| Details for Jiggly Bits |
| Summary: | In the classic case of the grass always being greener, Josefa and Cooper muse over switching bodies. But the fun turns rather tense when Raff shows up. |
| Date: | November 4, 1937 |
| Location: | Dog and Bone Pub |
| Related: | The Not So Big Bad Wolf |
| Characters |
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The Dog and Bone Pub East End London
Mon Nov 04, 1937 ((Sat Oct 27 04:29:29 2012)) (H,5 SW)
The Dog & Bone, a classic public house that has sat nestled in among the shops and residences of the Borough for countless years. Stepping inside is a bit like a portal to the past, as one is immediately surrounded by stone and mortar walls, thick wooden beams and rafters, and the hazy scent of pipe smoke and cinders from the large, wood-burning fireplace that warms the building. A handful of tables leave little room for walking in the cramped space, though most of the patrons tend to crowd around the wrap-around bar on the wall opposite the hearth. The only open space is a collection of mismatched chairs and sofas, close enough to be warmed by the fire, and turned to face one corner of the room, where a tiny stage rises six inches above the floor.
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On her way back in from lunch today, Cooper ran into a wonderfully familiar face on because her Monday was going so terrible invited that face to a drink after work. "And then he came in and ripped the papers apart all over my cubicle and told me if I don't learn how to fill out the paperwork right, he'll fire me," she laments to Josefa as they sit near the warm fireplace. Since it's the beginning of the week, the pub isn't filled to the brim. Meaning she can prop her feet up on an extra chair which she's pulled up the armchair she's sitting in. "I'm telling you it was a mess. I'm glad you were able to come out today. Trust me, you're my savior!" Her cloche hat and jacket are hanging on the back of the armchair, while she picks up her whiskey and cola from the table standing next to her.
"He's a jerk," replies Josefa, in full on girly commiseration mode. "The paperwork's just a chore to keep us busy anyway." She lifts her drink, sliding down in her own armchair. "I'm glad you invited me. I haven't been going out much lately. It's been awfully dull."
Cooper raises her glass in the air and gleefully says, "Cheers to that!" Subsequently, she takes a rather big gulp of her drink, wincing afterward from the kick. "Haven't been going out much lately? Josefa Loucks, why ever not? You are young and beautiful and unlike myself, your parts still probably healthily jiggle and not swing." Oh the mouth on Cooper! She pats her trouser pockets down until she finds her cigarettes and she slips one between her lips before offering one to Josefa. "Aren't there any young men who've expressed interest in you lately?" She looks over at the girl with a knowing smile. "No young muggle (she whispers that word) flight officers?"
Josefa laughs heartily at Cooper's self-deprication. Another sip of her drink is taken, her nose wrinkling both for the burn and the amusement as she cheekily ribs, "Been watching my parts jiggle, have you, Cooper? And you're hardly old. I doubt you're to the swinging stage yet." She takes the offered cigarette, and shakes her head. "Clayton's well enough," she agrees. "We had a nice dinner. There's been a few men, here and there. Nothing serious though."
Cooper snickers behind her glass and sheepishly grins at Josefa. Taking another sip she replies, "Only out of jealousy, Jo. Out of sheer jealousy. I may not be too swingy yet, but I feel like I'm getting there. Good thing I keep company around girls like you to keep me young." Of course Cooper recognizes how ridiculous she sounds, but she can't help but feel old. Her hands reach in her pocket almost instinctually for her wand, but she eeks and instead shuffles for a light in her jacket pocket. With a flick, a flame comes forth from which she draws from and holds out for Josefa to light up. "Ahh so you did have that date with Mr. Kable. That means I haven't seen the bloke in a while. He's a rather nice man. How was that?"
"Jealousy? Pfft." Josefa shakes her head, sighing and sinking down yet more, chin practically disappearing into her chest. "I'll trade you. Polyjuice for a day. And when we're done, we can go back to our own lives and remember how much fun it is to be us, and not each other." Her lips press together as she considers the conundrum that is Clayton Kable. "You know I work with his uncle? And he's got no clue. Not a bloody clue about any of this. Us." She makes a swishy gesture that could mean anything to a Muggle, but definitely looks like wand work. "And he's… quite proper. Which I'm not complaining about, mind you. It's just. Hmmm.. Proper."
