Bad Luck

[Evelyn Hayes]

The day passed on slowly as it normally did for Evelyn. The leaves faded into hues of scarlets and tangerines. Rain moisturized the pavement and cobblestone roads, even turning some plants green again. Rain crept to Just about anywhere else rain could get to. Today happened to be one of those days when rain wasn't in sight and the sky was cloudless. The only thing worth looking at was the sun setting into the horizon. Evelyn left Dion Fortune Hospital, ready to head home and finally catch some well deserved snoozes, just as she was about to catch a carriage, her stomach let out a cry for food. The last week, Eve was working harder then she should have and that meant several days without food, sure it sounded rather risky, but she needed the pay. With deprivation of food, it left Eve looking rather than and dark bags under her brown eyes, that was not a pretty sigh. Eve headed toward the nearest destination, Rory Fallon's Pub. She was sure that they were still serving until seven o clock. Thirty minutes would've been enough for her to get a decent meal.

The Rory Fallon Pub was busy today, people filled almost every table in the workplace. Eve had not expected this type of turn out. A crowd of jolly Irishmen with mugs of Irish Whiskey confined the entrance. The joke was about a leprechaun, Eve didn't bother to here the rest and perused to find a table. She forced her way through to find a table. After a few minutes, she spotted a clear near the fire place. Conversation and the music from fiddles in the background made the pub lively with joy. Eve hung her pea coat on the back of the chair and flipped through the menu, thinking of what could possibly soothe her aching stomach.

As Eve's thoughts slipped into the menu, there was letter that was becoming restless in her coat pocket.  Eve had forgotten about the letter and soon wished she hadn't.

((Tristan))

[Tristan Rune]

Tristan had had the day off and had spent nearly the entire day sleeping. He was way overdue on sleep having worked a few back to back night shifts re-setting some tracking charms around the perimter of the forrest that touched the public park. The An Taoisigh had been very adament about extra security these days and that meant more work for the understaffed Forrest Management Department.  Tristan and his boss Ted Senter had worked together and gotten the charms all in place and had them linking back to the An Taosigh Forrest Security Department.

Tristan woke hungry, but per usual, there was no food in the flat he shared with Vaughn. There was only a box of Winkly's Cheddar Crackers and some sour milk. So Tristan pulled on a pair of jeans and a clean, though rather wrinkled brown sweatshirt and headed out to Rory Fallon's. Unfortuately, it was packed and he has to walk the whole place twice looking for an empty table. His stomach was growling and he was about to give up when he saw an open table that he nearly knocked three people over to get to. But it was all in vain, he tripped over a chair that someone had left pulled out and landed on the floor near the table as a young dark haired woman took a seat at the table and began to look at a menu.

She had not seem to notice his acrobatics or his hard landing on the floor, where he still sat. He pulled himself up using the empty chair by her table. "Uh, do you think we might share your table before anyone else gets hurt?" he asked as he rubbed a sore spot on his rib cage.

[Evelyn Hayes]

Eve didn't pay much attention to the people that were still entering the pub, all she wanted to do was serve her hunger already. Her stomach let out another growl and she held her waist trying to contain it, even if it didn't do any good. She scanned the menu to see what would possibly be in her interest. Steak and potatoes sounded good at the moment, or even a bowl of clam chowder. The made her mouth water Nah, she could go for Rory Fallon's classic Dublin Coddle, no one could top the Irish dish.

The sound of someone hit the floor rather hard, shook a table a little, but she still didn't make any acknowledgment of it. Though someone may have hurt themselves severely. Still, they seemed to be okay, because looked away from her menu to see a man struggling to regain his balance. Once Eve had made seen him, she set down her menu and sighed, deciding on what she was going to eat. “Sure, go right ahead.” she said to the man with a smile and noticed him rubbing his rib cage. “Nothing is broken, is it?” Eve asked curiously.

[Tristan Rune]

Tristan was rubbing his elbow as he sat down and smiled at the young woman sitting across from him.

"Slippery floors. Too much wax."

 He straightened his back and rolled his shoulders to see if any new pains surfaced. Seemed all clear, so he picked up a well-worn menu and had a look. He aleady new what he wanted and piped up as soon as the waitress arrived to get his order. It was a bad habit developed over years of being drowned out by his ten sisters. "Corn Beef, Cabbage, side of carrots, a small loaf of brown bread and a Guinness. Oh, and can you bring a side of stewed pears and cream. I think that's about it."

He was folding his menu and handing it back to the waitress who was giving him that look that read 'where are you manners'. He suddenly turned and eyed the girl whose table he had now just railroaded out from under her. "Sorry 'bout that. It was my stomach taking over, ya know?"

