I Need a Mage's Opinion (IC)

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel still felt...nervous was probably the easiest word to use. Apprehensive, maybe. It certainly wasn't the time or weather; it was a fairly mild early afternoon, all told.

Oh, sure, here he was using sound in ways that would make most scientists cry tears of sadness or joy, depending, to fly through the air at incredible speeds. All because the head Archangel of Heaven, Gavriel, had changed his body to have these powers, and charged him with carrying his name (or a variant of it) into battle against evil. And he didn't even mind so much that that battle included real live demons.

That didn't mean he was totally comfortable with the idea of some of the more arcane heroes out there. Some seemed fine, but his upbringing made it hard.

But the fact of the matter was, he was having weird feelings lately, along with unusual dreams, and he didn't think most other heroes would be equipped properly to help. So, he went looking for help in...the yellow pages. He actually had a list of shops and listed "wizards" to go to, and this was the first on the list.

Besides. Just because they believed different didn't make them bad people. He'd just have to get over it and be nice. Or he was sure his mother would give him two earfuls when he visited for Christmas.

So it was that our sound-flinging hero in white landed not far from Cross’ Roads, the magic shop. He proceeded to walk up to the door, trying to determine if said shop was open or not.

[Raveled]

"Hello down there!" Robin Cross, all 5' 2" of her, carefully picked her way down the narrow concrete stairs leading to the front door of her shop. Piled in her arms were several cardboard boxes bearing the logo of a major package delivery service. She flashed a smile at the hero, taking in his white garb in one quick glance. Not bad looking, in a thin, clean-shaven way. Robin gave him a broad smile and dumped the boxes into his arms. While she fumbled for the keys, he couldn't help but notice that a coffee cup and fast food bag was on the top of the pile.

The sorceress unlocked her store with an elaborate, wrought-iron key. There was a whisper of exhaled power as she pushed the door open, as well as a tinkling of tiny silver bells. She turned and took the boxes back from Gabriel, grunting slightly at the weight, and backed into the store itself. The boxes went on a glass counter facing the door, and Robin walked behind it, pulling down the food and coffee. She gave him another smile as she shrugged out of her long, red trenchcoat. "Well? You're letting all the warm air out, come inside!"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel glanced up at the sound of Robin's voice. He saw the pile of boxes, and started to offer to help...but she seemed to have things well in hand.

He settled for holding the door open while she went inside, and then quickly stepping inside and closing the door behind him. He then turned around, taking in the shop, walking around a bit to get a feel for the place. When he faced Robin again, he seemed...distracted, almost.

"Um. Hello. My name's Gabriel. Well, my hero name, anyways. I...kind of came her for some help."

Up close, the intricate patterns on the border of his coat likely stood out more. The odd-looking material seemed to utterly disdain dirt, keeping an immaculate white sheen to it. The rest of his clothes were clean, though they seemed more regular in composition and tailoring.

"How much magic do you do? Like, actual casting, or whatnot?"

[Raveled]

Robin raised her eye at the question. There wasn't any simple way to answer a question like that, and she started unpacking the boxes to give herself a minute to think. Nothing in the boxes seemed normal; there were crystals of all sizes and descriptions, and sands and powders in all colors of the rainbow. There was even a large horn of some white bone, bearing a note written in Cyrllic. She eyed Gabriel, storing the horn in an inner pocket of her coat. "You didn't see that," she told him. "Anyway. I can cast spells, if that's what you mean. I don't know what you mean by 'how much,' though. My magic isn't of a very flashy type, full of colored sparks and noises. However, I can cast on the fly; I can work up exorcisms and summon spirits; and I can enchant items to permanently hold a working or charm. There aren't very many in the world over that can do all that." She turned to face him, fixing her gaze on his eyes. "Why don't you tell me what you want, and I'll see if I can do it?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel sighed and pushed his hood back, revealing the fact that his mask covered his entire head, save for his eyes and mouth. He leaned against a handy counter, arms crossed over his chest.

