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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:01:51 GMT -5
- Permission for light god mod gotten -
Her sarcastic reply about guests made him stick a tongue out at her, but she seemed to get what he was saying. The room felt huge, loads of air space to heat (he noted no stove) and what did a guest use so much for anyway? He smiled indeed as she blushed a tad and chuckled as she fought back. "Hey, if you really wanna surprise me, wait till my house. You only have to walk and sneak four feet that way." Her comments about her grandmother's place made him think he might be more comfortable there though it would apparently be huge, but he'd probably not have glass showers and easily accessed back doors to guest rooms. But her idea of hard work versus being frugal needed a sharp lesson in real life. "Um. Rosalie. Trust me no one works harder then a farmer and I'm not just saying that cause I am one. Up at 4am everyday and going to bed around 10pm and working all the in between. I love helping my mom out, but even if I kept that up till I was fifty, I could never get a house like this without a lot of extra help. I think your parents probably work very hard, but you don't realize how much this is really worth. I think jobs pay a lot better then the way I live does, another reason I need to change things there I think..." If this all really happened, how could he ever expect her to come live on the farm, even with the manor rebuilt? She was used to another whole level of life, not just luxury. For the first time in his life he felt rather inadequate. As he gaped at the pool he wondered if she didn't deserve someone who could take care of her better, and then almost kicked himself mentally as memory about how much money she was going to get would take care of her well enough. Still, he was feeling inadequate until she turned and fell into the pool. At least then he could use his muscles for something and as she came within reach he helped by getting a hand under her arm and helping her out. "I know you're cold, but let me grab some towels since we can't use magic..." Running inside he found his way back to the bathroom first time (amazing) and grabbed all the towels that were there that were large. As he got outside he handed her one, took another and wrapped her around the waist and middle and then after tucking it in he wrapped another over her feet and legs saying "Don't move, goof, and I can do this with minimum mess." Swooping her up in his arms catching the towels so they stayed wrapped around her absorbing the water, he darted inside and actually ran up the steps to the bathroom in his guest room before putting her down at the shower stall. The towels were pretty soaked by now and he said "Okay, tell me where I can find other towels for you to be in to get back to your room so we have no mess to deal with and I can bring those back while you get out of those wet clothes into the towels."They were partners, they could do this. After all, they had each other's backs. Stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door behind him he went to get the towels where she had said and came back with three big ones. Tossing one on his bed for himself later, he knocked on the door and without opening it more then a hand wide he held the towels out and said through the door "Here, slip those over your clothes so you can get to your room and just leave the rest, I can easily clean up while you go work on your hair and get dressed in your good robes. Deal?" While she changed into the temporary cover, he moved his bags to the chair in the room (still not feeling right about spreading stuff around in such a large room) and got out his dress robes, setting them on the bed in readiness. Out of his bag he pulled a piece of paper and his quill writing a quick note. He then ran down to the front and just inside the door he saw a spot where the note would stand out to someone entering and placed it there, folded so it would stand out then headed back up. Knocking on the door, he said "All clear, Ree-love?"
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:04:14 GMT -5
She laughed softly, "well, that certainly makes things easier doesn't it?" She gave him a mischievous smile. "I have no intention of sneaking anywhere, thank you very much!" She tried hard to look offended, but failed miserably. As he spoke of life on a farm, Rose found herself gaining a new respect for his family's lifestyle, and the burdens that had been placed upon his shoulders, she was happy to be able to relieve some of them, but suddenly intimidated by the idea of trying to be a part of his home. She didn't know the first thing about living on a farm, and being useless simply wasn't an option, she frowned, and nibbled her bottom lip with a worried expression. She met his eyes after a moment, "what if.." she paused, looking as though she were considering her words carefully. "What if I can't do it? Handle life on a farm I mean? I don't have any idea what to do, and I couldn't bear the thought of being useless." For the first time since they'd came up with the idea for this arrangement, Rosalie DiAngelo felt decidedly inadequate.
For she suddenly realized something very disconcerting. This life, this house, her family and her things were the only life she'd ever known. Her membership in the DA not withstanding, the hardest she'd ever worked was during quidditch practice. She realized with a resounding pang in her chest that she was more at risk of being a trophy wife to him than perhaps anyone else on her list of eligibles, and he was perhaps the only man on the list who didn't need one. She felt a wave of overwhelming dread, and a sense of nervous tension spread over her shoulders. She looked up at him, feeling far more vulnerable than she liked. "What if I'm not good enough? I've been so worried about being a trophy wife, but suddeny I feel like that's all I'm suited for." She returned her gaze to the ground. Surely she was more than that, better than that, and if she wasn't, ,surely she could be.
