` valesco { a post-hogwarts marauders era rpg }

ORDER PATRONUS

2010-03-21T20:25:54Z

IS THERE---AN ATTACK--WHAT IS GOING ON--DARK MARK!!!

Knocking on the Front Door of those in the tags

2010-03-21T20:17:52Z

Through the peephole it appears that their best friend is standing outside the door...

...but instead they are slammed with a cloud of the dark mark that will shriek through their house or flat, leaving dark magic all over before disappearing

Office Mailed to Zora Krum's Desk!

2010-03-02T18:00:27Z

Gornuk wielded the ring himself! He was upset that he made it too small for any of his sisters, but I saw it and immediately thought of you :)

-Dirk

P.S. Do you want to meet for lunch?

P.P.S. But not in the cafeteria, they made tuna salad and last time it made me really REALLY sick.

P.P.P.S. I'm sorry if that was too much information!

Owl to Jude Wickham

2010-03-02T15:24:11Z

To answer your questions about my weight gain and mood.
- Belise

Gabrielle :(

2010-02-26T17:42:49Z

WHO: Dimitri and Gabrielle Thomas
WHAT: :( :( :(
WHERE: Hotel!
WHEN: Tonight!
STATUS: Comment thread! But the first tag got too long

Dimitri couldn't begin to explain how things had spiraled so out of control. One day he was jumping around like a fool because Dean had taken his first steps, and now he'd gone nearly two weeks without seeing his son, or wife. The muggle news got a much different report than the wizarding world did---to the muggles of the neighborhood, the house was burnt down by some teenagers playing with fireworks (green ones, the dark mark). Gabrielle's family knew that they were all okay, but no one had been in contact since the house went down. Dimitri knew it wouldn't have taken long for the death eaters that were after him to figure out that it had been a set up; his parents had been attacked a few days ago, and he had barely made it in time to save them...and it was then that he realized what he had to do to save his family; his parents, Dean, and Gabrielle. And even Sam! And Ally and Savannah! Derek was keeping an eye on his wizarding world connections, but there would be only one way of keeping everyone safe.

He had to disappear from their memories entirely.

The wizarding world thought he was dead, which pained him but Dimitri found that was a lot easier to swallow than the fact that he had just wiped his parents memories of their grandson. They now believed that after Hogwarts Dimitri had set off into the wizarding world and got too involved...

He had called Gabby every day, reassuring her that things would be fine. His wife knew of the danger they were in, and he was grateful he'd married such a level headed woman because if the situation was reversed? Dimitri didn't know how well he'd have handled the upturning of his world. He wasn't handling it well, but now that he finally had the clear solution to saving Dean and Gabrielle's lives, it seemed like he had finally conceded his fate and he was strangely calm. Maybe his mind had completely shut down from the excruciating pain he was going to soon be in, but he couldn't bother to figure it out now.

His knuckles rapped the special knock he had concocted on the door of Gabrielle's hotel room and he waited for her to answer.

BIRTHDAYS ON 20.02

2010-02-22T01:50:48Z

FOR MISS SADIE FAWCETT:

All of the above, and a little card with an I. O. U. one trip to here

FOR MISTRESS FAWCETT:

Crepe breakfast in bed!

Gift giving!

More!

A VERY NICE DINNER AT HOME, and Penelope baby-sitting the children...

;)

OOC: Backdated to yesterday, because I fail.

valesco @ 2010-02-20T23:29:00

2010-02-21T04:39:34Z

[WHO?] JEN GIBBON AND CHESTER SCABIOR
[WHERE?] JEN'S HAIR PARLOUR.
[WHY?] TO DISCUSS FUTURE PLANS ABOUT THE BEBE.
[WHEN?] AFTER ESTELLA AND TOBIAS LEAVE JEN'S APARTMENT
[RATING?] PG-13

Jen had gotten dressed and put on makeup and gone downstairs. She felt like death and had just gotten done with Tobias and Estella. That was...fun to say the least. She never wanted to be pregnant again if that was how she was going to be treated. She still hadn't quite decided if she wanted to keep the baby or not. She took a deep breath and tried to calm down. At least she didn't feel like she was going to throw up. She barely remembered Chester.

That night was such a haze. Firewhiskey and sex in a bathroom. It had been fun yeah but it was bugging her as she tried to remember if they used a condo or not. She paced the floor and decided to pour herself a glass of cranberry juice. She sat down after she finished pouring up and tapped her foot impaitently as she waited for Chester to show up.

She was lost in her thoughts and had a small frown on her face.

valesco @ 2010-02-20T18:00:00

2010-02-20T23:07:33Z

[WHO?] JEN GIBBON, TOBIAS GIBBON AND ESTELLA FLINT
[WHERE?] JEN'S APARTMENT
]WHY?] JEN'S PREGNANT AND THE OLDER SIBLINGS ARE FREAKING OUT.
[WHEN?] AFTER THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN STELLA AND JEN TAKES PLACE.
[RATING?] PG TO PG-13

Jen was trying to make appear like she was presentable. She wasn't getting morning sickness she was getting all day sickness. Every time she ate it came right back up. She was so confused. Keep the baby or don't keep the baby? She looked down at her stomach and frowned. She could've sworn that she and Chester used a condom in that club but who knows. She was drunk that night, it's hard to remember. The fog hadn't lifted.

She had upset Bess and that upset her even more. She knew she dated Chester through seventh year and that the little girl that Bess had was Chester's. What she going to do? Tobias hadn't responded to her journal post. That worried her too. He had the temper of the three of them and was liable to do something. She sighed and paced the floor for a moment, contemplating all the thoughts that were running through her head.

She was barefoot she hadn't been able to wear her heels in a week. It'd been tennis shoes and loose jeans. She had only found out in the last few days. She hadn't noticed the lack of her womanly time of month. She had been so busy, so stressed that she had accounted it to that. Running a business was hard work. It didn't help that Fringe was starting to go red. She blew out a large breath and ran to the bathroom just as a pound came on the door. "Come in!" she managed out before the sounds of throwing up commenced.

Patronus to Derek Dobbs

2010-02-15T20:13:06Z

Are people buying it?

Open to All!

2010-02-14T16:26:58Z

It was her first Valentine's as a married woman, and she was going to make it a rememberable one!

It was a shame, though, that only a handful of people (she could definitely count the people she told on one hand!) actually knew this. Rebecca had always imagined that when she would get married it would be some grand event and be showered with congratulations and well wishes, but! Life never worked the way you planned it, and Rebecca was quite happy with her situation with Euan. Having to keep him hidden was, well--it let them be them without any sort of interference

Hmmm. She should pick up some chocolate. With that thought, Rebecca made her way to the apparation point to pop over to Hogsmeade (which must be a zoo), when a slight pricking tickled her neck. She reached up, and to her surprise found some...thing sticking out of her neck! She pulled it away and examined it closely. It was no longer than a toothpick, but...an arrow? A little arrow? Ohh, like cupid, how silly. Rebecca huffed and turned to see who could've shot this at her, but her eyes...oh, they didn't see anything but the man standing before her.

She let out a breath and approached him, staring up at him with the utmost love and devotion. "Hello."

ooc: Okay, your character can either be pricked by the tiny arrows, or be the person of lust to someone who's tagged XD Not so eloquently explained here. It's all for fun!

Quidditch Valentine's Auction!

2010-02-12T05:03:45Z

All proceeds go to the Children of the Wizarding World Fund! Hosted by WWN personality Liz Bell!

