〚 ◈┇ ════════════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ════════════ ┇◈ 〛 ᴛʜᴇ ɪᴍᴘᴇʀɪᴀʟ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛs SWEETHEART CODE 〚 ◈┇ ════════════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ════════════ ┇◈ 〛 〚 ◈┇ ═════════════════════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ═════════════════════ ┇◈ 〛 █████████████████████████████████████████████████ █████████████████████████████████████████████████ 〚 ◈┇ ══════════════════════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ══════════════════════ ┇◈ 〛 〚 ◈┇ ════════════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ════════════ ┇◈ 〛 Love, betrothal, courtships, and balls - oh my! - all flutter into the air, as they do within the hearts of our most noble Peerage. Herein are the guiding principles of propriety, both new and old, on subjects of dance, courtship, and gifts given to others. 〚 ◈┇ ══════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ══════ ┇◈ 〛 《 ʜᴏᴛɪᴇʀs 》 In regards to the general peerage, Women must wear at least wrist-length silken gloves, or elbow-length if desired, during every dance, and must wear silk or velvet dancing slippers or else may not set foot on the dance floor in its entirety. Gloves are required to be carried on a woman’s person at each formal event, either worn or looped on a little ring on the waist for easy access. OOC: These don’t have to be skinned, as long as you emote them being there when you need them! Modesty is required, as an excess of skin shown at Whistledown events and balls implies lewd intent of the lady or lord showing off. During Whistledown events, there will be no leg slits of any kind; dress may not show off an excess of chest; there may not be any cutout portions of any outfit that reveals skin between the sternum and the hips. Any noble who has to rely on flashing skin rather than smiles to attract a partner is not a marriageable noble at all, and no better than a courtesan. Nobles who are improperly dressed will be asked to change or be given a very unflattering new outfit to wear if they do not have anything. A refusal to change will result in ejection from the event. Couples and friends, either publicly declared or just budding and wishing to be a little quieter about the object of their affections or companionship, but wanting to communicate that someone exists, all the same, may do so in a myriad of ways. This must always be done in a mutual relationship; to wear any of these without being in some sort of agreed-upon relationship is seen as incredibly creepy and marks the person as repulsive for claiming to be involved with someone, presumably without their knowledge nor consent. Choker necklaces (which may be lace, velvet, leather cord, or any other sort of material) that include a pendant of the House Crest, sigil animal, or other depiction that is either directly or loosely associated with the object of their affections may be worn. Chokers with no pendant or additional charm do not carry this meaning and are just plain chokers, to be worn as part of a fashionable ensemble. There is no ‘friend version’ of chokers. Pairs of earrings split between two people can either mean affection and a romantic relationship or simply a very, very close friendship. It is not uncommon to see additional piercings to accommodate having many close friends, or many mismatched earrings. Dangling earrings of any sort imply a romantic relationship. Stud earrings of any sort imply a close friendship. Handkerchiefs and pocket squares set over the heart, or stored in an interior pocket over the heart, carry this meaning only if a handkerchief or pocket square of the same color is present on someone else, either in the same position or tied around one’s wrist, or the handkerchief carries embroidery of their beloved’s name or initials. There is no ‘friend version’ of handkerchiefs and pocket squares. Cufflinks, where the pair is split, carry this meaning and are meant as a reminder of the object of one’s affections. This is the traditional way to declare affection, and is the source of the term “cuffing”, or “cuffing season.” There is no ‘friend version’ of cufflinks. Lockets, while not necessarily romantic in nature, are largely associated with romance all the same. Ones that carry engravings of a House Crest, sigil animal, or anything not associated with or belonging to the wearer all point towards romantic connotation; ones that depict a pair of things not associated with any present House, or else tranquil scenes, historical events, or other miscellaneous engravings point to friendly relationships between the wearer and the one who gave the locket. These may be worn close to the chest for a bit of privacy, or on the outside of one’s clothing as an open invitation for others to see, as well as share their adoration for their loved one. While a locket isn’t always a symbol of romance and affection, it is a generally good indicator. Corsages and boutonnières may be worn in pairs or on their own, either between friends, lovers, or those intending to send a political message of intent. Corsages are for women only, and boutonnières solely for men. Corsages and boutonnières rely firmly on flower language to communicate their meanings and carry a certain subtlety to their usage. Some examples of usage are listed below, though there are endless possibilities. OOC: These can get hard to skin, so don’t worry! Just emoting it is fine. To show support for another Noble House during an assembly or a competitive event, their House Flower may be worn as a corsage or boutonnière. For instance, House Peirgarten’s house flower is the amaryllis, and House Cadieux, the lily of the valley. To declare intentions or moods for an evening, the associated flower may be used. For instance, a pink camellia for longing, perhaps; a yellow carnation for refusal; or red columbine to communicate anxieties. OOC: We’re using Victorian flower language for this! There are tons of different versions out there, but I find Victorian lines up best with the wide range of things that can be said through flowers, and having everyone looking at one set of specific meanings makes everything clearer and so, so much easier. 