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Theodore Nott ([info]nottfinished) wrote in [info]finnigans_rpg,
@ 2015-05-25 19:03:00

Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Entry tags:character: charlie weasley, character: theodore nott, status: complete

Who: Charlie & Theo
What: Another bout of somnambulism
Where: The streets near Wingbeat
When: Late Saturday night
Rating: R - language, mentions of bad things



Things hadn't been going too badly for Theo lately, so he was due for a setback. He'd moved out of the hovel he'd been in before to take over the room offered to him by Milly, looking after his friend's house while she was away, and that alone had helped him feel a lot more settled. He'd been unsettled with the situation with Greg and the idea of anything happening to his friend in the same way that something had happened to him had made him sick to his stomach and had probably kick started his latest bout of insomnia. His paranoia had been higher than usual, although he hadn't realised it. He hadn't been able to sleep very, well too keyed up to relax and plagued with shapes and shadows that moved in the corner of his eye but weren't there when he turned to look, voices that spoke to him nonsensically that stil managed to make him feel threatened.

He'd been up for three days by the time his body finally called it quits and he more collapsed down and lapsed into unconsciousness than fell asleep. It wasn't a restful disappearance from the conscious world at all though and he was up and walking around in a bout of somnambulism like he hadn't had since the previous year. It led him to wander around Milly's house, mercifully avoiding tumbling headlong down the stairs, and out into the night dressed in soft black pyjama bottoms, a heather grey hoodie and nothing else, his feet bare against the floor and bleeding by the time he'd made it from Milly's into town. He wandered like he was high or drunk, bumping into objects and rebounding off them from time to time, his tearing feet leaving little footstamps of blood in his wake.

There was no rhyme or reason behind his sleeping decision to make his way towards Charlie's club, unless his sleepwalking worked on some weird remembrance of the last place he'd Apparated to. It hardly mattered where he was physically though, as in his mind he wandered through the halls and corridors and rooms of the Nott House, made even more monstrous and dark in his dreams as they had been in reality, looking over his shoulder in utter sweat-soaked terror for the man who had tyrannized him in childhood and could strip him of any feeling of security even now. Even as he stumbled down the nearly empty street towards the club he still looked over his shoulder like he was being pursued.


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[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-08-27 02:03 pm UTC (link)
Charlie was helpless in the face of the shaking young man before him, repeating his name softly, not sure whether it was better to startle him out of whatever reaction he was having or let it run its course.

Then the choice was taken from his as Theo came back to himself more. "I... I was just saying your name." He hesitated before continuing. "I think I lost you there for a second or two," he said tentatively, looking somewhere around Theo's shoulder rather than his face. "Um, would you feel more comfortable cleaning your own feet?" he suggested gently. "I never actually asked. I can always check them out to make sure they're properly clean."

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[info]nottfinished
2015-08-28 05:49 pm UTC (link)
Theo looked confused at hearing that but he was worried by the fact that his distance had been so notable that Charlie had been able to pick up on it. He worried about what he'd done in those lost moments because now Charlie couldn't look at him and didn't seem to want to touch him either.

He looked down at his drying feet and didn't look back up again. "I don't mind." he said quietly, adding, "I can do it though, if you'd rather." he offered. "I'm sorry." he said at the end, the shame thick in his voice.

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[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-08-28 09:07 pm UTC (link)
Charlie took a breath and focussed back on Theo's face. "Okay, I'm going to be a bit blunt, because it's late and I'm pretty sure both of us would rather be at our respective homes not in my office." His voice was still kind, but it had a slightly firmer tone than it had earlier.

"You started to, I don't know, shake when I was cleaning your feet. I thought it was something I'd done which prompted it. Even if it wasn't you might be more comfortable doing what part of the process you can and I didn't ask that, which is probably because I'm used to animals and they're generally pretty shit at letting me know, and frankly have fuck all other options. So. I'll happily clean your feet, put on the salve and bandage them up, but if you'd prefer to do any of it yourself you need to say and I can just check to make sure it's all clean and covered.

"You should absolutely feel free to tell me I'm being a dickhead, but like I said I worked with animals for thirteen years and I wasn't the one with full healer training for when something went tits up." His voice had become a little louder and he deflated slightly with a sigh. "Just," he shrugged slightly. "Just tell me, okay? Shit, you can floo home right now if you like." It was easy to tell he was getting tired, as the slightly instinctive cap he'd kept on his swearing began to wear out. Not that he said anything in a harsh way, just that he naturally swore rather a lot.

