2012-09-19 Supplies for the Home Front

Making his way through the former tunnels, Mandrake lets out a grunt of exhaustion as he lugs multiple bags of groceries. "Kit!" He calls out as he continues to walk. "Devil?!" More steps. "New Cat person?" More steps. "Anybody here?" He says with mirth. "I brought some supplies!"

In the sleeping area, The Phantom is crouching over a totally stoned Asmodeus. He's on his back on the cot next to Rain, chewing and grabbing at a potted catnip plant. Devil watches, only vaguely curious--then his ears suddenly prick, and he hurries off the bed. "That's got to be Mandrake," says the Phantom, grinning and reaching up to grip Rain's shoulder lightly as he stands up. "I'll be right back, okay? Just--make sure he doesn't overdose, or something, I guess..." A grin, there, then he hurries out after the wolf. When Devil gets to the man, he huffs happily at him, and just a beat behind is the Phantom. "Oi, here, let me help you with that," he says as he goes to take as many of the bags from the man as possible. "C'mon, Rain is in the back with Asmodeus. You can see what she did to him while we paw through all of this." He grins at the man, there.

Oh Azzy. Rain giggles, watching the cat and Devil. "Sure. I can help if you'd like... or put some hot water on?" Headtilt. Granted, Rain IS a guest here, but she feels like she should at least offer. As he grips her shoulder, she smiles up to him. She watches the two depart for a moment then, staying out from underfoot and planted where she is. Actually... she probably SHOULD check on Asmodeus. She peers over at the cat. Carefully, she extends a couple of fingers to sniff at. "You are /so/ stoned, little fuzzy dude..." Sigh. An amused look.

Mandrake smiles widely to Kit, as his friend helps him unload his supplies. "Lothar said he would help, but something came up back home..." Mandrake offers as he continues to smile to Kit. "Oh?" His eyes seem to twinkle at his friend. "Good for Asmodeus, I am glad he is making friends..." A hint of mischief undercuts his words. Upon hearing Rain's voice, he calls out. "Oh, Lady Rain! How lovely to see you again? How are your studies? Rumor has it that you are keeping these ruffians and ne'er do wells, in line?" He looks down towards Devil. "That doesn't include you, Devil, my old friend! I KNOW you always walk the straight and narrow, and clean up...and do your chores." Shuffling the remaining bags he holds, he slips Devil a large bone.

Taking as many of the bags as possible, the Phantom hoists them in two hands and hoists them over one shoulder, almost looking like a really--interesting--take on Santa Claus. "Come on, you two," he mutters with a good-natured tone. Devil brushes against Mandrake in his friendly way, giving the man a canine grin before hurrying ahead. In the sleeping area, he'll sit off to the side, tail thumping on the ground lightly as he looks toward the hall, where the Phantom will very soon appear with the magician. "Mandrake, Rain has become a drug dealer," he quips, nodding to the incredibly stoned Azzy--but who also looks genuinely /happy/ for the first time in ever.

Rain smiles as Mandrake enters. She seems amused a little. "Azzy is a good cat," She thinks so, anyway. "Um. Just Rain is fine, really." She rubs the back of her head. "They go well enough. Miss Zatanna loaned me some books to read. They're honestly pretty intense," She admits. "And sort of..." She's not feeling so confident about it after the last one blew himself up. Sigh. Then a pout at her new job title towards Phantom. "Ah! Hey! They said it helped anxious cats! He looks happy. I'll call that satisfied." She grins. "How are you?" She asks Mandrake, tilting her head. She seems to be in a quietly happy, awkward mood as ever.

Following places the bags down, Mandrake doffs his hat towards Rain, "Appearances to the contrary, Kit assures me that this isn't an opium den, but I may have to rethink that...Asmodeus, does have a certain look...and that catnip...all that catnip." He chuckles as he straightens back up as he smiles towards Rain, "I am very well, Rain. Thank you for asking." He gives her a wink. "Ah, I am glad you are working with Zatanna, she has a very pleasant aura." He looks around at the furniture and chooses to stand. "I hope I am not intruding?" He offers casually.

The bags are set down by the crate of M.R.E.s--out of a logical choice, really; food is food, so why not?--the Phantom stands up and looks at Mandrake when he offers his hope that he isn't intruding, then he looks to Rain. A grin spreads on his lips as a hint of color comes to his cheeks, and he tries to cover the latter up by reaching up to start removing the mask and cowl. "Um, no. We were just--letting Asmodeus spaz out," he says as he splits the near-invisible seam on the back of the cowl with one hand, wiggling the diamond mask with the other to unhook it. He's even telling the truth, though his friend knows him well enough to know that he's telling the truth /technically/. And when his head is uncovered, there's that hood-hair again, which he takes a moment to comb his fingers through. It never works, but.

