11291/So I Says To Her I Says

So I Says To Her I Says
Date of Scene:	23 May 2022
Location:	The Velvet Room - Sitting Room
Synopsis:	Information was shared on a number of subjects!
Cast of Characters:	Rien D'Arqueness, Cael Becker, Jonathan Sims, Robbie Reyes

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Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien has been using the training room at the VR to help focus and hone her magical abilities, trying to deepen her connection to the Dark Dimension that she can be prepared to channel or portal at a moment's notice. It doesn' -sound- like hard work, but the woman is actually a bit flushed and sweaty as she exits the room, though that healing factor is already kicking in as she heads into the main room. One can actually -watch- the redness leaving her face, the sweat drying on her skin as she drops a towel around the back of her neck and lets out a sigh. "Nameless, would you be a dear and play Layla, s'il vous plait?" Moving towards the bar, she grabs a bottle of water and posts up on a stool to settle in for a bit.

Cael Becker has posed:
    It's not too long after that Cael emerges - coming in from the hallway, with a large white dog on her heels. Bear has a ball made of durable rubber in his jaws, and he's panting slightly after a long game of 'fetch' in the garden. She has to keep the pup in shape somehow. There's only a brief catch in her step as she spots Rien - and this is followed by a smile of greeting.
    "It's a good thing you're here, actually. Anyone talked to you about Phoebe yet?" she asks without much preamble, before making her way behind the bar. She starts making a coffee for herself, while Bear waits just outside the scope of the bar, watching her.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Hey Cael," Rien's smile is replaced with quizzical amusement as she responds, "Can't say that they have. Why? Do we not talk about Phoebe anymore?" Someone watched Encanto recently. She sips from her water, then shakes her head, "More seriously though, no, nobody has spoken to me about Phoebe. What's going on?" The amusement and smile are replaced with a faint expression of concern as she leans over to give Bear a scritch, if Cael is okay with that.

Cael Becker has posed:
    "No. That only happens if she dies being an idiot and we don't stop her spell from doing off," Cael mutters under her breath. She frowns deeply at the coffee machine - as if it has offended her on some visceral level.
    There's no vest on on the pup today - so Cael voices no complaint as Rien scratches at the dog, who leans into contact - tail thumping on the floor.
    "She plans on hunting a demon - alone. Says she's hunted plenty of demons, and she knows what she's doing, but this is the first time she'll be doing it on her own. Oh, and the first demon she plans on tackling alone can negate her inherent magic. But that's fine, because her mandalas won't be affected. She won't let her friends help - because she doesn't want them to get hurt. And she won't let you help, because she doesn't know you." There's a dry, bitter tone to Cael's voice as she speaks.
    "And //when// this gets her killed... She's set a spell up to go off a week after her death that will erase her from everyone's memories."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Blinking as Cael lays it all out, Rien pauses to take a moment to absorb and process it all. Then lets out a soft sigh. "Of course. Alright. Well. Normally I wouldn't butt in if I'm not asked but... I think in this case it might be good if I... peek in on what she's up to and make sure this demon doesn't -actually- kill her. If we make anymore trips into the Underworld, I think we're going to have a fight on our hands." She flickers a small smile, trying to insert a touch of levity as she sips from her water. "Do we know anything about this demon? What type it is, what it does? Even knowing which level of Hell it comes from can be useful." Pausing, she shakes her ehad, then adds, "That's not strictly correct. There aren't so much levels of Hell as... different -areas- of Hell. Some are actually higher or lower up in a physical sense, but I wouldn't necessarily say they're better or worse. It's Hell." Shaking her head, she smiles, "Sorry, it's a strange world within a stranger dimension. Please, anything that you can tell me would be most welcome."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Look - //I// don't know the first damned thing about demons - so I don't know what to tell you. Apparently Jon knows something about it. Phoebe's trying to find the thing's name, and she thinks she knows someone - or something - who'll know the name and-" Cael lets out a frustrated sigh, glaring at the coffee pot for taking too long. "This is really not My Thing."
    Leaving the coffee pot to do its thing, she pulls out a collapseable bowl - filling it with water and setting it near Bear. The pup immediately starts lapping some of it up - setting the ball down next to it where he can easily retrieve it.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien waves a hand towards the coffee maker, the light blue glow of her magical energy surrounding it briefly before the coffee maker stops gurgling and the pot seems to be filled with nice hot coffee! "Okay, not a problem, I can speak to Jon. But... finding a demon's real name... generally only someone or something -very- close to the demon is going to have that. Now, there are ways to make a demon reveal it's true name but those are... probably not what Phoebe has in mind. Which means whoever or whatever she's meeting with is just as or more dangerous than the demon itself." Letting out a soft sigh, she rubs the pad of her thumb along the bridge of her nose and gives a nod. "Alright. I'll talk to Jon and find out what he knows and then I'll find Phoebe and see if I can't stop her from committing suicide."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Oh, totally," Cael agrees. "I mean - I got the impression that she's trying to get the name from one of the people who... is bringing this demon around to try to kill her. So..." She shakes her head with frustration, while turning to give the coffee pot a puzzled look. "How did it...?"
    Well. Don't look gift coffee in the mouth, as it were. Pulling down the High Priestess, she pours a little into her mug, before adding the coffee on top. After a sip she adds, "Let's streamline things, hrm?"
    She pulls out her phone, thumbs flying across the screen as types out, 'Me and Rien talking about Pheeb in VR.'

