romanywitch | The Field Museum; Chicago, IL, Sunday

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The Field Museum; Chicago, IL, Sunday - All Day

Jenny and Su had shown up at the Field early. "So our tickets for the Tutankhamun exhibit are for right after the museum opens," said Jenny, pacing in the entryway. "At least they're letting us wait in here. But can we avoid the South American stuff? I heard via the occult grapevine they have stuff used in sacrifices. Way bad mojo."

OOC: And this is NFB due to distance.

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"Sacrifices? What kinds?" Susan tilted her head to study the sign and the entryway, and said, "Do you think there's some risk, in having the exhibit here?"

"Depends on if they've got any curators that are mystic types," said Jenny. "But these things usually don't go wonko during the day. I know they've got the spirits of the dead pretty pacified."

"How on earth do you do that?" Susan wondered. "But truly, I'm fine with avoiding that exhibit if you think it's a problem. The Tutankhamun exhibit is more than enough. Do you think your family will need you before the end of the day?"

"They better not," said Jenny. "Gods, it's been two weeks and I'm already clawing at the walls." She grinned at Su. "And they pacify the dead by sticking an invocation down on the wall by the mummies. Enough visitors recite it that their spirits are happy. Well, as happy as you're gonna be when you're dead."

Laughing, Susan said, "Oh, that's very clever. Renewing magic, the more visitors the exhibit has." She checked her watch. "They should be opening soon. And I rather liked your family, there's just so... many, of them."

Jenny grinned. "You're just way too polite, Su," she said. "They're horrible. Very old country. So. You said you were looking for some explanations? The fruit basket comment?"

Susan frowned, then nodded. "Angel? I don't believe you've ever mentioned him before. Who is he, and who did your family think I was, for them to ask about me?"

"Angel's one of the students who graduated last term," said Jenny. "Vampires in this dimension? Soulless, psycho killers. Except for him." She waved a membership card at the security guard as he moved the velvet ropes to let them in.

Susan followed her, paying for a visitor's ticket and thinking. "His name has come up once or twice. He's under some kind of curse, I believe?" She paused, looking up at her namesake in the lobby, and smiled. "Right. That's rather cheerful."

"A bunch of generations ago, one of my ancestors cursed him with a soul," said Jenny, staring up at the T-Rex. "Wow. You know, you never realize how big these things were until you see them up close and personal."

"Rather a good thing they *didn't* exist at the same time as Man." Susan paused. "Right. Just had a frightening vision of dinosaurs at the school. Moving on.... Why did your ancestors see fit to do that, and not simply kill the vampire he was?"

"Don't jinx us," said Jenny. "Oh, it's this whole big vengeance gig. They were into that. A bunch of the older ones still are. So anyway, curses all have to have loopholes, right?"

"That's my understanding from fairy tales. And, well. Personal experience," Susan allowed.

Jenny gave Su a startled look. "Sometimes I forget you have that whole 'queen of a magical land' thing going on," she said, smiling apologetically. "I'm not used to most of the grown up types really being aware of magic. Anyway, the loophole got triggered about eight and a half years ago, back when I was teaching in Cali."

"And how did that happen?" Susan asked, as they moved forward in the line, and she could see the posters for the exhibit ahead. "And it's all right, I occasionally find it difficult to believe myself. Although I'm informed that I'm technically still Queen."

"The loophole was perfect happiness, and, well, Angel fell in love," said Jenny. "Tutankhamun first, or something else?" she asked, surveying the museum. "I'd think you would be. Hard to dethrone someone, right?"

"Tutankhamun, I think." Susan looked thoughtful, and said, "A loophole such as that strikes me as terribly dangerous. Even for the sake of revenge." She shook her head as they approached the Tut exhibit. "And in Narnia, well. It wasn't that dethroning would have been all *that* difficult, but-- there really weren't any other aspirants. No one wanted the job, after the first claimant was deposed."

"Yeah, Angel's evil self? Guy didn't earn the title Scourge of Europe lightly." Jenny glanced up at the sign above the entryway. "I've been studying up on hieroglyphics. I think their grammar's a little off." She handed their tickets to the guide. "Who was the first claimant?"

