♡ ━━━ purcell's pairings - pls lock

[strawbs.]

𝑽𝑰𝑵𝑪𝑬𝑵𝑻 𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑺𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑯
1-2/10 ━ garnet red gem ━ paired with leonara bennett ━ 19 years old ━ tags, open

vincent stood before a mirror, basked in the sunlight that reached from the window beside him, the sun, which was just beginning to set along the horizon. it was eerily quiet, aside from the silent commotion, his parents whispering back and forth. he sent a glare through the mirror, one that was never quite noticed. "oh, do i, now?" vincent says, startling both of them out of their small bubble. "you do know that i am right here, i would hope?" he turns around as his mother approaches to fix his suit, smoothes it out, dusts it off. he stares at her dead in the face and shrugs his shoulders, effectively wrinkling it up again. she huffs but can't be mad at him while he smirks cheekily. one point to vinny, zero points for mother.

she finally speaks, soft-toned and gentle; sweet, as always to her dear vinny. "i knew your father's suit would come in handy." he scrunches his nose and she turns him around to face his own reflection once again. "gosh, just look at you. all grown up."

vincent tries his hardest to keep himself from looking too gloomy or tense. to stand tall and proud; confidently, like a prince. he's not nervous but he's not comfortable. an hour later, he'll be standing within a crowded ballroom in which he doesn't belong. "what's wrong?" he hears his mother ask. his eyes flick up as he realizes that they've been wandering too far to the floor. "does it fit alright? it's not too tight, is it?"

he's told her before. he doesn't have to tell her again, right?

"do i have to go?" vincent's asked before thinking twice. he's impatient, wants the night to be over but it's just beginning. and it pains him to pain his mother, his father, but he would do anything to just stay at home, instead of around people who flaunt their wealth in his face like a bunch of snobs. yes, he understands. their lives are spectacular, they can buy whatever they desire. they don't have to worry about whether there will be food on the table or if a roof will be over their heads. so wonderful. he doesn't need to see it times ten. he doesn't need to actually converse with them. doesn't want to.

"oh, hun." his mother sighs, a breath mixed with frustration. he toughens up, braces himself for the answer he knows he will receive. he's asked countless times, through aggravated mumbles and disappointed huffs, and she knows as well, by the way he trudges around from within the confinements of home, paces the landscapes outdoors. but sometimes there's things you have to do, even though you don't want to, to get anywhere in life. "this will be good for you." she reminds him once again. "who knows, you might enjoy it." vincent bites his tongue, stopping himself from responding with a sour 'or i might not.' his mother appreciates when, for once, he restrains himself. when he dignifies himself to be more mature, but it never sticks around. "maybe there will be a pretty girl you'll like." now, he rolls his eyes, because even his mother can't help but enjoy his less mature side anyways.

vincent gingerly reaches out, slow fingers curling around to pick up the mask he's meant to wear. "i'm going to be paired up with someone. if there is a pretty girl i like, it wouldn't matter. i don't appreciate being persuaded into liking someone that i don't."

of course, she didn't have anything good to respond with at that. she understands how he feels towards it all, and it's a stubborn boy she has raised him to be. to not settle anything less than what he wanted. there's nothing she can say that would change his mind. he'd have to see it and feel it for himself. "just try not to be so down about it. don't let your own thoughts ruin your chance at having one of the best nights of your life." vincent scoffed, but didn't say anything. the topic has passed when his mother begins to help him tie his mask onto his face, whispering more to herself than him. "let us hurry, i think your ride has just showed up."

the next half an hour or so has been a bit of a blur, really. he says goodbye to his small family before getting inside the carriage, off to wherever the purcell's lived. it's a part of the world he's never been, yet any distance was closer than he hoped it to be. he dries his clammy hands on his pants, already growing anxious and homesick as he strays further from his home. it takes him a moment to muster up enough courage to exit what he decided to call his safe space, free from looks and people. but the day won't end any quicker when he just sits there pretending that he's attended the party. vincent pulls at his dress coat tightly to straighten it, meanwhile looking down at himself to make sure no dirt has somehow made its way onto his clothes. his father would kill him if he ruined such an expensive suit, a once-in-a-lifetime purchase. it's been hiding in the armoire for who knows how long.

the first thing he notices is the people, waiting in line to be accepted into the building. it's huge, nothing that vincent's ever had the pleasure of witnessing or being apart of. he feels more apprehensive by the second, taking small strides towards the entrance. this is somewhere he's not supposed to be, he feels; somewhere he definitely doesn't belong. he doesn't even deserve to touch any of it, let alone walk on it. but still, he does, and his mind is going at a rate that he can hardly comprehend, as he takes the deep, gleaming red gem delicately into his hands. vincent stares at it for a second longer than most. how much does it cost, he wonders? the thought, he waves off swiftly, as to not get too lost within his own head. he stands by, putting on the cufflink he's been giving, a color that matches another's somewhere in this room. he hopes they get lost on their way to him.

for now, he idles on the sidelines, observing the strangers hiding behind their masks, because all he can think about is how to get away from all this. there's too many people for his comfort; too many that are far better off than him. he just wants to be back home.

