The Victorian Feud | A Private Roleplay

[Emma Corrin]

The Victorian Feud: A Story of Hidden Love and Family Feud

The year is 1846.
During the Rein of Queen Victoria, England prospered in a time called the Victorian Era. This Era was a prosperous time for the aristocracy with high standings, which led to advantageous marriages as well as feuds between families within the same trade. Two such families were known throughout England for their feud - The Crakes' and The Suptons. Each high-standing nobles in their communities, each leaders in the Merchant world. Unfortunately, each happened to live in adjoining towns near the sea. This closeness in vicinity caused great problems for each family. Not only was the competition fierce, but they themselves competed in society to not only gain a higher position than the other, but to prove that their own family was of higher importance than the other.

Early in their history, before the Victorian Era, the two families tried to join their families in holy matrimony, but their attempts were futile with the couple they chose to join, adding more tension between the families.

Many generations after this first mishap, tensions continue to grow as each house has turned to trickery settle their dispute. Amidst all this confusion and disarray, a member of each house meet one summer day while strolling through the park, neither knowing their futures would soon be entangled in the long struggle between the House of Supton and the House of Crakes'...

The Crakes'

Head of Household: James
______Age 45
Lady of Household: Elizabeth
______Age 38
Eldest Child: Jake
______Age 22
Middle Child: Erin
______Age 16
Youngest Child: Rhoda
______Age 10

The Suptons

Head of Household: Jameson
______Age 42
Lady of Household: Amelia
______Age 37, 6 Mo. Pregnant
Eldest Child: John
______Age 20
Middle Child: Coraline
______Age 17
Youngest Child: Johanna
______Age 8

[Emma Corrin]

"Johanna, dearest, not today. It's quite late already, don't you think your time is better spent reading than wandering aimlessly?" asked Coraline with a teasing smile at John, who was sitting in the chair across from her reading the paper.

Johanna shook her head and took her elder sisters' hand in hers, "Please, Cora? Just one quick turn?"

Placing a gentle kiss upon Johanna's forehead, Coraline nodded and stood, "Alright, just one. Then it's back inside and back to your studies, alright? I will not have my younger sister growing up to be uneducated."

A grin spread across Johanna's face as she through her arms around Coraline's waist, giving her a tight squeeze as she cried out cheerfully, "I'll go tell Mother and grab our parasols!" With that, dear little Johanna ran out of the Library, heading off to do just that.

John simply chuckled as he turned the page of his newspaper, "You do spoil her, Cora."

Smiling at her elder brother, Coraline nodded, "Yes, but you must indulge their whims while they're young. In a few more years our dear little Johanna will be far too big to be taken on walks such as these. She'll have far more important things to worry about."

"That she will," agreed John, "Like finding a suitable husband and keeping out of the Society of the Crakes'."

Coraline sighed, "John, what should we care about the Crakes'? We've never seen them before in our lives, you all talk as if you fear them. They're no different than us, they're aristocrats just the same."

John simply shook his head and went back to his paper, leaving his sister to her beliefs, having given up long ago on changing them. For whenever the talk turned to the Crakes', John and Coraline has the same conversation - John set against them, Coraline giving them the benefit of the doubt due to never having laid eyes on them.

Moments later, Johanna ran into the Library, wearing her bonnet while carrying Coraline's bonnet and parasol, "Cora! I'm ready!"

"Thank you, dearest," Coraline said gently to Johanna as she took the bonnet from Johanna and walked over to the nearby mirror. After adjusting the bonnet into place, she walked back over to Johanna, took her parasol, and held out her left hand, "Shall we?"

Johanna beamed as she took her elder sister's hand, "Yes!"

"Have a lovely time, girls."

Chuckling at her younger sister's enthusiasm, Coraline nodded her head in parting to her brother, who returned the gesture before going back to his paper, before heading out of the Library and making her way out of their mansion and down the lane, heading in the direction of the park in town.

[Amirria]

"Ouch, Oooouch, Rhoda, that's my hair you're pulling!" Jake exclaimed with a grin on his face. His youngest sister Rhoda using his hair as reins for her piggy-back ride through the park.

