#her humor little idle animations and attitude in general are so great

[terg-verde]

who is the best Ikenfell character and why is it Gilda

[bi-apps]

Accepted - Emma Vanity

slytherin-writes

submitted:

OOC INFORMATION:

Name/Age/Timezone:

M, 22, CET.

Activity Level:

About a 6? I do have college and some work to compete with RP!

Ships/Anti-Ships:

Emma/Chemistry, Emma/No Chemistry.

Did you read the rules?

I have, yes! I could not find a rule password, though.

IC INFORMATION:

Character Name:

Emmanuella Vittoria Vanidad. At least, that was before her father anglicized it after the family first made land in the United Kingdom. Her name is loaded with history from across the globe, most of it in their home country Brazil — which is why she considers it such a tragedy to have to go by Emma Victoria Vanity nowadays.

EMMA — ( em-mah ) :

The nickname her father always used for her, chasing after her in their house as she waddled around. “Emma, minha filhinha,” — she’d giggle when he used the nickname, and wrap her tiny arms around her Papa’s leg. The name in itself meant whole, or universal, but for their family, it was a name that had been in their lineage for a long time, and she herself carried it as an homage to her great-grandmother, who had been so instrumental in her fathers’ upbringing.

VICTORIA — ( vik-toh-ri-ah ) :

Ironic, if you consider her future career choice, that her mother decided to name her after the word “victory”, but it was a choice that made Emma incredibly proud of her full name. It was something that kept her going when times were rough, when instead of victory, she was faced with defeat — it was almost like a promise, from her mother, from herself, get knocked down seven times, get up eight.

VANITY — ( van-uh-tee ) :

It was a name that meant much more back home. Vanidad — an ancient Brazilian pureblood dynasty, their connections spread around the globe, their lineage pure of blood ( though they don’t actually care much about such things, or so they claim), and with vaults full of fortune. They’ve always been one of the more withdrawn families, hoarding their money and working in the shadows to make sure their power remained established, but Emma’s father, by his move to the United Kingdom and social prowess, went against all of that, instead deciding to push them into the light.

Age/Birthdate:

Currently twenty years old, Emma was born on April 9th.

THE DAY OF EXCESS : [ SOURCE ]

April 9 people are certainly one of a kind. They are often the extreme embodiment of unusual trends in society, their talents conveyed in excess. Any compromise, restriction or tempering of their abilities is out of the question. Usually, they leave no doubt as to their views on any subject — they are outspoken, direct, sometimes even harsh. But talking about what they do is not really their specialty; they just prefer doing it, which usually means doing it a lot. April 9 people have a particular genius for translating ideas into action, giving rein to their fantasies in the most practical ways. They can even make a good living doing so. Fortunately, their ideas are usually of a social nature and thus enrich the lives of others. April 9 people have strange thought processes, often quite humorous, but are not idle dreamers. On the contrary, they have a strong realistic streak and the uncanny ability to know when an idea’s time has come.

ARIES SUN, LEO MOON : [ SOURCE ]

You are someone who needs attention and sometimes you go a bit overboard being dramatic in order to get it. You have a clear presence that gets you attention; however, you still use your clothing and behavior to acquire it. A condescending attitude toward others is possible, but you laugh easily and are generous and this essentially compensates for that. You have a strong loyalty that makes up for your lofty persona and your intuition is generally reliable. That means that you generally know who to be loyal to and how to go about it. One of the main features that you have is being yourself, which is very much an individual who marches to the beat of your own drummer. You have the courage of spirit to be real, to be creative, coupled with ambition and assertiveness that makes you a unique individual. This results in a person who is the paradigm example of an Aries; one who strives to attain power as well as status along with creativity. Defensiveness and self-justification are foreign as far as your character is concerned, thanks to your inborn confidence deep within you.

ALDER TREE : [ SOURCE ]

If you are an Alder sign within the Celtic tree astrology system, you are a natural-born pathfinder. You’re a mover and a shaker and will blaze a trail with fiery passion often gaining loyal followers to your cause. You are charming, gregarious and mingle easily with a broad mix of personalities. In other words, Alder signs get along with everybody and everybody loves to hang around with you. This might be because Alder’s are easily confident and have a strong self-faith. This self-assurance is infectious and other people recognize this quality in you instantly. Alder people place a high value on their time and feel that wasting time is insufferable. They are motivated by action and results.

