Ineffable Serendipity [JT]

Guest

Capri, Italy. December 2023.

Jesse had been in Tibet when the letter came from his father, requesting his presence back in Capri for a prospect wife and the date and time of her arrival. That had been the main condition of his two-year-long vacation around the world; that, if his father had talked to another family and found someone he thought Jesse would like, he come back home for a meeting. At only nineteen, he still had a long time more before he knew it was time he settled, and for now, kept his expectations high and preference select. So far, none had met them; so far, Jesse had turned them all down.

Thanking the group of vampires that had hosted him, up in a remote wizarding village of outcasts, Jesse had promised he'd be only gone a few days at most, packed a few essentials, and apparated to the nearest town for a hot shower. Up in the cold mountains, where it snowed constantly and temperatures hardly ever went above zero celcius, showers were far and few between. The water didn't stay hot, even after just being boiled, for starters. There was also the fact that they didn't really sweat up there, and wiping with a damp cloth usually did the trick. Still, he was almost glad to be going somewhere warmer, and drinking something other than yak butter tea. While delicious in its own way, there was only so much one could take before a can of cold butterbeer was longed for. To see and feel the warmth of sand beneath his feet and hear the crash of salty ocean waves was, surprisingly, a welcomed thought. A single postcard was purchased from a gift shop before, wearing a reasonably semi-formal shirt he kept for this exact reason, he found the nearest floo station and set a course for home.

Stepping out from the fireplace in the middle of an old house -- the designated spot for travel -- he was hit by the immediate heat. "Note to self for next time," he murmured, an amused smile twitching at his lips. Around him, people bustled around, some stepping into the other dozen fireplaces around him, some coming out. He stepped to the side, giving a single nod of acknowledgement to the man on duty at this fireplace. There was no need for words to be exchanged; they knew who he was. Slipping out his wand, he pointed it at himself, casting a silent cooling charm and almost sighing at the immediate relief. He'd have to transition more slowly the next time to avoid the discomfort.

He didn't bother walking home, instead slipping one hand into his pocket as he apparated, arriving in his room. Tossing his backpack onto his bed, he moved to his bathroom, quickly applying a single spritz of his favourite cologne and double checking his attire and hair in the mirror before heading out and straight to the receiving room of the house. A butler was waiting right outside, and Jesse flashed him a smile as he held out a note. Pausing, he took it, glancing down to see the basic details of the female already waiting inside.

Kateryna, 17, Germany. Second child. Older brother, 22, Fredrick. Younger sister, 14, Yasmine.

He took a couple seconds to memorise the information and then silently handed back the card with a nod. Silently, the butler slipped it back into his pocket, reached out, and opened the door. Stepping inside, Jesse allowed his eyes to move to the female sitting on the couch, hands placed neatly on her lap, legs together and tucked slightly to the right, as they were meant to be. How many had he seen in that exact same post? He knew all their trained responses by heart; if he were in their position, he probably could recite them all. He longed for originality, for someone who broke the norms just enough to be interesting without putting their status at risk; he wanted someone real, not a trained actress. Instead of saying anything, though, he smiled at her, playing his part to perfection.

"I do hope I haven't made you wait long, Kateryna," he said, offering her a hand, which she took. He pressed it gently to his lips, letting go once the moment was complete. "Come, shall we go for a walk? I would much prefer getting to know someone outside of the constraints of a stuffy room." He'd started doing it only a few months ago, bored of the same old talk in the same old room. If he was going to reject them, he might as well show them some of his home first; at the very least it would be less boring, for both of them.

Taking her arm gently, he apparated them to the start of his favourite hiking trail, right by the coast line, that led to a hidden swimming spot. It was used by muggles and magical folk alike, but was only really known by locals, and was more secluded than the rest. It was perfect for the resemblance of privacy without it being inappropriate; it was still a public place. Leading her along the path, slowly but surely, allowing her time to take in the sights, Jesse began the same old process of asking questions. Her answers, while good, were the same ones he'd heard from every other female before her, phrased differently but with the same content, and by the fourth question, Jesse found his attention wandering to Tibet, and what came next. Most likely it would be another place in China. He'd heard nice things about Guilin, and there was always the bamboo forest in Yixing.

