You're from the sky (Poe)

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Karen was way more nervous about this than she should be. She knew Poet. Well, sort of. She was getting to know him. That was kind of the point of having tea, wasn't it? She was pretty confident that he wasn't a complete psychopath, so what could it hurt? Still, she was being a little neurotic about it. She had taken two chairs away from the table so that there were only two chairs left, and set up the  teacups, pot, and accessories on the table. She meticulously made sure everything was in line with each other, so that it looked aesthetically pleasing and organized. It was nearing time for Poet to show up, and she felt like her heartbeat was burning holes in her ears. The window was open, and every time she heard the slightest sound outside she would jump a little, and had to resist the urge to check if it was him. She had checked a few times, even at least forty five minutes before he was supposed to get there.

She was wearing a pale yellow and blue flower patterned dress, with a blue cardagin over it. Her hair was just in a bun, her glasses in place. Everything was all said and ready, and now all she had to do was wait. She hated waiting.

@poet

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Poe was trying not to be weird about this whole tea thing. Kara had confirmed that Karen didn't think that it was a date, so at least he didn't have to worry on that front, but the timing of the tea wasn't the best. It wasn't bad, exactly, but it was Poe's birthday. And since he hadn't made any other birthday plans - honestly, mostly because he had forgotten that his birthday was coming until the night before - this felt... oddly official. Like he was spending his birthday with a woman, on a not-date, and that ought to be significant in some way. Poe knew he was overthinking things, which was also weird in its own way, since, though he was often introspective, Poe had a way of taking his feelings and distilling them down to their bases, rather than meandering in circles in his mind. That was one thing that his being a poet had really helped with - identifying his feelings and doing something about them. (Rai had also helped with that, but if there was one thing that Poe did overthink, it was Rai, so he swiftly moved on from the subject.) Poe was meticulously on time to their meeting, which was taking place at Karen's apartment, since he already knew where it was and it would allow them to discuss their lives with more openness than a Muggle tea shop would afford. Poe buzzed to be let in to the building, shoving his hands in his pockets as he waited.

@karen

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Karen heard the buzzer and was immediately at the button, pressing it so he could get into the building. She opened her door and waited for him to ascend the stairs, not running down to meet him. This was a more formal greeting than last time, after all... right? Tea was formal, wasn't it? But also casual... the people here in England used tea for everything.

When she saw him she felt her shoulders relax slightly. Everything was fine. Really. This was someone she knew. Sort of. Was getting to know. It was all where it was supposed to be. He was here for tea and she was prepared. All was well.

"Hi, Poe," she greeted softly, smiling a little. She stepped inside the apartment, holding the door open with her hands behind her back, leaning against it. "Come on in. The tea is easy to find," she instructed.

@poet

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Poe smiled warmly when Karen opened the door for him. She looked nice in her dress and cardigan, and he had to resist the urge to say so, since they had both taken so many pains to say that this was definitely not a date of any sort. “Hey, Karen.” He responded to her greeting, stepping inside the apartment with her. Everything looked to be in order, and she was right in saying that the tea was easy to find, but Poe paused for a moment before going to the tea. “The flowers look like they’re doing well.” He commented with a smile. After their adventure in watering the plants, Poe felt a sort of responsibility over the flowers in Karen’s window box, and they appeared to be flourishing. “I’m glad that we’re having tea and not coffee.” Poe admitted. His hatred for all things caffeinated made coffee a touchy subject for him, and while there were caffeinated teas, the caffeine content was much less, and therefore he didn’t feel guilty drinking them. “When I was in New York it seemed like everyone had a cup of coffee with them at all times.” He confided.

@karen

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Karen shut the door behind him once he was inside, leaning against it for a moment as she watched him. She pushed off it to follow him with her hands gently tucked behind her back as he commented on the flowers. "They are, thanks. I think a new friend did them some good," her face redenned a little after saying that. What a ridiculous thing to say, that flowers cared who watered them. They weren't animals. Still... She didn't take back the comment. The new friend had done her some good, after all.

He said that he was glad they were drinking tea, not coffee, and she chuckled. "Agreed. I prefer my brain to be fueled naturally rather than relying on that," she said. Though, that didn't mean she didn't have coffee at times. Just not religously, like New Yorkers. "Kara will put anything into our body that she wants to," she wasn't meaning to demean her other half, but it was fact. "I ask her to avoid the hard drugs though. I don't think she's interested in anything that bad, thank goodness." Why was she talking about Kara? He was here to be with her, right?

