[mp] so blue

While she didn't know much about the British and Irish Quidditch League and its Annual Quidditch Awards, Senna did have to admit that they could throw a party.

It was the concluding event of the season, the Griffins had won for the second year in a row, and all that was left to do now was give out some fancy trophies to the best players. It was not something Senna normally paid attention to, but she couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions when a certain Captain kept coming up in conversation surrounding the event. She had written him twice after that.. interesting night in Berlin and yet she had heard nothing back since. She had wondered and questioned and felt irked which then circled right back towards wondering, but luckily for her, she was able to walk into the event with her music as a type of armor.

Dressed in her favorite black skirt with a slit to her thigh and a cropped top with a bejeweled, mesh overlay, she saw how the light caught the enmeshed gems and made her sparkle even from the back behind Ollie. The yearning to be front and center like she had always dreamed of had dimmed lately in light of the success they were having together as a band, but she could still feel its pull. Instead she fueled that into her music, letting the song carry her away and the end of their set felt like it came way too soon. Ollie was wishing everyone a good night, their cue to bow and leave, but Senna had a hard time getting her feet to move.

The champagne someone gave her off the side of the stage was refreshing though and she smiled at Rheya, squeezing her hand, reveling in the good vibes they had had on stage, the high of it all. The allure of having the awards ceremony and post-show in the magical aquarium in Falmouth, however, managed to pull her away from the afterglow of the stage to wander about the different exhibits, a small plate of chocolate-drizzled strawberries in one hand. She was just rounding the bend of the jellyfish exhibit, their tentacles looking like wisps of silk that trailed behind them, when she saw him. She almost considered turning about and going back to find Rhey, but she met his gaze just then, his blue eyes seeming even bluer in the light of the aquarium and it reminded her of that first night they had swam in their party clothes for no reason other than they could.

"Oh.. hi," she said after a pause, her eyes running over his face that seemed a little more tan than the last time she'd seen him. Over a month ago. "I was planning on avoiding you the whole night, you know," she admitted with a little sigh before she held out the plate of strawberries toward him and bit into one before she turned back to watch the jellyfish.

@Harlan Bellamy

The aquarium was a  welcome reprieve from the end of season inundation of galas, and auctions, fucking black ties.

Harlan adjusted the rolled up sleeve of his deliberately casual button down before moving to his his jaw that was also far from clean cut. Positano had rubbed off on him it seemed, even just after the two weeks of time away post-season. It felt strange to be fully clothed again and to be in such a large group of people. He'd arrived back earlier that day and it still felt like he was getting his sea legs, so to speak. A fresh flute of champagne was propped into his hand before he could even protest, mid-conversation with an old teammate and feeling lighter than he had in some time.

The ceremony had long concluded and thus began the after party with live music and all. It wasn't lost on him, even from where he and Che stood above the rafters, what band was echoing across the the cavern-like structure and draping it in a peculiar kind of magic. It was a magic he was frustratingly unfamiliar with. Every so often, he found himself peeking to study a familiar figure on the stage, amused, impressed.

He hadn't gone out in search of Senna, but he found himself throughout the night scanning the crowd every so often. The event was still alive enough, and still high from energy of the band, that it was easy to see her in damn near every passing face that he saw.

"The woman of the hour," He announced subtly with a grin, glancing to his old friend briefly who in return was watching him with a vaguely familiar look in his eye. He knew the old Harlan. "Senna, Che," He made the introduction, nodding to the man who was then quickly absorbed into another conversation after the niceties had concluded. "Avoiding me?" He repeated, nearly spitting out his mouthful of champagne. Still that didn't mask the knowing look on his own face.

"You've done a pretty shit job at it, then..." He commented as his genuine smile turned to a smirk.

She wanted not to notice the way he looked both effortlessly casual and handsomely debonair with his rolled up sleeves, giving off the air of I-don't-care despite the fact that he won no less than two awards. Senna would be lying if she hadn't paid a little more attention backstage after hearing his name announced. The way he called to her elicited a begrudging smile though and she bobbed half a curtsy and put her free hand flat under her chin, her eyes closing for a half second. She was not opposed to any praise, adoration, or attention the captain and his friend wanted to bestow on her.. although in the case of the captain, it almost seemed like a little too late for that. About a month too late. 