Two voices up ahead caught his attention, and he raised an eyebrow. They did not sound familiar, and their accent... "That sounds lovely," he replied, automatically, as Kateryna finished explaining about her hometown. "I would love to visit Germany someday." It wasn't true; he'd been there before and found it lacklustre, somehow. "What country do you like the best?" he continued, glancing at her with a smile. Her cheeks flushed, and he chuckled inwardly. That was, apparently, a side effect of his smile, not that he minded. It was extremely amusing to see them fluster when he grinned at them that way.

Turning his attention back to the two voices up ahead, he hid a slight frown. One was French. The other was an odd mixture. It sounded British, but there was something about the way she spoke that suggested that it wasn't a genuine one; she wasn't born with it. Whatever the case, they weren't locals. He knew almost everyone that frequented these trails, and those around the island, and they were not one of those people. Finishing those final few steps that led to the top of a cliff, Jesse took a quick glance at them, confirming his suspicions but not able to distinguish much more. "Shall we take a short rest?" he asked Kateryna. She seemed almost thankful at the suggestion -- they'd been walking for maybe an hour -- and he signed internally. Motioning to the bench there, he gestured for her to sit, and moved to the edge of the cliff, glancing down at the cooling water below. For just a moment, he wondered if Kateryna would want to jump in with him, and then hid a smile at the absurdity of it all. Instead, he took a step back, sliding his thumbs into his pockets, and turned to face the open ocean, taking in the sights and sounds, mentally calculating how long more he'd have to spend with the witch before he could end it.[/color]

Guest

Summer was a perfect time to run out on your responsibilities and this is just what she did. Delia had the bright idea of taking a summer to themselves and being silly teens as they should be allowed to act. Tess was just relieved that she got her brother to agree to allow her to go with her best friend without supervision. Perhaps it was because she had learned to behave herself in front of Mycroft that the permission was granted. Whatever the case, she was free!

When they had initially left they said Southern Italy specifically Rome would be the only place they would visit. They had arrived and Tess had been in love with the architecture, the food and the people. While she took in the sights, Delia took on the people. They were well enough friends for Tess to no longer be phased. So long as her friend had no expectations for her to be as willing to strangers then she had no problem. While Italian men were very charming, she could never feel comfortable enough in her skin to partake in the flirtation. Instead the only things her lip touched was the gelato...and some wine.

Drinking was perhaps the only scandalous thing she partook during their trip. Since they did not need to be given permission to anything, Tess allowed herself to act like a proper teenager and get drunk. Thankfully Cordelia made sure she ended up in her hotel bed as needed every night. Worse case, they'd end up cuddling, which she was now used to. It was one of those nights that she even brought up something unlike her.

It was around the 19th that Cordelia mentioned an invite from a friend to Capri.

"I know we told my brother we would just stay here, but...I'd love to see the Amalfi Coast." she sighed her eyes glassy from the drinking. "The ocean, the night sky...oh Cor it would be beautiful."

"Is that a yes?" Delia had teased.

Nothing more was said about it, though, until the next morning when she woke up to a pounding headache and Delia looming over her with a bright grin.

"Get up bitch, we're getting on a boat in an hour!"

She barely had time to get ready but it was clear they were not staying in Rome for the month that they had said. So Tess slipped on a dress, some flats and threw her things in her suitcase before they were off. She ignored the pain of her headache, and it disappeared as soon as she saw the island from afar: Capri.

"Oh Cor!" She exclaimed before kissing her best friend's cheek. "Je t' adore!"

They were sharing a villa with Matteo, but when they arrived there was a note saying he'd only be back on the 23rd. The sun was high, the wind was merciful and she was in her dream location. The moment they arrived, they threw their things to the side and ran towards the beach.

