It's in the middle of the afternoon and the weather outside is clear, but still a bit too cold to let citizens do outdoors activities. Most of them, consequently, look for the cozyness and warmth of the indoors. Be it their own homes or the many business that dot the city. One of them is a magical place called The Oak and Thristle. A store where one can find all sorts of magic and ritual instruments. There, in the darkest corner of the store, is a man in an expensive lookin tailored suit. He has his back to the front door and is poking at some of the glasses on display. Around him and over every possible surface there are candles. They're not lit, but they look to be in many different stages of life. Some as short as a coin, some tall like a bottle. Increasing the mystical theme wandering around and about, there is a crow nested over one of the bookshelves. The animal, though, is far from being mundane. It's feathers are made of the pitchest black material and his eyes is of the bloodiest red.
Enter the Mouse.
Clarice is an unobtrusive sort of mouse. She's small, of course. Light hair, light face, light fur. She's a very serious rodent, though, with the expression of a mouse on a mission. Upon entering, she looks about for someone to assist, and, well, Ben is not hard to pick out of a crowd. She therefore heads in his direction.
"Excuse me."
She doesn't reach up to tug on a sleeve, but she does have to look up at Ben. "I'm looking for a book or two on -- " She pulls out a small pad of paper from her blazer, and examines it. " -- psychic energies and powers." And back goes the pad. "Something scholarly, preferably, like a collection of articles or opinions."
Her tone is inquisitive.
Ben turns around calmly and listen the mouse. When she's done, the man offers her a grim grin as he stares at her with his wicked yellow eyes. Menacinly."Sorry, little one. But I'm not the owner of this place. But I record seeing books of that said subject over there." He says as point towards the right back corner of the room where there is a large nook. There books lie in a shelf along with dusted jars.
"But if you don't mind me asking. Why are you so intersted in such a thing?" The man asks with mild curiosity.
"Curiosity."
It's an evasive answer, but Clarice makes no attempt to make it sound anything more than a half-apology. "It's not the only thing cats ought to be afraid of." That might be a joke. "It is a body of knowledge I'm not familiar with. I like being familiar with things." Again, more evasiveness. Still, it's an answer.
She follows along quietly and otherwise silently.
"I'm Ben Utridge. By the way. I'm not sure we'd met before. I'm a Magus. And I share the liking of being familiar with things. And I think this is a good place to start searching for knowledge, isn't it?" He says in the same calm tone of him. It's not warm, but, at least, it's not intimidating either.
Surely, a mouse is easy to intimidate, so that's a good thing.
"Mr. Utridge." Beat. "Clarice Hudson. And we haven't met, I don't think." Her voice is quiet, and sounds a little distracted. "They say that to be knowledgable is to be prepared, and I like to be prepared. Not that I know of anyone with any psychic powers." She doesn't sound convincing. "But, just in case."
Clarice's eyes move from place to place, item to item.
Ben watches at the mouse goes around between the books and the items in search for her target."Tell me, Clarice. Would these psychic powers include the manipulation of fire?" He asks casually as he puts both hands into his pockets.
Clarice smiles very, very briefly.
"No." Beat. "But that's a thought now, and you know what they say about thoughts." The smile reappears for a second or two. "As I said, curiosity drives me. If I were not curious, I would not be here. Suffice to say, I've my own reasons for wanting the knowledge, not the least of which being the reasons I've already stated." It's a nice way to say 'mind yo bizness', but that's what she's implying, certainly.
"What's wrong with a little familiar with the occult, yes?"
"If you're interested in the Occult as a whole, not just the psychic powers, I can share with you the little I knowledge I have pertaining the subject. I've studied the occult for a very long time now." He offers as he steps aside to give the little mouse a bit more space. The crow, though, continues staring at the mouse with curiosity from up his nesting place.
Better curiosity than hunger.
"Just psychic powers for now. Studies, texts, opinions, that sort of thing." Beat. "I'm led to believe that some academic research has been produced regarding the subject, although that might be mostly hokum or debunked by now." She shrugs. "Anything. The local library's information is understandably sparse."
"Naturally, I am willing to trade knowledge for knowledge, or whatever you wish."
Ben ponders for a second."Psychic powers and experiments are not exactly in my field of study, sorry. But I may inquire my colleagues at the Ashen Court and see if they have something related to the studies of the mind. Or maybe the Custodians. If you didn't do it already."
"I have not."