A fun event for all! Even if you don't partake in the bidding, tickets can be caught to spend the night and mingle with friends! Who knows, maybe some quidditch players not up for auction will be wandering the crowd! All ticket proceeds go to the donation, and we here at the WWN appreciate your charity!

• Minimum donation of $25, Maximum of $300 (outside of the auction, a person can of course donate more)
• You can increase the bid by a minimum of 1 sickle, or a maximum of 5 sickles!
• Please be realistic about how much your character is willing to spend!
• Comment to the post with the quidditch player's name NOT to the person who last bid
• Anyone can bid on anyone! Even those up for auction!
• If your character does not win an auction, they can start over (or if they do win, use what's left?)
• Bidding will start at 12am Friday morning, and end 12am Saturday morning (24 hours woot)

donation	bidding money
$25	2 galleons, 8 sickles
$50	4 galleons, 16 sickles
$75	7 galleons, 7 sickles
$100	9 galleons, 15 sickles
$125	12 galleons, 7 sickles
$150	14 galleons, 15 sickles
$175	17 galleons, 6 sickles
$200	19 galleons, 14 sickles
$225	22 galleons, 5 sickles
$250	24 galleons, 14 sickles
$275	27 galleons, 5 sickles
$300	29 galleons, 13 sickles

17 sickles = 1 galleon

CLOSED!

Sent Anonymously to Dimitri Thomas' Desk

2010-02-10T18:54:26Z

valesco @ 2010-02-01T00:33:00

2010-02-01T05:31:57Z

Who: Ralph Frobisher & Miranda Parry
What: Miranda has some important news!
Where: LCU dorms!
When: Now!

Miranda bit the nail of her thumb, eyes darting up and down the hallway of the dormitory as the students walked back and forth. She was on the floor, leaning against the door of Ralph's room, looking like she'd just seen a ghost. Well--seeing a ghost, to a witch, really wasn't that much of a fright, but...that was the saying. She looked like she'd seen someone rise from the dead was more like it.

Pregnant. She. Was. Pregnant. How had this happened? Sure, she and Ralph had a lot of sex, maybe sometimes unprotected and in a variety of places, but for the most part they were careful! They'd been careful for---for more than three years. She and Ralph had been together for three years and had managed to...to not be this stupid!

And they were pretty stupid!

"Oh, fuck," she let out, pushing her hands into her face to catch her breath. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening. Miranda dropped her hands to her lap and stretched her legs out across the hall. She had to try to not have a heart attack before she could tell Ralph the news.

"What're you doing on the floor?" Ralph spoke before he got to her, shifting his bookbag from one shoulder to the other while he quickened his pace down the corridor. Classes had started again, making his days long and tiring with more work than he desired to do at the end of every night. But-- there were good things happening too, of course. Miranda, Miranda's play, the fact that the both of them hadn't flunked out yet, the-- order, Ralph supposed, and of course new Eric. Ralph didn't think he would be so excited about Eliza and Dedalus' child finally being born, but to his surprise he found himself very excited and proud for the both of them.

It was strange, if you took it out of context, because... it wasn't like he wanted children now or anything like that. And really, by the standards he had grown up on, it was far to earlier to be thinking about things like that. Not to mention his parents would flip. He would flip! Marriage? Babies? Far too fast for him, thank you very much.

He stuck out his right hand for Miranda automatically, a sloppy grin on his face. Ralph's light smile fell, however, once he noticed his girlfriend's state. That wasn't right. "What's wrong?" The last time Miranda had looked this visibly upset... he couldn't even remember when. Oh no. His thoughts automatically went to death, or metaphorical death (as in, acting was suddenly not going well). Neither were good options.

She stared at his hand for a second before lifting her gaze to his face. How could she tell him this? How could--this was going to ruin both of their lives. Yeah, fine, she had friends that had already gotten through it or whatever, but...Miranda honestly felt like her life would be permanently over, the second she informed Ralph of her current state. The second she told him she was pregnant, they would have to accept the fact that everything in their life from this moment on was going to have to be about the baby. Their baby.

Miranda didn't think she couldn't be that giving, or...unselfish. Was that the word? Yes, because...because she wanted to be selfish about things right now! Not about little, stupid things, but! She was acting, she was going to school, she was going to earn a degree! That was...amazing, to her! That was so amazing, and a baby was going to ruin all of that, for both of them! They couldn't afford a baby, neither of them had a job, or skills that could help them find a place, it was too much for right now.

"I was at---Eliza's, to see--the baby," she started, unable to move from her spot on the floor. Miranda shot a nervous glance down the hallway, hoping that they were alone. She ran both hands through her hair, "And I got--sick, so..." She'd thought it was that nasty lunch she'd had! Just that! "And...and she joked that maybe I was---"

She couldn't say it. Her hand gestured for Ralph to finish her thought, hoping that he'd figure it out, because she sure as hell couldn't say it.

Oh. The fact that this was very serious washed over Ralph quickly, and for a few moments he simply stood awkwardly in front of her, unsure what to do next. Should they... go inside? Or-- it didn't look like Miranda was going to move anytime soon, and she was sitting literally on the door, so opening it wasn't really an option. So-- so--- unable to focus on more than one thing at a time, Ralph went into a mini, self-contained panic attack.

What was he suppose to do! He didn't even know what was wrong, and she was talking to him but he was barely hearing what she was saying, let alone understand. Was this going to be like when her father died all over again? Ralph wasn't sure if they could handle going through something like that again... let alone her, but him. It had been especially difficult, leaving him feel just as listless and miserable as she had. And---

Miranda had stopped talking. Ralph looked at her, eyes wide as his brain scrambled to put something together. He had no idea what she had just said. His mind, his brain was shot, it was the end of a day of classes, the worst time to focus! Period. Taking a deep breath, Ralph continued to stand bent over awkwardly. Getting nothing from her face, he improvised.

"I---- what?"

He was going to make her say! Miranda gawked up at Ralph, and then dropped her gaze again as she shook her head. Nope. No, she wasn't going to admit it out loud, nope. But---her mouth shut and twisted into a miserable frown and the first tears she allowed herself to cry fell out of her eyes.

"I'm pregnant, Ralph," she spat in misery. "I'm---pregnant, and---" Miranda's hands went up, looking and feeling completely hopeless. What else could she do? Her mother was going to kill her, her brothers were going to kill her, Ralph probably would want to, "We're both--fucked, we're...we're---"

She couldn't do it anymore. She had tried to be calm and not burst into the hysterics her body was begging to go into, but she could not handle it anymore. Miranda had managed the hour or so that she had known that her life was over, God or whoever the hell was playing this mean trick on them, could deal. She pulled her knees into her chest and began to cry, not quite suddenly caring what Ralph said or did, because nothing could fix this or make it go away.

What-- how--- well he understood how but--- he didn't--- they--- pregnant? Ralph openly stared at Miranda for a good amount of time, his eyes wide as this new information sunk in. Miranda was pregnant. Because--- that was what happened when you had sex. And sex made children. Ralph's stomach fell lower and lower with every realization, and he tried very hard not to show his true feelings about all this. Though it proved to be difficult, and the rising fear taking over him began to crack through.

They couldn't have a baby! He couldn't be a father! He barely-- what would--- Ralph began to take deep breaths. Okay. Okay. He could not act this way right now in front of Miranda. She was upset and--- and he had to let her know that-- that he was not freaking out as much as he actually was.

