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Tweak says, "madd be madd"

Lily Evans (just_lily) wrote in silverage,
@ 2011-07-22 06:17:00

Entry tags:

!log, lee scoresby, lily evans

This Wasn't Right
Who: Lily, Lee
What: Arriving
When: Friday morning
Where: outside somewhere
Rating: Low, likely
Status: Complete

Caution was the watchword she lived her life by in these times. It wasn't unheard of for Death Eaters to engage wayward witches and wizards who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, so she'd taken to carefully apparating from point A to point B when she needed to get somewhere that wasn't in the Floo network. It was also fairly well impossible to tell at a glance who was a Death Eater and who wasn't, though some were more suspect than others.

It was the ones that weren't obvious that one had to look out for. She thought there was a fair irony in that sentiment, and Lily abhorred the 'trust no one' mentality she had to live by. She was a generally trusting sort, and being wary of strangers didn't suit her. It was keeping her alive though, so she couldn't argue the logic of it, much as she may want to.

That said, Lily was more than a little surprise when she had every intention of apparating into her flat only to find herself ... well, somewhere that very definitely was not her flat. What was more surprising was the fact that several Muggles had seen it happen, and apparently thought little of it. It took her a moment -- and she blamed the sudden disorientation for it -- to realize that they looked a bit ... out of date.

Clutching her wand by her side, Lily turned a slow circle as she tried to add up the pieces into something resembling a complete picture. No picture she could make made sense though. How often did apparation accidents like this happen? She knew splinching could happen, but to wind up somewhere completely off from where you intended? This place didn't look like anywhere she was familiar with, and the clothes were definitely out of date, by at least a decade.

She gave some thought to attempting to apparate back, but she was scared what might happen if she tried alone, so obviously the answer was to summon James' aid. Retreating to a secluded spot, she tried to dredge up some happy thoughts -- more difficult given her extreme confusion and the panic she wasn't allowing to surface -- to create her patronus. She wasn't great at the message ones yet, but she reasoned that her doe saying help would be enough to at least catch James' attention. And then what, though? He wouldn't know where to go, and she didn't know where she was to tell him where to go.

Scraping that plan with a noise of frustration, Lily stalked to see if she could find some sort of location identification. There were street signs with names that meant nothing to her, and she was starting to think that she wasn't anywhere in England anymore, which was disturbing on any number of levels.

Out of ideas and with not enough solid information to make a decent plan, Lily scowled. Well, if she started walking, she was bound to end up somewhere, right? Maybe she could find some sort of city authority or town hall or something that could give her a clue. Barring that, maybe she'd find a kindly stranger who could take one look at her and realize she was lost and upset and help her out. Either way, it was better than standing around ... and so her adventure began.

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leescoresby
2011-07-23 05:18 am UTC (link)

"Now hold yer horses, Ms. Lily, panicking won't do you much," Lee said, placing his hands on the table now cleared of the tall menus. "It's not so bad anymore as when the first lost people came here, I heard. Right now there's this place called the Welcome Center, managed by a lovely lady named Millie. It's got a lot of things newcomers need, I hear, like lodging and food and classified ads. I don't know if anyone's made her answer metaphysics, though, and I don't know how long y'can stay there but I'm pretty sure she'll give you enough time to pull yourself together.

"Now as for ehh...them," Lee cleared his throat. He'd forgotten everything she'd asked him now, he can only remember so much, after all. "There's something else you gotta know about New York -- and that is that New York's got mighty fancy bulletin boards scattered all around her. Not sure how it happens, but you post a note on one bulletin board, it pops out in all other bulletin boards. Lots of lost people are using that for communication."

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just_lily
2011-07-23 05:32 am UTC (link)

Lily didn't think this was panicking, but she supposed to someone who hadn't seen her in an all-out temper, it might seem that way. Or maybe she didn't want to think it was, because if she was outwardly panicking, cracking wasn't far behind. She just wanted James to know she was safe, to not worry, and to not do anything ridiculous.

But even if she could manage to shoot off a patronus ... she couldn't make it cross time. She had to accept then that she couldn't do anything about home right now, so it was best to try to put it from her mind.

Easier said than done, of course, but she'd try, at least. The bulletin board sounded like something out of her world. Or like something James and Sirius would invent. Or likely had. Not here, of course, but she had no doubt they had something like it in her own time. Her own reality.

