eachdraidh | 002 ☙ [video]

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002 ☙ [video] | OTA

[War changes people, Mary Crawley included.

After her midnight ride from Caer Glaem the night of the jabberwock attack, she arrived a frozen mess in the land of the Elves. Nearly dead, they had taken her in and helped nurse her back to health. The whole experience had been surreal. Being in their realm made her wonder if this was what heaven was like. Everything seemed so bright, as if someone had turned the contrast up on the entire world. Whatever medicine they used on her worked, because she was as good as new within a week, feeling stronger than she had in years. They helped equip her and her horse before she set out. She owes them a great debt and she knows it.

She has since arrived in Parrais, where she knew that Anne would be, in order to seek shelter since the castle at Glaem has been damaged. Truth be told, she'd rather not go back there for a while anyway. While in the Elvenlands she had a lot of time to think and was subsequently able to act in Parrais. Mary has cut her hair, partly out of deference to the latest style back home and partly for practical reasons. She realizes that finding someone here to do her hair every day will be difficult. Mary also hasn't worn a corset since she fled Glaem and after several weeks without one, she has no plans to go back. A camisole suits her fine and again she's met with the obstacle of having no one to help her tie a corset anyway.

Congratulations. The war has successfully pushed Mary into the twentieth century.

She appears on the locket looking well-rested and back to being herself again.]

Hello to anyone who may be seeing and hearing this broadcast. I was not able to properly introduce myself last time I used this device. [Since she was fleeing on horseback through the frozen landscape.] I am Lady Mary Crawley, daughter of the Earl of Grantham. Firstly, I would like to thank the Elves for their hospitality and care after I arrived in their lands following the attack on Caer Glaem. Your generosity will not be forgotten by me. Secondly... [She pauses here for a moment, gathering exactly what she wants to say.] I wish to know if I may help in any way now that the battle is over. I'm staying in Parrais for a while so anything in this region would be well-suited. I know... a bit about farming, actually, and the running of an estate. I also have a small bit of nursing knowledge thanks to my sister and the experience of a war back home.

Please let me know of a way that I might be helpful.

[Not only has the war pushed her into the twentieth century, it might also have caused hell to freeze over. Mary's not usually the helpful type, though maybe the healing she received from the Elves is causing her to want to pay it forward. Or maybe she just doesn't want to sit around bored all day. There are only so many shops to visit and books to read. They don't even have formal dinner here. At least back at Downton she had responsibilities and tasks to complete.]

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(He's suave like that. Now he's going to shrug his shoulders, remarkably relaxed about it all.) That doesn't mean you can't still be interested. I didn't state the nature of your interest, after all. (A small smile plays at his lips as he speaks.) There are plenty of times I've been interested in people I haven't spoken to. Take Nikola Tesla. I'm very interested in him, but I never got the chance to meet him.

[She sees you backtracking, Howard, trying to make her look silly, but she'll go along with the change of subject.]

He is a scientist, yes? Something with electricity?

(At least it's a kind of smooth back tracking. He's certainly done worse.)

The father of modern technology. (nr 1 man crush.)

I wasn't aware of that.

Although I guess that depends on what is modern to you.

[Her way of asking-not-asking what time period he comes from.]

I would think it would transition through the ages.

(At least it's something he's vaguely familiar with, the whole, time concept.)

Everything after 1946.

Oh, you're from more than twenty years after me. [She's met people from other planets here, so when meeting people from twenty years in her future she kind of just rolls with it at this point.] It's 1923 back home. We have the telephone, the wireless, and airplanes.

(Honestly? He seems relieved more than anything. Most he's met so far are either hundreds of years behind him, but more often seemingly lightyears ahead of him. Technology develops real fast, and at least he can relate to her a little more, perhaps.)

Airplanes are my specialty.

Edited (gdi html fail) 2015-03-01 20:56 (UTC)

Oh? You.. fly them? Build them?

(Have a dazzling, and charming smile, miss mary.)

Both.

How interesting. [She means that too.] Mostly they're used for military operations and what seems to be rather uncomfortable travel. I would prefer the train, I think.

(He could go on about it for hours if she let him. But for now he'll just talk about it loosely.) The come along way from the twenties to the forties. It's still mostly used for military ops here too, my interest was mostly for my own personal pleasure until the war broke out, but during it I played a heavy hand in developing them for the military. (This is, general knowledge where he's from, after all, so it's not something he needs to hide.)

I assure you, my planes are very comfortable. And you can't travel across the ocean in less than fifteen hours any other way.

Would that we had one of your comfortable planes here. The lack of trains and automobiles is frustrating when one is trying to travel in comfort.

[Then something that he said so casually hits her.]

Wait. Which war?

I feel the exact same way. And I come from a place where they're used even more than where you're from, and I can hardly imagine how frustrating it must be for those who come after me, too.

(Oh. Right. That. He gives her a sheepish shrug.)

World War Two. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

[Her reaction to that is silence, as she contemplates what that means.]

Then my son will also fight in a war. [The idea of that makes her nauseated.] For God's sake, why is there so much war? Everywhere I am, there seems to be constant war.

I'm sorry. (He glances down, the flirtation gone for the moment.) A lot of lives were lost, but I hope his wasn't among them. I know it's probably not a comfort, but we do win in the end? (He lets out a soft sigh.) I think it's because there are always people who think they're better than others, but some take it to greater lengths to prove their superiority than others. Germans being the worst of it.

Germans. So it's them again? PaPa did say that he thought the Treaty was too harsh on them and that they would retaliate.

Yeah it. They go through some hard times, they're fall for the cunning words of a terrible leader, it goes downhill pretty quickly. But we do pull it together, in the end.

I'm glad of that, at least.

[She sighs. The last thing she wants to talk about is war.]

Anyway, I've met people from all times and places here. I actually think you are one of the closest to my own.

(Neither does he, yes, let's talk about other things.)

Twenty-three, twenty-three. I'm trying to remember what was big that year, other than me starting school. What's the latest great world event?

[It's weird to think that they were alive at the same time, though he was just a boy.]

We have a Labour government for the first time in history.

(Weird, but comforting, too. Technically he has Steve and James, but they're a world apart at the same time.)

Congratulations?

Not if you ask PaPa. But so be it. The world must march on. It doesn't bother me nearly so much.

I don't care about your PaPa's opinion. Who did you vote for? That's more important. It sounds like you voted for them.

Funny, I care very much for my PaPa's opinion.

I didn't vote for anyone as unfortunately I don't meet the requirements. They're rather complicated for a woman in my time.

Children usually do for their parents, but I don't know him -- I'm talking to you.

...what are the requirements?