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The Magic Box, Tuesday

Norman came to work, once again, pretty much braced for anything. Working here kind of had that way about it, after all, and seeing as he was generally already pretty used to the unusual anyway, it wasn't too much of a stretch to wrap his head around working in a shop that randomly turned him into weird animals or occasionally got in shipments of live monkeys instead of just the paws.

Not that he'd ordered the paws that one time, either.

Today's little bit of Magic Box whimsy wasn't even immediately apparent until Norman started cleaning. Every time he ran a broom or a cloth over a surface, the counter or floor that he'd just touched would glow bright blue for a second, and then put off a little burst of bubbles that would drift around the room and then pop after a few moments. Overall, the effect was harmless and actually kind of pretty, and turned out to be a pretty good incentive to keep cleaning the place up just that little bit more thoroughly than usual.

[OOC: Open!]

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"Inspired by class, Babcock?" Bob asked, walking through the door. "Or is the island up to its tricks?"

Norman glanced up from his cleaning and offered Bob a little smile.

"This one is the island," he admitted. "Maybe it was inspired by class instead? But it's kind of nice, so I'm not really complaining, either."

"It seems harmless enough," Bob agreed. He watched Norman clean for a moment. "How have you enjoyed our lessons so far?"

"I have," Norman replied, blinking at Bob and lowering his rag at that question. "They've been fun. But beyond that, I mean... I know that if I'm anything like some of the people in my family line, I can probably do some... some pretty terrifying things. I don't want to stumble across those things by accident. I don't want them to happen just because I've had a... a really bad day, I guess."

Starting a curse that ran for three centuries and damned some folks to eternal undead torment wasn't exactly on his bucket list. Not even if he was about to be hanged.

"I know I have a long way to go, though."

"You do," Bob agreed. "Fortunately Harry agrees, as does my world's Council. How would you like me to continue to teach you?"

Norman blinked. And then blinked again, while his brain caught up to all of that.

"What?"

Okay, no, no standing there stupidly gaping at Bob. That wasn't productive.

"Yes? Yes. Yes I would. Like that. I would like that," he babbled, wide-eyed. "Please."

...

"Yes."

Bob raised an eyebrow at him, then grinned. "Well, in that case, it appears I shall simply have to stay a while. I won't be teaching at the school, but I will be teaching."

He looked around the place. "Of course that also means I'll need a home base of sorts. This seems like as good a place as any." He peered closely at a few shelves.

Norman blinked and looked around the shop. Well, that was an unexpected turn.

Sort of.

"You want to stay here? At the Magic Box?"

"Well, I don't particularly care to stay anywhere, but it generally helps to have a place where people know they can reach me."

He poked a finger through a crystal on one shelf. "Since I won't have an office, I'll need someplace."

"True," Norman replied, looking thoughtful. "Is there anything you'd like me to move over from your office?" He paused a moment. "And would you mind maybe watching the shop from time to time while you're here?"

Sure, Bob couldn't exactly make change or unlock the doors, but it wasn't like anybody would be stupid enough to steal anything with Bob around anyway, right?

"Certainly." Bob nodded. "I don't really have anything in my office but a radio. I...may have to move something else here, but that remains to be seen. I'll let you know."

"Anything so long as I can lift it," Norman replied easily. "That's kind of what I do."

A lot. So much. His days off were so often spent running ragged around the island doing errands for ghosts.

"Oh, nothing too heavy." Bob waved it off. "So, what are your plans? For yourself, for your magic?"

"I'm still kind of figuring out the long term stuff," Norman admitted, hiking up one shoulder a little. "And my own limits. I figure... maybe one might end up tying into the other. Does that sound weird?"

"That sounds perfectly sensible," Bob said. "It's nice to have a student who is, now and again." Dresden.

"In that case, we'll continue with the basics, and see where your skills and inclinations take you."

Norman smiled a little, awkwardly pleased by those comments about sensibility, and then nodded.

"I'm looking forward to it," he replied. "Thank you."

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The Magic Box, Tuesday

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