marked for demolition | claire

[rhys alexander greyback]

template by punki of adoxography

decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

Rhys drank his whiskey rather quickly, the burn greater than when he normally drank it considering the speed. It all still weighed on him, he hadn’t slept. It had been over a week since he’d run out of the bank in a panic and wondering where his sisters were and if they were safe. The attack. Rhys hadn’t been there, but he was supposed to be. The idea still left him pale and only created a new set of nightmares on top of the ones he already had, of course made very vivid by the Aware Wolf potion. A few times he’d woken up in a cold sweat, clammy and in a panic. Instead of sitting at the bar he had chosen a small table instead, he hadn’t been much in the mood for small talk with the bartenders or whoever was there but he couldn’t stand sitting at home any longer either and he was sure he was annoying his sisters with his constant check ins. Still, his extended time home had allowed him to spend more time with them and a lot of other people he didn’t see all that often due to his work. After Elias’ death the previous year he’d worked himself almost to exhaustion, this had brought back painful memories of that.

Rhys himself had reached out to some friends and friends had reached out to him, it felt good to laugh and tell stories of his old school days. Despite what he went through those seven years it had been some of the best of his life. There had been somewhere he felt he belonged (as much as some students would let him feel) and some friends he’d kept since graduation. Most of them had been the same year as him but there was always a mix after fifth year and the elective subjects for NEWTs and he’d made friends with students who were on similar academic tracks as him. While he waited for his old friend a waitress came by and retrieved his empty glass and he politely asked for another one—a double. He rubbed his eyes with one hand, the normally bright blue was dull but was likely just exhaustion and he pulled away quickly though when he heard his name.

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

IT WASN'T COMMON FOR CLAIRE TO MEET OLD school friends. Mostly because she didn't have very many. Rhys Greyback was probably the last person her parent's had ever wanted Claire to befriend. Unfortunately, he was unnervingly good at Arithmancy and had helped her pass in her sixth year. She was practically indebted to him for life. This meant, when owls were exchanged and the two happened to be in the same place, Claire obliged awkwardly.

"Alcohol already?" Claire tittered at Rhys's back, bustling in on a gust of chilly air. It annoyed her that he had the foresight to arrive before her promptly, but she smiled anyways, eyeing the glass he'd just had refilled. She'd just arrived as the waitress had retreated. Her bag clutched to her side, hair in disarray from the brisk wind outside. "What is that?" She asked bluntly, reaching for his glass and sniffing it as she sat down. Flinching at the biting contents when they singed the inside of her nose. Claire wasn't against drinking, but she preferred her booze from vineyards with Spanish and French names.

Setting the glass back in front of him, Claire placed her bag down by her feet and primly straightened her posture. "I hope this little catch up isn't for legal advice." Claire teased him, her hands clasped in front of her carefully. They were entirely opposite. Rhys with his handsome, scruffy face and Claire with her ramrod posture and carefully styled hair. The only thing out of place on her person being a single lock of hair that had come loose from around her ear. "Well, how are you?" She asked him awkwardly, as if she'd already asked the question before. Lifting her hand, she ordered the house wine and settled back in to her seat. 

rhys alexander greyback

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[rhys alexander greyback]

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it's like we're starting drama everyday

but you know that's my favorite part

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

The quarantine had given Rhys a chance to reconnect with some of his old friends, especially other Curse Breakers also stuck in Britain. It wasn’t all bad, especially the time he got to spend with his sisters. Still, he’d reached out to an old friend Claire who he’d struct an unlikely friendship with back in his school days. She was someone that Rhys had considered so serious and quiet that it made his own serious demeanor seem like that of a class clown, but he’d found it easy to rile her up and illicit some reaction while helping her with subjects such as Arithmancy. Plus, they’d had the same goal of being Aurors, however that had clearly not worked out for him while it had for her. He heard a voice from behind him and he instinctively turned and saw the blonde and watched as she sat down in front of him and grabbed his glass before he could have a chance to touch it himself. ”Whiskey.” He said rather bluntly. ”You should try it sometime. Might help you relax.”

