16623/At the Hat & Hare magic happens everywhere.

At the Hat & Hare magic happens everywhere.
Date of Scene:	18 December 2023
Location:	Hat and Hare
Synopsis:	Zachary puts on a show and decides to have a chat with the one person in the audience not singing his praises. Nico talks magic and morality. Bunny, Zachary's assistant, has to do all the hard work. Poor Bunny.
Cast of Characters:	Zachary Zatara, Nico Minoru

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Zachary Zatara has posed:
It's a far cry from the crowds in Las Vegas, the theatres of London, or the luxury hotels in the Middle East. But as a regular visitor to Gotham the Hat and Hare has a certain charm that draws Zachary in. It doesn't really pay much as far as gigs go. But Bunny is on hand to record it for social media. And really that's where 'Zatana the greatest young magician in the world' makes his money.

Is the title perhaps a little... much? Yes. Yes it is. But then hey you want to make money doing magic you have to have a certain level of self confidence.

The show itself has just come to a close. Most of the audience has either had a few drinks and is now ready for home. Or is having a few more drinks with plans to head for other places. Clubs and bars. And it's Gotham so probably at least one is a secret super hero and/or villain.

Dressed in a top hat, tails, the full tuxedo works the young Magician heads down from the stage. His assistant, a young Asian lady in a bunny girl costume, brings him something from the bar. Sadly a mocktail. They know he's under 21 because they booked the act. A little "tohs fo akdov." and a wiggle of his fingers and huzzah. He's got a proper drink.

The combination of the crowd and the lights mean he's got a sheen of sweat across his brow. And the small venue size? Well that means he's pretty much looking for any available place to sit. While poor Bunny packs away the rest of his act.

Nico Minoru has posed:
The Hat and Hare is one of those places that people within the occult community can get together and discuss the various goings on both here and abroad, even if abroad means different dimensions.

One of those people would be a certain Sister Grimm. For her part, she's dressed in what can only be described as Victorian goth. Wearing a lacey red velvet mini dress with various lace black accoutrement, she chats away with someone or another at one of the tables not too far from the stage.

Looking up towards the stage every now and then, she offers applause after each trick before returning to chatting away. With the show finishing, she finishes her meeting with a few clearly possessed demon avatars, before she leans back and sighs, picking up her drink, an Old Fashioned, so she can take a sip.

And oh look, there happens to be at least one empty spot at Nico's table.

Zachary Zatara has posed:
If he'd asked they would have reserved a stool at the bar. But one of the big differences about his act compared to his more famous relatives? It's a lot more intimate. Getting to know the audience. A lot like other popular social media magic acts. Who shall remain nameless because the Great Zachary Zatana doesn't share the spotlight with anyone.

Okay Bunny shares it sometimes. But she is/was a pet rabbit.

Taking his drink he makes a little circuit of the room. Signing a few autographs. Shaking a few hands. Posing for selfies. The usual work the crowd routine. It's not until he comes to Nico's table that he frowns. "Is this seat taken?" he asks, loosening the bow tie. "You seemed a little distracted during the show? Perhaps it wasn't to your liking Miss...?" He flashes a smile. "I'd offer you a refund but the venue is responsible for ticket sales."

He doesn't actually wait for a response before sitting down. After all who would even think of saying no?

"This is going to sound like a terrible pick up line but... I sense you've got more than a little magic inside you?"

Nico Minoru has posed:
"I didn't mean to be rude during your show. Sorry." she says with a polite bow of her head as she motions towards the free seat. "And it's all good. I just had to find out something from some people." Because she's looking for some artifacts that belonged to her mother back during her dark wizard era. It was a very popular era.

Her brows furrow at the question as she lets out a hearty laugh. "And it's Nico." she says, introducing herself before shaking her head.

"It's only a pickup line if you ask if I'd like to have a little magic in me." That's said with a wink as she flashes her pearly whites in his direction.

"But yeah, I might know a thing or two."

