standsonhigh | IC inbox

Of course, I'll keep a close eye on my messages.

[Which basically amounts to grabbing her coat and dashing outside to peer up and down the street for him, though she doesn't even have an idea what he looks like. Bear with her, this is only the second time she has run into someone who likes Barty, she is allowed to be nosy.]

I'm here now

[He sent it just to show he was a man of his word before he caught sight of what he assumed was Merope. It wasn't long before a big friendly smile was plastered on his face and he did a sort of dash towards her.]

Merope, I assume? Hello! I'm Harry, it's a real pleasure to finally meet. [And, just to be friendly, he offered out his hand.]

[So much enthusiasm had her blinking at him in befuddlement for a few long seconds before her clumsy manners caught up to her. They were still something she needed to consciously decide to employ. But there she was then, shaking his hands with only slight hesitance.]

It's a pleasure, Harry; yes, I'm Merope. Mrs Merope Riddle. [What a chipper fellow. Well, she reckoned it shouldn't surprise her as much as it did, Barty could be quite energetic himself. She wouldn't have taken this man for a scientist, though, weren't they dour old men with eyeglasses and fedoras? Never mind.

She started walking in the direction from which Harry had come, figuring it might be as good as any. Wait, now what was the next step again? Oh yes. Small talk.] How do you do?

[He had found in his time here that he couldn't just be Mister slick politician, he had to go a different root this time. And, naturally, he drew experience from the one fellow he knew was likeable - the Doctor. A pathetically friendly man. He just coped those silly happy mannerisms while expelling the lesser qualities that usually made him hated.]

Which do you prefer, by the way? Merope or Mrs Riddle?

[Slipping his hands in his pockets, he spun around and happily took the lead, just to make sure they went the right way. After all, he wasn't about to be lead around by someone who seemed to have fairly poor knowledge of the location.]

How do I do? [... Huh. Well. Okay. That was different.] I'm fine, I guess. How about you?

[How rude to be befuddled by her small talk, when she was making such an effort to remember everything she had ever heard about being a proper and polite little lady. Which wasn't much, truth be told, mostly Morfin mocking them and all Morfin knew about ladies was how to hex them to wake up with painful sores on their bums, but that was neither here nor there.

She fiddled with her fingers as they walked, content to follow one or two steps behind him.] I prefer Mrs Riddle to being called Miss, I'm a married woman, but among... friends I do enjoy being called Merope. [She frowned slightly at his back. Was that what they were? Well, looked like it, though she had been steamrolled by it and was still trying to regain her senses.]

I'm quite excited to start my lessons in chemistry, I have been barely able to think of anything else lately. I used to have quite a gift in brewing potions. it is the only kind of magic I used to be good with. I feel terribly defenceless without it.

[Well, speaking as someone who had been studying human socialising and small talk to try and mimic it enough to seem friendly, he had never met anyone that spoke like that. Well, not since his jaunt in the good old days when most people didn't realise soap existed. And there was only so much of that time he could stand.]

So do you consider me friend enough for Merope yet, Mrs Riddle? [He tries not to be too bold about it, he doesn't want to come across as forceful but he doesn't want to be a push over, he could never pull that off. Instead, his tone has a hint of doubt just lingering there, just to show his 'human' side.] It's fine if you don't. Really! I'm happy to call you whatever.

And I'm glad you're excited, anyway, I've been pondering where to start and I have a few ideas. I can't say I know much on potions, it's still an area that's a little beyond my skills but science? Well, I know that like the back of my hand. And hey, if you ever fancy branching out, I'm your man.

Oh, I would like to branch out! I never had the chance to learn Muggle science. When I was a child I didn't even know that Muggles were capable of understanding science. I saw many wondrous things living in London and kept being amazed by how advanced Muggles were, but there was no time or money for me to learn... and it wasn't encouraged for women anyway, least of all poor women.

[Which is really a bit more than she intended to reveal, not so much the information as the feelings behind it. Too many chances for a better life lost, too many hurts that never had a chance to heal.

She gives a tiny shrug.] I used to be best with mind-altering potions, but I suppose that matters little now. [Using that hadn't worked out so well for her anyway, though the potionmaking had worked just fine.]

As for being friends, I wouldn't know, but I suppose any friend of Barty's is a friend of mine as well. Besides, it doesn't seem proper to be allowed to call you Harry if you won't call me Merope.