Somethings never seemed to change and having gone to school together she would have been witness to his constant detentions and fights for situations that really were only owed to his short temper and bad timing. Though they themselves had been in detention for arguing during class, much to her dismay. He sipped his whiskey and smirked, wondering how many sought her out just for that purpose. ”Fortunately no, the bank retains their own legal counsel.” Though nothing he did was illegal, though could be considered questionable in some cases by some people. She was prim and proper and drank wine while Rhys couldn’t be bothered to shave while he was home and tended to drink whiskey by the bottle. He sighed, it was a loaded question despite so few words, and he thought about what his answer might have been a month ago versus now.

”Honestly, a little stir crazy being stuck here with this Hag’s Fever stuff.” He admitted, having worked as much as he did the previous year, he probably didn’t need to work this year, but he liked it and it kept him out of his own head as he hadn’t known what else to do after Elias died. ”How have things been for you?”

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

THE LIGHTENING FAST QUIP SERVED AS A reminder to Claire. Rhys wasn't nearly as sweet as he looked and he always had an answer. Something about him that Claire had either despised or admired, depending on where his silver tongue was pointed. "I think we both know it's best if one of us keeps our heads." She replied snootily, flicking a strand of buttery blonde hair from her cheek as she pulled her chair in tightly,

Rhys had always been a formidable individual. Even at school, while studious, he'd always been in some kind of trouble. An argument with another student, sticking up for one of his bonehead friends. Rhys seemed to invite conflict, where Claire had always been shy of it at Hogwarts. She'd once admired that about Rhys, wishing she were a little braver herself. She'd found her spine eventually, but Claire would be damned if she thanked Rhys for it.

"I bet you've cost them a fortune," She teased, folding her hands gently in front of her, her nails painted to a pristine white. Every cuticle uniform and short bar the thumb, which she was prone to chewing on anxiously. Her wine arrived promptly and she thanked the server before taking a sip. It didn't taste particularly pleasant, but Claire had always envisioned herself as a wine drinker. The bulb of the glass sitting neatly in her small, pale hand. She'd learn to like it, she kept telling herself.

"I should have expected that." Claire tutted, setting her glass down on the table carefully, spinning it in place as she smiled at him ruefully. "You've always been a bit of a... migrating bird." Her smile turning in to a smirk. "One would think you didn't like long term responsibilities, or something." She challenged him. Hag's Fever had essentially shut the entire wizarding community down. Claire hadn't been terribly bothered, she policed within the borders when she was allowed.

Taking another hearty sip, Claire wished it would go straight to her head. Having expected his question, but hating it nonetheless. She preferred when Rhys was too self centred to care how she was. "Fine." She said shortly, wrinkling her nose as she licked bitter white wine from her bottom lip. There was a beat of silence where Claire almost refused to elaborate. Alas, there had always been something incredibly piercing about Rhys's stare. As if he had no reason to blink, it made her shift in her site uncomfortably.

"They put me on border patrol." She spat out, her disgust evident as she lifted her glass and drained the dregs desperately. The urge to bite her nails clenching in her knuckles. "And my partner is a the most insufferable excuse for a yank- I just..." Violence flared in Claire's pale face, but she drew in a sobering breath. Blinking rapidly as she gathered all her edges and tucked them out of sight. "Never mind." 

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decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

Traveling as he did it could become difficult to keep in touch with friends, but he found that even as time passed, they were able to avoid the awkward part of ‘catching up’ and fall back into an old routine. This had been theirs. Claire commenting on something in his life or a decision he made and Rhys returning with some comment about her Victorian demeanor. Still, there was an element of respect. Despite what he let bullies do to him as a student he did react when he felt a line had been crossed, though it couldn’t be helped at times when his temper tended to get the best of him and push decisions he wouldn’t make otherwise. That had been the bulk of his troubles, not that he was a bad kid but because if you pushed him enough, he tended to push back much harder. He smirked at her comment, always the responsible one. He supposed it had been a fair trade back when she might discourage him from something while he helped her with a few classes. ”Well, I see that hasn’t changed.”

