#wdintro

full name: avery auclair ii. nickname: he doesn’t do nicknames age: thirty-one gender + pronouns: cismale + he/him sexuality: demiromantic marital status: unmarried, unbetrothed

nationality: british, french ( previously ) social standing: of the working class, the auclair family is regarded as higher station due to their wealth languages: french, deutsch, russian, italian, english, latin education: eton college, university of cambridge occupation: merchant, managing auclair trading ( exotic goods ) hobbies: reading, making money

height: 6’0" build: lanky hair: a brown mop of ever-messy hair, unable to be tamed eyes: green eyes with a sparkle that hints at a mischievous side complexion: pale skin in a permanent state of rosy fashion: meticulously crafted in a weave of elegant and timely fits, well-dressed as is expected of a respectable business man

inspiration: light yagami

biography:

avery is born in the heart of france, set to be the eldest of a brood of children. they're easily sustained by the number of businesses that his father invests in but their paris apartments are quickly outgrown by their large family. as his british investments boom, avery senior decides to pack up and move the family into a london townhouse. 

to facilitate the culture shock of british society, his parents ship him off to eton college with a suitcase and the hope he'll make friends. despite the little polyglot's pocket full of languages and hard candies, the boys make fun of his accent and his working class family. nevermind their success or wealth, he'll always reek of the sea-salt marinas and burn red with the shame of being born below the other boys.

despite the incident of his birth, avery excels in school -- flourishing even under his pariahic treatment and harsh regiment of teachers. the years cycle about until he graduates eton. while he pictures himself back home in france for the rest of his education, his family decides that he's better suited to study at cambridge.

the trading house continues to bustle in thanks to avery's education but he can still feel the shame of being beneath the rest of the ton and his schoolboy friends. he hears whispers of a dark market demand of poppy tears and her friends in the gambling houses and avery knows that whoever brings that first ship across the ocean will have the chance to line their pockets. with no fear of blood money , avery pours a healthy investment into the launch of their less savory subsidiaries. money was money at the end of the day.

they leave the political unrest in france so that their children may escape judgement as the wealthy. it opens the door to a new judgement: to be nouveau riche, to be untitled, to be other.

tldr; french baby is terrorized by british school children and as revenge, he starts an opium epidemic but is simultaneously a vape addict

personality:

avery had always been known as cold. he’s difficult to thaw out. callous without exception.

although he is lacking in title, due to his family’s wealth and his top of the line education, avery is every little boy with privilege. he’s entitled and aggressive and gets what he wants. in less words, he’s an unpleasant fellow.

avery is nothing if not arrogant. the man is overly righteous in his ideals and what he believes in. he’s right, you’re wrong, shut up. it is, indeed, a man’s world.

possible connections:

siblings! avery is the eldest son, but he has many siblings. i’d even be open to twin.

business partners! business enemies! clients!

schoolmates! eton or cambridge! fellow members of the eton college francophone society!

lover(s) — definitely an unserious pastime for avery, perhaps more serious to the partner or simply a mutual partnership!

gonna try to keep it somewhat short for my sake lol refer to the bottom for a summary <3

🗡️ BASICS 

nicknames  — lonnie, onzo

mbti  — istp

zodiac — aries 

sexuality — pansexual

d.o.b  — april 3rd 

p.o.b  — some whorehouse in italy

🗡️ FAMILY

father : unknown  

mother : giana de luca ( deceased )  

siblings : domenico de luca ( younger brother  // deceased ),  allegra de luca ( younger sister )

🗡️ STORY

its not often that someone grows up and chooses to become a mercenary. that line of work tends to come from having no other option at all and for alonzo that was very much the case. his mother was a sex worker, father was absent. that didn’t leave alonzo or his siblings with many options for their future. 

he wasn’t smart enough to become a scholar, wasn’t noble enough to become a soldier, wasn’t talented enough to become a creative. the one thing that alonzo was good at… was fighting. 

taught himself, actually. from fists to sticks to actual blades. that’s the thing about not having a fancy tutor – all the skills he gained came from real-life or death situations.

he and his brother were in their teens when they left home, off to find less-than-desirable ways to make money. that’s where his rumor comes in. 

alonzo made his way to britain for a fresh start a few years ago. the only contact he has is his sister. thankfully she was the one de luca sibling to have any actual brains, so instead of committing to a hard life of crime and murder with her siblings she decided to use her pretty looks to marry a wealthy merchant. alonzo and allegra still communicate via letters.

🗡️ RUMOR HAS IT

anyone looking for intel on him would come to find out just how dirty his past is. that mercenary group he ran with did everything from mugging to assassinations. he only quit that lifestyle when his younger brother got caught up in a complication and ended up losing his life because of it.

