April 5th, 1895 - First Friday, Irvingly Arms

Winnie had long ago given up on celebrating her birthday, ever since getting beat up a few years ago. It felt like a silly thing to celebrate now, after all that had happened in the time between, so she had tried to talk Emilia out of it. However, First Friday had sort of become their habit now, when Winnie was available, and she hadn't gotten any emergency owls tonight, so she had arrived a little early, before her agreed upon time to meet her sister.

The pub was filling up slowly, leaving Winnie sitting at the bar, nursing a glass of brandy and leaving her trusty carpet bag on the stool next to her. She wondered if they would see that gentleman that Emilia kept making eyes at. Win had resolved to stay out of it. She knew very well just how strained the marriage between her brother and Emilia was and it wasn't any of her business. Emilia deserved to be happy, so it wasn't any of her concern, and until something changed that, she would just keep a weather eye open.

The musicians were tuning up their instruments and Winnie was content to people watch. If nothing else, her life was predictable now, stable, and it could be worse. It could be far better, she knew, she missed having some sort of regular connection, someone to burn off some steam with, but she could get by. The door opened and she turned to see if it was Emilia, but it wasn't and so she resumed watching an interesting heated conversation at a nearby table when she felt someone approach the bar next to her, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm saving that seat for my sister," she interjected, hoping that she wasn't going to have to put up a fight.

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Daesyn needed a drink tonight, she needed more than a drink but they didnt usually sell that over the bar so a drink would do. Work had been a pain. Life had been no better. She had heard people talking about her again what the hell was wrong with the way she dressed. She looked down at her well tailored clothes and shook her head, she looked great, and it was practical for work. Although perhaps she they were right about them judging her for the dinner roll incident, that was funny but perhaps a little misguided. The cursebreaker shrugged to herself and took a bar stool near in the busy pub. She was about to order a drink when another woman on the next stool interrupted her.

"I just want to grab a drink then when your sister gets here go alight?" she said abruptly without even looking at the other woman before sighing and pausing. Daesyn turned to Winnie, "Sorry, that was rude. Buy you a drink? But I'll go if your sister arrives?" She gave a little smile, this wouldn't be the first time someone had shooed her away with the inepending arrival of a sister.

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Bronwyn Moony (Daffodil Grimstone)

  

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Thank you MJ for this art

The response was highly unexpected, at least from another woman. Winnie may have expected a snarky, rude retort from a man, they had no social graces, especially in a pub, but from a young woman. Win's only response was a raised eyebrow, especially as the girl corrected herself pretty quickly. Already perplexed, her brows furrowed at the response and even more so by the offer of a drink.

Winnie raised her barely-touched brandy in response. "She won't be but a few minutes, but if all you need is a drink," Win shrugged, gesturing with one hand for the woman to go ahead and attempt to get the barkeep's attention. He was at the far end for a moment and not all that attentive to begin with once she'd turned down his flirting with a dismissive comment. She didn't like his general demeanor and she had learned her lesson with listening to her intuition.

Hopefully Emilia would be here soon, so nobody else gave her a hard time about the seat. It was her birthday after all, she didn't want to get in a bar fight on her birthday.

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You don't need to tag me, I keep close track!

  

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Daesyn expected the other woman to put up more of a fight for the seat, the sorts of people she ran into at these bars were often territorial creatures, so she was pleased when she didn't. Seeing the presentation of an untouched drink as a declining of her offer she leaned over the bar trying to get the batman's attention. He seemed more interested in talking to the much more eligible-looking lady at the other end of the bar than actually pouring anyone's drinks. She leaned back in her chair as the muscles in her back began to tire of reaching up and over to make herself look more noticeable.

"Everyone says I dress like a man, but do I get any of the perks. They'd throw me out if I started raising my voice or snapping my fingers for attention.

They'd try anyway." she laughed and sighed. She was feeling increasingly jealous of other women's brandy.

"Out to celebrate or out to forget?" she asked Bronwyn making small talk while still trying to catch the barman's eye. She had a measure of success with that at least as the barman nodded to her and held up two fingers to indicate he'd been with her, eventually.

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Thank you MJ for this art

The more the woman spoke, the higher Winnie's eyebrows got. She wasn't quite sure what to make of her. When it came to being like a woman, Win had it pretty well under control. Though she sometimes had the same, ahem, urges as a man, she was far more in control of herself in many respects.

The question was easier to answer, but Win hadn't put any stock into her birthday for a couple of years now, her response was tempered. "Oh, we just like to come to the First Fridays when available. I work a busy schedule, so I don't make them all, but we come when we can." She wasn't sure she had seen the other woman here before, but like she said, she didn't make them all. "Yourself?" Winnie figured the small talk wouldn't hurt until Emilia arrived.

