something about this place - Closed - Juliet

[Ashton Wentworth]

“Can you just?” His hands toiled over one another, the sheer fabric that they were caught up in still wet, thus making it nearly impossible to unwrap his hands. “NOT” his voice carried through the open bathroom door as he stumbled into the bathtub where Michelle had been letting her underthings hang out to dry. Ever since she had moved in, it was almost like she was attempting to force him out of his own house. He was sympathetic to her plight, really he was. Or, at least he pretended to be. Truth was, if he could force her out without pissing Warren off, he just might have done that. He would have assumed that since she had been living with a man for this long, she might know better how to navigate around them. He hadn't ever had this problem before, with either of the women that he had lived with. Mostly because he was so adamant about having his own space. He had guest rooms, he had guest bathrooms, she could have taken over any of those but no. She had to invade his space. Warren should have been the one to be putting up with this, not him. He was the roommate, he was the one that had agreed to take her on and look after her. Even though they weren't, and hadn't been sleeping together. Another thing that was a mystery to him. “ELLE!!” he shouted at the top of his lungs, she was here somewhere. She needed to come take care of this rubbish, and then he was going to lock her out of this part of the house once and for all. He was sick of her poking around in places that had nothing to do with her. It was bad enough the two of them had pushed Kaydence out of the house. He had hoped this was going to be a temporary thing, since he and Kaydence were doing so well it seemed. He didn't much care for her being out on her own, not after what happened. As of late she was becoming more and more of a stranger. Whenever Warren had asked to come stay with them until they could save up for a better, more secure place to live he had agreed. Warren had been his best friend since birth, he was the only family that Ashton had ever known. There was no way that he would ever turn the man down for anything. He had just assumed that all women were the same in their private lives, not like this.

Perhaps it was because Michelle was used to living like a poor person. Not that there was anything wrong with it, but it had been such a very long time since he had lived that way himself. Even whenever he had been living in the apartment over Geoff's pub, every time that Georgie had come over she had always cleaned it up, cooked and the like. She always restocked his beer for him, he only ever saw her without make up or looking polished whenever she was undergoing chemo. He had always been around women who took great pride in their looks. Hair done, make up on all of the time. Didn't leave the bathroom until they were presentable, he hadn't understood that there were other types of women. Of course, he had been raised around Grace, but since he didn't think of her as really a woman, he didn't see her that way. She had that flawless, never need anything but soap to look perfect face, another thing that had annoyed most of the women he had dated in his teenaged years. Michelle, well, she was something else. Certainly the type of woman that Warren would cling to, the kind that needed to be taken care of. They seemed pretty good for one another, but he never would understand how this sort of low maintenance woman he seemed to find out of nowhere. The story of how they had met was disgusting, she could have been anybody. They were both too trusting. Wasn't that how they had gotten into this mess in the first place? His life was becoming too hectic. He really didn't have time for this, he had only just wanted to stop by the house to change after work. He had been checking out new condos with Kaydence all morning and working all evening. Despite the fact that he disapproved of her living anywhere on her own, even though it had been almost a year since her little incident. Ever since they found out the monster who had carved her to bits was still out there, still working for her brother, he wasn't content to have her out of his sight. No matter how unrealistic that was. Perhaps it was because of Kaydence's accident, murder attempt, that he wasn't able to really grasp what his two new tenants were going through. He was so careful about his house he couldn't even imagine somebody breaking in. Perhaps it was because he was far too busy with work to really stop and understand just the magnitude of ho the both of them were still keeping their heads up.

Kicking his foot to fling a purple brazier off to the side, slamming the door closed behind him with gusto. “MICHELLE!” he shouted again, slumping down the stairs with heavy footsteps. He found her sitting in the dining room, her newest purchase cradled in her lap. It was a second hand guitar, something that he was certain she wasn't happen about. 'It's only temporary' he had heard Warren telling her over and over again whenever he had brought it home, but she had never said a word about it to Ashton. “HEY” he shouted, causing her small frame to jump. How was it possible that she hadn't heard him? Finally managing to free himself from the panty hose that he had been trapped in he flung it at her. “get your SHIT out of my bathroom!” the tone might have been a little biting, but this was the third time this week. He was done. He had to be at work in the morning, and wanted to be good and hungover by the time that he got there. Which meant, he needed to have started drinking a solid three hours ago. She just stared at him, like he was crazy for being this worked up over something so simple. As if she didn't know by now that he had a temper. Grabbing his black leather jacket off the chair next to her he double checked to make certain that his wand was in place before turning to leave the house. Warren would be home in a couple of hours, surely she would be alright alone for that long. Slamming the front door behind him he closed his eyes, letting the shrink wrapped feeling of apparating take over him. Whenever he opened his eyes again he was in front of one of the last operating pubs in Alzubra. With the new regulations that the Ministry was putting forth, it wouldn't be long until even this place started to seem different. Pushing open the front door the smell of stale beer and cigarette smoke overwhelmed him. Nodding once to the petite blonde owner pushing cocktails over the bar top he headed for a table toward the window overlooking the street. Purgatory was slowly becoming a regular haunt for him, whenever he needed to escape from his house for a little while. That, and they had the best Whiskey around.

