» Whether or Not, - open, see inside -

[Everett Grimm]

- OOC details : open to anybody who would like to mock/harass/laugh at Everett about the baby, or any ladies that could offer advice.


They'd had her for close to a month now. Ev was assuming she was four weeks old by now, considering Ella had been dropped off on the doorstep on February 20th and he hoped her grandmother had at least waited a day or two before just getting rid of the infant. While he'd always figured he'd get caught up in something like this, he'd gone along for long without incident that it had caught him off guard to finally have a situation like this dropped in his lap. Of course, he always assumed the mother would be around. He hadn't even really been able to determine the mother's identity, which was awful, but the grandmother had been very clear about not wanting him to contact her again. Ev had always figured that if some woman claimed the baby was his they'd probably be right and he'd have to be financially responsible, not ACTUALLY responsible.

Damn, this sucked.

Nevertheless, he was getting extremely tired of being stuck inside the house. Finally the weather was starting to come around and he was going to take advantage of the baby carriage he'd managed to procure from his mother's belongings. He figured he should go visit her, maybe bring Ella, but he was not mentally prepared for that at this point in time.

While he found it entirely amusing to be strolling through the park on this particularly sunny afternoon, Ev couldn't help but notice all of the strange looks he was getting. Rumors spread like wildfire in this town, he had firsthand knowledge of this, but he always figured he could just let it roll off of his back, which was exactly what he would do. Despite the suddenness of this entire situation, Ev supposed he really shouldn't complain. James had not kicked his baby-daddy ass out, something he was extremely thankful for, and while Ev would never admit this out loud, he would have lost his own mind if he'd had to deal with this alone. Fortunately, even though he was an ass himself, he had good friends.

Another thing he wouldn't readily admit right off the bat was that he was actually kind of enjoying this whole daddy thing. It really wasn't all that bad. Sure, she was needy, loud and smelly sometimes, but in all honesty, after the initial shock, he'd settled into the position rather easily. As they approached the park, Ev looked down to find the little bundle sound asleep in the buggy. Well fancy that. He'd have to remember that next time it was 2am and she was crying like a maniac. He could just buggy her around the house.

Pulling out a blanket he'd tucked in the bottom of the stroller, he unfolded it on the grass near the lake and lay down on it, leaving Ella where she was. He'd learned quickly never to wake a sleeping baby. The fresh air was so nice on his cheeks that he just lay there with a foolish grin on his face starting up at the clouds, hands behind his head, relaxed for the first time in quite a while. Now if only he could get himself a job...

[Georgiana Goyle]

Georgiana sighed as she absorbed the scenery around. Yes, spring was certainly underway, but yet, she was dreading it as it meant that a new Season was drawing near. Would her betrothed return from his journeys and marry her before the Season would end, or would he continue to tour the world and leave her unmarried for as long as possible? Georgiana thought the latter more probable as he would most possibly put an end to the engagement once his mother and father pass and her mien to begin to take on the apparent effects of old age. No matter how very little Georgiana thought of her appearance in general, she was well aware that no man wanted an unattractive wife.

As her chaperone trailed behind her, Georgiana let out another sigh, but this time of annoyance. It was quite exhausting (not to mention, irritable) that a servant or an spinster woman should have to watch her every movement due to some silly rule that women ought to be protected at all times. Georgiana rather thought that her education up at the school was useless as weren’t her instructors instilling into her mind that her education taught her how to defend herself in real life? To Georgiana, this seemed a little far-fetched as a witch of her era was supposed to not use her wand in public unless it was an emergency, and it infuriated her. The money her father provided for her education was for nothing, and Georgiana was quite a frugal young lady despite her elevated status as an Upper-Class young lady of limitless means.

As the sun’s rays fell upon her olive complexion, Georgiana could not help but paused in her step and tilt her head just slightly upwards so the rays could fall upon each feature of her face. Though she dreaded the upcoming Season, she could not lie when she confesses that the weather of spring and summer were absolutely divine to her. Not only could she wander outside the confines of her house without receiving odd glances, but she could be able to wander out into the sun, as well. Of course, fashion statements deemed that tanned skin was unattractive upon a woman’s form, but Georgiana rather thought that her getting slightly darker would not be a travesty as she is not in possession of delicate, creamy skin anyway. Truthfully, she was rather fond of her appearance when her complexion was darker. It tended to display exoticness about her that she knew she lacked.

Georgiana was not aware of how long of a time she had been standing, basking in the sun’s rays, but she soon snapped back to reality once she recognized her chaperone’s grunt of disapproval. Georgiana resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Helene rather found most things to her disliking or improper, and those qualities rather made Georgiana come to the conclusion that if she weren’t so disagreeable, she would have already been married besides becoming a spinster in want of some productive activity to consume her time with. Helene was a beautiful woman of three-and-thirty, but her stoic and cold expressionless face concealed her beauty, otherwise.

