No rhyme or reason (Vasilia)

[Deleted]

Ilija was tired, confused and had a headache for over a week now. The new island, Eeva... everything was swimming around in his head still and he'd told the bank that he couldn't go back again today. He needed a break. They hadn't liked it, but so far the fruits of their labour were not too large either. Possibly because the island seemed to have a will of it's own. It had.. changed him somehow. It had also some something to Rhys and to Eeva and most other people that set foot on the island it seemed. The stories had only occupied his mind for one evening, but he'd noticed the old wounds and pain from his trauma felt fresh again and every single time his eyes met Eeva somehow it was like somebody pulled his heart straight out of his chest. He was a wreck of a man and he was pretty sure that Teddy wasn't too keen on this development either. Ilija had slept even worse than normally and he had large circles under his eyes.

Still he'd asked his sister if he could come by for coffee. Or well, tea. Something to calm his nerves was probably a better idea. He ran a hand over his face, closing his eyes for a brief reprieve. He looked as the door opened and smiled at his little sister. "Thanks for having me Vas." He said, smiling despite himself. They were restoring family bonds, thankfully. "I almost forgot how exhausting curse breaking was while working the shop." He said with a brief chuckle. "That new place has all our heads in a spin. I'll probably see if Rhys is up for a new round later. Probably next week." He was mostly musing out loud to himself, wondering what the best path would be. He loved the job, but the ache in his leg was not a fan of him. No that he wanted to admit to Vas that he'd been feeling turned inside out and upside down since going to the island. He probably looked like it more than enough. "But enough about me, how has my little sister been. Tell me you've been getting more rest than I managed." He said. Maybe he could tell her about Carmen? And Christmas and New Years? And maybe about Eeva? It was odd how much he suddenly had to talk about if he wanted after years of pretty much not going through anything but tombs. It felt strange.

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January 15
@ilija

Vasilia had been a little surprised by her brother's request to come by for tea. A good surprised though! Because it meant he was trying. He was reaching out, trying to build that bridge that had burned down between them so many years ago. It was nice, having an older brother again. Sure, there was still many things still unsaid between them, many old wounds that needed to heal. But it was a start. And for the first time in a while, Vas was hopeful.

Of course, she was also very, very distracted. She'd been have a difficult time focusing lately, ever since her recent realization.

When Ilija arrived at the apartment above their parents shop she opened the door with a smile and motioned for him to enter. "Oh come on, don't be so formal. You know you're always welcome to stop by." She answered brightly. She'd, of course, already heated up a kettle of water and dropped a few teabags inside as well as fixed some homemade biscuits (with almond milk instead of cow, of course). He looked very, very tired. To no surprise though. He'd been working quite a bit lately. He was talking more then usual, or at least then before he'd moved back. Actually talking about how working had been. She nodded as he spoke, fixing them both cups of tea. She stopped when the name came up though. Rhys. God. Hearing his name immediately drew her attention. Her actually froze, her hands stopping their motions for a moment. Right. He was Ilija's old school mate and friend. Ugh, that just made her realization even more awkward.

She swallowed the emotions Ilija had stirred by saying the name and finished pouring the tear. She picked up the two teacups and walked over to her brother, holding one out to him as she sat down beside him. "I've been reading the articles about it, it sounds like it's baffling everyone that goes." Of course, she couldn't go. Who would let a squib go? Especially so soon. Plus, Ilija would probably get really upset if she even tried. "Is Rhys doing alright? I haven't seen him around lately." She asked without thinking. She couldn't help it. Was he okay? Had he gotten the basket she'd left on his door step?

As Ilija asked about her she smiled a little and shrugged. "Probably not, I've never been a great sleeper. My mind does it's best thinking at night," she joked. Though it was partially true. She was someone that once she got going could maintain her pace well. Getting herself to slow down and rest had always been hard. "Honestly, my life has been quite boring compared to yours in recent weeks. I finally filled the open waiter position at the pub, so my poor bartenders won't have to do double duty anymore." Well, specifically SHE wouldn't have to run double duty. Everyone knew she had a big problem delegating, so she'd been filling the waiter position herself while trying to fill it.

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Vas had clearly made some preparations ahead of his visit. It reassured him that trying to be more open and reaching out was a good thing. It was just a shame that it took him this long to make it to that point in the healing process. It also didn't help that it felt like all the progress he'd made over the years had vanished overnight. Maybe there was a good aspect to it, as he could heal with the people he cared about around him this time. He couldn't even try to do it alone, as he was pretty sure nobody would let him. He walked over to the couch and sat himself down, tapping on the prosthetic softly as if to soothe himself. Despite it being equally as functional as a real leg due to the master craftsmanship he couldn't feel anything. Well, it was a bit more complicated. He couldn't feel pain, but he could feel it interact with things. He considered himself lucky not to have been forced into retirement like so many others had been.