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

The silence in her office was absolutely deafening. The only sounds that reached her ears were those of the clock on the wall, and the occasional scratch of her quill across a student's paper. Grading papers had to be the absolute least exciting part of her job, although she did like to find out who was actually paying attention in her classes. All you needed to do was ask questions and pay attention in her classes to do well, and yet she still had the occasional student that was on the verge of failure. It was pure frustration for her: they couldn't graduate without completing her class, so why didn't they just suck it up and put the effort in? She'd never understand. And so, she made notes on papers, set detentions, held extra help sessions, sat down and had chats with students when needed. The life of a professor was certainly not a glamourous one.

Juliet hummed happily as she finished her last paper, sitting back in her chair and running her fingers through her hair. She sighed, reaching forward to drop her quill into its holder. As she glanced up at the clock, she cocked her head to one side. She needed a break, something fun to do tonight. Most of the people she knew now were other Professors and students, and she knew that everyone anywhere near her age was busy tonight with grading. Well that was a bit pathetic. Had she really been that much of a shut-in lately that she didn't know many people outside of her job anymore? Her lips twitched down into a frown. That was something that would have to be changed. She wasn't about to waste her youth with nothing but work.

She stacked the many pieces of parchment that now littered her desk and placed them neatly into a box to leave outside her office for pick-up. Juliet glanced into the mirror by her door, ruffling the hair at the crown of her head. She looked scruffy. Not at all like bar material. She was in her early twenties, but at this very moment she felt like she looked twice her age. Juliet's lips twitched into a frown for the second time that evening. It was displeasing; how long had she looked like this and not noticed? She suddenly hoped that she hadn't started to show up to classes looking like this. It was so unflattering that it was disturbing.

A flick of her wand transfigured her robes into something more girly, prettier: a pair of tight jeans, a pretty top, and some knee-high boots. She smiled when she saw that her hair and make-up were still flattering and complementary to her features. Now she felt like she was her age again. Pulling on her long coat, she walked out of her office, locking the door behind her. There was an area in the staff room that she could Apparate from, cordoned off except to those who had been registered with the protective charm. She hadn't been to Alzubra in a very long time, but it seemed like it was exactly where she wanted to be tonight.

Purgatory had once been one of her favourites. Even though she'd worked at Trick, she'd never seen any reason to not diversity her fun. When she walked in, she couldn't help but smile; it was so familiar, but it had seen some upgrades since her last visit. It did smell the same as it always had: musty. But that was something she'd always forgiven because the drinks were so cheap. Sometimes you had to make sacrifices.

As she sat down at the bar, she ordered a scotch on the rocks, looking around as she waited. In the next seat over was a young man that looked terribly, terribly familiar. She'd seen him before, somewhere, perhaps recently? But something told her that she'd seen him in a much more distant past. She just couldn't place the face to a name. Juliet accepted the scotch from the bartender, sliding a few sickles across the shiny surface of the bar. After a few sips, her curiosity got the better of her, and she turned to face him. "Um, do I know you?" she asked with a smile. "I swear that I recognize you from somewhere."

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

[Ashton Wentworth]

Ashton didn't have to wait long until a familiar face bobbed toward him with a small tray topped with a glass of whiskey. Generous amount too. He knew that the little lady was supposed to be in school, he knew very well what it would mean to her record if he chose to arrest her again for being off school grounds after curfew. Yet, so long as she was indoors and serving drinks and not doing the drinking, he was going to let it slide. She knew what would happen if she messed up again, he was fairly confidant that he had made a lasting impression with her the first time that he had met little Eden. Pulling a galleon out of his pocket and placing it on the tray for her while she put his drink and a small napkin on the table she beamed, thanking him for the tip without saying a word. It was a weird relationship that they had, but they understood one another. Nodding as she walked away he eased into the back of the chair, indulging in a large sip of the amber liquid. He knew no matter how quickly he drank it, there would be another one before he was entirely finished. Today however, he was in no rush to get back to his house. Who knew what sort of racket Warren was bound to be making once he got off work, in fact, he was probably downstairs guarding the door to the club at this very moment. Would he come up here and drink with his brother before going home to the little lady he was oddly loyal to? No. he would go home like he was expected and make dinner for the two of them. Another aspect of their relationship that he didn't understand at all.

Ashton had never been much of a people watcher, or much of a people person at all if he was being honest. He tended to keep the same very limited amount of people around him on a long term basis. While he had chosen the seat next to the window, he didn't bother looking out of it. He knew what he would see, half empty streets with people wandering about doing whatever it was that they felt like. Down the path a ways would be his place of business, that he would have to be returning too in all too short of a time, he spent most of his hours there sadly. He didn't care about anybody out in the street, and he didn't much like those people in the Ministry building much either. Even less those who were in there at this hour. No doubt his obnoxious 'partner' was in there burning the midnight oil in attempt to gain favor in the eyes of their boss. Like that was going to happen, the prat. He could attempt to be social, and talk to the people around him, but he didn't see the point. It wasn't that he didn't like people, he just didn't like to waste his time...and well, he didn't like people so much. Another drink finished his glass, and by the time that he had set the empty glass down, Eden had already brought him another. She really was good at her job, her employer should be proud. Ashton's eyes caught sight of an attractive young woman making her way into the bar, had it been any other night he might have made the effort to hit on her, but he had enough obnoxious women in his life right now, he didn't really need any more. The fact that he should have taken more notice didn't even register to him. She wasn't exactly a stranger, and since it was his job to know more about where she was and how she conducted her business, he might have taken a little more notice of her.

Lifting the glass to his lips once more he swallowed hard, not even noticing the burn that scorched his throat all the way down. He couldn't even remember the last time that he had been this distracted. ”Um, do I know you?”