Looking over to where Helene found her disapproval, Georgiana resisted the urge to gasp. She only knew Mr. Grimm through the papers and as Hogwarts former Flying Instructor, but she found the scene before her quite sweet (though rather astonishing). It has been rumored that the baby was left upon Mr. Grimm’s doorstep, but Georgiana had not the decency to inquire of whether or not the rumor Mr. Grimm’s being a father was an actuality because, on the one hand, she could care less about other people’s business, but then on the other, she was just still disinterested. However, now that the rumor had been confirmed true, Georgiana was able to smile upon the grown man on the blanket next to the baby pram. It was quite amusing.

Approaching the young man (was he even considered young anymore?), Georgiana stopped where she was, and said, “Good afternoon, Mr. Grimm. Do not get the wrong impression of my approaching you so freely. I have no intention of harassing you over you current position as this young child’s father, as I was merely going to confess how brave it is of you to show your face around in public with the child. It is not every day that you come across a grown man of your status pushing an infant’s pram through a park.” She smiled in amusement at her last statement, mirth shining in her eyes. She ignored Helene’s disapproving huff and mumbles of her mistress’s impropriety.

tag: everett (and baby ella) | outfit: here | notes: none
made by Emily exclusively for Charming

[Everett Grimm]

Ev wasn't sure just how long he'd been happily staring into space, but Ella was quiet, only stirring occasionally, but remaining blissfully asleep in the warm sunshine. He couldn't blame her, the sky was a nice clear blue, it was relatively peaceful in the park, only a few voices stirring the air now and then with laughter. He almost nodded off himself when a female voice roused him from the fog of half-sleep.

Sitting up, he watched the young woman and her chaperon approach, the the older woman clearly was not amused by the other's decision to speak with him. Ev was completely amused however, so decided that indulging this young lass in a conversation was likely worth his time.

Her words caught him off guard however. He knew that his current situation was not exactly private information any more. Rumors spread like wildfire in this small town and while the stupid newspaper only expedited the process, he figured just about everybody would know about Ella in the month's time he'd had her. Was it brave of him to show his face in public like this? Ev hadn't really thought about it that way; he'd just wanted to get out of the house for a little while and he couldn't exactly leave Ella there by herself. He wasn't the ideal father for any little girl, but e was no moron and he learned quickly. In all reality, he'd enjoyed himself so far. Of course the sleepless nights and constant diaper changing was taking some getting used to, but it didn't really affect him as much any more.

Taking her words at their face value, Ev grinned at her. "I'm afraid it was a selfish need to get out of the house that provoked our walk today, not bravery." In all honesty, he'd been hoping somebody would approach him today, he was honestly curious as to what the consensus around town was about his current situation. While, he never paid much attention to what other people had to say, he would not stand for anything negative being said about Ella. He had faith that people knew she was the innocent party in this whole fiasco, so he wasn't entirely worried about it, but still, people could be cruel. It was something he would have to deal with in the future no doubt. "I will admit that pushing the carriage is half of the fun, though." He had thoroughly enjoyed the scandalous looks he'd gotten while strolling down the street with it earlier to which he replied with a smirk and a wave as if to say, Ha! I don't fail at everything! Not that he had anything to prove.

"It's reassuring however, to know that not everybody is looking down on me. Thank you Miss." He said, and it really was a nice thing to know.

[Georgiana Goyle]

Georgiana must have spoken a bit too suddenly, and without thought, because Mr. Grimm seemed to startle awake, alerting her that he must have been asleep before she disrupted him. Georgiana knew that she should feel guilty for waking him from his slumber, but as the words were already spoken and an expression of astonishment flitted over his handsome face, Georgiana brushed away the guilt and awaited his reaction to her words. However, she must admit that she would be irritated if someone had suddenly awoken her when the day was so fine that the birds were singing their chirps; the new flowers of spring sent a sweet, floral fragrance into the air, and there were only a few wisps of clouds adorning the sky as the sun’s rays beat gently upon their faces. Yes, it was quite a beautiful day, and even the young babe in the pram seemed to recognize the peacefulness of the day as she (Georgiana assumed the baby was a girl as there was a pink blanket in the pram) lay snoozing peacefully, unaware of anything but her sweet dreams.

At sight of the amusement within his eyes (and the devilish smirk threatening to overcome his features), Georgiana put on a smirk that slightly resembled Mr. Grimm’s amusement as she turned to assess her tsk-ing chaperone that was staring ahead expressionlessly. Yes, it was certainly an odd occurrence; an occurrence that Georgiana herself had begun because of her curiosity to discover of whether Mr. Grimm’s daughter was actually his child. She found it amusing what motives she would commit when she yearned to satisfy her curiosities. She had once crashed a wedding under the disguise of the bride’s distant cousin just so she could discover of whether or not the groom had, indeed, been her betrothed as the rumor circulated he was. But no, her betrothed was not yet married, and it is her belief that he shall never marry her at all. He will continue to tour the world until Georgiana’s father becomes desperate for his youngest daughter’s marriage that Mr. Goyle would cease the agreement of a betrothal and betrothed his daughter to someone else that would have her. Her mother and father are hoping that Georgiana would be married by the end of the 1882 Season, or at least before the New Year. If not, there was going to be a bit of a strain within the Goyle household until Georgiana was married and settled with an appropriate husband chosen by her ‘affectionate’ parents.

