Sweet Disposition

[Viola Prince]

"No, no, Titus," Viola lightly admonished, laughing a little as her great-aunt's Yorkshire Terrier proceeded to sniff at a strange green plant, which in Viola's opinion seemed rather out of place in Padmore Park, and while she assumed that none of the leafage in the park were potentially life-threatening, she'd rather not risk being the reason why her poor aunt's beloved animal had died. Aunt Dosia was very fond of her little dog, and although Viola often found him to be irksome company, she was grateful that Titus provided her elderly aunt with some enjoyment, especially when she was all alone in the large Prince household with only the staff for company. Thankfully, her siblings would soon be home for the Summer Holidays, and while she was aware that it would be a painfully strained vacation for the youngsters, Viola was determined to keep well out of their squabble and tend to her own business.

Once Viola was certain that Titus was out of danger and was happily occupied with one of his toys, Viola turned her attention towards her aunt who was sitting on one of the benches that frequented the park, her eyes gazing beyond Aunt Dosia to where the Scamander campaign event was taking place. She had been hoping catch a glimpse of her father that day, for the event in question was being held to raise funds for those less-fortunate Hogwarts students who had potential to succeed in life, and she did not doubt that her father would not be in attendance. She had not spoken to him since Christmas, and while this was not a surprising development (she and her father had never been on steady speaking terms), she still greatly loved and respected her father enough to desire to see him whenever she could.

But alas, she had yet to spot him among the congregation that had gathered for the important event (and indeed, it was important -- what could possibly be more important than furthering the education of those students had the intelligence and potential to succeed?), and Viola concluded that perhaps her father had not come. After all, it was not as if he was obligated to attend for her sake -- they had not planned to meet at Mr. Scamander's education fund, and not to mention that her father had never been fond of large crowds. Ah, well, Viola thought with slight disappointment as she gently tugged on Titus' leash, closing the short distance between she and her aunt. There was no point in dallying any longer, and she instinctively realized that Aunt Dosia seemed rather exhausted.

However, before Viola could approach her aunt and insist that they return home, she saw a lone *object fall from the pocket of a pedestrian -- a male pedestrian, she noted -- and she impulsively reached down to retrieve it, calling out at a respectable tone, "Sir, I do believe you've dropped something!"

Words: 486 | Tag: Jasper | Outfit: here

  

[Jasper Kernaghan]

Outings were good for you. Someone had told him that. He couldn't remember who but it had likely been his late wife. He didn't realize it at the time but she'd done quite a lot to try and secretly care for him. She'd plotted little things to coax him to sleep more often, to eat regularly, to be social outside out side of business dealings. He wondered how successful she thought her efforts had been.

Left unchecked, he'd fallen back to all the irregularities he'd been prone to before he'd married her but her efforts must have had some effect. After all, he was still thinking about them and he was indeed out. The Scamander event accomplished several things at once; Jasper had a genuine interest in the candidate, it was something he could attend with Gardenia, and that whole business about outings being good for you. Jasper was especially interested in the man's take on educating the youth, and the valuable contributors they could be. He himself had been involved in the family business since he was 13 so it was a topic that resonated deeply with him.

It had been several months since the Halloween disaster and Jasper was making an effort with Gardenia. He tried to be understanding but the idea of it still made his blood boil. Thankfully she'd been largely docile and compliant ever since. She was off with her chaperone, somewhere, who had been even more hawkish and vigilant than Jasper after the incident and he felt comfortable letting his ward out of his sight with her in charge. He checked his pocket watch before setting off but he was stopped by a call.

A young woman held what he easily recognized as the pocket watch he'd just checked "Why..." he checked his pockets instinctively, but naturally found them devoid of his timepiece. "Thank you! It must have come unclasped." He smiled and held out his hand for it, seeing even from the small distance between them that the fixture that would have fastened the chain to his waistcoat was open.