[/b] he heard the words floating in his direction, but he didn't care. He was here to be alone, something that he couldn't be in his own house. “No” his gruff voice said before he even realized who it was that was talking to him. “I swear that I recognize you from somewhere.” Finally, his eyes rolled over in her direction, getting a better look at her face. It took him a moment to place her, she had been in his office only a month ago but it felt like years. His brows pinched together as he scanned her face and a little lower, he never had been much of a gentleman. Resigned, he nodded once, an arrogance creeping back into his system. He could claim that it was just because his face had been plastered on almost every issue of the Daily Time stopper since the Gringotts debacle, but he didn't exactly like that fact. “Delia, I'm insulted” his tone bored, though he didn't mean to be rude. “I do so enjoy our monthly get togethers” He had registered her Animagus abilities not to long ago, and had no idea if she was public about what she could do to her frame at will. He couldn't imagine why she wouldn't be, given that she was a teacher in the same subject.
[/blockquote][/justify][/size][/blockquote]

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

The amber liquid in her glass was already beginning to warm her up, head to toe. She looked down at the contents while she waited for the man beside her to respond. He looked so familiar, but between the dim lighting and the fact that all she had to go on was his profile, it was really quite perplexing to place a name to him. He could have been from anywhere at this point: school, work, the Ministry... There were any number of places that she could know him from at this point, and without any indicators to narrow things down, he was just another face. She didn't like that.

His reply came short and low, and Juliet huffed slightly at the brusque tone of his voice. No need to be rude, she thought to herself curtly. Juliet took another sip of her drink, turning back to face the bar. She had two options at this point: moving seats or getting another drink. Dropping another Sickle on the bar, she opted for the second choice and waited for the bartender to fill her glass up again. She glanced sideways as the man looked in her direction, and so she finally got a good look at his face. And then it was as easy to remember his name as it was to recite the first year Transfiguration lesson plans.

“Delia, I'm insulted. I do so enjoy our monthly get togethers” Juliet snorted, turning slightly to look at Ashton, a small smirk on her lips. "I'm sure you'll get over it, Mister Wentworth," she chuckled, crossing her ankles. "Though our monthly visits to ensure that I'm not misbehaving are surely riveting." Ashton had been who she'd registered her Animagi abilities with quite recently, and was the same person she visited once a month to confirm that she hadn't been using the ability inappropriately. Juliet could understand why the Ministry had recently started to crack down on monitoring particular abilities, considering the state of the Magical World as of late: volatile and unpredictable. Then again, it's not like anyone wouldn't notice a white-tailed doe prancing down the street. Formalities.

Juliet took another sip of the drink, the liquid bitter but warming. She found herself completely comfortable under his gaze, even though it wasn't a purely innocent gaze. Perhaps it was the small amount of alcohol that she had consumed, or the fact that he wasn't entirely a stranger. She cocked her head and gave him a small smile. "Besides, can you blame me for not recognizing you right away? The lighting in these places is always dreadful." The corner of her mouth quirked up as she took another sip of her drink.

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

Not my greatest ever. Forgive me?

[Ashton Wentworth]

Most of the people that had to come into his office, didn't much care to socialize with him outside of work. Not that he blamed them, he could be a miserable person most of the time. Mostly because of the idiot that he was forced to deal with all hours of the day and night. Not that it got much better whenever he got home, considering there were people to undermine and nag him there as well. To top it all off, his 'girlfriend' was absent, meaning he wasn't even getting laid. All in all, it didn't make for a very pleasant Ashton. He couldn't be bothered to care what other people thought of him, which was why he didn't have very many friends to begin with. Even less that chose to stick around once they decided that his handsome face just didn’t justify all of the things that came out of his mouth. Generally, whenever he was speaking to an attractive woman, he was a little more charming. Given that he was usually attempting to get something out of them, or moving with a purpose, perhaps whenever he had a little bit more to drink, it might be more pleasant. He had been told he was a much kinder soul whenever he was plastered. Told often enough in fact to consider his frequent drinking a public service. Whenever Eden came by with his third drink, he stopped her, “Might as well start bringing larger glasses pet” and with a smile, she was off again.

”I'm sure you'll get over it, Mister Wentworth,” Looking over her head at the mention of his surname he signaled her with his hand to shush. He wasn't the sort that appreciated his face being plastered all over the newspapers for his work in helping with the Gringotts battle, and they were still printing articles about his work with werewolves as of late. He didn't need somebody else that didn't actually know him coming up and pretending that they did. ”Though our monthly visits to ensure that I'm not misbehaving are surely riveting.” he nodded, taking another large drink. It wasn't the she wasn't good enough company. She was kind and attractive, really all that he looked for in a conversational partner these days, but he was attempting to drink his face off as quickly as possible. Finally, Eden arrived with a beer glass full of his choice drink, and it made him practically giddy. No doubt she wasn't supposed to do such a thing, but he came here often enough and his tab was always paid in a timely manner, so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. He hoped

”Besides, can you blame me for not recognizing you right away? The lighting in these places is always dreadful.” He supposed that it could have been an innocent mistake, but the tone of her voice made him think otherwise. He hadn't pictured her for the sort that whenever she let her hair down after hours, she let her hair down he had could have been very wrong. It was one time that he wouldn't mind being wrong at all. “Mmhm, the lighting had to of been your issue” he shrugged, a smirk placed confidently on his face. Tilting his head in her direction he set his glass back on the counter, the heat rapidly swimming through his veins. “Make it up to me later” Glancing over her shoulder, it was easy to see that she was alone. “What brings you so far away from home on a night like this?”

