phillipa flint (![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} pippips) wrote in ![[info]](https://www.insanejournal.com/img/community.gif){kind=small} reduxpitch,@ 2016-12-05 09:11:00 |
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| Entry tags: | !thread, character: phillipa flint, character: siobhan vaisey |
who: phillipa flint & siobhan vaisey
where: a fancy restaurant
when:5 december, midday
what: cousins having lunch!
status: completed in docs
For someone who didn't have a job, as far as most people knew, Phillipa kept busier than necessary. Abditum was doing well - flourishing, actually. It ran on its own for the most part, which suited her just fine, but the issues with being in the upper parts of society meant there was a certain amount of upkeep. That would be fine other than the part where it took effort any time one left the house. Phillipa liked looking nice, dressing well, and that was lovely, but it was the expectation of it that she didn't like. Having lunch with her cousin, though, she liked. That was why she'd been glad for the invitation to lunch, and she might have shown up slightly early due to being grateful for the appointment. Phillipa sat at the table with the glass of wine she ordered and took a slow sip and she waited, fingers drumming absently against the table. -- Siobhan always enjoyed spending time with her cousins. Pippa, though, held a very special place in her heart. Maybe it was because she was a woman and they could gossip together, or maybe it was just that she could talk with her more easily. Either way, she was thrilled to get a chance to spend some time with Pippa and had been looking forward to it. She'd run a little late, something she hated to do, but she made it without being too far behind and found Pippa already at the table. "So sorry I kept you waiting," Siobhan said as she sat down. She ordered her own glass of wine when the waiter happened by and once they'd gone to retrieve it, she smiled across the table at Pippa. "Hope you haven't been too bored." -- Phillipa offered her cousin a smile when she arrived, waving her hand dismissively at the apology she was given. “I’m perfectly capable of keeping myself occupied for a few minutes, don't worry,” she said, shaking her head. “I’ve not been bored at all.” She reached across the table to let her hand rest over Siobhan’s, giving it a light squeeze. “How have you been? Engagement going well? Do I get to help plan a party? Tell me everything.” -- "Good," Siobhan said, relieved that she'd not been too much of a bother with her tardiness. She smiled at the gentle squeeze. "Overwhelmed," she admitted. That was probably the best way to describe how she felt. "With planning the wedding and starting to look for a new home and with my job, I just feel like I'm always going. I think that I'm going to need to hire a wedding planner because doing it on my own is not as easy as I told myself it would be." She laughed and shook her head. "The engagement itself is lovely," she smiled. "Max is as wonderful as ever, of course." That was the one constant thing that she could count on. She never had any issues when Max was around. He was always in her corner and always there to help her. She sighed. "I don't think the stress is very good for me," she admitted. "Makes me think far too much. But enough about that, how about you? How have you been?" -- Phillipa frowned briefly when Siobhan said she was overwhelmed. Having never been engaged herself, she’d only assumed it would be stressful, but she could see it much more easily on her cousin’s face as she spoke how it actually was. “Well I’m glad Max himself is wonderful,” she said, offering her a smile. “And don’t you dare think of hiring a wedding planner when I’m right here and more than willing to do it all for you. This should be a happy time, darling, not one filled with stress. I’d be quite happy to help you plan things, and I have more than enough time to do so.” She paused when the waiter returned with Siobhan’s drink, reaching up to tuck her hair behind her ear. “Stress is not good for you. We’ll get you sorted so you can be nice and relaxed - well, as relaxed as possible.” Phillipa took a sip of her wine before shrugging a shoulder. “Me? I’m fine. Nothing too exciting going on, so I hardly have anything to report.” -- Siobhan sighed. She knew that Pippa was right and stress wasn't good for her. There was a miriad of reasons why stress wasn't good for anyone, but her case certainly was a little more complicated. The offer of helping with the wedding planning, though, was like having a massive boulder lifted off of her chest. "Really?" she asked, heaving a sigh of relief. "Oh, Pippa, if you had the time to help me, that would be fabulous." Pippa, being a relative and a friend, would be much better at assisting with wedding things than anyone that she could hire would be. Pippa knew her better, after all. She