[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?
[ 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?
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.
[ 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.
[ 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?
[ 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.
[ 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. ]
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.]
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?
[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.]
[ Looking on fascinated Lily watched him change the shape of the can, holding her hand out for the metal spider.
She studied it for a moment before touching the tip of her wand to the spider, transfiguring it into a silk scarf with little spiders on it before floating it back to him. ]
[He examines the scarf from end to end, grinning with delight as he runs his fingers across the fabric. With a shrug Erik ties the scarf around his neck and shapes it into an ascot.]
I have many questions, as I'm certain you've been able to tell. I suppose for the moment they're appropriately spider related. [He taps the scarf with his fingertips.] Where do creatures as large as Phillip's family live? They can't exactly blend in to the world as easily as you or I.
Forests mostly. People like me, there are schools for us all over the world, the one in Britain sits on the edge of a particularly ancient, dense forest, which is where Phillip's family resides. Phillip's only with me for a short time, he's part of my research, he's less of a pet and more of a fellow scholar.
[ Not having a steady stream of projects to work on despite being out of school for years was not something Lily understood. She was as fascinated by the magical world now as she was when she'd first found out she was going to Hogwarts and had no desire to stop working. ]
A fellow scholar? You and Phillip are both full of surprises.
[Erik flattens a hand to hold it parallels to the ground, feeling the pattern of the breeze across either side.]
There's only one school for mutants that I know of. Then again, our existence has only been officially documented within the past few decades. I assume wizards have a longer history?
[ She paused, obviously surprised by the question as well as the knowledge that Erik could not say the same for his kind. ]
That's dreadful, your history ought to have been recorded!
[ This has all the makings of yet another Lily Evans Research Project. ]
Our books must have more information than Muggle ones, and I intend to seek it out. It's far too unbelievable that two sorts of extraordinary people exist and one has no historical record.
It's also for my own curiosity. It's quite odd that there's not a lot of overlap between our respective worlds.
[ Wizards didn't know that much about Muggles either, to be fair, but she still found it odd that something as exceptional as abilities like Erik's were barely touched on in books. ]
Though as strangers go you are quite strange, I'll give you that much.
[ Casting a sideways glance in his direction, Lily cocked her head to the side and grinned a bit. ]
You haven't given me a reason not to be amenable, apart from making me think you intended to take off with my friend Phillip. Clearly that was not the case. Will you tell me more about you, and your kind too?
[ She looked over at him, considering what working together might entail. ]
Of course, any library worth investigating you wouldn't be allowed to know about, but I suppose there must be a way to work around it.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[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?
no subject
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?
no subject
[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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[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.
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
[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.]
no subject
[ Lily stopped herself hastily, on the verge of mentioning her own kind. ]
Other people with exceptional abilities.
no subject
[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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
So what wonderful world do you come from?
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
[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.
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
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.]
no subject
[ Looking on fascinated Lily watched him change the shape of the can, holding her hand out for the metal spider.
She studied it for a moment before touching the tip of her wand to the spider, transfiguring it into a silk scarf with little spiders on it before floating it back to him. ]
What about you and your questions?
no subject
[He examines the scarf from end to end, grinning with delight as he runs his fingers across the fabric. With a shrug Erik ties the scarf around his neck and shapes it into an ascot.]
I have many questions, as I'm certain you've been able to tell. I suppose for the moment they're appropriately spider related. [He taps the scarf with his fingertips.] Where do creatures as large as Phillip's family live? They can't exactly blend in to the world as easily as you or I.
no subject
[ Not having a steady stream of projects to work on despite being out of school for years was not something Lily understood. She was as fascinated by the magical world now as she was when she'd first found out she was going to Hogwarts and had no desire to stop working. ]
no subject
[Erik flattens a hand to hold it parallels to the ground, feeling the pattern of the breeze across either side.]
There's only one school for mutants that I know of. Then again, our existence has only been officially documented within the past few decades. I assume wizards have a longer history?
no subject
[ She paused, obviously surprised by the question as well as the knowledge that Erik could not say the same for his kind. ]
That's dreadful, your history ought to have been recorded!
[ This has all the makings of yet another Lily Evans Research Project. ]
Our books must have more information than Muggle ones, and I intend to seek it out. It's far too unbelievable that two sorts of extraordinary people exist and one has no historical record.
no subject
[The idea of it though is something to be pursued. History isn't something that should be forgotten.]
Especially someone you just met. It seems unfair of me to ask.
no subject
[ Wizards didn't know that much about Muggles either, to be fair, but she still found it odd that something as exceptional as abilities like Erik's were barely touched on in books. ]
Though as strangers go you are quite strange, I'll give you that much.
[ Casting a sideways glance in his direction, Lily cocked her head to the side and grinned a bit. ]
no subject
[Erik smiles at the comment, far too sharp for what is required but the action is genuine.]
But if you're serious about wanting to help, you have my number. I'd like to work on this with you if you're amenable.
no subject
[ She looked over at him, considering what working together might entail. ]
Of course, any library worth investigating you wouldn't be allowed to know about, but I suppose there must be a way to work around it.
no subject
[He meets her gaze, feeling almost challenged in an exhilarating way.]
We truly are strangers. Not being allowed somewhere is hardly a deterrent.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)