Zachary Zatara has posed:
Zachary is many things. Proud, vain, and with a touch of ego about him. But he's also gregarious. A drink to hand and a room full of people who were mostly complimenting his work? Well that more than makes up for one mixed review. Besides if Nico is smiling at him she can't have /hated/ his work. "There's a lot of information going through Gotham," he admits with a shrug. "Not all of it reliable. My family has quite a collection of rare books. I can stop by and do a little digging into our archives if there is something specific you want?"

He raises his drink and tips it.

"Well Nico. It's a pleasure to meet you," he says. The icecubes in his drink clinking as he gestures with his glass. "You already know who I am, and if you don't I'm firing my publicist, but you can call me Zachary. The great part gets a little stuffy." A lot like the libraries at Shadowcrest Manor. "I tend to stick to the classics for the stage shows. Stage magic rather than anything more esoteric."

His head tilts and green eyes flick up and down. Trying to cold read Nico. "Well the night is still young," he retorts with a wink of his own. "If I had to guess I'd say... something involving spirits perhaps? Communicating with the dead."

Nico Minoru has posed:
"I heard of a bar where they do magic shows." she says softly, picking up her own glass full of amber liquid, an old fashioned, swirls it and takes a sip. "There, all the patrons are magicians."

Clucking her tongue on the inside of her cheek, she looks up towards him, giving him an appraising glance. "It's said that any magician who does a show there has to do something completely original, that is, if they're to get the respect of the community." Nico continues, hrmming for a few moments.

"I think I'm too scared to get judged by my peers, so I havent gone yet."

With all that said, she hrmms and mulls things over, "You give everyone you meet an offer to look at your family library?"

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"Not every magic show is magical," Zachary points out with a shrug. "And not every magician is a Mage. Of course. Some of us are." He finishes his drink and holds it up. As if by some unspoken command the Japanese girl in the bunny costume seems to drop everything to bring a replacement. Along with a drink for Nico too. The bar staff experienced enough (and the venue small enough) to be able to recall every drink they've served to someone. "Perhaps your magic just isn't meant for this kind of stage?"

Drinks delivered Bunny resumes packing things away. Occasionally drinking what seems like a large carrot juice with a hollowed out carrot for a straw.

"You've certainly got stage presence though. If you ever need someone to give you pointers on your act.." He snaps his fingers and a business card seems to appear in his hand. "Feel free to give me a call."

His expression shifts a little. Becoming more serious. "Honestly? I'd be happy to check the library myself on your behalf," he explains. "But bringing you along is a little more complicated. I'd have to know you well enough to vouch for you first. Unless you happen to know my Cousin Zatanna. It's much more her house than mine. Sadly I don't really have much in the way of divination magic or else I could simply try locate whatever you're searching for directly."

Nico Minoru has posed:
A brow quirks at the young Japanese woman in the bunny costume. Nico looks towards the girl for a few moments, saying a few things in Japanese, <<He's not making you do this, is he?>> she wonders before giving Zachary another appraising glance.

Ahhh, a Zatana. Surely, people in the mystical world would know as she's quite the name. Her father too.

At his offer for pointers, she shakes her head. "It's alright. I'm not meant for the stage, so I don't do it. Not really my style." Besides, her magic tends to get messy if she really wants to put on a show, and that's just hard.

Then at the mention of topics in the library, she decides to seemingly test him. "Resurrection." a pregnant pause. "And it's complications."

Zachary Zatara has posed:
Bunny looks at Nico and tilts her head to one side. One of her ears flops as she returns the Japanese with a blank look. Then she glances at Zachary, beams a smile at him, and resumes her work.

Zachary himself watches the exchange, taking a few sips from his drink, before making a little cough. "She doesn't understand Japanese," he explains. "Honestly it's impressive she speaks English considering she's a rabbit. Bunny is my assistant. It's a very fair contract."

Probably there are interns who would kill for a contract like hers.

"Oh I can show you all sorts of things," the young magician points out. Keen to show off. Gesturing around the room and with a flourish says "ehT skcolc dnats llits."

And everyone and everything but Nico and Zachary stops. Frozen in time.