  

[Viola Prince]

"It was my pleasure," Viola responded to the man's gratefulness with a smile, glad that she had been able to return his pocket watch before he had been too far to reach. If she had not been able to return it, she would have eventually sought out the owner of the watch via a detecting charm, and either send the timepiece by mail or seek out the man's residence, but returning it when he was still in walking distance was far more simpler. She stepped forward to close the distance between them, placing the returned item in his outstretched.

"It is a very lovely timepiece, sir," Viola politely commented after a moment, one of her gloved hands grasping the handle of her lightweight parasol and the other holding onto the red leash of the little dog who had followed her when she moved. The little Yorkshire terrier obediently sat beside her, his beady little eyes staring up at the man before them, hoping to be noticed and petted, and Viola resisted the urge to chuckle at his attention-seeking antics. Silly dog, she thought fondly as she awaited the gentleman's response, if he even had one or even desired to continue to converse with her -- it was not proper, after all, for a gentleman and a gentlewoman to carry on a discussion without first being introduced by a mutual acquaintance, but Viola has learned to overlook that particular rule, for it was silly and not at all conducive for making new friends.

Words: 252 | Tag: Jasper | Outfit: here

  

[Jasper Kernaghan]

"Thank you, it was my father's." and Jasper had the distinct impression that he might have known once that his mother had given it to him but he couldn't be sure now. Really with the way his memory was, he marveled that he was still able to run the business. He supposed it was a blessing in that regard.

Jasper looked at the pocket watch fondly, holding it by the neck. It was a handsome piece, though not as ornate as some of the clothes he donned. It wasn't that Jasper dressed overly finely, though he what he wore did speak to his success to some degree, it was more that what he wore had a ... unique flair. His father had had a fascination with expanding the business to include foreign trade, something he passed on to Jasper. It reflected in his more... colorful choices in fabrics he had his clothes made with. While his valet made sure he was acceptable his style had a rather... unexpected element to it.

"Are you enjoying the event?" Getting out was good. Socializing was good. It was like a list he needed to remind himself to check off now and then between the times he buried himself in work or experiments.

  

[Viola Prince]

A small smile graced her lips as the man admitted that the handsome timepiece had been his father’s, and it reminded her main of the reason she had come to Mr. Scamander’s education fund that day, and she stifled a disappointed sigh. If she desired to speak to her father, and inquire into his affairs and well-being, the simplest thing to do, she knew, was to pick up her quill and write him a letter. It would not have to be a long letter, at least a paragraph or more containing the usual pleasantries and polite inquiries, but she feared that the attempt to contact him would be fruitless, and she did not desire to disrupt the steady peace (of silence) that was between them.

Intently focused on her own thoughts, Viola nearly missed the man’s inquiry of whether or not she was enjoying the event, but once she registered the question, she affably answered, “Oh yes, quite, sir. It has been a lovely afternoon thus far, and being a firm believer in education, I am quite glad that the event is turning out so well.” Of course, her main priority had been to catch a glimpse and perhaps even a conversation with her father, but she had also wished to show her support to Mr. Scamander’s cause, which she thought to be a generous and just one.

"What of yourself, sir?," she inquired after a moment, remembering her manners. "Are you enjoying the event, as well?"

Words: 249 | Tag: Jasper | Outfit: here

  

[Jasper Kernaghan]

Jasper nodded amenably. It reminded him of a business meeting but on a grander scale. He tried to switch off that part of his brain but it was hard to miss the air of presentation, proffered front of a loftier goal, with an underlying purpose of securing a contract. The difference lay in the fact that the end goal was votes and Jasper wasn't orchestrating it. He got to step back and enjoy.

"I agree. I feel there is far more potential in some youths than people may give them credit for." This belief likely stemmed from his own experience in having been brought in to work with his father at the tender age of 12. He was not prideful enough to think he was any sort of asset at the time but he knew that such an early immersion into the business world was pivotal in his own success. "I apologize if we've met before but you look familiar, have we?"