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fandomweekly2020-09-27 12:22 pm
iluvroadrunner6) wrote in fandomweekly2020-09-27 12:22 pm
Entry tags:
[#068] Paper Faces on Parade (Original)
Theme Prompt: #068 - Masks
Title: Paper Faces on Parade
Fandom: Original
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 999
Summary: Joy recruits her sister so that she can go to her first ball.
Joy bursts into Claudia’s room with a flourish, a piece of parchment dangling from her fingertips. Claudia jerks out of her sleeping state, trying to distinguish if the bang of the door is a threat or not. Joy jumps onto the bed, putting Claudia on the offensive until she recognizes the face and relaxes.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s a masquerade.” Joy is sixteen, just on the cusp of needing to move into society, and while Claudia abhors all of it, Joy has been looking forward to it since she was old enough to understand. “The ball in Paris, it’s a masquerade. Do you think you could convince Father to let me go?”
Claudia squints at the question, still half-asleep. “Me?”
“Yes. You know Father gives you whatever you want.”
Claudia huffs out a laugh. “That is hardly the case.” Joy looks at her intently, raising an eyebrow at the protest, and Claudia’s eyes narrow, before glancing away awkwardly. “The reason he lets me have things is because I do not ask for things often.” Claudia slides out from under the covers, and Joy groans, flopping back against the bed.
“It’s going to be so beautiful. All those embroidered gowns and decorations. And the mystery of the masquerade is so romantic.”
“Romantic?” Claudia shakes her head. “How did you arrive at all these lofty ideals?”
“I read,” Joy sighs. “And I listen to the stories that Miranda and Talia tell when they return from court. It sounds like a fairy tale.”
“And you know how fairy tales end, don’t you?” Claudia rolls closer to her sister. “Don’t be in such a rush to give it all away.”
“I’m not,” Joy says. “It would simply be nice to be invited for once.”
Claudia watches her sister as she plays with the edges of the invitation before sighing dramatically. “Fine. I will speak to Father but do not get your hopes up. He was reluctant to let me grow up. I can only assume that he will be more so with you.”
Joy’s face lights up, and she leans forward and throws her arms around her sister’s shoulders. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“You can thank me by going elsewhere and letting me get some more sleep.”
Joy grins as she flounces off, probably to start planning her attire, while Claudia sighs and covers her head with her blankets to go back to sleep.
- - - - - -
The masquerade itself is a shower of reds and golds, swirling throughout the room as dancers circle the dance floor in kind. Joy’s eyes light up behind her mask as everything swirls around her, like something out of a piece of art. Claudia steps up next to her, adjusting her mask into place. Her face contains slightly less wonder, given her disdain of court, before turning to her sister with a sigh.
“Stay close to someone from the manor, Joy. Don’t let yourself get cordoned off with someone you don’t know.”
“Isn’t the anonymity of the masks the point?” Joy challenges, raising her eyebrow curiously.
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean everyone here has good intentions.” Claudia squeezes her hand before catching the eye of her escort for the evening across the room. “Be careful. Promise me.”
“I will. I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” Claudia nods, then disappears into the crowd.
Joy lets her eyes scan over the bright colors when a voice comes from over her shoulders. “Your first ball?”
She turns to face a man in a delicately crafted mask, one that shows enough of his face that she can tell who he is without having to guess too much. The son of a French noble that Joy observed in tournaments from time to time. She can’t recall his name off the top of her head, but he is handsome. She remembers that much. Joy hesitates, unsure how to respond when he holds up his hands.
“Mine as well. I am not judging.”
“Right, of course.” Joy shakes her head. “My apologies. But yes, it is.”
He smiles a handsome one that charms her far more than she should probably admit. “Then perhaps we should brave this new frontier together, Lady …”
She starts to give her name instinctively before she hesitates. She gives him her hand instead but withholds her identity. “Perhaps we should keep with the theme of the evening? And not give that away quite yet.”
His smile widens even further, before bringing her hand to his lips and nods. “Very well. Then can I ask my mysterious lady for a dance?”
“The lady would like that very much.”
He tucks her arm in his, leading her off to the dance floor, where they’re both swept away in a swirl of fabric and color.
- - - - - -
“Where is Joy?” Ben asks as they wait by the carriage. The eldest of the family isn’t fond of babysitting his sisters at these balls when he has his own intended to attend to, but he does his duty as the oldest brother. Claudia shrugs her shoulders slightly in response, before turning her eyes towards the main house.
Almost as though on cue, Joy floats dreamily down the stairs of the manor, mask still in place, almost like she has clouds for feet. She brushes past her siblings to climb into the carriage. Ben and Claudia look at each other in concern, before turning to look at their sister instead.
“What’s gotten into you?” Ben asks.
“Nothing,” Joy shrugs as she settles into her seat. “I just had a lovely time at the ball, didn’t you?”
Claudia shakes her head before climbing into the carriage next to her. “I don’t want to know.”
Ben still gapes, before shaking his head as well. “Why of all the creatures in the world, the Lord has seen it fit to bless me with sisters?”
Claudia smirks as she settles her skirts across from him. “A curse from a past life.”
Title: Paper Faces on Parade
Fandom: Original
Rating/Warnings: PG
Bonus: Yes
Word Count: 999
Summary: Joy recruits her sister so that she can go to her first ball.
Joy bursts into Claudia’s room with a flourish, a piece of parchment dangling from her fingertips. Claudia jerks out of her sleeping state, trying to distinguish if the bang of the door is a threat or not. Joy jumps onto the bed, putting Claudia on the offensive until she recognizes the face and relaxes.
“What are you doing?”
