oo1: video. un: lilies.

[cwiclac]

[ lily potter has had something of a jarring entrance into el nysa, and has remained relatively quiet since her arrival. she's spent most of the time with her ragtag family in some sort of attempt to parse through everything that had happened. and, honestly -- lily hasn't managed to do that. she isn't entirely sure whether or not she could ever do that.

but sitting around and doing nothing is also definitely not her style. she needs to be proactive, to find her spot in this new world. get information, learn how to adapt and survive, and try to get through everything that has happened.

even in times of peace, war is still the predominating factor in how she tries to analyze what in the actual hell has happened.

so lily (a young twenty-something-year-old with a huge amount of red hair and green eyes) presents as tired, but with color in her cheeks and a brightness in her eyes. she's noticed some people have been asking for jobs, and lily knows that she needs to do that eventually, too -- but to introduce herself to her new community of ... well, refugees, lily figured something a little less to-the-point was more appropriate.

information is needed. and in this world, there are so many different people, people who are living openly, that it doesn't seem that magic is so taboo here as it is in the muggle world back home. it's almost refreshing, really, but it also leads lily to a question: ]

This entire world is miraculous, isn't it?

[ literally. figuratively. metaphorically. she's breathing, isn't she? ]

I'm new, here -- I'm sure a lot of other people are going to say the same thing in the coming weeks, and I know people who have been here for longer than I have are probably tired of the questions. [ tough shit is what she wants to say, but ah well. ] My name is Lily, and I come from a world where there are a lot of different types of people, too. I'm not sure how many skills or talents I have that will be useful to any of you, but I do want to know -- how many of you believe in, or practice, magic?

[ that's it. that's her question. but after figuring that that blunt question might lead the suspicious to not really want to answer, she continues. it's a risk, and it feels odd saying it -- but after seeing so many different people, and watching the network closely, she figures it's a risk that could probably pay off in spades: ]

I'll show you mine if you show me yours.

[ lily potter will make ice sculptures out of rain puddles all day if it means someone will give her something to do, thanks. ]

Comments

[vorrutyer]

Well, at home, I'm the emperor of nothing at all. But Gregor's up in cold storage, as are all the other eighty-five people who have a better claim to the camp stool than I do. So here, I am Emperor of Barrayar. An Imperium of one.

[ He holds up a single finger and waggles it back and forth. ]

Do you have any titles, dear Lily? Aside from magician.

[cwiclac]

[ . . . lily has no idea what any of that means, but it's good to know that this emperor apparently doesn't take much stock in expecting other people to pay heed to his crown, so lily files that away for later.

her lips twitch into a faint smile. ]

We use the word 'witch' to describe what I am, and no, I'm afraid I don't have any fancy titles or blood rights or anything like that. I'm fairly average.

[ she is 100% certain james would disagree but that is precisely why she didn't allow him to take part in this video tyvm. ]

[vorrutyer]

[ With an arch of his eyebrow - ]

Where I'm from, witches are far from average. My word. What are your skills - can you turn into a wolf? Raise vampires?

[cwiclac]

I generally stay away from vampires and I can't turn into any animals, and I'm not a werewolf.

[ she keeps good company for the latter two, though she won't say that out loud.

but to answer his question in a better manner, she raises her wand: ]

Accio.

[ and, quickly, lily catches a pillow she had thrown at her annoying af husband off screen earlier with a hand. ]

Potions and charms are more along the lines of my gifts. I leave self-transfiguration to the professionals.

[vorrutyer]

[ With a small bow - ]

Madam, the latter is quite self-evident, as I am already thoroughly charmed. [ Then, straightening - ] But you can brew potions? What sorts?

[cwiclac]

{ she grins a little, at that. compliments tend to work, eventually, and this person seems relatively harmless. ]

Potions is a really large field of study and can do a lot of different things. Healing tonics, calming solutions, potions that affect your memory and appearance . . . it depends on what materials I have access to, here.

