you make me want to...[tag; farren]

Steel blue eyes watched the man across from him fidget as he spoke. Explaining in some way or another why his earning had come up short. Long fingers drummed on the table slowly as he gave a nod that caused his hair to shift a bit. "No no, trust I completely understand." Standing, his hands rose to fix his vest and Terrence visibly noticed the man tense. "Relax, would you like a drink?" He moved over to the bar, holding up to fingers before walking back over to sit back at the table with the man. Drink in hand he watched the liquid rise and fall as he considered what eh would do next. There was no way he could simply let this one go. All it took was one show of weakness and people began to doubt you. Thought it would be smart to test boundaries and limits.

Resting his glass down his long frame shifted in the chair to steeple his fingers in front of him, as his elbows rests on the hard warn wood. "You see, this is my problem...." His hand moved to point his connected fingers towards the man before speaking again. "he sent you.." With that his hand reached out to grab the man by the back of his head to yank his face down hard onto the table so he could lean in to whisper. "Now, you go back and you tell him I want my money or your bruised ego will be the least of his problems." He didn't release the man so he could move for a moment and when he did so he pushed him back with enough force to knock him from his chair.

His gaze rose and his muscles turned to stone. For a moment he thought he was imagining things, but there she was standing just a few feet from him as breathtaking as ever. Quickly he straightened his form, running a hand down the front of his vest a smile crossed his features. "Hi.." It was all he could say, because he had more explaining to do yet again. He had vanished again. Though this time he hadn't been gone long, but still he left without a word.

He knew she was probably upset and that seeing him so close to home without a visit was sure to cause a bit of tension. He moved around the table to walk towards her, a slight smile on his face. “Before you react can I explain at first…?”

@Farren Abercrombie

It was unlike Farren to be in a pub. The young woman was of high birth amongst wizards, heiress to one of the largest fortunes in Britain, and daughter of one of the most loathed characters of The Dark Lord's ilk. To be out amongst this sort of crowd was not exactly the wisest idea for a lady like her. However, she'd felt it was necessary. As tensions of anger and grudges against the continued financial fortune of old pureblood families grew, the new Ministry in London was eager to appease a wounded public and take a stand against the people and the culture the masses blamed for the last two wars. This threw the Abercrombie family into the spotlight in yet another unfavorable way. Attacks on well situated families were being cleverly crafted into law now. Farren, having no one else to turn to, had taken it upon herself to meet the fight head on - in the Ministry. It was the new property laws she was tackling in particular and so she had been forced to come here, to this glum little pub in Central London a stone's throw from the MoM.

One of the elected council members had agreed to look at some of the changes to the drafted law that she had been proposing. The old man was seen as a neutral voter, going with his head over blood political lines. He was though a pureblood and from the North as Farren was. So after hearing her third testimony against the law his counterparts were proposing he had promised her a private meeting to review her points and subsequently take them to his allies in the government for consideration. So she had decided she had no choice. If she wanted them to take her seriously as an activist she couldn't shy away from such an opportunity because the old man refused to socialize in places that required a dinner jacket.

Ever prepared though she had not come alone. A burly man was accompanying her on her evening outing and made for an imposing side kick as one would expect a body guard to do. The young man was the permanent body guard assigned to care for Farren as needed. An expert on magical security accompanying Farren on outings was not high on his list of professional achievements but was part of the job on top of ensuring the wards and enchantments on the Abercrombie properties were maintained and monitoring activity on the busy family estate. As one would expect the meeting was conducted in one of the small private rooms of the pub, formerly employed for segregating women from the men during drink hours, the space was now used as a private party room. Farren had met with the elderly man, her guard standing just inside the door with a watchful eye. She didn't take a drink as she was here on business but had made sure to let the barkeep know the old man's drinks and food were on her for the night.

It was a quick meeting, as apart from going over the information she'd already argued in hearings and procedures there was not much else to add. The new property laws were blatantly targeting old, traditional families and that was not fair nor legal. He was a nice enough man and had even asked her a couple of thoughtful questions before commenting on her fine manners and appearance like all old men did with women whom they assumed cared more about being recognized as good at matching their gowns than actually trying to enact legal change. Happily she dismissed herself from the meeting when his comments became nearly too much to bear. Her guard had swept the pub and was waiting in the door way to accompany her out so the could aparate home.

