a seed-eating songbird that typically has a stout bill and colorful plumage... [Open!]

[isee_snorkacks]

You might be wondering why there is a rather large flock of finches occupying the open air of the Obs Deck. The obvious answer is that someone left the window open. The unobvious answer is the seemingly innocuous teenager lying on one side of the room, a spellbook she had just run across in her locker open on the floor beside her

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[bonnypiperlad]

There's been a song in Jamie's head for a few days now, and he's decided that it's high time he tries to get it out of there. Practice chanter in hand, he enters the Obs Deck. He's figuring he'll find a quiet corner, settle in on one of the squishier meatcouches and try and see if he can't work out the tune. That particular plan lasts about 3.5 seconds, however, as he realizes the room is rather more occupied than normal.

He stops just past the entrance, staring at the rather colorful mass of birds that fill the air. For all that he's gotten used to the idea that strange things can happen, especially on Stacy, the fact that there's a roomful of finches has thrown him for a momentary loop. That is, until one of the more annoyed birds decides to fling itself at his face.

With a yelp, Jamie dives to the side to get out of its way. There's a momentary flash of red plaid that might be visible as he takes cover behind the nearest meatcouch.

[isee_snorkacks]

The bird explodes in a puff of feathers as it hits the wall instead of its target, and Luna sits up, more concerned with the yelping, plaid-wearing person than the demise of one of her creations. Following a wave of her wand, half of the flock of crazed, flapping finches lands on various levels of furniture, screeching and shouting as finches are wont to do. The other half wheels around, refusing to obey her request that they calm down, instead choosing to throw themselves at each other. The air is filled quite quickly with falling feathers.

"I'm sorry -- they're a bit aggravated, some of them. They were the first few batches," she says, swaying to her feet, robes swirling around her. "Did he hit you? I know a few healing spells. I haven't used them before, but I'm sure I could get the hang of them quickly." Her tone is bright as she peers over the back of the sofa, blonde hair hanging down long enough to almost brush the top of his head.

[bonnypiperlad]

Jamie looks up a bit warily, as he's half expecting another avian missile to be heading his way. He's rather relieved to see that it's a person - that is, until she offers to try out untested healing spells. There's a rather quick scramble to get to his feet, then.

"No, no, I'm fine," he says hurriedly. "Just a wee bit startled."

And a bit confused as to what exactly is going on. Batches of birds? That doesn't make sense. "What did ye mean by batches?"

[isee_snorkacks]

She stares at him for a moment, an odd, rather dotty expression on her face until she lowers herself into the seat, chin tilted up to allow her a view of the feathery charms.

"I couldn't possibly make them all at once, could I? It's rather like making pasties -- make too many at a time, and the whole lot is just that bit worse." Her metaphor may or may not make sense, but she's quite convinced that it's highly appropriate.

[bonnypiperlad]

He blinks at little at the expression on her face, but once she settles into the seat, he simply follows her gaze upward to look at the birds as well.

Unfortunately, the analogy just confuses him further. "Ye mean ye mix them up and bake them?" That doesn't make sense at all to him, until his eyes alight on the wand. Didn't she do something with that before some of the birds settled down?

"Or...do ye use that to make them?" he asks, pointing helpfully at her wand.

[isee_snorkacks]

Luna blinks, peering at him as though she thinks him quite mad.

"Why in the world would I bake finches? I doubt they would taste very nice."

A rather odd twist of the lips later, she lifts the wand and nods. "Yes, I've only just got the hang of the spell to do it. It's almost my favorite."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Well, if ye make a pie..." Jamie shakes his head, dismissing the notion. Finches are probably the wrong kind of bird to put in a pie anyway. "Och, never mind. Ye are probably right."

Besides, the wand is more interesting. "Spell? Oh, ye would be one of the magic users, then. I haven't met one that uses a wand yet." Although, really, it seems more in line with tales about witches and such that he's heard.

"What would your favorite spell be, if ye don't mind my asking?"

[isee_snorkacks]

"Now that you talk about it, I do so miss plimpie pudding..." Though where the connection between pie and pudding lies is yet to be seen.

Luna smiles warmly at her wand, twisting it for a moment before meeting his eyes. "In my opinion, wands are some of the most beautiful things in existence. A witch's wand is like her fingerprint, you know."

A moment later, she tilts her head. "Expecto Patronum!"

An incandescent, silver hare bursts from the end of her wand, hopping away towards a small flock of settled finches, scattering them to the air, dispersing itself.

"The Patronus Charm," she says fondly, watching a few of the birds hop, alarmed, back to their resting place. "Reminds me of my mother."