[RaptureMetro]

⚕︎⚚ 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒿𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓃
───────────────────────────────────────
{ 24 . 2/10 . paired with: Leif Devitt . mentions: tag . tags: Jade }

For a moment Marjorie was captivated by the very decor, truth be told she knew such a display wasn’t quite charming as she stood gawking like a tourist at the exquisite decorations that only those with such a lavish livelihood could afford. If someone was to point it out to her in any other circumstance she’d be embarrassed by such childish acts of wonder and awe, but could anyone blame her? This was all so new and foreign, and every moment spent in this country was yet another story she could tell to her siblings when she returned. God get it together Marjorie, this is not why you are here! She chastised, an inaudible groan following suit as she straightened up. Her eyes danced around the party goers, as she noted the small groups that were already forming around her, whether they were the type of people who were worth even a second of her time was hard to determine for she lacked the familiarity with those in accordance. Her best bet for now was to linger, allow some time to listen into some of the celebrant's conversations, and then determine who would be the best candidates to turn up the charm for.

It seemed many others were pairing off, finding themselves familiar faces or complete strangers to converse with. Parties were a foreign scene for the young woman, afterall most celebrations she attended were much more intimate and small get togethers between her family to celebrate birthdays or anniversaries. Nothing to this grandiosity, what did the aristocrats do for fun at these events? Was it all just catching up, where the men drank and discussed expensive universities and business trips and the women gossiped about the drama from the courting season and the latest scandal with whatever rich, pretty young thing has just been dug up? From what Marjorie assets from her idling, that seemed to be the case.

At the sudden impact a small oof escaped Marjorie’s lips, thankfully it wasn’t enough of a force to send her tumbling, just enough to catch her off guard. After taking a moment to regain her footing, her attention turned towards the culprit. “It’s quite alright, no damage done” She spoke, a warm reassuring smile taking hold of her features. The poor thing seemed out of place and quite anxious, maybe she was in a similar situation where this was a very new and nerve wracking experience for her. There was no reason to give her a hard time over a genuine accident, afterall it didn’t seem as if she would be capable of malicious acts… at least not in her current situation.

The compliment caught Marjorie off guard, of course statements of this nature would be common throughout the night by other guests and potential suitors who made their way to claim her hand, but she still hadn’t been mentally prepared for the statement itself, “Oh thank you very much!” She exclaimed, “My mother put it together specifically for this ball, she put a lot of her heart and soul into this dress to try and make it as perfect as possible” She recalled, her eyes shifting towards the fabric, a soft, melancholic look taking hold of her features as she did. It was moments like these where she truly held a longing for home, she wasn’t used to being so far from home for so long, it was only natural that after all that time spent traveling, how heavy the realization of how homesick she was would be. She straightened up, putting on a brave face.

“Yours is quite beautiful as well, I love the train” She commented, dark eyes drifting over the delicate fabric, taking in the detailed work put into the dress, “Did you make this yourself? You’re quite the talented seamstress to have put this together all by yourself miss” She commended hoping the kind words and talk of the young woman’s dress making skills would put her at ease and strike up a much more natural and comforting conversation.

[fawn,]

xxxxxx𝐋𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐓
xxxxx( 20 years old . wealth; 7 . social; 8 . paired with; vincent ellsworth . tags; tate, amelia )
xxxxxx▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁
x

Leo had to admit that she was getting quite swept up in the atmosphere of the evening, she had been slightly worried that she would feel as though she stuck out as it had been so long since she'd attended a ball, this hadn't been the case so far. The buzz and chatter of all the people around her actually felt rather comforting and she had seen a fair few familiar faces in even the short time she'd been there. She was feeling bouyant and lucky, she felt that the night would be enjoyable and she was very glad that her parents had insisted on her coming. Leo had been ready to turn the invitation down, with her father's health being very much touch and go she hadn't wanted to be away from him. Luckily, her father's physician had reassured her that all would be well and actively encouraged her to get away from home for a little self-indulgence. And so, here she was. Leo wondered idly whether many of her friends would be here, of course Annie was here somewhere but she had no idea of which other guests had been invited.

She looked up at Tate once more when he spoke and smiled as she nodded, "I have been to a fair few in my time," she chuckled, a faraway look in her eyes as she offered him a description "They're certainly lively! I would say this is actually rather small-scale in comparison to past events! Though just as opulent as I would have imagined, however, I can almost guarantee that you will have a good time tonight, Annie's parties are always a riot!" she smiled fondly as she spoke about her best friend. She would have to go and find Annie soon, they had a lot of catching up to do!

As Tate spoke about his hometown she listened with interest, having never travelled abroad herself apart from to come here to America she had no idea about the political implications of her question. Leo noted his pause and a small frown puckered her brow as he considered his following words. Leo felt a rush of hot embarrassment as he steeered her away from politics. She probably should have thought a little more before she spoke and internally she was kicking herself though outwardly she offered him a smile with a nod of her head, "Ah yes, of course, please forgive my ignorance, I'm afraid I haven't been able to see too much of the world myself yet, I forget that political discussions often end badly and as you pointed out, it is hardly an appropriate conversation for a party! There are far more interesting things we could be discussing!" she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear tentatively as he stepped closer to her to help her fix her brooch to her dress, her heart feeling as though it was beating in her ears. She was struck by how gently his hands worked, they had clearly been well used over the years, showing signs of wear and tear which made it obvious that he worked hard at whatever he did. His voice startled her slightly as she had been intently gazing at his hands but she nodded her assent, "They really are stunning and of a very high quality too, I feel very lucky to have been gifted one"

