|
|
Post by Fate on May 1, 2011 18:24:11 GMT -5
ooc: Open festival thread! This is an Incendio-wide event, and everyone is invited to join in the festivities! Come join the party!
ic:
Though the rest of London was rainy and grey, a warm glow of light burst from Diagon Alley. It was the first of May; a day celebrated for ages by many cultures. The Wizarding World was no exception, and the magical beings always took the chance to celebrate.
Tall bronze poles lined the streets of Diagon Alley, colored ribbons drifting in the chilly wind. Though it was raining over the rest of London, the poles supported an invisible shield from the rain around the area. The streets were lit in the late afternoon with paper lamps, floating peacefully through the crowds of festival-goers. Playful music and performers showed their talents, and the shops of Diagon Alley sported their wares in carts outside. The light, cheery mood of the surroundings was infectious, and the festivities grew more joyous as more people arrived.
With music floating and shared smiles welcoming Spring into the Wizarding World, the night was full of possibilities. There would be stories to unfold here, tonight.
|
|
|
|
Post by Theo Bowre on May 1, 2011 19:08:53 GMT -5
Theo didn't have to remind his small army of young ones to hold hands: from the moment they left the orphanage, they assembled in to their designated pairs and happily marched towards Diagon Alley, swishing ribbons tied upon sticks and swinging colourful, enchanted lanterns.
Theo had the youngest of the children on his back: the blond-haired sprite seemed to revel in the sights around her and her grip upon her "big brother's" shoulders spoke greatly of her excitement. She giggled at the fireworks a wizard launched from his wand and waved at a happy merchant who seemed to find the dear girl's laugh quite infectious. Theo gratefully accepted one of the stunning flowers being dispensed by a festival organizer and handed it up to his passenger.
"There you go, lovie."
"Thank you, Theo."
Some of the man's charges asked to go in to the nearby shops and Theo sent them on their way, after they promised to check back with him in a few minutes. He soon after felt a tap at his shoulder and after realizing it was too heavy to be that of little Sasha, he turned towards the source, spying a familiar face. Theo broke out in a kind smile.
|
|
|
|
Post by Maebh Breandan on May 1, 2011 22:43:16 GMT -5
A little rain never stopped a celebration before, especially a magical one. Early that morning, Maebh began the magical journey needed to get the wagon that could transform into a stage from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley. A few spells and a few portkeys were used in the process but Eventually the wagon was rumbling down the cobblestone streets of the alley and right into a lovely spot in the middle of the Square. No one needed to see the same old fountain that spurted water everyday.
Several of Maebh's cousin's and younger adopted sister who had moved to Hogsmeade with her for a spell were there to help set up. Maebh kept a watchful eye out for a certian dark haired squib, wondering when he'd turn up again. She still hadn't properly thanked her brother for saving her life and she had his knives still. they were good quality and he would sure be missing them.
It was early evening and the party was just revving up again. There had already been several dances around a few may poles by the younger children. Maebh and her fellow gypsies had already put on a children's show designed to fascinate the wee toddlers. It had gone off pretty well.
Now was some time for some real fun. The stage was nearly set for some dancing, and classic stories. All she needed was a few witnesses and a bit of inspiration.
The small company drew short straws to see who would go and wrangle up some viewers. Maebh had been one of the few to draw the short ones. She didn't mind paying her dues, she rarely did that chore anymore.
With a small smile, Maebh went in search of an audience. A tambourine in one hand, she tried to draw attention, when she spotted a familiar figure. It had been some time since she had seen Theo Bowre but they had been exchanging letters.
Maebh came up behind him poking his shoulder.
"Hey there friend. Hi, I'm Mae" She said to the small child on his shoulder.
"How are you theo? We're putting on a show soon, if you'd care to watch..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Samantha Burns on May 1, 2011 22:45:24 GMT -5
It had been ages since Sammy had gotten out and just hung out around people. With all the festive stuff going on that day, it gave Sammy the excuse to go out and do something different. She won't be eating or drinking, so meeting people and having fun is the only thing left for her. Sammy put on what she thought was one of her cutest outfits and headed out the door. With her wand in her purse and her party attitude on she apperated near the festivity area. She walked out of a dark alley and into a very colorful party area. She liked how they decorated it. She wanted to see more of the decor, so she continued to walk around. Sammy could hear people conversing, meeting, talking, drinking, eating and having lots of fun. Sammy took a second to look up at the decor that was blowing lightly around in the air, she didn't realize that she was in the way of someone. ~v~ Sammy's Outfit ~v~  |
|
|
|
Post by Theo Bowre on May 1, 2011 23:23:20 GMT -5
"Hey there friend. Hi, I'm Mae" She said to the small child on his shoulder. How are you theo? We're putting on a show soon, if you'd care to watch..."
