xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Oooh, brunch! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?DecisiveyetApologetic
Simon curled up a bit more, propping his elbow on his knee while he reviewed the menu. After mentioning the vegetarian sausage, Eden asked aloud if he was indeed vegetarian. The younger boy nodded, setting the menu down to sign "I am. I have been for most of my life now. I think I was seven or so when I fully leaned into it. Before then, I just didn't eat meat unless I didn't have an option." He shrugged a bit, lifting the menu back to look at the drinks menu.
Eden mentioned his normal choice, then said he wanted something else. Simon glanced at the menu to see what the omelette in question contained. It was... a lot of meat. Simon clucked his tongue a couple times, then looked over when the waiter stopped over. He moved his left hand carefully, his index finger writing in the air. "Red berry tea and maple berry waffles with vegetarian sausage on the side, please." After the waiter acknowledged his writing, Simon waved his left hand, the letters sparkling and fizzling out.
He looked back at Eden, hair now a vivid red with his hunger. Eden shuffled a bit, while Simon tilted his head and tucked his other leg under his knee. When Eden spoke, Simon blinked, then sighed over the question. He mentioned that he didn't know of Simon's upset, then said he'd never mentioned it before. With his hair changing to a somber gold. "Honestly, I didn't know I was still so... shaken up by them. It was a bad experience in early childhood, then it sparked up again when my grandpapa took me to a shooting range. Then I haven't really thought about weaponry in a long time. I try to stay on the side of nonviolence whenever possible."
His hair shifted once more, this time to a decisive teal-green color. He wondered why Eden was asking, but then again, Simon hadn't exactly given room for not having answers. With a small frown, the younger teen shuffled again, then sighed a bit. "I guess that doesn't really answer much, but without delving into my entire past, there's not a ton of extra detail I have for you. Maybe in time?" He shook his head once, a soft violet swirling through his hair, leaving messy stripes of color.
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
Eden nodded as he translated what Simon explained about being a vegetarian. He answered Simon’s question about what he was thinking of getting, knowing Simon didn’t mind if other people got meat– or at least…he hadn’t whenever Eden ordered such things during their lunches? Simon clicked his tongue again though, which made Eden worry he had said something to offend or frighten the boy.
When the waiter arrived, Eden didn’t immediately offer to translate–he didn’t want to seem like he was butting in on the younger boy’s independence anyways–and it seemed the waiter understood well enough. Huh! Great.
And then the awkward silence. Simon’s hair was a bright red now, completely unhidden by the beanie– red for anger?.
He tried to break the silence to ask about Simon’s issue with weaponry, but got…not exactly an answer from Simon. But even Simon apparently didn’t expect to be so shaken up by firearms– something about a bad experience early in childhood flaring up again. Perhaps the experience with his grandfather had been a poor one as well?
”I haven't really thought about weaponry in a long time. I try to stay on the side of nonviolence whenever possible.”
Meaning…. Weaponry equated to violence?
That… hurt. All at once, Eden remembered the clicking response to the mention of the Rancher Omelette and the angry red. Was this all because Simon was upset with his order? Eating meat, enjoying shooting– it meant he was violent? Should he have gotten something with less meat? Irritation flared through his veins.
It’d be a lie to say Eden didn’t immediately see the rationale and after another moment of contemplation guessed that the trauma was due to some adult being violent towards Simon as a boy. Eden narrowed his eyes darkly at the thought. As mad as Sir or Ma’am would get and as strict as they were, they never raised a weapon against their children. Their voice? Every day. But firearms were a serious matter and even the thought of some parent doing that to their child just screamed irresponsibility. It wasn’t a terribly uncommon or unreasonable association. It just…It was like they came from two different worlds.
Simon’s hair shifted back into a greenish colour with a jarring swirl of violet that made Eden think of a weird slushie Something…unsettling and disgusting. Disgust? Uncomfortableness? It wasn’t like he was holding him at gunpoint asking for Simon tragic backstory. Alright, that might be getting too close to….well, the issue at hand. How is even brunch so stressful? How does Mattie deal with all these confusing colours on a daily basis?
