driftfleet | fifth labyrinth

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fifth labyrinth

Who: Felix Harrowgate
Broadcast: Fleet-wide video
Action: Waystation
When: Today

[Today Felix has seated himself at a bench in the vacant park area of today's closest waystation. It's certainly not for the ambiance, given that the courtyard is as bland as ever.]

I was hoping to beg a few moments of everyone's time... [He smiles brightly, sharp and genial - a politician's kind of smile]

As far as things that affect the fleet as a whole, it's my understanding - and correct me if I am wrong - that the library aboard the Bishop no longer has a caretaker since Krista left us. It likewise occurred to me that since we now have the Iskaulit under our control, that we might consider making use of it after all the trouble you all went to clear it out. Therefore, I'd like to propose moving the current collection to the Iskaulit with the permission of the current crew of the Bishop. At least there it would be easier for the rest of the fleet to access it.

[He pauses for a moment, adjusting the position of his hands on the table]

The other matter is more specific. I brought up the idea of having a meeting of the fleet's magic users some months ago, but that hasn't quite fallen into place. It doesn't have to be anything quite so formal as what I've done in the past... [Though, admittedly, transferring the library is a step towards just that kind of idea. The temptation to reform Chimera, or some form of it, is strong after so many years of having it be a part of his life in the castle. But he's rather not appear so selfish from the start.] ...but just for time being, anyone is welcome to come speak to me here. There's sufficient space and lack of any bystanders if there's any desire for demonstrations. [Or so he hopes]

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[Wanda's eyebrows rise slightly in surprise.]

Court, parties, castles... your home sounds rather extravagant.

Extravagant is relative, my dear. True, I once lived as one of the nobility, surrounded by jewels, fine clothes, and servants - but neither did we have electricity, or vehicles that could whisk us from one city to another in a matter of hours.

[Wanda looks away from Felix, down at her feet for a moment as her tone grows slightly serious, a bit of venom in her words.]

I have seldom known any of it.

[She doesn't entirely mean to be rude. A life on the street being looked down upon by those with wealth has left her a little bitter.]

[He's not blind to that reaction, partly because he'd seen something similar from his brother, but that regret has done little to stop him from being the haughty, entitled individual he often acts like. The truth is he knows her point of view far better than she would realize, but it's one that he will forever lock tightly away>]

It isn't everything, believe me.

[She cocks an eyebrow at him. Fixing Felix with a look of mild annoyance. She clearly is angry, but she's also trying to keep it somewhat in check. This was her shipmate after all, and he had been friendly enough.]

A roof over your head? A family to be with? Yes, those both sound awful.

[The presumption there does grate on his nerves a little bit, and his expression narrows to go with the bladed sarcasm that follows]

A roof I cannot argue, but family is hardly a given. Court was more like being surrounded by carrion-eating dogs just waiting for you to trip so they could tear you to pieces. Very comforting.

Edited 2015-09-08 21:56 (UTC)

[With that little analogy, Wanda's eyebrows raise slightly. She realizes that she had been focusing too much on her own life, and failed to remember that practically everyone on the Fleet comes from vastly different homes and previous lives. She feels a little guilty as she continues speaking, trying to make a degree of amends.'

I should not have presumed as much as I did about your past. If this "court" is your family, then I am sorry.

[He realized belatedly that she might have assumed that his station meant nobility which further meant that they were blood to him. Which was the furthest thing from the truth]

That isn't...[He bit of a more irritated response, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment before continuing with an attempt at a polite smile.]

An apology isn't necessary. Perhaps I painted an inaccurate picture of my situation. It isn't easy to explain without boring you to tears, but suffice it to say, that back home I was not precisely the most welcome. In point of fact the only true family I knew was the mother that died when I was very young, and the brother I was estranged from until very recently. There were precious few others I cared about and would have equally cared whether I lived or died. The rest was...mm...politics.

[Wanda shakes her head slightly.]

You are right. I do not understand all the details. I have never known such a life.

[Her expression softens, however, as she touches on something he just mentioned.]

To lose a parent at so young an age though... that I know very well.

[The chances that he never would have either was always there. If he hadn't been born a wizard, he would have been lost among the myriad of nameless children in the Lower City was quite high. It's hard to say if that would have been an improvement, considering everything.]

I...assume those two things are related?

[He considered her with a tilted glance, curious but shyly aware that he was treading potentially shaky ground]

[Wanda crosses her arms, leaning against a nearby tree. She seems calm, but there is a faint underlying hint of sadness to her eyes and her voice.]