The impromptu dip in the pool had laid the conversation to rest for the time being. As she struggled to right her sopping wet body, Taranis was thankfully able to think more clearly. Being wrapped in so many towels made it extremely difficult to move, but given her previous line of thinking, she was determined to cry. When he insisted on carrying her, she sighed, but gave in willingly, things would indeed be much easier that way. Once they'd made it into the house, she nodded to his instruction. "I won't be long, if you'd like to go ahead and get ready as well, our escort shouldn't be too much longer." She considered giving him a kiss on the cheek, but given her state of duress, thought better of it. She made her way into her own bedroom, and shut the door behind her. She didn't have much time, and she needed to look her best, both for Taranis and because Gran would expect nothing less.
Given where she'd started from, Rosalie was rather proud that it had only taken her forty-five minutes to get ready, aknd she was generally happy with the final result It didn't look much like how she normally dressed, but she hoped Taranis would understand in light of their impending interrogation...er..tea. She emerged from her bedroom, and went to find Taran, spotting him after a few minutes, on one of the sofas in the sitting room. "I'm ready...I think...at least as ready as I'll ever be."[/quote]
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:06:03 GMT -5
As she worried about fitting into farm life he found himself startled on two levels. First off, he and she were thinking how they didn't fit in the other's worlds and that struck him as both good and bad. Clearly they were both trying to make this work and worrying about it had to be a good sign that they weren't going to force each other into molds they were not suited for. Second, it sounded like they were both beginning to think about this as being more happening then they had first planned. Which, if he was honest with himself, was the smartest way to prepare yourself for the worst to come. Not that having her as his wife would be in any way bad and the idea of just having her in his bed did give him some rather private ideas. "Rosalie," he began with a slight frown at her worrying, "If you end up on the farm, it will be once the manor house is finished. I'd show you how to take care of watering the plants in a small area and we'd learn how to make cheese and do the weaving stuff together. Everything else on the farm I already know about and mom will still be around as well." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead again, wishing those worry frowns away. She was far prettier without them that was sure, though he enjoyed seeing her think really. "Heck, a trophy wife? I think you'd be a quidditch player professional long before you became a pretty brainless wife who couldn't do anything." Rolling his eyes at the idea of her being helpless, which was what trophy wife said to him, he wondered again what it would be like to have a girl sleeping in his bed with him. Did he swim in the sheets or roll over a lot? Did he snore? He was fairly sure he did not, cause his sisters had never teased him about it, but still, it was something to wonder about. His musing was ruined of course by the incident with the pool during which he was pretty busy. Once she was off to her own room to get changed, he slipped into his own pants and a nice shirt, setting a tie aside to put on as they left. He'd never felt entirely comfortable with something knotted around his neck, though he'd gotten more used to it through Hogwarts. Finished suiting up, he slipped on his dress robe over it, checking in the huge bathroom mirror to make sure it looked alright. With tie and white shirt centered at the top of his robes, he slipped his wand in his pocket and headed downstairs to wait for her. He hadn't been waiting long when she came down, showing some leg in nicely hip-hugging dress which was not what he knew her in. His eyes widening, he was about to whistle when there was a large crack sound from the entrance and he almost jumped looking in that direction. There stood a house elf dressed in some kind of upholstery and giving him a look he couldn't explain. His eyes popped up as the thought "Of course they have house elves..."
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:09:25 GMT -5
Rosalie's eyes lit up when she recognized the elf that had arrived to escort them. "Jeeves!" she smiled warmly at the somewhat wizened figure. Jeeves, for his part, returned Rosalie's smile with a look of warm affection born of many years of history. He offered a hand to each of them, and Rose took Taranis' other hand in hers before accepting it. A moment later they arrived, and Rosalie chanced a look at Taranis' expression. "Welcome to Gran's" She paused, "and pureblood nonsense 101." She tightened her grip on his hand, even as Jeeves released her other one. They had barely stepped into the Entrance Hall when the two of them were enveloped in a hug by none other than Gran herself.
"Oh my dears, how lovely you both look." Rosalie knew the resemblence between Gran and her mum was striking, there could be no mistaking the relation between the three of them. Though Aryssa DiAngelo possessed an inate sense of propriety and ettiquette, there was a softness in her features that Gran lacked. Rather, the older woman looked as though she had spent her life painstakingly crafting herself into the epitome of pureblood propriety, and in fact, she had. She pulled away from them, and took both of Rose's hands. "Darling, let me look at you, how lovely my little Rosie has become." Rosalie's face flushed, only to darken further when her grandmother turned to Taranis.
She eyed him up and down, clearly analyzing, "and a pleasure to see you as well Mr. Summerby. I must admit I wasn't at all surprised when Rosalie wrote to tell me who she'd chosen, but there will be time enough for business later on." Rose was unaccustomed to the positively gleeful look on her grandmother's face. She could almost see the wheels turning in the older woman's head, probably calculating how long it would be before she could require grandchildren, Rose thought sardonically. Gran's eyes met Rose's once more. "You simply must give young Mr. Summerby a tour of the house while I see to a few last minute details", she paused a moment before amending, "or maybe just of the main wing for now." Gran clapped her hands together, "I will meet you both in the tea room in a few minutes."
