wicked witch

Assistant to the Director of the International Magical Trading Standards Body. Twenty-one. Pureblood. "Why my little party's just beginning."

[sudaul]

[mia-selwyn]

aurorluck‌:

Luca got tangled in Mia’s words trying to single-handedly take lies apart from truths. It wasn’t simple. She hardly followed the rules on a liar’s body language, though the words weren’t plausible from where he was standing. It was speculation. ‘’That’s bullshit,’’ he speculated with confidence as she was done separating herself from Jonathan Marks once more. She wasn’t all that meticulous. She was continuously omitting details too. If someone could put together every front Mia put on, every mask that wandered on her eyes and every version of the story, it couldn’t be coherent. Yet, he had no way of proving such things. Maybe he didn’t even care to. ‘’There’s no smartest person in the room. There’s a luckiest one, a best prepared one and maybe a winning set of plans, but they’re all variables for every moment. Don’t sell your old friend short. He might be any of the three for tonight.’’

‘‘I don’t feel think you’re looking for a fight tonight. You seem tense. At least right now. It might be my fault. I might be bothering you.’‘ He looked away for a brief moment while gathering his thoughts. ‘‘Perhaps next time we meet won’t be for conversation. We might have no business talking. And you certainly don’t seem to appreciate it.’‘

“Luck is bullshit,” Mia countered, but that was it before she let it drop. It was New Year’s Eve, the start of a new year, hardly the time to worry about wasting her final breaths of the year on getting the last word in a non-argument that didn’t matter. Then again, this was the most engaged she’d felt in any conversation in days, so maybe it was worth the fight...

She was tempted to immediately tell him he was always bothering her, but it felt false. Not like she worried herself much over the false words that came out of her mouth. It was overshadowed completely by the truth he assessed - she wasn’t looking for a fight. Ready for one, always. But tonight she was more concerned with assessing who was interacting with Jon in what way, and who was challenging the peace pact just a little too much. Technically, she was looking for a fight, just not one to be executed tonight. “Don’t take it personally,” she muttered, raising her glass of sparkling water as the midnight countdown drew to an end. “I don’t appreciate talking to nearly anyone lately.”

When midnight came, Mia was suddenly suffocating and the glass gripped in her fingertips slipped through. It crashed on the grass that hadn’t been there a moment before. She hadn’t been looking for a fight, but one was apparently looking for her and several other guests, including Luca. She was tempted to make a quip before she darted off to find Jon, but it felt too wrong, too childish. She couldn’t possibly know where Jon was in this crowd - the only person whose location she was certain of was Luca’s, standing before her as they emerged on a battleground where no amount of her lies could cover that they were on opposing sides. 

For a moment, she considered Apparating away and recusing herself of whatever was about to happen on that battlefield, but she knew that was inexcusable. In a moment of bravery - or maybe hope or maybe a twisted feeling of trust - she stepped closer to Luca without breaking her gaze before moving around him in search of Jonathan.

[sci-fi-gifs]

[hogwartselementumrp]

Mia Selwyn is twenty years old, is studying International Relations and was formerly s in the house of Hufflepuff.

                                              ❝ If you’re going through hell, keep going.

↳ MAGIC

Mia is a naturally gifted witch who underwent early tutoring at her parents’ insistence. Due to a studious nature that was instilled in her from a young age, she has very good control over every aspect of her magic. Through dance she has managed to connect significantly with her earth element, but she has always held a preference for uprooting, root manipulation, and sand manipulation than earth magic that focuses on blooming flowers.

↳ BACKSTORY

Mia Selwyn grew up knowing exactly what her father and mother wanted from her: perfection. Her father was a pureblood from a long line of Shacklebolts, Travers, and Selwyns, and her mother’s family hailed from the Canary Islands as the last remaining purebloods before they were forced to move to Bulgaria to continue their lineage. Her parents union was a union between two people who believed they were better than everyone else, but it didn’t matter just to know it. One had to show the world that they were not to be trifled with. For the most part, Mia was raised by her family’s Squib servants, governesses, and even house elves who tended to most of her meals. The young girl’s tutoring started when she was five, focusing not just on magic but on languages, magical history, wizard literature, and skills such as dancing, herbology, and painting that were meant to instill poise expected in a pureblood girl. Mishaps were not tolerated and were punished severely, whether at the hands of her parents or her tutors. Mia had to adapt quickly and learn to heal even faster. She developed pneumonic devices to help her learn languages, she fell in love with dancing and excelled at it to hide how poorly she painted, she smiled when she was asked to, and she became everything her parents wanted and more. The consequences of failing were too much for her body and mind to bear frequently.

