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[thevictoriandetective]

I'm Sherlock Holmes, the world's only consulting detective.

I'm not going to go into detail about how I do what I do because chances are you wouldn't understand. If you've got a problem that you want me to solve, then contact me. Interesting cases only please.

This is what I do:

1. I observe everything.
2. From what I observe, I deduce everything.
3. When I've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how mad it might seem, must be the truth.

If you need assistance, contact me and we'll discuss its potential.

Comments

[acclimatized]

Many Happy Returns!

[thevictoriandetective]

Thank you, John.

[acclimatized]

What do you fancy for tea? I'm going to pick up a cake on my way home.

[thevictoriandetective]

Anything's fine, really.

Though if you happen on any ginger nuts...

[acclimatized]

Chinese it is then.

I'll grab a packet. You're getting a proper cake though.

[thevictoriandetective]

If you insist.

[acclimatized]

[ sometime after this post appears on the network... ]

Can you remember the names of the flowers we used at the wedding?

[thevictoriandetective]

Lily-of-the-valley, trumpet flower, white roses, sweet pea, forget-me-not, white hydrangea, green carnation, Calla Lilies, baby's breath.

A special occasion?

[acclimatized]

Thanks.

It's Valentine's Day next week. A friend is offering to make bouquets on the network and I was thinking of getting Mary one.

[thevictoriandetective]

[There's a long pause. Oh. A moment of panic as he tries to think about what the right thing to say is.]

I understand.

[acclimatized]

[ oh sherlock, he is so grateful he doesn't have to explain the reason why. ]

I think I'll ask for a couple of roses too. White maybe?

[thevictoriandetective]

[All that emotional trauma has given him far more insight. If this had been a few years earlier he would have demanded John explain why this was even necessary and told him it was pointless.

Now he knew what grief felt like. How it changed his childhood, and now appeared again after Mary.

And how things like these were for the living, as much as the dead.]

I think that would be...apt.

[acclimatized]

You don't think it would ruin the composition?

[thevictoriandetective]

No, it'd fit very well. Personally I'd use no more than five, as to not overwhelm it.

[Sherlock may have spent a night studying flower arrangements during the wedding planning. For some reason he hadn't deleted it.]

[acclimatized]

[ he'd ask sherlock why he didn't delete this information after the wedding but it's proving to be a godsend to him right now. ]

Okay, that's good. So, five white roses along with Mary's favourites. I think I've got an order ready.

[thevictoriandetective]

Any other particular plans for...well, you know? Besides flowers, that is.

[He's just trying to get a feel for John's mental state. Of course, Mycroft used to do the same to him by mentioning the name "Redbeard." But at least Sherlock wasn't being deceptive about it.]

1/2

[acclimatized]

I don't really know yet. I just saw Raina's video and she reminded me of how little time we have. It seems like forever, but it's always gone before you know it.

2/2

[acclimatized]

Oh God. I'm such an idiot aren't I? It's just Valentine's Day. Another hallmark holiday for companies to make money.

[thevictoriandetective]

Yes, of course it is.

But it's clearly bringing up memories for you, regardless of how ridiculous this all is.

You can either ignore it, or you can do something about it.

[Sherlock's not sure if that's good advice or in any way helpful, but he does his best.]

[acclimatized]

She had friends when she was here. Will, April, Abigail, Raina, Chilton. I'm going to have to tell them what happened eventually, but I don't know how I'm going to do it.

I can't even go and visit her. I can't hold Rosie and tell her about her mum either.

[thevictoriandetective]

[There's another long pause as Sherlock weighs his words carefully.]

If there is any way I can help you with anything, John, please...

Rosie is fine. She won't even know you're gone. We will return, John, and everything will go back as it was, and you won't even know that you couldn't visit her when you wanted to.

[There was no way Sherlock could guarantee that, or guarantee either of them would make it back. But they'd done it before, and he was going to be ridiculous and illogical and hope against hope.]

[acclimatized]

I know she is. I miss Rosie so much, but I don't want her here. It's too dangerous. It's just... I wasn't there when she really needed me. I messed up. I'll never forgive myself for not being there.

[ is he talking about rosie or mary? or both of them? it's hard to tell. ]

You have helped me Sherlock. You remembered what the flowers we had. I would've gone to the florists and made a right mug of myself trying to describe them. God, I would have probably started crying.

[thevictoriandetective]

[Sherlock pauses again to attempt to say the right thing. This was difficult, and he certainly didn't want to make it worse.

And it wasn't like he didn't share some of that sentiment. Despite what John said, it didn't assague all the guilt he had over Mary's death. If he hadn't shown off...]

Yes well...it is what is. We are all human, after all.

[A beat. That was...worrisome.]

If you need me to come with you anywhere...

[acclimatized]

[ human after all. john has thought himself as infallible. people have died under his care; people whose names he can't recall and some whose name he still cries out for. he thought he was above cheating on mary, acting like he was twenty-something again and making the same mistakes as harry.

hearing those words hadn't made him feel better then but now he finds it oddly comforting. ]

I'm going to Heropa on Tuesday. You can come along if you want.

[ an old imPort house and a neglected flowerbed won’t mean anything to sherlock holmes, but it’s everything to him. they had a life here too. one that ended when mary was ported out and sent to her death. ]

[thevictoriandetective]

[Sherlock is pleased John invited him. Some things were private, but he was always a combination of pleased and surprised when John let him in on such things, like Mary's DVD--the one with the nice sentiment, not the one that told him to do whatever it took to save John. ]

I'll be there.

Invitation

[aberranthubris]

[ One day, this shows up in Sherlock's mailbox. See you there? ]