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[info]nottfinished
2015-08-28 11:21 pm UTC (link)
Theo nodded, thinking the worst for what was about to come, not because he thought Charlie was someone who would do that but because he thought he deserved it. He flinched when Charlie told him exactly what he'd looked like freaking out; he couldn't really remember it but he'd been told about it before and it went against everything his dad had ever beaten into him about keeping up appearances. He'd stood tall on broken bones before just to be taught a lesson by his dad about stoicism, but when his mind seperated off into chunks and puppeted him he couldn't control anything about himself and that made him feel helpless.

He felt bad about making Charlie feel like he'd somehow been at fault for Theo's own defectiveness, so he opened with, "I'm sorry. It wasn't anything you did, you're not a, a jerk. It isn't your fault and I'm sorry I've put you to all this trouble. I'm, I'd appreciate it if you could bandage my feet up. I'll be good now. I'll be good." He promised.

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[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-08-29 12:03 am UTC (link)
He had a nasty feeling he'd hit something raw or missed his mark somehow, somewhere. Theo always seemed so...small, and not just because of his size, but because it was like he was trying to hide away into the background maybe. Another animal behaviour he recognised. Well, in that case the only thing to do was gain trust, and he didn't actually think he was doing terribly there.

"Okay, well, I'm going to clean your other foot, then I want to put on the healing salve. It probably won't get everything, but the smaller cuts should close up and it'll help keep everything clean. And then bandages," he said, even as he began to pick the cleansing potion and the cloth back up. He thought maybe he should just keep talking, maybe that would help, plus a little more speed and a little less worrying about getting his floor wet.

As he cleansed he began to talk, wand inserted behind his ear instead of in his mouth this time. "I have a cat called Echo," he said. "He's a bit of a menace at times but I actually adore him anyway. I gave him his name because when I got him as a kitten he'd follow me around every time I was at home and squeak at me every time I spoke no matter whether it was to him, or my flatmate, or just talking out loud to myself. When he was still fairly small I hadn't got all the protective spells up around the flat, or got used to renewing them to negate whatever the fucking cat effect is where they just waltz through wards sometimes, and he managed to get into my wardrobe. And what did he decide would be an excellent claw sharpening thing. Did he choose the wardrobe where the only person to see it would be me? No. No he did not the little bastard. He decided that my dress robes would be a perfect thing to tear to pieces. And then he managed to pull them down and get stuck underneath him. The tiny meows were so helpless and indignant. He pretended it had never happened and I had to borrow robes from one of my brothers when I got invited to something that required them," she said. He finished up the second foot then and brought his wand closer to check as he dabbed some last fluid from Theo's feet.

"Okay, salve next," he said, wiping his hands off and reaching for the tub. "I'd forgotten it was that colour," he said, looking down at the pastel orange salve with a frown.

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[info]nottfinished
2015-08-29 07:18 pm UTC (link)
If Theo had only known he would have reassured Charlie that, considering he'd been only semi-awakened from a nightmare he'd experienced before being half-carried to this room and then letting himself be put in a vulnerable position out of necessity that the man was doing unspeakably well. It was hard not to hit a raw part of Theodore in any interaction with him, not when his psyche felt flayed, but in a situation like this where Theo was like a wounded animal caught in a trap Charlie couldn't really avoid doing so. The fact that he still had Theo there and aware was a small miracle in and of itself.

He nodded that he was listening and that he understood, watching Charlie work silently, trying to keep his stupid panicked reactions under control. He realised he wasn't having to try very hard actually, and that his attention was truly more on what Charlie was regaling him with than the work on his foot. He loved that name for a cat, seeing a teasing, frustrating note in it that he saw in the very animal itself, but the specific creature sounded like the kind of cat Theo wouldn't be able to keep away from. He told himself that he wasn't allowed animals ever since he'd 'killed' the rats, but a large part of him had always been drawn to animals ever since the Thestrals and despite his dad's best efforts and he couldn't help being drawn in to Charlie's tale.

Charlie was a lively and engaging storyteller and Theo actually found himself not laughing but chuckling a little - his foot had been tended to before he knew it, and not because he'd lost time this time around.

