[THD] Gredel party of 127?

Izotz stared at the ornately decorated scroll of parchment once more, ensuring the address of the gathering was correct. The building before him stood three floors high and looked as though it belonged to someone with enough money to own a few small countries. He should have known this was a wealthy get together when he saw the Bird of Paradise who delivered the note. At first, Izotz was sure that a mistake had been made; Birds of Paradise were not normally used to deliver post, maybe this one had gotten lost. However, as he unfurled the scroll, it had his name atop the invitation to the 127th birthday celebration of Athelstan Lucullus Gredel. Izotz had no idea who this Athelstan was, but he knew hardly any of his family members from the island. It wasn’t uncommon to meet someone who seemed familiar and seemed to know who he was. Deciding it was rude to refuse such a beautiful invitation, Izotz had accepted, not quite sure what he was getting himself into.

Stepping through the gate to the manor, Izotz saw the note in his hand glow as he pass the boundary of the perimeter fence. Immediately the letter transformed itself into a small parchment bird that fluttered to the front door of the building he was walking towards. When he arrived at the porch, a man, obviously hired to staff the party bowed his head and said, “Master Izotz, I am glad that you could join us. Mr. Gredel will be delighted.” Izotz was slightly taken aback that he knew who he was, and then realized that the invitation must have, in some way, let the usher know who he was. Amazed at the magic employed for this event, Izotz made a mental note to find out how to accomplish this when he returned to the wand shop later that evening. However, upon stepping into the house, all thoughts of later that evening were whisked away immediately.

The noise, the sight, the crowd, it was all something that looked like it would not have been out of place in the mid-1800s. Many of the members of the large crowd mulling about looked as though they were quite aged, even by wizarding standards. There was the soft sound of chamber music drifting through the spacious entry space and small trays of food and drink bobbed around, carried no doubt by elves. Izotz had to admit, this Athelstan, whoever he was, seemed to know how to throw quite the party. Following the sound of the music, Izotz walked into a very wide, high ceilinged room full to bursting with people talking about this and that, but nothing in particular. Noting a large table with many wrapped boxes, Izotz shuffled his way to it and placed his gift on the table, rather embarrassed by its meager appearance compared to some of the other gifts. He had gotten the man a wand cleaning kit. It was a small gesture, but Izotz was not of means and there was little he had time to go out and shop for. He had used a few week’s pay to purchase the kit and wrapped it just before leaving for the party this afternoon. Stepping back before anyone noticed the gift, Izotz headed for the closes tray of food.

Grabbing a few small hors d'oeuvres on a glistening plate, Izotz made his way to the only empty space in the room, a small window cubby with a plush cushion looking out on the busy street below. Sitting down and watching the people around the room in their best dress, Izotz hardly even noticed when someone else sat down on the cushion next to him. It wasn’t as if he knew anyone here anyhow and Izotz, even though he had been practicing, was still not proficient at the art of small talk. He was quite overwhelmed, he would probably finish these snacks and make his way out and back home. There were more than enough people here, he would probably not even be noticed.

"Izotz thank Merlin..." Memphis said with a hurried breath and ducking to take a seat next to him in the window cubby. The plush fabric under his pin stripped suit pants was comforting but not nearly as comforting as seeing someone he recognized and could easily hide next to. He'd been dodging their great Aunt Ceirios for about a half an hour and damn the batty old witch was persistent. She kept asking him what he was up to, where he went off to, why he wasn't working at the Abercrombie Publishing house anymore, who he was dating, and that was just the casual small talk. "Tell me if Ceirios sees me, she's over there." He nodded back toward the center of the room, next to the good wine of course, and then turned toward his cousin with a brilliantly white smile. He socked him in the shoulder lightly as an informal way of greeting in such a ridiculously formal party. Memphis was good at playing the part of a socialite, he always had been, his looks and skill at social interaction had yet to let him down, but he was far from privileged. Like Izotz Memphis had grown up in a modest house. His father was far from wealthy and Memphis was even further from it now that he was on his own. Money had little value to the Elemental though which was useful because he rarely had any.

