I Need a Mage's Opinion (IC)

[Raveled]

Robin glanced up at the door, smiling to see Gabriel back. She put the damp washcloth in another pocket in her apron and went over to open the door, beckoning the robed man in. "Time and tides wait for no woman," she said. "Doesn't mention dust, but it's the same in that respect." She walked back to the counter, but instead of circling around to the other side she leaned back against it, half sitting on the glass display case. "Almost missed me, you know. Another hour and the shop would've been closed."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel stepped in, looking around at the current condition of the shop.

"I suppose so. Besides, cleaning at times besides spring means it's easier, right?"

He gave her a wink at his little "joke", clearly getting at least a bit more comfortable talking of mundane things.

"And that makes me think it's providence I got here when I did, wouldn't you say? Even without knowing your store hours."

He looks about again.

"Out of curiosity, how busy does it get around here? I'm hoping I just hit off-peak hours; you seem to have a nice shop here."

[Raveled]

Robin glanced around the shop, giving a slow roll of her shoulders. "It's late," she said. "Another hour or so and I would've been at dinner. Besides, most of my business is mail-order," she added. "Mystics are a reclusive sort, as a rule, but the serious ones need some pretty esoteric ingredients that you can't get at the corner store."

Her eyes flicked past Gabriel, taking in the darkened street and the rapidly-sinking sun, its last rays illuminating the building opposite. "I hope you didn't have to go too far out of your way to get here. I could have delivered the charm."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel nodded at the mention of mail-ordering.

"I suppose that makes some sense. Are they your main base of clients? Or do you get a good mix of them, people like me with specific needs in mind, and...curious seekers?"

At her offer of delivery, he shrugged.

"I fly so fast this is quicker. Besides. You're a good person, and have been very helpful, but I tend to be pretty private. Nothing against you, necessarily. Just force of habit, I suppose."

He smiled again, still walking around the store a bit.

"Are your books limited to a specific subset of mystical texts, or do you have some broader selection? Perhaps things like history and/or myth? Or...hm. "Alternative practices" sounds a bit too obtuse, so..."

He regards her with a slightly more serious look in his eyes.

"Any items that have their origins in the Church?"

[Raveled]

Robin blinked at the overt question, put off her game a touch by the sudden change in topic. "I have several books on magical theory," she said, "as well as bestiaries, herbological texts, traveler's guides to the outer planes, histories of the weird. I myself am not a theurgist, but I think there's a history of several of the Church's more, ah, mystic orders." The sorceress untied the apron and lifted it over her head, shaking out her hair and folding the stiff leather over the glass counter. She walked over to where the books were piled and squatted there, walking her fingers across the spines for a few minutes. Before long she pulled out a largish tome, perhaps three hundred pages long, and bound in a blue velvet cover. Letters embossed on the cover declared it to be Shepards of the Flock: the Definitive History of the Church's War Against the Black Arts. Robin walked over and handed the book to Gabriel. "And of course, there's usually some interest in Malleus Malicifarum. I'm out of stock at the moment, but I could order a copy in."

[KnightDisciple]

The man in white nods at her initial list. More than he might have thought, but not an altogether surprising list. He showed interest at her mention of mystical orders in the Church.

"The Church has had orders of that nature?"

Gabriel's interest is piqued, even as he looks confused at a term.

"What do you mean by a "theurgist"? I'm not familiar with the term."

It wasn't covered by standard Mass, or in his acting and teaching career.

When she showed him the Shepherds book, his eyes lit up. A book whose title he could get behind! He started to leaf through it, then stopped and gave Robin a questioning look.

"Could I perhaps...borrow this? Or no, you're not a library. Perhaps we could discuss price? And how much would the Malicifarum cost? Just to get some idea, you know. I'm somewhat familiar with that work, but I'd be curious if there are any differences in the copy you could acquire."

[Raveled]

"I don't know why you're surprised that the Catholic Church knows about magic and the supernatural," Robin said. "They've been protecting folks from such things for thousands of years. As for a theurge..." The sorceress trailed off and stared at the ceiling again, collecting her thoughts. "In general terms, a 'theurge' is anyone whose magic is tied in with their religious or spiritual faith. To be a bit more exact, it refers to those mystics whose religions don't already include an element of magic. You've heard of Kabbalists, no doubt? They believe that by studying the Torah they can learn to control the world around them; they are, in fact, theurges. This is in contrast to, say--" Robin stopped abruptly, pressing her lips together and giving Gabriel a small smile. "I'm sorry. You didn't come here for a lecture. I should be able to get a copy of the Malificarum in just a few days, actually. It's a rather popular tome, next to expurgated copies of the Necronomicon." She walked back behind the counter and pulled out a length of paper, quickly scribbling out a few prices. "Here's the price for the charm, if you want to pick that up now, and for the books."

[KnightDisciple]

"It's not something broadly advertised to the laity. I'm not completely shocked it exists or existed, it's just not something I've had exposure to on any level before. But you could say that recent events are driving a desire to learn more."

