Because I Can || {Adam}

[Lareina Darcy]

{15th January.}

Name a better way to have a long-lasting burst of fun when all you’ve been doing is moping around all day, being - basically - moody and aggressive and looking a wreck, than getting dressed up in some of your most favourite clothes and going out to a decent bar for some drinks and people-meeting. Go on, just name one, right off of the very top of your head.

Can’t think of one? That had been the same deal with Miss Lareina Darcy. She had been bored out of her head all ay, and the worst thing had been that she couldn’t think of anything at all to do, either. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do and no one to meet. Not even her relatives seemed to be interested in seeing her anymore. Adeline was understandable, but Emerald… Lareina didn’t know what her problem was. She didn’t even know, to be honest, if she’d ever find out. Damn it.

Emerald had been staying out of her way a lot, but things seemed to have got a little better. A week or two earlier, Emerald had been sobbing all the time and avoiding everybody, and Lareina had immediately got her fists out. Charlotte only had to give her a name and she’d just vent all her anger out. On them.

And she was a pretty formidable little student, if you came across her wandless.

The girl in question was now just outside Shaded Nights, leaning against the wall near the door, she had arrived about a half an hour earlier, and had danced, and had three beers already, in that time. Now she was getting a little fresh air, as well as starting on her fourth beer. It was a nice night for January. There had been a little rain earlier, but now, the sky was clear, and the moon and stars stood out in contrast against the blackness.

Tonight, Lareina was dressed for best. Well, not best, but… better than casual. She had a dress on tonight. It reached just about knee-length, it was red and strapless, and the skirt was the type that when you spun around or turned quickly, it would fly out around you in a circle. She had black stilettos on her feet, red painted toenails visible, and a black jacket over the top that was left unbuttoned.

Her curled hair was left loose and it spilled down over her shoulders and down her back. One part of it was behind her left ear, which had a gold hoop earring in it, identical to the other side. Her dark eyes were rimmed with black, which only made them look bigger, and she had a clear gloss on her lips. She looked pretty damn good, if she could comment herself. Which she, of course, would.

The night was cool, but Lareina wasn’t cold at all. She had danced quite a lot, and her tanned skin was flushed somewhat. She was boiling, if she could be honest, and the feel of the cold bottle that hung between two of her fingers was nice. That, and the cool wind.

So, there she stood. The Lioano was far from bored now, she thought, as she glanced at her surroundings. A boring, dull day was ending quite well. She leaned back against the wall again, and took a sip of her drink. Now... to see if there would be anyone interesting outside.

[Adam MacKeltar]

((-.-;; Silly people and their chats. *stabs the flashy orange window at the bottom of the screen that just calls your name* STOP IT. *huffs and sets off to work* And, of course, my friend has to go and confuse me and get me curious and then confuse me more and THEN go and take a shower and leave me all confused and shiz. *grumbles* Anyways, the song is "I Hate Everything About You" by Three Days Grace. Go listen. ^^))


This had been a most interesting night for Mr. Adam MacKeltar. In fact, instead of the usual DJ, they had requested a live band. So, somehow, Adam had been sucked into singing. So here he was, standing on the stage as the band warmed up. The place was packed, to tell the truth, and Matt was working the bar tonight. He'd told him about Emerald, and Adam had known just when, then. It had been on Christmas, when he had found his cousin lying on his office floor. He had been drugged up badly, nearly killed himself. Adam, of course, was not happy, but now, he thought he deserved it. That was wrong, vile... It was disgusting. He had apologized, and Matt had said there was nothing to apologize for. Now, oh man, it had been a while since he had done this, but he ignored that and just started singing after the guitar came in.

