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papermoonloveslucy · 4 years ago

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THE ELVES

September 2, 1949

“The Elves” is episode #52 of the radio series MY FAVORITE HUSBAND broadcast on September 2, 1949.

This was the first episode of the second season of MY FAVORITE HUSBAND which concluded on June 25, 1950.

Synopsis ~ Liz and George arrive home from vacation to find that someone has been ordering strawberry ice cream from the milkman every day, and the pink trail leads to the doorstep of their new neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Wood, and their ten children.

“My Favorite Husband” was based on the novels Mr. and Mrs. Cugat, the Record of a Happy Marriage (1940) and Outside Eden (1945) by Isabel Scott Rorick, which had previously been adapted into the film Are Husbands Necessary? (1942). “My Favorite Husband” was first broadcast as a one-time special on July 5, 1948. Lucille Ball and Lee Bowman played the characters of Liz and George Cugat, and a positive response to this broadcast convinced CBS to launch “My Favorite Husband” as a series. Bowman was not available Richard Denning was cast as George. On January 7, 1949, confusion with bandleader Xavier Cugat prompted a name change to Cooper. On this same episode Jell-O became its sponsor. A total of 124 episodes of the program aired from July 23, 1948 through March 31, 1951. After about ten episodes had been written, writers Fox and Davenport departed and three new writers took over – Bob Carroll, Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and head writer/producer Jess Oppenheimer. In March 1949 Gale Gordon took over the existing role of George’s boss, Rudolph Atterbury, and Bea Benaderet was added as his wife, Iris. CBS brought “My Favorite Husband” to television in 1953, starring Joan Caulfield and Barry Nelson as Liz and George Cooper. The television version ran two-and-a-half seasons, from September 1953 through December 1955, running concurrently with “I Love Lucy.” It was produced live at CBS Television City for most of its run, until switching to film for a truncated third season filmed (ironically) at Desilu and recasting Liz Cooper with Vanessa Brown.

MAIN CAST

Lucille Ball (Liz Cooper) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon.

Richard Denning (George Cooper) was born Louis Albert Heindrich Denninger Jr., in Poughkeepsie, New York. When he was 18 months old, his family moved to Los Angeles. Plans called for him to take over his father’s garment manufacturing business, but he developed an interest in acting. Denning enlisted in the US Navy during World War II. He is best known for his roles in various science fiction and horror films of the 1950s. Although he teamed with Lucille Ball on radio in “My Favorite Husband,” the two never acted together on screen. While “I Love Lucy” was on the air, he was seen on another CBS TV series, “Mr. & Mrs. North.” From 1968 to 1980 he played the Governor on “Hawaii 5-0″, his final role. He died in 1998 at age 84.

Bea Benadaret (Iris Atterbury, Liz’s Best Friend) was considered the front-runner to be cast as Ethel Mertz but when “I Love Lucy” was ready to start production she was already playing a similar role on TV’s “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show” so Vivian Vance was cast instead. On “I Love Lucy” she was cast as Lucy Ricardo’s spinster neighbor, Miss Lewis, in “Lucy Plays Cupid” (ILL S1;E15) in early 1952. Later, she was a success in her own show, “Petticoat Junction” as Shady Rest Hotel proprietress Kate Bradley. She starred in the series until her death in 1968.

Gale Gordon (Rudolph Atterbury, George’s Boss) had worked with Lucille Ball on “The Wonder Show” on radio in 1938. One of the front-runners to play Fred Mertz on “I Love Lucy,” he eventually played Alvin Littlefield, owner of the Tropicana, during two episodes in 1952. After playing a Judge in an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” in 1958, he would re-team with Lucy for all of her subsequent series’: as Theodore J. Mooney in ”The Lucy Show”; as Harrison Otis Carter in “Here’s Lucy”; and as Curtis McGibbon on "Life with Lucy.” Gordon died in 1995 at the age of 89.

Ruth Perrott (Katie, the Maid) does not appear in this episode

Bob LeMond (Announcer) also served as the announcer for the pilot episode of “I Love Lucy”. When the long-lost pilot was finally discovered in 1990, a few moments of the opening narration were damaged and lost, so LeMond – fifty years later – recreated the narration for the CBS special and subsequent DVD release.

