15748/As the Crowe Flies and Portals.

As the Crowe Flies and Portals.
Date of Scene:	29 August 2023
Location:	A plain in Spain without rain.
Synopsis:	Billy and his brain trust help Nettie with some grafiti.
Cast of Characters:	Billy Batson, Nettie Crowe

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Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson dreamt a talking crow summoned him. then he woke up and a talking crow was summoning him, Corvax. Corvax was Nettie Crowe's familiar and when Nettie called Billy answered fast. Half asleep this led to him entering the portal in his robe, slippers and pajama bottoms. He was going to yell 'Shazam first chance he got. He did grab his getaway bag. The battered balck pack had a number of things he found useful on such missions: water bottles, a couple graphic novels, food bars (he doubled those since he started seeing Irie), Twinkies and peanut butter. A phone charger rounded it out.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    EAST COAST OF SPAIN.

    Nettie had not come herself to the household where Billy resides, but had dispatched her most trusted courrier -- no, not Belinda, but Corvax, the venerable British crow to the Rock of Eternity to summon her young friend with a variety of wise men in his head -- and when he comes through the portal, he would find... a very rustic Spanish inn. The courtyard of such to be precise. Shielded from the sun by grape vines growing over rafters beaten by decades of sun, stucco'd walls, and a witch in the midst of something. Broom was not here this round, though Corvax caws his greeting and warning of Billy's arrival before taking a perch among the grapes overhead, the purple-red bunches heavy.

    Nettie is surrounded by books, scrolls, and a notebook, in which she is writing as she mutters, and she's smoking frantically at a handrolled cigarette in her mouth.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson finds his strega tia by trial and error, after a few exchanges in broken Spanish. rosa was always yelling at him to learn Spanish. He thought Pedro was teaching him but it turned out to be mostly bad words. Asking for the bathroom resulted in a knock down drag out in fact. He knocks on the door and then sticks his head in. Ah, don't interrupt a witch or wizard doing brain work. He enters and then cinches his robe better, a little self conscious. Billy stands and waits, wonders if Nettie can blow smoke rings like Gandalf?

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Billy, come in. Thank you for coming on such short notice. I sometimes forget time zones are a thing." Nettie greets him, plucking the cigarette from her mouth and rolling her hand in the air as she tears her eyes from the book she was looking in.

    And then she notices the robe.

    "... did I sent Corvax at a bad time?" she asks, and pauses, "And how is young miss West?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson cinches the robe again. "Oh I was just getting some sleep before heading to Mutant town for some on the street recording. I was kind of befuddled when I woke up. I was having some nice dreams. Heh. Ms. West is doing fine. I gave her a swimming lesson -probably the last for this year unless we zip somewhere. So what can I do for you? Do you need a podcast or a flute solo?" He runs a hand through his hair with no real effect.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "As much as I would rather call with better tasks," Nettie begins, and she pushes a bowl of fruit towards Billy in case he's hungry "this is of dire need."

    She takes a deep breath, and then taps her cigarette ash into one the cups around here that at some point had coffee, tea, or alcohol in it.

    "This is a League Dark investigation. I'm asking your help because you are my friend, and I need text translated. Age of Heroes Greek. We ran into a lady last night who was expecting my friend, Professor Eduardo Alverez, to summon supernatural investigators. She was able to cast a screen that not only covered my senses, but that of the Witchblade, and The Magdalena. It shouldn't have worked; the Witchblade is almost as old as the planet, and The Magdalena has remarkable magical ability -- and I am literally kept alive by the stuff." Nettie explains, being frank with Billy.

    "According to Patience, she recovered a bridle -- you know, for a horse--" Nettie mimes something being put into a horse's mouth "and then fell into the sea. We haven't recovered either her, or the bridle. So Imust assume she escaped. There is a significant amount of ancient Greek text about -- but it's not a dialect I'm familiar with. It does not translate. I was hoping some of the Greek Chorus in your head, or Steve, would be willing to help us. As much as I do love Billy like a nephew, this is a dangerous undertaking, and I'm not willing to risk his physical safety." she states, addressing everyone. Billy, Shazam, and all of those voices in his head.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson nods and says the magic word. There is a relatively small clap of thunder, as small as Billy can manage. At the mention of his name, Steve proves he is indeed a passenger in the bag. Shazam does the neck stretch thing. He feels Solomon's presence in his head and speaks with his voice. Of course Solomon gives him his knowledge of Earthly languages. The rest of the chorus were not literati. In fact a couple might not even be literate.

"Greetings, Greywitch. You have Solomon's attention. The others desire to read over my shoulder so to speak. They will check for accuracy."

Shazam adds, "Whoa, they usually don't pirate my voice -except Zeus."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Yes, well, classically Zeus is a bit boorish, isn't he?" Nettie replies to Shazam, and she looks up.

    "Solomon, thank you for your patience and wisdom -- and Steve, thank you for coming, dear, always a pleasure."

    And she bids Billy et. al. have a seat as she pulls out her phone.

    "It may be easier to go to the dig site itself. I know Witchblade has offered his services as well, once his host has recovered from a significant amount of shock to her system, forcing traumatic visions on others is something of a sore point for me." Nettie states -- she can't help that she does -- and she flips through a few carvings. They're not very clear; light was bad. Some are just graffiti.

    "I need to know what this village was called, why the other mage had mummified snake heads. How to find what was recovered from the village. But I need help with the Greek."

    Pause. Deadpan "It's all Greek to me."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson shakes his head. "You just cracked up everyone but Solomon." He pulls some papyrus out for Steve. Steve is most comfortable with papyrus. Steve rotates once at a 45 degree angle seeking someone and then leans towards the phone.

