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Tweak says, "Good to see you, Cloud."

Zacharias Smith (unspeakableness) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-11-06 21:07:00

Entry tags:

character: ernie macmillan, character: zacharias smith

RP: Zacharias and Ernie
Who: Zacharias Smith and Ernie Macmillan
What: Cover Band Night at Musical Maladies in Hogsmeade -- Two friends hang out for belated birthday fun. Or something.
Where: Musical Maladies in Hogsmeade
When: Wednesday, 5 Novemember, 2004. Starting around 9pm.
Rating: SFW as far as I can tell. Maybe some future cursing?

It wasn't that Zacharias wasn't looking forward to hanging out with Ernie so much as he wasn't sure about going to a cover night at a pub. He liked music, despite what some might think, but he admittedly could only take so much before drunk patrons annoyed him. But he hadn't been able to think of anything else to do, and he actually did enjoy spending time with Ernie, especially when it had nothing to do with being healed from one stupid injury or another. And, who knew, it might be fun. He hadn't ever been to Musical Maladies before, though he'd heard about it. With any luck, he'd even discover a new band to listen to.

He tried to be optimistic about the night as he joined a group of witches and wizards taking a Portkey to Hogsmeade. Although he could Apparate just fine, he knew better than to try going from London to Hogsmeade in one shot. And he also knew that he didn't want to waste his energy Apparating to multiple points from one end of the Great Britain to the other, especially not when it was south to north. He'd briefly thought about flooing to Hogsmeade, but, well, he really didn't want to get his robes all sooty. Even if he hadn't wanted to dress up dress up, he did want to look decent in his casual robes. And arriving sooty was not the way to do it.

Even though he hadn't flooed, once Zacharias had arrived in Hogsmeade, he did take a moment to straighten out his navy blue robes and adjust his matching scarf. Then he took a moment to orient himself before following behind a group of witches who'd mentioned something about Musical Maladies. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure where in the village it was and was quietly grateful someone else was going there so he didn't have to ask directions and look like a fool. He hung back, trying not to look like a creepy stalker while also picking up on their idle chatter.

Once he arrived at Musical Maladies, he debated on whether or not he should go inside. He couldn't remember if they'd agreed to meet inside or out. After a moment's hesitation, he decided to duck inside, just to see if Ernie were there already or not.

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erniedtmac
2014-11-09 12:59 am UTC (link)

Ernie had watched with a little bit of amusement as Zacharias assessed the room. He almost joked that maybe the other man had been sorted into the wrong House, but Zacharias gave his answer before Ernie could comment. He nodded and patted his friend's shoulder. "All right, you go on over and I'll be right there."

He went for the bar and ordered some drinks, deciding to get something fun for Zacharias and him to try - it was, after all, supposed to be a late birthday outing. Two of the drinks were... unique, with a mix of fruit juices and at least two different kinds of alcohol, and were presented in glasses that resembled miniature cauldrons. Steam erupted from them, and from one of them stood a tall, sparkling stick. The other two drinks were simply glasses of pumpkin juice so that the young men could switch off of the alcoholic drinks whenever they wished to.

He carried the drinks on a tray over to the table Zacharias had chosen and put it down, settling the drink with the sparkler down in front of his friend. "And a belated happy birthday to you - they call these Bubbling Cauldrons, a mix of a lot of things that is supposed to taste brilliant."

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unspeakableness
2014-11-09 01:36 am UTC (link)

As Ernie headed to the bar, Zacharias made his way to the table he picked out. He noticed it was, thankfully, cleaned. He wasn't obsessive about cleanliness, but he had to admit, at least to himself, that a lack of basic cleanliness in public establishments did turn him off to visiting more than once. There was just something about someone else's filth that bothered him, though he could understand in certain situations that there might be a greater demand for tables than a busser's ability to hit every table. Still, it was nice to sit down at a table that didn't have someone else's trash on it. Maybe that had to do with the fact that none of the bands had come out yet, or the fact that people were still enjoying the fireworks. Who knew. Regardless, he was happy for small things like this.

He took off his scarf once seated, stuffing it in one of his robe pockets, thankful he'd managed to make both bigger on the inside. Then he looked around, taking in the pub. It wasn't too bad, as far as he could see, with its stage and bar. Not unlike other pubs he'd been in, and he couldn't deny the warmth filling the room, no doubt one part charms and one part the fireplace. He couldn't help briefly comparing it to the Three Broomsticks and wondering how the employees there enjoyed sharing space with this place. But this place didn't have an inn, and even the Hog's Head could thrive in this village. Apparently it was big enough for at least three similar establishments, likely each with its own clientele, though he imagined there were overlaps here and there.

Zacharias looked up as he noticed Ernie returning with a tray. His eyebrows rose as he took in the steam, the cauldron shaped glasses, and the sparkler. "Thank you," he said to the birthday wish. "But you don't have to get me drunk if you want a hug at the end of the night," he added, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly. He doubted that Ernie was actually trying to get him drunk, but he thought, well, he thought Ernie might appreciate that he could joke and that he could show he could enjoy himself.