The first day was the tanning. While Delia took a nap as the sun rays hit her, the younger witch spent her day in the waters. She was in love with the waves, the smell of the sea air and the slight smell of lemons in the air. Her friend would join only to simply splash her and try to tug at her bathing suit much to her embarrassment but there was no harm in her teasing.

"Cor stop it!"

"You're no fun!"

...

The next day she had managed to Delia to go hiking. Tess was fascinated with the lush trees that covered some tracks up the hills. She heard that many dived off the cliffs and if she was honest, she would love to do that herself. She wasn't sure that the other witch would approve. Still they hiked.

Tess knew she looked a bit silly in overall shorts, a high ponytail for her long hair, and her transition glasses. Delia teased her repeatedly by calling her a nerd and a farmer, but in turn she explained that it was because she would never be allowed to wear something like this back home, and she had her bathing suit underneath so she could just take the overalls quickly.

The chattiness of her friend soon disappeared as soon as they began to climb. Apparently this was not ideal for the older witch, much to Tess' amusement. She loved nature and took advantage as they ran through the trail.

"Cor, we can't stray off the path. Giorgio said we need to stay else we could get lost."

Giorgio was a nice teen who worked at the villa they stayed. He was handsome and had a nice smile, one that made her blush. She didn't know why exactly. But he was quite charming and she knew she was only fooling herself. Muggles were not something she could fathom interacting intimately with. Though...she did miss kissing someone. She bit her bottom lip at the thought.

"Bitch please. Where's your sense of adventure? Of fun? How can we truly know the island if we don't get lost?"

A noise of annoyance arose from Tess as she began to speed up. Seemed that the night of drinking in no way quieted her friend down.

"I think it's a left here and-oh!" she was surprised as other people were here. She flushed embarrassed at the fact that she had clearly interrupted a date. "So sorry!"

Guest

The apology made him turn, an eyebrow ever-so-slightly raising an eyebrow. Manners like that weren't exactly common; people there knew him and knew that it wasn't exactly impolite to share a common space like that. He often went out with different females and they all knew it was more of a getting-to-know-you thing than anything. His eyes moved to the other female, also taking her in. They seemed like typical tourists, their choice of clothing intriguing him -- especially the one in the overalls.

"That's alright," he replied, rolling his 'r' slightly; it was a nasty habit he'd never been able to break, despite all his training. "What brings you to our island?" he added, a moment later; this was mostly out of politeness. He'd been taught since birth to always be nice to tourists. With his father being the Minister of Magic, and the town often overrun by tourists, he needed to maintain a good family image for the muggles and visiting magical folk.

"The view, mostly," one of them replied, a light smirk on her face. He couldn't help but notice, a twinge of amusment rising, that she was looking directly him as she spoke, eyes twinking with suggestion.

Not allowing the amusement to show on his face, he turned towards the ocean view, nodding a little. "It's definitely something," he said, making his tone nothing but reserved and polite; he wasn't going to shut her down completely, for that would be rude, but he wouldn't entertain it either.

"Definitely something," she replied, to which he had to choke back a chuckle. She was definitely a character, that was for sure. Why couldn't he find any Purebloods with that sort of confidence? Not in flirting, of course, but in who they were, without need to recite lines they learn. Was realness that hard to ask for? It seemed so.

Guest

If she was honest, she wasn't expect a lot of people here. Giorgio had told her last night over coffee, that the trails were mostly left alone due to the slopes and drops of the trail. Mostly people took the bus, to which she nodded and later at night asked Delia exactly what a bus was. It was a never ending teasing fest from her friend who was too amused at her naivety. But the witch was still learning, it would take time for her to take everything in.

So far, she was happy at the fact that she had yet to have a panic attack being surrounded by muggles. She had never met them before until the London trip the girls had taken the year before. But it was one thing going on a day trip and going for a month long trip and staying in muggle areas. If she was honest, her introverted nature grew even more during this time because she realized how stupid she could sound if she wasn't careful.

Still the young man before her surprised her. For one thing no one took the trek and secondly he was not alone. Before them sat an annoyed looking redhead who made it clear that her date had been rudely interrupted. That had made her apologize more than anything. She was confused at how blasé he was at the interruption, even more as he began a conversation.

