Who: Maia and Morrigan What: Going out for that drink When: Early February pre-plot Where: A nicer bar type place Warnings: Pretty family friendly Status: Complete upon posting
The Grey Wardens had been interesting. Maia generally liked their pragmatic approach, and doing the joining sounded like a better idea than being executed by Templars. It was a hard journey to Ostagar, and her first meeting with the King had left her feeling a little dubious as to their prospects. Duncan’s fears about a Blight set her on edge, and her first battles with Darkspawn left her blood cold.
Meeting Morrigan had been as unexpected as seeing Alistair there. The witch was beautiful and mysterious and a little bit of a bitch, and Maia had found her interesting from the start. So was her mother, who held important treaties.
And the joining...the less Maia thought about the joining the better. Or the voices and the nightmares. But the worse thing had been the battle itself. Something she’d never experienced in any life and yet there she was fighting through a keep while war waged outside and in the end in the end…
In the end they’d lost. But at least she’d survived, and waking up to Morrigan was more of a surprise than anything else.
And then Maia had woken for real, disoriented in her flat and discombobulated, a tidal wave of emotion and feeling that had taken her all morning to come to terms with. Magic and demons and harrowings had somehow been easy to accept, but being thrown into the rawness of battle and being so good at it? That took time.
And she had a date tonight, too.
There was a healed gash on her stomach that hadn’t been there before, but Maia’s dress covered it, while leaving shoulders and neck exposed. It wasn’t too fancy. Just fancy enough to be putting in an effort but not so fancy as to say she was over doing it.
And, well, Maia approached Morrigan’s table, gave her a smile and sat down. “You look as lovely as you did in my dreams last night.”
This dream world was certainly strange. Morrigan was uncertain what to make of it, aside from seeing the parallels her life here had to it. She had grown up in the countryside, and her mother had been a quite a terrible control freak, to put things lightly. But she had not been as isolated in this life as she had been in her dreams. Of course, she tended to shift into various animals and make her way through the Korcari Wilds and go into human cities now and then. Morrigan had not been a nice person, and she tended to be snide with her mother more often than not.
What had been unexpected was noticing a group of Grey Wardens wandering through the Wilds, obviously looking for something. She followed them in the form of a raven so she could pass unnoticed by them. Three men and a woman. Then they finally reached their destination, a broken and dilapidated chest that once contained treaties that were in her mother’s possession. For safe keeping, as Flemeth had said.
Though what surprised Morrigan the most about the dream was that Maia was one of the Grey Wardens. Though once she’d shown the group out of the Wilds and back to Ostagar, Morrigan had not anticipated seeing any of them again. With darkspawn running rampant around the Wilds, it was clear they had a duty to perform.
And that was where Morrigan’s dreams had left off. It was strange. Maia had been in the dream, as well as someone else she knew to dream of this world. She went and tended to her plants in her greenhouse until it was time to get ready for her date. She wore a little black dress, something that always looked nice. Her hair was in a messy bun again with a pair of chopsticks stuck through it in a ‘x’ form, as it seemed to always be.
When Maia approached, she looked up and gave a bit of a chuckle. “I would say you are using a rather horrible pick up line, but considering you were in my dream last night, I shall let that pass.” She looked Maia over. “Though your dress suits you a bit better than the robes in the dream did.”
Little black dresses were always a happy thing to see, especially on a woman as beautiful as Morrigan. She studied her discreetly, and Morrigan was as mysterious and beautiful awake as she was in her sleep. She leaned back in her seat, and crossed her legs - she hadn't expected that.
"It was rather cheesy, wasn't it? Though truth be told I'd not expected you to counter like that." She gestured at herself. "Those robes were horrible, weren't they? I'm not sure if what you were wearing could be called robes. Though not many would mind."
Morrigan chuckled. “It was cheesy, indeed.” She smiled a bit as she crossed her ankles under her seat. “Believe me, I had not expected to meet you in my dreams.” Despite knowing she’d meet Isabela at some point, she hadn’t quite thought she’d meet Maia. “They were, yes. I rather think a burlap sack would go over better.” And there was another chuckle. “No, my clothes could not be called robes. They were far too revealing for that.”
“I can pray I get better clothing at some point, surely there’s some benefit to being a Gray Warden.” Maia’s expression darkened briefly, and she shivered and tried to move on. “I’m, not entirely sure I could pull them off as well as you do.”
Or as confidently. As much as Maia was a flirt and a bit of a wild child, she had her limit in what she liked to wear.
“At the very least you should be able to get something with the griffin insignia upon it.” That at least would be an upgrade from the robes she could only assume came from the Circle. Even being awake, the thought of mages being stuffed inside a tower left a horrible taste in her mouth. Though she saw the way Maia’s expression darkened, though she did not press when the subject shifted. Morrigan did not think she knew this woman enough to push. “Somehow I doubt anyone could. I know I would not wear something so revealing here. Not in public, anyway.”
Griffins. Now that was an idea. Maia had always been fascinated by them and it was a shame they were extinct. She’d love to ride one. “Save it for a special someone, hmm?” Her brow quirked and she gave Morrigan a teasing smile. “So bold on a first date. Perhaps we could compare magical spells on the second.”
Lifting her drink to her lips, Maia considered something else. “Aside from dreaming of Warden treaties, how have you been?”
“I am nothing if not bold and blunt,” Morrigan responded coolly. She took a sip of her wine. “I would enjoy comparing magical spells, see if any of our talents overlap or not.” Magic seemed to be quite varied, and not every mage had the same strengths.
