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 Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2017 8:39 pm
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 ✼Agє 18✼Uηι Sтυ∂єηт✼Sιηgℓє✼Aindriú had been writing Claire, the bird he'd met last summer at the twins' party. She seemed pretty nice, and was graduating from the boarding school where the boys and Bree went. If nothing else, she was a nice penpal. During finals, he'd pushed off writing her, and to make up for the guilty feeling at ignoring her letters, he'd decided to invite her to Dublin for a few days. She'd told him she grew up in Cork, somewhere he lived when he was a young child. Most of his life, he'd spent in and around Dublin, which was fine for him. The morning she was set to arrive via aeroplane, he drove to the airport, using back roads to enjoy the nice morning. He parked and closed the top of his car, then headed in to wait by the baggage claim area. On his way in, he pushed his sunglasses into his hair, given that he didn't want to leave them in his car. Hopefully Claire's flight would be coming soon. And he was right, checking the board from London, he noted she'd be about ten more minutes, so he found a place to sit and played on his phone. When he finally looked up from his game, he noticed Claire looking a bit lost. He stood quickly and hurried over to her. "'Llo, Claire. Welcome ta Dublin! Le's get outta here, then?" A casual grin slid onto his face, a cool look that he usually wore. "An' 'ow was school? Tha twins an' Bree liked it well 'nuff." He led the way to his car, making sure he didn't lose the shorter girl in the crowd of people trying to leave the airport. Once out to the car, he loaded her bags into the boot. He unlocked and opened the passenger door for her, then climbed in on his side and lowered the roof back down. He dropped his shades back down and looked over at the girl, this time with a smirk playing on his lips. "We'll be a' ma flat 'for too long. Not a long drive from 'ere." He started up the car and drove off, headed back to his flat in the city. True to his word, they arrived at the building within ten minutes and parked in a spot with his flat number, 326B. {{OoC: Next post at his flat, here}} Mʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ɪs Cᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ Kɪᴅᴅ ᴀs I sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ, ᴀs I sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ,
Mʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ ɪs Cᴀᴘᴛᴀɪɴ Kɪᴅᴅ ᴀɴᴅ Gᴏᴅ's ʟᴀᴡs I ᴅɪᴅ ꜰᴏʀʙɪᴅ,
Aɴᴅ ᴍᴏsᴛ ᴡɪᴄᴋᴇᴅʟʏ I ᴅɪᴅ ᴀs I sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ.
I ᴡᴀs sɪᴄᴋ ᴀɴᴅ ɴɪɢʜ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴇᴀᴛʜ, ᴀɴᴅ I ᴠᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴀᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ,
Oʜ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀʟᴋ ɪɴ ᴡɪsᴅᴏᴍ's ᴘᴀᴛʜ, ᴀs I sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ
Bᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ʀᴇᴘᴇɴᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʟᴀsᴛᴇᴅ ɴᴏᴛ, ᴍʏ ᴠᴏᴡs I sᴏᴏɴ ꜰᴏʀɢᴏᴛ,
Oʜ ᴅᴀᴍɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɪs ᴍʏ ʟᴏᴛ, ᴀs I sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ.
Tᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇxᴇᴄᴜᴛɪᴏɴ ᴅᴏᴄᴋ ʟᴀʏ ᴍʏ ʜᴇᴀᴅ ᴜᴘᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴄᴋ,
Lᴀᴡs ɴᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ I'ʟʟ ᴍᴏᴄᴋ ᴀs I sᴀɪʟ,
Sᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴇᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sʜᴜɴ ʙᴀᴅ ᴄᴏᴍᴘᴀɴʏ
Oʀ ʏᴏᴜ'ʟʟ ᴡɪɴᴅ ᴜᴘ ᴊᴜsᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴀs I sᴀɪʟᴇᴅ. |
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2019 7:16 pm
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I ponder of something great
My lungs will fill and then deflate
They fill with fire, exhale desire
I know it's dire my time today
▥ 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 ▥ 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿
Having Adam living in the same city was great because having reliable babysitting was almost always a given. Even if it meant Dylan having to sit in after school traffic to drop his son off at his cousin? Brother-in-law-without-the-law-part? Whatever, the kid's job. He was really proud the guy got to do a job being surrounded by all the boring rocks and geodes to his heart's content and sharing that insane love. He usually would wait to do business dealings involving bars on the weekends because most times he could keep Reece the whole day and just have Adam come over in the evening to watch over everything. But apparently a newer beer garden had gotten a taste somewhere and wanted a better sample or something. He'd admittedly only been half awake when the guy had called asking if he could meet this coming Friday which he'd agreed to whilst absentmindedly trying to keep his own son from drowning in his cereal. Kid got his hatred of mornings from someone, not entirely sure who. It had only hit him yesterday as he was fixing dinner that holy. s**t. He had a tentative job interview tomorrow?
