What Are The Chances?

[Cerise Allard]

Cerise was in London, she'd hopped on the train earlier in the week from Paris, and was spending some extended time in London. She loved the city, it was busy like Paris but different in almost every way. Sure, like in Paris tourists still flocked to the pavements, the public transport and somehow always managed to just slow everyone down, but she didn't mind so much. She liked taking in the sights and sounds of a city. Her english was good, she'd lived in Boston for a good many years before having moved back to France, she had a slight accent, but it was not largely noticeable, not unless someone was listening. Being in London was therefore easy. She knew the city relatively well, and had no problem with the language. Cess didn't drive, she'd always lived in large cities with good public transport, so while she could, it had never been something she really needed to do. Which was why she hadn't taken, or rented a car for the duration of her stay. She didn't need it. Cerise was in London for work, she was early morning television host, she had her own show, and she loved it. For the next few weeks she was working in London, at their television studios, doing a series on the life of the stars of early morning television in other countries. She'd been selected because of her popularity, and because she spoke english. Cess had not completely understood why it needed to be filmed in London, but it was, and so Cess was in London, talking to different interviewers, talking about various aspects of what it was like doing her job. Taking part in bits and pieces with others. It was all busy work, and Cess was really loving it. She loved her job, and she'd been doing it for a good many years at this point. Her body clock was a little different from most because of it, but she loved it anyway. She had always wanted a career in show business and preferred this over anything else. She met a lot of people, made a lot of friends, and wasn't absurdly famous meaning that she could just do random things, and be herself without having to think of her public image. It was the perfect combination. She had no problems with the work that she did. She was happy with it. Cess was paid well, so she really couldn't complain about it. She was being paid far more than her father had ever been paid for the work that he'd done.

It was early evening when Cess had finished up for the day. It had been a particularly long day. She was feeling exhausted. Early mornings and long film times weren't always perfect. But, it was still not overly late, the sun was still in the sky, and above her tiredness, Cess was hungry. She wanted to sit down and eat something, maybe have a drink or two. She wasn't in the mood for a large meal. She wasn't in the mood for a pub either. Cerise was in one of those moods where she wasn't sure what she wanted to eat, but she knew what she didn't want. It had led to her wandering around the area that she was staying in, within central London. Trying to find a small, quiet good place that she wanted to eat at. Cess ended up wondering pretty far, and recognised the streets as being close to the magical area of the city. She'd been a few times with her boys. She doubted that they expected her to remember, but she did. She liked this area as much as she enjoyed the rest of the areas of the city. It was then, that as Cess walked around, that she saw a bar, that seemed nice enough. She stole a quick glance at the menu then went inside. It was a thursday evening, but the place was pretty busy. She had however no trouble getting to the front of the bar. She ordered a light salad and a drink. She didn't want anything particularly heavy, but knew she needed to have a drink. She found herself a table and settled herself. It was not so busy that she found herself overwhelmed, it was just perfect, despite the fact that it wasn't the high end establishment, or the usual places that Cess went to. She liked trying new things, there was no harm in it. Who knew what would come of this choice. Cess looked up as the door of the bar opened, a group of people walked in. She smiled slightly, glancing back down at the meal in front of her. She lacked friends in London, but that was something she knew she'd eventually have. However, Cess was still perfectly content with sitting alone.
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This is a little awful, my apologies man.

 

[Levi Prescott]

Levi was usually a headstrong, confident person although these traits intermittently disappeared as he submitted to his team's wishes and allowed himself to be dragged by his limbs (although not literally) to a bar after practice. Being in a London bar, and a muggle one at that was almost entirely out of his character and more so out of his comfort zone as any time spent away from work he utilized for more work or sleeping for too many hours at a time from the sheer exhaustion of working at a near-constant rate. No, a bar was too different to what usually filled his day to day routine, and what felt like a new experience as it had been almost ten years since he dwelled in a bar with more than one close friend for a drink. It somehow took him back to his younger years, when he did frequent bars and have fun with his teammates to celebrate a win or even a day of practice well done because in his twenties Levi took any excuse he had to party whereas now he found the idea of partying more tedious than the work he was putting off while being here. Even having a drink felt like wasting energy better spent with work no matter how much effort he made to throw his troubles away and have fun. He kept up many attempts to convince himself that a fake smile following a tasteless joke from his already drunk friends and another sip of beer was better than being stuck at home, and by the time the alcohol began to affect him he somehow believed it. His mind was clouded and so was his vision but it made him feel more relaxed, like he was in the right place at the right time and the bar itself was a haven of good fortune (something he mentioned to his team in the midst of unfiltered, alcohol fueled rambling).

