| Details for Meetings at the Malt Shoppe |
| Summary: | A first 'date' turns into a good time shared by friends. |
| Date: | 09-23-1937 |
| Location: | Ulric's Oddball Malt Shoppe |
| Related: | Are We There Yeti? Library Business |
| Characters |
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Ulric's Oddball Malt Shoppe Diagon Alley
Sun Sep 23, 1937 ((Sun Sep 23 22:36:35 2012)) (B,2 W)
It is a fall night. The weather is cool and fair.
Malt shops seem to have the universal ability to turn adults into children again, without the use of magic and Uric's Oddball Malt Shop is no exception. The malt counter, its wood polished to a high shine and cushiony bar stools lined up in front, provides a place for patrons to sample all manner of drinks that fizz, foam and steam. A long section of the counter has also been set aside for rows of glass jars with chrome lids filled with all manner of sweets, Muggle and Wizardly alike. And for those that want a little more privacy or for the couple on that romantic date tables have been set out on the malt shop's floor with seating for two or four.
The weather has dropped from a bit of an indian summer into the full throes of autumn, but it has been a clear, crisp day. As the day dips toward evening, London is already starting to roll up the sidewalks, but there is still a hum of activity in Diagon Alley. Many shops are still open, one of those being the Malt Shoppe, and there are a number of witches and wizards lingering over fizzy drinks and companionship. Bundled into a lightweight tan jacket, Annie steps into the cozy hangout from the Alley beyond, and her eyes scan across the customers. Earlier she had sent an owl to Tim, suggesting they meet and get out and about a little bit. She doesn't see him right off, so maybe she's early. Or maybe he's late.
Tim is sitting with his back towards the door, he was looking out the wrong window but the other side of his booth has the better view so he reserved it for Annie. One little poke-up of red hair peeks over the top of the back of the booth.
About to choose a seat at the counter to watch for Tim to arrive, Annie makes one more scan of the room, and she almost misses the telltale red tuft of hair again. But her eyes stop, her head tilts, and then she smiles broadly. She approaches the booth slightly round-about, so she can make sure it's him before she makes a fool of herself to someone else entirely. But no, as she moves he comes more clearly into view, and Annie heads straight for the table when she's sure it's him. "Tim," she greets, still a few steps away.
Tim blinks and looks back at her and then at the window and back again. "Annie, d.did ye apparate in?" He is teasing himself more than her and he stands up and then realizes they are at a booth and there's no chair to pull out so he just gestures instead after leaning in to kiss her cheek.
Annie laughs softly, stepping in and tilting her head to accept the kiss on her cheek with a happy smile. "I crawled past the window," she teases back, pausing to tug open the belt of her jacket and slip it off. Beneath she wears a simple dark green frock tucked at the waist with a black belt, the neckline just low enough to reveal the heart locket and clover charm against her skin. Pushing her jacket in first, she slides into the booth, talking as she moves. "I'm happy yeh could come out, Tim."
Tim makes to help her with her jacket and hangs it on the peg by their booth over his own jacket. "ssStartin' t.to f.f.feel more like Fall now." He comments on the weather and then after they're settled compliments. "Yeh l.l.look beautiful." He's sure stuttering a lot, perhaps nervous to be out on the town with her, in London this time. Without the security blanket of being in the land of his birth. "Huh-hungry?"
Annie smoothes her skirt, pleased at the compliment. She had had trouble trying to choose just the right thing to wear. Despite her initiation of the outing, it is still something of a 'date' in her mind, and she does want it to go well. "Ta, that's a very nice thing to say. No, I'm not really hungry, but I'd love something fizzy to drink." Her eyes light up at the prospect of the treat, and she grins across the table. Beneath the table, as she settles, her foot bumps against his and she lets it stay there.
Tim at first slides away his foot to give her all the room she needs. But then he gets a big shy smile when she keeps her foot close still. "Wha-warm b.b.butterbeer?" He offers up as an option before he slides the menu over to her. From where it was at the end of the table. The waitress approaches to take orders and smiles at Tim, "The usual for you I wager. What about for you Miss?"