As Farren moved through the dark, musty room that reeked of stale lagers and decaying wood she glimpsed a man from the corner of her eye. Halting in her tracks she cocked her head staring dead at Terrence Abercrombie sat across the table from someone she'd never seen. How odd that after not having contacted her or come by Dalemain in weeks he was suddenly here with this random person. Then suddenly he took the neck of the man he was speaking to forcing his head down towards the table punishingly. Shocked by what she was seeing Farren took a few steps closer as Terrence leaned forward and spoke to the man, his words impossible to hear over the dull clink of glasses and low voices of the pub. As the man was released from her cousins grip he bounced back, luckily just missing falling straight back out of his chair. Mouth a-gape Farren stood a few feet from them in shock at what she'd just seen.

Her guard whom of course knew Terrence had stepped back towards her, standing to her side between her and the men at the table. Blinking, still disturbed by what she'd seen, she didn't return his meek 'hi'. Nor did she even notice the way he stared at her. Before she could even think of something to say he interjected her thoughts immediately asking for a chance to explain himself. Shaking her head with disappointment she shrugged with resignation, "Yes, yes you can Mr. Abercrombie. Please explain to me why you are in this dodgy pub seemingly strong arming this man when I am spending every spare moment fighting the Ministry from passing laws against families like ours. Families they want to restrict because the public thinks we use our power and historical influences to make life hard for everyone else. Please tell me what is going on so I can decide if I am loathed to see you here or only annoyed at this scene."

She wasn't kiding, her brow was furrowed, her voice was harsh and biting. Here she was trying to keep them from being punished and he was smashing people's faces into tables in public.

He couldn't help the smirk that toyed on the edge of his lips. Even being the slightest bit annoyed made her show in a different light. His hands slid into his pockets as he eyed her for a moment, thinking for a second what would be the best way to start speaking. The last time they had a conversation such as this a lot had been said on his end that made their relationship awkward. The strain had been too much to bare that it became easy for the two of them to simply ignore one another. That wouldn't be the case, not this time, no he would be clear and concise. "That..." His head inclined back towards the table he had previously occupied. "was simply me correcting a misunderstanding."

So much had happened in the few weeks he had lost touch. He had found himself lost to his work and by doing so he forgot to tell her anything. "I was away in search of an item for a client of mine." His head shifted to the side a bit as he thought of all the things he'd been through for a simple jewel. "I got caught up in the work that I forgot to send word that I might be gone for a bit." Here he rocked back on his heels, pursing his lips softly. "No excuse. I should have sent word..."

It was the responsible thing to do after all. He wasn't the responsible type. Terrence didn't think about the consequences of his action nor did he give much thought to the future. He felt like life was meant to be enjoyed and not lived with caution. Though as he aged things in his life seemed to be on a clear cut path. He knew more about what he wanted and how he could accomplish his goals. He learned from the mistakes of his past and only hoped that his future wouldn't be tainted by them. He liked to think he was a man changing as a man should with age.

His head shifted a bit more to the side as he considered her for a moment. Blue eyes washed over her slowly before coming back to rest on her face once more. "I was on my way to you but I had to stop to clear a little something up." He looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "Business deal. For some reason it seemed acceptable not to give me what I was owed in full." His jaw clenched softly before he exhaled. "Well, the message has been sent so I'll worry when a problem presents itself." He hadn't looked back to see if the man had fled when he had the chance or stayed like and idiot.

He gave a soft smile before pulling his hand free to hold it out towards the door. "Let's talk and walk." Long legs carried him over to the door, which was held open for her to step through. "I promise I haven't been out tainting the family name with shenanigans and stupidity."

Farren stood listening to his vague explanation of what he had been up to, her arms crossed over her chest, lips pursed. Clients? Gems? What was he? A Regan? Jewel trading? Missed profits in dodgy pubs? She positively wasn't impressed. The fact that he had run off - again - after having made a huge show of not doing that any more just rubbed salt in the wound of his ridiculousness of his barbaric actions. She rolled her eyes at him when he said he was on his way to her, "I don't believe that at all," she said plainly her expression hardening.

At the suggestion that they walk and talk Farren balked and glanced at her security wizard who had until now been hanging back politely out of earshot. As Terrence moved to the door motioning for Farren to follow him he moved in. Approaching Terrence the large man gently took Farren's hand. "Mr. Abercrombie," he said sternly pushing him as nicely as possible out the door so it would slam shut behind the three of them. "It's not safe for Lady Abercrombie to walk around the streets, we will go to a safe location," he announced matter of factly. With that, one hand clasping Farren's he grabbed Terrence's upper arm in the other and apparated the three of them away from the pub.