Two years before she was supposed to start school, her parents moved from the Selwyn Manor in London to Bulgaria, where her mother’s family lived and thrived in the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic. Her family name carried importance and soon she entered certain circles once she began to attend Durmstrang, most importantly Jonathan Mark’s after an encounter between the two in detention. She became his friend when they were young and his right hand woman as they grew older, the person he asked things when in doubt and his advisor. Her parents were glad for her relationship with Jonathan, who was one of the upcoming names in the Eastern European circles due to his magical proficiency and charm. She followed Jon almost blindly, and it was her downfall when Alexei found them in the restricted section of the library and things got out of hand. Jonathan had to stay out of the public for a time, but Mia’s parents refused for her education to be delayed, and her father had to pull a number of strings to allow her to transfer to Hogwarts for her sixth year. Her bond with Jonathan weakened during their year apart, but it didn’t take long for her to realize she was willing to do all that was necessary to rebuild them, even with the Domitrovs present as a reminder of what had transpired at Durmstrang. 

Mia aided in Andelina Reska’s murder, acting primarily as Jonathan’s alibi. Not long after, just as she was starting university, her father became ill with no chance of recovery in sight. She knew it was killing him more to not see what his daughter might bring to fruition where he had failed, and so she worked as hard as she could at university. She applied for an internship at the Ministry as soon as she could, the plan to ingrain herself early was something she and Jonathan had always talked about. A hard worker by nature, it didn’t take long to convince people that, should she be moved higher, she might become invaluable. As her father’s health declined, his will was brought out and it was discovered that though Mia was considered the heir to all the Selwyn land and fortune as his only child, there was an stipulation: she was to be married to an approved gentleman of pureblood descent or she would be unable to inherit anything. It was an addition that ensured she would continue the pureblood lineage and not be the last of her bloodline even if she was the last of her name.

For some time, Mia believed that she would be afforded the luxury of finishing her education before she and her mother would begin a search for an approvable bachelor for her to marry. The timetables were quickly moved up, but Mia’s stubbornness made it difficult for her to accept any of the potential names that were suggested. It was by a chance encounter that she ran into Xavier Marks, Jonathan’s older half-brother from his father’s first marriage. He was a successful businessman, cultured from all his traveling, and most importantly, unmarried. Whether Mia loved him or not didn’t matter to her, though she did sometimes indulge her friends and say she did love him as she spent more time with him over the months. Amendments were made to her father’s will in his final months that did not require a marriage, but just a promise of a marriage, for her to still have her inheritance. She was engaged to Xavier before her father passed away, thus securing her fortune and estate.

When the idea of an attack on her wedding was first brought up, it seemed too difficult. That was until it was suggested that she try to frame her wedding as a place for reconciliation, a place where all were welcome as she tried to mend the image of a pureblood society that could be too exclusive. They needed enough people for an attack but also enough to be placeholders for the bride and best man with Polyjuice. The attack was more than Mia could have ever dreamed of, even if it did supposedly ruin what was meant to be the best day of her life and damage much of her property. It was worth it, but she had to quickly turn around and play the part of the innocent, harmed bride when she and Jon were accused of being behind the attack. Xavier left her, though she tried to claim otherwise for months, and not long after the attack she learned she was pregnant with what could only be Xavier’s child.

