i'm not looking back

to rewrite our story's past, i gave up years ago escapism, efflorescence & an exuberence of caffeine   --- kenneth trowler

[thymetrowler]

MEET KENNETH

⧼   axel auriant, cis male, he & him   /   season nineteen by greyson chance,

A BOUQUET; nimble fingers tie a cloth ribbon around the stems of daffodils and daisies as you grasp onto the empty promise of new beginnings and then sell them to your next patron; FRESH TEA & COFFEE; in the back patio, there are sprigs of peppermint, dried chamomile flowers and coffea seeds to take home with you and turn into a pipping hot mug of lulling tea or a rich, dark coffee; FIRST CRUSHES; your smile grows as does the racing of your heart, the reddening of your cheeks and the sweat on the palm of your hands as you catch the warm, exuberant gaze of your potion’s partner, a used camera swinging around his neck, when he enters the classroom.   ⧽   ━━   hey, isn’t that KENNETH TROWLER? i read a daily prophet article on them, once ; the TWENTY TWO year old muggle born WIZARD is a GRYFFINDOR alumnus who has gone on to be a FLORIST AT MADAME VERBENA’S FLOWER SHOP. I’ve heard they can be quite KIND & WITTY but i don’t know… they came off very WITHDRAWN & AGITATED in that interview. it really is hard to know what to believe these days though, isn’t it? 

stats/wcs/bio

[thymetrowler]

solapuerx·: 

Michael knew exactly what Kenneth meant. He did not need to point out the tiredness of his eyes when Michael could see it for himself. Michael’s gaze softens as he studies the other man, his guard shattering. “Yeah,” he says quietly, the past events playing like a reel inside his head. “Me too.” Michael admits and chooses to leave it at that for both their sakes. 

There was a moment of pause, Michael’s mind working, thoughts turning over and over,  tumbling out in a stream of consciousness. Michael pushed out a breath, forcing himself out of his head and met his friend’s eyes. Kenneth was just an arms reach away and Michael’s fingers twitched at his sides. “Where are you headed?” Michael asks him, voice soft. “Can I walk you?”

kenneth shifted on his feet on his feet as he wore a lingering hesitant smile. he could see the stress and tension on michael’s face as well. in some form or way, he was relieved that the uneasiness from what had happened was still present with someone else as it was with him.  “uh sure,” kenneth responded with a small nod, his gaze flickering down briefly to shove the headphone sticking out of his pocket down to be completely out of sight. “though...i’m uh, not particularly going anywhere. i was a...i’d been planning to get an apartment here. a spot on hawthorne road.” kenneth cleared his throat and scratched his head. his expression had shifted into something that seemed to reflect sheepishness. “now...i’ve been second guessing it all because of it all.”

[kaijuno]

I’m just super fucking bitter that once the flint water crisis got it’s 15 minutes of fame people stopped giving a shit. The water is still poisoned, people! Donations have plummeted and people have been forced back into drinking and bathing with the water! The medical effects of this are astounding, cases of legionnaires disease have skyrocketed, people are having seizures, people are having weird rashes break out over their body, people (including me!) are having their blood poisoned, and it’s not just lead! it’s coliform bacteria! it’s THMs! it’s all in the water and it gets into the bloodstream and breaks down blood vessels, causing bruising and petechiae and internal bleeding and no one gives a shit anymore and it’s only gotten worse like how many people are going to have to die until people realize this is still a problem

[contemporary-petroleuse-deactiv]

I would like to add that the people of Flint cannot sell their houses, because selling a house with leaded water is illegal. Additionally, households with children can’t stop paying for the water because living in a house without running water is cause for CPS to take their kids. Flint has been living this way for over two years. 

The people of Flint are trapped by the legal system. And it is only the most high profile case out many cities with a similar problem. 

