Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 46

[cahn]

Background: The kids' school has a topic for "Unit" every trimester that a lot of their work (reading, writing, some math) revolves around. These topics range from time/geographic periods ('Colonial America') to geography ('Asia') to science ('Space') to social science ('Business and Economics'). (I have some issues with this way of doing things, but that's a whole separate post.) Anyway, for Reasons, they have had to come up with a new topic this year, and E's 7/8 class is doing "World Fairs" as their new topic.

Me: I know E's teacher is all about World Fairs and I know she is great and will do a good job. But I feel like if we had a different teacher who wasn't so into World Fairs, they wouldn't do such a good job and another topic would be better.
Me: Like... the Enlightenment!
D: Heh, you could teach that! But you'd have to restrain yourself from making everything about Frederick the Great.
Me: But that's the thing! Everyone does relate to each other in this time period! Voltaire -- and his partner Émilie du Châtelet, who was heavily involved in the discourse of conservation of energy and momentum -- well, I've told you Voltaire had a thing with Fritz -- and then there's Empress Maria Theresa, who went to war with him a few times -- and Catherine the Great --
D, meditatively: You know --
Me: *am innocently not warned even though this is the same tone of voice that is often followed by, say, a bad pun*
D: -- it's impressive how everyone from this 'the Great' family is so famous!
Me: *splutters*
D, thoughtfully: But of course there's probably selection bias, as the ones who aren't famous don't get mentioned. You never see 'Bob the Great' in the history books...
Me: *splutters more*

Comments

Candyhearts?

[selenak]

Mes amies, how about it? Do we nominate? If so, whom? This one allows 10 X 10, and has no size demands, so there are many possibilities. Last year I did Émilie/Voltaire, this year I feel a bit Stuarts inclined and would try out James VI and I/ some of his boyfriends, and given the tv show starring Buckingham is due, there might be additional interest. Also, cahn, how about nominating The King's Touch which has the advantage of being a novel and thus a more easily accessible canon than "history, do your own research", and some of the relationships and characters, like Minette, but also Jemmy/Mary II/William of Orange as an almost threesome?

Going back to our lot, the Algarotti/Lady Mary/Lord Hervey triangle seems to be made for something bittersweet in glimpses, starting with the two Brits being wowed by Algarotti and wooing him only for him to ditch them for Fritz, and ending with Lady Mary and Algarotti meeting again in exile, toasting Lord Hervey's memory.

Speaking of all things Hervey: since we now know about the equally wild and entertaining descendants: Frederick Hervey (the Bishop) tries to marry his kids to the Hohenzollern! Bess/Georgiana OTP!

And lastly, for Mildred: Suhm - Fritz - Manteuffel, for I haven't given up the Two Saxon Envoys, One Crown Prince idea entirely.

Candyhearts and Yuletide

[cahn]

ahhhhhh I am feeling pretty short on time here! But I guess it's only 300 words... and I don't have to commit yet... so, sure, go ahead! I like the idea of Stuarts and King's Touch. Definitely Jemmy/Mary II/William of Orange!! I think we could give the Fredericians a rest for this one unless you really want to write it?

Also will you be nominating B5?

Re the Other Exchange:

-I see there is a "Slice of Life" 18th C fic with Fritz, Heinrich, and Fredersdorf :DD In other news, I have a present!

-I continue to find it deeply hilarious and awesome that 18th C / 18th C Frederician RPF continues to be an example the mods give for how to use the existing canonical. :DD

Re: Candyhearts and Yuletide

[selenak]

Okay, then let's go for the Stuarts.

King's Touch: I would offer and ask for Jemmy/Mary/William, but also for a Minette pov on all her major relationships in the novel, so these would be the four characters I'd nominate for this fandom. Possibly also Jemmy's wife Anna, because their last encounter shortly before his execution is something only indicated in the novel's epilogue and of course his mistress is convinced she was cold, but there's a natural bias, shall we say. So I could also imagine a short Anna pov on Jemmy and their marriage and/or his death. Is there anyone else from the novel you would like to have nominated?

James and boyfriends: Here I'd suggest James himself, Robert Carr (Somerset), James' earlier fave, his wife Frances, Buckingham, and of course Bob "NOT IMPOTENT" of Essex, Frances' first husband. Also James' wife Anne (who did join the "promote Buckingham to get rid of Carr!" party) And not yet Charles I, because how many guys become bff with their father's boyfriend? Now Buckingham's mother Mary will be a main character in the show, but as of yet I don't know much about her other than that she was ambitious, which would mean research beyond podcasts if someone requests her, so I am not sure whether or not to nominate her.

Babylon 5: I'm wavering. Not least because what I'd ask for would be based on "The Road Home" and not be shippy - i.e. what's Vir doing in those AUs? Londo and Ivanova at the end of the world: want more! And okay, one shippy thing: Londo and G'Kar in the last AU - what state is their relationship in?

Re: Candyhearts and Yuletide

[cahn]

Oh, I forgot that Mildred won't read unless it's 18th C, so you should nominate something 18th C and I'll request for Mildred -- Mildred, what would you like? Suhm - Fritz - Manteuffel or something else?

So -- definitely nominate and request The Road Home!

Re: Candyhearts and Yuletide

[mildred_of_midgard]

Awww, thank you! That works for me! <333

(You guys are so nice to me despite my flaking out of signing up for most exchanges and having to be bailed out of one of the two I did sign up for. :P)

Re: Candyhearts and Yuletide

[mildred_of_midgard]

-I see there is a "Slice of Life" 18th C fic with Fritz, Heinrich, and Fredersdorf :DD In other news, I have a present!

EEEE!!!!

-I continue to find it deeply hilarious and awesome that 18th C / 18th C Frederician RPF continues to be an example the mods give for how to use the existing canonical. :DD

This is such an awesome fandom. :D Maybe at some point, I'll get back to writing fanfic. For now, I seem to be having more luck deciphering handwriting.

Re: Candyhearts?

[mildred_of_midgard]

As always, I am tempted, especially by the Tale of the Two Saxon envoys, but I've been in such a non-fictional headspace lately. :(

Re: Candyhearts?

[luzula]

I would definitely read some of those, but alas, I don't think I'll be inspired to write them!