|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Mar 4, 2019 5:07:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Mar 4, 2019 5:07:46 GMT -7
____________________Jan. 2nd___________________ Flimflam's Lanterns Gabriel had been shopping with his mum and dad for a new lamp for his apartment, but they had to run off and do their own things so now he was just searching the aisles himself. They were going to help him pay for it, so they left him with some galleons and were off. He didn't mind being on his own, but he was kind of hoping he could have had more input from them. Seemed they were busy more often these days since their youngest child was all out of Hogwarts and at a trade school now.
He couldn't help but wonder if his mother had been really looking forward to this all along, because right when he graduated three years ago she seemed to fill her schedule with all sorts of activities. That wasn't a bad thing, but he was a bit of a mama's boy so it did make him a little sad.
He didn't realize he was frowning as he gazed at a lamp, not really taking in it's shape.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Mar 4, 2019 23:46:26 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Mar 4, 2019 23:46:26 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 Lunchtime, finally. The shop had been stupidly busy all morning and Nell had been the one lucky enough to pull cashier duty while her sister did all the showmanship on the floor. She wanted to be the one to use the flowery words about how the ‘wand chose the wizard’, or whatever it was that their great-grandfather used to say. He wasn’t wrong; wands did find a connection to their users, but it was a little different from how he always explained it. Eleven year-olds didn’t care about the semantics though, and it was easier to please them by handing over a nice beginner wand that would get them through school. Years later they would come back when their original wands wore out or failed to do their due diligence anymore. Nell had been through a few of her own, though she never found herself married to a specific one. There was her wand, and then there were her wands. She wanted to show of her wands in the shop, but her sister had the final say, especially on days like today.
The brisk walk Nell found herself on was to put her being as far away from the shop front as quickly as possible. Horizon Alley was close enough and had plenty of cafés that she could hide herself away in until it was time to head back. The hour she was allotted for lunch would be enough to eat and do some window shopping, an excellent way to get her mind off of work. The mere fact that she only had an hour for lunch, her sister treating like she was a run of the mill employee and not an Ollivander, was infuriating enough that both food and browsing through the stores would ease her anger a bit.
Her choice for an eatery was located across from Flimflam’s Lanters, a curious store dedicated to lamps and other illuminating objects. She had never found the store particularly interesting because muggle lamps were cheaper and easier to charm, so going inside of her own volition wasn’t something she would normally do. The difference today was, while finishing up her lunch across the street, that she watched her parents a younger brother enter the store. Nell was conflicted on what she should do: head inside herself to say hello, or continue to ignore them like they had when the passed by her to get to the store. She knew they were probably too engrossed in whatever it was Gabriel was doing, but getting a little piece of the attention from them would be better than going back to the shop early and subjecting herself to that beast.
Quickly taking the last few bites of her food and cleaning up after herself, Nell entered the store a few minutes later, bombarded with endless rows of lamps and other light related things. She wasn’t even sure what to call some of them, as there were more aisles than could possibly be necessary for selling lamps. Going from row to row, she stuck her head down each to see if she could catch a glimpse of her family. After a few minutes, she eventually struck gold, spotting her brother standing alone in one of the aisles, staring at a lamp. “Does that one strike more inspiration than the others?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Apr 5, 2019 12:32:52 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2019 12:32:52 GMT -7
Gabriel spun around when he heard the voice, smiling when his eyes caught on his sister. "I'm not sure," he answered, turning back to look at it. "Kind of looks like a fish," he tilted his head to the side, then looked back at her. "Are you following me? I'll admit, I should get used to stalkers if I want to be an actor and all but I was kind of hoping for hot, single girls - not my sister," he joked. Really, he didn't care that much about the fame, he just wanted to tell the stories and he didn't think himself a very good writer so acting was the best way to do it. The fame was a nice perk, sure, but it wasn't why he did what he did. And he definitely didn't do it for the stalkers, yikes.
