InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Flippity-jibbitt"

tigertiger (tigertiger) wrote in wished,
@ 2010-08-15 12:22:00

Entry tags:

!incomplete, merlin toke, open, stephen cornfoot

Who: Stephen Cornfoot and Merlin Toke
When: Early Sunday Afternoon
Where: Tea and Sympathy
What: Stephen works his shift after a particularly trying night of strange dreams an restless sleep.
Rating: PG-13 to start?
Open/Closed: OPEN!

"Birds, birds, birds," but at least they aren't <i>dead</i> which is somewhat comforting after a night full of such visions. It seemed that every dream Stephen drifted into the night before had at least one or two dead birds hidden somewhere. Three dreams and not a single one had anything to do with birds, let alone dead ones, and yet they'd appear which to him seemed clear enough. They were meant to be there, they <i>meant</i> something.

"Disappointments, worry, birds, birds, birds," and now he was seeing them in the Darjeeling leaves of a Zodiac cup but if these birds were dead he couldn't possibly tell.

Stephen swiped a thumb under either eye and blinked owlishly as a melodious chime fell upon his ears. He lifted his gaze to the front entrance of the tea shop and smiled slow. He had already ingested several cups of Darjeeling an Oolong yet it was still obvious that the man was not well rested. Dark shadows amassed under his eyes and his smile didn't stay uncurled for long as even the stretching of those muscles seemed exhausting. He was leaning heavy on a front counter where he had been inspecting his tea leaves and didn't bother standing straight.

"Allo, welcome to Tea and Sympathy. What'll it be.. Tea? Or Sympathy?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-15 06:42 pm UTC (link)

There were jobs going but the omens had pointed Merlin away from each one; two weeks and he'd be let go in favour of some leggy brunette in that job, a month and a half and that place would close it's doors... one of the places he stopped by gave him the shudders before he'd even crossed the threshold and he'd had to go away and lie down.

He was more thankful to Eddie for giving him a place to stay than he was even able to show, and the sooner he had a job - and then an income - the better. He wanted to pay his way, but he also wanted to get Eddie something to show his appreciation. He needed money.

He hadn't planned to go into the little shop but something about him... something made him hear a strange sound, a singing that wasn't, muffled noise that sounded as though he had his head down underwater like lying down in the bath - he stumbled more than walked into the shop, shaking his head to try and get rid of the noise that now turned into a buzzing. It stopped when the tired looking guy at the counter spoke to him and, ad then... Merlin couldn't stop staring. "You..." he started, voice soft and unsure. "Why?" He rubbed a hand through his hair, easing out the last feelings of the clamour it had caused.

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tigertiger
2010-08-15 06:52 pm UTC (link)

Stephen didn't recognize the young man, which these days there was almost a fifty/fifty chance he knew the customers from his years at Hogwarts. Still, though he could not place his face to any particular name or situation he couldn't help but feel his heart thrumming madly under his ribs anxiously as if he did know this man from somewhere

Or, perhaps, you are meant to know him.

Meant to. He'd been toying with fate philosophies a lot lately and that had become a sort of mantra no matter what situation he faced: whatever was going to happen was going to happen.

The stare he received was not at all unusual. Several customers entered the shop in a similar fashion. They mostly looked sad, or overly anxious, or uncertain to the point of madness. They came for answers and 'why' was a very common question. Stephen's smile returned briefly and he stood straight.

"I'm sure we can find out. What are you questioning, exactly?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-15 08:09 pm UTC (link)

Merlin felt a vague ache start in the back of his head, some place behind his ears - he winched a little but lowered his hand, casting a glance around the place before looking back at the stranger; it definitely wasn't anything else.

Merlin couldn't remember Stephen from school, but then he'd been in another year in an entirely different house so that wasn't really unusual; the fact that he'd never felt or heard this around the boy before was though. Even with the gaps between them Merlin would have been likely to have felt this.

"No, I don't... don't think so..." It as strange when the man spoke. Merlin heard... "..fluttering? ...feathers?" he shook his head again, embarassed this time. "I'm sorry. There's just... a sound when... can't you hear it?" he understood that he might have sounded fragmented, but he couldn't help it with all the interference in his head.

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tigertiger
2010-08-15 08:20 pm UTC (link)

Stephen busied himself as the young man glanced about. He wasn't one who could stand still for very long when there was something to clean up or organize. In this case it was the Zodiac cup that he had been moodily gazing into prior to the customer's entrance. Stephen picked it up and was about to toss the leaves when the reply he got caused him to go very, very still.

Feathers. Fluttering.

fate fate fate fate was the bray of his heart. He set the cup down again and motioned for the man to come closer.

