The Case of the Phantom Portrait
Dec. 9th, 2024 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingThe conceit for my Wizard Detective Fhiad stories is that Fhiad goes out into the world and investigates mysteries while occasionally writing to Agnes, who sits in the wizard university library and reads.
At the beginning of An Unfound Door, Fhiad is traumatized within an inch of his life and exhibits highly problematic behavior, but he gradually calms down and settles back into his essential personality, which is charming and urbane. Meanwhile, Agnes begins the novel filled with self-doubt, but she gradually learns to stop apologizing while embracing her own essential personality, which is brisk, efficient, and Asahi Super Dry.
The structure of the Unfound Door sequel (sort of) mystery stories is that the main action will be divided into sections by Fhiad’s letters, which are filled with flowery language. Agnes will return curt one-sentence replies that cut to the heart of the matter and lead Fhiad in the right direction. Fhiad is William of Baskerville, while Agnes is Mycroft Holmes.
Because I love detective fiction and wizards, I have about two dozen plots lined up and ready to go. (Who knows if they’ll ever see the light of day, but still.) The first story I want to write, “The Case of the Phantom Portrait,” is loosely based on The Portrait of Dorian Gray.
A wealthy woman’s husband has painted a magical portrait to keep her young and attractive, but she resents not being able to age gracefully alongside her lady companion. The two of them therefore kill the husband, but this doesn’t break the spell. To make matters worse, neither of them knows where the portrait is. They therefore hire Fhiad to find it, claiming that it’s been stolen.
Fhiad does as he’s asked; and, following Agnes’s strongly implied advice, he “accidentally” destroys the painting, thus allowing his two clients to live happily ever after during their golden years.
The moral of this particular story is that: (a) necromancy is bad; and (b) I’ve got it down bad for lesbian MILFs.
At the beginning of An Unfound Door, Fhiad is traumatized within an inch of his life and exhibits highly problematic behavior, but he gradually calms down and settles back into his essential personality, which is charming and urbane. Meanwhile, Agnes begins the novel filled with self-doubt, but she gradually learns to stop apologizing while embracing her own essential personality, which is brisk, efficient, and Asahi Super Dry.
The structure of the Unfound Door sequel (sort of) mystery stories is that the main action will be divided into sections by Fhiad’s letters, which are filled with flowery language. Agnes will return curt one-sentence replies that cut to the heart of the matter and lead Fhiad in the right direction. Fhiad is William of Baskerville, while Agnes is Mycroft Holmes.
Because I love detective fiction and wizards, I have about two dozen plots lined up and ready to go. (Who knows if they’ll ever see the light of day, but still.) The first story I want to write, “The Case of the Phantom Portrait,” is loosely based on The Portrait of Dorian Gray.
A wealthy woman’s husband has painted a magical portrait to keep her young and attractive, but she resents not being able to age gracefully alongside her lady companion. The two of them therefore kill the husband, but this doesn’t break the spell. To make matters worse, neither of them knows where the portrait is. They therefore hire Fhiad to find it, claiming that it’s been stolen.
Fhiad does as he’s asked; and, following Agnes’s strongly implied advice, he “accidentally” destroys the painting, thus allowing his two clients to live happily ever after during their golden years.
The moral of this particular story is that: (a) necromancy is bad; and (b) I’ve got it down bad for lesbian MILFs.