He turned to point at another lamp, a taller one with a big shade, "this one is nice. A little more expensive. But mum and dad are buying it so... maybe..." he walked toward a different lamp, this one looked to be made out of silver with lots of crystal fixtures on it. It was behind a glass case, "I should get the most expensive one?" he joked, turning to raise an eyebrow at Nell - to get her thoughts.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Apr 16, 2019 19:10:07 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Apr 16, 2019 19:10:07 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 Nell wasn’t sure how to interpret what Gabriel said. Was he actually joking, or was he being passive aggressive? After being stuck under Veronica’s rule for the last seven years, her trust in her siblings’ true intentions had started to waver. Her sister was an easy one, but Veronica seemed to have Gabriel under her thumb too, and that was something that concerned Nell at times. She liked her younger brother, obviously, but he was treated in a manner that made Frankie seem like a long dead ancestor of theirs, which she disliked. Their parents treated the youngest Ollivander as the savior to all of their problems with the male lineage, and that was without counting Veronica’s spawn, who was Gabriel’s replacement should anything ever befall him. Needless to say, Nell was often times grateful for not having to deal with that insanity since she technically didn’t matter in terms of the family business.
“Sorry to disappoint,” she responded, giving him a nudge in the shoulder with her own, deciding that he was being genuine. Veronica had really gotten under her skin more than she thought. “Want me to introduce you to some of my friends? There are a few that are big into movies, they might find the climb to stardom attractive.” Nell shrugged as she followed her brother’s finger to the lamp he was talking about. The price tag on it was alarmingly high, as Gabriel was apt to point out, but not expensive enough to have the gears turning in his head, apparently. “I’d be afraid to turn that one on,” she said, giving the crystal-esque lamp a once over, not very impressed with its gaudiness. “It’s just…too much. I don’t think a lamp should be the centerpiece of a room. What you should really do is get mum and dad to buy you the comfiest bed you can find. That’s a worthwhile investment.” She wished they had taken her out shopping for furniture when she had gotten her first apartment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
May 1, 2019 12:57:58 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 12:57:58 GMT -7
She said she was sorry to disappoint that she was in fact not a hot, single girl stalking him. She nudged his shoulder and he pursed his lips a little in a faux look of annoyance. Really, he was glad to see her. He knew tensions were there between his sisters, but that didn't mean he had to think any less of Nell. He honestly didn't want to get involved in the why they weren't getting along. He just wanted everyone to be happy... but that was especially hard in this family as of late. Well, for years now. Ever since Frankie... well, it was just hard to be around them all together.
She asked if he wanted to meet some of her friends that were into movies and he raised an eyebrow at her, "I can't tell if you're joking. If you're not, send them my way. As long as you don't mind the thought of your friends fawning over me. They'll come over to see you but end up leaving with me, right?" he chuckled. She was pretty straight faced when she said it, so maybe she was joking... sometimes that was her way of making a joke. Or, maybe, he just didn't get things easily.
She said she'd be afraid to turn the expensive one on and he nodded, agreeing when she continued that it was too much. He should get his parents to get the comfiest bed, she suggested, because it was a worthwhile investment. "Nah, already got a bed. I wish I had thought of that then, I just bought it off a friend," he admitted. "They wanted to get me a house warming gift... they wanted to pick a lamp but," he waved a hand, "guess they had better things to do. What do you think of this one?" he gestured to a simple standing lamp with a light blue shade. It had little white tassels hanging off the rim shaped like different animals that seemed to be alive and running toward something in an eternal circle.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
May 27, 2019 23:03:01 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on May 27, 2019 23:03:01 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 “Dead serious,” Nell responded, trying to keep a straight face while he went on about leaving with them. There wasn’t one in particular that she thought would ‘click’ with her brother, but they also had never interacted in the same space. At the very least, it wouldn’t hurt to try. None of them were exactly awful in any regard aside from a nasty personality trait here or there. Those were easy to overlook though, and there was no harming with Gabe dating a few of them for any given amount of time. Then he could never say she hadn’t helped him before. The ultimate sacrifice was her friends to her brother. Plus most had well-paying jobs in the Ministry and would find his drive to achieve his goals cute or something. “Keep up with that confidence and you’ll go miles,” she added, ruffling his hair.