He failed to notice the interruption to her actions as he mentioned Rhys. To him Rhys was a good friend and he'd never considered the fact he and Vas might know one another at a personal level before Christmas. Even then he'd missed most of their interactions since he'd been off helping Carmen get home. By now he knew that Vas and Rhys knew each other, he just wasn't fully aware of it. It was his old friend and his little sister, two worlds that had never really met all that much because she hadn't gone to Hogwarts like the rest of the family. Hannah was for more mixed up in the family. Hannah.... The name alone sent a short spasm of pain through his body and he felt his throat close up for a moment. The feeling faded almost as fast as it had come.

The island, his sister had been reading about it. Thank the heavens she wouldn't be able to get there so easily. He feared to think what it might do to her, considering what it had done to so many other people. Rhys seemed to have taken his condition poorly but he knew that Eeva also struggled a lot with how it had changed her. Twice even. Ilija considered himself lucky it had only gotten to him once so far. If he believed the stories some of the afflictions were truly horrible while others seemed relatively mild, although they always seemed to affect people differently. For him it had just made the grief and pain hurt as if it was all fresh from yesterday. It almost broke him, but he couldn't let it. "It's a dangerous place Vas. We don't know what exactly it is or what causes all the people to be affected but it changes you. It affected me and Rhys and this girl Eeva that was with us. It was pretty ugly. Rhys seems fine, apart form his new condition." He didn't elaborate for sake of his old friend and his suffering, although secretly Ilija found it to be quite amusing. It reminded him of happier days, when everything had been a lot more simple.

Ilija nodded understandingly as she mentioned that she probably hadn't been sleeping better than him. She looked a bit tired, but her mention that hte work load was decreasing made him smile a little. "I'm glad and relieved you found somebody Vas." He said with a big smile. "I never really had a chance to ask yet since I've been a bit preoccupied since Christmas but how did the catering go? Did you get new business opportunities? Cas claimed we'd make a bad impression." He said with an annoyed face, stratching his head for a moment. He found Cas to have been a little uptight during the ball. They were curse breakers, not Lords and Ladies of refined houses with delicate sensibilities. Most of them spent half their waking hours surrounded by dust and dried up bodies. It wasn't fair to expect them to be prim and proper! He looked at Vas for a moment then. "You and Rhys seem to be good friends though. I guess that happened while I was away?" He asked with mild curiosity. Between everything on Yrisle along with meeting Eeva while she looked like Hannah's identical twin and having found some form of a connection with Carmen he'd been rather preoccupied. Just as he figured life would get more simple it only seemed to get more complicated.

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[vasilia abigail fortescue]

January 15
@ilija

Ilija looked very worn out, as if he didn't have the energy to keep moving forward. A normal look for him, but not recently. It'd been normal when he only came to visit once a year. The island really must be taking a toll on him. She smiled softly, hoping it was reassuring. Then he started to explain. His explanation made sense with what she'd been reading. St. Mungos had reported strange changes in some of the individuals that had gone to the island. But when he mentioned he'd been changed her eyebrows furrowed together in worry. The concerned expression only intensified when he mentioned Rhys had been afflicted as well. Her mind dind't know what to be more concerned about. Rhys, or Ilija. Her brother, or the guy she was crushing hard on. She set her cup of teat down and turned on the couch to face him a little more. "Are you alright? What happened? What happened to Rhys?" At least she'd asked about Ilija first....

Vas smiled in response to his own. Winter was always a bad time to try and hire. Not many people were looking for a job near the holidays, so it made it hard when they were short staffed, because everyone also wanted time off. While some businesses slowed down near the holidays though, hers did not. pubs were always popular. At the mention of the catering though she couldn't help but beam. "It was great! I got a few inquiries. Nothing with firm dates yet, but definitely helped get the Violet Hound's name out for catering. A few people have asked if I'd do smaller parties and pricing." Vas had always been the "business savy" one of the Fortescue siblings. She'd taken after their father, business was in her blood. Out of the three, she'd also spent the most amount of time learning the trade. Since theyd been at Hogwarts during their teenage years, she'd been at home. She'd been able to come home at the end of each school day and help at the shop. It was why she was able to take on owning a business at such a young age. While young, she had the experience of a seasoned business owner.

She reached for her tea, and was mid sip when he mentioned her and Rhys being friends. Momentary panic set in and the warm liquid went down wrong. She sputtered, coughing. She set the tea down, still coughing as she tried to clear her lungs. After a moment though, the coughing stopped. "Uh, yeah. He frequents the pub. Just started talking. I didn't even realize he went to school with you at first."

[Deleted]

Vas seemed unusually interested in Rhys, which even got through to Ilija in his current state of near mental death. He was out, tired and not really capable of dealing with too much, but this entire thing stood out too much. He gave her a sharp look, but opted not to comment yet. It was a little too soon to start jumping to conclusions. "Rhys is fine. Or he will be at least. He's just been a little more flighty than usual." Ilija said, a small smile crawling into the corner of his mouth. He'd seen the mess his friend had put Deva through in their last years of school and well, if they hadn't been friends Ilija certainly wouldn't have been too fond of the idea of him and Vas spending time together. Since he was friends with Rhys he'd seen the other side of the story too, meaning that he knew that Rhys mostly just had a lot of issues. Not openining up? It was something that Ilija could relate to by now. He did explicitly not answer her question about his own state of being, since that was... not up for discussion. How would he explain Eeva to Vas? Or the fact he felt he was going mad with grief all over again? Like the pain was so intense it brought such a sudden rush of adrenaline that it felt like time slowed down for a while? No, even those in the curse breaking world wouldn't understand so Vas definitively wouldn't.