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Exactly. As dangerous or moreso. I'm frankly amazed that she has enemies powerful enough that they can summon and maintain control of a demon that powerful." Rien lifts a shrug and shakes her head, then lifts the water bottle for another sip. Setting it on the bartop, she leans over to give Bear another scritch before looking back to Cael, "Honestly? I wouldn't worry about the, uh, scorched earth option. It takes a -supremely- powerful sorcerer to pull off that sort of magic, and it's never done lightly, and the cost is.. high. You aren't just removing memories. You're removing -emotions-. You're sacrificing others' love and affection for you. First of all, that can't be done without them willingly giving that up. They have to be willing to sacrifice to power that spell. It's not just something that the caster does."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    The door on the Velvet Room's balcony glows a short while after Cael texts Jon. Voices can be heard, Jon saying, "--sure you'll be okay?" and then a younger female voice saying, "I'll be /fine/, Jon, I know not to open the door to strangers or feed chocolate to Lady. Tell Cael I said hi!"

    And, so, Jon winds up coming through and closing the door behind him, dressed entirely casually, in jeans and a Franz Ferdinand "Right Thoughts" tour t-shirt. He scrubs a hand through bright green hair as he comes down the stairs, his sneakers still untied. He stops at the bottom to tie them up, frowning as he looks between Cael and Rien.

    "Talking about Phoebe, I hear? What'd you need me for in particular?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "She thinks she's doing that shit for our sakes. To protect from the pain of the loss, and to keep us from risking ourselves geetting revenge. I told her she's doing it for her OWN sake - to convince herself it's okay to die," Cael says in a flat, cool voice - before taking a sip of her coffee. "The kid's messed up. Completely messed up. I mean, I thought I was in bad shape after what Michael did but- I dunno. I think this is way worse."
    Cael and Bear both look up towards Jon as he appears - a smile appearing on Cael's lips, and Bear's tail thumping on the ground. "I was wondering if you could tell Rien anything about this demon Phoebe wants to hunt? It's not my area of expertise, you know?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"She's chickening out. Things have been tough and she's taken some hits, but rather than admit that it's affected her, she's chickening out by choosing death. And not just death but death -and- nobody has to remember her. Ultimate selfishness. She can die free and clear and it's okay because nobody will be sad over it," Rien purses her lips up for a moment, then sighs heavily and murmur, "Life isn't for the faint of heart."

Looking over at Jon's entrance, Rien nods, and offers, "Cael was telling me about Phoebe's grand suicide plan. I'm definitely game to stop a demon, and hopefully knock a bit of sense into Phoebe while we're at it. But it's best if I know what sort of demon we're going to be up against. Cael said it can negate Phoebe's main powers. What does that mean, precisely?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon frowns. "It's a lot more than either of you know," he says as he straightens from tying his shoes. "She's lost every parent she's ever had and every home she's ever known, and her cousin not only killed everyone in her home village but now is tracking her down to try to twist her magic into something dark and terrible. She's been through... a lot, in the past year or so. A /lot/. I don't think it's fair for anyone to judge her too harshly; a lot of people who've been through less wind up depressed and suicidal."

    He shakes his head. "If /either/ of you are going to keep dealing with Phoebe... you need to understand that if she's truly suicidal then she's /ill/. Blaming her, telling her she's taking an easy way out, that she's not thinking of others... that's not fair, and it'll only hurt her further. It's like blaming a cancer patient for their cancer. It doesn't do a damn thing to fix the problem, and it might actually make things worse. I would suggest considering that you don't know the whole story, and she has perfectly valid reasons for being as depressed and upset as she is. She /really/ does. Her emotions are entirely understandable."

    He sighs and heads for the bar. "It's also quite possible she doesn't /want/ to die, but thinks there's no other choice. Often people in such a state really do think there's no other option, or that people would be better off without them. That they're a burden, and while they want to live, everyone else's lives would be easier if they were gone. Right now, she's dealing with a demon specifically summoned by someone who shares her magic, to try to hurt and twist /her/. We thought we'd dealt with the summoner, and the demon, but... evidently not. So the idea of 'well if I go deal with this, nobody else has to get hurt' makes a kind of logical sense. There's a kind of heroic ideal, noble sacrifice and suffering going on, possibly."

