To a Job Well Done

The message left for Simony at the Temple of Navos was simple, if vague:

Celebratory lunch, I'm buying. --Magpie

And indeed, the table farthest from the fireplace is indeed decked out for a celebration. With the permission of the proprietors, and with assurance she'll do her own cleaning up, the table has been bedecked with ribbon garlands around its edge and colorful place settings at its top. On one side of the table, Magpie sits, bouncing slightly in her seat as she waits forthe party to start.

The Gobbo steps into the Fernwood with a stiff gait, a kind of half shuffle, as if unable or unwilling to lift her feet too high. Her pale yellow summer dress covered her from shoulder to feet, with the oversized hat providing shade for her pale shoulders and head.

As she arrives at the table, she pulls the hate from her head, revealing a bald head and broad smile. Simony moves to give the bouncy Gnome a hug, and a whisper in her ear. "The device is made?", she wonders, before settling into a chair beside Magpie. She giggles and gestures. "Unless it's your birthday, I do apologize, and wish you many happy returns!"

"The former," Magpie laughs, waving the goblin to her chair; next to hers, rather than across, so they can discuss sensitive topics at a sane volume. "Made and delivered, and *let me tell you* I do not want to stretch that far with what Albus can do with my magic again."

She trails off as the server sets down a pair of glasses and a human-sized bottle of wine. "Barley-beef stew and the dark bread for me, and whatever my friend wants, thanks!"

"That's great news!" She settles into the indicated chair instead, making herself comfortable. "I would love to hear how it was done, honestly. There could be some good work possible if it can be applied elsewhere, which I am sure you know. Probably less worrisome, too!"

"Barley-beef stew? Well, that sounds like it could be delicious, I'll have that. Though, could I get just the regular loaf? Too good to give up."

Another glance to Magpie. "Delivered. Used?"

At the question, Magpie shakes her head. "No, but it's in the hands of the person who'll get the most good out of using it," she says after the server leaves, standing up to properly pour wine out of such an enormous bottle.

"As for how it was made," she says, pushing Simony's full glass her way first, then plopping back down to take up her wine, "Well like I said at the presentation, it started with--" She looks left, right, then up and down, then finally leans over to whisper "--soul-trapping magic." Leaning back into place, she takes a sip of her wine. "...Which Albus kind of had to gather most of the potential magic in my reserves and moosh all together just to fuel the casting of the spell. Hence, never again. That was a *rough* half hour."

Simony stares at the large bottle, and then, at the full glass pushed her way. She takes a polite sip, smacking her lips once. "Mmmh, I've not had one like this, thanks very much!" She nods then, as Magpie gets into the details, the Goblin's ears perking up.

"So.", she says at an almost whisper. "Can it be done with other magics? For example, could he have pulled all of my divine magics in that half hour, and do the same thing?" Her expression grows thoughtful. "May I ask what ... trapping magics, exactly? A specific spell? Again, just curiosity. Academic curiosity. I mean, it may be in future that someone will need to pull this out again. If there was a carefully laid out plan..."

"I'm keeping the plans hidden with Albus," Magpie says. "I agree there should be a plan in place, but until Albus gets a body of his own and I need to watch it myself, he's the best person I can think of to decide if the need is truly great. Mostly because the base spell--" Again she looks about, and leans in to whisper. "--Is the one that *traps the soul in a gem.* Which was why I needed all that money, mostly, to *get* it. But that doesn't stop the spell from being super illegal to cast, I had to get special dispensation and present a full plan to the Temple of Daeus before I could get the permission."

She shrugs to the other question, as the food is brought and set down. "I don't honestly know, but I don't *think* so? The way Albus talks about it, it's one of those edge cases where he knows the spell but doesn't have the ability to power it, and I have *potential* power but nothing organized and pre-portioned. ...I'm willing to bet my tinge of Chaos is part of it, too, honestly. Lots of factors, nothing clearly pointing to how."

The Goblin listens intently, the urge to write things down causing her to pull out a pencil. After a few moments of indecision, she slips it back into a little pouch on her hip. "A wise idea, though I have so many more questions." The food arrives and she begins to dig into her stew, chewing a few mouthfuls before pausing.

"Delicious. Erm, but I will do my best to keep my curiosity in check. We should be celebrating after all." A shaky hand lifts her glass, which she gently offers forward. "To you, Magpie, without whom we'd not be in a position we call winning."

Magpie lifts her glass, grinning. "To you too, Simony. Without your help this literally wouldn't have been possible, you are *going* to get some of the credit for this when I write down the whole story. And I *am,* once Jal'goroth is finally put away."

Clink!

Simony smiles, her cheeks mottling a deep red. She slowly sips about half the wine remaining in the glass, before enjoying another mouthful of stew. Pausing, she shrugs her shoulders. "I am not seeking credit, but I will accept what credit is given. I would also offer whatever information I can, to help fill any gaps in your memory regarding the story. I'll also happily create illustrations too."

She leans her chin on her hand, her spoon idly churning the stew bowl. "How do feel about tattoos?"

Working diligently on her food, Magpie pauses, tipping her head to look at Simony, puzzled. "Hwuh?"

Pausing, she takes care of her full mouth, then washes down the remainder with a sip of wine. "I mean, besides 'ow?' Not really one way or the other honestly, but I've never had a reason to before. Got something in mind?"

The Goblin drinks down the last of her wine, and offers a toothy grin. "This sort of ... doomsday scenario, that we're helping to defeat, deserves some recognition. I thought a tattoo might be significant. Something that truthfully says... I was there. I lent a hand. I stood up, stood firm, and saw it done."

