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Post by Adriana Truscott on Jul 27, 2012 14:01:03 GMT -6
Twilight had descended upon Hogsmeade as Adriana made her way towards O’Connors. She pushed the door opened and gave a half smile at its rather empty surroundings. On a Friday night it was still too early for all the partygoers, but some people had already started to gather and mingle in hopes of getting some of the specialty lager which usually ran out by the end of the night. Adriana had to admit, Bradley’s little venture had become a huge success, though she would never admit it to his face, at least not willingly.
She weaved around the empty tables to the bar where Grace Cohen stood setting up for the night. “Heya Grace,” she greeted the other girl, who was once again her natural brunette colour. “Could I have a lemon drop?” she asked. Then digging around in her purse for her wallet, she opened it. Inside the pocket which should have held her money was empty. “You know what never mind I forgot my wallet at home.” She said with a small shrug and a smile.
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Post by Grace Cohen on Jul 27, 2012 14:02:33 GMT -6
Grace smiled up at Adriana as she sat on one of the stools across from her. They had become good friends over the past year or so, she wasn’t as bad as she had been at Hogwarts. Alright, she was pretty much the same, but somehow they got on well anyways.
“Heya Aid,” she greeted the other brunette. “Sure,” she smiled squeezing fresh lemons for Adriana’s lemon drop. At Adriana’s admission she shook her head, “Ah, it’s alright the first one is on the house, besides I know you’re good for it,” she smiled at the other girl before passing Adriana her drink.
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Post by Adriana Truscott on Jul 27, 2012 14:03:37 GMT -6
At Grace’s reaction she nodded with a grateful smile. “Yeah, right,” she said taking the lemon drop she was offered and sipped on the bright straw. So much for red wallets being a sign of good luck and promoting the idea of wealth.
During her sixth year Adriana’s parents had lost nearly all their money, her father then left her mother and they were broke. They still had their home, the one with the red door, but it had been stripped down to its bones. All that had been left in her bedroom was her bed, no not even her bed, a bed fit for a small child. It had been a rough two years with just her and her mum trying to make ends meet. Adriana had gotten into acting. She had always loved theater and done a few small commercials and such as a child but never thought it would become anything. For those last two years Adriana hid it well, no longer being the rich girl. She had secretly worked at places like Flourish & Blotts, and went to as many auditions as possible. She still had her status of “it girl” leaving Hogwarts and the illusion that she was still the snobbish, spoiled little rich girl.
After graduating Adriana had moved into a tiny rubbish flat. It was as small as her closet had been, but Adriana couldn’t bear the thought of living with someone else and having them know she was anything but infinitely wealthy. Her mother had sold her beautiful childhood home and moved in with her live-in boyfriend. They apparently now lived somewhere tropical, but at least he was kind to her mother. Without money making her dreams come true had been a lot harder than she had anticipated. Her talent and experience had gotten her into the dance company of her dreams, but barely, albeit she was shamefully the scholarship student. Peyton Cullen was the only person who really knew about her money problems and believing she had a remarkable voice agreed to help Adriana make a record, so long as Peyton got to do the art which seemed more than fair.
“Grace I really love your hair, it’s so pretty. It’s not dark like mine, it has so much warmth to it, I love it,” she complimented the other girl, “So, how is Sam doing? You two are still together right?”
((ooc: Anyone? Everyone?))
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Post by Justin Biermann on Jul 27, 2012 17:14:29 GMT -6
(ooc: lol I'm pretty sure Justin has been in every single scene at O'Connors)
"Try getting a free drink out of O'Connor," Justin noted with a laugh. "I swear to God, he's the stingiest rich kid I've ever met. You'd almost think he made his way in life through hard work and perseverance." He was joking, mostly. While some of the start-up cash for this place had surely come from the O'Connor family fortune, Justin was actually pretty impressed with Brad's business sense. Though like Adriana, he'd never admit it out loud, of course.
He then turned to Adriana. "You can sample some of this cider I've been working on, if you want? It's not in the rotation yet. It has a sort of... spicy kick to it," he explained excitedly. Lately, he'd been far more invested in his magical brews than his Auror training, which was... disconcerting, to say the least. Justin had always been so focused and goal-oriented, and he was about to take his first round of exams. He almost couldn't bear to consider that maybe he'd made a wrong turn in his career... that maybe his true interests and abilities lied elsewhere.
