plcthorahq

countess emmeline hermance / 38 mister berk kara / 29 for cordiallyhqs

[oferwood-a]

open starter: open for all! location: mayfair shops

The morning after the diamond ball, it was expected that the Sinclair house would be a flurry of activity, the family probably staying home, so therefore, William saw it as a morning off from his duties. He needed an escape, and thankfully, a letter from his brother had provided that. Ioan and his wife had broken the family silence by announcing the arrival of William's nephew. The little boy was to be called Rhys after their grandfather and to honour William’s middle name. It had filled him with unprecedented joy, so much so William had found himself outside a little toy shop. He spent the better part of five minutes looking through the window, hoping for an idea of what to purchase to come to him. “If you aren’t busy, I may be in dire need of some assistance.” William asked, stopping a passerby. “I’ve recently become an uncle, and I have no idea what to get.” A smile beamed across his face. William was used to treating his little sisters in their infancy, so shopping for a nephew seemed like an impossible task.

[plcthorahq]

the countess knew that she often spoiled her little brother. she probably spent way too much on toys and clothes for him, but the young lad had lost his parents so young and now, as his older sister, she just felt responsible. besides, due to her inclinations, she'd probably never have children of her own. well, that and her advancing age. so, she took it upon herself now to let out all her maternal instincts on her brother. though, she was at a loss for what to go for this time. then, a man spoke to her. the sinclair grooms man, she thought. she smiled at him. "ah, congratulations. what a joy." she spoke and tilted her head. "well, have you inquired whether the child needs anything, or whether the parents prefer something more fanciful? when my little brother was an infant, he liked everyday objects more than baby toys, but we did always need to get new clothes as he grew very, very rapidly, indeed."

[rulingladymun]

Seonghwa knew of him, of course. The youngest son of Lord Kara. She had never paid him much mind—he was a man, first of all, and far too dull-looking to warrant her attention.

But watching him now, stiff in his finery, medals gleaming, yet somehow managing to look just as awkward as ever—well, she almost felt bad for him.

Almost.

A laugh bubbled up before she could stop it, light and unapologetic.

“Tell me, Mister Berk,” she said, amusement curling at the edges of her lips, "shall I fetch you a mirror?"

[plcthorahq]

berk was used to people poking fun at him, and while before he would have walked away or even looked afraid he now didn't even look over. "no, thank you, m'lady, i've found one right here that will do just nicely." he said and continued to perfect his mustache before turning to her; looking at her with a bit of a challenging look. he trembled inside and was still that unsure 12-year-old most of the time. yet, he had learned to hide it better and be more defensive. it generally worked.

[rulingladymun]

Seonghwa regarded her friend for a moment before throwing her head back in laughter. “Please. You know you are at liberty to trouble me at any hour.” And it was true—Countess Hermance was among the very few people she both liked and tolerated.

She gestured toward the seat beside her. “Come, sit and amuse me. I am quite certain you are dying to extol the splendor of the evening.”

A pause. A slight, knowing smirk.

“Speaking of loveliness… tell me, dear friend, are you well acquainted with the noble families of Italy?”

[plcthorahq]

"it didn't appear that way when you pulled out the claws as i approached." emmett said good-naturedly as they walked closer to their friend and sat down, enjoying the quiet setting of the dark walk. "i do wonder, us being here together unchaperoned... is that allowed now? or not? how does this whole new... marriage decree actually work? does anyone know?"

emmett wanted to start explaining just which women had captured their attention before they were intrigued by the mention of italy. "not particularly. why?" they asked, sensing some intrigue.

[secretgcrdens]

Kit’s eyes scanned the courtyard, landing on a familiar face. He recognized that look — Berk was worried. No matter, Kit was determined to get him to let loose a little bit. He knew what an honorable gentleman Berk was and he deserved to be dancing with any lady of the ton he desired. “Old friend,” Kit clapped the back of the younger man, excited to see him once again, “It’s been too long.” Offering Berk a warm smile, he tilted his head in curiosity, “Why aren’t you on the dance floor?”

[plcthorahq]

"locke!" berk said with a happy smile as he looked at his old friend. "a friendly face, what a relief." he spoke honestly and turned away from the mirror towards kit. "oh, please, i haven't even entered any of the... social settings. I've just been here, worried. overthinking, as per usual." he spoke and sighed. "i don't think i 'll ever catch any young lady's eye, not between all of these other men. i don't feel i have much to offer and i went off to war before attending any ball as a younger man. now i just feel woefully unprepared. there wasn't much frivolity in the army."

