Leonardo da Vinci (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
howexciting) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
synopsychic2016-05-11 04:51 pm
howexciting) wrote in synopsychic2016-05-11 04:51 pm
[Jaunt-Locked] Where's Gregory Peck when you need him
[The first part of Leonardo's broadcast seems to be a misfire, in only that it is quiet and almost disbelieving.]
Non รจ possible... this is... home? Italia...?
We are in the Kingdom of Naples... no, that is back in my time, this is Campania felix... Dio mio, we're in Stabiae--
[There is silence for a good fifteen minutes, as Leonardo prepares and questions the populace. Then, he finally comes on the Network.]
For anyone who is listening, I have some good news. And some bad news. The good news is that I have located our exact location in space and time. We are in Stabiae, an ancient Roman resort which Pliny the Elder described in detail in his records. The year, at least according to the gossip of Emperor Nero's daughter, Claudia Augusta, and her recent death, and the recent appointment of Titus Vespasian as the governor of Africa Proconsularis, indicate that this is the Year of Our Lord 63.
The bad news is that in sixteen years, this place will be completely destroyed with ash, much like the city just five miles north of here, Pompeii. In fact this entire region will be flooded with molten earth and ash, and be consumed entirely. Further, Emperor Nero is on the throne, according to The Natural History, as written by Pliny the Elder... and I am sure you have heard of the stories of Emperor Nero.
I will be referring to myself during this Jaunt as Leontius Florentinus Vincio. Just Leontius will do, if you see me, but it is the best translation of my name I could come up with on short notice. If you require names to blend in, please, let me know and I will do my best to translate... or transliterate your names, should it be impossible. They usually come in three names, though sometimes two in women's cases, that being her name and the name of her husband. But it can be more or less depending on one's epic deeds or acts of heroism, or simply their fame throughout the Empire.
Further, a few points of advice on etiquette. Men are expected to wear togas. [He briefly livestreams a picture of himself in a toga and traditional sandals.] Ladies, do not wear a toga, like the men, unless you would like to be mistaken for a prostitute. Instead, find or make a stola. [He briefly livestreams a random gaggle of women walking past, each one wearing pretty stolas and giggling amongst themselves.]
Secondly, if you are to claim family ties, keep in mind which one is the eldest male in your "family". If you are a father, grandfather, or sometimes an elder brother or elder cousin - you are in charge, and you are expected to be obeyed no matter what. Younger brothers might or might not, depending upon the will of the deceased father, but... it is best if you choose your family ties wisely. If you argue in public, people will grow suspicious, or they will believe you are uncivilized and will try not to speak to you. Obviously, this would be difficult to further our investigation.
It is probably best to claim that you are from distant parts of the Empire if your native homeland is from outside Ancient Rome's bounds. Perhaps you can claim you are traders from distant lands, but you will not be treated as Roman citizens, that way. Many of the outer provinces were treated lesser than the inner provinces. Still, it is worth a try, to maintain appearances and keep our illusion going.
If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to ask me, but try not to come to me in person. I wish to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
Non รจ possible... this is... home? Italia...?
We are in the Kingdom of Naples... no, that is back in my time, this is Campania felix... Dio mio, we're in Stabiae--
[There is silence for a good fifteen minutes, as Leonardo prepares and questions the populace. Then, he finally comes on the Network.]
For anyone who is listening, I have some good news. And some bad news. The good news is that I have located our exact location in space and time. We are in Stabiae, an ancient Roman resort which Pliny the Elder described in detail in his records. The year, at least according to the gossip of Emperor Nero's daughter, Claudia Augusta, and her recent death, and the recent appointment of Titus Vespasian as the governor of Africa Proconsularis, indicate that this is the Year of Our Lord 63.
The bad news is that in sixteen years, this place will be completely destroyed with ash, much like the city just five miles north of here, Pompeii. In fact this entire region will be flooded with molten earth and ash, and be consumed entirely. Further, Emperor Nero is on the throne, according to The Natural History, as written by Pliny the Elder... and I am sure you have heard of the stories of Emperor Nero.
