(no subject)
One of the later plot outlines from that romance novel (what was a throwaway comedy line in an X-Files fic, what will become -- much changed -- an sf political thriller). I'll probably use this someday, but in a nearly unrecognizable form (see: X-Files --> sf political thriller). For the moment, though, see after the cut a brain that's not terribly good at outlines trying very hard nevertheless. With exclamation points.
(But no coshing.)
Scene 1: Prologue. Death of Momma-spy. Mourning Daddy-spy. Beginning of Baby-spy. Hint of later betrayal stuff from much younger Government Dude.
Scene 2: Baby-spy all grown up. Worried because Daddy-spy acting wonky. Action/adventure as she delivers a Secret Note in his stead.
Scene 3: She meets L'Ange (St. Wyndham). Trouble and instant attraction ensue.
Scene 4: She buggers off again, and sees Daddy-spy being all sickly. From what? Something devious.
Scene 5: Cut to Guy-spy. He's thinking about Girl-spy. When can he see her again? And who the hell is she? No, he can't ask that. Shucks.
Scene 6: Deviousness. The government sends notes to our heroes, saying yo. You will work together now. But how will they meet safely, without compromising their identities?
Scene 7: Well, they can't really. Dammit. But there's a special case rolling about -- a traitor to the crown. Who is it? Our heroes have to find out, without shagging like bunnies.
Scene 8: They have tea. Much fun ensues. Guy-spy doesn't know Girl-spy is just impersonating Daddy-spy. Whoops. Girl-spy doesn't quite realize the actual dangerousness of Guy-spy. Likewise whoops. Dangerous currents, as they say in romance.
Scene 9: They have to figure out who the baddie might be, in high society. How do they do so? By going to bunches of parties and dancing together far too often. Chicks notice, and say Bad Things. Also, there's action and adventure and perhaps one too many break-ins. Our girl shows a definite weakness for word and number puzzles, while our dude has a thing for ungentlemanly pursuits, to the detriment (ha) of everyone involved.
Scene 10: Ha! At some fancy soiree (involving either scandalous clothing or large gardens), our kids discover Encrypted Papers. They abscond with them, but not without having attempts made on their lives. This leads to Intimacy, which, while oh-so-yummy, is probably Not Good at this point in the story.
Scene 11: Girl-spy, in the first blush of whoohooniess, does not realize that Daddy-spy is Even Worse Than Before. He'll surely die very shortly. She rushes to his bedside. He whispers... whispers... a Warning. Beware the saint... She thinks he means Guy-spy. Eek. Distrust! She hurries to translate the encrypted papers, and tries to set up a meeting with Government Dude, cutting Guy-spy out of the loop. Daddy-spy sadly falls into a coma, this mysterious illness still being damn, y'know, mysterious.
Scene 12: Government dude is actually... a baddie! He tells Guy-spy that Girl-spy is up to no good, and gives false proof to Guy-spy about Treachery. Guy-spy is devastated -- but he knows his duty. He has to get those papers back... (ominous pause)... no matter what the consequences. Then later he can go toss himself off the Embankment.
Scene 13: Girl-spy is still translating. She also keeps going to these parties that the Government Dude says he (or one of his cronies) will be at. She goes, but doesn't meet with anyone but the girls -- and inevitably, there's Guy-spy, being all threatening and the like. He doesn't want to hurt her -- he wants to hurt her for her betrayal -- he wants to end his own misery. Life sucks for him. And she thinks he's out to kill her -- she thinks he's out to kill her father -- she thinks he was lying about liking her. Life sucks for her too. Guy-spy and Girl-spy have a very violent verbal confrontation.
Scene 14: Ack. Guy-spy tries to break into the house and steal the encrypted stuff, at the urging of Government Dude. Girl-spy knows it's going to happen, thanks to Government Dude. Perhaps they shall kill one another! But wait, why are you here? Why are _you_ here? Should we keep trying to kill each other? Over the body of my dad, who, by the way, is the one who's really the spy? He's really the spy? Who the hell are you then? I'm just his loving daughter, caught up in the tempests of fate. Don't kill me. Shucks, he says, you've ruined my life and my sense of morals. I'm useless as a man, and though you're probably a foul temptress, I can't keep away from you. That's okay, she says, though you're a foul murderer, I can't keep away from you. Ah, the follies of youth. Kisses, darling.
