Tweak

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Tweak says, "Papa's got a brand new bag!"

raestothesky (raestothesky) wrote in 20somethings,
@ 2022-06-18 12:48:00

Entry tags:

c: jasper knottingley, c: rachel turpin-davies, d: 2028 06, ~ complete, Ω: rp

RP: Victory Bar - Post Quidditch Finals
Who: Rachel + Jasper
What: Second Year without a Cup Win
When: 6/18/2028
Where: Victory Bar
Warnings: Drinking, Possibly Bad Decision Making
Completion Status: ~~Ongoing~~ Complete

"Thanks." Rachel took a long pull off her new Porter. The Magpies had won the Cup again and the Falcons went home empty handed. She slid some money to the bartender for the day, "Keep Em coming?"

He nodded. "You should probably eat something too."

She scrunched her nose at his suggestion. She should, but food didn't even enter into the equation. She should have been playing today. The Harpies should have been playing. They were better than their last match and she was better than that.

"I'll think about food." She assured as the bartender slid her a menu.

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knottingley
2022-06-18 08:12 pm UTC (link)

Jasper wasn’t exactly ignoring the existence of his new baby brother, but he wasn’t enamoured with the small, pink little human who was a stark reminder that his dad was gone. He was happy for his mum and Hype in a sort of abstract way, but he had been smoking a lot more probably visited a lot less than any of the others - except Gavin who was probably singularly focused on the last Quidditch game of the season.

The end of the Quidditch season usually meant a good night out, though, and Jasper had headed to Victory Bar in search of… something? He wasn’t sure what.

As he waited to be served, he saw a menu being slid across the bar out of the corner of his eye. He glanced over and clocked Rachel looking like she was contemplating diving headfirst into her drink. “I hear the food is pretty good here,” he joked, knowing full well her family owned the place.

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raestothesky
2022-06-18 08:23 pm UTC (link)

Rachel absentmindedly slid the menu in the direction of the voice, unsure whether or not she would actually order something. "It's better than some of the other pubs." She turned around to see her housemate Jasper starting back at her, "But you know that already don't you, Knottingley. Fat Friar, it's been too long." She wrapped him up in a big hug before offering the seat next to her.

"What are you doing here?" It wasn't a surprise. Between Quidditch and his apprenticeship there was very little time for anyone to catch up and with the World Cup around the corner, she wouldn't be able to guest bartender this year like she usually did. He looked good, fitter than she remembered but then again when you spend all day working with your hands it doesn't leave much idle time.

She flagged down the bartender anticipating him to join her in a drink.

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knottingley
2022-06-19 06:11 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, it has." Jasper was physically affectionate by nature, giving Rachel a friendly squeeze when she hugged him.

He perched himself on the seat next to her, fingers immediately drawn to a beer mat which he began fiddling with. Today had been a fidgety sort of day. "Oh, just came out for a drink." The thought of Father’s Day tomorrow was leaving a bitter taste in his mouth and alcohol seemed like the perfect solution to wash that away. "I’m surprised you’re not somewhere more Quidditch-y tonight. Or less Quidditch-y?" The Harpies hadn’t made it to the final, something which was sure to sting. Victory Bar couldn’t be the ideal place to hang out on the day of the final when that loss was still so raw. "How are you doing?"

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raestothesky
2022-06-19 06:52 pm UTC (link)

Lisa had made Rachel a deal when she came into the bar. Regardless of whether she was the daughter of the owner, she would pay. It never bothered Rachel.

She could see the bartender looking at them, glancing out of his peripherals periodically to check on the other patrons. "Whatever he wants, put it on my tab." He nodded, checking the rest of the bar while they continued chatting.

"Didn't want Quidditch-y tonight." She tried not to show her annoyance on her face, but three or four beers in there was no stopping it. "If everything goes right then I'll get my fill of Quidditch this summer." She wondered why he might've needed a drink. She didn't quite know what his apprenticeship entailed but it couldn't be stressful enough for drinking. No, it had to be something else.

"Pissed. Annoyed. Felt like I should be on the pitch today."

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knottingley
2022-06-19 07:50 pm UTC (link)

Jasper ordered a beer and a shot, getting a sense that he should try to catch up with Rachel.

As he listened, Jasper flicked the edge of the beer mat with his thumbnail. Anyone who had spent any time at all around him in school knew that his hands were rarely idle. Fidgeting never meant that he wasn’t paying attention - if anything, it improved his concentration and a couple of the rings that he wore were almost solely for the purpose of keeping him busy.