She cleared her throat and glanced toward the table. "Should we..." lovely work, Karen. So articulate.

@poet

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Poe smiled sappily at Karen when she said that a new friend had done the flowers some good. That was such a sweet sentiment, and it made him feel all warm inside, like he had just been wrapped in some fuzzy blanket and handed him a cup of cocoa. “If the flowers ever want their new friend to visit them again, I’d be more than happy to.” Poe said, finally forcing his smile into something that wasn’t as large (or as painful on his cheek muscles).

Poe nodded vigorously when Karen said that she preferred her brain fueled naturally. “Some of my students could do well with a conversation with you.” Poe said. Their insistence on using caffeine to keep them awake was not his favorite thing in the world. Poe then remembered that he didn’t actually have any students anymore, and he flushed slightly. It was a hard habit to get out of, thinking of all of the trainees as his. He’d get used to it eventually, Poe told himself. “I think you would know if she had dabbled in that stuff anyways.” The chemical addiction would probably draw in Karen, even if it had been Kara who had taken the drug in the first place.

Karen gestured towards the table, and Poe smiled at her again. “Yeah, let’s sit.” He said, sinking into one of the chairs by the table. “What’s been up with you since we last talked?” Poe asked, figuring a bit of catchup time would be a solid prelude to whatever other conversation they had.

@karen

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He said he would be more than happy to visit the flowers again, and she felt her cheeks redden a little. "I'll be sure to be aware if they want that. And I'll let that friend know," she added. That was obvious, of course, but she was liking this conversation... and the slight analogy between the two of them that it posed. She probably would like him to visit again, but so would the flowers.

He said that some of his students would do well conversing with her and she chuckled a little. Then he added that she would know if Kara dabbed in the heavy stuff and he nodded, "yes, I'm sure I would. Thankfully, there are no addictions here," she said, holding up her hands by her face as if to somehow show that her body was addiction free. Not that her merely raising her hands proved anything.

Poe was able to put her question to words, which made her sigh a little with relief. She took the opposite seat and shrugged a tiny bit at his question. "Just work, mostly. I made a new friend," she paused, "a researcher. She's quite smart, it's good company," she wasn't sure if her and Antonia could be considered friends, but it was pretty close... she decided. In that moment, to call the woman a friend. "I've also been thinking about making a trip to America to see my sisters soon."

@poet

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Poe looked away from Karen when he saw her begin to blush – he didn’t want things to be even more awkward for her when she realized that he saw her blushing at the conversation. He looked back when Karen said that she was sure she would know if she was addicted to anything too bad, but the blonde insisted that she didn’t have any addictions, holding her hands out as if somehow that proved that she wasn’t addicted to something. Well, she didn’t have any track marks, so that was a plus.

“Work is good.” Poe said when Karen said that had been most of what she had done since they had last spoken to each other. “You’re not going to replace me with your new friend, right?” Poe asked teasingly. He knew that it was possible for someone to have more than one friend – duh – but he kind of liked his position as one of Karen’s closer her friends (or at least, he thought he was one of her closer friends – it was possible he was just flattering himself). “If you ever want a private jet, feel free to ring.” Honestly, it was probably more comfortable to go on a commercial jet back to America, but Poe couldn’t resist the opportunity to have at least twelve uninterrupted hours with Karen as they flew over the Atlantic Ocean. In a totally non-creepy, platonic way of course.

@karen

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She prepped her tea with honey and cream and started to stir it. Work was good indeed, and she nodded to show that she agreed with that. He teased about her replacing him with her new friend and Karen shook her head, "trust me, so far you're not replaceable to me," she said this as a statement of fact, not even considering how personal that sounded. She liked Poe, as a friend and as more and she was honest with herself about that. She didn't know him that well but that didn't mean her statement was any less true. He was not replaceable.

Then he reminded her about his private jet and her eyes brightened a little. "Actually, that's not a bad idea. We were saying you should take me up sometime, weren't we?" once again her tone was factual, but this time she felt like her stomach was doing barrel rolls. Was she really going to spend hours in a private jet with just her and Poe? Just thinking that thought made her stomach flip again. But... In a nice way.

