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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
268 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:30:17 GMT -7
MINISTRY
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Jan 22, 2021 5:39:16 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Jan 22, 2021 5:39:16 GMT -7
It was his turn to catch her off-guard. His point that it was impossible to know if you’d truly reached the end of the road cut deep through her. Maybe paradise wasn’t completely in the past, maybe it was impossible to know what good could be coming...and at this point contradicting him would mean negating her earlier win – that there was meaning to life, if one only had the desire to reach out and grab it. Bianca’s eyes slid up to meet his as he wondered what sort of unexpected and meaningful experience could be waiting, and Bianca was transfixed at the thought. It almost felt like she was holding her breath until he decided that there was no way to ever reach that paradise. She exhaled slowly before responding playfully, “You seem extraordinarily determined to be unhappy, Felix. Anything can be attainable, even something that appears to be so far away. An inch isn’t so much distance to close…” His description of the cold broke through Bianca’s semi-trance – European weather depressed her, as she had been raised in a Mediterranean-like climate and missed that feeling of complete warmth. The United Kingdom had its moments, but for most of the year she suffered through the cold – and Felix’s description of Norway brought a ghost of a chill to her now too. Still, a flicker of a smile appeared on her face as Felix added that he hoped she would find that place someday. She wasn’t completely ready to believe in a thought as purely hopeful as that, but his intentions were warm and his face lightened in an entrancing way when he smiled. His demeanor had a way of pulling her in, removing thought of anything else at the bar as she got lost in his words. So it felt like coming up for air when he mentioned Patagonia. It was now the third time he’d circled around a personal topic – first through his mention of Muggles, then the question about siblings, and now about the Southern Cone. She inhaled in surprise as he went on about what he expected to see there, and her eyes narrowed slightly. She would have noticed if he had been trying Legilimency – but what else could explain how easily he seemed to read her? “Patagonia?” Bianca echoed, leaning forward slightly to study his face. Her eyes didn’t waver until, after a few beats, she determined for certain that he wasn’t using any mind-altering magic. But she didn’t move away. “You seem to be very talented at choosing personal topics for me. Or was it just my accent that gave me away?” Any thought of her father was inherently painful for Bianca, because remembering any good moment inevitably brought her to the final one. But she had already broken several of her usual rules tonight, so she reluctantly indulged in the memories for the sake of the conversation. “You’re correct. It is beautiful there,” Bianca began haltingly, twisting her glass in her hands and taking another sip to steel her nerves. “My father used to take me camping in the south. It’s absolutely quiet, untouched. You could almost forget the rest of humanity while you’re there.” She redirected her gaze from Felix to her whiskey. “But perhaps you’re placing too much value on the place itself. Maybe the key to coming closer to touching the universe isn’t finding the perfect place to gaze out. My memories aren’t about the mountains or the glaciers. Just of him.” She swallowed hard – it was so difficult to think about her father, because she still missed him so much. Bianca paused for several moments until her expression had returned to its usual neutrality. She redirected her heavy gaze first towards the clock, then towards Felix. “Only a few more minutes until midnight,” Bianca observed in a quiet tone. “I might see your point. There isn’t any clear way to know that you’ve found paradise until afterwards. But you’re treading on a slippery slope. If you always look ahead to the next moment, then you miss this one. If your eyes are constantly on the horizon…how can you see what’s right in front of you until it’s slipped through your fingers?” In the last stretch before midnight, the atmosphere of the bar was ramping up as everybody prepared to celebrate the new year. Still, the scarce space between them felt like a small bubble of quiet anticipation amidst the backdrop of loud music and pulsing excitement. FELIX CICERO TELLER
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FELIX CICERO TELLER
HOWARTS ALUM HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES OCCLUMENS
203 posts
played by ana
When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all
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last online Apr 16, 2024 14:00:15 GMT -7
MINISTRY
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Jan 22, 2021 9:49:11 GMT -7
Post by FELIX CICERO TELLER on Jan 22, 2021 9:49:11 GMT -7
Felix smiled, then found himself laughing. Did he find every way he could to be unhappy? Perhaps to some it would seem like it, but to him... "I'm just being realistic. And if life chooses to prove me wrong, I'd rather not have too high expectations," he admitted. He didn't wish to be unhappy. It was just sort of his way. As if Fee had been born to balance out his cool and calculating self. Everything added up to something, and something meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. Felix shifted, draining his glass of whisky. He found himself relieved to share what he thought might be paradise with Bianca. He didn't often find the time to reminisce about Svalbard, not with anyone. Madeleine had dismissed it in favour of beaches, palm trees and fruity drinks. Fee didn't remember the trip as keenly as him. And Rhys... well, Rhys was too new of a person in his life to share this sort of information with.
