lumos-caradoc

[lumos-caradoc]

The wizard was a curious sort, Caradoc thought - clearly interested in his cabinet of dubious legality, clever enough to not let more than professional curiosity shine through.

“Of course, good sir - if you’d follow me?” Caradoc spun on his heel, considering whether he should possibly be more cautious about aforementioned cabinet - but an Auror would never be as stand-offish as this wizard was.

"Ah, professional interest - now that I can get behind!" Caradoc said, maybe not as merrily as he would have had it been a return customer, but certainly not without cheer.

The way the wizard looked over his wares showed an eye for detail, and Caradoc could appreciate someone who looked at his curiosities in the same way Caradoc himself did.

"Profession is all I'd ask for, certainly when it's a profession such as that - a name, while appreciated so I'd know who to contact if other... interesting objects were to appear, it is not required." Caradoc shrugged, and with another swish of his wand set up the last of the street tables.

"For a discerning eye, there's a possibility there is an interesting cabinet I keep locked up tight."

[lumos-caradoc]

Caradoc looked away, unable to meet her gaze.

"I'm just me, 'Rora - nothing grand enough for the stars to worry about, am I?" He shrugged, not worried about how open he was with her - he trusted Aurora, had no reason not to.

Aurora was trying not to seem grumpy, not having had much sleep and she could appreciate how awake Caradoc was. The smile remains on her lips. "I usually open the shop later, but some requested to come this early, I'd normally still be sleeping." After spending her whole night out in the stars.

"Why wouldn't they care about you?" Her brows knit together. "That is a silly question to ask, Car."

[lumos-caradoc]

"I think it sounds absolutely disgusting," Caradoc replied, the sheer thought of dragon milk cheese almost making his stomach turn. "I'd love to try it!"

Honestly, when would he ever have the chance to try dragon milk cheese again?

"I regret to inform you - I'm sorry, did I catch your name? - I regret to inform you that I am incredibly boring, and vastly prefer my grilled cheeses plain and incredibly non-profile."

"They do. I was surprised too, but my friend told me about it after his last trip to the Dragon Reserve, so I'd asked him to bring me some next time so I could work with it. It is very fickle. End result is hit or miss." Greta still needed to experiment with it more to give a final opinion. "I have some made actually, if you'd like to try it?" It would give her an unbiased opinion.

"Oh that is a good choice. I like that. You should try adding multiple cheeses to your grilled cheese. Expands the flavor profile."

[lumos-caradoc]

"Oh, Aurora, don't you know? Morning is entirely depending on when you wake up, and I've been awake three hours already!" Caradoc said merrily, perhaps more so than he usually would. It was fun being awake, bright and early, when others weren't.

"Eh, I dunno - do you think the stars would care about little old me?"

It was nice to see Caradoc smile. "I will admit, you are too cheerful for this early in the morning. I will need at least three cups of coffee." Aurora teases. "You will have to come by the shop, let me read your stars for you. See if that mysterious witch is going to show up in your life."

[lumos-caradoc]

"Ah, professional interest - now that I can get behind!" Caradoc said, maybe not as merrily as he would have had it been a return customer, but certainly not without cheer.

The way the wizard looked over his wares showed an eye for detail, and Caradoc could appreciate someone who looked at his curiosities in the same way Caradoc himself did.

"Profession is all I'd ask for, certainly when it's a profession such as that - a name, while appreciated so I'd know who to contact if other... interesting objects were to appear, it is not required." Caradoc shrugged, and with another swish of his wand set up the last of the street tables.

"For a discerning eye, there's a possibility there is an interesting cabinet I keep locked up tight."

Rabastan had uttered the question without special thought. Mere curiosity had inspired it, but on observing the reaction caused in Caradoc, he could not help but slyly smile. A little shock factor worked wonders most of the time. He had no use for it here, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it less.

"So I can see," he agreed, trailing his study across the items on display so far. For a flea market, it was unusually highbrow. He could respect the other man's pride. Rabastan did not believe in working without pride or pleasure. It was pointless to commit oneself to an activity that yielded unhappiness, and he scorned laziness.

"Do you require my name or my profession?" His smile becoming less entertained, he merely looked at Caradoc with factual intent. "I am a curse-breaker, if that makes any difference. These things interest me." The understatement of the year. Rabastan's attention to his craft bordered on obsession.

[lumos-caradoc]

"...dragon milk cheese? Is that. A thing? Do dragons even have milk?" he asked, not really registering that he was musing out loud. "Actually, you know what? That's a cheese I want to try!"

He wavered for a while, caught in between answering her original question and keep mulling over the mystery of dragon milk cheese.

