Who: Regina & Midna What: Hiring a little extra help to prepare for the future When: Today Where: Home of Disney Villains Rating/Warnings: Relatively low Status: Complete!
Stalling on this particular process had been a luxury Regina had - things were effectively calming down, she was able to put the appropriate amount of time and energy to her clients. Killian was back from the dead (the preparations of such feat had her neglect her business for some time), there was no threat of a Dark One looming over their heads like a shitstorm of terrible luck. With Nikolas finally in the picture, she’d predicted them segueing into some semblance of normalcy while they helped the new, frazzled parents with the newborn. Not to mention the transition of Killian and Kenzi moving in under her roof, which would add more life to what used to be a lonely but beautiful home.
Focusing on the mundane, more routine things was something she was thankful for - but one could say she ended up more than what she bargained for. Especially with the news bomb her pirate had uncovered recently.
“Kenzi mentioned you,” Regina conversed, motioning the young lady with such an amazoness height into her abode. It was bright inside, the windows allowing natural light in - much of the decor in the foyer was white as it was. It was a split off in direction from there; the left was the kitchen and dining room, then came the stairs that would lead to the bedrooms, and to the other side of the house was the entrance to the living room and what once had been the den was what had been converted into an office. “Midna, is it? I’m Regina. It’s a pleasure.”
“She was the one who told me about the job,” Midna responded, stepping inside carrying a slim satchel with her paperwork in there, trying not to let her smile turn too nervous (and also trying not to bonk her head on anything - being tall enough to maintain a position of Captain on the Amazonian basketball team was sometimes a burden). “But yeah, yes, uh - “ Well, don’t sound like an idiot, Princess. Quick pep talk. She could do this, “...I’m Midna. It’s good to meet you too. A fellow magic user.”
At the very least, she knew that much about Regina personally - but she’d done her homework too, in terms of researching a little about the interior design business, trends and stuff, along with the various concepts or whatever. There was no such thing as being over-prepared, right? Because this was technically Midna’s first job interview that didn’t have to do with A. dancing or B. how she looked in scanty clothes or C. dancing in scanty clothes. Therefore, she didn’t want to fuck it up.
Her dress was cute, a pretty color green with little black polka dots and ruffled edges. Maybe a glamour wasn’t necessary but she wore it anyway, looking as she once did before the OC so kindly changed her - caramel toned skin and hazel eyes, hair in a sleek ponytail and its reddish-brown shade. There was even a pair of smart-looking hipster glasses sitting on her nose and, well, not like she needed them. But she thought they really made her look snazzy.
Ah, good to know. Regina preferred someone from the network anyway; odd things had a habit of happening under this very roof, especially beneath the ground, where her crypt of magical bobs and trinkets (not to mention the Vault of Hearts) was hidden. No point in hiring a regular civilian to work in her own home with what could happen here alone, hm?
It was a spacious office Midna was lured into, decorated with simple elegance - a desk in the center back, leather chairs propped in front, and there was an ornate, round table to the side for more surface space when it came to meeting with multiple clients. For the moment being, she settled down at her computer chair and offered the princess (Kenzi did also mention she was royalty, how fitting) the seat across.
“That’s definitely an advantage,” she nodded, leaning back a little. “I dream of a very twisted mix of fairytale and Disney, so things can...sometimes gets a little too exciting here.” Regina voice that with a degree of exasperation. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about yourself? Background and all, to see what you’re coming in with.”
Mostly for a feel. Her first impression at a glance was positive - she merely wanted to get a better idea of who she was, considering she was trusting the person she’d be hiring with some access to her home.
Midna took a seat, legs elegantly crossed, tugging the hem of her dress down a little. She set her satchel on the floor beside her, then straightened up, reminding herself to look proper and not slouch. “I dream of both Light and Shadow worlds - and their wars and collisions and how we eventually sort of come together and begin to have hope for the future too,” she said, folding her hands on her lap. Daaaaamn, Regina lived in a nice house. It was fancy, sure, but it did have that element of family to it - wasn’t just some show piece which, awhile ago, it might have been.
“So I definitely get exciting. But, let’s see!” Talking about her background? Well, that would be fun. Not like Midna had made it a secret that she’d been a stripper, but sometimes it tended to...put people off. She prayed to the goddesses that would not be the case here. “I grew up in Hollywood, in those circles, but had to leave home like, right after I got my high school diploma. There was...trouble. With a blackmailer who tried to extort my family. So we became estranged and that’s when I started odd jobs - anything on construction sites, waitressing, exotic dancing.”