Rain watches the two for a moment. She smiles at Kit and Mandrake. "Let me know if you'd need any help." She offers. She turns a bit red as Phantom does. "Yeah. Azzy was making funny noises earlier. I think he's totally stoned..." She admits. "Would you like me to put some hot water on for tea?" She offers. She's trying to distract herself a bit. Deep breath. "And she is. She's very kind. I - am glad to hear you're well," She nods. "Azzy likes catnip..." She agrees quietly.

"Ahhhh, good...good." Mandrakes smiles to Kit. "" His mouth twisted into a bemused smile, as he leans in towards Kit, stage whispering, "You know, if you would use the Dapper Dan Hair Gel - ultra-strength, your hair would stay in place." He doffs his hat, not a hair is out of place in his 1930's slicked back do. He straighten backs up, "I am glad to see that Asmodeus *knows* that a ladies' travels shouldn't be taken lightly." He cocks his eyebrow up at Rain, "Ohhhh? Let me see...." He makes his way to the cat, he waggles his fingers at the Cat as he looks into the cat's eyes. "Hmmmm..." Inside Mandrake's mind, the walls seem to be moving, a disco ball spins, and the lights...the lights...not to mention that he suddenly feels, really, really hungry. "By jove, I believe he is stoned..." Blinking away his vision, he bows politely to Rain. "There is magic which Zatanna can teach you, and there is magic inside you, young Rain. True Magic comes from the soul..." He shakes his head again. "Ohhhh! Some tea, would be lovely. Is there more Lavender Tea?"

"Yeah, well, not all of us can pull off such a dashing look," replies the Phantom in a good-natured mutter, tossing the cowl and the mask onto the bed. He watches the magician mind meld with the cat, arching a brow in curiosity. He'd still like to know how the heck the man does that kind of thing. Oh, well. Looking to Rain, he says, "I've got it. You can rest, you know." He gives her a smile, then digs around behind the crate of M.R.E.s to bring out the small warmer and the extension cord that disappears into a wall. He plugs the one into the other, setting it on some milk crates. "Let me go get the teapot and some water, yeah? You two--talk your magic stuff or something." He grins as he goes to slide around Mandrake, giving the man a pat on the shoulder and Rain a quick and light massage at the base of her neck. "Be right back, guys," he says then heads for the hall.

Rain looks amused. Well, to be fair, hat hair is likely an endemic hazard to heroing. She smiles as Kit pulls off his mask. But then? Mandrake goes all mind meld with the cat. She stifles a giggle. "That is a really impressive talent," She nods. She's impressed by Mandrake's brainabilities! "Um. I appreciate that. Thank you. And I suspect so, but if not, I'll be glad to bring more by," She really does seem pleased they enjoy it. "Thank you," She looks to Phantom and smiles faintly. She looks amused by 'magic stuff'. "Fair enough." She smiles at the quick touch to the back of her neck and tilts her head. "Magic stuff huh?" Hmmm. She looks thoughtful and glances over. "Are you alright? You seemed a bit dazed..."

"Oh! Make sure not to scald the water, my dear fellow!" He calls after Kit...he need to say something to prevent his face from forming a lopsided grin when Kit rubbed Rain's neck. After taking a moment to compose himself, he turns back to Rain. "He doesn't scald the water, but I must find something to critique or he'll stagnate." He offers jokingly towards Rain. "Oh, yes, quite alright, sometimes when doing /magic stuff/, I experience a bit of disorientation, really more of a loss of self, going from to two legs to four legs, and back to two legs, is jarring on the mind! Especially, when...well...never mind that." He curls a hand on his chin. "Yes, magic things can be a lot of fun, especially with a partner...But, right now, I am teaching myself, more card tricks. You?"

An amused look. Rain smiles at that. "Fair enough," She doesn't seem to intrude on their teasing, after all. Rain looks thoughtful, watching Mandrake quietly a moment. "I see. That's pretty impressive. And yeah, I bet. Azzy's been at it... I debate taking the plant up so he doesn't overdo it," She admits, peering over. "But he seems so happy," Sigh. Happy lil Azzinator, hell cat extraordinaire. Either way, she looks back to Mandrake. "I'm learning a lot. Avoiding horrible death... it's been peaceful this week," She remarks quietly, "For me anyway. Card tricks sound neat," She remarks. "I could never get them down," She peers at her hands.

