Reporting for Heavy Lifting Duty

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn couldn't quite believe he'd been roped into helping someone move into a new place, he couldn't understand how he'd been roped into this. He had very few friends in New Zealand, happily so to a certain extent, but one of his few friends had asked him to help a friend of hers move and for some strange reason Celestyn had agreed. All in all, it just meant that instead of being at home, in his cosy solitary little flat, Celestyn was stood outside some person's place at way too early in the morning and bitterly cold with the intention of helping this person he did not know move. It filled him with annoyance at having to be there, and having decided to agree to him, the man was more annoyed at himself. He pulled his phone out of his back jean pocket and glanced at it, though a proud wizard who wrote for the daily prophet, Celestyn still used his muggle phone. It was one of the ways in which he managed to stay in contact with most of his muggle friends and the girl who had told him to come help this other person. Celestyn essentially lived like a muggle by choice, he only work for a magical paper that was his only link to the magical world. Currently he was using his phone to look at the time and reread for the 100th time the message with the details about this day. It turned out that he was a little, well actually a lot early. Having so few friends meant that his time keeping was pretty good. This girl who'd asked him to help out had been an old friend and he felt a certain amount of duty to her to do this favour for her. Though now he was regretting it. Being as early as he was meant that Celestyn had more than enough time to go grab himself a warm cup of coffee. He tried with little success to find a small independent coffee shop which always had better coffee but instead since he found none bought a coffee from one of the big muggle brands. That was always a mistake, he needed the caffeine but he hated that coffee.

As he'd made his way back to the house, he couldn't help but mutter angrily under his breath in colourful Finnish all of the things he hated about the coffee he was still choosing to drink. There was no point in wasting it and he was tired enough to just deal with its bad taste. Celestyn far preferred the coffee he made at home or the coffee he used to be able to get in Finland, but neither of those things were currently possible. He was sure at the base of it that they were the same that the coffee was the same but he still preferred it. The man arrived back in front of the house within next to no time, he checked the time on his phone again. When Celestyn wasn't working he didn't bother with his wrist watch. He found that despite his little adventure he was still back with a few minutes to spare. The man let out a small groan in frustration However instead of wasting his time with more waiting and wandering around in what was a cold morning, he walked to the front door and knocked loudly. Taking a few steps away from the door as he sipped more of his terrible coffee waiting for this person to answer. He didn't know much about them, just that they had recently moved to New Zealand and needed a little bit of helping unpacking and bringing stuff in. The message and instructions he'd got had been vague. He wasn't sure if they were magic like he was, his friend who was magic hadn't been clear about it, so he wasn't sure. The man had his wand, but was unsure as to if he'd be able to use it. As he waited outside and no one appeared to answer the door he knocked again. Celestyn knew this was a little rude but it was cold and he didn't have the patience. Celestyn was not an overly patient man as it turned out, and it was bad enough that he was having to be there so early but also that his coffee was awful. He hated the fact he'd agreed to this. If this person didn't open the door soon, then Celestyn decided he would call this a bust and leave. There was no point lingering around any more than necessary. It was funny that he was helping this person move, after all he'd lived in his flat almost three years and still hadn't unpacked his things. He still lived out of the boxes. Yet here he was, about to help someone else do what he still had to do.
​

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[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi rolled onto her new bed,still feeling sleepy..She had slept late because she was busy carrying the smaller boxes from the living room to her bedroom upstairs and some to the kitchen..She managed to move all her boxes from outside to inside together with an old friend of hers whom she met while she was looking for an apartment..Too bad they were both of girls,so it would still be difficult to accomplish such task..Yet,her friend told her that she would send someone to help her move and unpack..Rhi was thankful for that but she was unsure as to who it is..She hasn't been in contact with her old friends,let alone her parents..Checking the time on her bedside table,she bolted up upon seeing that she had woken up late..The person her friend was telling her about would be arriving anytime soon and she hasn't taken a shower yet..Scrambling out of bed,she dashed to her bathroom and hurriedly brushed her teeth,washed her face and put her hair up in a messy bun with a headband to keep some of the hair from her face..She hurried downstairs towards the kitchen,almost tripping onto some boxes to brew some coffee for herself and for her guest..She also popped some bread for toast as a quick breakfast..

Just as Rhi put the slices of bread to the toaster,she heard her doorbell rang..That must be her..Washing her hands off the sink,she hurried to the door since the it rang again..Impatient girl..Without bothering to check herself in the mirror,she opened the door and found herself surprised.."Oh,hi.."​

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn had been about to knock at the door again his patience waning when the door was suddenly opened and he was graced with the sight of a young woman who had looked like she'd only recently got up. Now, Celestyn felt bad for only having bought one coffee even if it was terrible coffee it looked like this girl could use a cup of the stuff, as much as he had needed a cup of the stuff. She seemed equally as surprised to see him, though he flashed her a polite smile, perhaps she had been expecting someone different. It looked like communication on both ends had been pretty poor. Celestyn told himself to never ever again do any favours for their mutual friend again, it would likely always end like this. "Hi" Celestyn returned with a small sip of his coffee running his lose hand through his short hair, he looked at her and wondered if perhaps the girl was expecting something else that really wasn't him, or perhaps someone who would've been late. He wasn't sure how best to address this situation that he currently found himself in with this girl stood in front of him. It was just his luck that this was how he'd spend him morning. He had to stop himself from groaning and muttering little curses at his friend. This was why he didn't have any friends, why he chose to be friendless, this couldn't happen if all he did was work.

