double take | diana

[diana eoina bainbridge]

We're not just making promises

That we know we'll never keep

December 2026
calliope ivory fleming

Diana was always too curious for her own good, or so her mother had told her all her life. And after all she’d been through, Diana could easily agree with her. She’d never imagined her curiosity would get her in so much trouble and in a hole she was still digging her way out of. For what it was worth, Cal was holding up well. Diana still thought about the black market angle, but it seemed she’d just been in the same boat—survival mode. How could she fault her for that?

She smiled sheepishly in return, remembering her butterbeer nodding as she placed the bottle down and listened to Cal’s response. Four children. A large family, although Diana’s standards were obviously different than most. ”We only have one brother as well, Dustin.” She spoke rather than asking a question. ”I’m sure you’ve heard all that from Cara.” Diana brushed it off. No sense in boring her guest with facts she already knew. And with six siblings, why wouldn’t you share with someone you were interested in? ”So you mentioned a…legit thing.” She began, almost hesitating. ”What do you do now?”

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[calliope ivory fleming]

━ if you ain't busy take a walk with me ━

DRINKING AT HER BUTTERBEER, CALLIOPE nodded at Diana's question regarding their brother. Calliope had learned a few things from hanging out and spending time with Cara. Siblings, interests, job, a touch on future goals here and there. But then again, Calliope wasn't the type to push to learn more information. If Cara wanted to talk about it, that was enough for her.

At the question of her 'legit thing', Calliope smiled small, placing the butterbeer down in her lap. "Before..a lot of things happened I suppose..I was working within an apprenticeship. Magizoologist. It was something I wanted since I was a child..my Mom inspired me to push for it..I had it and well..lost it." She paused to take another sip. "Until now I suppose so..it means I can finally..take a break from..you know."

| diana eoina bainbridge |

[diana eoina bainbridge]

We're not just making promises

That we know we'll never keep

December 2026
calliope ivory fleming

Ever since childhood, Diana had not known loneliness in any sense of the word. Dustin was the oldest and only a year older, and she had her twin. And then she tried to stand against Elaine in the simple situation of wrong place and time. The walls began to close in at that point. And when Asher Burke forced her to look into his piercing blue eyes, she felt nothing but cold and alone. Even now, she had a hard time shaking it off. But then days like this happened. Even if it was a reminder of the past, it was all so normal as well.

So, her twin found someone. And that someone was sitting with Diana. It made her happy to know that Cara was happy. That was all she wanted for her family in the end. Diana listened intently, noting the pause. Her first instinct was to ask what caused Calliope to ‘lose’ this apprenticeship, but something told her to leave it be. ”Right…” Hopefully, her journey back to this dream job was better than Diana’s. ”Well, I hope it works out.” Diana added encouragingly. ”Magical creatures are fascinating, though I never did well in class.” She added sheepishly. Diana had always preferred books.

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[calliope ivory fleming]

━ if you ain't busy take a walk with me ━

LIKE DIANA, CALLIOPE HAD GROWN alongside family members too. While she believed she would be the second and last child her mother and father would produce, Calliope was evidently proven wrong when her younger brother and sister came along. It was odd, having responsibilities and setting expectations for her siblings. Looking like a role model was more of Temp's job anyway.

"Thank you." She responded, glad that the Bainbridge hadn't pushed for more information. Truth be told, she wasn't in the mood for a trauma dump, especially with someone that was related to the girl she liked. Talk about awkward. "Well, if you ever want some information or a class..I'm your gal." She beamed, her hair reflecting the happy feeling also.

| diana eoina bainbridge |

[diana eoina bainbridge]

We're not just making promises

That we know we'll never keep

December 2026
calliope ivory fleming

Diana felt the conversation stall a bit, but she supposed that was her own fault for inviting the girl in. Really, she still felt so self-conscious in public that she’d panic when a neighbor stared for too long. Plus, it wasn’t often someone from the infamous black market walked up to your doorstep. By some miracle, Diana had been home alone. A very rare feat considering the size of the household. And Diana could already see the look on Cara’s face should she walk in this very second and see them talking.

No, Diana would wait for Cara to tell her. Prying felt like the last thing she should be doing. Again, a sinking feeling entered her chest. It was hard to rebuild trust, something so easy to break. ”I’ll have to take you up on that sometime.” Diana responded with a smile. Looking at her butterbeer bottle, she saw it was empty. ”Well, um—I don’t know when Cara will be back today.” And Diana didn’t want to just randomly text her, either. ”She’ll probably be home for dinner—she definitely works tomorrow if you want to catch her there.” At least that felt foolproof in finding someone. Work.

template by vee

[calliope ivory fleming]

━ if you ain't busy take a walk with me ━

DESPITE THE CONVERSATION TURNING A little awkward, Calliope enjoyed it no less. It felt rare seeing someone outside of the black market, but that was the intention and truthfully the sole purpose of using her ability there. She didn't want to be known or seen by others. Though, being invited in by the girl-you-likes-sister was definitely a conversation starter for a future discussion.

Taking the last few sips of the butterbeer, the Fleming nodded. She knew when it was time to go and that moment felt like it. "That's fine..Can you just tell her I stopped by at least?" She hadn't heard from Cara for a few days anyway but Diana didn't need to know that. Nor was it super important - Cara was a busy person regardless.

Standing, Calliope placed the empty bottle down on the table in front of her. "I can let myself out. Thank you for having me." She smiled, taking that time to step out.

[cal end!]

| diana eoina bainbridge |