"You believe this place?" He said with a bit of an incredulous tone, just the glass in his hand was exuberantly extravagant. It was crystal clear with little carved lines and ornate inlays of gold through out, the rim was at least a quarter inch band of plated gold, it was ridiculous and Memphis was only slightly jealous. "Any idea who Athelstan even is?" That was the thing about the wizarding world, everyone knew everyone but no one really had any clue. The Gredel family was mostly pureblooded, not that that had mattered back in Hogwarts, and that meant that they were related to all kinds of other long standing wizarding families. Memphis remembered the day it had dawned on him exactly how closely and ridiculously knit together each of the families really were in wizarding Britain. The day he had discovered that he and his girlfriend shared a cousin. He mocked the whole institution of prominent pureblooded families now, extricating himself from the whole society, but he didn't mind a good party.

"You mind?" He said plopping a snack off of Izotz's tray into his mouth quickly, almost fiendishly. "She's been after me all night, got her claws in deep that one." Memphis was back to talking about their great aunt, flying from one topic to the next with a casual ease. The wizard shifted his weight and brushed some crumbs off of the matching pinstripe vest before snatching another treat. "How's work?"

Izotz, lost in his own thoughts rather than the fact that someone had sat next to him, was rather startled when the person with whom he was sharing a cushion suddenly spoke to him as if they knew each other. It only took a moment to realize who it was, Memphis. Memphis and Izotz were cousins, sharing the Gredel name, but the boys were rather different in many ways. Izotz was much more reserved, not quite antisocial, but not at all what one would call a socialite. Memphis was much freer, floating as if on the air from one space to another, and vanishing almost as quickly. If he hadn’t been able to do it noiselessly, Izotz would have been sure he was apparating from one side of the room to the other just to mess with people’s minds. Even in his hurried and breathless state, Memphis looked much more at home in this situation than did Izotz. Memphis’ pin striped suit, his hair, his demeanor. This was the somewhere Izotz was sure that his cousin would continue to fit in much better than would Izotz for the duration of their adult lives.

Raising a skeptical eye at his cousin as he ducked into the cubby near the window, Izotz humored him and nodded at his request to keep an eye on their great aunt Ceirios. Their older relatives were like something from a history book. They were, at one time or another, very much the upper crust of the wizarding society and loved to have get togethers, parties and show off that they were related to everyone else in the wizarding world. The times of the family having as much control as they thought they did had passed; but Ceirios, on the other hand, was actually still just as influential and affluent as the rest of them imagined they were. As a result, avoiding her at events like this was normally in everyone’s best interests.

As Izotz began executing operation ‘keep an eye on Ceirios’, Izotz joked about the setting of the party. It was quite a different scene than Memphis was used to. That being the case, Izotz was much more at ease in this setting than some of his other family. Rather than beleaguer the point that, minus the crowd, Izotz did in fact feel quite at ease in this setting; Izotz decided it was much easier to agree with his cousin and move on. As to his next question, Izotz didn’t have half an idea. He had been wondering the same thing himself. Shaking his head, Izotz turned, keeping an eye on his great aunt and continued, “No, I was going to ask you the same thing. I hadn’t heard of Athelstan until I received his bird of paradise in my flat above the shop.” Izotz smiled a little as he remembered the bird making its entrance to his small room. Looking back out to the floor to ensure his aunt hadn’t strayed too far from the wine tables where she was easily noticeable, Izotz turned his attention back to Memphis was halfway through his second of Izotzs snacks. Paying it no mind, Izotz grabbed one of his own and began chewing thoughtfully as his cousin inquired about his work.

