A very short boy steps up to a stand of books next to the potion ingredients aisle and starts investigating them methodically. He picks up one book, reads the title, reads the back, perhaps opens it and scans a few pages, and then puts it down and picks up the next one.

Alli does not immediately notice him, because he is not a potion ingredient, but once she does she keeps something of an eye on him. She likes to have witch buddies to chat with, and for the moment, she only has Soph; if he shows signs of being more legitimate than the average Crystal Healer, she might go introduce herself.

Alli looks around briefly in confusion before she determines that yes, he's talking to her. Then she waves at the haphazardly scattered boxes on the shelves. "Herbs. Also, some herbs. And for good measure- more herbs!" Mention of potions can wait for now. She eyes the shelf he was- reading? "And you're looking for... life, the universe, and everything? I know most of their books are shit, but that was a lot of books."

"Trying to get a sense of what fraction of them are shit," he says. "It's tough going. I don't suppose you can help?"

"Maybe?" Alli says dubiously. "I'm best with the potions ones. Were you looking for something in particular?"

"No. The opposite. I want to know what magic does, in general. I'm new to the idea that it works, and I want to get caught up as quickly as possible."

"Well, that might take a lifetime or six. I have a couple starter books that were slightly less shit, but I don't see them here. They might be out." She looks at him curiously. "Is it urgent?" If something's happening, she should maybe tell Bella.

"Personally, not globally. I urgently want to know exactly how this universe is different from the one I thought I was living in last month, but nobody else has any particular reason to care. Can I borrow your starter books?"

"...trade you for that story you just skipped over. Universe?"

"I was speaking figuratively. Finding out magic actually exists is like finding out that you live in a different universe than you thought." He pauses, then adds with a grin, "Of course, there's a reason that particular comparison sprang to mind... I'll tell you all about it, but not in the middle of this magic shop."

"Tell me about it. Where do we meet, though? Everything around here seems to close ridiculously early, and I don't get up before five in the afternoon unless the house is on fire."

"...that can get unhealthy," Alli observes carefully. "There's always the Bronze, but it's hardly quiet. I think the Doublemeat Palace is open late, though. That work?"

"Sure. Tomorrow, Doublemeat Palace, seven o'clock? You bring books, I bring wild tales of adventure?"

"Hey," Alli says around her food. "Want a fry?" She nudges the container of fries vaguely in his direction.

"Not particularly," he says, making a slight face at the fries. "Thanks."

"Your loss," Alli says cheerfully, stealing another one. "So, here ya go." She drags the books forward. Intro to Witchery 1-3. "Most imaginative titles ever, I know. But I haven't blown myself up yet, so."

"Thanks," he says, picking one up. "Still want to hear my fascinating and unlikely story? I don't know how unlikely it is, come to think, it just struck me as the sort of thing that doesn't happen often."

"Meh, I'm not exactly a world expert. But my impression is there is a lot of weird shit, and it's all hiding. Which is frustrating and an impressive pain in the ass. Seriously, I spent a lot of this year going oh shit that exists and I'm already a practicing witch."

"Well, here's another one for you, then. A month ago, I was living on another planet, in the thirtieth century."

Alli blinks at him. For quite a few seconds. Then she pinches herself. "...Okay, so I'm awake. Oh good."

"So that's a no on 'teach Alli how to time travel', then?"

"Yeah, sorry. And I don't think you'd want to ask the cultists, either, even if you could."

"Well, shit, what will I do with my Wednesdays now," Alli laughs. "Yeeeeah, I'm good, thanks. Do you need someone to take care of the cultists for you...? I absolutely do not volunteer, but I know a couple people." If ever something sounded like Bella's job description, it would be evil kidnapper cultist magicians.

"I managed that part myself, actually." He looks slightly embarrassed. "Their 'god' turned out to be a guy sitting on a throne wearing a kind of tragically overdone fur robe, and when I managed to hold my own against the ominously chanting people with knives for a few minutes, he called them off and invited me to be his divine consort. He wasn't the type to take no for an answer, unfortunately. I had to fight my way out, and, well, there are a few of them still alive but they're missing a god now."

"I did not keep the tragically overdone robe. Why, did you want it?"

