Battle of Alberta Timeline pt. 2: 20th Century: 1900-1919
[ Alberta Story ] [ part 1 ] [ part 2 ] [ part 3 eventually ]
Phew. (again).
So I spent an inordinate amount of time not doing this and that was terrible. It's like not showering, I was so itchy.
Originally I intended to do the 20th century all in one go like the previous timeline, but my focus shifted, my reasons for continuing uh change with the times i guess, and I wanted to be a little bit more focused and thoughtful as I made this.
While I do still intend this as kind of a cheat sheet for myself to reference past decisions I've made, I also don't really envision this as something that is set in stone. It's more of just a milestone, a marker of where my thoughts are at, and I may end up retconning or reimagining parts of it as my understanding changes. There's still a lot I am missing or have glossed over and that's fine, I'll learn to live with it and fill in the gaps as I go in other ways.
Once again, this is something that I could go into depth explaining and elaborating on but to save myself time and energy I will simply point at the ask box and leave it there.
Ooh, just saw that Ask Game you reblogged. Always happy to hear more about your Alberta OCs and the creative process that goes into them, so let's go with that. How about 💼, 🎹 and 🎯 for Eleanor and Jasper if that's not too much trouble?
goooood morning let's go! be warned that a lot of this is just based on Vibes and idk horoscoping rather than concrete facts, hahaha, but it's good to start thinking about!
[ OC Asks ]
💼 - What do they do for a living?
The easy thing to say is "well of course they work for Parks Canada!" but what that actually entails is a huge range of potential occupations. Are they doing fire prevention or invasive species management? are they doing the stereotypical park warden interpretation and guided tours? are they doing routine maintenance? are they driving out at 6 am to man a cash register for a few hours with a summer student or two? are they laundering all those rented bathing suits and cleaning washrooms?
It's easy enough to say "well yeah all of it" and I'm sure with their depth and breadth of experience over the past hundred years they easily could have done a bit of all of it (or, maybe enough to get blacklisted from certain professions for a decade or two, lol)
Also thinking about how they started, Nor's initial "purpose" was for a sanitarium, so even if she's not like a Trained Medical Professional (tm) I feel like she probably still has this long standing interest in people's health. She's always running around doing different things anyway but I think she's a calm presence in a crisis and the person you want to show up with the first aid kit, whether it's from a scrape with wildlife or climbing or a burn from working in a kitchen, etc. Also somewhat ironically, I think her doing more admin work or chilling in the museum/arts centre is like a nice reprieve from being the token expert in Every Job!
Jas started life as an HBC fort - albeit not a super engaged and successful one compared to Ed, so I'm guessing the retail life was never really their strong suit. I also think Jas would have had a somewhat strained relationship with the national park / feds for a long time (partially due to the expulsion of the First Nations and Metis who were the architects of the famous cozy cabin culture of the area, partially due to kind of ignoring the authority of the HBC previously, and partially just not taking Parks Canada rules as seriously as Nor does). However, I do think Jas is a pretty hardcore naturalist and will take any excuse to be up a tree or down a cave, or out maintaining the trails etc., so conservation work with Parks Canada is still a "natural" [cough] fit for them.
🎹 - Do they have any hobbies?
The implication from the above answer is that they both love their work, which kind of makes some obvious overlaps (is hiking and climbing a hobby if its your job? lol)
I think Eleanor - going off on the centre of the arts, of course - is the most likely to be into things like painting and film making (or at least film watching). These are hobbies that kind of force her to sit in one place and mediate for a little while.
I'm tempted to say that one of Jas' takeaways from the HBC life was an interest in textiles - although the image of them crocheting some kind of amigurumi while hanging off the side of a cliff is really funny now that I think of it. But my impression is that they're more into the ephemeral stuff like music/dance than crafting overall.
🎯 -What do they do best?
I think of the two Eleanor is the one who is better at the interpretation part of chatting to visitors, telling them why something is interesting or important or amazing, telling a story in a way that's easy to follow, and also scolding people for interacting with the park in an irresponsible way. She's also the one who picks up other languages reasonably well because she takes the opportunities to use them and to connect with people.
