Soak Up the Sun (OPEN)

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

Although she had arrived at the Flower Festival to act as a chaperone for the Hogwarts students who were in attendance, Parvati was just as eager as many of them were to be inside the massive greenhouse for the day. It was truly impressive, and it was even better, in her view, that the festival was being held for charity. As one of the people who had found themselves injured in the dragon rampage on Hogsmeade, Parvati was appreciative that St. Mungo's would be receiving donations over the course of the weekend. She probably wouldn't have been alive without the intervention of the Healers at the hospital, but she was glad to be fully recovered from her injuries.

As she browsed through the festival greenhouse, Parvati came upon A booth offering henna tattoos. Although she could tell from a glance that the designs on offer weren't quite as intricate as some of the mehndi designs she had sported in the past, she was impressed by how good they were. Deciding on a floral design for her palms and paying for the service, Parvati sat down across from the artist.

OOC: OPEN! Design reference!

[Deleted]

Kataleya had caught wind of some festival being held to bring proceeds to the hospital as well as to help with the rebuilding of Hogsmeade. She had heard about Hogsmeade, the dragon attack and such, but had not truly been there to witness it. It sounded amazing, but alas, she had to act like it was terrible. She could care less about what went on in the world before her arrival; the little town probably deserved it.

She swallowed, walking among the stands and games that could be played. It was then that she stumbled upon a henna stand, and growing curious, grew closer. An older woman, probably of foreign descent, was sitting down getting a design, and she snuck a peek at which one she picked. "Impressive," she breathed out, her voice accented, revealing that she was not from London or even England.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

A younger woman, older than school age but still much younger than she, approached as the artist began to apply the henna design to her palms. Parvati remained still while the artist worked, not wanting to adversely affect the design by flinching in any way.

"Impressive," the young woman commented, in an accent that Parvati couldn't quite place.

She nodded her head, turning to look at the woman but remaining still. Her own accent—which was about as standard and obviously British as it could get, particularly in contrast to the younger woman's—was apparent as she spoke. "Thank you," Parvati smiled. "It isn't often that I get to do this sort of thing anymore." It was nice, she thought, even if it took a while to be applied and then dry.

@kataleya
OOC: Design reference!

[Deleted]

If Kataleya's grandparents had seen her with a henna design, she would have probably been beaten. Hell, even seeing her now with so many piercings in her ear and the tattoos that she had, she would have made them want to kill her. Luckily, they were dead now, and she was allowed to do what she wanted, without even a second thought.

'It isn't often that I get to do this sort of thing anymore. Kate wanted to ask if it was because she was old, but she bit her tongue. "I've never had henna before. I went for the real thing," she breathed out, though she was sure the woman noticed one of the ones that she had, right behind her ear.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

“I've never had henna before. I went for the real thing,” the young woman commented, and it was then that Parvati noticed that the woman was, in fact, tattooed. Behind her ear, she had a design of a bird—possibly a swan from what Parvati could see of it—though she also had numerous piercings down her ears.

Parvati nodded. She had never gotten tattooed with needles or anything like that, nor did she want to. Henna art wasn’t something that she considered “tattooing”; it was a part of her cultural background, more than anything, though she could understand the appeal, especially for the students. She probably would have had a few questions if either of her sons decided to get tattooed, but that was their choice, at the end of the day. Her own parents would have had some harsh words for her—probably even still in middle age—if she were to get a real tattoo. She had her nose pierced, though, which seemed—again—less odd to her than maybe it did to some other people. She didn’t usually wear jewelry in it, though, and she wasn’t at that moment.

“I suppose this counts as a special occasion, doesn’t it?” she laughed, thinking about it. Otherwise, what opportunity did she really have? She was working most of the time, and she wasn’t exactly in a rush for her sons to marry yet.

@kataleya
OOC: Design reference!

[Deleted]

Kataleya's life had changed dramatically since her parent's death. Given to her paternal grandparents to raise, the only person that she could turn to and trust was her twin brother. Because of that relationship, the two siblings had fallen down a rode of darkness before freeing themselves through murder. A murder that landed them a name in the community, and even a job working with Ambrosia.

With her newfound freedom from her abusive grandparents, she turned to ink and piercings, though, she had only a few. Never once had she thought about henna, even now as she stood watching the older woman get inked. A part of her wished that blood and pain was involved; she would have enjoyed watching that.