THE FOX : [ SOURCE ]

The fox sign is amazingly cunning and knows how to work a room with sly, sexy humor. Full of guile, vigor and bright intelligence the fox is an untamable force. This Celtic animal sign is the one to take with you on exotic vacations, they will wind your ways into amazing adventures. They have a knack for storytelling, and every experience is fodder for their tales. They are tender-hearted, although they don’t show that soft side too often because they’re too busy playing and cracking jokes. However, they aren’t shy about showing their loyalty; if you are the friend of the fox, you have a friend for life. Highly energetic and courageous, the fox has an indomitable spirit.

Faceclaim:

Camila Mendes is my first choice, but if she’s taken, I’m also good with Sofia Carson or Shay Mitchell, though her info would need a few adjustments ethnicity-wise.

Occupation:

Recruited in her final year of Hogwarts, Emma started playing for the Montrose Magpies as a Chaser right away, her Quidditch skills considered near-legendary, though her reckless nature being somewhat of a problem. Still, she amassed a large following of fans in a short time, most famous for throwing the Quaffle so hard she broke the opposite Keeper’s nose — and still managed to score. As of September, she has been made Captain of the team, somewhat of a remarkable feat considering her young age and proneness to dangerous choices, but she has shown in her first two matches that she has what it takes. After fulfilling her life-long dream to play and captain for the Magpies, her goal is now to join the national team.

Blood Status:

Pureblood ( secretly ¼th Veela ).

Traits:

( + ) — ADVENTUROUS :

There’s always been something craving for an adventure inside Emma. She feared to become a boring housewife for as long as she could remember, never wanting to be one of those women who lost the sparkle in their eyes. Anything new and exciting immediately brightens up her life, and never having been shy, she is willing to try it all — if just for the thrill of it. Some part of her enjoys danger, the jitters that come with trying something unexpected. Though some of the pressures in her life have made her dim down slightly, she still longs for the next great adventure — always wanting more from life, taking a step out of bounce solely to see the consequences. She used to be much more reckless in her craving for adventure, following whatever impulse she might have without much of a second thought about consequences, but since entering her career at the higher level, she has been much more serious.

( + ) — CHARISMATIC :

Even aside from her Veela nature, there has always been a charismatic edge to everything she did or said. The way her lips curled into a smile was enticing and could light up a room. Whenever Emma entered a party, the night was made — an almost legendary conversationalist, with her scintillating wit, people were immediately drawn in by the long-legged brunette. She was always there for an easy smile or a quip to make you laugh, earning the title of ‘popular’ without really trying all too hard. Of course, like her adventurous side, her charisma has dimmed slightly — the weight of expectations placed on her shoulder making that previously easy smile a little harder, she wants too much, she pushes too hard. Still, there is always still that touch of light to her, wrapping people around her fingers with seeming ease.

( + ) — LOYAL :

It always comes as a surprise, when people realize how loyal Emma really is. For those in her closest circle, she will set the world on fire and get herself thrown in Azkaban if it means they would be safe. With less than a handful of people, it is even an unconditional sort of loyalty, where even if they stabbed her in the back — she would smile and thank them. It may be hard to earn her at your side like that, but when someone does, they have a fierce protector in their lives. It is a trait her father despises to see, always urging her to be less involved, to simply not care, because it’s just another person in the path to power he wants her to follow, another person she would have to make sure kept out of her way. Though she has taken to his advice and become more selective in her friends, especially her inner circle, the loyalty she brings to the table is something that will never be questionable, not even by her father — she’d sooner die than break her bond with those closest to her.

( +/- ) — CUNNING :

Her sharp edge was never faked. Dulled, especially under the influence of alcohol, occasionally — but never once fake. It was part of the reason she’d been sorted into Slytherin House, after all, and no one could deny her ambition. Opportunistic to a fault, she has often resorted to playing dirty in order to get to her goals. Emma Vanity might never betray a friend, she does not think twice about anyone else. Whilst this often turns out well in her favor, she has little care for the people it might hurt, even thinks quite lowly of them for not taking the same hard swings as she did. She sees these people as weak, as below her on the food chain. Still, her opportunistic edge has brought her far in life, especially in her Quidditch career. Emma might come in late every now and then after a long night out, but that doesn’t stop her from kicking ass on the Pitch.

