"I do not believe that I would like to submit to particular analysis of my raiment at this time, especially not by an unknown party.

"However, I appreciate the thought of so doing as a measure of progress and indicator of perhaps otherwise difficult-to-notice subtleties, and will likely implement such."

"Well," he frowns at the colored stripe. "One imagines you're going to be in public places without reasonable expectation of privacy at times, but if you don't want professional photos that's your prerogative. I don't suppose you'd be willing to answer a few questions?"

"Christ, leave it be, man. We're on the bloody train."

"It's not that I wish to specifically avoid even public photography and speculation thereby, but that I give my enemies the benefit of the doubt as regards ability to deduce things from such, and, not knowing you from Adam, I would not wish to have such information distributed in ways that would give those who would do myself and others harm, information that I could simply tell allies.

"An aura of mystery is useful to cultivate amongst one's foes, for if they see you around every corner, they will not notice you on the roof.

"But I wouldn't mind answering questions, given the proviso that of course I may demur for any or no reason."

"Have you chosen a stage name? Are you going to join the Spirit Association?"

She hmms, and swerves into a seat across from the camcorder guy with a dancer's grace, cuing him to start recording again - if he hasn't already.

"I have not yet chosen a name, no, though 'Luna' is under consideration as a particle thereof at the present time, and, for the purposes of this conversation, will serve if you need to address me.

"As for whether I shall join the Spirit Association...It depends upon the Association, and their responses to multiple issues, some of which are what originally drove me to seek the mantle in the first place.  I'm sure you've heard about the case in Oklahoma, where an alleged police officer shot a child because they, quote, 'looked like a goblin', unquote.

"I've actually slain a few myself, and I can assure you that you can be unambiguously sure of what is, and is not, a goblin.  The smell is unmistakeable.  But let us assume a completely anosmic police officer, for the purposes of argument.

"To be so 'zealous'," the word, and the elegantly-delivered finger-quote from the hand not resting against the seat in front of her for support as she leans in, "in one's duty, as to fire first and ask questions never, is a complete disgrace not only to the police officer in question, but any who trained him to do this, and any who seek to defend him from consequences now, regardless of his underlying motivations.  The badge a police officer wears is a shield; the question America now struggles with is whether that shield is meant for the officer, to protect him from the very law he is sworn to enforce, or the people around him, who he is monomythically supposed to be protecting and serving.

"Did you know that there's actually no duty to protect any given person whatsoever applied to the police, incidentally?  It's a fascinating oversight in the law.

"Regardless...If the Spirit Association is an organization that would support such behavior, of unquestioned violence at a total lack of offence...I could not join them, even should it come to be at my own detriment.  I have standards, especially for those who claim to serve the public benefit.  To unquestioningly take a life should never be a first resort, and that was so flagrantly not the case in Oklahoma as to render any claim otherwise farcical.

"But I drift off topic.

"There are actually some more spirit-related concerns I have with the Association as of yet, but those are best handled privately; if I ever bring them up in public, it would mean an irreparable breach of my confidence in the organization's advocacy for spirits had occurred.  Suffice to say that I believe they may not have put in sufficient effort to understanding certain spirits, but I shall not disclose anything further at this time, for the sake of all parties involved, and, furthermore, chances of peaceful resolutions to such disputes both now and in the future."

...She pauses, holding up a finger for a moment before letting it sink to her lap, in evident displeased contemplation.

"...Now that I have mentioned it, and despite my intent to avoid such a contentious subject on my debut, I cannot help but draw a contrast between the actions of that police officer in Oklahoma and something I faced myself - at the time a woman just as mortal as he, already worn from practice, and armed with only a spear.  I encountered an actual goblin, as well as a fangbat, and managed to defeat both, while protecting someone - despite actually trying diplomacy, as hopeless as I knew it was.  The police officer, meanwhile, had a gun, which is far more effective as a weapon, being designed for ranged combat, and requiring less effort to use.  And yet he did not speak; he simply shot.  ...Perhaps that is the problem; when it is so easy to kill and be troubled no more, you will reach for violence as a solution, even when you most certainly ought not.

"...I suppose that really, it makes sense that my thoughts might turn to the origin of the desire to take up this mantle when I'm introducing myself to the world; it had been building for a long, long while beforehand, but it was that contrast, as well as support from friends and family, that drove me to finally start seeking spirits to empower me in earnest.  I'm no detective; I wouldn't put it upon me to break up an organized crime ring except by obviating whatever reason they might have chosen or felt forced to exist, should I have command of the resources with which to obviate it, but I can protect people.  And I want to, with all my heart and soul, especially those who fear the only protection they have is that of their own arms."

He takes attentive notes with a notepad pulled out from a backpack.

"Ah, that was quite a bit more than I usually get as answers. I think a lot of people are - using that incident as a political signpost rather than actually regarding it on its merits, if you see what I mean. Obviously it's a tragedy, but some would argue that readiness for violence is an unfortunate necessity in a world so filled with monsters. I've heard the argument to hold police to the same standards as spirit bearers before, but in fact there are a number incidents where magical collateral damage is... Expected when dealing with monsters. So. Passionate support of one cause or another is a pretty common thing to see, would you say that the law and justice are interests of yours, then? I know the Spirit Association is pretty involved in politics on some levels - mostly national security advisory, as far as I'm aware. I imagine you want to do your research on that before making a public statement, hm?"

...She'll just make sure she's got her phone recording the audio, if he isn't going to record it himself.

