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Posted By: Mike M FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/26/15 01:39 AM
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Posted By: VirginiaR Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/26/15 06:02 AM
Poor Cedric! It sounds as if his uncle Lucius is atrocious! He sounds as bad as Cinderella's step-mother. It's too bad that the former Earl, Cedric's grandfather didn't have funds to put into a trust for his grandson. Or were these the funds that Cedric used to pension off the servants that the new Earl fired? Let's hope that Cedric is Lucius's heir and that his uncle doesn't live long.

I was a bit confused by the powdered wig reference, though. It's very 1700s. I thought the wigs were passe`, except during very formal affairs? Is it mentioned to make Lucius sound more old-fashioned (and old) or was is merely a mistake?
Posted By: ChrisM Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/26/15 02:06 PM
Yes, Lucius is quite atrocious, and we'll learn just how atrocious he can be as the story evolves! He's fun to write about, but I'm glad I don't have to live with him!

As I understand entails, they are unbreakable. If you're a Downton Abby fan, you'll know that Cora's money was folded into the entailed estate and cannot later be separated out from it. In "Sense and Sensibility" Elinor's father cannot leave them more than 500 a year because of the terms of the entail, and therefore begs their step-brother to help provide for them when he as inherited. So, unless there were provisions within the entail already, I don't think the 7th Earl can make changes. Entails can go way back, though, and if a neighboring property had been purchased by, say, the 6th Earl, then Cedric's grandfather could have willed that to Cedric because it wouldn't have been part of the original entail. However, in this case, the grandfather's death was swift and sudden, plus he may have hoped that his ne'er-do-well son had died on the Continent. You're correct that Cedric is Lucius' heir, provided that he doesn't marry and produce a legitimate heir of his own body. Just like his father, he cannot go against the entail. If anyone has more legal expertise and wants to weigh in on this, feel free. All I'm going on is what I've read in Heyer or Austen; I haven't researched it.
These are great questions, btw! Can you tell how much I enjoy historical fiction? ;-)
As far as the wigs go ... they stuck around into the late 1700s, according to my History of Costume book. Since Lucius is older, that would be the style he would prefer. But you're correct that the style was dying out. In just a few more years the only people messing with wigs will be professional folks like lawyers. Lavinia and her father have just fled France, so we are in the early 1790s in this story. Some people date the Regency from 1795-1837, so we're at the beginning of that period.
Too bad we can't sit down over a cup of tea and discuss this to our hearts' content!
Posted By: Morgana Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/27/15 03:35 AM
Reading the dialog has been a huge change from LnC, but this story is a sweet surprise. The posting schedule is radical ... Love it!

So onto the next part!
Posted By: ChrisM Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/27/15 11:56 PM
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The posting schedule is radical ... Love it!

So, it's been suggested by someone else that I should slow down with my posting. It's been a long time since I was on the boards so am I being too "radical"? I could change and post just one part each day, or even further apart. If you guys are doing things differently now, that's fine. Just let me know. The story is all written, and been re-written, and re-written <g>, but I'm hoping to gain some insights to help make it better. The posting schedule is immaterial to me. Let me know if this "old timer" is going to fast. Thanks!
Posted By: Morgana Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/28/15 01:36 AM
Not fast at all! thumbsup The scheduling works for me, but I cannot speak for everyone else.
Posted By: KatherineKent Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/28/15 07:30 AM
I love the posting schedule. Don't stop!
Posted By: cuidadora Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/28/15 02:34 PM
This story has me hooked. American English is my first language, although it's been years since I read Regency fiction. I'm also using a dictionary... and loving learning new words.

Your description above about entails was very helpful. Sad situation that Cedric is in, but he seems to be making the most of it, and has his own unique solutions. He certainly seems to have resigned himself to not finding his own happiness. Looking forward to him finding hope of a positive future.

The posting schedule is great. Please continue!
Posted By: ChrisM Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/29/15 01:17 AM
Thank you, cuidadora, KatherineKent and Morgana. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As far as my posting schedule goes, I'll try to find a happy medium between "too fast" and too slow". :-)

As I've said before, if not for Dotty's encouragement I probably would not have ever gotten this story out again. It's so different from any other fanfic I've ever written! And since it revolves around an earlier incarnation of Lois and Clark's souls--the qualities and characteristics of their souls only--it has few of the things we've come to expect from LNC fanfic. No flying, kryptonite, or X-ray vision.

The only things from Lois and Clark that I could bring into this story were the very things that made them the people that we love: Lois' courage, determination, intelligence, perseverance and love of Clark; for Clark, there's his love of Lois, his caring and generosity, his willingness to help others, his selflessness. So, I wasn't sure if The Masked Avenger would be "Lois and Clark" enough, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying it. These first parts have been mostly about establishing the characters and placing them in their settings, giving them back stories, etc. All necessary since they are not in their usual venue of Metropolis and the Daily Planet. Things will be getting more interesting from here on out. Thanks for hanging in there with me! :-)
Posted By: HiddenMoon Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/29/15 01:46 AM
Originally Posted by ChrisM
As far as my posting schedule goes, I'll try to find a happy medium between "too fast" and too slow". :-)
Nooooooooooo!!!! :,( Please be merciful, or I might get into withdrawal...
Originally Posted by ChrisM
No flying, kryptonite, or X-ray vision.
I like that! Yeah, I'm weird like that grin
Originally Posted by ChrisM
Things will be getting more interesting from here on out.
They already are!
(If this isn't unconditional support, my friend, then I don't know what it is...) :P
Posted By: ChrisM Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/29/15 02:40 AM
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Nooooooooooo!!!! :,( Please be merciful, or I might get into withdrawal...

