#babette: my sparkling diamond

[spindleprick]

She had shone her vividest at dinner, with the revolving brilliancy that collective approval always struck from her; and the glow of it still hung on her as she paused there in the dimness, her shining cloak dropped from her white shoulders.

Edith Wharton, The Custom of the Country

[sparklingdiamant]

hello starshines! im taryn, and i play babette, aka the diamond skeleton/the resident moulin rouge dreamer with an unfortunately burgeoning ego. ive already started reading all the beautiful apps, and i cant wait to get started!! i have to get going to work shortly, but i wrote some sparknotes on my baby girl under the cut (her bio is long af and i want to spare yall that trauma), as well as placed a few basic connections. i wont be able to actually write until a lot later, but imma try to hang around on mobile so we can plot or chat in the ims!

babette merlo, stagename fleur (fleurette if you’re being cute), age 24. dancer/courtesan & new headliner of the moulin rouge.

(you also might know her as “bibi,” her backstage nickname which means bauble or toy. it was started affectionately but she hasn’t thought to be offended by it until recently)

her dad is a famous composer, but also a bohemian, eccentric, and casanova. aka babette is actually his illegitimate child, which he fathered with a former corps dancer at the opera.

babette and her mom literally lived in a pretty cottage in the garden of her dad’s estate. aka élian merlo was enough of a dickish romantic that he put up his baby mama and child in the same space as his “legitimate” family, and expected them to deal with it.

she’s raised bougie, essentially, still given amazing clothes/toys/all the trappings of wealth, taken to galas etc, but everyone knows she’s the bastard. not allowed at certain functions and rarely sees her dad until she’s a bit older and he decides she’s his fave bc she’s pretty + artistically inclined lmfao. in flashing lights: DADDY ISSUES BEGAN

ignores most of her schooling bc she doesnt really care about it. spends more time flirting with boys (that male validation she craves). only pays attention to ballet, which she plans to make a career out of. she’s v talented but realistically suffers in terms of dedication/drive.

as she’s about to debut with the paris opera, she starts getting wealthy patrons lining up to make a meal out of her (as was common for pretty up-and-coming girls in the ballet at the time). turns out this attention is far more interesting to babette than all the rehearsals and aching feet and sour choreographers, lmfao. ends up officially leaving the theatre dramatically after one of her sponsors takes her to the moulin rouge, after which she insists they visit like a dozen times as she falls in love with it.

joins the moulin rouge at the baby age of 19! falls headlong into the work, and v quickly makes a family of everyone there. she idolizes and befriends minette, genuinely supporting her. with her dance background & natural penchant for charm, she quickly becomes the understudy, the second-best, the silver medal etc etc. earnestly never truly coveted minette’s spot during this time; she was v much just doing what she did for the love of it.

now that minette’s gone and her guilt/grief is abating, the spotlight is becoming addictive to her. 

tbh she’s still a v sweet girl. she’s got her head in the clouds, is generally very dreamy and a little eccentric. got a big ol’ heart. BUT she was raised spoiled, she never had her selfishness checked. and while before these were just moments that came in flashes, they’re going to increase as she grows possessive of her placement as the number one choice, bc she’s never BEEN someone’s first choice before, and it’s validating to her. say it with me: daddy issues will screw you UP

connections (or an attempt at them):

feel free to combine or edit these as you want!!

for anyone. something antagonistic; anyone that either wants to snark at babette for thinking she’s not a suitable replacement to minette, or because they themselves wanted that position and are lashing out as a result

for anyone. someone looking to lock themselves onto babette’s rising star, now that she’s the sparkling diamond of the red windmill. she almost certainly has no idea their attention/affection is false, so feel free to manipulate away

for anyone, preferably staff of some kind. inspired by chocolat and satine from the film; anyone who sees babette isn’t physically or mentally capable or recognizing potential enemies or taking care of herself, and as a result hovers around and makes a habit of playing guardian to her.

for anyone. the skinny love, affair that almost was but never did, etc. babette and this person have always flirted, but never anything more. the potential for lingering feelings, long glances, and a twisting knot in your stomach when you see them with someone else. she is kind of... assumed heterosexual? she’s experimented sexually with women at most, though hasn’t engaged in romantic behaviours with a female-identifying individual, so with the right plotting it could be any gender tbh

for staff. the affair that already happened, and didn’t end well. angst, pls.

for courtesans. consider this: friends with benefits, moulin rouge style. except it’s two courtesans that started it out of “well clients rarely know what they’re doing, let’s give ourselves our own happy ending.” preferably female but could be anyone!

for anyone. her crush!! even the sparkling diamond can get heart eyes, and despite herself this person still makes her blush.

for anyone. likely a friend or someone whose worked with her some time, but anyone who can see babette’s pattern in how her attitude is changing (and not for the better) and tries to get her out of it. tbh this all stems from a need for affection and validation so please call her OUT

for clients. a juxtaposition to the former connection, that one client that actually seems to have the reigns on babette, rather than the other way around. whether it’s their bedroom skills or a manipulative tendency, when she drapes her arms over their shoulders and asks “when will you come back?” she means it

for male staff. essentially a friend with a very close relationship (even her best friend tbh) that’s marked by affection and protectiveness. it’s purely platonic, but onlookers will often assume they have a romantic or sexual connection due to how often they see babette in his lap, or jumping into his arms after a successful performance. pls i need this

[spindleprick]

[She] was pale, like moonlight struck her face and didn't let go.

Beth Lewis, The Wolf Road

[spindleprick]

[She] seemed not at all concerned by the amount of love she had to give. Her reach was enormous. She had the ability to make large groups of people feel loved by her. Her affection was like sunlight, and it could fill an entire room.

When We Lost Our Heads, Heather O’Neill

[spindleprick]

She’s so hungry — greedy almost, but not quite — for all the wonderful things in the world.

Elsa Maxwell on Marilyn Monroe

[spindleprick]

True, she was only five foot five, but she knew how to dance in two-inch heels—and she knew how to kick them off when she sat in your lap.

Amor Towles, Rules of Civility

[spindleprick]

She sighs as if she could empty her whole heart.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, Imogen Hermes Gowar

[spindleprick]

She seemed aware of her beauty in the manner of someone with something she is determined you should enjoy.

Alexander Chee, The Queen of the Night

[spindleprick]

Men often complain of the wickedness of women. Of how we delight in what power we have over their hearts. But they reign over everything else, so of course, they grudge us this, should we ever come to rule over this thing the size of their fist.

Alexander Chee, The Queen of the Night

[spindleprick]

As family legend had it, [her] first steps were ballet moves across the floor. Whereas most children take a few awkward and stumbling steps, she did a petit pas de chat. She walked around with her tiny ballet slippers, looking very much like a duck, with the ribbons trailing behind her like marks in the water. She performed for people.

When We Lost Our Heads, Heather O’Neill

[spindleprick]

She was wonderful — you could eat her with a spoon.

Amy Greene on Marilyn Monroe

[spindleprick]

She begins to weep. Her tears are fat as pearls.

The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock, Imogen Hermes Gowar

[spindleprick]

The mansion was surrounded by a thick bed of beautifully kept pink roses. They were like ballerinas taking a break and sitting down in their tutus.

When We Lost Our Heads, Heather O’Neill

[spindleprick]

... dispensing dazzling smiles right and left, not missing a single man. She had a way of smiling that made each one of them feel that secretly she was in line with him alone.

The Penelopiad

[spindleprick]

… To kiss someone she did not love was an abhorrence to her, except when she felt like it.

Hermoine Eyre, Viper Wine