Tweak

InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "away an' bile yer heid!!"

Halo's Cast (cast_no_shadow) wrote in mistaken_pieces,
@ 2009-01-30 22:00:00

Entry tags:

! ip, - 2020 september, - muggle london, [player: halo], [player: mandy], acevona sumner, ariana silver, darl rayne, neville longbottom

September 30, 2020 - Professor's Night Out
Who: Ari, Ace, Neville, Darl
Where: Muggle London
When: Friday evening
Rating: R. I mean. What?
Status: Closed, ongoing

Summary: baby did a bad, bad thing

There'd only been one tiny little incident, only because she really couldn't resist. But the magician must have been a newer sort, and still nervous in crowds because she'd flustered him a little. So she'd behaved the rest of the time, and made a note that the next time they did this ... she'd find a magician she was familiar with.

One who could take a joke.

"So," Ari said as she glanced over to her companions. "Where are we headed for drinks? The Leaky, The Three Bs, the Hogshead, or some Muggle establishment?"

It wasn't as though she'd have trouble with Muggle money, and they were all dressed like Muggles. It could be fun.

Acevona shook her head slightly. "Depends on how you're going to behave when you've had a few in you. Or, you can hand over your wand to me before you start drinking."

Ari looked affronted. "Hand over my wand? Just so I don't ..."

"Get in trouble?" Ace prompted. "Yes."

Acevona glanced to the men to see what their opinion on the matter was.

(Post a new comment)

unrulybehaviour
2009-01-31 09:13 pm UTC (link)

Darl snickered.

"I wouldn't recommend a Muggle establishment," he said with a slow nod. "Not if the evens of this evening are any indication."

He smirked at Ari.

"Hogshead?" Neville offered. He had a bit of a soft spot for the location, since the war. But he'd be willing to go just about anywhere right now.

"That was absolutely fascinating," he said after a moment. "If he hadn't reacted so strongly when Ari... I would have sworn that man was a wizard."

"Isn't that the point?" Darl pointed out with a mild chuckle. He had been just as convinced in places, but he wasn't going to admit it.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-01-31 10:11 pm UTC (link)

"He was good," Ari admitted. "And the Hogshead sounds fine," she decided as she glanced to Acevona.

"Fine," she echoed the others. She did watch Ari and Darl curiously, and wondered if she just imagined Ari's attraction to the man. Vaguely amused at her own thoughts, Acevona slipped her hands into her pockets, thumb skirting along her wand as she did.

Never leave home without it, after all.

"To Hogsmeade it is," Ari murmured. "Though I'll have you know," she said pointedly to Darl, "I can behave just fine in a Muggle establishment, with or without my wand."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-01 01:44 am UTC (link)

Darl held up his hands in a gesture of surrender - but then he grinned.

"Perhaps now," he allowed. "But I heard a rumour about how you become quite... silly when you've had a few drinks?" he smirked. "We'd hate to terrify a few Muggles who are just out for an evening drink."

Neville rolled his eyes. "You'd love every minute of it," he said shaking his head. "And when the Ministry officials burst in with their obliviate charms, and snap your wands..."

Darl scoffed. "Oh come on Neville - lighten up a bit. Where's your sense of adventure?"

"I believe it's being overruled by sense in general," he said, amused.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-01 02:03 am UTC (link)

Ari laughed before she slugged Darl's shoulder playfully. "Me being silly would terrify the Muggles?" she said. "I think I'm hurt, and insulted, and some other negative things."

"They wouldn't snap wands," Ace murmured, even though she was fairly certain Neville had just been exaggerating. "Not unless we were breaking laws, and even then there'd be a trial first."

Fingers lifted absently to toy with the silver chain around her throat. She didn't usually wear the charm out, but it was nice with the dress she'd worn for the outing.

Ari grinned, inhaling the cool evening air as they walked along. As soon as they found a good place to apparate ... she thought they should do that.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-02 12:59 am UTC (link)

Darl put on his best indignant expression, clutching his arm as though he had been horribly injured. It took a massive amount of self-restraint and a sharp awareness of how many people were around to keep himself from yelling as though in great pain. "Miss Silver!" he said, voice laced with playful shock. "I'll have you know that I bruise like a peach!"

