N A R C I S S A. (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} fleurdumal) wrote,@ 2010-10-09 16:43:00 |
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NARCISSA MALFOY;
Basics. SIT BACK, MATTER FACT, TEASING, TOYING, TURNING, CHATTING NAME: Narcissa Cassiopeia Malfoy AGE/BIRTHDAY: 24. November 21st, 1955 BLOOD STATUS: Pureblood OCCUPATION: Family / Relationships. CHARMING, HISSING, PLAYING THE CROWD FAMILY Parents: Cygnus Black III & Druella Black (nee Rosier) SEXUALITY: Heterosexual SIGNIFICANT OTHER: Lucius Malfoy. CHILDREN: Draco Malfoy Politics. A NOD, A GLANCE, A HALF-HEARTED BOW LOYALTY/ALLIANCE: Death Eaters ROLE IN THE WAR: If Narcissa had her way, she'd be nothing more than a cheerleader for the Death Eaters, relegating to sitting on the sidelines and looking pretty. But Narcissa is an excellent tactician. She is also an occlumens, although no one else knows this. Most importantly she has that unique quality known as 'charm' and 'likability', both which, when added to her skill at deception and lying, lend to her enormous talent at manipulating people and getting what she wants from them. POLITICAL VIEWS: The entirety of London knows that Narcissa is a purist. The entirety of the world knows that Narcissa is a purist. Aliens tuning into Earth from space know that Narcissa is a purist and that she is going to judge your worth at least partly by how much muggle blood you’ve got running in those veins of yours. Narcissa looks at muggles the way some people do dogs: possibly useful if they have some kind of skill or provide some important service, but she doesn't want them anywhere near where they can ruin her nice home and for Salazar's sake don't let them touch her nice clean clothes--who knows where they've been. And a witch or wizard having a relationship with one of them? The idea alone makes Narcissa's stomach a little upset and is enough to turn her typical winsome smile a tad sick. However, Narcissa’s vehement anti-muggleborn and anti-muggle/wizard relationships attitude goes beyond a mere view point of muggles as being somehow sub-human. Narcissa comes from a traditional family and married into an equally traditional family and such families have a very very long memory, Narcissa being no different. This includes figures such as her husband’s ancest Brutus Malfoy, who existed during a time when persecution of wizards and witches by Muggles was at its height. After all, there was a time when the existance wizards and witches were known of by muggles and that time resulted in massacre, murder, and torture of magical individuals. And muggles have only become more numerous and more advanced in weaponry since that time. She believes that the only thing stopping muggles from collectively unifying to exterminate the Wizarding population is their (overall) ignorance about the existence of the Wizarding world. And she sees muggleborns and muggle/wizard relationships as a threat to this secrecy. Every time a muggleborn wizard appears that’s at least two more (the parents) muggles who know about the wizarding world. God forbid the magical child have non-magical siblings (SHE’S LOOKING AT YOU LILY POTTER) and every time a witch or wizard marries a muggle that’s even more spread of the knowledge. It might seem small when you look at individual cases, but such numbers add up exponentially. What happens when these numbers finally surpass the number of wizarding folk? Or when a muggleborn is born to the wrong muggle? Narcissa sees the preservation of the purist mindset and the emphasis on pureblood to be a deterrent to such behavior. After all, if there were no ramifications to intermingling with muggles or those with muggle blood, the numbers would increase just that much faster. She might not believe that muggleborns need to be killed en mass, but she does think they should be forced to choose either the muggle world or the wizarding world exclusively and that their muggle relatives should have their memories Obliviated. While half-bloods, thus, are certainly well and far beneath her, but she could almost pity them. After all, it's not their fault their wizarding parent was stupid. Her attitudes towards non-wizard species is a case by case basis. If Narcissa likes you and you're a werewolf then you're privileged with a unique and powerful ability. If she dislikes you and you're half giant, then you're a block headed half breed. Appearance. OH SUCH GRACE, OH SUCH BEAUTY & LIPSTICK & CALLOUS & FISHNET & MALICE APPEARANCE: The blond sheep of the black family, genetics have been very kind to Narcissa Malfoy. More importantly Narcissa