WHAT: Conversations about magic, a book of shadows and evil half-brothers - oh my! WHERE: L-Corp Penthouse WHEN: Yesterday WARNINGS: Family trauma STATUS: Complete
Lenaâs penthouse was at the tip-top of the L-Corp building - an almost skyscraper nestled comfortably within the urban sprawl of the city, offering the views of glittering lights at night or a breathtaking view of a rising or setting sun. Perks of being gifted free real estate from home and having the funds to construct her own home to her liking, she supposed. It was spacious, bright and designed with simple, modern tastes with state-of-the-art smart appliances.
Was she low-key developing an artificial intelligence that helped control everything in her home? Debatable.
(But also very likely.)
It was also a lovely space to entertain people even if, usually, most of her socialization happened either within the confines of her office (also in this building) or her underground laboratory (which was, surprise, also in this building). Maybe that was a sign to get out more (something to think about later) but, the point was, she was happy to have company over in a space that didnât exclusively scream work work work.
âAlex is out with a friend - I donât often drink around her these days anymore,â she explained, pulling the wine cork out of its bottle with a twist of a wine key. Her girlfriend encouraged Lenaâs social drinking but still, she tried to be respectful. âWine tends to be more tasteful than whiskey, though. Just make sure to finish it off for me by the end of today.â
"That will not be a problem," Serefin said, holding up a hand as if to relay the words say no more. His wine tolerance was high. Finishing off a bottle was typical for him. But he also sounded distracted as he paced around Lena's place, being characteristically nosy.
Serefin had spent plenty of time living in Morningside when he had first arrivedâall shiny appliances and modern structures, a stark contrast to the dark, cold and drafty castle in Travania. But it had been sometime since he had packed up his things and moved onto the Frye train, shrugging off all of the contemporary intricacies of the future. Being inside Lena's penthouse felt like another jump into a world he had never been, and so he was gawking. Or as much as Serefin's casual expression allowed.
"You've done this all yourself?" Serefin asked, as he tapped at a spot on the wall that lit up with a LED screen. It was, in fact, the thermostat. "I feel as though I might get lost in here, or accidentally roast myself, or flood the kitchen if I sneezed and it sounded like a word. This is all beyond me. And probably always will be." Serefin did sound impressed though, and thoroughly understood why Ostyia liked hanging around with Lena. Self-made women.
âI like to tinker,â came Lenaâs simple answer which meant that, yes, sheâs done all of this herself. It kept her skills sharp despite the mundanity of it all. Two wine glasses were plucked from the cupboards to be filled generously, and once they reached that perfect middle (it was a rich, full-bodied red that smelled divine) she moved across the floors to stand by him. âIâm no handy woman but if it involves wiring, coding, or some kind of biomedical aspect then I can figure a thing or two out.â
A very simplistic explanation of her capabilities but she was very comfortable in the field of science - she breathed it, lived it, she could spit equations out in her sleep. Science was more or less universal, and there was safety in that. âOh - and Iâm also very good with weapons! If you press the buttons on my coffee machine in a certain pattern you can activate itâs bomb function and time it to self-destruct. Let me know if you want yours to do the same.â
She offered him a glass, lips spread into a grin.
"You like to tinker? That is what the slavhkiâah, nobles from my homeâwould say when they ordered someone to fix an axle on a broken cart, this is much more than that. Impressively so. And far beyond anything I can comprehend. I'll leave the tinkering to you," Serefin said, as he met Lena half way for the glass.
He took the wine and cheers appropriately before taking a long drink. "But explosive coffee machines are not why you invited me here today, even if I am going to take you up on that offer. I have several birthdays coming up who would appreciate discrete weapons, instead of hiding actual weapons in floorboards."
Serefin waved away his words with his free hand; he was getting verbally distracted again. "The number of specialties I know can be counted on one hand, or there are others who are far more proficient that I could direct you to. Should I guess the reason?" He grinned, as he took a seat on Lena's couch, reclining without any hesitation. "I do have a bottle of wine to finish with you, so I have the time."
