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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 11:33:14 GMT -5
"No, I like that it's straight forward. I'd rather the truth than a sugar-coated lie," said Alice, "I'll stick to that story. And I swear I'll do my best."
After a slight silence, during which Alice admired the charm, and Cassalina and Maxwell shifted looks, they arrived at the gardens. Alice couldn't wait. The tenseness evaporated as she peeked out the windows. She was almost bouncing from her seat!
"We're here!" she said cheerfully, a large smile on her face.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 11:38:00 GMT -5
"Thank you, Jenkins." Maxwell said, as they came to a stop. "We should be done in a couple hours, so feel free to enjoy yourself until we are ready to leave."
"As you wish, sir."
Maxwell got out, and held open the door. "After you, Alice."
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 11:49:04 GMT -5
Alice slipped out of the limosine, bouncing on her heels, and drank in the garden.
Large bushes filled with flowers ran parallel along the white cobblestone paths. The trees grew large and a slight breeze danced through them. The pond at the centre of the park glistened with shimmery blue water. Some swans swam in pond, pure white and angelic looking. The flowers grew wildly in different areas of the park. Reds, blues, yellows, and purples dotted amongst different shades of green. Bright white benches were scattered around.
Stands were erected with men and women selling jewelry. Some sold ice-cream and other delicious looking treats. Men with balloons moved around, offering them. Flower sellers moved with large bouquets for the stores. They sold them with ease. One man was even selling a box of kittens. Young couples of newlyweds moved around the park, and families with young children. The entire air was peaceful.
"Welcome to Brighton, let's head to the pond!" said Alice gleefully. She'd missed Brighton more than she'd imagined.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 11:57:29 GMT -5
"As you wish, Alice." Maxwell said, grinning. There was something infectious about the way she got excited about this place. Everyone seemed so happy. It was easy to forget about the world and its troubles, when there seemed to be no sign of them.
"This place is impressive." Cassalina said, as they walked. She too looked rather uplifted by the positive atmosphere.
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 12:08:53 GMT -5
"I used to love this place. My parents used to take me here when I was really good. I remember buying so many silly trinkets and toys from here. And we fed the swans," said Alice cheerfully.
Two children ran by, a large stuffed owl in the first kid's hand, playing some kind of game.
"This place was my home away from home," said Alice, breathing in the familiar scents.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 12:12:31 GMT -5
"Home away from home, huh?" Cassalina repeated brightly. "Yes, I can see why."
"Me too." Maxwell agreed. "So, when was the last time you came here?"
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 12:18:29 GMT -5
"When I was fifteen, maybe, fourteen, it's been a few years now," said Alice with a sigh.
Then they heard a few giggles as they approached the pond. Two women, most likely young mothers were pointing at Maxwell and giggling. A few words from their conversation could be heard.
"So handsome-my type-is he single?" and similar words were being exchanged by the girls. Alice couldn't help but find herself frowning. Maxwell was incredibly handsome, and he was such a good man, so it wasn't surprising women flocked to him. 12 women to be exact. That made her frown deeper. Where had that fact popped out of?
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 12:25:06 GMT -5
Maxwell smiled and nodded politely at the ladies - a practice he had learned with years of experience. Personally, he felt nothing for them. All they cared about was his looks and obvious wealth. If he were a few years younger and dumber, he would have taken advantage of them for a night of loveless passion. But lately, he had come to realize that it wasn't what he wanted.
"You're quite popular, aren't you?" Cassalina inquired teasingly. "Mister popularity."
"Eh, it isn't anything to be proud of. They're rather shallow."
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 12:34:19 GMT -5
Alice smiled even brighter at his words. She wasn't sure why his words made her happy, but they did. She felt a warm, fluttery feeling in her stomach. She suddenly wondered what attracted him to twelve women in the first place.
"They're pretty enough though," said Alice, "Isn't that what men want most in women?"
She was flushing a bright red at that, and was wondering if her line of questioning was overtly obvious.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 12:53:06 GMT -5
Cassalina gaped stupidly at Alice, though neither of them seemed to notice. Maxwell laughed nervously.
"Every man is different, but in my experience, it was like that when I was younger. And yet, that's never enough. I'm at the point now where I want something more in life. But at the same time, I'm not willing to chase it down. Doing so has never worked in the past, so why should it now?"
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 13:16:00 GMT -5
"Really?" asked Alicd curiously, wondering what experiences love was like. "I've never even been in a proper relationship before. I have no idea what love is like at all. I kissed one boy when I was fourteen, and that led no where. Are relationships always so complicated? How do you know when you've found what you want?"
Then she blushed, realizing how forward her questions were.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be so forward, I never meant to pry," said Alice nervously. Why did she want to know so much about Maxwell and his love life?