Their feet landed on a familiar marble floor. He had taken them to the Abercrombie's London mansion hidden deep in the woods of western London in Hampton Court. The Georgian mansion had been the primary residence to Victoria and Rawdon during the war. Farren spent little time in the home, having to be shielded from the war up north at the family estate Dalemain. However, it was her home too and she knew it well. The foyer housed elegant white marble and a wide, wrap around staircase. A bronze statue in the middle of the foyer depicted two elderly figures of the family an ancient patriarch and matriach. Dimly lit candles flickered in the chandelier overhead and from the wall sconces. The security wizard stepped back and with a nod disappeared down the side hallway of the house leaving the pair alone in the foyer.

Farren stared at Terrence a scowl settling on her features. "Where do I even start, T?" Sighing heavily she leaned back against the banister of the stairs. "You disappeared again. What happened to your impassioned speech about how I was important to you and you wanted to be here. That after pissing off when mum died you regretted walking out on me and you were going to be here with me because I meant something to you? I thought we were going to explore that. It's been months and I've seen you what twice?"

She shook her head, "And what is this stunt tonight? I find you in a dodgy pub shaking some bum down for money over a gem? Or something like that? What are you? Aeric Regan's side kick? Pedaling things on the black market and roughing up hooligans in a bar. Do you know what family you're a part of?" She paused though the question was rhetorical. "The rest of us are spending our days trying to rebuild our name and the name of purebloods. They're trying to take Dalemain from us - the muggle loving government. All I do is stupid boring things trying to stop us losing yet another foothold on our own society and what are you doing? Beating up people in pubs. If you need money ask the family, you'll get it. If you need some kind of hobby to get out some kind of boyish brutish behavior then tell the family, they will give you a task productive to our cause."

Blue eyes drafted down as he was pushed out the door and then grabbed for relocation. His shoulders rolled as he shifted to fix the sleeve of his shirt before looking after the man as he vanished down the long hallway. Inhaling slowly Terrence turned his gaze to an upset Farren, listening to her words carefully before responding. The last thing he wanted was to upset her farther, thought he was sure it was bound to happen. His lips pursed a bit as he was scolded like a child giving sign to his minor annoyance.

“Oh the speech that freaked you out, that speech? I figured we were going to pretend it didn’t happen since it made you so uncomfortable.” His hand rose to push the hair from his face as his eyes closed. “It’s not like I’ve been wasting time doing nothing. Yeah, you saw the end of something I allowed myself to do but that doesn’t mean I’m some low life making shady deals in dark alleys.” His jaw clenched tightly as he reminded himself that she did have reason and right to be upset. He had left her in her most vulnerable time to fight what feelings he had for her. But he was back now, shouldn’t that give him some credit.

“Don’t ever compare me to that bottom feeder again.” The tone of his voice as well as his posture changed. He hated Aeric with a passion so deep it scared him sometimes. To compare him to a Regan was low, even for her. “Trust I could never forget what family I’m apart of. It isn’t allowed.” He didn’t want to go down this road with her. There was bound to be things said that would never be able to be taken back. His head shook as a hand came up as if giving up before he moved to walk down the hall, stopping to look out of a window.

“No, I don’t need the handout.” He wasn’t like his father, the money meant nothing to him. He didn’t care about the status or what came with it, he never had. He only did the things he was told because his father had been foolish enough to lose his place among the best of them. “I haven’t been sitting on my ass Farren.” He turned to look at her. “You know I am capable of other things aside of being a constant fuck up and disappointment.” He was working on his own to follow his heart and it was leading him to the founding of his own business. He had taken to locking himself in his study going over numbers and plans.

He couldn’t tell her that he wanted to be a working man. He was the bad boy, the face splashed around the papers for his indecency and array of broken hearted women left in his wake. He never fit in with the family, he couldn’t understand all the rules and logic that went with it. “Look, i was helping a friend because I had the means to. He tried to cheat me and I didn’t like it.” He turned to look back out the window. “If not wanting to be cheated puts me in the same grouping as a Regan…” He spat the name as if it tasted bad on his lips. “Then so be it. You name a man who doesn’t have a problem with it and I’ll sit and pick his brain.”

