As the Fiancees Arrive - Cho
Cho's fury had grown steadily from the moment that she'd set slippered foot in Malfoy Manor. The insult to herself, to her mother, to her entire family only deepened with each word that fell from Narcissa Malfoy's mouth. She was a Chang, not some common witch. She knew very well how to converse in polite company. She knew the proper way to conduct both an English High Tea and the far more ancient Tea Ceremony that she'd learned at her mother's knee. She needed no beauty tips and even if she did, what did this ice queen know about the spells and potions and cosmetics that would best suit one of her coloring and ethnicity? Cho remained silent save for the appropriate greetings and kept her eyes politely averted most of the time. It was safest that way lest her temper slip from her control. It was only when the so-called beauticians hired by Malfoy dared to try to touch her that she broke her silence. A few sharp words sent them away. She had barely tolerated even her closest friends to touch her hair at the late night laughter-filled girls nights at Hogwarts and never had she allowed anyone not family to touch her face with potion or charm. There was no way that she would allow the hired help those liberties.
But even worse than the very personal anger she felt was the sick realization that save for Malfoy herself, that she was the likely the eldest among the witches in this cold place. Children. They had co-opted mere children to be their brood mares. Did they care nothing for the health of their so-called brides? Or for the children that were supposed to follow the nuptuals as quickly as possible? Never had she been more glad that to have taken her Grandmother's advise when dealing with those whom you would have underestimate you. There was a certain amount of safety in acting the foreigner and the exotic. Safe behind her expressionless, neutral mask and the strange anonymity that came with standing so starkly out from the crowd in her hanfu finery, she had been safe to curse, in Mandarin so that even were her thoughts read they would be unintelligible, at Narcissa Malfoy and the lich that had given her the power to so torment a generation of her peers.
Silent once more, she had changed into her formal wear . It was also hanfu but of the even more elaborate court style. She felt rather like she was armoring for battle in her silk and gold-wrapped thread embroidered robes. The spells in the combs she had brought had styled her hair for her and she'd refreshed and elaborated upon her make-up with hands that were rock steady. Her choice of attire was defiance clad in silk and gold and onyx and rubies.
Let them judge her how they will. This mockery of society would not last and whether she lived or died, she would laugh when their house of bloody cards collapsed around their ears.
She left the other girls to their primping. Flint would be here soon enough and she wanted to positioned in just the right place to make the most impact when he saw her. Despite her anger and resentment, she was looking forward to seeing his expression when he saw her.