《 ᴇᴛɪᴏ̨ᴜᴇᴛᴛᴇ 》 In regards to dances, Nobles and Knights are the only social classes allowed to take part in dancing at balls. If a noble and a knight are competing for a dance at a ball, the noble must always take precedence due to their higher status. Being a knight and a noble at the same time does not confer any additional precedence over nobles who are not knights. Dance cards must always be provided for events where dancing takes place prior to the event. Ideally, these will be given when the event is announced. Dance cards are programs specific to the event that detail the number of dances being held, their order, and what special rules are involved with a specific song if any. Only women carry dance cards. For instance, the Imperial Checkmate Gala’s dance cards indicate that there are five songs to be had across the night, with the first song having the highest-titled noble open the ball, and the second song requiring opposing colors to dance together. OOC: You can just write what the dance cards look like on your thread when you post events with dancing, and people can roleplay as if they have them! If you have any questions, ask me! I'm going to throw a second post on the Imperial Gala thread to detail what the dance cards look like, so that should hopefully be a good guideline. Nobles may ask for as many dances as there are songs at a ball or event where dancing takes place. There is no upper limit per-ball, or for how many dances they may ask for. Any noble may freely dance with another noble once per event. Two or greater dances with the same person during the same event indicate strong romantic interest. The noble who asked the other to dance should be the one to lead unless their dancing partner specifically requests to lead the dance. Any dance must be approved by a present house head before a noble may approach their desired dancing partner. If there is no house head present, the most senior member of the House present may do so. A noble asking to dance may not be rejected unless by a head of a House or representative, or if the noble being asked is married; to reject a dance is to disrespect the asking House, and is oftentimes a statement of political discontent with another House. The correct way to ask to dance is as follows, and consent from a House's head or representative is assumed for these to occur: Noblemen may approach a lady and inquire if there is any space on their dance card. If there is, then the lady may ‘pencil in’ the man during a specific song. If there is no space, the lady ought to offer the nobleman a dance at the next event with provided dance cards. If he is asking a lord, then he is to ask what his plans are for the ball and what songs he has open. If there are none, then they reserve a dance at the next event. Noblewomen may approach a lord and inquire if he has any plans for a specific song already. If he does not, then she may write him in during that song on her dance card. If he does, then she ought to either ask for another or that he dances with her during a song at the next event. If she is asking a lady, then they both ought to see if there is any room on their dance cards and mutually write the other in; if there is no space on one card, then they reserve a dance at the next event. Married nobles may dance with other people than their spouses, but must retire from the dance floor after midnight’s chime, no matter how long into the night the dancing extends. In regards to courtships and engagements, Engaging in courtship must always have the written and dated consent of both heads of house prior to a courtship ritual, which should be submitted to the Mistress of Conduces as soon as said document is signed. Public announcements must always follow within twenty-four hours’ passing of the courtship ritual taking place. OOC: Conduces (@canaaa) and Whistledown (@SpunSugar) must always be tagged in courtship and engagement announcements of any kind, either to begin or end. Put these in #high-society-events. The consent thing doesn’t have to be anything big, just “hey we consent to this courtship” in an IC letter sent over Forum DMs with myself, SpunSugar, and both house heads works. We need these because of the nature of the Whistledown position, as well as making sure we know to enforce the courting rules. Thank you in advance! Any and all outings between a courting pair or a pair that seeks to court, without the guarantee of engagement, must be chaperoned by a family member or close, trusted servant. These outings may never occur after the sun goes down. Unless an event is specifically an afternoon event, a courting pair may never make their way off afterward to spend time together. If no family members or