driftfleet | (no subject)

Who: John Laurens
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Iskaulit, specifically Space Bar
When: Right the heck now.

[John can be found, as usual, in the place where alcohol is served. He's all about that. Today he's also all about something else -- specifically, drawing. He picked up a notebook planetside, and he's idly doodling things from home. Some pages are torn out and sitting beside him -- a Southern plantation house, a picture of a young dark-haired man in a Continental army uniform, flowers, turtles, all sorts of things. He looks a little wistful as he picks up the nearby drink and takes a sip.]

Yo. So maybe it's cause I'm feelin' a little homesick, an' I figured some of y'all might be too. If anyone's around, come an' tell me about your homes! Or do it here, too, I ain't all that picky. What you miss, who you miss, all that. I feel like I should get t' know more people.

[There's a beat.] Oh yeah, an' since I didn't really introduce myself when I first got here--name's John Laurens, lately of South Carolina. Pleased to meet all of ya.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He nods a bit.]

Well, yeah. I guess you haven't had the chance.

[Given that you died in the war and all, but Barry doesn't say that out loud.]

I mean, I've probably written 'em letters; but my father would know them better I think. Considerin' he was there an' all.

[He nods in agreement.]

Yeah, you're right. But still - you and Hamilton were close, right?

[He almost immediately brightens, grinning and taking a long drink.]

Yeah. We worked together an' all, but he's one of my dearest friends. Him an' Lafayette.

Edited 2017-06-22 03:01 (UTC)

[He nods with a small smile before shaking his head.]

I still can't believe I'm actually talking to you right now. This is so crazy.

[There's a slight laugh.]

Well, thanks, but I don't think I show up in the history books too much. At least from what I've caught up on.

You show up just enough.

[Barry rests his chin in his hand as he leans on the bar next to him.]

You were one of the earliest and more famous abolitionists.

[He's kind of grinning into his drink now.]

Sure, but it wasn't just me -- Alexander an' Gil an' John Jay, they were all supporters of it too. I mean, it didn't work anyhow, but we....tried, I guess. Wish I coulda tried harder.

It was a start. Little starts like that may have taken time to grow, but they got there.

[Barry is very much anti-slavery, and living in a house with a black family has taught him a lot.]

But you got your dad to institute a program that gave slaves their freedom in exchange for their service which is huge for the 1780s.

I know. I just -- [A shrug, and he sighs a little.] I could have done more. At least Alexander was around to take up the cause, or I'm guessin he was.

[He nods. And is totally not going to mention that it's a hundred more years before slavery is gone, and a hundred after that before segregation is ruled illegal, and well ...

America still has a lot of Problems.]

I think we all have that feeling that we could have done more with the time we had. But you were only one guy. And for one guy, you did some pretty awesome stuff.

[Yeah, he's glanced through a couple of the books in the library on the Iskaulit. Enough to get a general timeline, anyway.]

Well, thanks. But I don't think it's nearly enough material for -- what'd you say it was, a musical?

[He nods.]

Yeah, 1776 was a musical. And there are ... so many movies about the Founding Fathers.

Oh, like what happens on the communication things? That's pretty cool! I mean, I didn't do much foundin' of anything, but I'm sure Alexander and Washington did.

George Washington was actually our first president. Set the precedent for all the presidents who came after him.

[He makes a face.]

Say that five times fast.

[He perks up a little at that news.] Of course he was, makes sense. They were workin' on getting the treaties together, when I was at home.

[He nods slowly because wow. That is very close to ... wow.]

Yeah, it was Washington, then Adams, then Jefferson.