Quest 163

[primrosella]

[Letter Home | Viewable to All]

Dearest Mother and Daddy,

As I write this letter to you, I am sitting on a cushion on a sunlit window seat in Cousin Lotte's residence, taking in the view and admiring the sights as I set my pen to paper. To describe all the marvelous things I have seen since my arrival would spend much more ink than I have in my well, and too much paper besides, so I fear the whole tale of my adventures will have to wait until I am home again to tell it in person. But I have been having a marvelous time here! Cousin Lotte's residence is simply beautiful, and she has been taking excellent care of me since my arrival.

Edgar is well, also. Cousin Lotte has assigned him the responsibility of showing me around the City, and I think he must be taking this duty very seriously, since he has developed a habit of blushing and fumbling for words whenever we are together. Cousin Lotte has instructed him to speak French with me whenever we are together, so as to help me practice, but I am still miserable at it and his stammering only complicates things further. But I am doing my best, and slow going is better than no going at all, of course!

Mother, I fear you will be dismayed to hear that all the latest styles back home are no longer in fashion here. You ought to have seen the faces Cousin Lotte made when she saw the dresses I'd brought with me! But as she made certain to remind me, pretty is as pretty does, and she has vowed to see about getting me some new things at once.

She has also arranged for a violin tutor, so that I may keep up with my lessons in the arts while I stay here. She was well pleased with my prowess at the flute and the keyboards, but she says that my violin is an embarrassment to my education and seeks to remedy it as soon as possible.

(I do wonder, Mother, if Cousin Lotte is not perhaps more concerned with my talents and behaviors being an embarrassment to herself, moreso than she is with them being an embarrassment to me. I think I am beginning to understand your reluctance to send me into the care of her hospitality, after all.)

But I am having great fun, nonetheless, and I am learning so very much, so I am glad to have the opportunity to be here. This afternoon, Edgar has been instructed to take me on a walking tour, and I am sure that Cousin Lotte has already planned an entertainment for the evening. Perhaps it will be an operetta, or a show of some variety. I will wear a new dress in the latest fashion and Cousin Lotte will ensure that my figure is properly slender for the occasion, even if it means I am unable to breathe properly for the duration.

Oh, but I think I hear the beat of footsteps in the hallway! That will be Edgar, I'm sure, so I must bring this letter to a close for now. But I promise to write again soon!

All my love,
Rosella

[/Letter]

Ugh, fashions and lessons and entertainments are all well and good, but what's the fun of coming to a City like this if I never manage to get out and see any of it? Cousin Lotte would have me stay where she can keep an eye on me, I think, or at least where Edgar can do it for her, when she can't manage it herself. And they've shown me all manner of pretty things, it's true--all the right things for a pretty girl, albeit one just a bit out of fashion, visiting from so far away. But only ever in their own time and their own way, and according to their own designs.

I think she must not like me very much, Cousin Lotte. Or at least, she only likes my presence for the novelty of having a foreign relation staying in her household, which makes for one more thing to chat about with her ladies.

But I'm not here for Cousin Lotte's guidance, either. I came because wanted to get away from home and see all the wonders of the city for a change, and here I am. I should be happy enough with that, shouldn't I? The bits and snippets I've managed to glimpse through the carriage windows are better than nothing at all, and yet...no, it's not enough. It's not, because I want to hear the music, to see the lights, to meet the people and hear their stories and talk with them for hours about anything at all--or even nothing at all, just the same. I want to be here because here is an adventure, and it's anything other than home.

Now if only I could convince Cousin Lotte to let me out to see it.

I'd sneak away, if I thought I could manage it, but the chance is too great that I might get lost or get caught. My French is still awful and other than parading me around in front of a whirlwind of matrons, Cousin Lotte seems content to keep me chained to Edgar, so I haven't much practice with knowing where I'm going, or how to find my way home again if I go. And he won't take me to the places I want to go. He'll only do as Cousin Lotte tells him to. And besides, if I'm to get myself in trouble, I'd rather not be responsible for getting him into it as well.

What I need is a plan. Or a confidant. And at the moment, I have a rather unfortunate lack of both. So until I come up with one or the other, I suppose my adventure will just have to wait.


[OOC: So Rosella is cursed to be a young lady of the nobility, visiting a distant relative here in the City in the hopes of Getting Culture and Having Adventures. Unfortunately, her relative's idea of culture and adventures aren't quite what she had in mind. So what's an enterprising young lady do to? Why, take matters into her own hands, of course.

Dibs on busting her out goes to Ferris (la_vie_rapide), so her replies will either come before she's made her escape or after she's out in the City. Feel free to action her up if you want to run into her somewhere; she'll be hitting the town in general tonight. =D]

Comments

/flirts forever

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

You needn't know all that much French, you know. I've managed to get about on the little I know.

/is susceptible forever

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Have you really? Why, and I was led to believe that I'd be hopelessly lost without it!

/wins forever--also, Rosella was in my dream last night, but IDK why

[misterblackbird.livejournal.com]

I think there are enough foreign visitors in this place that we've learned enough French to get by and the locals have learned enough of everything else to get by. Between the two, things generally go well enough.

