Excuse Me!
@Sage Willows
Date: July 29th, 2025
When Harvey arrived home from school after graduating from his first year at Hogwarts, the transition proved to be a little tough. Gone were the scheduled days where it was easy to know when to get up, when to go here, when to eat and when to sleep. Not that his grandfather would ever allow him to laze around all day, but not having that rigid schedule left him feeling a bit anxious. So, what did the boy do? He got out his planner and just made himself one. Now, without having classes to attend during the day, Harvey had to find ways in which to occupy his time and to stimulate his brain.
Living in the city of London was an excellent opportunity for any witch or wizard. It was the heartbeat of the English magical community and everything he might want was right there for his taking. Diagon Alley was just a few streets away from his home and in the first few week he had returned he was able to occupy his time with one of his favorite things. Shopping! It was time for new books and new robes, new potion ingredients and new cauldrons in which to brew them. Spending the days out on the town was quite fulfilling and considering he was a materialistic boy, things couldn't be better. However, that bit go high could only last so long and there were only some many things he needed to buy. The threat of stagnation reared its ugly head again. Until his caretaker offered a magnificent suggestion.
Burok, the goblin long employed by his family and who had helped raise Harvey, had suggested he get out to experience the muggle side of life. An idea that his grandfather thought was preposterous, but had eventually agreed to. The argument being that for Harvey to be a well rounded adult, learning about all of the world would surely be a boon. So, the plan was set and in the remaining weeks before Harvey would be off to summer camp, he was to explore muggle London and learn of its ways and customs. Today's task: visit a one of the many London museums and write a report on it. Harvey had awoken early and was ready to go, but that's when things started to fall off the rails.
Dressed in khaki shorts, a polo shirt and with his ears tucked away under a ball cap, Harvey was doing his very best to mix in with the Muggles. However, traveling through muggle London was proving to be a chore. Burok had to be crafty and apply a lot of magic to stay out of sight as she was clearly not a human and this slowed them down. If he was going to make it to the museum on time, Harvey was going to have to hustle to make the bus on time! Burok finally just instructed him to run along to the stop and she would just meet him there. So, his little legs started churning as he had to make up ground. Only five minutes until it would have stopped and be off on its way again!
Physical exertion was not the boy's cup of tea. He liked to remain fit, but strenuous exercise? No, thank you! Given the summer heat and the fact that he was running late, Harvey's mood was starting to sour like old milk. Just around the corner and he'd soon be there. Just a few more steps to go. He could see the bus and his eyes focused on the door as he started to wave to the driver. He was going to make it!
BAM!!!
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Excuse Me!
date- july 29th, 2025
ooc notes-"You've got your own fare, right, Sage?" called Christopher over his shoulder, dosing out coins to himself and Kora.
"Um, yeah, I guess." Sage dug in her pocket for the bus fare. Inside her mind, she was grappling with the fact that it had been her father to invite her there. Didn't that mean he took on some of the expenses? Well, what did she know? Sage hadn't lived with a father for... way too long.
Grandpa Lyser strolled ahead, chatting calmly with Uncle Tyson, his only living son, and Tyson's wife, Sofia. Everyone else had their fare, even Kora whose only blood-relative was back home in Kent. She pulled out the pounds she'd need for the bus ride to the museum. The Grays were to meet them at their stop.
"Come on, come on," her dad instructed. "We aren't missing this!"
Her family broke into a jog in front of her, hurrying to catch the bus. Sage did her best to rush after them, it proved to not be as easy as it should have been. She averted her eyes to recount her pounds again before boarding the bus when...
She found herself running head on to a younger looking boy with impossibly dark hair.
"Ow!" she exclaimed. "Jesus, watch where you're going!"
She squeezed past him and boarded the bus behind her extended family. She looked back at the coins in her hand. "Uhh, right, right. The... the fare...," she mumbled, running her gaze over the coins to try and figure out how much she owed. Suddenly, numbers seemed like a foreign concept.
She looked back up, noticing that the bus was quite crowded and restless. As simple as it should have been, handing the driver her fare and sitting, her hands shook with the pressure. It shouldn't have been up to her to make sure she got on that bus. It shouldn't have all been up to her at all. "Sorry, sorry...."
Excuse Me!
