𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧 — 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙. ( @classiqcals )
so far, france has been treating romeo remarkably well. if it weren't for the fact that he owes at least HALF of the people here a sum of money, he would reckon his time in france to be a bit like a vacation. however, considering the fact that he keeps having to dodge people and places to make sure he doesn't have to have any confrontations with his creditors, it's turning out to be slightly more stressful than he'd anticipated.
there is ONE person, though, that he's been hoping to run into, or maybe DREADING — he can't really tell. it's not like he WANTS to get married, is the thing. but also ... it would be so easy. all of the debt, those sleepless nights waiting for the day where he's be exposed as the FRAUD he is... gone with a simple exchange of vows.
there's a number of things he's worried about, sure — will she recognize him? will he recognize her? will she even want to marry him anymore? — scratch that thought — everyone does.
turns out, he does recognize her as he's strolling along the veranda, and he halts in his tracks as he spots her out in the gardens, between two rows of rose bushes. he narrows his eyes, his demeanor changing to something more determined, smoothing his hands over his waistcoat and adjusting his shirtsleeves as he redirects his path to approach her from behind.
" well, " a cool smile tugs at his lips and large, ring-decorated hands slip into his pockets, slowing to a stop a few feet behind her. " you look... healthier than i remember. "
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closed starter — luciana holland. ( @classiqcals ! )
he feels like he's been walking for days — his legs are numb, his arms ache, his head swims. he's seen — so much blood, so much pain, in the past few hours. it's difficult to see himself as lucky, surrounded by the sound of weeping coming from the injured & the sight of ghostly pale skin among the unconscious. regardless of it all, he feels a bone-deep imperative to get back — to return to her. he's got the arm of an injured guard around his shoulder as the group limps through the woods in a solemn parade. an eerie silence fills the air as they break through the treeline & approach the courtyard — those waiting for them hold their collective breath, before it all shatters into wails of relief & horror alike, once the palacegoers see what has become of the search party. rome, slowed down by his companion & therefore towards the back of the group, scans the crowd as he approaches. he spots her after what feels like an eternity, & after he gingerly lets go of the guard & sends him off with a nurse, he moves towards her like a moth to light. " mio dio — i'm so sorry, darling, " he says on an exhale as he envelopes her in a crushing hug, his exhaustion finally making itself known — his entire body sags & his eyes slip shut, muscles trembling from the amount of physical effort he's been exerting. " i'm so sorry i'm late. "
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closed starter — annaliese hölm. ( @hcrexcellency )
location : the dining hall. time : during breakfast.
" your highness, " romeo greets with a practiced calmness as he approaches the queen from behind, exuding a learned charm in the form of an ever-present smile & an easy, confident posture. he holds a porcelain cup in his hand, filled halfway with coffee — with a splash of cream and a teaspoon of sugar, just how he would prepare it at home ( italian coffee is, admittedly, much better, but french coffee will suffice until he returns ). the way he holds the cup with two hands, as well as the way his gaze remains locked on the woman before him are, admittedly, an attempt to disguise how nervous he is — holding the cup is an attempt to prevent his hands from shaking, & his steely gaze is an effort to keep his eyes from flicking around the room the way they do when he's anxious. as much as he's changed recently, he's still proud & headstrong as he's always been — ever-confident he can charm his way into people's good graces ( and out of trouble ). " i'd begun to wonder when i would finally get the chance to formally introduce myself. or, well — re-introduce myself. " they've ... met already, sort of, when he was much younger & he'd met the entire holland family upon his engagement to luci. but he was eighteen, then, & practically an entitely different person. he removes one hand from his coffee cup to hold it out between them, with the intention of taking hers to kiss the back of it — a sign of cautious respect. " duke romeo pazzi of florence. it is lovely to make your acquaintance. "
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closed starter — amara romanov. ( @frvgcleternty )
location : a tea parlor. time : evening, after supper.
" amara, darling. " romeo's words are accompanied by a gentle kiss to both of amara's cheeks, a classic italian greeting for anyone from acquaintances to family members. his smile is warm, posture lax, despite the questions that linger in the back of his mind. he's been meaning to speak with amara anyways — just to chat, to catch up, really; especially amidst the aftermath of the explosions. but finding her had become all the more imperative once valentina had revealed her little secret to him. perhaps it's unfair, going to valentina's most trusted friend in order to find out more information about her relationship — but he can't help it, is the thing. he cares so deeply about his sister's safety, her wellbeing, that he needs to know more about this king of hanover. " how are you, my dear? how has russia been treating you? " his head tilts as he goes to prepare the both of them a cup of tea — he imagines they'll be sitting down to chat a while, & of course, beverages are in order.
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☼☾ ( aaron taylor johnson , 30 , he/him , cis man , duke of florence ) - have you seen ROMEO PAZZI? we’ve heard through the grapevine that they’re PRAGMATIC but also MANIPULATIVE. when you think of them , you think of A WISP OF TOBACCO SMOKE RISING TO THE CEILING, PIANO HANDS GILDED WITH RINGS, & A SUAVE, CONNIVING SMILE.
parallels : tangerine ( bullet train ) ; tony stark ( the marvel cinematic universe ) ; lloyd hansen ( the gray man ) ; max wolfe ( gossip girl )
BASIC INFO
FULL NAME: romeo giancarlo pazzi
AGE: thirty
GENDER: cis man
PRONOUNS: he/him
ORIENTATION: bisexual, uninterested in romance ( for now )
LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: primary — italian, conversational — english, french
ACCENT: italian
LABEL: the lothario or the pretty boy; a man who is very handsome and uses it to his own benefit.