With that, Gran turned and made her way across the marble floor and out of sight. Rosalie turned, blushing and grinning simultaneously. "She's a piece of work", Rose acknowledged softly, "but she does her best." She took his hand, "on to the tour shall we?" Since it was closest, she made her way into the main sitting room first. "This is the formal sitting room", she told Taranis, "its hardly ever used, mostly for looks and making impressions I think." She shrugged, before continuing on through another door off to the side. "This is the formal dining room, again, mostly for entertaining purposes, and making grand announcements."
She motioned to another door, "that leads to the informal dining room, which is attached to the kitchen" She turned back to the direction they'd come from, moving to the opposite side of the entry way. She pushed open a rather unassuming white door. "This is the main bathroom. It's a rather handy hiding place", she sent him a grin, "trust me on that one."
When she changed direction this time, it was with considerably more excitement. "And this is my second favorite room in the entire house, the library." She pointed to the armchair in front of the fireplace, "I've probably spent more time in that chair than in all of the other's combined", she confessed. "Gran says I should have been a Ravenclaw since I read so much." She closed the door to that particular room rather gently, lest one of the books fall off the shelves and cause a domino effect. She knew all about that sort of happening too, not that she felt the need to tell Taranis that story just yet.
"I have to admit, I really like that library, it would probably be my favorite room in the entire house", she spoke excitedly, "if not for this one." She turned the handle on a large oak door. "The music room, which really serves no other purpose than to house my baby." She motioned to the grand piano at the room's heart. She sat on the bench, conscious of the fact that she was in a dress, and motioned that he should sit next to her. She absently ran through the first few bars of Beethoven's fifth as she spoke. "I stay in here for hours at a time during the summer holidays, I can't imagine life without the ability to play music." She lifted her fingers from the keys and turned to him. "I know this is a lot to take in, and Gran will no doubt be full of all sorts of personal questions about the future the moment we sit down to tea, so I need to ask, are you still okay with this, with pretending, with what will happen if we end up having to go through with the contract?"
As much as she needed his help, she didn't want him to feel trapped as she herself did. He was her friend, first and foremost, they were in this together, and she couldn't bear it if he felt forced into anything. After several minutes, she stood and offered her hand. "We should probably be getting to the tea room, making Gran wait is never a good idea." [/quote]
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:11:05 GMT -5
For a moment as the elf reached out and took his hand that they were about to say something about the two of them together but then crack, they were there! He weaved a bit caught off guard and turned seeing the house his eyes almost came out of his sockets. A sudden urge to find a restroom to lock himself inside of for a few minutes came and went as she gripped his hand and led the way inside massive doors easily fifteen feet tall. Instantly even as his eyes tried to take in a space which was simply indescribable he was hugged in a three way hug by a rather severe looking older woman. As she looked at her granddaughter, He glanced back and forth between them both. The similarities were there, though the experiences were clearly different for them both as age always did. He thought in several ways she was as formidable as Rosalie had described. When she turned her gaze on him he tried not to feel intimidated, but it was rather hard. "Thank you for inviting me to tea, Mrs Burke, I've never seen such an impressive looking house before." At her further words, he stopped himself from frowning slightly, wondering what she meant by not being surprised. "Well, we have been friends for several years..."But she continued on her own way without his input. Dismissed, he gave Rosalie a disbelieving look as she mentioned a tour and took him firmly in hand to guide. He followed, head swiveling in disbelief several times in each room as he said "They would need a search party to find me in here..." He actually liked the smaller sitting room better then most of what she showed him and the Library was so...magnificent he would be afraid to take any books off the shelves really for fear of messing up the immaculate state. And while the music room was nice, it was clear by her relaxation and spark in her eyes that music was a side of her he didn't know. Intrigued, he listened carefully and observed her manner and clear love of the current subject. So when she turned serious he stepped up to her and recaptured her hand, bringing it to his lips for a very soft kiss. "Ree-love, I doubt I can say it many other ways to convince you you are not getting rid of me so easily though," he glanced around at the room before looking back at her sheepishly, "you may have to bring a bag of crumbs to leave a trail for me here to find my way back out. But yes, darling one, I'm committed to this and to you both. Between this house and you, however, you are clearly the better treasure." And with that he leaned over and gave her a real kiss, not soft and gentle, but solid and easily showing his interest in her. Not her money or her family; no, if she came poor he'd be happy enough with the opportunity she had given him and the feelings he was having about her as this went along. As he finished and pulled back he held her hand so she could rise and nodded. "By all means, Rosalie, let's not keep her from her gloating look, measuring me up to see how healthy I am." He winked at her as he slipped her arm in his as they headed for the doorway. "I suspect your fears are right she is already thinking about edging the wedding up closer. She had a look in her eyes which made me feel almost naked."
