Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Jan 30, 2013 0:08:34 GMT -5
There was aboslutely nothing like taking an evening walk around town! It was a highlight of Lavender's day - a good walk before her nightly workout was just the thing to stimulate the brain and get the blood pumping. She had driven around with her parents when she had just arrived, and of course she'd lived here for a year and knew the city as well as anyone, but there were still coffee shops to scout out and fabric shops to peruse. Lavender had already discovered the latter - she had a nice few yards in her shopping bag, her favorite find a pale blue cotton printed fabric that she was going to use to make a skirt. It had a pattern of small bows all over it, and Lavender had fallen in love with the cute design almost immediately. She was incredibly cheap when it came to shopping, unless it was fabric; She tended to buy more than she needed. Her parents just sighed when they saw her come in with a new purchase, and Lavender knew she was going to get a talking to one of these days, which is why she had bought some tan barathea for a coat for her papa. He couldn't cut off her allowance completely if she had a gift for him, right? Lavender had declined the car, happy for the peace of the walk, but the shadows were getting longer. She gripped the strap of the shopping bag, slung around her shoulder, and quickened her pace. It wasn't the being out late that she minded - it was just dinnertime, after all - but she didn't much care for the punishment of being late to boxing practice. Her daddy would be incredibly upset, considering it had taken him so long to warm to the idea of lessons at all. Ah, there was the turn!! Lavender skipped slightly, completely comfortable in her 2-inch heels, wondering what sort of workouts her daddy had planned. She was only a 5 minute walk from home now. She'd most definitely make it on time. Checking her phone once more to further ensure she had the time to spare, she began to whistle as she walked, arms swinging and dress swishing around her knees. "I wonder what's for dinner?" She wondered aloud. Since she'd be cutting it close, she'd probably have to reheat the meal, which would make the cook a little put out. Mrs. Diffenbaker had worked for the family since Lavender had been very small, and had no family of her own, which is why she was still in their employment even though they had moved to America. Lavender thought of her as a grandmother figure - especially when she made cookies for Lavender to sneak in her school lunch when her daddy put her on a training diet. It wasn't fair that she had to eat so healthy all the time!! Did he want her to be malnourished? Sugars and fats were a food group, too! Just thinking of food made her stomach growl. Lavender paused, putting a hand on her stomach. "I didn't realize my tummy could make that noise," she said, somewhat surprised.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Jan 30, 2013 14:19:26 GMT -5
Oh dear, oh dear, it was far later than Lior had anticipated! Running into that Bang character had certainly provided an adventure and a half, so much so that the albino had completely lost track of time! She hoped that Abigail wouldn’t be too worried. The maids would probably go about their usual business regardless, but Abigail had all around raised her and continued to act as a nanny even now that Lior was seventeen. She didn’t really mind, she just hoped that the older woman wasn’t too worried. She’d hate to be the cause of a heart attack or a stroke. Of course she was being dramatic, but her mind did always tend to jump forward to the worst case scenario. Speaking of worst case scenarios, she really needed to hurry! It wasn’t dark yet, but it soon would be. She was only thankful that darkness only fell a bit later than usual each evening, Death City being in Nevada and whatnot. The sun tended to stick around a bit longer than it would in Chicago, but even now it was beginning to seem a bit sleepy. She hoped it wouldn’t nod off and give way to the moon too soon or at the very least not so soon that she hadn’t reached home first. It had taken her some weeks of living in the new city, but Lior finally had the way home memorized! She’d gotten into quite a good number of adventures in getting lost up until now; however it hadn’t been all bad. She’d met some friends along the way, after all, and one of them was even another albino! Still, the receding light and elongating shadows were making her nervous, and so she quickened her pace to a brisk walk. Deciding she was probably safe for now from the persistent sunlight of the day, she lowered her parasol and folded it back up, idly swinging it alongside her. Hopefully she wouldn’t get sunburned by the few remaining rays, although she was certain the sunscreen would prevent that even this late in the day. Oh thank goodness, there was the corner she was looking for! Her neighborhood wasn’t too terribly difficult to navigate, nor was her house very hard to find. It was one of the largest, although it would likely easily fit inside of her house back in Chicago at least four times, not that she thought about it very much. However at this moment she did, thinking that it was not at all safe for a young lady of her particular status to be out. In the evening. Alone. Once again deciding to walk quicker, her thoughts were shaken from her when as she passed the corner she used as a mental map marker, she happened to bump into someone, another young lady thankfully. Stepping back and blushing every shade of pink known to man, Lior bowed her head and instantly apologized, “I’m terribly sorry, miss! I didn’t see you there, please forgive me.”
