bbcmusketeerskink (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bbcmusketeerskink) wrote2014-02-08 10:08 pm
bbcmusketeerskink) wrote2014-02-08 10:08 pm
Entry tags:
Round 1
Welcome to the BBC The Musketeers kink meme
The lowdown: You post your prompt, anon or not. Someone else will hopefully fill it (also anon or not). Not for profit, just for fun. And in this case, for king and country.
Anon is on, IP logging is off.
Rules:
No wank
No kink-shaming
Be respectful to everyone
The mod is not your babysitter
Use the warnings
Mandatory trigger warnings/warnings for both prompts and fills:
non-con/dub-con
abuse (physical and mental)
issues such as racism, sexism, homo-/trans-/-bi-/ace-phobia etc
character death
suicide
self-harm
eating disorders
extreme physical or mental illness
substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, medication)
bullying
gore and horror
If this list misses anything, do let me know, though please understand that if absolutely everything is added this list will never end.
You are encouraged and advised to add additional warnings at your own discretion.
Please make use of the subject line.
If your prompt alludes to the book or any of the other adaptations, please let us know which one.
Lastly, prompt freezes (which I have to say I’m really not fond of) etc will be at the mod’s discretion. I will decide on a prompt cut-off point for prompt posts once I know how fast the meme moves.
Rule addition: No more discussions on the prompt post. If you want to discuss something, we have a discussion post. If you want to wank about a prompt, that's not what the discussion post is for. That's what your scroll bar and that little red x in the top corner of your browser is for.
Archive:
https://delicious.com/bbcmusketeers
Discussion post:
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/557.html
Official fill post (I strongly suggest you use it for better visibility of your fills):
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/418.html
The lowdown: You post your prompt, anon or not. Someone else will hopefully fill it (also anon or not). Not for profit, just for fun. And in this case, for king and country.
Anon is on, IP logging is off.
Rules:
No wank
No kink-shaming
Be respectful to everyone
The mod is not your babysitter
Use the warnings
Mandatory trigger warnings/warnings for both prompts and fills:
non-con/dub-con
abuse (physical and mental)
issues such as racism, sexism, homo-/trans-/-bi-/ace-phobia etc
character death
suicide
self-harm
eating disorders
extreme physical or mental illness
substance abuse (alcohol, drugs, medication)
bullying
gore and horror
If this list misses anything, do let me know, though please understand that if absolutely everything is added this list will never end.
You are encouraged and advised to add additional warnings at your own discretion.
Please make use of the subject line.
If your prompt alludes to the book or any of the other adaptations, please let us know which one.
Lastly, prompt freezes (which I have to say I’m really not fond of) etc will be at the mod’s discretion. I will decide on a prompt cut-off point for prompt posts once I know how fast the meme moves.
Rule addition: No more discussions on the prompt post. If you want to discuss something, we have a discussion post. If you want to wank about a prompt, that's not what the discussion post is for. That's what your scroll bar and that little red x in the top corner of your browser is for.
Archive:
https://delicious.com/bbcmusketeers
Discussion post:
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/557.html
Official fill post (I strongly suggest you use it for better visibility of your fills):
http://bbcmusketeerskink.dreamwidth.org/418.html
[Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2014-11-05 05:16 am (UTC)(link)A small-time black marketeer...responsible for bringing in limited parcels without the crown’s sanction and none of the king’s taxes. Athos mulled that over as he and Porthos moved to the center of the city. It gave them a potential source of trouble in his life, but was it the one that had led to his poisoning?
“The underground market is a tight community, generally, though I never focused too much on the takers along the Seine,” Porthos mused aloud. “They were out more than in, most of the time, if you know what I mean, and most of them work out of Rouen or Le Havre. Baudin had to be small time if he did most of his work in Paris. Still, though, I might be able to ask around and see if anyone knows anyone. New faces don’t tend to crop up too often, and stick around.”
Athos glanced at him. “Do you think Baudin was truly involved in something that got him killed through what must amount to incredibly petty thievery? It sounded like he was relatively limited on the types of jobs he took, and if he and one or two others could personally conceal the items and travel with them on the journey into the city, his business couldn’t be too....” Porthos was shaking his head and Athos trailed off. “What am I missing?”
“Some of the most valuable things are the smallest, especially if it got him killed. Think blackmail: if he was truly killed for his less than moral endeavors, whoever he was working with had to be very passionate about protecting something...even from the authorities.”
Athos tilted his head. “Personal correspondence, perhaps? Or some unique jewelry?”
Porthos shrugged. “Something to look into, maybe, but I’d wager someone knows something.”