Because the government has abandoned them, they are dependant on help from the outside. Donate here

[neshatriumphs]

https://www.instagram.com/p/COEluXKHRXo/?igshid=18sqz34fzhshs

[the-local-meme]

Little Miss Flint Clean Water Fund, organized by LuLu Brezzell

My name is Mari Copeny, I’m a 12 year old from Flint, Michigan. You may know me as Li… LuLu Brezzell needs your support for Little Miss Flin

Mari Copeny has taken the initiative to create a water filter. I’ve linked her GoFundMe that’s she using to raise money for it. She’s been able to raise $50k in donations but her next goal is $1 million

[thymetrowler]

sqviidboy·:

dennis felt an instant relief as they stepped outside, it was still crowded, but now that they could move freely and hear one another, he was able to breathe. and he was able to take a sip of his drink, a smile appearing across his face as he turned his attention to kenneth. “thank you for the drink,” he repeated. wanting to make sure his friend heard it. 

dennis had spent a considerable amount of time worrying about this meeting, which wasn’t that unusual. he had even managed to convince himself that he was over his worries, which was unusual. and of course, not true. if anything, he was even more nervous now that he was with kenneth. he just couldn’t figure out why.

“just a bit,” he laughed, gently biting on his lip as he followed the other’s lead. he was surprised to hear that kenneth had a gift for him. but it was a good type of surprise. he took charge, leading them to a more isolated part of the alley. it wasn’t long before he discovered a bench, a small smile appearing across his face as he took a seat.

kenenth followed suit, taking a seat on the bench with a small smile on his lips. 

for the first day of fesitivities, kenneth had dyed the tips of his auburn hair a brilliant green with some temporary dye. unfortunately, he realized too late that the quality was quite subpar and the bright green turned into a more of a putrid chartreuse.  decided against the dye for the remainder of the festival and settled on solely green-toned clothing and a sparkly shamrock pin attached to the top. today, he wore brand new spring green sweater he purchased the other day at twilfitt and tattings. for he chose to wear it today, for no particular reason.  “surprised we found a spot,” kenneth admitted with a chuckle, setting his drink on his lap after taking a sip. he tilted his head at dennis as he sets the box in the small space between him and dennis. “that hasn’t been completely destroyed by drunken wix. this feels like the wizarding equivalent of the muggle spring break.” 

[bradburyblues]

What I Carried by Maggie Smith

[chacswins]

“A drink, dear?” Molly held out a cup to Kenneth, a small smile to mean that she wouldn’t be offended if he didn’t take it. She had been going around to anyone she could to lighten the mood a bit, it was getting too gloomy for her liking. Reminded her too much of Fred’s memorial, she would do anything to not be reminded of that day. “You just looked sort of alone over here.”

@thymetrowler​

[thymetrowler]

it wasn’t too long ago that kenneth was face to face with molly weasley’s husband, arthur and had a conversation with him. he was a little surprised that the mother had approached him with a drink but returned her smile nonetheless. he had been sitting by the bar counter, his drink just about finished (and had been finished for the past half hour) and he was spending quite that amount of time reflecting. which was never the best thing to do during a funeral when it was all by himself. 

“thank you, mrs. weasley,” kenneth murmured but waved his hand to decline the drink. “i’m okay for now, thank you.”  kenneth extended his hand, similarly to how he did with arthur and said an echoed, “kenneth trowler. i was in ginny’s year. lovely to meet you tonight, as well.”  kenneth paused and then immediately looked rather sheepish.  “despite the circumstances,” kenneth added with a weak smile. 

[thymetrowler]

acatalcpsy·:

Reaching out a hand of his own, Arthur shook Kenneth’s hand firmly, his returning grin a reassuring one. “Pleasure, Kenneth. Would introduce myself, but it seems that my reputation precedes me.” The epitome of a dad joke. It suited Arthur well, to be most known as a father rather than a Ministry worker. His children were the legacy that he was most proud of, and between them all, the circle of the younger generation were bound to have run into at least one of them. 

