(2014-06-20) Bad Juju
Bad Juju
Summary: Kara Zor-L goes to visit Zatanna Zatara, to talk about a certain dark and dangerous cave in Leesburg, VA.
Date: 2014-06-20
Related: Several
NPCs: NA
Scene Runner: NA
Social/Plot: Social
Players:
power-woman..zatanna..

The phone rings. It is not quite an 'ungodly' hour of the morning, but to someone who often has late-night shows and after-parties, it might be a little earlier than one might prefer. Mid-morning.

If answered, the voice on the other end is polite, and possible familiar. "Morning, Zatanna. It's Kara. Sorry if I interrupted anything. I was wondering if you'd mind if I stopped by? I have some questions, and I'd like a little advice." She pauses. "I'm willing to pay for the pleasure of your time with bribes. Say, good coffee and fresh pastries of your choice, delivered fresh with a smile?" It's a weak bribe for someone who can crush coal into a diamond, but at least she's trying to be nice.

Zatanna Zatara did answer and she is quite chipper and friendly, as if up for hours already. "Kara! It's nice to hear from you. You aren't interrupting at all and you're very welcome to come by. If there is coffee and pastries involved.. I might not let you leave.." The voice coy and playful.

"… and will that be all you're wearing? The smile?"

Zatanna is ever the one to drop to the lowest common denominator. It's her lifestyle after all. Even if the question is a bit of a joke more than anything. She smiles, "I'm actually home all day today, surprisingly even to me. Stop by any time. I'll make sure the plants behave."

"Behaving plants, check. I think I'll wear my costume, at least through the front door, if that's OK." Kara responds, more than happy to tease back, it seems. "Best not to get a new rep as the streaking wonder. Did you have any preferenes on either the coffee or the pastries?"

That settled - however it is - tt will perhaps be twenty minutes before the giant knocker on the front door clocks solidly. Standing on the other side of the doorway, sticking her tongue out at the friskily playful ivy, is Power Woman, red cape flicking to and fro just a bit in the light breeze. One hand holds a drink carrier from the coffee shop of choice, holding two Grande-sized cups still managing to pipe out flavorful steam despite their lids. And a bag box is beneath that, which must contain the sinful, weight-gain-causing, diabetic-coma-inducing pastries discussed earlier. "Hi." she offers Zatanna, cheerfully.

Zatanna Zatara laughs. "If you're talking international sources.. there's a wonderful Cafe in Milan…. otherwise the coffee at.." she rattles off the best place in Gotham for coffee and pastries.

When her guest arrives, the ivy growing near the door rustles as if a little creature resided within.. yet there are none. It's the ivy itself. It behaves.. because Zee told it to. It is not unlike walking up to the front door of the Addams family manse.

Opening the door, Zee smiles, "Hello Kara. C'mon in." She offers to take some of the items. If only to let Kara free up a hand. It seems the magicienne only ever wears her tux. But then.. why not, right?

"The parlor is right through there if you like." The room Kara spoke with Zatanna in last time they met when they stepped through the park portal she'd opened. A nice coffee table affords a place to set the drinks and pastries. "You look stunning as always I might add."

Kara twirls as Zatanna compliments her attire, just because it's fun. And Zee might notice - maybe - that the labels and signage on the carrier, the cups and the box of pastries are all direct from Milan.

Yep. That Milan. Because when you mention things like that to a pologlot Kryptonian, be prepared for moments of endless wonder. Or at least damned fine international cuisine.

"You look amazing as well. I confess, I expected you might be tired and cranky and nearly bedheaded, at this hour. I lucked out." Kara offers, as she follows Zatanna into the parlor. Because how awesome is it that Zee is in a house so old-fashioned and classical that it has a parlor for the receipt of guests?

Zatanna Zatara could have summoned the items right from Milan. But Kara wanted to do something special and Zee isn't one to turn that down. "Mmm.. my favorite little cafe.. so good." She smiles "This was so sweet of you Kara." A hug offered after the goodies are set down. "It's the convenience of magic.. No bad hair days unless I choose.. " She grins some and then steps back. "Maybe next time I'll surprise you with a different outfit." She winks.

