❝ mix and matchmaker ❞ -- uc, no pms plz

[Pink Panda Paw]

-------------------------A LITERATE ROMANCE ROLEPLAY

[ STORY BY ] pink panda paw & l r o n e e

[ STORY WRITTEN BY ] l r o n e e

[ CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS WRITTEN BY ] pink panda paw

[ PROFILE CODE BY ] l r o n e e

[ THREAD FORMAT BY ] pink panda paw

[ PICTURE CREDIT ] on various photobucket accounts

[ INFLUENCES ] 'Emma' by Jane Austen (very lightly though)

[ LINKS ] the profiles & the ooc









[ INTRO & CREDITS ][ story ][ rules ][ the matchmaker ][ the seven loveless beings ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[l r o n e e]

-------------------------THE STORY OF BRAMBLETON

Ah young love, everyone seems to have that special someone these days in 1842. Well looks like there is some hopelessness as we find our eight main characters of this story, in a bit of a pickle. A dill pickle to be exact.

Well we find our characters in the town of Brambleton, some know each other and and are friends, others are just not acquainted. They quite frankly have their faults and problems with love, and can't seem to find anyone. All of our characters have found a large newspaper advertisement, suggesting a very young matchmaker. Seeing as it was, our six loveless beings went to go see her.

Right now we find our eight just on their first date with that special someone they've been paired up with. They've all been invited to the matchmaker's large home to dine and chat. Some matches are completely wrong and were mixed up with someone else's perfect boy or gal. Other pairings are just perfect, some matches are soul mates.

So what will happen in this jumbled up story? It's all up to you. Heartbreak? Death? Love? Romance? Affairs? I can't tell you we just have to unravel the story, the way it was meant to be.








[ intro & credits ][ STORY ][ rules ][ the matchmaker ][ the seven loveless beings ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[Pink Panda Paw]

-------------------------THIS PLACE NEEDS IT'S LAWS

[ LITERACY & POSTING ]

° Grammar, spelling, punctuation, you know the drill.
° We just want two paragraphes with five sentences each as a minimum, that's easy, right? More can be nice too. (:
° Pretty posts are nice, they're aesthetically pleasing and big blocks of text look so boring. A picture of your character and a name, at least? No cluttered posts either, those are scary and headache inducing.
° Use sizes 10-11 for font, Panda is too blind to read size 9.
° third person, please.


[ CHARACTERS & PROFILES ]

° Real characters, please (and not just the pictures). Real characters are round, not flat, and they change as time goes on and as a cause of events.
° Keep your character relevant to the time-period. So, no, there will be no punk rockers, rappers, scene kids, etc. The closest you can get to that is Beethoven (even though he died in 1827) because he was pretty badass. xD
° The previous rule also goes with pictures. Make sure they don't have piercing, tattoos, dyed hair, or anything too modern. And try your best to try to get a picture that actually matches your role.
° Oh and only celeb and goggle-able models (as in we can google them and there are three or more sites with them). Exceptions can be made if you give us a good reason or we think your picture is absolutely perfect for the role. Celebs are love though. (:
° If you need help with pictures, we are here to help or you can use this site to help you, it's a list of movies set in victorian times.
° Profiles will be done in first person and them image should have round corners.
° PM the finished profile with the title 'vicious love'. Send it to either Pink Panda Paw or l r o n e e, it doesn't matter who.


[ RESERVING ]

° To reserve, just send us a message with the following info: the character you want, your icon & name of celeb/model, and (optional) a roleplaying sample. (also, black and white icons aren't as cool as colored ones)
° If you choose to not send in a sample and your profile isn't up to par, then we will ask you for a sample.
° You have 48 hours to send in a profile, starting from the time we accept your reserve.
° guildies, buddies, and former roleplaying partners over strangers.
° PM reservations with the title 'bippity bopitty boo'. Send it to either Pink Panda Paw or l r o n e e, it doesn't matter who.


[ LIMITATIONS ]

° Well, lets start with the obvious: follow the Gaian ToS.
° No sex will be allowed, not even a time skip and definately not cybering. Why? I doubt any of these characters even had sex before, seeing as it was very bad to have it out of marriage. Exceptions will be made for a time skip if you have a good reason.
° Swearing, sure go for it, just don't make yourself look like an idiot, even if you want to be one.
° Fighting and killing are acceptable. Yes, you might kill someone while in a jealous rage, but lets try to not do that so often. xD


[ OUT OF CHARACTER ]

° Limit OOC talk in the in character thread, don't single OOC posts there either, only at the end of your roleplaying posts. We have an OOC thread for a reason.
° We encourage OOC chat from our members, it makes things seem friendlier and less business-like, plus we can plan ahead.
° No, you do not need to have a role in the roleplay to chat on the OOC thread. Post in it if you're interested in the roleplay. (:
° Don't fight in OOC and don't disrespect others. We're all happy here~
° If you're having trouble with your profile (whether it's a picture, name, or asking if it's a good idea to do something), just go to the OOC thread, I'm sure plenty of people will be willing to help you!


