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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
263 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Sept 25, 2023 6:21:30 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Oct 23, 2021 10:38:01 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Oct 23, 2021 10:38:01 GMT -7
12 May 2026 “And finally…any plans for your birthday?” Now, Bianca had already mentally disconnected from her secretary’s ramblings after they’d finished reviewing the last agenda item, but she glanced back up from her paperwork and raised an eyebrow at the question. “Excuse me?” she asked in an icy tone, but the woman had long since become immune to Bianca’s ‘scary mode’ and didn’t bat an eyelash. “It’s in your calendar” was the matter-of-fact answer she received, and Bianca bit back an immediate urge to find Leo and lecture him about abusing his IT powers to do stupid things like put her birthday on a calendar. It had to be him, because Bianca was very stingy about giving out personal details like that but Leo had been exposed to more than enough potential blackmail material over the years. “You’re dismissed,” Bianca responded crisply, staring at her secretary until she finally shrugged and left the room. As a matter of fact, Bianca never did anything for her birthday and she winced at the idea of taking a whole evening off in the middle of the week for something so arbitrary. Instead, she turned her attention back towards the stack of paperwork that had been slowly accumulating on her desk for the last several days. It didn't so much resemble a pile as a mountain now, so Bianca had blocked off the next two hours to dig her way through without being bothered by any interruptions or urgent meetings. Some forms only needed a signature, but others required a careful review and edits, while some information needed to be discretely passed on to the Order without being flagged by anyone else. But she was semi-distracted with the thought that her secretary could just tell anyone that sensitive piece of information now, so she stared blankly at the incident report in front of her as she debated whether there was anything she could actually do about it. She’d only gotten through two more inches of the stack when the door opened again, and Bianca felt a smile slowly creep onto her face even as she tried her hardest to fight it. “If you didn’t bring coffee, I’m sending you right back out again,” she said pointedly, swallowing slightly as she stared at her paperwork and tried to look as casual as possible. Because Bianca was not excited to see Cade, hadn’t been missing him all day, and definitely wasn’t looking forward to the hour they’d set aside to work on their own things. And the stupid smile on her face that she’d finally managed to hide after pursing her lips tightly – well, that didn’t prove anything. cade owen woodward
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cade owen woodward
HOGWARTS ALUM SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR DAILY PROPHET
98 posts
played by vanessa
keep quiet no longer, we'll sing through the day
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last online Mar 26, 2024 12:38:52 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Oct 23, 2021 11:46:03 GMT -7
Post by cade owen woodward on Oct 23, 2021 11:46:03 GMT -7
It won't take much for you to see It's on my mind to set you free Nobody would ever claim Cade was a shy person. It helped with his career to be sociable but also, it was just who he was as a person. So, unless one looked close enough, they would notice the slight spring in his step as he walked the increasingly familiar halls of the Department of Law Enforcement. It was late, so not many employees had lingered to finish up their paperwork, plus it was a Tuesday. But, Cade actually had quite a bit on his mind. Ever since that meeting back in March, they’d found that they were spending more time together outside of actual work or Order missions.
Cade grew accustomed to rolling over, and the pillow would still smell like she had just been there. It was hard to imagine that it was only at the beginning of the year that she hardly gave him the time of day, and now…well, they just simply saw each other much more often. But Cade was beginning to realize that whether he was working and trying to read articles to publish in the paper, his brain wandered to a certain woman with fierce brown eyes that maybe it wasn’t what he thought it was. Cade had sat on this thought for about a week now until he’d decided that he wanted to explore it further.
Approaching the familiar corner office, he greeted Bianca’s Secretary, who was still there and inquired about her family and how they were fairing. She noted the two coffees that Cade held in a tray and raised a curious eyebrow. Cade responded that he was looking for information about a particular story and thought he’d try to casually bribe Bianca with a coffee. The Secretary laughed and then noted that perhaps Cade could get her something for her upcoming birthday. Well, that was a new piece of information and one that he felt sure would not have come up otherwise. Thanking the Secretary, he opened the door and walked in, seeing the stack of paperwork on Bianca’s desk.
Cade gave her a grin. ”After you threw me out last time, I learned.” He joked, walking up to her desk and handing her one of the coffees he brought. It wasn’t the Ministry coffee, he wasn’t sure what dark magic was used to brew that, but it was never good. He’d wanted to see her, knowing he possibly had a late night and a busy next day, but also he did have something on his mind to ask her—but eventually. He’d just gotten there after all.
