Night is Young and the Music's High

[Katy Miller]

Continuation of this thread

Katy was a bit giddy again, it'd been a whirlwind night between meeting Wendy, going to a musical, even seeing backstage, she didn't want it to end. They'd stopped in at a late night coffeeshop instead, Katy enjoying getting out of the cold New York air and rubbing her fingers together as they waited to order. "This has been so fun," She smiled over at Wendy. "Like, what are the chances of us running into each other today, and now all this, I should write an article about this or something, like a theatre review," Katy had been wanting to write more, spruce up her writing portfolio for when she became an amazing travel journalist or something and travelled the world. She tried to ignore the clock on the wall as she stepped up to order her drink, knowing her mother was going to be furious whenever she eventually got home, but it was way too early to give up on hanging out with Wendy more just yet. It helped that she'd silenced her little muggle phone for the show and couldn't use that as an excuse for not answering.

 

[Wendy Bell]

Wendy smiles over at the girl, they really had a wonderful evening together. It was nice to be able to get out of the studios and Hogwarts to chill with a new friend. It was kinda risky, not something nana would encourage all the time. Wendy took her chance with Katy and felt that the girl came across harmless. If she was worried in the beginning, Wendy wouldn't have bothered at all with Katy. "It was, wasn't it? I mean it's no Hamilton, that one is my all-time favorite," Wendy confessed in the midst of their chat over the show. "But overall, great vocals. My grand would approve," Wendy nodded. It was later after the show and totally passed her curfew. Her workaholic parents wouldn't notice she was out this late, but Tracy Bell would. As the youngest of her grandchildren, Tracy would notice which is why Wendy sent out a text the moment she stepped into the coffee shop. Wendy pocketed her phone and order a vanilla ice coffee. "Oh, you write? Like a blog?" Wendy questions, turning her full attention to Katy.

 

[Katy Miller]

Katy wasn't familiar with a lot of muggle musicals, but she nodded when Wendy compared the one they'd just seen to another, making a note to do some investigating later. This had to be something she checked out again later, while the stage effects and costuming was a little tame, the music was far too fun to not explore more. Muggles certainly did their best to have a lot of fun without magic. She especially couldn't discount something that was apparently in the tastes of Tracy Bell, according to Wendy. If anyone knew good vocals, it'd be her. "Yeah, I think I want to be a travel writer or something when I'm older, so I'm trying to write a bunch of articles now for practice," She said, picking at her straw and trying to remember what a blog was. She was pretty sure it was an internet writing thing, but she admittedly only really got to use computers if she went to the local muggle library. Taking another sip of her drink, Katy was briefly distracted by Wendy's scarf, the little crest logo looking annoying familiar, though she couldn't quite place it. Katy tried not to be too distracted, moving her focus back to Wendy as she spoke. "Oh, you should let me interview you sometime!" She said grinning. "That'd definitely make an awesome article I bet. I'm more of an opinion piece person, but I'm sure you've got some awesome opinions on music." She said, getting more into the idea, and the excuse to hang out again.

 

[Wendy Bell]

Wendy loosens up her scarf around her neck, the Hufflepuff's crest was in Katy's view. Wendy was positive the girl would have no idea what it was. Hogwarts was located in Scotland and New Zealand, as far as Wendy knew muggles like the rest of her family wouldn't recognize the crest. "That's cool! Writers in the music world can be a pain in the butt sometimes for my grandmother, especially the tabloids nonsense they sell in grocery stores," Wendy made a disapproving face, she didn't disparage all the writers in the music industry. Only the ones that got under her skin and got their facts wrong when they're writing their articles about her family. "Other than that, I like reading the Stones and Essence magazine," she tells Katy smiling as her drink came up, Wendy took a sip and hum delightfully as the splash of vanilla mingles with her tastebuds. She paused mid-sip, "Interview me? That would be a first," Wendy finished sipping and thought about it. "Alright, I wouldn't mind doing it. I'll tell you as much or as much as I can," Wendy laughs, actually looking forward to it. Last month her grandmother did a Vogue interview, the 73 question one. Wendy had lots of fun watching the woman worked around the studio and stopping every now and then to answer a question for the cameras. It had been way different than normal interviews her grandmother was so familiar in doing.

