#1642hqsintro

[crxwnsxfxre]

( aslihan malbora, cis female, she/her, 23) ** ♔ announcing esme osman,  the sultana of the ottoman empire ! in a recent portrait they seem to resemble aslihan malbora. it is a miracle that she survived the last five years and for that reason, they are neutral about the kingdoms working together. reflecting on them now, they remind me of books read by moonlight, walking barefoot through a field of wildflowers, pants worn beneath lavish dresses.

FULL NAME: Esme Renatta Osman NICKNAMES: None currently BIRTHDAY: February 10 AGE: 23 ZODIAC: Aquarius TITLE: Sultana of the Ottoman Empire SEXUALITY: Pansexual PERSONALITY TRAITS (+): Free Spirited, Kind, Liberal PERSONALITY TRAITS (-): Stubborn, Sarcastic, Detached

BIO HCS

Esme Renatta Osman was born February 10 to the Sultan and his wife on February 10. For 7 years, Esme was the youngest of the Osman children, as well as the only female child. Her life and treatment were most often framed by these details, and in many ways she was given a bit more leniency and freedom than her siblings, always getting away with just a little more than anyone else was able to imagine.

Since childhood, it has been evident that Esme was a little more than different from the majority of her family. In her younger years, she displayed a wisdom and understanding about the world that surpassed most her age, and she seemed to have just a little more heaviness in her soul. Though, as she aged, Esme began to lose a bit of that heaviness, and by her teenage years had become more of a free-spirit. It wasn’t that the core of who she was changed, but more that she began to find new ways to deal with it, while still allowing herself joy. 

Esme’s new ideals began separating her just a little more from her family, who seemed to have been rooted in traditions she couldn’t bring herself to see much of a point in. Her own beliefs had shifted, and she began looking forward to the future, both for herself, and her country. She began spending time studying, surrounding herself with history, philosophy, and ideals drawn from other cultures. Wanderlust began to overtake her, and a hope for the future she simply couldn’t quench. 

The plague took a bit of the wind out of Esme’s sails, her heart breaking for the suffering she couldn’t help but witness all around her. More than anything, she wanted to take the suffering of her people, though she couldn’t seem to settle or decide on the best way to do so. Still, she did her best to remain as joyful as she had been. 

With the added stress and pressure of the plague, Esme’s free spirit seemed to have been set on fire. Her focus shifted to enjoying time she had, while she had it, and making the best way possible for those around her. In many ways, she began to move into the light more than she had in the past, stepping up where needed, and beginning to forge her own path, and make her own name within her family name. Esme is neutral about working with the other kingdoms. While she sees the benefit, she is unsure of exactly what repercussions might come from deals made out of desperation.

#1642hqsintro #┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓esme osman v intro┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓ #┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓esme osman v conversation┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓ #┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓esme osman v aesthetic┏━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━┓

[dawnflooded]

( aldis hodge, cis male, he/him, 30) ** ♔ announcing AJANI TESFAVE,  the CROWN PRINCE OF ETHIOPIA ! in a recent portrait they seem to resemble ALDIS HODGE. it is a miracle that HE survived the last five years and for that reason, they are FOR the kingdoms working together. reflecting on them now, they remind me of RAYS OF LIGHT BREAKING THROUGH SHADOWS, THE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED IN AN EMPTY ROOM, THORNED BUSHES DRYING IN THE SUN, STANDING AT CROSSROADS .  

(( he is astute, ruthless and calculating, the viper hiding behind a genteel upbringing and charming smiles; he preaches peace and compromise, feigns a veneer of patience and understanding that is gossamer thin ))

Thrust into a life of privilege, but also of great responsibility, Ajani grew up surrounded by vast opulence and, at times, unbearable restrictions.

He had always felt uncertain of his role as the second-born, though his tutors and family alike often reminded him of the importance of supporting his older brother, of closing ranks and maintaining a united front. In fact, he’d heard that so much that he began to resent and feel stifled by the implications – it felt to him as though he wasn’t important in his own right, just as part of a whole. And while he was willing to concede some of his individuality, he did not want to watch himself swallowed whole by the expectations placed upon him.

He loved his brother, but there were times when he hated him, as well. He would have liked a little more room in maneuvering through his emotions, but he learnt from a young age that that sort of freedom was frowned upon among his peers. Power and riches were not without cost. For him to become part of history, it meant he could no longer be a man, susceptible to all the foibles of humanity – it meant he had to pretend he was above all those conflicting feelings. For his country’s sake. Maybe for his brother’s sake, as well.

