bon appetit ((burke family + invite))

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After months of discussion and arrangement, Millicent and the family elves had gotten the manor in order and prepared to host a rather formal feast. Other than having her mother-in-law joining them, their future in-laws from Hector's arrangement were also slated to attend. She wasn't sure of the exact time yet, but she made sure there was plenty of time allotted time before and afterwards for chatting and leisure.

Millicent was sitting in the drawing room sipping a relaxing cup of Earl Grey. Surrounding her on the walls and throughout the room were various artifacts the Burkes had possessed for generations ranging from taxidermy dioramas, ancient vases with dried flowers, a magnificent harp that was playing a light tune, some family portraits, and one of the many libraries scattered throughout the property that tied the room together.

@Hector Burke @Melanthius Burke @Cecelia Burke @Minnie Bulstrode @Bellona Lestrange

Seeing the guests walk in, Thius could tell that his brother would be pleased, happy even. He tried to reassure him in the past that their parents would take his sensibilities into account, but it didn't help that his brother didn't know a single thing about his betrothed for months.

But upon seeing the daggers sticking out of his mother's eyes, Thius nodded to her and immediately got up to head upstairs. He got towards the staircase and saw Bellona, causing him to immediately smile at her. But the noise was just too much! Pulling out a pair of earplugs he kept in his trousers, he handed half of it over to his girlfriend.

"Why does she want to make it worse?!" he wondered, sticking his half of the pair into his left ear.

@Bellona Lestrange

Entering the house after her mother, Sakura bowed at Mrs. Burke and her family lower than her mother, but higher than her brother. "Ojamashimasu," she added, softly before rising up to smile at her family's gracious hosts.

Then loud music began to blare from upstairs. Was that customary? It was quite odd, but she wasn't going to complain about it. There was a lot for her to learn about her betrothed's family and homeland. Her kitsune appeared startled from all of the sudden noise. Of course, she was too, but it'd be rude to show it.

"I don't know - but you should hurry. Can you cast the Imperturbable Charm around her bedroom door, perhaps?"

She didn't want to ask why Thius kept earplugs in his trouser pocket, but she accepted what she was given nonetheless. Putting inside of her ear, she nodded to him.

@Melanthius Burke

"Yes, I suppose it'd be smart to try that."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek before hurrying up the stairs to find Cecelia's room. Merlin, why couldn't his sister not make her predicament more complicated? Thius really didn't want anything bad to happen to her, but he couldn't outwardly show it with everything going on.

Perhaps he could try to reason with her first before putting up the spell? Yes, Thius hoped she'd listen to him...

"Cece?! Please turn the music down!"

@Bellona Lestrange @Cecelia Burke

Listening closely to the greetings being made in the hallway, Hector watched as a woman entered. She had remarkable beauty and grace, and didn't look any older than thirty. Was she he betrothed? No - this must have been the Mother. That meant she must have been older than thirty! He watched her in stunned silence, his mind suddenly bursting alive with the possibility that her beauty passed onto her daughter.

But they were all interrupted.

Hector winced and Melanthius brushed past, going to sort it out (hopefully). There wasn't much progress that could be made with that infernal racket! How could she do this?! Hadn't she caused enough damage, enough impact? Every choice she made was a step in the wrong direction, a step further and further away from him!

He didn't want to lose her.

While the rest of her relatives were. understandably, irritated by the music that was blasting through the manor, Minnie felt energized by it, especially now that the guests finally came! She was looking forward to meeting them all day! Unlike the Herreras, Minnie actually had prepared gifts for them. She just needed to figure out where they were in her bag! In the meantime, she set out to introduce herself and shake their hands.

"Hiya, I'm Minnie, nice to meet the three of you!" Then she noticed the really colorful foxes, and she bent down to look at them. "Ooooh, lookey at these cuties! Are they your pets? You have very cute pets! Hiya, guest pets! I'm Minnie!"

