InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Stop! In the name of loooovvee"

Kun (takeupthemantle) wrote in valarlogs,
@ 2018-06-08 11:15:00

Entry tags:

albus dumbledore, vanessa cleveland

WHO: Vanessa and Albus
WHAT: Vanessa has a cricket and apparently Albus is a pest catcher
WHERE: Vanessa's place
WHEN: Backdated to about a week ago.
RATING: Low

Had Albus known that he'd be catching a mouse not long after this, he might not have volunteered to help Vanessa with her cricket problem. As it was, he didn't want to see the thing squashed and so there he was, ready to catch the cricket and simply put it back outside where it belonged.

Albus would be relish to admit that it was boredom that brought him there to Vanessa's, more than the cricket. Admitting so was to admit that one was idle of couldn't find peace in easy solitude. Who could really blame him, though? He was a young man and a scholar, and the thing about being the sort of student he was, friends and fun were difficult to come by at times. So, cricket catching it was.

For this one, Albus came empty handed. He knocked at the door of the address given to him and waited.

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filiampandora
2018-06-08 10:37 pm UTC (link)

Vanessa had actually been on her way out the door when Albus had offered to come take care of the cricket for her and it showed in how she was dressed when she opened the door just after he knocked. She'd stayed close to the front door, not really wanting to go back upstairs where the bug was in case it tried to attack her again. She pulled her sweatshirt down over her leggings as she stepped back so he could come inside.

"Hey Albus." She'd paid attention to his picture on the network when they'd talked so unless he had a twin she was pretty sure that's who it was.

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takeupthemantle
2018-06-11 06:59 am UTC (link)

There were times Albus could understand the appeal of women to most men. Take, for example, Vanessa. Pretty, blonde, lovely figure, a woman a man might ask to buy a drink for. Whether Vanessa would accept or not was really unclear, but from the looks of her, Albus doubted many men would get away with being ungentlemanly with her.

Albus gave a slight nod to her. "Hello, Vanessa," he returned, smiling a little. "I take it your friend hasn't left yet."

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	filiampandora 2018-06-12 01:16 am UTC (link)
	Vanessa gave him a friendly smile as she closed the door behind him. "I'm pretty sure by this point it's making a bed out of my cotton squares up there." She told him. "I know I'm being irrational but - I can't stand bugs so I really appreciate you being willing to come help get it out of here." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

takeupthemantle
2018-06-12 01:27 am UTC (link)

From his dreams so far, Albus mentally tried to place her in a House, but couldn't. That was what the Sorting Hat was for, after all, although he thought she might do well in Slytherin if he had to choose upon first impressions.

On a whim, Albus touched two fingers to her chin, just briefly. "It's a pleasure," he promised. He let her lead the way to the cricket and he pulled on a pair of cloth gloves. They were too warm, but he didn't want the cricket to move against his skin where he might react and squish it.

Albus crept up on the bug, paused, then scooped into his hands. He could feel it moving, but not too much. "I used to catch them for my sister," he told Vanessa. "I'm going to put him back outside. Would you like to see him off?"

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	filiampandora 2018-06-12 02:40 am UTC (link)
	Vanessa watched from outside the bathroom while Albus caught it, ready to jump up on the bed if it escaped him. "My foster dad used to come in and get rid of spiders and centipedes when they came in our rooms. Where are you going to let the cricket go at?" She asked, stepping closer. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

takeupthemantle
2018-06-12 08:37 am UTC (link)

Sorrow wasn't an emotion Albus was terribly good with. His own manifested in unhealthy ways at times, but he was learning to cope better and he did feel a pang of it when Vanessa spoke about a foster dad. For now, he didn't ask her to elaborate.

He carefully carried he cricket to the door and opened it, holding it for Vanessa. "In the grass," he answered. "Where he can be with other crickets and still bring his good fortune to you."

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filiampandora
2018-06-13 09:09 pm UTC (link)

For Vanessa growing up in foster care was just something that had happened. It sucked at times but her last home hadn't been that horrible and she'd ended up living with her dad for a while.

"Are you sure you don't want to take the cricket home with you for some good luck of your own?" She asked as they stepped outside, using a rock on the porch to keep it from closing all the way.

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takeupthemantle
2018-06-13 10:16 pm UTC (link)

"No, my fortune seems to be doing fine."

While it was only partially true, Albus liked to keep things as they were. He wasn't a deeply superstitious young man, but he did have held beliefs that there was magic in the world and, if his dreams so far were to be believed, it was true.

Outside, Albus found a shrub that was far enough away from Vanessa's place to be safely deposited without reentering. That was where he placed the cricket. It gave one hop and settled, hiding in the shrubbery after the trauma of having a giant pick it up.

"Good?" he asked Vanessa.

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filiampandora
2018-06-14 12:23 am UTC (link)

Vanessa gave him a friendly smile. "Thank you. I was really not looking forward to losing my bathroom to a cricket. And I'm going to have to figure out a way to keep them out of the house."

She paused for a moment. She liked to think that she was a good judge of character and Albus seemed like a decent guy - not someone who was going to try rob her or hurt her. "Do you want a cup of cocoa or something now that you've dealt with the cricket menace?"

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takeupthemantle
2018-06-14 09:40 am UTC (link)

With that easy task complete, Albus removed his gloves and placed them neatly back into his back pocket. Her offer made him smile fully. It wasn't cold out, but Albus nodded graciously.

"I'd love one," he accepted. "If you get a spray bottle and fill it with soapy water, you can spray the cricket and it'll run, but it won't die. It should be less likely to come back inside, too."

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filiampandora
2018-06-18 11:05 pm UTC (link)

Vanessa led him back into the house. "I've got cocoa, tea that I readily admit I have no clue how to make but it was a gift and I like how it smells, coffee, wine. I think there might even be a few beers if you'd rather that. And uber knows exactly where my house is." She wasn't technically old enough to drink but Penny had been and there was still some of his drinks in the fridge. And the wine cellar hadn't even been dented yet.

"I'm going to have to remember that and pick one up. That's one thing the previous owner didn't give me with the rest of the furniture." She said, stretching up into one of the pantries to get a box of Cheez-its down. "Terrible I know but they are the best study snack I've found."

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takeupthemantle
2018-06-21 02:55 pm UTC (link)

She seemed to be more at ease now that the cricket was out of the house. Albus followed her, chuckling softly as she named off the drinks she kept in her home.

"Coffee would be nice," he said. If she had tea, that would be his choice, but coffee was a good second. He watched her move comfortably around her house, expertly poking into the cabinet for the box of Cheez-its.

When she could see him, he gave a subtle shrug. "No judgments from me," he assured. "I eat sweets on a frequent basis. What is it that you study, if I may ask?"

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filiampandora
2018-06-23 06:36 pm UTC (link)

Vanessa was more relaxed now that the bug was out of her house. She hadn't been exaggerating about how badly it had frightened her when it had jumped at her that way. There had been too many legs on it's body and she barely repressed a shudder at the memory.

"Cream's in the fridge if you want any for your coffee." She told him, coffee brewing in her coffeemaker as she grabbed mugs. "I'm a psychology major actually. As part of the social workers program. Are you a student?"

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