“But will they speak to us?” Athos asked, head tilting curiously.
Porthos ducked in brief agreement. “That’s the trick,” he murmured, running a finger absently over the brim of his hat. “We’ll need answers on it quickly, though. The Seine here is too close to Le Marais and Le Septième for the king to allow us much time to investigate. An attack, essentially in the center of the nobility’s playground? This is turning into a nightmare.”
Athos snorted, dipping his head in acknowledgment and considered the likelihood of Porthos getting the answers they might need. He did still have friends, of course, but not as many since his last visit. He wondered if it bothered him, being treated with the suspicion of an outsider rather than the wariness of a fellow thief he’d received up until he left. Porthos had an odd relationship with his past...well, that was neither here nor there for the moment. “Let’s make our way to the baker’s home while there is still light, then. We may have some luck there finding a connection between these men.”
Porthos nodded. “Aramis and d’Artagnan may have found something as well.”
The trip to the edge of Le Septième where the baker had lived and worked was short, and the closeness to Baudin’s city haunt was honestly one of the first breaks they’d had in the case. The notes had been clear enough to get them to Henri Dupont’s bakery easily.
Athos glanced over the building. The family was apparently well off, considering the size of the bakery and its family apartment attached along the rear. The construction appeared well done, almost jarring coming from the less sturdy temporary shanties they’d just been among. Athos shared a glance with Porthos who ducked his head and then casually split off to lean against a large, leafy tree that should conceal him from anyone watching him from above. Athos approached the door, it was a nice quality, though not especially high end. Solid wood and finely varnished. It was clear that Henri had taken some pride in the appearance of his business before his unfortunate encounter with the tip of his neighbor’s dagger. He tried the handle and the door swung open into the bakery.
A bell tinkled gently as he pushed the door into the room. It was a large enough room, though it had mostly been taken over by the counters and staging areas for the bread. The walls were lined with stacked long shelves, only a few of which still contained loaves of bread, and there were airing racks on a low counter, slatted wooden props which allowed cooling bread to air without overheating the bottom, or softening; all of them were free of bread. There was an elevated attachment to the counter that seemed an appropriate height to note down orders or accounting, though the top was bare and there was nobody behind it at the moment.
A half-door along the wall seemed to act as gate between the bakery and the private residence. Athos heard the thump-creak of someone walking on wood and then a voice called down to him in a rather high, but firm, soprano. “If you’re here for this morning’s bread, I’ll be happy to take your money, but I don’t want to hear any more questions about my husband! He was having an affair and she drove him mad!”
The half gate swung open sharply and a middle-aged woman with curly hair covered in what appeared to be a kerchief that often served this purpose, and a dark complexion well set against the green and white gown she wore beneath a well-used apron entered the bakery, another indication that she and her husband had been doing well. Her features were set with a determination that gave way to an almost comical surprise when she laid eyes on Athos, and Athos swallowed his amusement as inappropriate on several levels.
“Madame Dupont,” he lifted his hat from his head and held it to his chest. “I am Athos, of the King’s Musketeers. First, I would like to provide my condolences to yourself and your son. The death of a family member is a difficult time. Secondly, I am of a number that has received charge of the investigation into your husband’s death, and as such I am afraid that I have an unpleasant request. I am sorry.”
Her features smoothed over, dark brown eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “This is about Henri, isn’t it? I told the Cardinal’s men everything I know.”
Athos nodded slowly. “And indeed, I have those notes. We would still appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, if it’s not an inconvenient time.”
Madame Dupont’s lips thinned faintly and he wondered how much she wanted to turn him out on his ear. She seemed to be contemplating it and then her eyes drifted to his pauldron, embossed with the Fleur-de-Lis and her shoulders slumped faintly. “Ask your questions.”
Athos felt a pang of sympathy. She was in an incredibly uncomfortable position and he could only do his best to be quick with his questions and leave her to see what she could make of her life now that things had been so thoroughly disrupted. “Thank you. To begin with, since you spoke to the Red Guard, have you remembered whether your husband had any contact with Christophe Baudin or Alain de la Charrue?”
She shook her head, back stiff. Behind her in the stairwell, Athos watched a shadow thrown over the backwall shrink and grow before it slid to the floor and held still. “He was a respectable man and we have a good list of standing orders in this district, many of them noble houses whose kitchens aren’t able to support the numbers of their house in addition to a wonderful walk in business. We just acquired the patron of the king’s private residence, and had to bring in extra help. All of our supplies come from the city or they’re carted in from outside: he had no reason to keep company with a drunk or a sailor.”
