a battleground of fear & curiosity.

so plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. penelope 'penny' brown-patil twenty one. she/her. next gen. former puff. barista. seamstress & designer. gentle.

[ohpenelopes]

persephone:

Persephone looked up from the book she was reading to smile at the back of Penelope’s head. Placing the book down next to her, she hopped off from her place seated on the back counter and moved to lean next to the coffee machine, grinning all the while at the proposition her friend had made. “You do remember I was there when Hugo told us this, right?” Poking Penny with a playful tap of her elbow, Seph laughed. “But I agree, it’s definitely the way to go.”

Penny flushed, for a moment, her heart skipping a beat --- shit. She’d forgotten that Seph had been there, and shame curled around her heart. And then she rolled her eyes playfully and tried to force her feelings way. “Damn you, for having a working memory!” she said, grinning guiltily, as if she didn’t mind at all. “If only my memory worked as well, but it’s clearly very selective. I mean, forgetting your presence? That’s an unforgivable crime, but I personally think I’m forgiven, due to my malfunctioning memory. It’s what happens when you only have two functioning braincells, you know!”

[ohpenelopes]

jeremy‌:

He’s scrolling through his muggle phone when his tea is slid across the counter to him, bringing his attention back to the barista. Offers a warm smile and a “thank you,” before listening to her proposal. It elicits a light laugh, pushes his glasses neatly further up his nose. “Whomping pillows… that’s a good one. How long have you been sitting on that one? That’s got start up potential, you know? A pillow that hits you when you need to get out of bed.”

“That sounds horrible,” she said, pulling a face for a second before adding, “I mean --- solid idea and all, but I would hate to wake up that way. I’d rather just ... have someone make me a lush breakfast, you know? Wake to the smell of french toast and coffee and orange juice.” A dreamy sigh slipped past her lips, and for a moment she seemed to lose herself in the fantasy, before returning to earth. “Either way, if you want to make a pillow like that --- be my guest, but I do want credit for the name, of course.” Not that it’d been her pun in the first place, but who cared about such details?

[ohpenelopes]

kaia‌:

@ohpenelopes

The desk of Kaia’s London flat, normally tidy and perfectly kept, was in a peculiar state of disarray, given the recent temporal rift that no one could seem to explain. Frantic wixen crowded the streets, wondering where they were, how they got there, and most importantly, how do they go home. “Fuck,” Kaia muttered to herself, realizing the time. The sudden reminder that her sister was supposed to come to her flat at any minute jolted her from her work. With the wave of her wand, Kaia vanished the scattered papers, hiding them from sight. “Penny where are you?” She whispered impatiently to herself. 

Penny wasn’t usually on time. Actually, she was almost always late --- not on purpose, of course, but somehow there always seemed to be something that caused her to leave home a little too late, or something underway that slowed her down. But this time, she wasn’t late --- or, well, she wasn’t that late. After checking her phone quickly for the time ( she had forgotten her watch at home ), she saw that she was only five minutes late, and knocked on Kaia’s door excitedly before opening it with her key. “I’m on time!,” she exclaimed, thinking it technically true. “I brought scones.”

[namtan]

[ohpenelopes]

“I’ve been thinking about it, and I think we should officially rebrand pillow fights,” said Penny thoughtfully, as she handed her current customer their coffee order. Truth be told, she hadn’t come up with this pun herself, but they didn’t have to know that. “Here you go! Anyway, what do you think about calling them whomping pillows? Like the tree, you know?”

[ohpenelopes]

astoria‌:

Where:Diagon Alley When:August 21st, 2029 Who:Open

Astoria Greengrass did not worry. At least, not over things like time travel. In her eyes, after everything, life was too short and she could be spending that time having fun and (trying to) enjoying herself. That was her life after her OWLS and it was her life…or she was trying to make that her life after the war as well. She had spent too much time worrying about what her parents thought, school, and then survival.

Even here, decades past anything she remembers, she wasn’t worrying. People kept talking about solutions and how long it would be before everyone was back in their correct timeline, but…Astoria wasn’t focused on it. That was the Ministry’s problem. Not hers.

However, there was something that kept nagging in the back of her mind. And no amount of alcohol was making the thought disappear. Even in her dreams, it appeared to her. And while she was no inquisitive Ravenclaw, she truly did want some answers. Or at least a face she recognized.

While distracted by the crowds and children running around (she almost wanted to go join them. she already missed the children she was taking care of in 2001), Astoria bumped into someone, spilling her tea everywhere.

❝ Oh shit! I really am so sorry about that! ❞ She exclaimed while bending down to grab her cup. ❝ Here…I know a spell to clean that right up ❞

London was already a overly busy city, but with the recent influx of wixes, Penny had decided that the city had reached its maximum capacity. Especially the magical part of the city seemed to be overflowing and she was quite fed up with it.

