7011/The Amalgamation of Luck and Magic

The Amalgamation of Luck and Magic
Date of Scene:	23 March 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Doctor Strange, Black Cat

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Doctor Strange has posed:
    "That was what happens when we use one of your tail hairs, so what I'm more concerned about," Stephen says as he holds up one of the hairs from the back of her head that he groomed from Felicia after her almost hasty hug. "Is will the same thing happen to your whole." Stephen says pulling the near white strand between his two hands and examining, at the folicle as he steps to the center of the spell matrix, allowing Felicia to go to her nail appointment if she needs to, he doesn't need her here for this part, and honestly it would be best if the thief didn't know the possibilites.

Black Cat has posed:
"I don't disagree with you, Copperfield. I do like my whole..." replies Felicia almost under her breath. Still pinked at the cheeks between the fluttering of hope in relief from the curse and from the warm invitation for a hug, she makes to leave him to his work. "I'll check back in a few days. I'll bring some tea too. The good stuff," she promises with a crooked smile. After grabbing up her coat and purse, off she goes to her nail appointment. Chipped French-tips are the saddest things, after all!!!

Two days pass between the successful banishment of a tail-hair and the nail appointment. After sending a text winging off to 'Copperfield' in her contacts, Felicia shows up at the front door yet again. Today's a bit warmer and enough to entice her into a jewel-tone purple blouse and cream slacks. Her khaki-hued blazer is light-weight and matches her ankle-boots with their higher heels. No purse today, but a small brown paper bag like one might get from a gift shop. Inside? Tea!

Knock-knock-knock on the front door. She waits patiently, glancing up at the front of the Sanctum. Her hair is done back in a single braid today that hangs over the front of her shoulder.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Not long after Felicia knocks on the door there's a shout from within and a heavy thud as if something hit the ground, something big, like a book case or a couch, something heavy hit the floor but then there's a follow up sound of something splatting against the door, even buldging outwards to the thief but it doesn't break.

    Stephen pushes himself from the door he was slammed against and finds a pause in the conflict to barely open the door and peek out, "Oh, Felicia, this might not be the bes---" Stephen's left eye was peeking from inside the mystical house to the young blonde but was instantly not there with the sound of surprise from his lips as he's pulled away. The door stays cracked so Felicia can hear, "Stay back you foul creature!"

Black Cat has posed:
Staring at the cracked door with the small brown bag held up before her chest, Felicia slowly lets her mouth drop open. "Oooooookay," she says to herself before straightening her shoulders. She makes to open the cracked front door further and at least see what on earth -- or what on another dimension? -- Stephen's dealing with.

"What the friggin' flip?!" Her voice no doubt carries at its squeaky pitch, breaking as it does. The cat-burglar slides to one aside and as such, into the Sanctum properly without much thought. Her off-green eyes are very, very wide.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    In the foyer and main landing room, there is a mess of ... ichor and blood, a writhing mass of growths and tumors and limbs reaching from the vaulted ceiling and flailing madly with several large and various sized eyeballs and mouths that make no sense, most of them trained at Stephen who floats in the air, the cloak tucking and unfurling on its own against the onslaught of tentacles and spit and mucus likes being flung towards the doctor.

    The collar taps his face and then points towards the blonde woman standing inside the door. "Felicia!" He says as he swoops down, landing on his feet and bringing up a large orange spell just in time to cause a barrage of limbs to bounce off the front. "You shouldn't be here!" He says, trying to protect the girl.

    Stephen's eyes widen as the limbs all rear back and prepare to slam against his shield but he drops it and turns to grab Felicia and dives into the doorway of a hall that's never been there before and he lands on his back to keep Felicia from hitting the ground hard.

Black Cat has posed:
There's seeing the Cthulu-esque monstrosity flailing about and then there's Felicia's brain finally attempting to compartmentalize what she's seeing. It goes poorly. She freezes on the spot, backed flat against the Sanctum's front doors. Screaming is a reedy failure given how tightly her throat's closed in terror. She flinches in pure reaction as the shadow of the Sorcerer appears before her. The bright golden glow of the shielding shows through her eyelids as she utters a broken squeal.

Still, luck's in their favor -- and not in the beast's in turn. Stephen's impeccable timing in combination with a sudden twist of bad luck means they disappear precisely as he means to -- as is with all wizards -- and the beast's tumor-blistered tentacles miss entirely.