Yes, it was a thing. The princess paused to retrieve her résumé and references, setting them on the desk. “I eventually became manager of the club I was dancing in - and I really loved to dance, still do. Right now I do a burlesque routine at Victrola. But I left the manager gig to be a personal assistant at the Romanian Consulate. While I was there, my boss encouraged me to learn another language so Arabic was what I chose - and after he moved away, I went back to burlesque dancing but I kind of want to branch out. I miss having that PA job, miss learning and that type of work.” She missed Vlad also, damn, Dracula had inspired her more than she could say.
Quite the colorful history Midna had, but Regina had asked, didn’t she? Most people who lived here had a complicated story anyway, parallels that went with whatever lives they dreamt of having in their slumber. Background checks were a routine thing, of course, with any hire (and she had Killian for that, how sweet of him), but she didn’t sense any dishonesty from her - actually, she was more brutally honest than she had anticipated.
“Well,” began the queen, taking the paperwork for a quick glance - the printed text confirmed her words at the very least. “Definitely a diverse background. It’s not a bad thing, I promise.” In case she had any insecurities about admitting she’d been a stripper. “This is something of a PA job - filing, keeping track of invoice payments and deposits, recording client data information, taking messages. That sort of thing. I need someone to be here for business hours but it can get flexible depending on what’s going on. I don’t know what kind of career you’re looking into later, but if this sort of thing catches your interest - or hell, something related to it does - we can work on that too.”
Professionally, Regina had a vast network of connections. If there was something else Midna wanted to get into in the future she could at least nudge her to the right person.
“I can do that, I can be flexible,” Midna nodded enthusiastically. Literally and figuratively, she could be flexible! “I’m actually still considering options, when it comes to a career. But that all sounds great, and I’d love to really dig into this. I did some research, and put together kind of a cheat sheet on top interior design trends so I remember - “ Here was where she reached into her satchel again and removed the paper that she’d had both Zelda and Impa look over a million times to make sure she didn’t say anything stupid. “Black stainless steel, heated entranceways, marble accents, technicolor stripes on bookshelves, bidets which have never really caught on in the past...”
She pushed her glasses up (no prescription in them, but boy, didn’t they look cute?) and grinned brightly; you’d never guess she hailed from a dreary land of perpetual twilight, cloaked in a calm and ashen sort of beauty. “So anything to help clients and if you have clients who speak Arabic I can help with that too.”
It could happen - there were a lot of Syrians in California, businesspeople and contractors and regular civilians, and many from Lebanon as well. But basically, Midna was open to beginning to pave the path to a future career. About damn time - she was ready for it.
Knowing another language could be an asset, she’d give her that - and Regina could also appreciate the preparation she took into looking into the field. It was more than she’d expect from anyone else. “You did your homework,” she chuckled, both of those finely shaped brows lifted. “I’m impressed. Well - honestly, you’ve pretty much got it. You fit exactly what I’m looking for. You’re actually a little more overqualified, and that is a compliment.”
She didn’t care to simmer on her experience as a ‘dancer.’ Kenzi had filled the spot for a couple months and she was dipping her toes into peanut butter to sell it to perverts, and ran the business of selling used panties before Killian reasoned with her. “You’ll have your own desk and working computer, and the kitchen’s free of use as long as you don’t leave a mess. If you leave something in the fridge, label it before someone decides to help themselves. I typically have some people coming in and out outside of the business - there’s a mausoleum hidden in the backyard from naked eyes. It’s where I keep all my magic-related things. I can show it to you at some point.”
Given enough time, she’d even let Midna in there on her own unsupervised if she wanted to go down there. It was one thing to allow someone into her harm but the crypt had some things that didn’t need to be in immediate reach, though those were on lockdown from most anyway.
Overqualified? Her? Midna was pretty much ecstatic, but she tried to rein in her squeeing just a bit. It was important to be regal and dignified, the way a princess should be. “Really? I’ve got the job?” Alright, one squee may have slipped through. “Thank you!” she beamed at Regina. “I promise I’ll do amazing. Whatever you need, I’m here.”