"I mean, no, but now I'm wondering! Some potions need the weirdest shit."

"It was enormous on him and he was six feet tall. It would've made me look like an eight-year-old."

"I don't know, I don't think it's rude but my opinion probably doesn't generalize. I'm eighteen," he says.

"Well, hooray for not being annoying! I'm seventeen," Alli offers. "Fair's fair. And I don't think I'm required to care until I'm all Responsible Adult or something."

"Oh, and I never introduced myself - I'm Mark."

"Well, huh. I guess we didn't. I'm Alli, I think I mentioned. Nice to meet you, belatedly."

"Same to you. I appreciate the books."

"No problem! I'm being kind of selfish anyway. I want more witch friends to gossip about magic with." She wiggles her fingers at him. "Just remember! You keep 'em, I curse you."

"How terrifying," he says, not sounding especially terrified. "I'm not going to keep them. I'm going to read them and give them back."

"Exactly! And then we can compare notes. Magic gossip," Alli cackles, looking very pleased with herself.

"Suits me."

"Want to learn to make a potion?" Alli offers. "I was going to make some more Pick Me Up soon anyway."

"Fun and excitement," Mark says brightly. "Sure."

Mark shrugs. "No problem. Want to prime me with helpful details, or is she not likely to talk to me long enough to trip me up on something like what classes you're in?"

"Sure. What's your pleasure? History, horror?"

"Meh, whatever floats your boat. Floats your spaceship? Pick a genre, any genre. Except trashy romances. Those I throw emo poetry and eyeliner at."

"Well, I've got plenty of horror on tap, but I'll go for something more benign. How about: in a couple of centuries, if your world is on track to be mine - which it almost certainly isn't, I'd've noticed the magic - humanity is going to discover how to transit wormholes and start madly colonizing every half-habitable planet in sight, across a network of jump points that will come to be called the wormhole nexus."

"Well, filtered for 'my terrible non-knowledge of physics', that sounds maybe probably really cool! Did you use them a lot?"

"I travel a lot, yeah. Born on one planet, grew up on another, most of my family lives on yet a third, and I was in a bit of a nomadic phase before my travels were rudely interrupted by a bloodthirsty magical cult."

"What's that like?" Alli asks wistfully. "I don't even have a passport... bloodthirsty magical cult aside, I mean."

"Has its ups and downs. I like seeing a lot of new faces, but it'd be nice to settle down long enough to get to know some people. Maybe I'll stay put now that I only have the one planet to roam around on anyway."

"Or you could explore this planet! I'll do that. Someday... Once I have a job and all that shit." She cocks her head at him. "Do you have a job? I mean, if you just appeared from the future. Don't you need food and a place to sleep and shit like that?"

"I'm used to getting by," he says. "I don't really need money. Not that it's not convenient to have, but petty theft sustains me just fine."

"...look at that. I just spontaneously decided not to share you with my other witch friend. Also, this decision? Totally unrelated to the thing where her dad is the chief of police."

"What kind of details don't match up?" Alli wonders. "And don't say spaceships, I will throw glitter at you if you say spaceships."

"Spaceships," he says immediately.

Well, he asked for it. After a quick surrepticious check to see if anyone else is on the street: "Nitidi!"

He giggles helplessly.

"Isn't it great? So much better than actual glitter. It vanishes instead of sticking to things! So I can do it as much as I want... Nitidi! Nitidi! Nitidi!"

"That's perfect, I want to try it," he says.

"Hah. Well, I'm not stopping you. It's just an incantation spell, you just- say it and think about glitter."

Well, this might have to turn into a bit of a war now, won't it. Nitidi!

A glitter war! Nitidi!

"I think that might be my favourite magic spell," he says, grinning down at her. "I think that might keep being my favourite magic spell even once I actually know any other ones."

"If there are better ones, I have not found them," Alli agrees happily. She climbs back to her feet and dusts herself off. "I'd say sorry about the delay but- nope. I refuse to apologize."

"I wouldn't accept it if you did. That was the best delay."

"Do you do this kind of shit a lot?" Alli wonders. "Here, the future, whatever."

"Not exactly," he says. "I did cover an intelligence agent's hotel bed in neat rows of dried beans once, which was almost as much fun but lacked the feeling of gleeful abandon."

