◇ ── 𝓼𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓸𝓷'𝓼 𝓯𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓽

[senna_]

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Dearest Readers,

It is that time of year again, when the Diamond of the Season
dazzles her way through the dance floor, and courtship blooms
like the mid-spring flowers. Rumour has it that the Queen shall
be hosting this year's season, with multiple Diamonds. Should
such decision cause for some well-deserved gossip? I suppose
that may only be answered with time...

Yours Truly,
She Who Knows All

It is 1813, and the season for courtship and marriage has approached yet again. Every season, the Queen of England chooses one girl to be the Diamond of the
Season ─ the one deemed most worthy of them all. This year, however, She has decided to gather 9 Diamonds from around the world, as well as 9 Gems ─ men
that are equally notable. Coming from all countries & levels of wealth, it was decided that they would share a space within the Queen's palace, with the hope
of forming undying love. But She Who Knows All, an anonymous writer who frequently publishes the juiciest gossip in town, is on the move again. One wrong
move and your reputation can be damaged for good...

* loosely based off of the Bridgerton series

[senna_]

1. follow all given CS rules
2. all forms/discussion go in the discussion thread
3. please reserve over PM!
4. you can make up to 2 characters (I'm willing to extend the number of slots)
5. try to aim for at least 4-5 sentences
6. diversity is encouraged! this is set back in the day but discrimination is not okay
7. realistic faceclaims only; please try to include a picture/gif (doesn't have to suit the time period)
8. bring major ideas to me before writing them out, please!
9. please make sure your signature is not attached on the writing thread
10. I encourage you to at least have an idea of how gender roles/clothing/etc. was like back in the
xxxday, but you (like myself!) do not have to be an expert whatsoever

discord link

[senna_]

████████

THE DANCER
A ballet dancer who is trying to keep
her family afloat. She's hopeless w/
love, & too naïve for the real world...
winifred bell , 21 , senna_

xxx'

THE UNPREDICTABLE
This girl is ambitious & doesn't want
to settle for marriage. But a loved o
ne told her to do the right thing...
olivia vextor , 26 , Galaxystar01

xxx'

THE FIRECRACKER
Shy & easily overwhelmed, she's on
ly ever dreamt of becoming the Dia
mond. She doesn't know how to act
juniper beaumont , 20 , sunnflowerx
-
-
-

THE PASSIONATE WRITER
The type to spend her days reading
instead of engaging in conversation.
Fiction has always been much better
renee bennett , 20 , Binx_It

xxx'

THE MISGUIDED
Having grown up with high expectati
ons, this girl is here to seek out a pa
rtner. If only she knew herself first...
sarah blackmore , 19 , HoundedHorizon

xxx'

THE ASSIDUOUS
She's kind and considerate, with many
big goals, but she has a tendency to
set the bar too high for herself...
elspeth bardot , 23 , poppyxoxo
-
-
-

THE PERFECTIONIST
She's the type of girl who pushes, but
is never satisfied. Her mind never sto
ps working... it's honestly exhausting
safiye yilmaz , 20 , miko `

xxx'

THE MOTHER
Slow and steady wins the race... she
may be a bit behind, but her gentle,
motherly attitude makes up for it
shuhua lio , 22 , wonu

xxx'

THE DIAMOND 9
A young lady with a free-spirit and a d
sire to write her own rules in life. Wha
t's the meaning of "lady-like," anyway?
elyna pedersen , 24 , dxisyy-
-
-

THE FLORIST
Creative and devoted, with a love for
anything garden-related. There's a go
od chance she has soil on her dress...
anastasia davies , 22 , *Lovel*

────────────────────────────────────────────

[senna_]

████████

THE ASPIRING ARTIST
He's rich, & as the first-born, is respon
sible for carrying on the family name.
Only, he's more engaged in his art...
vincent baros , 24 , senna_

xxx'

THE DIFFICULT
He appears calm, constantly leaving
people wanting more. However he m
ay not be as composed as he seems...
jackson mae , 21 , wonu

xxx'

THE PAPER CRANE
He seems to be fairly confident in
his decisions, but often, whatever
could go wrong, does go wrong
matsu taylor , 22 , sunnflowerx
-
-
-