GUEST CAST

Hans Conried (Mr. Wood, New Neighbor) first co-starred with Lucille Ball in The Big Street (1942). He then appeared on “I Love Lucy” as used furniture man Dan Jenkins in “Redecorating” (ILL S2;E8) and later that same season as Percy Livermore in “Lucy Hires an English Tutor” (ILL S2;E13) – both in 1952. The following year he began an association with Disney by voicing Captain Hook in Peter Pan. On “The Lucy Show” he played Professor Gitterman in “Lucy’s Barbershop Quartet” (TLS S1;E19) and in “Lucy Plays Cleopatra” (TLS S2;E1). He was probably best known as Uncle Tonoose on “Make Room for Daddy” starring Danny Thomas, which was filmed on the Desilu lot. He joined Thomas on a season 6 episode of “Here’s Lucy” in 1973. He died in 1982 at age 64.

Conried plays Mr. Wood in several other episodes. His first name is Benjamin, and his wife - who we never meet - is named Gertrude. They were both only children and want to make up for it by having a large family.

Frank Nelson (Mr. Stevens) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs. His trademark was playing clerks and other working stiffs, suddenly turning to Benny with a drawn out “Yeeeeeeeeees?” Nelson appeared in 11 episodes of “I Love Lucy”, including three as quiz master Freddy Fillmore, and two as Ralph Ramsey, plus appearance on “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour” - making him the only actor to play two different recurring roles on “I Love Lucy.” Nelson returned to the role of the frazzled Train Conductor for an episode of “The Lucy Show” in 1963. This marked his final appearance on a Lucille Ball sitcom.

Anne Whitfield (Joanne Wood, Nearly 7) is best remembered for her signature role as the younger daughter of Phil Harris and Alice Faye on their hit radio show. Although she never appeared on screen with Lucille Ball, she did a 1962 episode of Desilu’s “The Untouchables.” She is best known for playing Susan in the 1954 film White Christmas. She was 11 years old in 1949 when this episode of “My Favorite Husband” was broadcast. As of this writing she is 82 years old and living in Washington state.

Joanne Wood is one of the many children of the Coopers neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Wood. She will also appear as Joanne Wood, without Conried, but with Nelson, in “Liz’s Superstitions” in October 1949.

THE EPISODE

ANNOUNCER: “As we look in on lazy little Sheridan Falls, the hometown of the Coopers, we find many signs that summer is over. The leaves are turning red, the Coopers are turning their faces toward home after summer vacation, and Liz is hoping that all her friends will turn green when they see how she’s turned brown. Let’s pick them up as their drive into town...”

Liz is anxious for people to see her summer tan. She spots the Atterburys and wants to stop the car to talk. They also just got back from vacation at Moosehead Lodge. Every time Liz tries to talk about her sunny stay, Iris and Rudolph interrupt about their Lodge at the lake. Liz and Iris tug at her blouses and slacks to reveal their tans. Mr. Atterbury tells George that he may be getting a promotion. They say their goodbyes.

LIZ: “Goodbye, Paleface!” IRIS: “See you later, Snow White!”

The Paleface was a Bob Hope / Jane Russell film released at the very end of 1948 and still in cinemas at the time of the broadcast. The Paramount western also featured future “Lucy” cast members Iris Adrian, Iron Eyes Cody, Olin Howland, Nestor Paiva, George Chandler, Fred Aldrich, Oliver Blake, George Bruggerman, Dick Elliott, and Bert Stevens.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a 1937 animated Disney film based on the classic fairy tale. It featured the voices of future “Lucy” cast member Pinto Colvig and Moroni Olsen.

Upon arriving home, the Coopers notice that their porch has been painted white. Upon closer inspection, they realize it isn’t paint - but milk. Their ‘milk card’ has been tampered with to order strawberry ice cream while they were away - yet none is found.

During the early part of the twentieth century, dairy products were usually delivered to homes, rather than shopped in a market. The milkman was part of daily life. Housewives would leave notes (or cards, as above) to request items outside their standing delivery order: Milk, eggs, yogurt, butter, and ice cream, were all offered. It was not uncommon to see back porches with milk boxes and or empty bottles ready to be returned to the dairy. This service has all but disappeared in favor of supermarkets.

