14370/Humble Hearth

Humble Hearth
Date of Scene:	09 May 2022
Location:	Sanctum Santorum - Base Floor
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Doctor Strange, Zatanna Zatara

---

Doctor Strange has posed:
The Sanctum Sanctorum.

Home of the mystical artifacts from Earth and dimensions beyond it's reach, the Sanctum Sanctorum stands mightily as the bulwark fortress against the threats beyond the comprehension of mortal minds. The ruler of this Sanctum and it's primary defender is Doctor Stephen Strange. The Sorcerer Supreme, greatest sorcerer in the entirety of the wo-

The body of Strange flies through one of the many portals to other dimensions as he rolls to his feet, dressed in black and red robes and his hair long enough to be pulled into a medium pony-tail. A beard covers his face and the Sorcerer conjures Tao Mandola-type eldritch shelds around his hands as dark hands and tentacles emerge.

"Get back in your hole, Cthulhu!" Strange's chanting reaches a fever pitch and the gateway suddenly closes. Tentacles fall immediately to the ground along with viscera of blood.

He pats himself off and turns around, the Cloak of Levitation fastening itself around his shoulders. "Good to see you again, old friend. Sorry I was gone for so long." He starts to walk towards the base floor of the Sanctum, the nexus to so, so much.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Sorcerer Supreme he may be, but Zatanna is the undisputed Mistress of Magic. Wearing her work clothes complete with top hat and fishnets, the magician turns more than a few heads as she walks down the street and up to the front door of the Sanctum Sanctorum. Is it possible she could conjure herself into the mystical fortress? Possibly. But that would be extremely rude, and her father raised her right and even gone for so long Giovanni Zatara holds significant sway over his daughter.

Up until the rush of mystic energies at Stephen's unorthodox arrival, and his hentai companion. Out of thin air is drawn an ebony and ivory wand and Zatanna shoulders the door open even as she lifts her wand in preparation. It lowers when the energies go fallow again, and the wand is tucked away in her silk-lined coat. "Knock knock. Anyone home?" She calls out, voice pitched to carry without shouting as only a lifetime of stagecraft can manage.

Doctor Strange has posed:
Stephen turns his head at the sound of Zatanna. "Company. The law of hospitality is clear. Shopkeeper Covenants can be inconvenient, but the Sanctum wouldn't be the Sanctum without it." He flourishes his cape and snaps his fingers.

Zatanna may find herself suddenly seated in a comfy old leather chair. The spell accesses ideal comfort ability without getting inappropriate. She could be standing as well. Across from her is the Sorcerer Supreme, sitting in the same chair with some tea in his hand. "Zatanna Zatara." Oh good, he knows exactly who she is. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" His deep voice rumbles with quaint charm.

He wouldn't be much of a mystic defender if he didn't know the players in the game. Giovanni was a fantastic sorcerer. Tragedy took him far too soon. His daughter is just as promising if not more so than he.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
There's a moment when the spell brushes against Zatanna's mystical defenses, analyzing the nature of the spell before allowing the translocation. It takes only a brief shift of her weight, and a crossing of fishnet clad legs, and Zatanna is comfortably settled into the leather depths of the chair with a crooked grin at the other mystic across from her. "Hello, Stephen. Eeffoc."

The logomancy slips off her tongue without effort, and she reaches up to pull a cup of coffee out of thin air. "I hope I didn't catch you at a bad time, Doctor." She adds, slipping back into normal English, "I was in the area and felt it only polite to stop by." Pause, while she uncrosses and recrosses her legs. "I'm in town for the next several months with a residency, and felt it prudent to check in with the Sorcerer Supreme when I'm planning on spending time in his back yard, mmm?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
Normally, there are a myriad of mystical barriers, shields, and protective enchantments that makes the Sanctum nearly impenetrable save for incredibly clever and unapproached means. Stephen is making an exception. Zatanna's magic works flawlessly and she'll find no effect of the Sanctum attempting to interfere. Strange waits patiently while Zatanna explains the situation.

"Hm."

Hm? That's all he leads with? He watches Zatanna like a hawk. He doesn't look at her like one of her adoring fans who go crazy at the fishnets. He looks at her as he would an intellectual peer in the field. "Long time." Stephen comments. Some traditions were lost or just no longer in use, but approaching him was the right call. "Your consideration is noted. I appreciate you taking the time to come to me." She does the Basic Instinct crossing and uncrossing of the legs and it's hard not to notice. But Strange's poker face can trick devils.

"Should I be expecting others, friends and enemies in the mystic community?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Although her powers seem gimmicky ("Ooo I speak backwards and stuff happens! Whee!") she is relatively unique in that her power doesn't come from pacts or interdimensional energies; She is her own source of magic, descendant of the Homo Magi and their greatest scion for all she seemingly wastes her potential with sleight of hand, fishnets and tricking the muggles. At the question, she shrugs one shoulder.