Vas looked happy and proud as she spoke of the catering business and Ilija found himself smiling easily. She was still his little sister and yet she'd accomplished things that he would never dream of. He wasn't a man for business, since his heart and long since been captured by a life of adventure. He could never have been happy and at peace living a life filled with trade and business. He needed the travel and the excitement of the job. The thought of losing that? Not particularly healthy. He was grateful for that reason, because his sister was perfect and did everything he couldn't have done. She was the child prodigy, which left him space to pursue his own dreams. He appreciated his sister a lot for that. "Well hopefully a lot of opportunities are yet to come." He said. He knew he would have wanted her catering his wedding, if that hadn't gotten cancelled.

That reaction as he casually asked after the friendship that she and Rhys seemed to share made him awfully suspicious. It was no reason to choke on ones drink. Ilija narrowed his eyes and looked at his sister then. "What are you not telling me Vas?" He asked instantly, leaning forward a little. "Did he make a move on you or something? Did he do something stupid? I love Rhys like a brother but he's an idiot sometimes. If he did something to hurt you I'm going to scold him to hell and back." Ilija said, already getting just a little fired up. Despite his absence he was still her older brother and he wanted to protect her. Having seen Rhys and his various interactions with woman he didn't feel too comfortable. Surely Rhys wouldn't be stupid enough to sleep with his sister and then sort of discard her? No, if Rhys had been that stupid he surely would have known. If he was pulling the same stunts with Vas that he had with Deva? Well that would be quite the different situation. He would 100% meddle in that case, even though he never really had in his school days. It wasn't really his business, although he'd at times gently attempted to ask his friend what was going on, but he never really pushed Rhys. On that point he knew his friend had trouble enough without his bugging him on his personal life. It was a different matter if that personal life started to involve his family though. He didn't want to see Vas go through the same thing he'd seen Deva go through.

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January 15
@ilija

Vasilia wasn't really sure why he was giving her such a stern look for asking if he and Rhys were alright. It wasn't the look he got when it was something he didn't want to talk about. It was.... confusing, and slightly unnerving. Thankfully he did elaborate, though only about Rhys. She didn't much liek the answer. That "he would be" fine, which made it clear that Rhys wasn't fine currently. She didn't want to push to hard on that line of questioning however. As.. well... Rhys was just a mutual friend of the Fortescue siblings. She shouldn't be that interested in him. Ilija seemed amused by something though, a joke that she didn't quite understand and she gave him a suspicious glance. Though that suspicious glance immediately turned very scrutinizing as she realized he'd only told her about Rhys. Not himself at all. Her eyes narrowed and focused intensely on him, silently telling that she knew exactly what he was doing but she'd let him get away with it for now.... "Well, I'm glad your home," she finally answered. "It's nice having you around more often."

It wasn't a secret that out of the three Fortescue children, Vasilia took after their father the most. His business saviness, his people skills. She'd always taken to it far easier then the boys, but in recent years it had become even more apparent. Especially when she got the opportunity to run her own business, the Violet Hound. That was when it had probably hit home that Vasilia was just like their father. Not just with the business smarts, but also the desire to be in business. She smiled brightly. "I hope so." She was hopeful. If things went the way she wanted though she knew she'd have to hire a lot more staff...

Vasilia could feel that scrutinizing and suspicious gaze before he saw it. She knew that she'd messed up, losing her cool for that moment and it was like the protective big brother of her childhood awakened. Immediately he was demanding answers. What she wasn't telling him about her and Rhys. "What? Nothing!" she tried to immediately protest. There was nothing she was hiding! Oh if only that was true, but if she said it to herself, maybe she'd believe it. But his questioning continued and her eyes went wide. What sort of questions were these? Though him asking if Rhys had made a move on her almost made her blurt out she wished Rhys had, but she managed to keep her mouth shut. Though, as he spoke, her face went a vibrant shade of red. "He hasn't done anything, I swear! He's just a friend, nothing more." She looked away, as if to hide the heart ache in her eyes as she forced herself to say it aloud. Friends. Just friends.

[Deleted]

Vas wasn't easily deceived, Ilija knew that. He was almost surprised that she didn't pressure him for more information, but he appreciated it. He looked at her steadily for a moment, guesstimating if she'd be able to stay calm with just a fraction of the truth. "Fine." He said with a shrug. "I met a girl not too long ago. She pretty much looks like Hannah's twin. She was on the island too and ...." He faltered, his face going even more pale as she felt a wave of naussea take over. "... she seems to have Hannah's memories now. All of them, right up to the point she...." He couldn't finish the sentence, feeling his throat close up. He quickly cleared it, shaking his head slightly. "Anyway, it seems to have made everything come back as strong as it was five years ago. Either that or it's related to the other weird thing happening, I'm not sure yet. Nobody really knows anything because nobody ever saw anything like it before." He admitted, running a hand through his hair, but the mere motion seemed laboured, as if he was more tired than he cared to admit to himself. "But on the bright side, I did start dating." He said, hoping that little bomb drop would keep his sister from digging around the grave of his past too much. "I'd like you to meet her one day. Her name is Carmen and she's a really sweet girl. Met her at Christmas actually." He supplied, hoping that would give more food for conversation.