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:12:58 GMT -5
She knew he was right, but at the moment she needed reassuring. While the sheer magnitude of Gran's home might have intimidated some people, it had been Rosalie's second home for as long as she could remember. However, at the moment she felt extremely nervous. He thought she was a treasure? She blushed, no one had ever said something like that to her before, most certainly not a guy. Looking back on it later, Rose realized she should have expected what happened next, but she at that moment she was still realing from his compliment. So it was that when his lips met hers she stiffened in surprise for a moment before melting into him. Usually, his kisses were gentle, searching, almost experimental, but this was not one of those. She knew he meant to be reassuring, and she certainly felt reassured, along with a few other things she was reluctant to distinguish, let alone name.
Some time during the kiss, her arms had wound themselves around his neck, and Rose found it disconcerting that she couldn't quite remember having done so. When he pulled back, she loosened her hold, but didn't release him completely. Her hazel eyes had widened slightly, her face was flushed and she was smiling in what could only be described as a rather dazed expression. A few moments later, when she'd had time to recover herself, she smirked at him. "Now Gran's going to think we've been making out somewhere in the house" she pointed out teasingly. "I wonder what she'll have to say about that." Truthfully, Rosalie thought her grandmother might have encouraged it, the look she'd given Taranis in the entryway had made it rather uncomfortably clear that had she been Rose's age, she'd have gone after him herself.
His words forced an accompanying image into her mind, and she flushed from neck to hairline. Her eyes dropped decidedly to the floor, and she refused to look back at Taranis, picturing him naked moments before they were supposed to be having tea with her grandmother did not seem like a particularly good idea. When they arrived in the tea room, Gran was waiting for them. She took one look at Rosalie's flushed face and arched an eyebrow, but didn't comment. Rosalie wondered if she wouldn't hear about it later when the two were in private. They hadn't even been settled a full minute when Gran started asking questions. "So tell me, how did the two of you meet?"
Rosalie bit her lip, this was a difficult one. Gran had never exactly approved of her participation on the quidditch team. On the other hand, the fact that Taranis played might improve his standing. She took a breath. "We just sort of bumped into each other on the quidditch pitch during fourth year. Neither of us had made the house team yet, and we decided to practice together." She gave Taranis' hand a squeeze under the table and darted him a look that said something along the lines of 'here we go'. Sure enough, her grandmother's lips thinned noticably. "Rose, you know how I feel about your playing sports", Gran's tone had taken on a lecturing quality. "And while its perfectly acceptable for a young gentleman", here she motioned to Taranis and Rosalie fought the urge to laugh. "Shoudn't you be devoting your time to more...domestic pursuits?" Rose opened her mouth, only to shut it again.
She didn't often flounder in social situations, but in this case she was almost certainly at a loss. She loved quidditch, loved playing, loved flying, loved competing, but Gran didn't consider any of those things proper for a socially acceptable young woman, much less her own granddaughter. The silence lengthened, and she willed Taranis to say something, anything at all.
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:14:38 GMT -5
Her comment about making out made him smile, though in truth her looks when blushed he thought were cuter in a way. Possibly her grandmother might not approve of that part however. He resolved to try and resist kidding her while he was here. The tea room she led him too was still hugely ornate with great family portraits all looking at him with judgment in their eyes clearly. He swallowed once before he pulled out a chair for Rosalie beside her grandmother and pushed it under her as he had been taught before he choose the seat next to her. Placing his hands in his lap he noted the table had not been set for anything yet to be served, though his mother had always had his sisters do the serving of anything. The innocent sounding question he saw did not make Rosalie feel any better as she mentioned how they met and her grandmother began what sounded like a good lecture building up even in front of a guest. His brows came down and although he knew he wasn't supposed to interrupt her, he thought he'd better come to his fiancé's rescue. "Actually, Mrs Burke, if I may say something about that." Under the table he patted Rosalie's leg, trying to give courage to her as he spoke. "Having grown up on a farm and being used to hard work, I find young ladies who can't hold their own hard to respect, no offense intended. If she can't fly circles around me, which your granddaughter can do quite well, then if something happened and she needed to get a healer in a hurry where would I be stuck far from a wizarding settlement?"In fact, he'd probably bleed to death if it was the wrong kind of accident. Not smart really, but few socialites might care for the point. "By getting to know her in both the game and as a fellow prefect, I've grown to trust her a lot. It may not seem like much, but I don't think I would consider a situation like this so early on before graduation with anyone I didn't trust at my back. Plus," and his face took on an amused and slightly bashful look, "having seen her spellwork keeps me in check from taking her as anyone ordinary which she surely is not." Taranis knew if she wanted to bang him over the head she could hit hard if she liked and she was quick and sure with her spells. No one would disrespect her if they had seen what he had! He smiled at them both then gave her grandmother a respectful bow with his head. "Again, no offense intended at all, but I find your granddaughter to be worth respecting. I think of her very highly because of what I've seen her accomplish, which, I might add, I doubt most young women could do half as well."
