Welcome to Angel Falls

wanda watched him as he walked away, her fingers slowly curling into her palm after the warmth of his hand disappeared. for a moment, a faint, amused smile tugged at her lips at his parting words. "be careful what you ask for, raphael."

she turned toward him fully, folding her arms loosely across her chest. "you know, there is quite a difference between knowing the scarlet witch and knowing wanda maximoff. some people think i'm only the scarlet witch, not that i'm my own person outside of that."

a few moments passed; wanda said nothing. the witches' gaze fell to their joined hands, the gesture strangely tender coming from someone she'd spent so long arguing with. it felt alien, maybe somewhat wrong... vision meant everything to her, but could she spend the rest of her life mourning him? or would he want her to move on. a part of her would always love him.

wanda simply stared at him for a little. his words had caught her off guard more than she cared to admit, especially the admission that he hadn't merely stayed close to watch her, but to understand her.

her eyes softened as his hand returned to her cheek, and this time she didn't pull away. "you really are an insufferable man, you know that?" wanda murmured, though there was little bite behind it.

the redhead's gaze lowered briefly, her fingers lightly catching his wrist but she quickly pulled away. "but perhaps you're right. perhaps I did need someone to help me before i broke to pieces again." she looked back into his eyes, vulnerability flickering across her expression before she quickly masked it.

"Now who's the arrogant one?" He spat back. "Believing you have any idea what it's like to be this? To crave innocent blood that you wish to never spill again?" His voice shook with unexpected emotion, and through gritted teeth his fangs descended. "What do you truly know of grief? Of loneliness? To wrestle with your very existence on this earth, with why God would shoulder you with such accursed blood? That through over a hundred years, you'd see whole bloodlines come and go while you continue on in this torturous vessel?" Slow steps towards her now, hands unconsciously tensed into fists and purple smoke rising from his eyes.

for once, wanda didn't immediately answer. her eyes remained fixed on raphael, watching the purple smoke curl from his eyes. beneath all that anger, she recognized something painfully familiar.

"you think i don't understand because i haven't lived your life." she said quietly. "perhaps you're right. i don't know what it's like to spend a century watching everyone you've loved grow old and die. but don't mistake that for ignorance of suffering. your grief is yours, raphael. mine is mine."

his accusation earned a faint, bitter smile. "playing god. perhaps i was." the witch's gaze briefly fell. "i wanted one thing in my life that wasn't taken from me. And yes, I was wrong." wanda muses, then she looked back at him. "but i don't regret wanting it."

wanda stepped closer, her voice softening. "you say you know what you are, then perhaps you're luckier than i was. i've spent my entire life being told what i was supposed to be. a weapon, a monster, the scarlet witch. eventually, i stopped letting everyone else decide what i was."

Externally, Raphael kept his composure, letting out a hmph and slowly tilting his head to her. But internally? His contempt continued to grow. To have been so transparent in his emotions right in front of Wanda was a mistake. He let his fascination with her allow her to put him into a corner and admit something he rather would not have, just so she wouldn't get the satisfaction.

"You're right. God forgive me, I suppose I do see myself in the eyes of the Devil herself. I've struggled with my nature for nearly a century. I've been chased away with fire and pitchforks, cursed in the name of the very Lord I've served so faithfully. So yes...as much as it agonizes me to say so...I do see you." A gentle hand raised, the tips of his fingers touching Wanda's cheek as they've found themselves even closer than before, Her breath warm and sweet against his skin. Before he could get too familiar, he withdrew his hand and his expression turned cold.

the touch against her cheek had caught her off guard. not because she was unfamiliar with intimacy, but because she hadn't expected it from him. her eyes remained fixed on raphael even after his hand withdrew, the warmth of his fingertips lingering against her skin far longer than she cared to acknowledge. for a few moments, all she could think of was vision.

at his confession, a smug grin and shake her of head soon followed. "so you admit it. you would have done worse." wanda's gaze lowered for the briefest moment before returning to his, something unreadable flickering behind her eyes. "and yet you continue to stand there and tell me that I am the one who cannot be trusted with power." a faint smile tugged at her lips before a gentle shrug of her shoulders. "how hypocritical."