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Jan 30, 2013 23:20:50 GMT -5
Lavender felt the bump, but it caught her completely by surprise. She lurched forward and dropped the shopping bag, and a startled "Eep!" escaped from her, even though the other person hadn't been that forceful. Lavender stooped to pick up her precious fabric, peering in the bag to make sure none of it was dirty. Whirling around to give whoever had run into her a peice of her mind, she snarled, "Why, you-" But that's as far as she got.
There was a girl apologizing, who had the palest skin and hair Lavender had ever seen. She was holding a parasol and was dressed in a way Lavender highly approved of - her eye could tell the fabrics she wore were of good and expensive quality. The pinkette waved away the girl's apology, still staring at her unabashedly. The girl was very pretty, once your eyes adjusted.
"Y-yeah, well, be more careful next time," Lavender finally conceded, looking toward the side and crossing her arms. She wasn't really angry - it was mostly the surprise that had set her off - but it did bother her that she had to drop her fabric. She checked it again, worried about dirt even though her first check had turned up no results of the sort. "You have to be aware of your surroundings," Lavender added, not unkindly, although it was probably her fault the strange pale girl had bumped into her. She had stopped dead at a really sharp corner, after all, but she wouldn't admit being at fault.
In the sudden excitement, Lavender had quite forgotten that she was late to get home. The new person in front of her was too interesting, and pushed most thoughts of getting home quick aside for the time being.
Curiosity bubbled up, and Lavender heard herself ask, "What's with the parasol?" Was it because she was worried about a sunburn? The sun was setting, it wasn't as if there was any real danger right now. On the other hand, if Lavender was as pale as the girl in front of her, she'd probably be paranoid about sun too. It was mostly because you didn't see people carrying anything like that around. Most people in Death City were either used to the sun or had gotten used to it quickly.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Jan 31, 2013 0:03:31 GMT -5
Lior flinched at the girl’s first uttered words, closing her eyes out of habit. However when she didn’t continue her sentence, she barely opened them to see if she had chosen to simply hit her instead. No, instead she was staring, which made the albino even more nervous if anything. Stare was usually the first thing people did before coming up with more cutting remarks to make to a freak of nature such as herself, or to have more time to decide whether or not physical bullying was necessary.
Still, it seemed as though Lior had misjudged her. While seeming a tad peeved, which was completely understandable, the pink haired girl didn’t seem like she was going to chew her out. Still sporting a very obvious flush in her face from being a bit embarrassed, Lior nodded,
“I will, I promise.”
She was right, although Lior was usually far better at noticing what was going on around her. Years of being bullied as a child and even still occasionally as a teenager had taught her to be constantly on alert, although this had escalated more into a constant paranoia in her case. Everyone was a bully or someone who meant her harm until proven otherwise. Even then, Lior wasn’t likely to do anything but cry or possibly run and hide in such scenarios. She just didn’t have it in her to protest since she was, after all, a freak.
Her parasol? It was a question she’d been asked before, mainly by children who didn’t understand or know what an albino was. Apparently this young lady didn’t know either, which was perfectly fine. There weren’t many of them in the world, after all, or as far as Lior knew. Trying to put a timid smile on her face but only succeeding in looking worried in the process ,she lifted the parasol over the tow of them and opened it up so she could see it better,
“Well, I am an albino. Due to a congenital disorder, I have an absence of pigment in my skin, hair, and eyes because of an absence or defect of tyrosinase. As a result I am extremely vulnerable to sunlight, so I must wear sunscreen and carry this parasol whenever I venture outside.”
