𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒓𝒂𝒔 & 𝒔𝒂𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒆

𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒈...   𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐘𝐏𝐒𝐎 𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 !

did you hear that [ CALYPSO AVERY ] will be attending the Black Ball during the coming weekend? They recently arrived in London for the social season and we will be excited to see if they make a splash this year. I heard that they are currently working as a [ HOLYHEAD HARPIES CHASER & SOCIALITE ] and that they have been quite successful. They always reminded me of [ THE SHARP CUT OF A HEEL, FEROCITY OF A FIREWHISKY SHOT, BUTTERFLY KISSES, SCATTERED PINK ROSE PETALS, AND OLD JEWELRY BOXES ] and I heard that they can be [ VIVACIOUS + PASSIONATE ] but also [ STUBBORN + ARROGANT ]. Rumor has it that they are [ A SUPPORTER OF ] Tom Riddle, but you know that you can’t believe everything you hear. As far as I know, they are a model member of pureblood society.

when: close to midnight

who: calypso & open

callie did not often take out her cigarettes on such parties. her mother always reprimanded her for such unhealthy habits. but after a few hours, the ball had become increasingly dull and stifling. and truly, her feet hurt from all the dancing and being dragged around like a pretty doll by her mother towards some very eligible bachelors, as though she weren’t already engaged. mother had not been agreeable to the match as much as father and boris had, but as usual, the women in the family hardly had a voice once the men made up their minds.

Where: Black Family Tree Room, Grimmauld Place

Who: Narcissa and open

Narcissa didn’t often come into the room that housed the impressive Black family Tree. It was mostly because she couldn’t face looking at all of the blasted off family members. Of course she hadn’t met most of them, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t sad. Once upon a time it had frightened her, but now she just disliked that their family had turned their backs on their own. She understood it more now, and it just frustrated her, and made her angry. But sometimes she came into the room. Tonight was one of those nights. She knew most people probably wouldn’t come in the room either, so it gave her a brief moment to escape from the ball.

She’d been standing by her own name, her fingers tracing the edges of the burnt fabric where her sister’s name had once been. That was until she heard footsteps behind her. Her fingers paused, as she glanced over her shoulder. “Hi.” 

any room would be preferable than the ballroom right now. as it turns, her parents were also in attendance, and her mother’s constant tittering over her hair, her posture, or her makeup was driving her mad. callie had rushed into the nearest room she could find after going two flights of stairs trying to escape her. now, callie does not claim to be an expert in the many rooms of the house of black, so she did not know she was entering what appeared to be a very personal room for the family until she saw the wall and narcissa.

“oh, narcissa. my apologies,” callie said in surprise, debating whether she should come any further in the room. she decided to stay close to the room’s entrance, which was only slightly shut in case her mother came running after her. “i hope you don’t mind for a spell. i’m trying to hide from my mother and if i have her fix my hair a sixteenth time tonight because it isn’t as impeccable since i left the house, i might actually go feral.”

One of the things that Pandora liked best about Calypso was that she had the common sense to listen when someone fussed over her. Pandora was confident that whatever embarrassment she might feel about her dress would pass quickly. After all, she was so beautiful that people have hardly noticed. It’s just that Pandora has an eye for these things. Her mind got stuck on tiny details sometimes and wouldn’t let her go until she allowed her hands to move out and fix them. But with a minor adjustment, Calypso was perfect once again. “well i know that i look beautiful, calypso. you don’t have to tell me that much about myself.” she says, but it’s with a fond sort of kindness in her voice. 

Pandora can’t help but let out a playful little giggle at the accusation. She settles her shoulders strongly and takes an imperious sip of her drink. “Callie, a lady never kisses and tells. You know I was raised better than all of that.” There’s a joke laced deep under her words, because in truth Pandora really had done her fair share of fornicating at parties with slightly inappropriate patrners. She was lucky that she hadn’t been revealed and caused some kind of scandal. “I’m pretty sure everybody on this planet is a cousin a millionth removed from the Black Brothers, dear. That family knows how to get around. I’m not sure how they can be so far flung and yet so inbred at the same time.” 

"which is precisely why i think the male of our society are either blind or stupid—” calypso replied with a dramatic flourish of her hand to her friend. “—for not seeing how you are the catch of the season. tell me, are all the other bachelors left all so dreadfully dull for you?” she had always expected pandora to get married long before she did. a malfoy had larger connections than avery, to be certain. but she was glad, at the very least, that pandora wasn’t settling for far less, at least in the romance department. it was important to marry pure, but callie always had an underlying soft spot for the hope of marrying pure and for love. but love, unfortunately, was a luxury not many can afford in their class.

callie harrumphed petulantly, but managed a playful smile. “if we retreat to lady black’s library among quieter company, would you share then?” she poked at the rib of pandora’s dress in jest. polite society would dictate that they ought not talk about such things in public, but callie had never been saint where fornicating with men and women were concerned. “indeed, which is why those two are more family than potential suitors to me.” merlin knows, the averys could be some cousin removed from the blacks too. but as far as she knew, her family never resorted to marrying only within the sacred twenty-eight. japan offers a stunning set of pureblood witches and wizards too, after all. “questionable as their choice of partners may be, i cannot deny their taste for a good party.”