 

[Katy Miller]

Katy wondered what kind of tabloid gossip the muggle-world got into, there had to be way less petty "who hexed whom" type columns, so she wondered if it could really be that interesting. She couldn't imagine it was very fun even if it was boring gossip if it was about you though, and Katy made a point to look offended at the idea on Wendy and Tracy's behalf. Katy wanted to list some of her favorite magazines right now, but realized talking about any magical ones might get her in trouble and hastily took a sip of her drink instead, trying to look deeply interested in what Wendy was saying to cover.
"Yeah, I'm sure you've got so many cool stories about growing up, or like, what you want to do yourself. Maybe you could give me your number and we could meet up again later?" Katy said lightly, trying to play down her excitement at the idea. It would be great writing practice AND Katy might get to become friends with someone super cool. Katy was fishing her phone from her pocket when her eyes caught on Wendy's scarf again, the insignia she couldn't place driving her crazy. "Man, I've gotta ask, what's your scarf from? I swear I've seen it before." She said, reaching out to flip it a bit with her hand.

 

[Wendy Bell]

Wendy stopped sipping her drink, Katy writing about her future? What will she tell the girl, honestly, she hadn't put much thought to future on the count of her parents wanting Wendy to follow in her grandmother's footsteps. Not just her parents, everyone in the music industry was counting on Wendy to be the next big thing. The next Tracy Bell coming out with hits after hits, the pressure was coming from all sides. "You don't really wanna write about that, things change when I think about my future. It's probably changing now as we speak," Wendy shrugs, admitting this to Katy. She still exchanges phone number with Katy, it'd be chill to meet up again during breaks. Wendy had 'friends', it's nice to have a friend that wasn't a part of her family's inner circle. Someone genuine, who seem to have an ordinary and realistic dream for their future.

"This scarf, you have?" Wendy question with her brows raised. That meant she was a witch, like Wendy! The Hufflepuff felt a relief washed over her. It's not every day you came across a witch in New York, no-majs pretty much made it hard to distinguish who was carrying a wand or not. Or, those with a wand were pretty good at blending in. "Please tell me you're a, you know...something that rhymes with snitch?"

 

[Katy Miller]

Katy listened curiously when Wendy talked about the future, fidgeting with her straw wrapper. "Things change? What do you mean? Like you haven't made your mind up yet? That's okay! Talking about it might help you decide," She said, wiggling to sit up straighter in her chair. She wondered if there was something Wendy didn't want to talk about. "I'm a good listener, promise, offer the record even," She added with a smile, relieved when Wendy still agreed to swap numbers.

"I swear I've seen it somewhere before," She said, motioning to the scarf and pausing when Wendy said the word snitch, her eyes widening. "No way," Katy breathed, glancing around the room quickly to make sure no one was paying attention to them. "No way, Tracy Bell's granddaughter- What school do you go to? OH," Katy snapped her fingers, that's where she'd seen the scarf. "My cousin has the same scarf, no wonder."

 

[Chante Harvelle-Ateara]

Oops.

 

[Wendy Bell]

Wendy nodded, she was right on the money. "Off the record? Girl, you're already starting to sound like a writer," Wendy laughs. "Well off the record, that's basically it. I haven't made up my mind and I really don't want anybody dictating my future. Including my grandmother," Wendy finally admits that to someone. And it felt like a weight has been lifted off her shoulders when she did. Had she told anyone else, any 'friend' it would make headlines. That's not the kind of attention she wanted at the moment.

Especially now that she's been a witch for several years. Wendy clapped her hands and nodded frantically. "Yes, do you see my problem sort of?!" Wendy glad to have made another connection in both worlds. Kace had been one of them, and now Katy. "New Zealand, everyone thinks I go to a private boarding school. Your cousin? Does he go to Hogwarts?"

 

[Katy Miller]

Katy did a happy wiggle when Wendy said she already sounded like a writer. She was very proud of her totally professional inquiries and interview skills here. "That's pretty admirable. It'd be so easy to just ride your family's coattails. I support it! Blaze your own trail," She said excitedly, pumping her fist and laughing. With Wendy all but confirming out loud she was a witch, Katy felt more of the pieces fell into place. "That makes so much sense, oh my god. No wonder," Keeping magic under wraps was already enough pressure in the states without being in the public eye all the time. It kinda made sense now why Wendy would be at school in another country then, rather than Ilvermorny, but Katy was still bitter for how cool it would have been to be at the same school.
"Man, is New Zealand just like, mega cool and I missed the memo or something. But yeah, my cousin goes there too. I guess now I gotta visit sometime, right?" She said. "Oh, you guys have the same scarf, so you're in the same house, right? Do you know a kid called Elliot? Short kid? Soft enough to be crushed by the world, but too nice to do anything about it?" It was cool enough that Wendy might want to hang out later, but if she knew Elliot too then Katy would have even more of an excuse for them to talk later.