"but perhaps that's what bothers you most about me. not what i did. not the darkhold, not westview... not even how monstrous i've been painted out to be." the witched moved away, her back to him for a few moments before turning to look over her shoulder, her hues fixated on him for just a moment. "you hate that i did what you could have done, and you hate even more that i survived it."

wanda's expression softened for only a moment. "you say i should have come to you. that you would have helped me." a quiet, almost bitter laugh escaped her. "would you have?" her fingers lifted, hovering near the place on her cheek where he'd touched her, but she stopped herself before making contact.

"would you have looked at me then the way you're looking at me now? would you have seen a grieving woman who needed help… or would you have continued to slander her, mock her for all she did for wanting to feel some normality in the grief she had been fighting?" her eyes narrowed. a shake of her head as her ginger hair fell against the sides of her face. "or would you have seen the scarlet witch and decided you already knew what i was?" wanda let the silence linger for a moment - a pin drop could be heard in that moment.

"because that's the difference between you and me, raphael." wanda's voice dropped to a near whisper. "you were taught to fear what you could become, and i was taught that fear would never save me."

"Now who's the arrogant one?" He spat back. "Believing you have any idea what it's like to be this? To crave innocent blood that you wish to never spill again?" His voice shook with unexpected emotion, and through gritted teeth his fangs descended. "What do you truly know of grief? Of loneliness? To wrestle with your very existence on this earth, with why God would shoulder you with such accursed blood? That through over a hundred years, you'd see whole bloodlines come and go while you continue on in this torturous vessel?" Slow steps towards her now, hands unconsciously tensed into fists and purple smoke rising from his eyes.

Barrett/Mercedes

Touched a nerve. Through her speech about his temporary title, that was all Raphael could think as she would eventually close the gap between the two of them. "Ah, oddio..." A teasing smirk began to form upon his lips as he laughed, raising a brow at the ominous red glowing of her blackened fingers. Somewhere deep within him lies a level of reverence for the Scarlet Witch, and the power she wields. Though his dislike for her actions are great, her backstory and her abilities have etched a place within his calloused heart.

for the first time, wanda's expression faltered... only for a heartbeat.

the crimson glow around her fingers dimmed as she studied him, her gaze lingering longer than before. born of sin and smoke. there was something almost painfully familiar in those words. an existence shaped by suffering, isolation, and a world that had never been particularly kind. soon enough, yet another jab about westview.

a quiet breath escaped her nose, almost a laugh. "therapist?" she repeated, arching a brow. "that's your grand solution? a mere talk with someone who acts like they know how i am feeling? it is not a one size fits all, raphael. i dealt with my grief how i saw necessary. i had to kill the man i loved most, and it was all for nothing. that life was a chance for me to experience what could have been; what should have been."

her eyes narrowed, though the anger behind them had changed. it was quieter now, somewhat more deliberate. "you speak of the darkhold as though i simply picked it up one morning and decided to become a monster. as though grief makes you stupid, and loneliness makes you weak." wanda took another step toward him, her voice lowering. "you of all people should know better. i bet if you had it in your possession you wouldn't be acting so... modest."

wanda's gaze moved over his face, searching. "you've spent your entire life alone, raphael. you just told me that yourself. and yet you stand there judging me for what loneliness made me do." soon enough, a faint humourless smile spread across her face. "perhaps that's why you hate me so much. being strange's little lap dog? surely he had plenty to say of my alleged wrong doings. that's all you'll be, just his pet. not some sorcerer supreme you believe that you."

Externally, Raphael kept his composure, letting out a hmph and slowly tilting his head to her. But internally? His contempt continued to grow. To have been so transparent in his emotions right in front of Wanda was a mistake. He let his fascination with her allow her to put him into a corner and admit something he rather would not have, just so she wouldn't get the satisfaction.

