fierce angel

A bag slung over his shoulder, Nathaniel was returning back from a run at a nearby park when a voice called out to him from the distance. An outward scoff escaped him as he heard a mention of the curfew, the young man was already on his way home but did he really have to explain himself to a stranger? Turning slowly on his feet, Nathaniel turned to look at the caller, his eyes taking in the woman from top to bottom. "And who are you, might I ask? Besides, of course, a citizen vigilante?"

Of course she would run into a Quidditch star who'd thought himself too good to answer to anyone. It would've bothered her, had she had any actual intention of doing her job properly tonight. Instead, she found an opportunity to entertain herself, even if just a bit-- at the very least, he was not too hard on the eyes. "Actually, a citizen vigilante sounds fun enough to be," the blonde offered, leaving his question unaswered and letting a smile dance along her lips. "Who would you be?" Marlene wondered instead, pausing for a moment. "If you could be anyone, rather than a Quidditch player cutting awfully close to curfew."

Where: Alice's house Who: @mk-marlene +2 open spots

Marlene enjoyed any and all excuses to have fun, especially given the context. It was her day off and so when she got Alice's owl inviting her over for an impromptu ice cream gathering, the witch couldn't refuse and got ready in record time, apparating over with a bottle of muggle rhum. "Hello, darling," she greeted the older witch as soon as she saw her, a mischevious grin on her lips. "I brough rhum, thought we could make some sort of ice cream drinks, make the afternoon more enjoyable."

It was rare for anyone to find Mary in thoughts, deep and hidden away as she sat on her bed. Not long ago she'd gotten home, somehow having stayed at Amos, for reasons she couldn't explain. The letter, his letter had caused more worries in her than anything else and for the moment her own had been forgotten only for the witch to remember it, in the middle of the night. The words that met her were harsh, cruel and cold. That wasn't what hurt, though. No, it was the truth that stuck to the cruel undertones. Which scars could she truly heal. What good could she do with her ever-lasting cheer.

She let out a deep exhale once she walked into the bedroom and confirmed her best friend was sitting on the bed unharmed. Relief washed over her previously tense shoulders and Marlene finally felt she could breathe at ease.

Letters scattered about, faces haunted by whatever was written in them, a minister that had gone missing in ways the witch felt too unexplained to consider realistic and her own words echoed back at her. Or some form of them, glaring up from the parchment. Pride wasn't something the auror had ever allowed herself, not even as she walked around Hogsmeade, checking in on things.

Marlene allowed herself to relax once she realized it was the auror and not another passerby she had to send on their way home. "Tough work tonight," she let on as she took a deep breath and leaned against the wall behind her. "Am I allowed to say I don't agree with this curfew or is that reason for removal of my post?" She wondered, trying to make light of the situation, hoping Hestia wouldn't be in as bad a mood as she'd been earlier.

there was a certain, deep hum of anxiety that hung over the streets and it only thickened as the sun dipped below the rooftops. beck tried to not pay attention to it. it didn't have any interest in going to azkaban for a dumb reason like curfew as ridiculous as it was. he decided to walk from his apparition spot back to his townhouse. he wasn't expecting a voice behind him but that was the new harsh reality. "you can try to take me in, but i don't plan on going anywhere. just trying to get home, miss...?"

Everybody was on edge, playing rebels out of the sudden because being told what to do didn't make anyone feel comfortable. However, she was not the one calling the shots and therefore would not stand any more of human stupidity just because. Marlene furrowed her brow at the wizard's response, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm not trying to take you in, I'm making sure you get home," she offered as though it was the most obvious thing ever. "I can take you in for failure of following an official's orders," the blonde pointed out casually. "But don't think we need to get there, right, mister...?" She waited for his reply, before she would introduce herself, after all she was doing her job and had her badge in display.

Is not like she was going to obey some stupid curfew, but Alecto didn't felt like complaining anyways. Personally, Alecto didn't know where the Minister was, or that Death Eaters had kidnapped him, the Dark Lord hadn't shared those plans with her, so she genuinely didn't know anything, which also gave her more excuses to complain in peace.

Selfish, detached, aloof even. Alecto Carrow never seemed to disappoint when it came to the way she carried herself, making it a guarantee that the blonde would most certainly enjoy any and all kind of confrontations with her. Today especially, Marlene was needing the release, and the redhead seemed willing.

Fenrir had just picked up some legally grey items from the back rooms of the shop in Hogsmeade when he heard a voice call out. It was a cheaper option than his usual source in Dragon since the damned curfew had been put in place. The curfew rankled his nerves and he was tired of the overreach.

