for one so fair

GUINEVERE BẠCH. Owner of the Red Orchard.

[guinevere--bach]

HAPPIESTPLACEHQ TASK 11 - INTRO & CONNECTIONS

guinevere bạch ~ thirty-eight ~ businesswoman ~ she/her (cis woman) [ bio / muse / headcanons / pinterest / spotify ]

Character Information

Guinevere was born Lucy Laverne in a forgotten little town in Missouri. Her family came from a respected old-money lineage, heirs to a decently sized fortune, which by the time Lucy and her four sisters came to be, had been fully spent by their father.

Ever since she was young, she knew she was prettier than the other girls, and so she used her beauty to get the respect and adoration she felt entitled to by her surname. Sharp and cunning as she was, Guinevere managed to land a rich husband while studying as a chemistry major.

Despite her social smarts, friendships were never high in her priority list, at least not half as high as securing the social and financial position she knew she deserved. Her late second husband left her his shares in several companies and businesses, which Guinevere was more than happy to use to amass a fortune for herself.

She would be hard-pressed to admit it, but her main trait is her overpowering, furious envy. Guinevere is willing to do anything to secure her power and status, and even though she presents herself as rather evasive and mysterious, she has a constant need to be the center of attention and to be admired and respected.

Her biggest concern is Sofia, her stepdaughter, who has been deemed the sole heir of her late father's entire estate. She has been focused on getting her neatly manicured hands on the Bạch riches for the last several years and is determined to acquire it before the girl gets to it first.

Wanted Connections

Allies: Everyone has a price, and Guinevere is more than happy to pay anything if it gets her what she wants. She is naturally suspicious of being taken advantage of, however, so whatever interested party would need to prove their loyalty to her before considering using and being used as a true accomplice.

Foes: Ruthlessness in business certainly helped Guinevere come a long way, but that meant she made a few enemies along the way. Your muse might have been a victim of her many acquisitions, maybe even the responsable of some small businesses closing.

Lovers: Being a beautiful woman comes with its perks, and one of them is that it has never been particularly difficult for Guinevere to find partners, and for possible partners to find her. And yet, one must keep in mind that she is very unlikely to return the feelings of a potentially smitten lover. It is, however, not impossible.

Sycophants: Is your muse a social climber, too? Are they envious of Guinevere's position? Well, they can certainly try to get close to her for their own benefit. Who knows, maybe she will recognize a bit of her drive in them and agree to allow them to become close enough to bask in her success. Of course, for a price...

Plot Ideas

Out Of The Past: Guinevere has had many partners over the years, especially in between her marriages. Your character has somehow found her in Redwood Hollow after all this time, and might want to reconnect with her (perhaps with some ulterior motive); she might just want to reconnect back, depending on what's in there for her.

Notorious: A successful businesswoman as she is, Guinevere needs both underlings (secretaries, personal assistants, private investigators, and so on) and competitors to keep her busy and entertained. Who knows what your muse might find out if they keep their ears peeled for some juicy gossip.

Double Indemnity: Don't all secrets have a way of slipping out of the shadows? And Guinevere is both good at finding out about them, and at keeping hers under wraps. But, somehow, your character has found a way to find something out... Or maybe they're the unfortunate one getting blackmailed.

Taken Connections

Friends: @magicalladylannister

Enemies: @sofia-bach (a one-way animosity, that is)

Other

Fellow Snow White Characters: Francis Price (a possible ally to either Sofia or to herself), Hunter Guerrero (a figure of Sofia's past whom she is very willing to trust; extremely useful to spy on her).

Fellow Villains: Villainous friends are always welcome, but specially folks like Camilla De Vil and Cabell Facilier.

[guinevere--bach]

[magnificentmyra]

"You forgot," Myra repeated softly, a whisper almost. She refused to take the bait, standing up straighter and schooling her face into neutrality. If she had learned anything about Guinvere Bach, it was that she would exploit even a crack in your demeanor. At least, that's what it felt like as she looked at her now. Myra had no desire to rehash the past - a lie, of course - and instead she pressed her lips together as if that could hold back every unsaid word. "Too long, then."