🗡️ PERSONALITY

a smug son of a bitch — knows that he’s good at what he does. and he’s pretty? how could he not have an ego lol.

not a man of honor and he doesn’t pretend to be. what alonzo lacks in manners he more than makes up in prowess. actions speak louder than words.

that doesn't mean he isn't able to talk his way out of situations if need be. now that he's working with upper society instead of against them, alonzo knows the importance of being 'agreeable' enough

doesn’t believe in doing things out of the kindness of his heart. always has to have some sort of motive, the most common one being money lol. want to order him around? you better throw some coins his way.

he isn’t the type to go out of his way to stir shit either though. he’s way past his petty thievery and crime-committing ways. instead of robbing a noble blind, now he just has to promise to protect them. 

a man ( derogatory ) so he says and thinks some out-of-pocket shit.

streets smart not books smart. doesn’t know how to read or appreciate the fine arts. 

loves to whore around when he isn’t on duty lol

🗡️ PLOTS

gold  — his current employer! would love for this to become a best friend type of deal! that the two speak very candidly with one another behind closed doors. maybe they even give him a lil training on how to speak to high society lol

steel  —  someone who had hired alonzo for a job before. maybe it was a one-off job, maybe it was something the employer would very much like to keep under wraps, maybe they went their separate ways after their relationship took a less professional note? something spicy ! 

iron  — someone he offended. someone who hates his guts and thinks that he is just the most vulgar man to walk the planet.

cobalt — working-class friends! people he feels comfortable talking shit about the upper class with. if they are business owners maybe he hangs around their establishment when he should be running errands and shit lol

titanium — someone treat him like the lil homewrecking slag he is and put him in an affair pls and thank you

IN SUMMARY : alonzo is just a man who is very aware of where he stands in the world — with the crooks and bastards of the ninety-nine percent. not a man of much depth, believes it's a dog-eat-dog world and only the most vicious ones make it out. has very little respect for the upper class but will do anything they ask of him… for the right price. 

basics;

name: devika krishnamurti, devi to friends age: 26 title: lady, inherited from her father

history;

devika's mother was the equivalent of "nobility" in southern india, a distant relation of the pandya dynasty. though her pandya blood had been diluted over several generations, she was popular at court because she was a skilled bharatanatyam dancer

devika's father held title and land in england, but had a restless spirit. he studied works such as the mahabharata, the bhagavad gita, the book of the dead, the tablets of gilgamesh, the iliad, and the odyssey. he wanted to see the places these texts came from

while traveling the world, he met devika's mother. they fell in love and married in india

devika was born in india and spent the first few years of her life there, but her family had to return to england after the death of her paternal grandfather

her mother had a hard time adjusting to the move. she missed home and she adapted poorly to england. additionally, the travel was hard on her body, and she soon fell ill

though she eventually recovered, her body seemed permanently weakened. she couldn't dance as much as she used to, and as soon as devika was old enough, she was often taking care of her mother alongside the staff

when devika was 19, she came out to society. in that same season, her brother was born. her mother died in childbirth

it was an unsuccessful season for her due to the grief that seemed to blanket her household. her father was devastated by her mothers' death and was no longer taking care of himself, never mind her new brother nor the estate. she began tending to all three

she never planned to marry. she had accepted she was going to be a spinster, and was content to take care of her brother until he was of age to inherit the estate, and then she would take a portion of their wealth to travel the world just as her father did

currently;

a few months ago, her father died in a carriage accident. shortly before passing, he invested a sizeable portion of their family wealth into what turned out to be a fraudulent venture

devika has enough money to run the estate for the next year. if she doesn't marry before then, her and her brother will be left destitute. she knows she's hardly of the ideal marrying age, and is a bit resigned to the fact she's probably gonna have to marry some gross oldie

personality/likes;

having shouldered an enormous amount of responsibility since she was young, she has a somewhat serious disposition. though she can come off reserved, she has a sharp wit and strong feelings about even the most innocuous of things. when she's grown comfortable enough to open up, she is a loyal friend and very loving

she inherited the passions of her mother and her father. she's read all of the ancient texts in her father's library, and has acquired a few more, by gift, since his passing

she's trained in bharatanatyam and she still dances every night, but never for an audience. she can no longer afford her teacher, but she still goes for lessons when she has time. her teacher has become sort of an aunt figure to her

stressed bisexual<3 has never had a sexual experience with a man, but has had a handful with women. ladies if u wanna get TOPPED hit me up

tldr;

history & fun facts

john's maternal family was originally from the americas, though he was born and raised himself in london

the store that became almon's bookstore has been run by his family for the majority of his father's life, and he has inherited it and runs it now as a bookstore and publishing enterprise

family and his store are his two highest priorities in life, with a little bit of a toss up on where either falls at either time — he has a tendency to be a bit of a workaholic

