Midnight Carnival (OPEN)

Necromancy was considered a major branch of the Dark Arts. That was a given belief in both this world and in his home world. Caedus's study into that Dark Art started when he read a story from the Bible's Old Testament where the Witch of Endor called up the spirit of the prophet Samuel on the demand of King Saul. It was a shame that in the ancient times, summoning the dead spirits to look through the veil of the future was a revered branch of magic that put Divination to shame until religion spread anti-magic sentiment that drove magic users away.

History lesson placed aside, Caedus strolled quietly through the graveyard. One would think that a night time stroll in a sea of graves was abnormal behavior. But the man wasn't perturbed whatsoever as the phrase "silent as a grave" was a peaceful environment for him. Surely, he wouldn't be expecting Inferi to be popping up from the graves as shown in the many Muggle horror movies that he had watched.

She had managed to find it. The mausoleum that she had sat with Sam by a few weeks ago, she didn't know why but instead of mindlessly ambling around in the graveyard a set route helped her to think out all of her problems, after coming back from her honeymoon a few days ago there was something that she had to share with Richard, she just didn't know how to say it.

Sighing frustratedly Briony did a double take as she walked past one of the graves. That's an unusually tall statue she thought but paid no more heed to it until out of the corner of her eye it began to move. Briony turned to look at the moving figure, it was a man, not a centaur but he was abnormally tall.

Briony continued on her walk until her path bisected the man's and politely she nodded in his direction.

If he wanted to be a bit intimidating in appear, Caedus knew that wearing black robes and carrying a scythe would've scared the daylights... or nightlights out of others in the graveyard. But he was neither the Angel of Death or the Grim Reaper.

As he approached an intersecting path, Caedus noticed that there was a woman in the graveyard along with her nodding towards him.

Stopping in his tracks, Caedus merely nodded back before gesturing, indicating for her to go first across the intersection. He certainly wasn't going to be holding her back or anything of the lack. After all, casual socializing in a graveyard was unusual.

Briony smiled, at least this man was being polite to her, taking the chance to go first across the intersection she frowned a little noticing something on the floor, it was one of the roses that Sam had made to keep the graveyard looking pretty but it was wilting. She frowned even more, these roses corresponded to Sam, did this mean he was sick? Or in trouble?

Sighing she tossed it aside and began to walk again when she stopped, turned around with a faint smile, nodded to the man before chuckling.

"You really are tall you know. I mistook you for a statue."

A statue? Aw, geez. Well, what could he say? Caedus could certainly pass as a statue at night but the opposite could be said if he was in the daytime.

Caedus merely shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal before replying grimly just for the sake of matching the theme of the environment that was the ominous graveyard. "Yeah, I guess it's the nutrition although it could be other things."

Briony smirked a little and leant her body against one of the nearby gravestones, she really had to stop spending so much time wandering about in here after all she was sure that such conduct wasn't normal of a human being. She found it rather odd that she was comforted by being surrounded by death.

"Nutrition huh?"

Smirk turning into a smile Briony tilted her head to look more closely at the man before her, the night not allowing her a good view.

"I wish I could have some of that nutrition, doesn't half make you look intimidating if I may be so bold."

"True enough even though I don't intend to intimidate others with my height." Caedus replied in a frank tone, remaining where he was. Well, keeping a conversation going isn't exactly his forte. In addition, there were bigger things such as trolls and other magical entities that were bigger and taller than him.

Caedus, however, did wonder on what the unknown woman was doing here yet refrained from asking as it didn't seem to be any concern of his.

Briony nodded, even though this man appeared to be stern and not really talkative Briony wondered if he had always been this way, but then again she shook the thought away, that really was not any of her business.

"Shame..."

She frowned a little before tilting her head towards him.

"I'm Briony."

Hearing the woman introduce herself as Briony, Caedus figured that he might as well return the favor.

"Caedus. Pleasure to meet you." he answered. At least he had the name of the woman, which was a small bit of information. Other than that, he didn't know anything else about her. But since they just met, he wasn't expecting anything more than just that. Perhaps time itself would unfold things down the road.

Briony smiled and nodded her head towards Caedus, this man was unusual in so many ways, one because she had never heard of him before, never seen him before and most of all he seemed very different to any man she had met, she didn't know why.

"Caedus...hm."

She frowned a little.

"You don't work up in Hogwarts do you? I don't believe I've seen you around."

Caedus shook his head. "No, I don't work at Hogwarts and I've never been there either."

He then shrugged with a carefree manner. "Meh... school isn't the only place where you get educated, especially when one could learn independently through books or have private tutors prior to sitting standardized tests. It's not like every magical kid, either from a civilized nation or some random backwater country, goes to magic school to get educated."

Briony smirked and chuckled a little, well, this one certainly was a card. She herself had not attended the magical school for her education so she knew the point he was making was valid but was it really needed in the context of the conversation?

"Hm, I was just wondering that's all."

Shrugging her shoulders Briony smiled lightly.

"I know that, when I was a child I was homeschooled myself and I'm just as good as any other witch or wizard out there."

Perhaps it was a compulsive habit for Caedus to spout that elaborate bit every time the conversation came to education and the focus was turned on him. He would certainly have to keep himself on a verbal leash in the future.