Malfoy has been kind to Narcissa Malfoy. She comes from a family who boast a tradition of being (to quote Zoolander) really, really ridiculously good-looking and it's the kind of tradition that sticks, even with the deposed blood traitors and disowned branches (cause if you haven't met Narcissa, then you've probably at least met Sirius and--well congratulations House of Black on your faces). Although Narcissa missed out on cornering the market in the dark and mysterious look that categorizes the majority of her relatives, she doesn't disappoint when preserving the genetic family heirloom. Carrying herself with the haughty, graceful air of her pure blood, her five foot five form is thin enough to occupy a twenty inch waist but still curvy enough to entertain for days. She is almost always is under the iron fist of flawless etiquette; from smooth, articulate speech on most occasions to the perfectly crossed legs and deliberately dainty hand gestures. Blond hair frames her face, usually styled in their natural sleek waves. Contrasting to her fair skin her pouty lips are deeply shaded with the upper shaped into a lovely cupid's bow. Almond shaped eyes, their color is a shade of very deep blue. As the proud owner of an exclusive piece of real estate known as ‘Center Stage’, Narcissa is hyper aware of expression. Her smiles are sedately cordial when she has to be polite, casual and crooked when she’s feeling playful, to large with a view of her pearly teeth when she’s excited. At the other pole of the facial spectrum: wide eyed surprise and brow creasing, devastatingly shiny sadness is the side of Narcissa that appears at apropos moments. The elaborate, girlish pouts of an immature and pampered princess, contrasting with the stony glare of a hollow cheeked ice queen when she's upset, an expression that proves that despite their very different coloring she is, indeed, related to Bellatrix Lestrange. Her complexion has always been fair; a side effect of living the entirety of her life in the cloudy, rainy, overcast climate of London, England. Very very very fair. Milk maid, frozen tundra, dear-Merlin-woman-have-you-ever-seen-sun Narcissa has always been, and still remains, the type to judge a person based on their attire. Consequently, Narcissa dresses herself with a mindfulness of being judged by people based on her attire (and to inspire said judges to want to seppuku due to the sheer intensity of their jealousy--and she'll sharpen the sword for them by dropping casual hints about the sheer cost and exclusivity of her garments, before stepping nimbly out of the way so they don't splash her with all the mess eating their hearts out will make). Her style can only be described as liberal traditional, with influences from contemporary and seventeenth century European trends. Typically her wardrobe consists of quite the muted colour palette: greens, silver, violets, ice blues, and ivories, and the plain neutral shade of black that has found its way into nearly everyone’s closets worldwide over the past decade. A love of anything intricate yet sophisticated has been harboured over time and whilst one may not find her ever garbed in anything particularly garish or outrageous, yet she has a fondness for large wide-brimmed and floppy hats. Jewelry is a constant part of Narcissa’s attire and she has enough of it to put an Egyptian queen to shame. Although her ornamental baubles change daily, there are a few pieces that remain almost constant: a silver bangle bracelet with the Black family motto written out in black gems around the circumference of it, a thin emerald ring that once belonged to her paternal grandmother, and her wedding ring--a silver band fashioned to resembled the serpent Ouroboros (the wyrm-like dragon who swallows his own tail and symbolizes forever). Personality. SO PRECIOUS, SUSPICIOUS, & CHARMING & VICIOUS OH DARLING, YOU'RE A MILLION WAYS TO BE CRUEL WAND: 9 1/2, Ebony, Boomslang Venom, Swishy Ebony is the most famous of the Dark woods, although not the most powerful. However, for visual impact and power, it is amongst the best. Boomslang venom, whether crystallized or in a rarer liquid core, provides a small boost to jinxes and hexes thanks to its venomous qualities. However, when a wandmaker undertakes the dangerous task of working with the raw venom, it is generally with the aim of creating a powerful Transfiguration wand. Whether or not the advantages outweigh the risks is not generally agreed upon in wandmaking circles. BOGGART: The Dark Lord, wrathful with her. Ironically Narcissa's greatest fear is the leader she's supposed to be loyal