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

Juliet raised her eyebrows and pressed the fingers of one of her hands to her lips. Apparently, he didn't want anyone to know of his presence. She couldn't particularly blame him, considering that his name and face had been plastered throughout the papers and tabloids lately. No doubt that dropping names could lead to unwanted attention in a bar. She watched as he took a rather large and long drink from his glass -- someone had apparently come off of a long day. Juliet took a mouthful of her own drink. When in Rome...

His face lit up with a rather impressive smirk as he spoke. “Mmhm, the lighting had to of been your issue.” Juliet cocked an eyebrow as she licked her lips and grinned. "Aye, the lighting," she mused, waving her hands at the dim lights nearby. "It's completely what I'm blaming it on, and I will be sticking to that story for the remainder of the night." She smiled into her glass as he spoke next, feeling the heat race through her body. Perhaps the dim lighting wasn't such a terrible thing after all.

Juliet looked up at Ashton and cocked her head to the side, pressing her lips together while she put her glass down. "Perhaps I'll buy you a drink to make up for my indiscretions," she purred. "If you play nice, of course." She had the strangest feeling that Ashton was not one to play nice, but she couldn't say that the thought particularly bothered her. She could use a little bit of excitement in her life. It was mostly dominated by books and papers and grading now, and a girl needed a break from those things at least once in a while.

She picked up her glass to wet her throat before speaking, placing it daintily back on the counter when she was done. "I've been locked away at the castle grading papers for far too long, and by some happy coincidence, I finished grading before morning. So I thought that I should get to reward myself for it. And here I am." The corners of her lips curved up into a wicked smile as she gazed across the gap at him. He really was quite the looker, wasn't he? "And you, Ashton?" she breathed. "What brings you here tonight?

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

[Ashton Wentworth]

No doubt everybody around him was going to think that he had an impressively sized drinking problem. Merlin knew that he heard enough about it at his house, from the people that lived with him. Personally, he felt that as long as he was only drinking on his off hours, then he didn't have too much to worry about. Let people think what they wanted to, he knew the truth. Besides, it tasted divine. Whiskey had gotten him through just about every situation that he had ever been through in his life, and while, comparatively, what was happening in his life as of late didn't even register on the 'oh shit' scale by which he judged his life, it was helping none the less. He had been told that drinking drastically improved his social skills, and given that they were normally less than abysmal, the help couldn't hurt. "Aye, the lighting, It's completely what I'm blaming it on, and I will be sticking to that story for the remainder of the night." a rare laugh left his lips at her comment. Before now, it had always been strictly business. Which, had always been very weird considering he knew her. Not well, but better than some of the other people in his life. If he wasn't mistaken, they had gone to school at the same time. Most of the people that he worked with on a daily basis he knew nothing more than what he could find in the folder that passed across his desk, and that was fine by him. “So long as you have a plan.”

"Perhaps I'll buy you a drink to make up for my indiscretions, If you play nice, of course." her tone was certainly not business. His smirk grew just a little on his face. “I will do nothing of the sort, pet” it was so easy to fall into old habits, he could feel the whiskey starting to warm his system from how quickly he had been gulping the liquid down. The nick name was something that he hadn't used much since school. Perhaps it was since that was where he knew her from, perhaps it was her winning smile, he really had no idea and he didn't care. “I'll take the drink though” he said, glancing only momentarily down as the still half full glass in his hand, it couldn't hurt. He hadn't developed a liver of iron for nothing. Between that, the cigarettes, and the random bouts of exercise that he tended to force himself to endure, it really was something of a miracle that he could still function as well as he did. Perhaps all the work that the healers had been doing on him over the years was more beneficial than they had meant for it to be. Not that he was complaining. It might be counter productive to them, considering that he didn't live the life style that even the newest healer would consider moderately healthy, but it worked well for him.

"I've been locked away at the castle grading papers for far too long, and by some happy coincidence, I finished grading before morning. So I thought that I should get to reward myself for it. And here I am." Sounded horrible. He didn't envy her job, not just for the students either, he already couldn't stand the paperwork part of his own job, and tended to do as little of it as he possibly could. Just another one of those things that tended to irritate him partner, which was yet another reason to do it. "And you, Ashton? What brings you here tonight? He could easily go the cheesy route, say something stupid like he was waiting for her, but he wasn't nearly far enough along in his intoxication to go that far. He gestured down at the glass in front of him. It really was the simplest answer, they didn't attempt to 'cut him off' here after they thought that he had had too much. They just let him drink, it was beneficial to all. They got a ministry official frequenting their place, and he got to drink. “The company suits me.” he stated and left it at that. Shifting in his seat, his knees angled toward her so that he wasn't quite so off putting. It might help combat his demeanor. “Although, this isn't much of a reward...drinking by yourself.” his words trailed off, hinting that she had to be doing something else, since she was alone. Though, it might make sense, perhaps she was just waiting until she was good and drunk, then come up with whatever plan.

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

Juliet licked her lips and looked down into the contents of her glass as Ashton smiled. She hadn't known him all so long, but it was the first time she'd ever heard him laugh, let alone even seen him really smile. It was becoming of him. Attractive even. And it just so happened to match that pretty face of his. That made the whole situation that much more satisfying. Juliet snorted as he spoke, her eyes turning up as she fluttered her lashes. "I rarely have a plan when I'm out for a night. I like a little spontaneity when I can get it. That will be the only thought out plan you hear from me for the rest of the evening, I assure you."

