4 Nov 2018, 16:30
A Gray Party
[pv | celynne gray]
19 August 2018
Bishop Manor, Liverpool
ACRIMONY, a feeling that Rhea was slowly becoming more and more acquainted with. Especially when she thought about the events she was constantly being dragged to - the sheer amount of them all could almost drive her insane; it seemed that every time she would change back into regular clothes, she'd have to change back into luxurious clothes once more. She didn't know how her parents could handle doing that every single day.
But, this is what she had to do. And besides, it was not all too bad, for she had the opportunity to dress up classily. Also, the family that was coming today was the Grays - a family that Rhea had previously been familiarized with, for she was acquaintances with the Gray heirs - Dorian and Celynne. She did not know whether both children would be coming today, but she hoped that at least one would, so she would have something to do rather than just listen to the adults drawl about boring business topics.
This time, her mother had chosen her outfit. Morgan wanted to present a certain front to the Grays, and feared that whatever Rhea picked out would not match her vision. After picking out her dress and directing the house elves exactly how to style her daughter, Morgan left Rhea's room and retreated to her own. The dress Morgan had picked out was a light blue colour, strapless and just below her knees. It was simple, which in Morgan's eyes, embodied exactly what this meeting was supposed to be. Her hair was separated in half before being woven into two dutch braid, tied off with a bun at the nape of her neck. The necklace she donned was a simple golden one, in the shape of a snake to represent the famed Bishop animal. As for her shoes, they were simple as well as the rest of her outfit - white ballet flats that were comfortable yet stylish as well. Looking over herself in the mirror, Rhea felt confident with what she was wearing and began to descend down to the parlor, where the families would be meeting.
Upon seeing her daughter, Morgan nodded appreciatively, looking over the accessories her daughter had picked out. She waved Rhea over and bade her to sit next to her, while they waited for the Grays to arrive. Like the rest of the parties the Bishops had hosted, the guests would be entering through the special built-in fireplace - strategically placed in the parlor and one right before the entrance to the garden, just for guests to be able to Floo in easily.
Sighing heavily, Rhea followed her parents outside, out to the garden where the Bishops had decided they wanted to enjoy the rare sunny weather. The sky was completely clear of clouds, with only the sun shining straight and bright. It reflected off of the water that had pooled in the gargoyle fountain in the middle of the garden, around which were gathered the chairs and the couches that the families would be sitting on. Bushes lined the perimeter of the garden, trimmed into beautiful shapes and animals. The house elves spent hours perfecting the unicorn, lion, and gargoyle bushes - all for the viewing pleasure of Aaron Bishop. Flowers sprouted from some of the bushes, as well as from the ground below them. There was a coffee table of a sort between two chairs as well, on which a vase full of multi-colored roses rested. Following her mother, Rhea sat down next to her, across from a couch from which she expected the Gray family to sit upon. Her father had stayed behind, awaiting the Grays near the fireplace from which they would be arriving in. It would be rude for them to show up and not be met with the host immediately.
She wondered if Celynne had changed at all since Rhea had last seen her, which was in March. Then, the raven-haired girl was a shy bookworm, who from what Rhea gathered, spent most of her free time in the library. Was she still the same way?
Casting a look anxiously at the screen door every so often, Rhea's foot began to tap against the bricks that the floor was made out of ceaselessly, an action that she seemed to perform subconsciously whenever she was, well, impatient. Her mother cast a sharp glance at her, and she stopped. For a moment. Before once again, her foot began to tap, although not on purpose.
Would Celynne, or Dorian, want to do something actually interesting - or would they prefer to listen to their parents' dull conversations? Rhea hoped not, for she wanted to excuse herself from the meeting before running out to the huge lawn and playing there. Or perhaps, to the pool, or to the field where the Quidditch goals were set up. Breathing out, Rhea kept her back straight and crossed one leg over the other, and bit into a pastry that a house elf had brought out just then.
Last edited by Rhea Bishop on 20 Dec 2018, 18:39, edited 1 time in total.
the trouble is, if you don't risk anything -- you risk more.
♕ℛ ♕
STAMINA: 4; EVASION: 10; STRENGTH: 8; WISDOM: 6; ARCANE POWER: 5; ACCURACY: 12
10 Nov 2018, 17:45
A Gray Party
Terra incognita.
Before that day, Celynne Gray had never visited another Pureblood family. She’d lived in the Selwyn manor for years, that much was true. And she had, of course, taken up residence in the Gray Manse ever since the melodramatic soap opera of her past was found out. But this was different-- going to meet another Pureblood family, a sector of families that tended to put formalities first and practicality later, sometimes. In short, she had no idea what to do.
Svana had, of course, aided her in preparation. Not only was she the only other available female in the household, but it was she who would be accompanying her to the Bishop Manor, as Rasmus and Dorian were unavailable on the set date. The vitriolic woman was nothing if not fond toward the young Ravenclaw, even though she was not her mother, exactly-- far less stern, at least, to her than she was to her brother, Dorian.
