narcissawilted

[narcissawilted]

"I imagine not." the list of living people who were aware of narcissa's specific brand of psychic power were strictly, selectively, and exclusively made privy to the private information at her discretion. cissy was, for lack of a better phrasing, fucking excellent at keeping secrets, and this was the one most important to her. walden, antonin, lucius, andromeda, regulus knew; anyone else, even those she might consider friend, could only speculate. "all notable intention indicates that if they were aware, the wards would have been adjusted for my comfort instead." yet they had not which meant her secret remained safe, but her head was a horror story.

"of course it can hurt, walden. I imagine it will, but pain is a temporary affliction which forces us to become vulnerable." she said through another wince. "and like any creatures that molts, vulnerability is a requisite for growth. now, brace yourself for that potential. be honest and mind your temper."

Walden frowned, contemplative now. Warded against Legilimens. Why would they need to do that? It was ghosts and people with masks. "Not you specifically, do you think?" If that was the case then it severely limited the number of possible culprits.

He glanced back at the door. Could he do this without Antonin? Could he do it at all? Maybe with her. Walden could at least try. "It might. Certainly can't hurt."

#c; walden #;talks

[narcissawilted]

@xkilljxy

#;cissy #;lucius #;inspo

[narcissawilted]

narcissa likely looked a bit fae clad in her moth costume and running about the halls of a haunted mansion after the wisp of a memory. she gasped and paused suddenly when she heard her husband's voice. "lucius?" she looked for him. he too was masked and standing in the hallway with the assistance of a cane. the pain in his eyes was as telling as the tone of his voice. it did not take a mindreader to put together that his leg was flaring up again. it had been so long since the last time. she glanced once more over her shoulder just in time to see the black curls disappearing with a manic laugh around the next corner. cissy was going to lose her again... for once, she hesitated before narcissa did turn and rush back over to lucius's side. "has something happened my love?"

Lucius moved slowly here. The pain in his leg had been heightened to levels he hadn't noticed in years, and if it hadn't been for the nice gesture of the haunted place to leave a cane by the bedside of the bed he had woken up in, he'd likely not have been able to move about at all. He had been wandering about, perhaps aimlessly, for a while, taking long breaks to rest against the wall beside him, when a flash of white caught his eye and he followed it to his wife, moving too quickly for him to dare try keep up. "Darling! A moment, please." The strain on his face was mostly hidden, but his voice gave him away. "Lot of walking here. I'm having trouble keeping up."

#c; lucius #;talks

[narcissawilted]

"the environment is warded against me. it is not my wards failing. normally my headaches are brought about by being unable to keep the thoughts of others out of my mind and becoming overwhelmed by them. this is inside my head attempting to disconnect me, but the method of doing so is essentially just drowning everything out with other noise. it would be a very fit counterspell in most cases and likely stop when the charm does, but, as you know, I do not often use the spell." cissy explained with a heavy exhale of air. without her legilimens, she did not know if walden had figured any of the situation out in his head and could not tell where to begin if he hadn't, so she just walked him through it all. "would it help if I went in with you? perhaps I can help you find the right words."

“Lack of people normally helps. What’s making this headache different?” He asked, puzzled. Worrying over her well-being gave him something else to focus on, even if just for a moment.

“I want to apologize,” he was sorry, he’d always been sorry, “but I’m too much of a coward to go in alone, and the thought of someone else seeing it is…” shameful. “Maybe if it was Tonin. If he’s willing. Maybe him.”

#c; walden #;talks

[narcissawilted]

where; corridors of the haunted mansion with; open

hawklike green eyes watched as black curls disappeared around the corner again. cissy exhaled. the laughing ghost of a girl was impossible to catch up to like this. they used to call her a ghost too. bellatrix and andromeda both said it like a term of endearment for the quiet whisper of white that haunted their home as a child. "I know that laugh." narcissa black did not run. fools ran. however, it seemed like she was running out of other options.

#ahopen #;talks

[narcissawilted]

"quieter will not help." cissy said succinctly. it was already too quiet. "I suspect whomever our host may be, they did not anticipate a legilimens like I am to be in the mix." true, it was a spell that anyone could learn to cast temporarily, but there were some born with a natural talent for gleaming through the mind, like herself, who did not need a spell except to hone and widen their ability. unfortunately, her legilimency was not something she could 'turn off' which meant the painful headache would continue. "I believe you should start with 'I am sorry', if you are sorry and feel the need to express it, but if you do not want to apologize, we can leave. I only thought it might provide you with some sort of closure on the matter."

Walden glanced at the door. If he never went in again, she’d probably never die. Would that be close enough to penance? If it wasn't where would he even begin? Sorry I made your life harder than necessary? Sorry for the temper I couldn't and wouldn't control? Sorry for every horrible thing I did as a child? Sorry for killing you?

“I wouldn’t even know where to start.” He admitted. “Besides, you look pained. Let’s find my boyfriend, and then maybe somewhere quieter? Lucius ought to be around here too.”

