two terra firma samples of a sixteenth-century man

[blogged]

The Historical AU Meme

The glory of Rome! The pageantry of medieval times! The etiquette of the Regency era! The glamour of the twenties, the free-wheeling of the seventies, and - of course - the final frontier of the future.

R U L E S:
1. Post your character! Name and series in the subject line.
2. Find someone to play with! Use the RNG for a time period and situation.
3. Make excellent choices!


O P T I O N S:

1) Greco-Roman - Togas! Tunics! Gladiatorial fights and getting stabbed right in the forum! (And that's really sensitive, you know.) Maybe you're in the recently-conquered Londinium, or maybe you've made your home in Pompeii and ... hey, do you hear that?
2) Medieval - Jousting! Pointy hats! Castles! Dormice inside of a rabbit inside of a chicken inside of a duck inside of a swan inside of a pig inside of a cow! Are you royalty, a peasant, or something in between?
3) Renaissance - It's a time of discovery and revelation! New scientific breakthroughs are being made every day, and incredible literature and poems are being written all the time. Perhaps you've made your home in Venice, and you're adding to the flow of progress - or fighting against it.
4) Victorian/Edwardian - Everything is repressed and a series of gestures with a fan can make or break a hopeful suitor's night. There are balls and salons and ridiculously thorough rules of etiquette. Are you solving mysteries with Sherlock Holmes or drinking absinthe in a bar by the Moulin Rouge?
5) 1920s - Flappers! Prohibition! Everyone's dancing the Charleston and watching these new silent movies. That is, unless they've escaped to Paris to drink a lot and write about the human condition. Do you party like the world's about to end or ponder what would happen if it did?
6) 1950s - Are you willing to leave it to Beaver? It's the time of adorable housedresses, three-martini lunches, and everyone owning a brand new refrigerator - on credit! Gee whiz, it sure is great, isn't it?

...wait, what was that about nuclear bombs?
7) 1970s - Disco! Margaret Thatcher! Drugs! The '70s are a time of social upheaval and change, not to mention leisure suits. Are you at the forefront of feminism or busting a move at the discotechque?
8) Present day - it's now! Everyone's got an iPhone and a Facebook and are constantly Twittering about their MySpace. People are more connected than ever, and the world is growing smaller and smaller every day.
9) The future! - The final frontier! Are we colonizing Mars or exploring the galaxy in a big, groovy spaceship? Have we made first contact yet? Has someone finally gotten around to inventing Holodecks? If you can dream it, maybe it's happened!
10) Got a different/better idea? Some time or place I didn't think of? This is for you!

S C E N E S:

1) Having a meal! With your family, your significant other, your best friend. Is it fit for a king or what you've managed to scrounge together from what's left?
2) A night's entertainment! Going to see a show at the Globe Theater, taking in a movie, or watching a troupe of performers put on a passion play - either way, it won't be a dull night.
3) Courting! Maybe you're in an arranged marriage, or necking in the backseat of your best guy's T-Bird at the drive-in movie theater.
4) School! Are you learning from Miss Emmeline at a one-room schoolhouse, taking notes on Latin from the tutor your father hired, or at a British boarding school?
5) It's a party! Maybe you're having a hell of a time at Studio 54 or giggling behind your fan at a ball with your best friend while you wait for the boys you like to ask you to dance.
6) Political intrigue! Is someone trying to stage a coup for your throne? Is your political rival trying to knock you out of the Senate?
7) Rivals! Maybe you're two lords fighting over the same eligible lady, or maybe he's picked on you since you were both kids growing up on the same block.
8) Family! You've got kids now, or maybe you are the kids. Perhaps you're out from dawn till dusk tilling the fields, or your biggest concern is making sure your daughters marry well.
9) Market day! Are you at the mall checking out the newest saddle shoes and cuffed denim? Are you making your way to the nearest town with sheep and cows to sell?
10) Got something better? Want to combine a couple of these? Go for it!

Comments

[aviophobia]

Lead the way, Mr. Kirk. I look forward to seeing your authentic Swedish songbird.

[captaincocksure]

[Lead the way he does, straight up to a box just above and to one side of the stage, outfitted to seat two comfortably.]

I trust the seating meets with your approval?

[aviophobia]

Very nice. I am a little afraid to ask what you did to get these.

[captaincocksure]

Nothing so scandalous, my friend, set your worries aside and enjoy the show.

[aviophobia]

If you say so, James. I will take your word for it.

[captaincocksure]

I am pleased by this. Do take your seat; the show should start very soon and I should not want you to miss anything.

[aviophobia]

Heaven forfend.

[He does sit then, glances over.]

I was surprised to receive this invitation from you. I did not think you cared much for the arts.

[captaincocksure]

I know talent when I see it.

...Truth be told, I wished to indulge your interest.

[aviophobia]

It has been too long since I have seen anything I would consider writing to my mother about. She would appreciate news of talent from Sweden as much as anything, I imagine.

[captaincocksure]

Then I hope my arrangements do not disappoint, you or your mother.

[aviophobia]

I hope the same. My mother is a formidable woman and I would not care to be on the wrong side of her wrath.

[captaincocksure]

Nor I.

I see the lights are dimming; we should hold our conversation for the end of the performance. It wouldn't do for us to be escorted out before we see the lady sing.

[aviophobia]

[He just slants James a look and settles into his seat, crossing his arms over his chest.]

[captaincocksure]

[For once, his friend has not played any tricks or misled him about the evening's plans. The lady in question is lovely, both by appearance and voice, and even though this isn't his usual taste in performance, Jim seems to be enjoying himself.]

[aviophobia]

[McCoy is enjoying himself too, sitting forward in his seat and listening intently, eyes focused and intent.]

[captaincocksure]

[The performance finishes, and Jim is on his feet as the lights come back up, applauding. He glances down at his friend, grinning.]

Well? What say you, Dr. McCoy?

[aviophobia]

My mother will be very pleased to hear about this.

[captaincocksure]

That pleases me in turn.

Should the performer travel, and should she visit your mother's city, I would be willing to arrange for her to see.

[aviophobia]

Do Swedish songbirds often make their way to Atlanta?

[captaincocksure]

I am uncertain; this is my first Swedish songbird. I suppose it harms nothing to ask her?

[aviophobia]

Will we be allowed backstage? I was unaware the general public was tolerated back there.

[captaincocksure]

It would surprise you, I think, to realize how many places I am tolerated.

Shall we?

[aviophobia]

Of course you are.

I suppose. Lead the way.

[captaincocksure]

[And lead he does, down from their box, to the stage, and then behind the curtain. Things are bustling back here, people moving around and tending to things, but Jim moves through them with confidence, moving directly to the back.

He leads McCoy down a hall, and to a door, where he knocks, and they wait.]

I assume the lady has made her way back here by now. If not, we may need to search for her elsewhere, she may have received some fans in one of the upstairs rooms.

[aviophobia]

[Leonard is impressed at how very few people question, or even spare a second glance for, James. He supposes it is the combination of a confident carriage and the look of knowing where one is going, for he has very little reason to believe that James is actually allowed back here.]

Is that likely to have happened? Was anyone of note attending tonight?