 

[Wendy Bell]

Wendy sighs happily appreciating the support from a new friend. She wished she had the guts to tell others of her unique situation, others as in Arvel and Analei. Something told her don't even waste her time trying to explain her life to them. Lately, they were all over the place. Either they were fighting or making up, their relationship was a headspin. Wendy couldn't keep up with their drama. "New Zealand is okay, none of these schools are near the city. I mean it works for me, but it would've been dope if there was a school that's low-key in the city. But, I heard the magic government here was a lot stricter than other places," Wendy shrugs, New Zealand was alright. At least there she had the freedom to be herself. "Yes, I know him. He hangs out with my friend, Kace. They seem really close, but like so different from each other," Wendy laughs. They were an odd pairing, but they worked. Plus, Kace isn't as annoying like he used to be. Wendy notice the shift since he started school in New Zealand. "You should visit! Maybe we can all hang out at some spot over there. I'm down."

 

[Katy Miller]

Katy listened as Wendy talked about New Zealand a bit. 'Okay' was also how Elliot tended to describe it, so she wasn't convinced about the hype just yet. Though she couldn't deny the appeal of getting to go live in another country, she just wished everyone else would stop doing it before she could. "Yeah I get the need to keep things under wraps but it would be so much cooler for all the schools to not be stuck in the middle of nowhere. Can't exactly just have uh, kids like us walking around New York or something though. Or maybe that's the best place come to think of it. We'd fit right in with the weird stuff," She said with a laugh. No one would probably notice a little magic here and there in the middle of all the other crazy muggle stuff already. "Would have been cool to have you at Ilvermorny, but I get it," Katy added off-handedly, taking a sip of her drink. She perked up when Wendy confirmed she knew her cousin, taking a note of the name of his friend. It was usually pretty easy to press Elliot for details about things, but it was still good to know what he was up to while she wasn't around. "Man, I've been thinking about it, but maybe I have to now. If only to see what all the fuss is about. It's Summer time over Christmas right? Isn't that crazy weird?" She knew Elliot mentioned sometime never really getting a proper Winter anymore, and she'd tried to imagine spending the holiday like that on the beach or something and just couldn't do it. She'd have to try and convince her parents to let her see it herself.

 

[Wendy Bell]

Wendy joins in on Katy’s laughter, they would fit in with the weird stuff that happens in New York City. And, America’s wizarding government was in New York, a school wouldn’t be any different. But what did she know, she was just a muggleborn living in two worlds. Wendy may not get it, though she sure they had numerous reasons for not establishing a magic school in the cities. Kinda how they had reasons not to be so open with muggles in America, even though her grandmother is a well-known muggle singer from her time and she had a witch for a granddaughter. “I know, my grandmother wishes there was a school in New Orleans. She may be a muggle but she knows a little about the voodoo history over there,” Wendy shares with Katy. It wasn’t a big deal since her grandmother used to tour all over the country. New Orleans was her grandmother’s favorite city to visit, during Mardi Gras it was lit. “I usually come back to New York for a little and then go back before the break is over. It’s mad weird, but if you ever been to California, it’s the same thing over there. They don’t get the snow either,” Wendy points out, “Yes! You can come to stay with me and Toto, my parents are always working. They won’t care. I’ll chill in New Zealand if you do!”

 

[Katy Miller]

Katy was curious what Tracy Bell might know about voodoo or magic on her own. Maybe Wendy had told her some stuff too? Admittedly Katy herself didn't pay a lot of attention to things like history of magic in school, but it was true the US had a lot of cool magic culture. "I've never been down that way, but from other kids at school it seems kinda neat how different it all is," Katy sighed. "I'd love to get to travel and just write and explore all the differences," She said, dropping her chin into her hand. Katy was trying hard to avoid the "m" word, but it would make an amazing travel series of something if she could. Her eyes lit up when Wendy described a theoretical holiday she could spend with her and her family. "Well I've gotta now," She said with a wide grin. "I'd been thinking about visiting anyway with my cousin over there, let's do it!" She'd need to convince her parents somehow, but maybe if she could her aunt in on it it wouldn't be so hard. Her mom was clingy sometimes, but maybe with her older brother graduating next year mom would be more occupied fussing at him to miss Katy if she slipped off for a sweet trip abroad.