to. What Narcissa fears, however, isn't so much the physical pain that Lord Voldemort could inflict on her, but rather the fact that, should she cross him, he could potentially strip everything she cares about from her: her sister Bellatrix, her husband, her life of comfort, her stature, her influential friends--everything. PATRONUS: Fox → cunning. strategy. quick-thinking. adaptability. desire. intensity. focus. determination. Narcissa has never had cause to summon a patronus. Were she to, the happy thought that would most likely conjure it would be herself and her sisters as children--before Voldemort, before Ted Tonks, even before Hogwarts. LIKES: Money. Attention. Word Puzzles. Jewelry. Snow. Trashy Romance Novels. Distracting Lucius. Complaining. Celestina Warbeck. Holidays & Festivities. DISLIKES: Waking Up Early. Humid Weather. Orange. Muggleborns. Anything Physically Strenuous. Pumpkin Juice. The Ocean. Boats. Gold Jewelry. Wool. Red Meat. Rain. STRENGTHS: Transfiguration. Deceit. Organization. Aesthetics. Creative Planning. Tactical Planning. Social & Familial Connections. Absurdly Wealthy. WEAKNESSES: Memorization. Lacks sheer force or brute strength. Can't Swim. Charms. Mediocre (at best) at dueling. Her Son. KNOWN INFORMATION: Narcissa is a member of the House of Black, so if you don't know, bitches you betta google her. A socialite of the highest caliber, she lives approximately 80% of her life in the spotlight and loves it that way. She's holds purist views, like the rest of her legitimate family and is known to have a very low opinion of both muggles and muggleborns. She's an excellent candidate to have Death Eater sympathies but as she lets almost everyone assume that she's a crystal fucking princess with not much between her ears but party plans, social couture, and an intimidating fashion sense most would rotflmfao at the very suggestion that she might be a Death Eater. DETAILED PERSONALITY: Narcissa is entirely the product of her upbringing; elegant, charismatic, elitist, and manipulative as the Imperius Curse. Just by her appearance or her primary interests, you kind of expect her to not know her multiplication table very well or be able to form a compound sentence without the help of a male in her life. By appearance alone, Narcissa can inspire many things, but faith in her intellectual prowess is not one of them. That is not to say that Narcissa presents herself as an idiot, but the outward persona that she project is one of jovial hedonism. A charming young lady, meant for cocktail parties, intimate gatherings, and vicious critique of haute couture. Most definitely clever enough to organize a truly stunning event for the bourgeoisie but not, certainly, for complicated matters like working or revolution. And that, is exactly how Narcissa likes it. Beneath that lovely facade of untroubled luxury, Narcissa is at constant work to enjoy a life with all the benefits of her bloodline and affiliations, with absolutely none of the responsibility. Although this could be blamed on an excess of laziness, it has just as much to do with apathy as well. Simply, Narcissa does not care about the world, or society, or the greater good. People like her sisters or her husband might be able to devote their whole selves to a cause or idea, but Narcissa is not cut from the same cloth. She needs realer, more tangible things to inspire her loyalty and devotion. But such sober thoughts as her motivations and underlying capabilities are not things that she likes to dwell on, nor does her attitude ever reflect such. Despite her internalization of more "mature" aspects of her psyche, Narcissa is a very emotionally expressive creature. When she angry, she is absolutely righteous in her rage. When she is sad, she is absolutely inconsolable and the world might as well be ending. When she is happy, she's jubilant enough to practically burst into song to the musical accompaniment of random woodland animals. One of the most noticeable things about Narcissa is that her moods are sure to affect other people. She feels no need to hide and keep to herself her feelings and so when she's upset, she inevitably sets out to make sure others are miserable with her (whether they're involved in the cause of her bad mood or not). Thus, many have learned that the best course of action is to make sure Narcissa is content and pleased. Because while a disturbed Narcissa is truly horrendous, a happy one is an absolutely delight--affectionate, warm, and witty. To the surprise of some, she can be exceedingly enjoyable to be around when she's in a good mood. She has a clever sense