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:16:21 GMT -5
At first, the sound of his voice felt like a hallucination, a result of her intense desire to alter this conversation. Then, he continued, and she resisted the urge to exhale a sigh of relief. Gran’s attention had been diverted, if only for a moment. She listened, watched his face, and her grandmother’s increasingly incredulous expression, and she hid a smile behind her hand. He was defending her, her personality, her passions, adamantly. Now her grandmother’s eyebrows had gone up so far they were almost completely hidden by her hairline. Rosalie, for her part, felt like she might cry. She had never had someone elaborate her so completely, and with such admiration, except for her parents of course. She rubbed his knuckles with her thumb, and waited for the inevitable explosion. Gran didn’t like being questioned, and she certainly didn’t appreciate being corrected.
Rose held her breath; sure enough Gran opened her mouth not even a full breath after Taranis had finished speaking. “Young man”, she began, her voice calmer than Rosalie would have expected. “No one has spoken to me in that manner in a very long time.” Rose squeezed his hand and gave him a warm smile. “Not since…” suddenly her eyes changed, took on a far off expression as though she were seeing a time long past. “Not since my husband in fact.” Rosalie tilted her head. Grandpa Burke had died when Rose was eleven, not long after she had gone to Hogwarts. He had been so proud of her sorting into Gryffindor. ‘You’re going to do great things Rosy’, he’d said, ‘you’re going to redeem us all.’ Now that she was older, Rosalie was only vaguely aware of the sins to which her grandfather had been referring, but she didn’t, couldn’t, love him any less.
“Which brings us to a topic I had hoped to delay a bit longer, I am assuming nothing has changed since I received your last letter Rosalie? Mr. Summerby is the one you’ve chosen, and the two of you have come to an understanding?” Rosalie looked into Taran’s eyes before she returned her gaze to her grandmother. “Yes Gran, I think we have.” The older woman eyed them both. For the first time since Rosalie had known her, her strong, confident, refined grandmother looked weary, even tired. Rose was struck by the idea of what this situation must be doing to her as well, being coerced into forcing her granddaughter into an arranged marriage. Gran had never allowed herself to be forced into anything, and the weight on her shoulders was apparent, even here, in the only home Rose had ever known her to have.
“Well then”, she said after several moments, once again the picture of elegance. "I suppose a letter to your mother is in order Mr. Summerby, we have much to discuss between now and graduation.” Her grandmother’s expression melted into an odd sort of smile that made Rosalie swallow hard. “For example, have you given any thought to a wedding date? We must begin planning soon if everything is to be in order come the summer after you both graduate. You always did want a summer wedding didn’t you Rosie?” Rosalie shot Taranis a horrified look, thankfully covered by the arrival of an elf Rose didn’t recognize holding a teapot. The setting arrived a moment later, popping in as though it had never been anywhere else. The elf poured and prepared her grandmother’s tea and then turned to Rose and Taranis. “How do Mister and Misses take their tea?”
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:17:56 GMT -5
The distraction of his speaking, or maybe the fact he was defending her granddaughter seemed to have gotten Rosalie off the hook which was good indeed, though it wasn't exactly nice of him to say. And he met her eye for eye, but his were defensive and sorry he had to be that way, but Rosalie was an excellent flier and she should be seen as someone worth her own weight in gold. No matter whether it was her grandmother or not. "I know it's not nice of me to say it that way, Madam, but I would defend her to anyone the same way. She's worth it." And that was about as plain as he could put it. A glance at Rosalie, seeing the thanks in her eyes and feeling her hand on his. He gave her an encouraging smile and looked back at the old woman, seeing her decision to change the subject some instead of tackle him for his rudeness more then she already had some. Taranis nodded in support of Rosalie's answer to her grandmother, though he imagined the far more difficult letter would be to her parents, not his mother so much. "My mother is expecting it, Mrs Burke, we've already talked quite a bit about it in fact. I wouldn't consider saying yes to this until I had her approval and my sister's approval actually." He didn't mean that as a criticism of the the way her parents were being kept in the dark still, but it was there in a way. It was going to be a rather rude surprise for them he was afraid. And the woman pulled no punches, going straight to a discussion of dates, something Taranis had little wish to control really as long as it wasn't during the harvest in the fall. By the woman's eyes she was going to push for the immediate days after graduation if he didn't miss his guess. He was about to speak for both of them again, though they had not discussed the actual dates as such, when a welcome interruption of the house elves arrived. As they fixed her grandmother's tea he said soft enough only she could hear "Your choice," and then looked up at the elf addressing them. While he quite enjoyed the company of the ones in the kitchens in Hogwarts, this one reeked of stiffness much like the house. "Just a drop of milk for me, thank you very much." His mother sometimes slipped a bit of brandy in hers on a cold night, but Taranis had never been big on sweets and the milk did cut down the bitterness of most of the harsher teas.