He flashes Robin a winning smile as she stops her lecture.

"I was the one who asked for an explanation, remember? I'm not on some sort of tight time table here. Don't worry about it. Maybe you can save the full lecture for later, and I can come prepared to take notes."

He gave her a wink before settling his gaze on the prices. He seemed to consider things for several moments before looking up at her.

"Hrm. I could pay for the charm now, and one of the two books now. I'll go with this one."

He hefted the book in his hand.

"I should be good for the Malificarum in a week or so. Maybe two. Well, that one, plus maybe one or two more. I've been meaning to grow my library a bit. I don't think the priest will mind me researching things like this."

He gave her a conspiratorial wink as he dug into one of the pockets on that great white coat of his, pulling out a simple wallet, from which he counted out the proper amount of cash.

"I prefer using cash when I can, for obvious reasons."

[Raveled]

"Cash always spends," Robin agreed, pulling out a paper bag. She searched through the apron until she came up with the charm, then wrapped it in tissue paper and put it inside the bag. She slid the bag over the counter and took Gabriel's cash, counting it out carefully and retrieving his change. She passed it over and placed it next to the bag, but kept her hand there for a long moment. "You know," she said, her voice quiet, "if you really want to learn more, we could talk a bit. Over, say, dinner?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel started to reach for his change, before stopping as Robin asked that fateful question. He slowly met her eyes, his expression inscrutable. For over a minute, he was entirely silent, trying to determine her possible motivations, her reasoning.

"Dinner?"

He went silent for perhaps half a minute more.

"There's the little problem of this outfit being awkward at a social function like that. Or are you proposing dining someplace comparatively casual?"

He doesn't seem to have quite committed himself one way or another just yet...

[Raveled]

Robin tilted her head slightly, considering the entire situation for a moment. Gabriel was pleasing to look at, no question, and he possessed a magnetic charm. She couldn't help but be attracted to him. On the other hand, he either had a very eclectic wardrobe or was one of those heroes who was determined to keep his heroic and civilian lives separate. Could she even have a casual relationship under those circumstances?

She'd never know if she didn't try, though. "There's an Italian-sushi place around the corner," she said. "They never look at me twice when I wear my coat in the summer."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel thought for several long moments.

'Why am I doing this? Besides the fact that going on a date in-costume is just awkward, do I really want to get involved with this woman? I barely know anything about her?

On the flip side, she's clearly not your average girl. And even if it ultimately won't work out, I should give her the chance. It'd be the polite thing to do.'

Finally, he slowly grinned.

"Fine. When would you like to go to this Italian-sushui place?"

[Raveled]

Robin gave him a broad, sunny smile. "Why not go now? I can finish the cleaning later." She grabbed the cash box and disappeared into the back room, coming back out a moment later with a heavy, dark red, leather greatcoat folded across her arm. She swept it across her shoulders with a flourish, then walked over to the door and stepped outside. She held it open and smiled back at Gabriel. "Come on. Before it gets too crowded."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel smiled a bit more broadly. He took the charm and stuffed it in a pocket, hesitating with the book...before leaving it on the counter.

"I suppose now is as good of a time as any. I'll leave the book here, and pick it up after I walk you back."

He raised a hand to forestall any protests.

"Consider it a condition of my agreement. My mother would skin my rear with a dull switch if she heard I hadn't. Which she would. I think mothers have an inside line with the Almighty, just to know when kids misbehave."

He gave Ms. Cross a lopsided grin as he walked out the door, before stopping just outside of it and grandly gesturing for the lady in red to lead the way.

"By all means, ladies first."

[Raveled]

Robin locked the door with a heavy brass key and a muttered word, then turned to precede Gabriel up the stairs. On the street she took a moment to make sure that her jacket was fastened against the evening chill, then nodded down the block towards the campus and Liberty Park. "It's this way," she said, setting off down the sidewalk. Gabriel was quite a bit taller than she was, but after walking with Wesley for so long she was able to modulate her stride so that she wasn't hurrying, but Gabriel wouldn't trip over his own feet waiting for her. She didn't take his hand or even grip his arm, but she did walk close enough that the backs of their hands brushed together from time to time.

"So what brings you to the city," she asked. "Auditioning for the Freedom League?" She winked at the taller man, to show she wasn't -- exactly -- serious.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel didn't seek to lock arms or hold hands, but neither did he flinch away from their hands brushing. At Robin's question, he shrugged.

"Not exactly. A while back, I was watching the news, when Freedom City was mentioned. Then, my rosary started glowing, and I got the distinct impression I ought to come here. Fast-forward a bit of preparation, some settling in, some patrolling, and, well, here I am."

He gave a sheepish grin at his explanation, though on the inside he practically cursed himself.

'Bloody fool. Now she'll either get scared away because she thinks you're crazy in general, or a crazy religious nutbag. Or both. Oy.'