"Everytime we lie awake. After every hit we take. Every feeling that I get, but I haven't missed you yet. Every roommate kept awake by every sigh and scream we make. All the feelings that I get, but I still don't miss you yet. Only when I stop to think about it..." There was a pause for the music to play, and he swallowed, his eyes scanning the crowd. In his mind, though, he wasn't all there. He was thinking of everything that had fueled this song. It helped him to slip back into it, make it easier for him, and soon enough he was back to his old self, which was a relief at a time like this when he needed his old self to get things done the right way. "I... hate... everything about you. Why... do I love you? I... hate... everything about you. Why... do I love you?"

"Everytime we lie awake. After every hit we take. Every feeling that I get, but I haven't missed you yet. Only when I stop to think about it..." Soon enough he was rocking out with the guys, and in the breaks long enough for him to, he slipped himself a sip of water. He had a few more songs after this, then it was someone else's turn if they wanted. Otherwise, it was back to the DJ. Because he was going to go outside for a smoke... A rather long one, too. He deserved it after all of this stuff that was going on. It was all stressing him out to the max. "I... hate... everything about you. Why... do I love you? I... hate... everything about you. Why... do I love you? Only when I stop to think about you I know. Only when you stop to think about me do you know..."

"I... hate... everything about you. Why... do I love you? You... hate... everything about me. Why... do you love me? I... hate -- You... hate -- I... hate -- You love me. I... hate... everything about you. Why... do I love you?" Then the song was over, and he couldn't help but smile at the crowd. The next few kicked in, and he ended up singing another 6 songs, making it a nice seven. He was done, though. He was burning up from the rocking out, singing, and the lights, and he was tired. Besides that, he wanted a break. So he bid them goodnight and walked off stage, heading over to Matt. His friend grinned at him and asked what he wanted. Adam looked at him and Matt handed him the Corona with lime and he thanked him and headed for the door. He needed air.

He stepped outside, and found himself sighing in relief at the cool air against his skin. He was dressed simply in some tight jeans and a tight black t-shirt with a red design on it. His hair, back to its original brown color, was spiked up a little. Soon a cigarette was in his hands, and the lighter made quick work of it, and soon it was lit and he brought it to his mouth. He took a drink of his beer and then returned the cigarette to his mouth, blowing the smoke out. He leaned back against the wall, then he noticed he had company. He looked over at the girl and blinked. "Oh. Um, hi. Sorry for, ah, interrupting..." Ah, great. Someone to witness the stressed Lioano, huh? "I'll just, uh, leave, I guess... Sorry again." He then turned to make his way back inside. There goes that idea...

[Lareina Darcy]

Lareina had happened to have heard a little of Matt’s singing - well, a lot, actually, as he had been up there for a rather long time and sung something like… six songs. No, seven, even. This was before she had exited the club and stood outside, and she had had to admit, he was pretty good.

She didn’t know who he was, though. Miss Darcy saw the other Estremo in Shaded Night practically every single time she went there, and she knew he went to Beauxbatons, having seen him there briefly. No wonder she saw him in the club so often; he was the owner, after all, though she didn’t know. Knowing that little bit of information would have answered a lot of questions about this ‘mysterious’ singer, however.

Lareina turned her head slightly, at hearing something quiet that was barely audible at all. Perhaps it was the gentle ‘swoosh’ of the door as someone left through it, or the footsteps of someone stepping into cold air. She caught sight of Adam, and had that spark of recognition where your mind realizes that you’ve seen a person somewhere before.

She greeted him with some familiarity, having seen him so often around. “Oh, it’s you.” The words left the girl’s lips after she had taken a sip of her drink, and it occurred to her that Adam would be curious as to why she had just - randomly, too, he probably though - said that, as they had never spoken before. It had sounded a little rude, too, if she could be honest; but he’d surely get over that.

He turned to leave, but there was really no need. The silence out here got unnerving after you had been out in it for a while, and someone puffing away beside you wouldn’t be such a bad thing. After all, Lareina was already beginning to get a name for herself by telling people to piss off, out of public places when they were doing nothing - probably just standing, or something - and leave her alone, when it was a free world, and all. She seriously didn’t want to make it all worse.