Senna floated closer giving the tall drink of dark chocolate called Che a smile, his hand swallowing hers as she noticed his eyes were panther-golden, but his aura was bright and dark at the same time, like the shapes and waves that danced against her eyelids before she fell asleep. There was a liveliness to his aura that she was intrigued by. Merlin, did all quidditch players have such interesting auras. Her gaze watched Che for a moment as he was pulled into another conversation before it slid back to the captain, a hint of a smile on her lips as she watched him struggle to keep his drink in. Nodding, she gave him a light "yep" before the corners of her quirked up at the sight of his smirk.

Wait, no. She was still mad at him. Senna schooled her features and shook her head. "Well, you may be right, but at least I'm not shit at other things," she said, thinking of the owls that had went unanswered and tried not to let that sting her again. It was fine, truly, she told herself, she just hadn't been expecting it. Her gaze went to the little jellies in front of them, wanting to be as easy as they were, go with the flow and all that.

"Congrats on your awards," she still found herself saying, peeking at him from the corner of her eye as she took another bite of a strawberry from the small plate she had. Best Beater, she remembered as Rheya had reminded her that was the one with the bats, and Dedication to.. the team? Or the sport or something like that. Whatever, he knew what he won. "Why didn't you want to give a big speech?" she asked with a serene smile, already guessing at his answer.

Harlan had only half of a breath to process the comment about being good at other things— the mind wandered— then she was quickly onto the next subject. The awards. A far less appealing topic of conversation, he thought, and he was sure his face said as much. "Thank you very much," The sarcasm crept into his voice despite the fact that he was actually quite honored to have won not one but two.

The idea that Madeline had to have known became more evident as the night went on. There was no other identifiable reason why she demanded he be back for it. Though, ultimately, she was mortified with how he'd turned up; hair uncut, a shadow of silvery-blond in his longer-than-usual beard, his obvious departure from the dress code.

It was enough to make her blood boil. And Harlan, quite frankly, was relishing in it.

"You know I think they might have been short on time..." He lied, eventually turning to following where Senna was looking up at the wall of sea in front of them. There really was a certain magic about it all. A large fossil-like creature took long movements side to side and easily crossed the mass of glass overhead to the other side of them. Harlan in his right might knew that there was no threat but there was something unnerving about being in another creatures' domain as they were.

"Wouldn't want to..." He hummed absentmindedly, leaving his thought unfinished, uncharacteristic for him. "I heard a bit of the performance," He caught her eye and nodded appreciatively, reluctant. It was as close as he was going to get to admitting that her music wasn't half bad. In truth, it was still stuck in his head. Infuriatingly.

"You're welcome," she replied, the sound of his sarcasm achingly familiar, her eyes tracing his now-longer hair. It looked nice, she thought even though a voice in the back of her head whispered other thoughts. A shadow floated over his face as a creature passed over them and she flicked her gaze up to watch it, getting distracted for a moment by the way it cut through the water smoothly at its own pace. It made her want to swim with it. And that brought around the memory of swimming in a certain indoor pool with a certain quidditch player.

She sighed, annoyed at herself, because her mind seemed to be stuck in the past instead of living in the moment. The sweet taste of strawberries burst over her tongue as she took another bite of one, the hard shell of the chocolate encasing in cracking softly.

"Don't know if I believe that," Senna told him, smiling despite herself. She wasn't surprised, but she was very curious as to what he would've said and how he would've commanded the stage had he really wanted to. "Wouldn't want to what?" she asked after a beat, almost reluctantly. Was he purposefully being coy because he knew she wouldn't be able to resist or..

Her smile grew as he mentioned their performance, watching him for a moment. "You liked it, didn't you?" He had seen her perform at Lina's but not with the band. At least it answered one of the many questions she had tonight: if he had watched her perform. She felt the familiar buzzy warmth start to flow through her veins despite her head telling her it was stupid, all things considered. It was a hard thing for her to hold on to anger, but that was a better alternative than the hurt that lay beneath it so she tried to keep that in mind. "I'm sure Ollie is around if you want his autograph," she said, wondering what her friend would think of the captain.

They had performed a few songs off their first album Golden, which was now annoyingly a color she always associated with him.