"So, a couple months ago, myself and a few other heroes ran into a demon. A straight up demon. Going by popular culture, some sort of succubus or something; it looked female, seemed to have a lot of mind control type powers, and could shapeshift into whatever you happened to find most attractive. Creepy stuff. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to banish, seal, or even just kill the demon. It set the building on fire, with wounded still inside. We evacuated them, and the demon swore revenge.

Cue this month, where on top of the scattered nightmares about zombies and necromancers, I'm now seeing the bloody demon in my dreams. And every so often, I feel like...something's watching me. Not in the "God's always with you" sense, but "something with intention to cause harm is watching". It's really sporadic, though. No pattern.

Do you think you can help see if I've got...I dunno, a curse or something on me? I'm not sure how it would have gotten on there, all things considered, but still."

[Raveled]

Robin's expression grew grave as she listened to the man's trouble. "People used to believe that succubi and incubi visited people in their dreams," she said. "Whether or not that's true, not all demons are created equal. And there's a few that even have a grasp of sorcery and could use magic to force their way into your dreamscape. Or, as you said, the demon could be watching you, specifically, especially if it got a sample of your hair or blood. Or other... bodily fluids." Her eyes sparkled with amusement for a moment, and she suppressed a grin. "If you're not just being paranoid, there are steps to take. You could confront the demon directly, and either destroy it or make a deal with it. You could try and pass the curse on to someone or something else. You could live your entire life inside a heavily warded compound. Or there are some charms that might be able to deflect a demon's attention."

The sorceress's eyes went distant as she shuffled through a mental list. "Ah. I believe something like a corpse charm would be best. It's intended to keep malevolent spirits from harming whoever the spirit is interested in. It uses some fairly specific ingredients, but I should be able to make one that works against a demon."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel taps his chin in thought.

"Hair is really doubtful. As you can tell, it's kind of trapped in this costume. Blood...hm. Possible. Especially if it got some off the ground from my fight at the end of last month. Saints know I bled enough on the ground."

A brief look of phantom pain crosses his eyes, and he absently rubs one hand across his chest.

"I know it couldn't get other fluids, Miss Cross. Unless I was heavily sedated and completely unawares...which would beg the question of why it didn't kill me there. No, that's not likely.

I'm not too concerned about it laying hold of my soul. But I don't like the idea of dying quite yet. I'm averse to agony, you know.

Confronting it with the purpose of destroying it would be satisfying in one sense, but I'd need backup, and to do so someplace we wouldn't risk lives. I'm saving that option for now.

I would never make a deal with a member of the Legions of Hell. Be it the lowest of the low, or the Morningstar himself."

He looks ready to spit, his face expressing notable disgust before he tempers himself.

"I'd rather die than pass this on to someone else. If it could be passed to, say, a rock, that would be an option.

I'd rather not seclude myself for my whole life. But deflecting attention is good."

He raises an eyebrow at the name of the particular charm.

"Corpse charm, you say? That doesn't contain the ingredients I think it does, does it? Do you have a way of confirming what sort of curse or such it has on me first? Before you go using up "fairly specific ingredients"."

[Raveled]

Robin rubbed at her chin, considering the matter. Silence stretched in the basement store until she spoke again, almost two minutes later. "No," she admitted. "Not without calling up the demon and interrogating it directly. But before we try that, would could see if you're actually cursed or if this is simple paranoia." Robin swept past a curtain that Gabriel hadn't noticed until just that moment, disappearing for a few minutes. When she came back out, she was bearing a stoppered flask filled with water, a bough of leaves worked into a circle, a wooden bowl, and a sheathed knife. She placed the items on the glass counter and beckoned Gabriel closer. "I don't suppose you've ever had your aura read? Oh, and do you have blood-born diseases?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel...didn't immediately move. He had seemed uncomfortable before, but now he was downright wary. His eyes seemed glued to the knife.

"No blood borne disease, though I was living in the United Kingdom less than 12 months ago. And no, no..."aura reading". Um...just what are you going to do? Especially with that knife?"

His eyes moved to Robin's face, his expression skeptical.

