InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "but i want an oompa loompa now"

abidingpercy (abidingpercy) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-09-14 13:30:00

Entry tags:

character: lisa turpin, character: percy weasley, character: richard summerby

Who: Percy and OPEN
What: Sunday in the park with Percy and Lucy
Where: Monument Alley Park
When: September 14, afternoon
Status: Open / ongoing

"Please, Daddy?" Five and a half year old eyes looked up at Percy pleadingly.

"Oh, all right," he replied, looking as if he was making a great sacrifice by granting her wish, though it was no sacrifice at all. "Lift up your arms and hold on tight."

She did as instructed, practically vibrating with excitement as Percy lifted her into his arms. He couldn't resist a quick buss of her cheek as he swung her around and over to the wishing well where he perched her on the edge and wrapped his arms around her tightly in case she slipped. She looked down into the well, delighted beyond words, and from his sleeve he drew out a single coin.

"You know what to do."

She took the coin with overly careful fingers before screwing her eyes shut, moving her lips as she thought really hard, then opened her eyes to toss the coin into the well. As the coin hit the water with a splash, she squealed in delight.

"So, what did you wish for?" he asked as he did every time she made a wish at the well, and she responded the same way every time.

"I can't tell you that, Daddy. It won't come true!"

"That's exactly right, Pumpkin."

He lifted her from the edge of the well and swung her back to the ground, taking a moment to fix a lock of ginger hair before letting her go. He watched her run off to one of the flower beds, her red and gold robes bouncing along with her. He sighed happily. These were the days he lived for.

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the_richard
2014-09-15 01:05 am UTC (link)

With a grin, he glanced around them at the park. "Not in the Ministry now. Call me Rich. Easier on the little one to call me Uncle Rich, too. My younger brother used to make a right hash of Summerby when he was that age." His little brother Julian, who had been murdered by a pair of Death Eaters during the war. Let me know what she's interested in, and I'll see if I can't find her a few trifles when I'm abroad. Maybe get paid back by seeing a little girl smile."

He shook his head. "Was out at the track this morning burning out another prototype. Nothing anywhere near ready to run by you blokes. If I can break it, you just know some ordinary rider will be able to too. Not the sort of thing Bluebottle wants to have happen. But that was enough fresh air and sunshine for me. This is... call it window shopping." He gestured to the Alley around them. "I'm thinking the company made a mistake not investing heavily in Monument Alley; trying to get my ducks in a row to make a presentation to the senior partners this week. They're still a little... a lot... old fashioned when it comes to buying old buildings, refurbishing them, and leasing them out, despite Father and I doing quite well at it."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-15 01:38 am UTC (link)

"I think Lucy can manage Mr. Summersby quite fine, or even Mr. Rich. I'm doing my best to ensure she has a proper appreciation for how to address persons in various settings." He smirked. "She also has such a large number of uncles alrady that I often fear she will get them confused. As for her interests, thankfully she's phasing out of a princess obsession, though I did manage to use it to give her an appreciation of what it takes to be a world leader. My fear is that her next one will be something like horses because she will not be getting one of those."

Percy's eyes opened in interest at the news of a new prototype. "I look forward to seeing the model when it's ready for our office. In the meantime, yes, it's quite a lovely day for shopping. Have you any particular buildings on mind? I know some of the local businesses have purchased the buildings they're housed in, and the owners either live there or rent out the flats."

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the_richard
2014-09-15 02:49 am UTC (link)

Richard couldn't help but laugh. "Yeah, doesn't help I run to the reddish hair myself, does it? Do the lass a favor and draw her a family tree. Bad enough the way most of us are related somehow or other without having a map to go by." He shrugged. "I tend to avoid things that eat these days. But if she does go through that phase, I've got family on my mother's side over in France, wine country. We could pop over there on a Saturday for pony rides and the like. If the interest sticks, well, I know some people. Lessons and such. I started out with magical creatures; it may be where her future goes."

He sighed. "And here I am preaching to the man who actually has a daughter. More fool me, no? But what a wonderful thing her, and your, futures are."

"If the boffins haven't, I'll get them to send you the preliminary specifications so you can see where we're going. You see anything you don't like, let me know right away. We want the new brooms to be so stone solid and reliable you won't have any question about passing the final product. Until the spellworks locks down everything so well even I can't break the safety charms, you won't be seeing anything other than paperwork."