Not that she could avoid Diagon Alley --- her work was right in the middle of it. And so, on her way to her shift ( why she was still working was beyond her; the world was a chaos, and here she was, still pouring coffee in shitty cups, smiling feigned smiles --- but to quit was to admit that this situation was real and a bit terrifying, and she wasn’t quite ready for that ), Penny was overwhelmed.

It felt as every cell in her body was trembling, actually. Every pair of eyes that flicked her way had Penny going over every part of herself, every shoulder that crashed against hers had her heart hammering --- there were too many people, and too little time to take a beat in a quiet alleyway and figure out her steadily quickening breaths.

To make matters worse, there was something a hard crash and a feeling of hot wetness and Penny looked in front of her, eyes meeting those of a strange brunette. “It was my fault too, so, you know --- sorry. It’s madness, all these people, isn’t it?,” she said -- or mumbled, really -- looking down at her shirt, trying to hide her annoyance and frustration as she pulled at wet fabric. She reached in her bag for her wand, shaking her head at the other’s words. “Oh, yeah, same --- I’ll fix it, don’t worry. Sorry about your tea, though.”

[ohpenelopes]

ludo‌:

Ludo let out a soft, amused sounding chuckle.“Most people would kill for the chance to have a quick game with a living legend.” He’d gotten a fair bit of attention since the incident or whatever the hell they were all calling it. Apparently, history remembered him as what he knew he was: the best beater of his age. Now that he was in the future, he was eager to prove that he was the best beater of any age. 

“Who are you again?,” asked Penny, before she realised it. She looked at the person in front of her and supposed that he looked similar --- like he could be someone famous, but she wasn’t able to put a name to his face. Or even a profession. He wanted to play a game with her --- that could mean he was either a famed Quidditch player or some kind of chess extraordinaire. She wasn’t very interested in either of those, if she was honest. “Sorry --- I’m sure you’re a legend and all that, I just don’t recognise me. Today’s youth, and all that ... so uncultured!”

[ohpenelopes]

evan‌:

Evan wished he could see that type of situation happen. Blood would be shed and it would not be his wife’s. It might add a bit of entertainment to this otherwise dull era he was trapped in. Though, he was amazed by the amount of new spells he had to play with. “Yes, it is certainly… interesting.” He looked at his surroundings. Curious. A few weeks and he still could not adjust to the hectic nature. “What family do you belong to?”

Penny felt somewhat nervous at his question, because there was only one type of person that asked such a question --- a blood purist. She had felt uneasy around this stranger earlier, but now she felt even more uncomfortable, as well as somewhat irritated. “Why?,” she asked, quirking one eyebrow up, hoping to come across as cool as she imagined someone stronger to be. “That’s kind of a strange question.”

[nevillles]

[ohpenelopes]

ivy‌:

Ivy’s fingers slipped across her cheek as she gave the person across from her a once over. “Oh my…” she said, voice soft, almost worried. Her brows furrowed more and more the longer she looked. “Is this what passes for fashion in the future? Or are you…. unwell? Dear, is there anything I can do to help you?”

Penny was quiet for a moment, taken aback --- usually she was the one handing out unsolicited fashion advice after all. She quickly turned her o-shaped, surprised mouth into a smile, though, and nodded. “It is, yes. I can get your confusion, though --- fashion developed quite a lot since the ... eighties, I’m guessing? Don’t you think that’s interesting, to see all these different eras of fashion blending --- it’s an opportunity, I think, to broaden our minds! I was really taken aback by this resurgence of ... old trends, but now I just think it’s real cool.”

[ohpenelopes]

remus‌:

the queue had dwindled to a trickle, with most customers opting to order on the go and leave as fast as they could. remus was taking his sweet, sweet time drinking his tea, (ironically) finding refuge in a loud environment. it was easy to pretend, just for a few moments, that he was back at his own bloody timeline, just casually sipping at his tea and letting time pass by. 

looking up from his book, the werewolf opened his mouth, about to answer, when the girl had gone off on a tangent. it was rude to interrupt, but it was incredibly fascinating how she spoke rapidly in a single breath. remus watched, amused. “of course, it’s no problem at all,” he said, motioning towards the empty seat across from him. ever since the clash, remus became wary of every person he came across. but the girl seemed approachable—albeit a tad bit talkative.

“the seat is all yours.” he glanced around the room, trying to look for the ex-boyfriend she had been talking about. “if you tell me where your ex is,” he added, the corners of his mouth lifting up in a teasing smile.

