Antidote to Sorrow -- Part 4

[w_a_i_d]

February 16th  1894

Alice, in an entirely uncharacteristic fit of thoughtlessness , knocked on my study door and then entered before I had a chance to tell her to wait, and  so caught me with my sleeve still rolled up, just in the act of withdrawing the needle.

“I’m so sorry!” she blurted at once, dropping into an appalled curtsey,

“

Comments

[tweedisgood]

I almost said aloud the words I catch myself writing on prescription pads and envelopes, in the margins of stories and even sometimes the pages of this journal, though I always ink them over or tear them out. Come back. Come back.

Ouch. Beautiful and simple and hearfelt.

Loving the cases/mysteries as well as the personal experiences. The history geek in me approves of your meticulous attention to detail and background.

[w_a_i_d]

Thank you. Very glad you liked the cases -- was a little worried they might get in the way of people's enjoyment of TEH ANGST, but aside fromw hat's set up for later, I really wanted to show how Watson got to the point where he'd be poking around Park Lane on that day. Also -- Damn, I should go back in and put this as an epigraph, I meant to -- 'I even attempted more than once for my own private satisfaction to employ his methods in their solution, though with indifferent success.' ... I am fascinated by "indifferent success". What does that mean? It's not "outright failure", is it?

Mulling over trickster fic.

[tweedisgood]

I would say 'indifferent' in this context means yes, not outright failure, but not any conspicuous success either. Somewhat similar to the idea of *feeling* indifferent - no strong tendency one way or the other.

I love having cases [so long as they are well done, which they are here] in with the emotional stuff myself (both as reader and writer) - I feel it "grounds" the characters both in canon and 'reality'. Life is usually a mixture of feeling and doing.

Mulling over trickster fic

*happily anticipating same*

[w_a_i_d]

Also, hee! Your icon!

[jenlee1]

Oh, Watson. It's like he's becoming Holmes in bits and pieces, almost against his will, and it's never quite enough to fill the void.

I admit, I quite like the idea of Lestrade calling him out on a case from time to time - it fits, and given the circumstances, it's no wonder Watson can't manage to stay away. His encounter with the unfortunate would-be bomber and everything that followed was pitch-perfect, and all the wonderful, painstakingly-researched details make my inner history nerd happier than you can imagine.

In short: beautiful as always, and quite intrigued as to what the next bit may bring... one supposes, given the advent of the Adair case, that some revelations are on the horizon at last ;)

[w_a_i_d]

Thank you so much.

Watson talks about trying to solve crimes in Holmes' absence "with indifferent success" which is so intriguing, and when I happened to come across the Greenwich Bombing in the year of Holmes' return I was all YOU ARE KIDDING ME. Come here, awesome factoid, let's be friends.

And yes, interesting news in store for Watson.

[tweedisgood]

Come here, awesome factoid, let's be friends

Hee. The more history I read, the more friends of that kind I make :-)

[w_a_i_d]

Thank you -- very glad you're still reading. It's been rather a long time, I know.

[rabidsamfan]

Oh, gosh. Another good mystery, and one which I hope doesn't get lost in the next chapter when I can see plainly that we-know-who is going to turn up.

I'll be over here, hanging onto the cliff until he does. :D

[w_a_i_d]

Thank you. And don't worry-- while Watson may be just a mite distracted for a while by upcoming events, we'll be getting back to the Bourdin case eventually.

[snarryfool]

I'm riveted. Of course I'm riveted. Watson's kindness to Bourdin. His anger at being caught with the needle. The relationship with Lestrade -- Lestrade's Christmas rescue of Watson, and the uneasy conversation about police informants and provocateurs, in which Lestrade recedes (must recede?) from his role as Watson's friend.

Watson and his needle, and Holmes and the needle in "Calm Sea."

God, every minute of the time spent waiting for a new installment is well spent.

I found a couple of typos and omitted words. Would you like me to proofread properly when I get a chance (it would likely be late this coming week)?

[w_a_i_d]

Thank you. And if you're still willing I'd be very grateful for a proofread (of course, it's late in the week already now, so whenever you've time to do it) -- that's really kind of you to offer.

So glad you're enjoying all the stuff I've thrown in.

[snarryfool]

I have time tomorrow (Sunday) and the next day, probably. My thought was to save the story as a Word file and proofread that with "Track Changes," then email it back to your LJ email address. Will that work for you?

[w_a_i_d]

That would be great, thank you so much.

(Sorry, I'm all out of order and scattered. Real life isn't terrible, but nor is it exactly serene.)