FIRST TIME | open

[camden collins]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320px; height: 330px;] it feels like the first time, LET IT SET YOU FREE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW

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Camden, a young woman of only twenty two, locked up the shop she had just purchased. She was seriously in debt now that she had decided to take up ownership, but the sore feet and exhausted fingers made for a very satisfying day. Opening day was just around the corner and she was hoping to get the finishing touches on her shop done by the end of the week. It was only a matter of time before she out sold everyone there was in the village, and she knew that students would absolutely love her giveaways and various other goodies! She loved the idea of her job, and already she hoped things would be paying off. When she purchased the shop, it had become run down with age and the lack of maintenance given by the previous owner, Mr. Lescott. Cammie felt it needed a fresh coat of paint and some happier atmosphere to make it more fun. After all, it had to compete with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, and most shops that went up against it crumbled. But thankfully, the Weasley twins hadn't yet expanded to Paris, so this was her turf (thus far). But she had spoken with the Weasley twins and they had agreed that she was going to do a rather good job. The twins were getting older now, so she was hoping that perhaps they'd consider giving her some more tips on business, but of course she'd have to wait for the return owl.

She smiled as she flung her leather jacket over her shoulders. She was beginning to feel a slight chill in the air, as it was getting later in the year. She checked the clock on her wall in through the window and saw it was nearly nine. Perhaps she could go for a pint, or something - mingle with her fellow village goers. Maybe even meet a potential student or employee! She smiled at the idea, her bright white teeth shining against her glossy lips. She hugged the jacket around her torso and made a beeline for the warmth of one of the little pubs. She smiled as she entered, immediately greeted by a little more warmth. She wandered and weaved as the crowds were rather thick, until she found a place at the bar and took a seat, shaking out her long tresses behind her back and picking up one of the little menus. She felt it time to explore outside of the wizarding realm a little, so she found herself outside the confines of the Rue de Paradis and out in the muggle world. Perhaps she could make a few acquaintances and see how the other half lived. She smiled as she scanned the menu, curious at what some of these mysterious droughts could be, and selected one, feeling adventurous. She smiled when it approached her and brought out her wallet and small stash of muggle money before the bartender waved the money away. Confused, she furrowed her brow until it was understood that her drink had been paid for. She smirked and looked down the bar at a rather handsome dark haired gentleman. She waved her thanks and took a sip. Guh! she grimaced. Definitely not firewhisky.

She hid her disgust behind a hand and looked around. Now she was wondering if the venture had possibly been a mistake. Perhaps she ought to have stuck with the familiar. The Grub Pub, although sometimes full of some interesting characters, was always a welcome choice to welcome her home. She sighed and leaned a head on her hand. She had to at least stick it through the drink, right? She sighed and ran a hand through her hair before she brought out a nice well-worn book and flipped through the pages until she found her dog eared spot. She lay it flat on the ground and began to skim the pages, occasionally looking up and around her to see if anyone she knew was around. Maybe even a familiar face passing along the street would be nice, as she kind of missed the comfort of the wizarding world.

TAGGED: open
NOTES: any takers for camden's weirdness?

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[marcus dúbhshláine]

i’m a war, of head versus heart,
and it’s always this way.

