Marcus Ian Flint (steelandflint) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-06-30 09:27:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: ginny weasley, character: lucas flint, character: marcus flint |
WHO: Ginny Weasley, and Marcus & Lucas Flint
WHEN: Wednesday 8 June 2002, around 6:30 AM
WHERE: Marcus' Flat
WHAT: Officially meeting the girlfriend
RATING: TBD
STATUS: Completed in Docs
Yawning widely, her jaw creaking a little from it in her imagination, Ginny padded down the hall in one of Marcus' shirts and a pair of her socks that she'd left in one of his drawers. She had coffee on the mind, quickly followed by 'shower' then 'practice'. People were starting to feel better, and the non-National Team Harpies players had a pickup game that started at nine.
She didn't make it as far as the kitchen, though. She glanced into the living room and spotted a corgi on the couch. As if she'd just had six cups of coffee or very strong tea, Ginny was wide awake, and she moved slowly to the couch. She sat next to the dog, resting her hand by its nose so that she could pet it without being bitten. If it hadn't been sleeping, she would have gathered it up on her lap for a cuddle. "Hi puppy," she whispered, scratching between its ears. "Look at your ears. Oh, you're just the cutest."
--
Lucas wasn’t really sleeping. Dozing maybe, but not sleeping. HIs vardo had been too quiet and he wasn’t about to impose on Pippa again. Since Marcus and Terence were in the same flat, he felt like it was a two for one deal. He let himself into the flat, not bothered by the early hour or the fact that he didn’t have an invitation. If Marcus didn’t want him here, Lucas would know.
He flopped down on the couch, leaning back and stretching. Lucas let his back pop, sighing happily. Since he knew it annoyed his brother, Lucas transformed into a dog, circling a bit before settling. It wasn’t long before he was interrupted by Ginny sitting next to him.
Ears perking up, Lucas opened his eyes. Immediately he began to shove his head underneath her scratching fingers, letting out a soft wuffing sound as she found the PERFECT spot. His tail began to wag, slowly gaining speed until his whole back end was wiggling. There was no doubt that he was a friendly pup.
--
When the dog woke up and was obviously happy to have her attention, Ginny picked it up and repositioned herself so she was sitting cross-legged on the couch with the corgi in her lap. She squidged him the way she did her cat, all over his body, but especially behind and between the ears. She cannot be held responsible for the noises that came out of her while she did. Quiet ners and 'ears' spoken in a baby voice. She wasn't always a dog person, but when they let her pay them attention, she couldn't help herself.
"You're a good dog. Yes you are. You are." She gasped, fingers pausing on the back of his neck. "No collar no name. I'm going to call you.." She regarded the puppy seriously for a minute. "King Yancy Llewellyn Esquire. Kyle for short. Not because you're short. You're just the right size for a lap dog."
--
Despite Ginny’s less than superb choice in names, Lucas wasn’t going to reject the affection. Flopping bonelessly down on her lap, he looked up at her adoringly as she cuddled him. He knew he was quite adorable in this particular form and he would milk it for all he was worth.
Lucas shoved his snout under her hand as he tried to get her to scratch his ears again. That was really nice.
--
Marcus reached over in bed and felt a cooler spot. Which meant his girlfriend had gone wandering in the flat. Without opening his eyes he took a few deep breathes and did not smell coffee or the scent of food. Which meant she was out of bed and there was no food or caffiene on it’s way. He opened his eyes and stretched - his back and shoulders popping a bit louder than they had at the beginning of the season.
Throwing off the covers, he swung his legs over and stood up, bare chested and in a pair of old Falcons work out shorts, his hair pulled back into a low ponytail. He tucked some strands behind his ears as he headed out into the rest of the flat.
“Ginny....if you are hoarding my coffee because I ate your cookie last night at the restaurant….babe I hate to tell you this - but I will use ALL the hot water on my shower all by myself..”
