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video | un: s.reid

Hi. I'm... Dr. Spencer Reid. At home, I work with the FBI as a behavioral analyst, or profiler. I'm trying to figure out what to... do with myself here.

[ Reid is a thin, young-looking man with too-wide eyes and nearly shoulder-length unkempt hair. That combined with the cardigan, tie, and lightly patterned button-up makes him look extremely dated. It's not hard to believe him as a federal employee by clothes alone, although his age is constantly remarked upon.

He doesn't sound uncertain about addressing the wider audience of the network-- although he is, and especially about using technology this way-- but he does sound like he's choosing his words with care, enunciating clearly and with even, unhurried pacing. ]

If there's anyone that currently works for the local police, I'd like to speak with you regarding whether you think there's a use for my skills in that environment. I have done field work, but I wouldn't say it's my strong suit. Otherwise I'm considering taking up teaching at the university. I've been a TA for undergraduate classes before, although I think I'm better suited to leading graduate-level seminars. If anyone currently takes classes there, it would be helpful to hear about your experiences.

... I also noticed they're looking for librarians at the public library. Uh. I don't think that alone would keep me... sufficiently occupied, but. I could do it.

I'd like to optimize my time here by putting my skills wherever they're most needed. So I'm open to other suggestions. And-- looking for a physical therapist. And possibly an orthopedist. Thank you.

[ It cuts off abruptly. Reid can do public speaking, but it's far from his favorite past time. ]

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Ugh, I know, it's very basic, but that's just the start, I can get far more technical, it's just been such a long time since I've thought about the practical side.

[Magnus flips to the page about energy transfer to stabilize healing and holds it up, as an example.] Of course you can, I'd be delighted to share, do you read Latin?

[ Reid loves technical. Loves. ]

Yes, [ he says absently, like it's not a real question, and leans in. ] Can you hold that still? Hm. [ His eyes dart down the page.

About five seconds later, his gaze jerks up to Magnus again. In a thoughtful tone: ] I believe you've actually found a way to torture me. I need the next page. Do you mind if I come over?

Well, I'm not setting out to do that, we've only just met. [Magnus turns the next page, but he also waves a hand at the door, which unlocks itself.]

Much easier to explain these things in person anyway, I'm in the Beta building, fifth floor. I'll make... [He'd been planning on saying cocktails, because he always leans toward cocktails, but this is not going to be a cocktails meeting.] ...tea, I'll make tea.

[ He hopes that's a flip comment. Reid is, justifiably, both paranoid and suffering from PTSD, so he's not about to go to any stranger's apartment without his gun anyway. Even if defending himself is a whole new prospect here, and he's been assured up and down that Cadelle is just not prone to those sorts of things, it's going to take a while for him to believe that. 'A while' meaning actual months.

He's also in the Beta building, but he's not about to say that on a public network or give an estimation of it by approximating his ETA. If he hadn't just seen Hotch's wife be killed by a case, he might be a little more relaxed about this. ]

Tea sounds good. [ It's not coffee, but he doesn't mind it. ] And um, thanks. I didn't get your name.

[It is, in fact, Magnus's trademark mildly flirtatious type of comment, the sort that doesn't mean anything, the sort that his friends either take in stride or don't even notice anymore. Learning even a sliver of Reid's previous experiences will ensure it's the sort of thing he doesn't hear again. There's flirtatious, and there's inappropriate.]

Oh, you didn't, did you! [Cue the rolling of his eyes at himself.] I'm sorry, it's been so long since I've gotten to really discuss magic. I'm Magnus, Magnus Bane. High Warlock of Brooklyn, although that doesn't mean a thing here, and honestly it's a relief not needing to worry so much about Brooklyn's warlocks.

[His little flicking gesture dismissing his words says that's a long story he can tell later.] Come by whenever you'd like, I'll be here.

[ Frankly, Reid would rather be treated normally, if insensitively, than be catered to. He has a hard time getting over his dislike of revealing weaknesses and talking about personal matters, and he knows along with that that most people would be far more considerate toward him if they knew what was going on. It's been that way his whole life, and it's never been sufficient reason for him to open up.

As it is, he has to swallow some questions about Brooklyn having warlocks, although he certainly won't forget to ask them later. Instead he says promptly, ] I'll come over right now, if that's alright. And... probably grill you on being High Warlock. [ Spencer smiles slightly to soften it. ]

Careful, I'll talk your ear off about being High Warlock, the good and the bad.

