Let's Be Bad

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 199
NOTES:

There was a loud crack and Jupiter appeared a short distance from the house she had made her destination. Before taking a single step forward, she brushed a few strands of hair behind her ear. Ready, she walked up to the house in question and knocked briskly upon it until she was let in. "Rosie!" she called out brightly, happy to announce her arrival well before she was in sight of her friend. She didn't need to ask to know where she'd find her, she'd be sat in the parlor waiting for her as usual.

As predicted, there she was. Jupie beamed and took her usual seat. It was, under ordinary circumstances, a brazen move but she felt utterly at ease with Rosamund and therefore quite happy to take liberties where society would usually consider it inappropriate or just too casual and while their friendship might have slipped back to a more conventional level, she had no intense desire to keep it that way. "You look very well! Not that you don't look well all the time, of course." She fell silent, quite content to sit there and stare at her until she had a need to speak again.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

It was always nice to have a day to ones self. The children were back at Hogwarts and Daphne was - for the moment, at least - keeping to herself and things had fallen into a sort of routine that Ros had no desire to disrupt. So she was doing a bit of embroidering in the parlor, making a covering for a pillow, and minding her own business when there was a knock on the door. It was only slightly alarming because she wasn't expecting anyone and when Jupiter came in with the same warm greeting that she always had she realized she really ought to have suspected it. Jupiter was truly the only person Ros was acquainted with who felt comfortable dropping by unannounced. Not, of course, that she minded much. Despite their romance, she and Jupiter maintained a friendship that was more or less back to normal after their parting.

She gave a slight chuckle at her compliment, placing her embroidery to the side and smiling at her former love. "It's so good to see you, Jupiter. You look similarly lovely, of course." And she really did. Her red hair was done as radiantly as ever, brown eyes warm with her greeting. She always was so expressful, Rosamund thought. A very sharp contrast to her own reserved nature. "What brings you to my home today? I wasn't expecting any company," She wondered idly, sending a maid for tea as it was only good manners. She doubted Jupiter had just dropped by to say hello and she was ready for a fairly lengthy visit as their close friendship permitted.

  

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 346
NOTES:

Her smile widened at the returned compliment. She had a way of taking compliments at face value even when they were perhaps mostly spoken out of politeness or merely to make small-talk, not that it couldn't be a sincere gesture. Obviously she could tell when someone was being obviously insincere but she didn't find herself on the wrong end of social interaction all that often and when she did it tended to be a direct result of her Seeing services.

"Well I thought it was about time I paid you a visit, that's all," she replied with a warm smile. It wasn't untrue, not in the slightest though it wouldn't be a lie either if she admitted her motivation was in part due to her want to restore their relationship to how it had been before she'd married. They had gotten as close as they had ever been in a platonic manner but it just wasn't enough anymore, she had been without a husband for three years now and she missed affection. Of course she could seek a second husband but she wasn't going to hold her breath on that. She loved Ros dearly and if she wanted to fill the void, then her first choice for that was her dearest friend. She just wasn't quite certain she knew how to gradually introduce the idea, nor was she one hundred percent sure that such an advance would be accepted let alone encouraged. Jupiter couldn't see why not but there was always a chance Ros wouldn't want it seeing as she'd not initiated anything herself so far. "What's that you're working on?" she suddenly inquired, spotting the embroidery. She reached out to touch it in her curiosity. "Oh it's lovely, you always make such pretty things!" To someone who didn't know her it might sound like a shallow remark but she meant it, truly. She admired Rosamund's work though she probably would have done whether it was good or not, to her it would be marvelous either way because it was the work of Ros' fair hands.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

Were Rosamund less confident in the logical part of her mind, she might have thought better of her continued friendship with Jupiter. It was, after all, so easy to remember what it was about the woman that had captured her heart so all those years ago. The way they were so opposite from one another, the way every single emotion seemed to be so beautifully displayed on her face with no shame. But Ros was confident in her logic and though she knew there would always be love in her heart for Jupiter, she was not such a romantic that she could deceive herself into thinking they could restore what they'd had. It was in the past and Ros would see it stay there - she'd let their friendship be tarnished once before and she'd not do it again.

"I was just embroidering some handkerchiefs. It eases the mind, though I suppose we aren't of the same mind on that front." There was a bit of subdued amusement in her voice. While surely Jupiter was capable of embroidery, she knew better than to think it was something her friend found to be relaxing in the way that she did. Rosamund would hardly have considered herself a particularly feminine sort of woman but there was a certain pleasantness to the repetitive motions of embroidering. It was easy to lose ones self in the task rather than any stressful thoughts.

