open post

[lancifolium]

Comments

[mutanten]

He's only eaten two of the dozen.

But if this kind of rapid growth is not only normal but expected I think I'd like to keep him. No need to come.

[Erik knows that sounds vaguely threatening and that's kind of the point.]

[lancifolium]

I think handing him over to me would be the smart choice. Otherwise, his father will come looking for him.

[ Fine kindly Muggle, vaguely threatening it shall be. ]

[mutanten]

If that's the cause, I would like to meet his father too.

[lancifolium]

No. You wouldn't. May I have my spider back please?

[mutanten]

I like unusual things.

Why don't we compromise? I'll return your Phillip if you tell me all about him.

[lancifolium]

[ She hates to do it, but it sounds like a memory charm will be in order after this. ]

Alright, that's quite reasonable. When and where?

[mutanten]

[How blasé of you, Lily. He knows when someone's messed with his head after it happens. So there's that.]

As soon as you can. The bench facing Benjamin's Bakery.

[As incentive there's another picture of the spider, this time with a front leg lifted as if waving.]

[lancifolium]

[ It's the Right Thing to Do, however unwise it turns out to be. ]

Be there soon.

[ Apparating just under the awning of a shuttered toy store a few streets down from the bakery he had mentioned Lily was quick to get to the bench they had agreed to meet at, doing her best to ignore how nervous she was.

Part of her hoped she wouldn't have to do anything to avoid breaking any laws, while still getting Phillip back safely to his family in the forest and appeasing the Muggle who had found him. Lily wasn't the violent type at all, and it showed clearly in that gently concerned look she had on her face as she approached, her eyebrows raising hopefully as she spotted the stranger with Phillip's box. ]

Thank you for meeting me, I hope you know I am sorry for all the trouble Phillip and I have caused.

[ Tentatively she took a few steps closer, holding her hands out for the box, a hopeful look on her face. ]

[mutanten]

It's no trouble. I had a fine time watching this young man grow up.

[Erik is seated on the bench with legs crossed at the ankles, looking completely unbothered. He pats the top of the box, as if he would the top of a child's head.]

He's yours if I can have your name or a little more information about his father. Whichever comes most easily to you.

[lancifolium]

[ Her face creases into a dismayed expression, like she'd bitten into a lemon but was trying to make the best of it, at his request to know more about Phillip's lineage. ]

Aragog– [ As she said it she lifted the box out of his lap and stepped back, peeking into it with a concerned but adoring smile before looking back to the weird, but good samaritan. ]

And I'm Lily. What's your name?

[mutanten]

Erik Lehnsherr.

[His accent is every bit as German as his name. He makes to effort to retrieve the box, but he does give a small wave of "goodbye" in the event that Phillip can see when Lily looks inside.]

Aragog though. That's a name I've never heard before. What is it's origin?

[lancifolium]

[ In response a single furry leggy could be spotted poking out of the box as Lily lifted the lid to peer inside, waving a cheery farewell in return. ]

I'm not sure, I always thought he must have named himself, he's quite old.

[ Gently closing the lid on Phillip's donut box she looked back to Erik, mentally weighing the pros and cons of simply disapparating right then and there. It would have certainly been the simplest way to resolve this matter, though it did mean breaking at least a few laws. In the end, she relented and stayed put, watching her odd new acquaintance carefully. ]

You took very easily to the notion of a self-aware spider, do you work for the Minstry?

[mutanten]

I've seen enough strangeness in my lifetime that a spider of that size only makes sense. The spiders alive today don't exist in the same manner they did hundreds of years ago. Our friend is no different, and I'd say a step forward in our changing world.

[There has never been another person more delighted by the thought of a giant spider, except maybe Hagrid himself.]

There's "quite old" and then there's "beginning of time" after all. But to answer your question, no. I'm not involved in any ministry.

[lancifolium]

Not beginning of time old, no.

[ Lily was quick to refute the notion, shaking her head dismissively as she worried over how much was too much to share. ]

Will you walk with me? Whatever answers you're hoping to get aren't really the sort that ought to be discussed out on a street. There's a park just across the way.

[mutanten]

I would enjoy a walk. Would you like me to hold the box?

[Erik stands, brushing the front of his trousers.]

I promise I'm not the kind to steal pets. I just thought you might want to rest your arms a bit.

[lancifolium]

I believe you, if I get tired I'll pass it off.

[ Cutting and running had not left the table after all, and she might be able to get away with only one witness once they were across the street and past the treeline in the park. ]

Are you going to tell me anything about you, or will this be a one-sided interrogation?

[mutanten]

And here I thought we were having a simple conversation. No one said anything about interrogation.

[He smiles pleasantly as he walks, though the smile is accentuated with sharp teeth.]

Does the word mutant mean anything to you?

[Yes, it's another question, but there's a reason behind it.]

[lancifolium]

In passing it does. People with exceptional abilities that are different from–

[ Lily stopped herself hastily, on the verge of mentioning her own kind. ]

Other people with exceptional abilities.

[mutanten]

Excellent. So you won't mind if I take a load off, so to speak.

[He floats alongside Lily as she walks, evenly matching her pace.]

I'm a mutant. And as long as that doesn't create any issues between us then I'd say Phillip is in safe hands.

[lancifolium]

Gracious what a relief.

[ Though she was startled when he began to float, it wasn't the oddest thing Lily had ever seen. Really, this was good news. The rules were far less strict when it came to people like Erik. ]

Why on earth would that create an issue? I'm quite sure my friend the spider served as enough of a clue that the workings of my life aren't precisely typical.

[mutanten]

You never know with people sometimes. I find the "not precisely typical" fascinating. But not for reasons that would be a problem for either of us.

So what wonderful world do you come from?

[lancifolium]

What do you know about wizards and magic?

[ Lily was still tentative, but after he had been so open with her, she felt more empowered to be honest with him.

Withdrawing her wand Lily from her pocket Lily pointed it towards a few trees ahead of them, nudging her wand through the air gently as she summoned down a small deluge of leaves that swirled tidily in a small funnel of wind before dispersing in a little flutter. ]

[mutanten]

I know that both exist, possibly alongside myself even without my knowledge.

[Erik watches Lily with a rapt attention before setting himself back down to walk softly on the grass. It was beautiful the way the leaves danced before once again being swept into their usual state.]

Or at least, until now.

[lancifolium]

It's a bit strange isn't it? That both of our kind exist largely unaware of one another.

[ With no ruse left to maintain Lily pulled her bag open with her free hand and carefully set Phillip's inside of it before closing it again. The bag's appearance didn't change despite the presence of a rather large box. ]

So, tell me. What's your gift like? I see you can fly, and that's quite rare for a wizard, at least without a broom. What else?

[mutanten]

[He lifts his eyebrows at the subtle demonstration of the bag. Handy.]

I can control all forms of metal and can manipulate the earth's magnetic fields. Flight is due to the latter.

[In demonstration he mentally retrieves a discarded soda can and allows it to hover over an outstretched hand. It then liquifies before pouring itself into the shape of a familiar looking spider... with the addendum of a jaunty top hat.]

Does that answer your question?

[He sends Phauxllip across the air and toward Lily to examine if she wishes.]