He turned desperately to Ace, already rolling up the sleeve of his shirt. "Am I bleeding Doc? Is it serious? Are you going to have to amputate, like the Muggles did in the old days?"

Neville rolled his eyes at the dramatics, searching for a good location for them to apparate. He wasn't really interested in participating in the fun at the moment.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-02 01:09 am UTC (link)

Ace quirked a brow before she took Darl's arm, studying it. "Oh, yes. Definitely. Amputation at the shoulder. You aren't going to need your arm for anything, right?"

Ari quirked a brow, and grinned at Darl. "Maybe you should see if she could kiss it and make it better," she offered suggestively, a grin flirting across her lips.

She decided she wouldn't mind kissing it better, though she wasn't going to venture down that path.

Acevona shook her head before she glanced to Neville, wondering if he was all right. "I think that alley there should do," she murmured, gesturing toward a narrow, dark alley.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-02 03:56 am UTC (link)

"Nah," Darl said, peering at his arm as well - as though to check and make sure that yes, indeed, it was perfectly fine and didn't require any sort of amputation. "I can get one of the students to stir the potions for me. Shouldn't be an issue."

He grinned a bit to Ari's suggestion, and winked at Ace, but made no further mention on the subject. He wasn't interested in making her uncomfortable, and he doubted that she was interested in kissing his arm better, regardless of whether or not it needed it.

Neville turned in nearly a full circle before he faced where Ace was pointing, grinning somewhat sheepishly. "Didn't see it," he admitted. Truth be told, looking for a place to apparate had been an excuse to occupy his time while the others goofed around. He started to move toward it.

"Need someone to hold your hand so you can side-along Neville?" Darl asked innocently, as he followed Neville into the alley.

Neville raised an eyebrow at Darl. "Best be careful. I could splinch that arm of yours - then it really would be amputated."

"Well in that case," Darl said, offering a wink to the ladies before he and Neville turned sharply on the spot, planning on arriving outside the Hogshead, waiting for the others to do the same.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-02 10:14 am UTC (link)

"I'm not standing in your way, am I?" Ace said quietly to Ari, catching her before she could apparate away.

Ariana smirked, then shook her head. "Are you?" she murmured to the dark haired woman.

"You really don't need to keep trying to push us together. Really." Ace thought it was fairly obvious that Ari and Darl were a good match - much better than she and Darl would have been.

Ariana nodded. "Too obvious?" she grinned when Ace grinned. "All right. I'll lay off. And try to behave. I only promise to try though," she insisted before she pivoted and apparated to Hogsmeade, near the Hogshead.

Ace exhaled softly before she followed suit, glancing around for the men once she'd landed. "Ready, gentlemen?" she called quietly as she started toward them, with Ari falling into step beside her.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-02 11:03 pm UTC (link)

"Thought you might've forgotten where the place was," Darl said with a smirk. "Or that we had. I was following Neville, and I'm not sure he's the greatest with directions..."

Neville chuckled. "I could never forget this place," he said to Darl with a smile. "Too many memories associated with it, from back when it was a stronghold during the war."

Darl smiled, nodding to Ace as he started to move toward it. "Oh yes. That."

Neville smirked. "Yes Darl. That."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-02 11:19 pm UTC (link)

"Neville's just fine with directions," Ari said to Darl as she and Acevona joined up with them. Not that she knew what Neville's sense of navigation was like ... but she'd defend him anyway.

Ace remained quiet. She'd been too young to actually fight during the war - she'd been shuffled out with the others, though she would have stayed. Still, she understood what Neville meant.

Ari rested a hand lightly on Neville's shoulder as she glanced over to him .. but she supposed if he didn't want to be here, he wouldn't be.

Ducking inside, she looked around for a table, moving over toward one in a relatively quiet corner.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-03 06:56 am UTC (link)

Neville reasoned there'd been some bad communication on his part - he had positive memories of this place, and the role that it had served during the war, but he supposed that it was needless to get into that right now.

