Name: Lucrece Bassot Age: 30+ Occupation: Owner of L’Opera Imperial Suggested Faceclaims: Lesley-Ann Brandt, Naomie Harris, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Gemma Chan Pronouns: Up to player Currently: Open
YOU HUNGER FOR—
Prosperity. You are the eldest of several siblings and had to learn the precise art of running a noble house from a young age. Your parents were far more concerned with their social standing than the comings-and-goings of their own children. Your dreams were often forced to sit on the backburner and boil over until all that remained was the scalded pot, your focus instead lying on chasing down rowdy teenagers and ensuring that your name was not tarnished by youthful scandal; you had a vast set of skills in several areas, but never the opportunity to use them. So you idled, and watched as your brothers and sisters grew, standing at the grand hearth with your hands folded behind your back, more governess to them than blood. It was only a matter of time, you suppose, until something broke, and that something was you. So you struck out with the desire to seek better pastures, and stumbled across Emeric Claude, bleeding money and bleeding fast. You managed to convince Emeric to let you help draw customers into La Perche, using the same strategies to wrangle passersby into seats as you had your siblings at the dinner table, all charm and sudden, sharp scorn. This went on for several years, until business was booming — it was right when you were beginning to feel static again that Alain Gauthier reached out, an associate of Emeric’s. What he offered you shocked and awed: ownership of L’Opera Imperial, bought out by Alain in secret and handed along to you, in exchange for a cut of the funds and whatever gossip you could funnel back to him. You don’t know the first thing about Opera, but you figure that if you please Gauthier in spite of his difficult reputation, things can’t go too poorly. With some humor, you’ve come to realize that it was only after you left the great house of Bassot that you were given the opportunity to rub shoulders with those you’d quietly come to resent the most.
CONNECTIONS
Mélodie Martine: They are your star. Every task you’ve thrown at Mélodie, they’ve taken and devoured without hesitation or fear. You weren’t here when they first began their work for the Opera House, but the two of you get along so well that the circumstances of their arrival are something you’ve told yourself you can ignore. In several ways, you’ve come to see them as another sibling, someone to care for with the condition that they do well on-stage. They’re marvelous to everyone they interact with, but they’ve seemed distracted lately, quick to leave once their time is done, oftentimes escorted by those who don armor rather than finery. You’re tempted to follow them, to find out where exactly they’re going (and really, you think a part of you knows), but you worry that doing so could break the tenuous bond you’ve formed and get you into more trouble than you can handle.
Emeric Claude: Emeric is, perhaps, the most perplexing individual you’ve ever met. You’ve become fond of them over the years, but their hot-and-cold attitude swings rapidly back and forth, and you’re not sure which Emeric you’re going to get on any given day. You have to remind them that without you, La Perche would not be what it is. It was only thanks to your charisma and skill in putting out fires that the building is still standing, much less thriving. While you have a table in their grand restaurant overlooking the city that’s dedicated just to you, you fear that one day they will forget you entirely. That’s the thing about them you’ve come to find is most important: nothing Emeric does is ever by accident. They don’t allow mistakes in any area of their life, and you think that would cow you more if it weren’t for the fact you have years of experience in dealing with them under your belt. They’re fond of you, you think, but you’re careful to make sure you don’t get burnt.
Hector Geraud: You’ve said it before (in private), and you’ll say it again (to yourself) -- you know little about the art of music, plays, stagework, operas. Alain Gauthier threw you in head-first. While you’ve managed to come out on top, usually by the skin of your teeth, it means you’re often scrambling for ideas. Val Faim is a beautiful city, and you know you’d never leave, but it requires new fuel each month to keep it going. Regurgitating old performances works maybe twice a year, before the crowds get bored, and that means less money, which means failure for you. Enter stage right, Hector, your newfound muse. Their story is well-known, but hasn’t been put to pen-and-paper yet, and you intend to conduct a performance so grand in their honor that the dor will have no choice but to come pouring in. You just… have to get their permission, first, and you’ve never met a dragon-slayer who’s shied so hard from the spotlight. Then again, you suppose you’ve never met another dragon-slayer.