It was truly a remarkable skill Serefin had, to be so sharp despite the amount of wine he was able to toss down the hatch on a frequent basis. Lenaâs intentions to have him over did involve the social delight of his company - and to maybe pick his brain on a few things. She always liked his input, how he put a few things in perspective in ways she never thought considering her view could be, uh, narrow. It wasnât intentional, but she was so deeply rooted in her methods and how she approached problems that she needed a constant reminder that she couldnât always approach magic the same way.
Lena was becoming better at it. Still, it was frustrating.
Her grin settled more into a smirk, and she took a generous sip of wine (ohhh, yes, definitely a good choice) before setting it down on one of the end tables. âI got this the other day,â she announced with a sigh - and by this, she meant the book she pulled from underneath the shelf of her coffee table. It was kind of a raggedy old thing, and held the scent of the earth like it was magically entwined in its frayed pages. âIt was my motherâs. A book of shadows? It has all her spells recorded into it and Iâve dabbled in practicing some but theyâre not as clear-cut as I had hoped. Itâs got⊠god, everything; tracking spells, summoning spells, even some mentions of blood magic.â
That might catch his interest a little. Magic seemed varied between the worlds - it wasnât always the same but could be close enough.
Blood magic did catch his interest, especially when it came from somewhere else not native to Vallo. When he first arrived, being the only blood mage was lonely, after being surrounded by so many. And when he lost his blood magic, the blow had cracked something deep inside him, like part of him would never fit back together the same way again. That had been nearly a year, and other magic had burrowed its way into his bones, but blood magic would always be intrinsically running through him.
He slowly put the wine glass down on the table and stood. He did not seem remotely as relaxed as he did a moment ago. "It was your mother's?" Serefin asked, clarifying as he tilted his head to examine the journal. He wouldn't take it from her hands without her offering it upâSerefin understood sentimental valueâbut he was genuinely curious.
"I do not know how much Ostyia has talked about blood magic, or even Tranavian blood magic, but our own codex, like the one Ostyia hasâ" The one he also still had, but no good it did him lately, "âis often personally crafted. It is to stop any blood mage from, ah, copying each other. My tracking spells look very different than Ostyia's, though they do the same thing, in theory."
Serefin shrugged. "Perhaps that is why your mother's spells are not as clear-cut. They make the most sense to her."
Ah. That was⊠quite a point, actually. Lenaâs brows furrowed. âHadnât thought it that way,â she admitted, and she had no qualms with handing the book over to Serefin - she had picked up on his curiosity and while there were sentimentalities attached to all this leather-bound text, she trusted him with it. Every line was hand-written with a slight cursive slant, and some pages looked more like dictionary entries with dried, flattened herbs stuck to them like stickers. âI suppose I always just thought these were - generic spells, I suppose? Plagiarized from one book to another.â
Silly way of thinking, though. It made sense for practitioners to put their own spin on things, personalize spells and rituals and make them unique like a strand of their own DNA while it accomplished the same goal. âIâve been focused on imitating the exact steps because - thatâs what you do in a lab, you donât deviate if you know it will yield the result you want. You just do the same steps over and over the exact same way to prove your hypothesis.â
Gods, sometimes she wasnât sure if she was cut out for this - or how she managed to adjust back in National City with this, for that matter. Lena needed more wine so she found her glass and took a gulp, effectively polishing off half of it. âTell me, is magic easier when youâre inebriated? Thatâs one method I havenât tried.â
"Yes, and no. Every blood mage knows how to craft a spell in Tranavia, for instance. Fundamentals and all of that," Serefin said, with a flourish of his hand before he gently took the book from Lena. When it came to magic he was careful, when it came to others magic? Moreso. He flipped idly through the pages, and didn't look up when he smiled about her comment on inebriation.
"It depends on who you ask. Some of us drink because of the magic. It makes the things we do with it more palatable." A darker edge took on his voice, but it was there and gone like a summer storm. "But it could, if it stops you from being such a rule follower with magic. Step by step can get you to do the spell correctly but your intuition is what makes it work."
He nearly dropped one of the pressed herbs out of the book, and slowed his pace between the pages so it wouldn't happen again. "But there is nothing generic about magic. Ostyia and I have a difference of opinion when it comes to even the basics, and we were trained by the same tutors. My half-brother did things with magic that conceptually no one thought to do. Your mother's journalâ" Serefin held it up, passing it back to Lena, while simultaneously picking up his glass of wine to drink from. "Is likely a good start for you to learn from, but because not every magic user is the same, not every spell is. Even the generic ones."
