The Adventure of the Yellow Face: Crucial Reminder

[methylviolet10b]

Author: methylviolet10b
Rating: PG
Character(s): Sherlock Holmes, John Watson
Summary: Watson takes Holmes' suggestion to heart.
Warnings: Mild spoilers for YELL, including a reference to a famous suggestion.
Word Count: 60, plus an extended-play 100 word version.
Author's Notes: 60 words of my own inspired by one of the canon stories. We've made it to the end!!! I have now written at least one 60-word story for EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE CANON STORIES. Huge thanks to spacemutineer for organizing the sherlock60 comm and the effort, and to every single one of you who has ever commented, offered encouragement, or joined up in this fun madness. And if you haven't tried it for yourself yet - we're starting over next week, this time reading stories in their alleged canonical year order. Do check it out!
Disclaimer: I don't own them.

YELL -- The Yellow Face

I did not have many occasions to whisper ‘Norbury’. Holmes balanced self-confidence with horror of failure. That, and his remarkable powers, usually kept him from error.

Of the dozen times I said it, he admits that it helped six cases.

One Norbury saved our relationship, and another brought us back into each other’s lives for the remainder of our days.

Extended play edition:

I did not have many occasions to whisper ‘Norbury’ to Holmes in the years following the Munro matter. My friend, for all his self-confidence, retained a horror of failure, and that combined with his remarkable powers usually kept him from error.

Of the perhaps dozen times I uttered the phrase, however, Holmes admits that it made the difference in six cases, and four times likely saved one or both of us from harm.

One Norbury saved our relationship from grave damage, if not disintegration. And the other brought us back into each other’s lives for the remainder of our days.

Comments

[tweedisgood.livejournal.com]

Hmmm. Now I want to hear more about those occasions. Wanna write them?

[methylviolet10b]

As the muse and time allows, maybe. ;-) For the time being, they'll have to remain distant mountains.

Thank you!

[debriswoman]

Intriguing. Several tales to be told?

[methylviolet10b]

Quite possibly, someday.

Thanks!

Sunday, 12 August 2012

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User thisprettywren referenced to your post from Sunday, 12 August 2012 (http://holmesian-news.livejournal.com/227968.html) saying: [...] by (Others | G | ACD) Crucial Reminder [...]

Congratulations!

[(Anonymous)]

I love all your writing, but you deserve extra praise for the discipline of both form and time frame that this challenge contained.

I cannot wait to read whatever it is you come up with next!
Lynn

Re: Congratulations!

[methylviolet10b]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the compliments and the congratulations. :-)

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

That's very sweet actually. I wonder if ACD derived the "Norbury" code (hey, great novel title: "The Norbury Code" lol) from Marc Aurel's famous example. The structure you used in the play version is even nicer than the short and crisp 60, counting down and tightening the frame right up to the pointe (or crescendo, I think that fits it better). Impressive storytelling!

[methylviolet10b]

Thank you! And I agree with you - that would be a great title for a novel. :-)

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Your 60th 60. Fantastic! Your Holmes and Watson are always so well drawn and we've been lucky to have your look into their world each week here. Thanks for everything!

It's great when you include the extended version -- so much fun to see the differences to compare and contrast. What I like best about both versions here is imagining what the other instances were, particularly the one that brought them back together. Mmmm.

[methylviolet10b]

Thank you so much! These never would have happened without you. :-)

I do enjoy the extra space the 'extended play' version provide to play. I too would like to know more about what the other instances were. Maybe we'll find out more somewhere in the next go-round. *grin*

60 for 60, week 60: The Yellow Face

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User spacemutineer referenced to your post from 60 for 60, week 60: The Yellow Face (http://dispatch-box.livejournal.com/191343.html) saying: [...] by Crucial Reminder [...]