“I have been well. More than relieved that the fog is gone.” It had been creepy enough to her, but the stories she’d heard of monsters being in the fog were enough to make her happy to not have experienced that. “And yourself?”
“That might be quite fun. I can’t wait to fling a fireball.” Maia wriggled her fingers playfully in Morrigan’s direction. She couldn’t think of all the uses for it in the modern world, but it would be fun. She wondered if there’d be an issue with Lyrium…
“I had a bit of fun in the fog. Kept a poor bloke distracted from all the scary thing.”
“A fireball can be useful, yes. Though freezing things is something I seem to enjoy in the dreams. However, I am more enthralled by the shapeshifting abilities I have.” Morrigan had to say she was curious about what it was like to experience the world as a wolf, cat or raven. And hey, the giant spider ability could come in handy if she wanted to torment people with arachnophobia.
“At least you were helping someone not focus on the scary aspects of that incident.”
“Shapeshifting?” Maia perked up at that idea. Being able to become something else had always been one of her dreams. So many myths spoke of shape-shifters. She’d always thought it would be fun. “Getting to him was a little frightening. Walking through that fog alone probably wasn’t all that smart.”
“Yes. I have taken the form of several different animals thus far in the dreams.” Morrigan was certain other forms would be added as the dreams progressed. “That certainly was not intelligent to have been in that fog alone. Though you seem the type able to take care of yourself.”
“It was bloody stupid,” Maia replied. Honestly she needed people in her life who called her out on her bullshit. “But I wasn’t thinking too clearly and by the time I realized what a dumb idea it was I was already too far in to turn back.”
“Did you encounter any of the monsters people have spoken of? Or were you simply lost in the fog?” Morrigan pointedly sipped her wine, wondering if Maia was the bleeding heart hero type. From the one dream she’d had, it was difficult to tell. Though Grey Wardens seemed to have some sort of noble streak to them. And she didn’t yet know Maia well enough here to know if she was a bleeding heart hero or not.
Morrigan definitely was not one. She wasn’t even a hero nor did she have any wish to be.
“No, it was like I was alone. No cars, no people, just me and the fog. Creepy.” Maia wasn’t as much of a bleeding heart as some people. She wasn’t Wynn, or even Alistair. But she was more so than Morrigan was. At least that would become more obvious as they dreamed, and Maia began to make more and more choices between bad and worse.
“That certainly does sound creepy and not something one should experience for very long. It sounds most disquieting.” Which was perhaps an understatement. “Though at least you came out of the experience with no long lasting consequences from such an experience?” At least Maia did not seem to be injured from that experience.
“Not injured in the slightest.” Maia flashed her a grin, and decided not to add ‘and we used protection so no consequences that way either’ to her response. Kanan hadn’t exactly been a date and she had no plans to see him again. Her long term desires tended to be of a different nature.
“I am most relieved to hear that.” Morrigan said with a little smile as she squared her shoulders. “T’would seem that Orange County is quite the anomaly. Dreams of other lives, fog, and apparently snow not that long ago.” Among other things. Morrigan really didn’t know why she’d chosen this place over some other place removed from the hustle and bustle of large cities.
“It feels like a crossroads. I half expect to run into a sphinx and have to answer a riddle.” Like there was an adventure out there, waiting for her. And that was a more appealing thought than wars, armies, and darkspawns. “Now wouldn’t that be fun?”
She moved around in her seat and leaned forward. Morrigan had the most enrapturing eyes, and Maia wondered if that was why she’d felt so drawn to her. Like with Alistair, it was as though the dreams made her want to get closer.
“T’would be something were a sphinx to show up and confront us all with a riddle. This place does read like something out of mythology upon reflecting on it, does it not?” Morrigan did find that part curious. Though she wasn’t keen on meeting monsters or getting into fights any time soon. Maybe if she had her magic here that would be different, but she wasn’t exactly a fighter.
Sipping her wine, Morrigan eyed Maia thoughtfully. It was certainly odd that this woman was in her dreams. There was a sense that she would be in her dreams far more as time went on. It was intriguing.
She wanted to know more about what Morrigan dreamed about, so she tried to think of how to ask about it without prying. Or maybe she’d just pry anyway. “You said you’ve learned to shape shift into various animals? Well, your dream self. In my Harrowing I encountered a mage who’d gotten stuck in the Fade when his body was killed during his Harrowing. He could turn into a mouse, and later a bear. At least that’s what he said he was. Turned out he was a demon all along.”
“Of course he was a demon. They are cunning.” Flemeth had taught her well when it came to demons and the Fade. That was something Morrigan actually appreciated coming from her mother. “And yes, I have taken the form of several animals. I have been a wolf, raven, a cat, and I was working on acquiring a giant spider form.” Out of all the animals she could choose to shift into, why she chose the giant spider was something that could only be because she liked disconcerting people. And a lot of people seemed to dislike spiders.
“A giant spider? Really.” Maia stared at Morrigan, a grin on her face that was half horrified and half amused. “You’re going to be a walking arachnophobia machine. That’s brilliant!”
Her eyebrows lifted at Maia’s response, and a slow smile crossed her face, one that held more than a note of mischief in it. “Blast, you have caught onto my nefarious plans! Perhaps I should choose a different form to catch you by surprise.”
“Mosquito. Terrorize Texas, but I hear they’re already pretty large down there so you might have competition.” Maia was enjoying herself. Morrigan was interesting, and her drink was really good. And she was pretty certain they were talking about things that felt real.