of humor and a playful nature that surprises those who don't know her well enough. To her circle of intimates it's a surprise to find that Narcissa does not take herself nearly as seriously in all areas as it might seem. She is not above practical joke, teasing, immature play, or childish and candid attention ploys. The most common recipients of this are her husband, Bellatrix, Regulus, and once-upon-a-time Andromeda. But there is more to Narcissa than immature mood swings, playful banter, and an admittedly impressive pair of breasts. She is stubborn, with a hard time taking no for an answer, and no sense of morality or sociologic awareness, nor does she have much respect for interests and concerns outside of her own. Her generosity, however, is actually quite impressive when she excersises it and she does have compassion--though only for those whom she feels deserve it. Although her affection is wide spread, Narcissa genuinely loves only a very few people. These select few, however, are the nexus of her entire world and it is they who are the tangible inspirations of her dedication, though she may not say so openly. The chief among this number are her sister Bellatrix and her husband Lucius. Once upon a time, her sister Andromeda was the third, but as deeply as she loves, Narcissa's resentment and anger if she's betrayed is just as violent. Perceiving her sister's behavior as an abandonment of their family, of her, Narcissa is venomously bitter towards her. In such, reveals that Narcissa's greatest fear is ultimately loss, isolation, or abandonment of those whom she cares about. When it comes to preserving the things (and people) she does consider of value to her, she is incredibly conniving and just as manipulative when she needs to be. That cute glossy pout can turn into an icy smile and her nails aren't filed with those sharp little edges only because it looks nice. She will use you, never think she won't, even if she loves you with all the power of her designer heart. It doesn't mean she cares about you any less, it's simply in her nature. History. I WISH I COULD, MAYBE IF YOU WERE I WOULD A LIST OF STANDARD ISSUE REGRETS CHILDHOOD: Many people wonder how someone like Narcissa could possibly be related to someone like her older sister. The truth of the matter is that it's entirely feasible that she would have turned out exactly the same way as Bellatrix had their roles been reversed. But they weren't and Narcissa was born, and still remains, the youngest of the Black sisters. And the Blacks? Well they were one of those strange, unalterable anomalies of nature. You know, like a butterfly with it's wings grown on backwards. She grew up a sweeping estate which housed a father employed solely for pleasure and a mother who hadn't waited long after finishing school to settle down into domestic something-like-bliss and have children. It was no secret, however, that their father had been hoping for a son, seeding speculation that this desire was the reason for Druella's near constant state of pregnancy. Despite popular philosophy, third time was not a charm, and the attempts to preserve the patriarchy came to an end when the couple's first two girls, Bellatrix and Andromeda, was rounded out by a third blonde haired baby girl, named Narcissa. Narcissa's face would go positively glacial were anyone to claim that she fell into that legion of girls who's 'daddies didn't love them', but she figured out from a young age that his affection for her was measured by his dashed ambitions. She also learned, early, that if she let him he would fill the disappoint left by this failure by heaping expectation and demand on her. And so she reigned in her capability and instead lavished in an overwhelming femininity as if to remind him that she was a daughter, not a filial replacement. Her devotion to understating her autonomy was made easy by her siblings. As the youngest, Narcissa was babied and protected, particularly by her eldest sister Bellatrix. Although her relationship with her parents was quite lacking, Narcissa always felt very close to her siblings. In that stern, traditional household Bellatrix and Andromeda were her lone compatriots. For a girl like Narcissa, for whom isolation was the ultimate hell, this was important beyond measure. She might have cared about her parents, but during her early childhood the only people the spoiled little pureblood princess really loved was her sisters. HOGWARTS: Narcissa's beginning at Hogwarts was not so much an enrollment as a debut. Having, in previous years, watched her sisters go off to school and leave her behind had