Scene 15: Guilt, and lots of it. But hey, confessions too. Guy-spy figures out what's wrong with Daddy-spy -- poison! In the form of the food the newish maid's been bringing up. Quick, follow the maid! She used to be the servant of... no, it couldn't be... Miss Saint, a society miss and close friend of Girl-spy!
Scene 16: But wait, there's more! What does Miss Saint have to do with any of this? Why would she poison the Daddy-spy? To keep him from finding out her dreaded secret -- the very secret, in fact, that is in those encrypted papers. _She_ is the traitor to the crown! But who is Government Dude then? Why, he's her former beau, only not so former as all that. She's got him under the cat's paw, with promise of fortune and high Frenchie rank and her lovely charms. That, and he doesn't like Guy-spy that much, because Guy-spy is just so much cooler. But wait -- who was the guy they snatched the papers from originally? Sadly, he was a dupe, and his only secret is his illegal brothel. Whoops.
Scene 17: Murder, mystery, unknowns, great unknowns! The maid runs for it, and heads to that dangerous spot with the nice gardens, the home of Miss Saint. Is it a trap? Well, duh. But it has to be done anyway. Why? Because the maid snatched the now-decrypted papers, and those are, in fact, a bunch of secret British things the French cannot know! So they've got to go get them back, no matter the risk, and with no help to boot. It's just them. They have to trust one another completely to make it out alive.
Scene 18: Whoosh bang. Lots of fighting. The maid is seriously wounded. The Government Dude snuffs it. Miss Saint is knocked unconscious and trussed up like Christmas dinner, to be interrogated by the not-bad Government Guys. Now that they know that Daddy-spy was being poisoned, he'll recover one of these days.
Scene 19: Epilogue: Sometime later. For reasons best known to him, Guy-spy cut out of town for a while -- he shows up for tea unexpectedly. They talk, though carefully. Daddy-spy hobbles downstairs, and says Girl-spy should take over for him permanently. Aw, she says, that's sweet. Guy-spy says he doesn't know if he can make her happy with this kind of life. Girl-spy says, duh. You think I've ever been happier? Nothing says love like making good on a death threat. Guy-spy smiles and says, I know exactly what you mean. Ha! ha-ha-ha-ha. So they all live happily ever after.
(But no coshing.)
Scene 1: Prologue. Death of Momma-spy. Mourning Daddy-spy. Beginning of Baby-spy. Hint of later betrayal stuff from much younger Government Dude.
Scene 2: Baby-spy all grown up. Worried because Daddy-spy acting wonky. Action/adventure as she delivers a Secret Note in his stead.
Scene 3: She meets L'Ange (St. Wyndham). Trouble and instant attraction ensue.
Scene 4: She buggers off again, and sees Daddy-spy being all sickly. From what? Something devious.
Scene 5: Cut to Guy-spy. He's thinking about Girl-spy. When can he see her again? And who the hell is she? No, he can't ask that. Shucks.
Scene 6: Deviousness. The government sends notes to our heroes, saying yo. You will work together now. But how will they meet safely, without compromising their identities?
Scene 7: Well, they can't really. Dammit. But there's a special case rolling about -- a traitor to the crown. Who is it? Our heroes have to find out, without shagging like bunnies.
Scene 8: They have tea. Much fun ensues. Guy-spy doesn't know Girl-spy is just impersonating Daddy-spy. Whoops. Girl-spy doesn't quite realize the actual dangerousness of Guy-spy. Likewise whoops. Dangerous currents, as they say in romance.
Scene 9: They have to figure out who the baddie might be, in high society. How do they do so? By going to bunches of parties and dancing together far too often. Chicks notice, and say Bad Things. Also, there's action and adventure and perhaps one too many break-ins. Our girl shows a definite weakness for word and number puzzles, while our dude has a thing for ungentlemanly pursuits, to the detriment (ha) of everyone involved.
Scene 10: Ha! At some fancy soiree (involving either scandalous clothing or large gardens), our kids discover Encrypted Papers. They abscond with them, but not without having attempts made on their lives. This leads to Intimacy, which, while oh-so-yummy, is probably Not Good at this point in the story.
