#barty growing up in a family where love and affection is only for show and for the public image

[grossdyke]

sorry to say but barty + the rosier twins are in love and i’ve thought about nothing else since yesterday

[heauxplesslydevoted]

Sandpaper Kisses, Paper Cut Bliss

Pairing: Bertrand x Savannah, some minor Liam x MC

Inspired by this post here from @playchoicesficidea in which Bertrand catches Savannah cheating on him before their wedding. I’ve been in bed sick all day, so I’ve had nothing but time to write this.

Word Count: 3,00ish. Would’ve been longer because I had a Bartie Sr vs. Leona scene, that I cut once I realized I don’t give a damn about either of them.

Tag List: I’m just gonna tag everyone who expressed interest in this particular prompt period. @canknot @lapisreviewsstuff @kingliamsbitch @thecordoniandiaries @burnsoslow @ao719 @sirbeepsalot @whenyourheartskipsabeat @katedrakeohd @kingliamsbish @lovemychoices ~~

It’s the night before Bertrand and Savannah’s wedding, and thins at the Walker ranch are surprisingly calm. Queen Kendall truly cannot believe it. She was expecting them to be putting out a million fires, especially since that’s all they’ve done since they arrived on the ranch over two weeks ago.

“What’s on your mind, beautiful?” Kendall turns and sees her husband Liam standing in the doorway of their guest room, a glass of water in his hands.

“Nothing much,” Kendall muses softly as she looks out the window. “It’s quiet out tonight.”

“It is.” Liam places his glass of water on the bedside table.

“We finally get a moment’s peace and it’s right before the wedding. The calm before the storm.”

Liam walks up behind his wife and wraps his arms around her midsection, holding her close. “I’m sure the ceremony will be lovely and go off without a hitch.”

“You’re going to look so handsome in your fancy white tux when you officiate. I can picture it already.”

Liam chuckles, a deep, sound reverberating in his chest. “Down, girl.”

“Oh please. I’ve worn plenty of outfits that you’ve barely let me take off before you pounced on me.”

Before Liam can respond, there’s a small knock on their still open bedroom door. They break apart and spot Bertrand standing there, an almost shy look on his face.

Kendall smiles at seeing him. “Bertrand! What are you doing up so late? The groom should be asleep by now.”

“I’m sorry to interrupt you two, but I need help,” Bertrand says, wringing his hands together.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Savannah. I went to her bedroom because I wanted to talk to her, but she was nowhere to be found. Can you help me look for her?”

“Where’s Bartie?” Liam asks.

“He’s sleeping with Bianca tonight,” Bertrand explains. “She thought Savannah and I needed a good night’s rest before the wedding and that wouldn’t be possible with a toddler in either of our rooms.”

Kendall glances at Liam, then turns back to Bertrand with a nod. “Sure, we’ll help you.”

After putting on her robe and a pair of slippers, Kendall takes off, Bertrand and Liam behind her. 

They check all of the main rooms of the house: kitchen, family room, dining room, and all of the guest bathrooms. No Savannah in any of those rooms.

“Have you checked the stables?” Liam asks. “Maybe she’s gone off for a midnight ride.”

“That’s a good idea. It would also be perfect because I have a gift for her.”

Kendall’s ears perk up at the mention of a gift. “Ooh, what?”

“I was able to find the person who bought their old saddle, and I bought it back. I wanted to give it to Savannah to use tomorrow if she wanted. I know how much that saddle meant to her.”

“Bertrand Beaumont, you are such a romantic,” Kendall teases, playfully knocking shoulders with the older man. A faint blush appears on his cheeks, and he quickly lowers his head so Liam and Kendall can’t see. It doesn’t work, but they don’t bring any attention to it.

Bertrand awkwardly pulls at the collar of his shirt. “Well, I want Savannah to be happy above everything else.”

“She’ll be elated!” Kendall says excitedly. “It’s a very thoughtful gift.”

They fall into a comfortable silence en route to the stables, Liam grabbing Kendall’s hand and interlocking their fingers. Bertrand notices the simple gesture. “You two are so...adorable.”

“I love this woman tremendously,” Liam says simply. “I can’t help but constantly show her affection.”

Kendall squeezes his fingers and turns to Bertrand. “I picked a good one, didn’t I?”

Bertrand smiles at them. After everything they’ve been through, they deserve to spend the rest of their days happily in love. He can only hope that he is so lucky to have such an...effortless and out loud love as the king and queen. “You picked one the best.”

They finally make their way to the stables. It’s quiet, but Bertrand hears faint rustling coming from the very end. “Hello?” He calls out. 

The noise gets louder and more defined. It sounds like...moaning? Do horses moan? Investigating it further, he creeps towards the back of the stables. 

The sight of his very naked fiancée tangled in a very lewd embrace with Chuck is the very last thing he expected to see, but here it is.

His heart drops to his stomach. His feet are frozen in place. He can’t move, he can’t breathe. Maybe he’s hallucinating, or having a very vivid nightmare because surely, this cannot be real, right?

A sharp gasp followed by a shocked “oh my!”  pulls him back down to earth and gets him out of his head. Oh yeah, he forgot that quickly that he isn’t alone. Kendall and Liam are there with him.

The noise gets the attention of Savannah and Chuck. They scramble apart, quickly searching for anything to cover themselves with, like roaches scattering once confronted with light.

So many things swirl around in Bertrand’s mind. He doesn’t know what to do in this moment. Scream? Throw a fit? Break down in tears? Punch Chuck in his face?

He does none of the above, and instead simply turns around and walks off.

“Bertrand, wait!” Savannah calls after him, still rushing to put her clothes on. After managing to get her shirt on — though backwards and inside out — she gets up and runs after Bertrand. Kendall follows, and Liam does as well.

Once back in the safety of the main house, Savannah manages to catch Bertrand walking through the living room, heading to the stairs. “Bertrand! Please, can we talk about this?”

“Savannah, I think we’re past the point of talking, don’t you?”

“Bertrand, I am so sorry.” She runs towards him and tries to grab his hand, but he flinches and backs away. “I can explain.”

“Oh sweetheart,” Savannah bristles at the sound of Kendall’s voice, “I think what we just witnessed needs to explanation.”

Savannah turns and sees that Liam and Kendall have made their way back into the house, along with a shirtless Chuck. “With all due respect, this doesn’t concern you, your majesty.”

“If you think I’m going to let you isolate Bertrand so you turn on the tears or give him some bullshit story, you are sorely mistaken.”

