5157/Magic in the Flute

Magic in the Flute
Date of Scene:	12 August 2018
Location:	Bludhaven
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Doctor Strange, Magik, Black Queen, Molly Carpenter

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Doctor Strange has posed:
    Entering the Bludhaven street, Doctor Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme still holding onto the box created of magic and starts to put it behind his shoulder, the box and the object within beginning to shrink away into a private dimension. His cloak is flapping in the wind of the cool night breeze and the wizard doesn't much worry if any of the denizens in the office he just left follows him or not.

Magik has posed:
    Oh, they follow him. If only because the elder witch in front of Illyana takes an interest in what is in the Sorcerer Supreme's possession. The Russian is indifferent. She doesn't care whether they follow him or not; there isn't much on her schedule for the day anyway.

    "This flute," Magik begins, "How much value does it possess?" Her question goes to Selene as they make their way onto the streets of Blüdhaven.

    "Slow down, Strange!"

Black Queen has posed:
Following? Are they? Selene turns and exits the office of Mister Dresden, whom she was never formally introduced. And off to go after the flute. Selene is following, her feet are in heels but she manages to go at a pretty good pace despite that, and eyes over to Magik. She thinks about it, "On an open market, as just a cultural object? Probably worth in the... millions or so... more talking about to magicians with the possible magic it possesses, so long as it was not just a focus for the Pied Piper's own magic... I'd fathom a few dozen souls really. Or a hundred or so slaves, give or take dependent upon health and attractiveness." Though Magik calls out after Strange, and Selene moves no faster. No one is going to make her run!

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen doesn't stop or really slow down very much, just enough to be noticeable. "It's not for sale and I will not allow it to be destroyed as some people imagine." The wizard looks over his shoulder at Magik and then in turn to Selene, "What about it draws your fancy?" Strange inquires, his eyebrow lifting up slowly as he's curious as to what they want the flute for. Stephen still holds the flute in his hand and halts putting it away, letting it stay in his palm as he asks these questions.

Magik has posed:
    Hearing Selene's deduction of the flute's value, Illyana is not necessarily impressed by either aspect of it. She finds it curious though that the Black Queen finds an interest in it. When Doctor Strange speaks, Illyana says nothing, allowing Selene to answer the man if she so desires.

Black Queen has posed:
"I was not saying it was for sale." Selene shadow steps. And by that, she turns into a mist of dark shadow, and then zips up to be a little ahead of Strange so her slower stepping will let him catch up as she talks. "Well, it has a long history. The Winter Knight had it, probably someone had it before him, and quite frankly, the way it was used was pretty ingenius. Something everyone should do with their artifacts. Not look at their first, and most obvious uses, but to delve deeper into the magic, and see how it can be altered. Changed. Allowed to be free..." Though she takes a look at it, with a little bit of a squint, "There does appear to be something... off... about it though. It is certainly the same flute, but, different? Have you fiddled with it?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange leaves the flute in his hand and in the mystic box he's created to store it in. "I have not fiddled with it, but I only discovered it was still whole when the Orb of Agomotto directed me to it last week." Strange explains with his eyebrow lifting at Selene. He then looks to Illyana as he keeps walking, curious about the two distinctly different and yet similar witches hanging around.

    Stephen looks to Illy and notes aloud, "There was a new enchantment on it and when I and Magik here discovered that we fell through a portal into that office behind us." Stephen says and then furrows his brow, trying to piece together this mystery.

Magik has posed:
    "It was a strange occurrence," Illyana replies, not bothering to look up to Doctor Strange as he spoke. "It was almost as if a force wanted us to be in the same place at the same time." Silently, Illyana wonders if it means anything, the enchantment and their happenstance meeting.

    "I've been studying the artifact during my free time, but nothing that I piece together makes sense considering I haven't had much time to analyze it. The Sorcerer Supreme has been keeping it under lock and key."

Black Queen has posed:
"Well, if you were to let me see it?" Selene mentions to Doctor Strange, "Perhaps I could be of assistance. I may have more knowledge... no, I do have more knowledge than you on matters of the mystical arts." She chuckles lightly, "You are like a babe in a toy store." Though she looks back to Illyana and smiles to the other woman, "Or yes, of course, the queen of limbo, she might be of some use to of course, find the information as well. Since, well, she does have access to a wide variety of information seeking techniques." Though she sighs a little, and feigns some effort, "But as I said, I would do this favor for you, Mister... ?" She asks for the name of the Doctor. And smirks lightly, "Just this once though."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "It's Doctor. Doctor Strange." Stephen replies to Selene's trailled off question before he looks at Illy and then to where he's walking, trying to find the bar that Harry mentioned Molly might be at. Stephen continues to walk looking for his hired assistant. "You mock my age in wizardry, which, is fair given how recent I am to it, but I have earned my title and will stand my ground." Strange remarks boldly, puffing his chest a little.

    He extends the neon green outlined box towards the two women, "If you offer your assistance freely I will take it." The Sorcerer says as his eyes dart from Illy to Selene, and then upwards as if he was looking into the darkness for the hint of a neon sign of the bar Harry mentioned.

Magik has posed:
    The chest puffing does not go unnoticed, but Illyana does not say anything. He is making it too easy. Instead, she continues to follow the path that the Sorcerer Supreme and the Black Queen create. She doesn't react openly when the flute is offered to them, giving Selene the opportunity to grab the artifact if she so desires.

    "It's there," Illyana says, pointing at a sign to their left.