Yet the catering wasn't half as interesting as her reaction to his inquiry about Rhys. Now it was more than obvious that something was going on, even if she said there wasn't. He leaned back slightly, frowning a lot as she protested. Her face went red like a tomato as he asked if he'd made moves and that meant that she was either lying or..... something far more disturbing was going on. Oh dear goodness, why? The just friends, he recognised that undertone. He understood exactly what she was saying and his had to rub his brows for a moment as she felt a headache starting. He was attempting to get his life back on track and while he'd been out one of his best friends had decided to steal his sisters heart. Yeah, that was exactly the kind of complication he needed in his lfie right now. What was next? Attempting a double date with Carmen, Vas and Rhys? He would rather find a nice tomb and join the mummies in there for a very long night of rest than go through that sort of thing. He didn't want to imagine how awkward family gatherings might get at that point. He dropped his hand. "Okay, be honest but I'm hoping I'm wrong on this....." He said, gently grabbing her face and forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Do you have feelings for Rhys? Do you have a crush on him?" He asked it almost bluntly but he felt he needed to know. If she did, he felt obligated to give her fair warning that so that she'd at least be prepared for what might be waiting for her. He didn't want her to suffer after all, but he could also be calm enough to reason they were both adults and could make their own choices, even if he didn't understand them.

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January 15
@ilija

Vasilia wasn’t one that was easily shocked. She took things in stride. So when ilija started to speak, she was surprised but in a good way. Though the more he spoke rhe more she was genuinely shocked. It had started out so innocent. “I met a girl”. Such a cliche statement. But then he went on to explain and her eyes brows raised high, eyes a little wide. ”What?” she asked, because surely she hadn’t heard him right. Looking like someone else wasn’t too strange. But the whole memories thing was... well she wasn’t a witch but she was pretty sure even for magic that wasn’t normal. Vasilia’s expression soon softened and she shifted a little closer on the couch, silently letting him know she was there. ”That doesn’t sound easy. I’m here though if you need someone.” she softly assured him. No matter what he was going through. She’d support him if he let her. He wouldn’t have to face it alone.

Though then it seemed to go back to rhat first statement of meeting a girl. So apparently ilija had two situations going on right now! Though this second confession of his made her smile brightly. ”Oh reeeeaaally? So that’s where you disappeared off to,” she teased.

Vasilia really didn’t want to look at her brother right now because she was terrified he’d see right through her. Apparently she wasn’t very good at hiding her feelings as even her staff had caught on. Though they’d caught on before even she did. She wanted to deny it. God, what kind of person fell for their brother’s friend? But she couldn’t lie to herself. The feelings were there. He started to speak and she was very determined to keep her gaze avoided but then she felt hands on her face, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes went wide again and the red tint to her face stayed. She couldn’t deny it. She was a terrible liar. But she didn’t want to admit it out loud either. Calling it a crush though... didn’t seem right. It wasn’t just a crush. Despite never feeling like this for someone before she knew it was more than just a little crush. ”Nothing will come of it...” she finally forced herself to say. A silent admittance but also full understanding that the feelings were very misplaced. That she knew the feelings would never be reciprocated.

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Ilija had trouble even getting the words out, so when Vas came closer, sounding confused about his confession he wasn't surprised. She offered her support and he felt the urge to instantly shrug it off. She had so many burdens already, it wouldn't be right if he added his own burdens to it. Still, it was comforting to know she was willing, even if he found it terribly unwise of her. He leaned back a little, wrapping one arm around his little sister. He'd missed her a lot while he was abroad, but at least it felt like he had her back now. It meant a lot to him. "I'll figure it out somehow." He muttered, although he had no idea where to start. How did one even tackle a situation like this?

He rolled his eyes and nudged Vas in annoyance as she was far too happy about the fact he'd disappeared at Christmas. "Yes. She twisted her ankle so I helped her get home. We kept in touch after and I spent new years at her place. Sorry I missed your party." Though Vas without a doubt knew that Ilija wasn't too big of a party goer to begin with. He'd gone to the Christmas party more in order to socialise with his fellow cursebreakers than because he actually wanted to go. He'd hated the suit every second of wearing it. He wasn't a suits kind of person, he wasn't for fancy and while Rhys had gotten drunk far beyond reason he'd found a perfect excuse to leave the party. A perfect surprise that had turned out so different than he'd ever been able to think up. Not that he was planning to ever share such details with his baby sister.