THE GOOD SEEKER
He isn't incredibly rich, but he has
a kind heart & good intentions. If o
nly money wasn't an issue...
arthur hendrix , 22 , Galaxystar01

xxxxxx'

THE HIGH ROLLER
He knows he's good-looking, and he
is fully prepared to use his riches &
looks to get what it is he wants
silas woodwright , 22 , deco.

xxx'

THE GEM 6
text text text text text text text text
text text text text text text text text
text text text text text text text text
sylvester perez , age , deco.
-
-
-

THE GEM 7
A charming prince with a temper that c
an turn on you within seconds. He's desi
table, but intimidating to approach...
vasily nikolayev , 21 , miko `

xxx'

THE FRENCH SCHOLAR
Attractive, with a head filled with kno
owledge, he knows how to charm you.
But nobody can be that perfect...
william belemont, 23 , honesageandmagic

xxx'

THE GEM 9
text text text text text text text text
text text text text text text text text
text text text text text text text text
name , age , dxisyy
-
-

THE SHARPSHOOTER
Witty, with a talent that's almost a bit
intimidating. He may have a good shot
with weapons, but what about love?
augusta davies, 22 , *Lovel*

────────────────────────────────────────────

[senna_]

- taking place in the Regency Era (1800-1825) --> 1813, to be exact

- Queen Charlotte is in charge - King George III is her husband, but he is ill, so she's making the decisions for the time being (and quite honestly, has more respect)

- every courting season, ladies of age walk before Queen Charlotte, who chooses the "Diamond of the Season." This is a lady who is exceptionally beautiful - the title deems her most desirable. This year, everyone who is considered a Diamond/Gem are most favoured

- they will be staying in the spare rooms of the Queen/King's palace! Almost all dances will take place in the ballroom there

- the hope is that these hand-picked men & women will find marriage amongst each other

- the pairs will not always be FxM!!! they're only going to be like that when the event is open to the public :)

- there is an anonymous writer who has been publishing rumours in the papers. Nobody knows who she is, but her word has become very believable. Sometimes what she publishes is true, other times it's not. In other words, everyone better be on their best behaviour, especially since they will be in such a secluded place where it's very easy to believe they aren't being watched...

────────────────────────────────────

ROOMMATES
• Olivia & Juniper
• Winifred & Safiye
• Shuhua & Elyna
• Elspeth & Sarah
• Renee & Anastasia

• Vincent & Silas
• Jackson & Vasily
• Sylvester & Arthur
• Aros & William
• Matsu & Augusta
xxxx
DANCE PARTNERS (ladies)
• Winifred: Silas, Vasily
• Sarah: Jackson, Augusta
• Elyna: Arthur, Jackson
• Olivia: Augusta, Matsu
• Elspeth: Sylvester, Vincent
• Renee: Matsu, Silas
• Shuhua: Vasily, Sylvester
• Juniper: William, Arthur
• Safiye: Vincent, Aros
• Anastasia: Aros, William
xxxx
DANCE PARTNERS (gentlemen)
• Vincent: Safiye, Elspeth
• Silas: Winifred, Renee
• Aros: Anastasia, Safiye
• Arthur: Elyna, Juniper
• Sylvester: Elspeth, Shuhua
• William: Juniper, Anastasia
• Jackson: Sarah, Elyna
• Matsu: Renee, Olivia
• Vasily: Shuhua, Winnie
• Augusta: Olivia, Sarah

[senna_]

𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: April 12th, 1813
𝗧𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 12°C / 57°F
𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: a bit breezy, but sunny
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: roughly 12:30pm
𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: we start with our characters arriving at the palace. they will have a couple of free hours to become acquainted with one another before the first ball of the season begins!

