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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 22, 2012 22:14:01 GMT
Jackie sat in probably the only table in the Hog's Head that had a shard of sunlight filtering onto it. The windows to this place were mighty grimy and didn't allow light to pass through freely. It was Jackie's kind of place. Not too warm and no one seemed to question why there was a foreigner drinking nettle wine.
This peace and quiet was nice for thinking. Jackie had quite a few things to ponder about. There was Alexander and his posse of friends: Reid, Chase and Brent. He had heard that they were still close after all these years. He was curious to know what had became of them. He might have only seen them for all but an hour many years ago but... they knew Alex, they had to worth getting to know.
Jackie sipped calmly on his nettle wine. When he had asked for it the bartender gave him a strange look but didn't comment. Jack wasn't big on beer. He preferred wine any day, often his father would joke on how red wine flowed in the family's blood since their business was generations old.
Hogsmeade was far away from the hotel which he was booked into. But Jackie was at this particular pub for a reason. He wasn't just after peace and quiet to think. Jackie had done his research. If he casually wanted to bump into one of Alex's friends that worked in Hogwarts here would be a good place to try.
Jackie's Outfit |
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jun 23, 2012 15:44:30 GMT
Chase needed a break from the mess that was finals. He hated the end of the year. All the grading. All the commotion. The fear the students have of failing. Chase would honestly probably never fail anyone. Unless they got like... one right on the final exam and never tried. Most of the time he would pass people just for their effort. He had too big of a heart to fail someone.
He decided to go to the Hogs Head for a drink. He would have asked Brent to go with him normally. But Chase knew that Brent had a lot more things to do than he did. He had a harder class with more students. And Brent always seemed to procrastinate.
Chase wasn't getting drunk or anything. He would never do that without friends or people with him. He didn't like beer. He ordered a butterbeer though, and went to sit at a table. He just needed to leave the castle for a while and relax.
OOC: I don't think Chase would know Jackie... or at least not fully recognize him. So I don't know if you want Jackie to talk to Chase first? Or just like... creep on him? I don't care either way, just let me know. |
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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 24, 2012 11:03:52 GMT
Bingo. Jackie couldn't believe his luck. Chase Jackson had just walked into the dingy pub. He just sat and observed the grown man as he got himself a butterbeer - no alcohol? That was healthy. Jackie liked that. Chase had certainly grown up nicely since Hogwarts; the years on him had treated him well on a first glance. Jackie couldn't help but notice how the young man looked a bit tired. Work getting you down, Jackson?
Jackie sat and sipped on his nettle wine placidly. He didn't savour the bitter yet tangy taste he so enjoyed, instead he was just using it as an excuse to look at Chase over the top of the glass. Now, how to engage in conversation? He seems friendly... can't be too hard. Jackie's eyebrows knitted together
Before he knew it, he'd finished his drink. Fuck it, I'll just see how it goes. Jackie got up and wandered over to the bar to order himself another drink. Walking back, he set the glass on Chase's table and propped his foot up on a stool at the table to tie his shoelaces. He offered Chase a small smile.
"Scusi." Jackie said, tieing his shoelaces. "Long day, eh? This place is good to unwind."
Jackie's Outfit ooc: that's fine, Chase doesn't have to recognize him. It might even be better if he doesn't since it'd make it less awkward :D[/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jun 25, 2012 4:19:19 GMT
Chase's eyebrow's burrowed when some guy gave him a small smile and then put his foot on a stool and began to tie his shoe. Well that was a little weird. Wasn't it? Chase just shook it off without much thought. People in here were lonely all the time. Always looking for company or something. Chase didn't mind, really.
"Yeah. Work is getting to me. Uh, with finals and all. I'm a professor at Hogwarts." Chase explained. The guy looked like he was about his own age, so Chase was pretty sure the guy wouldn't have known he was a professor.
Chase gave him a smile back. "It is rather nice to unwind. What about you? Did you have a long day as well, man?" Chase asked politely. Not wanting to sound rude or anything. "Feel free to take a seat. I'm not waiting for anyone or anything." Another smile. Something Chase was too polite for his own good.
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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 25, 2012 23:24:40 GMT
Jackie had a feeling that Chase was a friendly guy and he hadn't disappointed him. He had looked a little puzzled when he had paused to tie his shoelace but Jackie knew that was only normal. He would probably do the same if someone he didn't know suddenly struck up conversation with him. But Chase had taken the bait. And hook, line and sinker.
"At Hogwarts? That must be an interesting job... may I ask what class you give?" Jackie smiled, sliding into a stool at Chase's table with a "grazie".
While he thought about what to say about his 'long day' Jackie took a sip from his chilled nettle wine. He couldn't exactly tell him that he had had a long day of tailing one of his friends, Alexander. Today while the man had been working, he'd had a good nose about his things in the living room before pretending to be a visitor to a comatose patient in his ward. He hadn't been watching all the time though... he had also been writing music. That would be good enough.