( +/- ) — ENIGMATIC :

Her parents had always instilled a certain fear into Emma about being open and honest about herself. Vanity’s were the ones that manipulated from the shadows, they were the power behind the throne, not the ones wearing the crown. Mystery was their weapon, because when no one knew exactly how much you were worth, whose ears you held, or even who, exactly, you were related to, they could not expect or prepare for your next move, and if they could not do that, it was quite easy to overthrow them. So, from the moment she could understand him, Emma was told by her parents to be an enigma, to never have all her cards on the table, to always leave them guessing about who you were and what you could do. And while her parents, and now she, consider it a strength, it has also lead to Emma having trouble with trusting others, or even talking about her feelings.

( +/- ) — AMBITIOUS :

Though it isn’t a very pronounced trait, mostly due to her nature as a wild child — or even her reputation as a ditz, there was a reason Emma was sorted into the house of the Snakes. Ambition, in combination with her cunning streak, was very prominent in the girl. Wealth was always at the tip of her fingers, but there were other things she could strive for — especially Quidditch-related, but also throwing the best parties, having the best outfit, and getting into the most trouble. Emma Vanity never half-assed anything, if she wants something, she will go for it, teeth bared for all the world to see, despite her parents’ ever-lasting warnings. She is incredibly determined when it comes to her goals, to the point where barely anything can stop her when she’s got her eye on it, but that’s not always a good thing.

( - ) — MISCHIEVOUS :

Le diable est une femme. The devil is a woman. There’s no denying that wherever Emma goes, trouble follows. Before the responsibilities of professional Quidditch and living outside of Hogwarts were placed on her shoulders, she was considered downright wicked by some, enjoying ruining the lives of others for her own entertainment, but like many things, that weight placed on her brought this trait down just the slightest bit too. Just because she is now supposed to be more ‘serious’, does not mean Emma has lost her penchant for mischief — but instead of largely using it for entertainment purposes, she now applies it to more practical efforts. No one knows jinxes and bombs like Emma, and her love for finding out the latest gossip and using it to her own advantage has not stopped either. She can create chaos within a second, simply because during her years at Hogwarts, that was all she ever did.

( - ) — HEDONISTIC :

Years of being one of the wizarding worlds’ biggest party girls have left their impact on Emma very strongly. She lives a life in pursuit of pleasure, of any kind — and doesn’t mind how she gets to it. Flutes of champagne that never stop flowing, other, less reputable party favors she hopes her father never hears of, even sleeping with the first person she can get her hands on, it’s all part of Emma’s lifestyle. When you have the kind of money she does, everything comes handed to you on a silver platter, and her view was always one of ‘why not’, instead of focussing on the negatives those things brought. She enjoys indulging herself, but doesn’t know her own limits — or rather, she does, but she also likes to test those limits whenever she has the chance to. Though it has given her a reputation, one that reduces her to not much more of a ditzy socialite, traipsing from one party to the next, and that is something she often tries to use to her advantage.

( - ) — OVERINDULGED :

No was not a word that showed up in Emma’s vocabulary, not for the first couple years of her life, at least. She was the only daughter of parents that had an entire world of wealth at arm’s length, and they did not skimp on their precious little girl. Everything she wanted, she got — and often double of it, just in case something happened to the first. There was nothing they wouldn’t give her, nothing she ever really had to work for, and while she was generous with sharing what she possessed, it did create a side of Emma that absolutely could not stand when someone dared to deny her something she wanted. She learned to be persuasive, alluring, finding more ways to get what she wanted aside from just asking for it, but if someone still won’t give it to her, the little spoiled brat quickly returns to rear her head.

Patronus:

The dolphin.

There is an adventurous and carefree nature to the dolphin, one that is reflected in those with it as their patronus. They are incredibly unique individuals, and quite often social and loved by most. They are strong and like to explore new things and meet new people. Despite their need to be themselves and individuality, they can at times become incredibly dependent on others, asking them for help in every aspect of their life. They can sometimes forget how to function on their own and start to feel down or like a different person when they are not surrounded by others, which can make them seem needy. (x)

Boggart:

Herself, as a housewife.