Spellcrafting was beyond Lenaâs scope of capabilities at the moment. She had dabbled in concocting some potion-like things - a mix of chemistry and magic with some belladonna, creating an ointment that could induce flight. It had been somewhat of a success. Something had gotten a little wonky on the magic half of it; that was usually the problem.
The book was back in her possession, and for now she set it on her lap once she took a seat one some decorative swivel chair. It had some weight to it, too - weirdly comforting. âDiffering opinions is why I like to hear the two of you talk,â she said, an eyebrow quirking sharply. âIt happens to be very entertaining and very insightful. But youâll have to tell me about this half-brother of yours and what heâs done? Hopefully good things with his abilities.â
Unlike her half-brother (instead of magic, science), who was as infamous as he was villainous.
"Ostyia enjoys giving me a hard time. She's the only one who dared for years, considering our stations in life. And then because she insisted on bossing me around, I dragged her into the military. Or at least made a compelling argument why she should come. She is one of the best blood mages in Tranavia, so I am glad that someone finds us insightful."
Serefin took a drink from his glass but then nearly choked on his wine at Lena asking about his brother. He recovered, poorly. "Ah, well. The opposite in fact. He is the reason for this." Serefin pulled down the collar of his shirt to expose the thin white line, a scar, across his throat. There was no mistaking what its intent had been. The mark of one of Serefin's many deaths.
"Malachiasz was a megalomaniac, trapped inside the body of a previously soft-spoken little boy. I know there is discussion about nature versus nurture, but he is the product of terrible nature in his bones, nurtured by terrible people. His mind, and his abilities, were wasted on destruction." And with that Serefin polished off his glass, and then added, "I am going to need more if we are having this discussion."
Oh no. A maniacal half-sibling, say it wasnât so. Lena didnât wish this âtropeâ on anyone. Family was complex, and hers was intense - full of incredible minds that held so much hate and that were capable of so much wrong. âMmm, going to agree on that. Let me get it.â
It was an opportunity for her to practice a levitation spell, something simple that didnât leave too much room for error. From the outside looking in one would think she had some hidden telekinetic prowess there but, no - itâs one of the few things she had confidence in asking. Here came the bottle of wine but she didnât let it float in the air for too long. She snatched it by the neck and personally poured him another glass.
âMy brother was gifted too,â Lena said, leaning back now that Serefin had more alcohol at his disposal. âIf you think that Iâm even remotely intelligent and clever, heâs just - ten times more than I am, honest to god. But he turned out to be psychotic, willing to kill millions of people if only to prove that one single alien was a âfalse godâ. Directed all his smarts and resources to prove a point despite the casualties. The sad thing is - we were close, once.â
Lex was a complicated person even as a child but she looked at him like he hung the moon and stars. He wasnât always kind, though he always encouraged her - used to even protect her when they were little sometimes. The path he chose to take had devastated her.
Unfortunately, there was also nothing she could do for him.
âWere you and yours,â she gestured with a wave of her glass at him, âclose?â
Serefin seemed impressed by the little telekinesis. For someone who was so rooted in science and worried about getting spells right, Lena had mastered a few things particularly well. Especially when it involved guiding alcohol closer. He took another long gulp once his glass was refilled.
He was not surprised that Lena's intelligence was compared to her brother's, though. Serefin didn't believe someone who could ignore all signs of death had more intelligence than a spoon. "False gods. It seems to be the running theme for power-hungry brothers, yes?" Serefin asked, taking his seat next to Lena, and tapped their glasses together though it didn't feel like something to celebrate.
"Yes. Maybe. When we were younger, I suppose. He was the bastard child of the family, paraded around as my cousin until I more or less figured it out much later on, but we had been separated for years by then." He swirled the wine around, distracted by the memory of the last moments with Malachiasz before he stabbed him. Everything was so unpleasant.
"He wanted to become a god, ascend or what have you. I have his journals, much like you have your mother's. Much of it doesn't make sense to me despite knowing what he was attempting to do."
The family black sheep. Lena knew the stigma behind that - she was the product of an affair but that hadnât been a hidden fact. Her father took her in, dropped her into the Luthor house and told his wife that she now had a daughter to raise too. Didnât even try to conceal the fact that he had a mistress.