[ OTHER ]

° Please don't steal anything. Everything on this thread belongs to Pink Panda Paw and l r o n e e (with the exception of the character icons). And yes, it's still stealing if you use it and credit us, but "forget" to tell us you were using it.
° Try to post at least once a week, try to post a bit more then that though, a week is a bit of a stretch, but we've all go school and jobs and such.
° If you don't want to be a part of the roleplay anymore, pleasepleaseplease PM us telling us that you wish to quit. We won't be mad, actually we'd appreciate the fact that you informed us.
° If you're going to be gone for a certain amount of time, tell us so we don't boot you.
° Please read EVERYTHING, it might help you not get confused, if someone does get confused that is.
° HAVE OODLES OF FUN! :'D








[ intro & credits ][ story ][ RULES ][ the matchmaker ][ the seven loveless beings ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[l r o n e e]

-------------------------THE MATCHMAKER

[ THE MATCHMAKER ]
---Eleanore Madelaine Edwards
She's a very wealthy woman, living in a large home on the edge of Brambleton and well known for her match making skills. In truth, she's a self-proclaimed matchmaker and she relies on luck and intuition, so she's made many mess-ups before, but she's praised because she matched some of Brambleton's most promising couples. Overall, she's a good person at heart, taking on the match making business to help others find happiness. But what about hers, you ask? She finds herself perfectly content and incapable of falling in love. Most of the Brambleton townsfolk actually see her as the ideal wife and an epitome of perfection, but they fail to see her bad qualities. Right now, she's been given a handful of clients and despite the fact that some of them don't seem to click, she's urging them to continue with their current relationships. Well, maybe she's just not willing to get pass that hard-head of hers to admit that sometimes she might be wrong.

TAKEN by Pink Panda Paw

[ intro & credits ][ story ][ rules ][ THE MATCHMAKER ][ the seven loveless beings ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[Pink Panda Paw]

-------------------------THE SEVEN LOVELESS BEINGS

[ THE DOCTOR ]
---Nicolai Mason Edwards
He's not even signed up for this matchmaking deal, so why is he here in the first place? Well, he's the matchmakers older brother! After the death of their father, which was only about two years ago, he inherited all the property and money that belonged to his father. He was also given the responsibility of making sure his sister doesn't get into any trouble since she's put into his care for until she gets married or he gets married. But, like his sister, he isn't really looking for marriage right now, being more concerned with his career. He's a lot like his sister in that sense, but he's a lot more level-headed then her and is quite concerned about her never getting married since it's much more difficult to be a lady without a husband then a man without a wife. He wants the best for her, and is secretly encouraging a relationship between her and one of her party guests.

TAKEN by m e l o n MENiNA

[ THE GOVERNESS ]
---Felicity Marie Worthington
Basically, she's a teacher and nanny in one, hired to take charge of a child's upbringing and education. This lady was born in a family with equal status as the matchmaker's family, so she should've been rich, educated, and well-mannered, but she's only the latter two. The problem was that her father went bankrupt when she was around thirteen and, finding herself in financial distress, she started her career as a governess when she was only fifteen. She's a very intelligent young woman and her kind heart makes her wonderful with children, but now the kids she has been taking care of are already old enough to not need a governess anymore. She's a bit lonely now and wants a permanant home, since she's going to depart from her employer's home soon, and no one really wants to marry her because of her financial instability, but as luck would have it, she found an ad for a match making service and she actually may find someone.

TAKEN by emptyWASTEbasket

[ THE MAGICIAN ]
---Charles Blackwood
When he was young, he learned how to trick the eye, his teacher being a magician that lived in his hometown. Many people, including his family, disapproved of this hobby he took up, claiming it was supernatural and should be banished. A strange and mysterious man, he's been traveling around entertaining people with his tricks and illusions, but when he came to Brambleton, he decided to open a stage show at the theater. He's become fairly popular and well-known in the town, but most of the townsfolk know little or nothing about him. Most people wondered if he had any friends, maybe even a lover, outside of the theater, but eventually they just assumed that he wasn't looking for human interaction. Surprise, surprise, we find him our little matchmatching group. He's a tough one to find a pair for, being the reserved man he is, but the matchmaker thinks she's got him the perfect woman.

TAKEN by sheldor the CONQUEROR

[ THE GYPSY ]
---Yumiko Akio Narita
This one's a real beauty, the problem? She isn't really from these parts, though she's been living around these parts for all her life. It was her great grandparents that moved over from her South Asian homeland, but she doesn't really know much about her family. You see, when she was very young, around five or six, she got separated from her parents when they were trying to travel overseas. She's extremely lucky because she didn't die, but ever since then she's been traveling all over the world for most of her life, being a thief and such for a living, but she's finally settled down and works as a servant in Brambleton. Many things have kept her from marriage (being 'different', a woman, and poor) and she's decided that the best way for her to find her love would be to find a matchmaker. But can this fiesty, easily angered, and bitter woman really find love?

TAKEN by SHOOTiiNG - STAR

[ THE ARTIST ]
---weaver chesterfield smith

A childhood friend of the matchmaker and probably her oldest and dearest friend. They grew up together when his wealthy family decided to reside in large estate in Brambleton. Ever since then they've been good friends since they were the only kids living the upper class life and pretty close in age, though he is a bit older. He's known in Brambleton as an artist and business man with a bit of an ego problem. No one really knows why someone as perfect as the matchmaker would want him as a friend, but he seems to be the only one that sees her true nature. To her, he seemed rather lonely and being the good friend she was to him, the matchmaker actually decided to add him into her little matchmaking game.

