BOURGEONING (also spelled burgeoning): 1. beginning to grow or increase rapidly; flourishing. 2. a dependent multimuse blog associated with @theopulenthq, penned by inanna (27, she / they, pst). please do not interact if you are not part of the rpg.
AYSHA SOLOMAN : 25, princess of ethiopia.
SUZUME SŌ-TOSHIKO : 31, advisor to the emperor of japan, lady of house sō.
SYLVAIN DE ORLÉANS : 35, crown prince of france, lieutenant colonel of the french armed forces.
Boots scratch the floor of the theatre like the angry hooves of war horses, a sound that he can only guess to be rebels, trying their hardest not to lose their tempers. Even he, a retired member of the rebellion, could feel the simmer of his own blood for the first time in awhile as the actors play out their parts on stage. A slight bow of his head toward Aysha allows him comfort in speech. "Passionate isn't a word I would use to describe them, princess but alas, I've never been one for theatrics in general. No weight should be held in my opinion."
her face scrunches, eyebrows furrowing, "don't say that." the words, too, come forth harsher than intended. sheepish, aysha presses her lips between her teeth, dark eyes darting away from abdullah to a spot on the cobblestone out of reflex. sit still, look pretty—that's what she's meant to do. so why is it so difficult as of late? a steadying breath as she continues, "everyone should be heard, at least, whether whoever's listening agrees with them or not." again, she softens, back to the softness of flower petals. still, she can't forget, can't forgive, letting anyone glimpse the rose's thorns. "how would you describe this performance, then?"
@bourgeoning | Suzume and Midori, At Plaza Mayor after the Play
"That could have gone better." She's been half-in, half-out of aristocracy her whole life. Midori knows both sides of the coin enough to see it in their eyes; disgust, refusal, even anger. Lest she spark Kaito's nightmares with her talk - she turns to Suzume, instead. Calm, untethered, gloriously pragmatic. She's the foil to Midori's madness. The smarts to her muscle. Who else would she turn to, in these uncertain times?
"I'm sure you're privy to the council's constant talk? What do you think? Should we use our time in Spain to weed out the last of the rebel forces?" Japan was victorious, and some may say victory is good enough reason to leave well enough alone. And yet... "I'll do what's needed, of course. But you are wiser," pausing, she cheekily adds; "And prettier - so I trust your judgement best."
"they refuse to see the whole scene before them—only that which angers them." not always one to bluster, suzume allows her voice to carry. when a straggler from the audience glares in her direction, she barely hides the roll of her eyes, directed at her latest foe and midori's cheekiness in equal measure,
"careful, cousin. so much false humility will only make you lose face." the corners of her lips quiver upward for but a fraction of a second, undetectable with the blink of an eye. it's the metaphorical sort of face she speaks of, that which is one's own and yet is others' simultaneously. a fixation of the advisor's for as long as she can remember, "we must flush them out first, be certain about our quarry. some of the council is too eager for bloodsport as it is." and legitimizing the rebels' cause is the last thing japan needs. her expression hardens.
another day, another social event on the world stage. time that could be used for actual work, instead spent twirling on the dance floor and marveling at shining baubles. it turns suzume's stomach. but she is nothing without paying careful attention to her obligations. fulfilling each and every one.
as she approaches the nearest table of foodstuffs, manicured fingernails clink against her glass. she swirls the sherry, letting the aroma waft into her nose before taking a minuscule sip. "the banderillas are best to start with. they are much lighter than the other hors d'oeuvres," she advises @classiqals @flcralhaze @ymir-heart. if idle chatter is required of her, then so be it.
he sees his partner, one of france's retinue, off with a small nod. in no time, an instructor struts into his periphery, lingering. such a sight fills sylvain with no sense of urgency, in spite of lessons being mandatory. for he already has the gist of the steps, doesn't stomp on toes when he replicates them. yet to @balteren @gxldxenstrxngth @thenxghtwemxt @tormxtum, the dauphin still says,
"we are both without a partner, it seems. might i persuade you to pair up with me?" they smile easily; the boyish, disarming sort signature of the young man they'd supplanted so long ago. one they could have given up by now, but hadn't for reasons that elude even sylvain still. "i haven't been scolded for shirking my studies since i was a boy, nor do i wish to start again now." sharp gaze flickers, pointedly, to the instructor and back.