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 13:24:27 GMT -5
Why is she asking me about my love life? Maxwell asked himself, surprised at how bold she was being. Where was the girl who stammered his name and seemed to be so afraid of everything? "It isn't all it's cracked up to be." he told her, flustered. "Love is as messy as it is consuming. When you love someone, really, truly love them, it becomes a bit of a selfish thing - even when you are selfless. You want that person. You want to make them happy. It's admirable, but also risky. The more you love, the greater your loss will become."
His thoughts turned to his dream again, as he thought back to the woman he once loved. "And if you love them deep enough, their betrayal never leaves you."
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 13:37:58 GMT -5
"It never really does," said Alice quietly, "Let's head home, I think I'm a bit tired after today's excitement."
The truth was she was extremely confused. She had no idea how she felt anymore. One minute Maxwell was just her hero, and now she wanted more. Was she being greedy wanting to know more about him, about his personality, about his past. Why was she thinking about it? Why did twelve bother her so much, it was just an arbitrary number after all. Was she becoming selfish?
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 30, 2012 13:42:52 GMT -5
"It never really does," said Alice quietly, "Let's head home, I think I'm a bit tired after today's excitement."
The truth was she was extremely confused. She had no idea how she felt anymore. One minute Maxwell was just her hero, and now she wanted more. Was she being greedy wanting to know more about him, about his personality, about his past. Why was she thinking about it? Why did twelve bother her so much, it was just an arbitrary number after all. Was she becoming selfish?
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 30, 2012 13:46:25 GMT -5
The drive itself was silent and awkward after that, and Cassalina wasn't surprised. Alice seemed to be determined to get to know Maxwell, though perhaps a little too well. She didn't think badly of it - the girl was far too kind and innocent to be attempting something untoward. But she was worried about Maxwell. It wasn't a secret among the Purists that he was still yearning for what he'd had with Olivia so long ago.
She knew that everything was going to get worse before it got better, but what if Alice figured into that somehow? She'd have to talk with Veronica about this... yes, Veronica would know what to do.
---
Maxwell had remained silent the whole time, rather shocked by Alice's boldness. Why did she want to know so much about him? And why did it please him? Was she merely worshiping him as a hero, or was it something more?
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 2:26:48 GMT -5
When they had returned back in the evening to Ivory House, Alice excused herself to her room. Once inside she'd collapsed in her bed and spent the evening mentally scolding herseld. She was getting far too selfish. She made it a deliberate point to remember that both Maxwell and Cassalina had more important things to deal with and other friends. She reminded herself that they had their own jobs and could do whatever they liked and she was simply in their debt.
Veronica left her office after a tumultous day. She wanted desperately to get a drink and just have somebody take her home tonight for something meaningless. However, her own duty to Maxwell pushed her to Floo to Ivory House.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 2:41:14 GMT -5
As Alice had done, Maxwell had retreated to his room for the evening. There was much to think about, and he wasn't in the mood to talk.
On the one hand, his day had been enjoyable. Confusing as hell, but enjoyable. It warmed his heart to know that his friends were doing their utmost to comfort him, and his little excursion with Alice and Cassalina had been fairly pleasant. But seeing all of those families together had made being in public too hard - just as it had been when his parents had died. It only reminded him that he had no true family left, something which he had Occluded against all day.
Then, there had been that weird little talk with Alice about love. Why had he shared his personal views about it with her? He was supposed to be keeping his distance, not telling her every tiny detail of his life! He plopped down on his bed a bit harder than he normally would have, letting out a tiny bit of his frustration.
It baffled him to no end!
He made an angry noise in the back of his throat. Just what was going on with him?
---
Feeling slightly abandoned, Cassalina waited in the kitchen for Octavius, Veronica and possibly Marigold. They had a lot to discuss. She sipped her tea nervously, hoping that her concern for Maxwell wasn't necessary. She really liked Alice, and meant what she said about welcoming her to her family.
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 2:56:08 GMT -5
Once Veronica arrived inside Ivory House, she proceeded directly to the kitchen where she found Cassie sipping a cup of tea by herself. With a smirk, she snuck up behind Cassie and gave her a hug.
"Hello," she said cheerfully to her best friend, "How was Maxwell duty today? Octavius and Marigold should be here soon."
Alice lay in her bed. She felt nervous and worried. How was she to apologize for her rudeness today? All she could think of was how uncalled for her behavior had been. She'd never even known she was capable of something like that!
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 2:59:37 GMT -5
Cassalina nearly dropped her tea in surprise. "Oh, hey there, Veronica!" She replied as cheerfully as she could. "The three of us went out today, and we had a lot of fun. How was your day?"
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 3:07:21 GMT -5
"Stressful. I had to give Garrison a peep show to get him to shut up. He's getting unruly," said Veronica with a scowl as she slid beside Cassie on the table. "And Octavius, Marigold and I had to discuss our house guest, Maxwell, and Garrison. Things are just getting over complicated."
