100 Letters - Printable Version
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100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 14, 2020
And I find them in my closet in the pockets of my jeans
Now I'm constantly reminded of the time I was nineteen
Every single one's forgotten in a laundromat machine
Mid-Morning, September 14th, 1890 — The Ministry of Magic
The aurors were taking their sweet time investigating her case. Two weeks was sufficient time to catch a murderer, in her opinion anyway. Then again, were she the investigator she wouldn't rest until answers were had. Mr. [NPC] didn't have the same motivation she did. He had a wife and children at home and had an intense desire for normal working hours. A devoted and intelligent murderer just didn't top his selfish desires, Fallon realized bitterly. Men like him oughtn't be permitted to pass the training program.
She had stopped into the ministry to express such opinions to Mr. Prewett and to plead her case to come back to work. It wasn't as though her flat was safer than an office filled with competent aurors. Even desk duty would be better than endless hours of pacing around her flat. Fallon's only outlet had been her daily visits with Lachlan, but he had gone home that morning. His release was a relief to her, further proof that she hadn't killed him. Still, she selfishly wished he hadn't returned to his home as she now had one less place to visit.
The stack of letters on the corner of her desk had been quietly shoved into the pocket of her robe. Fallon wasn't sure whether or not they were read in her absence, but it didn't matter. The letters weren't going to exist for much longer anyway, for as soon as she arrived home they would be thrown into the fireplace unopened (the brief fire was worth the anxiety it would cause). Whatever caring words her once-secret pen pal had to say mattered naught after a week's silence. (Yeah, Fallon was still fuming over the ordeal.)
With the letters in her pocket, Fallon boarded the lift and began to head home. The rickety thing made an odd sound as it came to a stop two floors down, its doors opening to reveal the one and only Mr. Hatchitt. Wordlessly, Fallon moved further into the corner and kept her attention trained on an open space of floor. Just because they were once friendly didn't mean she had to engage with him now. If anything, Mr. Hatchitt would likely prefer her silence, as he certainly hadn't respected her opinion when it mattered most.
It wasn't until the lift made a second groaning sound that Fallon realized something was amiss. They weren't moving.
Fuck.
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 14, 2020
It had been a week since Miss Abernathy's last letter had arrived, with all of his gifts attached and Jess felt the gut-wrenching sensation of losing a good thing. It had to be for the better though right? As he'd already admitted, he'd been playing a little too fast and loose with her reputation and he the last thing he wanted was for anyone to doubt all of the hard work she'd put into the aurors office so far because he was careless.
He'd throw himself into work, the only thing that could keep the wayward thoughts at bay, was to keep working and keep busy. He'd even taken to taking paperwork home with him to do after work so that he didn't have time for free thought. He'd never been such an efficient employee in his entire life. It had only taken a little heartbreak to get there.
Great.
With his nose behind a case file, Jess had stepped into the lift without bothering to look and see who was already inside. Belatedly, as the lift groaned to an odd halt, did Jesse realize both his company and the situation. Oh shit.
"Don't suppose that's any good," He grimaced as he mumbled to himself. Finally daring to look up at Fallon properly.
He'd throw himself into work, the only thing that could keep the wayward thoughts at bay, was to keep working and keep busy. He'd even taken to taking paperwork home with him to do after work so that he didn't have time for free thought. He'd never been such an efficient employee in his entire life. It had only taken a little heartbreak to get there.
Great.
With his nose behind a case file, Jess had stepped into the lift without bothering to look and see who was already inside. Belatedly, as the lift groaned to an odd halt, did Jesse realize both his company and the situation. Oh shit.
"Don't suppose that's any good," He grimaced as he mumbled to himself. Finally daring to look up at Fallon properly.
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 14, 2020
Fallon would've smirked once at seeing JP's nose in a file as it was the complete opposite of her working image of him, but now she was just frustrated by it. Had he noticed her and was pretending otherwise? Fallon thought many choice words of him now, but a coward wasn't on the list. As two ministry employees the odds were they'd have to converse at some point. Hell, his brother was one of her close co-workers. If he wished to visit Gabe he'd have to walk straight past her desk to do so. Was she just going to not exist anymore?
Fallon couldn't help the scoff roll of her eyes when he finally did choose to break the tense silence. Way to state the obvious. "Thought they fixed this issue back in April," she replied but kept her focus from him. Having gotten trapped in the lift a handful of times in the span of a month Fallon normally waited for a different one. However, having been out of the office for two weeks and becoming consumed with her case, she hadn't thought twice of stepping into the first available lift. Who knew how long they'd be stuck for? Once she was trapped for the better part of two hours.
