say anything (Maria; TW/CW)

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

Hearing the music thumping throughout Club Indigo, Blair knew that she was taking a risk being out so late, but she was back to having all of her belongings that she needed to get through the day. She didn't have any of the things that had been stolen from her, of course, but she had replacements for most of the essentials. A part of her wondered if her actual belongings were still floating around Knockturn Alley somewhere, though reason told her that they were probably long gone.

She wouldn't hesitate to Apparate straight from the door, and she wasn't going to drink enough to end up incapacitated. No, she just needed some time to unwind relative to how she had been spending her time for a few weeks and maybe some alcohol. The drinks were overpriced for even basic vodka and a mixer; she could have gotten more for less if she had only just went and bought the alcohol herself. There wasn't much fun in that, though, and she guessed that it would only lead to her drunkenly calling Whiskey at three o'clock in the morning. She'd take those awful potions from St. Mungo's over again before doing that.

But there was no Whiskey there, aside from that of the alcoholic variety. Blair couldn't think of ordering it, and she cringed inside every time she heard it mentioned. It was a common word but not a common name, which made it all the worse. Why was it so hard to forget her ex?

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

Maria technically wasn't working tonight. She should have been, but someone had asked last minute if she'd take their Saturday shift. In exchange, they took tonight. But, she'd already been at the club so.... Why not just have some fun for the sake of having fun? Sure, she was always having fun but she was getting paid for it. Sometimes it was nice just to get into some mayhem for the sake of mayhem.

Maria had just gotten a new drink, a fancy little vodka cocktail that tasted like raspberries but packed a major punch. It was one of those drinks that was meant to make sure you had a damn good time and barely remembered any of it the next day. Walking hangover in hand, Maria cruised the crowd. Prowling, searching for someone interesting. And then, she spotted them. A girl that looked horribly out of place. Not because she didn't look like the club crowd, but because she wasn't really.. doing anything.

"You look like you could use a distraction. Want some company?" Maria said as she approached. She put on a charming smile.

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

The second that she was approached by someone asking her if she wanted some company, Blair's inclination was to say no. It should have been, anyway, until she saw the girl who had spoken to her. She was somewhere around her age, she guessed, but no one she recognized from Ilvermorny, Hogwarts, or elsewhere. And, oh: She was hot.

While Blair didn't think that she was her type, there was something too magnetic about her to ignore. The other girl was really attractive, though in a different way than Whiskey was attractive to her. Blair couldn't put her finger on it, but it didn't really matter. She hadn't even thought through an answer before she was practically tripping over herself. "Yeah," Blair answered her, not really hearing the words as they came from her mouth. "That—That'd be great."

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

Maria's charming smile widened, turning into a grin. This other girl, for a moment, didn't seem to know what to do. Maria had that affect on people sometimes. People that weren't prepared for the natural Veela charm. The girl managed an answer though, and Maria held out her free hand, offering to shake hands, if the other girl wanted. "I'm Maria," she introduced herself. She intentionally made sure to turn the charm on just a touch. It was a trick she'd learned recently. If she turned it on at certain moments it made those moments stick out in people's mind. Like how she emphasized her name. If she did it enough, they'd associate feeling attracted with her name. It was a very useful trick of the trade.

"You look like you could use a drink. Let me buy you one?"

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

Blair was drawn to the other girl's outstretched hand and shook it. Her name was Maria, she said, which didn't give much of an indication of where she was from—not that it mattered, anyway. Her hand was soft to the touch, and Blair found her own hand lingering in Maria's for a moment longer than would have been natural for her.

"Uh, I'm Blair," she answered. There was no mistaking her American accent for anything else.

"You look like you could use a drink," Maria added. "Let me buy you one?"

Although she was used to being the more confident one, Blair remained tongue-tied. At first, she only nodded. "Y-Yeah," she stammered out. She probably did need a drink, come to think of it.

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

It wasn't unusual for people to have a hard time placing Maria. She had traces of multiple accents when she spoke. From being raised in two different countries, and going to Durmstrang. Maria just grinned as the girl, Blair, introduced herself. "Blair. I like it." Definitely unique, for Maria. Maybe it was common where Blair was from. There was a hesitation in Blair, but that was okay. Maria liked hesitation. It meant they didn't know what to do with her. It meant more fun for her.

"Come on," she said, raising her hand again. If the girl wanted to take it, she could, but wouldn't force her. Yet. "Bar's this way." She moved in the direction of the bar. One of the other employees walked by, and she handed them her own half empty drink. She didn't mind getting a new one. It was usually better to buy the drinks together. "Come to the club often?"

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

"Blair. I like it."

It wasn't really a reaction that Blair was used to getting in response to her name. It wasn't a name that was generally tied to a specific gender, so it occasionally threw people off when they saw a girl. Either way, Blair wasn't going to question it.

"Come on," Maria instructed her, and Blair put her hand back in hers. It was a little bit strange to be holding hands with someone who wasn't Whiskey, but any doubt quickly faded from Blair's mind about that. She had wanted to avoid ending up in an awkward situation with her ex-girlfriend, and she'd gotten what she wanted… (Hadn't she?) "Bar's this way."

Blair didn't even notice the drink that Maria discarded en route to the bar; she just moved where Maria took her. "Come to the club often?"

"Not really," Blair answered. "You?" Dance music wasn't really her scene, nor was popping bottles from a booth. She enjoyed being out places and some sort of nightlife, but it was mostly just drinking and smoking a few cigarettes and chilling.

