6 Jan 2025, 16:21
When The Time Comes
"Mey!" She heard her mother calling, "Can you put the glasses on the table please?"
Meyra had just finished putting on her dark-red velveted dress and getting ready for welcoming her family and host the Christmas Eve dinner when she heard her mother's voice coming from downstairs. There was a thread of tension in the air, it was palpable that her mother was nervous. She had been inside that kitchen since last night, making sure everything was being done accordingly to her instructions. Millie, the Lancaster's lovely and dear house-elf, had been with her, preparing supper with all its extra treats and sweets that would be served that night.
"Mom," Meyra started carefully, directing herself to her mother, when she arrived closer to the kitchen counter, "Is this...is this all necessary?" the young girl asked, eyeing Millie with a funny and inquiring expression on her face. The tiny house-elf just gave her a small smile and a shrug before turning again towards the oven. "This looks exactly like Hogwarts banquets!" She finished giving her mother a warm and bright smile.
"You think?" Harumi asked in return, her apron stained with flour and a dish cloth over her delicate shoulder. The woman looked at every dish filling the kitchen's counter and she looked slightly concerned, "Oh well! If so, at least no one will complain they had nothing to eat!" She concluded humorously, "Now do as I told you and set the table! Okay pumpkin?" Her mother told her dismissively, as she turned her attention again towards the chocolate Christmas cake.
Meyra softly laughed at her mother's lively spirit. It had been so rare, this last past year, to see her mother like that, like her normal self. It made her heart ache and her chest tightened, but it was due to a warm, pleasant sentiment this time. Meyra crossed the counter and gave her mother a light peck on her rosy cheeks, before rushing into the living room, toward the cupboard where the tableware was arranged.
The Lancaster's always loved to invite people to their home, specially friends and family. Hosting a dinner, a party or simply spending a warm afternoon with tea and pastries, was something that had been recurring in her house. It had all stopped one year ago, when everything broke and shattered...but tonight, tonight they would recover some sense of normality. With small steps, they were finally walking towards hope and healing.
The room was tastefully decorated, in dark pine green, white and golden, ready to receive some of the most important people in their lives. The natural elements were combined with stars and golden globes. It was a rustic elegance like much of the home's charming decor, and Meyra added the finishing touch, placing the crystal glasses with gold details between the delicate candlesticks lit with candles.
The young girl was just turning away from the room, to go ask her mother how could she continue to help, when she heard the flames on the hearth slightly changing its normal tone. Her heart first escaped a beat, then it quickened while she waited to see who was arriving first. In her mind, she was silently praying to see Jun and her aunt Reina, after so much time apart, this was the moment she had really been waiting for!
Interacting with: @Jun Mayumi Mochizuki
INPC: Katsuro Souto
Adult: Iris Jurema
9 Jan 2025, 20:10
When The Time Comes
Banner by the lovely @AngelFyre McCubbin
LOCATION | North Yorkshire
DATE | 24 December 2024
INTERACTING | @Meyra Lancaster
00:40⠀ ── ◉ ────── ⠀03:51
#e63b7a | DIALOGUE
@Name | MENTIONINGYorkshire Dales, Mochizuki Manor
Close to a small town in Great Britain, stood the Mochizuki Manor. Covered in snow, in the midst of tall trees and grand fields. A horse stable was placed not too far away and the woods shielding the Manor from prying eyes were silent and peaceful. The man made lake in the garden was frozen over and the sun sparkled in the snow as it dipped below the horizon. The sight was truly remarkable and it was what Jun had called home for a bit over a year now. The large windows let enough light in to flood even he darkest of corners and the interior felt bright and warm. Though one particular thing was missing. A person whose painting hung in the library, a younger Jun and a happy Reina beside him. The absence of that person was what often made even the warmest and brightest days feel cold.
Jun stood before her full length mirror, smoothing over her soft blue dress and picking off invisible dust. The fire cracked in the fire place behind her, the air filled with the scent of vanilla and something floral yet not sweet. Her hair was cascading over her shoulders in light curls, a necklace with a single pearl dangling on her neck. Her coat laid behind her as she did a twirl to see whether her appearance really was as perfect as it seemed. Then she fiddled with the one shoulder sleeve covering her left shoulder, making sure the bite marks weren’t visible. A shaky breath escaped her lips, her chest vibrating as she took one last look into the mirror before taking the coat and stepping out of her dressing room.