Work was the one area of social conversation that Izotz could actually hold without having to fake it. He was quite good at talking about his work in almost any setting. Turning his full attention back to Memphis, his face lit up momentarily before returning to his rather neutral state. “Work is going well, thank you. I have recently sold 11 wands to witches and wizards. I believe that we will start to see a few more as it gets closer to time for the children to return to Hogwarts.” Izotz leaned in closer to his cousin for the last part, “Also, don’t tell Mr. Olivander, but I have started a project of my own. I am nearly done with a wand that I believe will help in my ascent to journeyman.” Izotz was quite proud of himself for his work and it was even better that, as far as he knew, Mr. Olivander had no idea yet. Pausing, Izotz realized, that he had no idea what it was Memphis did. Rather than draw attention to the fact he didn’t know what his cousin did for work, Izotz turned to another one of Memphis’ favorite subjects. “I am surprised to see you here without someone to keep you company. You always seem to have such lovely companions. Are you seeing anyone currently?” Izotz was showing his awkwardness at small talk, his overly formal tone was coming out as it normally did. Looking past that, Izotz waited for Memphis’ response, keeping a close eye on the wine tables and his aunt Ceirios.

"Yeah that was quite the extravagent invatation wasn't it?" Memphis returned, smirking about the Bird of Paradise flower he'd received but especially about the looks he'd gotten from Alain upon opening it. "Damn good thing I wasn't with Dae at the top, getting flowers in the mail not from her might send the wrong message, ya know?" He chuckled lightly before shaking his head at the idea. Things with Dae were good, no they were really good, the last thing he needed was some pretty flower from a long lost (and actually not entirely found) relative throwing a wrench into the works. Sitting forward he took a second to survey the room, silver eyes searching for anyone he did or did not want to see. Memphis was kind of the black sheep son of a blacker sheep and he even though he could fit in just about anywhere he had a hard time relating to a lot of people at these parties.

Their family used to be rich and important and pureblood and all of those things that Farren would of wanted in a potential suitor but it had been a long time since that. The faded jewelry hanging off of their fat grandmothers neck were a testament to that fact. "I always feel out of place at these parties." He confessed, not ashamed to say it. Memphis was an academic elitist but he wasn't much for the social pyramid. Hearing that his cousins job was going well Memphis patted him on the back with a bit of pride. "Nice work Izotz." Selling wands was a tougher job than he was sure most people gave him credit for. It wasn't just handing a box to a witch and calling it a day. The wand chose the wizard, everyone knew that, but first the salesman had to find the wand. Not only that, but they also made them. Memphis could respect a profession like that even if he had no chance in hell of ever actually using a wand as anything more than a decorative paper weight again.

"Tell me about the wand your making? Unless it's a trade secret.." He winked at the other man and leaned back against the wall casually. The cold stone cooled his back and kept his suit from wrinkling and he was comforted by that. The mention of the pretty witches he usually took to these things made him smile widely, bigger than before, bigger than usual. "As a matter of fact I am." He looked about the room again trying to find the goddess he had the good fortune of sharing his time with. "In a real relationship, me, can you believe it?" He barely could himself but there he was. "Her name is Phridae, she is a brilliant pianist, very smart, and gooooorgeous~" So he was bragging now but whatever, she really was all of those things.

"She is here somewhere, I'll introduce you two later." But for now he was going to steal more of his cousins food and continue the conversation.

"How about you?"

Izotz took the break in conversation to scan the room again. He was starting to feel as though he recognized fewer and fewer of the wizards and witches at the party as the evening drug on. His robes were starting to get tight and itchy and his desire to do much socializing was waning quickly. That being the case, Memphis was good company and there was no reason to run out on a good time until after his cousin had decided that he was done with it as well. They hardly got to see each other anymore and it was always good to have family on your side. Memphis’s admission took Izotz something by surprise. He didn’t really see Memphis as one to feel out of place in any social setting. Izotz had always associated him with being the breath of a party, keeping things going, socializing with everyone and making introductions when things got dull. Then again, maybe he just didn’t feel comfortable at this particular party where the average age had to star with a 1 and have three numbers.

