♡ ━━━ purcell's pairings - pls lock

[senna_]

It is 1840, and New York's biggest party is about to be held. The Purcell family is
one of the richest families in the whole state, and with the coming-of-age of their
daughter, they have decided to throw a ball. Carefully selected invites were sent
out to young men and women from all over the world with the hope of forming a
few romantic pairs. Their mission is to find their "other half" at the party, for a
brooch that is given to a woman matches the colour of a cufflink given to the men,
creating a perfect pair. When the party ends and each finds their pairing, they are
to spend a few extra weeks in a guest house owned by the Purcells in hopes of
concluding some happily-ever-after endings.
──────────────────────────────
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxdiscussion thread || discord

─ 1-2 characters | keep a variety when it comes to wealth (your characters cannot all be
wealthy & fortunate) | characters can be of all sexualities (just note that pairs will be M x F
to start) | you do not have to stay with your pairs | you also don't have to be super educated
in this time period (I'm not!) | 4+ lines, pls give us something to work with

│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│
│

x'''

But, like everything, there's more to it than just finding suitors.
With talk of war right around the corner, the Purcells are latch-
ing onto hope that this event and its successes will help calm
the storm. Will it be enough?

[senna_]

— 1-2 characters per person (as of right now)
— ages are 19-25 (keep in mind that they married young, so this age period would be considered "old")
— your character's wealth can range between 1 & 9 ("1" being dirt poor, "9" being very comfortable) - make sure to keep a wide range here!
— your character can have any sexuality, just note that for this time period, assigned pairs (which are flexible; they're more for tagging purposes than anything else) will be M×F because the Purcells are old-school
— your character can come from anywhere in the world (the Purcells have paid to have them come to NY)
— Victorian Era (1840)
— you don't have to be an expert on the dialogue & etc.. I will provide some links to fashion & etc. later on


• follow all CS rules
• aim for at least a small paragraph (quality over quantity, but please give us something to work with)
• after 1 week of reserving a spot/spots, you will receive a friendly reminder about your character(s)
• will also message you if we don't hear from you for about a week once the rp begins

[senna_]

Annalise Purcell
21, fem
senna_
xxxxxx'

Tate Ricci
20, masc
senna_
xxxxxx'

Thomas Winslowe
24, masc
.J.Sᴘᴀʀʀᴏᴡ.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Ulysses Miller
22, masc
wait for me.
xxxxxx'

Leif Devitt
24, masc
Mezzo
xxxxxx'

Cosette Beaumarchais
23, fem
Mezzo
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Rowan MacAdaidh
24, masc
oakapples
xxxxxx'

Jemima Fairlie
21, fem
wait for me.
xxxxxx'

Vincent Ellsworth
19, masc
strawbs.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx



Amelia Embers
20, fem
poppyxoxo
xxxxxx'

Nathaniel Killian
23, masc
.J.Sᴘᴀʀʀᴏᴡ. 
xxxxxx'

Leonora Bennett
20, fem
kitsune,
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harriet Vance
21, fem
sapphic
xxxxxx'

Marjorie Larsen
24, fem
Ɗσνєу
xxxxxx'

Jade Da Xia
19, fem
lemon!!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jasper Addison
23, masc
lemon!!
xxxxxx'

Harrison Monroe
24, masc
dxisyy
xxxxxx'

Emilina Browne
22, fem
dxisyy

[senna_]

♡ Tate & Emilina (caribbean green)
♡ Ulysses & Cosette (navy blue)
♡ Leif & Marjorie (aqua)
♡ Rowan & Jade (bubblegum pink)
♡ Vincent & Leonora (garnet red)
♡ Harrison & Amelia (sunflower yellow)
♡ Jasper & Annalise (silver)
♡ Thomas & Harriet (blush red)
♡ Nathaniel & Jemima (violet)

- Marjorie & Jemima
- Harriet, Amelia & Emilina
- Annalise & Jade
- Cosette & Leonora
- Tate & Ulysses
- Nathaniel & Leif
- Thomas, Harrison & Vincent
- Rowan & Jasper

[senna_]