He gestured for the bartender to order their wine, the sherry soon being poured into flute glasses, and he held up one as if to give a toast. “Did you take Sybill’s class during your time at Hogwarts? I believe she would’ve been THRILLED to see the turnout amongst her former students.” 

He had half-expected the audience, particularly at the lock-in, to only consist of older adults, of Order members, but he’s pleased by the number of younger people who chose to come pay respects to Sybill, not so naïve as to be unaware of the general consensus students had of Divination as a subject.

kenneth accepted a flute glass filled with sherry from arthur weasley and uttered a polite “thank you” to the older man.  “i’m sure she would’ve been glad to see it too. it’s awful, the whole thing,” kenneth remarked with a soft exhale and a shake of his head. his eyes fell to the glass briefly before peering back up at arthur. the alcohol in his system from all of the wine he drank throughout the memorial was enough to make this conversation less nerve-wracking than it would normally be.  “she was definitely a...a bit of a character amongst some of the students but i’ve always quite liked her,” kenneth persisted, resting his arm down on a countertop beside them. “i took her class because there were no other electives i fit in. i remember being extremely nervous with the reputation of her class - anxiety isn’t my biggest friend and a divination class in combination with that ah....spells trouble.” kenneth took a sip of his sherry.  “but it wasn’t so bad. she was genuine, at the least. never an ill intent. and i never was told a bad fortune.” 

[ameliiorate]

LOCATION: The Three Broomsticks OPEN TO ALL

ANOTHER FUNERAL, ANOTHER MEMORIAL SERVICE. Arthur’s not numb to it, doesn’t think he ever could be. The faces of the fallen are etched into memory and they filter across his closed eyelids every time he goes to sleep: Gideon, Fabian, Edgar, Dorcas, James, Lily, Fred…he refuses to forget any of them, no matter how long the list becomes. Now there is one more to add: Sybill. Murdered in her own home. Arthur will not vocalize any theories with present company, does not think that this is the proper place to contradict publicized details nor would he do such a disservice to the earnest efforts of the Aurors, but he finds the idea that her death and recent events are not at all correlated hard to swallow. 

The shot of firewhiskey he takes goes down much smoother, and he sets the glass back at the bar. He ought to be better, by now, at offering words meaningful words of condolence, and he has expressed his sympathies to the surviving family, but he has found in his own experience with the loss of a family member, that there is very little that can be said in the moment that will make the grief any less STINGING. Turning to present company, he asks, “Care to share a bottle of sherry with me? Heard it was a favorite of Sybill’s.” He hopes that the other knows more about wine than he does so that he can properly order, as Arthur’s palette has never been refined enough to distinguish many of the differences between various wines, and he’s always been more of a beer guy when he decided to indulge in alcohol. 

[thymetrowler]

kenneth had been to a few memorials-- more than anyone would have liked for the age that he was. he liked professor trelawney. sure, he thought she was kind of off but she never gave him a bad prediction. it had calmed his ever-present anxiety at that time, in third year.  stepping into the three broomsticks, he dropped a condolence card into the small box and hands madame rosmerta a small bouquet of sympathy flowers as he couldn’t figure out who exactly to give them to. 

kenneth, not registering who the voice belonged to for a brief moment, murmured a simple, “yeah, mate. i would love to.” then, he turned to face his company fully. he straightened up and cleared his throat the heartbeat he recognized who it was. 

“oh - mr. weasley, hi,” kenneth remarked as he tucked a hand into his pocket.  his expression turned mildly apologetic as he realized he called the father unit of the weasley family ‘mate’ during a funeral.  “sorry ah - “ kenneth, realizing the perhaps arthur weasley didn’t know who he was, extended his hand out to the older man and offered him a weak smile.  “kenneth trowler. i was in ginny’s year.” 

[aseaofquotes]

Sophie Kinsella, Remember Me?

[thymetrowler]

solapuerx·:

He’s been running into people a lot lately, now that Michael thinks about it. It’s a symptom of being too distracted. Between breathes, Michael laughs, hands on his hips as he tries to breathe evenly and get the stitch out of his side. The surprise and immediate relief on Kenneth’s face was enough to convince Michael he nearly scared him half to death. 

