Call to all the lost {Warren}

[Michelle Ryder]

Out of all the travelling she had done as of late, Michelle could not believe how different Austria was. When deciding where to move to next to try her luck at getting a career going, she had thought of choosing a place that was similar to Paris, where she had been for the last year. Austria had seemed like it would be a fairly decent candidate from what she had heard. People had failed to inform her of the fact that the temperature was nowhere near that of France. Sure, it was getting closer to winter but from the moment she had stepped out into the open air, she realized the temperature had to be at least ten degrees cooler. It also could have been the fact that she had just stepped out of a fireplace that should have burnt her to a crisp but only gave her a warm sensation. Oh how she adored the floo network. All that was required was some magical dust that some genius had decided to invent centuries ago and a witch could travel around the globe and back in an instant; that was if she kept her words clear and concise. Elle had learned that lesson rather quickly when she had landed in some random stranger’s fireplace when she was a child attempting to get to her father’s work. The Ministry in America was fond of using the floo network for family members to visit and she had thought her words had come out rather clear, but apparently instead of saying Ministry, it had come out somewhere along the lines of ‘Mystery’. She kept in mind to speak up next time she used a fireplace again.

These days she was more apt to apparating where ever she decided to travel, but the first time going somewhere was always tricky. Even looking at photographs of the location she was travelling was a leap of faith, hoping that the desired destination had not had a face lift since that image was taken. On more than one occasion, she had found herself nearly running into a wall because a new building had been constructed where she was supposed to be apparating. From that moment on, she had found it best to know precisely where she was going before she chose to apparate. The moment she had decided to move to Austria to try her luck, she had chosen to use a small shop that specialized in floo network travelling. Some sort of connection that they had with another shop in Austria made it much easier to travel from one location to another. Luckily, the shop owner was correct when he said she would end up in a shop in Alzubra Alley where she could get all the information she needed about the new country she was about to live in. As she stepped from the green flames, she was face to face with a witch holding a brochure that talked about Austria and all it had to offer, and a small map of Alzubra to help guide her around to anything she may need for the night. The first thing her eyes went to was the small list of hotels in the area.

“Thank you so much!” Elle gladly accepted the gifts the woman had to offer, left a small tip, and left the shop with her shoulder bag tossed over her arm and guitar case in hand. Once outside into the fresh air, she nearly regretted leaving that tip. Couldn’t the woman have given Elle a tip? That she really needed a jacket? Setting down her guitar case, she pulled the shoulderbag over her head and placed it on the ground as she kneeled down. Her hand went for the latch and opened it up before stuffing her hand deep down inside. The thing she loved about magic was even though it was a small bag, she was able to place a small charm on it so that it was actually much larger inside than it was on the outside. Her whole life was tucked away inside this bag with the exception of her guitar. That never left her sight. After a moment of digging around, her hand found the cuff of her jean jacket. “Ah ha!” she shouted, pulling it rather quickly out of the bag before feeling a ping of regret. After she had done so, she could hear the stacks of clothes that had been on top of the jacket falling all over the bag. Sighing, she stood up and put the jacket on over her bare arms. Her attire initially had consisted of a pair of black leggings under a short jean skirt, a red baby doll t-shirt, and a cute pair of knee-high heeled boots to top it off. In Paris it had done perfectly well to keep her warm but apparently her style was going to have to change with her new home location.

Heaving a sigh, Michelle tried to forget about the mound of folding work she had just caused herself and instead, tossed the top flap over the bag and latching it shut once more before replacing it over her shoulder. “Where to try first,” she muttered, deciding to flip open the map first before she even tried wandering around. It was better to get a destination prior to starting off in a random direction, only to find out you really needed to go the opposite way. That was a quick way to waste time. Her eyes became fixated on the small dot in the middle of the page telling her exactly where she was at this moment. Putting her finger on that dot, she attempted to trace a pattern toward the nearest hotel location. Biting down on her lip, she hunted for a moment before it landed on a large blue dot to indicate a lodging business. Luckily it was only a few blocks away. “Awesome!” she said excitedly before tucking the map away in her back pocket and picking up her guitar case. It was time to leave some tracks on the city.

And tracks were exactly what she left. She had gone to six different ‘hotel’ locations within Alzubra and none of them represented what she was expecting to be held up in. In fact, she wouldn’t even deem them hotels. They barely qualified for her explanation of a motel and Elle didn’t have very high expectations. She probably could have figured the businesses would be that way considering none of them were located on the main alley itself. Most were tucked a few streets away or in another part of the city all together. She had even gone to one located in some ‘Drear Alley’. One thing was for sure, she wouldn’t be heading back there anytime soon. The people in that alley reminded her of the sleazebag father she had left unconscious in London. All the walking she had already done was starting to make her feet sore. “Damn heels,” she commented before letting out a deep sigh and collapsing on a bench outside of a small bookstore on the main stretch of Alzubra. It was starting to become hopeless. There was only one location left on the map to check and it did not look very promising. If none of these worked out, she was going to have to ask a native where else she could go to seek shelter. And, on top of all of that, she was really starting to realize how little leggings kept her warm. “Stupid map,” Elle growled, resisting the urge to tear the thing up right then and there. But, if she was going to manage to find her way to anywhere, she was going to need it.

[Warren Wilkes]

In light of recent events, Warren was being forced to remember all sorts of things that had been buried deep down within him. And for good reason too. He didn't want to remember all of the feelings that had been suppressed. He didn't want to remember how it felt to watch Grace walk away and him being helpless to do anything to stop her. He couldn't walk with her, he could hardly stand to look at her without his breath getting caught in his chest. He had only been here a week and a half and already he had a taste of the crazy drama that he had heard about. Somebody had once told him that the Austrian wizarding population was just a little bit different than everybody else's that their lives just seemed to have, more, in them. More people, more things, more money and more drama that was inevitably tied in with it all. At the time, he had just shrugged it off, it wasn't possible that there was anything different about that one part of the world versus the other parts of the world. He couldn't have been more wrong. Since arriving, he had only bad news to deliver to his friend, which was negative stress that he would rather have avoided and in the short time that he had been here, he had already complicated an already bad situation, and managed to run into Grace, his long lost love. It had been overwhelming. Yet, those events no matter how unlikely it had been that they would have happened, were changing the course of his future. There was no way that he would be able to return home now, not with what had happened just the other night. Grace was here, she was healthy and he was determined to be a part of her life. What part? He wasn't exactly sure but he wanted to be a part of it, in a big way. Which meant that certain arrangements had to be made. He wouldn't be able to stay with Ashton forever. He had been living in the same room as him for long enough. They had spent sixteen years together, they had done their time with roommates and he preferred to have his own place anyway. Ashton never could tolerate Warren banging around on his instruments at all hours of the night.

Which meant that he needed to find at least a one bedroom apartment, that way he would be able to set it up exactly like he had his current apartment in London. Warren didn't have very much in the way of money, and normally just barely had enough for his bills. Sure, he could just charm everything to work on it's own and then he wouldn't need electricity, but he preferred to do it the honest way. Which, with his limited amount of income meant that he had gone without hot water for a lot of days. He didn't mind, not one to complain. He just chocked it up to him suffering for his music. He had lived amongst muggles long enough to know how things worked and the prospect of living amongst other magical people was enthralling. But first, he was going to need a job. Whenever he had brought up the subject of staying a little bit longer at breakfast this morning, Ashton had nearly spewed coffee all over the table. The man was surprised, but Warren didn't think that he was upset, but just not really able to process his true emotions about the subject. Not that Warren could blame him, originally he had just thought that it was going to be a short couple week long stay. The pair of them were going to fly home, attend the funeral and then board separate flights back to their separate locations and then speak again in another five years or so. To have him be around as a permanent fixture in his 'brother's life was no doubt something he was going to need to process. He had to be hurt, knowing how self centered Ashton could be he had to be thinking 'why Is he staying now, it's for grace, it has to be. He wouldn't stay for me' and unfortunately he was half right. Warren had a good thing going in London. Had a regular haunt that he was able to frequent on Friday nights and the tips were good. He worked as a waiter during the day and he served ice cream on the weekends. It wasn't much, but it was a good humble living. It kept him clean and it kept him busy. And now, he was willing to pick it all up and move to another country...he wasn't nearly as over Grace as he liked to pretend. His actions were proof of that.