"Sophie said I was coming, she told me to come. I'm here to help you move, unpack, I don't know the message wasn't particularly clear" his voice was fairly accented, indicating that English was not his first language though it wasn't particularly clear what was his first language. Despite the amount of time that Celestyn had spent in the country he had made no real effort to immerse himself in the language or the people, he stuck mostly to himself, so his accent lingered stronger than most might. He didn't really care about trying harder make his english less accented as long as people understood what he was saying. He held his hand out to the girl so that she could shake it, "I'm Celestyn, she did tell you I was coming, right? If I'm early I can come back later?" he suggested with a polite smile. He wasn't sure what else to do, his mind at a loss over how to handle what was happening. This wasn't the kind of situation he usually found himself in. Having always avoided helping others he didn't know what he was supposed to do. "I know I'm a little early" he stopped speaking just waiting for her to invite him and give him something to do, or to tell him a time to come back for.
​

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[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi was surprised to see Celestyn as a man..When Sophie sent her the message,it sounded like a girl's name..And she wasn't even dressed appropriately..Good thing she wore her soft jeans with a white shirt and not the usual shorts that she wear to bed..When he smiled politely,she almost blushed..Well,he is something..She regarded him for a few minutes before she noticed that he was waiting to be invited in.."Silly me..Please do come in..,she opened the door wider,stepping aside for him to pass through.."Yes,Sophie did say you are coming..It's just that I never expected Celestyn is a man..",she replied..A handsome man at that..,she added to herself..

She lead him through the living room to the kitchen which was so far the only organized place yet.."Sorry for the clutter..I haven't finished unpacking and stuff but surely Sophie has told you about that..",she said,looking at the him apologetically,"I hope you don't mind helping me here.." She took the toast from the toaster and got some butter and bacon from the fridge.."I prepared toast and coffee for breakfast..I do hope you would join me though you already have a coffee on your hand..",she pointed to the cup on his hand..She smiled at him before turning around to fry the bacon that would go well with toast..Afterwards,she grabbed some plates,spoons,mugs as well as the creamer and sugar from the cabinet..She set them on the counter with Celestyn across her..​

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn felt honestly like he'd made one of the biggest mistakes in his life by turning up at this girl's door. He didn't know what had convinced him to do something nice for this mutual friend but he was honestly regretting it, the man was sure this girl was lovely enough but that didn't stop him from wanting to be just about anywhere else. It didn't matter that she was pretty attractive or that he was beginning to think this smelled a little like a set up, Sophie had always threatened him with that. He smiled politely again when the girl invited him in to her home, holding the door open wider so that Celestyn could get in. The reporter took a sip of his coffee and walked carefully into the house looking at the girl as she explained that Sophie had told her that he was coming just that because of his name the girl had been expecting a woman and not well, what Celestyn was. He once again forced a slight smile at her comment, "Common misconception" he muttered as he was led away from the door and further into this girl's place. It was fairly nice he had to admit. Larger than his place and certainly more and better decorated even at this early stage than his own place. Though that wasn't difficult really, Celestyn always told people that he had gone for a minimalist look which the few friends who'd seen ignored calling it bare, lonely and an accurate representation of Celestyn's reluctance to settle. The man didn't entirely care, he liked his place just the way it currently was. Sure it would help if he unpacked any of his things properly but it wasn't like he didn't manage to function.

Eventually they stopped in what appeared to be the girl's kitchen that smelt of freshly brewed coffee and recently made toast. He realised that he really had been early, he'd been on time at the hour he was supposed to be there but really most counted being on time as being early, which society seemed to think was right. Be later next time, his mind told him. As the girl apologised for the clutter he gave a small shake of his head and laughed lightly, clearly dismissing it "It's fine, really, I'm here to help you unpack. If there was no clutter I wouldn't need to be here" he said, his accented tone far lighter than anything he'd previously said finding it strangely amusing that she would apologise. He shook his head at the next question politely giving her a small smile once more, his smiles never really lingered. He did mind, Celestyn didn't want to be there, but he was there and he'd agreed to help so he wasn't about to leave either. He watched in silence as the girl then began to clearly get the rest of her breakfast ready, Celestyn felt like he was intruding and wasn't sure what he should do, the girl still hadn't given him instructions about what she wanted. Which things needed moved, what boxes needed emptied. He nodded as she spoke, at the invitation and when she mentioned his cup of coffee he smiled slightly, glancing at it and then back up at her the smile lingering a little longer this time. "I'll join you but I already ate breakfast" Celestyn told her with a small slight apologetic smile, taking another sip of his coffee. Celestyn had been awake for a while now and that much was made obvious at him say he'd already ate despite the early hour. But, he didn't want to be rude so he would still join her for breakfast. "What is needing done today?" he asked, wanting to keep on schedule and get as much of it done as he possibly could. He was after all here to help not for idle conversation.
​

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[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi smiled when Celestyn replied with "Common misconception" pertaining to his name sounding like a girl.."Please don't get offended..My cousin happened to share your name and she is 14..So I was more accustomed to hearing Celestyn as a she,not he..",she replied as the latter followed her to the kitchen..She glanced back at him,only to see that he was studying his surroundings.."By the way,thanks for helping me out here.."