Whaaaaaaaaaaat I DEMAND DETAILS

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Perhaps it's merely the whim of my guardian, then, that places so much emphasis on it. She can be terribly particular that way, always wanting this just so and that just so, without a bit of room for compromise.

[la-vie-rapide.livejournal.com]

My dear lady, I must say that it pains me even to imagine the tragedy of traveling all this way and only having the opportunity to see this fair city through the window of a carriage.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Not as much as it pains me, monsieur, I assure you. But my guardian will have none of it, I fear.

someday i'll find a time period in which he isn't a troll.

[la-vie-rapide.livejournal.com]

Unless, of course, she were to remain blissfully unaware of your absence.

[nobodyneedknow.livejournal.com]

I'm sure you could easily find someone to keep you engaged with minimal need of French.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Do you think so? My guardian told me it was a necessity, but it seems that may not be the case, after all.

[nobodyneedknow.livejournal.com]

I could easily find a party to entertain you, mademoiselle.

les temps sont durs pour les rêveurs

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

Caspian is making his way to a certain bookshop where a friend of his works. His horse isn't with him because that would Call Attention to oneself and it's a good day for walking anyway. At a street corner he pauses to watch a woman selling flowers to a stubborn gentleman. Think of your wife, sir, she says. My wife fashions herself a queen in these trying times, he counters. In the end he doesn't purchase a flower, but Caspian X considers it. How sad it is that the day comes when no one wants a single tulip.

les temps sont durs pour les rêveurs

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

It's taken her a bit, but Rosella has finally made her escape from the watchful eyes of her guardian and is at last on the streets of the City. It's better late than never, she thinks, and she's determined to make the most of the time she has while she has it. An opportunity like this may not present itself again for a long time, and she wants to see as much as she can while it lasts.

Unfortunately, there is so much to see and exclaim over that she is trying to take it all in at once, and hardly paying attention to where she is walking as a result. And that is why she doesn't notice the gentleman paused at the street corner until long after it is too late, and she has walked straight into him.

les temps sont durs pour les rêveurs

[treadingdawn.livejournal.com]

Oof.

How lucky they are to not be (openly) armed on a public street. The collision causes Caspian to stumble a step to the side but he also keeps his palms out to prevent both of them from taking a fall. It's bad enough to make a clumsy impression of oneself, even worse to do that and appear ungentlemanly for not looking after a lady's safety.

"Pardon, I'm sorry," Caspian says to Rosella. Nevermind that it was she who walked into him.

Action?; Young lady meets young le parkour-pickpocket

[child-radical.livejournal.com]

He was exhausted. Huey had spent a great portion of his day running away from a nobleman he had robbed. It wasn't every day that he came across a slightly overweight person that was pretty light on their feet. It had taken a while but he had managed to escape by the virtue he was able to slip through the bars and actually use some people as stepping stones without causing them any discomfort.Yawning he took out his latest prize, a fancy brass pocketwatch, and played around with it when he saw a young woman walk past him on the street. She looked as if she was well off and a bit lost. Those two things together only meant one thing for him, a truly easy mark.

Action!; Young lady meets young le parkour-pickpocket

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Well off and a bit lost were two very apt descriptions of Rosella at that particular moment, who had taken a bit of a wrong turn in her exploring and was now glancing over the local landmarks for anything that she thought looked familiar. She'd turned...right to come down here, so she would have to go left to come back...yes, that was it, left to return. All right, she could find her way back, after all. Good.

But in her searching of the local landmarks, a glitter in a shop window had caught her eye, and she traipsed over to have a look. There were so many beautiful sights here in this City, and she wanted to see as many as she could while she had the chance.

Action; Young lady meets young le parkour-pickpocket

[child-radical.livejournal.com]

The set up was almost too perfect, the target was looking in a window and seemed unaware of her surroundings and nobody seemed to be paying much attention to anything as well. The boy began to size the woman up to see just what exactly would fetch a good price when he would go and fence the pocketwatch later on in the evening. He finally decided that the necklace fastened around his target's neck was a nice choice. Huey placed the watch back into his pocket and dusted his hands off as he began to walk towards the woman while acting as though he was just busy looking around at his surroundings. Once he was close enough he acted like he tripped while throwing all of his weight into knocking Rosella off balance.

[had_not_lived]

I hope you won't forget the theatre, once you find your way free. I assure you it's the best in the world.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Then I must make every effort to attend it, mustn't I? One does not lightly turn down the best in the world, of course.

[had_not_lived]

I should hope not; I might be offended, if you did.

[backbefore.livejournal.com]

Let me know when you have that adventure or plan to go on it.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

Shall I? If all goes as it ought, it'll be quite soon indeed.

[backbefore.livejournal.com]

Tonight soon or somewhere down the line soon?

[princess-crow.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you need suggestions of lively places for your standing.

[primrosella.livejournal.com]

I'd certainly welcome any that you'd be willing to offer, yes.

[princess-crow.livejournal.com]

What would you like? Reading? There is a library with vast floors and stocked dusty volumes.