A bit more of my space art, this one with very alien looks to it. Whoops! I looked up and realized it was late, and I hadn't posted. Well, I was out late last night. Working, not celebrating, I'm afraid, although a party was involved. This morning I got out of bed, and then right back in it. I don't do well on short sleep. Once I finally got up and coffee in me, I looked at my progress on Trickster Noir, and wasn't happy. Right now, if I want to finish the first draft before the semester begins, I must write 2300 words a day, no days off. Ouch. I knew I was falling behind, just not that far. So I put on music and got to work. Which is where the funny part comes in. Some stories and characters don't care what I listen to. Some scenes, I use mood music for. Like Atreyu's Honor for battle scenes. This book, on the other hand… Let's just say that Bella isn't picky, but Lom likes the oldies. I wanted Van Canto and Cruxshadows to write today. I needed the energy. What did I seed Pandora with? Benny Goodman, Bing Crosby, and Tommy Dorsey. *facepalm* Not what I was thinking. Good, mind you. My tastes are eclectic enough that this is *The Good Stuff* and I know it. It's working, too. 2000 words in two hours, enough that my hands are hurting a bit. I'm not a fast typist. *Looks around. Speaks in a hushed tone.* Don't know if it's considered a bad thing, but here's a snippet from the middle part of Trickster Noir. Not too much in the way of spoilers, I think. Some of what I wrote today. *********
I raised my hand to knock and the door opened to reveal a smiling Bella in court dress.
I stepped in and looked around. “I’m not complaining, but...”
“You’re still meeting with him, but he was held up and said I should come entertain you until he could get here.”
I waggled my eyebrows at her suggestively. “Sadly, since we don’t know if he will be a moment, or an hour, I can’t follow up as I want to.”
She laughed, and led the way to the comfortable chairs, arranged around a small table laden with food and drink.
“Now, this is not normal.” I pointed out. “We will occasionally have a cup of coffee, and even rarer, something to knock the dust off...” three times that I recalled, all of which had been bad missions. Stories for another time.
She poured me a cup of coffee. “It was like this when I got here, and Lady Dahlia said it was to refresh us.”
“Lady Dahlia?” I sat and took the cup, then patted my knee. She grinned hard enough to make her dimples show, and perched in my lap.
“Let me know if I squish you.” Bella tucked her head onto my shoulder.
“You’re not that heavy, at least for a while.”
She giggled. “Lady Dahlia is my lady-in-waiting here at the Court. As I understand it, she’s something between a secretary and receptionist. It’s a little... no, a lot weird, and I don’t know her at all, so I don’t know that I can trust her. But I don’t know anyone, besides your family, and Joe, and his son, and Dorothy.”
“So ask Dorothy.” I sipped the coffee. A decent brew, a touch weak, but it wasn’t exactly popular here at Court, I was happy to get it at all.
“Could I? I didn’t know if she had school, or...” she fluttered her fingers. “I just don’t know enough.”
“Which is precisely why you should get Dorothy to help. As for school, we handle that a bit differently Underhill. Life is... slower, because we are so much longer-lived than humans.”
“I can see how that would change, yes.”
“Helping you will be a wonderful chance for her to learn more about life above. Which I can assure you she’s fascinated with.”
“Hm... that’s a fair bargain, then. And gives me someone close to me at Court I can talk to.” She nuzzled my neck and then sat up a bit. “How are you feeling?”
“Pretty good.” I proved it with my fingers, making her wriggle as I found a tickle spot.
“Will you be at Court, then?”
I shook my head. “Sorry, honey, I know you want company, but I have made arrangements for my council seat.”
“Oh?” She kissed my ear. “I never quite get used to your ears being pointed.”
Amused, I responded, “yours are too, Bella.”
“But they don’t feel that way. And I don’t look at them. I look out through my eyes and don’t see myself. You didn’t answer my question.”
“I know. I’ll tell you both when the king shows up. As for me, I am going to try to get better faster, which means more exercise and letting Ellie fatten me up.”
“I approve of that plan. I can still take you to parties sometimes, and Dean others. It may make people talk, though.”
I laughed out loud. “All of Faerie is talking about you, Belladonna my love.”
“And they will keep talking about it if you two carry on like this in public.” Corwin’s voice broke in on us, sounding like he was about to burst into laughter.