who_contest | And Into the Light ("Ail" entry)

Title: And Into the Light
Rating: G
Genre: General/Missing Scene
Word Count: 435
Pairings or Characters: Inspector Gregson, Ada Gillyflower
Spoilers: Not unless you don’t recognise either of the above characters.
Warnings: None
Summary: A stranger comes to London, and comes home.
Author’s note: A bit of Victorian history. Pierre Foucault’s keyboard printer – a precursor to the modern typewriter- was developed in the mid-nineteenth century and allowed visually impaired people to write in raised lettering that both they and sighted people could read.

And Into the Light

The criminal classes had been taking things easy all afternoon, so Inspector Gregson was inclined to do likewise.
His thoughts were just beginning to turn towards a fourth cup of tea when a sharp clatter from outside made him look up. A lady was trying the door to his office, a cane tucked under one arm while her left hand wielded a hefty-looking box. Before he could go for the handle, she was through. “Train station’s a little way over, Miss. I can ask one of the boys to take you if you’d prefer.”

The lady straightened up to face him and smiled; a little shy yet quite collected. “Thank you, but if you are Inspector Gregson, then I’m not lost. My name is Miss Ada Gillyflower. I wished to apply for the position of typist, as advertised in the paper last Tuesday. This is a letter of recommendation from Madame Vastra in Paternoster Row.”

Gregson felt an odd tightening in his throat at the name. He tried to disguise it with a cough. “Ah, yes. How is Madame these days? Her- skin condition, does it still ail her?”

A diplomatic pause. “No more than usual, Inspector.” Miss Gillyflower laid a finger on the box at her side. “What you mistook for my luggage in fact contains a typewriter. Modified, of course, with the help of a – dear friend. Styled after the keyboard printer of Foucault, you know.” Gregson didn’t, but he wasn’t about to say as much. The lady pressed on: “With this I can manage almost seventy words for every minute. Would you care to see?”

“Uh- no, I’m sure that’s not-” To save himself from the end of the remark, Gregson tore open the envelope she had offered him. “…It says here that you’re from Yorkshire. How are you finding London?”

Something shifted in his visitor’s aspect. For a moment she seemed both childishly happy and far older than her apparent years. The fervency in her reply was striking. “Companionable. Very much so.” Then, after a brief silence to compose herself again: “The address for my lodgings is on the reverse side of that envelope, and I can start whenever is convenient.”

The inspector was not by nature an impulsive man. He took his time reaching any conclusion, and once it had been formed any corresponding opinion was just as hard to dislodge. But he was beginning to learn, however reluctantly, that the instinct of Paternoster Row was seldom amiss. Careful now, so as not to startle her, he reached for her hand and shook it.

“Well then. Does Monday morning suit?”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

wavingkilts.livejournal.com

Beautiful :D I like this very much as it is a nice change to see again something that is not centered on the Doctor, even though I love him dearly it is nice to see the other people appearing from the background :P

It's nice to see her getting out and about hehe! Plus can I just say that Madame Vastra is AWESOME!

templeremus.livejournal.com

<3 Thank you. And yes, Vastra is amazing. I am so in love with the Paternoster lot, and imo the only way they could be even more awesome is if Ada got in on the act. All the brave, strange, kind, damaged, detirmined Victorian ladies kicking stereotypes in the teeth and getting shit done.

but_can_i_be_trusted

Lovely. :) I'd wondered whatever Ada was going to find to do with herself after the Sweetville debacle. How fantastic of the inspector to give her the chance that she so deserves. :)

(And I am absolutely seconding--well, thirding appears to be more accurate--

wavingkilts' comment regarding Vastra! ^.^ )

Thank you. While the episode itself is brimming with great female characters, I was a bit sorry Ada and Vastra didn't have any real face-to-face time in 'The Crimson Horror'. I think Vastra would have recognised a kinship with Ada, despite their radical differences. Both routinely scorned from society for circumstances beyond their control; both determined, in their own ways, not to let that ostracism rob them of their agency.
And both clever enough to run rings around Gregson when the opportunity presents itself. :)

Edited Date: 2015-04-03 08:03 pm (UTC)

scripsi.livejournal.com

I like this. I can well imagine something like this to happen!

:) Thank you. I'm ever thinking of ways to write Ada into the story if I can, because frankly she's too amazing to leave out. Easily one of my favourite guest characters from the show.

flowsoffire.livejournal.com

This is beautiful, I love the way you handled Ada, and their dialogue was quite lovely. Very nicely written as always :) Thank you for this!

<3 Thank you. I simply adore Ada and her whole-heartedness and her astonishing bravery in matters both small and great. When you think what it must have taken for her to smuggle her monster away and look after him all those weeks in defiance of her mother- she's amazing, she really is. She deserves every little kindness that comes her way.

Edited Date: 2015-04-13 07:46 am (UTC)

Oh, indeed. Ada is amazing and inspiring. ♥

a-phoenixdragon.livejournal.com

Thank you, thank you!! Ohhh, tis good to see Ada again! And to know she forged on as we all knew she would. Beautiful piece, as always!

*HUGS*

<3 Thank you. Ada's definitely at the top of my list of guest characters I'd like to see make a return- especially in conjunction with the Paternoster crew. She may always be an outsider to some degree, but the Doctor helped her see that she doesn't have to be alone.