The mention of magic, however, piqued her interest even more. She knew that the other woman was a practitioner of some sort - witch probably not being the correct term - and she was curious about how Regina’s magic differed from her own. “I’d also love to see the mausoleum - what do you have in there?” she asked. “I mean, besides mausoleum things. Potions and brews and stuff?”
She settled her satchel in her lap, fingers tapping lightly upon it once before resting. The glamour even hid her tattoos - it gave her a fresh coat of polish upon those nails too, very precise. “I’ve got a few artifacts at home too.” Things from another realm which crossed over to find her here, but that was implied.
“Potions and brews are accurate enough,” Regina mused, a smile playing on those red-lips. Midna’s reaction was adorably enthusiastic, and she felt confident in her choice - she couldn’t recall the time she hired someone on the spot but nowadays, she was also looking for different qualifications that would suit her lifestyle. And hers too, assuming the princess needed time off for some kind of unforeseen dream shenanigan rearing its ugly head. It was mutually beneficial, aside from the fact that she’d actually need someone to help with the more detailed things of the job. “It’s a collection of items of the world I dream of, not to mention a space I tend to practice anything.”
It was quiet and typically private. Sometimes people came over, but it was a space she had for herself - and where she kept the more potent magically-imbued items locked. A glance was spared to the thin wristwatch to gauge the time, and Regina stood from her seat. “You’ve a minute? I can show you. Give you a grand tour and all.”
Midna didn’t really have a place to practice, come to think of it. She’d been to Magic Guild HQ, and would lend her expertise (haha) on matters if needed, but overall she hadn’t really studied her own magic - it’d be nice, one day, to really dig into the history of her people and how they came to be, how everything connected, and the intricacies of the Twilight Realm rather than just remembering the tales secondhand and glossing over the details.
“That sounds cool,” she nodded, standing up and smoothing the skirt of her dress. “There’s so much history, when it comes to my world of shadows and perpetual twilight - we’re kind of a parallel dimension to the light world. It’s so interesting to be able to have little pieces of it.” Well, the Mirror of Twilight wasn’t little in terms of actual size - but the point remained. One piece, a connection, a link to what had once been.
Maybe it was like that too, with the space in Regina’s yard. “I guess it’s kind of like mixing the past and the present? Which not everyone gets to do.”
“Two worlds personifying two of the oldest dualisms in history,” Regina hummed, intrigued. “Looking into your own history could unlock some more things about your own magic, I assume?” Her world tried to play on its own dualism - evil and good - all while failing horrifically at it, and in the end every starry-eyed fairytale character needed to come to terms that most of them fit in the in-between spectrum. Absolute good and evil, they didn’t really exist.
There was nothing spectacular about her yard aside from the impeccable landscaping, but most with more sensitive instincts could feel the tug of something hidden - a shimmer of a veil manipulated by reality, like they were looking at the visual effects of a heatwave. Its illusion became distorted when a certain cat crossed the threshold (Tigra preferred lurking around here, almost as if she was guarding the main entrance from unwanted visitors), and when brought behind the curtain of glamour, the Mills Mausoleum was revealed.
Its initial sight was dreary. Definitely not the sort of thing she wanted to let people see, but she unlocked the entrance with a skeleton key. “I understand on having a piece of your world - this one’s mine. I’d have a hard time feeling complete without it, if that makes any lick of sense.”
Aw, look at the kitty! Midna was pretty sure that feline was real - like, it had actually broken through the illusion and caused a ripple effect in the air rather than being just a glitch in the Matrix. She followed along, curious and careful not to disturb anything herself. “Understanding our history is definitely the key to understanding shadow magic,” she nodded. “And the power of the Triforce too - what it can do, where it came from. Considering wars were fought over it, having a piece of it now is kind of a big thing.”
There were days she was still feeling undeserving, hesitant, like she’d just end up the way Ganon had in the end - corrupted and gnarled beyond recognition. But so far, so good. Midna was thrifty with her use of the Triforce of Power.
“Oh, it totally makes sense, why you’d feel incomplete without this place - “ Sure, it was a crypt, but then again it was more than that too. “I’d feel incomplete without the Mirror of Twilight.” Especially after all the work she and Link did to find the broken shards - only to smash it like fine crockery in the end, but Midna was convinced at the time that it was for the best. Better her than Zant. “It’s a portal to my, uh, home world. Not like we go very often though - but I did get to bring back my throne?” That was kind of awesome. Way awesome (and another fabulous conversation piece).