Cooper puts a hand on her neck, when she considers the deal for a moment. "Polyjuice hmm? I wouldn't mind jiggling like I just turned 20 again….," she snerks and says, "If I could get my hands on some polyjuice would you be willing, then?" The Auror has a mischievous glint in her eye when she takes a long drag of that cigarette and peers at Josefa. Cooper, however, raises her brows and sits up in her seat to hear the Kable has magical relations. The swishy gesture is clear to her instantly. "You're kidding me he has an uncle, who's…." She too makes the swish with her hand. "And none of them know? My god…would he be ever in a surprise. He's muggle though, they're all gentlemen most of the time. It's kind of nice…" She leans against the arm of her chair dreamily. "So you're not interested then? Just a date and that's it?"
Josefa arches an eyebrow. "Switch places with you for a day?" She thinks about it. "Absolutely. " Pause. "You're going to stand in front of a mirror and bounce, aren't you?" Cooper gets the critical eye, all very teasing. "You get the polyjuice, we'll set a day." Then she returns to talk of Kable. "No, not kidding at all. His dad's a squib. I just about choked on my wine when he told me his family's been in the Service for generations. Not the service /he/ is thinking of." She holds up a finger. "Hold on now. I didn't say I wasn't interested. If he asks me out again, I won't say no. I wouldn't say no if he wanted to kiss me, either," she adds with a wicked grin.
"Okay maybe I would for about an hour…," Cooper considers the idea, running a thumb over her lip of what a joy it would be to have a body seven years younger. "And then for the rest of the day, I'd walk around nude. Only cause I know I wouldn't have to deal with the consequences later." And despite her evil plot, she can't help but grin brightly at Josefa in the most impish way possible. The latter information makes her tilt her head however, still caught up in surprise. But this time by the date. "Are you telling me the man took you out for an evening and didn't kiss you at the end of it? I thought he's the one who asked you?" Hmmm but the question is: How does Cooper know this? "Was he shy? Did he not seem into you? Were you giving him the right signals?"
"You're not making a great case for me to entrust you with my body," Josefa tells Cooper with a laugh. "Or for me to not spend the day sleeping with every man at the Ministry who strikes my fancy and seems half-way willing." Apparently, she's just as devious. Or willing to joke about being so. "Of course he seemed interested," she says, flustered. "I told you, he's just… he's a /Muggle/. They have all sorts of silly ideas about how long you're supposed to wait before kissing a girl."
Cooper burst out into a fit of laughter and mirror her pub mate by sinking down into her chair as well. With a sigh, she simply shakes her head, "Am I not? Thought my plan was a winning one. But let me tell you, if I had you body I would make any man at the Ministry eat out of my hand." Taking a another heavy swig of her whiskey, she seems half serious about it too. "I'd start in Mysteries because half the men there are pasty scrawny researchers who probably have never interacted with a woman before," she snickers. But with a grimace, she nods at the mention of Muggle dating customs. "The worst isn't it? They move at a snails pace, and if you try to push things forward, you're deemed a silly girl. It really makes no sense. You're better off having someone else to amuse you in the meantime." She takes a drag and exhales a puff of smoke then smirks, "Do you have someone in the meantime?"
Josefa smiles lazily over at Cooper. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Cooper. /I'd/ do you." She groans as she wiggles back up into a seated position. "Come on, then, forget the pale pasty Unmentionables…wait, that's underwear. Those geeks in Mysteries. Let's go meet some boys." Providing she can get herself out of her cozy chair. It's a struggle, to be certain! Screw it. She'll just smoke her cigarette and talk about someone for the mean time. "Sort of. But I'd trade up in a heart beat. I get the impression it's a game to him, sleeping with me. Like owning a well bred dog, and getting satisfaction out of seeing it heel."
Cooper laughs so hard she snorts and buries her face in her palm. "That's very sweet of you Josefa. I will put you on my consideration list," she nods and then expands on her strategy, "But I will only have your body for a day. So really, I'm going for quantity not quality here." She continues to snort giggle upon watching Jo struggle out of her chair, as she herself makes no motion to get up. And when her friend has finally given up to keep talking, Cooper hmms with interest, killing the rest of her drink and summoning over the pub waitress to order another round. "Hmmm…that's not fun. Were you looking for something more serious with the other bloke, or is it supposed to be fun and games but just doesn't feel that way?" The two women are sitting near the fire drinking and having a smoke. It's just after the workday has ended.
