darktrent182 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
darktrent182) wrote2006-01-11 09:23 pm
darktrent182) wrote2006-01-11 09:23 pm
Entry tags:
FIC: Word Placement [Blackadder Goes Forth]
Title: Word Placement
Fandom: Blackadder
Characters: George Colthurst St. Barleigh, Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, Heinrich Neumann (OMC)
Prompt: #083. And
Word Count: 550
Rating: G
Summary: It's the end of a long day, and George finds himself thinking about the two men in his life.
Author's Notes: Written long-hand before my 4:30p class. Prompt chosen by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
amazonqueenkate.
***
George's schoolteacher once told him that word placement was almost as important as word choice. Of course, George's knuckles had been smarting from the teacher giving them a jolly good rap, so it hadn't really sunk in until now. To be honest, he hadn't remembered much of anything from his school days, now that he was thinking about it.
But, the idea was sound. Take "Anthony and Georgina", for example. The "and" put them together, made them two when before, there was only one. A jolly good thing that, because two rather had a sporting chance against Harry Hun when a man alone could bally well pop off and die and no one would be the wiser.
Ah, but look at that placement. "Georgina" comes after "Anthony". That means it was Anthony first, Anthony who's the more important of the two. Without "Georgina", without that "and", "Georgina" could disappear, and Anthony would still be there.
That was a rummy thought, and not a jolly good one.
But look at "George and Heinrich". Well, he should probably say "Henry" instead of "Heinrich", but it was the same principle, really. Two people, connected by that "and". You couldn't very well say "Heinrich and George", because G comes before H in the English alphabet, like A comes before G.
So, really, it was "George and Heinrich", and wow, look at what a difference that made!
When listing the names of a couple, the man's name always goes first. Perfectly natural, after all. He's the head of the household, and it isn't like the woman keeps her maiden name after they marry. No, she becomes a part of him, a part of his life.
But look, "George and Heinrich" are two chaps, each jockeying to be the head of the household. Or maybe they work together, where both of them are equal. George and Heinrich. It was rather brilliant and intriguing, even if George did say so himself. Rather like one of Baldrick's cunning plans.
If Heinrich disappeared, or found someone else, or bally well died tragically, George would still be there. He might not be entirely the same as he was before, and he'd miss Heinrich terribly, but he wouldn't be able to disappear into nothingness. If absolutely necessary, he could stand alone and still be a person. He wouldn't be dependant on that "and".
And yet... (There's that "and" again. Would he never be rid of it?)
Did he really want to be alone? War was a dashed terrible business, after all. He'd had his arm broken, all ten of his fingers stepped on and snapped like rummy twigs, he was dashed sure he'd stubbed his toes more times in the trench than he could count. And all of it bally well hurt.
Was having that "and" really so dashed horrible that he never wanted to risk becoming someone's "and"? George hadn't heard Heinrich complaining about being his "and", after all. And what if the correct way to list a couple in German was backwards? Heinrich and George? Why, he was in the same beastly soup he started with!
George sighed, laying his head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling and the black emptiness above him.
Rummy thoughts before bedtime. He'd drop off right now if he was luck...
END
Fandom: Blackadder
Characters: George Colthurst St. Barleigh, Anthony Cecil Hogmanay Melchett, Heinrich Neumann (OMC)
Prompt: #083. And
Word Count: 550
Rating: G
Summary: It's the end of a long day, and George finds himself thinking about the two men in his life.
Author's Notes: Written long-hand before my 4:30p class. Prompt chosen by
amazonqueenkate.***
George's schoolteacher once told him that word placement was almost as important as word choice. Of course, George's knuckles had been smarting from the teacher giving them a jolly good rap, so it hadn't really sunk in until now. To be honest, he hadn't remembered much of anything from his school days, now that he was thinking about it.
But, the idea was sound. Take "Anthony and Georgina", for example. The "and" put them together, made them two when before, there was only one. A jolly good thing that, because two rather had a sporting chance against Harry Hun when a man alone could bally well pop off and die and no one would be the wiser.
Ah, but look at that placement. "Georgina" comes after "Anthony". That means it was Anthony first, Anthony who's the more important of the two. Without "Georgina", without that "and", "Georgina" could disappear, and Anthony would still be there.
That was a rummy thought, and not a jolly good one.
But look at "George and Heinrich". Well, he should probably say "Henry" instead of "Heinrich", but it was the same principle, really. Two people, connected by that "and". You couldn't very well say "Heinrich and George", because G comes before H in the English alphabet, like A comes before G.
So, really, it was "George and Heinrich", and wow, look at what a difference that made!
When listing the names of a couple, the man's name always goes first. Perfectly natural, after all. He's the head of the household, and it isn't like the woman keeps her maiden name after they marry. No, she becomes a part of him, a part of his life.
But look, "George and Heinrich" are two chaps, each jockeying to be the head of the household. Or maybe they work together, where both of them are equal. George and Heinrich. It was rather brilliant and intriguing, even if George did say so himself. Rather like one of Baldrick's cunning plans.
If Heinrich disappeared, or found someone else, or bally well died tragically, George would still be there. He might not be entirely the same as he was before, and he'd miss Heinrich terribly, but he wouldn't be able to disappear into nothingness. If absolutely necessary, he could stand alone and still be a person. He wouldn't be dependant on that "and".
And yet... (There's that "and" again. Would he never be rid of it?)
Did he really want to be alone? War was a dashed terrible business, after all. He'd had his arm broken, all ten of his fingers stepped on and snapped like rummy twigs, he was dashed sure he'd stubbed his toes more times in the trench than he could count. And all of it bally well hurt.
Was having that "and" really so dashed horrible that he never wanted to risk becoming someone's "and"? George hadn't heard Heinrich complaining about being his "and", after all. And what if the correct way to list a couple in German was backwards? Heinrich and George? Why, he was in the same beastly soup he started with!
George sighed, laying his head back against the pillow, staring up at the ceiling and the black emptiness above him.
Rummy thoughts before bedtime. He'd drop off right now if he was luck...
END
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One thing that I do find quite... amazing is how he hasn't lost a lot of his innocence after being tortured, in your fics. He's still George, through-and-through.
I adored this series a great deal and do wish that there was more. I just want to let you know that I believe you are especially talented and deserve recognition as... well, a good writer and all that.
So, yes. In summation: yay, you! :)
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