“I will do nothing of the sort, pet” Juliet flashed him an equally devious smirk, cocking her head as she narrowed her eyes at him ever so slightly. "Well that settles that then," she breathed, leaning in as she dropped her gaze down his chest momentarily. Well that was a bold move. "Because I wasn't really planning on playing nice tonight either." She flashed him a smile before taking another sip of her drink, enjoying the warming feeling as it flooded her body. It had been a while since she'd seriously flirted with anyone, and she was sure that flirting was exactly what she was getting herself into. She would be lying if she said that she wasn't enjoying it. That much was plenty easy for anyone who was watching to see. Not that she cared in the slightest. The only person she cared for the thoughts of right now was Ashton.

She nodded her head as he accepted her offer of a drink, downing the rest of hers and tapping her fingers on the bar. "Two more please," she chirped. "Another scotch and whatever he's drinking." Juliet reached into her purse and paused. It wasn't like she planned on going anywhere else anytime soon. "Start a tab, please." Juliet turned to angle herself toward Ashton.

“Although, this isn't much of a reward...drinking by yourself.” Juliet cocked her head as she smiled. It was true. For most people, going out to drink alone wasn't much of a reward. Most people would probably get bored with it, and the people around you would begin to think you were straight out of a failed AA meeting if you didn't have some semblance of a plan. But once again, those were things that didn't really bother her. "Like I said before, I have no running plan. The goal of the night was to have a few drinks to unwind. Anything else on top of that is just icing on the cake. If a few turns into a lot more than a few, so be it. If I meet some friends, so be it. If I make some friends, all the better." She smiled, sitting up straighter and tossing a bit of hair over her shoulder. "Besides, does a lady really need a serious reason or purpose to get cleaned up nice and have a few drinks?"

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

Exams and school have been slapping the shit out of me.
Please forgive me and accept my love?

[Ashton Wentworth]

There had been a time in his youth where Ashton hadn't been nearly so antisocial. He didn't think of himself as living a particularly hard life, he just thought of himself as somebody who a lot of bad things tended to happen to. Usually, out of his control. He was given to liking the wrong people, making the wrong sort of friends and generally drinking himself into a permanent asshole state of mind. Whenever he was younger, he wasn't exactly Mr. popularity, but he was fairly social man, worked enough jobs to fund his habits, was charismatic enough to have a string of women in and out of his place as he pleased. He could attribute some of his changes to the women in his life, but that just made him feel needlessly bitter. There was a time that he would have been able to hold a normal conversation with the women sitting next to him far easier. Perhaps it was the work, the calling that he had chosen to pursue that didn't allow him to see much outside of his profession. More likely, it was a combination of all of those things. Thinking about the exact cause would only make it worse. At least, the more he drank, the more he felt like his old self, the more he got out of his own head. Though, admittedly, the presence of a very attractive woman certainly didn't hurt. Adding the large amount of alcohol in his cup, was just a recipe for trouble. Whenever her eyes left his face in favor of his chest he grinned to himself before taking another drink.

Truthfully, if he hadn't seen her outside of the office, he might not have even considered her. She was a very attractive young witch, and he knew nothing about her. Even better, she knew nothing about him. It would have been all new, but work tended to put things in a negative light for him and she was a work contact. However, in the dim lighting of the pub, there was no denying that she was a handsome woman, and she was supplying him with liquor. "Two more please, Another scotch and whatever he's drinking. Start a tab, please." Ashton's head perked up at the sound of a tab, he didn't like it whenever women paid for things, he was well enough off now. At the very least, he could pay for a measly tab. His eyes darted to the bar keep, the slight woman was pouring both of their drinks, shaking his head slightly at her to signal that Juliet shouldn't be paying for that tab at the end of the night. Ashton had a running tab here, days at a time usually. Placing his elbows on the table he leaned forward onto the table top, letting his knee fall sideways against hers. "Like I said before, I have no running plan. The goal of the night was to have a few drinks to unwind. Anything else on top of that is just icing on the cake. If a few turns into a lot more than a few, so be it. If I meet some friends, so be it. If I make some friends, all the better." taking a small drink from the fresh glass in front of him he nodded, “A woman after my own heart.” he teased, leaning a little closer “Though you might want to rethink the whole friends thing, the lot in this place is a might shady I think.” He should know.

He didn't know many of the people in here personally, but given that most of them seemed to be sitting individually and keeping to themselves, signaled that they might not be the chattiest of fellows for her to acquaint herself with. Then again, who was he to talk, he didn't like most people. "Besides, does a lady really need a serious reason or purpose to get cleaned up nice and have a few drinks?" Putting the glass back on the table he shook his head. “Absolutely not.” pressing his lips together and swallowing again he grinned “Though, I like it better whenever a lady gets dressed down...or not at all.” his eyes didn't meet hers but he said his words with a laugh. Turning back to her slowly with a wink “Not that you don't look nice as is.”


OOC: naturally. Take the time you need and get your school done you over achiever you. This one isn't the best either :/

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

Juliet watched in silence, a small smile turning up the corners of her lips ever so slightly, as Ashton made a subtle gesture to the bartender. Well, it was worth a shot. Didn't they always say it was the thought that counts? She said nothing further as she watched the man beside her lean forward on the counter, his knee shifting to just rest against her own leg. The small smile on her lips turned up into more of a smirk as she glanced down before quickly settling to a more demure expression again. See? She was making friends already and it hadn't been more than ten minutes.