Eden took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and exhaled quietly. He needed to stop reading so much into Simon’s colours. The swirls were just two moods blending together–for all he knew, it could be hunger and shyness because he didn’t want to talk about childhood trauma over brunch. Besides, Simon clearly didn’t want to talk about it or his past.
So instead, Eden just replied with a nod and a signed ”Of course. I understand. I certain you–I…remind?”.
Another deep breath and 3-count and Eden gave up, speaking aloud as well to ensure no miscommunication. Mattie liked Simon, and Eden refused to let his irritation or worry get the best of him today.
”I assure you, training in firearms isn’t a matter of violence for me or my parents. It’s more…discipline? if anything? But we don’t have to talk about that if you don’t want to. I understand not wanting to talk about the past. Besides, I’m more interested in your future.
“So future. What, exactly, are your intentions with my sister?”
_______________
settingThanks a Brunch || with Suspicious Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status How is even brunch so stressful? _______________ //OOC: ----
Cinnabun Gryffie
_______________
And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Oooh, brunch! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?Thoughtful
Simon noticed Eden looking a little... upset? at the mention of Simon's preference of non-violence. Had he worded it wrong? Sometimes nerves made him a little messy... and Simon simply hated mess. Eden drew in a breath, then looked grumpy, signing and trying to get his wording. He did another breath, then spoke aloud. Apparently it was an issue of Simon's wording after all. The younger boy turned a little lavender as he choked down a bit of guilt.
Eden said it was fine not to talk about the past.... but he did want to talk about the future, especially Simon's intentions with Mattie. Simon released a soft breath as well, then signed over to the older male. "I apologize for my word choices. I know that shooting and archery both have merit in sport and even cinema and literature, but my past definitely relayed it to violence. Which I think it part of why I chose vegetarianism. I think it's neat that you're able to do that for practice." Simon signed, looking over at the blonde as his hair shifted to a thoughtful yellow with his changing mood.
"As for my future, I'm not sure. I would love to spend many more years with Mattie, I also want for her to take the path she feels is best. I do hope I'm making her happy, and making her life at least a little better. I know she's been worried about her mental health a lot, and I've been trying to overcome my own mental health issues, so maybe working together we can both be our best selves." He sighed softly, wondering if he could salvage Eden's mood any. Honestly, the only time he'd been asked about intentions had been in the safety of his own home and with his family. Simon tapped his fingertips on the tabletop, then offered a nervous smile.
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
As Eden put his thoughts and assurances into words, he watched the lavender take over the swirl on Simon’s head. Simon breathed out softly then started apologising, At first Eden’s eyes flashed angrily, thinking the apology was in relation to his future with Mattie–
But instead, it was an apology in response to violence and what not. Eden had to chuckle, reading the signs. It seemed the younger boy had picked up on his upset and was similarly feeling nervous. ”We’re idiots,” he signed, grinning because he wasn’t as fluent in signing as he was in reading them. ”It seems we’re both so nervous we’re not quite expressing ourselves.”
Some part of him though, was glad–he knew he tended to get too caught up in his head, and when that happened, usually only Callie could untangle the mental knots he spun. But this time he and Simon were able to talk it through without the afternoon ending in disaster. That was surely a good thing, right?
Thankfully, the waiter chose that moment to return with their drinks, providing a convenient break to reset before Simon continued with a response to his question about the future.
Eden read Simon’s signs carefully, stirring lemon into his tea and thinking about Simon’s answer. Many more years–it wasn’t forever, but Mattie had chastised him, saying not everyone planned to be married with a kid by 21– hell, Eden himself didn’t think he’d be married with a kid now either! The important thing was, Simon at least saw their relationship lasting for years to come and wanted to respect whatever direction she wanted to take it in. He knew Simon was a great support to her, especially as she adjusted to medication and therapy.