Whenever Ashton had calmed down he had mentioned the places that he used to work at as a student. Various bars and clubs that he served drinks in. It wasn't really Warren's scene but it might be a good stepping stone to get something better that he would actually want. He wished that he could literally just pick up his apartment and move it over here, just to resume his whole life here. It made him wish that he had learned better German all those years ago. It was why he had attended school in London, he couldn't have kept up here. Of course, over time he would have picked more up and over his life he had made an effort to learn more languages. Now, he still wasn't fluent in German but knew enough to hold just about any conversation that he could think of. Which was enough for him. Spanish on the other hand, he could speak no problems and of course English. Those were just the benefits of growing up in the states. He hoped that his knowledge would be enough for him to be able to hold any position that he wanted here without needing Ashton to translate the rare word for him. He was excited about the possibility none the less. He had set off in search of Alzubra Alley, a place that he had only been once before and that one time was whenever he had met Kaydence. He had run into her and then from that encounter had gone straight to Ashton's. Rather, Ashton had come and gotten him because Warren had gotten helplessly lost. He was looking forward to being able to walk around at his own pace and just look at things. To take in everything around him, memorize the place that he hoped to call home sometime soon. With a modest collection of coin in his pocket, he felt confidant that he would be able to get up to some good mannered trouble. He couldn't help but think, that if he had visited during school like Ashton and Grace had asked so many times he might have been more familiar. Just more things from his past that he was coming to regret.

At least he didn't have to regret London, and all of his experiences there. If nothing else, it had prepared him for the cold. Today was a little more bitter than he had been expecting but he didn't mind. He liked the feel of the crisp wind on s cheek. The first thing he had done upon returning to Alzubra was get himself another cup of strong tea. Of course, sometime soon he was going to have to pop back in and get himself another because his was already halfway done and starting to get cold. He needed it to keep his hands cold if he had any hopes of keeping them from retreating to his pockets and hibernating for the winter. Lifting his shoulders toward his ear and allowing the soft fabric of his scarf to warm his neck and lower half of his face he strolled down the path, moving out of peoples way as he went. He only had on a simple white t-shirt with a black sweater pulled over it and some jeans but he was comfortable with the sweater. Everybody else that he was passing was bundled up to the nines, coats and boots. Back home, everybody would have been dressed as he was, yet here he stuck out. It was an uncomfortable feeling. He didn't much like drawing attention to himself. There were dozens of small little shops around the alley, he hadn't managed to go into many of them unless he needed to duck out of the cold. He didn't need very many material possessions but he did like to spend money on things that he didn't need. So for his sake, it was so much better that he just keep out of the shops all together. Yet, whenever he came across a book shop he just couldn't help himself. There were a few titles standing in the window that looked interesting. Including a one on the dangers of enchanted lutes. He hadn't ever played a lute before and would love to know why it was something that he should avoid. He liked the way that they sounded, just didn't much care for the small strings and cramping his hands so close together. Stopping in his tracks to further window shop he lifted his cup toward his lips and took the last drink out of it. Shaking It a little just to confirm that the contents had been drained he started to glance around him for a trash bin. Spotting one next to a bench only a few paces away he moved over to drop the thing into the bin, and noticed the girl sitting on the bench. His eyes took in her appearance, a tad heavy on the make up but he wasn't the type to judge.“Stupid map,” “Not from here?” He inquired innocently. Wishing that he would have been able to help her, but he doubted he would be able to answer any of the questions that she would ask. “Don't worry, I'm not either”

[Michelle Ryder]

Seeing the vast number of people on the streets was something that comforted Michelle as she sat on the bench. London had always been filled with people and that was one thing she wasn’t willing to compromise on. After all, people on the streets were the only way she was going to be able to make money since she usually lived off of the tips they provided. Watching them walk by nearly made her crack open her guitar case to see if she could make some decent change right here and now. It could possibly mean that she could choose a step up from a motel to a hotel for the night. It would be exciting. Or maybe she could even get herself into an apartment for a small amount of time. That would be absolutely wonderful. Being able to remain in one room for more than a few days at a time saved her so much effort with packing and unpacking and also allowed her to feel far more comfortable. That was part of the reason she had loved Paris so much. The streets were very giving, enough for her to afford to rent a decent apartment for a few months. However, there was only so long you could sing on the streets before you longed for something more, for someone new to come along and discover you. Not to mention the citizens tended to pass by her every day and after a few times of tossing coins into her guitar case, they usually passed her right on by.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she debated about opening up the case and doing exactly what she was contemplating, but then she realized how cold she was getting. What would be better than making money was to get into a room for the night so she could change into something much warmer just to come right back out and try her luck on the streets of Austria. At least putting on some pants would help, then her legs would be fine. Maybe a thicker jacket. She just could not believe how cold this place was and it hadn’t even hit November yet. The sad thing was the cold was making her completely oblivious to the things happening around her. Somehow she hadn’t heard the man walk up next to her until he spoke up. “Not from here?” He probably would have startled her if she wasn’t used to people popping up out of nowhere but luckily she was well versed in how to not jump when a voice came from beside her. Looking over at him, she was glad to be greeted with the sight of a tall, rather gorgeous looking man. He had the perfect amount of scruff on his face to add some definition without making him look homeless, and the combination of the longer-lengthed hair just gave him that rather appealing look that she was glad to be talking to. And he was even properly dressed, wearing a sweatshirt and pants that actually blocked the wind from his legs. Lucky him. Nodding her head in response to his question, she stuffed the map inside her bag in order to resist from looking like a tourist much longer. Obviously if he could pick her out, so could half of the people on the street as well.

“Don't worry, I'm not either”

Letting out a sigh, Michelle smiled up at him. “Well, it’s good to know I’m not alone,” she replied, putting her hands on her knees and pushing herself up into a standing position. “I was starting to wonder if I was the only one here who didn’t know where they were going.” After sitting at the bench and watching everyone walk by, she had begun to wonder if Alzubra was a place in Austria that was considered to be only for those who were native to the area. Everyone looked at her as if she was a foreign object that they had never seen, a few people even looking at her with a form of pity. She was sure the bulk of that look was due to her inadequate wardrobe and the small goose bumps that had begun to appear on her exposed flesh. But to find someone who seemed like they were in the relatively same scenario was very refreshing. Even if he was adequately dressed unlike herself.

“I’m Michelle Ryder. Nice to meet you.” Michelle extended her hand in his direction, hoping that this would be the beginning to a new set of friendships in Austria. She could certainly use a handsome male friend in her life.

[Warren Wilkes]

He almost wished that he hadn't disposed of his empty cup so soon. Now he had nothing to do with his hands. His eyes kept darting to her guitar case, that would certainly give him something to do. His fingers itched to touch the strings, it had been over a week now since he had played anything, or so much as hummed a note. Sure, Ashton had a guitar of his own but it wasn't the same as his own perfectly molded on. It was the only thing in his life that he could justify spending a decent amount of money on. In fact, if somebody were to step into his apartment and see just what conditions he allowed himself to live in, and then got a peek inside of the bedroom where all of his musical equipment was stored, they would know exactly where his priorities lie. So as not to seem rude, he stuck his hands into the pockets of his denim pants, or else he seriously ran the risk of being horrendously rude and breaking musician code. He couldn't very well touch her guitar without permission, and he certainly couldn't do it considering that they had just met. It just reinforced the need to have all of his belongings over here so that he could vent all of these emotions in a positive way, it would no doubt make him feel a ton better. He really needed to get back to his apartment hunting, his exploring but didn't want to be rude. He was after all, the one who had struck up a conversation. Not her. Glancing at a few people as they crossed in front of him and his new friend only to enter the book store that they were stopped out front of. He wondered what they were buying. It certainly seemed like a busy enough day. Back home, the rumors that he had heard about this place was that it was no more than a ghost town. Everybody cowering indoors and living in fear because this was where the infamous Darren Morgan was rumored to be living. Whenever he had arrived and saw first hand that simply wasn't true he had been relieved.