“Don’t bother,” she called after his retreating back. People who apologized for no reason - when she hardly even apologized when there was a reason - intrigued her, and, if she could be honest, this guy didn’t look like one. But you shouldn’t judge by appearances, of course. Coming out of her thoughts a little, Lareina continued, “It ain’t like you’re interruptin’ anythin’, anyway.”

{Sorry. >< It sucks. Oh, and if I ever forget to write Lareina‘s accent…. Ignore it. xD}

[Adam MacKeltar]

Adam was in a strange mood today. Not that he wasn't in a strange mood every day, but today was different. Today was much different. He was drinking the beer, but it didn't have much taste. The cigarette? It just couldn't relieve the stress and tension like it used to. The singing? Probably the only thing that was working, and thus the fact that he had done this tonight, and the fact that he was going to be doing this much more often now. It helped with things... Helped him to get his mind around things just as much as it helped him to relieve his stress over everything. There was nothing in particular, just everything. Because right now, what he needed, short of a miracle, was a distraction to take his mind off of everything for a while.

But he wasn't exactly the most sought-after bachelor out of them all. Matt? Heck, he could have just about any girl he wanted. Jon? That guy could get any girl too with just a look, but he was too good a guy to do such a thing. Although that chick Alyssa was another thing... She gave Adam the creeps. He knew her deal, but he didn't want to. It just sickened him. Cal? Man, his best friend could certainly get the ladies going just by looking their direction. Many had sought after his friend, but Cal just turned a blind eye to them, not even really acknowledging that they wanted more than just a friendship. His cousin? That was a topic he'd rather not touch on right now. Now that he knew what had happened... It sent a chill down his spine as well as a wave of anger and disgust. It nearly made him retch.

But his thoughts were interrupted by the girl speaking, and her words surprised him. “Oh, it’s you.” He looked at her, taking in her appearance. Sure, he had seen a lot of his customers, but he didn't know too many of them. There were simply too many to get to know. She seemed vaguely familiar, but he was certain he had never spoken to her in his life before. Oh sure, he'd seen her around school a bit, but he had been missing from his classes as of late. Ah yes, that little factor... The thought of the reason behind that absence caused him to inwardly cringe. The sick and twisted ways that the Death Eaters owned him. He couldn't even make a single move without them knowing about it. It frightened him, yet it also interested him. Why would they hold such interest in the seventh year Lioano?

"Hey..." he replied back, his voice giving away nothing that he was feeling or thinking. It was simply polite, in a sense, though far from gentlemanly or whatever. He wasn't a gentleman, and he didn't pretend to be. Ever. Period. End of story. Moving on. “Don’t bother. It ain’t like you’re interruptin’ anythin’, anyway.” He stopped and paused before turning back. What could it hurt? He looked over at her, his pale blue eyes flashing to her face as he studied her for a moment. Then he seemed to shrug it off as he relaxed once more with his back against the cool wall of his club. Yeah, his club. Personally, he loved this place more than anywhere else. He felt safer... Especially after the attack. Okay. Note to self: Don't. Think. About. The. Attack.

He then nodded to her and said,"Okay. Good to know." He fell silent, reduced to sipping from his beer then puffing from his cigarette. He alternated the two, though it wasn't quick and repetitive. Instead it was slow and thoughtful, as though he were just now completing his arranging of thoughts. Finally he said,"I admit, it's a little hard to know everyone who comes in here... But you seem vaguely familiar? You come here often?" He looked over at her, his Canadian accent vaguel noticeable, though currently his accent was slurred with a little British and Scottish, which made for an interesting mix. It truly varied from word to word, and vowel to vowel. They all sounded differently, and some things affected how they sounded differently. That's what you get for moving around and all that stuff...


((Crappy, I know, but I'm dead. I feel like crap, and I have Algebra II to go finish. Stupid school. Yuck. >.<))

[Lareina Darcy]

Lareina herself was in a very… well, a very normal, slightly bored mood. She wasn’t stressed or freaked out about things like Adam was. Hell, the girl didn’t actually have anything to be stressed out about. She didn’t get the deal with her sister - and had learned to give up and let people ignore her if they wanted to - and the attacks hadn’t effected her in the slightest. She was alive, her sisters were, and she didn’t have an friends to worry about.

