OPEN

[animalmagnetism]

Who: Peter Banks (animalmagnetism), Sybille Matteris (arachnoble), Murdoc Donoghue (wwhistful) and EVERYONE who'd like to encounter the cheering charm'd teacher and/or the culprits.
Tone: Cheerful! Maybe too cheerful
Rating: TBD
When: um...after Tavros's party sometime? idk Starts in the morning and lasts most of the day.
Where: First, the Great Hall, but then anywhere.
What: Peter and Sybille think Murdoc needs to relax and cheer up, so they "help" him with cheering charms and observe the result.

It was planned perfectly. Murdoc needed to relax. There was a log so far up his arse that it threatened to come out of his head. He needed to loosen up and learn to enjoy life. Peter was convinced drastic measures were necessary. So he'd gone to Sybille. A cheering charm wasn't too difficult to charm up, but best to defer to the expert. They only wanted him relaxed and cheerful, not rolling around on the floor laughing too hard to do anything else. It turned out it was a little more complicated than just a simple charm after all, but they'd worked it out. Now, this morning in the great hall they'd planned their attack.

The spells went off without a hitch under the table and Peter grinned at Sybille. Just waiting for them to take effect now.

((ooc: Peter, Sybille and Murdoc will all be available for threading with everyone! Just specify time of day, who, and where!))

Comments

[grandhighwizard]

"I was thinking more along the lines of you offering yourself up," Rhys says casually, as though it were an ordinary sort of comment anyone would make. "But as you say, I suppose I'll have to make do."

So he sits in the proffered chair, leaning back in it, and giving Murdoc a long, thorough once over, as if trying to ferret out the source of his cheerfulness. Of course, he already knows, but it's amusing to act as though he has no idea.

[wwistful]

Murdoc snorts at Rhys' comment, shrugging his shoulders dramatically to accompany the quiet chuckle. He shakes his head at the ridiculous man, tapping his pen on the desk as if that would help him consider a response to that.

"I'm certain you will be much more content with tea and not, err, seduction as a means of makin' you feel more comfortable." Clearly Murdoc knows very little about Rhys.

Murdoc sits back in his own chair, smiling idly at everything that catches his eye. Finally, he notices Rhys giving him the once over and he sets his eyes back on him, raising an eyebrow. "Are you alright?"

[grandhighwizard]

"Mmm," Rhys agrees. "Pleasant view from here. There's something I've been wondering about, though, Donoghue. What on earth were you like as a child? I haven't been able to puzzle it out - you're terribly conservative now, yet you obviously have a more adventurous side, and a bad temper. Where did all of that come from?"

Might as well start on the deeply person questions, while he has a chance.

[wwistful]

"That's a strange question.."

And if it were any other day he would tell Rhys where to shove that question. Alas, his mouth seems eager to share his emotional burdens.

"I wasn't that much different as a lad, you know. Still a reserved sorta fellow, not interested in people. I loved my dad though, he was brilliant. An auror too. I wanted to be just like him."

He half smiles, resting his chin on his hand as he thinks. "I suppose I was a bit of a brat, an' well, when he died I sorta became more of a recluse. If it wasn't for Sybille, things would be much worse."

There's a long pause as he seems to think on that. "I think I love her."

He thinks on that for a moment before continuing his rambles. "Then I had to go marry some girl I didn't know. Such is a pureblooded life,eh? You ever get married?"

[grandhighwizard]

"No," Rhys says, "And I'm also a pureblood." Of course, he'd mostly cut ties with his parents long ago. He'd never met anyone he trusted enough to let that close other than his sister, who was hardly a candidate, at least not in this day and age. A thousand years ago, it might not have been so strange.

"You and Matteris, hm?" Now that's something he hadn't known - and is quite intriguing. The Charms professor seemed to be an interesting woman, though she and Rhys hardly ever talked. But she's not the sort of woman he'd have picked, had he to guess on Murdoc's tastes. Perhaps he had a thing for ball-busters. "You've known each other that long?"

[wwistful]

"Aha! Lucky! 'Course you are." He gives Rhys a vacant smile before looking as though he's realised something. He reaches over desk in an almost frantic manner and covers Rhy's mouth with his hand, giving him a stern look. "Don't tell her, alright? Don't tell anyone."

He gives him a final nod before sliding back into his seat, not hiding a goofy smile. "We were in school together. She used to pick on me an' we used to compete for best grades. Eventually we wound up bein' friends. She had a funny habit of makin' me act like less of a prick."

So yes, his type is ball-busters.

[grandhighwizard]

Rhys raises his eyebrows as the smaller man's hand clamped over his mouth, resisting the urge to bite or slap him away. It's too funny to discourage, after all. "From my understanding, no one else has expressed any interest in her. Is there some reason you're holding back?"

