Dead Awake [Rhys]

[Deleted]

October 2, 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Eeva was horribly jet lagged. She'd gotten to the country a few days ago, but she was still feeling the affects. Usually she adjusted quicker to the time differences. It was already after 2pm and she was just getting out of bed now, waking up in the room in the Leaky Cauldron she was staying in. She'd payed to stay for two weeks but already she hated the feeling of the walls and ceiling around her. It made her feel claustrophobic. She'd wanted a larger room purely for this reason, but there hadn't been anything bigger available. So, she dressed quickly, running a hand through her hair and getting ready for the day. She didn't look like your average druid anymore, a fact she knew well. The harsh make up she preferred, the nose rings, and the multiple ear piercings. Finally, donning her black leather jacket she slipped on her bulky boots and left the room. Rehearsals for the circus wouldn't start for another week, the circus giving everyone a few days to "rest" before picking back up. But Eeva didn't get too much time off. She had to take care of the creatures. Maybe that's where she'd go. After getting a large coffee from downstairs. 

Covering a yawn she walked down the stairs and into the main pub of the inn. It was a quiet afternoon, only a few people there. One of the employees asked how she was, and she offered a tired smiled. "Could I get coffee?" She asked in her thick accent. The employee nodded and headed to the kitchen while she covered a second yawn and sat down at one of the empty tables. 

[rhys alexander greyback]

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October 2, 2025
@eeva

Rhys sighed as he entered the Leaky Cauldron, it mainly served as a resting spot for weary travelers but many stopped in to meet a friend or grab a drink. Since he was still doing a lot of work here at the bank to keep himself busy until his next international job he’d been stopping by more often. He had thought about stopping by the Ice Cream Parlor, maybe one of his friends was working but truthfully he was still wrapping his mind around what he and llija had just talked about a few days before. Six years. Rhys had wondered who else had known before him and whether he’d managed to tell his siblings yet. Despite all his secrets something of that magnitude he might have not been able to keep in if only because of how talkative he was when he drank that much.

He approached the bar and smiled at the bartended who nodded and grabbed a clean but short glass. Though focused for a moment, he could smell coffee which was rare at this time of day—not that he was against it by any means. Still, he didn’t think anything of it and the bartender placed the glass in front of him and he nodded as a thanks. Glass in hand he turned around and pondered where in the still empty room to sit—that is until his eyes went wide and gripped the glass so as not to drop it. She looked….different. It had been six years, so maybe that explained it. Rhys swallowed hard and looked away, his heart rate had spiked momentarily when he saw that face. Hannah’s face. One doesn’t forget someone who befriended you at eleven when you thought nobody would. They all had befriended him.

Without thinking too much about it he (tried to) walked casually over to the table she was sitting at, he had to know. He had to make sure. ”Hannah? I thought you—“ He couldn’t find his words, maybe it was the shock of having misunderstood what Ilija had said? ”I just saw Ilija and he didn’t mention—“ It was odd, he didn’t understand what she was doing staying here when Ilija was elsewhere. What was he missing?

[Deleted]

October 2, 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Eeva leaned back in the chair, stretching her arms high over her head as she waited for the coffee. She really needed to get over this jet lag as soon as possible. She couldn't keep sleeping half the day away! Sure, she was naturally a bit more nocturnal due to her line of work (circuses preferred evening performances) but once rehearsals started she'd have to be out by noon, at the latest. She was still mid stretch when she heard someone speak close by. She almost didn't pay them any mind, at least until she realized that the person had actually approached her table and was speaking to her.

Eeva blinked, a hint of confusion written on her face and she dropped her arms back to the table. "Pardon?" She'd missed the name he called her, as she clearly hadn't been paying attention, but he clearly thought he knew her. A similar experience had happened a few days earlier. A young man in Diagon Alley had mistaken him for someone else. She wondered if maybe she had a common face for the area. That, or maybe it was the same person she was being mistaken for. If it was the latter, then she must have an uncanny resemblance to the person. To not be mistaken once, but now twice. But still, she wasn't sure. Did she perhaps know him? The other name he mentioned, "Ilija" didn't sound familiar. "Sorry, do I know you?" Better to be safe then sorry. Maybe she did know him. You never knew, especially considering how much she traveled. Perhaps he'd gone to a show and she'd briefly met him. If that was so, his memory was far better than her own.