    He peers at the bar and gestures to ask Cael to hand over the High Priestess bottle and a glass. "That doesn't excuse her /actions/, nor the fact that she thinks it's okay to hurt people so long as they don't remember it afterward. It doesn't make what she's doing a good idea. But badgering her the way people keep doing? It isn't helping. It's making things worse. It's making her feel isolated and alone and misunderstood. So I would suggest, as a mental health professional, /not/ approaching her from that angle any longer. Yelling at someone who's in pain doesn't help them not be in pain."

    A shrug. "That said... I don't know much about the demon itself. Phoebe said Papa Midnite should have the name, and Chas probably knows who and what it is. I was... deliberately kept out of the loop of a lot of that. Not by Phoebe."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's expression grows serious and more subdued as she listens to Jon, wordlessly handing over the requested bottle and glass, and briefly resting her hand on top of theirs. She pulls back so she's cupping both hands around her coffee mug, staring down into it as she thinks, reflecting back on //her own// mood in December and January, and how awful she'd felt.
    "I remember," she murmurs quietly, "Feeling like... there was only one way to make all the pain stop. I just wanted the pain to stop. And I remember how much that thought frightened me. And I only really said something because all my training-" She lets out a heavy sigh. "I mean, law enforcement isn't an easy career. We were taught to ask for help. I was lucky enough to find it."
    She takes a drink of her coffee, then looks back up towards Jon to ask, "Well, if that's what we're //not// supposed to do - what are we supposed to do, O Wise One?" She flashes him a brief smile along with those lightly teasing words.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Turning towards Jon, Rien has the grace to look regretful over the harsh words before giving a nod and murmuring, "You're right. It's easy to judge from a place of having come out the other side..." She drinks from her water and looks at him, "The problem is, I can help with the demon. I have no doubt that I can banish it... and if you aren't asking too many questions, I can deal with the summoner as well. But that's not going to fix the actual problem. All I will be doing is removing one set of means and leaving her to look at other options." Watching him for a long moment, she pushes up to her feet, "I know who Papa Midnite is. You don't live as long as I do in my profession and not learn the names of the other people associated with both sides."

She muses, "Now, normally Papa Midnite isn't one to take sides, so I'm curious how Phoebe intends to get the name from him, since he would be directly interfering if he gave it to her." Rien shakes her head and looks from Cael to Jon, "So we're still in the same place. I can deal with the demon and summoner, but someone who's suicidal isn't going to stop just because one avenue has been closed off. They'll simply seek another avenue. And as has been noted, she doesn't know me, so she's not likely to open to to me. Now comes my next question. Do you want me to work -with- Phoebe, or around her? Because she apparently won't accept my help in the demon hunt, so that sort of ties my hands for what I can do.:

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon rolls his eyes at Cael and then leans over the bar to fish around looking for the bitters and sugar. He summons a bit of water into the glass and then starts muddling the bitters and sugar with a tool he grabs from beneath the bar. "A lot of the interventions I'd suggest won't work on Phoebe. Pharmacueticals do nothing for her, so she can't take antidepressants or mood stabilizers. She can't even be sedated. I'm worried enough about her that I'd have her forcibly committed if I thought the system could help her--but I don't think it can."

    He ponders for a moment. "Sometimes all it takes is time. Right now, specifically, Phoebe got dragged to Hell by the demon--she might just need time to recover. I've contacted her friends and family--such as it is--to try to help. I laid out everything for Chas, so he can talk to her. Frankly, the demon... well, if you can ask her about it, maybe even just give her pointers or find out what it is in case she /does/ fail and we have to clean up the mess..."

    He puts his forehead on the bar and bangs it lightly. "I wish I felt like she'd listen. She keeps doing this. She put together a spell to shunt away all her emotions and it was eating at her and could have exploded at any moment. Then she asked Sandalphon to put her emotions aside for her /again/ during the war with the angels. I wish she'd believe me when I tell her that she /needs/ to work through the pain, even if it's by sitting and letting someone comfort her."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Look, if you hurt yourself doing that - that doesn't mean I'll babysit Agnes for you," Cael says dryly as Jon starts lightly banging their head. She does reach out, though, to place a hand on their shoulder in solidarity.
    "What were those herbs - kava and... something else. Tulsi? Those wouldn't work on her either?" Cael suggests with a faint frown, her fingers gently massaging Jon's shoulder. "I could just- I dunno. Invite Phoebe out for coffee. Sit and talk about nothing. Or I could even talk about what December and January were like for me - if you think that would help. If you think she would listen. I doubt I can do anything to deal with the demon, and the only think I could do about that spell... is see if Michael owes me enough to send down Metatron on my request."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien looks back and forth between Cael and Jon, lips pursing up here and there before letting out a small huff of breath. In the end, she gives a small shake of her head that sends blonde curls bouncing this way and that, then looks to Jon, "I hate to say it, but Phoebe's already on record saying she won't accept my help because she doesn't know me. And I can't -force- my help on her. So unless you want me to track down this demon independently and banish it before she can find it... I don't know that there's anything I can -do-." She offers him a sympathetic expression.

