InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "the decemberists rock!"

Bryony Capper (goodlight) wrote in finnigans_rpg,
@ 2015-08-03 11:02:00

Entry tags:

character: bryony capper, character: zacharias smith

Shauna's Wedding
Who: Open to Bulstrodes, Greengrasses, Montgomerys, Puceys, Smiths, Zabinis and their plus-ones
What: Shauna Capper's wedding
Where: Church in Ceres followed by Pineview Hall
When: Saturday 1st August [backdated]
Rating: SFW

Shauna Capper's wedding was an intensely traditional affair. The church ceremony itself was small - family and closest friends only. More distant friends gathered outside the church to greet the married couple when the emerged for the first time. Shauna wore a white dress that looked like something out of the regency era, her blonde hair pinned up with white and light purple flowers. The rest of the wedding party wore robes, so as not to detract attention from the bride. Invitations had clearly indicated that guests should abide by the same rules, and the few women who'd dared wear robes closer to the modern style than the traditional had an instant mark against their name as far as Iris Capper was concerned.

After the ceremony, everyone - including guests who had not been notified of the exact time or location of the church ceremony - was invited to apparate back to Pineview Hall for an elegant 'breakfast'. There was good food, and wizarding wine of a good vintage - with the occasional glass of whisky for the men. There were no speeches, no wedding cake or throwing of the bouquet - none of the muggle traditions that so many wizarding families were adopting nowadays. After lunch, the gentleman briefly retired to the drawing room while the women and children walked or sat in the gardens. While everyone was out, house-elves cleared the tables and chairs away to make room for dancing.

(Post a new comment)

	Outside the church - before lunch goodlight 2015-08-03 10:23 am UTC (link)
	. (Reply to this)

	Dining room - lunch goodlight 2015-08-03 10:24 am UTC (link)
	. (Reply to this) (Thread)

Bryony and Zacharias

goodlight
2015-08-03 10:35 am UTC (link)

The ceremony had been beautiful. Though she wasn't religious, Bryony found the old church and its stained glass window very calming, and with only a small group she hadn't felt so anxious about being on display. Everyone was looking at Shauna anyway, who looked stunning in her long white dress. It was only among the larger celebrations that Bryony started to feel self-conscious. Her robes were cut differently to those of the other two bridesmaids. That in itself wasn't so unusual, but she couldn't help but feel like people noticed and knew why. Allegra and Shauna's friend Cecily had bare arms, and their robes were fitted more like a dress. Bryony's were hardly different from her school robes, except that they were light purple and not black and were more heavily embroidered.

She forced herself to smile as family friends complimented both her sisters, and passed along their congratulations at Rowan's recent promotion and transfer. No one asked about her work, her apprenticeship or... anything about her life. Finally, after standing about in heels for far too long, she was allowed to take her seat beside Zacharias at the family table. That, in itself, presented a whole new set of problems. Zacharias didn't know anyone else at the table well, and they were seated so that Bryony was his only neighbour. He had already politely complimented the ceremony and Bryony didn't know what else to say. Their brief journal conversation hadn't thrown up any areas of common interest, and Bryony was terrible at making conversation even if it had. "It's - nice to sit down," she said, just so she would have something to say. "Would you like some water?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Bryony and Zacharias

unspeakableness
2015-08-04 06:54 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, yes, thank you," Zacharias said of the offer for water. He was completely out of his element -- though he always felt that way about any kind of arranged dates and arranged social obligations -- and thought a glass of water might help, even if it just gave him something to do. He was not the best conversationalist, especially when it came to getting to know someone and all the small talk that entailed. And he was definitely not someone who had an excess amount of things to say when it came to wedding ceremonies and receptions. Of course, the ceremony had been nice despite not knowing either the bride or the bridegroom very well, and, at the moment, the reception seemed nice as well.

"I can imagine," he said. "About it being nice to sit down. I think it's a wardrobe requirement to wear potentially painfully uncomfortable shoes at all social gatherings that exceed a minor level of fanciness." He gave her a small, friendly smile, thinking of some of the outfits he'd had to wear in the past and how uncomfortable some of them had been -- especially the shoes. "The comfort level of the shoes decreases the longer you're meant to stand. And if you're expected to move, too? There is no way to salvage the shoes, not even with charms or transfiguration spells." He shook his head a little bit at that, figuring he probably sounded like an idiot, but maybe she could relate. And if she couldn't or found him a bit mad, well, they didn't have to talk, and it was only for one day, he reminded himself.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Bryony and Zacharias

goodlight
2015-08-06 10:41 am UTC (link)

Bryony filled Zacharias's glass and then her own. There would be wine to go with dinner, but Bryony hated the taste and usually had to alternate with water or else she gave up. "You're welcome, it's no trouble." No one seemed to be paying them very much attention right now, which Bryony was grateful for. Her mother's input could only make things more awkward, and Bryony would just like this day to be over. She was looking forward to having her quiet, untroubled life back.

