Adedayo Shacklebolt

“I really hope so, Dayo,” he said with a bit of a mirthless chuckle. “Otherwise it looks like I’m stuck with you, doesn’t it?” he teased with a little nod in the direction of the mistletoe. “That’s a rather big downgrade, I’m not going to lie.” Cal sighed, not particularly opposed to having a simple and small kiss with the man, but he did take another moment to tease. “Honestly what more could happen to me at this point? Maybe you getting into some bad luck would at least be amusing for myself.”

Dayo put his hand over his heart. "You wound me." He joked, willing to try help distract Cal from his misery. "I am always an upgrade." He chuckled at the idea of bad luck. "If Eshu does lead me astray, I know it is only to learn a lesson. But I should not like to risk it all the same." He winked before leaning in. "Come now, my friend. Do not break my heart more."

Felicity looked down at her hands, still the shy little girl. He really was flirting with her. Did he have no shame? Why on earth would he assume a woman not sharing his heritage would have any interest? Did he even worship the same god as she did? “You are too kind sir.” She said, looking up at him with big blue eyes. “I would be honored if you’d walk with me.” She giggled as he kissed her hand, sounding more like a virgin than she ever wanted to. His display was not only idiotic, he presumed far too much. “I’m sure you’ll be there to catch me if I do fall.” She said sweetly, though his lines made her want to roll her eyes.

She was a sweet girl, Dayo taking note not to be too outrageous. While he didn't mind making people uncomfortable, he also didn't do it to just anyone. People who seemed good and innocent, he had no interest in scaring. "Of course." He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm and started to walk in the direction she'd been rushing. "So where are we going, Felicity?" He looked down at her as they walked, smiling. "You aren't really a spirit to come lead me astray, are you?" Dayo suggested with a laugh.

“It’s not using if you so willingly offered yourself.” he quipped back, nodding slightly; it was a lot better. He considers teasing Dayo about the fact he thinks he is pretty, but stops himself just before, teasing Dayo is a waste of time, the man easily laughs about himself. “I don’t think that’s it.” he says instead.

"Apparently, I had already been offered up as your sacrificial lamb." The rumours had made him laugh, and he'd thought Sam had been unaware of them. Instead, Sam was playing along. Very interesting, but Dayo was happy to help. "You don't think you are attractive." Dayo knew that wasn't what Sam meant, but he still made the joke. "You could make any man's heart beat fast. Don't be so hard on yourself, eh."

“I am sure she is, but while she is at Hogwarts, perhaps she can take a small vacation from the spear and all other pointy things that are not wands?” swords, knives, crossbows, where do the students find space to fit all of their weapons! “Between the two of you and Sigfrid and Gunnar, I don’t know if the school can survive another pair of fearsome siblings.” and in the Shackebolt’s case is not even a pair!  “And you should focus on your magical training!”

"We are Shacklebolts. We can multitask." Dayo joked. "Besides, she always has one pointy thing that isn't a wand with her. The needle. The rest, she leaves for training only. We both do." He knew there were some students who broke the no weapons rule on a daily basis, but they didn't. Not unless it was a sparring session. "We cannot let our skills fade." He chuckled when she mentioned the Viking twins. "Ah, they are friends. We get along with them well, don't worry." Childishly, Dayo pouted. "My magic skills would be just fine if you didn't make me use a wand. How many students here are Animagi?" His pride in what he could do was one of his biggest flaws, he knew that, but he was allowed some. 

Cal laughed before plucking up the finished letter, not entirely able to read it, but at least knowing that it looked nice. “Should I go deliver it now?” he asked, perhaps a little too eager. “I’ve already got a flower picked out.” Cal only wished her could ask her favorite without raising suspicion.

“Go.” Dayo encouraged him, wanting to see his friends happy. Cal was a good man, and Holly an even better woman. He’d seen her go through so much, he wanted to see something good happen for her. “Make her smile.” 

With the loss of Holly, or perceived loss of her, being rather fresh— it was difficult for Cal to be hopeful quite yet when it came to the possibility of her not getting married. “She didn’t seem to be very interested in the marriage but…it’s rather complicated, isn’t it?” He gave a little sigh before giving Day a questioning look, realizing a moment later what it was the man was talking about. “Are you trying to take advantage of my broken heart right now?” Cal asked with half a chuckle.

Dayo wasn’t willing to give up on the idea of love. He’d figure out a way to help Holly and Cal be happy, he just needed time to think. “Life is complicated, but it’ll work out. You’ll see.” He was a big believer in having faith, so he hoped Cal would too. He grinned, glad Cal was at least trying to keep hold onto his good sense of nature. “Well, they do say it’s bad luck not to kiss, and I don’t think either of us wish to risk that.” 