He had always been more into music and plants than Quidditch, but he could understand the frustration. "Of course you do," he agreed readily. "You worked hard. You’re allowed to be pissed. I would be." It was a sentiment that he wished could apply to his family woes. But his dad wasn’t coming back to life and how could he really hold a grudge against a baby?

"Be pissed. Get pissed. Then start fresh on Monday." Perhaps that was advice he could use, even if it probably wasn’t very good.

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raestothesky
2022-06-19 08:36 pm UTC (link)

She ordered her own shot before the bartender disappeared again. "A bit of personal advice?" She gestured to the beer and shot sitting in front of him now. He seemed to be avoiding something.

Drinking angry and staying angry didn't sound like where she wanted to go. She'd been pissed for weeks. It hadn't helped. She needed a release.

She picked up her shot and slammed it. Alcohol would have to do for now.

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knottingley
2022-06-19 10:26 pm UTC (link)

"Eh, just got some family stuff going on at the moment." Jasper tried to wave it off, picking up the shot glass and downing it. It wasn't even family drama, which would have at least been a satisfying response to give, one that didn't invite further probing questions. "It doesn't matter."

He watched her warily as Rachel slammed back her shot. It had been a while since they'd spent any time together and even longer since he had seen such a hardened look in her cat-like eyes. Alright, then. Alcohol seemed to be the order of the night and that was just the distraction he needed too.

"You need a drinking partner tonight? Because I have nothing better to do."

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raestothesky
2022-06-19 10:50 pm UTC (link)

"Nothing matters tonight." She assured him the way she would if he was one of her patrons and she was his bartender.

Rachel laughed, "You're already drinking on my tab and you have a seat." He was so polite, she remembered that about him. "Didn't you know that you were stuck with me for the night?" He was able to leave if he wanted to, she wouldn't blame him. Half in the bag chaser didn't make for the best company.

She ordered them around round and reminded the bartender to keep the drinks coming.

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knottingley
2022-06-20 02:24 pm UTC (link)

"Nothing matters tonight," Jasper echoed, lifting his beer in a mock toast. To his ears that sounded like a great philosophy for the evening, exactly what he'd been looking for. Now it felt like a sort of serendipity to run into Rachel.

By the time he'd finished his first beer, another was already waiting for him and Jasper had relaxed, falling easily into conversation and trying to tease another laugh or smile out of her. It reminded him a little of when Kenzie got stuck in her head and needed someone to steer her in a different direction.

"Karaoke," he announced. Jasper loved karaoke. "You need to do karaoke. Or maybe go dancing. But I vote for karaoke."

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raestothesky
2022-06-21 12:48 pm UTC (link)

There he was, she thought. From what she remembered it wasn't like Jasper to be mopey. At his echo of her sentiment and his relaxation into his barstool she felt a bit of the frustration she'd been carrying around begin to leave her. It didn't mean she would stop drinking, that's what she was here for anyway.

She swallowed her last gulp hard trying to avoid spitting it across the bar. "That was quick." She said through a cough.

"I don't know if I know a single karaoke place around here." Sure, Victory Bar brought in an emcee on occasion, but that was for big events like New Year's. She looked at the excitement on his face and let out a chuckle. "Do you know a karaoke bar where we can still drink? I'm up for anything but drinking needs to be a part of it."

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knottingley
2022-06-22 08:21 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah, I'm not one of those people who needs to be drunk before suggesting karaoke." Growing up in the Knottingley house, music and singing were just part of everyday life. Karaoke was a natural extension of that and Jasper could be a little competitive when he had a microphone in hand.

"I might know a place or two." Jasper leaned an elbow on the bar, turning to look at her better. "Gotta say, I like that you just asked where and didn't just give a straight up no." He smiled widely. "Or there's always dancing at Carnival." He nudged her knee with his. "You just look like you need another distraction to go with the drinking."

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raestothesky
2022-06-24 12:54 am UTC (link)

She could feel a smile creeping up her cheeks. Jasper's boundless energy and enthusiasm was a bit contagious. "I can't remember the last time I sang. Well, outside of my flat." She let herself laugh at herself. Was he actively trying to make her feel better?

"Jasper," She let her hand brush his hand. "As long as I can still drink, you can take me anywhere. But my bet is let's start with Karaoke. We'll see about dancing, yeah?"

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knottingley
2022-06-24 08:53 pm UTC (link)

Jasper was, as it happened, trying to make her feel better. He wasn't great at finding solutions to their problems, but he liked to think he was good at providing distractions. And yes, sometimes those distractions were karaoke or weed, but he didn't think the latter would fly with a professional athlete.