Tigra slipped her way through once the heavy door was open - the empty coffin was pushed aside, revealing a set of stone stairs that led underground. There was a less than dank entrance to it in her house, of course, but she liked entering from the classic location time to time. It gave off a very archaic feel, the musk of magic heavy in the air.
“I’m beginning to believe having access to different realms is a new phenomenon here,” Regina mentioned as they traveled down, down below - a clap of her hands lit the torches ablaze to provide them light. It was cooler down here, a mix of a witch’s lair with a dash of modern flare (added as a remodeling touch after it was annihilated, thanks to Dark Curse II, the second installment of the Dark Curse Trilogy). “But I guess for certain people it makes sense to recieve that sort of thing? You didn’t experience any dangers crossing over? Was it barren?”
Oh, she was curious. The Apprentice’s Wand came to her from the dreams, a magical stick that allowed realm-hopping with the right balance of energies and a flick of the wrist. She’d mastered its use after some time (the power of believing in oneself sounded like some corny bullshit peptalk, but it was efficient in a world fueled by fairytale magic), though she was hesitant to use it to its full potential. Regina wasn’t that anxious to summon a green tornado and be transported to the world of munchkins and yellowbrick roads, no thank you.
“I guess it sort of helps add at least a little support to the theory about there being different versions of us, in different universes,” Midna said, eyes adjusting to the torch-lit ambiance of the place. She wished she brought a cardigan but it was a dry, cool sort of chill - musty in a way she could appreciate, along with the amber and myrrh notes of magic, so she settled for rubbing her arms to drum up some friction. “But no, there didn’t seem to be any danger crossing over - besides the fact that, oh, the average person kind of can’t? Not without the power of something like the Triforce. Otherwise they’d basically disintegrate and die. Light world beings aren’t meant for the shadow world, and vice versa. When I was in the light world I had to hide in Link’s shadow the whole time anyway.”
But two sides of the same coin - there was merit to that train of thought too. One couldn’t exist without the other.
Curious fingers itched to touch things in the witchy lair, to fondle (sounded dirty), but Midna mostly kept her hands to herself and looked with her eyes, as she made a slow circle checking everything out. “It was barren though, when we went for a quick tour in the palace. Not that I was disappointed. I think I just needed to see it once. My home is here.”
Oh. So much for a potential visit to the realm of shadows. Regina gathered it was safer that way anyway - who wanted a random Joe to trip and fall into a random portal and into some foreign world? “You’re here, not just bound to someone’s shadow. Does that have to do with the Triforce thing you’ve mentioned?”
Kenzi mentioned something about killer hair too. As in, literal killer hair, but she had time to delve deeper in that now that Midna was technically hired.
Down in the crypt, there were tunnels that led elsewhere - the vault of hearts, the room where she’d kept Killian’s body preserved with magic (which she was glad for, considering a decomposing body was the main reason their original plan in the dreams didn’t work), a room that held her queenly garbs as well as the gothic carriage christened by herself and her pirate. The main room, however, was where she spent most of her time. An interesting, almost alchemical set in the corner for potion brewing, ornate mirrors all around, old books and wooden chests full of things. The main table in the center was an addition from this life; it was a large, black mirror used as a table but also for scrying.
Regina did a lot of spying from mirrors when necessary. It came in handy. Especially when she had to remind Killian to twist the cap of the toothpaste back on the tube. Pirates, so barbaric.
“If you ever need to store any sensitive relics for whatever reason, this is open. It’s heavily fortified. Also serves as some magical bunker in the case of an emergency, and there’s an entrance from the house for easier access.”
So many things, so much - look at this stuff! Isn’t it neat! Midna just about broke into a mermaid’s song when she laid glamoured hazel-gold eyes on everything. The books drew her attention, even if she wasn’t what she’d consider much of a scholar - but she just wanted to see the titles. What did fairytale witches read about, anyway?
“I used to not be able to tolerate being out in the day,” she shook her head. “But when I got this - “ Holding up her hand, she moved it to and fro so it caught a bit of torchlight; just barely, you could make out the triangle marking even if it wasn’t activated and glowing right now. “That let me be one with the sunshine. It’s a piece of the Triforce, this happens to be ‘power.’ There’s also ‘wisdom’ and ‘courage.’ Zelda has wisdom.”
