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Lily Evans ([info]emerald_eyes) wrote in [info]indarkness_logs,
@ 2010-10-02 21:27:00

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Entry tags:!complete, 2032 10, lily evans, severus snape

RP: Brainstorming
Characters: Lily, Sev
Time/Date: Evening, October 2
Location: His room
Warnings/Rating: None
Summary: Lily frets; they brainstorm
Status: Complete



Lily had taken a shower and dressed in her robes; it was simpler than dealing with jeans or trousers or skirts or anything. She'd let Balthazar know where she was going before she slipped out of his room and eased down the hall to Sev's room. All the while, she'd been trying to figure out what, exactly, they'd be using three doses of a Draught of Peace for ... and coming up with nothing. At all.

Giants, maybe? A dragon? She snorted at the very idea of it as she lifted a hand to knock on Sev's door. She wasn't honestly sure they were past the point of knocking when they were expecting one another, but ... it was probably best to keep that in place. Not that she really spent much time in her room anymore, anyway ...

As she waited, she wondered if they really were going to throw something else at them so soon. They couldn't possibly, couldn't they? Weren't they supposed to have a lottery first, with big clues and a chance to prepare, even if it was only a couple of days? But maybe ... that wasn't it. Maybe it wasn't a pending attack. Maybe ...

... maybe what?

Lily sighed. That's what they were going to try to find out, wasn't it? What was going on?


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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-03 04:04 pm UTC (link)
Severus had been racking his brain the entire time since he'd written to Lily, and still nothing came to mind. If they were facing something that would make people around here agitated or angry, three doses would never be enough. Surely there could not only be three people here who were predisposed to violence when angry? And, as much as he hated to admit it, he had to count himself amongst them. So, who would the other two be?

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, and then looked up from the very bare piece of paper lying on the desk that was supposed to be his list of possibilities. Entirely empty, still. Shaking his head, Severus rose and went to answer the door. "Hello," he said quietly, after he'd opened the door, and stood back to allow Lily in. Once he'd closed the door again, he sighed. "I wish I could say I'd developed an extensive list whilst you showered, but I fear that would be an outrageous lie."

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-03 05:32 pm UTC (link)
"Well, I came up with dragons and giants, so I can't say I'm doing any better," she admitted once she was inside his room. She slipped off her shoes near the door and crossed toward his bed, perching on the edge of it. "Not ... seriously," she admitted. "I don't really think they'd ..."

But why not? Why not, exactly? Did she honestly, even now, think there were any lines their captors would not cross? "I'd hope ... that they wouldn't ... not so soon. They haven't ever done an attack except after a lottery before." Which meant exactly nothing, she knew. Just because there was a previously established pattern hardly meant that they were under any obligation to keep to it.

She ran her fingers through her hair before she shook her head slightly. "So we assume ... it's for something they'll be throwing at us. What if it isn't? What if it's ... I mean, what other potions could be made from the ingredients? Maybe it isn't ... maybe some of them are red herrings or something like that and we're -- you're -- meant to think it's ... for that, when it really isn't?"

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-03 07:09 pm UTC (link)
Severus managed a small smile as Lily slipped off her shoes. He very nearly said that he was just about to say she should make herself at home, but he was too late, when she started speaking again. As she moved to the bed, he returned to the desk, though he moved the chair around to face her. Then he retrieved his blank 'list', a book to use to write on, and his previously abandoned pen. Her mention of giants, however, made him furrow his brow in thought, and he was only half listening to the rest of what she'd said.

"Or maybe it's for something they've already thrown at us," he muttered, still frowning, once she seemed to have finished. Then he shook his head as he looked up at her. Not a dragon, of course, but ... "I did run into a giant the other day," he added with a shrug. Though that really didn't make any sense, either. If Hulk had been dangerous, he wouldn't be sitting here, telling Lily about him, he was sure. On the other hand, he might require three doses, given his size. He was fairly certain that Hulk didn't mean any harm at all. If no one bothered him ... well, that was the trouble. The others here might not be so unconcerned around a giant.

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-04 12:17 am UTC (link)
"You ... ran into a giant ... the other day," she repeated in a 'let me see if I've got this straight' sort of voice. "I'm going to guess there's a story behind that, and I'm also going to guess that you want to tell me this story," she prompted, brows lifting as she regarded him.

She wasn't sure what he meant, exactly. There couldn't possibly be a giant here, not without others having been made aware of it. Granted, there was the issue of the ... property destruction outside, but ...

But then, she was envisioning ... a giant-giant. Perhaps Severus simply meant ... a giant of a man.

Bracing her hands behind herself, she leaned back on them as she regarded her friend, still gazing expectantly at him.