[secretgcrdens]

Maude’s lips curved into a happy smile — the Queen’s declaration was definitely something worth celebrating. Everyone’ Maude believed, deserved to live their lives authentically in love with no boundaries m, rules, or laws. She admired the way the Countess spoke — so freely, so genuinely. “Isn’t wonderful news?” she gushed, finding the other’s energy to be infectious. “Perhaps,” she quirked a brow, “You could take matters into your own hands and publish a questionnaire?” A grin formed on her ruby lips and she shrugged, “I’ve heard bold acts are oh so romantic.” She gracefully swirled the glass of champagne she had in her hand as she gave Emmeline a coy smirk, “I’m sure you’d have to fight the ladies off of you.”

[plcthorahq]

the countess smiled at the young lady and chuckled at her idea. "and how should i go about that? besides, despite the change in laws, don't think everyone here in attendance wants their true nature to be known." she warned the other woman and sighed. "a marriage is still a means to have children, heirs and that may actually be something the queen didn't think of. i don't think many mamas are actively pushing their daughters into marriages that aren't classic."

"but i do wonder, if there was a questionnaire going around, how would you answer the posed question of your interests?" she asked, moving away from social commentary in much more familiar territory - flirting.

[plcthorahq]

starter for: open / lady, friend, former bully... location: just outside the ballroom, in front of a mirror

berk was nervous. he wasn't sure whether his outfit was good enough, or his hair and he had watched men taller than him, broader than him enter and he wondered if tonight would yet again be a moment he was skipped over. would any woman be interested in a man like him? even if his medals were on proud display. not even wartime stories and bravery had proven to be enough in the past. he was nervously curling his mustache into perfection, thinking no one could see him in his nervous state.

[offairytale-deactivated20250425]

open starter location: buckingham palace

kate watched the ballroom with fascination as she stepped into a world she didn't belong. the young jeweler was simply here to assist any noble in need of help with their jewels. walking around the dance floor, acting as graceful as she could, kate's green hues looked at the dancing couples, stunned by the beauty of every single aristocrat attending the ball.

slowly standing there, kate just took a deep breath and whispered: "what a beautiful ball thrown by her majesty."

[plcthorahq]

berk looked at the stunned woman and smiled. "is it your first ball as well, then?" he asked and smiled. "i don't believe we have met. i am mister berk kara." he spoke, unsure of whether she was a debutant or not. he hadn't exactly studied for this appearance and didn't accept guidance well. she looked exquisite enough to be one, at least he thought so.

[rosewcterdrunk]

"Welcome to marriage market, indeed, Countess Hermance."

A smirk plays on Thayer's lips, but his gaze is hardly given to them as his focus remains on the ballroom. His head bows to her title, respect still delivered even half heartedly. Something has pulled him from his thoughts, an eeriness of a familiar face in the crowd, but he cannot find it again. Perhaps it is wishful thinking that something go wrong to justify discomfort he swallows whole.

At their insistence, he cannot help but chuckle. "You must suffer as the lot of us do to determine a women's intention, if it is carefully curated manners or genuine interest. I don't believe half the men here can decipher if they're even a choice most of the time." But does this make woman anymore complicated than men? Thayer knows it's a different nature all together, nurtured by expectation high society imposes. There is always room for error in any relation and pursuit of it. "You must simply hope for the best, I suppose."

[plcthorahq]

"the second time around shall be more fruitful, it must be." emmeline spoke and noticed his eyes wandering all over the ballroom as if in search of someone. "do tell me if you have someone already in your sights, i shall grant you the favor of talking to them last as to not spoil your chances." they teased in good fun, hoping he'd go along. she did loathe overly serious people.

"ah, but see, if a woman is interested in the fairer sex, i generally can... persuade them." she said, arrogant as ever. "at least, i could before this whole official marriage business now also has forced all relationships into this very proper... theater?" she said, unsure of how to exactly call this whole rules, regulation - prim and proper type of thing. she had always wished for this, yet now that she was in here, she was seeing the other side of the medal.

