Steve nodded. "And now there are more people," he said gently. "Bucky immediately, Sam and I in the peripheries, since we're with Buck half the time. It's understandable that you're upset. More than understandable. Natural."

"Don't pretend to know how I feel," Gemma snapped, though she looked away instead of glaring at him.

"I don't," Steve said simply. "Nor am I pretending to. But I do know what it is to have no one."

Gemma didn't look at him. She wasn't quite sure where the conversation had gone so wrong, but she didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Steve sighed after a moment, setting his cup down.

"Thanks for this," he said, tapping the sticker again. "I should let you get back to whatever you were doing, stop ruining your evening."

"You don't have to go," Gemma said, glancing at him. "I'd just rather move on to another topic to talk about."

Steve hesitated for a few moments, casting around for a safer subject.

"Magic?" he suggested. "I don't really know much about any kind of magic, and that's probably easier for you to talk about, so..."

"What kind of magic do you want to know about?" Gemma asked, glad for the new topic.

"What kind do you practice?" Steve asked with a little shrug. "Assume I know almost nothing."

"Okay," Gemma said. She took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Well, I don't have a lot of raw power. Most of what I do is passive. Instead of the big long spells with instant effects, I'm better at things like runes and symbols and things that work a little at a time over a long stretch. I was also told when I was a kid that I have a knack for illusions, so I play with those every so often."

"Illusions, huh?" Steve asked, a little wary. "We've had a few run ins with illusions before." His tone left no doubt that those run ins had not been pleasant.

"I've heard," Gemma replied. Hey, she still watched the news like normal people. "Like I said, I don't have a lot of power. Illusions are about the very best I can do."

Steve nodded. "And the other things? The runes?" He looked at the sticker. "I assume they're like this one."

"Pretty much," Gemma nodded. "That one is pretty much just a strengthening charm. That one is a combination of Uruz and Thurisaz, for physical strength and redirection of destructive energy. It should make whatever it's attached to more durable."

"Huh. So there are specific runes for specific things?" Steve asked, looking interested. "So you can combine them to get whatever result you're aiming for?"

Gemma nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "Granted, the more runes you use, the more likely it is that some of them will react badly with one another, so it's best to use only a few.

"How many runes are there? Do they all have hard and fast meanings or are they kind of more malleable?" Steve actually looked interested in this, and not just because it might be good to know in battle. He was genuinely curious.

"Twenty-four, give or take, depending on the runic alphabet you use," Gemma replied. "Most of the meanings are pretty fluid."

"Can you... I mean, do you mind showing me?" Steve flushed a little. "Unless it's a bad idea, I mean."

Gemma blinked.

"Sure, I guess," she said. She rummaged around for a pad of paper and a pencil. Once she found one, she drew a single rune on the paper. She put her hand on top of it for a moment, concentrated, and then lifted her hand straight up. A single rosy lotus seemed to blossom from the paper, vibrant and perfect.

Steve blinked at that, reaching out to poke it. "So what's this one?" he asked, settling in for the impromptu magic lesson.

"Kenaz," Gemma replied, releasing the illusion. It shimmered and dissolved into tiny dust-mote lights. "It's the best one I've found for illusions, since it deals with light, vision, and reality."

"Huh. Neat." Steve grinned a bit. "What else?" It really was interesting, when it wasn't being used against him.

"Different runes influence different things, but most of them are outside my skill set," Gemma said. "I'm sure I've got a book of them somewhere."

"Next time, maybe, we can have a look at the book," Steve said, smiling. "It's kind of impressive, this way. When it's not being hurled at me or my team."