She was extremely reluctant to lean on strangers for aid, but she'd always had a wildly independent streak. Still again, reality was what it was. She was poor and homeless and until she turned that around, she had to accept help. Her lips pursed as her expression twisted slightly to one of extreme displeasure, but whatever had to be done, she'd do. What choice did she have, after all?

"Suppose I'll look into that then," she said stiffly, her tone and expression making it clear enough that wasn't going to be her preferred method of handling this. She did try to soften her expression so he wouldn't think she was upset with him. It was -- again -- hardly his fault she was somehow in this mess.

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leescoresby
2011-07-23 05:49 am UTC (link)

Their cups of hot chocolate arrived in time to save the day and Lee could feel that Hester liked the smell of it so he picked it up and took a good sip, after which there was soon an appreciative smile on his face.

"It's not as bad as it sounds, Ms. Lily. Or rather, pardon me for saying so, but I don't think it would be as bad." Not that he could really know. He supposed being shifted all out of place and time was the worst luck anyone could dream of and when he tried to imagine what would happen to him if that happened, he couldn't really grasp a good image of it. If he was transported without Hester, sure, that would be more terrible than torture and abuse put together. But you can't really separate one from the other, and Lee had no family waiting for him...so he couldn't imagine the shock and the fright someone like Lily might know.

"I'm sorry I can't help you go back or find a way to talk to your folks back home," Lee said. "I imagine it's the same for everyone here who's lost; you're all going through the same thing. You could, though, consider the possibility that some of your friends are here." Clearly, he was trying to be optimistic here. "Seen some reunions happening."

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just_lily
2011-07-23 06:00 am UTC (link)

She didn't think for a moment she could explain just how bad it truly was, so she thought she wouldn't even try. It would involve getting into ... everything back home. The war, what she was, why she was so despised, and what her friends were probably doing in her absence. She barely wanted to think about it, let alone explain it.

"I'm sure once I've had a chance to acclimate to it all, I'll be fine," she murmured as she lifted up the cup of hot chocolate. Except ... she didn't want to acclimate, adjust, and accept. She just wanted to go home. To go home, and get married, and win the war ... but she guessed the war would just have to roll on without her.

It was a shame she hadn't been dumped in the future; maybe then someone around could tell her how it had turned out.

"It's not your fault," she assured him, managing a half-smile for him. "Are you ... from here or were you like ... me? Us? The others who are ... lost here?"

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	leescoresby 2011-07-23 06:08 am UTC (link)
	"Suppose you can call me a local," Lee said. "But not in the strictest sense. I was born in 1904 and raised in Texas until I moved out to find my luck. To the best of my knowledge, I hadn't been transported through time and space just yet." "Hate to break it up to you, Lee," Hester said soon, "But we might be running late for work." Lee ignored her. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

just_lily
2011-07-23 06:16 am UTC (link)

She nodded slightly, and she supposed that explained the attire. Lapsing into a thoughtful silence, she sipped almost absently at her drink and let her eyes wander over the inside of the coffee shop. Setting the mug down, she ran her fingers through her hair again before she shook her head.

Of all the things she'd planned to do that day ... getting lost in past-times New York wasn't one of them. "Where ... where is this welcome center?" She asked. She supposed she'd get more definitive answers there. Not that she didn't appreciate him taking time out of his day to help her, because she did appreciate that, but she supposed she should find somewhere quiet to sit and think and try this bulletin board thing. "I suppose I should ... be on my way there and get out of your hair." She did manage a little smile at the last bit of her statement, though it was fleeting.

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leescoresby
2011-07-23 06:32 am UTC (link)

"No trouble at all," Lee said with a smile. "Always a pleasure to help someone in need of assistance." And, she was pretty.

He summoned the waiter and asked for a pen and a piece of paper. "I wish I could take you all the way to the Welcome Center, but it's not in a very convenient distance from here, see. It's not very far, though."

And if there was one more thing Lee was good at, no matter how much Hester thought otherwise, it was maps. He didn't receive much of a paper, but he took his time to draw the road from where they currently were and remembered to note down a few landmarks that could help her along the way. Before he finished his fine drawing, he let Hester finalize everything before he turned the page over and scrawled down his name, his number, and his place of residence.