"Rhoda! That is not how a young lady should act!" Scolded Erin, Rhoda's older sister. Smiling, Erin took a running start and jumped at her brother and Rhoda, tackling them to the ground.

They all laughed as they tried to untangle themselves.

"Honestly, you two act as though you've been raised by wolves." Jake laughed.

"Wolves are far more civilized than we." Erin beamed a smile in his direction.

Rhoda was the first to break free, but almost fell over again laughing.
"Someone could see us!" She proclaimed.

"So what? So we actually have some fun. That's not a crime." Erin frowned as she dusted herself off.

"Well...given who are father is, maybe we should be more careful with our rough-housing." Jake laughed, he'd raised his sisters practically to be boys like him. Jake hoped it didn't keep them from living good, normal lives.

[Emma Corrin]

Coraline and Johanna strolled through the streets of town, their parasols open, their hands entwined, both deep in conversation due to Johanna raving about the fish she wished to see.

Upon reaching the park, Johanna darted off towards the large fountain in the center of the park, her favorite place to go for there were small colored fish living in the small pond surrounding the fountain, all of which Johanna had named.

"Johanna! Not so fast, dearest, I can't keep up!" Sighing, Coraline gave up calling after her sister, who had dropped her parasol in the excitement of seeing the fish, and simply picked up her sister's parasol and did her best to quickly follow her without tripping over her skirts.

The path leading to the fountain had many bends and turns where flower beds had been put to attract wildlife such as birds and butterflies, which proved to be quite troublesome for Coraline. Unlike many young ladies of her age and position, Coraline Supton was by far the clumsiest lady of her rank. This unwelcome flaw, added to the long skirts of her dress and the bends in the path, caused Coraline to stumble more than once while chasing after her sister.

Unfortunately for Coraline, all of this acted upon her and caused her to fall face first into a flower bed as she missed the final turn in the path leading to the fountain. Raising her head and shifting so that she was sitting on her knees, Coraline closed her parasol and set it beside her on the path with Johanna's parasol. 'Lucky,' Coraline thought as she sighed and tried her best to brush the dirt from her corset, not realizing her face was covered in it, 'no one is here to see me make a complete fool of myself.'

Little did Coraline know, just around that bend, were the Crakes'.

[Amirria]

Rhoda climbed back onto her brother's back when he bent down to pick her up.

"We're almost to the garden paths!" Erin sighed happily. She adored flowers; the colors, the smells, the shapes-they were so lovely.

"You're such a girl." Jake said, pretending to look annoyed. He was actually glad to be taking his little sister to see something she loved.

"Forget flowers!" Rhoda shouted. "I wanna see the fishies!"

"'Fishies' isn't a word. It's 'fish'." Jake offered, never missing a moment to correct his little sister's speach. She had to learn to speak properly, at the very least. "And it's not 'wanna'. 'Say want to', as seperate words." Rhoda pouted.

As Jake rounded a corner, he stopped dead in his tracks at the site of a woman. Her face covered in dirt, she rubbed all the dust off her dress. Rhoda immediately started laughing, and Jake quickly reached up to smack a hand over her mouth.

Erin bit her lip to keep her own chuckling back. Jake took a few steps back and nodded to Erin. The lady was alone, it would be improper for him to approach first.

Erin addressed the young woman.
"Excuse me, miss. Do you need any help?"

[Emma Corrin]

Blushing, Coraline twisted her upper body towards the voice and found herself staring up at a young girl about her age, "N-no, I'm quite alright. Thank you, Miss-?"

Without waiting for a response, Coraline noticed a man standing a bit back behind the young girl and blushed a deeper shade of red, "Oh dear.."

