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Tweak says, "shika, shika, bang bang!!!"

rizahuja (rizahuja) wrote in 20somethings,
@ 2022-03-02 10:11:00

Entry tags:

c: daani johal, c: rhys ahuja, d: 2028 03, ~ complete, Ω: rp

RP: Rhys Attempts to Clear the Air
Who: Rhys & Daani
What: A Lunch between Friends
When: 3/2/2022
Where: Victory Bar
Warnings: N/A
Completion Status: ~~Ongoing~~ Complete

Rhys stepped out of the fireplace at Victory Bar and dusted off his traveling cloak. "Table for two under Ahuja. Something private if possible." The young witch flashed a giddy smile at him. He didn't return it. Ever since Manny had told him what happened he'd been trying to find a way to talk to Daani about it. Their usual lithe translation visits were cut sort and quick. Daani's usual efficiency to the nth.

He followed the young witch up the stairs. He worried she was leading him to a room, thinking this was some midday tryst when she double back to a singular table that overlooked the main dining room.

"Most people don't even know that this table is up here. Mrs. Turpin likes to keep it that way." She placed the menus on the table and waited for him to sit. "Shall I inform your guest when they arrive?"

"That would be great." He forced a smile, feeling his stomach turn.

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princessdaani
2022-03-02 03:52 pm UTC (link)

Even though work was typically busy Daani had been enjoying herself for the most part. It was hard work, and always had been, but there were enough changes of pace to keep her engaged. Even if she'd had a bit of a disagreement with her boss about the saree she'd worn yesterday. Today's light grey robes were something he absolutely couldn't complain about, even if there was a little twitch in his cheek that suggested he absolutely wanted to.

As mildly awkward as her conversations with Rhys were sometimes she still liked him as both a colleague and a friendly face. She was looking forward to lunch with him. She didn't know what had prompted the request, but it should be a nice change of pace.

When she arrived, having Apparated into Diagon Alley a few minutes before with just enough time to pick up a couple of potions supplies she tucked into her bag. She swept into V-bar in a flurry of breeze and shades of grey, easily un-wrapping her cloak. "Hi, I'm meeting someone," she said with a smile to the young woman who greeted her. "Under Ahuja, I believe."

She was surprised to be led upstairs, the sound of her feet tapping somewhat sharply on the stairs. A mild sense of foreboding entered her stomach and she frowned briefly, but smoothed her face back into a smile as she saw Rhys seated at a table.

"Well fancy seeing you here," she said lightly, and took her seat gracefully and thanked the young woman who offered drinks. Asking for water with lemon and a pot of tea the woman was gone as soon as Rhys had also ordered.

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rizahuja
2022-03-02 04:43 pm UTC (link)

"It's good to see you, Daani." He gave her a quick hug. "You look better than anyone else that works at the ministry." Looking down at his tweed suit. "I could probably use some pointers. I think Binns might've had a suit like this when he was alive." She seemed to be in good spirits, it wasn't often that she spouted cheeky remarks in his direction. That's a good sign. He hoped at least.

"Could you bring one more cup?" He asked the server before she left. "I think I might join you in some tea today." He had already had his espresso earlier that morning that something easier seemed appropriate.

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princessdaani
2022-03-02 05:08 pm UTC (link)

She couldn't help but chuckle at his comment. "Thank you kindly. I do try. I may also be trying to irritate my boss after yesterday's comments about my saree being too bright and having too much of a pattern," she said with a smirk. "There's not much he can complain about with plain grey robes, even if I'm sure he wanted to."

"How's the overwhelming mountain of World Cup prep looking to you? Getting closer?" she asked. The biggest bulk of the work she anticipated hadn't hit yet, but she had certainly seen some spurts and starts of the uptick as the months progressed.

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rizahuja
2022-03-02 05:58 pm UTC (link)

Rhys knew the head of the translator’s office. He was an unhappy man who made it his mission to spread that unhappiness to all his workers. “Fight back is a good look on you. Being a fly on the wall during that interaction would’ve been entertaining.” He slid his suit coat off his shoulders as draped it over the chair back.

“It’s going. I’ve honestly felt a bit like a receptionist recently with all the correspondences coming in. They’re bring extra help in from MACUSA.” He snarled a bit. He had nothing against his American counterpart. They just didn’t see importance of proper security measures for big events. “I been told I should play nice when they arrive.”

