Rhys Parry

It can be a pain for sure. How are you?

I’m fine. Thank you. 

“I’ve probably drunken half my weight in whatever is in that bottle over there.”

Oh... Well in which case you’re going to need something a bit more substantial than chocolates to start out with huh? How do you feel about bread?

Elfi laughed feeling the chill of her cheeks dissipate entirely. “ Ha, I hope you see it as a good thing. Oh? That would be fun. To watch a game wi-” She was interrupted by a large blond man stumbling over towards the quiet couch. He sloshed his drink as he walked, smearing the once pristine white carpet. “’Eeyyyyy. Rhyezzzzz.” The man began in a thick accent as he began leaning on what she believed to be his friend. His drink tilting and drenching the side of Rhys leg. “Oh no.” She began jumping from the table and grabbing some napkins off the minibar to the side of the room. “Here.” She gave him an apologetic smile. It would seem their pleasant, quiet conversation had come to an end. 

Rhys looked up, recognising one of the old Hufflepuff gang from his original year group at Hogwarts. “Erik! Did you hear me talking about rugby?” He smiled, before it turned to a grimace as he saw the state of his usually much more sensible friend. “Oh no. Did Scorpius make you drink one of those potions?” He’d no sooner finished, than Erik spilled his drink - although the worst of it ended up on the sofa. Rhys shook his head, giving an amused sigh as he pulled out his wand and vanished the spilt drink with a simple flick. “It’s alright, it’s alright,” he stood up, speaking half to Elfi who was rushing for napkins, and half to Erik, who was struggling to apologise and swaying violently. “I think we’d perhaps better go and find something to sobre you up perhaps Erik,” he laid a hand on the swaying blond’s shoulder. “Sorry Elfi.”

“Yeah, but what’s Christmas without a little trouble?” Poppy shimmied her shoulders a little as she laughed. If Rhys’s whole family was like what she knew of him and remembered of his sister, she doubted there was anyone capable of causing real trouble. “I’m brilliant, I know. What about you? What’ve you got in those bags?”

Rhys chuckled, nodding his agreement. “Well that’s true, but there’s enough trouble out there without me starting more with my presents.” He held up the bag in his left hand. “Well this is something for my sister, I got her a couple of bits - mostly stuff to try and make life easier at her academy, lots of blister plasters, but then a charm for her bracelet as well. And this one-” he lifted up the bag in his other hand instead, “Has got some bits and bobs for the boys in. Some photo frames, since I’m planning on getting some photos printed. Other stuff.”

“Well, everyone thinks their family and presents are more important than everyone else’s.”

“Well I’m not sure that’s usually true. It’s more than people don’t take the time to realise that what they’re doing is doing any harm.”

“That it is. Tell me if you do end up going, though.”

I’ll let you know, if I manage to find my way out again, if not I may be calling for help

*She laughs with him* We’ll have to see. Well at any rate, thanks for the reminder, and Happy Holidays.

Thanks. And hey, same to you, you know, if you choose to do them after all

“I am a good example. It would not hurt some people to follow my lead. Now that is very exciting! We must celebrate you becoming published. It is a big deal.”

I will have to do my best then. Thing W-W-D-D. What would Diana do?

“Let me rephrase: Can you please get me those? I’m worried I’ll fall over.”

Fall over? Why? Are you alright?

All it takes though is one person that you care just enough for to want you to celebrate Christmas to get you perhaps begrudgingly into the Holiday mood. Unofrtunately, I think that’s my fate. Even though Santa may have to get creative with me. I do not have a chimney.

I’m sure he’ll find a way, I mean, the guy clearly has some sort of magic *he laughs* But you’re right. Christmas is all about spending time with the people you love, that’s what’s important

“Trust me on this. I wouldn’t lie about meatballs.”

I should hope not! Food is a serious business

Elfi laughed shaking her head as a light blush swept over her fair feature while bringing a hand to her forehead with a masked smile, “Oh, no no no. Ha, I didn’t mean it that way. No more like the sweet, compassionate one of a like boy band who is shy but most romantic…uh… caring? One of the group.” She tried to revive her statement halfway through her sentence through a deeper blush set in with her failed attempt.

