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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Jan 17, 2018 16:47:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2018 16:47:29 GMT -7
Finn was just getting done warming up for an afternoon run outside his cottage in Northern England, donning running shorts with spandex to avoid chafing, a bright red t-shirt and red trainers. He had purchased the three bedroom abode last year, and had been trying to convince his cousin Rai to move in for some time to no avail, so currently he lived alone. He knew he could easily Apparate to the Arrows training pitch from London if he wanted to, but he preferred the countryside living. Besides, he also owned a studio apartment in the borough of Southwark for nights he preferred to stumble into a bed and not Apparate (if all else failed his parents still lived in Central London). He breathed deeply, soaking in the quiet. Birds chirped in the trees as a faint breeze rustled the leaves, and Finn realized something. He wanted to run in the city; where he had to dodge cars, motorbikes and other pedestrians, stop and run in place at stoplights while waiting to cross, and, above all, stop in to one of the many Central London pubs for a victory pint with other Muggles who were looking to cap off the afternoon the right way. Making his decision, Finn Apparated to the Leaky Cauldron, where his sudden appearance was met with indifference; it was pretty normal for people to Apparate into the Cauldron to go about their business in Diagon Alley or Muggle London. He did some stretches indoors, flexing his muscles as he did so. “Anyone fancy joining me for a run? A pint on me afterwards!” he called out to no one in particular. Finn typically ran alone, but today he felt like he wanted a running buddy, just for kicks. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Feb 9, 2018 18:58:12 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2018 18:58:12 GMT -7
Awe, the Leaky Cauldron. Home sweet home. A place of wonders, first kisses and overall irritation. Sigh. What a place to be ali- Andy was ripped from her wistful, and somewhat depressing, train of thought when someone called out, asking if anyone wanted to go for a run and then a pint afterwards. Andy jumped up from her seat, "me!" she said, jogging over to the guy. He looked familiar... probably from school or something, but she didn't pay attention to people at school for a long, long time, and he definitely wasn't there last year. "Andy," she introduced, holding her hand out to him for a shake. "I live right upstairs. Let me go get changed?" she said, realizing, with a frown, that she wasn't wearing anything to go running in at the moment. She wasn't actually living upstairs right now, but she still had a bedroom with some things in it, so that basically counted. @finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Feb 13, 2018 15:38:35 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2018 15:38:35 GMT -7
Finn looked towards where the voice had come from and saw a girl trotting towards him, with long dark hair and piercing dark eyes. He grinned despite himself; he’d certainly be happy to have her as a running and drinking partner any day. “Kai,” he introduced himself back, taking her hand and shaking it firmly. He nodded in assent as she proposed she pop upstairs to change into more appropriate running gear, as this was where she lived. He knew the Longbottoms owned the Leaky Cauldron, but she definitely didn’t look like either of them. She did however look familiar. He waited, and as she was coming down the stairs, he suddenly remembered her last name - Lestrange. He had remembered her brother from school, and he was quite sure Andy had been in Gryffindor like he and Rai had. “Were you a Gryffindor?” he asked curiously as they began to walk out into the sunlight. He began to stretch; one always needed to stretch before a good run. “I was thinking seven maybe eight kilometres round the palaces, do you think you can keep up?” he commented casually, smirking as he watched what her expression may yield. He had a sneaking suspicion she was a competitive one, making her an appropriate running companion. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Mar 3, 2018 15:25:01 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 3, 2018 15:25:01 GMT -7
He took her hand and shook it and she appreciated the firm hold. She had a hard time respecting people with weak handshakes. It just said coward to her, or weak... which weren't necessarily bad things, but not necessarily people she looked up to either. After the shake she ran upstairs to get ready, grabbing some matching grey work out running legging and a short sleeved top before coming back down the stairs, her hair up in a ponytail as to be out of her face. She reached him and as they headed out he asked if she was a Gryffindor. She grinned widely, nodding, "yes! Just graduated this May," she explained happily. She was proud of her house. For most of her life it was the only thing he was proud of. "Oh, you were too! It's... your last name... James?" she couldn't remember, she didn't pay attention to most people. He mentioned where he wanted to run and she grinned, nodding at his slight challenge. "Oh, I can keep up," she promised, picking up the pace to get her blood starting to pump. This was going to be fun. @finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Mar 10, 2018 14:34:03 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 10, 2018 14:34:03 GMT -7
