nulli secunda

[witch_perfect]

Alli's out of Lethe's Bramble again. She found a reference to a potion- almost like a memory purge but backwards, it's a memory aid. But she keeps getting it wrong, and all she has to show for it is a lack of potion ingredients and distinct difficulty remembering the last three books she read.

She planned for that, at least; they're not school books or anything. But she wants to get this potion right,and more importantly, she wants to have it done before exams. So today she can be found in the Magic Box, digging through the herb selections.

"Ugh, least organized spices ever," she mutters to herself.

Comments

[witch_perfect]

Alli smiles rather dryly. "Well, I would like it to be a memory aid potion. So far, no luck. Negative luck? Whatever winds up with me missing half the damn plot of the last book I read." She winks. "Planned ahead on that, though. I can live with forgetting how Countess Mountvale helps her family- um- her husband? Sister? Whatever, there's a jewelry heist."

Or possibly a painting heist. She thinks.

"You see what I mean, though?"

[keyed_up]

"It sounds like you had to read it for English class and there were no potions involved."

[witch_perfect]

"And you sound like you have the correct level of disdain for English classes everywhere. So proud. Sooo... trade you help with potion for batch of potion?"

She looks slightly rueful. "I've probably put more time into the potion that I would into exams, but come on. Magic or Great Expectations? It's not even a contest."

[keyed_up]

"My sister likes old books. I don't see the appeal. I will totally trade you but I don't wanna be a test subject."

[witch_perfect]

Alli waves this off. "Whatever, I've already had five, what's one more?" She offers her hand. "I'm Alli, for the record."

[keyed_up]

"Soph!" Shake shake.

[witch_perfect]

"So... I didn't actually bring the thing. The damn book is heavy and I've just made it five times, I didn't hardly need the ingredient list. I can bring it to school tomorrow, or something?"

[keyed_up]

"Sure. Meet in the library after?"

[witch_perfect]

"Deal." She smiles. "Nice to meetcha, Soph. See you tomorrow."

And, one purchase of Lethe's Bramble later, Alli's on her way home. Potion attempt number six, she is coming for you.

[keyed_up]

Soph is in the library after school the following afternoon.

[cross_and_bow]

And Bella with her.

[witch_perfect]

Alli is slightly late but does in fact turn up, with a large, visibly old and obviously heavy book in her arms. "Soph, hey!" she says when she sees the other girl. "Who's your friend?"

"You look familiar...? Maybe?" she says dubiously to the other girl.

[keyed_up]

"Hi, Alli. This is my sister Bella, the one who can't get any magic to work. She's a junior."

[cross_and_bow]

"Together those are surely my defining qualities."

[witch_perfect]

"Well damn, I am also a junior. Do we have to fight for it now?" She plops the book down on the table and starts flipping through pages. "Least I know why you look familiar, now. We must have classes together." She huffs. "And I'd probably even remember which ones, if it wasn't for that damn potion."

Or at least 70% odds, instead of 40%.

She stops on the next page with a triumphant sound. "Aha! Potion recipe staring time?"

[keyed_up]

"Sure. Lay it on me."

[cross_and_bow]

"I think we have math. You sit in the way back."

[witch_perfect]

Alli shrugs and smiles. "You are not on memory altering drugs. I will totally take your word for it. I do sit in the back in math, though." And all other classes. Classes are not Alli's favorite thing. Magic is so much better.

She goes over the recipe for Soph. There's quite a few steps, involving at least two Latin chants, extremely specific stirring directions, and bundles of precisely measured herbs. Some of it's smudged and hard to read, and the whole thing's rather... vague, in that way magic books often are.

"You see why it's such a pain in the ass?" Alli asks rhetorically.

[keyed_up]

"Yeah... like I said I haven't got into potions but I have got a little bit into Latin, I switched into it a few weeks ago when I discovered that there is almost no Spanish in spellbooks, and I know almost none of it so far, but is that conjugated right?" She points at a verb.

[witch_perfect]

"...No. No, you're totally right. That's the wrong tense. Damn it all. I didn't think to check the Latin- I thought I measured something wrong-" she starts to scribble things down on a spare sheet of paper from her backpack. She's on her third year of Latin; she's not the world's best student, but she's past the basics. "And this is in the dative instead of the accusative, and this should be plural... who wrote this, they should be banned from magic."

[keyed_up]

"Ooh, I helped. Go me."

[cross_and_bow]

"Aren't you glad I convinced you to switch?"

[keyed_up]

"I am glad of that whenever I'm not doing my homework. You should do my homework, we're in the same level of Latin anyway."

[cross_and_bow]

"That would kind of defeat the purpose of you actually taking it. Besides, when I tried to help you with a spell you said it came out feeling wrong, whatever that means to you magical types."

[keyed_up]

"I'm kidding, Bella."