“It’s a masquerade.” Joy is sixteen, just on the cusp of needing to move into society, and while Claudia abhors all of it, Joy has been looking forward to it since she was old enough to understand. “The ball in Paris, it’s a masquerade. Do you think you could convince Father to let me go?”
Claudia squints at the question, still half-asleep. “Me?”
“Yes. You know Father gives you whatever you want.”
Claudia huffs out a laugh. “That is hardly the case.” Joy looks at her intently, raising an eyebrow at the protest, and Claudia’s eyes narrow, before glancing away awkwardly. “The reason he lets me have things is because I do not ask for things often.” Claudia slides out from under the covers, and Joy groans, flopping back against the bed.
“It’s going to be so beautiful. All those embroidered gowns and decorations. And the mystery of the masquerade is so romantic.”
“Romantic?” Claudia shakes her head. “How did you arrive at all these lofty ideals?”
“I read,” Joy sighs. “And I listen to the stories that Miranda and Talia tell when they return from court. It sounds like a fairy tale.”
“And you know how fairy tales end, don’t you?” Claudia rolls closer to her sister. “Don’t be in such a rush to give it all away.”
“I’m not,” Joy says. “It would simply be nice to be invited for once.”
Claudia watches her sister as she plays with the edges of the invitation before sighing dramatically. “Fine. I will speak to Father but do not get your hopes up. He was reluctant to let me grow up. I can only assume that he will be more so with you.”
Joy’s face lights up, and she leans forward and throws her arms around her sister’s shoulders. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
“You can thank me by going elsewhere and letting me get some more sleep.”
Joy grins as she flounces off, probably to start planning her attire, while Claudia sighs and covers her head with her blankets to go back to sleep.
The masquerade itself is a shower of reds and golds, swirling throughout the room as dancers circle the dance floor in kind. Joy’s eyes light up behind her mask as everything swirls around her, like something out of a piece of art. Claudia steps up next to her, adjusting her mask into place. Her face contains slightly less wonder, given her disdain of court, before turning to her sister with a sigh.
“Stay close to someone from the manor, Joy. Don’t let yourself get cordoned off with someone you don’t know.”
“Isn’t the anonymity of the masks the point?” Joy challenges, raising her eyebrow curiously.
“Perhaps, but that doesn’t mean everyone here has good intentions.” Claudia squeezes her hand before catching the eye of her escort for the evening across the room. “Be careful. Promise me.”
“I will. I’ll be careful.”
“Good.” Claudia nods, then disappears into the crowd.
Joy lets her eyes scan over the bright colors when a voice comes from over her shoulders. “Your first ball?”
She turns to face a man in a delicately crafted mask, one that shows enough of his face that she can tell who he is without having to guess too much. The son of a French noble that Joy observed in tournaments from time to time. She can’t recall his name off the top of her head, but he is handsome. She remembers that much. Joy hesitates, unsure how to respond when he holds up his hands.
“Mine as well. I am not judging.”
“Right, of course.” Joy shakes her head. “My apologies. But yes, it is.”
He smiles a handsome one that charms her far more than she should probably admit. “Then perhaps we should brave this new frontier together, Lady …”
She starts to give her name instinctively before she hesitates. She gives him her hand instead but withholds her identity. “Perhaps we should keep with the theme of the evening? And not give that away quite yet.”
His smile widens even further, before bringing her hand to his lips and nods. “Very well. Then can I ask my mysterious lady for a dance?”
“The lady would like that very much.”
He tucks her arm in his, leading her off to the dance floor, where they’re both swept away in a swirl of fabric and color.
“Where is Joy?” Ben asks as they wait by the carriage. The eldest of the family isn’t fond of babysitting his sisters at these balls when he has his own intended to attend to, but he does his duty as the oldest brother. Claudia shrugs her shoulders slightly in response, before turning her eyes towards the main house.
Almost as though on cue, Joy floats dreamily down the stairs of the manor, mask still in place, almost like she has clouds for feet. She brushes past her siblings to climb into the carriage. Ben and Claudia look at each other in concern, before turning to look at their sister instead.
“What’s gotten into you?” Ben asks.
“Nothing,” Joy shrugs as she settles into her seat. “I just had a lovely time at the ball, didn’t you?”
Claudia shakes her head before climbing into the carriage next to her. “I don’t want to know.”
Ben still gapes, before shaking his head as well. “Why of all the creatures in the world, the Lord has seen it fit to bless me with sisters?”
Claudia smirks as she settles her skirts across from him. “A curse from a past life.”
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Some of my favorite parts:
“It’s going to be so beautiful. All those embroidered gowns and decorations. And the mystery of the masquerade is so romantic.”
“Romantic?” Claudia shakes her head. “How did you arrive at all these lofty ideals?”
“I read,” Joy sighs. “And I listen to the stories that Miranda and Talia tell when they return from court. It sounds like a fairy tale.”
“And you know how fairy tales end, don’t you?”
She starts to give her name instinctively before she hesitates. She gives him her hand instead but withholds her identity. “Perhaps we should keep with the theme of the evening? And not give that away quite yet.”
His smile widens even further, before bringing her hand to his lips and nods. “Very well. Then can I ask my mysterious lady for a dance?”
“The lady would like that very much.”
He tucks her arm in his, leading her off to the dance floor, where they’re both swept away in a swirl of fabric and color.
and
“Why of all the creatures in the world, the Lord has seen it fit to bless me with sisters?”
Claudia smirks as she settles her skirts across from him. “A curse from a past life.”
These are really fun characters that I'd be happy to read about again sometime! I love both Claudia's practicality and intelligence and wit and Joy's enthusiasm and romanticism, and the way you painted a picture of the masquerade was great.
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It's good that Joy had fun at her first ball.
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Thanks for reading!
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Thanks for reading.