Slavvo Boleyn
Name Given at Birth: Slavvo Stanley Jal Boleyn is the full name given to me by Papa
Nicknames: Papa has always called me Slavvo, but my brothers seem to find it amusing to call Slav when telling me to do chores.
Hometown or where you were born: According to Papa I was born just outside of Canterbury, one week after the Harvest Festival.
Age: 17 years
Class: I am Papa’s 8th son, and one of the performers of the Greatest Gypsy Band in the World.
What do you do, your main function in life/society: I, like most of my brothers, do most of chores needed to keep the kumpania moving. I provide song and dance for our kumpania during long treks to other lands, and whenever Papa is entertaining nobles he will usually call upon me and Cesar to perform. I have worked only a little for Papa in the “family business.”
Have you ever gone skinny-dipping/do you know how to swim: As far as anyone else in the kumpania knows, no…. I can swim, but it looks more like a blundering bear than a sleek otter.
Do you make fun of people: NO, though I have been known to criticize and critique another’s performance rather more harshly than need be. Papa is in the process of breaking me of that habit.
Favorite Color: Orange, in English heraldry it means strength, honor, generosity, and prosperity. This is the perfect color for a gypsy, though I personally believe that it denotes a gypsy’s honor, instead of a Englishman’s.
Have you ever committed or been convicted of a crime: Like Papa I am gypsy, I have never been convicted by Gaje, but I have been “convicted” many a time by Papa for “accompanying” Gaje girls. Not only is Papa much smarter than any Gaje guard, but I am not very good at telling cahimo to Papa anyway.
Closest Friends:
- My Mitri is easily the most influential woman currently in my life. I know that whenever I need to talk she is there and willing to listen without judgment, or at least till I am done talking. I have found her to be a wealth of knowledge in the art of gypsy entertainment, sometimes I will spend hours just listening to my Mitri talk about her rigorous life as a gypsy, and later wonder how it was even possible for her to do so much. It will be a fantastic honor to perform at the Harvest Festival at the same time as her. I have much I wish to tell her of our travels when we return to Canterbury.
Rosa Lee is my friend and mentor, and was instrumental in my performance in the Angelus de Maestro. She is a brilliant dancer, and a strict mentor, but her strict teaching is out weighed by the knowledge she imparts. I know she has known great loss and sadness, and as such tolerates even less un-gypsy like complaining than Papa, as such I have felt her hand many on time on the back of my head. I am unsure of the extent of her involvement in the family business, but in truth it really doesn’t matter, I am just an overly curious student. Princess Petrinella Though she is a noble (nobles are usually snobs, though she is can be the exception), and her taste is clothing is somewhat… notorious, she is a good friend, and always makes life interesting when around. I have to admit that her cooking is superb and any Gaje that Papa allows to join the Troupe Festival is alright. One Pillow or two: Normally I sleep on one pillow, my Papa, due to a recent excursion into town (though I swear no Gaje girls were involved), has taken away my pillow and given me a burlap sack with filled with hay. My brothers tease me mercilessly about the marks sleeping on such a pillow makes on my face.
Pets: While Papa does not a approve of pets, I have found myself attached to one of Sasha’s big cats, one of the smaller white ones. I may talk to papa about keeping this cat instead of trading it at Canterbury.
Favorite Type of Music: I enjoy many types of music, but the music I enjoy most is that of the voice and the harp.
Hobbies/Pastimes: Practicing my dancing and singing, helping Sasha with the big cats, watching Gaje girls perform (a rare sight indeed), and for some reason I find helping Evgeny with the forge quite enjoyable.
Personal Hygiene: I bath as often as to look the part of one of the sons of the greatest Gypsy in the world. I also have an unusual habit of taking obsessive care of my teeth.
Favorite Food: Turkey legs, bananas, and that strange food with noodles eaten in the East.