After giving her a moment to admire her handiwork - Jupiter did so love to admire things she found to be pretty - Ros spoke: "But surely you didn't visit to admire my simple embroidery." She was teasing, of course, as she felt comfortable doing with someone who was so close to her as Jupiter was. She was not a very humorous sort of woman but Jupiter was her very best friend. The thought made Ros smile - she was ever so pleased to be able to call her that once more after so long of their friendship being fraught with awkwardness.

  

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 276
NOTES:

Jupiter had little patience for sitting still and sewing for hours, as such, she very rarely finished anything of that nature unless she was truly passionate about it, which wasn't all that often. She had dozens of incomplete pieces and it wasn't likely she would ever finish any of them. If she sat down and did anything for an inordinate amount of time, it was reading a book on a subject she had an interest in or learning a new skill she'd likely abandon once she mastered it.

"Well it wasn't my main reason, no." Jupiter grinned, withdrawing her hand from the needlework as she relaxed back in her seat. "I came to spend time with my dearest of friends. You know I don't enjoy myself half so much with other people as I do with you." It was the truth too. She was very easy to entertain usually and she was very easy going which meant she could get along with just about anyone, but Rosamund was special. It wasn't a vapid friendship, the sort where one enjoyed the company of a person whenever they saw them but didn't feel much attachment to them otherwise, it was the genuine article.

She fell silent for a moment as she thought. "We should go out and do something together like... Oh I don't know, visit some new place in London. A new tearoom or an afternoon theater performance?" Jupiter was happy to anything if it was in the company of her friend. "What do you think, Rosie? It could be awful fun!" She grinned expectantly at her, awaiting the positive response she fully expected to receive.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

It might have been enough to make her fluster - hearing such high praise of her company from her former lover - but Ros was quite used to the praise as Jupiter had never been shy with her affections. Instead she smiled along, listening to her dear friend as she chatted rather animatedly about how they should spend more time together. Ros was quite at peace with their break-up but even so they'd not spent an abundance of time together. If Ros was any bit suspicious and Jupiter any bit suspect, there might have been some skepticism in her head but neither of them were. Instead she just smiled lightly.

"I'm not quite sure my schedule would permit that," And it was entirely true. While being healer-in-charge afforded some measure of control over her schedule, Ros still had a duty to her workplace and she liked to make sure she was able to easily get to the hospital if they ever had need of her. Of course she had her days of leisure but they were often spent ensuring that Daphne was settling in well. She should hate to put Jupiter off but at the time she could not see how she'd be able to find the time!

  

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 209
NOTES:

"Oh." Her face quite visibly fell, and like a ton of bricks too. Surely she wasn't that busy? Jupiter knew fully well as a former healer herself, that it was a demanding job to say the least and Rosamund who was more important than a regular healer surely had far more responsibility but she had to get some free time or else they wouldn't be sat in her parlor at that very moment. Did Ros not want to spend time with her? Was work just an excuse to get out of spending more time with her?

"I just thought it might be nice to see more of each other is all," she was quite visibly disheartened, her eyes directed downward at her lap where she was absently tracing shapes on her knee with one fingertip. "You're busy though, I understand completely. Saving lives takes a lot of time and hard work, I know that." For all that her words in their purest form suggested she wasn't at all put out, the way she spoke them said entirely the opposite. "My hours are so flexible and irregular, I suppose I just forgot what full time work is like." She was maybe maybe trying to make her feel guilty. Just little.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

Even if her tone hadn't made it obvious, Ros knew Jupiter well enough to know that she had upset her. And she also knew that Jupiter likely knew that Ros felt guilty for that fact. Her features softened ever so slightly - how could she still be a sucker for her? Ros hardly wanted what they'd had before, but she still cherished Jupiter greatly. She didn't want her to feel as though Ros didn't love her still. So she gave a slight sigh, barely audible, before she made to speak.

"Oh, Jupiter, you know I would love to spend more time with you." It was easy to admit to her because they'd been so close for so long. "I simply meant to say that I am uncertain when I might be free to do so - I fear I must be available if they call on me." And that was the truth. "But we shall certainly have to arrange a day to see one another for more than a passing cup of tea." She tried a reassuring smile. She did want to see Jupiter more, of course. She was a good friend and even with their history being what it was she could hardly have her affections for the woman lessened because of it.

  

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 364
NOTES:

Had fishing for affection been her main intention, she would definitely have succeeded in her objective, but her actual goal was to secure a promise of some sort of friendly outing. Jupiter was pleased nonetheless. She was sort of halfway there anyway. Sort of. Jupiter was a touch skeptical, it was a vague commitment at best and she wanted some more... More fun than just tea. If she really was so terribly busy, the thought did occur to her that the one guaranteed way of seeing more of her would be to try and return to healer work. Things could go back to how they used to be that way, they surely would! It had been the hospital that had brought them together, the hospital could bring them together for a second time.