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Post by Grace Cohen on Jul 27, 2012 17:46:15 GMT -6
“Thanks love,” Grace smirked over at her, swishing her hair in a faux dramatic manner, “This brilliant hairdresser I know did it,” she smirked again with a wink. Grace always did her own hair. “If you ever want I would be happy to do your hair for you sometime.” She shrugged, “I still have a few short bobs and cuts, so if you wanted one it’d be free. Management has to know that I can do everything before setting me up with the more high paying customers,” she sighed, “Which is rather ridiculous seeing as I’ve already had a politician and a ministry official,” she added nonchalantly going back to polishing glasses and wiping down the counters.
“Yeah we’re still together. But I am closing tonight so probably won’t see Sam until tomorrow.” Grace gave a half-hearted chuckle at Adriana’s explanation, “Two lesbians with estranged parents and commitment phobia, if that’s your idea of an ideal couple I really don’t want to know what your idea of a bad relationship is.”
Smiling over at Justin as he joined them, “Aye, it’s on me, not on Bradders. That boy’s as miserly as Scrooge” Grace enjoyed making up absurd nicknames for Bradley. Rhe more he disliked them, the more she liked using them. Grace stayed quiet for a moment, glancing between Adriana and Justin, watching his expression as he made his cider. It was an accomplished expression, one where joy and satisfaction joined. She smiled to herself. “Making a cider now are we? The way you make those you could start selling your own brand, you know?” As a restless person by nature, having never truly found her calling, perhaps until she started working at the salon, she believed that everyone should have the freedom to change their path in life on a whim. At least the salon was as changeable and varied as her own character.
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Post by Adriana Truscott on Jul 27, 2012 17:46:57 GMT -6
((ooc: It seems only appropriate that Justin should be in this thread then, hehe. And I’m thinking that currently Adriana’s hair is long but she is going to have Grace cut it to look like it is in her av/sig.))
“Really?” Adriana’s eyes lit up, “I have been thinking of cutting my hair short.” As Grace continued to speak about short haircuts, “What do you think, would I look good with one?” she asked. Hearing about her and Sam she smiled, “All hope is not lost then, you two are my ideal couple, you know, the people I look up to when my relationship goes tits up like they usually do.”
Turning to Justin she smiled, “Justin! How are you?” Then as he spoke of his cider she smiled gleefully, “Sure, I would love to be your taste tester!” she enthused.
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Post by Bradley O'Connor on Jul 28, 2012 7:05:02 GMT -6
Suddenly emerging unnoticed from the cellar carrying a couple of crates of bottled beer, Bradley caught the tail end of their conversation, enough to hear Grace call him Bradders and Scrooge, both of which he hated, and she knew it. "Sorry to burst your bubble but being a Scrooge is sort of necessary when you're a new business," he spoke up as he ducked behind the bar to drop the crates there, intending to unpack them ready for that night. "Besides, how else do you think we've actually managed to turn over a profit this year, even after finishing paying back my parents what they loaned me to start this place up?" Bradley pointed out lightly as he started to unpack the bottles into one of the transparent fridges behind the bar.
Okay, sure, he was from an extremely privileged family who could easily afford to just give him money to set up a bar after he graduated in the hope of it keeping him out of trouble but he'd actually sort of really enjoyed setting up O'Connor's and managing it. Hell, he even enjoyed working the odd bar shift himself. And he'd developed a keen business sense in those first years of running the place, enough to actually be considered a successful business venture which made him oddly proud of himself and protective over what he now had. "Hence why I turn a blind eye to you lot giving out free drinks. I can't do it, if I did it my own younger brother and my mates would quickly drink me out of any semblance of profit," Bradley joked easily as he finished unpacking the crates and straightened up once more, looking across at Adriana, "You sure you don't wanna sign a waiver first? Basically says you won't let mummy or daddy sue us if you end up in hospital after trying Biermann's experimental home brews," he said with a joking grin.
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Post by Adriana Truscott on Jul 28, 2012 9:47:28 GMT -6
Adriana watched Bradley set down the large crates as she sipped her drink and then listened to him drone on about profit and a successful business. She rolled her eyes at him in good fun. Admittedly she actually found him quite… interesting… though she would never admit it of course, not aloud anyways.