"Resurrection isn't impossible. But it's extremely complicated. There's numerous ways it can be achieved. Some require preparation before hand, soul jars to store your essence in, while other more complicated routes need to drag the essence of a person back from... Well wherever they ended up. You can also do a very passable imitation by regrowing a persons body and imprinting the memories but really that's making a new person who thinks they're the old one."

And time resumes. Everyone acting as if nothing had happened.

"That's really just a brief summary. Generally speaking all forms have a very high cost in terms of power. Paid either by the caster or those around them."

Nico Minoru has posed:
Taking it all in, she purses her lips and then shakes her head. "Not necessarily. There's a way to get around it with all the requirements."

Nico knows as she did it, but mainly because of an extremely powerful magical artifact that is literally bonded to her soul. Not that she's going to say such a thing.

"I don't care about the act of. I want to know the consequences of."

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"The how has some bearing on the outcome," Zachary points out. "It's usually when people use special means to avoid the usual restrictions that... things get complicated. Giving your own life to bring back another is a known quantity. Taking other peoples lives is horrific but also you can generally product what will happen."

He shifts in his seat. Leaning a little closer to Nico.

"Are you talking consequences for the person being brought back? Or for the caster?" There's a beats pause. "Best case? The person you bring back could be unstable. Part of their soul forever /off/ because of things which have happened to it. Worst case they might allow entities from places best not talked about without proper warding access to our world." For someone brash like Zachary to be urging caution. Perhaps it's the best indicator the consequences are /Bad/. "The caster could have sold their soul to something /other/. Perhaps without even being aware it's happened. If they're very very lucky someone else pre-paid for the act. Probably by killing a lot of people."

Nico Minoru has posed:
Her brows remain furrowed as again, none of this happened to her so far. But then again, who knows if the potential consequences are delayed or if someone else paid the price.

"Both. The consequences for the person being brought back /and/ the caster." Nico answers as she leans back and crosses her legs to get a tad bit more comfortable.

"If you /must/ know the how, it was through blood magic." As the Staff of One feeds on blood, and well, it's an artifact with an extremely powerful magus inside. Sorcerer supreme level, even.

Zachary Zatara has posed:
Zachary doesn't exactly twitch at the mention of blood magic. He's dabbled in it enough to know blood magic can be entirely innocent. It's just a matter of where the blood comes from. Sadly people who delve into blood magic often aren't especially picky about whose blood it is. Or if they are picky it's in entirely the wrong sort of way. Killing someone to curse a family bloodline for example. But there's a look on his face. Scanning the room a little more warily.

"That's not the sort of magic most people admit to using. Not in polite company anyway," he says after a long moments thought. "It's possible you've split your 'life' evenly with whomever you brought back. So you'll die well before your time."

There's another long pause. Stage magicians learn to read people. Get a feel for them based on how they look and act. His gaze seems to linger on Nico's witch hand.

"You don't seem like a killer to me. I take it you don't take the blood of others unless they're willing and informed on the risks?"

Nico Minoru has posed:
"You asked how it was done without all those complications you mentioned." Nico replies. It seems the young man in front of her doesn't know it all after all.

There's the light tapping of her metallic witch arm/hand on the table. Presumably, one of the costs of such a thing as Marvel had her go Full Metal Alchemist in some ways.

The question of her being a killer causes her lips to twitch for the briefest moment. Is she a stone cold killer? Surely, it was all in self defense, right?

"Not without purpose." she says matter of factly. "And who said I used someone else's blood. You make far too many assumptions, Mister Zatara."

Zachary Zatara has posed:
Lies and slander! The Great Zachary Zatara knows all. Well okay. Maybe not /everything/. But he certainly does know a pretty decent amount. "I did indeed," he concedes. "But most people in magical circles try not to say they're a Blood Mage. They might imply it if pressed. But it's a bit like walking into a police station in Gotham and saying how much you love the Joker."

There's a shift in his stance. A lifting of tension. He takes another sip of his drink and motions for Nico to help herself to the one Bunny brought over for her.