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Daesyn continued to try and connect eyes with the barman but paid attention to Winnie. She didn't come here often herself, she visited various establishments about Hogsmeade and other places but there wasn't anywhere that would really consider her a regular. She liked it that way really, kept things fresh but maybe if she was a little more regular she might get served faster.

"Me? I am, how can I put this. I'm sulking." she laughed at herself a little. "Work has been rough and I didn't need to step out of the bank and be told by a friend that the nosey nanas have been gossiping about me again." she shrugged and looked at Winnie with a look that said "help me be done with this" Daesyn needed a distraction and a chat with a random woman that was probably going to chase her away in five minutes was as good as anything.

"Where do you work?" she asked as the barman finally noticed her and approached to take her order.

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Thank you MJ for this art

Unfortunately for the other woman, Winnie didn't have much experience in that regard. She made a living on her reputation, so did very little to potentially blemish it. She was a working class spinster, nobody really paid her much attention, which worked out in her favor, but she was also discreet both in matters of work and her personal life. The latter rarely crossed over with her professional work, which was intentional, but she was able to make it work.

"That's unfortunate, people really ought to mind their own business." Of that Winnie had opinions, but still knew the time and place to share them more ardently. "I'm a midwife." She added to the last question. The irregular, busy schedule was the defining factor, but it was part of the allure to Winnie; she was never bored.

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   Daesyn Mackenzie

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Daesyn gave a look of respect to Winnie. "A midwife? That is a fine career. It must be kind of nice being one of the first to meet all the future witches and wizards. I wonder if you saw my nephew." That would be funny, her brother's son had been born less than six months ago. The cursebreaker finally had placed her order and the barman disappeared off again to fulfill it.

"I wonder how long he'll be, thoroughly tempted to put an anti-distraction charm on him." She laughed as she saw him again chatting with another young lady at the bar. "Or maybe a charm to make myself the prettiest girl on the bar"

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Thank you MJ for this art

"I enjoy it." Most of the time it was great, hard work, but great. The more depressing parts were fortunately not as frequent as they could be, in her experience, so she could find a good balance. She had been at it long enough now that it was second nature.

"You may not want to linger near me, I was unkind to him earlier." He had deserved it thought, for his comment. Winnie was not the type to suffer fools when she didn't have to, which wasn't very often, in reality. Win had already resigned herself to this being her only drink of the evening anyway. She couldn't partake too much, even on her birthday, in case she got called out at a moment's notice.

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She laughed at Bronwyn's comment about the barman, "Oh please do tell, I would love to here it. I deduce from the fact that you have not been shown the exit that it was justified?" her elbow nudged the other woman playfully to hoad he into letting slip what she had said to alienate to barman. It was a rare woman who would publicly talk badly to a man, albiet thankfully less and less rare these days, so she was coloured intrigued.

Her small beer was placed in front of her without ceremony and Daesyn handed over the required coins without so much as a how do you do."

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Thank you MJ for this art

Winnie shrugged. His suggestive comment had been met with something equally as suggestive— except hers had been about a persona injury had he said something like that again. "He was uncouth, I returned in kind." Win could have a short fuse when caught in a mood and she didn't indulge men when she found them insufferable.

"At least you still got your drink." A small consolation, but at least had been the goal. Winnie rather thought she'd have a hard time getting a second drink, but she supposed she didn't need to spend the money anyway. Once Emilia got here, which she hoped was soon, they would get busy chatting and she would be able to make this one last a while.

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Daesyn smiled proudly. "I can respect a woman who stands up for herself, it a good quality." she raised her glass and grinned at the man and his uncouth nature. It made a lot of sense now, he didnt quite seem like the most genial of servers she had ever encountered.

She had a thought and raised her eyebrows at the other woman. "If you are up for moving on and trying our luck somewhere else we could..." she laughed and then quickly self corrected. "Oh wait.. you are waiting for someone aren't you? I should probably take my leave then. Maybe some other time?"

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Thank you MJ for this art

Win thought the invitation a little out of place, but she was saved with a ready-made excuse, which the other woman seemed to remember after a moment. "Yeah, my sister should be here any minute." Merlin Emilia. Win had to hope there was no emergency that was keeping her. "Maybe another time." The agreement was superficial at best. It wasn't like Winnie had a lot of time for socializing, but she did come here when she could. If they happened to run into one another again, it would hopefully be with a different barkeeper.

"Enjoy your evening." She offered, once she finally spotted Em coming through the crowd. Let the birthday festivities begin.

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   Daesyn Mackenzie

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