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 15, 2020
"Hell of a job they did..." Jess could not imagine a more awkward situation right now. A few weeks ago he would have been thrilled to be stuck above in an elevator with Fallon, with it without knowing who she was at the time, but now he was pretty sure his foot was so far inserted into his own mouth, there was no graceful way out of this.
Sighing, he tucked the case under his arm and plopped onto the floor of the lift, leaning back against the wall with his head against the side. He'd never been such before this himself, but he'd heard about the lengthy wait to get it sorted.
"How's the toes?" He asked casually, as of he didn't have the ring she sent back to him sitting on the inside pocket of his robes at this very moment.
Sighing, he tucked the case under his arm and plopped onto the floor of the lift, leaning back against the wall with his head against the side. He'd never been such before this himself, but he'd heard about the lengthy wait to get it sorted.
"How's the toes?" He asked casually, as of he didn't have the ring she sent back to him sitting on the inside pocket of his robes at this very moment.
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 15, 2020
Fallon glanced towards him for a second as she felt the lift shake with his sitting. He likely had the right idea, but she wasn't about to join him on the floor. If she did, they'd have to look at one another, and possibly talk about whatever the fuck happened between him kissing her forehead and pushing her away. Both of which were options Fallon decidedly wished to avoid, leaving her leaning agaisnst the wall of the lift with aching toes.
That he asked about her health was unexpected. Fallon tucked her hands into her pockets, her fingers brushing against the (presumably) panicked letters, and sighed. "Alright. Almost healed up again." The cuts where her toes once were had been almost fully recovered when she paced them into reopening following her last letter. Not that he would get to know that. "Fingers, too. Almost like it never happened."
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 15, 2020
Well that was good news at least. "Good, glad to hear it." He replied sincerely. Jess was relieved to know that at least physically, she wouldn't bear any scars or permanent damage from her ordeal.
He let the silence loom for a moment, trying to decide if he could bear it, or should he apologize, or try to be casual? He could clearly see she was still pissed at him and for good reason. He wasn't too proud to admit he'd fucked up royally, the question was, did she want to hear it?
"And your friend's recovery?" The silence would kill him, he was sure. Or maybe she would if he asked too many questions, but he was decidedly more willing to go out the second way than the first.
He let the silence loom for a moment, trying to decide if he could bear it, or should he apologize, or try to be casual? He could clearly see she was still pissed at him and for good reason. He wasn't too proud to admit he'd fucked up royally, the question was, did she want to hear it?
"And your friend's recovery?" The silence would kill him, he was sure. Or maybe she would if he asked too many questions, but he was decidedly more willing to go out the second way than the first.
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 15, 2020
The effort Mr. Hatchitt was putting into managing small talk was astronomical in comparison with the effort silence required. That he seemed determined to expend such energy when things stood where they were led her to believe he still cared. However, that couldn't possibly be true. Someone who cared didn't allow the other to vanish as quickly as Fallon had. No, filling the void had to be a personality trait of his, a remnant of his childhood in a large family.
"He said last night he hoped to be discharged this morning," she offered nonchalantly. Lachlan'a recovery lifted a weight off her soul, she could breathe easier knowing he would be alright. "I haven't heard otherwise, yet. He should be alright, too." Everyone would be able to return to life as planned without the repeated interruption of an aging owl. Everyone but she, that was, as it'd be some weeks yet until she could return to work.
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 18, 2020
Nodding along, Jess had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but did one ever expect to be trapped in a lift with someone who was absolutely pissed at you? Certainly this was how you died. "Good news all around then. Glad to hear he'll make a full recovery." Only because he knew Fallon had been increasingly worried about it. She wouldn't have to feel the guilt once MacFusty was well again and out of the hospital.
He was swiftly running out of small talk to utilize and so maybe it was the large elephant in the room that had stopped the lift from working properly. "I'm sorry." He said after another moment's silence. He though briefly of mentioning the letter from Miss Skovgaard, but his intention was not to throw her roommate under the Knight Bus. It had been enough to propel him to say something though. If he was still causing problems even after he started trying to make a concentrated effort not to, there was obviously still a problem.
He was swiftly running out of small talk to utilize and so maybe it was the large elephant in the room that had stopped the lift from working properly. "I'm sorry." He said after another moment's silence. He though briefly of mentioning the letter from Miss Skovgaard, but his intention was not to throw her roommate under the Knight Bus. It had been enough to propel him to say something though. If he was still causing problems even after he started trying to make a concentrated effort not to, there was obviously still a problem.
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 18, 2020
From what she knew of Mr. Hatchitt, he possessed a great many talents. From quidditch to transfiguration he was a jack of all trades, except in navigating small talk conversation with an angry woman. Fallon merely nodded as he spoke, her gaze still fixed to the spot on the floor. There was nothing else to say, really.