"Oh, I don't disagree that self-defense preparations are necessary in the present day - but I do believe that many of the people advocating, under cover of that position, to increase the violence a police officer, or indeed a spirit bearer, is prepared - encouraged, to dole out on a moment's notice, forget the first lesson of martial arts classes the world over: The best fight is one that never happens.  Readiness for violence does not, and should not, be imputed to require readiness to start fights on a hair trigger.

"Collateral damage, meanwhile, is not something that human beings should be inflicting upon fellow human beings in the name of stopping a threat a human who can direct a spear can stop on their own.  Just..."  She sighs, seeming somehow tired.  "No."

"...but no, I wouldn't necessarily say the law and justice are a particular field of interest of mine, as much as...

"I want people to flourish, and I aim my efforts towards that end.

"So insofar as the law is something I have to take an interest in, it is because the law has become an instrument of coercion, oppression, and violence inflicted by the powerful upon the helpless.

"I'd love to live in a world where the most pressing problem I could put effort towards was curing cancer, or unraveling the fundamental causes of the miasma.  But I don't."

"...And I do not have any comment, or indeed any privileged information, upon matters of national security at this time.  So, yes, I would prefer to do research before fielding any questions whatsoever on that, or indeed avoid getting anywhere near that entire field entirely."  She seems faintly incredulous that that would even be brought up.  "I want to be able to treat people like people.  Not like potential threats."

"Thank you for your comments! I'd have more questions, but a train isn't the best spot for that. Our stop is next. Check out the site when you have time!" And he offers a business card mentioning 'Magic and Matter - reporting on real and unreal.'

"I will most certainly do that!"

...Let's see, her stop is a couple stops away, and then it's a walk to the SA building like so...

DC all but ignores a random girl in early raiment. There might even be cosplayers who look more convincingly magic at a first glance than her. She can ride all the way to the end, to Union Station.

The office looks out to its front and shares a park with such august organizations as NIST, the FBI, a large museum, the district courts of Columbia, plus a memorial to fallen law enforcement officers. There's several likely magical girls visible in the area, seen at a distance past crowds.

Ergh.  The feds.  And that monument.  Maybe she should have gone to Baltimore.  On the other hand, NIST!

She's not here to play tourist, though; she's here to do magical girl paperwork.

The front area of the office has a reception area just this side of lavish, with doors leading further in marked by keypads. Signs indicate the way to practice areas, meeting rooms, the library, offices, a cafeteria, and a gym. Two receptionists sit ready and one waves her over with a "How can I help you today?"

"We-ell, I'm given to understand that having become a spirit bearer tends to eventually involve paperwork."

Blink. The receptionist looks her over properly.

"Oh! Congratulations! Yes, there is some of that but we try to make it easy. We actually have people whose job it is to introduce new people to everything, orientation staff, if that sounds good? They'd know more than me."

"That does sound reasonable!  Thank you, by the way."

"No problem! Let me just... Ah, there we are."

She takes her desk phone and dials a three digit number. 

"Yes, hello, this is reception - we have a new spirit bearer who could use someone to come orient them. Mmhm, right away. Thank you so much!" She looks at Annabel again. "Would you like coffee or a snack or anything while you wait?"

"I wouldn't mind a snack, if you're offering."

"Right over there. It should be just a minute."

They have a refreshment-laden waiting area like at fancy car dealerships, comfy seats and chips and fancy cookies of all sorts laid out for the taking.

And sure enough a minute later, a woman comes out and asks her, "Hello, new spirit bearer for orientation? Sorry, I didn't hear your name - chosen or birth. I'm Riley."

"And I didn't give one, so that makes sense that you wouldn't have.  For the moment, you may use Luna."

She snags one last cookie for the road.

...Okay, another cookie too.

"So, orientation, hm?  Is that something y'all keep someone on for as its own full-time position?  Or is it some sort of magical girl - excuse me, 'spirit bearer' is such a clunky name and I never did square it with my particular aspirations per se - Is orienting new 'hires' a magical-person thing that you get discounts on the union dues for, or something I didn't immediately think of?"

"I'm non-magical. Full-time salaried, what we call 'liaison' when we're feeling fancy - basically, there's a lot more regular humans than spirit bearers in the Spirit Association just by sheer logistics, there aren't enough of you. We think it doesn't really make sense for people with magical powers and unique ability to confront monsters without the usual amount of peril to face any stupid problems. Problems like needing to get your name changed in official databases, or finding a sturdy place to practice, or affording groceries or rent or being sued by someone you bruised while getting them away from a troll. Even, to an extent, for magical girls and boys who don't actually join the association per se. We can't fix all the 'stupid problems', far far from it especially when high-level legal stuff gets started, but we can try."

"That does make sense.  It's a shame that there are so many stupid problems that there's such a small subset of humanity that you have to focus on solving them for, though."

"I guess you can think of it as a cost-benefit analysis. Would you like a quick tour first, or straight to practicalities?"

"Perhaps an overview of the services offered first, then a visit to points of interest - I imagine I will be visiting the Baltimore center more often, but I figured you keep the political analysts here and there's been some things lately that would...affect my joining, depending upon the Association's position - if you recall the fiasco in Oklahoma.

"Any sort of trade union that doesn't condemn a cop hiding behind them to get away with what I damn well believe to be at least murder 2, even if there's only definitive evidence of manslaughter...I can't join that.

"And there's some more spirit-related things that also bear mentioning in the category of 'I foresaw' - not...actual foresight, mind, just...scenario planning - 'a possible reaction that would make me immediately depart', mostly to do with the choice of language around the spirit of Culpeper Cut.  But I imagine that all that is not actually your department?"