When Vas spoke at long last after squirming to avoid his gaze the words that escaped her words were almost funny, if it hadn't been such a stupid statement. He sighed as he released her face and pulled her closer. "Oh Vas..." He muttered softly. "What have you gotten yourself into this time?" It was a rhethorical question of course and he mused on the topic for a short moment in silence. "I can't say I'm happy to hear this. I don't know Rhys' mind so I'm not going to claim nothing will come of it or that something might but ..." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he wondered how on earth he could mention his feelings without sounding judgemental. Now that was a true challenge. "During our school days Rhys kept hurting he girl he dated without meaning to. It was a bit of a shit show really. I just don't want to see you get hurt." He confessed. She was his little sister and she deserved his honesty, even if she didn't like the words he had to say.

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January 15
@ilija

Ilija was still the sort to try and resolve things himself. To carry his own burdens without sharing or letting others help. But his telling her was huge progress. She knew he would still want to handle it on his own, though the fact he'd told her was huge. He probably wouldn't be to willing to accept her help on the matter, but that was okay. As long as he knew she was there if he needed her. "Well, you don't have to figure it out alone." If he didn't want to, that is. She wouldn't force him to accept her help, but sometimes just knowing you had someone willing to be there when needed helped.

Vasilia was quite sure by the way he was acting that it had been a bit more then "helping her get home" from a twisted ankle. Though Ilija really wasn't the kiss and tell sort, considering his personality of keeping things to himself. But it made her happy to hear that he'd done something outside the routine he'd formed while home. He'd done something spontaneous and it was working out for him. "Sounds like things are going well if you'd spend Christmas Eve and New Years with her." Vasilia teased.

Vasilia didn't really like this new line of questioning. Not because it was her older brother asking about guys she liked, but rather that this particular guy happened to be one of his long time friends. A friend with a rather notorious reputation for womanizing. The irony was not lost on her that she, who had never had any feelings for anyone before, suddenly had feelings for someone that seemed to have too many feelings. She had absolutely no experience in this area while Rhys was well versed. At least Ilija had let go of her face when she answered, but he'd pulled her closer, so there was no squirming away. Reluctantly Vasilia leaned into him, letting her forehead rest on his shoulder and her face hidden by her hair. He spoke, and it as almost like he'd read her mind. What had she gotten herself into this time? He kept speaking, and she wasn't surprised by his remarks. She shook her head against his shoulder, not raising it. "I'm pretty sure I'm the farthest thing from his mind," she answered quietly. No, there was absolutely no way Rhys would ever feel the same about her. For a number of reasons. Vasilia was a happy person, but that didn't mean she was a confident person. Her happiness came from others. From socializing. Not from her own self confidence. Because honest? If she was a confident person she wouldn't push herself so hard to be better and do more. Not only that, Vasilia saw the girls Rhys took home. Vasilia couldn't compete against them.

Ilija mentioned Rhys' past and she wasn't surprised to hear it. She knew bits and pieces already from the night Rhys had gotten drunk. Hell, she knew some things that would make girls run for the hills. And yet, none of that could change her feelings. She let out a slow sigh, still not raising her forehead from his shoulder. "I'm not blind, I know his stunts..." She spoke, her voice even quieter then before as she silently acknowledged his words. "I'll get over it..." She finally added, though it seemed more like she was trying to convince herself that more then Ilija. Though the sharp pain in her chest almost seemed to tell her she wouldn't be getting past it any time soon. She'd be feeling this heartache for a very, very long time....

[Deleted]

He smiled vaguely as Vasilia said he didn't have to figure it out alone. "It's going to be near impossible to figure any part of it out without actually going back to the island....." He said and a part of him feared what that meant. If he saw how it changed people it was difficult to comprehend how going back there could ever be the best option or a safe bet. It was well and truly possible that the best bet was simply accepting what was and going with that. For him it seemd to heavily involve both Hannah and Eeva, which was a painful combination in the least. He didn't really want to dwell on it. It was a chaotic mess of horrible things that just made very little sense to him as of now. He didn't really like it when things were that confusing. When it started to get impossible to make any sense out of something that seemed to have changed many people rather profoundly.

She things were going well and he smiled slightly, although he had his doubts.Maybe he wasn't ready for a new commitment just yet, but he was at least willing to try. Or he felt like he was at least, which had to mean something, right? He mostly ignored his sister though and just shrugged. "We'll see. I don't like New Years regardless. Too violent and noisy. I briefly considered just fleeing the country but I figured that might get me in trouble so this seemed like a perfect alternative." He said easily, although there was truth to his words. He did find the entire fireworks and general rowdy atmosphere to be outside of his sphere of entertainment, but if other people felt like doing those things he wasn't going to stop them. He just knew that he couldn't personally enjoy them. They were not up his alley.