servants are available, another member of the Peerage must be present to oversee the outing. Engaged couples may be on their lonesome, but must never be meeting on their own past sundown. The courtship ritual may occur in a myriad of ways, depending on the courting couple and how best they decide to express their affection. The most traditional way to privately declare courtship between a pair is for one noble to lower themselves to a knee and offer their hand up for their partner to place their hand on, which must always be gloved; to do this without a glove is improper in the highest form. A kiss may be given to the top of the hand, at which point the kneeling partner will ask, “[Title address of choice], will you do me the honor of engaging in courtship with me?” If the noble being asked finds this agreeable, they will smile and allow the kneeling noble to take their glove off in a smooth motion and retreat, as absence makes the heart grow fonder. “My Lady” or “Lady Jane” will both do just fine for the title address indicated above. A relatively new way to privately declare courtship is by serenade in a garden, which may be attached to one’s estate or elsewhere in the City. Song choice is completely up to the one singing, though anything lewd or uncouth or untoward in lyrics may sabotage a courtship before it even begins. This then finishes off with a bouquet of either red roses or red carnations, which both imply love everlasting; should the noble being serenaded find it agreeable, they will take the flowers, blow a kiss to their courting partner, and retreat to have their new flowers set where they may be reminded of their courtier. The two ways listed here are not exclusive; if there is another, custom way to propose courting, that may be done, so long as the next point is always followed. Courtship rituals must always be witnessed by a chaperone, which may be any indicated above. To do so without accompaniment is to invite rumors of sullied virtue on both nobles engaged in this relationship, as there is no chaperone present to watch over the event for propriety. These rituals must also always follow after the signed and dated consent of both family heads being submitted so that no family is caught by surprise by a pairing. Engaged and courting men may never privately entertain other women aside from their courtier or fiancée unless this is for political meetings or inter-familial coordination, or else invite rumors of infidelity and pity upon their courtier or fiancée. A nobleman may never invite a single noblewoman to his estate on her lonesome, save for political meetings, or else sully the lady’s reputation. A lady may receive a nobleman at her estate, but preferably not on her own; a First Attendant or Palest is encouraged to be present, or else another member of her staff to ensure virtue. Members of the same gender may visit each other freely unless engaging in a romantic relationship, in which case standard chaperone rules apply. In regards to gifts, A gift of gold or silver, or indeed anything jeweled, may never be given to one’s object of affections, as these gifts signal the abandonment of virtue in the relationship, and imply that one’s birth family cannot afford these things to bestow upon the noble in question. A rule of thumb for appropriate gifts is that permanent gifts (defined as ones that do not go bad within a week or two) imply a permanent relationship. Dresses, combs, and mirrors are lovely things, but ought to be reserved for gifts once an engagement is announced, though ideally, these should come after marriage. Courting pairs, and those looking to court, may only give each other gifts of flowers, candies, books, sheet music, or other items that perish and fade away so that a noble is not pressured to maintain the relationship due to the lasting gifts being lavished upon them. Friends may exchange gifts freely, but should there ever come a romantic entanglement of a friendship, all given gifts must be returned to the ones who gave them until either the courtship ends or an engagement comes of it, at which point gifts may be given back if desired. Wedding gifts, if one is to be given, must come within six months’ passing of the wedding event. Gifts of clothing and food to a newlywed couple are grievous insults indeed. 《 ᴜᴘᴄᴏᴍɪɴɢ ᴄᴏɴᴅᴜᴄᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴏᴛɪᴇʀs 》 Summer Hotiers will have a fully new approach to allow for creativity and freedom of fashionable thought amongst the nobility. Be expecting this within the next week or two - the new way will come much, much more quickly than ever before. Beach Code will be coming before the Imperial Retreat, with enough time given to secure or alter garments appropriately. Promenade Code will introduce clear guidelines on how to go on walks through the City with servants, guards, and other nobles, particularly with regards to the newly implemented City gardens! A set of unwritten etiquette lessons will be given at the Imperial Progress, detailing good manners that don't quite make the cut to pass into Conduces enforcement but should still be upheld. Further information forthcoming at a later date. As a note, the Mistress of Conduces recommends reading A Lady's Guide to Social Graces by Her Ladyship Genevieve Howlester, Imperial Mistress of Whistledown for further information on some of these good manners and unwritten social expectations. 〚 ◈┇ ════════════ - ‹ •◦ ❤ ◦• › - ════════════ ┇◈ 〛