TAKEN by no more voodoo

[ THE NOVELIST ]
---Camile Ginelle Royer
Growing up in a middle class family has it's ups and downs. For one, you're financially stable and well-educated, but you're easily outshined by the rich and fabulous. She's been a writer ever since she was a young girl, delighting her family with her stories and poems, she's got talent for putting words in an artful form and has always thought herself capable of making a living out of it. Our independant lady is stuck in a bit of a predicament though, her parents want her to marry and have been urging her to try to pursue a man she finds very uncharming. Being the rebellious young lady she is, she signed up for a matchmaking in hopes of finding love. Yes, despite her sarcastic and outspoken behaviour, she's a firm believer in marrying for love. Although she thinks it's highly unreal for her to find anyone.

TAKEN by l r o n e e

[ THE PIANIST ]
---Vincent Lafayette Grimauldy
He was born in a rather wealthy family, maybe not the richest in Brambleton, but still wealthy. The problem was he rarely spent time with his parents and he also happened to be an only child growing up with a governess to take care of him. He's got talent when it comes to music as well, he had a governess that used to be a rather stict professional pianist and that's where his music career started, but his lessons stopped when his parents decided that he was old enough to not need her anymore. After that, it got a bit lonely. Despite that, he's such a gentleman, any woman would fall in love with his kind nature, and he's got a job at a theater playing his music. He's kind of famous in Brambleton and many girls want want to be with him, but instead of just picking one, he's letting a matchmaker do it for him. Can he find someone who loves him just as much as he loves her?

TAKEN by cindang

[ intro & credits ][ story ][ rules ][ the matchmaker ][ THE SEVEN LOVELESS BEINGS ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[l r o n e e]

-------------------------WHERE'S THE LOVE?

+ means the two are matched up by the matchmaker
♥ means they both like each other
⇒ means the person on the left likes the other, but it's unrequited.
♪ means they're both friends (the more notes there are, the closer. max is four)
✗ means the person on the left hates the other. (two means they both hate each other)


[ THE MAGICIAN ] + [ THE GYPSY ]
[ THE PIANIST ] + [ THE GOVERNESS ]
[ THE ARTIST ] + [ THE NOVELIST ]


[ THE ARTIST ] ♪♪♪♪ [ THE MATCHMAKER ]
[ THE DOCTOR ] ♪♪ [ THE MATCHMAKER ]
[ THE NOVELIST ] ♪♪♪ [ THE GOVERNESS ]
[ THE PIANIST ] ♪ [ THE MAGICIAN ]


(if you wish to add in friendships and hates, PM pinky! :3)

[ intro & credits ][ story ][ rules ][ the matchmaker ][ the seven loveless beings ][ RELATIONSHIPS ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[Pink Panda Paw]

-------------------------YEAH, WE EITHER HATE OR LOVE YOU

OHMYGOD, YOU'RE SO PURDY

[ l R O N E E ] because she's amazing D:<
[ PINK PANDA PAW ] because she's wonderful D:<
[ SHELDOR THE CONQUEROR ] because she's awesome D:<
[ EMPTYWASTEBASKET ] because she's weird D:<
[ SHOOTiiNG - STAR ] because she's beautiful D:<
[ M EL O N MENINA ] because she's incredible D:<
[ ENIGMA ON A ROFLCOPTER ] because she's special D:<
[ S I N F U L BANANA ] because she's marvelous D:<
[ JANE AUSTEN ] WHY NOT, HUH?

OHMYGOD, I SEE AN UGGY PERSON

[ EVERYBODY ] BECAUSE D:<







[ intro & credits ][ story ][ rules ][ the matchmaker ][ the seven loveless beings ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ THE PURDY & UGGY ]

[l r o n e e]

-------------------------ARE WE LOST?

[ THE TOWN ] Brambleton

[ THE YEAR ] 1842

[ THE DATE ] summer, august 17th

[ THE TIME ] late afternoon

[ WHERE ] the Edwards Estate

[ WEATHER ] light rain

[ WHAT YOU'RE DOING ] everyone, except the doctor and the matchmaker, are on their way to the Edwards Estate because there's a small gathering for just them to meet their matches and get to know each other.








[ intro & credits ][ story ][ rules ][ the matchmaker ][ the seven loveless beings ][ relationships ][ the profile skeleton ][ setting & such ][ the purdy & uggy ]

[Pink Panda Paw]

-------------------------RESERVATION, PLEASE?