Magic! She glanced down at her hands, and in a more serious voice, asked. “After your dreams, did you feel, for just a moment, like that power was there, somehow?”
“Perhaps there is something better than a mosquito to terrorize Texas with. I’m thinking more someone with a liberal set of beliefs.” Was that a shot at Texas and conservatism? Most definitely. People could believe what they wished to, but Morrigan would not hesitate to call people out for their stupid beliefs rooted in fear of people being different. Humans were as varied as nature itself was.
“Yes, actually. Tis not something that I am able to fully describe. But for some moments after waking, I felt as though I could cast a fireball or change my form.” She frowned slightly, gaze shifting to her hands. “But it was a feeling that subsided the way normal dreams dissipate after waking.”
“We could unleash you on Texas, but that doesn’t strike me as particularly fair.” Most of what Maia knew about Texas was from people making fun of the state. Most of what she understand was much of that was probably at least half true.
“But what if we set something on fire? Or freeze it? What if you got stuck as a rabbit?” But now Maia was imagining waking up next to a rabbit and it was hard not to giggle. Or think about why she’d be waking up next to Morrigan. Getting ahead of herself.
“Fair or not, it would still be amusing.” Morrigan didn’t quite care about whether a situation was fair or not, unless she was on the unfair end of things.
“Hopefully we would not do any of those. I would hope control would quickly come with it.” Morrigan eyed Maia for some moments. “A rabbit, you say? Tis an odd animal to choose for me to be stuck in the form of.”
The looks on their faces, unleashing Morrigan on them. Okay it would be worth it. Maybe if they got to know each other better, they could do something like that. “Would a cat be better? You strike me as more of a cat. Aloof and better than me.” She winked. “Or wild, like a wolf. I’d think a wolf would suit you as well.”
“A cat would be infinitely better. I do like cats. Though my cats would probably not enjoy the presence of another cat.” Morrigan sipped her drink. “A wolf would be interesting to assume the form of I think. I would have to find a nice area around here that was a little less populated to run around as a wolf.”
“There’s some wilderness areas to the east,” Maia commented. “Bloke I know runs a place for wayward youth that’s basically a ranch.” All she really knew is it was were juvie deliquents went when they wanted to get out of Juvie. “I’m sure there’s places to run around out there. Same bloke has semi-tame wolves that run around out there.”
“That sounds like a good place to run if I acquire my magic from the dreams.” Morrigan had to say she was more than fascinated by the prospect of shapeshifting. To experience the world through different eyes, different senses would be thrilling. It would be something she would wish to do, and do often.
“Do you want it?” Maia asked. Because for her, the Circle was a scary, traumatizing thing. There’d been events she’d tried to ignore. Things Templars had done to her and other mages and the worrisome thing was she knew other Circles were worse. But she wanted that power. “The power, I mean.”
Morrigan contemplated for a moment, but only a moment. She knew her answer even without thinking about it. “I do.” Even in this life, she enjoyed having knowledge and power of her own. She’d need to keep her magic underwraps here, but that wouldn’t be difficult when she dreamt of a world where she had to be careful and conceal her magic anyways lest Templars find her and drag her to the Circle. “Do you?”
“Yes.” Like Morrigan, Maia’s answer required little thought. “I’ve spent my whole life studying and dissecting ancient myths. To wield power like a mage like, well…” She gestured at Morrigan with a cheeky smile, “Morrigan of myth...it almost feels like destiny. Like the Fates exist and have an actual plan.”
The fact it didn’t take Maia long to answer was something that pleased Morrigan. It only made her want to spend more time getting to know Maia. Perhaps she would be one of the rare people that wouldn’t get on her nerves much. “I am uncertain whether I aspire to being like the Celtic goddess of war, but it has not escaped my notice that I was named after her for a reason.” Morrigan smirked a bit before sipping her drink.
There was sure to be at least some degree of nerve-getting. Maia could be grating at times and she liked to pretend she didn’t know it. She thought back to their previous discussion on Persephone and she asked, “Your mother had a sense of humour I take it?”
Morrigan would expect that. No one managed to never get on her nerves. But there was potential for some to get on them less than others. “A rather odd sense of humor, yes. She would call it humor, I would call it something rather different.”
“And what’s that, if you don’t mind my asking?” Really, she could listen to Morrigan talk forever, and not just for the timber and tone of her voice. Morrigan seemed like she’d be the kind of person who’d always have something interesting to say.
“Bitch is a better word for it.” Morrigan had Mommy Issues. She supposed it was better than having daddy issues, but she had a very tumultuous relationship with her mother. There was a reason she’d left home to make her own way in life once she went to university. She never looked back, save for the odd visits her mother like to do without warning. It was almost uncanny how Flemeth seemed to be able to find her regardless of where she went.
“That bad, Persephone?” Maia wouldn’t classify her relationship with her mother as being on good terms, but she wouldn’t call her a bitch. Mother had been distant, almost non-existent at times.
“Yes. Most of the time I was around my mother we spent arguing bitterly. The rest of the time she was overbearing.” Morrigan took a longer drink of her wine, almost needing another glass. Though at this point, she’d prefer an entire bottle.
Sensing this, Maia flagged someone to refill Morrigan’s drink, and her own. At the rate Morrigan was going she’d need a ride home, or a cab, but Maia didn’t know what her actual drinking ability was. “How often do you hear ‘maybe she loves you?’ I wonder.”