Myra wanted to look away from her but it was proving impossible. Guin had always been so beautiful... like a marble statue, carved with great care. A work of art. Cold. Not entirely unlike Myra herself, but deep down Myra wasn't like that at all. No, she burned. Myra couldn't believe that she was stuck here, making small talk with her, but what else could she do? There was no running. Not to mention her wife was here, too.

"I don't mind," she said at last. "I'm very busy with work at the university mainly but I've been dabbling with consultancy. There is so much history out there to preserve and texts to decode, you just never know what you're going to unearth next. What have you been busying yourself with? Besides your darling wife."

[guinevere--bach]

.

Guinevere smiled and tilted her head to the side. "Too long?" She could see Myra bracing herself, straightening her back, adjusting her expression. She had learned to read her over time. It was the sort of thing she just couldn't fully forget. "Is that an admission of something?" Missing her, perhaps? But Guinevere just chuckled. She wouldn't say the word, didn't want to even make her think it could be wishful thinking.

Myra kept her eyes on her. Guinevere decided to stop playing coy. She gazed back, waiting for her to say anything else, to show another little crack. It was so curious, to realize how much she knew Myra. Her pride. Her dignity. Her apparent detachment, when Guinevere knew fully well that there was something raging inside her, something that once upon a time she had known firsthand.

"Ah, sounds fascinating," she said, and right then her voice did not sound sarcastic at all. She couldn't, and wouldn't, hide the fact that she was genuinely intrigued by Myra's work. "What have you been working on, the last thing you unearthed?" Myra's skills were something that continued to fascinate Guinevere, and at risk of actually venturing into discussing work like old friends, she truly wanted to know more. "Oh, just business as usual. The latest cherry harvest didn't result as expected. The wine company is doing quite well by itself, so the losses didn't make too much of a dent. Still, it is a disappointment," she sighed softly. "But I don't want to bore you with those details."

[magnificentmyra]

"Ms Lemures, is it?" Myra hadn't meant to say it, the words clawing their way out before she could stop them. Her own hurt feelings were hardly important right now and she hated to think that Guinevere still had any power over her. They had been so intimate once, a mistake that Myra shouldn't have made again, but she did.

And here Guin was again, choosing someone who was a better match, a more suitable match. It didn't matter, truly. Myra had long since moved past whatever they had once. She had long since learned her lesson. At least, that's what she told herself as she looked over at her now and her heart gave a terrible squeeze in her chest.

"Of course it is," she mused. Myra was sure Lady would have no problem handling herself - protecting herself - from whatever may happened tonight. Whether or not she would survive Guin, was another story, Myra was sure. "Well, I'm sure she would. Isn't that in the vows? My peace of mind is fully satiated, thank you. I can handle myself, no matter what this town throws my way."

[guinevere--bach]

.

"Ah, right. I forgot, Lemures," Guinevere corrected herself, truly unable, no matter how hard she tried, to repress a little smile. "It has been a while, has it not?" And Myra could take that in whatever way she wished.

Feigning a certain level of demureness, she looked down at her glass, gently swirling the wine around. She hadn't lied. It had been a while indeed, and truly, Guinevere hadn't been thinking much about Myra lately. They rarely crossed paths, funnily enough. Both had better things to do than to seek each other out, reopen old wounds. Wounds that Guinevere would have to admit to causing.

In the end, though, if Guinevere had ever thought of Myra recently, it had to be said --it would be in comparison to Lady. Their similarities, their differences. All she remembered, and all she was discovering.

"Don't I know that," she chuckled politely. "What have you been up to recently? If you don't mind me asking, of course." Guinevere's voice was soft, almost gentle. But not quite.

[guinevere--bach]

How do you feel being married to a woman for once?

about the same as if i were married to a man. i am all for equality.

[guinevere--bach]

Is lady a good bed partner?

no. she hogs the bedsheets.