"To each his or her own." Caedus remarked bluntly while mentally noting about Briony mentioning about herself being home-schooled. In a way, that makes two of them in regards to not having a formal education.

"I've been ignorant of the news since arriving here. Anything of interest going on in magical Britain lately?" Caedus inquired, switching gears.

Briony smiled a little wider this time, she was beginning to get used to the more formal manner in which this man spoke and she was liking the fact that she didn't have to work to keep the conversation going, after all, Briony was not a woman to do that.

"News....hmm?"

Tilting her head to one side Briony shrugged her shoulders.

"Depends what you count as news, we had a Minister for Magic, the first female one as well but then she got discredited and Achilles Silver took her place."

Discredited and ousted out of office? So much for making history if the ex-Minister botched the position. Achilles Silver? The man doesn't sound familiar but Caedus simply kept the politician's name in mind.

"I see. That's quite the transition in succession." Caedus remarked. "Well, I can't thoroughly say anything regarding the former Minister and her successor yet. I might have to check out the grapevine later if I can find a decent enough tavern that has juicy gossip running like a stampede."

Briony smiled, that had been indeed a scandal she was interested in, she had always thought that the Minstry had corruption within it and wanted to keep people of the 'right' persuasion as the Minister, and as Rosie had so often told her, there was a deeper reason why she was kicked out of office.

"I would reccommend several taverns to you but it depends on what view point you want to here, I'd say the Leaky Cauldron is your best bet."

Tilting her head to one side Briony smiled deviously.

"But if you're interested in a darker perspective check out the Hogs Head. It's a shady place but I have a slight feeling you can handle yourself."

Caedus nodded. Oh, he certainly had been to both taverns and wondered if there were any noticeable differences with the ones here. Perhaps that would be a good start to see on what has been going on here.

"I'll keep that in mind." Caedus replied. "Although whether the talk is unbiased or not is another issue as long as the inebriated aren't the ones that provide the raw material. Still, the stuff they spout is amusing at least."

A small chuckle escaped Brionys lips, this much was true you could never get reliable information out of a drunk, she had tried numerous times only to be lead in circles. A soft breeze whipped through the graveyard and Briony looked up into the nights sky with it's twinkling stars.

"That's very true, but the drunk ones are easy to spot and avoid if you want the real information first, however like you said if you find them out and ask a drunk the same question their answers are very very amusing."

Tilting her head to one side she smiled again, a small smile.

"Hogwarts has a new headmaster too, if you're interested."

"I wish that were true yet it seems that recently, some can put up quite a performance that is so convincing for others to passed them off as sober." Caedus remarked before continuing when Briony mentioned about a new headmaster. "A new headmaster you say? Well, it sounds like a bit of news although time will tell on the quality of his administration and duration in the position."

In truth, Caedus wasn't too concerned about Hogwarts since it wasn't in his domain and such. Still, it wouldn't hurt to get a bit of information, something that he would do later.

Briony nodded her head and chuckled again, this certainly was true many people now a days were not what they appeared, herself included but she was pretty sure that she wasn't a good person to get drunk, thats why she very rarely drank.

"I should probably work on embibing my alcohol a little better, there are some humerous stories about me and alcohol I assure you, perhaps if I managed to make myself seem sober it wouldn't be so bad."

Grinning Briony nodded her head again, trying to think of a few more political things that have been going on around here.

"Hm are you from a different country or something Caedus?"

"Probably as long as you're comfortable in telling them over the campfire." Caedus remarked, knowing that some people wouldn't be comfortable or competent when it came to telling about their moments while inebriated. When Briony asked him if he was "from a different country or something", Caedus instinctively responded.

"I'm from Greenland." he answered. "Nothing special about that frozen land."

Briony chuckled and ran a hand through her hair, taking up a leaning stance against a large mausolem she was standing next to, there were some amusing stories that came from her and her times when she had been drunk, especially one about her going to Texas.

"Oh I'm not embarrassed...okay, maybe a little embarrassed by them but hey, I'm sure you've done some crazy things too hm?"

Placing her hand on her hip she looked at Caedus and smiled.

"Ah I see, you prefer it in Greenland or here?"

"Too true." Caedus replied, thinking about his recent outmaneuvering on the goblins with financial cheap shots and establishing fail-safe methods to hold some leverage against them. Yet, he wondered on how intellect and craftiness aren't valued on both ends of the spectrum.

Hearing Briony's next question, Caedus answered. "It depends on the climate. I may like cold weather but that doesn't include arctic conditions of a rampant frequency. But if Britannia ever gets a hot drought from any global warming, well, at least I have a good sanctuary to retreat to."

He then asked. "How about you? Any countries of preference?"

Briony smiled, she never really thought about the climate here, she had never really been anything but cold even on a beach but she supposed that she liked Britain for that reason it could be diverse with the weather, one second raining the next bright sunshine.

"I really don't mind the weather to be honest but I like it here in Britain, it's home and I don't think I would be comfortable living anywhere else."

Shrugging her shoulders Briony let her eyes sparkle as she thought about her favourite country.

"But in terms of culture I love Venice...what about you? Do you like Italy?"

"To his or her own." Caedus replied before noting Briony directing things towards culture and her question.

"Well, I really don't put any mind into the cultures of this day and age." he replied before continuing. "I haven't been in Italy long enough to determine whether I like it or not. But I have to admit that the old Roman culture was something I admired."