[Deitha Albron]

Deitha didn't quite know what to make of it all.

First Spaulding slithered like a slithy tove over to their table and introduced himself as though his presence were wanted - which it wasn't - and then his companion joined him. Probably to steer Spaulding away, if this other chap knew anything about anything.

"Pleased to, uh, meet you, Mr Audish, chief healer of spell damage, that's a very impressive title. I'm Deitha Albron," she paused for dramatic effect, "Custodian of Incomplete Obligations." She wasn't going to out-do Odhrán's title but she sure intended to out-do Audish's, and chose not to take the offered hand - it might be polite amongst men to do that but it wasn't quite the done thing for a man to offer a hand to a woman. "And yes," she emphasised, "my friend here is very talented."

For some people looks that could kill were a routine affair - but the look that Deitha gave Spaulding was less about overwhelming violence and more about understated torture and how long it would go on for. "Well, it's lovely to see you both but, you see, my friend and I were enjoying a quiet drink and, well, Mr Spaulding and I are more... professionally acquainted, and I don't drink with professional acquaintances. Not even ones such as your lordship."

She paused, wondering just where the evening was about to go. There was a reckless, impulsive part of her that wanted to get out her wand and spirit the pair of them away. Spaulding's charm was entirely absent, whatever he thought he might have had; Audish's entirely superficial charm was still an improvement, however.

The two of them didn't show any immediate signs of moving or any body language to indicate such, so she presumed that on some level Spaulding at least wanted to try to cosy up to her. He'd better not. He might need some help from his friend there - for spell damage.

A wicked grin flashed upon her face. She hoped that Odhrán had clocked the idea in her mind even if it was just a brief glimmer.

"So, Mr Audish, I must admit I have visited the hospital, though not for spell damage, but I can't help wondering, is there a department for treating people who are cursed with..." She fumbled for the right words. "...the maladies for overly-solicitous limbs, resulting in being cursed and/or broken?" She smiled at him winsomely, as if to make the point. Spaulding had that demeanour about him that he wouldn't take no for an answer, and it would be useful to know whether St. Mungo's would be able to treat him or not, afterwards.

[Vincent Spaulding]

Of all the impudence. Here he was, just coming to see an old friend, and make a new acquaintance, replete with a bottle of the good stuff to ingratiate himself - and old man Audish had decided to intervene!

Well, of course it wasn't quite like that, but it certainly felt that way. He'd never forgive himself if Aurelius lured the dashing princess away before he could convince her of his own not-insubstantial charms.

'Professionally acquainted'? Is that what she called it? Of all the impudence! If it wasn't old Aurelius - who could be forgiven for his foibles, if only because they came with suitcases of cash occasionally - it was this impudent young upstart. He flashed back to their previous encounter, and recollections of wanting to encourage her compliance with a riding crop, like the docile filly he deserved.

He feigned a smile. "Well, that's a shame. I was rather hoping we didn't have to be so formal, and could just be two people sharing a drink, perhaps a story or two. And your friend here, Mr Oh-Dally, I should be delighted to invite you both to my castle for dinner sometime." More flies with honey, Vincent, that's the way. Anyone who introduces themselves as "the such-and-such of a place" is clearly important, perhaps he had misjudged the man from appearances, they could be so deceptive.

[Odhrán Ó Dálaigh]

And there was Audish. Odhrán couldn't even fathom which goddess or spirit they might have offended to have both of these reprehensible creatures at their table. It was unbelievable that Audish was trying to make it sounds like they got along or like Odhrán had even a shred of professional respect for him. Just where did that guy get the idea they were anything but enemies? Odhrán gritted his teeth and let it all play out, if only because Deitha seemed to be more in control of herself than he would have anticipated.

Naturally, her little jibe was lost on the pathetic little fat man with the bottle. What?! Was he arithmetically challenged?

"Two?" Odhrán questioned coolly, "last I looked there were three of us here." He purposefully didn't recognise Audish as a being present. "But more to the point, as much as your average witch of wizard may appreciate an invitation to Blandings, we will have to decline. Miss Albron here already has a busy schedule visiting my castle at Ard na Mara."

He felt strange saying those things. They were wrong and icky, but he was irritated that these two men weren't leaving. What more did he need to say to communicate that they were not wanting their company? Who interrupted others like that on a night out and loitered around even after receiving a tepid welcome and a rude brush off.

He turned to Deitha, and gave her a resigned look. It felt like they were on the verge of something happening and perhaps there was no point to trying to stall what had already been set in motion.

"Well, Aurelius there is a spell damage expert, if you can call it that. Broken limbs are no challenge for his skills. Curses of course will result in a more complex to treat scenario. Necromancy is always an effective choice, though of course frowned upon by the ministry. I suppose one option could be a well placed vanishing charm. There is very little one can do to combat them as a healer and despite their very dangerous potential they are quite legal."

He smiled sweetly and looked at Spaulding's hands as if taking a measure. "And a lot of people don't know that layering charms makes them quite tedious to undo if not nigh impossible. Ministry Obliviators use that technique quite often and very effectively when wiping memories."