The pregnancy was agony for her, especially with the pressure of what to do after the child was born and how to maintain her claims of innocence as more people tried to expose her. In her eyes, it was a miracle when her child turned out to be stillborn, but something changed. Her pregnancy when she was unwed made her a pariah in the pureblood society, and she is willing to do all she possibly can to prove that she is more important to them than they realize now. Still, there is some freedom in no longer having to wear skirts of a certain length and clothes that don’t fit to tight and always having to smile politely at certain people, something that can be used to her advantage for whatever the next moves are Jon wants to make. After all, when the society she was raised in turned their back on her, he didn’t, and that matters more to her than anything right now.

↳ PERSONALITY TRAITS

» {+ positives} hard working, smart, creative » {- negatives} aggressive, superficial, un-loyal 

↳ BASICS

» BLOOD STATUS: pureblood » ELEMENTAL POWER: earth » AFFINITY LEVEL: high affinity + studious » DATE OF BIRTH: 2 of April » WAND: 13 inches, blackthorn, troll whisker, unyielding » FACECLAIM: Naya Rivera

MIA SELWYN IS PLAYED BY NICOLE

[mia-selwyn]

aurorluck‌:

‘‘I’m assuming you didn’t make that recollection for pity, though,’’ he observed carefully, feeling like she was slipping into old patterns of making herself sound like the victim. ‘’Our conversations might be past that,’’ he smiled softly as he reminded her back. ‘’And I wouldn’t suspect you of feeling unsafe considering all the measures your old friend took.’’ If anything, the rest of the world had to expect there would be a catch in there somewhere. ‘’Well, doesn’t that do the trick for everyone? Some fear, some expect, some even like this state of danger. Why? Does it say nothing to you?’’

Mia offered a small smile but no response. She didn’t expect to ever receive pity from Luca, and it made her sick to try to procure it from anyone, but she couldn’t deny how powerful of a weapon it could be in manipulating someone of a weaker mindset. Maybe it wasn’t just their conversations that were past that point, though - maybe everyone was past the point of pitying her. Plenty of other tragedies had occurred since her wedding. “That should be true, but he’s an old friend. I don’t know how he thinks anymore. And I’m not naive enough to think he’s the smartest person in the room.” 

The words felt blasphemous coming out of her mouth, but she let a deep, sour frown form. This was a step farther than even her first public greeting with Jon in years. That was tense, but planned - this was cruel and off-the-cuff. A knot formed in her stomach as she considered who else might be lurking, listening, and waiting to pass along whatever they might overhear to Jon. She didn’t know all his allies and acquaintances by name or face. She understood it was important to keep the lowest ranks separate, but it still made her uneasy. “Maybe. All that says to me is that no matter what anyone says about hating trouble or violence, everyone is secretly always looking for a fight.” 

The sound of some commotion down the hall reminded Mia this party didn’t just consist of her and Luca in a corridor. She looked toward the main room to see people rushing to fill their glasses, find their friends, and get a glimpse of the large clock that indicated the new year was just moments away. “Well, maybe not always,” she conceded, considering the way the joyous, anxious display completely contrasted her last statement.

[mia-selwyn]

aurorluck‌:

‘‘You recall correctly, but maybe I don’t want or like to dance. I don’t feel the party spirit in my bones. It bores me, if anything,’’ he shrugged, finding a whole different kind of things worthy of more excitement. ‘’I wouldn’t know. If I knew, they wouldn’t be sneaking. Though I like to think no one does. I don’t feel all that tired yet. Why? Do you?’’ At the end of his words, a mischievous smile broke the monotonous voice he was trying to keep lowered.

Mia pursed her lips slightly and tilted her head to the side, seeing the reason in his words. She doubted Luca was a man who was easy to sneak up on unless he wanted someone to do such a thing. She was vain and proud enough to believe she was someone he might let sneak up on him, and the thought brought about a small smile that unintentionally mirrored his. “I don’t tire easily, especially not during parties. As you might recall, I have more than good reason to be on my toes during any celebration.” She folded her hands politely in front of her and pulled her shoulders back to stand up a little straighter. “Is that the kind of thing that makes you feel something in your bones? The anticipation of something horrible about to happen at any enjoyable event?”