When Celestyn saw that she was preparing breakfast,Rhi's instincts told her that he might feel intruding her breakfast.."Please,I know what you are thinking..I just woke up late and I really intended to make breakfast for whoever who is coming to help me..In this case,you..",she explained while finishing up with the cooking..She then awkwardly passed Celestyn his plate of toast and bacon..She noticed that he seemed forced to come here..His smiles didn't linger and he seemed to be thinking a lot..Like he was talking to his self..She shouldn't have agreed to Sophie about this..But when Rhi mentioned his coffee,his smile seemed more sincere..Placing a mug near his plate and the coffee pot beside it,she said,"I know the coffee from where you bought doesn't make excellent coffee..Mine is not much but in my opinion,it is better than there..If you want some,help yourself.."

While they were eating,Celestyn asked about what needs to be done..Rhi paused from her breakfast,held her coffee mug,enjoying the warmth before she answered,"Maybe just with the heavy stuff..There are still boxes that needs to be brought upstairs..The furniture needs to be arranged as well..Are you okay with that?",she asked.."Don't worry,you won't be doing everything alone..I can still give you a hand..",she added..Rhi wasn't sure if he was a wizard or not..So,she could not openly asked him about wand stuff..But then,his face looked familiar from the Daily Prophet and even his name..She wasn't just entirely sure..​

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[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Upon hearing that the woman's cousin shared his name he couldn't help but feel a little bit bad about his comment, his name was strange after all, there were likely few called Celestyn. The man knew he was perhaps being less than friendly with this woman whom he was helping. He was trying to be friendly, well to a certain extent but Celestyn wasn't very good at it he felt out of practice, all Celestyn really had to do for work was be polite. Keeping mostly to himself outside of his reporting meant he was pretty out of practice when it came to being amicable. At her thanks, he met the woman's eyes for a moment and gave a small, if slightly forced smile, "It's no problem, honestly" he replied in a polite and relatively sincere tone. Not really desiring to give it away that he wasn't keen on being there, it wasn't her fault after all. Celestyn knew at the very that that wasn't a friendly thing to do or say. He couldn't help strongly believe that he had better things to be doing with his time, yet here he was and really his better things to do would involve sitting around alone in his flat. Watching the woman prepare breakfast he wasn't sure whether to still linger or to go find work for him to do. Celestyn realised in that instant that he really needed to get out more, he needed to get new friends. As the woman spoke, he couldn't help but laugh lightly, it was like she'd read his mind. He didn't mean to intrude and he didn't mean to be rude. "It's no problem, I had a busy day yesterday and just went to bed early so I was early" he explained, which wasn't the entire truth but for this person he'd just met and barely knew it would suffice.

At the movement of a plate and a cup of coffee towards him, Celestyn wondered if she'd heard that he'd eaten, it was slightly awkward the way she'd pushed them towards him, as if insisting that he eat. The man didn't want to appear ungrateful to her and the food she had kindly prepared. The coffee he was genuinely grateful for. He placed down his cup of bought coffee, it was mostly finished and then took the mug that she'd prepared. "It is pretty terrible, I don't know why I even bother with that chain at all" he agreed smiling and motioning to the cup he'd sat on the table, while she might be new it was likely she knew the brand. Celestyn took in the scent of this new cup of coffee that he'd brought up to his nose taking in the bitter aroma of the drink in his hands. It smelled far better than his bought one and upon tasting it had to agree it did taste better, not as good as his own coffee but Celestyn was particular. "This is definitely better" he placed down the mug and feeling like he shouldn't be rude, began to slowly eat the breakfast she had placed in front of him. He was really desperate to not appear rude to this kind woman in front of him, he couldn't help but think that if he was Sophie would hear about it and she was likely to be unhappy with him. Celestyn nodded along as she spoke, nothing too complicated needed done it seemed, heavy lifting would be fine, he could manage it. He wondered if the woman was magic and if he'd be able to use that to help move the process along quicker, "That's fine," he replied when she asked if he'd be okay with it, opting to not bring up magic in case she didn't know. He picked the coffee up, placing down the cutlery he was using and took a small sip of the hot bitter liquid. It really was far better, he could feel his mood perking up as the caffeine powered through his body. Good coffee went a long way in improving Celestyn's mood, "This is really good breakfast, thanks" he told her as he seemed to be finishing it off, there was a tone appreciation within the accent, clear and genuine. He did appreciate it a lot. She hadn't had to make him breakfast, he would've been fine without but it was a nice gesture, "Much better than what I make, I'm more of fruit in the morning kind of guy because it doesn't require me to cook anything" he said with a light tone, it was the most naturally friendly tone he'd used all morning.

"If you don't mind me asking, Sophie said you'd just moved back to the country, why did you move back?" Celestyn wasn't sure if it was too personal a question to ask and would understand if she didn't want to reply. Few knew why Celestyn had moved from Finland to New Zealand, it was quite a change, quite a journey, he made up various lies about it, he was a writer he could be convincing. He didn't like talking about it, and he wondered if perhaps this woman was the same. He held the coffee in his hands, letting the warmth envelop him. He figured they could have a little bit of small talk before he got started.
​

I'm sorry about the length. I don't really know what happened.

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Breaking walls..

That is what on Rhi's mind as she observed Celestyn..As she was drinking her coffee,taking a bite of her toast,she regarded the man infront of her..He was so hard to reach,not that has Rhi had intentions to but it would make her feel comfortable that she knew someone aside from Sophie..At least he loved the coffee..Of course,he would..The coffee shop where he got the coffee was awful..

When Celestyn complimented her cooking,Rhi was grinning from ear to ear..Nobody aside from Sophie has tried anything she has cooked.."You are welcome..",she replied..She had finished her food as well,so she stood up,taking his plate as well and brought them to the sink..Upon the mention of fruit,Rhi remembered that she had bought some the other day..Taking an apple from the basket near her,she tossed it towards him.."Catch..",she jokingly said..She took her coffee mug and leaned against the sink..