aysha could already live without the theatre in general. something to fill time, to entertain during festivities. and she supposes this play, co-signed by her own family, serves a similar function. but disgruntled murmurings in the audience only solidify her feeling that this one is different. she can't dwell on such thoughts, though. the solomans must stand united, for malaika's sake and for ethiopia's. nor should she be worrying her pretty little head about politics… right? her head swivels in search of distraction, perfectly spiraling coils of hair billowing,
"the lead actors are so… passionate, no?" the princess inquires of @balteren @flcralhaze @succiducus nearby. the most neutral statement she can manage on the subject—without too much hesitation, anyhow.
we are so glad to see you safe, CROWN PRINCE SYLVAIN DE ORLÉANS of FRANCE! it's dangerous out in the world these days, but i hear that you are ADROIT and UNDAUNTED enough to handle it. just don't let your RESENTFULNESS bring you down! stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn't want everyone to find out YOU WOULD BETRAY YOUR OWN FAMILY TO KEEP A GRASP ON RELEVANCE AND POWER—AFTER ALL, YOU'VE ALREADY DONE SO MUCH TO STAND WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
BASIC INFORMATION.
FULL NAME: émile sun zhihao sylvain lucrèce ambroise de orléans.
ETYMOLOGY: the french form of silvanus, derived from the latin silva, " of the woods. " silvanus was a roman cognomen and the roman tutelary of forests.
NICKNAMES & ALIASES: the dauphin has been affectionately called both VIVI and SYLVIE by the royal family since he was born. in childhood, his biological mother sometimes called him EMMY.
TITLES & OCCUPATION: crown prince of france, dauphin, cavalryman, lieutenant colonel of the french armed forces.
BIRTHDAY & AGE: november 3rd (35).
GENDER: demi man.
PRONOUNS: he / him / his and they / them / theirs.
ORIENTATION: bisexual biromantic, polyamorous.
MARITAL STATUS: unwed.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: french, mandarin chinese, spanish, english, latin, others.
HOBBIES: horseback riding, poetry, gambling, dancing, mansplaining and manipulating.
ALLEGIANCE: themself and power. publicly, france, its people, and its future. they also claim to be all for constitutional monarchy moving forward, but... they wouldn't exactly mind having absolute authority when the crown moves to them.
HISTORY.
work in progress. tl;dr:
born in china, the product of a torrid love affair between a local woman and a sailor. eventually, you and your mother uprooted your lives and set out for france, your father's home country. you never found the man, but by leveraging her former job as a maid to the emperor, your mother became a laundress for the royal family of france. there, you adopted the name émile, and met the dauphin, sylvain. the first remark, even before greetings, was that your resemblance was uncanny.
as the two of you played together, puerile antics led to a proposition: to switch clothes, to switch places. with noble parents and an overworked single mother respectively, the ruse wasn't so difficult to keep up. especially when sylvain was almost allergic to study, content to live out his days mingling with the common people instead. so you spent swathes of time in sylvain's shoes. you even studied his reading materials in your free time.
the king and queen noticed the apparent change. their son, who had suddenly taken an interest in his lessons, in being heir, became their pride and joy without restraint. and you, masquerading as sylvain, basked in their praises.
as you and sylvain approached adulthood, similarities were becoming fewer and farther between. you were becoming your own people, and ideas had been swirling around in your mind for quite some time. you already spent so much time as sylvain, were clearly worthier of the title he was born with. so, when the two of you swapped clothes for the final time, you led sylvain out into the forest and struck him down. you were the dauphin now. but you had been for some time already, hadn't you?
but being the future of france was not enough recognition. you wanted more glory. needed it. you joined the military, not as an officer but from the very bottom. and through martial prowess, you rose through the ranks of your own merit. you won the people over—or so you thought, until the reckoning uprooted your path.
you pretend the new constitutional monarchy doesn't bother you, play the part of a charming crown prince who has fought alongside his people. but you resent your father for his weakness, for surrendering sovereignty so easily. you must hatch a new plan to get your power back.
HEADCANONS.
sees his biological mother on occasion, as she's still on the orléans payroll after all these years. sometimes he wonders if he needs to tie up that particular loose end, but it's been years since he's seen any spark of recognition in her eye. which just … makes him feel even worse. but there's still an innate desire within sylvain to win her favor.
being a cavalryman, they are also, naturally, a horse girl (gender neutral). they've got one mount with them: their war horse, areion. normally, they also have at least one hack for everyday activity, but considering the distance from home, and resources required to spoil take care of multiple horses, they elected to only bring areion along.
more to come!