Liz and George turn into amateur sleuths to track down the trail of strawberry ice cream drippings which lead directly to... the empty house next door. Liz notices laundry on the line and surmises that the new neighbors moved in while they were away.

George angrily knocks on the door, which is opened by Mr. Wood (Hans Conried). He explains that one of his children has brought home strawberry ice cream. The elves gave it to her. Mr. Wood goes to find his daughter to explain.

LIZ (to George): “I think Mr. Wood has snapped his twig!”

Mr. Wood returns, assured that Joanna, his daughter, isn’t listening. Mr. Wood explains that he has ten children and one on the way. Liz is shocked to find out Mrs. Wood is still alive!

GEORGE: “Well, Mr. Wood, you’ve certainly got a lot of little splinters.”

The rest of the children stay with relatives in the summer. Mr. Wood calls for Joanne, who he thought was buying the ice cream from her allowance. Joanne is an imaginative child who thinks she’s a fairy queen, comes in. She has been feeding her pet dragon, Charlie, the ice cream. Liz tells her that dragons don’t eat so much ice cream, but Joanne insists that Charlie’s just a small dragon - a dragon-ette.

LIZ: “Yes. I’ve heard of her sister - Jessica.”

Jessica Dragonette (1900-80) was a singer who became popular on American radio and was active in the World War II effort. She was voted best female singer of the country 1942 and 1943.

Much to Liz and George’s chagrin, Mr. Wood let’s her daughter off without any punishment or admonishment for her ice cream thievery. Mr. Wood offers to pay their milk bill as compensation.

End of Part One

Bob LeMond gives listeners a Jell-O ‘dreamy’ recipe for a fluffy orange tart.

As the second half opens, Mr. Wood has rung the Cooper’s doorbell to report that little Joanne overheard them say that their were no such things as elves. Mr. Wood wants them to pretend to be elves to console her. Liz and George are reluctant, but agree when they see her awash in tears.

The Coopers will pretend to find Joanne’s lost dragon, Charlie. To prove that they are really elves, Joanne insists that Liz transform into a troll and George into a Brownie Princess. On the way out, Joanne picks up the Coopers telephone and it is Mr. Atterbury, who is bringing over an important client, Mr. Stevens. Joanne refuses to tell Liz and George who was on the phone - claiming it was the King of the Elves.

As Joanne waits outside for their transformation, Liz and George plan their outrageous outfits. As a brownie princess, George will wear his brown shoes, socks, and garters, a dried grass-skirt, water-wings, and a brown bathing cap. As a troll, Liz will wear a stocking over her face hanging down like an elephant’s trunk, red rubber gloves on her hands and feet, and will walk on all fours.

Meanwhile, Mr. Atterbury drives up with Mr. Stevens (Frank Nelson), describing Mr. Cooper as a “dignified, sober, and conservative”. On the porch is Joanne, who identifies herself as the Fairy Queen. From inside, Liz bids them open the door and come in. Liz is hopping about on all fours, spouting gibberish. Joanne describes the men as ogres “one uglier than the other.”

In retrospect, this storyline might have inspired the TV series “Bewitched” (1964-72), in which Darrin Stephens’ boss, Larry Tate, was usually bringing home an important client, describing Darrin to him in glowing terms, and then finding Darrin transformed due to a spell, sometimes involving his own daughter, Tabitha. Even the names Stevens / Stephens is the same!

Liz straightens up immediately when she sees them. Liz realizes that the ‘Brownie Princess’ is still upstairs, waiting to make his entrance. Too late! George dances on looking for his lily pad! Mr. Atterbury fires George on the spot. Mr. Stevens wants to hear George’s explanation. George stands up for himself - he was simply preserving the fantasy life of a child. Mr. Stevens takes George’s side and Mr. Atterbury immediately grants George his promotion to third vice president!

End of Episode

In the live Jell-O commercial that ends the show, Bob LeMond is singing “I’ve been working on the railroad...J-E-L-L-O!” Lucy thinks he is talking about having to take a job on the railroad, telling him that radio is a tough business and television is the future. They both sing the song with lyrics about Jell-O.