#c; walden #;talks

[narcissawilted]

"I see." cissy nodded. she pinched the bridge of her nose as her temples throbbed painfully. even if she wanted to use her legilimens in this state, she suspected it would be impossible. it was likely a ward causing her such discomfort now. instead, her eyes were keen and observant on every facet of the room. "would apologizing before we go make you feel better about what happened?" she asked.

"The only one that matters." He said, not looking her in the eyes. It wasn't like she needed to see his eyes to know how this all made him feel. She must be in a hell of a state, if there were more surprises like his and Pedro's around this place. "We should. He already lived through that hell once."

#c; walden #;talks

[narcissawilted]

cissy paused and looked up to gauge the physical reaction of walden's facial features. "which nanny?" she asked cautiously, while being intimately aware of his history with that particular position amongst the help. "hm. perhaps we should find and warn him then."

--

"My nanny." He said, pinched. Walden didn't want to make things worse for her. "I've seen her enough, I don't need to see her more." His face twitched and grew dark. "Antonin's. Shame you can't kill someone twice."

--

#c; walden #;talks

[narcissawilted]

"what is in the room?" narcissa asked, tilting her head curiously. she had a terrible migraine and her words were clipped and curt. "why do you not want to go in? and which father is in the library?"

Where; masquerade

“I’m not going in there.” Walden snapped. He’d rather spend time in the library with the ghost of that dickwad of a father than that room full of memories of his earliest sins. “Pick anywhere else, we’ll go there.”

--

#c; walden #;talks

[narcissawilted]

nocturnal.

#adhonoremtask #adhonoremtask017 #;masquerade #;tasks #;tasks017 #;cissy #;inspo

[narcissawilted]

"logic dictates that we all experience only one lifetime. so why would I rely on that avenue of thought?" it was true that narcissa was logical, judicious, and even practical. however, she was also magic of the oldest variety; mysterious and arcane. a secret quickly learned when peering into the minds of the masses was that not everything was meant to be understood, especially not with logic alone. it was rarely what drove the motivation of people. she reached up and took his face between both of her hands in an unusually intimate gesture. "lucius, my love, you are still by no means allowed to leave me in this lifetime until and unless I give you permission to do so."

narcissawilted​:

-

cissy pressed a delicate little kiss onto the top of her adopted son’s head. “it is time to prepare for your studies.” she said in her gentle way. “dobby.” the house elf appeared in a blink. “would you please escort dimitri to his tutor?” her eyes landed back on her husband as they were left together in the sitting room. “lucius-” she said again and this time beckoned him to close the space between them with a finger. “come home.” he was certainly right about something. his soul seemed sit harmoniously with hers in a way that consistently surprised cissy. she knew that she was not an easy woman to love. “do you truly think that if I found you successfully in any other lifetime, I would ever let us be parted again?”

...

Lucius watched with less than passing interest as the house elf appeared and took Dimitri off to study, giving him a little nudge with his arm before the boy was fully gone and offering him a grin that promised fun after learning was over. Only when the room was empty but the two of them did Lucius glance over at his wife again, watching with keen interest as she beckoned him over and moving slowly on the couch, delicate, like a cat, an arm resting on the arm of the couch that was behind her and the other sitting squarely against the back of it, hovering over her with a grin. “I think that you are logical enough to understand that death is inevitable, but that no matter what, I would always find you again. And that in every lifetime before this and after, I was and will continue to be a bit dimmer on the uptake than you are. But you will always be mine, Cissy, and I always yours.”

#c; lucius #;talks

[narcissawilted]

the manor was well built, an old building that boasted classic architecture. when she first moved in it required quite a lot of redecoration. the taste of her mother-in-law was loud. gaudy. horrible. she still could not stand the drawing room. "it has taken quite an extensive amount of planning to make it what I want, but it is nice to have a home to my suiting." black manor had been more of a cage; the ivory tower in which she'd been locked, essentially. lucius had been the one who took large strides to give her every comfort here.

"a cottage sounds very cozy indeed, and a nice garden is certainly my preference. I spend most of my time in the greenhouse. would you be interested in visiting after tea?" she asked as dobby reappeared in the room with a cart. cissy took a seat in a chair near enough to sybill that she would not need to shout in order to be heard. "I expect there is a charm that could easily reseal the windows."

Home was an evolving concept, for Sybill at least, who had lived in hostels and on sofas and with cousins for the last few years, now settling into a place entirely of her own, which was very new territory. Just her and her whims. She padded quietly after Narcissa through the house, her gaze sweeping around the reading room shelves, "oh, with a room like this I'd be a homebody too." She chuckled.

"I'm renting a cottage just outside London. Small, a little old, but a giant garden I'm enjoying taking advantage of. Owned by this little old lady who has moved in with her daughter, so she's given me pretty free reign to do what I want with the place, as long as it stays standing." She settled onto one of the soft lounge seats, "though that might be challenge enough, with the way the windows rattle when its windy out. I haven't had chance to do much with the place yet, but I think it will be very cozy."