Farren narrowed her eyes in anger. It was so typical of him to be like this. He made a promise, some grand statement or sentiment, didn't follow through, and then somehow found a way to blame her when he didn't come through with his end of the story. Never did he fully take responsibility. He'd come to her after their run in at the Social Club a year ago and had confessed deep personal feelings for her. She'd been hesitant to express herself but she'd admitted she too felt a great deal for him. How could he twist that? Or the ball he'd come to and snuck off with her and kissed her and pet her and mooned over her much to her delight? Of course he wouldn't remember. He only remembered what painted him as the victim of his own misfortunes.

"Are you mad? Don't act like I didn't return your feelings when you came to me two years ago. I was hesitant of course, a lady must always guard her heart and you had burned my trust and faith in you badly but I was honest about the feelings I had. Don't you dare pretend like my actions or response to that are the reason you have been gone. We both know that's bollocks!"

Arms crossed over her chest she pursed her lips listening to him moan on and on about how he shouldn't be compared to a Regan and that he wasn't a low life making shady deals in an ally though hadn't she literally just met him strong arming a man in a dingy pub? Was that any better? Certainly not.

She rolled her eyes as he made a jab at the non-existent binds of his family. An Abercrombie he was with all the benefits and none of the duties. He grew up in a comfortable home provided by the family's pension to his family. He had a powerful name he could use to his advantage in business or government or the arts. His childhood had been spent beside the heiress of the family, in the halls of the family's estate where he had ample opportunity to cultivate favor and guidance from the patriarchs. If he needed funds for a business all he need do was ask, What a difficult life he had. Poor him, she would be sobbing with pity for him if it weren't for the fact that in exchange for all that he had to do nothing but breathe, avoid massive scandal, jail, and mudbloods. How very difficult.

"Don't act like being part of this family is difficult for you. Your only obligation to this family is to not be an utter fuck up and your whole life will be paid for. What a burden! Don't knock anyone up, don't run off with a mudblood, don't commit crimes, don't develop a public inebriation problem...is that so very much to ask for having all the opportunity you may want? Would you rather be me? Shuffled about from one event to another? One Ministry trial to another as the unofficial spokes person of Purebloods everywhere? How dare you quip about this family. It's not our fault your father is a jerk. At least you have both your parents! At least you grew up in the same house as your parents! How dare you imply something negative about the family that has housed, fed, and clothed you. It's not our fault if you don't use your connections to your benefit because you think of birth right as a handout."

Farren was clearly livid. This was not a discussion, this was the heir of the family dressing down her cousin who dared to imply the family was a burden on him. No doubt it didn't help that he'd just pretended that she had wanted to pretend they'd never discussed exploring their feelings all those months ago. Her eyes rolled so far back in her head it was a wonder they didn't stick there when he went on about no man not wanting to be cheated. Indeed, no person wanted to be cheated but it certainly wasn't necessary to come to blows in public like a barbarian.

"I don't care if you help your friends. What you do in your own time is your business. Clearly, you've not bothered making it any of my business or me any part of that business." She was not going to let this go. Though now she didn't think of him so often now as he'd been gone for so long with no contact she had been her normal self and let her mind wander wild with fantasy after they'd declared their interest to exploring their mutual feelings. She'd let down a barrier and forgiven him, placing the bricks back in place to help him rebuild her trust in him and he'd abandon her at the very start of their project. Run off, disappeared, like always. "However, when you can't control your brutish impulses and risk making a fool of yourself and thus all of us in public it is my business. My Grandmother died at the hands of Alastor Moody, my Mother..., Pyxis is just release from Azkaban. We don't have the luxury of acting like brutes in public, none of us. There are ways to avoid being taken advantage of without acting like a brute and risking casting us all in a negative light when we're trying to get out from under our many, many shadows."

Scowling at him Farren had nothing else to say. It was clear all those pretty words he'd spoken to her meant nothing to him. If they meant something to him it didn't matter he was incapable of sticking to his word or anyone person. He was water in a cupped hand, there for but a moment to be lapped up and enjoyed for an instant but gone so quickly gone forever through your fingers. She thought two years ago they would end up together. That he would come back to her, wild, unruly as always but hers. For sometime she'd known that dream was dead and not bothered entertaining it. Now she was an island.