Juliet laughed when Ashton acknowledged his agreement with her statement, a low chuckle in her throat. “Though you might want to rethink the whole friends thing, the lot in this place is a might shady I think.” She tilted her head to the side and leaned in as he did, her eyes widening as if she were an innocent deer caught in the headlights of the big bad world. "Well then I guess I'm lucky that I ran into you first, Mister Wentworth." She raised her glass to her lips, her eyes dropping over his frame for a fleeting moment as she took a long sip. "You'll have to point out the ones I should steer clear from before you leave tonight, hmm? Or perhaps you'll decide to stick around until I end up going home." A subtle nudge she hadn't expected to fall out of her mouth, but not one she completely regretted.

Juliet sat back and turned over her shoulder, glancing around the bar. She could definitely see that Ashton was right in saying that there were some shady characters in this bar. It wasn't something she'd been completely unaware of when she'd decided to go out tonight. And it wasn't as though she was completely unable to defend herself if need be -- you didn't make it onto the Galaxia staff if you were incapable of that. Still, she was somewhat comforted that she'd found someone that she didn't mind spending the time with, someone that didn't give her the absolute creeps.

Her eyes flashed back over in Ashton's direction as she heard the soft clink of his glass on the bartop, just in time to catch the gorgeous grin on his face. She would not mind seeing that more often. As if the man wasn't good looking enough already, he had to go and fucking smile. “Though, I like it better whenever a lady gets dressed down...or not at all.” She could barely help the smile that began to spread over her own lips, her tongue running across the inside of her cheek. It wasn't like she could argue with the sentiment, not in the least. “Not that you don't look nice as is.” Juliet's eyebrow rose ever so slightly as he winked at her, her eyes dropping over his frame for a second time, lingering a little longer this time. "You're not to shabby yourself, Mister Wentworth," she breathed, bringing her glass to her lips. Oh what an interesting night this was shaping up to be.

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

[Ashton Wentworth]

Generally speaking, this was about the time in the evening where a drink was being tossed in his face. Either that, or his stupid comments worked and the girl was starting to fall all over him. It was interesting to see a woman that was doing neither. He didn't really want a drink in his face. Though, it might be interesting to see just what it was going to take for her to be pressed to the limit, what she would consider to be 'too' crass. The line that put them from a strictly business relationship to something a touch more familiar had already been crossed after all. To think, he had technically known her for years now, having gone to school with her in the same place that she was now teaching. He just hadn't ever noticed her before. How had that been possible? She was in another house, and his world hadn't been very broad. He had spent most of his years fucking his way through school, bribing people to do his assignments for him, drinking too much and getting into far too many fights. At the very least he had stopped getting people to do his work for him. Couldn't say much about the others though. He had only committed to three things in his life, and the only one that had ever done anything for him was his work. Not the women he had thought to tether himself to. No, he was over that. Commitment in relationships just wasn't for him. Juliet seemed too nice a girl to get caught up in the likes of him, but he wasn't going to debate with her on the subject. He was a man with desires after all, and she was a very attractive young woman. It also was looking like she could hold her liquor, which was just making things even better.

"Well then I guess I'm lucky that I ran into you first, Mister Wentworth." he couldn't help but grin, shaking his head. “Half the people in here would be far more crass than he was. It was obvious, anybody with eyes could see. Though, they were better than the perverts that tended to dominate the downstairs club portion of the building. "You'll have to point out the ones I should steer clear from before you leave tonight, hmm? Or perhaps you'll decide to stick around until I end up going home." That was a tad obvious, but not unwelcome. With his index finger he gestured to himself, that he was one of the ones that she ought to avoid. A warning he wasn't going to press, but it was honest just the same. "You're not to shabby yourself, Mister Wentworth," he chuckled “I know,” he wasn't the most modest, he had always considered himself to be a fairly attractive man. His success rate was only further evidence of that he figured. Standing from his chair he leaned over the bar top, beckoning to the bar keep. “Gimme two rounds of 3 wise men.” siting slowly back into his stool he turned back to her. “feeling adventurous?” The man behind the counter laid down four shot glasses and begun filling them just under the brim. Lifting one up to Juliet he grinned, testing. Of course she could decline, he would be drinking regardless, just might be more interesting if she would consent to join him. Tilting his head back and allowing the liquid to surge down his gullet he coughed once and turned the empty glass on the counter upside down. Both palms on the damp bar top.

The burn was already registering in his throat. Even though he had been drinking whiskey this whole time, the combination of the three was impressive. He had always been told that he was more fun whenever he was drinking, might as well test out that theory now. He had no other obligations apart from work, and that could wait awhile.

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

The grin that so suddenly appeared on Ashton's face was so sublimely delicious that she couldn't help but grin right back at him. She was being quite honest in saying that she was glad to have ended up in Ashton's company tonight. The rest of the patrons of the bar were less than wholesome, this she knew all too well. Then again, it wasn't really the company of those in the bar that she'd originally been seeking out, but rather the cheap drinks. Meeting Ashton here just seemed to be a happy accident, one she was completely and utterly content with.

