8683/A Robin in Moonlight

A Robin in Moonlight
Date of Scene:	14 November 2021
Location:	The Midnight Mission
Synopsis:	Tim Drake takes a visit to the Midnight Mission to meet with the enigmatic Moon Knight and is treated to one part sermon, one part recruitment speech.
Cast of Characters:	Marc Spector, Tim Drake

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Marc Spector has posed:
    The Call had gone out and been answered once already this evening, but that did not mean it could not be answered again. That sensation of being watched only ceased when looking at the moon above; that gentle prodding that led its targets to the doors of the Midnight Mission.

    The Mission is as always solid and quiet this evening, looking like nothing more than the brownstone it's exterior claims it to be. But others know that within lies something more powerful and present than simple lodging.

Tim Drake has posed:
    It feels almost unnatural to be anywhere but under the Gotham skies at night. But Tim finds himself in New York on personal business, tracking down the kind of ephemeral leads based on rumors that prove to be nothing more than an extended exercise in frustration. For what little he knows of his father's past, Tim is coming to realize that more of his own innate knack at duplicity may have been genetic.

    So he finds some comfort on the roof of the hotel he's staying at for the weekend. No, of course he's not supposed to be up here, but Tim is accustomed to finding ways around rules as needed. He stares up at the moon with a furrowed brow.

    After a short amount of time spent trying to identify the source of the unease he's been feeling, Tim understands that its source is external. He heads back to his room long enough to grab a baseball cap (go Gotham Goliaths!) before he hits the streets of NYC. Eventually his feet guide him to the Midnight Mission, and he stares up at it.

    Naturally, he doesn't go in first. He's too paranoid for that. He sits across the street, phone out, trawling the internet and some databases he has thoroughly illegal access to in the hopes of figuring out more about this place.

Marc Spector has posed:
    The internet is rife with words about the Mission. It has it's own webpage even. It's given (publically) as a sort of halfway house for some of the down and destitute of the city. People come, tell their problems to the proprietor (a masked man calling himself Mr. Knight, High Priest of Khonshu,) and then depart with a general sense of comfort.

    Not so known to the public, but clear to those who watch for signs, the Midnight Mission seems to be the headquarters of the mysterious Moon Knight. His glider and figure have both been seen atop the building. The fact that the 25 foot statue within appears to also rememble the Fist of Khonshu is not lost on many of those who visit the Mission.

    Overall reviews for the place are favorable and many speak of how their troubles eased after speaking with Mr. Knight within. Likewise, many of the reviews don't seem to recall actually knowing how or why they were at the Mission to begin with, their steps seemed to just carry them to the steps of the building.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Some judicious application of Google-fu provides Tim enough information to be suspicious, and the mention of an Egyptian deity leads him to immediately text Jonathan Sims. The ensuing conversation is enough to convince him that it's probably not a trap, so he stuffs his phone into one of the pockets of his jacket, before he crosses the street towards the Mission.

    At any rate, it's nice to be inside, away from the cold. He's just in jeans and a t-shirt underneath his jacket, and while said jacket is subtly high-end enough to offer a good amount of warmth, the wind whipping across the New York streets has his cheeks tinged pink. He's taken rather immediately with the art and artifacts inside, reviewing them with more of a critical eye than he would have had, say, a month or two ago. But he's started a pretty in-depth research project on archaeology and ancient history, so he has enough know-how to at least ping things as "probably legit".

    Or very well-made forgeries. But Jon said this place--and Mr. Knight--were the real deal, so.

    "Well, you called," he says to himself as he looks up at the statue. "And despite my usual habit of screening unknown numbers, here I am."

Marc Spector has posed:
    The words come from behind Tim. "You arrived earlier than I anticipated," the resonant baritone says. Standing under the central skylight of the room is Moon Knight, the Fist of Khonshu himself. He is in his armor, white cloak billowing behind him.

    "But you are correct. I did Call. Or rather my patron did" he says. "It's good that you have a sense of humor. You will need it. I admire that." He looks at the statue of Khonshu and then the two on the North and South walls of Bast and Thoth respectively. "What do you think of my home?" he asks.

Tim Drake has posed:
    If Tim is surprised by the sudden appearance of someone at his back, he doesn't show it. No flinching or other immediate physical response, though after a pause he glances over his shoulder. "I have a bad habit of sticking my nose where it doesn't belong," he says. "I don't know if that," and here he taps at the side of his head, at his temple, "Was some sort of psychic nudge or just plain magic, but suffice to say my curiosity was piqued."

    When Moon Knight looks around, Tim turns around to face him properly. "I'm guessing you have permission from your patron to have it all here, but my immediate reaction is to say 'This belongs in a museum!'" He shrugs. "Might have more to do with my own emotional hangups than anything, though." He tucks his hands into his pockets, after sweeping one through his wind-mussed hair. Pointlessly, as it doesn't set the mess of his hair to rights by any means.

    "I appreciate the good work you do here. That's more important to me than the decor."

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight chuckles at the museum comment. "I think Khonshu would be quite upset for his ceremonial items to be anywhere but a temple dedicated to his teachings. Especially since they came from such a place before being here."

    He nods. "Mr. Knight is a good man and does what he can for the community. But the Call isn't just for those seeking refuge or solace from the dangers of the night streets."

    "It is also for those who might help Khonshu" he gestures at his chest, and the crescent moon emblazoned there, "--and thus myself as his instrument--in our endeavors against the encroaching darkness." He paues and surveys the young man. "I wonder which you happen to be?" By his tone he alreayd had an idea of the answer.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "That's good to hear. There are too many people who think their ability to acquire historical artifacts is all the necessary justification for keeping them in private collections." There's some sort of deeply personal hurt in Tim's tone as he says that, and he spares a glance towards a nearby display for the space of a heartbeat. But then he just shakes his head, and allows himself to be distracted by the statue of Thoth looming over him instead.