Lior didn’t mean to sound so scientific. She’d merely repeated the explanation so many times that along the way she thought she may as well sound smart when she tried to explain why she looked like she’d run away from the circus. She could of course also go into more detail but usually didn’t unless asked. A handful of biology teachers had singled her out in her few years of school as a child and once in that single year she’d spent at a normal high school, which was also why she all but had the words memorized by this point in her life.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Jan 31, 2013 22:34:02 GMT -5
Lavender flushed. "I-I knew that!" She crossed her arms and looked away. "I knew that," she said again for emphasis. "I was just testing you."She did, in fact, did know that there was such thing as albinos, but it was one thing to read about a romanticized or demonized version in horror novels and quite another to meet an actual person with it. Clearing her throat and kicking at the curb, Lavender raised her shoulders and gave the albino girl a sympathetic smile, aware of how insensitive it must be to stare. The girl probably got it every day, and didn't need any more from Lavender, for sure. "Sorry if it's a sore subject. I didn't mean to put you in an awkward position," She said apologetically, noticing how stiffly the girl had smiled. "But that must be hard, having to remember to put on SPF - what, like 50? - every day," Lavender added. "Do you really burn that easily?"It wasn't that she was being nosy (although that certainly was a factor), but Lavender was truly curious. The girl's skin was flawless, so whatever she did was obviously working. Despite the fact that the girl in front of her was as pale as a ghost, she was quite pretty and obviously fashionable. Lavender's mind suddenly spun with color combinations and dress ideas - she didn't even know this girl's name and was already dreaming up dress patterns for her. If she scrutinized the girl at all, it was probably because Lavender was trying to estimate her dress size or imagine the pale girl in a number of colors - maybe pale lavender, or a warm pink to match her eyes? Her boxing lessons and any urgency completely forgotten, Lavender realized she had found her inspiration - nay, her muse! If anyone was born to wear a bustle skirt with sweet lolita dress trimmings, it was this girl in front of her! Lavender could see the headlines now - "Heiress Take the Fashion World By Storm! She Hits a Bulls-Eye With Her Model and Her New Winter Line!" And of course, a matching parasol with every outfit... Completely lost in ideas and potential fashion fame, Lavender interrupted the girl wherever she was in her answer to the pinkette's earlier question, grabbed her hands, and asked, eyes shining, "What are your measurements?" Lavender had no shame about this sort of thing, but she was too caught up in imaginary sewing patterns to recognize if the girl in front of her was awkward.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Feb 3, 2013 18:30:49 GMT -5
Why in the world would she need to test her knowledge of her own genetic mutation? Lior furrowed her brows and blinked down at the girl before it hit her that she was perhaps trying to make up for the fact that she either A: hadn’t know or B: knew what an albino was but it had slipped her mind. Still, she didn’t need to get that defensive. It wasn’t a common thing to be seen, made plainly obvious by people’s general habit of either staring at Lior or poking fun at her, and then there was of course the all-out bullying she’d encountered but she wasn’t going to think about that right this second. It wouldn’t help her and it would just make her feel uneasy.
Another apology. Everyone she’d run into that had somehow brought up her albinism had always seen the need to apologize, at least in Death City. It was a pleasant change, Lior had to admit. Much better than Chicago where on any given day that she happened to be out and about people would stare, whisper, and occasionally yell and call her names that may or may not have ranged from circus freak to lab rat. Still, Lior could feel a slight blush rise to her cheeks and she quickly waved the girl’s concerns away,
“There’s no need to apologize. I’ve dealt with worse, after all.”
Far worse. The small scar on her temple was proof of that, but enough of those thoughts. SPF 50, hah! Lior actually giggled a bit at her estimation. It was right, but that was in part what amused her for some reason. Nodding, Lior folded her parasol back up and held it before her with both hands clasped around the handle,
“I do, yes. Even five minutes in the sun with no protection and I start to resemble a lobster. It isn’t that hard to remember to put on sunscreen though. I’ve been doing it all my life, so it’s all routine now.”
Even with sunscreen, though, Lior needed the parasol to protect her scalp. She wasn’t about to but sunscreen in her hair, after all, that would be messy and probably not work as well any it would seem. Besides, parasols were pretty and by now if she walked around without one, she just felt weird. When the magenta haired girl before her suddenly grabbed her hands and got quite the distant look in her eyes, Lior did tilt her head. Why was she suddenly so excited? And why did she need to know her measurements? Lior said them regardless, not thinking anything of it.
“37-28-39. Why do you ask?”
While Lior knew what looked good on her and tended to dress in very vibrant colors to make up for the distinct lack of them in her skin and hair alike, the albino was essentially a show stopper in the making. It never really occurred to her that the hourglass figure she sported was desirable, but then she hardly thought of herself as anything more than a freak of nature. Still, put her hair up and drop her in a shimmery dress, and she was the belle of the ball.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Feb 9, 2013 4:10:21 GMT -5
Buzzing around the pale girl, Lavender was now talking rapidly to herself, poking and lifting the other girls arms and making measurements in her head. "...If I lengthen the pattern I have now I could add a ruched side, oh!!! But a 37...I could custom-sew a decorative corset, she's got a bigger bust...Yeah, bright colors. I have a pink...the blue..." Lavender bent down and examined the legs on her new model in uncomfortable scrutiny. "Stockings," she finally said to herself, nodding as if it had been some sort of extreme issue that had been resolved. Straightening up and looking the girl straight in her eyes, Lavender whipped around and pointed at her with her free hand, the other on her hip, shopping bag handing around her wrist, face set in a determined smile.
"My name is Lavender Pratchett, future famous fashion designer, and you're gonna be my new model!" It was final in her mind. The poor girl in front of her was already locked in - no way out. Once Lavender had a scheme such as this in mind, there was truly no escape. On more than one occasion one of her fathers would be the unfortunate sit-in as Lavender made them hold, fold, model, measure, or cut fabric, as well as help her out by picking out colors (advice that was usually ignored). The worst of it was Al Capone. The cat had been dressed in more hats than he had whiskers. If he had been the young kitten of past days, Lavender wouldn't have been able to catch him and get him to sit still, but the cat was getting on in years and no longer had the energy to run away when he saw her draw near with a bonnet.