When one just wants a meal it can get difficult. The man who comes in the door does his best to sneak through and find a back table with as little notice as he can. His head is lowered, body hunched and he does his best to not make eye contact with anyone. He tries to find a dark corner and when he does, he slips into the seat and keeps the collar of his shirt raised.
Josefa puts a hand to hear heart and drags on her cigarette. "I made the consideration list, eh?" she says before blowing smoke back out. "Who knows, if you sleep with enough men while you're me, I might actually have a date to the Ministry's Christmas Party this year." Josefa is so good at looking on the bright side. Oh well. More alcohol! That server's a prompt lass. "Here now, cheers to getting each other some action, even if we're…not actually getting any?" Does that make sense? Eh, who cares, they're two sheets and tacking at this point.
"Hey now, if that your strategy in nabbing a date in about two months, then I will make. that. happen. for you," Cooper asserts with a serious nod, but she easily breaks into a laughter once more, the corners widening into that bright smile of hers. "Cheers to not get any!" she waves her empty glass in the air before turning to the waitress and saying, "A martini please, dirty. Anything for you Jo?" A martini? Seems like someone's been rubbing their cocktail tastes onto her. From over the waitresses shoulder, she sees a rather hidden man try to slip by, but his mysterious appearance seems to catch her eye. And it takes her a minute before she recognizes who it is. "Oh! Raff! Over here!" She flags him down with her waving arm.
As his name is yelled across the bar, Raff winces. He looks down to the table and shakes his head. A nearby wizard looks to Cooper, "Raff? The werewolf? He's here?" And then his eyes go looking around the room as do many others. Some stand up and stare and others try and ignore. He looks to Cooper and gives a little weak smile, 'Hi." As he rises from his seat and gives a little wave around to those who are scared. "I really don't bite." He says and one couple gets up and leaves while others simply move away from him with fear in their eyes.
Raff looks up from the table he's seated at and gives Cooper a little smile. He looks about a bit and then rises up to walk over and join her and her friend. "Two times in one day. Nice to see you again." He gives a bit of a smile to Cooper and then a look to Jo. "Evening."
Josefa shrugs her shoulders and smirks at Cooper, flipping an imaculate curl out of her face and sort of listing to the side. "Oh yes, another of these, please!" Whatever 'this' was in her tumbler. Probably rum. Her eyes cross a little bit when Cooper starts waving and at first she lifts her arm to wave too, being the sort of drunken fool to do that. Of course, she's waving with the arm that has the nasty claw marks across it. Freak out in 3..2…1 — "Did you say Raff?" She swallows and butts her cigarette in a nearby ashtray so hastily the filter crushes and snaps the tube in half.
Her grin growing brighter, Cooper takes her feet of the chair she had them propped on and dusts it off before offering it to Raff. "Two time in one day ineed! It's unfortunate we're not in a setting where you can part a crowd for me, eh?" she says and to the waitress she says, "His drink will be on me, miss." And then she gestures to the young woman so that Raff can order a drink. "I did say that Jo, this is my friend here Mr. Raff," she swings her hand over to him in introduction. Judging by the casual way she regards her new acquaintance and her disregard for Josefa's anxious social cues, one could say Cooper's a few drinks into this evening.
Raff moves and settles into that seat and looks to Jo, "Um. Hi. Yeah. I am probably that Raff." He gives the rather paranoid looking woman a hand to shake should she get over her feelings, "Hi. Raff Mingan and I am what you think I am." To the woman behind the bar he smiles, "Lager, please."
In contrast, Josefa has sobered up quickly. "Mr. Mingan," she replies politely, though she looks quite a bit wild about the eyes. The hand that's offered is regarded and then she shakes her head. "I don't mean to be rude. It's…not you." But it is, so there's that. She tucks her hands quite firmly into her lap aand scoots back into her seat, and the smile she offers Cooper looks a little sick.