Scene 11: Girl-spy, in the first blush of whoohooniess, does not realize that Daddy-spy is Even Worse Than Before. He'll surely die very shortly. She rushes to his bedside. He whispers... whispers... a Warning. Beware the saint... She thinks he means Guy-spy. Eek. Distrust! She hurries to translate the encrypted papers, and tries to set up a meeting with Government Dude, cutting Guy-spy out of the loop. Daddy-spy sadly falls into a coma, this mysterious illness still being damn, y'know, mysterious.
Scene 12: Government dude is actually... a baddie! He tells Guy-spy that Girl-spy is up to no good, and gives false proof to Guy-spy about Treachery. Guy-spy is devastated -- but he knows his duty. He has to get those papers back... (ominous pause)... no matter what the consequences. Then later he can go toss himself off the Embankment.
Scene 13: Girl-spy is still translating. She also keeps going to these parties that the Government Dude says he (or one of his cronies) will be at. She goes, but doesn't meet with anyone but the girls -- and inevitably, there's Guy-spy, being all threatening and the like. He doesn't want to hurt her -- he wants to hurt her for her betrayal -- he wants to end his own misery. Life sucks for him. And she thinks he's out to kill her -- she thinks he's out to kill her father -- she thinks he was lying about liking her. Life sucks for her too. Guy-spy and Girl-spy have a very violent verbal confrontation.
Scene 14: Ack. Guy-spy tries to break into the house and steal the encrypted stuff, at the urging of Government Dude. Girl-spy knows it's going to happen, thanks to Government Dude. Perhaps they shall kill one another! But wait, why are you here? Why are _you_ here? Should we keep trying to kill each other? Over the body of my dad, who, by the way, is the one who's really the spy? He's really the spy? Who the hell are you then? I'm just his loving daughter, caught up in the tempests of fate. Don't kill me. Shucks, he says, you've ruined my life and my sense of morals. I'm useless as a man, and though you're probably a foul temptress, I can't keep away from you. That's okay, she says, though you're a foul murderer, I can't keep away from you. Ah, the follies of youth. Kisses, darling.
Scene 15: Guilt, and lots of it. But hey, confessions too. Guy-spy figures out what's wrong with Daddy-spy -- poison! In the form of the food the newish maid's been bringing up. Quick, follow the maid! She used to be the servant of... no, it couldn't be... Miss Saint, a society miss and close friend of Girl-spy!
Scene 16: But wait, there's more! What does Miss Saint have to do with any of this? Why would she poison the Daddy-spy? To keep him from finding out her dreaded secret -- the very secret, in fact, that is in those encrypted papers. _She_ is the traitor to the crown! But who is Government Dude then? Why, he's her former beau, only not so former as all that. She's got him under the cat's paw, with promise of fortune and high Frenchie rank and her lovely charms. That, and he doesn't like Guy-spy that much, because Guy-spy is just so much cooler. But wait -- who was the guy they snatched the papers from originally? Sadly, he was a dupe, and his only secret is his illegal brothel. Whoops.
Scene 17: Murder, mystery, unknowns, great unknowns! The maid runs for it, and heads to that dangerous spot with the nice gardens, the home of Miss Saint. Is it a trap? Well, duh. But it has to be done anyway. Why? Because the maid snatched the now-decrypted papers, and those are, in fact, a bunch of secret British things the French cannot know! So they've got to go get them back, no matter the risk, and with no help to boot. It's just them. They have to trust one another completely to make it out alive.
Scene 18: Whoosh bang. Lots of fighting. The maid is seriously wounded. The Government Dude snuffs it. Miss Saint is knocked unconscious and trussed up like Christmas dinner, to be interrogated by the not-bad Government Guys. Now that they know that Daddy-spy was being poisoned, he'll recover one of these days.
Scene 19: Epilogue: Sometime later. For reasons best known to him, Guy-spy cut out of town for a while -- he shows up for tea unexpectedly. They talk, though carefully. Daddy-spy hobbles downstairs, and says Girl-spy should take over for him permanently. Aw, she says, that's sweet. Guy-spy says he doesn't know if he can make her happy with this kind of life. Girl-spy says, duh. You think I've ever been happier? Nothing says love like making good on a death threat. Guy-spy smiles and says, I know exactly what you mean. Ha! ha-ha-ha-ha. So they all live happily ever after.