    He's quiet for a while, brow furrowed as he thinks over his response. It feels a little bit like a trap, for all of Jon's reassurances. So Tim doesn't answer directly. All he says is, "I grew up in Gotham. There's nothing particularly dangerous about New York's streets to me."

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight nods as if the young man's answer is suitable enough for his liking. "I have been there. It is not the most hospitable of places, to be sure" he replies. "I assure you... this collection, is not a boast of my personal wealth."

    He pauses. "I sense you have questions for me?" He gestures idly. "Please... go ahead and ask them. The Call can be confusing for many and I wouldn't want you to feel... uninformed of what brought you here." Perhaps there is the hint of a smile under the featureless white mask covering his face, as there is a slight shifting of the contours where his mouth would be.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "No, not the most hospitable," Tim repeats, and it's said mostly good-naturedly. Whatever tension that underlies it is mostly general frustration, not quite bitterness. He hasn't lost hope for a better Gotham yet.

    At the prompting for questions, Tim's head tilts to the side slightly. He doesn't actually provide any, not right away, but he doesn't offer a refusal either. What he does is spin on his heel to face the statue of Khonshu. For a few moments, Tim just stands there, neck craned back as he looks up at the god's image recreated in stone. "Does he care about us?" He glances again over his shoulder, back at Moon Knight. "People. Sentient beings. I've never been a religious person, partially because I've never been able to reconcile the concept of an omnipotent, omniscient deity with someone that would actually give a crap about a bunch of--what are we, ants? Smaller than ants, to them. Single-celled organisms, comparatively. But now gods walk among us."

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight steps up beside the man, his strides purposeful and deliberate. "That is a very thoughtful question, but not one I am unable to answer" he says. He, too, considers the god's likeness for a moment before speaking.

    "Khonshu's name literally means 'traveller'" he says as opening. "It is attributed to his nightly trek across the sky. That may not indicate any direct interaction with us lowly beings, but he is given three other titles that adhere more to his feelings toward our lives. Pathfinder, for at night, who lights the path when no artificial light is present?" he gestures to the statue. "Embracer, for who watches over us as we sleep. And Defender, for what else can give evidence to the threats that lurk in the dark for a civilization whose primitive understanding of lamps forced them to put most out while they slept?"

    He turns his head to regard the young man. "Khonshu protects all who walk the night. He is also a god of healing and fertility. It is said that the crescent moon was the most fortuitous of times to conceive a child and it could be coincidence but those conceived under a crescent are often abnormally lucky individuals; blessed with good health and great opportunity." He then nods. "So in answer to your question. Yes. I believe he does care about us. After all, what is a god if not a product of those who know and give credence to his name? Take away the belief in a god, and that god is nothing. Invisible. Forgotten to the sands of time."

Tim Drake has posed:
    Tim is aware of the mythology surrounding Khonshu, but only in the broadest strokes. So he's attentive as Moon Knight provides more information, his attention never straying from the statue. He's quiet in his contemplation of the god the statue is modeled after.

    The only part of Moon Knight's... well, the only part of Moon Knight's sermon that Tim reacts to is the part about Khonshu protecting those who walk the night, and it's only a quick flicker of his eyes, down and away, accompanied by a brief thinning of his lips. He stands there silently after, and it's the last part, about the power of belief, that he considers.

    "I'm... I don't know if I would say blessed. But I was lucky to be born where and when I was, and to have the life of privilege afforded to me." His eyes remain on the statue still, but his gaze is focused on somewhere far away. "Maybe your god saw that as an opportunity to help more people, through me. If that's the case, I can't in good conscience turn him down," Tim says as he shifts his weight from one foot to the other, and pivots, towards Moon Knight. He extends his hand, pulled out from his pocket. "So. Nice to meet you, I'm Tim Drake. When do we start?"

Marc Spector has posed:
    Moon Knight watches at the man offers him a hand and takes it in comraderie. He also reaches into a belt pouch with his free hand and produces a small box. Inside is an earpiece. "This will allow me to contact you, shoudl I find something that needs to be investigated." He releases the hand he was grasping and continues.

    "I am currently looking into something, perhaps the opportunity will arise quicker than you may anticipate" he says with a nod. "Be ready, and be vigilant. I am sure our mutual investment into the protection of the people will prove benficial to all parties involved." A pause. "Save that of our enemies, of course."

    "You are free to look around more if you like, or depart if you wish" he says, gesturing to the mission. "This group, the Heliopolitans, may need to use this space as a Headquarters if the need arises and it would do well for you to familiarize yourself with the layout if you so desire. I will not keep you though, unless you have more questions for me."

Tim Drake has posed:
    After the handshake, Tim accepts the box and opens it with his thumb. He pulls the earpiece out immediately, but only to turn it over in his palm a couple of times curiously, before he tucks it back away again. "Understood." Both hands go back into his jacket pockets, which muffles the buzzing from his smart watch a few moments later. For the time being, he ignores it.

    "Thanks. I'll do a self-guided tour--though I do need to head back to Gotham soon. But I have a good amount of freedom to come and go as I please, so if you need me back up here I can jump onto the Hyperloop."

    Though he does in fact have more questions, he reserves them for another time. Tim is the type of person who likes to have most of the answers already in his back pocket before he starts asking, and he needs to do a more thorough investigation first. Also probably harass Jon into meeting for lunch so he can pry further. "See you around, Em Kay."

    Tim offers a cheeky two-fingered salute and then off he goes.