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 3:14:43 GMT -5
Cassalina frowned. Veronica looked simply worn out and ragged."What happened today?"
Before Veronica could supply an answer, Octavius and Marigold walked in to the kitchen, both of them looking equally grim and tired.
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 3:43:12 GMT -5
Veronica turned to see Octavius and Marigold. She sighed and nodded to them.
"I was just getting Cassie caught up on today," said Veronica with a nod, "Cassie, basically we feel that Garrison thinks he can do as he pleases. Read the morning paper and you'll understand. We're also unsure about Alice and her relationship with Maxwell. What do you think about it?"
Henry smiled as he entered the Leaky Cauldron. Escaping Hogwarts had been relatovely simple. Now he just needed to find something to occupy his entertainment for the next few hours. Once it was late, he'd pretend he was heading to his parents as to not disturb his students and fellow professors. Selwyn was such a trusting moron.
He headed to the bar and grabbed a glass of scotch, waiting for something to happen.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 3:52:03 GMT -5
Octavius and Marigold made themselves comfortable, as Cassalina gave them a summary of how they had spent their day. Marigold's expression soured several times, though she managed to refrain from saying anything.
"I like Alice - she's a sweet, genuine girl. But I don't like how personal she got with him. I mean, this is exactly how things with Olivia started." Marigold and Octavius sneered at the reminder of that woman. "She showed genuine interest in him, and Maxwell fell for her. Her leaving caused a lot of problems, and I'm afraid of what will happen if Alice decides to leave, too. Am I being paranoid?" she asked Veronica, after a moment.
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 3:58:38 GMT -5
"I don't know," said Veronica as she got up and grabbed the bottle of Odin's Wine. Screw it. Everybody needed a drink once in a while.
"From what you've said it's hard to judge her. She has some kind of hero worship forming, and you're not a bad judge of character. That doesn't mean you couldn't be wrong. That girl is now under both yours, and Maxwell's protection, which speaks volumes. I just don't know if we can control her if Maxwell insists on her having a private job that none of us know about. And we have no idea what either of them is really feeling. I never knew Olivia, just the stories. Does she remind you of Olivia? What does everyone else think?"
At this, she uncorked the wine, and just tipped the bottle down her throat.
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Chameleon
Headmaster/Headmistress
Call me Headmistress Chams.
Posts: 1,873
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Post by Chameleon on Jul 31, 2012 4:01:22 GMT -5
Jamie was already sitting in the Leaky Cauldron with a second glass of whisky. She was glaring on any woman or man who dared to come close to her, as she took a gulp of her glass. Why in Merlin's name, had she arrived to England, she wondered furiously. She looked up when a man arrived in the Leaky Cauldron with smirk. Suddenly was she annoyed. It was the Year Day. People shouldn't smirk on the Year Day and be happy at all, as she glared on him, and gave a snort.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 4:26:02 GMT -5
"Honestly, I'm not sure." Octavius spoke, his tone hard. He took a shot of the drink that Veronica offered. "Maxwell obviously has some deep reason for trusting her. I say we stick to our guns and have Marigold watch over Alice before we make any decisions. In the mean time, set Maxwell toward the heliopaths. We've known it was the first phase of his plan for a while now."
"Is he ready for them?" Marigold asked, voicing the same concern that he had earlier.
Octavius glanced at Veronica before saying. "Not quite. But it is far better to keep him focused on a task, versus Alice. Not until we know that the girl can be trusted."
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 4:31:37 GMT -5
"Heliopaths it is," said Veronica, "Let's take the night off. Anyone want to stay and drink with me? Or take me to bed? God I need a night to take the stress off. Who wants to show Marigold to her room? Set her up by Alice."
As she said this, she grabbed the bottle back from Octavius and took another swig.
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 4:38:11 GMT -5
"I think I'm going to sit this one out." Octavius said, frowning. "I'm going to bed."
"Same here." Marigold agreed, standing up. As much as she yearned to be with Maxwell, she knew that other things had to come first. She had a game plan to figure out. "Would you show me to my room, Octavius?"
Octavius yawned, before getting up as well. "Of course, Marigold. Follow me."
---
Cassalina watched them leave. "Mind if I stay with you, Veronica? I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight." She didn't want to impose on her, but all she wanted was a bit of company right now.
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Post by G. Novella on Jul 31, 2012 4:40:51 GMT -5
"Better you than anyone else," said Veronica, sitting beside Cassie. "I really hate men like Garrison. Cassie, I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight either, if that helps. I just feel so stressed. Are you okay though Cassie?"
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Post by kumainpink on Jul 31, 2012 4:47:45 GMT -5
Cassalina felt something go cold inside her at the mention of Garrison. If he hurt one hair on Veronica's head... "I'm just afraid, Veronica." she murmured softly. "Everything is happening too fast, and I don't want to wind up alone."
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