6 Jul 2022, 05:08
Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown
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|| Interacting with @Henry Knight (as iNPC Charles Alluring) ||
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Aly Salinger had been at her relatives' house for all of ten hours and she already hated it here.
The soon-to-be-fourth-year Ravenclaw's mother, Hesper, had decided in a spur-of-the-moment argument the previous night that Aly was going to spend the next two weeks of her summer with Hesper's cousin, Jessica Alluring, née Livingston. Before the Floo trip this morning, Aly had received an all-too-boring Hesper crash course on Jessica; she was Hesper's favourite cousin, had been the year ahead of Hesper and her twin at Hogwarts but in Slytherin just like them, had married a proper pureblood man by the name of Luke Alluring and had two proper pureblood sons and now lived in a proper pureblood home out in Durham, and yada, yada, yada, and all that. The more Aly listened to Hesper drone on about how perfect and proper - and, oh yeah, had she mentioned pureblood yet? - Jessica and her Alluring family were, the more she decided she wasn't going to like these people. If they were as anti-Muggle, anti-kindness, and anti-fun as Hesper was making them out to be - all the while acting like that was a good thing, as though this were going to teach Aly to be a better person instead of a worse one - she was going to get along with them as soon as hell froze over.
So they could teach her to sit up straight, cross her ankles when she sat down, say sir and ma'am, and not secretly have a boyfriend when her mother had explicitly forbidden such a thing. They could not teach her to be a good person. Not if they were so deeply embedded in a pureblood high society that, Aly was quickly realising, was nothing short of corrupt.
Still, she'd packed up a bag and gone along with Hesper's plan, though not without a fair bit of grumbling under her breath. The Allurings had welcomed her with... well, they weren't open arms per se, but more of cautious ones, like Aly was a wild animal that they would need to break in and tame. She'd already received her fair share of etiquette lessons during the day, mostly at mealtimes, and she was beginning to think that this kind of class was worse than Potions at Hogwarts. This small spoon is for soup, this one for beverages, such as tea. Always say please and thank you - always! No, you may not 'have seconds.' Slang is for the small-minded. Never switch your fork to your other hand after cutting something, and never scoop with your fork, always push food onto it with your knife. Children do not speak without being spoken to first. Sit up, child - don't slouch.
Merlin. It was exhausting, and this was only day one.
"Thirteen more to go," she grumbled to herself under her breath as she tiptoed up the manor stairs - normally, in such a furious situation as being trapped in this gilded cage, she would've stomped up the stairs, but Hesper wasn't even around, so it would not have been worth it - in search of the bedroom she'd been so graciously assigned during her stay in Durham. This house was gigantic - easily two or three times the size of the small, one-family Salinger home in Welwyn Garden City, if not more - and Aly could tell that the Allurings were made of more wealth than Hesper had let on. Had Aly's own mother left this kind of grandiose lifestyle for the comfort and coziness of the home in which Aly had grown up? It seemed... so unlike her.
Aly turned the corner at the top of the stairs and pushed open the third door on the left, which she was about 95% sure was the correct one. Unfortunately, instead of opening the door to the plush pink pillowcases and gauzy golden bedcurtain that she had seen earlier whilst unpacking her small belongings in such a large room, she opened the door to an entirely different scene - a completely not-pink room, with a blond boy sitting in the center.
The Ravenclaw froze at the sight of the boy. He was about her age, and she recognised him from the day's mealtimes - he was her new cousin, or, well, second cousin. The younger of the two Alluring boys. Charles, she was pretty sure. Apparently, he attended Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, which explained why she had never met him before. But that was about all she knew of the flaxen-haired boy before her, the one onto whom she'd just walked in without announcing herself or knocking.
In the morning, Aly was quite sure, her new family would have her head for breaking etiquette. But it wasn't like she would have had to knock if it had been her room, like she'd thought! Can they really fault me for getting lost?
"I'm so sorry," she blurted out, taking a step backwards, out of the doorframe. "I didn't mean - er, I'm still getting used to - um - I'll go find my room now."
She took another step back and made to close the door behind her, but paused at the last moment, turning to lock eyes with her new second cousin. "Er... you wouldn't happen to know which room I'm in," she said, lamely, rather a statement than a question. "Would you...?"