#c; sybill #;talks

[narcissawilted]

xkilljxy​

Another wink was the only answer he offered, along with reaching out to lightly tug at a strand of icy hair, enjoying a bit too much the ways her cheeks flushed. His own eyes trailed over her in a way that was far from G rated, taking her in and drinking in her form before he twisted his eyes away again, adopting his most innocent expression. “I just know. I believe in soul mates. I believe that souls are things that can persevere through time, and I believe that your soul and my soul are perfect matches. In every life, in every time, my soul is going to call out for your soul and slot into place beside it, where it belongs. You are my home, Mrs. Malfoy.” 

-

cissy pressed a delicate little kiss onto the top of her adopted son’s head. “it is time to prepare for your studies.” she said in her gentle way. “dobby.” the house elf appeared in a blink. “would you please escort dimitri to his tutor?” her eyes landed back on her husband as they were left together in the sitting room. “lucius-” she said again and this time beckoned him to close the space between them with a finger. “come home.” he was certainly right about something. his soul seemed sit harmoniously with hers in a way that consistently surprised cissy. she knew that she was not an easy woman to love. “do you truly think that if I found you successfully in any other lifetime, I would ever let us be parted again?”

#c; lucius #;talks

[narcissawilted]

xkilljxy​

“I’m already quite the master a purposeful strokes, darling.” Though he knew that the child between them wouldn’t understand the double entendre, he still bit back the grin that threatened to split across his face, shooting Cissy a wink over the boy’s head before settling back further against the couch. Dimitri was looking up at Narcissa with rapt attention, nodding in response to her question, and Lucius laughed softly. Once again, he was unsurprised, watching Dimitri seek any attention he could from Narcissa. The boy had been taken with her from day one. “I don’t consider it a hypothetical, though, darling. I’m sure I’ve lived many lives and I’ve loved you in all of them. You are always you.”

-

immediately, narcissa’s head snapped up. her eyes widened as she looked pointedly over at her husband. a deep flush colored her cheeks. “lucius.” she warned, but the corner of her mouth remained upturned despite her lips pursed in disapproval. dimitri was a very observant boy of whom she had become exceedingly fond. it would be a shame for him to pick up unsavory terms at so early an age. they would have to find a painting instructor for him instead. “what makes you so certain of this? do you remember these lives? should I?”

#c; lucius #;talks

[narcissawilted]

xkilljxy​

“I like swordplay more than art, I suppose this is simply my blind spot.” Lucius laughed, reaching a hand up to ruffle Dimitri’s hair as he sank a little closer to Narcissa on the seat. It made sense, of course. Lucius also liked to seek out and be close to Narcissa at every given opportunity. His eyebrow lifted, and he glanced at his wife with an expression somewhere between amused and flat. “I’m trying to be romantic, darling.”

-

“it is not too late to teach you both skills, lucius. I think you might find yourself surprised by how similar a blade is to a brush. samurai have written that it demonstrates an ability to exercise purposeful strokes.” cissy smoothed out dimitri’s hair with a delicate hand. “would you like to learn to paint dimitri?” she asked. then glanced back over at lucius. “oh, I am aware, but I am trying to be philosophical in regard to the hypothetical posed by your attempts at romance.”

#c; lucius #;talks

[narcissawilted]

xavecamour​

“more for me, then.” zara stuck her fork back into the cake, took a generous helping and popped the sweet treat into her mouth. “mm.” she swallowed with a happy smile. “you’re missing out. the cake came from aunt val’s third wedding. and you know how she can be when it comes to ‘perfection’.”

-

cissy sneered. “she can be subpar and left wanting.” as a general rule, narcissa did not particularly care for the sort of people who managed to have three weddings. “by all means, I hope you enjoy it. I assume the cake was the crowning glory of the event?”

#c; zara #;talks

[narcissawilted]

xkilljxy​

“You inspire me to do a great many things, darling. Let’s leave the painting to someone with a healthy appreciation for the fine arts.” Lucius’ lips quirked up briefly as he leaned over Dimitri’s head to press a kiss to his wife’s temple, allowing the boy beside him to shift the book from his lap and point at the picture for Narcissa. “They look like you guys a little, don’t they?” The boy’s genuine wonder at the photo had Lucius laughing a little as he leaned over to Narcissa to murmur into her ear. “I’ll love you in every lifetime, painter or pauper or prince.”

-

“do you not have one? perhaps we should work to rectify that matter first. I personally have always preferred the baroque.” cissy seemed to smile more easily lately. she looked down with pensive curiosity at the picture in the book. dimitri made a point. there was something about the couple on the page that was strangely familiar.  perhaps it was in the eyes. they seemed to be very aware of each other. “they do.” she agreed. “even in lifetimes that I am not me? surely in those cases, I would be much different from this. no?”

#c; lucius #;talks