Second Week, FourDay: From the Dressmaker.
GM: In and amongst the other parts of the weeks training, Lorraine will insist on helping Paris get a dress for the festival. You should decide if Paris want to try to pay for it. And, I suspect there will be one more visit of the Prince to the class, but these events aren't going to take much time.
S: Does Paris learn anything about the cost of dresses? She is probably going to try to pay for at least part of the new dress.
GM: Hmmm... I would say that the seamstress is a "Master Craftsman" level professional, and thus gets 30 to 50 cp/day. Each of her assistants will get 10-20, depending on their skill, and the material will cost for its production. So, I would guess (knowing next to nothing on the subject) that the nice kind of dress Lorraine would pick would be two to three silvers.
S: Notes on Clothing Colours:
Paris herself would look good in the so-called 'winter' colours: black, white, silvers, blue-greys, blues and violet-blues, rose and the cold reds, purples. The warmer colours -- yellows, oranges, browns, orange-reds, and most greens will not set her off well.
However, you've already said the white is for SevenDay (and, by the way, it is also the colour that a new knight wears for his knighting.) And, of course, the Colours of Heraldry do not care what colour one looks good in. I suppose that Green might be proper given that Paris is "the Prince's man" -- but the Prince hasn't said so. Putting Paris in green could be viewed as a political statement, so, unless the Prince does so, Paris probably should not wear green even "off duty". But if she were going to be seen with the Prince and be expected to look good without making a political statement, I'd probably put her in rose or burgundy. That would look well with both the Prince's green and the Duke's blue. And she could blush and still look well. :-)
Incidentally, the colours that look good on Paris will also look good on Lorraine. Given that Paris has a tan, though, the richer darker colours -- or the lightest colours -- will be the most striking, while Lorraine can also wear the medium range colours. The pale colours will tend to make Lorraine (who does not have a tan) look more like an "ice maiden". Given her personality, I expect that she only uses those when she has a particularly dramatic pose to enact (e.g. when she has finally decided to turn a guy down :-)
S: Well... I think Paris would see during their conversation that night if Calais has any money she could use. Not that she has 3 silvers even if Calais decides he doesn't need the money she gave him.... She may just end up promising Lorraine to pay her back.....
GM: Honest, Lorraine would be happy with the grapes. I suppose you can also let her borrow the dress while you're gone, if that makes Paris feel better (or were you going to take it with you?).(No.)
S: Well-- Paris is not stupid (well, not as stupid as she feels sometimes :-) -- and, part of 'looking' at dresses is to get a feel for the cost. And that will give her some sense of whether she thinks the grapes are a proper exchange. Being a farm girl, the answer is likely to be no.
GM: I could point out how rare and valuable the fresh fruit is...but no, she wouldn't think grapes would be enough. Incidentally, it will come up in random conversation that the three cuttings you brought back were three different kinds of grape--one for red wine, one for white wine, and a table grape variety. The ones Ewen gave you were from the red wine grape. (The Empress insisted that you know she wasn't just a pretty face--you know how these NPC's are... :) ) Actually, all fresh fruit is rare right now. All the orchards are covered in buildings, and the only fruit you folks asked for were grapes. :)
S: It does seem a shame that the only guy who noticed the make-up making a change in her appearance doesn't think of Paris as a girl. Something odd there. :-)
GM: Well, that's not fair. :) Ewen didn't exactly notice the change, he already thought you were beautiful. :) And, he was a bit stressed out.
S: Now that's a sweet thought. She doesn't realize that Ewen thinks she's pretty. She doesn't think so, after all. :-) And, now that I think on it, the fellows were mobbing her once she showed she could dance. She might wonder if that was the makeup - rather than a fear of sitting and talking. I don't think that Paris is afraid to sit and talk. And Calais isn't :-), at least from Paris' point of view. So that might not have occurred to her.
