[ Warren's already there by the time she arrives, freshly showered and changed himself. There's a bandage wrapped neatly around his injured hand, and in his other he has a tablet that he's idly scrolling through. What's he reading? Hard to tell as he flips the cover shut and sets it on the coffee table at her approach. ]
And if I told you they belonged to an ex-girlfriend?
[ Said in the tone of a man who knows he's lying and is not bothering to hide that fact. ]
[Said in Makima's favorite timbre: the kind that sounds polite enough, certainly complimentary, but secondhand Mean Girl, too. Though clearly she's amused, if not totally buying the lie. It doesn't matter either way.
She steps closer, within reasonable conversational distance. There's still something formal about the way she stands, though, like she's not quite yet sloughed off the government-employee vibes that have layered over her like silt over the years.
She won't sit unless offered a seat. Manners!]
Are you ready to talk details, or am I interrupting some other... more important business of yours?
[ Warren has been mentally cataloguing every detail about Makima since they met, doubly so since she dropped the guise of pretending to be human, and the way she carries herself now is no different. Formal. Politely distant. Her involvement in bureaucracy must not have been part of the lie. ]
You're not interrupting. I was waiting for you.
[ And, at last, he motions her to a nearby chair. ]
[How polite of him. Makima nods and takes the offered seat, sitting primly enough with her hands folded neatly in her lap. She considers Warren for a beat of a moment before deciding on her verbiage. While this seems like a far less formal affair than her last dealings with producing a contract with a human, somehow, she still feels as though this man has a more critical eye to him than the Prime Minster. Like every word will be turned inside out and examined even more than a politician would bother to.
Best to just start... simply, then.]
So, I assume you've not changed your mind sometime in-between my shower and now? If that's the case, then we should talk about what I can actually offer you. And what would be expected of you, in turn.
Unless you'd rather talk about the why, first, before the nitty-gritty.
[Intention, she means. Does he wonder why she's so eager to make a contract? And maybe she wonders more about him? She's happy to skip over all of that, of course, and learn or reveal it in time, but again... He seems a thorough sort.]
As eager as I am to get down to brass tacks— [ He leans forward, elbows rested on his knees and hands clasped loosely together. She's caught his interest and he has no reason to conceal that. His gaze lands squarely on her own, assessing in that way one might scrutinize the fine print of a contract. Fitting, given why they're here. ] —I'm very interested in the "why."
Why you suddenly changed your mind, for instance.
[ He clearly caught her interest just as much as she's now caught his. But how? Why? ]
[Makima certainly doesn't mind his assessing gaze. She has so very, very little to hide if they’re putting all of their cards on the table — and the parts that remain obscured are probably of little care to him, anyway. Pathos is irrelevant, and likely an uninteresting topic. So, easily enough:]
Well. What awaits me if I return home? If I’m still dead, then I return to Hell. [And that’s just. Not ideal, really.] And if I somehow return to life, then things are… complicated, and I may just end up the same way, anyhow.
When I saw your library, it became apparent to me that you’re a man in pursuit of knowledge and power. And after we fought— [after she got a glimpse into his head] —then it became apparent that you’d do anything to obtain it, too. Correct me if I’m wrong, of course.
I need to use someone like that to set me back on track. To regain my full power again, what I've lost since I arrived here. I don’t mind admitting that, because it would be a mutual arrangement.
[ She's not wrong on either count, though a slight upturn of one corner of his mouth is all the indication he gives. He is what he is, and that has never bothered him. So, since there's no need to correct her, he lets her continue. ]
I was wondering how much of your power you brought to bear against me.
[ Damn, and she's not even at full strength. What would it be like if she were? ]
I'm not keen on being used either, so we'll have to see how mutual this arrangement really is. Before that, though, when you get to full power again, what will you do? You said you were the Control Devil, but what does that mean?
[No one's keen to be used. In a way, neither is she. But there are always sacrifices to make for the greater good, and when is the Control Devil never actually the one in control, anyway?]
Well... It means what I said before. I represent humanity's fear of being controlled, or losing control. My power grows depending on how strong that fear is; and I assure you, that fear was quite staggering back in my home world. Here? It seems my reputation is not quite what it once was. People fear the... general concept still, yes. But not me.
[What a terrible shame!]
But as for what I'll do... I'll do what I was meant to do. Control. The world, ideally.
