Belles and Arrows

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx set her kettle going and pulled out her tea set.

As proof the Arrow still struggled with subtlety, Belle seemed to be thinking that the Arrow now had her own place but nothing could be futher from the truth. At some point the regimented rooms of the Arrow Tower were her home. She didn't feel right leaving the Circle undefended - anywhere else would feel less like a home than this place did.

This was something of an experiment - she couldn't recall the last time she hung out with someone just to talk that wasn't Aurora. It was probably Kaze, which showed how long it had been. Still, she wanted to, and between the training and the going out Belle was feeling like a real friend.

She had one of her more flowery tops on and had even tried getting some snacks. She was looking forward to the bubbly Mystagogue arriving.

Belle BoxingUnicorn

[Belle]

To say Belle was excited was a bit of an understatement. Having been raised around bookworms and adventurers all her life, Belle has rarely had opportunities for 'girl time'. So she was going to relish in it.

The Arrow Tower barracks are certainly a formidable place to enter, but Belle can't help but feel safe as she crosses the threshold. Teatime tends to be a sacred extension of peace and friendship, regardless of setting. The Warlock is dressed in jeans and a kitten-bedecked tank top. As casual as she can possibly manage. Her shoulder-bag hangs off her right shoulder and her left hand holds a small basket with a few wrapped muffins and some tea bags she's purchased from a local bakery downtown. As soon as she can she sets her things down and gives an enthusiastic wave to Phoenyx. "Phoenyx! Thanks so much for having me." Unless prevented, she gives the Arrow a friendly hug. ​"How have you been? It feels like ages since we got to hang out."

[Phoenyx]

The Arrow does not resist the hug - whether it was she was more relaxed in private was hard to say, but she is smiling as she pulls away.

"You are welcome," she replies. "I am well. I wanted to try and have this chance - you have always been nice to me. There have always been relatively few women in the Concillium and sometimes it can feel like putting up with boys throwing their attitudes around." She shrugs and offers Belle a chair at the simple table.

The kettle began to boil and Phoenyx added water to the decorated pot she had set on the table.

"I wanted to apologise for confusing you - I often think of this tower as "mine" as I am responsible for it. Going anywhere else would feel... like I was abandoning my post somehow. With the Circle being so important to us I am not sure I could leave any more." She sets the kettle back down and takes a seat opposite her guest. "How have you been? Did you manage to make progress with our scrying work?"

[Belle]

Grateful that her hug is accepted, Belle rolls her eyes maybe not-so-playfully. ​"Oh my gosh! Tell me about it. I mean, they're all great in their own way. But sometimes it's like they can't let their ego go for five seconds!" She stops herself shy of bursting into a rant. "But yeah, me too. It's nice having some gal time."

Belle takes a seat across from Phoenyx as she pours the tea. Even the Arrow's mundane movements carrying the same grace that Belle has seen in the training grounds. "I totally get it. Honestly there are days where I wish I could just move into the Athaneum and have a little hammock in the library." There's only just a hint of mischief in the Warlock's eyes; she's clearly considered this before. The mention of Scrying has Belle screwing up her face in an embarrassed grimace. "Progress, yeah. It's just..." She fiddles a bit with her tea cup. ​"...I've never really used scrying on a single person before. I've done it to scout out locations in a general sense, but something about this last time kind of shook me. Like I was invading something private. It threw me off my game." The Warlock looks somewhat conflicted. "Which I guess is kind of the point. But I've definitely proved I can do it and throw some extra spells around as long as I concentrate."

She looks a little around and up at the Arrow's modest apartment. Avoiding the warrior's gaze for just a moment. "Hey...about that whole shitshow a few months back. I don't know the circumstances, but from what little I heard you made the best of a tough call. And, for what it's worth, I'm really proud of what you did and how you handled it. This place is lucky to have you as a defender." The Warlock's smile is genuine and a bit nervous, as if afraid the praise will cause the Arrow to shut her out.

[Phoenyx]

"We have bunks here if you ever find yourself here late. It is nice to have the company sometimes. Just let me know." Phoenyx smiles.

Listening to the process of Scrying, the Arrow looks thoughtful. "It is considered a prohibited act against members of the Orders. It is a violation of privacy and one of the reasons sanctums became so important to early magi. I only have basic understanding of Space, but if you are trying to follow a thread back to an individual it would make sense that their natural power would resist you or they would have prepared countermeasures for such an act." She looks in the pot, then returns the lid. "Perhaps they are simply a stronger mage than you are." No offense was meant, but it did come with her trademark directness. "Magic that directly affects a person can be resisted. They could have been taught about such things. I admit, I am looking forward to the challenge of facing them."