DATE: October 2nd, 1840
TIME: 6:30pm
LOCATION: Purcell's mansion (ballroom)
TEMPERATURE: 17°C / 63°F
WEATHER: a bit breezy, but clear skies

OTHER: Guests are just arriving at the ball! They will show their invitation at the door in order to obtain their gem. From there, they can move inside

[senna_]

'

━━━━━━━━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[senna_]

────────:𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙴 𝙿𝚄𝚁𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻

''she/her ● 21 ● 10/10 ● bicurious ● mentions; tag ● tags; leif

Tonight was the night Annalise had been both craving and dreading since the time she could talk. The night of love, of romance, of destiny. The night of terror, tie-downs, and an end to her girlhood. The night that would give her that final push into courting season. Annalise had always admired the idea of courting, as she watched alongside her mother at various dances as men approached women, gliding them elegantly across the perfectly polished dance floor. Sometimes, it ended in a happily-ever-after. Other times, it was evident their path had been cut off harshly. Annalise was not exactly sure what fate would do to her tonight. Would she be satisfied with her pair, the man who shared a gem colour with her? She supposed she hadn’t much choice; regardless of what she thought of him, she was to make it work between them. That was quite unappealing, the more she dwelled on it. What if he was old and rude and old-fashioned? She refused to settle into the position of a limited housewife. She hadn’t even thought much about children yet. What if he wanted them early? That would push for a sooner marriage. There were far too many things to take into consideration, and yet, she so desperately wanted to focus on nothing more than the beauty of the dress sweet little Mary was currently tying on.

“Mary, do you think this colour suits me well?” she inquired, tilting her head slightly as she eyed the periwinkle fabric across her body. “I must say, I believe the colour washes me out a bit. Do you agree?”

The quiet maid barely looked up from her work. It was rare for the girl to make eye contact with any of the Purcells, even though they treated her like family. As an orphaned child, Beth Purcell was quick to scoop her up. She was more like a companion to Annalise than a maid, truth be told; she accompanied her on trips to the city, and ate with her when the family wasn’t around. Even though Annalise knew the girl had opened up quite a bit, she still evidently treated Annie as someone on a higher level. Regardless of that, Annalise was pleased to hear her respond; “No, Miss Purcell, I think it looks lovely on you.”[/color]

With a nod of her head, Annalise rolled her shoulders back and let the brunette finish up her work. The dress was quite stunning; the jewels that sat elegantly across her bosom brought attention to her defined collarbones. She had overheard her mother speaking of it, and it was apparent that a guest attending the ball had helped put it together. While Annalise had failed to catch the name, she did hope the lady would be able to notice the dress and say something. Annie wanted to personally thank the designer of such a piece.

It wasn’t much longer before Mary was finished up with Annie. Annalise had wanted a crown ever-so-badly for her head, for it was her special day, but it was deemed as inappropriate, for, as her mother said, she was not – and likely never would be – crowned part of the monarchy. Annalise took in that moment that there would be no princes attending her party. Nevertheless, she settled for a silver-blue ribbon, with Mary braided into her hair. Girlish, perhaps, but she was quite contented with the idea of it, and there wasn’t much her parents could do now. She, on that note, was rather surprised to note that she hadn’t seen much of her father yet. She supposed he was fretting over the finishing touches on the ball, as per usual, but he had barely even bid hello to her. Perhaps it was for the best; while she did adore her father, he had a way of getting on her nerves. The last thing she needed was a mood-crusher.

“Miss Purcell,” came the hum of Mary’s tone, snapping Annalise from her thoughts. “I have placed your brooch under your gems. I believe it might make it more entertaining, playing a game of cat-and-mouse.”