She thanked both Maia and the waiter for the refill. And then at Maia’s wondering, Morrigan actually laughed, and it was an amused laugh. “I have never heard anyone say that as it were. My mother was distant with pretty much every human being that ever crossed her path, and I have never spoken of this to anyone else.”
“I’m surprised! It’s a common refrain I think, when talking about an overbearing mother. They do it out of love, people say. But mine wasn’t around too much. She worked a lot. So I’ve heard that phrase before.” Maia leaned her chin on her hands. “Really? I feel special.”
“Perhaps if people knew that was how I felt I would have heard it. As it is, I have had little reason to divulge such personal details to people. I would say that you are fortunate your mother was not around much, but I may be biased due to my own experience.” Morrigan was definitely biased in that way. “You should feel special.” Morrigan didn’t know exactly why she had decided to divulge such details to Maia, but she couldn’t take them back now.
“I believe you. If you say your mother was a bitch, she probably was.” Maia smiled, waving her hand. “Not really my place to try to change your mind.”
“You are quite wise. I would not take kindly to someone trying to change my mind. They did not grow up with my mother, therefore they cannot rightfully try to change my mind.” Perhaps if she’d had a sibling or some other close family member that was there as well, she’d have a different opinion of that.
And Maia couldn’t disagree with that. Growing up with a bitch of a mother earned one the right to talk about it. Or complain about it, she supposed. “Lets talk about something else, I’m sure you don’t want to be reminded of bad memories. Not when we have such a pleasant evening ahead of us.”
A change of subject was indeed needed before Morrigan was put into a foul mood. She sipped her drink. “Indeed. Is Greek mythology your favorite or are there other mythologies you enjoy as well?” Seemed like a safe enough question, and it was a getting to know Maia question as well.
“I like mythology in general. There’s so many interesting stories from around the world. Greek is just some of the most popular, actually, but I’ve a particular fondness for old European fae stories, and some of the modern reimaginings. I’ve got a wee bit of Irish in my blood, you see.”
“Ah, t’would explain that,” she said with a note of amusement. “What was the first mythology story you read that began your love for it?” Morrigan had read much of mythology and folklore from various cultures herself. Though for her, it was more of a hobby than it was a way of life. Her plants were her way of life, but there was plenty of time to read between making her remedies.
“I had this old rat-eared copy of fairy lore,” Maia replied. “Most of it was garbage, honestly, censored for little children and lacking the really good magic. But it led me to other stories, which led me to more.” She moved her hands as she spoke, like she was describing a path through a forest. “A bit like getting lost. But in a good way.”
“Tis an easy subject to become lost in and enveloped by. The versions of such stories that are edited for children never cease to make me shudder. I understand the general idea of not wanting children to be scared witless from young ages, but nevertheless, the world is not a nice place, not completely, and they should be prepared for it, not sheltered from it.” Morrigan caught herself, realizing she’d gone on a slight tangent there and strayed from the central subject. Turning it back on track. “I find the commonalities between mythos of cultures the most fascinating. It gives insight into the human psyche that not much else can.”
The best fairy tales were the ones that had really horrible original versions, and then Maia liked to compare them to the sanitized versions and it always amused the hell out of her. “No, the world isn’t nice, but I can understand the appeal of wanting children to be children, and not have to worry about growing up too soon.”
“Have you wondered if there’s some truth to genetic memory? How certain things are so ingrained in the human psyche that there might be something that happened long ago, and we all hold that within us? Like how some young animals know to fear a hawk’s shadow.”
“And yet not every child is allowed such a childhood.” Flemeth had schooled Morrigan on the horrors of the world for literally as long as she could remember. Perhaps that was the underlying reason she wasn’t a people-person. She did not see the world through rose-colored lenses nor did she see people through them. The world to her consisted of varying shades of grey.
“I do believe there is truth to that theory. Instinct is one thing, as we see amongst various species. Genetic memory is not that far removed from instinct, and I would believe it to be true to say we have inherited such things passed down through the eons.”
There was something wrong with that approach too. While Maia never planned to have children, she would prefer an approach somewhere near the middle. Children should know what the world is like, but they should also have the chance to know what the world could be like with effort and heart.
“I met someone once who adheres to that. I think it might explain why certain things creep us out more than others.”
“Indeed it could. It could explain why aspects such as nyctophobia are prevalent across the ages and cultures. Fear of predators. There could be argument for the fight or flight response being a genetic memory as opposed to instinct. Though it is sometimes difficult to separate the two.” For one who didn’t like people as much as she did, Morrigan had studied much on mythos, even picked up on behaviors and commonalities that stretch across the borders of time and place. There was something to be said for so many people across the ages and across cultures maintain similar, if not identical, behaviors.
Maia tried to remember what Ms. Croft had spoken about, but it was years ago and it hadn’t been what she’d been focused on at the time. Something about corpses or walking dead people. Personally she preferred her zombies with a side of comedy. “How do we know that they aren’t actually different words for the same thing?”
“Tis possible they are, though I believe that would be a job for a linguistic anthropologist. Or at least someone with more knowledge of the evolution of languages than I have.” Morrigan had some knowledge of languages of the ancient world, but it was limited and she was not an expert in the subject. Even if she did not wish to admit that.
“You’re probably right.” Maia had meant more like how ocean and sea basically meant the same thing. As though genetic memory was a more accurate name for instinct. But she bowed to Morrigan’s wisdom for the moment. It wasn’t something she cared enough about to debate. “Still, it’s a fascinating thought. What went bump in the night ten thousand years ago that still makes us jump?”