he places a high value on business > everything except family, a lot of his morality is determined by his business sense; he has little to no interest in being good except by his family's opinions of him and he'd like to have them set up well

john's bookstore is the printer of lady whistledown's society paper and he has little to no interest in learning her identity past blackmail

wanted

beef with him

besties

someone he's taken under his wing as a mentee

OVERVIEW ;

name: lucille stride chapman

birthdate: june 2

age: twenty-six

occupation: seamstress + prostitute

gender: cisfemale

pronouns: she/her

sexuality: bisexual

IN DEPTH ;

birth place: berlin, germany

zodiac: gemini

current location: regency england

known languages: english, french, german, italian, a little dutch

family: jonathan stride ( father, estranged ), catherine chapman ( mother ), owen chapman ( brother )

PHYSICAL ;

face claim: abigail cowen

height: 5’7”

hair color: red

eye color: green

BACKGROUND ;

lucy was born in a basement. the daughter of a scullery maid, her father was a duke who couldn’t keep it in his pants at every turn and was making progeny over in germany like genghis khan. both lucy and her older brother, owen, worked hard.

lucy, with her red hair was often considered ‘witchy’ by anyone else around, and there were rumors that she was cursed – her two siblings were born with darker hair, like their father. things that went wrong were often blamed on her whether they were her fault or not, and she was subjected to many beatings by both other servants and masters of the house. with her bright hair, it was hard for her to disappear into the background. it would take her many years to own this as a strength rather than a weakness, and in childhood she spent a lot of time trying to make it darker or cutting it off.

lucy longed for a better, greater life. in the house where she grew up, she was always hungry for art and literature, studying the text and browsing the halls. the nobility they worked for had vast collections of artwork and brought home many things from their travels. she’d spend late nights reading, learning, dreaming of better. this is the kind of thing that kept her sane.

in her teenage years, she ran away with her brother, seeking a better life in england.

but it wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. she got a job as seamstresses and her brother worked as a bricklayer, but the pay for being a seamstress was so poor that they had to find other ways to survive the winter. to keep her brother from joining the army, lucy began working for a pimp, who was able to offer her pay that secured her lifestyle better.

lucy took to this extremely well. her interest in the arts and background made her able to keep up conversation with the gentry and nobility that were looking for company, and she was entertaining, easily able to mold herself into a persona to suit any night. she loved the nightlife that it opened her up to, the artists and great people she met, and was soon a frequent face at parties and artist gatherings. she was a muse, a lover, a curator of company. well-spoken and interested in the world around her, she ate up the attention and thrived, building up secrecy and trust among members of high courts.

honestly, lucy’s gotten accustomed to a lifestyle. she dreams of pursuing art more seriously, of owning property, of owning her own modiste, of not relying on anyone. but money is hard to come by, and her dreams are slow to build.

in addition to sleeping with any salacious member of the ton…even members of royalty and nobility, the fact that she’s known for her extreme secrecy is a total farce. lucy actually has a lot of built-up resentment for the rich, for the people that things have come easy for when she’s clawed her way in and had to give away pieces of herself to earn. she had no childhood due to their selfishness, and she takes out this harbored resentment by collecting secrets. lucy sees and hears a lot of things others don’t, and many people tend to be loose-lipped after great sex. she’s traded these secrets with lady whistledown and surreptitiously ruined many lives in the process.

of course, sleeping with the ton isn’t the only way she learns about these secrets or finds a way into their lives. lucy’s interest and love of art finds its way into her needlework, and she’s sought after at the modiste. she’s been known to deliver her beautiful, elaborate dresswork to a woman, then sleep with her husband that night. honestly, she’s kind of a snake, the way she works her way into the lives of families and squeezes them for money and information. it might be more altruistic if she just saw it as survival, but…it’s also kind of fun for her. she’s just finding joy in life where she can.

you’d think that with all of lucy’s hard work, she might be able to achieve her dream of opening her own shop and maybe…dropping her client-base and giving up sex work? but her brother constantly needs her care. he copes with their rough childhood with a bottle, and is often in and out of work and in need of lucy’s money, assistance, and lodging. and lucy, with a forever soft spot for him and everything they’ve been through together, pours her money into getting him back on his feet every time he calls. it’s like breaking the piggy bank every time it’s full and starting her savings from scratch all over again.

lucy has traveled a lot especially on the wealth of lonely clients who have brought her as a companion on their travels. she’s used her profession to see the world, and for her, there’s no shame in it ; although there is certainly a darker side that she refuses to get into, people that have taken things too far or babies she’s had to force herself to lose. it’s grueling work, and ugly, but at this point, it’s who she is – if she didn’t do it, she would have no window into the world of the wealthy, into knowledge, and into the ways of the world. and for that, it’s worth it to her.