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 390px; height: 430px; -moz-border-radius: 10px 0px 10px 0px; border-radius:20px 0px 20px 0px; opacity: 0.8;] It was an odd feeling, boredom. It was so odd that Marcus wasn't sure it was anything he'd ever felt before. Maybe he'd caught it like one catches a cold. Like it was a virus that required only one kind of cure. The only thing Marcus was sure of was the fact that he did not like it. How other could live quiet lives he never knew. Sitting by their fireplaces, placing chess and reading sonnets from a decade-old Shakespeare book was something that would never sound appealing to the young man. He didn't necessarily go looking for danger, that was just plain stupid, but it wasn't as if he was ready to live a life of consistent repose. Not at all. It was with a heavy, agitated sigh that Marcus shot up from his chair, startling a gaggling bunch of girls nearest him. They scoffed as he began to pace around the common room, rubbing the dark stubble creeping over his chin. What to do, what to do. It wasn't the weekend so leaving the seemed out of the question. No, it was entirely irresponsible not to mention completely against the rules. It was the thought of a little rule breaking that made his right eyebrow perk up in interest. He ran a rough hand over his equally as rough face before nodding once. It couldn't hurt to have a little fun. After all it had been three days since his last attempt at trouble, a world record for him. Jumping two steps at a time, making sure to steer clear of any reproachful eyes, Marcus made his way towards the courtyard. He darted around quickly, breaking out in a sweat as he attempted to slyly abvoid all passerby. He spoke to no one, afraid they might stop her to partake in silly conversation. Marcus was on a mission now and it was not to be disturbed. Finally his reached the edge of the school where the path to the large town began. It was easier for him to walk then attempt to use the fireplaces. He would easily be detected if he'd tried his hand a shouting out loud a place he wasn't supposed to be. Pulling at the dark gray shirt that clung to his skin, Marcus took deep breaths in order to collect himself. Patting his pocket his checked that his money sat securely tucked away before setting off. Witches and wizards buzzed around the shops, giving no notice to the unfamiliar boy wandering around. Mostly because Marcus didn't look like a boy. In fact he looked older than he actually was. His stubble and mature looks would never betray him the way his actual age would. However, his boyish excitement and teenage immaturity almost blew his cover as Marcus stepped on to the cobbled streets. He'd never been in a place such as this one. People shouted out to each other drunk with passion and humor. Women batted their eyelashes at strong and intoxicated men that wolf whistled as they passed. Shop doors stood open as bodies shuffled in and out, entering empty handed and leaving with half their weight in purchases. He was in awe of it all until something caught his eye. A joke shop. Even standing far away, he could tell that it was certainly something grand. Although lights flickered in the large windows there didn't seem to be anything happening inside. His spirit sagged a little but he made a mental note to return as soon as it opened. Moving on down the street, his eyes lingered on the shop door for a little longer. Giving out another sigh, his stuffed his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans. Fingering the frayed edge of his wallet Marcus felt the wash of boredom wash over his. Dread flooded his body. His eyes next fell on the propped open door and he didn't hesitate once. The chill of the air began to sink in and he wanted to escape the feeling his was beginning to have again. Running a hand through his wind-tossed hair Marcus realized it was a pub. It was relatively cozy and offered a nice feel to a person but Marcus didn't care at that moment. He'd just spotted an opening at the bar where a tall man with dark hair had just left. Quickly, he hustled towards the seat, landing with triumph on the cushion. Grinning his crooked grin, he was greeted just as fast by the perky waitress behind the bar. "What can I get you, love?" she asked him, smile matching his own. Yes, she had no idea that he was a young student breaking curfew. He'd have to thank his parents later, or maybe not at all now that he thought about it. Yeah. Definitely a bad idea. Wanting to play it safe, he stuck to a large water. He was all into bending, and perhaps breaking, a rule or two but drinking has never been his thing. His water came soon after and his sipped it, keeping to himself and wondering what else he could with his newly acquired free time. + tagged. open, camden + notes. got kind of carried away xD hope you don't mind! + words. 857

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[camden collins]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320px; height: 330px;] it feels like the first time, LET IT SET YOU FREE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW

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The golden brew was something otherworldly. And gross, she noted. She pushed it away from her uncomfortably, but not quite ready to give it up yet. Every sip got a little better, but it was still dreadful. She glanced down the bar at the man who had bought her the drink. It seemed as though he hadn't taken his eyes off her. She offered yet another weak smile and he turned away to his companion again. She propped her head up on her elbows as she glanced around towards the entrance when she heard someone come in. It was another man, although he seemed a little younger than most, and had a look of slight confusion or... well, she wasn't sure where to place it to be honest. She brushed it off with a glance of her bright blue eyes, before she got drawn to his appearance. He was just her type, but she didn't know that yet. Besides, she was too fixated and determined to finish this beverage she didn't notice much else going on around her and resorted to bringing out her more childish side.

The young woman couldn't help but let some habits die hard. She swung her legs back and forth under her bar stool, looking around with wide eyes - very much interested in her surroundings. Muggles seemed very similar to wizards and witches, although their actions and appearance would easily give away their allegiance. Cam tucked some hair behind her ear as she took another sip of the dreadful beverage. She made countless mental notes to herself to never have this again. She sighed and looked around curiously once again. Something about people watching calmed her inside. Or was that the golden potion she had allowed into her system? One could never be sure. But as soon as another sip was taken in through her lips, yet another grimace appeared on her face. She coughed a couple times to hide it as she knew she brought a little attention to herself. She honestly didn't think she was all that pretty, nor did she really enjoy the attention all that much. That was her in her youth - the pretty blonde girl who happened to have a real knack at the things that mattered (or didn't matter, depending on how you saw it). But at this point, the attention she was getting from muggle men around her made her squirm slightly in her seat. She kind of wanted to get out of there, but wasn't sure about certain customs or anything. As though on cue, the man who had bought her the drink seemed to have slithered over from the other side of the bar and glued himself to her side. A hand slowly slid over her shoulders and she felt a shiver of discomfort dance down her arms to her fingertips. He cleared his throat and, in very clear French, asked if she had enjoyed her drink. Unfortunately, Camden's French wasn't quite up to par so she simply shrugged, unsure of how to respond. An awkward smile appeared on her lips as she fiddled with the arm of her jacket.