[plcthorahq]

starter for: open location: the ballroom, buckingham palace

"you know," countess emmeline started to muse, "i simply am delighted that folks like myself can now finally enter into known, open relationships with the queen's latest declaration of marriage being open to all." they spoke and looked over at whoever had just walked up to her, or passed her. truly, she was just speaking and confident someone would indulge them in a conversation. "the only thing i had wished was that there was a clearer way to discerning which ladies in attendance are open to... people other than men. she should have had people take a questionnaire and publish it. i shan't want to waste time on those not interested. i've done that enough over the years." emmeline said as she mused over all those years she hid her inclinations, how she and gee suffered in silence - hidden away. it was quite a relief to finally be honest and open.

[rosewcterdrunk]

open to: everyone ! location: the diamond ball, royal ballroom, buckingham palace, london, england.

"Are you looking for a profit, or a prophet?" Thayer asks, finding a place amongst the growing wall of those seeking something dazzling in order to set their interest a bloom. He swears it is hardly as lively as he thought it would be, colors beginning to grow dull compared to memories he's finally allowed into recollection. Some part of him swears it is grief, but he does long for return to this palace. More often than not this evening, Thayer looks to the fire of candlelight on each wall simply to make the saturation of the room burn to life when he turned away. "The way you look at these debutantes and suitors, some of them may think it a cure or a miracle to catch your eye," He says, the air too formal with titles and bland. "They mistake you for a prospect on the market."

[plcthorahq]

"i have found all the prophets i need in the holy book." mister berk answered as he kept on looking over at the debutantes. he smirked at the other man's comment and chuckled. "that would be no mistake, i am in fact on the market. i am looking for a wife, a family - i am even as naive to be looking for a love match of all things. if at all possible. sadly, it appears not many women are looking my way. i would have thought my medals of honor would have attracted some ladies in attendance. do you think it's too on the nose, or too much of a brag?" he wondered, feeling a little insecure.

[plcthorahq]

wanted plots and connections for one MISTER BERK KARA

romantic.

future wife - f - 21-25 - berk is looking for a wife, plain and simple. he wishes for a large family and if he could marry slightly above his rank, that wouldn't go amis but that isn't a requirement. he is also looking for a pious wife. he is very religious himself, so he really does want someone virtuous.

first kiss - f - 28-30 - they shared a kiss as children, and he's still blushing about it. reasons to poke fun at him and for him to act awkwardly.

unrequited crush - any gender - any age - someone who has a crush on berk that he doesn't return.

platonic.

people who were in the army - m - any age - people he can bond with over war stories and memories.

best friend - any gender - 28-30 - his best friend, since childhood. forever, ok?

general friends - any gender - any age

former bullies - m - 27-34 - people who used to pick on him because of how skinny and baby-faced he was as a teenager. he beat a few of their asses, but still - he was generally an outcast because of these people and he hasn't forgiven it yet.

[plcthorahq]

wanted plots and connections for one COUNTESS EMMELINE HERMANCE

romantic.

scrapes of the past - f - 32-50 y/o - women whom she slept with/had a romance with back in her debutant days and the years after before she met gee.

the one that got away - f - 32-40 - someone she actually was in love with in her teens, but who isn't queer or chose to marry a man as queer marriage wasn't possible back then

man who inexplicably thinks he stands a chance - m - 21+ - it seems hilarious to me if a man was chasing her and trying to get them to marry him.

man who she was betrothed to years ago before she ran off with gee - m - 32-40 - someone whose heart, or at least spirit she broke by humiliating him and breaking off the engagement.

platonic.

friends - any gender - any age - they need some pals. maybe people that often come over for tea, enjoy the races together, go to trips to the modiste, etc. can be anything.

enemies - any gender - any age - siblings or friends of people she hurt in the past. such as the guy she broke off the engagement, a woman who was left heartbroken after she broke off a clandestine relationship, or even someone she bested at something someday. can be anything.

[plcthorahq]

you do not know me but rest assured i know you, MISTER BERK KARA. you are the YOUNGEST SON TO LORD KARA. you maybe be known for your BRAVERY but it is only a mask for the true nature of your DOGMATIC ways. however, i am not here to spread slander on the queen’s jewels, though i suspect you are her PERIDOT. the ton says your name reminds them of SHINY MILITARY MEDALS, A NEAT POCKET COMB, THE TWIRLING OF A MOUSTACHE. how scandalous! you have been warned, dear reader, that i will prove if this is true and share every last detail. (boran kuzum, twenty-nine, cis man, he/him - penned by lowe)

statistics.

