Is This Seat Taken?
Ruth seemed so confident. Dennis also remembered a time when he felt that way but that felt like so long ago now. He thought for a moment as he sat back down. Listening to her and watching her play music really made him feel like himself. He didn’t really know what that meant but he appreciated it none the less. He was about to go on, hiding his own feelings behind a barrage of complements when she asked what problems he had.
He sat back and gave a force exhale somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t think you are going to believe this,” he muttered. He couldn’t believe he was about to tell Ruth this fact, she would never think it possible. “I’m not much of a love guru it turns out.” Dennis gave a mock expression of surprise and then fell silent.
“I…dated this one girl for a few months last year,” he started, everything in his chest tightening trying to stop him from doing the one thing he avoided after all this time - actually talking to someone about his problems. “Well that didn’t really work out well. We ended it. It was supposed to be amicable but now I don’t think it was,” he said bitterly staring at his feet which now seemed way more interesting that Ruth’s ukulele.
“Anyway,” he sniffed trying to compose himself, sitting up a little straighter to feign some sort of confidence. “I don’t think I’ve quite been myself since then, if that makes sense. So this moment with you and your You-ki- ukulele is nice. You are the only one who has shared something like that with me."
He sat back and gave a force exhale somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t think you are going to believe this,” he muttered. He couldn’t believe he was about to tell Ruth this fact, she would never think it possible. “I’m not much of a love guru it turns out.” Dennis gave a mock expression of surprise and then fell silent.
“I…dated this one girl for a few months last year,” he started, everything in his chest tightening trying to stop him from doing the one thing he avoided after all this time - actually talking to someone about his problems. “Well that didn’t really work out well. We ended it. It was supposed to be amicable but now I don’t think it was,” he said bitterly staring at his feet which now seemed way more interesting that Ruth’s ukulele.
“Anyway,” he sniffed trying to compose himself, sitting up a little straighter to feign some sort of confidence. “I don’t think I’ve quite been myself since then, if that makes sense. So this moment with you and your You-ki- ukulele is nice. You are the only one who has shared something like that with me."
@Ruth Fairchild
Adult: Makaio Kāne | iNPC: Maria Leung de Almeida
Is This Seat Taken?
❝𝔜ou’re not?” Was the first thing that Ruth uttered before she received the biggest news that shocked her core. Dennis was right -- she couldn't believe it. He was dating someone? Well, certainly that wasn’t so surprising. After all, he was the love guru, which meant he must have gotten his experience and wisdom from somewhere. But hold on. He just confessed to not being much of a love guru, and he wasn’t dating anyone, he had dated someone. Oh, how the tables seemed to have turned!
Ruth listened as the boy next to her stared sullenly at his feet, averting his gaze as a look crossed his face – bitterness, sadness? – and grew quiet. There was a moment of silence that hung in the air, causing her fingers to clench against her bag strap. Was this her cue to say something? How was she to comfort him? I’m sorry? The Hufflepuff had always found it odd to apologise to someone for their loss. How was an apology going to help? But it was a sign of sympathy, an act of acknowledging that whatever tragedy was out of the receiver of the news’ hands.
She hesitated. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, Dennis let out a sniffle, his spine straightening as he regained some of the light he had shed just seconds before. Ruth smiled softly, an attempt at reassurance, and reached forward to pat his shoulder, lingering for a moment. “Music should be shared with everyone,” she replied gently. “It uplifts and helps us feel things deep within.” With her free hand, she palmed over her heart. “Sometimes it goes with the heartbeat. Beating and beating and beating.”
Pulling away, Ruth propped her ukulele against the bench leg before turning to face Dennis fully. “And, just like everything else, it ends when it ends.” She shrugs. “That’s why there’s so much music out there to listen to. They come one after another, each different in its own way. Just like experiences. Just like emotions.” Ruth waited till his eyes met hers. “It’s okay to feel the way you do right now. But eventually that feeling will fade. It’ll go by quicker if you face it, too.” The Second Year wasn’t entirely sure what she had said made any sense whatsoever.
“Can I ask what it felt like? To date her, I mean.” She didn’t mind the girl remaining anonymous. “You don’t need to tell me, if you don’t want to,” she added quickly. The first drop of rain fell upon her nose.
@Dennis Tumberton
ALMOST EVERYTHING 𝐓he sun rises for everyone, not just those who chase it. |
Is This Seat Taken?
Dennis wanted for Ruth’s shock at his confession to wear off. It was the least he could do, giving her the hard truth, as unbelievable as it might be. And then the expected silence. This might be why the Ravenclaw never shared much about himself to anyone and hid behind various different disguises instead of showing himself - or perhaps he was just hungry.
In the ext moment when he had finally snapped out of his congested feelings, Ruth put her hand on her chest. Something about music and heartbeats. Was…her heart going to play music? It wasn’t until Ruth repositioned herself and started talking that he realized he had been unabashedly staring directly at her chest. He felt her starting at him staring at her and his eyes shot up to meet hers as she continued. She was right though, he definitely needed to move on. Perhaps he would find someone else!
She then asked a quite forbidden question, one that he himself did not bother to try to answer. All he could do was shrug. “It feels like a memory. A memory you don’t want to lose and don’t want it to end. We are now further away from the break up than the time we spent dating. I might like the feeling more than the person…If that makes sense. I liked the feeling of love more than who I was supposed to be in love with.”
He was beginning to fatigue over talking about his own problems. It was time to change the topic. “Anyway, Ruth, what brought you out here? Just trying to get some public practice or…?"
In the ext moment when he had finally snapped out of his congested feelings, Ruth put her hand on her chest. Something about music and heartbeats. Was…her heart going to play music? It wasn’t until Ruth repositioned herself and started talking that he realized he had been unabashedly staring directly at her chest. He felt her starting at him staring at her and his eyes shot up to meet hers as she continued. She was right though, he definitely needed to move on. Perhaps he would find someone else!
She then asked a quite forbidden question, one that he himself did not bother to try to answer. All he could do was shrug. “It feels like a memory. A memory you don’t want to lose and don’t want it to end. We are now further away from the break up than the time we spent dating. I might like the feeling more than the person…If that makes sense. I liked the feeling of love more than who I was supposed to be in love with.”
He was beginning to fatigue over talking about his own problems. It was time to change the topic. “Anyway, Ruth, what brought you out here? Just trying to get some public practice or…?"
@Ruth Fairchild
Adult: Makaio Kāne | iNPC: Maria Leung de Almeida