Cooper sinks comfortably into the armchair she claimed taking a deep deep drag of her cigarette as if nothing's happening. She let's the two get acquainted, half heartedly listening with her mind somewhere else a moment, until Raff introduces himself. That's when her eyes open a bit wide and she picks up on Josefa's reaction. "Oh uhm yes. Mr. Mingan and I met this morning in the atrium," Cooper clears her throat and the muggle waitress goes away to fill their order rendering her ear unable to hear this conversation. "He's erm…a very nice and funny fellow. Are you uhm…alright Jo?" That last question is asked with deep concern over the woman's odd smile.
Raff bites at his lip as she refuses his hand, "Um. Look. Once a month I go out of the regular world and get locked up for safety. The rest of the time, I am fine." He goes quiet for a bit as the waitress brings him his beer and he looks to Cooper, "She's a funny one as well." And comes back to Jo, "Ask me any questions you have and I will answer if that helps you."
Eyes flick to Cooper and Josefa shrugs. "I don't mean to be rude. I was attacked by one. A .. werewolf. It was the summer after I graduated, and I was out with some friends from work, so it was late when I headed home. My parents don't have a Floo, so I had to use a friend's fireplace and walk home. It's only a couple of miles but.. well. It doesn't matter. I'm rubbish at apparation, I never even got my license. Splinched myself terribly when I got away, but it was better than being dead." She takes a deep breath and shrugs. "I know that's hardly your fault, unless you were roaming the Irish countryside two years ago. Doesn't make me any less nervous."
"Two years ago I was working at the same place that Cooper here works just in a different department so it couldn't have been me." Raff offers and reaches out to drink his beer for a moment, "I am sorry to hear you were attacked. Would it make you feel any better that most of my work these days is trying to find ways to try and cure this?" He sips from his beer a little more and then looks to Cooper, "I was in an elevator with her for a full five minutes and only bit her toe." He jokes.
Cooper shifts about uncomfortably in this very very tense situation. She only takes more drags of her cigarette to calm herself down. Though she wishes she could stuff a cigarette into everyone's mouth to calm them down. But when Josefa's story reaches her ears, her jaw just drops slightly, eyes flicking to Raff and back to the woman. She's completely unsure of what to say. "Oh Jo…had I known, I…" she bites her lip. "I should have been more sensitive about this." But even in this serious moment, Raff's elevator quip only makes her inappropriately snicker for the situation, so hard in fact she has to cover her mouth.
Josefa doesn't look like she thinks that's funny. "A bite from a werewolf in human form can still be damaging. I'm sure you'd be quite motivate to find a cure though." She offers an apologetic smile to them both and gets to her feet. First she leans in to peck Cooper on the cheek and then gives a polite nod to Raff. "I'm sorry to have spoiled the fun. I'm sure I'll see you around the atrium, Mr. Mingan. And Cooper? Send me an owl, we'll do this again some time, and exchange hair follicles." With that cryptic message, she lifts her purse and hurries out.
Raff frowns deep and reaches to drink down about half of his beer. He turns to look to Cooper, "I'm sorry. I tend to confront the problem when it arises rather than hide it." He looks back to where Jo just was and shakes his head, "Pity she was bitten. Pity anyone is bitten." As his mood seems to sink for am omen before he looks to her and brightens, "How was your day?"
Cooper silences herself immediately when Josefa chimes in, suddenly remembering how impolite she was being. "Of course Jo," she gives a strained yet polite smile to say good-bye to the woman. And then watches her leave. "It's no problem, I just forget sometimes that there's a time for humor, and this wasn't one of them." Turning back to Raff she smiles reassuringly, "I think you handled it well though. Have you ever drowned before?" An odd question, but she has a point, I swear. "My day was rather terrible, which is why I ended up here."
Raff gives a little shake of his head, "No. Never drowned." He reaches over to pat her shoulder and pulls his hand back before he makes contact, "Sorry… And sorry you had a bad day. Want to tell me about it?" He reaches out to take his beer and finish it off.
