Title: The Yankee and the Gentleman's Daughter
Chapter 2
Serena Tsukino wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Setting up a camp was one of the least fun chores of going to a reenactment. First their van had to be unloaded with the equipment. Then their tents had to be put up. Her parents got a wall tent which had the shape of a house. Serena's tent was an A tent which was large piece of canvas stretched over a beam and pegged down at the ends. Her brother, Sam, who thought himself to old to share a tent with his parents, had his own little dog tent which just held his bedding and a change of clothes. Tarps then rugs covered the bottom of the tents. Then cots and trunks were placed in the tents. Sleeping bags were then pulled out and draped over the cots and covered with old fashioned quilts to hide their moderness. A table was set up and surrounded by folding chairs. Her dad and brother (the ever worthy pyromaniac) dug the fire pit. Serena looked around to the rolling grassy fields covered with tents and vehicles. Before them loomed a very old plantation with creamy pillars. Large trees decorated it's front yard giving shade to those wishing to escape the heat. According to Serena, those camping in the civilian areas got the best camping area. Her family's tents were just about 30 yards from the main house. The yard was separated from the camping ground by a road of hard packed dirt. There were a couple of reenactors who actually set up camp in the yard, but Serena felt doing so would be bad manners. The other good thing was that there was a small building with modern bathrooms. She could (and had) deal with portable toilets or porter johns as they were called, but it was so much easier to deal with a hoop skirt if one had more room to move around in a bathroom. The reenactment area was set up into about 5 different camps. The Confederate military camp was to the east. The military camps were stricter when it came to being totally authentic. That meant no sneaking Pepsi cans around or anything. They were also woken up by morning revelry, usually by a luckless bugle player. One time, it was by cannon fire. The military camps were also rougher; the reenacters would usually stay up late partying and telling dirty jokes around the campfire. Serena's mother disliked all the foul language going on in the military camps so they always camped in the civilian areas which was mainly for families. The confederate calvery was down in the woods by the old train station. The horses were lined up side by side and each was tied to a long rope that was tied between a couple of trees. Some reenactors even camped out in the empty rooms of the train station, but like the yard, Serena considered doing so to be rude. The Union army was to the west and their calvery was set up in the woods. Then there was Sutlers. Sutlers was a couple rows of tents filled with tables and shelves full of different goods. It was almost like a civil war era mall. The stores ranged from ladies apparel, to furniture, to soldier's articles such as guns, black powder, uniforms, and there was even things for the tourists to pick up such as T-shirts and post cards.
Serena wiped her forehead and pulled out a water bottle from the cooler that was hidden by a blanket. "Now, Miss, you keep walking 'round in your unmentionables like that and your soul is going straight to Hell. Now what's a good church goin' girl like you dressin' like that?" came a voice. Serena rolled her eyes and gave a dramatic sigh as she turned around. A brown haired Andrew looked back at her with a smirk. He was dressed in a gray uniform as a musician and if to give more evidence to the fact, held a fife in his hand. "Don't you be talkin' to me like that, Andrew. I just haven't changed yet and it doesn't matter 'cause there won't be any tourists around today," she pointed out. Many of the reenactors, like her, were still dressed in the modern T-shirts and shorts. Andrew grinned back. "So how's college?" he asked. "Oh it's great. I'm still undecided as far as my major but I still have time to decide. How's VMI?" she asked. Andrew rolled his eyes. "Well they let us out of the "Prison" for awhile, I can't wait for this year to be over and I'll be through the rat line" Andrew grinned. During the year, Andrew had emailed her with all his experiences of the Virginia Military Institute and having to suffer as a freshmen by going through what was called the rat line. "Upperclassmen giving you a hard time?" she asked. "As always," he said with a grin. "So anyone else here?" Serena asked. "Well, let's see. Mina's down in Sutlers with her folks, she dragged her cousin, Rei along as well. Ami just arrived with her mother and they're gonna be setting up the medicine display. Lita's supposed to be comin' with the 15th Virginia calvery, but they haven't arrived yet. Greg's in the Yankee artillery camp, and Chad's over in the train station with the 7th Tennessee Infantry," Andrew listed off. "Artemis is coming too, I ran into him at the UVA campus," explained Serena. Andrew let out a low whistle. "I bet you gave him a shock," he said to have the blonde girl nod with a grin. "I visited my dad's class and Artemis was in it. So was this real jerk, man he just ticked me off," Serena said with a frustrated sigh. "Glad that you remembered me," came a male voice behind her that caused Serena to stiffen. She turned around slowly to see the black haired jerk standing by a very amused looking Artemis. The jerk was wearing a Union private's uniform. "What is he doing here?" she asked with disdain. "I decided to bring him to give him a better view of history," Artemis grinned at the perturbed blonde. Sere's eyes narrowed. He probably brought the jerk just to annoy her. "Well, it figures that he'd be a Yankee," she commented. There was about a hundred or more acres on the farm. Surly, she'd be able to avoid this Darien. HE was not going to ruin the weekend that she had been looking foreword to for months. Serena gave Artemis a good glare before announcing "I'm going to Sutlers!" and stalked off. The only thought that was comforting is that Darien looked extremely uncomfortable and too warm in the woolen uniform.
OCC (NOTES) Let's see I don't own Sailor Moon, Oak Ridge, VMI ect ect ect Andrew teased Serena for wearing shorts and a t-shirt because she was showing so much skin which is a taboo in civil war dress.
At the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington Virginia, the freshmen are called Rats and have to go through the 'rat line'. VMI is called the prison by many VMI Keydets because of it's appearance.