Apart from being the best at napping and sleeping, lol, Jas is probably the best at noticing when something has changed or is out of whack. I think despite the impressions they give other people that they're actually incredibly observant and will be the first to notice the change in season, or when there's an improvement in an ecological recovery zone/species, or even when someone is acting differently or has a new haircut. They're also just bizarrely good at navigation as part of this - Jas is the person you want on hand when you're lost in the dark (kind of like a contemporary David Thompson? hahaha)
It seemed like Eleanor accepted this excuse at face value as she shifted topics onto the upcoming big year for Etienne and engaged him about the birthday plans.
Calvin shifted his focus to consuming food, enjoying the freshness of the bread. Thinking that if things really went south with Ed perhaps he could just console himself on baked goods for an entire month…
XXXX
Feeling content after the delicious food, Etienne wondered what Calvin had in mind when they left the bakery. Eleanor had left for whatever duties she had, effectively abandoning them together.
Calvin stretched and looked around the bustling town before glancing at Etienne. “You going your own way or do you want to hang out?”
For some reason, Etienne, after having Eleanor dash his hopes for sex, had not considered ditching Calvin. They still had a night in Banff, and the idea of just noodling off on his own, while an attractive proposition, hadn’t exactly taken flight.
“Erh--,” he wasn’t sure how he was supposed to feel as he gave a noncommittal shrug, “Hang out?”
An eyebrow raised, “Alright, I am just planning to wander…”
Etienne nodded, wondering if there was any way he could needle more information out of Calvin about him and Ed. Not that he cared or …anything.
There was quaint atmosphere within the crisp town as they wandered down the cobbled street. There were many gift stores full of Canadiana specially marked for foreign tourists.
“Do you need a fur lined HBC blanket for five thousand?” Calvin jokingly asked Etienne as they stared into the window of one of these stores.
“Already have one,” came the absent-minded reply.
Surprised Calvin looked at him. “What?”
“Hmm an original…”
“Does it still exist? Wouldn’t it be you know… mouldy or something? I mean you are no spring chicken.”
Etienne gave him a disparaging look. “It’s on my bed…”
“You still use it?”
“Yes? Why would I buy a new blanket when mine is perfectly fine?”
“Oh my god… a relic sleeping with a relic… I guess its fitting.”
Annoyed Etienne gave him a punch in the arm. “I am not that ancient, Calvin!”
“If you say so, you use your old age so much I expect you already to be using Viagra.”
“That… that was really low.”
“I can go lower,” came the blithe reply as Calvin wandered into an antique store. It was musty with a hint of incense.
“Why are you entering this? Don’t you have enough horses?”
“Mmm I’m not looking for that…”
“You mean you are actually looking for something?”
“Mmmyaaah sort of.”
“But this is all… grandma stuff,” Etienne gestured towards the lace doilies, old teacups, and teapots. “Sure you in the right section?”
“Of course…” Calvin had stopped in front of the fussiest of teacups. Tilting his head, he thoughtfully studied the blue and orange floral pattern on white, intertwined in a suffocating manner. Closing his eyes, he stood there as if trying to envision the reaction before giving a firm nod. “This is it…”
“You’re taking the ugliest cup from here!?” Etienne hissed, “Look at the offensive colour scheme! Orange and blue don’t go well together and those shades are just off! Are you buying for your worst enemy?!”
Calvin smiled. “You could say that.”
“Who??” Etienne frowned, “Edith?? Doesn’t she possess that old lady teacup collection?”
He did not like the considering look Calvin was shooting his way. “Edith’s collection?”
“Yes! That’s what Ed said when I visited and I saw that giant cabinet!”
“Etienne… and when Edith moved out… where did the cabinet go?”
“It stayed in the house – it’s too fragile to move.”
Slowly Calvin lifted the teacup and saucer in front of Etienne. “Even if the cups are carefully packed away and then the cabinet carefully moved?”
“Well… wait.” An uncomfortable feeling was settling into his throat, “You mean… he lied to me?”
“Apparently so… You didn’t pick up that Ed embodies the fussy Ukrainian grandma stereotype to some degree, right down to the small shrine to Gretzky in the corner of his house?”