"Are you---" Of course she was sure, why was he asking? That wasn't something you said to your girlfriend, let alone your pregnant girlfriend and--- holy shit it felt like he was going to pass out any second. Taking more deep breaths, Ralph reattempted to collect himself. "I mean---" He jerkily got down on the floor in front of her, his hands moving to grasp her arms.

"No--- it's--- it's going to be fine, everything is going to be fine." As he spoke, Ralph inched closer to her, attempting to get her to look at him. "Don't--- don't be upset."

Don't be upset! Their lives were over! Eliza and Dedalus---they were like old souls, it made sense for them to have a family! And Ingrid---Ingrid was a sex fiend of course she'd get pregnant, and Gilly was married so that was fine and---no, no, no, it was not going to be fine! They were going to ruin their lives by having this baby! Miranda couldn't even find it in herself to feel awful about hating the little thing inside of her, but she did right now. She hated it and she hated herself for putting herself and Ralph into this situation.

Ralph's kind words spurred more tears to fall and Miranda lurched forward and threw her arms around him. At least he was able to keep some composure where as she was a complete disaster. At least they weren't on a break or something, oh God.

She hoped he didn't think they would have to get married, now. As sure as Miranda was about spending the rest of her life with Ralph, the last thing she wanted right now was to think of anything even more adult than having a kid. Oh, fuck. Fuck. Miranda tightened her grip around Ralph as she managed to somewhat relax her breathing and put a stop to her tears. All she wanted to do was sleep, now, but that seemed very unlikely.

Ugh. Her brothers were going to kill them. Ralph first, then her.

Seeing Miranda so visibly upset made Ralph almost lose the tight grip he had on controlling the anxious waves threatening to break through his less-than-anxious demeanor. He didn't think--- she was so distraught, there must be something he was missing because--- yes, while this new realization was terrifying (so terrifying) it--- was--- a child? Their child? He would feel bad knowing that he had acted this way when looking back later in life. With this child living. So--- but it was difficult to force himself to feel one way when that--- that was not how he felt! And if Miranda was thinking these horrible, life-ending things, then shouldn't he? He was missing something, he had to be missing something. Was there some pureblood thing that involved wizard children you had to do after birth? Or because he was muggleborn it--- complicated things? Or-- that had to be it. Or-- he wouldn't know, he was born a muggle and---

All the air sucked out of Ralph as Miranda flew into his arms. He didn't--- what--- the fact that all of Miranda's brothers were going to bloody murder him hadn't even reached his main focus yet. Impending death he knew he could... somewhat avoid. But--- no--- that wasn't---

What was he supposed to do! He--- no, no, he had to let her know that this was not her fault, this was his fault and he wasn't angry and--- but as Ralph tried to find the reassuring words he was so easily able to spew out earlier, he found he was speechless. There was nothing--- he could say without--- he didn't want a child! But didn't not want a child either! He didn't want to upset Miranda any further, but he also didn't understand her deep-set unnerve! There was nothing--- all double sided and he--- couldn't--- breathe.

"Miranda," Ralph croaked, his hands letting go of her to open wide. "I don't---" they would have to get married "--- know--" and he would have to drop out of the Order "--- if---" and leave school? You couldn't have a baby in the dorm "---what---" but all those things were not-- he could technically live without them?

"--- talktome!"

"What's there to say, Ralph!" Miranda wailed, pulling back, "We're finally---doing something and now---we can't! Anymore! No more! I don't---"

Her mouth shut, as she had been about to exclaim that she didn't want this baby. As much as that was true in this very moment, Miranda knew she would regret saying it out loud. She blinked at Ralph, forcing some tears away, and stared at him to try and figure out why he seemed so calm compared to herself. What was he thinking? How was he able to be so seemingly rational? Maybe he was looking at it differently than she was.

They'd made a baby. She and Ralph had made a baby. Against all of her other feelings her heart swelled at the thought, and Miranda wondered if that was what Ralph's mind had gone to first. Oh, God, she was a horrible person for being so angry at this baby and for wanting to be selfish about the things in her life! Why was her mind going so back and forth about this? Was this because of hormones? Was she hormonal? Miranda couldn't take being hormonal for the next nine months! She couldn't even take it for next five minutes!

She took a deep, shuddering breath and slumped against the door again. She had to trust in herself and Ralph, didn't she? "Just---tell me we're going to be okay," she finally felt like she was submitting to this entire ordeal.

Ralph floundered, the words on the tips of his tongue. Of--- course technically they were going to be okay. No one was dying or injured or anything like that. And mentally... well everyone was screwed up at this point, they had the war to thank for that so. So--- yes everything was going to be fine, he would say that in spite of the anxious feeling taking over his body. Everything was going to be fine. This was just--- very life changing news, that was all. He could at least rationalize until Miranda was out of sight.

"It's---" he started, but again fumbled. This was important. Ralph's hands fell to Miranda's, and he held onto them tightly (worrying about being corny or clique was far from at this point) as he took many deep breaths. His head cocked to the side slightly, face twitching as he looked at Miranda. What emotion he was portraying he would never know, seeing as thirty of them felt to be coursing through him at once, so--- Miranda was just going to have to pick them out.

"Everything is going to be fine," Ralph slurred finally, dropping Miranda's hands to once again wrap his arms around her. It was--- a baby! Babies were good things. Right? Right. "It's--- we're going to be fine." Holy shit, he was really going to have to talk to Dedalus now; he was the only person able to ever make Ralph look at things logically, and man could he use some fog-clearing logic right about now.

valesco @ 2010-01-31T22:52:00

2010-02-01T03:51:26Z

Who: Bess Zeller and...her mom?
What: An invitation!
Where: Her mother's dress shop!
When: Sunday afternoon!

She pushed the white taffeta to either side of her as the hanging wedding dresses had created nearly a curtain into the back room of the bridal shop. In less than twenty-four hours she would be walking down the aisle and she still did not have one of those gowns in her possession to call her own. Drystan had offered the assistance of Daniel Twilfit (Bess knew of his family's store of course, and because of Brady), but as much as she felt that his sister needed to apologize for breaking into their flat, she was actually feeling like being the adult in the situation to not accept tangible apologies. She even felt bad about the nice gift basket Heidi had sent, because, really, it hadn't been the girl's fault that she'd gone completely mad.

Bess would like to think about anything besides what she was about to do right now, but she couldn't. Her environment wouldn't let her, because the familiar smell of the dress shop was nearly suffocating her. She couldn't quite place what the smell was, and had never been able to, but it brought back memories of her youth and a painful reminder that she hadn't stepped into the shop in over three years.

Bess had avoided anyone at the front desk much to her oblige, and it made it easier to get straight to the point...if she could find the person she was looking for. The person. When had...when had her mother become just a person?

There was no one in the sewing room, and Bess stood in the middle, feeling helpless in the heaps of fabric and tulle. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea. It would be a lie to say that she didn't still care about her parents, or what they thought of her, but that didn't mean she cared enough to brave what could be a total disaster, right now. Bess, no matter how good she was at denying it and avoiding the topic all together, was still deeply hurt by her parents' rejection of her and her decisions. Of Sadie. The idea that her daughter had never met her grandparents stung so deep that she wasn't sure that she'd ever be able to get over the pain. Even as she came here to invite them to her wedding, before she even laid eyes on her mother, her chest began to constrict.

