12958/Veterans of the Medical Front

Veterans of the Medical Front
Date of Scene:	03 October 2022
Location:	Candle, Booke and Belle
Synopsis:	When Ariah Olivie is encouraged to join the Justice League Dark, she finds an old associate waiting at the counter of the Candle Booke and Belle
Cast of Characters:	Nettie Crowe, Ariah Olivie

---

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    THE CANDLE, BOOKE AND BELLE -- by night, a hang out and practice space for the most vigilant and heroic of magical types, training to take on the dangerous, the forbidden, the unknowable.

    By day it's that too, but it's also a metaphysical shop where people can stop in, take a breather and a cuppa tea, talk shop and buy supplies, and also a hang out and practice space.

    Its owner, one Nettie Crowe, is known for being mostly unflappable, and having a particularly clever pet crow.

    Those in the know, though, know her experience is what drives her knowledge, and that there is far more to her than meets the eye, much like a particular brand of robotic-themed toy.

    Which she is playing with, trying to figure out its transforming properties to the amusement of the five-year-old on the stool in front of her, whose mother is enjoying a well earned cup of tea.

    "Wot, you mean it has to go this-a-way? Oh, so this is where our transformation is, mm?"

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    And by any hour, a certain small woman seems to be able to get around. Though she certainly prefers the night life, Ariah has opted to call upon The Candle, Booke, and Belle while the sun is still present. She is, however, wrapped up a bit in a cloak with a hood. Dark sunglasses cover the dark-skinned girl's mismatched eyes, too, and she enters the shop just in time to see Nettie playing with a toy and a child. Having been here before, she is not taken aback by the flurry of wonderful scents. She is, however, given pause watching the white-haired woman playing with a toy.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    The short woman with the dark sunglasses does catch Nettie's attention; her own magic senses still sharp in spite of repeated attempts at 'retirement'.

    "'Ere, Si, I'll let you handle your Bubbly-bee"

    "/Bumblebee/" the young boy delights in correcting the woman, and Nettie just gives him a bright smile.

    And she mozies her way along the bar she's manning, and leans against it as she greets out

    "Good afternoon young miss. What can we help you with today?" she inquires in a friendly tone.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    There's no spark of recognition from Ariah just yet. She takes her time, approaching the bar and Nettie along with it. She pulls her hood back, revealing the shock of white hair contrasting her skin, and takes off her sunglasses. The girl's mismatched eyes take in the other woman, and she purses her lips before taking out her phone. If Nettie recalls the young woman, Ariah looks exactly the same as she had back then. Not a day aged, not an inch of height gained.
    "Excusez-moi," she starts, looking back up. "I am looking for Mademoiselle Nettie?" she asks, her French flawless, her accent when speaking English is thick.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie effortlessly switches to French, <Well, that all depends on who is looking for Nettie, and what their business is.> Nettie gives a slight smile, leaning a bit closer, her aquamarine eyes giving a slight shine as she tilts her head a moment before scratching a cheek. <She may even recall who's looking for her if there's a Name.>

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah's head tilts to the side, finding Nettie's wordplay curious, but the shift to French seems to make the girl even more comfortable. <My name is Ariah Olivie,> she states, her voice soft and icy, her eyes fixed politely upon Nettie's. <Miss Gabby asked me to seek out Miss Nettie, to obtain approval for joining the...> she takes a moment, considering the proper words to use. Recalling another group she's been a member of, she simply says: <...book club.>

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie gives a little smile.

    "Well. As I live and breathe, Olivie. No more nursing for you, then?" she questions, and sets about building a pot of tea, pulling from drawers and this and that. "It's been a decent amount of time since this one's laid eyes on you. How *have* you been keeping, Thimble-Full?" she jokes.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    It takes a moment, and then the spark of recognition is visible on Ariah's face and in her eyes. "...it's you..." she says quietly. "..surprises upon surprises, non?" she trails off slowly. Then she shakes her head slowly, "...non... no more nursing... different... everything..." she states, seeming to stumble just a little over her words. "Oui, a very long time. Many, many decades. I am keeping well. As has my... keeper."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "I See, I see. Well, then no there wouldn't be much of a to-do if they weren't doing well, mm?" Nettie replies with a smaller smile.