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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
263 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Sept 25, 2023 6:21:30 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Nov 1, 2021 13:08:58 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Nov 1, 2021 13:08:58 GMT -7
Bianca wasn’t a warm person. She’d never thoroughly developed a good bedside manner, and her style at work was usually described as cold and clean and efficient; in essence, everything you needed to be a good law enforcement official, although not much else. But there was no other way to describe how Cade made her feel except warm – whether it was the exciting pulse of adrenaline as he pushed her against a wall to kiss her deeply, or the rush of heat at his teasing voice on the other end of the phone when he called to ask about her weekend plans, or even the murmured conversations they would have in the middle of the night, butterflies igniting in her stomach as they exchanged words in a low tone and stolen glances that seemed so much softer and more intimate at two in the morning. She would be dead on her feet the next day after one of those nights, but she could never quite bring herself to regret it anyway. “So you are trainable,” Bianca observed playfully, propping her chin on her hand as she watched him close the door behind him. She took the coffee, feeling her heart speed up a little as their fingers brushed, and pushing down that damn impulse to smile again. Instead, Bianca lifted the lid of the coffee to examine the dark liquid and inhale deeply at the rich scent. “That’s real coffee,” she said with an appreciative sigh, humming contentedly as she took a sip and then set the cup down. Inevitably, her gaze was pulled back to Cade and his warm smile, and she studied his increasingly familiar features carefully. They’d known each other for a decade, but it felt like meeting him again since they’d started to spend more time together. Learning his expressions, the silent ways he would signal his interest or disapproval or curiosity. It occurred to her vaguely that as easily as she was starting to read his body language, it probably went the other way too. She swallowed slightly at the spike of fear that rose within her at the thought, and pushed it back down again. It probably didn’t mean anything, and she shouldn’t waste her time worrying about it. Instead, she let her eyes catch on the circles under his eyes and the heavy way he settled into the chair opposite her. “Long week?” she asked, trying not to glance sideways at her own stack of accumulated paperwork. At the senior level, time was a rare commodity. Work had always been a priority for Bianca, but lately she’d taken more of her time to be with Cade. It was enough to make her feel like she was carrying a small sun in her chest most of the time, but she was starting to feel the side effects at the office. cade owen woodward
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cade owen woodward
HOGWARTS ALUM SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR DAILY PROPHET
98 posts
played by vanessa
keep quiet no longer, we'll sing through the day
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last online Mar 26, 2024 12:38:52 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Nov 1, 2021 23:35:40 GMT -7
Post by cade owen woodward on Nov 1, 2021 23:35:40 GMT -7
It won't take much for you to see It's on my mind to set you free Cade gave Bianca a look. He’d never say he was ‘trainable’, more that he’d grown accustomed. ”I wouldn’t say that.” Cade sat in the chair in front of her desk, sipping his own coffee. ”The Editor is still interested in those apothecary robberies, so I’m here to bribe you for information.” A slight smirk fell on his face. It wasn’t the only reason he was here. There was never a singular reason for his visits to the Ministry of Magic and a specific corner office. Work was mere the pretense now. Plus, the coffee served here in the Ministry wasn’t suitable for Azkaban prisoners, let alone their officers of the law.
But he was tired. The coffee was needed today, though at least this time, the exhaustion that fell over him as he ran his fingers lightly over the stubble on his chin. Much had been on his mind. He merely nodded in response. ”Just meetings.” There had been constant meetings with the Editors on what to publish for the upcoming summer. Did they focus on a piece on the anniversary of last year’s horrible events or even the years before that—or did they wait for the other shoe to drop. Cade wanted to be an optimist, but working for the Order had helped him lean on the side of realism more often than not these days. Besides, Bianca easily brought his optimistic head back down from the clouds more often than not.
Still, despite the long week and his exhaustion, he felt calm. It was everything not to find his way to the other side of her desk, but her secretary was surely wondering what they were discussing already. ”Your secretary told me something interesting.” Cade paused, his face growing serious as he leaned forward slightly in his chair and even pausing for dramatic effect. ”Why didn’t you tell me your birthday was so soon?” It was the luck of it. Cade had been wondering how to approach from a different angle and when she had shared that tidbit with him, he was sure he felt his heart do a flip. Cade grinned again and took another sip of coffee as his heartbeat a little bit faster. But she tended to have that effect on him. Merlin, all Bianca had to do was look at him, and he felt the urge to smile broadly. Though he’d never admit that he even missed the way she teased him about this or that in public, though he was fond of the way she teased him in private.