He followed Ari over to the corner she was headed for, snagging extra chairs as needed.

"Right then," Darl said soberly, not really liking the tension that seemed to have developed. "So we're all having butterbeer then, right?" His eyes twinkled lightly in response to his own joke.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-03 09:09 am UTC (link)

"Well, you are. We've been told not to let you drink anything harder than that," Ari said with a slight grin as she settled down at the table. "Something about you getting silly...?"

"Think that was you," Ace murmured as she eased into one chair, glancing around curiously to see who else was there. Her eyes caught briefly on a familiar profile, and she frowned slightly but let it go as she returned her attention to her group, an easy smile on her lips.

"Right ... right that was me, wasn't it?" Ari shook her head and smiled. "Well, we'll risk it for tonight, see how that goes," she decided with an impish grin.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-03 10:09 pm UTC (link)

"What fun is it to be in a bar if you can't drink?" Darl said, sounding indignant before he leaned over slightly to loudly stage whisper to Ari, "It's all right - I'll let you share some of mine, if you want."

Obviously, he thought that she was going to get her own regardless, but he thought he could make a bit of a joke about it first.

Neville chuckled slightly. "Why do I have the nasty feeling that we're going to be levitating the both of them home?" he asked Ace.

He didn't really mean it though - he liked to think that though they were joking about it right now, Ari and Darl had more sense than that.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-03 10:32 pm UTC (link)

Ace chuckled softly as she glanced to Neville. "Well, at least it isn't that far if we have to - and it isn't that cold yet." She grinned lightly as she glanced to Darl and Ari. When the barmaid came around, she ordered a firewhiskey for herself, using the distraction to glance again to the familiar being - briefly though, not wanting to draw attention to them, or herself.

She reasoned Isaac would inform her if it was something she should be in on.

Ari smiled and ordered a very girly mixed drink before she bumped lightly against Darl. "I could share mine with you, too, if you wanted."

Which she also doubted, but she was never known for being the first one to drop a joke.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-03 11:38 pm UTC (link)

"Took the thought right from my head, Miss Sumner," Darl said with a smirk, ordering a firewhisky for himself as well. "And he'll have what she's having," he said quickly before Neville could pipe up with his order, pointing between Neville and Ari quickly so the barmaid would know who he was referring to.

Neville rolled his eyes, and shook his head, nodding to one of the specials to indicate to the barmaid what his order was, even as Darl attempted to convince the woman that he really wanted what Ari was having.

"Or we could leave them here," he mused to Ace. "Maybe they would make some new friends."

He glanced over to her, wondering if he was imagining that she seemed somewhat distracted. Though he supposed it wasn't any of his business if she was.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-03 11:53 pm UTC (link)

"I would make new friends," she said. "Ace would just scare away new friends. What with her ... mean looks and ... whatnot."

"There," Ace murmured. "She doesn't even need to be drunk to be incoherent. Just the mere idea does it," she concluded with a smile.

Her shoulders tensed slightly as she saw motion at the other table that could be a wand being drawn, and she dropped her hand to her own ... before she relaxed.

And realized she was completely failing at subtle tonight.

Even Ari didn't miss that, and she flicked her eyes in the direction Acevona had been looking ... but she saw nothing really interesting. A couple of guys making a trade or a purchase or something. She shrugged and glanced to Darl with a grin.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-04 01:56 am UTC (link)

"Mean looks," Darl agreed, completely oblivious to whatever it was that was catching the other's attention - mostly because he was waiting for their drinks to arrive. It had been a while since he'd been out, and he was looking forward to having some drinks and a bit of fun, and thus wasn't paying attention to the potentially suspicious characters in the vicinity.

Neville glance to Ace curiously - no, she was definitely on edge, he wasn't imagining it. "Friends of yours?" he asked lightly, wondering if she'd share or if she'd try to brush it off as nothing. He'd be willing to let it slide, he supposed, if she insisted.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-04 09:01 am UTC (link)

"Friend of mine," she agreed. "One that tends to find himself a fair bit of trouble, whether or not he's looking for it," she murmured before she did her best to put a relaxed 'nothing wrong here' smile in place. It looked like they were about done, anyway.

