walk away [callisto]

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Royal needed a drink. He was feeling that way more and more lately, with everything that he was trying to juggle, but this time, he was determined not to get drunk off of firewhiskey or something equally as... well, horrible. If he was going to sell his soul to drink, it was going to be a damn good one. There was exactly one person in the world that Royal trusted to understand the nuances of a fine wine, and that was Callisto Wulfe. He had sent an owl to the woman that morning, suggesting that they meet up in some British vineyard that was, ironically enough, only selling French wine for the time being. After so many trips to France with various excuses - including his excursion with Victoire that had ended with them more than a little drunk in an attic - Royal associated French wines with better days. He could use a little bit of extra happiness nowadays. The owners of the vineyard had greeted him - they were wizards who apparently thought that Royal was the right person to curry favor with - and had led him to a secluded back corner of their... house? Really it was just something to put a wine cellar underneath, so the ceilings were low and the furniture sparse, but Royal didn't care. As long as the owners - and Callisto - didn't think this was a date, then everything would be fine.

@callisto

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Royals owl invitation for a drink could not have come at a better time. Mina was on one last night, and Callisto had cleaned up the mess. The fact that French wine was the one involved, just made it even better. She was cliche, and the fact that she enjoyed French wines and cheeses more than any other kind. Royal had great taste, and she was happy to share a bottle with him. She had even considered asking him if he wanted to go on a wine tour in the United States, in California. She had heard very impressive things about The Vineyards there, and though she hadn't tried a lot of American wine, she thought that that would be a fun little Excursion for them. The only problem was, they were both rather attached to their occupations. She wasn't sure if she would ever be willing to take off enough time to do that.

She arrived at the vineyard right on time, not early or late by any means. She was led to the back where Royal was already waiting. At the sight of him she gave a polite nod, not really the type to smile and giggle and hug and all of that stuff. "Well, wasn't this a lovely idea," she commented moving to sit across from him.

@royal

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Royal was pleased that it didn’t take long for Callisto appear. He was a little unnerved by the constantly hovering vineyard owners, but as soon as his friend arrived, they made themselves scarce… probably for the very reason that Royal feared, that they thought he was on a date. Callisto said that it was a lovely idea, and Royal smiled. “It’s like a trip to France without all of the logistics.” He said with a small smirk. They didn’t have to worry about Apparating all the way there, nor with having to deal with the language barrier. “I think the owners are a little in awe of me.” Royal said, having lowered his voice so that even if the man and woman were still hovering around the corner, they wouldn’t be able to hear his comment. While at first Royal had liked the attention that came with being an important Ministry official, it was becoming a bit passé – he hadn’t gotten into politics for the recognition, but for the change that he could bring to the world. Of course, every politician was supposed to say that, so Royal wasn’t sure if anyone believed him when he said so. In any case, Callisto didn’t seem to care about his changed status, which meant that he could enjoy a nice glass of wine with her without all the fuss. “This first one is a Bordeaux red vintage from 1980.” He said, putting on the snobbish voice he reserved only for making wine jokes. With that, he popped open the cork, and poured both himself and Callisto a healthy glass.

@callisto

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Callisto nodded as he spoke, her eyes usually glancing around the room. Her head didn't move much, just what was necessary to see things in her immediate vicinity. She wasn't really one to strain to see a view. "Thank god for that," she said firmly. She wasn't really fond of France. Aside from the wine and cheese, there was really nothing there she enjoyed. Just a bunch of people having a good time more often than working hard, and that wasn't really her thing.

Royal commented, saying that the owners may be in awe of him and she smirked a little, shaking her head a little. "Well, why wouldn't they be?" she half teased. Royal was one of the few people she felt comfortable doing that with, as long as wine was involved.

Awe, speaking of! The bottle was revealed and Royal introduced it. It sounded delightful and she was glad to accept the glass when offered. Royals snob like voice he did always made her smile, too. He was semi making fun of wine snobs, and she was a bit of a wine snob, so all around it was a warranted joke. She brought the bottle up to her nose and sniffed it, twirling the glass just a little to let the smell waft up. "Mmmm. An excellent choice, Royal," she let it breathe another moment before taking a sip.

Once her glass was lowered from that sip, she looked to him again. "And how is your job up there in the sky?" that was her fancy way of referencing how high up he was in the ministry.