“Oh, there’s no harm in that,” she chuckled, “I mean, my Dad, he respects those who start up their own business, especially a successful one, and he likes beer,” she added. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to need any more help around here would you?” Adriana was struggling to make her rent payments and pay for her dance lessons. Currently her waitressing job in London (far away from this lot) wasn’t paying very well. She figured at least Bradley wouldn’t be as stingy to his employers, or make her dress up in a crab suit.
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Post by Justin Biermann on Jul 28, 2012 10:05:04 GMT -6
"Yessss, we get it, you're a self-made man now," Justin droned on, jokingly pretending to be bored by Bradley's explanation. "You should think about expanding, someday in the future. Maybe a location on Diagon Alley. A nightclub, or... you know, a proper brewpub with a huge selection of specialty beers plus loads of the good imported stuff. Oh, and you could pair beers with gourmet meals," he suggested, unwittingly imagining himself into the second scenario despite the fact that no full-fledged Auror would be working as a barman on the side, let alone developing an entire beer menu.
Justin shook his head modestly at Grace. "I thought I'd branch out from beer a bit, that's all." He then put his hand over his heart seriously while looking Adriana in the eye. "You don't have to sign a waiver. Trust me, I am descended from a German bloke so gifted at brewing that they had no choice but to call him Bier Mann," he said with great confidence before pouring a cider and passing it over to Adriana.
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Post by Adriana Truscott on Jul 28, 2012 11:01:13 GMT -6
Adriana’s eyes narrows as she cocked her head to one side and gave Justin a faux-serious expression, but her teasing smile quickly shined through. “A German bloke eh?” she smiled; taking the cider he had offered her and took a large gulp. “Wow that’s really…” her eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth as she gave a little cough. “Good,” her eyes watered a bit, “Really… has a good kick, but sort of… addicting,” she smiled taking another sip, more slowly this time. Before she knew it she had finished the whole glass, “Really good,” she laughed. “Got anything else I can test for ya?” She gave him a mischievous smile, “Maybe one of your specialty beers or drinks, like that green one you gave to Lil last Halloween, only minus the urge to take my clothes off?” ((ooc: btw Lia I love your new av & sig for Justin! They are so him! ))
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Post by Bradley O'Connor on Jul 28, 2012 13:13:25 GMT -6
At their reactions Bradley snorted in amusement and held his hands in front of himself in defence, "Hey now, if you'd prefer it I could also revert back to entitled, spoilt pure-blood boy living off my parents?" he suggested. He'd mellowed and grown up a lot since graduation and he had no longer having to be another typical Quidditch-obsessed, alpha-male type within a group of entitled rich kids in order to fit in to thank for that. He looked up at Justin seriously, mid-task, and nodded, "I might consider something like that a few years down the line, there seems to be enough interest round here to consider a place specialising in different kinds of beers, ales, that kind of thing. More your area of expertise than mine, would you be up for looking into it with me?" he asked.
Then, brushing off his hands he leaned against the bar casually with a smile at Adriana as she said there was no harm in it, "Well, yeah you say that now..." he trailed off meaningfully, shooting a smile at Justin to let them know he was joking. Of course he trusted Justin's skill at brewing various concoctions. Part of him wondered why he didn't dedicate himself to that interest of his, he obviously had a talent for it, but then again Bradley didn't know much about his 'proper job' in the Ministry... he could be the greatest Auror trainee on earth for all Brad knew. Turning his attention back to Adriana he shrugged, "In what capacity? There are a few shifts you could probably pick up here and there for me but it would only be semi-regular. How about your singing, fancy something more like that? I was thinking about having a weekly live music night, I'm open to suggestions on what night, what bookings and stuff, but you would be perfect for it I think," Bradley commented simply, conversationally even. Their antagonistic relationship had died down (alright 'momentarily mellowed' was probably more apt) over the last few months and to be honest he preferred actually being sociable and, god forbid, polite to her for once.
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Post by Adriana Truscott on Jul 28, 2012 15:04:05 GMT -6
Adriana gave Bradley a skeptical expression, “When exactly did you ever stop?” Then with a coy smile she clarified, “The entitled, spoilt pure-blood boy part, not the living off your parent’s part.” With a genuine smile at Justin she interjected into their little business conversation, “I’d drink your beer Biermann.” Then laughed, “I do drink your beer, so, yeah, I say it would be a success, I mean this has been right?” Then as if an idea had popped into her head she added, “And, if you wanted that one to specialise in beer and ale, you could make that location specifically more pub-like and this one more ‘night-club-ish’ you know with live music and the like. I mean it wouldn’t have to be all disco balls and raves but a bit more,” she glanced around, “crowded.”