“What is with all this noise?” Another voice, Bianca’s, enters the picture. Bertrand looks up and sees everyone else come coming down the stairs. “We have a wedding to get ready for in a few— Chuck! What are you doing here?”

“It’s fine, mom,” Savannah says. “Everyone can go back to bed.”

Bianca crosses her arms across her chest. “It doesn’t look fine.”

Kendall looks to Bertrand to see if he wants to be the one to say something. But he looks so...broken. She’s never seen him so down before.

He sighs heavily, trying to keep his emotions in check. “I’m sorry to inform you all that there won’t be a wedding tomorrow.”

“What?” Leona shrieks. “Do you know how much money and resources we’ve spent to make this wedding happen?”

“Well maybe Savannah and Chuck can get married,” Kendall suggests, keeping her voice level.

“Why on earth would Savannah marry Chuck?” Bianca asks.

“I mean, why wouldn’t she?” Kendall asks rhetorically. “She was just having sex with him in the stables less than 5 minutes ago.”

The room grows so silent, you could hear a pin drop five miles away.

“No way,” Bianca says breaking the silence. “No way my daughter would do such a thing.”

“Let’s all use our detective skills, shall we?” Kendall starts. “Chuck is shirtless, Savannah is standing here, haphazardly dressed, clothes inside out, hair askew, and Bertrand called off the wedding. If it walks like a cheater, and quacks like a cheater, it’s a cheater!”

“Kendall, stop!” Savannah snaps.

“Oh I’m just getting started,” Kendall argues. “How could you? Bertrand is one of the best men I know, and all you’ve ever done is take advantage.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You never loved Bertrand,” Kendall continues. “You only loved the idea of him, the rich and sophisticated Duke, with the glamorous lifestyle sweeping the pretty commoner off of her feet. You were infatuated. You love playing games. You robbed him of knowing his child, unilaterally deciding that he wasn’t good enough to be a father to his son, but you accepted very generous sums of money from Maxwell, to the detriment of the estate and the relationship between brothers. You spent months playing a passive aggressive game of chicken with him before he finally proposed to you, at my wedding of all places. And now here we are. For weeks he’s been breaking his back, bending over backwards to appease you and your judgmental  family, without an ounce of recognition or reciprocity, while having to deal with Chuck always lingering around in the background. Chuck, the guy you knew Bertrand was feeling insecure about, because he told you! I told you!” Kendall stalks closer to Savannah, drawing herself up to full height. “And what did you do? You tried to gaslight him and invalidate his feelings, knowing full well he was right all along, you traitorous snake. You are insensitive, and selfish, and self serving.”

Drake gets in-between the women, forcing Savannah to take a step back but Kendall doesn’t move an inch. He glares down at Kendall. “Mason, that’s enough.”

“I don’t think it’s nearly enough.”

“I don’t care how mad you are, she’s my sister. I’m not going to let you speak to her like that.”

Kendall’s eyes darken, and Drake doesn’t think he’s ever seen her so angry. Even in her rage, she’s so calm and composed, that’s what makes it so unsettling. She points to Bertrand, who’s standing at the bottom of the staircase. “And he is my brother. He’s not going to defend himself and call her out, but I will.”

It becomes apparent that neither one of them is willing to break the stalemate. Liam steps up to his wife and wraps a protective arm around her waist, holding her close. Yes, Drake is his best friend but Kendall is his wife, they are a package deal, and even though she can hold her own, he doesn’t like the situation she’s in. “Drake…please stand down.”

Drake casts a quick glance in Liam’s direction before sighing and stepping back. He looks around the room, and runs a hand through his hair. “I need some air.”

Liam takes Kendall’s hand and gently pulls her out of the fray.

Bertrand clears his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “If you guys are done, I’ll be upstairs packing.”

Kendall reaches out, but decides to leave Bertrand alone.

Bianca sighs. “Alright guys, the show is over, everyone disperse. And Chuck, you need to leave.”

~~/~~

Bertrand is in one of the guest bedrooms, sloppily packing his clothes. He doesn’t bother folding, opting to just throw everything into the open suitcase on the bed.

There’s a tentative knock on his door. He looks up and sees Savannah.

“Bertrand, can we talk?”

“I’d rather not.”

“Bertrand, please. I need to explain myself to you.”

“I don’t see how you can possibly explain yourself, Savannah.”

“I messed up. I made a huge mistake, and I am so sorry.”

Bertrand stops packing for a second and strides over to where Savannah is. He scans her features, taking in how disheveled she looks. He’s instantly reminded of why she looks like this in the first place, and his stomach flips. “Was that the first time?”

“What?”

“Was that the first time you slept with him while engaged to me? Or have you been doing it the whole time we’ve been down here.”

“This was the first time, the last time, the only time. Bertrand, I swear!”

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. We’ve been...flirting ever since we got down here, and I thought it was harmless, but tonight, I was walking around trying to clear my head before the wedding and I found him in the stables. We were talking, and then it just...happened.”

“It didn’t just ‘happen’ as you so eloquently put it. You cheated on me. You made a conscious decision to do so, it wasn’t random, it wasn’t happenstance, it was a choice.”

“You’re right.”

“Kendall was right, all this time I’ve been worrying about Chuck, and my intuition was right all along, though you made me feel like I was crazy.”

“Nothing was going on though. Tonight was the first time.”

“That may be true, but it’s been brewing since we’ve been down here. You’ve let it simmer and fester until it all came to a head tonight. It may not have been physical, but you entertained the idea.”

“Is there any way we can work this out?”

“No. Because the sight of you disgusts me. Looking at you right now, the only thing I see are his hands on you, his lips on you. You’re talking, but in the back of my mind, I hear you moaning on a loop. And you absolutely reek of his cheap cologne, and even if you wash it off, I’ll never forget the stench.”

That gets a physical reaction out of Savannah and she stumbles back as if she’s been struck. “So what happens now?”

“I don’t know. I’m going back to Cordonia. I don’t know if you’re staying here, or going back to your apartment in Paris, or if you’ll want to show your face at court after this, because our queen doesn’t seem to be in a forgiving mood right now. We can figure out an appropriate schedule for Bartie, and I’ll still take care of him financially, but like I said, the wedding is off, and we’re done.”

“But–”

“Savannah!” Bertrand barks. “For God’s sake, go away!”