"Damned if I know, Stephen." She tells him wryly, taking a sip of her coffee, "Truth be told, there's so many practitioners that don't hold to the concept of the Sorcerer Supreme and their mastery." She shakes her head, uncrossing legs and leaning forward. "You can find the entirety of the Clavicula Solmonis online with just a quick google search, both translated in English and in the original. People classically trained like us are growing fewer and fewer with each passing year." She raises an eyebrow at him, "Unless you've got an official twitter, they might not even know who you are, much less proper manners and respect for your position."

Doctor Strange has posed:
Logomancy was tricky. Speaking words into reality was a difficult trick to master. Homo magi had it easier than most to learn magic, better physically and mentally capable of handling the taxing energy. Thankfully, Strange was a Master of the Mystic Arts. He knew no small amount of Logomancy, but he doesn't specialize or approach the skill in it that Zatanna possesses.

"Unlikeyou and I, they are usually not formally trained and never formally introduced to the mystic society. "I stay off twitter. Tgats for the young. I'm too busy for it." Considering his previous leaping out of an inter-dimensional (inter-universal?) portal, he's probably too busy.

"I'll keep my ear to the ground. A collective of sorcerers, magicians, witches..beings of mystic talent, it draws darker powers like moths to flame. If you are drawing attention, I'll make you aware." Its implied he'll handle the problem in question for Zatanna THEN hash it out with her. "Too few of us left now. Wong has suggested we open an ad site for Kamar-Taj, but that wouldn't be viable. I'd have to put it in a pocket dimension." He can do that?

"If they step out of line or trigger an incursion, I'll politely inform them not to do so." He looks at Zatanna then. Flattery May get her everywhere. "That being said.."

"The doors of the Sanctum are open to you. You are a guest and will be treated accordingly." Makes one wonder if he owed her dad a favor..of honoring some agreement.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Oh. I met a young man in a coffee shop, named Billy Kaplan. I didn't get much of a chance to ask him about his mystical education, but from what I saw he was mostly self taught. Extremely powerful, too." Zatanna adds, consideringly as she takes a sip of her coffee, "I've taken him under my wing, somewhat. I would like to bring him by and introduce him to you sometime if that is okay with you."

There's a pause, and then she laughs, "You can hire people to manage your social networks, Stephen." She teases him, leaning forward with a crooked grin before growing more seriously. "Something my father felt strongly about, and I do too, is that we are living in an era where the old ways aren't viable anymore. We need to step out of the shadows, as it were, and present a more positive face on magic." She considers the man across from her, before adding, "I'm going back on active duty with the Justice League, as well. I can't promise to come to you first on mystical threats, but I will keep you informed to the best of my ability."

When he informs her that the doors of the Sanctum are open to her, she smiles and nods her head in acknowledgement. "Now that we've met, I'll adjust the defenses on Shadowcrest to allow you guest-right. There's parts of the manor even I don't have access to, like my father's personal sanctum, but you are more than free to access the library. Kamar-Taj it is not, but I think even you would be impressed."

She finishes her coffee, the spell-conjured cup disappearing back into the aether from which she conjured it. "I also want to ask a favor..." She hesitates, and then takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "I've found indications that my father may still be alive. I would be in your debt if, should you find any clues, you could let me know?" The pain of a child orphaned flashes across her face, before she buttons it up, and she adds, "I'd spent the last year or so investigating, but..." She spreads her hands, "You are the Sorcerer Supreme."

Doctor Strange has posed:
Billy Kaplan.

Why does that name sound familiar? Extremely powerful she says? Well, Zatanna was a master herself of the mystic arts. He turns to look at her with a tilt of his head. "Interesting." Prodigy's were something of Stephen's interest at the moment. "I'll meet with him. Bring him by on a good day. Odds are I'll be here, maintaining the barriers." Strange seems vaguely amused at the idea of meeting an inexperienced yet extremely powerful mystic.

No surprise. He's et Wanda Maximoff. Surely there are others like her in some capacity.

He ponders. "Remind me to hire your services then." He tells her. "But I'll see what I can do about it." She had a point. The old ways were dying out in favor of the new ways brought on by new Masters, no students, new initiates. "The Justice League? They'd be well-taken care of to have you on their side." Strange nods at her acknowledgement of informing him of mystical dangers.

Be a damn shame if They awoke some dark horror that his mystic abilities didn't identify and it slipped past his watch.

Strange though seems to look intrigued. Giovanni /did/ have a personal sanctum and inside that Sanctum, Zatara was among the best Logomancers in the world. Perhaps /the/ world authority. Strange smiled at her. "Thank you, Zatanna. I'll be happy to judge the quality of the library." He remarks.

A favor? "Ask."

Her father might still be alive? "Indications?" He questions as if requesting her reasons for believing Giovanni was alive. He takes a deep breath. Last time he did this for someone, he had to resort to Necromancy to give them closure. Lets hope that this doesn't turn out the same way.

"I'll see what I can do. If I find anything, I'll let you know."