Penny sunk down in the seat, relieved that the other was allowing her to sit down despite her rant, a smile on her face. While she was sure that this whole timeclash thing was confusing to everyone, she had the feeling that it was more confusing to her. How was she supposed to know how she was supposed to act around people, when she knew almost no one? At least before, she had known how to handle herself depending on the person in front of her, as Penny knew many people at least by name and rumours. Now, though, there were too many strangers to count.

And so she tried to guess what this person wanted from him through observation, leaning back in her seat and then sitting back up. Penny felt ridiculous. Fidgety. “Thank you,” she said, placing her tea on the table between her and the stranger, laying her magazine on her lap. “You’re my hero. Really.” 

She shut herself up by taking a sip, before giving the person across her a bit of a glare that matched his playfulness. “Fine.” She turned in her chair, pointing somewhat discretely to her dreaded ex. “That one, with the dark curls. He’s kind of fit, but mostly a twat --- do not recommend.” She grinned. “I’m Penny, by the way. From this timeline, I guess. And you?”

[ohpenelopes]

evan:

Evan was starting to regret his decision to pick up a conversation with this strangely dressed person. He also resented the implication; he always dressed well. “Sorry, the only person allowed to dress me is my wife. Also, I’m rather more focused on getting back to my time period. Everything is so… loud now.” Also, the amount of dirty blood on the streets was nauseating. However, apparently saying those things could get you into hot water these days. How unfortunate.

“That’s like ... so adorable, that you let her pick your clothes. I’ll keep my criticisms to myself then, unless I bump into her --- though there are so many people around these days, that that seems unlikely.” A smile was still on her lips, her voice upbeat and kind --- she felt dismissed, wished to swallow all the words she’d spoken, wished to disappear, but she’d not show it, would appear like a kind stranger until she couldn’t do it any more. “It must be so confusing, to suddenly be in the future. I mean, I think it’s all so confusing, and I haven’t even moved time period!”

[ohpenelopes]

dae‌: 

After he jolts from the sudden appearance of voice directed at him, Dae stiffens, his usual response to human interaction that involves words. He finds the stranger to be somewhat naive, but not in an unpleasant way. “Why would they? They don’t fix anything else.” He pulls his black jacket tighter across his chest, can’t shake the feeling that he’s being vetted or interrogated despite her tone of voice. “Yeah… yeah, I’m from the past,” and then quieter, “back when everyone else had to do the Ministry’s job for them. Like… fight their battles.” He didn’t mean for it to sound so haunted, so he clears his throat in a lame attempt of covering it up. 

In all truth, Penny isn’t very into politics, and she knows that she isn’t because she’s grown up in a safe world. She thinks of her parents, as the stranger in front of her speaks, of the way the world was when they grew up, and tries to understand. ( Another part of her, though, doesn’t like the stranger’s dark tone, doesn’t like the idea that the world isn’t safe any more, and so fights against that. ) “Oh, yeah. I know all about that. Not directly, of course --- not like you, but my mums did, too, you know?” She shrugs. “It’s all so messy, now. I don’t even know what Ministry peeps from this time are around still, so you might be right. Merlin knows what’s going to happen, right? I’m sure it’ll be alright though, in the end.” She pauses, for only a second, filled with curiosity. “What time are you from, then? If you’re from the zeroes, you might know my parents, which would be really rad! Though the time before that sounds cool, too. Well, not because of the war and such, but you know, the music and stuff from that time seems really cool.”

[holdingaheart]

Girls, please don’t let some guys go into your head. You are beautiful and valuable, remember this. You’re pretty inside and outside.

[biblicalhorror]

[pounds on table] niche meme niche meme niche meme

[ohpenelopes]

dae‌:

LOCATION: DIAGON ALLEY

He’d have thought that for most, being flung into the future, torn from their reality, would be a nightmare. But for Dae, a future that was marked by peace was soothing. It was proof all his fears of a third war were simply fears and nothing else. Just more paranoia. So once they’d found a way to reverse this freak event, Dae could live the next thirty or so years with a little less anxiety. If the Ministry keeps their word and actually fixes this, but Dae is of little faith, especially when they won’t tell the wizard population why the unspeakables have been assigned the job. He hated their secrecy.

He was reminded of his distaste for the Ministry when he set foot in Diagon Alley for the first time in years. Back in 2000, Dae had set up a muggle proof forum for wizards who shared his appreciation for the inventions muggles have created over the years. While it was nice to know his forum was still up and in use to this day, he found that a modified muggle tech shop had opened in the alley and curiosity forced him out the house. But before he finds the shop in question, Dae is stopped by a stack of newspapers with the Ministry plastered all over the front page. The claims of restoring order make his blood boil. “Fucking fix things quickly, my ass.” he mutters to himself, but clearly not as quiet as he thought.