"You're right. God forgive me, I suppose I do see myself in the eyes of the Devil herself. I've struggled with my nature for nearly a century. I've been chased away with fire and pitchforks, cursed in the name of the very Lord I've served so faithfully. So yes...as much as it agonizes me to say so...I do see you." A gentle hand raised, the tips of his fingers touching Wanda's cheek as they've found themselves even closer than before, Her breath warm and sweet against his skin. Before he could get too familiar, he withdrew his hand and his expression turned cold.

“That’s Sorcerer Supreme to you.” His tone darkened, cold and steadfast. Stephen Strange may have been the true bearer of said title, but he had entrusted Earth’s protection to Raphael in his absence for a reason. Wanda stepped closer, but Raphael stood firm, hands behind his back and almost looking down on the witch trying to flex her power over him. A chuckle of his own before he turned on his heels and began to circle her slowly, giving the witch his back.

wanda remained perfectly still as raphael circled her, her eyes following him only when she needed to. the insult earned nothing more than a faint, humorless smile.

"careful."

one word. softly spoken, but carrying enough weight to make the air around them feel just a little heavier. "you know... it's rather amusing, hearing you speak so passionately about the dangers of power while you parade around with a title that was handed to you by someone else. was it even earnt, or did you somehow get your way to be able to have it?" the witch teased, a mocking tone to her voice.

her gaze finally settled on him again. "but if we're going to discuss kamar-taj, raphael.... perhaps you should stop pretending you know why i did what i did. you know full well i did what had to be done. there was a moment of weakness, and i found it, and i fought for what i wanted."

wanda's expression hardened at the mention of vision. "you want to lecture me about selfishness? that's fine. you want to call me unstable? i've heard far worse from people far more deserving of my attention."

the crimson glow beneath her fingertips brightened, subtle but unmistakable. "but you don't get to say his name as though you understand what i lost"

Touched a nerve. Through her speech about his temporary title, that was all Raphael could think as she would eventually close the gap between the two of them. "Ah, oddio..." A teasing smirk began to form upon his lips as he laughed, raising a brow at the ominous red glowing of her blackened fingers. Somewhere deep within him lies a level of reverence for the Scarlet Witch, and the power she wields. Though his dislike for her actions are great, her backstory and her abilities have etched a place within his calloused heart.

"Oh, certainly not. Who could ever hope to make the Scarlet Witch be obediant to anyone or anything but her own wants and desires?"

Piercing blue eyes behind dark purple circles beheld Wanda with a mix of contempt and admiration. The same woman who threatened to plunge the world into chaos, who several times now dared lecture him about recklessness. Of all the characters he’s now been forced to play nice with, Wanda Maximoff seemed to try his patience the most. Yet there was something magnetic there that he couldn’t put a finger on. Needless to say, that only fanned the flames of his contempt.

"I bet you'd love nothing more than to just snap me away, no? So you wouldn't have to...what was it you said? "Entertain my endless arrogance"?head cocked to the side, the new Sorcerer Supreme huffed. “Bad news for you, Strega Malvagia…but someone has to be here to make sure you don’t, how you say, fly off the handle. Again.”

wanda's expression didn’t so much as flicker. if anything, the corner of her mouth lifted at the accusation, amusement glinting in her eyes as she studied him. "snap you away?” she echoed, almost thoughtfully. "raphael, if i wanted you gone, you would be. it wouldn't take more than half a second. you of all people know what i am capable of."

she took a slow step toward him, closing the distance slightly without a trace of hesitation. "but unfortunately for me, you're right about one thing." her gaze swept over him, lingering for a moment before returning to his eyes. "someone does have to keep you from mistaking that little title of yours for omnipotence. how has it been being stephen strange's little... pet?"

a quiet laugh escaped her.

“That’s Sorcerer Supreme to you.” His tone darkened, cold and steadfast. Stephen Strange may have been the true bearer of said title, but he had entrusted Earth’s protection to Raphael in his absence for a reason. Wanda stepped closer, but Raphael stood firm, hands behind his back and almost looking down on the witch trying to flex her power over him. A chuckle of his own before he turned on his heels and began to circle her slowly, giving the witch his back.