the_improbable1

the_improbable1 @ 2012-08-04T21:47:00

2012-08-05T04:47:41Z

Sorry about completely disappearing and suchlike. First there was schoolwork, and then there was musical theatre camp (which was a blast, yes yes yes), and I haven't finished any fic in months (which is rather depressing to me), and tumblr has kind of devoured my soul (and it's not even that exciting!), and I've been watching quite a lot of Doctor Who.

So that's a bunch of excuses.

Anyway, my apologies for vanishing; I can't promise not to do it again.

Just curious: Is anyone going to Kumoricon this year?

(Kumoricon is an anime (although a bunch of BBC-type fans go too) convention in Vancouver, WA, USA during Labor Day Weekend. Starts Saturday September 1, ends Monday September 3. It's a very tiny little con.)

If so, there should be meeting-up. That should be a thing that is happening.

Fic: Stars Come Down to Earth

2012-06-05T16:14:24Z

Title: Stars Come Down to Earth
Fandom: Mushi Shi
Characters/Pairing: Ginko, OCs
Genre: casefic (the Mushi Shi equivalent of a casefic, anyway)
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: none
Words: ~1200
Summary/Prompt: "After the sun has set, these small, white lights appear. They form a path through the woods, and they look a bit…well…a bit like stars have decided to come down to earth and visit for a while."
Notes: Based off a picture from writeworld.tumblr.com. The picture shows a darkened forest with a path made out of little lights winding through it. It demanded Mushi Shi. New fandom, yay! I hope I haven't fudged up the honourifics and general mood too much. All you need to know about the series is that mushi are tiny little spirits that make weird stuff happen.

The village of Tsurime was an ordinary small town. Children were born to married couples, went to school, and grew up to go into the same trade as their fathers or mothers. The biggest scandal that had happened in the village of late was that one time Mokoto-san had discovered his daughter and Kagamine-san's son in the hayloft together four years ago.

Lately, however, the people of Tsurime village had been acting strangely. People had been doing things that ordinarily they wouldn't dream of—just the week before, old Jirou-jii-san, the oldest person in the village, had been seen dancing wildly down the street. When Shizuka, one of the village's children, had asked Jirou-jii-san why he had been dancing, Jirou-jii-san had answered, "Why not?"

But dancing through the streets was nothing when compared with some of the other things the village's inhabitants had been getting up to. Climbing on roofs, going out into the snow at night, spending all day watching the sky instead of getting on with work. Finally, when Tobi, Shizuka's younger brother, went swimming in the river and nearly drowned because he "wanted to see what it was like," Shizuka's mother called upon a mushi master to see what could have gone wrong.

Shizuka watched as the mushi master greeted her mother politely. He was taller than an ordinary person, with hair as white as the snow and bright blue-green eyes. He carried a wooden box on his back and introduced himself as Ginko.

"Have you noticed any strange happenings around the village lately?" Ginko-san asked Shizuka's mother. "Other than people acting oddly."

Shizuka's mother shook her head. "No, I haven't noticed anything."

Shizuka had, but it wasn't polite to speak unless spoken to, so she didn't say anything.

"What about you?" Ginko-san asked, turning to look at Shizuka. "Have you noticed anything odd?"

Shizuka nodded silently, biting her lip in nervousness. Ginko-san was a mushi master, a very important person, so she didn't want to offend him.

"Could you describe it to me?" Ginko-san asked. His voice was very soft and gentle, Shizuka noticed—like the wind in the summer.

"I've only seen it at night," Shizuka said hesitantly. "I—sometimes I go walking, in the evenings, through the forest. After the sun has set, these small, white lights appear. They form a path through the woods, and they look a bit…well…a bit like stars have decided to come down to earth and visit for a while. They're very pretty."

Ginko-san nodded, as if this description was something he remembered from a time past. "Those lights in the forest are a kind of mushi. I've come across them before in my travels—the effects they have on humans are very similar to the symptoms you've described. These mushi affect the part of the brain responsible for making decisions, so that's why people have been acting strangely."

"What can you do to fix it?" asked Shizuka's mother, ever-practical.