    "So, it's been an age since we last spoke. What have you been up to? What are you doing in the states? I figured you would have settled yourselves into a chateau in the mountains and called it an end at the end of the war, maybe sought retirement. Bad bit of business, that."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "I have been studying. And doing... work." The inflection she makes with the term 'work' suggests that she may still be up to, well, some of the things she was up to back in the forties. "It is... difficult... to be immortal in an age where everything is logged and recorded..." she turns her phone around slowly in her hand, over and over. She glances up at Nettie, idly parting her lips in a way that lets her extend her fangs and show the other woman the extent of her... contracts.

    Then her mouth closes and she frowns slightly. "...much to read, much to learn, and much good to do still. I have come seeking... fellowship. I am to understand you are part of a group, non?" She pauses, as if feeling like she's being too... down to business at present, then blinks, "...what have you been up to all this time?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Killing Nazis and engaging in hardcore punk ethos, went to uni for a time. Studied folklore under some big names." Nettie gives a shrug, and the woman who was at the other end of the counter snorts her tea as if the term was hilarious.

    She gives a smile. "No one beleives we exist unless they're in the know, Thimble-Full." she explains, and she watches as the fangs retract. "Well. Let's just hope you don't get out of hand. Friends are in short supply these days. Already taken out an uncomfortable small group who was preyin' on the local populace." Nettie explains quietly, and she takes out a notebook, and puts on a pair of glasses.

    "Won this building before the war, but didn't really tend to it until I came back and... well. Addie was gone. Mary betrayed us all an' hardly got out of the village with my skin and two of the others. Saved most of the children, some of the adults. Most were secreted away to other families in the US and sent up through Denmark to Sweden, you know." she explains, and she motions to the shop "Then I opened this shop some five years ago and it's all gone to friggin' hell, mon ami!" she exclaims, throwing her arms up "I've tried to retire twice! TWICE! An' they keep drawin' me back in 'coz I'm a friggin' bleedin' 'eart!"

    And then she writes down, in her little notebook - Ariah Olivie - V.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "Killing Nazis is a pastime that will never grow old," Ariah states quietly, grimly. "Would that I hope they would be gone by now... but there seem to be more than ever..." she mutters, sounding bitter. Her head then shakes slowly, "Non. No trouble from me. I only feed gently, and not to death. Unless it is someone I aim to kill already." She's remarkably honest. Not that she seems too willing to hide anything from the old nurse. She really enjoys the tale of the past she's getting, though, and listens with rapt attention, seeming to be amused at how animated Nettie gets.

    "You have been up to much more than I have, and with something of a legacy, besides," she observes aloud. "It is good to know you are here. It sounds like you have been taking care of a lot, non?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "There will always be them. Or others just like them. People got lax in the last ten years." Nettie responds, and she reaches for her pocket, withdrawing the aged silk pouch and looking in it, then giving a soft 'peh' sound and tucks it back.

    "I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of your like, Ariah, an' as long as things don't get out of hand there's not any trouble to be had. Good or non." she states with a small smile, and she settles back on her heels.

    "Been a long coupla years." she gives a flat smile.

    "But worth it. Giovanni Zatara's daughter's with us. You've met Gabby, and she's lovely."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    A slow nod, and a soft sigh. "...if they continue to pop up, I will continue to spill their blood..." she states with conviction. Then it's on to some happier things. "Oui, she is lovely. I have met Mademoiselle Lydia also. The two of them were my introduction into..." she lifts a hand, gesturing to the shop. "...all of this. They are why I am here now. I am glad I took them up on the suggestion. It is a pleasure to see you again, and under... at least better circumstances, non?"

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Lydia is lovely as well... wonderful writer when she was alive. Have some of her books." Nettie muses, and she gives a wry grin, looking back to Ariah as she slips her little notebook back away.