[sir-scamsalot]

"That it is," Sunny agreed. Halloween wasn't exactly his favorite holiday, but it was a decent one. Actually, Sunny didn't particularly feel any kind of way about most holidays. He supposed he liked Christmas well enough, but only for the fact that it was good for business.

"Ah, funny you should mention it," he chuckled, holding up a glass of red wine. "I don't always indulge, but it's a special occasion, eh?"

[guinevere--bach]

.

Guinevere sighed. "Well, let us hope that, whatever we have ahead of us, the least amount of people end up in intensive care." Her voice was monotone, reflecting no emotion or opinion. She didn't need to. And it had to be said, she would much rather not have her wines involved in poisoning scandals.

"Yes, especially when the drinks are free," Guinevere agreed, and had a sip of her own glass. She glanced around, watching the sprawl of reasonably tasteful Halloween decorations, and the assorted costumes the guests wore. Turning back to the man beside her, she gave him a quick once over. "I'm afraid I don't think I recognize your costume." She herself had a pair of small vampire fangs, as subtle and inobstrusive as she could get, and two little dots in her neck. Guinevere had to hope that would be enough.

[queencfharts]

Lorelai was just shy of furious at the fact that the exit was blocked. Couldn't they just clear the way? It was only a little weather, for crying out loud! The universe must have been conspiring against her, keeping her in this room a moment longer, in this bloody costume. At least the wine had been left unscathed, that would have truly been the final straw for her. Poorly suppressing a long-suffering sigh, Lorelai took another sip before quirking a brow in Guinevere Bach's direction. Right. Guinvere-and-Lady.

"I'm sure she's still in here," she offered. "Even so, if anyone can take care of themselves, don't you think it's your Lady?"

[guinevere--bach]

.

Guinevere gave Lorelai a glance, and cleared her throat. She admired the woman's ability to be mostly unfazed by the situation, only showing some situation-appropriate frustration and impatience. She wished she had that kind of steely resolve.

"Yes, indeed," Guinevere replied, turning her voice into a neatly-set almost-monotone. "I don't doubt that she is fine --I'm just wondering where she must have gone. It isn't much like her, to wander off." Lady did have some police training, so maybe she decided to put it to good use in this oh-so-unusual situation, and help around with the party organizers to put some order in the crowded Town Hall.

She turned back to look at Lorelai, and tilted her head. "Did you come alone, Miss Hart?"

[sir-scamsalot]

One would think a man of trickery would be invested in Halloween more than Sunny was, but really, the main reason he had gone to the Town Hall was to gather information. He didn't fully believe they caught the right person, and what better way to fish for information than to mingle over alcohol? "What a crazy night, hm? It's a shame, that Redwood Hollow has had to resort to extreme security measures... at least the drinks are good, eh?"

@happieststarters

[guinevere--bach]

.

"Thankfully, it isn't that crazy yet," Guinevere replied, still looking at the crowd gathered there at Town Hall, before turning to look at the man beside her. "But Halloween's usually a night full of surprises, so we'll see what we have in store for us."

His comment on the drinks had her smiling and having a sip of her own. "I should hope so, these wines are the best the Red Orchard have to offer." There was also the seasonal cider, of course, and probably there would be some more interesting themed drinks a bit later, too. "What are you having?"

[guinevere--bach]

@happieststarters

The wind whistled, thunder roared, and Guinevere remained standing away from doors and windows, very still, eyes darting around the room. She had been expecting something might happen that night, at Town Hall, where the most important people in Redwood Hollow would gather to celebrate what seemed like a return to peace. She had expected there to be some surprise --but not for her to get caught in it, along with everyone else. After all, that sort of awful incidents happened to someone else, not to Guinevere --not to someone so cushioned by her wealth.

Right then, though, she didn't feel very safe at all.

"Lady..." she remembered out of nowhere, realizing that was who she was searching for in the crowd. "Lady?"