Alli cracks up. Once she recovers, she asks, "So are you a spy too? Or do you just hang out with them and en-bean their rooms?"

"I'm sensing a theme here," Alli remarks with a grin. "Long story optional, but like. He wasn't spying because you are a morally bankrupt genocidal maniac or anything, right?"

"I wouldn't describe myself that way. If you must know, I'm a clone created for a substitution plot against the son of a prominent political figure on the planet Barrayar. Barrayaran Imperial Security likes to keep tabs on me in case I decide to come round and confuse them all with my stunningly accurate Miles impression - Miles being the target of the plot. Miles himself took one look at me and declared me his brother; I quite like him and have no intention of stealing his identity."

"I do not must know! I said so and everything! But it's interesting anyway," Alli laughs. "And your- brother? Clone relationships, not a thing here, I will totally believe you- probably appreciates that you do not want to steal his life, so, there's that going for you?"

"He definitely does appreciate it. He also likes my sense of humour, which is an attitude I treasure for its rarity."

"Awwwww. I don't have a brother, but I have a big sister," Alli says. "We get along okay? She's the one who left me those books, so points to her for that at least."

"Sounds nice."

"...Sorry," Alli says awkwardly, noticing the face. "I know he's really far away. I'll keep a lookout for transport spells? You probably miss him." She pauses. "I also appreciate your sense of humor, if it helps," she offers. "I mean... glitter!"

"That does help, thank you." His smile brightens.

"I actually considered glitter as an alternative to an apology."

"You have good instincts."

"That... is one of them, yes," he says. "Or, well, an extension of a previous one. The cult leader who invited me to be his immortal lover was a vampire, and he got as far as turning me before I killed him. I left that part out because, well, I can see where the reputation came from. I wouldn't hang out with most vampires I've met either. They all eat people, for one thing, and while I'm not much for judging someone else's moral choices I do mostly draw the line at pointless murder."

Alli manages to retrieve her water gun, but delays digging for the phone to call Bella at this bizarre statement. "But... that's how vampires work," she says blankly. "Become vampire, become asshole, kill things until killed."

"Not in this case. What is in that water gun?"

"It's not supposed to work like that!" says Alli, sounding betrayed by her knowledge of the world. "You're not supposed to miss your brother, or care about murder, or... or have a moral compass at all." She looks down at the gun. "Oh. It's holy water...?"

"Maybe I'm just special. What does holy water do to vampires?"

Alli considers a joke about knowing that he was special already, but leaves it for the moment. "Burns them, as far as I know."

"Ooh, can I see?" He reaches for the water gun but, of necessity, stops at the invisible barrier in the doorway.

Alli regards him quizzically. "You're failing Vampire 101," she finally tells him. She's not willing to give up the gun or cross the line, but she shoots the door frame; if he really wants to try it, he can reach the half of the frame on his side of the threshold.

"Couldn't that apply to other vampires, though?" Alli says doubtfully. "Oh! Maybe it's your time travel thing! Vampires are assholes 'cause they don't have souls, apparetly. Maybe yours just wasn't removable."

"Or maybe I didn't come with one installed. Is there a way to actually tell?"

"I can ask someone?" Alli says tentatively. "I just do potions! Soul-checking is not really a problem one solves with potions."

He shrugs. "I don't care that much, really. Anyway. Is this the end of our nascent glittery friendship, should I hand back your books and fuck off into the night?"

"I do like magic books and glitter. I have no reason to insist on coming into your house."

"Well, the potion making shit is a bit awkward to cart out of the storage room, but I can, if you want to see it. Or we could just go back to the DoubleMeat palace and read magic books, or play cards or some shit like that. Let you continue to be a well behaved strangely-non-asshole sort of vampire," Alli suggests.

"Going back to the DoubleMeat Palace seems like the more convenient option. I don't mind missing out on the potions. They can wait until you've known me longer than a day."

"Wicked. Back to the affront to good food everywhere! Guess that doesn't affect you much though, huh." A pack of cards emerges from the bookshelf and floats itself into Alli's purse. She grins triumphantly at Mark. "All set!"

"Ooh. Aren't you magical."

Well, such a crime cannot go unanswered! With more sparkles.