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

The girl, Blair, was quite for a minute, but at least she was coming along. Maria's extended hand was taken. Maria closed her hand around Blair's. Not to tight, but enough to ensure Blair's hand didn't slip out if she pulled away suddenly. Even with strangers Maria could become quite... possessive. At the moment Blair was her center of attention, and she'd like to ensure that she remained Blair's center of attention as well.

Maria led the way to the bar, weaving the way through the crowd. It was a busy night, but Maria liked it that way. Busy was always best. "Oh, I'm a regular," was her answer. Though... Not the truth but not a lie either. She was here "regularly", just more regularly then most. Happened when you worked at the place. "What's your poison?" They'd reached the bar and she nodded in the direction of the bar tender.Some people could be pretty particular with their alcohol, so it was usually best toast them before ordering a stranger a drink.

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

Maria was familiar with the place, and that made sense when she called herself a "regular". It didn't even cross Blair's mind that the other girl might have worked at the club; she wasn't focused on anything but her in that moment, and the feeling of Maria's hand in hers was almost familiar.

"What's your poison?" Maria checked as they approached the bar.

"Um…" Blair paused, searching her brain and wondering why she was drawing a blank. Why was it so hard to think of a drink order? "A vodka soda?"

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

Maria waited for the answer. God, don't say something weak. She wasn't in the mood to deal with someone that took forever to get drunk because they only drank the weakest alcohol out there. She wasn't disappointed at the answer. Vodka soda. Okay, nothing fancy, but strong. Vodka wasn't a light weight's drink of choice. Still holding Blair's hand, Maria motioned to the bartender with her free hand. "Two vodka soda. Add it to my tab." She wasn't worried about the cost. She could make it up with a private lap dance, easy.

As the bartender went to fix the drinks, Maria turned and leaned against the bar, so she could face her cute companion. "So if you don't come often, what brought you tonight?"

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

Repeating the order to the bartender, Maria also ordered a vodka soda for herself. Blair had never been one for fruity, "girly" cocktails or anything of that sort. They were almost sickeningly sweet, and they usually didn't taste like anything more than whatever fruit or juice had been mixed into them. She at least wanted to taste her alcohol.

As they waited on their drinks, Maria turned back to focus her attention on her. There was something about how she looked at her, Blair thought, that made her want to drink her in. She was alluring, though Blair wouldn't have been able to come up with an accurate description for how she felt if asked. She wasn't sure if she could explain it herself. If anything, it was like she had been enchanted.

"So if you don't come often, what brought you tonight?"

What had brought her there hadn't been the prospect of meeting someone new. Now that she had, things were different. "I needed a break," Blair admitted. She had gotten stuck in a routine, and her boss was being almost unbelievably generous to her. She didn't really think that she deserved it. There wasn't anything about her life that had gone according to what she had planned for it, and a sense of something other than the mundane would have been nice…

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

Maria pulled in Blair's hand, as if to encourage the girl to move closer. Not forcefully though. If Blair wanted to stay where sh was that was fine... for now. But Maria wasn't much of one for personal space. She liked the feel of other bodies too much. "A break? Tough day today?" Maria tilted her head a little, smirking. She'd heard that excuse before. Clubbing was definitely a "break". It was often her job to help these poor, tired souls unwind and relax after a long day.

The drinks were done, the bartender setting them on the counter next to Maria. She picked one up in her free hand, and held it out to Blair, then, once taken, picked up the other class for herself. "A toast. To strong alcohol and charming company." She raised her glass slightly, a small "cheers", winked, and took a sip. It was strong. Good. Maria could feel the vodka burning down her throat. The bartender knew she liked her drinks strong.

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

Blair followed as Maria moved to pull her closer to her. "A break? Tough day today?" she asked her, a smile upon her lips.

It hadn't been just that day, though that day alone hadn't been a bad one. It was a lot of things all at once, but Blair couldn't even remember half of them while looking into Maria's eyes. Even though it wasn't exactly the correct answer, Blair nodded her head, only stopping when the bartender drew their attention to the drinks that were then ready for them.

Blair took the glass that Maria handed her, miraculously not spilling it.

"A toast. To strong alcohol and charming company," Maria declared.

"To strong alcohol and charming company," Blair repeated, toasting along with Maria and then taking a sip from her own glass. She hardly noticed the burn of the vodka as she drank it, her attention still firmly on Maria.

@maria

[Deleted]

October 2025
@blair

Boy, Blair must not encounter part Veelas often... Or maybe it was just Maria. Maria was pretty fantastic (and obviously humble). At least Blair didn't miss the toast, repeating the words. Maria's gaze didn't waver, focused intently on her new companion. There was a strange... sense of familiarity. Blair reminded Maria just a touch of... someone special. Her heart tightened uncomfortably at the thought. No, she wasn't going to go down that hole tonight.

Maria pulled Blair a touch closer, and took another sip. "You have such a lovely accent. You're not from around here. I'd say... American?" Small talk was boring, but a necessary evil. You had to get people comfortable, get them to relax. Then she could use them however she wanted.

[Deleted]

TW/CW: Alcohol, pre-emptive NSFW tag

October 2025

"You have such a lovely accent," Maria complemented her. That was a new one, but Blair was only drawn in by it. Even in transferring to Hogwarts, she had been around plenty of other Americans, so her accent didn't exactly stand out amongst her peers. "You're not from around here," Maria observed. "I'd say… American?"

Blair knew that she didn't have a strong regional accent, so her voice probably wouldn't have marked her as being from anywhere in particular otherwise. Being an American in London was different enough that she occasionally stood out, but it was what it was.

"Yeah," she confirmed with a nod, a smile forming on her face. "Lucky guess," she teased. "Your accent's nice, too." She didn't know if she would have been able to place where Maria was from, on the other hand. Something Eastern European, maybe?

@maria