| Details for Flowers for the Sick |
| Summary: | After the disasters business is booming in St. Mungos Gift Shop. |
| Date: | July 29th 1939 |
| Location: | London - St. Mungos - Gift Shop |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Briar is behind her little florist station tucked off in the corner of the Gift Shop. It's been quite a busy time for the young lady with all of the injuries coming in due to the attacks happening. She is looking a bit worn down and with the shop being at least momentarily free of customers she is sitting on the floor rubbing her feet which she's bared with her shoes and socks placed next to her.
When Oscar initially made his way into the room, he was looking somewhat ragged himself, not really tired, or overworked, just ragged like he'd been run down the street a few times strapped to the back of a truck. From the moment he laid eyes on the somewhat overworked Briar his eyes practically lighted up. For most of the break he had been working at his parents shop trying to pay off the log cabin he had rented without their permission or knowledge for a girl who had decided to leave for a completely different school just that year, so for him just seeing his former school chum, and fellow mudclub member was one of the highlights of his summer.
Kaiden hasn't been much of his usual man-about-town self in the last few weeks, but for some reason he's chosen to stop by the gift shop on this particular day. A small, green thermos is hanging from its handle in his hand as he steps into the shop, his eyes moving around before they finally settle on Briar, who gets a wave from his free hand.
Briar scrambles to get her shoes back on, skipping the socks for speed when the little 'we have customers' ding goes off when people start to come in agian. Well it was a lovely four minute break! She blinks a moment to see who it is that has come in and for a split second tries to make herself more presentable in her floral summer dress. "Oscar, Kaiden!" Kaidens name is said with a bit more surprise than Oscars. "I hope every thing is alright?" Concerned that they or someone they care about is hurt or sick.
With a small smile Oscar made his way to the counter fumbling around for a few wizarding coins from his pocket, with a pair of lightly scarred hands that it seems have been allowed to heal naturally instead of by way of magic. It was only after placing the coins down onto the table that Oscar finally notices the rather striking Kaiden who had come in just behind the boy, making him feel slightly less confident about himself, while keeping a cheerfull face.
Kaiden gestures the thermos towards Briar and says, "I heard about what happened and I figured you might be a little overworked, so I brought you some tea." He offers her a smile and moves to hand it over to her, relaying a simple nod of his head to Oscar, "How are you, bud?"
Hephaesta had spotted her cousin Kaiden heading into the gift shop, and was about to wave to him, but a moment too late. Well, she was headed that way anyhow, so she made her way along to follow, returning a smile from a passing Healer. Phae was fairly well known at the hospital, both for her own care here, and for her frequent visits to her grandfather in the Long-Term Residence Ward. She enters to the sound of the door chime, and the distinctive click, whirr, click, whirr of her clockwork leg brace.
Briar prefers coffee, good ol Murican coffee! But the gesture from Kaiden has her giving a grateful if a tiny touch surprised smile to her Ex. "Thanks Kaid. That's really sweet." She does really truly try to keep the surprise out of her voice that he's done something sweet. Then she spots Phae over Kaiden's shoulder and assumes that Kaiden got coaching from his cousin. Phae is given a bright warm smile. "The usual for Grandpa?" The money from Oscar is glanced at, "What can I do for you Oscar?"
"Just stopping by on my way to pick up an order of Angelica archangelica, and figured I should buy something while I'm here" A small smile on his face as he speaks, with the occasional glance to the various flowers that are set up abound, he almost seems to forget for a moment that he was spoken to before saying "I'm doing pretty good"
Kaiden smiles and shakes his head at Briar, "It's no problem. I was in the neighborhood, anyway." He looks around shadily and asks, "So…have you heard the news?" Before he spills the beans, he turns around, beckoned by the familiar sounds of the Phae leg and the boy offers her a smile, saying "Hey there, Phae. It's been a while. You enjoying your summer?" He smiles at Oscar and says, "Good." Seems he's in a friendly mood today.
Hephaesta nods with a pursed smile to Briar. "Yes, irises please. He loved the last ones. He said they looked just like the ones Grandmama used to grow." She gives Oscar and Kaiden a little finger wave of greeting, her eyes lingering a bit on Kaiden. She's never been too sure how things stand with him, ever since a certain girl came between them. But his warm greeting bring a widened smile of relief. "I am, Kaiden, thank you. I've been able to spent a lot of time here visiting Grandad."
The door to the floor shop rings as little Madeline steps in - a man in a muggle coat and pants following after her. She has a bounce to her step and a smile on her features as she moves around the shop, studying the flowers. She gets distracted, however, when she spots the other students. "Oh - that's Archie's big sister, I think! I told you about Archie, da', you remember? And there's my friend Oscar! I didn't think to run into either of them, here."
