Pamela Swynford de Beaufort (walmrtsweatsuit) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2013-06-08 00:33:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, magius, pamela swynford de beaufort |
Who: Dr. Magius and Pam de Beaufort
What: Having coffee
When: Earlier this week
Where: A cafe in the city center
Rating: PG for language, innuendo, and Pam.
Status: Complete!
Magius smiled as he settled to the table, glancing across at Pamela. She was a beautiful woman. Strong, determined and herself, he admired her. Not remotely in a sexual way, however, and not just because of her preference, for she was not his type. But she was the type of person he gladly would call a friend.
Today’s meeting was a pleasant one. Having just arrived and ordered, he settled more and nodded to her. “How have things been for you?”
Pam had been pleasantly surprised to find Doc Magius in the little cafe. She’d stopped in for a quick bite - she’d been shopping before trying to work out a date time with Maia - and seen him in line. Men tended to annoy her, but Magius had always been polite, even respectful. Even when he’d basically been feeling her up in the line of duty.
She’d sat across from him, getting comfortable. “They’ve been okay. Thanks. Got an invite to that Valar network, as you saw. Might get me some business, and maybe I’ll find some people to talk to. What do you use it for?”
“Mostly to provide advice, reach out to Dreamers in need of help, and to learn more about my own Dreams. It seems like the only resource we have, in this, is each other.” He nodded. rubbing his face. He considered Pam to be interesting and while she was sensitive in some ways, she also was someone he understood.
Pam shrugged. “I thought it was all crap until I had a few weird vivid ones myself. I mean, come on, mass hallucinations? That’s basically what they are, it just all happens when we’re asleep.” She figured she could be honest with him, though. “Are yours as kind of mundane as mine? I mean, I dreamt that I was born in London instead’a Shreveport. And then I moved to San Francisco and became a madam.” She made a face. “That’s not mundane, but you know what I mean.”
Magius shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Mine are set in a different world, one set along medieval lines and dream me is a stupid, vain, and arrogant wizard. And trying to learn to be more and listening to no one.”
He rubbed his face. “Do not be startled or afraid if things, or tattoos, or marks come through from the dream. It happens here, sometimes. It no more makes you that Pam, than my dreams make me that Magius...”
And then he took a further breath. “But I have gained one thing from the dreams.” He took a slow breath. And then intoned a soft set of words.
And for a moment, a single moment, every single piece of silverware and flatware was gone. When they call came back, every piece was stone. Real, hard, smooth stone.
“Apparently, and with differing degrees of success, I can do magic now.”
Pam normally didn’t show that much emotion, but when every damn dish in the place disappeared, only to reappear in beautiful burnished stone, well. “Holy shit.” Her eyes had bugged wide. Because when that happened, you bugged your eyes out. “That’s ... I mean. Christ. Did you just wake up able to do that?”
“Not exactly. I started learning little things, and much of the magic doesn’t work yet., here, or malfunctions. But every few dreams, it gets better, and stronger, and I know more.” He rubbed his chin. “I fear what else will come from that world.”
She had to admit, he was probably right in doing that. “I wouldn’t trust it either, Doc.” Pam shook her head. “I mean, come on. Magic?” It was completely laughable. “It’s like the stories Mother used to tell me as a child. For a time I was convinced that Marie Laveau the voodoo queen climbed out of her grave at night and worked magic on bad kids.”
Magius nodded “In my hometown there was a tale of a old Wiccan man, and much creepiness. I don’t know what to believe, if I did not feel it myself.”
He blew out a long breath. “But there it is.” He smiled a little.
“I guess.” Pam wasn’t convinced, and she shook her head. “You look out for yourself, huh? Finding a new doctor would be a pain.” She acted like it wasn’t a big deal, but she thought Magius knew she did like him. He’d always been respectful and polite, even after finding out what she did for a living. “I hope you’ll take this the right way, but I hope business has been slow.” He worked at a clinic for battered women half the time, after all.
Magius chuckled. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” He nodded. He had invested a great deal of time and money in this life. He was not willing to let go. He smiled to her and nodded his head. “Besides, who else would politely feel you up for your exam if I went and vanished? You’d have to break in a new idiot.” His words were gentle, and his smile fond.
Then he nodded. “It has, thank the gods. There are always a few, but far less than normal at the moment. I know the numbers will increase as things get hotter.” It always did, damn the way people treated each other.
“I know I get more clients in summers.” Pam nodded. “I swear, the heat drives people crazy. At least my clients are coming to me instead of trying to pull crap on their womenfolk or push their wives into stuff they don’t want.” There was a reason Pam would never marry, even to another woman. “Just call me defender of the meek.” Making good money and helping men burn off steam was okay with her.