In any case, Lavender knew the girl in front of her was perfect. Her measurements were superb, her face was pale and would wear many, many shades of makeup well. Judging by her makeup already, she knew her way around a mascara brush!
Staring at the girl in front of her, Lavender gave her an imploring look. "Well, what are we waiting for? I have to measure your inseam and compare color palettes," she added impatiently. When Lavender latched onto an idea, she liked to get things in motion as soon as possible.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Feb 9, 2013 16:53:44 GMT -5
Well, this encounter had taken a turn for the interesting. Lior had been to tailors and such before, taken to such places by her mother for more impressive gowns for some of the fancier functions and family get together she’d been obliged to attend, so she did know what the girl was doing thankfully. Still, it was a bit strange from, well, a stranger. The albino said nothing though, at least not for the moment. Being poked and prodded at was something she’d come to get used to from both tailors and doctors alike. It really didn’t bother her much anymore as long as there was no malicious intent behind it.
She did raise an eyebrow as the girl with the magenta hair continued talking to herself. Lior had no idea what she was on about, but she assumed that for whatever reason, the girl had something planned for her. Another odd thing coming from someone she’d just met. When the girl bent to examine her legs Lior did straighten a bit and blush, shifting her weight and peering down at her,
“U-um…”
That was all she managed to get out before the girl finally did introduce herself, hand extended. Blinking, Lior stared a moment before regaining her senses and introduced herself as well, bowing her head slightly as she did so,
“Oh, I see! I am Lior Menke. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Pratchett.”
Lavender was such a lovely name! Lior would’ve told her so but she didn’t want to sound creepy or anything. Still, Lavender! Although she could help but think that maybe Magenta would have suited her better given her hair color, but that was little more than a side thought. But still, Lior a model? Gracious, was she that desperate? The albino still held quite a bit of pink in her cheeks, one of her hands coming up to cover part of her face,
“But me? A model? Don’t get me wrong, I’m flattered, but wouldn’t you want someone with experience? Besides, models are supposed to be pretty and I’m just sort of strange.”
If she persisted, Lior would of course bend to her will. The girl was easily influenced, and if Lavender absolutely had to have her, then she would comply. Still, she was having a difficult time picturing herself modeling anything, even if it only turned out to be in her new acquaintance’s bedroom on a pedestal rather than a runway.
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Feb 12, 2013 1:34:02 GMT -5
Tilting her head, Lavender gave Lior A Look, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't go calling me Miss Pratchett! That makes me sound so old," Lavender said, but changed topics quickly. "Well, I mean, you don't have to model if you don't want to," she said slowly. "But I wouldn't sell yourself so short." Lavender was self-conscious about many things, but her general state of being was one of subtle narcissism. She understood that some people did not see themselves as beautiful when others did, but Lavender considered that stupid and frustrating. "What exactly about you is strange?" She asked, genuinely curious. Lavender knew the girl was an albino, but it wasn't anything unnatural. So she was a little pale! With some dark lipstick and a matching dress, Lior would be dazzling, and Lavender wasn't about to let this opportunity go to waste.
"Well, okay, I know I come on a little strong," she admitted, "But I really do think you have star potential! Why don't you just come with me to my house? Just for measurements and maybe some tea. Nothing's set in stone! You'll have so much fun you won't hesitate to help me out. It would really be a genuine pleasure to make a dress or two for you," Lavender added, not shy at all. "See, see-" Digging in her shopping bag, Lavender pulled out the baby blue fabric she had just purchased and held it up to Lavender's face, draping it over her head and down her shoulder with exaggerated care. From her purse, Lavender produced a small compact mirror and turned it so Lavender could see. "The bright blue is really wonderful with your skin tone," She offered. "And if I could, I'd stick you in a deep red color to bring out your eyes. As you can tell, I like any shade of red," she winked, gesturing to her hair. "And I have a pattern I could adapt to fit you quite well - I'm wearing it right now!" She added happily, twirling once around, her dress moving as she did, bouncing back into place easily thanks to the stiff petticoat Lavender wore to give it more body.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Feb 14, 2013 21:13:57 GMT -5
Ah, well, Lior supposed she could be a bit too formal every now and again. As long as Lavender was alright being on a first name basis with her, then she’d of course drop the whole Miss thing. However her little tangent caught Lior off guard. What about her was strange? Was this girl blind? Others would of course see it as Lior being very hard on herself, but that was just how she was. She wasn’t normal and never really had been. Her family had coddled her because of her albinism, and many a stranger had either picked on her or been mildly uneasy about her little genetic quirk. Being thought of as pretty just wasn’t something she was used to.
