herroyaldarkness:

“The situation is… complicated.” Regina sighed, realizing how much of an understatement that was. “However to answer your question, no. He’s not currently here in Storybrooke; Though I am hoping that will change soon.“ With a small trite sigh, she straightened her posture, and let out a small, short, and rasping laugh. “And to think you nearly out stole a thief twice.” Perhaps it wasn’t the best thing to make a joke of, but if there was joke at all, it was on Regina herself. She supposed she really did have a type.

The moment lost its spark of humor as silence fell, and Regina turned her gaze to her sloshing and murky reflection atop the whiskey’s surface. The drink itself was just terrible. Stout and bitter, but it was preferable to facing a night alone with Maleficent and all the demons she let loose inside herself sober.  Though thankfully the silence did not last long, and Regina glanced over to the woman with a soft, fond smile. “Who’s to say I don’t still?” She questioned, wondering what could have happened to make a woman of Maleficent’s power so self-depreciating. After all, she was still the only person living she knew of that could turn herself into a dragon —- and even now she’d overcome death. She’d say that was pretty damn impressive. Yet, she was trying to sate these flames between them, not fan them with careless words, so sh kept her compliment to herself, opting instead for another sip of the disgusting liquor.

“Well it’s certainly not a stretch to assume as much,” Regina offered after several, perhaps too many beats of silence after Maleficent had spoken. She was fully aware that Maleficent detested sentimentality almost as much as Regina herself did, and felt no need to further stress the tension between them by finding something worth complimenting in return. She’d never been very fond of the quid pro quo concept, anyway. That was more Gold’s department.

Shifting in her seat to a position of more comfort and ease, a small grin appeared as she found herself relaxing just a touch. “Cruella is, no offense if you somehow actually care for her, practically useless here. Unless you need someone to clear out your gin supply; and GOLD —- well. I think we both already know just who and what he is. IF he even bothers to come back here, it will only be to try and connive one of us into doing his dirty work.”  

“Complicated? Now that sounds familiar.” It was hard to tell whether or not she meant their relationship, or the one she was in with her last thief. The first who’d left her and now it would seem this new one was no different. Maleficent took a long drink off the amber liquid in her glass, felt it burn its way down and smiled to herself. The burn was always the best part. At least in her opinion. "It seems I did.“ She added, feigning a disconnection she couldn’t quite say she truly felt. Whether or not she trusted Regina, or forgave her, she had been a comfort at a very trying time in her life. And now Maleficent had been poised to let her do no different only to be told no all over again. The first thief had actually been in the picture then, and with this one gone it had seemed likely she would need the same sort of comfort Maleficent had once offered. Which in itself wasn’t all that comforting, but it certainly took her mind off. But alas, it was for naught.

A short sigh left her as she turned to top off her drink, this whole thing was ridiculous really. She wasn’t here to seek or give comfort of any kind. She was here to ruin all which that flake of snow held dear. And yet, Regina made everything…so much more complicated. She drew her focus much as she had all those years ago. At the time she had no idea why she hadn’t just strangled the girl the moment she dared cross her. It couldn’t all be trumped up to the weakened state her own sleeping curse lulled her into, there was something else that she didn’t care to name. Something that had her sparing the girl’s life. And while in the end it had worked out in her favor, it eventually meant nothing and there was no reason for it to change now.

She found herself laughing at the next comment. Regina was always a little more fun once you got a drink in her. "Need I remind you I don’t care about anyone. Say whatever you like.” She gave a knowing grin as she took her seat, turning so she was half facing the fire and half facing Regina. She wouldn’t change the way she was simply because she was told there was someone else on her mind. If anything she would only push harder, cast all subtlety to the wind and make it all the more difficult for Regina to feel no guilt or second guessing in her decision. She may not have intended to make her pay for what she’d done, but she was certainly not going to stop making her suffer in whatever way she still could. Pursing her lips as her gaze did a long slow sweep from Regina’s face down to her drink and back up, her eyebrows raising as if she’d lost her train of thought in doing so, leaving her to blink and appear as if she were re-focusing on the conversation at hand.

“And as for Rumpelstiltskin — or Gold as you call him here, how original — I don’t doubt he will. And while I may owe him a debt in bringing me back to the land of the living, that is not the way I intend to see it repaid.”