nexus_crossings | Balancing the Books

Balancing the Books

Here’s someone who hasn’t shown his face in public for a while. Felix is sitting on the old Legion desk in his Legion leathers, a small pile of books beside him. For those who get close enough to look, they’re all reference books about Earth, including a children’s encyclopedia and a dictionary. The mage himself still looks a little sleepless, but he’s in far better shape than the gaunt, distracted wraith who showed up for the Halloween party. There’s color in his face, an easy confidence in his posture… and with his hood down around his shoulders, his hair looks like it’s back to its normal black.

Felix draws a deep breath that has nothing at all to do with the letter he’s pretending to read, then folds it and flashes the nearest Nexus-goers a quick smile.

“How forgiving you are you of debts?” he asks. “Those you’re owed, and those you owe.”

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It's disarming to see Felix like this. His recent life lessons have made quite the impact on him. Adia hopes it lasts, she likes this version of him -- all the charm and none of the smarm.

Caspar returns the bow with a simple nod of the head, but at least he finally blinks. It's Adia who fills the silence, returning his sheepishness with a brief look of apology. "It came up in conversation, I know that neither of you want to make it a big spectacle." As for his own congratulations, she can't help but blush, her hand holding Caspar's a little more tightly. "Yeah. Um. A lot happened since I saw you last..." Her smile turns a touch teasing as she looks up at her boyfriend. "No proposal yet, though. I'm sure when that happens, the whole Nexus will hear about it."

This breaks the cool neutrality on the Cylon's face. He blushes as well and averts his gaze, a half-grin playing on his lips. "I won't be shy about it, that's for sure." Returning his attention to Felix, he raises an eyebrow and says, "I hope your brother's caught you up on what you've missed around here."

An impact, certainly. For the better or the worse remains to be seen. Felix may be less quick with the compliments and the charm, but then his smile is fainter, too, his body language more distant. This sort of friendliness is likely more comfortable for Adia, but ironically, it's more of a pretense than before.

But then, any kind of normality feels like an act, still. He's just trying to practice.

He's watching how they act around each other, how different that smile is to anything he's seen from Adia before. Whatever their difficulties, Caspar is long forgiven, he can see. Adia's not even embarrassed to bring up the likelihood of their betrothal- ah. His eyes flick back to Caspar, and he nods.

"And told me who to watch out for, yes. I remember his handiwork well enough to guard myself, too. There's been no more news, I take it?"

The fact that he's out in the Nexus, head uncovered, is progress enough. Healing takes time -- Adia would know, there's a reason that Caspar has been with her on every recent trip to the Nexus.

If she's aware that Felix is watching her behavior, she doesn't show it. More likely, she doesn't notice. She'd be more self-conscious otherwise. Her smile for Caspar is for him alone, and not one given conditionally. But the conversation turns, as it must, to grimmer things, and her gaze drops to the ground while Caspar answers Felix's question.

"Not in the Nexus, no." There's a long pause while he internally debates sharing some newly acquired information. It's not pleasant, and ideally he'd discuss it without Adia present, but... "Josh murdered the trainer who hired him to kill those two poachers. On her world. I think it's safe to say that he's attempting to cover his tracks."

He lets go of Adia's hand so he can wrap his arm around her and draw her in close, letting her burrow into his side for protection and warmth. He holds her so tenderly, a sharp contrast to the cold fury burning in his eyes, now that she can't see. "We haven't heard from him otherwise."

Felix doesn't look remotely surprised that more blood has been spilled. It's the natural progression of such affairs, not that obsessed killers are something he's come across often.

"Well, if there's any help I can offer, you only need let me know. Though... unless Stratos is otherwise occupied, the help I can offer..." His mouth twists a little as he leans back against the table. Given the look on Caspar's face, the fear in Adia's, his probably isn't the help they're willing to accept.

It's no surprise to Caspar either, but it's damn frustrating. How are they going to get ahold of this slimy little psychopath if he stays in hiding?

Caspar's head tilts at the unspoken offer. He knows that Felix made some poor decisions regarding necromancy. Is this what he is alluding to? But before he can ask, Adia is already replying.

"If you could keep an eye out for him, that'd be a good start." She turns so that she's not quite hiding so much in Caspar's grasp. "He's been dabbling in voodoo... that's a kind of dark magic. So don't underestimate him, okay?" She's sure Felix can handle himself, but not if he assumes that 'Josh' is as mundane as she is. Or... was, anyway.

"I never assume I have the upper hand, Adia." That's exactly why he's willing to exploit any advantage he can get. "'Voodoo', is it? Do you know anything about it? I may have to make some time in my research."

"Caspar's looking into it a little." She turns her gaze up to her boyfriend. "And you said Hermione was looking into it, too?"

The Cylon nods brusquely. "She offered to do her own research on the subject. But I went to the Grand Library and learned what I could. It's a religion on some Earths, and a form of magic on others. There's a lot of communing with local spirits, and an emphasis on blessing others through charms and potions." His mouth purses into a frown. "There's a darker side to it and that's what Josh seems to be interested in, like creating little dolls and controlling or harming people through them."

"It's how he got here," Adia adds softly. "A voodoo witch opened a portal for him."

"Sounds like my kind of magic." Which is both unsurprising and bolsters his confidence. He's not an easy person to harm that way. But looking into the spirits involved in this form wouldn't hurt...

"Did the witch survive their bargain?"

Is that supposed to be reassuring, Felix? Caspar raises an eyebrow, but he supposes that the other man isn't referring to the darker side of voodoo. "Your kind of magic. Does it have a name? Do you do any kind of arithmancy?"

"It was more the other way around, I think..." Adia frowns to herself, trying to remember the words written in Josh's journal. It still feels wrong to her, a violation of privacy that she knows such intimate thoughts. "It sounded like the witch offered the portal to him. I don't know if she asked for anything in return, but maybe she had her own reasons for sending him here."

"That business with all the numbers? No, that isn't usual for Tamriel. I specialize in conjuration." He pauses a moment, glancing between their expressions when he elaborates, "The art of binding souls, summoning spirits and communing with other planes."

As for the witch, Felix weighs the risks a moment before he says, "I think I'd like to speak with her, if she could be tracked down."

It's good he explained. Even though Caspar knew he was probably wrong, the image of Felix pulling a rabbit out of a hat was the only thing that came to mind. "It does sound similar," he agrees. "Too bad you don't know arithmancy. I've found it fairly useful so far. No souls required." It's the only school of magic he's taken an interest in so far. There's math involved.

At Felix's request, he starts to make a sarcastic comment, but Adia cuts him off at the pass. "You'd need to find his home world first. If you could find her, I think talking to her would be very useful." The likelihood of some random witch offering Josh a chance to visit the Nexus in person seems too implausible, even to her.

"Oh, you've been trying your hand then? I gather it's useful enough, but scrying is my brother's kind of craft. I'd rather just find someone to answer my questions." He says that as if it's easier, and maybe if you know the right entities it is.

"Or find out which spirits she's been talking to." Why talk to the underling if it's easier to call on their boss? And he did catch that near-sarcasm. "It's not impossible for a conjurer, Caspar. If you learn anything more about her- or her particular patrons - do let me know. I might be able to make something of it."

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Balancing the Books

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