deernet | Video: Open: (CW: possible discussion of a mass death event and/or domestic violence)

Entry tags:

Video: Open: (CW: possible discussion of a mass death event and/or domestic violence)

[much of Rose can be seen from the nose down where she's wrapped in a deep burgundy robe, a canary perched on her shoulder and singing sweetly to the audience]

This may sound terribly stupid, but let me preface that with the fact that I'm new. Still terribly new, despite all I have seen in the past several days.

What is the difference between an Arcane Scholar and simply a scholar? If I'm interested in the one, does it dictate that I be interested in the other? [a frustrated sigh] I realize this may all be rudimentary to those who have been here a while, but I'm still at less than a month, so please show me some measure of mercy?

Thank you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Rose was blinking back tears desperately as she reached her hands up to cover her face]

Yes. Upsetting. [she takes in ten long breaths along with ten long exhales. at least that's what the woman at the beach had advised. she's not so sure it works, but it did buy her some time]

I. I know how to read five languages: English, French, Spanish, German, and Latin. As for home...[a bitter laugh] I'm to be a trophy wife.

I mean -

[Humans die every day. Michael didn't have the tact not to launch into old intake stats, but he's on alert now and he figures out that he shouldn't say that!]

- they've got a lot of old Earth media here, there's probably still some Latin texts lying around. I mean, the Taylor Swift videos survived. [But uh, he's not sure trophy wife has any particular skillset associated? If there is, he doesn't know what that may be.] Anything you like doing? Doesn't have to be a job! Lots of people aren't in the same line of work anymore!

[yes, that would have been taken entirely poorly.

and she manages to pull herself together]

I like reading. Learning more about the world than what my world considered proper and correct. And I love art, although I have no talent at the skill itself.

Though, may I ask who Taylor Swift is? Is he a scholar?

Ah. Some other century? That's too bad. [Michael's always considered that sort of thing odd; the humans are all the same when you open them up. (He doesn't say that either.)] But hey, you only get good at art if you practice! No one's just a genius immediately!

[They aren't, right?]

No, no, she's a singer. Friend of mine who used to be here was really into her...oh, this is the one. [he just links all too well because that's the song Eddie showed him] Modern pop songs aren't usually this long. I think it's an artistic thing.

I've--I've been told that I'm from as many as ninety years in the past. Women, especially women of my class, weren't expected to be educated. We were expected to smile prettily, never make waves, and give birth to sons. [(likely for the best)] Really? That I could take lessons? [a pause] Well. I suppose I don't see a reason why I can't?

[something Picasso seemed to be? but she still can't recall his first name.

and she listens, expression growing more and more pleased] I liked that! Do you have more?

Oh! That's not so bad! Not even a full century! [Granted, Michael knows that his perception of "from a long time ago" is likely different than every human ever's.] Ah, my friend Tahani back home's a rich lady. By the time she was born, they were all expected to be well-educated - she went to Oxford. Ended up being a philanthropist, mostly, wrote a book. She never got...oh, no, she married Jason for a couple weeks there. That was a weird one.

[Ah, but he's rambling about people that nobody here knows! Let him just muck around a little more on Trenchtube instead.]

Sure, here's one. And I know everyone liked Beyonce too, this is her... [He likes current Earth music well enough, but he's never really had that much time to delve into it himself. A lot of these are just algorithm recs.] I don't know if anyone's offering art classes, but I'm sure there's something like that. I've been taking guitar lessons lately.

Not so...? I was born in 1895. Both of my grandfathers fought for the Union in the Civil War, my mother was old enough to recall her father coming home from it. I'm--it's--ninety years seems impossible to me. Simply impossible. [she certainly didn't expect to live another ninety years. but the news about Tahani is good news] My goodness...[she takes another few moments to breathe through the information] I'm so--so very grateful to hear that. That things shifted, in time.

[and Rose can't help feeling both gratitude and envy that it didn't happen when she'd been young enough to enjoy it. that she was surely dead long before that time.

she took the time to listen to both songs and absorb each of them before speaking again] I certainly understand why people of your time admired these women. They can really sing! [and she likes the beginnings of what would come to be known as jazz, but that was as modern as things went]

Perhaps someone is? I should ask about that because perhaps someone is? And you're taking lessons in music, could I take those, too? [art, music, knowledge that in the future women didn't have to be subservients, it's like she's being offered all of it on a silver platter and is almost afraid to take it.

almost. but not quite]

I don't see why not! There's already two of us, not sure why there couldn't be three.

[Probably? Maybe he shouldn't speak for his NPC guitar teacher here. But like, they're an NPC so yes he can.]

Oh, yeah, the American Civil War. I know about that one. Abraham Lincoln's a really fun guy, actually...anyway, I don't have any of my usual pamphlets, but you can let me know if you've got any questions about the future! I've been doing a lot of that sort of thing lately.

[she breathes out a sigh of relief and smiles] Nor do I. Though, I'll need to come up with some form of payment, won't I?

[yes he can. and Rose needs someone to teach her that being a Paleblood and reading minds wasn't so scary, so. NPC?]

You...know Abraham Lincoln? Pardon me for asking, sir, but from when are you? Lincoln is long dead when I'm from. And I will, I have so many questions about the future that I don't even know when to start!

What of--what of the cause of women's suffrage? Were we finally given the right to vote? Mother turned her nose up at such a thing, but I personally saw in it a cause as important and vital as freeing the slaves.

