chasing the sun

“Absolutely” she responded with a nod. “Isn’t alcohol good for wounds?” She then asked with a small smirk. Her mother had been a healer so Marlene learned a few things on the matter, especially since she was always with a scrap on her knee or some sort of injury. Of course she kne that’s not how things worked and drinking alcohol wasn’t a thing for healing the body, but it was to numb the mind and the pain.

There was an extremely thin like between being brave and corageous and being stupid, and Marlene liked to cross it quite regularly. or she used to back in the day when she didn’t have three young siblings to take care of. Her time in the Order had proved that. She would volunteer to anything thrown in her way and she was too proud to let a mission pass. She was also a Hit Witch, and a damn good one, so she did feel qualified to do almost anything. But then again, which dumb teenager wouldn’t feel that way?

She couldn’t help but to chuckle at her reasoning. “And you can be rude back to them” she teased. Clearly, Marlene could have a temper. But she understood why Maren couldn’t be rude to her patients. However, in a bar full of drunk people? Who was stopping them? “Let me buy you a drink” she then said. “What are you having?” She asked curiously.

@mareneseld​

@mar-mckinnon​

“Oh, yeah, and it’s even better mixed with pain potions.” Maren rolled her eyes, but she returned Marlene’s smile. Maren could recognize a lost cause when she saw one. Marlene was someone who didn’t want help, at least not yet, so the best Maren could do was give her space and be patient. She liked the younger witch, and she wanted to be there for her when she was ready. Maren knew a thing or two about loss, even more so now than she had two years ago, but she wasn’t going to shove advice down Marlene’s throat.

“Exactly.” Maren winked at the younger witch, then laughed. “But really, it’s nice to be around people who are loud and rowdy because they’re having a good time. It’s a good reminder that life is more than pain and suffering.” Maren saw less of that at her job these days, now that the war was over. More and more her patients were the victims of genuine accidents or simple thoughtlessness, not malicious attacks or suspicious coincidences. It should have been comforting, but it unnerved her more than anything and sometimes Maren found herself second guessing even the simplest explanations. 

In response to Marlene’s offer Maren grinned. “Well, I won’t say no to that. I’ve got this, but I’ll need something in the sugary cocktail category to balance it out.” Maren lifted the glass of blonde ale she’d ordered upon arriving. It had been Caradoc’s beer of choice, generally more interested in hanging out with friends and meeting new people when he went to a pub than actually getting drunk, and Maren was feeling nostalgic. It wasn’t her favorite drink, or even her favorite beer, but it reminded her of him.

—

“And that is why you’re my favourite friend.” Emine murmured with a smile. She never felt like she had to explain herself to Maren. The other woman just got her. Of course, she knew that her friend would also be excited that Emine had been the one that had suggested going out. Emine usually didn’t like going out, choosing instead to stay at home, and invite people over. But, things were feeling pretty rough lately, and she just wanted to escape for a little. That was why she had suggested this muggle bar. They could escape the wizarding world for a little, and right now Emine really needed that.

“Of course I do….” She teased, as she too looked through the menu. Over the years Emine believed that she had gotten to know Maren pretty well. It was why she had picked this bar of all the muggle locations that she knew. Emine had known that her friend would be able to find at least one drink that she had liked. “Oooh….”  She murmured, reaching to point out a particular cocktail. “That sounds yummy. I love me some pink gin.” 

@ofemine​

“Oh, I’m touched.” Maren placed a hand over her heart and smiled. Though she usually tried to avoid using words like ‘favorite’ or ‘best’ as she loved and valued all of her friends, she and Emine had been close for a while now. They’d met in the library while still at Hogwarts, and since Caradoc’s death Maren found herself spending more and more time with Emine, who’d never been one to press about feelings. It was what she needed now more than anything with Caradoc’s birthday just a few days past. “But tell me, what prompted this little adventure? Because if someone is doing a better job than me of tempting you out of the office I need to learn their secrets.”

Maren leaned over to look at the cocktail Emine was pointing to. “Oh yes, that sounds very Emine.” For herself Maren tended to stay away from dry liquors, favoring rum, tequila, and fruity liqueurs. Her incurable sweet tooth tended to crop up, insisting on something with little to no bitters and creative simple syrups. “Oo, this one had tequila, Cointreau, and curacao. I’m definitely starting with that.” Maren flagged down the bartender and ordered the drink.