She laughed a little, "I suppose it does..." she breathed out, flipping through the little book of designs that could be done.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

"I suppose it does…" the young woman laughed, agreeing with her that the festival could be considered a special occasion. It was in celebration of a festival, and the mood of everyone around was more positive than Parvati had seen in some time. It was a nice change from the way things sometimes were, even if it was inevitably fleeting.

She watched as the young woman flipped through the pages of the possible henna designs that she could get applied. There was no shortage, Parvati thought, from having looked through it for herself. Anyone could find something to suit their tastes.

"Are you going to get one done?" Parvati asked, curious to know if the young woman was only browsing.

@kataleya
OOC: Design reference!

[Deleted]

Kataleya flipped through the book, taking in the different designs with interest. She could get one done for the hell of it; it meant that she could talk to this woman a little longer. She was so lost in thought of the possibility, that she almost jumped when the woman questions if she was going to get it done. Her eyes snapped to look at her, a smile fluttering on her face. "I believe I will," she breathed out, watching as those words caused another employee to appear before her. "I'd like this one," she breathed out, pointing at the design before she was instructed to sit down at the table across from the other woman.

parvati patil macmillan •• DESIGN REFERENCE

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

Parvati felt bad for having startled the young woman upon asking her if she was going to get one of the henna designs done. She did try not to frighten anyone when she could help it, but it was difficult not to when so many people were so shaken by all of the different things that had been happening.
 
Still, the young woman answered her. “I believe I will,” she said, and someone working the booth practically materialized before her at those words.
 
Watching the work of the artist who was applying the henna to her skin for a moment rather than the young woman with whom she had been speaking, Parvati paused. Although she could still hear as the young woman explained which design she wanted to get, she couldn’t see it for herself. She heard, though, as the young woman was instructed to seat herself across from where she herself was seated. Parvati briefly wondered if this was because those running the booth were under the assumption that they knew one another already and that it would make it easier for them to converse.

@kataleya
OOC: Design reference!

[Deleted]

She was instructed to sit, and the woman began her work. Silence fell between the two women, and Kate didn't mind. She didn't know the woman all to well, but that didn't mean she was going to be mean. If the woman spoke to her, then she, in turn, would answer.

The next few minutes passed in utter silence, besides the two women doing the henna's speaking to each other. Kate watched the design slowly appear upon her skin, and eventually, she was down. "It's beautiful, thank you," breathed the young witch with a smile.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

There was a long period of silence between her and the young woman as the latter began to get her henna design applied. It would have been entirely quiet if not for the conversation of the two artists as they worked, though Parvati was glad that it wasn’t so silent as to be awkward. She waited as the artist doing the art across her hands finished up the design, and the design that the young woman had chosen didn’t take anywhere near as long—a design more like a cuff than one that went across her hands, from what Parvati could see of it.

“Do you mind if I have a look?” she asked the young woman, pausing as the artist stopped to seal the henna onto her hands.

@kataleya
OOC: Design reference!

[Deleted]

Kataleya preferred the pain of a needle against her flesh. Instead of the coolness of the henna ink that they used. Perhaps one day, she would get the henna as a real tattoo upon her hand and wrist, but until then, it would have to do. It was then that the other woman asked if she could see the henna that she had picked out. Shrugging her shoulders and brushing her hair away from her face with her other hand, she drew closer. Slowly she presented the creation upon her flesh, taking notice of the one the woman picked out in its competition.

"Yours is pretty nice, they are excellent artists it seems," she said, a fake smile appearing on her face. She had to act natural, and she was a brilliant actress when it came to pretending that she enjoyed the company of another — of any human being that wasn't her employer or her brother.

parvati patil macmillan

[parvati patil macmillan]

April 19, 2025

Shrugging, the younger woman moved over to her and displayed the henna design that had just been applied to her skin. As with the design that Parvati had had applied to her own skin, it was well done, an observation that wasn't lost to the younger woman, either. "Yours is pretty nice," she commented, adding that the artists seemed "excellent".

"Oh, that's lovely! And they really are excellent," Parvati agreed with a smile. "Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed I hadn't known about them sooner…" They must have had contact information around somewhere.

@kataleya