Which was what lead to him picking up his son with a bag already packed, inching through Dublin traffic, and chucking a peace sign at his...at Adam before fleeing the scene. The drive back to the apartment wasn't too bad which was good considering he still had to pick out whatever the ******** he was going to wear as well make sure ale's were good and ready to go. Still having a good hour or so before he had to really worry, he sat comfortably in his underwear catching up on a webcomic he'd been neglecting lately and only when he reached the current end did he pull on a pair of dark wash jeans (job interview or not, it was still a goddamn bar and he'd be damned if he pulled out his iron for this) a buttoned pink short sleeved with his second favorite navy blue blazer. Sealing the get up with a pair of dark brown boots, he secured his ales in a spill proof crate and made his way to the beer garden.
Thankfully he made it before a large rush so he didn't have to wait for long before both boss and head bartender were sampling his drinks. Both seemed to like it but apparently had to conference the bigger boss or some s**t and asked him to stick around while they got it settled. After securing that yes, all his drinks would be comp, Dylan happily ordered himself a pomegranate vodka mixer and was the enjoying the game of will he won't he choke on a seed when felt a slight bump against his back. He ignored it since the bar was starting to fill but the second time it happened he ended up spilling a bit of his drink on his shirt.
"Sorry mate, didn't mean to get your blouse dirty." Have you ever heard a voice where you just knew hadn't picked up a thesaurus after seventh form? He was pretty sure if it had a name it would be something like the Todd. Or Blake. So Dylan just shot a grin at the man to his right looking quite smug with himself as he grabbed a few napkins.
"Nah, it's fine. Besides, the man maketh the blouse, amiright?" he asked making sure to casually show the inside of his blazer, flamingo print bright under the lights as he dabbed the stain. He could see the guy's eyes twitch at his choice of attire. "You're not some sorta fruit are ya?" Ah, he had pre-partied for this event. Marvelous.
"That my friend goes hand in hand with the 'is the coconut a mammal' debate and honestly? I'm really not drunk enough to debate that at this current time." he intoned after another sip.
I have these thoughts, so often I ought
To replace that slot with what I once bought
'Cause somebody stole my car radio
And now I just sit in silence |
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 8:47 pm
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✖ ♥ ✖═════════════════════════════════════════════ ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε ïṉτø α ƒlÿ
ï løøќεḋ αώαÿ - ÿøυ ώεɾε øṉ ƒïɾε
ï ώατсhεḋ α сhαṉģε ïṉ ÿøυ, ïτ'ṡ lïќε ÿøυ ṉεṿεɾ
hαḋ ώïṉģṡ - ṉøώ ÿøυ ƒεεl ṡø αlïṿε
ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε═════════════════════════════════════════════
spaceEstablishments such as this were generally a mixed bag for Harbinger; on the one hand, there was a lot of noise, and the lighting, while not overly bright, tended to be obnoxious in some way or another. Of all the things humans had to invent, he was pretty sure he hated neon signs the most. But, on the other hand, bars were also full of sleazeballs. Most people wouldn't consider that a plus, but then again, most people weren't vampires with just enough moral fiber to want their meals to deserve the horrors about to be visited upon them. Harbinger, however, was, and picking up creeps (or hunting them down in the dark corners and alleys) at a pub was an easy meal. Typically he chose a seedier establishment than this for his evenings, but he was feeling particularly vindictive tonight. Why go scraping the bottom of the barrel when you could go after some snobby jackarse who thought being rich meant his crimes against humanity didn't count.
spaceOf course, going to a place like this also meant that he had to listen a little more carefully, because the people he wanted to go after were likely to be hiding their true intentions behind honeyed words and an earnest expression. So it was no surprise, really, that his sensitive hearing picked up on the conversation happening at the bar. His eyes narrowed at the word 'fruit'. Not exactly worth killing him over, but Harbinger had time; he could stand to lose a few minutes putting some arsehole in his place.
spaceHe slid over to the bar, leaning against it just behind the young man with the (rather interesting) blazer. "What if it's not a debate so much as a genuine inquiry?" he asked, making a show of looking the man up and down before meeting the other's eyes over his shoulder. The drunk scowled, looking both infuriated and uncomfortable. Harbinger was decidedly male tonight, but his appearance was always a little androgynous. People who were attracted to him tended to assume he was their preferred gender, and people who weren't, the reverse. He wasn't picky, not since Amnesia's death, so that suited him just fine. There was also the chance that he couldn't quite parse Harbinger's accent; it did tend to throw people for a loop. Especially whent they were drunk enough to barely understand their own language in their own accent.