#My Favorite Husband #Lucille Ball #Gale Gordon #CBS #Jell-O #Richard Denning #Bea Benadaret #Frank Nelson #Snow White #The Paleface #Anne Whitfield #Hans Conried #Radio #Elves #Jessica Dragonette

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newyorkthegoldenage · 6 years ago

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When Radio Was King

From the 1920s through the 1940s, radio was the medium that dominated peoples’ lives, in the way that television and the internet did later. In November, 1936, Life magazine devoted a story to NBC, then celebrating its tenth anniversary—at the new Rockefeller Center, of course. This gave listeners a rare opportunity to see what those with the familiar voices looked like.

The text is hard to see, so here it is:

Page 1

Top left: Frank Black. He directs NBC’s musical policy, frequently conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra, draws a salary of some $100,000—more than NBC’s president.

Left to right in the “filmstrip:” Walter Winchell. NBC’s crack newscaster, he talks 15 minutes every Sunday night, sheds his tie to relieve the strain caused by a machine-gun style of delivery. Sample Winchell announcement: “Gypsy Rose Lee (pronounced Goona-Goona) is so wealthy she can retire.”

Gypsy Rose Lee. She has not retired. From being an obscure strip artist, her success in the Follies has made her shape familiar to thousands. A recent guest on Rudy Vallee’s hour, her voice was heard by millions.

Jack Benny. His fame has been built by radio alone. His following, biggest in radio: 18,000,000. Weekly salary for him and orchestra: $7,500. [Query: how much goes to Benny and how much to the orchestra?] Real name: Benny Kubelsky.

Jessica Dragonette. Jessica Dragonette is her real name. Like Benny, she is a 100% radio-built celebrity. NBC first got her out of “The Student Prince” ten years ago and she has been loyal to them ever since. She hates having her picture taken with her mouth open and this is a rare candid shot.

Bottom right: Ernest Cutting. In charge of NBC’s auditions, he listens morosely to “Home on the Range” for the 10,000th time. A screen hides his expression from the candidate.

Page 2

Before they can go happily to bed on Sunday nights, millions of people wait up to hear Walter Winchell chat about the news. For every one of the other dozen broadcasters candidly shown on these pages, people have risen from dinner tables, cut conversation short, stopped playing bridge, postponed bed hours. Here you see the inhabitants of a new era of fame—a species of unseen celebrity whose fame and future depend on intimacy in countless homes. Employing their talents, 150 NBC advertisers last year spent $31,150,000. Minimum fee that a national advertiser must pay for an evening hour: $6,000. Biggest buyer of NBC time--Procter & Gamble.

Top: Helen Hayes. Since September 29, 1935, she has been a weekly NBC performer on General Foods’ Sanka Coffee program. She has added to radio’s kudos, not it to hers.

Right: Vallee and Violinist. Radio’s top showman, he makes over $100,000 per year, hates being snapped in rehearsal, enjoys sudden fits of temper like the one that alarms violinist Rubinoff above.

Bottom, left to right:

Mrs. Harvey Firestone. In 1929, she composed “In My Garden” the theme song for the Firestone program. Here she is at the studio. Number 1 Firestone star: Richard Crooks.

Dorothy Thompson. Recently she has earned fame as a political columnist, every now and again speaks at NBC’s weekly forum, “America’s Town Meeting of the Air.”

Ruth Slenczynski. A top pianist prodigy, she was a recent guest performer at a General Motors Symphony concert. Right: Erno Rapee, General Motors Symphony conductor.

#NBC #radio #Rockefeller Center #Frank Black #Gypsy Rose Lee #Walter Winchell #Jack Benny #Jessica Dragonette #Ernest Cutting #Helen Hayes #Rudy Vallee #Mrs. Harvey Firestone #Richard Crooks #Dorothy Thompson #Ruth Slenczynski #erno rapee

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broadcastarchive-umd · 7 years ago

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Jessica Dragonette (1900-1980) began singing on radio in 1926, and during her 22-year radio career she helped to popularize operettas and semi-classical music. An admiring press dubbed her the "Princess of Song", a nickname she later would use to publicize concert events. She was the star of the Philco Hour on NBC from 1927-30. She became the star of the Cities Service Concerts program, which she joined in 1930. By 1935, a listeners' poll voted her radio's most popular female vocalist.

In 1934, she provided the voice of Persephone in the Silly Symphony cartoon The Goddess of Spring. And in 1939, she provided the voice of "Princess Glory" in the full color animated motion picture Gulliver's Travels. During World War II, she performed for charities benefiting the U.S. armed services, earning her an honorary commission as a Colonel. She performed frequently for the troops and sold a record number of war bonds.