Oh, good times. Not.

But not having people hanging onto your arms and calling themselves friends could be good in the way that you didn’t have to worry, or anything. It saved you a lot of stress. And, for Lareina, who had got used to being by herself, it saved you a lot of fights. Yeah, she had never been a very… friendly… child, and she still wasn’t now. But she enjoyed her own company, to some degree, so it didn’t bother her so very much.

Ah, so he hadn’t been in classes. If he had been, then Lareina would have been sure that she had seen him before then, and probably would have known his name, as well; MacKeltar. Though, that really wouldn’t mean much to her. At least, it wouldn’t yet.

The Lioano watched him watch her, guessing that his mind was trying to figure out who the heck she was, and the small greeting he uttered. Then he was walking back inside, and she still watched, especially when he turned around, looking at her again. When he did this, as if deciding whether to stay or not, Lareina raised her eyebrows and leaned back against the wall. Adam, after the pause, leaned back again, as well. Wow, well done, Lareina! You didn’t anger the first person you’ve spoken to in weeks within the first sentence!

Mirroring his actions upon sips of his beer, Lareina had some of her own, still silent. He spoke, and the girl looked over at him to reply, “Often?” She grinned. “I come here almost ev’ry other day.” She paused, and then continued, “An’ I see you here almost as much. You were the one singin’ just then, yeah?” And whoever said that she didn’t pay any attention to her surroundings or the people in them, eh?

{Meh. MINE IS SUCKAY. ><}

[Adam MacKeltar]

To tell the truth, Adam's mind was reeling from everything he was going through. He had... discovered some things a few months ago, and that was why he had been missing a lot. Part was for his Death Eater business, but he had also learned of something else. Something from his past, going back about 5 years... He had been 13 then, 13 and stupid. He had dated a girl, a witch, for a few weeks, but they broke it off. Sure, no big deal, right? So he had thought... But then he got the owl. She was his first, and he was hers... But that wasn't even the worst of it. He had never seen her again, because she had moved to Scotland. They had been together back in December, but they didn't think much about it, you know? It wasn't much of anything to them, and they both had moved on pretty quickly.

Apparently, though, she was keeping a secret... From everyone. She lived with her older sister at the time, and he never did know why she moved. But now he did. After 5 years, she had come clean. She... had a baby. No. They had a baby. Adam... He was a father. Of a beautiful little girl, who was four now. She had beautiful straight blonde hair with bangs. She even looked like him a little. Her eyes... Even her nose was similar to his own, and her skin tone was his own. She was so small, but when she met him... she had ran and gave him a hug, falling into his arms as she tripped. That was it. He was gone. He had picked her up and swung her around, holding her tightly. Then he had looked at his ex, and she looked at him. He'd asked her why, and she said,"Because I was scared... And you had enough to deal with..."

It broke his heart to know he had missed everything, but hearing that little girl call him 'Daddy' just clutched at his heart. He had a daughter. It was amazing, but he had a picture now, one that he kept with him everywhere he went. He had then made sure they weren't being followed and made it seem as though she was his friend's girlfriend or something and they were planning something for him. He wasn't going to have his baby girl used as leverage against him. The Death Eaters weren't beneath doing that. Just like he wasn't going to let her turn out like him... He was going to give her everything, give her the whole world. He couldn't resist doing so, really. She was his world. She was his baby, his only daughter -- heck, his only child -- and he knew that even if he wasn't with her mother, he was going to bring them here after he graduated.

