old places, old friends / willem

[LINNEA BERGERON]

Linnea was back in Scotland.

After the breakup, she dove into her work at the WIA. Which fortunately gave her ample opportunity to get very far away from anyone she knew and especially Jacob. She didn't know what he was doing now. Maybe he was in Scotland, or England, or somewhere doing curse-breaking. But she didn't want to know. She didn't need to know. It was over and they weren't part of each others' lives anymore. It was heart-breaking at first. Then angering. Then infuriating. But Linnea worked through her pain through her work and came out on the other side. Not quite the same person she had been before. But she survived it.

It had been almost a year and so she took a bit of time off after working pretty much non-stop for quite a few months. Of course, her work did demand that anyway sometimes, and she gladly took the jobs that did. But now she had quite a bit of vacation saved up and she used it to return to Scotland and catch up with some old friends.

Linnea never knew Willem growing up, but they did get rather close during Liberamach. War did that to people. Especially as she became a Deputy Leader under him, so they did work closely together too. He also wasn't so 'in your face' as some people were. Especially leaders. Linnea actually enjoyed his company too. Although during the war, they didn't really have much time to just 'hang out', especially when they were all working and living in the same place. Why catch up? They saw each other every day.

But things were different now. They had won the war. And now they had a country to run. Or at least help run, since the system they always wanted to make was more clear of corruption than the Ministry and actually had fair elections and people held accountable for their actions. Also transparency. And they felt that they had achieved that. It would always be a battle but it was one that they could do.

Linnea sent an owl to Willem to meet her at a cafe in Midlothian Passage. After all, that was one of the places that Liberamach had been the strongest. It was a Diagon Alley-like area that they had created. Of course, now everyone could go there, but the roots of it being in the middle of the 'rebellion' in the early days were still there.

She waited outside the cafe at one of their outdoor tables. The weather was nice for it as it was the end of the summer. She would go inside if he wanted, though. Or they could grab some drinks and take a walk. She was up for anything.

WILLEM TUINSTRA

[WILLEM TUINSTRA]

Willem had mostly gone back to the nondescript life he had always enjoyed. At least, as much as he was able considering he had been leader of a huge movement that had done something rather great. He served as parliawix for the WGOS and took care of the Kerr Community Center. Some had expected him to try running for some other leadership position within the new government but he had never asked to be a leader. He had become one through necessity and Five seeing something in him enough to confide in him that day all those years ago.

It felt different to go back to day to day life though. He no longer had all sorts of people around him aside from perhaps Stijn. And things there had been their own little confusion. He didn't know what they were to one another but the werewolf was a source of great comfort and affection to him.

He had been glad to get the owl from Linnea and he had, of course, agreed to meet her. "Linnea, how have you been?" He asked when he spotted her waiting for him at one of the outside tables.

LINNEA BERGERON

[LINNEA BERGERON]

Linnea looked up and smiled at Willem when he arrived. "Willem! I-- Well-- I've been better, thanks." She did work through quite a few things and while she didn't feel on the other side of things completely just yet, she was getting there. She probably needed to get to the point where she met someone new and pursued something with them to feel completely over everything. But overall, she was doing okay.

"Do you want to go inside or stay out here?"

WILLEM TUINSTRA