WANT AD: Cortigiana Onesta #2
20ish / Courtesan / Catharine McCormick
The below Want Ad is merely a suggestion... and anything herein can be altered, changed, or even rewritten to suit the Player's Choice.
NAME: Player Choice
NICKNAMES: Fiore (or Player Choice)
AGE: Twenty-ish
GENDER: Female
SEXUALITY: Bisexual (or Player Choice)
FACE CLAIM: ((Preferred: Catherine McCormack ))
APPEARANCE:
The Courtesan’s hair is brown with highlights in gold, arranged in a fashionable hairstyle with long ringlet curls, often decorated with feathers or jewels, or wearing fashionable hats. She enjoys dressing in fashionable dresses of silk and satin, laces and light colors. Her dresses are always lowcut in the front, revealing her cleavage and reminds people of her trade. The Courtesan walks with a sexy, feminine sway and often carries a white laced parasol and a hand fan in white silk.
LIKES:
Theater and drama; Italian culture and literature; Luxury; Men; romantic dinner with candles;
DISLIKES:
❖ Angry wives, since they will make her life most unpleasant;
❖ Losing a lover - especially if it was one who paid well and who she actually enjoyed; ❖ ❖ Poverty - because what would she do without her luxury?;
❖ Violent and/or overly drunk customers;
❖ Rats - god knows where they've been before they came to her - almost like men...
HOPES: Even though life has treated her cruel, the Courtesan never stops dreaming that one day she will find a man who will love her enough to marry her. She also hope that the way she lives her life will not get her imprisoned, as she hears that the raw prison air is really bad for her health.
PERSONALITY: The Courtesan is a girl that can't say no. In spite of all she has been through in her life, she carries an almost childlike innocence in her heart - believing that all persons have something good in them, though it may be buried deep within. Time after time she thinks she has met the love of her life, and every time she ends up disappointed. She laughs when she is in company with her friends and lovers, but home behind closed doors and alone in her room she cries herself to sleep..
HISTORY:
The Courtesan was born in Venice, Italy in 1554. Her mother was a Venetian maidservant who was raped by the Master of her household when she was barely legal. She was pregnant after the rape, and her Master's angry wife put all blame on the poor girl and threw her out in the streets. The maidservant, now disgraced and without any hopes of finding a new job, was forced to sell her body in the streets to survive.
As her pregnancy went on, the customers grew scarce, and she became thin from lack of nutrition. When the baby was born, the poor mother died in the dirty streets where she gave birth, leaving the baby alone and crying in the cold rain.
This might have been the end of the poor baby, if it was not for a black wagon pulled by a grey horse coming down the narrow street by the canal. Inside the wagon was a middle aged woman dressed in a rather fancy dress, wearing makeup and with feathers in her hair. The woman was named Carlotta Cellini, and she was one of many Courtesans in Venice. When Carlotta saw the dead woman lying in the streets and the crying baby between her legs, she ordered the wagon to stop, and she came out of the wagon to see to the child. The baby girl stopped crying when it felt something warm touching it's cold little body, and it opened its eyes for the first time, sending Carlotta a big, toothless smile.
Perhaps a few strings were stirred in the heart of the seasoned Courtesan, for she carried the child home with her and took care of her as her own. The child was named Michela, and she grew up to be a beautiful child, mild-tempered and obedient. Her adoptive mother taught her how to read and write, how to play music, how to dance and to entertain. All the refined things a good Courtesan needs to know.
The woman was determined that little Michela would not end up in the streets like her poor mother. If she played her cards right, perhaps it was even possible to find the girl a proper husband. But even if they didn't find a husband, she was determined to make a fine Courtesan of the girl, and she started teaching her as soon as the child was big enough to understand. Michela was also taught how to protect herself from shameful diseases and how to avoid getting pregnant.
There were herbs you could take to avoid this, and herbs to cure diseases. Carlotta knew well of these herbs, as a monk from a nearby monastery were among her most loyal customers, and now she shared her knowledge with her adopted daughter.
When Michela was 16 years of age her Courtesan mother had a visit from one of the powerful men working for the Doge. He was an old man, claiming that he no longer reacted by seeing young girls. The sight of young Michela however, made him change his mind, and he offered Carlotta a hefty sum of money for the virginity of the young girl. The old man was overly drunk, and Carlotta, who saw how much he scared the young girl refused to accept the trade. Enraged the old man grabbed his weapon and killed Carlotta, before forcing himself on the terrified young girl.
