It's not about having time, but making time [Felix]

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

While difficult, Vasilia had fallen into quite the intense routine. She ran on very little sleep, far too much caffeine, and was convinced that this as entirely healthy. OF course, Vasilia had always had a hard time asking for help. Being a squib in a magical world had taught her to fend for herself, and that she always had to work harder than everyone else. Sure, she wished she had magic at times, but she was content being magic less, because it had taught her hard work. There were times though that this hard work ethic got the better of her. Vasilia didn't let people know when she as struggling, when she couldn't handle something. She just put on a smile and struggled. She'd gotten good at it. Pretending when things were fine but really she was taking way too much on her plate.

Like now.

She owned and ran a pub, for god's sake. She was still in culinary school (though thankfully close to finishing). And here she was, in the kitchen of her parents' ice cream parlour, slaving away at preparing all the mixtures for today. It was a long process, that you had to do early in the morning if you wanted it done in time for opening. So, four in the morning it was. 

Vasilia had felt particularly sluggish the past week, her schedule taking a heavy toll on her. Today was particularly bad. She hadn't gone home last night. She'd come over after closing up the the Violet Hound to do all the paperwork and books for the parlour, then, she'd fallen asleep (quite painfully) at one of the booths. It hadn't been intentional, she just hadn't been able to muster up the energy to go home at three in the morning when she had to be up in an hour. 

Vasilia groaned as she got up, her back aching from the uncomfortable hour of sleep. Half dragging her feet she made her way into the kitchen and covered a yawn. Thankfully the kitchen of the parlour had a coffee maker, so a cup of coffee down, and she was feeling slightly alive. At least alive enough to start prep.

A few hours later, and all the ice cream churners were on. Vasilia got herself another cup of coffee and checked the time. Seven. She still had an hour before the early shift got here and she had to head off to class. Precious time she could use to work on the books some more. Payday was coming up after all, so she had to make sure everything was right. She spread the time cards and pages out on the counter, scanning each page and transferring the numbers over. As she worked though, her eyes got heavier... Maybe.. Just a few minutes wouldn't hurt, would it? She propped her head up in her head, closing her eyes for a few precious moments. Her eyes practically burned from how tired she was. 

She'd almost nodded off, when the bell above the front door opened. Her eyes opened. That had to be the first shift. She glanced up at the time. Only a little past 7:30. That was pretty early for the usual first shift. But... They had to have a key to open the door, so it had to be one of them. She let out a sigh, missing that blissful few moments of relief before turning back to the paperwork in front of her. Best to just get it over with. The more she did, the less her parents had too.

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

Felix hadn't worked the morning shift in some time, but one of the other employees had asked him if he could switch with them at the last minute and take over their shift. While it was nice not to have to wake up at the crack of dawn most mornings, the ice cream parlor was his family's business, so it didn't really bother him. Ever since Vasilia had bought the Violet Hound, Felix had tried his hardest to take on more responsibility around the parlor to make up for her absence. It was hard, especially because he knew that he was nowhere near as successful as Vas was at running a business, but that didn't mean that he wasn't going to do everything that he could to keep it afloat.

It was earlier than usual, but Felix hadn't thought much of it when he placed the key in the lock. The door to the parlor had been locked, which made him guess that he was probably the first employee there for the day. That wasn't too bad, as long as nothing had happened with any of the equipment overnight.

As soon as he looked up, though, he saw that he wasn't alone in the parlor. Vas was there. And not at the Violet Hound. She looked like she was falling asleep in front of paperwork again, which had never been unusual while she'd been working at the ice cream parlor, of course… But since owning the pub?

"Vas?" Felix questioned immediately. She looked exhausted, especially for around half past seven in the morning. "Aren't you meant to be at school?"

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

Vasilia didn't recognize the voice, her head all full of numbers and caffeine that it was too sluggish to recognize voices. Thankfully she did recognize her own name though. So, when she heard it, she raised her head from the payroll and, to her surprise, there was Felix. Things had been a bit... Strained of late. Ever since Vas had decided she couldn't turn down the offer to own the Violet Hound. Felix, as far as she knew, thought she had turned her back on the family and the business. In reality though? She never could. She was still here, doing everything she could.

Vasilia forced herself to smile, that fake smile that she'd mastered so well that hid her exhaustion and overwhelmed emotions. "Morning, Felix." She sounded chipper, like her usual self. But still... Off. The coffee couldn't only do so much. At the mention of school she looked at the clock again, to double check that she hadn't accidentally missed the time. Oh, good, still only half past. "No, I still have half an hour before I need to leave," she answered, glancing back down at the payroll. She jotted down a few lines. "Aren't you usually on the afternoon shift?"