The outburst stuns her into silence. Her lip quivers slightly, but she bites down on it to keep from crying. She just nods. “Fine. I’ll leave you alone.”

He doesn’t respond. He just waits for her to leave the room. Once the door is closed, Bertrand falls back onto the bed, the exhaustion heavy in his bones. Every inch of his body, from his hair follicles down to his toes, is tired.

He closes his eyes tightly and opens them after a few seconds, hoping that this is just a bad dream. He even pinches himself, so hard, he’s sure he’ll be bruised by sunrise.

He closes his eyes again, but the image of Savannah and Chuck dances behind his eyelids and he feels like throwing up.

“Bertrand? Its Maxwell. Can Kendall and I come in?”

Bertrand goes silent for a while, hoping they’ll just assume he’s sleeping and leave him alone. 

Maxwell only knocks again, louder this time. “Bertrand? Come on, we know you’re up.”

“Come in,” Bertrand commands weakly after another beat of silence. The door creaks open, and in walk Kendall and Maxwell. They join him on his bed, trapping him in between them.

“We don’t have to talk,” Maxwell says. “We just didn’t want you to be alone.”

“Thank you.”

“Of course. The Beaumont Bros...and their sister, stick together, always.”

Bertrand sits up and scans the room. He eyes the saddle sitting in the corner of the bedroom, and his chest constricts at the sight. He chuckles humorlessly. “You guys wouldn’t believe the lengths I went to get that saddle.”

“Sell it again,” Maxwell says with a shrug.

“No. Even though I have the urge to burn it, my son is a Walker. It’s his family heirloom, I’d never get rid of it. It belongs here.”

Kendall gently squeezes Bertrand’s arm. “You’re a good guy.”

“The best guy,” Maxwell corrects.

“Absolutely. The best.”

“I was supposed to be getting married tomorrow,” Bertrand whispers. A tear rolls down his face, and he doesn’t bother wiping it away. “I loved Savannah with every fiber in my being, hell, I still do.”

“What can we do to help?” Maxwell asks.

“If you never want to see her face again, I can ban her from Cordonia,” Kendall offers. “I’m pretty sure I have the power to do that, and if not, Liam can make it happen.”

“That won’t be necessary. She’s still the mother of my child, I’ll have to see her. I’ll have to be cordial.”

“Well, I don’t,” Kendall says. “If you ever want to be childish and petty, you have full permission to do it via me. And the best part is, no is allowed to call me out on it.”

Bertrand manages to laugh. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

“And if you ever need to be distracted, I’m your guy,” Maxwell adds.

“I appreciate the offers.”

“We should get some sleep,” Kendall announces. “It’s been a long day, and I plan on getting out of here bright and early. Unless you wanted to leave now? Because I’m fine with that as well.”

“No, tomorrow morning is fine. In all honesty, I’m too tired to move right now.”

“Okay.” Kendall stands up. “Come on Maxwell, let’s let Bertrand rest.”

Maxwell rolls out of the bed. “Seriously, in a few hours if you get the urge to get out of here, tell us. We’ll steal a bottle of their whiskey and be gone.”

“I’ll keep it in mind.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Kendall asks.

“I’m sure. Go get some sleep.”

Kendall walks over to Bertrand and wraps him in a tight hug. Soon after, Maxwell joins in. “We love you.”

Bertrand settles into the hug, embracing them back. “I love you guys as well.”

Tonigh might have been the worst night of his life, but Bertrand finds comfort in knowing that he’ll always have his family in his corner. And in this moment, that’s all the solace he needs.

[lizzybeth1986]

I love the code name, and I'll hopefully remember to sign my messages with it from now on. I'm actually quite flattered that I've earned one, so ty for that. I somehow came up with 2 more questions, most likely to turn into essays, for you. 1 should be more lighthearted than the other, so I'm gonna start heavy if ya don't mind xD. You've touched briefly on how families affect the courtly ladies, so I wanted to see your take on how families have shaped the people at court. Have fun!-CL anon :D

You come up with such amazing questions, CL anon! How do you do it! 😁

So...hmm...how families shape the people in court. That's a pretty loaded question! And I mean "loaded" in the sense that when we're talking about "family" in an environment like this, we're also talking about the larger society they inhabit and what values from that society these parents were busy instilling in these children.

Sometimes the struggle I have with theorizing on these things, is that Book 1 starts out with very different ideas of what modern Cordonian society is supposed to be like, but by Book 3 or Book 4 they have developed other ideas that contradict it...or that you have to really work around to make sense of. For instance, the entire idea of open relationships being accepted in Cordonia that crops up conveniently in Book 2 just so the MC can sleep with whoever she wants after she's gotten engaged...yet the same society has such a strong disapproval of PDA that you can lose points with the general public for even joking about being intimate with someone (can these two things happen in the same space? Of course!! But that point from Book 2 does make the overall stuffy atmosphere in Book 1 about displaying affection look a little confusing, you have to admit). So...making sense of these things with the way the books have changed over the series is challenging, but doable.

The one thing that gets clearer and clearer as the story progresses...is that most noble children seem to grow into an awareness from a younger age itself that their public life should not reflect their private ones. Another is that, in the political climate of the time - they may not understand everything that is going on...but their parents have inadvertently taught them to grow up in fear (a legitimate fear, considering the threats at the time). I'll start with the palace, then move to the duchies. (I won't include Drake and Hana much in this, as Drake's family seemed to operate very differently - and honestly we know way more about his American roots than his Cordonian ones - and Hana grew up in another country...though there will be a short paragraph about her towards the end).

--

Liam

Liam grew up in the palace, the second son and younger brother to the royal heir, but you can tell there were things he had to learn pretty early on in his childhood. Things like compromise. Things like weighing what was more important to the country at a time when many children should be caring about their own needs.

It's not a very easy life, Liam's. His mother was murdered when he was still a young boy. His father often neglected him (remember the Eiffel Tower sequence where he justifies Constantine breaking a promise to visit the landmark with him, by recognizing that his father had bigger responsibilities as King?) and expected a great deal from him even at an early age (I mean...forcing an eight year old into hours of diplomacy meetings for three whole weeks??). And while race is never really mentioned in the books, the subtext is there that Eleanor and Liam possibly might have had to work harder for approval from the court than, say, Leo.

