| Contents |
| Scene Summary • Script Summary • Trivia |
| Flashback: First Sight | |
|---|---|
  | |
| Chronicle | DC Chronicle |
| Game Date | March 14th, 1915 |
| Real Date | October 8, 2018 |
| Characters | Ian Kross James Murphy |
| Locations | Oxford University |
| Previous Scene | Flashback: Familiar Face (Ian) Flashback: Rescue Party (James) |
| Next Scene | Flashback: Bad Poetry (Ian, James) |
| Content Warnings | Warfare |
| Original Scene | Flashback: First Sight |
Flashback: Familiar Face is a scene from the DC Chronicle featuring Ian Kross and James Murphy. It depicts Ian seeking James out again and asking for research help in order to strike up a relationship with him.
Scene Summary
Ian finishes having tea with several of his university friends but then excuses himself instead of going to the cricket match as planned, which they object to without managing to change his mind. He leaves, brooding over how few members of his age group remain thanks to being drafted or killed in World War I, and walks to the library alone. When he arrives, he enters and wanders the area, hoping to run into James and ignoring other acquaintances as he goes.
James appears and Ian is surprised by how different he looks now that he is no longer in distress, and is distracted by the attractiveness of his hair and eyes, staring for too long until James greets him and asks if he needs help. Ian is annoyed that Percy Sutton omitted the fact that James apparently works at the library, and makes some nervous small talk before nervously asking for help finding information on Chaucer, grasping after the first book that comes to mind. When James asks for more details, he admits that he doesn't understand Chaucer at all, privately noting that he failed his related exam, but is gratified when James laughs with him. James tells him not to be intimidated by the language and claims that he'll be reading easily in no time, and Ian feels optimistic and excited about the prospect of learning with him.
Script Summary
The script summary for this scene pares it down to only dialogue and action directions, allowing for a quicker and easier read through what was actually said and done by the characters. Click on the "Expand" tag to the right to view the entire script summary for this scene.
Ian finishes tea with several friends and then excuses himself over their protests, leaving to walk up the road to the library. He enters and wanders around the building until he runs into James.
 JAMES: Lord Bayham! I was wondering when I'd be running into you again. Is there something I could help you with? |
 IAN: Yes, hello. Mr. Murphy, right? You look much better. That's nice. Uh... I was actually looking for something on... um, Chaucer? |
JAMES: All right. What sort of book on Chaucer are we looking for? |
Ian stutters, then laughs.
IAN: Anything. Anything at all, actually. It all sounds like absolute gibberish to me. |
James laughs.
JAMES: Oh, Middle English isn't so awful, now, you're just needing the right sort of help is all. Trust me, you'll be quoting Troilus and Criseyde in no time. |
Trivia
- Ian's mention of the dwindling members of his school cohort again refers to World War I; by this point, several of the young men his own age have either gone to fight in France or already died.
- While Oxford has several libraries, the one at which James works is the Bodleian Library, which houses most of the University's literature and research volumes.
- The Chaucer poem James mentions, Troilus and Criseyde, is a retelling of the ancient Greek love story of the title characters, who fall in love due to a divine curse but are on opposite sides of the Trojan War, eventually leading to Criseyde abandoning Troilus, who dies in battle shortly thereafter.