@Sage Willows
The collision had nearly knocked Harvey off of his feet, but more importantly so it had nearly knocked off his cap. The boy was under strict instruction from both his grandfather and caretaker not to let any muggle see his differently shaped ears. While many might think they are just prosthetics for some kind of muggle fantasy convention or the like, Harvey did not need prying eyes looking his way. At first look he would pass as just another boy, if not a rather short one, but if you looked closely at him it was clear that he was something else entirely. So, when whoever this other person was dared bowl into him, Harvey's temper flared!
"Merlin's beard!" Harvey called out as he regained his footing, but the phrase was one he let slip past his guard. A clear indication that these two people might share a few things in common. "Excuse me! You're clearly the one not paying attention!" He nearly shouted at her as they queued up to enter the bus. He wouldn't hear a word of it that he was the one who was being careless. Harvey Barrows was a careful person and it was the world around him that was hell bent on getting in his way. Clearly an elitist mindset given to him by his grandfather, but when your coin purse was as heavy as the Barrows' it should pay to part the seas!
With a huff he finished straightening himself up and took the first step into the bus. Harvey stuffed his hand into his pocket and retrieved the muggle coins needed for his fare. Carefully counted out and prepared ahead of time of course. Yet when his dark, beady eye looked up he spied the same girl standing next to the driver fumbling over the cash in her hand. Harvey glanced at his watch. The bus should already be departing and any more delays and he'd be late to the museum. Did they not realize he had a private tour scheduled!! "Hello! Are you daft?! Can't count past the fingers on your free hand?!" He stomped his foot in irritation. "We are behind schedule here!"
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Excuse Me!
date- july 29th, 2025
ooc notes- all sage's actions are ic"Oh, piss off! You're the one who ran right into me!" Why was she to blame for some boy's simple social incompetence? Her ears did take note of the phrase, the normally magically used phrase, he'd said. Sage blamed it on the fact he didn't seem to have any spacial awareness, let alone awareness of the phrase's origin.
Eyebrows knitted in a clear expression of annoyance, she rolled her eyes and turned her back to the shorter, far more irritating boy. Inside the bus, seated comfortably, she could see her family. They all seemed to be entertained by some deep conversation, none bothering to look up to notice Sage struggling to figure out her fare.
The joke was on them, she'd figure it out herself. She had a lot to figure out by herself. Sage had been figuring Hogwarts out all alone, making up her mind about what to do with her family in solitude, chasing down the demons that'd been haunting her... And she'd done it alone.
Sage flinched at the shrieking behind her. Turning around to tell whoever it was to mind their own business, she sighed upon noticing it was the very same boy.
"Am I daft? I should be asking you that same thing, you ran into me!" She pointed her free hand in his face. "I may be using my fingers to count, but right now this one's pointing at a kid who can't be patient for two seconds!"
She turned back around, furious with him. Sage didn't even want to be there. Once the cash had finally been handed over, after another minute of struggle, Sage turned and stepped up the bus steps to find a seat. To her complete and utter surprise and annoyance, only two seats- right next to each other- were left open...
Excuse Me!
@Sage Willows
"What!...No...This is an outrage!" The words were sputtering out of his mouth as this girl dared claim again that it was he who had cause the accident. The absurdity of it all was rocking the boy who almost always kept a clear head. However, a couple of things could shake him. The first being Herbology. Curse the gods for making that a mandatory subject at Hogwarts! Toiling in the dirt! Sweating in the greenhouses! The smell of dung clinging to you like some needy significant other! Harvey had lost his temper countless times already during the course, but if one thing could top that it was someone trying to call him out for being in the wrong. Especially in public!
The girl in question dared to turn her back on Harvey, so he lashed out again. The young witch would turn on the spot, her finger directly in the boy's face. Many would buckle under the intimidation. Yet, Harvey had some Gryffindor qualities tucked up under his sleeves. As small as he may be, the boy never backed down from a confrontation. He'd rather take a spell or a fist to the face than to let someone get one over on him. In an odd way he kind of liked it, but that was neither her nor there in this particular moment. "Patient!? My dead granny could board a bus faster than you!" Harsh, but the boy could cut with his razor tongue. "It's called proper planning, dearie! Try it sometime!" A hint of flush touched his cheeks as he ranted away.
Finally the toll would be paid and the line would move again. Harvey handed over his money and was going to beeline it for the back of the bus and as far away from this annoyance as possible. They were surely going to be late now no matter what...Harvey's eyes almost popped when he actually paid attention. The bus was packed! Two people and two seats left! This day was truly cursed. He was left with no choice but to follow behind her and then plop himself down in the seat next. "Mind your space and not another word!" His unusually long index finger would shoot up and wag in warning!