So why was Felix sharing it with Bianca?
There was something infinitely different about her. Felix felt like he saw her, and that she understood him. That with all of his lofty ideals and expectations, she could pierce the heart of his arguments and send him floundering. Bianca was deeper than almost anyone he had ever met, challenging his philosophies without backing down. He had never become so engrossed with anyone before -- not even his sister. If Felix was ever philosophical with Fee, she would brush him off rather than indulging the darker side of his mind. So when Felix regarded Bianca closely, how could he not notice the tension in her jaw, the slight purse of her lips, the hardness in her eyes? He hadn't realised he was broaching a hard subject with her, nor did he realise that mentioning a sibling would have a similar effect.
Now that she mentioned it, Felix was aware of her strong accent. "I'm usually somewhat unobservant, when it comes to people. I have planned to go to Patagonia to see the lights since I was sixteen. I just haven't found the time, and fifteen years later... I haven't made the time. I promise, I meant no offence, and you obviously don't need to get into things..." Felix pulled his gaze away, staring abashedly at the sticky bar. They had their own little bubble, and the noise of the patrons surrounding them couldn't penetrate it.
When Bianca spoke, it was haltingly as if something immensely painful was tugging at her heart strings. Her hand gripped her glass tightly and Felix found himself reaching her, laying a hand on hers and giving a gentle squeeze. Her tone spoke of loss and regret. Had her father passed away? Felix knew what that felt like. He didn't think often of his mother - nearly a decade later, it was still painful. There was nothing that could replace the love between a parent and child. Felix only hoped that one day, his own would feel the same for him. He didn't respond, but hoped that he silently conveyed his understanding. "We get so caught up in trying to carve out a living and become a part of society that we forget what truly matters. And forgetfulness comes with a cost," said Felix. "Perhaps the universe is open for those of us who open our minds. Who stop searching and allow ourselves to be found."
What Felix wanted more than anything was what Bianca described. To have memories of people rather than just of places. He wouldn't speak aloud of this desire, but he had been a lonely sort of youth, who grew into a lonely sort of man. His best memories were forged alone. There were times where he could recall ecstatic joy, moments with peals of laughter. Those were moments with Fee, with his mother. But like a curtain call, since his mother's death, none of his memories had the same sort of zeal.
Their bubble popped as Bianca glanced towards the clock. Felix reddened, not realising how close to her he had gotten. Clearing his throat, Felix leaned back. He finished his whisky, and ordered two glasses of champagne, glancing at Bianca to confirm that it would be okay. The bartender delivered, and the thrum of excitement grew throughout the crowd.
"Ten... nine... eight..."
Felix met Bianca's eyes, and something peculiar clicked into place. Bianca understood him in just an hour much more than Madeleine ever could. She saw him so completely, and a side of him he couldn't share with Madeleine.
"Seven... six... five..."
Felix's gaze flicked to Bianca's lips, as he couldn't help himself. She hadn't originally struck him as classically beautiful, not when he was more suited towards blondes like Madeleine. But her intellect, her candor, and her strength drew him in. Felix forced himself to meet her gaze and lifted his champagne flute to salute her.
"Four... three... two... one...."
