December 6th, 1894 - First Friday

Here's a toast to all those
Who hear me all too well

Sydney knew he wasn't exactly the targeted clientele here, but nobody around here really knew that he had been raised in a more upper-class household. Working with his hands at the zoo gave most the impression that he was more in the well-off middle class and he preferred it that way. Syd had made his own way between the hospital and now the zoo and he would rather be respected for his hard work, rather than anything he had been handed in life.

Mostly he needed an excuse to get out of the zoo.

This was fun and casual and it was exactly what Syd needed in a night out. He was fed and there was live music and he had no complaints. Dinner had been enjoyed and the tables cleared into the dance floor. He had never been a spectacular dancer, but here it didn't seem to matter. The quicker reels and quadrilles were far more fast-paced and all he could do was clap along from his seat at one of the high-top tables. His sleeves were rolled up at the warmth in the room, one arm bandaged up due to a nasty scratch from a very grumpy diricawl, and he was enjoying a pint from the sidelines.

He was lulled into a sense of contentment with the evening, even if he had yet to find some company. For the moment anyway. He hadn't noticed her previously, but managed to catch the eye of Emilia Moony across the dance floor with a little wave.

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Emilia Moony

  

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I wasn't sure it was possible, but he's even more yummy, by MJ ♥
Podmore Zoological Gardens - Irvingly

With Anne back at school, and Kit still lost to her in most ways that mattered, Emilia was lonely yet again. She'd taken to coming to First Friday's at the Irvingly Arms during the school year, and if Ned wondered where his mother was on the first Friday of every month, then he hadn't asked her yet.

Her embarrassment about her own sense of being adrift largely applied to her husband, children, and coworkers. Emilia had told Eavan about it, and sometimes her niece joined her, but not every month and tonight Eavan was busy with her own children. And that was good, that was fine, because spending more time with her family wasn't really the point.

She had a usual routine here — Emilia ordered something warm and filling from the kitchens, danced a bit, and waited until all the sounds of everyone being here and vibrantly alive filled up her chest and she went home late in the night, often feeling either younger or older than she actually was. She'd finished her stew and was partway through a pint — but had not danced yet — when Mr. Podmore caught her eye and waved.

Emilia felt invited to take herself and the remaining half of her pint to the other side of the dance floor, where she sidled up to his high-top. She kept her pint in her hands, not feeling entirely invited to join him yet. "Mr. Podmore," she said, "Fancy seeing you at the Arms."

  

Syd passed her a wry smile as she joined him at the high top. "I don't get out much, I admit." He wasn't ashamed of it, not really. There were so many aspects of the zoo that Syd had his hands in that it wasn't much of a surprise. He wasn't the type to just stick to the business side of things; he wanted to be involved with the creatures and the people and kept a close eye on what everyone needed. If he was smart he would hire himself a manager to take some of the load off, but he was handling it alright at this point. It wasn't he had an responsibilities outside of the zoo.

"This has been an enlightening evening to say the least. Do you come often?" Maybe he ought to get out more often if the company he could find was so enjoyable. Syd took a sip of his pint, looking out at the room again. This was winding up to be a more pleasant evening than expected.

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I wasn't sure it was possible, but he's even more yummy, by MJ ♥
Podmore Zoological Gardens - Irvingly

Emilia didn't get out much, so she could empathize with that — or perhaps she identified as someone who didn't get out much, but she'd been getting out more in the years since Anne went to Hogwarts.

"Every month of the school year," Emilia said, with a small smile. "I like it here. The food's always good, and so's the company."

  

Syd nodded along. It must have been quiet around the house when her children were off at Hogwarts. "I am finding to to be quite relaxing, unexpectedly." He lived alone, so couldn't quite relate, but it must have been a stark difference between the school year and summer.

"It is a lovely atmosphere," Syd agreed. "By yourself?" He wondered if Mr. Moony wasn't the sort to enjoy these kinds of events or perhaps he was working. He had never bothered to ask across their run-ins, but wasn't about to pry too far into the matter either.

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I wasn't sure it was possible, but he's even more yummy, by MJ ♥
Podmore Zoological Gardens - Irvingly

Emilia had no idea how much Mr. Podmore could know about her marriage, which was always an interesting position to be in. Eavan had worked at the zoo when Kit was kidnapped, but she didn't know that Mr. Podmore had always been there. And sometimes people knew things about people without knowing them; Emilia was certainly always interested in information about other people.

So in the absence of knowing how much context he had, she said, "By myself. Unless I can get Eavan or my sister to come." (Winnie was as much of a sister as Nola had been; Emilia didn't like that in-law reduced her.)

  

Yes, this did seem like the sort of thing Eavan would enjoy, if she could get away from the house with three children now. With her own little farm to run in addition to everything she did at the zoo, Syd wondered how she had time for much of anything. "Understandable, I fear I may be the only one who spends more time at the zoo than Eva." He chuckled. Of course it was his responsibility. After taking it over from his cousin, Syd had jumped in headfirst trying to learn every aspect of it. He was appreciative of the staff he'd collected; he truly couldn't do it without them.

He only shrugged. Syd was mostly oblivious to anything going on in society or the papers unless it directly impacted the zoo. "It's nice to get out and do something for yourself every once in a while." He said instead, thinking it a safe evaluation.

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I wasn't sure it was possible, but he's even more yummy, by MJ ♥
Podmore Zoological Gardens - Irvingly

Emilia smiled. "You just told me you don't get out much," she pointed out, with a wry tone. "Would you come here more often, if you did?" Was the dance Mr. Podmore's definition of doing something for himself, in the same way it could be Emilia's? He had enough money to go to fancier events, if he wanted to — but Emilia could not imagine those events being nearly as warm and welcoming as the Irvingly Arms.