(Imma just say Felix mistook her for Hannah too in their thread XD)

[rhys alexander greyback]

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October 2, 2025
@eeva

She looked at him with a blank stare. Her eyes, they were Hannah's eyes, but they looked at him with the emptiness of a stranger. Rhys didn't understand. Ilija had said...had he misunderstood? But then why didn't she recognize him? "It's Rhys..." He spoke. His tone was unsure and a bit of concern on his face. If this wasn't Hannah, then it was a hell of a coincidence that she was here so soon after he'd run into Ilija and looked remarkably like her despite some differences to her physical appearance in regards to her piercings and such. He wasn't sure what to make of this. Either she was here and was playing some kind of prank, or she had lost her memory, or it somehow wasn't her. There was one last option he really didn't want to seriously consider. He glanced at the whiskey in his hand. It was the early afternoon, and there was glass number one. But he seriously doubted his drinking was contributing to this. Rhys glanced around, it was empty minus the staff, but nobody was paying them any mind.

There were many questions on his mind, but he'd also noted the accent she had responded in, and it didn't sound like her. "Sorry..." He mumbled, trying not to stare. She had been a good friend of his, and when she and Ilija fell off the map for six years, it had been a bit of a struggle but something he'd learned to accept. Though he knew Renfri had been closer to Hannah than he had. "You look just like somebody I know--knew." He followed up and then corrected himself. It had only been a few days since his friend had opened up to him. It was a sad situation, all that Ilija had lost, and there wasn't or hadn't been anything Rhys or anyone could have done about it. His 'family' he had formed at school was just now going to be incomplete. There was a strange but small feeling in his chest, and he realized that he'd let hope flood in when he had seen her, and then it hadn't been what he thought.

[Deleted]

October 2, 2025
rhys alexander greyback

This stranger seemed very confused, and even concerned, before finally saying "It's Rhys". She'd never heard the name before, so it took a moment to realize that he had given her a name. That must be his own. And he was still very convinced he knew her. It was... a rather awkward situation, to be honest. It'd been just as awkward the first time she'd been mistaken for someone else. She was about to respond when the Leaky Cauldron employee came back and set a cup of coffee on the table in front of her. She offered them a smile and quiet "thank you".

He was staring by this point. Which only made her curious who it was he was mixing her up with. He finally seemed to realize himself that he'd mistaken her identity and she offered a small, sympathetic smile. "It's alright." She started to say, pausing momentarily to pick up her coffee. "She must have been popular. You're the second person to mistake me for someone else." She took a tentative sip of the coffee, scalding her tongue, then set it back down, deciding it needed a few minutes to cool off. With her hands free, she held one out to him, to shake. She wore a plethora of rings and bracelets. "I'm Eeva. Eeva Kilpela. Nice to meet you, Rhys." The name Rhys sounded a bit strange, but she wouldn't judge. Perhaps it was just her accent that made the name sound awkward.

[rhys alexander greyback]

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A melody, a memory

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October 2, 2025
@eeva

An employee walked by him, and he looked out of habit of who had passed so close to him, but then he looked back. Coffee. He'd smelled it earlier. It was one that would always stand out to him, especially in a pub and where someone might have requested tea instead. Fortunately, she wasn't upset as some might be in her shoes. Having a complete stranger come up and start asking questions and staring--it wasn't a comfortable position to be in. Though he was intrigued when she mentioned it wasn't the first incident of this, maybe she'd run into one of his old school friends or even one of Ilija's siblings. So, he did feel a bit better knowing he wasn't the only one that had immediately jumped to conclusions and that he wasn't crazy for noting the remarkable resemblance.