[vorrutyer]

Ah. And what sorts of materials do you normally need? Eye of newt, tongue of frog, et cetera?

[cwiclac]

Toil and trouble tend to be sufficient substitutes for the tongue of a frog.

[ a bit dryly: stereotypes. ]

But the eye of newt is an ingredient in a few tonics that I can make.

[vorrutyer]

[ Uh. ]

You're not saying that sincerely, are you?

[cwiclac]

Toil and trouble, no. Eye of newt, it depends on the day.

[ with a slight upward quirk of the corner of her mouth. ]

Unicorn horn is another popular ingredient that magnifies the effect of a lot of solutions.

[vorrutyer]

Dear lady, I thought unicorns were fictional.

[ A beat, then a shrug - ]

Though I also thought aliens and magic were fictional, and yet here we are. Do a fellow a kindness and signal when you're saying something sarcastic, won't you? You really use unicorns?

[cwiclac]

Oh -- I'm sorry.

[ whoops. ]

Unicorns are real. So are newts. And frogs.

[ -- okay, she may be playing the game a bit here, but -- ]

I'll tell you if I'm joking in the future.

[vorrutyer]

[ With a smile - ]

Oh, don't say it aloud - I want to see others suffer through confusion. You should design a subtler signal. Can you wiggle your nose?

[cwiclac]

I'm afraid there's a secret society you have to be indoctrinated into before you have the privilege of seeing me wiggle my nose.

[ james is already offscreen silently mouthing things for her to say and lily's patience for her husband is usually infinite, but: ]

I think a wink or two might suffice.

[vorrutyer]

What about blowing a kiss?

[cwiclac]

I'm afraid that special club has one member, and it's filled.

[ mischievously enough, looking faintly amused. ]

Better luck next time, though.

[vorrutyer]

[ A mournful sigh. ]

Alas. Why must the charming ones be taken? Well...Taken and faithful. I've danced with my fair share of married partners.

[cwiclac]

Forever means forever, I'm afraid, and I think I've found the perfect choice for forever.

[ somewhere, offscreen, james is suitably more satisfied than he had been two minutes ago. ]

It sounds as if the ones you've met weren't so happy.

[vorrutyer]

[ And the corner of his lip turns up for just a moment. Byerly does not believe in love for himself, but...well. That doesn't mean he isn't charmed when he sees it. Of course, a moment later he's playing the proper scoundrel, admitting: ]

No, not in the least. Most of them were sleeping with me to get back at their spouses for something or another. It's a service I provide - the galling alternative. If your young fellow shows up, dear lady, and you want to make him madly jealous, please feel free to call on me at any time.

[ He bows with a mockery of gallantry. ]

[cwiclac]

[ she wrinkles her nose with a slight laugh, and she glances off-screen.

there is a distinct possibility one (1) james potter has said, quite affirmatively, tell him to fuck off. or something akin to that. ]

I'm fortunate enough that he came with me, and I don't think I'm the type of person to make anyone jealous. But if you want to meet him, or see him around the network or in town, his name is James.

[vorrutyer]

James.

[ Byerly's eyes are crinkled with amusement. He definitely heard that fuck off comment. ]

And does he treat you well?

[cwiclac]

He's a proper knight in shining armor.

[ the complaining has thus been assuaged, and lily pays james absolutely no mind, eyes still bright. ]

I wouldn't trade him for the world.

[vorrutyer]

Ah, to be young and besotted. How long have you known him?

[cwiclac]

We met when we were eleven.

[ she pauses, because that sort of requires a bit more explanation. ]

Magical people, in my world -- we go away to school, depending on where we're from. I wasn't raised in a magical family, I'm the only one with magic. And so I went away to school, to learn how to control it. That's where I met James.

[ she pauses, again. because the entire story would take a lot of time, and effort, and it's . . . personal, she supposes. and talking about james and how they met causes something of an odd pressure in her chest, because all of that is gone, now.

but she offers a tired smile, anyway. ]

He grew on me.

offline/not here.

[heorot]

[ points to eyes. points to you. ]