Beetle Eyes Conquest

((It was fine. I figured, under Viv's guidance, Sunny wouldn't be able to mess it up. And a taste of success will make her OBSESSED with potionmaking.))

Sunny wobbled her head, always certain to make it clear that she was grown-up enough to make a good partner. Her aunt, though she had returned to her own work, was watching out of the corner of her eye, keen amusement playing at the corners of her lips, twitching them up and down as she watched the interactions between the two redhead kids.

Sunny did not mind that Vivianna was helping her. She squeezed the first two drops out slowly. "One... Two..." And then, her impatience grew. "Threefourfivesix-" she said, rapidly dropping the next four drops out, intent to continue on in this manner.

Vivianna made a little warning noise as soon a the drops started coming out quickly, and used her hand to quickly turn Sunny's upright. Slipping the blood out of the young child's hand, the teenager turned to the muggle. "Sunny, I'll let that go because I never told you otherwise, but potions aren't something to be rushed. When you try to speed things up like that, it's likely that you won't get the right amount. Just a little mistake could hurt someone or mess up the potion, so be careful, alright?" the witch explained to big brown eyes. Of course, she'd been careful with her potion choice, it would be incredibly difficult to blow this brew up, but it girl should learn good habits now.

Adding the last two drops herself as an example, the girl made sure the vial was sealed before putting it back. Grabbing the jar of lionfish spines, she held them up so Sunny could see. "These are the spines of a lionfish, and we need to add five. They're really pointy, so watch out. I'll hand them to you, and you can add them to the potion," Vivianna informed the adorable child, before starting to do just that.

Sunny tipped her head curiously. "Oh. See. I'm quick, because I plan to be the first ostrich jockey, so I like to live life fast." Behind her, her aunt was snickering quietly as she worked on her firework. She was going to leave Vivianna to the whole ordeal because she surely wanted to exercise her own talent. Not only that, but mistakes were good when they came about naturally. Jack rarely tried to save people from the mistakes they needed to make, even her niece.

Sunny took a deep breath. "Alright. I'll go slow. I promise. I pinkie swear. Cross my heart, hope to die!" To show her new resolve, she slowly reached forward to grab the spines and slowly, gingerly dropped them into the cauldron.

"Good girl," Vivianna nodded approvingly as Sunny carefully added the spines. The teenager had decided to completely ignore the odd words from earlier, what on Earth was an ostrich jockey anyway? Deciding that she didn't really want to know, or have to listen to the likely odd and even more confusing explanation, the redhead just continued as if they'd never been said.

Pulling out a basic stirring rod, Vivianna held it up to the child. "This is a stirring rod, which is what you mix with. Sometime potions will need special types of rods, but this potion just needs the basic kind. Just like with adding ingredients, there are certain ways you have to stir. Now, we need to go five times counter-clockwise," the student explained, simplifying for the child. Gently putting the rod into the brew, the witch looked towards the young girl, "you can mix with me, if you'd like."

Sunny really wanted to get on with making the durn potion so she could simply enjoy the success she was so desperately longing for. This was what she wanted more than anything. Some sort of assurance that she really was meant to belong to the magical world she had been thrust into.

But the little redheaded girl really needed to focus on actually creating the potion before she celebrated the actual success of completing it. She reached out to hold the stirrer with Vivi, looking up cheerfully at her. "This is fun!"

"I'm glad you think so," Vivianna stated with a smile. Not too many people her age considered potions fun. The teenager figured that Sunny was more interested in the magical component of brewing than the actual process itself, but the appreciation for the redhead's art pleased her all the same.

Gently guiding Sunny's hand, Vivianna smiled when the potion turned the brighter red that it was supposed to. "Next comes the flobberworm mucus, and we'll need," the witch paused for a moment to check the amount stated on the label of the small vial, "this whole thing". Uncorking the container, the student handed it to Sunny. "Flobberworms are big worms that eat plants, there not all that interesting really," Vivianna found herself informing Sunny, "their mucus is used to thicken potions a lot, since it rarely reacts badly with other ingredients. As I said, not too interesting."

Sunny held the stirrer tightly, the brief fear of dropping the stick into the contents of the cauldron keeping her from losing her grip on it. Vivi would surely lose hope in her if she messed up again, and Jack would call off the whole attempt-to-brew-potions stint and Sunny would be frustrated.

Sunny set the stirrer down with Vivi and took the new vial, which the older girl had already so nicely opened for her, and examined it. Part of this examination was a gentle sniff of the substance. She looked up at Vivi. "So... mucus... " She glanced at her aunt. "That's..."

"Boogers," Jack responded, using the American term for her niece, the word she knew Sunny was seeking.

Sunny grinned. "Boogies. That's what I thought." She smiled and poured the mucus into the cauldron.

Vivianna smiled at the easy interaction between Sunny and her aunt. It reminded her a bit of how she and her uncle acted, now that she'd long ago passed the ah, scary vampire stage. Absently, the witch found herself wondering why Sunny lived with her Aunt at all, instead of her parents. The teenager wasn't rude enough to ask, but she could wonder. Perhaps the girl's parents were dead, couldn't afford her, didn't want her, or mabey Sunny was seeking refuge in a better environment as she had.

"Well done," the Hogwarts student said, as the child emptied the mucus into the caldron. If Vivianna ever had a child, she determined that she'd be a positive enforcement parent. The girl would rather die than end up like the two people that had given her life.

"Honeywater next, two drops," the Slytherin announced, handing the flask to Sunny. The yellow-filled flask had a helpful cap, designed to only let out one drop at a time. It was needed, considering how fast the magical liquid could flow.

Sunny beamed, glowing amid the elder girl's praise. Even the smallest of feats at this point in the game was something worth wearing a badge of pride for her. She knew that success or defeat in this one task could determine whether or not she could hope to continue on at all in this magical world of her family.

Sunny took the flask eagerly but very carefully squeezed out the two drops. Flushed with excitement at the success, she handed the flask out to Vivi. "There!"

"Perfect," Vivianna informed the excited child as she puffed up with pride upon adding the correct amount of drops. It was nice to see someone getting so excited over a potion. The Slytherin herself often got excited over her experimental brews working, but this little girl was the only one she knew who shared her enthusiasm.

"These are chizpurfle fangs," the witch said, grabbing and holding up a small jar. Carefully tipping seven into the palm of her hand, the teen turned to Sunny, "hold your hand out so I can give them to you, and I'll let you add them."

Pausing for a moment in an attempt to figure out exactly how to describe the pest-like creature, Vivianna ended up saying, "Chizpurfles are basically tiny craps with teeth, that like eating magical things." It was a simplistic response, but accurate enough.