Phoenyx feels her cheeks flush a little. "I did what was right. All the sleepers were under some kind of mental effect and the man I rendered unconscious was bleeding heavily. If I beat him into unconsciousness there was a real risk of him dying, which would have caused far more problems. So, I cast a vulgar spell with Sleepers present. Since their perceptions were afflicted I am sure there was no breach of Secrecy and that the result of the spell were mundanely explicable. I believe that in this case, the letter of the law does not accurately convey the intent - to keep Magic hidden from Sleepers. Puck believes the law should not be broached under any circumstance and accused me. The Council judged his view was correct. Others may not agree, but if the circumstances repeated I know I would act the same. I have been true to my honour, and the punishment issued was trivial. I patrol the area around the Circle anyway so it was barely a deviation from my regular routine but it had the appearance of an issued mandate. At least if the same punishment is issued I will have some support."

Nevertheless, she looks pleased at the compliment Belle gives. The teapot is taken and tea poured into two cups, one of which she offers to her guest. There were 2 matching china pots with sugar, honey and a small plate of cookies. "It is kind of you to say. Still, it is on the past. I took an Oath to defend the Concillium of my residence - Arrows often take Oaths to causes to remind themselves of the purpose of their abilities. It is why I keep offering the training - even if people do not accept, no-one can say they were denied the opportunity."

She takes her tea and sips it, savoring the flavour. "My thoughts now are of the future. We have a rogue Magus to find and I am looking to branch out in my Arcane skills, studying new Spheres. What about you? Have you found some new artifacts to chase? I hope you will not forget me if you find new adventures to go on."

[Belle]

"Sleepover? Heck yeah!" Belle looks like she's just won the sweepstakes. "I mean...thank you. I don't want to distract from what you have going on." She doesn't want the hyper-attentive Arrow to think she's childish.

Phoenyx's blunt, yet technically correct assessment only causes a brief, internal flash of indignation. Don't I know it. "That's what I'm afraid of. But yeah, sometimes I wonder if Sympathy is like some kind of balancing patch for magic; an internal system that keeps us from being completely broken. And then of course there's the ickiness of looking in on somebody's personal life." She fails to contain a brief shudder. "I guess that's a good thing though. 'Recognizing the problem is the first step towards solving it'." The Arrow's confidence at facing the interloper puts Belle back in her bright spirits, and she grins with just a hint of wickedness. "And I look forward to watching you do it." Guess playing peeping tom was less of a problem than her hunger for violence?

Politics at the dinner table is a dangerous thing. And Belle can't help but feel a warm flush to her chest and face that isn't from the tea kettle. "It's like that freakin' rules lawyer sees the absolute worst in everybody except himself. Because God forbid we use magic for creative solutions in the field to save freakin' lives!" She shakes her head and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I'm just you know by now that lashing out is a particular problem of mine. I hope I didn't embarrass you that time I blew up at Puck."

Talk about the Arrow's Oaths perks Belle's interest as she leans in a bit post-sip. "So the Oaths are flexible in origin but concrete in practice? That's actually pretty cool." Belle's a sucker for the old tales of knights and samurai and their honor codes. "Do you have to write your Oaths down and hold them somewhere for posterity? Or is it just in here?" She points at her head. ​"And feel free not to answer, I don't want you to spill Order secrets just because of a pretty face." She teasingly winks.

New adventures? New Spheres? All the kind of things that get Belle's blood pumping, and the excitement is palpable. "Artifacts? Nothing new really." Except Roxie's Choker, but that's a hush-hush. "They're rare enough that digging for info about them is half the work. Dark web; street rumors; hell, there's even Facebook if you look hard enough." Belle looks really at home here, talking shop. "What Spheres are you looking at? I've recently been branching into Fate and Life magic to broaden my repertoire while also expanding my Mind knowledge. I'm at the point where I could potentially work on two tasks at once without getting dizzy."

[Phoenyx]

Phoenyx looks a bit surprised, but then smiles. "I suppose it is something like a sleepover. I haven't done anything like that in some time. I suppose when Skye was here would be the most recent."