Felicia clings to the blue tunic with the force of the frightened. Limpited onto him, the cat-burglar is, and she shakes like a leaf with eyes screwed tightly shut. Never mind the tea. It's off to one side, half-lost from its small brown paper bag. A wee weeble escapes her as she continues to tremble, curling up against him.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen gives Felicia an emotional and comforting squeeze as he can, but there's pressing matters. The eldrich horror mainly. Stephen takes off his cloak and wraps it around Felicia, whispering to keep her safe before he stands up and looks around the room they're in.

    The armory.

    Perfect.

    Time to get to work. Stephen looks to his left and spies a mannequin wearing armor that looks really hobbled together as none of it matches, but Stephen doesn't seem concerned about that. No he reachs over with his left hand and draws out the blade at the figure's hip and steps towards the doorway and out of Felicia's sight when several tentacles fly past the doorway and then pull back past the frame in a flash as Strange is unseen but heard battling the creature.

Black Cat has posed:
It takes Felicia a moment to disengage from him and the supporting hug of the cloak helps, but she still watches him in frightened silence as he musters his strength and weaponry to bear against the monster. Sitting on one hip with her legs pulled tightly to herself and with a double-handful of the crimson material wadded to smush against her face, she makes a ragged sound of dismay as she watches him go.

"Stephen...!!!" Each flash of tentacle makes her flinch and shudder.

Each sound of impact, fleshy or not, churns her stomach.

Each second that passes in uncertainy warps the field of bad luck about herself -- but never in the eldritch monstrosity's favor.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    The monster eventually screams the scream of twelve cries, each sounding unique and traumatic as it suddenly stops. All sound ceases in an instant.

    A second passes, two and three. Finally Felicia hears the sound of metal clattering on the tile floor and Stephen appears at the door frame and leans against it, one hand stained red and the other with his neck pressed against it with a heavy sigh. "Are you okay?" Stephen asks.

Black Cat has posed:
The resonating howls in their dozen pitches have Felicia shrieking reflexively into her muffling gathering of cloak. She can't look. In the heavy silence that follows, she dares to look up at the doorway. Once the Sorcerer appears again, she lets out what has to be the beginnings of a relieved sob.

"Oh m-m-m-m-my g-g-g-god, you idiot!" Stumbling to her feet and half-tripping over the hem of the crimson garment, she then tries to give the man a hug again. It's partially to be certain he's truly present and not a pile of ooey, gooey smushed and broken shell out in the foyer. "I d-d-don't care ab-bout me, what ab-bout you?! That's b-b-blood!" Grabbing up a handful of the cloak, she tries well-meaningly, in her panic, to clean away the ichor on his hand.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen takes a breath and then winces when she hugs him but he does his best to not let her see his pain through the horrible fears she has. "You might not but I do." Stephen says, referring to her statement about herself, but he smirks weakly while trying to put on a show. "So it is." Stephen says, looking up to his hand and then pulling it away, "Don't use the cloak as a towel, that would be bad for both of us." He says with a wink to Felicia, though he has transfered his hand from the doorway to her shoulder, leaning on the thief a bit.

Black Cat has posed:
"Oh, g-g-geez, s-s-sorry," Felicia stutters to both the Sorcerer and to the cloak, the latter having almost been used as a blood-sop. "I w-wasn't thinking, s-s-sorry." She's cognizant enough to let the garment fall back to draping closely about her again and knuckles under her eyes. "Come on, F-Fee, g-get yourself together." The whispered coaching comes as she rolls her eyes up and fans at her face with one hand, as if this might stymie further tears.

Realizing at some subconscious level what his shift in weight means, she then steps up beneath Stephen's shoulder with her own. While she might be shorter, she's decidedly fit for her build. "C-Come on then, you look l-like you need a breather. Which w-way, Copperfield?" She tries a bleary smile. "Lookit you - my white knight after all," comes the crack.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "Not as white as you might think." Stephen says as he just points at the floor and then seems to roll off of Felicia's back. He doesn't want to burden her, but he grunts as he hits the floor and sits there before he finally lays all the way down with his hands spread out against the cool floor. "You're fine, it's okay to freak out Felicia." Stephen explains as he looks up to the ceiling and then back to the thief and the surgeon slowly grows a faint smile, "Has anyone told you that you are a stunning specimen Felicia?" The wizard says out of now where then followed by a deep, centering breath as he takes a moment to catch his breath and mind.