Are your parents alive, do you get along with them?: My mother is dead and in the Boleyn family that isn’t so uncommon. Me and my Papa get along very well, and as long as I stay away from Gaje girls our problems are few. He is a wonderful Papa and I am truly blessed to be one of his sons, he supports me and my brothers dreams and speaks his mind to us so we never need wonder what he is thinking. Though sometimes that can be… unpleasant
Favorite place to relax: In the huge sycamore tree outside of one of Canterbury’s theaters, so that I may watch whoever is performing. I also relax while walking through the forest singing at the top of my lungs.
Favorite Holy Day/Why?: Since we work when Papa works (Sometimes even when he doesn‘t), my only real time off is during Yule. It is the only time when Papa gives us more than a day off. I get to see my Mitri and her husband Sir William Highgate at the Highgate Manor too. Sir Highgate is a wonderful Patri, and I think that all of us enjoy to hear him tell stories of his younger days. I know my Mitri does. Our Mother doesn’t seem to enjoy holidays at Highgate Manor, I truly do not understand that. For me and my brothers, having a mother for Yule is wonderful, we tried our best to show her how excited we were, but I don’t think we tried hard enough.
Favorite Drink: When I have had enough foresight to save my money I will buy a bottle of Rioja when our kumpania pass through Spain. If I haven’t I will settle for Black Mead.
What’s your bedtime?: Well we sleep when the work is done, and sometimes that means that we only have a few hours of sleep. Unless it has been an exceptionally long day, like during the Harvest Festival, my brothers and sister, Lucianna, will relax around one of the kumpania’s fire pits, Papa is typically in bed, but occasionally he comes and joins us. Sometimes we sing and dance, and it is those times when Papa will come roaring out of his vardo to scold us for being loud, other times we just talk. It is times like these that make me glad to be a Boleyn Gypsy.
What, if anything, do you wear on you feet?: If Papa does not tell me otherwise I prefer bare feet to shoes, though I would rather wear gypsy-made sandals if forced to chose.
Are you married or single: Since Papa has not stopped trying to match us with only large, sweaty, gypsy women with wide childbearing hips. I am still single.
Do you have Family/who are they?: I have Papa, 11 Brothers, and 1 Sister. All of my brothers and sister’s mothers have died with the exception of one. Papa has raised us all, mostly by himself and has done his very best, which is to say that any faults in us are not due to his raising.
- Papa is the very best father I could ever hope to have. His mind is open to all of his sons ambitions and dreams, no matter how outlandish they may seem. He is also a fair man who I know would never put one member of his family before another. Somehow in amidst of raising 13 children and getting married 12 different times Papa has managed to make the Boleyn Gypsy Band the Greatest in the world. His most recent marriage, arranged by the Queen, has given him a new title, Governor of Canterbury, though Mama does most of that work while Papa is traveling. To be honest I don’t think me or any of my brothers fully understand how he has done all this. But from what Papa has told me, this is just his day job and in fact he is Europe’s greatest spy. He has been in the employ of many rulers, from Spain to Italy and now England. I have only helped Papa a few times with his business, and I hope to help my Papa more in the future by using my talents as a actor and performer.