Kara accepts the hug warmly, and then settles on the sofa with Zatanna, so that they can enjoy the coffee and pastries. Oh, to have a Kryptonian physiology, and gain not one pound, no matter what one eats! "I hadn't thought of that, honestly, but you're right. I pretty much never have a bad hair day or something like that, except when I choose. It's pretty great." Kara has had friends who aren't so lucky, so she knows, if only vicariously, how lucky she is.

"Thanks for making some time to see me today. I appreciate it." Kara offers, as they just lose themselves in calories and deliciousness for a while. "How have you been?"

Zatanna Zatara uses magic much that way herself. If needed. As active as she is she rarely needs to calorie count as it were. "Good. Busy but good. The new show is shaping up well." She grins some, "Mothers for Decency is already gearing up to protest.. but that's normal. If they're not horrified I'm just not putting on a good show" she says with an impish sparkle in those azure eyes. "Mmmm.. and these are the best pastries. Ever. Thank you Kara. It's a special treat I don't get often." Even if she could just open a magical portal and walk right to the bakery, she doesn't.

"How about you? Cleaned up okay since our last.. gather?" Mr. Trash Monster and all.

Kara chuckles and shakes her head at Zatanna's teasing tone. "Well, I'm certainly getting a few protests myself, these days. Even Diana is, and I cannot imagine how anyone thinks that's appropriate. Then again, half the internet seems convinced I must sideline as a porn star or something." Not that Kara pays a terrible amount of attention to such foolishness, but she's not unaware. And she's enjoying these pastries too. "I'd never actually been to this shop before. You're right, they're positively divine."

"I did manage to get cleaned up. To be fair, I hosed off pretty thoroughly, and put the suit through two laundry cycles." Power Woman makes a face, but she doesn't seem offended. It's a joke shared between friends. "I was really glad that you were able to come to help with that. I have no idea what I'd have done without you." Kara hasn't played with Phantom Zone generators, after all.

Zatanna Zatara shrugs some, "People will be morally outraged over a spoon merged with a fork if it fits their agenda. Mostly? I expect the issue is a lack of courage. They see someone living a free, uninhibited and fulfilling life and they are jealous. And afraid to take a chance. So to feel better about themselves they attack those they envy." She gestures at Kara's chest. "Those girls right there are enough to make most religious mothers decry your presence in the country because of the impure thoughts their sons will have. Nevermind that it's your body and you had no control over how it developed for you. They just see you as you are and judge you." She knows of these things first hand from the way she talks.

Sipping her perfectly made Italian roast coffee she sighs. "..oh this is perfect I feel like I should be smoking a cigarette too.." A smirk at herself. "It isn't something I've done often - working with the spirit of a city. But I certainly sit up and take notice when one asks for my time." She smiles. "I'll help again when and where I can."

The Kryptonian blonde nods, understanding where Zatanna is coming from. "It does not help that there are those going out of their way to stir up trouble around us." she comments, referring without naming him to G Gordon Godfrey and others of his ilk. "But enough validation for them for one day." And with that, she closes the subject. Nothing she can do about the endowments of her genetics, and she refuses to be ashamed.

"Working with Indigo is rather new to me, too. She just … appeared … to me one day." Kara explains. She doesn't mention Indigo appeared to Karen Starr, in Karen's dormitory room, and kept addressing her by the full name of her human identity, her Kryptonian one, and her heroic name, all at once. "It was realy unnerving. But in spite of that, I like her. I care about her, and I want her to be well. So … I help her when I can." Hence being willing to fight a magical trash golem without question, just because Indigo asked her to do so. Fighting magic, for Kara, is not a happy thing at all.

Zatanna Zatara nods and smiles. "Yes. Exactly. Indigo is a very unique, very powerful being. And with that comes the burden of watching over her city. I have pledged to help her as I can." She crosses her legs, right over left. The right foot bounces a little as she regards Kara thoughtfully. "I can't see how she will fail with both of us aiding her." She smiles.

"I certainly hope that turns out to be true." Kara admits, smiling to Zatanna. "Thank you, for offering her that support. I appreciate it." It's a phrase it seems Power Woman is destined to say to Zatanna many, many times. Hopefully it doesn't become one she is tired of hearing.

Zatanna Zatara laughs quietly. "Don't worry, Kara.." She looks over coyly. "I'll need to call in a favor for some big guns one day I'm sure.." She winks and nibbles on another pastry before sipping it down with some coffee. "mm. You'd mentioned you needed some advice? I'm not the most fashion forward kind of girl… but I could help if you liked.." Her lips curl up in a playful manner.