"I hate to say it but.. maybe we need to put her in stasis and find some way to... to craft her dreams to force her to deal with these issues. Because short of that, by giving her the attention she's seeking we're really just feeding into her ideation that we'll all be better off without her." Rien frowns and stares down at the floor, "It.. it isn't easy but... maybe the best thing we can do is.. to do nothing. It would be easier to talk to her after this matter of the demon has been resolved and she's either healed or been brought back. At this point, I don't think she's in the headspace that will listen to any of us."

She cuts a sharp glance towards Cael and growls, "No more fucking angels. I swear, the next one that pops in is going to find out why my family is immortal." She pauses, then sighs, rubbing at her eyes, "Chas not included. That man's been through enough, he doesn't need me berserking on him too."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon peers up at Cael for a moment. "I don't know. I don't. I've asked Tim and Chas to intervene. I don't know what else to do." He sighs. "This is why you don't treat people you're close to. No objectivity."

    He straightens, and finishes pouring his old fashioned. "...the next one that pops in? That implies... that they've been popping in? Are they treating New York as a tourist attraction now? Coming to help the poor people they invaded? How very... British of them." He grins.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael can't help but snort in amusement at Rien's very emphatic words. "Yeah, fuck the angels." There's a long pause before she adds - with feigned reluctance, "Except for Chas, I suppose." She's teasing Jon now - and it shows clearly in the grin she aims their way.
    Then more quietly she adds, "Just because you can't treat, doesn't mean you don't help. You still help me tremendously." AFter one last squeeze, she pulls her hand back, and walks back around the bar with her whiskey. After scratching at Bear's head, she settles onto the stool next to Jon, leaving Bear to gnaw contentedly at his rubber ball.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"If by 'help' you mean crash through the window of a diner and scare a roomful of humans half to death, then leave them with a mess of glass and demon remains to clean up... then sure. They're 'helping'." Yep, Rien uses the fingerquotes around 'helping'. She lets out a heavy breath and shakes her ehad, "He interrupted date night with his bullshit. I didn't even get to have my shake. And he called me a 'foolish human'! Me! And -I'm- the one that cleaned up the remains and fixed the diner. AND paid for everyone's dinner for the trouble. His molting ass walked out the fire door." Rien rolls her eye and grumbles under her breath. "So. Yes. Fuck the angels. I'm over them."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Irrespective of Rien's being right there, Jon turns to the stool next to him and gives Cael a very firm kiss, right on the lips. "Thank you," he says, eyes shining. For what? Well, the Chas thing, but one would have to assume.

    Then, as if he hadn't just engaged in an egregious public display of affection, he turns to Rien and says, firmly, "Well, fuck /that/ angel in particular. That's just... rude." A smirk.

Cael Becker has posed:
    Cael's more than happy to receive the kiss, though from the look she gives Jon - she's not entirely sure what it's for. "Of course, love," she replies anyways, leaning into Jon's shoulder, and taking a sip of her coffee. Bear - without his bright service vest - is settled in near her feet with a bowl of water, and a heavy duty rubber ball that he's determinedly gnawing away at.
    "Sounds like a colorful fellow. Did anyone punch him in his smug fucking face? I find it's helpful to do that to angels - from time to time."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien sighs heavily, "I wanted to, really badly. But... no. We finished date night instead." She pauses, then smiles, "That was definitely better." Then she's clearing her throat and grinning, because she's French. PDA's were practically invested in France. She does take a swallow from her water bottle though, and looks to Jon, "So, I was thinking. It might be good if we started hosting a series of classes. Everything from Magic 101 where we break down the very fundamentals, to more advanced classes where we can get into the difference between the various means and ways of tapping into magical energy and it's use. And for those with the wish to learn, and ability to do so, perhaps even classes to teach different specialties that we bring to the table? Given everything that's been going on... it might be prudent if I started doing some classes on Hell and demonology. Simple banishings can be done with a ritual if you have someone with a strong enough belief system."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie's just gotten off work. This isn't too difficult for Rien, at least, to deduce, because he walks into the sitting room smelling like that particular cocktail of engine grease and cigarettes, to her very sensitive nose. He's at least changed out of his work clothes, and thrown his leather jacket over the ratty metallica tee shirt he refuses to get rid of.