Michela was broken. Not only had she lost the only mother she had ever known, but she had also lost her pride. Gone was her dream of working as a handmaiden for a lady of noble standing - who would want a girl with a torn reputation?
Her mother was gone - but she left behind a valuable lesson: How to be a Courtesan. Young Michela started using what she had learned, using Carlotta's house as a base. Soon she had managed to build up a group of few, but well-paying customers. Some of the men were married, but Michela gave them just as good service as she gave the single men. Not only did she give them sex, but she also introduced to them the fine love of literature and finer arts she had learned from her beloved adopted mother.
For four years she managed to build up a small fortune. But one day she received a letter. It turned out Carlotta had a son. He now wanted to take over his mother's house, and he was not interested in sharing his house with a courtesan. She had ONE week to pack her things and get out.
Michela packed her things in a daze. The year was 1572 and times were dangerous. Where would she find shelter in times like this? Who would wish the services of a young Courtesan? Would she ever be able to find herself a proper home? Packing her things and placing them in the wagon she prepared to leave the house. Her face was pale, and her brown eyes glistened with tears. She was homeless now, and she didn't know where to turn....
INFORMATION
20ish / Courtesan / Catharine McCormick
The below Want Ad is merely a suggestion... and anything herein can be altered, changed, or even rewritten to suit the Player's Choice.
NAME: Player Choice
NICKNAMES: Fiore (or Player Choice)
AGE: Twenty-ish
GENDER: Female
SEXUALITY: Bisexual (or Player Choice)
FACE CLAIM: ((Preferred: Catherine McCormack ))
APPEARANCE:
The Courtesan’s hair is brown with highlights in gold, arranged in a fashionable hairstyle with long ringlet curls, often decorated with feathers or jewels, or wearing fashionable hats. She enjoys dressing in fashionable dresses of silk and satin, laces and light colors. Her dresses are always lowcut in the front, revealing her cleavage and reminds people of her trade. The Courtesan walks with a sexy, feminine sway and often carries a white laced parasol and a hand fan in white silk.
LIKES:
Theater and drama; Italian culture and literature; Luxury; Men; romantic dinner with candles;
DISLIKES:
❖ Angry wives, since they will make her life most unpleasant;
❖ Losing a lover - especially if it was one who paid well and who she actually enjoyed; ❖ ❖ Poverty - because what would she do without her luxury?;
❖ Violent and/or overly drunk customers;
❖ Rats - god knows where they've been before they came to her - almost like men...
HOPES: Even though life has treated her cruel, the Courtesan never stops dreaming that one day she will find a man who will love her enough to marry her. She also hope that the way she lives her life will not get her imprisoned, as she hears that the raw prison air is really bad for her health.
PERSONALITY: The Courtesan is a girl that can't say no. In spite of all she has been through in her life, she carries an almost childlike innocence in her heart - believing that all persons have something good in them, though it may be buried deep within. Time after time she thinks she has met the love of her life, and every time she ends up disappointed. She laughs when she is in company with her friends and lovers, but home behind closed doors and alone in her room she cries herself to sleep..
HISTORY:
The Courtesan was born in Venice, Italy in 1554. Her mother was a Venetian maidservant who was raped by the Master of her household when she was barely legal. She was pregnant after the rape, and her Master's angry wife put all blame on the poor girl and threw her out in the streets. The maidservant, now disgraced and without any hopes of finding a new job, was forced to sell her body in the streets to survive.
As her pregnancy went on, the customers grew scarce, and she became thin from lack of nutrition. When the baby was born, the poor mother died in the dirty streets where she gave birth, leaving the baby alone and crying in the cold rain.
This might have been the end of the poor baby, if it was not for a black wagon pulled by a grey horse coming down the narrow street by the canal. Inside the wagon was a middle aged woman dressed in a rather fancy dress, wearing makeup and with feathers in her hair. The woman was named Carlotta Cellini, and she was one of many Courtesans in Venice. When Carlotta saw the dead woman lying in the streets and the crying baby between her legs, she ordered the wagon to stop, and she came out of the wagon to see to the child. The baby girl stopped crying when it felt something warm touching it's cold little body, and it opened its eyes for the first time, sending Carlotta a big, toothless smile.