Added to this is the entry of Regina later on, after Eleanor's death. I feel like some aspects of her are based on Queen Elizabeth II - especially the way she advocates for stoicism in Book 1 (which is why she is so hard on herself after Constantine's death, in Book 3). Every move of hers is consciously planned and measured so that only certain aspects of herself will be visible to the general public, and I do think Liam draws a little bit on that with his own public image as well. This can be advantageous, because that means someone like Regina (and Liam) will be in control of their image. Only what they want to show, is shown. But it does mean that they have to weigh anything and everything they do with particular care.

In the "wedding advice" scene in Book 3, Liam speaks of how - even if they did have a conflict - Constantine and Regina would always show a publicly united front (and we see elements of that in the aftermath of the MC's scandal. Regina doesn't openly disagree with Constantine's actions, but she does adopt countermeasures because she sees a bigger picture that Constantine isn't willing to see). The family as a whole seems to be very image conscious (and they would be! The royals will be subject to way more scrutiny from the press and the public than most children, so parents will do whatever they can to protect those children from the worst aspects of it) and have to keep in mind that even their slightest reactions in public could have consequences. You see this pretty clearly in the way Liam handles the chaos at the Coronation Ball. He does what he has to, to calm the court down even though he is personally in turmoil - and we see how much turmoil he is in right after he has made his way to the MC's room.

This might be more extensive than most of the other characters, most coz he is an LI and some of his arc was supposed to revolve around being a different man from his father (they...dropped the ball on that one in Book 3).

Maxwell

To me, at least in the beginning, the Beaumonts were supposed to represent two extremes in one House. Propriety is extremely important, and you see this clearly in the way Bertrand speaks and acts and even thinks. But at the same time, their space is also a space for the nobility to let loose and go wild, as one can see from their Beaumont Bashes. These two extremes are represented pretty accurately in both Bertrand and Maxwell, and in a limited way in their parents as well.

Barthelemy expects a great deal out of his sons (even though he isn't exactly the best at meeting expectations himself. In that way he reminds me a little of Sebastian Delacroix's father from The Junior) and requires that they keep the honour of Beaumont House first. But the mother...even though we never actually meet her or even know her name (a pity)...we do know that she made people relaxed and comfortable around her, and wanted her younger boy to be happy with who he was. In Maxwell's wedding advice, he speaks of the importance of laughter - how his mother made his serious-looking father laugh and that was the most enduring image he had of their relationship.

But it's not like the family wasn't prey to the tense political climate that was there in the country when the boys were younger. For instance, Maxwell's fear of carousels is deeply rooted in his own family's fears of their children getting targeted - because he tells us "I was only three, I had no idea what was going on...And because our parents had spent so much time trying to warn us about dangers, I thought I was going to get murdered". I mean...imagine being three and having those thoughts!! I think that kind of insight should give us pause, because it does direct us to how an unstable political climate can bleed its way into the personal life or people, of their families and children.

I do wonder what implications and impact the discussions between Bartie Sr and Godfrey have on the family, though. Because if most of the fandom is right about what those two were planning, I see Bertrand and Madeleine as the people who will correct the wrongs of their parents in their support of the Crown, much in the way Olivia was last book.

Kiara

Kiki's family is actually my favourite of the lot, and we can see how she developed her skills in an environment that was supportive, and vibrant with challenges and creative stimulation. It's clear that she is one of the few people who really thrived in her family environment. Nothing was really forced on her: learning languages, and mock-treaties, and diplomacy were all things she had an aptitude for, so she went for them. And I'm guessing given the speed at which the book had Hakim and Joelle accept Zeke's decision (which could be retconning for all we know, but I do think it doesn't jar with their characterization until that point)...had Zeke opened up to them earlier, they would have figured out a way without the MC or Penelope having to convince him to open up in the first place.

One thing that I loved about Kiara's family arc was that if the MC tried to sass her about whether "everything in your family is a negotiation", or tried to cast Kiara and her family into this bland, staid stereotype of "negotiators who have no personal connection as a family", Kiki would shut that nonsense down. Every single time. She would establish that these are things important and personal to the family, and make it clear that the MC is no one to judge how they interact as a family.

Hakim and Joelle are my favourite older couple in the series, honestly. We're told they met and fell in love in college, and that their political views align more with Liam's than they do with Constantine's. In fact Liam at one point even tells us that Joelle was "the kind of person King Fabian would have approved of", and she speaks the same language about how it isn't merely enough for the country to be safe - it needs to thrive as well.

Hakim and Joelle are very different people, and in her wedding advice Kiara tells us they "delight in their differences". This is especially apparent in a fail play, where Hakim plans to go to the wedding, and Joelle winds up going to Switzerland. There's plenty of banter between them beforehand about their different ways of thinking, but expressing the same delight.

If there is only one flaw, it's in the writers - because in their mad rush to make Kiara's trauma look like it didn't matter in Castelserraillian, everyone was made to look as if they didn't care...including her parents. Which is bizarre coz the entire reason Hakim was going to leave in the first place was the fact that his daughter suffered in that attack! They never let Joelle mention anything about what Kiara went through, up until the end where she asks us if we took care of Kiara during the tour (and we are the fucking lowlifes here who didn't put the effort to, so Kiara ends up having to lie through her teeth that we "had my back").

I do see Kiara having a particular idea of "strength" that she holds everyone up to, including herself. The whole reason she even agrees with us when we manipulate/emotionally blackmail her into coming for the wedding, is because she's ashamed of herself. She wants to handle her trauma the way she handled everything else, and finds it impossible. I don't see anything that proves this is something she picked up from her family, because even while diplomatic, Hakim is open about his feelings when upset (eg. Constantine) and Joelle is expressive as well. It probably might be more of something she has imbibed in court, and in the overall culture of Cordonia itself. But the fact that the writers made sure she had support from no one, not even her family, up until readers raised questions....that is bizarre, and pretty disgusting.

But other than that, the family is interesting for their political views, and their openmindedness, which is rare in the noble family dynamics we have seen so far.

Olivia

Besides her love for knives and weapons, Olivia's determination to make the Nevrakis name one to look up to...is her entire story arc. Her story revolves around doing the exact opposite of what her parents did, of what her aunt and Anton Severus wanted to do.

Olivia is the rare person in the books who is shown without her family at all, and that is because she lost hers at the age of five. Her aunt (great-aunt in Book 1, but they made Lucretia her mother's sister in Book 3) left her and hid in the French Riviera, insisting that "the Nevrakis heir shouldn't have needed me to hold her hand and wipe away her little tears". This is something Olivia is angry about, but accepts because she has equally high standards of her own resilience.