[ That’s a very fine line they’re going to have to walk, probably. Warren and his deep, deep dislike for being used sits at odds with Makima’s very nature. He’s not ignorant to that fact, but perhaps if their goals align enough, their arrangement would still skew closer to a partnership.
Which is not at all anything he would normally consider but, well, exceptional circumstances and all.
His eyebrows wing up. ]
The whole world.
[ Not a question. Even for a man as ambitious as himself, that’s a big, big prospect. ]
[She won't force him into anything, of course. A contract would have to be a mutual agreement, so Makima's propensity to manipulate does not apply here. She is as straightforward as she is plain with her intentions.]
Oh. [She chuckles, smiling, one that reaches her eyes.] Not in a... Bond villain kind of way.
[She doesn't want to be some evil tyrant, lording over the whole planet. That would be quite the opposite of her intention.]
When I say control the world, I mean more like- [a pause] -trimming the nasty pieces away, leaving only the pleasant parts behind. To make it a better place, even if sometimes you have to do bad things to make that happen.
But obviously, that requires power. Influence. Far more than I have right now.
[ Somehow, out of all the things in this interaction, this is the piece of information that surprises him the most, and he makes no effort to disguise it. ]
You want to... control the world to make it a better place.
[ That sounds so strange coming out of his mouth. ]
[ He's not sure what to think of the way she just keeps smiling. ]
Obviously things are much different in your own world, but in my experience, demons don't tend to want anything to do with the betterment of anything, least of all the human realm.
[It's her default expression; pleasant if placid. He'll get used to it.
Makima doesn't bother to correct the terminology--Devil instead of demon--because she has a feeling that they're just interchangeable at this point. She doesn't know much about his world just yet, nor the demons that inhabit it, but if they both come from some version of Hell? Potato, potahto.]
I see. That's interesting. In my case, I guess it has to do with how singular I am. There are demons that are somewhat cooperative with humans, but as a general rule? The more a Devil looks human, the friendlier they are to them.
[And perhaps he's noticed, but the only tell from Makima that something is not quite right... Well, it would be her strange eyes.]
It must just be in my nature to want it for the world. In my own way. An apocalypse just sounds too cliche, don't you think?
[ The more a Devil looks human, is it? He gives her another once over at that. She really does look perfectly normal, save for her eyes. She gave him a bit of a weird vibe when they first met, of course, but that has more to do with what's under the surface, as well as Warren's own magically-inclined intuition.
This whole thing has just crossed into the realm of absurdity, and for a man like Warren West, that's saying something. He breathes out an amused sort of sound, lips quirking. ]
And I suppose if you end the whole world, there'll be nothing left to control, wouldn't there?
That makes you and I strange bedfellows, you realize. I'm not one for idealism. [ Shocker. ] But, I think, so long as your goals don't interfere with mine, this can still be a worthwhile partnership.
You need a foundation of fear to start. That, I can provide.
That's all right. I'm not asking you to share my ideals or my goals. It can be a mutually beneficial arrangement still. You use me, I use you.
[She looks pleased at the offer of providing a foundation of fear.]
That's generous of you, Warren. Though maybe you should tell me precisely what your goals are, so I can be sure I wouldn't get in the way? And that I can be of some help. [Though she's almost certain she can be.]
[ Leans back in his seat, considering. He's less concerned about what he's going to tell her, he has nothing to lose by being honest, but more about... how to explain.
Ah, well, best to begin at the beginning. ]
You recall the creature from my memory? The one that looked like a wolf. It's known as a Summon, a creature that comes from the very source of magic itself. It is also, notably, the only one to have ever existed.
[She listens intently, curiously. This is important, after all.]
I do remember it, yes. The very source of magic itself, though? So not only is it rare, but it's also very powerful.
[She doesn't know how magic works in this world, but she cannot imagine anything that originates from the source itself is something to scoff at. And Warren thought it should have been his, didn't he? She recalls that from the memory, too.]
It is. And the wizard it’s tied to reaps those benefits.
[ He rests an elbow on the arm of his chair, leaning the side of his face against his knuckles. ]
My dearly departed mentor took the secret of its summoning to the grave with him, and the beast itself made its way down his family line. It’s currently in the possession of his grandson.
But more relevant to the matter at hand: You want to control the world. Very well, I have no such ambitions. I want to control magic. If there’s room enough for that in this utopia of yours, then I see no reason why we can’t proceed.
