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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 18:27:30 GMT -5
Ariel hadn't spent much time in Hogsmeade after meeting up with Samson, so soon enough they appeared in the small alley between Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron. He took a deep breath, steadying himself after so long away. "Well, let's go in," he said, sparing little more than a brief glance toward the kid by his side as he stepped forward. The place was busy, and when he noticed a flamboyant couple in one corner he wondered how many were there to support Maverick's bigotry, how many wanted to shove diversity in his face, and how many simply didn't care.
"He runs a tattoo place out that room over there," he said, gesturing with his head to a half-open door by one end of the bar. "Dunno how he's got the brains to keep a bar, inn, and tattoo parlor going at the same time, but I guess that's one of the things he's good at."
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Post by Samson Callahan Koster on Aug 22, 2015 18:40:23 GMT -5
Samson swallowed hard and slid his hands as deeply as he could into his pockets. In one pocket rested that small pouch sent to him earlier in the month, which had become something of a strange talisman that rarely left his immediate person. "Maybe this is a bad idea." He didn't even know what the man looked like!
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 19:17:34 GMT -5
Ariel shook his head and put out an arm almost instinctively to keep the kid from backing back out of the building. "Come on, we're here, we're not leaving," he said, then strode forward to the bar, glancing around the whole time for his brother. Of course, the man was so average guy looking, he could probably disappear and blend in with nearly any crowd, especially the kind that visited this place.
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Post by Maverick Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 19:22:04 GMT -5
Maverick glanced up from his place at the bar, flirting with a girl he'd known for a while. Since she flirted right back at him, it so far seemed like a pretty good casual match. The grin on his lips immediately left when his eyes caught on Ariel, and though he didn't recognize the kid with his brother, it didn't take much to realize it was probably his bastard. A low curse escaped and he pushed away from the bar. "See you later, sheila," he said, dropping the word without a thought. His gaze caught on Ariel's, and he gestured harshly for the two visitors to follow him, then turned to head into his private quarters.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 19:45:33 GMT -5
Ariel reached out to grab Samson, who he sensed either freezing or preparing to bolt, and started walking. It wouldn't do the kid any good to run away now, so they were going to get this over with. The small suite of rooms they ended up in was surreal to see, since it had changed so little over the past years, but since Ariel had only ever spent a week or two total in the place he felt no strong sense of familiarity. "A little pathetic I'm the one who got in touch with your kid first, isn't it?" he asked once the door swung shut behind them. No one would blame him for getting in a shot or two, would they?
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Post by Maverick Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 19:49:24 GMT -5
Maverick scoffed and opened a door, pulling out three cold bottles on his way to the table in his kitchen. It was small, but had three chairs, at least. The bottles clinked on the wood and he sat. Only then did he actually look at the kid. "I think there are pictures from when you first started school that look like 'im," he said, speaking to his brother while his eyes took in the skinny kid at his side.
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Post by Samson Callahan Koster on Aug 22, 2015 19:53:52 GMT -5
"I'll be in fourth year this term, I didn't just start!" Samson insisted. He sat hesitantly, taking the chair across from Maverick rather than the one right next to him. Maybe it'd be uncomfortable for those two, especially since Ariel had already said something that likely prodded his dad's ego, but at least he'd met Ariel before, and he'd seemed nice.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 19:58:42 GMT -5
"I think Samson'd rather you talked to him like he was a human, brother of mine," Ariel said, reaching for the bottle in front of him and prying off its cap. If Maverick was going to give him the opportunity, he'd sure as hell do a little work to drain the man's personal beer supply. He leaned back in a creaking chair and surveyed his family.
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Post by Maverick Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 20:05:28 GMT -5
Maverick's gaze flickered toward Ariel, then he opened the other bottles and slid one to Samson. "Don't tell Desiree I'm giving that to you. Or well, hell, tell her, I don't give a damn. We drank together in fourth year, anyway," he said. She couldn't say anything to him about it. "Yeah, yeah, I knew her before we got together, you two grew up in Queensland, you know what it's like there." He didn't want to sit there and just accept the weird looks the two gave him. "Why are you here?"
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Post by Samson Callahan Koster on Aug 22, 2015 20:13:18 GMT -5
Samson shot a pleading look toward Ariel, but when his uncle stayed silent he realized he would have to actually participate. He reached for the bottle more to have something to do with his hands than because he wanted to try it. Okay, maybe he wanted to, but he also didn't want to look stupid if he didn't like it. "You sent me a letter and stuff," he said. "And I never...I mean, the other people I know whose parents aren't together have still at least met them before."
That probably sounded pathetic. I just want to meet my daddy. It was enough to make him cringe at himself. He looked down at the bottle in front of him, which still had wisps of something that looked vaguely like smoke coming from the top.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 20:54:21 GMT -5
"You know, Maverick, you were lucky enough to have dad. I know you were pissed as hell when he ran off. Hell, for all I know that's why you turned into such a raging arse, or well, more of one than you were before." Ariel stared down at his bottle, then took a long drag of it, leaving it half-empty when he set it down. "You were sh~ to me. You've been ignoring Samson, but not being sh~. Step in the right direction, still got a helluva way to go." Maybe Maverick had the chance here to make things better in more ways than one.
Ariel snorted, but didn't voice his thoughts. Since when had he become an optimist?
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Post by Maverick Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 21:03:05 GMT -5
Maverick glared again at his brother. "F~ off, like hell I'm listening to you spout off at me," he leaned forward over the table, momentarily forgetting Samson. "I've already had his b~ mum here nagging me, I don't need you popping up here, too, so if you've just dragged this kid here to try to get to me, you can get the hell out."
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Post by Samson Callahan Koster on Aug 22, 2015 21:17:54 GMT -5
Samson shrank into his chair, almost convinced that maybe Ariel wasn't great, either. Maybe everyone in Queensland was just horrible, he certainly hadn't met many men he'd be glad to spend an afternoon with before moving. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and, just to keep himself from speaking, took a drink from his bottle. The flavor made him wince and cringe, then shake his head in distaste.
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Post by Ariel Logan Callahan on Aug 22, 2015 21:27:32 GMT -5
Ariel managed a smile at that reaction. "Well, we won't have to worry about you getting hooked on that, will we?" he asked before looking back at Maverick. Most of his brother's words had started to just roll off his back years before, and this time was no different. "Get your head out of your arse, Maverick, I just figured he should know his dad. Besides, you sent him a letter." Maybe he thought that encouraging a meeting might just make Maverick grow up a little. Unlikely.
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