[Evelyn Hayes]

Evelyn returned his smile and leaned back in her chair casually. “Unfortunately.” She replied with a disturbed  face. “I wonder how many people with be hospitalized after they leave here tonight. I’ve never seen the pub so busy.” 

Eve watched as he rolled his shoulders and then picked up the menu. Well, he was in good condition. She folded her arms across her chest just as the waitress came over to write down their order. Eve let him go ahead first. It was only her showing common courtesy. Eve listened as he ordered, she chuckled a little to herself, as it seemed that he was hungrier than she was.

Eve was fiddling with her fingers when the man looked at her. She always had this intuition when she felt eyes on her. Suddenly, she looked up when he apologized and she immediately shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I mean, it’s no big deal.” She said with a smile, then the waitress turned to her, her pen ready to scribble down more orders. “Oh, I’ll just have your classic Dublin Coddle and a glass of water.” She said tucking her hair behind her ear. The waitress left and she was alone with the man again. Now would be the best time to make introductions. Eve leaned against the table. “I’m Eve and you are?” 

[Tristan Rune]

"Tristan Rune." He reached across the table and offered his hand. He offered a sheepish smile. He was always a little shy with women when he realized that they were there. But that was the problem with Tristan: other things usually distracted him and few women would wait around for him to come out of the trees or to be get out of the hospital after having a few embedded animal teeth pulled out of his side. And in truth, woman were the only creatures on the planet that made him a bit nervous.

Still, he had taken to sharing this table and intended on being polite. "Well, what do you do Eve?"

[Evelyn Hayes]

Eve shook his hand and felt her cheeks turn to a light shade of pink as he gave her a smile. Eve could sometimes find herself being a babbling fool around males. It was one of her quirks that she could never adjust to. Then again, she was never dated many men, it had been about two years since she had a serious relationship. The unexpected in a relationship kind of made Eve paranoid, call her a wimp if you will. Maybe all she needed was little lovin' in her life.

Tristan's question interrupted her thoughts as she found herself still touching his hand, she chuckled nervously and  pulled her hand back quickly and let them fall into her lap casually. “Oh, I'm a healer at Dion Fortune Hospital. That was actually where I was before I came here.” She said with a smile. “How about you? What's your line of occupation?”

[Tristan Rune]

"A full healer already? Wow, you seem really young? That's pretty impressive." Tristan raised his his eyebrows as she spoke and tapped his hands a little on the table. "You must have really kicked butt on your O.W.L's to have gotten to healer that quickly.

The woman looked very young but then he shut up, thinking maybe this woman was older than she looked, maybe some short-lasting youth spell. He had heard of those but thought they were a myth. He knew Hannah Winter did a little healing on the side. He had seen her for a few ailments now and then, but she was not a licensed healer. Just for that Avery guy. That's the gossip he had heard. That Avery hired her as if she were a real healer and it pissed some of the local people off.

"I'm in Forestry. I make sure the critters that could chew your arm off don't end up in your backyard." He sat up a little taller, smiling now. "I love my job. How 'bout you?"

[Evelyn Hayes]

Eve smiled at his compliment and shook his head. “I was one of the nerds at Whispers, must’ve did me some good.” She didn't find it odd that people found it surprising that she was a healer at such a young age. “I just turned 24 a couple days ago and Thank you.” She said happily and nodded. “Yeah, I did pretty well while I was at the academy. My father wouldn’t settle for anything less. He wanted me to get a good education so badly and it drove me crazy for months at a time…” Eve trailed off again when she realized that she was beginning to babble. Something shifted in her coat again, but she ignored it once again.

Eve had only been a healer up until almost 8 months ago. It was not easy shoes to fill, in all honesty. Everyone had to be their toes and willing to tend all the patients within the building and it was such a huge place. By the end of the day, you were rather exhausted as Eve was now. She listened on as Tristan went on to talk about his job, from what Eve heard he really did seem to love his job. “Then I guess you need to keep catching those critters. Just don’t get your arm bit off in the process, of course. I don’t want to see you bandaged up at the hospital.” She said and then thought about his question for a few moments before she responded. “Well...” She started just before the waitress returned with their food they had ordered. The waitress set Eve’s and Tristan’s meals in front of them and then took out her wand and conjured up eating utensils for the both of them. “Thank you.” Eve said as the waitress nodded and responded. “Let me know if you two need anything else.” Then she disappeared again.

Eve then dug in her meal. After a sip of water she set her fork in her plate. “Where were we?” She said and then smiled. “Oh, I had never planned on becoming a Healer at first, I was going to be a worker at the An Taoisigh. Like the secretary type of people, but my mum thought I’d be better off being a Healer. So after graduating and such, I studied healing for a little while and grew to love it and the rest of history I guess.” She said with a laugh before she grabbed her fork and put a piece of sausage in her mouth.