"It's okay, I'm sure it'll do the job." Theo assured, neverminding the pastel orange. His feet were still and he hadn't flinched or twitched back since Charlie had started telling his story. "I really appreciate everything you're doing for me." he said, just another way of saying thank you that he couldn't seem to stop himself from saying.

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[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-08-29 09:24 pm UTC (link)
When Theo actually let out a chuckle Charlie had paused and given him a huge smile, mightily relieved that he'd managed to get a positive sound from him. It only lasted a second or two though and he carried on with his story and his task.

"Oh, it will, I just haven't used any in a while, and I was always more likely to need burn cream anyway, and that shit smells awful," he said, scooping some onto his fingers and beginning to apply it to Theo's feet before they started bleeding too much.

"Anyway, when I first got Echo he wasn't exactly used to the whole human with only one real leg thing, and since I don't always put my prosthetic immediately sometimes in a morning had three legs and yet he still liked to wind himself around them in search of food. I managed to trip a couple of times." He paused and looked up, remembering how Theo had reacted to his fall in Diagon Alley. "I was completely fine, just a couple of bruises to my arse and my ego, but there is almost no way you can stay angry at a cute kitten for more than about twenty seconds. Well, I can't anyway, so my flatmate appeared more than once when I'd crashed down and she was worried by thump to find me sitting on the kitchen floor telling my cat off in a silly voice."

Applying salve was easier, quicker and less potentially messy for the floor than the cleansing potion and Charlie moved easily from one foot to the other. He might have missed a few of the tiniest cuts that weren't actively oozing blood any more, but all the bigger ones had been dabbed. He grabbed the cloth he'd discarded and wiped his fingers clear of the last of the salve.

"He's used to the prosthetic and the crutches now though, so that's okay. I could do without him deciding my head is the best place to sleep though. It's warm, sure, but a touch too warm really, and sometimes breathing gets a bit interesting." Mostly Echo managed to be at least part on the pillow, but once in a while Charlie awoke inhaling cat hair and had to push him out of the way.

"Bandages next?" he suggested brightly.

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ooc: I'm sorry it's only a small one :s
[info]nottfinished
2015-08-31 01:13 am UTC (link)
Theo was a bit concerned even in the midst of sleepy terror to hear that Charlie used burn cream more often. He twitched a bit as Charlie began to rub the salve into his feet, but it was just a small automatic reaction and Theo was pleased he hadn't yanked them back and fired a Hex at Charlie - not that he had his wand - or something equally embarrassing and rude. Charlie was distracting him with tales of his cat again though and Theo's mind was happy to focus on that even if Theo's curiosity and concern thought otherwise.

That concern did overtake his concentration when Charlie mentioned falling though, but Charlie reassured him - a little anyway. He was a little amused to imagine the image Charlie painted but he couldn't find it too funny when Charlie had fallen. He wondered what Charlie's cat looked like and he nodded to the bandages in favour of asking. "What's he look like? Your cat?" he clarified, as though he needed to. Charlie had absolutely done the right thing by bringing Theo's curiosity into the equation.

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ooc: Noo problem. I'd got a bit wordy!
[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-08-31 03:27 pm UTC (link)
The flinch at the start of the salve hadn't been entirely unexpected, but it hadn't continued so Charlie had just continued as if it hadn't happened.

He picked up the first of the bandages and managed to miss the end the first go around, causing him to frown for a couple of seconds before he found the end with a little triumphant sound. He started wrapping from the top of Theo's foot making sure not to wrap too tight. These bandages were more of a covering than the sort of compress and support that might be needed for a twisted ankle.

"He's mostly black, with a couple of white patches. I've managed to not make him fat yet, so he's still all sleek. He's just about full-grown now, I think, but only just. I adopted him from a litter Luna Lovegood rescued," he said, wrapping carefully. He did have to wrap around Theo's ankle too, just to make sure his heel would be covered.

"I have Nebula too, of course," he said. "She's my owl and she's great, but she'd probably not be pleased if I left her out." He knew he'd sent a note to Theo once, but he couldn't remember if it had been by journal or by owl. He finished the first foot with the quick application of the provided magical grips that would keep it secure.

"Because I lived so far away I got a big owl, so she's an eagle owl, and she's never minded long flights, but she seems to be okay with city life, and I think she's pleased with the lack of dragons to beware of unless I send her out to one of the people I know out there," he said.

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ooc: that's why I love you and you are better than me
[info]nottfinished
2015-09-04 12:14 am UTC (link)
Theo was relieved and grateful that Charlie hadn't said anything about his flinch, choosing to carry on as though it hadn't happened, as though Theo was a normal person who had just happened to sleepwalk until his feet were burger. He watched as Charlie methodically and neatly wrapped his feet in bandages while he spoke. Theo's infinite curiousity was exacerbated when it came to animals and he soaked up the details, smiling at the picture Charlie made; that was one cat that had fallen on it's feet though.

Theo wasn't sure if the owl Chalie had sent to him had been via Nebula, but he was interested. He flexed his toes a very little when Charlie finished bandaging one foot, impressed at the job Charlie had done even if the experience of having someone else care for him like that was a strange one. "I've always liked eagle owls." he mused. "I've got a melanistic barn owl though; he's got a bad temper but he's fast and stealthy and he does a good job."

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ooc: Pft. I just had a lot of stuff to write about.
[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-09-04 04:44 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, very nice," he said admiringly when Theo mentioned his owl. "I've got to admit that barn owls are gorgeous, but I'll stick to Nebula. She can be a bit stuck up though, I'll admit. Well, stuffy. She's perfectly content as long as you treat her right, which I do."

He wrapped the second bandage with the same efficiency as the first, all the while telling another story or two about his animals. When he finished for the second time he smiled and resisted the instinct to give Theo's foot a gentle pat as he would when ministering to most beings or beasts he had just finished patching up.

"All done," he said brightly and looked at the small amount of collected detritus before vanishing the bloody cloths he'd used to catch the cleansing solution with a quick, verbal spell. "Feel free to take your feet down. I doubt that position is all that comfy." The salve pot still had a certain amount still in it and he made sure it was properly closed. He'd already stoppered the cleansing solution so that was ready to pick up.

After a few seconds of debate Charlie decided the easiest way for him to get up was to slide off his stool and onto his knees before grabbing the stool around to help him stand. He did it carefully, one leg at a time, but easily enough.

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ooc: yeah, but also you're awesome!
[info]nottfinished
2015-09-04 11:37 pm UTC (link)
For some reason, Charlie's approval of his owl made Theo feel like he'd done something good and was being praised for it. He was immediately uncomfortable with the pleasure and concentrated on what was happening to his feet instead. "I'd definitely have an Eagle Owl if I didn't have my boy." he agreed. "If you have a mouse half for him he'll let you stroke his head until he's finished eating, if you want, if I send him over." he offered a little awkwardly.

He found himself listening to Charlie's voice and fighting the urge to fall into a kind of sleepy doze, the sound of it soothing and making him feel secure which was unheard of for him, especially when he was so vulnerable. He was surprised when Charlie had finished, drawing his feet back and testing them out. They were sore but in a vague and distant way, definitely not bad enough that he couldn't walk. He pressed them to the floor and gingerly added weight to them, standing slowly until he was upright and shifting his weight from one to the other. By the time he'd finished Charlie was getting up and as much as he wanted to lend a hand he didn't want to humiliate Charlie or make him feel inadequate, although he certainly didn't see him that way. "Thank you for doing this for me." he said again, his expression a bit amazed like he couldn't quite believe that he'd been helped. "I'm really sorry that I put you out. I'll pay you back for the salve and the bandages and things."

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ooc: And so are you! :)
[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-09-05 12:33 am UTC (link)
"Well it depends on how he feels about cat-caught mice, which are what most of the ones I have around are these days. Mostly I freeze the ones Echo catches and presents to me, which makes for a handy treat for visiting owls. Nebula refuses to eat them, but like I said she's stuffy." He shrugged, the intricate dance of his two animals and their unique personalities didn't bother him in the slightest. "But he's welcome to come over," he said.

He smiled warmly at Theo as he stood, recognising that Theo was standing easier. "You're welcome, but it really wasn't much trouble. And there's no need to pay me. Really," he emphasised. "It's the club's supply. Better used on you than some annoying bastard who manages to catch a glass just as the unbreakable charm's wearing out and makes a fucking mess because he got in a fight or was too drunk to hold his glass." Charlie winced. He was definitely getting tired if he was talking crap about the customers to people not on the staff.