As Lavender continued on, though, she was managing to convince Lior. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad after all. Besides, part of her moving to Death City was to try and get her out of the little mansion shaped box she’d been living in, hiding behind heavy curtains and her nanny after all these years. This would be part of that. Besides, she could always use more friends. So far she could count on one hand the people she’d managed to befriend, and they consisted of her Weapon, Rhett, that rainbow girl Bang, and Axel, who was the first albino she’d actually seen outside of her family. Befriending Lavender would at least balance out the gender ratio among her friends, and she did seem quite nice.
Lior’s thought process was interrupted as a lovely blue fabric was draped over her head. The albino hunched her shoulders and blinked, watching with fascination how careful Lavender was in handling the fabric. She was certainly passionate, that much was obvious just by how much care she took in even such a simple action. The compact mirror being held up to her did indeed prove a point. The blue did look wonderful on her, and it contrasted nicely with the rather muted red of her eyes. Lior smiled a bit, bowing her head slightly as a rather bashful blush emerged upon her cheeks,
“I’m rather fond of red myself.”
Fond was an understatement. Lior was only being modest, red was her favorite color in the whole wide world. It was what she looked best in and was usually easier to handle than the brightness of pink. Watching Lavender twirl about, Lior giggled a bit. Alright then, this couldn’t be so bad. It may even be fun given how sweet Lavender was. Carefully removing the blue fabric from about her head and shoulders, she draped it over her arms and held it back out to pinkette with a gentle smile upon her face,
“Alright Lavender, you’ve convinced me. I’d be delighted to accompany you, at least for tonight.”
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Feb 16, 2013 20:41:51 GMT -5
With a start, Lavender realized she was late! "Oh, no! I'm gonna be in trouble!" She gave Lior a determined look. "We have to hurry! My father expected me home for- uh, five minutes ago! Let's go-!" She grabbed one of Lior's hands and took off, nearly dragging the poor girl behind her. Thankfully her house was very close - well, mansion more like. It was a downgrade from her family home in London or Surrey, both enormous and extravagant. The Nevada mansion was only four stories and, while spacious, still felt strangely small to Lavender. It was brick, with ivy planted to climb up the walls, although that was a new addition so at the moment it had barely made it up to the first floor windows. Pausing outside the gate to catch her breath from the sprint, Lavender looked sheepishly at Lior.
"Sorry...I am...truly glad you're accompanying me-! Phew," she exhaled. "Well, let's go inside!" Leading her new friend inside the gate, she hadn't even made it to the porch when the door was thrown open. Her daddy stood there, face like thunder.
Richard Geld was tall and thick, with muscles and an imposing stature that had served him well in the boxing ring. His hair was light and his eyes were the same light blue as his daughter's, and his nose was oddly shaped from being broken at least three times. His looks were generally a kindly change from how tough he came across, but right now he looked quite angry.
"Where have you been?" He demanded, hands on his hips. "These lessons were your idea, and to show up late-"
Lavender mimicked his stance, returning his glare with equal intensity. She interrupted without remorse. "-I met a friend on the way home and we're going to have dinner and I will do an extra hour of workouts later!!"
Richard Geld peered around his daughter, looking a bit less scary. "Oh. A friend? You have those?" He teased, putting a large hand on Lavender's shoulder fondly. "Sorry for the first impression. Any friend of Lavender's is welcome here." Turning his stern gaze on his daughter, he added, "Dinner's been done for at least ten minutes. We will talk about this later, young lady."
Lavender rolled her eyes and nodded, turning back to Lior. "Lior, this is my daddy, but you can call him Richard. Daddy, this is Lior Menke. I think she lives in the neighborhood," she added, motioning for Lior to come in closer as they moved inside. The entryway was spacious oval, with a door leading to the dining area and kitchen to the left and the sitting room to the right. There was a grand staircase to the middle opposite the front door, which lead to the upper levels. Lighting the area was a beautiful crystal and gold chandelier. Lavender thought it was quite a downsize from the immense estate they had in Surrey, but she loved her house just the same. And there was Gerald, the butler, ready to take any coat (or parasol) if needed, standing looking proper in his finely pressed livery. He was the anchor of the family - without him, the place would soon fall to chaos.
Lavender ushered Lior inside and threw her hands out wide. "Welcome to our humble home!" She said, warmly.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Feb 18, 2013 17:50:19 GMT -5
Ah, so Lior wasn’t the only one late getting home. Speaking of that, she really should call Abigail before the older woman had a heart attack or called the police. Then again being dragged along by Lavender really didn’t seem like the best time for that. The albino was suddenly very thankful for her ability to run in high heels. It had taken years of tripping up stairs and hobbling down hallways at family functions and a few of her mother and father’s dragging Lior and her brothers along to fancier events, but she’d managed to learn it. Now if only she could quit hiding in corners out of shyness she’d be golden.