Magius grinned a little, and raised his glass to her. “Gladly.” he settled back, smiling a little. “As long as you’re getting and handling them, I’ll have fewer to try to reason with and treat at the same time.” He did not push his own ideas on someone, but when a woman came in hurt for the fourth time, he generally tried to get her to talk to a counselor at least. Few agreed, but he would try, damnit.
He shook his head then. “But what of you? Are you settling in okay?”
"Me? Oh, I'm ok for the most part." Pam shrugged. "Making good money. Had a date the other day." She couldn't help but grin a little, even as she figured she could ask him a weird question. Better him than any other man. "You've got ... magic." It still sounded weird to say. "Can you do stuff with hot and cold?"
Magius smiled wider. “Awesome! Congrats! You deserve to have a little fun.” When she asked that, he remembered when he had used it and he nodded slowly. “I can, yes. they seem to be simply spells, and most of the time I get the one I mean to get. The longer I dream, the more control I have. Today, I was able to create ice for a bucket and to heat a tea kettle.” He nodded.
“I wonder if Maia’s the same way.” Pam shrugged. “This girl I met. She showed me a couple things with her magic, and it was all about ice and warmth and that kind of thing.” She couldn’t help but smirk, thinking back.
“Could be. Here.” He held out his hands, intoning the spell and one hand warmed the other cooled. And both tingled, like tingling oil might. His eyes danced.
Pam watched, laughing a little. It freaked her out a little, honestly, but she had to accept what she saw, after all. “Looks like it,” she said. “Crazy shit, doc.” She couldn’t stop the grin, though. “I will definitely have to tell Maia I know somebody else like her. She’s sexier than you, though. No offense.”
“That’s okay. That’s not hard to be.” He had no illusions about his sexiness. He grinned at her. “And I am glad you’ve found someone fun to be with.”
“I just meant you’re not a lady.” Pam said lightly, allowing herself a chuckle. Magius wasn’t ugly, especially not for his age. She’d just tried to have sex with men before, and it had either been awkward, bad, or once, violent.
Magius nodded, coloring. “My apologies. “ He chuckled. “That, I am most definitely not.” He smiled to her. He had known and considered many people of varying sexualities friends. Pamela was, slowly, becoming one of those.
“As long as you are happy.”
“I could always be happier. Can’t we all?” Pam shrugged again. “But things could be a lot worse, doc. I figure that makes me lucky. I don’t answer to anyone anymore.” She finished her coffee, sitting back, crossing a leg.
“Of course.” He smiled at her. “Good for you. I have finally carved out my own niche. I occasionally work for the machine of medicine, but mostly work at the clinics, and there am free of hassle, which, frankly, makes it tolerable.”
The he snapped his fingers. “Oh! I have a present for you. Please accept it as simply a gift to a friend.” And he pulled a small box out from under the table, setting it in front of her. Inside the simple box was a dagger, a knife with a curved edge, sharp on the point and the edges right at the point, as well. The hilt was wrapped in leather, and adorned with a simple red stone, not a gem, just a stone. The grip was made for her size of hand.
Pam took the box, opening it and blinking. “Did you make this?” He’d mentioned his hobbies before, but at the same time, she hadn’t somehow thought he was so talented. He was just ... Doc Magius. Nice and well spoken, but apparently he had some depths. “Wow.”
“I did. I am a metalsmith and I thought, well, color me old fashioned, but I thought you might be able to use a little extra self-defense. A sharp point will often drive a point home where words do not, even for me. And this is small enough to conceal almost anywhere.” His grin was knowing.
That got a good old fashioned shout of laughter from Pam. “Almost anywhere.” Damn if she wasn’t verging on delighted, and that was hard to do. “Thanks. Really, it’s just pretty, as well as practical.” Hell, you really never could have too many sharp objects around.
Magius laughed and smiled at her, nodding. There, he was glad to do it for her smile? That made it all worthwhile. “Good. You’re welcome.” He settled back. “It’s nice to just relax and talk, sometimes I think.”
“Yeah, sometimes you need it. Excuse me.” Pam blinked as her phone vibrated. She took it out and growled under her breath. “Hey, I need to run. I promised I’d meet this girl for a friend. She wants to break into my line of work. I’ll see if she can hack it, but I promise you, if she can’t, I’ll scare her out of it.” Not everyone could handle what Pam did.
“Good.” He rose and tossed a twenty down on the table. “Go, take care of it, and I know you can handle yourself, but if you ever need anything... extra, call me.” He favored her with a lopsided grin. “I have few enough friends that I don’t want to lose any.”
That got Pam to grin right back.”Thanks, Doc. And for this.” She held up the box, tucking it discreetly into her purse. “May your life be good and your business shitty.” She headed out the door with a wave.