Valentines Day stuff! Also, BRAND NEW EXPERIMENTAL HISTORY MEME!

[beboots]

 Good evening, everyone! Happy Valentines day, for those of you who celebrate it! 

First, a brief link recommendation. If you've never heard of Postsecrets, you should definitely check them out: essentially, people send in anonymous postcards with their secrets on them. Some are sad, some are quirky, some are touching, and all are absolutely awesome. This week they have a Valentine-themed series of postcard secrets for you to look at. This one was my favourite: 


Furthermore, the Edmonton Journal (which, along with the National Post, I read almost every day to keep up with news about the world) apparently held a contest for the best Edmonton-themed Valentines cards, most of them poking fun at the city. This particular one was my absolute favourite, mostly because I had to cross that bridge five days a week to get to Fort Edmonton this past summer. It was murder during rush hour when it was down to one lane. >_<; It's been under construction for at least two and half years.

For more, see here!

As a side note, I did celebrate this Valentine's Day as a single person. Here's hoping that I shall find my true love in the coming year! :) I should mention that I mostly enjoy Valentine's Day because it also doubles as my dearest mother's birthday! We have flowers and chocolate about the house, then, regardless of the state of our personal lives. :) Happy birthday, mother mine! Now, tomorrow is the holiday I look forward to even more than the events of St. Valentine... Cheap Chocolate Day! Celebrated: wherever chocolate is sold!

On a final note... I actually began writing this post in response to the lovely surprise left for me at atla_valentine. I hadn't realized that people would leave me messages! :)  They made me smile. Therefore, my original plan had been, in response to people writing lovely flattering things about the history dorkery that goes on in this journal, to write a post about some of the crazy little tidbits I've been learning about in my History of Translation class... which just so happens to be what I'm studying for at the moment (even as I procrastinate reviewing for the midterm to write this post). I'll get around to that very soon! It will still happen!

I did, however, just have a thought. Maybe I could do something completely and utterly crazy and unprecedented. I could... do a history meme. I want to share the love with you guys. I love telling historical anecdotes; I like to think I got quite good at it while working at Fort Edmonton. Maybe no-one will want to play with me. I will still tell crazy history stories to the world! Just give me a direction, guys. :) What do you want to hear?

It shall be a shameless effort at trying to emulate the cool kids (YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE), only instead of fanfic, it will be random history tidbits, in the style of the posts that have appeared in this journal before.

THEREFORE, what I resolve to do is ask you, the readers, for history prompts! Ask me a historical question: anything you like. For instance: "who is your favourite member of European royalty and what was the most interesting thing they ever did?" "What do you think is the silliest reason a war ever started?" "What is the most unusual historical artifact you have ever seen in person?" "What can you tell me about Canada's participation in such-and-such a war?" It can even be something like "tell me the craziest thing you know about the 17th century/the bubonic plague/aboriginal history/etc., etc., ad nauseam." I shall even search for an appropriate image to accompany the historical blather! 

If I don't know the answer to your question, I resolve to use my research skills and access to university databases to find the answer! You may get more coherent history squee if I've heard of the topic before, though. I have studied European history across the ages, some East Asian history, and lots of Canadian and American history, but still, don't let that limit your selection! I suspect that if you ask me something about the history of medicine or the French or English languages you will get extra-long anecdotes. Indulge your curiosity, and I will try to be interesting in return! :) 

Comments

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[beboots.livejournal.com]

"when Laurence is being meek and quiet and not even FIGHTING (which means that he thinks the orders will go the other way, and he would disgrace his commanding officer to protest)." ;_; Oh Laurence... He's lost a lot of his confidence. The others need to help him build it up again.