Hmph. Going to have to talk to Ewen about saying the right things. :)
That's not fair to Ewen either. He and Paris have really never talk about appearance in the mode of noticing what each other looked like and so Paris has not been self-conscious about it. The closest she came was when she'd admired all the "beautiful people" and he quickly distracted her. She has stayed distracted. She still thinks the girls are all beautiful. But -- that hasn't really been important because she knew she was a peasant and was not 'on par' with them. It's going to add to her difficulties in trying to think like a noble... at least somewhat, because she doesn't think she really looks the part. (I, however, think she moves well -- and that helps a lot. :-)
Notes on Appearances:
GM: I was going to make you describe Ewen because I've never described him. :)
S: Have you ever described the Prince either? I've been starting to come up with descriptions for Ewen, Rodric and Jules. I'd vaguely thought that Ewen and the Prince have somewhat contrasting colouring -- but Ewen's colouration is not dramatic. If it were, chances are Lorraine would think him handsome.
The Prince looks like a young man; Paris' classmates still, in a way, look like boys. The years between 18 and 22 seem to make a deal of difference in a man's appearance. Sort of the way a woman changes between 15 and 19. In my opinion. I had the vague impression that the Prince has colouring not unlike Paris' but with wavy instead of curly hair. But it's entirely possible that that is entirely out of my own imagination.
But, if the Prince has blue eyes, they are a piercing dark blue. Perhaps they get darker the more intensely he feels something.
Jules. The classic jock. A shade taller than Ewen, a shade broader. He has more of his 'adult shoulders' than the other boys do. Lantern jaw, nose almost too chiseled and fine for the rest of his features -- but beautiful in itself. Black eyes. You described him as darkly handsome -- so, clearly, he is the classic "Latin Lover" but with a build that bodes well to become 'Guido' rather than 'Romeo' later in life. He's used to being one of the bigger boys. His hair is black -- but straight. I think he wears his hair a tad shorter than the other boys do. Tends to spend a bit more money on clothes than the others. Tends to have a supercilious look and swagger that -- to some people -- may make him less handsome than he is. His skin tends to be darkly tanned -- partly due to a natural olive complexion. Looks really good in red.
Note on hair: I think most of the men wear it longish in back, perhaps down to the base of the collar. I've tied Paris' and Calais' hair back (most of the time) in the pony tail more commonly associated with our Revolutionary War times -- but pony tails are practical for working people when longish hair is in fashion. I figure that Paris and Calais (like most country people) are behind the time in fashion -- and that it's likely that courtly men are now going for the shorter hair. (shrug) The middle ages saw as much up and down in men's hair fashions as I've seen in my lifetime (save that the crew cut didn't exist then :-)
Rodric. Tallest of the boys. Has got his growth but hasn't filled out at all, which gives him a bit of the scarecrow look. Has trouble remembering to carry himself well (i.e., not stooped) except when fighting or dancing. Beautiful dark brown eyes, dark brown straight hair the bangs of which tend to fall down onto his forehead and into his eyes if not regularly trimmed or plastered. Long thin face and a jaw that tends to stick out. (He will look better when he reaches an age where it is appropriate to grow a beard. Weak chins and prominent chins both benefit from beards. (But then I like facial hair -- and even like beards on handsome chins. :-)) Ears stick out a bit. Tans well but tends towards a lighter complexion. Looks great in gold. Green's good too.
Ewen. (All of these boys, incidentally, are taller than Paris; they just don't tower over her the way they do with normal girls.) Sun-streaked light brown hair that has some wave to it. Warm hazel-coloured eyes. Triangle-shaped face; that is, broader in the forehead than the jaw line. Well proportioned nose but "hawk nosed" in profile. He and the Prince both have the well-formed long fingered "musician's hands". Tans well. Small white scar on one side of his forehead where he hit himself falling off a vat when he was very small. Looks good in all the warm colours and all the greens -- but not pastels.
In game terms, Ewen's natural comeliness is in the 10-12 range. Jules is probably up to 15, maybe 18.
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