The thing Emma fears most in this world is becoming a kept woman. She has dreams, she has ambitions, especially regarding Quidditch — but is well-aware a woman in pureblood society has set expectations of what their lives should be like. Getting married to an important man straight out of school, popping out babies until her husband is satisfied, and fading out into a dull middle age, the opposite of what she wants. Emma Vanity is not meant for such a life, she knows it deep down in her soul, and is willing to do anything to make sure she’ll never end up there. Her recent betrothal has made the fear even worse, and she feels the shackles closing around her wrists with every passing moment, causing her to lash out further.

Key Points:

The Vanidad family of Brazil was renowned in Pureblood society for three things: their perfectly pure lineage, their excessive wealth, and most importantly — their fertility issues. For years, the family became smaller and smaller, the problem not much helped by how they refused to marry outside of their circles, or heaven forbid, someone who’s blood purity couldn’t be traced back for at least a century. When Emma’s father, Giuseppe, was born, his twin sister following a few minutes after, the family considered it nothing short of a miracle.

Treated like a young prince, forced into etiquette and manners, and always told to pull up his nose at anyone lesser — it was surprising to all of his family that the boy turned out to be a bit of a dreamer. The House of Vanidad was one of tradition, one where publicity, good or bad, was a death sentence, and most of all, they were incredibly rooted in their home country. The connotations to their name were only known in the most coveted circles of high society, their wealth was shrouded in absolute secrecy, and they were seclusive, to say the least — though not enough that it did not strike a chord with most regular members of wizarding society. Both fear and awe was something they cultivated.

With their fertility issues and desire to keep the line pure but without inbreeding, the Vanidad’s had soon learned to seek their betrothals outside of the country, which is how Giuseppe wound up with a young, French woman named Camille. They did not meet until a month before their set wedding date, but while Giuseppe was definitely surprised at the beauty of his wife-to-be, what definitely set her apart was her personality. Cultured, sophisticated, and manipulative — though he was unaware of that final one, he definitely felt the effects. Camille heard his whispers of dreams, of raising his family out of that secrecy they so craved, and return it to glory. A name everyone knew. A name everyone wanted to be associated with. They were grand now, grand and ancient and splendid, but they could be so much more. Camille heard it all, and then she went to work.

Not until after their wedding was official did she tell him the truth. Camille’s father had fallen in love with a Veela, and she had been the offspring of that union, though he had kept it secret. It was considered almost normal in France, but there and across the world, it was not. Luckily for her, he did not see it as a downside, but instead as an opportunity, not realizing that she used the gifts of her heritage on him too. She got him to promise her a great many things, but the most important was this: that they would not let their family die out in Brazil.

Giuseppe Senior, his father, passed on the exact day they found out Camille was pregnant with their first child, thus making him the next great patriarch of the Vanidad family. Tears of joy and tears of grief mingled, as people touched the expecting mothers’ belly at the elaborate funeral — though his own was surprisingly dry. His mother had been born in London, a Greengrass by birth, before leaving to marry in Brazil, but she had held onto her connections back home and had made sure her son had done the same with the children of her former peers. And as a few of them showed up for her husbands’ funeral, they whispered of a rumor that made Giuseppe’s eyes go wide — not with fear, but with opportunity.

Knights of Walpurgis, a wizarding society where the purebloods ruled, a Dark Lord promising power to those who searched for it. Once the funeral was over, he told Camille all he had heard, and though her husband looked at it mostly in terms of social status, she saw something else, too — power. Giuseppe was a little hesitant, but she was not, and with all the sway she held over her husband, they started making plans for their move the very next day.

Despite their plans to have her born on English soil and make sure the next generation was firmly rooted in that country, Emmanuella Vittoria Vanidad was born two weeks before her mother was due, climbing her way out kicking and screaming. It was much to her grandmother’s delight, who had disagreed with the move, wanting to follow her husband’s wishes, despite his death. She had reluctantly agreed to come with them to the United Kingdom, to reunite with her own family there, and to help them in raising little Emma. And even though she was early, even though she was a girl, even though she’d upended all their plans — her parents were overjoyed with the birth of their child.

It had taken them three years to get to this moment, three years of seeing magical fertility specialists, three years of countless potions that made Camille sick more often than not, but finally, she was there — Giuseppe’s coveted heir, his little Emmanuella, tufts of dark hair sticking up from her head as they wrapped her in the pink blanket and handed her to him. Despite her birth, Giuseppe had no plans to wait more than another week on their move.