"I'm afraid that you have no right to name a child after that ordeal, Laurence, but you may choose Margaret's middle name if you like." That is an AMAZING line. Please include it. XD

Also, side note: I would look up historical window sizes to see what's physically possible in the regency era. It may be fairly small, only enough for Laurence to press up one side of his face (dragon eyes don't face forward and are on opposite sides of the face!) to it so he can barely see what's going on. I remember visiting a castle in the North of England (I think it was the one where the outdoor scenes of the flying lesson in the Philosopher's Stone movie were filmed? ANYWAY) and they had this giant mirror that was the single largest piece of glass anywhere at the time. It was like two stories tall. But that was an almost impossible feat of engineering. I want to say that it was made in the late 1700s... but I cannot recall. No photos were allowed inside, sadly.

"Maybe Greek, so they can learn a new language together, but they don't get far before Temeraire hears an opera somehow and instantly wants to learn Italian" XD Yes. Also, hiring musicians like they did in the books would help Laurence feel a bit more human again. :)

"she is Laurence and Temeraire's absolute favorite and all of the rest of the children are jealous." Oh yes. She's practically first in line to captain one of TWO impressive dragons. She has first pick. ;)

"Laurence is a dragon. How on earth are we going to deal with this? Let's find out." That could practically be the summary. ;)

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[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

";_; Oh Laurence... He's lost a lot of his confidence. The others need to help him build it up again." Yes, they do, and his confidence is pretty gone. He was the practical mind all through Tem's idealistic "we will change how dragons are treated here" ideas, and now he knows what's probably going to happen. They'll need him, he's a fire-breather, and at least partially-trained, but they'll separate him from Jane and Tem and most of his crew, and he doesn't know anybody senior enough to take charge of him, so it would be some stranger that might not know he used to be human-- the thought might have been to call him a defector from France, but NOBODY would trust him after previous events, so he's probably an egg hatched and raised at a different covert and kept quiet as the fire hadn't taken immediately.

"That is an AMAZING line. Please include it. XD" Laurence is immensely pleased that it's his mother's name, and probably ends up staring at her and getting all melancholy all over again that he can't hold her. "We needn't have the name right away, darling, and as soon as the ninnies have established that I can certainly hobble outside with minimal assistance, we'll have the two of you properly introduced--you are quite lucky to be entirely beyond changing nappies, they can be rather vile."

"Also, side note: I would look up historical window sizes to see what's physically possible in the regency era. It may be fairly small, only enough for Laurence to press up one side of his face (dragon eyes don't face forward and are on opposite sides of the face!) to it so he can barely see what's going on." That's what I was thinking, some small window they can open up while he squishes his face against the second story. Mirrors were still VERY expensive then, too, and Azula's mirror in Avatar? Holy shit that's a lot of money she destroyed.

"XD Yes. Also, hiring musicians like they did in the books would help Laurence feel a bit more human again. :)" His mother thinks of that one, and knows her son's usual tastes. If Lady Allendale is staying for some time at the covert to meet with friends and wants music, who would ask?

"Oh yes. She's practically first in line to captain one of TWO impressive dragons. She has first pick. ;)" The dragons probably share her back and forth, too. I think she typically rides Tem for battles (Laurence would be even more of a nanny then), but she and her dad fly a lot.

"Laurence is a dragon. How on earth are we going to deal with this? Let's find out." That could practically be the summary. ;)" It might be the crack summary, actually, then a more serious-looking thing under it.

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[beboots.livejournal.com]

"and now he knows what's probably going to happen. They'll need him, he's a fire-breather, and at least partially-trained, but they'll separate him from Jane and Tem and most of his crew, and he doesn't know anybody senior enough to take charge of him, so it would be some stranger that might not know he used to be human-- the thought might have been to call him a defector from France, but NOBODY would trust him after previous events" ;_; And I'm sure that he can't even voice all of these fears, not all to any one person, anyway, because he doesn't want to be seen as shirking his duty or being unhappy or anything and so he just goes... quiet.