Black Cat has posed:
Felicia's hands flutter uselessly as she watches him go down. "C-Copperfield, no -- what the hell?!" Immediately, she's kneeling beside him. "I am n-not freaking out! You're hurt! There's b-blood! Stop b-being -- being -- //stupid!//" she spits as she does all sorts of useless little things like check his pulse at his neck and feel at his forehead and it becomes very clear shortly that she has no training in first aid whatsoever.

His comment pierces her efforts, however, and she's brought to a pause. The cat-burglar blinks down at him a few times before rolling her eyes. Her smile is crooked and still teary. "God, Copperfield -- yes, they have, and thank y-you." She swipes under her lashes again and sniffles. "You stupid...stupid man, thank you. You saved me. Again. You sure you're not a white knight?" Despite her laugh being shivery, she tries to fix the lapels of his tunic as she does out of presumtive habit, rumpled as they are by action.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen smiles softly as he closes his eyes. "I don't even have any knightly qualities Felicia." Stephen says with a breath escaping his lips as he smirks, at the sight of himself, all wrinkly, bloodly bruised and yet he has the sharpest collar in New York City. "You really know how to take care of me." Stephen teases slightly with a single eyelid opening so he can watch the woman. "So... don't be mad, but the counter curse isn't ready yet." The wizard notes from his spot on the floor.

Black Cat has posed:
"Pfft." Felicia hiccups a laugh at his statement regarding the research in progress. "Pretty sure that magic c-can take a backseat while you take your breather," she replies, bringing her hands back into her lap and away beneath the fall of the cloak around her person. She makes an abstracted point to bestow a thankful kiss upon one of its pointed collars before glancing back to its master.

"Lemme guess, Galahad." Uh-oh, another nickname. "That...mess out there. That's what happens if something goes wrong with magic." For as light as she might guess aloud, there's a leery sadness still in her off-green eyes. Only in the last few days has she finally gotten used to seeing those cat-like pupils reflected back at her in the bathroom mirror.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "That ... yes." Stephen says, giving Felicia a half truth, she doesn't need the whole truth. It would likely break the girl's already strained mind. With that though, Stephen realizes his work isn't quite done, so he sighs softly and starts to try to sit up, a deep groan rising from his lungs as he struggles. "That mess isn't going to clean itself." He grunts as he has work to do then he pauses while sitting up. "Did you bring tea?!"

Black Cat has posed:
Felicia offers a hand behind his nearest bicep in order to aid his attempt to sit properly rather than splay on the floor like a rug. "Tea?" The cat-burglar looks blankly at him for a second before remembering. "Oh yes, tea, right, tea. It's -- "

She turns in place to see the brown gift bag off to one side, accompanied by the mesh bundling of tea leaves. Rising to her feet far more gracefully than before, she collects them and comes back over. She takes one knee again beside the Sorcerer and showcases the mesh bundle on her palm. "It's a really nice rooibos tea with a little bit of Chai mixed in. I was told maybe I can put creamer in it, if I want?" The scent rising from the bag is woody and nutty while the Chai imparts spice and depth.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "That's awfully nice of you Felicia." Stephen says, not moving as she gets up and seems more than okay with being helpful suddenly. Then he moves his hands to the floor at his sides and starts to get up. "Alright, you go get the tea ready, I'll clean up." Stephen says, obviously he needs to rest more, but the doctor said what he's going to do, so he's going to do it. One way or another.

Black Cat has posed:
Felicia lets out a murring sigh containing a note of reproving warning, but she still attempts to help him to his booted feet with her free hand under his elbow.

"You stubborn man." There's a fond note of exasperation in her tone. Moral has been mustered by him being ambulatory, apparently. "You want tea? I'll make tea. Just...be careful, okay?" The cat-burglar softly asks this of him before she makes to step away slowly, lingering only to be sure he's still hale by sight and action.

Once this is established, she makes her way from the armory and towards the kitchen. The kettle is out on the counter and she refills it before setting it to heat. Mugs are gathered from the cupboards (theft does require a good memory, after all, and she marked where they were retrieved from last she sat in the room) and set aside with two small satchets of loose-leaf tea in them. Then she hops onto the counter to sit primly and play with her phone. Continually, she glances up towards the kitchen doorway, as if nervous that he might never return.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen finally shows up moments after the kettle hisses its cry that the water is boiling. At the doorway, Stephen steps in, the bruise at his eye turning purple and the marks along his neck disappear under the tunic. Seems Felicia showed up after he got his butt handed to him.

    The wizard hobbles slowly into the kitchen and sees Felicia already has the supplies together and he doesn't say anything other than to watch her with a soft smile though he holds his hand up, telling her to stay seated on the counter top. "I'll get it." He says.