"I can mix up a medicine to help those already affected, but getting the mushi themselves to go elsewhere will be a bit harder," said Ginko-san. "Possible, yes, but it will take time."

"You'll help us?" asked Shizuka's mother. "Thank you, Ginko-san!"

Ginko-san smiled awkwardly. "It's only my job as a mushi master. And it's no trouble, I assure you."

Some time later, Shizuka watched, barely breathing, as Ginko-san dripped the medicine he'd mixed up onto Tobi's forehead. Tobi scowled in discomfort at the cold liquid, then abruptly went limp, his eyes fluttering shut. If it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Shizuka would have thought he was dead. The medicine began to steam, then evaporated entirely. Ginko-san smiled.

"That means it's working." he explained, sitting back on his heels. "He should wake up back to normal in a few hours. Could you show me the others who have been affected?"

Shizuka's mother nodded. "Yes, Ginko-san—come with me."

That evening, Shizuka went out walking in the forest again, her bare feet quiet on the fallen leaves and needles. Her hands brushed the trees she passed, the bark rough against her fingertips.

When she came to the clearing where she usually saw the little white lights—the mushi—her eyes widened.

Ginko-san was crouching in the middle of the clearing, his hands held out, the tiny white mushi covering him from head to foot. He seemed to be speaking quietly to them, murmuring comfortingly, soothingly. From so far away, Shizuka couldn't make out his words, but his expression was relaxed, and the light of the mushi covering him was slowly pulsing. Eventually, the lights went out one by one, until they were all gone. Ginko-san let out a breath, then sat down, closing his eyes.

"You can come out now," he said, faint amusement audible in his tone.

Shizuka jumped, making the leaves beneath her feet rustle. "I'm sorry, Ginko-san," she said, coming out into the clearing and approaching him cautiously.

"What for?" Ginko-san asked, opening his eyes and beckoning her over. "You usually go walking around this time of night—you said so yourself. If you were curious, that's nothing to be ashamed of."

"You looked so peaceful, with all those mushi around you," said Shizuka, sitting down beside him. "I didn't want to interrupt you."

Ginko-san smiled at her, his bright blue-green eyes almost glowing in the darkness. "It's no trouble at all. Interruptions can be distracting, yes, and can stop or reverse a deal with the mushi, which is why I didn't speak to you until the mushi had gone, but I don't mind company now."

"Is it lonely?" Shizuka asked hesitantly. "Being a mushi master, I mean. You must be always moving around, never staying in one place for long."

"It can get lonely, sometimes," Ginko-san admitted. "But I have friends that I visit, and it's never boring."

Shizuka giggled. "I suppose it wouldn't be, dealing with mushi all the time. They're so pretty—are they all like that?"

"A lot of them are very pretty, yes," said Ginko-san. "Will you miss them, now that they're gone?"

"A little," said Shizuka. "But Tobi nearly drowned because of these mushi, and I'd miss him more than I miss some pretty white lights."

Ginko-san nodded. "Practical."

"Does it ever become…less wonderful? The mushi, I mean. Are they ever less amazing?" asked Shizuka.

"No," said Ginko-san. "Never." He sighed quietly and got to his feet, holding out a hand for her. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you home to your mother. She'll be worrying that the mushi have stolen you away."

Shizuka laughed and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. They walked back to the silent Tsurime village together hand in hand, the stars shining down from their proper place in the night sky.

the_improbable1 @ 2012-05-25T11:09:00

2012-05-25T18:09:14Z

Look what I found!

http://www.dafont.com/ws-simple-gallifreyan.font

It looks something like this:

It looks something like this.

Super cool, yeah? Even though it hasn't got punctuation.

Character Development: Day 30

2012-05-17T05:34:58Z

So this is it. The last day of this meme.

Frankly, I'm startled I managed to get this far. ^^; I'm usually not very good at finishing things, so I'm very proud of myself for finishing this :D.

This one's really, really long, so, uh, TL;DR ahead.

30.) And, finally: Write a letter to your characters, from you.