@royal

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Royal smiled at Cal when she thanked God for the fact that they didn’t have to go to France. Honestly, he was happy about that, too. He already felt like he was betraying Victoire in some way by finding a new wine buddy, even though he was sure she’d be happy that he had other friends that he could turn to in times of trouble. Going the whole nine yards and going to the continent would just be too weird, like he was trying to replace the blonde.

Callisto asked why the owners wouldn’t be in awe of him, and Royal tried to suppress a laugh. He failed miserably. “I’m like, the most messed up person that I know.” Royal said with a snort. People dying all around you tended to have that effect on someone, but Royal tried not to mention how absolutely twisted he felt some days. It was no fun to be around someone who did nothing but moan, even if they did have something to moan about. “There is nothing awe-inspiring about someone who’s barely keeping his life together.” Even if he was doing a damn good job of pretending he had things in check, Royal still was pretending, and he didn’t want people looking up to him or putting him on a pedestal when the person they idolized was just a mask.

Royal considered making a joke about how wine was the only good choice that he had made lately, but that was maybe taking the macabre humor a little too far, so he just smiled and nodded. Cal asked about his job, and Royal raised his shoulder in a shrug. “I swear time doesn’t exist in that office. I don’t know how, but I think Hermione enchanted it.” Royal confided. Some days felt like years, and others like minutes. He really didn’t understand how it could be so variable, but even on the days that felt like they would never end, Royal enjoyed the work he was doing. “And the hospital?” He asked in return.

@callisto

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Royals laugh came through as he said he was 'like' the most messed up person he knew. He said there was nothing awe-inspiring about something who was barely keeping their life together and she shook her head. "Yes, there is. The fact that it's even a little bit together is inspiring," she explained. "I think it's easy to look up to," she shrugged. She had her life together, sure, but she wasn't sure that most people would consider it a life. The only thing that really seemed.... life-like to her was her nephew and how much she took care of the kid.

He said that it felt like time didn't exist in his office and she chuckled as he said that Hermione must have put a spell on it. Then he asked about her work. "I wish there wasn't time there. It would make healing people so much easier," they'd have more times to deal with the more serious situations without having to worry about the clock running out on them. "Maybe you could send Hermione my way?" she joked. Then her brows furrowed together and she leaned forward a little, "but in all realty it's... hard work. Good, but hard."

@royal

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Royal’s mouth twisted into something halfway between a smile and a frown when Callisto said that the fact that his life was even a little bit together was inspiring. He hadn’t ever really thought about it that way. He had spent the months since his dad had died trying to claw himself back to being who he had been before, and feeling down on himself because he couldn’t manage to find that boy. He missed himself some days, but hadn’t ever thought that maybe, the new Royal was just as worthy of existing, and of being loved, and of loving others. That made him feel… profoundly better, better than anything else had in quite a while. “Thanks, Cal.” He said quietly, taking another sip of wine to cover how choked up he felt. He didn’t want to start randomly crying.

Royal nodded when Callisto said that she wished there wasn’t time in the hospital, and that it would make her job so much easier. Royal nodded when she asked if he could send Hermione her way. “I’m sure if she could actually bend time and space, she would love to do it to help save people.” They both knew, though, that even Hermione couldn’t turn back time. If she could… Royal didn’t follow that thought. It was only self-destructive. “I think that any work worth doing is a little difficult.” Royal said, sipping his wine again. If things were easy, then they were rarely worthwhile.

@callisto

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Callisto knew that it was rare for her to really get emotional, but she could tell when someone else was. She had given him a compliment, an honest one because Callisto was one to just state fact. Everything she had just said was fact, to her. He thanked her quietly and she nodded, choosing not to elaborate. She had spoken her mind and it was all true, that was enough. She took a sip herself as he did.

Royal said that Hermione would love to help the people in that way if she could. That was very true. The woman was a good person, as far as Callisto knew. Then Royal added that any work worth doing was a little difficult and Callisto nodded again. "I find that to be true. Like taking care of my nephew," she sighed, leaning forward, breaking her perfect posture a little. She had told Royal by now about her sisters illegitimate child and how Sarah wasn't fit to take care of him. She shook her head, "I just wish she'd give me the rights already," she muttered. She was hoping, trying, to take Sebastian for herself instead of letting him live in the hands of that... well, psychopath. She looked up at Royal, "is that so bad?" awkward subject change on her part, but this was where her mind was going now.