She tried to hide her emotions from her visitor when Celestyn asked her the reason of moving back..Should she tell him?They had just met..But then again,he looked easy to talk to even if he was a bit reserved himself.."I needed to reconnect with the life I had before..I have been away for a while and as years passed by,I realized that I don't need to be disconnected from everyone just because of a single person..So that is why I moved back,get a job as a Librarian in-",she stopped herself before she mentioned the school..Hogwarts..That was close..,she finished in her head..She hoped he didn't notice but she knew that it was obvious.."If you don't mind asking as well,what do you do??I mean,it seemed like your face is familiar..I just can't figure out where..",she asked,hoping to change the subject..​

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Out of Character:

Me too..So I just decided to speed things up..We'll see how they played out..

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn had put down his coffee on the table, it was pretty much almost finished though he wanted the last dregs of it but she appeared to be taking away the plates, so he handed her his plate and cutlery with his usual polite smile though it did not linger, fading as fast as it had come. He had been about to pick up his coffee for another sip when she all of a sudden threw a fruit at him, an apple. Though startled he on instinct caught it in his hands, a look of surprise on his face as he stared at the fruit in his hands before laughing slightly at the way she had acted and the fruit in his hands, "Thanks" he said with a small lingering smile while holding up the fruit in thanks. Though he wasn't particularly hungry for it right away, it could serve as food later in the day once he'd got to work. Celestyn placed the apple down on the table and picked up the coffee instead, taking a small sip before he'd then asked her why she had opted to returned to New Zealand. Celestyn knew that he was asking an extremely personal question, he knew that she could easily turn it on to him and he would give no real answer to it. He didn't telling people about his move most just knew a version that he told which was always a lie, he didn't like talking about it and he hated being honest about it. While he was proud of his roots and was perfect fine talking about his great home city of Helsinki; talking about his home life or what led him to move to New Zealand were just not things that he ever talked about. Not in the slightest. Celestyn wouldn't have been surprised, therefore, to get an answer from the woman that was less than accurate: he was actually expecting that. His eyes were still on Rhianne as she began to tell him. It was strangely more than he would ever give about himself while also being pretty vague simultaneously. He gave the girl a slight smile of appreciation upon her words. Enough was being said to make Celestyn know to back away from that kind of question. Though, he did think we pretty neat that she was a librarian, "Librarian, that must be fun."

Celestyn got to his feet finishing the last of his coffee as the woman then asked him a question saying that he seemed familiar to her. Despite the work that he did, being a reporter for the Daily Prophet, most people didn't recognise him, though he rarely went out. His name largely gave it away to those who paid close attention but Celestyn lived largely in obscurity and in his obscurity he lived alone behind his thick walls. "I'm a writer, reporter," he ventured carefully, walking over and placing the now empty cup of coffee which she'd made for him into the sink next to hers. He wondered how much he should say on the matter. He didn't know if she was magic or not, "I write for a really obscure newspaper," he turned back to face her, giving her a small polite smile as he did so, "We cater for a niche market," he told her again picking his words carefully before turning back to the sink and washing his hands quickly. The reporter didn't want to be getting breakfast food grease all over this girl's belongings as he helped her. That would just be very rude of him, and though he was out of practice when it came to people really, he knew that it would be rude of him. Celestyn then in doing this realised that she'd said he looked familiar which really could only mean that she'd read it, the secrecy was pointless, "I write for the Daily Prophet" he dried his hands of the bottom of the jumper he was wearing. He then took off the jumper and placed it on the chair he'd been sat on for breakfast, leaving him in his plain t-shirt, "Right, where do you want me to start?" Celestyn though proud of his work still wanted to get this done. He didn't mind her, he was no longer feeling so frustrated over having to help out, having to spend his day with her though while he doubted in his ability to keep in touch after. So he stood in front of her with his hands on his hips waiting for her to tell him what needed to be done.
​

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi looked a bit surprised when Celestyn mentioned Daily Prophet..No muggle knew about their paper..That meant Celestyn is magical.."I see..",was all she could say..Before Rhi could say anything else,Celestyn removed his jumper,only wearing his white shirt which made him immaculate,not to mention,handsome..He placed the jumper on the chair and Rhi tried her very best not to roam her eyes on her good looking guest..When he asked her where to start,Rhi cleared her throat before speaking.."Uh,yeah..You can start with the boxes in the living room..They are to go to the bedroom upstairs..The crates will go to the kitchen..After that,we're going to place the wallpapers and curtains..With all those done,you can arrange the furniture in any way you think appropriate..Don't worry,I am not picky..Since,we have established that we are both wizards,I could say that it is safe to say that we can use magic..Though I prefer the sweat of labor..",she finished,looking at Celestyn..They were now in the living room..She unconsciously pulled him by hand towards the living room as she was explaining everything..Only then when she looked at him,she realized what had transpired.."Sorry..I'll just be upstairs,arranging the other stuff if you need anything.."She was already at the foot of the stairs when she remembered.."Lunch is on me..I'll cook..Lasagna and fruits suit you??Seems like this could take a whole day even with magic..",she smiled and went upstairs,trying to compose herself and started on getting the house organized..

