5 Oct 2020, 18:43
So This Is Socialisation? Overrated.
Private thread with @Jade SunshineAmber Sunshine-Crowl (or just Amber Crowl, as she had been known then) had been one of Ebony Fox (or, as she was then, Ebony Baxter)'s few friends at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They had both been in the same house (Slytherin, of course), gotten married around the same time, and when they both had children of around the same age it seemed only natural to encourage them to become friends.
Which was why Lucia Fox, at ten years old, was currently standing alone on the long gravel driveway leading up to the Sunshine Manor.
The girl had arrived a few seconds ago via side-along apparition with her mother Ebony. Seeing as it was quite rude in wizarding terms to simply Flue into someone's house, Ebony had apparated Lucia to the end of the driveway first, before spinning away again with a resounding CRACK to collect Briar, Lucia's nine-year-old sister. Willow, at just four, had been left behind in the care of the family's house-elf, Rosa.
It was quite surprising that the house had been named as it had, Lucia thought to herself as she waited (slightly impatiently) for her mother and sister to arrive - although the Sunshine family lived there, Lucia was fairly sure there weren't many buildings that looked less sunshine-y than this one. Coming from Lucia Fox, this meant rather a lot - she had grown up in Oxford, after all, and the architecture there was legendary. This manor house was quite impressive though - at least five times the size of the Fox's own house, and decorated with stone sculptures and gargoyles, it looked like a haunted house from one of Lucia's books.
She knew it wasn't haunted, however, because Ebony and Briar appeared with another CRACK a moment later, Briar immediately letting go of Ebony's arm to be sick in a bush. "Ugh," the poor girl murmured, and for a moment Lucia felt sorry for her travel-sickness-cursed sister.
"Come on, clean yourselves up," Ebony instructed, smoothing Briar's dress - a pretty green one covered in lace - down.
"I still don't get why I had to wear this," Briar grumbled under her breath, picking moodily at her skirt with the arm that didn't have a well-worn copy of The Tales of Beedle The Bard tucked under it.
Lucia sighed. This was the first time Briar had been to a social dinner like this, unlike Lucia, whose simple blue dress had been worn several times already - though it looked brand-new.
"Because," Ebony replied, "It makes you look presentable. Lucia?"
Lucia looked up at her mother. She frowned, shading her eyes against the glaring sun, as she looked up and asked, "Have I met J-J-Jay-"
Briar supplied the name for her. "Jade."
"- Jade, before? Or-"
Ebony saved her from stumbling through the names again, by saying, "No, and you haven't either, Briar. They have a girl your age," she looked at the youngest of the two girls, "named Jade, a boy a year younger named Pugna, and another girl who's at Hogwarts already (third year, I think) named Sapphire."
"Right..." Lucia murmured, trying to commit the names to memory while also wishing she'd thought to bring a book with her, like Briar had. As it was though, the younger girl had only been allowed on the promise that she wouldn't read while at dinner, or while talking to anyone. Lucia wasn't sure her sister would manage the promise, but she kept that thought to herself.
The girls followed after their mother as Ebony strode up the driveway, and knocked on the door.
│= | #00308F ency • cassie heather | =│ | breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out Part-Veela • Alluring • Perfectionist • Scream • Sta 9 • Eva 9 • Stre 4 • Wis 10 • Arc 8 • Acc 9 | │ |
5 Oct 2020, 20:11
So This Is Socialisation? Overrated.
The Sunshine family were already seated at the table when the butler brought the Fox's through. When Neco Sunshine saw them he rose from his seat to greet them, "Ah, Welcome. Mrs Fox and young Madame Foxes. I see you haven't brought your husband Ebony, such a shame, I was looking forward to asking him about his opinions on the recent news." Amber whispered to him and told him to sit down, he needn't be so formal but after that she rushed to her best friend and embraced her. Jade and Sapphire shared glances of embarrassment, whilst Pugna pretended to be sick. Jade then took her chance to walk over and greet the two children, "Hello, Lucia and Briar, is it? I'm Jade but you can call me Jay. I hope we can be friends, I'll be starting Hogwarts in 2 years, we'll be seeing a lot of each other then. Sapphire is already there, she's in her 3rd year" "Hi," she said awkwardly, her cheeks flushing pink, Sapphire wasn't as outgoing and extroverted as her sister, Sapphy preferred to stay quiet in conversations. Pugna then took his opportunity to introduce himself and came rushing over before rambling on about disgusting facts he'd found out. Nobody was really listening as they took to their seats.
@Lucia Fox
@Lucia Fox
5 Oct 2020, 20:45
So This Is Socialisation? Overrated.
Interacting with @Jade Sunshine and NPCsBriar gazed around her as the little group were led through Sunshine Manor - by a butler, no less! Lucia tried not to feel ashamed of their own modest little house, and she could tell that Ebony was doing the same, though the younger seemed to be more successful. "This is posh," Briar murmured so that only her sister could hear, and by the time they reached the dining hall they were both gripping each other's hands.
