InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Yorkshire Tea."

Seamus Finnigan (openbottle) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2015-06-17 18:19:00

Entry tags:

character: merwyn finwick, character: seamus finnigan

I Scream
Who: Seamus and Open
What: Anyone fancy a chat with Seamus? (ooc: he needs to interact with someone that isn't Dean!)
Where: Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour
When: Wednesday 17th June early evening
Rating: Tiny bit of language.

It was the perfect evening for ice cream. Not only was it both warmish and sunny (not a guaranteed combination in England) but Wednesday was choir night, which was one of the few activities Seamus had no inclination to supervise. Choir was great and the guy that ran it seemed pretty cool (and devastatingly hot). The thing was, he was a total pro - outgoing, charming, able to smooth over problems that arose between the younger and older members who wanted to cover different types of music. He literally didn't need Seamus at all, he just needed a place to practice and Seamus was happy to provide it, especially as the choir members almost always stayed for a drink or several. Seamus had had to kick them out at closing time more than once and he loved it. But Andrew's professionalism made it easy for Seamus to step out for a couple of hours without worrying. Which was exactly why he was strolling towards Diagon Alley on a sunny evening.

He stopped at Florean's, checking out the listed specials before heading inside. He took his time studying the various flavours. He had a supplier for the basics - chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lemon and orange sorbets - but for his birthday he wanted to have some of the more exotic and unusual flavours too. He'd already owled Hogsmeade to find out if they could do him a deal on their no-melt ice cream, but he hadn't made his final decision yet. It was entirely possible (likely) that he'd get what he could from Honeydukes and top of with the rarer flavours from Florean's. It took him a while to make a thorough inspection, and a mental list, and he let a few customers go ahead of him while he pondered. Finally, though, he stepped up to the counter and ordered. "Can I have a scoop of the dark chocolate mint ice cream, please? In a cone."

As he spoke, he noticed the person to his left. "Shit. Sorry. Did I cut ahead of you?" He hadn't meant to, but then he hadn't actually meant to eat any of the ice cream while he was here so once that had gone out the window anything could happen.

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fallasleep
2015-06-20 12:43 pm UTC (link)

Merwyn had been standing near the ice cream counter and seemingly studying the array of ice cream on offer for a good ten minutes now, if not more. In truth he was dead on his feet after a particularly restless night, even for him, and had pretty much just zoned out while staring into the abyss of pastel colours and original fruit flavours. He hadn't noticed when he'd been bypassed in the queue time and time again, the server behind the counter too busy to poke at the near-catatonic customer, and who knew how long he would have stayed there in mesmerised not-sleep had he not been spoken to directly and woken up.

He blinked and breathed deep, looking around like he had just been asleep before aiming a sheepish but friendly grin at the apologetic guy beside him. "No, no you're alright, I was miles away." he said lightly, brushing it off, his mind briefly pointing out that his new friend was quite attractive in the way it tended to do. "You know the product is good when it hypnotises your customers. I'm Merwyn." he added, brandishing a hand to be shaken in that no holds barred kamikaze way he had of making friends. It had gained him as many bewildered looks and people walking away from him as it had new contacts, but he wouldn't forgive himself if he let a possible soul mate pass by just because he'd been too shy to say hallo. "Here, let me buy that for you." he added, a rat-a-tat machine gun fire of conversation that left no room for a response in between, as though if he kept talking long enough the subject would conveniently forget that they were strangers.

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openbottle
2015-06-21 10:58 am UTC (link)

Seamus grinned right back, unphased by the immediate friendliness. He'd always been pretty friendly, and he'd gotten used to customers at work assuming he was on call to fill gaps in their social lives. He shook the offered hand warmly, nodding. "Merwyn, right. I think I've seen you around." Ordering expensive bottles at the bar, usually surrounded by people. "I'm Seamus." He studied Merwyn in the new light of 'day'. He was far from Seamus's usual type, but still definitely attractive. Was an offer of an ice cream the same as an offer of a drink? Seamus wasn't sure, but he stepped back a little to make room.

"Only if you'll sit outside and eat yours with me," he answered. "It's too beautiful a night to waste. What're you getting?"

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fallasleep
2015-07-15 10:58 pm UTC (link)

Something in Merwyn that had been expecting rejection lit up when Seamus responded to his slightly frantic energy with high energy of his own, that smile and that confident, friendly handshake. He tipped his head at Seamus, studying his face and trying to recall where he could place him. "Seamus?" he repeated, eyes narrowed and then widening with recognition. "Oh, Seamus! From the pub!" he beamed at his own recollection and memories of his nights there, although it turned a little self-conscious when he remembered the times he'd been too drunk to walk out under his own power. "Yeah, I must like owe you an ice cream by now." he teased.

He was momentarily taken aback by the outright offer of company but he didn't accept it as much as metaphorically grab it with all limbs and not let go. In reality he just bounced over to the counter and pulled his wallet out of a pocket. "No idea, how about you pick for me and we can go eat?" he suggested, gleeful at having found a friend.