"Happy New Year, Bianca"
Bianca Alia Rivera
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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
268 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:30:17 GMT -7
MINISTRY
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Jan 22, 2021 11:58:48 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Jan 22, 2021 11:58:48 GMT -7
Bianca was so used to wrapping her innermost self in so many layers that it disappeared completely. Once upon a time, she had believed so deeply that everything would work out the way it needed to eventually. The philosophy her father had given her was so simple, even a small child could grasp it easily. Good things happened to good people. It had been a fixture of her home life, her schooling at Castelobruxo, her decision to become an Auror. The world was no simple thing, but it had rules and those willing souls who could pour everything they had into their passion would receive something in return. She thought she had learned these last few years that the universe didn’t care about people, wouldn’t look out for those who had done everything right. Ultimately, she had learned, only she could save herself. The attack, her father’s death – these events had happened because of weakness, the weakness of letting other people into her life, and Bianca had done everything in her power to correct this error ever since. She wasn’t completely alone, but those connections lacked depth. Her mother called her once a month, but those conversations were shallow, empty of any real meaning. The pair had lost any ability to connect with each other after the last thing binding them together had gone away. She ate lunch with Leo almost every day, and their usual table in the breakroom had become a sacred spot. But they discussed her active cases, or Leo’s questionable choice of career. He had moved into a deeper role as a friend only after becoming a fixture in years of the same routine. It shook her how easily Felix had been able to penetrate that distance she put between herself and everybody else. It was more than a stranger that she had only just met in a bar should have been able to do – but the feeling seized her that he didn’t feel like a stranger. Most people never assigned any value to their actions or their life – they only let each moment happen to them, and never questioned or searched for anything more. If there was anything Bianca could determine about Felix with certainty, it was that he was a philosopher. He never accepted the obvious or simple, and instead pierced every topic with the sort of questions that could make you wonder. He gave her a startling clarity to see everything she had always taken for granted, and even worse it awakened a fluttering of hope for the future. She thought she’d given up on that. She shook her head slightly in disagreement as Felix said he was usually unobservant about people. He had asked some eyebrow-raising questions tonight, first and foremost igniting a long discussion on the attainability of paradise, but his eyes were piercing and he appeared to see straight through her. She always fell into the habit of responding with short, close-ended answers, often declining to invite any further discussion. But she had already shared more about her father than she could remember in a long time – he had managed to pull it out of her so gently she hardly even noticed as the conversation grew more personal. Bianca’s first instinct would have been to pull away when his hand came to rest on top of hers, but his hand was warm and his eyes were soft with understanding. It spoke of a mutual recognition between them, even without her needing to vocalize the words. She hesitated, then returned the gesture with the barest hint of her own. Her voice dropped in volume as she murmured, “Remembering has its own costs. Sometimes I think it would be much easier to forget. If we open ourselves to others…we open ourselves to the possibility of pain. It becomes an almost inevitable conclusion.” Bianca had never struggled to pull information out of others. Legilimency took a matter of seconds, searching for the memory she needed until she could smoothly withdraw. Even without it, her whole demeanor was one of authority, and most people didn’t dare disobey an order. But even with everything Felix shared, there was a depth to his silence that suggested that for every thought he shared, there were several more locked away. His gaze was distracted, and even as he pulled away slightly (cheeks red with embarrassment, even though Bianca had been the one steadily closing the distance), Bianca’s eyes remained fixed on his face. She wanted to know every thought that flit through his mind, but not because she could pull it out – no, she wanted it through the steady exchange of conversation that flowed so easily between them. She had never been able to talk to a stranger so smoothly. The countdown began around them, although Bianca’s gaze didn’t shift to the champagne or the crowd or the clock. Her eyes darkened as she watched Felix’s eyes drop and flit back up, and her heartrate quickened as they inched closer to midnight. In the end, life came down to a few moments of action or inaction, and she wanted him. Three…two…one… The crowd erupted into cheers as the first moments of 2026 began, although Bianca ignored them completely. One hand moved decisively to take his champagne glass and set it firmly down on the counter, while the other moved to his jaw. She leaned in and kissed him deeply, maybe more than was appropriate for a New Year’s Eve kiss with a complete stranger. But she had been trained to follow her gut instinct and to set aside second-guesses or fears. Felix was magnetic and she stopped fighting to pull away, instead letting her eyes flutter close as she absorbed the moment in its entirety. When she finally pulled away, she only shifted slightly, tilting her head so she could murmur in his ear, “Happy New Year, Felix.” FELIX CICERO TELLER
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FELIX CICERO TELLER
HOWARTS ALUM HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES OCCLUMENS
203 posts
played by ana
When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all
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last online Apr 16, 2024 14:00:15 GMT -7
MINISTRY
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Jan 22, 2021 13:09:30 GMT -7
Post by FELIX CICERO TELLER on Jan 22, 2021 13:09:30 GMT -7
Felix could wholly admit to himself that he had never met anyone quite like Bianca. Nor had he expected to find someone like her on this random night, in this random bar. In a place where the universe cast no eye upon them, where meaning was contrived of nothing. Someone who could listen to him and not write off his philosophising. Someone who could reason with high lofty thoughts. Someone who purely understood him. It was invigorating and terrifying at the same time.