“Oh, Mary, you truly are a brilliant soul,” Annalise laughed aloud, clasping her hands together. “This will do perfectly.” She reached over to squeeze the girl’s hand, then fell still once more so the brunette could tie on her mask. As soon as she was finished, Annalise jumped up, bid her farewells to Mary, and exited the dressing room. She made sure to keep her steps small, terrified of stepping on her dress and taking a tumble, but she did pick up the skirt in order to speed-walk down the hall. She realized, as she descended down the stairs, that she hadn’t seen much of her brothers, either. She had a strong feeling they would be in and out of the dance room that evening, but, as all wedded men, it was not the most appropriate atmosphere to be settled in. Still, Charles in particular had already warned her that he would be keeping an eye on the men in the room that night. It was typical of him, and regardless of how much Annalise protested, she knew her brothers would still be around. It was warming, really, and perhaps would have been more if it weren’t for the event’s purpose. As long as they stayed out of her way, she would be happy.

She was surprised to see people already filing in, as she stepped foot in the room. The sight of masks was a bit overwhelming; how was she to know who was who? Annalise had been fairly confident she would be able to spot her friends, but the more she thought about it, the more she was beginning to question herself. That, however, vanished the second she set eyes on a man in a navy blue suit. Leif Devitt. She didn’t have to think twice about it – the way he carried himself was unmistakable. Eyes lighting up, for it was oh-so relieving to see (to a degree!) a familiar face, Annalise picked up the pace and trotted over to him, throwing her arms around him without a second thought. Perhaps it would have been awkward if it wasn’t Leif, but his familiar scent overpowered her, and she knew it was indeed the man she believed it to be.

“Now, how did I not know you were attending!” she gasped, unable to pose it in a typical question-like statement. Drawing back, Annalise smoothed out her dress, then peered up at her friend. Although certainly more Charles’ friend than her own, Annie had managed to become acquainted enough with him. It was almost like an unspoken rule – any friend of her brothers' was to be a friend of her own. “It is a joy to see you, Mister Devitt. What colour were you given?”

[senna_]

────────:𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙲𝙸

'''he/him ● 20 ● 3.5/10 ● heterosexual ● mentions; tag ● tags; a lady?? (anyone is welcome to jump in on this!)

The inside of Tate’s stomach was swishing anxiously, as outrageous as the Lake di Misurina on a bitter, stormy day. His lithe body swayed naturally with the horse-drawn carriage as it rattled along the road of loose pebbles, hazel eyes staring directly outside, soaking in the views of the endless meadows bordering his ride over. America was something special. He hadn’t yet had much time to stop and explore, for his ride was determined to get him out and moving the second his boat arrived at shore, but from what he could see, he could tell it was marvellously different than Belluno. He hadn’t once set eyes on an acre of poverty-stricken territory, although based on the way America seemed to put its visuals together, he got the impression it was purposely hidden from the eye of the tourist, or all-around visitor, or some sort of person who wasn’t a proper citizen of the land. Here, in New York specifically, it seemed vision overruled all; it set its status, its reputation, its prize, and that was evident. Where Tate was from, it was night and day with class. Here, he wondered if he may even have a chance to fit in.

He supposed that was what he was most nervous about. While he was indeed a bit anxious about his English (thank the heavens for studying hard to understand it!), he knew there was bound to be many, many rich families at the ball. It was a party in celebration of one the richest American family’s spoiled baby girl, after all. Of course they wouldn’t open the doors strictly to working class men like Tate. Tate wasn’t trying to fit in. He was proud of his family, his heritage, his cultural belonging. He wasn’t about to change his personality and inner thoughts to appear suitable and pleasant for those he was about to surround himself around. There was no point, anyway; he had already thought about what would happen if he were to disguise himself as someone with pockets full of money. His support for his future life would be flooded with love and adoration, as opposed to fancy gifts and acres of land. And he was okay with that. It was a matter of, more or less, if anyone else was. Perhaps it was that that was most worrisome. What was he to do if he was paired with a rich lady with high expectations? He would be a complete mood-breaker. Tate wasn’t worried about rumours, she could start as many as she pleased, but he wasn’t willing to be the person unintentionally shattering their hopes because of an event he had little control over. He only had control over his final decision, although, given the formidable, fast-paced workers who’d shuffled him all the way from Italy to America in what felt like a matter of seconds, he would not have been too surprised if someone arrived at his door the day of department if he had refused the offer. What was that to say about the Purcells? Tate personally hadn’t met any of them; he was quite confident none of his family had. Were they prissy, rude, and looked at those below them as nothing more than specks of dirt? It was going to be a challenge to figure out, especially given the theme of the party.