Minutes passed, leaving her to ponder sinking to the floor alongside him. Her stubs that were her toes were mostly healed now, but they still hurt every so often. The scar tissue was pink and tight as all fresh injuries were. Hopefully it would stretch sooner than later. Running would be a bitch with the aching pain in her shoes.
Fallon, in her determination to ignore him and their recent history, was deep in thought when the apology came. He was sorry? For what? Was it for pulling away when she thought they were moving towards something more? Or was it for his assumptions that would've made Fallon scream were they not in an elevator at their place of employment? Better yet, did his reasonings even matter?
"For?" She asked without looking at him. Mr. Hatchitt's attractiveness was distracting on her best days. One charming smile from Jimmy and she would forget why she was pissed at all.
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 19, 2020
Jess nearly winced. Merlin she was pissed. He watched her carefully, almost amused that she was purposefully looking anywhere but at him, but he didn't dare let the noise escape. That would have likely been the last nail in his proverbial coffin.
"Anything and everything I've done to make you this angry with me." It was a blanket statement, a cop out, almost. He was sorry to have upset her so, but he didn't exactly know where he'd gone wrong. Like he'd told Miss Skovgaard, he'd intended to step back, not out entirely, except she'd practically shoved him out the door.
Resting his head against the wall of the elevator and his forearms and on his knees, he let his hands fall before him, using them solely to emphasize his forfeit. "I didn't mean to upset you or cut contact entirely, but I got the impression that you were no longer interested in... well whatever we'd concocted for ourselves." He spoke quietly, calmly, trying to keep the vast majority of his emotions hidden under the surface.
"Anything and everything I've done to make you this angry with me." It was a blanket statement, a cop out, almost. He was sorry to have upset her so, but he didn't exactly know where he'd gone wrong. Like he'd told Miss Skovgaard, he'd intended to step back, not out entirely, except she'd practically shoved him out the door.
Resting his head against the wall of the elevator and his forearms and on his knees, he let his hands fall before him, using them solely to emphasize his forfeit. "I didn't mean to upset you or cut contact entirely, but I got the impression that you were no longer interested in... well whatever we'd concocted for ourselves." He spoke quietly, calmly, trying to keep the vast majority of his emotions hidden under the surface.
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 19, 2020
Fallon folded her arms and held them tight against her chest, her hands clenched into tight fists. Whatever he'd done. Merlin, he had forced the conclusion of whatever they were, and he didn't even know it? She bit the inside of her lip to refrain from screaming a long list of obscenities at him. Not only were they at work, but the scream wouldn't be productive.
"What part of 'I would like to get to know you better' says I'm not interested?" Fallon said hotly. Marriage was a lot, and something she had never really thought of herself doing. In fact, she had plans to live with Malou as long as her roommate remained unwed before finding a flat of her own and hiring a cook. Nothing in her plan involved a man.
Sending her first furious look towards him, Fallon quickly continued, "I wasn't ready to be engaged. And instead of understanding you took that as, what, an insult? Did you have a grand wish to marry me after having only spoken to me in person thrice?!"
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 19, 2020
Oh she looked like she was ready to deck him. Frankly he was kind of relieved. Jess could do a good fight, he couldn't handle the silent treatment. "You couldn't see your face," Frankly it had been kind of hard to read in the moment and he still wasn't sure what about it made him balk like he had, but the expression and body language hadn't matched the words (at least in his memory).
"The last thing I wanted to do was make anything more difficult for you after everything you'd been through." He'd already said as much, but apparently hadn't made himself very clear. "What we'd come up with in letters wasn't incredibly practical, you had every right to question it, which made me in turn think about my approach, how much trouble it could cause." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, huffing a little. "I thought stepping back would give you the time and space you deserved. I would never want this to impact your work or your life negatively." He felt like he was ranting, but now that he'd started he needed to get it all out.
Of course he'd said all of this already- in letters but her response had been unexpected. "Then you sent everything back and I didn't know what to do." She'd made her point pretty clear. "I wanted to step back a little and you shoved me out the door."
"The last thing I wanted to do was make anything more difficult for you after everything you'd been through." He'd already said as much, but apparently hadn't made himself very clear. "What we'd come up with in letters wasn't incredibly practical, you had every right to question it, which made me in turn think about my approach, how much trouble it could cause." He ran a hand through his hair in frustration, huffing a little. "I thought stepping back would give you the time and space you deserved. I would never want this to impact your work or your life negatively." He felt like he was ranting, but now that he'd started he needed to get it all out.
