Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 14, 2012 22:18:50 GMT
Well you just wait then.
*She has a wicked grin on her face, and practically leaps out the car when they arrive at the Trocadero.*
Come on - it's gorgeous.
*It's freezing outside, and Harry's got the thinnest of shawls to keep her warm, but she doesn't care. The scent of Paris at night is heavy in the air, and Harry's eyes sting as she remembers the last time she was here*
*She walks towards the statue of Colonel Foch, waiting for Sherlock. She checks her watch. In about two minutes, she knows the entire tower will light up and fizzle like champagne. It will be the sixth time she's witnessed it from the Jardin du Trocadero*
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 14, 2012 23:01:39 GMT
*Quinn is struggling with the wheelchair and misses it, but Sherlock, who has been looking out of the window sees it and a larger smile comes over his face*
Such a simple thing, the sudden release of photons. Yet it produces such a curious emotional response.
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 14, 2012 23:05:20 GMT
You've got to admit, it's quite something.
*She smiles and puts her hand gently on Sherlock's good shoulder*
And this - *She gestures to the tourists milling around; families, couples, school parties* - is why I love Paris.
The light show comes to an end*
Okay, detour over. We've a show to see.
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 15, 2012 6:17:11 GMT
Well, let's not be late.
*he rolls the window back up and stares at the tower, oddly reassured. Life goes on, unchanged outside of his little sphere of conflict and illness and he finds the constancy soothing*
Allons-y.
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 15, 2012 14:25:00 GMT
*Harry gives Jardin du Trocadero a final glance as they drive away.*
*The car journey is short, and the roads get darker and quieter as they near their destination*
*The theatre is just as beautiful as Harry remembers, with gothic architechture plastered over the old walls. Manuel had bought it and left Harry largely in charge. She'd barely changed it, leaving the vintage 19th century building to it's own devices*
* Between delivering drugs, knee-capping Manuel's enemies and extracting information from foreign associates, she'd spent hours here, entertaining the many children from Manuel's family, organising evenings used to wine and dine potential associates. Her role in Manuel's organisation had been largely, a party-planner and dogsbody. But she'd been on five thousand euros a month, plus expenses - so complaining wasn't really a possibility*
What do you think?
*Harry is unable to keep the pride out of her voice. This place was the thing that had stopped Harry leaving France every time. It was her baby.*
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 16, 2012 15:03:15 GMT
Nineteenth century architecture, restored nicely. Rather nice, I suppose. I'm assuming it has disabled access.
*begins to roll toward the door*
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 16, 2012 15:10:41 GMT
Yeah, round the back.
*Her skin prickles as she leads the way to the back of the theatre, past some old dustbins and towards the stage door, where half a dozen men and women in varying degrees of costume are smoking. Harry walks past, smiling at the doorman and indicating Sherlock.*
*They are let in with no trouble, and seated in the 'Royal Box', where a round table is sat with two chairs. On the table is a silver cigarette case and a bottle of scotch with three glasses.*
They knew I was coming then.
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 16, 2012 16:28:59 GMT
*his nose twitches at the cigarette smoke, but by the time they arrive in their box, the craving has passed*
*looks at the glasses*
They obviously don't know I don't drink. Unless we're expecting company.
*he rolls to the edge of the balcony, where, while he knows he's exposed, also knows he can keep sight of quite a lot of things in the theatre, not just the performance*
*he drums his fingers almost impatiently*
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 16, 2012 16:37:07 GMT
*A waitress, in full burlesque costume enters and Harry orders a jug of water. After it arrives, Harry begins to point out people in the theatre. The stalls have been replaced by two dozen round tables, and there is just one Grand Circle.*
See him? With the hat? That's Francoise Vichy. Runs the opium trade in Marseilles. And her... with the blonde hair? She was married to a Mafia don. Murdered him and took over his business, apparently.
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 16, 2012 23:04:33 GMT
*Sherlock takes in all the details Harry is giving him concerning the criminal workings of France. He has a particular interest in Marseilles, which he feels is the home of the last place he really felt happy*
*smiles*
Go on. I have a feeling your information will be far more interesting than the play.
*Quinn fidgets--he was looking forward to the play, no matter what Sherlock wanted, and really hopes to be able to hear it properly without his boxmates chattering the whole time. Nevertheless, Sherlock is the one he answers to while he's here, so he has to listen to him*
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 16, 2012 23:20:00 GMT
She - with her hair in braids - is Manuel's cousin. By rights she should be second-in-command, but she takes a back seat on everything. Not the sort of woman you'd want to cross in a hurry. I've only met her a few times.
Manuel's not married at the moment - although you probably worked that out. He's had five, no, six wives. He's got eight siblings - Catholic, what do you expect - but no children. So most of his 'family' are nieces and nephews.
*Her voice is serious and businesslike as she goes through these details. The curtains unravel, and Harry quietens for a moment, barely paying attention to the first number. Then, as 'Mein Herr', is announced, she glances up.*
I love this one. I came up with all the choreography. It's quite good, she uses a chair the whole time and... Oh my God.
*She falls silent as the woman on stage, dressed in a black corset, stockings and suspenders, reveals her face from underneath a black bowler hat.*
Oh my God.
*Harry's face breaks into a smile and she shakes her head in disbelief*
Oh. My. God.
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 17, 2012 3:44:55 GMT
*Sherlock raises an eyebrow at her reaction*
Dubious casting? Or are you a fan?
*he's already worked out that Harry knows the actress quite well and is trying to work out how well*
Old flame or merely a close acquaintance?
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 17, 2012 11:38:42 GMT
*Harry laughs and sits back in her chair, shaking her head*
Oh you wait Mr Holmes.
*Suddenly she's itching for the interval to occur, and it seems to take an age but eventually the curtain falls and men and women in costume come round with ice cream. The air is thick with smoke and whiskey.*
Right. We've got nearly an hour. Intervals are the time for deal-making. They take their time. Come on.
*She leaps out of her chair and out of the door, rushing towards backstage*
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Sherlock Holmes
Consulting Detective
The world's only consulting detective
Posts: 1,230
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Post by Sherlock Holmes on Mar 17, 2012 17:33:31 GMT
*he'd love to rush after her, but his chair only moves so fast. Nevertheless, he follows, more curious than anything else*
*by the time he catches up, she is chatting animatedly with the actress she saw earlier*
Going to introduce me?
*his stitches are starting to itch and he weakly scratches them*
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Harriet Watson
Teacher of languages and general trainwreck.
Posts: 787
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Post by Harriet Watson on Mar 17, 2012 18:46:35 GMT
*Harry rushes into the dressing room, marked 'VEDETTE. Privé'. The woman sat there, smoking in her stockings, looks up, her eyes wide. A noise like an excited seal follows, and the woman jumps into Harry's arms, wrapping her legs round her waist and greeting her with a full kiss*
"Vat the HELL are you doing here?"
*The woman has a clearly German accent but her English is perfect. She's wearing a black wig, cut short*
Kristina Rosenberg. Look at you.
"It's your corset, you know. The original."
*Harry examines the oufit*
Christ. So it is. I really fitted in that? *She touches her stomach self-consciously*
Sherlock Holmes. Meet Kristina Rosenberg. My... successor.
"Your lover." *Kristina extends a hand to Sherlocks'.
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