"Right well, I grew up in Wales by the water," Cooper explains, taking a drag of her cigarette. Interestingly enough, the woman lacks a Welsh accent. "I got caught by a tide when I was swimming one day. And in the middle of my panicked attempt at escaping someone saved me. From that day forward, I could never go in too deep when I go swimming." She scratches her chin and watches Raff awkwardly retract his hand before continuing, "I guess my point is that I never stopped swimming, but I still do get rather spooked. Can't speak for all, but in terms of Jo perhaps that's what she's feeling. She doesn't seem to averse to…being around you. She's just a little spooked. I'm sure you can relate as to why." And with a warm smile, she reaches out to try and pat his shoulder instead. An act of kindness perhaps to make him feel more comfortable. "Mehh, it's nothing too terrible. Just a tiff with my boss. Doesn't like the way I file paperwork," she grins and then asks, "How was your day?"
Raff listens and his face goes through a range of emotions. He follows her line of emotions as well. "As far as that goes, I am in the same boat as her. I survived a werewolf attack." As he reaches to pull up a sleeve of his right arm and shows a scar in a half moon shape. "Here." He offers to her, "Is one of the bites. The other one got my leg." He smirks a bit, "I suppose she is better off than me. She survived the attack without the extra lovely prize." He pulls his sleeve down. "It's the bonus that makes life hard." He winks to her.
Cooper gets up from her lazy position in the chair to lean forward and get a better look at the marks. She winces a little, wanting to reach out and touch if it were really there. But just like his attempt at patting her shoulder, she too retracts her hand. "I've seen scars in my day but that looks right nasty," she sighs, her elbows on her knees while she rests her chin atop her hand. "Don't you worry Raff. Women fancy men with scars. It's manly I suppose." She smirks cutely at him though nods understandingly, "I bet it does. Though you said you were working to try a cure for it. How is that going?"
Raff licks at his lips a little, "Not too well. I work pretty much by myself and behind a locked door in case something back fires. We know very little about my world and how someone like me works." He gives a little smile, "I don't look too much for romance. Too scared of it."
Cooper bites her lip, brows furrowing in such a disapproving way at the method. "And that's it? Just locked up? That's dangerous for you isn't it? You keep a mad dog in a cage, he'll hurt himself trying to escape….," she frowns. "Is that your job then? Is that what you spend your day doing?"
Raff shrugs, "It is my part in life." He speaks and looks to his empty beer glass, "It's not likely that something will happen with my work. It's just security." He looks to Cooper, "Like I said before, most of the world thinks I am ready to just explode at any time." He smirks a bit, "But as far as the once a month lock up, those times I do hurt myself."
"You're telling me that when I parted ways with you this morning that's what you did subsequently after?" Cooper can hardly swallow the idea down. "I'm sorry, it just discomforts me to think you go to work to be a test subject." Clearly she's never encountered such a beast before. "So what happens then? When you hurt yourself after your monthly transformation?"
Raff shrugs, "I go back to work and life." He looks to Cooper and shakes his head, "I do this work because I want to do this work. I study the wolf. I study the animal and how it rages. I try and figure out how we can put the brain of the human into the body of the wolf. When I turn… It's hard to remember anything. I want to remember. I want to know what I do so that I can try and stop it. It's my own choice for the research as it keeps in my thoughts no matter what."
Cooper presses her lips together, not having anymore to say in response to it. She can't argue with that. The smoke of her cigarette drifts lazily, indicating that it's coming to its end. And she puts it own on a nearby ash tray. "If that's truly the case then…," she sighs but curves her mouth into another warm smile, "Your Monday was truly worse than mine. Let me get you another beer and let us enjoy the lack of stares and jeers, shall we?"
Raff gives a bit of a smile, "But you see… If my work, well, works. I can prove to people that we can control that animal inside of us. That we have the power to make it step back and we can think while in the wolf. So that we can control that beast…" And his voice softens from the excitement that it was getting and he looks to her eyes, "If we can control it… Then we can be human again. As much as we can be, that is." And he smiles, "Sorry. I was always fascinated with the wolf, even up until I became one. Now, I seek to find a way for the two halves to live together in the one body without the rage and pain."
And that warm smile of Cooper's only grows warmer as she watches him talk. Silently, she observes the look in his eye and the tone of his voice as he speaks. And she must admit, she's pleasantly impressed by it all. Waiting a moment after he finishes, she internalizes what he says and then while a nod replies, "I think you'll get it, Mr. Mingan. No one can be that passionate and not see any fruit to their labor." The words come as if she understands it personally. "Now let me get you another drink."