Clarice doesn't seem disappointed. Instead, she changes the topic. "Then teach me what you can, Mr. Utridge, and I will do the same." Beat. "If knowledge is power, then it makes sense for us to share." She gestures to herself. "Although, I must tell you, I'm not sworn to the local 'hold. That will change, but, for now, I do not want you to think I'm not being forthright."
Well, she isn't fully so, but she's not hiding facts.
"I'm in the field time enough to had learned that being, or not being, in a community doesn't mean anything about a person's motivations, little Clarice." He says with that same cold calmness but with a tone lower than before."My expertise lies in Them and in the magic of words and how they bind people together. Among the ins and out of the Maze."
To that, the Mouse shrugs her shoulders.
"Then there is a part of me that is sad for you." Beat. "There is no greater joy than knowing what lies beyond Them, and no greater sorrow than knowing that you will never escape them." This does not seem to make her sad. "Still, my point remains, Mr. Utridge. I am still open to trade knowledge and skill for the same. It is unfortunate you do not have the lore I'm looking for, but -- " Another shrug. " -- so be it."
As if to put a cherry on the comment, she then smiles half-heartedly.
Ben looks at the mouse and the corner of his mouth twists upwards in a very brief display of a smile."I like that." He murmurs before putting his black hand into his pocket."I'm looking for a calm place in the Maze to assemble a secret place to my studies and experimentations. Would you have any information about that? The location of such a place? An abandoned Hollow, maybe?"
Clarice has to think on that.
"I can find one for you," she offers, after a moment of consideration. "I have contacts. The Onyx Court may know." Beat. "And if I can locate one for you, then will you pass on to your Court that I will be a friend to it, should it need me? I am a friend to all courts, so long as they seek objectives within their roles."
Yes, she is a Winter Courtier, through and through.
"You're an ambitious mouse, aren't you, little Clarice? If you find me a good spot that doesn't require me going into the Market and giving up on something I'll regret later, we do have a deal." The ogre says as he untucks his black hand and offers it to a shake.
The Mouse lifts an eyebrow at that, but does not comment.
"A deal." Clarice takes Ben's hand and shakes it firmly. And, yes, her grip is firm indeed. Her hand, in fact, feels like it's made out of steel. Like she uses them a great deal to put holes in things. People. "But I must say, one should not confuse ambitious with duty." Beat. "I know my duty. I know my role. If no one else does, so much is the lesser for all of us."
"But I know mine."
Ben's hand, in the other side, is cold to the touch and looks inhuman somehow. But his grips is firm the same way of a man of his size and look's."What is your duty? The duty to gather all information and secrets posible within and without a community, trade at when necessary and when everything is about to crash, run and hide until it's safe to come out again?" The Autumnal asks. There is no judgment on his words, though. Just the plain knowledge as it really is.
To that, Clarice shakes her head, no.
"My duties are myriad." She explains further. "Our role is to ensure that we do what are. We gather information so that we know who needs support. We search for secrets so that we are assured they get to where they will be safe. We prepare for war so that we can be called upon when needed. In short, we are the court that prepares for every eventuality, every possibility, forever."
It sounds so very romantic.
"But we cannot do this alone. We are not as warm as spring, or fiery as summer, or thoughtful as autumn. When the fellowship falters, we try to remind it of why it exists and how it works. When the end is nigh, the only reasonable solution is to run and hide to preserve our resources for the time when we can re-emerge and thrive again."
"Survive and prevail."
Ben listen that explanation with genuine interest and when the little mouse is done talking, he nods sagely."You're wise." He murmurs."You can count on me on your endeavor of making the system works properly, little one. Maybe this is what caused the Silver Tree to uproot after all many years ago." With that, he takes from his trench coat's pocket a business card and offers it to Clarice."Here. This is my contact number. In case you need help in general. I'm good at going in and out of the maze and I can be very good to have by your side if you want to head to the Market to avoid being cheated on on a bargain. You're allowed to spread this information around to whoever needs it." He sounds sincere and worried."These are not days to be a lonely wanderer. And this place is not safe at all."
To that, the Mouse shrugs her shoulders.
"Who will walk with a mouse?" She smiles in a rueful way. "Some see me as feeble. Others, of no note. I'm comfortable with whichever impression I give." She reaches out to briefly touch the Magus on the hand. "Though I may be small, I am fierce. Though I walk alone, I can speak for others. In the end, all that matters to me is our survival." Beat. "I let the other Courts deal with other matters as they ought."
She takes the card, and slips it into her blazer, and then starts toward the door.
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