[Raveled]

Robin pulled the knife out of its leather sheath, revealing a blade of black stone. "Everything touched by magic has a field of energy surrounding it. Since life creates the energy of magic, that includes every living thing, like yourself. It's possible to read this aura and discern certain things about a person." The sorceress put the blade beside the bowl and set the flask of water on the other side. "Some can do that just by looking at a person. I am not sensitive to such energies, but there is a quick, simple ritual that I can perform to get the same information." She held up the phial and moved it so that the clear water inside caught the light. "This water is absolutely pure and free of energies. This knife," she added, picking it up in her other hand, "could be called a ritual athame if you were so inclined. But I've had it for quite a long time, and through it I can link my will to the water and read your aura. It should tell us if, in fact, a demon or any otherworldly entity is hunting after you." She locked eyes with Gabriel again and raised one eyebrow. "I only need a drop or two. Honestly, it won't hurt more than a paper cut."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel stood there for several long moments, just pondering the situation.

Finally, he slowly straightened up from his position against the opposite counter. He carefully walked over to Robin, stopping when he was close enough to hold out one gloved hand.

"Do you have to take it from a certain part of the hand? And what about after you do this little...ritual? You mentioned blood could let people track me with magic. Will you dispose of it safely afterward, to prevent that?"

He's still clearly uncomfortable with this whole affair, really.

"Blasted demon...wish I could just have it banished back to Hell where the thing belongs."

[Raveled]

"We could go straight to the charm," Robin said, "or I could give you the names of two or three other spellworkers who could read your aura and make the charm. None them will enjoy you turning up on their doorstep, and one might will give you an impromptu tour of the Outer Planes for interrupting his studies." It was an exaggeration, but other magic users tended to stay out of the -public eye for a reason. "I'm no going to use your blood against you. I promise."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel closed his eyes and gave a nod as he softly sighed. He slowly pulled the glove from his left hand, presenting it bare to Robin. He looked her directly in the eye as he spoke.

"I did not mean insult, Miss Cross. But you must understand, this is not a typical avenue for me to pursue. For...various reasons. But I also acknowledge that people such as yourself do something genuine, and I trust that. I trust you to not misuse what you're about to receive. Forgive any insult I may have offered."

[Raveled]

Robin reached out and took Gabriel's wrist, turning his hand palm-up over the bowl. "It's okay," she said. "In a world full of of aliens, impossible science, and weirder things, folks still dismiss magic as parlor tricks." She picked up the knife and pricked the man's thumb, then squeezed the digit until blood rose. The sorceress put the knife aside and picked up the phial of water. She pulled out the stopper with her teeth and turn Gabriel's hand, washing the blood into the bowl with a generous portion of water. When she was done, Robin handed him a washrag and a band-aid from her pocket.

The sorceress stopped the phial and picked up the athame again, stirring the water in the bowl with the very tip of the blade. The water clouded almost instantly, turning a milky white color. It shivered oddly, then formed itself into a crucifix, then a harp. Last, it returned to a puddle in the bottom of the bowl, but after a moment it turned black at the edges and the smell of charred wood drifted up from the bowl.

Robin frowned and reached into the bowl, touching the water with one finger and muttering a word in dead language. The water boiled away in a heartbeat, leaving nothing but a black ring. The sorceress collected a bit of it and sniffed it, then gave a firm nod. "Demon," she said. "It's got your, uh, well call it a 'scent.' I don't think it's looking for you, exactly, but it'll know if it runs into you." She raised her eyes to meet Gabriel's. "So what do you say? Want the charm?"

[KnightDisciple]

"I don't think I'd dismiss it as parlor tricks. Just...not something I normally deal with."

Gabriel stoically stood there as Robin pricked his thumb and drew some blood. He accepted the rag with a simple nod, quickly wiping his hand enough to feel safe placing the bandage.

The various symbols were...interesting. The crucifix was most obvious, with the harp taking but a moment to make the connection. The final symbol, though...that one left him frowning, and giving a slight shiver as well.

He looked up into Robin's eyes several moments after she finishes speaking, clearly having taken some time to think things over.

"Has my scent? Well, I suppose that's better than constant surveillance. Still, not something I'm fond of. What, exactly, goes into this charm of yours? Do I need to perform some sort of action to activate it?