Black Queen has posed:
There's a pause, and Selene looks over her shoulder to Magik and she mouths in question, 'Doctor?' And rolls her eyes, before looking back to Strange with a smile. "Oh, my mistake. I apologize, I was unaware of your ... credentials." And she then smirks, "Oh, no not at all. Your grasp of magic must be rather acute for you to have adapted well to them so quickly. I merely am pointing out that in this instance, as in, many instances, it is not how big the cannon is that you use, but more the... well, how well you aim it?" Reaching out, however, Selene will take the box that Strange has made in order to start looking at it, so long as he actually gives it to her, and she'll begin to study the object.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "That's... correct." Stephen says with a furrow of his brows to Selene as she says he's a cannon that needs to be aimed. A weird metaphor to use with a doctor who's always thought like a surgeon and has always used his abilities and mind like a scalpel. The wizard keeps the spell active around the flute, and doesn't inform Selene of the hinges to allow acess to the flute, so it's basically laminated in magic.

    "Thank you Magik." Stephen says as he follows her finger and spots the bar and keeps walking, stepping inside without hesitation, though he does cast a simple illusion spell as he crosses the threshold changing his clothes into something a bit more ... he's now wearing a double brested three button light grey suit as he walks into the bar. Instantly his old grey eyes start to scan for Molly Carpenter, hoping to find the young woman he's paying to help him.

Magik has posed:
    "Shall we continue following him, or take your treasure to be researched?" Illyana asks Selene before stepping into the bar.

Black Queen has posed:
With a shake of her head, Selene just makes the box float in the direction of Illyana and she offers, "Go with him. Find out what you can about it. And then perhaps I will come back to look at it more. There seems to be some kind of... well, guarding ward on it. Though something else. It would be easier to research another way, but... I will find what I can." And she turns into shadow mist, before dissipating and going poof.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Strange is standing in the threshold with a frown as he starts to turn around and bumps into Illyana, "She's not here. But you are, and I do need help. A weaker mage would be best, but I think we can make this work." Stephen says with a soft smile to Illy, "Have you gleamed anything from your studies?"

Magik has posed:
    The box floats for a moment until Illyana grabs it. Before she is able to respond to Selene, the elder witch is gone. There is no advance notice, just her shadow form dissipating into nothingness.

    "Damnit," Illyana curses.

    She turns towards the bar nearly bumping into Stephen. Illyana walks around him and into the bar. Her clothing remains the same as she does so, maintaining an unusual look that seems to be more fitting for a battle rather than a bar. Illyana does not mind, however, as she makes her way to the bar top and motions for the bartender. "Whiskey, two shots, straight up."

    While she waits, the blonde turns back to the Sorcerer Supreme. "I know that there is something different about the artifact's aura from when we first interacted with it. Selene noticed it too before she vanished into thin air." The bartender returns with the double shot and Illyana shoots it in a single gulp. "Are you sure you didn't fiddle with it?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "Magik." Stephen says as he follows Illy fully into the bar and watches as she sets the flute in case down on the bar top. "I'm absolutely certain I didn't touch the flute, when would I have put another spell on it, you were there when my cloak grabbed it." The wizard says as he claims a barstool and holds up his gloved hand with two fingers, "Two of your foulest bitterest drink." Strange requests, noting also that Illy's drinks are on his tab.

Molly Carpenter has posed:
Mac stares at Strange. There's an audible grinding of his teeth while his eyes narrow at such a request. It seems like the man who rarely spoke was very much about to do so when a familiar voice pipes up from a booth, "It's kind of a curse for him or something, Mac, he doesn't mean anything rude by it."

Molly slips from the booth she was at shutting a notebook she'd been working in as she approaches Strange and Magik at the bar. "I'll take one of your best, though. The lager was really good."

Mac grunts simply and turns away to fetch the requested items. It does cause him some pause looking around the bar for something vile and nasty though. Finally he shrugs, lifts up the drip tray, and pours the mix of everything into a pint that's shoved over toward Strange.

Magik has posed:
    Illyana shrugs her shoulders at Stephen's response. "Then, something is making it manifest through unforeseen circumstances," she says.

    Turning at the sound of Molly's voice, Illyana gives her a nod, and then her attention shifts to Mac. The drip tray being poured into a glass causes a brow to rise. Curious, Illyana watches as the pint is offered to Strange. "There are so many things floating in that. Gross!"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen takes the glass in hand and lifts it to Mac and then pulls it to his lips and takes a strong, unhesitating sip. He looks to Illy and frowns while setting the drink away from the two ladies. "Sorry, but such is the life of the -- Of me." He says, trying to be humble once. Even just a little bit. The wizard looks to Molly and lifts his brows, "How is your research going?" Stephen asks with a motion to the Flute, "Harry's still on team Burn the ancient artifact."

Molly Carpenter has posed:
Mac merely shrugs. "Worst thing here." Those are the best remarks he makes before giving Illyana a proper drink, and then cracking open a warm brown bottle of his own brand beer to hand to Molly. With that he turns away to tend to a grill at the back of the bar on which a few strips of steak were currently sizzling away.

Molly slips onto one of the stools watching the uck be drunk without flinching. It was gross but she'd seen far grosser, too. "I've just about narrowed down the pattern of the original caster. If we assume... Which may get us in trouble I admit, but if we assume that the signature of the original caster is on all of the layered spells, then we just have to look for one that doesn't match up." A deep breath is taken as her eyes drift to the box. "Which means I should probably get to work on that."