"Been writing a piano and violin duet." Jackie shrugged. "Not as hard as being a Professor but... I like this place. Its quiet and... I don't know... when I reach a blank... it helps." He gave him a small smile and quickly looked down at his glass. "Sorry... I can't help but notice... you're a professor yet... you have many callouses. You play anything by any chance?" Jackie nodded down at Chase's hands. He knew he had played the drums for many years so the wizard noticed the callouses earned from using drumsticks.
"Don't think weird... I'm just observant." Jackie gave a light chuckle and sipped on his wine. "I'm Jackie Piazza, by the way."
Jackie's Outfit [/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jun 26, 2012 1:03:35 GMT
Chase smiled as the man sat across from him. It was weird that someone just randomly picked Chase to come and have a talk with, but like he said. He didn't mind and he was nice enough that he was going to talk to him. "I teach Care of Magical Creatures. I'm in love with animals. My -" Chase swallowed back what he was going to say. "My best friend always makes fun of me for it." Chase mended rather awkwardly before taking a drink of his butterbeer. He had been about to say his fiancee, but thought better of it. He had just met this dude after all.
"You write music?" Chase asked him in a small voice with a smile. That was pretty awesome. Of course Chase wrote music too, but he couldn't tell him that. His band was supposed to be a secret. Then Jackie went and talked about his callouses? He saw them? Damn.
"Uh... yeah. I play drums. Have been since I was like... eleven I think." Chase said, trying to think back when his mom bought him his first drum set. Without thinking, he looked down at his hands. There were a few parts of his hands that weren't calloused, but most of his hands were covered in them. Especially where his thumb and pointer finger meet in the palm of his hand. There was another big one of the opposite side of his palm. Most of his fingers were covered in callouses too. He had never stopped and looked at his hands before.
Shaking his head of of his daze he smiled at the man he now had a name for, Jackie. "I'm Chase Jackson." He said before sticking his hand out for him to shake.
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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 26, 2012 2:40:00 GMT
Jackie already knew what class Chase imparted in Hogwarts but sometimes it was nice to ask and show interest. It was a less creepy way to go about socializing.
"Do you have any pets then?" I have one. He added for himself. To admit this to Chase Jackson would be a risky move. But Jackie so desperately wanted to announce it out to the world. He had a little pet that was proving to have a couple of behavioural problems. It was nothing he couldn't sort out though. Firm words and a firmer hand was the way. Jackie didn't like his uncontrollable streak.
"Classical pieces mostly. It's the sort of music that I have been playing most of my life..." Jackie sighed into his wine glass, his father had been a huge influence on him. It was almost as if the man had crafted his son into being almost a copy of him. He drank nettle wine and listened to classical music, among other traits he had seemed to inherit. That man was a control freak. Much like his son. "You just... play by yourself? Or with others?" Jackie had now joined in peeping at Chase's hands since he was openly looking at them. They were strong hands. Imperfect but beautiful. Jackie confirmed this when he took one of them to give it a firm shake to finalize them both formally introducing one another. Turned out Chase didn't remember him from back in Hogwarts. Good... it'll be better this way.
"I like you, Chase. You seem like an honest person. I admire that... and its been a while since I've said anything like that. I've met many people here and there... first impressions really are everything."
Jackie's Outfit [/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jun 27, 2012 21:05:37 GMT
Chase chuckled. "Well, besides for all my animals at Hogwarts, I have a cat. Charlie. Just about the cutest thing in the world. My friend Alex got it with me. It was an odd night." Chase laughed and took a drink of his butterbeer. Smiling and shaking his head at the memory. It wasn't exactly a good one, but now after everything happened and whatever, it wasn't horrible. Him and Brent had made up.
"I... mess around with some friends. We all play a different instrument. I play drums. My boy-best friend sings amazingly. And my other two friends play base and guitar. So we're a sort of band. But nothing official." Lie. They were official. They had a name. They had top chart hits. In the muggle world at least.
Chase was kind of... weirded out? He wasn't going to show it though. This dude was kind of creepy, and he just said he liked him. After just meeting him. None the less, Chase smiled at him. "Well thank you. First impressions are a lot. And you're not so bad yourself."
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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 28, 2012 9:12:46 GMT
Jackie casually straightened up when his pet got a mention in the conversation. It had been an odd night? That didn't sound promising. What had Alex been up to with Chase? Those two were very, very close, maybe a bit too close in Jackie's eyes. If Alex hadn't been in love with Chase as a young teenager Jackie probably wouldn't have so many suspicions. Jackie could picture his pet shamelessly flirting with Chase even though he was planning on getting married. Jackie would have to talk to his pet about his friend very soon.
"Not official? Ah..." Jackie frowned into his wine glass. "I had a friend that was very into rock music and such... I remember him obsessing over some song a few years ago... did you know that you look like one of the band's members?" Only because you are that band member... why must you lie to me, Chase? The man chuckled to disguise the small irk that grew within his chest. He knew most things about Alex. He knew how he was in a band with Chase and how they had had a moment of glory with it. Even though Jackie wasn't a huge fan of rock, he had listened to that song over and over again, knowing that it was Alex that had helped compose it.