"Up to me, we'd buy everything still available." Rich shrugged again. "Things are really turning around. Just a little bigger than the size of my wallet, though, which is why I'm imvolving the seniors."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-15 03:21 am UTC (link)

"Oh, believe me, there's an extensive family tree in the works. Complete with pictures so that she gets a chance to know all of her uncles, even those who aren't with us anymore." He nodded at the mention of resources in France and elsewhere. "If the interest sticks, I'll be sure to let you know. I have my fingers crossed that the next interest will be potions, but perhaps I'm a little overly optimistic on that one."

He tilted his head at the sigh. "Believe me, I'm still learning. Hopefully, should I have another, I'll be much better at it, but I've found that a first child is a lesson in patience and terror in equal measures. I'm just glad that after the Battle, she will have a future."

He nodded enthusiastically. "I would very much like to see those specification. We can then get it on the books so that when a complete model is ready, the process can go much more quickly and smoothly. Of course it doesn't hurt that I enjoy news of a new broom on a personal level. It's advantageous in my work."

Percy quickly checked on Lucy, who was patting some soil around a toad lily as if she were the park's gardener, before glancing again at the buildings that made up Monument Alley. "It would be a sizeable investment. I know that there's a Local Business Bureau. Perhaps they might have some input or be willing to offer some suggestions for going prices. At the very least, it could give you some contacts for the area. I know they meet on Sundays at Finnigan's."

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the_richard
2014-09-15 04:15 am UTC (link)

Rich nodded. "Brooms and dragons caught my attention when I was her age. Never did give up on the brooms."

A speculative look came over his face. "You know, you or any of your inspectors want to come out to the design works, we'll put the kettle on. The boffin crew speaks Arithmancy rather than English most days, so let me know and I'll come translate. Poke where you like; we've nothing to hide. Especially, look at the rejects and failed designs. Grab any prototype you want and take it for a spin." He frowned. "The absolute junk I've been seeing out there every now and then... well... the more we can show your people, the better it will be for all riders in the long run. I know my Unlimited is no family broom, but in comparison to what some people are bringing to the tracks, you could paper it for every day use." Rich thought for a few seconds. "For that matter, we're going to start a limited pre-production run on the Family Broom in a few weeks. Make sure we have all the bugs out before we submit a final version. Would we be getting into ethical hot water if we were to hand them out to you and your people after I flight test them? Let Transportation have a final say before we do a production model?"

"Let me see if I can get the deep pockets on board. Otherwise, I'll take your suggestion on my own. Appreciate it."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-15 07:50 pm UTC (link)

"Textbooks and rules were what caught mine. It's no wonder my brothers think me boring," he said with a laugh.

"Actually, I believe that would be a better practice. If we get a look at them before they're on the market, then we can let you know if they have any issues that might contravene regulations. Most manufacturers wait until it's too late, and thus spend galleons recalling brooms and redesigning them that could have been saved by coming to us before the process was ready for public consumption. Though I believe I might have a long line-up of inspectors wanting to make such a visit."

He nodded. "I'm always pleased to lend a hand or some information. If you purchase some of the buildings here, will you be moving here as well? Though I'd imagine it would be a large step downward for you, wouldn't it. At the very least, it would give you an excellent excuse to know the neighbourhood, maybe even find yourself active in it."

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the_richard
2014-09-16 01:54 am UTC (link)

"Right. Remember those brothers from school. There's not boring, then there's manic. I'll err toward boring."

"Send them by whenever you want," Rich nodded. "I've got an office as head flight tester I never use; you lot are welcome to it. Got no concerns about the Family Broom, or the Two-Place, when we go into serious testing in a couple of months. Right, tight, and reliable, no pushing of limits." He glanced around to see if anyone was close enough to overhear. "Since you'll be getting the spec sheet in a day or two, no harm in letting you in on our secret now. The third broom we're working up, what I've been spending weekends tearing up the track with, is the one we call the Class C. High performance, right up to the limits of legal, good enough to take a rider from Novice all the way up and into C-Classification racing while still riding it every day. So you can see why we've got to be dead sure no owner can make a single change in any of the spellwork without going through the company and getting the registration pulled."