"Hey, babe," he greets the blonde with the claws, touching her shoulder as he passes and giving her a peck on the cheek. Jon and Cael get an upnod and a glance as he goes to slide into a seat and grab himself a beer. "We talking about that fuckin' angel?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon lowers his voice, at the look on Cael's face, and says, "For the comment about Chas. Thank you." Yes, he's cheating a little, with empathy, but it's important to him that Cael knows that he sees she's trying.

    They ponder what Rien suggests, and then laughs. Grins at Cael. "See? See, that's /exactly/ what I was talking about, wasn't it? Gods, just relax and the universe flows the way you need." He looks to Rien and nods. "That's an excellent idea, all around. The more people know, the more capable they can be, even if it's simple stuff. I know there's a certain desire in magical circles to hoard knowledge, but that just leads to demons running amok. And angels, too.

    He looks over and nods to Robbie as he enters. "Evidently we are, indeed, talking about 'that fucking angel.' Is it going to be a problem?"

Cael Becker has posed:
    "I wouldn't mind auditing a 'magic 101' class. I can't do any of it," she doesn't think, "but I feel like I should make an effort to at least understand it. Since it's determined to be part of my fucking life whether I want it or not."
    Cael smiles at Rien wryly, then turns her attention back towards Jon. "I give you shit, and you thank me for it?" Cael says in amused voice. "I mean, I didn't know you meant it //that// much when you were saying I should make sure not to always be nice to you..." She gives him a brief peck on the lips, then greets Robbie with a simple nod, and a smile. "Angels are the worst - right?"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"Hey Robbie," Rien brightens up when Robbie joins them in the Velvet Room, leaning in for that kiss to the cheek and pressing one to his in return. Then watching him with a warm smile as he makes his way to the bar and settles in. "Only briefly. Otherwise I'm going to end up on a rant about angels and how they're ultimately as much of a problem as demons... and really you don't want that." Well, Cael might.

She nods to Jon and flashes a grin, then over to Cael with a chuckle, "I wouldn't be so sure about that. Almost anyone can learn ritual magic, Cael. And most magic items don't require any sort of magical aptitude to use. But I think there's a number of members that would appreciate a breakdown and discussion about magic, how it works, and the various means and ways of accessing it." She smiles, "And some primers about various supernatural creatures would certainly be helpful as well."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Ain't a problem," murmurs the young man, pausing to accept the return kiss from Rien. He makes that little moue with his lips, like he's trying to restrain himself from baring his teeth or saying something inappropriate for mixed company.

But instead, he thumbs the cap off his bottle of beer, and takes a swig while catching up on the conversation. Silently. No off-colour remarks, for now.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Oh but Rien, they /are/. They /are/. And I say this despite having an archangel as a mentor now. They're /both/ a problem because they're both extreme." Jon shakes his head. "Not that it would surprise one to learn that I feel balance is key or anything. But."

    He's sitting at the bar, holding an old fashioned, on the stool next to Cael. "But she's got a point, love. You used the amulet just fine. I bet Lydia could teach you how to build a ward even if you might not be able to power it--but understanding it would help you recognize weird magical writing if you saw it."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "//Using// the amulet isn't the same as //doing// magic," Cael protests. "But... yes. Being able to recognize what I'm looking at... might be useful. Which is why I'm willing to learn. If nothing else, I could be in a meeting with the FBI and be all 'Oh, we don't have to worry about that. It's just a protective circle to ward off bad luck' or- who the fuck knows. It just... could be useful to know," she admits, running a hand through her hair. Fuck, why is she willing to sign herself up for //classes//?
    "I liked Luci. Just for the record - he had got pot."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien moves over to where Robbie has settled and she shamelessly cuddles up to his side and leans against him. Because he's warm and comfy. And she loves him. That's definitely part of it too. Still, she can't stop the delighted expression when Jon hits the nail on the head, "YES. Exactly that. Because they're the opposite of the demons, they're just as bad. Just as destructive, and they're judgmental instead of manipulative, which is just as bad." She lets out a huffed breath.

Looking back to Cael, she grins, "You, young lady, are in luck. I was forcibly trained in a great mnumber of ancient, dead, and magical languages for decades. Everything from runic inscriptions to Aramaic to the more common Latin, its abyssal variation. And because I specialize in demons... wards, summoning, banishing... the rituals, the tools of the trade, and the sumbols. Trust me. You never ever ever ever want to step into a completed summoning circle. You could very well find yourself trapped in it with whatever was being summoned."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Robbie doesn't have anything to offer on the subject of magic. Of course, despite being so staunchly opposed to it, one could argue that much of what he's capable of doing *is* sorcerous, after a fashion.

