| Details for Legilimency Practice |
| Summary: | Astoria practices the legilimency spell on Frid. |
| Date: | November 20, 1938 |
| Location: | Glumorose House |
| Related: | The Very First Attempts. |
| Characters |
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Frid has been busy, and Astoria has not had the opportunity to lure the poor man away to her delightful home. Once a date has been set, though, the occasion is much like it was before. Dark, gloomy home; Rumples answers the door and shows Frid to the small, but comfortable lounge; Astoria has made tea and set out chocolate and a slice of lemon pie.
As Frid enters the room, she bustles about with a pillow, but soon turns. "Oh, do come in, Frid. Have a seat, and some tea if you wish. Thank you, Rumples. You may… go." The house-elf bows and walks away, back towards the front door.
"Thank you so much," Frid tells the house elf with a small smile, before moving to greet Astoria, offering his hand to shake. "How are you, Miss Bletchley? Thank you, would you like some tea, also?"
The elf bows slowly, letting his long nose grace the hair on his feet before he turns and departs, again.
"I'm quite well, thank you," Astoria says while taking Frid's hand, or, rather, allowing it to be taken. She soon adds, "Not just this moment, but after, yes, certainly." The pillow in her arm is tossed onto the sofa with a soft thump.
Frid dips his head, lowering himself onto the sofa and loosening his tie. He may be casually dressed today, a pair of trousers, shirt and a jumper, but he's still got a tie on. He probably can't help himself, bless him. Taking a moment to pour a cup of tea, he queries, "Have you been able to get any more practice in with anyone, or am I still your sole guinea pig?"
Astoria sits in a chair across from Frid. "I practice on poor Rumples," she explains with a sigh. "Well, he isn't so poor. He is my mother's creature, and I fear he detests the experience, and me. Not that he will admit as much." She crosses one leg over the other and studies Frid while he pours. "Does it bother you?" she asks. "That there is no one else?"
"It bothers me that nobody else would offer to assist, if that counts," Frid responds after a moment. "It appears that my concerns were unfounded about the whole thing, so I'm appalled that nobody else would help."
"Well, there is a great deal of prejudice against the topic," Astoria explains slowly. "Magic that deals with the mind is… taboo, as I've said several times before. I admit, when I first took interest in the spell I went through a great deal of misinformation on the topic." Her foot bobs up and down. "I should thank you more often for this, shouldn't I?" she asks.
Frid waves her down, shaking his head. "Not at all, ma'am. It's rare I can be of assistance in… uh… magical matters, so I'm pleased that for once I am able to help." He lifts his tea to his lips and takes a drink, a smile creeping onto his face as he relaxes, enjoying the flavour. "Besides, it's good to get out and do something a little different. Where shall we start today?"
Astoria nods her head slowly. "Very well," she concludes, on the topic of thanks. Her eyebrows pinch together, however, before she attends to business. "The same as before, I think. Picture a simple, mundane task in your mind. I will attempt to determine what it is. When you are ready, of course."
"Something different this time?" Frid queries, settling his teacup down in its saucer, then nodding. "I'm ready. Do your worst, ma'am."
"I think so, yes. Something different, but still simple." Astoria removes her wand from her robes. It is a pale, and has a rather jagged grip; it looks more like bone than a proper piece of wood. Afterwards, she stands and adjusts her feet. "On three. One. Two. Three. Legilimens!"
Frid concentrates, brows drawing together. The image comes quickly, if a little blurry and off focus, but it's recognisable within moments. A metal cylinder, being shaken, even this time with the added bonus of sound; liquid and ice rattling inside it.
Astoria attempts to take hold of the memory, but is no more efficient than fingernails digging into a current for purchase. Despite her mental efforts, she is swiftly cast aside, and then out. She opens her eyes with a flutter, and takes a sharp breath. "Oh!" she says after a pause. "A martini. Were you shaking a martini?" she asks, looking directly towards Frid and preparing to study his reaction.
Frid dips his head, flicking a quiet smile. "I was," he agrees. "A very regular task, I hasten to add. Mrs. Fairfax is very fond of the drink."
"Excellent!" Astoria says while sitting. She flicks her wand, and a book near her feet flips open and turns several pages with a rush. "Let's see… ah, yes. Apparently we have made real progress, Frid! Let's try again, to make certain it was not a fluke, shall we?" Astoria looks up from the book with a slight smile.
Frid eyes the wand flicking, then leans back again. "A fluke, ma'am? You often think about making martinis?" he queries in amusement. "Right, right, something mundane and ordinary once more, hm?"
"Hm? Oh, no. Never! But it still may be. The wand acting up, for instance. Or perhaps just luck." She straightens and stands, and then nods to Frid's question. "Yes, just one more. On three, again. On. Two… Three! Legilimens!"
Frid just goes blank for a moment, not entirely ready for it. A whirling mix of different images flick by, a cup of tea, a band playing jazz, a dustpan, a broken glass with the smell of good whisky, a nurse, a warm, steaming bath, naked Fabia, and finally a till, filled with various denomination coins, this last image staying longer, clearer, and less fuzzy as he concentrates.
Astoria watches the images as they fly past, or, rather, experiences them. It's a whirl, and she has never seen so many before, so she cannot grasp just one. Navigating the currents of the mind is still too difficult. When Frid arrives at the last, Astoria lingers as long as she can, which isn't long at all, before stepping backward and flopping into the chair. She shakes her head, eyes blinking.
Frid raises a brow at her expectantly, fingers drumming casually on the edge of his cup. "Any ideas?"
"A… few," Astoria says while rubbing her forehead. She clears her throat. "It was different, that time. Let me see. I think it was a till, or perhaps a bin, filled with coins. I assume tips?" she asks, focusing on Frid.
Frid nods encouragingly. "The till behind the bar at the Broomsticks," he admits with a smile. "Counting it up at the end of the night. You did specify mundane tasks, and it doesn't get much more mundane than that."
"Oh, yes, of course," Astoria says with a nod. She laughs, but only a little, afterwards. "I did, didn't I?" she replies, but her brows knit together again. "I think that will be all that I can handle this evening. Would you kindly pour me a cup?" she asks.
"I'm sorry, are you quite all right?" Frid worries, immediately rising and pouring a second cup of tea for her. "Milk and sugar, ma'am?"
"I think so," Astoria asks. "I may have strained myself a little," she admits, reclining slightly. "I'm sure I will recover after a warm drink. And just sugar, one cube, thank you," she replies.
"Can I get you anything?" Frid suggests, popping a single cube of sugar into the tea and stirring. "Here, have the sofa." He gestures to where he just rose from, holding out the tea for her to take.
"It's really quite alright, Frid," Astoria says, waving her hand. She leans forward and takes the cup, which she sips from eagerly. A moment later she takes a bite of chocolate. "Please, sit. Make yourself at home. You are my guest, after all. I shouldn't like you working on your evening off."
Frid shakes his head. "It's hardly working, ma'am," he chides. "It's the least I can do to thank you for your hospitality. If I were working, you wouldn't see me." He even gives her a wink at that.
Astoria finishes chewing a bit of chocolate and smiles a little. "I suppose that's true. Well, if you must - I could do with having my temples rubbed." She stands, chocolate and tea in hand, and moves to side beside Frid. "I didn't realize trying to focus upon it would be so exhausting," she admits. "I think it has given me a bit of a headache."