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
CHILDHOOD FRIEND: someone who knew sylvain well before he became the person he is today (when they were still just émile), and doesn't even realize because he's changed so much ? but he remembers them. and in spite of all the walls he's put up, all the terrible things he's done, he still holds a tenderness for them. essentially, he'll still screw them over if he needs to, but he would think twice about it.
a betrothal (past or present), friends, enemies, someone suspicious of sylvain for whatever reason, or what have you!
we are so glad to see you safe, ROYAL ADVISOR SUZUME SŌ-TOSHIKO of JAPAN! it's dangerous out in the world these days, but i hear that you are RUMINATIVE and DETERMINED enough to handle it. just don't let your ALOOFNESS bring you down! stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn't want everyone to find out THE BOY KNOWN AS YOUR YOUNGER BROTHER IS ACTUALLY YOUR SON.
BASIC INFORMATION.
FULL NAME: sō-toshiko suzume.
ETYMOLOGY: one of the readings of a kanji character, meaning "sparrow."
NICKNAMES & ALIASES: she despises nicknames, but close family and friends are permitted to call her SUZU. privately.
TITLES & OCCUPATION: advisor to the emperor of japan, lady of the sō clan of tsushima. may have inherited more titles through her marriage.
BIRTHDAY & AGE: february 14 (31).
GENDER: cis woman.
PRONOUNS: she / her / hers.
ORIENTATION: bisexual biromantic.
STATUS: wed to… somebody.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: japanese, mandarin chinese, korean, spanish, dutch, german, others.
ALLEGIANCE: the emperor, the people of japan, her clan, and her spouse, in that order. staunchly and vocally pro-monarchy; suzume believes other nations in support of revolution simply haven't served their people well enough.
HISTORY.
work in progress. tl;dr:
the descendant of an influential samurai clan on one side, and the chrysanthemum throne on the other, from the very beginning, expectations for you were high. due to your unique upbringing by the ports of tsushima — far from the capital, rubbing shoulders with foreigners from across the world, common and noble alike — the emperor and empress (your paternal aunt and uncle, as you so often forgot) called you to kyoto as a girl of 15. there you learned to navigate court, and were given your life's mission: guide your younger cousin in his future reign, and sniff out corruption. your righteousness gained you allies as well as adversaries.
(pregnancy tw) it was for that reason that you hid your growing baby bump. when you no longer could conceal it with an ohashori fold, and so you returned to tsushima and crafted a plan. under the guise of helping your mother through her own tumultuous pregnancy, you stayed on the family estate until your baby was born; sworn to secrecy, only your parents and castle staff knew the truth. (end of tw)
you were just 18 years old when kazutaka was born. new to your position as a court official and already making powerful enemies, you thought it would be best if no one knew your real connection to him. and so, after you gave him his name, each character carefully chosen, he could no longer be your son, but your younger brother. a miracle for your aging parents. the family genealogy said as much.
and with that, you returned to court. there were whispers, musings about your sudden departure, but none were concrete. you were the emperor's niece, after all. you worked twice as hard as before to prove yourself worthy of your station, whether with or without an imperial lineage.
losing the emperor and empress would always feel sudden, but you certainly didn't expect it to happen when it did. grief took you into a vice grip and has not let go of you since. somehow you have dived even deeper into your duties, and in the past year you've hardly come up for air.
HEADCANONS.
kazutaka recently turned 12. he stays on tsushima with his grandparents parents, though he does visit kyoto from time to time. energetic and mischievous, he may seem like exactly the sort of person who get on suzume's nerves in seconds. but he never has. being distant by nature, she doesn't always know how to connect with him, but she's always trying, and some of her iciness does melt away whenever she's with him.
maintains a small group of informants (they are not spies, she insists), who keep her apprised of the everyday subjects within the imperial court and japan as a whole; what they need most, what they're talking about. no one is sure of their identities, though those who've heard rumors about them refer to these informants as "the sparrow's little birds."
more to come!