It’s strange, to work in a frequently-visited place when the population seems to have tripled overnight. Strange, and stressful. Penny thought she was able to deal with the stress of being a barista after years of practice, but now that there’s a higher demand for caffeinated drinks she feels out of her depth. Tired, achy, exhausted --- and then there’s a whole timeclash to worry about, too! She doesn’t know how to find the time to do that --- worry, and so she doesn’t. Penny does what she does best: adapt and ignore. She accepts the strange faces around her, sees their clothes as an opportunity to learn about the fashion from the past ( this is way better than reading about it, after all ) and keeps on going, with a glass of rose or three before bed so she doesn’t dream, her fears locked up carefully. It’s always been easier to feign smiles than to face the demons inside and around her --- why should she change that now? 

And so Penny continues to go to work, even though it stresses her out, and afterwards she takes to Diagon Alley on her way home with curiosity on her face, taking in clothing items from the past, suppressing three yawns in a row. Her ears are sharp, her eyes wide, but her legs somewhat wobbly due to the fatigue that lingers in her body. It’s no surprise she picks up the loudly muttered words, and she turns on her heel, eyes falling on the newspaper, her mind connecting the dots. “Oh --- you don’t think they will?,” she asks, not judging, genuinely curious. “I mean, I’m sure they’re trying, right? I don’t think that they want any of this. Are you from the past? The Ministry has become a lot more effective since ... wherever you’re from. Unless you’re from ‘29, too and, if so ... sorry for not recognising you.”

[ohpenelopes]

remus‌:

WHERE: Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop WHEN: August 22nd, 2029.  WHO: OPEN!

at the moment, remus felt an awful lot like the titular animal in the fable about the boiling frog. the water had started off warm, with little social interactions allowing him to slowly adjust to life in this new—new bloody timeline, and he’d mistaken the slowly heating water for comfortability, and now it was boiling. there was no escape. just like the frog, he’d fallen victim to his own complacency.

alright, that was undeniably dramatic, but it was an anxiety reflex, so sue him. he was just so wildly out of his depth at a phenomenon so terrifying and unfamiliar; he’d tricked himself into a false comfort zone with the idea that he knew enough people (from his own ‘timeline’, whatever the bloody hell that even meant—it’s been weeks, but the sensible, muggle side of him still couldn’t fathom the fact that the laws of physics had been broken so easily, just like that) to know that he wasn’t alone and everything was going to be fine and will go back to normal soon enough, but it was starting to feel like it never would. 

with the unfortunate changes, hogsmeade—as well as diagon alley—seemed more crowded than usual, luckily, remus managed to snag a good spot by the window (with two open seats!) at madam puddifoot’s, but not without swimming through a whole crowd of wizards and witches with a mug of tea in one hand first. 

remus heaves out a sigh as he pulled out a contemporary muggle novel he’d unpremeditatedly bought yesterday afternoon: helen dewitt’s the last samurai— it caught his eye, and it looked interesting enough. he flipped the book to the first page and slacked against his seat, allowing himself to relax in an unusually busy tea shop.

Penny had the feeling that Madam Puddifoots had been built just for her. With the sweet drinks and the pink decorations and the constant influx of happy couples. She’d had her own fair share of dates here, kissing over steaming mugs of tea, holding hands on the lace tablecloth, drowning in brown, blue, green eyes. ( Of course, her heart had been broken here aplenty too. Picture this: Penny, sobbing mascara tears in the bathroom stall, looking at her reflection and understanding the rejection, scrubbing kisses off her lips. )

A few years ago, she had decided that she could come there on her own, too, without feeling pathetic --- the place had been build for her, after all! Besides, there were only so little cute cafes in wizarding Britain, and she happened to work at one of the others. So even now, she came at Madam Puddifoots, sketchbook in her bag, magazine clutched in one hand, a cup of steaming rooibos tea in another. It was bloody packed ( no wonder, what with the influx of all these wixes from the past ), and it took a while until Penny spotted a spare seat.

Not a spare table, mind you --- just a seat. “Hey, sorry, mind if I sit down here? I’ll be dead quiet, promise, got some reading to do as well --” She waved her ELLE in the air. “-- and I really don’t mean to be a bother. I would sit somewhere else, but the only other free seat I saw was really close to one of my exes --” one of many, she almost added, wanting to seem impressive, “-- and it looked like his date was about to get very heated. I am in no mood to witness that, you know? There’s enough going on in the world as is, I can’t use any more ... shit.” She paused, breathed, flushed. “Oops, sorry --- rambling.” Penny chuckled, hoping to appear clumsy and adorable all at once. “I’m not making a great case for myself here, am I? But really, I’ll be quiet!”