He almost asked immediately about what mental health issues Simon struggled with himself, but caught himself. They’d just overome one subject of hesitation, there was no purpose in digging into another subject that might be hard to discuss–at least not before they had some food in them. ”If she were to travel to find gigs and what not, would you see you guys doing a long-distance thing? And does she–how does she support you?”
If there was one thing he’d learned from dating Callie, it was that feeling needed was as important as feeling taken care of– knowing there was something…mutual in their interactions. It wasn’t just Callie reading his moods and being able to untangle him from himself, but it was how she found just his presence reassuring and reliable. They supported each other. And as much as Simon might want the best for Mattie, if he didn’t feel she supported him as well, then they wouldn’t really be equals in a relationship.
_______________
settingThanks a Brunch || with Suspicious Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status Haha we were both so stressed _______________ //OOC: ----
Cinnabun Gryffie
_______________
And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Oooh, brunch! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?Affectionate
Simon couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief when Eden commented that they were both too nervous for proper expressions. "Probably the only time I've been alright being called an idiot. But you're right, it seems nerves are getting the best of us." He watched the waiter walk back over, so he shifted his position again, now sitting criss-cross on the bench.
When his mug was set before him, Simon grabbed the sugar pot, putting quite a bit in. Normally Papa would say something like "want some tea with your sugar?" but hey, it made it delicious. Eden added lemon to his, so he also didn't like tea plain. His hair brightened, now a vivid pink with his calming emotions. He took a sip of the hot tea, letting out a contented sigh. Eden seemed to be thinking over Simon's reply to the question about his future, so Simon cautiously awaited the follow-up.
Sure enough, he asked about Mattie landing gigs and long distance work. Then he added a question about how Mattie supported him. Taking a second to sip tea and contemplate his thoughts, Simon turned a little golden with his thoughts. "I wouldn't mind doing long-distance while she's working, but honestly, I would probably go along with her. Every good band needs a guitarist and a drummer, after all."
Simon offered a little grin and took another sip of his tea. "As for her support, I think it's mostly in helping me overcome some of my own issues. Not only my shyness and struggles with talking, but also in helping me with my obsessive behaviors. Which seems weird if you don't know. I have a condition similar to OCD, but without the compulsions. My big focus is that I'm... well, very clean. All the time. I cleaned the dorm at school at least twice a day. And when Mattie's near, I can make things not as perfect. I don't have to have plates at specific angles or my jacket hung exactly 2 inches over the back of a chair.... She's actually been a big help... plus, she doesn't mind listening to me trying to talk."
He felt his cheeks warm up a bit, hair swirling into a deep maroon-pink. He tapped his fingers on the little saucer below his mug, looking over at Eden to see what his reaction might be.
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
Eden watched with an amused smile as Simon got himself spoonful after spoonful of sugar– A bit too much for his taste, but it made Eden wonder what that tasted like. Well, it wasn’t like he could criticise other people’s tea preferences– he added spice to just about everything– hell, he added more lemon to his lemongrass and ginger tea, and particularly got that so he could get that gingery kick.
Simon turned golden as he thought before answering. He didn’t mind long-distance, but he preferred to go along. ”Oh?” Simon mentioned that every band needed a guitarist and drummer– oh, that was right, Simon was a talented musician as well. ”Are you guys discussing starting a band? What about your legal career?” he asked, a little confused.
Eden was the first to admit he didn’t know much about how the music industry worked–he had done some cursory investigation when it had first been brought up, but it didn’t really stick in his head no matter how many times he looked it up. He mostly just trusted Mattie to know what was going on and listened to her. He knew a little from Callie as well, but only so much as the classical music world was different than the popular bands or what not.