═════════════════════════════════════════════ ï løøќ ατ τhε сɾøṡṡ, τhεṉ ï løøќ αώαÿ
ï ģïṿε ÿøυ τhε ģυṉ - вløώ ṃε αώαÿ
ï ώατсhεḋ α сhαṉģε ïṉ ÿøυ, ïτ'ṡ lïќε ÿøυ ṉεṿεɾ
hαḋ ώïṉģṡ - ṉøώ ÿøυ ƒεεl ṡø αlïṿε
ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε═════════════════════════════════════════════ wнere - At the Bar
wнen - Evening, Fall 2044
wιтн - Dylan
pronoυnѕ - He/Him
- ooc -
blah blah blah
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Posted: Wed Feb 06, 2019 9:52 pm
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 1:12 am
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✖ ♥ ✖═════════════════════════════════════════════ ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε ïṉτø α ƒlÿ
ï løøќεḋ αώαÿ - ÿøυ ώεɾε øṉ ƒïɾε
ï ώατсhεḋ α сhαṉģε ïṉ ÿøυ, ïτ'ṡ lïќε ÿøυ ṉεṿεɾ
hαḋ ώïṉģṡ - ṉøώ ÿøυ ƒεεl ṡø αlïṿε
ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε═════════════════════════════════════════════
spaceHarbinger put on an exaggerated pout, purely for the benefit of the idiot of course, at the use of the word 'curfew'. What a man would be doing in a bar on a night he had someplace to be was beyond him. He was dressed rather sharply, which implied a date in Harbinger's experience. But if he had a curfew, that meant someone was expecting him home. "Is there some poor soul waiting up for you, then? That rarely ends well, as I recall," he drawled playfully. Of course, it was none of his business, but he was making it his business. Besides, the other man's use of the word 'f**' in a non-cigarette context was edging him closer and closer to qualifying as Harbinger's next meal. If he started throwing punches, it was a done deal.
spaceAt the question regarding his gender, Harbinger gave a predatory smile. "Do you want me to be?" he asked, throwing out a wink for good measure. Alright, so maybe it was cheating a little to actively antagonize the guy, but he was making it rather easy. And Harbinger was hungry. He might've been tempted away from the hunt by the admittedly attractive other man, who seemed like he may or may not be open to advances in theory, but at the moment he was clearly off the table. More's the pity. It'd been a while.
spaceIt was refreshing to have someone other than himself bring up the concept of pronouns, not to mention surprising. Actually, Harbinger was half-tempted to actively try and seduce the man into forgetting whatever prior commitment he had. If it were a significant other, and he was wasting time at a bar rather than returning home to them, it couldn't be too solid of a relationship. "He/him," he answered with a smile, "tonight, anyway." It was actually sort of odd feeling to be drifting towards the more masculine side tonight. He'd been feeling more like a girl of late, right up until he'd woken this afternoon and been utterly disgusted by the idea of putting on a skirt. Not that it was unusual for him to go through such phases. He gave it a month before he pulled out his makeup and dresses again.
spaceThe offer of a drink surprised him as well, but he wasn't going to complain. Make that half-tempted more like three-quarters. "Sasha," he positively purred, offering the man his hand. "and anything with vodka." This was said with a grin, half knowing, half self-deprecating. He was Russian, after all.
═════════════════════════════════════════════ ï løøќ ατ τhε сɾøṡṡ, τhεṉ ï løøќ αώαÿ
ï ģïṿε ÿøυ τhε ģυṉ - вløώ ṃε αώαÿ
ï ώατсhεḋ α сhαṉģε ïṉ ÿøυ, ïτ'ṡ lïќε ÿøυ ṉεṿεɾ
hαḋ ώïṉģṡ - ṉøώ ÿøυ ƒεεl ṡø αlïṿε
ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε═════════════════════════════════════════════ wнere - At the Bar
wнen - Evening, Fall 2044
wιтн - Dylan
pronoυnѕ - He/Him
- ooc -
blah blah blah
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Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2019 6:16 pm
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I ponder of something great
My lungs will fill and then deflate
They fill with fire, exhale desire
I know it's dire my time today
▥ 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 ▥ 𝗦𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿
Dylan focused on fishing the remaining seeds from his drink to avoid possibly bursting into laughter at his new acquaintance's pout. It wasn't that it looked ridiculous on his face, from his actions he was willing to bet pouting was one of his go to facial expressions, but the drunk's expressions flashing across his face was priceless. He could never go on a witness stand, a lawyer would have him dead and buried in thirty seconds flat if they were worth anything. Still, he snorted as the man possibly coyly asked if he had anyone waiting up for him. "I sincerely hope not otherwise me and his babysitter will be having words." he replied airily. He was pretty sure he had nothing to worry about in that department. Adam was pretty laid back but he seemed to be a stickler for keeping by the books in regards to Reece, which is usually the reason he would trust him rather than some random teenager.