Annie takes the menu and looks down at it, "Something more… daring." Her eyes scan quickly, but she darts a look up at Tim at the familiarity of the waitress. It's a beat and she catches herself, looking up with a bright smile. "I'd like a Fuzzy Fwooper Fizz, please," she requests, setting the menu aside.
Malt shoppes are not on Magnus's usual list of destinations, but he's been having a very tedious workday. A fizzy, sweet concoction sounds like a bit of bliss right now; if it can make the diplomat feel like a kid again, and not an adult stuck in a very frustrating adult world, that'll be perfect. The man slips inside, not really looking around at anyone else just yet. Instead, he proceeds directly to the counter, contemplating over the list of drinks before he offers a pleasant smile to the clerk. "Hullo, hullo. I'll take a 'Merlin's Moiling Malted', please."
Tim gives a shy smile up at the waitress who sets down a small mountain of chocolate and mint icecream swirled together with nuts, marshmallow bits chocolate chips with a wide thick strip of hot fudge over it to look like a road over a hill along with what looks like hot chocolate "One Rocky Road to Dublin and a Ski Lift." The waitress announces and continues with, "And one Fuzzy Fwooper Fizz. Enjoy you two." Annie receives that look from the waitress of someone that never ever thought she'd ever see Tim here with any one. 'Love Birds' goes unsaid, but it's in her tone when they're told to enjoy. "Wuh-wuh-would yee like a b.b.b.bite?"
Annie's eyes widen at the sheer amount of ice cream set in front of Tim. Her eyes slip to his body, noting his somewhat thin frame, and then go back to the ice cream. She flashes a smile to the waitress, "Ta." As she looks back at Tim, Annie shakes her head, laughing softly. "Cor, are yeh gonna eat that or climb it, Tim?" Her own drink is green and bubbly and looks just lovely. Leaning forward she takes a sip from the straw. "Ooo, lime." The glass is offered to Tim to taste, even as she nods to his question and reaches unceremoniously for his spoon, scoops up a bit of the ice cream and pops it into her mouth. She closes her eyes to enjoy the taste as she pulls the spoon from her lips, and sighs in delight. When she opens her eyes, it's to notice the arrival of Magnus, and, should he notice the pair, she'll raise her hand in a friendly wave.
After a moment Magnus's drink is served to him; it's a rather intimidating looking thing - it does indeed 'moil', bubbling and fizzing constantly like something out of a cauldron. The color is a deep and gloopey green. Once in a while a spark even occasionally jumps out of it. The tall, thin man stares at it skeptically for a moment, then finally gathers enough courage to take a drink. "…delicious!" Smiling, he turns to go find a seat, and immediately notices Annie waving to him. He smiles and takes a few steps towards her table, unaware that his teeth and tongue are beginning to turn the same color as his beverage. "Good evening, Madamoiselle Librarian!" He gives a bit of a bow - deeper than usual and mildly comical, in accordance with his surroundings. Tim gets a similar bow, not quite so deep, and a grin. He motions towards the huge mound of ice cream with an arched brow. "Your boyfriend is quite brave, madamoiselle. Climbing Mount Everest, I see."
Tim peeks over his shoulder towards the man Annie is waving at and he looks wide eyed at the drink that's delivered and then the smattering of freckles on his face disappear in his intense boyish blush when he's called Annie's boyfriend. Emerald eyes quickly flick towards Annie to see her reaction to that title being bandied about. "Done tha." He finally tries to quip back towards the man. Literally last week this time he was freezing to near death on Mount Everest's slope. He the looks to Annie and keeps his voice down, "W.w.w.ould ye like to invite him to sit?" He's uncertain if she is considering this a date. Even if she is he has no idea what sort of etiquette a date would entail in this sort of event.
"Ambassador Troy," Annie greets the man warmly, and gives a quick nod to Tim, then looks back to Magnus, her smile even brighter by a notch. "Would yeh like t'join us?" she invites. Before the man can even start an answer, she's nudging her drink to Tim's side of the table, slipping out of the booth, and slipping back in beside Tim. Perhaps she was hoping for such an opportunity? Nonsense. She bumps Tim's shoulder lightly with hers as she scoots into him, accidentally. Shifting back away a touch, she settles. The boyfriend comment seems not to have ruffled her in the least, and her eyes settle on the Ambassador's drink. "Cor, that's a sight."