As they rose to leave, she caught his eyes, brows elevating. He winked at her then made a slight face before he turned toward the door. Her lips tugged briefly into a thin line, but she sighed and let it go.

And she really hoped Isaac got in touch with her soon. If she had to track him down, there would be words.

Ari glanced to Ace, grinning a little. "Just a friend?" she replied before she laughed softly and waved it off. "Mean looks," she confirmed to Darl. "She could've been a professor with some of the looks I've seen her give me."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-05 12:23 am UTC (link)

Darl took a moment to wonder where the conversation had gotten sidetracked like that, and he blinked in confusion before he turned his head to follow Ace's and noticed the men. He frowned, but only slightly, before he turned his head back to Ace.

Now that it had been pointed out, it did seem like there was more than just 'oh hey, I recognized a friend in Hogsmade' going on. But he wasn't going to make a big show about asking.

Neville was concerned, mostly because of Ace's reaction, but he wasn't certain it was any of his business. He looked at her with brief concern, not wanting to press but wanting her to know that he wished to be there as a friend, if she needed it.

He supposed though, that if she wanted a friend, she would go to Ari. Perhaps this was an issue that she needed a female friend for.

Darl chuckled to Ari's assessment. "Do you give lessons?" he teased Ace briefly before turning his attention back to Ari. "I'm not convinced that I have the 'mean look' down yet. Think I sympathize with the wrong-doers too much. Doubt I'm very threatening."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-05 12:34 am UTC (link)

"Oh, she gives lessons," Ari said, waggling her brows playfully before she glanced to the waitress delivering their drinks. Finally. She lifted hers to her lips, taking a small sip as she studied her companions. Her eyes lingered on Neville, briefly, though he was watching Ace a little, and she smiled.

And wondered when she'd become such a matchmaker.

Shrugging it off, she extended her foot under the table to nudge Darl's lightly.

Ace smiled to Neville in response to his look. "It's nothing," she said softly, though she didn't expect him to believe it. Then she swung her eyes back to Darl, and shook her head. "I could give lessons, but then you'd know all my secrets, and we just can't have that."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-05 06:15 am UTC (link)

Darl eagerly accepted his drink from the waitress, grinning brightly. He very nearly jumped when he felt someone nudging him under the table, and looked around briefly, somewhat bewilderedly before he caught on and tried to brush it off, and be more subtle about it - because really, he was being ridiculous and obvious.

"All your secrets, hm?" he said to Ace with a twinkle in his eye. "You've got me curious now - what sort of secrets am I not supposed to know?"

He reasoned that was why they were secrets, but he wondered if she'd share any all the same, whether real or made up.

Neville didn't believe her - but he didn't expect that she thought he would either. But he nodded his head, offering a small smile that didn't reach his eyes to show that he'd been appeased before turning back to the conversation at hand.

He accepted his drink with a thankful smile, and when Darl jumped he looked mildly confused for a moment, but then he understood. He rolled his eyes, wondering how it was possible for someone to be so oblivious, and shook his head slightly.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-05 08:56 am UTC (link)

"Well, if I told you, they wouldn't be secrets anymore," she murmured before she sipped her drink slowly, in part to hide her smile at the way he was reacting to whatever Ari was doing under the table.

She resisted the urge to pull her eyes toward the table her .... friend had been at. They were gone, now, and she'd simply have to deal with her curiosity on the matter. Instead, she smiled over to Neville, wondering if he'd press later, when they were alone ... and she wondered how much she might tell him.

Ari was hard pressed not to laugh at Darl's reaction. "Sorry," she murmured with a slightly impish grin. "My foot must have slipped."