From the Thomas A. DeLong Collection in Special Collections in Mass Media and Culture at the University of Maryland. DeLong was the author of Radio Stars: an Illustrated Biographical Dictionary (1996), Pops: Paul Whiteman, King of Jazz (1983), and The Mighty Music Box: the Golden Age of Musical Radio (1980).

#Old-time radio #OTR #vintage radio #Jessica Dragonette

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opera-ghosts · 4 years ago

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Italian operatic soprano Lina Cavalieri (December, 25, 1874-February 7, 1944), known for her great beauty. Born Natalina Cavalieri in Viterbo, Latium, Italy, she lost her parents at the age of fifteen and became a ward of the state, sent to live in a Roman Catholic orphanage. The vivacious young girl was extremely unhappy under the strict raising of the nuns, and at the first opportunity she ran away with a touring theatrical group. Blessed with a good singing voice, a young Cavalieri made her way to Paris, France, where her stunning good looks opened doors and she obtained work as a singer at one of the city's café-concerts. From there she performed at a variety of music halls and other such venues around Europe while still working to develop her voice for the opera. A soprano, Cavalieri took voice lessons and made her opera debut in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1900, the same year she married her first husband, the Russian Prince Bariatinsky. Eventually she followed in the footsteps of Hariclea Darclée as one of the first stars of Puccini's Tosca. In 1904 she sang at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo then in 1905, at the Sarah Bernhardt Theatre in Paris, Cavalieri starred opposite Enrico Caruso in the Umberto Giordano opera, Fedora. From there, she and Caruso took the show to New York City, debuting with it at the Metropolitan Opera on December 5, 1906. Cavalieri remained with the Metropolitan Opera for the next two seasons performing again with Caruso in 1907 in Puccini's Manon Lescaut. Renowned as much for her great beauty as for her singing voice, she became one of the most photographed stars of her time. Frequently referred to as the "world's most beautiful woman," she was part of the tightlacing tradition that saw women use corsetry to create an "hour-glass" figure. During the 1909-1910 season she sang with Oscar Hammerstein's Manhattan Opera Company. Her first marriage long over, she had a whirlwind romance and marriage with Robert Winthrop Chanler (1872-1930), a member of New York's prominent Astor family. However, this marriage lasted only a very short time (1) and Cavalieri returned to Europe where she became a much-loved star in pre-Revolutionary St. Petersburg, Russia, and in the Ukraine. During her career, Cavalieri sang with other opera greats such as the Italian baritone Titta Ruffo and the French tenor Lucien Muratore, whom she married in 1913. After retiring from the stage, Cavalieri ran a cosmetic salon in Paris. In 1914, on the eve of her fortieth birthday — her beauty still spectacular — she wrote an advice column on make-up for women in Femina magazine and published a book, My Secrets of Beauty. In 1915, she returned to her native Italy to make motion pictures. When that country became involved in World War I, she went to the United States where she made four more silent films. The last three of her films were the product of her friend, the Belgian film director Edward José. Married for the fourth time to Paolo dArvanni, Cavalieri returned to live with her husband in Italy. Well into her sixties when World War II broke out, she nevertheless worked as a volunteer nurse. Cavalieri was killed in 1944 during an Allied bombing raid that destroyed her home in the outskirts of Florence. La Cavalieri's discography is slim. In 1910, for Columbia, she recorded arias from Faust, Carmen, Mefistofele, La bohème, Manon Lescaut and Tosca, as well as the song, "Maria, Marì! (Ah! Marì! Ah! Marì!)." In 1917, for Pathé, the soprano recorded "Le rêve passé," with Muratore. She was painted by the Italian artist Giovanni Boldini (acquired by Maurice Rothschild) and by the Swiss-born American artist Adolfo Müller-Ury (1862-1947). The latter is now the property of the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, the gift of Nicholas Meredith Turner in memory of his wife the soprano Jessica Dragonette. Hers is the face that appears repeatedly, obsessively in Piero Fornasetti's designs. In 1955, Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida portrayed Cavalieri in the film The World's Most Beautiful Woman. In 2004, a book was published authored by Paul Fryer and Olga Usova titled 'Lina Cavalieri -The Life of Operas Greatest Beauty, 1874-1944'.