Finn snapped his fingers together triumphantly, glad he had placed her face correctly. "Excellent, I knew I was good at placing faces," he said with a grin. He just chuckled when Andy got his last name wrong; it was the first name that mattered after all, though one had to admit that the name Kai Jones sort of just rolled off the tongue quite splendidly. "Jones, but close enough. I have a cousin who was in Gryffindor too, Railynn Jones," he told her. Rai was less recognizable than him; not because she wasn't pretty, she was drop dead gorgeous, and anyone who said otherwise would have to answer to him! Rai had just...run in different circles than Finn had, especially since graduating from Hogwarts. While Finn had shot to fame as a Professional Quidditch Player, Rai had...well, to be honest Finn wasn't sure what Rai did exactly. But that was not a discussion he wanted to talk about with a pretty and obviously competitive girl like Andy. He matched her pace; it was pretty easy for him and he could probably go faster while still being able to hold a conversation. That however would be showing his hand too early; he wanted her to earn any free drinks she got from him after all. "So, Andy from Gryffindor, what are you doing with your life now that you've graduated?" he asked, starting off in his opinion rather simply. She probably had a job lined up, if she hadn't started already, so that'd be easy enough to answer. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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May 6, 2018 7:19:27 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 6, 2018 7:19:27 GMT -7
Kai corrected her and she nodded, "Kai Jones. Okay, yes that's familiar. As for Railynn..." she shrugged. She had no idea who that was. She kept to herself a lot until recent years, after those two had already left. It was also possible that this cousin wasn't as outgoing as he was, which would make her incredibly easy to forget if you are Andy and ignored people anyway. Still, it was nice to know that he recognized her as a member of his house. Even if she wasn't the most pleasant person, she love the Gryffindor's and she felt the swell of pride at being recognized as one of them. As I started to move, he asked her what she was doing with her life now. Part of her wasn't sure if she was supposed to go around saying that she was hit witch, but she wasn't ever told she was supposed to keep it a secret, and going undercover was easy in the Magical World so people knowing your face didn't really matter. "I'm a hit witch in training at the Ministry," she answered, more pride swelling within her. "And you? I must admit you look kind of familiar but I don't follow things very closely other than what applies to my work."@finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Jun 4, 2018 9:36:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 4, 2018 9:36:28 GMT -7
Finn nodded; Railynn had been outgoing but at the same time introverted. It was hard to explain, but Finn got his cousin better than most people. She hadn’t played Quidditch or been a Prefect, and those were usually two reasons younger housemates knew their names. “She mostly kept to her circle of friends that were all our age,” he told her, letting her know that it wasn’t a problem that she didn’t know who Rai was. Rai had also gone underground for several years after school, so even if the name had rung any bells, no new about her would have potentially wiped any memories away. Finn raised an eyebrow at Andy’s admission she was a hit witch but he kept the pace up, turning down a cobblestone street to mix it up a little. That was one of the things he loved about growing up in London; he could see skyscrapers and modern buildings by turning one way, and old pubs and streets from hundreds of years ago by turning the other. “That’s got to be...intense,” he said after he realized he hadn’t responded to her. He smirked a little as she admitted he looked familiar. “I play Quidditch for the Appleby Arrows, beater,” he told her, puffing out his chest ever so slightly. “I’m guessing you didn’t play while at school?” he added; most Gryffindors that knew of him played Quidditch at one point or another, which was how he had come to this particular conclusion. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Jun 26, 2018 7:47:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2018 7:47:33 GMT -7
Andy nodded as Kai said that his cousin mostly kept to her own circle of friends. "Makes sense," she said. She also stayed to her group of friends, once she had them. It was either with her friends or alone, and she had liked it that way. Aside from when she was with Jude, which was just being with Jude (sometimes Phil added) all the time and not being a very good friend to anyone. That was a short time, but she still wished it had never happened. She had made some stupid choices when it came to dating, that much was certain. Kai said that her job sounded intense, after a moment of not speaking. She didn't read anything into that moment, just assuming that he was focusing on the pace of his movement. She nodded, "very," she chimed in. Then he said he played Quidditch for a professional team and she smiled, slowly nodding. "Of course you do," she said, chuckling a little at his clear pride about the job. "I did not play, you are correct," she confirmed. "In fact I even ditched watching a few good chunks of the games in school... I'm sure that you're lovely at it, though," she laughed. @finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Aug 6, 2018 7:52:56 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2018 7:52:56 GMT -7