The unexpected was the most wonderful thing, however. Though their conversations weren't punctured with peals of laughter, Felix found himself completely taken by Bianca. She matched his intensity, her ferocity evident simmering below the surface. He rarely assigned value to the vague happenings of his life, but something about this chance meeting felt like... more. Like they had meant to find each other, two lonely flames teased by magic in a raucous bar. Two souls so enraptured with one another, the world around them ceased to exist. Perhaps... well, perhaps this was paradise. Finding a moment where time stood still, where everything was alight with electricity.
"Is pain not how we develop our other feelings? How we discover the range of happy and sad and angry and surprised and afraid?" asked Felix, his voice uncharacteristically low. He was certain she could still hear him - they had crept closer together throughout the course of their conversation. "Does pain not lead to more? Does being hurt not lead to learning what it is to feel loved?" His voice caught - he had loved and been loved, but he was not certain it was in the way he was describing now. His feelings for Madeleine were there, but could they compare to the undeniable pull he felt towards Bianca? The instant spark of connection? In truth, Felix couldn't bring himself to think much of her whilst Bianca gazed at him the way she did.
Reddening with embarrassment, Felix pulled back. He swallowed thickly, ordering them more drinks as a way to sort of cool the fever that boiled his blood. The fever that Bianca brought upon him, with her depth, her passion, her curiosity and her cleverness. Midnight ticked ever closer, and Felix nearly spoke aloud how desperately he wanted to being nearer to her. He raised a glass to her, intending to lighten the mood but the flickering magic and electricity between them wouldn't be put out. His eyes dipped to her lips, and he forced them to meet her eyes. Did she see the weakness in him? How much he longed to close the distance between them? That his mind wanted to run away with fantasy.
"Happy new year," murmured Felix, his gaze intense as the patrons around them disappeared once again. Bianca had to sense the shift in power, as she accepted it wilfully. The flute in his hand was gone, and instead his fingers found the soft silk of her hair as she kissed him deeply. It was unlike anything Felix had experienced before. Full of fire and spark. Her full lips melded to his almost perfectly, but she twisted away after far too short a time. He was at a loss for words as she wished him a happy new year in a low voice.
No further words were needed. Felix turned and captured her lips once more, his fingers twined in her dark hair, desperately wishing they could melt into this moment forever. And in that moment, nothing else mattered. A low buzz thrummed around the pair, though Felix wasn't sure if that was real or just inside of his head. For all he knew, Bianca was the only real thing here, and he held her tight.
Too soon for his liking, Felix broke away from Bianca, resting his forehead on hers. His heart hammered a tattoo into his ribcage, a sense of excitement racing through his blood. He chuckled, his lips breaking into a genuine smile. At last, he brought himself to speak. "Perhaps paradise is every moment we take to do the things we so desire," he murmured, opening his eyes to meet hers in a question.