She returned Zacharias's smile and nodded. "I don't know why shoes can't be both formal and comfortable," she said. She'd had a worry in the back of her mind that the only reason she was so pleased to sit was because standing was more tiring for her at her weight than it was for 'normal' people. "Especially with magic. If someone could make it so, I think they'd have a good business opportunity."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Bryony and Zacharias

unspeakableness
2015-08-10 03:24 pm UTC (link)

"I think the world would implode if they made formal and comfortable shoes," he said. "Even the ones touting their comfort for a price aren't much better in the long run." Or so he thought. There were, of course, those people who seemed comfortable no matter what, and he knew several co-workers who found fancy shoes to be comfortable. Zacharias personally thought they were either liars or delusional. Not that he'd call them out on it either way. What would be the point? At best, he'd just look like the jerk everyone thought he was, and then he'd be humiliated in front of people for it. Some things were not worth it, he'd learned, even if he thought people who found uncomfortable shoes to be comfortable were out of their minds.

He took a sip of water, then said, "At the risk of veering off the interesting topic of how uncomfortable formal footwear is," he smiled just a little, hoping he wasn't being rude, "what sorts of things do you enjoy doing in your spare time?" He'd tried to find out such things prior to the wedding, but that avenue had lead to a dead end. Maybe, he'd thought, she was better at conversation in person. He supposed if nothing else, trying to figure out what she liked and what she did would pass the time. Maybe they'd have a few things in common they could bond over. He just hoped he wouldn't be expected to carry and direct the conversation the entire time, if for no other reason than he didn't think he was capable of thinking of interesting things to talk about for an extended period of time.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Bryony and Zacharias

goodlight
2015-08-11 04:11 pm UTC (link)

Bryony smiled, but didn't really know what to say to further the particular conversation. Fortunately, the first course arrived which gave them both an excuse not to talk for a few moments as they situated napkins and cutlery and glasses in the best formation. Just as Bryony was casting around for a new topic, Zacharias managed to find one for her. "I spend most of my time sketching or painting," she said. "That's sort of my job..." Did the fact she was nominally paid to produce art mean she couldn't claim to do it in her 'spare' time? She wasn't sure - and her only other real hobby was one she was not going to mention.

"I used to like gardening, when I lived here. I'm staying with my aunt now and she doesn't have a garden - but I'm learning to bake!" For a moment, her enthusiasm about having things to say ran away with her, but she was brought up sharply by memories of her mother scolding her for mentioning baking. She should avoid drawing attention to her weight by mentioning food, according to Iris. Quickly, she tried to divert the conversation. "What about you?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Bryony and Zacharias

unspeakableness
2015-08-24 01:02 pm UTC (link)

"Oh is it?" he said with some interest. He didn't know much about her outside of the fact that he'd attended a party last year that her mother had hosted and that she hadn't seemed particularly keen on talking to him prior to the wedding. He supposed it was good it hadn't been his own wedding she'd been less than chatty about prior, which made his lack of knowledge about her and anything she might do or like more acceptable. And it gave him something to talk about, even if he secretly hoped he wouldn't have to constantly lead the conversation. He thought if he had to, he might accidentally end up leading it to a dead end.

"Baking can be a lot of fun," Zacharias said with a smile, happy to see some kind of enthusiastic response. Not that he expected her to not be enthusiastic about something. More like he hoped he wouldn't end up on a forced date with yet another witch who was either overly antagonistic without prompting or severely lacking in any kind of emotion except bland indifference, which he didn't think of as an emotion. "What are some of your favourite things to bake so far," he asked with interest, pausing to take a bite of his first course and looking over at her.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Bryony and Zacharias

goodlight
2015-08-26 11:11 pm UTC (link)

"I'm an apprentice to Braith Whitehead," Bryony explained. "She's an artist, so I work with her in her studio and learn different techniques and enchantments, as well as practising the drawing and painting and so on. I've only been with her for about a year, a little less." She could have gone on, about how much she still had to learn, and how excited she was, now that she was coming up to a year, to get to actually enchanting paintings to move. But her parents had always told her she should listen more than she spoke - because who would be really interested in what she had to say? "What do you do?" she asked.

Bryony gave a smile back when he seemed not dismissive of her baking. It wasn't something she thought of as a male activity, but she did know Dean could bake and sometimes brought things in to the studio. "I made some spiced buns for Easter," she said remembering. "They came out very nicely, but I missed the opportunity to decorate them. "I want to try bread next, even though I know that isn't very decorative either."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

	Drawing room (men) - after lunch goodlight 2015-08-03 10:24 am UTC (link)
	. (Reply to this)

	Garden (women) - after lunch goodlight 2015-08-03 10:24 am UTC (link)
	. (Reply to this)

	Dining room (dancing and drinks) - afternoon / evening goodlight 2015-08-03 10:25 am UTC (link)
	. (Reply to this)