Apparel had been taken care of accordingly. Somehow Svana had magicked countless articles of clothing that actually fit her into the far too large closet of Cel’s new bedroom, and from there it had been easy to select the prim white dress, decorated by a few elegant branches of blue flowers, from the collection. The piece gave off an oriental sort of feeling, but it was countered with the simple golden hairpiece wreathing the braid that her stepmother had set in place. The bluish tips of her hair had been shorn off a while ago, leaving the ebony locks a little less than hip length. Fortunately, Svana had kept her own comfort in mind, and the material of the dress was silky and soft, though her stepmother had disliked the fact that the dress hung off her waist and had had to tighten the waistband to fit better.
Tapping her foot, clad in AZURE gladiator sneakers that she had chosen out of practical comfort with still appropriate formality, the girl waited nervously as Svana retrieved what she’d called Floo Powder from the mantle of the grand fireplace. “So-- remind me again: you will toss this… powder into the fire, and I am to dictate the name of my destination, then step straight into the fire and I’ll be there?” Cel asked, uncertainly, and honestly a little skeptical. Svana turned to smile at her stepdaughter, amusement lighting her sharp eyes.
”That’s right,” Svana replied, hand poised to toss the green powder into the crackling fire. “Stop worrying your hair, you’ll ruin it. Don’t waste time, now…” she cast the material into the flames, and it crackled loudly, then settled into green. Cel shied back slightly. “Bishop Manor, Liverpool,” the woman enunciated sternly, as if afraid that the fire would misbehave, before stepping in. Flames whooshed up around her, and then the woman was gone, not even a smear of crimson lipstick in her wake.
Timorously the girl approached the blazing green fireplace, cringing internally. She was, of course, aware that she had close to nothing to fear, but that didn’t take away the natural instinct to run from flame, did it? The heat that had emanated from the flames before seemed more like breezes tickling her skin now, even as she neared the fire, only inches away. The edges of her white dress fluttered; she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Bishop Manor, Liverpool,” she vocalized, mimicking her stepmother’s articulation, and then she took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and stepped into the fire.
Heat and light surged up around her, flames licking at her legs and sparking at her fingertips. She opened her eyes for a split second, then fluttered her eyelids back shut as the flames engulfed her, and then suddenly she was there, wherever there was. The unpleasant heat faded, and she stumbled forward, the fireplace spitting her back out into the world in all its lace-wrapped finery again. In an instant, Svana’s hand was there, helping her emerge from the flames, the red nail polish stark against a silver wedding ring. A couple of blinks, and then her eyes cleared.
Bishop Manor, Liverpool. The girl cast a wary glance about her, taking in the sight of another Pureblood Manor. No chateau had dared to fail her vista yet-- the Bishop Manor was grand, the Selwyn Household had been whimsical, and the Gray Manse was, above all, beautiful. Purebloods certainly seemed to have a flair for dramatics; she often had to remind herself that she was one of them. Rhea Bishop was a girl she’d met just last year in a brief, not-so-graceful exchange in the library, and although a few glimpses had made themselves apparent, Cel really still did not know the Gryffindor very well. In truth, she had no idea what went on during a Pureblood meeting, or whether or not it would be fun, but she hadn’t really had a choice of whether or not she would go, and go she did.
It was then that she noticed that there was another person, a man, present to receive his guests. Svana cast her a sharp look, paired with a tap of her bright crimson heel against Cel’s foot, that prompted the girl to straighten and muster a smile, a bit flustered from the fireplace. “Svana Gray,” she heard her stepmother say to the man. “This is my… daughter, Celynne Gray.” The girl held out a hand to shake, unsure if that was the right thing to do, bending slightly at the waist by instinct in a slight bow. Did she just bow? Goodness, Pureblood formality was really getting to her. A tinge of red painted her cheeks.
Saddening, it was, that she knew that Svana would never call Dorian son again after the truth had been spilled. From now it would be stepson, not son, even as Cel got the title of daughter. She was not certain why Svana was so cold toward Dorian, so acidic, so vitriolic, even as she was caring toward Cel. For that reason, she still saw her stepmother as stepmother, not as mother-- no, she could not see her stepmother as mother, not when Natalia Selwyn, not Natalia Flores any longer, watched over her as a ghost.
Nevertheless, they were here, and Cel was nervous. She’d snuck peeks of the invitation they’d received during breakfast, but only because there had been nothing else to read, and everyone else had already finished their breakfast. She did not know the workings of a Pureblood meeting. As far as she could guess, it was more of an opportunity to get to know herself, since she had not been part of the family for so long. It was up to her now, up to her to roam this terra incognita, this unknown land.
19 Feb 2019, 19:01
A Gray Party
THERE was not much to do out here, while Rhea and her mother waited. The pastry she was chewing on was delicious, a nice change to the vegetables she had been forced to eat for the past week. While Rhea and Morgan remained in the garden, Aaron awaited the arrival of the Grays. Two house elves stood flanking the fireplace, a tray of pastries and sweets in hands, while Aaron had a smile plastered on his face.