[But now he smiles, reining himself in just a bit, because he's going to have company and he knows how he gets. He can be a little much, and he'll want to get to know Reid somewhat before he decides how much intensity he wants to inflict on him. Cadelle has been good for keeping him a little more sedate.]

Come over now, by all means.

[ Someone who's happy to talk to him and explain bizarre things and give him books? Spencer's pretty much as happy as he gets with that.

He's over pretty quick, making good time with his cane and seeming comfortable with it and almost unencumbered. He always hides his injuries and it's been a few months already with this one. Reid knocks on his door with alacrity.

When it opens, he says, ] Hi. I brought pastries. [ That's an appropriate guest-gift. It also lets him hold up the bag in his free hand and offer it out rather than go through the shaking-hands song and dance, which he doesn't generally participate in and can get awkward. ]

You brought pastries. [Magnus actually puts a be-ringed hand to his heart as he takes the bag in the other hand and steps back to usher Reid into his humble abode. It's luxurious, even if all the luxury is crammed into a space maybe three-quarters the size it ought to be to accommodate this much. Still, the walls are a cozy red, the gold ceiling reflects the light across the room, fabric drapes hide the corners of the ceiling, the couches are covered in embroidered pillows and throws, there's a small wrought iron chandelier.]

Home sweet home, such as it is. Sit wherever you like, or the bookshelves are over there. [He gives Reid a quick, assessing once-over, then smiles and starts for the kitchen.] The ones on the top shelf are the oldest, but feel free. What kind of tea would you like? Or would you prefer something else? I normally offer cocktails, but if this is going to be a consultation, cocktails can wait.

[ Living space definitely resembles the man. Reid glances around with the perfunctory evaluation of someone who combs through peoples' living spaces after death, and notes that this means he's been here at least long enough to make himself comfortable. He's glad the peace-making gesture of arriving with pastries had set them off on a good foot, as intended.

Also, Reid has a bit of a sweet tooth. ]

Green tea is fine. [ Reid doesn't need a second invitation to look at books. He pauses long enough to pull his worn leather messenger bag over his head and leave it on an armchair, cane propped beside it, and then promptly turns to peer at all the book titles, scanning quickly. He doesn't necessarily gravitate toward the oldest, although it is a logical place to start. ]

You organized your books by chronology? [ he calls back, pulling one off the shelf when he spots something that looks basic or fundamental. Reid stands where he is, flips the book open to the first page, and starts a running a finger down the pages to track where he's reading. It takes about five seconds before he flips a page.

There's a reason he'd brought pastries: Magnus let him at his books. ]

[Green tea it is. Using magic is all well and good, but brewing a good cup of tea is an art, so he does disappear into the kitchen to reheat the water to just the right temperature, find a teapot, measure out the leaves, and so on, and calls back through the door to answer.]

Only the oldest! Anything from before I was born goes on that top shelf, everything else is by magical subject matter. Or it's supposed to be, they were organized at home but I haven't taken the time to be quite as precise here. [He just summons one when he needs it, and he hadn't brought all his books, only a fraction of them, so it's much easier to know which book he needs.

Once the tea is steeping, Magnus reappears in the doorway just in time to watch Reid scan a page and turn it.] Oh, do you have one of those memories?

[ He sounds distracted when he answers, brain pulled in two directions as he reads. ]

Yes... I have an eidetic memory, particularly for visual information. It's faster for me to read your books than have you explain it to me. [ He flips another page.

Reid has to almost forcibly pull himself away from the text to be polite, reluctantly looking up at his host and then finally having enough etiquette to look sheepish. He clears his throat. ] I just wish everyone came with libraries?

[Vastly amused and not at all offended, Magnus leans in the doorway and watches until Reid looks up again, then laughs good-naturedly and waves a hand behind him, a slender ribbon of fog-like light spinning out from his fingers to bring him the tray of tea from the counter.]

It would clear up a number of things, wouldn't it? [Magnus balances the tray on one hand as he gestures a few stray books off a table and back to their places on the bookshelves, then sets the tray down and pours.] In that case, I think I brought a copy of The Downworlders Guide with me, that will save you time. Anything in your tea? Sugar, milk, lemon, pear vodka?