He caught her eye briefly before glancing back to the sea of life around them. It was a strangely comforting, the feeling of isolation, under a mask of blues and away from the world. For a moment he considered the idea of getting lost in it for a bit longer. "You know," She didn't, or she wouldn't have asked, but it was a force of habit to begin with. "Take up the time, these kinds of things are always on a schedule," Harlan did little hide his disdain. Truthfully, he knew his taking the time would cut from the rest of the performances and speeches.

And what did he have to say, anyway? And why was it valuable?

"Not really one for a speech," Harlan eventually resigned with something of a grin. Being a dick was an easier option to the alternative; vulnerable.

"Liked it?" He repeated, amused. "Hmm..." The skepticism in his tone came through in the guttural hum of thought. Truthfully, he had enjoyed it, even from a distance. "Go on, then," He nudged Senna as he pretended to scan the crowd for her bandmate. "It was good, though, really," Harlan said after a moment, his face turning into a more serious smile before glancing over at her belatedly.

For whatever reason, being around her made him feel like they he was constantly holding in some kind of secret.

"Mmhmm," she agreed lightly with a slight smile. She didn't quite believe it, but she wouldn't argue. Senna was more curious on how different they were, opposites in so many ways. She would use up every minute on stage someone gave her, he seemed more keen on dueling a troll than giving a speech. "You still should've given one," she said anyway, tilting her head to the side, noticing the dimples that showed with his smile. "Winning two years in a row, captain, fancy trophies, all that. It's a big deal," she added, proud of herself that she had remembered the sports-y details considering she knew next to nothing about the game really. Good thing Rhey kept her in the loop.

She licked her lips after biting into another strawberry, stilling halfway through as she flicked her gaze to his, the skepticism she heard in his voice making her stomach twist. She knew sarcasm was a tool he wielded often and his aura seemed playful enough, but she couldn't help the sting she felt especially in light of the owls that had gone unanswered. She swayed lightly from his nudge as she tried to smooth her expression. "I think he went off to try to find the puffins," she replied woodenly as she glanced down at the few misshapen strawberries left on her plate, belatedly realizing her dark nail polish was chipped on a few fingers. 

The truth she heard in his compliment set something at ease in her. "Yeah?" she asked, a hesitant smile on her face as she met his gaze. "Thanks," Senna added softly before she smiled impishly. "But really, who wouldn't have liked it," she said, pulling some confidence around her to hide the fragility she felt.

But for all her bluster and fleeting moment of hubris, she still found herself asking the question she had been wondering all night. "Why didn't you write back?" Then she huffed a sigh and looked back at the jellies, both wanting to know the answer and take back the question immediately.

The aquarium provided a welcome excuse for Harlan to keep his eyes fixed, away from Senna as she recounted the various awards he'd amassed over the last few years. Professionally, he had no problem with the accolades. In fact, they only made him want to work harder to be better, to push the team to be their best, to keep their momentum on the upswing. Personally, talking about it was far less comfortable. Blue eyes that mirrored the underwater world narrowed briefly before flicking back over to her.

"Maybe next year..." He commented with a noncommitted shrug of his broad shoulders, a grin threatening his features.

Harlan just as easily brushed aside her seemingly opposite reaction to praise; it was interesting the dichotomy between the two of them being shown in such quick succession. He was half way to making another smart comment, when Senna changed the subject.

Why didn't he write back?

He paused, allowing himself a moment to recall just what it was that she was talking about. Harlan's brow furrowed as he glanced over at her. It was surprising in some way, at least to him, that she even noticed. Harlan had spent most of their time together thinking that she was entirely too cool and entirely too young to ever be concerned about him. "Oh—" Senna's eyes were turned up to the jellyfish but he wished that she would look in his direction.

"I've been a bit busy," Harlan nearly laughed but thought better of it. "Really," He brushed the back of forearm against her upper arm where her height met his and as an attempt to convey his seriousness. "That wasn't intentional," He explained with a succinct nod. He hadn't written anyone back; as if that would make her feel better, after the last time he saw her. Harlan felt guilty all over again.

Senna glanced back at him, amused. Was he just humble or disinterested? Because if she had won two awards, she would've been touting them around the room, basking in whatever praise and adoration anyone wanted to shower on her. She wasn't shy in that regard, but his mention of next year made a mirroring smile appear on her face. "You seem confident that you'll win again next year too?"