"Assumptions. Educated guesses. It depends on your point of view I suppose. You are after all quite mysterious Nico. Your.." He frowns and holds one of his hands out. Not quite touching Nico. But hovering about an inch away. Moving up the witch arm. "Entire arm? Hmmm. It's a reasonably rare artifact in it's own right. Did you make it yourself?"

Nico Minoru has posed:
Her brows furrow as she squints for a few moments. "Magic, whether blood magic or not, is simply a tool. There is no morality associated with it, and if there is, it's usually under the guise of some Judeo-Christian worldview that would make all of us witches and shouldn't be suffered to live."

That's said and then she clucks her tongue on the inside of her cheek. "Why deny what I am? Blood has an inherent power, much more so than any of your standard components for spellwork. Blood magic has been used by Meso Americans, Japanese omnyouji, and most of your 'primitive' cultures." That part is said with airquotes.

"People simply are revealing their own ignorance if they automagically think it's bad." Nico replies rather matter of factly in the end.

"Mmm, I hardly know you, Mister Zatara. That would be revealing my secrets." Cause she has no idea how it was made. It just sort of happened when she almost died.

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"That's not entirely true. There are powerful magics which only work if the caster has killed sentient unwilling beings," Zachary points out. A look of distaste on his face as if something was suddenly wrong with his drink. "I can't name a decent world view which doesn't reject that sort of act." Another shrug. "The rest is largely true though. Not that magic has even been required for people to throw the term witch around and use it to marginalise women."

He flashes a grin.

"I use a little blood magic myself from time to time. Not as my primary means of casting. But given a choice between spilling a little of my own blood or watching someone else get seriously hurt.... Well it's an easy decision to make, no?"

He tilts his head to one side. "Given that was my reason for not taking you into the family library the solution seems simple. I'd be happy to get to know you a lot better." It's not like he hasn't already presented Nico with his card. One with a personal number rather than his agencies information on it. "And then once we're well acquainted." He winks. "Perhaps we'll both learn something new."

Nico Minoru has posed:
"If your morality is tied to religion, then I question your morality." Nico says softly, having been a former practicing Roman Catholic herself.

Tilting her head a little, she lets her gaze wash over him once more, giving him an appraising glance. "Somehow, I think the offer to see your library had an ulterior motive to it." she says with a soft chuckle of amusement while looking down at the card.

Simply placing it in her clutch on the table, she beams brightly in his direction. "Am I incorrect in that assumption?" she wonders.

Zachary Zatara has posed:
Zachary considers the comment about morality for a moment. "I don't have beliefs," he finally replies. "A belief is static. Unchanging. I have ideas. Because if they turn out to be wrong... Well I just change them. Morality should never be too /rigid/. Because life is ever changing."

He's been underage drinking the entire time. It goes a way to explaining why he's a little flexible when it comes to the rules.

"My offer to help you comes without any catches or obligations. If you're in need I'll help you." There's a beats pause. "But if you're asking me if I'm flirting with you as well? Why of course I am. I don't stop time unless I'm trying to impress someone." Honestly it's a shocking waste of energy to stop time full stop. Don't anyone tell the rest of the Zatara clan. "Beautiful, intelligent and mysterious."

He rests his elbow on the table. "Honestly I'd be a fool not to." A smile. "If you'd prefer I stop just say the magic words."

Nico Minoru has posed:
"I don't have a problem with it. Though I do have to say, I respond more to a man who is direct about what he wants and what his intentions are." Nico admits ruefully, chuckling softly as she ahhhs and nods slowly, taking it all in.

"I don't know really if I need help at the moment." she says, sighing softly while her chest rises, taking in a long and deep breath. "So far, there havent been consequences that I've seen or felt, but I know that magic always has a price." says the girl who lost her arm later on.

"Maybe I should just wait and see if I end up with two metallic arms." trying to add a little brevity to the conversation, chuckling afterwards.

"And no, I didn't ask you to stop."