Following his hand to another lamp, Nell tilted her head to the side so she could study it better. The tassels on it were…disturbing. “I think its gaudy,” she said honestly, turning back to face him. “Can’t you just poof your bed away and make them get you a new one? Picking a lamp out is so weird.” Nell still didn’t get it. Their parents always fixated on the strangest things. If their signs of loving Gabe were to buy him a lamp for his apartment, that was easily the oddest thing out of all of this. Why just one lamp? And why did it have to be magical? Muggles had entire stores for this sort of thing. Ikea wasn’t nearly as scary or overwhelming as she thought it would be once she got inside. They had thousands of different light fixtures there, and they were all cheap and nice looking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jun 26, 2019 7:36:26 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 26, 2019 7:36:26 GMT -7
She said she was dead serious, but he laughed at the look on her face. She said that he should keep up with his confidence and he'd go miles, and ruffled his hair. He leaned back from her hand, but good natured-ly. "I plan to," he promised. He was an actor, after all, and that job was impossible to do without confidence. He was planning on being a big name in both the muggle world and the wizard kind, so he knew he had a lot of work to do. Especially when it came to keeping those two worlds separate.
She said the animal lamp was gaudy and he raised an eyebrow, "okay..." Then she asked about poofing the bed away and making them get a new one, and that picking out a lamp was weird. "Well, either way I need a lamp, so I have to pick one no matter what," he suggested, his brow furrowing. "But I guess we can... not..? Want to go do something else? Unless you were on your way somewhere."
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Jun 28, 2019 21:58:01 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Jun 28, 2019 21:58:01 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 He did have a point at the end of the day: lamps were still necessary for an apartment, and if their parents were offering to buy him one, he would be better off taking it and going from there. Something was better than nothing, and at least they were showing that they cared. Once she started working for Veronica, it was like all monetary attachment to them was cut off instantly. Her career wasn’t really at risk for anything since magical folks were always going to need wands to do their thing. Gabriel had a bit of a more volatile employment pool to deal with going forward, so she could see why they wanted to help him out more than they did with her or her other siblings. Being the back-up for the golden child and the dud (Veronica’s choice of words, not hers) was a great feeling, but at least her parents thought she was going to be financially stable in whatever it was she chose to do. Unfortunately being stuck as the second wandmaker in the family meant being looked down on and viewed as lesser. Even if she did strike out on her own eventually, there would always be the fact that she is still an Ollivander.
“You aren’t wrong, I guess. Lamps are still important for an apartment. It just seems like an odd choice by mum and dad is all,” she shrugged. At the end of the day, they were helping somewhere. With Gabriel’s suggestion of leaving the store, she nodded her head. “I’ve work to go back to though. Lunch break is about to be over and so will Veronica’s last fuse before she’s pissed at me for the rest of the week.” How unfortunately true that was too. Their sister generated more stress than was humanly possible and was somehow unaffected. Maybe the side effects were culled by her habit of puffing away at cigarettes. It was so gross. “If you’re trying to head back towards Diagon, I’ll tag along.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jun 29, 2019 19:11:26 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2019 19:11:26 GMT -7
She agreed that lamps were still important and he nodded, knowing that. He didn't think the choice was odd but he wasn't sure how to articulate that so he just didn't. Sometimes he felt like it was hard to talk to his siblings, even Veronica. They all seemed so smart, intuitive and intellectual. He felt he was pretty smart too, he was in Ravenclaw after all, but they all had a different kind of air about them that he didn't quite understand right away. He wondered if they all knew the impression they made on him. Probably not. Most people don't realize the way they affect other people. Especially their auras or whatnot.
