Letter from Lord Nikodim to Madam Barcleft of the Silks

These handwritten responses to this letter were found pinned underneath the letter on the public posting board, prior to the board being cleared by guards a few days after the initial posting. Only a few of these responses were signed.

"Oh no."

"Haha. Chocolate, huh? I wish noblemen would pay for my chocolate."

"What in the hell is 'reversal of birth'? As in, what is it? Isn't that just death?"

"I've staged such displays before. It's an euphemism. A private display for 250F down at the White Glove, if you're so interested." - Madam Gianna Figueroa

"Somehow I can't imagine Madam Figueroa jotting down a note like that and pinning it here in public."

"Free publicity, why not? But, back to the letter at hand. So this Lord Nikodim had some sort of fantasy scenario of being a woman? What's wrong with that? I thought that was a fairly common thing, why is he so upset about it?"

"There's a running thread in the nobility about men having to express their masculinity, so it's not something that can be expressed publicly in those circles. Madam Barcleft knew she was going to destroy him by posting this. The debts must have been pretty big."

"I work around the block, and if I could trade places with Nikodim, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Being here is soul-crushing."

"I have my doubts he wanted to specifically be a working girl of the Scarlet Block."

"If you prefer to not be here, I have positions open at Mattison's Precision Power Fabricators on the south end of town, we're looking for steady hands to run the assemblage lines. 180F a day." - Richard Mattison

"180F a day when a girl can pull in two thousand in one good night here. No thanks."

"So is the Stallion and the Mare an actual good show? I've seen flyers for it plastered everywhere."

"Overpriced, in my opinion, but for nobles of undiscerning taste, it's probably got that forbidden spice that they all crave."

"This public postboard is meant for postings of statements for the promotion of goods and services. This type of discussion is inappropriate for this medium; if you want to talk shop, do it in a letter to the Scarlet Journal. I will be removing any further pins and will be removing this letter at sunset tomorrow." - Captain Laurelia Mors, 4th Etoilean Guards

Purpose

This was a letter that was posted in on a public posting board at the center of the Scarlet Block, on the 82nd day of Fourth Season, 724. Presumably it was posted by Madam Barcleft, but there was no confirmation either way before the letter and the handwritten responses to the letter was taken down by the city guards.

Historical Details

Public Reaction

While some backlash was sent to the Silks for publishing such a letter meant to be held in confidence, the far greater laughter and public mockery sent to Lord Nikodim prompted him to leave the Capital to his distant country estate, from which he has yet to return. Offers by other production houses to stage plays along the lines of 'The Lord's Preference' have been shut down by the state.

Read the Document

Letter from Lord Nikodim to Madam Barcleft of the Silks

To Madam Katarin Barcleft of the esteemed private club, Silks,
I firstly wish to congratulate you as to the recent success of your production, 'The Stallion and the Mare'. I had the distinct pleasure of witnessing this production firsthand, and will attest to any interested its excellent quality. I write to you today, however, to protest what I believe is, hopefully, not an intentional misrepresentation of events to which I am personally involved.
In most respects I am deeply appreciative of the art that was put on display for this production. The female form is, in my mind, to be deeply and vastly appreciated, and some of the acts that were witnessed only highlight her true beauty. I especially appreciated the scenes that served as simulation of the process of birth, that most feminine of acts, with only mere fruits and melons as proxies - a thoughtful and provocative display. I found the reversal of this process a bit strange, but I am no artist; I leave it to others to judge this on merit. My protestation is to some of the other, more specific scenes.
You have reassured me on many occasions that there are no secrets between us, to which I have obliged by discussing several scenarios to which your establishment has implemented to my deep satisfaction. It was my hope, however, that such scenarios would remain merely the private reserve between you, your performers, and myself; I was under no small consternation when I witnessed the 'toe-face tickling' scenario that I had described to you, in confidence, performed on stage, with someone who I believe to be a reasonably similar lookalike. Fortunately, I am a man of common appearance, so perhaps none successfully made the association other than myself, but I must protest the inclusion of such an act in your production. Yes, I did enjoy it, and yes, if there are others who enjoy such acts, I wish them nothing but the best - but you must understand my position in high society, Barcleft. You may dismiss this as mere fragility, but I cannot engage in serious business dealings if those who are my opponents in business are laughing about 'toes and tickling' under their breaths when they believe I cannot hear them.
I must make a similar complaint about the scene roughly two thirds of the way through the production, when my lookalike in the production offers up the line, 'Give me the chocolate, girl', or something to that effect, while positioned in a compromising pose. In this I must offer a must strenuous objection, as I have never once actually wished that particular scenario to be enacted in its truest form, and the implications of the scene comport to such vile implications as to induce emesis in those with any sort of imagination in their minds. My relationship to this act is only in the play of food, and not in the play of the production of the large intestine, no matter if the food happens to have a superficial resemblance to the nightsoil at hand. Should that change in the future, you will be the first to know, and your performer compensated appropriately; but I emphasize, that this is not currently the case, nor do I suddenly feel enamored of that particular proclivity.
The third and final objection I have here is likely the most obvious; the conclusion of your production results in my lookalike being 'transformed', in the context of your production, into a working girl of the establishment, the 'Stallion' becoming a 'Mare' in the context of theatre. Subsequent to this development, the girl (who I believe to remain a stand-in for myself, even though there is no longer a resemblance) is subject to all sorts of depraved acts, and is portrayed in the throes of ecstasy throughout. I understand that this is the denouement, a final piece of eroticism that primes the audience to be led away for further, individualized 'productions' by your staff, and I have no objections to the structure or pacing. But that particular scenario was one I let loose through the lubricant of alcohol; it is obviously impossible to fulfill in reality or practicality, magic and effects be damned, and it may be by far the most humiliating of these scenarios to witness portrayed on stage. Was there any consideration that happened here as to my own opinions on these matters, which was intended to stay between professional adults of the Etoile Capital City, and not put on tawdry display?
I understand that I have an account open here. I am not blind to my own faults; my business dealings have left me bereft of liquid funds and in a state of temporary debt. Yet I have proven nothing but a loyal customer in the past, and I have successfully paid my debts prior; why should this time be any different? If this was objectionable, a simple messenger and letter would have sufficed to notify me that my payments to you must be prioritized; there was no need for what I consider to be a public humiliation by proxy, even if the greater public is unaware of my...'involvement' in this production.
Let us preserve our working relationship in good order; I continue to be an enthusiastic patron of the Silks and your fan in adoration. I simply request that some of the details of the Stallion and the Mare be rearranged, to lessen what I believe to be my obvious portrayal and mockery in this production. It is a cheap and ugly move for a fine establishment such as the Silks to take advantage of the weaknesses of men like myself, who cannot help the positions we find ourselves in at certain times of our lives.
Your humble servant, Lord Charles Nikodim

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Type

Text, Letter

Medium

Paper