"Mae! I, hold on," Theo, who had been holding on to Sasha's slim legs, wrapped his left arm around the small one's shins so that he could welcome Maebh properly. "It's so good to see you." Theo kissed the gypsy's cheek warmly and stood back beaming, cracking an eyebrow upward towards his small charge.
"This little darling is Sasha. Sasha, meet Maebh Breandan. She is a gifted artist, just like you, performing dances and telling stories with her family. Would you like to watch them with me, Princess? We'll grab your brothers and sisters too."
Sasha's face exploded in to a thousand rays of light and she clapped her hands expectantly, effectively dropping her stargazer lilly on to the cobbled ground. Theo knelt down carefully to get it, spotting a ragged scratch on Mae's leg. He was not a doctor, but his many years looking after children taught him that her scratch was fairly recent. Poor girl. It looked like it hurt terribly. Theo had heard of a demon attack on Hogsmeade and while it was presumptuous to assume the two were indeed related, it didn't take years of knowing Maebh to understand that she was a strong and courageous young woman, protective of her home, her business and of innocents. He rose with concern etched on his face.
"Your leg. Are you okay?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Maebh Breandan on May 7, 2011 23:42:23 GMT -5
It had been a long time since she had seen the man. He'd been a family friend for years. Several of the runaways Maebh's parents had come across had ended up at the Harkness House, those not wanting to live the life of a gypsy.
Maebh accepted the greeting kiss a welcoming smile on her face. "You look like a dancer. I think you're especially good at twirling." She said to the little girl. She was a pretty little child, a heart stealer one of these days. Would she chose the stage? Or was it just childhood fun. For a second the little girl reminded her a friend, a dancer from her theater days who had been murdered by the corruption that occurred behind the curtain.
"Your leg. Are you okay?"
Maebh glanced down at the concerned face of a worrier. She definitely had worse injuries. The demon scratch should have healed by now but the nasty creatures had some magic in them. A wound by a demon resisted magic, in fact Maebh had a feeling magic just made it worse. So she had skipped more healing spells and just used herbal salves. It was healing, abet slowly.
"It's nastier than it looks. Accident in Hogsmeade," She shrugged her shoulders to dismiss the worry. She didn't want Sasha to get scarred. She'd tell Theo later, about the demon attack.
"The storm a few days back did a number on my little house, ripped the door right off. But it was a grand adventure."
A loud drum beat sounded in the distance, the signal that meant the show about to start.
"That's my cue. You to finish capturing viewers."
|
|
|
|
Post by Caleigh Pierce on May 8, 2011 0:22:34 GMT -5
Cal had finally convinced herself to leave her house for herself and not for anything involving Cain. Sure she loved to have him back, but she knew that it wasn't healthy for her to let her whole life revolve around him. He needed space to recover and to talk to other people. She stood in her small flat, rechecking her bag to make sure she had everything she'd need in case anything went wrong. You just couldn't be too cautious these days.
Carefully she stepped into the crowd, her guard up fully. Cal didn't mean to go into Auror mode, but she'd never been a fan of big crowds and these situations just seemed to make the habit even stronger. Trying to distract herself, she pulled her hair back into a bun and looked around, falling back to stand off to the side of the crowd. She surveyed the area, everyone looked so happy. She wanted to join in, she just didn't know how. A cheerful vendor walked up and pressed a flower into her hand, winking at her before walking away. A small smile made it's way onto her face as she tucked the flower into her bun.
A familiar troupe of children were standing nearby, and she watched them, too many of the faces familiar to her. Being in charge of victim protection had left her to deal with dropping off orphans. Too many, in fact. As she watched the group, she felt a pang of sadness for those children. It seemed no one wanted them and they'd already seen so much hardship. She forced herself to turn and walk away, nearly running someone over in the process.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on May 8, 2011 23:41:46 GMT -5
"Hey dad, whats with the poles?" Max Kameren gestured towards the metal beams with a kabob-laden hand. His mouth was half-full as he glanced up at his father holding his other hand.