Sober Levi would never laugh at his friends' inappropriate jokes although while tipsy he had begun to giggle and even laugh obnoxiously thanks to his lowered inhibitions. For the first time in what Levi could only assume was a thousand years he felt young again, suddenly willing to do anything he could to keep the night from ending despite the fact it was still evening and the night had barely begun, which was a thought that Levi was more than happy to keep in the front of his mind. After another half hour and countless bottles of beer he insisted he shout another round and of course his team did anything but refuse because no one in their right mind could say no to free drinks when already drunk or at least on the borderline of being so. He stood from his chair and stumbled slightly which drew too much attention to himself and incited more laughter from his table that he could hardly believe was possible, though he played it off by squaring his shoulders and flashing a dopey grin so he could pretend like his lapse in balance never happened when he approached the bar and waited for the bartender's attention. Attention that was unfortunately taken by other bar patrons that were far less obnoxious than the group he arrived with, but spite it all Levi was patient and took the time waiting to gather up enough Dutch courage to begin a conversation with the attractive woman next to him. A woman he knew from years ago but took a few minutes to recognize due to the dim light and his alcohol impaired vision. "Are you having a good time? I am." He said as he looked over to her, which was when her features suddenly became all too familiar and he had trouble believing it was actually none other than Cerise Allard, his old friend in the same bar, the same city, and at the same time as him nonetheless. His posture immediately slouched and his tone of voice changed to one more sarcastic because being in the same room as Cess by nothing but chance after so many years being out of contact was unbelievable in every way. "I am definitely too drunk." He turned to face his table and leaned back on the bar, commentating more to himself than to Cerise but he included her in his words regardless. "Are you really here, in the same bar as me? Or am I just hallucinating an old fantasy?" His gaze turned to her as he questioned how on earth they were in the same place at the same time. Levi had long forgotten about the drinks he was supposed to shout his friends because this situation was completely impossible and he could not wrap his head around it. ​

 

[Cerise Allard]

It wasn't long into her arrival at the bar that she noticed him. At first she'd thought she was imagining it, that it was just someone who looked just like a man she'd once known. But then that person laughed, and she knew that laugh. She knew it from a mile away. She would've been able to pick it out from a massive crowd, a crowd larger and noisier than this one. So, that was when Cess really realised who it was, and that it wasn't just her ears and eyes playing tricks on her. It was actually him. She spent time watching him carefully with his friends. He had grown a lot, changed in many ways, but it was the same man she remembered clearly. Cerise couldn't actually remember when she'd last seen him. How many years had it really been? Too many really. She'd fallen out of contact with him when she'd moved to France. It was just one of those people she'd lost contact, but admittedly it was nice to see him again. Her life was pretty boring right now. Aside from work going well, she just lacked in just about everything else. She'd focused on career building and her boys that really her own life was a little less active. However, she couldn't find her courage to go over to him and speak to him. She didn't want to interrupt him and his friends, but she was keen to try at the very least to speak to him before he left. Which she knew she'd need a few more drinks in her before she'd be able to do such a thing. So, once she'd finished her food, she'd gone up to the bar and ordered something much stronger to drink. And had drank it slowly, attempting to grow in courage to go over to him. It was silly and she felt like a young child. A teenager who didn't want to go over to someone and would her friend over instead. But, she was a grown up with two sons, and a job. Maybe it was just having not seen him after so long that made her nervous what would she even say to him. She couldn't really remember how they'd left things. Cess downed the rest of her drink and quickly ordered another one.

It was by chance, and the fact that Cess had stopped really paying attention, that someone talking to her hadn't really clicked in her head who it was until she turned to him. And realised it was Levi. Her old friend. She smiled at him. He was drunk, Cess could see that but really she couldn't say much considering she was just heading that way. She laughed at what he said, this was completely surreal. How many things must've happened for this to have happened. She couldn't help but smile. Her slight drunkenness part of that. Cerise let her eyes linger on him, wondering what would happen next, what turn this day would take. His words surprised her a little bit. "Yeah, it appears I am," she said slowly with a smile. "Do you hallucinate often when you are drunk?" she asked with a little laugh. Smiling slightly as she said it. It was weird. "This is strange right? Surreal" She then said giving a small laugh, she got up and went around to him. Holding her arms out slightly as if offering him a hug. "It's been a while, hasn't it Levi?" she then said. It was funny how sometimes you ran into someone from what felt like a previous life. This was a magical thing to happen. A coincidence but amazing. She couldn't wonder what he'd done in the time between now and when they'd last seen each other. Was he married, did he maybe have kids. She wished it hadn't been that long, but it had been. She couldn't help but just be amazed by the fact that he was here right now. That he stood in front of her. That laugh, that face, she knew it anywhere. "You look good," she couldn't help but say. She didn't know what else to do. She was just in amazement of it. In amazement that today of all days this had happened. It was just hilarious. If there was a god, they clearly want her and Levi to be friends. Really Cess was just happy to see an old friend, she missed Boston and everything that city had to offer.
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[Levi Prescott]

In the midst of his drunken stupor he should have noticed her straight away. Her appearance had been imprinted in his memory and he was too smart and still had enough control over his motor skills to foolishly allow himself to forget the face of an old friend he had not seen in years. Yet regardless of how long it took for him to realize Cess was in the same bar and city he was thankful for the coincidence of it all. They had lost touch for many reasons Levi knew and probably more reasons he had yet to know, though one of them had been the depths that Levi dived into with his work that even plagued his mind now that he had bumped into a friend and was somewhat intoxicated. He shook the reminder of the paperwork from his head and instead listened to Cess' question. Not once in his life had he hallucinated while drunk but there was a first time for everything and although every instinct in his body told him this was real, the situation continued to seem unbelievable enough to be a figment of his imagination. "It's never happened before but it wouldn't surprise me if this is the first time." With a shrug he turned back towards the bar to finally catch the attention of the bartender and order two drinks for him and Cess and not for the table whose drinks he had promised minutes ago. The people he arrived with were now a non-existent thought in his mind compared to the old friend he had ran into. The feeling he had earlier in the evening about being in the right place at the right time suddenly began to make sense and if Levi believed in a higher power he would have thanked them vigorously though his logical mind put this coincidence to a mere stroke of good luck.