~~
"Ate my cookies and didn't tell me you got a new puppy," she called back, letting her voice carry just enough to reach his ears but not wake up Higgs if he was home. "It would serve you right if I was hoarding the coffee. And the bacon." She snuggled the dog in her lap. "You'd like bacon, wouldn't you? I will share with you becuase you are cute, and he is rude and crabby in the morning."
Ginny lifted her head, smiling broadly when Marcus came into the room. "I've named him Kyle. If you're nice to me, I'll tell you what it stands for."
--
“A new puppy? What the fucking hell did Higgs bring home this time?” Marcus muttered, rubbing his hand over his face and turning to head towards her voice, “And I didn’t get new puppies, it’s more than likely another stray that Higgs picked up or followed him home or something. I have Fi. No more or less.”
He paused halfway to the couch, “Remind me that I have a grooming appointment for her later today….Actually - could you take her? I just realized I have National Team stuff today and she needs to go in. And you love her…..”
His voice trailed off and he raised a brow as he saw the dog in question, “And just where did you find this mutt Gingersnap?”
~~
Ginny rolled her eyes at Marcus' grump act. "I can take her. I have to take Bob in for a checkup. Two birds, one stone, et cetera." She smiled up at Marcus, admiring his bare chest. "You're lucky I like you, or I'd be demanding something nice for secretary's day."
Pulling Kyle closer to her chest, she gave Marcus a very affronted look. "He is not a mutt! He is a wonderful example of corgi, with his ears and short legs. The Queen herself would be happy to have a corgi like him." She made the dog look at her and nodded decidedly. "Yes. He is a very royal dog, and not a mutt at all."
Making her eyes big, she pouted at Marcus. "Take it back."
--
If Lucas were human at that moment he would have been smirking, smug and self-satisfied. Snuggling up against Ginny so she would continue to pet him, Lucas gave a yip of agreement. He certainly was NOT a mutt. His animagus form might have been a mix breed of some sort, but not a mutt.
Standing up, Lucas licked Ginny’s face, carefully avoiding her mouth. There were some lines he wasn't about to cross, especially when he could smell Marcus all over her…. Which he really didn't want to think about.
--
Marcus stood behind the couch, arms crossed over his chest and a brow raised at ‘Kyle’. A grin tugged on his lips, “That doesn’t answer my question though - where did this curious specimen of a dog found? Did he have his furry arse on my couch.” he moved closer and gave ‘Kyle’ a look.
“And I will not take it back. Because…..” Marcus shook his head and kissed the top of Ginny’s head, “I need coffee….and bacon….and eggs. Possibly breakfast burrito’s. How does that sound for this morning. And the dog gets kibble. I am not feeding the dog a breakfast burrito’s.”
~~
"It is the most comfortable spot in this room," she said, defensively. "It's not like he could have climbed into Fi's bed. She wouldn't have allowed it." Ginny smiled up at Marcus, grabbing his arm before he could walk off, and pulling him down to kiss her properly.
After a moment, she pushed him towards the kitchen and put the dog on the floor. "If we appease him, I bet we can get him to give you some bacon," she stage whispered. She had no qualms about talking to animals like they actually understood her. She was sure her cat could, even when he pretended not to. Standing, Ginny followed Marcus into the kitchen. "A little bacon with his kibble wouldn't hurt. The grease is actually good for his coat." She planted herself in a corner of the counter, out of the way but close enough to 'supervise' Marcus in making breakfast.
--
Lucas pretended to not know what Marcus was talking about at all. He was having way too much fun at this, especially since his brother seemed to be inclined on playing along. Of course, there was the whole issue of food, because he was not eating kibble thank you very much, but Lucas was well practiced in the art of literal puppy eyes. He could probably beg just enough to fill his smaller puppy belly.
Trotting behind the pair, the animagus ignored the most obvious displays of affection, which was relatively easy to do from his current vantage point. He stationed himself by the table and chairs, far out of the way from oblivious feet. He’d been stepped on and tripped over before. Never again.