"What brings you to our island?"

Before she could answer, Delia beat her to the punch with a less that polite comment. She let out a small gasp of surprise; she knew her friend was audacious, but in front of his date. She felt a headache coming on. As her friend continued her cheeks reddened as did the redheaded girl.

"Cor" she hissed. "Apologies for the interruption once more. We should leave you both alone" she signaled Delia to stop her flirting. There were more guys that she could get at the beach. She didn't need to steal from the poor girl. And despite the boy being handsome, it was no excuse to do this.

"We have more to trek anyways!" a false cheerfulness in her tone. "And there are plenty of more views for you to partake in honey" she stressed the term of endearment to Delia.

Guest

Cor, it seemed her name was -- or at least, her nickname -- and Jesse allowed just a little of his amusement show as he turned away from them, looking out, instead, at the ocean. It only took him a couple seconds to compose himself, and then he turned to look at her, polite smile back again. For just a moment, he forgot Kateryna entirely; she was just too lacklustre for her, too boring, too much a product of the system that he hated. He wanted reality, not a doll that could recite lines. Anyone could do that. To spend the rest of his life with nothing more than a well-trained robot was not something he could see himself doing.

"There was no interruption," he said, addressing the other female. Her almost-flustered appearance amused him even more than the flirting had. She was either sheltered or just not used to that sort of behaviour; whatever the case, Jesse was intrigued. Not many bothered to apologise for something like being in a public place the same time as someone else. "This is a public place; you have every right to be here. Your-" he glanced at Cor "-friend is right. The view here is one of the best."

The statement about treking made his eyebrow move up just a tad further. There wasn't much more up ahead, and if they wanted to go swimming, this was where they'd jump into the water. Judging by what they were wearing, it didn't seem as though they were there to hike up to the top. Besides, there was something about the stress on 'honey' that made him wonder...

"Embarrassed, Tess?" Cor said, a smirk on her lips that made Jesse internally cringe; he knew, somehow, that what she was going to say next wouldn't help the situation. At least now he knew their names -- sort of. "Something to do with the hot guy, eh? Don't deny you checked him out too."

At this, he let out a genuine chuckle, unable to hold that in. This didn't happen every day. Oh sure, he knew he was good-looking, enough to attract attention, but he'd never really met two girls quite like the ones before him. If they were dating, then it was obvious that Cor wasn't shy about it being... what was the term he'd heard before? Open? But something told him that they weren't; that they were only friends. Whichever the case, Jesse was amused. Glancing back at his date, he couldn't help but notice the look of annoyance she was trying to hide, and that was the final straw; mentally, he wrote her off. She wasn't 'the one'.

"I don't believe I've officially welcomed you ladies to Anacapri," he said, ignoring her comment altogether. He gestured towards the view of the ocean. "So, welcome."

Guest

The solution that had been created in her head was a simple one: forget about the diving all together, and simply trek to the top of Anacapri, spend some time within the small town and maybe by sunset she could come back and everyone would be gone and she could simply just....have what she wanted happen. She didn't need this type of embarrassment especially from Delia. And it was moments like these that she wondered why she liked her friend so much.

"This is a public place; you have every right to be here. Your-" he glanced at Cor "-friend is right. The view here is one of the best."

And she knew it was the absolute best. She had never had the pleasure of southern Italy due to his father's hesitance. Being French meant that there was some bad blood historically between the two countries whether it be through power or worse - the bad marriages that came to fruition. The Italians married the Spanish and the Portuguese families and the French married the English. Simple unspoken rules.

Her ideas of the nice calming vacation vanished the moment that Delia continued the teasing. Yes she found him handsome. But as handsome as she found Giorgio. He had a nice smile and his laugh while horrifying at being the spotlight in all of this was nice. But the disrespect at the poor girl who had her date interrupted made her stomach flip. The girl was very mad and she did not blame her.

"He's as interesting at the others in Capri" she hissed.