"Certainly, that sounds lovely," Magnus says, accepting their offer with a pleased grin. Of course it would be rude not to, considering Annie has already been kind enough to move, but he doesn't look like the idea of company bothers him at all. He takes a seat across from the pair, setting the bubbling 'malt' in front of him. His hand goes out to Tim, and his eyebrows arch again at the comment about climbing Everest. He laughs, thinking it was a clever joke. "Magnus Troy, good sir. Pleased to meet you." He extends his hand to Annie as well. "And I don't think I ever caught your name, my dear. You were most helpful at the library." After a second he glances back at his drink and nods gravely. "It is, isn't it? It tastes a lot better than it looks."
Tim gets a little smile when he's bumped and subtly bumps her right back playfully. His arm extends over the table to shake Magnus' hand. "Timothy Moody, dis is Annie Taylor." He introduces her, since it's all 'official' now and he's her boyfriend. Christ he feels like he's back in Hogwarts! When the shake is done his arm moves up and over Annie's head, to drape along the booth back behind her. He also points to a spare spoon on the table. "If ye'd like to try it. Feel free."
Well, Annie certainly couldn't look more pleased as Magnus accepts their offer of company, and she reaches after Tim, being formally introduced to the man. "I'm happy to have helped. Are you enjoying the books?" She herself found the memoirs of Janus Arkham enjoyable, but she's very keen to hear what the Ambassador thought of the Dorothy Frost mystery. Noticing her drink is now a bright yellow, Annie takes another sip before sitting back, casting a quick smile to Tim.
"Timothy, Annie, thank you for the kind invitation," Magnus says, taking another sip of the vile-looking drink. His lips are starting to look a bit swampy now, too. "Oh, Mr. Arkham's memoirs were quite interesting. I'm not quite finished with Miss Frost's book yet, though I think I will be, tonight. It's a page-turner, to be sure." He grins and leans back in the booth, reaching up to loosen his tie. "Pardon me, this dratted thing gets awfully stuffy when you have to wear it all day. Mr. Moody, are you a librarian as well?"
Tim fidgets a bit with the hand behind Annie, petting the back of her shoulder with his thumb. "Me? Librarian? No, I'm a photojouranlist for the Prophet. Wasn't pullin' bout Everest, just did a piece on a Yeti attack of some British Muggles tryin' to get to the peak." His free hand places down his spoon after taking a bite and pulling from his jacket a small journal that has many Prophet clippings in it. The last page is flipped to so he can show Magnus the shot of a Yeti going past a window. "Honestly never thought I'd be eating Ice Cream again few days back. Things ye do for love, aye?" Since it was Annie's idea of coming here.
Annie's eyes widen at Magnus across the table, and she starts excitedly, "Not done yet? Cor, I was so surprised to find out the killer was…" She stops suddenly, a broad grin returning to her lips. Psyche! "Course, I'll not tell yeh. We can talk about it again sometime." Since her drink is now pink, it's time for another sip! And then Tim gets a light nudge to the ribs, with a laugh. "I never said yeh had to eat all the ice cream in the place," she teases lightly. Things ye do for love indeed.
Magnus looks decidedly impressed with Tim's claim. He takes another drink of the malted and grins. "You don't say? What happened to the Yeti, monsieur?" Despite his initial evaluation of Tim as another librarian - and a rather meek one, at that - he is now looking at the fellow much more respectfully. He is a Gryffindor, after all. "Did you get to tangle with the beast? I say, a duel on Everest with a Yeti - now /that/ would be quite a sight!" His grey eyes sparkle almost hungrily, and he has to concentrate for a moment before he turns his attention back to the books. "Oh - yes, we certainly will, Miss Taylor. You ought to give me a few recommendations on other books to read; I'm always looking for more to add to my collection."
The three of them are seated in a booth in the corner of the small shop; it's a quiet, cool summer evening. A few other scattered patrons are seated here and there, but overall it's relatively quiet.
