psl; [a marriage of inconvenience]

[hedgemaze]

THE AUBEL ESTATE is located in Derbyshire, England, a stately old home reminiscent of centuries long past. Long ago, it had fallen into disrepair and abandoned until previous generations of the Aubel family purchased the land for themselves, having found their fortunes in matters of real estate. Since that time, the outside has been restored and the inside has been renovated at least three times. Four, if you ask the uncle who remembers the one summer where the chandelier fell from the dining hall, taking a large portion of the ceiling with it. How embarrassing, if such a thing is true.

In its present state, it straddles the line between the old and new. The large, prominent rooms are ostentatious as they are filled to the brim with austere English culture; the smaller quarters, traditionally used by the servants and staff, are far more modest, and over time have allowed the tendrils of modernity to creep in as a result. Regardless, the home is impressive no matter how you look at it, and there are few who do not cast an envious glance at the estate as they pass by Derbyshire on their way to town, or perhaps northwest to Manchester, if they've even farther to go.

PHILIP AND JAMES AUBEL, father and son respectively, are the owners of the home, though only the father remains for any extended period of time. And even then, he only stays perhaps one or two seasons at a time, until he returns to his home in London, spending one or two seasons there, before returning again, living out his life of retirement to the fullest. James visits nearly every week (driving in from Manchester, and back) in the Spring, until the first freeze of Winter, when nothing will grow. Though they have a staff of two dozen -- give or take, depending upon the time of year -- taking care of the estate and its grounds, James is more diligent about keeping up appearances of the house, showing a special interest in maintaining the complex hedge maze on the land directly behind them. Only he keeps access to its center, a literal walled garden of seasonal flora.

AS RECENT DEVELOPMENTS WOULD HAVE IT, James has been drawn into an arranged marriage by his father and an old business acquaintance. She is scheduled for an extended visit soon, and the staff have done a meticulous job of preparing the hall for her arrival -- and the rest of the rooms, as well, if she is expected to make her living here permanent, one day. Today, the weather is clear and the help is eager to aid her in unpacking. The grounds are green and the family dog, an old greyhound with cataracts in one eye, bounds up to her with a slow wagging tail. The father will greet her, of course, with all the usual formalities, and though he doesn't know her all that well at all, she at least seems nice enough. He disappears soon after, leaving her to her own devices as she sees fit. James himself is nowhere to be found.

Somewhere, sooner rather than later, a collision course of first impressions will take place.

----------

D I R E C T O R Y;

➤ shitpost.
➤ first impressions.
➤ diamonds.
➤ text her, texter.
➤ saviour.
➤ flirt.
➤ closer.
➤ cross-examine.
➤ PARTY CRASHERS.
✶ elle + devon
✶ elle + corvus
✶ ian + james + corvus
✶ devon + james
➤ alien abduction.
➤ sleep now.
➤ bathe.
➤ remember.
➤ drink.
➤ welcome home.

Comments

[winterheart]

I acknowledge you have attractiveness
I also acknowledge that I kinda wanna shove you with my elbow

[Well.]

[hedgemaze]

The former is good to know. The latter I didn't exactly ask about.

[You realize this only makes him want to tease her more, not be offended by any of it. It's difficult to, through text.]

I think you're just embarrassed to admit that you're attracted to me.

[winterheart]

No, the shoving is rather relevant
You'd be absolutely killer if you had a nicer manner about you

[hedgemaze]

That's hardly fair. I've been nothing but "nice" to you.

[winterheart]

Not saying that you aren't (I appreciate it btw)
You're missing a few things.
Anyways my turn

Favorite flowers?

[hedgemaze]

[Geez, what is even that supposed to mean? And she's just moving on like saying he's "missing a few things" is nothing?

There's a minute or two before he responds. He has to think about this one.]

That changes depending on my mood. But one of my favorites is the White Egret Orchid. Have you seen one before?

[winterheart]

[She does a quick image search and... Whoa. That is impressive for a flower.]

Just looked it up
It looks like a literal bird wtf

[hedgemaze]

It's unusual, isn't it? But there's something graceful about the way it looks, outside of the flower being shaped like a bird.

It's my turn again. Why are you so much more talkative over text?

[winterheart]

Good question.
Thankfully, the answer's not too hard.

The sleepwalking got really bad when I lived on campus for college
So I had to just had to do a lot of commuting for school and then just finish from home
It made hanging out w/ people hard

Talking online though? Easy stuff.

[hedgemaze]

[The sleepwalking again -- it's becoming more and more obvious that the issue has become detrimental in a lot of ways for her. The humanitarian in him (yes, it exists) wishes he knew how to help. The realist in him says that there's nothing he can do that doctors probably haven't already told her before.

It's a minute or two before she gets an answer.]

Old habits die hard. Especially ones that make us feel more comfortable with ourselves.

[winterheart]

Well, it's not like I'm quiet IRL all the time
It's just easier to be goofier here

[And it really is easy; she's finally crossed some sort of threshold (she's hoping) and actually talking to the man she's going to supposedly spend her life with.]

[hedgemaze]

But you can be "goofy" any time you like. No one at the estate will care.

[Missing the point, probably.]

[winterheart]

do you really want me to tell you point blank that I want to shove you with my elbow
goofily

[She's APPROPRIATE... most of the time]

[hedgemaze]

I'd rather you be truthful, if that's what you really feel. I can take the abuse. I'm not a child.

[winterheart]

Well, we'll see what happens
Goofy is usually for me and Ian
No elbow shoving though

As for truthful, you better watch out

[hedgemaze]

You can't see it, but I'm shaking with fear.

[Such sarcasm.]

[winterheart]

Next question!
What was school like for you? High school if we're being specific

[hedgemaze]

High school?

[Oh, innocent American girl.]

I went to Eton. It's a boarding school for boys. Imagine living along with other boys your age, most wealthy, with instructors doing their best to keep their waning attentions. The results were, obviously, very varied.

Some days were dull, others were eventful. I didn't mind being away from home as much as some, so I suppose you could say that those years treated me well enough.

[He had a bit of a advantage, being able to read the emotions of adolescent male teens. It made climbing the social ladder much easier.]

[winterheart]

Yikes.

[One or two of the Flemming cousins went to a single gender school. It always struck Devon as a completely different world.]

Well, things would have to be eventful when you put a bunch of boys together in one place.

[hedgemaze]

That's a universal truth unlike any other. Too much testosterone, if you ask me.

My turn, then. Here's an easy one. What's your favourite colour?

[winterheart]

Midnight blue.
Indigo is up there too.

I might brew up some actual indigo one of these days
Pretty hard to maintain if I'm not careful though

[hedgemaze]

"Brew up" meaning not making a mess outside of your studio I hope.

[winterheart]

I'm not gonna let Simon bathe in it, so not to worry!

Okay, so speaking of which, when did you get Simon? He's such a sweetheart.

[hedgemaze]

Simon only wants you to think he's a sweetheart. He is, in fact, spoiled to the core thanks to my father.

[And you, too, James. Don't deny it.]

He was a Christmas gift from my father, eight years ago. He honestly has no bloody clue what to get me every holiday, and somehow he got it into his head that a puppy was exactly what a man busy with his work and barely ever at the estate needed.

[winterheart]

Aw.
You like him anyways.