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| Aly Salinger's ency |
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STA 10 | EVA 14 | STR 5 | WIS 19 | ARC 7 | ACC 18 Charmer • Keeper’s Catch • Paragon of Health • Lovely Creature • Foulplay • Keen Eye who's afraid of little old me? |
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13 Jul 2022, 21:27
Heavy Is the Head That Wears the Crown
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Charles has been shut up in his room for about ten hours now without concern of a family member joining him.
Charles was newly informed the night before that his second cousin on his mother's side who he didn't even knew existed would be staying with them for the next few weeks of the summer holiday. That morning, his parents decided to give him a warning lecture before the girl arrived. Advising him to behave and not stir trouble for the next few weeks since his second cousin would be there to teach her manners or pureblood tendencies or something like that.... to be honest Charles stopped paying attention to their words after his mother; Jessica gave a brief- morning long history lesson of her family.
Family that included Hesper Livingston-Salinger. His mother's younger cousin by one year but also her favorite who attended Hogwarts with her. Sorted into the same house, slytherin and went on to marry a pureblood from a so called blood traitor family. Hesper described as beautiful and strict with a mindset for perfection. Charles figured if the girl was anything close to Hesper than there won't be anyway they would be getting along... she sounded no fun and a pain to be around. Charles only smiled at the end of this lecture when his father asked him to remain in his room during the girl's lessons. He won't have to be around his family nor socialize. The teen started to look forward for his second cousin's visit.
Moments before her arrival. The teen faced his parents again, this time with a warning- threat that if he did misbehave or represent their family poorly then he could forget about the camp and quidditch game next month. The teen questioned his brother about it moments after, only to hear from him that he couldn't run away again and needed permission. Now only extra motivated to stay in his room.
When his second cousin arrived, after introductions were given. Charles wouldn't have his elder brother that day, for his brother; Andrew and father; Aaron would be up in his father's study. Deep in discussion that the blonde was quite happy not to be apart of. His mother; Jessica seemed quite busy with the elves and servants on his second cousin; Aly lessons.
Leaveing Charles to his thoughts and room. Only emerging and seeing the others during meals.
Sitting on his bed. The blonde's room wasn't as large as the rest of the house. The original color of the walls hiding behind the posters of the quidditch team; Ballycastle Bats in nearly every corner. The light woode flooring panels covered in dark red carpets with spiral and flower designs.
The burglary curtains pulled back on the only window of the room. Next to the dark wooden wardrobe covered in quidditch roasters and schedules for durmstrang. Schedules of quidditch games and classes taped to the doors. A few photos of friends taped between the others.... photos of Cassie, Rosella, Drew, the durmstrang quidditch team, Hailey, Haley Rose and one or two more.
The back wall, containing his trunk and bags with his nimbus 2001 sitting on top. Besides the wooden desk filled with crumpled parchment and empty ink jars. Hand held mirrors, guyliner and nail polish jars.
The bed across, a frame of dark wood with the sheets and pillows showcasing the Ballycastle Bats. A night stand on either side, dark wood chip away. One with a quaffle shaped light and water glass. The other folded letters and photo frames, one of his family years ago and the other two of his friends.
To the right of the door. A dark wood dresser. A mirror on the wall with the surface of the dresser lined with combs and gel and guyliner.
To the left of the door, numerous weights and small exercise equipment lined the walls for daily exercise and fitness.
The blonde sat in the middle of his bed, wearing a blue sweater and black jeans. Black trainers off, sat on the ground besides his bed. His eyes lined with black guyliner, face slightly blushed from concealer and hands held his charcoal burned and torned leather jacket. His favorite. Along with a scatter of patches for durmstrang, the Horntail Horde, and ravens. Needle in hand, trying to learn how to sew patches to the jacket to cover up the damage taken when the door creaked open.
He expected his brother or even mother but not her. Looking up, his eyes caught his second cousin. Aly, right? Her words tocuhed his ears, the apology and soft words. The teen offered a small nod, his voice low even soft with his natural British accent as he spoke"That's alright, no harm done." His eyes on the green eyes when the question arose.
He could easily fake a russian accent, he mainly did while at durmstrang as to not stand out from the others but at home he allowed his natrual accent to take form. Often forgetting to fake it.
Charles stared at the girl, he didn't. He wasn't told where she would be staying but figured he could help as he spoke"I don't, no. Apologies but I could help you find. Do you remember what it looks like?" The teen waited for the girl to reply, keeping his seat on his bed.
"There's no such thing as strange creatures, only blinked people" - Newt Scamander