But that hadnât bred the megalomania her brother cultivated. She almost wanted to say he wasnât always terrible, though that could also be her internally making excuses because, again - family was complex. You hate to love them.
âI find that insecure men are deeply obsessed with attaining some kind of godly glory,â Lena let out a soft snort, pausing in between wine sips to assess Serefin - he had that deep ponder sort of vibe. âNot sure if thatâs something yours went through, but it fits the psychological profile of those types. Lex and I were close, too. Then we were on opposing sides, and it was - complicated, even if we didnât exactly hold back on hurting each other.â
For the next part, she did take a sip. âI killed him once.â
"I am an insecure man, but I wanted to disappear, not garner the attention of all of that." Serefin waved a hand above him in a circle, indicating the gods, wherever they might be. Some believed they were in the sky, Serefin had met his on a mountainside. Regardless, it was up.
He didn't want to give pointed looks of pity to Lena, it felt rude. But he understood, and he could still feel sympathyâno, empathyâfor finding yourself on the opposite end with family. For hurting people you loved. It was not easy, and Serefin drank in commiseration.
"Once, assuming there was a twice? Perhaps a third? By others of course," Serefin asked. "You know, mine convinced my fatherâwe share a mother, mind youâthat I needed to be sacrificed to ascend. When I killed him, it was simply retaliation. Eye for an eye." Or at least that was the lie he told himself most days. Serefin had hesitated on that mountain, remembered how close they had been and the soft-spoken boy Malachiasz was. In his darkest moments, he regretted stabbing him.
"What I am gathering is that we are cursed with bad luck with our family. And brothers who cannot seem to take no for an answer."
âOnce because he didnât stay dead,â Lena clarified, exasperated by that memory because it always brought back the ghost of that hurt. âI didnât want to but he had crossed too many lines, was trying to hurt my friends and I - so I shot him.â But even in that moment he had to have the upperhand, unveiling Supergirlâs identity to her (her best friend, lying to her) and then causing her a world of self-loathing. Killing her awful brother for friends she thought would never deceive her and then finding out they had lied to her all this time because they didnât trust her to not be a villain had been devastating.
But she understood Serefin - killing was retaliation, an eye for an eye. One of those very necessary evils. âThen he was resurrected by an otherworldly being to help save the multiverse and I had to endure him all over again. At the moment heâs locked in a phantom dimension - presumably forever but who can tell.â Lena raised a glass to that. âCursed, indeed. I hope yours stays dead. Itâs mercy I never thought youâd have to really hope for.â
Serefin stared down into his wine glass for a long time after Lena explained how she had shot her brother. Then how he was resurrected and all those other dimensional things that seemed so woefully out of Serefin's depth. He could only hope that Lena's brother did not make a reappearance, for her sake. He drank to that, even if hope seemed foolish. But he was nearly two glasses of wine into this conversation and decided that logic had no place here.
"You and I have far too much in common when it comes to family. It is absolutely wretched," Serefin said, not unkindly. A charming sort of commiseration, which was the only type Serefin could stomach. Anything darker and he spiraled. Inebriated and melancholy was not a phase of his life that he wanted to return to. Ostyia would, rightfully, throw him off a cliff to knock him out of it again.
"Do you need more wine? Do you feel properly buzzed? I figured we could test your ability to practice magic with some alcohol in you, since you did wonder if it helped."
âDarling - my tolerance is still quite impressive despite having toned it down some,â Lena scoffed in this mock-offensive kind of way, a hand dramatically splayed over her chest. Whiskey used to be her poison of choice and she would relish buying all these unbearably extravagant decanters for them; it was quite an expensive addiction. But she only had that in her office now for visitors, and if she did drink with Alex around it was something usually mild like a beer (which she was picky about) or a nice wine paired with a meal.
So, yes, more wine. âIâm going to try this very unlady-like thing of me and try to chug down glass very fast,â she grinned at him, âso hopefully that boosts me towards being properly buzzed. Then weâll test. After that, who knows - perhaps more brooding about our families.â
If something breaks it would be fine - as long as it wasnât the cat, who was slinking around somewhere and casting looks of judgment towards them like she did with everyone.