As he proffered his arm to escort her, Leo felt a slight flush grace her cheeks as she accepted. It had been a long time since she'd been escorted somewhere so formally, there was certainly a thrill in it! She tucked her arm into his and lightly held his forearm as they walked. She was amused at the level of comfort she felt around Tate already, he had such a steady presence that she couldn't help but relax around him. As they crossed the threshold of the room, Leo herself was feeling a little overwhelmed by the sheer decadence of the room. Leo's family lived very comfortably themselves but this was a level of wealth that she couldn't even fathom. It looked absolutely incredible. The idea of getting refreshments seemed even more appealing in that moment! Her eyes found Tate's once more as he answered her question, "They must regard your family highly if you've been extended an invitation, a good choice by them I may add!" she grinned and crinkled her nose at him, half watching as more and more people filtered into the ballroom, "The Purcells are family friends so yes I suppose I do have rather good connections with them! Annie... Annalise, that is, is one of my dearest friends so I'm sure that has a lot more to do with my invitation!" Leo's eyes flicked over the ballroom quickly but she hadn't spotted Annie quite yet, she was keen to discuss the match-making aspect and she wasn't sure quite how apparent it was to the other attendants, she had stopped herself mentioning it to Tate earlier just in case she had ended up overwhelming him with too much information!

She had been about to suggest they made their way to the refreshment table when a stunning brunette approached the two of them. Leo offered the girl a warm smile as she spoke and nodded her head enthusiastically, "Of course, please feel free to join us! May I add that you look spectacular yourself this evening!" Leo realised that she had still been holding on to Tate's arm this entire time and so she gently extracted herself with a shy smile towards him, she hadn't wanted to come on too strong, after all, she wasn't even matched with this man as much as she had enjoyed his company so far, "We were about to visit the refreshment table, would you care to join us?" Glancing around the room once more, Leo was surprised to find that more people seemed to keep filing in, it was getting later and later and she hadn't been able to locate Annie yet, something she wished to rectify soon.

With so many people gathering in the room, it was getting a little hot for Leo's liking, she glanced around and spotted some doors opening out to a beautiful garden, she turned to Tate and Amelia with an apologetic smile, "I'm feeling a little warm, I'm just going to cool off in the garden for a short while and I'll return, I shan't be long" Leo gave them both a nod and weaved her way through the gathered people, once she was through the doors she let out a sigh, the amount of people had thrown her slightly. As balls go, this was a fairly small event but even so, it had put Leo ever so slightly off kilter. She would take a moment to cool down and get a drink and then return to Tate and Amelia, she had wanted to ask Tate to save her a dance for later, even if they weren't matched she'd like to share a dance with the handsome young man.

[lemon!!]

𝙹𝙰𝙳𝙴 𝙳𝙰 𝚇𝙸𝙰
3/10 | she/her | Mentions; Annalise | Tags; Marjorie
┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ☾ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Jade had almost felt bad for knocking into the other girl. The little noise that left her lips was enough to cement that moment of guilt - at least the woman hadn’t fallen over, that would’ve been utterly disastrous. And if she were to cause a scene this early, lord knows her mother would have never forgiven her for it. Luckily though, the dark haired woman had stayed upright if not for a slight jolt upon the impact. Good for her. Jade knew she had to stop obsessing over worst case scenarios but it was immensely difficult when faced with situations that were unfamiliar. Oh well. Perhaps this would be the perfect opportunity to make a fresh start of things.

The girl just exuded warmth. That was a positive - she certainly seemed friendly enough. Jade stalled for a moment, quite unsure of what to say right away. “You’re quite right, at least nobody ended up on the floor-” she offered a small smile in return, an almost clipped giggle following directly suit. How she wished she wasn’t so incredibly awkward. She was often reminded in times like these of her terribly depleted social skills - Jade had always been gangly and awkward, that wasn’t anything new. But what wasn’t new, was putting herself in a situation with rich, affluent people who knew every detail of etiquette and expecting her to live up to the same? That was new. And she was determined not to make a fool of herself tonight.

“Oh! You’re quite welcome! Your mother did an excellent job.” Jade couldn’t hide the smile that warmed her face. This was in fact, her favourite topic after all. “Well, she succeeded. The colours… the details… they work so beautifully. Your mother has an excellent eye.” - this was true, of course. Jade was physically unable of lying about an appreciation for any garment. Growing up, she had learned about craftsmanship - it was something to be proud of, nothing to pretend about. But as Jade watched the girl’s kind eyes run softly over the fabric of her gown, it almost became different. As though the meaning of the garment had changed - clearly it wasn’t just a gown to be worn once and thrown away. It held more to it than that. Jade loved dresses with stories more than anything.

The compliment made Jade’s cheek flush to a slight crimson colour, though she hoped the newfound colours would be hidden in the lighting. “Oh, oh thank you very much.. ma’am.” she couldn’t help but smile. “I did! I did. My mother is a seamstress, so I’m a seamstress. Family business. It’s how we know the Purcells. I’ve made a couple of their daughter’s dresses.” she offered a nod, grateful for the other girl’s soft tone. It was easier to talk to her than she suspected it would be - maybe all of this wasn’t so bad at all.