was glad to hear that Pippa was doing well and she smiled in response. "Well, fine is better than bad," she said. "Sometimes having nothing exciting going on is the best thing." -- “I have nothing but time,” Phillipa said, rolling her eyes playfully. Considering her life had turned somewhat into her being in society and nothing else that was public knowledge, she certainly had time. With Viktor off at practices all the time, an activity of sorts to keep her busy was welcome. Planning a wedding? Perfect. It was a bonus that she got to make her cousin’s life easier at the same time. “You just leave it to me, don't worry.” She gave a soft hum of agreement before shrugging a shoulder. “I get by alright. I've nothing to complain about which is more than a lot could say.” -- Siobhan smiled, a sense of relief that she hadn't felt for ages washing over her. "Thank you," she said, meaning it more than she could have told Pippa. "You have no idea how much less stressed I feel already and we haven't even talked about the wedding yet," she laughed. "Which, if you have ideas, I am absolutely open to hearing them. I've been trying to piece together a list of things that I want and things that Max wants, of course. Guest lists, food, venue, all of that. It's been hectic with house hunting on top of it." -- Phillipa took a slow sip of her wine before setting down the glass and letting her hands clasp loosely on the table. “Well first you should tell me what you’ve put together for ideas so I don't take things in a direction you don't want,” she said with a laugh. “I’ll take any kinds of lists or partial lists of wants, as it's your day and Max’s day and it should be perfect.” She tilted her head as she considered her cousin for a moment. “House hunting - have you been doing that long?” -- "I didn't bring the list with me, but I'll get everything that I have together so far and owl it over to you as soon as I can. I'd like it to be very--," she trailed off, trying to think of the word she wanted to use. "Formal isn't really the word I want, but I'd like if it was well put together. Fairytale-esque, if you will." She knew that Max was, of course, wanting a very traditional wedding and she did as well. Flowers and lots of dainty decorations sounded good to her. "I want so badly for it to be perfect," she admitted. "With your help, I'm betting that it will be. Speaking of your help, do you think it would be too much to ask you to be my maid of honor?" "No," she said, shaking her head. "Not long at all. We just thought that it was about time we found a home together. We've been together for years and with the wedding, it's only sensible to start looking for a home for ourselves and future children." -- Phillipa made mental notes about what Siobhan was saying, though having concrete lists in front of her would help. She could work with anything, but she had faith that her cousin’s taste wasn't something outlandish. Her expression brightened at the question and she smiled. “Oh, Siobhan. I’d be honored! Thank you so much.” She gave a hum at what she said regarding the house hunting. “Yes, that does make sense. Do you have a realtor? I could recommend you one if you don't.” -- Siobhan grinned broadly when Pippa agreed to be her maid of honor. Of all the friends that she had, Pippa was the closest. Having her as part of the wedding, especially the most important woman on her side, was a big deal for Siobhan. "Wonderful," she said. "I'm so glad." "We've been looking at a few reality companies," she said, nodding. "But if you've got suggestions, I most certainly won't refuse them. We are thinking about something in the magical world. Just so we don't have to worry too much about having children unable to play with toy brooms and things like that. The less worrying about someone seeing magic, the better." -- As if she wouldn't already, Phillipa knew that being maid of honor meant that she would keep Siobhan from any stress or difficulty in the wedding process. She took her job of making it easy for her very seriously. Already she was thinking of ways to help her cousin ease through the process. “I don't have a realtor myself, but I can ask Viktor who he used,” she said, fingers drumming idly on the table. “They were quick and very good.” -- Quick and good were definitely traits that she wanted to look for when it came to real estate. Anything that might help shorten the process would be a massive help. "Thank you," she said, looking up as the waiter returned to take their orders. Deciding on something light to avoid any issues, Siobhan looked to Pippa as she gave her own order. As much as food was a point of stress for Siobhan, she was glad to be getting the chance to spend time with her cousin. As stressed as she was when she'd entered the restaurant, she felt much better now and for the first time since the planning had begun, she thought she might actually be moving in the direction