"So I ain't an intellectual or anything, but wasn't there some guy called Newton who figured this out already? Something about force and, uh, reaction." He holds his thumb and forefinger like he's gripping something between them, and flips it over, then over again. "Dos lados de la misma moneda. Mas lo mismo que diferente."

Rien cuddling up to him has his free arm wrapping around her, pulling her close while he takes another swig of beer.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Newton's Third Law of Motion. I don't know if I'd /quite/ put it that way, but yes," Jon nods to Robbie. "They are indeed two sides of the same coin."

    He swirls the liquid around in his glass, frowning thoughtfully. Not an upset frown at all, it's definitely his 'thinking' frown. "Hmmm. How to do this. Do we just start with a Magic 101 lesson and then see what else people are willing to teach? Or provide a sign-up sheet? Hmmmm."

    A brief glance toward Cael. "If you want good pot, we can get you good pot, dear. You don't have to go to the literal Devil."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "God what have I gotten myself into," Cael complains - as Rien rattles off her skills and knowledge. "I hate school..." she mutters. She takes another sip of her coffee, before giving Jon an amused smile.
    "I have good pot - and I didn't get it from //Luci,//" she replies. "...but you gotta admit, it was an amusing text exchange. And that was before we'd realized-" Well. Before they'd understood their feelings for one another, at all.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Laughing lightly, Rien winks at Cael, "I also never went to school a day in my life. I don't work in books and theory. If you're studying wards and circles and the like.. we're going to be creating them. Or at least... drawing them out. We'll go through the motions, so to speak. Without the actual magical investment to make them happen." She flicks a glance to Jon, then back to Cael, "I'll even teach you a few banishing rituals. You might be surprised what you can do with a bit of belief and a lot of stubborn will."

She smooches Robbie on the cheek and smiles at him, "See? There you go with your fancy book learning again... show-off." Winking at him to show she's teasing him.

To Jon she offers, "Honestly? Of all the Hell Lords I can think of... Lucifer's not really that bad. I mean, he's bad, sure. But his biggest issue was that he wasn't allowed free will and the mortals were. I can get behind that sort of gripe."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"Angels are.. order." Robbie shrugs a big shoulder. "Perfection. Duty. You think those things can exist in a.. in a vacuum?" He blows a breath out his nose. "That's how Eli explained it to me, anyway." And since when does he listen to, much less defend, that sadistic asshole?

Then Rien kisses his cheek, and he blushes when she accuses him of 'fancy book learning'. Which he most certainly does not have. More like, high school dropout. But having one's soul fused to a demon provides.. other educational opportunities. Like, for example, the way he knows that another name for Lucifer is, "Lightbringer." Murmured so soft, while he toys with his beer bottle, the others might not hear it.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon is... having an epiphany over at that barstool. "Oh," he says. "Oh /that's/ why I reacted so strongly to Lucifer's demon coming after you. Christ, I'm an /idiot/. I was trying to protect the girl I liked." He shakes his head, and takes a long drink.

    "I am also Order, so I... understand angels, to an extent. Order exists by overcoming Chaos... but I understand, as my ancestors did, that you cannot have order without chaos. That it has to be overcome repeatedly, that the very /existence/ of Order, of the kingship or what-have-you is predicated on Chaos. Without an enemy to overcome, the Pharaoh doesn't exist." He glances to Robbie. "But also... that chaos provides fertile ground for new ideas, shakes things up, gets rid of outdated modes. The river floods, but the flood provides the new soil for the next year's harvest. Like that."

    He reaches out to ruffle Cael's hair rather deliberately, and adds, "Unlike making Chas read a buch of books... I'd probably talk about the philosophy of magic and encourage questions and discussion. There are books to read but a lot of it's... mmm. Hands-on, as Rien noted."

Cael Becker has posed:
    Looking over Jon's head Cael remarks, "They're figuring this out now. I swear, for such an intelligent person - Jon is an idiot." She gives them another brief kiss after this comment, amusement playing on her lips.
    "HEY!" she adds as her hair gets ruffled, smoothing it back down, before she starts to pull away. She finishes off her coffee, then adds, "You stay here with your friends. I promised Agnes I'd totally destroy her at any game she chose." Then with amusement she adds, "See? They know Luci's not all the bad."
    Once on her feet, she dumpts out and folds Bear's water bowl, and calls for the pup to follow her. The pair make their way up the stairs - and towards the door.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
"I'm not suggesting they should. I will also argue -heavily- against angels being 'perfect'. The bullshit we -just- went through with Michael is an -excellent- example of -not- perfection." Rien sniffs lightly and takes a swallow from her water bottle. She also smiles at Robbie and gives a nod, ""I actually don't mind Lucifer. He's pretty mellow for the most part. I take issue with the angels more because they cause a huge mess and then refuse to take any -responsibility- for it. As if they did nothing and it's all our fault for being mortals." She gives a small snort, "And some of us aren't even that anymore."