@poet

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Poe didn't know how to feel when Karen said that he wasn't replaceable. It felt good - nice. A lot of what Poe had struggled with when he was away was that he wasn't sure if he was wanted, or even needed, in the Auror department. The answer was no, he wasn't needed (and honestly, he still wasn't sure if he was wanted after his departure)... so being told that he was needed, that he was irreplaceable? That was good for his ego. But Poe didn't want that getting in the way of his friendship with Karen. She was his friend because she was intelligent and kind, not just because she said things that made him feel important.

"We were." Poe agreed when Karen said that he had mentioned his plane before. He didn't want to be too pushy about it given the newness of their friendship and the intimacy that seemed to come from sharing that kind of trip. "I was planning on taking a birthday trip somewhere, so maybe you can come on that to get used to the plane." Poe suggested. He paused. He hadn't meant to mention his birthday... but it was too late to take it back now.

@karen

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She was glad he remembered their discussion about the plane and smiled. Then he mentiones his birthday and a trip and her eyes widened a little. She lowered her tea cup, "you... Want to take me on a trip with you for your birthday?" her cheeks were flushing red now, she knew that. That seemed more intimate to her than a trip to America... Well, if Poe came with her to her parents and then sisters houses that was another story.

"I think that'd be nice," she said, her voice very soft. "When is your birthday?" she asked. It must have been soon, since he was already planning for it and she wanted to go to America over the summer. Maybe it was this weekend or something.

@poet
(I totally forgot about the birthday hahahaha)

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Poe nodded when Karen asked if he wanted to take her with him on his birthday trip. "I'm a little too old for a birthday party, but I would like to celebrate with someone I like." He said with a shrug. Poe would have made his statement plural, but he wasn't sure there was anyone else he'd want to invite on his adventures with Karen. There were his colleagues in the Auror department, but Poe wasn't sure how many of them he actually liked and trusted as much as he liked and trusted Karen (see: his worried about being wanted and needed).

Karen asked when his birthday was, and Poe winced. Right - that had been why he hadn't wanted to bring it up in the first place. "Uh, today." He admitted sheepishly. He didn't know what else to say, so he just sipped his tea instead.

@karen

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He said he wanted to celebrate with someone he liked and her face flushed even more. "I mean... That'd be fun," he said, voice still soft. He'd probably have some time with Kara too if it was an overnight trip thing... Hopefully he wouldn't mind. She didn't bring her up yet, though. Poe wanted to go with her and that was an incredibly nice thing.

Then he winced and said when his birthday was abd her jaw dropped. He started sipping his tea again, too! "Poe I- I should have made a cake or something!" she said, her voice growing a little in volume and pitch. She set her tea cup down and moved to get up. "I probably have something around here... I mean there are those scones with the tea but that doesn't say birthday anywhere on it," she frowned at the table. Then again... This was Poe. Perhaps this sort of celebrating was just his cup of tea.

@poet

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Poe smiled when Karen admitted that spending time together would be fun. He thought so, too. It was nice to be around someone who didn’t want anything from him other than just him being him. Poe often felt like people wanted him to wear a mask, of the steadfast Auror or protective Hufflepuff or flirtatious man. While all of those things were a part of him, he didn’t want to be them all the time, and Karen seemed to accept that – there were no masks. “When’re you free?” He asked. Taking time off as an Auror – at least the time that would be required for a trip anywhere meaningful – was getting more difficult lately, so the more time he had in advance to plan, the better.

Karen sputtered that she should have made a cake or something, and he just shook his head. “I don’t need a cake.” He assured her. Poe didn’t see the point in making a cake for just himself, or one or two other people. Not that he didn’t like cake, but it seemed wasteful when the cake itself didn't matter as much as the love and care that went into it. There was definitely more than one way to show love and care, and in some ways, Karen getting flustered over not having a cake was just as meaningful as her baking one. Hopefully she didn’t start going on about birthday gifts, too. “Spending time with someone I like says birthday just fine to me.” Poe declared.

@karen

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He asked when he was free and she pursed her lips in thought for a moment. "I... think two weekends from this one... but I'll have to check," she explained. "I can take time off fairly easily," she also added. That way they could work through whatever was better for him and she could get the time off. She was happy to do that, to spend that time with him.

He said he didn't need a cake and she continued to frown at the table or a moment. Then he added that spending time with someone he liked was good enough for him to celebrate. Her brow softened and her frown turned up a little. She settled back into her seat, "I feel silly," she admitted, placing her hand on the table and sliding it toward his side. She turned her palm up, "happy birthday," she said softly.

@poet