{ — Battle & Ballgowns 💋 {CLOSED}

[8_Stars_8]

— A N A S T A S I A —
"revolutionary" | location: thornton's manor | tagged: bridget, juliet

xxxAnnie rubbed the back of her neck as she looked at Bridget. "Father wants us to go down to the sitting room. We need to have a talk as a family, apparently." She looked upset and burdened. She was anxious that something like this might happen for her entire life. She just never knew when the day would come. She runs her hands over face. It wasn't that she didn't want to settle down someday, but she felt like a husband would hinder her. There were some really stuck up and controlling guys out there. She wanted to explore the world before she settled down to have a family. She wanted to not be tied down. But it wasn't her choice, now, was it?
xxxAnnie liked to keep up a strong front, for her sisters, but she couldn't help but feel tears well up in her eyes as she walked to find Juliet. She knew that their were these norms for her to find a husband, and if she didn't she'd be an old maid and no one would want her, but she didn't understand why men weren't put through the same pressure. She didn't see why it was viewed that a woman without a man was looked down at so much. She finally finds Juliet in the kitchen. "Jules." She says firmly. "Did you open the letter?" She asks, showing the same envelope and wax seal in her hand. "W-well, Father wants us to go and talk about it." She says, after seeing that she obviously hadn't.

[Aniki]

𝙾𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚍𝚍𝚘𝚡 • 21 • The Blacksmith's Daughter • No Tags
xxx“Olivia!”
xxxBoth Olivia and her father glanced up thinking they heard a sound but shrugged it off and went back to the anvils they were working on. The sound of screeching mothers scolding their children could often be heard from outside the shop whenever they stopped hammering the hot iron they were working on.
They were both covered in sweat and grime from their work. The shop was slightly bigger than that of some of the other blacksmith’s in the area but not by much. Despite having two large forges going it was still dark deeper in the shop. The air was heavy from the heat.
xxxWhile her father was finishing up his fourth pair of horseshoes, Olivia was working on a more complex order. It was a tall order asking for several new muskets. The work was a delicate matter. There were many small parts that had to fit perfectly together. Once Olivia put the piece she was working in back into the forge to heat up again, she noticed her mother standing in the doorway tapping her foot (a clear sign of impatience). Wiping off of her brow, leaving a dark mark from the soot that was on her gloves, Olivia tapped her father on the shoulder. Her father stood up to make his way over to his wife, but she signaled that it was Olivia that she wanted to talk to instead.
xxx"Mother?" Olivia asked as she took a deep breath of fresh air now that she was out of the shop.
“A letter came for you today. Here.” Her mother handed her the letter. The seal was already broken which told her that her mother already read the contents.
‘A new order perhaps?’ Olivia thought as she opened the letter and started to read. The more she read the higher her brows went up. “’You have reached an age where you must be wed’? Mother please tell me you are joking? I have a shop to run. We both know that I am taking it over. Why would I need to marry?”
xxx“Because you deserve more than this!” Her mother hissed. The topic of her marrying was a sore one in the Maddox household. Olivia swore, a very unlady like thing to do, and handed the letter back to her mother. Olivia stomped back into the shop. Her good mood now ruined.

[landogate]

ＣＨＲＩＳＴＯＰＨＥＲ ＣＡＢＥＬＬ
i. twenty-four, cismale ii. the bakers son iii. loc ─ bakery/town iv. tags ─ open v. mentions ─ here

xxxxthe morning rush had slowed down and christopher found himself finally taking a break. his palms faced flat on the flour dusted bench top. his shoulders were bunched up and held stress in them, he relaxed though when his mothers hand snaked itself along his shoulder blades. even through his shirt he could feel her nimble fingers graze over the curvature of his upper body, she came to draw him closer. chris finally relaxed and released a sigh, kicking up flour in the process. from the front of the shop the bell dinged and his father hastily greeted the customer. without saying a word his mother slipped a letter into the white-dusted hands of christopher. with his free hand he wiped himself down as his mother walked out to the front of shop to aid his father in finding the right bread the customer desired. from the back room he could hear his mothers reassurance and soon enough the chatter had died down. neither one moved back into the kitchen.

xxxxchris found a chair on the back porch of the small bakery, he sat next to two bags of oats that had been half eaten by stray animals passing by. the letter was still sealed, wax not yet peeled. flour had already imprinted the envelope, it left a thumb print staring back at him. it was addressed to him, not his father or his mother but truly to him. finally peeling off the wax christopher got his hands on the polarizing letter. he couldn't leave. not now, not when his mother needed help with his father, not when chris would be due to overtake the business he angrily let curses spill from his mouth before regaining the stressed out position he was in from before, hunched over, shoulders tense but eyes still glued to the paper rereading just to make sure. "you shouldn't decline, chris." came his mothers soft voice. a man of twenty-four now and still just a boy in his fathers eyes, for he was unwed. "you'd marry into wealth, you'd never have to work again." she soothed him like a toddler. "i won't be coddled mother. i'm to stay here, to look after you and father. i have time to find a wife, time to have a son." he was firm in his tone, but his eyes faltered.

xxxx"your father would rather you not be a pawn in someone elses game, but through this meeting you'd be free to find a wife." his mother now sat next to him, taking the letter and showing it to christopher. "you'd bring this family honor." he sighed again, kicking his feet out. the only option was to agree, his father was still his senior and superior, and he'd follow orders to the grave if need be. "when am i due away? surely i have days, weeks even to prepare?" he quizzed, it'd not said his timeline in the letter, but perhaps his mother had been given information. "i was advised that you pack today, for all they said was 'soon.'" christopher cursed once more and departed, making way for the stairs that led to the upper apartment of the bakery, leaving his mother with the letter.

[landogate]

ＰＨＥＯＢＥ ＣＬＥＲＭＯＮＴ
i. twenty-three, cisfem ii. the popular iii. loc ─ clermont manor/library iv. tags ─ open v. mentions ─ fox, elijah, james, rosemary

xxxxthe clermont sister gathered her skirts as she descend the grand staircase of the foyer. she wore a deep green gown with even darker details, and made sure not to trip as she rushed around the manor. she'd remained awake for a large portion of the night, unable to sleep. she was aided in dressing that morning and promptly was told of her father's proposed meeting in the drawing room. pheobe had diverted her path into the kitchens where she snagged two slices of apple to quell her turning stomach. she slipped into the room where her family stood, all in similar but different states of anger and surprise. she'd very clearly just missed an important detail and would surely face their father's disdain after the room would be cleared. james had stormed from the room and fox remained sullen.

xxxxin a small voice pheobe spoke finally, the room felt dull, tense, like if she even batted an eyelash it'd separate the room. "my apologies father, my sleep was inter-" pheobe was cut off, her father snapped his head up and dutifly repeated his words, the ones pheobe had missed out on by only a minute. "a ball will be thrown for us, the thorntons and the winchesters. young workers should also be privy to attend. you, along with your brothers will find a suitor, and that is that." pheobe seemed to be the only clermont in the room happy with the decision, a ball? perfect! she'd be able to show off her new designs imported from france. in addition to that she'd be welcome to see her dearest friend rosemary winchester, who she'd not seen since tensions began to rise dramatically in the colonies. the only sister remained calm and still though, her brothers might look down on her for her eagerness for this event. marriage or not, pheobe would be able to meet new people, finally.

[meetpluto]

Elijah Clermont ❘ 22 ❘ The Diplomat ❘ Inside clermont house ❘ tagged: Phoebe, Fox, James

Elijah tried to keep calm as he saw his sister's excited reaction. She was clearly not going to object to going. Made sense as she was the more social one in the family. Elijah watched his father smile at Phoebe's excitement before saying, "I will have the maids pack your items. You are released to do as you please until then." He waved his hand ordering the Elijah and siblings to leave. Elijah stood up as calmly as he could before leaving the room. Elijah shoots to the library going to the first place he knows that is quiet in the house. He needed to think out loud as his nerves shoot all over the place. Unlike Phoebe, Elijah wasn't excited to be stuck in a house full of people. Some strangers and others not. Once entering the library he muttered outloud, "He plans on sending us sooner than I thought. How is this even going to go over?" He paced near the couch biting his thumbnail as every kind of scenario of how this would end played through his head. He was trying to count how many ended badly compared to ending well.

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Felix Blackburn ❘ 25 ❘ The Orphan ❘ Walking around town ❘ tagged:

(to any of the other peasants. Felix is just walking around. If you want him just go right ahead and tag him c:)

[Aniki]

𝙹𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜 𝙲𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚝 • 24 • The Scholar • Tags: Elijah
xxx “It will be a nightmare at best,” James said as he turned the corner to find Elijah pacing. He smirked when his younger brother jumped slightly when he heard his voice. “I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who is concerned over this.” James sat down on one of his favorite chairs watching his brother.
xxx“Ignoring the fact that father is insisting that we all find a match,” James scoffed at the notion before continuing. “Our three families under one roof? I seriously wonder what on earth Lady Brighton is thinking. She knows how our families see one another. If I didn’t know any better I’d say she was planning this as her own personal play.” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
xxxJames could understand where his father was coming from. Any marriages between the three families would mean a stronger alliance and an end to the feuds; however, it was a risk. According to the letter all of the children would be under one roof. Even with the watchful eyes of the servants there were still plenty of ways that trouble would happen. What else would one expect having several young men and women all stuck together? He understood that out of the four of them Phoebe was the one who truly had the pressure of getting married put upon her. Sure, it was expected of the boys to marry, but it for a man to remain unmarried was nowhere as near scandalous as a woman not marrying and settling down. Personally he never once thought about getting married. It just wasn’t something that he considered important.

[landogate]

ＰＨＥＯＢＥ ＣＬＥＲＭＯＮＴ
i. twenty-three, cisfem ii. the popular iii. loc ─ clermont manor/library iv. tags ─ elijah, james v. mentions ─ fox, rosemary

xxxxpheobe departed the room and made her way out into the hallway where she followed two of her brothers. an open door led the sister to the clermont family library where both brothers seemed angered by their new situation. pheobe gathered her skirts as she stepped through the door, hearing bits and bobs of conversation as she had ventured down the hall. personally, pheobe was much more excited at seeing friends over finding a potential husband, to each their own though. "you talk about this situation like father wasn't forced to arrange this for us." she scoffed and folded her arms. "the father i know wouldn't do this unless his hand was forced." her voice was now quieter this time as she made a few steps along a bookshelf. "james, just think of the opportunity this will bring us!" pheobe was looking on the bright side, but there were also a few concerns that popped up into her head.

xxxxfirstly she would have to depart the clermont household, unless father approved of a marriage to a peasant boy, to which she was skeptical. she'd lived at the manor her whole life and would rather not depart with it. secondly she'd lose a part of her identity. the married life certainly wasn't what pheobe intended. "just think of all the people you'll meet!" she sounded far too optimistic with a pair of brothers who looked like they'd rather perish in war than be married. her hands came up to her mouth, "if we're to stay altogether i'll be free to see rosemary whenever i please!" now that idea, that made her day.

[~stories untold.]

【𝕭𝖊𝖓𝖏𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖓 𝖂𝖎𝖓𝖈𝖍𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗
﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌

Benjamin studied his sister's expressions carefully, and could see before she even spoke again what her opinions were: not that he could be surprised with all the people she managed to speak with all around the town. Ben certainly had his connections, but not to the kind of people he imagined would be in attendance at this event. Then again, they could be anybody: it didn't exactly say. "Hm, you paint a compelling argument, sister," He hummed, although both of them likely knew which way his preference lied. All he knew was he was supposed to be courting someone, and that was not exactly his ideal. However, the boy had a good ability to get what he wanted, and if nothing was it, he just may have a chance. Socializing had been a thing he was quite good at, but he was also painfully aware of the brewing political climate. As long as that wasn't brought up, surely he could have a good time. Benjamin always found a way. How troublesome was where it became ambiguous.
But as quickly as he became wary, Benjamin was reminded just as quickly of the potential benefits. Namely in terms of pleasure of all kinds, from good wine to good company. That being said, he was still under their parents' watchful eye. He could get things, but getting away with things was slightly harder. And a manor without their parents felt like a very compelling argument. They toed a line of obsessive and non-existent, except never on the in between. In some ways, he doubted he'd even notice the difference. Things were funny like that, sometimes. His thoughts were quickly interrupted by his older brother stepping into the room, getting handed his letter as if on cue. "I don't see how it would be a bad idea," He explained with a small shrug of his shoulders, looking between Rosemary and Nate. Whether he genuinely didn't see it or didn't want to was a mystery, and always seemed to be. "Do you think our parents have heard?" He asked as he stepped around the counter to grab a cup of tea, leaning his back against the wall and running a hand through his hair. Not sure if Nate was convinced, Benjamin turned his attention more to him. "I think they'd be very pleased with us going," He suggested, knowing their brother was the most conscious of their image and parental happiness of the lot. It seemed as if him and Rosemary were already on board, yet Benjamin couldn't determine with confidence which way Nathaniel was swaying.

Tags: Rosemary, Nate~~ Mention:N/A ~~ Location: Kitchen of Winchester Manorbuildings ~~ Role: The Freeloader

[pecos]

✦. ＦＯＸ ＣＬＥＲＭＯＮＴ
xthe atoner ✦ male ✦ twenty-five ✦ mentioned: n/a ✦ tagged: james, elijah, & pheobe
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spacepinching the bridge of his nose, fox pushed himself to his feet, shooting his father a brief glance before trailing behind pheobe as she exited the room. he recognized the voices of both james and elijah before he had even set foot in the library, and from the tones of their voices, he gathered that neither were very enthusiastic about the invitation. wandering over towards the corner of the room, his eyes began to absentmindedly scan the wall of books before him as he listened to the conversation between his siblings. he felt himself perk up slightly as pheobe chimed in.

space"she's right, you know," fox pointed out softly, spinning on his heels to better eye the other three. "father certainly wouldn't force anything upon us unless someone has influenced his decision. and, though i can see why you're both skeptical, this could be a wonderful opportunity. the three families under the same roof could give us the chance we need to make up for our wrongdoings." as he spoke, the man shifted slightly, shoes clicking against the polished wood. he truly believed that the ball could benefit each of them, and despite the fact that he was dubious about the idea of marrying so soon, he was willing to accept the brighton's terms and conditions if it meant that the family rivalries would be put to an end.

space"plus, the letter stated that a few of the townspeople have been invited. if we could improve our relations with them, we could possibly improve our relations with the rest of the town," he added.

[kelzzz]

«bridget thornton»
«female»«twenty heterosexual»«the naive»
«location: the hallway, kitchen, and then the sitting room inside the thornton mansion. »
«tags/mentions: annie;felix;olivia;adeline;jules»
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bridget nodded as annie was speaking, but she noticed the crease in her brows. she assumed it was probably caused by stress or the fact she had read the letter. she decided to just follow annie instead of say anything about it just yet. she did not want to keep their father waiting, because that was just not good manners. she picked up the sides of her dress a little bit so as they walked her dress would not drag. as they walked down the long corridor, her thoughts were filled with what ifs. what if i can’t sneak out to see felix, olivia, or adeline? not even just that! what if i will not be able to even step outside? fear glazed over bridget’s eyes for a mere moment. she would not know what the brightons had been told by her father. some of the people he talked to about her would assume she was basically dying. she shook herself out of her thoughts as they walked down the stairs. she followed annie into the kitchen where juliet was. before annie could say anything she gave juliet a little wave as a greeting. she saw her sister indeed had also received a letter with the special wax seal. bridget then decided to head into the sitting room before her elder sisters. she walked over to one of the elegant sofas and sat herself down. she then adjusted her dress, so if would not cover too much space. she looked up to her father pacing around the room. “good morning father. how are you doing this splendid morning?” she asked. her father stopped pacing and looked at her with a soft smile. “i am rather well. what about you dear?” her father responded. “i am still deciding on that.” she said while giving a small laugh. both of their eyes shifted to bridget’s elder sisters as they walked into the room.
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