[list][list][list][imgleft]http://i283.photobucket.com/albums/kk301/Iilsmomadeofdough/kristin-1-1-1.jpg[/imgleft]

[color=white]xxxx[/color][color=COLORHERE][size=24][b]stereotype here[/b][/size][/color]
[color=white]xxxxxxxxx[/color][size=9]personality trait [color=COLORHERE]●[/color] personality trait [color=COLORHERE]●[/color] personality trait [color=COLORHERE]●[/color] personality trait [color=COLORHERE]●[/color] personality trait [/size][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][list][size=14]

[color=COLORHERE][b]»[/b][/color][color=white]xxxx[/color] name
[color=COLORHERE][b]»[/b][/color][color=white]xxxx[/color] nicknames
[color=COLORHERE][b]»[/b][/color][color=white]xxxx[/color] birthday
[color=COLORHERE][b]»[/b][/color][color=white]xxxx[/color] age here
[color=COLORHERE][b]»[/b][/color][color=white]xxxx[/color] gender
[color=COLORHERE][b]»[/b][/color][color=white]xxxx[/color] username
[/list][/list][/list][/list]


[size=14][color=white]xxxxxxx[/color] [color=silver]" [/color] [color=COLORHERE][b]short quote here[/b] [color=silver]"[/color][/color] [/size]

[size=11]bio here... not long, keep it short (four paragraphs at most). first person. Include family, where you live, what school you go to if you're in school, where you work if you have a job, personality too if you like, etc. (you can separate each of them in bullet facts if you like)

Oh yeah... you can also change the "»" into a symbol of your choice.
and please keep everything above the bio in lower case.

[l r o n e e]

-------------------------OPEN, LOVELIES

finally open ;D

[sheldor the CONQUEROR]

>> c h a r l e s BLACKWOOD
_xx aka r i c h a r d _ c r o z i e r <<
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

i am the teacher
come to reach you
take the old words back to you
you were lost
but I found you
and it's your choice what to do
i've learned a few things
as I've traveled
throughthe years

"It is a delight to make your acquaintance, Miss X." A low, smooth male voice sounded as he rehearsed his words. "My name is Charles Blackwood, at your service." The reflection in the cold glass responded, flashing a dimpled smile right back at the young man standing before it. "All right, you are Charles! No slip-ups!" He whirled away from the mirror and strode over to the washroom, long legs eating up the floorboards as he stepped through the doorway. There was no door in the frame, though there obviously had been at one point--the tarnished hinges set into the wood were a mystery even to the man that was renting these rooms to him. Washing his face quickly, he leaned on the rim of the sink and stared into the mirror, face inches away from the newly polished surface. Water slid down over a young face of lightly tanned skin and chiseled features; slim nut-brown eyes blinked back at him, and he flashed another bright smile, lips slowly stretching across a line of pearly whites. He had a slightly crooked smile, though it was not disfiguring in the least. He had been told he had a quirky, endearing smile to match his personality. Well, he certainly tried!

This man's name was not Charles Blackwood; no, he had been born with the name Richard Crozier. To any but himself, he had no true personality; wherever he went, to a new town, to a new group of people, he always presented them with a new suit, a new trick, a new name, and a knew personality. He was careful to never make them entirely the same, of course, for he didn't want anyone to be able to track even a travelling magician. He was not a fugitive running from the law, nor was he trying to escape debts or old flames and angry families. He was on the run, to be sure, but he was forever running from his past. He had left his family behind him, and he hoped to never have to go back to them again. Going back would mean he had submitted to their authority, had surrendered his liberty and his passion. He was a magician, and he didn't need smoke and mirrors to stupefy an audience. He was obviously a large personality, and it helped for his shows if he was just as interesting as his show.

He dried his face with a worn towel, running a hand through touseled dark brown hair that fell untamed just past his ears and the nape of his neck. He had showered earlier this morning and left out his best outfit. He had awoken earlier today and spent it quite leisurely. He was dressed in a pair of black trousers, a pale off-white undershirt gracing his lean figure. As he passed onto the carpet that lay beneath a rather battered chaise lounge in his sitting room, he approached a plain wooden chair bedecked in a variety of expensive-looking articles of clothing. He picked up his brand new cravat and grinned. Draped across the arms of the chair was a brand new frock coat also sporting newly polished gold buttons. He let the collar fall onto the frock coat, and sighed.

He ran a hand through his dark hair and wondered if perhaps he was in need of another cut. His hair was not extravagantly long nor exceptionally short, but it was at the unruly stage in between and had begun to fall too much into his face. His dark gaze flickered about the sitting room, sighing again at the state of things. He preferred it to be clean, but he also enjoyed the cramped feeling when everything began to pile up. It was an organized mess most of the time, so that although to the plain, untrained eye it seemed to be a disastrous mess, he had a system to find everything he needed.

He picked up a paper, flopping ungracefully down onto the chaise lounge, turning to recline with an arm behind his head. His soft undershirt rucked up as it slid upon the dark red fabric of the cushions, and he impatiently fixed it by arching his back, tugging at the hem of the shirt. He reread the words upon the paper in his hand, then folded it and dropped it on his stomach, brushing his thumb and forefinger across the his jawline. Edwards Estates, the letter had said. Today, he would meet this lovely lady he had been paired with. This matchmaker woman had been well recommended and was currently a popular woman to go to. He still wasn't completely sure why he had signed up, but he had--and at least it should prove to be interesting. He told himself that he was not looking for love, he was simply looking for a new experience. A human experiment, yes that was it; it had nothing to do with how he had so few people in his life. He folded up the paper into a tiny square and began to flip it from finger to finger using his knuckles.