"Thank you," he said again, letting the sparkler finish its little show before taking the stick out and setting it down. Tentatively, he took a little sip of the Bubbling Cauldron, letting the mix of juices and alcohol wash over his tongue before he swallowed. "It's not bad," he said, glad he couldn't taste the alcohol, though he could see how these could be potentially dangerous because of that as well.

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erniedtmac
2014-11-09 02:13 am UTC (link)

Ernie grinned at the comment and tried to flutter his eyelashes at his friend, which instead of looking alluring only looked terribly comedic - thankfully, that was what he was going for. "Aw, I knew you fancied me, Smith. But trust me, if I was going to get you drunk, I'd definitely try for more than just a hug." Not that Ernie would ever do such a thing, of course.

He sipped of his own drink and nodded in appreciation. It was always nice to try something new and have it turn out well. "I'm glad you like it. I made sure to get pumpkin juice chasers, since we're both working in the morning."

The two on the stage looked to be done setting up and a foursome made up of two witches and two wizards stepped up onto the stage, each carrying a different type of instrument - a cello, an accordion, a trombone, and bagpipes. His eyebrows rose at the particular combination and he smirked over at Zacharias. "Feel like betting on whether they're going to be good or not?"

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unspeakableness
2014-11-09 03:25 am UTC (link)

Again, Zacharias's brows rose, this time at the collection of instruments the first band brought out. He wasn't entirely sure how that combination would work in a band, but then... "The Weird Sisters have a strange combination of instruments, too. They've got a cello and bagpipes, and they make it work. This band might be able to, too." Or they might not. It really could go either way. However, betting on whether it'd be brilliant or a disaster seemed a bit too much for him, a bit unfair to the band.

"Naw. I've got to save my knuts and sickles, especially my galleons. Christmas is coming, and..." He shrugged, letting it go unspoken that he was saving up for it. He may not get along well with his family, but there was still that expectation to purchase a Christmas present for them. And there were other people, too, he wanted to buy for, as well as materials to make things.

Before he could say anything else, one of the witches -- the cellist -- stepped up to the microphone. Her bright green hair, curled into tight ringlets, bounced around her face as she said, "Hello Musical Maladies! We're Electric Unicorn Parade, and we're here to rock you!" Zacharias clapped politely for the band as some of the other patrons cheered, one table whooping loudly. "This first song's an oldie but a goodie!" She grinned brightly to the pub and headed back to her cello, picking it up as the rest of the band began playing the first few notes of an old '80's band. Zacharias thought he recognised it as a Serum Vitae song, though he'd definitely never heard it performed it quite like that before. But, he noted, it wasn't terrible.

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erniedtmac
2014-11-09 03:53 am UTC (link)

"They might," Ernie agreed, but either way, he had fun speculating. "But you're right, Christmas is coming." He was, in fact, trying to do his best not to think about it and the disaster it would no doubt be. There were better things to think about, such as friends and bands and tables and basically everything else.

He winced at the name of the band - it sounded nothing like the name of a rock band, and in fact brought to mind terrible visions of fluffy unicorns and bright rainbows that made him want to bang his head against the table. He joined Zacharias in his polite clapping and readied himself for the first song.

He tilted his head and shrugged a little. Well, it wasn't terrible, and was definitely a creative arrangement, he'd give them that. He wouldn't be able to dance to it, though, and often, that was how Ernie judged music. He was thankful that on a night like tonight, with a few bands lined up, there wouldn't be more than 4 or 5 songs per band.

"So, aside from all that, how did your week go?" he asked over the din.

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unspeakableness
2014-11-10 02:22 am UTC (link)

Zacharias shrugged a little bit, taking another sip of his Bubbling Cauldron. "Last week wasn't too bad, and this week's going well enough," he said. "Got to take the broom I got from that date out for a ride." Nothing quite like the ride he'd had when learning the finer points of broom racing, but it had actually been nice. He'd taken his birthday off, snuck over to his parents' house while they were at work, and spent some time just flying, clearing his head and enjoying himself.

"How's your week been going? And how's your mum," he asked, not forgetting that Ernie had mentioned visiting with her. He just hadn't quite found a time to be polite enough to ask after her. Though he assumed she wasn't too bad since Ernie had shown up instead of needing to reschedule.

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erniedtmac
2014-11-12 02:29 am UTC (link)

While Ernie wasn't the most enthusiastic flyer himself, he appreciated how much others loved to do it. "There were a few who were jealous of your prize. It was nice you got to keep the broom, though. I bet it flies like a dream."

For a moment, the band on stage actually seemed to get their harmonies right. Unfortunately, it lasted just a moment before the cello and bagpipes hit notes that were too discordant with one another, causing Ernie to wince hard.

"Oh, Mum's good," he smiled. "Trying to fix me and Dad again, but still good. If I didn't keep insisting that she did a good enough job teaching me to cook, I'd have an icebox full of leftovers and pudding. If you're ever going hungry, let me know and I'll send her and her food your way."