His gaze had wandered to Audish, his accusation implied, but not spoken. Just one wrong move and he would snap and show both of these men that he was far more dangerous than either of them could imagine.

[Deitha Albron]

Deitha could sense the frustration building. Odhrán was doing a reasonable job of keeping it together but it was clear that wouldn't hold for long. The pudding clearly hadn't taken the hint and now there was this ooze trying to be charming. He was more charming than the pudding, but that wasn't hard. Actual pudding was infinitely more charming.

"I'm glad to hear that the Ministry could heal spell damage and broken bones ever so well."

She turned to Spaulding. "Thank you for your most kind offer, but honestly, I think I'll pass." A deep breath. "You see, Mr Spaulding, I'm afraid you and I just aren't going to get along, and no amount of whiskey is going to fix that. I don't like your taste in company..." She gestured in Audish's direction, "Present company excepted, naturally," and continued, "I don't like your taste in decor, it's far too pretentious for my tastes, and if I'm being two-drinks honest, I don't like you, Mr Spaulding."

A wicked thought crossed her mind, and under other circumstances she wouldn't have been nearly so forward, but the day burned in her soul, and the evening burned in her heart. "Back at your place, when I came to see you to ask you questions, you tried to flirt with me. Hate to tell you, old chap, but I, uh..." She leaned towards Spaulding, grinned wickedly and dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "I'm what they call a muff diver." She cleared her throat and spoke at normal voice to ensure the whole table heard. "It means you're really not my type."

"Now that you're done flirting, if you could just leave me and my friend alone, we'd appreciate it, we've had rather a rough day and honestly, just wanted a quiet drink to unwind. But if you really decide you want to stay for a drink, you might need the help of your friend there."

She pointedly ssat back in her chair, looking at her drink, and not-so-subtly patting her side where her wand was.

[Aurelius Audish]

He'd arrived too late. Clearly whatever Spaulding had set in motion was unstoppable now. The lady was pissed off and Ó Dálaigh was as unpleasant and irreverent as ever. It was obvious that the man's recent brush with his own mortality hadn't improved his disposition.

Audish's eyes rested on the man while contemplating what had happened. He still wasn't sure how Ó Dálaigh had turned into a revered figure in the healing community. How was it that people came flocking to his aid when he was just a nobody from Ireland. It was enough to grind Audish's gears. He'd worked hard for the level of notoriety he had achieved, while Ó Dálaigh basically had everything handed to him without putting in even the slightest of effort. It was maddening.

The next thing he heard was outright strange. A 'muff diver'? He certainly hadn't come across the term before, though he seemed to grasp the part of the meaning to do with her disinterest in Spaulding. No matter what it meant exactly, the vulgarity with repulsive and Audish wrinkled his nose. No doubt it was a filthy Muggle term befitted of the worthless creature before him.

"Come on, Vicent. Let's leave the mudd diver to take her pleasure in Ó Dálaigh. He's certainly unsanitary enough to qualify." It wasn't so much that he feared any confrontation as such, but if they got into a fight there was every change someone would call the auror office and then they would have some explaining to do. It wasn't like they had their robes and masks to make short process of the riffraff.

[Vincent Spaulding]

Of all the indignance! The impudence! The intransigence! How dare she? Such vulgarity. Better he should try to pass it off lightly, humorously perhaps?

No, the figure in front of him - might be a female, certainly not a lady - might claim to be prefer women to men, but that was probably just because no man had treated her... correctly. Domesticated her. Taught her the proper manners. Taught her to respect her betters. And it was time he told her so.

"Flirting? With you? I mean, you're marginally attractive, you probably even clean up reasonably well with a spell or two to fix your hair, your clothes. With a little transfiguration work, you might even be beautiful enough to not show your father up when he finally puts you out for the season."

He turned to Ó Dálaigh. "Were I you, I'd beware this one leaving a mark on your reputation as well. I daresay old man Albron will disown her soon enough if he hasn't already, and I can assure you the rest of the family are far more pleasant to deal with. There's probably even a reasonable dowry in it just for them to be rid of her, if you otherwise took leave of your senses."

With that he turned to leave, gesturing toward the door for Audish's benefit.

[Deitha Albron]

She had sat back, hoping that her comments about not being interested in the loathsome pudding would be enough to make him go away, and toddle off to whatever dark hole he festered in when not at his castle.

But that tone. She's struck a nerve, and there he went, insulting her, calling her ugly, suggesting he needed a permanent makeover. Deitha had never thought of herself as beautiful but she wasn't unattractive, and she'd certainly never found it difficult to find a date on the occasions she'd wanted one.

In hearing that pestilential pustle in a suit describe her as such, though, and then suggesting to Odhrán that her father would pay to get rid of her, and not even pay that much?

Something went off inside her. Something very, very angry indeed.

The combination of motions all at once felt very slow to her, though no doubt it was considerably faster for others watching; with her free hand, out came the wand, and her glass with the remains of her drink found its way into free-fall to land in the space a couple of feet in front of Spaulding.

Here, and no further. The fact the line was implicitly highly flammable was a bonus.

She pointed at Spaulding, "Furnunculus!"