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princessdaani
2022-03-02 10:12 pm UTC (link)

She gave a pleased smile. She didn't actually dislike her boss on a more global scale, but his peculiarities about how translators dressed regularly infuriated her and her personal sense of style. "I can't help but enjoy being just a little bit petty from time to time," she said. "And your suit is perfectly adequate," she said with a slight tilt of her eyebrow. It truly wasn't a bad suit, just not right up to date style-wise. "It's pretty much a classic, and I really don't mean that in a totally disparaging way," she reassured him.

"Well at least playing nice is a different thing to being nice," she said. In practical terms there was very little difference, but the ability to complain in private was definitely playing out in his favour. "At least I've not come under a paperwork mound just yet." His unspoken assessment of their American colleagues amused her though, it wasn't particularly a group of people she had to deal with. "I don't know the translation team as anything other than names on a list," she said. "But obviously we're not in the same position at all."

She glanced down at her menu, the vague idea of soup and something already in the back of her mind.

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rizahuja
2022-03-03 01:13 am UTC (link)

"It's appreciated." He'd been meaning to update he wardrobe, but it always fell to the bottom of his priority list. His clothes still work, even if he had used a mending charm on his jacket twice a month.

Her words made him smile, "An important distinction not everyone understands." There were glimmers here and there similarity between the two of them, he liked that. It made their conversations organic. He took a cue from her and looked down as his own menu. It was sometime difficult for him to find something to eat around London. His eyes fell on a Lentil Soup. "The Lentil looks good." He read the ingredients. Perfect, vegetable stock.

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princessdaani
2022-03-03 01:59 am UTC (link)

She looked at the lentil soup and pursed her lips slightly. "I doubt it's as spicy as I really want, but no meat is a plus," she said in consideration. She had looked at a couple of the salad options, but it was honestly a bit cold for salad as anything but a side dish unless it was specifically designed for winter. Anything breaded and fried was probably out unless it was marked vegan. She tapped a finger to her chin as she searched down all the vegetarian and vegan options on the menu before coming back to the soup. "But I still think I'll go with it, I really was in the mood for soup." She could add in extra pepper if she was lacking for flavour, not quite wanting to dig around and see if she'd got anything spicy in her handbag. She closed her menu, hoping to signal their waitress.

"People don't appreciate the need to make nice to get what you want, but not needing to let that bleed into actually liking people if they annoy you enough," she said and sighed. The increased friction in her relationship with Riz was yet another reason for regretting her breakup with Manny.

"You know I told you I'm hoping to go visit family after the Cup?" she prompted. "I now have three or four relatives fighting over who I stay with for how long and in what order," she said and rolled her eyes. "It would be a lot easier if I wasn't wanting to see people in Uttar Pradesh as well as Gujarat. I don't want to bounce back and forth between the two."

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rizahuja
2022-03-03 05:55 pm UTC (link)

"I wouldn't want to either. Any chance of compromise?" He thought it might be a long shot. At least his parents were local, the extended family was another animal. "It might be worth a shot."

Rhys felt his answers weren't exactly conversational. Daani was at least trying to make what little conversation she could. "Do mind if we talk about the something?" He waited for her to answer.

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princessdaani
2022-03-03 07:29 pm UTC (link)

She laughed slightly. "Oh I'm going to let them fight it out for a bit before I try and jump in again," she said. "Guide things a bit when tempers have calmed down some. As long as I end up with enough time to visit my grandparents and one chunk of time in each place I'm not too fussed, as long as they give me the time to organise all the travel." The paperwork to deal with the portkeys was the thing she was projecting to be the biggest problem in the long term if she could get past the arguments.

Trying not to sigh Daani could see the upcoming topic change for something less fun. She'd been trying to avoid it, because although she didn't know exactly what he was going to say she was sure it was going to shunt them back to awkward. She brought forth her most polished smile and drew up her spine slightly more. "Of course we can," she said.

Just then their waitress came back with their drinks and took their food order, which was ideal because it would give them something to fiddle with while they were talking.

