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Bryony Capper ([info]goodlight) wrote in [info]finnigans_rpg,
@ 2014-10-15 14:57:00

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Entry tags:character: bryony capper, character: gemma farley

Pretty in... ?
Who: Bryony and Gemma
What: Prettifying
Where: Hard Knutt
When: Wednesday afternoon
Rating: SFW

Bryony approached Hard Knutt with no small amount of trepidation. Her mother had insisted she take all of Wednesday off from work and report to Pineview Hall for an early lunch. Though it was her birthday, there had been no presents or cards, no excitement. Bryony had been too nervous to eat (which was good, as Iris would only have found some detail to rebuke her for) and Iris had been distracted, ordering her house-elves around to prepare for the evening's dance. Eventually, she'd shooed Bryony away as if she'd been overstaying her welcome, instructing her to visit Hard Knutt to 'get ready' for the dance.

Eager to escape her mother's company, Bryony had agreed - thinking she could escape quickly to the studio. Until Iris informed her she'd booked her in for a full afternoon of treatments. So, without really knowing what to expect, all instructions having been owled ahead, Bryony stepped through the doors and looked around for someone who looked as if they worked there.

"Good afternoon," she said politely as she approached a counter. "I have some appointments booked. They'll either be under Bryony or Iris Capper."


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[info]ffionprew
2014-10-16 01:45 am UTC (link)
Gemma had been looking forward to seeing the client she had booked for the entire afternoon. She'd taken the call over a week ago from a high society type who'd wanted their daughter done up like the main entree at the most exclusive restaurant in the country, or at least that was what it sounded like. It didn't matter to Gemma, as long as she got paid in the end. It didn't hurt that she'd get free reign, more or less, on a young woman.

And speaking of young women, one such girl walked through her front door. She gave a smile that was half professionalism and half flirtatious, looking the girl up and down and wondering what she had to work with. "Afternoon, Beautiful. I'm Gemma Farley. I'm presuming you're Bryony? I spoke with your mother last week and everything's arranged for. I just need you to sign a quick release form and then we can get started. I thought we'd start with the body, from the toes up, and get you all relaxed and glowing. How does that sound?" she said, taking out a clipboard and passing it over to the girl.

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[info]goodlight
2014-10-17 01:34 pm UTC (link)
Bryony's eyes widened slightly as the woman addressed her as 'beautiful'. It was just her job, Bryony supposed, but for all that she could feel her cheeks warming. She took the clipboard, using it as an excuse to look down and hide her face. It was a stupid reaction, and it would pass in a moment or two. At least she'd reigned in the instinct to correct Gemma - that could only have led to an awkward social situation for them both.

After reading through the release form carefully, Bryony signed it. "It's nice to meet you, Ms Farley. I'm sure anything you and my mother have agreed on will be fine." She didn't particularly want to be here, quite convinced that nothing Gemma could do could make her acceptable to her mother's eyes, and even though it was her birthday she would doubtless be outshone by her sisters - and probably every other guest!

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[info]ffionprew
2014-10-18 12:19 am UTC (link)
"I'm sure it'll be more than fine," she replied as she took back the clipboard. "You'll get to sit back and relax, and not worry about a thing until I'm done with you."

A flick of her wand and the form filed itself, and she looked down at the list of procedures that had been ordered in the girl's name. "Before I begin, I need to know if you have any sensitivities to any charms or potions. Do you prefer a strictly magical procedure or a hands-on approach, or a mix of both? And is there a colour of gown that we'll be trying to match today?"

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[info]goodlight
2014-10-19 10:42 am UTC (link)
In theory, sitting back and not worrying did sound nice - but Bryony's previous experience of getting ready for social functions was all with her mother or sisters and was anything but relaxing. She shrugged slightly. "None that I know of. And... I don't know. I've never -" She'd never been to a spa before and the only charms she was used to other people performing for her were on her hair. "Magical, I suppose." If only because 'hands-on' sounded somewhat intimidating.

She'd spent a long time the previous day letting her mother's favoured tailor fit her robe to her, so that question at least she could answer definitively. "It's dark blue. Robes, not a gown." Her family still thought robes more appropriate wizarding wear.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-10-19 02:54 pm UTC (link)
"Perfect," Gemma answered to it all. The client's choices always were, after all. "We're going to start with a nice massage in the hot room, get you relaxed and open up your pores, and then I'll cast an exfolliation and cleansing charm that should leave you feeling nice and tingly in all the best ways. After that, a full body moisturizer and skin procedure, pedicure and manicure, and then we finish with your hair and makeup. Now, if you'll please follow me."

