I spy with my little eye...

[liesl_jacobs]

Week Name/Date/Time: 'A Moment's Peace'/Saturday, 8 October, 2005/2:30 pm
Loctation: 7th Floor Corridor
Open to: Will Sparrow
Currently involving: Liesl, Will

Comments

[liesl_jacobs]

Oh, just lovely.

Catching his wave, Liesl closed her eyes and slumped against Lachlan's hip, arms folded across her chest. Her last talk with Will hadn't gone nearly as planned; she had not managed to eek out even one word of Ravenclaw rendezvous from him. If only that dratted Emilia hadn't been there to muck up the business. Both of them droning on about the weather as if they were writing some sappy romance novel. Really. She swore if those two got any more sunshiny and chipper she would kick them right out of Slytherin.

Hah, as if. A girl could dream.

But she was well aware of how much fraternizing he'd been doing with other Houses, too. A smart girl like Liesl, even if she was too pig-headed to see SOME things, knew that he had to be getting some valuable information out of them. And not necessarily as innocently as he would have everyone believe. No, he was a clever one, Liesl would give him that. He had a way with... people. Such a talent must obviously come in handy.

Why not help him make use of it, ja?

"Fancy meeting you here, Sparrow," she said, an air of nonchalance about her as she finally opened her eyes. She had as much right to be here as he did! Or she would make it seem that way, if she could.

"Meeting friends?" It was an innocent inquiry in tone -- but she kept her eyes trained on him.

[williamsparrow]

Ha. She could play the innocent all she liked, but you can't kid a kidder...though Will didn't make quite as much the show of putting up his guard as he had last time. No, why should it seem he had anything to hide? That would just increase her curiosity, and he certainly didn't need that.

Her inquiry was met with a careless sort of shrug. "Ah, well, didn't really expect to see anyone up here I knew...odd enough seeing you in this part of the castle. Admiring the artwork?" he countered, smiling benignly as his eyebrows lifted and his gaze swerved back to the statue that she had been hiding behind. Don't think that'd passed his notice, now, because it was perfectly clear she was up here snooping.

...all the more reason for him to keep on walking, really.

[liesl_jacobs]

She arched her eyebrows in a reflection of his own.

"What did you expect to see then?" she rebounded, shifting into a more comfortable lean next to the statue. If he wasn't expecting to see anyone he knew... then he was here under similar intent. But this didn't give her any cause for alarm -- yet.

"I don't usually come to this wing often, now that I'm not in Divination any longer," she said lightly. "Thought I'd come see what I could see." Totally truthful. And totally the G-rated version. Har!

[williamsparrow]

"Well, prefects are supposed to keep an eye on the goings on of the castle, after all," he replied, nodding to the gleaming badge pinned to his robes pointedly. "So, I figure a little walk around the castle not only serves as a good form of exercise, it's keeping me in touch with my duties as a humble tool of the administration."

See? Now look at that disarming grin, those almost-innocent eyes, and say you don't believe him. He's got an EXCUSE to snoop, how convenient.

"Ah, that's right, you did drop out of Divination, didn't you...most everyone else did, come to think of it," he added with a slight frown. Couldn't imagine why. Probably counted as the most entertaining/least threatening class available.

[liesl_jacobs]

Liesl snorted aloud, nearly choking, at the phrase 'humble tool of the administration.' Yeah bloody right! Will could certainly be amusing at times. Pale, inexpressive lips convalesced into a wry twist as she regarded him thoughtfully. So angelic... with horns holding up his halo. Liesl knew better than to take things at face value.

There was always some secret bound to screw you over.

Yes, of course Liesl dropped Divination as soon as it was no longer a required elective. Anything that required her to use her imagination in such folly was doomed. She had not the mind of a dreamer, this girl. And to her, anything concerning Divination and Ancient Runes was all imaginative fairy tales.

Liesl tucked her journal into a pocket of her robes and pushed away from the statue. "Sorry, Sparrow. Hope you're not too lonely in there." A sweet spoonful of sarcasm, though it wasn't intended to injure.

"So," she said breezily, stepping toward him, "find anything of note while you were... 'keeping an eye on goings on'?"

[williamsparrow]

"Other than finding you lurking around up here, no such luck," he replied teasingly, seemingly unbothered by the jibe. And of course, why would he be? For Liesl, this was downright pleasant conversation.

And no nosy questions, what luck! Who knew how long that would last, though...especially being up here all on his lonesome, with no Emilia to step in with alternative subjects.

"Things have been pretty dead all around...even the gossips can't find anything to exaggerate and analyze to death." He shrugged carelessly, shoving a stubborn lock of hair out of his face in the meanwhile.

[liesl_jacobs]

Liesl placed her hands on her hips in a contrary fashion to his remark about her, pretending to be miffed. "Lurking? Can't I just enjoy the scenery?" Harhar.

She folded her arms, lifting a brow about the gossip comment. Liesl might beg to differ on that point, having been thwarted one too many times over the past week by imposing questions about her parents. But far be it from her to bring up the subject with Will of her own accord. She kept silent on that point. Will might not be the type to spread gossip, but he was certainly the kind who soaked it up like a sponge, all quiet and innocent-like. No telling what he would use it for, but... better to avoid the issue altogether.

