#the most curious exploits of mostly honourable ladies

[ibrithir-was-here]

Once there was a fantastic concept, to bring together multiple works of Victorian literature into an epic crossover adventure, and it completely fumbled the ball in terms of characterization or really paying any attention to the source material.

And that happened twice.

Once with "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" and again with a trilogy of YA books called "The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club"

One first has already been corrected above and beyond by the excellent @lxgentlefolkcomic

The second, well I got three other comics I need to finish plus a book to write, but here is my humble offering of a springboard. A concept bible if you will

The year is 1892. Noted doctor Robert Matheson has suddenly died, and a young woman training to become the rare Victorian female doctor is given the chance to take up one of his more peculiar cases...

Emlyn Sherringford Verner, training to become a doctor at the London School of Medicine for Women, breadwinner for herself and her sister-in-law Clara Verner ever since the death of her husband Fredrick last year, and yes, cousin of Sherlock Holmes.

Not that the relationship helps her much now, as he fell off a waterfall in Switzerland last year.

Last year was a very bad one for Emlyn Verner.

But now she has a chance to prove herself. One of Dr. Matheson's erstwhile patients is a young girl plauged by odd fits of mania, and Emlyn is determined to do what she can to help the child.

That she finds herself having to protect young Lyssa from mysterious kidnappers who may be part of a ancient cult is just an addendum.

I changed her up from having any personal connection to Dr Jekyll like her Athena counterpart did, as having her be Jekyll's daughter 1. Is completely against his character, and 2. Really brought nothing to the story. And by gum if her greater connection is to Holmes its gonna be familial and not at all romantic :p And since Holmes canonically has a relative named Verner who buys out Dr Watson's practice with Holmes's help, that fit perfectly. And yeah I gave her a unique E name to play into the amusing coincidence of the two best known female relatives given to Holmes having unique E names (Enola and Eurus)

The last year has been equally hard on young Clara Verner. Already an orphan, when her beloved brother died she was forced to leave school and move to England with her new sister-in-law.

Still in mourning and struggling to find her place, Clara takes solace in studying what she can about the mechanical advancements being made in this modern age.

A past time that leads her into making a like-minded friend, a Fraulein Coppel, who has also just moved to England from the German Empire.

A new friendship may be just what she needs to distract her from her grief--and the odd looming presence she keeps feeling is watching her from the shadows.

Surely all the bad luck that has plauged her line back to the Frankenstein family must run out at some point...

So, for a while, I thought I would actually keep the" Justine reanimated as the Bride, but she survives" concept from The Athena Club. But the more I thought about it, the more I felt just kinda icky about it. Like, the poor woman has been through enough due to Victor, and she gets to be left in peace. And since Ernest was left alive, it's totally plausible he'd have descendedants who could become rolled up into the family's dark past later on down the line. If I do keep the Creature alive in this he's also not going to he obsessed with making her his Bride, like in the Athena books. He'had 100+ years to feel remorse/ get some growth. So if anything he'll actually be trying to protect the last of the Frankensteins from the true threats out there.

Lyssa is for the most part like any eight and a half year old girl. She likes to read and roughhouse and sometimes play with dolls and sometimes climb trees.

And yes she may be an orphan but she's at least been lucky enough to end up in a kind orphange. Things would be fine overall--if it weren't for her fits, where she feels like something Bigger and Older then she is keeps trying to break out of her.

And if it weren't for the strange, Wrong feeling people who keep trying to take Lyssa with them. She's managed to avoid being adopted by them so far, but now they seemed determined to take her by any means necessary.

Lyssa thinks they might have done something bad to Dr. Matheson, and she hopes that Dr. Verner won't meet the same fate trying to help her...

It makes sense that Hyde could possibly produce an illegitimate daughter, but I didn't like that the Athena counterpart was like, 100% sassy rude gremlin child all the time, and that's what made her Hyde's kid? Like, that's not really how the potion works? So my thought here with Lyssa is that, yeah she's kinda sassy but that just because of her, and she can also be sweet and kind and rude and selfish just like all little kids are. But, whatever Jekyll did to make that potion, how it affects his offspring is that every once and a while she has these intense, literally Manic fits, where its almost a cthonic Pythoness experience, and she's Seeing into something vaster. Really bring some Alchemy themes into Jekyll's Alchemical like work. He ripped himself apart, and its rippling down into trying to make his daughter a Doorway. Also, at the end of this all I want her to get taken in by Utterson as his god-daughter/ward)

Olimpia Coppel has an old soul. And she isn't meant to have one at all.

