#austen au

[ehay]

Yennefer, inspired by several scenes in the Austen AU by @clydethistles, which I had the pleasure of rereading last night.

(Highly recommended)

[konartiste]

Of Good Opinions and Bad - chapter 12

Lothíriel seeks solace in the gardens of her cousin Faramir's estate. All is calm and clear until someone's arrival shakes the vestiges of the order of Steward Hall.

[jomiddlemarch]

And tears are heard within the harp I touch

“You play, Miss O’Hara?” Lord Campbell-Black said from the threshold of the music-room, a chamber Mama had insisted in decorated in pale green as it set off her hair. She refused to wear a lace-trimmed cap when they were at home at the Priory, though Agatha knew the other ladies of the parish frowned over it. Lady Elizabeth, the daughter of a marquess who’d married beneath her station when she wed Viscount Vereker, had spoken of it, most gently, most politely, but Agatha knew there was nothing to be done. Mama would have her own way and Papa wouldn’t hear a word against her. Prinny had granted him the title himself for his various victories against the French navy, but at the Priory, it was Mama who was lord and master and Agatha thought even Napoleon would quake in the face of her ire.

It was Mama who had decided on the pale green, the cherubs clustered in the molding, the great gilt harp set between the windows, for the light, darling little fool, it’s most flattering.

“A little, sir,” Agatha replied. It was best to say least, she’d found. She’d gotten herself into trouble when she said more and there was no one who promised more trouble than Lord Campbell-Black, whom everyone in the Ton knew to be the greatest rake of his generation. It was said he had a dozen pair of boots from Hoby and had fired a dozen valets for their inability to tie his cravat as he liked.

It was whispered among the unmarried girls making their come-out, that he’d ruined over a dozen gentlewomen, and one had even become a nun.

“I should like to hear what a little sounds like,” he said. He looked the very devil, his eyes dark, his shoulders broad, his fashionable clothes not disguising in the least his form, the dangerous, powerful grace of his every gesture. It was said he only loved his hounds and his stallion Havoc and his old nanny. She ought to find some polite way to excuse herself, to explain she was wanted elsewhere, and she found she couldn’t and wouldn’t and didn’t want to.

She played, from memory, her favorite works, Burns and Dussek, Parry and Bach. Her fingers flew across the strings, the melodies so evocative she forgot herself, forgot demonically handsome Lord Campbell-Black, forgot Mama’s cutting remarks about what a muddle-head she was and Papa’s silence. She played and the harp sang. It was as close to Heaven as one might get in Rutshire in 1811.

“A little more and I’d be in Heaven, angel,” Lord Campbell-Black said, the words intended to be provocative, unsettling, Agatha intended to blush and drop her eyes, flustered and easily plucked, but his tone was reverent, surprised, and his expression, when she glanced up, was serious and impossibly tender.

“That’s heresy, sir,” Agatha said.

“Blasphemy, actually, but we shan’t argue over it,” he replied.

“I’m sure you know better,” Agatha said.

“Perhaps not, angel.”

Posted for @janeuary-month day 2 prompt: harp

[19burstraat]

when existence or when hope is gone : soc jane austen / regency au

"And have you made this entire call without once vexing or offending poor Miss Ghafa?” Captain Rietveld looked coolly at him. Inej bent her head over her sewing to hide her smiling, since she was not sure she would not laugh outright. She had not thought that Wylan would deliberately provoke the Captain, but perhaps his deference to his father did not reach anyone else. “I am sure that is not for me to decide,” said the Captain, “But I own I have been perfectly well behaved.” “Does he lie, Miss Ghafa?” “No— he has been quite tolerable company,” said Inej. “If not quite a perfect gentleman.” “You wound me, Miss Ghafa.” “I suspect I do not, Captain.”

contextual and explanatory notes about regency literary and social conventions are below the cut if you have questions during/after reading! plus some trivia for fun :)

The redacting of certain place names (—shire, — Street) is accurate to lots of old novels, where you will see it from time to time. I think it was a deliberate omission to avoid libel accusations if they accidentally invoked somewhere or someone real, or to also avoid confusing people if it contradicted real life. I used it here both to mimic the style, and also because that way didn't have to pick streets or regions lol.