^^ the fact that she’s a prostitute is more of a rumor than anything. your character would likely know if they frequent nightlife or seedy social circles…otherwise, they probably just know her as a seamstress for the modiste (which does not pay well lol)

PERSONALITY ;

magnetic – lucy can command a room. if you didn’t know her status, she could probably fool you into thinking that she’s of higher rank or someone more noble. she can keep up conversation with the best of them, with serious opinions on art, literature, and music. and she can make you feel like you’re the only person in the room when you have her rapt attention, probably because she IS genuinely interested in people…partially due to what she can get from them, but she also immerses herself in the world. her attention and adoration is real and true, she’s just good at detaching herself when its not present. likely has been the muse of certain artists upon occasion.

intelligent – she has a voracious hunger and interest in the world around her. always shrewd from the moment she learned to read very young, late nights in the library of where she grew up. she tries to surround herself with these worldly things. i think part of her is resentful that her intelligence will never really matter as much as what she can offer with her body.

resourceful – if she needs or wants something, she can get it done. if she was a mouse, she could think herself out of a mousetrap. this can be both positive and detrimental, used for good and evil…to help out a friend, to make sure her brother is always back on his feet, but also to extract wanted information or to steal and cheat to get what she wants. to her, many things are a means to an end.

convivial – you wanna party with her! she’s stealing the top shelf liquor! she’s tearing up the dance floor! she’s fun! catch her in the arts district getting drunk and dancing with the actors, joining them in songs and revelry before she’s got to fall into bed with a gross duke for a paycheck.

vindictive – if you wrong her, she will literally never forget or get over it, and she will get revenge. holds a serious grudge and feels that she should not be underestimated for what she can do to get even. granted, it does take doing something serious to get to that point, for example…she’s never gotten over the misdeeds of her father.

deceitful – never trust a hoe!!!! especially this one. she is probably lying to you. about anything really, her name, where she’s from, what her life is like. and she’s probably lying about what she is to you. often times she’ll tell lies to protect herself or even others. but she is lying.

discontented – she is ritualistically unsatisfied. nothing ever really seems to be enough for her, and it’s hard to keep her pleased – or to really hold her interest. she cycles through patrons quickly, and has an ever-changing rotation of interests and hobbies. sewing and fucking are probably only constants in her life because she gets paid for them. she’s like this in relationships, too, and has been known to flit through different social circles and friend groups – friendly with everyone but close to very few.

WANTED CONNECTIONS ;

SECRET FRIENDSHIP – someone who she’s really close with and gets along with so well, but due to lucy’s status and reputation, they have to keep their tight bond a secret from everyone. this is probably someone lucy really cares for, and would perhaps even try to protect from lady whistledown/etc.

PARTYING FRIENDS – welcome to the nightlife. these are people she frequently sees at the clubs and in the arts district, and they’re lighting up the night together, making and sharing connections, getting wasted and stupid on the regular.

give me more proper, high society that shouldn’t be seen in these places, too! aka people that she would likely know really well but would have to act like she doesn’t when they go to the modiste or sees them around.

FRIENDS IN HER SOCIAL CIRCLE – basically anyone in the commoner rank that would make sense for her be friends with, people she can hang with without it being some scandal. i don’t think there is or will be too many commoners in the rp so … let’s all squad up and become besties thanks.

FORMER PATRON/EXTORTEE – maybe someone that used her services and now doesn’t for whatever reason…whether they’re married, trying to clean up their act, or even just tired of her lmao, but now that they’re no longer a customer, she uses some secret she knows about them (maybe just the fact that they’ve been sleeping with her) to extort them for money etc

MISTAKEN IDENTITY – someone lucy met at a party or a night out and she lied / was pretending to be foreign royalty for the heck of it. now they keep running into her and don’t really know who she really is, they think she’s some sophisticated baddie!!!

GENUINE FLING(S) – like, someone she hooked up with when she wasn’t working. she’s probably easily enamored with artists and travelers, if you want to know her type. basically, she doesn’t just take lovers for work but she also doesn’t hook up with people she’s not super into bc she can get paid for that.  

CUSTOMER TO THE MODISTE – maybe someone who is just genuinely a fan of her work and her art! they think she’s skilled and they only want lucy to be the one to make their dresses and she works really hard for them/their family to fit them for every event. she frequently shows up at their home w new designs for them to try and such.

FAMILY SECRETS – she knows something about your character or your character’s family. maybe she’s hooked up with one of your character’s family members, giving her access to some kind of family secret that she should not know. basically, feel free to use lucy as a problem or a plot device for your character.