A masquerade. Tate supposed that was a safe way to go about things; while he was sure the wealthy attenders would want to make themselves known, he was more content hiding behind his mask. Tate didn’t like the spotlight regardless, and this scenario seemed to make it even more possible. Though, in all fairness, he supposed the main focus would be on Annalise and the gem-pair situation. Wealth was sure to be spotted through clothing, as well. Tate himself had gone with nothing fancy. It was a surprise they had an up-to-date suit to begin with. The fabric was worn-in, the sleeves a bit lengthy, but from afar, it appeared to fit him rather well. He supposed he could thank his father for having such a similar shape to himself; hand-me-downs weren’t nearly as tragic that way. His mask was not anything to gush over, either. It was rusty brown in colour, shaped nicely against his facial structure, and lacked any sort of bedazzling. Even if Tate was rich, he wouldn’t have gone for anything fancier than what he found; simple looked clean.

His fingers fiddled with the ribbon as the carriage slowed. Taking a breath in through his nose, chest visibly expanding and collapsing, he rubbed his sweaty palms together, then moved his trembling fingers up so he could tie the mask around his head. Given the moving crate he was settled in, he was rather impressed with himself, for it only took one try to tie the ribbon decently. His hands fell back into his lap just as the horses came to a complete halt. The door swung open a few seconds later, and Tate was greeted with a crisp swish of fresh autumn air.

“Grazie,” he thanked the driver, offering him a tight-lipped smile as he slipped past him. The driver, by no surprise, returned it with nothing more than a slight head nod, barely noticeable if one wasn’t paying close enough attention. Pulling his card from the inner pocket of his tailcoat, Tate drifted closer to the doors, hazel eyes far too focused on reaching the steps to properly take in the view of the mansion before his very self. He soon fell into line with a chattery bunch of people, all dressed in neutral colours; while he hadn’t stopped to observe them, he could tell the group he had surrounded himself with were of high class. Still, that didn’t seem to discourage him. Nobody knew who he was, anyway. So, stepping up to the large doors with a smile, Tate handed the worker in black his card, standing in silence with his hands behind his back as he waited for further instruction. It felt like hours, standing in the chilly weather, surrounded by ghostly faces and nameless bodies, but eventually, the large, intimidating-looking man shifted his body, plucking a cufflink off the wooden table between himself and the other man.

“Put this on before you enter,” the man instructed curtly, waving him on as if time was running short in the night. Tate had no choice but to stumble forward, hands fidgeting anxiously with the gem, determined not to drop it. Unfortunately, he was so focused on keeping the gem safe in the palm of his hand that he seemingly forget about the herd of people surrounding him, and bumped his left shoulder against something sturdy. Someone, rather.

“Mio Dio,” he exclaimed breathlessly, gaze shooting up so quickly that he nearly stumbled. Unsurprisingly, he was staring at a blank sketch of a person, for the lady wore a mask large enough to cover up a good portion of her face. “I am very sorry,” he continued, this time in English. “I was more worried about dropping this than looking out for my peers. I hadn’t stepped on your dress, had I?”

[fawn,]

xxxxxx𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐓
xxxxx( 20 years old . wealth; 7 . social; 8 . tags; tate )
xxxxxx▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
x