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Excuse Me!
date- july 29th, 2025
ooc notes- all sage's actions are icSage knew the saying, the cliche of sticks and stone and broken bones. How words stuck to her skin like flies to honey. She knew it was easier to ignore it, to brush it off, to act like another childish phrase- like she was rubber.
She didn’t have the energy to ignore a petty disagreement with a total stranger.
The boy’s rebuttal was as ridiculous as the situation, fruitless. He was just another simple child with no patience for anything. God, he would love her father, they were the exact same way.
Maybe it was dramatic for her to flinch at the word “granny”. Don’t think about her, don’t think about her, drop it, drop it!, her mind couldn’t help but repeat. It only flickered her anger.
"Why don’t you shut up?" she hissed under her breath. "Don’t you dare call me dearie. I don’t want to hear another meaningless word from you."
She saw the way her family glanced at her, likely overhearing bits and pieces of her argument with the young boy. Did they hate her for it? Were they ashamed? She hurried past them, like she was on fire and trying to shield them from the flame.
Sage paused before sitting, glaring back at the boy who followed at her heels. "Great," she mumbled to herself. She crammed herself as far as she could away from the petty stranger, doing her best to ignore him.
"That goes for you too," she said, making it probably the only thing she would agree on with him.
Excuse Me!
@Sage Willows
Harvey's eyes bounced around as he looked this girl over. Usually his words could back almost anyone down, but she was proving to be quite resilient to them. Perhaps he had underestimated this annoyance in girl shape? For a moment his flare of anger would fizzle out. Most in this situation would just continue to rage, but Harvey's anger was often like a firecracker. One loud bang and a puff of smoke, then back to his calm and cool demeanor. In its place came a rather twisted sense of curiosity. When they boy came along those that could withstand his sharp tongue he often felt inexplicably more drawn to them, no matter how much they had angered or frustrated him before. Surely if they could withstand a verbal lashing it meant they had a solid backbone. Such resolve was meant to be explored further. Yes, Harvey did like to poke the bear.
He would have to suppress a wicked smile when this girl hissed at him under her breath. Like a cobra rising up and flexing its hood, she gave her warning, but it only pushed Harvey forward. Fate seemed to have no mercy for her as there were only two seats left and Harvey pushed the envelope further by issuing a warning of his own. A moment would pass and that very well could have been the end of the altercation. However, something began to stir within. As his anger and frustration subsided a different side of Harvey began to emerge. One that would surely be his undoing one day. While there was no sound reason to continue to argue with this girl a simple fact would propel him to do so. The reason being solely just because he could.
Manipulating situations just to see what happens had become a bit of a habit for the boy. Spread a false rumor just to see where it goes or move someone's stuff ever so slightly when they weren't looking just to see how they reacted. Petty, meaningless prods to the human psyche for no other reason than his own amusement. Here, now sat such a person who he had already riled up. Perhaps he could get her to explode. Harvey had seen the girl approach with a group of people. It was an assumption that they were her family, but probably a safe one at that. He had also noticed her beeline it right past them when there were no seats available. "Here with your family are you?" Harvey's tone shifted to carry a mockingly light note. "Nice of them to save you a seat."
Second Generation Character of Howard White
Excuse Me!
date- july 29th, 2025
ooc notes- all sage's actions are icIt was always easier to cram into a corner, to make yourself small to go unnoticed. And there she was, trapped between strangers and a boy who could have won awards for his annoying habits. Sage did everything she could to take up less space. It wasn’t hard; she’d been doing that her whole trip.
When the bus began moving, far too slow for her taste, Sage suppressed any expression. It was far easier to appear heartless than to be blamed for your emotions. She really needed to work on that. Being near her dad didn’t help at all. There, in the corner of her eye, were people who’d find something to critique her for no matter what. They were good at that.
Despite mutual warnings to keep silent from Sage and the boy, he spoke up. His words cut like a knife, digging deep into the blue veins of her worst fears. Stunned that even a total stranger could see the cracks in her family foundation, it took Sage a moment to think of a reply. She knew he was right though.
"At least I have someone here for me," Sage lied through her teeth. "I don’t see anyone spending their day with you. Must be hard."
Her words were tainted in menacing poison. She’d sworn to never be that person, but there she was. Sage hated that it came so easily. Was everyone in the bus aware of what she’d said? It felt like a million cold stares were shooting her aware, judging her for her uncalled for come back.
"Got nothing better to do with your day than bothering me?" she muttered, examining a nail she’d chipped earlier that day.