PATRON SHE FELL FOR – this would have been very early in her profession, but maybe there was a patron that lucy developed feelings for. she probably started to think things were genuine and didn’t make them pay for services. then, they wound up leaving her – whether that was due to a betrothal or just concern for their own status, they completely cut her off and never spoke to her again.

SOMEONE SHE MET ABROAD – lucy’s traveled a lot and been all over the world with different patrons. maybe this is someone that she met in another country and they developed a friendship there. a lot of good times and good memories, maybe she’s told them about her dreams…and her plans not to return to england, so they’re surprised to see her still here, still doing the same thing.

EX FRIEND – maybe someone she was close with and then when rumors about her other profession started to come up, they completely cut her off and separated themselves from her for their status.

also open to the idea of her having a former lover who cut her off for this reason.

FAKE DATING – someone that uses her services to bring her as a date to things!! likely they don’t even bang but maybe they’re trying to a) piss off their parents/fam/the ton or b) keep away a courtship so they just turn heads and create scandal by bringing her around. maybe they actually see lucy as a friend and enjoy her company too, we can plot out the nuances.

BAD INFLUENCE? – ish?? maybe someone who isn’t very versed in sex, sexuality or has a rigid view of the arts. lucy is helping them sneak out, broadening their worldview, showing them a different side of the world / the london in which they live.

⤷ &. INTRO

character summary: a gentleman (debatable) hailing all the way from antalya, turkey. just arrived in england a few months before the season started after his aunt and uncle wrote to his parents about opportunities aplenty in the country. sailed with his sibling(s) on his ship and is presently wishing that he could return to said ship and sail away again. his entire life is defined by the sea and his affinity for it. more sea beast than human, honestly. does not care for polite english society and wishes he could go swimming with sharks, but alas. here to stir some trouble because he's bored. also definitely not an assassin in disguise, but does nothing to quell any rumors.

inspiration: nikolai lantsov (if he was unhinged) — shadow & bone trilogy, house greyjoy — a song of ice and fire, this quote (in the context of wanting to go out with a bang) — the ghost bride.

aesthetic: eyes glittering in sunlight, the taste of sea salt, sharp teeth bared, a broken compass.

⤷ &. BASICS

full name: nadir gulse.

age: twenty-six.  

place of birth: antalya, turkey.

gender: nonbinary.

pronouns: he/him.

sexual orientation: bisexual. 

religion: born muslim; atheist.

family: arda & jale gulse (parents). three unnamed siblings.

languages: turkish (native), arabic (fluent), english (conversational), persian (rudimentary).

profession: captain of the iron kiss & rich kid. not an assassin despite what lady whistledown says.

label: the maverick.

⤷ &. STORY

the water beat against the shoreline just outside of the window when nadir was born—tide high on that one late summer night. the third gulse child, welcomed by his father, mother, and the sea.

he was no older than four when his eldest sibling taught him how to swim, and he has yet to look back at the shore ever since then. the day he almost drowned was the day he fell in love with the violence of the ocean.

nadir grew strong and brutal—almost wild. it matters not that the gulses are members of antalya's high society, arda's merchant background and jale's military roots will not dictate nadir how he must behave. and who is there to stop him? he is but a third child, with an elder sister and brother to bear the brunt of responsibilities while he spent his days swimming and sailing, seabound and shipbound.

on his 14th birthday his father gifted him a boat. it was small, no bigger than a fisherman's boat, but it was his pride and joy. until the day he was granted his ship. he called it the iron kiss and named himself captain. it was his many voyages across the ottoman empire and beyond that filled most of his days.

it's one day not long after his 25th birthday that his parents received a letter. from an aunt, and uncle, and cousins nadir have never met. they're in england, he knows. his father's younger sister, who married another wealthy merchant seeking to grow his business on foreign lands. my dearest brother, the letter read. send your children to england.

and so arda had. nadir was tasked to take his siblings on the iron kiss, to bring them safely to the shores of england. they were to meet his aunt in a quaint town called brighton.

it was the preparations for the social season that awaited them there. his aunt and uncle were so sure that the gulse siblings would find opportunities in the capitol city of london. riches and maybe even love, they said. the mysterious new arrivals would surely do wonders for nadir's own cousins.

so nadir docked his ship. he let himself be led by his aunt and uncle all the way to london, already dreaming of the season's end. but for now, without the ocean at his window— what better way can he entertain himself than to bare his teeth and play with fire?

⤷ &. WANTED CONNECTIONS

his family! in my mind nadir has three siblings, two older and one younger. some of them would've came with him from antalya. also his cousins, who likely grew up in england.

proper gentlemen and ladies. they probably would find nadir distasteful and he Does Not Care. it would be very funny.

fellow menaces. people who he is on good terms with because they too are an acquired taste.

admirers...? i don't think anyone should admire nadir but i imagine that his free spirit would have attracted some attention. he would also probably be bad influence.

people he kisses. not saying nadir's a hoe but well... it doesn't really take much to convince him to kiss someone, honestly.

