The Magic Box, Tuesday

[always_someone]

Norman walked into the Magic Box, not entirely certain what to expect. Between the shop's occasional shenanigans and the fact that Bob was kind of using this place as his own personal haunt, pretty much anything could be going on in there, after all.

Mostly what Norman found were some books that had been labelled according to their usefulness, which meant that his morning was spent sorting them according to those labels, actually setting the decent ones to the side so that he could flip through them and see if any of the theory would do him any good.

The ones that Bob had marked as 'utter trash' were being set aside, too. Entirely because Norman wanted to see if he could buck any stupid ideas about magic after flipping through them.

They were all still on display in case customers came in wanting to pick up actual educational material or a stupid hobby that wouldn't actually lead to anything, because he was running a business here. But it was possible that the ones that Bob had marked simply as 'amusing' were out front and center for a bit, at least until Norman could take a peek at the other two categories for himself.

[OOC: Open!]

Comments

[nuclear_snide]

"Learn anything interesting so far?" Bob asked, close over Norman's shoulder.

[always_someone]

Jeeze, it was a good thing Norman was used to ghosts just doing that to him. He glanced up at Bob, smiling wryly, and then held up one of the 'trash' books.

"Not to do... basically anything in this?" He shrugged. "Most of this stuff reads like a really bad cartoon series, or a super white guy's attempt at making other people's traditions 'accessible.' Or something. For a quick buck."

[nuclear_snide]

"Most likely the latter," Bob said. "There are always those who will try to make money on their knowledge of nothing." He sighed. "Honestly, I can't understand why more people who know things don't try to make money off it."

Well, except for all the secrecy vows and the getting killed by mobs thing. Details.

[always_someone]

"They like feeling smarter than everyone else, I guess," Norman replied, shrugging. "Or people are so happy staying ignorant that they just content themselves to stay that way and pretend anyone smarter than they are is totally full of it."

[nuclear_snide]

"That's remarkably cynical for such a young age, Mr. Babcock," Bob said. "You're very likely right."

He waved at the books. "The amusing ones are much the same, but at least humorous."

[always_someone]

"I was almost burned at the stake at eleven," Norman replied, almost, almost blithely. "I come by my cynicism honestly."

He glanced at the amusing ones thoughtfully.

"I kind of thought I'd look through the ones that are total junk first. That way I don't want to remember them. Kick the bad habits, you know? But it's good to know the amusing ones are just as useless."

[nuclear_snide]

"Quite right," Bob said with a nod. "And feel free to make your own notations," he pointed out. "Hm. I really should teach you magical writing. Not what we've been doing so far," he amended, "but the sort that's invisible until it's triggered with magic. Those can be very useful. Wards and books frequently use it."

[always_someone]

"That does sound useful," Norman admitted. "So it's kind of... invisible ink? But magical?"

That is basically what Bob just said, yes. Norman looked faintly sheepish the moment he realized as much.

[nuclear_snide]

Bob just raised an eyebrow, because yes, that was what he'd said.

"That sort of ink is partly spellcraft and partly the ink itself. How are you at potions - any knowledge? Chemistry? Cooking?"

[always_someone]

"Not really," Norman replied. "I can follow directions okay, but Mom mostly does the cooking at home..."

[nuclear_snide]

"Following directions is a very good start." Bob stepped over to the books, tracing their spines until he found the one he was looking for. "This one has a recipe."

[always_someone]

"This?" Norman pulled the book from the shelf, looking at it curiously. "Should I keep this one, then, maybe?"

[nuclear_snide]

"Keep it for now," Bob said. "You can copy the things you need; once you've mastered the ink, you can copy in that. Every good practitioner should have their own books - it makes it easier to find what you're looking for, as well as documenting what you know or are learning or might discover on your own."

[not_every_mage]

Anders hadn't expected to be back on the island so soon after his move, but he'd finally gone through his messages and found a note saying Jenkins wouldn't be running the shop any longer. Technically, this left him as manager; less technically, he felt he at least owed it to the other employees to let them know he didn't actually live on the island.

So he stopped by the shop.

"Hello," he said to the young man behind the counter. "Are you Norman?"

[always_someone]

"That would be me," Norman agreed, nodding up at the man from the book he'd been flipping through. One fo the ones that had actually been marked useful by Bob. "At your... service, I guess?"

It always felt weird to say, but also like the thing to say. It was funny like that.

[not_every_mage]

"I'll take it," Anders said, a faint smile on his face. "I'm Anders. I ... well, I worked here, and I just realized Jenkins made me manager when he left."

Which was a bit confusing, really.

[always_someone]

"Oh." Norman blinked a little. "Okay, uh, good to meet you, Anders."

Norman was just as confused, honestly. But he was smiling all the same.

"So you're, uh, here to manage?"

[not_every_mage]

"That's the problem," Anders said, jamming his hands in his pocket. "I ... actually moved off the island last weekend. I was planning to resign, but I don't know how that would work."

[always_someone]

"Yeah, I can see how that might be a bit of a problem..." Norman chewed on his bottom lip for a moment. "Can I help with that at all? Maybe manage the place for you? Hold down the fort, so to speak?"

He hoped so, since he kind of already invited Bob to stick around here.

[not_every_mage]

"Would you mind?" Anders asked gratefully. "I suppose I could try to pop in here when I need to, or do things online, but ... well, it's not the same as being here on the island."

[always_someone]

"I wouldn't mind at all," Norman replied, smiling faintly. "I mean, this place is weird enough, it kind of handles some of the tough stuff on its own, you know?"

It kept him on his toes, anyway.

[not_every_mage]

"Like inventory?" Anders asked, with a little laugh. "I hardly ever had to order books, they just sort of showed up."

[always_someone]

"Like inventory," Norman agreed, laughing. "Most of the books that have been ordered in have gone into the 'utter trash' pile, apparently. The shop seems to know what's best, there."

Norman glanced over at the books that Bob had marked with glowing writing, smiled faintly, and shook his head.

"This place is an educational experience too, I guess."

[not_every_mage]

"Wait, which books ended up in the trash pile?" Anders asked, half indignant. "It's not as if there's only one type of magic about."

[always_someone]

Norman shrugged and pointed.

"That one is something a racist guy probably wrote while watching old Disney movies with Native Americans in them," he replied. "It sure reads like it."