[Raveled]

Robin made a noise under her breath and pulled out a flip-style notepad and a pencil. She started jotting down notes, almost as fast as they entered her head. The list was almost schizophrenic; bone -- baculum?; ink -- cremate? building?; human hair -- strands of... what?

She looked up at Gabriel, tapping her chin with the eraser end of the pencil. "That building where you fought the demon," she asked, "has it been rebuilt or cleaned up or anything like that, yet?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel blinks that the list he's seeing.

'What in blazes is all this? Maybe I should just go have the priest pray over me or something...No. I've already come to her for help. Shoving it back in her face would be about the worst thing I could do.'

He took a moment to respond to her question, what with it coming out of the blue like that.

"It's just a shell right now. It's scheduled to be torn down soon, but there hasn't been time to rebuild it yet. They cleared the worst of the debris out, though."

[Raveled]

"I'm going to need some of the ashes from the building. You can get that for me." Robin disappeared into the back and came back with a couple of plastic baggies. "If there's some loose electrical wires, collect those, too. I should have everything else I need already. As for how it works," she continued, "it should be like a fog of magical senses. It's not foolproof, but it should stop the demon from recognizing you, if you pass it on the street. It could find you if it pours enough power into the working, but that would burn out the charm and at least give you some warning."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel gave a thoughtful nod.

"I'm sure about the ash. It's a toss-up on the wires, but...I'll be back in just a minute."

He took both plastic bags with a nod, and stepped out the door. Almost immediately, the windows rattled a bit with his takeoff, and a slight boom shook the area soon after.

True to his word, it was perhaps five minutes later when another rumble passed over the house, and Gabriel was casually walking in the door.

"I got a good dose of the ashes, but only a couple of small bits of burned wire. I didn't want to rip up the walls too much."

He holds the bags forward; the ashes filled about 3/4 of the bag, but there were only two bits of charred wire, each perhaps a bit more than an inch long.

[Raveled]

In the few minutes that he was gone, Robin had cleaned up the little ritual space and donned a thick leather apron with a number of pocket. She was just tying it back behind herself when Gabriel walked back in, ashes and wire in hand. She took both baggies, examining the wires critically. "They'll just have to do," she after a moment, putting both baggies in her pockets. "The charm should be done by the end of the week, okay?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel nods, but doesn't leave immediately.

"Is this just going to be something I wear? Something I carry? Will I have to do some sort of daily ritual with it?"

He wears a thoughtful frown on his face.

"Are there any sorts of things that could cause interference when I have it? Activities, energies, that sort of thing?"

[Raveled]

Robin shrugged with one shoulder, sketching angular runes in the notepad. "If there's no problems, it'll be a bracelet, made of animal bone and copper wire. You shouldn't need to do anything beyond wearing it. I don't know anything about your powers, so I can't comment there, but I'd street clear of powerful electrical currents. Just on general principals, you understand. As for activities to avoid, I can't really say. But I wouldn't recommend taking the charm off. Bath with it, sleep with it, take it everywhere."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel nodded as she spoke, relaxing a bit as she explained things...though he flinched a bit at the "animal bone" part. It didn't seem to be a deal-breaker, though.

"Write me a cost estimate, and I'll have the money when I pick it up. I doubt my powers will be a problem, unless hyper-concentrated sound would disrupt it."

After receiving the cost estimate, he headed towards the door, stopping for a moment to look back at Robin. He made a gesture as if tipping a hat.

"My thanks to you, and...God bless, ma'am."

With that, he was out the door and off into the sky.

[Raveled]

It was late Friday afternoon, golden sunlight slanting through the buildings -- none of which found its way into Cross' Road. Robin damp-dusted the bookshelves nearest the door, stocking the books nearly on the floor and drying after herself. Her thoughts flitted from place to place, never settling for long. It was almost closing time, and the cleaning gave her a chance to relax. She was wearing the leather apron again, with a copper and bone charm curled in one pocket.

[KnightDisciple]

Suddenly, there was a knock at the store door. When she looked, there stood Gabriel, with an awkward smile on his face. He gave her cleaning a curious look, then opened his mouth. Oddly enough, Robin heard him clearly, even through the door.

"Not exactly "spring" cleaning...Is it alright if I come inside? I believe it's been the stated amount of time..."