BIOGRAPHY:

( tw: parental death ) 

Beatrice and Howard Follett were the sort of arranged pair that made others believe they too could find love with a match made by their families. At least, that was the part they played publicly – and they played it well. Privately things were more strained: Howard resented his wife for her intelligence, wealth and refusal to bend to his every whim, and Beatrice missed the family she left behind in France. Their marriage was less about love than security and duty to their respective families, both of which insisted that their match would cement them firmly among the upper echelons of society. This was the family into which Francesca Follett was born, kicking and screaming. 

Growing up, Francesca excelled in her studies, learning everything she could about literature, linguistics, politics and philosophy. Her father disapproved of these pursuits but her mother convinced him that it was important for a young lady to know a little bit about as much as possible, if only to make her a better conversationalist. This eased Howard’s more conservative concerns about his daughter’s unusually robust education, and Francesca flourished. She grew into a clever, quick-witted and well-read young woman with a voracious appetite for learning and a tendency to debate others that was somehow both off-putting (to her father, at least) and entertaining. 

But, as things go, no one can remain happy forever. For Francesca, childhood ended the year she turned fifteen. Her mother contracted consumption that year – tuberculosis of the lungs – and Francesca was helpless to do anything but watch as Beatrice grew weaker and more fatigued, progressing slowly toward the grave. Slow and inevitable though her mother’s death was, it still came as a shock when just days before Francesca’s sixteenth birthday, her mother fell asleep and never woke. 

The loss of Beatrice put a strain on Howard, turning him into an even colder, more distant father. He had little time for Francesca and turned instead to gambling and alcohol, leaving her to run the house and struggle through society on her own. It was only after a visit from her mother’s sister, Marie, that Howard seemed to realize he was doing a disservice to his daughter. He decided that Francesca needed a female figure in her life, someone to continue her education and ensure that she was ready for adulthood, and sent her away to live with her aunt. 

Her aunt Marie was a childless widow with more wealth and land than half of the people Francesca had met before her journey to France. Marie lived lavishly and unapologetically, embracing a haute bohème lifestyle filled with musical, artistic, literary and spiritual pursuits. She was a feminist, a fashion obsessive and not at all shy about entertaining the affections of single gentlemen when she needed an escort to the opera or ballet. Francesca suspected that her father did not know this side of her aunt – else he never would’ve sent her away with her – but she loved it. With her aunt, she experienced a freedom she never knew women might have. 

Francesca lived with her aunt from the ages of seventeen to twenty-three. Her love of fashion, music, literature, art and music grew exponentially during this time, and her aunt never stifled her educational pursuits either, allowing her to attend feminist lectures and to study under tutors normally reserved for the male gentry. She began to envision a life for herself that was all too similar to her aunt’s – independent, free of unnecessary male supervision, free of anything she did not invite – but, as before, the good days soon came to an end. 

Howard remarried the year Francesca turned twenty-three and demanded that she return home to both meet her new step-mother and reintroduce herself to English society. She did so reluctantly, bidding a tearful goodbye to the woman she viewed as her second mother in order to fulfill the duty she felt she owed to the man who brought her into the world. 

The new Mrs. Follett hated her instantly. Elizabeth was a stern woman, strict and austere to a fault, a believer in rules and propriety. She insisted that Francesca was practically wild and demanded that she behave more conservatively. Francesca refused, turning her nose up at the suggestion that she limit herself. She snuck off to attend feminist rallies, attended lavish parties, engaged in socratic debates with bewildered guests at dinner parties and flirted shamelessly with the sons of her father’s friends. 

The resulting dynamic in the Follet household was tense to say the least. Fighting, tears and screaming matches were regular events, all culminating in the worst threat of all when she turned twenty-four: marriage. 

Her father told her over dinner that she was to marry the son of his business partner, a man who, as far as she could tell, was nothing more than a bore. He had never shown any interest in her or her interests, had done little more than glare at her disdainfully over plates of fruit during a garden party earlier that year, but Howard insisted. If you will not obey us, he insisted, perhaps you will obey your husband. 

Francesca had no intention of obeying anything other than her own will, of course, and she informed her would-be husband of this upon their first meeting post-engagement, telling him in no uncertain terms that she would not marry him. She fled that very night, returning to France and the comfort of her aunt’s home. 

Marie welcomed her, though she made it clear that running would not be a permanent option. You do not run away, her aunt told her, you will return, and you will show them who you are. 

Her aunt amended her will, making Francesca the heir to her wealth and property, and sat her down, explaining that she must return to England – she could not harbor a runaway forever, and however nice it might be to imagine a completely unattached future, living that way as a young woman with a less than savory reputation was quite different than living that way as a widowed woman who’d spent years cultivating relationships and good will. 