“The last of some species of dinosaur, perhaps? Some ancestor of the yeti? Truly, the amount of tales of dragons, sea monsters and abominable snowmen that cross borders of language and time is staggering. And they only lend proof that we do not know this planet nearly as well as we like to claim. After all, we know more about other planets than we do about what lies in the depths of the oceans here on our own planet.” While Morrigan wasn’t keen on actually coming face-to-face with a kraken, she felt it was a travesty they knew so little of what actually lived on this planet.
“Dragons are easy. Dinosaur fossils are everywhere and it’s easy to extrapolate stories from there.” Maia would happily face a dragon. Face it, study it, probably kill it. It would be a challenge but a part of her would be eager for it.
“But that doesn’t mean there’s not things out there. Whatever is in Loch Ness. And there are tens of thousands of miles of ocean. The Marianas Trench.”
“Precisely. Large creatures with teeth and large wings. There are ancient creatures that still exist on this planet. Fishermen recently pulled a prehistoric fish from the ocean that was thought to have gone extinct millennia ago. They have found proof of giant squid. Who is to say there is not a kraken living in the Marianas Trench? There is much in the deep, dark ocean that we do not know of. Though perhaps that is an advantage for nature. Humans fear what they cannot see, and the ocean is a very dark place with plenty of fodder for our nightmares lurking in the darkness. It keeps humans from fully ruining yet another ecosystem.” Morrigan certainly disliked how much mankind liked to ruin the planet with pollution and mindless blundering about, destroying things they did not understand.
Earth warrior? Not precisely, but Morrigan would be the first to laugh at any who stood against Mother Nature only to lose.
“Almost makes me wish I was in another field so I can have an excuse to hunt a Kraken,” Maia replied. “Or a dragon. Though I suppose looking for truth behind myth might very well be a valid enough excuse.” The thought of an adventure like that was exciting. And then there was Hawke, who’d claimed to actually fight one.
Okay, so she was jealous.
“I think searching for truth behind the myth is a valid enough reason to hunt such things. Tis a reason I myself would use to justify such things.” Morrigan said with a bit of a smile. “To uncover truths long forgotten or made into something they are not would be most exhilarating.”
“I’ll have to talk the University into giving me a budget for Kraken research,” Maia replied, face serious. It remained serious for another beat or two, before she broke into a grin. “Could you imagine?”
Morrigan’s eyebrows quirked a bit, as did her lips. “They would probably write you into the same category as the crazy-haired man that enjoys relating technology of the ancient world to aliens.” Morrigan herself laughed. She didn’t dismiss the idea of aliens, far from it actually, but to undercut what humans were capable of at times and saying it was all ALIENS!!!! was a bit ridiculous.
Maia snorted so hard she nearly choked on her drink. “That show is bloody racist. Where are all the experts talking about aliens helping out in Europe? Oh right, we were stuck shitting on our own hands half the time.”
“Precisely.” Morrigan said with amusement. “Not to mention they conveniently forget that the library in Alexandria burned and so much knowledge was lost because of it. Who knew what the ancients were actually capable of across the world?”
“Probably more than we’ll ever truly know. Unless there’s something in that genetic memory we were talking about.” She gave Morrigan a finger gun to punctuate her point.
“Unless someone manages time travel, I suppose we shall never know for certain.” She sipped her drink. “All things considered, have you traveled far and wide on this fair planet of ours?” Travel and interest in the past seemed to go hand-in-hand, which was why Morrigan had asked.
“I’ve been around a wee bit. Not as much as I’d like. Athens, Cairo and Beijing, all for conferences. My line of work doesn’t really have much in the way of field work, but getting to see the settings for some of these myths certainly helps!”
“Beijing? When were you there?” While Morrigan had spent time in Beijing, she hadn’t spent much of it in Beijing. No, she’d traveled to all parts of China. She actually spoke a couple dialects of Chinese fluently enough to get by without a guide.
“About six years ago,” Maia replied. “Just before I started University. It was one of the things that made me decide to go into my field. I met an interesting bloke there who opened my eyes to all kinds of possibilities.”
“Curious, I was in China around the same time. Though I was not in Beijing until a bit later.” How odd that they would have been in the same part of the world at that point in time. It would have been stranger yet had they actually seen each other before. But Morrigan would have remembered Maia if that had been the case.
“We might have missed each other by hours,for all we know,” Maia said. It was exciting for her. Something about it stirred the imagination with what-ifs, or at least the thought that maybe they were always destined to meet each other. The wilds witch and the circle mage.
“Indeed ‘tis possible. Tis quite thought invoking with the possibilities.” It was certainly food for thought, in a way. “How long were you there for?”
“Less than a week.” It hadn’t been long enough, not to see everything she’d wanted. Or experience everything she’d wanted to experience. But it had been enough to light a fire under her feet and help her make her final decision on her major. “I wish it had been longer.”
“Perhaps when you have the opportunity, you could return. China is worth the time.” Providing one got past the political atmosphere and such. Morrigan was planning to return there again one day. Though for the time being, she would focus on settling into Orange County.
Was it too soon to suggest a trip together? It was a thought and Maia filed it away for another time. “I think I will. I’d enjoy the trip.” She decided to flip the tables on her date. “What place would you like to visit? If you could go anywhere?”
Morrigan pondered the question for some moments. There were a couple places on her list of where she’d like to visit for varying reasons. “India is currently at the top of the list. Several aspects of its culture fascinate me.” There was a rich history to be found in India, and she tended to believe it tended to be overlooked in favor of places like China, Japan and Egypt when it came to ancient cultures.