She shrugs. "I am not sure. Sympathetic magic has been out of my reach for some time. But it is important not to be discouraged by challenges." It seemed the cute Mastigos had a lot of faith in the Arrow's abilities, and the keen to pit her against this mystery magus clearly pleased the Talon. "We may be able to resolve things peacefully, but I will be ready if they turn violent." Phoenyx also seemed excited by that prospect. Things were always so much clearer in combat. Subdue the enemy. Kill or be killed. So much simpler.

There is a pause at Belle's outburst, and the Obrimos sipped from her cup as she thought. It was surprising - Phoenyx hadn't realised Belle felt so strongly about it. She shook her head slowly. "You didn't. It was good to know there was someone that thought like myself." She looks at the cup and thinks. "Puck - like myself - believes strongly in what he says. He will challenge those beliefs that do not align, and so there will be conflict. He is more eloquent than I am, but debate with him is just another form of challenge. I simply relay facts, and so one must demonstrate by example. Even if it contends the Laws of Atlantis. I will argue for compassion for the innocent over following the letter of the law. Blindly following orders is not wise - it is obedience. That is the Arrow's way." She reaches for the plate and delicately takes a cookie, biting into it thoughtfully. "Still, that is in the past. I do not regret my actions. If you do not, then you have acted in line with your truest self." She smiled. It was meant as a compliment, but not many people seemed to realise that was praise from her.

There is a small shake of the head. "Not exactly. Arrows can make an Oath to anything of their choosing, but they are often kept free to interpret how that is fulfilled. Make an Oath too tight and it is a prison. Too loose and it means nothing." The Arrow blushes at the wink and clams up for a moment, not quite sure what to say. That squirming warm feeling was back - one she hadn't felt in a long time. "Your... attractiveness has nothing to do with what I say," she replies, stammering a little and avoiding Belle's gaze. "Not many people ask. BUt then again.... Oaths are one of the widely known traditions of my Order. We remember them - they are never given lightly as they are a bind of honour. If we cannot remember an Oath it was not worth swearing upon in the first place." Dark eyes look back up at her guest, but she is still a little flushed.

"Hmm," she frowns. "Online tracking is not something I know much about." There's a pause for a moment. "Space... Time. Spirit. I keep encountering Spirits so I have had to start working on that angle to have some measure of contribution." Her dark eyes blink and have held-back excitement as a look of pride slowly spreads. "Ever since I mastered the Spehere of Force I have been looking to diversify my skills." It felt a bit weird, telling someone not Aurora, but the Mastigos had a way of pushing through the Arrow's usual social guardedness.

[Belle]

Now that was a name Belle didn't know. "Skye? Was she another Arrow?" She never gets tired of new information. Phoenyx's vote of confidence prompts a thankful smile. "That's the goal: always learning, always improving. Kind of the Mysterium's unofficial motto." It's part of what keeps her coming back.

Belle listens to Phoenyx's perspective, mulling over her teacup held in both hands. The warm heat just shy of discomfort. She follows intently and earnestly, mouth drawn into a contemplative line. "Truest self, huh?" Belle taps her teacup and takes a slow sip. "I get that: better to be yourself. So would you say that the 'truest self' is ideal? Or just the self without restraints of society or bias?" Her head's wrapping around what the Arrow is saying, but the wheels in her head are turning and she wants to sink her teeth into those juicy, abstract concepts. "Because, let's be honest, there's a LOT of outside factors that go into making us who we are. Parents; friends; work; what we have with our tea." She grabs herself a cookie and takes a quick bite.

The brief bluster from the unflappable warrior draws a look of surprise from Belle. "Oh my gosh! You think I'm pretty?" The Warlock beams with a bright, broad smile. "Thank you! I mean...sorry. I'm just not used to getting that. Because...you know...bookworms and broomsticks." She tries to backpedal with humor, but something about those dark, ferocious eyes looking at her with the same timbre as a wounded puppy gives her a sense of power. A sense of victory. "I don't mean to suggest that you would. I trust you." And she means it, Belle takes a risk and puts a hand over Phoenyx's. A bit of an olive branch, even if Belle can't help but think about how those hands had also come just shy of hospitalizing her before. "I see...that's a lot of independent responsibility and pressure. But I guess you guys are trained to handle that." It's always fascinated her that Magi, with all their power and knowledge, saw fit to have a military division. Phoenyx really was a soldier in service to her Oath. A knight of legend made concrete in the present. Just as surely as Belle was the quintessential adventuring scholar bringing light to dark places.

Oh God! That's deep. ​Belle breaks out of her Homer-ish musings to take another bite of cookie. "Mmmmm. Snickerdoodle."