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-04 03:05 pm UTC (link)
"I did," Severus answered with a nod and a small smile. "Not one of our giants," he added, because giants in the wizarding world were not green. "But he was about Hagrid's size, muscle-bound, and ... green. He called himself Hulk, and he was ... smashing one of the abandoned buildings when I saw him." Well, he saw him immediately afterward, but it hadn't been all that difficult to work out.

"But other than that, he seemed harmless," he added, frowning in thought. "I'm sure he could have destroyed me more easily than he did the building, but he didn't seem to want to. Apart from growling and roaring at me, he showed no real signs of aggression at all." Severus gave a shrug then, however, frowning worse. "He said he wouldn't bother anyone who didn't bother him, but I imagine most people here would bother him, or worse."

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-04 03:51 pm UTC (link)
"I haven't seen anyone like that," she admitted. "Nor in the registry." She and Jaime checked that at least every couple of days, and Lily thought she would have recalled the name Hulk on the pages. "Are you ... was it a nickname, perhaps? Or ... is he even a captive?"

Not that she imagined the island truly had 'natives' but what if this Hulk was someone (something?) their captors had set loose on them for them to deal with?

If he could destroy buildings ... even if he promised not to bother anyone who didn't bother him, there were enough antagonistic sorts here that Lily worried that someone would bother him.

"And really, growling and roaring aren't signs of aggression?" she prompted as she regarded him. "If something growled and roared at me, I'd consider him aggressive."

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-04 06:48 pm UTC (link)
Severus chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, I suppose my perspective may be a bit skewed in that regard, since I've been mauled by a giant three-headed dog and a hippogriff. But my point is, I don't think he had any intention of attacking me. I think the roaring and growls were mere posturing on his part, to get me to leave him alone. And once I'd ascertained that he wouldn't be destroying any inhabited buildings, I did."

He tilted his head slightly, running a finger over his lower lip as he thought. "I don't think it was a nickname, however," he said slowly, pondering the possibility. "Because he specifically said that he didn't like having multiple names for someone." He actually smiled, as well, remembering that exchange rather fondly. Hulk did not want to call him 'Strange Man' once he knew his name, even if 'Strange Man' was rather fitting, as well. At least from Hulk's perspective.

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-04 09:25 pm UTC (link)
Lily nodded. "So either there's an unregistered captive, his desire for things not to have two names doesn't apply to himself, or he's something our captors have set upon us.

"If he's unregistered, I dread to think how many other people, giant or otherwise, are running around here that we don't know about."

That was ... bothersome. All of the options were, honestly. But what to do about it, exactly? Post up in the network for all jolly green giants to report in? That seemed a bit ... invasive and not at all discreet.

Try to find him again? That could be dangerous.

Decide he wasn't the point of this exercise and continue with the brainstorming? It was possible (probable? Likley?) that they were focusing on the wrong thing, but ...

... but perhaps not. Suppose they'd waited until Severus had met Hulk on purpose before delivering (most of) the ingredients for a Draught of Peace to his room? Were their captors encouraging them to meddle with each other?

"I hate how much this place has made me doubt myself," she murmured in a soft voice. "Made me afraid to do anything at all 'lest it be the wrong thing."

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-05 12:04 am UTC (link)
"I know what you mean," Severus answered, frowning. "Though I think we could possibly rule out something our captors have set on us. If anything, I think we're more of a danger to him that he is to us. That seems to be what he's used to, at least -- being hunted, I mean. But he does seem comparatively tame next to reavers."

It was also possible that he had simply jumped to the conclusion that the ingredients were for the Draught of Peace, given that he knew there was hellebore growing in the garden. They could have been for another potion entirely, but he would need to do some research. "I don't suppose you know of any potions off the top of your head that use all the same ingredients as the Draught of Peace minus the hellebore?"

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-05 02:39 am UTC (link)
"That's hardly a comparison. Most things would be tame compared to reavers," she pointed out before she exhaled softly. Everything she'd ever met at any rate. She'd even consider an agitated dragon more tame that reavers.

"Nothing I can think of, no. Are you the potions master?" she teased him gently. Biting lightly at her lower lip, Lily plunged deeper into thought before she shook her head.

"I suppose ... if you saw him around again ..." she trailed off. How, exactly, did one go about asking a giant if he'd like to have a taste of this potion, please and thank you?

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-05 03:10 am UTC (link)
Severus sighed, as well. Even if he hadn't been there for the attack itself, he had seen the damage and the blood, and ... yes, Hulk was very mild by comparison. Mild enough that he really didn't think the potion would be necessary, if they even knew how to find him, which obviously they didn't.

He rolled his eyes at the teasing, and then quipped, "I am, which is why I was asking you -- in case I was overlooking something absurdly simple." If he'd sent that over the network, he would have appended one of those emoticons, as he had since learned they were called. But since he was not, he merely smirked.