Jade couldn’t quite help herself from examining the woman’s features. She had a kind set of dark eyes, the type that made you feel instantly at ease. Perhaps that was why she was so easy to talk to - her kind face, her warm expressions. She didn’t look pretentious or condescending like some of the people that passed by. In fact, quite the opposite. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t even introduce myself after rudely knocking into you. I um- My name’s Jade. What is yours?”

[lemon!!]

𝙹𝙰𝚂𝙿𝙴𝚁 𝙰𝙳𝙳𝙸𝚂𝙾𝙽
8/10 | he/him | Mentions; Annalise, Jemima | Tags; Leif, Annalise
┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ ★ ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

Jasper might have felt a little bit awkward when the subject was brought up. Okay, perhaps not just a little awkward. A lot of awkward/ Or rather… he felt entirely wrecked. The commencement of the subject had completely dampened his mood. What a nightmare! This was only the beginning of the night and he already felt so socially flat. Perhaps having a drink would help - he warily eyed the room for a bar, or anyone with a glass of wine that he might be able to ask for the location where he could get a glass of whiskey. He certainly hadn’t expected to have turned into a complete mess already in the night. Of course, Jasper had somewhat expected the topic to come up at some point. It seemed the entirety of academia knew about the love affair that had gone so hideously wrong - in fact, a small part of him had been mentally preparing for the time that it would come up. It wasn’t to much avail - he honestly pushed the thought out of his head whenever it did arise.

He had been utterly slandered by the Fairlie woman’s father enough to know that he was an extremely lucky young man. This was for two reasons. For one - if it was not for his family being one of the most wealthy in their entire community, he might have actually been completely cut off from the prestigious society. For the second - that Philip Purcell was ultimately his hero. He still believed that Jasper was a decent man, enough to invite him here tonight. It was by the good will of the Purcell man that the youngest Addison had slipped through the cracks of complete disgrace. His wife had been very fond of their family for a long time, Jasper couldn’t help but wonder if it was her that had spoken sense into Annalise’s father. He didn’t want to ponder, he was just grateful for the good grace.

“You both might be right. You’ve never been wrong before, Leif, my good man.” the young man cleared his throat. He certainly wanted to get the topic over and done with - there was no point in dwelling. The sooner the topic of his absolute disgrace was cut short, the better. He turned to Annalise, forcing a smile onto his masked face. “Oh undoubtedly. Your father has always been very kind to me.” - this was not a word of a lie. Evidently, he owed a great deal to the Purcells.

He couldn’t help but give a small chuckle at the girl’s complimentary words. “Why thank you, Miss Purcell.” he shot a glance at Leif, a rather amused look on the young man’s face. It almost felt strange being here celebrating her twenty first birthday. How often had the pair teased Charles about this day? How often had her brother wished to beat the two of them up, just for making a joke that one day they would want to court his sister of only a few years younger than the both of them? He couldn’t deny that Annalise had grown into quite the incredible woman. She was smart and clever, it just felt odd because he had been so close to her brother. If he only knew quite the truth to those snide jokes the group had made in the Harvard halls - the key to which was lying in plain sight on his cufflink.

Jasper snapped out of his momentary trance to turn his attention back to Leif. He eyed the cufflink on the man’s wrist, noting it’s bright aquamarine colour. “The sarcasm is duly noted, Mister Devitt,” he nodded with a soft chuckle to his voice. “Well, I’m relieved to know that I do not also have an aqua gem. As wonderful of a friend you are, Leif, I am not so sure I would ever be grateful for you as a partner.”

Jasper laughed a little at Annalise’s excited tone. “Oh? Did your father not give you any hints regarding the pairs? He didn’t even let you know who your own partner would be tonight?” admittedly, he was a little surprised. He knew Philip Purcell had always had a flair for the dramatic - that was evident by just the grand scale of this party. But what he hadn’t anticipated was for Annie to have absolutely no idea about the details. What a shame. He had been hoping he could fleece her for the details about his future bride-to-be, if she had known who shared the silver gem with him. It truly was ironic that she [i]did[/] in fact know who shared it with him - and she most certainly knew every single thing about her. If only he had known. “Your father is quite the party planner, after all!” he laughed.

“Well! Let’s see, shall we?” Jasper teased, an amused grin spreading over his pale, masked features. The young man was stalling, of course, drawing out the agony of making the pair wait for the reveal of his gemstone colour. He glanced down at the stone on his wrist, grinning as he stalled for some more time just to force the anticipation. “It’s uh. It’s silver. I’m glad Mr Purcell was so kind as to tie in the colour with my mask - he obviously knows me far too well.” Jasper laughed. “We’ve revealed our colours, is it correct of us to ask the lady for hers, hm?” he couldn’t help but search for the sight of a gem on Annie anywhere - but he couldn’t find it. She probably had it hidden for a reason, he supposed - he almost felt embarrassed for asking when it likely wasn’t very correct of him.