Simon continued. He had to spell out a few of the words as Eden wasn’t familiar with them, but he realised Simon was explaining that he had something akin to OCD. Eden nodded as Simon explained how he obsessed over cleanliness and making things specifically this angle or that. And when I don’t ask he provides details. Interesting.
Finally a familiar colour! Simon blushed as he talked about Mattie, and the slushie that was his hair warmed into a deep maroon colour. Maybe this was Simon’s Mattie-colour. It’d explain why it was the colour he saw most often on him. ” It sounds like she helps you relax and…unobsess,” he mused.
”Wait, you can talk?” Eden burst out, putting together the last few words. At first he’d thought Simon meant talking as in signing, but talking like voice? ”I mean like…audiably?” He signed a quick apology.
_______________
settingThanks a Brunch || with Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status Wait he can TALK? _______________ //OOC: ----
Cinnabun Gryffie
_______________
And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Oooh, brunch! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?Social
Simon sipped the sweetened tea, then looked up to see Eden ask a question about starting a band and his legal career. "We've definitely played together over the years, but I'm not sure if her career would involve me playing along. I would love to play music with her, but if you couldn't guess, I've got pretty bad stage fright. So maybe I will stick to legal, and just make sure she's happy with her path. Though I would visit her on tours as well." He nodded, wishing he could foretell his future with any sort of clarity.
Next came Simon's turn to explain his own mentality, then to make sure he didn't go way too overboard. "She definitely does help me relax. I like being around her because I can take the weight off my shoulders. And I hope I am doing the same for her..." It was then that Eden noticed the other half of the Simon's signs. Much like the many other people who had never heard him talk, Eden was quite surprised. Simon nodded, hair turning a social orange. A small grin touched Simon's lips, and he signed over "I sure can, though not many people have ever heard me talk. All my family has, but they mostly sign with me. My dad also prefers to be quiet, but he's more apt to talk than I am."
He took another sip of tea, then glanced over at Eden. He had apologized, though Simon didn't think that super necessary. Simon swayed a bit, shuffling his position to have a knee up while his other foot tucked under his behind. "Mattie has been helping me feel more comfortable talking, which I really appreciate. I'm determined to talk to at least one new person a month, even for just a few minutes." He nodded, eyes flicking to a light blue and a vivid scarlet.
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
Eden hummed in contemplative understanding as Simon clarified that he wasn’t sure if Mattie’s musical career would involve him playing along, but that they did enjoy playing together.
He nodded emphatically as Simon signed he had quite a bad case of stage fright. Eden had never really…done anything that involved a stage, and class presentations or dueling matches were just…just that. It was nothing like having the pressure of entertaining a bunch of strangers with all the lights and magnifying spells capturing every sound you made. Imagine sneezing in the middle of that! Eden shuddered. That was a kind of bravery he was not familiar with.
Simon didn’t really seem to have his future figured out–legal career or not, music or not, tours or what not– ”Like I said though, all the experience you get will only help. And it sounds like regardless you’ve got options and plan to stick by her side. You’ll find what works. ”
Eden nodded, understanding a bit more as Simon discussed talking and being comfortable talking. He assumed it was some kind of speech therapy thing they were up to, and he made a mental note to ask Mattie about this speech therapy she was doing with her boyfriend.
Some part of Eden wanted to dislike Simon solely based on the audacity of daring to date his baby sister. He had plenty of fodder to nitpick now, but it was also just…nitpicking. And whatever complaints he had, Simon seemed to genuinely care for Mattie the way Mattie cared for him, which meant he wanted to get along. Simon wasn’t being gooey or gushy or sappy, he was just…comfortable with Mattie a way he clearly wasn’t around Eden. Anxiety about scaring him off, about triggering traumatic or sensitive subjects; suspicion for his intentions, for his vague plans; empathy for the career uncertainty and the stress of this hangout, for all of this…it swirled uncomfortably in Eden’s brain. If he had been a meta, he imagined, his hair would also be weird slushie colored.