Her hands drifted across a beaded bodice, remembering when she would pester her mother to let her help. Her mother was more of a perfectionist than Bess was, but she still let her organize the beads. Sadie would have such a good time back here when she was older, that was for sure---

"Excuse me!"

Bess whirled around at the all too familiar scolding of her mother and gaped like a child caught in the cookie jar. Oh, Hell.

"Bess!" her mother gasped, her hand going to her chest. Bess made a choking sound as she tried to find her voice to explain herself, her hands shaking by her sides. What--what was she here, for? What did--she have to tell her? Oh--Before she could find her focus, her mother had closed the few feet between them and enveloped her in a nearly bone shattering hug. Bess felt like passing out from the hold, physically because of it and mentally. This was--the last thing she'd been expecting. The very last thing, "Oh, I was hoping---Veronica told me you were getting married!"

"She--did?"

"Yes and---I didn't know if..." Rose Zeller pulled back, her hand covering her mouth. "If you'd want me to contact you or...or I didn't know, because---"

"Because you kicked me out of your life."

Bess could breath again, feeling as if the words she'd just released had been choking her. Her eyes never deterred from her mother's, and she watched the strange mixture of emotion in her eyes. Bess didn't know what she wanted to see, even after all of the panic she'd just been in. A flash of anger surged through her and she pulled back.

Rose was flustered under her gaze. "Y-yes. I...your father, you know how--"

"You went along with all of it, Mama," how strange it was to say, "don't pretend you couldn't have done a thing," Bess snapped, but she put her hand up to stop herself. "I...I didn't come here to fight. I came here to extend an invitation to you and...Dad." Her eyes finally pulled away from her mother's face and ducked to the purse hanging at her side. Bess pulled out the invitation and handed it quickly to her mother, hoping that she would be able to leave right now and get out of this awkward situation.

"Ooh--oh, all...right, yes, of course we'll---do you have a dress?"

Bess blinked and shook her head before she could think about it. Rose's expression brightened and she jumped slightly before dashing off into another room, leaving Bess to stand in silence and wonder if her mother was really doing what she believed her to be doing. She couldn't have possibly picked a dress for her, not after everything, did her mother really think that she was going to let her help with was proving to be the hardest part of this wedding planning? Bess crossed her arms, annoyed that her mother had already begun to pry again, but her hands jolted out of their tucked away positions at the sight of the dress her mother carried in.

"Oh my God," she let out, rushing forward, nearly grabbing at the fabric before pulling back at the last possible second. This was it, this was it, but--"I--I can't, it's...it's too much."

"I kicked you out of my life, Bess," her mother said, her voice crackling, "This is the least I could do. The very least."

Bess sucked in her lip in thought, wondering if she was being bribed or not. No, no, it wasn't a bribe, it---it could be put into the same category that Daniel Twilfit's offer was put in, but...the Twilfits hadn't done anything wrong, they didn't have to---oh God, she hated growing up, why were her vain decisions becoming so hard to make?

She bit her tongue before finally reaching out for the fabric. Oh, it was perfect.

"After Veronica told me, I just knew it was the one..." her mother whispered.

"If..." Bess began, finalizing the details, "if you can get Daddy to come, tomorrow, then...then I'll wear it," she decided, her heart ready to climb out of her chest and smack her in the face for maybe, maybe denying herself of this dress. "Then I'll accept it."

Owl to Bess Zeller and Drystan Fawcett

2010-01-30T22:07:01Z

Ms. Zeller and Mr. Fawcett,

~~ALKjkljdkldf~~ I'm sorry for any problems I might have caused you. I won't try to make excuses, since I'm not trying to minimize my ... role.

But I am sorry.

Heidi ~~Barnes~~ Twilfit

(Attached is a gift basket and a note swearing on her husband's grave that nothing is poisoned or enchanted.)

Missus!

2010-01-27T01:50:50Z

"I've said goodnight to Draco, Narcissa."

Lucius entered the room with this announcement, shutting the door quietly (but quickly behind him). Now that the evening ritual of paying some sort of attention to his son (who was, admittedly, growing more interesting with each passing day), he could get to the more pleasant nightly routine. He grinned across the master bedroom at his wife, who looked splendid as always, and quickly discarded of the work robes he had been stuck in since arriving home earlier. He'd been overrun with ridiculous paperwork, and if he wasn't necessary to have inside the Ministry during these times, Lucius would find it quite enjoyable to spend his days at home with Narcissa and Draco.

Maybe not so much when the boy grew older and could walk around to sneak up on him, but for now he was tolerable.

"He seems taken with the stuffed dragon Bellatrix sent..." Lucius kicked off his shoes, the charmed carpet pushing them into the closet. He looked thoughtful, "Though I suppose I should check to see if it's animated or not...I wouldn't put it past her to hex the thing to spew flames."

Drystan!

2010-01-26T00:43:12Z

Her thighs were beginning to hurt, she'd been digging her elbows into them for so long. Bess' face had been hidden in her hands for--she couldn't tell you how long, as Drystan read over the documents she'd received in the post today. She'd somehow managed not to burst into hysterics, but all she could say was that the shock Chester had put her in had forced the tears away.

He didn't want to be a part of Sadie's life, he wanted to ruin hers. And--and Bess had been very good at not being selfish and self-centered, but she knew for a fact that Chester just...hated that she wasn't his and that he couldn't control her and fuck! Just---fuck!

It felt like the universe didn't want her to be happy. Barely two weeks ago she had been the happiest she'd ever been in her life, and it was crashing down already. Of course, she should be beyond grateful that Drystan was willing to go through these trials with her, but right now all she could think of was how Sadie was going to be affected. Her daughter had this lovely life being set up with her, finally with a father figure who wasn't going anywhere, and a little brother! Already! Sadie loved Drystan and Stephen so much, already, and to throw that monster of a father--

---Chester was not, nor will he ever be Sadie's father.

"I don't know what the fuck I'm going to do," she let out, finally dropping her hands. "I've got--no solid evidence about how really dangerous he is."

valesco @ 2010-01-25T10:19:00

2010-01-25T15:27:47Z

Who: Lmao Dimitri and Seth
Where:Muggle Hospital
When: Yesterday?
What: Dimitri comes to save the day... and make Seth's life hell
Status: Finishing in comment

As a hitwizard, you were often thrown into muggle situations because of how stupid wizards could be around muggles. It was simple, really. Wizards thought so lowly of muggles that they didn't bother to learn a damn thing about them, even though they were outnumbered by these non-magical people by millions. Really. Dimitri liked to believe it was why the hitwizard heads liked to hire muggleborn wizards and witches, because they could handle being in the muggle world.

So not in the mood for idiot wizards, right now.

But, Savannah was one of his best friends, and when she'd called him to go rescue her idiot of an ex-husband (was it even official yet?), he couldn't say no. Didn't mean he had to enjoy it, though.

"OY! Wadcock!" Dimitri let out as he opened the door with a flourish, letting it bounce off the wall of the hospital room. Oh, good. He'd been sleeping. "Get up, we're getting you out of here."

Seth jumped awake at the loud noise looking frantically around the room before he realized it was just Dimitri who had walked. And then he realized it was Dimitri had just walked in. Of all the people who could have been sent. Seth flopped back down on his pillow and refrained from grumbling. He had just gotten to sleep. His side itched like hell and the was nothing he could do about it, and scratching ripped the stitches. And he swore the last time he redid his stitches, the doctor made it hurt worse on purpose. He glanced down to his side to make sure they were still in tact after he was startled awake. Startled. Not scared there is a complete difference.