It wasn't something she could just jump into though, taking up healing again was a bigger commitment than just pursuing the revival of a dead romance. It might put them physically closer together but it was also an actual job, an actual job with a great deal of responsibility. Jupiter was quite sure it was the fast track to wooing her friend but the pros and cons were fairly balanced. Then there was her son to consider, she didn't want to leave the boy any more than she had to, especially with her being his only living parent. Still... She did so want to restore the relationship between herself and Ros...

Jupiter smiled back at her friend, genuinely, at least for the most part. "We shall, nay we must." One way or another, Jupiter was quite determined to make things as they once were. While she was as fond of her friend as she ever had been, she just wasn't content holding back feelings she had once been allowed to express freely. Surely Rosamund felt the same? She reached out and clapped the other woman's nearest hand between her own. "I'm so glad we're such good friends," she declared warmly. "And you know I should understand if you had to leave in the middle of something, you shouldn't let apprehension stop you from enjoying yourself." Unlike before, she was entirely sincere.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

Ros smiled at her friends excitement, feeling vaguely as though she would be looking forward to many invitations from her friend. "I as well am glad that we've remained such good friends." She assured. And she was, even if it had been an odd thing to have Jupiter leave her life so suddenly and likewise return in the same manner. Ros still wasn't sure entirely why Jupiter had held onto their friendship so, but she was glad she did. For all the pain she had felt when Jupiter had left her, she felt great happiness in knowing that she could still consider her a trusted friend.

"I promise, as soon as I know when I have some free time I'll let you know." Things were so hectic in her job, of course, but she would make sure to make time for Jupiter. She was a high maintenance sort and she should hate to make her feel as though she were forgotten.

  

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 132
NOTES:

"Good!" she declared with a satisfied grin. "It's settled then." She had yet to release the other woman's hand.

After an abnormally long pause, during which Jupiter stared intently at her friend, she finally withdrew both her gaze and her hands. "We had such fun when we were both at the hospital, didn't we? Sometimes I think what it might be like if I took healing up again, but then you'd be my superior and that would be odd indeed." She chuckled and smiled and pretended it was a silly, frivolous thought that she rarely entertained. Truthfully, she thought about it a lot, but it was a serious decision and unless when she had been fresh out of Hogwarts, there were all sorts of complications about taking on work like that.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

It was decidedly pleasing to see Jupiter smile so. Ros could still clearly remember a time when she had been so lost - losing her husband had taken its toll on her and Ros had hated to see her struggle through that. But now that was all past and Jupiter was much more like her usual self these days. Which was very nice indeed and Ros could certainly understand her nostalgia when her friend voiced her thoughts about working with her once again.

Ros smiled at Jupiter, a kind smile that showed she would support her friends decisions, and spoke: "Jupiter, of course we had fun when we worked together." They'd been the best of friends and while Rosamund still considered Jupiter close, things were different now. They'd been friends first, then lovers, and now they were friends again. "And should you ever wish to rejoin the hospital, you know I'd be ecstatic to have you there." Jupiter had been a good healer, and her exuberant personality complemented her skill.

  

[Jupiter Lufkin]

DATE: November 2nd, 1884
TAG: Rosamund
OUTFIT
WORDS: 146
NOTES:

It was definitely encouraging to hear her old friend sound so positive about the possibility of her returning to the hospital, though for now at least, Jupiter doubted she would. "That time at the hospital with you was the happiest time of my life," she announced, as though what she was saying was of less significance than it was. That wasn't to say she didn't mean it - she certainly did - but she could very easily turn around and claim the last few years she had had with her late husband had been the happiest time of her life without a thought for how that contradicted the earlier statement. It wasn't false, nor was she trying to manipulate Ros' feelings (at least not consciously at the moment) - she believed what she said, truly, but such statements were very much subject to whim with her.

  

[Rosamund Vance]

Ros's smile turned far off for a moment, lost in nostalgia, before it had become a more obviously pleased one. "Mine, too," She replied quite honestly. Of course, Ros had a quite happy life overall, but those years that she had worked at the hospital with Jupiter alongside her? Everything that had happened in that timeframe had been perfection and even though she and Jupiter had gone their separate ways when the latter had gotten married, she could easily say that her days spent with her had been magical regardless. She would not trade that love she'd held for Jupiter even if it did save the pain and awkwardness that had followed between the two of them.

Especially not considering how they'd worked it out and were to that day friends.