─────────────────────────────────
OPEN/CLOSED

[senna_]

𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐋
↳ 21 , she/her , the dancer , loc; palace , mentions; -> , tags; silas

Winnie’s fingers twiddled anxiously as her dark brown eyes peered out the gigantic window in one of the palace’s many spare rooms. For the past twenty-four hours or so, every conversation within the palace was strictly on the season ─ and more specifically, those who were arriving for it. She supposed she was lucky ─ or maybe unlucky ─ that the Queen had eagerly requested she returned home with her crew. The whole encounter with the Queen was quite odd, in fact. Winnie had been sent a request from a writer within the royal palace to engage in a night of dancing at that location, and when she had finished her performance, the Queen herself had approached her, declaring her as one of her diamonds of the season. Winnie knew that had to have been one of the most awkward encounters of her life; she had been breathless and dizzy with dreamy thoughts from her performance, and coming face-to-face with the Queen of England had completely caught her off guard. Hearing the words “I want you to be my diamond, dear” was even more shocking, and now that she thought about it, Winnie was thankful her legs hadn’t given out from underneath her. She had accepted, of course; there wasn’t really room to choose a different option. Unfortunately for her, that meant that Winnie did not have much time to travel home to see her family; the Queen insisted she stayed, as she was already there. She had ever-so-kindly gifted her with some new dresses while they waited for hers back home to ship into London, and while Winnie had the chance to send her dear family a letter to explain her extended period of absence, it wasn’t the same as physically saying her goodbyes.

She only really realized now that she was feeling quite homesick. The butterflies deep within her stomach that stirred every time she thought about meeting so many new people certainly were not helping, either. She continued to gaze outside, focusing on a pair of red-bellied birds that hopped about in the nearby garden. A small smile played at the corner of her lips, but she remained in her current spot; she was unsure if she was allowed to wander with the guests arriving so soon.

Time turned over slowly the more she aimlessly watched the outdoors, but eventually, she was able to catch sight of a gorgeous carriage pulled by two stunning black horses in the distance. Immediately, Winnie perked up, like a dog who set eyes on a bone. “They’re here,” she murmured to herself, unable to rid the smile that was growing across her features; it was a relief to know she wouldn’t be so lonely going forward. She had little time to think about how intimidating any of them could possibly be as she lifted the skirt of her dress and practically ran towards the main doors. “They’re here!”

A disapproving look from one of the men at the doors made her slink back with flaming cheeks, but the guilt didn’t last long. Things were really happening now. Winnie burst out of the doors the second they opened; she didn’t have bags with her, and while she knew the job of the servants was to help the other guests, it wouldn’t hurt to ask if anyone needed help, right? At home, everyone helped everyone. Then again, based on the look of, well, everything here, she knew things worked very differently. Nonetheless, she still sprung forward; the more she moved, the less anxious she felt. She came to a halt at a safe distance away from the first carriage that arrived, eyes as wide as moons as she stared at the gorgeous carriage; it had to be worth more than her own house, surely. The Queen was not to be seen, although Winnie did not doubt they’d all be guided into whichever room Her Majesty was settled in once they were all together.

Her gaze had drifted off into the distance as she went over the possible rooms they could find the Queen in, and when she zoned back in, she realized that she had been staring right at someone. Curly brown hair, piercing blue eyes… Of all the people she could have accidentally eyed, it had to be someone as attractive as him? She could feel her cheeks warming yet again, although she wasn’t exactly sure if it was because of him altogether, or simply the fact that she had been watching without consciously knowing for who knows how long. “Hello,” she practically squeaked, cringing inwardly at the tone. She folded her hands together, resting them on the waistline of her dress, then gave a quick dip of the head. “I do not mean to stare.” A sheepish smile flitted across her features, and she quickly motioned to the carriage. “Do you, um, have bags, sir? Or something? I’m not a servant but surely I can help?” Her attention was reeled behind the young man as she watched someone else exit the carriage ─ a butler, without a doubt. “Or… never mind! Allow me to start over. My name is Winifred Bell,” she finally wrapped up, sending him a tight-lipped smile. “I do prefer Winnie, though. It’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance, mister…?”

[senna_]

𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐒
↳ 24 , he/him , aspiring artist , loc; house -> palace , mentions; safiye -> , tags; matsu

Vincent was well-aware of what day it was. It was the day his mother had been bugging him over and over and over again; despite not having much of a role in the event that was about to unfold, she had done an impressively good job at organizing every last thing for him. She had meal plans, certain times of day when he had work to do... if he didn’t know any better, it would seem like it was she who was running the whole thing. His mother was undeniably close with a woman who was good friends with the Queen, and the day the Queen appointed him as one of her Gems, Vincent couldn’t help but wonder if his mother had anything to do with it. She insisted she hadn’t, and most of him believed it… but those ladies talked so much, it wouldn’t have taken much to slip in a couple of good words about any of the Baros children. Vincent just so happened to be the one most in need of finding a wife – which were not at all his words. Vincent, in fact, did not have much of a desire to marry. He had bigger ambitions; he did quite like children, but he surely was not ready to be a father anytime soon. Marrying into the Baros family meant a great amount of responsibility, too, as Vincent was the head of the household. He wasn't sure he'd be able to find someone up to the task.

