Dr. Simon O'Neill (
protagonized) wrote in
undergrounds2015-10-09 10:41 am
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Entry tags:
#notallshapeshifters
Dates: October 6 and 8.
What: Simon tries to keep his head down.
[ooc: This is a completely open post! Come torment him.]
Covent Garden - Late Evening
Starbucks closed at ten most evenings, and given Simon's class schedule he tended to work closing shifts. That suited him just fine. During peak tourist season it tended to be crowded late at night, but weeknights were almost pleasant now that they were well into October. Tonight, the shop was almost deserted, save for a table of Korean tourists off in a corner, and they'd been nursing their drinks and chatting for over an hour now. Simon was thoroughly bored. He snuck a peek at the phone he'd secreted away in his apron pocket: 21:22. Only forty more minutes until he could kick them out and start closing up shop. Only an hour and a half until he could go home and start drafting that Craigslist ad for a new flatmate.
Only eight hours until he had to wake up and be back in the lab.
He sighed and went back to watching the door, hoping no one else came in.
Redbright Institute - Mid-morning
Simon could have been doing any number of things right now--first and foremost among them being sleeping--but for some reason he found himself drawn to Redbright Institute. His feelings about the place were ambivalent at best; sure, they'd helped him through a particularly tough time in his life, but he still found the place intensely weird and a bit uncomfortable. All logic said that magic shouldn't exist outside of fantasy novels and Disney films, and yet here it was. In London.
He strolled through the library, looking for volumes on shapeshifting. He knew there was plenty of lore about people with his particular condition going back centuries, but what he wanted was something that treated the subject a little more objectively. He needed a history.
Simon paused at a likely volume. Maybe this one, finally, contained the answers he was looking for.
What: Simon tries to keep his head down.
[ooc: This is a completely open post! Come torment him.]
Covent Garden - Late Evening
Starbucks closed at ten most evenings, and given Simon's class schedule he tended to work closing shifts. That suited him just fine. During peak tourist season it tended to be crowded late at night, but weeknights were almost pleasant now that they were well into October. Tonight, the shop was almost deserted, save for a table of Korean tourists off in a corner, and they'd been nursing their drinks and chatting for over an hour now. Simon was thoroughly bored. He snuck a peek at the phone he'd secreted away in his apron pocket: 21:22. Only forty more minutes until he could kick them out and start closing up shop. Only an hour and a half until he could go home and start drafting that Craigslist ad for a new flatmate.
Only eight hours until he had to wake up and be back in the lab.
He sighed and went back to watching the door, hoping no one else came in.
Redbright Institute - Mid-morning
Simon could have been doing any number of things right now--first and foremost among them being sleeping--but for some reason he found himself drawn to Redbright Institute. His feelings about the place were ambivalent at best; sure, they'd helped him through a particularly tough time in his life, but he still found the place intensely weird and a bit uncomfortable. All logic said that magic shouldn't exist outside of fantasy novels and Disney films, and yet here it was. In London.
He strolled through the library, looking for volumes on shapeshifting. He knew there was plenty of lore about people with his particular condition going back centuries, but what he wanted was something that treated the subject a little more objectively. He needed a history.
Simon paused at a likely volume. Maybe this one, finally, contained the answers he was looking for.
covent gardens
Leather jacket zipped up to cover herself as best she could, she could only hope she looked like an early club-goer. But around Covent Gardens? Okay maybe if she were in Spitalfields. But this was Covent Garden, and she had an appointment.
One that she needed- "Grande latte, extra shot, if you don't mind-" in order to get to. She flashed the barista her best smile, fishing around in her purse for some loose change.
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"Good evening, welcome to--"
But the woman--the girl, really--was already preempting him with her order. "Right," he said, writing it on the cup. "And that will be with regular milk, not soya?" He always had to double-check. Some people got kind of tetchy about that sort of thing if he didn't.
He eyed the girl while he waited for an answer. She was extremely pretty, if a little overdone for a Thursday night. Maybe she'd been to a show on the West End?
"Did you just get out of a play?" he asked innocently while the milk steamed.
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"Oh- no." Crap. At least she could lie again. "Going out with some friends." She's not going to explain to the barister in a public place that she's a prostitute. Not if she can help it.
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Simon wasn't quite sure why.
He handed her the finished drink. "There you go. Careful, it's hot. Sugar and everything else is on the counter by the window. Enjoy your evening."
And now Joe was snickering. What was his problem?
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"Thank you," Nancy said, taking the drink and immediately taking the top off. She had a flask in her purse she was planning on dumping into it, when that kid snickered. This time, both her eyebrows were raised and she turned to him.
"Something funny?"