That must irk you. To have that kind of magic beyond your possession...
[But it isn't said to needle under his skin. It's quiet, considering; one more nugget of information to take into account. His own goal, or perhaps just a critical piece of it. I want to control magic.]
...I told you, sometimes bad things need to be done for the good of the world. And sometimes... a girl needs to make concessions to do the same. You can have your magic, Mr. West. I am happy to let that be your realm of expertise, and while I'd happily help you in that same realm, I have no intention to be a hindrance, either.
[ That anger has never really gone away. It just sleeps beneath the surface, ready to rise up at the slightest provocation. That, and he's made the pursuit of that power his life's work. He's obsessed with it.
So her assessment of him was very much correct. He'll do anything to get what he wants. Even make a deal with a Devil. ]
That seems agreeable enough to me. If we're to be drafting up terms, I would like to consider that the first.
Oh, the human is the first to start making terms? How unorthodox.
[But she laughs very softly, and it seems sincere. So, she holds up a hand, indicating a “one” with a finger.]
First term: I am not allowed to interfere with your plans to accrue more power in order to reach your ultimate goal of controlling all magic. But I can help you, since that is the overall point.
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makimavellian) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
finalflight2023-03-24 06:21 pm
no subject
And if I told you they belonged to an ex-girlfriend?
[ Said in the tone of a man who knows he's lying and is not bothering to hide that fact. ]
no subject
[Said in Makima's favorite timbre: the kind that sounds polite enough, certainly complimentary, but secondhand Mean Girl, too. Though clearly she's amused, if not totally buying the lie. It doesn't matter either way.
She steps closer, within reasonable conversational distance. There's still something formal about the way she stands, though, like she's not quite yet sloughed off the government-employee vibes that have layered over her like silt over the years.
She won't sit unless offered a seat. Manners!]
Are you ready to talk details, or am I interrupting some other... more important business of yours?
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You're not interrupting. I was waiting for you.
[ And, at last, he motions her to a nearby chair. ]
Have a seat.
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Best to just start... simply, then.]
So, I assume you've not changed your mind sometime in-between my shower and now? If that's the case, then we should talk about what I can actually offer you. And what would be expected of you, in turn.
Unless you'd rather talk about the why, first, before the nitty-gritty.
[Intention, she means. Does he wonder why she's so eager to make a contract? And maybe she wonders more about him? She's happy to skip over all of that, of course, and learn or reveal it in time, but again... He seems a thorough sort.]
no subject
Why you suddenly changed your mind, for instance.
[ He clearly caught her interest just as much as she's now caught his. But how? Why? ]
no subject
Well. What awaits me if I return home? If I’m still dead, then I return to Hell. [And that’s just. Not ideal, really.] And if I somehow return to life, then things are… complicated, and I may just end up the same way, anyhow.
When I saw your library, it became apparent to me that you’re a man in pursuit of knowledge and power. And after we fought— [after she got a glimpse into his head] —then it became apparent that you’d do anything to obtain it, too. Correct me if I’m wrong, of course.
I need to use someone like that to set me back on track. To regain my full power again, what I've lost since I arrived here. I don’t mind admitting that, because it would be a mutual arrangement.
no subject
I was wondering how much of your power you brought to bear against me.
[ Damn, and she's not even at full strength. What would it be like if she were? ]
I'm not keen on being used either, so we'll have to see how mutual this arrangement really is. Before that, though, when you get to full power again, what will you do? You said you were the Control Devil, but what does that mean?
no subject
Well... It means what I said before. I represent humanity's fear of being controlled, or losing control. My power grows depending on how strong that fear is; and I assure you, that fear was quite staggering back in my home world. Here? It seems my reputation is not quite what it once was. People fear the... general concept still, yes. But not me.
[What a terrible shame!]
But as for what I'll do... I'll do what I was meant to do. Control. The world, ideally.
no subject
Which is not at all anything he would normally consider but, well, exceptional circumstances and all.
His eyebrows wing up. ]
The whole world.
[ Not a question. Even for a man as ambitious as himself, that’s a big, big prospect. ]
no subject
Oh. [She chuckles, smiling, one that reaches her eyes.] Not in a... Bond villain kind of way.
[She doesn't want to be some evil tyrant, lording over the whole planet. That would be quite the opposite of her intention.]
