InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "But why is the rum gone?"

Penny Brisbois (fairmaiden) wrote in fairthreads,
@ 2009-10-27 21:33:00

Entry tags:

!incomplete, character: penelope brisbois, character: princess evangeline ravelaire, location: greenville, player: eden, player: lisa

Who: Penny and open to anyone!
Where: Greenville
When: afternoon
What: Penny escapes!

While it had been a relief that whatever illness Penny had taken wasn't the Grey Death, it hadn't stopped Penny's mother from practically locking her into her bedroom. It was all well and good at first, when Penny was too sick to really care much about doing anything but sleep but after a few days, when her strength began to return, it got tiresome. Even after she was up and about the family home, Penelope the elder was not keen on letting her younger daughter out of her sight.

It stood to reason, Penny knew, that her mother would not easily let go of the one daughter she had left. Even her sickness, which, though it hit somewhat hard, was not life-threatening, had been cause enough for the mothering instincts to go into overdrive. With Genevieve gone (and in their mother's eyes, written off), whatever hopes and dreams Mrs. Brisbois had would be laid upon young Penny. In order for that to happen, Penny needed to make a full recovery.

Fortunately for all involved, recover she did. The problem was, she could not seem to escape her mother. The illness seemed to snap Mrs. Brisbois from the mood she had fallen in when Gen had married and she had spent an uncommon amount of time doting on her daughter. The attention was making Penny uncomfortable and, what's more, it was difficult for her to go and visit her friends in town if her mother hardly let her out of her sight!

The opening came unexpectedly when Mrs. Brisbois was called in to sort out some disaster in the kitchen. Penny wasn't sure what it was but she was certain that the opportunity wouldn't come again and she was determined to take it. Quickly, she raced to her rooms and changed into riding clothing. She slipped down to the stables using back passageways and managed to get out on her mare before her mother was the wiser.

The feel of the wind in her hair and the sun on her cheeks did wonders for Penny's mood. The air was crisp with autumn chill but not unpleasantly so. In fact, after so many days spent indoors, it was positively refreshing. Copper was eager to run, having not had the opportunity, and Penny let her have her head. After a good gallop, Penny reigned the mare in and guided her toward Greenville.

She was nervous, something she didn't expect, but it had been some time since her last visit and she wondered after her friends. Well, there was nothing to be done about that; the way things had been she wouldn't have even been able to get out a letter. All the same, she felt the familiar thrill as she rode into the village, knowing that something exciting might be ahead, knowing that she was, once again, doing things she shouldn't be.

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evangelically
2009-11-11 04:41 am UTC (link)

The sad truth in Frell was that you'd be hard-pressed to find somebody who wasn't affected by the Grey Death in some way. If you didn't have it, chances are you know someone who does... or did. Angie's case was the latter. Both her father and aunt had been claimed by the silent killer, but she wouldn't let the fact ruin her spirits on such a lovely autumn day. She had adopted the habit of traveling into Greenville shortly after her father's death. There was not much to do in the castle after she finished her lessons, and she couldn't sit still to save her life, so some quiet needlework was out of the question. Traveling into town was just the thing, and so she donned on a cloak to protect herself from the chill and began walking. Angie enjoyed these walks, where she had time to daydream without intrusion. Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice the horse galloping in the distance, and threw herself out of the way just in time, but not without some minor scrapes and bruises... "Ooph!" She gingerly picked herself up and dusted her dress off, and peered at the most eager horse rider.

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fairmaiden
2009-11-11 04:46 pm UTC (link)

It was fortunate that Penny had been beginning to pull Copper up as she headed into the outskirts of town, slowing the mare's pace before they reached the bustle of the main streets. All the same, she was shocked and appalled to see a woman practically throw herself out of her path. Penny was generally the careful sort but she also quite prone to daydreaming and it seemed she should have been paying more careful attention to the path ahead of her.

Seeing what had happened, she reined Copper in quickly and scrambled off the mare's back, unfortunately lacking much of the grace and ease she prided herself in when she was on her own two feet. Unlike her sister, Penny hadn't spent the majority of her childhood on horseback and though her riding had improved, the dismount was never her strongest point.

"Oh! I'm so terribly sorry!" she exclaimed as she rushed toward the woman's side. "I'm not sure what got into me but I should have been more careful? Are you all right?" If Penny had been paying attention she might have noticed the fine quality of clothing the other woman wore but as it stood, she was too frantic. Besides, Penny wasn't accustomed to running into people of rank in town. Generally, she saw them at formal functions or dances, if at all, not on the side of road, dusting dirt and grass from their skirts.

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evangelically
2009-11-12 02:19 am UTC (link)

The first thing Angie noticed about the girl was that her hair was red. Very red. But she didn't stare for long (or so she hoped), it wouldn't be polite! The fact that the girl was also very feminine - hair curled into perfect ringlets (could natural hair be that curly?), and prettily made dress (a sure sign of a middle if not upper class family) - didn't escape her. Now all she had to figure out was why the girl seemed to be in such rush.

