October 23, 2023 – 8:40 PM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
At least it was sunny today. Greer felt like she was unreasonably bundled up for the day, compared to those around her, but she couldn’t feel her fingers already! She had already lost Lorelei and her cousins in the crowd somewhere and had been crowned with a wreath of pretty little yellow daisies by a woman walking around with them. There was so much to see that Greer was at least mostly distracted from the sting on her cheeks.
She would survive this, just as she’d survived everything else; there was just a need to be dramatic about it first. Keeping an eye out for her sister or any of the Greengrass siblings as she moved around, she was distracted by the sweet aroma of something chocolatey. Gigi followed her nose to a booth with sweets and a bit of a line. By the time she got to the front she had her pocket money out and was ready to buy. She asked for some of the fudge and some other magical little treat, thoroughly amused by the premise of the little chocolate frog. It was then that she spotted the cauldron as the source of the delectable scent on the air.
”Hot chocolate? You cannot be serious?” But the girl on the other side of the table was quite serious, obviously noting the accent to her incredulous tone. ”I’ll try it,” Greer decided with a decisive nod. A few coins lighter but with her treats in hand, she made her way from the booth with a wide smile. Stepping off to the side so as not to be in the way, she took the first sip of the hot cocoa. ”Oh!” She gasped. ”That is positively divine, who would have thought!” Greer chuckled to herself and took another indulgent sip.
November 2, 2023 – 5:09 PM
Howell Howell — Played by MJ
Most of the keepers from Avalon Glen had come to this, and Howell, stickler about the work though he was, for once hadn’t stayed behind to do a circuit of the reserve as he might have preferred. There was enough to be entertained by here without much having to talk to anyone, anyway – he had silently browsed the Plunketts’ yarn and wool stall for some time, and bundled up a sack of new purchases over his shoulder, a little pleased with himself.
After that, he had sidled slowly around the other booths, looking vaguely for Honeyduke’s. He already had a warm cider to hand, but he liked Honeyduke, so – well, it was here, but before he could see what Honeyduke had on sale, his eyes had been drawn unwillingly by a blond woman making some sort of a scene about something. Not that she seemed angry – she seemed delighted – but Howell couldn’t work out who she was talking to, and her reaction seemed so wildly effusive that he just stared, awkwardly side-eyeing her with his brows knitted. Was there something in the drink?
November 2, 2023 – 11:51 PM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
Greer sighed wistfully, wondering if the girl she'd just practically insulted would find it odd if she came back for another cup. This hot cocoa thing was absolutely heavenly! Mr. Honeyduck or whatever his name was, happened to be a genius. Maybe everybody here made it and she was just new to the game, or perhaps people in Australia didn't need any more heat, but as a transplant, Greer was seeking out warmth whatever she could find it. Whether it was wrapping herself up like a mummy or wrapping her hands around this delectable treat, she was content either way.
Too enchanted to move away (and still debating a second helping), Greer noticed a rather surly looking fellow eying her uncertainly and as she wasn't at work and none of her family was nearby, she tipped her chin up at him and said, "Ay, careful your face will stick like that if you stare for too long." A social filter was not something she had ever managed to conquer if there were not immediate consequences looming over her head.
November 19, 2023 – 1:26 AM
Howell Howell — Played by MJ
“‘Scuse me?” Howell said, though he had heard her perfectly well, even when she was starting conversations with herself. In spite of her comment, his face had already screwed itself up even more, too annoyed to be abashed. So now Howell was staring at her openly, brows lowered in yet more consternation and incredulity. (A split-second beat to retract her statement, if she liked.)
But Howell was capable of getting defensive fast like the best of people, so he also pointed out, dryly: “Keep talking to yourself like that, and people’ll think you mad.”
November 20, 2023 – 2:08 AM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
"Oh, I'm sorry," Greer smirked over her cup. "I prefer to converse with those capable of keeping up with me," plus talking to oneself was not all that strange. Clearly he didn't spend much time around other people. "This hot cocoa is too good to be quiet about. I've never had it before." Too much information certainly, but surely that was to be expected from someone who had been caught talking to herself. Greer was typically a fountain of too much information. She spent her days in idle chitchat with customers day in and day out, it was rare if she wasn't talking.
"I'd rather be mad than have a permanent scowl, at any rate." She added for good measure.
December 17, 2023 – 12:59 AM
Howell Howell — Played by MJ
Whatever she said, his expression hadn’t changed as he kept staring at her like she was an alien creature. “I wouldn’t,” he put in eventually, at her latter comment; scowls helped him more often than not, and he knew too many mad people to agree.
That said, he wasn’t much equipped to keep up with fast-talking people in conversations, so it took him another second to digest what she’d been exclaiming about; he shot another look at her cup and then the nearby booth the hot cocoa had come from. “Oh,” he said, without meaning to have said anything else aloud. “Well, it’s Honeyduke’s, isn’t it?” Bound to be good. (Howell was making judgement on this more out of respect for the man than any prior experience of it. But Honeyduke had been complimentary to his cheese, so Howell felt obliged to stake his honour on it in return. They were practically best friends, after all.) Besides, everyone in Hogsmeade knew about Honeyduke’s, didn’t they? He wasn’t exactly an expert.