Stepping closer to one of the mirrors, she looked into it - and, creepily enough, there was nothing looking back. No reflection of the princess, just what was behind her. “This is a pretty awesome bunker. Which one lets you see who the fairest of them all is?”
Three triangles combined in one; made sense for the name, and from a glimpse she could tell it brought enough of an oomph to the table. Also made sense for what her part seemed to represent, she supposed. “Glad you can make it through sunlight now, but -” No reflection, either? “You seem to have some strange vampiric traits without the actual vampirism, by the way.”
Not that it was alarming; Midna merely looked so very human for someone who clearly wasn’t, so Regina guessed she’d woven some kind of magic to keep any physical traits not meant to be seen by normal society covered. One of the chests was used as a seat, and Tigra followed her mistress to rub against her ankles with a purr. “The idiot I had sealed that big one’s long gone,” she motioned to the more isolated mirror, larger than the rest with an black frame spread out to look like sunrays. “But I can use them to see certain things, or eavesdrop on people. It’s not a widely used skill. I don’t invade privacy unless necessary - otherwise I’d feel like the witch version of the NSA.”
Maybe that was why Midna developed such a rapport with Dracula. She did have a few vampiric traits, didn’t she? It was way weird. “I’m a special person,” she snorted a laugh and, well, speaking of that? “I guess since we’re talking magic, I should also show you...”
She actually felt a tad guilty, coming to the interview with her glamour on. But it was for the best, not wandering the streets like that. Now that they were tucked away in a mausoleum of all places, she could let her guard down a little.
That triangle began to glow ever-so-slightly, serving as the beginning point of illumination. Then a brief light bath, tinted a bit green in nature, before Midna was revealed as she was meant to be - blue skin, roses-are-red eyes, hair in the same ponytail just a brighter orange now. The tribal tattoos also stood out on her arms, with the sleeves of the dress not covering them entirely.
She looked wild. An Amazonian goddess, maybe? Or a Twilight princess. Just that.
“I won’t freak your clients out or anything, I promise. I always keep a glamour on for work - for when I dance and stuff.”
Regina could have understood the wild descriptor, but what popped into her head more was simply exotic - she’d seen some interesting characters before, but the princess had an appearance unlike any that she had seen. Human features but clearly not human, with dash of feral regalness. The brief widening of eyes also gave away the bit of surprise, but it wasn’t of horror or anything.
“I don’t consider you freaky-looking,” she promised, head cocked to the side. “But I figured the less conspicuous route makes everyday errands less stressful. You’re welcome to keep it off after hours?” It did go without saying her clients would probably be put off by the au naturale look, but if she was just around the people that occupied the household than no one would mind. Henry would be so intrigued, maybe even develop a crush. “I bet it’s freeing being able to just walk around in your own skin without the extra layer of glitz and glamour on.”
Maybe she was an alien. A quasi-vampiric, shadow creature! It had taken Midna awhile, but she was comfortable in her own skin. She wouldn’t put her glamour up if she didn’t have to. “I do at home, and it’s nice,” she admitted. “Obviously Zelda doesn’t mind. Impa doesn’t dream but she’s still in them, if that makes sense - so she’s gotten used to seeing me like this too.”
It was why she continued to work on only the best transmutation devices for her fellow blue person - in fact, she was about done, she should get in touch with Garrus so he didn’t have to keep wearing hipster fedoras.
“But thanks, I’ll stick to keeping it off after standard business hours around here. When would you like me to start?”
Such an educational ‘getting to know you’ session between the two royals, wasn’t it? At least Regina knew who she was getting and vice-versa, with the details laid out on the table. “We can go back upstairs,” she said, giving a last scratch behind Tigra’s ears before rising from the chest. “Fill out some paperwork and let’s say - this following Monday?”
Give her a chance to enjoy the weekend and get things in order for the both of them. She hadn’t mentioned anything about the potential of a baby in the house yet, but she wanted to at least get her started on training if such a thing was truly in their cards. Regina had a feeling she’d have a tough time multi-tasking between an infant’s needs and her clientele.
“Monday sounds great. Thanks again for this,” Midna beamed, the warmth of the smile reaching unnaturally-hued eyes and helping them seem not so feral. She’d be excited about a baby in the house too, really, she was excited about everything.
Especially for a job that would hopefully kickstart a future career. Hey, she’d liked doing that interior design stuff - what better way to learn more, see if it went anywhere? You never know! Maybe she had a talent just waiting to be uncovered.