Her gaze drifted back to the glass that separated the two of them from the water just on the other side and she might have run her fingertips over the cool surface if not for the plate she still held. She made a point to avoid his gaze because she wasn't sure she wanted to see the answer in his expression even though she had asked the question.

She chased a strawberry round the plate, it was slippery against her fingertips as she frowned at his answer. Well.. it felt honest at the very least though it didn't make her feel any better. She wasn't even really sure why she was hung up on him but it had just felt good after Berlin and she hadn't wanted to let it go so quickly, but she also knew rationally that his reason did make sense. Rhey had suggested the same thing, quidditch finals and all that, busy time, pressure, etc etc. Senna had still done an energy cleansing session to rid herself of the feeling that made her stomach twist. It hadn't exactly worked though she liked to think it had. So it was sort of surprising when he explained, his touch light against her shoulder, and she felt a tiny bit better.

That feeling didn't go away completely but it did smooth the sharp edges she felt around her aura. She made a small 'hmmpf' sound in reply, weighing the sincerity she felt in his tone, before she silently swung her plate closer to him, offering him selection of the few strawberries that were left. "You should know then that one of them has a photo Lina sent me from Berlin, a little preview."

Harlan could see her move in his peripheral vision— that was distracting.

His eyes fixed on a fish that moved sleepily by from the other side of the glass, blissfully unaware of the complicated world outside of them. Perhaps a cage wasn't so bad, after all, he thought in his attempt to keep his mind from her. There was a disappointing tone in her non-words that proved enough for Harlan to break, finally catching her eye again.

Without knowing, his posture had opened so that he was facing her more directly. "Hmm?" He hummed the thought involuntarily, still wholly distracted.

"Really?" With Senna he was learning that he couldn't always trust his instinct.

Harlan plucked a proffered strawberry, speaking from behind a half-bite after the fruit burst onto his tongue. "Really ought to check the mail more..." A grin crept over his features before he finished the fruit, quickly running his hand around a cocktail napkin that had appeared from somewhere. "And how did it turn out, then?" His voice lowered as if someone around them would have had any clue what they were talking about.

"Really," she replied easily as she glanced at him, her hazel eyes bright with the blue glow from the water surrounding them. He would've known her mention of the photo was fact if he had bothered to check her letters, her brows went up a fraction when his words eerily mirrored her thoughts. Senna gave him a nod, her lips pursed as she tried to keep a serious expression, but the curl of his grin brought out an echoing one from her. Why did it always feel so easy around him, like floating in water as if any dark depth that might be below were of no concern.

She tilted her head slightly to one side as she grinned at him, her teeth a white flash against the blues around them. "I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise..." she said, as the memories of that impromptu photoshoot and that night drifted back to her. He was still a mystery in many ways, but she had learned a thing or two and he had surprised her seemingly at every turn. She delighted in the fact that he was never was she expected.

"But," she added, unable to resist. "I don't think you'll be disappointed." She leaned in a little closer, her voice a little lower. "I look absolutely smashing." Senna's eyes gleamed as she popped another piece of strawberry in her mouth and chewed. "Guess you were just all right too," she told him, smiling at him sweetly.

Harlan found himself leaning in slightly as Senna spoke— one, he didn't want to miss what she had to say and two, he was genuinely intrigued. Unsurprisingly there was a certain kind of allure that came with talking about their little impromptu photoshoot. Looking back most of the night felt like some kind of fever dream in which he wasn't sure what was real and what was in his head. There there things said, things done, that he couldn't be sure had actually happened.

He wanted to ask her, but it was neither the time nor the place.

"So modest as well, wow," Harlan made a point to visibly roll his eyes, shifting to face the aquarium and scan the new scene that had unfolded in the time that he had been looking at her. Of-fucking-course she did, though. He cursed himself for being so hardheaded that he couldn't just admit that the curiosity was a bit like torture. "Take it I'll have to wait to see it splashed over the pages of The Prophet..." Harlan wondered, half-genuine.

Lina would never, and neither would Senna, but he'd been burned before in believing too much in other people.

"How've you been?" That question was much more earnest.

Senna grinned, a snickering sound escaping from her as she put a hand in front of her mouth, mid-bite into the next to last strawberry. "Modest and honest, feels like a good song title or something," she said in reply, watching as his eyes caught the blues of the water as he rolled them. It had felt like things had changed since Berlin when he hadn't written back or reached out, but his penchant for sarcasm at least hadn't changed. It felt like sliding back into sonmething familiar.

