"She Isn't?" It Was Said As More Of A Question Rather Than A Fact, Needing The Reassurance Of Hearing

status: open for everyone location: Borgin Manor, Serra's birthday bash

While she had always loved being the center of attention and considered herself a natural in it, tonight was special. It was her 21st birthday, a date of great significance. There were tons of guest in attendance, more than she remembered inviting but her parents insisted on making it a huge event. She was making her rounds, her tone polite. "Welcome, thank you for coming."

While they were still surrounded by people she did her best to stay quiet and calm, smiling when people clapped in congratulations. Stealing one last look at her parents she noticed them both beaming with pride. She couldn't remember them ever looking this happy. They were both more on the reserved side, but clearly they were happy about this. Would they have done the same thing if they had a son instead of her? One capable or even willing to take over the shop? She let out a huff of frustration. This whole party had not been to celebrate her it seemed, but a ruse to gather as many of their peers as possible and announce an engagement she herself was clueless about. Clearly she was the only one surprised. Engaged. Merlin, what a birthday present. She was engaged. Engaged to the one guy she had fallen for, the one that broke her heart all those years ago. It was a cruel idea of a joke. Although, Malcolm's eyes didn't mirror the shock and surprise hers held- even if only for a second. Without the prying eyes of others she had no reason to school her features into a mask of indifference. It took her a few moments to process, for things to settle in. For his words to register. "You knew about this?" He knew and yet he didn't deem it important enough to inform her? "Were you expecting me to just go along with this?" Her eyes were blazing with anger, when she got stuck on his last word. "Again? What do you mean again?"

Much to his expectations, Malcolm didn't have time to reach Serra or her parents once he got through the party. There were so many people and he caught her eye a few times, but it seemed she was putting as much effort into avoiding him as he was trying to find her. But all he got were stolen conversations with people he didn't want to be stuck talking to; they were all boring small talk, some shop talk, and Malcolm couldn't think about anything else other than talking to Serra. It was one of the few times he panicked and could feel every stroke of a clock in tandem with his heart. Like everyone else, he gathered along with the crowd when someone was about to give a toast. And like everyone else, his eyes followed Serra's parents to the makeshift stage. Fuck, his mind seemed to say like a broken record. He officially ran out of time, but he could catch them after the toast. Malcolm clapped with everyone else, holding his champagne flute and his arm went slack when he heard his name. His heart instantly took a cold plunge to his stomach. In that moment, the walls felt like they were caving around him. Malcolm shrugged off the congratulations around him and the eyes that swiveled towards him. This was the worst way to find out and he needed to talk to Serra. "Serra-" he said, breaking through the crowd to reach her once she started to make an exit. There had been a speech planned in his head and it would've gone so much better than now. "Serra-" he called again once he was closer, not even realizing they were outside as he reached for her arm. Malcolm's face softened when he turned to face him. For once in his life, he wished that Serra could look at him like he didn't betray her trust every single time. A million things were hanging from his lips, but nothing came out. Malcolm's shoulders relaxed away from his ears and he sighed out. "It's true, I found out a few days ago. Listen, I tried, okay-I contacted lawyers…i-it cannot be annulled. Again."

Serra liked feeling his eyes on her, the attention was all consuming and she enjoyed it, feeling like she deserved to have it fully. A smirk played at her lips when he spoke, enjoying being showered with compliment after compliment. It was the way to her heart, someone telling her how great she was was something she would never tire of. "I think we should dance first. Make an impression on everyone here." She was a great dancer and she wanted to show off, it was in her nature.

Antonin turned his great powers of observation and attention towards Serra and only her.  It was what she wanted and he didn’t mind blinding himself to observe her brilliance.  It was the duty of an accessory to add to the one who adorned it after all. "I bet you can. There isn't much you can't handle, is there? You are uncompromising, all encompassing, and it's something I admire about you greatly. It leaves me unsure whether I should help you or stack up obstacles in your way just to see you run through them.  Don’t doubt you will own this wedding and I’ll enjoy seeing what you leave in your wake. You must tell me about your experiences afterwards.  I enjoy pampering you while you tell me about yourself, but what should we do first?  Drink, dance, dine?  You deserve to be seen by others the way I see you, and I’ll make sure of it."