Tim squirms like the nudge tickled. "Dinnae sssay ye did. Mildra just gets so proud bout 'membering ma 'usual'…dinnae wish ta rock'r boat." He grins impishly and pokes her back. "It's nae tha big a bowl!" He protests, it is only six tennis ball sized scoops! To Magnus he shakes his head. "Assignment was to watch an' snap pictures. The people from the Ministry dispatched it, or more, sent it packing with a fear of settlements and humans. Yeti's don't like fire…" He taps the picture and sure enough after a little while it displays the sight of people from the Ministry confronting the Yeti and using fire spells to back it off and send it singed and fleeing up the mountain.
Sitting next to Tim, Annie nods across the table to Magnus, "I'll write things down as I think of them an' see what yeh think next time yeh come in." Her head turns and Tim gets a fond look at his protest to her teasing. She listens raptly, like it's the first time she's heard of his adventure on Everest, but really, she's thoroughly enjoying his ease of talking. And her drink is now a radiant orange, so she leans forward to taste the newest flavor.
Ranjali steps into the malt shoppe with a grin on her face and a bundle of packages under one arm. She's dressed in a dark pencil skirt and a high-necked blouse with a lotus brooch clasped at the throat, her hair pulled back with ivory combs. Initially she heads for the counter, but as she glances around the shop she sees Magnus and changes course. "Hello, there." She smiles first to Magnus and then the others, nodding politely. "Come for an after-shopping treat?"
Magnus sets his weird malted aside for now - he's getting a bit full, and it's already half-gone. Of course his lips, tongue, and teeth are already pine-green, not that he has any idea. "Oh…!" Magnus leans forward to get a better look at the images of the Yeti, his lips twisting into a grin in spite of himself. "Look at that thing! No wonder it sent those Muggles to ground." He leans back and nods at Annie, then glances down curiously at her drink. "…am I going crazy, Miss Taylor, or was that pink a moment ago?" The man stares at it for another moment, but his attention is drawn away when he hears someone speaking to him. "Hello, Miss Winterthorne. After-work treat, in my case." He smiles, then waves an arm at the cashier and points to Ranjali, then himself, then makes a scribbling motions; i.e., her bill is on me. "How are you?"
Tim stands as much as a fellow can at a booth with Annie between him and the exit of the seat, he doesn't want to jostle her, but his mother's ghost would haunt him mightily if he didn't offer. "Can I t.t.t.ake dem for yeh?" He gestures to the armload of packages and things of Ranjali's. If allowed he will unburden her and place them up on the backs of the booths. Just automatically assuming that she'll be joining them. Once that's all handled he sits all the closer to Annie and his arm goes back around behind her to rest on the back of the booth.
A nod comes at Magnus' question, "Aye, and before that it was green… oh look, it's going green again!" Annie moves in an attempt to be accommodating to Tim trying to help, scooting all the way out to the edge of the seat. Then, when things settle again, she'll scoot right back next to him, apparently agreeable to the little bit closer since he gets another smile from her. "Please do join us," she offers to Ranjali happily. "There's always room for more."
Ranjali smiles widely, remembering Tim as soon as he speaks. "Yes of course, thank you." Her packages, which are only a few and not very large, are handed over easily. "I'm well, thank you, Mr. Troy. And you? Thank you." With a nod to Annie, she moves to sit beside Magnus, looking curiously at the picture. "And what's this?"
Magnus scoots over just a bit to allow Ranjali room to move in next to him. He's still rather interested in Annie's drink, and he leans across the table, peering at it curiously before he settles back into his original position. "That's quite a trick. Do the colors taste any different, Miss Taylor?" As Ranjali questions Tim about the pictures, Magnus motions towards the man and chuckles. "Mr. Moody has just been to Mount Everest to deal with a rogue Yeti."
Whatever Cooper just ordered, 100 percent golden. While it's in the container of a regular rootbeer float, the contents inside look like liquified gold. "More," she peeks up from a packet of papers she's reading through just briefly to tell the service boy to add more whipped cream from the massive pile already on it. Looks like someone's got a sweet tooth. When the boy is done, he splashes on a sprinkle of edible diamonds, sapphires, rubies, pearls and other precious stones like sprinkles on ice cream. "Thanks," Cooper gives the man the right amount of change and heads over to a booth, half reading half sipping her drink. She's so distracted she walks right past the group, but stops to take a few steps back. "Oh familiar faces. Ranjali, good to see you. Mr. Troy…are you sick? Did you catch some sort of illness?" she tilts her head at his green mouth. But her eyes stop on Tim and stay there for a moment.