She sipped her drink as she watched him curiously, her tongue idly teasing at the edge of her glass as if she were deep in thought about something.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-05 04:11 pm UTC (link)

The only reason he really noticed her tongue was because he'd been smirking at her anyway - he wondered if there would come a time when he would stop being so oblivious to things - and on the heels of that thought, he wondered if she was being intentional with the way her tongue was moving on the glass. He reasoned she... probably was. And that turned him on more than he really thought it should have, and he stared at her unabashedly, his mouth falling open slightly.

Neville was far less oblivious to the situation, and smiled slightly. It was nice. They seemed to get along well, and had a good rapport. He could release on this - it had just been vague inklings of interest anyway.

Tilting his head in Ace's direction, he teased lightly. "These are really the sort of 'If I tell you, I'll have to kill you' secrets?" he said, amused. "In this day and age?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

muddled_mistake
2009-02-05 06:03 pm UTC (link)

Ari very nearly had to spit back some of her drink at Darl's expression when he - apparently - caught sight of her tongue. "Darl," she said softly after she'd swallowed. "You're staring."

While it was both amusing and a little flattering, she thought maybe he ought not stare at her like that. In public. In front of Acevona. But Ari was hard pressed not to grin, and she ran her toes (having slipped out of her shoe) up the side of his calf beneath the table.

At least, she hoped it was his.

"No, but if I told, I'd have to face the wrath of the high Goom-bah for spilling the news about the Secret Order of Loyal Waterbuffaloes," she teased him lightly. The fibs that edged closest to the truth were the most fun ... and it wasn't as though the 'watchers were completely secret. They just ... didn't go about announcing their memberships to everyone.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-05 10:20 pm UTC (link)

He flushed slightly, shaking his head slightly to dislodge the stare before moving his eyes back to hers. He grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry," he said hastily. "Must've... erm. Got lost in thought," he said. And not entirely proper thought, either, he chastised himself.

Neville was... pretty sure she was joking, and he chuckled slightly. All right. He wouldn't press. "Well, I wouldn't want you to incur the wrath of the Most High Goom-bah," he said with a solemn nod. "Though the Secret Order of Loyal Waterbuffelos sounds intriguing. Are you accepting new members?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-05 10:45 pm UTC (link)

"We're always recruiting," Ace murmured to him - and while he may have been joking, she wasn't. Not entirely. She knew Neville had a bit of a history with the war, and likely some involvement in the Order. That was merely speculation, but given who his classmates were ... well, it stood to reason.

Perhaps she'd have to keep an eye on him, see if he was inclined to join the 'watchers. She could nominate someone at their next inductions.

"Were they at least good thoughts?" Ari murmured to Darl before she sipped at her drink. She did wonder where his thoughts had headed, but from that expression, she thought she had a pretty good idea.

She wondered how he'd take it if she invited him back to her room.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-06 01:32 am UTC (link)

"Define good?" Darl said, clearing his throat as he thought about how to answer that question. "They were... ah. Pleasant thoughts."

He sipped his drink.

"Wouldn't exactly call them good though."

Neville grinned, sipping at his drink as well. "Well perhaps I could come down and visit at your next meeting," he said with a grin, no idea what he was half signing himself up for.

He glanced briefly over to Ari and Darl and found himself wondering if Darl thought he was being subtle. He chuckled once and shook his head.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-06 01:40 am UTC (link)

Ari grinned lightly. Maybe once they were back in the castle, she'd ... encourage Darl toward her room. It was promising, at any rate, and even if all they did was chat and goof around, it would still be fun. "Maybe you'll have to share a few with me later," she murmured, a wicked little grin tugging at her lips.

Acevona studied Neville curiously before she bobbed her head in a slight nod. "Perhaps so," she agreed, grinning a bit herself. Oh, it was unlikely - but perhaps. If their next meeting wound up being nominations and inductions, then perhaps he'd be there.

If he was even interested. Perhaps his days of fighting dark wizards were past.

Though she doubted that. Her eyes flicked briefly to Darl and Ari, and she made a note to try to excuse herself and Neville from their company as soon as they got to the castle. Not that she thought either would be shy about inviting the other to their room, but ... better to be out of the picture all the same.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-06 08:43 pm UTC (link)

Darl licked his lips slightly, and wondering if he was misinterpreting what she was insinuating. He didn't think so though - not with that look she was giving him.

