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Post by Kit Cunningham on May 7, 2009 21:57:38 GMT -5
Kit's first day had been a series of ups and downs, mostly downs. OK, she had a partner and an assignment, and her partner was nice enough. He was even pretty cute. But aside from her partner, everyone else in the office hated her. All because of her own crappy timing and big mouth.
Really, couldn't someone have mentioned that a member of the department had died? She shouldn't have blundered her way in there and opened up her mouth like that, and she wouldn't have if she had been properly warned. OK... maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut, or at least tried to say something that was a little more... subtle. But that was Kit, she was never subtle. Usually she didn't care if people didn't like her, but it was the first day and everyone hated her. Just after she'd been shipped off to England for offending her boss back home.
After leaving the Ministry, Kit went to the town of Hogsmeade, just to check the place out. She hadn't been there before, so she took the Knight Bus--they had a similar thing in America, so she was familiar with it.
After wandering around a bit, she spotted a tiny, out of the way little bar and decided to stop in for a drink. She walked into the place and heard an elderly witch warbling in the corner to what sounded like Stairway to Heaven. Kit shuddered in horror and nearly walked out. But other than the karaoke, she kind of liked the place. Instead of having the feel of an English pub, it felt like an ordinary American bar. With a shrug of her shoulders, she walked over to the bar and sat down, waiting to catch the barmaid's attention.
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Post by Nathalia Webb on May 7, 2009 22:18:17 GMT -5
Natalia was still pretty torn up over Roland's death. If she had issues letting people get emotionally close before, she was never going to now.
She wasn't her usual bubbly self, but she still put on a smile for the customers, especially after Stu tried making her go home.
She noticed a blonde come up to the bar and assessed her quickly. "Bad day?" She asked. The girl just looked tired and a little beat down. "What's your poison?"
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Post by Kit Cunningham on May 7, 2009 22:26:20 GMT -5
Kit managed a smile at the pretty barmaid. Bartenders, in general, were among her favorite people in the world. They gave you drinks and listened to you talk, and were seldom offended by her bluntness. That was what she needed.
"Yeah, you could say that," she said, nodding. Her American accent was very apparent as she spoke. "I guess it just always sucks to be the new kid in town, you know? Can you give me something that'll get me drunk fast?"
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Post by Nathalia Webb on May 7, 2009 22:40:25 GMT -5
"Sweetheart, half the alcohol I have behind the bar could get you drunk pretty quickly," Nathalia said. "But if I had to guess, I would say you'd like something with a little burn as it goes down." She raised her eyebrows, questioning if she was right.
"New kid in town... you're obviously from the States. I recognize that accent," she smiled, trying to be friendly. "I spent about a year in New York recently. What brings you here?"
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Post by Kit Cunningham on May 7, 2009 22:50:36 GMT -5
Kit nodded. "Yeah, something that burns. Stronger than firewhiskey. I don't suppose you've got tequila? Most wizarding places don't carry it, even in America."
She almost laughed. It was so very British to refer to America as "the States" and she hadn't quite got used to it. She didn't know if she ever would. "And, yes... I am American. Born in California, but I've spent the last few years in Philly, working in the American Ministry. I ticked off the wrong people, and they sent me here to help out the British Ministry. I'm an Auror."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on May 7, 2009 23:10:22 GMT -5
"Tequila it is," Nathalia said, winking. "The only reason Stu carries it is because I practically had to beg him. What's a bar without Tequila, right?"
She poured Kit two shots, knowing she'd go through the first one quickly.
"I don't know if I should be offended that London is where they send the trouble makers," she said with a little laugh. "But trust me... it's not all bad here. Why don't you tell me what made your day so bad? Surely the Ministry wasn't so unfriendly?"
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Post by Kit Cunningham on May 7, 2009 23:26:25 GMT -5
"Perfect," Kit said, downing half of the shot in one gulp. She winced as the tequila burned its way down her throat, then smiled. "Thanks."