“It’s a rich culture, with a rich history and some fascinating myths. And a bit of a melting pot. That whole region is, really.” And much of it had influenced other cultures and even the modern world, though not many people ever really noticed the link. “I hope you get to go some day.”
“Indeed. Sometimes I believe India is overlooked for places such as Egypt, China and Japan. Though India has quite the reach in influence of the world, both ancient and modern.” For those who studied the past, it was easy to see the connections if they knew where to look. And Morrigan was one who somehow always knew where to look.
“You’re right! I think those other places have been explored a little more so people are more familiar with it. They think they’re sexier, but India can be really sexy itself.” Of course, to Maia, sexy had a place when talking about world civilizations. For example, Rome, while important, just wasn’t that sexy.
“There is an allure to India that the other places do not have any longer. Perhaps tis because of how explored the other places are that the mysteries that are left seem to be lackluster at times.” Which isn’t to say Morrigan wasn’t interested to learn where Nefertiti’s mummy was actually located, because she was. But she was more taken by India than she was Egypt as a whole.
“Oh there’s always something new to find, but I think because of how well explored they are they all seem to be a little old hat.” Maia could definitely agree with Morrigan’s sentiment, even if she was having trouble not being distracted by her manner of speaking. It was endearing. “I hope you get to go some day.”
“One of these days I shall travel there. I simply need to plan for it.” Plan for it, budget it out, decide where in India she wished to go, all of that. India was a large place with so much to see, Morrigan would need to narrow it down. It was how Morrigan had planned her trips to China. She’d gone to different places there each time as it was so large and had quite the variety to offer.
“Do you have a plan for everything, Morrigan? Ever just try to sit back and let things happen as they may?” Maia was more of a gambler with most things. Roll the dice, see what happened. Sure, there was a time and a place for a plan, but often just throwing herself into something and planning on the fly worked out better. Amell family trait.
“Let things happen by chance? Not if it can be helped. I prefer having things laid out than to simply allow them to happen without any preparation.” Morrigan was the type that needed a plan and needed some sort of structure to what was in her future. She didn’t adjust well to making choices on the fly or making plans on the fly. That went for all aspects of her life, not just planning trips.
“What if you had a plan for a day, but allowed yourself some wiggle room. After all, a battle plan never survives contact with the enemy.” She winked at Morrigan.
“That is precisely where I have the advantage. I am not a people-person, as it were, thus there is little need for that so-called wiggle room.” She countered with a somewhat teasing tone. Though Morrigan was quite serious on that. She wasn’t around people much when it was outside of work. Was she lonely? Yes, but when she got lonely, that’s what her cats and plants were for.
Or so she’d convinced herself.
“And yet,” Maia leaned forward. “And yet here you are, on a date with the woman of your dreams.”
“Perhaps I find you interesting, oh woman of my dreams,” she responded teasingly. “Though that begs the question, are we certain that we are actually real and are not simply some dream-induced hallucination?” She was still teasing.
“If this is a dream induced hallucination I can’t think of anything better.” Which was a lie but Maia was trying to be polite and not too much of a perv.
“Now you are flattering me,” she said with a smile. “Though this is a very lovely evening, regardless of being real or a hallucination.”
“I can’t help it, not around a pretty woman.” Maia winked at her. “I wonder if a hallucination is aware of what they are? Or if they think they’re actually that person. Would a hallucination that goes away mean it’s dead?”
“Why thank you. You are pretty as well.” Morrigan had noticed. It was a little difficult not to. But Morrigan took longer to become invested in someone emotionally. “I suppose it would depend upon the nature of the hallucination. Some could be self-aware perhaps, but I think it would depend upon the mind of the person projecting the hallucination. Or if it is a drug-induced hallucination, that is another matter. As for one that goes away meaning it is dead, I do not think so.”
“Well if you are my hallucination, I rather hope you stay around.” Maia made it sound like some deep, soulful thing, before she added. “I could use someone to help me identify what plants won’t kill me.”
“Tis true, finding someone else to do the same thing for you may not be so easy as one may expect.” Morrigan said with an easy smile. “Besides, we cannot have you felled by some plant that you happened to accidentally wander into.”
“If I were lost in the wilderness, what plant would you recommend I keep an eye out for?” It seemed like a random question, but it was also on a topic that Maia knew would interest Morrigan. And she wanted to see Morrigan’s passion.
Asking that question could be dangerous in that Morrigan could talk about plants for hours upon hours. Especially with such a generalized question. “Actually, you do not need to be in the wilderness to come in contact with poisonous plants. There are a few common houseplants that could kill you. Though never consume the berries of a mistletoe, they are fatal. Apples from a mayapple are a very terrible thing to eat, though moreso the roots. The roots of a mayapple contains sixteen active toxic principles in them. Hemlock, both water hemlock and poison hemlock, and nightshade are also fatal. Jimson weed, also known as thorn apple, can cause delirium, incoherence and induce a coma. It has proven fatal, though it is not always so.”
Morrigan smiled a bit. “Now, shall I tell you of the dangers of plants many people keep in their homes that can actually kill them?” There...may have been a note of glee in that statement. But really, it wasn’t difficult for Morrigan’s passion to come out when talking about plants. It was what she loved, and she took pride in her knowledge of them.