Lunch was served and they were back to work again..Rhi was right..Even with magic,it took a whole day to get the house cleaned and furnished..It was almost dusk when Rhi straightened the last piece of ornament on the fireplace mantle and Celestyn,on the other hand,placed the last furniture in place..Rhi flopped herself onto the couch,and breathed out in relief.."Wow,finally..What a day..",she smiled,glancing at him.."Thank you so much,Celestyn,for everything.."She looked around the house,pleased with everything that she saw..​

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Upon getting the instructions Celestyn just nodded along. It was good that they had established that they were both magical and could therefore use magic to help them get more work done, they would be more efficient. Though as Rhianne continued through all the work that needed done Celestyn couldn't help but think that they be at this for ages with how much was needing done,it would surely take more than a day. He was pulled into the woman's living room, in an odd fashion having been pulled by the hand to it, the girl, Rhianne had taken his hand to guide him through. He had tried to pull his hand away thinking it weird and somehow nice simultaneously when she let go he could feel her touch lingering in his hand. Celestyn didn't really do contact personal contact most of the time, not unless he was looking for something for the night or had been the one to instigate it. However, he stood a little startled in the living room his gaze lingering on his hand before jumping back up to her as she explained that lunch would be on her, that she was making it. He was feeling bad for all the negative things he'd thought about what this day would bring. He realised now he was just being harsh on a person who was giving him and was acting kind, in his mind he thought that it would actually be better if she had been horrible. His justification for being distant and appearing unhappy would be more justified than they were currently. But, Celestyn gave that little more thought and just got to work. There was a lot to do and Celestyn though he liked the girl didn't want to do more than just this one day.

The day dragged on and as it did Celestyn was glad that he was pretty built, not huge but enough to be able to deal with the weight of the different things that needed moved. He built up a sweat, even with the magic. He was glad he was wearing a white t-shirt so the patches of sweat could barely be seen. By the end of the day, when the last ornament was in place Celestyn felt like he was ready to keel over. His arms, his legs, his entire body was just exhausted. He hadn't worked that hard in ages, since he lived alone had few friends and hadn't unpacked his own things it had been a long while since he'd done anything of the scope of what he'd done for Rhianne in this house. She had been pretty amazing he had to admit, she had provided him with really fantastic food and all of the negative thoughts that he'd had about her had vanished. He did not take a seat he just stood a little awkwardly a little off from the sofa. He smiled at Rhianne as she spoke and smiled at him. His smile lingered longer, it appeared far more natural and far less forced. As if Celestyn was becoming comfortable around her. At the thanks he just shook his head, "It's fine, you're welcome. I was happy to help" he told her, though the last bit was only true later in the day than it had been at the beginning. Celestyn wasn't sure what to do, he wasn't sure what the social protocol was here. He felt like he should leave, but also that he should wait to be dismissed or for the girl to say something about what was to happen next, "Thanks for all the food" Celestyn was not gifted in the kitchen, he could barely make anything and nor did he try a lot of the time. He ate simple basic food, stuff that was no hassle and didn't take long to put together. A lot of the time most of what Celestyn ate wasn't heated up, "That lasagna was amazing. I haven't had such good food in a while," he told her with the sincerity in his voice that indicated that he was telling the truth, "Listen, here take my mobile number, if you need anything else, just send me a message," Celestyn scribbled down his number and then handed it to Rhianne. He was hoping that after that, he would find out if he was to go or not.
​

This is not great, Sorry.

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi smiled at Celestyn when he complimented her cooking..He was actually the first one to try her lasagna and to hear him say it was amazing meant the a big deal to her..She studied her and noticed he was sweating..She was right..Decorating a house would be a great deal of work,magical or not..While he was standing there in the middle of her living room,Rhi wondered what his house looked like..Since it was Celestyn who arranged her furniture..She then realized that he might be thirsty after those hard work..Flicking her wand,she conjured a tall glass of water right in his hand.."There you might be parched..",she said kindly,waving her hand the second time..An apple appeared on his other hand..She noticed him awhile ago,eating the apple she gave him while arranging the furniture..

When Celestyn handed her a piece of paper that contained his number,Rhi accepted it with a smile on her face..She then stood up from the sofa and got her phone from the fireplace mantle and dialed it up..Celestyn's phone rang inside his jeans.."There..You also have my number..All the same,if you need anything,maybe you want to eat good food,send me a message..",she added with a laugh..She was actually tempted to invite him to stay for dinner but she didn't want to bother him further..So there they were,both standing awkwardly in the middle of the living room..​

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[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn didn't know what else to do, so he continued to just stand. Airing his t-shirt to avoid it sticking to him because of the sweat. He was feeling pretty good about all the work they'd done, he had found it surprisingly a little fun, not as horribly terrible as his mind had painted it being that morning. He watched as the woman, cast her wand and water appeared from the kitchen and into his hand. Celestyn smiled at her in thanks, taking a good drink from it. He was beginning to feel pretty tired from this day of work, and with that drink of water he reserved himself to perhaps going home. To calling this done and returning back to his flat. The reporter did have work in the morning and was keen to get some rest in his own flat before it. His flat did not look this this, nor this furnished. His place was far smaller than hers, but then again he liked the size. His mother's place when he'd first moved to New Zealand had been huge and he had hated it. A small place for him where ghosts could barely linger was what suited him. He watched again as she waved her wand and an apple appeared from the kitchen and into his hand. Celestyn smiled at it and took a good bite from it, "Thanks," he muttered to her before placing the glass of water down on the table, on a coster of course.