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	rizahuja 2022-03-04 02:31 am UTC (link)
	Rhys thanked their server. He waited for Daani to pour her tea. “So Manny tried to fill me in, but to be honest I’d like to hear it from you. If you’re up for it that is. Either way I don't blame you. Just figured we’d clear the air.” (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

princessdaani
2022-03-04 05:16 pm UTC (link)

As much as she had somewhat suspected that this was the territory he'd been aiming for when he had invited her out she still somehow wasn't prepared for the question. She didn't quite know either what Manny had said - although she suspected he might have kept an amount of her privacy if he was still thinking with his clinical brain - or how long it had taken. It might have meant Rhys got a far more personal reaction than she had.

She searched Rhys' face, trying to find clues for what he might know or his feelings on the topic. As much as he said he didn't blame her those could just be words.

She sighed and distracted herself by pouring tea as she spoke, trying to quell the roiling in her stomach. "I don't know what or how much he told you, but I don't think I can go into too many details if I want to go back to work successfully." She pushed a cup towards him to complete and then poured her own. "Roughly how much detail do you think you got. And, umm, did you get actual reactions instead of his professional face?" she asked, unable to keep her eyes from him at the last question.

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rizahuja
2022-03-04 06:29 pm UTC (link)

Rhys tried remembering the day. "Actual Reactions." It had been difficult getting Manny's harrowed look out of his head. Nightmares weren't something anyone should have to contend with. "He looked bad. Well worse than a pediatric healer should." He'd leave out the nightmares. The situation was emotional enough.

"He told me you were pregnant and about the miscarriage." He could remember too many other details. He wondered if he should of waited to talk about this another time.

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princessdaani
2022-03-04 07:17 pm UTC (link)

She swallowed and nodded. "That's good at least. I only really got his professional face. Not that I probably deserved much more," she said with a self deprecating shrug. "Not that he looked bad, just that he was reacting like himself instead of a healer again." The fact she'd made him feel so bad ate at her stomach, but there wasn't much she was in a position to do about it now.

"That's...it isn't quite everything," she said slowly. "I hadn't told him about the pregnancy, and I decided by myself to end it before my body took over for me," she said, staring mostly at her tea. She couldn't look at him. "Then I couldn't find the words to tell him and it ate at me so much I decided the best thing was to break both of our hearts instead of lying," she said as dispassionately as possible. She tried valiantly not to think about her feelings on the topic because if she did she'd only end up crying or be unable to concentrate for the rest of the day. Still, talking about the heartbreak made her heart waver. She still felt that, some days more sharply than others.

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rizahuja
2022-03-04 08:11 pm UTC (link)

Rhys wanted to reach out and comfort her. It was a shitty situation and not one that gets made in a high stress situation. He felt like the reason they go along so well was that they were Manny's support structure through it all.

"I don't blame you." His voice was more assertive. "Given the position I might've done the same thing." They were both in the same space, dealing with the fallout. "This doesn't affect us. At work. Or as friends. I just wanted you to know that."

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princessdaani
2022-03-04 08:38 pm UTC (link)

She almost scoffed, but just about managed to keep it in. "I certainly blame me some of the time," she said casually and then drew in a breath when she saw Rhys truly wasn't here to berate her.

"Thanks for that, but it's okay if it does a little bit from time to time. I know it's not an easy situation." She didn't envy his position, stuck between the two of them and trying to maintain both relationships. It was bad enough that Rhys sometimes reminded her of Manny and that she'd known him longer. She was still punishing herself too much about it, she knew that. She'd talked about it enough in counselling. It was hard to unpack the thinking though.

"There are a lot of things I wish I'd done differently, but I can't change that now, so I just have to mend what fences I can." The split between distracting herself and living her life was definitely shifting towards more of a moving forward direction, but she definitely still wanted to move forward with Manny. No matter if it seemed unrealistic.

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rizahuja
2022-03-05 01:36 am UTC (link)

Riz smiled. "It's good to move forward. I'm sorry if this was pain to bring up again." He caught a glimpse of their server coming up the stairs. "If you need anything, let me know? Even if it's an extra cup of tea at work."

They had all been so close. Somehow he was the one the least affected. A mediator between the two, unbiased and able to let them express the things they couldn't express to each other. He thought about asking if she still cared about Manny, but something in her face told him that wasn't his place to ask. The window of his mediation had closed.

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