This wasn't a task she was willingly taking over, not in agreement with the curfew and the consequences it was bringin upon the better half of society. Apart from that, Marlene wasn't really in the mood to be dealing with the people who would be out and about despite the curfew. She thought she'd me much more useful elsewhere, so she simply took in a deep breath at the reply she got from the wizard and nodded her head once. "Just my doing my job, sir," she let him know, her tone sharp. "Sure thing, but you wouldn't want to be cutting so close to curfew, anyways. There is a reason why it's currently in place." The witch pointed out, almost wishing he'd argue back, give her a reason to take him in for questioning.

who: alecto + anyone

Everything had happened so fast since the gala had turned upside down, no time to catch a breath as new decrees and rules were set in motion and they were required to put in more hours at work. Marlene was still processing the facts herself, mostly angry that she hadn't see it coming, that the Order hadn't made anything to stop it once it set in motion. The curfew was ridiculous and it seemed only to give more freedom to those on the other side.

remus blinked owlishly at the person who stirred him from a deep and comfortable sleep. of course he would fall asleep at a party on some random couch, the nicest surface he could find that wasn't already taken by other people. he squinted at the person until they came into focus and he grinned as he realized who it was. "mars, my favorite blonde" he said, his voice a cocktail of tiredness and drinks that still didn't sober him up. "leaving? oh, thank merlin," remus sat straighter and became more conscious as he looked around to see there were far less people there. then he remembered what made him drink more; the letters, the void of conversations, and the pretentiousness of the entire evening. "someone knows marlene...about me."

The contents of her letter should've bothered her more, but the fact was she'd seen how rattled everyone had been, she wasn't the target, they all were. The purpose was to cause confusion and harbor chaos, someone wanted them scared and Marlene wasn't about to let them shake her that easily. However, she was worried about her friends, someone wanted to hurt them all and she knew they wouldn't stop until they managed to succeed. She took a deep breath as Remus spoke, nodding her head along as she understood the meaning of his words, her brows furrowing as she tried to keep her stance. "It's okay, we're going to handle it," the blonde let him know as she reached out to squeeze his hand. "Don't say another word, though, not here," she instructed him as she helped him up to a seating position, catching the scent of alcohol. "Do you think you can stand up and apparate home? I'll go with you."

There was an irritating noise coming from the side and it only took one glance to find that it was Marlene McKinnon as the source. Rita groaned internally, not wanting to find herself in whatever victim complex Marlene wanted to spin now. It was actually sad how some people continued to stay upset. The willpower alone could go to more productive tasks than wallowing. "please, if i were the last person available for you to talk to, i'd pitch myself off the balcony either before or after you. did your letter say something about how much of a downer you really are, sweeheart? because if it didn't, then maybe the message got delivered to the wrong person," rita smiled brightly and took down the rest of her drink. "no, but i'm not seeking attention over it. it simply means that someone thought I was too good to not get one. and i have nothing to hide unlike some people in here."

Rita certainly wasn't a likeable person and it seemed as though she tried her hardest not to be. Everyone was clearly uncomfortable with what had just unravelled at the gala, letters arriving in all sort of ways with less than pleasant messages written upon them, and yet the reporter was being her usual annoying self. "You pretend to be on a high horse no one can bring you down from, Skeeter," Marlene began as she took a sip of her drink, waving her fingers towards the blonde as though she was assessing her, "but the thing is you depend on other people's stories, you've got no worth of your own." A pause, the witch offered a polite smile, one clearly feigned before she raised her brows in realization. "You're the only one who didn't get one? Funny, either you're the mastermind or someone's pointing all fingers at you for who'll take the blame."

location: burke manor status: open to all ! | post letters

She took one too many drinks because what else could she possibly do once people started leaving and there was no sign of whoever was responsible for the letters. Marlene was annoyed in ways she couldn’t even begin to process. So after doing her best to remain sarcastic but optimistic for her friends’ sake, the witch had found it better to sit by the bar and drink until enough time had gone by. She could’ve stumbled on her high heeled boots had she not mastered the art of being drunk often already, as she began searching for her friends to finally leave.

location: burke manor post letters sent out status: open to all!

Marlene had already been nursing her drink when Rita’s voice cut through the noise around the bar. Her gaze slid toward the journalist, lingering for a moment before she let out a short, humorless laugh. “Don’t worry,” she replied, lifting her glass slightly. “If I was looking for pity, you would’ve been the last person I’d ask.”

Event 01

She snorted at his words, only James could make light of any situation and somehow, at least for now, it worked to ease her nerves. Marlene wasn’t hurt or wounded by her letter, she was angry and it fuelled her in ways that were not wise to follow. Instead, she focused on her friend’s words. “If they feed you larger plates, then you don’t get as drunk as fast as they need you to,” the blonde explained matter-of-factly, though she let a smile slip as she pointed out the next bit, ironic as it might be. “And they need us drunk, Jamie, or else we would’ve started pointing our wands against each other. Don’t you agree?”

Alice practically floated through the halls of Burke Manor with a quiet enthusiasm. Between her brutal work schedule and her duties with the Order, a high-society event, the kind she usually wouldn't be caught dead at, suddenly sounded like the perfect late-evening escape. Plus, there were free drinks. She’d have to be a fool to turn that down.

The letter had certainly taken her attention away from the ongoing gala, little did she notice how the general mood had shifted and people were weary all around. She couldn’t pay attention to such things, not when her thoughts were flooded by memories she desperately needed to erase. Marlene was heading towards the bar when she run into the witch, and she did her best to smile and be polite, allow herself a moment to breathe and try not to think. “Alice, dear,” she greeted her with a light squeeze of her arm. “You alright?” The blonde asked, searching in her friend’s eyes to see if perhaps she’d gotten a letter too.