She said she had to get back to work, and that she was on lunch break. He shook his head at the mention of Veronica being pissed at her, his brow furrowing. "Yeah, let's head back. I mean, I'm sure Veronica would understand if you were with me though," he countered. It didn't hurt to be late due to being with Gabriel, since he and Veronica got along so well.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Jul 8, 2019 20:05:52 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Jul 8, 2019 20:05:52 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 Of course Veronica would be more lenient on her if she was hanging with Gabriel during lunchtime. Nell didn’t know if he was aware of the inequality that the two of them had when it came to their older sister, but it had to be hard to ignore it. The frustration she was harboring for Veronica had been mounting over the last few years and it was starting to get to the point where being an apprentice wandmaker was sort of ridiculous. There were other young wandmakers Nell knew of, ones that crafted under Ollivander competitors that were already done with their apprenticeships. And they tended to be younger than her too. Now the argument could be made that because she was an Ollivander, being an apprentice still made sense. Technically they were the most notable wandmaking family in Europe and that training as long as possible to perfect that craft should be treated as an honor. The problem here, though, was that she had spent almost twenty years perfecting that. The process had been drilled into her since the day their father gave her a piece of wood and told her to carve it into a wand shape. Her rival wandmakers in the same approximate age range didn’t have those years of experience under them like she did. And still, Veronica treated her like she was a rookie. If she was an amateur at it, she wouldn’t be making wands on the side and selling them as often as she was currently doing.
“I’m thinking about quitting,” she said abruptly as they left the lamp store. Quickly, she waved her hands in front of her, realizing how that sounded without any context. “Not wandmaking. Just leaving the shop. Veronica has no intention of making me a fulltime wandmaker any time soon and I can do so much more than what she knows about…” She was positive her sister had no idea that Nell had learned all the ins and outs of purchasing and acquiring proper cuts of wood for wands and how to locate sellers of the appropriate materials for wand cores. Her designs weren’t terrible either, though that had never seemed to be a problem with Veronica. “I’ve been making and selling my own wands for a while now, without her knowing. And I think I want to open my own store so it doesn’t feel as shady as it does right now.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 12, 2019 9:26:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 12, 2019 9:26:46 GMT -7
Suddenly Nell said that she was thinking about quitting, once they were back outside. His eyes widened in shock but before he could say anything else she continued. Well, that wasn't entirely surprising. He had seen the way his sisters behaved around on another. The animosity wasn't really that hard to notice, especially as their brother. Still, he was sad about it. He didn't say anything yet, letting her go on about how she'd been doing more on her own without Veronicas knowledge. His eyes widened again at that, and then widened even more, eyebrows joining in with a raise, when she said she wanted to open her own shop. ”Would you open it in Diagon? I don't mean to be rude, but that would be incredibly stupid,” he suggested, his words apologetic even though his tone was very factual. ”I don't think you two should be competing side by side like that it's just... are you sure this is a good idea? Why don't you just ask her to promote you? I'm sure she'd listen...” but even he knew that she wouldn't. Veronica was the Ollivander heir and therefore was bound to her decisions about anything and everything to do with the store. When Gabriel told her a long time ago he wasn't interested in being an apprentice she accepted that, but still made him learn just like the others when mom and dad forced them to. He could make a wand if he had a few months, and a little guidance, but Nell... Veronica would have to find someone new to help her out and he didn't think she'd be happy about that.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2019 18:04:01 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Jul 26, 2019 18:04:01 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 Gabriel had a few good points about her sudden confession about leaving the family shop. The good thing was that she wasn’t planning to open in Diagon. Like he put it - that would be stupid. The goal was not to become Veronica’s direct competitor, but to fill in the gaps where she was refusing to be lenient. Nell had spent enough time researching and developing wands to know that customers were going to get burned out on the Ollivander brand eventually. They were all so similar. And yes, the argument that every wand was an individual was a valid statement because it was true. But the fact remained that only wandmakers knew that. People wanted individuality with their wands. They wanted to be able to compare them and brag about how their wand has thestral hair in it or that it was made from a rare cut of wood from the top of a remote mountain in Patagonia. That was where she saw the business going. By mass producing wands the way Veronica and the rest of the Ollivanders had, they were bound to run themselves dry. She didn’t want to be a part of that when they were all capable of so much more. Committing to a strict rule that their great-grandfather established was absolutely silly to do in 2025.