And his upbringing was certainly full of benefits – he was given the best tutors in a varied array of subjects from art to religion, history and politics, languages and tactics. He was expected to be a defender – of his country and of his king. He caved, quite quickly, at least outwardly. He honed his skills as weapons because that was what he was supposed to become – the hammer, the divine wrath that would smite all those who threatened his family and his country. And it was easy for a while. Despite it all, he does love his brother. He loves his country. And he loves his family and the power being one of them gives him.

But something happened during those past five years that chipped away at his better instincts in a fearsome way. His brother refused to help their own people, instead choosing to close ranks around their family. Ajani knows, or at least he thinks he knows, why his brother did it. But he still thinks it’s shortsighted and needlessly cruel. He advised against it, and when his arguments fell on deaf ears, he barely felt a tinge of regret for going behind his back.

The shame of not having done enough for his people is so much worse. What he and his siblings could do behind the king’s back lacked true power: a donation here and there, smuggling some food outside the castle; nowhere near enough to feed even the starving of their own capital, never mind encompassing reforms to help those at the farthest reaches of their kingdom.

Somehow, the little help they have been able to scrouge up made him feel worse. Knowing how full their treasury was, knowing how much food they hoarded made their attempts look all the more pitiful. And when the people began calling for their king’s death what he felt was more akin to resignation than surprise. He can’t find it in himself to blame them, and after five claustrophobic years with his family, he cannot think of a better solution either. He’s too jaded to believe in his brother’s capacity to change.

There are rumblings among the nobility, easy to ignore, at least for the moment, about who the next king should be. Ajani knows he’s the more popular choice to many – after all, he is still his brother’s heir – and he has already taken the dreadful step of not outright condemning such suggestions. He might not have acknowledged them, but he knows, just as the growing bitterness among the people, that in this case, his silence is to be viewed as accord.

In a way, his mind is made up, but this only makes the situation more terrible. He does not want to kill his brother. He does not think he can do it, and he doesn’t think he’d be able to wait idly on the sidelines while others do it, either. But he’s also unequivocally lost his faith in his brother’s ability to rule. A terrible king could ruin the most prosperous of kingdoms, he couldn’t bear to watch his country’s people broken down even further.

Either way, he’s damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

DIPLOMATIC CONTACTS – Ajani would have been greatly involved in the ruling of the empire and he would have been responsible for keeping up with a large part of the correspondence. This is for characters with political or trading interests in Ethiopia. This can become a jumping board to something closer to friendship between our characters.

POSSIBLE BETROTHAL – because of the political situation in his country, Ajani isn’t entirely confident in his ability to return home after the summit. He’s concerned that if the people revolt while their entire ruling family is out of the country, they wouldn’t be allowed in. He would want to at least begin to formulate a different plan were that to happen, and his current idea is marrying a heiress – someone with land in their own name where Ajani could withdraw should he become an exile. If your character fits the description and you’d like to chat, hit me up on discord!  

PERSONAL GUARDS/ADVISORS – Ajani is in need of the people he trusts most in the world. They would have grown up together, so y/m would have either been children of palace staff, or perhaps royal hostages from noble families, backstory is flexible, of course, but whatever brought them together as children, stayed with them as they matured. They trained together, studied together, and as Ajani was given more and more responsibilities, he made sure to keep both of them close. He depends on them to be where he cannot go and do the things he can’t be seen doing. How they feel about his older brother is utp, but on Ajani’s part it’s pretty obvious he’s not ready to take an active stance against the king, despite his soured opinion on him. He’s not incorruptible on the subject, but it seems unlikely he’d take part in an assassination plot against Iyasu, at the moment. Your muses might be wanting to change that, or perhaps they don’t care about the crown, but think that Ajani’s intention of marrying out of his problems (another course of action he hasn’t committed himself to, either – please this one needs to be browbeaten into making decisions for himself) is an eminently stupid idea for a plethora of reasons. Whatever the case might be, though, whether there’s tension between them or not, their natural inclination would still be to try and find a way through it together, just like all the times before.  Honestly, I imagine their relationship as something of a queer platonic entanglement they’re hopelessly committed to, complicated by social expectations, status, politics & whatever baggage they each can’t help but drag into it on occasion. 

#1642hqsintro #ABOUT || a charming young man capable of being terrible

[dawnflooded]

( hanna mangan lawrence, cis female, she/her, 27) ** ♔ announcing BEATRIZ LEON,  the PRINCESS OF SPAIN ! in a recent portrait they seem to resemble HANNA MANGAN LAWRENCE. it is a miracle that SHE survived the last five years, considering they are IMPISH, SCHEMING, and INGENIOUS. i hope the plague has not changed them. they are INDIFFERENT TO working together with the other kingdoms

·         listening to: lorde - sober ii ( melodrama )

·         there’s this butterfly that looks like a snake and i keep thinking a creature that’s the reverse of that basically describes her; instead of a butterfly pretending to be a viper, she’s a viper pretending to be a butterfly;

·         i think she has a very...gillian flynn type vibe, so this will be fun; 

 Beatriz’s arrival in this world came unexpectedly, happened at the worst possible moment, and disappointed everyone. 