There's actually someone else on the street this time, coming from the direction of the Doublemeat Palace towards them. But as they are not throwing glitter, they are probably not very interesting.

Mark ignores them for a few seconds - but then he realizes that Alli might not want to display her glittery shenanigans in front of strangers, so, still giggling, he desists from the glitter war.

Alli is briefly confused, then sees the onlooker. She rolls her eyes speakingly at Mark- ugh, people not knowing about magic- but she does desist, albeit rather sulkily. "Normal person inane conversation time?" she suggests, not sounding enthused, and adopts a monotone. "Such weather we've had."

Mark is giggling too hard to talk anyway.

The pedestrian is about half a block away. It's a middle aged guy, somewhat pudgy, wearing a beat up old tshirt and jeans and carrying a takeout bag from Doublemeat. As he gets closer, he waves.

Mark... gives him a second look. The giggles fade.

"Hey kids," the man says cheerfully when he's within reasonable-volume earshot. "Out late?"

"Going to tell us that's a bad idea?" he inquires.

"I could do that," the man agrees easily. He's still walking towards them. "You seem like a smart one, though. I'm sure you had a reason."

Alli has less than no idea what's going on. She gets enough of a hold of her cell phone that she can speed dial Bella if she has to; lacking a clear idea, though, she just hangs back a bit. She doesn't want to call Bella late at night if it turns out the guy's just some sort of weird perv.

"I think you should go away," says Mark to the stranger. "I really think you should go away."

Alli screams and scrambles backward.

Whatever Alli was expecting, that- was probably not it. She cuts off her scream and stares in confused shock at the dust pile on the ground. "Yeeeeees? Oh god, he was- where- what just happened?!"

"He was a vampire, he didn't know I was a vampire, he tried to kill us, I tore his head off," Mark summarizes.

"...I see." She eyes him. "Returning to the part where you just murdered a vampire in half a second flat. Any tips on how not to startle you? Cause, shit, I like not being dead. Also, you saved my life, I do not want to upset you. But also the not being dead thing?"

"I - you're welcome, first of all - I get startled when I find things in my personal space that I didn't expect there," he says. "It's not ultimately that big of a deal. I just freeze up for a few seconds and then I'm fine."

"Magical glitter does appear to be fully exempt!"

Mark cracks up.

"And, ah. Also. Is there anything I can do as a thank you? Like, normally I'd offer to buy you a burger or something, but I'm guessing that doesn't appeal." She glances back towards the dust puddle. "But I do, very clearly, owe you one." She grins suddenly. "Is that what you did to Immortal Lover Boy? Cause I think I approve."

"Um. Well," says Mark. "Keep in mind I barely knew anything about this world at the time - overpowering him wasn't a problem, I'm a trained assassin for fuck's sake, but killing him took some... experimentation. I did end up beheading him eventually."

"It's not your fault," Alli sighs. She flicks glitter at him rather despondently, basically on automatic. Have Mark, add glitter. "I mean, unless you picked the job of trained assassin specifically to fuck with me. In which case, your fortune telling power is shit and you should have words with it about the vampire thing."

"I try to be unthreatening in general, but I really didn't want him to eat you."

"I mean. Of your options, I'm a fan of the one you picked. See, me, being here and not dead or vamped? These are good things!"

"I agree. I would be upset if you died. Then who would fling glitter at me?"

Alli snorts. "Search me. The only other person I know top of mind who can throw glitter lives with the Slayer, and there's a terrible idea if ever I heard one.

"The Slayer?"

"I mean. With a title like Vampire Slayer, I assume I do not actually need to review why you two hanging out could be a really shit plan?"

"I'd do my very best not to kill them," he promises. "My word as Vorkosigan, heh."

"The- that- What? Do they call vampires something new and interesting in the future?"

"Sorry, private joke. In my family's social class on their home planet the most sacred possible oath is to swear by one's family name; Vorkosigan is mine."

"Overkill is rather my style, as you can see," he says, gesturing to the drift of vampire dust.

"Not dead, not complaining." She waves; rather than appearing in her hands, the glitter rains down on his head. She beams, pleased with the results of her experiment. "Careful reminding me how completely and utterly you saved my life, though. I might graduate from glitter to hugs."