[RaptureMetro]

⚕︎⚚ 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒿𝑜𝓇𝒾𝑒 𝐿𝒶𝓇𝓈𝑒𝓃
───────────────────────────────────────
{ 24 . 2/10 . paired with: Leif Devitt . mentions: tag . tags: Jade }

A small good natured giggle followed the young woman’s comment, if that had been her fate Marjorie would have surely been embarrassed. Having taken a nasty tumble in the middle of such an extravagant event would have been mortifying for any young woman to say the least, it surely would have attracted a multitude of unwanted eyes, all observing the spectacle to see how it would play out. Afterall the aristocrats certainly loved catty drama that they could gossip about the next day. It was best to avoid a scene this early in the evening, and seeing as there had been no damage to either of the young bachelorettes (and even though she could be careless with her words, being intentionally spiteful truly wasn’t a part of Marjorie’s nature) there was no reason to make a fool out of either of them over a silly mistake.

The way her current companion conversed confirmed Marjorie’s suspicions; the young woman was out of her element the same as her. It almost gave her some sense of relief as she wasn’t the only one who felt confused and uncertain with how to present herself for such an event, all but unfamiliar with the aloof, pampered patricians. Was it possible her companion was from a similar background, out of her depths in this peculiar display of pretentious, lavish luxury? She prayed this was the case, for it would be a solace to find compatriots she could relate to among this high society crowd.

The ever apparent snares of anxiety seemed to diminish as the topic changed to dressmaking (something that the young seamstress appeared to be quite passionate about). Marjorie anticipated this new topic would lead to a more natural progression of the conversation and ease the young woman out of her shell a little more. “I will be sure to pass along your compliment when I see her next, she doesn’t dabble in projects this large very often” It was always in lower class women's best interest to learn how to sow, new clothes were not cheap and it was oftentimes financially beneficial to mend or adjust garments rather than waste precious coin on newer, costly apparel.

“You’re extremely talented! This is such exquisite handy work!” She commended, a warm smile taking hold of her features. The talk of crafting the Purcells Daughter’s dress for the evening piqued her interest, dark eyes flitting across the grounds wondering which young lady was possibly sporting one of these lovely creations. “Are you well acquainted with the Purcells?” She questioned, arching a brow as her gaze turned back towards the young woman before her, maybe if she was familiar with the family she could offer some insight towards the outlandish feat of pairing their attendees together. “Are they always this excessive?"

As the nerves seemed to leave her associate's face, replaced with a much more relaxed bearing, Marjorie couldn’t help but be captivated by the young seamstress’s characteristics. She had such a lithe figure, all of which was accented exquisitely by her dress, even past the skittish start she seemed to carry a dainty, yet compelling force about her. Such an odd combination for someone who had started off so meek and timid, this revelation was quite intriguing. Maybe there was much more than meets the eye for this young woman hidden under the surface.

“Oh don’t worry about that, water under the bridge as far as I’m concerned” She spoke hoping the young woman wouldn’t feel guilty about the misstep for the rest of the night. It was a simple accident after all. “What a lovely name” She mused, it was fitting for such a lovely young woman. “It's a pleasure to meet you Jade, my name is Marjorie” Now she had a name for the woman she was conversing with, there was one less stranger at this gathering. Her attention turned away from Jade, taking a few moments to assess their surroundings to make sure no one else appeared to be eavesdropping into their conversation, she’d hate to irritate the hosts with her next comment. “What do you think of this whole ordeal?” She questioned, motioning towards the contrast of the bright pink brooch fastened to the delicate fabric of Jade’s attire, “It seems a little strange doesn’t it?”

[senna_]

────────:𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚂𝙴 𝙿𝚄𝚁𝙲𝙴𝙻𝙻

:10/10 ● silver gem ● pair: jasper addison ● mentions; tags ● tags; jasper, leif → leonora

Annalise hadn’t ever been great at reading emotions. Growing up in a family with older brothers who were very vocal with their thoughts, she hadn’t ever felt she needed to learn to properly study someone. She herself had always been taught to cover up any distraught feelings, and it didn’t occur to her very often that that didn’t go for everyone else, and that reading someone could indeed be quite helpful. There were many things wrong with that: firstly, and foremostly, Annalise failed miserably at hiding her emotions quite often. She did her best, pressing her lips together into a perfectly straight line, casting her gaze down, folding her hands in front of her to avoid saying a word. But it never lasted. And secondly, having such skill would be immensely handy in situations like so. While she was trying to convince herself that she was having a difficult time reading the men because of the masks that covered their faces (which, in all honesty, probably did have something to do with it), there was a good chance she wasn’t successful because she didn’t know what to look for. And for that reason, Jasper’s side glances seemed to go right over her head for the first few seconds. It seemed it didn’t matter too, too much, though; the subject had changed, and for the better, too. While Annalise hadn’t ever been in a situation like that, she supposed she wouldn’t want someone picking out all the details to a miserable fall-out, either. But goodness, was she curious! She couldn’t help but wonder who in this room knew. It was none of her business… Oh, but it was so her business.

She glanced back up as Jasper chuckled, feeling her cheeks warm slightly – either because of her silent plotting, or the sound of his voice. She wasn’t too sure which exactly it was. “Mister Addison, do not encourage this negativity!” she gasped, as if truly offended by what had been said towards Leif, who was standing there rather quietly ─ a very odd thing to see from the man. “I said the aqua looks lovely.” Her voice, however, unattractively squeaked the last part, and if it wasn’t obvious before, it was now: she indeed thought the gem wasn’t the most suiting, either. Although, she was honest with her comment regarding his eyes; they were rather beautiful, really. Vibrant blue with a visible twinkle of mischief. It was easy to get caught up in his glance, that was for sure. Annalise, she scolded herself, forcing her gaze to stare at the mens’ shoulders instead. Stop it. It felt highly unethical to be silently admiring the beauty of not one, but two men before her. And worse, the very friends of her own brother. Something about it felt so wrong, and yet, she couldn’t help herself. She was very thankful when the conversation continued – it allowed her to focus on something else.

