Application: Vesper Lynd, Casino Royale (2006)

[contra_account]

A wet, bedraggled body lay in a pool of salt water, a blood-red dress clinging to its curves. Presently the water seeped into the stone floor of the Sorting Room as if drawn in by suction, and a newly dry Vesper Lynd sat up with a series of convulsive, gasping coughs.

Once those subsided, she smoothed the skirt of her dress, once again its original

Comments

[mayhem_george]

"Evil?" George pasted an expression of wounded innocence on his face. "How can you say that about someone you don't even know? I'll have you know, I'm the good twin." He pulled a bag of candy from the pockets of his robes. "Care for a snack while you wait to be sorted?" he asked. "It's Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Halloween blend. If we did it correctly, your hair will turn orange. If we bungled it up, you'll turn into a pumpkin, but you'll get better."

[contra_account]

Vesper grinned. "Ah. Fred and/or George of the Gryffindor question, I take it? No, I meant you'd be the protect-ee. From the forces of evil that are always Out There Somewhere." She eyed the bag suspiciously. "I'll pass, thanks. Some plain water would be nice, though, if I could get some?"

[mayhem_george]

"I should have known finding people to test out our products in the Sorting room wasn't a good idea," George said with a theatrical sigh. "Oh, well. 'Course I'll get you some water." She was hot. What else was he going to do?

As soon as the water was procured and handed over, he offered a hand. "George Weasley. Fred's my twin brother, but even our mum can't tell us apart, which is a shame, really, considering she gave birth to us. At any rate, I'm the better-looking one, if that clears anything up for you."

[contra_account]

"Quite. Vesper Lynd. Pleasure." She shook George's hand and took the water. After a long sip, she said, "Is there much of a market for food that turns you into other foods, hereabouts?"

[mayhem_george]

"Not really," admitted George with a shrug. "We sell wizarding pranks. I figured, since you're new and all, I should start with our Halloween line. We've got other stuff that sells better. U-No-Poo was once quite popular, and there's always our Ton-Tongue Toffee. I could sell you a Skiving Snackbox, except that there really aren't that many classes anyway, and nobody'd notice if you skived off of them."

[contra_account]

"I'd say this can't possibly be a real school, but the prank foods do tend to give it away. What do people do here if there aren't classes?"

[mayhem_george]

"Some of them study," George said. "Though I don't know why. "Some of them make machiavellian plans to take over the school, plans that seem to involve chocolate. But I think a lot of them shag a lot more than they would otherwise." He winked and waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

[contra_account]

"Hmm. I've just concluded a vacation rather like that, I'm afraid. It's left me a bit eager to get back to business." She took another swallow of water. "What fields of study are there to work on, here?"

[mayhem_george]

"Loads of interesting subjects," George replied. "I get the most out of Charms, Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts myself. But I guess if you've a taste for the boring, you could study Ancient Runes or Arithmancy--although I've heard some interesting things about what the Arithmancy professor does with board games that I'd rather not think about. There's also Astronomy, or you could take flying lessons with my little brother. Which, personally, I wouldn't, since it took him a while not to be completely abysmal as a Keeper. Plus, Ron's, well, not very cool."

[contra_account]

"Defense Against the Dark Arts..." Vesper frowned. "What is the purpose of that course?"

[mayhem_george]

"Oh. You know. Learning to defend yourself against some of the less savory creatures and murses the wizarding world has to offer. We used to have some good teachers when I was first here as a student, but I don't know the bloke who teaches it now."

[contra_account]

She nodded. "Wait. First here? How does that work? Are you in some kind of graduate program?"