Tim looks a bit uneasy when he's getting a bit of a stare from Cooper. He gives her a friendly enough smile before he digs into his melting mix of Rocky Road and Mint Chip Ice Cream called a 'Rocky Road to Dublin'. The road of hot fudge that once looked like a chocolate road over the hill of 6 scoops has long slid apart. "Nae exactly dealin' just takin' pictures of the folks doin the dealin'." He corrects for fear someone might get the impression he's a bad-ass Yeti hunter.
"They do," Annie replies to Magnus, as her drink slowly melts from green to yellow. "Green is lime and yellow is lemon. The pink is grapefruit, and orange is… well… orange." She pauses, before adding, "It's quite fizzy, as well." She had wanted something fizzy, after all. Blue eyes rise at a new arrival, and Cooper gets the same friendly smile from Annie that everyone does along with a nod of greeting.
"Taylor?" Ranjali looks up, "Any relation to the singer?" She's distracted by Magnu's reply before getting an answer, and glances at Tim before looking back to the pictures. "Really? How fascinating." Realizing suddenly that she is without her own drink, she starts to rise, grinning when the action causes a near collision with Cooper. "Hello! Come and sit with us! I'll be back in a moment, I got so distracted I forgot to actually place an order." Chuckling, she slides around Cooper and returns to the bar.
Magnus tilts his head to one side just a bit, perplexed, as he looks at Cooper. "I don't think I'm sick," he says simply, looking back at his drink and frowning. He shrugs, watching Ranjali get up so that she can go to get herself something, and glances back at Annie with a chuckle. "Well, I almost wish I'd ordered one, in that case. Mine just tastes like mint." Of course, it /does/ taste pretty good. He looks up at Tim and reaches over the table to pat the man's shoulder good-naturedly. "Nonsense, Mr. Moody! It must have taken a good deal of gusto just to get close enough to photograph, anyhow. And from what I hear, climbing Everest is no mean feat. I'd buy you a real drink if they had any, Mr. Moody." It's likely he would, too.
Cooper uhms at Ranjali as she stands there and looks awkward with her Gold float mug and her packet papers from work. "Is it alright that I join? You know how they say 5's a crowd," she says looking to the others. There a polite smile and nod given to Annie. "You're looking fairly green, Mr. Troy. I'm no healer but I believe that indicates some sort of illness," she smirks and gives him that little hint. But look back to Tim she squints her eyes a moment in thought until Magnus unveils it for her. "Oh that's right! Moody. You're Tim Moody. You used to work for the Auror office didn't you?" she asks him curiously. "That and we graduated together with Ranjali here. But that's no matter."
Tim looks about exactly like a man that's been recognized for something he really would rather not be recognized for. In fact he's rather uncharacteristically un-Tim like (rude) and pretends to have not have heard the comment on being recognized at all. "It's p.p.purple now…what's p.purple t.taste like?" How's that for a subject change?
Annie's eyes widen at Ranjali's question, "Audrey Taylor, yeh mean? Cor, don't I half wish." Her face eases back into her smile, "She's lovely, such a beautiful voice." Clearly, the young witch is a fan of the beautiful songstress. She would likely expound upon the virtues of the more talented Miss Taylor at great length, until Cooper's comment to Tim catches her attention. She looks to the auror, and then to the man beside her, eyes clearly curious. But, as Tim doesn't reply to the question, she'll not be the one to pursue it further. Not now. It's a bit of a distracted look that goes to her drink. "Oh, that's the pink, Tim. The grapefruit."
Ranjali returns with a dark, chocolatey-looking drink, smiling at the others. "Sit down with us, Cooper, why don't you?" She urges, returning to her seat and gesturing for the woman to sit next to her. "I think that would only apply if this were some sort of date." Grinning, she adds, "I saw Tim the same night I met Audrey, though I don't believe I caught his name then." She smiles across the table at the man.