APPEARANCE & PERSONALITY
FACE CLAIM: aaron taylor johnson
HEIGHT: six feet, three inches
HAIR COLOUR: brown
EYE COLOUR: light blue
USUAL EXPRESSION: smug, or mildly bored
POSITIVE TRAITS: pragmatic, intelligent, witty, protective, charming, humorous, eloquent, charismatic
NEGATIVE TRAITS: hedonistic, stubborn, lazy, unyielding, desperate, greedy, crude, manipulative, conniving
FAMILY
FATHER: unnamed, deceased
MOTHER: unnamed, deceased
SIBLINGS: unnamed sibling, valentina pazzi
THINGS TO KNOW
romeo was raised in a world of unspeakable wealth. he never wanted for anything, never needed anything that he couldn't have — he had servants at his beck and call from the moment he was born, and he always took advantage of it.
when he was a teenager, the king of the netherlands approached his father, the duke of florence at the time, and proposed a deal. the king needed money, and in exchange, he would offer one of his daughters to marry. the duke was more than happy to oblige, and romeo, being the eldest and therefore the heir, was arranged to marry the princess.
however, after the deal was made, the betrothal was ... mostly forgotten about. romeo spent much of his teenage years and young adulthood under the assumption he'd be married off at any moment, so he spent almost all of his time partying, sleeping around, and getting blackout drunk as if it was his last chance to do it. months passed, and then years passed, and still no marriage came; romeo figured the betrothal was a thing of the past.
when he was twenty, he left italy for six years to study at various universities around the world, including oxford, the university of salamanca in spain, the university of aberdeen in scotland, the imperial moscow university in russia, and sorbonne university in france. he mostly studied philosophy and politics, with the hopes that it would help him when he eventually took on the role of the duchy.
he returned home briefly when his mother passed away of a lingering illness about five years ago, but departed again to continue his studies; then, when his father suddenly passed just one year later, he had to return home to accept his new role as the duke.
unprepared and hateful of his responsibilities, romeo continued his lotharian lifestyle, and with new access to his family's horde of funds, he made a litany of poor financial decisions, from throwing party after extravagant party to simply purchasing ungodly expensive things he didn't actually need. the pazzi estate had never looked so ornate and beautiful, and once again romeo never wanted for anything, but at the same time, the pazzi's wealth was diminishing rapidly as a result.
now, romeo is ... well, for lack of a better word, broke. he realized his mistake far too late and is now indebted to too many people to count. when he received the invitation to france, he may even been the first person to accept, not because he was excited to go, but because he needs to make connections who can provide financial help, and FAST.
and, of course, there's that betrothal that never actually happened, but also never really fell through ... technically, he's been engaged for a decade. he only met her once, but he knows she'll be here in france. he's not exactly eager to get married, but ... it surely would solve those debts, wouldn't it ?
HEADCANONS
romeo is betrothed to luciana holland, the princess of the netherlands ! it's actually kind of up in the air if they'll actually get married, since the original arrangement is over a decade old at this point, and made by his father who's passed ... romeo didn't want to get married, but now that he's in his little financial pickle, he's reconsidering, as it would very quickly solve all of the debts he owes.
romeo is an ASS. at least, that's what he is deep down. on the surface, he's very charming, likeable, and just the right balance of confident and humble. but he starting to take after his backstabbing ancestors; he's the kind of person to make friends if he sees some kind of perceived benefit on his end.
despite that, it's not that he's mean or antisocial, necessarily — considering how many parties he's thrown back in italy, it's obvious that enjoys people's company and socializing. it's just that, at this very moment, he's incredibly desperate to make the right connections to secure some kind of financial stability quickly, so he's not afraid to rub shoulders with people just to get them to like him enough to provide him with a "gift" or two.
he is quite protective over his siblings ; the biggest reason why he's trying to recover his lost funds is so that they don't have to suffer the consequences.
because he spent so much time at university, he is, unfortunately, quite smart. if he were in a modern au he would definitely be a philosophy bro.
the fact that he's spent almost all of his family's wealth is a secret he keeps VERY close to his chest. he finds it humiliating, and almost overcompensates by flaunting his material wealth. especially because of the pazzi's history, he would rather literally disappear forever than have people find out what he's done and ruin the family name for a second time.
WANTED CONNECTIONS
associates: people he's essentially trying to make friends with, but in the end, it's for monetary gain - he's trying to get them to help him in some way, but he's not quite sure how yet.
creditors: people he owes money to ! he's definitely taken out quite a few "personal loans" from people that his parents had been close with, and he definitely has NOT paid them back yet ... and they're all here in france. what a nightmare !
paramours: he's betrothed, sure, but he's not MARRIED yet ... at least, that's what he'd say. plus, he's on the fence if he even wants to go through with the betrothal, so he's definitely going to sleep around in the meantime.
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