015 ⚜ Video ⚜ The Return

[paysdelamour]

It appears, mes chéris, the Port has decided not to let me go, after all.

[For those who knew him, Francis Bonnefoy is on the NV network again inside the baseball diamond, looking a lot more relaxed and happy than his last appearance almost a year ago. For those who don't, they'll find an immaculately dressed, blue-eyed blond man with a charming smile and a bit of a beard on his chin. His voice is also heavily accented with French.]

It says today is the 6th of February, 2013. This means I have been gone, mm, about a year, non? Alors, for me at home, it has been two since I last saw the Port. Nothing much seems to have changed, since then. I suppose this means I have lived a year twice over. Not that it was a great year, mais, it might have been worse. At least it was not the dark ages.

... ah la la, where are my manners? I am sure there are some of you listening to this, wondering who in god's name I am. [The charming smile comes up again.] Allo, tout le monde. I am François Bonnefoy. I tell everyone to call me Francis, for simplicity. I come from France, naturellement - Paris, to be precise. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I hope during my second stay things will go much smoother.

At any rate... it is almost refreshing to be back. I believe I was due for another vacation, anyway. Now! I expect all of you who know me well to let me celebrate my return with you! A party, perhaps? Or simpler little things if you do not like large groups. Mais, I will not take no for an answer~ I have a lot of catching up to do, I think.

[And with that, he starts to send out a few private messages.]


Private to Magneto - moderate hack

Bonjour, Michel. [Forgive the old man, he's tired of pronouncing it the silly German way. :P You'll have to stick with the French for now.] I must say, it is a relief to know you are still around. How is the house? Dare I ask how... how is Liliane? Do you have any news?

... ah, pardon, pardon, I am asking too many questions. May I... meet you somewhere, so that we can perhaps... catch up?

Private to Raul Creed - moderate hack

It has been a long time... non? [Gaaaah, what else do you say to your sexy ex-boss.] I take it Lion's Gate has not fallen into ruin without me?

Private to Franz d'Epinay - moderate hack

Franz... I am glad you are still here. [He gives a soft smile, one of vast affection.] How are you, cher, are you well...? You simply must tell me everything that has happened.

Private to Czeslaw Meyer - moderate hack

Benjamin? It is good to see you are still here, mon ami. [Francis is genuinely glad, but still somewhat hesitant.] May I be permitted to see you, to, perhaps... catch up?

Private to Amy Sorel - moderate hack

Chérie! ["Papa" Francis is beaming, just as hopelessly as if he'd never left.] Bonjour! Ah, it is so good to hear your cute little voice again~! Please tell me you have some time to let me see you - ah, I will be heartbroken if you do not!

Comments

[paysdelamour]

Ahiru!

[Yeah, he's not... excited to see her or anything... 8'|]

Ah, ma petite fleur, I missed you so much!

[motioned]

I can't believe you're back! I mean, after a year, that's like - I can't believe it.

[paysdelamour]

Oui, I know, I can hardly believe it myself! Mais, it is so good to see so many familiar faces - yours included, ma petite!

[motioned]

Yeah! I missed you a lot... How was it, back home?

[paysdelamour]

Ah, it was as beautiful as it always is. It has done me a great deal of good, returning home. Mais, as I said - I did miss this place.

I missed you too, Ahiru.

[motioned]

What kinds of stuff happened while you were there?

[paysdelamour]

Oh, many things! I suppose the most important being, France has a new president, as of May of last year... and it was the two hundred and twenty-third anniversary of Bastille Day also~

[motioned]

Bastille Day? What's that?

[paysdelamour]

July Fourteenth is Bastille Day - the anniversary of the capture of the Bastille by the citizens of Paris in 1789. It is also my birthday~

[... though Ahiru doesn't necessarily need to know those are tied together.]

[motioned]

Who are the Bastille? Why did they get captured?

[paysdelamour]

Non non non, the Bastille is not a who - it is a what. It was a prison, back then. There is not much left of it now.

[motioned]

Oh! Why was getting hold of a prison so important?

[paysdelamour]

It is funny you should ask, ma belle...

[... uh oh. PREPARE THYSELF, AHIRU.]

The political background for this event was quite bleak - many people were starving because even something as basic as bread was too expensive. One loaf of bread was almost a whole days' wage, for some. When Louis the Sixteenth ascended to the throne, the people were already too poor; only the first and second estates really had any money because they had many tax exemptions, while the third estate suffered having to support themselves and the other two. When it was suggested that the first and second estates pay taxes, that is, the nobles and the clergymen, they refused.

Obviously, the common people became upset, because the noblemen and clergymen controlled the government but only represented only a small section of the French people. So, they gave up the Estates General and met for themselves, calling themselves the Assemblée nationale - the National Assembly - and the King, of course, did not like this, so he locked them out of the Salle des États where they were meeting. The National Assembly instead met in an indoor tennis court and swore they would not leave until they had made a constitution for France. The King accepted them after a while, but by then it was too late - the seeds of dissent were already sewn.

So it was in July that the King began to restructure the tax code, and in the process, fired his financial advisor, m'sieur Necker. The people assumed he was moving to stop the third estate and the National Assembly, and so, on the 14th of July several mobs stormed the Bastille, hoping to arm themselves with the guns and ammunition held inside. It was also traditionally a place for political prisoners and the like, so it also was symbolic of defying the king.

Of course, I am making this far more simple than it actually was... mais... does this answer your question?

[motioned]

[Whoa. A pause.]

Are you sure that's simpler than it really was...?

[paysdelamour]

I am afraid so, chérie.

[motioned]

Well, it didn't seem very simple to me, at least!

[paysdelamour]

It is simple enough... humans always compete for resources, belle. The working class were poor, hungry, and watching their king and nobles and priests sit in the lap of luxury - they wanted things to be more balanced, non?