“My father doesn’t do hints,” she replied. “It is all or nothing, and we are given the ‘nothing’ until the ‘all’ occurs. I know just as much as you gentlemen do, and that is all true. I suspect it’s for the better – knowing my future husband ahead of time may have changed my mind about attending tonight.” She didn’t mean it harshly, but wasn’t too sure it would be taken the way she intended. It was true, though; if she knew the name and the face of the man she was to marry, she may very well have shied away from the event. It wasn’t to be disrespectful to him, but knowing the name made it seem so much more real. While she knew she had to grow thicker skin, Annalise didn’t feel prepared for real. Part of her hoped he didn’t, either. She didn’t want to handle all the seriousness of marriage quite yet.

It seemed to take her a second to process Jasper’s following words. His voice had become distant, despite being so close to her, and echoey, like she was in a dream state. Was this a dream? “Are you sure?” was what she wanted to blur out, but the first words to fly from her mouth were, “I promise I had no say in this,” which was very unlike her — it even took her another second to drink it in. It was a fumble of words, an odd, unusually nervous roll of the tongue, an “I am the most sorry if you're unhappy” act of trembling defense. Something all very unlike Annalise. Silver. As she cast her gaze down at his arm, she noted that it was, without a doubt, not a shade less than what she had been given. Immediately, her hands grew clammy, and she wiped them along the sides of her skirt, even though that was far from what she had been taught to do. She seemed at a loss for words. Thoughts, too; while her eyes flickered from his wrist to his face and back again, she couldn’t seem to wrap her head around what was happening in her mind. Was he disappointed? Did her blubbering give her own gem away? Did she have it in her to say it now? She was equally conflicted ─ not saying it could give him the impression she was not happy, but saying it would lead to some likely negative outcome that she wasn't sure she could handle.

She hadn't really thought about what others had in mind for their pairs. How many had the intention of taking this seriously? Annie hadn't thought much about it herself, in all honesty. She couldn't say she was disappointed ─ with his charming, relishing personally and pleasing looks, plus a stable family and pre-established connection, it would be hard for anyone to be properly let down by Jasper Addison. But, for what seemed like once in her life, Annalise was worried about what he had to think about this all. About her.

“I-I think I would like to get a drink.” Annalise, in fact, did not ever sip anything more than water and tea, and while she was unsure if the men knew this ─ knowing Charles and his big mouth, despite how random the topic was, it wouldn’t surprise her if he had said something for whatever reason — it was her best way out. The air was growing hot, heavy, her dress seemingly weighing a hundred pounds more. Desperate for her fan, Annalise raised her hands and fanned her face, consciously aware of both the flushed look she had created for herself, and how ridiculous she had to look in that moment. “Excuse me.” While her gaze seemed desperate to gaze at Jasper once again ─ could she do in an openly dreamy manner now? ─ she forced her eyes to the shimmery floor and, with what seemed like a rather rushed, wobbled curtsy, scurried past the two. Air; she needed fresh air. Her breath was ragged as she walked, slick fingers clawing at her dress, as if that would loosen up her tight corset. This was not the reaction she had expected to come from herself. She was, without a doubt, a hopeless cause, an utter embarrassment; there was no way Jasper would want to bid her two words now. What about her father? It was only a matter of seconds before he came charging her way.

She could feel hot tears threatening to bead up around her lashes. Tears of shame, of acting in such a foolish manner. What kind of wife would she make, acting like that? Annalise supposed she should have dwelled more on what sort of reaction she was to give the man who completed the puzzle she had been given. She knew she wasn’t disappointed. She adored Jasper, she truly did. And yet, with an unattractive outburst like that, she wouldn’t even be surprised if she was going to get kicked out of the party. Her own party.

“I was paired with Jasper Addison,” she breathed as she pushed open the back doors. It truly did sound thrilling when speaking such words aloud; it was as if she was a girl who had found her perfect other half and was ready to begin the new, exciting chapter of her life. At the same time, that was terrifying. What did she do if Jasper decided to drop her in the dirt and find someone else? While understandable (how could anyone truly find love this way?), she wasn't sure she'd be able to take it. Her sensitivity levels were high to begin with ─ her immediate bolt justified that ─ and being turned away that way seemed shameful on her end, as if she hadn't done her duty and that was her punishment.

The cool air hit her at once, awfully refreshing, and she let out a shaky sigh, big enough to physically move her chest outward and back in. Fumbling her fingers together, Annalise glanced over her shoulder. How was she supposed to go back in there and approach him? “My dearest apologies for my childish behaviour, Mister Addison. I am a lost cause for everyone and I understand if you never want to speak to me again” did seem honest, but not very convincing. “What have I done?” she groaned to herself, running her palms over her braided hair. She fell silent, cheeks flaring red once more, upon realizing someone else was outside. Had they seen her dramatic burst out of the house?