She led Bryony dow a short hallway to a room with very low lighting. There were candles placed strategically around the room, which felt warm and humid thanks to a few charms. In the middle of the room was a massage table that had been imbued with charms to make it extra soft and comfortable - Gemma couldn't even count the number of clients that had fallen asleep there. On top of the table was a large white towel.

"What I need you to do is lie on the table face down with the towel overtop of you. There is a set of shelves in the corner where you can put your clothes. I'll leave the room to give you some privacy, say five minutes?"

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[info]goodlight
2014-10-19 04:59 pm UTC (link)
Bryony listened to the list of treatments, wondering if all this was really necessary. Her mother obviously though it was, which didn't exactly cheer Bryony up any. She needed a whole afternoon of professional help just to be presentable, and Merlin knew that even that wouldn't actually help. She forced a smile to her face, though, knowing that none of it was Gemma's fault.

She followed Gemma into the 'hot room', which wasn't so much hot as pleasantly warm. Bryony liked the low light and the candles, at least until Gemma pointed out the shelves. "My -" Oh. She supposed she should have foreseen this. Her mother and sisters had had massages, she wasn't unfamiliar the procedure.

Well, she supposed there was nothing for it. If it got back to her mother that she'd refused she'd only have more fuel to pressure Bryony into losing weight. If she knew that Bryony was ashamed of her body... "Okay," she said, her voice small and her cheeks pink - which could fortunately be put down to the heat.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-10-19 06:04 pm UTC (link)
Before leaving the room, Gemma took out her wand and tapped it to a potted plant by the door. A soft, chiming melody flowed from it to fill the room with music. "I'll be right outside if you need me."

She closed the door behind her and went to the small kitchenette to prepare a tray with a pitcher of water, water goblets and bamboo straws, and some soft hand towels. She waited with it outside the door until five minutes had passed, at which point she knocked on the door before opening it.

"I'm coming in," she said softly, almost singing the words. She often found herself singing to her clients, and as she did have a beautiful voice, few of them complained. "How do you feel, darling?"

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[info]goodlight
2014-10-20 01:17 pm UTC (link)
Knowing she only had five minutes, Bryony didn't have much time to panic. Her heart was definitely beating harder than usual, and her fingers trembled slightly as she slipped off her robes and bra - leaving her knickers on, because they would be hidden by the towel anyway and she was sure her mother would not approve of her removing them.

She was just arranging the towel to cover her as much as possible - wishing it were bigger, or she were smaller - when Gemma came back into the room. "I'm fine, thank you," Bryony lied, feeling utterly uncomfortable and at a loss as to what she was supposed to do now. Even Gemma's sing-song voice couldn't calm her and all she really wanted to do was run away.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-10-20 11:34 pm UTC (link)
"Excellent." Gemma approached after closing the door behind her. She approached the bed but didn't reach out as she would with a client who'd wanted a more hands-on approach. "Now let me know if anything makes you feel uncomfortable, all right? Everyone's a little different, some people like it harder and some softer. If you don't let me know, I can't get the spell just right for you."

She lifted her wand and started weaving spells that would encompass Bryony's body, bringing about sensations not unlike a regular massage but without the body contact, and that could also target various body parts at the same time if she so chose. For this particular set of spells, it would begin with a gentle pulsing around the neck that would move downward along the spinal column. From there, it would spread out toward the outside of the back, feeling almost like fingers pushing and pulling at muscle. The sensation would move upwards, up and over the shoulders and down the arms, then back down the back until it reached the thighs. They would then be kneaded carefully and luxuriously from thigh to toe, at which point the whole process would be reversed until the kneading at the neck would become a gentle massage of the scalp.

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[info]goodlight
2014-10-22 01:05 pm UTC (link)
The sensation of the spell was strange - but not uncomfortable. Bryony was able to close her eyes and even to relax, knowing no one was actually touching her. She was very, very grateful she'd chosen the purely magical approach, especially as the magic moved down her legs. She hated to inflict her body on anyone, and would have been far too tense to get any benefit from the feeling if real hands had been involved.

The kneading at her neck and shoulders was especially welcome, since that was where she carried most of her tension, hunching over and ducking her head in efforts not to be seen. She made a soft disappointed hum as the magic moved to massage her scalp - though that was nice, in it's own way. The soft music meant she didn't feel too much as if she ought to be making conversation, though she couldn't be sure what was considered normal. "This must be quite a complicated spell," she observed after a pause. "And suiting it to each customer..." She was really more thinking aloud than talking to Gemma, unable to help being interested even if it wasn't strictly her area of magic.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-10-24 01:03 am UTC (link)
Gemma smiled when the girl finally spoke. It was always a good sign when customers were silent because it often meant that they enjoyed the treatments so much that they were beyond words, and were feeling rather than thinking. "It'd not overly complicated, just takes a bit of practice. And there," she said, ending the spell at the top of Bryony's head.