“Gabriel, I have asked her to promote me. Every year for the last three years. She refuses to,” Nell explained. She was surprised that he hadn’t heard of this yet, because it was sort of ridiculous that she would stay as an apprentice for seven years and settle just for that. “I’m positive her reason for not doing it is because she thinks I want the store. I don’t. But that isn’t good enough for her,” she sucked in a deep breath before letting it out in one go. “So leaving the shop is my only option left. I’m tired of not having any self-expression with the wands I’m allowed to make, and when I am, they’re scrutinized. It’s not exactly the greatest feeling in the world to have your art ripped apart like that.” Hopefully he would understand what she felt with the way she put it. Self-expression was basically Gabriel’s entire existence, wasn’t it?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2019 9:50:39 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 30, 2019 9:50:39 GMT -7
Nell said that she had asked, which made him frown. Not from surprise, though. She said she had asked every year for three years and Gabriel sighed, shaking his head a little. He didn't know the details. But he did know that Veronica gave Nell a hard time. She spoke further, saying the reason were because she thought Nell wanted the store, that it wasn't good enough for her that Nell did not. He waited, not interrupting when she took a breath. He hated hearing about their not getting along. Nell continued then, saying that leaving was her only option and that she was tired of... tradition, basically.
Gabriel faltered a little at that. He understood Nells desire for change but... he liked things being the way they always were. He felt like if something worked than you shouldn't change it, especially the family business. Her part about the art being ripped apart though... that spoke to him, and she knew it would. She knew that explaining that her wands were an art craft for her that he'd have no choice but to agree. That was... clever. ”I... then you should do it, yeah,” he agreed, pursing his lips a little in thought and disappointment. ”I just hate to see you guys come apart like that. I mean, what if she doesn't forgive you,” he worried. ”Where will you go?” his eyes were a little pleading at that, hoping she wasn't thinking of leaving the country or going somewhere incredibly far.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 17, 2024 8:00:51 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
|
|
|
Jul 30, 2019 19:10:11 GMT -7
Post by eleanor gwendolen ollivander on Jul 30, 2019 19:10:11 GMT -7
@gabriel 01.02.2025 He’d hate to see her and Veronica go their separate ways? Where had he been the last seven years? Sure, their sister tended to put on an air when Gabriel and Gideon were around the shop, but he had to have known about all of the problems the two of them had. Nell knew deep down that there were other underlying problems with her relationship with Veronica, namely Frankie and how Nell refused to disown him like she had. But the unreasonableness of not treating her as a professional wandmaker, but as a child that needed constant guidance and stern punishments for small errors, was really where the younger Ollivander had most of her feelings on this matter. Being older and more experienced in the business should have been a positive tool for Veronica, and yet she failed to see it that way. Nell was a pest and out to get her apparently.
“I’m going to open my own place,” she answered, though a lot slower and unsure of it now that she had said it out loud for the first time. “I’ve been selling wands privately for the last year. Making them in my apartment when I have the free time…and it’s been going fairly well. I’ll have to budget for a while, I’m sure, but it’ll be fine.” A hint of confidence was starting to come back, but it still sounded so foreign to her. And terrifying. Buying her own store front was a longshot even if she had quite a bit of money saved up for it. Seven years as an assistant at Ollivander’s plus her private sales really added up when it came down to it. “Please don’t tell her though. Or Gideon. I want to leave on my own terms, whether that’s tomorrow, or a year from now.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 19, 2024 7:00:54 GMT -7
|
|
|
Aug 14, 2019 9:55:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 14, 2019 9:55:41 GMT -7
She said she was going to open her own place. She'd been selling her own wands and that it was going well. It was so weird, hearing her say all this stuff that sounded so grown up. Nell had always been mature, but he never expected this. Fairly, he didn't really pay attention to what his siblings were doing a good chunk of the time. Or what anyone was doing for that matter. No, Gabriel was very focused on himself. But, somewhere deep down, he kind of knew this about her. She had always been more adventurous than Veronica in her wands... it was just weird to hear this out loud. Like, that it was real. "No, no, I won't tell," he explained. Knowing this secret for a year would be hard to keep, though. But, he would never divulge something that he was expressly asked not to. "I... good luck, really. If you need help setting up... I know a little about lights and crap," he joked. He wasn't trained THAT much in technical theater but it could be a little help, right? Though, he wasn't sure if Veronica would forgive him for helping her. He shuddered outwardly. This was just a weird, weird day. "Well, that's that and you're all grown up," he joke, nudging her with his elbow.
eleanor gwendolen ollivander
|
|
|
|