There is plenty in the culture of Lythikos that contributes to Olivia's character as well. These people pride in their ability to survive, their determination to power through the most challenging, exacting situations. They're a militaristic society, and Olivia takes to that mindset like a fish to water. She believes in self-reliance because it's a hard bitter lesson she has had to grow up with (though one must not discount the value of Liam as a support) and because it's part of her culture, and it's become so much a part of her thinking that when the MC insists to Lucretia that relying on friends and allies is not weakness, just common sense - Olivia is equal parts grateful and shocked by the logic of that statement. It has literally never occurred to her that she can voluntarily reach out for help!

Olivia grew up in circumstances no child should have to grow up in, and manages to embody the best of her culture in contrast to her family. She adopts her father's moniker "if you can breathe you can stand, if you can stand you can fight", but reinterprets it to mean she can fight for her beliefs, fight for more than just her family and duchy. She adopts all the good in the Nevrakis clan while working to obliterate the parts that can place her loved ones in danger.

Penelope

I've actually mentioned this before, but one of the best examples of "winging it" you can see from the books, is Penelope. The writing for her just bounces from one gaffe to another so that when you look at her overall story, nothing adds up. You have to literally stretch logic to connect the dots in her story! (I know, because I've tried).

In Book 1 she suffers from seasickness, but somehow in Book 3 she has grown up by the seaside and there is practically no mention of aforementioned seasickness. In Book 2 her family insist that she not return to court without a suitor (both her parents!) yet somehow in Book 3 when we actually meet her family you'd wonder how Landon would have allowed such things to be said to his daughter. There's a no-pets-allowed rule among the royals that Liam somehow changed when he became King, so how the hell did Penelope's parents think she was going to manage court without her emotional support animals? That too a social season and an entire world tour after that?? A lot about the writing for this family doesn't even make sense, and in some ways you can tell that the writers realized they hit a goldmine with the arc about Penelope's anxiety only when they published it, and then milked it for all it was worth (I know that sounds awful, and it is. But if they'd really, genuinely planned this properly, Penelope wouldn't appear so poorly developed as a character).

Landon and Emmeline are meant to serve as an inspiration to Drake, for their commitment to their people is something he wants to emulate (either as a Duke, or as someone who will do...something in court, I guess). The writing splits the major concerns between them: Emmeline is the Duchess who inherited this estate, and who will work through any condition or situation she is in to do her best for them. Emmeline particularly, seems to have a similar drive to power through - as Olivia, Regina and Madeleine show - the worst situations in the name of "stand up for Portavira".

Landon on the other hand, is more concerned about Penelope's well-being (not that Emmeline isn't, it's more like she doesn't fully understand how difficult it all is for Penelope), and reluctant to place her in situations where she is not comfortable (which is why the hints about them in Book 2 sound so jarring on rereads).

What stands out to me, especially in Penelope's characterization is how much coddling she has come to expect, from everyone. There is very little effort - or even inclination - to right her wrongs. Part of this is the writers seriously retconning the narrative on what Penelope did to the MC, so that NO ONE ever brings it up again. But it's partly also because, as I said, they were fully ready to commit to her story in a way they didn't for Kiara. Often I wonder what it would be like if Landon and Emmeline did get to know about Penelope's involvement. I think they'd focus their anger on the Crown for placing her in that situation in the first place, and going by this characterization they may also make Penelope out to be the victim in this situation (which isn't too far off the mark - but we also mustn't ignore how coddled Penelope is most of the time and how entitled she often sounds). But even this wouldn't be so bad if we saw Penelope take responsibility for her actions, which she never does in Book 3.

One thing I do remember from her "wedding advice" was how she spoke a lot about the need to relax in their relationship, and how in-tune they are as a couple. So in a lot of ways their success with their duchy lies in how they balance their work and family (which apparently Landon seems more comfortable doing? Because he doesn't keep as much pressure on himself for Portavira in the way Emmeline does).

Penelope's family honestly...is a mixed bag. But I can say that for the most part they're supposed to represent a supportive family that deals with a child's diagnosis of their mental health by providing support, and a couple that is dedicated to their people.

Madeleine

The characterization for Madeleine also bounces from one concept to another, tbh. They started out with writing her as merely power-hungry, manipulative, duplicitous....before retconning completely and putting all of this under the label "patriotic". There is a huge, huge disconnect between the Madeleine that rejoiced in almost breaking her lady-in-waiting, and the one who places too much pressure on herself "for the sake of Cordonia". A North Pole to South Pole sized gap, really.

If it weren't for the fact that they wrote her family storyline only because they were really that desperate to make us sympathize with Madeleine, I would have found it interesting. The seeds of it begin in the second half of Book 2, when we notice Adeleide worrying about the pressure becoming Queen is going to place on Madeleine.

In Book 3, we're faced with her father who constantly dubs her a failure and doesn't see her as worthy of attention unless he can benefit from it. And with her mother, who wants to show her support, but can't in a way her daughter is comfortable with. There is a constant emphasis in Madeleine's storyline on expectations, dealing with constant failure, and resilience. She doesn't have the kind of support system she wants from either of her parents, so she has to find her own way to make lemonade out of those lemons. So each time she has to convince herself that each failure is only another step towards the biggest success possible (marrying into the royal family), and when she is robbed of that, twice, she is left having nothing else to muster up the motivation for. Which is why, then, they promote the Cordonia angle so aggressively.

Only problem is, you don't exactly get this impression from Book 2. A person with Book 3 Madeleine's bent of mind, whose main aim was to do her best for Cordonia and who spoke of the importance of an entourage...wouldn't be so short sighted as to think that just because she was engaged she won everything, esp when her last fiancé fell in love and broke off his engagement to her as well. She wouldn't be so careless in her treatment of her own ladies-in-waiting, all of whom (except Hana, and even her family has immense influence even though her mother is from a minor noble house) are from powerful Houses and families, whose support she would need in the future.

Even if one brushes off her bullying of Hana and Penelope as no big deal (as I'm very sure some of her fans do), the fact remains that at the very least such behaviour is short-sighted and in a better story would reveal that she doesn't exactly have Cordonia's best interests in mind after all, if she jumps at the slightest excuse to burn bridges with these powerful families before she even becomes Queen.

In any case...Madeleine's family ranks as one of the messiest of the lot - her father is uninterested/feigns disinterest in the country unless it involves being involved in some elaborate plot against the monarchy, and her mother shows disinterest in her duchy overall, but is clearly invested in what makes her daughter happy. Her mother is supportive, just not in the way Madeleine wants support.