@Saburo Tokugawa @Violet

As her boyfriend worked his magic (literally), Bellona returned her attention to the hallway. The guests had walked in through the front door and were now looking politely puzzled, but that's not what she was thinking about. All she was thinking was - wow.

They stood out like two stars in a clouded night's sky. At first she drank in the appearance of the girl, the daughter, who had to be Hector's betrothed.

Well, at least he'll be happy.

She was so beautiful! Bellona felt positively frumpy and gloomy in her shadow!

But there was one other, a boy. Merlin - he was almost as pretty as she was. Bellona blushed as his eyes turned up to her, and he bowed. Gosh, he was adorable! If only Cecelia could see him, she thought, it may have even brightened her mood!

@Sakura Tokugawa

Sakura looked over at the girl who had just come in. Her appearance differed quite drastically from what she was used to. What was the material she was wearing? And in all black too? Was it custom for British wizards and witches to wear black when meeting someone new? Nonetheless, she continued her small smile and bowed to her.

She looked over at the blonde woman who had come up to her family and their kitsunes. She was...

Sakura observed the eccentric blonde who looked very sturdy in some sort of morbid curiosity. She had no idea witches could have such a face... It was quite strange to see!

Her kitsune, whose fur was more of a snow-white with a blue-green sheen, looked up at Minnie with a shocked demeanor.

"Hello, Minnie. Nice to meet you too," she said softly, with her accent making itself known. But with how loud the rock music was, Sakura might as well have been speaking under the effects of a silencing spell.

@Bellona Lestrange

As his brother wasn't making good enough progress, as usual, Hector took matters into his own hands. Taking his wand from inside a stitched pocket of his jacket, he pointed it towards the ceiling.

"Obice silentium!"

The imperturbable charm encased the room. As long as everyone was contained within it and they didn't move, Melanthius had more time to sort it out from the source.

"Everyone out in the hallway - please come into the drawing room where it's quiet. I apologise for this."

He pocketed his wand and turned to his future Mother-in-law with a small nod of his head.

"Sorry. Please continue..."

"Nice to meet you..."

Bowing to this very bizarre woman, he wondered at first whether his eyes were playing tricks on him when it came to her appearance. One of the housemaids back at their home had something called a port wine stain across her mouth and jaw, and usually it was covered up, but Saburo had seen it once. He hadn't thought it was ugly, but the housemaid was extremely shy and apologetic about it.

This woman wasn't apologetic about what she looked like.

It was... quite amazing.

This was all such a lot to take in at once!

@Minnie Bulstrode

Fuyuko merely smiled. She wasn't troubled or inconvenienced, and it was clear by her easy temperament.

"My daughter, Sakura and my son, Saburo," she said, holding out her hand as a gesture for them to enter in and get out from the noise, "They will be staying with their brother Jiro in England, then attending Hogwarts school together. I apologise for the absence of my husband this visit, but I am sure you will meet very soon."

@Sakura Tokugawa

Acheflow gave the Tokugawas an apologetic look as she walked back into the drawing room with them, thankful her grandsons were getting Cecelia's aggravating disturbance taken cared of. It was like she was determined to give her own relatives a hard time! Why couldn't she just be thankful to have been born in such a prosperous family that allowed her an upbringing nobody else could give her?

"Come on in, please take a seat. The elves will let us know when the first course of our meal is ready." Seeing Wully walk on by, she asked him to grab whatever teabags they had of Oriental taste for the Tokugawas to choose from. She wasn't sure if Earl Grey would be to their taste, but at least they should find the light appetizers, should they want any, appealing. "My son has been on a long business call as well, I'm sure you will properly meet him soon as well."

Millicent stood there waiting for Acheflow to pipe down so she could finally make her introductions.

@Violet @Saburo Tokugawa

Taking her mother's hand, Sakura stepped into the drawing room amazed by just how full the walls were. There were all sorts of paintings and other decor she never could've dreamed of. All in this one space!

"Thank you. Mrs. Burke. You have a well-made home."