Vas wasn't the type to fall in love quickly, Ilija had noticed that despite their time apart. She wasn't preoccupied with trying to find happiness in love and a romantic attachment so the fact she had feelings for Rhys was not something small that would just blow over. He felt for her, as it had to be very difficult to feel like the one you liked didn't even notice you. He had no idea how Rhys felt about Vasilia, but the day they'd reconnected he'd come to the ice cream shop and he certainly hadn't been looking for Ilija. The man still remembered the surprise on the face of his friend as they'd first seen each other again after such a terribly long time. They had been close and Ilija felt they were close once again despite all that had happened. His heart was aching for his sister, but he couldn't tell her if her fears were true or false one way or the other. Still, he felt as though he could comfort her a little bit. "You know, I used to think the same about Hannah." He said softly, a very faint smile touching his lips, if only barely. "Then one day she came up to me, almost fuming. She looked like the adorable version of a vengeful angel and I felt both intimidated and super attracted to her in that moment. Then she pretty much called me and idiot, smacked me on the head and told me she liked me." He chuckled a moment as he remembered that her yelling had involved his being too dense to notice she'd stopped eating cereals in the morning because her fantasies involved him kissing her and she didn't want him to get an upset stomach. He'd attempted to defend himself, thinking she'd just gotten tired of ceraels. At that point she'd smacked him and told him the truth. He'd gone red as a London bus and to hide that he'd flown in and kissed her. They'd been inseperable since and she'd started eating cereals again after he explained he wasn't that allergic, he just couldn't eat milk products himself but kissing somebody that had wasn't going to kill him.

The moment Vas said she'd noticed his stunts Ilija couldn't help but groan and sigh in exasperation. Of course Rhys had been using the Violet Hound as a hunting ground for pretty ladies. He knew himself to be dense but on that point Rhys outshone him by miles and miles. Had he noticed he probably would at least have had the decency to let her process her feelings before using her pub as hunting ground again, or at least refrain from doing so while she was around. Naturally the dense idiot had failed to noticed and unknowingly hurt her feelings in the process. Idiot. Ilija felt himself grumble slightly. No matter how dear Rhys was to him, sometimes he wanted to smack him up the head the way Hannah used to smack him for being stupid (or at times indulging Rhys in his bad ideas too much). She said she'd get over it and Ilija hugged her close for a moment, resting his head on top of hers. "Let me know if I need to go on a shopping spree for certain foods. I know girl movies often feature ice cream but for some reason that feels a little odd to buy when we practically have an endless supply at the shop." Or well, endless in terms that they sold it and there was no way that she could eat the contents of the entire store in a single day. Besides, it seemed more likely she'd want to distract herself by cooking, as that was something that she seemed to do more often. "I'll even volunteer as taste testing if you want to cook up a storm as distraction." He offered, even though he knew he would be of no use there. At least she'd get her wish in getting him to eat more that way. It was the best he could really do, as he knew he should not be getting in the middle of this. It wouldn't help anybody as family conflict was unwanted and he didn't want to lose Rhys as his friend. He would not be taking sides in any sort of clash between two people so near and dear to his heart.

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January 15
@ilija

Vasilia bit her lip. She wished she could just solve all of her brother's problems for him. Just take it over so he didn't have to face the pain and confusion. It was her personality, just always wanting to help people. But it was even stronger when it came to those she cared for. Sure, their relationship had been strained for years, still was to a degree, but Ilija was still her older brother. "Have you... talked to her about it?" She asked slowly. "If she has Hannah's memories she's probably just as confused as you are. No one can fully understand what you're feeling and going through... but I think she might have the best idea out of everyone in your life." Giving Ilija advise wasn't normal and felt quite strange. Because he'd never been open about his feelings and thoughts she'd never been able to even try before now.

Ilija mentioned not being fond of New Years and she could understand why. Being a people person she spoke to all sorts, and heard stories from people from all walks of life. There were quite a few in the older generation that felt similarly to Ilija, not liking the loud celebrations of New Years because of PTSD from the Wizarding Wars. "How about next year we have a quiet New Years? No fireworks, I promise. You can even bring your new friend along." She winked, teasing, though her smile was soft and warm.

Ilija didn't talk about Hannah often. Small bursts, when necessary. Like earlier in the conversation. But that was it. He hadn't really... talked about his memories of her. At least not with Vasilia. For years he hadn't even mentioned Hannah at all. So hearing Ilija talk about how he and Hannah had gotten together was a surprise. A very pleasant surprise. Thought it didn't make her feel much better. She still smiled against his shoulder, thinking about her teenage years when Ilija had first brought Hannah home. They'd been so cute and perfect for each other. Perfectly complimenting the other. "I'm not surprised," she answered softly, teasing. Of course Hannah had initiated things. She knew her brother after all. Ilija had been a pretty boneheaded teenager, once upon a time.

Her brother seemed to tightened his grip on her, hugging her even tighter at her words. He knew what she'd meant. Of course she didn't just "know" Rhys' behavior. She'd witnessed it many times. And the more aware of her feelings she'd become the more it'd stung. Seeing him give other girls his undivided attention, looking at them in a way he'd never look at her. But why would he? She was the younger squib sister of his friend. He probably didn't even see her as a "woman", at least not in that sense. Not in the sense she wanted. His offer of a shopping spree, movies, and ice cream made her laugh softly as she finally leaned back from his embrace. Was that what girls did when they had unrequited love? She'd seen the movies but it'd always sounded so silly and dumb before. Though his offer to taste test finally roused a genuine laugh from her. "No offense, Ilija. But you're a shit taste tester."" She answered with an apologetic tone and smile.