Cade cleared his throat. Nerves were not typical for him. ”On that subject…” Cade placed his cup on the desk in front of him. ”If you didn’t have any plans, I’d like to take you to a proper dinner.” Cade’s brilliant blue eyes locked with hers. ”If you’ll let me.” It wasn’t that they’d never shared a meal together. Stopping by the pub for a drink, or a place nearby to sit and eat or even ordering in. but never a proper dinner. Cade felt, now in quick hindsight, that he perhaps he should have made himself more clear. Cade was asking Bianca on a date.
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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
263 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Sept 25, 2023 6:21:30 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Nov 3, 2021 9:46:01 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Nov 3, 2021 9:46:01 GMT -7
It wasn’t only that Bianca had begun to recognize the different emotions she could see on Cade’s expressive face, but that she’d started to realize she had her favorites and could even coax them out from time to time. The first one she’d discovered was the difference between placing a cup of tea or coffee in front of him – he would drink the coffee when he needed the caffeine boost, but couldn’t quite hide his distaste for the drink or the way his eyes would fixate on the tea instead. He didn’t need to know that she did it on purpose sometimes just to see what face he would make. But her actual favorite? The dry look he would shoot her whenever she’d say something particularly contentious, closely followed by one of his trademark statements. ‘I wouldn’t say that.’ She’d heard it so many times over the years, but always in a professional context. The first time it had gotten personal? Two months ago, this same office, approximately ten seconds before they’d started to play rough and accidentally broke her last bottle of whisky. A small shiver shot down her spine at the memory, and Bianca laughed under her breath as she hid the smile by bringing the cup to her lips again. His next words, innocent as they might sound, were loaded with meaning, and Bianca leaned forward on her chair as she glanced up at him from under her lashes. “I hope you’re ready to work hard for it,” she suggested, eyes lingering on his playful smirk and the way he ran his fingers over his jaw. She swallowed slightly at the way he could tease her with even a simple motion, wishing she could cross to the other side of the desk and replace his fingers with her own. It was tempting, maybe a thought she would pursue later, but for now…well, it was still easier to focus on the easy dynamic between them, rather than the prospect of admitting that her department had absolutely no leads on the apothecary robberies. It was a disappointing failure from her Aurors, and it was easier to pretend for a few hours that it didn’t exist. No, not a department head tonight – just a girl flirting with a boy she liked. Her expression sharpened at his ominous statement, and she felt her breath catch as she leaned forward in anticipation. God, what could she have said? Her secretary was privy to so many important department secrets, courtesy of being with Bianca all the time and having access to her schedule. She had her own clearance, and Bianca generally considered her a trustworthy woman, but her mind began to run all sorts of worst-case scenarios. Cade was a journalist, first and foremost, and information leaks happened occasionally. She dreaded to hear what words would come next, wondering if she’d been making a mistake here…but her expression cleared at his question. Bianca released a shaky exhale, leaning back in her chair and feeling her face flush a little. Oh, she was definitely going to find Leo later and kill him – then let him come back as a ghost so she could find a way to kill him again. “Because it doesn’t matter,” she responded with a roll of her shoulders, “I don't have any plans anyway.” His smile was impossible to read, as was the intention behind the question. Bianca didn’t spend holidays with anyone as a general rule – setting aside the occasional Valentine’s Order mission – so why would her birthday be any different? The dynamic of the room felt different, and Bianca could see the change on Cade’s face. Her heart stopped at his next words, but not in the same rush of excitement as usual. No, this was fight-or-flight, and Bianca felt frozen. “Proper?” she repeated, the word sounding odd in her stiff tone. Her mind was racing even as she felt unable to move, and she felt the pounding of her heart echo in her head as a warning tone entered her voice. “Like there’s something improper about what we’re doing now?” And all at