Seth really wanted to say something smart. Or make some comment about the length of time it took for him to get there but decided against it. Not only was Dimitri his ex's best friend, but he was also his only way out of this hell hole, and he had a feeling that this he was already going make this as annoyingly painful as possible. "You mean they're actually going to let me leave? They seem pretty hell bent on keeping me here."

Narrative!

2010-01-24T03:09:47Z

Who: Seth Wadcock
What: He just can't catch a break lmao
When: Friday/Saturday.... lost track of time...

The first thing Seth was aware of was the searing pain in his side. He winced as he opened his eyes to lights that were way to bright for somewhere he'd normally wake up. He only glanced around his unfamiliar surroundings for a second before he relized there was tubes blowing air up his nose. And when he reached up to yank them out there were more attached to his arm. "What the fuck!"   He sat up abruptly causing him to irritate what ever was causing the pain in his side.   He pulled back whatever he was wearing (which definitely not his clothes at all) only to find more wires, which he pulled off as well and some loud beeping noise started, and a wound that looked like it was sewn shut. Again. What. The. Fuck.   How did this even happen.

"Sir!" Seth looked up from the disaster that was now his side to find two women dressed in white rushing into the room. "Sir, you have to leave those on! Oh and you tore out your I.V., Ilene could you go and get-"

"Excuse me, do you mind telling me where the fuck I am? And I don't know, maybe how I got here and what the fuck happened? Last thing I remember is running errands in London and then next thing I know, I'm in this crazy house."

The first nurse took a sidelong glance at the other before turning back to address Seth. "Well sir, you're in a Hospital. You were brought here after an incident, where you were shot. I really can't say much, but your doctor should be in soon. He can-"

"I was what? Shot? With what? What is all this shit? I've never seen any of this shit any hospital I've ever been in." Seth started cutting the nurse off mid sentence once again. "And whats with this shit here on my side? What kind of shady--" It was the way both of the nurses were staring at him that made him stop mid rant. They were looking at him like he was completely loony. That's when it all clicked.. "Oh you've got to be shitting me." he muttered under his breath. He was in a muggle hospital. Seth swung he legs over the side of the bed and stood up quickly only swaying slightly.   "I need to get the fuck out of here."

"Sir! You can't-"

"Oh just watch me.   Ow" he looked down to his side and watched the bandages ting red. "What the hell did you do to my side? Seriously, who cuts people---OW! What the fuck? Did you just stab me?" he glared at the nurse standing next to him holding a needle, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Sedative. Ilene, you might want to call the psychology for a consult."

------

"Two days. I've been here for two days!" Seth seethed at the doctor as he started to fill him in. Leanne was in daycare when he left. who picked her up? Oh the media was going to have a field day with this. It's not like they knew where he was, they would just think he was off doing something stupid and neglecting his daughter.

"Careful you'll rip your stitches... again." The doctor said eying the man in front of him carefully and Seth just glared right back at him. This was a different doctor than the one who came in and informed him how well his surgery went and how he was to make a full recovery. That doctor neglected to mention he was out of sorts for two fucking days. And this doctor was worse than the first. He asked to many questions and Seth was a horrible liar. That and he'd answer the question on impulse because it would be such an easy question. 'So where do you live Mr. Wadcock?' "Montrose". He didn't even think until after the fact how odd it looked that he was in London shopping. He didn't even realize it until the other man pointed it out. 'Isn't that over eight hours from here? Didn't you say you were just in town for the day?' So, now after a few questions that ended along the same way this man was treating Seth as if he was some kid. And that just pissed him off even more. "As I was saying, isn't there anyone we can contact for you?"

Seth refrained from rolling his eyes. "I already told you there wasn't."

"No one?"

"Nope. I'm not a very popular guy." he deadpanned knowing this guy didn't believe a thing coming out of his mouth. He could probably tell him the truth and he'd just sit there and go 'oh really now.'   "When can I go? As lovely as this place is, I really have other places I need to be." Like finding out who had his daughter. Practice, oh fuck, Drystan was going to pitch a fit. Play offs were coming up and Odette was already out of commission and he started those mandatory weekend practices started up this weekend. After everything that just happened he was going to think that he just blew it off. Fan-fucking-tastic.

"Ah well. About that..." he stalled. "It's standard policy to keep you at least a week after a surgery such as yours to monitor the recovery process."

Oh that was not going to do at all. Seth huffed and crossed his arms. He needed to get away from all these crazies and there needles and knives and wires. He needed to get in contact with someone. Anyone. "Fine. Whatever. Where are my things, by the way? You know, clothes, nice leather jacket among others items." His journal was in his jacket. It would save him.

"Ah yes. Your things are right over there." he said gesturing to a table under the table. "Although, there was a weapon like object and we had to confiscated it. Standard protocol."

"Oh for the love of-, It was a piece of wood, with a blunt tip. Just how much damage could I do with it while dying?" Seth all but flailed. Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with these people.

!!!

2010-01-23T06:07:27Z

Eliza was finding it much easier to stay silent and let Dedalus do all the talking. She had never had a baby before, so why should she have anything to say to the healers, who obviously knew what they were doing? Nope, she was going to keep her mouth tightly shut, no matter how much she wanted to let out moans of pain. Moans of consistent pain, as her contractions were growing closer and closer. This was good, though, because that meant Eric would be here soon, and she wouldn't be a whale anymore, and they would have their baby boy. This was good, and she wanted nothing else than for it to go as smoothly as possible, so she would remain calm.

Her hand's grip on her husband's hand was telling another story, however. Eliza hadn't let go of Dedalus' hand since he appeared in their flat hours before. She refused to let go of him and even if she had to only hold onto a finger, she was not letting go. They could allow her that, right? She was about to have a baby, she should be able to hold her husband's hand.

Right now her hand was clenching Dedalus' in pain as another contraction hit. Her healer had told her she wouldn't be able to start pushing for just a bit more and right now it was just her and Dedalus in the delivery room, biding their time.

valesco @ 2010-01-21T00:46:00

2010-01-21T07:43:38Z

Who: Tristan and Psyke!
Where: After quidditch, in the in-between area separating fans from players
What: Psyke has something to ask!
When: Uhhh now?

It was good to know that her name still got her some perks, even though she wasn't sure if she should be using said perks. Psyke sat nervously in what was...it was sort of the in between room of Caerphilly Stadium. Supposedly the players had to pass through here, to get to the gates where their fans would be waiting, so...she supposed this was better than standing outside like a fan girl, but she certainly felt like that because...

She should leave. She really didn't know what she was doing, she could have just offered to invite him to the opening of her newest boutique over the journals, or through an invitation like everyone else, but he'd been so bloody nice during her---meltdown, that she felt like she owed him this. Psyke felt her face heat up and she decided that it would not be the best idea to do this face to face, and she got up, but of course in her panic, all of the belongings in her purse slipped to the ground and scattered underneath the provided chairs. Including her wand, of course.

"Damn, damn, damn," she muttered, dropping to her knees and scrambling to retrieve everything.

Of course.

Although it was a little silly, he recognized the hurried muttering (he wouldn't admit it, of course, since that made him appear to be some sort of crazy stalker) as he stepped into the in-between room, wiping sweat from his brow. Everything was fine now that the pressure of the 'big game' was over, but that just meant he had to think about his romantic life more seriously, and how difficult was that?