She couldn't help but playfully raise an eyebrow as Ashton pointed to himself when she asked him to point out the people she should steer clear of. Juliet wrinkled her nose up as she took a sip out of her glass. "I'm inclined not to think so," she breathed, licking her lips absently before smiling again. "I think that I'm perfectly capable of handling you, Ashton Wentworth." Bold words? Completely. Did she mind being so bold? Not in the least. It just might end up making her evening that much more interesting than she'd expected it to be. Being in his company had done just that so far. A little more time and a few more words could only make things better, right? A peal of laughter rose in her throat as he replied, "I know." Not the most modest mouse, was he? She couldn't really blame him. He was a good-looking guy, that much was undeniable.

Juliet cocked her head as Ashton ordered them a round of drinks, the bartender arriving quickly with four shotglasses. She had very little doubt in her mind that these shots were going to go down quite as easily as tequila, judging by the mischievous look that had settled in Ashton's eyes. "Feeling adventurous?" Juliet pressed her lips together in a sly smile, reaching out for one of the shots. She was enjoying herself so far, why not keep on with the night? "Bottoms up, Wentworth." The shot was every bit as awful as she imagined it to be, and she wrinkled her nose and exhaled sharply as the liquid rand down her throat. On the positive side, it did give her a glorious warm, fuzzy feeling.

"Well that was awful," she laughed, fingers pressed to her lips as she shook her head. I would like to assume that the second one will go down easier, knowing what it's like, but I somewhat doubt it." Juliet grinned, reaching out for the shotglass and downing the contents before she could hesitate. Her nose wrinkled up yet again, sliding the empty glass across the bartop. "Nope," she said breathily, giving her head a few sharp shakes. "Just as bad." She looked down pointedly at the full glass sitting in front of Ashton yet, giving him a saucy smile. "Well come on then, keep up." She had a feeling that Ashton would appreciate her teasing at least a little.

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

[Ashton Wentworth]

"I'm inclined not to think so, I think that I'm perfectly capable of handling you, Ashton Wentworth." Ashton could feel his eyes widening. Usually it was him who was coming on too strongly to the opposite sex. It was hardly ever that he was surprised by a woman saying things. He liked it. His imagination spun as his wit attempted to make it's way to his tongue. The woman standing next to him was whole new person. Certainly not the one that he hadn't noticed in school, saying things like that. She had seemed to quite in his office during their monthly visits, she was a teacher of children after all. She was turning out to be totally different than the way that he had pegged her. Which wasn't a bad thing. Who would have thought of her as a drinking partner? Back in his Galaxia days, Ashton had worked as a bar tender at Tripp for his sixth and seventh year, he couldn't remember seeing her even once. Granted, he had been rather wrapped up in Georgie and the ball of drama that she was. He understood that she had been a large distraction, because of her he hadn't met a lot of people. He hadn't even met the head girl until years after they had graduation. Kaydence had been one that he would have very much liked to meet before Georgie, even though both relationships had ended up very similarly. He assumed that Kaydence was still alive at least, wherever she was, she had just disappeared. One say she was apartment shopping, and then she just stopped returning his owls. Apparently he had done something wrong.

"Bottoms up, Wentworth." He watched her face as she took the shot, laughing at the expression that she pulled. She handled it a lot better than he would have expected at first. Not everybody drank in the quantity that he did, he could feel it in his throat and stomach, but he couldn't taste it any more. "Well that was awful," “It will be worth it.” ”I would like to assume that the second one will go down easier, knowing what it's like, but I somewhat doubt it." The only response he offered her this time was a smile as he lifted his own second shot in time with her. "Nope, Just as bad." he couldn't help but laugh, she was good company. "Well come on then, keep up." he scoffed, she was a brazen thing, a woman after his own heart it would seem. “Well excuse me,” he lifted the glass and tossed it back with a jerk of his head. The change in his attitude was almost instantaneous. Ashton didn't give a damn if she thought of him differently after tonight, he didn't give a damn if this made their business encounters strange, he always liked a person more whenever he was drinking. He was better whenever he was drinking. There was actually a very good chance that he was something of an alcoholic. At least it seemed that he had an iron liver after all of these years. The echo of whiskey still teased his throat, the burn softening with every passing second. His eyes turned to Juliet, smiling easily. The glass slammed back onto the moist bar top with a clack. Turning his back to the bar he let his palms rest on the counter. “So, is this you with your hair down? Or should I expect something more?”

He could feel the troubles of the day starting to melt away as the liquor started to move to his head. Even with his tolerance he could feel it taking hold of him. Not to the point of slurring his speech but the heat was certainly sinking into his veins. The exchange from blood to alcohol had started awhile ago but the exchange was almost complete. “I mean, we're practically strangers.” Ashton leaned his torso into hers a little with his words, accompanied with a waggle of his eyebrows that was too pointed not to be suggestive. He allowed his shoulders to roll backward, attempting to stretch the blades to meet in the middle of his back. It was true, all he knew was that she was an animagus and a teacher. He could think of quite a few things about her that he wanted to know about her right now, like what she looked like in the morning. “Tell me something,” he offered a sly smile. “Doesn't have to be dirty, not that I would complain.”

[Juliet Delia]

she was faster than the wind
{ passionate as sin }

She liked the way his laughter sounded. It was an affirmation that Ashton Wentworth wasn't just the super-serious young man who worked for the Ministry and then spent his evenings at dive bars. There was a young man in there that was perfectly capable of having a wildly enjoyable time, a young man that had a sense of humour, even if it was at her expense (although even she would have laughed at herself). But she mostly liked it because it was an indicator that he was enjoying her company thus far, and that was a positive thing, because Juliet had no particular intention of removing herself from his company any time soon, if it could be helped.