Exhausted and holding onto their newborn, the Vanidad’s finally arrived in London — and after hearing official after official horribly mispronouncing their surname, they made yet another bold move. An anglicized version. Vanity. His family, being horribly insulted by the change, was smoothed over by lies from Camille. It would make them fit in better, people would accept them, their anonymity would remain. The last one was especially powerful. But when they moved into that enormous estate in Virginia Water, all bets were off.

Attention from the English pureblood society was drawn quite quickly — especially not when you were also related to one of their Sacred Twenty-Eight families through your mother, or considering the fact that your wife had some sort of a supernatural charm about her, or that your daughter was just so impossibly adorable. Camille and Giuseppe found themselves with a stack of invitations to every pureblood ball, charity gala, or even social event a week later, something they took advantage of greedily, leaving their newborn in the care of either her grandmother or one of their various hired helps.

Emma Vanity grew up in the lap of luxury, with absentee parents, but a gaggle of tutors and nannies chasing after her at any given time. Whenever her parents were home, they were loving, doting even — it was just that they loved their social life more. She was left in good hands, they would have no less for their only child — especially when it was so unlikely they would ever have another, but they still left her.

Raised the same way most of her pureblood peers were, her life consisted of tutoring ( both magical and other ), fittings for her clothes, and a variety of events that her parents deemed appropriate for her to attend. That was of course until she spotted the broom one of the cooks standing in their foyer. Emma was immediately intrigued by the object. She’d heard of brooms, of course, but Vanity’s did not use that kind of transportation.

So, she climbed onto the broom, and for thirty seconds — it was like everything was right in the world. And then, of course, she fell on her ass. But Emma Vanity was and never will be a quitter. As a child of extremely wealthy parents, she’d never learned the word consequence, so she took the broom outside without asking the owner, and continued her efforts. It took almost the entire day, complete with a lot of hiding from her tutors ( which was easy when they weren’t looking up ), but at the end of it, she managed to zoom around the estate like she’d been doing this for years. Of course, at the exact moment she attempted to do a dive, her father walked into the gardens and saw her hovering there. Giuseppe and Camille forbade her from any more flying, to instantly return the broom, and chastised her for the mud she’d gotten all over her robes. But the next day, Emma found the brooms stacked in the kitchen closet, and she tried again.

It took her a while to find a decent balance between sneaking off to fly and attending all the activities her parents wanted her too. Mostly, she skipped out on the clothing fittings — asking one of the staff members’ children, who also joined them for tutoring on the estate, to pretend to be her instead. Either the two of them truly did look alike, or the tailors simply didn’t care, but it worked, Emma’s clothes still fit, and she managed to get a steady hour of flying in almost every day — longer, if she got the chance. It was no surprise that when some of her friends returned from their first year at Hogwarts and told her about the Quidditch teams, she immediately knew that she would aim to join one as soon as she got her chance. No one could deny Emma was a natural, backed with almost three years of practice whenever she found a moment — she should be able to get in, right?

But when she got to Hogwarts, and they sorted her into Slytherin, the Quidditch captain saw that excited first-year smile, and even without letting her try out — told her not to even bother until next year. Emma, quickly found out that most of the subjects in school had been covered in her tutoring, and now with her also excluded from the team for at least another year, was not just angry — she was something much worse than that. She was bored. And the school soon learned to fear whenever Emma Vanity was bored. Dubbed a troublemaker from the moment she entered Hogwarts, she started fights, pulled pranks, and insulted teachers. Luckily for, but unbeknownst to her, the Veela nature lurking in her blood made her charming, able to sweet-talk her way out of most permanent marks, and when that failed, her parents and their endless supply of money never did. Ironically, her misbehavior also made her popular — the attention of older years quickly drawn by this young upstart, and they invited her to their parties, if only just for the entertainment she brought.

Emma returned for her second year with a vengeance. They had tried to send her away from try-outs again, but she forced them to let her join, to watch her fly. And then when they realized she hadn’t been lying last year about her abilities and let her join as a chaser, she grinned and told them that by next year she’d be their captain — earning laughs. It was no surprise that after her first Quidditch game, Emma’s popularity skyrocketed. Not only was she an extraordinarily gifted player, but she had also gained a trouble-makers reputation, and she knew for a fact that most of her peers were jealous that they invited her to all the parties they were still deemed too young for. And truth be told, their decision on that was correct because Emma was also too young for them, too young and too impressionable, she did not take well to it. Of course, she loved it, being popular, hanging out with seventeen-year-olds, and even being offered alcohol — but that doesn’t mean it was any good for her. At only age fifteen, Emma had fallen into a life filled with nothing but debauchery, frequently receiving howlers from her parents and grandmother — with her only saving grace being that excellence in Quidditch, which they finally chose to see as a positive.