"Maybe I will, if you're agreeable to it," he said. "Maybe I'll even share more than just idle thoughts, if you're inclined."

He offered her a wicked smirk.

Neville grinned a bit to Acevona, and his eyes were drawn briefly to Ari and Darl. He was mildly amused at how awkward the situation was making him feel. He smirked a bit at himself and how he was trying not to watch Ari and Darl flirt, so as not to invade on their 'privacy'... and yet they were being entirely open and public about their flirting.

Still, he sipped absently at his drink and gazed around the bar curiously, for the moment, lost in memories.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-06 09:57 pm UTC (link)

"Subtlety, thy name is Ariana," Ace murmured to the redheaded professor before she shook her head slightly. "Should we go sit at another table?" she inquired. "Leave you two to your googly eyes and footsie under the table?"

Ari flushed slightly. "Well, we'll try to tone it down," she said to Ace, grinning a little despite herself. Her eyes flicked to Darl and she nodded. "I might be inclined to have you share a little more than your ideas," she agreed.

"If that's toning it down," Ace murmured, "I'd hate to see stepping it up." Her eyes flicked again to Neville and she wondered if he was all right with this, or if they were making him uncomfortable.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-07 02:44 am UTC (link)

Darl flushed as well - though of course others would have noticed their flirting. He grinned a bit to Neville. "Perhaps, for balance sake, you should step it up. Really Neville - you're making people uncomfortable."

Neville smirked, and raised an eyebrow. "Unlike you, Professor Rayne, I prefer to keep my indiscretions private. Not on display for the entire bar." He grinned. "I'm sorry if that makes you uncomfortable."

Truth be told, he was a little uncomfortable at the display, but only because he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to it.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-07 03:31 am UTC (link)

Ari swatted Darl's shoulder. "That's not right," she reprimanded him. "He might not even be interested in ... that." She'd been about to say 'interested in Ace' but ... well, no need to embarrass either of them any more than they already were.

"You have indiscretions?" she inquired suddenly, having just caught on. He hadn't struck her as the indiscretion having sort.

Acevona ran her fingers through her hair lightly. "So I see it takes half a drink to poke large holes in your mind-to-mouth filter," she teased Ari lightly.

"No," Ari corrected. "It takes half a drink to render me completely tactless. There's a difference. My apologies, Professor Longbottom. You certainly don't have to regale us with tales of your indiscretions."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-07 04:38 am UTC (link)

Neville chuckled. "Apology accepted," he teased. "Though if I were to... hm? Regale you with tales? It wouldn't last very long," he grinned. "As you implied, I do not have very many."

"Oh come on," Darl said, voice almost a whine. "Everyone has an indiscretion or two. You haven't had enough to drink yet," he waved both hands in an upwards sweeping gesture. "Go on. Keep drinking and then tell us about those indiscretions."

"A better idea," Neville said with a smirk in Darl's direction. "Why doesn't someone else have a turn?" He was mildly satisfied by the way Darl shifted awkwardly in his seat.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-07 04:44 am UTC (link)

Huh. It was no fun when it was turned back around. Her story wasn't really one she wanted to get into, and she almost absently ran her thumb across the finger where - not so long ago - a ring had rested.

So rather than speak, she sipped her drink.

Ace pressed a hand lightly to her lips. "So moving away from the topic of indiscretions," she said, perhaps a bit pointedly. "Do we want to take bets on when the first snow that sticks is going to fall?" It was a safe topic - or so she thought, but she was beginning to wonder if Ari could twist everything into something unsafe.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-07 06:07 pm UTC (link)

Darl pounced on the subject change. "End of November," he said almost immediately, shifting in his seat awkwardly until he got comfortable again, smirking slightly at Ace. "I've got a good feeling about November this year."

Neville noted Ari's silence with some curiosity, his brow furrowing as he looked at her, as though he could determine what had upset her from the look on her face - which, of course, he could not. He noted the way her hand moved, but did not make the connection.