"Well excuse me," came his voice, mock offended after she teased him.  It was now her turn to laugh, tipping her head back as she giggled.  Her hair fell down her back, tickling her skin as she shook her head, a wide grin on her face as she tilted her head to look over at him.  Ashton was smiling too, and between the fact that the sight was infectious and the fact that she'd just had two shots of Merlin only knew what, she couldn't help the giddy, happy feeling that was settling in her chest.  She was having fun, something that she didn't really get to do often enough anymore.  Everyone knew that grading papers wasn't the way anyone really liked to spend their spare time anyway.  It was nice to be able to get dressed up and let her hair down, especially now that she'd found someone to spend the time with.

"So, is this you with your hair down? Or should I expect something more?”  Juliet smiled easily, shaking her glass at the bartender who slid over easily to refill it.  She nodded, pulling it back to take a sip of the amber liquid.  She clucked her tongue once, shrugging her shoulders.  "Might be," she breathed, swirling the glass in her hand lazily.  "I mean, for all you know, this could be completely tame, and I'm just a penned up party girl."  Her eyes shifted over to his frame slowly, taking in his frame.  Ashton was a very, very good-looking man, that she could not deny.  And that made flirting with him that much more satisfyingly delicious.

Juliet pressed her fingers of one hand against her lips as she giggled.  “I mean, we're practically strangers.”  Her eyebrows furrowed in mock seriousness, her lips pursing as she nodded.  "Practically," she breathed before leaning in, the tip of her tongue playing on the corner of her lips.  "But who's to say that's stopped me before?"  She leaned back, taking a sip of her drink without taking her eyes off his face, a smirk playing on her features.

“Tell me something. Doesn't have to be dirty, not that I would complain.”  Juliet chewed her lower lip in thought, drumming her nails across the bar top as she thought.  "I'll tell you two things then, how's that?"  She held up her index finger, "In fifth year, I had purple hair for five months because Thomas Corporal thought it would be funny.  I punched him in the mouth."  Juliet held up a second finger, leaning in before she spoke.  She wondered vaguely what his reaction might be.  "I'm wearing a lovely set of black lace knickers."

forgetting her is like trying to know
{ somebody that you've never met }

[Ashton Wentworth]

The whiskey was helping him smile to come more easily onto his face, his laughter to flow a little more freely than it would if he were sober. He just didn't tend to find things all that entertaining whenever he was sober. World was getting him down. He hadn't even realized that he had missed this as much, even if it was something so simple as hitting on a woman that he hardly knew, flirting, in this case. It was a little surprising to him that he was able to travel back in time so easily with the help of a little alcohol. Back to his more carefree days, whenever all he needed was enough money for his meager bills and drinking money. The days when he could sleep until all hours of the afternoon and drag himself to his bartending position. Maybe it was just being around somebody that could help him connect to that same time period in his life. Before everything else had even happened. Even if he hadn't known Juliet back then. He liked the way that he was getting to know her now. The way her lips turned up at the corners every time he laughed. Direct response to his actions was always gratifying.

As she waited for her refill, he signaled that he wanted another one as well. His head was starting to spin, just as he would have expected. He had an iron liver but it was powered by whiskey, in its own way. "Might be," His eyebrow lifted as he peered at her from over the brim of his freshly filled glass. "I mean, for all you know, this could be completely tame, and I'm just a penned up party girl." He coughed against the liquid he had been in the process of swallowing, the laugh didn't want to be denied. “Well I have heard what they said about the quiet ones,” He couldn't help the way that his shoulders squared under her appraisal, the way his stomach muscles clenched and his arms flexed. Even hidden under his jacket, he knew there wasn't much she was going to see that she wouldn't like. Most women did. He didn't have a track record like he did for nothing after all. “I mean, we're practically strangers.” He could think of a few things that were bound to help them get better acquainted with one another rather quickly. He might not live as close to the drinking establishments as he once did, but close enough. "Practically," he never would have pictured her to be like this outside of work. Her tongue on her lip, suggestive. "But who's to say that's stopped me before?" His smirk deepened, bringing out the light dimples in his cheeks. Nobody, that's who. If she was suggesting what he thought she was, he was all for it.

"I'll tell you two things then, how's that?" He nodded once, taking another drink and setting the glass back onto the bar top. Perhaps it was because it had been so long...but he honestly didn't care about the reasons any longer. It wasn't like she was rejecting his veiled advances. "In fifth year, I had purple hair for five months because Thomas Corporal thought it would be funny. I punched him in the mouth." Another throaty chuckle. He thought that he could remember somebody with purple hair, but his inebriated mind might just be making things up on his behalf. He hadn't been much of a prank player back in the day, but that would have been one he enjoyed watching. "I'm wearing a lovely set of black lace knickers." Somehow he managed to inhale air wrong, lending him to a short lived coughing spell, the smile never leaving his face despite it all. His fist knocked against his rib cage a few times as the cough gave way to a suggestive smile, easily matching the look on his face. “Certainly the quiet ones...” his knuckle bending to run down the length of her exposed upper arm. He needed a cigarette. Should steady him while they were still in public. “Ahem,” he cleared his throat, standing back up. “Wanna get out of here?” he asked while downing the rest of his glass, stepping back to allow her to stand up, his right hand going for the new pack in his pocket, pulling the plastic off of the top and flipping back the lid of the box, depositing the papers on the bar top with a wink at the man behind it. He had a running tab, it wasn't like he wouldn't be back in a few days.