Magnus, for his own part, has ceased to embarrass poor Tim for the moment; he peers around, first at Cooper and then at Ranjali as she rejoins the group. He moves slightly further into the booth to allow her to sit, then grins at the auror. "Yes, why don't you join us, Miss Cooper?" His arm goes around Ranjali's waist and he gently pulls her just slightly closer - to make room for Cooper, of course - with a smirk. "…green?" The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a very small compact mirror - he basically has to have the thing, considering he does a lot of public speaking - and then /stares/ at it. "Oh, bloody hell. Of course I had to go and order the seaweed-colored drink."
Tim finishes off his Ice Cream in record time since Cooper joins them. Then he pipes up looking pointedly at Annie. "Speakin' o date." He smiles to her. "Shall we?" He then bows his head to the others. "Whu-was very n.n.nice meeting yee." He gestures to Annie, "Wuh-we 'ad p.p.plans for t.t.t.tonight."
The fact that his stammer is back as well has not made it past Annie either. She moves to slide out of the booth, smiling around to include all. "It was lovely to see you all, and I look forward to seeing you again at the library, Ambassador Troy." Tim does get a bit of a 'this isn't over' look, pleasant as it may be, and Annie shrugs into the jacket he holds for her. The couple moves to the counter to take care of their bill, and then head off into the night.
Ranjali is, rather suddenly, very still. She smiles at Tim and Annie as they leave, nodding very politely (if stiffly) to the two. When they are gone she smiles at Magnus, her eyebrows lifting in a very mild warning. "Now, I wonder what that was all about." She murmurs, "Did he not wish to be remembered as one of our schoolmates?" Having arrived too late to hear the Auror comment, she's very confused.
Hmm. Maybe he didn't hear her. But Cooper's fairly convinced she was loud and clear so he must be ignoring what she's saying. And while her mouth opens to ask him about it more, she stops short and says, "Oh uhm…well good to meet you or see you again…or whatever…" Her words trail out at the end and she makes room for them to leave. Turning back to the remaining two she spots Magnus' arm around Ranjali's waist, which subsequently makes her smirk. And its only after he checks the state of his mouth color that she replies, "Green. You look like a fool." And she takes her seat across the booth where Tim and Annie just left. "I don't know…I don't recall him doing anything particularly embarrassing in school. Do you Ranji?" she asks. "No, no. I think it's when I brought up all that stuff about the MLE…."
Magnus, in turn, nods to the reporter and the librarian as they take their leave, saying his goodbyes and smiling at them. He frowns at Cooper's harsh words; his wand is withdrawn from an inner pocket of his suit coat and he touches it to his lips, murmuring a breathy incantation. The green hue drains from his lips, and the wand is put back away. "Indeed - they left rather suddenly, didn't they? Quite odd." Magnus shakes his head, then leans over and whispers something into Ranjali's ear a bit too low for the auror to hear. After a second he straightens up and grins; his arm hasn't left her waist. "What in the world are you doing here, Genevieve? Do your normally go for a sundae after work?"
Ranjali glances at Magnus, opens her mouth to speak, then aparently thinks better of it and conceeds with a small nod. She turns her attention to her drink, stirring the concoction while she answers Cooper. "No, I don't remember anything specific. not, I admit, that I was paying all that much attention back then."
Cooper ponders on what it could be as she sucks on the straw of her Gold float. "Well he used to be like me a couple years back. When I was still a hitwitch, he as an Auror Intiate. I don't know why but…he suddenly quit one day," she shrugs, plucking off a sugar emerald and popping it into her mouth. In response to Magnus, she raises her brows, "What? Are aurors not allowed in public to frolic around like normal folk? Or are we too taciturn and brooding for such a happy environment?" And she sips on her float some more. That response is a lot more appropriate than the truth. She has PMS which makes her crave sweets, leave her alone.
But between on the whispers and the hip grasping, Cooper can't help but quirk a brow. "Do you play for the opposite team now Ranji?" she asks, referring to the woman's sexuality. Maybe it changed over the years. Though Cooper overall seems non-chalant about the whole situation. It's unclear whether she really is apathetic or if she's got spy mode on.
