World Peace and Then Halloween (OPEN)

[penelope raisa bainbridge]

October 31, 2025

Halloween that year was on a Friday night, which made it a wonderful thing—or a not-so-great one, depending on one's perspective. While Penelope Bainbridge was glad that her time serving drinks at Witch's Brew was nearly over, Halloween night was about to be the ultimate test. It was going to be crowded and chaotic, and Penelope was certain that she would have to cut some people off from the alcoholic beverages at some point that evening, but it was a holiday.

Donning a pair of black cat ears atop her bun, she tried to remain upbeat as she worked. She had come back to the castle past one in the morning smelling like pumpkin juice for two weeks straight, but Penelope knew that there were worse things. Sometimes it was a little bit difficult to focus around so many people; she got that same sensation that she felt around Kinsey and Peyton when she took strangers' drink orders, though she tried to remind herself that everything was safe and that nothing bad would happen.

With the largest attendance yet, Penelope couldn't help but feel a bit jumpy. There was also plenty of time pressure; she didn't want to keep anyone waiting in a queue for any longer than necessary, and she didn't want anyone getting angry. Occasionally, that was easier said than done, as she finished up an order for a pumpkin fizz. In her rush, she had filled the cup a little too full, watching too late as it overflowed the rim and spilled onto the counter—just as she was handing it to the customer.

Penelope could practically see it happen in slow motion. "Oh!" she squeaked out, her cheeks reddening. "I'm so sorry!"

OOC: OPEN! Whoever takes this, it's totally up to you how much it spilled.

[Deleted]

Sander had gone tot he Zombie Island more out of curiosity than anythign else. It hadn't been around when he was at school and he was curious if it was something he ought to return to for more than just one night. So far nothing was startlingly spectacular, but at the very least it was an interesting way to spend the time. It had absoltuely nothing to do with animals, though, which was disappointing - though Sander supposed he was one of few people who could work with animals all day and then hope there would be thestrals at a Halloween festival. It wasn't a problem, though, because there was plenty else to do - including stopping in for a pumpkin fizz at the aptly-named Witch's Brew.

Unfortunately for Sander, his server had filled the cup a little too enthusiastically, and the entirety of his hand ended up drenched in pumpkin fizz as she handed it to him. "You're alright," he said when she apologized for her mistake. "It's been a long night." He couldn't imagine staying up late to work at a carnival instead of just enjoy one.

penelope raisa bainbridge

[penelope raisa bainbridge]

October 31, 2025

Penelope vaguely recognized the customer as a former Hogwarts student who had been a few years ahead of her—a Ravenclaw, she thought, but wasn't certain. She was less concerned about how she knew him, though, and about how angry he was with her for having spilled his drink.

Thankfully, he wasn't angry, which made things much easier for her. She wasn't a fan of being yelled at, though she didn't know if anyone really was. It sort of made her want to shrink. "You're alright," he said. "It's been a long night."

Also thankful that it looked as though she had only spilled the drink on the customer's hand and not anywhere else, Penelope smiled a little. "I-I'll get you another one," she offered quickly, and she wasn't going to charge him for it. It was her mistake, after all, and it could have been worse. She scanned her immediate vicinity for some napkins and then handed across a handful of them in the meantime. "Here. Though, erm, I know a Scouring Charm might be better…" she admitted sheepishly; she could only do so many things at once.

@lysander

[Deleted]

The girl offered to get another pumpkin fizz and Sander just nodded. He had been looking forward to the drink and he wasn’t going to refuse a new one, especially with how embarrassed the girl seemed to be by her mistake. Socially awkward people needed to stick together, and if giving him a new drink would make her feel better, Sander wasn’t going to be the one to stop her.

Likewise he accepted the napkin. “I’ve got a wand,” he said lightly when she offered a scouring charm. He forgot sometimes that was true, since his work in the States hadn’t been particularly charm heavy, but Sander slid the wand out of his arm holster and cast the charm in one smooth motion. It was probably better than one a Hogwarts student could cast anyways, unless she was some sort of Charms prodigy. “Hopefully I’m your first accident of the night?” he asked, trying to keep his tone as carefree as possible so as not to induce any shame in the girl helping him.

penelope raisa bainbridge

[penelope raisa bainbridge]

October 31, 2025

Penelope was so focused on making sure that the pumpkin fizz was cleaned up that the next comment from the young man whose drink she had spilled made her turn red. "I've got a wand," he reminded her, which really made her feel as though she had been cleaning up for no reason. Of course he had a wand, she thought, but he was nice enough to pull it out to clean up the mess she'd made. "Hopefully I’m your first accident of the night?" he asked her, still pleasant about it in spite of her mistake.

"Yeah," Penelope nodded, though the word came out as more of a squeak. It was much better than being criticized for having messed up, at least, and she was able to relax a little when she saw that the spilled pumpkin fizz had been dealt with. At least with that out of the way, she was able to go back to getting him another drink. "Hopefully the last?" she added, filling another cup of pumpkin fizz for him. She didn't mean that maliciously; she just didn't want to end up spilling any drinks on anyone else.

Once she had gotten him the second drink, she made sure to carry it over to him with both hands, setting it down onto the countertop with ample room on either side of it so that it wouldn't tip off the edge in either direction. Penelope lifted her hands from it slowly, afraid that one wrong move would send it crashing down.

@lysander