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
SPOUSE: to be sent to the main happily betrothed since before the reckoning, their wedding was just around the corner when japan lost its late emperor and empress. after japan repelled the rebels from the islands, they were wed in a small ceremony, and suzume has been distant ever since. should be foreign nobility, a japanese diplomat in another nation, or a high-ranking official within japan's government—basically anyone of political importance to japan, whose own position might prompt her to step down as an advisor, or move to another country entirely. thus suzume is conflicted as to whether she cares more about duty (the wishes of her late aunt and uncle to counsel her cousin, to serve her country in any way she can) or desire (a yearning to have something for herself, just once), and has been pushing her spouse away in the process.
KAZUTAKA'S FATHER: not entirely sure how this would work, so he might stay an npc? but i'm trying to be messier this time around so i'm putting it in writing. anyway, he and suzume grew up together, and were each other's firsts in many regards. as a result, kazutaka came to be, although his father, as with almost everyone else, is unaware of this. suzume has long since moved on from this chapter of her life, and views him purely as a friend and ally, but for the sake of drama, perhaps there are some residual feelings on his end? my hc is that he's a prince of joseon her age (31).
ENEMIES, ADVERSARIES, & POLITICAL RIVALS: suzume's reputation as a virtuous government official can easily be turned on its head—she can definitely be too much. at best, you'll get a holier-than-thou lecture on the importance of doing the right thing, and at worst, she can be what the kids call a "snitch." she's also a nitpicker, finding even the smallest, most negligible flaws or slights to be a major fault.
i'd love for her to have some political rivals too—people with different morals, ethics, and ideologies, maybe people who covet her proximity to emperor kaito and want to have his ear the way she does. people she suspects might go after her loved ones, even.
we are so glad to see you safe, PRINCESS AYSHA SOLOMAN of ETHIOPIA! it's dangerous out in the world these days, but i hear that you are GREGARIOUS and PROTEAN enough to handle it. just don't let your VANITY bring you down! stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out YOU'RE BEGINNING TO WONDER IF THE REBELS HAVE A POINT.
BASIC INFORMATION.
FULL NAME: aysha soloman.
ETYMOLOGY: the amharic form of the arabic name aisha. depending on its spelling and pronunciation, the name can mean "woman" or "life; alive."
NICKNAMES & ALIASES: the people have called her KEGA for many years, so often that foreign dignitaries have caught wind of it as well—referring to her, at times, by the nickname's translation "THE ROSE OF ETHIOPIA." occasionally called ASH by friends.
TITLES & OCCUPATION: princess of ethiopia.
BIRTHDAY & AGE: october 13th (25).
GENDER: cis woman.
PRONOUNS: she / her / hers.
ORIENTATION: bisexual graybiromantic.
STATUS: unwed and unbetrothed. she's vaguely interested, but marriage is definitely not her focus at the moment.
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: amharic, oromo, somali, tigrigna, afar, english, arabic, others.
HOBBIES: gardening, coffee brewing, herbology, metalworking and jewelry-crafting.
ALLEGIANCE: the solomans and the people of ethiopia. currently pro-monarchy, as that's where her family stands, but every day aysha silently questions that stance for herself.
HISTORY.
a work in progress. tl;dr:
as the youngest of the solomans, you had little to worry about on the royal front. all you've ever had to do, really, was sit and look pretty. if you wanted to go further, perhaps find an interesting talent or two, to make you more appealing for a political marriage. so you applied yourself in all the things that interested you — learned what you wanted to, dropped it when you lost the initial spark, and moved on to the next. rinse, repeat.
your first, true hardship, one that wasn't a petty squabble not getting exactly what you wanted, arrived in the form of the reckoning. your eldest brother, your protector, disappeared without a trace. and it changed you, ever so gradually.
as the days and months marched on, despite what happened to your brother because of their actions, you couldn't help but wonder — did the rebels have a point? is monarchy, and sitting still and looking pretty, really all it's cracked up to be?
HEADCANONS.
a big fan of coffee. she's always interested to see different brewing methods from around the world, though she is partial to the ethiopian way and ceremony.
has an egyptian mau named lulit.
more to come! she's brand new, so i'm still getting a feel for her <3
WANTED CONNECTIONS.
REBELLIOUS INFLUENCE: someone to urge aysha down the path of revolution. she's already a bit amenable to it, but if she could just get a nudge...
previous betrothals and matches, friends, enemies, anything!!
𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍: PAÇO IMPERIAL, TWIN SOUL COURTYARD
𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌: DANTE FABBRI
𝐓𝐎: LIEUTENANT COLONEL SYLVAIN DE LA TREMOILLE ( @bourgeoning )
the whirl of events in the past few days has been staggering. despite the tendril of relief that dante didn't have to offer his head to be put through the noose, the turmoil of what happened remains. the imprisonment, then the chaos that followed in the pre-tribunal. there is a lot to do, a lot to figure out, so much they were unprepared for that they did not even realize. he takes to strolling around the city grounds, to put some of these thoughts in order when he spots a familiar figure. they both shared cells mere days ago after all, and dante cannot help but joke. "i have to say, this is a nice change of scenery compared to the cells, wouldn't you agree? although it was much cozier back there."
without missing a beat , a noise of agreement resonates from the cavalryman , prideful walk slowing to a halt , " i was quite enjoying the new accommodations . there is nothing better than damp , stale air . " deadpan , save for a trace smirk on their lips . " but it is pleasant to see the sun . " though it certainly does not make up for a detainment , it is more than welcome . after all , sylvain now meanders throughout the brazilian palace grounds for the simple pleasure of being slightly less confined than before . " unless you are the sort to prefer the gloom , i suppose . " he tacks on , offering the florentine a raised eyebrow .
" is that what you're calling it? brooding? " the minister raised an eyebrow as she entered the room, removing her gloves, as she had just been out riding before this. " to me it just looks like you're pouting. " the brunette jested, further entering the room.
he was not wrong though, things were amiss. " we shouldn't be brushing it off. " rose said. " turning a blind eye is only going to harm us — and germany. " she added. truthfully, rose could care less. there were other countries she could go to, she could go home to france for all that mattered — but she had to play her part in germany's court.
" the crown prince's words , not mine . " arms fold over his chest , frown lines deepen , proving her words true without even realizing it . " ' pouting . ' can't i keep an ounce of dignity ? " hugo attempts a withering look , but it's not unlike playing dress-up in his father's clothes as a child — ill - fitting , awkward , not meant for him yet .
" not just us and germany . everyone . " call it his position making a more global perspective necessary , or the miasma of thoughts brewing at the back of his mind beginning to take shape . but with each passing day , his worries extend further and further beyond germany's borders and interests .
she falls back into the rhythm with ease ; contrasting chaos with calm , for others' benefit . in spite of a continuously pounding heart , and fear gnawing at her stomach . nails rapping against the table , isra replays the bedlam in the grand jury hall , hoping to achieve any sort of understanding of the tangled mess left in its wake . but the memory ebbs into the background when she hears approaching footsteps . reflexively , she sits up , offering a warm smile to @classiqals @flcralhaze @umitvar @verenduss @monarhrh @whispcrings ,
" how can i help ? don't be shy now . " almost a joke , or , rather , an attempt at bringing levity .
relief should comfort him at the news. that despite the chaos, suzume's brother still remains safe. but as he meets suzume's gaze, the yawning sense of dread fill his veins. because he had to leave her behind; because she had to stay.
finally, he enters the room. "no, no. any blood i found on me wasn't mine." a miracle, that he and kazutaka forced their way through the maddening crowd with no injury. the worst he suffered was torn, blood-stained attire.
when genjirou reaches his wife, his hand lifts, resting beneath her chin to lift her face. "suzume." he doesn't know how to continue. how to confess the worst of his thoughts in this moment. "it could've been so much worse than scrapes and a headache for you." all hushed tones, careful of the sleeping boy. his gaze bores into hers. "you should --- you should have come with us."
a nod , shoulders dropping to a more natural position , " good . " for the first time in hours ( how long had it been since kazu finally settled ? ) , she turns away from the boy's slumbering form . if not for her disquiet , she would melt into genjirou's touch , find reassurance both in the fact that he is unharmed and the care he extends ; welcome , but still unexpected , when until recently she scarcely kept in contact .
still , even an abundance of fondness cannot prevent the knot that forms between her brows ,
" but it wasn't worse . the headache will pass , the scrapes won't scar , " she insists , holding his gaze as she inches closer . the knot tightens . " do you expect me to stand idly by ? to flee ? i can't abandon my duty , genjirou . " voice taking on a harsher edge , it remains a whisper all the same . " … and you've always known it would be this way . " it stings , even before she says it aloud .