Of course he'd said all of this already- in letters but her response had been unexpected. "Then you sent everything back and I didn't know what to do." She'd made her point pretty clear. "I wanted to step back a little and you shoved me out the door."
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 19, 2020
Weeks of being handled as though she were a delicate flower had burnt through every shred of patience Fallon possessed. Yes, there was an assassin out there aiming towards her, and yes, being in the tundra was a horrific experience, but she was fine. Lachlan survived, she survived, nothing truly catastrophic had happened. Spending a week fighting for survival didn't mean she was any less capable of a person, that she couldn't handle stress or her bloody job. If anything, the experience had lit a fire so bright she felt ready to fight anyone who crossed her path.
That Mr. Hatchitt was among those handling her with kid gloves was all the more disappointing because it meant he had no idea who she was. He didn't — and could never — understand what happened in the tundra, but he could at least understand her desire to continue on. Or, that was what she had hoped for anyway. Fallon shifted on her feet, her stubs beginning to ache from standing still for so long. She fucking hated this.
"I'm fine," she insisted instinctively. It was the reactive statement she'd uttered more times than she could count in the last fortnight. "What I've been through is over and done with. I'm not a fragile piece of glass, I can handle a bloody week in the freezing cold." That she was now afraid of fire was something she wouldn't allow either of them to address. "The letters got out of hand, but there was no need to be a bloody arse about it. Cold and distant and I wish you well on your recovery. What the fuck did that even mean?!"
It was lucky that they were trapped between floors, as her rising anger meant her volume increased with every word. "I shoved you out the door because you already had one foot out."
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 19, 2020
As he watched the anger rise, Jess scrambled to his feet. He felt far too vulnerable sitting there on the floor with her close enough to lash out of she wanted. Of course he'd almost prefer if she'd lashed out physically rather than with some pointed reasons as to why he was actually an asshole.
"It meant I didn't want you to get in trouble or lose your fucking job for a breach of propriety if word got out," He spat back, his own temper getting the better of him in the moment. "I may act like it sometimes, but I'm no idiot. I know how much your job means to you." He'd long ago learned to manage his anger, come a long way from the teenager who got in fist fights at school, but he was on the defensive and trying to make her see he was just trying to look out for her. Which apparently she didn't want.
"So you're fine, great. Pardon me for caring about your wellbeing, for worrying that my own blunders would rebound on you, fuck's sake." Jess ran another hand through his hair; how did Miss Skovgaard put up with this all of the time, he had to wonder.
"It meant I didn't want you to get in trouble or lose your fucking job for a breach of propriety if word got out," He spat back, his own temper getting the better of him in the moment. "I may act like it sometimes, but I'm no idiot. I know how much your job means to you." He'd long ago learned to manage his anger, come a long way from the teenager who got in fist fights at school, but he was on the defensive and trying to make her see he was just trying to look out for her. Which apparently she didn't want.
"So you're fine, great. Pardon me for caring about your wellbeing, for worrying that my own blunders would rebound on you, fuck's sake." Jess ran another hand through his hair; how did Miss Skovgaard put up with this all of the time, he had to wonder.
RE: 100 Letters - Fallon Gillespie - September 19, 2020
Were she thinking rationally and not enraged, Fallon might've been able to realize he had a point in being concerned. In fact, she might have even been touched by how much he cared. However, she was far from rational thought. She was caught up in the particulars of it all and couldn't see the larger picture he was trying to present.
"No, you are a fucking idiot," she replied furiously. She faced him fully as she ranted, unconsciously closing some of the distance between them. "One minute you're bloody fucking kissing me and telling me you care, and the next you're gone. Because you had to rethink your blunders?! You should've fucking thought about them before you came to visit me." If he was that caught up with propriety and rules he had no business writing to her anyway. Especially not about the activities of married couples.
RE: 100 Letters - Jesse Hatchitt - September 19, 2020
Merlin's fucking beard she was a stubborn one, wasn't she? There was the Irish heritage they'd talked about. "Yeah well, people do stupid shit for those they care about. Rules get bent to make the other person happy without thinking of the repercussions beforehand, because at the time they don't matter. Nothing matters until reality slaps you in the face and all of a sudden it's very important," He was simmering now, trying to bring the boil down from high heat.
"There's a huge fucking difference between letters nobody else sees and real life Fallon, Merlin's beard, be reasonable for a damn minute." He wanted to point out that she hadn't been complaining about his visits either, but thought better of it.
"There's a huge fucking difference between letters nobody else sees and real life Fallon, Merlin's beard, be reasonable for a damn minute." He wanted to point out that she hadn't been complaining about his visits either, but thought better of it.