Teegan
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Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 4, 2018 11:37:59 GMT -5
Brandon RookbladeAs Brandon walked down the streets of London, he felt a sense of relief, since no one else would approach him and ask for his autograph. The man was a Celebrity. He also normally lived in the worst place to be a celebrity- The United States. Especially when you lived in a Wizarding community of American Wizards and their crazy, sports obsessed lives. He always heard the Muggles talking about the "Packers", a team he had come to be interested in after spending so much time in the state of Wisconsin. But, when he was incognito in his own community, he'd hear nothing BUT 'Wolves this', 'Wolves that'. Everywhere, it was 'Hey, how'd the Wolves do against the Anchorage Auroras?' or 'I can't BELIEVE that the St. Louis Stunners pulled off that crazy win over the Wolves! Did you see the score? 250-240! I blame Rookblade for not seeing the Snitch earlier than Colton'. And, of course, there was the often-repeated 'We're lucky to have gotten Rookblade! The Bear of Britain!' That's what they called him in the American Quidditch League. "Brandon Eric Arnold Rookblade, the Bear of Britain." It was really only by lucky that his initials spelled out the word, otherwise he wasn't sure what name he'd have, if any. He supposed it was because he came from a country where Quidditch is so much more competitive than it was in America. Brandon went through maneuvers that no American seeker had dare attempt. He was more physical, more determined, and more... well... more than almost every Seeker in the AQL. He hated the fact he had to resort to playing in a lesser league than the one he grew up watching and listening to, but he definitely didn't mind the pay. Or the fame it brought him. Especially in that state. He constantly heard on the muggle news about how loyal, dedicated, ravenous-yet-friendly, and boisterous Packer fans were for their NFL, and from what he could tell, the Wisconsin witches and wizards, while somewhat small in number, were the exact same way about their Quidditch team. While Brandon normally basked in the love and adoration of these Americans, he also, from time to time, liked to get away from the swirling masses. So, he had decided to take a trip back home, to London. He was somewhat tired after the long-distance apparation, but luckily, he had gotten used to the over-the-Atlantic 'flight' over the last 6 or so years. He strolled down the streets of London, his head facing the sidewalk and his hands thrust into the pockets of his blue jeans. His thin, black jacket rusted a bit in the slight breeze. He took a hard left into a coffee shop, where he stood in line for several minutes. He ordered his usual, black with a creme-filled doughnut. As he exited, he went to take a bite, but as he did so, he collided into someone else entering the establishment. "Oi! Watch where you're going, mate," he yelled, trying to brush the chocolate icing and spilled coffee off his chest.
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Post by Skatie on May 4, 2018 12:42:33 GMT -5
Kerrigan Vigliano
It was a good day for a spot of shopping and Kerrigan was not to be denied a new outfit. She had tried to coax her brother into coming along but he had made it abundantly clear that he was not interested. In fact, his exact words were 'I'd honestly rather gnaw off my own toes than go shopping with you'. So, that was a hard pass from him.
A bit downcast about having to go out alone, she decided to treat herself to a fancy coffee beverage and donut from a local shop. She did try to maintain a healthy diet - if her mother and grandmother were any indications, becoming a plump witch could be in her distant future if she didn't adopt good habits sooner rather than later. Even so, there was no harm in the occasional splurge. Why was it that food tended to make everything more wonderful?
Just as she was turning into the shop, the door swung open and she ran smack into a very solid figure and felt the sting of hot coffee on her white blouse, which had been peeking through from beneath a thin leather jacket. "Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "Bloody hell! Maybe you should watch where you're going. Mate."
Kerrigan was frowning at her stained blouse, trying to assess the damage even as the skin beneath felt scorched. She could go in the restroom and fix her blouse with a quick spell. Closing her eyes, she let out a slow breath, then looked at him and tried again. "I'm sorry," she said, forcing herself not to be a brat. He was in the wrong, sure, but it took two to collide. She wanted to walk away knowing she hadn't over reacted.