When I say control the world, I mean more like- [a pause] -trimming the nasty pieces away, leaving only the pleasant parts behind. To make it a better place, even if sometimes you have to do bad things to make that happen.
But obviously, that requires power. Influence. Far more than I have right now.
no subject
You want to... control the world to make it a better place.
[ That sounds so strange coming out of his mouth. ]
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You sound so surprised! Is that so strange? Many humans want to make the world a better place, they just lack the means to do so.
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Obviously things are much different in your own world, but in my experience, demons don't tend to want anything to do with the betterment of anything, least of all the human realm.
no subject
Makima doesn't bother to correct the terminology--Devil instead of demon--because she has a feeling that they're just interchangeable at this point. She doesn't know much about his world just yet, nor the demons that inhabit it, but if they both come from some version of Hell? Potato, potahto.]
I see. That's interesting. In my case, I guess it has to do with how singular I am. There are demons that are somewhat cooperative with humans, but as a general rule? The more a Devil looks human, the friendlier they are to them.
[And perhaps he's noticed, but the only tell from Makima that something is not quite right... Well, it would be her strange eyes.]
It must just be in my nature to want it for the world. In my own way. An apocalypse just sounds too cliche, don't you think?
no subject
This whole thing has just crossed into the realm of absurdity, and for a man like Warren West, that's saying something. He breathes out an amused sort of sound, lips quirking. ]
And I suppose if you end the whole world, there'll be nothing left to control, wouldn't there?
no subject
There is that, yes. But more importantly, there would be nothing left to make people happy.
[Or her, really. Selfishly. But there's no need to get into that, not when it doesn't change anything.]
I guess I'm just an idealist.
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You need a foundation of fear to start. That, I can provide.
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That's all right. I'm not asking you to share my ideals or my goals. It can be a mutually beneficial arrangement still. You use me, I use you.
[She looks pleased at the offer of providing a foundation of fear.]
That's generous of you, Warren. Though maybe you should tell me precisely what your goals are, so I can be sure I wouldn't get in the way? And that I can be of some help. [Though she's almost certain she can be.]
no subject
Ah, well, best to begin at the beginning. ]
You recall the creature from my memory? The one that looked like a wolf. It's known as a Summon, a creature that comes from the very source of magic itself. It is also, notably, the only one to have ever existed.
no subject
I do remember it, yes. The very source of magic itself, though? So not only is it rare, but it's also very powerful.
[She doesn't know how magic works in this world, but she cannot imagine anything that originates from the source itself is something to scoff at. And Warren thought it should have been his, didn't he? She recalls that from the memory, too.]
no subject
[ He rests an elbow on the arm of his chair, leaning the side of his face against his knuckles. ]
My dearly departed mentor took the secret of its summoning to the grave with him, and the beast itself made its way down his family line. It’s currently in the possession of his grandson.
But more relevant to the matter at hand: You want to control the world. Very well, I have no such ambitions. I want to control magic. If there’s room enough for that in this utopia of yours, then I see no reason why we can’t proceed.
no subject
[But it isn't said to needle under his skin. It's quiet, considering; one more nugget of information to take into account. His own goal, or perhaps just a critical piece of it. I want to control magic.]
...I told you, sometimes bad things need to be done for the good of the world. And sometimes... a girl needs to make concessions to do the same. You can have your magic, Mr. West. I am happy to let that be your realm of expertise, and while I'd happily help you in that same realm, I have no intention to be a hindrance, either.
no subject
[ That anger has never really gone away. It just sleeps beneath the surface, ready to rise up at the slightest provocation. That, and he's made the pursuit of that power his life's work. He's obsessed with it.
So her assessment of him was very much correct. He'll do anything to get what he wants. Even make a deal with a Devil. ]
That seems agreeable enough to me. If we're to be drafting up terms, I would like to consider that the first.
no subject
[But she laughs very softly, and it seems sincere. So, she holds up a hand, indicating a “one” with a finger.]
First term: I am not allowed to interfere with your plans to accrue more power in order to reach your ultimate goal of controlling all magic. But I can help you, since that is the overall point.
Sound good?
no subject
[ But he listens, and ultimately nods. ]
Yes, that sounds good.
[ Easy enough to start. He can only imagine how these things will evolve from heree. ]
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lordt what happened to my html
i saw nothing
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