”So you study together. Play music together. Talk,” he mused. That made sense. He and Callie used to study together. Stargaze, duel, talk. Lots of talking. But he wasn’t looking to date Simon. He just wanted to connect to this boy more. Or…figure him out more. ”What else do you do, Simon? Read? I mean, you know I go shooting or watch movies. Err. Mostly action films. Lots of military history stuff so uhh, that’s probably not on your agenda. There has to be something we can do together though.”
_______________
settingThanks a Brunch || with Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status There has to be SOMETHING we can do together besides wait for brunch...that we also disagree on.../ _______________ //OOC: ----
Cinnabun Gryffie
_______________
And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Oooh, brunch! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?Hungry
Simon wasn't sure how Eden felt about the stage, much less any sort of public performance. Mattie had a love of preforming, which made Simon quite proud of her. He could barely communicate with people on an individual basis, much less en masse. He watched the older boy speak, restating that the experience would be worth it. "I would really love to be by her side, regardless of our professions. Right now, the legal path is a safe choice, since my whole family has experience, but I may branch out later to another career. Who knows. I'm young and have lots of time."
He shrugged a bit, shifting positions to a slightly more comfortable pose. His hair shifted to a relaxed teal as he settled in. Simon concluded his thoughts on his and Mattie's mental health, which Eden seemed to take in stride. As a bit of silence settled in, Eden thought about words for a moment before speaking. He mentioned things he knew Simon and Mattie did, study, play music, and talk, then asked about other things he preferred to do. Eden even mentioned things he himself liked to do. Honestly, none of the stuff on Eden's list sounded particularly interesting to the younger male.
"I like reading, stargazing, doing jigsaw puzzles, word games like word searches and crosswords, and I do watch a lot of documentaries, though usually I go for true-crime or nature. I do quite enjoy history, though I usually prefer reading about the past. I've never really done much with military history, but I do have a lineage of military family members. My grandma's brothers, father, uncles, and such were all in the navy. My grandma was going to follow along, but she ended up going into computer science and teaching." He pondered her choice, then looked over as the waiter set their plates before them. With a bubble of hunger, his hair turned a vivid scarlet. Simon took a bite of his waffles, sighing contentedly.
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
”Reading, Stargazing. Jigsaw puzzles. Word searches, crosswords. Documentaries on true crime or nature,” Eden read aloud as Simon signed. Simon explained he enjoyed history, just not particularly military history. He had a grandmother with family in the navy. Thankfully, the waiter chose then to set their plates down and Simon tucked in eagerly. Eden cut into his omelette with a fork and knife, using the activity as an excuse to think:
Reading was cool, but Eden guessed Simon wasn’t into reading military history or medical techniques. It was a favourite downtime activity if it was a slow day at work: Eden would sit in the lounge with a book on paramedic or mediwizard texts and study up. Stargazing– He and Callie stargazed together, but that was because it was Callie. He had developed an interest in astronomy over the years, but it still wasn’t precisely his go-to hobby. Plus stargazing just felt so…intimate. No, stargazing was an activity reserved solely for his wife.
”You like puzzles,” Eden noted. Crime was a puzzle. Crosswords and word searches were word puzzles. Jigsaw was a spatial puzzle. ”Maybe we could do something like that? I haven’t done a crossword or jigsaw thing since…I think there were crosswords for homework in primary school? Not like the ones in the paper.”
He chewed thoughtfully, letting the conversation turn to more light-hearted things. Surely they’d find something to do. If not today then at least for next time!
_______________
settingThanks a Brunch || with Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status There has to be SOMETHING we can do together besides wait for brunch...that we also disagree on.... _______________ //OOC: ----
Cinnabun Gryffie
_______________
And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Oooh, brunch! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?Hungry
Simon nodded along as Eden spoke the signs aloud. Simon tried to salvage the few things they had in common, but it didn't particularly seem to work. Thankfully, it was time for food. They were both distracted by their brunch plates. Simon poured more syrup over his waffles, making a sticky mess as he took a happy bite of the sweet waffles. He hummed softly, the sound barely audible over the sounds of them eating.