Athos considered the shadow briefly before turning his full attention on her. “Perhaps he might have encountered them in a private capacity, at a bar?”
She shook her head sharply. “No, it isn’t possible.”
Athos dipped his head respectfully, but observed that her eyes were tight and she had begun clenching her fingers in the fabric of her apron. He decided he could press her on a few other subjects before switching to the mistress he’d apparently had publicly. “Of course. Did Henri have any new clients recently? The nobles you mentioned, perhaps?”
Madame Dupont’s fingers eased, smoothing out the fabric of her apron. “My husband began working for the king’s private residence,” she said, voice steady and nearly proud. “Two months ago around the middle of spring, they put out for assistance to support the staff and groundsmen.”
Athos hummed thoughtfully, looking around the room again. It was a well-off area, certainly, and the building indicated that the family did well enough, but there was nothing here that stood out to him that would’ve won a royal contract, even one for the staff alone. He considered what that might mean when the door swung in behind him. It had apparently been long enough that Porthos felt confident that their hosts wouldn’t run through a backdoor. Madame Dupont’s eyes widened as Porthos stood up from ducking through the door. “Porthos du Vallon, my companion. Also of the King’s Musketeers. Porthos, Madame Dupont.”
Porthos removed his hat and smiled. “Madame.”
Athos glanced down at her fingers, resting gently over her apron-covered skirts. She’d been nervous only when he’d pushed her on her husband’s private life, and while certainly she had valid call to be upset over potential gossip over an affair getting out, Athos had said nothing to bring that up. “Are you certain your husband was involved with no private matters which may have brought him into contact with the other dead men?”
Madame Dupont’s fingers twitched, curling up into fists and when she spoke, her soprano, already high, began to break. “No. No, I have already told you - “
A new voice intruded: the shadow from the stairwell. “Lying is a sin, mama,” a young man said, stepping into the short hall behind Madame Dupont. He was younger than d’Artagnan by a few years, clad lightly in a white shirt with loose fitting sleeves and breeches with the laces dangling from the sides. He was barefoot and carrying his boots, which explained the lack of sound as he came down the stairs. His clothing was plain but in good repair and seemed a decent quality.
“Michel!” Madame Dupont yelped, hand rising to her heart. “You nearly caused my heart to leap from my chest. What business do you have, creeping about like that?”
Michel frowned, complexion reddened with what appeared to be anger and perhaps intoxication. “I must save your soul,” he said, voice thick with anger and frustration. “You keep refusing to speak the truth we both know, even to the point of detriment to your own soul, for a man who answered your faith with a house of mistresses!”
Athos immediately looked to Madame Dupont, whose mouth was pressed firmly even while her eyes moistened. “Michel…”
Michel shook his head and then turned squarely to Athos. “Father was a connection for members of the upper class to the less savory characters. Thieves, smugglers...I didn’t know much, but we figured out what he was doing when some bastard came in with bags of gold coin he couldn’t explain away. ”
Athos hummed while Porthos rocked back on his heels quietly.A fence? Go between? Either way, it was a tie between Baudin and Dupont. Athos looked at Dupont and she flushed and looked away in shame. He nodded and focused on Michel. “Please tell me everything you know about your father’s business,” he said, though his tone belied the implied voluntary nature courtesy and compassion would have loaned to it.
(Note: Holy shit is this poorly researched, but my general idea is that Baudin was a sailor who docked at the Rouen and accompanied what goods needed to go to Paris into the city, using it as a cover for his illegal import business. Marie and Charles [and children] repair nets and fish on shallow boats, supplying local markets.)
Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2014-11-05 07:32 pm (UTC)(link)Another excellent chapter, adoring all the details of of not only all your interesting OCs, but the subtle way Athos and Porthos move and automatically cover one another. As well as the silent acknowledgment when one has more experience/knowledge when it comes to certain things and areas.
Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2014-11-06 12:53 pm (UTC)(link)The way they cover each other in the show is what first drew me. I just love the teamwork and obvious comfort and familiarity. I've found that giving OCs a little personality really helps keep things fresh and interesting for me as a writer.
Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2014-11-09 09:36 pm (UTC)(link)Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2014-11-16 12:48 am (UTC)(link)Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2015-03-17 01:03 pm (UTC)(link)Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
Of course I love the pairings and would enjoy to see what happens next in the investigation, and of course, once they all reunite
Anyway great work, love your writing style. Update please! :)
Re: [Fill] What Truths I Learn, I Keep 3b/?
(Anonymous) 2015-03-05 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)