Standing up, he walked back over to the clothing and began to get dressed. He fastened the buttons of his cream-colored and double-breasted waistcoat, the silk brocade embroidered liberally with gold patterns of crossed lines, over a crisp off-white linen shirt and pulled on his richly tailored frock coat in a navy-blue hue, ensuring that the overlapping of materials was appropriately executed, his stiff starched ivory cravat ensconcing his neck and the stiff collar of his undershirt, followed by the cream of his waistcoat overlapping the collar of the frock coat. He smoothed the material of his well-fitted beige pantaloons that fell to his mid-calf where they met the black of his socks, which extended underneath the fabric of his trousers. Examining himself in the mirror, he was finally satisfied with his appearance, his dark hair sufficiently styled, his sideburns appropriately trimmed, his face clean-shaven and washed. He dabbed his cologne just beneath his jaw line, and moved to find a pair of boots appropriate to the occasion. Deciding upon a pair of rather new and highly polished black Hessian boots, with a cream colored accent and tassel, the characteristic of the hessian. He thought he cut a rather fine figure in his snugly fitting clothing, all at the height of fashion. It accentuated his lean, athletic figure enough to be flattering without crossing the line into impropriety. He had a narrow waist and broad shoulders, though he had a tall and slender figure. He was not strong or exceedingly muscular, but he might be swift and agile in a fight. Silently, he thanked the Beau that was responsible for this most recent turn of fashion from breeches and buckles and high powdered wigs.

"Je m'baladais sur l'avenue le coeur ouvert à l'inconnu, j'avais envie de dire bonjour à n'importe qui; n'importe qui et ce fut toi, je t'ai dit n'importe quoi; il suffisait de te parler, pour t'apprivoiser." Richard was almost fluent in French, and though he had mostly quit his formal studies and left them behind with his past, he had kept chatting to himself in French and reading French books. He had, naturally enough, spent a few years in France after he left his family, finishing out his schooling before returning to his traveling ways. He did not like to let his skills and abilities wither away, no matter what they were or whether they were vestiges of his family teachings.

He opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of smart ecru kid gloves, pulling them onto his hands. He disliked wearing gloves for the most part, because they inhibited his ability to use his hands. He always felt better when he could feel everything upon his skin rather than through the heavy material. He picked up a pocket watch and checked the time, coughing slightly in surprise. He hadn't realized it was quite so late; the carriage should be passing down the lane in just a while, and if he missed it he would be terribly late for the dinner--and that would be terribly poor manners. He wouldn't allow for such a poor first impression to be made, and so he grabbed a small pouch and placed it into his pocket, caught up his fine dark blue hat and slipped through the front door, locking it behind him.

He stood with his hands clasped behind him and resting against the small of his black. He stared down at the toes of his boots then glanced around him, marveling at the beauty surrounding him, even in the heart of town. There was a crowd of people splattered across the town laid out at his feet, and though he did not desire to partake in their socializing, he still marveled at the wonder of the human phenomenon. Just as the weather turned rather gloomy and it began to drizzle, the sounds of hooves clicking upon the cobblestone directed his attention to his left. He watched with growing anticipation as a large carriage swiftly approached him, and he hailed the driver. As they stopped, he approached and opened the carriage door. "The Edwards Estate, if you please good sir." He directed, and stepped up into the coach. As he slid into the seat across from her, he was only vaguely surprised to see a young woman sitting across from him. His gaze flicked quickly across her person, taking in her appearance. She had a slight figure and a round face framed by lovely brown locks that spilled over her shoulders, gracing a blue and gold silk gown. He flashed a polite smile, toning down his flirtatious tendencies, and received a positive response by means of an introduction and greeting. "Good evening, mademoiselle." He bowed his head in greeting to her, and blinked several times. She was a frail creature, to be sure, and elegantly dressed--a light curiosity wondered if perhaps she too was going to the dinner. They made light conversation in the carriage; the two of them were mostly show and no substance. Though they might have the very appearances of belonging to a wealthy family, she had not the money nor status to back it up and though they might be appearing to enjoy each others presence, he had neither the stupidity nor the boredom to have any real interest in her. She was likely the daughter of a merchant, low in social status and middling in the range of finances. He, however, had once had social status as well as money, but had left it all behind. Just as well, it was like a challenge to see how well he could live without his family's help, using his own mind and hands to make his way in the world. If his status was merely as a pretty face and an interesting character thrown into parties to excite the hearts and souls of the attendees, well then all the better. He didn't like to be counted among that group anymore.

Fortunately, she was not on her way to the Edwards Estate, but planned to continue on to a different part of town just past the large estate. Fortunate because he did not think he could stand her company a moment longer; she might be comely enough, but the airs and graces she gave herself were obviously faked; she had not the manner of a gentleman's daughter, and it shone through her weakly maintained facade. She had acted the silly chit during their accompanied drive, her feeble attempts at wit and conversation paling in comparison to even the stuffiest of dames he had met in the past. With a small but graceful murmur of goodbye at his departure, he fair flew from the carriage and down to the cobblestone steps that led to the estate. He passed through a pair of wrought-iron gates, elegantly styled in a series of swirls to culminate in the family crest. A fine place, to be sure; he walked confidently up to the front door, heels clicking on the stone as he approached a female figure at a strong gait. As he stepped up alongside the young woman, he bowed and smiled in greeting and awaited acknowledgment by her to facilitate the introduction, as was custom; it was highly improper to tip your hat or introduce yourself to a lady, and he was nothing if not manners and outward propriety. It did not help his reputation and livelihood if he went against social graces.

