mariendal | Entries

CANON

canon: Original (historical)
background: Here.
personality: Observant, analytical, intelligent, sarcastic, is 80% front, arrogant, constantly worried, wishes for a future for his son, wants a proper relationship to Hermann and Hans, loves his wife more than life itself, hardworking, stern when called for, artistic, fun-loving.
pitch: Baron from 18th century Denmark, trying to get his family estate back on track after years of poor management from his sick father, moves there from Copenhagen with his wife, his child, his male lover and will, once installed, proceed to fall in love with his groundskeeper's son as well - meanwhile in the horizon looms the abolition of serfdom and the consequences this would have for his work.
canon point: Any point after Anne Kirstine and Christian have moved back to Jutland and taken over the maintenance of Mariendal.
notes: Dealing with Christian will inevitably involve dealing with the societal acceptance of serfdom and servitude, economical inequality, etc. If any of these political subjects in a historical context make you uncomfortable, you can PM me a list of characters you'd rather I not tag on

bakerstreet and it will be done.

PLAYER

contact: PM to this journal.

thewriteway.
active times/pace: CEST/CET player. Tries to be online at least during the evening my time, but it varies. More one tag a day player than anything, but if you hit me up at the right time, I can still boomerang a bit.
brackets/prose: Definitely brackets preference, but will match. I default to present tense, but can also match other tenses.
offensive subjects/triggers: Not any.

IN CHARACTER

physical affection: Go for it. Although it's highly improper, he won't be opposed, if you're someone he likes.
physical violence: Prefer not.
relationships: M/M of F/M, but I like gen, too!
psychic info: Ask.
magical info: Nothing of note.
medical info: Nothing relevant. He's in good health.

OUT OF CHARACTER

backtagging: Yes, please!
threadhopping: No.
fourthwalling: No.
not interested in: Smut.

Christian always knew he was different. Just as he always knew, society viewed his difference as immoral. He had settled with the notion of marrying someone who would not understand and thus, when his betrothed caught him red-handed in the middle of one of his affairs, he was also ready to face the consequences. Except, there were none. Anne Kirstine told him his secret was safe, because they were each other's secret bearers now, meaning she had no virginity to give him and he had no fidelity to pay her back - and so, he fell in love with her. Suddenly it became a happy union.

They had been betrothed since they were little.Their match was made in efforts to unite two of the most powerful lower-noble families in Denmark, the landowning Griffenhjelm family and Anne Kirstine's merchant "Axelsen" one. Nevertheless, they became a couple forged by more than familial ambition. Like so, they became each other's confidantes and best friends years before they finally married, when Anne Kirstine was twenty-two and Christian more than ten years older. They moved into a huge period apartment in Copenhagen, set up shop there as regular artists working for the Court and the Kinng - and after two years, Anne Kirstine gave birth to their first son and the new heir to the Griffenhjelm estate, Johannes Peder.

For three years, they were allowed an idyllic, relatively free family lifestyle in Copenhagen where no one asked about their marriage or bothered either of them while they took various other lovers than each other, Christian eventually settling with his secretary, Hermann and Anne Kirstine keeping a tight group of girlfriends at her disposal. It was blissful. It was Heaven.

It was also temporary. In the year of the lord, 1781, Christian's father, the Baron Griffenhjelm of Mariendal, died from typhus fever and since there were no other sons to the family, it befell Christian to return home to Mariendal in remote Western Jutland and take over leadership of the manor house. Anne Kirstine, of course, would come with him, along with Johannes - and Hermann as well. He couldn't rightly go anywhere without him.

The manor was run-down and showed obvious signs of not having been mananged properly for years, so Christian looked at Anne Kirstine, once they'd settled in, and said, it seems my painting days are over, what a great fortune for the world, that I have such a talented wife to carry on my heritage. So, while Christian worked, Anne Kirstine would paint - her new surroundings, the new people in it, her family and a world that was slowly falling apart, also politically.

In 1781, we are historically seven years from the abolition of serfdom in Denmark. Seven years from freedom for the whole foundation of Danish society, a freedom that would inevitably destabilize everything that Anne Kirstine spent her days painting during those days, so prettily.

That's the setting.

KEEPING HOUSE.

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