Watching him ramble intensely on about a sport she really knew nothing about was all humorous, enjoyable and curious to experience. He seemed so completely taken by the sport which made her all the more curious. Elfi nodded quietly listening intensely as she tried to imagine the grassy plan, the confused looks of possible players given the complicated rules as they ran into each other with full force, carrying brooms that couldn’t fly. The thought made her chuckle softly to herself as she looked back up at him with a pleasant smile. “You sound absolutely taken by Rugby. Mm, I want to watch it. I must now that you have me so completely curious.”

She nodded with seeming understanding for jazz. She knew little of the genre but, knew it had a lot of saxophones which was an instrument she enjoyed listening too even though she didn’t listen to many orchestras with a sax. “I guess, you have a lot to teach me with all your fascinating muggle ways.” She teased hoping it didn’t come off a certain way. 

Rhys blushed, but tried to disguise it by laughing a little. “I think that’s the first time that anybody has told me that they think I could be in a boyband,” he shook his head, amused, but there was a faint glow of pride at her words. Compassionate. Caring. If that was what she thought of him he couldn’t complain about that. “Believe me. It’s practically religious in Wales. It’s a big thing for us,” he nodded, trying to look serious again. “It’s well worth watching it, seriously though. But you might need someone to explain the rules, because if you have no idea what you’re watching then it might not make any sense.” He’d tried to introduce enough people to rugby over the years, and almost always failed horribly. 

He gave a short chuckle, tipping his head to one side. “I don’t really think I’m all that qualified, all I know are some songs I think sound nice and plenty of things I’ve picked up at market stalls over the years. I’m really no great expert.” Out of the corner of his eye he could see someone else approaching them, and sidling into the room. “We just live in a pretty tiny town, so we kind of have to make sure we integrate so people don’t get suspicious.”

Poppy eyed the bags, not really able to figure out what might be in them and really not caring enough to ask for specifics. “You should simplify it and just get everyone the same thing.” She held up her own singular bag of a bunch of individually wrapped pouches. “Best herbs and plants to add to teas and water for a whole bunch of reasons. Easy-peasy, almost everyone’s covered.”

Rhys gave a little chuckle, “The only problem then would be having to come up with a present that would actually suit everyone. If I got my sister the same thing I would get Colin, or Scorpius, I might end up causing more trouble than good.” He eyed the different pouches with interest. “That’s a clever idea. Personalised but not too time-consuming to come up with something different for everyone.”

“I suppose that makes sense, yeah.. You should go there again, getting lost is part of the fun.”

Is it really? Because to me it just felt pretty terrifying. Maybe I’ll be braver now I know I can get food if I get absolutely stuck

Sure mate. A bit more than I expected it to be.

Originally posted by freakystuffinhere

Darius. Hello. Yes. I knew it would be busy, but still wasn’t quite ready for this.

“ You look like a drummer kind of guy if you did. Ha, my mother would have had a heart attack if that was the case for me growing up. Though I really enjoyed being out in nature. Mmm, rug-by? What’s that? Sounds interesting. Is it like quidditch?” Elfi leaned in exceedingly curious. He was so strange but they good kind. To be honest, she could sit here talking with him for hours. And what was more she was still on her first drink. It was astonishing. “Oh? I think you’ll just need to teach me all your ways, cause I have no idea what mo town is. I assume it isn’t a place?” Elfi laughed shaking her head.

Originally posted by exist-in-mind

Rhys laughed, a hint of mischief in his voice. “Is that supposed to mean I look like I lack refinement or something?”  Shaking his head he chuckled again. “It’s a muggle sport. Nothing like quidditch ... mind you, some would say it’s a lot like quidditch. Quite a lot of complicated rules nobody fully understands, very physical.  It’s kind of the national sport in Wales.” He grinned, explaining rugby to wizards never seemed to end well, but they didn’t understand the beauty of it, the skill and teamwork, the passion it instilled. “Well ... in a way it is a place ...” Rhys mused. “It’s a nickname for a city in America. Detroit? Anyway, um. It’s sort of ... I guess it came out of soul, and jazz, and things like that? But it’s. It’s just really got heart to it, you know?” He finished, stiltedly, gesturing with his hands and trying to express something he was sure he couldn’t.