|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 1, 2009 12:04:00 GMT -5
Leaning back and balancing carefully on the back legs of his chair, Zephyr glanced absently around at his surroundings. Visiting the Leaky Cauldron during off-hours usually meant less knowing looks or questioning stares, and so he was able to sate his thirst for firewhisky and butterbeer without much disturbance. On his second mug of the latter, he put the chair back down on all four legs and leaned forward to snatch the mug up from the table. Eyeing the foaming golden liquid inside, he downed the rest of it and set the mug back down, then leaned forward and folded his arms to rest them on the rough wood of the table.
In no hurry for once - with no errands to run and a day off from both of his jobs - he contented himself with closing his eyes and listening to the low murmurs of sound from the few others in the pub. He wasn't exactly listening in on conversations, but just trying to tune everything else out to quiet a roaming mind.
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 3, 2009 20:41:49 GMT -5
Twila looked around for the nearest table, and found few to her liking. She still wasn't comfortable around people, not really, and so it took her a moment to find a seat that was somewhat secluded. Her seat was in the corner, her only company a twenty-something year old in the table next to hers. That was fine- she didn't know him, and he wouldn't know her. Freaking perfect.
She leaned back against her chair, closing her violet eyes. She felt so tired, so completely drained. All she wanted was to sleep for years, but that was near impossible. Stupid Alexander. Stupid death eaters. Better yet, stupid Twila. It was her own fault she was in this mess.
Twila let out a small sigh, wishing she had had enough sense to buy a mug of tea before she had found her chair. Oh well.
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 3, 2009 20:52:49 GMT -5
Aware of the sound of movement close by, Zephyr reluctantly opened his eyes to see that the table in the corner was now occupied by a lone woman. Unable to make any connections or even the slightest recognition, he chose not to offer any greeting - yet. She seemed the type to want to avoid notice just then, so he would oblige. Still thirsty all the same, he waited as one of the waitresses came by to get the empty mugs he'd stacked up so far, then ordered a firewhiskey. He had money, so he was going to indulge for once.
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 3, 2009 21:02:04 GMT -5
Twila jumped slightly when the waitress came to her table, and she stared at her for a long moment before ordering a tea. The woman wrote it down and Twila dug her hand in her robe pockets, pulling out a small handful of knuts and sickles. She didn't have access to the family money. In fact, what little she had today was stolen from Marcel's dresser. Some mother she was.
Twila looked around, her violet eyes landing on the boy in the next table. She vaguely wondered how she appeared to him- poor? Desperate? She hoped not. Sure, she had fallen from grace, but she didn't want to seem destitute. Twila still had her pride.
The waitress brought Twila her tea and she sipped it, completely fascinated by the stranger next to her. He could be someone completely amazing, or he could be someone that worked in the ministry. The only reason he was so fascinating was because Twila didn't know him, and he didn't seem to know her. It had been a long time since Twila had seen anyone that she didn't know.
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 3, 2009 21:15:35 GMT -5
Deciding this time around to pay for his round of drinks, Zephyr had the two galleons and remaining sickles and few knuts ready when the next mug was set down. Handing them over to the waitress, he chose not to acknowledge how she stared at him - oh, that was something he hated, especially since he was under the impression she knew something about him that shouldn't have been public knowledge.
Attention on the firewhiskey, he downed a fair measure of the strong drink, setting the mug down again. With a bit of a clearer head - almost an oxymoron with the slight buzz he operated under - he finally decided to break the rather awkward silence in that corner. "Afternoon." Granted, it wasn't much, but at least if he was ignored, it wouldn't be all that embarassing.
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 3, 2009 21:24:39 GMT -5
Twila blinked when he addressed her, and it took a moment for her to nod. "Afternoon." She replied quietly, her voice seeming uncertain, as if she didn't use it often. Twila's confidence that she had carried with such ease in school had been erased, and she seemed completely lost.
She didn't seem to know what to say to him, she she played with the string on her tea bag, frowning. She wanted to move to his table, to talk to him, to find out everything about the first person she had met since being allowed to leave the Landry Manor. However, she remembered enough of her social graces to know that that would probably frighten the poor boy. "I... I'm sorry." She said quietly, twisting her lips in an unpleasent expression. Since when did Twila LaCroix apologize for anything?
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 3, 2009 21:52:14 GMT -5
Now understandably confused, Zephyr shifted in his seat slightly - uncomfortably. There had been nothing to warrant an apology from this woman, especially as he was the one seeming to disturb her. "Sorry for..what, if I may ask?" He felt incredibly stupid for asking, but felt the need - and actually was wondering if he'd missed some point or comment somewhere.
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 3, 2009 21:57:03 GMT -5
Twila took a deep breath, shaking her head. "For staring. It makes people uncomfortable." Her tone was hollow, as if she was reciting from a manners booklet. Frankly, she looked a little dazed. She took another sip of her tea, finally getting up and facing the door as if she was going to leave for a moment, but curiousity got the better of her.