"Not so concerned about the status of the place - remember, I live in a converted furniture factory. No, there's a certain sentimental attachment for Clink Street. That was the first project Father and I took on together. Sort of a sign I'd finally grown up. Besides, I like my view over the Thames. It's like living in the country in the middle of the city."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-17 02:24 am UTC (link)

Percy had a sort of sly smile upon his face as the rest of Richard's details were explained. He couldn't wait until the next family dinner to sit across from his brothers and not tell them about all of these broom updates he'd just gotten. Even after these years and a certain amount of maturity, he secretly loved getting one up on them, at least when it came to things like this. "They'll be on their way this week," he promised.

"It sounds lovely. So close to everything, yet with privacy, and I can understand the sentimental attachment. At the very least, I look forward to seeing what you'll do with the available space. How many shops have you visited yet? There's a man, the brother of an old friend of mine, who builds his own brooms, very nice quality, and then there's Sweet Nothings, the local bakery which happens to be a favourite of Lucy's."

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the_richard
2014-09-17 03:34 am UTC (link)

Father and I have that one place over on Diagon proper, so I've been in and out of here quite a bit. This is just the first time I've really had a look at the traffic and watched shoppers." Rich shrugged. "Like I said, it will depend on the budget I have to play with. We just picked up the last building on our side of Clink Street, and it's a right proper fifteen-hundreds rabbit warren all chopped up into little cubbyholes, and the plumbing must date back to the Romans. Going to cost a bit to renovate and modernize. Rather work with cash than get a bank loan, so I may have to pass the Alley up."

His smile grew bigger. "If I'm not around to bring in a big bag of goodness from Sweet Nothings on Monday morning, the office boys are sent on an expedition. I've created a bunch of sugar addicts. The old gentlemen have even been known to swing by on their way home to get an order for the house."

"I know about Logan's shop. Truth be told, I've got a little place of my own up on the north side near the track where I work on my own brooms. You ever want a hand-made custom job, or a modified stock broom, let me know. I wouldn't have any concerns about you mucking about with the charms, so I could go right up the edge of what's legal without worrying about you going over. Takes me about three hours to do a decent modified, if you want to come learn the tricks. Build your Lucy a proper kid's broom at the same time if you like."

Richard was a broom enthusiast as well as a racer. It was his opinion that everybody else would be as much an enthusiast as he was, given the chance.

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abidingpercy
2014-09-17 05:57 pm UTC (link)

Percy was about to respond when he felt a tugging on his robes. He looked down to see Lucy's smiling face and her hand held out with a handful of flowers complete with roots intact. "Daddy, do you think we can plant these at home? They're pretty and would look nice under the window."

He looked from her to the flower beds and finally spotted where she had uprooted the flowers from and groaned softly. "Lucy, what did I tell you about taking flowers from the public garden? You've gone and gotten dirty, too."

"But Daddy, they're pretty. Maybe your friend would like some."

He looked apologetically up at Richard. "This is Mister Summersby, and I don't think he would like some right now. I think they'd be much prettier in the garden, don't you agree Mr. Summersby?" His eyes held a note of desperation and he hoped Richard would play along for now.

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	the_richard 2014-09-17 07:33 pm UTC (link)
	Rich did his best to keep a smile off his face. "Your father is right, Lucy. The flowers are here for everybody to enjoy, everybody's flowers. If you took them home, nobody else could see them. Don't you think that would be a little selfish of you?" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

abidingpercy
2014-09-18 01:32 am UTC (link)

Lucy pouted and looked down at the flowers in her hand. "But I just wanted something pretty to bring home, and we could plant them together."

Percy lowered himself so that he could look her in the eye and with a finger under he chin, lifted her face up. "We can still plant them together, just here where everyone can enjoy them. How does that sound."

The rapidity with which her pout turned into a grin let him know that he'd just been played and had fallen for a ploy for attention, but he couldn't begrudge her the effort. He looked up at Richard with a helpless shrug. "Well, I suppose we have a little gardening to do. All right, I'll send you an owl this week about the brooms, and we'll talk further once we've had a chance to get a look at the specs." He stood up and smiled. "It was nice to see you again, Richard. Perhaps we'll see you a little more often once you've made a few more purchases in the neighbourhood."

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