Leonora tilted her head to one side as she gazed wistfully at her appearance. It was finally time for her dear Annie's foray into the courting scene and as a result Leo herself had been invited with the intention of the night to find out which man she had been paired to spend the remainder of her days with. She sighed lightly, absentmindedly drawing a comb through her blonde tresses, eyes unfocused as she daydreamed further. A knock at the door startled her from her reverie and she put the comb down, clearing her throat gently and turning toward the door, "Come in" she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear as the attendants her father had sent with her to America entered her room with a gorgeous dark red dress. Leonora gasped with excitement, her eyes lighting up when she saw the garment, her personal attendant Rosie stepped forward with a grin, dark curls bouncing around her head "Do you like it Miss? Your father sent it just this morning" Leo gazed at the material mesmerised and giggled softly "Papa always knows how to choose a beautiful dress, it's simply wonderful!" at Rosie's insistence Leo stood and prepared to be dressed, though she knew she should be excited at the prospect of finding a potential husband as well as representing her family, Leo felt a little apprehension. Truthfully, she had always hoped she would fall in love and would never have a pairing arranged for her but with her family's connections to the Purcells and her father's desire to make a good match for his eldest daughter it seemed she was duty bound. A nudge to her hip brought Leo swiftly back into the real world as Rosie stood back to admire her handiwork with a grin, she turned Leo towards the mirror and adjusted the ribbon tying the dress to ensure it was secure. Leo smiled at her reflection, turning slightly to catch the dress from different angles, the burgundy of the fabric complemented both her pale complexion as well as her hair. Leo did not like to consider herself as vain but she surprised herself with how much she liked the dress, if only she were able to wear it on her own terms.

As she was preparing to gather her things to get into the carriage, her father's attendant Winston appeared at the door. Leo looked up in surprise and smiled, "Winston! What do you think of my dress?" she beamed, being her father's attendant, Winston had watched her grow up and Leo considered him like an uncle. Winston offered her a smile and pulled a wrapped item from behind his back, "You look lovely Miss Bennett, Mister Bennett sent along this for you, it seems that your ball this evening is to be a masquerade and you could not go without a mask Miss!" Leonora thanked Winston and took the package, regarding it with interest before carefully unwrapping the contents. She took out a white mask that was styled to resemble a cat's face, the mask was decorated with swirls of red and gold and matched her dress, she tenderly stroked the mask and grinned up at Winston "This is exquisite, I can't wait to see how it looks with my dress" Leo rewrapped the mask carefully and put it with the things she would be taking with her to the ball, she intended to put the mask on before she arrived at the venue. Winston smiled and called for some attendants to help him carry the bags down to the carriage, "Your father had that mask sent from Venice, it was hand-made by a local merchant" he informed her with a twinkle in his eye. Leonora smiled, she knew she was lucky, she had been born into a life of privilege and had never really worked to earn it. That was why she dedicated herself to doing anything she could to keep her family in the respected regard they were currently held in. She may not have influence over much but she intended to protect her family's reputation as fiercely as possible.

Leonora was fairly used to travelling nowadays but she didn't exactly love it. Luckily for her, she hadn't been staying too far away from the Purcell's residence, her father had sent her with some attendants over to America to settle before the ball started so that she wouldn't be too weary from travelling. New York was a bustling metropolis, far busier than the English countryside that Leo was used to, but the business gave her a thrill, there was so much to see, if only she'd had the chance to get out there and experience some of it. She could dream at least. She propped her chin on her hand as she gazed longingly out of the window. An overheard snatch of conversation from the carriage driver told her that they would be arriving fairly shortly. Leo took a breath and turned so that Rosie could fasten the mask on for her. Almost before she knew it, the carriage was grinding to a halt and Winston was offering her a hand to descend. She stepped out gently and smiled at him, there were already a number of people at the ball all rushing around and preparing things, plenty of people were coming and going and all were wearing masks. Leo couldn't pretend that she wasn't at least slightly daunted and took a moment to steel herself before pressing onwards. She noted that many people were entering and going towards a table that was being managed by some workers dressed in black. She joined the queue and admired all of the other guests as they waited to give their attendance cards in. When it was finally her turn Leo stepped up with a smile and offered her card, the attendant looked it over briefly and offered her a polite smile "Miss Bennett, I'm sure Miss Purcell is very excited to see you again," he handed her a small brooch in a garnet red colour, what a happy coincidence "Please put this on and make your way into the party" Leo dipped her head in thanks and moved to one side to fix the brooch to her dress.

Just as Leo had managed to attach the brooch she was about to enter the ball when she felt something collide with her shoulder followed by the lilt of an Italian accent. She turned with rounded eyes ready to blurt out an apology for being in the way when she was beaten to it, she smiled gently and giggled, "It's no trouble at all! I must apologise myself as I was trying to attach my brooch and did not have my wits about me either!" her eyes took in the stranger, he was taller than her and had olive skin which was only complemented by the neutral suit and mask he wore, the burnished bronze of the mask making his eyes look more gold than hazel in the light, a light flush graced Leo's cheeks and she silently thanked whatever powers that be that she was wearing a mask which covered the majority of her face. "You didn't step on my dress at all, so please do not worry yourself!" she gently extended a hand to him with a bright smile, "My name is Leonora Bennett, it's a pleasure to meet you Mr...?" she didn't recognise him, though this wasn't unusual as it had been a few years since Leo was able to enjoy the social circuit, the lad had a calm aura about him and Leo already found herself relaxed in his presence.

[Mezzo]

❀ 𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐔𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐒
───────「 5/10 | Paired with: Kyung-Joon Cha | Tags: Open! | Mentions: Annalise 」


When the post had arrived that fateful day with the treasured invitation to the coming of age of one ‘Annalise Purcell’, Cosette’s normally reticent family had been awash in a sudden flurry of action and excitement, her bewildered father and mother fretting over her while her brother, ever-adorable in his clueless ignorance, stood on the outside looking in, his calloused hands grasping the invite and his face growing more and more pink with indignation as he repeatedly tried to interject the frenzied conversation with his questions of “Qui ?! Qui ?!”. Really, with all the hullabaloo, one might have mistaken the letter to be from the corridors of le Palais Royal! To Cosette, though, it may as well have come directly from the hands of le roi himself. While she had never been much of a romanticist - and if anyone ever asked her how she felt about finding ‘the one’, her only response would be a cutthroat but rather decisive je m’en fiche - she would be a fool to deny the golden opportunity that the Purcells had left on her doorstep. And Cosette liked to think herself no fool. Traveling to America, to New York, to greet the nouvelle débutante (who she’d never met before - the Purcells had been just a name heretofore, for only her father had ever met them face-to-face for business dealings before) and be matched up with a stranger was all fine and well to her, she was sure that some of the party attendees would be keen to see the City of Lights, but to Cosette — this was no mere vacation. She was no starry-eyed adventurer, nor did she care to act like the tourists who frequented Paris did; sure, it would be her first time in America, but she had other things on her mind.

Like striking a good match.

With the sole exception of her darling little brother, who was plenty busy already with his own work as an officer and was quite blissfully oblivious to his family’s inner workings - which Cosette never faulted him for, of course. She adored Thaddeus and was proud of him as any sister ought to be, though she never said so much in words. He was at that age where he would simply turn his nose up at his elder sister’s attentions, a far cry from when he would cling to her skirts as a child. - Cosette suspected her family largely thought the same way, hence their unnatural enthusiasm. It was not like the Beaumarchais were poor, they actually lived quite comfortably compared to the dirtier parts of the city (and believe you me, there were quite a few arrondissements that Cosette skirted around whenever she was out and about. Although it liked to portray itself to doe-eyed tourists as beautiful and pristine, Paris could be rather unkempt and messy, just as any other city.), but the fact was they were new money. They had no history to their name, and as such the wealthy would never truly see them as their own ilk regardless of how many riches they amassed. However, if their only daughter was successful in securing a marriage with a man of good breeding from a family with pre-established wealth and reputation… well, that would do wonders for both their fortune and their standing in society, n’est-ce pas?

Fairytale love was a notion afforded and entertained only by those who had the time and resources to daydream about it, and Cosette was no such idealist. The feeling of having butterflies in her stomach, of lowering her head with demure to hide a blush and giggle nervously, was foreign and alien to her. Oh, sure, she had read such tales as La Belle et La Bête, Cendrillon, et La Belle Au Bois Dormant. What child wasn’t acquainted with such classic French fairytales? Perhaps at a younger age, when she knew less of the realities of the world, she had fantasized of a Prince Charming that would come to sweep her off her feet and take her away on his white horse, just like in the stories. But now she knew better than to hope for such things. And besides, it was only upon revisiting those stories as she got older that she realized — they all involved a fabulously wealthy prince or princess, one way or another, and she was certainly no princess, nor had she ever met someone she could liken to a charming prince.

Perhaps this was part of the reason she found herself disdaining la noblesse; their frivolous egotism and condescension aside, she and they were simply not alike, and she had yet to meet someone of the upper class who could prove her otherwise.

And so, while Cosette was never particularly extravagant - as much as she loved beautiful fineries, she had to be pragmatic - she and her family had found a reason to splurge, and her father had been more pliant than usual when she’d pleaded with him to accompany her to Le Bon Marché for… well, anything! Henri Beaumarchais couldn’t understand his daughter’s fascination with the new magasin (chalking it up to the novelty of it all), but he had entertained her whims nevertheless. He’d even prepared Cosette a resplendent garnet-encrusted hair comb for the larger-than-life occasion, mirroring the style of the diamond brooch hair combs he’d seen so many of his customers requesting these days, and, when it had been time to say their goodbyes, had imparted on her the last words ”Ma petite, enchante-leurs.”

Now, the journey had been long and relatively uneventful (except Cosette finding that she had absolutely no taste for seafaring; she had, rather embarrassingly and miserably, been seasick and confined to her chambers for most of the ride), and as her carriage slowed to signal its arrival at the Purcells’ estate, Cosette clutched the invitation just a little tighter — not out of nerves but rather like how she imagined Jack might have treated his magic beans, holding them close with the promise that something better was awaiting. She had fashioned her hair into an elaborately braided chignon, her father’s gift pinned into the blonde locks, and while her rose pink gown was not overly expensive, it also did not give away her lower status. The one irritant she found was the accompanying pink mask occluding her face; while it looked nice in the shop’s window displays before she had bought it, she found it to be oddly uncomfortable to wear and suspected that she would not get used to the feeling of it even by the night’s end.

Exiting her litter, Cosette took her place in the entry line. She tried to peer around those standing in front of her, gauging whether this was the right line or not, but curse her petite stature — even with the added height of her shoes, she couldn’t quite see what they were all waiting around for. Resigning herself to the delay, she huffed a sigh. Had she been an artsier person, she might have admired the beauty of the manse that towered before her, but alas, she was not one for architecture, and although she had only ever really looked at them in passing and from afar, she had already seen her fair share of châteaux in France — Versailles, for one. Rather, the only thought that came to mind when she looked at the imposing estate was “I belong here.”, literally by way of the card in her hands and figuratively, a testament to what she was aiming for.

Finally, after what felt like hours (though it was mercifully just a few minutes, she was just a tad impatient…), Cosette found herself at the front and addressing a hale young worker. “Bonjour, I am here for la soirée,” she said, handing her invitation over. Was she supposed to curtsy? Perhaps not… she had never taken formal etiquette lessons, so she was at a loss. Before she could ruminate too hard on the matter, the worker interrupted her train of thought by handing her a beautiful navy blue brooch. She stared at it for a good moment, wondering just how flagrantly rich the Purcells had to be if they were just giving away such extravagant accessories to their party guests as if it were nothing, then wondered if perhaps her family had helped supply them.

“Put this on,” the man said before gesturing for her to move on. She quickly scurried out of the way, choosing not to dwell on the rude greeting, then returned her attention to the brooch once more. Was she truly allowed to keep such an expensive gift? Well, even if this party and its matchmaking amounted to nothing in the end, at the very least she had gotten a lovely new brooch out of it. Smiling at the thought, she fastened the brooch to her dress before entering through the gilded doors of the mansion. If she had thought the exterior of the house to be elaborate, the interior was even moreso tenfold. It was almost enough to take her breath away. Almost. Except for the fact that, if you asked her, all this was simple posturing, a way for the family to show off the immense wealth they had for their only daughter.

When considering things from that angle, whether it was true or not, it was difficult to be impressed.

Looking about, Cosette had no idea who to approach. She supposed the point of the masquerade was to ensure the guests did not recognize one another through their ornate masks, but in the first place it wasn’t like she even knew anyone else who had been invited. For the time being, she decided to linger by herself, gauging the guests as they came in. After all, there would be plenty of time (hopefully) to socialize with the others once everyone had arrived, she reasoned.