"How terrifying," he says, not looking especially terrified. "I am atremble."

Alli doesn't actually think through if responding to that particular bait is an especially good plan. She's just baited. Besides, she's taller than him. His shoulders are at such a convenient height for glomping. "Mwahaha! Gratitude hugs!"

He was expecting it this time. He doesn't freeze up; he hugs back.

That is delightful. Hugs are so much better when they are returned. "Now my gratitude has been appropriately delivered," she informs him. "The universe is improved!"

"Why is this causing you to scheme?" he inquires.

"Just wondering about the personal space thing. You seem fine now," she points out.

"I'm not startled now. You warned me first. Well, more threatened, but it comes to the same thing."

"You baited me! A little. Admit it." She sizes him up. "I might almost say you don't get a lot of hugs, as a professional murderpire."

"I absolutely did bait you. Not completely on purpose, but I did."

Mark is in much the same state.

It takes Alli a while to recover her breath. When she does, she informs Mark brightly, "You are my favorite murderpire."

"I'm very glad to be," he says, and dumps a bucketload of magical glitter over her head.

Glitter war! Glitter war!

"You've been running of your own accord," snorts Mark. "But sure, let's go play cards."

"And yet you were running. And this is somehow my fault?"

"Yes. Yes it is. I am awesome and flawless and do no wrong."

He flicks glitter at her.

Alli is kind of terrible. But she's having fun anyway, and losing doesn't seem to bother her much. Games!

As long as she's having fun!

After the third game she gets up. "Hang on, I'm getting myself a milkshake," she tells him. "If there's anything you want, I can get it for you? Though that is probably unlikely as shit."

"I actually can drink milkshakes, but I don't feel like one right now."

"To clarify, I'm trained as an assassin but I have not, as such, actually assassinated anyone," says Mark. "Remember the clone substitution plot? Stage one was replace Miles; stage two was supposed to be kill his family and become Emperor of Barrayar."

Alli finds herself both relieved and disappointed at this information. She decides to worry about the whys of this bizarre reaction later. "I suppose killing murdery vampires doesn't count as assassinating them," she says with a grin. "So. No calling you Your Majesty, then? Or... is that kings? Shit. Whatever you actually call an emperor, I guess."

"On Barrayar, they don't. It's 'sire' if you're personally a subject of his and 'sir' if you're not. But yeah. No Imperium for me."

"Well, damn, no glitter wars with an emperor for me. Just your normal everyday sparkly murderpire."

"I hope everyday sparkly murderpires are enough for you."

"Good! I'd be upset if you died."

"Me too!" Alli says cheerfully. "And I would be upset if you died. Isn't that kind of standard, though? Are you not normally upset when people you know die?" She belatedly remembers the 'trained as an assassin' thing. "...that you know and do not hate," she amends.

"Well, yeah, I guess."

Alli considers his expression. "I've always wanted to try a curse," she suggests. "If there was someone you felt like, hah, volunteering."

"No living candidates spring to mind."

"...Oh, very nice," says Mark. "Does that work on anything? How hard is it to make?"

"It doesn't duplicate magic or I'd use it on all my potions ever," Alli snorts. "Not more than you started with, only up to a certain size glass, probably some other shit." She blinks at him innocently. "Obviously it never gets used on alcohol. That would be wrong."

Snort. "Of course. All right, how big of a glass?"

"I absolutely entirely delegate remembering that shit to my spellbook. A size!"

"Can't argue with that, I suppose."

"Hah. I am always right and never to be argued with. Duh."

"No comment."

"Aren't you smart," she approves, reaching out to boop him on the nose.

...He cracks up.

She grins smugly at him. "Doing that is such fun."

Mark sticks his tongue out at her.

Alli responds in kind. Once able to talk again, she asks, "Did you want to learn the Refill potion? If you'll get the ingredients."

"It seems like it might be fun."

"Six-thirty? If you're all right being out past sundown repeatedly. If you're not I can try to get creative."

"Meh, I normally don't care much, but- vamp dude. Trade you an escort home for the lessons?"

"Sounds like a fair deal."

"Wicked. Six thirty tomorrow it is." She hops out of the booth again and looks at Mark expectantly. "Escort away!"