Regina also hails from Krona, and Madeleine is in some ways a reflection of her values and beliefs - which is why the two get along so well. So even though Adeleide is the Duchess of Krona, I'm pretty sure she's an anomaly in a family full of women who practice stoicism and diplomacy in their regular lives.

Hana

This note is going to be small, because as I explained earlier she was brought up in a completely different environment. Hana was brought up in a manner meant to make her flexible to whichever family she would marry into - so she learns different styles of horse riding, learns diplomacy over a toy tea set, is expected to know all the 26 important dance varieties in Cordonia by the time she is an adult, grows up learning about the countries neighbouring Cordonia as well. I have a whole other essay that speaks about her upbringing alone, so I won't speak much about that here, but you definitely get the feeling that her parents spent so much time trying to cultivate an asset for themselves that they rarely ever stopped to think about her as a person.

--

The overall impression I do get from modern Cordonian nobility in the books (not just from these guys, but also interactions with other nobles like Rashad and Neville, and palace staff like Bastien) is that Cordonia is a culturally diverse place, and people in different estates have different dynamics that are influenced by their family situation and by the culture they were born into, but overall there is more of an inclination to show resilience and power, than to confess to weakness. Which makes sense, because many of them are public figures under immense scrutiny, who are aware of the kind of message they could send if they show the slightest signs of weakness. That's my overall impression of this.

I hope you enjoyed that, CL anon! Now I'm curious about what the next question is 😀

[sevrustobias]

[ BASICS ]

First name: Severus Surname: Snape Middle names: Tobias Nicknames: none Date of birth: January 9, 1960 Age: Eighteen

[ PHYSICAL / APPEARANCE ]

Height: 6′2″ Weight: 163lb Build: Slim Hair colour: Black Hair style: Medium/Long, Straight Eye colour: Dark Brown Eye Shape: Almond Glasses or contact lenses: N/A  Distinguishing facial features: N/A Which facial feature is most prominent: Nose Which bodily feature is most prominent: Long legs Other distinguishing features: N/A Skin: Sallow/Pale Hands: Long and thin Make up: N/A Scars: Various small scars scattered across his body Birthmarks: Cluster of freckles on the back of his left forearm Tattoos: Dark Mark Physical handicaps: N/A Type of clothes: Simple fabrics, dark colors, prefers robes to casual clothing How do they wear their clothes: Neat and crisp What are their feet like: Practical shoes, usually steel toed, always black Race / Ethnicity: English/White Mannerisms: Curt, Sharp-tongued, Standoffish Are they in good health: Yes Do they have any disabilities: No

[ PERSONALITY ]

What words or phrases do they overuse? Not many, since he has an extensive vocabulary, maybe some small phrases to end a conversation Do they have a catchphrase? N/A Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Pessimistic Are they introverted or extroverted? Introverted Do they ever put on airs? Yes, he likes to come across more unaffected than he feels What bad habits do they have? Smoking What makes them laugh out loud? Nothing How do they display affection? Sharing books and knowledge, showing patience Mental handicaps? N/A How do they want to be seen by others? Cold, calculating, intelligent How do they see themselves? Not good enough, yet still somewhat better than others  How are they seen by others? It varies between respect and dislike, few consider him a real friend Strongest character trait? Intelligence Weakest character trait? Independence  How competitive are they? He likes to be better than others, but doesn’t usually feel the need to prove it in blatant ways Do they make snap judgements or take time to consider? Both, depending on the situation. He is controlled more by his emotions than he would like, but takes the time to consider in most cases. How do they react to praise? Either accepts it silently, or makes a snide comment, depending on the situation How do they react to criticism? Brush it off and insult the giver’s intelligence What is their greatest fear? Being forgotten entirely What are their biggest secrets? That he still cares deeply for Lily and some of his old school friends, that he’s not entirely sold on the Death Eater’s cause What is their philosophy of life? It’s just something you have to deal with When was the last time they cried? Third year What haunts them? Their past mistakes, specifically calling Lily a Mudblood What are their political views? Death Eater, slightly conservative What will they stand up for? His own spellwork and potions Who do they quote? Classical authors, poets, famous wizards Are they indoorsy or outdoorsy? More indoorsy, although he has a great respect for nature and enjoys it as well What is their sinful little habit? Smoking cigarettes  What sense do they most rely on? Smell and sight How do they treat people better than them? It can vary greatly depending on the person. He either lashes out at them or shows respect How do they treat people worse than them? Poorly, usually What quality do they most value in a friend? Intelligence, loyalty What do they consider an overrated virtue? Innocence, honesty If they could change one thing about themselves, what would it be? Social standing What is their obsession? Potions, Dark Arts What are their pet peeves? Complacency What are their idiosyncrasies? Picking his nails, biting his bottom lip

[ FRIENDS AND FAMILY ]

Is their family big or small? Who does it consist of? Small - just his estranged mother and father What is their perception of family? Negative, he has never had the feeling of a close family bond Do they have siblings? Older or younger? No Describe their best friend. It used to be Lily - kind and gentle, while still full of spirit. Now he has no best friend, but is closest to Lucius and gets along well with Barty Ideal best friend? Quiet, understanding and intelligent, someone he can have deep discussions with and open up to without being judged Describe their other friends. Mostly Death Eaters, superficial friendships made for mutual advantages Describe their acquaintances. A lot of people know him, but he has very little time for people that are of no use to him Do they have any pets? A black banded owl named Cerberus Who are their natural allies? Death Eaters, Purebloods Who are their surprising allies? Old school friends, although he is not willing to admit it openly

[ PAST AND FUTURE ]

What was your character like as a baby? As a child? Quiet and meek, trying to blend into the background Did they grow up rich or poor? Poor Did they grow up nurtured or neglected? Neglected What is the most offensive thing they ever said? Calling Lily a Mudblood, although he says offensive things regularly to people he dislikes What is their greatest achievement? Creating various spells and potions, learning Legilimency and Occlumency What was their first kiss like? Meaningless, a means to an end What is the worst thing they did to someone they loved? Calling Lily a Mudblood What are their ambitions? Becoming more powerful in any capacity, becomes a Potions Master  What advice would they give their younger self? Be stronger, stand up to your father What smells remind them of their childhood? Alcohol, the dirt after rain, honeysuckle What was their childhood ambition? Become a powerful wizard, have friends What is their best childhood memory? Meeting Lily What is their worst childhood memory? Having to go home Did they have an imaginary childhood friend? Yes When was the last time they were crushed with disappointment? When Lily started showing an interest in James Potter What past act are they most ashamed of? His history with Lily What past act are they most proud of? Getting accepted as an apprentice to a notable potioneer Has anyone ever saved their life? No Strongest childhood memory? The way his father smelled when he came home from work