About 100 years ago, her Papa Spalanzani made her out of gears and wires and Other Things, with the help of the occult doctor Coppelius--who then soon after kidnapped her.

Of course, Olimpia wasn't much more then a doll then, barely able to speak and only able to move as her clockwork directed. But Coppelius worked on her over the years, until she could move and speak as well as any flesh and blood person--and she could think and feel as well.

But she doesn't let Coppelius and his associates know that. She doesn't know what he'd do to her if he ever found out.

So she plays the parts The Society of the Seekers of Enlightenment asks her to, biding her time, looking for a chance to break free. Her current assignment is to act as Handler-er, Companion, to the Society's newest asset.

But surely there can be some moments spared for a new friend, the first she's ever had...

So in the Athena books, Olimpia'a counterpart was Beatrice Rappaccini from "Rappacinni's Daughter"-- a work that takes place two centuries before Frankenstein does. And the mad science done on her doesn't make her immortal (as evidenced by her dying in the story), just immune to posions/poisonous to the touch. All I could think of the whole time reading her parts was "How are you here??" But you know who could last a hundred years and is also a girl linked to a very likely immortal mad scientist? Our oft forgotten and misnamed robot girl Olimpia, that's who. So that's why I replaced her xD

Three years ago, before she knew what years were, she was captured and taken to the Place of Pain. She was cut and broken and had Things done to her head, things the Cruel Man said that he had done no other Being before her.

The Things Done to her Head helped her to escape, and she killed the Cruel Man. She almost died as well. The Beings around her thought she had. But the Things Done to her Head helped her fool them.

She lived far away from the other Beings and the Other Man on the Island. She watched as the Beings returned to what they were Before. She watched as the Other Man left the Island.

She stayed. And the Things Done to her Head did not go away, but continued to Grow.

One year ago, The New Man came to the Island, looking to Hunt the beasts the Other Man had spoken of. He found her instead. He brought her back to the New Island with him, and the Woman with the Soft Hands changed her shape once more. Not back to what it had been, but she soothed the Pain, and she taught her how to form the Things Done to her Head into Speaking, and the Wearing of Clothes and Wigs.

The Woman with Soft Hands gave her a name "Blanche. Like the little cat in the fairytale that became a princess."

She is not sure what they want of her. She is Hunting for them, she knows that. There is no Whip here. No Room of Pain. But still, the more the Things Done to her Head grow, the more she isn't sure that she hasn't traded one Island cage for another...

So, in the Athena books, Blanche's counterpart is a black panther, which is not what a puma is. Also she is POC coded in the Athena books which I get is to try and get more then just white girls and that's good, but I felt weird having the one POC coded character in the story also be an animal? So I just reverted to what color a shaved puma would be. This led to a very 😳😬😳 moment when, having got nothing but the shoes using "Puma," I attempted to Google "shaved cougar"...do not do that. Anyway, I will attempt to get more diversity in here in any further updates. But yeah Madame Sara is a more obscure character who also appeared in The Strand Magazine. She is a "professional beautifier" who may or may not be using arcane arts and is definitely probably poisoning people.

[baldwin-montclair]

Baldwin’s Nightingale (Part 9)

Characters: Baldwin Montclair/OC

Timeframe: After the S1 Finale, TV Show canon MOSTLY (some S2 and Shadow of Night).

Spoilers: Shadow of Night, Book of Life and Time’s Convert

Summary: Baldwin and Alisha attend a charity silent auction where she gets to meet his other nephew, Gallowglass and a strange young witch with interesting abilities.

Tag requests: @christi14 @poemfreak306 @pookie-cleary

———

PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

PART 4

PART 5

PART 6

PART 7

PART 8

———

The drive was passed in relative silence but Alisha sensed Baldwin trying to think of something to say, deciding against it, then rewording, and then abandoning his train of thought, the entire time keeping his eyes on the road.

No small feat to render the world’s oldest politician speechless.

“You decided to drive yourself!” She pointed out, thinking of something to encourage him to speak.

“Seemed safer.” He answered, still intent on the task at hand, even more so than the night of their ‘date’.

Something had definitely changed in his demeanour, he was more alert to every source of movement.

“You don’t trust your driver?”