"Take you anywhere? Don't tempt me," he joked with a wink. "Finish your drink and I'll apparate us to a place I know."

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raestothesky
2022-07-02 12:18 am UTC (link)

"Don't tempt me. I might take you up on that." She finished her drink without looking away from him. It wouldn't be the worst thing, she thought as she pulled out some coins leaving them for the bartender.

Within the last year, she'd made the mistake of sleeping with Thad and destroying that relationship and chatting up Scorpius who'd been elbows deep in a renovation project. The thought of the disaster that was Thad made her stop. Would it be better that she just go home and sleep off the inevitable hangover. Jasper was harmless, but attractive. He'd slowly pulled her away from her maudlin edge. It couldn't hurt to sing a few songs.

"Tab's paid." She looked up at him, hopeful.

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knottingley
2022-07-02 03:01 pm UTC (link)

Jasper eyed Rachel with some appreciation, not sure if that remark was a genuine one or just the alcohol talking. After all, he had no idea how much she'd had before he'd got to the bar and she was a good few inches shorter than him. Maybe she was better at holding her booze than he gave her credit for. It was all very intriguing.

"Come on then, little Rae of sunshine," Jasper said, gently reaching for her hand. "I know the perfect spot." There was a magical karaoke bar he liked to frequent, usually with Scarlett and/or Kenzie, though it had been some time since they had all been out together. He had to hope that they were getting back to a point where they might be able to have a night out together again.

A benefit of it being a wizarding venue was that it made it easy to get there, Jasper holding Rachel close so that he could Apparate her. "Next round's on me," he said, slowly releasing. "But you have to pick something to sing."

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raestothesky
2022-07-13 05:05 pm UTC (link)

"Deal." She smirked wrapping herself around him as they disappeared from Victory with a pop. Apparition wasn't her favorite way to travel, it messed too much with her equilibrium, but as the sound of wind drowned out her thought she just hung onto him tighter and closed her eyes, bracing herself for when her feet touched solid ground again.

There it is. She thought as the wind returned to a gentle breeze. She probably should've asked where the bar was in relation to Diagon, but she blamed that on the drinks. "So this is it?" She unwrapped herself from around him.

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knottingley
2022-07-16 08:36 pm UTC (link)

“This is it," Jasper agreed. It had a different kind of vibe than Victory Bar. Usually about half the patrons were there with a love of karaoke, while the others were were there more ironically. "There’s music from magical and Muggle artists." He was sorely tempted to try and persuade her to do one of Violet Nott's songs, sure that the two were still close.

The bar was calling to him, tempting him with the promise of delicious drinks. "Grab us a table," he said, promising he’d get her something strong.

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raestothesky
2022-08-05 01:29 am UTC (link)

Her eyes followed him as he disappeared towards the bar. She found a two-top at the edge of the room and settled in. Looking around it seemed like the perfect spot, far enough away for privacy. There was a blonde singing some pop song she couldn't quite place.

She wondered what he would sing. Did he sing? Or had she simply bring her along to watch her sing. She wasn't opposed to it, but she could feel her buzz wearing off and she wasn't quite ready to deal with the consequences of her binge drinking.

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knottingley
2022-08-06 06:04 pm UTC (link)

Jasper was true to his promise of strong drinks, especially knowing that a professional athlete like Rachel probably wouldn't be interested in any other substances that he might possibly have about his person. In addition to their drinks, he'd bought a couple of shots too, a potent liquor that seemed to sparkle blue under the bar's lights. He put them on the table, flashing her one of his charming smile.

"Cheers," he said, picking up his shot. The music was getting to him and his inability to stay still. Even as he sat down his foot tapped against the leg of the table. If it turned out that Rachel wasn't up for karaoke, maybe there could be dancing. "I've put my name down to sing," he admitted.

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raestothesky
2022-08-09 05:45 pm UTC (link)

"Cheers." Rachel lifted her shot in turn. Whatever it was it sure was strong she thought as she felt a slight burning as the liquid made its way down her throat. "Definitely strong." She looked up, giving him a weak smile. His confidence still surprised her.

She couldn't shake the feeling that he'd 'picked her up' out of the pub and flitted her away to somewhere more private. It was a bold move, but she also could've told him no. Relax, it's just friends drinking she told herself. She liked that he'd been bold enough to bring her here himself, but it was a friend pulling another out of the drunken depths of melancholy.

"I think I'll have to as well. Maybe one of Vi's songs." She'd have to look at the book to see what they actually had.

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