[ LOVE ]

Do they believe in love at first sight? Not anymore, although he used to Are they in a relationship? No How do they behave in a relationship? He’s never had a serious relationship, and in the few casual ones he’s had he’s been distant and uninterested  When did you character last have sex? A few weeks ago What sort of sex do they have? Unemotional Has your character ever been in love? Yes Have they ever had their heart broken? Yes

[ CONFLICT ]

How do they respond to a threat? With a smile Are they most likely to fight with their fists or their tongue? Tongue, although he’s not above a physical fight either  What is your character’s kryptonite? Lily Evans If your character could only save one thing from their burning house, what would it be? His notebooks How do they perceive strangers? As a threat until proven otherwise What do they love to hate? The Maruaders What are their phobias? N/A What is their choice of weapon? Wand What living person do they most despise?  James Potter Have they ever been bullied or teased? Yes Where do they go when they’re angry? Personal laboratory Who are their enemies? Order of the Phoenix, Marauders 

[ WORK, EDUCATION AND HOBBIES ]

What is their current job? Apprentice to a Potioneer What do they think about their current job? He likes it well enough and enjoys the solitude it brings most days What are some of their past jobs? N/A What are their hobbies? Reading, experimenting with spells and potions, learning everything he can Educational background? Hogwarts Intelligence level? High Do they have any specialist training? Professionally, only potions Do they have a natural talent for something? Potions, Dark Arts, Legilimancy and Occlumency  Do they play a sport? Are they any good? N/A What is their socioeconomic status? Middle class

[ FAVOURITES ]

What is their favourite animal? Owls, octopus Which animal to they dislike the most? Cats, dogs What place would they most like to visit? South America What is the most beautiful thing they’ve ever seen? A perfectly brewed Draught of the Living Death What is their favourite song? N/A Music, art, reading preferred? Reading What is their favourite colour? Red What is their password?  Tormentil Tincture Favourite food? French What is their favourite work of art? Monet’s Poplars Who is their favourite artist? Da Vinci What is their favourite day of the week? Monday

[ POSESSIONS ]

What is in their fridge? Leftover takeout and alcohol, mostly What is on their bedside table? Dreamless Sleep potion, current book What is in their purse or wallet? A couple coins, various notes What is in their pockets? Wand, notebook and quill, empty phials What is their most treasured possession? Wand

[ SPIRITUALITY ]

Who or what is your character’s guardian angel? Himself Do they believe in the afterlife? No What are their religious views? Atheist What do they think heaven is? He’s not sure he believes in Heaven, and if he does he’s not sure what it would be  What do they think hell is? Reliving all their old mistakes over and over again without being able to make them better Are they superstitious? Not really What would they like to be reincarnated as? A hawk How would they like to die? Peacefully What is your character’s spirit animal? Bat What is their zodiac sign? Capricorn

[ VALUES ]

What do they think is the worst thing that can be done to a person? Losing all control What is their view of ‘freedom’? Being out from under anybody’s thumb, not having any sides to have to choose between When did they last lie? Very recently What’s their view of lying? It’s a means to an end, a necessary evil, and at times it’s even fun When did they last make a promise? A very long time ago, he doesn’t make very many promises Did they keep or break their last promise? Broke it

[ DAILY LIFE ]

What are their eating habits? Usually three meals a day, although it is often he gets busy and inadvertently skips meals. Lots of takeout and cold leftovers Do they have any allergies? N/A Describe their home. Currently, he lives in a studio apartment in muggle London close to where he works. There’s little adorning the walls and it stays rather dark throughout the day. The furniture is second hand and the water usually runs cold Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? Minimalist What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? Grab a strong cup of coffee - no sugar, just milk What do they do on a Sunday afternoon? Chores that were neglected through out the week, any shopping that needs to be done, and reading/experimenting when the rest is done  What do they do on a Friday night? Have a cup of tea and go to bed early if there are no meetings to attend What is the soft drink of choice? He doesn’t drink soft drinks What is their alcoholic drink of choice? Whiskey or gin

[ MISCELLANEOUS ]

What is their character archetype? The Shapeshifter Who is their hero? Tom Riddle What or who would your character dress up as for Halloween? He wouldn’t Are they comfortable with technology? No If they could save one person, who would it be? Merlin If they could call one person for help, who would it be? Barty Crouch Jr What is their favourite proverb? He doesn’t know any What is their greatest extravagance? Potions ingredients, and his single set of dress robes What is their greatest regret? Lily Evans What is their perception of redemption? Unattainable, and at the moment, unwilling to try What would they do if they won the lottery? Run away What is their favourite fairytale? Little Red Riding Hood What fairytale do they hate? Cinderella Do they believe in happy endings? No What is their idea of perfect happiness? A quiet room and a good book What would they ask a fortune teller? He wouldn’t go to one If your character could travel through time, where would they go? Backwards, to the Middle Ages What sport do they excel at? Chess What sport do they suck at? Quidditch If they could have a superpower, what would they choose? Invisibility 

[ MAGICAL ]

What is their Hogwarts house? Slytherin What is their patronus? Bat What is their boggart? Death What is their wand? Blackthorn and dragon heartstring, unyielding, 13 1/2 inches What is their blood status? Half blood What is their political leaning? Death Eaters What is their stance on muggles? Strongly dislikes

[allurehq-blog]

blood status: pureblood clubs: slug club, beater for the slytherin quidditch team pronouns: they/them sexuality: up to player

