9005/Thiefs, Titans and Vets oh my

Thiefs, Titans and Vets oh my
Date of Scene:	29 August 2019
Location:	Tribeca - Manhattan
Synopsis:	Black Cats and Black Birds mock Stephen's business.
Cast of Characters:	Doctor Strange, Black Cat, Raven

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Doctor Strange has posed:
    The sun has dipped below the distance and impossible horizon of New York City, with the shadows of the countless buildings merging into one darkness and the lights having flickered on, though with the LED technology of the day, it was less a flicker and more just, ON.

    Staying late and trying to get work done on his new 'office' Stephen Strange, former neurosurgeon and current shady-veterinarian, sits on the floor of his office and stares at the blank dry walls as the working crews have long since left for the day with the promise of just one more day needed to finish.

    Stephen sighs outwardly as he lowers his chin while drawing in his leg, with one splayed out before him, the wizard can only sit and think about what the future might be with him working with only animals and the odd life that he might be able to save.

Black Cat has posed:
Shave-and-a-haircut...two-bits.

Felicia lightly raps knuckles on the front door of the office, its interior still coming together. The outside, at least, looks promising. In a simple t-shirt with a sunny, abstract design in white on a royal-blue background and white capri pants with sandals, she waits to see if she can summon the good Doctor to the door through this alone.

If unable to gain this, next, of course: the Southern mother holler. She sips at her iced latte as she glances around, jade-green eyes traveling out of a newfound state of general mild paranoia. Trickster Gods will engender that in folks.

Doctor Strange has posed:
    Stephen looks up and out of his thoughts towards the door he was trying to hide from but he knows that knock well enough now to know that he has mere moments to stand up and answer the door before Felicia starts hollering like some kentucky fried mistress. Before the blonde can get the chance, Stephen is raising his voice to be heard. "I'm coming, give me thirteen and five eighths seconds." As if he knew the exact time it would take to actually get to and open the locked door.

    Stephen smirks through the glass as he starts to undo the lock and smiles towards Felicia as he does so. "Fancy meeting you here Felicia." Strange teases as he opens the door for the love of his life.

Black Cat has posed:
Ah, there he is -- or rather, Felicia can hear him beyond the closed door and the walls within. Sharp hearing and all. Her grin is dimplied and as always, lined in deeply-red, smudge-proof lipstick. It might as well be witchcraft, how it stays on her skin and doesn't transfer to her cup or anything else: like Stephen's cheek as she leans in.

"I know, what a twist of luck, right?" the platinum-blonde thief notes with a wry smirk. She breezes past him and into the place, looking up and around. "Wow, everything's almost done already. Have you thought of a name for it? You know you probably need a pun. Something like..." A manicured fingernail taps at the corner of her mouth as Felicia pirouettes in place and gives Stephen a mischievous look. "So, the name of the place, and then something beneath like, 'What do you call a magical dog?'"

She waits a beat and then delivers, with no shame: "A Labracadabrador."

Grin.

Raven has posed:
    Sharp hearing is not enough to warn one of an approaching Raven. The angle from which she approaches is literally impossible. There is no door in that direction, and if she had been waiting there, Stephen would most assuredly have seen her when he opened the door. How did she get behind him? Why did she do so at all? These are questions that are irrelevant. Raven is here, and that is not exactly something that can be stopped.

    "Stephen." she greets, before her attention is on Felicia, for a few moments. Then back on Stephen. She idly plumbs various very mean comments, but decides that they might be meaner to the stranger than to Strange, who is the target. "Above your paygrade."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "A lab rat adaba doo? Come again?" Stephen asks with his eyebrows sliding together and nearly meeting above his nose after he pulls back from the cheek kiss Felicia so casually delivered to the once great doctor. Then Stephen stops mid thought and puts Felicia in his hands, the frail hands of the broken surgeon rise quickly to grasp at Felicia's biceps as he tries to hold her back though he knows he has no hope of doing so physically.

    "Rachel." Stephen replies as he keeps his face on Felicia's but begins to turn and he tries to keep Felicia at bay with a hand held out between her and Raven. "If anything, she's above mine." He says, trying to keep a fight from breaking out, as he might have been able to tango with the titan with all his powers, but now, as just a lowly mage, she's leagues beyond his abilities. "You rarely seek aid from any mystic." Strange says for Felicia's sake "... What is going on?"

Black Cat has posed:
"Stephen." Felicia eyebrows, her lips purled into a rosebud of a smirk now. "Come on. Labracadabraaaaa - whaaaaaaaaat the hellllllllll, where did you -- "

The blonde's eyes go wide and then narrow, gaining a cold gem-like glint towards the newly-arrived Raven. The good Doctor's hands resting on her, however, have the amazing ability to keep the Cat in check; concern for their state of injured nerves and scarring keep her from swatting out. When her silver-templed beau speaks jargon in-line with his magical hobbies, she tucks her chin not in concern, but in subtle challenge. The iced latte is lifted to her lips and sipped with a bland expression now.

"She's charming," the thief offers airily.

Raven has posed:
    Raven's hands remain in her pockets. Her expression somewhere hovering between neutral and nonplussed. The cat, apparently teetering nearer to violent for a moment. Stephen is miraculously able to calm her down- at least enough that she's not attacking Raven, which is probably bad for everyone involved- and Raven's response is as per usual. "I know that you may be distraught, but as a culture we have long disapproved of using enchantment magic in this way."