Georgiana was brought out of her thoughts when Mr. Grimm addressed her after his expression of surprise wore down some, and she nodded. Yes, it was far too peaceful a day to be confined within the walls of one’s home, which not even a man whom evidently knew he was the object of scorn and gossip, could resist. Still, Georgiana thought it rather gallant of Mr. Grimm to be present in a public place in the presence of the baby girl that was innocent in the whole situation. However, Georgiana found herself drawn to the young babe that she sweetly smile, a rare occurrence that only occurred when she was in the presence of her nieces and nephews. There was not much that could faze Georgiana’s cold and calculating demeanor, but it would seem that children and fine weather were her weaknesses.

Georgiana let out a chuckle as he admitted that he found pushing the baby pram amusing, but she was still quite surprised that he would find such a deed as such. Most men of his status would leave the raising of children to the women, governesses, or nannies; but then, however, Georgiana had to chastise herself for thinking as she was as she had to remind herself that Mr. Grimm perhaps had no woman to care for the young girl, and thus, was left to his own devices. She wondered if his roommate, Mr. Riley, was of any assistance when it came to the baby, or did Mr. Riley confess that the child was Mr. Grimm’s duty, and thus, left the man to his devices?

“Well,” she went on after he showed his gratitude for her not scorning him and the baby, “to scorn the child for being born is simply outrageous as she most assuredly had no control over her birth. However,” she flitted her gaze from the peacefully dozing babe to Mr. Grimm, mirth evident in her dark eyes but her face appeared serious, “you ought to have known that certain deeds do tend to lead towards certain consequences,” she ended with a bold wink. She heard her chaperone’s sharp intake of infuriated breath, but Georgiana merely pretended to ignore the older woman as she had no patience to quarrel with Helene over the improper use of words; however, Georgiana must admit that it was the kindest (and most proper) way to word what was on her mind.

tag: here | outfit: here | notes: none
made by Emily exclusively for Charming

[Everett Grimm]

Well, wasn't this young lady rather brash? Everett couldn't help but keep his smirk affixed to his lips as she spoke. Ev was still, subconsciously relieved that not everybody was looking down their noses on him. He didn't really care, or so he kept telling himself. His ego was already too big for something like this to deflate it, but it had taken a beating over the last month or so. Thank goodness for good friends and alcohol.

About to say something further, a little whimper and the beginning of what was typically a very loud wail from his daughter, Ev released a sigh mixed with a chuckle and stood from his seat on the ground. Looking in the pram he found her wide awake as always, looking for attention. Good thing he had little else to give her. A girl had never kept his attention for so long, but then again, the girls he tended to give attention to never hung around long enough to let him to do so, which was okay in his books. He would readily admit it was very tiresome, though not completely awful, to maintain affections. Of course, he'd be doing this for the next two decades or so...

Plucking her ever so carefully from the carriage, Ev scooped her up with as much ease as a parent could. He'd realized that while Ella was awfully tiny and fragile, she was not going to break at his touch, though he had been exponentially more careful in the beginning, now it was like second nature. The movement seemed to appease her as Ev naturally started to bounce and rock her, at least to keep her entertained and happy. As long as she was moving, she was happy. Maybe she really was his after all. "I must say, while you are quite right, this is a very natural consequence for somebody who leads a life like mine. I was astonished that it didn't come back around to me sooner." He laughed. It was true. Ev had always counted himself lucky over the last five years or so that he hadn't had this happen yet. While it had been a surprise to have Ella dumped on his door, the circumstances were not exactly how he'd pictured they would be. No, Everett had fully expected one of his past lovers to show up on his door, with two weeks to go proclaiming him the father and he would be financially responsible for them. He had not expected for the grandmother of the baby to just drop her off, announcing that she was his and that the baby's mother had died in childbirth. He wasn't even sure he could recollect who Ella's mother was. He wasn't even sure if this whole thing wasn't just some ruse to get the mother out of providing for her, but Ev had accepted responsibility and was running with it now. While their situation was not ideal, the poor girl had no mother and an inept father and uncle looking after her, at least she was safe, warm and fed.

I must also say, that the kind of women I tend to have relations with, are not exactly know for their chaste behavior, so the identity of the father is somewhat left to chance. I' afraid in this case, the situation was clearly extreme for somebody to have left an infant in my care." He shrugged, though that was probably far too much information. Ev had some subconscious need to tell his side of the story though her wink had been encouraging to keep up the humorous nature of the conversation, instead of letting it turn serious. Ev had never exactly been one for propriety either. If he was, he wouldn't be in his current situation.