The trog still seemed rather miffed from their earlier discussion of his supposed sexuality (he had bets there were unearthed Christmas present keeping him company that far in the closet) but was now doubly from the wink thrown at him from all his spluttering. Honestly Dylan was more than slightly disappointed in his lack of nuance. One of the few times he was actually getting gay bashed and the guy sounded like a broken after school special. He felt gypped as the kids would say. "You're one of those trannie things aren't you?!" His groan was audible even over the noise of the bar filled the vexation he didn't know he could possess on behalf of someone not related to him.
"My God, and I use the term loosely because I refuse to believe a higher being made you on purpose, could you perhaps go and skulk another corner away from us, please? Waiting here is nerve wracking enough but having you here sucking up all the good oxygen with your nineteen eighties sexual vitriol is a torture I just can no longer bear. Please, I'll even get on my knees and beg at this point. Though I feel like that rather messes the point of you trying to see if I was gay earlier...oh you. You naughty tease you." Dylan suddenly snapped his fingers as his face and eyes brightened.
"Was this all an elaborate way for you to have your sinful way with me? Again sir, flattered but...no." Despite what certain people might think, he wasn't a complete idiot. He knew this guy wasn't flirting but if his words caused the man to become both enraged and embarrassed enough for him to just call him a "scruffy f**" and leave and storm away then his supposed intelligence was just a small price to pay. Once the guy had gone he turned back to his new friend, now named Sasha, and grinned at his drink order answer. "Ah, man after my own heart. Ma'am? Another pomegranate vodka mixer and a white russian for my lovely friend please." Dylan ordered offering his companion an easy grin.
I have these thoughts, so often I ought
To replace that slot with what I once bought
'Cause somebody stole my car radio
And now I just sit in silence |
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2019 10:25 pm
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✖ ♥ ✖═════════════════════════════════════════════ ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε ïṉτø α ƒlÿ
ï løøќεḋ αώαÿ - ÿøυ ώεɾε øṉ ƒïɾε
ï ώατсhεḋ α сhαṉģε ïṉ ÿøυ, ïτ'ṡ lïќε ÿøυ ṉεṿεɾ
hαḋ ώïṉģṡ - ṉøώ ÿøυ ƒεεl ṡø αlïṿε
ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε═════════════════════════════════════════════
spaceHarbinger blinked curiously at the mention of a babysitter. He'd always had a thing for children, go figure. It was why he was so invested in watching the Nolan twins. He remembered what it was like to not have parents, and he'd seen more than enough of the world to know that he'd actually been somewhat lucky in that regard. Not having parents and growing up in a neglectful orphanage was sometimes the lesser of two evils. Harbinger also fancied himself the lesser of two evils at times, possibly because of his childhood. Knowing that the man before him had a son only intrigued him further. He liked to think he was a decent judge of character, and his instincts told him this man was a good father.
spaceThis assessment made the rather abrupt exit of their less than savory companion a little less annoying. Truthfully, Harbinger had hoped to goad the man into doing something worth eating him over. Of course, his companion's rather passionate response to the idiot's comment regarding his gender was, perhaps, more to blame for Harbinger's willingness to let it go. And the faux-flirtations designed to finally send the man packing. He could find another meal, later. For now, he was suddenly much more interested in having a drink.
spaceUnsurprisingly, when his companion ordered the drinks, Harbinger was met with a raised eyebrow and a request for identification. He sighed; sometimes being eternally sixteen was a pain in the arse. At least he had the required ID, though, and he handed it over arching a brow. "You know, nobody has a problem believing I'm an adult when I try to lie and get charged kid prices for things," he noted, whining ever so slightly. After the bartender looked at his ID (and frowned as though she didn't quite believe it wasn't fake) and busied herself with their drinks, he smiled at his new friend. "I didn't catch your name," he pointed out, still infusing his voice with that little bit of a pout. He wasn't going to try for anything, since the guy had a kid to get home to. But maybe he wanted to figure out if he was interested in trying this again another night.