Briar eyes Oscar a bit oddly. "Oookay. Let me know what you've decided on. Kay?" She gives him a strange smile and then unscrews the cap on the tea she was brought. "Your Evil Twin was no where near in the preparation of this, was she?" Getting poisoned is not on her things to do list. "What news? Lots of news going around." To Phae's comment about the reaction her grandpa had to the flowers she arranged almost makes her a bit misty eyed. This is why she does this job! "Is there maybe a song, their song maybe? I can 'train' the iris to sing it on command for him. Do you think he would like that, or make him too sad?"
Denny makes his way over towards a small display of flowers smiling at the variety of flowers on display, before finally noticing Madeline, having not really been paying much attention to his surroundings. He grabs a small rather unimpressive looking flower from the arrangement, by the pot, and places it atop the counter beside the small selection of coins. With a small somewhat forced smile Oscar makes sure to carefully count out the coins.
Oscar makes his way over towards a small display of flowers smiling at the variety of flowers on display, before finally noticing Madeline, having not really been paying much attention to his surroundings. He grabs a small rather unimpressive looking flower from the arrangement, by the pot, and places it atop the counter beside the small selection of coins. With a small somewhat forced smile Oscar makes sure to carefully count out the coins.
"A song? Oh…I don't know. But I'll ask him today, and maybe next time?" Hephaesta perks at the mention of her little brother's name. She turns to see Madeline, smiling. "You know Archie? Yes…of course, I think I've seen you in his company at Hogwarts. Hello, I'm Hephaesta Mulciber." She limps toward Madeline and the man, and offers her hand in greeting to each of them in turn.
"She just poured a vial of something into it. I didn't see what. Probably just a little sugar or something," Kaiden remarks with a grin to Briar as he leans against the counter, smiling warmly to the new arrivals. He looks around for a moment and takes a deep breath before murmuring offhandedly, with the biggest smile his face will allow, "I'm going to be playing for the Arrows."
Madeline happily shakes Hephaesta's hand. "Of course I know him! We were both firsties together - but now we're second years! This is my dad, Cecil Evans. We came to visit my uncle Perry. We read the healers found a cure! Isn't that wonderful?" she says with good cheer, shaking the older student's hand enthusiastically.
Cecil's greeting is much more sedate. "A pleasure, Miss Mulciber," he greets her.
Briar pokes Kaiden in his 'third eye' on his forehead and gives him a playful squint. She suspiciously sniffs at the tea as she scoops Oscar's money away for the flower he selected and places it into the money till. "Thanks Oscar. That's a sweet little flower." Briar finds beauty in every twig, bud and bit of flora. Even the simple little ones. Then Kaiden gives his news and she gawks at him, "Get the fuck out!" She winces and immediately apologizes genuinely towards Maddie's dad and Maddie as she is quickly going around the counter to tackle Kaiden in a congratulatory hug! "I told you, you could do it!"
Hephaesta nods to Madeline, without a clue what she's talking about. "That's fantastic, Evans," she agrees. But her get-to-know-you moment with Madeline and her father is interrupted by vulgarity. Phae gasps, turning back to stare in shock at Briar. Did she really just say that? She quickly collects herself, and puts on as British a front as she can in the face of that American crudity, and promptly ignores it as if it didn't happen. "What…what could Kaiden do?"
Kaiden chuckles wildly as he is tackled by Briar, lifting her and spinning around a bit. He chuckles sets her down and brushes some hair from his face, "You did, didn't you? Never listened to you much." He grins at her and slips his arms from around her, his eyes moving to rest on Hesphaesta, he speaks with a laugh to her and everyone else in the room, "I'm going to be playing for the Arrows."
The sudden expletive makes Madeline gape in surprise, before bursting into giggles. Cecil gives Briar a stern look - which he then transfers to Madeline as she laughs, stiffling her amusement.
"The Arrows are a Quidditch team," Madeline translates for her father. "I told you about Quidditch, you remember?" After Cecil confirms with a nod, she turns a curious look back to Kaiden. "Oh! I remember you now! Your sister's the ice-" She cuts off abruptly, and quite litterally slaps her hand over her mouth.
No. Maddie doesn't have a good poker face.
"The Ice Queen" Oscar finishes taking hold of the rather puny looking plant cradling it under one arm so that if anything happens it doesn't break violently. He offers a rather small smirk, tucking back away his change inside of his pocket, a small bit of dirt from the pot falling onto his rather nice grey shirt.