”Unfortunately I know at least two others who have caused more trouble than I have, I know you find that hard to believe.” Causing trouble as a Curse Breaker meant many things but Rhys typically ended up filling out paperwork regarding destroyed ancient property, but what else was he supposed to do when a wall was rushing toward him and aiming to crush him against another wall? Rhys sipped his whiskey and returned with an unamused look. She wasn’t wrong, though he didn’t like hearing it out loud. His business never seemed as private as he wanted it to be. ”Is it so bad to not want to be tied down?” It was a philosophy though he always characterized it as such to avoid admitting it was really a deep-seated fear.

Claire, on the other had didn’t seem that excited to talk about her work and Rhys was curious as to why. She’d always been pushing forward for this goal and now she had it, why the hesitation? His expression was that of doubt, they had been competitive in their friendship, so she typically didn’t have an issue telling him when she was doing better than him. ’They put me on border patrol.’ And there it was, Rhys watched as she drank her entire glass of wine even faster than he had drank his previous glass of whiskey. Oh, this was different—it really bothered her. ”Well who did you piss off to get that assignment?” It was a bit amusing but while he had the opportunity to gloat, he knew the feeling personally of being pushed aside despite one’s potential. ”You sure you don’t want a whiskey? You seem like you need it more than I do, and I’ve had a hell of a month.” His sisters popped into his mind, they were safe and sound, but anxiety still crept into his chest.

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

THOUGH SHE SMIRKED AND SHRUGGED HER shoulders delicately, Claire did not agree internally. It wasn't particularly hard to believe that Rhys was not the chief concern of the banks. He was, all things considered, a decent wizard. Smart, confident, if a little rough around the edges. And for somebody dealing with the werewolf affliction, Claire thought he handled it with a fair amount of grace. She wouldn't even be able to tell, had she not known already. They weren't in the business of telling each other such things, of course.

"Yes, it is." Claire replied, quick as a whip. "It makes you terribly difficult to get in touch with." She grinned, lifting her brows delicately. Rhys had always seemed restless, like he couldn't stay in one place. His constant travelling was of no real concern to her. It was when he stopped that she begun to worry. Claire knew Rhys the way that she knew any of her school 'friends'. On a month by month basis, where they caught up on trivial facts and drank while they occasionally humblebragged. This time, Claire was feeling adventurous.

Staring at the dregs in her glass, Claire licked the bitter wine from her lips and smiled without humour. She thought of Cas in his little shop, staring at her like she was the enemy. Of her brothers wide, open stare and her big, relentless mouth. "I trusted my idiot, no good little brother." She drawled thickly, wishing for another glass of wine. Her other hand came up to rub at her forehead in frustration shaking her head slowly as she cringed. "Turns out he's just as much of a Slater as the rest of us."

Reaching across the table, Claire grabbed Rhys's glass of whiskey from his very hand. "You've had enough!" She pointed at him sternly, pulling the glass towards her lips desperately. "I need another drink before I start playing kiss and tell." The whiskey was awful, burning the back of her tongue, but after she'd swallowed it, it wasn't nearly as bad. Though her face was screwed in mild disgust. Contemplating it briefly, Claire took another sip before she relinquished the glass. "Tell me about it," She ordered him, skin tingling gently. "Make me feel better about my miserable life." And she pouted at him, for extra. 

rhys alexander greyback

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[rhys alexander greyback]

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decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

Rhys rolled his eyes slightly. He knew that reaction well from her. The smirk and the shrug indicating she didn't agree in the slightest though completely non-verbally. He never argued at this rate with her, though he respected her opinion it was a strange way of communicating that they had developed over the years. They thought what thought and either agreed or disagreed with rarely anything in the middle, and yet, here they were. He supposed he always appreciated that she didn't treat him differently because of who he was related to and only tended to express her opinions on account of his behavior or rash decision. Rhys could appreciate that, and she wouldn't be the only one who expressed that in his life.

On that note, he couldn't disagree. His constant traveling often made it hard to contact him, especially if he was in a territory that wasn't the safest. For example, when he and Jasper had gotten themselves into some trouble in the Crimea--not only did he have mail from the bank expressing their disappointment but also a lot of mail, in general, from home. This year had been exceptionally different. He'd been home longer than he had in a very long time. "Well, looks like Hag's Fever was in your favor then." He said with an unamused smile, his sisters had been happy to spend more time with him since he really had spent almost eight months away after the tournament had ended, and he'd just been avoiding all the aftermath. "You're starting to sound like my sisters."