Curse kept having to duck, avoiding the floating gold lanterns; he was too tall for them. "Those? I believe they're used for the dancing. Girls hold the ribbons and dance around them. Max nodded, apparently content with the answer. The Potions Master put a hand in his pocket as the two navigated the festival crowds, pulling it out again when he remembered his pockets were full of flowers; whenever a student would come across him he'd get another one, and it was starting to get to the point where he didn't know what to do with them.
The crowds on the festival street were odd to Curse. He had never really thought May Day was much of a big deal, but apparently in the London Wizarding World it was. He people-watched the festivities, still too tired from his illness to really participate. He was here more for Max than anything else; his sickness had kept the small family inside Hogwarts all week, and he knew Max wanted to get out. So now here they were. Curse hoped he could keep up with the festivities long enough to satisfy his son.
"DAD! Look! There's a game!" Curse looked where Max pointed, at some sort of magic carnival game involving bottles of different colored smoke. Curse shrugged, unsure how the game worked. Max looked up at him expectantly, asking him if he could play. Max smiled as Curse reached for his wallet, several flowers fluttering out of his pocket as he grabbed it. He pulled a couple sickles out, handing them down to Max as the boy hurried off towards the bottle game. He smiled as he watched his son play.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on May 9, 2011 21:46:57 GMT -5
There was something alluring about Holidays and it wasn't the presents. It was people watching. Something magical happened to humans that transformed them into nearly perfect creatures for one day. For just a moment everyone was happy, eager to forget all of their worries as they danced around May poles, played games, and ate food. There was peace for once, how ever fleeting.
Arianna Blackthorn blended with the crowd as she slowly perused the fair. Every where there were people laughing and having a good item. It was wonderful and she was happy just to watch. To feel, to see, to witness. A smile tugged at her lips and she grinned at passing strangers. She nodded at the gypsies, brushed passed the orphans surrounding their caretaker.
As Arianna walked she thought about the history of the holiday. The importance of May day. The traditions that had been passed down from generation to generation. The history made her giddy, that and the wine she had sipped earlier. She'd turned the corner, entering the gaming section of the alley when she spotted Curse. He was like a grey cloud in the middle of a blue sky, except for the fact that he was a happy gray cloud. A sort of truce had formed between them. Things had been awkward at first and still were but they were almost friends. For Max's sake they were friendly and it wasn't hard at all to be civil with him. Something about Curse Kameren brought out the giddy silly goose in her. Around him it was easy to lose her head. Sometimes she forgot what had transpired. Then she'd remember and the spark of fear and caution would return.
Her traitorous feet brought her closer, until she was standing next to him. Her black eyes followed his line of vision and she couldn't help but smile at Max playing a strange game.
"He's doing pretty well. If he practices I believe he could be quite the qudditch player." She pointed out wryly. Max would be a heart stealer with his dreamy eyes and height. If he grew and inch or two he'd be taller than her and he was barely a preteen.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on May 9, 2011 22:58:45 GMT -5
Curse didn't need to look over to notice Arianna next to him; he still had a strange sort of sense for her, could feel her when she was near him. They were on good terms at the moment, but it didn't change how nervous he felt around her. He loved being able to be friends with her, but that friendship could easily change at any moment. He glanced down at her and smiled in greeting.
"He's doing pretty well. If he practices I believe he could be quite the qudditch player."
Curse chuckled, watching as the young boy play the bottle game. "At least someone will be," He replied. He had always been rubbish at flying, quidditch even more so. "He wrote you a letter a while back, he's been missing you. He'll like to see you." He met eyes with the shorter woman, smiling wryly at her. "Happy May Day, by the way."
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on May 9, 2011 23:55:48 GMT -5
It was silly and very girly of her but her heart sped up at the sound of his chuckle. Curse Kameren made her feel like she was seventeen again and that was not entirely a good thing. But at this moment she did not have the strength to turn away from him and his son. She enjoyed Max, he was a special child and her relationship with him was important to her. She was thankful that Curse hadn't ended it when he realized that his ex was also his son's step aunt. Most ex fiancées were not that forgiving. Especially since Arianna had done the dumping.