“Oh, that does make sense.” Dayo’s family was so entrenched in social circles it wasn’t surprising that he would have run into Holly’s. For the most part he wasn’t nervous about Dayo knowing who it was. The man was exuberant, but he was loyal, and had even said how seriously he was taking this. A somewhat mooning grin came over him as Dayo said the definition. Yes, that sounded perfectly true about Holly. “That does sound…entirely fitting,” he said with a chuckle. “Tell me- why do your people have such better words than us?” he teased a little.

Dayo grinned, always glad to see his friends so happy. Although love was something he had yet to find, he did love the very idea of love. He had seen different kinds of love, but the true kind was his favourite. "It is because we are a better people." He joked. "I am glad for you both. I am sure she will love these letters. They will make her smile."

God he was making this easy. Was the little prince-ling so naive that he would be kind to anyone? She flushed, slightly, forcing herself to think of her past embarrassments to create the full effect. “Oh, sir, you don’t have to do that.” She said, accepting her books from him. “I’ll be sure to stop a moment.” A shy smile spread over her lips.

“I didn’t mean to offend you.” She said too earnestly. God was he really going to introduce himself? Next thing he’d be flirting with her. Perhaps Africa had no evil people, that could be the only explanation for a leader to be so unguarded. What if she were an assassin? She was an assassin, and by the grace of god she was not here to hurt him. “Felicity,” She offered a hand, smiling. “It’s nice to meet you, Dayo.”

He chuckled once more, shaking his head at her. “It is no hardship to help a pretty woman.” Dayo was such an easy-going man, he treated all people equally until he had a reason not to. That meant being good humoured and a little charming. “Felicity, I don’t think you could ever offend anyone.” He caught her hand and lifted it up to his lips, kissing it lightly before releasing it. “Please give me the honour you of walking with you, since you looked like you were in such a rush. That way, if you fall again, I can catch you.” He winked at her. “I won’t let it go to my ego, having you fall at my feet.” 

“I like the sound of privacy.” Milo leaned up and let his lips drift over Dayo’s, “But no matter what, I don’t want you to stop.” He reached up and cupped the other man’s cheek. “What are you waiting for?” 

Groaning, he pushed Dayo closer so he could whisper in his ear, “Can you stop yelling? Please, I would like to keep my eardrums.” god, Dayo even made it hard to use him, that’s how annoying he was. “Really, can’t you just behave like an adult for a few seconds?”

“Your heart is beating fast because you yelled.”

Dayo's arm, snug around Sam's waist, kept the smaller man against him as he whispered back. "Is this better?" His breath brushed over Sam's ear. "If you're using me to make someone jealous, you should be politer." He teased in a low rumble, although he wasn't bothered either way. "Maybe my heart is beating fast because I have an attractive man nice and close."

Pheobe laughed, “We had very different father’s then, he has never been serious in his life. He’s a flighty sort of man, and only gets serious when it concerns him.” Her father had traveled to Africa, to the Far East, to every corner he could reach and back again. Phoebe was absolutely sure that she probably had other siblings running about the world, her father had never been quiet about his conquests when he came back and spoke with the cook and his footman when he came home. “I’ll have to travel there sometime, I went East, but South I’ve heard its warm and there are great deserts and forests and fascinating creatures.” she was wistful, wishing she had continued traveling after she left China and returned to England, much of her time was spent among Europeans by anything South of Frace was quite foreign.

The Hufflepuff couldn’t help it, she laughed loudly when she looked at his sister then back at home, “Somehow I believe it, scissors,” she shook her head at the mental image of this man next to her being taken down my sciccors of all things, it was an entertaining mental image to be sure.

The Healer had chosen in her life to help people. There was no grand master plan than to learn magic, marry and have children. It was expected of someone of her lower nobility class, borne from some Roman warriors with some gold and esteem, and was by lucky happenstance to not worry for much in her life. Her father chose to squander his gold and his intelligence and spend time far away from home, and from her. “I’m sure you did it first,” she had to laugh a little at the pride and flaunting in his voice, siblings were funny in that way, and from siblings who would stab each other, she could only imagine the relationship. “I’d love to learn to do something such as that, it seems like it’d be a useful skill to have.” Phoebe hummed lightly curling up on the couch happy to listen to Dayo’s tales and stories about Hogwarts and his life, she enjoyed other people. Her world was built around stories growing up, thinking about the world beyond her estate, and thinking of where her father was traveling, where she could go alongside him in her fondest dreams. “Maybe that wasn’t the smartest idea to go scaring others with your alter-ego and all that. Though getting angered with you for having a bare chest,” she smirked, “you have the physique of a person who shouldn’t be ashamed of it.” Her Ming blood-cousins were saucy and bright, who knew how to flirt and it often dripped over into her since she left. “So tell me what have you come to like about Hogwarts, I’m afraid I’m not sure how a ‘school’ is supposed to go, I’ve been quite informally trained in magic until recently. Healing is quite difficult, I’m hoping to find a place to learn as much as I can here.”

