& █ ▌❛ THAT'S RICH

she had been jesting when she had mentioned his looks, but now, she found herself shrugging lightly. while he had far more going for him than just something as superficial as his appearance, there was little she could say to dismiss the notion that he was … handsome. and even if she were to deny it, there would be more than just a handful of others who would argue with her about it. resting her face against his arm, she sighed softly. ‘‘ you’d be shocked to learn how many truly think that, ’’ she said casually before another sigh shivered through her body. 

there was no denying that richard was growing up nicely. sometimes, she almost wished that he was not, it would make things easier for her, but — this was the reality and she had to deal with it. it had not always been like that, until fairly recently, her path had been mapped out by people who were not her. she had burnt bridges when she had decided that she would rather make her own path, but she was not overly concerned with that right now. right now, she was more preoccupied with how richard was trying to fluster her.

‘‘ you left out some of my best features, richard, ’’ she drawled, almost praying that her cheeks would remain pale as always. she was not counting on it, however — her face had betrayed her before, much to freya’s and charlotte’s amusement. she could consider herself lucky that richard did occasionally seem to drift off. ‘‘ i suspect the team and i are fortunate that you don’t lose focus when you are flying. ’’

richard knew he was handsome, after all, he was not as oblivious as some thought and also, some people were rather obvious. unlike fay who sometimes gave him mixed signals (but that slight fluster she had going let him know some things at least, he would have to remember that). also not that he would admit it out loud Ever, but his mum often said he was handsome and his mum was a smart woman who was always right. “all the more reason for them to underestimate me, then.” he commented lightly. how slytherin of him.

“and you’re right of course, how could i forget your immaculate hair?” he titled his head at her as he smiled. that was one was truthful, more than a reflection of how she tried to tease him. he always liked her hair. it was just a simple fact. “if the team thought i was not focused on the snitch, then they would be the ones to hex me. i have no doubt you’d be first in line for that.”

tapping her fingers against her chin, the blonde hummed softly. she liked to spend time with richard outside of their study group meetings and the obligatory training sessions. he was good company, she did not mind that freya had gotten her into her mess in the first place. she would have a good time during the weekend, she was certain. ‘‘ i could probably hex frédéric to make sure he doesn’t get the better of me and hurts your perfect face, ’’ fay pondered out loud as she leaned back into the couch’s warm embrace. ‘‘ nothing big — he is a friend when he isn’t being a pest —  just something small that’ll keep him out of our hair. ’’ only that they both knew it would ensure that freya would be most displeased. there had been a blissful moment when fay had managed to forget that frédéric was her roommate’s cousin. it had been a moment when she had thought that with claude rosen’s graduation, freya’s quidditch loyalties would rest solely with their house. she had been wrong.

( fay hated to be wrong. )

‘‘ but you cannot blame the consequences of your inattentiveness on me, richard dearest, ’’ she responded in the most insincere cheery voice she could squeeze out of her throat. her words were accompanied by a soft nudge against his ribs  ( and really, it had to be tender compared to what he received on the field )  and a teasing wink. ‘‘ though i do wonder — what did captivate you so that you didn’t notice me giving away sweets? freya’s eyes, bright as stars? or theresia’s neck, elegant as a swan’s? or, dare i wonder — frédéric’s biceps that looks like it’s been carved from marble? ’’

he did not feel comforted the moment she tapped her chin. and soon, she opened her mouth and proved him right. he was never to sure of some things about his friend. one was whether or not she was being sincere in her...hm...flirtations. the other was how to react to them in an appropriate manner. he tended to believe that she was not being That Serious about them which stung just a little but it was something he could deal with. he was a valeria after all---which meant he could give as well as he took.

“i would appreciate it, fay. after all, we both know all i have going for me are my looks.” richard replied easily. when she nudged him he laughed and shook his head and shot her a look. “who’s to say i wasn’t distracted by your beautiful eyes or elegant neck? or---dare i say, your own biceps, strong from years as a beater?” he shrugged. “who knows how i missed this detail. certainly, not you or i.”

‘‘ i had much worse injuries, ’’ fay responded with a casual shrug. she was a beater, of course she spent more time getting patched up than he did. and even this did not account for the messes she had gotten herself into before important matches; quidditch was serious business for all houses  ( even if some did not really let it show )  and there was always a slight risk to get hexed if one was an important team member. almost, she would have shuddered. she still had not forgiven that one ravenclaw for casting an … experimental hex on her, one that had turned her fingers into fish fins.

angling her head, she sighed softly. ‘‘ i’ll be having your back when we play hufflepuff, ’’ she promised without making a face. out of all the houses, she disliked playing against hufflepuff most. it was her brother’s house, for one, and secondly … frédéric corbin was a menace. he might be gentle as a lamb off the field, but as long as he was on a broom, he did his house’s animal justice. the last time, she had had both hands full keeping his vicious blows away from her team mates. ‘‘ sour candy is the only candy i really like, ’’ she admitted with a shrug. ‘‘ why did you think i keep giving the sweets i get for christmas and my birthday to freya and theresia every year? ’’

richard’s face wrinkled just the bit at the prospect of going against hufflepuff soon. he supposed, fay was correct in her observations (he remembered the fish incident) but still he felt his concern was not so out of place. fay always came through, anyway so that was always a positive. “i hope to be fast enough. i do not enjoy looking forward to a bulger this time around.” he normally was quite good (as was his team) to avoid that fate but how could he forget his third match in second year when he had broken all of the bones in his left hand? not very fun.

