what other people said [vas]

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

2 January 2026

Like a chastened dog, Felix fled his flat after breaking things off with Madeleine. He needed to forget the sorrow that he felt, though he was certain their relationship had run its course. He hadn't ventured to the Violet Hound pub that fateful evening in search of anything except for the bottom of a bottle. Instead, he had found Bianca. With her commanding presence, her thoughtful words, her insightful glances, he had slowly let his guard down and let her in. She hadn't closed him off because of his jaded view of life - instead, she had embraced and challenged him, making him think twice. And Felix had done the same for her, opening her eyes to the possibility that paradise in her life was still to come.

Felix was not keen on public affection, with girlfriends or strangers alike. And the fact that the whisky had addled their minds, leading to a heated embrace in the midst of the Violet Hound pub... well Felix was quite ashamed of his actions. He figured since he was avoiding his flat, he ought to make good use of his time. Felix dropped into a specialty whisky shop, exchanging a few words with the shop keeper. He suggested a few bottles, inquiring what sort of thing he was apologising for using whisky. Felix shrugged, and mumbled a response. It wasn't exactly easy to explain why he was going to such lengths to make amends with the owner of the Violet Hound.

While he wasn't familiar at all with the young woman, he knew she was called Vasilia and that she was a squib. He also knew that he frequented the pub on multiple occasions, none of which he was particularly proud of. Felix wanted to be on better behaviour, and to befriend the owner. Perhaps she could suggest other drinks and broaden his knowledge. Felix selected a particularly interesting looking bottle and paid, all within five minutes of entering the shop.

Felix wound through the streets of London, through alleys and around corners until he was in the magical Horizon Alley. The door of the Violet Hound swung shut behind him in a particular strong wind, making Felix jump. He glanced over his shoulder before slinking up to the bar looking shifty. He cleared his throat, and the young bartender looked at him. "Is er... is Vasilia here?" asked Felix hesitantly.

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[vasilia abigail fortescue]

January 2, 2026
FELIX CICERO TELLER

It wasn't often that Vasilia got someone asking for her at the pub. Though when it did? It made her worry. It made her put on her "owner" face, because typically if someone she didn't know was asking for her it meant they had a complaint. Despite being very business savvy, complaints were the worst part of the industry. What had happened to warrant the complaint? Was there something she could have done to stop it? Did she need to do training with her staff? All things that ran through her mind as a bartender knocked on her office door and told her someone was asking to speak with her. It also didn't help that she'd been in the office, as she couldn't get a good read on the person asking for her. Immediately Vasilia told her bartender she'd be out in just a moment, and she set about trying to look at presentable and "business owner" as possible. She wasn't exactly your stereotypical pub owner, after all! She knew she was incredibly young to own a business of any kind, especially a successful pub. She ran ​a hand through her hair, before pulling it up in a make-shift bun. There was nothing she could do about the jeans and tank top she'd been wearing however, or the fact that it put most of her tattoos on display... Vas let out a sigh, annoyed with herself for not having kept a spare change of business attire in her office for moments like this.

After admitting defeat in her far to casual appearance, she forced herself to leave her office and head to the bar, where the person asking for her was. He didn't look mad or upset... So that was a plus. He looked vaguely familiar as well... Immediately Vasilia put on her most charming smile and approached the bar, holding out a hand to shake his own, should he accept it. "I'm Vasilia. I heard you were looking for me? What can I help you with today?"

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

The woman called Vasilia was much younger than Felix had expected. But then again, Felix wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Her vibrant red hair preceded her, and Felix took in the various tattoos on display, etched onto her pale skin like a patchwork of stories waiting to be told. Felix's gaze flickered up to meet Vasilia's and he thrust the bag with the specialist whisky towards her. "This is for you," said Felix rather awkwardly.

Taking a deep breath, Felix smoothed his dark hair back in a manner that was meant to calm him. "Er, I just wanted to give this to you. And sort of... I dunno, get to know you," said Felix lamely. He wondered if his plan had been a poor one, but it was definitely strange. She shot a charming smile of her own and Felix reached out to grasp the hand she offered. "I'm around here a lot and beyond giving you my continued custom, I thought it might be nice to share some of the things I love." Well, now that he thought of it, this was a totally bizarre idea. Who gave gifts on top of custom?

"I suppose I sound a bit like a stalker, don't I," said Felix, exhaling sharply and shaking his head. "My sister tells me I have absolutely no social manner, which is not wrong," he added with a sheepish grin.

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ooc; I'm realising how weird this idea is if you can't tell

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

January 2, 2026
FELIX CICERO TELLER

Instead of getting a handshake, she got a brown paper bag pushed into her hand. Instinctively she caught it, her other hand raising to grab the other side of hte bag to support it from tipping over. Her attempt to at least give a professional expression failed as a very surprised and confused look replaced it. "Oh," She started, not exactly sure how to respond. Did she know him? She really was confused at this point. She shifted the bag in her hand so she could peer down into it. What he he given her? Inside was... a bottle of whiskey? Okay, she was definitely confused.

As he started to explain, her puzzlement just seemed to grow. He was very awkward and nervous. And the more he spoke the more it sounded like he was.... well confessing his love for her. But she was absolutely positive she'd never spoken to him before. She'd remember him,.... She set the bag down, trying to figure out how to address this... rather interesting situation, when he finally seemed to realize she'd offered him her hand to shake and finally took it. Absolutely... this sounded like a love confession. Shit. She hated these conversations. It wouldn't be the first time this sort of thing had happened. Though gifting her whiskey wasn't usually a part of it.

THough... as he finally admitted that he sounded like a stalker and he didn't have social skills... She finally seemed to clue in that he might not be confessing to her. But trying to thank her for something. She chuckled softly. "Just a little bit. It's okay, people say I have too much social manners." She might as well just go with the flow of the conversation and see what happened, right? "So you frequent the pub? I'm still getting used to the regulars since I took over during the summer. What's your name?"

(hahha, she's a good sport about it)

[FELIX CICERO TELLER]

Upon reflection, Felix was not handling this meeting well. He'd simply wanted to befriend the owner of this bar that he'd spent much time at. And yet he seemed to be failing quite miserably, acting out of all sorts. He shoved the bottle of whisky towards her, thinking now she probably would have been able to get a much better price from her own distributors. Whatever. It was the thought that counted, right? Felix grew increasingly awkward and nervous, and he wondered if this woman thought perhaps he was a stalker of sorts. He wanted to clear that up directly, as he was just a bumbling idiot.

"Well, that evens things out for the rest of us," said Felix, making an effort to chill out. She easily steered the conversation to more tepid waters, which Felix vastly appreciated. "Ah, yeah, I've not really heard of this place before and it just sort of came onto my radar recently. So you must be doing a good job of marketing," he offered kindly. "But er, yeah, it's a nice place here. I like it a lot. The New Years Eve party was excellent," he added with a nod. "Oh, I'm Felix. Felix Teller," he said, flushing scarlet. How much would Ophelia have paid to see him stutter through this exchange. "How did you come across the pub? Was it in the family or...?"

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