Martino is one of the few brothers I do see very often, and the oldest of all of Papa’s children. Though no where near as bad as Evgeny can be, Martino is very interested in girls, and like all of Papa’s children, he has an insatiable attraction to Gaje girls. Martino has already become a prominent caravan leader of some renown, and helps in Papa’s business quite often. But on January 29th Martino, while passing through France, was arrested and imprisoned as a spy. It took Papa, Evgeny, and Nikolai to save him from the French inquisitionist, I later heard that the French commissarie disappeared soon after the rescue. Martino is still in a convent, and from what Lucianna told me still he is still unsuccessfully trying to woo a certain nun. His mother was Alexandra Santiago is one minute younger than Martino, and though Papa thought he might grow out of complaining about that little detail, Santiago can still be heard grumbling all over camp. Santiago and Martino have the same mother and are about as similar as night and day. Santiago was always the one who would get “lost” coming home from town, and Martino would actually do extra chores!!! If Santiago doesn’t start to get some control over his stomach he is going to fatten up like a pig before the slaughter when he gets older. He is well known to eat almost as much as all of his brothers together and can often be seen at the Harvest festival with a turkey leg in each hand. Belladonna invited him to join her caravan, but Papa isn’t so sure of this arrangement. I have heard Papa tell Santiago he would send him to a convent if he didn’t straighten up, I believe Papa, but I don’t think Santiago does… His mother was the same as Martino’s, Alexandra who died moments after their birth. Lucianna is my older sister, and is easily as driven as Papa. Though we brothers do much of the labor, she is the one that makes sure is done right and done when it is supposed to be. And while helping Papa keep us in line she also keeps the fires burning, maintains the costumes for when we entertain the nobles of the world, and keeps the family fed. She is similar to Martino in the fact that she is just as driven to do the work of the caravan as he is. When he left to start a new caravan is was Lucianna that went to Papa to take over his duties. Lucianna is in many ways an older sister and mother rolled into one for us brothers, and when Lucianna says to jump, we jump just has hard and just as far as when Papa tells us to. She has a fiery spirit and is a very independent and at times daunting, even if your one of her brothers. It is for this reason that I believe she has not married, Papa still does not understand why his beautiful daughter is not yet married, but me and my brothers remember that the last Gypsy boy to try and woo her ended up with having a steak over both of his eyes for a week. She came back briefly after nursing Martino back to health, and then left for Vulgaria with Santiago, I hope she will be back in time for the Harvest Festival. Her mother was Valentina. Nikolai is the eldest son still in Papa’s caravan. I have heard him compared to Robin of Loxley when it comes to his prowess with a bow and arrow. I’ve seen climb to dizzy heights that I couldn’t possibly attempt to match, and he is Papa’s first choice when it comes to hanging banners in the tops of trees. Nikolai and Evgeny are almost always together, especially when they go to town. Many a Gaje girl has fallen to their combined charm, and for that they often felt the back of Papa’s hand. Nikolai often guides the kumpania with his knowledge of the stars and of the Bible. Nikolai is now starting to be take over the role as the eldest of Papa’s children since Santiago and Lucianna are still taking care of a problem in Vulgaria, and Martino is recovering in a Convent. I am still not used to doing what Nikolai says, but I’ve learned that Nikolai can be just like Papa when need be. His mother was Stefania. Evgeny is VERY sure of himself, Papa would say to the point of vanity, but since I would not want to disagree with Papa, and Evgeny is a lot bigger and stronger than me, I shall say he is VERY sure of himself. When Evgeny is not jumping around on the rooftops of Gaje girls with Nikolai (Like Nikolai he is an unnaturally good climber and spends much of his spare time in trees), he is usually working in the forge, or helping Papa sell our goods. I still remember when Evgeny convinced me to buy a absurdly expensive ring from him. I was to embarrassed to tell Papa that I had been fooled by my brother, but three days later I found most of the money I gave to Evgeny under my pillow. I am still unsure as to who put it there. I often help him in the forge, which I have found annoys him to no end. He is one of the finest hunter in the kumpania, and has become the greatest smith and wheelwright in the land. He has started to help Nikolai with leading our family, but he has a bit more fun at our expense doing it than Nikolai. His mother was Antoinette. Sasha is a genius. I do not mean to down trod any of my brothers, but Sasha has invented more new and absurd (but useful) things than Da Vinci in my opinion. I mean, who would want a horseless carriage anyway? Well, Papa might, but Sasha has done much better with inventions. He has created many new parts for the vardo, which make them superior to any other Gypsy Band’s vardo. Though Sasha is not a salesman like Evgeny, he has a great sense of commerce and trade. It was Sasha‘s idea to start trading big cats, and he also created the vardo for them. After an accident involving a couple of escaped cats, two draft horses, a flock of chickens, our entire family, a vardo full of supplies, and one very fat smelly pig, Evgeny swore to never enter those cages again, so Sasha is the sole caretaker and cleaner of the big cats. He can usually be found reading one of the many books that Papa has gotten for him. He is especially looking forward to this Harvest Festival, as Papa