So here he was, leaning against a wall outside of his club sipping a beer and smoking a cigarette. Okay, so two really bad habits, but hey, he couldn't change in an instant, and it was going to take him a heck of a long time to process the fact that he had a four-year old daughter that he never knew existed. Not only was she his daughter, but she was a witch, which meant that she was going to have to grow up in this world. He paled just slightly at the thought, but he shook it off. He was going to work from the inside now. He was going to be the 'perfect little Death Eater' just so he could rise up in the ranks, only to turn around and stab them all in the back just so he could end this once and for all. He wanted a better world for his daughter. If he couldn't get rid of him, he would blackmail his way out... Or something.

“Often? I come here almost ev’ry other day. An’ I see you here almost as much. You were the one singin’ just then, yeah?” He smiled, looking at her. Yeah, she was vaguely familiar. He'd seen her around, which made sense now, seeing as she was here every other day. Well, it was good to know that people still enjoyed Shaded Nights. He took a draw of his cigarette, turning back to lean his head on the wall before exhaling, sending it flying out in a puff. He took a swallow of beer, needing to wet his suddenly dry throat. Thinking about it all... It still got to him. He was wearing a pair of dark plaid pants with a white t-shirt with a faint design on the front. A belt was running through the belt loops with a nice buckle, and a chain ran from around his pocket to the back of his pants on his left side. A black sweat band was on his right wrist, and two leather buckles were on his left wrist.

He then took one last puff of his cigarette before blowing the smoke out and saying,"Yeah. That's probably why you seem familiar to some degree... As for me..." He paused, a faint smile appearing as he tossed the cigarette down, grinding it into the ground to keep it from catching fire or anything. "I practically live here, or at least more than I actually sleep at the school." He shrugged and said,"What can I say? As the owner, I have every right to sleep here..." He tossed a small smile out, but it didn't quite reach his troubled eyes. He pulled a hat out of his back pocket and shook it out a bit before placing it on his head, pulling the bill down enough to cover his blue eyes with the shadow. The hat said dank on the left corner in the front. Well, his left... "And yeah, I was the one singing. Did you enjoy it?" He looked back over at her now, the beer bottle dangling between his first and middle finger on his right hand.

[Lareina Darcy]

This might just surprise you, but Mister Adam MacKeltar wasn’t exactly the… well, the most obvious father figure that you’d pick out of a line of them. Hang on, hang on, no; I don’t think that that’s actually that surprising to hear. No, it’s not.

And that wasn’t even being nasty.

After all, the Lioano was only in his seventh year at school. He was, what? Seventeen, eighteen years old? It was awfully young to have a four year old daughter. He didn’t have much of an education yet - and probably wasn’t going to have one at all, if he kept missing all these lessons as he had been doing lately - and his income was somewhat unsteady and unreliable. Owning a bar… that could fail at any moment, after all. And not just that, though; but he was a Death Eater, as well. Whether it be by choice or not, he still had the Dark Mark on his body somewhere.

He was a servant of the late Dark Lord.

And these days, that wasn’t exactly one of the very best career choices, you know? Causing death - again, be it voluntarily or otherwise - and pain was punished pretty severely if you were ever caught. It almost always earned you a one-way ticket to Azkaban, unless you were able to bribe your way out of it all by giving the Ministry a heck of a lot of names.

It must have been bad for the guy, though, if you thought about it, running the risk of putting someone he loved - a child, no less - in danger, as well as himself, and even, if you read into it, Beauxbatons Academy and the areas around it, which was where he was a great deal of the time. But a lot of people seemed to be finding themselves in his position lately, since the attacks. Anyone with a family at the school, a lover, a friend… they were all running the risk of hurting someone else. All in danger of being used.

Lareina herself had cause to worry- though she would never admit to being concerned or losing sleep over anything at all. It wasn’t fright over Adeline or Emerald, but their other sister. The Death Eater sister. She could jump in at any time and hurt them, and it made Lareina quite a jumpy person. At least, more of a jumpy person than she had been before meeting her sister on the night of the Lioano attacks, when so many were hurt or killed.