Giving her his number wasn't something he'd thought he'd do, he had thought that as soon as the work was down he'd be straight out the door and back home but here he stood. Celestyn pulled out his phone from his jeans and then saved the number. He had few contacts in his phone, most of them were his old friends from Finland, his uncles. People who wanted to get in contact with him, but knew that writing him a letter would result in nothing. A text message, or a phone call were surer ways of getting in contact with Celestyn. He took another bite of the apple and then decided that he should probably leave, it was late and they'd been at this all day, "Right, I should go, I have work in the morning," He held the apple in his hand as he said this, walking away from the living room but to the kitchen to grab his jumper. He slipped the jumper on before going back to where Rhianne was still standing, "Thanks again for the food. I'll see you around?" he held his hand out to her so that they could shake hands before him leaving. He knew that was a strangely polite way of doing things but Celestyn was hardly about to give the woman a hug. There was a small smile which seemed to be lingering on his face, far longer than any of his other smiles, he was beginning to look forward to going home and though Celestyn had really enjoyed his time with Rhianne he was not used to spending this much time with another person. He knew that he should leave, he'd in his mind outstayed his welcome really. The work was over and this woman probably just wanted to get back to living in her home, obviously without him being there.
​

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi smiled at Celestyn,waving her hand dismissively when he said thanks referring to the apple that she had given him.."It's nothing compared to the big help that you gave me.."She was still contemplating on her mind whether she would invite this man to stay for dinner or go out and have some dinner somewhere..Something to show her appreciation for him and somehow an opportunity to know him better..It would feel good to know someone aside from Sophie and the people she worked with in Hogwarts..

After she had saved Celestyn's number and gave his phone a ring,he also saved her number..Though they were both magical,with the owlery and all,Celestyn opted to give her his number..More convenient I guess..,she thought.."Right, I should go, I have work in the morning",he had said but went to her kitchen to retrieve his jumper..Why he didn't summoned it,Rhi didn't have the answer to it..He slipped the jumper on before going back to where Rhianne was still standing.. "Thanks again for the food. I'll see you around?",he held his hand out to her so that they could shake hands..Rhi placed her hand in his,shaking it slowly.."Thanks again..For everything..Yeah,I'll see you around..",she said sincerely..Celestyn looked like the type who wanted to be on his own but here he was,helping her wherein he didn't know her in the first place..

She walked him to her front door,still racking her brains about dinner..She bit her lip,fighting an inner battle..And finally she came to a decision before Celestyn would leave her house.."Do you mind staying for dinner??You could be my first house guest..",she invited,"Or I could treat you to dinner outside..",she offered,giving him a choice..​

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn shrugged non-commitally at her words, he knew that he had been a big deal to her but that didn't really matter to him. He had of course minded when he had first arrived in the morning have to help her out but here and now the man didn't mind so much, he would do so far as to say that for Rhianne he would do it again. In fact he thought that the exchange of good food and a little bit of company went a long way for him, it more than made up for all the work he'd had to do for her. He just smiled slightly continuing to take bites out of the apple, he wasn't sure what to do really. Rhianne had taken his hand, she had shaken it, he was left stood in the middle of her floor just trying to gauge how well he'd done with her, if they were now friends, or if this was just another estranged friendship and strange number in his phone. He didn't even notice that she seemed to be questioning the fact he used muggle things, he didn't use his wand often, not really. He was very immersed in the muggle world and very little of his time was spent anywhere else. Which was why he didn't often pick to just do things the magical way. Very often if it could be done the muggle way he would do it that way. It had always been that way for him and a habit a bit tricky to break. He was as they headed towards the door beginning to think of what he would do when he got home. There were beers in the fridge and he was sure he could find some muggle sports to watch.

Pulling the jumper slightly around himself the reporter geared himself up for going outside, though it was warm in the house, since it was late night it would like that morning be cold again. He noted that Rhianne seemed to be trying to come to some form of decision, what she was decided he had no clue; though it became clear when she spoke. Celestyn whose hand had just about been on the door handle to let himself out looked round at her. His eyes meeting hers as he tried to figure out if this was because she felt like she owed him dinner or if it was something else. The man smiled slightly at her, thinking about the offer quite seriously he wasn't sure what he had to eat in his apartment and it would be good to get some food but in his mind he didn't want to impose upon her further. Not more than he already was, or had. All the work was done, they'd exchanged details and while Celestyn had grown to like Rhianne he'd reserved himself to going home. However, his stomach giving a keen rumble right at that point made the decision for him, "I'll stay for dinner if you don't mind? I can give a little hand cooking," he suggested turning fully back to face her a nervous smile on his face, hoping dearly that she wouldn't change her mind about it. Celestyn knew he wasn't much of a chef but he could try, "The least I can do to repay you for your hospitality would be to give a hand at dinner," he continued the smile on his face growing slightly before fading completely, "My cooking skills are not as good as my heavy lifting skills so fair warning,"
​

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Just as Celestyn reached for the door,Rhi blurted out her invitation..After the words came out of her mouth,she almost wished the ground would just open and swallowed her whole..She didn't want to come out as desperate for company..She just wanted to extend the time,trying to know him better..Sophie would be proud of her for trying to reconnect to the outside world after months?Or years of wallowing in self-pity and heartbreak..She didn't realize she was holding her breath when Celestyn gave a positive answer to her invitation..He even offered to help her in cooking..Her face immediately brightened up.."Nah,it's nothing..You helped me make my house a home..It's the least I could do for someone who came here for heavy lifting duty..",she joked lightly..She suddenly noticed that he had a nervous smile on his face which grew slightly before fading completely..She wondered why but then the few statements that came out of his mouth explained the reason which made her laugh.."My cooking skills are not as good as my heavy lifting skills so fair warning..",he explained..Rhi shook her head.."I am not a chef myself so I won't judge..And I'm sure you will manage just fine without making a damage in the kitchen..",she added,while turning around to lead the way to the kitchen..