"Come have a look. I can't hear what you hear, but tell me, what do you see?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-15 09:25 pm UTC (link)

Merlin stepped closer and the noise got worse, but by the time he'd reached the desk it had stopped - oh, blissful silence. His knees almost buckled with it.

"It's gone." he advised, looking down at the cup but not into it. He reached for it but didn't touch. "What do I see? A lot of... things." Or non-things. Or places where things should be. "You make me hear things... why is that?" he asked, not looking up at the other boy. "Why is it that-" he wasn't sure how to end that sentence. "You drew me here, why?"

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tigertiger
2010-08-15 09:35 pm UTC (link)

"I don't think I meant to," his voice was husky all of the sudden, quiet as if speaking any louder would scare the man off. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

Stephen's dark eyes narrowed and his eyebrows drew together as an expression of concern washed across his face. His grip on the cup tightened for a moment and he took a wavering breath before he spoke once more.

"Fate, probably. I'm never certain until I have consulted all the divine mediums and even then a clear answer may not be obtained. Are you sure it's me? Perhaps this place makes you hear things. This shop is heavy with the mysterious magic of the divination arts."

He pushed the cup closer and took a step back.

"Look in. What do you see?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-15 10:12 pm UTC (link)

He'd never really tuned his... abilities into things like this. Even his time in the travelling show as a fortune teller didn't make any real use of his abilities. He'd spent most of his life trying to crush it all, the bad dreams and the seeing things, the way he'd wake up with a throat sore from screaming some times - he'd never cultivated it like this.

He wondered about this guy...

He looked into the cup, tilted his head thoughtfully. He answered quickly, the image coming through clearly to him but his confusion delaying an answer. "Magpies flying... or no, swallows? Wait, no, it's both... a magpie and a swallow, stitched together?" He raised an eyebrow.

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tigertiger
2010-08-15 10:23 pm UTC (link)

Similar, very similar. Stephen hadn't gotten such a clear vision of the kind of bird in the cup but now that this man mentioned Swallows he was positive he had seen them in his dream the night before. He nodded slowly, an appreciative hum coming from his pressed together lips.

"I saw birds too. Saw them all night in my dreams dead, dead, dead. You know they're good omens sometimes, can represent freedom from worry but.. to see them dead is never good. A dead swallow is sadness that can't be avoided. Magpies are never good. They represent gossip and slander. Stitched together, you say? Perhaps it is safe to say that some gossip might result in an unavoidable woe."

Stephen sighed heavily and tried to lighten the mood considerably.

"You know you've got a very good clear inner eye, not many can boast seeing the types of birds like that. What's your name?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-15 10:44 pm UTC (link)

Merlin wasn't used to so much social interaction - indeed, apart from his interactions with Eddie, the last real social relationship he'd had was with a man who'd harassed so much he'd changed worlds - and he looked down and away as he spoke.

"I'm Merlin." he said, uncomfortable becuase he often had ridicule over that name. He skipped across to the thing that was more interesting, had to be more interesting to this person. "Dead's not good." he agreed. "But these-" he pointed to the cup. "-are flying... and magpies can mean fortune-tellers, sometimes." he pointed out, his voice trailing off at the end like he wasn't sure how his interpretation would be taken. "I'm sorry." he said. "What was your name?"

He saw birds? He saw things too? Maybe... it was unlikely, but maybe this person knew what it was like. Maybe that had attracted him to this place, like magnets drawn to each other. He looked tired enough to have been through the visions that Merlin lived with anyway.

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tigertiger
2010-08-15 10:54 pm UTC (link)

He almost entertained the idea of offering his hand to shake but watching the way Merlin moved made it almost too clear that he wasn't exactly... personable. He was very odd, but most good seers were in Stephen's opinion.

"Merlin," he repeated. "A good, strong name. Lot to live up to, though, but it's fitting, you look like a Merlin." Now he was looking back into the cup and squinting as he did so in an effort to better read what he saw. Still birds, but he kept thinking about those birds in his dream and it tainted what he saw.

There was nothing alive about them, no movement.

"You know, isn't it interesting that you see the birds one way and I see them another? Good omens for you, poor for me. Bah." With that said he finally got around to cleaning up the cup. He turned to toss the leaves into a bin and then fished his wand out of his back pocket.

"Scourgify," the residue left over was instantly spelled clean and Stephen turned to put the cup up and grab another, one that was a simple white color.

"Stephen Cornfoot, would you like a spot of tea? We've got all kinds... ah, you look like you might need it. So, you always see things? Did you attend ah.. Hogwarts?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-16 08:06 pm UTC (link)

He couldn't help it, he still flinched a little at the use of his name - he'd thought about introducing himself as Erin before, but it felt like a betrayal to his parents and he hadn't been able to bring himself to do it. He looked like a Merlin? Well, he supposed he had no choice but to.

