Mrs Mina Harker (anew_woman) wrote in bearandbarnacle, @ 2009-12-23 15:06:00 |
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Entry tags: | minapost, minervapost, other |
Mina Harker + Minerva McGonagall: Other: An Informative Tea
Mina: *is dressed, typically, in a narrow A-line skirt and and button-up blouse, red scarf as always wrapped around her throat- she does own a larger collection of clothes... they just all look alike* *shakes her head at the librarian* No, I am not interested in door-to-door salesmen. I want something of a more unnatural oddity. Unexplained occurrences. Yes, ghosts will be a place to start.
Minerva: *recognizes her from having been simultaneously in the pub on a few occasions* *waits for her to leave the librarian's desk before approaching and remarking* Have you spoken to Teddy Lupin about that?
Mina: *eyebrows raise* Has something of the sort happened to him?
Minerva: He's working on assembling some explanations about the strangenesses that tend to occur here. You might find him quite knowledgeable.
Mina: Teddy Lupin, was it?
Minerva: Yes. You'll have met his and Victoire's daughter, I believe.
Mina: Ah, yes. And Victoire herself. I didn't catch their surname at the time. *pauses* Or yours at all. I'm Mina Harker.
Minerva: *offers her hand* Minerva McGonagall.
Mina: *small twitch of her eyebrow but she takes the hand* A pleasure. I appreciate your information as i find myself very curious about my new residence.
Minerva: *a little dry* Many do. You came quite recently, if I'm correct?
Mina: Yes. Two months. And you?
Minerva: A little over two years now.
Mina: *nods, gaze moving just briefly over her* Was it the weather that brought you here?
Minerva: Primarily. I was looking for somewhere to relocate and I thought I'd go mad if I chose somewhere isolated, so I erred somewhat in the opposite direction.
Mina: *quiet laugh* Do you regret it?
Minerva: Not usually, though I find I miss the quiet when my downstairs neighbors are being particularly raucous. And may I ask what brought about your move?
Mina: Business. I am lucky enough to have very quiet neighbors below me. On both floors. Or I would get very little done.
Minerva: What is your business?
Mina: Currently research. *gestures at the library* But I'm finding a trip to a real library may be in order unless this Teddy proves to be a wealth of information.
Minerva: What is it that you're researching? Forgive professional interest. I taught for some years.
Mina: *another small laugh* I understand. I taught for a few years as well. My research is as simple as I was explaining to the librarian. The more abnormal events of Margate, recent history primarily though some older incidents too, naturally.
Minerva: How recent?
Mina: The last five years or so.
Minerva: I suppose you're looking for things other than the tired Shell Grotto theories.
Mina: *inclines her head* You sound as though you have a considerable amount of information as well?
Minerva: Only from living here. Although eating in restaurants with talkative waitstaff helps.
Mina: I know better than to underestimate the knowledge of a local. I would be willing to pay you for your time.
Minerva: I have more than enough time to share without being reimbursed for it. What do you want to know? *has an instinct for where these questions are going to be directed ...*
Mina: Then at least let me buy you a cup of tea. Or make you one. My flat is just up the road.
Minerva: That would be very welcome, thank you.
Mina: *simple smile and she gestures to the door* I trust you'll feel safe enough?
Minerva: I shall watch the cup to see that you place nothing untoward in it if that will give you a better opinion of my intelligence.
Mina: *amused laugh at this* Only tea leaves and hot water. The rest I shall leave to your discretion.
Minerva: Then yes, I feel quite safe enough. *falls into step with her*
Mina: *sidelong glance* I expect you are also armed.
Minerva: You expect correctly.
Mina: *nods once*
Minerva: *pauses outside the door* Which way?
Mina: *gestures to the left and toward the ocean* Just up this way. *leads her the short distance to the three storey house.
Minerva: *follows, evaluating the house with the eyes of one who has very recently considered escaping her own*
Mina: *as a means of explanation* I value my privacy and fresh air. *unlocks the door* To the second floor.
Minerva: *continues to follow her* What information are you looking for, Miss Harker?
