into one hand. The other two objects keep circling. ]

What is this called, where you are from?

​​​​[ Her mouth curves in dry amusement. ]

Is it magic?

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VIDEO. UN: LOKI

[selfimage]

Well, that normally depends. The mortals do have a saying about books and covers ...

[ he gestures back and forth with his hands, casually. ]

[scarletcast]

Yes.

But If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, we will call that bird a duck.

[ Wanda isn't willing to discount the existence of "real" magic, so to speak. She just knows what she has and probably what Asgardians have is too advanced for understanding. ]

[selfimage]

You could, depending on which world you hail. Some may say magic, others claim telekinesis or perhaps some sort of mortal science. It's interpretation by perception, I suppose.

And some people have different senses than others.

[scarletcast]

[ He's dancing around it, offering options that can all be the truth. ]

[ Wanda is direct. ]

What do you see?

[selfimage]

It's not reality manipulation—so, no, not magic. You work with what's already there, don't you?

[scarletcast]

So far.

[ She doesn't know yet if the power will grow, or change, it had always felt like something woke up and lived instead of something she fully controls. ]

[selfimage]

[ there's a sigh that accompanies that. ]

Yes, so far.

Magic works on intention, much to the tune of intuition. It makes for moderate discomfort among the mortals that fashion themselves scientists.

Were you born with it?

[scarletcast]

Maybe.

[ She doesn't know the process for sure. If it used what was already there, as he says, then she was always like this. ]

It only became like this recently.

[selfimage]

You mean to say that it just manifested?

[ curious and more curious. ]

[scarletcast]

Yes.

[ She shrugs, it's honesty to say she doesn't know the specifics. ]

I've only had this for a year.

[selfimage]

As the mortals would say: out of the blue? You woke up one day and—poof!

[scarletcast]

Something like that, yes.

[selfimage]

[ that sounds far more loaded than she's willing to tell, but he doesn't press. instead there's a pregnant silence, where he's certain that she gets his meaning. ]

...

Well, I suppose that is that then.

[scarletcast]

[ She does. After a moment, ]

It is not how powers usually work on my Earth. You are either born with it or you are Stark.

[selfimage]

Or something happens. You're met by the Kree, or you're exposed to Terrigen Mist. Perhaps it's there are experiments done on the space between where mortal science fills the gap.

[scarletcast]

[ So there are other ways. ]

Then, something changed. Or, I was always like this, and something woke up.

[selfimage]

Perhaps.

Generally dormant abilities don't usually wake up by themselves. There's a catalyst.

[scarletcast]

[ Loki's sceptre. Nothing she'll talk of publicly. ]

There was. Perhaps you know of it.

[selfimage]

[ there's a pause.

and Loki pauses, puts a hand to his chest, and looks at her with the most innocent face that he can muster (which isn't very innocent, since he has a perpetually scheming face). ]


...


I didn't do it.

[scarletcast]

[ Wanda raises her eyebrows. To Loki's credit, she's actually amused. ]

That depends on how much you have in common with a mutual acquaintance of ours.

[selfimage]

[ Loki jerks a thumb backward as if other Loki is somehow behind him and also listening. ]

He did it. You can't blame me for what my other selves may do, I'm innocent! I'd say angel, but I've had a few run ins. Lamb—eh, I don't do lamb, either ...

You get the idea.

[scarletcast]

[ She's very tempted to say no, just to watch him continue this line of reasoning. ]

Do I? [ She smiles a little. ] Do not worry, I am not angry. However it came to be, I asked for this.

[selfimage]

You'll have to tell me about it sometime.

[ he says it in a way that he may have something to tell her. ]

[scarletcast]

[ She hesitates, but nods briskly. ]

When this is all repaired. We can talk.

[selfimage]

I'll pencil it in.

[ as if he has anything to pencil it into. ]