Staring right at him, she ignored her flushed appearance. She was determined to play nice if only for a bit to calm Delia down and then they could leave. Though, at his welcoming, her facial expression softened.

"Thank you" she breathed out. "We should go, if we can't make the trek up, we should go and get the...the bus" her voice unsure of the muggle word. "I would hate for it to leave without us." Her hand went to Delia's wrist and she gripped it tightly forcing her to try and behave. She prayed to Merlin that she could just stop this embarrassing moment.

"Please" she whispered to Delia.

Guest

"Get... the bus," he repeated, slowly drawing out the three words, amusement in his tone. He saw, briefly, a flash of not fear, but apprehension, in Cor's face. What that meant, he wasn't yet sure. "That's an interesting way to phrase it." He glanced at the trek that led further up, a narrow path that could fit one person, two at the most. "I don't believe the bus would be able to fit on this path, I'm afraid. Although, it's not too hard a walk. I could show you the way, if you'd like. There's a hidden gem only locals know of, slightly off the route." He surprised himself with the offer; he'd always been more impulsive than he should've been, but never while on a date. Was it still one? He stole a glance towards the witch, feeling just a little remorse for what he was doing. She wasn't suited for him, but he knew he didn't have to be mean about it.

"If you ladies would excuse me for just a moment, I need to talk to my acquaintance," he added, not putting any emphasis on any word; what they took away from what he said was on them. Instead, he dipped his head in a semi-bow and moved over to the bench. "Kateryna," he said, a tad more warmth in his tone than usual; he always did that when he rejected people. "Thank you for the lovely afternoon and walk. I will write to your parents should I change my mind. If you wish to, I'll be showing these two ladies around town; you are more than free to join us."

She offered him a small smile, understanding and somewhat of relief written in it; it was clear, now, that she hadn't wanted it, either. "Thank you," she murmured. "I'll be able to find my way out."

He nodded, smiling at her. Taking her hand once more, he pressed his lips to the back of it. "It was a pleasure meeting you; perhaps we could be friends."

"I would like that," she replied, completing the script they both knew by heart. Neither would write to the other, and neither would ever think of the other again. It was just how it worked. He watched as she turned to leave, heading down the path. She would apparate away soon enough, that much he figured. Turning back to Tess and Cor, his eyes glittered with more amusement as he waited to see what they would do.

Guest

When her usage of muggle technology didn't work as she liked, she inwardly cringed. Okay so she needed work, it was clear from the way he too looked confused at her usage. What did surprise her was the fact that he offered to help them out. Both made eye contact and it was clear he too was surprised by his own offering.

She bit her bottom lip unsure as to what to say. But as he pulled his date to the side, she took advantage and turned to look at Delia. It was clear that the older girl got her way and got the boy's interest. Shaking her head, she figured it was best if she just...left. Her eyes trailed towards the cliff and a small and mischievous smile formed.

"Cor...love. Have fun." she began her sentence as she began to pull her hair down from her ponytale. "It's clear you got yourself a date and I have some swimming to do. I promised myself I would do this" she took off her glasses and began to unclip her overalls. "Granted in my fantasy I might have been naked. But we can talk about this another time. I'll see you at the villa." she dropped them in the ground and began to take off her shoes. As graceful as she could she began to walk towards the clip leaving more items behind until she stood barefoot with her toes on the edge.

"Love you. Oh! Don't forget my clothes." Blowing her a kiss. She bit her bottom knowing Delia would go a bit mother hen on her. Before she threw herself backwards and into the water.

She felt her heart beating like crazy, but as the wind picked up and the smell of the ocean was coming closer. As she splashed in, seconds she picked up her paddling and began to swim. She laughed softly and gave a signal to Delia told her she survived just fine.

Guest

Turning back, Jesse was greeted by a rather... unusual sight. It seemed that Tess had genuinely been embarassed by her friend, and had chosen to run away. Or, in this case, swim away. He didn't have enough time to tell her that the safe swimming spot was actually just a few meters away; it was a natural cove, deep enough for swimming and diving without the rip tides. His eyes darted to her friend, who seemed rather laid back about the whole thing, and then to where Tess had been standing.