LOL! Okay ... unlike Lucius I don't like to torture people! Parts 10 and 11 are devoted to just Lavinia and Cedric. That should help. :-)
Posted By: SupesFan Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/30/15 02:14 AM
Chris, I would like to start out saying that I simply love your writing. I took a couple of days and went back into the archives to re-read 2 more of your stories "Love Beyond All Measure" and the sequel "Dimensions of Loving." Both are still as fresh and creative as I first remembered them. [Linked Image]



I love your characterizations in this Regency romance.

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Lucius, eighth Earl of Kentham, was exquisitely dressed, as befitted a man of fashion and wealth.
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Two years ago, when he'd taken control of his inheritance, Lucius had encountered a younger and more stiff-necked Cedric who had openly challenged his new lord's every decision regarding the estate. It had taken time, but the Earl was proud of the changes he'd wrought, both in his nephew and around Kentham.
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Lucius had then proceeded to make the kinds of changes he'd known would be most galling to the younger man....Rather than see the estate and its people defenceless against Lucius' thoughtless ways, Cedric had agreed to stay on as his steward.

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"You're always sorry, aren't you, my dear nephew," Lucius said in a drawling, biting tone which he reserved for those moments when he was alone with Cedric.

I envision Lucius/Lucifer/Lex Luthor.


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Only grandson of the seventh Earl, he had been brought up on the estate after the untimely deaths of his parents had left him orphaned when he was six years old....However, Cedric had thrived in that quiet, but loving atmosphere for the old man had opened not only his home to the orphan, but also his heart.
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A well-enough-looking young man, Cedric nevertheless seemed to fade into the background, especially when his magnificent uncle was around.
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Clark always tried to blend in. However, Cedric had thrived in that quiet, but loving atmosphere for the old man had opened not only his home to the orphan, but also his heart.
Cedric, blending in, orphaned at a young age and raised in a loving pastoral setting. A sweet, caring, gentle man.



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"The pleasure is mine, monsieur. I apologise that I was unable to greet you when you arrived."
"Ah, oui. Your uncle explained ... the headache, non?"
At least Cedric's "illness" is not a lame excuse for his absence.


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Cedric was the only person at the table who was facing the door, and so to him was granted the privilege of witnessing Mademoiselle Lavinia's entrance... he thought her the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen... and the sight of her nearly took his breath away.
Whether seeing her enter Perry's office or a breakfast room in an English manor, it's love at first sight for our guy. Some things never change in any universe.


Chris, you post, I'll read. Cheerfully. [Linked Image]
Posted By: ChrisM Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 10/31/15 12:01 AM
Thank you, SupesFan. I'm glad you're enjoying the story and the characterizations. :-) And, thank you for the compliments on LBAM and DoL, too.

LBAM was my very first LNC story. Back then (if memory serves me) before the archive we have now, or these boards, we used to have to break the stories up into sections of no more than 20K and email them to Renate. We always had to say how many parts there were going to be in the stories, which is why some of the older stories in the archive will still have things like: "this is a story in 10 parts." If you wanted a story it was sent to you in those same parts and you could choose to print them out with all the headers, etc., (wasting paper) or c&p into a word processor and do a bit of cleaning up first. It all seems kind of primitive now, but that was only 20 years ago. We had so much fun back then, though, getting all this started. Watching the new ep on Sunday night and then discussing it over and over during the ensuing week. We also used to do live round robin fanfic writing on the weekends in IM. That was amazing to be a part of! So many great writers, from all over the world, getting together to write a story in one night, based on a premise randomly chosen right before we started. It was a privilege to be a part of it. It taught me a lot. I'll never forget it.

I'm so glad that people still want to write stories about LNC and are still passionate about these characters. I think it says a lot about all the creative people who were involved in the show.
Posted By: LMA Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 11/03/15 06:52 AM
Definitely feel for Cedric and what he has been through....BUT, I get the feeling that life is improving (IE--Lavinia wink ). Really loving the premise of this story, Chris.

Laura

Oh--and I enjoyed hearing some of the backstory on the fandom. These characters touched me way back, right when the show began. I am so incredibly grateful that they/the show have been kept relevant, kept alive, even after all of these years by all the FOLCs.
Posted By: ChrisM Re: FDK: The Masked Avenger (4/46) - 11/04/15 02:04 AM
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I get the feeling that life is improving [for Cedric]
Oh, yes! Whenever those two get together--no matter the time or place--they always have that effect on one another. love

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Really loving the premise of this story

Thank you!

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I am so incredibly grateful that they/the show have been kept relevant, kept alive, even after all of these years by all the FOLCs.
I agree! I'd say we'd have to be some of the luckiest fans there are. :-)
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