Rhys was a bit surprised. Her current situation was on account of her younger brother. Though he knew of him, he wasn't someone that Rhys was all that acquainted with, and he didn't trust reporters and their need for constant gossip and especially not when his name was mentioned. "That is....well, I'm not sure how I would feel if my younger sister earned me desk duty." He pondered that, not being able to go out and do the job he loved so dearly and instead chained to a desk with endless memos and paperwork. The expression on Claire's face was familiar, from their school days when she expressed an extreme amount of displeasure at Rhys bettering her score in Ancient Runes or another class. "I'd offer to speak to him, but I don't want to end up in the paper." Rhys had been out of the loop on most of the news with his work, and even now, he hadn't quite bothered to catch up unless it was a major event.

As Rhys pondered how her brother was involved, Claire reached over and commandeered his glass of whiskey. Very quickly, his expression shifted to one of disbelief as she took a large drink of it. There was shock on his face as he couldn't recall ever seeing Claire Slater drink whiskey. Rhys paused after taking back the glass of what was left of his beloved beverage and, again, shock. "Nobody is ever going to believe me when I tell them that you drank my whiskey." It was spoken as a fact but also a light tease, though she was likely only asking him to expand on what he'd said to not think about her current situation further. Rhys' expression shifted, and he sighed, drinking the remaining contents of his glass. The waitress approached them as if she'd been waiting for them to finish and asked if he wanted another one. He nodded yes but then looked at his friend across from him. "Well, you want one of your own this time?" Rhys didn't want to share if he talked about his month so far.

Again, he sighed and wondered where to begin. Well, he supposed there wasn't a way to ease into it. "Well, the bank finally has me catching up on paperwork and all the boring stuff." He began. "So, I ended up missing the Quidditch final--but my sisters were there. Fortunately, they're fine, but I can't stop thinking about it." Rhys shook his head. Normally he wasn't home, and that was a good excuse, but he kept feeling like nothing he did was ever good enough to protect the ones he loved. The waitress returned with his drink and he quickly drank at least half of it. "And hence the need for whiskey." Not that he never needed a reason.

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

TAPPING HER LIPS THOUGHTFULLY, CLAIRE pretended to consider his ridiculous declaration before she sat back with a heavy sigh. "I suppose it was." It was easier, in retrospect, to tease about the rife spread of Hag's Fever over the last few months. She had seen how it had ravaged some witches and wizards, and it had certainly not been funny at the time. But, Rhys had a point. He'd been more stable in the last few weeks than he'd been in all the time she had known him. "Ew, don't say that." She wrinkled her nose with a laugh. "I'd kill you."

Grumbling under her breath, Claire quirked her brows and nodded in self pity. "Trust me..." She said quietly, a violent look on her face as she tongued her back teeth, as if preparing to bite down. "I know exactly how I feel." Furious, manipulated, betrayed. She had always tried to reason with her brother, to play mediator at the dinner table as he grappled viciously with their parents over menial things. "Don't do that." She brushed off his offer quickly and without a shred of consideration or gratitude. "That's embarrassing, I can deal with it myself." She looked down at her glass with a wrinkled nose.

The whiskey was a welcome distraction, though she abhorred the petrol flavour as it burned its way in to her belly. "And I will deny it all the way..." She smirked, her hands still wrapped possessively around the glass. Leaning forward in her chair so that she was half slumped on the table top, a stark contrast compared to her usual stiff posture. "No, another wine, please." Claire spoke to the waitress politely, sitting up in her chair for the purpose of appearances. "Actually!" She waved her hand restlessly, "Bring me the bottle." And she turned a grin back on Rhys.

