You’re probably right, I do think that even if Leo married Marianne, Vivi would come to resent her. (Not to mention how Severus would feel.)

It’s twisted and disturbing the two of them together, but I’m glad somebody likes the arc. (No big surprises, Morgaine’s really not that fond of it.) But their story is still in the telling, we’ll definitely find out more later.

No, sleeping with someone before they put a ring on it is definitely not lady-like behavior. Caroline might actually be successful with copper birth control. (As in a copper between the knees.) But as I commented to Morgaine, she doesn’t seem to remember that there is some discrepancy between the wedding and the birth on Babette and Aglovale. She’s wonderfully blind when she puts her mind to it.

Thanks, Winter!

As I said to Morgaine on IM the other night, pickings aren’t nearly as slim as Leo thinks they are, it’s–like everything else in this family, complicated. He doesn’t want to disappoint his father and while Vivi is sure that Squeak wouldn’t force any of his children to marry someone that they couldn’t stand… Well Leo is the eldest and a boy and Vivi is the youngest and the only girl, they’re looking at the problem from different perspectives.

And yes, there are probably plenty of girls who would be politically advantageous at Camford who have the brain to even get in the door. I mean Elyan found one. But if there is one thing that most of the Finessas can’t seem to see it is how to break out of their current ruts.

I–don’t see Elizabet and Leo as a couple. I don’t know that Leo needs a “lady” with as many rules as Caroline, but I don’t think the kind of lady who–in mixed company–tells someone they’re full of shit is quite what Leo’s looking for in a wife… I think he’s a bit more conformist about his taste in women than Elizabet is ever going to be.

There are indeed several options for Vivi and so far all we know about the prince is what Vivi’s thought of him and told her friends, and she isn’t exactly impartial.

Lianne has no clue. Squeak, I think, might have a guess or two, but he has no idea to the depth of this thing between them. And I think that in some ways he’s kind of waiting and seeing if the two with the additional space and time apart with Leo off at Camford surrounded by lovely young ladies and Vivi surrounded by all the boys from the Academy that the twins bring round might turn their fancies.

Yeah, I think Camford is pickier than to allow Caroline in… So they will have plenty of time apart…

Thanks, Van!

Vivi will meet the prince this year. But beyond that and what happens with him, I dunno. I guess another thing that Vivi doesn’t see is that if there are other options for Leo there are other options for her and that there’s nothing to say that she can’t look around and see if someone else catches her fancy. Or even have a bit of a flirtation with somebody even if nothing comes from it except a little bit of excitement.

You’re very right. Telling Henry that he wasn’t sure about the betrothal, rather than stringing Caroline along would be helpful. I–think that she has somehow mentally glossed over the fact that her hero, for lack of a better term, Babette had a shotgun wedding. And her father is well enough off and her bloodlines good enough that she shouldn’t have to fuck her way into an advantageous marriage.

Lol, I dunno if Annette would want to hang out with Caroline, even just to pester her, but I do have one more update from this party, I’ll see if somehow I can work in a few cracks from Annette about how it’s adorable that they’re sisters…

I though that you are definitely right and if this continues on it’s current trajectory, it’s not going to land in happy happy good times land. Thanks, Morgaine!

Caroline as Babette a la Jessie was perfect. Though, I wouldn’t think pregnant first and married second would be very ladylike behavior either.

But seriously, I do hope that Vivi and Leo get past the incesty thing before anything catastrophic happens. There are probably plenty of politically-convenient young women at Camford who could be excellent matches for Leo personality-wise, or at least more tolerable than Caroline. And if he doesn’t feel up to getting married any time soon, he could always wait for Elizabet to grow up. As for Vivi… well, there’s Camford for her too. There’s also Josh (who, while he might not be able to actually love her, is not a jerk and not her brother and could at least become a good friend) and Brandon (who I kind of hope marries either Vivi or Elizabet, both because he’s a sweetheart and because then Marianne would have at least one in-law connection to one of her best friends). And hey, maybe she and Nathanial will end up liking each other after all.

I’m guessing Vivi and Leo’s parents have no idea about this?

Caroline as Babette is the most fitting costume at the party. I suspect she and Leo will have ample time apart in the next few years, because I struggle to imagine a Camford entrance exam easy enough for Caroline to pass.

I think Vivi needs to meet some nice boys, maybe including that prince of hers … and Leo needs to meet some nice girls who can be good matches who aren’t Caroline. I refuse to believe that the pickings on the ground are as slim as all that. If the first generation of Albion, which was much smaller, can have everybody get paired off with only one Babette among the lot, there has to be hope for Leo. Because if this keeps on the way it is, I don’t think it’s going to end up anywhere good.

Plus, as much as I hate to say this — letting Caroline go as quickly as possible is what’s most fair to her. She’s going to need all the time she can get to find a someone who will marry her, unless she wants to emulate Babette in more ways than just her costume.

And speaking of Babette, one thing I wish I’d seen in this party would have been Annette pestering Caroline about hanging out together or something. Because they’re sisters don’t you know. I would love to see Caroline’s face when she realized that.

But mostly I just want to see Leo and Vivi realize that this is a really bad idea and try to find somebody else for each of them.