"Oh, Kaiden that's wonderful!" Hephaesta will latch onto anything that can help put the past behind them. "Congratulations." Madeline's slip could be forgiven, but Oscar finishing it earns a disapproving frown. "Ria is not an ice queen. That's a horrible thing to say. She simply has…well…strict standards that she lives by, and that's admirable."
Briar gives Kaiden's cheek a kiss just as she gives him a gentle slug to the tummy. "No, you didn't." She grumbles in good nature before she grins to the new Arrows Player. Then she gives Cecil another sheepish and apologetic look as she hurries back behind her small counter and starts to prepare a few irises for Grandpa Mulciber. Her tone is gentle and apologetic as well to Phae as she must disagree as she passes over the flowers to the girl. "When her standards include bigotry, dark magic and cruelty to others… I think Ice Queen is rather one of the nicer ways of putting her. But enough about her, don't want to ruin Kaiden's news." Her apologetic smile is aimed now at Kaiden. "So when do you start? Didn't they lose? I've not been keeping track, I will have to start now."
Kaiden cackles loudly at Madeline's antics and nods knowingly to her, "Yes, little one; my sister is the Ice Queen." He grins at her, assuring the girl that he's not going to blow up in her face over the remark. He 'ooof's slightly at Briar's punch and says, "Yeah, we're out of the season, now, but I'm going to start training with the other recruits soon. It's pretty exciting stuff."
Madeline still looks sheepish as she lowers her hand from her mouth, a little color creeping onto her cheeks. "And you helped me out - when Black was being so horrid at that party," she adds. "Thanks again, for that. Adam always said you were so very nice. I bet he's going to miss having you in his house, this year! I'll tell him you made the team, though! He'll like that. He's into Quidditch a loooooot more than I am," she blathers out all in one breath."
Cecil looks like he's well used to his daughter's exhuberene and just leaves her to it, while he tries to pick a bouquet of flowers.
Hephaesta's disapproval turns to outright shock and dismay when Briar utters even dirtier words: Dark magic. For a moment she is speechless, and teetering on the edge of an outburst. But she manages a deep breath, gathering herself once again and adopting a stiff upper lip. "Your accusations are ill-informed and offensive. I shall not be buying anything from you today, and your superior will hear about this." She turns to go, pausing on Kaiden for a moment. "I'm shocked that you would allow her to speak of your sister like that. Dark magic, indeed." Tucking her purse away in her robes, she hobbles toward the door, murmuring an apologetic, "Excuse me," as she passes Cecil and Madeline.
Oscar shoves a hand down back inside of his pocket sighing quietly before saying "I'm sorry for bringing up she who shan't be named in polite conversation," Over in the girls direction as she goes to leave, unsure if poking the bear was really the right thing to do, even going so far as to ask this silent question of the small plant in the crux of his arm.
Briar smirks, rather unphased by Phae's reaction and threat of informing her superior. "I've got information you obviously don't Phae. I understand you are trying to protect your family, I respect that. I'm sorry if I felt enough regard for you to try and open up your eyes to your cousin's true nature. I won't try to do it any more. Here, for Grandpa, on me." She waves the irises about like an offering of peace. "As for Kaiden, don't bring him into this, he's on cloud nine, deserves to stay there and has done plenty of defending in his time as my friend." She takes a step back to smile to Cecil and give a bit of advice on another bouquet and quotes the price of it before offering to make him a custom made one.
Kaiden shakes his head at Hephaesta's exit and just turns to smile once again at Madeline, "You tell Adam that I'll save him a spot on the bench right next to me for whatever games he can make it to." He slips his hands in his pockets and looks over to Briar as she attempts to smooth things over with Phae, refraining from comment at the moment.
"Get something Ravenclawy, dad!" Madeline calls 'helpfully,' causing her father to shake his head slightly.
"Do you have anything 'Ravenclawy'?" he asks in a dry tone. Her voice is a bit gravely - more than usual, certainly.
"Oh, gosh, he'd like that!" Madeline answers Kaiden brightly. "I'll tell him that, thanks!" She glances at Briar for a moment, then back at Kaiden as she asks more solemnly "She isn't right, is she? I mean… Your sister wouldn't really do /that/ kind of magic…" Would she? She /was/ pretty mean to poor Adam…
Hephaesta glances back at Briar's offer, and turns her nose up in disapproval. "It was not I that turned the conversation nasty. Some people, it seems, cannot keep their rude opinions to themselves. Good day." Naturally, her tone does not suggest she wishes a good day in the slightest. With that said, she pushes her way out the door, leaving as she came — to the sound of a chime, and a click, whirr, click, whirr.