now i know you
and you know me
we have secrets we can share
we can build a new tomorrow
from the trash of yesterday

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
the M A G I C I A N is my name
and magic is my game ~

[SHOOTiiNG - STAR]

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Rain was something that never agreed with running, in fact it probably was made to stop the people from running, well thats what Miko thought, as she an through the town. Her black flat shoe covered feet, padding against the cobblestone, and her hands high above her head, trying to salvage her curls. She had just got her hair done, took four hours and she was not about to let the rain ruin it. She wouldn't be redoing it again, not anytime soon and not ever, but she needed it done now. She had a very important thing today, and she wanted to look presentable, which led to one of the girls saying she needed a new hair do. Which was something Miko had never done, nor wanted to do, and if it hadn't been free, she probably wouldn't have at all. Now she was running through the town, down the streets, and past people, trying to make it back to the servant quarters, before Louann, noticed she was gone. Louann was nice, but mouthy and was not happy that Miko was leaving, why no one knew, Miko wasn't even a good servant, she after stole things from the house, something she couldn't stop. Old habits die hard, and that one Miko treasured. Miko rounded a corner and nearly toppled over an older man, who had to jump out of her way, she mumbled an apologize, but kept on running. She had to be back, to get dressed and pack, something she had stalled on, since she wasn't even sure she was going to go. She still wasn't sure she needed love, she wanted it, yes, but did she need it? That she wasn't sure of, and she was not exactly keen on finding out, but figured she needed to get on with her life, and maybe love was her next step. She probably would have sighed, had she not be focused on jumping over the puddle, that was nearing her. She nearly fell and had to move her hands to her side to regain her balance, releasing her hair for only a second, then she quickly replaced her hands.

When she arrived back at the place she had come to call home, people were scattered about and looking at her oddly. Mostly everyone was stopping what they were doing and staring at her, but never for too long. She rolled her eyes and started to run through the halls, something she never did, but she needed to escape, get away from the prying eyes. She slammed her door, and placed her back against it, her chest raising and falling quickly, maybe this was a bad idea. She probably would have kept thinking that, if the dress she had brought for this day, was not laid out on her bed, taunting her. The black merged with the purple, and the swirls made it seem magical. It was simple, but elegant and was expensive, more money then she had earned, luckily she could steal. So she did, and once she got the dress she was even more nervous, it just meant she couldn't back out, and thats all she wanted to do. She sighed and pushed herself off the door, strolling over to the bed, her hand gracing the silk dress. A chill ran through her spine, and she sighed once more, before she began to strip. Off with her gray dress, it was so boring, but it was her uniform, and with the black flat shoes, and on with the masterpiece dress, and the small healed black ones, she had borrowed those. Getting ready was something she was not happy to do, the dress proved to be difficult to wear. It was probably because Miko was scared of it, treating it like it would kill her if she dropped it. She stepped into it, and pulled it up slowly, slipping her arms through the holes, careful not to pull any strings, and then tying the back of the corset. She wish she had help for this part, tying ones own corset proved to be next to impossible, and she was about to give up, but she finally got it.

She then had to apply make-up and begin to pack. She had never wore make-up before, and wasn't sure what went where and how much to put on. First she pick up the white puff looking thing and stared at it. She sniffed it and almost sneezed, she guessed it was powder and began to apply it to her face. Once she thought she was done she looked in the small mirror she had, and gasped, she was white, whiter then milk. " oh hell! " she said as she began to wipe it off. She pulled away the puff and glared at it, and tried to apply it once more, being very careful this time. Her face was less white and more glowly this time, but she still looked weird to herself. Miko then sighed and just wiped it off all together, make-up was looked down upon anyways, and it kept making her look like a geisha, something she didn't want to be. Her hair was still curly, but just laid around her, so she pulled it back into a very simple tail, tying it with a black ribbon, before untying it once more. " Why is this so hard? " She whispered to herself, placing a hand on the mirror and letting it drop to the table, this whole thing was just becoming a hassle.

Miko sighed, pushing herself away from the mirror and looking around the room for the small brown suitcase. It was one she stolen about a month ago, from one of the people staying in the house. At the time she took it just because it was nice, nothing more, now she was happy she had, for it could hold her clothes. It was a small thing and made out of leather, and had a sturdy black handle. She opened it on her bed and started to place her clothes inside. She didn't have many and most things with over sized dress shirts, in dull colors, but some were nice, nothing too fancy. She placed in her gray dress, while it wasn't even hers, she needed more clothes. The suitcase still had room, so she started to pack her books, the diary she had started to write before changing her mind, and her hair brush. Closing and snapping the suitcase shut, before picking it up and opening her door, only to be greeted by Dela. " Where do you think you're going missy? " she asked in her high pitch voice, causing Miko to cringe. " I told you Miss Dela, I'm leaving today " She said trying to push aside the woman, but be nice about it. Dela was a tall, plump woman, well plump was putting it nicely. She had dull brown hair and small crimpy eyes. Dela made her lips form a thin line and blocked Miko's way. " excuse me girl! I give you a job a place to live, and you think its okay to get up and leave, think again. You have to work here, you are not leaving, because you think being some damn street tramp it better! " Dela said poking Miko in the shoulder, which was wrong on her part. Miko breathed deeply and pushed Dela aside, which took a large amount of force, and nearly tossed them both to the ground.