[ozborror-highroller]

Oz smirked at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Oh Ms. Bach is that you? Well consider myself honored to be in your loveliness' grace." Oz said with his usual put on, eccentric voice. Always riding the line between smug and aloof, but always entertained.

"And oh you sure got that right sister, I think all this is just security theater, if something happened, it ain't doin' jack shit."

[guinevere--bach]

.

Guinevere scoffed, though she was somewhat amused by Oz, it had to be said. Undeniably, there was a strange feeling she always got when in his presence --ever since she married Lady, who once upon a time had been set on finding her happy ending with this man, instead --but she didn't think that meant she couldn't be perfectly civil with him.

"What might you be doing at Town Hall, on this eventful night?" Guinevere asked, with a slight frown and a flourish of her wrist. "I would have imagined you would be staying home, kindly handing out candy to Redwood Hollow's children." She chuckled quietly, before tilting her head to the side. "I assume you didn't come here just for the town-sponsored costume party." Then again, she might be wrong.

[flynnxrider]

@happieststarters

The excess of security was a bit unsettling, but Flynn had to admit that he was used to being under the watchful eye of security. They were not there for him this time, of course, and he really should not be entertaining the notion of putting their attention on him. But at the same time, his old habits made him see the security as a challenge, and he could not help wondering just how thorough they would be.

"So do you think if someone tried to have a go at TP-ing the outside of the building, they'd be on top of that?" he mused to the person beside him, "I mean, totally hypothetically, of course."

[guinevere--bach]

.

The 'hypothetical' comment of the man (already dress rather suspiciously, one might add, though in a purposefully silly way) had Guinevere raising an eyebrow. "I think they'd catch and detain whoever dared do that as soon as the first roll is thrown, yes." She understood the basic premise of playing harmless pranks as 'tricks' during Halloween, but considering the number of guards and level of security at the venue, she was pretty sure it wouldn't be worth it.

"I'd say, whoever is interested in doing those sorts of things, would benefit from waiting until everything's over, to surprise the mayor in the morning," she suggested. "Or searching some other less guarded building to intervene."

[gabe-guzman]

"Quite curious, don't you think? I understand proceeding with caution if we are, indeed, only just out of the woods. 'If' being the provocative word here," Gabe added with a raised brow. He had done his research, and even if he hadn't, it would have been difficult not to notice someone like Guinevere Bach. She was interesting, to say the least. And he was curious. It was due to that curiosity that he knew to tread lightly. "Gabriel Guzman-," he greeted, holding his hand out to shake, "I don't believe we've formally had the pleasure."

[guinevere--bach]

.

Guinevere glanced at the man standing beside her, and had another sip of wine. "Excessive, yes. Curious, well, this is a town that definitely doesn't like their peace being disturbed, isn't it?" After living there for quite a few years, she felt allowed to voice her perspective on local matters. "Peace, above all. Chaos and danger goes against the picturesque calm Redwood Hollow tries to sell."

She finished her glass as she actually looked at the man properly. Gabriel Guzman, huh? Guinevere had heard of him. He wasn't as good at flying under the radar as a private investigator should, in her humble opinion. It would do him good to be careful during his stay in town. "Guinevere Bạch," she replied, as if he didn't know who she was. She took his hand and shook it with a firm grip. "No, we haven't, I'm afraid." With a small sigh, she left her glass on a nearby table, and turned her attention back to him. "So, what do you believe? Are we out of the woods yet?"

[magnificentmyra]

Guinevere Bach was a wound that would not easily heal. Myra knew better than most that 'time' was not a magical cure all. At least, not when it came to burns like this. In any case, she was grateful for the overly dramatic, black, lace veil shielding her face from view. Her eyes bore into Guinevere's and her cheeks flushed with conflicting feelings. When she did speak, however, her voice was perfectly measured. Neutral. "Our beloved Mayor is only showing how much he cares," she smiled, tight-lipped and out of sight. "It's a small price for peace of mind, don't you think? If not for yourself, then your darling wife."

[guinevere--bach]

.