"Now just lie there and relax, I've a few spells that will clear up your skin and have you glowing in the best possible way. Now remember, you might feel a bit tingly, but it's all part of the spell. The exfolliating and cleansing spells were very quickly cast, and with the warmth and humidity of the room, had Bryony's skin looking wonderfully pink. "So how do you feel so far? Think you might like to try any of these again in the future?"

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[info]goodlight
2014-10-28 02:17 pm UTC (link)
Bryony went quiet again as the new spells washed over her, focusing on the magic and its properties. She had a book at home of simple beauty charms, but had never really bothered to study it. Now, she wished she had - not because she wanted to perform any of them regularly but just because it would have given her a better starting point to understand how these more complicated spells worked. She did, indeed, feel a bit tingly all over - and she was really hoping she could put some clothes back on soon, or at least a robe she could fasten.

Although she didn't particularly want to use any of the spells herself, she didn't want to be rude either."The massage was very nice, especially around my shoulders and neck." It wasn't quite a lie, but nor did she have any intention of returning here to repeat the experience.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-11-01 01:26 am UTC (link)
Gemma nodded. In the end, it didn't matter to her what clients did and didn't do for themselves, she only hoped she did a good enough job that they might come back one day. This one seemed more quiet than most, and there was something about her that seemed insecure. It was a shame, because Gemma thought she was quite lovely and definitely wouldn't have turned her away from her bed.

"Why don't we move on to the mani-pedi," she offered, approaching the table and hazarding a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder. "I'll give you a few minutes to get dressed, then we'll go into the other room. These I do a mix of hands-on and magical, so if you can, please keep your socks off. I'll leave you a pair of open shoes to wear, all right?"

A pat to Bryony's shoulder and she moved away, setting out a pair of shoes as she'd promised and went out the door to wait.

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[info]goodlight
2014-11-05 05:53 pm UTC (link)
Bryony tensed slightly at the touch to her shoulder - but quickly relaxed again when she realised she could put (most of) her clothes back on. She didn't keep Gemma waiting long, hurrying into her robes and the open-toed shoes. This part she was less worried about - she'd got over the habit of biting her nails some time ago, largely because her mother would keep nagging her whenever she caught her.

"Thank you," she said, following as Gemma led the way into the next room where Bryony looked around curiously. She sat down where Gemma indicated, her gaze transferring to her hands. "Did my mother send instructions for what colour nail polish she wants?" she asked, knowing that if the decision were left up to her she'd get it wrong somehow.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-11-08 04:56 am UTC (link)
Gemma shook her head as she sat down and reached for one of Bryony's hands. Much of the work would be done by charm, but she still needed to adjust the girl's hand per her need.

"That's why I asked what colour you were going to wear tonight. Many colours go with dark blue, but with your complexion, maybe something in a pale pink." She also figured, from what she'd gathered of the girl so far, a less extreme colour might be more favourable. "We could do some nail art for anything more extravagant - no extra cost, of course, it's all included in the package your mother bought. Perhaps something that glitters, some flowers, or some marbling?"

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[info]goodlight
2014-11-10 05:38 pm UTC (link)
Presented with her own choice in the matter, Bryony tensed a little. If she picked the wrong option, her mother would certainly upbraid her for something - whether it was being too garish or simply not having decent taste. Still, pale pink seemed to Bryony like it would be hard to get wrong, so she nodded. That, at least, she could say Gemma had recommended and then her mother would magically stop finding fault with it. Bryony knew how these things worked, even if she couldn't entirely rid herself of the guilt when she was blamed. "Maybe something that glitters," she said, with obvious hesitance. At least she would enjoy that, even if her mother didn't.

She looked down at her hands, thinking that this was all a bit of a waste. She'd have to trim her nails again and remove any residual charms or spells before she could work on her paintings. She didn't really understand the point in going to all this effort to be pretty for just one night. Her mother, of course, could keep her nails done for weeks at a time if she chose but that simply wasn't practical. Her gaze moved to Gemma's own hands, curious. "Do you find nails get in the way of your work?" She assumed that they would for hands on massages if nothing else...

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[info]ffionprew
2014-11-12 07:32 pm UTC (link)
Gemma grinned when the girl finally made a decision. She sensed it wasn't something she did often, which was a terrible shame. Gemma was nothing if not emphatic about young women being independent, and she hoped that a nice manicure could help Bryony feel a little better about herself.

She took Bryony's hands with her own manicured hands, done in a black and white harlequin inspired design and took out her wand to start the required charms.