Maia liked to live dangerously, but if it meant Morrigan kept talking then it was a worth-while sacrifice. Some of those plants she was aware of, others less so. She’d never thought about them before. But then Morrigan asked her a question and there was enough glee in that question that most people would have had second thoughts about answering. Not so the Warden. She grinned and leaned forward again, making sure Morrigan had a good view of what she had to offer. “Please share.”
Perhaps her question, and the glee behind it, would give people second thoughts about Morrigan herself, but she wasn’t actually one to set out and poison people. She wasn’t a killer. Even if she often said she’d love to kill her mother, but that wasn’t a serious threat. ...most of the time any way. There were some days when she was serious about killing her mother.
But then Maia was leaning forward and, well, Morrigan’s gaze did fall to look at what she had to offer.
“Hyacinth, Narcissus, and Daffodils are actually quite poisonous, sometimes fatally so. If you eat the bulbs, at any rate. Avoid Oleander, its poison can affect the heart and can be fatal. Dieffenbachia and Elephant’s Ear causes an intense burning and irritation of the mouth, and even death if the tongue swells enough to cut off air passage in the throat. Avoid eating the seeds of the Rosary Pea or Castor Bean plants as well. One Rosary Pea seed is enough to kill you, while one or two Castor Bean seeds will do the job.”
“Daffodils, really?” Maia looked positively shocked at this development. Oleander she knew about. For some reason it was a really popular plant in the southwest. “Maker, some of those plants you can find everywhere. And yet people keep them ‘round for decoration. I feel sorry for their pets.”
“Indeed. The daffodils’ bulbs can cause quite the unpleasant side effects if consumed.” She sipped her wine with a bit of a smirk. “People do not seek to educate themselves on the plants they choose to keep. They think the plants are beautiful, and they are, but they do not think beauty can be deadly. Despite all the historical evidence to the contrary.” She meant that both in deaths-by-plants and death-by-people. “The plants that I keep in my house are never poisonous. I would not wish my cats to become ill if they were to eat some of the plants.”
“That would be terrible,” Maia agreed. But Morrigan had a point. In nature the most beautiful things were often the most deadliest. Didn’t color usually signify poison? Why was it then, that humans loved color so much. Maybe it was like spitting in the eyes of fate.
“What’s your favourite plant then?”
Color did signify poison, but not always. Still, humans would always be drawn to color and what they viewed as beautiful, even if such things were deadly to them. It was simply human nature. An odd manner of human nature, of course, but still one that seemed to always be present regardless of evolution.
Then came that question, and Morrigan smiled. “It is a tie, actually. One of them is the darlingtonia californica, more commonly called the cobra lily. I rather think they are an excellent deceptive plant, and it is a rare find. My other favorite is the chrysanthemum. I feel that it is a beautiful flower, and it can be underrated at times.” Also considering how prevalent the flower was in China and how Morrigan certainly loved China, that perhaps came as no surprise.
Neither one did. A deceptive rare plant seemed like it was something that was right up Morrigan’s alley. Morrigan was both deceptive, and a rare sort of woman. It made Maia wonder what sort of friendship or rivalry they’d develop - in the dreams Morrigan had more thorns and shields up.
And an underrated beautiful flower? Unsurprising. Maia’s face spread onto a smile. “Sounds like you.”
The comment was surprising. Surprising enough that Morrigan kind of stared at Maia, almost bewildered by the fact someone could pin her down so easily just from asking what her favorite plant was. She was a bit speechless for a couple moments.
“I see that I am so easily pegged by such a simple question. Perhaps I should try harder to remain mysterious.” Morrigan was a little unnerved. People able to relate her answer to sounding like her was not something that ever really happened. And yet Maia seemed to be gaining an understanding of who Morrigan was.
“You’re a rare sort of woman, Morrigan.” Maia’s smile remained easy on her face. “You keep yourself turned inward, making it harder for people to get in. And an underrated beauty.”
“I cannot deny that I am a rare sort, though I do not think my beauty is underrated. Underappreciated perhaps, but hardly underrated.” And there was Morrigan’s vanity showing up again.
Maia could only grin harder at that. “I’m mistaken then. Underappreciated, though not by me!” She could appreciate a little vanity.
“Well thank you. Yours is not underappreciated by me either.” Morrigan’s gaze did take the occasional dip lower. And, well, brunettes did attract her attention moreso than blondes did.
Usually it was blondes or redheads for Maia, but Morrigan’s dark hair reminded her of the sky at midnight. The thought kept her smile on her lips, and Morrigan’s eyes kept it wide. She affected a more posh accent. “Thank you. Don’t often get compliments from a lady such as yourself.”
“Tis my pleasure to give such warranted compliments.” Morrigan smiled. This was not something she was used to doing. The whole flirting thing. Oh she’d flirted with people before, but it had been few and far between. Mostly because Morrigan was far too guarded and didn’t let anyone get close to her. She could already tell there was a dance going on, and she was suddenly curious how long Maia would dance before she gave up. Most people didn’t care to work past Morrigan’s guards, and that was just fine with her.
Unfortunately for Morrigan, Maia liked to dance, and she was persistent - at least up to a point she was after all due for heartbreak in her dreams. So it would take more for Morrigan’s thorns to push her away. Once Maia decided she wanted to be someone’s friend, it would take an act of old god to stop her. The flirting though, that was where it got harder. But then, Morrigan was in no way straight. “This is me, feeling warm and fuzzy inside.” She was sure that warm and fuzzy were unusual things for a Morrigan.