Courting a woman who was also a widow with a child was a crazy thing to do and he knew it, but he couldn't help that he wanted to make sure Psyke was okay with ... well, everything.

So when he caught sight of her in the room where only a few select people were supposed to be ... he was pleased despite his surprise.

He bent down and picked up one of the nearby lipsticks, awkwardly squatting next to Psyke.

"...wow, you can fit a lot of things in there. Charmed?"

Of course, of course he was the first one out of the locker room! Psyke would've fell to the ground were she not already on her knees, and she sat up with a jolt...which of cause meant she slammed her head into the bench she had been reaching under, to grab her wand.

"For fuck's---!" she pulled herself out from the darkness and pressed her hand to the back of her head with a smirk, and a deep, deep blush. This was exactly how she wanted things to go, of course. She felt like Wendy! Psyke loved her best friend, but the woman was prone to mishaps like this! But look at Wendy. She was happily married with a baby on the way, with no cares in the world other than how to be amazingly cute with the librarian.

"Yes, charmed," she said, curling her fingers around her wand and swishing it quickly to summon the rest of her items. "It's one of my designs." Yes, she was going to completely ignore the fact that she was looking more and more like a complete ditz with each passing second.

"It seems -- er, very useful." He supposed if he was the sort of witch who worried about how much she carried around he would have appreciated it too - but he was neither a witch, nor someone who carried much on his person at any given time. Weighed a bloke down during flying, after all.

"Hey, now." Tristan had seen the nasty smack that she'd given herself on the back of the bench and he furrowed his brows, reaching out turf-dirty fingers to rest gently against her neck in hopes of soothing her bump without any further mishaps (and without falling over himself, which would probably prove to be a great feat in itself).

"Er, are you -- ok? I mean, did something happen?" He wasn't sure what other reason she could have for coming to see him like this.

Psyke felt her flush course across her face at Tristan's touch and she hated herself for it. She didn't blush! When was the last time she blushed? Like, fourth year, when she was innocent. She hated that she didn't know what she was feeling, and she hated that the little she did know made her feel extremely guilty and that made her angry at herself. It was such a confusing mix of emotions that she found it easier to completely shut her mind up about it.

"I'm fine," she managed, lifting up the silver envelope she hadn't placed back in her purse. Psyke dropped her gaze for a moment before looking up at Tristan. She smiled and handed him the envelope, hoping that once this was done, she could stop feeling like everyone in the universe had their eyes on her, "I just wanted to give you your invitation to the opening of my new boutique in Edinburgh."

She winked and clicked her tongue, "It's gonna be pretty swanky."

If there was one thing he did pretty terribly, it was anything that involved being 'primped'. Merlin, he was going to have to get -- someone to help him pick out an outfit so that he didn't look like a complete and awful clod (maybe Sumpter, he was flowery and gay, right?) when he attended. Because he was so caught up in thinking about this, he didn't actually respond for several seconds after she handed him the envelope.

"Um," he started smartly, rubbing his neck and realizing he'd probably gotten her dirty with his light pawing, "Of course! I mean, yes." Because that was certainly somewhere he wanted to be, right? A boutique opening? If Psyke was there he supposed he'd just have to... grin and bear it. Maybe he could bring her ... flowers or something for the store. Yes, that would be good.

"Thanks for -- dropping by! Usually practice just ends and I go home to sleep." Pretty lame.

"Yeah...sure, no problem."

See, what had been the big deal? She shouldn't have been freaking out about any of it, because obviously Tristan wasn't finding her being there too strange or, you know, nice. Just her, being there for an invite. Yep. That was all this turned into. Right. Psyke didn't even know why she'd made herself invite him in person, so why the hell should he? Tristan was just too bloody nice to assume she was doing what she wasn't even sure she was doing.

Oh, for fuck's sake, she just needed to stop thinking. Psyke pulled a tight smile and nodded, shrugging her shoulders as if making the trip out here was really no big deal. Nope. Getting a sitter for Lavender and rearranging some meetings was totally just a bat of the eye. Yeeeep.

God, she was pathetic. "I guess I'll see you then! Should be fun, I hope, I mean."

So was this the part where he asked if he was supposed to bring a date? Because he was fairly certain that he didn't want a date unless it was Psyke, but it was her opening so why in Merlin's saggy left tit would she need a date? So she was just inviting him because -- why? He didn't think she just wanted him there for the publicity, and if she had wanted to invite him as a friend wouldn't she have just owled the invitation?

Tristan took a deep breath as he ducked his head and then prayed to whatever it was he believed in that he wasn't going to get swatted across the face by Psyke (in front of some of his team who had decided they wanted to linger, no less) as he brought his gaze back up to hers...and leaned in to press an excruciatingly brief kiss to (the very corner of) her lips.

"I don't see how it couldn't be if you're going to be there! Ah, but you probably have to ..." He waved his hand vaguely. She probably had important things to take care of, right?

Right.

Psyke only blinked for a few seconds as she tried to register what had just happened. He had...said something, but before that he'd kissed her. She honestly felt like she was in one of those sappy wireless stories, where she wanted to pinch herself to see if 'that' had really just happened. Pinching would hurt, though, and Psyke's brain was spinning far too much to add pain into the mix.

She had kissed men since Harper died. They hadn't been the best of men, or in the best of situations, but she had. It had been to temporarily make the pain go away, and Psyke had used their attention and their touch almost like a drug. In addition to the drugs she had been put on. What she felt like now...Merlin, she was going through some sort of detox from all the madness she'd put herself through, and this was her first experience with a man that wasn't meant to ebb the pain. There was pain, still, but there was also a small spark of excitement that was telling her that she could, one day, some day, be happy again.

God, what kind of fortune cookies had she been eating?

A smile slid across her face and Psyke pushed forward to kiss Tristan properly. It was something they both deserved, she believed.

[Bess!]

2010-01-21T02:41:18Z

All right, so she wasn't so sure what this blonde woman's problem with her was, but she wasn't going to let it detract from how happy she was with Drystan. Silly fangirls (ironically enough, as that other woman had said) were no threat to her. After all, she had a child with Drystan, surely that was a tighter bond than anything this 'Bess' could come up with.

She just had to make sure that Drystan didn't get unnecessarily distracted by this woman - that meant that she had to kick up her game a little. She'd picked something nice and sexy out and then taken a few photos of her ... well, removing that something nice and sexy, and now she was planning to slide them into the mailbox so that Drystan would find them when he came to check the mail when he arrived home.

Then she'd head upstairs and settle into the bed, wait for him to come in all hot and bothered ... it was an ideal plan.

So distracted with this brilliance was she that she didn't even bother to see who had just stepped into the lobby.

Barty

2010-01-19T19:49:35Z

The library had been cutting hours, and while Emmeline didn't particularly need the money, she needed the escape into her work. It was monotonous most of the time, but it was something to keep her occupied. These full days off in the middle of her week were beginning to grow tiresome, and Emmeline was now in search of a new job. She absolutely hated that she hadn't been able to keep a job for more than a few months at a time...but she found that it wasn't her, but the job that grew boring or...well...no, a lot of it was her, too.

There was nothing out there, though, that could maybe keep her interest. Some part of her wished she hadn't been burnt out at St. Mungo's as quickly as she had been, but Emmeline knew she wouldn't have been able to handle to hospital with everything that had gone on last year. So, what? A ministry desk job? She'd want to kill herself even faster than she had at the library. Diagon Alley? A store clerk? After all of her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s? Everything seemed like such a waste of time, and the noise of this cafe was not helping her focus.