The figure that began talking beside her, clad in a black veil, did somewhat startle Guinevere at first --before she recognized that voice. "Oh... Yes, Ms Lemure, I suppose that is what we elected our mayor for."

To care. But caring and actually doing something were completely different things. Guinevere knew all about it. Trying her best not to fix her eyes on Myra's lace veil, no matter how much she wanted to try to see the outline of her face through it, Guinevere had another sip of wine.

"I'm afraid my peace of mind is a tad more expensive than that," she argued. "But I assume my darling wife probably isn't too concerned with it. If she has been, she hasn't shared it with me." Guinevere shot Myra a glance out of the corner of her eye. "What about you? How's your peace of mind?"

[guinevere--bach]

@happieststarters

Town Hall was quite nicely decorated for the occasion, which surprised Guinevere, who usually believed these holidays were just an excuse the town had to be especially tacky. Well --she couldn't really talk about tacky, could she? In a long blood-red dress, black boots and a black shawl, ornamented with her small silver and diamond jewelry and a simple, discrete tiara, she had acquiesced and told everyone who asked that she was a vampire queen. Still, she would have preferred not to wear a costume at all.

"This amount of security seems excessive," Guinevere said out loud with a little sigh. "Considering the man behind the poisonings has already been apprehended." She had a sip of wine. "... And even if we were in some sort of danger... I don't think metal detectors and more guards will change that." She knew that, if she wanted to poison someone, she would be much more subtle about it.

[mxmorganmorph]

Of course, they had no idea they might be overstepping familiarity. That's just how they worked, stumbling through life while trying to draw in as many people as possible. If they pushed them away, of course they could respect the boundaries set in place, but unless set straight, they would just continue as they did.

Morgan nodded along as they listened. They sometimes wondered if they should ask a renowned business owner like Ms. Bach about some of the things they were less than knowledgeable about.

Except now it was Mrs--?!

Their jaw fell open as they saw the ring. "Excuse me, what?! When did this happen? How did this happen? You need to tell me everything!"

Morgan started getting out the supplies they would need for the dye job, but that was definitely not the part of the conversation they wanted to focus on.

@guinevere--bach

[guinevere--bach]

.

"Oh, it's a long story..." Guinevere sighed, hiding a little smirk. "But, to sum it up, a friend needed a favor. She had to get married before a certain date, and, knowing how important this was to her, I decided to lend a hand and wed her." That was all she was willing to share, but she believed it was quite enough information.

"Won't you tell me what you've been up to, Morgan?" she asked. "Your absence was sorely felt. The other salon in town just doesn't have what Transformations can provide." That was the complete, honest truth.

[mxmorganmorph]

Morgan absolutely beamed at the woman who came waltzing through their door. "Guin, darling! It's so good to see you!" They cooed. "Oh, you have to tell me everything that's going on in your life, I want all the updates." This was truly going to be the best part of their return, catching up with all the Redwood Hollow gos.

"Of course, obviously," they said, as if there was any doubt otherwise. What kind of salon would they be if they didn't do nails? "Do you want your usual? Want to shake up the color?"

@guinevere--bach

[guinevere--bach]

.

At the mention of the nickname Guin, Guinevere would have normally given the interloper an icy glare and then politely ask not to be called that, especially since she was a customer and not a friend. In Morgan's case, though, she could make an exception. They were exuberant and lively, in a way that was almost toeing the line into irritating --almost. And she somehow admired the gall of them, to assume such closeness. Besides, since Transformation was such a good salon and Morgan did such a good job, a little bit of overly friendly familiarity wasn't unforgivable.

"All the updates?" Guinevere chuckled. "Not too many, I should say. The company has managed to close the deal with Fisher, my sisters came over for tea last week, the window of the garden shed has finally been fixed... Oh, and I got married again," she said casually, briefly flashing her newest wedding ring.

She gave the question a bit of thought. "Maybe a slightly brighter shade of red. We are in summer, after all, and I fear my usual shade is a bit too dark." Guinevere had a shade for every season and every event, but she had begun to think that the usual might be a bit outdated by then.