she nodded slowly, a lazy smile spreading across her face. she was not entirely sure why freya had even asked her to come along when it was so obvious that it was not fay she wanted to spend time with, but then — fay had never really bothered to study the art of dating rituals. it was obvious to her that her roommate’s interest in the quiet ravenclaw was not of the platonic kind, but … who was she to tell another how to structure their dating life? ‘‘ i’ve been meaning to look into new quidditch gloves and maybe a new quill, but i heard honeydukes is selling a new kind of sour candy and i wanted to check it out, ’’ she responded kindly. it was surprisingly easy to reach agreements with richard, she decided — perhaps because they were not just in the same house and on the same team but also friends.

‘‘ hey, ’’ she greeted quietly as she sat down on the couch where richard was already sitting, his nose in a book. idly, she mused how long it would take for him to finish the page and actually look at her. too long, probably. freya had been spoiling her with her way of always knowing when fay needed something from her. most of the time, her roommate even had a second cup of tea ready. she could not realistically expect the same of richard, she reminded herself as she drummed a staccato against her thigh. ‘‘ i was wondering, richard, if you’d like to tag along this weekend. freya and i are supposed to meet dylan … and i don’t feel like third-wheeling. i think that’s the muggle expression, ’’ she finished, almost nervously rubbing her thumb along the bandage that was adorning her arm, a trophy from the last training.

@borealiis

‘‘ trixie? that sounds like a dog, felix. i must implore you to not call me that. ’’ along the years, she had usually just accepted whatever nickname he had chosen for her, but this time, she felt like it was going a bit too far. ‘‘ and just two books? that’s … that’s not what i expected. at all. ’’

‘‘ i’m most flattered, feli. ’’ the corners of her mouth quirked upwards and she could not hide the mischief as it shone bright in her eyes. ‘‘ how many books on the topic did you read already? closer to ten or closer to twenty? ’’

picking a new name was something auburn did, on occasion, and she had a ritual for it. usually she would be found lounging in her most comfortable chair, a hot beverage steaming in front of her and a deep frown on her face. people said that until you had to name your child, you did not know how many people you disliked, but auburn had found that the same also applied to names she picked for herself. ‘‘ well, felix, i don’t think i can still teach you any bad language, so i guess it should be fine, ’’ she responded as she rolled her eyes. that kid, seriously.

‘‘ and since you asked … cass, i think, is a nickname for cassandra in most people’s heads. and isn’t kimbly that — man in the white suit from the anime series fay talked about the last time she was here? ’’ auburn raised an eyebrow. she had not been entirely able to follow fay’s elaborations about the plot as she had only arrived when it had been almost over. in fact, since it had come with glowing recommendations from fay, noel and her had plans to watch the series the next time they had a week off. ‘‘ are you thinking of a classic name like edward or something more … modern? ’’

at the stark reminder of that specific character, he wrinkled his nose and shook his head. kimbly was OUT, then. “i had the name first.” felix complained lightly, his tone was the exact tone of a petulant teen but that was just how it was sometimes. it was easy for him to change his name as the past few weeks would show and well, maybe it was time for a change. felix was not much of a change, though, but cass wasn’t either. for him, it would of course be short of CASSIAN. he sighed and hummed.

“edward is another fullmetal alchemist character.” he pointed out with a smile now. all the earlier slight annoyances were gone. “in fact, he is one of the two main characters.” he would have to watch the series in full. perhaps all three of them could do it together. fay and roxanna asphodel sure did like it and if they both enjoyed it he probably would as well.

‘‘ for your future lizard? ’’ she echoed, eyebrows arching gracefully. ‘‘ on a scale from one to ten — how aware are your parents of you wanting lizard, felix? ’’

‘‘ if you are asking for a future name, i think that’s a no from me — you aren’t from attica, you aren’t even from greece. ’’