    

Black Cat has posed:
"Oh. Okay. I mean, you're sure...?" the blonde asks tentatively. Regardless, she does stay put where she is, still draped in the crimson cloak and with her legs crossed at the knees. She taps the heel of one boot against the cupboard beneath it as she watches him, having put her phone back into the pocket of her blazer.

"So...you probably need to put a bag of peas against that eye. I don't think I can kiss it better," Felicia quips with a fetching, crooked little grin that she immediately tries to hide away. She teases further, "My hero."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "I'm not a hero Fee." Stephen says with a sidelong glance at the woman that has made herself comfortable in one of the creepiest houses in human history. Stephen lifts the kettle and tilts it to pour warm water into the ceramic and pass it over to Felicia with a coy smirk before he pours his own and he sets it on a cool burner, "Yeah, don't go in the fridge." Stephen says with a serious tone before he lifts his hand to touch a few fingers to his eye and he sighs, "I'll be fine, especially with such caring company."

Black Cat has posed:
Felicia does eye the fridge, but given what she's observed around the Sanctum as far as happenstance (accidental and not), she's definitely not going to touch that fridge with a ten-foot pole unless specifically asked to do so. Holding the mug cupped in her hands as to better warm them, she still gives Stephen a sad little half-smile.

"I don't know jack about first aid other than stop the bleeding and slap a bandage on it, Copperfield. All I can do is recommend a bag of peas, some painkillers, and maybe a drink. I mean, I'd mix up a Cosmo myself, but you don't seem like a Cosmo kind of guy." She can't help the giggle, apparently. "Sorry, just thinking of the old cartoons where they stick a cold steak against their face. I can't see you doing that either." Apparently, the image really did tickle her. She keeps giggling until she has to put a hand over her mouth. Her eyes winkle shut. Relieved tittering, ahoy!

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "Are you okay?" Stephen asks, reaching his hand away from his face to rest on her leg at the knee. "You seemed awfully shaken up." Stephen notes, looking up into the woman's slitted pupils and not reacting to them in any way, as if she always had them.

    Stephen sets his mug down to turn his attention fully to Felicia, "You're important Felicia, I need you to be alright, I've been trying to hide that side of my work from you."

Black Cat has posed:
With one last hiccup of a laugh, Felicia wipes at one corner of her eye and looks down at the Sorcerer. She's not that much taller than him seated, but an inch does grant height in the end. "I'm okay, Copperfield. Just...the steak thing was really funny, for some reason." Her hand patpats his where it lingers on her knee, a palpable weight she's aware of enough to give her goosebumps despite herself. "I guess...I get why I shouldn't be too nosy now," she says on a breath of a laugh. His hand gets a gentle squeeze.

"I'm okay," she's sure to repeat and accompanies it with a small and charming grin that showcases her apple-cheeks. "I'm a big girl who can tie her own boots and everything. You're sweet to worry though." She dares to gently reach up and brush aside his bangs, wincing a little at the purpling eye. "That's going to be a doozy," she adds as a known fact.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "I thought they looked rather dashing? Aren't shiners in this year?" He asks teasingly, taking a step back and letting Felicia hop down if she wants but he grabs his mug and looks around for the tea leaves she had brought. He is having a bit of trouble seeing lately. "Now don't get me wrong, you should totally poke your nose where it doesn't belong, but don't be surprised with something tries to bite it off." Stephen says, not trying to disuade her from being herself, just letting her know all the possible consequences in as straight forward talk as he can manage.

Black Cat has posed:
"I don't think I want to poke my nose around in here if something's going to try and bite it off. I like my nose where it is, thank you very much," Felicia notes as she watches him try to find the tea leaves. Hopping down with a light click-click of her heels, she grabs up the small satchets and plops one into his mug with a pert smile of those red-red lips. "Hindsight's twenty-twenty, Copperfield, and not having my adorable little nose? That would be sad."

With a presumptive boop of his own nose as gently as possible with a fingerpad, she puts a stringed tea satchet in her own mug and leans against the counter. She goes back to cradling the mug in her hands again to keep them warm. "But you know what? You do look dashing, Copperfield." A wink at him. "I like it. Rough and tumble."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "That was the whole point. Get you to think I look dashing and rough." Stephen says a touch of sarcasm tinging his words as he stands next to the thief and asks the next question that pops into his head. "How are you handling life with your curse?" He asks somberly, knowing he should have cured the woman by now, but finding it trickier than he ever anticipated. He lifts his cup of tea to his lips to breath in the warmth and steam, allowing the heat to sooth and bake across his injuries and pain.