"I like this Dutch cheese - Edam? 'S a bit boring, rather mild and not much in the way of taste, but perfect to make grilled cheese with."

"Excellent!" Greta wasn't deterred by his stuttering of a reply, her smile only widening as she took out her note pad and pen, hoping her smile set him at ease. She'd been told she had that effect on people. "So, darling, tell me, do you have a favorite cheese? Perhaps cheddar? Or Mozzarella? Stilton? Goat cheese? Dragon milk cheese? Please don't pick that one, it's really difficult to work with. Hard to get access as a regular person." Perhaps she'd include it the future but it was quite fickle especially to a newcomer to cheesemaking.

[lumos-caradoc]

Caradoc uttered a delighted laugh when he saw Aurora jump.

"I've heard it's good for the heart to have a little bit of fright every now and then," he smirked at her, unable to help ribbing her.

"Well, luckily enough, Bric-a-brac has something for everyone - even if that's just a friendly face in the morning!"

Aurora had some time before she had to open up her shop, that she rounded the corner to see Caradoc outside setting up the booths. She was about to tap his shoulder when he suddenly turned around, causing her to jump slightly, heart racing and shook her head at him. "You were not meant to scare me." She laughs. "I am looking for something specific." Her brows furrow, giving a cheeky grin. "I thought I would say hello before I have to open up."

[lumos-caradoc]

The wizard Caradoc had (inadvertently) stopped was far more well-dressed than his usual clientele, something that almost brought him to a grinding halt.

He was vaguely familiar, in the same way most purebloods were, but Caradoc was fairly certain they hadn't been close in years at Hogwarts.

He did stop entirely when the question registered with him, looking closely at the other man.

"There's pure inspiration in every creation - I don't hold with cheap imitation," Caradoc said, knowing full well that it came across as incredibly cocky - but not without merit, he felt.

"As for availability... that entirely depends on who's asking."

Rabastan always rose early. It was a habit instilled from a young age; one that extended into his time at Hogwarts and beyond into adult life. Much could be achieved while others slept, and he liked to fill his days with activities that were useful. Time-wasting was not in his nature. Neither was laziness. So even though he proceeded through Diagon Alley at a fairly early hour, he had already been awake for many and was in the process of taking a well-earned break.

Not expecting to be addressed by the overly exuberant shop keeper, he paused, taking a moment to consider him before turning his attention to the store. It was not one that he'd troubled to visit previously. But since he had time on his hands, he saw no reason to pass it by without further observation.

"Not in particular," he told the man. His tone could not have contrasted more greatly. Quiet and steady, it lacked enthusiasm and exuded arrogance. "But you do seem to have quite the collection of odds and ends. Anything cursed?"

[lumos-caradoc]

bric-a-brac

location: diagon alley (ish) status: open to all

The one good thing about running the shop, even if he didn't own it, was that Caradoc could set his own hours.

Of course, that did lead to there not being much adherence to the hours of operation marked on the door, but so far there hadn't been any complaints.

He was in the middle of opening up for the day - setting up the booth outside, arranging the signs and wares just so when he had a feeling of someone coming up behind him.

"Ah! Good morning, good morning! Bric-a-Brac will be ready for browsing to your heart's content in just a few minutes - but until then, is there a specific thing you're looking for?"

[lumos-caradoc]

Caradoc rarely got questions he couldn't answer - and even when he did, he could usually conjure one up with little to no stalling.

When asked about cheese however, especially out of the blue (by a very pretty witch, to boot), he found himself slightly lost for words.

"I, eh..." he stammered, something he hadn't done since long before he started Hogwarts. "I like - cheese?"

location: anywhere status: open for all!

While Greta had come up with several charms and recipes and had gathered those over the years, she had mostly gone of her own taste and popularity of cheese. However, she wanted to branch out a bit and thought it would be best to go to the consumers directly. Everyone had a different preference after all. "Hello, do you have a moment to answer a couple of questions for me? It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes. I promise. If you could just tell me your favorite type of cheese and why you prefer it to other cheeses I would greatly appreciate it."

[lumos-caradoc]

Caradoc honestly hadn't gone to the pub to socialise - he'd gone to get absolutely blasted drunk, try to forget that he had friends - had had friends. Past tense, because that's what happens when people die.

He had started with a really quite decent IPA - several, actually - but gone on to Ogden's Finest when he couldn't taste the malt anymore.

After getting his - whichever - glass of firewhiskey, he didn't feel up to staggering back to his table again, so he sunk down in the first open seat he saw.

