Antennapedia

Twelve is my Doctor. Lots of fic on AO3. Icon image by cavoliamari.

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis chapter 29: Irene's return

She's back. Adjustments are made. Promises are kept. There is some argument about dresses.

[sophiessaliva]

I miss them so much

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis chapter 28: Embassy.

Soames goes upon one.

[antennapedia]

some real fic wittering

This Nemesis thing is complete. Put to bed aka finished enough that I can abandon it and move to the next thing without feeling too bad. I did a close read-through of the first 10 chapters and fixed the usual horrific pile of embarrassing typos and updated what's on AO3. Now I can relax and just post the remaining chapters on schedule. (And then read through the next 10 chapters and fix the pile of horrific typos in those. Sigh.)

Except... (potential mild spoilers for people who don't know what a soft-hearted writer I am)

Except that I have also written a Galsworthian interlude story, like the ones he wrote to transition between novels. ("Indian Summer of a Forsyte" and "Passers-by" are examples, as is the hopelessly sentimental "Awakening".) And I am now fighting with an outline for book 2, which I have tentatively set in 1886 because wouldn't that be deliciously stressful? Say hello to June's lame-duck architect fiancé! Will he fall in love with Irene again? What will she do about that? Just as importantly, what will Soames do about that, having watched it happen once before so disastrously?

Probably something awkward and not all that sensible.

I've really enjoyed writing this one. I'm not all that happy with my prose as prose, but I am happy with the character movement and thematic things. The novel-sized parts of the writing seem to have gone okay, so hey, not bad for my first novel-sized story. I'll probably relieve my urge to indulge in prose-fun as I revise the interstitial story toward post-worthy-ness.

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis chapter 27: Soames faces facts.

Sometimes friends tell you things you don't want to hear.

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis chapter 26: Irene escapes again

I got nothing to say about this.

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis Chapter 25: Am I alone, and unobserved? I am. Then let me own, I'm an aesthetic sham.

In which Parkes takes them to see the season's hottest musical in London's worst theater, in one of the hottest summers in recent memory. Phew.

John Reed is of course the Bunthorne we all grew up with, but I think Dennis Olson is lots of fun singing one of the three patter songs, ["If you're anxious for to shine"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dFoqD-BPnY) in _Patience_, the actual title of today's chapter. The other referenced song is ["When I go out of door"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GugeH9xd9zE).

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis Chapter 24: Soames listens to Beethoven.

The three specific pieces behind the cut.

The second movement of this one has come up before.

Vladimir Ashkenazy playing Sonata No. 31, Opus 110, live, in 1972.

I give you live performance links because I think those matter for story context. If Beethoven piano sonatas are not your thing, I suggest you watch exactly one: Valentina Lisitsa playing the Appassionata. It's come up a lot in this story for a reason, and by watching her you'll see why it's one of the harder pieces in ol' Ludwig van's repertoire.

I think I like Claudio Arrau's interpretation better, and I have a soft spot for Murray Perahia, but Lisitsa stabs straight for the heart. (I might have listened to approximately a million performances while researching this. Oh how I suffered.)

There's a lot going on in this chapter and I have no idea if any of it will land. The author is dead, but perhaps you would care to purchase the author's study guide.

[bleached-flies-from-eden]

Peter capaldi is attractive

[antennapedia]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Nemesis Chapter 23: Irene escapes.

I will say nothing in advance about this one.

[cestpasfaux24601]

[batnardomcfly]

James T. Kirk dragging his emotional support husbands on every mission

[antennapedia]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/83032416/chapters/231189691

Chapter 22: Paint and paper. Paint, paper, and pianos, in truth.

Soames does not know, but I shall tell you, that all modern pianos use the Érard double escapement action, which makes it much easier to make a second strike rapidly following a first strike. He invented this in 1823. To put this into historical context, Beethoven's last piano sonata was written in 1822. Good luck storming the Hammerklavier castle!

Now, the Broadwood pianos described in earlier chapters all had this action-- all pianos did by this time-- but their actions were in general heavier. Irene might also plausibly have wished for a Pleyel (Chopin's favorite, which they would have had to order from France) or less likely for her, a Bechstein, which was also quite fine. But all those stolid Forsytes around her had good solid Broadwoods.

Also I have no idea why the link widget does not work tonight. Software development is hard, I guess.

[randomnessoffiction]

“All that I have to say has already crossed your mind”

— Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Final Problem

[crow-in-snow]

Doctor Who (2005) | 10.12 The Doctor Falls // The Night of the Hunter (1955)

Part 1/2

[dwgif]

Doctor Who Before the Flood | 9.04

[bandaalarga]

Whatever, man...