When Maren realized she was pregnant, she’d wanted to give up. The appeal of just crawling into bed and never again emerging had been enormous, and for the first time she’d sympathized with her father. Ultimately, that had been what shook Maren out of her funk. She refused to let her child grow up wondering why they hadn’t been enough, just like she had. So she’d forced herself out of bed and got her affairs in order, with the help of a great many healers and, at one point or another, all of Caradoc’s family members, and she was so glad she had. Meredith, called Merry by Dilly with such conviction that everyone in the family had picked it up, was Maren’s heart. She was rediscovering the world through her daughter’s eyes and it was helping Maren come back to life as well. 

Being a mediwitch in a small, rural village in North Wales was so wildly different from working at St. Mungo’s that sometimes Maren felt like her life in London was something completely separate from reality. But of course there was overlap, she saw Caradoc in his siblings every day, even stern and stiff-lipped Nia, and the friends who had stood by her through the trials of Caradoc’s disappearance and then her pregnancy and move to Wales were lifelines she appreciated more and more each day. Alice Longbottom was one of those friends and, as a mother of three herself, she was full of advice for Maren, which she accepted as eagerly from Alice and she did Nia and Bethan. Then there were other things that the close-knit Dearborn clan did not understand, but Maren knew Alice would. 

So when Maren received a letter from her grandmother wherein she invited herself to visit Maren, the long suffering blonde had nearly begged Alice to take time out of her busy days as a mother and auror and visit. Maren sipped tea and bounced Merry on her knee while Alice read the letter. Maren had told Alice about the last time she spoke to Jenifer Teague face to face, when Jenifer’s snide remarks and unsubtle implications that Caradoc was not missing but simply skipping out on his responsibility to Maren had resulted in a fight where Maren said things that could not be unsaid. And Maren had also told Alice about Jenifer’s stubborn refusal to acknowledge the fight, how she’d sent expensive gifts when Merry was born and for Maren’s birthday and kept writing to ask when Maren was going to bring Meredith to meet her grandfather and great-grandmother. 

Maren had begun tossing her grandmother’s letters in the fire straight after reading them, but this one was too much to just ignore. When Alice laid down the letter, Maren waited for her response. “So, am I crazy or is she crazy?” Maren’s knee jumped with agitation until Merry babbled unhappily. Maren calmed herself and smoothed the dark curls on her daughter’s head with a soft hand. “But she’s crazy, right? I live in a one bedroom cottage with an eight month old and haven’t spoken to her or returned any of her letters in almost a year.”

Marlene recognized Maren immediately, the woman had patched her up so many times that she lost count. All those times she couldn’t go to St. Mungo’s given that her injuries were caused by Order duties, she would go to see Maren and she would patch her up just as good, if not better. After her parents and siblings deaths, Marlene couldn’t afford the luxury to mourn her family properly, because she and her twin brother were now the responsibles for the little ones. So she kept on working, taking care of her siblings and crying herself to sleep. 

From time to time she would go out for a drink, when the burden of her job and the guilt she felt for her brother’s death was too overwhelming. So here she was. “On the contrary, this is exactly where I should be” she responded, speaking close to her so she could hear her properly. “What are you doing here, though?”

@mar-mckinnon​

“Is that so?” Maren raised an eyebrow skeptically, but her voice was more teasing than judgmental. As a mediwitch it was her responsibility to help people who wanted to be helped and provide as much expert information as possible. But she didn’t believe in browbeating her patients, it was up to them what kind of risks they wanted to take. She only got forceful when caregivers endangered children, and she would never accuse Marlene of that. Maren didn’t know the younger witch terribly well, but she knew she was only reckless with her own safety. There had been a particularly memorable incident when a petite, red haired witch had dragged Marlene into Maren’s apartment and not stopped berating Marlene for taking unnecessary risks until Maren gave them the all clear, at which point she pulled Marlene into a fierce hug. It didn’t escape Maren’s notice that the other witch hadn’t had a scratch on her.

“I came for the ambiance. After being around people who are grumpy and rude because they’re in pain all day, it’s nice to be around people who are grumpy and rude because they’re drunk.” Maren joked with a smile that was only a little brittle. She’d been doing better, recently, feeeling a little less like a shattered vase put together with tape and string, but Caradoc would have been 31 this month, and somehow that had brought home the fact that he would never turn 30 more than anything else so far. So she was in search of distractions, but that wasn’t something she talked about with even her closest friends, and certainly not something she would burden Marlene with.