Dear characters,

I love you all dearly. That needed to be said first, before anything else. I cherish each and every one of you. You may occasionally do stupid things, or be noncompliant with the plot, but you all still all dear to me. That's what unconditional love means, which is what I have for all of you.

Aya, cupcake, you're sexy and smart and know it, and I love you for it. Remember that, and remember to be around people who will appreciate you for your looks and your brains, not just your looks. Brainy is the new sexy, after all. Remember also that people are people just like you, and you shouldn't be cold and unkind to them just because they think you're attractive.

Mikaela, sweetheart, you are an amazing person. Remember that although some people are arses, not everyone is. Nice people exist. There are a lot of them. You might try getting to know a few people, find out that maybe they're not manipulative bastards. Also, you're beautiful, no matter how short your hair is or how flat you bind your chest. Remember that you're pretty, you're desirable, you're lovable.

Adrian, darling, remember that you are who you are and no-one's opinion or prejudices can change that. Boxes are for boring people anyway, and you're the very polar opposite of boring! Don't put up so many walls - they hurt you and the people who care about you. Remember that Felix, among others, loves you for you, not for who you used to be.

Felix, honey, men can have feelings too. You're allowed to cry. It's okay to be less than perfect. It doesn't make you less of a man to care about someone or something - quite the opposite, in fact. You don't have to always put on a brave front and pretend that you don't care. Let yourself feel and express those feelings.

Alex, boo, you're a total gentleman and that's awesome. Remember that girls like nice guys, but it's definitely okay to have bad days when you're less than nice. You don't have to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders - take time off once in a while. Don't be intimidated by Kaylee's cheerfulness or extrovertedness. She likes you. She thinks you're attractive. It's going to stay that way for a long time.

Kaylee, sweetie, a constant projection of happiness is not healthy. Nobody is perfectly happy all the time. Everyone has bad days, and that's okay. You don't have to pretend everything's fine when it's not. You have friends - Miriam, Alex, Felix, even Adrian - who are okay with you being less than completely cheery. That being said, do always look on the bright side - does wonders for the stress levels.

Miriam, love, you're such a nice girl. You're the poster girl for nice. And yet you play characters like Aya and Simon, neither of whom could be described as nice. It's okay to be not-nice sometimes! Don't repress yourself - if you can't bring yourself to tell someone your honest opinion of them to their face, write it down! Describe gory death scenes, describe their complete psychological breakdown if you like. Works wonders for tension. That being said, don't feel like you have to do any of these things. The point is is that it's your choice.

Arthur, chicklet, your father loves you and wants you to be safe. The way he goes about accomplishing this goal might be a little misguided and he might be a bit delusional for thinking that he can protect you forever, but he still loves you. You could also stand to be slightly less snappy and grumpy - grouches are generally very lonely. Besides all that: I know that you love casting magic. But you might want to kerb your use of it in order to prolong your lifespan. Felicia and Chiro would much appreciate it.

Felicia, my darling girl, you are a badass. Never let anyone tell you differently. You're smart. You're strong. You're beautiful. Don't let people insinuate that female fighters are useless other than as someone pretty in impractically-skimpy armour, because these people who are insinuating this are completely wrong. You do a wonderful job of protecting your brother and your comrades against all dangers that come your way. Thank you for adding some muscle to a group otherwise almost entirely filled with squishies.

Lumiere, apple of my eye, for the love of Summer, be less defensive about your class. Don't jump down people's throats at the slightest provocation. The less snappy you are, the fewer negative stereotypes you'll reinforce in the minds of people you meet. You were written originally as an extremely lazy and laid-back character, so do try to copy a bit of that. Try to maintain a cool head, even if the people you're talking to are totally classist idiots. Please.

Caelan, my dearest little strawberry, you're meant to be a male character. Do you think you could be a little less wide-eyed and innocent? It's cute and all, and I'm not saying that cute, wide-eyed innocence is incompatible with masculinity, or even that you have to be masculine, but please grow a backbone. You have the ability to freeze someone into a block of ice with a word. Stand up for yourself a little! Have some courage! You can do it!