"Okay guys, what have we go here?" He does feel the language awaken in his brain, hopefully the right language. Magic is not as sure a thing as science. Steve begins scratching something out, listening to Solomon who seems to be preforming an Orphic hymn. that can't be right. Solomon switches to Hebrew in a moment thinking out loud. The translation and note taking is moving to fast for Billy, He'll need Steve's notes.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Some of it is Graffiti. 'Zephyrus was here' 'Eumendenies your mother wishes she was beneath me' 'Those from Sparta Perform Upon Themselves' A couple are even bad, newer forms of Greek on the wall.

    However, they may focus in on some carvings that might have been along the well.

    'YSAOR son of MED' can be made out, along with 'the physical body of his brother'.

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson peers intently. "'YSAOR son of MED' stands out so far. Also 'the physical body of his brother is mentioned. Not sure who that pertains to. Usually names in caps are a big deal." Steve dutifully writes this down, in English and the original Greek alongside. The stylus somehow shoves the sheet towards Nettie. It includes the more slanderous remarks just in case.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Those aren't completed names though... this seems too short, and so unlikely that we've... stumbled upon the golden blade..." she pauses, dipping into her length knowledge of ancient trivia, and she tilts her head. Her too-blue-to-be-real eyes drop down to looking to her right ear, and her mouth hangs open.

    "... I don't suppose I could convince you lot to come to the village to take a look to see if we can't figure out the rest of the carvings I didn't take pictures of." she trails off, and looks to Shazam, and importantly to All of the people within. "This could be dangerous. Also... as much as I hate to say this, it might be family drama for some of your friends, Shazam."

Billy Batson has posed:
Billy Batson let the door open for Solomon. Zeus steps in. Billy struggles with the change for a moment then rides it out. The Thunderer speaks with a voice like the rumble of a distant storm. Oddly gentle.

"Daughter of Hecate, you are most courteous and fair in your words and deeds. Shazam is Champion of magic and will give you all possible succor. Please note however, Jove has many sides and more humorous of my misadventures give a jaded view of him."

Billy is Billy again, merely wearing Shazam. "Hunh, usually my costume goes white when he does that."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "I believe this trouble to be rooted in trouble between your daughter and brother, O Thunderer." Nettie comments quietly, "If my suspicions prove true -- then there may be a great amount of danger that has fallen into the ocean." Nettie states.
R    And when Billy returns, Nettie gives a :| expression.

    "Never figured him for the sensitive type. 'Cept for Hermes, of course. Stitched to his side and all." she remarks, and then she plucks an apple and grabs one of the many cups -- unfortunately it wa a cup she'd ashed her cig into. Will Shazam stop Nettie from making a grave mistake?!

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam grabs Nettie's hand to avoid an unhygienic and gastronomic disaster. As he touches her hand he recalls why touching Nettie Crowe was not for the faint of heart.

He changes his tack and removes the cup from her hand, despite her gloves. She doesn't invite being touched. Not by him anyway. Shazam sets the cup aside. Then he simply can't resist and says, "If you keep smoking it'll stunt your growth. He shows her the ashes in the cup. "Want a Twinkie? Uncle Her swears by them." He opens the bag to indicate the cream filled snack cakes.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie blinks owlishly as her hand's grasped, and she purses her lips as she draws her eyes to Shazam, knowing something must be up -- and then she looks into the. cup, and makes a n 'oh, not again'. sound before she tilts her head back, and looks over to Shazam.

    "An' the sugar will destroy yer complexion. Gimmie." she states, wiggling her fingers.

    "You know, the cream inside used to be a banana cream, aye?"

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam shakes his head. "You gotta add peanut butter to it. that dilutes the sugar and keeps your skin flawless." He pulls a huge jar of peanut butter out and applies a dollop to his a Twinkie to demonstrate before offering it to Nettie.

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "That is absolutely not how it works. Do you know how much sugar Americans put in their peanutbutter?" Nettie asks. She accepts the twinkie though.

    "But yes, back when IW as younger, Twinkies were banana-cream shortbreads. Now they're vanilla-cream sponges."

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam smirks and says, "And comic books were a nickel. Hey were those Fawcett comic books based on real heroes like DC or Timely? And this is reduced sugar peanut butter. I'm trying not to sugar up Irie too much. She's hyped enough."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    "Isn't... isn't 'hype' a good thing to you youngsters? Like 'to be excited about something'?" Nettie questions convrsationally.

Billy Batson has posed:
Shazam shrugs. "Look I have taken women out, but I'm the first guy to take her out so I really want her to relax. When she blushes, you can get a sunburn from it. And she blushes a lot. I'd offer her a back rub to relax her but I can only contemplate a blush that might make her spontaneously combust. I mean we're both the same age but... I learned the hard way to hide my feelings. Rosa, my mom is finally getting me out of that. But Irie for reasons, feels everything so acutely, I need to protect her."

"I had a friend once. I thought we'd be more. She didn't want that. But I see now, I was an ass at times. I wish I could see her to make things right but super heroes... we come and go, you know? Then there was my last girlfriend... I don't know what I did wring there. So, I'm being really careful with this remarkable, gentle person."

Nettie Crowe has posed:
    Nettie listens, drawing her flask out, looking at it, and then tucking it back away as Shazam speaks, and she gives a small smile.

    "It must be difficult to take things slow when you're dealing with a speedster, but I am glad that you have the self-awareness to realize that you made mistakes, and are open to being corrected." Nettie remarks quietly.

    "Men didn't used to be that way, most when I was younger were quite the opposite. And understandably I've upset more than a few." she smiles, and then she takes a breath. "Well. I ought to go clean up and have something other than cigarettes and wine before we head out." Nettie announces. "You're welcome to catch a nap here if you'd like."