“Why are you eating lunch at your desk?” Technically, Maren wasn’t allowed to just wander unannounced into the Head Auror’s office. But she had made friends with Frank’s new secretary as soon as he got the promotion, and they let her know when he wasn’t busy. “You know there’s real sun out there today? Like the actual thing in the sky, not magic windows.” Despite being a healthcare professional, Maren had no grounds to lecture anyone on diet. More often than not her meals were fast food, pre-packaged, or sometimes both, and despite having a fairly nice kitchen in her flat she rarely used it to make anything other than coffee. But she did at least know the importance of fresh air and sunshine, taking breaks outside as often as she could.

“Your secretary says you have a whole hour for lunch and no meetings until an hour after that, we should go for a walk.” Maren did not wait for permission before crossing to Frank’s desk and beginning to pack up his lunch; they were long past such formalities. She waved the food in front of Frank as if she were trying to tempt Piskie with a treat. “Come on, you’re not a vampire, sunshine won’t hurt you.”

Maren Teague: Deep Dive pt 3

What is your character’s most prized possession? 

Maren Teague: Deep Dive pt 2

What style of clothes does your muse wear? 

Maren’s wardrobe blends comfort and femininity. She’s fond of soft, well-worn jeans and sensible shoes, but she likes to pair them with airy blouses in pastel colors. Her favorite color to wear is white, because it sets off her signature red lipstick and draws the eye to her bright pink hearing aid. Her go-to shoes are a pair of white canvas sneakers that she replaces when they get worn out. She doesn’t wear jewelry often, as it gets in the way of her job, and she typically has her sleeves rolled or pushed up to facilitate quick hand sanitizing when necessary. She finds her wispy blonde curls annoying and usually has them pulled back in whatever she feels is working best on any given day, be it a braid, a claw clip, a bun, etc.

Maren Teague: Deep Dive pt 1

Does your character have any pets? If yes, what type? 

Maren Teague: Introduction

Basic Information

Full Name: Maren Eseld Teague Nickname(s): typically called Teague by her coworkers or Mare by her friends, Maren will respond to just about anything, including frantic hand waving Age: 28 Date of Birth: 4 January 1955, 11:55am Hometown: Falmouth, Cornwall, England Current Location: Greater London area, England Ethnicity: white Nationality: English Gender: cisfemale Pronouns: she/her Species: human, witch Orientation: bi Religion: agnostic Occupation: mediwitch at St. Mungo’s Living Arrangements: a respectable flat that is neither small nor large, rundown nor high end Language(s) Spoken: English, BSL* Accent: Cornish, light Left or  Right Handed: left

Phelan had reminded her that stealing was illegal and that she needed to be careful, but Minsi had mostly tuned her out. Fenrir had different rules for his pack than wizarding society and she lived by Fen’s rules. She knew that he would be proud of her for whatever she got, whether it was money or information. And it certainly wasn’t her fault that wizards were so oblivious to what was happening around them. Of course they didn’t have her heightened senses that she had spent years honing under Fenrir and they lived in a world that was ruled by morals. They didn’t see things for the taking the way that Minsi did. The packs way of life was superior to these humans that were so focused on doing what was right or wrong. At least that was what Fenrir said. Minsi was admittedly curious about the world that she had never really been a part of, but she tried to not seem too eager. Then Fenrir might restrict her access to Diagon Alley again and she had been enjoying her newfound freedom. And that would be terrible. 

Nodding her head at the other woman’s comment, she offered her a smile. “It’s awfully nice out, don’t you think?” She asked. At her offer to share a table, Minsi picked up the bag that she was holding, threw the wallet back in and brought it over to the table and sat down. “I would love that,” she said with a smile. “I’m pretty sure I dropped my sunglasses somewhere, oh well,” Minsi mused with a shrug. “I’m Minsi,” she introduced. 