Morrigan had long convinced herself that she was fine just the way she was, being on her own with no friends. But the truth of it was that she was lonely. Sometimes having someone around wasn’t such a bad thing. Though Morrigan was intensely picky about who she wanted around her for the long term. “At least I can generate such feelings within someone.” Considering she typically generated feelings of intense dislike towards her.
“I’m sure that not everyone you meet dislikes you,” Maia said, trying to soften the blow a little. “No one has any patience these days, to really get to know someone.”
“Almost everyone that does meet me dislikes me.” Morrigan said it matter-of-factly because it was a fact. Most people she met ended up disliking her. “At least I can count you among the very select few who actually like me. Or is that too much of a presumption on my part?”
“No, I like you. I can see why some people might dislike you, though.” It was the truth. Morrigan was thorny. Thorny. Very Thorny. “I wouldn’t call it a character flaw.”
“Then what, dare I be so bold as to ask, would you call it?” Morrigan asked, leaning in a bit, eyes intent on Maia’s. She took no offense to the statement, she well knew it was true. She was a bitch far more often than not. She didn’t like people bothering her, and tended to get short with them.
“Defense mechanism. Probably caused by your bitch of a mother.” Maia held up a finger, the corner of her lip quirking. “But I wouldn’t call it that either. You tell it how it is. You don’t really censor yourself, even if you can be more diplomatic about it than I think you realize.”
“You believe me capable of being diplomatic?” There was amusement in her tone, the kind that came with surprise at such a declaration. Morrigan did not think she was the diplomatic type. “There is no use placating people with words they wish to hear when such words are not the truth. I omit truths at times, but I do not tell someone things will be puppies, sunshine and rainbows when they will truly be the aftermath of a hurricane. People do not wish to hear such truths, but what is the benefit of living with one’s eyes closed?”
“There are ways to tell someone they’re dying without stabbing them in the heart in the process,” Maia pointed out. “And you don’t even have to play with words to do so. I mean simply that you can tell the truth without being harsh. Simply stated as fact.” And sure maybe sometimes she was hard but that’s neither here nor there.
“Ah but there are still times when fact is harsh and there is no possible way to soften the blow. Besides, I am not known for my bedside manner, in a manner of speaking.” Morrigan had a feeling she’d just left that door wide open for Maia to make some raunchy comment on, but there was little she could do about it.
Really, she’d given Maia such a golden opportunity and if Maia was any less of a person she would have made the lewdest comment. But unlike some people she knew she had a sense of self control, so she merely grinned and stated, “I would like to be the judge of that.”
Morrigan’s eyebrow quirked a bit. Perhaps she was surprised there wasn’t a lewd comment made in response, but all that showed of that was the quirked eyebrow. Was she impressed by the fact Maia didn’t make a lewd comment? It was difficult to tell. “Would you now?”
Maia’s eyes twinkled, but her tone remained casual. “Yes, after all I can’t have an opinion of your bed if I’ve never experienced it.”
She conveniently forgot the ‘side manner’ of that phrase.
“That is indeed the truth of the matter.” Morrigan said with a chuckle. It was no easy task to get into Morrigan’s bed in the first place. She’d had some lovers in the past of course, but they had been few. In fact, Morrigan could count them on one hand. Love had never been something she’d experienced. And while she did like sex, it took time before a person would be brought back to her bedroom. She didn’t fall into bed with just anyone nor did she fall into bed on the first date.
Patience was actually one of Maia’s strong suits. Though it was easier if she could play the field while waiting. Not being able to play the field while waiting suddenly made patience a lot harder.
“Not coming on too strong, am I?”
As of this moment, Morrigan didn’t care if Maia played the field. She didn’t even yet care if Maia actually wanted to try and pursue her. Though there was always room for that to change as time progressed.
“I am still sitting here and have neither thrown my drink in your face nor attempted to hit you over the head with some heavy object. I believe that is answer enough?” She arched her eyebrows a bit. There was some note of levity in her tone, obvious that her response wasn’t a strike against Maia or anything of that manner.
“You don’t strike me as the kind of person to hit one over the head with a heavy object.” The drink in her face though, she could see Morrigan doing that. Or something more subtle, like poisoning her food. Morrigan just screamed ‘black widow’.
“But drink in the face, I’ll try to avoid that.”
“I only use such courses of action if there is no other option left.” Morrigan typically was more subtle in such things. Though she was also vocal. If she didn’t like someone or something, she would make it known.
“Then we are off to an excellent start. I would rather not toss my drink on such a beautiful face.”
Maia actually turned a little red at the compliment. Morrigan was getting under her skin in the best of ways, and even in the dreams she’d found herself attracted - even if there was a much thicker wall there. “Waste of a good drink, too.”
Morrigan smiled, seeing the red color on Maia’s cheeks. She rarely made people blush with compliments. She mostly made people flush with anger. “I cannot disagree with that.” And she took a somewhat pointed sip of her wine.
“It sounds like there aren’t many people worth wasting a drink on in the first place. And if they were, you wouldn’t go on a date with them in the first place.” It wasn’t that she was trying to dig into Morrigan, but it was only natural to want to see what was underneath.
To say that Morrigan was surprised was perhaps an understatement. She felt more than a little unnerved that Maia seemed to be reading her so well already. It made her want to recoil, not liking the fact that someone was figuring such things out so quickly. “Truth, though I have rarely been on dates with anyone.” Meaning Maia was already in a very selective and privileged group of people in Morrigan’s life. The only question was to how this relationship would pan out as time progressed.
Maia thought that time would tell just how things went.