    "Anything is better circumstances than receiving wounded from the front, dear."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    As one of the wounded, at one time, Ariah nods slowly. "I warn you, if we join, you will likely see me wounded again. But..." she looks down at her hands, curling and uncurling her fingers. "...I am a lot easier to patch up now, non? This body is... much stronger now than it was then." she attempts to lighten the mood a little bit. She shakes her head, regardless of how the self-directed amusement lands, and her eyes drift over to the pot of tea Nettie had made.

    "May I have some tea, please? It is... growing colder out. As ever, balance must be struck. And... do you sell... components for runic inscription here? Conductive metals, engraving tools..."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "We've got strong magics and I know Zatanna is friends with a healer, I'm certain we can work out something should the worst befall." Nettie states, and giving a smile, she turns to retreive water from one of her large steam kettles.

    "I've got a cinnamon rooibos that I've rather taken to recently. I've been told it gets the blood running, but I somehow think that's not a problem either of us worry about." she offers as a wane joke.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "I am fond of blood," Ariah chases the joke, regardless of how bad it is. "Cinnamon sounds very warming, in more ways than one," she states and moves to get closer to the other woman. Then she reiterates her earlier question, "...rune carving... Mademoiselle Gabby suggested there was more to the shop beyond what is out here?" she inquires. "Imbuing stones and symbols with energy... it is.. one of my talents. And useful in a pinch."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "I've got some materials about somewhere, the carving bit might take a while to get the proper tools. I'd have to order them. I think I've still got a fellow out in the middle of Norway who'll hand-make them, but I haven't heard from him since 2005. Perhaps it's time to take a ride up to see him." Nettie confirms, and she lets the tea steep a moment as she looks over to the shorter woman.

    "The metals I can get a hold of easier, though there is a metalurgist who works with swords... or... is that a swordurgist that works with metals?"

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah nods, "I figured it would be best to ask somoene who may know such things... it is... not a common art?" Ariah lifts her shoulders in a small shrug. "But. As said. I would... like to join. It is... in shorthand... the JLD?" she suggests. "If you would have me. I would like to help where and when I am needed." A ghost of a smile tugs at her lips, "...I cannot sit idly by and read books, as pleasant as that is. Not when there is work to do."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Already input you in my book, Thimble-Full. As far as I'm concerned, that's about all there is about it." Nettie gives a little grin to Ariah. "I'll take care of talking to detective Pezzini. But as for that art, mm, not many people looking t' imbue stones. Candles, herbs, oils, aye, stones? eeeeh... little harder subject."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah nods, "Merci," she says quietly. Her head tilts to one side, then the other. "Dense stone, conductive metal. I can use them to channel and imbue. Guard stones. Charging stones." She fishes an irregularly-shaped rock from her pocket and holds it up to Nettie. It looks like a piece of quartzite that fits in her palm. A handful of small Elder Futhark runes are etched into it. They glow faintly when she rubs her thumb along them. "Cannot carve oils, candles too soft... flame not enough power to... drink.." she pondres, finding that word accurate enough.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Aaah, I think I better understand now, yeah." Nettie gives a small smile, and she takes out a different notebook and goes to make a note. "I'll shoot up to meet Aethor once today's work is done. He shouldn't mind a late night visit from an old friend."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    The runestone is stowed and she nods, "Merci, Nettie," she states. Her tone is softening just a touch but she's always been... icy. She reaches for her tea cup now, satisfied that it might be cool enough to sipnow. "Aethor?" she asks. "I can pay," she then adds. "I would like to help support the shop as well as aid the team. If there is anything I can do..." she leaves the words open-ended, implying that she's willing to help out for more things than just the Justice League Dark endeavors.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Nonsense. I don't keep this outfit up for the money, Ariah, this is my hobby coz I got bored of retirement the first time." Nettie gives a wave of her hand regarding the payment. "I'm s'posed to provide some things. Can't expect everyone to know where to go to get it. That'd be a mess. And yes, Aethor, very nice chap I met in the seventies when he was hiking with his boyfriend in the hills of Scotland where I was taking a holiday. Hot horribly lost, wandered about the cabin I was staying in and as it ends up he's some Huldre on his mother's side and might be part Asgardian but that's probably quite some ways /back/, but don't they run the cutest little retreat now in one of those area that has more reindeer than people." Nettie explains, giving a short history on a tall fellow.

