Back from Vacation Multipup Madness!

[gorgonfondness]

Mia is walking on the lake today. Not around or near but on, her icy footsteps leaving frost trails on top of the water. Autor had given her a lot to think about and not in a good way. Pacing like this is helping take her mind off of it in hopes that some time away from the situation will give her an idea of what she can do about it.



It's probably a good thing that she can't really see Lohengrin under his heavy cloak. The Knight, unaware of the new arrival and what he might reveal, is making his usual circuits around the lake with Pfeifferkuchen. The wedding is fast approaching and the rides with the chestnut mare are a welcome peace compared to the excitement at home.



He passes the greenhouse, where Lucas is at work with the winter plants. He's felt a little more purple than green today. He occasionally takes a moment to put some mint in his mouth, the sharp coolness soothing his insides and providing an anchor to reality.

Eventually all three will trickle inside, Mia to a fireplace armchair with some warm naan, Lohengrin to a booth with a hearty stew, and Lucas to the bar with some white poinsettias.

[ooc: Specify who you want and where or you may get tagged by any/all of them.]

Comments

[herr_bookman]

Autor "wakes up" for some definition of the phrase. His mouth is fuzzy and he has a bump on his head. When did I fall asleep? he thinks, fairly annoyed with his show of weakness.

Then he puts on his glasses. Abruptly, the walls become those walls, and he realizes where he is. He squeaks.

He bolts off the bed and towards the door, where he finds a key and a note writ in feminine writing. That woman, he thinks venomously, and stuffs the note in his pocket.

After that, he straightens his posture and primps his clothing. Outwardly renewed, Autor swaggers through the bar, out to the grounds, and by a certain lake.

[Tag: Mia]

[gorgonfondness]

The Guildmaster looks down at the ice under her feet. She traces with her toe and taps at the creatures swimming contently below before continuing her walk.

At some point, she does look up and notice Autor. There's a brief splash as she's brought away from her distraction. She has to bring her feet up a little in order to get back on the surface of the lake, shaking some cold water off.

Now what was that drying spell Draco taught her again?

[herr_bookman]

Autor blinks at the splashing sound, instinctively turning his head to the lake.

What the f--

"That's very clever, you know," he says. "Wearing wooden clogs."

[gorgonfondness]

"Wooden clogs?"

She shakes out the bottom of her skirt some before stepping closer to the edge of the lake.

[herr_bookman]

He bows his head, trying to remain polite despite his burning urge to throw her note in her face. I knew it, he thinks, that was the door out of that hellhole. I'm outside, so I can find my way back to town. That she's here just proves it.

"I've been told that one can walk on water using shoes made of wood."

[gorgonfondness]

"Hmm," she hums, lifting one of her sopping leather shoes. "I wonder if that would be easier than what I'm doing."

Mia puts her foot down again.

"How are you today?"

[herr_bookman]

Autor spends the next three minutes trying to figure out exactly how she's doing that.

Then he realizes there are much more pressing matters at hand. Primarily? Scolding.

"I would have been much better," he says, keeping the bite in his voice tightly controlled, "if you had shown me this door in the first place.

"Now that I'm outside, I'll take my leave of you," he says, sketching another little bow, "and gladly."

[gorgonfondness]

He's just going to have to learn, isn't he?

"Be careful," she says. "It gets awfully cold out here."

[herr_bookman]

Autor knows that tone of voice. It never fails to raise his hackles.

"I don't need pity from you," he says, outright glaring at her.

[gorgonfondness]

"You sound like my husband," she says, rolling her eyes.

[herr_bookman]

Autor frowns for a moment.

His first impulse is to say something along the lines of, "You're married? Someone actually committed his life to you? Perish the thought!"

But his lips remain closed. His tongue is dry. He doesn't know why that is.

What's up with this weather? he thinks instead.

[gorgonfondness]

"Are you wearing a heavy enough jacket?" she asks. "Winters can be pretty harsh here."

[herr_bookman]

And now his face is back to being pinched. "I don't know what you're talking about. We don't have winters here."

[iambetadraconis]

Rabastan is, quite simply put, a very happy man.

Well, not quite. Very happy? Yes. A man? Um. Not at the moment.

Right now, he is a very happy otter, indulging himself in frosty fun and frolic.

PLOOF! He dives into the snow.

Pip! Up pops his head. He looks about.

Ah, right in front of him is a nice, not-too-steep incline. Just the right angle for gravity to send him towards the lake for a dip.

Slip-slide he goes, towards the water.

[gorgonfondness]

Mia smiles at Rabastan, though she does call to check.

"Is that you, Uncle?"

[iambetadraconis]

Rabastan is maybe moving at a clip that is inadvisable for an otter to stop at—

—then proceeds to skid out over the ice—

"OhhelloMiahowsitgoi—"

—before disappearing with a splash into a hole in the ice.

That was fun.

[gorgonfondness]

She laughs at the sliding and splashing.

"To be honest, I'm a little distracted by something going on in my friends' home. It's some powerful magic and I don't like how it sits, but I don't know if or what I can do about it."

[iambetadraconis]

His head peaks above water. A minnow's tail pokes out of his mouth, flapping sluggishly thanks to the cold of the lake.

Eat or spit out? Eat.

"Whose home and what sort of magic?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Duck and Fakir. And the spell sounds something akin to the Imperious Curse, but on a grand scale."

[iambetadraconis]

Hauling out onto the ice, then shaking most of the water out of his fur...

"Can't say I know them, but I'm more than passingly familiar with Imperious."

Mulciber had as much notoriety within the Death Eaters as he had without.

"What are you planning to do?"

[gorgonfondness]

"I don't know yet. There's a lot I don't know about the situation and a lot, I imagine, that I should tell Duck and Fakir. I might not be able to do anything."

But that doesn't mean she's not going to look for something she can do.

[iambetadraconis]

"Wish I could do something to help, too, given how you say it's like Imperious, but. Well."

While it's not necessary to know the people you're rendering aid to, it doesn't hurt.

[gorgonfondness]

"I'm sure something will come in time. I'm trying to think of something else so I can look at the situation with fresh eyes later."

[iambetadraconis]

"What sort of something else? Does it have anything to do with your 'walk on water' trick?"

[gorgonfondness]

"Yes. I thought playing with some ice magic might be a good idea."

She taps at the water, ice spreading a little each time her foot lands.