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openbottle
2015-07-17 12:27 pm UTC (link)

Nodding, Seamus laughed. "That's me," he agreed. "But there's no 'owing' involved." Seamus didn't tend to let people run up too much of a tab without paying it, so as far as he was concerned there was no debt to be considered. Still, he wasn't going to say no when the payment also meant company for himself.

He surveyed the options again, glancing between the ice cream and Merwyn as if he could somehow divine the other's preferences. Perhaps someone else would have gone for something relatively 'safe' so as not to risk an awkward situation - but Seamus was too Gryffindor for that. If Merwyn didn't like his suggestion then he could make his own choice. "Honey-Pistachio or Peach Ice Tea," Seamus eventually announced. "I wanted to try both, but my heart always goes for the mint ice cream." The fact that it was chocolate-mint in this case really solidified the choice.

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fallasleep
2015-07-17 05:56 pm UTC (link)

Seamus was a sweetie! Merwyn chuckled but was going to follow through on his offer to pay in any case. He watched with amusement as Seamus mulled over the flavours, wondering what choice he'd make and maybe a little wicked in leaving the decision to the Gryffindor. He was impressed by the bold choice though and touched that Seamus didn't go for the one he wanted. He got the server's attention and didn't respond to Seamus until after he'd asked for "A Honey-Pistachio, Peach Ice Tea and Mint please." Blithely getting all three before finally turning to his new friend. "Did you want any of them in a cone or are you good with a cup?"

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openbottle
2015-07-20 03:16 pm UTC (link)

Seamus smiled back - anyone who ordered three ice creams when two would do was alright in his book. "Cup's better for sharing," he decided, getting the impression that that was rather the point of ordering all three. He liked cones, but sharing a cone was a little intimate with someone he'd just met, even for Seamus. While Merwyn settled the bill, Seamus went out to grab a table for the two of them. They had the shop front pretty much to themselves, which was hardly surprising given the time of day. Most people were probably home tucking into their dinners, rather than out buying ice cream.

Still, just in case anyone did show up, Seamus picked one of the two-person tables and shifted the chairs so they could both people-watch instead of one of them having their back to Diagon Alley. He waved at Merwyn as he emerged from the interior and gestured him over. "So what brings you out for ice cream?" Seamus asked. "Have dinner early?"

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fallasleep
2015-07-26 09:41 pm UTC (link)

Good for sharing? That touched Merwyn's heart, because to do so was easy and just required the smallest of kindness to be shown to him, and so he got three cups of ice cream. "When you're right." he grinned. He paid and then juggled with the three cups on his way back out to where Seamus hadn't bolted off but had in fact grabbed them both a table.

"Hey, thanks." he said, putting the cups down and then blowing some of his fly-away blond hair out of his face before he took the seat next to Seamus, offering him one of the tiny spade shaped spoons that came with the ice creams. He speared up a divot of the Peach Ice Tea and slowly licked it off the spoon, nursing it to squeeze every enjoyable moment out of it that he could. He turned the spoon upside down in his mouth as he finally pulled it out clean and was ready to answer, taking out another scoop of ice cream as he did. "This is dinner." he laughed. "I just, I don't know. Fancied ice cream and ended up zoning out outside the counter."

He sucked at the ice cream on his spoon without eating it off, looking back at Seamus. "How about you? Do you really need a reason for Florean's though, is the question." he added playfully.

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openbottle
2015-07-28 01:38 pm UTC (link)

Though he was curious about the other, more adventurous, flavours, Seamus still went for the dark chocolate mint first. If it was good, it might have to feature heavily in his birthday celebrations. Mint was his favourite, which was unsurprising, given his habit of chewing raw mint leaves. He didn't usually love chocolate ice cream, though he liked chocolate chips in other flavours, but the fact that it was dark chocolate was interesting.

In the time it took Merwyn to eat one spoonful, Seamus had had two - and was frowning slightly. "I... don't know what I think of this," he admitted, tipping the cup towards Merwyn, inviting him to have a taste. "It... is it weird to say it tastes too real? Mint ice cream is usually sort of fake. Sweeter than real mint, you know?" It was part of why Seamus liked it so much. "But this is sort of like those muggle chocolate things. The little squares?" He was rambling hopelessly, as he tended to do when his mind began spinning too fast, trying to tie too many things together. Dean or Susan could sometimes follow - though not always - and expecting a stranger to do so was silly.

He ate another spoonful, slower this time, while he considered Merwyn's question. "I may not need a reason - but I do have one, this time," he said. "I'm planning a birthday thing and I need to stock up on ice cream. I was having a look to see what flavours I might want."

