In the Eastern Promises game, Padma Billingsworth, Scion of Lakshmi, was raised as a proper British young lady, who in spite of her slightly unladylike preference for books and disinterest in getting married would never have dreamed of doing anything surprising or socially questionable. When a bunch of Scions turned up in London and told her she needed to go with them to go perform heroic deeds and do magical stuff, she was polite and sorry to turn them down, but explained that she simply couldn't go traipsing off to god knew where unchaperoned, and that her father would probably have a heart attack if she even suggested it.
So Shadan, secret prince of Persia, gambler, rapscallion and all-around rascal, put on his best Epic Manipulation face, went over to her house, and managed to not only convince her father that he was secretly a Duke of England and a very important person, but also that he should hand over Padma's hand in marriage because it was an awesome match, and furthermore, when her father started making noises about planning the wedding, that they were already married because they were totes in love and had eloped because they couldn't bear to be apart.
Her father totally bought it, and Padma found herself being swept off her feet and carried away by her new "husband" with very little input in the matter and a Shadan who was much too pleased with himself. And now you can look at a picture of that hilarious triumph of social knacks.
By Steph!
In the ensuing two years, Padma and Shadan have developed a weird but kind of sweet relationship... at least, when they aren't driving one another insane with their incompatible approaches to things like laws and the importance of learning.
That picture is adorable!
ReplyDeleteAdorable enough that I can almost forget that this is essentially an abduction.
By the way, this is probably better covered in Fiction, but how does a nineteenth century properly brought up British lady end up getting, and then keeping a name like Padma?
Padma's father is a well-to-do British merchant who worked with the East India Trading Company for some time, so he was in British-controlled India as a younger man and met and fell in love with Padma's mother there. In this time period, British people who are from proper families are beginning to turn up of mixed race since Britain owns or controls so many faraway territories (children from the West Indies or British African territories as well, for example), so while it's not great for one's status to have mixed blood, it's also not super uncommon anymore.
DeletePadma looks more British than she does Indian, but a close observer can still tell that she's not entirely European in origin. Her name does give it away, but I imagine poor old Mr. Billingsworth couldn't exactly deny Lakshmi if that's what she wanted to name her.
Ah yes, Epic Charisma will do that.
DeleteI wonder, what does Vishnu think about it all? I mean, he's had his own extramarital dalliances with Prithvi but this is Vishnu we're talking about...you just know he's going to pull the old 'I HAD to sleep with her for the good of Humanity' card.
Did Lakshmi use Avatara, in which case it doesn't matter what her Avatara gets up to?
And finally, I cannot help but smile at the fact that the happy couple are a Scion of Lakshmi and Ard...who are right up there with Anahita/Sarasvati in the could be twins department :)
'Dat mustache.
ReplyDeleteShadan, fashion plate.
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