[Raveled]

If Robin thought there was something off about having such a literal call to heroics, she didn't show it. Presumably her line of work and her life experiences meant that she had a much higher threshold for the bizarre. She accepted the notion with a nod and asked, "Do you think you have been able to, ah, make a difference?"

[KnightDisciple]

Almost a full minute of silence. Slowly, a soft smile spread across Gabriel's face as memories ran through his mind's eye.

"Yes. Both in and out of costume, in ways large and small...yes."

[Raveled]

Robin observed Gabriel, noting the sens of quiet contentment when he talked, however briefly, about his accomplishments. It spoke volumes about him, and made Robin want to find out more.

The inside of the restaurant was already spilling light out onto the street. Inside, the sorceress greeted several of the staff with familiarity and made her way to a booth in the back. She took a seat facing the door and didn't bother to look at the menu. Instead she steepled her fingers and watched Gabriel for a moment before talking. "How exactly do you do it? Keep the heroic part of your life separate from the mundane portion?"

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel sat back with a thoughtful look on his face, glancing at the menu before staring at a spot on the wall.

"Caution, and lots of it. Caution about when and where I change. Caution about how I explain unusual absences, though my people skills help there."

He stopped as the waitress dropped off the glass of water he'd ordered as they were being seated. He took a small sip, then continued to speak.

"Beyond that, I'm careful about who I speak to about things. Hero work is revealed only to fellow heroes, almost none of whom know the real name I carry. I think two, maybe three heroes know who I am under this mask. And I trust them with my life. Not that I don't trust others, but..."

He gives a slight sigh of frustration as he's at an unusual loss for words for almost a minute.

"Loose lips sink ships. I have very strong reasons for concealing my identity, hence why I'm so careful about it. Part of me would prefer that no one here know my identity, but as it stands, it's few enough that I feel secure."

He smiles a bit.

"Now, if you mean how I keep it separate in my head, that's some fairly simple mental gymnastics. Let's just say I have experience with such things. I don't have trouble maintaining friendships in either guise."

He smirked as he sipped again.

"Was that the answer you were looking for?"

[Raveled]

Robin gave a small shake of her head. "I could never do the superhero life. Dual identities, long nights. Leaping over buildings. Spandex costumes." She rolled her eyes at the noting, but before she could say anything else on the subject their server arrived at the table. The sorceress greeted the other woman and ordered with an ease and fluidity that suggested she was a long-time customer. She was careful to give Gabriel plenty of time to look over the menu -- and to contemplate the image of her in spandex.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel quirked an eyebrow at Robin's comments. Whatever blush may have graced his face was hidden by his mask; thankfully, thoughts of Robin in spandex didn't last too long.

He glanced at the menu, before nodding and setting it aside.

"I'll have an order of the stuffed shells. Beef sauce mix, if you please."

After their waiter departed, he turned to Robin, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"Not everyone needs the dual identity. Just some; depends on your circumstances, really. Long nights isn't exclusive to heroing. I prefer flying over buildings. An as you can see, spandex isn't required. Then again, I think the good Lord knew this world didn't need to see my skinny self in spandex, so I was graced with a more comfortable suit."

He leaned back a bit, crossing his arms over his chest.

"And you're telling me that even with your, ah, magical aptitude, you've never done anything resembling "hero work"? Ever? Forgive me if I say that seems like a bit of a waste."

[Raveled]

Robin shrugged. "I've been in some fights and defended myself. Odd conflicts are inevitable in this city, it would seem. I'm not saying I wouldn't have survived without my magic, but it certainly gave me options I wouldn't have had otherwise." She cleared her throat and wished their server had brought them some water. "As for helping folks, there's lots of people in your same situation. Not being pursued by demons -- not most of them, anyway -- but people end up in trouble of a magical nature, and they don't have anywhere to turn to." She shrugged again. "I can't just them them away."

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel raises his hands in a gesture of surrender, a smile on his face.

"I stand corrected, ma'am. I suppose we just tend to work on different problems, which means our paths don't cross that much. Though..how often does magical trouble crop up? The kind that involves consultations, not the kind that involves supervillains."

[Raveled]

"You'd be surprised," Robin said. "The magical world has always been closer to the mortal world than folks like to admit. In prehistory, the Atlanteans manipulated arcane forces, which eventually lead to their doom. Early societies relied upon sorcerers and miracle-workers that were closely associated with religious organizations. That didn't change for millennia, for one reason and another -- that book you're so interested in buying records the secret history of folks not too dissimilar from myself, or yourself. Not so many of them as there are now, perhaps, but they fought the same battles." Their server returned with their drinks and the sorceress took a moment to drink deeply from her cup of soda.

Refreshed, she continued speaking. "In this age, it seems like science has become the religion of the masses, but that doesn't mean that supernatural dangers have left us alone. The Freedom League draws on Eldrich when such things rear their heads, and there's a half dozen cults that routinely threaten the city with histories that stretch before the written word. Not too many people think to turn to religion when faeries are knocking down the door, so they come looking for people that know how to handle things -- people like me."