"Now," he said, "I believe I said you were welcome to the Floo." He gestured to the small fireplace in the corner. It could be used for travel but he usually only used it for meetings or deliveries. Anyone flooing in when the office was empty would find themselves stuck unable to reach another part of the room (thus foiling theft attempts). "I have powder around here somewhere. Although I'll be fucked if I can remember where," he muttered, scratching one cheek slightly as he thought. You're welcome to either floor away or ask someone to come and help you home from outside the doors."

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ooc: you make me happy when skies are grey
[info]nottfinished
2015-09-05 12:49 am UTC (link)
Theo laughed. "I don't think he minds where the mice are from as long as they're mice. He's a bit of a mean-spirited guy though, once that mouse is gone fingers are free game." he warned.

He nodded that he wouldn't pay Charlie back per se, but if a new box of bandages and salve turned up for the club from an unknown benefactor later on, well, Theo wasn't going to say anything. He wasn't happy to hear about the kind of jerks that frequented the club though, not when it put Charlie in danger. He was already concerned about his friend's wellbeing and didn't like the idea of him being near anyone ready to glass another person upside the head.

"Thank you." he said first. "Were you going to Floo home? I can walk back if it's trouble." he offered sincerely; he'd managed with worse before, and Charlie had looked after his feet well enough that he didn't think the walk home would be too taxing.

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Re: ooc: you make me happy when skies are grey
[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-09-05 10:00 am UTC (link)
"Oh, I wouldn't worry," Charlie said, holding up his already scarred hands. "I've been bitten by worse than a grumpy owl," he said. "Hand weaning dragons is no joke, little bastards bite through gloves if you've not got decent ones on!" His hands weren't heavily scarred, but there were a few old puncture marks here and there which had persisted. The ones from gnome throwing as a child had thankfully all long faded.

He scrubbed his hair ruefully. "Sorry, I'm getting grumpy," he muttered as he realised he was complaining. "They're mostly not so bad, and I've only had one person actually get as far as attacking anyone with a broken glass so far. Unfortunately full body bind doesn't discriminate about the fact you're holding a broken glass when your arms snap in," he said. "Makes a bloody mess. Literally."

Shaking his head Charlie grabbed his coat and swung it back on. "No, I've gotta go back through and put the wards up again. I mostly have stuff incoming through the floo rather than outgoing. Works fine though." Suddenly he remembered where he had hidden the floo powder and grabbed a small, wooden box from one of the shelves and offered it to Theo triumphantly. "Here. Well, assuming your house has a connection."

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[info]nottfinished
2015-09-05 09:40 pm UTC (link)
Theo wasn't happy to see Charlie's scarred hands, even if it was caused by animals Charlie had been trying to help. "I'll scold him if he bites you." he assured.

He smiled a little bit as Charlie apologised for getting grumpy; he hadn't even noticed. "I think you're entitled to complain about rowdy patrons causing problems in your own bar." he pointed out.

"Thank you." he said, taking he little box of powder. "There's a Floo I can come through, yeah. Are you sure you don't want some company on the way out?" he was a little worried about leaving Charlie out on his own this late at night, mindful of what he'd said about the area, and guilty about parting without walking Charlie out as well.

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[info]hopalongcharlie
2015-09-05 10:18 pm UTC (link)
"Oh, I'm sure I'll survive," he said. And probably not tell Theo if the owl bit him. It was possible, in theory, to train owls out of biting, but it could be a tedious process and a bit hit and miss in how effective it was sometimes.

"Yeah, I try not to though. Not the best business practice really."

Charlie smiled and shook his head. "No, I'll be fine. Once the wards are done I apparate home anyway. It's a bit past walking time, and I only do that to start winding down anyway," he said. "Thank you for the offer though."

He flicked his wand at the fireplace to light the fire, just enough so it would flare for the Floo and then be easy to put out again.

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[info]nottfinished
2015-09-22 08:51 pm UTC (link)
Probably, but the owl needed telling from time to time. It wasn't that it was ill-trained or antisocial per se, just that it had been through the wringer even before Theo had gotten him as a small fledgling and it had never really recovered from that; Theo was happy with him as long as he was limiting his biting to his owner and not his owner's friends though.

He was relieved that Charlie wouldn't be walking home and nodded that it was okay. He hesitated before he took a pinch of Floo powder, visibly tired from having been up and about while asleep and still ginger on his healing foot. "Thank you for everything. For being so kind." he said one last time, before he put the powder box down, stood in the fireplace and Floo'd home.

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