Frustrated, she dropped her newspaper and stared up and into the crowd of the cafe. She couldn't remember how she'd found this place, but it was muggle and out of the way, so---it was a great surprise to see someone she recognized from Hogwarts. Emmeline caught Barty Crouch's gaze and she acknowledged him with a quick smile before looking back down at the paper. She'd been friendly with him, at some point, but Emmeline felt no need to start a conversation with a man whose roommate she'd singlehandedly sent to Azkaban.

Gabrielle ;*

2010-01-15T04:28:59Z

Dark wizards needed to go fuck themselves in the ass.

And not just dark wizards, oh no. Random thieves and hooligans who thought they could get away with zapping defenseless people in the street with itching spells because it was supposedly hilarious needed to jump off a very tall cliff. What was wrong with people these days? Didn't they know that life was easier when you followed the fucking rules?

Dimitri opened the front door of his house with a bit of a slam, irritated and the stupid that seemed to follow him all day.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaabby," he whined, throwing his cloak onto the nearest couch, dropping back into it almost immediately after. Dimitri stared miserably up at the ceiling, thinking that he should go and see if Dean was still awake, but finding that he did not have the energy to move. He pouted greatly and tilted his head back to look up at (and upside down) at his wife, who had just appeared.

"You look pretty."

valesco @ 2010-01-14T10:05:00

2010-01-14T18:34:20Z

Who: Drystan and Bess
What: Dinner! And its multiple interruptions ;]
Where: Drystan's flat
When: Ermmmmm last night?

Bess liked to think she had a knack for cooking. She wasn't one to come up with dishes off the top of her head, but if you gave her a recipe, she was sure she could make it to be as tasty and delicious as it was meant to be. Which was why she had insisted on making dinner for Sadie as often as she could, and now with the addition of Drystan and Stephen to their little...family, Bess was nearly in seventh heaven with her time in the kitchen.

It did help that Molly Weasley was now sharing recipes. It had taken Bess a long, long time to gain the woman's trust in that way, but now she had a nice box of some of the finest dishes a woman could ever dream to cook.

"If I stink at being a solicitor, I think I'll be a chef," Bess said, sprinkling some salt into the boiling water. Sadie and Stephen were taking their pre-dinner naps in the living room (Bess loved how they'd fallen so in sync), and she turned to look over her shoulder at Drystan, grinning, "Would you risk opening a restaurant with me?"

Drystan was eager to volunteer to set the table, happy for any busy work that would occupy him. But a task that ordinarily occupied no more than a few minutes was suddenly a job that involved his entire focus. Plates had to be centered, cutlery had to be perfectly aligned, napkins had to be folded just right. When he found that he'd run out of things to set the table with, he went on a search for candles, merely to have something else to do that required all of his focus.

"Hmm?" he asked, caught off-guard by Bess's question. "Oh—er—" What had she asked, he wondered. Something about a restaurant?

"It would require some consideration," he said, frowning a little, a mocking note entering his voice. "I can't put this face to just anything, you know."

Bess pulled a face, her mouth dropping open in exaggerated shock. She tutted loudly as she poured the ziti into the water, taking a step to the side to stir the sauces and meat. All right, so maybe a variety of pastas was Bess' speciality, but she did try to mix it up so that the people she cooked for didn't get sick of it. Ticking her head back and forth as she stirred, Bess' voice took on a snotty tone.

"I don't see how you could deny 'Captain Fawcett's Seafood Palace,'" she said, not missing a beat as she lowered the heat on the stove. Bess grinned to herself, the ridiculously-named restaurant taking shape in her mind. They could ask Odette to borrow her monster for the front, all proceeds going to some hippocampus fund, or what not. And Drystan would have to wear a pirate hat.

"You would look dashing with an eye-patch," Bess said with a nod, focusing once again on the stove in front of her.

Drystan snorted indelicately, only half-listening to the conversation as he put the finishing touches to the table, casting a glance towards the living room to make sure Sadie and Stephen were still resting peacefully. "Yes, and I imagine I shall wear tattered breeches and walk with a peg-leg as well."

Satisfied, and perhaps a little annoyed, that there was nothing left to do with the table (silly as it was, being that two of the dinner guests were under the age of three, and the elder two could just as well have eaten at the counter), he walked back to the kitchen. "Now, are you quite sure I can't do a thing to help?" he asked, leaning against one of the counters with a skeptical look. Not that he wasn't fond of Bess's cooking, of course, but if he had his way, it would have been him cooking—at least for tonight. But seeing the happiness it gave her, Drystan was more than willing to give her her own space.

Bess turned to Drystan, waggling a spoon in as seductive of a manner that you could waggle a kitchen utensil.

"I've got quite the handle on dinner, Captain," she said, pushing up and forward on her toes to give him a quick kiss. It was lovely how easily they'd fallen into these paces. She felt like...well, a wife in his kitchen, and as much as she liked to be independent (which really wasn't that much), she enjoyed the feeling of being part of something like that with Drystan. Bess dropped back to the floor and lifted her chin. "Now, I'll be out with everything in a minute, do you want to wake up the kids or no?"

Sometimes dinner without getting splattered in the face by pasta was relaxing, but sometimes it was easier to get a little one to eat when they saw that everyone around them was eating, as well. So, she'd let Drystan figure that one out.

"What?' Drystan asked, his mind slipping for the second time. "The childr—no, no, I think it's fine. They've been busy today, I think it's best to let them rest." And it also allotted them some modicum of privacy, even if the snuffling deep breathing of two young children permeated the air every once in a while.

It was ambiance, no?

"I—am happy we have this time, though," Drystan said, disregarding or forgetting Bess's assurance that she'd bring everything out, and grabbing the nearest dish that looked ready to the table, "to talk."

He tugged one of the crooked pot holders straight.

She tutted again, but just turned to turn off the stove. He was the one losing out on her adorable entrance with the food, not her. Bess took another plate and patted Drystan's chest with her free hand before heading toward the table. They could definitely talk, she had plenty to talk about, like always. Sometimes Bess was sure they could go all evening without Drystan saying a word...that sounded terrible in her head, but he simply didn't talk! And she liked having someone to listen.

Now she felt like a bad person. She would love to listen to Drystan's stories, especially when she didn't have any to share.

"How was practice today?" she prompted as she placed her plate on the table, taking the initiative and making sure that Drystan got a word in, tonight. Bess had no idea what she was going to do when Sadie was old enough to hold full conversations; they were going to have some trouble sharing the proverbial microphone.

"Practice?" Drystan asked bemusedly. "Oh—practice—was adequate, I suppose. There are still some—unresolved issues with a few of the teammates, but it's nothing being benched for a few matches wouldn't—" Oh, of all things tonight, he did not want to discuss his team and their failures. No, there were much more important things to talk about. "—But it's really nothing of importance. Although, if I may, I had something I wanted to—"

Wailing. Very loud, very persistent wailing.

"Oh, bollocks," Drystan mouthed, looking up at the ceiling with the smallest of irritations visible on his face. It wasn't that he didn't love Stephen, of course, or usually felt he was a burden—but the child had impeccable timing.

While Drystan wasn't much of a talker, he certainly didn't stutter like he was doing now. Bess was about to question him when Stephen started to cry, and that of course brought along Sadie's usual mutterings upon awakening. The girl often got very offended that Bess wasn't in her direct line of sight when she woke up, and snatching some garlic bread off the table Bess hurried over. It was probably strange, that she didn't hesitate to go for Stephen before Drystan, but Bess found it quite natural; and if Drystan minded it, he would surely tell her. Sadie was sitting up on the couch with a frustrated frown, and Stephen was pressing his face into the netting of his playpen, shrieking.