of getting things done. That meant more than anything. Once the waiter had left again, she refocused her attentions. "How is Viktor?" she asked, smiling gently. -- Phillipa glanced down to her menu when the waiter reappeared, having forgotten what she'd decided to get since Siobhan had arrived. She wasn't particularly hungry so she only ordered a salad, waiting for the waiter to leave before she turned her gaze back to her cousin. “He's well,” she replied with a smile. “Busy with Quidditch and all, but when isn't he?” She rolled her eyes, but her smile didn't fade. “We’re to go on a holiday soon, so that's nice.” -- Siobhan smiled. "A holiday. That's lovely. Max, Roger, and I will be doing Christmas as usual. Skiing. It'll be nice to get away from everything for a little while. I managed to get the time off from work so I'm not going to complain about relaxing. Roger's going to bring his new girlfriend along." That was going to be different compared to their usual Christmases away, but Siobhan was looking forward to it. "Do you know where you're planning to go?" -- “Belize,” Phillipa replied automatically. “We were there for a good long time after the World Cup was over and we decided we should go back around the holidays. It’ll be nice to get some sun and warmth after all the cold around here. And in Bulgaria.” She tilted her head in thought. “Roger has a new girlfriend?” -- Belize sounded like a wonderful place to visit but Siobhan had never been. "That sounds lovely. Are you doing anything special once you get there? Any particular plans?" She couldn't help but be a little curious. "Yes. I mean he's had girlfriends before, but he's never brought one along for Christmas. It'll be a new experience," she smiled. She wondered if that meant that Roger was more serious about this girl than his previous girlfriends, but she would wait to decide that until she'd seen them together. -- As far as Phillipa knew, there were no plans beyond what they'd done before when they'd been in Belize. “Probably a lot of eating, drinking, sitting in the sun, enjoying not being someplace cold and dreary…” Phillipa gave a hum as she considered what Siobhan had said. “Do you know her? Hopefully you all get along.” -- Siobhan laughed. "Well," she said, lifting her glass towards Pippa. "To eating, drinking, and being merry." Clinking her glass against her cousin's she took a sip, then refocused on the question at hand. "No," she said. "Not yet. I'm sure she'll be lovely, though. Roger usually has decent taste in women. I doubt that he'd be with someone that wasn't at least interesting to him. And, even if she's horrible, he sees something in her." -- Phillipa smiled at the toast, gladly accepting it and taking a sip of her wine. Considering how she hadn't wanted to come home the last time they'd been in Belize, she was certainly looking forward to it. She nodded slightly, pursing her lips as she considered it. “If she's horrible, hopefully you won't have to spend much time with her. You'll have to let me know how it goes.” Pausing to take another drink, Phillipa sighed. “Thankfully I lucked out in the girls-my-brothers-date department.” -- She laughed. "I will definitely have to let you know how it goes." She wasn't too worried about Roger's girlfriend being so bad she wouldn't want to be around her, but she couldn't really decide on that until she'd met the woman. It would happen all in due time. "Speaking of your brothers and the girls that they date, how are things? I haven't seen either of your brothers in a while. I've had a few dinners over at Marcus's place with his roommate. Higgs. He's quite lovely." The dinners with Higgs were quite lovely, but she would have enjoyed seeing Marcus, she had to admit. "I did speak with Lucas, though. I heard about his girlfriend expecting. That's got to be a massively unexpected situation for all of you. How did your parents take it?" Not well, she figured. Siobhan was a bit worried that Lucas was having to grow up much faster than she hoped for him, but there was little that could be done about that. A baby changed things and it was impossible to stop now that the ball had begun rolling. -- It was quite easy to focus on her brothers, because that was something Phillipa did often. Their lives were quite different than hers, and complicated in their own ways. “Oh yes, Terence,” she said with a smile, glad to know someone else was enjoying his company. “You’ve been having dinners with him? Isn't he wonderful?” Her expression faded slightly at the latter topic - not because of the situation but the mention of her parents. “Yes, quite unexpected,” she started slowly, pausing to take a sip of her wine. “Obviously he, and Primrose, have our support, but hardly the same could be said from our parents. That wasn't exactly as unexpected as the whole… baby situation.” -- "Yes, Max and I," she said, nodding. "He's wonderful, indeed. Very sweet." He