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:19:39 GMT -5
Rosalie was content to be a spectator for this part of the conversation, that was until Gran turned to her and spoke. "Am I correct then in assuming your parents are as of yet unaware of this arrangement?" Rose paled considerably, moment of truth. She took a deep breath. "You're correct Gran, we knew mum and dad wouldn't be very receptive to the idea of an arranged marriage. They are under the impression we're dating for the moment." Her grandmother nodded, but she was frowning. "You know you're going to have to tell them sooner or later Rose", the older woman pointed out, "and perhaps sooner rather than later under the circumstances." Rosalie nodded her head, a fast jerky bob that was rather out of character for her. "I know, but...well...we were rather hoping we could portray it as being our idea. Then the contract would be less of a binding and more of a technicality." Gran nodded, and seemed to be considering her granddaughter's words.
"You've thought about this a great deal I see. I shall handle the contract between your mother and I then", her attention had returned to Taranis. Rosalie knew that her grandmother still mourned the rift in her relationship with her only daughter, and was quite possibly still seeking a way to ammend some of that damage. "But that means you must propose soon, and I fear too soon for Maxim and Aryssa's liking." Rosalie was thoroughly aware of that fact, and equally as aware that they hadn't yet touched on the idea of an actual proposal. She supposed she had assumed there wouldn't be one, that they would simply sign the papers and have done with it all. The reminder that there would be a wedding to plan, even if they never went through with actually getting married, was daunting. Rosalie also realized that if the wedding were planned and she and Taranis broke the engagement, it would likely upset Gran grately, something Rosalie knew she was loath to do. She would have sighed if current company allowed it, there was so much more to consider, so much they hadn't discussed.
Rose was glad for the elf's interruption, and she smiled a bit brighter than was strictly necessary. "Just sugar for me please", the elf obliged them all, bowed deeply, and disappeared with a pop. "We haven't really talked about a date yet Gran, with everything else going on, it hasn't really come up." Her grandmother's eyes widened, as though she couldn't fathom that idea. Rosalie herself had to admit that it was a bit odd that in all their talk about the contract and the idea of spending life together if everything came to fruition, there had never once been any mention of a wedding. She wasn't certain how she felt about it really. The only thing she thought concretely at the moment involved how nice Taranis looked in his dressrobes. She realized that in the midst of everything else when everyone else would be stressing over their final exams, she would be worrying over flowers, cakes, and finding a dress, if Gran didn't already have one picked out. "We'd like some time to discuss it if you please." Her grandmother didn't appear fully satisfied, but she nodded her agreement.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur for Rosalie, it wasn't until they were standing back at the door of her house that she really felt like time slowed down again. The voices beyond the door told her her parents had returned. "Ready for round two?"
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:20:57 GMT -5
When her grandmother turned her head and spoke to Rosalie he felt he could take another breath. So far in all of this, the only ones really on board entirely were her grandmother and his mother. And it was sudden feeling, surprising in a way with everything they had talked about. When they spoke, Taranis cleared his throat slightly adding into the conversation "I was wondering, actually, if we waited till school started again and maybe a month or two along and then I was to make the proposal, would they be more accepting then Rosalie? We do have a year and a half to make all the arrangements still, not that I know how long the actual wedding plan will take never having been to one."He was the token male in the room, he felt, not just in the entire thing having grown up in a house of females in all reality. When she turned back to him and made the proposal comment he nodded and said "I'm afraid it will be a bit before I can get the real ring as I'd like to do that this summer." He didn't offer to explain that one as ideas and family traditions on his end had a few things to say about that as well. But then again that was the man's end of the bargain and not something he expected help with to be honest. "But I thought a promise ring when we're ready to break it to her parents would be smart. People tend to forget about that tradition and it seems a half step to the real thing, something I thought might be easier for them to accept."The fact it was an old tradition not done much these days would surely find approval in her grandmother's attitude, as would be the Christmas present he had for her which she would not be expecting at all. Surely announcing the contract could wait that long? Only a few months and if they made sure the letters she sent home were more and more talking about attraction they could ease her parents into this with as few hesitations as possible. They would still object, of course, and rather hard he suspected, but they already liked him and his manners. Taranis was fairly sure her father already liked his long term plan which he had laid out. Time to discuss the date? Would that work? For a moment he was sure she was going to object, but she seemed rather approving of the two of them working things out on their own. That sharp woman kept him on his toes asking questions about his past family and his plans for the house he described. Fortunately his mother had raised all her kids to quote what she asked, family lines being about all the wealth they had, to be honest, at this time. A little later on (after feeling things had gone about as well as possible) they were in front of her parent's house and before she could open the door he touched her arm and stepped aside lowering his voice a tad. "So, how do you want to play this and what do we tell them about the visit? I want to be sure we're on the same page before we head in. As far as they know the biggest thing on our minds in returning is that they not have gotten the wrong message from your dress hanging in that bathroom I think..."