once, it was like the events of the last two months finally caught up to her. Merlin, he had clean shirts at her house in case he needed to run the next morning to work. She’d bought movies to show him so she could begin the important task of educating Cade on the complexity of the DC multiverse. God, she’d started to change what she kept in her kitchen because he had a particular preference for which tools he cooked with and didn’t like to use inferior knives. Her face grew hot as a wave of panic began to crash over her all at once. Too close, too close – Bianca needed some distance and pushed her chair feebly back as she braced herself on her desk like she’d suddenly gotten vertigo. “I…I c-can’t…” Bianca stuttered, for once unable to find any words she wanted to say. He’d asked an innocent question, one that didn’t really need to change much, but it felt like it was changing everything. Bianca stood up suddenly, although she couldn’t decide what she wanted to do next. “T-this is a mistake.”cade owen woodward
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cade owen woodward
HOGWARTS ALUM SENIOR ASSISTANT EDITOR DAILY PROPHET
98 posts
played by vanessa
keep quiet no longer, we'll sing through the day
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last online Mar 26, 2024 12:38:52 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Nov 3, 2021 12:32:34 GMT -7
Post by cade owen woodward on Nov 3, 2021 12:32:34 GMT -7
It won't take much for you to see It's on my mind to set you free Cade caught the glint in her eye at the challenge. The way her eyes would focus in on her intended target—him. She was a predator in that way, but Cade wasn’t complaining. Something he’d always prided himself on was his ability to read people, not that it was an exact science, but this many years on the job had let him hone those skills. Her body language had changed so obviously in many ways toward him, but also in very subtle ways. She wasn’t wary when he’d stand so close to her because he needed to reach over and grab something off a desk or a table. That watchful eye that used to tell him that one wrong move would result in a hex.
But, it was one of the things Cade found so tantalizing—she was so straightforward. Her intentions were clear, so it only seemed fitting that he make his own changed intentions just as clear. It hadn’t started out that way, by any means. That day in this office where they’d shared whiskey and more…well, Cade remembered the large smile on his face afterward. Plus, he’d come to realize over the past months that he just enjoyed being in her company. She was relaxed around him, and the way her face would light up when she’d be explaining these comic book characters to him. She was passionate, fierce, and beautiful, and Cade had spent the past week reconciling that he was falling for her.
Cade’s composure almost broke at the concern that came across her face when he took a serious tone. Such a shift, and he wondered if it was because it was him rather than anybody else. But then he brought up her birthday, and she wasn’t exactly…defensive, but it was clearly not a favorite topic for her. Cade didn’t quite understand that. Not that he’d ever made a big spectacle of his birthday, but he did enjoy acknowledging it. But then there it was. The shift. Cade watched and felt her walls go up. It was like the room even got a little bit colder. It wasn’t that it was improper, but Cade was looking for something with a little more direction and definition. It was the kind of man that he was, and much like he wrote an in-depth article, he needed cohesion and to know what it meant.
Cade felt his mouth go dry, though it wasn’t the usual scenario of Bianca breathing near his neck and the butterflies in his stomach reacting to smelling her perfume. And then finally…her answer. There was a feeling in his chest that dropped into his stomach. “Proper” seemed too much for her, and while he saw the fork in the road that he was at, Cade knew he didn’t want the casual thing any more. But her words still caught him off guard. ”A mistake? What—“ And the door flew open before Cade could get his question out. A woman stood in the door frame, a serious and urgent look on her face as Bianca’s secretary apologized profusely at the interruption. Cade recognized Anastasia Karkaroff from Interpol, and the glare she gave him told him that this would be his exit. ”I need to speak to Bianca urgently.” Karkaroff spoke sharply.
Cade cleared his throat and placed his half-full cup of coffee on Bianca’s desk. There was a last glance to her before he stood, giving the usual “friendly Editor” grin. ”I was just leaving.” And he walked past Karkaroff, and he said good-night to the secretary and left.