So he follows her home and keeps an eye out for things to guard against.

Alli looks up over her book. "Ooooh, it's my favorite murderpire!" Down the book goes, face down and open to her spot. "You get everything okay? Ready for really awesome magical shit?"

"I am well supplied and ready to learn."

Alli grabs a book next to her. This one is much more reasonable looking, being entitled An Introduction to Magical Concoctions. She holds it out to him. "Page 34. Want help or want to just go for it?"

"Help is available; I might as well avail myself."

Prep time turns out to be very relaxing. Or at least Mark finds it thus.

Alli has her book to amuse herself while she waits. When he should, by Alli's calculation, be almost done, she drapes herself over his back to peer over his shoulder. "Almost ready?"

"Seems like it."

"Largely dull. Yours?"

"My night was spectacular. I was asleep, it was great. My day... also pretty dull. Who gives a shit about school when you could do magic? Like, really. Potions vs. geometry? Not even a contest."

"I agree completely."

"Shit. Now how will I get you to do my geometry homework?"

"Pay me," he suggests.

"Methods of payment include magical glitter, potions and hugs. Take your pick."

"I can't have all three?"

"If you like. Are there any books here worth checking out?"

"Depends on the kind of shit you like. I find things, but they're mostly weepy poetry and trashy romance novels. Do you want to learn How to Marry a Marquis?"

"I don't know. How does one marry a marquis?"

"Well, according to Julia Quinn, you go work for his godmother, who decides to be a busybody and throws you at each other. It seems to involve a lot of fluttering around indignantly and throwing things, though."

"I'll pass."

"I give no shits about the fluttering around, but the cranky old lady was awesome. She's pretty much my end goal in life. Running around yelling at people and thumping them with my cane? Yes please."

"That does sound like fun."

"It's funny to read about, too. All the dancing and prancing and prissy British nobility stuff." She adopts a faked British accent. (A truly horrible one, as it happens.) "Isn't it just a charming day, good sir?"

Mark makes an overdramatized face. "I'm not sure I've ever heard the dialect you're trying to imitate and I can still tell you're faking it atrociously."

"Meh. Only an issue if you catch on fire." She decides she's as defluffed as she's likely to get, and gives up. He gets one last brush off the back of his shoulder, and then a considering look. "You don't freeze up when I do that any more."

"I'm more used to you now."

"Huh. Can't decide between yay, that's probably good and well drat, it was kinda hot. Is that weird? Probably a little. I'm bad at normal."

"...What?"

Alli blinks at his face and re-evaluates what she just said. "Ohhhkay that probably came out wrong, didn't it. Very sorry, I will remove my foot from my mouth, etc. I- ugh. Phrasing is hard. How do people get good at this shit? Hmm. You being upset is bad but hot guy reacts when I hug him is the fun bit?"

"Oh," he says thoughtfully.

"Sure."

Alli scrapes the fluff into a pile at the bottom of the cauldron and dumps it into the trash can, then offers it back to him. "Second time's the charm?"

"Hah. What am I even doing here? Show off."

"I learn fast."

When he's done reassembling the potion, she almost leans forward over him to check on the potion. Then she reconsiders and scoots around him to perch on the desk instead. "Yep, looks good," she confirms, and starts up the burner. "Maybe this time an alarm? I mean. In case glitter's distracting."

"Sensible."

Alli sets an alarm on her Razr for twenty minutes. "There. Here's to no more fluff." She grins at the garbage can full of potion debris. "Wonder what the librarians make of that?"

"I predict confusion."

"Man, now I wanna see their faces. Except for how that would tip them off that I'm the one responsible for all this shit."

"Hide and spy on them?" he suggests.

"Oh man, now I'm picturing all the things I could do if I could find a decent invisibility spell."

"Fun and excitement."

"Meh, probably more like mischief and mayhem."

"Are those distinct?"

"They could be! Probably! Somehow!"

"Mischief and mayhem without fun and excitement seems pointless."

"Possibly also depressing as shit. So I'll take the fun and exciting mayhem, thanks."

"I feel so vindicated."

"I'm so glad." He gets a shoulder-hug for his trouble. "See, now you have incentive to help me find a spell!"

"Absolutely."