@royal

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Royal nodded when Callisto said that taking care of her nephew was a task that was difficult, but worthwhile. He tried not to think about Abby, and how she’d never have children. Honestly, Royal couldn’t see his sister having children even if she had lived – being barefoot and pregnant was definitely not her style. He turned his focus back to Callisto, and her musings about Sebastian. He didn’t know much about the Oliveira family, but he did know that if Cal wanted to take her nephew away from her sister, it was probably for a good reason. He didn’t doubt her, nor did he want to question her and her motives. “Sometimes on the path to doing the right thing, we have to do things that feel wrong.” Royal said sagely. He was pretty sure it was the alcohol that was making him so wise, because Royal didn’t really feel like he could give anyone advice (hence his comment about barely having his life together). “Do you want me to preach more? Because I can tell you something about how you need to do what you believe in, no matter how hard it is.” He said. He didn’t want to make light of Callisto’s want to get custody of her nephew, but Royal was worried about how it would come off if he tried to be serious. He poured them both another glass of wine and took a large gulp before turning back to Cal.

@callisto

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Royal was supportive, of course, without outright saying that she should up and take her nephew away.He said that sometimes they had to do things that felt wrong, for the right thing, and she nodded. She was exhausted by that notion. In a lot of ways, she had been living that her whole life. She had decided to be the matron of the family, more or less, when Sarah as the eldest daughter didn't step up and Mina was well, Mina... not too mention they're significantly younger sibling, who Callisto had always felt responsible for. Then he asked if she wanted more preaching from him, speaking about doing what you believed in, no matter how hard it was.

"I could use a sermon like that," she said, finding that her voice was a lot softer than she intended. This is what alcohol did to her, most times. It sobered her up, rather then sent her reeling like her sister.

@royal

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Royal had kind of been hoping that Callisto wouldn’t take him off on his offer of continuing to sermonize to her, but he had offered, and it would be wrong to back down just because he knew some of the things he said were going to be painful – for him, not for her. Royal cleared his throat, and then looked down at the table, a clear sign that he was about to start talking about some heavy things. “Growing up, there were some days where my dad came home and he just looked… sad. And he wouldn’t tell me why when I asked him.” Royal was surprised by how quickly the tears sprang to his eyes thinking about his father, but he had expected that when he started talking, so he just continued. “And I remember thinking, as a kid, that there was no way that he could have been sad, because he was doing amazing things for the world.” He cleared his throat a little. “But looking back, I realize just how many hard choices he had to make. He made some decisions that took more lives than they saved, and he did some things that I wouldn’t do. But he did it in pursuit of a better world.” Royal took another swig of wine, downing the last of the liquid in his glass. “I’ve seen the price of progress. How he sometimes looked haunted. And I see it in myself, too… Because my dad needed to die to make people realize that they still need to fight for what they believed in.” Royal finally finished his monologue, looking up at Callisto. “Battles leave scars, Cal. But that doesn’t mean that they’re not worth fighting.”

@callisto

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And then the sermon came. Callisto found herself leaning forward even more, taking in every word that he said. Right from when he cleared his throat she knew it would be something good. Royal always had good things to say. She sipped her wine at the start, but eventually it ran out and she just held the glass in both hands, her elbows resting on her knees. When he stopped, speaking about how battles leave scars but they're still worth fighting for, she held his gaze. She decided then and there, not out loud, that if Sarah didn't shape up by the end of the year that she would force Sebastian away from her. That was how it would have to be.

"Thank you, Royal," she said, about to lift her glass to her lips and realizing it was empty. She looked back at him instead, "I'm glad you're in the Ministry working hard. I feel better with you there," she added. 

@royal

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There was something beautiful about having someone’s full attention – having someone so enraptured by you that they couldn’t look away. Royal had always thought that feeling was reserved for romantic partners, that the only people someone could be captivated by were the ones they wanted to love, but Callisto proved him wrong. She seemed enthralled by his speech, and it was a good feeling, not just because Royal liked having someone’s attention, but because he believed that what he said would actually helped his friend in a long run. “And I’m glad you’re in the hospital, saving lives.” Royal responded when Callisto said her bit about him being in the Ministry. “The world would be a darker place without you, Callisto Oliveira.” Maybe it wasn’t the reassurance that she wanted or needed, but as they finished their wine tasting, Royal was confident that he had said the right thing. Now they both just needed to wait and see what came of it.

@callisto
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