Serena Tsukino wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Setting up a camp was one of the least fun chores of going to a reenactment. First their van had to be unloaded with the equipment. Then their tents had to be put up. Her parents got a wall tent which had the shape of a house. Serena's tent was an A tent which was large piece of canvas stretched over a beam and pegged down at the ends. Her brother, Sam, who thought himself to old to share a tent with his parents, had his own little dog tent which just held his bedding and a change of clothes. Tarps then rugs covered the bottom of the tents. Then cots and trunks were placed in the tents. Sleeping bags were then pulled out and draped over the cots and covered with old fashioned quilts to hide their moderness. A table was set up and surrounded by folding chairs. Her dad and brother (the ever worthy pyromaniac) dug the fire pit. Serena looked around to the rolling grassy fields covered with tents and vehicles. Before them loomed a very old plantation with creamy pillars. Large trees decorated it's front yard giving shade to those wishing to escape the heat. According to Serena, those camping in the civilian areas got the best camping area. Her family's tents were just about 30 yards from the main house. The yard was separated from the camping ground by a road of hard packed dirt. There were a couple of reenactors who actually set up camp in the yard, but Serena felt doing so would be bad manners. The other good thing was that there was a small building with modern bathrooms. She could (and had) deal with portable toilets or porter johns as they were called, but it was so much easier to deal with a hoop skirt if one had more room to move around in a bathroom. The reenactment area was set up into about 5 different camps. The Confederate military camp was to the east. The military camps were stricter when it came to being totally authentic. That meant no sneaking Pepsi cans around or anything. They were also woken up by morning revelry, usually by a luckless bugle player. One time, it was by cannon fire. The military camps were also rougher; the reenacters would usually stay up late partying and telling dirty jokes around the campfire. Serena's mother disliked all the foul language going on in the military camps so they always camped in the civilian areas which was mainly for families. The confederate calvery was down in the woods by the old train station. The horses were lined up side by side and each was tied to a long rope that was tied between a couple of trees. Some reenactors even camped out in the empty rooms of the train station, but like the yard, Serena considered doing so to be rude. The Union army was to the west and their calvery was set up in the woods. Then there was Sutlers. Sutlers was a couple rows of tents filled with tables and shelves full of different goods. It was almost like a civil war era mall. The stores ranged from ladies apparel, to furniture, to soldier's articles such as guns, black powder, uniforms, and there was even things for the tourists to pick up such as T-shirts and post cards.
Serena wiped her forehead and pulled out a water bottle from the cooler that was hidden by a blanket. "Now, Miss, you keep walking 'round in your unmentionables like that and your soul is going straight to Hell. Now what's a good church goin' girl like you dressin' like that?" came a voice. Serena rolled her eyes and gave a dramatic sigh as she turned around. A brown haired Andrew looked back at her with a smirk. He was dressed in a gray uniform as a musician and if to give more evidence to the fact, held a fife in his hand. "Don't you be talkin' to me like that, Andrew. I just haven't changed yet and it doesn't matter 'cause there won't be any tourists around today," she pointed out. Many of the reenactors, like her, were still dressed in the modern T-shirts and shorts. Andrew grinned back. "So how's college?" he asked. "Oh it's great. I'm still undecided as far as my major but I still have time to decide. How's VMI?" she asked. Andrew rolled his eyes. "Well they let us out of the "Prison" for awhile, I can't wait for this year to be over and I'll be through the rat line" Andrew grinned. During the year, Andrew had emailed her with all his experiences of the Virginia Military Institute and having to suffer as a freshmen by going through what was called the rat line. "Upperclassmen giving you a hard time?" she asked. "As always," he said with a grin. "So anyone else here?" Serena asked. "Well, let's see. Mina's down in Sutlers with her folks, she dragged her cousin, Rei along as well. Ami just arrived with her mother and they're gonna be setting up the medicine display. Lita's supposed to be comin' with the 15th Virginia calvery, but they haven't arrived yet. Greg's in the Yankee artillery camp, and Chad's over in the train station with the 7th Tennessee Infantry," Andrew listed off. "Artemis is coming too, I ran into him at the UVA campus," explained Serena. Andrew let out a low whistle. "I bet you gave him a shock," he said to have the blonde girl nod with a grin. "I visited my dad's class and Artemis was in it. So was this real jerk, man he just ticked me off," Serena said with a frustrated sigh. "Glad that you remembered me," came a male voice behind her that caused Serena to stiffen. She turned around slowly to see the black haired jerk standing by a very amused looking Artemis. The jerk was wearing a Union private's uniform. "What is he doing here?" she asked with disdain. "I decided to bring him to give him a better view of history," Artemis grinned at the perturbed blonde. Sere's eyes narrowed. He probably brought the jerk just to annoy her. "Well, it figures that he'd be a Yankee," she commented. There was about a hundred or more acres on the farm. Surly, she'd be able to avoid this Darien. HE was not going to ruin the weekend that she had been looking foreword to for months. Serena gave Artemis a good glare before announcing "I'm going to Sutlers!" and stalked off. The only thought that was comforting is that Darien looked extremely uncomfortable and too warm in the woolen uniform.
OCC (NOTES) Let's see I don't own Sailor Moon, Oak Ridge, VMI ect ect ect Andrew teased Serena for wearing shorts and a t-shirt because she was showing so much skin which is a taboo in civil war dress.
At the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington Virginia, the freshmen are called Rats and have to go through the 'rat line'. VMI is called the prison by many VMI Keydets because of it's appearance.