Her embarrassment overwhelming her, Coraline forgot the pain in her ankle and quickly stood up, adjusting her bonnet as she did so. Wincing a bit a she gained her balance, Coraline set about smoothing her skirts as she lifted her foot a tad under her skirts to remove some of the pressure. The movement was so slight, anyone who wasn't paying close attention to her feet would have missed it. Giving a small curtsy, Coraline apologized, "Forgive my sight. I am sure I do not look presentable for a Lady, and for that I am terribly sorry. My sister was running for the fountain to see the fish in the pond, you see, forcing me to chase after her. Unfortunately, I am not the most graceful woman in England and fell prey to a sudden bend in the path, causing me to trip and fall into the flower beds." Blushing once more, Coraline curtsied as she stammered, "I-I'm afraid I must beg your pardon once more, I had not properly introduced myself before relaying my tale. My name is Supton, Coraline Supton."

[Amirria]

"I'm Erin Crakes." Erin said happily, not remembering the troubles between the Suptons and the Crakes' in the past. That was never something that interested her, so she paid no attention.

Erin stepped forward and offered a handkerchief. "You've got a ... a little something on your face." Erin again tried not to laugh. Hoping it was coming off as a mere friendly smile.

Jake clutched at Rhoda, who was now standing in front of him so she could get a closer look. Supton. What were the odds? There was so much malice between the two families, malice he never understood. What should he do? Leave her like this? He'd been raised as a gentlemen before a Crakes.

"Jake Crakes." Jake bowed. "And this is Rhoda Crakes. Are you injured, miss?"

"Can I go see the fishi-fish?" Rhoda wined.

"Er, yes Rhoda, you may." Jake enphesized 'may' to show Rhoda that's what she should have said. Within minutes, Rhoda was out of site.

[Emma Corrin]

With another curtsy, Coraline stammered, "P-pleasure to make both of your acquaintance."

Looking at Erin, Coraline's fingers immediately went to her cheek, "My face?" Looking at her fingertips, Coraline blushed, "Oh dear, I must look worse than I thought! Thank you, Miss Erin. I appreciate the kindness." Taking the handkerchief, Coraline immediately set about trying to remove the dirt from her face as best she could.

Upon finishing, she took out her own handkerchief and handed it to Erin, "Please, Miss Erin, take my handkerchief in place of your own for the time being. I will have it washed and sent to you tomorrow afternoon. I couldn't bare the thought of my returning this so dirty nor the thought of you not having one."

Placing the soiled handkerchief in her pocket, her own handkerchief still held out to Erin, Coraline smiled at Jake, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Jake, but I am quite fine, I do not wish to trouble you any further."

[Amirria]

"If you insist." Erin smiled and accepted the handkerchief.

Jake noticed it this time. As she curtsied, her ankle seemed to shake. "You hurt your ankle." Jake took a step foreward with caution, looking for any negative reaction. He found none so he walked over beside Erin.

Erin smiled as she looked at her big brother. His eyes seemed to sparkle. The child in her almost made her shout; 'Jake likes Coraline, Jake likes Coraline!' Though she restrained herself.

Jake offered his hand. "I know it may be innapropriate, and if you decline I understand. But it would be no trouble at all to carry you to a bench for you to rest...?" Jake blushed.

"Don't worry, he's nice and strong! He won't drop you!" Erin giggled. "Oof-!" She exclaimed as Jake nudged her in the side.

[Emma Corrin]

Coraline blushed, 'B-But the-the parasols. I couldn't ask you to carry them as well as myself, it would be too much trouble I'm sure. My ankle isn't as bad as it seems, I'm sure I can make it to the fountain."

Poor Coraline was quite out of her comfort in the presence of the Crakes', especially the elder, Jake. Not only was she embarrassed over the circumstances in which she met them, but she was also quite taken aback by the sudden kindness the young Lord had offered her, a complete stranger. Her thoughts racing, Coraline curtsied, "Forgive me for taking up so much of your time, I'm sure you wish to get back to your walk. I shan't keep you any longer," she said with a forced smile as she tried to hide the wince from her ankle as she curtsied in parting.