Her heels left a soft tapping sound on the marble as she moved across her bedroom and to the table her wand laid on. Her thoughts were racing around the evening. This would be the first time she would see her entire family, since the funeral. Her Grandfather and Grandmother had visited them a couple months ago but her interactions with them had felt unnatural, uneasy. It wasn’t particularly because of them but because they knew. Of course they knew. Injuries and registration as a werewolf could be hidden from public but not from the prying eyes of her closest family.
In around 20 minutes she would be back in a room with them all, with the heavy lingering of one person missing. Her mother and her hadn’t celebrated Christmas last year. There had been a grand Christmas tree in the entrance hall, reaching through the open stair case and up into the last floor and there had been decorations. The festivities were what had been left out. The spirit of love and security. Jun had spent that day in the library, only coming out for dinner, which had been Yakisoba - stir fried noodles. Her mother had spent that day locked in her room and Jun had heard her crying but she hadn’t let her in.
A knock on the door startled the painful memories and silence followed. Jun cleared her throat and caught herself, tugging her wand into the pocket designed for it. „Yes?” She then called, turning her head and meeting the warm eyes of her mother as the door clicked open. „Are you ready? We should leave.” The Japanese slipped smoothly over her Mothers lips and Jun nodded, forcing herself to smile and pulling on her coat. Her mother returned the smile as Jun picked up the gifts they had bought for Mey, Harumi, Hoshi and Rodney. She wasn’t exactly sure whether her mother had gotten the other family members gifts too, though they would have probably been distributed by owl or one of their staff members.
They stepped into the hall together, the candles blown out and the room left dark. Reina tugged her arm into Jun’s as they walked together, a clicking rhythm echoing through the silent halls. The fireplace in the entrance hall was large enough for them to step into it at once and Jun shook off all negative thoughts, so they wouldn’t fly through the floo network with her. Tonight was going to be pleasant, it would have to be. She took a deep breath and then watched her vision change as her mother threw the floo powder and spoke the address of Mey’s house.
Arriving at North Yorkshire, Lancaster - Mochizuki Manor
Jun stumbled out the fireplace first and stopped right before her cousin. The blank expression on her face changed to a genuine smile as she closed the space between them and pulled her best friend into a hug with the arm that wasn’t holding presents. „Hi! Merry Christmas!“ she exclaimed, releasing Mey and feeling her Mothers presence as she stepped next to her. „Meyra, Merry Christmas! It is so good to see you, Dear.“ Her voice was warm and she gently caressed the Gryffindor‘s cheek in a way only a Mother or Aunt would, before letting her hand sink again. „The room looks beautiful, is your Mother still in the kitchen? I shall go and see whether she needs any help.“ And with that, Reina Mochizuki already swept out of the room in her dark blue dress.
Jun was left with her Cousin, turning to her and smiling again. „These are for you, your names should be on them.“ Her Mother and her had spent a couple weeks sending letters back and forth about the gifts they could give their closest family and she was quite pleased with the outcome. For Mey, they had picked out a beautiful set of new paint brushes with Japanese Aquarell paint. Hoshi was receiving the cutest knitted blanket and a Teddy Bear that even Jun would take and Rodney was getting a dark cashmere sweater. For Harumi, her mother had picked out a beautiful gold necklace with small red gemstones and a matching bracelet.
Holding out the gifts for Mey to take, Jun let her gaze move through the room and down her cousin. Once she took them, Jun would take off her coat. „You look beautiful, I love your dress. And the room is decorated very lovely, did you help?“ Pausing momentarily, Jun noticed her slightly trembling hands, causing her smile to slip before she forced it on again and steadied herself. „I am a bit nervous honestly.“ She then whispered under her breath, piercing her brown eyes into Mey‘s green amber eyes. As if her family had felt the unsure feeling fluttering through her, the fire behind her cracked and she turned to meet the weight of her Grandfather’s gaze. Haruto Mochizuki was followed by their grandmother and his voice thundered through the room as he spook. „Meyra, Mayumi. Good Evening. You two have grown into young ladies, I see.“ His stoic nature came through even in him just standing there. Her Grandmother followed with a „Merry Christmas, my dearest’s“ and Jun felt her heartbeat spike. Both of them had spoken in Japanese so she answered in Japanese. „Good Evening,“ left her lips as she bowed, remembering the years of Japanese education. Then she heard the fire crack again.
code by charisse