Well, I have to be honest, I'm a little more advanced than a muggle. [And what kind of dumb word was muggle anyway. He'd already had quite the colourful rant about that word for Barty but he still didn't grasp why they couldn't come up with a better word. Sounded like an adorable kids tv muppet.] Really? -- Just when are you from, Merope?

[He doesn't quite know when these people are from or what era they belong too. It's hard to judge without technology, he usually grasped an era by what they had but so many wizards barely grasped the concept of the internet, let alone phones.]

Mind altering potions? [Well, that was said slowly. As if he was trying to process it. Which he was, actually. It simply didn't fit in with what he'd expected to come from here.] You mean like mind control?

[Hmm, well, okay then. At least that sounded interesting, he never would of banked on that.] Did you like that kind of thing? Controlling of minds, I mean.

[If he had voiced his complaint once more, Merope would have been likely to point out that Muggle is a fitting name since wizards at best regard them akin to something cute, small and furry, not unlike a pet Kneazle. Maybe better he kept his complaints to himself this time.

Growing more comfortable with their conversation and her conversation partner, Merope catches up so she is walking side by side with him.] I died on December 31st, 1926. But I spent most of my life in the countryside, it might as well have been the late 19th century there for all the modern inventions we had.

[She falls silent, taking her sweet time to look around since that wasn't the only question Harry had asked, but the only one she has no problem with answering. The other ones... She frowns.] You make it sound terrible when you ask if I liked controlling minds. It wasn't like that. I don't think anyone would do it because they like it, you do it because it is necessary. [She throws him a sullen look, feeling and looking like a wrongly chastised child.] Besides, I only did it once. And I stopped. [If he weren't Barty's friend she would have been loathe to admit it, but he is, so he must be of a more tolerant mindset than, say, that other Harry, the Potter one.]

Edited 2014-03-28 17:31 (UTC)

[He won't be bringing up muggles again. And don't ever call him one, he's so not one of those dumb apes. Nor is he a wizarding dunce that can't even work the internet.]

1929? Woah, you are out of time. [Sort of. This place was hardly advanced but the average era was around the early twenty first century so anything less was a little out of sorts. Though he couldn't help but focus on the other issue.] That was when you died? So you're not alive in your universe. [What was it with the wizwrding world? Did anyone live long? Barty was going to die when he went back, as was Merope. Who else? Sounded like a brutal universe... he rather liked that, actually.]

To be fair, Merope, it's hard to make mind control sound nice. But I see what you mean, I really do. I've found myself in similar situations before so I understand. Sometimes, whether people like it or not, you have to take control. [Though he often does it just because. He'd always happy to take what he needs, even others free will.] I suppose my power sort of falls under that category.

[Merope nods happily along with Harry's assessment that you sometimes have to seize control, that's exactly how it is. Finally someone who understands.] I know, there are situations when you need to influence others for their own good. [She gazes into the distance, sighing quietly. She keeps wringing her bony hands to work through some of the agitation this conversation is causing.] But it's so hard to explain! You are right, there is no way to make it sound any less than awful and if he doesn't want to listen...

[Oh wonderful, now there are tears prickling in her eyes and she had been so determined not to come across as weepy or weak. She sniffles loudly and shakes her head.] Never mind, Harry, it doesn't matter now. Why don't you tell me about that power of yours. Is the building over there the library?

[Seizing control was almost a hobby to the Master and he was awfully content to do so if he had to. It was sort of how he did things these days.] Sometimes people need a gentle prod in the right direction and if you can help them make a better decision, I don't understand how someone can claim you did the wrong thing. You know?

[The Master turns his head and is somewhat stumped when tears start to appear on Merope's face. Humans, they were always leaking and snivelling. It was so repulsive. But hey, he was trying to be nice. So, naturally, he pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and offers it with a sympathetic smile.] My powers? Erm, they're body control. I guess, in it's own way, it's kinda handy. But you do have to break a lot of morality rules to use it. See, maybe that's why I understand you? I get what's important about taking control, even if people disapprove.

[Looking up, he nods his head at the sight of the library.] Almost there.

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IC inbox | Asgard

Re: text

text to action.

action.

action.

Re: action.

action.

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action.

action.

Finally, a tag for you!

*turtles along*

/turtles after you

turtles along