mister berk kara. baby face. youngest son of lord kara. cis man. he/him. anglican (very pious). unmarried. heterosexual. heteroromantic. monogamous. sun in libra. ascendent in taurus. moon in scorpio.

about berk.

berk is the youngest son of lord kara and was often picked upon for his scrawny posture. later in life, he got the moniker of baby face, as he barely had any facial hair nor was his facial structure strong and masculine. he was often mocked by his peers and thus, at fifteen, he started working out a lot more. while never a broad young man, he certainly gained some strength and after winning some fistfights with his bullies, he was promptly left alone.

hanging out in gentlemen's clubs and hunting wasn't what berk wanted to fill his life with, despite being nobility. he wanted to do something worthwhile, a wish that came mostly from his deep faith. he never missed a church service and prayed daily - often multiple times. he wanted to protect people and so, at eighteen, he decided to go fight for king and country. he became a cavalry officer and has climbed the ranks these ten years past to become a major in the army.

he hasn't seen much active war, not really - mostly spending his time sending others to their death. it haunts him, the men he lost but all had their role in god's grand plan he supposed. now, he has chosen to leave the military behind. he now longs for a quieter, more homely life and has decided to pursue his wish of having a large family. he has this silly dream of having a child born in each month of the year. 12. he is quite sure no young lady of the ton will want that many children, but he can only hope can he not?

[rxgclity]

She laughed brightly as she danced in the crowd, happy to be a part of something as grand as this ball. She was not the biggest social butterfly but she wouldn't pass up a quick dance or two. Now, tired, she made her way to a nearby balcony and leaned against the bannister. "It's a beautiful night out," she thought aloud before hearing footsteps and turning around. "I hate to be the one to break the news but unfortunately this balcony is already taken," she joked

[plcthorahq]

"i just came to see whether you were truly having as good of a time as you appear to be having, my dear sister." emmeline spoke as she walked upon the balcony towards her younger sister. "you look wonderful tonight, i did not have the chance to tell you earlier, as we left." she praised her, always willing to support her siblings. she wanted everleigh to bloom, to be happy. she was glad to be at the helm of the family for now, to be back home after suffering the heartbreak she did with gee. it was healing.

[ofmelodiics]

open to everyone

location: the diamond ball, royal ballroom, buckingham palace, london, england.

eleanor would be lying if she had said she expected to be one of the several women chosen amongst the ton. she knew that the queen had liked her, almost as one of her own, but not this much. making her way over to the dance floor, she quickly pulls out her dance card and smiles at her first suitor. "i assume you are here for a dance?" she asked, although she knew the answer already. "i must warn you, i have two left feet, i'm afraid." she admitted with a small chuckle.

[plcthorahq]

"you assumed correctly," countess emmeline spoke with a charming smile. she had spotted the red locks of a woman she was only vaguely familiar with and as she was here hunting for a female companion, she decided to take the leap. the first step would be a dance for sure. if she had no qualms about that, maybe she found her own rare diamond not looking for a husband, but rather a fairer counterpart. she had little to lose, except her pride but that would be something she could survive. "unless you have an objection to sharing one with me. there is, after all, only a rule about rejecting a man's request for a dance."

[rulingladymun]

starter for: open location: the dark walk, buckingham palace

Lords above, she was exhausted.

An entire evening spent exchanging empty pleasantries, enduring the insipid droning of men she had no intention of entertaining—it was enough to drive even the most patient of women to madness. And Seonghwa was hardly known for her patience.

She lowered herself onto a stone bench with a quiet sigh, retrieving a cigar from within the folds of her gown. A flicker of flame, the soft crackle of burning tobacco. Inhale. Exhale.

Finally. Peace.

And then, of course, someone had to ruin it.

Her eyes flicked upward, unimpressed. She didn’t even bother to mask her irritation, letting the silence stretch between them before offering the intruder a slow, scathing once-over.

"Well?" she drawled, exhaling a stream of smoke, gesturing to the bench next to her. "Are you just going to stand there gawking?"

[plcthorahq]

emmett had expected a warmer welcome as they approached their friend and former scrape. oh, well. she was known to be quite feisty. "i was actually going to come to offer you some companion, and i thought you of all people would indulge me in discussing the lovely debutants we just got to witness... but maybe it's best i leave you to it?" she asked, even though she really was quite bored of dodging men and trying to get some attention from ladies. she had forgotten how exhausting this was.

[plcthorahq]