reverie⚡inbox

[striketwice]

REVERIE INBOX "THIS IS ALEC. MAKE IT QUICK." ⚡ voice . text . action ↳ OVERFLOW | REGISTRY

( code from supersuits )

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[vecna]

[He notes the dimly subdued expression; feels as though he might be privy to something more sincere, despite Alec’s usual sardonic front.

He smiles at him, his own wryness blunted at the edges.]

No complaints here.

[But heaven forbid things get too genuine in such a short window of time between them, and so—]

Second question. How familiar are you with the arcana?

[striketwice]

[ Yeah, no. That was enough. The moment passes and it's back to business as usual. ]

What, like all the tarot card stuff? I know the broad strokes. Why?

[vecna]

Because I’m not that familiar at all. And since we both produced Tower cards, apparently, I’d like to know more about what that’s supposed to mean.

[The illustration did not look very, ah, kind. But neither of them are kind people.]

[striketwice]

It's usually nothing good, but I'm sure you figured that much out already.

[ He pauses his writing again, taking a moment to fish what definitions he knows up out of his memory. ]

Usually it represents sudden change or disaster. Upheaval. Something big and traumatic and unavoidable. Sometimes it's associated with pride or falsehoods, like all that you believe is a shaky foundation.

[ Gee, doesn't that sound familiar. ]

So, you know, fucking great club for us to be a part of.

[vecna]

[That sounds both very familiar and very fitting for Henry. Even the part which references a "shaky foundation," which he would have balked at earlier -- but after his own encounter with his Shadow, and in the presence of Alec, no less, there's no point in pretending it doesn't apply in some way.]

I don't know. Change and upheaval aren't always bad things.

[striketwice]

[ He wouldn't have included that part if not for what the two of them went through just a day prior. ]

You think so?

[vecna]

If a system is flawed, then upheaval might be exactly what it needs. To be broken so that it can be rebuilt again.

[That is practically what Henry believed himself to be doing. It's no surprise this place had assigned him the Tower arcana, in that case.]

The illustration just paints it in a less-than-flattering light. That poor man falling off the tower...

[(He thinks it's kind of amusing, really.)]

[striketwice]

So in that scenario you, what? Fancy yourself the bolt of lightning instead of the tower?

[ Alec is of course aware of the parallel that Henry is drawing. Alec himself has been responsible for his own share of upheaval.

The corner of his mouth quirks. ]

Stealing my gimmick.

[vecna]

[Henry makes an amused noise. Yes, he does fancy himself the bolt of lightning. Hawkins was the tower.

Though he supposes that much doesn't apply anymore, does it?]

Please. You can be lightning anytime you like.

[striketwice]

I appreciate it.

[ Idly, as he goes back to his work. ]

Branding is important.

[vecna]

[He watches him work, deciding to find a place to sit nearby. The trunk of a fallen tree, likely toppled over in last night’s chaos, works just as well.]

Is that really your trademark in your world? Your lightning magic?

[striketwice]

Kind of? It's not like I put my name on anything involving my work. At some point I picked up using a lightning bolt as a signature. Like an emoji, not a real one.

It just worked out that way because lightning is the element I'm best with.

[vecna]

[An emoji… Henry knows what those are now, aren’t you proud.]

So it’s a calling card. Like my grandfather clock.

[striketwice]

I was wondering about that. Why the clock?

[vecna]

Did you like them? They’re awful, aren’t they.

[(Fond.) That’s not answering the question, but please appreciate his dramatics first.]

[striketwice]

No, I didn't like them. Because they were fucking awful.

Sounds like that's the point, though. So, uh, good job?

[vecna]

[He smiles, pleased. It is the point, though his Shadow summoned so many at once, making them unbearable. Henry often goes for a more foreboding approach.]

It’s the clock you might have seen in my dream if you were paying attention. It’s the same one from my old family home. When I first was discovering how to use my powers, I would move the hands on its face, backwards and forwards. Over and over. They were light and easy to manipulate.

[But years later…]

More recently, though, the point was to drive home the idea of… humanity wasting away time with their useless lives, minute by minute and hour by hour. For my— [He pauses. But it’s been nothing but so much honesty between them, so he continues.] —victims across dimensions, it was a death knell.

[striketwice]

I saw it. It was pretty fucking hard to miss.

[ But it makes sense that it would be so central in Henry's mind, if it was central to the growth of his powers. ]

Huh. So it is a calling card. Flashy bastard.

[ Says the man who has branded himself after literal lightning. ]

[vecna]

[Yeah, calling him out on that.]

Says Mr. Lightning Bolt himself.

[striketwice]

[ Alec just grins, lifting his free hand to waggle his fingers at Henry. Electricity arcs between his waving digits for a few short seconds. ]

I think I'm about done, if you wanna see this whole portal thing in action.

[vecna]

[He appreciates the little arcs of electricity… from afar. For now, his brow quirks.]

Sure. Show me.

[Henry stands from his seat.]

[striketwice]

One sec.

[ Alec spends a moment going over the glowing marks, line by line, checking and double checking, then with a flick of his wrist, he finishes off the last mark. The runes vanish in a burst. The air ripples, then tears open, and the two of them are staring through a hole in reality into... Alec's dorm room. ]

[vecna]

[It seems like a lot of fussing; which means it’s probably no easy task, no easy magic to cast, and Henry can appreciate the effort without even really understanding how it works.

When the air ripples and the portal yawns open, he sees… Alec’s room beyond.]

Impressive.

[Leaning forward just a tad.]

Can we cross?

[striketwice]

[ Alec has done this magic a lot of times. A lot. His network of portals back home is expansive. And yet every time he checks and rechecks his work.

Now that the portal is open and functioning, however, he seems pretty confident in it. ]

Go for it. Unless you want me to go first.

[vecna]

[Henry gives him a Look. Sir, his own portals look way less… ah, welcoming, so it’s not like he has a reason to be dubious about Alec’s own ability, especially when his magic seems so stable.]

No, I’ll go first.

[And so he will! Stepping through, and turning around soon after to peer at Alec from the other side — spreading his hands in a ta-da kind of way.]