Offering a wave to Cael, she smiles, "Have fun with Agnes! I'll send you guys some pastries soon!" Then she's looking back to Jon and giving a nod, "Exactly. In France, we do controlled burns of certain crops and fields because the ashes actually feed and enrich the soil for new growth. Chaos and Order working hand in glove. As with most things, there's right and wrong ways to go about it. The vast majority of the angels, from what I can tell? Are doing it wrong. Same goes for the demos. Hence my deporting their smelly butts back to Hell. Then there are the ones that I leave alone because removing them would cause more problems than it solves. Controlled burn."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
Bear likely has no more fondness for the Ghost Rider than the rest of the canine population. They sometimes tolerate him, but not a one has ever treated him favourably. So Robbie, watching the dog climb to his feet, doesn't bother reaching down to scruff him behind the ears like he wants to. Instead, just a nod to Cael, to signify acknowledgement of her departure, before he shifts his gaze back to Jon.

"That's what I mean," he replies, gesturing between he and Rien with his half-empty bottle. Because they're saying the same thing, but Robbie is not nearly so eloquent with his words. "You callin' me a controlled burn?" he retorts to Rien's last, and favours her with a dimpled grin out of nowhere. "Me molesta ese comentario, carino."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon gives Cael one of those stupid sappy 'ridiculously in love' smile and just says, "Tell her I'll be along in a little while? And we'll cook dinner. I promised to show her pad thai tonight--so I can continue to make noodles, /just/ for you." He wrinkles his nose at her and then waves.

    "The angels... well, /some/ of them are trying to... fix things? A bit? I have access to a whole fund to try to make reparations for the invasion, but I'm still trying to figure out what to... do with the money. And evidently the new Michael is trying to get some kind of leash on them, so that's... something. But it doesn't make up for all they've done, nor the general attitude."

    Jon chuckles. "Here we are... bitching about angels. Again."

Cael Becker has posed:
    "Ooo - pad thai? I'll tell her!" Cael says brightly - obvious excitement on her voice. It'll be far better than the 'breakfast' she made for herself that morning. The look Jon had given her when he'd seen the pan... Oops?
    The door begins to glow as she approaches it, and the pair step through as the remarks brightly, "Pad thai tonight! So what're was pla-"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Tsking softly, Rien flushes at the grin and shakes her head, "Yo nunca haria eso, amor. Eres mucho, mucho mas complejo que un simple incendio." She kisses the rim of his ear and looks ridiculously pleased to have been given that grin. She watches Bear leave the room with Cael, then glances to Robbie, then purses up her lips briefly. She'd been thinking about surprising the boys with a dog, but maybe something a bit... different.. was called for. Something with a bit more.. bite.

Looking back to Jon, she laughs, "You have to admit, it's so -easy- to bitch about them. They've caused so much trouble and trauma over the last months. Even if you took out all the direct damage from their attack... do you know how out of control the demons got because they knew the angels were preoccupied? Hence my own disappearance after the, ah, event with Cael." She steps delicately around that time that Cael crucified herself at Michael's behest. She lets out a sigh, "I swear I spent so much time going back and forth between here and Hell that I might as well have purchased a summer home there."

Robbie Reyes has posed:
"They can take their reparations and shove them up their ass," mutters the Sin Eater, downing the last of his beer. No love lost for angels on his part, at least. The response in Spanish from Rien has him glancing up at her-- just in time to receive that delicate kiss to his ear. Stupid blushing. Stupid freckles.

He doesn't bother adding further to the conversation, though; he's briefly distracted by his phone vibrating, and needing to be dug out of his jeans pocket so he can check his messages. "Gotta head home," he murmurs, frowning. "Gabe wants to know if you prefer Lebanese or sushi." The question's obviously for Rien, as he climbs to his feet.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon eyes Robbie for a moment. "I'd agree," he says quietly, "but... once I figure out how to distribute it, maybe it'll help... some, anyway. Help people who were displaced, or with medical bills, or... something." He sighs, and swirls the liquor around in his glass. It doesn't bring his arm back. Or restore the people that died. Or undo the trauma and the pain.

    Long breath in. Long breath out. "Well. I do think that classes are an excellent idea. I think the both of you could provide expertise if you'd be willing. Honestly I suspect most people could--there's probably something Cael and Red Robin would have to offer to us pie-in-the-sky magical types. Aside from general magical philosophy I know a lot about the Astral Plane and religions and amulets... and I'm thinking of tinkering with alchemy, actually."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Smiling to Robbie, she tugs his hand, drawing him back in to give him a solid kiss to his lip. "Lebanese sounds fun, lets go with that." Winking at him, she releases his hand, apparently going for a record of how much she can make him blush in a single setting.