Lavender’s home was lovely indeed, although still rather small in Lior’s eyes. Her own home back in Chicago was a massive sprawling estate carved from what money and luck her grandparents had after the end of WW2 and overflowing with gardens and ornamentation, but the house she lived in currently for her stay at Shibusen was also far smaller. It was indeed smaller than Lavender’s even, only two stories but still big enough to be considered sprawling and also outfitted with gardens that demanded constant attention in the Nevada heat. Blinking up at the looming mansion before them, she smile and nodded to Lavender at her suggestion they go inside, following after her closely.
Lior stepped back a bit and let out an ‘eep’ when the door suddenly burst open, a mountain of a man blocking their way inside. Judging from his words and stance, she could guess that this was Lavender’s father. Glancing quickly between them, she did notice the eyes, but that was the only similarity she saw until Lavender copied the way he was standing and mimicked the harsh look. Oh yes, these two were related alright. Apparently Lior reminded people of her mother, but she didn’t see how. Her mother was a, in her eyes, a radiant powerhouse of confidence and knowledge that she couldn’t even begin to comprehend. Lior was timid and shy and petrified of anything that she wasn’t familiar with. It must have been the smile. Their smile was similar enough.
Watching the exchange with a rather timid look on her face, Lior hunched her shoulders. She hoped that her making Lavender pause at the corner hadn’t gotten her into too much trouble. She’d feel awful if that were the case. Seeing the large man peer around Lavender to see her, Lior made even more of an attempt to appear as small as possible, blinking up at him in wide-eyed fascination. Still, his words made her stand up a bit straighter and not feel quite so much like she was an itty bitty insect standing next to a mountain lion.
Lior clicked her heels together and bowed her head slightly, giving a timid smile to Lavender’s father,
“I’m very pleased to meet you, sir. I actually do live in the neighborhood. My home is only two blocks from here.”
It was true. Up the street a ways and a left turn and boom, there would be manor that Lior called home. The albino moved inside the entryway and paused. It was a lovely house, she had to admit. The chandelier was lovely and reminded her to the ones her family had in the dining room in their Chicago home, save for that theirs were made of black crystal. Lior hadn’t seen a proper butler since leaving Chicago. She herself had brought along three of the maids and her old nanny to Death City so she wouldn’t get lonely but also because she had no mastery of the ordinary whatsoever. She couldn’t cook, clean, or do laundry and so her parents had sent them along to make sure their daughter didn’t wind up unintentionally living in squalor. She handed him her jacket and parasol regardless though and hurried along to stand nearer to Lavender. The albino smiled, looking up and walking a circle to take in the beauty of the house. She rubbed her now bare upper arms as she did so. She really needed more dresses with long sleeves, but she’d loved the red of this one so much she’d just had to have it.
Remembering Abigail very suddenly, a slight flush came to her cheeks and she turned to her newfound companion,
“I’m terribly sorry; would you excuse me for just a moment? I need to call my…well; I suppose I’m too old to call her my nanny now, but I need to let her know I’m with a friend and haven’t been kidnapped or anything similarly terrible.”
Pulling her cell phone out, Lior stepped a bit away from Lavender and pressed her home’s phone number on speed dial. It rang only once before Abigail picked it up and her normally calming voice screeched through, making Lior hold the phone a bit away from her ear to avoid deafening herself,
“Lior Keshet Menke, do you have any idea what time it is? I have been worried sick; you were supposed to be home two hours ago!”
She’d used her middle name; she was definitely in for it. Wincing a bit, Lior tentatively brought the phone back to her ear,
“I know, I apologize. I ran into a new friend after school and it went rather longer than I had intended. I was on my way home and ran into another new friend, but don’t worry! I’m at her house now, but I don’t know how long I’ll be. Can I stay? Bevekshah?”
She could hear Abigail sigh before going silent for a long moment. Lior twisted a bit of colorless hair around her finger. She hated when her nanny did this. The anticipation was killing her.
“Alright, you can stay.”
“Oh toda rabah, Abigail!”
“But call again when you’re ready to come home! I’ll send Malka to pick you up.”
“Alright, I promise! Toda rabah, Abigal, ani ohev otach!”
She received only an ‘mmhmmm’ before the line went dead, but Lior turned back to Lavender with a huge grin on her face,
“Alright, I can stay a while!”
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Feb 19, 2013 0:29:32 GMT -5
"Oh, sure. We'll be right here," Lavender said as Lior scuttled a little ways away to use the phone. As Lior busied herself with that, Lavender took the time to chat with her daddy for a moment.
"Where's papa?"