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

"Morning, Felix," Vas greeted him, though she didn't at all answer what she was doing in the parlor rather than the pub. There was something in her tone that sounded different, but it wasn't quite the way that she had sounded when she had broken the news to him about her mentor and the Violet Hound.

When he mentioned where she should have been, Vas checked the clock and then went back to the paperwork. "No, I still have half an hour before I need to leave," she replied, writing something else down. "Aren't you usually on the afternoon shift?"

"Yeaaaaah," Felix answered her, his response drawn out. He was. He could handle the rush of customers coming in for ice cream more easily than some, and people didn't generally have ice cream for breakfast. "Aren't you usually at the Violet Hound?"

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

Felix seemed very confused. Like he didn't understand why she was there. Vasilia knew she hadn't mentioned to Felix that she was still doing the ice cream and paperwork for the parlour... But surely her parents must have mentioned it? Or maybe they hadn't.... Considering how things had been the past few months. Or maybe she'd just been too busy to really ask Felix how much he knew. Either way. She'd never actually said she'd stop working at the parlour. She just... didn't run it during business hours.

Vasilia didn't look up as she scanned the next paystub. It was Felix's, ironically. "This early? Nah. Too early for pubs," she answered, trying to sound cheerful. She took a moment to scribble down the numbers, figuring out the pay for the amount of hours. "Oh, sorry, I'll write down when you got here. I thought I'd have these done before anyone got in." She meant his time card. He couldn't exactly "clock in" when she had it, could he?

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

"This early? Nah. Too early for pubs."

Vas was coherent, at least insofar as she was speaking in a way that wasn't fragmented, but her response made Felix even more skeptical as to what was going on with her. She wasn't slurring her words, so he didn't think that she was drunk. Plus, she had enough coordination to write. Of course he wouldn't have expected her to be at the Violet Hound quite so early in the day, but what was she doing at the ice cream parlor? It was more familiar to the both of them, and maybe that was it?

"Oh, sorry, I'll write down when you got here," she added. "I thought I'd have these done before anyone got in."

Felix paused. Blinked. "Those are the time cards for the ice cream parlor?" he checked, not sure if he had heard his sister properly. "Not the pub?" What was she doing with the time cards for the ice cream parlor anymore?

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

Vasilia stopped writing for a moment and looked at Felix. He still seemed thoroughly confused. Though, his questions confused her as well, her eyebrows raised. "Well... yes. It's payday this week." She wasn't quite understanding his question or confusion. Felix wanted to be paid... right? Besides, why would she be doing the pub's payroll here? "I can't exactly do paychecks without the time cards," she added, wondering if maybe that's where the confusion was coming from.

There was a ding from one of the ice cream churners. Vasilia set down her pen, picked up her mug of coffee to take a sip, then got up. For a moment, her head swam, but she tried to hide the temporary dizziness by smiling. "Better check that." She walked over to check the mixer, taking a tasting spoon so she could test the mixture inside. "This one is done, if you want. It can go up front to the display." she stepped away, tossing the spoon into the sink before returning to where she'd had the paperwork sprawled out. She blinked several times, trying to find the point she'd been at before checking the ice cream.

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

Vas confirmed to him, and quite plainly, that those were the ice cream parlor's time cards and not the pub's. "It's payday this week," she stated, which he knew, but his concern at that moment in time wasn't about getting paid. "I can't exactly do paychecks without the time cards," she pointed out.

That was true, but a ding interrupted Felix's train of thought, and Vas immediately went to the back. "Better check that," she explained, which also didn't make much sense to Felix at all. It was as though his sister was moving automatically. He understood that maybe it was a reflex after having been responsible for making ice cream for so long, but it wasn't as though he wasn't standing right there.

"This one is done, if you want. It can go up front to the display."

Felix nodded but didn't move at first, still watching Vas. Even as he moved towards the ice cream that had finished churning, he kept looking at her. Something was up.

"Vas," he started as he washed his hands, "I thought Mum was running the payroll?"

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

If it wasn't for habit Vasilia felt like she would have crashed. She was running on pure muscle memory, letting her body just do what it knew how to do while her mind just tried to focus on numbers. Numbers that kept swirling around in her head like a merry-go-round. Felix was on the quiet side, not responding to anything she'd said except for a nod. Vasilia sat back down at the counter and rubbed her eyes. Maybe it would help with the exhaustion. Then, she took another gulp of coffee. Thankfully it was strong. Insanely strong. Probably not healthy for human consumption strong, but she had to run on something, didn't she? It was the only thing keeping her going at this point.