Lareina watched him watching her again, already intrigued by the young man. He smoke and he drank, yet, strangely… he didn’t seem to be so much of a bad guy. Perhaps he had a bit of an attitude, a difficult or strange history, but nowadays, what witch or wizard didn’t? He didn’t seem like a total jackass, like many of the people the female had met with the same habits that he had. He was very interesting, and seemed like a smart guy from what she had seen so far.

Hell, he couldn’t be that bad, if he knew that he had to change because of his daughter. Most guys his age wouldn’t give a toss about their past or their relatives. A sign of responsibility, maybe? You never know, do you?

Listening again, apparently in a quieter mood than usual, Lareina took a sip once more. She was almost done, now. So he slept here? What the hell? Why? Her silent question was answered, though, and she murmured quietly in response, “Ahh… owner, huh? Impressive.” She fell silent again, and smirked at his question. Fishing for compliments, perhaps? “Yeah, you weren’t bad. Pretty good, actually, I’ll give ya that.”

It must be his lucky day, then.

[Adam MacKeltar]

Adam was well aware that he wasn't exactly a 'father figure', but he was trying. He was learning. He had spent Christmas break with them, leaving a few days early on 'business'. But he had spent time with them, getting to know his daughter. A smile graced his lips -- and a true smile at that, even reaching his shaded eyes and causing them to brighten slightly and sparkle -- at the thought of her running around, playing hide and seek or 'wrestling' with him. Naomi... Naomi Elizabeth Skyler was her name, but her mother had told him something else that shocked him. She had four names. Naomi Elizabeth Skyler MacKeltar. His ex -- Marissa -- had given her his name. He had cried, actually cried, then. It was odd for him, something he wasn't used to, but it was all he could do.

Naomi had asked him why he was crying, and he had smiled and said that it was because he loved her so much. So, of course, she had simply beamed and hugged him around the neck after kissing his cheek. She was so small and innocent... But he had missed things. He had missed her birth, her first time rolling over, her first time sitting up, her first time crawling, her first step, her first word... He had missed a lot of firsts... But he was not going to miss anymore if he had a choice. He was going to be there to help teach her as they homeschooled her. He was going to be there to buy her first wand, school books, and robes, and even her first pet. He was going to meet her first boyfriend and threaten him with his life if he hurt her, though of course he would give him a chance. He would want to scare him into treating her kindly and with respect.

It was so much to take in, but he was slowly adjusting. She had sent him a picture yesterday that she had colored for him. It was a picture of him and her holding hands in the park with her mom and a kitty. There was also his wolf -- which she had met when he visited -- and plenty of flowers. She knew her parents didn't love each other like the other kids' mommies and daddies, but for a little girl, it was amazing to see that she was okay with it. He knew that someday she was going to be a lot like Miss Faith Halliwell in the sense that she would be so kind-hearted and optimistic. She would be innocent. He wasn't going to let anything or anyone take that from her. He was going to prove to everyone that he could be a dad, even though he had a shady past...

Yes. He was a Death Eater... But right now, he didn't want to be. In fact, ever since he met Matt, he had begun to doubt his choice. It was all because of his childhood... If his father had been more like he was going to be to Naomi, things would be so much better. He might have been good, then. But then he wouldn't have Naomi, and that would be a loss that he couldn't take. Somehow, though... Somehow he was going to break free of these chains that held him. He had been speaking to Cal and Matt -- the only two who knew of his membership with the Death Eaters -- and they were trying to think of a way to somehow... erase the Mark. Anything just to get rid of it, because then? He would disappear off the map. They wouldn't be able to find him. Ever.

Of course, some knew him, but the only ones that actually knew him were his friends, and they wouldn't rat him out. The upper ranks? They didn't know him. The ones that mattered? They didn't know him, and he had kept it that way. He remained more of an indiscreet member. He had killed before, yes, but he hadn't enjoyed it, unlike Ana and Dom. He was more on neutral grounds... He just had to get rid of that stupid Mark and he'd be free at last. He was going to ask around, see what could be done, but he was going to have to be careful. Matt and Cal were helping him with research, but so far nothing had showed. He had heard of another, though... There was a former Death Eater at the school, and he had the name. Maybe he could go to him...? He'd have to wait and see...