    There is, then, a short pause. She allows Stephen to metaphorically heal from the remark, before she continues. "I am not here to ask your assistance. I had heard that you were... Deposed. I came to make sure that you were not slowly dying in a gutter or alleyway."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "You had you heard this from, as reports of my ... decay are false as you can surely see." Stephen says, lowering his hand back to his side, allowing Felicia to be herself now that she's had a moment to catch her breath and assess the situation.

    "In fact, you stand in the very walls of my newest venture." Not that he expounds upon that idea further, Rachel need not know of the nature of his current situation though it seems peculiar that she is checking up on the doctor, as though he is what some might call, a friend. This does draw a hint of a smile upon Stephen's hair framed lips.

Black Cat has posed:
So slooooowly, through patient, smooth micromovements, Felicia's managed to insinuate herself behind Stephen so his body partially shields her. Apparently, Raven's just spooky enough to merit caution on the thief's part. She drinks of her coffee again and continues squinting -- the Cat is suspicious as all hell.

Regardless, she can't help but add sotto-voce, "I think he cleans up nicely." The shower was merited, after all.

Raven has posed:
    There is a silence. Raven stares a form of daggers into Stephen. However, there is a problem. He has begun to smile. He's getting chummy. Normally, she counters this by calling people by the wrong name. That won't work, in this instance. "This is a veterinary office." she begins, "It smells of wet dog." She technically lies. Vets' offices -do- tend to have a scent to them, but it's more 'not socially acceptable' than 'unpleasant.' "I can see that reports of your decay were grossly understated. This is just Sanctum Zootorum, and your newest venture is just your way of giving back to the world."

    Despite that, Raven only allows a moment of pause for that. "I am glad to see that you have finally showered. That you would open a veterinary office does make sense. One day, you might even shave. I did not exactly expect to see you panhandling, but what plans have you to... Retake your position?"

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "Must you stab at me with thyne words Raven. You must think me a fool with your witty banter about the stench of the place when I've yet to have a client." Stephen says, crosses his arms before his chest, the sleeves of his button up shirt rolled up to his elbows. The scars of his surgery disecting his fingers and around to his wrists.

    "The position is not mine to take back. It was granted by the Vishanti, and it was revoked by the Vishanti. It is theirs to do with as they please." Stephen notes as he starts to turn on his heel and face Felicia again and then he smirks once more, "I believe that my ally here has named my clinic." Pause for effect. "Sanctum Zootorum."

Black Cat has posed:
Felicia, busy frowning up a storm from behind her barrier of taller Doctor, blinks up at him when he turns and informs her of the veterinary office's new name. A few more blinks of silence.

"Stephen. That's worse than my pun," she informs the man loftily. Another squint at Raven.

"And you -- you bet your ass he's going to get his position back, one way or another. Loki's just some hopped-up, greasy-haired finger-twiddler who wasn't loved enough as a kid. He's not gonna hold it forever."

And a 'hmph' of agreement at her own words.

Raven has posed:
    Raven's expression changes. Only slightly, only this -small- bit... But it changes. Her brow raises. That's it- but it's poignant. "I did not realize that before you had even taken in a client, you had already freshly stocked up on bovine manure." she replies to Stephen. "I didn't want the title. Frankly, if the Vishanti were aware of my presence- I mean -really- aware- they'd probably be tasking their new Supreme with eliminating it. I do not trust their judgment. Neither should you." That's the most backhanded way of saying it- after all, if she doesn't trust their judgment, why does she advocate for Stephen to be? A question for another time, and an obvious trap. Raven sets them on occasion for people to step into.

    "I wouldn't bet that. It's a large bet. I have never inspected the nature of Loki's hair, but there is nothing honest about him- and I mean that. Not even the judgment of the Vishanti, if I were a betting woman."

Doctor Strange has posed:
    "We'll see how things go, but right now, I am getting ready to help others once again in the only capacity I have left. Now if you'll finish berrating me for doing the best with the hand I've been delt." Stephen says with a slightly exaggerated sigh as he has quite a bit on his still empty plate. Building plates aren't easy to do.

Black Cat has posed:
Leaning out from around Stephen, the Cat gives Raven more of a squint now. If she squints any harder, maybe she can set the young woman's odd fashion on fire. Still, she's aware of the back-handed compliment, even if Stephen is not. It makes her wrinkle her nose as if she's trying not to smile. Pride is hard to stomp out in this one's heart.

"Not too large of a bet. Enough of one. Worth it, I'd think," the thief then replies to Raven again in the airy tone she adopted earlier, though this time with a smile lingering around the corners of her red-red lips.

Raven has posed:
    "I am never finished berating anyone. I will, however, allow you a momentary peace to brace yourself for further berating." she notes, her brow still raised. Her attention shifts to the somewhat physically attentive Felicia. Raven, for her part, remains neutrally expressive. There is no such thing as a smile as far as Raven is concerned. There is a silence, following Felicia's statement. That intense, but neutral expression.

    "No."

    Then, from the ground, a black bird made seemingly of... The best way to describe it is anti-light, darkness given form... Wraps itself around her, and with almost no other fanfare, Raven is... Simply, gone.