═════════════════════════════════════════════ ï løøќ ατ τhε сɾøṡṡ, τhεṉ ï løøќ αώαÿ
ï ģïṿε ÿøυ τhε ģυṉ - вløώ ṃε αώαÿ
ï ώατсhεḋ α сhαṉģε ïṉ ÿøυ, ïτ'ṡ lïќε ÿøυ ṉεṿεɾ
hαḋ ώïṉģṡ - ṉøώ ÿøυ ƒεεl ṡø αlïṿε
ï ώατсhεḋ ÿøυ сhαṉģε═════════════════════════════════════════════ wнere - At the Bar
wнen - Evening, Fall 2044
wιтн - Dylan
pronoυnѕ - He/Him
- ooc -
blah blah blah
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Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 12:02 pm
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Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 7:14 pm
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Fianna Grey Gryffindor Alumnus │ Seeker for the Irish National Team │ Twenty-Four Years Old │ Single
‘We have a nice crowd tonight,’ Fianna thought, as she looked out across the taproom of the club in Dublin. It was a Friday night, and the place was filling up as she and her bandmates got started with playing their first set. Though they would have a good audience, there was really only one person she was hoping to spot among the all the expectant faces. Her cousin, Selina, promised she would come tonight to hear them play, and if there was one thing about her which had always been a constant, if she made a promise, short of some overriding emergency she would keep it.
The red-haired, twenty-something former Gryffindor had stopped thinking of Selina as her older cousin many years ago, and regarded her as her eldest sister, after their parents took her in when Selina returned from wherever she’d vanished to when her own parents died in that horrific accident. It hadn’t been the smoothest of transitions, but the three of them somehow managed to weather the storms which came along with growing up together. Fianna wasn’t sure who had it the hardest though, Hannah had to adjust to being the middle child, while Selina was suddenly made responsible for watching out for the two of them while they were at school. As for Fianna, going from being the younger to being the youngest was hardly an adjustment at all.
As she made final adjustments on her guitar, Fianna’s mind wandered as it always seemed to when she thought about the way school had gone, and how her life went after graduation. It seemed like she was constantly measuring herself against Hannah and Selina, and their achievements … and always coming up … well, short. Both of them were House prefects, and Hannah was a successful Beater on some darned good Hufflepuff Quidditch teams. Fianna, while she made Seeker early on in her school career, was never selected to be a prefect, nor Captain or Vice-Captain for any of the clubs she was part of, and not even looked at for leadership positions with the team. This was a bit of a sore point for her, as she was responsible and worked hard.
In a span of four years, she’d racked up as many wins as losses, which meant she was rather successful at what she did, even if the House never once won the Quidditch Cup outright during her tenure, though it did share a three-way split one year, a rather remarkable feat when it was all said. Her last season at school was highlighted by her contentious relationship with her captain, which nearly caused her to be bounced from the team. She wasn’t the only one to have issues, but it must have gotten around the school and it hadn’t done her already less-than-sterling reputation any favours. Thankfully, none of it prevented her from making the Irish National Team, playing Seeker, and finally fulfilling the dream both she and Hannah shared: playing on the same team together.
When she was younger and stayed behind to see Lynn and Hannah off, she’d dreamed of her chance to be on that scarlet train bound for Hogwarts; by the time she graduated from Hogwarts she was good and glad to get out of there. It hadn’t been all bad, not by a mile, but there were things which truly grated upon her, and that last trip across the Black Lake couldn’t come soon enough. She’d made plans with Selina to meet up at the train station in Hogsmeade and go somewhere and do something other than endure one last, seemingly never-ending ride on the Hogwarts Express, with people she doubted would care if she were there or not. Fianna knew Selina would understand and appreciate how she felt about her situation, certainly better than Hannah could. While her sister had a large social circle, Fianna couldn’t make the same claim, and she knew she’d alienated a fair few people into the bargain, and no amount of apologies seemed to make a difference.
When her bandmates were ready, they started their set. Fianna played an electric guitar these days, something which would have been impossible at the school, and she was lead singer. Covering the Sundays ‘ ‘Here’s Where the Story Ends’, was a fun way to get things going, although she supposed it would have worked better if it were the last song they did that evening. She even managed to get her voice to sound rather like Harriet Wheeler’s own, or so she’d been told. As she sang, Fianna blocked out from her mind that she hadn’t spotted Selina yet, focusing on the now of her music.
******************************************************************
Selina Grey drew one last deep breath of Dublin’s cool, foggy, evening air before stepping into the club. These days, her trips to Ireland were few and her stays were not so long, but such was the life of a Cursebreaker. Quite often the twenty-nine-year-old Ravenclaw Alum was living out of her suitcase, with her cat, Hepzibah, being her only company. Given her druthers she would have preferred to spend her evening in a nice, quiet place, curled up, perhaps, with a good book and a mug of whiskey-laced cocoa to help her relax, but she’d made a number of promises, and she was determined to see them done. ‘Miles to go, and promises to keep…’ the familiar, oft-repeated refrain of her life ran through her thoughts, as she tried to push aside the litany of her immediate wants from her mind: a hot meal, a hot bath, and a warm bed. ‘At least I can get one out of three of those while I’m here,’ she thought, as she tugged on the door handle and stepped inside.
