O, let me not be mad, not mad

[eyevigilant]

Who: Mad-Eye Moody and you!
When: October 21st-24th; pick a time
Where: Sector 3, by the library, or Sector 2, by the police station there
Summary: Meet a paranoid old cranky wizard scouting things out in his version of recon.
Warnings: None yet.

Comments

outside police station, 24th, late afternoon!

[atrumcanis]

[Oh, what the hell.

Most times when going to work, it's easiest to Apparate to some area just outside of the bar and then stroll in. Or there's always the flying motorbike, or half a hundred other more interesting ways to get to work, but today Sirius had elected to walk. Which is perfectly all right, walking is enjoyable--and it takes him past the police station, and he'd thought perhaps to duck in and see Re-l, if she was in, just for a moment--

And here's that mad old bloke, standing outside and glaring at everyone. He blends in about as well as a half-lame pitbull among poodles. And Sirius could simply walk on by, but--

He sidles up to Moody instead, skeptically.]

Expecting someone?

[eyevigilant]

[Moody doesn't turn towards him, though it's easy to tell that he is nevertheless watching him with that eye.]

Spotted you a couple blocks away, Black. You always sidle up like that to people that you know are ready to blast intruders?

[atrumcanis]

[He rolls his eyes and stops a bit of a distance off, leaning against a wall. Not that he isn't ready to do something, should this madman... do... something. It's not a very specific plan, but he has his wand, and that's enough.

Right.]

Oh, is that what you're preparing to do? Sorry, it looks to me as if you're just lurking outside a public building, you should have announced otherwise.

[eyevigilant]

[Moody grunts in response, and then adds, for his benefit:] No worries. You're clear for the moment.

And who might you be coming here for?

[atrumcanis]

Your mother. And I'm going for my cigarettes, now, don't get jumpy--

[He very deliberately and clearly fishes in his pocket and digs one out of the half pack stowed there.]

It's a free island, I can walk past the police house if I like. And yourself? Lurking, as I surmised?

[eyevigilant]

[He simply keeps his glare going at a normal rate. Nothing will spoil the memory of his mother! Or whatever.]

You'll pardon me if I don't believe that a smug teenage wizard known for pranks walks by police stations without a reason.

Mm. And yeah, lurking. From what I've seen on the news, the past performance of these police-men doesn't always inspire a great deal of faith.

[atrumcanis]

[He scowls faintly as he lights the cigarette and takes the first drag. Yeah, all right, got him there, smug pranks et cetera, but he's not going to acknowledge that.]

Don't tell me you're planning to join them?

[eyevigilant]

[He pauses deliberately before answering, but in the end, he does answer; it is Sirius, who was a valued ally.]

Maybe. If they can be trusted. Close as anything else around here to what I do.

Speaking of which, boy. What's it that you do here?

[atrumcanis]

[He sucks in another drag, scowling again. There's no reason for him to feel stupid or inadequate in what he does, but-- perhaps it's because Moody knows him later, a more accomplished version of him. The thought of trying to live up to himself is a weird one, and definitely not one he cares to dwell on.]

Going to try to talk me into joining up as well? I work at a bar. And for one of the lawyers as well, sometimes, and there's-- if anyone needs assistance, out in the Darkness, we do that as well.

[eyevigilant]

[He eyes Sirius thoughtfully -- and with a slight touch of scorn, too.]

Wouldn't try to convince anyone till I'm convinced myself. Certainly not a lad who's at a point in his life where he's as likely as not to respond to an order by doing the opposite.

[His eye can be heard whirling around to stare at a rather large woman who just exited a building, before coming back.]

Bars. They can be useful for some kinds of information. That's fine. Now, who's the 'lawyer'? And who's 'we'?

[And no, he doesn't care about asking all the questions.]

[atrumcanis]

Are you always this charming and pleasant, or is this just for me specially? It's a wonder you haven't more friends to your name.

[He ashes his cigarette, shoulders hunched in irritation. If wizards had a thing like the third degree, or twenty questions, Moody would be getting a lot of sarcastic remarks in that vein.]

'The lawyer' is Edgeworth, and he's brilliant, everyone knows who he is. And 'we' is me and some others. There's loads of groups that go around doing the same. If you ask around a bit, people will be all too happy to inform you of 'em, concerned citizens that they are.

[eyevigilant]

Yeah, saved something special for you, Sirius. Hope you're flattered. [Anyway, friends aren't always a net positive. The more friends you have, the more potential backstabbers there are. Easier it is for someone to impersonate one. Et cetera. But he doesn't harangue this time.]

I've heard of him. [He lapses into another pause.]

So you work at a bar. And sometimes patrol the Darkness. Seen a lot of the monsters? [He's been wandering around the Darkness too, to get a feel for it, and had some close shaves.]

OH MY GOD HOW DID I FORGET THIS?!?!?!?

[atrumcanis]

[He rolls his eyes at that first bit. Really. How it is that he comes to know and work with a bloke like this is a mystery--but then again, he might have said the same of nearly anyone here. It just happens, more likely than not--and it happens soon, which is disconcerting.]

I've seen 'em--and fought 'em, and killed 'em as well. Had a bit of one in a box--you can sell bits of 'em for a load of money. Easier work than policing, and a great deal more entertaining.

WELL... DID YOU EVER REALLY?

[eyevigilant]

Sounds like reckless endangerment. [Sounds like not a surprise.]

Speaking of which. Heard Potter was in town at one point. [Well, Harry is pretty well associating with reckless endangerment--!]

In fact, I heard Remus and that bastard Snape was, too.

[And now just gauging reactions.]

I... I DON'T KNOW.....

[atrumcanis]

[....you know, perhaps he could come to like this fellow after all, if their mutual thoughts on Snape are anything to go by. It's lucky that Snape was mentioned--it gives him something to be distracted by, and helps to minimize any other possible reactions.]

Yeah. Snape might have unfortunately blown himself up, and more's the pity. I was looking for him.

He was old. Older, I mean, older than the one I know. From your time, I s'ppose.

[eyevigilant]

[Not that he ever trusted a former Death Eater fully, but after Dumbledore's death, it was solidified.]

Hah! No great loss, then.