15 → [text | action]

[aperfectthird]

[It's text because he doesn't trust his voice not to crack if he says it out loud.]

text, open →
Ginny Weasley has left the City. Please contact me with any outstanding business concerns of hers, and I will resolve them to the best of my ability.

action: at the blue light, open →
[He still can't believe it, even after a day spent searching with no sign of his little sister. She's gone. He's the only Weasley remaining in the city. It's a hollow, sick, sad feeling. Even when he was in self-imposed exile in London, Percy would see his father at the Ministry, cross paths with Bill at Gringotts, and know that the rest were in Devon. But now it's just him.

He sits, quietly, in a corner booth at the Blue Light, glass of whiskey slowly dripping condensation onto the napkin beneath it, book sitting untouched next to him. The chair across from him is empty. He's not inviting anyone to sit with him, but he won't say no to company, either.]

Comments

[charring]

Where are you?

text, locked;

[boutant]

want some company?

text;

[yourbestguysgun]

when did she go?

[aperfectthird]

The Blue Light.

text, locked;

[aperfectthird]

If you don't mind that I'll likely be terrible conversation.

text;

[aperfectthird]

Sunday.

[Text]

[destinedtobeunpopular]

[Oh...]

Damn.

I'm sorry.

action:

[charring]

[Charlie doesn't even tell him she's on her way. She just heads there and sits in the available seat, watching him with some concern.]

You realize I can't let you stay here all night, right?

[Text]

[aperfectthird]

It was inevitable. I'm glad she's home.

[lying through his teeth? don't mind if I do!]

action:

[aperfectthird]

[He sets down his glass, then checks his watch. If Charlie's watching carefully, she might notice his reactions are ever-so-slightly delayed.]

I wasn't planning on it.

Re: action:

[charring]

[She is. She always watches carefully. It's habit.]

How much have you had? I'll try to catch up with you.

[For now. She will also try to get food into him somehow and make sure he goes home with a mountain of Gatorade.]

text, locked;

[boutant]

I don't mind. I'm not sure I'll be much better.

action:

[aperfectthird]

This is number two. You needn't worry about catching up.

text, locked;

[aperfectthird]

I'm at the Blue Light.

text, locked;

[boutant]

I'll be there soon.

action:

[charring]

Okay, well. After? You're coming with me to get food.

[She's not taking no for an answer, Percy. She orders a couple shots for herself, downing them a moment later with a wince.]

Ugh. This is why I could never survive working in a bar for too long. Everything tastes hideous.

action;

[primrosella]

[The loss of Ginny isn't nearly as personal to Rosella as it is to Percy, of course, but it's still one she's feeling the undeniable aftershocks of--both from the sudden hole in her usual lineup of staff and from the sight of the somber young man occupying the booth in the corner.

Following a quiet instruction to the kitchen to put together a sandwich and some fries, she takes the platter and heads over as unobtrusively as she can, aiming to leave him his space without sneaking up on him.

This wouldn't be the first time she'd consoled an upset brother over the loss of his family, after all.]

Hello, Percy. May I sit with you a minute?

action:

[aperfectthird]

[He ... had not been expecting her to take shots. Percy's never been much of a shots person himself, preferring to nurse a whiskey and let himself fall slowly into oblivion. He takes a swig of his drink.]

You drank it so quickly, how could you notice the taste?

text, locked;

[aperfectthird]

See you then.

action;

[aperfectthird]

Princess.

[He's clearly startled by her appearance, judging by how he sets his drink down a little too heavily, then sort of awkwardly half-stands before realizing there's no way to do that without a lot of awkward effort, and finally nods to her.]

Er - thank you. It would be my honor.

action;

[boutant]

[ Ariadne shows up within the next half hour and heads for the first bit of red hair she sees -- luckily it's Percy. This isn't the first time she's gone to a bar to find a Weasley after another Weasley has left the City, and it's a reminder that she tries to force down only for memories of the weekend to filter in.

Still, she takes a seat and offers Percy a weak smile. ] Hey.

action;

[primrosella]

Oh, no, the pleasure is mine, really.

[It's impossible not to notice that she's caught him by surprise, but given that it wouldn't be polite to point it out, she returns his nod with one of her own--being unable to properly curtsey with her hands full--and takes the seat across from him, sliding the plate over next to his drink as she does so.]

Here. I thought you might like something to eat.

action;

[aperfectthird]

Good evening.

[He nods to his whiskey.]

Would you like something?

action;

[aperfectthird]

Thank you.

[He isn't hungry - hasn't been all day - but it's impolite to turn down such a generous offer, so he picks up a fry and takes a bite off the end.]

I'm sorry for the loss to your staff. I know Ginny enjoyed working here.

action;

[primrosella]

[Edmund was much the same way, when she went through this with him--dull, lethargic, and never interested in much of anything without a given amount of prodding into it. The lucky thing is that Percy is polite, and through it she can gently nudge him into taking care of himself, even a little.]

It was lovely to have her. I'm still not very good at all this, but I wouldn't be nearly so far as I am if it weren't for the fact that I had her to help me.

[She regards him quietly a moment.]

I know it's awful to have someone go, but it does get better in time.