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:22:18 GMT -5
Rosalie grinned, not even bothering to hide the expression this time. It was good to know she could count on Taranis to come to her rescue. The fact that he'd never been to a wedding surprised her, but only a bit. She took a focusing breath before she spoke. "I think that might be a bit more logical", she answered softly with an encouraging smile in Taranis' direction. "Weddings do take a bit of planning, but it isn't as though we're going to make some big society affair out of it." Predictably, Gran opened her mouth to protest that statement, but Rosalie, who at this moment felt uncommonly brave, held up a hand. "Gran, I love you, and I promise that i-when we get married I will need your help with everything, but this is our day, mine and Taranis' and we'll decide what to do about it together." She returned her attention to her fiancee. "That said, I think we have a pretty decent window of opprotunity in which to figure out exactly when and how we'd like to do this."
When she had finished speaking, she chanced a glance in her grandmother's direction. The older woman's disgruntled expression very nearly made her laugh. Gran had been about to speak up when she was yet again deterred by Taranis, who unfortunately hadn't noticed the woman's intent. She slanted a sideways glance in his direction. "Taranis that isn't nec--" and then thought better of having this discussion in front of her fanatically traditional grandmother. She amended to a simple: "We'll talk about it later." A promise ring though, now that she could deal with, and she'd wager he was right about her parents. Something concrete and endearing might make the pill of her getting married a bit easier to swallow. For a few moments after Taranis' had finished speaking there was only silence. Gran was giving them both a look that stated 'are you both quite finished?' very plainly indeed. She did, however, manage to give Taran a look of hesitant approval. "I think a promise ring is a lovely idea. Too many of those old traditions are being laid waste these days." 'Score one for Taran' thought Rosalie blithely, he was worming his way into her grandmother's affections more smoothly than she'd dared hope he could.
Having been returned to her home, Rosalie felt infinitely better than she had a few minutes before. Tea with her grandmother had been daunting, though it had gone far better than she'd expected. She felt as though she'd lost the weight of the world that had been threatening to drop onto her shoulders a few moments before, but there still remained much to be done, much to discuss. She laughed softly, having completely forgotten about the incedent in the pool, and the fact that her dress was hanging with very little explanation. She gave him a small shrug. "We tell them that we had tea, that she seemed to like you, and I might make some comment about her hinting at wedding bells. In this at least, Gran is on our side. We'll just play it off like any other, slightly more intrustive 'meet the family' outing.
She squeezed his hand, pushed the front door open, only to find her parents locked in a heated game of wizard chess. "Are you sure that last move was legal Aryssa?" her father was saying, "I could have sworn they outlawed that one." Her mother had the satisfied look of someone who was about to get something they dearly wanted. "Yes dear, I keep telling you, that rule was reinstated when..." She glanced up, and gave them both a warm smile, "Oh, hi kids, Rose, your father and I were thinking you might like to make dinner for our guest, since this is his first visit." "She's a whiz in the kitchen our Rosie", her father agreed. To Rose he said: "Why don't you make that Italian pasta recipe you were toying with during the summer?" So they weren't going to ask about Gran's at all, or if they were, they weren't going to do it right away. Rose hung her jumper on one of the hooks near the door, and motioned that Taranis should do the same.
"I fell in the pool again", she announced to the room at large. Her parents seemed unphased by this bit of information, and her father even went so far as to wave it off saying. "Oh we know dear, Taranis left us a note before the two of you left. Speaking of which, how was tea with your grandmother?"
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:24:17 GMT -5
He nodded as well as Rosalie stood up for herself a minute. "Don't worry, we won't take a long time, but I think to make this work for everyone it might be easier in the long run. We really appreciate you being patient with us, Mrs Burke." He was fairly sure she liked the idea of the promise ring and he was glad she did. In pushing her granddaughter into this situation and forcing the hands of everyone else, she had to expect some hitches along the way. The fact the kids were working with her had to make her satisfied with the progress so far. The fact his mother was open to the contract idea and was waiting to do the paperwork end and work out the details had to help as well. Whatever or whoever was pushing her into this, surely the pressure had to be lightening up now. Back at the house a few words with her made it so they were on the same page before they entered. As they did it was clear her parents were both big chess fans which made him smile as he heard and saw the competition. He chuckled as she was put to the task of making dinner and wondered if he was supposed to help. "Let me go put this robe in with my stuff and I'll be right back. I need to be careful with it." He was about to turn when her parents asked about the visit and he turned back and thought it might be better if he sounded over-whelmed. "Honestly? I think I'd be lost there in the first five minutes. By the time I found my way back out of there my sisters would already be married with their own families." he chuckled softly and smiled. They had all had a chance to get used to it. Now time for the deflection. "Um, where should I put the towels and the dress? I'm sure the worst has drained off by now, but I don't feel right leaving you the mess either to deal with."Once he knew what was happening, he gave Rosalie a kiss on the forehead without warning and said "Be right back," and ran up to the room, finding it after three doors tried which he felt was not bad. Quickly changing into more dressed down clothes he scooped up the towels and dress and put them in the spot they had said and once he knew the floor was clean enough, he headed back downstairs and stepped into the kitchen with a "Okay, I'm not used to doing much kitchen stuff, but is there something I can do to help?"