Unfortunately for him, he knew he couldn’t turn down what the Queen had said. Part of him didn’t want to, though, and not exactly because he was supposed to find a forever partner there. He was undeniably nosy, and getting a better feel for the palace he’d never ever live in seemed thrilling. Plus, the Queen’s wig was so big that it surely contained all of her secrets, and Vincent was determined to knock it off and familiarize himself with each and every one of them. Of course, if he were to ever reveal that to his mother, she’d probably faint, given that he would most certainly be stepping out of line, even if he was just joking. So, he kept quiet on the matter.

Now, he was in the drawing-room, putting the finishing touches on a painted apple stem. He jumped slightly as his mother burst into the room. “Vincent, dear,” she called out in an audibly rushed tone. Her tone switched to something slightly more irritable as she took a closer look at him. “Vincent. You have paint on your nose.”

“Do I?” He reached out and dabbed the tip of his nose with his free hand. Sure enough, a faint black smear was found against his finger. “Oh. It appears I do.”

“Go get yourself ready,” she told him, waving her hands around frantically. “You are leaving soon, so leave your little doodles and go get changed. Before the Queen changes her mind about you.”

“Do not fret, mother,” he assured her in a tone far calmer than her own, leaning down to plant a kiss on her cheek. “I will go now.” He longed to finish his painting, and it truly pained him to leave it the way he was, but as a man of his words, especially with regards to a very frenzied mother, he did exactly as he said. She had already gotten someone to set out the clothes he was to wear to the palace, so it didn’t take him long to change and look presentable enough, for the time being. Just as he was buttoning up his shirt, she called out from the bottom of the staircase to inform him that his bags were already in the carriage. That didn’t surprise him for a second. He quickly combed a hand through his curls, then made his way back downstairs. His younger siblings were all waiting outside, eager expressions visible on their features as they watched him join them.

“I hope you bring back the prettiest, most dashing lady there,” his one younger sister, Genevieve, said in a dreamy tone.

“I make no promises,” Vincent returned lightly, gently squishing her cheeks with one hand in a teasing way before stepping out into the cobblestones, where the carriage was parked. Within a flurry of hugs and tear-jerking goodbyes, Vincent was off. The palace wasn’t extremely far from where he lived, so the carriage ride over was fairly manageable. He was a bit stiff as they pulled down the long path that led to the Queen’s home, but he knew the soreness wouldn’t last too long. Eventually, the carriage rolled to a complete stop, and he was ushered out.

The fresh air was relieving, containing what he predicted to be lilacs, which were producing a lovely, floral perfume. The grass was impressively green, and he couldn’t help but wonder how many hours a day the workers were out here watering, trimming, and perfecting every last blade. His mocha-brown eyes skimmed onward, quickly settling on whom he believed to be the most attractive woman he’d ever laid eyes on. He almost felt a bit flustered by this, studying her, but shamelessly did it anyway. With her delicate features and strikingly long, practically black hair, Vincent couldn’t help but conclude that she’d make a great model for a portrait. His cheeks warmed slightly at that; was that inappropriate to say? Perhaps. What made him feel even weirder was the fact that he had been drawn in so quickly, despite his grudges against marriage. He decided then that he could look, but go no further. Everyone here had to be most beautiful; they were the Queen's Gems and Diamonds, after all.

He had been so distracted that he hadn’t realized he’d been walking until his shin knocked against something solid. Snapping out of it, Vincent’s gaze shot down, and his eyes widened upon realizing he had just walked into someone’s bag. Eyes flitting upward, he allowed them to connect with a man he was unfamiliar with. “Hello,” he greeted, taking his bottom lip between his teeth in an attempt to hold back a sheepish smile. “I cannot say I saw you there… Who am I kidding,” he continued a moment later, shaking his head in a rather exasperated way. “I fear I have no awareness of my surroundings. I do hope you are not hiding anything overly valuable in there; I’m afraid I have quite a strong kick.” He let an actual smile find its way across his features as he let the joke roll off his tongue. “What is your name?”

