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Tweak says, "SeWA, Shores and hillies sucks"

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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bookshop_mama
2014-09-18 01:26 am UTC (link)

"It's very nice to meet you Lucy and Percy," Lisa said, and was about to prompt Christopher to do the same but Lucy was already leading Christopher off and peppering him with questions that he happily answered. Eying the flower bed with trepidation, Lisa hoped she could put to rights whatever havoc Christopher, his new friend and the soccer ball were bound to wreck upon it.

At his question, she grinned and shook her head. "Good god, no. My parents wouldn't have tolerated it. I had an hour of supervised physical activity in the morning and afternoon, but it was all very civilized. Ballet, fencing, that kind of thing." It came out much less bitter than it might have ten years ago, but she'd done a lot of growing up in that time. "How about you? Were you as full of questions as your little girl?"

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abidingpercy
2014-09-18 01:58 am UTC (link)

Percy smiled. He would have given anything for a childhood like that when he was younger. "If my mother's to be believed, I was worse, but at least I never came home filthy and covered in dirt, or accidentally enraged the garden gnomes. Personally, I'm quite envious of her energy and enthusiasm. There are times I feel much older than my age, but with her, I feel like a child again."

He motioned to a nearby bench and sat down. "Do you two live nearby? I don't think I've seen you around, though I work at the Ministry so perhaps that might be a good thing, depending upon your position on politics."

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bookshop_mama
2014-09-18 02:05 am UTC (link)

"Garden gnomes? Are those actually a thing?" Sometimes it amazed her how much she didn't know about this world she was living in. "Oh, I know what you mean. He goes full tilt from the time he wakes up until I force him into bed, and then he does it all again the next day. It's amazing." And she wouldn't change it for the world, even for all she was exhausted some days just looking at him.

The bench had a good view of the kids, Christopher was trying to show Lucy how to bounce the ball now, and the sight made her grin. Christopher hadn't had much contact with children outside of the story hour since they moved. She meant to do something about that, but time seemed to slip away. "Oh, I live above the bookstore. I own What the Book? I think I've seen you and Lucy in there, but I apologize I'm not at the point yet where I recognize all the regulars." And there were a lot of regulars, for which she was grateful. But then, without television and video games, books were one of the only forms of entertainment wizards had, so maybe it wasn't that surprising.

At the mention of politics, she just shrugged. "As long as no one's trying to throw me in prison because of my blood status, we're good. Though I was out of the country by the time it really got bad."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-18 02:16 am UTC (link)

"Oh, they're quite real and quite vicious at times. But if you can catch them and toss them before they have a chance to damage your garden, then your vegetables turn out much better." Percy couldn't count the number of time's he'd been sent off to toss the gnomes, though he fondly remembered the glee some of his brothers showed as they did the job. "And yes, it's quite amazing at that."

Percy held back a groan at the sight of the boy showing Lucy how to handle the ball. She was going to want one, he had no doubt, and would want to practice in the house. It reminded him of when she'd 'borrowed' a bludger from her Uncle George and he'd spent weeks putting items back together. It endeared him, however, to see her happily engaging with the young boy.

"That's all right," he said with a shrug as she mentioned not recognizing the regulars. "I'm not always as observant of those around me when I'm following her around and trying to prevent her from buying out the shop. But we'll certainly say hello on our next visit now that we've had a chance to meet properly."

He nodded. "That's quite understandable. It's a sad period in our recent history and it's a terrible shame that it happened, and that so many were affected by it." He to this day had some lingering guilt over his own actions - or rather inactions - during that time, but like so many, he'd feared for his life. He had, however, done what he could despite his own treatment under the old regime. "It is quite thankful that you missed it. Where out of country did you go? You and your son have quite interesting accents, though his is more pronounced than yours."

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bookshop_mama
2014-09-18 02:40 am UTC (link)

"I wonder if that's what's been in the flowerbeds at the shop," she wondered out loud. "Or are they more of a country creature?" Her flowerbeds could be the victim of a stray cat. "It's not considered cruel to toss them?" Perhaps she ought to have taken Care of Magical Creatures at Hogwarts, then she might know the answer herself.