Black Cat has posed:
The cat-burglar tucks her chin as heat flushes through her cheeks at his first reply. "Well...I mean...you succeeded," she whispers mostly to herself. Her side-long glance at his next question has her lifting her chin and turning her attention fully to Stephen again.

"It's...it's been awkward. The tail and all, you know?" Felicia lifts a hand in a shrug. "I can hide the ears beneath my hair and hats. I've been able to pass off the eyes as cool contact lenses and the tail as a belt, but..." She blows a small sigh. "It's awkward when I find myself wanting to fall asleep in a beam of sunlight. Or distracted by pigeons as I work. That last part is...really awkward, Copperfield," comes the admission with a helpless giggle.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "At least you're not eating them. You aren't eating them. Are you?" Stephen asks, looking at Felicia and almost expecting a puff of feathers to cough out of her mouth then, but he knows better. But he does have that face. He touches his swollen eye once again before taking a sip of his tea and almost melting at the warmth and flavor. "That is wonderful tea Felicia." He sighs. "You are experiencing behavioral changes, that's not a great sign, but it does hint that the curse was meant to turn you into a full cat, though if it's as old as I think, you might not be turning into a house cat but more a larger cat... one of the dangerous ones."

Black Cat has posed:
"Ew..." mutters Felicia, wrinkling her nose at the idea of eating one of the winged rats of New York. That should be answer enough for the Sorcerer. She relaxes again as she observes his enjoyment of the tea and grins in delight -- good. A sip of her own tea and she hums in quiet enjoyment herself. However, his thought on the variation of the curse itself has her momentarily giving him an owlish look over the rim of her mug paused at her lips.

A gulp and little cough. "Soooooo...what kind of larger cat?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "Good." Stephen answers, smirking. "If you'd eaten one, ... that's just gross." Stephen says. No magical reason not to, other than that being disgusting. He takes another sip and looks to lean against the counter top while facing Felicia and he thinks about it for a moment as he goes over histories and maps in his mind. "Well, it seems like a kind of leopard or even tiger might be the most likely, but it's not really knowable until it happens." Stephen explains.

Black Cat has posed:
Felicia blinks at him, her expression gone blank. A little laugh leaves her and then a resigned, musical sigh follows. She reaches up to feel at her tufted ear while looking at Stephen wistfully.

"Could...be worse...I guess...? I mean, at least I'd be cool-looking?" she hazards. "Though I couldn't go walking around outside without someone calling NYPD and the zoo, sooooooo...maybe not so much." The amendment comes with a groan and a pout. "Man..."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "Doesn't seem that different from your life as it was? Only the zoo is called instead of just the nypd." Joking at Felicia's history as a thief. Stephen steps back quickly as if to avoid any swats or anything she might throw his way, just in case. He regretfully leaves his cup of tea beside her in his haste.

    Stephen sighs and resigns himself to the phsyical retort as he steps back into her range in order to get his tea back in hand. "You're not going to experience any of that, I'll make sure you're whole again Fee."

Black Cat has posed:
Stephen gets an imperious eyebrow from on high at his wise-crack. However, it's likely his recent actions and the black eye that saves him from a back-hand swat to the bicep -- this time.

"I trust you, Copperfield," she replies more quietly as she watches him sip his tea. A funny little smile shows up on her lips. "Fee now, is it? Hey, it's fair. I gave you a nickname weeks ago. It's...it sounds like a good one."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "It's not mine. I overheard you calling yourself that." Stephen explains, finishing his tea this time and setting it back on the counter with the satchet still in it and he ponders pouring himself a second cup but that can wait for the talk with the guest in his house. "That night you stole the aurora gems. If you need a refresher." Stephen notes.

Black Cat has posed:
"I know it's mine," Felicia notes delicately. By the way she side-eyes him in silent amusement while sipping her tea, there's a zinger being gathered up. Ready, aim...

Licking her lips, she adds cheekily, "Guess this makes you a thief too, Copperfield. Welcome to the club. Oh, and those aurora gems still look good on me," the cat-burglar's sure to add as a lofty reminder of her own.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "I think we both know who the thievier thief is." Stephen says with a smirk and then full smile to Felicia. "Do we get matching catsuits in the club or do I have to make my own onsie with key revealing bits?" Stephen then teases and braces for the swat that's sure to come this time. Saving a girl's life will only save your own hide from their wrath for so long.