@minsithewolf​

“It definitely is. I know everyone loves a crisp fall day, but I think there’s nothing for resetting your perspective like the first nice weather in spring. The rain dries up and the clouds roll back and it’s not so cold that people feel like they have to speed walk whenever they’re outside so they don’t catch a chill. Especially when it comes after a long rain or a big storm, it’s the best feeling in the world.” Growing up in Cornwall Maren saw plenty of storms come howling in off the water, and she liked to think that made her uniquely suited to appreciating good weather when she saw it. She’d learned not to fear storms, but she never enjoyed them like others. For Maren, storms were about the moment they ended.

Maren was pleased when the young woman accepted her offer. As she sat down, Maren pulled off her sunglasses and offered them across the table. “Here, you’ll be looking into the sun, anyway.” She could have just as easily offered to switch seats, but it would be harder to read the young woman’s lips if she were back lit. if the sun was shining on her, her face would be clearly lit. Still, Maren didn’t quite catch the name the other woman offered. “Sorry, Mitsy? Can you spell it?”

—

Days off were unusual for Emine. She was a self proclaimed workaholic, and spent most of her time in the Auror department. She’d been there even more lately. Things were not going well in the ministry, and she wanted to make things better. Emine didn’t exactly know how she was going to do that. But it involved currently working as much as possible. She was getting nowhere though, and she knew she needed to take a break. So she had begrudgingly agreed to take a day off. Just one day off. And she did have some errands to run, so it was needed. Even if she really did not want to take it.

And maybe, even though, she was off duty, she could still look for suspicious things. She’d come to Diagon Alley, and ran her errands. Picking up some new ink and quills, grabbing some new books. And now she was heading for an ice cream. It was always a treat she liked to have when she went to Diagon Alley. She really didn’t know what she wanted, until she saw the ice cream of one of her friends. “Oh Maren sorry. Ignore me just blabbering away” She mused, speaking more clearly. “I asked what flavour that ice cream was. It looks divine”

@ofemine​

Maren’s accident occurred when she was nine, nearly twenty years ago at this point, so she was well used to living in a hearing world. She’d gotten over the embarrassment of asking people to repeat themselves a long time ago and she no longer hesitated to remind people to look at her when they were speaking so she could read their lips. Still, it was alway easier to talk to someone who was already familiar with the etiquette of carrying on a conversation with a hard of hearing person rather than a stranger, so she was relieved when she realized it was Emine standing by her table. They’d become friends back at Hogwarts and remained close after they each graduated, so Maren was confident she wasn’t in for an awkward conversation full of miscommunications and casual ableism. 

Maren was surprised to see Emine out and about, usually she had to be pried from her desk and dragged out of the auror office kicking and screaming, but it was a pleasant kind of surprised. Maren was dedicated to her work, but she still thought work life balance was important, and she thought Emine’s was way off kilter. Maren was typically the one to pull Emine's head out of her work, so she was pleased to see her friend outside of the office of her own accord. She smiled at Emine and held the cone out to her. “German Chocolate Mocha, it’s better than sex. Wanna try it?”

The day after a full moon was always a long one. Maren’s supervisor liked to schedule her for the night shift when the moon was full and every little scratch and scrape turned into a house call to a frantic parent or spouse or friend who was sure their loved one had been bitten. Maren knew it was a sign of respect, an acknowledgment of her talent for handling onerous patients with poise and grace. She would never not want to be good at her job, but it was still tiring. There had been a time when the day after the full moon, as the one day a month Maren was guaranteed to have off, was a day for sleeping in and relaxing with a book, or one of her mother’s old records. She’d looked forward to it, then, but now any down time she had was a curse. 

These days, Maren spent her time off running errands, or seeing friends, or even, when she was particularly desperate, traveling down to Falmouth to visit her father and grandmother. Maren had never been a particularly idle person, but now she couldn’t stand to be still. If she had nothing to occupy her time, she had nothing to occupy her mind, and her thoughts were dangerous when unoccupied. So she had to keep herself moving, and this month that looked like running errands that she’d been putting off specifically for today. So far she’d been to the apothecary, Flourish and Blotts, Madam Pimpernelle’s, and Magical Menagerie. She’d stopped by Fortescue’s for an ice cream break when she realized someone was hovering over her table. She glanced up. “I’m sorry, if you said something I didn’t catch it.” By way of explanation, she gestured to her left ear, where her bright pink hearing aid was hard to miss. She’d sat with her bad ear to the wall, but there was a lot of background noise and that always made it harder for her to pick out specific sounds.