Ebony frowned at the mention of her husband. "That's us," she said stiffly, "But he couldn't join us tonight." Lucia's mother locked eyes with Jade's as she finished, "Due to the fact that no-one has seen him for a little under four years."
It was obvious that Ebony had no idea why her friend had not told Neco, and Lucia's mother coughed delicately, as if to avoid the awkward subject.
While the parents were doing - whatever they were doing, Lucia didn't really care - the younger of the four girls in the room came over to the Fox sisters. She introduced herself as Jade, no, Jay, and slid in a nice conversation starter which Lucia couldn't help but secretly admire. "That's us," Lucia replied, and she and her sister held their hands out for Jay to shake at the exact same time. "I'm Lucia. Nice to meet you," she added.
Briar gave the older girl, Sapphire, a sympathetic glance - she could spot a fellow introvert even from a distance, and tucked her book more securely under her arm. "I'm Briar," she said with a small smile.
As the boy - Pugna - came running up, Lucia was struck by how... overenthusiastic, he seemed. "Hey," Briar said to him as the children took their seats. Lucia was on Jay's right-hand-side, Pugna on Jay's left, and Briar had managed to score a seat next to Sapphire on the other side of the table.
"I'll be going to Hogwarts next year," Lucia said, continuing their previous conversation.
"And me the year after," Briar finished, putting her book on the table and staring at it rather remorsefully. She glanced up at Ebony, but her mother only shook her head.
│= | #00308F ency • cassie heather | =│ | breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out Part-Veela • Alluring • Perfectionist • Scream • Sta 9 • Eva 9 • Stre 4 • Wis 10 • Arc 8 • Acc 9 | │ |
5 Oct 2020, 21:36
So This Is Socialisation? Overrated.
"That means we'll probably be in the same classes, I hope we're in the same house so we can continue the Fox-Sunshine friendship for another generation. Do you want to be in Slytherin like Ebony? I hope to be in Slytherin like the rest of my family." Jade made conversation because she could tell the girls were nervous, she was used to leading conversations though, her sister was the same. Amber and Ebony were lost in memories of their old school days, chatting excitedly and giggling like 5 year olds. Neco and Pugna were playing a game of cards whilst waiting for dinner to be served. "I hear you have a younger sister too, what's she like? Is she annoying like Pugna?" Jade liked these girls and wanted to get to know them better, she thought they would make great friends. "What are your opinions on the lesser magic races, like mudbloods and half breeds. We've been brought up as a family to see them as our inferior. The nasty pests! I hate all of them and anyone who interacts with them" When it came to making friends, Jade had to make sure everyone shared the same opinion in that pure bloods were superior to all others.@Lucia Fox
Last edited by Jade Sunshine on 2 Nov 2020, 16:33, edited 1 time in total.
1 Nov 2020, 16:27
So This Is Socialisation? Overrated.
Interacting with @Jade Sunshine and NPCsFox-Sunshine friendship?!
This girl spoke like she was reading from a leaflet, but Lucia guessed that that was probably just how she talked in front of new people. Formally. Like her, to be honest. Briar never really seemed to care, and either spoke to you as a friend, as an enemy, or just ignored you all together. Unless, of course, you happened to be her sister, as Lucia was.
"Yes, I'm hoping for Slytherin," Lucia said when Briar stayed silent, adopting a more formal tone. "But then again, I suppose" - Merlin this was wierd - "that I haven't thought about it much. It's a bit of a family tradition. Ambition, you know."
Briar spoke up then, fingering the tablecloth as she did. "Personally, I'd rather be in Ravenclaw," she said, adjusting far better than Lucia, though it probably wasn't very obvious. The younger girl made finger quotes with her left hand, and quoted, "'Wit beyond measure is Man's greatest treasure.' So I guess we won't be in all the same classes."
"Oh, Willow's only four," Lucia said fondly, "But she's still quite annoying. Right, Bree?" she added, looking at her sister.
"Mm-hm," Briar said, then, "'She may be little, but she be fierce.' William Shakespeare."
Lucia gave a mock-groan. "Bree, can't we have one normal conversation? Just one?!" Predictably, Briar ignored her.
Half-breeds. Of all the conversation topics the girl could have picked, Jade Sunshine had to choose 'half-breeds'. A little ironic, really, considering that she was talking to two girls who were secretly a quarter Veela.
For once, Briar was the first to speak. "I think they're wierd," she said truthfully. "I just don't get how they can... you know... interbreed, and how they have magic at all, really." The girl sighed. "It's like one of the earliest magical problems."
│= | #00308F ency • cassie heather | =│ | breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out Part-Veela • Alluring • Perfectionist • Scream • Sta 9 • Eva 9 • Stre 4 • Wis 10 • Arc 8 • Acc 9 | │ |