As soon as the scent of frying bacon hit his sensitive nose, Lucas began to feel a longing for actual food. Breakfast burritos sounded awfully good. He could see if he could out wait his brother, but knowing Marcus the Slytherin WOULD serve him kibble, smirk plain on his face, and Lucas didn’t want to start out the day in a foul temper. Plus, he wanted to mock his brother’s stupid little ponytail.
Moving slightly away from the table so he wouldn't accidentally hit his head, but not so far that he would accidentally be stepped on, Lucas readied himself to transform back into a human. He already had an apology ready for tricking Ginny, though it wasn't so much an apology as it was blaming Marcus for not bragging about him. Only nothing happened. He remained on all fours, covered in fur, and looking up at the world. Lucas let out a little bark in the hopes of getting his brother's attention. This wasn't supposed to happen.
--
Marcus looked down at Lucas and raised a brow at him, making a face to tease him. He was having a bit of fun at his brother’s expense. And he knew that he was. He could only imagine what Lucas was plotting to do to him in revenge for drawing this out. But he also could see the look on his face as the smell of bacon filled the air. Taking pity on the puppy in on the floor next to him - Marcus sighed and shook his head.
“You know I don’t feed you bacon like that bratling. So if you want a burrito - I would suggest pulling yourself together a bit. I might even make breakfast smoothies if you do. And add the breakfast sausage into the mix.” He gave the ‘puppy’ a look, “And you couldn’t have cheese with that face either - I don’t give you dairy all furry.”
~~
Ginny looked between Marcus and the dog, confused when how he spoke to it changed. "I feel like I've missed something," she said, crossing her arms and staring at her boyfriend. "This isn't a new dog?"
~~
Marcus chuckled, “It depends on your definition of ‘new’. It’s new for him to be here like this….when he wants something. Like bacon.” He looked at Lucas and raised a brow, “I mean it - I am not feeding you like that. Unless it’s kibble or a rawhide chew toy.”
He kissed her cheek and poured Ginny a cup of coffee, “And it’s new for him to smell bacon this long and still have that look on his face.”
~~
Well that was the point wasn’t it? Lucas was trying to turn back, but couldn’t. He gave another short bark before scurrying across the floor to wrap his jaw around Marcus’ ankle. The bite wasn’t hard, just enough pressure to let the man know he was there and that something was wrong.
Shuffling backwards, Lucas barked for a third time. Maybe now they would start to understand something was seriously wrong.
--
Ginny frowned between Marcus and the dog, slow to grasp what he was talking about. It was like the dog wasn't always a… Realization dawned on her face, her mouth and eyes making big O's. "Animagus," she asked, pointing at the dog as he hurried up to Marcus.
Her frown deepened, and she stopped worrying about the fact that she was barely wearing anything. Quickly, she knelt next to Kyle and touched his head gently. "Something's wrong with him. I don't think he just wants bacon."
--
Yes, Ginny got it. Lucas barked, then immediately regretted the decision. Clearly barking wasn’t exactly illustrating the severity of the situation. Still, his brother’s girlfriend deserved a gold star for getting the answer (or at least the partial answer) at this point. Clearly Marcus wasn’t going to be much help unless Lucas spelled it out for him. That might be difficult without hands or vocal cords, but he was creative.
His tail thwapped against the floor when Ginny figured out that he was an animagus. He was clearly human, but couldn’t turn back into human and that was the problem. But he did want bacon too. That was important.
--
“Yes, he is an animagus. And he normally doesn’t stay in this form for so long - especially when there is bacon involved.” he got down on his knee and looked at Lucas for a moment and sighed, “You would have to get stuck in a situation where I can’t immediately help you solve it? For the love of Salazar…..” He reached up and grabbed a piece of the cooked bacon and held it out to his brother, “Here, eat this and let me owl someone.”
He looked at Ginny and kissed her forehead, “Give me a minute, keep him company and no more bacon for him for now.”