Then she sighed, still holding the shot glass in her hand. "It wasn't even the first time I've been relocated. I started in the California office, then they shipped me off to Chicago, then Philly. We have a bunch of different offices, because the country is so big."
She shook her head, figuring that the barmaid really didn't care about how things worked in American wizard politics. Hell, Kit didn't even really care, since she wasn't going to be part of it. "Anyway, apparently the British Ministry put out a call for help after some big attack... and the Americans sent me. Today was my first day... Unfortunately, no one told me that one of the other aurors just died in some fight or something, and now everyone hates me because it looks like I'm his replacement."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on May 7, 2009 23:35:10 GMT -5
"Right. Roland Ferrera." Nathalia frowned a little and sighed. "He was a friend of mine... and from what I hear, a lot of people respected him in the Auror office."
She sighed, leaning against the bar. "Are you really his replacement? It seems a little cold of the Department to replace him two days after he died. No offense, of course." But yes, she could see where this girl wouldn't have made a lot of friends today, especially if she was a replacement for Roland. No one replaced Roland.
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Post by Kit Cunningham on May 7, 2009 23:41:37 GMT -5
"You knew him, huh?" Kit said.
She felt a little wounded at hearing this, like she'd had a chance at having an ally in this and it was ripped away from her. Would she always be in this guy's shadow?
"He sounds like he was a hell of a guy. I swear, though, I'm not his replacement. I got the orders to come here three weeks ago. I'd have been here sooner, but I had to finish up my last assignment in Philly and it took longer than expected. So unless someone knew he was going to die three weeks ago, I'm definitely not his replacement. Just a victim of my own crappy timing."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jun 3, 2009 1:14:31 GMT -5
"Yeah," Nat said. "I knew him. Kind of feels like everyone around here knew him, which can't be easy on you."
She gave the other blonde a smile. She was definitely a victim of crappy timing, but there wasn't much she could do about it now.
"Well, there's a drink for being a victim of your own timing. There's a drink for everything, I've found. Roland was a hell of a guy... and I didn't know him for very long. But I'd bet you're a hell of a girl, too, and the Department will see that sooner or later. Don't be too down about it."
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Jun 3, 2009 1:51:39 GMT -5
Kit smiled and lifted her glass in the air in silent tribute to a man she'd never meet. "Well, if you gotta go, that's really the way to do it, isn't it?" she said. "Go out fighting, die a hero, leave a lot of people behind who will remember you. The guy sounds like a prince among men, and I'm almost jealous I didn't get to know him."
She took a sip from her drink, which was pretty strong. "Anyway, thanks. My problem is that I kind of have a big mouth, and it tends to get me into trouble. It already did... I don't know if I can get past it."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Jun 3, 2009 12:10:16 GMT -5
"He was a good guy... but apparently not without his enemies. But yeah... hell if I'm gonna go quietly in my sleep. I think a grand exit is more important than a grand entrance."
She smiled as Kit raised her glass. Nathalia was still hurting at the news of the loss, and she wished their was something she could do for his family. But what was there? Offer them free drinks? She sighed.
"Oh yeah? What happened?" She asked, leaning on the counter, ready to listen to Kit talk.
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Aug 7, 2009 15:20:28 GMT -5
(You know, I could have sworn I replied to this ages ago... )
Kit let out another sigh and drained the rest of her glass. "You know, I'm American, and I'm not really used to the British stiff-upper lip thing. I came into the Ministry, and everyone was acting all serious and quiet and... weird, you know? So, like, I walked into the Auror meeting and I just blurted out that it felt like a funeral home in there. It was really stupid, and if I'd had any clue that they were actually in mourning, I wouldn't have said it, but sometimes my mouth just opens without even thinking or asking questions. I feel really bad about it, his partner was sitting right there."
She slumped down, banging her head against the countertop. "One of these days, I'll learn to watch my mouth."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Aug 10, 2009 16:39:05 GMT -5
"We don't all have that stiff upper lip thing," Nathalia defended. "It's just that people in the Ministry tend to want to follow protocol and all of that. We actual like to have fun, too. We have to, with all the rain we get. We have to keep from being so down all the time."
