| Details for After the Brewing |
| Summary: | (Continues where broom-signing log leaves off) After talk at the Jocunda's broom-signing turns to politics and relationship disputes, Kaiden and Briar and Mabel decompress a little. Mabel tries to apply extra gentility. |
| Date: | 20 OCT 1937 |
| Location: | — |
| Related: | Three Hundred Broomsticks |
| Characters |
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(Briar slowly turns to look at Kaiden, staring, "Why ever would your sister think that I'm easy and that we've had sex Kaid?" His hand that's thus far been held is released so she can cross her arms underneath her chest and her cigarette is placed in her lips.)
Kaiden has been standing next to Briar for the past few minutes trying his best to string to words together. He's not doing a very good job of it. Eventually, he just looks Briar in the eye and says, "Alright, I'll say it. I told her." He then just kinda stands there, expecting to get punched in the face.
Mabel sits aside, then, musing over the last half of her butterbeer. Just murmurs to herself, "We'll end up in more than one bloody war, at this rate," a prospect that's been weighing heavily enough on her a while.
Briar looks likes she just might indeed haul off and punch Kaiden in the face. But she doesn't, she's a prefect and that does mean something to her. "You are a fucking idiot." With that she reaches over, takes up her beer and moves to sit at Mabel's booth. "Hope you don't mind. Just need a friendly face right now." She takes a drag of her cigarette and then pulls out a soft pack gives it that perfect
little jolt and squeeze so just one cigarette pops out of the hole and offers it to Mabel. "There is going to be more than one war, I'm afraid, and I'm not talking the one between boyfriends and girlfriends."
Kaiden walks on after her, as he's not one to give up so easily. He's told the truth, and now it's time to defend it. He kneels down next to her, one hand on the table to keep himself steady. "Look, she's my sister. My goddamn twin. I'm used to telling her everything, but I never thought she'd use it against me…" There's a certain sadness in those big, green eyes as they plead for her forgiveness. He eventually pulls them away from her face and they stare down at the floor, "Bri, I'm really sorry."
Mabel nods, apologetically, and smiles, the worry showing in her eyes. Though she seems to have a manner about her of affecting a bit more of that aristocratic air when various blue-blood spats are being hurled about, and perhaps for that reason, accepts a cigarette, though there's a moment's minor consternation as she fusses in pockets, "Thanks," she says quietly, under the more important talk, "I don't usually, but it does seem an occasion. Fishing in a pocket, she takes out a celluloid pen, then, with a tap of her wand and a murmured incantation, discreetly Transfigures it into a cigarette holder of about the same length, and fits the cigarette there. "I do suppose a few more friendly faces couldn't hurt matters."
Briar rolls her eyes at Kaiden and shakes her head. "You and Lucian are peas in a pod. You really just don't see what a despicable person your sister is." All negativity is aimed at her boyfriend though it's mostly just her being frustrated at the ridiculous blinders that two of the guys who's rather important to her have on in regards to the Slytherin Former Prefect. But she is still positive enough towards Mabel and leans over to the side to fish into some pocket in her skirt to fish out a trench lighter and strike it up to offer the flame to Mabel. "Sorry about him." She looks over at Kaiden. "Quit with your drama and just sit down. You're making Mabel uncomfortable." If Kaiden does sit down she'll rake her fingers through his hair. She's still pissed, but she's pissed at Ria more than anyone.
Kaiden stands up and sighs, saying, "I know she's a terrible person, Briar. She was also the only person who cared about me when we were little. There's good in there somewhere, she's just adopted dad's politics as her own." He'll sit down next to her in a huff and lean back looking all sad and stuff.
Mabel nods, accepting the light, puffing delicately, while waving another hand as though to say, "Oh, not at all," And coughing a little, despite seeming to know what she's doing. "My, my," she comments, "It's been a while after all." She does nod, "That's not the sort of subject we usually speak on, Ria and I. Things are changing, though, and it's bound to come up. I had no idea she seemed to approve of
that Continental madness, though. One can only hope both worlds come to their senses, really." And she adds, to Briar, "It's a bit late to try and start a boycott, though, once there's names in the Goblet, people are bound to compete, don't you know."