"What's with the face?" she said to Sadie, handing her the garlic bread. Bess reached into the playpen to pick up the still crying Stephen, and turned back to Sadie, who was chewing on the bread with the still-rather-peeved expression, "I made ziti."

"Ooh," Sadie let out, looking a bit happier with the news. Stephen's whines calmed slightly as Bess bounced him around, and she tried to flatten down his bed head hair.

Sighing, Drystan dropped his fork back on the plate, pushing his chair out. Children—one never could tell what they would bring. That, he mused as he made his way over to them, was probably half the joy and half the horror and exasperation in having them.

"I'll take the other one," he told Bess with a smile, turning his attention to the tiny blonde. "Well, then, what have we here, Miss Sadie?" he asked, giving her a half-smile at the petulant expression she wore, holding a hand out. Perhaps this was best done in front of the whole clan, anyway. "Can't have a pout at the table, my lady." He hazarded a glance at Bess and Stephen, that little half-smile growing a bit wider.

Bess didn't think it would ever get old, seeing Sadie and Drystan interact. Since they had become official, she had been telling people that Sadie was more enthralled with the man than she was! Which, wasn't necessarily true, but Sadie had been able to express her feelings for him much earlier, and easier than Bess could ever dreamed of. The innocence of being a child was definitely something you missed when you had to grow up.

She laughed as Sadie immediately launched herself into Drystan, and Bess shifted Stephen from her hip to sit in her arms in front of her, as the boy's eyes were beginning to roll back into a sleepy daze. He was such a handsome boy, and Bess' feelings toward the baby had changed dramatically from great sympathy to adoration. Even though he was so young, a baby boy was much different than a girl.

"Drystan has to breathe, Sadie," Bess said, noticing the tight grip her daughter had around her boyfriend's neck.

With a laugh, he rose up from the knee he'd dropped to, one arm wrapped around the girl, and gave a quick grin to Bess. "No, it's quite all right. Breathing's not much to my liking." To Sadie, he turned his face and heaved an amused sigh, bouncing her up a little. "Come on then, m'lady. A table setting awaits you."

He supposed it was just one of those nights. Drystan said as much. "Sitting down during dinner isn't much to my liking either," he winked at the woman he was sleeping with, now carrying his adopted child (it was good to think in realist terms every now and then, you see) making his way to the table.

Bess stuck her tongue out at Sadie (she'd done it first!) and followed back to the table. Stephen was lounging comfortably in her arms, and she figured she'd just eat with one hand as to not disturb the little mister's peaceful state. She was very skilled at this, and sat with ease in her seat and tried to tease Stephen awake by tickling his stomach.

"What did you want to talk about, before 'the awakening?'" she said, absentmindedly. Bess had taken particular interest in this, because Drystan never really prompted for a conversation. See, she was very good at paying attention to important things. Even if it was probably just about some event or whatever a captain had to do besides lead the team. Her eyes lifted from Stephen to look across at Drystan for a second, before dropping back down to the baby.

Sadie's breath tickled his ear with her loud, breathy whispers, distracting him enough that Bess didn't catch is attention until mid-sentence—something that had been happening altogether too often this night. With a little shake of the head, he looked down at the little girl on his lap and cocked his eyebrow musingly. He wasn't certain how, but she was like a small pillar of strength, right there in his arms, and the previous stuttering and equivocating seemed to have disappeared. Sadie needed a strong, unwavering example to follow along with, didn't she? "Ah, yes, what did we want to talk about?"

Scooting her off his lap gently, he gave her a little nudge in the direction of her mother. "I suppose it was less of a thing to talk about—" he watched the small hands tighten around the equally small box behind her back. "And—more of—erm—" he smiled crookedly. "Well, more of a thing to give."

She liked presents. Bess couldn't help that her eyes shot up at his words, and a sly grin slid onto her face as she began to think. Hmm. Celebrating his captaincy, maybe? Bess could definitely understand if he wished to shower her with something lovely, because that's what a captain's girlfriend needed. Bess also understood that it was best to keep these thoughts to herself. She would never insist on being given gifts, there was a difference! She would merely accept them when Drystan deemed it a suitable time for gift----

"What do you have!" Bess let out in a breathy tone at the sight of Sadie holding up a ring box. She clutched Stephen closer to her, because if she didn't she would have just let the boy roll off her lap and to the floor. No, Bess, she scolded herself. It could just be a---ring. There were many rings that came in many shapes and sizes and stones and she couldn't breathe. Bess looked at Drystan with an expression of complete shock and---her heart had stopped, she was going to pass out. Bess pushed back in her chair, almost in a panic.

"I don't know what to do now," she admitted to Drystan, her hand going to her chest as Sadie sighed and shook the box at her. Should she--assume, or...."You need to say something."

He'd forgotten the bloody most important part!

"Oh, I suppose that's—my go—" It would have helped to think past delivering the ring, he thought with a bit of panic. To spend the whole night obsessing over getting the ring in her possession was not, as Drystan might have believed, the hard part. Sadie pawing through his pockets and ending up finding it was just a push in the right direction towards asking her, but the asking still needed to be done! Clearing his throat, he pushed his chair back and stood up, walking towards the other side of the table.

"It's been a topsy-turvy year so far," he said, "and we're not that far into it. With all of what last year had to bring, good and bad, and all that's happened so far, I know that the ups and downs have only just begun. And I know—I know it's sudden, but you said it yourself at the wedding… as long as I'll have you, Bess Zeller, that's as long as you'll stay."

He down on one knee, looking up at her earnestly, one hand covering hers. "So I'm asking for the rest of our lives, Bess—if you'll stay that long, if," he reached for the box with his other hand and pulled it open, the gems catching the sparkle from the soft candlelight, "if you'll marry me."

"Oh, Christ," Bess let out, her hand going over her mouth. Her entire body was shaking. She--she had to let Stephen slip off of her lap and to the floor (with a bit of insistence on her part), because if not he would have tumbled to the ground with the tremors racing through her body. Drystan really--he really wanted to be with her, forever. For the rest of their lives. Oh, God, he didn't even have to ask (well, no, he did, but---) because in her mind she'd already picked out their first son's name, and the kind of dog they should get, and where they should live because this flat was not big enough for all the babies she wanted to have with him.

Yes, that's where her mind had immediately gone: she got to build an even bigger family with this man.

Her hand went up to her hair and she realized she looked an absolute mess. How could he have allowed her to be dressed so casually when he was going to propose? That was not important! But it sort of was, but----she blinked, unable to see with the tears in her eyes. Oh---oh she needed to---

No words. He'd knocked her completely speechless like no other man ever could or would. Bess' face scrunched with a short laugh as she nodded, and Sadie jumped, "Yes!"

Yes! Yes, she'd said yes, Bess Zeller had agreed to be his wife, and—

He swept her up into his arms and kissed like he never had before, holding her close to him as could possibly be. A small weight knocked into his leg, and he looked down to see another blonde head, face buried tightly in the knee she was gripping.

"I promise," Drystan said, voice hoarser with the unexpected swell of emotion, "I'll take good care of you two, I'll give you anything—everything—" he kissed her again. Happy, they were going to be so happy.