"Crazy bitch!" was all Cor said, shaking her head with a smile.

Jesse took a step forward, this time raising his eyebrow properly. "Can she swim?" he asked, unable to keep the full concern out of his tone. There were, he knew, rip tides in that area -- strong ones that, while not the worst out there, could still kill an inexperienced person. He often played in and with them, used to it, and when he couldn't get out, he simply apparated away or wandlessly cast a bubble charm. Sometimes, he even ate gillyweed and went to play in the waves, not that anyone knew. It wasn't proper, after all.

"Tess? Like a f***in' mermaid," Cor replied, with a shrug. There was a pause, and then, "I've got a splitting hangover from last night. If it'd been another day or time..." She shook her head, and Jesse's eyebrow remained up.

"I'm not interested," he said, before she could continue, and she let out a mocking laugh. He went on before she had a chance to say anything. "I do things slightly differently than most people. Family tradition, you could say. I don't date or ..." He faltered for a moment, trying to think of the right term.

"Sleep around? Nah, I getcha," Cor replied, before sticking out a hand. "Delia. And for f**k's sake, don't kiss."

He let out a slight laugh at that, taking her hand for a shake. If only she didn't swear, and was less forthcoming, and was Pureblooded... He mentally shook the idea of out his head. She was different, but too much so; she could be a friend, but not much more. There was such a thing as too bold and too different, and Delia seemed to be it. "Jesse," he said, in reply. "Are you certain your friend will be alright?"

There was a pause, this time, and then he saw a glint in Delia's eyes. "No, actually, I'm not."

He knew, instinctively, what she wanted him to do. For a moment, he was tempted to just walk away and leave the two muggles on their own. But his sense of adventure and boredom were taking over, and with a very small, sly smile, he said, "Well, I suppose someone ought to ensure she doesn't get caught in the rip tide."

"Yes," Delia replied, outright smirking. "I guess you're right. I'll watch your valuables; I can't swim that well."

Glancing once at her, Jesse let out a very soft chuckle, and then took off his shirt and shorts. Underneath, as there usually was, were swimming pants; he had, from the start, intended to go for a swim after saying goodbye to his date, and he didn't want to bother wasting time going back home to change. With a few quick steps, he hurled himself off the edge, curling his body as he felt the rush of the win, and nose dived perfectly into the water, arms outstretched before him. A few kicks later, he bobbed up beside Tess. "You should be careful," he said, casually, as if this happened every day. "There are rip tides here."

Guest

A sigh was emitted from her as she felt the water around her. Maybe it was because her family always lived by bodies of water, or their affinity for the element, but she never felt at home was much as she did when swimming. She allowed herself to sink, if only for a moment to take in the life underneath the waves.

She didn't need goggles, or any real equipment for her eyes had grown accustomed to the saltiness that came with the sea and her body contorted to stay under. From there she saw the fish, and more importantly the coral that she had heard so much about. As she dove down deeper she felt a wooshing. Her body rocked a few meters away from her normal location.

'The tides are rough' she realized curiously.

She knew from experience she should float up, check her surroundings and find calmer tide. As she rose to the surface she was surprised when a splash blinded her for a second.

"You should be careful," he said, casually, as if this happened every day. "There are rip tides here."

She had thought for a brief moment it was Delia who actually decided to dive, but the voice. Her eyes widened, and she moved her hair out of her face to take him in properly. Her eyes trailed from him to the top of the cliff where Delia was waving and making hand gestures ensuring that she was scheming.

"I know, I felt them when I was under." she said unsure why he dove behind her. "If you're worried, I'm fine, I've swam in stronger currents. I would suggest heading back to your date, or to my friend who really likes you."

As she said that she began to kick away making it clear she was not as entertaining as the vivacious personality at the cliff. All she wanted to do was swim..and maybe find mermaid. Just the little things.

"But if you wanted a good time, well my crazy friend was a good choice" a small smirk rose from her face before she dove under hoping to lose the muggle.