They've got a sort of barter system here. I'll just pay for you until you come up with something - I know that can be a little rough on new arrivals.

[Takes a minute to come up with a good or service to barter with, after all! Well, for other people. Michael came in knowing how to use his powers already, so he had a solid start.]

Well, I've talked with him a few times for work. It was... [Hm. She seems really excited to hear about the future. And his work talk has already gone over like a lead balloon once.] ...it was a long story. Anyway, the year...last time I was on Earth, it was 2019.

[This is technically a true statement!]

They definitely do let women vote! I want to say that passed sometime in the early nineteenth century? [It's hard for him to give specific dates for a lot of things; at his age, the years really blur together. Let's see, he's pretty sure it was after that first big war. Maybe...he snaps his fingers!] Oh! That was around the same time Prohibition happened! Yeah, yeah, definitely somewhere in the twenties.

[All the demons thought the prohibition movement was hilarious.]

That would be most kind of you. I must admit that it's hard to judge what another person might like or accept.

[she has the Heart of the Ocean stowed away in the best hiding place she could find in her apartment, but using that was reserved for a last gasp of desperation scenario. maybe someone would like Cal's overcoat?]

Really? How extraordinary! [she's eager to know how everything turned out, especially with women's suffrage. she'd silently supported it, though she knew better than to say anything in front of Mother or Cal] 2019...I'm sure I'm long dead by then. [she sounded a little rueful, but unsurprised]

Nineteenth century? [a little furrow of confusion formed between her brows] The twenties. I should still be fine back then, even if it seems like an impossibly long time now. But what's Prohibition?

[Michael just sort of shrugs and arches his eyebrows as if to indicate "yeah, probably you are no longer alive in 2019!" Almost certainly not!]

Oh - that was kinda funny. They just outlawed alcohol for a while. Really upset most people. It didn't last all that long, don't worry about it.

[What she should probably worry about is that whole war business, but! You know, maybe they can just skip describing that one right now! He'd feel bad not warning her about it at all, but it's not like she's going back right this second. Maybe ever, depending on how you look at it.]

[she's aware. she expects to live an interesting life in the meantime. God knows coming here was certainly a start.

and she wrinkles her nose] Outlawed alcohol? That's absurd! The wealthy would always find ways around any such laws and the poor would...well, I've heard of such things as bathtub gin. So they wouldn't go without, either. Whose bright idea was that particular war?

[yes, those would be rather alarming. especially the second one. and so far as she knows, she's here to stay. no one's really given her any impression that she's not]

Oh, I don't know, I don't keep track of that stuff. But that's pretty much how it worked out, yeah. Same amount of drinking, a lot more organized crime about it.

[Michael takes a very long view; in his mind, he'll doubtless find his way back home eventually. He's got all the time in the world! For others, though...yeah, they may or may not ever make it.]

Wonderful. I suppose there was always a chance of organized crime getting themselves involved in something anyway, but that likely opened the door to it.

[in Philadelphia, Rose's mother did her best to keep Rose ignorant of goings on, but that changed when they went to Europe. it was a lot easier to slip out from Mother's nose there. and Cal? he often didn't bother to pay attention to the books she wanted to buy and read, likely his one redeeming factor]

Yeeeeah.

[Michael doesn't have strong personal opinions on a lot of human crime. Is it bad? Yeah, sure, but he only ever has to deal with the aftermath.]

Can't lie, though, they had some pretty nice aesthetics back then. Sharp suits!

[and Rose was protected by her status and station, the idea of her being involved in anything criminal was laughable even to Cal and Lovejoy]

As did my ex-fiance. It was likely his only redeeming quality.

Ohhh, juicy.

[Buuuuut he's just met you so maybe he can chill just slightly on the "messy bitch who loves drama". Speaking of which, actually - ]

I'm Michael, by the way.

[she can glean from context what juicy means in this case, but she found Cal to be as juicy as an overcooked steak]

Rose Dawson. It's a pleasure to meet you, Michael.

You too! Always interesting to meet folks from the relative past.

[Granted, it's just because Michael does that a lot more, at home. Weird having to explain his in-jokes about Twitter to like, Aristotle or whoever.]

And I don't think I'll ever stop being curious about the future. So many things seemed to have changed!

[yes, trying to explain social media to her will be a herculean feat. and she'll be horrified to hear about the wars]

Oh! Well, that's humans, isn't it? Always something new around the corner!

It does seem that way. [even though what had been heralded as the ship not even God Himself could sink did in fact sink. she wonders what impact that will have on history] It does seem as though you've seen a great many changes. This may sound rude, but how old are you?

...oh, well, age is just a number...

[Michael's never made a habit of lying about these things - not here, anyway. He's just sort of anxious after having upset Rose so badly from minute one. Mentally, he plays out the likelihood of him maintaining a lie for any length of time after he's just invited her to his music lessons: not that high. Not without a lot of work he doesn't care to put in. Well, okay then.]

Thirteen billion and change? After a while, you really don't keep track. Plus - you know, the sun... [Solar years in general are not that old! Anyway yes that is definitely why he thought ninety years was "not that bad".]

[her eyes widen and she gasps, though she doesn't look put off] Thirteen...billion? Dear God, no wonder why, well. Certain things were said?

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(CW: period-appropriate approach to history?)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject