bakerstreet | You should see me in a crown.

Companion to Royalty Meme

There's one truth you must know of royalty: though power may lay in their hands, the crown is a cage. Whether you've always been noble, came into this position recently by complete surprise, or a simple person caught in the fray, you're realizing that leaders actually lead very little - even down to choosing who they spend their most intimate moments with. From eternal bonds of matrimonies to the distractions provided by courtesans, the people behind the throne make the rules. They cannot risk losing control of their most elevated and strategically placed pawn with a match gone wrong, which could create a domino effect and doom possibly thousands.

So, what part do you play in this game?

Lifetime Royal: This is what you've been raised to do.
Sudden Royal: You just learned of your position, which has been secret from you your entire life, or you unexpectedly inherited the job.
Spouse: You're to be married to nobility.
Concubine or Courtesan: For the royal, you're to be a sexual diversion.
Unaffiliated: You're either a lower-ranking noble or a peasant, but you're free from all the machinations of the shadowy cabal...for now.

How willing are you?

Completely Willing: Either you love the person you know you'll be matched with, or you're excited about the possibilities.
Wary: There's no choice in the matter for you, so you may as well approach this situation cautiously.
Unwilling: You didn't want to be matched up with someone. At all. Ever.

What path will you follow, once you're set upon it (there is, after all, little choice for the chosen ones)?

Prepared for This: Either you're a royal and have been one since birth, or you knew you'd marry or sexually entertain one.
Make Up for Lost Time: This life wasn't the one you lived until now, but times change. You're important or will be a companion to a very important person, like it or not.
A Sacrificial Token: Somewhere along the line, your people royally pissed off someone in a key position. So, in an attempt to smooth out relations, you've been given away as a gift to the highest power, either as a spouse for a political alliance or as a concubine or courtesan.
Pomp and Circumstance: All proper, this arrangement. You're to be married, as you've been promised to each other by your respective families. Consummation on the wedding night is key. Perhaps it's encouraged that the two of you act as if this is really a love match, to add insult to injury.
Genuine Love: Speaking of love matches, congratulations! You're one of the incredible few who gets to marry for love, so your lovemaking should be all the more enthused.
Only a Plaything: Heavy is the head who wears the crown, so you're expected to take on some side entertainment even if that's not your preference. Or you could be the courtesan...such a pretty, perfumed word for what the role really is...
Volunteered: You wanted this position, either of spouse or concubine. Your reasons are your own.
Cruel: You're powerful. You can do what you want to this person, a mere ant in comparison to you.
Forbidden: Even the most powerful can't have everything they want, such as someone who's promised to or with another; taking them for your own would create strife and destroy alliances, even to the point of tempting war.
Work Your Way Up: There's always a right tool for the job and you find no shame in using your own special tools to better your life.
Give Me an Heir: Whether you're legitimate or a concubine used as a surrogate, you must help in continuing the royal line.
Mutual Benefit: Both of you are comfortable with this arrangement because you're either compatible or it takes the pressure off of you otherwise.
Want to be More: Though you've been relegated to courtesan, you want to be there one and only spouse...no matter if that role is already filled or not.
Growing Affection: It may have started as all puppet strings and power plays, but now, you lo- care for them.
Loved Before: Before you became so important and powerful, before you became the focus of all the world, it seems, they were there with you. They were with you then, and you want them to be with you now. They ground you and they care about you for you.
Because You're Normal: They're outside of all the court's nonsense, and that's appealing to you. It's like a breath of fresh air.
WILDCARD

How to Play

Comment with your character, preference, preferred role, and any other information.
Reply to others.
RNG or choose your options.

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( Up for whatever! Any role, modern/fantasy/future setting. )

[ either royalty or not, open to any role, willing/wary; desperately interested in a Crowley for this one, but open to all castmates/characters as well ]

( remember that one thread from ages ago where bucky spilled coffee on him? maybe we write that other life they had. )

(no subject)

venatoris - 2022-09-10 00:33 (UTC) - Expand

counterstep - 2022-09-21 23:28 (UTC) - Expand

venatoris - 2022-09-21 23:33 (UTC) - Expand

counterstep - 2022-09-22 00:08 (UTC) - Expand

( Most likely not royalty! But other than that, wide open. )

( the parallel of secret royalty/nobility to Claire's canon background is just too perfect. open to anything, though. )

{ Definitely royalty, though perhaps fallen from grace. Info on the profile! }

[Not the royalty.]

[ happy for either role; up for AUs! ]

[Considering his father's station, having him be the royal/royalty-adjacent would make sense, though I wouldn't mind playing the outsider at all, either. Info in journal.]

[[ book familiar but show-focused -- lmk if you wanna avoid spoilers on either front! royal + open to playing willing/unwilling/love match/arranged/all of it! ]]

(( He’s not exactly royalty, but close enough? ))

[either role, travelers welcome, feel free to hmu for details as needed!]

[It's so strange it took a political crisis for him to come to Teyvat. He's traveled to other worlds, but never to any of the nations that are right under Celestia itself. He never even learned the language of its people besides some phrases and greetings until recently. For so long, his role as a prince was more of a title than anything else. He spent his days traveling and enjoying himself along side his twin sister and crown princess. For so long he was detached from what was really going on. Maybe it was on purpose, maybe it's his fault. Either way, he's taken responsibility for it.

Now he's in one of Teyvat's nations called Liyue. It is ruled by Rex Lapis, a dragon god who has the title of Archon. The terms were negotiated without him and his sister present. His sister was sent to another nation as it would have been too risky to have both of them together. Or maybe it would have given Liyue too much power to have both the crown heirs to Celestia. Aether swears to himself that one day they'll be reunited - he's sure Lumine has made the same oath too.

Aether has only seen Rex Lapis once. It is when he first arrived. He remembers being speechless and nowhere near having the proper vocabulary in any language to convey his thoughts and feelings in that moment. Luckily, he just needed to greet Rex Lapis properly and officially agree to the terms of him staying in Rex Lapis' court. He hasn't seen the dragon since. He's not sure if that's a good or bad thing.

He's stayed in his room for the most part. He has probably get approval to go places and then security and protection need to be arranged. He's been keeping busy teaching himself the language of Teyvat and learning the customs and history of Liyue. At least he's had someone helpful - a man named Zhongli. Aether assumes Zhongli was assigned to him by Rex Lapis to help him adjust to Liyue. He's not like a servant or maid, but more like a walking encyclopedia of Liyue. Wait, that really does not do Zhongli justice. He's the closest thing to a friend Aether has. That's better.

Currently he's in his room on his bed practicing the Teyvat language. He's trying to write a letter to Rex Lapis but he honestly has no idea what to say. Maybe Zhongli could help him since he probably knows Rex Lapis better than him. He feels more like decoration in a foreign royal court more than anything else. He has manners, though. Writing a letter to show appreciation is important. His room his nice, people have outwardly treated him well, and so far Rex Lapis has kept the terms of the agreement. He may miss his sister, but he's safe and being taken care of.]