She had work to do though, so, she'd be fine.

Vas had started focusing on the papers again, finishing up Felix's time card and moving on to the next. Maybe, if she finished it quickly she'd even have time to work on the inventory order. That'd definitely save her time tonight. Maybe she'd even get a full four hours of sleep tonight. She glanced back up at the clock. Still about fifteen minutes before she had to leave. She'd just started running the numbers when Felix spoke. "Oh, uh. I've been helping her out." More like doing it all. It wasn't really helping if the other person wasn't doing anything. "Besides, I'm good with numbers. Been doing it a while, so I can do it faster than her." True, she'd had a lot of practice of late.

Though, best to change the subject, right? Felix didn't need to know just how much Vas had been doing."Can you, uh... check the.... the peppermint one?" It took her a moment to remember which flavors were churning. "It should be done soon too."

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

His sister seemed as though she were practically sleepwalking. "Oh, uh," she began, her response slightly delayed, "I've been helping her out." Felix wasn't sure how much of it was helping their mother with it versus doing it all on her own, the way she had insisted when she was still working at the ice cream parlor. "Besides," added Vas, "I'm good with numbers. Been doing it a while, so I can do it faster than her." While that might have been true, what it sounded like was that she was really doing more work than she ever had.

Felix didn't have time to call her out on it, though. "Can you, uh… check the… the peppermint one?" she asked, though she seemed to be having difficulty remembering what ice cream was even in the machine. "It should be done soon too."

"Yeah," Felix nodded. As casually as he could, however, he knew that he had to say something. "Did you start those batches?" he questioned as he went to check on the peppermint—or what Vas had indicated was the peppermint one. She must have been the one to do it, he thought, or the timing would have been off.

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

Vasilia kept working, checking the hours, then the pay per hour, doing the math for the final paycheck. Finally she finished. She sgot up, her head swimming again. Thankfully Felix was checking the ice cream at that moment so he wouldn't have seen her hold onto he counter while her head caught up with her body. Her head settled and she carried the time cards back to their spot on the wall.

Then, Felix asked the question. If. she'd started the batches. She wasn't exactly sure how to deny that one. Though... She didn't know who he thought had been starting them. Maybe he'd thought someone on the morning shift had been doing it? But the way they made ice cream, it was always best when churned the old fashioned way. Using magic to speed up the process lost a lot of flavor in her mind. Thought, it wasn't nearly as fast. That's why she came in so early. Someone had to start it at four in the morning. "I..... yes...." She mumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear, before quickly turning back to the rest of the books. She checked the time. It was close enough that she should be leaving here soon.

"The other morning people should be here soon. Everything is on a timer, so just when it goes off it should be ready." That was fine though, since the shop didn't open till 9. The morning people usually spent the hour between 8 and 9 setting up, doing any last minute cleaning that was missed last night (usually none because she did it if she saw anything when she came in for the books), etc. She gathered up all the paperwork from the table she'd been working at, stuffing them back into the binder she'd been using to keep everything organized. She'd just have to take it with her to finish it at class or maybe when she was at the Violet Hound later. "Um... Just make sure you guys keep the inventory log updated, tomorrow's order day. And... Oh, the blood bank is stopping by. I promised them a batch of blood ice cream. It's already done and in the freeze. It's the one in the Green tub." She looked up at the clock again. So close... Crap, what else did she need to tell him about before she left?

Vas looked around, trying to form her thoughts. " Oh, right! Butterbeer. Hogwarts is back in season, so the Three Broomsticks called in an order of Butterbeer ice cream too. They're supposed to pick it up tomorrow, but they always get their day off. So if they do come by, there's a small batch just at the back of the freezer in the yellow tub, but the rest of their order won't be done till tomorrow. Also, don't let the new girl touch the last mixer. It has our breakfast style ice cream in it right now, but she's allergic to nuts, and I used that one for Pistachio earlier." How many batches of ice cream had Vasilia done today...? When he checked the freezer Felix might start to understand that she'd been here quite a while... and it wasn't even eight.

Turning back to the binder, she stuffed it into her backpack. "If mum stops by, just let her know I'm dropping off this weeks pay log to Gringotts." Their mother probably wouldn't, she hadn't worried about it in the past few weeks, but just in case.

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

"I… yes…"

Felix guessed that Vas hadn't wanted him to hear her reply, that she had been the one who had started those batches of ice cream. And especially because she couldn't use magic to do it, he knew that she had to have been there hours before, too.