She finished his glass with a grimace as the waitress left the table again, too stubborn to return the dregs. "Ugh," Claire retorted at the mention of paperwork, setting the glass down and folding her hands neatly. "Oh, yes, the explosion." Claire had felt the blood drain from her face when the news had hit, fear that it was due to Purifier inference. Memories of King's Cross viciously resurfacing. "Granger was such a powerful witch..." Claire looked trodden on, her chin dipping. "What a terrible way to go." Claire grabbed for her bottle of wine when it arrived, failing to allow it to even be set on the table before she had it by the neck. "Thank you!" She said hastily. 

rhys alexander greyback

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[rhys alexander greyback]

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decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

Hag's Fever and how quickly it had spread was not something Rhys had expected or ever seen in his life. He knew why he had been grounded in London, the risk of transmission, and perhaps he was asymptomatic. It was strange being home for so long. He realized how much he enjoyed being on the move and how much easier it was to be stuck in his own head when standing still. Rhys didn't like it, and he found himself out and about with a glass of whiskey in his and more often than he cared to admit. He chuckled at her response. He'd certainly never looked at Claire in a sibling type of way despite their many years of friendships, and she didn't look at him as any sort of brother either.

Rhys was a little taken aback at her expression. She had seen Claire angry before on occasion but nothing quite like this. While betrayal was not a new feeling for Rhys, it had fortunately never come from his family, and it wasn't a feeling he even wanted to imagine. Perhaps her family was as headstrong as she was, always pushing forward no matter at what cost. "Well, I'm sure karma will catch up to him at some point." Or so he hoped. In his observations, those that deserved some kind of retribution never seemed to get it, or it was a long while away. Still, it didn't sit well with him. The idea of throwing your sibling--your family under the bus, it seemed obvious even to a man who had to wait till he was seventeen to find his own family.

The shock of Claire drinking his whiskey hadn't quite worn off. In all the years they had known one another, he'd never seen her act out in that way. It was fascinating and concerning all at the same time. "A bottle?" He asked, surprised after her request to the waitress, who nodded and walked away. Rhys might have been nursing the very early stages of a good buzz, but he didn't doubt that Claire would feel the effects of his glass of whiskey very soon. His expression shifted from shock to slightly amused. He was impressed, though perhaps he should have been more worried about his normally well-mannered friend. "So, first--who are you and what have you done with Claire?" He began as he leaned forward over the table to set his elbow on the surface while his hand motioned toward her. "And second--if you are in fact Claire, you shouldn't waste money on a bottle you won't finish." There was a smirk on his face as he challenged whatever notions of "proper" she usually adhered to.

The waitress returned with a bottle for Claire and a new glass of whiskey for Rhys, which he eagerly drank as soon as he received it. Claire took possession of the bottle of wine, and very eagerly, he noted. "Yes, that whole matter was...unfortunate." His face looked a bit solemn, the panic he'd felt that day still a fresh feeling in his mind. "But I suppose accidents can't be helped." It was as if everything that could have gone wrong, did go wrong, and their Minister had perished as a result but so did many others that day. Rhys very quickly drained half his glass at the thought.

[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

THOUGH HER FRIENDSHIP WITH RHYS WAS AN unlikely one, she knew it could be useful. When they weren't viciously competing, Rhys was actually a fairly decent person to have on her side. He would have confronted Grey for her, she believed that. Unfortunately, it was just another thing Claire had to do on her own. In the meantime, she was quite happy to vent to Rhys over enough liquor to fell a horse. Another thing Rhys was exceptionally good at.

"Not if I get my hands on him first." She commented sinisterly. Flicking her bleached blond hair off her neck as she ordered the whole bottle of wine. Nodding her head firmly when Rhys questioned her. It wasn't typically in her nature, but every now and then the tension in Claire increased to bursting and she had to find an outlet. "Left her on desk duty," Claire retorted petulantly, leaning back in her seat and crossing her hands delicately. Though her eyes quickly narrowed as Rhys continued, his teasing voice lifting her hackles. "Shut. Up." She snapped, scowling at him from across the table.