As she’d promised, she’d become Quidditch captain in her third year, riding it out until her final year. It was the one thing she was actually serious about, showing up to the Pitch every single day, hangover or no hangover, and pushing herself and the team for nothing but perfection. It was the one constant in her entire academic career, despite the fact that her tutors had definitely done their job well enough to make sure her grades were still up to par, it was the one thing that offered her any kind of future aside from partying every single night, spending her family fortune, and dying an early death. Quidditch forced her not to go too far, to make sure she still had something she should be prepared for. It was her heart and soul, something that made her trainwreck of a lifestyle better by heaps. It was no surprise she was scouted by the Montrose Magpies during one of her final matches and joined the team fresh out of school.

Her career forced her to make sure she had her life a little more under control, to make sure she had some semblance of restraint, to make sure she passed her drug tests, but mostly, to make sure she did not lose this beautiful opportunity. To make sure she was not going to lose out on her life’s dream. And then, of course, there was the other thing. A war, raging all around. It followed her around wherever she went, and though her parents allied with the Death Eaters ( even though they were too cowardly to be more than just supporters ) she did not, actually, give a shit. She agrees somewhat with the Death Eater philosophy, largely based on her upbringing and circle of friends, but Emma does not feel strong enough either way to join the fight — and she frequently quips that the only side she’ll ever stand on is her own. But when it’s happening all around her, with the battles that happen in the street, and wixen being carted off to Azkaban every single day, for how long? How long until she has to pick a side, pick up arms and leave her problematic but comfortable little life?

She tries not to think about it. Emma Vanity has better things to do.

Changes/Extra Info:

I was wondering if you would be okay with having Emma as neutral for now? I could see her sort of being forced into joining the Death Eaters later on as she has to make the choice or be considered kind of a blood traitor — but I feel like she very much prizes her neutrality and doesn’t actually care much for the war aside from what it can do for her. If this is not okay, I can make adjustments to her info as well.

Para Sample:

The biting cold was stinging her cheeks, but Emma could not bring herself to lower her broom to where the air was less frigid. Flying was the only thing that ever cleared her mind — aside from drinking, which seemed a little too much for eleven in the morning — and being captain of the Magpies gained her the privilege to use their stadium Pitch at whatever time it convenienced her. She’d been up here for the last two hours, escaping her parental home, where she was feeling particularly stifled. Here, at least, the air felt clear, and so did her mind.

Her parents always did enjoy springing things on her during breakfast, the serene lands of the Vanity estate in the background, calm and gentle — until either she or they started screaming about whatever they’d decided for her, it was not often, her parents did truly love her in that sense, but whenever they made a decision like that, it was always final. This morning, it had not even gotten that far. Emma had stood up, and she had walked out. Not even the majordomo had been able to stop her from picking up her coat and walking right out of those ornate doors. His huff of indignation when she refused to close it behind her, at the very least, brought her some humor.

A betrothal! The thought still raged inside her, even after two hours of flying. How dare they?!She knew her family was traditional, but as her parents only child, as the girl who her grandmother and aunties all doted upon for years — she’d held hope. Maybe, she would be the exception, maybe her parents loved her just enough to let her make that choice for herself. Foolish, it seemed. She should have seen it as a choice; her parents would let her enjoy the “frivolities of that unladylike sport”, as they so liked to put it, as long as she went to the marriage altar without complaint. So, so foolish of her to believe there wouldn’t be a price.

Still, with her anger, a new feeling had set in as well — settling in her stomach like she’d just swallowed a heavy rock. Fear. What would she have to do, what would she have to become, could she just say no, and risk the consequences? What would happen to her when her parents, her friends, her entire community, turned their backs? Could she get him to break it off instead, so the consequences wouldn’t fall to her? The questions kept piling up, and as long as Emma flew, as much as she drank afterward — the answers just wouldn’t come.