The 'cut direct' was a social nuke and Kaz has balls of steel for using it on an older man who is his social superior 💀 if you very deliberately stared at and then blanked a previous acquaintance who had greeted you, it severed a relationship or acquaintance forever and could also make people turn on the person being cut. Pekka could have challenged him to a duel for it, but sensibly I think he saw the lapse in logic in giving a pistol to a soldier who holds you responsible for his brother's death and letting him shoot at you

A reticule is one of those dumb tiny handbags that regency ladies had

Governesses were in a uniquely vulnerable position. Not genteel enough for the family while not technically a servant, they tended to be isolated. While they were ofc not comparable to what Inej canonically goes through, many were abused by the families they worked for, rivalled the mothers for their children's affection, and some were harassed and abused by husbands or male visitors. There's a reason Jane Fairfax does not want to be one in Emma.

The navy lists are a publication that, unsurprisingly, list all the men, their ranks, and their ships currently trundling around on campaign. Kaz checks them to see who is still alive and to backseat drive campaigns (what's new!) and Wylan waits on tenterhooks for him to find Jesper. Which he always does because he was already looking for him.

Married couples did not tend to call one another by their given names, at least not in company; Nina and Matthias do it because they have a fond disrespect for one another. Or Nina does anyway and it's rubbed off on Matthias.

Although Kaz and Inej are comparatively very young, twenty six is pushing it for the 'marriageability' of young women; Anne Elliot was twenty seven and was considered to have lost the 'bloom' of her youth, so she is being bourne down upon a bit.

The money concerns in Persuasion— landed gentry losing money and soldiers becoming 'new' money in the war via prize money, but still being looked down upon by the old nobility— are kinda reflected through Kaz and Jesper.

(to be so honest I do not quite understand how the regency economy worked but I figured that like, no one else reading this does either, unless ur a regency specialist. if you are, sorry. how's academia?)

I think we're actually not quite yet at the peak of the 'scandal sheet' Bridgerton-Lady-Whistledown craze, but I couldn't possibly deprive Kaz and Inej of their fishmarket wife gossip habit in any universe.

I also hate Lord Byron. Next!

Nina, Matthias, and Inej are not at the Wesper wedding because regency weddings were super tiny affairs that only had v close / local family and friends at them

I think the circumstances of Kaz and Jordie having been minor landed gentry having to join the navy out of necessity may be a bit of a stretch but... Well I had to think of something to replicate Kaz's backstory with. The easier solution would have been for them to marry rich but I can see Jordie thinking that trying to marry Kaz 'Cut Direct' Rietveld off to a Duchess might be a bit tough

A trousseau was the collection of clothes that women bought before they were married; it was an expected thing, to send brides off with new clothes. Nina and Mrs Ghafa (and Jesper) are a lot more interested in this than poor Inej is lol.

The made up house names are entirely inside jokes with myself. Geldings references horses but is actually a play on the Geldstraat, Crawley means 'clearing frequented by crows', Stavewell is a play on the Stave where Tante Heleen and the Menagerie are, and I think Trasselwood is fairly obvious lol.

[torchwood-99]

Borodred Emma AU Anyone?

Here's how it'd go down.

Regency Setting

Eowyn and Theodred live at Meduseld Manor with Theoden.

Theodred is determined never to get married, but rather likes playing matchmaker.

Eowyn is courted by Faramir, the younger brother of Theodred’s bosom friend, Boromir. Eowyn is fond of Faramir, but he is unlike the sort of man she thought she would like to marry, and she still has hang ups from the conduct of her uncle's obsessive former steward.

Theodred thinks Faramir is too soft and mild mannered for Eowyn, (even though he was knighted in the war and has a large fortune).