[poppyxoxo]

Elspeth
23 - she/her - The Assiduous - location: palace - mentions: - tags:

“Mother, you are the dressmaker. If you do intend to continue fussing over my dress, then surely you must know wrinkles will appear!” Elspeth stated in exasperation, more so from the anxiety of the events to come. Her mother let out a huffed “Oh child do not be so foolish. All is well”. “For now,” Elspeth quipped before she finally gave up and shifted away from her mother to stand in front of the mirror in the provided room, of course, all under the direction of her overly pedantic mum. As Elspeth had a moment to think, she found her mind wandering off to all the other beautiful and lavishly dressed women and men that she may come across as the event progressed. Elspeth was a bit daunted, but she was even more excited. Soon everything would calm down and the fun could all begin.

Elspeth and her family had of course arrived early and under some instruction from the carriage, Elspeth and her mother were whisked to one of the many rooms in the palace to complete any finishing touches. Although the room must have been one of the largest Elspeth had ever seen, she guessed that it was probably considered amongst the smallest. She was excited to see the rest of the palace and still couldn’t believe that she was well within her rights to be curious and have her curiosities calmed. Elspeth could still recall the first few moments her eyes had skimmed over the letter, her breath nowhere to be found.

She made her way towards the main area, joining in with the slowly building stream of guests as they arrived in a flourish of lovely clothes and colours. Elspeth did her best to walk gracefully, doing her best to hide in a smile at the thought of her brothers teasing her careful steps. If they had been here, she would have lost herself, but they weren’t. She was and she was meant to be paying attention. She caught sight of her mother off to the side as the older woman handed her bags to a serving man nearby and she felt a sense of relief as that was one less thing to worry about. Elspeth kept her attention sharp as she didn’t want to appear that she had no intentions of staying long but her true intentions were quite the opposite. She was beyond thrilled.

[honeysageandmagic]

William Belemont
He/him - 23 y/o - the French Scholar - location: palace

William gently closed the heavy book he was reading. He could still feel the lingering thoughts and images from the book bouncing around his head. He had started the book halfway through his journey, after taking a lengthy nap (he had stayed up late writing notes to his professors about documenting his experience at the palace). His brother, though usually busy with leading the household, had taken the time to see him off, and William was already missing him. Outside the carriage window he could see exquisite gardens and exotic shrubbery dotting the landscape. He was arrived at the palace. William supposed he should be a bit more excited to be a Gem, but he was more interested in using this experience to further his academic studies. In fact, the book he was reading was highlighting human behavior in social situations. What a wonderful coincidence!

William sighed, and started gathering up his various luggage. He had chosen to keep certain items with him for the trip, in case he saw something he needed to note. ”Quel voyage!”, he said. What a trip! William remember back a couple months ago, when his favorite teacher, Professor Jule, had handed him a letter and said “It looks like someone important has noticed you!” William had opened it as quickly as he could. The letter had told him that the Queen of England had noticed his academic achievements and regarded him with high interest. She ended the note with an invitation to the palace, as he had been requested by the Queen to be a Gem. William immediately contacted his brother, Antoine, who was ecstatic to see his younger brother recognized by royalty, even though they were currently at war with England (Napoleon is a very ambitious man!). Noble families were all in good terms with England, as many exports are from France.

The palace yard smelled floral and sweet. William was tempted to see if he could find a gardener to show him the plants and their characteristics, but he had business to attend to, so he decided to do that later. Some servants were busy unloading his luggage, and William entertained himself by studying the other guests. Some had arrived sooner than others, and while he wasn’t late, he most certainly wasn’t the first person here. He immediately saw the guests, all dressed in some of their finest clothes. William suddenly became painfully aware that the shirt he had chosen to wear had a small ink stain near the hip. How wonderful. The environment was lively and full of excitement, though, so it didn’t bother him too much. For now, he was content to just sit back and observe.