Bianca Alia Rivera
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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
268 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Apr 25, 2024 10:30:17 GMT -7
MINISTRY
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Jan 22, 2021 13:59:22 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Jan 22, 2021 13:59:22 GMT -7
Felix spoke of pain being a gateway to other emotions, to the deeper range of being loved and wholly seen. For the first time in their conversation, Bianca couldn’t follow him there. She hadn’t been so guarded with her emotions once, but even then…she loved her parents, and she cared for her friends. But she had never been in love. She had never fallen so deeply for someone that they became her whole world, and one smile or look from them could set her on fire. With a profession as wrought with danger as hers, and the possibility that one moment of weakness could be her last, Bianca had never wanted to expose herself in that way. She heard the catch in his voice, saw the way he also crept closer to eliminate the barest hint of distance between them, but she couldn’t imagine what he was thinking in that moment. She couldn’t answer his question, and the only remaining hint of the turmoil inside of her came through her slight swallow as she suppressed the gasp she didn’t want to release. She could feel the moment he began to return her kiss as lightning coursed down her spine and lit her blood with fire. The electricity was almost tangible between them, thick tension that had been building all evening that finally erupted into a warmth on her lips and a spike of heat in her stomach. Her hand on his jaw moved to angle his face and deepen the kiss, while the other moved to rest on his chest and bring him closer, impossibly closer. When she finally pulled back to murmur a happy new year into his ear, she left her eyes closed and allowed herself to savor the warmth that emanated from him. The type of warmth she’d deprived herself of for so long in her relentless hunt for a new purpose. Her breath escaped her in short bursts as she struggled to keep herself together and avoid falling apart in his arms. When Felix moved to capture her lips again, Bianca responded eagerly, closing the distance between them again to kiss him hard. A moan escaped her as she felt his hands tangle in her hair, and she made a small hum of protest as he separated, leaning back the slightest bit to press his forehead against hers. She felt simultaneously grounded in her seat and a hundred feet in the air, and she kept her eyes closed for several seconds until the lightheaded feeling began to dissipate. When her eyes fluttered open, her gaze was dark and fiery and she could see the same reflected in his light eyes. She swallowed thickly as he chuckled, the low sound igniting something inside her. It was so hard to remember that they weren’t alone, that they were in fact sitting at a bar in a very public place. Nobody was paying them any attention, too focused on their own celebrations, toasting each other and making resolutions for the new year. Bianca was transfixed as she gazed into Felix’s eyes – she wasn’t sure she could look away if she tried. But there was nothing in the world she wanted to do less than that. “Some moments don’t have to end right away,” she murmured, voice hoarse from the recent exertion and from the sheer force of the desire she was keeping bottled up. The invitation was clear in her voice, and in the way she brought both hands to his chest and curled in his shirt to keep him close. There was something about him that made it impossible for her to pull away, his forceful nature combined with his subtle way of unraveling her slowly. Her voice was slightly stronger the next time she spoke, and there was no hint of anything but unwavering certainty. “Take me home.” FELIX CICERO TELLER
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FELIX CICERO TELLER
HOWARTS ALUM HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES OCCLUMENS
203 posts
played by ana
When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all
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last online Apr 16, 2024 14:00:15 GMT -7
MINISTRY
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Jan 23, 2021 4:24:34 GMT -7
Post by FELIX CICERO TELLER on Jan 23, 2021 4:24:34 GMT -7
In the same moment, Felix knew Bianca intimately and not at all. A chance meeting had brought them together, a lonely boy and a stoic girl. It could have meant nothing, but that would only have cemented Felix's jaded musings. He had wanted to be wrong, and all the research in the world couldn't disprove the fact that the spark between them meant something more. The distance between them, the air in which the spark could light a fire, was closed in a moment as her lips met his, and the flames that threatened to erupt ignited within him. She melded to him in a way that shouldn't be possible, two organic beings from opposite sides melding together flawlessly.
Felix mused aloud about how moments of paradise were those of indulgence, of giving in to the deepest desires of the heart. Of touching the universe, of fanning the flames of passion, of holding someone so closely it was nearly impossible to tell where he ended and she began. She brought her hands to his chest, curling her fingers into the cotton of his shirt. Bianca's eyes were piercing, slightly widened with the feeling that was coursing through his veins. His lips parted of their own accord as she spoke, directing him to do what he so desired. He gently took her hands from his shirt and nodded, interlacing his fingers through hers and leading her to the exit. No thoughts flitted through his mind, no curiosity if he had paid for all of their drinks or even a moment of pause for the other patrons who may have watched this entire thing unfold. It was just Felix and Bianca now.
They had barely crossed the threshold of the bar when Felix turned on the spot, gripping Bianca's hand tightly. When they apparated to his front step, Felix made quick work of unlocking the door and capturing Bianca's lips again. He was like a drowning man, clutching at her to keep himself afloat. There was s tinkle of glass as he bumped a table, discarding his layers in the hallway without breaking away from her. Drunk on the fire thrumming through him, Felix led Bianca to his bedroom, vowing to take his time to uncover each and every piece of her.
For just a moment, Felix pulled away from Bianca. Bathed in the sliver of moonlight, she looked almost ethereal. She filled Felix's mind completely, and he gave himself up to her.
Bianca Alia Rivera but also -le end-
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