[ Okay, it was worth looking up so he could see that. Books are Reid's comfort zone, but he does find new things exciting in their own right, and there's nothing quite so new to him as watching a tea tray float over. He watches this progress, and the books zipping around, with open fascination. ]

Um. [ Tea. Right. ] Plain is fine. Thank you. Can you clarify what you mean by Downworlders? Are there Upworlders?

[ That is very Terry Pratchett in terminology, he thinks but doesn't say. ]

Well, yes. Technically, Upworlders would be everyone else: Humans with no magical powers. Actually, we call them "mundanes," which isn't a term I like very much, having spent quite a lot of time around them and finding them—for the most part—not at all mundane.

[Magnus passes Reid his cup of tea, plain as requested and brewed to perfection, and immediately flits over to the bookshelf to start looking for his copy.]

Downworlders are warlocks like myself, werewolves, vampires, Seelie, and Shadowhunters. Well, nephilim, but they like Shadowhunters. They hunt and fight demons, hence the rather dramatic name. ...I don't think I brought the guide after all, I'm sorry. I was in something of a hurry when I packed.

Speaking as a 'mundane', I appreciate that. [ That's sort of, mostly, a joke. Reid's sense of humor is a little understated and offbeat.

He accepts his tea, setting his book down, closed-- page number memorized, of course-- and takes a sip. ] Nephilim is a Christian term, [ he notes. ] I would imagine there's a lot of religious influence on terminology, or rather, that existing entities influenced religious thinking and theology throughout history. [ A moment later: ] It's okay, I'm sure you weren't planning on an interested party wanting to scour your bookshelves.

[ Another subtle note of self-deprecating humor. ]

Frankly I find most of the Shadowhunters more mundane than a lot of so-called mundanes. [Reid's sense of humor will fit right in.

His mission failed, Magnus perches on the back of the couch with his cup of tea, the better to give Reid access to all the shelves.]

Well, since I didn't bring the book... The terms did evolve around the beings. Shadowhunters have angel blood in them, it's where the nephilim stories first came from, and their magic is based in angelic runes that anyone without angel blood would go insane trying to use. I've seen that, it isn't pretty. Warlocks are half-demon, half-human. Vampires and werewolves are fairly close to the stories you've heard. Seelie are half-angel, half-demon. Very tricky. They can't lie, but I've never heard anyone weave words that well. All of the legends and warnings about elves and fairies come from the Seelie Court.

[Honestly this is much more fun than waiting around for his potions to finish stewing for the appropriate amount of time so he can add the next ingredients. There's a lot of freedom in being able to talk about these things to someone from a different world, and share things without risking the security of his own.]

[ He listens with a slightly furrowed brow, taking this all in and committing it to memory. ]

So you're half-demon? [ he clarifies, looking interested and remarkably unalarmed. ] Can you clarify your usage of the word 'demon'-- and 'angel' for that matter? There's been many different representations throughout ecclesiastical history, and from non-Western religions.

I am. One of the Greater Demons. [And Reid will absolutely pick up on Magnus's careful sidestepping of any discussion on how that came about. He's a remarkably open person, but that isn't something he shares with people.

In fact, he dives for Reid's question eagerly, with some relief.]

Oh, well, it's all very Dante-esque where I'm from. Someone clearly tipped him off. The angels are angels, God's messengers, rarely ever seen on Earth, and there are Greater and lesser demons that come from various circles of Hell. The lesser are just horribly destructive nuisances, the Shadowhunters go after them.

[ Reid isn't going to expect personal details on first meeting with someone. This is strictly an information-gathering visit, not about him personally but about his world. He just wants some background context, a framework with which to approach fantastical things in general. ]

Are they properly separate species with different genealogical lines, or is more similar to classical vampire stories where humans are 'turned into' something else?

Seelie are definitely their own unique thing. They don't have a trace of human in them. Warlocks are, well, it's an indelicate way of putting it but each warlock is a hybrid. Shadowhunters are descended from hybrids, but they're generally encouraged to...keep to themselves.

[The little sniff and roll of his eyes should be enough to elaborate on what that means. While Magnus himself is involved with a Shadowhunter at home, and Alec's sister Isabelle has been involved with vampires and Seelie, most Shadowhunters guard their precious bloodlines like they have gold running through their veins instead of diluted angel blood.]

Vampires and werewolves are turned from human. Or Shadowhunter. Usually. So we have a whole assortment of options.

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