Briar smiles and nods to Cecil and then goes to put something together that has blue irises in it, the yellow 'tongues' are stroked with her wand and they turn more into a bronze color. Then some decorative pods that naturally have a bronze tone to them are added to the bouquet. Other blue hued flowers are added and then a bronze eagle is quickly sketched in bronze on Ravenclaw Blue paper before it's all wrapped up and offered to Cecil with a very fair price given. Taking a bit off the price even as further apology for her language earlier. Kaiden is then given a quick whisper, "Could you talk to her please before she gets me fired?" As for Maddie's question, "We all know Ria was the driving force in the Hogwarts Magijugend. The same 'club' that injured and killed a member of our School when they visited Durmstrang for the Triwizard Tournament. I think it's ---- " She obviously edits her language. "ridiculus that that was forgotten about when the Hogwarts Branch was opened. Who know what Flint was teaching them in their private little meetings. They sure as --- couldn't talk about it for fear of their wands getting snapped in half."
"I don't know, little Madeline. My sister hardly ever bothers me with her affairs," Kaiden says with a smile before continuing, "I can tell you one thing, though; you don't have to worry a hair on that head of yours, because I'm a big, bad Arrows beater and I'm on your side." He grins warmly at the girl before Briar whispers to him. He offers a nod to her and a comforting pat on the arm, "Hey, Tiger? Just try not to think about it, yeah?"
Cecil doesn't seem to mind the somewhat botched arrangement - he was only getting the flowers at Madeline's insistance. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out some of Madeline's wizarding money, and staring at it with bafflement.
Madeline splits her attention between Briar and Kaiden - right up to the point where Briar matches wands being snapped. At that moment, she earns the girl's full attention as she all but pounces the woman. "What do you mean, snapped in half? Why would that happen?" she asks with eager intensity. Wait until she talks to Rena…!
"What is this about a student being killed?" Cecil asks a bit severely, frowning at his daughter, who seems to have breezed right over that point.
Briar actually blushes a little when he calls her Tiger. It's been a long while (at least it feels that way) since he's called her that. She nods in return and takes a deep breath. It's then that she spots the bouquet of Cecil's and frowns. "I deserve to get fired for making that thing." Then it's expaination time. "You ever noticed the bands around the Magijugend's wands? Ever notice that after he quit the Magijugend that Lucian got himself a different wand? I'm sure that ring…or more like collar does something to a wand if a member does something against the club, or something. Breaks it at the collar probably as punishment. It's ---- crazy." To Cecil she tries to assure. "It was before Maddie came to Hogwarts. The three sister schools of Hogwarts, Beaubatons - which is in France and Durmstrang - which is in Norway and isn't shy with teaching dark magic. It's where the Magijugend started. Durmstrang also closed their doors to Muggle-Borns and kicked out anyone that was one at the school. They didn't appreciate that the Champion from Beauxbatons was a Muggle-Born and that a lot of the entourage from Hogwarts were also not pure-bloods. So a bunch of Durmstrang Magijugend came into their dorm and demanded they hand over Beau, said muggle-born champion. When the Hogwarts people told them to ---- go away. The Majijugend started attacking them. They barely made it to the port key back to Hogwarts and Leander, the Hogwarts Champion got a killing curse. So you can see, the Magijugend isn't some happy go lucky little club."
Kaiden quirks his lip and says, "Poor Leander." He sighs softly and pockets his hands looking over to Briar, "Hey, I've got to run. You want to do coffee some time? Great." He grins and waves to Madeline, "You keep Adam in line, yeah?" With that, the young man slips out of the door, off to no doubt share his news with others.
Oscar looks like he's about to say something to Kaiden, before he scatters instead simply looking back over towards the walls of plants, pursing his lips together in thought, and pulling the hand out of his pocket. "Gotta be something done about it" he says quietly to himself, running the scarred hand across the leaves of a nearby flower.
"Could just be that Lucian broke his wand somehow else," Madeline muses. But Briar was talking about exactly what Rena told her to find out about! She's going to have to send Rena another message! If she sends her a drawing of a flower and asks to meet in Hogsmeade, that'd work, right?
"From Madeline's complaints about it, it didn't sound like a happy go lucky little club," Cecil responds, frowning slightly. And that 'Auror' had had his little girl /investigating/ them. Did he really want her to go back to that school?
"Come on, dad, let's go see Uncle Perry now!" Madeline urges her father. After Briar has helped him sort out the payment for the flowers, he picks them up and follows his little girl out. "See you later, Oscar!" she adds.
"Yeah… Later" Oscar says offering a polite nod towards Madeline adjusting his grip on the small potted plant. He rubs the back of his head for a few moments trying to think if he wants to say what's on his mind before everyone leaves, but instead just closes his mouth back shut, looking at the wide array of flowers.