Claire felt the darkness of reality threaten to encroach on their space. Granger had been a phenomenal leader and her death was so shocking that, for Claire, it had barely sunk in. She thought of Harry Potter then, and if anybody would have reached him to pass on the news. Her gut twisted and she filled her glass near to the brim. "I can't imagine dying in an accident," Claire mused quietly, her stare unfocused somewhere at the bottom of her glass. She lifted her glass to her mouth and took a deep, desperate pull. The sweetened bitterness tingling on her tongue as she swallowed breathlessly. "If I'm to die," She declared, tongue dashing out over her bottom lip. "I intend to die spectacularly." Her nose upturned in morbid snobbery. 

rhys alexander greyback

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[rhys alexander greyback]

decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

Rhys was still very curious about the details surrounding Claire, her brother, and her unfortunate assignment on border patrol. Still, just as he had expected, she insisted on dealing with it herself. It was a typical offer he would have extended anyone he considered a close friend. And she had been an unlikely friendship from their school days, but it had persisted somehow throughout the years and their busy individual schedules. There had been a moment Rhys had seethed with a bit of jealousy at Claire having the career he had dreamed of when he was younger, but now he couldn't imagine doing anything that wasn't Curse Breaking. And while her venting wasn't unusual, her current behavior regarding an entire bottle of wine wasn't something he'd really seen before. Though Rhys could understand why she would be upset, he likened it to being put on desk duty himself with the bank—as if one was just discarded aside.

Her threat toward her brother was one Rhys took seriously, though he would not stand in her way, knowing that was a terrible idea if he cared for his own safety. He wondered what she would tell her sister, who Rhys only remembered because she was the same year and house as his own youngest sister, Max. Rhys chuckled as she snapped at him to shut it, but it was simply too easy when it came to Claire. " Well, seeing as Claire only snaps at me that quickly—it must be you." He responded sarcastically and with an amused look on his face. It had been easy to push her buttons back in school, and it was almost just as easy now, or perhaps he just had the experience. " Some things never change." Again, he was just pushing the point—knowing very well she would not want to hear that and certainly not from him.

The conversation went into a darker topic, and it was undoubtedly one that would warrant a drink regardless of whatever else they had been talking about. Rhys watched as she filled her glass, and the waitress that had been helping them walked by and gave a side glance with an eyebrow raised, a look full of judgment and curiosity at Claire's actions as she took Rhys empty glass and walked to the bar. " I'd say you should switch to Curse Breaking." Rhys commented, and the waitress returned with another glass of whiskey for him, which he happily received. There was a slight buzz creeping up on him, the whiskey he'd been quickly drinking, and he couldn't remember if he'd eaten that day. " But, usually, it's an accident that takes one of us out." He continued, grimly but also a bit bluntly. He didn't know why the whole Quidditch final accident left him so bothered when he willingly walked into perilous situations often.

She brought up the notion of 'spectacularly, going in a blaze of glory, he supposed, but that didn't seem possible in her current position. " And how do you plan on doing that from Border Patrol?" Rhys asked curiously. He had asked it as an actual question and not meant to tease, perhaps later, he'd bother her about it, but even he knew when to step back. Plus, Claire was one of the most headstrong people he knew, and surely she had a plan.

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[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

TILTING HER GLASS AT RHYS WITH A KNOWING smirk, Claire nodded her head stiffly. "Must be." She replied, though Claire would have surely been far less forgiving to a jibe like that a few years their junior. Knowing Rhys meant procuring a tentative thick skin. It wasn't perfect, but she had him to thank for its pitiless existence.

Tilting her head downwards slightly, Claire was looking down in to the bottom of her empty glass when Rhys spoke. "I'd say watch your mouth." She tittered, scrunching her nose at Rhys and rearing back as if he'd slapped her. The curse-breaking career was an admirable one, of course. They did dangerous, complex work. Begrudgingly, Claire thought that she respected them far more after knowing Cas. That didn't mean she couldn't have fun with it. "If I wanted to traipse around the world solving riddles," Claire sat back in her chair with a quirk of her mouth. "I'd have joined a travelling wizarding chess team."

Crossing her arms, Claire looked a little too self satisfied when her wine arrived. It was the distraction she needed as she sat forward suddenly, pouring herself a glass to consume in a single sitting. This was good, she thought. Though Rhys could be a right cad, it felt good to simply vent for a moment. Even at her own expense. Clinking her glass with his, Claire blew out a long breath and shook her head. "You'd better not." She warned him, the thought knotting in her stomach. One day Rhys might simply stop answering her owl's. Collateral damage for a cursed object.