There is a difference between choosing to be alone and others choosing to leave you alone, ma fille. Do not let your father’s version of who you are become the one everyone sees. 

And so, armed with the knowledge that her future was secure with or without her father’s blessing, Francesca returned to England. Her father and stepmother were not thrilled by her return, though Howard frequently mentioned how glad he was that she’d come to her senses. She might’ve ruined her chances with her former betrothed, but he insisted he could find her another suitable match. 

Francesca had no intention of letting that happen now that she knew she would one day be able to provide for herself, but she kept that little fact to herself. She did not yet have a place to live in England, after all, and she would like to remain there for a while, if only to make sure that when the ton gossiped about her, the stories they told were nothing but true. 

[ philip froissant, he/him, cis man ] — was that THOMAS WILLIAM LEIGH? the TWENTY-SIX year old is a GENTLEMAN, MASTER OF LYME PARK, how exciting to see them this season! rumors have it they are EXTROVERTED and TENACIOUS, but i’ve heard they are CAPRICIOUS and DEMANDING as well — maybe that’s why they’ve been called the PENDULUM. I have even heard that he has taken over affairs at lyme park due to his father’s failing mental faculties—only time will tell.

QUICK HISTORY

Thomas James Leigh (father), a colonel in the British army and descendant of old Sir Thomas Legh, a diplomat under King Henry VIII, married the daughter of a Tory diplomat, Joanna Egerton (mother) - a scandalous match for the master of Lyme Park as she was American-born, only returning to Britain when her father was deported by the revolutionists. 

Thomas William is the eldest of five children, all boys except the youngest, a girl

Thomas William was particularly close to his mother, a woman that was somewhat of a black sheep of society. She caught illness soon after giving birth to her last child and died when Thomas was only fourteen

His father was rather stern about Thomas’ tutelage and once retired from his rank in the military, was an authoritative presence over affairs in his estate. He sent Thomas to a boarding school after the death of Joanna and was not permitted to return until he finished schooling at Brasenose College at age 21. 

Though he wished his son to return disciplined and orderly, Thomas William had a colorful career at Brasenose College that included all sorts of debauchery and ill-reputed exploits and returned not at all interested in taking over his father’s affairs anytime soon. However, it became apparent that his father was losing his mental faculties most likely dementia and needing immediate intervention or Lyme Park could face financial ruin from his fathers unintentional negligence.

Thomas William, after learning of his father’s mental decline that first year of his return, has spent the last few years slowly stepping into his father’s shoes. Much to the distaste of aunts, uncles and cousins alike, Thomas William has now all but completely taken over most duties as master of Lyme Park with his younger brother helping to keep accounts of their income from horse breeding, land leases, and his father’s pension from the Crown (approx. £9000/yr)

Currently feels the pressure to find a wife and have children but also preoccupied with keeping his father’s illness a secret

CHARACTER QUESTIONNAIRE –

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Talk about your character’s name. What is it, and how is it pronounced? What does it mean? Does your character have any nicknames? THOMAS WILLIAM LEIGH, from a long line of Thomas Leighs - Thomas Peter being the most frequent designation but he had a mother strong-willed enough to convince his father to name him after his late maternal uncle. His mother always called him “William” or “Will” but he is known to all formally as “Thomas William” or “Mr. Leigh”. Appropriate pronunciation would be: TAW-MUS  WIL-LEE-AM  LEE, though it would also be historically accurate for common folk to pronounce his family name as “LAY” or “LEG”. 

Post a picture of your character or describe what they look like in detail. Note any distinguishing facial features.     For a gentleman of such a determined and steadfast nature, people tend to remark on his soft and gentle countenance. Aside from his strong jaw, he has brown eyes with a rounded brow that gives him a very pleasant and agreeable appearance. His mouth naturally rests upturned and rarely does he wrinkle his nose unless truly disgusted. His most prominent feature is probably his red hair which is a copper shade that glimmers in the sunlight but could appear brown in a dimly lit room. His skin has a warm undertone, and his complexion is usually a little rosy especially about the cheeks and on his chest. He has light freckling along the bridge of his nose, cheeks, and shoulders from sun exposure and the clustering seems to grow each year. He has a slender body type, triangular from behind but perhaps a bit narrower about the shoulders and chest than would be ideal for a typical gentleman. From his frequent equestrian activities and some illicit practice boxing, he has strong forearms and hard hands that he keeps gloved when attending any kind of formal occasion. 