Finn decided he liked running with Andy; she wasn’t too talkative, but she wasn’t dead silent either. Perfect in a running partner, though he knew he tended to talk a lot out of habit. He was an extrovert through and through after all; his mouth had gotten him into trouble more times than he could count. When Andy admitted she wasn’t a huge fan of the sport, Finn was momentarily surprised, then before he knew what he was doing, he was laughing along side her. “Fair enough, I appreciate the honesty. Most people when they find out I’m a Quidditch player claim to follow the game, but can’t name a single player on their “‘team’” he told her, holding up air quotes when he said the word team. He didn’t really get the intent behind lying about being a Quidditch fan; lies always could come back to bite people in the rear. It just wasn’t worth it, in his opinion. As the pair turned the corner, Finn could hear the music of a lively fiddle coming from one of the little pubs open windows and he slowed down to a trot. “Man, fiddle players are so fun to watch, especially the old men whose fingers can fly over the strings still,” he said, sucking in his breath as he found the source of the music and stopped. He turned to Andy, looking her up and down . “What do you say to stopping in for a quick pint and listen? My treat,” he offered. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Aug 31, 2018 9:28:40 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 31, 2018 9:28:40 GMT -7
Andy laughed as he said that most people claimed to know the game when they met him, as if trying to impress him. Yeah, she was just not the type to pretend to be into something she wasn't. At least not anymore. She did that for her parents back in the day, sure, but even then she wasn't very convincing. "You won't get any of that falsehood from me," she promised. He seemed like a pretty down to earth person, more than a lot of other Quidditch players she had come across. Or at least one's that she had heard about. When the sound of the fiddle wafted toward them Andy also slowed. It wasn't a violin, of course, but fiddles were similar enough that she still felt nostalgic when hearing one. It was like a less uptight version of her instrument, and therefore sweet to her. He commented on how it was fun to watch people play, especially people who had been playing for years. "I admire their talent," she agreed. He offered they go in for a pint, which seemed odd while running, but she nodded, "happy to."@finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Sept 24, 2018 17:07:47 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2018 17:07:47 GMT -7
Finn grinned. “Noted, and appreciated,” he said, being completely honest. He liked her candor; it was refreshing. He was relieved when Andromeda agreed to go in the pub to have a listen and a pint, though she was probably wondering who on earth combined drinking and running. “I’ll tell you a story that involves drinking and running,” he said as they began to walk towards the fiddle music. “When I was going for a jog, just like today mind you, I ran into a group of Muggles who were doing a sort of group run. A hash, they called it. Basically, they’d all meet at a pub in the beginning for a pint, go run around London for a few miles, stop part way and have another pint, then finish the run back at the pub for more pints.” Finn hadn’t been able to help himself, following the group, matching their pace easily. He had been completely fascinated by the idea, though he wasn’t about to join the group - they talked about e-mail and websites, whatever that nonsense was to keep track of where the trails were. Finn may have had a Muggle father, but he was raised fully in the Wizarding world. “So, since then I’ve made it a tradition that once a month, I’d follow in this so-called hash’s footsteps, drinking and running. It’s been perfectly effective so far.”Finn held the door open for Andy, the music growing considerably louder as the door closed behind them. He ordered them two pints, leaving coins on the counter as he handed one to Andy. Sipping his beer, he watched the fiddle player in silence while he finished his set. When he got up to take a break, Finn spoke again. “Do you play? I know...our school had an orchestra, but my mum would have had a field day if I’d been let loose on a drumset,” he asked her, laughing a little at the idea. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Oct 15, 2018 13:07:31 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 15, 2018 13:07:31 GMT -7
Andy smiled and nodded to confirm as he said he appreciated her honesty. Andy had had enough dishonesty in her life, she didn't really need to partake in any more. Granted, she wasn't going to go around telling people that she killed her ex-boyfriend and make tortured a few others, but that was just a white lie, it's not like they were asking. He started to tell her about a 'drinking and running' story as they walked toward the music. She listened, mostly in silence aside from a small chuckle when he said that following this group was now a tradition of his. "So you've just... integrated yourself into this then, huh?" she clarified, shaking her head a little. "You make friends easily, don't you?"He held the door open for her and they stepped in, getting comfortable as he ordered them pints. "Thanks," she said, holding hers up to him before taking a sip. They watched for a moment, then Finn asked if she played, talking about the school orchestra. She chuckled. "I was orchestra captain, actually. Violin. Have you ever tried an instrument?"@finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Oct 16, 2018 8:46:16 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 16, 2018 8:46:16 GMT -7