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 4, 2018 13:55:17 GMT -5
Brandon glanced up at the girl he had run into as he tried to get all the excess liquid off his shirt, the heat of which stung quite badly, though he'd never admit it. He had taken bludgers to the head, after all, and hadn't said a word. Once he had regained consciousness, that is. He was slightly taken aback by how the interaction had so far transpired, though he was thankful for it. By now, in the US, the other, had they been one of his own kind, would have already become star-struck, and said something to the effect of 'Oh my GOD! Yer Brandon Rookblay-ahd!" He hated that Midwestern accent. Even compared to the average Londoner, it sounded ignorant and uncultured.
He took a mental step back and sighed. "No, miss, I'm sorry," he replied, the smile upon his face almost painfully and obviously forced. "I wasn't looking where I was going, and was in too much of a rush. Shouldn't have pushed through without looking." He smiled again, this time a bit more naturally. "I also apologize for the blouse. I'd be happy to pay you what it's worth," he started, although then remembered he hadn't exchanged much of his American currency to pounds, and had kept much of his money saved as his usual currency, which was of no use to muggles. "Or at least take you out to lunch as an apology?" he glanced down the street in both directions, almost as if he was wary of the next sentence to escape his lips. "I'm Brandon Rookblade." He stuck out his hand, after shifting the topless cup of coffee to his doughnut hand. His eyes kept looking elsewhere, afraid some adoring fan had heard him and would be bursting out of the woodwork any second now.
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Post by Skatie on May 4, 2018 14:05:20 GMT -5
It came as a surprise that her own apology seemed to inspire the man to also backtrack and locate his manners. Her mother was right, after all! Good manners sometimes did breed good manners! Wild. She would be sure never to admit that this had happened to her mother, of course, because she was insufferable enough as it was.
"No, that's fine," she shook her head to his offer of replacing the value of the blouse. "I can get the stain out." An ordinary muggle wouldn't have had a chance of getting coffee out of silk, but Kerrigan was a witch of some skill in domestic charms. She was confident she could easily rectify this issue.
Her brows lifted when he then offered her lunch. Well, she couldn't very well turn that down. Kerrigan did love to chatter and was lamenting being on her own just moments ago. She wasn't shy with strangers, either, so there was nothing keeping her from accepting. "Oh, I mean...sure. If you want."
And then he gave his name. Were Kerrigan any other witch, she would have certainly recognized the name. Indeed, if one of her brothers had been with her, they would have recognized the man by his face alone. But she was Kerrigan, a witch born and raised in Italy who had no interest in sports. "Kerrigan," she smiled. "Vigliano."
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 4, 2018 18:57:19 GMT -5
He relaxed mentally and physically when he realized the woman in front of him didn't know who he was. He was almost sure that this muggle woman knew nothing of Quidditch anyway. It's not like he was in a Wizarding part of London to begin with. He smiled again and gave a curt nod. "The pleasure is all mine, Kerrigan." He shoved the barely touched doughnut back into the bag ignoring the wax paper that had been wrapped around it, tossed the half-spilled coffee in the trash and nodded to himself, as if he had just finished his mental checklist of things to do before going to lunch. He stashed the bag into his pocket and made a mental note to either eat it later or give it to a friend that had House Elves. House Elves seemed like the kind to like sweet, sugary things.
He took a few steps in one direction, thought better of it, then started the other way before stopping completely. He looked back at the woman, seeing her for the first time besides the few stolen glances, and shrugged, obviously embarrassed. "Honestly, I haven't been back in this area for quite some time. I'm not sure where there is to eat in this town," he chuckled. "You wouldn't happen to live in this area and be able to make a suggestion would you?" He stood with his back to the road, his hands dug deep into the pockets of his jeans and shy smile on his face as he watched her and waited for her reply.
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Post by Skatie on May 4, 2018 20:52:11 GMT -5
Kerrigan had moved to follow him, only to stop short and hesitate when he changed directions. She watched him with some amusement, unsure of what he was doing until he finally looked back to her. She was smiling. Muggles were so clueless. Not recognizing him, she could have no idea that he was a wizard, of course.