been upsetting to say the least. Either of her siblings will no doubt remember that period when she ignored them for a month out of petulance over their departure. An eleven year old Narcissa swept imperiously into Slytherin House as if she owned the place and began wasting no time in making conquests. Her popularity was aided by the fact that her sisters had preceded her, to say nothing of her slightly more distant relatives, all quite well known in their own right. And so she had no shortage of connections and affiliations right from the start and her associations were spread wide throughout all years. Simply put, socially speaking, the blond dominated. Her closest friends were drawn from other purebloods like herself and she reigned over a social court of some eight other females, with whom she was quite close. Although excessively spoiled and bossy without peer, Narcissa could be a lovely and charming little thing when she wished and it was with these tools that she lured her friends into all kinds of impish games. In the beginning it was merely teasing the boys and flouting any female whom her highness had taken disfavor with. One of her favorite forms of entertainment, when she was in her younger years, was to bribe rash boys with kisses into performing reckless feats or breaking rules in order to impress her. On rare occasions she would be caught in her misbehavior, but Narcissa was a clever creature and these instances only served to make her more diligent in avoiding being caught and her tongue more silver when it came to talking her way out of trouble. As she got older, she matured into less sophomoric behavior (on the outside at the very least) and she learned to carry herself with the elegant decorum suitable for a daughter of the House of Black. One should note that, despite her success in the social aspects of Hogwarts, her academic success was not similarly luminary. She displayed a talent for Transfiguration, even if her application of it was often limited to fashion choices, and her marks in Potions were fair, but that was it. Beyond these area's Narcissa was a poor student with little interest in school work or her own education. But if Narcissa was failing, she was, nonetheless, failing with a smile; her marks the result of a disinterest and refusal to do the assignments moreso than a lack of capability. The very worst came to an end after her 5th years, when the disaster of her O.W.Ls were revealed. At that point her father decided to have a word with her. In fact he had several. It didn't help that Narcissa's saccharine patience in the face of his disapproval grated on his nerves. Whatever the process of that conversation, the results were the same. Naricissa was dismissive towards her studies no longer. She did not exactly shine, but she made sure that most of her scores were at least As. During those years, Narcissa remained largely ignorant to the threads of mayhem that were stirring under the surface of her simplistic world. Until that evening when the men came to her home. Cowled in black robes, damp from the summer night rain like ghosts that came out of the sea. They called themselves The Knights of Walpurgis and they had come to speak with her father. Narcissa was told to go to bed as her father took these men into his study. Although she had often eavesdropped on his private conversations, her self preservation was not bent by her curiosity and, obediently, she spent the remainder of that evening in her bedroom. By morning the men were gone and her father had the air of a man with new purpose and joy. She might have questioned, but his good humor meant that he had forgotten that she'd was suppose to speak with her about her T in Charms and she, certainly, was not going to remind him. And so, without deeper probing, she returned to Hogwarts for her final years with only the vaguest awareness of the storm brewing and the new affiliations to which her family name had been fixed. AFTER HOGWARTS: Work, following Hogwarts, was simply out of the question for Narcissa. It would reveal a lot to the unfamiliar observer that there was no one who even really expected her to. Rather, had she displayed an inclination to join the ranks of the gainfully employed she would have bred a great deal of shock and confusion amidst those who knew her. Remaining in her parents home, however, was also not the course she wished. As idyllic and nauseatingly domestic as it might sound, she wanted a home of her own. And she had already chosen the man she wanted to provide her with it. Her parents might have liked to think that they chose Lucius