"A Letter? I hadn't gotten it. Well, I might have. My owl's peeved at me lately. Been hiding letters. I think there's a stack on top of the bookcase. I'll have to look. Right. I miss him too. If you ever need someone to watch him...I can." She offered unsure how he'd take her offer. Would he allow her to watch his son for him? Take him to the three broomsticks for a drink?
"Thank you. Do you know why it's called May Day?" She asked her eyes sparkling with humor. She loved explaining obscure things.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on May 11, 2011 12:40:55 GMT -5
It was a little weird, spending time with both Arianna and Max at the same time. He still wasn't comfortable with the fact that she had a relationship with his son, but there wasn't much he could do about it. He could have restricted Ari's ability to see him, but He didn't want to do that to Max. He didn't want to deprive Max of any of his family, no matter how difficult it was for himself. He smiled lightly as Max apparently did well at the game, his face lighting up.
"A Letter? I hadn't gotten it. Well, I might have. My owl's peeved at me lately. Been hiding letters. I think there's a stack on top of the bookcase. I'll have to look. Right. I miss him too. If you ever need someone to watch him...I can."
He glanced over at Ari, a little surprised at her offer. He knew she liked Max, but part of him thought she wouldn't want to see him much anymore, to avoid seeing Curse. "I usually have Alex watch him, but if he's ever too busy," He shrugged, his eyes still on his son, "sure, I suppose. We'll see." He wasn't sure if he wanted to share Max with Arianna that much, but a single parent couldn't turn down a babysitter. Maybe Max would be a little more okay with letting Curse do his hospital sessions alone if he was with Arianna.
"Happy May Day, by the way."
"Thank you. Do you know why it's called May Day?"
Curse smiled, laughing lightly at her excitement. If Curse was supposedly the mind of his generation, then Ari was the best with random facts. She knew something about everything, had a story for everything. He looked down at her, his eyes glinting with amusement. "No, Ari, why is it called May Day?" His eyes moved before she could respond though, as Max pushed his way back to his father through the crowd.
"Dad! Dad, I won!" The 10-year-old grinned as he held up his prize. A small plastic bag was filled with water, and a goldfish swam in tiny circles inside. "Can I keep it? Can we get a bowl and stuff?"
"Cat food!" Curse grinned, getting to Max's level on his knees and teasing the young boy. Max grimaced at his father's teasing. "I'm only kidding." He smiled, gently taking the bag from Max's hand and examining the creature.
"His name's Vincent," Max smiled proudly, excited already about the new pet. "He's not cat food, I won't let Tabby get him." He looked up at his dad, glancing past him to see more of his family. "AUNT ARI!" He practically jumped over his father, pushing the goldfish into his hands to hug his aunt. "I missed you! Did you get my letter? I wanted to thank you for the game you gave me! Some of the stuff for it was electric, but dad fixed it to get it to work at Hogwarts. You should come and play it sometime! Happy May Day! Are you going to dance around the pole things? Dad says the girls dance around the poles with ribbons. We should walk around the fair together! Dad, can Aunt Ari go around the fair with us?" Max looked up at Curse, smiling between the two adults. Curse shrugged; he couldn't see why not.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on May 11, 2011 22:52:52 GMT -5
Surprise lit up Curse's face. Was her offer to baby sit so outlandish? She'd watch Max for Amelia a couple of times. It was how they had forged a relationship, that and hanging out at the wedding. Then again it was weird knowing that Curse was Max's father. She almost became Max's step mother. It hadn't been a role she had thought she'd ever get the chance to have. Not that she still had that chance. Things were complicated. An awkwardness pushed between them again creating a little bubble of stale air surrounding them. When would things stop being weird? Ever?
"sure, I suppose. We'll see."
His enthusiasm was deafening . We'll see probably meant, only if you're the last person on the list and i'm being eaten by threstals. Oh, well. His loss. She was a good baby sitter.
"No, Ari, why is it called May Day?"
Arianna tipped her head up, lips opening for a reply when his attention moved from her to a very excited ten year old. Mouth closed, Arianna turned to watch the exchange. Max was happier than she had seen him in a while. This was his element, his world. Then he noticed her, shoving his fish at his father. Arianna smiled widely at him as he greeted her enthusiastically. It felt wonderful.