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"Professional habit I suppose," Zachary admits wryly. "A magician never reveals exactly what he's trying to do. Because if your trick goes wrong and no-one knows... Well then you can change it into another trick. But if you're too direct and mess up." He shrugs a what can you do shrug. "When I'm between performances I am a little bit more. Casual?"

With the exception of the top hat and bowtie he's still in a full tuxedo. Probably it's absolutely hell with the crowds and the lights. Although a little magic cheating probably goes a long way.

"You don't seem like the damsel in distress type," he points out. "But consider it a standing offer to help if the situation calls for it."

He looks down at the metallic hand. "May I?" he asks, hand moving out to take Nico's witch hand. Like he's about to ask her to dance. "Is it entirely like a real arm? You feel everything it can feel?" He winks and, if Nico makes no move to pull away, well he'll test the theory with a kiss on the back of her hand. "I'd be interested to see all of it sometime."

The comment about not flirting. Well that causes him to chuckle. "Probably for the best," he teases. "It'd have hurt my ego more than getting distracted during the show did."

Nico Minoru has posed:
He would definitely notice the red jewel on the top of her hand, resting in the center of it. As he places the kiss upon her hand, she grins wryly and nods slowly. "I can feel everything." Cause magic arm, right? "Not just pleasure, but pain as well." As if to remind her of her roots, or at least, the sacrifice it took to get the arm anyway.

Nico doesn't pull away, and instead she wraps her knuckles of her fleshy hand against her arm.

DING DING! Definitely a metallic arm, though where it connects isn't exactly clear. "For the most part, it will feel like a normal hand and arm, but considering you're you, I decided to be abit more transparent."

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"Well that's a relief," Zachary says after a moments consideration. The kissing wasn't entirely there to be flirty. His ability to sense magic is innate and hard to direct. So by getting closer to the specific thing he wants to study. Well it gives him the best reading. Magic arm. Made of metal. "If you do wake up with any more metal parts at least you'll still feel everything. Better than anything technology can do just now anyway."

His head comes back up, although he doesn't let go of Nico's hand just yet, and he frowns. "If it was recent I /might/ have been able to heal it," he admits. "But the more time has passed the harder healing can be. Besides. It does rather suit you."

If it was bright pink and sparkly then perhaps it wouldn't be quite so Nico.

"Well, because you're you, and we're going for transparency. I could show you around backstage if you'd like? I'd say to see where the magic happens. But it's a magic club. It happens everywhere." He glances in the direction of the door Bunny has been taking all his things. "And given the size of the venue it's a miracle they even have a dressing room for performers."

Nico Minoru has posed:
"Relatively recent, but there's a reason things happen." Nico says rather matter of factly. "I wouldn't think of healing the arm if my magic decided to give me this one instead, right?" She might offend some magical rule or something like that.

The metallic arm is black and shiny, like onyx. It's definitely metal in this form, with the hand looking more like a gauntlet than something dainty and feminine like her other hand.

"And backstage? Or are you really just using it to bring me to your dressing room?"

Zachary Zatara has posed:
"Some things sure," Zachary concedes. "Sometimes shit happens. And it's just the fickle hand of fate." He gives Nico's hand a squeeze. "It's good that you own it. You can sense through it. It's as much as part of you as your original arm. Why change it just because it's different?"

He certainly doesn't seem to find it weird. But then he claimed his assistant was an actual rabbit. The kind which people keep as a pet.

"Oh there are many wonders to show off. The staff lockers, the place they keep the alcohol, a corridor that connects everything. And most exotic of all... my dressing room yes." He gives her hand a little tug. Guiding her to stand up and follow him. Of course he's holding the witch arm. If Nico doesn't want to go. She ain't going anywhere. "We can talk magic with a little more privacy. And if you'd like I'll show you a few tricks that don't make it into my shows."

Nico Minoru has posed:
If anything, she had no other plans, and so when he tugs her to follow, she offers no resistance. Instead, she takes his arm, and hooks her witcharm with one of his real arms on the way.

"Ooooh, I am a fan of private shows." Nico says with a coy smile. "But I'm relatively easygoing. I've learned a long time ago, that we can't control everything."