"It wasn't until December last year," he said. "And then it disappeared, didn't it? Didn't come back until January?"

"End of November," Darl said, slamming his fist lightly down on the table twice. "I stand by my assessment."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-07 06:15 pm UTC (link)

"Early November this year," Ace said as she withdrew a sickle and set it on the table. Well, they were taking bets, right? "Within the first week," she continued.

Ari looked thoughtful. "December's too late," she said to Neville with a little nod. "I think the first one will be the end of October, but it won't stick. Mid-November. Late in the second week," she said with a grin as she added a sickle to the one on the table.

"Sticking with late November, Darl, or are you going to see reason?" Acevona inquired curiously.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-07 11:28 pm UTC (link)

Neville scratched at his nose. "Am I getting the dates mixed up?" he said, amused. "I swore it was an issue that they weren't going to have snow for Christmas..."

He grinned, and shrugged. "November 18th," he said, being daring with his sickle.

"No no, I'm telling you. End of November!" Darl said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sickle as well. "28th, or 29th. None of this 18th rubbish."

At this point, he knew he was probably wrong. But he was sticking to his original guess. Probably stupidly.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-07 11:41 pm UTC (link)

"It was an issue for who?" Ari inquired, studying Neville curiously. "They've always got snow for Christmas," she pointed out. "Every holiday I stayed here, anyway, there was snow." Though that had been ages ago; maybe the world had shifted enough that the snow really was coming later.

Ace nodded slightly before she swept the money into a pouch with a little grin, tucking in the paper she'd written everyone's guesses on. "Well, the first time it snows and sticks, we'll see who was closest," she decided.

Of course, with that topic more or less exhausted and Ari on her second drink of the evening - oh, Ace had noticed the stealth order - she thought maybe they should see about heading into the castle soon.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-08 03:10 am UTC (link)

Neville nodded. "Maybe I'm just getting confused," he agreed, frowning at his drink. Maybe they'd been worried about snow for Halloween, or something.

"It'll be be," Darl said to Acevona with a proud smirk, though he knew nothing of the sort. He wondered if they'd all be wrong, and the snow would come sometime in January. In which case, he'd be the closest anyway? He chuckled at his own thoughts.

Sipping the last of his drink, Neville smiled around the table. "So should we refill, or head in for the evening?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-08 03:14 am UTC (link)

"Think Ariana's a step ahead of us on the refill bit," Ace murmured, pleased to see that the professor actually looked surprised she'd noticed. But when observation was your job - when missing a little motion could be the death of you - you learned quickly to notice everything. "But it is getting late, and I, for one, am looking forward to my bed."

Ari grinned a little before she took a large sip of her drink. "Surprised you noticed," she murmured to Ace before she offered her drink to Darl if he wanted a sip.

"I don't miss much," Ace murmured.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-08 06:03 pm UTC (link)

Darl grinned a bit, and made a face at the drink to indicate he was unimpressed by the... girlishness of it. But he offered Ari a sip of his Firewhiskey and took her up on her offer as well, his face showing surprise.

"It's good," he told her with a nod.

Neville half rolled his eyes before turning to Ace. "Would you like an escort?" he asked politely. "We could leave these two to their games."

He paused, turning to Ari and Darl. "Unless you're ready to depart now?" he asked carefully.

Darl blinked at Neville, mouth slightly open as he took a moment to process what was being asked. And then he figured it out. He was largely indifferent on the subject of departure and offered an awkward grin and a shoulder shrug, looking to Ari to see if she had an opinion.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-08 06:30 pm UTC (link)

"Games," she replied with a little grin before she glanced to Darl as well. "I suppose we can head in," she decided before she finished off her drink. Walking, would be interesting. But she reasoned as long as she didn't try to apparate to the gate, she should be all right.

Ace opted not to make a joke about Neville escorting her to her bed as the question had implied. Instead she nodded. "Looks like we're heading out," she murmured to him.

