Today sucked

[cornerofmadness]

Between the body confusion over the time change, the broken cartilage in my hip jamming up and saying feck you, anxiety at work topped off with a horrible meeting at the end of the day, my writing mojo died. I did stagger over the 10K mark. I'm pretty sure I'll have to trash this chapter but at least it's there and introduces the time jump and a character I needed but didn't know we'd be meeting this way. I need to get the villain talking next.


BUT I could use some help. I want my detective to have some quirks He's a slender, sort of short, youngish and very able sort. I am trying however to avoid the brilliant Sherlockian mode. SOOO many detectives are depicted as OCD or as neuro atypical and I'm trying NOT to do that. Any thoughts? Yep, looking to adopt a quirk.


Snippet - “Do you need anything from your home? We can get it for you.”

Zvon shook his head, fingering the wooden pendant he wore. However cheap it was it also had a little hidden compartment that his dad never thought to look for. “Never had the money for nothing. All I got is another two shirts and a pair of pants.”

“That’s not worth going back for. I’ll get you new clothes,” the woman said.

Zvon widened his eyes. She’d do what? She couldn’t possibly mean that could she? He decided to roll the dice because could being part of a mage’s experiment be worse than this? “Thanks.”

He followed her and Arria, his sides aching as he tried to keep up with their fast pace. They didn’t slow down or speak until they reached the train station. The shakes started in his feet, working his way up. Somehow, he hadn’t expected leaving town. He’d never left this town. He never even been to the edge of the city.

“We’re going on a train?” he squeaked out past a tight throat.

“We came on an airship,” Arria replied. “Mom, why aren’t we going back that way?”

“Some of the herbs we bought aren’t safe to take up in the sky,” her mother replied. “A little magical messenger should already have reached the Inn and our luggage should be waiting for us. If you’ve changed your mind...actually what is your name?”

“Zvon Pike.” He stared down the rails, thinking about going back home to his father and what it would mean. If he left town who knew what could happen to him. He would know no one and have none to turned to. If he didn’t go, might Father accidentally kill him? He had taken beatings on his father’s worse nights that made him want to die. “I want to go.”

“Good. You two wait inside the station. I’ll be back shortly.”

10072 / 50000 words. 20% done!

Comments

[notasupervillain]

I still like the snippet! I'm curious about the herbs that aren't safe to travel by air. Very TSA. I assume that Chekhov's gun will be fired at some point.

So much of media is about the neurodiverent guy who's a jerk because he's objectively better than everyone else. What I want to see is someone who's superpower/weakness is extreme empathy.

[cornerofmadness]

Thanks. Yeah I need to think more about those herbs (because I wanted to establish air ships are a thing but didn't want them going back on it, ah well if I can't I'll pull them out).

Hmm, yeah you have a point there about the neurodiverent guy. Marin being an extreme empath could explain his meteoric rise up the ranks but in homicide, might lead to him breaking down.THat could be interesting. Thanks.

[notasupervillain]

Yay! I helped (maybe)!

[cornerofmadness]

You helped!

[notasupervillain]

Yay!

[cornerofmadness]

thanks

[ysilme]

Congrats to words happening, and getting over the 10k, despite all the odds. Also, lots of sympathies for those.
Quirks... what about being a scent snob? Somebody who's very particular about he scents he likes, like, for soap, shampoo, perfumes, laundry detergent and such, and others he absolutely hates and sometimes has his moments to not let the distaste for a certain cent cloud his judgement for a person or so.
Or, if you're going the empath route, they're forever finding stray animals they need to take care of or find a good place to bring them.

[cornerofmadness]

Thanks.

THose are interesting ideas, thanks

[spindle_ella]

I like the snippet!

Not sure what to suggest on the detective front, although empathy sounds good. Given that he's short and youngish, maybe a quirk that plays on that - like also sounding young, and having people getting the wrong end of the stick. IDK.

[cornerofmadness]

Thanks. I do think he'll be playing on his youthful appearance.