She was born during an ill-advised sea crossing, while their ship was being rocked by a furious storm that darkened the day sky to pitch black.

The sailors above deck watched in dread as the sea was lashed by dozens of lightning strikes all around them. For hours they feared their ship would break apart, or finally be hit and catch fire. Things calmed only at night, and they managed to maneuver the damaged but still functional vessel into port.

All things considered, the birth actually went as easily as such things could be hoped for, and both baby and mother recovered quickly, at least once they made it back on land. But the incident wasn’t without its repercussions – the queen had been so shaken by the ordeal that she ascribed to it significant meaning. 

For years, she’d imagined her second daughter was marked for death, and fearful as she was of losing her, the queen instructed everyone to treat her like a delicate child. For the first years of her life, she was forbidden most of everything, movements restricted to only the safest of locations. She was allowed brief walks around the garden only in the mildest of weathers and never for long. She was kept inside months at a time.

They tried to keep her occupied with lessons and – for her immortal soul that her mother claimed was in such danger – they employed a priest to tend personally to her. Beatriz instantly loathed him and after having to suffer under his yoke for nearly two years, she finally erupted and threw her Bible at him. It hit him in the face at an unfortunate angle, causing him to lose an eye. He parents dealt with the issue summarily, paying him to fabricate another story and sending him out of Spain by the end of the year.

Her insufferable restrictions continued, just with another discipline quietly replacing the time she’d spent with the priest.  She never managed to taste a modicum of freedom for as long as her parents had lived, actually.

She assumes this is why she feels so little every time she catches herself thinking about them.

Of course, by the time the king and queen of Spain passed away, everyone else had already realized there was nothing fragile about Beatriz, so convincing her newly crowned brother to loosen her leash a little was incredibly easy and she was finally allowed to into society. She exchanged the mousy, quiet girls her parents had found for her, for the glittering, snobbish, daughters of nobility, who taught her the language of court.

She thrived, almost inappropriately so, taking into account how recent the losses of her parents were, but Beatriz was always destined to tread the line between propriety and spectacle (even though there is none as those two things are in no way comparable; but if she doesn’t have a way, she will find a way between them). 

She felt as though the entirety of Europe was at her feet, and so she reached towards it, finding the most outrageous reasons to travel to different places. Ostensibly under the tutelage of the Spanish ambassadors from various courts, to learn new languages and customs, actually there just for the joy of exploring. She’d always been a little too greedy, but she’d tried very hard to at least be smart about it. Beatriz always knew which things to keep private, and she’d carefully constructed a reputation of empty boldness around her public persona that made numerous rumors slip away like water off a duck’s back.

It was just pure chance that she was in Spain when the seriousness of the situation dawned on all of them. All thoughts of moving on soon having fled, Beatriz tried not to let old resentments flare up when finding herself confined again. At the beginning, she kept herself busy, organizing all sorts of events, soirees, informal parties and game nights, striving desperately to keep boredom at bay. That only lasted a few months, after that the events grew rarer and rarer. In order to survive five years cooped up inside, Beatriz reached out to her sister, certain Sofia was the busiest among them, and most likely to have some task or another for her younger sister.

Now that the fires are out and the plague has slowly crawled away, now that she is finally out of Spain again, she’s eager to make up for as much time as she is able.

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

PRE-ESTABLISHED RELATIONSHIPS: maybe your country was one Beatriz visited (I’m thinking of capping her number of trips at four; I’ll add them here as I plot) and they know each other from before the plague started. She would have travelled in between 19-22, so 8-5 years ago. This is basically open for anything: friendships, rivalries, flirtations etc.

POSSIBLE BETHROTHAL: Beatriz had such a hard time during the plague that she honestly wouldn’t mind never returning to Spain again, so she could be described as at least open to the idea. But she’s also not emotionally invested in the venture, so she’s more likely to want to test them and treat it like a game. But she wants to make sure her future husband has a suitable temperament, after all, before committing to anything.  

ANYONE/ANYTHING: really, she’s just so…666% extroverted. She’s been talking to the same people every day for five years. At this point she’d talk to anybody.

#1642hqsintro #ABOUT || she wears bright flowers & has a heart like stone