She walked away, and out the house, ignoring the fat woman screaming to her. Before she would have killed her, probably even buried her, but not today, not in this dress. Not that the dress meant anything to her, but she did know the value of a dollar. She walked down the street and a little ways further before standing in front of the large black iron gates. She had only gotten slightly wet, and it was making her dress stick to her and itch, so she walked the path up to the door, standing under the small overhang. The door was massive and intimating, and Miko wasn't sure she wanted to go in yet, so she began to pace, her heels clicking quietly and the fabric of her dress shushing. ' Maybe I should leave, no one looks like they are home. It is rather early. I could just knock, but what if no one hears it. I might knock quietly, or I think it is, when its quite loud, and I knock again and the person is on the way and then they get annoyed and... ' She thought pacing. She kept thinking and turned to leave, gripping her suitcase lately. " I'll just knock once " She said, before turning back around and knocking quickly. She only waited a minute before turning around to leave once more, but this time the door opened.

[l r o n e e]

'bong, bong, bong, bong, bong'

The old grandmother clock sang out in the hallway connected to the rest of the rooms in the tiny victorian town house. Located in Brambleton, England, not to far away from London, this was the ideal place to get yourself out into the popular European world. It happened to be sort of a fluke that the young woman ended up here in Brambleton in the first place, though that's a story for another day. As a novelist in the nineteenth century it can be hard to get yourself known, especially when of the female persuasion and of the younger age. Camille Royer was all of the above, young, female, and a novelist in the nineteenth century. Her meathods of getting herself out there was flyers and the occasional add in the newspaper, though that costed quite a bit of money and it only worked when her sales, of the two books she had published, were up. Right now she was working on the third book of the series, she loved fantasy and enjoyed writing about magic, dragons, and the middle ages. She had tried romance before, but it more so ended up as a horrible story between two fairys, which didn't go over to well with the publisher she was connected with.

Tonight Camille had no time to worry about her book sales, or anything else but her physical appearance, the reason for that was that she was going to a dinner to try and find her true love. Elanore Edwards was supposed to be quite the matchmaker, her friend Jenine had told her about how she had found her new partner through Elanore's services. She figured this would be something good to try out since she herself was to caught up in her work to find someone right for her. She felt a little insecure about whether the man she would be matched up with would like her or not, though that was only because she was enjoying a new experience nothing else. In truth though Camille was just to stubborn to admit that she was afraid of getting into another set up relationship.

The young woman had heard the clock in the hallway a few minuets ago, and still hadn't moved an inch from her spot at the desk, where she was scribbling down a few more words to add to her new book. Paper was expensive to buy so she had to make the most of it, her writing was tiny and would soon be written up on a typewriter, just after dinner since she still had to get ready for tonight. Earlier today she had a bath and cleaned herself thoroughly, washing her hair and cleaning the rest of her body, she found bathing more relaxing than a shower, and that way she got a little more 'me time' away from her work. Camille was one to work for a whole night if she got involved in the story too much, it didn't happen as much any more though.

Running her hands through her dark brown, almost black hair she gave a sigh it was time for her to start getting ready now. Shifting herself in the wooden chair she turned to the side and used the writing desk as a support to stand up. Camille looked around the office, it was a disgraceful mess to anyone who would come in, though she was able to find everything upon piles and piles of books and papers. Looking at the desk she opened a compartment of the writing desk and placed the paper she'd been writing on into it, she frowned a little bit since she hated leaving her writing. With another sigh the brunette turned on her bare footed heel and walked through the open door frame hesitating a little as she stepped onto the cold hardwood floor. Camille walked down the narrow hallway plastered with paintings, pictures, and a few awards she had framed. As she reached the end of the hallway she stepped into another open doorway, closing the door behind her. The carpet was soft and warm against her feet heating them up as she walked over to the ox blood stained vanity she had in her room. Coughing she sat down at the dark red table and looked at herself in the mirror.

Camille was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt of that, her dark hair framed her face in dark waves, the contrast looked very nice against her pale complexion. With a sigh she picked up the wooden brush on the table and ran it through her hair evenly, making sure that there were no knots or frizzy spots. Placing the brush down on the table she gave herself a fake smile in the mirror, she thought that she looked prettier when smiling. Opening a drawer of the vanity she pulled out a little bit of make-up, she tended to wear a lot on her eyes making herself look more mysterious. As she applied eye shadow and mascara she heard a knock at the front door, rolling her eyes she decided to ignore it, it was probably just the new paper or mail. Applying a thin lip gloss to her pale pink lips she got up and walked over to the bed. Gulping she ran her hand over the light green silk fabric.