Malfoy--a promising young man from a wealthy, pureblood family--but really, that isn't true at all. Equally, Lucius might like to think that he chose her, but that's just more fiction she doesn't mind letting be taken for the truth. Actually, Narcissa had settled on Lucius Malfoy as a husband candidate years prior, while she was still kissing boys to make them spend a night in the Forbidden Forest. Of course her personal choice had been influenced by his wealth and his family background (after all--you know what they say; a man being rich is just like a girl being pretty), but her ultimate decision was cemented by the fact that she loved him. And wil he, nil he, he was going to marry her even if she had to ask Bella to crucio him into it. Luckily, such drastic measures weren't necessary and the couple were engaged when Narcissa was at the tender age of twenty-one and marred sometime after. It was through her husband that Narcissa truly became acquainted with what had begun when those black robed men had come to see her father. They were no longer Knights. Now they were known as Death Eaters and both her husband and her eldest sister were numbered among them. To sacrifice and risk life and limb for a cause was (and remains) simply not her way. And although she offered up lip service to The Dark Lord, the loyalty she was giving was truly to her husband and her sister. If this was where their allegiance lay then so be it. It was of little difference to Narcissa, anyway, as she still retained the protective cocoon of ineptitude and delicacy that had protected her from responsibility all her life. Just For Fun. OH BABY ITS AS GOOD AS IT GETS FIVE THINGS. FIN MADE ME! No, but seriously? Her name. To copypasta the etymology section of the HPWiki: Unlike many others of the House of Black, Narcissa does not appear to be named after a star or constellation. The name Narcissa is derived from Narcissus, a beautiful but vain character in Greek mythology from which the term narcissism, which refers to vanity and elitism, is derived. The name can also be derived from the flower by the same name, also known as daffodil. The name of the plant may also be derived from the Greek word narkoa, "to numb", referring to its narcotic properties. Thus began a long venture reading about the associations with Narcissa's name and there's so much imagery of vanity and poison and superiority, etc etc. The connection of her name to Daffodils: these sweet, pretty flowers that are actually really poisonous. In fact daffodil bulbs have been mistaken for onions and have killed people who were tricked and ate them. Which made me think about pretty things that are really deceptive and dangerous underneath. Also intrique about Narcissa ready betrayal of the Dark Lord in favor of her son. Which always made me think that Narcissa's loyalties were not to the Death Eaters or a cause but to people she loves. So of course there shall be (1) Narcissa & Andromeda dynamic. Specifically Cissa being scorned and bitter about her perceived betrayal and abandonment. (2) Narcissa & Bellatrix dynamic. I love my sibling lines, NEGL! And Cissa and Bella are the sibling-y-est ever. Narcissa relies heavily on Bella, even now. And she's not above tattling to big sister when something isn't going her way. (3) The Dark Lord finds out she has more in her head than sequins and seating arrangements = She actually has to do Death Eater type shit. O NOEZ (4) Narcissa IS crazy. All the Black sisters are crazy just in their own different ways. She need to release a little bit of her inner crazy. Exactly how will depend on time flow. Maybe she'll have a big dinner party and murder someone a la clue. Or start sending someone poisoned chocolates to slowly kill them. WE SHALL SEE! (5) Fun times with Death Eaters! Not even joking here. I've always been in games where the DEs are rigid and macabre and grim ALL THE TIME! And really? That have to have fun and laugh SOME TIME. Narcissa says utter sobriety is boring. She won't be having that shit. STRANDED A bed; sleeping on the ground is not Narcissa's speed. The complete set of the Incendio Sheets series, her favorite romance novels; boredom also does not sit well with her. Champagne; she gets thirsty! If she could pick one person it would be Lucius or Bella--basically someone that she loved and whom she knew would take care of her. Being totally alone on the island would make it her personal hell. She'd go crazy. And not in the way people say 'crazy' in casual, everyday. She'd go Cast Away, paint a face on a volleyball and start talking to it like it's a real person, crazy. |