status: for @thelionshrt location: Malfoy wedding

Finding Regulus in the masses of this wedding didn't provide to be as easy of a task as she had thought in the beginning. Of course it only made sense that the wedding of two prominent pureblood families would be a big celebration, it would be embarrassing if no one showed up. After about ten minutes of searching she'd been just about ready to abandon her task, when she finally spotted him, walking over to greet her friend. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh I would love to meet her! You think you could introduce us?" Her eyes widened in excitement, a gasp leaving her lips. Serra had seen the witch around before but she had never been formally introduced. It'd be amazing to hear gossip straight from the source. "Oh I know a ton." It would be a perfect moment to dish on Alara too. "I think I've got a few minutes. He said something about going to speak to my cousin Emir."

"Would you like an introduction? I'm sure she wouldn't mind getting to ask some questions to someone so interesting. You must have heard some things. Yes it's better to show up with a date to these kinds of things isn't it, gives you someone to get back to suddenly when approached by less than desirable company." He looked around for her escort. "I hope you don't have to wander off too soon?"

"Well then try it and tell me what you think of it." She knew Mira had good taste, certainly better than that younger sister of hers had ever displayed. Then again, few could be as excellent as she could, competing would be hard for anyone. Especially someone that inferior. "Thank you. So do you. I like your dress, the color suits your complexion."

While Mira wouldn't openly admit it, she hadn't really wanted to attend the party. There was too much going on, too much turmoil for her to truly enjoy herself. Still it would have been unacceptable not to make an appearance, and so she'd arrived with a smile on her lips and a small wrapped present in hand, adding it to the already growing pile that had been left for the birthday girl. She snagged a glass of champagne from a passing tray, taking a drink as she watched her cousin make her way over to her. "I just grabbed a glass actually. Happy Birthday Serra, you look gorgeous tonight."

Serra tilted her head sideways pursing her lips, thinking, treating it as an actual question instead of a rhetorical as she immediately spotted the present in his hands. "I could think of a few things. Ideally something sparkly.." Her eyes were drifting to the present, curious and impatient. "Well, as you know, I like being the center of attention every day, but I do suppose being celebrated like this is the best way." She was wearing a purposefully bold and excessive dress, further ensuring all eyes on her. "How have you been?" She heard rumors about him and Leta, but she was curious.

Who:@serraborgin Where: Serra's birthday bash When: Serra's birthday "What do you get for the woman who has everything and just returned from an extended shopping trip to Paris." Antonin knew what he had gotten her of course, but it was more fun if she recognized that he had labored over the gift so that she could ascribe the proper level of reservation to it. He had found long ago that gifts in small packages despite their actual size held a bit of underrated mystery. People assumed elegance and class something small must be doubly expensive than something large. He held the neatly wrapped present just far enough out of reach as to subtly demand Serra's attention. "It's been a while, good to know you haven't lost a step, birthdays are the perfect reason to be the center of attention aren't they?"

@themalcolmparkinson

She crossed her arms when he rambled on, raising her eyebrows, her expression showing her impatience. She didn't know what he was trying to get at and she was sick of waiting. "We were what?" A frown came onto her face, clearly confused. What was he talking about? Surely she'd know if she had been engaged? "This is not the time to make jokes Malcolm." They were engaged. Past tense. They are engaged? Present tense. Merlin, her head was starting to hurt. "Options? What options? Are you going to 'fix things' without my knowledge or input again? I really don't understand what you're aiming for. Why send me all these gifts? To ease your guilt?"

"No, no, I mean—I've been trying to—" he began poorly, then stopped when she asked him to draw out the question. A question he had spent years practicing for, if this conversation ever happened. And no matter how many times he'd rehearsed it in his mind, nothing compared to this. There was no undoing what he'd said, the slip already out. Malcolm could try to obliviate her, but even the thought darkened his face. He dropped his gaze as if the ground held the answer. "Yes, we were engaged once," he said, his tone devoid of warmth. "But I was able to fix it." Malcolm knew he'd been a stupid kid then, not thinking clearly, overwhelmed by choices and deciding for them, for their future. At the time, it felt best, but he wondered if avoiding the circumstances then had cost them a better present. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you. Any of this…But please," he said, reaching for her hand. "We can look at options."