“Well, it’s good to know I’m not alone,” He had been about to sit down and join her whenever she stood up, which was just fine by him. He returned her own smile, shifting his weight from one foot to another. Why did he have to be so awkward around women? He could share her sentiment, he hated to feel like he was alone too. In fact, that was just about the only feeling that he had had in a very long time. It was strange, since coming here it was like he couldn't be alone even if he had wanted to. This place just had a way of drawing people in, meshing their lives together. While uncomfortable, he couldn't say that he wasn't grateful for whatever interference was at work. “I was starting to wonder if I was the only one here who didn’t know where they were going.” He laughed heartily, nodding in agreement. “That certainly would be easy to assume” Multiple times today he had been wandering the very same thing. Here, everybody seemed to be walking with a purpose. They even shopped with items in mind rather than just enjoy the day and take their time. He had spent his morning drinking his tea and just strolling around. Only to be jostled about by people and their coffee as they rushed from point a to point b. Giving the girl a second look he noticed how cold she looked, and wished that he had something to offer her, she was such a small thing. She didn't seem like she had enough body mass to really keep herself warm with her lack of clothing. She must have been fresh off the bus. “I’m Michelle Ryder. Nice to meet you.” He grasped her hand firmly, glad that at least his hand would be warm to the touch since it had been in his pocket this whole time. The least he could do to help was warm her hands up, so he grasped her outstretched hand in both of his own for just long enough to ensure that at least one of her hands was warm. “Warren Wilkes, the pleasure is all mine I'm sure”

Without another word he unwrapped the scarf from around his neck and brought it to rest around her shoulders. She obviously needed it far worse than he did. He would be just fine in his sweater, it was keeping him warm enough and even if she disappeared within the next few moments and he never saw her or the scarf again, he would at least know that he had helped out a fellow musician. It was just a scarf, it could easily be replaced. Besides, it was Ashton's anyway. “So what brings you to Austria?” He hoped that he would be able to keep the conversation on her reasons for coming here, he didn't even know where to begin as to his own reasons. He didn't want to drag a total stranger into his private business but also to not answer would be rude. Something that he abhorred. He took the fact that she was standing as a hint that she wanted to start moving, but didn't want to rush her from her spot if that was not actually the case, giving the book in the window one last wistful glance, he turned his focus back to Michelle, it was a pretty name. French, if he was not mistaken. He took a step away from the bench, hoping to signal that he was willing to walk with her if she so chose. They might look like an uncertain pair but he didn't really care what anybody else thought. He paused, smiling before laughing just a little. “We can look like outsiders together”

[Michelle Ryder]

Out of everything that she had expected when moving to Austria, the last thing she had thought of was meeting a man on her first day and a rather attractive one at that. Mostly she had been expecting people to stare at her as many of them had, seeing her as only a foreigner who had no reason to be here and couldn’t even figure out how to make her way around. She honestly didn’t blame them. In her years living in Malibu, she had looked the same way at tourists who were there to enjoy her beach. Her family had their own private beach and often found tourists making their way down into their territory. On many occasions she was yelling at them to get off their property, only at 13 years of age. That situation was not much different than the one here, with the exception of it not being private. At least that meant despite them looking at her awkwardly, there was nothing they could really do if they wanted her gone. Fortunately, not everyone had looked at her like a foreigner. One person had taken it within their kind heart to make her not feel so alone and now she was standing in front of him, half wondering why she had stood in the first place. She could see his eyes wander down to her guitar case and for a moment, she wondered if he had intentions of picking it up and running away with it, or if he was just admiring it. Elle made a mental note to bring up music if they had a conversation past this instance.

She was pleased when he took her outstretched hand, mostly because she was excited to be meeting someone on the first day she arrived in Austria, but also because the warmth of his hands on hers was something she had needed. Another mental note was made to pick up some gloves at the store next time she had money to go shopping. They were going to be a necessity in this environment, she could see that now. What happened next was something she didn’t expect, especially since the two had just met each other, but he removed his hand from hers and moved it to his scarf. She had initially thought he was just going to adjust it, but instead, he peeled it from around his neck and placed it on hers. For a moment she was confused about why he had given her his scarf but then she realized it wasn’t hard to see that she was not comfortable in the weather here. Elle was sure that when he had shook her hand, he had realized they were getting close to frozen, but there were other signs as well. Her outfit was the first, not being nearly enough to protect from the breeze coming through the alley, and the goose bumps that were affecting both her neck and even her face were the second. Merlin, why did she not lookup the weather guide before she had travelled here?

“You sure?” she asked, waiting for a moment for a rejection which didn’t come. She gladly wrapped it around her neck and immediately began to feel the warmth he had so kindly given her. “Much appreciated,” Elle added, moving her hair to cover her ears. She could already feel the warmth crawling across her upper body. At least part of her would be warm. “So what brings you to Austria?” Shrugging slightly, she looked down at her guitar case for a moment and looked back up at him just as he had motioned for them to step away. Good, moving was exactly what she needed. That would get her blood pumping, hopefully extending the warmth from her upper body through to her lower. Nodding, she grabbed the strap of her shoulder bag and threw it over her head before picking up her guitar case. “We can look like outsiders together” Chuckling softly, Michelle began walking in the direction he was facing, stuffing her free hand inside of her coat pocket. “I’m hoping I don’t look like an outsider much after today. With a change of wardrobe and some sense of where I’m going, I hope I start to fit right in.” Moving past another group of Austrians, she could see the looks still coming. “However I’m not sure how well that’s going to work,” she added, shaking her head as she chuckled once more.

“As far as why I’m even here in the first place, basically I needed a change of scenery. Singing on the same street corner for several months can become one, quite boring, and two, not much of a cash pot.” Sighing softly, she adjusted the guitar case in her hand. “Not to mention Paris did not have that many opportunities for a starving musician. I’m just hoping Austria has a little more to offer.” Looking over at him she offered a small smile. “What about you, Warren? You say you’re an outsider as well. How long have you been in Austria?”

[Warren Wilkes]

In his experience, most people didn't go out of their way to be kind to a stranger, but the way that Warren saw it, once they were introduced they were no longer strangers. He hoped that Michelle wasn't one of those girls who took somebody's kindness and threw it back in their face, those were too skeptical for their own good. Whenever she accepted the scarf, he took that to be a good sign that she was a person that he would be able to get along with, even if their paths never crossed again after today.“You sure?” Warren nodded in response, rubbing his own hands together for the heat “Positive, you need it more than I do” He would have lent her his sweater, but then he would be in a very thin t-shirt and would likely freeze himself. If nothing else, they could always duck inside somewhere to fight off the heat. In fact, he was surprised that as many people were on the streets as there were. Of course, the people were were used to the cold and had all dressed accordingly, but their faces and hands had to get cold, they weren't superhuman. He for one, knew that no matter how many layers he was wearing his knees and the tops of his thighs always managed to get cold, and stay cold the longest. He wasn't sure why it worked that way for him, but it always did. “Much appreciated,” “Glad to be of help” and he meant it. “I’m hoping I don’t look like an outsider much after today. With a change of wardrobe and some sense of where I’m going, I hope I start to fit right in.” He chuckled and brought his hands up to his face, exhaling on them for just a moment to get some heat back and then pulling his sleeves down to cover his hands and put them in his pocket. If anybody was looking at them like they didn't belong, he was oblivious to that fact. As far as he was concerned, in this moment she was the only other person in the world. It had been that way for awhile now, he had been meeting the most kind people since he had arrived here not too long ago. In London, he kept mostly to himself and didn't get the chance to socialize very often. Not that he didn't want to, but he didn't mind being by himself. Here, company just seemed thrust on him everywhere that he went. They weren't kidding whenever they had said that Austria held a whole other breed of people.

“However I’m not sure how well that’s going to work,” He shrugged, kicking at the ground aimlessly as he walked, keeping his pace slow and casual. “Screw 'em. If you want to be here, then this is where you belong. At least, that's how I see it” He had always hated feeling excluded, normally it was more than his fault if he didn't jump into conversation with others, his shy nature and kindness usually lead people to think that they could take advantage of him, and he didn't like to deal with people like that. After so many bad experiences, one just stopped going out. If he could spare somebody else from that, he would. “As far as why I’m even here in the first place, basically I needed a change of scenery. Singing on the same street corner for several months can become one, quite boring, and two, not much of a cash pot.” His head perked up, singing? So she was an artist, he had gathered as much from her guitar case but it took a special person to be able to actually profit from lyrical skills. He turned his gaze back to her face, watching her lips as she spoke, attempting to get a feel for how her husky voice would translate into music. He would just have to hear for himself of course, he imagined something deep, but with a modest range. His own voice tended to be a rather sultry baritone. If there was anything that he liked about himself, it was whenever he was behind a guitar and in front of a microphone. He had spent years honing his craft and had become quiet proficient in various instruments. He had never been in a band so to speak, he just recorded all of his bits separate and compiled him on his laptop. He didn't have any desire to get signed to a label, but of course he wouldn't refuse if given the chance. He was happy just playing for small crowds and reaching out to the individual people. So long as they liked the message he was sending, he found It serene. “Have you only preformed in on the streets?” He was curious if they had ever run the same circuits, of course he would have to know where she had been first. He had stuck mostly to London and the surrounding areas.