Perhaps a few strings were stirred in the heart of the seasoned Courtesan, for she carried the child home with her and took care of her as her own. The child was named Michela, and she grew up to be a beautiful child, mild-tempered and obedient. Her adoptive mother taught her how to read and write, how to play music, how to dance and to entertain. All the refined things a good Courtesan needs to know.
The woman was determined that little Michela would not end up in the streets like her poor mother. If she played her cards right, perhaps it was even possible to find the girl a proper husband. But even if they didn't find a husband, she was determined to make a fine Courtesan of the girl, and she started teaching her as soon as the child was big enough to understand. Michela was also taught how to protect herself from shameful diseases and how to avoid getting pregnant.
There were herbs you could take to avoid this, and herbs to cure diseases. Carlotta knew well of these herbs, as a monk from a nearby monastery were among her most loyal customers, and now she shared her knowledge with her adopted daughter.
When Michela was 16 years of age her Courtesan mother had a visit from one of the powerful men working for the Doge. He was an old man, claiming that he no longer reacted by seeing young girls. The sight of young Michela however, made him change his mind, and he offered Carlotta a hefty sum of money for the virginity of the young girl. The old man was overly drunk, and Carlotta, who saw how much he scared the young girl refused to accept the trade. Enraged the old man grabbed his weapon and killed Carlotta, before forcing himself on the terrified young girl.
Michela was broken. Not only had she lost the only mother she had ever known, but she had also lost her pride. Gone was her dream of working as a handmaiden for a lady of noble standing - who would want a girl with a torn reputation?
Her mother was gone - but she left behind a valuable lesson: How to be a Courtesan. Young Michela started using what she had learned, using Carlotta's house as a base. Soon she had managed to build up a group of few, but well-paying customers. Some of the men were married, but Michela gave them just as good service as she gave the single men. Not only did she give them sex, but she also introduced to them the fine love of literature and finer arts she had learned from her beloved adopted mother.
For four years she managed to build up a small fortune. But one day she received a letter. It turned out Carlotta had a son. He now wanted to take over his mother's house, and he was not interested in sharing his house with a courtesan. She had ONE week to pack her things and get out.
Michela packed her things in a daze. The year was 1572 and times were dangerous. Where would she find shelter in times like this? Who would wish the services of a young Courtesan? Would she ever be able to find herself a proper home? Packing her things and placing them in the wagon she prepared to leave the house. Her face was pale, and her brown eyes glistened with tears. She was homeless now, and she didn't know where to turn....
INFORMATION
Quote:
There were two types of courtesan. In one category was a type of courtesan known (in Italy) as the cortigiana onesta, or the honest courtesan, who was cast as an intellectual.
In the other was the cortigiana di lume, a lower class of courtesan. Although the latter was still considered better than an average courtesan, the former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more-or-less equal to women of the nobility. It is with this type of courtesan that the art of "courtisanerie" is best associated.
The cortigiana onesta were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their "breeding"—social and conversational skills, intelligence, common-sense, and companionship—as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. Sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan's array of services. For example, they were well-dressed and ready to engage and participate in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics.
In some cases, courtesans were from well-to-do backgrounds, and were even married—but to husbands lower on the social ladder than their clients. In these cases, their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve their spouses' status—and so, more often than not, the husband was aware of his wife's profession and dealings.
In the other was the cortigiana di lume, a lower class of courtesan. Although the latter was still considered better than an average courtesan, the former was the sort most often romanticized and treated more-or-less equal to women of the nobility. It is with this type of courtesan that the art of "courtisanerie" is best associated.
The cortigiana onesta were usually well-educated and worldly (sometimes even more so than the average upper-class woman), and often held simultaneous careers as performers or artists. They were typically chosen on the basis of their "breeding"—social and conversational skills, intelligence, common-sense, and companionship—as well as their physical attributes. It was usually their wit and personality that set them apart from regular women. Sex constituted only a facet of the courtesan's array of services. For example, they were well-dressed and ready to engage and participate in a variety of topics ranging from art to music to politics.
In some cases, courtesans were from well-to-do backgrounds, and were even married—but to husbands lower on the social ladder than their clients. In these cases, their relationships with those of high social status had the potential to improve their spouses' status—and so, more often than not, the husband was aware of his wife's profession and dealings.
Moderators: Playerfiles Alix Maria Tradonico (played anonymously)