“I trust myself more.” He glanced across at her, “be careful tonight, do not go anywhere alone. Do you understand?”

“You really think a bunch of vampires and witches are going to crash a formal event?” She teased.

He sighed and shot her a warning glance.

“Okay,” she held up her hands in mock surrender, “at your command, my lord!”

Finally, he cracked a smile at this.

“Marcus is right, I think I might like hearing you say that a bit too much!”

“Good.” She noticed his bare wrist.

“Did you forget your watch?”

In what could only be described as instinct, he placed his hand over where it should be.

“Fuck! How did I forget that?”

“Are you alright?” She regarded the usually unflappable vampire with concern.

“Honestly, I’m not sure,” he admitted, “this is an unusual situation.”

“You’ve never gone to one of these fancy events with a plus one before?”

“I have, more times than I can count.”

“Wow, I feel so special now.” She teased.

“No, that’s...that’s not what I meant.”

“I know, I was just messing with you.”

“Are you up for this? Truly? If you don’t want to do this tonight, we don’t have to, I’ll think of something else.”

“No, I want to, I’m curious. Usually end up in the corner with the rest of the orchestra at these things, will be interesting to see it as a guest. Besides, you told me the congregation are worried you’ve kidnapped me or whatever. Seeing us at an event together will put out that fire.”

He glanced across at her.

“What?” She asked, sensing the question he was unsure about asking.

“How are you, really?”

“I’m sad,” she admitted with a shrug, “I miss Michael. I’m also fucking furious at this Gerbert bastard who’s the cause of what happened to him. But, at least I can say that now because I’m not hyper focused on being terrified, thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do anything.” He reiterated.

“You know that you don’t have to do anything beyond just be there? Not everything needs a response or a fix. Besides, I’ve been living your space for a couple of days, you bought me this probably insanely expensive dress and this terrifyingly heavy jewellery to go with it.”

“That’s nothing and you’re staying with me until it’s safe.”

“You think that’s not doing anything? Just be you, it’s helping.”

“‘Me’ can be kind of an asshole.”

“Don’t you dare talk about you like that!” She ribbed gently, making him laugh.

“I’ll try.”

“Feel a bit less uptight?”

“Yes,” he nodded, “the last time you did that we hadn’t even spoken yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“The first time I heard you play, I was so close to firing the entire trading floor. You saved a lot of people their jobs.”

“I knew there was a vampire there that night, your stare is kind of intense. Then, it actually softened, I thought I was imagining it.”

“Your playing is amazing, I would love to hear it again, when you’re ready.”

“Well,” she grinned, “if you’re good, I might treat you to a private concert later!”

Alisha had entered this building possibly hundreds of times in her life, the New York Public Library. Between returning books for Michael or as part of an orchestra for an expensive wedding reception, she thought she knew it well enough.

It was much different being on the other side of the complimentary champagne, especially when Baldwin seemed to be the guest of honour.

“I feel like I’m on a date with Bruce Wayne.” She whispered to him as they made their way through the obviously wealthy crowd.

“Who?” He asked, then smiled when she gave him a shocked look.

“Hilarious.” She retorted.

“Baldwin Montclair,” a man she recognised as the mayor approached, “I always invite you in the vain hope you’ll attend. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate your contributions. That said, I was surprised to receive your bid for this one. It’s not a collection you’re usually interested in.”

He turned his attention to Alisha.

“Do I have you to thank for this Miss...” he held out his hand in greeting.

“Black, Alisha Black,” she accepted the handshake, “Mr Mayor, I don’t believe anyone could influence his mind on anything.”

“That’s not true, I believe both myself and Mr Montclair here share the same weakness. Beauty, my dear.”

Baldwin cleared his throat.

“Speaking of which, I haven’t see your lovely wife, is she quite well?” The forced look of innocence on Baldwin’s face as he asked the question was something to behold.

“Uh, no...dear thing she is quite poorly this evening. If you’ll excuse me!” He hurried off.

“What was that about?”

“Mayor Family Values is sleeping with his intern,” he nodded towards the twenty-year-old he was approaching, “the reason his patient wife is not here.”

“How do you even know that?”

“Vampire senses, sometimes we pick up things we wish we hadn’t.”

“And I though daemons cornered the market on gossip, that must be really quite handy for you.”

“How so?”

“Blackmail, spying, that sort of thing.”

