learning the ropes (open RP: Ari and some house elves)

[ariemorytwo.livejournal.com]

Ari's prioritized action list:

1. Find a computer and attempt to log into Base One. Could be this 21st-century stuff is all someone's elaborate psych.

Attempt made. Ari wasn't surprised that it availed nothing. But she'd had to try.

2. Find Florian and Catlin.

Easiest thing was to send a message to the Hat asking about them. This took some doing: the messaging system here consisted of a fleet of trained owls. The end result: two wizened little green nonhumans showed up at Ari's door in Sparklypoo. They said their names were Flobby and Caddy. When pressed, they admitted these names were short for Floribunda and Cadwallader. Wrong genders, even, for Florian and Catlin. (House elves did seem to have gender; though, thankfully for human sensibilities, their naked forms did not bear primary or secondary sexual characteristics a human would recognize. A good thing. The elves refused to wear clothing, and seemed to take the very offer of any garment as an outrageous affront.)

Because Ari had described her azi in the message she'd sent -- Florian dark and slight, Catlin blonde and tall -- someone had stuck wigs onto the house elves. (Wigs apparently did not count as clothing.)

"Fine," said Ari. "You're my bodyguards."

They grinned and waved their cattle prods.

3. Get messages offworld.

She was hoping for replies to the inquiries she'd owled to the space programs of the major industrial nations: NASA, Roskosmos, and SBASAF. The freight on messages from any of these was likely to be ... well, astronomical. But -- again, as with the computers -- she'd had to try.

4. Familiarize self with grounds.

This was why she was walking away from the castle. Her house-elf bodyguards were trailing far behind her. Ari had a notebook and a Dictaquill, to which she occasionally spoke a few words.

Comments

[degeneratewolfe.livejournal.com]

"Really?" He thawed slightly, somewhat close to the topic of Muggle Studies as he was by way of its instructor. "I can't say I approve of your choice of research associates, my dear, but you've chosen an excellent subject. The Baron Harkonnen is a most knowledgeable source of all things Muggle Studies, and quite an entertaining and captivating fellow to boot."

[ariemorytwo.livejournal.com]

Ari shrugged philosophically. "The Sorting Hat decided I should have them. They do as they like. I don't know whether they're literate, let alone whether they can assist in research. They do bring drinks if asked." At the mention of Harkonnen's name, she perked up. "You know the Baron Harkonnen? I've heard very promising things about him. Apparently he's the expert on reality television."

[degeneratewolfe.livejournal.com]

Valentine knew a little about what the average house elf knew. He'd experimented on them, with potions and a wide variety of other instruments for the fun of it, and they talked eventually about things he had no real need to know. Sometimes he had been curious, and sometimes they just babbled. They talked eventually, even when he didn't ask them to.

"We're close. Extremely." He held up one hand, letting the ruby on it catch the light, and smiled fondly. "In fact, we're to be wed soon. Oh, we're still working out the details, but it's going to be a grand affair. Whoever told you about him was correct, he's quite knowledgeable and... imaginative when it comes to the subject."

[ariemorytwo.livejournal.com]

In Union, it wasn't unheard of for men to establish long-term domestic partnerships with one another. What wasn't so common was marriage, of any stripe. Not in Reseune, anyway.

"You must care very much for one another, to make such a solid commitment," said Ari pleasantly. "Felicitations on the match. Planning a truly grand wedding is bound to be a time-intensive occupation; I hope the Baron will be able to spare me a few moments, to discuss reality television." She judged that it wouldn't be a risk to her if the Potions Master knew what she was involved in creating. Being on the faculty, he must be to some degree complicit in the Hat's regime.

"The Sorting Hat has a social experiment in mind, which will also make for a spectacle it believes it will find entertaining. I've been commissioned to design and implement the experiment. Reality television is key: it's how the entire thing will be documented, and how the Hat will get its kicks."

[degeneratewolfe.livejournal.com]

"We make an excellent partnership," he agreed, unwilling to admit to anything more to anyone save the Baron himself. It was, after all, a possible weakness that could be exploited.

He listened to her idea--or possibly the Hat's idea, though it really didn't matter in any case--and pursed his lips thoughtfully. "I'm sure that he would be amenable to hearing such a proposal." If it could indeed be worked into a spectacle, and one to suit the Baron's amusement, it could very well interest him. "I could give you directions to his office. Or take you there, I suppose." This could be interesting enough to hold even his attention, and if the Baron chose to take part it was likely that he'd hear about it eventually, in any case.