Time for Tea! (Raven)

In the middle of Uptown was a shop that looked almost ancient, and the windows boasted magical curiosities. It belonged to the Ambrosius family, and the two were well known in the area for better or for worse, having been accused of everything from kooks to frauds. Inside, a kindly older gentleman was getting the place ready, he had a guest arriving. He set up a table with an ancient looking tea set and various sweet breads on a platter. The room, and whole upstairs, was lit by green burning fire. He was waiting to hear back from his grandson, sent to search out a surge in magical activities. "Ah well, I trained him well enough..." He would pour himself a cup and read a book, awaiting the arrival of his guest.

All this time, Raven had no idea.

That the stupid 'magical trinkets' shop she had assumed to have been a place full of Chinese-made fake relics to be owned by Merlin's family! It was a bit embarrassing on how the most ancient and powerful of wizards was able to hide in Jump City, in plain sight too! What's next... that Jump's built upon the burial grounds of an ancient Mayan temple? - the girl asked herself curiously, as she floated across the skies, and spotting the old shop from above.

Raven bothered dressing up nicely for the occasion. As much as she liked her leotard, she felt that showing up in one to a tea-party at the place of the legendary wizard was a tad bit casual. So, she conjured an outfit that fit instead. There was a skirt and a pair of black pants that covered her entire body. They were still reasonably tight, though, though the outline was blurred in that blue cloak of hers. The hood came off, just this once. And the jewels she wore to button the cloak and as a belt were polished perfectly.

For once in a lifetime, Raven was actually excited to see someone! And though the thought of also having to endure Merlin's bratty sick grandson was at the back of her mind, it was not the primary concern. Landing in front of the wooden door, and seeing that the sign said 'Open', the girl shrugged and pushed it. Hearing the bell ring above her head.

"How rustic..." - Raven said to herself, as she wandered inside.

The witch would be greeted by the smell of old tomes, the musty smell of an old library. Upon further inspection, she would see all manner of curiosity, including a sword in a case with VERY powerful magic protecting it, the first thing everyone who entered would look at. "Excalibur, pulled from the stone by my good friend King Arthur of England." The kindly old man would be standing on the stairs, his signature kind smile on his face, "It is good to see you, Raven, I was beginning to think you wouldn't show." He'd motion for her to follow him up the stairs, where the tea set up was prepared, "I'm afraid Elliot won't be joining us this evening, he is out doing... something or another." It's apparent the old man was hiding something, but he'd then smile and pour two cups of tea, "Arabian Tea, from my last passing through there, before I met a wonderful woman, who made me settle down in America...." He looked wistful.

Raven froze in place, as she noticed Merlin walk down from the upper floor, and to the first floor, which was the shop.

It was difficult not to fangirl about it. Besides being the most powerful wizard and a living legend (literally!), he was also so... kindly. Composed. Noble, even. A relic of days gone by. The girl could not help but blush, just a little, overwhelmed by the sensation. Of course I would come over~" - she said, looking away a bit, and giving a glance towards a sword. THE sword of King Arthur. It was a minor miracle for such an ancient and powerful relic to be found ... here, of all places.

"I thought the sword was returned to the Lady of the Lake, like the legends say... I suppose not every legend is true..." - Raven said to herself, before Merlin announced that his grandson would not be coming over. "He will be sorely missed." - the girl added, though not really meaning it. The boy was ... unimpressive so far in their acts. Brash, spoiled, and yet vulnerable at the same time. His last name is the only good thing about him...

When invited, Raven approached and sat opposite to Merlin, wrapping her fingers around a porcelain cup, and taking a breathe in. It made her feel warm inside, the tea was excellent.

"Thank you for having me, Sir... I ... would have never thought to ever have the honor of meeting you... here of all places. What brought you to Jump?" - she asked, curiously. It was a polite way of continuing the conversation. Raven was curious about the mystery woman, and thought that the two were connected, somehow.

Merlin would smile at the witch, "Of course the legend said it was returned to the Lady, otherwise people would be trying to steal it." He would then look over at a picture on a wall, Merlin and a kindly looking older woman with long black hair complimented by a streak of white hair standing on the boardwalk in Jump City about 40 years ago.