Noticing another woman, who was even more burly than Minnie, but with a darker hair and a more typical face, Sakura smiled at her and bowed to her as well. Perhaps she was to be her mother-in-law? Yes, she'd have to make her just as proud as her family.

It was strange seeing some of the eyes on the wall follow her around, even her kitsune was somewhat creeped out by it.

Millicent walked over to Mrs. Tokugawa and introduced herself. "Hello, Mrs. Tokugawa, I'm Millicent Bulstrode Burke, Hector's mother. I have two other children, Melanthius is trying to resolve the noise situation, and Cecelia's absent from dinner due to circumstances that came up at the last minute. As my mother-in-law mentioned, my husband is on a business call currently. I promise you'll meet them all soon."

@Violet

As they were summoned, Hector paid very close attention to the door and waited in bated breath. Then when she turned into the room, he felt a sharp impact to his stomach that almost had him breathless. Sakura wasn't just as beautiful as her Mother, she was in a different plain of existance entirely, beyond anything he had ever perceived before. Her eyes were slanted and deep, and despite her very polite and sensible charm, he could see power behind them that he'd never witnessed in a woman his own age.

Her skin was radiant and flawless, her lips were small and round, closed but pouted. A very bizarre thought entered his mind:

If she were to look right at me, I'd fall down to the ground beneath her.

And somehow, he wouldn't mind even if that did happen.

Voices and sounds were harmoniously drowned out as he took in her appearance: a dream-like, stupid smile on his face. He knew he should be introducing himself. He should take her by the hand and exceed in all his gentlemanly conduct...

"I-I am... nice to meet you..." he garbled idiotically. I am nice to meet you?! What?! He swallowed hastily. "My name is Hector."

@Sakura Tokugawa

He began to knock on Cece's door after not immediately receiving a response. Was the music too loud for her to hear? "Cece, you're going to rupture your eardrums if you don't turn it down!"

Thius didn't want to spend too much time trying to quiet her down. He wanted to get back to his girlfriend and enjoy the dinner as much as he could, even with how eventful the past hour or so had been.

Sighing, Thius finally put up the Imperturbable Charm and headed back downstairs. Hopefully she wouldn't be blasting it by the time everyone leaves and goes to bed, but that was still hours away.

Once he made it back down the hall, he stood beside his girlfriend and offered his hand. But he also wanted to watch and gauge his brother's reaction to meeting his betrothed for the first time. Leaning his head slightly onto Bellona, he whispered, "I figured he'd end up worrying about her appearance for nothing...."

@Cecelia Burke @Bellona Lestrange

Saburo bowed to Hector - to his Mother - to the ladies in the room. Tomo wandered out from behind him and positioned himself next to Sakura's kitsune protectively. As they were told they could sit, he went about looking for one rather shyly. Where was best in this situation? These sorts of arrangements of furniture were so very different to what he was used to - the walls felt like they were closing in slightly. But he mustn't show fear. Shyness, perhaps, could be expected. Fear was simply not on the cards for him today.

Yes, this was Hector, her soon-to-be-husband. He was a handsome man. Taller than she was, very clean and suave looking, and very polite and civilized too by the way he was speaking to her.

Bowing to him, she lightly giggled as she rose back up. "Hello, Hector. I am Sakura, it is very nice to meet you."

Yes, they should be able to carry out their marital duties fine. Bring honor to the families, carry on the bloodline, keep their ancestors proud, work hard for their pride.

"You have a very nice family and home, Hector."

Although it was very different and strange. Strange wasn't meant negatively; it was simply unlike anything she's ever been before back in Japan.

"Can you tell me about those portraits on the wall?"

Was it traditional in Britain to have bewitched portraits?

@Hector Burke

Cece tried her best to ignore her brothers words through the door and instead, threw a big boom at the door causing a resounding thud. She didn't want to submit to her grandmother, but she also didnt want to spend the rest of her life in her room. Maybe bella was right? She sighed and turned off her music and summoned one of the house elves, "Mitsy, tell my mother I wish to speak to her." The elf then dissapeared with a crack to go deliver her message.