"Don't worry about it," Angie assured. She checked herself for any visible signs of injury and gave the all-clear sign. "I'm fine." She smiled confidently to assuage the girl's fears. The girl asked if she should have been more careful, and Angie was quick to interject, "I don't think you could have been anymore careful than you already were."

"I ought to be at fault as well. I wasn't looking," she admitted sheepishly. "Thank you for your concern," she graciously pardoned. Angie didn't need to check to know her hair was a mess now, but brushing it out of her face, she wiped her hand on her dress before extending it in greeting, "Hello. I'm Evangeline."

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fairmaiden
2009-11-12 03:29 am UTC (link)

Penny was certainly relieved that the other girl seemed unharmed, if a little shaken up by the incident. She was relieved that she had left her dog at home, something that she imagined would only have added unnecessarily to the commotion of the moment. As it was, Penny was horribly embarrassed and now that she was certain that the girl was unharmed, she began to blush red in embarrassment.

"I... I'm so glad you're all right," she stuttered, attempting to regain her composure but failing miserably. She smoothed her skirts unnecessarily out of habit before offering her own hand to accept the one offered to her. The name given, though, gave Penny a pause. Evangeline? Everyone in Frell knew that was the name of the princess and while she didn't doubt that there were other girls named that in honor of that princess, Penny noticed, then, the well-made clothing the girl wore, the way she carried herself even despite the fact that she was disheveled from being thrown off the road. By Penny. Her hand still extended, her grip suddenly went slack and her face went white. "P...Princess Evangeline?" she stuttered, eyes going wide. Surely, it couldn't be, not on the side of the road, not there, covered in dirt and grass.

Please no, wished and thought fervently, feeling the world sway slightly. It took all over her strength to keep upright, to keep from falling right to the ground. What would her mother say if she found out about this misadventure?

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evangelically
2009-11-17 06:40 am UTC (link)

Angie felt terrible for putting the other girl ill at ease and really thought she was on the road towards making amends. However, she knew she said something wrong when the girl's hand went slack. Oh no. Now she had gone and upset the girl even more! The girl looked like she was going to faint the poor thing. "Are you alright... ?" She searched for the girl's name, but realized she hadn't been given it yet. "I'm sorry. I didn't get your name." Angie's seemingly cool exterior masked her inner panic alert: Please don't pass out! she fervently willed. Angie took the other girl's shoulders in attempt to steady her. What else should she do? She bit her lips in concentration. "Why don't you sit down?" She looked around for help, but there was no one in sight and town wasn't till another few minutes. "Would it kill you if I said I was?"

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fairmaiden
2009-11-20 04:46 am UTC (link)

"I..." Penny began but her knees seemed to wobble unsteadily and she might have fallen right to the ground if the other girl hadn't the foresight to try to steady her a bit. A princess... Penny knew her mother had always hoped for her to rise in the world, to bring status and honor to the family, but Penny was fairly certain that neither of them had ever even dreamed to hope that Penny would have the opportunity to meet a member of the royal family personally. And yet she had the unfortunate distinction of nearly running one over This, she decided, was not going very well at all. "I need to sit..." she confirmed, realizing that if she didn't she might, indeed, lose her footing and only embarrass herself further.

Penny unsteadily lowered herself to the ground, grateful at least that Copper was a calm mare, not prone to taking off. Certainly, her father had picked her out with gentle Penny in mind. "I...I'm sorry P...Princess," she finally stuttered, realizing that she probably was supposed to be standing in the presence of royalty but also realizing that was not realistic at this point in time. "I'm.... I'm Miss Pen...Penelope Brisbois.... Highness..." she managed, the words coming out breathlessly, as though she couldn't quite collect her thoughts. Truly, Penny wanted nothing more than to sink through the ground; she was presenting herself in the worst possible way and she wasn't entirely certain she could recover at this juncture.

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evangelically
2009-11-25 03:12 pm UTC (link)

For as long as she could remember, Angie had been told she was a princess, and was therefore destined to play that role. Unfortunately, somewhere along the line, someone neglected to tell her that it seemed she was also blessed with the uncanny ability of turning any situation she walked into ten times worst.

Seeing that Penelope was situated comfortably, Angie sank beside her, as to ease the discomfort. "There's really no need to apologize," she said, quickly dismissing the issue. "If anything, I should offer my sincerest apologies to you." Her own flush filled face spoke volumes. "Let's put it behind us shall we?"

Brisbois. The name sounded familiar. If she had more time, she would have spent it thinking about where exactly. I guess I'll find out soon enough "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance Miss Brisbois," she said amiably as she inclined her head in acknowledgment. "You can call me Angie, nearly everyone does, and you have a simply splendid mare," she said, hopefully turning the topic to brighter issues.