"A powerful witch, with a kind heart. Born in Jump City, I met her while I was traveling, and I was instantly smitten. I gifted her a single purple rose, and we would travel together, never staying in one place for too long. Eventually her heart yearned to come back, and I came back with her. Here we set up this very shop, and had a beautiful boy, Alexander, named for my old friend...."

He seemed to get sad when mentioning Alexander, "He was a bright boy, but a hopeless romantic. He fell pray to the Demon-Queen Lilith, claiming he loved her and she loved him. I pleaded with him to think about what he was doing. He simply said, "Father, I'm in love." And that's the last I'd ever saw him. I later found out Lilith had birthed a child, and killed Alexander. When she found out the child was sick, she abandoned him, thinking he'd never be the weapon against man she wanted. I found him in the woods, and named him Elliot Cicero. Though the silly boy prefers the name Prospero, and I can't blame him, all that he's gone through, he wants to make his own luck." He'd then look at Raven, "I must apologize, I didn't mean to go off like some old crone, though I do appreciate you listening, it was... Nice."

Raven stayed quiet, as Merlin spoke.

At this moment, he was not an all-powerful wizard with magic at his beck and call. Not a legendary figure she imagined him to be. He was ... an old man. Who seemed like he had nobody to talk to. And that was ... okay. It was what made him human. Myths and legends often had humble origins. The very fact he chose her to talk to about all of this felt like a big honor. Though the story ... the story was a tragic one. It must have been hard to lose a son... And it explained why Elliot was, despite being a brat, so well-fit with artifacts to keep him healthy and safe.

For a little while, Raven looked away. Between demonic parents, she could sympathize. The girl was not a paragon of social interactions either. But ... being raised by monks of Azarath did help her reign in some of her more powerful emotions and destructive tendencies. Something Merlin did not bother much with, it seemed.

"Demons do not make good parents, do they... Or spouses."

Raven said that in a quiet voice, looking into her cup, at her own reflection, before frowning, and downing the rest of the tea.

"I am sorry... But I understand. Everyone needs someone they could talk to... Even all-powerful wizards such as yourself, sir."

Another round of silence between the two, as Raven made the teapot levitate and pour her some more tea. The heated warmth touching her cold fingers again.

"If I may ask... how did you find the boy? Surely this demon would not dare showing at your doorstep with a child in tow... Not after what she did..."

Raven's eyes focused on Merlin, for a while. Trying to read him. Did he ever want... revenge?

Merlin was about to answer as the door chimes rang, saved by the bell, the old man mused to himself. Up the stairs, his music was heard before him, Prospero was in a ripped up suit, remnants of his fight with the magic cult, bowl headphones around his neck playing some nondescript pop punk song. "Jeez gramps, you wouldn't believe what just happened. So I checked out that magical spike,"

He opened a door to the hallway, the sounds of pill bottles would be heard as he pulled down all 9 of his bottles, the sound of pouring drink, and crinkles of a bag. "Durns awt, at as a gult."

Merlin rolled his eyes, "Elliot-"

"Yeah yeah, mouth full, anyway, turns out, it was a cult. With some high profile villainous members. Spiderhead, Johnny Rancid, and Kitten Moth. And another tiefling. Not like the one I fought with the Titans. I managed to stop those three, but the Tiefling and Ninja got away. Though, I got to sword fight with a ninja, which was pretty cool."

"Elliot, please-"

"They had effigies made of each Titan, and here's the thing, Raven's is glowing, as if it was activated." Prospero walked into the dining area with a large glass of water and the pill bottles, looking like he got hit by a truck. "Oh, hey Raven, I was just about to head over, just needed my meds."

"Elliot, let's see the effigies." Prospero would nod and take the dolls out and put them on the table before taking his pills in a very specific order, looking at each bottle before just chucking them down.

"Speak of the devil."

Aside from that quip, Raven remained quiet, as the boy showed up in the shop, running his mouth as usual. Though this time, the things he was saying were interesting, and bewildering at the same time. And the girl was a very good listener. Though it both amused and amazed her that the boy ran into so many high-profile targets on his own, what was more of a minor miracle was that he survived unscathed.

Well, mostly unscathed...