As the two fireplace began to turn green, announcing the arrival of a person, Aaron cleared his throat and prepared to introduce himself. He smiled as the first woman entered his home, nodding at her. And then as a younger girl, seemingly around Rhea's age entered - Celynne Gray, the long lost child - or at least, based on what he'd heard - of the Gray family.
"Welcome Ms Gray, Celynne," he nodded once more, motioning in the direction of the house elves, inviting them to take something. "Help yourselves, and please, follow me, my wife and child await in the garden." Maintaining the smile upon his pale face, Aaron led the two outside, making small talk as he did so.
Meanwhile, Rhea was still sitting outside. She had finished her pastry, exchanging food in favor of admiring the garden around her. It wasn't often she got the opportunity to go outside; usually, for almost the entire summer, the girl was forced to either a) attend dinner parties or b) remain cooped up in her room. It was rather boring, actually. Of course, the Gryffindor girl still found ways to entertain herself, though she would've much rather spent time with her friends. But, beggars can't be choosers.
At least the garden was pretty. The English summer truly was gorgeous; when the weather behaved, it made for some particularly splendid days. Today, the sky was a clear blue, the clouds retreating while the sun took the spotlight (quite literally). But that wasn't what drew Rhea's attention - it was the fountain. She remembered how, as a child, her first ever nanny used to take her around the Bishop property. This fountain was her favorite place to be in the entire place. For some reason, it had a sort of aura around it that relaxed the Bishop heiress. Sometimes, if neither of her parents were home for the day - Rhea would jump into the fountain, the water reaching to a little bit above her knees (she was only 6 years old, after all). Her nanny would laugh and splash the little girl, to which Rhea would splash her back.
Smiling wistfully, Rhea cast a longing look at the fountain and looked at her mother, asking if she could go dive around in it. Morgan laughed softly and nodded, "Be back before your father comes back." Laughing, Rhea stood up and quickly ran to the fountain, dipping her fingers into the cold, fresh water and breathing it in.
She only had a few minutes there before the screen door opened and her father, along with their guests, appeared. Rhea immediately returned to the chairs, smiling politely - just like she was taught - and Celynne and presumably her mother. Aaron invited the Grays to take a seat across from them, while he himself took a seat next to Morgan, as far away from his daughter as he could.
"This is my wife, Morgan," he smiled at his wife, taking her hand and squeezing it, "and my child, Rhea." His voice evidently dipped, growing colder when he introduced his daughter. Earlier that summer, he had declared Rhea as not his daughter, though clearly those words were said in a moment of anger - though that was what Aaron felt at heart, he couldn't very well disown his daughter. He had a reputation of a happy family to upkeep.
Both Rhea and Morgan smiled at Svana and Celynne, Rhea even offering a little wave to the other girl. They knew each other, and was that not how acquaintances greeted each other? Rhea assumed so, and as she leaned back into the chair, she made sure that her posture remained stiff and straight.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Morgan smiled warmly, extending her hand for Svana and Celynne to shake in turn. "Help yourselves to anything you desire. The house elves are also willing to provide you with anything else you need."
Morgan motioned to the coffee table, on which a variety of foods were spread out. Macaroons, baklava, cannoli, cinnamon rolls, small croissants and many more. Besides, even if there was something that either of the Grays craved that wasn't on the table, they could ask a nearby house elf to get them some. Rhea took a macaroon and began to munch on it again, making sure not to allow any crumbs to spill.
"It has been quite some time since I have spoken with any of the Grays," Aaron commented stiffly, keeping his expression stoic. His words were simply an observation, though there was an underlying accusation: where have you been?
While Aaron focused on the reputation aspect, Morgan furrowed her eyebrows just a little as she looked upon Celynne. Last time she had heard of the Grays, they had a son; although rumors had been spread throughout the pureblood community of a girl joining the family, Morgan wasn't sure what to believe. Now, she had the chance to ask. "I suppose this is a bit blunt, but I truly do want to know - is Celynne your daughter? I thought you only had a son, Dorian Gray."
And the question was asked. Rhea had been wondering as well, though she would never have asked. Not at this meeting, anyway; she was much too concerned about what her parents would say to her asking such a blunt question. However, it didn't seem her mother cared about that, clearly. Morgan asked the question that everyone wanted to know.
Aaron, on his part, was a bit caught off guard. He was aiming to get to that question eventually, but certainly not as abrupt as his wife had. His jaw clicking, Aaron maintained his smile, though it grew tight-lipped. He made a mental note to talk to his wife later, to make sure she knew that she couldn't ask such questions to their guests.
the trouble is, if you don't risk anything -- you risk more.
♕ℛ ♕
STAMINA: 4; EVASION: 10; STRENGTH: 8; WISDOM: 6; ARCANE POWER: 5; ACCURACY: 12