has promised to introduce him to an apprentice of Da Vinci’s, but I still say that he is too smart for Da Vinci. His mother was Dika. Gregor is only a year older than me, but he seems like Evgeny or Nikolai. A leader in some ways, but in others he is the wildest and most unpredictable brother I have. You never know what he may do next, I know I was surprised when he came back with a star on his chest. Though not so surprised that Papa had Justice tattooed right next to it. He is quiet, but don’t ever mistake him for shy, in fact it was he that volunteered all of himself and all of his brothers to dance for a large group of VERY pretty Gaje girls. I don’t think Papa ever found out, but we did end up working a lot the next couple of days, but it was probably a coincidence. Gregor is fantastic sculptor and make a statue come alive with only a few hours of work. Sometimes he surprises me and my brothers when he starts speaking like a scholar. My brothers and I still don’t know why he does that, because of all us, it is he that dislikes reading and writing the most. Papa says he is as willful as his mother and would not change him for the world for that very reason, his mothers name was Liliana. Tito is my younger brother, he is as intelligent as Sasha or Martino and together with Guido, they both keep the family laughing. He is the only brother who I know would be Gypsy now matter who is Papa had been. His heart is in exploring and I believe he is our only brother who actually gets lost , and is not dodging chores. He has said many times that he wishes to discover new worlds, and during our travels he is constantly finding new paths to travel, shortly put he is one of the reasons as to why we make such fantastic time while traveling. I hope he someday finds that new world to explore, I seem to remember Gregor talking about some place the Vikings had found across the sea, maybe that is Tito’s New World? His mother was Luna. Guido is the family joker, he is constantly coming home with wild and outlandish stories to tell that keep us chuckling for weeks to come. Guido also has a habit of coming home dead drunk, those are times when it is not good to be Guido. His last trip he was unable to stand (I am still unable figure out how he made it home!?) and had to force down one of Mitri’s awful medicinal brews and spent rest of the day puking behind the vardo with Papa standing behind him. Guido is an artist in many ways, but he has a habit of spending much of his time searching for beautiful models to woo, than he does actually painting them. Though when he does get around to painting them you always expect his models to jump out of the painting. He can be rather flighty and his mind often wanders, but he is a very misto brother. His mother was Romona. Benvolio is a whiz with numbers. I have never enjoyed mathematics very much so I rarely understand half of what he says. He can be so quiet at times that you must wonder if he sold his tongue to Evgeny!! Benvolio is our kumpania’s equivalent of a treasurer and quartermaster, though it is rather unofficial. It is beyond me how he able to keep all of those numbers in his head and still be able to think? He knows the current price to near everything he sees (much to Evgeny‘s distress) and carries an abacus around with him every where he goes, for some reason Papa always get a great big smile whenever he sees Benvolio use it. Though Benvolio is extremely stingy (I swear he takes his stinginess to a level unhealthy for himself and those around him), he is a good brother and I am certain he will be an extremely wealthy man. So I shall stay on his good side. His mother was Afina. Cesar is probably the most sensitive of my brothers and we must be careful to not tease him to much for fear of doing real damage. Unfortunately we often aren‘t very careful. Cesar is compassionate and probably the nicest of us brothers, he may be young but I have heard his name on the lips of many a Gaje girl while in town. My younger brother and me are constantly trying to out do each other and much to my surprise he is very tenacious in his efforts to be better than me. I cannot say whether or not he is better than me, but there is no doubt he is one of the best. While my teacher was Rosa Lee, his was the prestigious Nadia and she taught him well, Papa was very much surprised when Nadia suddenly convinced him to let Cesar perform in the Troupe Festivale. When me and my brothers heard this we were worried, so we snuck over and spied on one of his practices, needless to say our worry was unduly placed. I am very proud of my brother and will always keep our competition going, though I am afraid I will soon be one trying to out do him. His mother was Syeira. Luca has as inquisitive a mind as he is young. He our youngest brother and though Papa is openly protective of him, my brothers and I are little less obvious about that fact. He is a dreamer and to be honest I cannot wait till he is old enough to help us with all of the chores. I only wish for help, not for that fantastic mind of his to go away. It was most amusing to listen to Papa sputter when Luca asked where did babies come from. He is writer, one of our best, he works mostly on poems and from what I’ve read they are extraordinary. Papa has been tutoring him in many classical works, like the Queen’s Sonnets, I even gave him a few works of an aspiring young playwright named William Shakespeare. Much to my surprise he seems to enjoy collecting bugs, and has given all the ones he has found names. As innocent as that may seem he sometimes uses our vardos as a place to put them, it is not pleasant to have a nest of centipedes crawling all over you. He shows great promise in many things and I cannot wait to see him grow. His mother was named Tagaria. Favorite Entertainment: That would be watching the plays and dances at the towns and festivals we visit. Of course it has nothing to do with the sweet singing and slender Gaje girls performing.