BIOGRAPHY

to be written by player

CONNECTIONS

gilderoy lockhart; the dirty little secret. barty has always been someone who enjoys having fun. all work and no play makes a dull person, and that’s the last thing that they want to happen to them. no matter what happens, their mind can never stay focused on the serious, drifting and wavering to what they could be doing instead. they’re the type of person who will show up to class late and shrug off the idea of detention without a single bother. it’s as if they they were born into the wrong life, born as the wrong person. whereas the crouch family is filled with legacies of people who have done nothing but succeed and do well - barty seems to be the singular exception to that, the ugly and uncomfortable notch on the family tree. however, rather than try to conform themselves to the image that their father has spoken to them numerous times, this idea of a person who is intelligent and a powerful figure in the wizarding world - if anything, barty has rebelled against it. they soak in the fun and the enjoyment, and they don’t take anything too seriously, which interestingly enough is what drew them to gilderoy in the first place. gilderoy is someone who has a reputation around the school for his flamboyancy and his way of living, an added extravagance in everything that he does - something which barty has even found themselves making fun of before. it’s easy to fall into these habits, of wandering the corridors and looking for people who are easy to pick off - people who they can simply throw an underhanded comment to and watch the distress cross their features. but gilderoy was even more than that. gilderoy was annoying beyond belief. gilderoy was different and more than that, gilderoy didn’t seem to be ashamed of who he was. it didn’t matter to him what people expected of him or wanted of him, because there was a confidence and a sense of self-assuredness in gilderoy that barty hated - because they envied it. but barty was someone that didn’t understand how to express things like this, the only things coming out of their mouth hatred and anger. finally, seemingly having had enough of what barty was saying, gilderoy reacted and called them out. barty was expecting anger - but gilderoy was calm and slick and understanding and everything that barty wasn’t. it was tense and uncomfortable, the exchange - but what had happened to follow was not was barty was expecting. where they usually brag about the sexual conquests they’ve made, unashamed to overshare infortmation - gilderoy is something they’ve kept quiet. the reason for that still remains unfounded.

greta catchlove; the amicable antagonist. barty is well aware of the reputation that precedes them. there’s something about knowing that they’re lusted after and they’re an object of desire that makes them tick more than anything else. it boosts their confidence and strokes their ego - or at least, it did. as time has passed, barty has found themselves tiring of the usual song and dance, for when you’re constantly supplying the same goods to people, the demand drops. it became boring after a while, not having work or challenge themselves for anything. perhaps that’s why barty found themselves continually looking to greta all the time. there was something about greta and the way that she operates that’s always intrigued barty. from the time that they first laid eyes on her, her sharp tongue and dry wit was different than that of anyone else around them. greta wasn’t a person who thrived on the attention and the affection of other people, but rather focused more on her own endeavors and let everything else fall to the wayside. whereas other people would flock around barty and want to find themselves involved with them, greta wouldn’t even give them the time of day, ignoring them completely. barty tried to the only thing that they knew how to do, which was the usual smooth talking and flirting, but all it was met with was rolled eyes and annoyed comments coming from greta. as they continued on with these attempts, greta only continued more and more to shoot them down, her frustration and irritability growing with every passing time. but oddly enough, barty enjoyed tormenting her. there was something about picking fights and bickering with greta that left him laughing and smiling. seeing how much enjoyment that they got out of this, it turned into a habit for barty, something that became part of their every day activities. which was why it didn’t make sense when after all that time, greta seemed to finally reciprocate the advances that they’d been throwing out there. the hickeys that they showed up to class with the next morning were finally from her, something that caused her to go wide eyed and pink in the face, before scurrying around the corner of the corridors. ever since that night when it happened, greta has been avoiding him constantly - which is disappointing, considering that she was one of the few constant things in their life.

amycus carrow; the partner in crime. when it comes to how barty works, it’s a lifestyle of simply doing whatever crosses their mind in that exact moment. for them, they’re a frequent in detention for this reason, crossing paths and drawing ire of far too many people to count in a world that consists of barty doing whatever they want to, causing problems and chaos for whoever comes into their life. some people are made for this sort of environment, not bothered by the contast conflict or problems that come along with this sort of trouble - which is why friends are also people that are usually coming in and out of their life. barty tells themselves that they’re not bothered by it, as they’re someone who flourishes on their own accord, without a single need for someone to support them in this process. yet, for someone to watch as a person who once called themselves a best friend become a stranger is not an easy task to overcome - and for barty, it happens time in and time out. people get tired of their habits, they get tired of constantly being trouble. the conversations are like what an old breakup would sound like - it’s not you, it’s me. but barty knows it’s them, which is all the more reason for them to try and pretend it doesn’t affect them. amycus remains to be the singular exception to this, one person who has stuck with them through the ups and downs. it’s as if the two of them were cut from the same cloth, the ideas and the personality that runs through them being very similar. whenever barty comes up with an idea that they want to pursue or takes on the challenge of some new crazy stunt, amycus is right there alongside them for the ride. barty is grateful for amycus, but there’s also the unconscious developing fear that amycus - like everyone else - will soon see the light and retreat away from them. it’s a moment of self-reflection that’s left barty questioning many things that they know, and some things they don’t quite know yet. it’s easier to turn a blind eye to it all and try and act like it’s nothing happening, but the easy things don’t always happen the way we wish.

pandora selwyn; the inescapable. barty’s parents have high expectations for them. they want to see them put the intelligence that lies within to good use, they want to see them achieve goals and follow in the footsteps that have been laid out for them for years. there’s an image of the barty that they want to see that clashes so violently with the child that they have, and right now they’re attempting to do their best to edit it and change it as best as they could. and although the concept of trying to alter the path that barty was taking in school seemed to be like a long shot at this point, they did want to see barty have a respectable girlfriend, someone who could even possibly rub off on him and alter his ways. because barty’s mother happened to work in the same place as pandora’s, it was almost unavoidable. the two of them must’ve been chatting about what it was like to have two single children, causing barty’s mother to develop this outlandish idea in her head - about how pandora and barty should date. she’d mentioned it once to barty, who thought it was a joke. anyone who’s even been through the halls of hogwarts knows the story of pandora - clingy and desperate for love, hearts in her eyes and longing for romantics. they wouldn’t even want to be in the same room with them, let alone a relationship. but no matter how much barty insisted that it wasn’t something that was ever going to happen, their mother seemed to not get the hint - mentioning it not only to pandora’s mother, but even worse - to pandora herself. as soon as that happened, it was like a switch had been set off with pandora, and she was inescapable in every single way from barty. no matter where they tried to go, pandora would be there - a smile on her face and an eager expression in her eyes. she didn’t seem to understand or even be able to take a hint that barty wasn’t at all interested in interacting with her. they’ve now tried consistently to let pandora down and tell them that there’s no chance that the two of them are going to date, but it’s as if the girl doesn’t seem to hear anything that they say.

BARTY CROUCH JR. IS PORTRAYED BY LUDI LIN, AND THEY ARE OPEN FOR APPLICATION.