Vasilia finally leaned back against the couch, tilting her head onto the back of the cushion to stare at the ceiling. "I appreciate it, Ilija. But let's be honest. I'm not like you and Hannah, or mum and dad." She started to explain quietly. "Mum and dad never said it, and I know they never wanted me to feel different from you and Felix, but I am." She paused, tilting her head back to look at her brother with a resigned look. "No wizard would ever want to be with a squib. So it's better to just let the feelings pass and try to move on." Most squibs left the magical world and went to live ordinary lives among muggles, married muggles, and raised nonmagical families. Her still having a foot in the magical world was rare for a squib, but no doubt many still thought she'd follow suit one day and abandon the magical world as well. In a world that relied on magic, she was often an outcast.

[Deleted]

He chuckled slightly as Vas cleverly suggested talking to Eeva about what he was going through. She was right that she had the best perspective out of everybody alive when it came to the entire thing, but at the same time they were almost strangers and the fact she had Hannah's memories made everything excessively complicated and absurd. How would he even go about asking her about such a bizarre situation? For it truly was bizzare, even in the wizarding world. "I worry it might just make things a lot more awkward for her. I barely know her and she barely knows me, yet she knows more about me than anybody else on the planet seems to. It's awkward and unbalanced and I don't really want to make it worse by asking her to act like my therapist." He admitted, as he didn't really want to ruin whatever friendship they had by asking her to take on a responsibility based only on the fact she'd acquired some memories in a weird situation.

He nodded as she mentioned a quiet New Years the next year. This year was obviously far too short notice but perhaps next year they could arrange a far more quiet celebration. He'd kind of like that. "I'd love the quiet party, but we'll see how things stand at that point. It's far too early to say she'll still be in my life at that point." He said with a pointed look as his sister seemed to be playing some sort of match maker. Well, maybe not match maker but she was far too happy about his new relationship. It was weird.

Recalling more pleasant memories of Hannah seemed to become a lot easier in time. As the pain had faded ever so slowly he found that the older memories no longer brought back the last memory of her every single time. Or when it did, not quite as vividly. The pain would never quite end, but it got easier to bear and deal with. He chuckled and hugged his sister just a little closer. "I was quite the typical clueless teenage boy, wasn't I?" He said with a smile on his face. He saw things differently now, but he wasn't sure if he'd be able to figure out if a girl liked him. Maybe that part hadn't changed, but it was hard to tell without actually getting in that sort of situation. Things with Carmen had been easy, he supposed. The situation had just sort of flowed forward into whatever it was they had. Possibly a budding relationship, even if the idea of dating was very alien to him.

She said he was a shit taste tester and he shrugged indifferently since he was well aware that it was true. "That is probably because everything tastes like sand to me. I only eat because it's a requirement for staying alive." He said, admitting it out loud for the very first time in his life. He was improving. "I taste tested for dad when I was younger. He said I had a good enough pallette, but then he later on told me the same you did. I'm pretty sure he tried to feed me something inedible and concluded the same as you." ilija told her with a faint smile. That had been the first Christmas he'd been home after Hannah had passed. His dad had tried getting him to liven up a bit, failed miserably in cooking something and Ilija hadn't even noticed. It had been a bonding moment for them, but it was also the moment Ilija realised that he'd lost all sense of flavour. Or maybe he didn't, but he just stopped caring how something tasted as long as it was nutricious enough.

Ilija scoffed, nearly offended as Vasilia claimed no wizard would ever want to be with a squib. She was different, yes, but only a fool would let her lack of conventional magic get in the way of experiencing the magic of her kindness. That was worth a ton more. "That is ridiculous. Plenty of witches and wizards fall in love with muggles and you have the added benefit that they'll never have to explain anything magical to you. You're born and raised understanding everything, even if you can't practise magic. I'd rather date a muggle or squib that has your kindness over a witch or wizard without it any day of my life. Magic doesn't make us special, at best lazy and entitled. Anybody that fails to see that is an idiot. Rhys might be many types of idiot, but he's not that kind of idiot. He sees people for who they are, not what they can or cannot do. Besides, they say the love of a man goes through his stomach and if that holds any truth you can have your pick of any man on the planet that doesn't have my desensitised taste buds. I remember I used to love your cooking when we were little and that was before you gained all your cooking skills. You're a witch in the kitchen and no witchcraft can match your skills there." He said, wanting to ensure that she realised her value wasn't in waving wands around to make things fly. She was fantastic, and no magic in the world could change that.