Richard nodded towards the stairs. "In the office. He ran up there hours ago yelling about a breakthrough." Duke Pratchett had been suffering from writer's block for a week, a devastating blow to occur during the last few chapters of his new book, causing him to mope around on the various furniture, sighing and giving meaningful looks at Lavender or Richard when they came by. They usually ignored him when he got like this - the Duke wrote romance novels, after all, and so they tried not to indulge his dramatic mood swings. They passed quickly, thankfully, and it seemed like this round was over. Lavender nodded.
"Did you talk to Diffenbaker?"
It was Richard's turn to nod. "She brought him food already, so we know he'll at least eat." He rolled his eyes. "Now, about your punishment-"
But whatever her punishment was would have to wait. Lior finished her phone conversation and immediately Lavender latched back on to her new friend. "Oh, good! Here, let's go to my room! I have fabric palettes I need to make!" With that, she motioned for Lior to follow her and skipped over to the stairs. "I'm on the third floor, so its a few stairs. No elevator in this house," she said regretfully. Richard gave up, wandering back into the kitchen. He was craving a protein shake.
As they made their way up the stairwell, they ran into Lavender's other father, who was on the way down. "Papa! What are you doing out of your writer cave?" Lavender asked, surprised.
"I wanted a cup of tea, Berrybear." The Duke smiled. "Can't write without one! Can't do anything without one, really," he added thoughtfully. Duke Pratchett was tall and thin, although shorter than his husband, with a cheery face and wavy hair not unlike his daughter's. He was wearing a dark red robe over a button-up and dress pants, as if he had gotten back from a fancy outing and hadn't had time to properly unwind.
Lavender's face turned pink, and she mumbled, expression petulant, "I told you never to call me that...!" She shuffled past him quickly, halfway up the stairs before remembering to hook her arm in Lior's and drag her with. "Let's go, Lior," dragging her friend away. "Send some dinner up!" Lavender called behind her, not caring if she sounded bratty. When her papa pulled out the embarrassing nicknames, it was time to head for the hills.
"Sure, Pinkiepie. Nice to meet you," Duke Pratchett called after Lior, chuckling. He didn't consider it true parenting unless you got to embarrass your daughter in front of her friends.
Stomping up the second flight of stairs to her room, Lavender tried to regain her composure. Exhaling, she opened the door and waved Lior in. "I'm sorry about my parents. They're really embarrassing," she said, rolling her eyes and flopping on her bed. "Anyways, this is my room! Make yourself at home." Her room was painted a pale teal color, her bedsheets pastel blue, with posters of famous boxing champions hung up on the walls in what was a slightly jarring juxtaposition. On the foot of her bed slept a fat, white cat, who yowled at the sudden displacement as Lavender shimmied around to wrap her arms around him. "Baby Al!" She squealed. The cat simply went back to sleep.
In the corner was a desk covered with sketches of dress plans and magazines, with rolls of fabric laying haphazardly on the ground. There were dress mannikins with half-finished skirts and blouses huddling in another corner. Lavender gave them a cursory look. "I've been cleaning my sewing room," she explained to Lior, "So these guys are just sort of hanging here until I get things organized." She popped off the bed and pulled out the fabric she had purchased that day. "Anyways, to business. What's your favorite dress type? A-line? Empire waist? Or do you like corsets? Is pantyhose okay or would you rather have thigh-highs? Do you often wear petticoats? Are you used to getting measured for custom clothing?" Lavender held up a standard tape measure, unconcerned by the amount of questions she was asking.
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Lior Menke
Meister
Screw Technician
You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails.
Posts: 107
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Post by Lior Menke on Feb 22, 2013 16:11:01 GMT -5
Three stories? Not so many stairs, or at least Lior didn’t think so. There weren’t any elevators in her house back in Chicago either. Actually, the albino found it difficult to imagine a house that had elevators, it just seemed so strange to her. Then again if someone lived in a penthouse she supposed then it would make sense, but not in a house sort of house. She waved to Lavender’s father, giving him an apologetic smile before hurrying after her up the stairs.
The prospect of having two fathers wasn’t something Lior had encountered, but it wasn’t something that she was against. Love was love after all. Those lucky enough to find it should hold onto it tightly with both hands, in her opinion, and that was all she usually had to say on the matter. The little nicknames this father had for Lavender were absolutely adorable. Lior smiled and giggled a bit, covering her mouth with one hand to try and muffle the sound as not to displease the pinkette. She herself didn’t have too many nicknames, although her little brother did call her Lili sometimes. They were off again in no time, though, Lavender having hooked their arms together and proceeded to drag the albino after her. Lior waved to Lavender’s other father,
“It was lovely meeting you too, sir!”