“Not to mention Paris did not have that many opportunities for a starving musician. I’m just hoping Austria has a little more to offer.” That was a little disheartening. He'd never been to Paris himself, wasn't even certain that he would have been able to make a living there. Not to mention he didn't speak a lick of french. “What about you, Warren? You say you’re an outsider as well. How long have you been in Austria?” He met her smile with one of his own. “Only a couple of weeks. I came to visit some family” It was the truth in his eyes. He had only been intending to visit for a week or two, and then skip home to the funeral and then return home. But of course, given the recent events that he had been forced to endure on Halloween, not only did he have a reason to stay longer. He felt obligated. His brother, Ashton was dealing with more than his share of drama and if not helped would end up burning all sorts of bridges that he really shouldn't have. The man was a hot head, and he never knew when to stop. Even whenever there was something so promising right in front of him. He didn't know the full story between him and his lady friend, doubted that he ever would but there was something there, he could feel it. After the death of his wife, Ashton deserved something good and light in his life again. Warren owed it to him to help. The other reason, was of course the woman that he had been avoiding for the better part of a decade now. Out of nowhere, she had been thrown back into his life. He couldn't just turn his back on the abundance of emotions that had been thrown to the forefront of his mind. He needed to process, to see her again. To be around her, then he could figure out how exactly to go about moving on, or settling what had happened in the past. He never had gotten his closure, and he wouldn't be able to go on existing until he did.

“Actually, I'm looking for something a little more permanent” He admitted, reaching to his back pocket where he extracted folded apartment listings. There wasn't much of a variety, but he did want to stay within the wizarding world until he became more comfortable with his surroundings and really got his German down pat. He unfolded the paper to show her, despite the fact that she hadn't asked what he had meant and pointed to the next one on his list. Something called Brixton Courts. It didn't seem to be the best but it was in his price range and if he played his cards right he would even be able to get something two bedroom and have an actual bed to sleep on that wasn't in his living room. Smiling awkwardly he refolded the paper and put it back into his back pants pocket. “I'm sure it's out of your way to accompany me” he shrugged, not wanting to pressure her. “How long have you been playing?” He pointed to the guitar case. “About sixteen years myself, I have a feeling we have more in comment than I thought”

[Michelle Ryder]

Michelle bore a smile at Warren’s act of offering his scarf, treating her like no man had done previously. Most men would rather watch her freeze than freeze themselves. Warren was different. He actually offered up something of his to allow her the comfort of being warm. It was nice to be in the presence of a man who knew how to treat a woman. Part of her began to wonder if this was the way all of Austria was going to be, however she wasn’t going to hold her breath. Even though this was the first person she had met and he was nice enough, she could not truly believe that a country could be full of people who would do such acts of kindness. She could not hold hope that the rest of Austria was the same as this one man. If it truly was the case, she was certainly not going to leave. “Glad to be of help.” Help he was. Snuggling her shoulders up a little closer to the scarf, she glanced in his direction as he spoke again. “Screw 'em. If you want to be here, then this is where you belong. At least, that's how I see it.”

“You know, I think I like that way of thinking,” she replied as they made their way through the street. Every location she had gone since leaving California, Elle had been concerned about fitting into the society; blending in and becoming one with the people there. Paris had been a rather easy place to fit into given her model appearance. Becoming friends with a group of models allowed her a much easier opportunity to look like she belonged. On rare few occasions had she considered dropping the appearance of someone she was not and just being herself; to forget about what other people around her thought. In the back of her mind, she honestly did not care what people thought of her. However, after her childhood, fitting in was something that she was constantly concerned with. If she didn’t fit in, life at home only got that much worse. Some things just did not leave a person’s personality no matter if they changed their name and moved halfway across the world. For Warren to bring up the idea of not caring about what other people thought only made her realize the shield she had been putting up. She had done what was needed to match the society she went to, but why do that when she could be herself? After all, it was not like her father was here to make her life a living hell anymore. Why should she dwell on the past? Yet, it was still hard to imagine.

“Have you only preformed in on the streets?”

“Hmm? Oh, no.” Elle shook her head and glanced down at her guitar in her hand before looking back up at her new acquaintance. “I’ve done whatever gigs I could get. Singing on the streets was always the fallback when I couldn’t find work; however I did birthday parties, galas, open-mic nights… Sounds lame I know,” she said with a small grin on her face as she looked down at the cobble streets below her. She wasn’t ashamed of whom she was or what she did, but to say it out loud just pointed out how little she was doing with her life at this point. “But it’s what I love to do. Music is where my heart belongs. I couldn’t imagine a life where I couldn’t play a note or sing a tune. I’m quite sure it would tear me apart.” Chuckling softly, she looked over at him once more. She couldn’t tell by the looks of him whether or not he understood where she was coming from or not, but she hoped somewhere in his head he could recognize that she wasn’t crazy. Not many people chose their passion, it just happened to land in their laps when they least expected it. Hers happened to be a toy guitar when she was a child.

The mention of Warren having family in Austria made Elle raise an eyebrow. Had he not said that he was not from around here just a moment ago? It must have been that family had moved here as he chose another path in life. Honestly she wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. Look at her family. Her sister had become a lawyer in the United States and here she was, playing on the streets for any galleons she could get, barely getting by. “Oh?” she questioned when he mentioned finding something more permanent. Her heart sank for a moment as she wondered if that meant he was going to be leaving Austria for a new home. If that was the case, she was going to lose her only friend only after knowing him for less than an hour. However, when his hand pulled out a set of apartment listings, her spirits perked up. “Oh!”

She had been about to ask if he wouldn’t mind if she tagged along with him when he spoke up again. Looking down at her guitar once again, she had tried to imagine how long she had been playing. When he stated sixteen years, she was sure the amount of disbelief in her eyes would come off as her thinking he was a liar. “Seriously?” she spoke aloud. “I was wondering if you understood where I was coming from with the whole ‘singing on the streets’ thing. Most people think I’m some kind of homeless person who is just trying to cheat people out of money. So am I to assume that your heart also belongs to music? Or does your heart happen to be torn between it and a person? Not that I’m asking if you’re single or anything. And not that I’m not asking. I mean…” Shaking her head, she realized that she probably should stop talking. If her feet weren’t already sore and she didn’t have the man’s scarf around her neck, she was sure she would turn and walk away at that moment from the idiocy that had left her mouth. It was not often that she stumbled over her words in such ways, but when it did happen she always felt like a fool. This time was no different.

“I completely blame all those comments on a blonde moment.” Elle sighed softly as she tried to compose herself in an attempt to prevent another string of stupid comments.. “What I mean to say is that I’m actually in the same hunt.” She motioned towards his pocket where he had replaced the apartment listings. “I’ve been traipsing all over this wretched alley trying to find a decent place to live for the time being and I can’t find a single thing. Everywhere I go I feel like I’m going to be mobbed in the middle of the night. If you are in fact traveling alone and have any other options of locations, I would love to travel along with you. Your hunt might be more rewarding than mine has been and I could honestly use a place to stay for the night. If you wouldn’t mind me tagging along, that is.”

[Warren Wilkes]

He wouldn't come right out and admit it to her, but he was actually hoping to continue in her presence. He was very much enjoying their little stroll together and Michelle was turning out to be more than amusing conversation. Of course he had come out here with the hopes of wandering on his own, just like he had been doing for so many years now. In fact, walking with company at his side was out of his comfort zone, not horribly so but just enough to make him feel more aware of his hands and the way that he was positioning his body as they were walking. He was aware of her, and how close she was standing to him. Even though she was a slight thing, as they walked and her footsteps carried her body closer to his own with the ebb and flow of her pace he felt his skin tighten and his body tense o f reflex to being so close to another person. He hoped that she didn't notice, for it was most embarrassing. He hoped that she could be distracted from how awkward he was by just talking. He could hold a decent conversation if given proper motivation, and already with Michelle it just seemed easier than with some of the other people he had attempted to make friends with over the years. In fact, most of the people that he had met since returning here had been very much more easy to talk to than those where he was from. “Hmm? Oh, no.” He turned to look at her while she was speaking, but careful to keep a spare eye on his feet. He had a tendency to not watch and then stumble over his own large feet. “I’ve done whatever gigs I could get. Singing on the streets was always the fallback when I couldn’t find work; however I did birthday parties, galas, open-mic nights… Sounds lame I know,” He listened quietly, nodding to himself. He chuckled softly at the thought of it being lame. He had been doing the same thing for as long as he could remember.