This dress was her party dress, a tight corset and black embroidery on the front, it was a very beautiful dress. Picking it up by the half sleeves on the front she slipped it over her undergarments that she'd been wearing while writing. Camille reached around her back pulling the black strings of the corset attached to the dress tightly. It was a painful process but it made her look thin, and pushed her bust up. Pulling the back into a tight bow she took a deep breath in, making sure she could breathe and wouldn't pass out during tonight's events. She sighed heavily and let her hands drape to her sides as she walked to the tall mirror by her bedside table. Camille smoothed out the pleats on the green dress and sighed,she was happy with her appearance, since she hadn't dressed up like this in ages. Taking a seat on the bed she grabbed a pair of high heeled shoes from beside the mirror and slipped them over her feet. Doing up the lacing on the front she sighed a bit sitting up straight. Camille pushed herself off the bed and walked to the door, turning into the hallway.

The young brunette walked to the front room, she looked up at the staircase where her tenant lived and sighed "Goodbye Sabil" she yelled up the stairs as she grabbed her black fleece coat. As she opened the door she put on the coat and put up the hood since it was raining. She looked like a beggar with the hood up, but she didn't really care about who she looked like right now all she worried about was whether the carriage was on time or not. Checking her wrist watch she sighed, she'd just missed the carriage by a few minuets so she would have to walk to the Edwards estate. Sighing gently she began to walk down the cobblestone road the walk was going to take her an extra ten minuets, which would make her late.

As she walked down the side walk she passed a few people, with a smile she said hello to a few people and looked in a few shop windows. A few things caught her eye in the parchment shop, though right now she didn't have time to buy anything since it would only make her later for the dinner. Walking quickly she sighed lightly, she would have to walk uphill to get there the quickest way, which was not so practical in the shoes she was wearing. Trudging up the cobblestone path as quick as she could without slipping in water Camille soon entered though the tall cast iron gates. The brunette slid through a small opening between the two gates, with a small smile she walked up the driveway to the top of the estate. Checking her watch she frowned , she was late which was a disappointment since she was rather punctual when she had appointments or set dates. Taking in a deep breath she raised her hand and picked up the knower, though she hesitated when she heard the sounds of hooves upon the driveway, was that the carriage? Rolling her eyes she checked her watch again, she had forgotten that she set her watch ten minuets early, waiting a little bit for the carriage to pull up she rapped the knocker against the door and sighed. Turning to the carriage she was curious as to who would come out, and wondered if he could be her match or not.

Taking off her hood she smoothed out her hair and shifted from foot to foot, waiting for the door to open and for the person in the carriage to join her and wait with her.

[cindang]

Had this been any other day perhaps the cordially punctual and young, dandy-like man who
brandished auroral lit hair (and a considerably little amount of time on his hands) with a gentle,
rather alluring bone structure that even stood out in the bustling under the light drizzle, maybe
then he would have been more on time than expected.

Vincent Grimauldy was a man of fortune, as men do come, but not of great fortune, mind you.
His fitted attire of a raven velvet frock and square-toed flats was just a minimal show of
his wealth in the form of great tailoring and the trimmed presentation of his person. Managing
his way into a newly escorted coach, he tipped his hat and head to the driver, showing off his
good hygiene through ivory-shining enamels. Though not an entire socially adept person, dear
Grimauldy knew his ways about others when it came to being comforting in both appearance
and company. Dare say, he had become so keen with being humble and benevolent he had
almost convinced himself that he was fonder of others than he actually was. His person would
come to sway, overtime, surely, and for now it was best that he was as he was for he had the
world and his music to shape him.

Ah, yes, the music. If one is to ever have a proper introduction with such a character one must
mention the full expansion of his person. Grimauldy was a modern, youthful fellow to which the
women of Brambleton did lust for arduously, but this was not only for the fact that he was so
enticing in his well-dressed cravat and tightened bow, with trailing tail coat. On the contrary,
his looks had been just a sweet addition to his rigorously practiced talents. As you see,
Vincent Grimauldy was a musician. A man of sheet music and scores, chaliced hands and
endless nights falling to bed with notes and tempos all inside the toughened mind. This being
known, Grimauldy spared no time in letting his profession as a most esteemed pianist and avid
lute player be assessed upon first meeting. "Might I play you some Vivaldi? Well, or might I grace you
with one of my own works - " had been a common enough line of Grimauldy, who
always accompanied such wooing with a suggestive smile and quirk of the brow. If music were
ever to be a woman, Grimauldy would be at her every beck and call, "Dolce, my dear, dolce."

There had never been a time in his years of being fond of her presence that his head did not
dawdle in the lingering feel of pressed keys or plucked strings. Even as he now sat in his
coach, merrily making his way to the estate to which he would meet his maker - of matches,
that is - his clear match had been the tunes that kept the right hemisphere of his brain very
much vivace and tranquillo and caused his head to sway.

He made idle chit-chat with the coachman, tapping his foot to a tune that had not been
announced anywhere but in his head, ears ringing from a lingering anticipation that the beating
rain would not set at bay. "The world is made of sounds, you know." he had said above the
pattering of the rains. "Even emotions. Melancholy is played by the wind and a very bound string,
though all instruments can sway to the moods at our whims. Joyous, bright, lifting melodies
are played in marches and often - " and he paused, not knowing where he had been
going with his own ramble. "I know not the sound of virtuous affection, or
love." he had murmured, ever so calmly to himself as the coach jerked to a prompt, yet subtle halt.

A tip of the hat and elegant descent, eying not only the walkway to the Estate's front door,
but the feet planted upon it, waiting.