"Pff," She huffed with a hiccup on the back end. "As if I'd lay down and die before I'm reinstated." She declared this with unparalleled confidence. Claire spoke as if she were the ferryman of her own demise. Hiccupping again as she laughed at the mere notion. Death was not easily predicted, and yet Claire felt entirely sure of her announcement. "I'd rise from the dead just to shake my supervisor for putting me there in the first place." She grabbed the bottle in protest, pouring herself another glass. Her head was beginning to lightly swim. "Plus," She wrinkled her nose, glass a little loose between her fingers. "There's nothing life threatening about border patrol." She took another drink, face pulled down as if that fact was the root of her entire distaste for the department. "I'll die of boredom first."

rhys alexander greyback

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[rhys alexander greyback]

decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

The buzz was kicking in, and he was grateful for it. Not because Claire was bad company—on the contrary, after they’d become friends, he enjoyed their banter even if it might confuse anyone watching nearby. Plus, Rhys had never waved from being anything but blunt with her, and sometimes she squirmed in response until she threw something at him in a fit of anger or she had something equally blunt to respond with. Either way, it was almost typical of his relationship with his friends. And the most she tried to tell him to shut up, usually, the less he did. For the silent type that he was, he did open up with enough whiskey or the right company.

Rhys rolled his eyes. Not everyone understood cursebreaking. Some thought it was just walking into ancient tombs, picking up shiny things, and going home. They didn’t care about the puzzles and danger involved, and others thought it was just research. Rhys had heard it all over the years, and he stopped trying to justify the meaning of his work anymore. ”Hillarious.” He responded with clear sarcasm in his tone. ”You must be a riot at the Ministry with jokes like that.” His face shifted to one a bit more smug. While she wasn’t unfriendly by any means, she almost reminded him of Renfri with her bluntness but without the calmness of someone like Sienna, for example.

The drinks kept arriving, at least for Rhys. In Claire’s case, she had an entire bottle to herself, which was still quite a shock to him. This Border Patrol assignment must have really gotten to her if she behaved in such a way and so different than what he was used to. She denied his offer to switch careers, though she made a serious note when he brought up accidents. It was a genuine risk of what he did, and he was acutely aware of it. This year had almost taken out two good friends of his—though the events of late had left him wondering just what he would do or how he would feel if Renfri hadn’t survived. Plus, he had flashbacks to his own accidents on the job and their severities. ”It hasn’t taken me out yet.” Rhys responded, drinking back his entire glass of whiskey. ”Is this you admitting you would miss me?” He asked, signaling the waitress again for a refill but a slight grin on his face as he gave her a look. She might not admit it, and just as Rhys was hardly good at communicating his own feelings—but his friends were important to him. His way of showing that was just atypical. In Claire’s case, he pushed her buttons as an annoying friend might, but that was just them.

Her hiccup was becoming more apparent, and he thanked the waitress, a slur creeping into his words for the refill as he listened to Claire’s declarations. ”Hm…Claire Slater the poltergeist, forever haunting the Ministry’s Head of Law Enforcement.” Rhys mused aloud. The whiskey had hit him faster than he’d anticipated, but he enjoyed that warm feeling it brought. It was relaxing and calming and usually the one way to get past his prickly outer shell unless you batted her eyelashes at him enough. Rhys almost inhaled his whiskey. Thankfully he didn’t waste any. The thought of dying of boredom was a bit ridiculous. ”Yes—its hardly living life on the edge, is it?” Rhys always told her she needed to relax, but then she’d snap back at him since many told her that. He found his work to have the excitement he needed, and the rest of his life was somewhat relaxed in comparison, but at least it was there. She needed more in her life. ”You need a hobby.” Everyone needed one, his happened to be drinking and frequenting pubs.

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[Claire Evangeline Slater]

n e v e r  e n o u g h.