"May I join you?" She finally asked, turning to look at him again. Without her makeup and smug attitude, Twila looked deceptively young, and her indecision made her look more so. However, her eyes held a certain weariness that no truely young person could understand. "It's been a very, very long time since I've had human companionship."
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 3, 2009 22:09:31 GMT -5
"I'm used to it, don't worry about it." Zephyr smiled a bit, even if it had a slightly bitter edge to it. He let that pass, though, and got up out of his current seat to move aside and make room. "Of course..I wouldn't mind company." It wasn't something he expected, true, but when an opportunity came..he took it. It wasn't often that someone wouldn't ignore him just for existing.
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 3, 2009 22:14:47 GMT -5
Twila moved to sit next to the younger man, still clutching her teacup in what was damn near a deathgrip. She tilted her head forward slightly, her jet hair making a curtain to shield herself from everyone else. "Tell me about yourself." She said firmly, more of a demand than a request, but her voice was barely above a whisper. She seemed almost scared to talk to him, but she recieved an odd thrill at bossing someone around. It had been a very long time since she had done that... school, in fact. Wow, that felt like forever ago. Another lifetime, even.
"Anything. Hobbies, hatreds, color schemes... just... something. I want to hear someone talk." Her voice was gentler this time, and she dared to look up at him. He wasn't Alexander, no, and that was enough to make her nearly intoxicated on her good fortune. He could tell her he was a muggle and she didn't think she'd care at that particular moment. Anything to hear someone just talk, to just be normal.
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 3, 2009 22:24:41 GMT -5
A bit bemused at being ordered around now, Zephyr started looking at the situation different, trying to see what he was getting into. One never knew what they could get when talking to a stranger. This woman looked young, but had the air and attitude of someone much older. She acted as if she was used to giving orders and having them followed, and that was where he was currently hung up. Having someone to talk to was still a plus to what he'd been doing before, so he chose to stifle his reservations and obliged the request.
Well..my name's Zephyr Carlisle, I don't know what my parents were thinking when they named me..I'm twenty-three, reading and writing are my basic hobbies, currently working two part-time jobs and I like to drink a little more firewhiskey than I should." Feeling a bit awkward after saying all that, he cleared his throat and hesitated in speaking again.
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 4, 2009 21:54:15 GMT -5
Twila listened intently, taking in everything. I could have had this... this boy's life. It all went wrong with Aquila and her promises... and Caddie sealed it. Alexander was just the final nail in the coffin. This boy was sweet, and Twila resisted the urge to warn him from following her path- it only lead to pain too great to deal with.
"What about your family? Pets? Girlfriends?" Twila prodded, her voice almost soothing, deceptive in how it provided comfort to those who heard it. She had learned Alexander's tricks well- she could charm anyone into poisoning their best friend, if she wanted. She didn't offer a name or any information about herself- if he asked, she would deal with it then. Until then, the less volunteered, the better.
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 4, 2009 22:06:11 GMT -5
For all the warnings that might normally have been going up in his head, feelings of something a little..off about this conversation, Zephyr was experiencing none of that at that moment. Or at least he wasn't acknowledging it. Being able to talk without any odd looks, stares or any of it that usually went with people recognizing him for who - and what - he was, was a bit..intoxicating. Firewhiskey hadn't helped much either, even if he still had a clear mind.
"I haven't had a girlfriend for quite some time, that's..out of the question. My parents are long dead, but I have an older sister. She has kids, so I've got two nieces and nephews." Able to realize at this point how much he'd actually given away about himself, he stopped and cleared his throat again. "I'm sorry if this seems rude, but I've..never had someone ask this much about me. Is there a..reason for this?"
|
|
|
Post by Twila Kaitryn LaCroix (Landry) on Sept 4, 2009 22:14:12 GMT -5
"Why is it out of the question?" Twila asked, taking a sip of her tea and looking at him over the rim of her cup. Her wide eyed expression would decieve most people into thinking she was dimwitted, but Twila's mind was going miles per minute, in about twenty different directions. It was almost enough to give her a headache.
"A reason? No, not really. I told you, I have not had human companionship in a long time." Twila paused. She certainly didn't see Alexander as human, and Marcel wasn't even a thought that crossed her mind. "I suppose..." She smiled wryly, "That you're my first 'friend' in many, many years. I simply wanted to get to know you."
|
|
|
Post by Zephyr Carlisle on Sept 4, 2009 22:21:27 GMT -5
Answering the first question would be just opening up a can of worms, and Zephyr still retained the sense to avoid it at all costs. "My situation right now isn't exactly stable." He explained, hoping that a slight hesitation on his part wouldn't speak of something else he wasn't adding. Regarding his half-empty mug, he glanced back up after a moment to regard his rather..strange companion. He couldn't put his finger on several things about her, but had no ambition about pursuing them.
Her explanation struck a strange chord somewhere in his head, but again, there was no ambition to try and figure out what it was about it. "Oh, I..see." The realization made him give a brief smile. "Since I've given more than enough information about myself, can I at least ask your name?"
|
|