[mia-selwyn]

mccallofthemoon‌:

“Oh? Am I disappointing now if I say I’m not annoyed?” Astrid’s mouth twisted wryly. “ A night off and leaving investigations behind is healthy. Going to a party, or reading a good book with a glass of wine,” there was an instinctive if brief twitch toward a frown on the word wine, “We can’t be completely our jobs. It’s easier to be gung-ho and want investigation around the clock when you’re just out of school. Those that had businesses or home in Knockturn deserve closure and I want to bring it to them and everyone else. Tomorrow is a new year to grant it. Tonight is for other things. You’ll find in a few years of burn out to enjoy off moments and that what you really crave as much as case closed is balance.”

Mia raised an eyebrow but said nothing at first. What she felt wasn’t disappointment, but it was still stronger than anything she’d expected to feel in response to anything Astrid might say. It was ingrained in Mia to listen to the older and wiser, and take every word as advice, but it was difficult for her to meet what Astrid said with anything but a frown. Maybe it was because her job wasn’t her life - rather, her life dictated why her job was necessary. “Did you join the Aurors just out of school?” she asked, curious only for the sake of gathering intel and not out of any personal desire to know more about this particular Auror. Astrid was a threat, and could certainly prove to be even more of a threat in the future, but Mia wasn’t going to spend too much time worrying over her just yet.

[mia-selwyn]

aurorluck‌:

‘‘I’m not sneaking. I received an invite just like everyone else,’‘ he jumped to his own defense, calmly but firmly enough. ‘’Well, what would be the alternative? Making nice with people all night? Dancing? This sort of social event doesn’t make me feel like home in the slightest. It’s just not my style. So, naturally, I have to adapt, like you said, sneaking up on people turning human.’’

Mia opened her mouth to clarify her point, but let it fade away with a quiet sigh. “From what I recall, you do know how to dance, so it is an alternative.” She said it quietly, as if she was exposing some kind of secret. As if Jonathon Marks’ “old friend” hadn’t danced with the very Auror she was speaking to in full view of a number of other people at the party. In the memory she pulled up, she couldn’t quite remember who else had actually been there. “And while you do that, who gets to sneak up on you? At some point it must get tiring.”

[the-dark-marks]

New Year’s Eve

[mia-selwyn]

the-dark-marks‌:

“Perhaps,” he appeared properly chagrined, or like he was acting chastened but with hard eyes beneath it as if he resented a colder greeting than he anticipated. There had to be layers if it was believable. This wasn’t as much acting reunion for the fun of it as it had been with Allard. He had to be more nuanced.  “But I am happy to see that you haven’t been crucified for once having been linked to my family, and to have a chance to apologize. I’d like to offer explanations at least, as well as condolences. If I’m allowed that much?”

“The issue with crucifixion is that even if it doesn’t kill you, it leaves you with permanent scars.” Her voice wasn’t raised beyond her normal speaking volume, but it was strained, as if she was doing all she could not to scream in his face. She couldn’t do that, though - or else the people nearby might not strain to hear every single word out of their mouths. For once, rumors paid off, and she could hear herself the way the conversations around them slipped into lackadaisical small talk. They were all eager to hear what the scorned woman, the best friend, the almost sister-in-law, the clear accomplice, the utterly betrayed had to say. Everyone had an opinion on what she was to a man she hadn’t spoken to in public in years. Now as the chance to direct that opinion to one thing in particular. Her taste for small talk was long gone, and she now realized it was buried cozily next to her child. What she put on now, this display, this was her new forte. It truly was a life or death situation what people believed. “Even if I said you weren’t allowed that probably wouldn’t stop you. Anything you have to say, you can say in a letter. Frankly, I don’t want to hear it.”

[deeper-end-of-dupond]

NYE

[mia-selwyn]

deeper-end-of-dupond‌:

“I would imagine so, yes.” Olivier’s more reasonable side knew that, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that, now knowing the source, the enchantment of the night was just another in a line of protections that proved false security. “Otherwise our ‘ost would be first to fall, but underestimation is dangerous.” Mia’s calm was not as grating as some of the others he’d talked to; he didn’t know her well but she came across as not blind belief but a firm stand to trust not good intentions but the self-preservation that was more reliable. Marks had more to lose. Lawrence Frisk had more to lose. Francis Lawson had more to lose. “I’d like to hope too,” he confessed, careful with the h. “I did, before I walked in. I make an effort to ‘ope. Not because I am as much of an optimist as I seem, but I do hate losing, and hope is something you  can only lose by your choice. I should not ‘ave so easily decided to give up ground tonight.” 