He watched the stranger look back into the cup, but was a little unnerved at... Stephen, he found... Stephen's interpretation of things. Swallows meant good fortune, and with the two together... he didn't want his arrival to be a bad thing, but it looked like that was all it meant.

He shook his head, declining politely. "No, thank you." he wasn't really into tea. "But thank you." he was surprised about the open way Michael spoke to him about his abilities, especially after that omen. "I... yes." In cups, dreams, coin, palms, fucking shop windows... "Always. I did, yeah. I was in Gryffindor." He fidgeted a bit. "Don't you think that maybe I shouldn't have come here." he askd eventually.

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tigertiger
2010-08-16 11:12 pm UTC (link)

When told Merlin didn't want tea Stephen still took the time to prepare himself a cup. It didn't matter that it was going to be is umpteenth cup, nor did it matter that he didn't even want another cup, he had taken the blasted thing out and his obsessive compulsion told him he had better use the cup or it was a complete waste of energy! It was highly illogical but he went about flicking his wand and muttering charms to prepare the tea without moving from where he stood.

"Interesting," he murmured, pausing as a kettle poured it's self hot water into a teapot. He stroked his chin for a moment, steam rising out of the spout of the pot in a bright blue color. The scent of blueberries filled the air and Stephen took a deep whiff of the stuff. His lips split into a wide smile.

"Ravenclaw myself... and honestly?" he placed his wand back into his back pocket.

"I think you were meant to come here. I'm still not positive it's you these bad omens refer to and even if it is.. it is what it is and fate is a tricky thing to change. I think, in fact, you're meant to be here. Someone of your talent ought to consider using it in positive ways. It helps to do so, helps to shape and control the gift instead of letting it control you. That is to say... would you like a job?"

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oh_merling
2010-08-18 10:37 pm UTC (link)

Merlin watched as Stephen made himself a cup of tea, the time passing without bothering to let him know - he was more caught up in the smell of blueberries and smoke than with the nowhere he had to be just then.

He tilted his head a little at Stephen's summation, worried still - Ravenclaw didn't really surprise him.

More birds though.

"It may not be fate." he pointed out. "It might be a warning, and one to heed." he sighed a little... he really did need a job but it didn't look as though his working here would do Stephen any favours; he needed the work but at who's expense?

And did he even want to practise his powers... Stephen called it a 'gift' and it almost made him laugh out loud. "What need could you possibly have for me?" he asked, his question genuine. "Espcially considering the tea leaves."

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tigertiger
2010-08-19 12:28 am UTC (link)

Stephen sighed appreciatively as the tea finished brewing. He didn't like his tea too strong, but the Blueberry Tea he was working up needed to steep for a good three minutes before he was happy with the taste. After taking a moment to pour himself a cup he brought the cup up to his mouth with two hands.

"A warning is still fate, and sometimes fate is impossible to run from," he smiled, taking a sip.

"Well, not a huge need... I tend to do most of the fortunes here but I get pretty worn out sometimes. It'd be nice to have a break..." and he sighed again as if thinking about the idea of a break was relief already.

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oh_merling
2010-08-19 05:51 pm UTC (link)

Merlin wasn't sure about that, especially when there was a choice - follow or not follow, heed or not heed. 'Fate' had kicked him in the teeth too may times for him to believe it was the be all and end all; he knew it could splinter and split that way. Okay, maybe there was no choice made that wasn't fate, but Merlin still couldn't trust that making the wrong decision was following fate.

Fortune telling. Again.

"I'd be pleased to take the job on. Thank you." he said, the feeling that this was the world he'd always be trapped in a weight on his heart, his so called power still just a collar around his neck.

Okay, maybe he was a little depressed today.

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tigertiger
2010-08-19 08:25 pm UTC (link)

"Really?" Stephen had a hard time keeping his expression from showing his excitement. He was grinning from ear to ear and looked awfully pleased when Merlin gave him the answer. He placed the cup of tea down and offered his hand for a congratulatory shake.

"Good to have you! When can you start? Our hours here are very flexible. Some days we stay open late because of the star alignment is better for late readings, sometimes we close early on foreboding days.. if you'd like, you can think about your own schedule and when your gift works best and we can try to work something out. Ah, and how does.. how does.."

Stephen did the math in his head right quick.

"Two galleons and three knuts an hour? Or do you have a going rate for readings? We also accept tips here, but we don't always get them if the readings don't go well.. Merlin, I am thrilled about this!"

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