"Oh, interesting..." Rhys felt awkward, more than usual but looked back up when he heard the light jingling of metal, her bracelets, and realized she was extending her hand out to him. She introduced herself, and he was a bit shocked. He hadn't expected her to greet him like this after approaching the way that he had. Though the more he was home during this lockdown, the more he found unexpected events happening and new situations. Rhys grabbed her hand and gave a weak smile in return. "Nice to meet you, Eeva." Well, no need to be rude--or at least even more so than he had. He still couldn't get over the resemblance. Hannah had been beautiful but only ever had eyes for Ilija, not that he ever had the confidence in school to do anything about how he might have momentarily felt. In the end, they were a better match, and he'd been very happy for them.

Though he supposed, that hadn't been an isolated thing considering how many of his friends were girls. "Have you been in town long?" It was curious timing considering Ilija hadn't been back all that long. If she were to run into his family, that might change whatever plans he still had of keeping secrets.

[Deleted]

October 2, 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Eeva would admit. She was curious about this person she'd been mistaken for twice now. She almost wondered if this would keep happening, or if fate had just decided that these two individuals needed to see their old friend for some reason. She was a druid after all, and so she could be superstitious. The spirits must have a reason for the chance meetings. But again... she was curious. Who was this person she'd been mistaken for? The first individual to mistake her for them had been a young man, a redhead like her. Younger, a little awkward, but in an adorable way. This man was closer to her age. More confident, mature. Two very different people, but connected by this mysterious stranger that Eeva resembled.

She smiled brightly as he shook her hand and returned the introduction. Though he still looked quite awkward. She dropped her hand back to the table after shaking his hand. Though, her gaze was now wandering, must like her attention did. She'd now noticed the glass in his hand, the liquid inside. Considering this was also a pub... it must be alcoholic of some sort. "Do they keep anything good here?" She motioned with her head to the glass, to clarify that she meant alcohol. She hadn't had a chance to ask the bartender what they kept in stock.

Her eyes, and attention, returned to his face as he asked if he'd been in town long. She immediately shook her head. "A few days. I work for a traveling circus. This is my first time in London." It was interesting, hearing so many british accents. She was used to more diversity in her line of work.

[rhys alexander greyback]

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A melody, a memory

or just one picture

October 2, 2025
@eeva

Rhys doubted if it had been Ilija that had run into her earlier as he would have probably heard about that sooner. Maybe Vas? But he felt awkward asking as well, or maybe her younger brother, who Rhys hadn't talked to very much at all. Despite the resemblance, her accent did tip him off that it wasn't his old friend sitting in front of him. Even if the initial shock was still lingering, he couldn't deny that part. She didn't seem that fazed by this interaction, and either it didn't bother, or it was due to it already having occurred once. But it was still a strange feeling staring at a face that he knew by a different name. Eeva. She asked about the drinks, and Rhys looked at the glass in his hand. He'd managed to forget it was there for a moment if you could believe that, as he'd been distracted by this.

"They have a bit of everything. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done." Rhys did like the more expensive brands but not if he was going for a buzz, then he wasn't going to empty his vault trying to reach the level of numbness that he liked. "Circus? Don't think i've ever been." It wasn't that he wasn't interested, but it wasn't usually on his social activities list. But he'd seen it around when he traveled. "I've seen it in places i've gone for work." He couldn't remember if it had been more than once, but now that she mentioned it, it stuck out in his mind. She was way too nice to him for how rudely he felt he had approached her though he appreciated her conversing with him.

[Deleted]

October 2, 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Eeva ran a hand through her hair, not caring how it gave her a slightly disheveled look. Her whole style had a bit of a disheveled look to begin with. It suited her, especially considering how tired she was. Though the make up helped hide it, she had some dark, tired, circles under her eyes. Though, as she examined this man, she doubted he'd care much. He didn't seem like a prim and proper sort either. Especially with the alcohol in hand so early in the day. She nodded at his explanation. "I'll have to ask sometime then." Though she personally doubted they had what she preferred. The earthy flavors of Druid alcohols. THough... maybe they would. Considering how close Hy-Brasil was to England. She hadn't been to Hy-Brasil in a long time. While she knew it was her "motherland" she'd never gone for more then just a brief visit.