“Sorry,” he says, taking a moment and feeling guilty. Michael straightens then, heaving out a sigh. “I wasn’t paying enough attention… but I think the question is are you alright? Didn’t mean to scare you let alone try and knock you out.” 

kenneth managed a weak smile and shook his head almost dismissively. he practically shoved his headphones into his pockets while his other hand fumbled to fix his hair a little and take some time to recover from his clearly disheveled state.  “you’re fine,” kenneth reassured michael with a tired laugh, finally turning his body full towards michael. “i’ve just been a little more on edge since...you know.”

kenneth waggled his brows a little at michael. there were lines under kenneth’s eyes that showcased the lack of sleep he had been getting. he was certain michael knew what particular event he was referring to. 

[thymetrowler]

solapuerx·:

He had to get out of his head. 

After the events of the spring festival, the attacks had left a bad taste in Michael’s mouth. It felt all too familiar, and he knew that this was just the beginning. Something was coming and once again Michael will have to join the fight whether he wanted to or not. It was enough to set him on edge and to rid himself of the crawling sensation underneath his skin, he ran. 

Diagon Alley had become his home, and now it was tainted by blood and destruction. He felt it, sprinting past boarded up shops, glass crunching under his feet as he went. Michael could not escape the war the first time despite how badly he wanted to, and he would have to be forced to meet it again. 

As he rounded a corner, he collided with a body, knocking hard into them. “Bloody hell!” Michael exclaimed, trying to catch his breath. It took him a moment to recognize the person in front of him, Michael blinking at him. “Kenneth?”

an unexpected body slamming into kenneth while he so very on edge definitely caused his heart rate to spiral up significantly. it also caused his headphones to fly out of his ears. his tom petty.

“fuck!” kenneth nearly yelped as he stumbled forward from the impact. as he perpetually expected the worst case scenarios, a hand flew the jacket pocket that held his wand. it was what happened when he was perpetually on flight or fight mode. though once kenneth registered the figure that had ran into into, his body relaxed fractionally. he was considerably relieved. it was michael corner. not a dementor. 

“bloody hell, michael,” kenneth got out a weak, strained laugh, his fingers shakily moving to press volume button on his headphones to pause his song instead of his wand  . “you scared me, mate. you alright?”

[dankmemeuniversity]

[thymetrowler]

sqviidboy·:

“thank you,” dennis smiled, raising his voice in order to be heard over the crowd. yet another reason why he was anxious to escape the crowd, he’d never been a fan of having to yell in order to converse. though, just being with kenneth eased his nerves considerably, he still looked forward to stepping into the fresh air.

“outside would be lovely,” he responded with a nod as he reached to pick up the pint glass, briefly pausing to take a generous sip from the beer. “i’d love some fresh air,” he continued, as he moved towards the door, waiting to make sure kenneth was following before he stepped outside. “much better!” he exclaimed, a small laugh escaping from his lips as he turned towards his friend. 

“definitely,” kenneth agreed with a small smile, his eyes flickering away from dennis for a moment to take in the scene around them. there were still a lot of people roaming outside, loud laughter and the distinct noise of beer glasses clinking -- but with far more breathing space. normally, he would be fine with the leaky cauldron but it was truly packed to the brim during this spring festival.

kenneth returned his attention back to dennis and perked a brow at the younger boy. he looked a little sheepish, even.  “still pretty loud out here, huh?” kenneth mused with a weak chuckle. “at least i could catch a couple of your words, now." kenneth paused for a moment and swiveled around once more. let’s find a bench somewhere. i have something for you.”  kenneth nodded his head in the direction of the street that had a somewhat more accessible pathway for them to walk down. he took another sip of his beer and adjusted the small box in his hand. 