I will be referring to myself during this Jaunt as Leontius Florentinus Vincio. Just Leontius will do, if you see me, but it is the best translation of my name I could come up with on short notice. If you require names to blend in, please, let me know and I will do my best to translate... or transliterate your names, should it be impossible. They usually come in three names, though sometimes two in women's cases, that being her name and the name of her husband. But it can be more or less depending on one's epic deeds or acts of heroism, or simply their fame throughout the Empire.
Further, a few points of advice on etiquette. Men are expected to wear togas. [He briefly livestreams a picture of himself in a toga and traditional sandals.] Ladies, do not wear a toga, like the men, unless you would like to be mistaken for a prostitute. Instead, find or make a stola. [He briefly livestreams a random gaggle of women walking past, each one wearing pretty stolas and giggling amongst themselves.]
Secondly, if you are to claim family ties, keep in mind which one is the eldest male in your "family". If you are a father, grandfather, or sometimes an elder brother or elder cousin - you are in charge, and you are expected to be obeyed no matter what. Younger brothers might or might not, depending upon the will of the deceased father, but... it is best if you choose your family ties wisely. If you argue in public, people will grow suspicious, or they will believe you are uncivilized and will try not to speak to you. Obviously, this would be difficult to further our investigation.
It is probably best to claim that you are from distant parts of the Empire if your native homeland is from outside Ancient Rome's bounds. Perhaps you can claim you are traders from distant lands, but you will not be treated as Roman citizens, that way. Many of the outer provinces were treated lesser than the inner provinces. Still, it is worth a try, to maintain appearances and keep our illusion going.
If you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to ask me, but try not to come to me in person. I wish to remain as inconspicuous as possible.
no subject
So what do you think happens if I accidentally forget that and make fire out of nowhere if we need it? I think I can get away with bending water in the water but ...Seriously, are they more likely to act as if nothing happened or would that get me in trouble if they see it?
no subject
But that's seemed to be less and less the case, over the past year or so. I definitely wouldn't trust it to shield you, and it's rather difficult to test without repercussions...
no subject
Yeah, I don't think I'm trusting it to shield me either and I can try to avoid anything that draws too much attention to myself. It's just -- first time anywhere, where people don't know about it... Like I'm not going to go there and use something all the time, I'm just not used to hiding my abilities either.
[ gosh, a few years she'd have blown her cover in less than five minutes -- possibly literally. ]
no subject
...If you don't mind my asking, what kind of magic do you have? Some sort of elementalism? [She had mentioned fire and water, after all.]
no subject
[ She's at least a lot better at that than some of her friends back home... Korra, minding a question like that or bragging about her skills? ]
Nope, I don't mind at all but you're in for a very long explanation, so I hope you're ready.
We call it bending back home, it's a lot like elementalism with controlling the elements but still different to not be the same thing. Besides, bending isn't teachable -- people are either born to bend one of the four elements or then they're not.
Then in every generation for over ten thousand years there's been one like me, master of all four elements; water, earth, fire and air. My water comes with healing abilities and the ability for spiritbending, that changes negative energy from spirits to positive energy in them to make them calm down. Metal's a part of earth, I mastered that too. And I don't know about fire elementalism, but at least firebending can be used to extinguish fire.
I can use them one at the time switching fast between all of them or even all at once if I enter a state, that we call the Avatar State back home. Technically I could also use lightning and lava in that state, I've just never tried them before but my past lives could and it's my connection to their skills via a spirit we've all shared during this whole Avatar cycle, so--. [ Though that cycle is uh, gone for now at least, so maybe not. Maybe Mako and Bolin can teach her, but they're not here. Not that she's needed either skill anywhere in her life to this day. ]
And then there's energybending, that takes this whole thing into new levels, where I don't even always need my physical body to do stuff. Someone called my powers limitless, I guess he is right, but there's still a lot I want to learn and do.
Most often nowadays? I use one element at a time combined with my martial art skills and physical strenght -- those states and energy are just cool extras whenever I need more than one element at a time or it's an emergency like saving people from dying.