Mia gently tapped the side of her glass as she listened, finally fully listening and not letting her ear get distracted occasionally throughout his remarks to pick up on noises or voices she heard nearby. There was suddenly no doubting that this Dupond had far more interesting, and thoughtful, things to say than the older one. “I’d never thought about hope that way...” she mused, taking a sip of her drink. It was still a naive way of looking at the concept of hope, but again, thoughtful. “Whatever happens, I at least hope that you and I can both find some joy tonight.”

[mia-selwyn]

mccallofthemoon‌:

It seemed to Astrid Mia was getting worse at controlling her emotions. Surely Mia was still better than many far older than she was, but there was noticeable tension in the younger woman’s bearing for a moment, and this was only small talk. Where was the woman who defended knowing nothing about the attack on her wedding and made what everyone knew was a lie convincing enough to pass all tests? She was already on edge, again, understandable to expect trouble, but Astrid had to wonder if it was just general danger-sense or one source was concerning Mia more than another.

“I am working the case,” Astrid admitted freely without any cryptic stalling when it was free information, though she layered the expected significance of tone and pointed look when talking more details. “We managed to collect almost as many pensieve declarations as verbal statements for once, so you can rest assured we are closing in and will find whoever is behind it soon.” Not if Astrid could help it they wouldn’t, the thinly veiled threat wasn’t supposed to be against herself.

Mia lifted her eyebrows slightly, fairly surprised by how willing Astrid was to discuss the case even if for once this was genuinely something Mia had a bureaucratic interest in because of all the trading violations that had been discovered. “And hopefully this also serves as a lesson to people who think any dark alley is a real black market,” Mia remarked flatly. The destruction of Knockturn was something she saw as a chance to advance her career, not an attack on a treasured errand stop with either or of her parents, and it was easy to talk about it so dispassionately.  

“I’d say it’s amazing you found the time with all these investigations to come to a party, but it seems everyone found the time,” Mia remarked, casting a glance at a small huddle of workers from the Muggle Relations department. “I can only imagine you’re as annoyed by breaks as I am with something so big so close to being solved.”

[the-dark-marks]

New Year’s Eve

[mia-selwyn]

the-dark-marks‌:

“Does it sounds insincere if I say I am especially glad you made it tonight? I think  those words have come out of my mouth too much in the past hour. I’m not trying to come across as political. It’s a true statement for so many people.”

“Especially glad is a rather strong way to put it.” Mia took a sip of her drink, seemingly unaffected and even indifferent toward the man who addressed her now as if she was a friendly acquaintance he was happy to bump into again. “Well, you’ve always been political, so it’s difficult not to seem that way.”

[mia-selwyn]

not-the-sharpe-est-tool‌:

“A new leaf for the new year then? Me too, though not so extreme. Most people don’t start until the calendar flips, but good for you either way.” Noah had known on some level that wasn’t what Mia was thinking of when she said it depended on his date, but assuming some reference to cliche, catty female power dynamics seemed a lot more depressing of an option to him. “There’s no ‘of course.’ It’s going to be twenty twenty-eight real soon. Isn’t it time heteronormativity died? You have a point about the jewelry, but my taste you could trust. I mean, I keep talking to you, right? Makes it hard for you to argue my taste.”

“New Year’s resolutions are a cliche. If you want to change something about yourself, or improve something, then start right away. Waiting for a new year is just an excuse to continue to be subpar.” For a moment, just a moment, both temples started to pulse with a stress headache as she heard her mother’s voice come out of her mouth. “I doubt taste has much of anything to do with your choices.”

[mia-selwyn]

aurorluck‌:

‘‘Who is lying now?’’ he retorted plainly, and, despite its meaning, his tone held no trace of sarcastic or teasing behavior. It was just his usual delivery. ‘’Hallways are more interesting at this sort of parties. Everyone, your old friend more than anyone, wants to make an impression when they’re in the spotlight. Here, we turn human again. Why should I care about blatant displays of hospitality, Amelia?’’