Lior didn’t really get the concept of embarrassing parents. Her own parents never really taunted her too terribly; then again they were probably somewhat afraid to. Given that they’re daughter had been bullied all her life to some extent, they didn’t want to add to her social ineptitude and self-consciousness by calling her silly names pertaining to how pale she was. Her mother sometimes did fawn over her more than she would like, but she didn’t really count that since the two rarely saw each other. There was also the little fact that her older brother tended to be the only one to tease her, but she at least knew that he meant well in that respect. Asher could be an ass, but she knew he never really meant it. Lior entered Lavender’s room at her behest and waved away her concerns,
“It’s alright. It could be worse; you could have brothers like I do. They’re far worse, I assure you.”
Lavender’s room was lovely. It was far lighter than Lior’s, but then the albino was more fond of bright, bold colors rather than pastels, not that she didn’t still like them. Gazing around a bit, she paused only when she heard a feline yowl, turning to see Lavender giving the fattest, fluffiest cat she’d ever seen a squeeze. Lior had never really had any normal pets. Her father was terribly allergic to cats, and Lior herself was petrified of any canine after a rather unfortunate incident when she was younger. She still had faint scars from the bite marks on her forearm to prove it. No, she herself had a chinchilla. Malachi had been a good friend to her, the adorable little ball of fluff. She wondered if he would get along with Lavender’s cat at all. The feline seemed laid back enough seeing that it had returned to sleep so quickly after being disturbed.
Her eyes roamed to the sewing supplies and fabric that Lavender was referring to. It didn’t look terribly messy to Lior, but then again she was used to seeing far messier in her little brother’s room. Tom seemed to adore living with all of his clothing and toys strewn about the floor. He also had a bad habit of hiding food. The maids had reprimanded him for that who knows how many times, but he just thought it was funny. Moving right alone, it seemed, Lavender rapidly fired questions at her. Lior stood with her hands clasped together, thinking a moment before speaking,
“I am rather fond of corsets, or anything fitted really. A-line looks fine on me, but I tend to stay away from Empire waists. I’m fonder of thigh-highs than I am pantyhose even if I don’t wear them that often, and the last time I wore a petticoat was when I was thirteen. I needed it for the dress I wore for my bat mitzvah. Being measured doesn’t bother me either. My mother’s taken to me to enough tailors to be fitted for special occasions that I’m used to it by now.”
Her answers given, her attention was dragged back to the cat. He was just so fluffy and adorable! Raising a hand to point to the sleeping feline, Lior looked to Lavender,
“Erm…is he friendly?”
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Lavender Pratchett
Weapon
Demon Queen Anne Pistol
Because I'm a Lady, that's why!
Posts: 47
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Post by Lavender Pratchett on Feb 27, 2013 0:17:26 GMT -5
Lavender nodded as Lior answered her questions patiently. No empire waists, sure. She turned as Lior asked her question. "Who? Oh, Al. Yeah, he better be. Don't let him fool you - he's actually a pig who happens to look like a cat."In response, Al Capone raised his head and studied Lior with large blue eye for a moment, before meowing and rolling on his back, wiggling as if he was trying to shimmy over towards the pale girl. He was unsuccessful, but mewed for Lior to pick him up, tail flopping back and forth. "He likes to be babied," Lavender said, picking up the fluffy white feline and depositing him in Lior's arms. "Scratch his ears and he'll love you forever! Actually, just pay attention to him and he'll be happy." With that, she went back to her sketchbook for dress ideas, flipping through and holding it up, scrutinizing them, turning the page. As she did, she talked aimlessly, filling up the space with conversation, because Lavender was one of those people who couldn't stand silence. "So, Lior, are you at Shibusen? Most people who live in the city are, but I thought I'd ask because sometimes - I mean, you never know, right?" She tore out a page of her sketchbook, holding up the paper in front of Lior, nodding approval, showing her. "Also, what do you think of this dress?"It was a simple dress, reminiscent of the 1940's style with a full skirt that went to the knees and a halter top. It was in a bright pink, the picture colored in with red colored pencil, and Lavender grinned widely. "Classic dresses will suit you well too, because you've got the figure for them!" She said, but then her delicate features rearranged from glee into a deep frown. "I'm gonna change the color to red," she mused, mostly to herself, writing down Lior's initial measurements in the corner. "Only got a few more numbers to take, really, like the length to your knees and from your clavicle to your waist, stuff like that." She peered at Lior with bright blue eyes. "Oh, right. Do you like the dress?" She asked, finally remembering to ask her new friend her input. When Lavender got to work like this, she often forgot that it was often for someone else. She tended to be bossy about her work, which gave her a great work ethic but made her a bit tyrannical to be around - her sewing was her passion, up there with boxing, and she gave it her full attention at all moments she was absorbed with it.
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