If he closed his eyes, he could picture himself sitting in the dank pub that he preformed at just about every Thursday night for the past three years now. Small microphone in front of him. The sound equipment wasn't the best, and tended to give a lot of feedback regardless of where he was sitting or now low the microphone was turned up to. The stool that he sat on was worn down and rocked back and forth with ease due to the peg that was shorter than the other three. He had an endless supply of water at his disposal because they kept his favorite bottle in stock just for him. That and they never held him to his tab so long as he was always there, ready to play his set. The free food was nice, but the feeling of singing to a crowd that knew him and knew the words to all of his songs was just about everything that he could have ever asked for. It was just a rush, the heat of stage lights would always cause him to perspire, and the more he felt the music reverberating from within his soul and pouring out of every inch of his being. In that pub, under those lights he was home. He felt more alive there than almost anywhere else in his entire life. “Maybe to somebody else that might sound lame, but to me...that's living” Something in the air of his voice intoned that he wasn't kidding even a little bit. He could understand her struggles, that singing was often more worth it than buying bread for the week. At least as of late, he wasn't supporting a nasty addiction as well as his need to keep a roof over his head. “But it’s what I love to do. Music is where my heart belongs. I couldn’t imagine a life where I couldn’t play a note or sing a tune. I’m quite sure it would tear me apart.” Kindred souls, it must be true that it really takes one to know one. Turning the pair of them down a side street that he hoped was the right direction if they were indeed reading the map correctly. “I know what you mean, I've been here only a few days now...and already I want to snatch that case from your hands to start playing” he smiled wide, hoping that she knew he was only joking.

“Seriously? Not that I’m asking if you’re single or anything. And not that I’m not asking. I mean…” The way that she tended to fumble over her words was charming. She was almost as bad at this as he was. It was endearing to know that he might have actually found a good friend by chance on the side of the street. Funny how things worked sometimes. Whenever she commented about his heart belonging to music he wanted to answer at first, but then thought about it and realized that any answer he would give her was false. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself he couldn't picture a single future where his heart wouldn't be torn between music and another person. He still could hardly bring himself to breath her name without sorrow overcoming him. He didn't need to be sad on a day like this, not whenever he had just made a new friend. “Erm...” he knew that she hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable, but she had. Bringing his free hand up behind his head, he absently played with the small curl at the nape of his neck while contemplating how to save himself from making her feel badly about asking an innocent question. “Well, I guess the easy answer is that I'm currently, and have been single” Realizing that probably sounded bad he fumbled over the ends of his words. Dropping his hands to let them swing awkwardly at his sides for a moment. “kind of an uncomfortable topic...But I do have a deep love of music” “I completely blame all those comments on a blonde moment.” Thankful for the save that she offered he made an awkward noise and brought the map right back in front of his face, hoping to hide the crimson shade that was rapidly spreading over the span of his cheeks. Replacing the map within his pocket he stopped walking to look around at the names of the streets around him.

“I’ve been traipsing all over this wretched alley trying to find a decent place to live for the time being and I can’t find a single thing. Your hunt might be more rewarding than mine has been and I could honestly use a place to stay for the night. If you wouldn’t mind me tagging along, that is.” Spotting the one he remembered as his turn from the map he turned back toward her, adjusting the sleeves of his sweater in the process. “Not at all, I would love the company” he shrugged “of course, the places in my price range might not be too much better than those likely to be robbed in the middle of the night” he smiled, still attempting to push past the small hint of awkwardness he was feeling from earlier. “If you're looking for the nicer places, afraid I can't help you there. But places that are likely to have mice, dodgy heat and hotplates in place of stoves...that's right up my alley” he laughed at his own words. Most people might refrain from admitting the fact that they couldn't afford a nice place to live, and if truth be told he was willing to take a regular job to make ends meet if he really had to, plus wish Ashton and his fancy house just around the bend he knew he wasn't in any real danger of being homeless. However, he was always willing to lend a helping hand. A second opinion on the places that he was looking was always a good deal to be had anyway. “What were you looking for?” He said while pointing down the street he had picked earlier and starting in that direction. There were so many more places to wander here than there was in London, outside of Diagon and Knockturn there wasn't much to see by foot. Here, everything was just...more.

[Michelle Ryder]

Despite the odd happenings, Michelle couldn’t think of a better way to start her new life in Austria. Of course, having clothes that actually protected her from the elements could always be useful, but if it was between having more layers and meeting Warren, she would gladly take the second. His company was pleasant and if all went well, there was a possibility he could point her in the right direction of an apartment that might actually be in livable conditions. That was enough for her at this moment in time. The last thing she wanted to do was snuggle up with all the clothes she had in her bag and use her guitar case as a pillow. Just from the slight glimpse of Austria’s weather so far, Elle figured the winter nights would not be forgiving enough for a night on the street. That and she would definitely be mugged whereas if she was in one of the motels she had just looked at, there was only a slight possibility she would be mugged. No possibility was what appealed to her the most, but there wasn’t much more she could do at this point in time to find such a place. Warren had become one of her last hopes.

“Maybe to somebody else that might sound lame, but to me... that's living.”

Elle smiled when she heard this. For once, there was someone who knew why she lived the life she did. Out of all the places she had lived and all the people she had met, rare few of them understood why she followed such a difficult path of life instead of following her sister’s lead and going for a wealth-filled field. On multiple occasions she had considered such things, but to join a law firm like her sister sounded like the end of the road. From that point on, life was behind a desk, pushing around pencils and paper to please people’s pocketbooks. Elle had a whole different side of people that she wanted to please. It was the heart of the people who passed her by on the streets that she wanted to please. If one song she played could change the way they thought of the world, even if just for a moment, then her venture wasn’t in vain. It didn’t matter if she received money from it or not. If she did, it was considered a bonus on top of the pleasure she received from brightening someone’s day. Telling that to people who modeled for a career in Paris or an accountant auditing firms in London always got her strange looks. But Elle never cared. If a person asked her about her life, she was not going to keep it secret, no matter how many times someone looked at her sideways. It was her life. If they didn’t like it, they could turn around and walk the other way, never to look back.

When Warren mentioned wanting to snatch her guitar place and strum on it for a bit, she couldn’t help but smile. There were more times than she could count where musical instruments called out to her. It was a hard call to deny and she was surprised that he hadn’t already asked if he could just touch it. On more than one occasion she found herself doing that to other peoples instruments if hers wasn’t in the near vicinity. Her smile faded when she realized that her mix up of comments only ruined what had been a good mood, but her apology seemed to perk the conversation right back into place. It was moments like these where she cursed having blonde hair. There was something about the long locks that she swore ruined her speech. Somehow, they managed to make her trip over her own words and make amazing conversations that much more awkward. Luckily, this one could be saved and she realized it had been when he agreed with her joining him on the venture of finding a place to live. Most men would have turned and walked the other way with such a blonde moment, but he seemed not to mind, despite how ‘uncomfortable’ he said the topic was.

“Not at all, I would love the company. Of course, the places in my price range might not be too much better than those likely to be robbed in the middle of the night.” Chuckling softly, Elle shrugged as they continued down the path they were headed. “If you're looking for the nicer places, afraid I can't help you there. But places that are likely to have mice, dodgy heat and hotplates in place of stoves... that's right up my alley.” “Sounds about right,” she commented, offering him a smile. She had about the same living conditions back in Paris. Of course, they didn’t even need hotplates there. None of the girls she lived with knew how to actually cook. If it didn’t come from a restaurant or couldn’t be heated in a microwave, they didn’t eat it. Elle had been the only one who even considered cooking, despite how little culinary skills she had, but even that was spotty. Normally with her working on the street, she was more likely to get offers for dinner from men walking on the sidewalks. She took them gladly but none of them ever seemed to make it past the dinner table. Never had she ever understood the idea of going to the other person’s bed at the end of the first date. Society these days…

“What were you looking for?”

“At this point, I’m pretty much looking for a place to stay, even if just for the night. I’m hoping for something a little more permanent,” she stated, following his direction down the street ahead. Looking around her, Elle began to realize just how vast the area was. Could it be possible that there really were no places available for someone with her price range? Sighing softly, she pushed the thought from her mind and looked back at Warren. “My hope is to find an apartment to rent for the year so I can stick around for a while. Normally I’m moving every couple months but for once, I think I just want to stay in one spot, you know?” Adjusting her guitar case in her hand, Elle began to realize just how much she was getting used to the temperature. Though her legs were still freezing, the shivering had mostly stopped and the teeth chattering was at a minimum. Maybe Austria wasn’t so bad after all. “What about you? Looking for something temporary or more permanent?”