She was figuring out what to make for dinner..What does he like?,she wondered..She wanted to make a dinner with everything he likes..After all,it was Celestyn who did all the heavy work..So she decided to ask him for ideas.."Any ideas for dinner?What would you like to eat??",she turned to look at him..

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

It was good he assumed that he was at least trying to be more friendly with her. Trying to solidify any friendship before he left, since leaving would likely mean that eventually Celestyn would forget to contact her or reply. He just forgot to do things and then eventually chose to not bother. Which wasn't a particular good trait for someone who had few friends already. He just wasn't very good at being a friend. This was what previous people had told him, mostly angrily when he weakly tried to apologise for forgetting something or doing something wrong. He just tried to make up for it, even if it always failed. He was glad when she didn't seem too bothered about his staying for dinner, and he waved his hand when she said it was the least she could do for him. It seemed pointless to go back and worth trying to figure out what each person was owed. In his eyes she owed him nothing else, and it was him who owed her an apology of sorts for having arrived with a negative outlook on this. That was why rather than saying anything he just dismissed it with his hand and focused on following her to the kitchen.

Celestyn didn't think that her skills were bad, after all she'd made breakfast and lunch for him, both of which had been pretty amazing. He had no complaints about anything really. The complaints he'd had when first arriving were long gone. He yawned slightly, stretching his body so he could wake up a little. Just as she asked him if he had any ideas for dinner. Celestyn just shook his head at her, "None, sorry," with a slight small apologetic smile as he spoke. He ate very few things he was supposed to, he ate terribly and most of what he ate were things he'd bought to microwave. "I'm not a fussy eater, I'll eat pretty much anything. My dinners are mostly microwavable so I'm not fussed by taste," a slight tint of pink flushed to his cheeks a slight embarrassment over his truly awful eating habits and really that wasn't even the worst of it. He lived alone with nothing to keep him in check, he rarely went out to buy food, and when he did it was mostly left alone. Too much work involved, "I'll be fine with whatever you like to eat," in reality Celestyn just didn't really know what his favourite thing to eat was, he just sort of ate.
​

 

[Rhianne Cade]

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<COLOR color="#000"><FONT font="Georgia">Rhi laughed softly when Celestyn answered her with an apologetic smile.."You must be kidding right??How can you get these buff and fit if you are just eating microwave food??",she asked as she lead the way to the kitchen..It was then she realized what she said..She stopped abruptly almost hitting herself for being so stupid..How could she say that?Now the man behind her would think she was staring at him and his body..Well,he can't blame me..He is too good looking not to be looked at..,she thought to herself..She composed herself as she turned to face him.."Okay then..We will be making Honey Soy Glazed Salmon with Mushrooms and Peppers..You do eat fish right??",she regarded him friendly..She turned to gather the ingredients necessary for the dish..She also grabbed another set of ingredients for the Mac and Cheese which she would bake to give to Celestyn..Tossing two packs of microwave Jasmine rice to him,she joked,"Can you microwave them??I'm sure you are an expert.."She smiled sweetly at him but with a small laugh..She turned back to the kitchen counter and started preparing dinner which wouldn't take long..


After half an hour and with the mac and cheese starting to bake in the oven...


Rhi was seated across Celestyn at the dinner table..The outcome was perfect..No magic used which made it more rewarding..she had also set down a bottle of white wine,a gift from Sophie on her moving day.."Dinner is served..Let's dig in..",she announced with a smile..She sliced the salmon in four equal parts..Being a good hostess,she placed a slice on Celestyn's plate first before placing one on hers..She waited for the man to have the first bite.."Well..How was it??",she asked..​

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[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn couldn't help but laugh a little at what she said with a slightly bemused expression on his face. He glanced down at himself, was he what people considered buff? He didn't think he was. He knew he was in shape despite how badly he ate, but that wasn't buff. He noticed that she seemed to realise what she'd said. Celestyn could offer her no words of comfort in this, "I don't think I'm buff," using her choice of words instead of what he might've picked to say knowing that his tone likely had an element of mocking but it was mostly just directed at the word choice, "I used to do sport journalism, I like sports," he shrugged slightly as he spoke, not really knowing how to explain it to her. He didn't see himself as buff, he just saw himself as a slim person. Nothing more than that. He ate pretty horrible that much was true but Celestyn balanced it out by being the kind of person who didn't always remember to actually eat. That was likely why he didn't have any problems eating what he wanted when he did in fact remember to eat. The man just followed her into the kitchen listening to what she would be making, watching in fascination as she collected the ingredients. This was interrupted slightly when she asked him to microwave some rice, the man nodded, "I am a microwave expert," he affirmed before doing as instructed. Feeling pretty good about helping out with dinner despite the tiny role he was playing in it.

Eventually he took his seat at the dinner table across from Rhianne, he reached out and took the glass of wine, giving it a quick sip. It tasted good, Celestyn did not often drink wine, he was much more of a beer kind of guy. The man grabbed his knife and fork and began to eat, just as she asked him how it was. After eating a bite full he nodded and gave a little noise of pleasure, "It's good," he told her smiling as he finished his bite. Salmon had been one of the staples of his diet back in Finland he didn't eat it very often now. He missed the taste of the salmon he got back home, there it was just better for some reason, "You are an excellent cook," he complimented her with a bright, though brief smile. The man was really glad for the food and it was not far off the food he liked, "Before I moved to this country, I used to eat salmon a lot, but I find it doesn't taste as good here so I eat far less of it, but this, this is really good," his accent as he talked of his old country however brief came through slightly stronger, and unknowing this was really the first time he'd given her real honest information about himself. He really meant what he said about the food in front of him, "What do you think?"
​

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi shook her head with a smile when Celestyn disagreed on him not being buff.."Sports,huh?I also love sports aside from music..",she revealed..She remembered when she used to play the guitar back when she was a student..When was the last time she played her guitar?It seemed ages..After she graduated,she started traveling..Her guitar was just in her room beside her bed..She made a mental note to play it tonight before she went to bed..