"AUNT ARI!" He practically jumped over his father, pushing the goldfish into his hands to hug his aunt. "I missed you! Did you get my letter? I wanted to thank you for the game you gave me! Some of the stuff for it was electric, but dad fixed it to get it to work at Hogwarts. You should come and play it sometime! Happy May Day! Are you going to dance around the pole things?
She hugged him, aware that she no longer had to bend down as he was the same height as her. Merlin he had grown. She chuckled at his chatter.
"I'm glad you liked the game. I bought it when I believed you to be entirely muggle. Now that I know you're a wizard I can buy you some more interesting gifts," She teased gently, her eyes lighting with fun. There were so many things she could show him given the chance.
"I hear you're learning how to play qudditch. I'm not much of a player but at least I can throw the quaffle through a hoop." She said with a slight smirk as she glanced at his father. She hadn't yet seen a Kameren with any talent for the sport.
"I haven't gotten your letter, but I think I know where it is. My owl's been miffed at me lately and has been hiding my letters. I'll make sure I look for it." Hopefully her lack of opening the letter he sent her didn't upset him. Arianna had a bad habit of not opening her post. Which was the reason why most of her bills were set to be paid by automatic withdraws from her account. Otherwise her bills would rarely get paid.
We should walk around the fair together! Dad, can Aunt Ari go around the fair with us?"
Arianna glanced up at Curse who shrugged. Apparently that was a yes. She hadn't really come to the fair with anyone, nor had she planned on staying long but it wouldn't hurt to walk around with Max for a little bit.
"I'd be delighted. I heard there's a gypsy show going to start in a while if you're interested..."
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on May 12, 2011 0:00:12 GMT -5
Curse frowned as things started to turn awkward between them. He wanted things to be good with Ari. Hell, he wanted to get back together with her if they ever got to that point. Just, at this point, he wasn't sure if he wanted to share his family with her. Max was his; he was overprotective over his son, and didn't want to share him. Arianna had hurt him, how could he know she wouldn't do the same to Max one day? He felt bad about causing the awkward moment, but he still wasn't sure about Ari. If he was going to let her into his family, then he would have to trust her again, and Lord only knew how long that could take.
Either way, he agreed to have Ari join them on their trip around the fair. She made Max happy, and to be honest as much as it tortured him to admit it she still made him happy too. Max grinned at his father's agreement, clasping the hand of an adult in each. Curse in his right, Arianna in his left. Curse glanced over at Arianna, smiling lightly at her as Max lead them in the direction of they gypsies Ari had mentioned. He looked curiously over the crowd, wondering if these were the gypsies he'd met earlier, fighting demons outside the pub.
Max let go of their hands and joined another group of children his age; staying true to his Kameren name, he stuck up, taller than all the others. He recognized them as the children from a local orphanage, some of them students of his. Some of them turned and waved at him. He waved back, before turning back to Ari and smiling. He didn't really know what to say to her, but he did his best to relieve the awkwardness. He looked down at the goldfish he still held, smirking crookedly at the neurotically circling fish. "Merlin only knows what we're going to do with this thing," he chuckled, his eyes following the fish around the bag.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on May 12, 2011 0:10:32 GMT -5
An the adventure began! A silly-stupid grin lit up Arianna's face when Max took her hand, and for just a second she could pretend she was a part of a loving family. Peter was one of her closet friends and family but they weren't a loving sort. Not really. Nit picky comments was how they showed affection, always pushing you to be better, to do better things. Not very fun at all.
Now, the Kamerens were never boring. Something was always happening around that testosterone fulled family. It typically ended up in a trip to St. Mungos but it was still enjoyable. Together the threesome battled the crowds, forcing others to move around them. Together they stopped before a stage surrounded by children. Max let go and mingled with those his age, leaving the adults alone. To choke on their own silence and insecurities.
Curse broke the silence first. Arianna gave a rebuttal.
"It's a fish. Watch it, Feed it, clean it and eventually bury it." Arianna pointed out in her matter-of-fact voice that she had perfected many years ago. It was a fish. There wasn't much you could do with it.
"Put it in a jar, I'm sure you have several around the office, you know ones that use to hold potion ingredients. Clean it out first, otherwise you might kill the fish prematurely."
|
|