"In case you need help," Lee said as he handed her the map he had made, "my details are at the back. But if you put out a note for me in the bulletin boards, I'll be sure to check it out quickly." He winked at Lily.

"Try not to do that on lost ladies, Lee," Hester said to him.

"It might be better for you to catch a cab," Lee suggested and he drew out his old wallet that was coming apart on the seams and slipped out a couple of notes for Lily. Thank God for work! He was reserving that for a few repairs on his balloon instruments, true, but that can wait. "It's not much but take this, anyway, it could help. I can drop by after work and see what else I can do for you."

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just_lily
2011-07-23 06:41 am UTC (link)

"I wouldn't ask you to," she assured him when he said he wouldn't be able to walk her there. She was sure he had other things to do and couldn't be catering to poor lost her all day. She sipped her hot chocolate as she watched him draw the map, though her gaze drifted occasionally out the window. 1964. If she thought back hard enough, she thought she could recall clothing a little like this in her mum's closet. When she and Tuney would play dress up ...

Lily bit down hard on her lower lip to still it when it started quivering. Of all the things to be the straw to break the emotional camel's back, it was a thought of her estranged sister? And why not? If she never saw Petunia again ... there'd never be a resolution to their issues. She fixed her gaze out the window until she was sure she mostly had her expression under control.

She turned back in time to see Lee pulling out his wallet, and she shook her head slightly. "I have perfectly sound legs," she assured him. "And I'm sure I can exchange what money I have on me somewhere." She reasoned too that she could sell her wizarding money if this seemed like it was going to be a long-term stay. Despite everything she'd heard and seen so far, she was still rebelling against the idea that this may well be her life for an extended, indefinite period of time.

It was hard enough on her to take James' money, and she was engaged to marry him. She couldn't bring herself to take money from a near-stranger who'd already been so helpful.

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leescoresby
2011-07-23 06:59 am UTC (link)

Lee wasn't going to take that for an answer. Surely she could use her legs for something else more important than walking. He was about to insist for her to take the money until Hester stood with a straight back and placed a paw on his arm.

"Leave it, she ain't gonna take it." Hester recognized it in Lily's tone.

And Lee knew better than to ignore the hare and her advices on these matters. So he retrieved his hand and placed his money back in his wallet, grateful for it all the same. "But if there's absolutely anything you need, Ms. Lily, don't hesitate to ask. There's a lot of us here who'd be more than happy to help you get comfortable until we sort this one out." He was probably letting on more than he could do, but what was a tiny bit of encouragement, right?

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just_lily
2011-07-23 07:05 am UTC (link)

She was a little surprised by the lack of insistence, but glad all the same that she wouldn't have to continue her protests. She had a fierce stubborn streak, but she preferred not to exercise it if she didn't have to. She exercised it often enough with James and Sirius. "Thank you, though, for the offer," she added simply because she didn't want to come off as some ungrateful spoiled brat. "I do appreciate the assistance and I'm sure I'll be in touch again." Even if only because he was the first person she'd met here and therefore the sole familiar face in this strange world.

So far, at any rate. Perhaps James and some of their friends had arrived as well. Or would arrive. Maybe she was simply the first, and the others would follow. The thoughts were soothing even if part of her knew she was just lying to herself.

Realizing then that this was likely her cue to leave, she finished her hot chocolate before setting the cup down on the table. "Thank you, again," she said softly before she turned her eyes toward the door. "I should ..." she gestured toward said door before she started to ease out of her seat.

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	leescoresby 2011-07-23 07:24 am UTC (link)
	Lee pushed his seat back and stood up with her, hand falling instinctively on his hat as he smiled and nodded towards her. Hester had hopped down to the floor on time to miss tumbling down his legs. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Lily," he said kindly. "The city ain't that bad either. You'll be fine, you'll see. Good morning to you." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

just_lily
2011-07-23 04:25 pm UTC (link)

"It was lovely to meet you as well," she replied. "Thank you, again, and I'm sure I'll be seeing you." She managed a more genuine smile for him before she turned away to start for the door. She thought before she ventured to the welcome center, she'd find a quiet place to unleash some of her emotional confusion before she accidentally let it loose on someone who didn't deserve it.

She paused at the door, drew a steadying breath, and let herself out into the new world she was -- at least for the time being -- a part of.

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