“Wait… so… that… collection is his but…” Etienne frowned, feeling like the pit of his stomach was crawling out of him trying to escape the swirling thoughts and the overwhelming emotion of crappiness seeming to overtake him, “…why would he lie to me?”
“Buddy I have no clue…” Calvin musingly looked at the ugly teacup before adding almost like an after thought, “Maybe he was trying to impress you? Worried if he showed his real self you would run screaming? I mean…” here he gave a laugh, “Why the hell would someone as cool as you be interested in a man who obsessively gardens and makes his own jam?”
“…He makes his own jam?”
“Yeah?? Haven’t you heard of his crab apple jelly?”
“He said he bought it at a farmer’s market when he visited…” Etienne remembered the event clearly. He had been excitedly waiting for Ed to visit him; it was beginning of October, the final days of autumn vainly clinging to the trees but the chill of winter already creeping under collars. It had been a pleasant surprise when Ed mentioned he would be visiting, it had been a good six months since they had last seen each other. It was not that Etienne had missed him, the time usually went by fast but there were moments when he… there would be a pause and he wished Ed was there to share that moment. He had even managed to convince Elyse to help him sort of clean his apartment for this event. Well, she had popped open a beer and critiqued his apartment, guilting him into at least sweeping and straightening a cover, before she began yelling at the TV when the politics on the news got her attention.
Ed was looking good, coming with a nice bag full of goodies he had bought at the farmer’s market, different jellies and even some cookies. Those cookies were damn good and Etienne felt his mouth water remembering the soft flakey texture of the peanut butter cookies crumbling in his mouth. But grandma-like qualities? Was that what you would call it? With Ed just casually straightening a cushion or two, or obsessively cleaning his kitchen? The fact that whenever Ed left, his apartment was somehow cleaner than when he had arrived… God, he had been blind.
That crab apple jelly… he had enthused over it. He remembered opening it and smelling the scent. Spreading it across the fresh bread bought from the bakery across the way, how the tart taste tingled on his taste buds and his expression of complete bliss. How modest Ed seemed to be as his face flushed adorably, mentioning that he had bought this from one of his favourite vendors.
“Why would I be too cool for jam?”
“Oh I dunno.” Calvin was squinting through the handle of the tea cup, tongue poking out slightly before he muttered, “Pew pew!”
“Calvin! This is a serious question!”
“Geez… look, buddy. Maybe Ed was so busy putting on a cool front because he assumed due to being casual you wouldn’t want him warts and all? He put on the vision he thought you wanted to see and repressed any of his not-cool stuff? I mean hell… he’s just some Podunk small city, you know? Probably thought you hanging out with him was some sort of strange favour… I mean. I guess it’s best that you two stopped doing whatever your relationship was. I mean with me he can be his full self and I’m fine with it. I mean he can tolerate me at my worst, and I take him at his worst. Sure, words may be said now and then… but it’s going to be fine. Anyways… I’m going to purchase this.”
With that, Calvin turned away and walked towards the till, leaving Etienne deep in thought.
The rest of the day passed with Etienne mulling over this, attempting to pretend that this revelation wasn’t bothering him. Probably explained why he bought some more wine, and how he and Calvin ended up nude in the Jacuzzi, the stars shining above them, alcohol in hand.
Getting drunk. Etienne didn’t want to think about missed opportunities and what if’s anymore. He was Over It.
Which is what he was muttering to himself as he cracked open his third bottle of wine.
Calvin was on his fourth beer, his words beginning to slur as he began to expound upon the qualities of Bert’s cow, Buttercup.
“Not only is she gentle but she produces some of the best milk ever… so thick and creamy… love drinking it pretty much straight from her… like a mother’s milk…”
Turning, he looked at Calvin thinking how he was good looking, feeling a little bitter about the entire situation. A blackness seemed to be writhing around inside of his stomach as he moved closer to him, some sort of dark self-loathing mixed with jealousy. Lazily he reached out and began to gently play with a piece of Calvin’s golden hair.