was probably one of the nicest human beings that Siobhan had ever met. She'd certainly met some horrible ones in her line of work. Higgs had certainly been a bright spot since she'd met him. "He got stuck to Max not that long ago. That's how I met him officially. The two of them came in sharing an arm," she laughed. "I'm sure," she said, sighing softly. "Well, I told him that he has my support as well if he needs anything. I'm sure he's got plenty on his plate and in his mind without having to do it all alone as well so having you and Marcus in his corner probably helps immensely." -- Phillipa smiled, always glad to hear someone speaking well of her friend. If there was anyone she thought should have more happiness in their life, it was Terence - especially recently. There was far too much turmoil going on without a bit more light. “He was stuck to him?” she asked, laughing at the thought. “I'm sure that went over well.” Draining the rest of her wine, Phillipa set the glass off the the side so the server would see to refill it. “I appreciate that, as I'm sure he does too. He's quite stubborn - we all are, I suppose, as a rule. We don't want to do everything for him, it's his life and his choices that have him where he is, his responsibility, but we also want to support him. It's a fine line, I think.” -- "They probably couldn't be more opposite if they tried," Siobhan said, laughing. "Max can be so--," she searched for a word for a moment before deciding. "Stiff," she finished. "I think it did him well to be stuck to someone like Higgs." "I think it might be a Flint trait," she teased, giving Phillipa a little smile. Not a bad one, certainly, but a trait of the Flint family nonetheless. She nodded. "A fine line indeed," she agreed. She could understand her cousin's point of view and wanting to help without taking all the responsibility. She thought that was right and fair. The help would be enough to get Lucas through. -- “Maybe you should have left them stuck,” Phillipa teased, relaxing back into her chair. “Who knows what might happen if they were made to be around each other.” A soft smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. Yes, stubbornness was a Flint trait, and that probably one of the reasons that when she and Marcus butted heads, they really did. And part of why they had such issues with their parents, but at least in that there was far more to it. “They're both sweet and good,” she said after a moment. “Lucas and Primrose. I’m sure they would manage on their own but the thing of it is they don't have to. They have us, they have her aunt and uncle.” -- Siobhan laughed. "I'm sure that would have went over spectacularly with Max," she said. She knew that he would have had a fit if he had been stuck to Higgs longer than he had. In truth, he'd had a bit of a fit anyway. "I've been forcing Max to come with me to dinners at Higgs's place as it is. I think if I'd left him stuck to the man, he would have called off the wedding." "That's good," Siobhan said, nodding. "They'll have to learn to manage things themselves, of course, but it's certainly going to be easier knowing that they have others that will help give them little nudges along the way. Lucas, the poor darling, is already making choices for his soon-to-be family instead of just for himself. I think that he will become a fine father." -- Phillipa smirked at the thought. “Well I hope the dinner are serving him well. You should let me know sometime when you're going over for one, I’d be glad to join. Not to invite myself along or anything, but I’d hardly complain about having dinner with any of you.” Her cousin was right, because Phillipa had no doubt Lucas would be a good father, perhaps in spite of their own who was not good at all. “They're having to grow up very quickly,” she added quietly. “I hate that, but that's how it goes.” -- She smiled at the thought of bringing Pippa along to one of the dinners. She was sure that Max would be glad to have someone other than Higgs around for a change. "That would be lovely," she said. "We need to have more time together. It's really been too long. With the wedding, though, and all the planning, I foresee a lot of dinners in our future. Or, at least, a lot of wine." Lucas and Primrose would, indeed, have to grow up more quickly than anyone would have liked, but there was nothing that could be done about that now. The bun was already in the oven and things were going to change soon whether anyone wanted them to or not. "I'm optimistic," she said, smiling across the table. "He's a Flint. He'll find his way." -- “We will have many dinners,” Phillipa agreed. “And lots of wine. We will make your wedding everything you could ever want!” She smiled, fingertips tracing along the bottom of her wine glass. That was true, though Siobhan was more optimistic than she was herself. That was bound to happen, more often than not. “We Flints always do.” |