[Warren Wilkes]

He had almost never felt this comfortable around a person that he had just met before. It was strange, how easy it was to talk to her. Perhaps it was just because they had so much in common that it made them almost kindred spirits. Yet, he had a feeling that it was more than that, somehow. Normally, upon meeting somebody he would feel anxious, or need to be doing something with his hands at all times. Perhaps it had been a magical scarf that he had stolen from Ashton earlier this morning, one that just made it easier for him to be himself. Whatever the cause, he certainly wasn't complaining. “Sounds about right,” Smiling he nodded, glad that at least she wasn't going to condemn him for lacking in the gold department. Hopefully, he didn't take her too literally. He really wouldn't know what to do if he couldn't find a place without a stove, it was far cheaper to buy the ingredients for food rather than spring for the per-prepared meals. Of course, Warren wasn't the worlds greatest cook, but he could hold his own so long as he had a recipe book and it was simple enough. Simple things were his forte. “At this point, I’m pretty much looking for a place to stay, even if just for the night. I’m hoping for something a little more permanent,” The longer they were in each others company, the more Warren was finding that they had in common. He certainly could relate. While she seemed to be a bit more traveled then he was, he knew that it was like to wonder where his next sleeping spot was going to be.

Of course, that was before he had gotten clean. Once he had, he had gotten his very small apartment on the outskirts of London, and had been pretty much stuck in one place since then. He had managed to find just enough work to keep him afloat, and a place to do what he loved. He really couldn't ask for more than that in his life. Of course, given recent developments that he really didn't feel like sharing with his new friend just yet, he was considering a move. The way he figured, if he found a place then it was meant to be for him to move. If he didn't, well then he would just use that ticket right back home and keep doing what he had been doing all of these years. Both options made him sad, so he was just looking for now. It wasn't like he was moving today after all. He would finish his search with either a place in mind or go staggering back to Ashton's ridiculously large house tonight and get knackered with him and pass out on the couch before Ashton had to go right back to work. “My hope is to find an apartment to rent for the year so I can stick around for a while. Normally I’m moving every couple months but for once, I think I just want to stay in one spot, you know?” “Indeed, I do” he agree'd, taking a moment to pull the small map that he had in his back pocket back out again. There were just so many streets, and in his thought, he had forgotten the name of the one that he was looking for. His fingers moved across the sheet he now held out in front of him, folding it as it was needed to narrow down the search area.

“What about you? Looking for something temporary or more permanent?” He looked from the map to her, turning it around so that she could have a go at figuring out where they were headed. “I don't want to seem like I'm mimicking you, but Permanent as well. At least, that's the working plan for now” He pointed at their destination on the map for her, but couldn't seem to find the street that they were on. He could be fairly helpless with these things. He just needed to leave the blasted thing out, and follow his every step on the map just like the tourist that he was. Over time, he had no doubt that he could learn these streets, but he had never had to fend for himself on them before so it was still all new in his mind. He was doing his best to learn as he went, but it was a lot of information to take in at one time. After a bit of staring at the map upside down, he seemed to get a feel for where he was going, and turned it right side up again, folding it so that he could very easily see their location and led them down a street and back behind a couple of shops. Sure enough, they seemed to be in some sort of housing district, which was his hopes. If course, the nicer homes would be closest to the city, so he just assumed that they would need to keep walking until the place started to look like it needed an armed guard to live there, and he would be close to where he was wanting to go.

“I think we still have a bit of a ways to go, hope you're not too cold?” He wished that he had something else to offer her, but apart from his only sweater he was without. He liked to be able to help, but if something were to happen and he was too frozen to protect them? That would be worse. Offering her a smile, he laughed to himself “We can try to form the map into pants for you?” he was only joking, he didn't mean to make her feel self-conscious about anything. “So why Austria? Why not England, Ireland or even Italy” he shrugged, thinking that if she liked the big cities that might be a better bet for her.

[Michelle Ryder]

Looking around the alley, Michelle was starting to realize just how different Austria was from Paris. Back in France, everywhere you went was a tea shop, fine dining café, or high end clothing store. Of course, none of the stores she could actually shop in given her very small sack of coins in her pocket. But window shopping had become one of her favorite pass times. Walking through the alleys as her and Warren made their way to the next possible candidate for a place to sleep, Elle began to realize none of the shops they were passing resembled those of Paris. It didn’t have to do with the fact that some of them had crumbled bricks on their face as if they had been here forever (or someone had trashed the place in the recent history), but more along the lines of the products they sold. The restaurants seemed more like southern cooking from the US rather than the fancy gourmet meals of France. Their fashion line was much less extravagant than Paris. There, all clothes were made of high quality fabrics and covered with expensive embellishments from designers whom you couldn’t pronounce their names. Here, it was simple cotton with ordinary designs from designers whom you would hear about only around the city. Part of her began to yearn for Paris already, for the window shopping she was already missing; for the women she had lived with so long, even though she hadn’t quite become friends with them; for the street corners she always frequented.

Just as she began to realize how much she hated moving around, Warren had replied to her question about permanence. Smiling over at him, her thoughts drifted from missing Paris, to how much the two happened to have in common. With such good fortune of meeting someone like Warren on the first day of being in Austria, it seemed as though it would only provide for terrible luck going forward if she were to take her longing for Paris to mean she needed to move back. Internally, she swore to herself she wouldn’t give into the desire to move back to the place that was more familiar. After everything she had already gone through in her life, there was nothing saying she couldn’t deal with being the new person again. As her mind crossed over the idea of her past, a shiver unavoidably went down her spine. Thinking of her past was something she avoided at all costs in order to keep her sanity. The last thing she needed to do was break down in front of someone she had just met. What a way to get to know someone.

Realizing how she had gotten sidetracked in her own mind, her eyes focused back on Warren. He was now looking at the map, trying to get a feel for where they were. She took a glance at it when he offered it to her, but it was hopeless. Maps weren’t difficult for her to find out, but usually for her to be useful in these situations, she couldn’t be lugging around her whole life in a rucksack and the rest of her life in a guitar case. Shrugging softly, she shook her head. “You’ve probably got a better idea where we are than I do. I can’t even remember the name of this place, to tell you the truth.” Thinking about what she had just said, Elle let out a chuckle. “The alley, I mean. Not the country,” she quickly corrected, realizing her comment could really prove all those dumb blonde jokes. Part of her hated herself for going blonde after the incident with her father, but if changing her hair color meant she could hide from him better, she would suffer with whatever witty remarks people offered. Most of the time she just slung them back in people’s faces anyways. Just as she was about to ask if they were lost, Warren seemed to figure it out where they were, folding the map but this time keeping it within view. It was probably a good idea so they didn’t get turned around.

“I think we still have a bit of a ways to go, hope you're not too cold?”

Shrugging again, Elle looked down at her legs which she was pretty sure had gone numb at this point in time. Keeping moving was helping by far, but nothing would help more than a pair of jeans. “It’s not so bad once you get used to it,” she commented, cursing herself for putting her pairs of jeans at the very bottom of her rucksack. To dig down inside just to get them would mean at least half an hour of sorting out her belongings. Though she was poor, a lot happened to accumulate over the years. “We can try to form the map into pants for you?” Laughing out loud, Michelle began to imagine just how she would look in map pants. The image was definitely hysterical. Somewhere along her knee would be the tea shop they just passed. Up near her hip might be the international floo network station where she had arrived. “Thanks for that image. I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking of that for the next few hours no problem,” she replied with a grin.

“So why Austria? Why not England, Ireland or even Italy”

Biting the inside of her lip, Michelle began to choose her words carefully. Only moments before she had begun to think about her father and easily suppressed it. The last thing she needed to do was answer his question with the full truth and just set off a whole new chain of questions. Sharing her deepest horrors in life was the last thing she ever wanted to do. “Well, I’ve already done the England scene and that didn’t turn out as I had originally hoped.” Unconsciously her free hand moved from her shoulder bag where it had been for some time up to her hair where she pushed a gold lock aside. Once again, she was missing her darker color, her old name, but not her old life. “As far as Ireland, I’m not heavy on the alcohol scene. I prefer to be sober. And Italy, I’d be afraid of how fat I’d get with all of that food.” She ended her reply with a joking tone. “Honestly, I don’t know why Austria. I guess it’s because I didn’t know much about it and I figured there wouldn’t be too many people ready to judge here. I just hope I was right.” She shifted her guitar case from one hand to the other when she realized she had been playing with her hair. “What about you? Was family the only reason you came here or are there other reasons?”