~~
Ginny sat on the floor in the middle of the kitchen and gathered the puppy onto her lap, hugging him gently. She had several questions she wanted to ask, one being exactly who was in the dog form, though she could sort of suss that one out for herself based on how Marcus was reacting. He only really ever got that protective with her and his siblings.
"He'll figure it out," she said quietly, resting her cheek on the puppy's head as Marcus left the kitchen. "He's good at figuring things out."
--
Delicately, as to not accidentally catch his brother’s fingers, Lucas took the strip of bacon. He let Ginny manhandle (doghandle?) him into her lap. He was maybe a bit more worried than he initially considered, but having some sort of panic attack did nobody any good. Most of all him.
Lucas wanted to retort that of course Marcus was good at figuring things out. He had known his brother his whole life and was well aware of the fact. It wasn't his fault it took people a lot longer to cotton onto the fact. But that might have been the anxiety he was not experiencing talking.
--
Marcus came back into the kitchen, flipping through his address book, and pouring himself a cup of coffee as he went through the book, “You know what would be great - if the next time you are human you make me a damn list of who to contact for you when you get like this. Or when there are complications….”
He reached and fed his brother another piece of bacon, turning down the burners on the rest of the pans grumbling about puppies and problems and owls. He ran a free hand through his hair, he went to start sending out a few owls. Then kneeling down he ruffled his fur.
“We’ll get this sorted alright? I promise. Once the Healer sends me the charm to get you back to yourself. Your less furry self.”
~~
If Marcus hadn't been offering bacon when he said it, Lucas would have snapped at him, literally. Who gave a shite about biting the hand that feeds you? It's not like he PLANNED to suddenly not be able to transform back into a human. Was there docketed cases of this, he wondered. Animaguses who just forgot how to transform and were left as animals until someone figured it out? The opposite was also just as horrifying. Forgetting how to transform into your animagus form would be terrible. Not only was it a waste of hard work, but for Lucas it would mean never getting to experience the animal viewpoint ever again.
Thankfully they did not have to wait terribly long for the healer’s owl to come through. Lucas extricated himself from Ginny’s lap, mostly because he didn't want to crush her and maybe a little bit because that was his brother’s girlfriend and that was just plain awkward. As Marcus did the spell, Lucas found himself staring up at the kitchen ceiling, flat on his back.
Wiggling all his fingers and toes to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be and there were no lingering side effects, the teenager coughed and then looked at Marcus. “Do you know how dumb you look with that manbun?”
--
Ginny watched the magic, intrigued. She'd only ever seen the transformation happen at school, and never this close and personal. There was less popping than she expected. Everything just seemed to happen smoothly. She snorted, amused by the first words out of Lucas' mouth. "If we ever meet again, and you're a corgi, I'm calling you Kyle," she said, leaving little room for argument.
Standing, she was suddenly very aware of her bare legs. "I'm going to go steal some of your pyjama bottoms," she told Marcus before scurrying off. She would take her time to give the brothers a chance to talk.
--
Marcus watched her scurry off, and sighed, “Really? One of my days off from training….” He looked down at Lucas, “Get your arse up and get the plates out. And wash up.” he nudged his brother’s shoulder, “And manbun? I am cooking here brat. I have to keep the hair pulled back.”
He moved back towards the stove, “And play nice with Ginny hmmm? I wouldn’t mind this one sticking around. And I like Kyle - I think it might just suit you better than Lucas.” He grinned at the younger man, “Also, since you didn’t bite me - or take advantage of Ginny snuggling you like that - I will even make you a breakfast smoothie. And possibly send you home with extra food. Because I am generous like that.”
~~
First Lucas pushed himself into a seated position before standing upright fully, cracking his back as he did so. “First of all, i’m always nice. Second of all, it still looks stupid.” He returned his brother’s grin as he went to go wash his hands. “Third, I am pretty sure she was wearing your shirt. So that’s new.”
Cackling to himself, Lucas vowed to not mock his brother. Too much, anyway.