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Ranjali=awareness Vs Cooper=deception
< Ranjali: Good Success Cooper: Good Success
< Net Result: DRAW
Whatever byplay is going on between Cooper and Ranjali, Magnus seems relatively oblivious (or uncaring). He merely slips his arm a bit tighter around her waist and leans in closer to her. He snickers at the auror, shakes his head a bit, and smiles. "Oh, I suppose you're allowed to frolic now and then. As long as the rest of us are allowed to take photographs as proof." The diplomat grins; now that his drink is finished, he finds himself oddly bereft of anything to concentrate on. He simply leans back a bit and observes the two women instead.
"Ah, yes, well, that is… " Ranjali looks worriedly from Cooper to Magnus, "Um. Its." The photograph comment brings forth a sudden blush. Looking down at her drink to steady herself, she tries again. "Its difficult to explain, really… "
Cooper furrows her brow at Magnus not fully understanding what he means. "Well why does anyone need to take a photograph? Are you trying to say I don't have fun? I have all sorts of fun!" she says unknowingly wearing the blandest face as she drinks more of her Bling Juice (totally a better name than Gold Float). Turning back to Ranjali, Cooper realizes how rude her question came out after noticing her discomfort, "Oh you don't have to answer that if you don't want to. It's really none of my business. I'm sorry." Nope, this is why she's not a diplomat.
Magnus is looking at Cooper with a rather dour expression. "That's right, Miss Cooper. Miss Winterthorne is a good deal too beautiful to worry about such banal questions." He leans forward on the table with the arm he doesn't have wrapped around the nurse's waist, his grey eyes landing on Cooper as he grins a bit. "And I'm not saying aurors don't have fun. I'm just saying that they do it so clumsily that it would be a huge shame not to have a camera around at the time."
Ranjali eyes Magnus warningly, no longer bothering to be mild about it. "Not at all, Miss Cooper." She replies, her voice kept carefully calm. "I admit that its not a question I am often asked. But really, in this case, I think an explination would be far better coming from Mr. Troy, here."
Cooper narrows her eyes in a bratty pout when she's called both banal and clumsy. "I'm not clumsy," she asserts, pulling out the straw from her float only to get gold stains on her blouse which only makes her groan when she reaches for a napkin. Geez Cooper! A master stealth stat and you're still prone to accidents! She hold the straw in her mouth while she rubs at the stain. But when Ranjali speaks, she instantly looks up with a smirky grin on her face that shot in Magnus' driection. "An explanation? From Mr. Troy? What on eeeearrthhh would he need to explain?" she asks in a theatrically sarcastic voice. She even rolls her eyes upwards when she says 'earth'.
For his own part, Magnus doesn't look the least bit disturbed by these proceedings, although Ranjali's glare is met with a soft smile on his part. His arm remains around her midriff, and he leans in to say something quietly to her once again, then sits back up and grins at the auror. "No, you're not clumsy, madamoiselle," he says, ignoring the little golden splotch, his smile turning into a bit of a smirk. "Pardon me, though, ladies - I have to go take care of something quickly. I'll be right back." The diplomat moves a bit closer to the nurse - not to crowd her, but just because he intends to get out of his seat, since she's on the outside.
Ranjali gets up quickly to allow for Magnus' departure. "A-alright, of course." She watches him leave, trying to grin and frown at the same time. Her eyes flicker to Cooper, wary now that she will not be able to force an explination out of the man for the other woman's benefit and at a complete loss what to do with the information he's now given her.
Cooper gives Magnus nothing more than a small salute as she puts the straw back into the drink and swirls it around a bit. And in the duration of time it takes him to pass, she simply drinks from her straw idly. Not turning one inch to see him go, she simply listens to hear if he's a good distance away before she says. "Well god, that was -weird-. Is he being too touchy for you? You can refuse him you know. Or I can kick his arse for you." As a law enforcer who's gone through too many women's self-defense courses, this is her first instinct.
Ranjali remains standing for a moment, looking lost. "I don't… I don't even /know/." With a sigh, she returns to her seat. "That was enormously confusing." She reaches up, self-conciously patting her hair into place as she attempts to recover. "I am fairly certain, and I believe I am safe in saying so now, that I have no intention of dating him. Or in lettting him take such liberties again." Looking up, she smiles a little, "Thank you. I do not believe that will be necessary. Yet."
