third floor common room - thursday evening - 10/16

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Liir was... not exactly pleased about his luck for today.

Today, of all days, this again, though the fact that others were in similar situations made him feel just a bit better about it. He didn't think that Penelope would mind him being green, especially considering his story about Elphaba, but it still was one more thing that'd be wrong during the dinner, one more thing than he wanted.

That said, he'd hopefully prepared a meal that would make up for it. Steak, dessert, and a light clear soup with vegetables to start them off. The food stayed in the pots and pans to stay hot and the iced pearlfruit tea he'd made was still in the icebox to stay cold.

Now, he just had to wait for Penelope.

[open, as common rooms are, but waiting for one; Penelope thread locked, if you please, and all threads will be before hers.]

Comments

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

There was a slight advantage to staying in ones room almost constantly. Today would be one of those days. When Penelope entered the common room for her dinner date with Liir, she was completely taken aback at seeing him green.

While she had taken time to make herself look as pretty as she could, given certain facial features, Liir apparently turned green. She had to admit, while standing still to stare at him, it was a nice green. She assumed, since it was a family trait(seemingly), that he could become green at will. It just suprised her.

"Good evening, Liir," she finally said, politely.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He turned and gave her a smile, hoping that it wasn't taken the wrong way considering. Yes, green came with certain connotations in his mind.

"Good evening," he said, before his cheeks blushed salmon. He patted his hand.

"There was a bit of an incident with some of the oddness of this place," he admitted. "Not that it isn't apropos. How are you today? How have you been?"

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

More oddness with this place? Penelope glanced down at her hands, making sure they were still the same color as always. "I must not be affected by it and now I wonder why. Strange, isn't it?"

Stepping in further, she offered him a small smile. "I'm fine, thank you. Worked late last night, but I slept in. How have you been?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"Other than green, well enough," he said. He didn't want to talk about his discussion with his father, nor about the plans he was making, nor about the practice he was going to start.

"And it won't happen unless you go outside. It, er, sort of falls on you and turns you a color," he explained. "I went out for a flight and ran right back in."

He tilted his head nervously.

"It won't put you off dinner, will it?"

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Of course not," she assured him. "The green is a nice shade." It was all she could think of to say to that. It was easy since one of her favorite colors was green.

Penelope smiled, interlaced her fingers in front of her. "What have you prepared for dinner?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He collected the soup bowls from the stove and pulled the ladle from the pot.

"Soup, to start with. Clear broth and vegetables. Also, if you'll give me just a minute..."

He nodded to the table.

"You can sit. I'll serve."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"It smells very good," she offered and moved towards the table to sit.

Shyly, she watched him, feeling twinges of nervousness. Not that she really should, mind, but only in that it being a real date where a boy asked her; simple as it was, it still meant something.

She offered, belatedly, "I could help you, if you like?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He brought the bowls over before dipping back into the kitchen area to get the pitcher of pearlfruit tea. The glasses were turned over and the light pink tea was served with a cube or two of ice each.

Then he sat down and nodded his head.

"It's fine," he said. "But thank you for the offer. And I'm glad you like it so far, well the smell anyway."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Oh, this looks wonderful. What is this drink?" she asked, picking up her glass. The pink color was pretty.

She couldn't help but giggle lightly. "I really can't smell any better than anyone else. I was asked that once, you know."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"It didn't occur to me," he admitted.

"And the drink is pearlfruit tea," he explained as he took a sip of his own. It was lightly sweet, with a touch of sourness.

"I bought a quantity of it at the market in the Emerald City."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"I wouldn't think you would," she said, all things considered. "It just amuses me what is assumed by others."

She took a sip of her tea. "Mm, this is good."

Penelope looked across the table at him. "I would like to hear more about this Emerald City, if you care to talk about it."

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

"I don't mind doing it," he admitted as he took a sip of his soup.

It'd come out well, though he should have thought of rolls to go with it.

"What would you like to know?"

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Anything, I guess. Anything you'd like to share. What are the people like, the food, where exactly is it?" If that last one could even be explained.

She took a small sip of her soup. It was wonderful.

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He grinned.

"It's at the very center of Oz, my, well, country. And the people are the people of Oz, though there's mostly the very rich people, the people who wish they were the very rich people, and the very poor people. Up at the top are mostly those from up in Gilikin. In the middle are those folks who made it out of Munchkinland before they seceded from the rest of Oz. And down at the bottom are the dwarves and Quadlings and all the rest, generally."

At this point, most were so mixed you could barely tell which was which at times.

"But there's all sorts, more than I'd ever imagined. And up near Shiz gate, there's horses of every color you could imagine, dyed up to match the house colors of the families they're driving about."

He paused.

"I wouldn't really know about the food. I mostly ate out of what I could find while I was there at first and I usually bring things when I go to visit Trism."

His cheeks warmed up at that name.

"Trism is a friend."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

Penelope listened, nodding occassionally. It was interesting to learn of others way of living, if not feeling it was some sort of fairy tale place. It's what she was thinking, especially hearing about the colored horses.

"That sounds fascinating, Liir, the horses. Like it couldn't be true unless I saw it. I believe you, of course I do, it's just an amazing thing to comprehend."

She ate more of her soup and noticed how his cheeks warmed when he spoke of Trism.

"A close friend?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He nodded.

"He came back for me," he said, without context, before taking a long sip of his drink.

"He's a good person. That's... rather rare in Oz."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"He came back for you?" Because that bared explaining, didn't it?

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

It did, but he was a bit worried about darkening the evening.

"I was in a rather terrible position. Most people would have left me to my fate. He came back and helped me.

"He didn't have to."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

Penelope wanted to learn more about Liir.

"You don't have to talk about it, if you don't wish to. But I'm curious, if you care to expand on that rather terrible position?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

He breathed out and leaned forward, keeping his elbows off the table but only barely.

"I was being held captive," he said plainly enough, "and I used a bit of magic to... incapacitate the one insisting on the holding. The rest of them all ran out the door, Trism included, but he came back and untied me before helping me along my way."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

She wouldn't ask what form of incapacitation he used; she didn't need to know this. What she was curious over was why he was being held captive. "Why?" she asked simply, quietly. "Why were you being held captive?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Couldn't he think of better things to speak of? He could have mentioned the rain storm, the arch. But no, he mentioned the damnable--

"My Uncle," he said. "He wanted me to work for him, tell him about things i learned here, machines or magics that might be useful to him. He promised me time at Shiz, the University, a job in the government. A few other things."

He played with his soup, turning it with his spoon.

"I said no."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

Tilting her head, she considered that thoughtfully. "Would telling him what he wished to know, be so terribly bad, Liir, if it had kept you safe, or moreover giving you all those things he promised you?"

[new-to-liirness.livejournal.com]

Oh, he'd thought that way. He'd thought that way for quite some minutes and he'd been almost ready to agree. Everything he'd wanted, everything he'd dreamed of, everything a boy could ask for, really, if he was normal.

He swallowed.

"Yes. My uncle is one of the worst people I've ever gotten to meet in the flesh, and that is saying something, I assure you."

[bad-nose-job.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm very sorry for that, and for questioning you," she said quickly, hoping she didn't offend him. "I've never known someone so terrible as that." Edward was the worst she's ever come in contact with. And possibly Lemon and his pesky sneaky ways.