Her brows lifted as he mentioned their photos being splashed over the pages of the Prophet and she turned her head back to the water, the reflections dancing across her face as a tinge of guilt appeared in the back of her mind. "That or you could just read your mail, Captain," she told him smartly, her lips quirked on one side. She hadn't sent their photos to the press, she knew he was weirdly private about that sort of thing, and she understood it to some extent. But she also couldn't deny that the petty thought hadn't crossed her mind, especially as the days had gone on and on after Berlin with no reply back to her messages to him. That feeling felt distant now and yet she still wondered if those thoughts were something she had to feel guilty over.

She offered the plate to him, the last strawberry sitting pretty all alone on the plate, before she set the plate down and wiped her fingertips off on a cocktail napkin. Senna took a step down the length of the exhibit, her eyes following as a school of fish floated by in their lazy whirling patterns, and at his question, she turned. She kept taking a few steps back as she lifted one shoulder.

It seemed like a genuine question and her usual answer of 'good' didn't seem like a genuine answer. She glanced upward for a moment as she smiled. "A little tired, busier than I expected which is really great for us, but.. more frustrating than I expected?" She mulled it over. The rising success of the band was still something she was growing into and she hadn't quite figured it all out yet on how to handle it. "But good," she summed up. "Tonight was a fun show to play. How about you other than...” she waved vaguely around then, the party, the championship, the winning of trophies. “All of this.”

"You would know," For both of Senna's statements— the song and the captain of it all. A memory that was seared somewhere in his brain of that particular nomenclature, from her, came present and he nearly physically reacted, stopping short. Harlan steeled himself forward. As it was turning out, their whole night hadn't been a fever dream, after all.

He took the last strawberry without question, forgetting all that he had learned in all his primary school years in etiquette courses. Audrey and Simon were far better versed than he. That, or they both just cared more. He followed Senna's gaze to the water but had flicked back over her while she was still transfixed and taking small steps back.

She smiled and he couldn't help himself from doing the same. Fuck. Harlan vanished the plate and took a step to bridge some the distance, but not far enough to make a massive change in the atmosphere. There, they were two friends catching up. Nothing to see, nothing to be reported on. He hated that the thought had even crossed his mind but in truth, it had.

"Right,," He knew the push and pull that a budding career was capable of, even if his couldn't have been any more different in genre. "You were good, really," It wasn't an attempt at reassurance given her statement but more his need to make sure that she truly understood. In the midst of their shared sarcasm, he needed that to land.

"There isn't much aside from all of this," Harlan mirrored her vague gesture; so much of his life was defined by his career. "I've been in Italy," Another reason he hadn't seen her owl, or replied immediately. "A bit of an escape from it all..." He mused, following the path she carved alongside the aquarium, the blues dancing over their skin.

Speaking of songs.. "I was actually working on a new song you might like," she told him, her eyes gleaming as her dimple showed on one side. "Something about stubborn men who don't read their mail. Don't worry, it's not about you though." Her impish grin said otherwise, a huff of laugh at her own joke shaking her shoulders.

Even with all the distractions around them - the hum of people from the party, the way the water made everything feel close and cozy like a cocoon of blue, the smile he gave her - she was still oddly aware of the space lessening between them as he stepped closer. The golden waves of his aura felt warm and she found herself slowing her steps away so the distance between them grew smaller. It was that gravity he had all over again.

Her smile grew warmer and wider, his compliment making her feel golden too. "Thanks," she told him softly. She hadn't been fishing for niceties, but the honesty she felt in his words was nice. She hadn't spotted him in the crowd when she had been on stage, but it was enough knowing he had been listening somewhere in the room and that reminded her of Berlin. She got distracted for a moment as other memories floated up..

Her brows flickered up. "Italy?" she asked then bobbed her head in a nod. "Looks like it did you well," her eyes roving over his face, the tan now made sense, the scruff on his face. "And did the escape work?" she asked, genuinely curious. The need to escape every now and then felt like a constant companion to her. It's how she ended up in France after the war and met Ollie, it's why she and Kai left for random places on a whim whenever they wanted. Escaping worked for her in the moment, but she always had to return so it's why she wanted to know if he had discovered any secrets.