"So, the curse was lifted? But then was re-instated, from what I understand." Susan looked away as they entered the room. "Jadis. The White Witch."

"Not before a few bodies got strewn along the way," said Jenny. Ooh, canopic jars. "No wonder you freaked when I said I was a technopagan."

"And again Angel was spared. Lord, he must have good luck. Or a horribly persistent destiny," Susan observed. She cocked her head at the jars, and said, "As methods of interment go, this is less disturbing than some I've heard of." She raised her eyebrows at Jenny. "And I did not freak. I was merely... quite concerned." She sighed. "With some cause. Jadis was not a good person. In any sense of the word."

"Persistent destiny, I'm thinking," nodded Jenny. She chuckled. "Okay, maybe not freaked. But you were totally blown away. I look too normal, don't I?" She moved on to a display of talismans. "Nifty talismans. And when a witch goes bad, well, usually they go really bad."

"You really do," Susan said, semi-apologetically. "I'm afraid I'm more used to the trappings of magic in the witches I've met. Not to mention extreme menace." She paused, studying the talismans, and commented, "Objects of power? And the White Witch was-- unique. Giant blood. I was a child when I met her anyway. The coldest, hardest person I've ever encountered. I'm afraid memory makes her even more of a monster."

"Well, I do try to look normal. Now. If we were both teenagers--" She shook her head, bemused. "I might have looked a little more like a stereotype." Jenny nodded. "Wrapped in a mummy's bandages for protection. And other reasons. The White Witch sounds awfully yicky. I just had to worry about my students. Though Amy was a little too fond of turning people into rats when she lost her temper."

Susan's smile turned bemused. "Rats? Oh dear. I think I'm glad we were under such strict supervision as children, even if any magic we personally had was very limited. I'm not sure Jadis was ever a child. At least not a normal one." She paused, looking at the pieces next to the talismans and said, "You know Willow rather well, don't you? Has she ever given you problems of that sort?"

"It really only happened when she was under the influence of a love spell gone horribly awry," said Jenny. She could joke about it. Now. "I don't think I wanna know about Jadis as a little girl." Jenny was studying a turquoise uadjet intently. "Will? Yeah, she was my best student in Sunnydale. To tell you the truth, I didn't even know she was into magic 'til she showed up in Fandom. But then, I hadn't seen her for about eight years."

"Eight years in your time, or in hers?" Susan paused. "And it's a bad sign that questions like that are now commonplace for me. Willow seems like a very sweet girl-- she's dating my brother, and I've seen quite a bit of her. Rather given to wild flights of imagination, which can be highly entertaining if one allows her to talk without stopping her."

"My time. I'd say Will and I are six years off, timeline-wise." Jenny grinned. "It could be worse, trust me. There are weirder questions. And Willow's got a good heart. A little inexperienced on the dating front, but given things back in Sunnydale, I'm glad to see her with a guy like your brother. He seems like a nice kid."

"He does, but it is profoundly disquieting to be in loco parentis to my *older* brother. Especially when it comes to his relationships with girls." Susan shook her head. "And I shudder to think what he'll do when Josh returns. I've told him we're just friends, but I'm terrified he'll try to do something 'clever.'" She sighed heavily, looking amused. "Ah, well. Next room, then?"

"That would be freaksome," said Jenny. "Lucky me, I have no sibs to worry about like that. Though I'd have to say Will's more like a little sister than a student, but don't tell her I said that, 'kay?" She chuckled, and started moving to the next room. "Oh, boy. You know, he does that, Josh is gonna retaliate. And then there goes the neighborhood."

"My lips are sealed." Susan followed her into the next room, and stopped to look at the bust of Nefertiti. "Oh, I know. I do hope Peter can control his curiosity, or at least that I get the chance to warn Josh first." She paused, thinking. "Is there any reason for the gap in time between you and Willow? Or is it just another one of those Fandom things?"

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The Field Museum; Chicago, IL, Sunday - All Day

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