Kai shrugged goodnaturedly. “I’m what people call extroverted; I can fit in anywhere, including a completely Muggle setting,” he said nonchalantly. His mother had been adamant about making sure he knew enough about the Muggle world, even though he was brought up by two wizards, as his biological father had been a Muggle. It was how he knew so much about Londons’ inner workings, and beer (though that came later, of course). He still wasn’t completely sure he could live without magic - Quidditch definitely couldn’t live without - but he saw some of the perks they had in their lives. “It’s all about listening, observing, then inserting yourself in with an anecdote of sorts,” he added with a shrug. He had never had any trouble striking up conversations with strangers, and usually it ended up being fine. Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Really now?” he said, clearly impressed with her accomplishments. “Nah, I was good with a bat not a bowstring. I think my mum tried to get me to play piano once, but I was stubborn so I just pounded the keys incessantly until she relented and gave up.” He chuckled at the memory. “Can you play like him? I’m not really sure what the difference is between violin and the fiddle,” he asked curiously. The instrument looked the exact same to him, but in fairness he had no idea if they were one in the same. @lestrange
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Oct 19, 2018 6:01:43 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 19, 2018 6:01:43 GMT -7
He said he was 'extroverted' and Andy nodded in understanding. She was most definitely and decidedly not. He said he could fit in anywhere, which was an impressive talent. She was not like that at all, and was happy to not be. She liked being on her own, doing things just with those few she got along with. "I'm sure that took a lot of practice," she guessed. She didn't know how anyone could naturally be that way. It was hard enough having natural confidence. He explained a little bit about how he did it, and she shook her head a little, "it sounds a little like you go undercover every time," she suggested. He raised his eyebrows as she explained her captaincy, and she nodded. "Every year but my last semester, had to take a break for a bit," she admitted. He said he was good with a bat, not a bowstring, no doubt talking about Quidditch again, of course. He said his mum tried to get him on piano, and she gave him due to his just pounding the keys. She chuckled softly at the thought. He asked if she could play like the fiddle player and she turned back toward the guy, rocking her head from side to side. "Fiddle is more designed for that sort of fast paced sound. I can play like that, though. I prefer the more upbeat songs, honestly," she explained. "Though my parents wanted me to only learn classics," she rolled her eyes. @finn
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last online May 2, 2024 16:21:19 GMT -7
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Nov 12, 2018 10:52:50 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 10:52:50 GMT -7
Kai shrugged nonchalantly. “Perhaps a bit, but really it’s all about how you feel. In the end, do you have the guts to make small talk with a perfect stranger, not knowing exactly how the conversation will go?” he told her, then laughed at her undercover comment. “I suppose so yeah; if I showed just how weird I can get upon first encounters I don’t think I’d have very many friendly acquaintances,” he admitted with a smile. He really only felt like he could be his true self around Railynn, his cousin by marriage, and his sisters he supposed. Now that Rai was his roommate as well, Kai was excited to unleash his inner weirdness with her. They always seemed to get into spots of trouble while they were together, but that made it all the more fun. Kai nodded as Andy explained to him a bit of the difference between fiddles and violins, fiddles being more fast paced. “That’s pretty fun, maybe one day you can show me the difference,” he suggested, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. He had already decided that this Andy girl had a sort of intriguing allure to her that made him want to be sure to see her again. Perhaps in a more private sort of setting. “Aha, so you must be one of those refined families my stepfather was part of,” he said with a chuckle. He didn’t mention the pureblood bit; he was sure she knew what her blood type was without him having to bring it up. “His family didn’t want him going into journalism, but he basically told them to piss off and did it anyway. They disinherited him, but he did alright; he’s now the owner of the Daily Prophet after all.” His stepfather, who had been a father to him since he was small as his biological father died before Kai had the chance to meet him, had not adhered to pureblood rules, nor did his mother. Both were disinherited by their families, and both had admitted on more than one occasion that had been a huge draw to each other. “He still can play a mean Mozart on the piano though,” he added with a wry chuckle. Some things never left you, and Kai supposed having to practice the piano as much as his stepfather did would make him never forget the notes either. “What about you? Who is ingrained in your head from practicing so many times you could play in your sleep?” he asked curiously. @lestrange
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