Day 8 (Team July)

[elmey.livejournal.com]

wiseheart is off carousing (I hope) on a well deserved vacation, and I'll be leaving the prompt posts for the next week.

So here's today's prompt for your updates and any extracts, thoughts, or comments you might have.

Comments

[saki101.livejournal.com]

I was trying to write the connecting scenes, right? Well, did write some and then I starting writing scenes after the freezer scene! An excerpt -

***

John listened outside the door. It was silent within. Rest. What Sherlock had been doing for months had clearly allowed him little time for it. Pain was exhausting; John knew, of course, and he had an idea of how much chemical burns hurt. Biochemical burns. John corrected himself and his eyes dropped to his hands.


He had been afraid of skin to skin contact near the wounds, had managed to avoid it while debriding and disinfecting them. John had wanted Mike or Molly to do it, but Sherlock had been adamant in his refusal.

“I may hurt you by accident,” John said and his hands clenched at the idea of it and the memory of Molly exclaiming and shaking her finger after he had kissed it, how his lips had thrummed from touching the tiny pinprick.

“I’m tired, John,” Sherlock had replied as if that summed up everything.

***

Would appreciate views on my use of the past perfect. I have been lectured on its modern usage and that I tend to overuse it. This bit includes a flashback within a flashback though.

[stevie-carroll.livejournal.com]

Heirs and Graces

Phase 3 -- July's writing:



Another good step forward today. Edward is back in Italy, and is looking after Rupert after the pair of them were woken by a storm:

Rupert was fretting. Consolata had managed to sleep through the storm that had woken both Edward and the baby. Now all was calm again, the best thing was to let her rest. Edward slid out of the bed, scooped up his child and then went in search of a bottle.

The plan was successful in so much as Rupert fell asleep again almost before he'd finished feeding. Edward, however, found himself awake with only his thoughts for company. He hadn't stayed in London long enough on his return from Derbyshire to discover the extent of the repercussions from Jones' death. Instead he'd interviewed four nannies, all outstanding graduates of Norland College, and then packed his bags and flown back out to his family by way of Milan.

All the nannies seemed highly capable, and only one had expressed surprise that Edward was interviewing them by himself. The other three had also responded favourably to his hints that the child's mother might not always be around, and that it might sometimes be necessary to go away himself for possibly weeks at a time, with neither wife nor child accompanying him. He wondered how they would respond if he decided not to live in London after all. It might be safer if he closed down operations, transferred the majority of his holdings back into his own name and made himself scarce for a while. Edinburgh was a definite option, and had the advantage that Rupert could go to his assigned school without being too far from his parents.

Tomorrow, Edward discovers a flaw in his plans...

[elmey.livejournal.com]

I'm still poking along at half speed today; I was trying to do some research and I don't understand why people can't put up pictures of exactly what I'm looking for on the intertubes. Now I'll have to make something up.

I did a little more work on the Napoleon/Lermontov conversation. Napoleon hears a name that sounds familiar:

Ah...Illya had used the name in Vienna, afterwards. Napoleon remembered a body; the face barely glimpsed. Three shots, a triangle of blood spreading across a man's back. Not the first man he'd killed without knowing his name, nor the last whose face he'd forget.

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

No writing today; lots of cooking, though, and some very pleasing singing. I have a nice gap tomorrow evening so I'll try to get things written then.

[jenn-calaelen.livejournal.com]

~280 words on the Firiel story today, despite many distractions (including my partner's birthday), but as it is late and I haven't had time to tidy it up, so a snippet from yesterday - a bit further on in the same scene, sorry if it is rougher than usual

Firiel meets King Araphant for the first time...
"Welcome to Fornost, Lady Firiel." His voice sounded harsh to her ears. "I see that your people have remained more like the Elves that we all claim descent from. You are very decorative like that and prettier than the messengers implied."
"Thank you, my lord king," she said, curtseying slightly.
"Well, we have got you here safely - the next step is to get you married and settled. The wedding can not be tomorrow as I have an inspection planned, but the next day is soon enough."
"I can not marry until my escort arrived," she said firmly. "My parents sent them to witness the wedding."
He scowled at her. "It is already getting into the campaigning season and I need myself and Arvedui in the field. When do you expect them?"
"I expect they are a few days behind as there is a larger group and much more baggage. Perhaps it would be better to allow ten days for them to get here." Arvedui replied.
The king snorted. "I suppose you think Angmar will give us that time?"
"Maybe, but it would give you time to ride out and consult with the commanders on the border, as you said you wished to."
"Might not get back that quickly, depending on the situation, but you can handle anything else, and there is no real need for a specified day."
Arvedui looked sideways at Firiel. She shrugged slightly.
"Very well, Father," he replied.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Thank you, elmey! I am enjoying the last day of my vacation - tomorrow, I will go back home. Hopefully, I will find everyone in the best writing mode. (Yes, the hotel has computer terminals, but I was too busy until now.)