Mia clenched her teeth against her will when Luca referred to Jon as her “old friend.” It wasn’t untrue at all, but sometimes it felt so trivial and condescending when people brought up her friendship with him - as if it was only a friendship, and only in the past. It was convenient, even if a thorn in her side that was constantly dug deeper. “So, are you planning to spend the entire party moving from hallway to hallway? Sneaking up on people turning human, no matter how inhospitable?”

[mia-selwyn]

mccallofthemoon‌:

Mia copying her order didn’t clock as strange,worth noting but not odd. If anything it was strange for it not to be a common request considering the mixed company.  “No, I’m not on duty, though if I were here officially and undercover–as undercover as I could be in present company–would I be likely to tell you? You look well, Miss Selwyn. Sorry, Mia, it does take some getting used to not addressing those I knew recently as students by last name,” she changed to pleasantries without addressing the second part of Mia’s question. “How is International Trading Standards?”

Mia let out a long, slow breath through her nose with a clearly aggravated expression when Astrid so easily brushed aside the possibility of being undercover. A snappy comment along the lines of ‘I’m a young, healthy witch, why wouldn’t I look good?’ hovered in the back of Mia’s throat, but she suppressed it. It was a common, polite thing to say. Mia had said it countless times. It was just all small talk in general that utterly grated on her nerves these days, it seemed. It used to be her forte, and she couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly when that stopped.

“It’s as exciting as it can be these days,” Mia responded, easing the aggravation with a mental exercise to calm the tension throughout her face and shoulders. “After the incident at Knockturn Alley, it was discovered that quite a few of the merchants there were violating even some of the most basic rules. Are you working on that case? I’m sure the Aurors all have their hands full.”

[deeper-end-of-dupond]

NYE

[mia-selwyn]

deeper-end-of-dupond‌:

There are people ‘ere who ‘ave harmed you, luckily so far only in reputation, and others that  would harm you for assuming you are wit’ zah first group or for believing you will ‘arm them. I am aware of zah vow we all took, but you must be aware that if a loop’ole exists it will be found. You are practical. Whatever I believe or do not believe about you, I believe that. You ‘ave calculated odds of something ugly ‘appening, just as I ‘ave, you must ‘ave–and so, please, I must ask you to take a practical solution. 

To say Mia was taken aback might’ve been an understatement, but she pressed her lips together and swallowed down her surprise. She didn’t know Olivier well, but it was so unusual to meet a stranger or acquaintance who had any sympathy for her. “My practical belief is that the vow, though not an Unbreakable one, is more binding than we realize. Or else it would never have been suggested for the night.” She calculated the moment and the conversation quickly - would it due to be bold and defensive and say she was more than capable of handling herself? She hated putting on illusions of vulnerability, but Olivier already seemed to think she was in a vulnerable position considering the company she was surrounded with. “The people here have harmed me in more than just reputation, but I’m a talented witch and I can handle whatever catastrophe anyone tries to create. I’d like to hope that just this once we can all actually enjoy the night and wake up unscathed. Or at worst, hungover and regretting how much we ate the night before.”

[mia-selwyn]

weasleyxlouis‌:

“The first fallen angel and source of all evil has to be a woman.” Louis was incensed looking Mia in the eye and having her smirk at him. She was worse than all the rest because he had to see her at every party and in the Ministry halls walking free and tall when he knew what she was. He wanted to snap her neck and in a few hours he’d be able to when they were held back by neither magic nor the rules of law Louis had to live by. He would let her attack first to make it look good. “You have to be pretty pleased with how tonight is going for your friend Jonathan.”

Mia raised a single eyebrow but said nothing more. There was too much to untangle in that one statement alone, and a peaceful party likely wasn’t the place to do it. “I am pleased. I’m always pleased when a party goes smoothly. It’s been a difficult few months. More than a few months, actually. What we all need is a nice night to actually enjoy ourselves without fearing what could happen.”