No father should only be serious when it concerned himself. Sometimes, Dayo wished his parents could adopt half of Hogwarts, it didn’t seem right how lonely many of them were. Rather than speak of it, he spoke of the land he loved with his whole heart. England, despite being just as much in his blood, held less of a claim on him. “”It depends where you travel, but yes, that is all true. Many of my people still live nomadic lives, spread beyond one country, so when I have visited them, I have gotten to see much of it. There is nothing like it, and believe me, I have looked. I’ve even travelled East, although not for long.” 

“I would be happy to teach you. It is not an easy thing to learn, and the actual spell takes a month before you can transform. And of course, you cannot choose what you turn into.” He knew of stories where people had hoped to turn into something particular, yet were disappointed when they got another. It had simply been luck that he and Bri had ended up with the same creature, for they were as different as they were similar. 

When she commented on his physique, he smirked. “Thank you. Should you wish to walk around with a bare chest, I shall support your decision entirely.” He’d never been ashamed of it, and not just because of his very healthy ego. Many of his people were lax about clothing, especially in the more nomadic parts. “Europeans are sometimes strange about such things. They have funny ideals. They think it is unchristian of me to walk about with no shirt on, yet my sister is Catholic and she does not care. They’d say she was improper if they saw some of the things she wears back home, simply because it is not the done thing here.” He rolled his eyes at the very idea of doing something just because it was the done thing. Happy to talk about Hogwarts, since he was happy here, Dayo relaxed into the chair to share stories of the classes, the students, and just the place in general. “Where should I start?” 

“Carry strength in my kindness. I like that. Thank you.” not the first time she has been compared to someone’s mother, and Helga believes that this will be the new normal for her. As long as she can make sure people are happy, she doesn’t mind.

“In detention, where they will stay until for a long time…” she teased, making a mental note to keep Dayo away from her favorite Gryffindors, their team up will give her white hair before she is thirty. “Tell me, where did your sister get a spear?”

"It is one of the rarest strengths." His family took pride in their abilities as warriors, but more important to them was the strength of their hearts. It was the one thing he didn't brag about. Surprisingly, Dayo had not warranted a detention, but he was sure that would change. "I'll find them." He looked confused at her question. "It's her spear. We all had training. One of my sisters is a warrior by trade, she leads our people in battle. Bri considered joining, but she prefers the needle to the spear. She's fearsome with both." While neither Shacklebolt broke the rules about carrying weapons on them, both had brought their weapons along so they could keep up their training, often seen on the ground sparring. 

Holden was busy searching for something to lure the lynx out that he completely missed it hopping out of the bed. He was startled when he felt something brush up on his hand and leg, and practically leaped away from it. “Augh-!!” The noise that came out of him was incoherent, and he would deny it if anyone asked him about it. This was not the time to worry about that, however. He had bigger problems at hand. Namely, the creature that was now trying to get to him. Some part of him wanted to leave. Right now. But he couldn’t just leave the lynx in the hospital wing. That would be dangerous and irresponsible. “Okay. We just need to figure out what you want,” he said aloud, half to the lynx, but mostly to himself. “What do you want? Food? Water?” If he was lucky, maybe the creature would understand him.

To be honest, Cal had been tucking himself in corners all night, trying to avoid Holly or Roland or just…anyone else. For once, he was rather more inclined to be sad by himself in a dark corner. He looked up at Dayo’s voice though, even if his question sent an instant bit of pain through his chest. A mirthless laugh escaped from him. “Well, they were going wonderfully until she told me she was engaged.” He looked up in confusion as Dayo pointed to something above their heads. Ahhh, the mistletoe. Apparently he’d unknowingly come to rest under one. “Based off the fact she’s engaged— I’m going to have to say no.”

Dayo winced in sympathy, clapping his hand on Cal’s shoulder. “I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.” Dayo may have wanted to see how the letters were working out for Cal, so he’d spied on them being rather adorable around each other. “Her family may be pushing her to get engaged, but that doesn’t mean she has to.” Not every family was as open-minded as his, a fact Dayo knew but was willing to ignore. He was just going to have to fix this. Since that miserable look wasn’t one he wanted to see, Dayo tilted his head slightly. “Well, since she’s not here, it’s the rules, I don’t make them....” He teased, leaning in slightly. 

Dear Dayo,

Happy Christmas my friend! I picked this up in my travels, it’s not a lynx like your alternate form, but I thought of you. 

With love,

Phoebe.

Dear Bri and Dayo,

Happy Christmas! I’m giving you what every pair of siblings like the pair of you— as well as Sigfrid and I always most desire. A reason to fight. Not that you need an excuse. Whoever wins a spar using whatever’s closest to you right now gets what’s inside. 

               Love,                   Gunnarr

[ inside the box is a pair of socks. later in the day, Bri and Day receive their real gifts ]

I’d love to “duel” again. 

Milo