She smiled almost supportively, and shrugged. "Things happen. I'm sure that no one holds a grudge anymore. Except maybe his partner... but you know how mourning goes. She probably just needed some other way to handle it, and you, unfortunately, showed up at the right time. It'll get better for you. Where are you from in the States? I spent a year or so in New York recently."
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Aug 11, 2009 0:39:52 GMT -5
Kit gave a sheepish smile. "Yeah, I'm starting to learn that, too. Actually, my first night here, I went out drinking, trying to get myself acquainted with the locals... like I'm doing now, and most of them were all pretty cool. But, yeah... I kind of expected everyone to be really stuffy at the Ministry. Which they were... but they had a reason to be."
She shrugged. "I somehow doubt there was anything I could have done today to keep his partner from hating me. I can't really blame her, anyway. I know I can be hard to take. I think it has to do with where I grew up... I grew up in California. I was taught to speak my mind. I actually fit in really well in my last assignment, in Philadelphia. I'll tell you, Philadelphians don't hold anything back. But hey, New York's cool. I've visited there a few times."
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Aug 18, 2009 13:47:56 GMT -5
"Well, I promise that I'm pretty cool," Nathalia said with a quiet but genuine laugh, showing off her pretty smile in the process. "Honestly, everyone I know in the Ministry is pretty cool, too. They're just going through a rough time right now, is all."
Nathalia listened well (it was part of her job afterall), but she was also intrigued by the animated way that Kit was talking. Nathalia would bet the girl could get pretty wild when she wanted to... and Nathalia liked the no holds bar, outspoken personality. "Yeah, New York was a trip. I'll probably go back sometime soon. But hey," she said, pouring each of them a shot. "To London, hm?"
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Aug 20, 2009 16:33:06 GMT -5
Kit grinned and picked up her shot glass, raising it up to clink against Nathalia's. "To London and new beginnings," she replied. Then she downed the contents of her glass in two quick gulps.
Setting her glass down, she looked at Nathalia a moment. She imagined a girl like nathalia was very popular in New York. She was pretty, and she had sort of a way about her, vaguely flirty, very open, like she would readily go along with almost anything.
"So... this karaoke thing," she said, nodding toward the stage. "You get a lot of takers on that? Or is that just for the really drunk?"
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Sept 1, 2009 2:01:09 GMT -5
Nathalia, after downing her own glass from the toast, looked over her shoulder at the stage, and then laughed.
"Oh, no. I've seen completely sober people get up there. It's kind of mandatory. On Friday nights, Stu usually works the bar with me, and he refuses to give customers a drink until they've sworn to sing a song before they leave. You should come here on a Friday night.... it is not an experience you will soon forget. In fact, I had to sing just to get a job here."
She smiled at Kit and narrowed her eyes. "Why? Are you a singer?"
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Sept 2, 2009 0:23:02 GMT -5
Kit let out a laugh. Like most other things about Kit, her laugh was boisterous and unrestrained. It rang out through the room. "It sure sounds like something to see," she said. "I'd love to hear you sing sometime."
She glanced again at the crudely built stage. It was empty for the time being, and it seemed almost a shame. It was practically begging for someone to step up and entertain the tens of people scattered around the bar.
"I wouldn't call myself a singer, but I've been known to belt out a song or two in my time," Kit replied with a grin. "So, tell me, what's your favorite song, and I'll sing it for you?"
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Post by Nathalia Webb on Sept 5, 2009 16:48:03 GMT -5
(Nat must have a thing for Aurors, lol...)
That laugh made Nat smile. She liked when other people were boisterious and unrestrained. It gave her something in common with them, and she just felt like no one should hide who they were. Kit certainly didn't, and it made Nat feel more comfortable around her.
"Oooh no. The only people who have heard me sing are Stu and the customers that were here the night I got hired, and we're going to keep it that way. I definitely do not sing. But I would definitely like you to dedicate a song to me."
She was flirting and she knew it, but it wasn't like the action wasn't being reciprocated. "I like anything by the Beatles."
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