alt_regulus: (Almost)
A quiet evening at home is a lovely, decadent thing. Especially such a rainy one when inside it's snug and warm.

I've been working all week at sorting through the boxes from Aunt Prewett's, but I'm nearly finished. I've set the armour to stand guard beside my breakfast table lest anyone steal my toast of a morning.

Now I think of it, most of the items were actually Uncle's--a rather wicked-looking poignard, for instance, and a silver shaving set. (I've been pondering what might happen if its charms have gone wonky at all.) Best of all, there are a great load of books. Inspired Strategies of Death-dealing Duellists by Esme Meretriste seems the most entertaining of them, but there are some real gems in the lot--ancient, obscure, idiosyncratic and utterly ingenious books of history and spellcraft and theory. There's a bit of philosophy in the mix, a medieval navigational manual, and a set of Senecan tragedies with very fine bindings.

One of the boxes contained an interesting assortment of oddments that must have been left at the end of the divvying up:
    item, one ball self-tying twine;
    item, one murderous thimble that jabs poison into the wearer's finger;
    item, one well-worn pack playing cards missing three of its four jacks;
    item, one fruit bowl, unwashed;
    item, one flask doxy venom;
    item, one absinthe spoon inscribed 'Hotel Churn, Cirencester';
    item, one long shoe lace (unless it's really a garrote);
    item, one chipped desktop espial globe;
    item, one bone or ivory cigarette holder etched with ivy design;
    item, one lady's hat, chartreuse with peacock tail.
Oh, yes, and one silver button.

I believe I'll take Salazar's Sapience to bed with me; it's a page-turner so far.
alt_regulus: (Contrast)
So, what am I to do?

I would far rather be chasing here and there with no time to think of anything beyond your deadline, than sitting here with so little to do but think.

You laugh.

So what have I done? Well, let's see. Today.

Bought The Prophet, milk, tea, biscuits, two potatoes, bread, and a cauliflower. Oh, yes, and butter. 1 galleon. Change.

Returned with parcels. Made tea.

Took tea and Prophet, sat out on steps. Read. Front page: MLE arrest Devonshire grandmother of thirty-seven as smuggling mastermind (cousin mentioned and brother). Wynne-Masters family move into lovely, refurbished New London home; more pictures, page three. St Mungo's report rise in birthrate over past six months (see feature article, Family Fortunes section, within). Within: Commerce (triumphs and trials, various articles).

Rain commenced. Retreated inside. More tea.

Moved stool by window. Watched. Nothing of note.

Continued paper. Keeping the Peace (public house curfews reaffirmed; calm in the camps continues; murder, mayhem investigated in several localities); Family Fortunes ('One Family's Gratitude for Repopulation Rewards Programme'); Social Whirl (parties, weddings, engagements, births, obituaries); Hearth and Home (recipes; housekeeping tips); My Prophet (classified adverts, astrologer's advice). Back page: weather, puzzles, Buckingham Week (a busy schedule ahead for you, I see).

More tea, moved stool to table. Found quill and ink. Worked puzzles. Failed.
    12D (7 letters). Alchemist's aid.
    43A (14 letters). Transport in Transvaal.
    65D (17 letters). Tourists's trouble. (Could be a phrase?)
Lunch: finished leftover bacon barley soup. Watched out window: umbrellas rush by. One red, remainder black.

Out to stationers, where bought ink, parchment, wax, blotter. 2 galleons. Change. Apples from stall. 2 sickles. No change. Met no one promising.

Returned. Tracked in muck. Cleaned floor, shoes.

Room dim and no candles.

Out to local chandlers. Listened to advice. Listened to weather. Listened to gossip. Tutted interestedly at second cousin's second daughter mixed up in dodgy ritual. Returned to advice. Selected beeswax. Standard weight. Alchemist's dozen. 3 galleons. Change.

Returned. Lit candle and cast brightening charm.

Letters. Mother. Mother. Mother. Cousin. School chum. Lover. You laugh.

Twisted firestarters. Laid fire. Lit it.

Letters. Mother. Mother.

Burned.

Mother.

Summoned elf. Sent it with letter to Mother. Rain continued.

Tuned wireless. Sorted clippings. Watched out window until dark.

Made tea. Cauliflower cheese. Toast. Ate. Missed elf.

It's a much better cook than I am.

How am I to accomplish what you've asked? I should chat up the neighbours, I suppose. There's a young woman who pushes a pram up and down the street in the middle of the day (when it is not spitting down rain). When I spoke with her--on Tuesday--she asked if I had children. Then she asked if I worked at nights or was it a day off for me. The conversation was brief. What was I supposed to learn from her? Whatever it was, I did not. Or not yet. Perhaps she will tell me more another time, but I suspect she's not a promising lead. Still, maybe she knows something. Maybe she doesn't even know she knows.

Was I really meant for this line of work?

You're not laughing, are you?
alt_regulus: (Contrast)
I suppose it's to be expected that these tasks won't all go smoothly.

I gather you were less than impressed with my, ah, efficiency this week.

Should I be relieved, then, that this next doesn't ask speed? I confess (and why not? I can't hide any of it--the reluctance, inadequacy, loathing, horror--you see it all) I confess I'm not sure where to start or when I can hope to finish. But I am here. I've shifted my few things into this place. A place of my own, for however long.


I do aim to please, you know. I hope that much is clear.

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