A Painting II
Magnus and Matilda
Warnings: strong language, angst, slight mentions of trauma
Summary: The demigod twins have a dance and talk together in the Hall of Demigods.
Feedback appreciated, 18+. They are adults in this dabble
Matilda stood in the Hall of the Demigods: a grande room dedicated to all the demigods that have walked the Lands Between. She felt small, standing before the wall with the most coverage. Only being able to see the blur of colors used, she glanced over them. Red or gold was the majority…colors of passion and victory…holiness.
Looking down her thoughts went to her own, what her descendants would think, standing in the same place as her now. Her eyes fell on the outlier: a painting of black and crimson. She swallowed.
A whisper tickled her ear, downing out the world for a fleeting moment in its honey garbled tongue
“Admiring the paintings?” Came a voice.
Matilda jumped a bit, too engrossed to hear the footsteps; shaking her head to clear away what she thought to be her imagination. She recognized his smell and holding immediately, sighing, “You know I can’t, Magnus…”
“Then…” he padded closer, breath ruffling her silver curls as he spoke, “What are you doing?”
“Just thinking.” She answered simply, “You should make a habit of it as well.”
He snorted, stepping to her side to look over the portraits. After a long moment he spoke, “Our paintings will be up there soon, too.”
Silence answered him, he turned slightly to see her face downcast, hands worrying her skirts like when they were children. Magnus huffed, deflating as he offered out a hand, close enough for her to see the blackness, “Care to dance?”
She jumped a bit at the offer, smirking nervously, “You know I can’t dance!”
“I won’t judge.” He soothed, taking her hand.
They fell into step, Magnus slowly swaying to a silent melody. Matilda was stiff, worry silting her movements. She couldn’t quite reach his shoulder so she settled on holding his upper arm, other hand clasp into his own.
She giggled a bit as he led her steps, “When did you learn to dance?”
“It comes in handy.” He smiled, “Women love it.”
“Oh course.” She smiled, allowing him to guide her. As he moved more swiftly she stepped on his food, quickly apologizing.
“Don’t worry about it.” He hummed, “Just think of the dance.” He went smoothly along.
“And what song are we dancing to?” She asked with a giggle.
“That one that they played the last Winter Ball.” He mused, “You know the one!”
She nodded.
“Goes like: Dun, Dun, Duuuuuuun, Dun, Dun, Dun, Duuun.” Magnus poorly tried to imitate the sound of an piano, flashing a toothy smile when Matilda laughed at his antics.
As they looped the hall his eyes were drawn to the portraits once more, murmuring questions, “How many visitors do you think will pass, and only see the faces of those that came before on us? All the terrible things done, stained in the rich paint?”
“There’s been good too..” she pointed out.
“Not enough.”
“You’ve always been pessimistic.”
“I come by it naturally.”
“I suppose so.” There was no judgement to her tone, far from it; the words were almost light, striking his heart.
They twirled around the hall, color and lights all blur, footsteps falling into place together. For every way they were different there was just as many ways they were alike, two halves of a whole, hewn together in the same womb.
Had time truly put a steak through their closeness? The thought made Matilda’s step slip, missing him even as he stood right before her.
“I…don’t want to loose you. Iv never lived without you.” Her voice cracked, steps faulting further.
Magnus slowed, asking honestly, “And what says you will?”
Matilda swallowed, words she wanted to say not finding their ways to her tongue, instead settling on, “I worry for you, if you keep chasing shadows.”
His steps ceased then, back to the portrait of Mohg. The dark crimson and onyx of the painting like a looming shadow around his silhouett.
“Have you ever thought of if we would of been born in a different time?” His voice was distant, orange eyes downcast, “Thought of living, as they did?”
Matilda’s bangs parted, cloudy eyes glassy as she looked up at her twin, “More than you know…” her gaze flicked upwards, to that single orb of golden orange behind him, a small sun in the swirling darkness the painting was to her vision. “I don’t want you ending up like him.” She all but whispered.
He wavered a bit then, flashing a smile as he asked lowly, “Would it be so bad?”
“Yes!” She exclaimed quickly, softening to add, “I don’t want to repeat past mistakes. Are we doomed to be the same tragedy?”
He closed the meager distance between them more. She didn’t shy from him, never had she feared him.
“Do you ever wonder what’s wrong with us? Why we crave the touch of human hands? Why we can’t hug our father?” His voice sounded raw, large hands carefully raising to cup her smaller face. She could feel the slight tremble, the worry that she would reject the gesture.
Matilda looked up with unseeing eyes, pain fraying the edges of her tone, “Magnus…”
His furred nose wrinkled a bit, hint of a growl as he pressed, “You know it’s true…why do we shutter at a clawed touch? That this world is so fucked that we can’t find solace in our own kind….Look at me.”
She swallowed, “I can’t.”
Magnus bent forward, pressing his forehead to her own, eyes starting into hers. Her heart hammered in her ribs, glassiness of her clouded gaze spilling.
He clutched at her a bit more desperately, a beg on the tip of his tongue, “Look at me…”
Matilda blinked, wetness gathering on her lashes, she nodded in his hold, “I see you.” For the first time in years she saw his eyes, every detail of the deep shifting oranges. All the pain, all the silent pleas.
“I see you.” She whispered, pressing her forehead into the contact more.
Magnus cracked a bit, head-bumping her back, eyes closing against the threatening sting.
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