"I could attempt to poison him, for all he knows," he said, continuing where she'd left off, pulling a face at the very idea. "I'm sure that would go over exceptionally well." Then he sighed again. "I think I need to do some research to see what else could be made with these ingredients, before I start planning to track him down and force a potion down his throat."

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-05 03:29 am UTC (link)
Lily nodded slightly. "For the best," she agreed. "If you had any spare books, I could devote a little time to researching, as well."

He did certainly have a point about the poison though. If she didn't know a Draught of Peace from a Draught of Living Death, why should she accept a potion from a stranger? Especially since they didn't even know that was the case.

Lily could not verbally express her intense hatred for this place. Or rather, for the people who put them here and continued to throw out hoops for them to jump through. Every time she thought they'd encountered a line, their captors pushed a bit farther, a bit harder.

She did try to drum up anything that used the relevant ingredients in whatever quantities, mentally replacing some for others that could be more readily found, but ... nothing was coming to mind. "It's possible ... that they're just playing with us. Trying to drive us to this point by providing the ingredients but no indication on what to do with them."

But it was also possible their captors just wanted them to think that ... and that they really should be working on a potion.

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-05 04:56 pm UTC (link)
"I think I might have a couple," Severus answered, rising from his chair and moving to pluck a couple of books off the shelf. After he'd handed Lily the books, he sat down in his desk chair again with another sigh.

"Everything they do qualifies as playing with us in some fashion, I think," he added, shaking his head. Granted, some of the ways they played with their captives were more dangerous than others, but it was all merely a game to them, he was sure.

"Though I wonder..." he began, reaching up to stroke his bottom lip again with his finger. "If Hulk is an unregistered captive, or even someone they've set upon us--" He couldn't quite bring himself to term Hulk 'something'. "--what do you think are the chances that he'd be monitoring the network?"

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-05 05:13 pm UTC (link)
Lily ran her fingertips along the edge of the front cover of the book before she shook her head to his question. "If he wasn't registered, or if he was ... some creation of theirs they've set on us, he may not even have a device.

"Maybe he's something they let out to play every once in a while."

Lily snorted. "Maybe they took him back in because he wasn't vicious enough to try to kill you on sight." While she didn't think their captors really wanted them dead ... she didn't think they were above incurring a loss or two in the interest of observation.

Holding the books against her lap, she shrugged her shoulders slightly. "Though I guess it couldn't hurt to ... put out some sort of notice if we haven't managed to come up with anything. Maybe he'll pipe up, or someone who knows something will chime in."

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-06 01:15 am UTC (link)
What she said was very true. Hulk might not have a choice whether to monitor the network. Though if he did happen to see such an announcement, Severus didn't think he would be quite so lenient with him the next time they met.

He rolled his eyes at what Lily said regarding Hulk's not having been vicious enough. Or maybe they were hoping he would kill Hulk on sight. It wouldn't have been the first time he'd done someone's dirty work. But really, if that had been their aim, they really didn't know him as well as they might have thought they did.

"It's worth a try," Severus answered with a slight shrug. "Especially since we haven't come up with anything, apart from giants or dragons." He gave a wry grin and shook his head. "I really would hate to waste perfectly good moonstone on a Draught of Peace if we're supposed to be making something else with it."

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-06 03:19 am UTC (link)
"We'll give it a couple days to ... brew in the back of our minds then, see if our subconscious pops up something," she offered before she slipped off the bed, cradling the books against her chest.

"Though if you come up with something before then, by all means let me know," she murmured. "I'll do the same." She truthfully didn't think she would come up with anything, but maybe she would find something in the books, and maybe it would spark something in her mind.

If they didn't come up with anything ... then they'd start making inquiries or something. "So I suppose that's an I'll see you later then?" she inquired. She had books, he had books, and they had a mystery to solve.

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[info]delicate_power
2010-10-06 05:07 pm UTC (link)
"I certainly shall," Severus answered with a nod. "If I think of anything." Though he really didn't think he would. The Draught of Peace was simply a mild sedative. He really couldn't think how it would much good at all against something on the order of reavers.

It was just as likely, however, that the ingredients were intended for a different potion, but they wouldn't know that until they'd done their homework. But somehow he didn't see their captors being quite so generous as to simply give them ingredients they hadn't specifically asked for.

"I suppose so," he answered, nodding again as he rose from his chair and saw her to the door. "Good luck," he added with a smile, opening the door for her, with a wry grin.

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[info]emerald_eyes
2010-10-06 05:16 pm UTC (link)
"To you as well," she replied before she sighed softly. She started out of the room, books hugged to her chest as she angled down the hall toward her own room.

Even now, her mind whirled as she mentally compared their cache of ingredients against common potions.

But what if it was uncommon? Or invented after her time? Lily pulled a face before she let herself into her room. She'd ponder a bit more, see if she came up with anything else ... and go from there.

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