Josie Saltzman (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
polydeukes) wrote2020-05-07 07:02 pm
polydeukes) wrote2020-05-07 07:02 pm
Entry tags:
penance } { ic inbox
ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ | ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ | ᴛᴇxᴛ | ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ ɴᴏᴛᴇs
ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ | ᴠᴏɪᴄᴇ | ᴛᴇxᴛ | ᴍᴀɢɪᴄᴀʟ ᴡɪᴛᴄʜ ɴᴏᴛᴇs
[She's well aware. But in the aftermath of everything that went down, she knows that she's not entirely innocent in this either.]
I think that's mutual.
I think that's mutual.
( he won't argue with her. he can't, considering she was clearly in rare form as well. they both were.
though hers—
klaus is quiet a moment. he does not he express how glad he is that he didn't hurt her irreparably, that he's glad she's all right in all the ways she can be after such a confrontation, that she survived at all. shame and fear stoppers him, but also the question that is beginning to linger in the back of his mind.
that was quite a darkness for a teenager. she mentioned dabbling before. even one as powerful and unique as she. )
That wasn't the only dark magic you've used, was it? That time, against the quarterback?
though hers—
klaus is quiet a moment. he does not he express how glad he is that he didn't hurt her irreparably, that he's glad she's all right in all the ways she can be after such a confrontation, that she survived at all. shame and fear stoppers him, but also the question that is beginning to linger in the back of his mind.
that was quite a darkness for a teenager. she mentioned dabbling before. even one as powerful and unique as she. )
That wasn't the only dark magic you've used, was it? That time, against the quarterback?
[That's a question she doesn't particularly wants to answer because it involves bad things about his daughter. Also? It will probably get back to her mom, and she hasn't had the chance to have that conversation with her yet. But at the same time, she knows that denying it, to someone who's spent a thousand years observing magic in varying capacities, is probably a bad idea.]
No. But the ... larger times I had better reasons for doing it.
No. But the ... larger times I had better reasons for doing it.
[He's gotten the authorization to have their family room together. It was entirely too easy, and left him unsure about whether he'll owe the devil any favors when this is over. And though it should be good news, it's reached him while he was coming down from his stint in the hall of mirrors. And with that came the crushing guilt that's worse than the usual sort of hangover.
He comes to her room, knocking politely on her doorframe. ]
... I understand if you don't want to talk to me right now.
He comes to her room, knocking politely on her doorframe. ]
... I understand if you don't want to talk to me right now.
[Josie is also coming down from her own mirror adventure, and she's honestly not feeling much better. But her time with her father is the one time her dark magic hadn't come into play.
She's not sure she should be grateful or not. She's sure it would have probably been much worse in the end.
She looks up when he comes in, and yeah, she may still be a little upset, but she tries to school it behind a mask of calm.]
Depends. How much of it was the mirrors and how much of it was you, and the mirrors just happened to bring it out of you?
She's not sure she should be grateful or not. She's sure it would have probably been much worse in the end.
She looks up when he comes in, and yeah, she may still be a little upset, but she tries to school it behind a mask of calm.]
Depends. How much of it was the mirrors and how much of it was you, and the mirrors just happened to bring it out of you?
[The look on her face is already heartbreaking. Her warmth isn't there. He probably doesn't reserve it right now.]
Some parts were more me than other parts. We can have a conversation about it, if you want.
Some parts were more me than other parts. We can have a conversation about it, if you want.
[She considers, before nodding, inching back on the bed to give him room to sit down. He's going to have to talk first, because she wants to hear an explanation first, but she's listening, for whatever that's worth.]
[He settles in the space she offers him, and doesn't attempt to reach for her to steal more than she's willing to give.]
I want you to know that I would never hurt your mother. Even when I was teaching your Uncle Jeremy how to avoid the ribcage when he was on the offensive, I've always known that most vampires are responsible enough not to cause trouble. [So maybe "always" is a stretch, but it should count as long as it covers the time she's been alive.]
I want you to know that I would never hurt your mother. Even when I was teaching your Uncle Jeremy how to avoid the ribcage when he was on the offensive, I've always known that most vampires are responsible enough not to cause trouble. [So maybe "always" is a stretch, but it should count as long as it covers the time she's been alive.]
[She believes him, at least about Caroline. She thinks the last one is a little bit of a stretch, given the dark object he kept in the basement and sending kids to prison worlds, but she has a feeling they're getting there.]
That was a lot of anger, Dad.
That was a lot of anger, Dad.
[He nods.]
That anger had some magical help. You remember learning about the Original Witch?
[Now is probably not the time for a pop quiz. And yet it's happening anyway. Habit.]
That anger had some magical help. You remember learning about the Original Witch?
[Now is probably not the time for a pop quiz. And yet it's happening anyway. Habit.]
[She nods, because of course she remembers.]
Hope's grandmother, right?
Hope's grandmother, right?
[He nods, confirming.] There was a time when she thought she might undo the existence of vampires by creating a hunter singularly focused on their destruction. I ended up mixed up in that. But it was a long time ago, and it's over now.