[ end cade ]
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Bianca Alia Rivera
CASTELOBRUXO ALUM MAGICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT HEAD OCCLUMENS LEGILIMENS
263 posts
played by Jenny
do your worst for I will do mine
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last online Sept 25, 2023 6:21:30 GMT -7
STUDYING ABROAD
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Nov 3, 2021 13:24:57 GMT -7
Post by Bianca Alia Rivera on Nov 3, 2021 13:24:57 GMT -7
Bianca had never quite faced warring instincts before. For most of her life, everything had seemed so simple. As a young girl, as a new student at Castelobruxo, even as a fresh Auror ready to tackle all the biggest problems in the world…she knew what she wanted, knew where she stood, and never questioned any of the lessons she’d internalized growing up. Things had started to change after her injury at work, and her father’s death still impacted her in so many ways. She’d never quite processed that, or what it would do to her perspective of the world and her place in it. But the most recent earthquake in her life? The most recent series of events that had suddenly shifted her world sideways and left her grappling with contradictory emotions and what they meant? Felix. She hadn’t been expecting any of it – meeting him, or the spark that had erupted into a short but intense burst of flame. Or the way it had ended. He’d challenged her for a while to reconsider what she really wanted, and there was something about the way their relationship had been relegated to a casual affair (by Bianca herself, and what she’d claimed to want from him) that never quite sat right with her…but his sudden marriage had stopped that train of thought in its tracks. No, it had only proven she was right after all – opening up to Felix, sharing secrets from her past that were painful to bring up around most people…it had only ended in hurt and, dare she say it, a broken heart. Relationships weren’t worth it. The possibility of love, as Felix had put it, wasn’t worth the inevitable pain that always promised to follow. She wasn’t sure where Felix fit in her life quite yet, following their search for a new dynamic, but he’d taught her a lesson she couldn’t immediately forget. But Merlin, the look on Cade’s face. It brought those competing emotions to the front of her chest, fighting with herself to decide what she wanted. The space between them suddenly felt so much wider as Cade looked uncertain and the expression on his face changed. There was a part of Bianca that wanted to cross to the other side of her desk immediately, and take his hands in hers and say anything she could to erase that new crease in his brow that had formed. She’d seen so many of his expressions over the last few months – an intense look of concentration as he reviewed an article for errors, trying to talk with his mouth full whenever they would organize a brief ‘working lunch,’ even the soft smiles that would pull at Bianca’s heart in an inexplicable way and cause her to close that last little bit of distance between them. She'd learned so much about him since they'd become involved, things she'd always known but had never seen in such a personal way. His quick mind, dedication to justice and doing the right thing, and his heart-melting smiles. But this expression of confused hurt? This new look in his eyes like he couldn't process what she had just said? Bianca hadn’t seen it before, and she hated it. Couldn’t bear to see it and think of what it meant. But she couldn’t ignore the rising sense of panic within her either, or the fact that she just couldn’t seem to move. Everything suddenly seemed like it was moving so fast, and Bianca’s head pounded with fear and uncertainty. She didn’t want to get hurt again, or lose somebody important to her. It felt like so many people had loved her and left her over the years, and she felt her throat close with panic at the thought that she was letting it happen again. What was wrong with her? Why did she always fall into the same trap, seeking comfort and protection from others only to be left alone and nursing her wounds at the end of it all? Ever since her father's death, ever since Felix had left too, Bianca had been in control this time – keeping people at a distance and choosing her solitude as the best way to protect her. Using it as a weapon, even, when someone stayed in her life too long. But when had she let Cade get so close? How hadn't she seen all the intimacy of the last few months for what it was -- vulnerability? Cade never finished his question, interrupted by the door swinging open with force and hitting the wall before bouncing back. Anastasia Karkaroff stood on the other side, and Bianca couldn’t reconcile the concern that filled the other woman’s face with the sudden flood of relief that swept through her. Ana’s voice was serious, and the look she shot Cade was deadly. That told Bianca it could only be one thing that would have Ana so fierce (fiercer than usual, at least), and it was a sobering thought to think that something must have happened to cause such a dramatic entrance. But as Cade looked back at her, and said those words (that sounded so final, and they would echo in her head long after)…she felt her heart twist with a stab of pain as she watched him leave. She didn't want that. But she couldn’t say a word. She stared at the door as Cade closed it behind him, and stayed frozen in place for a moment as she wondered when she’d see him again. If she’d see him again. “I-“ Bianca stopped suddenly as her voice broke on the solitary word, forcing herself to regain her composure using an old Occlumency technique from her first mentor. Cade was a good man, too good for her, and he didn’t deserve what she’d just done. Maybe it was the sign she needed that it was never going to work in the first place. Maybe he was going to realize he didn't want her after all. But there was no time to think about it now. Ana’s face told her there was work to do, and Bianca always finished her mission. Bianca’s face hardened, and she sat back down with an iron spine. “Talk to me.”cade owen woodward [End post Bianca!]
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