Briar takes another drag, "What other people do is their business, my personal choice is to boycott the damn thing. The whole point for a Boycott is for it to be a voluntary thing. People who put there names in obviously want to be apart of the Tournament. I really hope I'm wrong about it and that there won't be a huge stink if someone from lesser blood makes it to Champion. Because that would mean I got proven wrong about people being ignorant assholes. Which I would be very glad for. But it's not just the Purist thing. The school teaches dark magic. It's in there tucked away with Herbology and Charms. Like I told Ria, you couldn't pay me enough to associate with those sorts of people. I have to deal with the Ria Sykes of the UK right here. Forgive me if I don't want to subject myself to even worse. The fact that the ignoramus likened me in with them just proves what an idiot she is. I keep fighting with her because I have the idiotic hope that there is some good in her. But every time she opens her mouth she convinces me more and more that something somewhere jaded her beyond repair and she's very happy in her little Ice Princess Castle."
Kaiden just sighs and listens to Briar, knowing better than to open his mouth in defence of his sister at the moment. He leans forward and rests his elbows on the bar, fishing his cigarettes out of his pocket. He'll light one up and take a drag, resting his head in his free hand.
Mabel nods, there. "Well, there's certainly no shame in not-entering that challenge for any reason, but now that the school's committed, as it were, let's hope our champion puts in a good showing for Britain, whoever they are. And, besides, there's nothing 'lesser' about my Daddy, or necessarily anyone else's If the Goblet of Fire chooses a champion that's not of a pedigree someone likes, who will they complain to, an ancient artifact? Magic itself?"
Briar sighs hating to see Kaiden depressy. She reaches over to try to urge him to lean on her and rest his head on her shoulder. "It's like I was saying. The Olympics in Germany were barring the Blacks and the Jews until enough people put up enough of a stink to have them allow the entrants. Durmstrang can very well say, no Muggle-borns allowed on their campus. Something I suspect them to not be above doing. Like I said, hope I'm wrong. Hope everything goes without a hitch, but I don't want any part of it. Especially if the likes or Ria Sykes' name is spit out of the goblet. She's not representing me in anything."
Kaiden leans back against Briar for a moment before craning his head across and kissing her on the cheek. He slides out of the booth and stretches, saying, "I think I'm gonna go for a walk." He takes a long drag from his cigarette and sets it down in the ashtray, leaving it for Briar to either smoke or snuff out. He doesn't look quite as upset as he did, but it's obvious he's not his usual jovial self right now. "I'll, uh…I'll see you back in the commons, babe." And with that he turns to leave.
Mabel nods to Kaiden, wincing just slightly at the bit of an awkward situation he's put in. "Good evening, then, Sykes." She has her own reasons to sympathize, a little, owing to some of her own pureblood relations. "Well, hopefully if she were to be chosen, she won't come back goosestepping like some wizarding version of a Mosely supporter about it. If you asked me, some would do better to worry about getting *that* sort of rot, of all things, from Muggle society than being terrified for pedigree." She draws on the cigarette, as Kaiden starts to go, posture sagging just a touch at that sort of thought. "Sometimes, what worries me for the old families is the coarseness about this sort of thing from those at school who spout it. If these are noble lineages, what's the use if they don't even act the part?"
Briar turns her face to take the kiss aimed at her cheek to the lips a little to return it. "I'll come with. If that's okay? The rain will cheer me up." In Briar's brain there's a strange disconnect. She knows that Kaiden agrees with her on his sister's behavior. She'd never question or force him to make a choice between Ria and herself. But he's got to allow her her own opinions. "Couldn't agree with you more Mabel. We should hang out more. This was nice. I like being able to discuss something." She smiles to the Gryffindor and gives a little wave. "See you later."
Mabel nods, and gives a rather-less aristocratic little smile. "One hopes we might encourage the best, at least in our own little world," she tries to perhaps encourage, Briar, herself, or present company in general. "Toodles, then," she says, "I'd best be getting back as well, shortly.