“This from the woman who introduces herself like she’s 007, Black, Alisha Black.”

“I knew it!”

“What?”

“You might not follow popular culture but I knew you’d like James Bond!”

“Perhaps my particular talents have helped me in some cases.”

“Baldwin the spy, that’s interesting.”

“I was never the spy, that’s Matthew’s domain.”

“What’s yours?”

“Tactics, discovering the chinks in the armour, the break in the ranks. Finding weaknesses and exploiting them.”

“What if there’s no weakness?”

“There always is.”

“Ah, you’re the General.”

“I suppose.”

“So what’s the General’s weakness?” She asked playfully but the way his eyes flit from hers to survey the room told her she may have overstepped.

“Sir,” a waiter stood with a silver tray on which rested a crystal whiskey glass, “and for the lady?” He asked when Baldwin lifted the glass.

Baldwin saved her by handing her the glass.

“I’ll have the same again.” He told the waiter.

“Thank you, I had no idea what I was supposed to ask for.” She told him before taking a drink.

“You ask for whatever you want,” he told her pointedly, “always ask for whatever you want!”

Alisha felt the flitting sensation of cold from across the room as an alarmingly tall but genial enough looking vampire approached them both.

Even if he did have an expression of surprise.

“Uncle, I really did not think you would be here.” The blonde greeted with the same respectful tone Marcus used.

“You’re Gallowglass, right?” Alisha asked.

“Yes,” the vampire’s expression lightened, “he’s been telling you about me!”

“Not exactly,” Baldwin scowled, “this is-“

“Alisha, I know,” Gallowglass gave her a polite nod, “Marcus has already shared the gossip with me about the beautiful violinist who has utterly enthralled our dear Uncle Baldwin!”

“Tell him it was nice to meet him, he left before I had a chance to say so myself. I doubt your dear Uncle Baldwin will pass that on.” She answered to receive a hearty laugh before he went back to looking around with a slightly nervous air.

“Why are you here, you despise these events?” Baldwin asked.

“That’s not true, I-“

“Gallowglass, there you are.” At his side was a smaller young woman, still taller than Alisha and with an athletic bearing. Stunningly beautiful with long, dark, curled hair and piercing blue eyes.

“Becca, you can’t be here right-“

“Nonsense!” She responded with some excitement.

Baldwin’s attention was elsewhere, he did not see the amused and familiar gaze the young woman was giving him.

“Apologies, Gallowglass, keep Alisha entertained for a moment.” Baldwin stated distractedly.

“I’m kind in the middle-“ Gallowglass protested.

“That wasn’t a request!”

“Yes Seur!” Gallowglass responded like an army private given an order by a superior officer.

��I’m sorry about that,” Alisha told Gallowglass when Baldwin left, “he’s-“

“No need, I know my Uncle,” Gallowglass answered with a comforting smile, “where are my manners, Alisha, this is Rebecca.”

“Becca.” The girl held her hand out and Alisha accepted the gesture, a witch, possibly.

It was difficult to tell.

“Are you a friend of the family?” Alisha asked her, eliciting a giggle.

“That’s an interesting way to put it.” She checked her watch.

It was an odd selection for such a stylish young woman. Antique, brown leather straps with a custom hole to fit her slender wrist and a large clock face with multiple dials, most likely a man’s timepiece, like an old fashioned pilot’s watch from the 40’s.

It was definitely an antique.

“You stay, I’ll deal with that small problem,” Becca told him, turning back to Alisha, “It’s nice to meet you.”

Gallowglass frowned at her statement but she was gone before he could voice his displeasure.

“She’s strange! I like her!” Alisha told him with a smile.

“We’ll see!” He answered just as cryptically.

“Apologies.” Baldwin returned.

“I should have known!” Gallowglass rolled his eyes.

“What?” Alisha looked between them.

“I’ll tell you, when the bid is successful.” Baldwin answered.

“What’d you bid on?” She asked him.

“You know that Matthew has one in his tower? Just ask him for it...when he gets back.” Gallowglass suggested.

“We have a winner of our Lot One. A recently uncovered Guarneri Violin. Created by Bartolomeo Giuseppe Guarneri, del Gesu circa 1725. Congratulations to our anonymous benefactor Bidder 45, and thanks on behalf of the arts of this great city.” The mayor announced to a round of applause.

“That is at least seventeen million.” Alisha told them both.

“Is that all?” Gallowglass grinned.