She caught his look as he watched the kids, and chuckled. "We have an extra ball, if Lucy finds she can't live without one. And it's easiest if you set up rules that soccer is an outdoor activity only, right at the start." She spoke from experience, and Christopher still tried to bend the rules when he could.

"Yes, you should. And if you make it to story hour, Lucy can have a seat of honor at the front. Give you a break from trying to save your wallet." She laughed. "Though I do appreciate the patronage."

She sometimes felt guilty that she wasn't as affected by what had happened as some of her old friends, but she'd had quite enough of her own shit going on at the time. "San Francisco. My grandparents live there, so it was the most obvious place to head when I didn't have another choice. Decided to come back when Christopher showed signs of magic, and I wanted him to get to know his roots. There's a magical community in San Francisco of course, but it just seemed like the right time to come home."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-18 02:53 am UTC (link)

"I have one or two at my home here in London, but yes, there were far more where I grew up in the country. It may sound cruel, but it's the only way to get rid of them, and even then there's the occasional one that finds its way back. You have to be careful where you grab them, as well, lest they bite you," he added, completely seriously.

He gave Lisa a small, suspicious look, momentarily wondering if she was a legilimens or if he really was that easy to read. "Well, she's already having to learn that about broom riding, so perhaps it would be an easy link to make. Plus, perhaps I could send the ball along when she goes back to her mother's place." Now that was an idea that appealed to him.

"Story hour? Oh, we shan't miss it then. She loves stories of all kinds. Though I don't mind paying when the goods are worth it. I make a suitable salary with the Ministry and she's the only child I have, so I suppose it's my duty to spoil her a little bit."

He tilted his head, thinking that San Francisco was quite a long ways away. "I've never been across the pond but I've heard the city's quite lovely. I suppose you must miss it, do you not? And Christopher, it must have been quite an adjustment for him. Has there been any difficulty in assimilating back into the British world?"

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bookshop_mama
2014-09-19 01:30 am UTC (link)

She filed the information away, just in case she had occasion for it in the future. "Thanks. That could be helpful." She might also order in a book on the subject, since she'd always learned best from reading. She supposed she could thank her parents for that.

Laughing at his suspicious look, she patted his arm companionably. "We haven't gotten to brooms yet, though I'm sure it's only a matter of time. I've done some preliminary research on them, for when that time comes." The bit about Lucy's mother interested her. "You're a single parent too? I got the impression that wasn't all that normal around here." Or maybe it was unwed single mothers that were frowned upon by a certain section of the Wizarding population.

"I spoil Christopher too, more than I should probably. But I can't help it; he's a good kid, and has been great about all the changes." Minus the whining about video games, which had lessened to almost nothing in the past month.

She nodded. "I do, but I'm glad to be here too. I wouldn't trade my shop for anything, and there's not as much competition here as there would be in San Francisco. Even with the big chain stores, there's still a good deal of independents around." She looked over at Christopher, and sighed. "Mostly he misses the television, and the computer, but he's adjusting. I need to do something about school though. He really should have started this year. I do some lessons with him at home, but it's not the same. He needs the socialization, if nothing else."

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abidingpercy
2014-09-20 01:10 am UTC (link)

"Well, I don't know if it's quite normal or not, but I do suspect it's become a little more common since the last war," he said on being a single parent. "There is still qutie a bit of tradition about and the belief that two persons should be married if they have a child. I thank Merlin my family's a little more forgiving on that front, though my siblings will never let me forget that of all of us, I was the one who would have a child out of wedlock. I'm rather well-known for being a stickler to the rules."

He nodded in comiseration. "He does seem to be a charming sort. From what I've seen, he's not overly spoiled. You've done a good job with him, if you don't mind me saying."

Percy's ears metaphorically pricked up at the mention of school. It was a topic he was particularly passionate about, of course. "I know in some circles it isn't a popular opinion, but I believe the issue of school in some degree comes down to how familiar Christopher is with the wizarding world, and how capable he is of keeping a secret. The Statute of Secrecy is still in effect, so if Christopher goes to a Muggle school, he wouldn't be able to speak about our world without there being repercussions, and it wouldn't be fair to Muggles to have them be constantly obliviated. We don't have a school in our world for younger children, which is why many of us home school. I personally don't trust many people to give Lucy the education that I provide, though I admit I'm likely to have stricter standards than the average parent."