@Millicent Bulstrode Burke

"I can't actually believe it," she whispered, very quietly. She had to hover close to his ear to be heard. "I really thought she was going to be plain, at the very best. But look at her. She's like an oil painting."

That was the last she was going to whisper to him, as she didn't want to be caught and thought of as rude. Stepping further into the room after taking Thius's hand gratefully, she made it clear by subtle mannerisms that they should integrate a little more. First would be to find a seat.

The beautiful Japanese boy smelt like honeysuckle...

And he was looking so hopelessly lost. The two Herreras were extremely quiet. This is where they had to situate themselves, she decided.

"Saburo, is it? Why don't you take a seat next to Andrea there?" she said kindly, gesturing to the spot next to her with a smile. See? She could be a hostess! She took a seat on the couch nearby theirs, so they were facing one another. "That's a very interesting creature you have there. I can't say I've ever seen one before." Calmly, nicely, and politely does it. She crossed her legs sensibly, still holding Thius's hand.

@Melanthius Burke @Andrea Herrera

"Are there Japanese veela?"

Yes, that would explain it. If she and her brother did have veela in them, it seemed diluted enough to have little to no effect on him. How odd. Well, at least his brother appeared to be quite jubilant about it. Jubilant in his own quivering in the knees way.

Sitting beside his girlfriend on the couch, Thius was fully willing to let her take the reigns in welcoming the future in-laws. Merlin, she was so poise... He could feel his chest fluttering just from sitting so closely to her, with their hands together.

He was down bad.

He should probably introduce himself. Putting on his best smile, Thius nodded to him. "Hello, Saburo. I'm Melanthius and right beside me is my stunning girlfriend, Bellona. It's nice to meet you and your family."

The Spanish Princess looked antsy, but that wasn't really his problem.

@Saburo Tokugawa @Bellona Lestrange @Andrea Herrera

Gosh she was lovely. So lovely. Her sweet little laugh, her compliments, her eyes - oh, her eyes! She wasn't reserved in any way: she swept over to something that had caught her eye and asked him to tell her about it. That was it. She didn't need directions, reassurance, prompts or small talk.

"Thank you..."

Had anyone his own age actually said that before? Complimented him on his home and family? That must have been what was important to her, then, as otherwise she wouldn't have paid the compliment.

"Oh, uhm - yes. These are... some portraits of ours in the drawing room here..."

If he couldn't conduct himself sensibly soon he'd be screaming into his pillow come night time! He was acting like - like Melanthius.

"This one, uhm..." He cleared his throat, standing alongside her and briefly smiling, before returning his attention back to the wall. "This is my Father, you see. Perhaps it was painted before I was born, I... can't actually tell you the exact date, I'm sorry, but you see his eyes and his disposition? Quite surly, really. It has some accuracy, I suppose, but this must have meant the artist's impression of him at the time it was painted was just that. There's a much better one of him on the first floor landing..."

@Sakura Tokugawa

When he was directed by the girl who was in mourning, Saburo bowed thankfully to her and approached the seat. At first he sat cross-legged, but then remembered he shouldn't really be doing that on a chair like this. So, quickly uncrossing them, he put them down on the floor in front of him. Tomo came over and nudged the side of his calf.

"Hello," he said, inclining his head around the sort of circle. The two girls sat beside him were not introduced. Were they cousins? "Hm - Meh-lu-an...?" Their names were very difficult to pronounce. "Sorry - I will give it practice. Forgive me." Perhaps after the fifteenth time he heard their names, he'd remember them and be able to say them poorly. "This is Tomo - my kitsune. All our family have them. They aren't what you might call a pet or a familiar? More of a companion, a beastial guardian."

He smiled shyly.

Perhaps he should say to Bellona 'sorry for your loss'. That was what they said over here, wasn't it?

"What is a girl friend?" he asked instead, puzzled by the term as soon as it was spoken.

@Melanthius Burke