"I'm still trying to believe this is real." He responded before the drinks arrived and nodded at Cess when they were placed on the bar in an indication the other one was for her. "Let's celebrate! Cheers." With a delicate movement he touched the side of his glass to hers and brought it to his lips before sipping the alcohol and smiling admirably as he continued speaking. "A while?" Levi laughed at the under exaggeration and put his drink on the bar when Cess stood from her chair. He didn't even need to pause before he wrapped his arms around her in a bear-like hug, lifting her from the floor and rocking her gently before placing her back down. "It's been so long I can't even count the years!" When he released her from his arms, he picked up his glass and sipped again as she complimented his looks. Levi had never been a vain person though hearing such a compliment reassured him that his appearance had yet to age and show the workaholic hermit he was on the inside. "And here you are, not aging a day since the last time I saw you." He used the glass to point at her while returning the compliment and exhibiting the same admiring smile that seemed like it would never leave his face. Levi was happy in every way and now that Cess was in the picture he knew the warm feeling clouding his mind was not only influenced by alcohol. "What are you doing now? How's that couple you hung out with? How is everything? I want the lowdown!" His words were genuinely enthusiastic and showed no sign of drunken enthusiasm in spite of how drunk he had grown to be in the space of a few minutes. With every ounce of honesty he wanted to know how Cess had been, how she spent her time and how on earth she managed to be in a London bar when the last time he spoke to her she announced her moving away from Boston and the entire Northern Hemisphere to live in New Zealand.

blahhhhh. i'm sorry.​

 

[Cerise Allard]

As the low levels of alcohol took a slight hold of Cerise's mind, she just stood in awe of her old friend standing in front of her. It was just such a strange thing to have him stood in front of her like he was, it had been so many years she couldn't believe how long it had been. It had been so long and so much had changed since then, since she had last seen him. Cess smiled at him, unable to even remotely stop herself from doing so, she was just in utter astonishment over how this could've happened after just so long. Her smile lingered on her face as he ordered two drinks at the bar, normally Cess would've turned down a drink at this point knowing she was reaching her personal limit, but with Levi, with him in that moment, she did no such thing. The woman knew she would take the drink and drink to the impossibility of this entire situation, two people meeting again after so long in a country she was sure neither was really associated with. Cess nodded at him, "You and me both, Levi," Cess couldn't help but agree since it was in fact true. There was a part of her which honestly believed this to be fake, that couldn't see this at all as being real, a dream of some kind. There was no way in her mind, and yet it was, here she was stood with a friend she just had not seen in oh so long. The woman knew so much had changed since they'd last seen each other and he was a little reminder of how things had once been. Cess took the glass with the drink and followed the same motion as him, essentially raising their classes before drinking. She sipped the drink watching Levi carefully as he too drank essentially eying him up. Really aside from being older the man had not really changed, not that surprising she thought since he wasn't a different person, he was just older.

Cess put her drink on the bar and just in time as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a bear-like hug, a hug she hadn't experienced in a long while. She too wrapped her arms around him gladly, smiling brightly as she did so. This was a wondrous moment, she couldn't help but think as she was placed back down on the ground. Her eyes never leaving Levi, as if glancing away would end this extremely realistic dream, though she picked up her glass and took small sips of the alcoholic liquid within. She blushed politely at his compliment of sorts, "Neither have you, still the same Levi I remember," Cerise returned motioning to him, he did in some ways look different, in the same way that she knew she looked different from when he'd last seen her. Things had changed, her life was very different from how it had been then, just like she was sure his was too. Then as she took another sip of her drink perfectly content with this entire situation, Levi asked a series of questions. Cess was unsure about what to say, obviously what she did was easy, but she had two boys, and Cess wasn't sure if that was what he would want to hear. The woman just decided if this was as amazing as it seemed, then surely he wouldn't mind the idea of Cess having kids, "I'm a morning TV show host, I work in Paris for a French network," she started off easy, taking another sip of her drink before continuing, "The couple I hung around with, well, they're dead. They died almost ten years ago now," she had a hint of sadness in her tone, but it was somewhat masked by her happiness of seeing Levi and a little by the alcohol, "I have two boys, Sam and Jon, 26 and 23 respectively but I remain unmarried. What about you?" Cess returned the question with a small smile sipping her drink, just wondering what Levi had got up to in the years since they'd last seen each other, wondering if he had kids of his own, or if he was married.
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