"Well then," she said, with an inviting gesture, "I suggest we keep exploring." It could be useful, having an extra set of eyes around during the snooping. Especially eyes as sharp as a Sparrow's. "Care to take a stroll?"

[williamsparrow]

Yeah, her sudden apparent want for his company was a bit disconcerting...however, he couldn't really see any reason to say 'no', and besides, what harm could come of it? Worse come to worse, he'd slip away at the earliest convenience to him.

So, grinning crookedly, he gave an agreeable nod. "Right then...more the merrier, I suppose. Shall we then?"

There was little choice to be made about directions in this part of the castle...it was one way or the other, and since he'd come from one way, the other was the only obvious choice. So that way it was!

[liesl_jacobs]

...Aaaaaaand we're off to see the Wizard! The wonderful Wizard of-- er, right. Enough o' that.

Liesl strode side by side with her Housemate, donning a casual air. All except for the eyes, kept peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Which really, in this place, could be said of the merest staircase. She watched a portrait of Sir Jasper the Jolly follow her with his eyes and then lurch over to the next frame, whispering something in Lady Higginbottom's ear-horn, who was hard of hearing. Liesl stuck out her tongue at them as she moved past, daring them to say something. Infernal canvas busybodies!

"Even the paintings here are too sociable," she remarked aloud to Will, wrinkling her nose. "I much prefer it in the dungeons, where the portraits are mainly satisfied with giving you death glares."

[williamsparrow]

"To each their own, I suppose," Will replied lightly, glancing sideways at Liesl and nearly snickering when she stuck her tongue out at the scandelized canvas-dwellers. His gaze was almost curious before he glanced away again, watching the whispering portraits with amusement.

"Doesn't it ever bother you, though? Being so distant from everyone else?" he inquired innocently, teeth needling at the inside of his lip. Then, almost instantly, his expression turned sheepish and he shook his head. "Ah, forget I said that...none of my business, right?"

[liesl_jacobs]

Liesl blinked, turning to fix him with a scrutinizing gaze. But then it melted almost as quickly as it came, and she faced foward again.

"I don't know any other way to be," she said simply. It was frank in a way that was highly unusual for her. Liesl had always been blunt, unafraid to speak her mind. But when it came to revelations of the 'heart?' Nein, mein herr.

The German version of Little Miss Mary Quite Contrary kept walking, now steeped in silence. Of course she didn't know how else to behave. She was brought up to be distant, stand-offish. Even cruel. The abused child always learns to abuse, in turn.

[williamsparrow]

Indeed, it was a surprise, getting even that much of a response. He'd completely anticipated a 'Yes, you're right. It IS none of your business', and Liesl had manageed to take him off-guard with her honest, consise answer.

"Mmm..." His brow furrowed thoughtfully as he recollected himself, shrugging and tugging his robe back up where it was starting to slip off his shoulder. "Well...you've never given it any thought? Maybe? I mean, just because you don't know doesn't mean you can't try, y'know?"

[liesl_jacobs]

And this was where he went too far. Liesl felt no need to change her way of life, to alter her behaviour. She was satisfied as she was, callous girl with practically no feminine wiles and even less social skills. Of course Liesl could be catty and coy like other girls of green and silver if she put in the effort, but she was much more comfortable being her usual, abrasive self.

"It's not a matter of can or can't," she retorted sharply, her voice indicative of crawling back into the cold shell. "I don't care to. I am the way I am. Anyone who doesn't like it can sod off."

Her gait turned considerably more tense than it had been a few moments ago, continuing down the corridor.

[williamsparrow]

"That's all I was asking," he replied, shrugging freely. "I wasn't saying you should or shouldn't. That's your business...hell if I'm going to try and tell anyone what they should do or change..."

And he was quite resolute in that stance, as well. It wasn't his place, and as much as he disliked it, he couldn't pick up the practice himself. A grin worked its way unbidden across his face as he gazed down at her again. "Besides...if you started acting different now, I think that'd scare everyone off worse than you could now during one of your bad days."

Heh! You know he has a point.

[liesl_jacobs]

"Then why even suggest it?" she shot back insolently. Sure, it might have just been curiosity on his part, but Liesl never failed to resent it when people encouraged her to be... more like them. It simply meant she wasn't good enough for them the way she was. And that was bollocks. Liesl didn't need to impress or please anyone but herself. Right?

She didn't like how cavalier he was about how she frightened everyone off, but she supposed she ought to take it as a compliment even if that was not the intent. Intimidation was her strong suit, definitely.

"Would it scare you?" she inquired. Her tone was careless but she watched him carefully.

[williamsparrow]

"Heh...course it would. But if that's what you wanted to do, who's to argue? Like I said, that's completely up to you," he chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck and taking an odd glance at a painting of ballet-dancing trolls they were passing. Always thought that was an odd picture.

"I didn't mean it to sound like you SHOULD change...nothing of the sort. I just wondered." His gaze turned somewhat admiring. "You have to be tough to live that way, though...I don't think I could even begin to handle it."