Pushing back from the table, she fished out some coins to pay for their drinks and leave a decent tip; she reasoned if they were going to be doing this again, someone else could pick it up next time.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-08 09:32 pm UTC (link)

Darl nodded with a smile, gripping the edge of the table to steady himself as he got to his feet. But once he was up, he was okay. He could feel his knees shaking a bit, but nothing he couldn't handle. He didn't think. He might have to have one hand gripping Neville's shoulder as they walked back, but he reasoned he could manage.

He grinned over at Ari, wondering how she was fairing.

Neville hadn't even noticed what he'd implied with the question, and nodded to Ace's statement. When she started pulling out money, he felt a slight twinge of guilt and began reaching into his own pockets to see if he could find some change.

"Here, let me pay for some," he murmured to her, putting some coins down on the table. Enough, he thought, to pay for his drink and Darl's, if not most of it. He thought that if Ace insisted on paying, he might have to insist on at least paying for his own.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-08 10:01 pm UTC (link)

"Next time," Ace said as she swept the money back toward Neville with a very firm expression in place. "Believe me, I know where you live," she pointed out. "And I'm sure we'll be doing this again," she continued. "As long as we can put up with Miss Silver's exuberance."

Ari grinned as she stood up as well, pausing to catch her balance before she started toward the door. She eased an arm around Darl's waist, a contented grin on her lips as she glanced up to him.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-09 05:43 pm UTC (link)

"If you're looking for support, I might not be the best one to be clinging to, Miss Silver," Darl said, but he wasn't completely oblivious to her intentions this time - it was mostly teasing now. "My legs tend to give out on me when I've had something to drink." Even as he said it, he started to ease his arm around her as well, to - uh - better hold her up.

And he tended to be a bit of a ham about it, but that wasn't really the point he was trying to make at the moment.

Neville frowned a bit at first, but accepted the money back, offering a smile to Ace. "You really should at least let me pay for mine..." he said hastily, wondering if she would even allow it. He glanced to Ace and Darl, shook his head, and started after them. Might as well let them go first, so if they stumbled and fell, at least there'd be someone behind them paying attention.

Though really, with the noise they were sure to be making, he wondered if it would even really matter.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-09 05:49 pm UTC (link)

"Support? No. This time I was going for warm," she said innocently, with as straight a face as she could manage. "I heard it was snowing outside, or something," she continued, her lips quivering before they pulled up into a grin.

"Though I suppose if it isn't snowing, I should let go of you?"

Ace shook her head slightly. "If it will make you feel better, Professor. I'd hate to cause you any discomfort. But I don't mind, really. And like I said ... I'm sure we'll be doing this again. You're welcome to call 'it' for picking up the tab next time. I promise not to interfere."

There was a softly teasing smile on her lips before she glanced to Ari and Darl.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

unrulybehaviour
2009-02-09 11:36 pm UTC (link)

"That's not for another month," Darl insisted, raising his hand to look in front of him and holding up one finger, brandishing the arm a few times so that his balance nearly upset. "End of November, I'm telling you. Remember remember..." he paused, his nose wrinkling slightly as he frowned. "Wait that's... wrong..." he said, as he grinned almost bemusedly.

"It would make me feel better," Neville assured her. Mostly because he didn't like letting other people handle something he was capable of doing himself. It made him feel like a pushover. Or as useless as he'd felt during his teen years. He knew that was silly, but he couldn't help it, so he offered her the coins again.

"I'll call it for next time, and you can pay for your own to make up for it," he offered. Though in all likelihood, he'd insist again to cover the tab entirely at that time as well.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

cast_no_shadow
2009-02-10 12:14 am UTC (link)

"Well, we'll see," Ari teased him lightly, resting her head briefly against his shoulder before tilting her head to kiss his cheek softly. She didn't stay like that for long though; right now, walking required a little bit of focus.

Acevona chuckled. "Suppose if we ever go out on a date I'll know better than to offer to pay," Ace murmured to him before she held out a hand. She wouldn't want him losing sleep over a few sickles for a drink, after all.

(Reply to this) (Parent)