In moments, she dipped down and picked up the parasols, tucking both under her arm as she lifted her skirts a tad with her hands. As she began to walk, she winced as she put pressure on her twisted ankle. To her misfortune, the said ankle gave out the second time she stepped upon it; causing poor Coraline to fall to her hands and knees as she braced herself for the impact, the parasols falling out of her arm onto the ground beside her. With a sigh, she sat down on the ground and began dusting off her hands and skirt, "Oh dear... Mother is sure to lecture me for this.. and what will John say? He'll surely talk about this for days," Coraline thought out loud, not realizing how strange she must sound to her new acquaintances whom still stood behind her.

[Amirria]

Jake instantly ran to her side as Erin went to pick up the parasols.

"Please, allow me to help?" Jake took her hand in his to help her off the ground, at least. Jake blushed at the contact, and even more as he got a good look at her lovely face. Though still dusty, it was still easy to make out her features.

"I'll carry these." Erin grinned, running over to the two. She ran a hand through her golden blonde hair and batted her eyes at the two. "Jake will carry you!" Erin winked. "And we'll go make sure Rhoda and your sister are alright. Though I'm sure they're fine, right Jake?"

Jake, pulled out of his daze, blushed some more. "Yes, I'm certain of it."

[Emma Corrin]

Coraline nodded, also blushing at the contact, as she allowed him to help her to her feet, adding hesitantly, "Alright, I will allow you to carry me, if you are sure it is not too much trouble.. As for my sister Johanna, I am sure she is quite alright. I have taken her here many times, she knows not to leave the fountain without me. But yes, if you would be so kind as to make sure she has not fallen into the lake while watching the fish, I would greatly appreciate it, Miss Erin. And thank you, for troubling yourself with our parasols, as well. You must allow me to show my gratitude by accepting to join me for tea this evening, all of you of course."

As Coraline stood up, a few strands of honey-brown hair fell out of her bonnet. With a sigh, she slipped the bonnet off her head, still keeping it tied loosely around her neck so it didn't fall to the ground, "Oh this will never do. I must look such a sight! You must believe me when I say I am never quite this clumsy, nor is my appearance ever quite this disheveled. I am afraid you both chose to meet me on one of my poorer days."

[Amirria]

"Tea sounds absolutely lovely!" Erin exclaimed.

"You look fine, Miss Coraline." Jake said with the best smile he could muster. He couldn't help the blush as he thought that she looke far better than fine, even in this state. And now that some of her hair was framing her face...

"Jake, I'm going to run ahead now! Take care of her!" Erin winked as she started jogging towards the lake.

Jake blushed more as he was pulled from his trance, embarressed to be caught in a daze.

With one swift motion, he lifted Coraline off her feet, holding her bridal style to his chest.

"Hold on tight." He smiled, keeping the blush down this time.

[Emma Corrin]

Coraline blushed as she placed her arms around his neck. Unbeknownst to Jake, Coraline had a great fear of heights. From her own personal experience with her clumsiness, the closer she was to the ground the easier it was for her to brace herself and cause minimal damage to her person.

Staring uneasily at the ground, she tried to hide her fear by drawing Jake into conversation. Unfortunately, the first thing that came to her mind was as follows, "You are very kind, Lord Jake, especially since you are doing this for a stranger; a Supton at that. You being the eldest son, or so I presume, it came as quite a shock for you to be so kind and sincere towards me. You must forgive me for my presumptions on your character, it only comes from what my family has told me, namely my elder brother, whom I trust you know."

Blushing as she gently bit her lower lip, quite embarassed, "Brilliant, Coraline. When will you ever learn to think, edit, recompose, and then say. Oh dear, now I am speaking aloud once more, you must think me improper and quite mad."

[Amirria]

Jake paused mid-step briefly before continuing on, as Coraline spoke.

"I'm a gentleman before a Crakes. That's how I was raised. Well, by my mother anyway. My dad's a nut about this family fued. I'm not one to judge based on last names alone. I prefer to meet them in person." Jake shifted Coraline slightly in his arms. "And, yes. I believe I have met John." Jake frowned as he thought about John. "Our meeting didn't exactly go...smoothly."

He shrugged it off and started humming as he walked the path.