WITH A MATCHING SMARMY SMILE CREASING Claire's eyes, she took Rhys's sarcasm with incredible ease. It had taken many years to learn just how to take Rhys. There had been many times over the years where his barbs had hit a little too close to home, sending her in to a rage or long bouts of terrible cold-shouldered silence. Rhys had a way of worming his way back in, of course. In time, she fielded his dry sense of humour with much more grace than was typical for her. This was small time, by comparison. "I'm a barrel'a laughs." She retorted, mirroring his tone.

A glass of wine gripped in a grateful hand, Claire made short work of it. From the deep balloon of her glass, Claire lifted her eyes to stare through her lashes at Rhys. Lips staining the rim of her glass as she paused mid sip, the light bitterness tingling the tip of her tongue as she pulled away, licking the remnants from her bottom lip. "I wouldn't go that far," She replied, shrugging lightly, but her expression was uncharacteristically soft. Rhys was a good friend, Claire thought privately. She had so few of them that the idea of losing one felt monumental. Claire was not easy to befriend. Rhys was not replaceable.

Snorting in to her glass, Claire let herself be buoyed briefly by Rhys's dry sense of humour. Emptying the last of the sweet bitterness in to her mouth before she set it down with a clumsy clank. "Has a ring to it." She replied, her speech lazy and languid, losing its hard edge as the booze loosened her tongue. With a fresh glass of wine poured, Claire sat back in her chair, slouching so unlike herself. Arm lifted as she brandished her glass like a wand. "I need a hobby?" Claire exclaimed, her tipsy mind lifting her voice an octave. "I have a hobby, you need a purpose." She pointed her glass at him, the liquid sloshing over her fingers before she brought it back to her mouth for a long drag. "Is your flat empty, we should talk somewhere private." She spoke suddenly, almost soberly as she sat up straighter, the thought taking roots in her tipping mind. 

rhys alexander greyback

NEVERLAND at ADOXOGRAPHY 2.0!

[rhys alexander greyback]

decimation, disintegration

now beyond the point of imagination

June 20, 2025
Claire Evangeline Slater

The friendships that Rhys had formed while he was in school meant a great deal to him and none of his friends were particularly alike in any way, especially to himself. Claire preferred order, following the rules, and being the best. Their common ground was ambition, but the reasons behind that drive were vastly different—perhaps why they’d been sorted in such different Houses. And despite the years between them, they’d become unlikely friends, though that was likely the consequence of a single detention they’d managed to land (much to Claire’s annoyance) and bonding over that time. But in all that time, Rhys had found Claire funny but not for the reasons that she thought. ”Only when you’ve consumed—” Rhys paused to look over at the bottle of wine that Claire had ordered and inspected how much was remaining. ” —that much wine.” He’d give her that much. When she relaxed a bit, her words flowed more freely overall.

While she denied the fact, Rhys knew better. They wouldn’t be sitting here floating on the effects of their drinks after this many years if their friendship didn’t matter. And just as the injuries that had sidelined his friends had weighed on him, he did listen for news of his friends in Law Enforcement and the Ministry in general. ”That sounds like a ‘yes’ to me.” Rhys replied, a smug smirk on his face as he relaxed back in his chair and picked up his glass again. He’d learned that one could show how they felt in different ways that weren’t explicitly with words. Not everyone might understand the method, but it certainly worked for Rhys.

Claire laughed at his remark, though the idea was amusing—he certainly would not want to be on the receiving end of Poltergeist Claire’s antics. It was enough that Hogwarts had a Poltergeist that loved to say his name or any famous name that walked through the corridor. Still, Claire would provide some other rattling experience he was sure if their time studying Arithmancy and Ancient Runes was any indication. But the conversation shifted, and she almost launched the contents of her wine glass in his direction. Rhys watched her, not startled in any way as his career hardly made him easy to startle even with so much whiskey in his system. ”Purpose?” He asked for clarification, drinking the rest of his glass as he thought about her words. He had a career didn’t he? What did she mean? ”It is.” Rhys’ eyes looked with a small amount of suspicion, but she’d never give him a reason not to trust her. Besides, he had better quality whiskey of his own. ”Well, if you’re going to lecture me on my life’s choices, I’ll need a better whiskey than this.” His tone was flat—many friends liked to comment on how he lived his life regarding drinking, dating, working, or whatever popped into their minds. Perhaps this was much the same.

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