Her full name is Penelope Bridger-Corvo, but her partner Ruth gave her the nickname Peony !! She cherishes that name, because to her, it represents the beauty and romance and love that she never believed she could have or be, before she met the one who sees her for all of her delicate blooming light. She finally feels all of the things that the flower represents, and so she always buys them as a reminder that she is worth it. After a lifetime of feeling alone and helpless, she has to really tell herself that.
(More yapping under cut)
Peony was born into a crime family that sold a substance by the name of witch’s breath. The substance, when taken, would not only give a sense of levity, but grant powers, similar to the ones given out by the Empire to their military. For many vulnerable people in poorer areas of the continent, witch’s breath was their only line of defense against potential violence. The Corvos saw this as an opportunity to manipulate their way into a place of extreme success. Peony was raised to be just like her parents, with the same cunning and facetious smiles that could force people into dependence on their product. But she never felt good doing it, and when she would object, she was met with extreme cruelty. She would act out at school in order to cry for attention, but many people found her annoying or scary, so she had no social connection outside of her family.
Once she grew older, in an effort to change things, she asked her parents if she can go to school to become a therapist to help people who the Corvos might prey on. This action resulted in 18-year-old Peony being kicked out of her home and being wiped from her family history. With nothing but abandonment issues and a set of morally compromising survival skills, she becomes jaded and buries her soft side. After all, the only thing it has gotten her is crushing loneliness. She begins to steal from other people in order to make ends meet and takes up a terrible janitor job that she hates more than anything in the world. But one day, on one of her midnight robberies, she meets a struggling craftsman whose ideas were too big for his family, and is trying to follow his passion completely alone. The two understood each other immediately, both abandoned by the world. Except the craftsman still had hope that one day, he might be able to prove them wrong. They fell head over heels for each other. Despite some inconveniences (the crafstman tries to swindle Peony, Peony tries to steal from the crafstman) that cut their first meeting short, after that night, they want nothing but to spend time with the other, even if it’s just cruel banter over money. They at least want to have the other’s name. They meet weeks later in the same spot, and, much more calmly, they introduce themselves. The craftsman’s name is Ruth.
Peony and Ruth end up dating and marry two years later, and are all the happier because of it. They are very Strawberry Blond - Mitski … 🪶🌸
If you’re reading this, thank you so much for seeing me talk about my girl. It’s been years since I’ve thought about this story, but recently they’ve been getting a much needed rework. I guess this is the world’s informal introduction to The Rhinestone Code. Hope you enjoy ⭐️