Going inside, she could sense the press of people before seeing them, much less hear them. After walking around the crowded markets in Cairo and the exotic bazaars of Khartoum, and other such places, a bit of pub-crawling was no big deal for her, it was merely another adjustment, though it was a bit strange hearing just one or two languages being spoken. She walked into the main area just as the music started up, and Selina managed to spot an unoccupied table off to one side of the stage. As she navigated his way through the crowded room, she glanced up to smile and wave toward her younger cousin. Settling into the seat, she shrugged off her long coat, and laid it across her lap.
After giving a drink order to a passing waitress, Selina began to relax a bit. As she listened, she heard her cousin start another song, though it was one she wasn’t familiar with, it sounded pretty good to her. 'Duvet' ‘Her singing voice has gotten better,’ thought the Ravenclaw Alum, as she sipped of the contents of the mug the waitress delivered to her. ‘Good, with any luck at all, I shouldn’t be dragooned into singing in this place.’ At some point, after a number of songs were played, the band was done with its first set of the night. For a moment, Selina figured she would need to get her younger sibling’s attention, but then she saw the red-haired former Gryffindor walking over to her table.
“You’re late,” commented Fianna, as she tried to give her kinswoman a reproving look. Arching an eyebrow, Selina replied with a dignified tone, “A witch is never late, nor is she early, she arrives precisely when she means to.” There was a moment of silence between the two young women, before both started snickering and then chuckling aloud at their long-standing private joke. Fianna leaned in and gave her a hug. “God, it’s good to see you again, Lynn,” Fianna said, and she stepped back to get a better look at her older sister.
Selina was dressed for the cool climate, wearing a tailored black pin-striped skirt, with matching fitted black vest, black stockings with a pair of black patent leather shoes, paired with a charcoal gray long-sleeved dress shirt with full, puffed sleeves and a black silk tie. Her elegant look clashed with Fianna’s much more casual appearance. The former Gryffindor was wearing jeans and a simple button-down cream-coloured blouse, while the pair of strappy white high-heeled sandals on her feet served as a rather feeble attempt to make her look at least a little bit taller.
“Did you just get off of work, Lynn, or were you attending a funeral?” commented the red-haired Gryffindor alum dryly, as she moved to sit in the chair opposite from her older cousin. “Honestly, you should consider a splash of colour in your wardrobe. A nice, pretty scarf wouldn’t hurt, you know.” Selina fixed her cousin with a withering look, and answered, “As a matter of fact, there was an important meeting which required my presence before I was allowed to go about my own business. I may be only a relatively junior functionary of the company, but there are certain appearances to be kept up. Now, if we’re going to trade shots about each other’s wardrobe choices, I can at least claim I’m not desperately trying to make up for the fact that I stopped growing when I was a Fifth Year.” Fianna replied sharply with, “Hey! That’s no way to treat your little sister,” before reaching down self-consciously to adjust one of the straps around her ankles, as she was always concerned she might stumble and fall while wearing these shoes. “Well, maybe you have a point,” she grumbled under her breath, as her height was always a sore point for her.
“Hmmmm, quod erat demonstratum, Fi,” the Ravenclaw alum responded primly, as she settled back in her seat, the steaming mug of rum-laced cocoa in her hands. Fianna waved to get the attention of a passing server, and asked her for a mug of beer. When she looked over at her elder sister, she said, “Mom and Da made no mention you were even in the country. Did you just get here?” Selina sipped at the contents of her mug, and nodded before answering, “Aye, an’ I’d have done dinner at old Angus’ place, but I knew you would be doing one of yer gigs here, an’ I thought it would be nice if’n we met up an’ went back to the house together.”
“You didn’t tell them you were coming home, did you, Lynn?” the fire-tressed witch asked almost rhetorically, as she already suspected she knew what the answer was already. Selina shrugged, and answered evenly, “As I wasn’t sure I’d even be here before this afternoon, I saw no reason to make promises to them I was unsure I could keep. Circumstances played in my favour, and here I am. Hopefully they won’t be too upset with my unexpected arrival.” Fianna gave her a smile, and told her insistently, as she laid her hand upon Selina’s arm, “They miss you, Lynn. You’re never home; you hardly send any posts, though on occasion you do send us gifts from wherever you happen to be working. They miss you, Hannah misses you, I miss you.”
“Thank you,” Selina said quietly, pausing as the waitress returned with a pint of Guinness for Fianna. The two of them raised their drinks in a toast, and Fianna added, “Lynn, you’re not a stranger; you’re one of us, you’ve always have been, an’ your home is with us. They won’t be upset, I promise you. So how long are you planning to stay?” Selina drew a deep breath and sipped carefully at the contents of the mug in her hands, before she answered thought fully, “I’ve accrued a bit of time off, so I can be around at least fer a little while. If nothing else, I wanted to see how things were going with Siobhan and the art gallery.” Fianna smiled, and she said, “Speaking of whom, she told me she was planning to be here tonight to watch the show. Would have thought she’d be here already. Hope nothing’s gone wrong.”