"Not at all," she replied as the spells started weaving. "I heard they might with Muggles, but that's because they don't have the magic we have. Strengthening charms can keep the nails from breaking, cushioning charms to keep them from poking and ripping into things... oh, and my favourite." She grinned and pointed her wand at her left hand and cast a spell - the nails started growing shorter until they were even with her fingers. "There are some things I need to keep short nails for, but once I'm done-" She cast finite incantatem. "Voila!"

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[info]goodlight
2014-11-14 01:59 pm UTC (link)
Bryony watched as Gemma's nails simply shortened until they were no longer a hinderance, smiling slightly. Perhaps she wouldn't have to get rid of her manicure quite as quickly as she'd thought. "Oh, I'd never have thought of that," she admitted, feeling a little silly. All these treatments were things she associated with her mother and as such they weren't always problems she was willing to put real thought into working around when she could just abandon them as soon as it was convenient. Unlike her face or her clothes, though, she was able to see that she actually had nice nails now that she'd stopped biting them. She wouldn't mind keeping them pretty for a little while - as long as it didn't get in the way of her work.

Noting the black and white pattern of Gemma's nails, Bryony briefly wondered if she were a Magpies fan - but probably not. Black and white was hardly an uncommon combination. "How often do you change the pattern?" she asked. For the first time she was seeing her nails as miniature canvasses that she could decorate any way she wanted. "You must have access to a lot of paints here - and if you come up with something you particularly like you can offer it to customers."

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[info]ffionprew
2014-11-15 07:14 pm UTC (link)
"It's all right," she said gently. "To be honest, neither had I until I started working for a barber sometime after graduating from Hogwarts. I wasn't the most 'girly' girl in school, played on the quidditch team and everything. But down the road, I learned there were advantages to looking the part - and even came to really enjoy it. Made me feel powerful and beautiful."

Gemma caught the interest and grinned. Finally, something that seemed to inspire the girl. She took out the first container of polish and opened it up. "I change almost every day or two, depending on my mood and what I plan on wearing. Some colour combinations work several days, others for only specific outfits. There's a spell that can remove everything pretty quickly without damaging your nails or skin." She touched her wand to the bottle and then to each of Bryony's nails, watching as the pale pink coated each nail in turn. "It's all rather commitment free, to be honest, and in the end, my fingers end up looking as creative as I feel at a given time."

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[info]goodlight
2014-11-17 05:11 pm UTC (link)
"You played Quidditch?" The question was out before Bryony could think about it. She knew it wasn't really that unusual for a girl to play Quidditch — there was a whole professional team of women, after all — but very few she'd actually met had any interest. That was mostly down to the kinds of people her family associated with and wasn't helped by Slytherin's tendency to overlook the girls as potential players. Realising that her question might seem rude, Bryony blushed. "I always wanted to watch Quidditch in school," she said. It wasn't the kind of thing she'd usually admit, but nor did she want it to seem as if she, personally, disapproved of Gemma having been on the Quidditch team.

She watched with interest as Gemma applied the paint to her nails, the spellwork perfect with no smudges or stray daubs of paint. Not that paint on her fingers was all that uncommon for Bryony, of course. "Do you know a spell to protect the paint itself?" She imagined there must be such a thing, and if she was going to keep her nails for a little longer than anticipated, it would be good to keep the paint she worked with from spoiling them.

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[info]ffionprew
2014-11-25 06:02 pm UTC (link)
"It was fun," she replied with a fond smile. "Not that I lasted too long, a season and a half is all. There was a little incident..." She shrugged and continued her work.

Once the lighter coat was on, Gemma took out the next paints - some dark blues with sparkling spells woven into the ink. She started applying them, taking great care to make certain the ratio between the paler colour and the darker ones was constant across every nail. "Oh yes, otherwise the work would be damaged within minutes. It also saves having to wave one's fingers around trying to dry them because the charm dries at the same time."

With a few more strokes, the last finger was done. Gemma started casting the drying/protection spell, and then the strengthening spell afterward. "So, what do you think?"

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[info]goodlight
2014-11-28 02:22 pm UTC (link)
Though she desperately wanted to ask more, Bryony held her tongue. Her mother was more than likely to contact Gemma at some point in the future, and might even come here for treatments herself if she approved of her work - Bryony wasn't going to risk an idle conversation revealing to Iris just how interested she still was in the sport. Instead of asking more questions, she watched as Gemma worked.

Once it all seemed to be finished, Bryony stretched her fingers out and smiled. "It's very pretty." And now that she knew she could keep it for a while without interfering with her work, it seemed less of a pointless indulgence.

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(OOC - will be deleted)
[info]ffionprew
2014-12-03 08:25 pm UTC (link)
Hey you, am cool with ending there if you are - I looked at the date and my jaw dropped at us working on this for a month and a half lol

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