Better reasons do not alter the results. ( the words are spoken quietly but firmly, with the knowledge of an immortal and the decisive protectiveness of a father. it's a muscle he has not used often of late, but one when flexed he immediately recognizes for its novelty.
but he's not: her father.
not anyone's. not anymore. not here.
with a breath, he responds again. ) I don't know much about dark magic, but I do know it does not leave its users unmarred. You are meddling with a dangerous thing, made all the more dangerous by you. ( a siphoner. a powerful witch. )
but he's not: her father.
not anyone's. not anymore. not here.
with a breath, he responds again. ) I don't know much about dark magic, but I do know it does not leave its users unmarred. You are meddling with a dangerous thing, made all the more dangerous by you. ( a siphoner. a powerful witch. )
I'm aware.
[She may be staring at the vessel containing all of that magic as they speak. But she couldn't not do what she did, either time. It was the right thing to do, even if it cost her. She knows that now - remembering Hope again made all of that clear.]
But I had to. The first time the other option was killing my sister and the second time ... if I hadn't done it the second time, Hope ...
[Well. Does she drop this without context? She knows now that Hope's been mentioned she probably can't get out if it.]
Hope would have stayed forgotten. No one would have remembered she existed and it didn't seem right not to fix that.
[She may be staring at the vessel containing all of that magic as they speak. But she couldn't not do what she did, either time. It was the right thing to do, even if it cost her. She knows that now - remembering Hope again made all of that clear.]
But I had to. The first time the other option was killing my sister and the second time ... if I hadn't done it the second time, Hope ...
[Well. Does she drop this without context? She knows now that Hope's been mentioned she probably can't get out if it.]
Hope would have stayed forgotten. No one would have remembered she existed and it didn't seem right not to fix that.
[She nods. She's not sure she wants to dig into that more, because if that's what it turned her father into, she doesn't want to dig into it anymore. At the same time, there's a big question she has. Not one she's sure she wants answered, but she feels like she needs to know.]
Dad ... how did the sandclock break?
Dad ... how did the sandclock break?
[That one's somehow harder to answer. He edges a bit closer on the bed, just barely biting back the urge to take her hands.]
You found a way to help people, but you needed extra power to do it. There wasn't time to make a better choice. You did what you thought you had to do. It was the wrong thing, but for the right reasons.
[As he dances around what she's done without actually telling her anything.]
You found a way to help people, but you needed extra power to do it. There wasn't time to make a better choice. You did what you thought you had to do. It was the wrong thing, but for the right reasons.
[As he dances around what she's done without actually telling her anything.]
[There's a half-laugh, almost a bitter sound, because isn't that the story of her life lately. Wrong choices for good reasons digging her into a bigger and bigger hole.]
Of course it was. That's all I can seem to do lately.
Of course it was. That's all I can seem to do lately.
And it can be undone. Whatever happens, you'll always have us to lean on. We take care of you.
[And now he's reaching over to pull her into a hug whether she wants one or not.]
I would never let you stay unfixed. You know that.
[And now he's reaching over to pull her into a hug whether she wants one or not.]
I would never let you stay unfixed. You know that.
Yeah. I know.
[No, she'll take it. Dad hugs are always good, no matter how upset she is with him. But at the same time, she also knows that there's a secret she probably shouldn't still keep.]
There's ... something you should probably know."
[No, she'll take it. Dad hugs are always good, no matter how upset she is with him. But at the same time, she also knows that there's a secret she probably shouldn't still keep.]
There's ... something you should probably know."
You can tell me anything.
[He doesn't imagine that she's got much in the way of secrets he doesn't know about anyway. He's far enough ahead of her, and she hasn't been here long enough to have anything tucked away since she's arrived. Right?]
[He doesn't imagine that she's got much in the way of secrets he doesn't know about anyway. He's far enough ahead of her, and she hasn't been here long enough to have anything tucked away since she's arrived. Right?]
[And well ... she doesn't exactly say anything. Instead, she gets up from the bed, moves over to her closet and pushes her clothes to the side. Then, it's fairly easy to see ...
... the sandclock sitting on her closet floor.
So now you're all caught up, Dad.]
... the sandclock sitting on her closet floor.
So now you're all caught up, Dad.]
[His face falls as she unveils the dark hourglass.]
How cracked is it?
[This is a problem they don't need. Josie could do a lot of damage here.]
How cracked is it?
[This is a problem they don't need. Josie could do a lot of damage here.]
Not more than when we sent it away.
[At least ... there's that.]
But I don't know how long it will last. Especially here. I mean, I'm guessing that it got brought here for a reason.
[At least ... there's that.]
But I don't know how long it will last. Especially here. I mean, I'm guessing that it got brought here for a reason.
Enough people use magic here. We'll put together a council and see if there's anything that can be done about it. Maybe we can even give it away to someone else. There's enough dark magic here that it shouldn't shift the balance.
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