Taking a long look into the kitchen, to make sure Kit is out of ear shot, Mandrake creeps closer to Rain and leans in and whispers. "Sometimes, I mark the cards." He gives her a wink. He then straighten backs up. "In all seriousness, the problem isn't in your hands, they move based on the will of the user, if you think you will mess up, you will." He taps the side of his head. "All tricks, start with the mindset. Visualize doing the trick and it will be done." He reaches into his shirt pocket, pulling out a deck of cards. He idly shuffles them. "That, I do this for hours on end...Practice makes perfect, but don't tell Kit, or else, I will have to do more fist-to-cuffs training." As he absently fans the cards out, "Taking the plant may be wise, I mean you can always keep coming back over, to tend to his care? Yes?" Mandrake offers that innocently, before he turns back to Rain. "...and avoiding a horrible death, should be Priority Number ONE! Be careful out there!"

Finally, bootsteps can be heard in the hall, and Kit reappears with the teapot in hand. He only catches the tail-end of it all. "Well, I hope she comes back over--to tend to Asmodeus' care," he quips as he goes to set the teapot on the warmer and turn the thing on. "Though I do agree that avoiding a horrible death should be top priority. Avoiding a not-so-horrible death should be second on the list." A grin given to the others, then he rummages around some more and comes out with the box of lavender tea and some tin cups. Those get set next to the teapot, then he sets his hands on his hips as he turns to face them again.

Rain grins at the whisper and wink. She crosses her heart. Secret stays here. "Aah... I guess," She considers it. She watches him and smiles. "Well. I like watching yours better," So there. "But that's good advice... and I won't," She promises. Tell, anyway. "And yeah. I like visiting you guys," She replies. Waitaminute. Then his last remark makes her blink and look sheepish. "I suspect so..." But it is apparent curiosity often overrides sense in her case. Engineers! Who needs them? There's a look to Kit and her face goes a bit red for a moment. She smiles at his grin. "Well, maybe..." Rain's priorities seem a bit different. Avoiding death just happens to be on the agenda, somewhere... "Thank you. And one sec. I think maybe Azzy's had enough nip..."

Mandrake peers at Kit and the cups. "Fantastic, job! Oh, that reminds me...Asmodeus, said he enjoys your company Rain..." He smiles, "My Cat to English Dictionary, takes a while to work sometimes." He continues manipulate his card deck with a few grand bridges with the cards. "Well, I would say, the Show is Priority Number 2...It must go on you know..." After the widest bridge to moment, Mandrake collapses his hands together, through the cards, he spreads his hands, all the cards are gone. "And thank you for the kind compliment, m'lady." He bows very deeply as he raises back up.

As she goes to remove the plant from the cat, Kit clucks his tongue once and shakes his head. Poor Asmodeus. Poor, stoned, happy-out-of-his-gourd Asmodeus. Looking to Mandrake, he sys, "The show must go on, but if you aren't around to star in it, it'll be a lame one, even if you can do things that make the term 'card trick' seem too mundane." Brows lift in humor, there, and he looks back to Rain. There's another faint hint of color at his cheeks, and he clears his throat quietly. "Umm, how long do you think it will be before Azzy comes down off that stuff?" he asks, trying to look mostly concerned for the cat. He even succeeds. Kind'a.

Awww. Rain smiles, looking touched. "Thanks. I enjoy his company, too. He's a good cat," Nod. "We'll always be here for him," She promises Azzy. She'll move the plant away to safety, then. Whose safety? That's debatable. She can't not smile around the two, watching them quietly. "You're welcome, but it's true," She offers. "And hmm... I guess. I just really want to know things sometimes." Poor Kit. Rain has no sense of danger half the time. Knowledge! "Not too long, I guess. It's safe, but even safe things can be overdone. Besides, it's a treat, not ... a habit." Silly Azzy. She peers over. "Have you tried playing with him? Like, a string or laser pointer?"

Mandrake offers his friend a shrug of his shoulders, "A chance all showmen must take..." He smiles at Kit. "A wise man, once told me we can not escape our destiny." He smiles to his friend, "Fret not, Kit...I am sure, I will be around for a long, long time...to keep you amused!" He lets out a hearty laugh as he looks at both of them. He looks at Rain, "You are too kind, much too kind." He smiles towards her, just before giving Kit a look, his eyes peering at Kit, but his fingers remain still. He nods firmly to his friend, smiling once more. "Oh? Is that my phone..." He pats all of his pockets. "I know it is around here...." He continues to pat himself. "Yes...Yes..I think I left it elsewhere, I should go and see who that was!" He doffs his hat to the pair, before he pets Devil on his head. "Godspeed, my good friend." He says softly towards, Devil, giving him a quick finger wiggle, a smile...and it seems like the pair share a laugh? Couldn't be. And with that Mandrake shuffles off... But not before, returning for a tin cup, he hurriedly makes himself a glass of warmed tea. "Almost forgot! Ha! Ha! Fret not, I'll return the glass later tomorrow? When we meet for Tai Chi? Yes..yes..." He sips his drink. "Oh! Magnificent!" He then disappears into the tunnel.

((Fade Out))