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Timeskip!
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Redbright Institute
"I really appreciate the tour." If Skip had to listen to Miss Posh and Perky for any longer, she was going to kill her. Which meant it was time to ditch the guide and find something else to do. "You know, I think I'd really like to look around here, but I wouldn't want to keep you."
"I'd be happy to--"
"No, I insist. I can wait here. You said Mrs Redbright will be back at three?"
"Yes, she will. Are you sure--"
"I promise. I'll be fine. Thank you very much."
Of course, Skip's voice might well be hard to recognise. Rather than the spirited Irish accent that came to her naturally, she, instead, sounded like a complete Londoner from the best neighbourhoods, educated in the best schools. She'd learned to sound as posh as anyone born with a silver spoon in their mouth when she was young, and it helped in places like this.
While she was here, though... She might as well look at some of their books. The wandering led her through various aisles, including down one with books on shapeshifting.
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Good to know.
Simon shelved the book in disgust and went looking for another likely option. And that was when he saw--
Shit.
It was her.
How was she here? Here, of all places. Was she a witch? Something else? Maybe she was a fellow shifter. Or a werewolf. God, that would be great--losing his virginity to a fucking werewolf. He couldn't even escape this fucked up world when he wanted to.
Simon backpedaled into a shelf, knocking a couple of books to the ground.
"Shit," he hissed, hoping he hadn't been spotted.
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"Hey there."
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Simon backed against the stacks with a forced smile. "Hi."
His luck was pretty shit lately, wasn't it?
"Didn't expect to see you here." Or ever again.
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"You a student here?"
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Convent Garden
He's grown used to being broke most of the time. It comes with the territory of being on the run from the law. So far, he's managed to get by without it. Of course that's meant giving up his dignity a few times, but that also, he figured, comes with the territory. But scrounging around trashcans had actually helped for once. He'd managed to find five pounds, likely dropped by the last person to throw something out. And since there was no way for him to find that person (though he probably could have if he tried really hard), Sirius figured he could make the best use of it.
Which led him to the Starbucks since that was the only thing open. He could probably find something there to eat. Even if it was just a scone or something.
He stares at the cabinets, trying to figure out how much he could stretch the five pounds.
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But that wasn't why Simon noticed him.
There was something immediately familiar about the man, something that instantly unsettled him. The smell, maybe. Even though Simon wasn't in dog form, he could feel his hackles rising.
"Welcome to Starbucks," he said, sounding a little more severe than he really meant to. "What can I make for you this evening?"
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Instead he tried to look as nonchalant as possible, hoping to get the good and leave before he was recognized.
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He grabbed the tongs and started filling the order, looking up every so often to glance suspiciously at the man. He smelled like a dog. Just, Simon figured, like he himself must smell.
Every move he made was stiff, uncomfortable. He didn't trust other shapeshifters as a general rule. They frightened him.
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It wasn't often that Sirius met other shapeshifters, to the point where it was kind of exciting. He was on the outskirts of that community after all, had been avoiding them really. (Considering his family, there was a good chance that his name had been poisoned, even before he was arrested).
As such he tried to move from nonchalant to friendly.
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Covent Garden
Only way that was happening? Caffeine. Lots and lots of caffeine.
She smiled a bit. No reason not to try for a little conversation. "Hope it hasn't been too bad a night for you."
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He gave the girl a wan smile. "It hasn't been so bad. We close before the main rush of people leaving the theatres and there aren't as many tourists this time of year. What about you? Long day?"
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She took a moment, then, to fish out the card for payment and, while handing it over, dropped a few notes into the tip jar. It was the least she could do, since this place was doing her a major favour by being open.
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And every little bit helped.
"I hope you don't go too late," he replied, still making conversation. "Right, mocha latte double shot. There you go."
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"Perfect. I'll have to remember this place for my night runs."
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covent garden
Even as he approached the counter, he seemed a bit distracted. "Whatever the medium roast is, size large," he said, frowning down at his wallet as he counted enough money to cover it.
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They came in often enough, of course; Covent Garden was one of the major tourist sectors in the city, after all.
"A venti Pike's Place, coming right up," Simon replied in the insane corporate lingo that had been drilled into him from day one. "Would you like milk or sweetening? A flavor shot, maybe?"
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"Hey, how late are you open?"
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"We don't close the doors until five past ten, though. I might be able to stretch it to ten minutes." As long as the man didn't get in the way of closing procedures or expect any more coffee once they started running the poisonous descalers through the machines to clean them, he could stay a bit longer.
Simon handed him the coffee.
"Here you go."
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"Hey, do you notice people from that building across the street coming in here? Anyone strange?"
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