gods & monsters

“even if that were true, i’d still be the most beautiful dying hippogriff to grace this earth. however, i’m more inclined to just think it’s your jealousy showing.”

“That might have been true. If  I wanted to sound like a choking flobberworm, maybe.”

“Good, now you’ll know who to look for the next time you need an impromptu outing.”

“And what of the very planned ones?”

❝I had a great time, thank you. It’s perfect for what I needed.❞

“even if that were true, i’d still be the most beautiful dying hippogriff to grace this earth. however, i’m more inclined to just think it’s your jealousy showing.”

“possibly, but you’d still be a hippogriff. likely a smelly one. i don’t think being pretty will help you much when you smell like that and have a horse’s bum.”

“You get lost in it. Losing touch with what is real is a dangerous thing. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“It depends on how much you matter, I suppose. It is only dangerous if it has effect. Not if you’re inconsequential.”

❝I was singing.❞

“terribly, you should add. there are many things you do well, emma vanity, but your singing sounds like a dying hippogriff, i’m afraid.”

❝You can’t wake up, this is not a dream.❞ @alexandraflints

“and where is the harm in pretending it is?” she asked, tone merely curious.

“i don’t know maybe i’m just strange, but i don’t particularly enjoy being spoiled. i genuinely like taking care of myself, i just don’t want to ever be expected to take care of someone else— other than my own children, and who’s to say i even want one of those.”

“we’ll have to agree to disagree, i’m afraid. personally, i find being spoiled far too enjoyable to oppose it. you see, I already know i deserve to be showered in finery, but having it acknowledged by others is all the more gratifying. let not the value of a nice piece of jewellery be outdone by this concept of an honest compliment. i do agree on the second count, however. having somebody dependent on you is certainly a sobering thought. why ever do people voluntarily choose to do it?”

“Perhaps not,” she agreed with her housemate, not adding anymore than she had to. Like Alexandra, Bellatrix too understood that oftentimes in their society, marriage was purely a duty and not a union born out of love. For some, love seemed to bloom later in their union, but for others, it never would be there. Duty, as they were taught, came first. Her thoughts turned to her youngest sister, who was to marry a man who Bellatrix knew she didn’t love, — at least, she was certain that Narcissa didn’t love Lucius the way a woman was supposed love the man she married — and she was only one of the many cases in the society that they lived in. She idly wondered how her sister would have reacted to this conversation with Alexandra, before turning her attention back to the Flint girl. “But why, I truly do pity you if even History of Magic successes the bore your betrothed could be. Your future, I’m afraid, might be as much as a bore as he is. Though I do hope that it serves you better than the insanity of love.”

It was testament, perhaps, to the fact that they truly were Slytherin. There was far too much dignity involved to admit to a thing as messy and irrational as emotions — particularly not for love. Alexandra understood that as surely as she understood her reasons for rejecting it. After all, she was not in denial. She knew what she felt. She was just also fully aware that duties came first and hers was to compensate for the folly her Father had indulged in. Love was the root of the problem; not a solution. Talking about it, however, was out of the question. She did not even deign to discuss it with those concerned.

For Bellatrix, she granted a brief curve of her mouth, acknowledging her response. There was no more to say on the matter, it seemed. They continued on. “Oh, I hope not. Men in general, maybe, but I doubt either of us would ever consent to marry a man that dull. A girl has to have standards, after all. Although I believe so, don’t you? A marriage born of informed choices and mutual benefit instead of the insanity of love.”

“It would, yes, though I would imagine that the entire point of dinner is for one to eat silently, no? It would be impolite to eat while speaking, or that was what my mother taught me. Conversations are for after dinner, when one isn’t already busy. Which in my case, yes, I do have homework to do.”

"That is debatable, of course. The point of dinner is to eat, sure, but not dining, I don’t think. In groups, at least, dining together silently seems almost counter-productive. You might as well get your daily quota of exchanging pleasantries at the same time. Otherwise, with the piles of homework piled on these days, how would one ever converse?”

“Even if it was, I fail to see how that would be any of your business, Alexandra. Though I must tell you, that I do have better things to do than conversations after dinner.”

“Idle conversation, I suppose? Sitting silent would be a tad unfriendly, don’t you think so? I’m glad to hear you keep busy after dinner, however. Homework, is it?”

“Why, of course, Alexandra, it would be unwise to have a conversation about work when our fellow Slytherins are trying to enjoy their dinner. This conversation could wait for after, could it not?”

“And is that how you enjoy yourself after dinner, Lucius? Conversation?”

“well that does seem to be a family trait for them, i can’t say i have a real preference amogst the family. anyways it’s not even to fund luxuries necessarily, i’ll buy my own luxuries. i don’t like depending on people for such things. it’s just— you know i’m not running a charity here, so to speak. i’d expect someone to be on the same financial level as me, i don’t enjoy wasting money on freeloaders.”

“it’s tragic, really - a family that could truly be a preference as a whole, but then the individuals are so....no. all the same, i wouldn’t mind being spoiled, to be honest? just because one has money doesn’t mean one has to spend it. and if some pretty little fool is happy to spend his, well, more is the power to you, isn’t it?”

“quite frankly i don’t think any selwyn is really marriage material. but personally, i don’t mind hercules that much. i don’t trust him at all, but i don’t mind him and his face is handsome in an odd sort of way. but no definitely if a man isn’t good-looking and charming, there’s no real point to him being around. unless of course he’s got plenty of money amongst other things to offset his shortcomings.”

“he's physically passable, admittedly, but a completely obnoxious nightmare, wouldn't you agree? i’d take eros over him any day, i think. he does mouth off a lot, but we both know it can be put to much better use. but mm, sounds about right. as long as they’re willing to fund your luxuries and belong to a respectable family.”

“eros i think, is the type of boy you keep around because he is pretty. but you know it’s not as if you actually date him, salazar help his future wife. but you know he’s something nice to look at and he knows how to talk to pretty girls— sometimes. not really potential boyfriend or spouse material though.”

“really? see, i’d disagree. he’s a selwyn and not nearly as aggravating as hercules. not much more that is important in choosing a spouse, is there? i agree though; keeping him around for the prettiness is spot-on. after all, if they aren’t pretty and charming, what really is the POINT of somebody hanging around?”