Power Woman chuckles wryly and shakes her head. "Honestly? I already have a smart-alek cousin offering me all sorts of 'fashion forward' advice. I don't think that's quite what I need, right now." Still, she appreciates the humor. It defuses the complicated emotions around the issues she's dealing with at the moment. "We've come across a case that we're pretty sure involves magic. Really bad magic. I'm afraid it may even involve ritual human sacrifice. And I need to understand who or what is involved, here." She makes a face. "Which means I need your help." And Zatanna's time, which can be at a premium.

Zatanna Zatara listens and frowns some. "That.. yeah. That isn't good. Blood magic. Death magic. They're not something you want to tangle with. Not without preparations and details first." She sets her coffee down, focused on Kara, "Please. Tell me everything you can." The voice shifting to a soft supportive tone of encouragment. She's taking this seriously and wants Kara to feel comfortable about sharing what details she knows.

Power Woman frowns. "I don't have a lot of details. But, if it would help any, I can take you to the scene. We've done all we can not to disturb it, and to record everything we can about it." She reaches into a pouch hidden at the small of her back and extracts a much more advanced-looking device than a simple StarkPhone. She lays it flat on the table, and then taps it a few times with blur-like speed.

The device on the table begins creating a holographic projection of the scene of a cave, hovering above the tabletop. It is a bit translucent, but still accurate to scale and color tone. The cave is not huge, but is not small either. A few old mattresses and blankets lie around, as well as discarded beer cans, bottles, and even condoms and condom wrappers. Frankly, it's clear signs that the scene is a teen party spot. On the walls is graffiti. In the hologram, the graffiti merely looks odd. It's magical component does not come through. On the ground, two bodies lie near one another, both looking months old. One is female, dressed like a teenager. Six stab wounds mark her body. Nearby is a man, dressed in a pastor's collar. Six knives are stabbed into his body and remain there. Nearby to these, a burn mark is present on the stone of the floor.

"One of our members, Miss Marvel, tells me that the graffiti on the walls is magical. And evil. She also tells me that the tech cannot capture that part, which is why it's safe to show you these. But the originals will have to do, at some point." Power Woman offers. "We need to find out what happened here. We need to know who was involved, and whether or not they were under compulsion or outside control." She's trying not to muddy the waters with the other details just yet.

Zatanna Zatara listens and watches the display carefully. "I will need to make preparations. Is this site secure And kept off limits, Kara? No one should go there. At all. Not without me." Her tone is gravely serious. "Until we can determine what we're dealing with, the risk is just too high. I strongly advise it."

"We can make it secure. It is not, currently." Kara answers, honestly. "To be honest, we brought this case to the local authorities. We are not yet sure how it is that no one discovered the bodies before we did." They suspect this was intentional, arranged by the figure they believe connected to, if not directly responsible for, all of it. But Power Woman is doing all she can to avoid tainting Zatanna's expectations with her own conclusions. "Once you are done there, I'll establish a quarantine around the site." She is more than willing to believe that there is real danger there. "You should know that multiple of us have already been there. If there's something you should do to … check … us out, I should be first, before we go there."

Zatanna Zatara shakes her head, "I don't expect there is yet.. Without knowing what it is - and who - we're dealing with it would be difficult to know what manipulation or influence there might be. But it would be wise to deal swiftly with this. If you can convince the authorities to keep the site secure it would be good. I can arrange to examine the site later today or tomorrow."

"I'll put up the quarantine now, and you'll have to have me let you in when you're ready." Kara offers. It's the best Power Woman can arrange. "Obviously, I'd appreciate your attention on this as quickly as you're able. But I also recognize this is big, and a favor, and that you need prep time. So … you let me know. I'll be there."

Zatanna Zatara nods. "Give me.. a few hours to prepare and I will be ready." She moves to stand. "You are welcome to stay here if you like or we can meet there."

Power Woman stands, and shakes her head. "No. I'll be back before you leave. I'll go get the quarantine in place. Please, don't leave without me." That said, the Kryptonian heroine gives Zatanna a brief, impulsive hug. "I can't explain to you how much this means to me. But thank you." Not yet. Later, maybe. "I'll be back." And then, zzwoosh! She's gone.

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