Simon wondered if Eden had any hobbies that didn't involve military or strategy. Actually.. Strategy might be a way to go. Maybe he could invest in a nice strategy board game. Eden commented on Simon's love of puzzles, saying they could possibly do a puzzle together. Apparently he hadn't done puzzles since he was a little one, and those had simply been for homework. "That's wild for me. I do puzzles just about any chance I get. I'm currently working on a 2,500 piece puzzle of constellations. It's been tricky, and I had to buy some extra sorting trays for the project. But if you ever want to work on puzzles, just let me know! I have a nice puzzle table at my apartment and don't mind doing any sort of style."
He grinned happily, thinking it would be fun to get Eden in on puzzle solving. He'd already gotten Mattie to join him for puzzling, but Simon didn't want to tell Eden that since it had involved Mattie stopping by his apartment. Eden was only barely accepting of him as is... "We can also try some strategy games. I'm not great at chess, but we can try a few others. I'll visit the game store this week to see what I can find."
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
Eden was thankful for the food as a natural excuse for a lull in the conversation.
Simon signed that not doing puzzles was wild, and Eden was struck again by how different he and Simon were. He wasn’t sure why he was surprised. He was quite different from Mattie despite their shared upbringing, and he and Callie were so different on paper he still got flutters thinking about how lucky he was to have her. Surely he could get along with Simon despite their differences.
”25,000 pieces??” he misinterpreted, nearly choking on his omelette. He signed back a response as he swallowed and took a gulp of tea. “Oh 2,500. Of constellations though? Wouldn’t that just be a lot of blue and silver?”
Eden made a confused expression and managed to speak aloud to clarify he was getting the right translation before signing his reply.. ”Sorting trays? For the puzzle? What are those for?”
Simon continued, offering up strategy games. Eden didn’t really keep up with games…board games or video games or otherwise. Hell, Eden had the same wizard’s chess board that Finley Archer (Archer-Knapp?) had gifted him years back in school. ”Chess is great! I’ve got a set at home if you like to play. It sounded like you had somewhere in mind, however. If you want we can see if after break–breakfast-lunch?”
_______________
settingThanks a Brunch || with Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status Chess? Puzzles? ...Games? _______________ //OOC: ----
Cinnabun Gryffie
_______________
And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
xx✯ Wʜᴇʀᴇ Aᴍ I?Cardiff, Wales xxx✯ Wʜᴏ Is Wɪᴛʜ Mᴇ?Eden xxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Gᴏɪɴɢ Oɴ?Hanging out xxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's Iɴsɪᴅᴇ Mʏ Hᴇᴀᴅ?Chess Showdown! xxxxxx✯ Wʜᴀᴛ's ᴍʏ Cᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ Mᴏᴏᴅ?Competitive
Simon turned a startled lime for a second before he changed to a much nicer sunshine yellow. He grinned a bit, shoulders shaking with silent laughter. "25,000 would be insane! The most I've ever done was 4,500, but my grandma was helping. She's scary good at puzzles. In this case, it has a lot of blues, but the constellations are color-coded by the colors of the zodiac."
When asked about the sorting trays, Simon turned a bit avocado green with a bubble of embarrassment, before settling into a deeper orange. He bit his lip, then signed over toward the older male. "They're nice, stackable trays that I use to sort the pieces. Usually I sort by color, shape, and any design on the pieces. In this case, I organize by shape, blue shades for the background, pieces with constellation sorted by color... and the first two trays are for edge pieces." He felt his cheeks getting warm, hoping his obsessive nature wouldn't freak out Eden.