    And at the open ended question, Nettie's aqua eyes lower.

    "You should know better than to leave an open ended question, poppet. You might not be as old as I am yet, but there's times when people will take advantage and send you on geas."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    Ariah warms her hands from the tea as she listens. The occasional sip is taken, and she seems to rather enjoy the rambling and storytelling. It seems as if she's quite fond of listening to the older woman tell tales. "I do not mind, it is you I trust. There are very few I would leave such a question open for. My beloved Sire. You. Perhaps some old friends from the war. They are still around. Surprisingly. It is good. But my services are yours, have you need of them," she bows her head politely before taking another drink.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    The old witch in the young woman's body gives a small smile. "Aye. There's few who you should leave that open for, and I wouldn't count your sire among them, and definitely not me. I'm an 'orrible person." Nettie gives a smile as she pours her own tea, and atakes a deep breath.

    "Not too many about anymore that would remember the ol' Greywitch from the wars. Nurse an' messenger an' occasional horror of the battlefield. Tipper of train cars, once, one of the generals swore he saw me ride by on a broom alongside his jeep, naked, with another nurse."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    The small woman shakes her head, "...my heart belongs to her, as much as the rest of me does," she says quietly, regarding her Sire. Then she blinks, stares at Nettie when she tells the story, and... laughs. It's a low noise, but surprisingly warm. "...Mademoiselle Nettie, if I may say such..." she starts, once more nodding her head politely. "...such things, perhaps especially the last, are precisely why I trust you. I am no stranger to such..." she lifts a hand, waving it in a slow circle as she tries to find the right word in English. "...shenanigans." The mage soldier herself may not have any naked broomstick rides under her belt, but her being a shock trooper is precisely what landed her as one of the wounded.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "That's not even as bad as the time I accidentally discovered a Nazi cell in France after stealing a tank for a joyride with some of the other nurses." Nettie gives a bright grin to Ariah, and she gives a nod.

    "In any case, mon ami, welcome to the book club. I'm certain thing's will probably not explode all around us... this time."

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "If you wish to go on a joy ride with me at some point," Ariah starts, pausing to take another drink, to let the suggestion sink in. "I am open to such shenanigans as well." The implications there are left quite bare, as she fixes her gaze on Nettie. Such a near-innocent, deadpan expression on the smaller woman with the mismatched eyes. "Merci, for the welcome, and if I did not thank you eighty years ago... Merci for your care and aiding my homeland." She glances around again, "...as far as explosions... it is... in my wheelhouse. Do call."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie gives a wry little grin to Ariah.

    "Let's not get ahead of ourselves. We've only just re-met, and you've met my dear wife past. The loud Irish girl who could drink all of our officers under the table. You'd THINK the general would have recognized her, but nah." she gives a bright grin, and she gives a nod. "In any case, Ariah... welcome." Nettie gives a nod, and turns back to her other clients to make sure everyone's got a fresh cup of tea and no one's stealing from the shiny clack-clack rock bin again.

Ariah Olivie has posed:
    "If there is anything I have learned, ma chere, is that eternity and immortality should not be taken for granted," Ariah states, as serious and deadpan as ever. She bows her head politely again, though, and lifts her cup. "Merci. Once more. I look forward to many... book club meetings..." she states, then lets Nettie set to taking care of the others while she drinks and surveys the shop once again. The heady scent of herbs and things seems to set her at ease, to say nothing of an old acquaintance being close at hand. She adjusts her cloak a little, still somewhat hiding her rather nightlife-oriented attire beneath it.