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chysgoda · 5 years ago

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Small Victories and Large

Prompt 20: Bisect

FFXIV Write 2019

Word Count: 2553

Rating: PG

AU: The Last Dragoon

Bel laughed with everyone else in the kitchen as they watched the lalafellen matron Chochoba Choba repeatedly bisect the mound of cookie dough on the counter of the communal kitchen. She winked as she handed out the little pieces of dough and told them with a perfectly straight face that they had to make sure it was alright for the rest of the village to eat. She savored the mild sweetness of the dough and the rich flavor of butter. The cookies and bread being made were a distraction, something to keep people occupied as they waited for word on how the first childbirth in four years was going. She caught Cho’s eye and gave her a grateful smile. The matron winked at her and motioned for her to keep kneading the bread dough in front of her.

She let herself hope. They had managed a decent harvest of wheat finally, a blessing given that winter showed signs of being a trial and a half this year. But they had done it. The goats and pidgeons were staying alive more often, there had even been a boar to slaughter. She ran her tongue over her lips to catch the last vestige of the sweetness of the cookie dough. She wanted to take a loaf of bread and go shove it down Nero and Cid’s throats just to prove that not all hope was lost. She let the warmth seep in and ease the fury she’d been trying to quell since leaving Revant’s Toll. Small victories in their little teacup story in the eighth umbral era. Victories that made her heart soar nonetheless.

Small victories, she had heard so many of her family and mentors say that small victories were what made all the toil and suffering worth it. She had remembered asking Serella why as she’d watched the Elezan paladin work on repairing her armor. She laughed, a sound that always made Bel think of spring and warm soil ready for a garden. “Because they’re real, and nothing can steal those small victories without your permission.” Bel hadn’t understood the answer entirely at eleven winters. Now nine winters and a calamity later she understood it to the depth of her soul. She wished she could share her new insight with her aunt… She blinked and looked up half a second before Gaius Baelsar stepped into the kitchen.

“Ser Aliender, a moment please.” The handsome Garlean was stoic as ever which just made the tittering whispers between some of the women and a few of the men all the more salacious. Bel hid a grin at his expense as she turned away to take off her apron and hang it on a hook in the wall.

“I’ll be in the mood for some mountain climbing later deary!” Cho gave Baelsar an exaggerated wink.

Bel had to suck her lips between her teeth to keep from laughing at the slow blink that was the former Lagetus’ only response. Once they were out of the building Gaius looked down on the Mi’qote disapprovingly. “You shouldn’t encourage them.”

“You think they need encouragement?” Bel laughed. “It’s a good day, a bit of light-hearted ribbing is good for the soul.”

Gaius sighed and shook his head. “There’s a traveler that’s asked to see you, he said he is interested in joining the settlement.”

“What did you make of him?” Bel had to skip every third or fourth step to keep up with the tall Garlean. She frowned and managed to keep herself from rolling her eyes, even the Shadowhunter could be petty in his own way.

“He is at the very least a competent traveler and mage to have made it out here by himself,” Gaius stopped and frowned.

“But?” The dragoon encouraged, something in the pause made her uneasy.

“There is something that does not feel right about him, though I can not say what it is precisely.”

“Would you turn him away?”

Gaius Baelsar frowned. “There is no reason to turn him away out of hand.”

“Than let’s hear what he has to say.”

Gaius shortened his stride so that Bel could walk without having to skip steps. She took in a breath and focused on the situation at hand. When she had first made it back to Ishgard after the calamity she’d nearly choked when she’d been addressed by a title she’d had less than six months with the expectation that she was the one in charge. To start with the persona of Ser Aliender had been that a persona. An amalgamation of Mama Mel, the Lord Commander, Uncle Estinien, and Uncle Haurchefant pulled together to help her cope with the fact that her Drachenmail identified her as someone who was probably in charge. (Even if in the order she and Bianca had still been considered to wet behind the ears to be let loose without supervision.) In the four winters since the calamity, she’d lost track of when it had stopped being a persona and was just another aspect of herself.