“Ahh… owner, huh? Impressive. Yeah, you weren’t bad. Pretty good, actually, I’ll give ya that.” He looked back at her and smiled, lifting the bottle to his lips and taking yet another drink, feeling the bottle was much lighter. Ah, almost out. Well, there was plenty more where that came from... "Yeah. The owner, though Matt's been taking care of things lately... I've had... other things to attend to..." He took another sip before continuing. "Thanks. Your opinion is greatly appreciated." He flashed her a half-smile-half-smirk before draining the bottle and setting it down on the ground, now putting his hands in his pants pockets as he resettled himself against the wall, leaning back against it. He lifted his right foot and crossed it over his left, feeling more comfortable already. "Name's Adam MacKeltar. What about you? Do you have a name, or will I be forced to come up with one for you?" His head turned as he grinned, enjoying being able to be sarcastic to someone once more.


((o.O Weird post for me. xD))

[Lareina Darcy]

Hm; that would have been further proof that Adam was a good guy, if he had been voicing all this out loud. At least he was trying. You know, making a whole effort, and all that, and caring about that part of his life. Even if the part of his life in question was an unexpected little, magical daughter that had come as quite a shock. He’d be sure to get better at it anyway, if he kept to and at it like it appeared that he was going to.

Lareina had often wished that she had had a father figure - or just some type of parent at all - that would have threatened to smash her boyfriends into next week if they hurt her, like Adam wanted to be. As it were, not even her half-brothers had cared enough about her to do such a thing. She was only half related to them, after all, in their minds, and they had always treated her more coldly than their other siblings because of it. Even if they did share the same blood, if different amounts.

So, she had been forced to take care of herself, and was proud to boast that she rather thought she did perfectly on her own. She didn’t need anyone else; much less a man to swoop in and save her every time something went wrong. She could pack her own punches, unlike her family, and she had done. Guys were right to be more wary than what she could do than any of her relatives.

Lareina herself had been faintly friends with a female at her old school who was like Adam. The girl had been very involved with the Death Eaters, her family being high rank ones that often dealt with Ministry spies. They were constantly under the risk of attack. The girl went through with anything that she was told to do by her parents or their superiors without so much as a blink of the eye, but she didn’t particularly enjoy it. She just did what she had to, because not doing it would be a lot worse.

They had been pretty decent friends.

Oh, so Adam was the owner. For some reason, Lareina had been expecting someone much older. Some rich, tight millionaire that had strings and strings of these clubs all over the country. This male was so far from that that just the idea itself made Lareina grin. It was funny what images of people you made up in your head before you actually met and got to know them, wasn’t it? She did it all the time about people that she’d heard of from various bits of gossip that was passed around during lessons from the female students, mostly.

“Matt? Is that the bartender dude?” Lareina asked thoughtfully, having seen the Intermise before, of course. And, hey: what girl that went to Shaded Nights wouldn’t know the name of the almost irresistibly good-looking barman? There most likely wasn’t one. Besides; her sister was… involved with the guy, to say the least. She’d have to be deaf not to know his name.

The next thing that Adam said, about her opinion being appreciated, sounded awfully sarcastic - though Lareina was rather overly paranoid about those kinds of things - but she ignored it, if it was even there, and said with a smirk to match his own, “That’s always good to hear, ain’t it?” She raised her eyebrows at the interesting way he asked for her name, “Though I’m very int’rested indeed ‘bout the names you’d come up with, MacKeltar, I’m afraid I’ll just give ya my name.” She smiled, gulping down the rest of her own beer, her foot absentmindedly tapping to the beat of the music coming from inside.

“I’m Lareina.” She paused, to drain the very last drop from her bottle. “Tha’ is, Lareina Darcy.” He wouldn’t recognize her name, she thought. Would he?