"Excuse me, please." she said finally, making an effort to get off her seat. Unfortunately, the fellow beside her wouldn't let her move. She glanced over at him, confused and wondered if this was what he did on a regular basis. She sent a confused, somewhat pleading, look to the bartender, but he was preoccupied with someone else. She felt his grip tighten slightly and she frowned, staring at his hand on her shoulder. This was not something she was happy with. But what was she to do? Had they been in a normal wizarding pub, she would have pulled out her wand and done some serious damage to the man (not that her wizarding skills were that amazing, but they were good enough to get her out of a few sticky situations) but she couldn't well expose this whole muggle pub to wizardry, could she? She sat there, frozen to her seat, wondering how on earth she was going to get herself out of his mess. It wasn't a position she was familiar with and the little pricks of fear being instilled in the back of her mind were more prominent now than ever.

TAGGED: marcus & open
NOTES: such a crummy post, sorry love ♥

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[marcus dúbhshláine]

i’m a war, of head versus heart,
and it’s always this way.

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 390px;] Tapping a finger on the side of his temple Marcus wondered if this was what adults did in France. It seemed pretty boring to him if he was honest. There was music playing but no one was dancing, people were drinking but there wasn't any bursts of laughter and the only thing he wanted to do was leave. He figured it was one of those quiet type of places, the very thing he was trying not to be a part of. He'd come looking for excitement and had ended up sipping water in a quiet corner. Sighing he chucked down the rest of his water and slipped from the stool. The night had proved to be nothing at all and his rule breaking had seriously been for nothing. Setting the muggle money on the counter Marcus shrugged black coat back on, flicking the collar up against his ears. As with most of the cooler months the nights had begun to chill a person though. Winking at the waitress, he pocketed the napkin holding her number, a first for him, and made his way to the door. It was then he saw a rather suspicious looking scene. A blonde woman, slightly older than him was sitting nearest the door. It was the same one he'd seen when he had entered the pub but now she was in the clutches of some man. The man, he recognized after a few minutes, had been the one that'd given up his seat and now Marcus knew why. Slowly his walk he stared at the pair, interested until he got to the door. He didn't know why but the scene gave him an ill type of feeling. The man looked nothing like the friendly sort, his lip curled in what he apparently thought was his award-winning smile. It was obvious that he didn't get what being creepy was and wasn't. Scratching at his chin Marcus wondered if he should go over but changed his mind at the last minute. He was already sure someone had figured out her was gone and didn't need to drag himself into anyone else's problems. Pulling open the glass door he stepped outside, taking in the sharp air. His lungs expanded and he felt grateful that no alcohol was coursing through his body. Trekking uphill in his state would have been murder. The scene he had seen however kept niggling at the back of his mind. He took another three steps before he found himself shoving his way back into the now flooded place. More people had joined into the fun and things had begun to pick up as the night went on. Moving like flowing water through the crowd, he made his way over towards the man and woman. Sticking his hand in between the face of the two beings his crooked grin spread across his face. "There you are." He said to the blonde, "I didn't see you so I was about to head back home."Turning towards the man he looked him over once, smile still cracking his face. Clapping a hand sharply onto the shoulder of the older man he nodded once. "Thanks chap. I'll take things over from here." The man simply looked from her to Marcus, his eyes questioning. He must have asked Marcus a question but what it was he had no idea. The man spoke entirely in french, which made sense, but Marcus spoke not a word of the language so whatever had been said was lost on the young irishman. "Run along now." He said thickening his own accent on purpose and titling his head in a nod. Taking the hand of the girl and made his way towards the door and pulled her close speaking clearly into her ear, "In about five seconds you're going to want to run." It was then that he pulled a wallet from his from pocket, admiring it in the dimmed lighting "Because then he'll realized this is gone." Tucking the wallet away again they barely missed the man's grunt of pure rage before they fled into the night. + tagged. open, camden + notes. had to add some of his mischief in there lol and had to edit it xD + words. 684

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[camden collins]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 320px; height: 330px;] it feels like the first time, LET IT SET YOU FREE RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW

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Camden was just moments away from opening her lips and telling the man to please leave her alone, but before she could say anything another person seemed to have intercepted. She shot him a confused smile as he spoke. It was then clear to her what was happening and she couldn't help but smirk. The gentleman who had his hand clasped around her arm seemed to loosen his grip a bit which allowed Camden to slip out of his hold and massage her arm where he had held her. Some men just don't know how to flirt, Camden thought bitterly as the stranger continued on. This was where she managed to get a rather good look at him and then she pushed it out of her mind. He looked a little younger so there was the possibility he may be different from what he seemed, that much was obvious. She tucked some blonde strands behind her ear as she shot the dark haired man a satisfied smile, his dumbfounded look increasing by the use of the English language. Some Frenchmen understood French but apparently he was one of the few who didn't, which really looked in his favour. Camden couldn't help but laugh slightly as the stranger told him to run along, casually just clapping him on the back. She hadn't seen anyone act like that since... well, since her back at Hogwarts. She allowed him to clasp her hand and she got to her feet, picking up her bag as she went, and unexpectedly so the stranger approached her and whispered in her ear. The instructions were a little vague at first, running? No, that wasn't something Camden did on a regular basis. This wasn't going to be a fun experience. But then she spotted the black leather pouch slipping into his pocket and immediately she knew.

Moments after, it seemed as though he was correct. Camden began to move her legs with the stranger's at a brisk pace, weaving in and out through the throng of people just as she heard a bout of rage from the direction of the bar. She clapped a hand over her mouth to quiet the giggling that ensued, feeling rather young and childish around him. By the time both of them had made it out of the pub, Camden made a quick decision and grabbed the strangers hand again, bringing him around the corner into a side alley and behind one of the trash bins. She crouched behind and sure enough the dark haired man came out in a rage, looking around in his drunken state until he determined they must have gone towards the main street. She breathed a sigh of relief before standing up straight and dusting herself off. Despite the dim lighting she was still able to get a good view of the man's face. He looked to be about her age, perhaps a year or two younger, but she couldn't tell in the shadows. Regardless, she was able to get a clear view of his chiseled jawline and his messed up hair, and the healthly glow of someone who had just been hit with an adrenaline rush. She smirked and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I suppose you'd be expecting a thank you?" she asked curiously, cocking her head and shooting him a sly smile. There was something about his mischievousness that comforted her, reminding her of herself in a way. She had just had such a long day of renovations and shipment and of course, getting the shop itself ready. Perhaps she should go back there now. She lived right above the shop which made the area useful to her, but she could really use a glass of wine to get that awful aftertaste of whatever beer that was out of her mouth. But at this point, she wasn't sure if this man was a wizard or a muggle, so at this point her curiosity was piqued about who this person was. Regardless, she wasn't afraid of him, he didn't quite give off the aura that she ought to be. To be honest, he seemed quite nice.

TAGGED: marcus & open
NOTES: my muse is up, but my use of language is sooooo low ;_;

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[marcus dúbhshláine]

i’m a war, of head versus heart,
and it’s always this way.

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 390px;] Letting out a chuckle he eyed the woman in front of him with interest. Definitely older by the way she carried herself but that about it. No, from where he was standing she looked quiet young and entirely someone's type. Maybe his but there wasn't a time for that sort of thinking on his part. "And if I was? Would you give me one?" He asked her lifting an eyebrow. Leaning against the rugged brick wall he sighed heavily. "Better not though. Then all my return favors will be used up." Grinning cheekily Marcus stared at her openly, drinking in all of her appearance. It was such a strange thing for him, talking to a girl. Well, a woman in this case. The only type of interaction Marcus had ever had was with the girls back home and all they wanted was a man that could make them money. No one appreciated his art. Art as in ability to make top notch pranks. It really was remarkable talent Marcus though. "Yeah. Maybe i'll let you buy me a drink next time I come through here." Never mind that though, he was digressing and completely tuned out of the conversation. Running a hand through his hair again he approached his newest companion and grinned. "Now don't go depending on me to save you from every creep. I can only protect so many before I've got to return to real life." Laughing briefly he paused before reaching into his pocket and pulling the wallet from his pockets. He checked the contents before tossing it, everything still in place, towards her. "That's for you. He hadn't paid for whatever you were drinking and I think it's safe to say that he owes you." Nodding once he turned with the intention of leaving and peered around the corner. "Well I think it's alright now," he informed he, "I think we safely avoided Pepé Le Pew." The streets were still busy but the door to the pub had closed and no one was standing guard at the front so he was sure that no one could pick them out from the crowd. At least that's what he was putting his money on. He took only a few steps when a muggle police officer stepped onto the curb with the man stewing next to him. Things would have been fine if the crowd hadn't broken up and he hadn't have spotted Marcus sticking his head out from the alley way. "Damn. Muggles always need to bring them in don't they." Looking back at the woman, whose he still didn't know, he furrowed his brow. "Right." Was all he said before taking her hand again and leading her down the sidewalk until the hit the wizarding part of town, slowly down only when they'd hit the still buzzing shops. "Oh, and i'm Marcus by the way." + tagged. open, camden + notes. merrr. hopefully i don't have any errors. BUT OH WELL IF I DO. we're friends so we're cool about dis B) + words. 479

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