"The other morning people should be here soon. Everything is on a timer, so just when it goes off it should be ready," Vas advised him. Felix nodded, wondering if she had forgotten that he was used to the routine. He wasn't just popping back in after a term away at Hogwarts anymore. "Um… Just make sure you guys keep the inventory log updated," Vas added, "tomorrow's order day." Noted, though Felix had seen for himself that they were running low on a few things already. "And… Oh, the blood bank is stopping by." Also not a problem. "I promised them a batch of blood ice cream. It's already done and in the freeze. It's the one in the green tub."

"Got it," Felix answered, repeating aloud what Vas had just told him. "Inventory log for ordering. Blood ice cream for the blood bank in the green tub."

"Oh, right! Butterbeer." Apparently, the Three Broomsticks had asked for some of their butterbeer ice cream, since there was demand for it from the students who were back at Hogwarts. And she'd used another tub for nuts, so they needed to avoid cross-contaminating anything from that one. The butterbeer ice cream was in the yellow tub, and the breakfast-style ice cream was the allergen risk. Duly noted.

"If Mum stops by, just let her know I'm dropping off this week's pay log to Gringotts," Vas continued.

Right then? Felix hoped that Vas meant that she was going to do that after her class. She didn't have very much time, he knew, and it was clear that she'd been racing around the ice cream parlor that morning… if not the previous night. How much was she still doing, anyway?

"Inventory log, blood ice cream, butterbeer ice cream, possible nuts in the last one, and Gringotts." Felix knew that he would probably have to write that down before he forgot any of it, but he would keep everything under control. "I've got it, Vas."

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

Vasilia really needed to start doing morning logs, where she just wrote down everything the first shift needed to know, so she didn't have to scrambled every morning, conveying everything she needed to. Though it would take more work. Maybe... Maybe tonight she could start it. It'd save the morning people time trying to figure out what she'd done. Efficiency was always a plus.

She was zipping her backpack closed when Felix responded, saying he got it. She smiled. "Thanks, Felix." Now though, she had to run or she'd miss her bus. Was there anything else she'd forgotten? She looked around again, trying to thinking. Though her brain was turning to literal mush. Okay... well, if she had forgotten anything, she'd text Felix. "I'll see you later." She picked up her backpack, and slung it over her shoulder. She smiled, gave a little wave, and headed for the door.

She'd made it only a few steps when her head started to swim and the world spun around her. Ugh, this again. Vas really needed to stop moving so fast when she was tired. Maybe she just needed a few more cups of coffee. It'd pass though. It always did.

Vasilia reached the door. Her vision doubled, and she missed the door handle. She blinked rapidly and shook her head, trying to blink and shake the double vision away. Vas took a deep breath, and reached for the handle again. That's when everything went black and numb. She stumbled, trying to maintain her balance but all it really did was make her stumbled right back into one of the tables, and knock it over. The crash was loud, echoing in the empty parlor but Vas didn't hear it as her ears were roaring already. Her legs buckled and she crumpled to the ground, hard. Still, numb though. It was like falling in slow motion, with no real sense of what was really happening until she had the strange sensation of being on the ground.

Vas blacked out.

[felix valentin fortescue]

September 8, 2025

Vas thanked him and looked around, probably to check that she hadn't missed anything else before she left for class. "I'll see you later."

Felix turned to say goodbye to his sister—not that he wouldn't see her after another few hours—and watched as she took a step towards the door.

"Alright, I'll—"

She didn't make it out of the parlor, but it happened too quickly for Felix to stop it. He watched as Vas struggled to turn the handle on the door, only to lose her balance entirely and stumble into one of the tables with a sickening crash.

As soon as he saw her legs buckle beneath her, Felix checked that he had his wand and ran over. He didn't have time to think—only to react. The fallen table was the least of his priorities, especially with his sister on the ground. He got onto the floor beside her and confirmed that she was still breathing, but she had lost consciousness. "Vas!"

vasilia abigail fortescue

[vasilia abigail fortescue]

September 8, 2025
felix valentin fortescue

Vasilia was only out a moment, blacking out rather then passing out. After a few moments her senses started to return to her. Feeling returned to her limbs, sound started to become coherent instead of just white noise, then finally vision started to take shape. Vas was laying on the floor, and, to her surprise, Felix was looking down at her. Her body hurt, though to no surprise. She'd half fallen into a table after all!

But boy, did Felix looked freaked. She couldn't exactly blame him. "-s fine..." She mumbled, not quite getting her words out fully. Ugh, lack of sleep was catching up with her, big time. "Just... got up to fast..." It was a poor excuse, as she'd already been standing for a few minutes before blacking out. But hey, she'd just blacked out, you couldn't expect a good excuse from her! She moved, as if to get up, but her head spun so hard at the motion that she stopped and let out a slow breath.