Once he's up and out of his seat, Magnus simply walks over to the counter and pays for all of their drinks. He also orders three butterbeers for them, though he doesn't wait to carry them over himself; instead, he walks back to the table slowly, his hands in the pockets of his slacks, peering about at the other customers in the malt shoppe indifferently. He loiters long enough for any issues of whether or not he will be getting his arse kicked in the near future settled, anyhow. "Ladies." He acknowledges the two of them with a winning smile once he's back, and slips into the seat next to Ranjali, though not as close to her as he'd been beforehand.
Cooper blinks at Ranjali's answer, not expecting her to be as confused as well. "Well okay…," she replies quietly, unsure of what to say to that. But the 'yet' keeps her on the edge of her seat, ready to strike if needed. And when Magnus introduces himself into the picture, her bright blue eyes follow him as he takes his seat back. "That was quick," she comments idly before getting to the punch line. "So entertain me this evening, Mr. Troy. Is there a reason why you're acting more peculiar than usual right now?" Oh Cooper. She really doesn't have any verbal finesse.
Ranjali is sure to scoot over and give Magnus enough room, smiling politely (and far more comfortably) now that she's not being manhandled. She even grins at Cooper, her eyes lingering for a thoughtful moment before she finishes off her frozen chocolate and tea concoction. "Yes, do tell." She murmurs with renewed amusement.
Magnus slips back into the seat delicately, waiting until the waitress comes over the with the butterbeers he's ordered to say anything else. He looks back and forth at the two women and allows one of his eyebrows to curl up, his expression amused. "Am I acting more peculiar than usual? My apologies. Two amazingly beautiful women are bound to make any man act foolish, no?" Smiling, he clasps the hot drink, and takes a slow slip, evaluating the other two with a calm - and rather estimating - look in his eye.
<FS3> Opposed Roll — Cooper=Awareness Vs Magnus=Deception
< Cooper: Good Success Magnus: Success
< Net Result: Cooper wins - Solid Victory
Cooper has no clue what to say next, and she flicks her eyes to Ranjali looking to see if she has anything to say to that either. So for a long awkward moment, she simply leans forward to drink from her straw and stare at Magnus blankly until the hollow bubbling sounds indicate that her drink is finished. "Okay I have a fairly strong inclination of what trying to do with me." Cooper gestures to herself. "I have no -bloody- idea what poor mental games you're playing with her." She points at Ranjali. "And now that's all out in the open, I have no idea what you expect next." She slides a butterbeer over to herself and then gestures to the drink, eyes never leaving Magnus she says, "Is there something in this? Something perhaps that will make us want to snog each other? Do you want us to snog each other?"
Ranjali sets her empty glass aside and picks up the last Butterbeer, peering into it as Cooper mentions the possibility of something being into it. Its the other womsan's question that brings the blush to her face, though. A blush to rival the ones that Audrey Taylor tends to inspire. "A-ah… what?"
Magnus merely stares at Cooper for several very long seconds, his grey eyes widening - first with amazement, then with disbelief, then with outright amusement. His lips part and he /laughs/, unable to help himself. After he manages to commandeer some amount of control, he reaches for the butterbeer and takes several long sips, snickering all the while, and sets the half-full mug back on the counter. First, he turns to Ranjali. "Forgive me, madamoiselle." He sets a hand gingerly on her shoulder and then stands, slowly, stretching with the relief of being done with a long day's work. "Miss Cooper, I don't think I'd mind a bit if you did. But I could also care less, so… guess again." He smiles, brilliantly, his teeth flashing almost too-white, then bows to the pair of them. "Your bills are taken care of, on me. Good evening, ladies." And with that, he exits.
And as the fit of laughter is sounding off, Cooper believes her question is answered and there really is nothing in the butterbeer. So she takes the liberty of taking a few chugs while he corrals himself back in, clearly an unamused smile on her face. It's more like she's confused. The fact that he excuses himself not too long afterward fails to clarify anything further. And she puts the drink down once he's gone and quirks a brow over at Ranjali. "I don't know what just happened…do you?" she asks her fellow former Hufflepuff.
Ranjali shakes her head, slowly, completely bewildered. "I thought perhaps he was trying to flirt with you. Now… now I have no bloody clue." She sighs and sips her butterbeer. "What I /do/ know is that the next time I see him I intend to get some sort of straight answer out of him." And that is final!