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fallasleep
2015-08-02 03:07 pm UTC (link)

Merwyn raised an eyebrow in surprise at Seamus' distaste, leaning forward to take a little bit of the mint chocolate and tasting it cautiously in case he'd somehow acquired his new friend's tastebuds. "Yeah, I think you're right... but I like it better than the usual green stuff." he said, his tone apologetic even if he was just giving his opinion. "I like mint when it's more like the leaf, you know? I wonder if they have mint bushes here!" he said his attention suddenly hijacked by the thought and he sought around for said herb finding... none.

"Mint smells so good, it smells better than it tastes." he enthused and then dug a little dent into the third and so-far unloved ice cream, the Honey-Pistachio, distracted from putting it in his mouth by what Seamus then said. "Oh wow, a birthday thing? Your birthday or someone elses? I suppose yours if you're getting the ice cream, but they could have just asked you to choose it for them... oh! Happy Birthday!" he added with a beaming grin before finally putting the already melty spoonful into his mouth. "I don't like pistachio." he commented immediately after doing so.

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openbottle
2015-08-04 04:18 pm UTC (link)

Seamus laughed openly when Merwyn started looking around for mint bushes. "Ask me next time you're at Finnigan's," he suggested. "I've usually got some mint leaves around - I got into the habit of chewing them, and chef keeps a plant in the kitchen for me." Alright, so the plant had originally been bought for cocktails that required mint, but that was so long ago that it hardly seemed to matter. "I like the green ice cream too though. I like that it's sweeter - makes it a bit different." He shrugged, but made a mental note to drag Dean to the shop some time for his opinion.

"My birthday," Seamus confirmed with a grin. "But it's a bit early for 'Happy Birthday's yet. It's still -" he paused to count "nine days away. Thanks, though." He watched Merwyn taste the last ice cream with another laugh. He reached across and helped himself, pleased to find little flecks of actual pistachio scattered through the ice cream. He gave a satisfied hum. "More for me, then," he said cheerfully, "because I do." He licked his spoon clean before spearing a little of the Peach Iced Tea and slurping it thoughtfully. "Tastes mostly of peach, doesn't it?" he asked, frowning a little. Peach was nice, but he wasn't getting a lot of any 'iced tea' flavour.

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fallasleep
2015-08-05 11:14 pm UTC (link)

Merwyn was delighted with being offered some of the plant when he was at the pub next and his appreciation was obvious in his expression. "That would be so amazing! I've never chewed mint leaves before! I'd just want to, I don't know, tie them into my hair or something so I can smell of fresh mint all the time." he laughed, both at the idea and at himself. "I think maybe it's too sweet for me?" He pondered the mint issue. "But that doesn't explain my love for chocolate."

He was pleased to see that he'd guessed right but hand waved the small matter of being nine days early away. "Hey, you've got to celebrate it while you can, right? Why not start now? Ten day birthday, I think so." he agreed with himself, teasing. He watched Seamus try out the pistachio and gleefully pushed the little tub over so that his new friend could reach it easily. "So a yes for the birthday ice cream bar then?" he asked with amusement.

"Yeah, I think there's a little tang of tannin in the base there... but I'm not a big tea lover either so I like the peach." he commented about the Peach Iced Tea. "Hey, I tell you what. You decide what you want for the party and I'll foot the bill, no problems." he offered apropos of nothing but the fact that Seamus had been kind to him.

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openbottle
2015-08-10 10:14 pm UTC (link)

"Well, feel free," Seamus said, amused by the idea - and picturing Merwyn's fine hair adorned with leaves. "They're not for everyone, but you should try." Seamus had gone through a period of evangelising mint leaves to all his friends, none of whom had enjoyed them like he did. It was worth another shot, with another person. "I like them much better than mint sweets now."

Seamus gave a pleased sigh, remembering the time in his life when he might once have got away with a ten day birthday. "I think I'm a bit busy for that nowadays," he said, but he didn't sound upset. His life was successful, mostly, and that meant he was busy. "Definitely a yes for the birthday ice cream bar," he agreed.

Seamus shook his head, taken aback by the offer but not considering accepting for a moment. "I've got it taken care of," he said. "But I appreciate the offer." He toyed with the idea of inviting Merwyn along, but on the strength of one meeting it didn't seem completely sensible.

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fallasleep
2015-08-22 01:17 am UTC (link)

Merwyn had done a lot more for a lot less before now in his attempt to befriend the entire world, and that included things that he knew he didn't like and knew were dangerous; he'd rather be entertainment and kept around for that than ignored and forgotten. He was genuinely ready to try Seamus' suggestion though, tickled by the idea and even beginning to seriously consider his idea of putting them in his hair.

He pouted to hear that Seamus was too busy for a ten day birthday but pleased that the ice cream bar was a confirmed idea. He felt awkwardly rejected personally even though he knew it was just a rejection of his spending all that money (or thought it was anyway) and he nodded with a smile that it was okay. "If you're sure?" he asked, just to make sure. "You deserve it, looking after all those drunk people every night."

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