“I don’t understand, how’s anyone supposed to know who won, or what bid won?” She asked as the Mayor proceeded to announce the winners of the other lots.

“That’s kind of the point, the lots are worth a fortune. For security and privacy the bidders are kept confidential.” Gallowglass explained.

“That makes sense. I saw a necklace that had to be at least a million dollars.”

“If it’s the one I think you mean, times that by at least five!” The blonde laughed.

“I’m sorry, I think I just had a stroke, what did you say?” She stared, stunned.

“Marie Antionette owned it, for a time.” Baldwin chimed in.

“Yikes.”

“Exactly.”

“So, did you win?” She asked Baldwin.

He retrieved his phone from his pocket, reminding her that she still needed to replace the one Christina broke.

“I’ll let you both get back to it, I have to go see what kind of trouble that Lass got herself into. I’ll catch up later. Alisha, you have put me on equal gossip footing with Marcus,” he put his hand over his heart, “I thank you.”

“I’m glad to have met you Gallowglass.”

“The witch? Be careful.” Baldwin told him sternly.

“Uncle, you have no idea!” He left them and Baldwin turned his attention to his phone before standing behind her.

“Baldwin, what are you-“

“Shh,” he whispered lightly in her ear, “I have a gift for you, close your eyes.”

Excitedly, she did as he told her as he took the glass from her and put the phone in her hands.

“This had better not be that necklace.” She warned him jokingly.

“Open them.”

The words on the phone didn’t register initially until she realised what she was seeing.

Baldwin Montclair - Bidder 45

She dragged in a breath that seemed to stick there.

“You can’t.”

“I did, it’s already paid for.”

“It’s far too much, seventeen million dollars.”

“There was some light competition, so it was actually twenty-two million.”

“But-“

“You don’t like it.”

“Like it? I’m terrified to look at it in case just doing that decreases the value.”

“At that price you’ll do more than look at it.”

“You’re not suggesting-“

“It was created to be loved by someone and it deserves that person to be you.”

“I really want to say thank you but that is so not enough.” She turned to look at him, oblivious to the judgemental eyes around them.

“Words can be inadequate, for what matters. We sometimes have to let our actions speak for us.” He agreed, tucking her hair behind her ear, his faint smile thoughtful.

“Do you understand?”

It wasn’t the expense, or even the before-believed-unreachable-prize, but what it meant and what he was saying with it that moved her to lean forward, close enough so that only he could hear.

“I love you too.” She told him and started to pull back to see his reaction, with slight trepidation, hoping she hadn’t misread his non-verbal statement.

Instead he held her close

“We need to go home, now,” he told her, his voice just above a growl, “or there’s a danger that I take you right here in front of these people.

“What makes you think I’d try and stop you?” She hit back, the change in his voice and his possessive words igniting her own arousal.

“Tempting, but I don’t think so. I want you, to myself, in my bed and gasping my name because you’re hoarse from screaming it!” He took her hand and led her quickly out of the hall and towards the valet.

All she could do was marvel at his ability to claim the last word as there was nothing she could say to follow his detailed plans for the rest of the evening.

———

Rebecca watched Baldwin and Alisha drive off from her place on the balcony of the building as Gallowglass joined her.

“You don’t know who she is, do you?” He asked her.

“Of course I know who she is.” She looked him in the eye as she answered, completely truthfully.

“Aye, but you’ve never met her before!”

“You know I can’t tell you about the future I’m from.”

“I remember that from when your parents tracked me down the first time, dear cousin. For them that’ll be happening now! Time-walking is a guaranteed headache!”

“She’s his mate, isn’t she?” She asked him and he gave a nod.

“All things considered, I wish she wasn’t.”

Rebecca gave him a questioning look.

“I’ve always gotten along with your father more than I have our Uncle, but to find and lose his mate in so short a time, I wouldn’t wish that on him.”

“I didn’t say-“ she started.

“Just because I’m pretty, doesn’t mean I’m dumb!” He joked.

“Who knows, maybe all this time messing we’ve been doing will change something!”

“Becca!”

“I’ll see you...soon!” She grinned and gave the vampire a hug.

“It’ll be a while before you can talk and even longer, I imagine, that you stop!”

“No, otherwise how would I get a word in with you around!”

“Oh, so I am still around am I?”

“Merde!” She swore.

“You are your father’s daughter!”

———

PART 10