Adriana’s eyes noticeably lit up as Bradley suggested her for singing, “Really? You want me?” she looked slightly skeptical, “I mean,” she composed her face quickly to pretend like it wasn’t that big of a deal, “I am really busy with dance and such but I would love to pick up a few extra shifts here, especially if I could help bring in more customers with some live music.” She couldn’t quite believe that Bradley was asking her to sing without blatantly ridiculing her in some way or making a joke out of it somehow.
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Post by Justin Biermann on Jul 29, 2012 15:56:54 GMT -6
"Yeah, I reckon there's still centuries worth of posh history deeply ingrained in your being. I'm just saying, if we brought a fox in here, I suspect you'd have a strong urge to hunt it," Justin joked. He tried to look casual about the proposed pub, though of course it was his dream come true. "Sure. Yeah. I mean, I ought to have time to pitch in. Some Aurors have time for husbands and wives and families, right? My children just happen to be... made of barley and hops," he laughed.
He looked across the pub and nodded. "Now there's an idea, Adriana. I always feel bad for those few people who try to get a dance floor going, when it's clearly never going to reach critical mass." Justin poured her a shot of what he'd given Lillian last Halloween; thankfully the kinks in that drink had long since been worked out. "Can't say I know anything about music, but we'll all support you if you want to perform sometime. And if O'Connor's ever an ass about it, I have no problem punching him in the face."
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Post by Lacey Holloway on Aug 3, 2012 14:50:54 GMT -6
(ooc: LACEY IS EVERYWHERE!)
Lacey sat at the bar with an empty glass, passive-aggressively sucking dry air through her straw while she waited for one of the bartenders to notice her. She didn't love going to the bars, but she'd occasionally stop by on a slow night to say hi to Grace, who -- while not her type, necessarily -- fascinated her, if only because she was leading the life Lacey wanted to if only she were brave enough.
She didn't want to bother her sort-of-acquaintance, though, so she instead decided to stare daggers at the two blond guys engaged in a conversation. "Um, hi. Like, some of us are actually paying customers?" she said with a forced sweetness.
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Post by Bradley O'Connor on Aug 8, 2012 13:06:28 GMT -6
Bradley couldn't help but smirk in amusement as Justin's joke, "Oh, naturally. I can't help that though, it's hard-wired into my genetics, it'll take a few more 'more liberal' generations of my family before that fox hunting thing is kicked out of us for good. That's why the country house grounds are so big... because my great granddad used to hunt all the time, when he wasn't... oh you know mentally abusing his household staff and hexing the living daylights out of innocent muggles," he shrugged easily but his tone was entirely dry and sarcastic about the whole thing. "I'm just saying, you think I'm bad, you should meet my family," he concluded in his defence.
"Since when do Aurors have time for lives outside of the Ministry?" he asked lightly but shrugged, "Barley and hops are as good kids as any. Besides, I don't mean you should do it all and it take over you free time, it's just it seems more your area of expertise, I can only run it so much without your knowledge of beer that isn't mainstream corporate beer," he explained simply. It was his own way of admitting that Justin's knowledge and hard work at O'Connor's was probably irreplaceable and his input would be invaluable if they got going on a speciality drinks place. He'd never say this outright, of course. "If this one becomes more night-club-ish, I'm leaving it to someone else to manage," Bradley shook his head, "Seems like I need advice from two sources then, you on live music and Biermann here on, believe it or not ladies and gentlemen, beers and lagers."
His brow furrowed slightly at Adriana's skepticism over his proposal, "Don't act so surprised or I'll take it back," Bradley shot at her before folding his arms over his chest as Justin piped up, "I'm not being an ass! Look we can work something out, start off small and then if it draws some interest we can make it a regular event," he shrugged casually at Adriana, "Besides, it's gotta be miles better than hearing drunk hen night parties screech Girls Just Wanna Have Fun down that karaoke system." He looked down the bar then to find the redhead sitting there staring daggers at them and moved past Justin to her, "In that case, some of us are sorry, what can I get you?" he asked, recognising her then as he got her order in, "It's... Lacey, right? You were in the year below us, you shared a dorm with my cousin, Nat Armitage, for which I do not envy you."
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