As Fianna was trying to look past a myriad of people and keep watch upon the front door of the bar, Selina was sitting back in her seat, relaxed and comfortable, and she said softly, “I’m sure she’s fine, Fi. She was likely just delayed. Happens to the best of us, you know.” Glancing in the direction of the stage, she saw the other members of the band were already gathering, and Selina added, “And, unless I’m sorely mistaken, the rest of your compatriots are getting ready for the next set.”
Looking up toward the stage, Fianna saw her boyfriend, Liam, waving in her direction to get her attention. She smiled, as she got up from the table, and started toward the stage, her concerns for her sister’s absence displaced from her thoughts, if only for a bit.
Not long after Fianna got back on the stage, the band began another set, and Selina started watching and listening to the performance. As she was seated there, the waitress returned with a glass containing a generous tot of rum, which the auburn-haired Cursebreaker poured into her cocoa after quietly thanking her. With a long, slow sip of her drink, she felt a bit more relaxed, more able to set aside the cares which always seemed to hang over. It gladdened her heart seeing Fianna with a boyfriend, as they were up on stage playing a song together.
“There you are; should have guessed you were here already,” she heard a familiar voice say. Selina shifted her attention away from the stage, and saw her younger cousin was there at the table. Siobhan, or ‘Hannah’ as she styled herself, was still tall and willowy, looking much the way she had when she graduated from Hogwarts a decade previously, especially as she wore her nearly waist-length indigo hair long and loose. Wearing a pair of faded jeans and a sweatshirt, Hannah blended in with the rest of the pub-crawlers there, much better than Selina did.
Selina fished out her pocket watch, glanced at it peevishly, before snapping the case shut and slipping back into her vest pocket. “I got here not so long ago myself. Had you been somewhat more timely, you’d have been here by yourself,” she admitted. Hannah drew deep breath, sighed, and said, “We would have gotten in earlier, but I needed to be sure Linsey was all settled in before the babysitter arrived.” Hannah leaned in and hugged her cousin; it’d been a while since she saw her last, as Selina departed again not long after Linsey was born and visited briefly to see Canaan off to school for the first time. Since then, the occasional post or package was the only contact she’d had with her ‘older sister’. The willowy Hufflepuff alum stepped back to get a good look at Selina, noted her rather somber outfit, and commented, “Oh, Lynn, dear. Did somebody die?”
“There was a meeting, Siobhan,” answered the Ravenclaw alum, with a dignified sniff. “Important Gringotts business, more to the point, which required my presence for much of the day. One must maintain certain appearances after all.” Hannah chuckled, and commented, “Ah, yes, the company, praise be to the Company. You’ve punched out for the day, right, Lynn? I’m pretty sure its okay for you to at least loosen the tie.”
While Hannah teased her, Selina became aware that Conall was there as well, whom leaned in to give her a friendly hug. Though she was always a bit reserved and disinclined to give or accept such invasive greetings, Selina was gracious enough to let him hug her, after all he was family now. Conall hailed from a family, the Cavendish, whom were allied with the Greys, and had been for many generations. It wasn’t the first time over the long centuries the two families mingled blood, and Conall was a good match for Siobhan. Tall and handsome, with neat, dark brown hair and a trimmed beard and moustache, and a congenial personality, he seemed a perfect choice of life companion for her ‘middle sister’, the two having met after the Bannister brothers all vanished from their lives, courtesy of Mother Grey, whom seemed to have a gift for making such matches.
“It’s good seeing you again, Conall,” Selina said softly. Conall answered her with, “You’re certainly welcome to visit us, ye know, Lynn. Yer nae a stranger.” Selina smiled and nodded politely. Hannah said, as she and her husband settled into the other unoccupied chairs at the table, “This is Lynn we’re speakin’ of. We can count ourselves fortunate if’n she happens to be sharin’ the Continent the same time as us. You best be seein’ Mum an’ Da an’ Mother Grey while you’re here, Lynn.” Selina nodded, and said reassuringly, “Of course, I will. I’m nae a stranger, as ye say. Jus’ so long as I dinna have Mother Grey thinkin’ ah need fattinin’ up.”
Hannah glanced toward her, and said, “Now you mention it, you are lookin’ a might thin. I’d ask if you were perhaps working too much, but I’m guessing our answers wouldnae be the same.” As they talked, they heard Fianna singing another song on stage. It was another Sundays cover, ’Summertime’, which was one of their hits. Hannah smiled as she heard her sister singing, and she commented, “She’s gotten a lot more comfortable hitting those high notes. Liam’s really been encouraging her to sing more.” Selina nodded in agreement with Hannah’s assessment.