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unspeakableness
2014-11-13 06:23 pm UTC (link)

Zacharias wondered how a band that seemed to not be able to play well together actually booked a slot to play in front of paying customers. It made no sense to him, except, perhaps, that one of them was related or dating someone who worked for or owned the pub. Maybe on their own, each musician would sound brilliant, or at least decent, but together, something didn't entirely blend well. Or maybe it was just the music they chose to play. Some instruments didn't seem to lend themselves as well as others to 80's pop, after all. He shook his head a little at the band, taking a sip of the pumpkin juice, happy to have something to balance out the alcoholic drink.

As he listened to Ernie, Zacharias gave a little smile. He thought, briefly, that that had to be nice, to have a mum that fussed in such a way. His thought was not bitter, however. He was, in his own way, genuinely happy that Ernie had such a mother. "I'll let you know," he said, taking another sip of juice. "I think I'm alright for the moment, but if I'm ever having a lack of food crisis, you'll be the first I'll owl."

He glanced back at the band on stage as they started another Serum Vitae song. Halfway through the opening, the accordion player's strap broke, he lost his grip on his instrument, and it crashed to the floor. Zacharias winced a bit, softly saying, "I think that's secretly a blessing," as the accordion player shouted about how it was broken before hauling himself and the accordion off the stage. The cellist quickly apologised to the crowd before she and the rest of the band hurried to console their upset bandmate.

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erniedtmac
2014-11-14 02:56 am UTC (link)

"There is a God after all," Ernie chuckled as he watched the disaster on stage. Finally, all band members were gone and the two who had earlier set up the stage came on to change it for the next act.

He'd have asked Zacharias about his own family, but after his friend's last visit to get his wrist healed, he didn't want to trigger any unpleasantness, not when they were supposed to be out having fun. "And how's work? Anything you can tell me that you wouldn't have to kill me for revealing it? I promise, I can keep a secret."

He could spot out of the corner of his eye a pair of bongos being brought onto the stage. Oh Merlin, what would this next act try?

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unspeakableness
2014-11-23 05:13 am UTC (link)

"Work is... good," he said with a little nod. "That's probably about as much as I can say without turning into a killer." He raised his glass of pumpkin juice to his lips, joking despite the straight face he had. He didn't think he could kill anyone even if he tried, even if he were in backed into a corner. Well, maybe if he were backed into a corner, though he couldn't imagining doing such a thing. He hoped he'd never find out if he would, even in self-defence.

"Bongos? Is this... a poetry reading? Will this next set be done as such? If so, can we leave?" he asked, looking over at Ernie. He was joking, at least a little bit, but part of him did wonder if they could walk out if this next performance was just someone dramatically speaking the lyrics of whichever band was being covered next.

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erniedtmac
2014-11-25 06:52 pm UTC (link)

Ernie shook his head at the joke. "All right, good it is."

His face showed a horrified look at the idea of a poetry reading. "Merlin, I hope not. If they try it, we'll have to make our escape before they take us alive."

As the act did begin, however, the bongos actually meshed with the other instruments to create a pleasant sound. Ernie was glad there was at least one act that was decent - he'd hate for Zacharias to have to suffer through terrible music for a belated birthday. He looked over at his friend and ginned. "Thanks for coming out tonight. You need to see more of the world than the Department of Mysteries, you know."

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unspeakableness
2014-11-25 09:01 pm UTC (link)

Zacharias relaxed a little in relief, glad that as this band started, it wasn't with some kind of spoken lyric, poem to mild music type of thing. He took another sip of his pumpkin juice, glad this band sounded better than Unicorn Magic or whatever they'd called themselves. At the moment, he couldn't see himself vying for concert tickets to any shows this band put on, but maybe if they kept at it, they'd be pretty good.

"I do. See more than the Department of Mysterious, I mean," he said. "I mean, I've never been out of the UK, but I do get out of the house..." He swallowed, trying to figure out what to say. "But, regardless, thank you for... for this." He gestured to the room to indicate what he meant. "For... for taking me out." He took a sip of the Bubble Cauldron to hide the slight tint to his cheeks, wondering why they had to warm now when all he was doing was thanking a friend for being a friend.

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erniedtmac
2014-12-01 03:38 pm UTC (link)

"That's good," Ernie replied with an encouraging smile. "I know I'd go spare if I didn't get out at least once a week for something that isn't hospital-related. Least I can do is do the same for a friend."

He tilted his head to better see something he'd noticed from the corner of his eye, and grinned. "And speaking of 'taking you out', I think there's a bloke at that other table thinking of doing exactly that."

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unspeakableness
2014-12-01 11:30 pm UTC (link)

Zacharias raised his eyebrows, wondering why in the world Ernie was going on about. Even if someone were looking at him, and he wasn't stupid enough to think it'd be more than a passing moment type of thing. And he really wasn't looking for anything like that anyway. Especially not with another man -- not after his father's reaction. But he rolled his eyes and looked over where Ernie had looked prior to his sudden statement that someone was thinking about taking him out.

In his estimation, the wizard was looking at Ernie. He didn't even seem to react when Zacharias looked at him. He shook his head a little bit and said, "You're losing it, mate. He's either looking at you or," he looked around and behind himself, then back to Ernie, "or the group of witches and wizards behind us." And they seemed to be eyeing the wizard, too. Maybe they should consider changing seats to give them all better views of each other.

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