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

January 15
@ilija

While it was a situation Vasilia knew she'd never find herself in, she tried to put herself in Ilija's shoes to understand. It really was a mess. No doubt about it. Perhaps there were countless wrong answers. Perhaps there wasn't even a right answer to begin with. Finally she shrugged. "Can it really get more awkward if it already is then?" she asked honestly. Though as he continued it gave her an idea. She looked at her brother. Her stubborn older brother, who didn't often let people in. "Then I guess you better balance it out and get to know her," she stated simply. If he didn't like how much this stranger knew about him without knowing him when he knew nothing then he was the one that had to change it. If there wasn't a way to make the woman forget what she now knew then they just had to get to know each other so it wasn't awkward anymore.

Of course, Vasilia was already starting to think about next year's New Year's Eve party. The pub should have a party, most definitely. But perhaps by that point she'd have a manager that could run it and they could just have a family thing. It'd been a long time since they'd had celebrated New Years as a family after all. Though the part about the girl still being in his life was a bit foreign to Vas. After all, she hadn't actually dated anymore before. Never had the desire before. "Well, it can just be us Fortescue's then," she answered, smiling. It wasn't that she necessarily wanted to force Ilija to date. She just wanted him to not dwell on the past. To live his life and enjoy it.

Vasilia wasn't expecting Ilija to say everything tasted like sand. It surprised her. Since when? Did he just not have strong taste buds? It was possible for people to not have a sense of taste, after all. But she was pretty sure when he was younger he had been more enthusiastic about food. Though as he went on to mention their father she smiled sadly. "Well, dad did teach me everything he knows. Of course I'd come to the same conclusion," she stated simply, though with a small sense of pride. There father had definitely taught Vasilia the most when it came to the business. Not just because she was a squib but because out of all the siblings she'd been the most interested in it. "Why didn't you tell me, though?" She had to ask. Why had he kept it a secret?

Ilija coming to her defense at her own negative outlook was... nice. But she was giving him a look that wasn't convinced. It wasn't until he got to the part about the way to a man's heart being his stomach. At that point she couldn't help but laughing. She had heard that phrase before. A great many times. She still wasn't convinced. Still didn't believe someone magical would want to date a squib. But she appreciated his coming to her defense so earnestly. "Thanks, Ilija," she answered, smiling. Maybe Rhys would feel the same. But she'd rather not get her hopes up.

[Deleted]

Vasilia seemed to have a point with it not being able to get much more awkward than it already was. Yet on the other hand, he could imagine a thousand ways it could get more awkward, including if he accidentally called her Hannah at any point. Probably more than just that, but he didn't want to imagine how much worse it could get, because he did enjoy her company. He didn't really want any reason to start avoiding her or scare himself into doing so. She was such a lovely person from what he'd seen and he felt drawn to her... But maybe it was just because he was curious about her because she looked like Hannah. There was no way to be sure without getting to know her though. He nodded a bit. "I hope I get the opportunity." He said in all earnest, figuring that closed off that particular topic to further conversation.

As he mentioned he wasn't sure what his relationship status was going to be by the next new year Vasilia said it could just be the Fortescues, which he also found to be a bit short sighted, as it was well and truly possible any of the siblings would have found a partner by that time. Just because everything with Carmen was still new didn't mean that it would be wise to presume it would fail or last. There were too many things that could happen, and he already felt some reservations about her fame, although he wasn't sure up to what point it would affect his own life. If it didn't (which was unlikely) there was no reason for things to fall apart from what he could see. He just realised he was far more guarded than he probably should be, which didn't strike him as the best sign. "Let's count on just us and see if anybody wants a plus one when the time comes." Ilija suggested, feeling that it would be the safest bet to make sure nobody would have to be left out.

She asked why he hadn't told her that he had no sense of taste and he just shrugged a bit helplessly. "I have no idea. There are so many things I didn't mention that this feels so... irrelevant." He concluded, since that was the best he could make of it. He wasn't even sure why he didn't tell so many things that were going on, but by now it was hardly the time to start unravelling that entire thing. "I guess I didn't want to explain, but I didn't want to lie either. And maybe I didn't want to disappoint you when you put so much time and effort into making something great." He said with a slightly sigh, rubbing his brow in frustration. "I didn't even realise it myself I think... I lost interest in food, so it didn't matter what it tasted like." He said, as that seemed to be the closest to explain that he could get. It simply didn't interest him, so he was ever so indifferent about the flavours, he just ate to stay alive. He barely felt hunger to begin with. It was just easier to ignore it.

Maybe Vas herself wasn't convinced, but Ilija knew there was nothing he could do about the perception of the rest of the world, nor how that reflected on her. She'd find somebody capable of appreciating her one day, if she wanted. The problem was that she considered herself less worthy, and Ilija hated that with every fiber of his being. He wanted her to see that her worth extended so far beyond the range of magic, and that went for more than just her. If he didn't truly believe that in his heart he wouldn't have been able to see non-magical folk of any kind as equally worthy, simply because they lacked something. Yet he saw that everybody could be as boring or incredible as possible, depending far more or personality than talent or skill, and some talents and skills were tied to magic, and some to the technology that muggles mastered. There was nothing that reach above all, except for a kind heart and Vasilia had that. "One day, I hope you can see it too." He just muttered softly, wishing for nothing more than for his sister to see her self worth. What could possibly be worth more?

vasilia abigail fortescue