▌ 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄  :    felix montomgery-vohon  ▌ 𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐍  :     single ▌ 𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒 / 𝐏𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑𝐒  :     immortality? but also, he has a perfect pitch and an analytical mind  ▌ 𝐄𝐘𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑  :     blue ▌ 𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐑  :     dark brown ▌ 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒  :      Cais Celsi Valeria -father/deceased, Aulua Crispa Valeria-mother/deceased, Severus Gurges Valeria-uncle/deceased, Vibia Gamella Valeria-aunt/deceased, Auburn Hayden-Vohon - adoptive mother, Noel Vohon-adoptive father  ▌ 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐒  :   none, but he is considering asking for a lizard ▌ 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄  :     disorganization, cruelty ▌ 𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐁𝐈𝐄𝐒 / 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐄𝐒  :      fencing, violin, reading ▌ 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄  :    no? ▌ 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌  : moose ▌ 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐒  :      he can come across as cold when others behave in ways he perceives as illogical--he cannot emphasize with behaviors that get people into circles and then never change them. he also has a bad habit of defaulting to such a cold persona when he is in a new situation or one he does not like as it helps him build walls ▌ 𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐋𝐒  :     his father also tchaikovsky with music. lowkey harry potter ▌ 𝐒𝐄𝐗𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍  :    i mean? he’s had a crush on a girl for a long time but has had something like a crush on boys so??? ▌ 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄   /   𝐊𝐈𝐃𝐒  :     when he was younger and did not realize he wasn’t going to age past around 13-14, he thought he would want a marriage that was like his parents. still fun, very loving and got their work done when they needed too. but, as he stopped aging he stopped seeing that as a possibility but honestly--he doesn’t mind that as much as he thought it would. marriage seems like something foreign to him and he is fine with that. ▌ 𝐅𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐒  :   being abandoned is his biggest one, also that he would somehow become Ignorant ▌ 𝐒𝐓𝐘𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒  :    nice pants, ironed button ups and sweaters. he dressed nicely and makes sure all his clothes are: neat, expensive and comfortable ▌ 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄  :     his family ▌ 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒  :      he sorta just? walks into them. he doesn’t change himself for others, he adapts well when he needs to, but he is mostly the same at the core and some people like it, some don’t. ▌ 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐊  :    tea and red wine ▌ 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐓  :   the lake in the winter time, the library and his room  ▌ 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍  :   lake ▌ 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐓𝐘𝐏𝐄  :    a complex person ▌ 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐒  :      indoors.

TAGGED BY  : @corbeaution​

EMOTIONS / FEELINGS:

001.  determination

002.  loneliness

003.  curiosity

004.  pride

005.  gratefulness 

COLORS:

001.  navy blue

002.  sky blue

003.  silver

004.  creamy white

005.  dark green

SCENTS:

001.  cologne that high class teenage boys use

002.  that sweet money smell

003.  frosty air in the january morning

004.  homemade meals 

005.  ancient books 

OBJECTS:

001.  an old roman coin

002.  violin on its stand

003.  a desk that is neatly organized 

004.  sweaters over nicely pressed shirts 

005.  hair gel in his bathroom 

BODY LANGUAGE:

001.  arms crossing, nose in the air

002.  eyes rolling and searching for a confidant to share the feeling with

003. a small, timid smile

004.  startled laughter breaking the ice

005.  tapping his fingers against his knees

AESTHETICS:

001.  snowy mornings in the winter, just as dawn breaks, a new wintry day

002.  a roman coin, still important as it rusts, worth more than its original value

003.  a fencing sword leaning against the wall, right next to a violin in its stand

004.  books all lined up together neatly on the shelf

005.  sweaters over dress shirts, warmth and formality all at once

SONGS:

001.  blinding / florence + the machine

002.  oh no! / MARINA

003.  flaws / bastille

004.  float on / modest mouse

🜂 —  @borealiis​  /  f.  montgomery-vohon

during her next job interview, auburn would be sure to point out that she was very good at adapting to new situations instead of claiming to be merely good. since noel and her had adopted their son, her ability to adapt had been tested more than once. this was the first time, she had needed more than a second to get used to it, but by the time she had headed upstairs, she was used to it.

‘‘ so, ’’ she said as she leaned against the door frame, an amused smile playing around her lips. ‘‘ noel is on the phone with your school, just to clear up some things. i’ll probably forge some paperwork later this evening, so if you hear me curse, that’s that. ’’

speaking from experience, fay was better at forging documents. she was less impatient and thus, she took more time to ensure that everything lived up to her standards. it did not mean that auburn was bad at it, it just meant that under normal circumstances, she would have asked fay for the favour. but well — richard might prefer for fay not to be involved in this, anyway. their relationship had so many layers that the redhead had long given up on trying to navigate it. 

crossing her arms over her chest, a wide grin spread across auburn’s face. ‘‘ which brings me to the reason for my visit, ’’ she continued, a tad more dramatic than usually, ‘‘ what about your middle name? are you keeping paul, or do you feel something else there, felix? ’’

felix looked up from his homework when he heard auburn coming. it was...it was a hefty decision, to pick a new name. and one as startling as much as it was a throwback, but he did not mind. it felt right. it felt like a new chapter and this one, he knew in his old bones was a lucky one. what other name, after feeling that much about it, was he supposed to pick? 

he felt good to be felix again, he was both irreversibly changed from that time but also, much the same as he was. it was not, he decided, going back to a time where he felt WEAK but instead, a RECLAMATION. and with that renewed sense of self he felt, lighter.

(it wasn’t an easy process, there were still nightmares and the memories would linger, but he had a support system he was comfortable with. and it made all the difference.)

“are you allowed to curse in front of your son?” felix sassed. because he would always be a touch cheeky. but he was allowed to be in this family.