That would be a safe assumption.

[He nods somberly, seeing that the pain she feels for the loss of her family is closer to the surface than his own. The fact of the matter was, it wasn't something he ever had much cause to mourn. Simply a fact of his existence.]

I likewise didn't mean to pry. My point was only that privilege does not exempt someone from misfortune and loss.

[Wanda's eyes grow a little wide in response, but her brief surprise turns quickly to acknowledgment. She nods her head, letting Felix know that his words have not fallen on deaf ears. The silence that ensues from their conversation, however, eventually turns awkward for her, so she tries to change the subject.]

So what are you doing out here anyways?

[Felix's offers her a grateful smile at the change of subject]

Recruiting. In a manner of speaking...

Recruiting?

[Wanda brushes her hair behind her ear, fixing Felix with a curious look.]

[He laughs, though it's directed at himself, and makes a tiny sweeping gesture with his hand]

It sounds a bit grandiose when I use that word. I'm trying to find others in the fleet who have any kind of magical talents that might also be willing to get together to speak to me about it. A social club, of sorts.

Magic?

[The notion certainly didn't seem impossible. After all, Wanda had already met plenty of other individuals within the fleet with abilities not unlike her own... yet, still somehow different.]

Do you mean something like this?

[Wanda extends her arm, crimson, etheric light swirls around her finger tips. A loose bit of stonework flies through the air and lands softly in her hand. She then holds the rock up, showing to Felix. She lets the rock go, her hand falling back to her side; however, the rock stays where it was shown, floating in mid air. It begins to levitate, circling slowly around her head. She fixes Felix with a curious expression, as if to ask if this was what he was looking for.]

[The brief startled expression passes quickly into open fascination. It was true that the ability was unlike much of what he'd seen, but it was the differences that were compelling. For every unique type of magic he'd seen, he still held the belief that something that to bind them all together.

A smile spread slowly on his lips.]

It seems as though I should have been looking a bit closer to home.

[Wanda shrugs her shoulders, and slowly returns the orbiting stone to her hand. She looks down at the rock as she begins speaking.]

To be honest, I am not so sure my powers qualify as "magic." I still do not fully understand them myself, but they are not... natural... abilities. I was more or less given them.

[His eyes are also drawn to the floating rock, though it's as much fascination as it is avoiding her discomfort with her own ability]

That may be, but that's precisely what I've been striving to understand for the last few years. Magic is often inborn, but sometimes it's something that can be unlocked or learned, though that itself begs deeper questions. It's only by asking those questions that we might have a chance to define something so abstract. If it isn't magic, then what is it? [It's partly a rhetorical question, but it's less forward than asking her about the origins of her power.]

[Wanda raises her eyebrows, looking less surprised by the question and more by how difficult it is for her to formulate a straight answer to his question.]

In my case, I do not know if these abilities were unlocked or if they were... given. Perhaps a bit of both. Though, in either case, it is still hard to determine if they are magical in nature, or if they are the product of a science that is beyond my understanding.

[She lets the stone fall back to the ground. She had never bothered to try and understand Strucker's experiments on her. She had only been focusing on the end goal; that is, what the results of his experiments would potentially enable her to do.]

[He doesn't like that stress on that work. It makes him think of Fenris and the tattoos carved into his skin. He hides the frown by watching his rock fall.]

That's something else, though...is there really a difference between the two? Some without science would look at the things it creates and call it magic. The differences, depending on perspective, can be almost impossible to sort from each other. I could be far off from the truth, but I wonder if what we often call magic is simply something people have yet developed the ability to explain.

[A slight chill runs up Wanda's back. By no fault on Felix's part, it's just that what he said sounded like something she might overhear Baron Strucker saying during her... "stay" within his Hydra compound.]

That is probably the best way of explaining it, yes.

[Wanda looks back up from the fallen rock to Felix.]

So then, if these powers of mine are magic, what is it that you are inviting me to?

[The clinical tone relents as he smiles warmly, finally looking her in the eyes]

Honestly? Mostly just a place to speak to others who may understand just a little of what it is like to have these kinds of abilities. Perhaps to help you understand them more, but anything beyond that is up to you. My previous attempts at this were meant to coordinate research and defensive matters, but I can't say this is what this will be here.

[Wanda seems to be considering Felix's words for a moment.]

I do not think I would be that much help to others. I still have much to learn about my own powers. I feel I would be taking more than giving.

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