Looking back to Jon, she gives a nod, "Demons are my main specialty, but a by-product of that is teleportation and portals. I know it might not seem super useful to people who can't, but honestly, it's never bad to be able to recognize the signs of an inccoming or leftover teleportation or portal. Beyond that... as I mentioned to Cael, I know entirely too many mystical, magical, dead, and ancient languages." She lights up, "Oh? I'm into herbalism for obvious reasons," tapping her nose, "but alchemy is definitely an interest! I'd love to learn more."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon chuckles. "Well, I'm only just poking at it myself, though I think the water I summon makes a good base. It seems to be... special. I should probably learn more about herbalism, myself, if I'm going to make a study of alchemy."

    He ponders, then says, "Sign-up sheet, I think. We can put one up, see what people are willing to teach, and then put together some times and dates and let people know."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien smiles and gives a nod, "Well I'll be happy to teach you if you'll teach me in return. I don't know how much of it I'll really get into, but... I have a vested interest in looking into whatever I can for someone close to me." She lifts a small shrug and murmurs, "Not sure if they'll accept a cure if I find it, but... I want to look into it."

She lifts both brows, then glances around the Velvet Room, "I'm betting if we will it hard enough, the castle will provide us with some very nice sign up sheets. It seems to be very accomodating. I wouldn't mind digging into how we could attach those signup sheets to the calendars in our phones... get reminders of when it's time to come here for a class..."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon chuckles. "Probably, yes. It's almost worrying, sometimes, how accomodating the castle is. I'd really like to know more about what's going on than wonder if there's some invisible servant running about that we only see when we're checking out one of the doors in the hallway." They look around, as if wondering if Igor's going to pop out any moment.

    He tilts his head, taking a long drink and then asking, "A cure? A cure for what, if you don't mind my asking? I'd understand if it's too personal, but like I said--magical types tend to hoard knowledge. It's possible a cure has been found, if only we look."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lets out a small laugh and lifts a small shrug, "I supposed I've learned not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Whatever is servicing the castle doesn't seem to be malevolent and that's good enough for me for now." She finishes off her water and sets the bottle on the bar, knowing it will be taken care of. "Though I still wouldn't mind doing a more in-depth scan of the magic running the place. Most enchantments come with a sort of... signature. Perhaps we know the sorcerer or sorceress that created it."

Pausing, Rien shakes her head and murmurs, "I'm not sure what the root cause is, I haven't asked. But the effect is paralyzation. Perhaps more that I can't see." She glances back up and smiles faintly, "I haven't tried to pry, I don't want to being up bad memories, but... I suppose I'll have to ask sooner or later."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    "Well, certainly, it's benevolent... until we trust it and we've told it all our secrets and it can turn on us." For a moment, Jon seems... entirely serious. Like maybe he /is/ that paranoid, on some level, or at least some part of him is. But then he shakes it off and goes on, "If nothing else... we'll want to know how to fix it if it ever breaks. And I keep intending to ask Chas more about whoever talked to to find the place, but it keeps slipping my mind. Funny, that." A smirk.

    Then they nod, slowly. "That's... hard. Probably nerve damage of some kind, and often hard to regrow, if it's at all possible. Maybe there'd be something... but magic can be a funny thing." Jon waggles the fingers of their emerald, magical hand. "When Michael removed my arm, he did it in the Astral Plane. He changed me on a fundamental level. So when I got a new body, regrew my perfect ideal... it was missing the arm. I'm still re-learning how to do a lot of things. Like cooking... teaching my daughter knife skills is in part a way to re-learn them myself."

    They frown. "I suppose I just mean... sometimes magic will make a miracle, and sometimes it will stubbornly refuse to heal something it ought, just because a belief is rooted so deeply in someone's mind. I hope, for the sake of your friend, that you can find something that works."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lets out a breath and nods, "I know... but I want to try. He's young, has a pretty open mind about a lot of things. So... there's hope. Because you're not wrong. Belief is a powerful thing." SHe quirks a faint smile, "Which is why I kept telling Cael that it's amazing what you can do with will and -belief-. People think you need -faith- and that's a misconception. It isn't attached to religion, though it can be. It's about your belief in -something-. Something powerful enough to provide that spark."

Letting out a small sigh, she stands up and stretches, "I should get going, I hve a dinner date with two very cute men who have graciously allowed me into their lives. And I would cut off my own arm before I disappointed either of them." Smiling, she murmurs, "Whenever you want to look deeper into the underlying enchantments, you just say the word and I'll be ther eto assist."

With that, she heads towards the door, looking altogether happy.