"as soon as the ninnies have established that I can certainly hobble outside with minimal assistance, we'll have the two of you properly introduced--you are quite lucky to be entirely beyond changing nappies, they can be rather vile."" Aww... <3 Perhaps Jane also scandalizes some people by leaving her young child - like, toddler onwards? Once she's potty trained? - alone with dragon!Laurence as a babysitter for a few hours. And he is the most CAREFUL creature imaginable with the girl. ;)

"Mirrors were still VERY expensive then, too, and Azula's mirror in Avatar? Holy shit that's a lot of money she destroyed." Holy crap I know. But I suppose that judging by all of the metalwork in the Fire Nation, I would imagine that glassblowing and glass production is fairly good there, at least, because of firebending... Non-warfare-related uses for firebending are cool. :3

"It might be the crack summary, actually, then a more serious-looking thing under it." Good plan! :D

Re:

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

";_; And I'm sure that he can't even voice all of these fears, not all to any one person, anyway, because he doesn't want to be seen as shirking his duty or being unhappy or anything and so he just goes... quiet." Right! And that's when people get very worried, because he has a lot to say, and if he's refusing to let it out... uh oh, must be quite bad indeed.

Somebody will finally get him to talk, and it will probably be Lily, because Laurence refuses to tell Temeraire or any of the humans. She'll listen, then... "If they send you away, you know Temeraire will not fight and there's no use telling him otherwise. I'll tell Catherine that she should be sure the admiral sees sense."

"Aww... <3 Perhaps Jane also scandalizes some people by leaving her young child - like, toddler onwards? Once she's potty trained? - alone with dragon!Laurence as a babysitter for a few hours. And he is the most CAREFUL creature imaginable with the girl. ;)" People are absolutely horrified, but the toddler is ridiculous (she calls the dragon DA, honestly, what kind of world is this) and the dragon is obviously devoted... even if they never would have thought to use a firebreathing French dragon as a child-minder. Even before she's quite potty-trained, Roland will (however begrudgingly) help change her sister's nappies.

"Holy crap I know. But I suppose that judging by all of the metalwork in the Fire Nation, I would imagine that glassblowing and glass production is fairly good there, at least, because of firebending... Non-warfare-related uses for firebending are cool. :3" Hello, best glassblowers out there. Yeah, there are a LOT of cool uses for bending that aren't in fights.

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[beboots.livejournal.com]

Poor, poor Laurence... At least he has a good support group. ;)

I like the idea of Laurence confiding in another dragon, as an equal and a friend. :) I also love the awesome pragmatic nature of so many dragons - and their attitudes towards silly human conventions. ;)

"People are absolutely horrified, but the toddler is ridiculous (she calls the dragon DA, honestly, what kind of world is this) and the dragon is obviously devoted... even if they never would have thought to use a firebreathing French dragon as a child-minder." Yes! <3

Oh yeah, I mean, we know firebending is good for making tea, but I'm thinking, like amazing chefs and many other purposes. ;)

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[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

Lily can't quite promise drastic things (it would devastate Catherine, and she is damn proud of her formation), but she will make sure that their case is heard and insist that they're strongest together.

Maggie is an adorable, fearless child that brings /mashed potatoes/ of all things out to Laurence when she's big enough to wheel them out there. Temeraire usually tries a nibble, to be polite, but Laurence likes them. Nobody has any idea how on earth she thought of it.

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[beboots.livejournal.com]

"Temeraire usually tries a nibble, to be polite, but Laurence likes them." Yeah, now that Laurence is making requests for meals too - and presumably their food is made together because they're "damned finicky beats who don't know the value of good fresh meat" - Laurence is kind of accidentally incidentally pushing his food tastes on Temeraire who is used to the Chinese form of cooking specific to dragons. Laurence is just trying to eat what he remembers he liked eating as a human.

Re:

[feral-shrew.livejournal.com]

I think Temeraire rather likes trying things that Laurence does, and he's kept a few of Jane's accidental things in mind about how gentlemen eat. He wants to be a little more proper so that Laurence won't feel so out of place. Later, when maybe a handful of people realize that Laurence used to be human, people can grumble about spoiled beasts that might as well earn wages to hire their own cooks.

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[beboots.livejournal.com]

As soon as it's legal I'm sure that Laurence would hire a good cook. ;)