[Warren Wilkes]

“Thanks for that image. I’m pretty sure I’ll be thinking of that for the next few hours no problem,”He turned the map toward her body, holding it up to her hips as if he was attempting to get a size or a better mental image, matching her laugh with one of his own. She really was a pretty girl, or at least she would be if she wasn't wearing quiet so much make up. It wasn't that it didn't work for her, it was just that he wasn't used to it. He didn't see the point of hiding your face considering the natural look was so much better. Whenever she bit her lip in response to his question, she was really charming. It was cute. She wasn't his type, he didn't normally go for blondes but he could appreciate her looks. The look that crossed her face afterward, it seemed far too private for him to be looking at. She was entitled to her secrets, even if he had known her for years he doubted that he would have pressed the issue at all. “Well, I’ve already done the England scene and that didn’t turn out as I had originally hoped.” He had loved the England scene, if he could have brought it with him, he would have. He wanted to press her further, but it wasn't the right time. “As far as Ireland, I’m not heavy on the alcohol scene. I prefer to be sober. And Italy, I’d be afraid of how fat I’d get with all of that food.” “That's a misconception you know, they aren't all drunks.” He knew a lot of Irish folk, even hopped over the pond every now and then for a gig. They hated the stereotype more than anybody else. He could however, understand the bit about the food in Italy. He patted his stomach, realizing just how long it had been since he had consumed a really good meal “Ah yes, but what a happy fat that would be”

“Honestly, I don’t know why Austria. I guess it’s because I didn’t know much about it and I figured there wouldn’t be too many people ready to judge here. I just hope I was right.” He wished that he could answer that question for her, so far his experience here was good. He had only met good people and they had all been very kind to him. Certainly not everybody was like the few that he had met, this was home to the up and coming Dark Lord after all. Couldn't fault Michelle for wanting to be 'in on the action' so to speak. “So far I can't contradict that statement” Which was the truth, he was still waiting for the other shoe to drop, for something to happen to make him regret coming here. Yet, all that he had gotten so far were abundant amounts of signs saying that this was the right place for him to be. First, coming here to a brother who welcomed him into his house, a brother who needed his help and support more than ever. Then, he had made friends and even ran into the woman who had both made his world go round and burnt it to the ground. The emotions that he was being forced to confront after being passive for so long, well he didn't know how he felt about that in particular. He did know that he was liking being included, being a part of something again. To be part of his family again, it was strange how different things were now that they were all at the same place.

“What about you? Was family the only reason you came here or are there other reasons?” Warren shrugged, suddenly feeling very somber. It was fortunate that he felt so at ease with her, even if there was still a very good chance that he wasn't going to see her again after tonight. He needed to talk to somebody about it, somebody that didn't know, who had no reason to care. Somebody that could be impartial since it didn't have any direct effect on their own lives. Sure, the fake sympathy was nice but it was always so very hollow. “Yes and no” He finally admitted. “It's the only reason that I came here, but it's not the only reason that I'm staying” it was a good start, he wanted to be open, and he felt like she really wanted to hear what he had to say but nothing is ever certain. He nudged her shoulder with his own while they were walking, it was his sign of endearment, even if they had only met a few moments ago. He couldn't pry, because he kept things to himself. He wasn't a very social man, tending to keep to himself or those who already knew him. Normally, talking to strangers was very difficult for him. Smacking himself on the forehead lightly, he turned to her “I'm being so rude, I didn't even ask if you had any family” He smiled reassuringly, and turned them down another road that he was fairly certain was the correct one. “I don't mean to prattle on and on about myself”

[Michelle Ryder]

Glancing around, Elle began to realize the shops she was looking down on moments before were starting to thin out. The storefronts were getting longer, but much less products were displayed. Some of them were closed down and she imagined that had something to do with the tragedies happening around Austria. No doubt the DeathEaters had caused plenty of heartache for business owners in the harder times. Some businesses just couldn’t take it. Glancing over at Warren to make sure she hadn’t kept going without him, she saw him standing there sizing up the map to her. She giggled, something she never really did. He had a side to him which most men did not have in Paris. Most men were there to be serious or just pick up women. The first one, there was no humor, or at least no artistic humor. It was all intellectual which was not her favorite type of humor. Or you got the guy who just wanted to pick up a woman for the night so he tried to be as charming as possible and make everything into a joke. Those men she walked away from and left the bill in their hands. But Warren was different. He wasn’t there trying to make her like him, nor was he a stick in the mud. His humor didn’t seem like it was forced and it was actually something she could laugh along with.

In response to his comments regarding Ireland and Italy, she just merely shrugged. She knew not everyone was a drunk, but she couldn’t help but feel everyone there drank, even if it was just a beer a night or glass of wine a night like in Italy. Elle had no doubt she could live in the society, but she always felt she would never quite feel comfortable with her distaste of alcohol. From what little she knew about Austria, it did have its share of bars but she didn’t hear that everyone in the area loved to go drinking. Then again, how would one really hear that with the exception of stereotypes? “So far I can't contradict that statement.” Nodding to his statement, Elle let out a soft sigh. “Well, I guess that’s good news for now. If you’ve been here for some time, maybe that means I did make a good choice in locations,” she commented, glancing around once again. The crowds had thinned out but people were still standing around and luckily, not many of them were paying attention to the two walking down the alley. That had to be a good sign that people weren’t so judgmental, right?

Her eyes moved from the crowds back to Warren as he spoke again and for a moment she regretted asking about his family. His gaze seemed to change and part of her wondered if it was due to him having a rough past like her. If that was the case, they were nearly two peas in a pod. With the exception of gender that was. “Yes and no.” His answer was not quite what she was expecting, but then again they had just met. There was no way she would spill her family history to a complete stranger. She barely even admitted it to the people she knew for months on end so how could she expect him to reveal it all to her as they walked to an unknown destination? All they really knew about each other was their names, they were both musicians, and they both were looking for a place to need. “Well I’m happy you have reasons to stick around. Maybe after today we can get to know each other a little better since it seems we’ll both be sticking around for a while. I could always use a friend in the area,” she responded, smiling as they turned down another alley. It seemed as if this place was not going to end, like it was just a maze for a mouse where you had to find the cheese hidden in the middle; the roads kept winding but the cheese always seemed to be just out of reach.

“I'm being so rude, I didn't even ask if you had any family.”

His question made Elle regret even further asking about his family. She had to have expected he would come back with the same question and here she was, being asked about the thing she was not going to tell him. Unfortunately that meant whatever friendship they may eventually have was going to start with her telling half-truths. “I have a sister back in the states. Haven’t seen her in a while but I get a letter every so often just to let me know how life is going back there,” she said with a smile. “I just couldn’t take living there any longer so I went awol. She decided to stick behind and get a job at a law firm. Crazy girl.” “I don't mean to prattle on and on about myself.” “Oh, you’re fine. I like getting to know people. It’s much more fun than talking about my own life,” she said, returning his smile. Michelle added as she glanced around. “I think we’re here?” she asked, looking down a street to her right. There was a large sign stating “Brixton Courts, Apartments For Rent”. Turning down the street, she followed Warren as they approached what looked like the main office to the place. The office hours were plainly posted on the window and inside a light was on, but it didn’t look like anyone was home. Looking over at Warren, she shrugged and opened the door with her free hand.

“Oh thank god for warmth,” she muttered as she slipped into the building. It had to be at least forty degrees warmer than outside in the room and her legs were thankful they had finally arrived. Setting down her guitar case, Elle pulled the strap of her bag over her head and set that down next to it before crossing her arms across her chest to help herself warm up a little quicker. “Anyone home?”

[Warren Wilkes]

Warren had a horrible habit of focusing a little bit too hard. It wasn't that the word around him didn't interest him, it was just that whenever he had a goal he just had to accomplish it. The fact that the street they were on was starting to become a little bit more uneven, the stones that made up the street coming more and more far apart. He was too absorbed in both his company and the fact that he had a set destination that he wanted to get to as soon as possible. It wasn't as bright outside as it was whenever they first started on their quest. Though, he wasn't really certain if that was because the sun was starting to go down or if the buildings were just getting taller and blotting out bits of the natural light. “Well I’m happy you have reasons to stick around. Maybe after today we can get to know each other a little better since it seems we’ll both be sticking around for a while. I could always use a friend in the area,” He stopped, smiling and nodded "I would like that a lot" and it was the truth, it had been years since he had met a person that he had connected with so easily and completely. To think of this as a situation where he was going to talk to her once and then never see her again wasn't something that he was willing to accept. He couldn't quiet give name to the emotions that he was experiencing, but he was oddly alright with that. He was just going to have to accept that sometimes life threw people in your path that were meant to be there. She was one of those people, he could just feel it.

“I have a sister back in the states. Haven’t seen her in a while but I get a letter every so often just to let me know how life is going back there,” He nodded, his thoughts drifting back to the states and the business that he was going to have their very soon. He didn't know how he was going to handle being back in his childhood home as well as with his family to bury the closest thing that he ever had to a mother in his life. Not to mention the fact that it was the source of his addiction in the first place. It was going to be a very interesting situation indeed, he just was really hoping that Ashton was going to spring for a hotel room so that they didn't have to sleep in their childhood room just to cut costs. However, knowing the rare nostalgic streak in his brother meant that the chances of them cramming into the too small bunk beds in the room where there wasn't even enough foot space to fit the two of them comfortably side by side given how much they had grown since they lived there. How many of those people from his old life was he going to have to endure? how many possible temptations and triggers was he going to have to muscle his way through? If he wasn't careful, he was going to think himself into a fluster and start sweating, that was going to be very interesting to explain. Thankfully, she started speaking again. “I just couldn’t take living there any longer so I went awol. She decided to stick behind and get a job at a law firm. Crazy girl.” A law firm huh? Perhaps Michelle wasn't from a wizarding family after all since not very many would allow their children to have such mundane careers. Obviously he didn't care either way, he had no way of knowing anything about his lineage or the status of his blood. There was no doubt a test somewhere that could tell him, but he didn't honestly want to know. Some questions were just better left unanswered.

He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that the fact he had finally managed to locate the proper location slipped his mind until she tapped his shoulder and pointed to the sign. His eyes ran over the faded lettering on the old wooden sign and nodded. Well, the buildings that he could see from here were appealing enough, he just could only hope that they were rent controlled or else he might be in for a bit of a financial problem. It was just his stubborn pride that made him want to move into a place of his own anyway, Ashton had made it more than clear that Warren was welcome to stay with him for as long as he wanted and the house that Ash had inherited was more than large enough for the two of them and then some. Yet, he wanted something to call his own. He shouldn't even be going about putting down roots here, but after he had seen her he couldn't help himself. There was just no way that his heart was going to be willing to let him leave until he knew more, until he had some form or closure or he was at a risk of relapse, again. They went down the small path that looked like it lead to the main office. He placed his hand over her own to take the door from her and held open the door for her and with a swinging motion of his arm ushered her inside. “Oh thank god for warmth,” Nodding in agreement he brought his hands together, and cupped them in front of his face, exhaling and rubbing them together to get his circulation going once more. He hadn't realized that he was this cold until he was warm again. Which, was prolly a good thing otherwise he would have been in the same boat as she was. At least now that they had stopped walking she was free to search around in that bag of hers for something more suitable. No doubt they had to have some sort of restroom for guests to use.

His curiosity was getting the better of him and he started to explore, Warren could see that the office was laid out in the same style as what he assumed the single bedroom would be laid out. With the office being the bedroom and a nice sized sitting area for the rest. . “Anyone home?” Shrugging he moved forward, peering around the corners just to see if there was anything interesting to be found. Glancing around the open bedroom door led to a glimpse of a comically dressed man with a mustache that seemed to be straight out of some sort of child's cartoon. The edges were upturned slightly in a pointy fashion that Warren couldn't think of any scenario in his life that would force him to wax his own facial hair to form that sort of mustache. Smiling to himself, his hand lifted and raked down the short, unkempt hairs on his own face as he shook his head. Slowly, his eyebrows elevated to his hairline and he turned to look at Michelle with a smile "Is he for real?" he chided under his breath, hoping that she was the only one to hear what he said. Stepping into the soft glow left by the open door he waved one hand at the man at the desk, who seemed to be pouring over stacks of papers. Should he knock? As Michelle's footsteps drew closer the man finally looked up, his mustache wavering and nose twitching in the process. Suppressing a laugh he cleared his throat and stepped into the room slowly "Hello, we were- I uh" the overall look of the man was really distracting him "Do you have anything for rent?"

[Michelle Ryder]

Elle watched as Warren began to scope out the office. Her call had gone unanswered which she honestly was not surprised about. With the look of the place, they probably did not get many tenants. They probably had the bulk of the tenants in Austria already. She began to wonder if they even would have any rooms open. She followed his lead and began to look around along with him. To her right she noticed a pile of pamphlets showing the different layouts of the apartments and the availability. Moving over to the table, she picked up one of the pamphlets and was about to open it when Warren spoke up. "Is he for real?" Elle turned around to see Warren smiling at her and looking through the door of what she assumed would be a bedroom if it were a regular apartment. The layout was actually quite interesting. It looked like this one was a two bedroom apartment. The kitchen had your basics that anyone would need if a guest was to come in looking for an apartment. The living room had two couches facing each other to promote conversation and next to them was a table where she presumed the tenants signed their paperwork. The second bedroom door was closed but she assumed it was a store room or something because it had the words “Employees Only” stamped across the front. Next to that was a bathroom and then on the other side was the bedroom where the man sat. Her eyes moved back to the bathroom as she began to think of changing. She had some jeans in her bag that would most certainly help warm her up a little faster. But first she had to see what Warren was looking at.

Moving closer, she could see the reason Warren was grinning. The man had a comical mustache, one she had only seen in muggle movies. Elle had to place a hand over her mouth to avoid letting out a laugh she was sure he would hear. Instead, she allowed Warren to get his attention as she turned hers down to the pamphlet she had grabbed. The layouts were quite appealing to the eye. Her hope was they were available. As she was about to open it up to see if any prices were listed, she heard Warren speak up again. Her eyes moved from the folded piece of paper in her hand to look around Warren into the cracked open door. The man looked so startled he nearly fell from his chair but he managed to regain his composure rather quickly as he stood up and made his way from the room. Both she and Warren backed up to allow him to exit. The man held out his hand towards Warren first and then to Elle. ”Brent Brixton the third, but you can call me Brent and yes, we do have apartments open at this moment.” Elle smiled at the sound of open apartments. Though the place wasn’t a palace, it was some place she could most certainly call home and the fact that there were apartments open meant she didn’t have anything standing in her way. At least, not until she found out if she could afford it.

”Are you two looking for a one bedroom? Or are you planning on starting a family? We have two bedrooms as well.” Brent’s words had been so serious but the reaction that came from Elle was something completely different. She nearly choked at the comment. Though Warren was handsome, the two had just met and to be presumed that they were married? Apparently they looked the type. “Oh, we’re not together,” she said, chuckling softly as she looked down at the pamphlet in her hands. Her eyes now fell upon the prices. 50 galleons for four months. Well, she could afford that but it meant she would most certainly have to figure out some way of affording the next four months. Then her eyes fell on the yearly price. 120 galleons? Now that was out of her price range. Grimacing, she looked at the pricing for a two bedroom. How were they the same? She didn’t quite understand how a one bedroom could be the same as a two, but it seemed so unfair to charge the same price. Shaking her head, she handed the pamphlet to Warren so he could take a look himself. As he did so, she would get comfortable.

She moved back over to where she had set her bag and picked it up as she moved towards the bathroom. “One second,” she said as she slipped inside and shut the door behind her. For a second she fumbled for the light switched but when she hit it, she leaned back against the door. Just perfect. She finally found a place where she wouldn’t mind living but she could hardly afford to stay there four months let alone one year. How was she supposed to get along in Austria if she couldn’t find a place where she felt she could live? Running her hands through her hair, she took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before bending down and opening up her bag. Her arm reached inside and nearly disappeared as she hunted for a pair of jeans that would make her first day in Austria more comfortable. Her fingers first grazed a sweater, then a pair of heels and then finally slipped through a belt loop. Pulling them out of her bag, she quickly slipped off the knee-high boots she was wearing and her skirt with it. She left on the leggings, figuring an extra layer underneath was not a bad idea. Then on came the jeans and the moment she buttoned them up, warmth began to spread over her legs. She slipped the boots back on over top of the jeans and put her skirt inside of her bag, latching it shut before standing upright with her bag in hand with a brilliant look on her face. If the two bedroom apartment was the same as a one bedroom, why not get a two bedroom? And why not find a roommate? One that she got along with?

Elle walked out of the bathroom to see the man and Warren had moved to the couch while she had been inside of the bathroom. Hopefully she could convince him to move in with her. If she could, this could possibly work out perfectly. Moving over to where the boys were, she set her bag down next to the couch and took a seat next to Warren. “So, I was thinking about what he said. Not about us having a family, of course,” she said, shaking her head at another one of her blonde comments. If only she was a natural blonde then she could blame half of what she said on that fact. Unfortunately, she had naturally brunette hair. “What if we got an apartment together? We could get a two bedroom and split the rent. I mean, if it’s the one bedroom is the same price as a two, why not? It’d be cheaper for the both of us. What do you think?” She hoped she wasn’t being too forward but honestly, she was running out of ideas and with the sun starting to set in a few hours, she was going to need some place to stay. She would prefer somewhere that’s covered and she felt comfortable. He had become her last hope.