They reached the gate in the fence and Baelsar held it open for her. She nodded her thanks as she stepped out. One of the dragonettes from the tower was curled up on the ground between the traveler and the gate chin on her forearms as she watched the traveler with interest. The guards on either side of the gate saluted as she walked past, Fury when had that started? She focused past the guards and the bored dragonette to the elezan man. More likely half elezan given the shortness of his ears and stature. His copper hair was streaked with white and badly needed a trim, but who didn’t these days. His clothes surprised her the most. A bright white sleeveless shirt under a plum vest and purple leather gunslinger’s harness all tied together with a flourish of a cravat. To say nothing of leather trousers that were flattering. The dandy was balanced by signs of trials won, two scars on his face one on his left cheek and the other crossing through the center of his forehead. There was a Garlean pistol on one hip and an Arcanists grimoire on the other.

“I’m Bel Aliender.” Bel stopped beside the dragonette who looked up at her curiously before turning back to the traveler.

“The Last Dragoon in the flesh.” The man bowed. “I am Cary Ermingild.”

“And what brings you to our town Mr. Ermingild?” Bel watched as the man straightened up and noticed his posture was deplorable.

“Perhaps a place to stay for a few days or maybe to settle down.”

“Are you willing to abide by our rules?”

Cary Ermingild laughed, “Are you always so blunt Good Ser?”

“This isn’t the royal court of Ul’dah or the halls of Imperial Garlemald Mr. Ermingild. I don’t have time for word games.” Bel was a bit sharper than she had intended but something about how he called her Good Ser made her defensive. Behind her Baelsar shifted his weight and his boots crunched the gravel.

Pale gold eyes continued to laugh as Cary Ermingild bowed again. “My apologies Ser, yes I will abide by your rules.”

Rushing feet made Bel half turn. She recognized one of the youths that Raya-O-Sena was training in conjury. The boy practically slid to a stop. “Ser Aliender! Lady Raya said to tell you that both mother and child are doing well and that Elianne wants to see you!”

Bel felt the tension in her spine release, she’d stressed and worried since Elianne went into labor during the previous night. She smiled, “Let Lady Raya and Elianne know I will be there shortly.” The boy nodded and ran back the way he had come.

“You certainly are much prettier with a smile than that forbidding scowl.” Cary Ermingild chuckled.

Bel’s smile vanished as she turned back to the traveler, he smiled with affected innocence. Behind her, Baelsar and the older of the two guards regarded him with disapproving looks. The younger guard looked like his eyes might pop out of his head. Bel turned her head to address the older guard. “Jaren could you please show our guest around? Ask Jessica to take your place on lookout duty.”

“I seem to have offended with my observation, I do beg your pardon Ser Aliender.” Carry spread his hands in a show of regret.

“I’m not overly fond of insincere apologies,” the dragoon spoke shortly. She gave the man a curt nod of farewell and turned on her heel.

A few heartbeats after the dragoon and the shadowhunter had walked back into the settlement. Jaren eyed the newcomer, “You are incredibly lucky that she takes the rule of hospitality seriously.”

“And why is that pray tell?”

“Because the last bloke that said something like that to her doesn’t have a straight nose anymore.”

~~~

Bel let out a relieved breath when she stepped into the room and saw that the new elezan mother was indeed healthy, worn out, but healthy. She smiled at the indignant sound the highlander midwife made. Linda Conner had been cut from the same cloth as Chochoba Choba and then left out in the wind and rain until what was produced was a healer and midwife with a taste for weaponry that went boom. The old woman nodded to a pot of steaming water and the harsh lye soap next to it. Bel took the hint and rolled up her sleeves before scrubbing up to the elbow.

“Thank you for coming,” Elianne said with a tired smile as she adjusted how her baby was laying on her chest.

“I couldn’t say no to the hero of the season.” Bel sat on the edge of the bed. She grinned at the Elezan woman’s blush. “I am serious about that. It’s not been an easy time for you and as far as I know, this is the first successful birth in Coerthas, Mor Dohna, Dravinia, or Idlyshire since the calamity.”

“I wish Imax was still with us.” Elianne whispered as she ran her fingers over the baby downy, russet hair. “He had hoped for a daughter.”

Bel put her hand on the other woman’s knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. She managed to keep the grimace off her face. She’d been teaching Imax how to fight with a lance, he’d been a quick study, but it hadn’t been enough to save him in a skirmish with bandits midsummer.

Elianne put her hand on top of the Mi’qote’s. “We didn’t want to pick out a name until she was born, and… and I could use some suggestions that didn’t come from a crone with no shame.”

Linda snorted, “None of your sass girly.”

The exchange brought a soft smile to Bel’s face. She glanced at Elianne who nodded and between the two of them, they transferred the baby girl to the dragoon’s arms. Bel swallowed hard looking down into the little face. She gently ran a finger over the point of a little ear and stopped when the baby scrunched up her nose in distress. She thought of all the women she had known, all strong in such different ways, all kept close in her heart. She thought of little victories and the battles to win them. She said the first name that felt right, “Serella.”

Elianne leaned forward and ran a hand over her daughter’s head. “Serella is a beautiful name. Who did it belong to?”

“My Aunt, she was a free paladin.” Bel rocked the baby gently.

“A good name, Imax would have liked it.” Elianne wiped tears off of the Dragoon’s cheek and then wiped away her own.

Bel kissed the baby’s forehead and then gave her back to her mother. “I’ll let you sleep.”

The new mother smiled gratefully and Bel slipped out of the after giving Linda and Raya both hugs and quiet words of appreciation.