She grinned a bit as he mentioned never going to a circus, but having seen it in places. There weren't many magical traveling circuses, so most likely it had been the one she worked for that he'd seen. "That's too bad. Well, maybe you'll change your mind this time. We'll be in the UK for a few months, at least." Sure, they might not stay in one place, but they planned on staying in the countries that made up the British Isles for quite a while.

[rhys alexander greyback]

a melody, a memory

or just one picture

October 2, 2025
@eeva

There were a lot of thoughts that ran through Rhys’ mind, one of them questioning if he should mention this to Ilija or not. After so many years, he and his longtime friend had reconnected, and even Rhys knew that seeing the face of someone you lost was probably not the best idea when trying to move forward. Rhys tried his best not to stare, opting to look almost anywhere else or at least not let his eyes linger too long. Even when Ilija had told him what happened, it hadn’t quite hit him, but this experience was making it a bit more real. Hannah had been closer to Renfri than she had to Rhys, but she’d always been kind to him. There was an awkward pause for a moment, and he shook his head to free himself of his thoughts. ”Sorry…it’s just uncanny how much you look like her.” Rhys being awkward was not unusual, but this encounter certainly was.

He nodded, responding to her invitation. The circus, he’d never quite had time to attend, but since he was here at home, he might as well pass the time. Plus, he’d met people in the circus before despite never attending a show. They tended to stop by the pubs when they were in town, and Rhys had made some friends that way. ”I’ll stop by, I have some time before I’m back to work.” While things had been looking up regarding Hag’s Fever, there hadn’t been any promises of work yet despite the rumors. Rhys didn’t get his hopes up. It wasn’t in his nature to—despite how he hadn’t been able to stop himself when seeing Eeva.

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[Deleted]

October 2, 2025
rhys alexander greyback

Eeva could tell he was trying to avert his gaze. Clearly, the resemblance between her and whoever he'd mistaken her for was uncanny enough that it was unnerving him. She raised an eyebrow but he seemed to realize himself that he'd given himself away and apologized. Eeva actually laughed. "Are you apologizing because you're trying not to stare, or because you think I look like your mysterious friend too much?" she asked, amused. She shifted, so that she could kick out one of the chairs near him. "You can sit, probably less awkward then standing there." She offered, though she woudn't be offended if he refused considering how much he seemed to be struggling with the resemblance.

Though Eeva personally didn't perform she filled an important role at the circus. She handled all the magical and non magical creatures. Their care, their training, their treatment if they were ever injured or sick. "Oh? And what do you do for work?" she found herself asking. If he'd seen it while working it must be something travel related.

[rhys alexander greyback]

a melody, a memory

or just one picture

October 2, 2025
@eeva

Feeling awkward was not an entirely unfamiliar feeling to Rhys. It happened more than he’d liked to admit, though only in certain situations. It seemed he did best when he was just not speaking. Words had never been his strength, and with his short temper, it was an even worse mix. ”I um—“ Rhys struggled between making a choice to answer her question, but then he realized he couldn’t. ”Both?” He replied as he took the seat that was offered to him. If it wasn’t for his natural curiosity, he likely would have left to find some stronger whiskey from his own collection and try to process his thoughts about this entire encounter and possibly find Renfri to talk to her about it.

”She was somebody I knew for a long time...” Rhys paused and then shook himself from his thoughts. ”Sorry—anyway, I’m a Cursebreaker.” Hannah was still in his mind and that he wouldn’t be able to shake for some time, but he could at least make polite conversation for now. It wasn’t Eeva’s fault. She was the spitting image of a good old friend of his and his best friend’s former fiancé. ”I work for Gringotts.” Rhys added. It was an interesting career, full of mysteries but also misconceptions. There was the image portrayed of what a Cursebreaker supposedly did, and then there was the reality, though Rhys had to say he didn’t mind.

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