But this girl was mad, so maybe he was, just in comparison.
December 27, 2023 – 7:36 PM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
Greer had been ready to be over the conversation and take her insanity elsewhere, when the man mentioned the booth where she had gotten the cocoa. Surely he could not be connected to such a delightful little establishment. Greer also didn't care for his tone, as if it should be obvious. Clearly it wasn't.
"It appears so, this is my first experience with it." Everybody around her seemed to know about it, but considering she was new to town, she hadn't had the pleasure yet. Greer hadn't even had a chance to try the chocolates she'd bought yet. "Is it a local shop?" She may have heard mention of it, but didn't in all her wanderings of Hogsmeade, hadn't found it yet.
January 17, 2024 – 9:26 PM
Howell Howell — Played by MJ
Her first experience of hot cocoa, or of Honeyduke’s? Either way: hm. Howell was suitably taken-aback-slash-impressed. He had fancied he was the last wizard on the British Isles to hear of the sweetshop, but apparently not. He almost felt cultured next to this feral creature, which was a new feeling. (He wasn’t sure how much he liked it, to feel like a nosy village busybody – but here he was, asking a question he had already worked out the answer to instead of answering her directly.)
“I take it you’re not a local either?” he asked dryly. Not just of Hogsmeade, in fact, but perhaps even further. She had an odd accent to match her madness.
January 20, 2024 – 7:14 PM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
There was something about the way he was looking at her that had Greer scowling, just a little bit. He hadn't answer her question about the shop, which was annoying, as she clearly had a new fixation and it also kept her warm to boot, so she would need to locate it immediately. Clementine would know, thankfully.
"Not in the slightest. Moved here recently from Australia." Why she was telling a stranger this was beyond her, but she had always enjoyed a good antagonistic repartee. Greer gave an involuntary shiver against a light breeze that blew through. "It's feckin' cold." She mumbled and took a deep sip of the cocoa to ward off the goosebumps.
February 10, 2024 – 9:06 PM
Last modified: February 10, 2024 – 9:06 PM by Howell Howell.
Howell Howell — Played by MJ
His eyebrows rearranged themselves in an expression of surprise, and crashed together in confusion. Australia? “Why’d you leave?” He had meant to bite his tongue, and think it, but travelling – travelling so far – was an alien idea to someone who had lived his life quite contentedly in the same village. That it sounded rude in tone, like he was asking why she was here, could be forgiven by her own addition, her little complaint about the cold. She ought to have guessed Scotland would be cold. (It explained why she’d been crowing so much about the hot cocoa, though.)
“Layers,” he added, after a beat; a suggestion.
February 10, 2024 – 9:34 PM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
"My parents died and we were taken in by family here." Greer said it matter-of-factly, only a hint of chagrin for being so straightforward. She had never been one to dance around the truth of sparing feelings. He asked, she answered, plain and simple. Greer didn't have time for anything else.
"I'd gathered that much, thank you." She was a seamstress after all, she was getting used to choosing fabrics for warmth as she made them. It just never seemed to be enough to get down into the bones. Greer was working on her warming charms, it seemed to help, but only for so long. Merlin, she missed being outside and not hating her life at the same time.
February 18, 2024 – 1:16 AM
Howell Howell — Played by MJ
“Oh,” Howell said – or rather grunted – only mildly wrong-footed by that. He respected the bluntness. More words for the saying it wouldn’t have helped either of them. “Sorry to hear.”
So he forgave her the hint of snark he thought he caught in her having gathered that, and didn’t say anything else on the topic. And if he glanced surreptitiously towards his haul from the yarn and wool stall in the bag he was carrying, he was – thinking of a pattern for mittens.
Still thinking, Howell looked down at her hands, curled around the cup.
“Don’t s’pose you’ve ever seen an Opaleye?” he asked abruptly.
February 18, 2024 – 7:04 PM
Greer Owens — Played by Bee
Greer shrugged. It was what it was. She took another sip of her hot cocoa and nearly smiled at him, just a quirk of the corner of her lips.
His question caught her off guard. Greer had to really dig deep to think about what he meant. Surely, here in an all-magical town, he was referring to the dragons native to New Zealand. "Sure, out in the mountains." They had slowly migrated to Australia, but preferred the mountainous regions with the deep valleys and places to hide. "Not up close, but they are beautiful in the wild." Greer hadn't taken any classes having to with creatures, but she had a healthy respect for them and gave a wide berth in the event. The best she'd had was a cat when she was younger.
"Why?" She was curious; it was an out-of-pocket sort of question to ask someone who you had just met.
![[Image: Greer-Sig-New.png]](https://i.ibb.co/h17ckjz/Greer-Sig-New.png)
