Closed Blast from the Past

[Soren Fell]

Soren had moved the last box into his studio apartment and plopped down on the couch. It was exhausting moving things with or without magic and so he sat staring out the window as he let his mind wander the space. It had been time for a change and a change of scenery. His friends did not really understand but given that his dad had finally passed away, there was nothing left for him in Seattle. He had spent the last several months getting his childhood home packed up and on the market and so with that in his review mirror he had planned a fresh start. A new adventure, somewhere new. He did think of going to Europe for a beat but found that the European escape was somewhat expected and dated. So as he contemplated places to go he found that he was drawn to New Zealand.

The country was exotic, at least to him, and somewhere he had never thought to go before recently. It had several magical communities so that was something to look forward to. More importantly, it was beautiful and had just the right amount of potential that it was a given. He had found a great deal on a flat near Obsidian Harbor which meant he was close to town but not so close that he would feel overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle. It was a quick flick of the wand and he would be able to get home or to the office once he had found a job. He would scour the prophet for potential job posting once he settled into his new place. The galleons from the sale of his family home would tide him over for a little bit to give him plenty of time to explore.

After he changed into a fresh pair of clothes, he decided to head into the Harbor for a quick bite to eat and maybe walk around a bit. The Harbor was lively with activity and so it was not hard to find a place to eat. Soren went with the Cauldron and choose the fish and chips which was as good as he had expected. Not so filling that it hurt but filling enough to prevent late-night trips to the fridge. His waistline would thank him for that when he jumped on the scale again. After he had his fill, he made his way back onto the cobble street where he slowly made his way up and down the rows of shops.

He peeked into a few of them, choosing to restock on one thing or another. The typical magical item that he felt he might need or was low on. Several small bags hung lazily from his hands as his hand free hand rested in his pocket. He was so wrapped up in all of the sights and sounds that he accidentally bumped into someone causing him to drop his bags. Nothing broke, and he was quick to bend down to pick them up. “I am so sorry.” He said without looking at the stranger. He felt bad that he was not paying as close attention as he should of and felt the need to apologize a few more times. It was casual and breezy, something the stranger could easily brush off if they wanted.

@Erik Drage

 

[Erik Drage]

Erik was simultaneously lost in thought, balancing a coffee and three bags, and staring longingly into storefronts. He wished he had the budget to stretch his shopping spree further, but he needed to cut himself off if he wanted to eat regular meals for the rest of the month. The wizard was so distracted he ended up walking straight into another man. “Oh, sh!t, sorry about that,” he blurted.

Miraculously, Erik had managed to save his coffee, and the shopping bags tore painfully into his wrist, but he was otherwise all right. Narrowing and then widening his eyes, he realized the stranger looked awfully familiar. “Soren?” he asked, surprise clear on his face.

The wizard was older, a far cry from the boy Erik had known at Ilvermorny. But if it wasn’t Soren Fell, he’d eat his hat. Well, he didn’t own any hats, so he’d drink one of his more unpleasant potions if he was wrong.

 

[Soren Fell]

"Erik. Erik Drage, is that you?" Soren said as he looked up at the sound of his name and noticed a familiar face from his school days. Erik and Soren had been mates at school, were in the same magical house at Ilvermorny, and even dated a little before they graduated, and life took them in different directions. Soren had remained friends with Erik's brother and his wife though he had not seen Erik in several years.

"What a small freakin world? What are you doing all the way out here in New Zealand?" Soren said as he stood up and gave the guy a quick once over. He was still the same guy he remembered from school. He always looked younger than his years, though he did notice slight changes in his appearance that revealed the passing of time. He was handsome in that boy next door kind of way and seemed to be in good shape, which was good to see. Several of their classmates had not aged so gracefully.

"Last time I heard, you were off doing your own things in the states," Soren said as a smile crossed his face as he pulled the guy out of the way of the crowd so they could chat without clogging up the sidewalk. "How have you been? You look good." Soren said as he watched Erik, shock, and joy was clear on his face.

@Erik Drage

 

[Erik Drage]

Erik grinned broadly. “The one and only.” He’d last seen Soren over a decade ago. He knew that Christian and Teuila had kept in touch with him, but not much beyond that. Erik thought that Soren was the one who looked good; he didn’t really agree about himself. Not in the same way.

“You know, change of scenery,” Erik said. He’d moved all over the place since they’d graduated, bopping from city to city, never truly satisfied. He debated whether to tell Soren about the recent deaths in his family, which were another motivating factor, but that was best shared not in the street, perhaps over drinks. “And Christian’s nearby in Samoa. Guess I missed him too much.”

By way of invitation, Erik asked, “Have you been to the Leaky yet?”

@Soren Fell

 

[Soren Fell]

"I totally can get that. I have been doing a bit of soul searching myself, which has brought me here of all places. Thousands of miles away from the life I use to live." Soren smiled softly as he listened to Erik speak briefly about his life. "I have not been to the Leaky yet. I am still trying to get acclimated to the place. I did a little shopping to get the lay of the land. But if you want to go somewhere close to talk, then you can come over to my place. I at least have a couch to sit on and cold beer in the fridge." Soren said as he offered a counter invitation.

He did not mind going to a bar, but he imagined that it would be a bit busy. The one in London was always packed, so he imagined the local franchise would be much the same. Erik was more than an acquaintance, and so he deserved more than a short conversation over a pint where they had to yell over the noise. This way, they could relax, and there would be no rush to leave. "That is if you are free to come over. If not, then we can always schedule something, maybe over lunch or dinner sometime. I would love to hear what has been happening in your life these past years." Soren said with a smile.

@Erik Drage

 

[Erik Drage]

“Hmm, that sounds tempting,” Erik said. Couches and beer were always a good combination. He grinned back at Soren. Raising his bags, he said, “I should drop these off and prep some ingredients for an order tomorrow. But I could meet you back at your place later?” Of course, he had no idea where Soren’s home was on this side of the world.

@Soren Fell

 

[Soren Fell]

"Here is my address," Soren said as he pulled out his wand and one of the receipts from shopping. With a wave, his address appeared on the back of it as he handed it over to Erik. "I live here in New Zealand, not far from here, so you can swing by anytime. If you can make it, you can always send me an owl or something, and we can reschedule. Maybe we can get together and go to dinner or something sometime?" Soren said with a warm smile. " It was so good seeing you again, man." He said as he leaned in to hug the guy if he wanted one. They had been friends after all, so it was not weird or anything.

@Erik Drage

 

[Erik Drage]

Erik accepted the receipt from Soren, slipping it into his jacket pocket. "Sure you don't want an owl anyway?" he asked, grinning. When Soren opened his arms, Erik hugged him back easily. Making physical contact with people was second nature to him- he'd never been shy. "Good to see you, too. It's been a long time."

@Soren Fell