☾ ˙ ˖ ✧   —    ❝ she is the very best! though a bit mercurial at times. never seems to get anything done until the last minute.  ❞ sybill had spent the entire morning trying to fix a slit with embroidered lace, after all. someone with more sense would have probably given up, and an actual modiste wouldn’t have bothered in the first place, but the young witch could be incredibly stubborn when her pride was on the line. ❝ oh you should have worn that! i’m sure it would have made you the belle of the ball amongst this flock of silken birds. ❞ perhaps individuality was not as important as money, class and status for the crème de la crème of the pure bloods, but sybill had always been a slave to her whims. and she couldn’t help but appreciate when someone else followed theirs.

"ah, well, sometimes the best artists are at their most exceptional at the last minute.” calypso replied with an amused grin. not her, of course, dear merlin - otherwise her governess would have called her lazy. but she certainly had friends who do. “did she make you this lovely gown?” she asked out of genuine curiosity. it was pretty, she could give her that. not as pretty as hers, surely. but she was not blind to other pretty things. callie raised her brows in surprise at the witch’s insistence she should have gone for the kimono. “do you really think so?” she hummed thoughtfully. it would have certainly made her stand out, but mother has never really appreciated odd individualities. not that there was anything odd that came from her own culture, but many would consider it far from the english norms. “i don’t know, though. kimonos are stunning, but i fear i’d be made fun of. it’s a lot more like a robe by british standards than a traditional japanese dress.”

☾ ˙ ˖ ✧   —     sybill couldn’t help but chuckle. ❝ my modiste? ❞ telling the witch she got that dress for five pounds in a muggle yard sale would probably earn an interesting reaction, but sybill was trying to fly under the radar that night. and she did have enough foresight to know that pure bloods were too easy to mess with if she was not careful with her tongue. ❝ oh, that’s too much trouble. I’ll just take it to mrs. sewingkit and she’ll have it looking as good as new. you really can’t trust anyone with your clothes today. ❞ she smiled cheekily, putting on just a tad of a posh accent. ❝ though your dress does look wonderful. ❞

closed: @heartshakerfm

“Hold still.” Pandora hisses out, a whisper. She doesn’t want to draw any attention to Calypso. “I need to fix your dress, it’s just ––” Her fingers move quickly, shifting the fabric. “There. There you go, darling. That’s just perfect. You’re even more beautiful than the decorations, has anyone told you that yet?” She looks at Cal with a winning smile, glittering in the light herself. “You’re also not nearly drunk enough.” She prompts, reaching for two glasses off a passing tray. “I saw a glimpse of one of the bottles, and It’s from pretty deep in the Black Family cellars. I saw them once when I was –– no, actually. Nevermind. I’m not telling you why I was down there. Don’t even ask.”  

calypso tried not to move, and tried to smile sweetly (more like tightly) at the nearest person staring at them. this was absolutely embarrassing! had she been walking with a part of her dress mucked up like that all evening? bloody hell. “i’m going to fire my modiste for that.” callie grumbled petulantly, then sighed. but she beamed at once after being complimented for her loveliness tonight. “oh, but shush. we both look very pretty and bejeweled tonight.” it helps that dearest friend was looking like a diamond of the first water herself in her lovely gown. callie looked delighted when pandora got them drinks, and when she took a glass, her eyes bugged out when the witch stopped her story. 

☾ ˙ ˖ ✧   — the first thought sybill has when entering the glistening ballroom is that maybe she can get away with nicking a bottle of expensive wine. the second is that she can get absolutely shitfaced on said expensive wine. after all, sybill has a crippling suspicion this will be a long, dreary night (even more so than her usual long, dreary nights). ❝ you know, my horoscope warned me about unlikely enemies, but i hardly imagined it was talking about this goddamn dress. ❞ she says brightly, grabbing a glass of wine from a nearby tray and plucking a string from her purple dress.

calypso was positively beaming in her pretty midnight blue dress that shimmered like the stars every time she moved. she absolutely loved balls, and she was absolutely thriving in this sort of environment. she had already made her rounds, gracefully greeting the hosts, then catching up with some of her friends. or, well, some she may consider valuable connections, more than anything. her fiancé had gone off to greet his own set of friends, and she was momentarily left to her own devices.