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bookshop_mama
2014-09-30 09:55 pm UTC (link)

"Sometimes it's the rule sticklers who break the most rules in the end," she said, grinning at him. And it was good to know that not everyone was so traditional. She'd been worried that Christopher would face some sort of stigma being the son of an unwed mother, but maybe even the Wizarding world changed with the times.

She looked over at her kid, and grinned. He was showing Lucy a trick with the ball, but tripped instead and landed in the grass. Instead of being upset over it, he started to laugh. They were getting on well, and it was nice to see him interacting with someone his own age again. He'd always been a social kid.

"I don't want to ask him to lie, but I also can't keep up the home school routine forever." She sighed. "Why isn't there some form of public elementary education for Wizarding kids? I have to admit, it doesn't seem right. Not everyone can afford a private tutor, or has the ability to home school." You'd think the Ministry of Magic would take that into consideration, but then nothing about the Ministry of Magic really made sense. "Sorry, I didn't mean to rant at you."

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abidingpercy
2014-10-02 02:12 am UTC (link)

Percy blushed a little at the thought of the few rules he'd broken in his lifetime, though very few people would ever know about them. "Let's keep that our little secret, why don't we. I'd hate for my brothers to think I was capable of further rule-breaking," he added with a wink.

He watched as the boy fell and Lucy went immediately to his side, helping him up and brushing grass from his clothes. She then went to get the ball to try the trick for herself, only for it to go flying into a nearby flower bed. He rolled his eyes and Lucy led Christopher into the flowers. "Please, for Merlin's sake, don't step on the flowers!"

He nodded. He understood the dilemma, he was caught in it himself. At the moment, there simply wasn't another option that he knew of. "There is no need to apologize, I agree with you. There is certainly value in it. Even if there were some sort of partnership with a Muggle school made up of Muggle children who already know about our world - the children of squibs and families of Muggleborn witches and wizards. There is so much work needed to open a school - a location, resources, funding, teachers..." He sighed. "We've only recently finished putting the Ministry to rights, at least mostly so. The idea of starting an entirely new insitution is... momentous, to say the least."

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bookshop_mama
2014-10-02 11:58 pm UTC (link)

Lisa laughed, appreciating the blush. Guys who blushed were adorable, at least she'd always thought so. "Do you have many? Brothers that is?" She'd always wondered what it would be like to have siblings to tease you over the little things, and to always have your back for the big ones. She thought it was nice.

Wincing at the near miss to the flowers, she sent Christopher a warning look that had him leading Lucy to a flower-free space. Satisfied that they'd stay out of mischief, at least for the next few minutes, she gave Percy a smile. "Those poor flowers wouldn't have stood a chance against them," she joked.

What Percy said wasn't anything of a shock to her, but it did make her sigh. "It's not that I mind home-schooling, we can do a lot more hands on learning this way, and go at his own pace, but I want him to be engaged with his own peers." And it would take someone more skilled than she to take on the ministry. "What sorts of activities do you have Lucy in? Is there any sort of children's community center?" She supposed she could always have more child friendly events at the store. Maybe it was time to look into that.

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abidingpercy
2014-10-03 02:21 am UTC (link)

Percy was surprised by Lisa's question. He was so used to people knowing most details about his family that it was... quite refreshing to meet someone who actually had to ask. "I have five brothers and one sister, but one of my brothers isn't with us anymore - he died in the Battle a few years ago." He had never been tempted to amend his statement and say he had four brothers. Fred was always a presence at Percy's shoulder, even in death.

"They're quite lucky there aren't any gnomes in the garden, or else they could have gotten bitten for their troubles," he added with a small chuckle.

"Lucy takes piano lessons, and has regular play dates with her cousins and the Fawley twins, my friend Alicia's children. There is no community centre per se, but I believe there is an attempt in the works to arrange for a regular parent-child event at Finnigan's. That could be helpful."

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