Mina: Mrs Harker and very simply I want to know what is going on around here. *finally stops on the top floor and unlocks her flat door.
Minerva: I'm sorry, I should have asked. "Miss" comes naturally; I consider myself doing well if I don't give detentions to people who irritate me. *pauses with her* That would depend on which particular phenomenon you're interested in.
Mina: I understand. And it's an old habit of mine to continue to insist upon the other. *pushes the door open and gestures inside* All of it, actually. The people who come here. The things that happen to them.
Minerva: *enters* May I ask first how it was that you arrived?
Mina: By car. I understand that is not the normal method.
Minerva: Waking from unconsciousness on the beach is rather more common, yes.
Mina: *nods and goes to the kitchen to start the kettle as promised* Did you?
Minerva: I came by train. I'm a rarity. You'll forgive my insistence, but for someone who arrived in an ordinary manner to notice that something is off-kilter here is ... quite out of the ordinary.
Mina: *not quite under her breath* I have been called that before and not always in flattering tones. *turns to her* And to have that someone know who you are?
Minerva: Slightly more common.
Mina: Then you won't be surprised that I know of you?
Minerva: Not particularly.
Minerva: *reconsiders* Well, surprised, yes. Not ... shocked.
Mina: *reaches up for two teacups out of one of the cupboards* You are considerably younger than I expected if you'll pardon me being forward.
Minerva: I arrived considerably older.
Mina: And was it here that changed it?
Minerva: No, it was my own overeagerness resulting in a research accident.
Mina: I expect you could make a considerable living with that sort of accident if the results are stable.
Minerva: I expect so, but it's only been a few months. We'll see.
Mina: *nods just as the kettle starts to whistle* *shuts if off then considers better of the cups and pulls a teapot across the counter* There is a selection of teas in the tea chest there.
Minerva: *considers the contents of the chest for a moment before choosing one* And how did you become aware of the oddities of Margate without someone telling you?
Mina: I was sent here.
Minerva: By whom?
Mina: *doesn't answer immediately but before too long* By certain agents of the Crown for whom I have worked a considerable length of time.
Minerva: And has there been any significant change of date with your arrival?
Mina: You know just the questions to ask, Professor.
Minerva: It comes with the title, Mrs. Harker.
Mina: No, there was not.
Minerva: *nods and pointedly does not press even though she's desperately curious* I'm surprised no one has told you all of this yet; we strays tend to find our own.
Mina: I have spoke with few people and have been traveling elsewhere since arriving.
Minerva: You are able to travel, then.
Mina: Quite extensively.
Minerva: Many aren't.
Mina: *nods* I had heard that. And some are distinctly not human.
Minerva: More or less distinctly, yes.
Mina: *pointedly* There is a child with wings.
Minerva: Yes. He's older than he looks. Be careful sitting in the Pub or you may find him under your table lifting your skirt.
Mina: *eyebrows pop up* Then he may find himself kicked by a very pointed boot.
Minerva: That will almost certainly improve him.
Mina: *quiet laugh then she thinks for a few moments as she drinks her tea* Are you and the winged child the only deceptively aged?
Minerva: No. Both Xellos and Dora are older than they look.
Mina: The cook and the little girl?
Minerva: The friendlier cook. Yes.
Mina: *nods* What sort of age discrepancy are we talking about?
Minerva: I don't actually know how old Xellos is. Dora is twenty-six, but we try not to mention it in front of her.
Mina: Twenty-six? She is not human?
Minerva: She's as human as I am. She died, then arrived here.
Mina: *takes a slow breath* This is vastly more complex than I expected.
Minerva: *chuckles* Complex is the word for it.
Mina: *after a moment, with an expression that shows her awareness of the risk* And your age?
Minerva: Eighty-four.
Mina: *impressed huff*
Minerva: May I ask yours?
Mina: I suppose you won't be satisfied with "older than I look"?
Minerva: I will if I must.
Mina: I am one-hundred and fifty-eight.
Both women will accept threading here though Mina will be more immediate since notifications go to her player's email.