“Your hair is so soft, like a downy goose…” Etienne murmured as he moved even closer, pressing his chest up next to Calvin’s bare arm.
“Hmmn?” Contentedly Calvin closed his eyes, leaning into the gentle touches, letting himself be massaged until he somehow ended up with Etienne’s arm around his shoulders, head leaning against him. “Don’t stop, that feels good.”
“Ohh?” Tilting his head down, his lips brushing against Calvin’s forehead, Etienne murmured, “How good?”
“Mmnnn you’re comfy…” Calvin finished his beer can and set it on the side as he turned to give Etienne a rather soft, drunken look. “You ever regret not giving in to love Etienne?”
“Mm? What do you mean?” he was surprised at the question wondered if the man was trying to distract him from the slight flush on his cheeks.
“I mean you’re always so afraid it seems. I mean even when things between me and Ed look bleak… even if we were to you know break up. I think I will always be glad to have tried it at least once you know…” The eyes seemed to get a little dewy with sentimental tears, “Maybe you should try to stop being so prickly? I mean hell you’re so old, you need to at least try some things that are different… must be so boring being alone.”
“I am not alone like that,” Etienne responded a little too roughly, his eyes fixated on the soft lips speaking those annoying words, “You make me out like some sad loser…”
“No not a loser. Alone maybe, afraid… so old you forgot how to feel…”
Leaning closer so their foreheads touch, Etienne murmured, “Trust me… I know how to feel…”
It was now or never, Etienne thought as he closed the small gap between them, his mouth softly touching against Calvin’s. He hadn’t thought his heart would be beating so wildly at this action, at this violation of trust and he knew he should stop. He didn’t.
Briefly he could feel Calvin respond, the soft sigh escaping him. The kiss he pressed more firmly the electricity tingling from where their lips touched straight to his groin. He realized that he had never fully taken charge in an encounter with this man. How pliable would he be beneath him in bed?
Slowly he let his hand drift down to settle upon the blonds responding erection and gave it a small tug.
It was that gesture which snapped Calvin’s eyes open as he forcefully pulled away from Etienne almost gasping for sanity. “Stop!”
“Hmm?” Perturbed and grumpy that his plan was not going as he wanted, Etienne frowned, “Why? I mean… you clearly want to… who would know?” he purred. “It’s only us… it would just be a one night stand… we could release some… tensions…”
Calvin’s expression seemed to falter before he abruptly stood up, awkwardly turning away from Etienne as he exited the Jacuzzi. “I can’t. It’s wrong… I mean…” wrapping the towel around his waist he turned and looked towards him, face bright red but determined, “That will be all I would think about each time I visit here. How I betrayed him. I can’t. I am simply not that type of man, Etienne. It would mean something to me. Etienne, I am just not that person to be so casual.”
“Betray him? I thought you two had a big blow out fight?” came the desperate stab in the dark.
Surprise across the face followed by, “How did you-?”
“Oh it’s obvious,” Etienne flubbed in a confident manner.
“Well! Even if we have had a fight I am not having sex with you! Sure, I may find you attractive but that doesn’t mean anything has to happen!” He paused as if just realizing what he had said and he quickly and awkwardly walked away from the man.
Etienne sat there in the Jacuzzi, annoyed that his plan did not work out, wondering why he felt annoyed and sort of relieved that Calvin was being who he was.
Was he really so low as to attempt to fully fracture this relationship with such a move?
XXXXXX
It was a tense morning when they packed after a silent night, which Calvin had spent on the couch clearly not trusting to sleep beside Etienne.
Words were barely passed between them and it was a relief when they checked out to go their separate ways.
What disturbed Etienne the most was the fact he was actually missing the presence of the blond as he entered the airport terminal.
His feelings were too much of a mess. He really hated himself.
I probably don't need to explain why doing these doodles is relevant if you have paid even an ounce of attention to the world but I can at least provide some local relevance.
And something to do about it, of course :)
Palettes are all from branding guides, either the official city/province guide, the tourism/local business association guide, or in GP's case colour picked from the strategic plan while we wait for the city to get one together lol. Let me know if there's a particular colour palette that you like best~ some of these colours actually do have cutesy names!