Favorite subject in School or Chore growing up: Learning how to read, write, and my Papa and brothers teaching me to use knives.
Least Favorite Subject or Chore growing up: MATH!!!!! It is a vile subject that should be an option to learn, not a necessity.
Favorite Sport: Papa has only allowed it once, but joining in the Barbarian tournaments was almost as fun as singing and dancing.
Most Humiliating Moment: It was when I first tried to woo a girl. I’ am ashamed to say that I made a mess of things and by the end of it I had been slapped and kicked, and the girl I had attempted to woo had stormed away. I was very young then and I have never heard the end of it from my brothers, who unfortunately happened to be watching whole time. Considering that has not happened since I must have gotten better.
Proudest Moment: To be able to see my family in the audience when I first performed in the Angelus de Maestro.
Craziest Person or silliest you know: Gregor, he always does the craziest things and you can not stop laughing around Guido.
What do you look for in the opposite sex?: A slender elegant girl with a singing voice that melts my heart, and long exquisite hair.
In our Hierarchical Society everybody had somebody “over” them, who is your overlord?: That would be first and foremost my Papa, and after that is currently Nikolai and Evgeny.
How do you feel about that person?: My Papa is a wonderful Papa I would do whatever he says, I love him as much as a son possibly can. Nikolai is a good leader and always has good advice. Evgeny you must be careful with because of his mischievous nature, but he is a good leader, and depending on the subject a bit more lenient than Papa.
Favorite Sport to watch: The sword fighting of knight and barbarians in the Festival tournaments.
Do you remember your first kiss: No, I am saving my first kiss for a very special girl. Call me picky, but I plan to make her feel as special as the sun.
Where is your favorite “Vacation” spot: I have only ever had one vacation spot and that is the Highgate Manor when we go there for Yule.
Have you ever been overseas: Yes, and every time I get on to a ship I start puking like Guido after a night out. Being Gypsies we must travel overseas, but that does not mean I enjoy it.
Do you have Dirt/mud floors or Stone?: We usually sleep outside on the ground unless it is extremely cold or rainy, then we flood into Papa’s vardo.
What is your bed made of: My bed on the road is the earth, but I have cotton and wool blankets to keep me warm, my pillow is normally made of feathers, but I was recently caught by Papa accompanying some Gaje girls at play, so my pillow is a burlap sack filled with hay for the rest of the month.
10 Thing Everybody Should Know About:
- I have been affected by the many plays I watch and have become a hopeless romantic, much to my mortification.
- I despise math with a passion.
- I have always enjoyed weapons fighting, thus why I was allowed to participate in a tournament.
- I dislike cockiness and pride in performers.
- I have a soft spot for the work of the aspiring Shakespeare
- I am a talented knife fighters in our Gypsy band.
- I dislike most nobles intensely
- I’m a devout Christian.
- I wish to be the greatest Gypsy performer in the world.
- I wish to create my own theater troupe and build theaters and acting schools all over the land.