Rhi was pleased to hear that Celestyn was enjoying the dinner that they had prepared..She was even more pleased that the dish she had chosen features his favorite,salmon..How he spoke about his old country was shown on how his accent was expressed..She was happy that he was somehow warming up to her already..She also took a bite out of her dish and chewed thoughtfully before answering him,"Salmon also happens to be my favorite and having it prepared with mushrooms is heaven for me.."She took a sip from her white wine as she regarded the man across her..She meant to buy some beer the other day but eventually forgot..Swirling the wine in her glass,she said,"Thanks for joining me for dinner..I don't normally prepare decent food if I'm alone.."She just fried some eggs or bacon or just make a sandwich and she was good to go.."So aside from salmon and sports,what are your other favorites?",she asked,hoping to get to know him more..​

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn just nodded as she talked about the fact that she liked music, he was always under the impression that everyone liked music to a certain extent, even those who may have occasionally claimed that they do not. It in his head boiled down to the fact that sometimes people were embarrassed by their music taste and therefore were less inclined to either talk about it. He just nodded at the statement and sat down to dinner. It was funny what a day of activities and work did for an appetite, Celestyn was eating the food so quickly that it was almost like he'd not eaten in days. Which he of course had done, this was just the first time in a while he'd been truly active, truly doing things. Doing something more than just sitting around at home doing nothing with all of his free time. It was why in part he was so grateful to her and her kindness, he knew that had he gone home he would've hd something cold if anything at all. His diet was something to not envy. As much as the man tried he just couldn't improve it. He couldn't do anything which made it better. All that happened was that it was made worse.

As she spoke, he smiled happily, knowing that Salmon was her favourite food, he had said salmon was his favourite but really it was in essence just that. He loved the taste and while he thought it was better back in his own country, considering how she'd made it and how good it tasted he was going to think about giving it a chance. He took the glass of wine and took a long sip of the drink, smiling back at her as he did so, the smile lingered on his face slightly more, with each time that Celestyn did smile it lasted just that little bit longer, just that little bit extra, perhaps unnoticeable but compared with when he had started that morning it was a change. As she continued speaking he nodded in agreement, "I'm the same, no sense making it look nice if you're eating alone," Celestyn said in with before taking another sip of his wine as she asked him what his favourites were, he knew that this part had been coming, getting to know one another, it made him a little bit nervous. His smile faded slightly and he took a few bites to eat. He wasn't very good at talking about himself, his life or what he liked, he put his cutlery down and wiped his mouth with the napkin,

"My favourites?" Celestyn asked, "I like grey as a colour, my favourite thing to do is write, erm," the man stopped unsure what else to say, visibly uncomfortable about talking about himself in such a way, "I'm sorry, as you can see I'm not very good at talking about myself, I prefer talking about other people, or listening to others talk about themselves,"
​

 

[Rhianne Cade]

Rhi nodded as she listened to Celestyn responding to her statement..She was pleased that he seemed to be warming up to her already..It was a start somehow..It was already dark as seen from her window and the streetlamps were already lit to shed light to people still outside..They were already halfway to dinner just as she was asking him about his favorites..She noticed his smile faded so she thought it was a bit personal..She stopped eating and was about to take back what she said when he eventually answered..

Rhi found out that his favorite color was grey and he liked to write..After a few moments,he became uncomfortable and the next words he said explained why.."I'm sorry, as you can see I'm not very good at talking about myself, I prefer talking about other people, or listening to others talk about themselves,"he had said..Rhi smiled,trying to control her amusement for her guest..Waving her hand dismissively,she replied,"It's no problem..Don't worry..It goes with your job,right?And I also agree..It way easier to talk about other people's lives than ours.."​

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Out of Character:

This post sucks..I'll do better..

 

[Celestyn Helkovaara]

Celestyn had never really associated his inability to really talk about himself with the fact he was a journalist, obviously since his job required him to not really say much about him, it probably did definitely help, he felt better about not having been good at talking about himself when she had said that, it made him feel less bad about the fact that he was in fact bad at it. He had never really been good at talking about himself, Celestyn had never been good with other people, when he had been with his father it had been difficult to talk about his life because of how much of a mess it had been at the time. Now, it was slightly better, but he still couldn't really talk about it, it was a force of habit to direct the attention away from himself and to whomever else was in the room, "From the job and probably just from habit, is why I'm so terrible at it, my mother always said I was too private for my own good," The man gave a small laugh, before trying to think of a subject that was far less personal and just easier for them both. He took a long sip of the wine, and then decided on what was hopefully a neutral topic, "What made you decide to become a librarian?" he asked with a smile taking a bit of the food on his fork. He could answer the reverse of the question, so Celestyn wasn't exactly worried about this kind of question so much, after all the answer could just be that he or she'd just fallen into it. Something they'd just ended up doing after a little bit of thinking but a whole lot of this will be for the best. Celestyn could understand that.
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It was awesome man!