"I don't live far," she said with a little laugh, "and I know a nice cafe just up the road here. They have wonderful food." Kerrigan gestured for him to follow her, turning in the right direction. A breeze toyed in her wavy brown tresses as she went, her ballet flats tapping lightly on the pavement with each step. She had foregone boots now that the weather was warming, though it wasn't warm enough yet to shed a jacket altogether. Hers was a brown leather, perfectly tailored to her slender frame.
They arrived at the cafe shortly and Kerrigan gestured to it with a smile to him. "Here we are," she said lightly.
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 7, 2018 19:21:40 GMT -5
Brandon followed, his thin, light, black jacket zipped tightly to his neck. He had arrived from the Frozen Tundra that was Wisconsin only a few moments before he had walked into the store where he met this woman, but he was still frozen from his new home. He looked around and noticed that more and more people were wearing less clothing than he was used to seeing this time of year, so despite the cold still wrapped around him, he undid the zipper and let the jacket open, quickly slipping his overly-cold hands back into his pockets. If he knew Wisconsin cold, and he did now, his hands would be ice cubes for another fifteen minutes or so.
When they arrived at the building, he regarded it with unease, like he did most muggle establishments he had never been in before. "Looks, erm... great," he forced before going to hold the door open for her. He reached out and grabbed the handle, the metal feeling warm to his touch. He stepped back and did a small, mock bow, ushering her in. "Après toi, mademoiselle." He smiled up at her as he waited for her to pass by.
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Post by Skatie on May 25, 2018 9:55:37 GMT -5
Had Kerrigan known that Brandon was, indeed, a wizard, she would have suggested something far more appealing to herself than a muggle cafe. She may have even suggested that they go to Italy, her home, where she could show him one of her favorite places to dine in the opulent city that many witches and wizards called home. As it was, she knew the statutes regarding secrecy. She couldn't take a Muggle to anywhere but a Muggle cafe.
"Grazie," she replied, winking. She knew he was speaking in French, but Italian was her native tongue. Kerrigan walked into the establishment and they were shown to a small, quaint table and offered two ornate menus. Everything was exceptionally tidy, at least, and the cafe did appear to be a place for fine dining - not a seedy dive by any means.
"Where have you been?" she asked him lightly, eyes scanning her menu. She flicked her gaze up at him with a small smile.
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 25, 2018 16:45:36 GMT -5
He sad down across from Kerrigan, shoving his hands back into his pockets again, the inside air finally beginning to stave off the lingering cold. His eyes darted about the place, taking everything in. The wallpaper, the light fixtures, the non-moving pictures and paintings on the walls. That made him internally shudder. He hated the way muggle pictures didn't move. The eyes always seemed to follow you. Dead eyes, they were. At least with wizard pictures, the eyes followed because the subject was interested in what you were doing.
His attention turned then to the menu before him, starting with the appetizers and slowly working his way through the rest. He heard her as a question. It was a simple question many people who were getting to know each other would ask. And he answered it, just as plainly. "Rhinelander, Wisconsin." He blurted out, not thinking. He immediately coughed as his eyes grew wide. He had done it now. How could someone go from the United States to London as quickly as he had? Although, now that he thought about it, that may not even be what she was asking. He attempted to play off his reveal as best he knew how; like he misunderstood the question. He glanced up from his menu with a look on his face that he hoped portrayed 'Sorry, I didn't hear you', and said a simple "wait, what? I'm sorry."
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Post by Skatie on May 26, 2018 20:48:42 GMT -5
Kerrigan tipped her head slightly at his quick response. Being that she had only asked where he'd been because he had mentioned not being to London in some time, she certainly didn't think he'd arrived too quickly. She hadn't known how long he'd been back. His attempt at recovery was pretty unnecessary. "Oh?" she replied, a pleasant lift of a brow. "I've never been to the States. You said you've not been home in a while," she prefaced, before delivering the next question. "Did you live there? Or just a long holiday?"
