thisbluespirit (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
thisbluespirit) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
rainbowfic2020-09-26 09:49 pm
thisbluespirit) wrote in rainbowfic2020-09-26 09:49 pm
Cloudy Grey #9 [Divide & Rule]
I completed Cloudy Grey with this one.
Name: Sunshine and Smiles
Story: Divide & Rule/Heroes of the Revolution
Colors: Cloudy Grey #9 (multiply)
Supplies and Styles: Pastels (also forallbingo square “Tulip (Yellow) – There’s Sunshine in Your Smile”) + Miniature Collection + Novelty Beads (Birthday Challenge: Sunflower, Drew Sarich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYkK49OGg_Y)
Word Count: 5 x100
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1956. Julia Graves/Edward Iveson, Daisy Long, Nancy Long, Isabel Andrews. (I thought if I could do a morbid drabble chain, I could do a happy one, too, so I made this.)
Summary: Julia and that most dangerous thing, happiness.
***
July 1949
Julia lies back on the sunlit grass in the tiny garden. She knows what this unfamiliar feeling is now – happiness. Precarious, improbable happiness. She’s married a man she barely knows, an inconvenient husband. (He might love her. He almost said so.) It shouldn’t work.
Whatever, she likes Edward. She likes the summer, this house, the confused look he wears when he looks at her. It’s safe here.
She laughs aloud amid the daisies at the absurdity of her life, then sits up, hearing a sound from within; the faint, sharp click of a door. He’s home.
Perhaps she is, too.
November 1949
They walk hand in hand up Primrose Hill. The trees are almost bare of leaves, but the sun is out, hard and bright. They slip behind this tree and that, out of sight, stealing needless kisses. It’s folly, but they’re still drunk on happiness – on fears relieved and love confessed after far too long unsaid.
“We’re not being careful,” Julia says, breathless. (She fears the gods might be jealous.) But the cloud passes; she laughs.
Edward lets go of her hand and puts his arm around her waist, ushering her back onto the path. “True,” he agrees. “Let’s go home.”
December 1950
Aunt Daisy’s summoned them to her house. “Didn’t want to give you this in front of everyone,” she says, passing Julia a slim album. “In case it upset you.”
Wary, Julia opens it. Aunt Daisy’s collected photos of the Graves family: Julia, Mother, Christy, Rudy, even one of Father. Julia’s heart swells; she blinks back tears. She’s surrounded by love: crushed against Edward on the hard sofa, Aunt Daisy’s gift on her knees, and the others are here, after all, smiling at her out of blurry monochrome Kodak snaps.
“It’s perfect,” she says, warm in a ray of wintery sunshine.
July 1952
Julia’s only now recovering herself, and able to start finding joy in the tiny, dense mass of potential that is her daughter. There’s more. She sits on the sofa beside Isabel, while Edward stands with Nancy, holding Emily. Julia, watching, still feels it’s an illicit thrill.
Then, as Edward passes Emily to Nancy, Isabel leans in closer and murmurs, “Nancy says she doesn’t care about being godmother – or babies. She says she’s only doing it to please Ned.”
They both look over at the adoring little tableau; then back at each other and collapse against each other into helpless laughter.
1956
Julia sits in bed. Edward’s elsewhere and worries plague her. So many changes ahead. Is it enough that they’ve carefully wiped their slate clean? She pictures the officialdom that comes with being Foreign Secretary; there’ll be endless strangers in the house. Then she smiles, hugging her knees. It will work out. They won’t all be strangers, soon.
She’d lost everyone until she met Edward. With him, she’s gained family, friends – more. She’s not sure how it happened; how Edward did that, but she doesn’t doubt it’ll happen again. It’s exponential; love spiralling ever outwards.
She’ll never be truly alone again.
***
Name: Sunshine and Smiles
Story: Divide & Rule/Heroes of the Revolution
Colors: Cloudy Grey #9 (multiply)
Supplies and Styles: Pastels (also for
allbingo square “Tulip (Yellow) – There’s Sunshine in Your Smile”) + Miniature Collection + Novelty Beads (Birthday Challenge: Sunflower, Drew Sarich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYkK49OGg_Y)Word Count: 5 x100
Rating: PG
Warnings: None.
Notes: 1949, 1950, 1952, 1956. Julia Graves/Edward Iveson, Daisy Long, Nancy Long, Isabel Andrews. (I thought if I could do a morbid drabble chain, I could do a happy one, too, so I made this.)
Summary: Julia and that most dangerous thing, happiness.
***
July 1949
Julia lies back on the sunlit grass in the tiny garden. She knows what this unfamiliar feeling is now – happiness. Precarious, improbable happiness. She’s married a man she barely knows, an inconvenient husband. (He might love her. He almost said so.) It shouldn’t work.
Whatever, she likes Edward. She likes the summer, this house, the confused look he wears when he looks at her. It’s safe here.
She laughs aloud amid the daisies at the absurdity of her life, then sits up, hearing a sound from within; the faint, sharp click of a door. He’s home.
Perhaps she is, too.
November 1949
They walk hand in hand up Primrose Hill. The trees are almost bare of leaves, but the sun is out, hard and bright. They slip behind this tree and that, out of sight, stealing needless kisses. It’s folly, but they’re still drunk on happiness – on fears relieved and love confessed after far too long unsaid.
“We’re not being careful,” Julia says, breathless. (She fears the gods might be jealous.) But the cloud passes; she laughs.
Edward lets go of her hand and puts his arm around her waist, ushering her back onto the path. “True,” he agrees. “Let’s go home.”
December 1950
Aunt Daisy’s summoned them to her house. “Didn’t want to give you this in front of everyone,” she says, passing Julia a slim album. “In case it upset you.”
Wary, Julia opens it. Aunt Daisy’s collected photos of the Graves family: Julia, Mother, Christy, Rudy, even one of Father. Julia’s heart swells; she blinks back tears. She’s surrounded by love: crushed against Edward on the hard sofa, Aunt Daisy’s gift on her knees, and the others are here, after all, smiling at her out of blurry monochrome Kodak snaps.
“It’s perfect,” she says, warm in a ray of wintery sunshine.
July 1952
Julia’s only now recovering herself, and able to start finding joy in the tiny, dense mass of potential that is her daughter. There’s more. She sits on the sofa beside Isabel, while Edward stands with Nancy, holding Emily. Julia, watching, still feels it’s an illicit thrill.
Then, as Edward passes Emily to Nancy, Isabel leans in closer and murmurs, “Nancy says she doesn’t care about being godmother – or babies. She says she’s only doing it to please Ned.”
They both look over at the adoring little tableau; then back at each other and collapse against each other into helpless laughter.
1956
Julia sits in bed. Edward’s elsewhere and worries plague her. So many changes ahead. Is it enough that they’ve carefully wiped their slate clean? She pictures the officialdom that comes with being Foreign Secretary; there’ll be endless strangers in the house. Then she smiles, hugging her knees. It will work out. They won’t all be strangers, soon.
She’d lost everyone until she met Edward. With him, she’s gained family, friends – more. She’s not sure how it happened; how Edward did that, but she doesn’t doubt it’ll happen again. It’s exponential; love spiralling ever outwards.
She’ll never be truly alone again.
***