"Grazie. Not many people are as friendly as you in this place. Its a nice change..."
Jackie's Outfit [/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jun 30, 2012 2:34:55 GMT
Chase's eyebrows scrunched up a bit. Did this guy know something that Chase wasn't aware of? His friend... Well that was weird. "Who's your friend..." Chase asked a bit timidly, not sure if he was friends with one of Chase's best friends or not. Surely he would have known that. He did look a bit familiar, but not enough to be a friend of a friends...
"I'm not many people. I'm kind of different than most, actually." Chase told him with a nervous grin, still trying to figure out if he knew the man or not. He was positive it wouldn't be one of Brent's friends. Maybe he worked with Reid or Alex and they were pretty close and decided to tell him? Chase wouldn't care or anything. It was just kind of a thing they didn't want the wizarding world to know. If they trusted him, though, then so would Chase.
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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 30, 2012 5:17:09 GMT
Now Jackie had a decision to make. He could bring his pet into the conversation right now and be able to work on that or let the subject go and pray it came back.... Hell, there was no decision.
"A little Spanish guy. He was very, very friendly... If you know what I mean." Jackie chuckled and swallowed the last bit of nettle wine. He honestly doubted that Jackson would need more hints to get at who Jackie was talking about. Plus, it was a nicer way to put "midget Spanish slut". Well, maybe not so much midget but the man was rather small.
"He was so in need of any human affection... Someone must have broken him pretty bad when I met him." And that person was you... but you still have the balls to hug, kiss and treat him with love. What else have you done, Jackson? Jackie fell silent. His hand was on his empty glass on the table, pinching it hard by its glass stem. He was looking unblinkingly at Chase. He needed to see his reaction. Would he recognize him? Would he feel guilty? Would he smile knowingly? Whatever he did, Jackie didn't want to miss it. He wanted to drink it in, like sweet nettle wine. The only thing Jackie was almost sure of was that his pet hadn't shared with a single soul the circumstances of their "break up". It hadn't been pretty.
"Yes... you aren't like many men I've met... you are... different."
And I shall have fun with you.
[/i] [/center][/size][/blockquote] |
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jun 30, 2012 5:35:55 GMT
Chase was getting a bad feeling all of a sudden. There was just something not right about this guy. When he mentioned little Spanish guy, he was sure that he was talking about Alex. How did he know him though? Then when he said something about human affection, it came to him and he realized who he was.
"You're that guy Alex brought to a band practice one time... You were kind of like his way of outing himself to us. Not that we all hadn't kind of known." Chase said offhandedly.
It was when Jackie had said the last part that Chase thought he needed to leave. "I... should uh. Leave. You know. End of the school year. I'm a head of house. I really should go do work or something." Chase didn't like the way he said different. It was weird. Not... normal.
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Post by Jackie Damiano Piazza on Jun 30, 2012 6:25:05 GMT
So Chase Jackson ended up recognizing him after all. That was nice. Jackie just smiled and bobbed his head once as if saying "yes, I am that man."
"And you're that man that Alex would wail about when he had had too much to drink. Which was often." Jackie leaned back it his chair, donning a small, unreadable. smile. "Sorry for leading you on like this as I do recognize you too. But it wasn't by chance that I wished to talk to you..."
From the inside of his coat, Jackid reached in for an envelope. He placed it on the table and slid it over to Chase with a calloused fingertip.
"I am here looking for work. Your Healer in the Infirmary has seemingly vanished and... I would like to replace her temporarily. You shall find that I, in my curriculum, fit the profile needed to perfection. I may even exceed it." Jackie didn't like suddenly coming out with this but by the looks of things Jackson was growing unnerved. He had to apply for the position before it had been too late. "If you need a reference, you may even as your own friend Alexander. He has seen my work." It was a lie. He would drill it into Alex's head, threatening that something undesirable would happen to him while he slept unless the man accepted to go along.
"I guess that is all, Jackson. If you really must leave... I guess I can't do much to stop you. I expect to see you in the near future to catch up. Addio."
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Post by Chase McKinney-Jackson on Jul 3, 2012 18:02:31 GMT
Chase was even more confused as the man kept talking. Why was he being such a fucking creep if Chase sort of knew him? "We were best friends? Of course he was going to talk about me?" Chase said sort of like questions, but he knew why Alex always talked about him. It was because apparently Alex liked Chase when they were in school, but Chase had been too love struck about Brent to notice.
Then he... slid an envelope over to Chase? Even that was fucking sketchy. "M-Maryn vanished? What are you talking about?" Chase hadn't been aware that Maryn had gone somewhere. "Where did she go...." And how did he know and Chase didn't?
"Right... I'll er, see what I can do about getting you a job then." Chase said as he picked up the envelope. In his fingers, he'd give it to the Headmaster and then leave it at that. Maybe give Alex's name for reference, but that was it. If Chase wasn't so nice, he'd burn the envelope and leave it at that. "Uhm. Yeah, that sounds cool." Chase said as he slowly stood up and started edging toward the door.
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