~~~

The news of baby Serella and Elianne both being healthy had brought celebration to the small town. Four years of hard struggle, four years were it felt like life could barely find purchase and they had come through it. The coming season would be just as hard, but they had stores of wheat, honey, and smoked pork. It meant that more would survive the winter, that the new life could be supported. On the outskirts of the town square, Bel closed her eyes and felt the heat of mulled cider seep into her hands, listened to untrained human voices raised in song with dragonettes eager to join in the celebration. Bel opened her eyes when a presence settled next to her. She looked up at the former Legatus as he watched the festivities and drank from his own mug. “Is it foolish of me to take hope from small victories?”

Gaius took a long drink as he seemed to consider his answer. “Enough small victories will win wars.” He paused looking into the middle distance for a moment. “But these are not small victories Aliender. We’ve both been through the ruins of other settlements that did not survive. Do not underestimate your own strength the way the fools you have bested did.”

“Thanks…. Dad” Bel hid a grin by taking a drink of her own cider.

Gaius Baelsar arched an eyebrow, “If that is leave to be more direct with my critisim you may regret it.”

“Why? Going to try to ground me?” Bel grinned openly now. She yelped when she didn’t move fast enough to duck when Baelsar cuffed the back of her head.

“You are hardly the first callow youth I have met that needs guidance.”

Bel laughed and let a bit of pride sink into her bones. Small victories and large, it had been a good day for both. Baelsar’s usually neutral expression cracked for a moment to betray a smile quickly hidden by taking a drink from his mug. They stood in companionable silence for several moments, for a time undisturbed on the edge of the festivities.

“Could I be so bold as to ask the Lady Knight for a dance?” Cary Ermingild’s voice broke the silence from behind them.

Both the dragoon and the Shadowhunter tensed suddenly reaching for weapons that were not there. They turned to the grinning mage both looking for how he had gotten so close without their notice. He grinned lazily and held out a hand to Bel. The dragoon frowned deeply, but before she could speak to turn him down the redhead spoke again. “I merely wish to have a few moments offer a more sincere apology for my misstep at the gate. Such tension would not help to foster cooperation.”

Baelsar watched as the young woman blew a breath out of her nose and composed herself. She rested her hand delicately in Cary’s offered one with all of the drilled in etiquette of a daughter of Ishgard’s high houses. He watched as Cary bowed over her hand solemnly and lead her into the square where there had been space set aside for dancing. The Shadowhunter frowned feeling unsettled. There was something about the Mage’s mannerisms and eyes that haunted him, but he could not place it. He watched and made a note to keep an eye on the second newest arrival to the town called Defiant.

AN: It’s fucking done!! Oh my god, this ran so much loooooooonger than I intended, but I really needed Bel to have some victories after Violence of Light.

@stars-bleed-hearts-shine does Bel naming a baby in honor of Serella make up for Hallowed Ground being on cooldown in Violence of Light? ;)

#FFXIVWrite2019 #ffxiv #ffxiv fan fiction #AU: Last Dragoon #Bel Aliender #gaius baelsar #some new faces #a town called Defiant #why? Because I love me some good wholesome Cheesiness

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