Also, Faramir's estate is far away from Meduseld Manor (he's only around to visit Boromir) and Theodred knows that if Eowyn moves far away, Theodred will have to take on the responsibility of caring for his father, which he has pushed onto Eowyn more than he knows he should have.

Theodred warns Eowyn that a quiet, scholarly sort like Faramir would only wish to tame her and curtail her wildness (spoiler, he's wrong), and encourages her to fall in love with Aragorn, a local lord instead.

Eowyn heeds Theodred’s judgement and refuses Faramir’s offer of marriage, and falls in love with Aragorn, who is a famed war hero.

Boromir is furious, as he had been eager for the match between Eowyn and Faramir, and Faramir is now heartbroken.

Theodred is upset to have upset Boromir, but refuses to acknowledge he did anything wrong. 

Aragorn returns after having been away awhile, and has brought his wife, Arwen with him.

Eowyn is devastated and humiliated. 

Eomer comes for a visit, having been settled at Aldburg after leaving the navy, and seems rather cross and sorry for himself, irritating Theodred.

Lothiriel visits Boromir with her family, and flirts shamelessly with Theodred.

Her brothers were in the navy, along with Eomer, and Lothiriel and Eomer have a “passing” acquaintance. Lothiriel admits she finds Eomer crude and brutish, which Theodred agrees with, frustrated with Eomer's temper bringing down the household's already pretty fraught atmosphere.

Theodred voices his suspicions that Eomer has had his heart broken, and Lothiriel suggests he was in love with Arwen, which Theodred readily believes.

At a ball, Eowyn is snubbed, as gossip has gotten out about her “setting her cap” at Aragorn, even though there are more men present at the ball than women.

Boromir sees this and dances with her, and the other gentlemen follow suit.

Due to the amount of men, Theodred and Boromir dance together. Theodred realises he’s in love with Boromir. 

He sees Eowyn and Boromir exchange letters, and sees Eowyn giggling, and believes that she has fallen in love with Boromir, and that he reciprocates. 

Eowyn gets Theodred to help her deliver medicines to the poor, that she has grown and prepared in her greenhouse.

One of their visits is to Miss Ioreth, a local spinster who used to have a large greenhouse and garden, which she used to make medicines and other goods for the poor, and taught Eowyn all she knew, but has come down in the world and now lives in reduced circumstances.

Their visit coincides with Boromir and Faramir's. Feeling guilty about Faramir's presence, and the heartache he must be feeling with Eowyn and Boromir in the room, and nursing his own "unrequited" love, Ioreth's chattiness gets on Theodred's nerves, and he makes a cutting remark at her.

Ioreth's chattiness irritates Theodred, and he makes a cutting remark at her.

"Badly done, Theodred!"

Lothiriel and Eomer elope, and are revealed to have been in love for some time, until some foolishness broke them apart. Lothiriel had been flirting with Theodred to make Eomer jealous.

Boromir tries to console Theodred, and Theodred admits it is Boromir he is in love with.

Theodred is delighted that Boromir reciprocates, but is worried that Eowyn’s heart will be broken.

Boromir laughs and reveals that he has been acting as a go between for Eowyn and Faramir, arranging for the two to meet and exchange letters, so that they could re-establish their courtship without interference. 

Eowyn and Faramir agree to be wed. Everyone is delighted, except Theoden, who is happy for Eowyn, but fears he will be lonely without her.

Theodred takes a more active hand in looking after Theoden, with Borormir's help, but sees that Theoden (who grew up in a family of sisters, and who was deeply in love with his wife) misses having a woman around.

Theodred decides he's going to do some matchmaking one last time, and hooks Theoden up with Ioreth.

[employee052]

self care is drawing your blorbo as a jane austen character bc ur watching sense and sensibility for a class and need to make an au to satiate your simpage

anywho there it is ig aksjdhahkds

[rileymcdaniels]

i will edit this post someday with info and all the tags one might need but for now here's what I've got off the top of my head

[andromachete]

Chapter 1 *Summer*