She rubs her chin thoughtfully. "Telamon has a magical tattoo on his back. I thought, we could create one for the people who've lent a hand. To honor them all. We could also mark the graves of those who've passed in the service of this cause."

"Y'know, that's honestly a pretty good idea," Magpie muses. "It *definitely* hits the mark of 'important enough to commemorate,' that's for sure. ...Maybe the biggest question is 'are there people who wouldn't sit still for that? and I can only think of Dolan and Zeke. They've been through rough stuff, it might be a reminder in the moment. But, I can ask!"

She smiles brightly. "You and I shall bend heads together, to weave some magics that allow us to tattoo someone without pain. For Zeke... he's Sith? We can magically mark one of his scales." The Goblin laughs then, "You created a thing to trap something powerful into something small, for all eternity. A magical tattoo, surely it is infinitely easier?"

"No, that's a pretty good point," Magpie chuckles. "So let's do that, then! And speaking of working out how to make things, that project gave me a *serious* grounding in enchantments. So if there's a special hat you might need, or a magic necklace or something? Let me know, it'll *definitely* be easier than that."

"Well... I have heard of some things that might help me. Got anything to resist fire?" The Goblin runs a hand over her bald head. "I was rather badly burnt, a Charnese wizard dropped a fireball at my feet. Then a Forgotten tore open my side. I was... gone for a few moments. It was agony when I woke up moments later."

Simony holds out her right hand, the skin looking painfully new. "I'd really like to avoid that in future."

"Not on me!" Magpie chirps brightly. "But give me a few days and I can probably whip something up, now! ...I'm going to need help with funding the materials of course, the Enchanter's Circle does *not screw around* with its policies let me tell you."

Simony snorts and giggles, and she nods. "Of course, I would be pleased to assist, since you are willing to assist me." She rubs at her face, contorting her cheek back and forth. "I just... am so indecisive. Do I protect myself? Or find a way to protect others? Secondary means to heal people? A better weapon?"

"You'll figure it out," Magpie says with a smile. "And when you do, just let me know and I'll get started, okay? And wow, this wine *is* good, I'm glad I got a real bottle of it."

"Oh yeah, you definitely got real stuff. But, you know... as much as some of the tall people short people stuff is a little insulting... I know for a fact that this whole bottle will get us both beyond drunk." This fact doesn't stop her from sliding her glass forward for a refill.

"What about... a bag of holding? I could stuff it will scrolls, potions, wands and such. Lots to help out others." Simony smiles toothily, "Can you manage one?"

"That's why I got it!" Magpie says, helpfully refilling Simony's glass, then her own. "It's a celebration, right? And yeah that won't be a problem at all, space-folding was what I did my secondary-school dissertation on. Mostly because *Everyone in Rune is a crazy idiot and needs to know it.*"

Pause. "I got a C-."

The Goblin downs half her glass in one painful gulp, and sets it down for the moment. "Indeed, a celebration! Erm, you live nearby, yes? You may require assistance getting home and I'll lend you a hand. Though I may end up curled up in a corner somewhere, okay?"

Simony snorts and cackles. "Your dissertation was done because everyone in Rune is crazy and needs to know it? And you got a C minus?" There's a pause as the Gobbo drinks the rest of the wine from her glass. "I don't mean to uhm offer insult, but... it sounds like they took it personally. I mean, they all mark on the bell curve, you should have had a B, easily."

"You have *no idea* how much Rune in general loves pocket dimensions! There are buildings where the *privies* are repurposed janitor's closets built to support two hundred, it's *stupid!*" Magpie yells, waving her arms over her head. "But no, wizards gotta wizard, am I right?"

Simony giggles. "Two hundred people in a privy? Eeeeewh!" She makes a sour face, and leans over to snatch up the wine bottle, refilling her glass. And then Magpie's.

If it's held in one place long enough. If the Gobbo's hand remains steady enough.

"Why would they do that, honestly? I mean, I get people making luxurious, incredibly clean toilets with fancy things in them, but... who would have two hundred in at once?"

"*That* is not the *point,*" Magpie huffs. "The *point* is 'what if there was a batch of bad food and suddenly half a school needs to use the bathroom all at once?' And because, hey, you have hemidimensional engineers who need *some* kind of project to build reputations, suddenly a school gets ultra-high-capacity privies!"

Flopping back in her chair, she crosses her arms. "Anyway the grade had a note next to it. I was supposed to be explaining theory, not arguing policy, and the only reason I got *that* good a mark was because my argument *proved* I had a sound understanding of the theory."

The Gobbo raises her eyebrows, "Does that happen often in Rune? Remind me to pack my own lunch if I travel there." She sips at her wine, and nods. "They still sound mad. Like.. explain the theory but don't challenge our policy.. I mean, they had to begrudgingly accept that you understood the theory, but surely you must have understood that you also probably exposed their policy for what it was."

"It's a classroom," Magpie says, shrugging. "It's not a matter of 'is it a good, cogent argument,' just 'complete the assignment that was asked of you.' That's the problem with schools, they don't want you pushing out of the boundaries of the assignment."

Simony lets out a long sigh and nods, "Indeed. Can't have us breaking boundaries. That might lead to exciting new discoveries, and they can't have that." The Gobbo offers up her glass towards Magpie, "To higher education!"

"To higher education!" Magpie says, clinking glasses. "May it look down before it's so high there's nothing but clouds under its feet!"