Describe your character’s personality. He is an extrovert, thriving in social interaction and frequently in the company of acquaintances but due to an insufficient desire to make time or emotional space for intimate connection, Thomas is not a cultivator of close friendships. He has a desire for convenient challenges, those which he knows to be conquerable but maybe surface-level impressive all the same and is not a distance runner for much of anything. That being said, he is quite determined so once he has jumped the hurdle of accepting a task, he will make sure it is completed to satisfaction.

What is your character like in relationships? Are they clingy? Faithful or unfaithful? Do they jump from one relationship to the other? Thomas has never had a consistent, long-term relationship and has not seriously courted anyone. Unless he intended to marry, he would likely frequently entertain casual relationships with no real promise of commitment but never degrade himself (in his opinion) to consummate an illegitimate union. He is a talker, though, and so he has likely promised himself into a corner a time or two with ladies who wanted to become Mrs. Leigh of Lyme Park, a dream he likely fostered when swept away in some romantic banter. He definitely would be reputed to have a flair for insincerity.

What kind of things does your character like? What do they dislike? In general, Thomas likes to be entertained so whatever can occupy his attention and give him something to do for a time would be alike. He does not like silence or boredom. He loves to exercise, especially walking around the grounds at Lyme Park, riding horses, and swimming. He does read but this is not a particularly favorite pastime, and he would much rather make arrangements to see an opera, or ballet, or hire a performer to sing ballads or play pianoforte. He is not well-traveled himself, but he enjoys a good conversation with those who are.

How does your character treat their friends and family? How about strangers? Enemies? It depends on the family. He has some strained relations with aunts/uncles and cousins due to managing the affairs at Lyme Park haphazardly. Thomas regards everyone politely until they’ve proven unworthy of such regard and then it is usually avoidance and cold-shoulder treatment.

What kind of people does your character surround themselves with? Why? As mentioned above, he has plenty of acquaintances that he can sit down and be entertained with and by, those he would invite to an opera or for a soirée at Lyme Park but they could not be considered close or intimate friends. They are enough company to make Thomas feel less alone but at enough distance that he is left with a tiny nag for connection in their presence. Very tiny, though. Tiny enough that the temporary joy makes it easy to ignore.

Where was your character born? Where do they live now? Lyme Park and he has always lived at Lyme Park and very rarely leaves the comfort of the estate unless he has business to tend to elsewhere.

Where does your character go when they are angry? Thomas lets off steam by mode of explosive tangents, yelling at no one in particular but for everyone to hear, and most often storms about the gallery hall. This usually spurns house maids and other estate employees to make themselves scarce so as not to be in his path.

What is your character’s biggest fear? Who have they told this to? Who would they never tell this to? Why?   Probably both his biggest desire and biggest fear is connection. It is a fear because of the possibility of a connection lost either due to distance, death, or some fault of his own. He has never said and would never say this to anyone.

Does your character have a secret? If so, what is it? He has been diligently hiding the senility of his father, Thomas James, under the guise of consumption for a little over a year with the help of the estate doctor and lawyer. Though he does feel somewhat comforted by the common rumors of King George’s frailty, his father’s condition is kept secret to protect his and his family’s dignity.

Has your character ever been in love? Have they ever had a broken heart? To be decided! My inclination is to say no but open to plot this.

Does your character have any flaws? What are they? As stated above, he has many flaws: ill-tempered, inability to connect, inability to commit, among others.

Then dig deeper by asking more unconventional questions:

What is in your characters refrigerator right now? On their bedroom floor? On their nightstand? If it weren’t for the excellent staff at Lyme Park picking up after Thomas, he would surely have worn clothes, crumpled stationary, tea cups, etc. strewn about his bedchamber.

Your character is walking home in the dark when they hear some noises around the corner. What do they do? How would they react if they heard someone crying out for help? Thomas likes to play the part of white knight when the situation is convenient and most likely would confront whatever issue presented itself, either by calling out to the noise, following it to find whatever/whoever is making the noise, or offering a helping hand to the person in need. Although he is not a bad person and truly wishes to be helpful to someone in need, the main motivator here would be vanity and pride as well as the expectation of a commendation even if only in the form of a ‘thank you’.

When your character thinks of their childhood kitchen, what smell do they associate with it? Sauerkraut? Oatmeal cookies? Paint? Why is that smell so resonant? Probably fresh baked bread. Thomas was always an early riser as a child and his first destination was to the kitchens where the estate cook would be baking that morning’s sourdough loaf. The cook would always get a piece fresh from the oven and serve it to Thomas there in the kitchen with a pat of hand churned butter.

Your character is doing intense spring cleaning. What is easy for them to throw out? What is difficult for them to part with? Why? Any portraits of his mother. They are kept covered to avoid agitating his father’s dementia but Thomas could never bring himself to put them away in storage. He still sometimes pulls away the sheets to remind himself of what she looked like as the memory of her increasingly fades as time goes by.