A glint of opportunity fires off in Belle's eyes. ​"You're learning Space? I can help you with that, if you'd be welcome to it. I don't know how far along you are, but I've made Space my primary Arcana of study." She sets her teacup off to the side to avoid sweeping it away as her hands get more involved with her words. "We should learn from each other, you know? You're teaching me martial arts, and I'd like to return the favor." Phoenyx being a Master doesn't shock her, but there's still a reverent tone to Belle's voice as she processes this. "Master? That's big!" Having seen Masters at work with other Arcana, Belle knows that the road to Mastery is a long one with lots of dedication and sacrifice. "I've never really looked into Spirit, I guess it just never..." She stops short, now flustered herself. "Look, I'm afraid of ghosts. Have been since I was a kid. I can read picture books about Daemons and Dragons all night without batting an eyelash, but something about creatures of the Spirit realm just...make my skin crawl."

[Phoenyx]

There's a small nod. Alastor. Weavebreaker. Vulture. Solomon. Skye. Kaze. Viggo. So many Arrows come and gone. She sighs a little. Phoenyx had never really felt "Old" before, but looking back on all thouse gone and still standing... it was tiring.

She doesn't answer straight away. She looks at the cup and laces her finger together. "Not exactly. There are many things that influence us, but ultimately the decisions we make are our own. We must act with wisdom from all the information we have, but not be awed into inaction by too much or too little. When you take the action that leaves you without regret - that is the truest self."

The blushing continues - the churning feeling gets worse somehow. "I.... um.... yes?" She looks a little flustered. "Um. Maybe you should go out more. I'm sure there will be lots of people that think that?" She was feeling a little lost and more than a little exposed, but he doesn't resist the hand. There's a small nod. "Yes. I was trained in philosophy, ethics, strategy, magic - all as well as combat and fitness. We need to be able to think for ourselves if the orders we get are right, not just follow blindly. Our training can make us dangerous, so we need to think before we act that we might minimise our mistakes." Talking about that seems to ground her again.

Phoenyx nods. "I'd like that. I've only studied the basics, so there is still plenty to learn. I want to finish the basics of Time first - I need to have a variety of talents." The compliments make her lookk pleased again and she pats Belle's hand gently in return. "Yes. I can't recall there ever being a Master of Force in Sacramento. Certainly not as long as I have been here." She shrugs. "Ghosts are more Death, but I understand - They have never been something I was interested in, but.... I seem to keep encountering them. I couldn't interact with them in any way, so I started learning." There's a smile. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone you're afraid of ghosts."

[Belle]

The action without regret?

Now that is an answer that Belle wasn't fully expecting...and she ponders that as her tea grows cooler in her cup and her mind runs the answer around each turning wheel and cog. "I see. So the 'truest self' is the one with the least regret. The one you're most satisfied and comfortable with." She taps the sides of her teacup. "So could your 'truest self' come from another person? Like how a friend encourages you to be better?" ​She looks a bit wistful here, eyes shimmering with purpose. "That's what I want to do with my work: encourage others to meet their best, truest self. So that we all have fewer regrets." Her eyes snap back up to Phoenyx. "I guess that's my 'Oath'..." She smiles, hoping Phoenyx doesn't think she's appropriating Arrow terminology inappropriately.

The Arrow's compliment, however flustered, warms the Warlock's heart. "Wow...I...thank you." Her voice is quiet, almost reverent. "Yeah, maybe..." Belle has been wanting to get out more. "...but the fact it comes from you does mean a lot. After all, I can trust you to be a lot more honest than nine out of ten guys at the bar who are just looking for an ego stroke." ​There's a bit of a disgusted smile on her face as she laughs off her frustrations.

"A varied education? I like it! I've felt the same way about learning to fight while training with the Mysterium. What's the benefit of doubling down on something that's only good half the time; fighting or knowledge?" She beams at Phoenyx accepting her offer as Space tutor, and the pat on the wrist is a nice confidence booster as well. She relishes in seeing her friend open up in these small, private ways. It makes her feel powerful. She sighs in relief. "Oh thank God! I'd just hate to have that hanging over my head the next time we run into something like...ghosts." She pauses just short of mentioning 'Dinah'. Shit! That's need-to-know Mysterium business!

"So...what's the biggest, baddest thing you've had to fight? Unless that's something I shouldn't know about. You know, official Arrow stuff or whatever." Belle's a little quick to talk here, clearly a little bit unnerved that she almost spilled Order secrets to a non-member.