His smiled turns wolfish, then. "And what'll you give me not to tell?" He has absolutely no intention of mentioning any of this conversation to anyone, but he's curious to see what the other professor would offer to keep his secret, if anything at all.

[wwistful]

Murdoc titters a little at that, looking like a nervous school girl. "I don't think she'll have me."

That actually hurt quite a bit to say, but the cheer charm seems to dull the effects of his own self pity, so he only frowns for a moment before moving on. He purses his lips as he considers the question before shrugging a little.

"I dunno what you'd want."

[grandhighwizard]

Rhys considers asking for a kiss ... it would be interesting, at least. But he's gotten the impression that Murdoc isn't even the slightest bit interested in him, which makes that sort of game less fun, and with the cheering charm in place, it probably won't even bother the other professor that much, more's the pity.

"Tell me another secret, and I'll keep both," he says finally.

[wwistful]

Murdoc exhales as he thinks about that. He's got a lot of secrets, being a man who doesn't open up easily to others. Finally something comes to mind.

"I think.. that Banks has a nice arse." He follows that up with a nod and a little smirk, because hey, it is a nice arse. He just doesn't want him to know he thinks that.

[grandhighwizard]

"He does, that's hardly a secret. But I suppose I didn't specify what kind of secret, so fair enough," Rhys allows. "You certainly have broad tastes, Donoghue."

[wwistful]

"Exactly!" A coy grin. "It's your own fault!"

He pauses to think about that, but he doesn't really get it. "What do you mean by that?"

[grandhighwizard]

"Matteris and Banks hardly have very much in common, do they? Though I grant that both are attractive, it's in rather different ways," Rhys explains. "Not that I have ever glimpsed Ms. Matteris's rear parts under her robes. But I imagine they don't really look the same as Banks's."

[wwistful]

"I don't know about that.. They're both loud and cocky, bothersome things." He rubs his face with one hand, giving Rhys a tired smile. "In my personal opinion, it's equal if not superior to Banks's."

He's starting to look a little bit worn out by this point, as if the charm is finally starting to wane. He's still smiling, but a little bit of his normal, dour expression is becoming obvious.

[grandhighwizard]

"I wouldn't know, but I'll take your word for it. Are you feeling quite all right, Donoghue?" Rhys asks solicitously. He can see the strain - it's fascinating to watch the other man's personality re-assert itself.

[wwistful]

Murdoc raises his hands to rub his face, grunting against them before leaning back in his chair. He stares at Rhys for what seems like a long moment before clearing his throat and answering in a soft, mildly confused voice.

"Quite..Quite alright. Thank you." He shakes his head a little, as if that would help clear his thoughts. "Why do you ask?"

[grandhighwizard]

"You look ill. Do you need anything? It is my area of expertise, after all," Rhys points out, kindly.

[wwistful]

Murdoc narrows his eyes ever so slightly at Rhys. He opens his mouth to reply and just sort of gapes at him for a moment before he knits his eyebrows together, trying to remain as calm as possible. He feels as if he's just woken up from a pleasant dream, but seeing Rhys in front of him is making him all sorts of suspicious.

He's trying to keep his voice soft and even as he finally hisses out: "What did you do?"

[grandhighwizard]

"I didn't do anything," Rhys said, his own eyebrows raised. "Why would I want to do anything to you?"

[wwistful]

"A likely story!" Murdoc sputters, trying so hard to be calm but not doing well at all. He's obviously concerned as he realises he's been compromised in some manner, but he can't recall everything he's said in his cheerful little daze.

"Why wouldn't you?" He slams his fists down on the table in an attempt to be intimidating. "You're a damn lunatic!"

[grandhighwizard]

"Donoghue, if I wanted to do anything to you, I could have done it a long time ago. I've had dozens of opportunities," Rhys points out calmly, though still with that maddening half smirk.

[wwistful]

"How do I know you're not biddin' your time?" Murdoc snorts. "I trust you about as far as I could throw you."

[grandhighwizard]

"Biding my time until what? An ordinary day at school like any other? Please, give me a little more credit," Rhys says dismissively. "I think you'll find the sort of prank that as played on you is something a younger person might indulge in. I'm just an amused spectator."

[wwistful]

"Until the perfect moment." He rolls his eyes because, c'mon Rhys, that was obvious. Okay, so maybe he's a little stressed right now, coherent thoughts aren't happening.

He scoffs. "Are you implyin' it was a student?"

[grandhighwizard]

The other man raises an eyebrow, leaning on one hand. "Almost everyone here is younger than me, you might have noticed. Do think a little harder, Donoghue."