[bonnypiperlad]

They're both presumably food - at least Jamie assumes so. And normally he'd bring up the suggestion of at least recreating it in the Sensoriums, but for the moment he's not actually focused on his stomach.

Instead, he watches as the silver hare simply springs into being. A touch of wonder appears in his eyes, and a sudden smile on his face. "Hey, would ye look at that!"

The smile lingers for a moment when he turns back to Luna. "That's amazing, that ye can do that with just the wand and a few wee words. But how does it remind ye of your mother?"

[isee_snorkacks]

"She was quite fond of rabbits," she says by way of explanation, shifting her robes to accommodate her knees as she folds her legs underneath her. "She used to plant cabbage just so they could eat it. Daddy was always upset that she wouldn't let him grow potatoes there."

What looks like a smile of fond memories plays across her face for a moment.

"Magic is quite amazing, isn't it? I can't imagine living without it."

[bonnypiperlad]

"Oh, I see! That makes sense - although, if ye ask me, cabbage is just as good as potatoes. Unless the rabbits ate it all." In which case, Jamie can definitely see where Luna's father might have been a bit upset. His lips quirk upwards briefly as he catches sight of the smile.

"I've not really seen things like what ye can do before, until I came here," he adds, thoughtfully. "There were stories when I grew up, of course. Ye can't throw a stone in the Highlands without hitting someone who can tell ye tales about Kelpies and Red Caps, aye? And then when I started traveling with the Doctor, well, those things seemed like magic at first, but..."

He breaks off, shaking his head. "Och, but that's a long story. I don't want to bore ye. I'm Jamie, by the way."

[isee_snorkacks]

Her eyes light up at mention of Kelpies and Red Caps.

"Oh, we have those, too! I had a wonderful professor in my second year, taught us all about them, and Grindylows, and Boggarts! He was magnificent," she says, positively beaming, as though she had just walked face-first into Remus Lupin himself. "Ooo, I do hope he's in the Pods. Stacy would be dense not to have grabbed him along with the rest of the Order."

She breaks from her reverie long enough to tilt her head at the word "doctor".

"A Muggle doctor? Medicine is quite interesting, but I wouldn't compare it to magic." A pause in which she eyes him quietly. "Luna Lovegood, and it's very difficult to bore me."

[bonnypiperlad]

Wandering around to the front of the couch, he settles down next to Luna without so much as a by-your-leave.

"He sounds like he knows a lot about things. I'd say that there's always a chance that he's there, then. If ye have someone who's very smart, why would ye not rescue them if ye could?"

He does a head tilt as well at the new, strange word. "Muggle?" He has no idea what that would be, and some of it creeps into his tone even as he tries to pretend like he knows what Luna's talking about.

"Oh, aye. That. No, the Doctor's what he calls himself. Like...a title, aye? He's not really a Doctor of medicine. He's a doctor of other things."

[isee_snorkacks]

Her eyes light up, hands meeting at her chest, expression hopeful.

"I hope you're right! It would make sense, wouldn't it? And he would be so interested in Stacy and all of the crew. He would fit in perfectly," she says, going a bit dreamy at the end, imagining Professor Lupin not having to worry about full moons as he wandered the City, spouting information like an enchanted encyclopedia.

She doesn't notice his confusion, caught in her reverie as she is. After a moment, she blinks and looks at him quite blankly. It takes her a few seconds.

"What kind of other things?"

[bonnypiperlad]

He can't help but smile a bit at the dreamy reaction, although he hides it fairly well. Not really knowing Luna - and since she looks like she's a few years younger than he is - he assumes that she's maybe a little sweet on the professor. Which isn't such a bad thing, really.

It disappears at her question though. He opens his mouth to answer, and realizes he doesn't really have a good response to it. "Well, ye know...things." Yes, thank you, very helpful, Jamie. He grimaces a bit and tries another tack.

"Ye could say he's a scientist, mostly, but he seems to know a wee bit about everything." He was asked once if the Doctor was a long list of things, like a physicist, biochemist, astronomer, or biometrician. Jamie's answer was simply 'Yes'.

"He could probably explain it better if he was awake."

[isee_snorkacks]

Honestly, Luna wouldn't know "being sweet" on somebody if it hit her in the face with a Bludger.

She blinks, head tilting as she tries to imagine having that much information in her head. Ravenclaw or not, there is a limit to her intellectual capacity, and she knows it.

"He sounds fascinating," she says genuinely, staring at Jamie with eyes more intent than usual. "You'll have to tell me when he wakes up -- I'd like to meet him. I can't even begin to imagine knowing a bit of everything, unless I were to live as long as Dumbledore."