Lisette Goodman

[John Niska]

From Hubert

Background
Lisette Goodman is the daughter of Robert and Mary Goodman of Princeton, New Jersey. Robert is professor of English at Princeton University, son of Karl Goodman. Karl Goodman was a famous professor of philosophy who had a wide circle of acquaintances and friends - and when he noticed his granddaughter's first hinting steps at magic - was advised to send Lisette to a boarding school at Tyana.

Robert and Mary Goodman are comfortably wealthy, have a reputation among fellow academics and are unaware that their daughter has entered the strange and dangerous world of magic.

Lisette is a Newblood; her family has no history of ever producing a mage. She has had a few bad problems from a few families that resent her magical power. Although she is still learning, Lisette shows signs of becoming a Greater Talent.

Inspired by her grandfather, Lisette is studying Philosophy at New York
University. She is also continuing her studies in Magic in the New York
City Nexus. Lisette works part-time at the Bookstore in the Brooklyn,
shelving books and helping customers.

Character's Role in Magical Society
Lisette is a Newblood with promises of becoming a Greater Talent. She
is still a student - studying magic in the New York City Nexus. She
is also to be found in the Bookstore, shelving books and researching
magic for customers.

Character's Role in Mundane Society
Lisette is a student at New York University, studying Philosophy. She
is familiar with the stacks both at the University and the New York
City Library.

Character's Combat Abilities
Lisette is skilled at magical spells - specializing in Lightning as well
as other damaging spells.

Character's non-Combat Abilities
Lisette comes with a variety of useful spells and knowledge of how to
acquire more over time.

Major Complications
Lisette's parents are unaware that Lisette is a mage. She has hidden that information from them since she started learning at Tyana. Luckily, they are down in Princeton and she's in New York. Her growing skills and lack of a long magical family history has drawn the anger of a few families.

Her rival in this respect is the Manray family and their twin boys, Scott
and Sean that will use any opportunity to belittle her.

Plot Ties
Lisette is not merely interested in reading about magic - she wants to
do more than read about the effects of spells. Anything that has to do
with magical threats would interest her. Her skills in research and
library use may also turn up something.

Ties to Other Characters
Dorian Montrose - Lisette follows his articles in the New Yorker. She has
from time to time, found a book for him in the Bookstore.

Eric Van Stern - Lisette has met him now and then as he passes through
the Bookstore. She has seen him at the Sterncastle Hotel as her magical class has partied there after class finals

Fu Ban - Lisette knows about Fu Ban's restaurant but has never been there.

Osbourne Scamander - Lisette has helped Osbourne find several books on Egyptian magical artifacts and spells.

Edith Harkins - Lisette knows Edith and her interests in herbology - and
has been given advice on the magical world. She knows that Edith looks
out for NewBloods.

[Kenneth New]

Is Karl Goodwin a mage? Does he see through the veil? If not, who advised him to send his grand daughter to Tyana?

[hubertbartels]

No. Both of Lisette's parents are mundanes. As is Karl. A friend of
Karl's - who is magically awakened - advised Karl to send his
'strange' granddaughter to Tyana. This friend of Karl's is as yet -
unnamed.

Lisette is horrified by William Jacobs' case - it could have happened
to her.

[hubertbartels]

"Li-? Lisette Goodman?"

"Yes?"

"It's me, Sheila Montrose", the tall blonde spoke.

"Sheila!" I said excitedly. "What are you doing here?

When did you get into town?" I hadn't seen her since I left Tyana Academy.

Sheila smiled. "Something to do with our legal affairs. I'll
be meeting with the family lawyers later. Boring. But now, what are you doing?"

"Sheila, I don't have all that much time. I've just got enough time
for lunch before heading back to the Bookstore."

"Well then... why don't I treat you to a bite at the Sterncastle
and you can tell me everything. Everything..."

We settled down in our booth at the Sterncastle restaurant as
Sheila gave our orders. When the waiter left, she turned back to me. "So,
are you going to confess? What have you been doing?"

"This and that. Continuing my studies in Philosophy. Looking into
a few problems. Working at the Bookstore. At least, I can look over all the
magic books that come into the shop."

Sheila laughed. "I always thought you'd end up in a place with a
lot of books. You, Lisette, were always a bookworm at heart."

I smiled sheepishly.

"Even at Tyana, you were more interested in books than friends.
Library Club. Philosophy Club. I never figured out why you joined the Pony
Club though."

"Well... Every girl has to go though their horsie stage. I always
wanted a pony but Father never saw the need. Too big, too expensive, too
messy. Besides, it's the 20th century. We'll all ride some electric or
gasoline thingie instead. But still. I wanted a horsie of my own. So when
I got to Tyana Academy and learned that they had a riding program..."

Sheila turned and dug through her purse, coming up with a small
photograph album. She flipped through the kodaks, ending at a picture
of a smiling blonde girl mounted on a light grey pony with a dark mane.
They were accepting the Best-in-Show trophy for the Pony Club horse show.
She pushed the picture across the table to me. "Remember, Lisette?"

I grinned.

"Do you still have the trophy?"

"Of course. I did all the work!", I said. "But, yeah, I remember. I
remember you schooling your pony for that show all summer. I was busy with
my senior project in Transfiguration with Professor Foraker. You were so
proud of D'Artagnan. And then he came up lame, a week before the show."

"I thought my life was over." Sheila said softly. "I came up to
your room and cried my heart out. All that work... all those dreams..."

"So it was a week before I made my final presentation to Professor
Foraker. You needed a new mount for the show and I needed to show something
for my Transfiguration project. I had been waffling around on the final
form - Sheila, you made my decision easy."

"Lisette, I remember you sweeping your notes off your desk and
promising that I'd have the sweetest, most obedient pony."

"I'll never understood how we got away with it." I mused. "For
Transfiguration, you learn to change forms into another form. That includes
changing yourself into another form. Like an animal. It's a good thing that
Professor Foraker was totally uninterested in anything outside his classroom."

Sheila reached for the photograph. "I think it was pretty cheeky
though." She pointed to the faded writing underneath the kodak. The
inscription read, 'Sheila Montrose and Lily'.