Luckily, Simon was able to shift the conversation back to other strategy games, and Eden took the ball running. He mentioned playing chess, including that he had a set so they could use. "I have a nice traditional chess set, but I don't own Wizard's Chess. I don't have people to play with often enough to justify the expense. But I'd love to play against you. In an epic match-wit!" He grinned, hair changing to a soft blue as his competitive nature bubbled up. "It would be an awesome way to strategize. Do you want to do that after Brunch? That way we can have Callie join us if she wants."
♜♖EDENRHYSHARPER 21 years || Hufflepuff alum || muggleborn Mediwizard _______________
Eden was equally relieved at Simon’s mutual surprise at the prospect of 25,000 puzzle pieces. Simon mentioned that the constellations were color-coded, which made more sense than just having a whole puzzle of…the same two colors. He listened curiously as Simon explained the purple of the trays for sorting the puzzle pieces.
”Sorting by color and shape?--Oh, like the edge pieces!” he realised, impressed. Maybe he could get some trays..or build some, to sort all of Persephone’s toys. Or maybe so he could teach her to sort her toys! …Maybe not yet.
Simon seemed to be excited by the prospect of playing a game of chess against him, and Eden grinned in anticipation. He brought up stopping by a game store, but Simon brought up instead going back to Eden and Callie’s place so that Callie could join. Eden’s expression melted a little at the mention of his wife. He had set aside the entire morning and afternoon to hang out with–bond with? Ugh, get to know Simon a bit more, but if he could do it where he could also be around Callie, he’d be much more at ease. Plus this way Callie could observe Simon for herself as well (even if she did seem biased towards him). ”Actually? That’d be wonderful.”
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settingThanks a Brunch || with Simon appearance 5’10”, fit || wearing long sleeve and vest, with cargo pants status Chess? Puzzles? ...Games. _______________ //OOC: FINALLY concluding this scene. Sorry for the delay!
Cinnabun Gryffie
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And I'd give up forever to touch you 'Cause I know that you feel me somehow You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be And I don't want to go home right now ♖♜ ~"Iris" by the Goo Goo Dolls.
Nora bit her lip for a second, worried she'd be on a hunt for Declan... but her worries quickly faded when a familiar young man stepped out and greeted her. "Why good morning, Declan!" She watched him step back inside to grab his bag, then locked the door before explaining his parents' absence. Quickly, seeing and hearing the boy's sadness, Nora stepped forward, wrapping him in a loving hug for a moment. "I'm sorry to hear that they didn't wish to see you off this morning, dear." Her words were soft, knowing it must be a tender subject.
Declan lifted his owl's cage, then said he was ready. "Wonderful indeed! I've got a special treat for you this morning. We'll hop back to Diagon Alley, where we will have a quick breakfast with another of the students headed to school. I had to pick up both you sweet angels this morning, so I figured we could eat." She offered a soft smile, then continued a moment. "You see, I have a feeling that Sebastian can use a friend, and I thought it'd be nice for both of you to know at least one other person before school." Nora offered a hand next, reminding Declan to draw a deep breath, before apparating both to the Diagon Alley streets.
"Here we are, love. Are you alright? Apparation hurts the tummy. Good? Alright, let's step in and find Sebastian and Kinzlie, his mom." Still holding Declan's hand, Nora stepped into the little breakfast parlor, then searched around for those she was looking for. "There they are, all settled in." She led the blonde over to the table, where Kinzlie was sipping a caramel coffee while Seb was happily talking about all sorts of plans. "Here we are. Declan, this is Sebastian and Kinzlie Moon. To you, this is Declan McNamara. Here, have a seat, love."
"Hi Declan!! My name's Seb! And we're going to school together, which means we can be best friends! It'll be super duper awesome! Are you also new to magic?! And you've got a pet owl, which is pretty cool. I have a cat! Named Zoot!" The teal-haired boy started babbling happily, only stopping when Kinzlie lovingly covered his mouth with her hand. "Sorry... he's a bit wild. Oy!!" She squeaked when Seb chomped her hand, getting her to move a moment, before she wiped her now-slobbery hand in his messy teal hair.