“Apologies,” she mumbled sheepishly to the woman, stepping closer. “I – ” Her words caught in her throat as she approached the blonde, and an excited ─ and very relieved ─ gasp left her lips. “Leo! Oh, Leo, it’s you.” A cry of relief shook her shoulders, and she practically threw herself into her friend’s arms. “I am ever so grateful you are here.”

[senna_]

────────:𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙲𝙸

:'3.5/10 ● caribbean green gem ● pair: emilina browne ● mentions; tags ● tags; leonora, amelia

For a moment, Tate was not exactly sure Leonora would accept his offered arm. After all, it was evident in their appearances that there was a gap when it came to positions on the social ladder. Her dress was exquisite; he wouldn’t have been surprised if she told him they had just unwrapped and taken it out of the package before the carriage arrived for her. He wouldn’t have been surprised if she had taken her own carriage. Her dress glimmered against the candlelight, screaming elegance and beauty. She was quite stunning. Was it wrong for him to think such a thing? He supposed there were pros and cons to this scenario. He was practically promised to someone already, no? Wasn’t that what the gem was for? He supposed there could be an issue if she refused his offer, if it ever came to that. What if they didn’t get along? Worse, what if they did get along, but lived on opposite sides of the world? He hadn’t really thought much about all of it, having wished to save it until he met her. But now, after meeting Leo, he was beginning to question it all. Was it wrong of him to think so highly of a lady he had just met? Further, the first lady – person in general, really – he had met tonight. He didn’t doubt she’d get along well with her pair. Her smile was contagious, her cheeriness so bright it could light up an entire town. She was as sweet as the sweet strawberries they grew in the peak of summer. He wondered how many guests would differ from this; the stranger that had practically shoved him aside and left without a mumble of an apology was certainly one of them.

He glanced at Leo in great surprise as she commented on the scale of the party. “This is considered small?” he echoed, hardly able to truly believe it himself. He supposed on a bigger level, he could see it; there certainly were not more than maybe fifty guests or so. The more he thought about it… It seemed the room was what made it seem so immensely big and spectacular. Not to say it wouldn’t be spectacular elsewhere; Tate had first heard about the Purcells because of their splendid parties. Surely this would not disappoint, especially since it was for one of their own children. “It’s very beautiful. Although I must say, I am not sure I would be able to comfortably live in a house this big. It would make it hard to truly call it home.” He glanced at her yet again, and a smile played at his lips. “Never feel you need to apologize,” he assured her. “Especially not about that; it’s always a challenge, figuring out what location would be deemed appropriate for any sort of conversation.”

It barely fazed him when she informed him she was friends with Annalise. It was hardly a surprise; while Tate definitely hadn’t made that connection on his own, the second she said it, it was as though he had subconsciously prepared himself for it. “Oh, you must be searching for her, then,” he hummed, tilting his head to look, though evidently failing miserably – he hadn’t a clue with the Purcell daughter looked like. “Don’t let me keep you.” His eyes crinkled as he smiled boyishly at her, which faltered slightly as her attention drifted elsewhere. Curious, his gaze followed, and his eyes widened upon realizing someone was staring rather expectedly at them. He felt guilty for not hearing what she had said, and silently thanked Leo for paying more attention than he had been.

“Hello,” he greeted, moving his arm out slightly as he felt Leo shift to detach herself, allowing for a hopefully easier time doing so. “Your dress is quite pretty, too. I like the colour – it reminds me of the sea.” He fell quiet to let Leo step in, offering a nod when she mentioned refreshments. “Come join,” he added, though it didn’t seem they had gotten too far before things shifted a bit.

He let his hazel eyes, which had been lingering curiously on Amelia, fall back to Leo, who had stepped away from the two. Concern created a shadow across his features, though he doubted it was visible with the mask and the dimmed lighting. “I’ll find you later?” he voiced, posing it as more of a hopeful question than a bland statement. He wanted to spend more time with her – not enough to take up a lot of her time, of course, but maybe to share a dance. She was too far if she had responded for him to catch it. He watched until she was out of sight, then turned back to Amelia, offering her an apologetic smile in case the woman thought he had forgotten about her. That certainly hadn’t been the case, he had only wanted to make sure the lady had gotten out without getting trampled. It was a bit crowded in here, despite the size of the room.

“Apologies,” he murmured, swivelling a bit so he was properly facing her once again. “Are you much of a party person, Miss…?” His voice trailed off, and with a slight tilt of his head, he glanced at her with big eyes, like a puppy awaiting its next command. She hadn’t introduced herself with a surname, and he certainly felt it was much needed to ask before automatically addressing her by her first.

[poppyxoxo]

𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚

❀ twenty years old ❀ (she/her) ❀ heterosexual ❀ 5-6/10 ❀ mentions: ❀ tags: Leonora, Tate

Amelia couldn’t help but feel slightly out of place but then again, the only reassurance she had so far was that this wasn’t a normal situation to just about anyone. The conversations around her seemed to flow so easily so perhaps Amelia could get to know quite a few of them easily enough because after all, she had become accustomed to making different friends in unlikely settings. Perhaps she had already passed her potential match and she hadn’t even realized until the thought presented itself to her. Luckily for her, the pair she had walked up to seemed like just about the kindest strangers she had ever had the pleasure of meeting.