He hadn't expected the other wizard to say anything to him, but no matter how drunk he was, his mam would have his head if he ignored common courtesies - and returning a greeting was certainly one of them. "Cheers," he said, raising his glass in turn.

open starter, capping at three replies. tl;dr: sirius meets your muse at a pub.

another one of those goddamn nights. the taste of blood met sirius` eager tastebuds with refreshing undertones, the inside of his mouth starting to become an open wound. if he didn’t stop, he’d be open bleeding in front of lonesome pub goers. not that any of the would care— he knew they wouldn’t, they were all in their own heads, pints flowing like water down a river of sheer despair. 

times were hard, habits were harder. 

his own drink started to turn into senseless mush, the tonic tasting the wrong kind of bitter. he felt like he was losing his tolerance for his own moods and not even gin could bring him up from them, bottomless endness getting closer and closer to hitting harsh pavement at the pit of the well. 

something disturbed his own cycle of self-punishment, dark eyes meeting his new companion. with a salute via the raising of his glass, the wizard didn’t even try to seem cheery. “oi, mate.” 

[lumos-caradoc]

"Do call me Caradoc - I still look wildly around for Professor McGonagall every time I hear mister Dearborn," he said, exaggeratedly pretending to look over his shoulder.

"I have arrived at the conclusion that even things that used to make sense doesn't, anymore, but that is just me being disillusioned with the state of affairs," he shrugged, the sort of lackadaisical gesture he usually wouldn't make unless he'd imbibed a glass (or two) of Ogden's Finest.

"Oh, I get along - work in a small shop in a corner of Diagon, nothing glamorous but it gets me out of the house." He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "How goes life for our year's star quidditch player, then?"

She recognised him from Hogwarts, the two having been on the same year. Sometimes she thought he'd been misplaced by the Sorting Hat as they'd shared a few encounters over the years and she didn't particularly hate him. The witch could tell that while her presence hadn't been expected, it was now fully encouraged and ther was nothing Athena enjoyed more than having the attention of any attractive wizard. "We certainly liked to pretend things would make sense once we grew up but it appears we only realize our young selves were mostly right about it all." She replied with a calm tone to her voice, crossing her legs as she decided she would stay for a bit longer. "How have you been, Mr. Dearborn?"

[lumos-caradoc]

He couldn't help but watch her as she walked towards the table he sat at - she cut a striking figure. That she was a well-known face and more than decent Quidditch player? Didn't help him not watch her.

"Miss Greengrass," Caradoc said, knowing full well surprise coloured his tone when she sat down next to him. "The seat's open. It's the first gala I attend after leaving Hogwarts, and I thought it was just childhood that made me think them incredibly dull." He swept a look across the entirety of the hall. "I've come to the realisation that it was far duller than I thought."

where: ministry gala who: open

She had been elegantly nursing a glass of merlot, engaging in polite conversations here and there. It was most certainly not her first glass, but no one could tell about the firewhiskey flask underneath her skirts from which she'd been generously drinking every bathroom break she got. Athena knew how to conduct herself in social events, especially those where her mother was somewhere in the crowd-- however she'd never been one to fancy people telling her what to do or how to behave. Breaking the rules at her own accord, the brunette approached a table on the far side of the room. "I really do hope this seat's not taken." She introduced herself as she took a seat besides the person already in it. "What a dull affair so far, wouldn't you agree?"

[lumos-caradoc]

Caradoc saw her across the hall, and he's really not trying to resist the urge to go up and say hi.

Of course, the pun does catch him off-guard, but maybe that's why he's so charmed - and can't help but burst out laughing.

"That's a good one!" he chortles, and can't resist to return the favour. "I read a story about Hungarian Horntails the other night - but it just seemed to dragon and on."

where: ministry gala who: open

Aurora may have had an extra drink more than she should have, but the buzzing feeling that rippled through her body had her feeling like she was on cloud nine. These events made her nervous and a few drinks would always settle them.

She turns to the person who came up beside her. "What kind of magical creature is the worst for security?" The seer waited a moment before answering. "A porlock." A fit of giggles slip from her parted lips.

[lumos-caradoc]

Is that  CARADOC DEARBORN stepping out into Diagon Alley? Ministry records tell us that they were born on  SEPTEMBER 25TH and are a 24 year old, PUREBLOOD who works as a SHOP ASSISTANT.  Some have said that they can be described as being HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, OUTGOING & HELPFUL,  however, they also see themselves as being STUBBORN, TALKATIVE & TOO CURIOUS FOR HIS OWN GOOD.  Apparently,  HE  look(s) a lot like PAUL MESCAL,  whoever that is, and if they had to pick a side in the war, they would choose to REMAIN NEUTRAL.