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 27, 2018 2:05:50 GMT -5
Brandon's eyes perused the menu as he listened, glad that his fumbling didn't seem too obvious to the other. He nodded once or twice as he stared at the descriptions of the foods before realizing that she had asked him a question and the silence had gone on for a bit too long. "Moved, actually," he said, completely honestly. "Few years ago now. Mostly for a job." He looked up and put on a small smile that quickly faded as he looked back down to the food and running his finger along one of the lines. "Wisconsin," he stated, chuckling to himself. "The frigid north. The Frozen Tundra," he mused aloud. He sat for another moment of silence before he looked up again.
His eyes quickly glanced around the cafe, taking in all the other patrons at their tables and booths, chatting merrily about this and that. "What's good to eat here," he finally asked, his eyes coming to rest on her. "Preferably something without cheese," he added. "They eat too much of that in 'Wiscaaansin'," he mocked, saying the state's name with the stereotypical accent of that region. "Blow your mind how much they like it," he concluded.
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Post by Skatie on May 27, 2018 18:24:04 GMT -5
For having invited her to lunch, Brandon certainly didn't seem all that interested in Kerrigan. She took that as a personal slight, seeing as she did so love attention. Then she wondered if perhaps he didn't know how to read. He was looking so hard at the menu, seeming concentrated, only to then ask her to suggest something. "You are speaking to a pure Italian," she smiled demurely, "so I must suggest the spaghetti bolognese. Personally, I would prefer the lasagna, but that does have cheese."
To look at her, one would never have thought Kerrigan was a girl who ate pasta at lunch. She was stereotypical, however, in her love of bread, pasta, and wine.
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on May 28, 2018 3:08:00 GMT -5
He smiled a bit as he continued to peruse the menu as she spoke. "Well," he began, deciding the spaghetti sounded quite nice, as long as they didn't put too much Parmesan cheese on top, "I've never met a pure-blooded Italian before." He looked up at her again, a sly smile upon his face. "But I've heard their women are absolutely beautiful," the smile grew, "So that would make sense you're from there." He looked back down at the menu, thinking of what to say. Small talk had never been his forte, as he was a man of action, because like his father always told him, 'Actions speak louder than words', and he lived his life by that motto, even if it made others think him dim or shy.
"I've been to Italy once," he thought aloud. "For a sporting match." He didn't know if she liked sports, but at least it was a launching platform for more conversation. "Rome, I believe. At least that's where I stayed. Beautiful city," he finished, looking up at her again and devoting his full attention to her now. "I'd love to go back some day."
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Post by Skatie on May 31, 2018 10:26:57 GMT -5
Kerrigan smiled at him with an expression that acknowledged he was being smooth. She appreciated the compliment, accepting it with only that smile before her eyes flicked back to the menu. She then set it aside, decided, and looked back up at him when he spoke of Italy. She was biased, of course, but she did believe that Italy was the most beautiful place in the world.
"Oh? What sport?" she asked him innocently. She knew a little of football owing to her brothers, so if he was a fan of that, it might open a topic for easy conversation. It wasn't that she was a fan, but she had sometimes used tiny tidbits of information to impress handsome men. Her brothers had taught her that trick.
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Teegan
Junior Member
Posts: 53
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Post by Teegan on Jun 1, 2018 4:54:37 GMT -5
Brandon smiled at her as she asked her question. He was put off for a second, having actually looked at the woman for the first time since they ran into each other, and he was having a hard time thinking. Before his brain's filter could edit what he wanted to say, he had almost blurted out 'Quidditch, of course,' but luckily, the filter caught it just at the last moment, but a few syllables had still snuck out. "Quiddi---" he started, before stumbling over his words and repeating himself while quickly attempting to find a way to cover up his mistake. "Quiddi, quidd, quintessentially just football," he said, leaning back, forcing a smile. "Yeah," he started, launching into his now made up story. "Just went to see the English team play the Italian." he chuckled. "We lost, unfortunately for us," he said, motioning to himself, indicating the Brits. "Traveled all that way just to watch my team lose." He laughed again.
He immediately attempted to change the subject, hurriedly adding "So, how long have you been on the island?"
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