“Thank you very much miss! I was just thinking about visiting that particular table myself” Amelia replied gratefully, keeping her tone gentle just in case she came across as overbearing. Although she had confidence with herself in most social situations, she could never be too sure. She was overall relieved that she hadn’t fallen into the company of someone who didn’t prefer this particular social setting too often however in that case they probably wouldn’t be including themselves in the festivities. “You’re too kind, I’ve had my eye on this dress for a while now actually, so it feels absolutely magical to have it on” Amelia admitted, her gaze occasionally switching between the two as she spoke. Amelia returned the genuine smile towards Leonora before she left, hesitation if she should follow but found it better to leave her to herself in case, she needed a moment alone. Her expression softened as her gaze followed the young women as she departed before placing her attention back to the young man before her. She waited patiently for his attention to return although he seemed to also feel sympathy for the girl.

“No need, it’s quite alright” Amelia replied after a moment, catching the man’s eye. “Amelia Embers, but feel free to call me Amelia. I’ve rarely attended anything more than a tea party and although there is much happening in this room, I must say I’m a fan” Amelia spoke truthfully although given the overall nature of the man before her, it took a great weight from Amelia’s shoulders to feel less judged. “I don’t think I received you name?” Amelia questioned, offered a sheepish smile. She allowed herself to take in his appearance which she found tasteful and charming.

[senna_]

────────:𝚃𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚁𝙸𝙲𝙲𝙸

:'3.5/10 ● caribbean green gem ● pair: emilina browne ● mentions; tag ● tags; amelia

It was almost bewildering, the way things were set up in the room. Tate hadn’t had much of an opportunity to truly stop and gawk at it – likely because of the distraction attached to his arm, and how the one before his very eyes – but as Amelia turned away to fetch herself a cup of whatever it was they were serving on the perfectly white tablecloth-covered table, Tate allowed himself to both breathe and turn his attention away from the pretty lady. The room was filled with neutral colours. The walls, a shade of cream, given the lighting, was filled from top to bottom with art. Moldings, mostly, though he wasn’t able to make out what exactly was present. Near the ceiling, it looked like some grouped flowers, but the more he stared at it, the more the picture seemed to move, and suddenly, he was staring at figures of people, not flowers. Maybe it was a bit of both. Whatever the case may be, he imagined it took hours to carve such exquisite, tedious designs into the walls. What would have happened if the artist messed up even a centimetre? Fired instantly and left with a crumpling reputation, most likely. Were the Purcells that harsh? To Tate, who had grown up learning to fear, or at least avoid the rich, it seemed hard to stray from that mindset. But then again, he had just met Leo, who was so bright and kind that it made the stories he had been told seemed like just that. Stories, and nothing more. It was hard to tell, really.

His head tilted upwards, probably making him appear a bit like an awed idiot, staring at the ceiling, but Tate hadn’t had an opportunity like this before. The ceilings themselves were covered in paintings of what he supposed were Gods and Goddesses; with the lighting, he wasn’t quite able to tell who the faces belonged to. A balcony seemed to wrap right around the room, too, with golden fencing to prevent a fall. Older people, certainly parents of the guests, were looming above, likely watching their child, eager to see how the night would unfold. Tate’s parents didn’t come. Everything about it was out of the picture, really. Not only could they not afford it, but they didn’t have proper attire, nor did they have enough people to look after the farm. Additionally, Tate was nearly positive the parents watching above were rich family friends of the Purcells. That made the most sense.

He shifted his gaze back to his normal level at the faint twist of Amelia’s body, turning his attention back onto her just as she swivelled back to face him. While he felt parched, Tate also felt awkward about it. It was normal, of course, but weird. Parties back home were so very different from this. He wondered if Amelia had a lot of experience with them. She wore a layer of confidence to her; not the type that oozed and shouted snobby, but she certainly appeared comfortable in this sort of atmosphere. He was quick to notice how different her mask was from Leo’s. He hadn’t stopped to observe a lot of what was being worn tonight, but he was excited to. Hers was much more transparent in the sense that it revealed much more of her features. Olive skin, eyes a sparkling tawny-brown, which popped against the deep blue shade of her glimmery mask. The shape of it, pointed and defined, fit her round face beautifully. The contrast between the dark blue and the sky blue of her dress fit hand-in-hand, too. But that was just Tate’s observation; surely someone with a true sense of fashion could point out the most detailed perks to her appearance.

He seemed to have gotten into a habit of letting his eyes linger as he drank in his converser’s appearance, apparently, and with yet another bashful smile, hoped it wasn’t too awkward or uncomfortable. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Embers,” he greeted, then tilted his chin up quickly and crinkled his nose at the immediate recognition of his fault. “Amelia. I will get the hang of it; my mind appears to have trained itself to focus on nothing more than formalities this evening. And for good reason, too. This place is absolutely incredible. It makes me feel odd, being so friendly and loose with others. Like it has a list of rules of what to do and what not to do hanging somewhere here. This is better than any Roman Catholic anything back home.” He chuckled slightly, but it caught in his throat as she brought up that to her, he was nothing more than a ghostly face beneath his bronze mask. “Oh, where are my manners? Tate Ricci, miss. For a woman who hasn’t attended anything like this, I must say you are a natural. I wouldn’t have guessed otherwise.” He paused for a second, soaking in her voice, then pouted his lips in a pondering way as he observed her. “Your accent is quick thick. Might I say you are Scottish? Or Welsh, perhaps?”