When Memphis clapped him on the shoulder as Izotz revealed that work was going well, the young Basque recoiled slightly. He was not really one for a lot of physical touching, or really any kind of touching at all. Physical attachment and contact was not really something that he went out of his way to pursue. Sure it was nice to have someone to hold on to from time to time, but anything more than a casual handshake or the carnal company of one at night was more than the young man found himself enjoying. It was nice, however, to hear the praise of his cousin. His work was his life. It was something very few people understood. Wand making was what Izotz was. He spent every waking hour polishing, crafting, collecting, searching, and refining wands, wand woods and potential cores. It was hard and tedious work. And it seemed that Memphis was one of the few outside the line of work who appreciated the detail of it.

Memphis seemed to be showing genuine interest in his work, especially the wand he was working, so Izotz decided there was no harm in letting him in on the project. Smiling as he did when he talked shop, Izotz looked back to his cousin, “No, the wand I am working is in fact not a trade secret as you say. The work itself is rather simple, but the craftsmanship of it is what sets it apart. I have chosen to work in Yew, a somewhat rare wood to match to someone, but all the same a perfect specimen. I also have a particularly brilliant phoenix to take a feather from to produce this particular wand. I will be fashioning a handle and case for it as well before I present to Mr. Olivander sometime in the next few weeks.” It was a good synopsis of his work, and it covered everything he really needed to or wanted to give out about his work.

Still smiling, his mouth turned to something of a smirk when Memphis mentioned his relationship. He knew there had to be someone. It was impossible for Memphis not to have someone here. However, to call it a relationship? That was something new. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, but he had to meet this Phridae, the woman who had stolen Memphis’s heart. Nodding, Izotz affirmed, “I would certainly not miss the opportunity to meet this goddess of whom you speak. She sounds divine.” Izotz looked around to see if he could notice anyone who seemed to fit the description, but was promptly pulled back to the conversation by Memphis’s question posed back at him. “Oh no, I haven’t anywhere near the time for anything like that. I spend all my free time at the shop, I still have much to learn of the wands we sell, of the art behind them, and that isn’t to mention the time it takes to gather the materials. That is a near full time employment in itself.” Truth be told, it wasn’t entirely true. Izotz had the time, he just never really found the desire to set up a relationship. Sex was great, but apart from that, he really didn’t see the need to carry on a relationship at this point in his life. Maybe someday he would settle down and do his part to carry on the Gredel name, but that was a problem for future him.

Memphis completely understood not having enough time for relationships, he had been there, and he had also just used it as an excuse for one nighters for quite some time. Memphis had always been a play boy. Flittering from one flame to the next in the matter of days (sometimes even hours) with very little remorse. He was a lover and back then in his mind one night was a perfect relationship, it was intense, emotional, and it ended before it could fade away. Everything had changed when he had met Phridae however. He smiled just at the thought of spending the rest of his (very, very long) life with her. They had eternity it seemed and not just because they were magical but because they were both Elemental. Memphis could easily live to be a couple centuries old, Phridae even longer. He had no idea how old Peter Alva even was anymore but the man didn't look a day over fifty. Indah, even, was far older than he could fathom.

"Let me introduce you to her, maybe she has a friend or two for you to meet."

The elemental snatched the last snack from the  plate, popped it into his mouth, and stood up from the seat. He pressed his suit and straightened his tie before checking his appearance in the refelction of a portrait next to them. The wizard in the portrait insulted him and said some choice words but Memph ignored it as he perked up his hair and checked his teeth. His looks had always been important to him and it certainly showed. "Come now." He beckoned before leading his cousin through the crowd, managing to duck just in time and use his sane aunts and uncles as camoflauge from the crazier ones. He found her easily in the crowd, she stuck out to him like the only light in the dark. He couldn't help but smile devilishly at the sight of her in such an extravagent gown, it was a soft material and it formed around her curves perfectly, he had a hard time keeping his hands off of her on the trip over. He was looking forward to tonight when he didn't have to hold himself back any longer. Leading Izotz to her he tenderly ran his hand down the side of her arm and spoke softly.

"Phridae, love, I'd like you to meet my cousin Izotz."

@Phridae Summers