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fairmaiden
2009-11-25 04:34 pm UTC (link)

Penny took a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to calm herself down so she at least had a chance at composure. She imagined that sitting in the presence of a princess with eyes tightly closed was the epitome of bad manners but Evangeline didn't seem overly upset by it so she tried to push aside the creeping fear that she was shaming her family entirely.

When the princess suggested that they put the incident behind them, Penny let her eyes open slowly. Her vision refocused on the flushed face of the princess who seemed, surprisingly, as flustered as she felt. It was strangely comforting to see her behaving so... normally.

"Angie?" Penny repeated uncertainly, as though afraid that saying the informal name would result in some terrible consequence. "I'm always called Penny." Penny's voice was still quiet, a bit uncertain, but she was no longer sputtering and tripping over her words, which was definitely an improvement. "My mare? Oh, thank you," Penny smiled, glancing back at Copper. "Her name is Copper."

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evangelically
2009-11-27 03:53 pm UTC (link)

Angie could see that Penelope, whoever she was, had the good sense to close her eyes and take a second to herself. She followed suit, and stole a quick moment to compose her thoughts, all as jumbled and out of place as she felt in this - or any - environment. However, it was looking like things would turn out all right after all. Angie grinned pleasantly. She was pleased with the progress she was making. She didn't often meet people out of the castle walls. By now, Penny's voice had even out, which Angie took as a good sign. "Copper," she repeated. "Penny's Copper. Copper's Penny. How delightful!" she giggled. "Were you going somewhere?" she gently asked. "I could help but notice you were in a rush, and I wouldn't want to hinder your errand."

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fairmaiden
2009-11-28 03:18 pm UTC (link)

"I chose her name at my father's suggestion," Penny admitted, feeling quite a bit more at ease as she spoke of something familiar. After all, she was quite attached to her animal companions. Besides, it seemed that both of the girls were a bit calmer now that shock of the incident was beginning to wear off. Angie's calmness certainly helped assure Penny that she wasn't doing something horribly wrong. "He said he chose her for me because she shone like a bright copper penny and it made him think of his own little Penny. I was younger and this pleased me so I named her Copper right on the spot." Penny still was a bit shaky when she went to rise to her feet but she was able to steady herself. She took a few steps to take Copper's reins. She affectionately rubbed the mare's neck as she spoke, the motion calming for both the mare and for herself.

Penny blushed red at Angie's question as she was so apt to do. "I wasn't precisely in a rush to get anywhere," she admitted somewhat sheepishly. "It was more that I was in a rush to get away from somewhere. I was ill and my mother kept me confined to the house for so long I couldn't wait to get out and get some air. I'm not precisely allowed out of doors at the moment, nor am I allowed to go into town. I just couldn't bear it any longer." Penny realized that she probably shouldn't have confessed as much to a near stranger, particularly a princess, but she didn't get the feeling that Angie would send her pack home or turn her in. As a matter of fact, Penny wondered if she was supposed to be out and about either. After all, her own upbringing was quite strict, wouldn't a princess have a so-called "proper" upbringing as well? She could only hope as much!

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evangelically
2009-12-04 02:07 am UTC (link)

Angie rested her chin on her hand. She was happy everything had turned out for the better. The incident was behind them, and Penny seemed comfortable, so much in fact that she felt at ease to talk about her family, which Angie took as a very good sign. However, listening to Penny's anecdote, she couldn't help feeling a pang of longing for her own father, but her smile never wavered. "You two sound really close," she said standing up.

"I'll keep your secret," she said zipping her lips conspiratorially, a childish thing, but she guessed in some ways she was still a child after all. "And I know exactly how you feel," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'd love it if you could show me around town. Do you mind?" she asked. "I've only been on several occasions and haven't the foggiest where things might be," she said with a hint of mischief in her smile.

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fairmaiden
2009-12-04 04:27 am UTC (link)

Penny nearly laughed at the thought that she might be close with her father. "I don't know that I would say that, exactly," Penny said carefully. "But is fond of my sister and I and enjoys making us happy, I think." She didn't mention that he tended to favor her twin; it seemed unnecessary to bring up, particularly because it would sound like complaining and it wouldn't do to complain to the princess. "I am closer with my sister than anyone else in my family. We're twins," she explained.

When Angie professed that she would keep her secret, Penny couldn't help but giggle at the girlish gesture. "Well, then I am in your debt," Penny replied, unable to help but giggle herself. She was certainly relaxing a bit, finding Angie to be quite pleasant and entertaining somewhat unexpectedly. "I can't say that I'm the best tour guide Greenville has to offer," Penny confessed, "but I would be pleased to show you what I can. I have only begun to come here myself over the past few months you see."

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