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:25:10 GMT -5
Taranis was far more diplomatic than she had previously given him credit for. Her grandmother, who had moments before looked like she wanted to ring Rosalie's neck, or at the very least have one of the house elves ring her neck, looked at least moderately placated now. She was certain now that they'd make a good team, whatever life threw at them, and that no matter what happened everything would come out all right, it had to really, there was no other option. She shook herself from her thoughts and managed to nod. "Taranis is right Gran, we won't drag our feet, but we still have a lot to discuss in the next few weeks." Her grandmother only nodded, "I suspected as much", she answered, "and I suppose that is acceptable."
Rosalie nodded to Taranis, smiling a bit off-handedly. "I need to change as well, these shoes are killing me." She listened as he regailed her parents, and laughed softly. "Don't worry, we've all gotten lost in there at least once, except for mum, but she has the benefit of having been born there." She made a show of slipping the high heeled shoes off of her feet before she reached the stairs. She had reached the second step before she turned to answer Taranis, "there's a laundry shoot in the wall next to the shower, just drop them there." In retrospect, it probably would have made sense to do that in the first place before they'd left, but it couldn't be helped now. As Rose made her way up the stairs, she couldn't help the feeling of disorientation that lingered over her senses. Here she was, sixteen, on her way to change clothes and make dinner for her soon to be fiancee. It felt a bit too surreal for her liking, but she found herself smiling. If she must have a fiancee, she was bloody glad it was Taranis and not someone else.
She lingered over what to wear for longer than was strictly necessary. It was a bit early for pajamas just yet, and her previous dressed down clothes were currently in the wash. She settled for her nicer sweats, the dressy red ones mum had bought her for Christmas the previous year. They barely qualified as excersise gear, so delicate was the beadwork. Nonetheless, they would due for cooking, and that was really all she needed them to do. And, she thought off-handedly, the fact that they showed off her figure didn't hurt. The latter had no doubt been her mum's intention, she and Rose's dad had been in a wrestling match over Rosalie's coming of age for the last year or so. When she returned to the sitting room, she found Taranis looking much more like she was used to, and she smiled. "Much better", she announced, "now let's get cooking."
She was surprised by his offer to help, but warmed by it as well. "I'm sure we'll find something", she agreed, and took his hand. After they'd made there way into the kitchen. She grinned at him, pulling a rather flowery looking apron off a peg by the door. "How does stuffed ravioli sound?" she asked sincerely. If he didn't like it she'd make something else, her dad would understand.
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Post by Shava on Feb 6, 2016 15:26:23 GMT -5
Having sidestepped any tricky question, Taranis felt pretty good about his distraction, even though she had answered him instead. Watching her walk up the stairs ahead of him also added to the nice feelings that the day was going very well indeed. Just in case, he stuck her Christmas present in the pocket of his jeans (nice clean ones and fairly new) before he headed back down. Who knew, he might have a chance to pass it on or slip it in with the other presents somewhere. Returning downstairs he glanced over at the chess table and saw Mrs DiAngelo had her husband on the ropes and he held up his hands in a victory clamp like a boxer's ring. He saw her eyes flash over to him and her smile grow larger before he followed Rosalie into the kitchen. The outfit Rosalie had chosen was more then a little distracting. In truth, the school uniforms were terrible for showing off a woman's figure and probably were made that way on purpose. It meant that although he had known her for several years, it was only recently he had been able to see her figure at all. So now of course he took every opportunity to look. Like now. as she reached for the apron he brought his eyes back up and said "Trying to keep me distracted I see," and winked at her before adding "Ravioli... Hmm, maybe you'd better describe it for me. Doesn't ring a bell otherwise."Taranis had been raised on a poor farm, much less one in Ireland where pasta while heard of, rarely graced a plate unless it was in the big cities where the tourists expected all manner of things. He certainly knew spaghetti and pizza even from a couple of appearance at school, but most Italian food was a mystery to him. A thought occurred to him after he had asked for a description and he added "Maybe I'd better ask what you are stuffing whatever these things are with? Cause, I've heard some people stuff some parts of animals I'm not exactly excited about trying to eat if you get my drift..."Leaning back against a counter he looked around again, missing the look on her face at his confession of not knowing the word. He could do a few simple prep things in the kitchen but those were mostly getting things ready for his mom to cook with or teach his sisters with. By the time they got around to cooking he had often already been working on stuff for several hours first or being called in when they were almost done so his experience in the kitchen was limited at best. Stiill, if he could be of any kind of help, he did want to show he was willing to try at least.
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