Conall had waved down the waitress again, made a gesture, and when she returned, she was putting pints of Guinness on the table for him and Hannah, a fresh drink for when Fianna got back, and another shot of rum for Selina. The Cursebreaker absentmindedly dumped the shot into her cocoa, then raised her mug in toast when Hannah and Conall did the same. Conall glanced down and realized there were now two empty shot glasses on the table, and he commented to Selina, “That’s not the first shot you’ve had in that, is it?” Selina shrugged, and replied silkily, “Nae is it likely tae be the last. I’m allowed, ye know. I’m officially between projects, an’ I’ve punched out fer the day, an ye willnae be seein’ me loosen the tie.”
Selina took a sip of her cocoa, and pulled a face when she realized it was a bit stronger than what she’d wanted. As a rule, she never touched alcohol, at least not when she was working on a project, and never when there was a chance that a lack of focus on her part could have dangerous consequences. This was a treat, nothing more, though she was of the mind to have the waitress fetch for her another cocoa to dilute the strength of her drink. It was one thing to have the chance to unwind, quite another to be inebriated in public. ‘Another cocoa, and perhaps a bite to eat,’ she thought.
After a little bit, they saw Liam step away from where he was standing, and in his place was another, much younger guy. The young man, a teenager, really, glanced over at Fianna, whom gave him a nod and a smile before he started playing his acoustic guitar. As she was watching things on the stage, it took Selina a moment to recognize the old guitar as the one her mother owned so long ago, the one Fianna took to school and then she passed it down to…
Fianna started singing another song, one she introduced as ‘Folk Song’, and Selina found herself tearing up as she heard it. The song was lovely, and Fianna’s voice was a treat, but it was hearing her mother’s old guitar being played once more which stirred in her a level of homesickness that lanced through her soul. When the song was done, Fianna passed her electric guitar off to the young man with the neatly brushed reddish hair, before stepping off the stage. Hannah clapped and shouted, “All right, Canaan!”
Selina blinked away tears, hoping nobody noticed she’d been crying, and asked incredulously, “Bloody hell, is that Canaan? When did he…” Hannah laughed, and said teasingly, “They do thot, ye knew, Lynn. Get bigger as they get older, kids do. If you’d been around you wouldn’t have such trouble recognisin’ yer own kin-folk.” Fianna got back to the table and she hugged her sister and her husband before returning to the seat she’d vacated previously. Nodding toward the stage, where Canaan was starting to play, the red-haired Gryffindor alum commented, “He’s actually getting better. Ooooh, listen to this. I’ve heard him practicing this at the house lately.”
Canaan started playing a song with definite blues sensibilities, and a real change-up from what he’d been playing with Fianna, and he was singing an old song by Robert Cray, ‘Smokin’ Gun’. It was obvious by the smile on his face he was having fun as he was playing and singing, and the crowd was appreciating what he was doing.
Fianna commented, “His singing is really coming along too, at least as long as his voice doesn’t start cracking.” Conall looked toward the young man on the stage, and added, “Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Better sooner, though.” Glancing over at Selina, whom had both hands wrapped about her mug, he asked, “Ye just got here. Ye have someplace to crash yet?”
Selina shook her head. Her cottage was still being remodeled, and so was still an unfit place to sleep in, and would be for a bit longer to come. While she could go to her aunt and uncle’s townhouse, or Mother Grey’s cottage, she didn’t want to arrive this late in the evening and be an imposition. Selina figured she’d find somewhere in Dublin to spend the night before appearing on their doorstep in the morning. Conall suddenly told her, “You’ll stay with us, Lynn. Right, dear?”
Hannah nodded her head, and said encouragingly, “Oh, yes, of course. Please say ‘yes’, Lynn. We’d love to have you stay with us. Linsey will be thrilled to see you again.” Selina was pretty sure the little tyke was an infant the last she saw Hannah’s daughter, and she doubted she would even remember her, but she took the invitation for what it was. “You’ll have two big wolfhounds on yer doorstep at dawn,” Selina warned. “Sure you have enough room for them to be wandering about? Lugh and CuCuchlainn are hardly puppies, ye know.” Hannah smiled, and replied, “They’ll be fine, Lynn. You’re not imposing on us. We’re family, and so are you.”
As visions of a warm bed and friendly environs filled her thoughts, Selina nodded her head, and she said softly, “It’s time for me to come home.”
 Turn your magic on, to me she'd say
"Everything you wants a dream away
We are legends, every day"
That's what she told me
Turn your magic on, to me she'd say
"Everything you wants a dream away
Under this pressure, under this weight
We are diamonds"
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