[pirozhenka-deactivated20210926]

[thymetrowler]

diaryofjanes·:

“i have heard of it.” diana pouted slightly, wondering why she’d never seen him there. or maybe she had and just hadn’t noticed. she wasn’t completely … not out of it sometimes. “i don’t happen to go in there too often, but i suppose i could always change that.” she chuckled slightly, nipping at her bottom lip before she waved the bartender over and told him to surprise her with whatever he felt like making.

“have you ever considered like — you know? a small booklet with all the flowers and such from madame verbena’s? that would probably be pretty interesting, and exciting.” she raised her eyebrow ever so slightly, actually interested in what his response would be. she could only hope her interest in talking to him wasn’t unwelcomed, though she hoped he’d be honest enough to say as opposed to be pretending he wanted conversation. 

“what? like a small catalog?” kenneth asked diana with a perked brow. there was a small pause and then he straightened and laughed a little. he shook his head. “no, but i would love that,” kenneth admitted with a sheepish smile. “i just definitely think that these sketches are not nearly good enough to present to the verbena customer base. particularly, for mrs madame verbena, herself.” 

sure, kenneth took some pride in his work. he thought his drawings were relatively decent. he just never really had the desire to showcase the skill since it wasn’t ever really what he looked for in a career. he liked being in the background. he was more than content being the cute patron at the pub who sat there on a bar stool, a sketchbook and glass of beer set up in front of him, and a polite smile. and in this case, engaging in conversations with familiar faces. 

[thymetrowler]

acatalcpsy·:

“So many flowers,” Rolf mumbled, trying to picture how many greenhouses would be needed in order to meet the supply needed for the spring festival. Seemed like they would need a couple fields’ worth, at least. “I was going to stop by earlier and make myself a crown, but it was pretty crowded, so I decided I’d swing by another time.” He was adjusting to swarms of people, better at coping than he’s ever been, but he still was an introvert who needed to recharge every now and then. 

That’s why he liked the Leaky Cauldron and pubs that were similar to it. He didn’t have to talk unless he wanted to and could instead listen and observe, chiming in when he deemed the conversation worthy. Kenneth’s a familiar presence by now, so he’s comfortable keeping the discussion alive. “Have you been able to do anything else between breaks?” 

“i’ve seen the colorful baby lambs,” kenneth mused with a click of his tongue, not looking particularly ecstatic about that fact. 

kenneth wasn’t widely informed on animal and magical creature rights -- not in the same way that rolf was. he did carry a fair share of knowledge of only the creatures that took shelter in the back garden of madame verbena’s, like the fairies and the bowtruckles. though he only really learned the official ministry of magic policies for their protection through a conversation with rolf at the shop. 

“not sure how.... ethical that exactly is,” kenneth added with a slight grimace and raise of his brows, picking up his drink again. “i’m assuming not very much. and you're definitely welcome to come to the shop whenever. i'll be in most days it's opened after the festival. we're lowering hours a little.”

[thymetrowler]

DIANA:

“mhm, diana.” she nodded, making sure getting a glance at his work didn’t go to waste. “you are? good choice.” she nodded again, moving so she wasn’t in his space anymore. she’d almost decided on botany herself, but ended up moving towards potions instead. she’d ended up meeting her fiancé — well — ex fiancée – in potions class. “do you only draw flowers? or do you dabble in other things as well?” she gave him a soft genuine smile, curiosity getting the best of her. she finished her drink, wondering if it’ll look bad on her part if she ordered another. 

“flowers, plants -- i can also do a decent animal or magical creature,” kenneth offered with a small shrug, fingers turning back a couple pages of his notebook. there was a sketch of a niffler on the top of the page.it was a lovely drawing, though not as precise as his botany work. on another note , kenneth was in no place to judge if diana decided to order another drink -- considering how much of a regular he was in this pub and how he was reaching for his drink again already.    “usually just...aim to do living things,” kenneth admitted with a quiet, almost sheepish laugh. “do it for work more than for leisure.” there was a small pause. “i work at madame verbena’s flower shop? if you’ve heard of it?”