Raven thought to herself, as the boy looked like he was attached to a pair of horses and dragged along the field. The sounds of medicaments being consumed filled the room, and it was hard to count how many were needed. Guess the old man did not joke about the boy being sick after all. And to think I almost took away his health effigy... - the witch felt a bit bad. But only a little bit. The boy was still stupid and had a knack for running headlong into danger.

She sighed.

"Congratulations on not being dead, I guess." - the girl said dryly, before the effigies were brought into place. Now this, this was interesting. Her eyes widened as she saw the puppets of herself and other titans. One of the puppets though was ... alive. And in it, Raven recognized the soul-shard she lost when encountering the demon girl from before. It showed. The effigy stood up and kicked the other effigies off the table, before approaching the edge of it and waving a fist towards them, making squeaky noises that almost sounded like words. A big dumb grin briefly appeared on Raven's face.

"Cute." - she'd state, and snatch the effigy away, and against her bosom, despite the angry muffled protests.

"Thank you for bringing these back... We once faced a villain who used something similar to these... The Puppet King. He trapped our souls in his puppets, and tried to sacrifice them somehow to take control of our bodies." - Raven shuddered. That one was a close call. And to think of her body being in the hands of a smarmy creepy puppet midget was ... disconcerting.

Elliot would smile, "Ah, always nice to see you too, really light up the room." The sarcasm dripped off every word, Merlin gave Prospero a look. "Sorry."

"Okay, I need you to keep an ear out for these tieflings. If there's more than one we have a pretty big problem, and they need to be dealt with." Elliot looked more than a little angry at that, "Dealt with... how?" Merlin kind of waved Elliot off, "I'm not having this conversation again, especially not in front of a guest." Purple energy would creep up around the area where Elliot was standing. "Oh yeah? I'll take care of them. And continue to hate myself because I need to repress myself, because half my blood is like theirs and I deserve to be treated like less." It seemed as though Elliot wanted to take pride in being half demon, and why wouldn't he? It made him feel powerful, instead of some sick child everyone treated him as. The energy was crawling up his legs. "ENOUGH! Elliot Cicero Ambrosius, what has gotten into you?" Elliot shrugged and walked to his room, but looked back at the two of them, "My illness doesn't make me as fragile as everyone thinks." He then would close the door. Merlin would sigh, "It's concerning he views his race as an oppressed group rather than the evil spawns they are. What do you think, Raven?"

Well, that escalated quickly...

With the members of Ambrosius family starting their heated argument, Raven sat back, eyes moving back and forth as the two exchanged lines. Elliot seemed livid, and Merlin resembled more an angry grandfather than a wise and powerful magician with centuries of experience. But the subject of their talk... It made Raven bring a cup to her mouth, to cover the fact she bit her lip, almost to blood. She could ... understand where both of them were coming from. Why Merlin was so adamant about 'dealing' with tieflings, and why Elliot was so upset over it.

I wonder if the grand Wizard knows who I really am... - Raven wandered, and looked towards the door. The tea in her hands suddenly felt cold, the aroma - stale. Or, perhaps, she simply wanted to leave. No longer felt welcome.

The argument ended with the boy going to his room and slamming the door shut. Merlin asking her for opinion. Her? Of all people? She sighed.

"I think... this is a family matter. To be resolved between you and your grandson. I am a stranger here... I should not have a say..."

But I do agree with him. Demons are evil. Like my father... and his mother. It is a side that needs to be repressed.

The girl looked back, at the wizard.

"But... If you want him to control the demon inside, you should let him see what happens if he doesn't. Then, he will know what is at stake."

With that, Raven would stand up from her chair, and place the cup on the table. It was time for her to go, and it was time for Ambrosius to talk to one another. She did not want to be the third wheel here... This was not her fight. Bowing to Merlin, and bidding him farewell, the girl would walk through the door. But before doing so, she'd briefly look over her shoulder.

"And ... sir. Whatever you do, never ever refer to him as a 'demon'."

That was the advice she left her idol with. Leaving through the door, with the excited gleam vanishing from her eyes. Instead replaced by a hint of sadness. She went in to meet a legend. She left having met... a man. And his sad, sad family. As Raven took flight, she shook her head a little, and tucked into her hood more. The little angry chibi doll still tucked at her chest.

"We're only human."