Simon, my darling mushroom, I must confess that you were supposed to be evil at first. You were meant to be hated. The readers were supposed to cheer at your death. However, after writing you a bit and seeing you with Caelan, I've completely reverse my original decision. You're wonderfully snarky and flirty and I adore you to pieces.

To anyone reading this: thank you for putting up with the character-related spam, especially when it's not even for a fandom. I hope that you learnt something - even if it was the barest minimum of information - about these twelve people - I know I did! These thirty days were wonderful - an excuse, nay, a requirement to write something every day, even if it was just a couple of sentences. I totally recommend this meme to anyone who wants to flesh out their characters/their headcanon, regardless of skill level or experience. Thank you again for putting up with this, and please feel free to ask me any questions you have about any of the characters! I love chances to further expand the ideas and images I have of these twelve people.

Much love,
- the_improbable1.

Character Development: Day 29

2012-05-16T06:08:19Z

29.) How does your character smell? Do they wear perfume or cologne?

Adrian doesn't wear cologne and uses unscented soap/shampoo. He mostly smells like...person. Clean person, specifically.

Felix does occasionally use cologne if he's making an effort to impress someone/look nice, but for everyday he doesn't. He usually uses unscented soap/shampoo or soap/shampoo with a more "savoury" scent. His favourite is probably rosemary, so he smells like that quite a bit.

Alex rarely wears cologne. He's fond of citrusy scents, so most of his soap/shampoo has that sort of scent, so he mostly smells like that.

Kaylee likes wearing perfume, mostly fruit/berry type scents like raspberry or strawberry. A lot of her soap/shampoo/what-have-you also smells like some sort of fruit - watermelon, peach; she's not picky - so she generally smells like a fruit basket.

Miriam doesn't usually wear perfume, but she likes the scent of coconut, so her soap/shampoo generally smells like that, so she generally smells like that.

Mikaela doesn't wear perfume and uses unscented soap. She mostly smells like clean person.

Aya wears perfume (usually vanilla- or some kind of darker flower-scented) on a semi-regular basis. A lot of her soap/shampoo smells like lilacs, of which she's fond, so she generally smells like a combination of those things.

Character Development: Day 28

2012-05-15T02:11:46Z

28.) If your character's life was a kind of book, what would it be?

Adrian: one of those super cheesy coming-of-age novels where the protagonist learns how to be/accept hirself with the support of friends but not family.

Kaylee: one of those really weird character-centred novels that make no sense at all but are mildly amusing to read.

Alex: one of those rather tedious and depressing historical fiction books.

Felix: one of those daft pointless books with no real plot and a lot of stupid shenanigans.

Miriam: one of those cheesy romance novels in which the shy protagonist is seduced out of hir shell by the gorgeous love interest.

Aya and Mikaela: spy novel/action movie/Bond movie.

Character Development: Day 27

2012-05-14T06:39:54Z

27.) Pick a song that describes your character at a point in their life and explain why you chose it.

Oh god, this one took forever. >-> Apologies if my explanations don't make sense - feel free to ask for clarification (if you care)!

Aya, when she and Mikaela began to be ~involved~: Hikari (Hikaru Utada). The song is about a person who just wants hir lover to stop worrying about the past and focus on the here and now.

Mikaela, some time before the start of her plotline: Oh No (Marina and the Diamonds). Mikaela projects a very confident façade, but she's very alone initially and doesn't have any life outside her work as a spy.

Adrian, after he came out to his family (this one is his family talking to him): Sister (Mumford & Sons). Just go look up the lyrics. His family wasn't terribly accepting, and his sister in particular would prefer that the little boat that is their family not be upset.

Alex, when he met Kaylee: Ordinary Day (Vanessa Carlton). Kaylee is like no other girl, and she kind of blew up Alex's world, then rebuilt it from the ground up.

Kaylee, when she'd just graduated university: Mein Gott! (Prussia). The lyrics are the singer declaring his awesomeness, and Kaylee's very confident and over-the-top and peppy. (She kind of scares me sometimes, but she's fun.)

Miriam, when she was just meeting the rest of her cast of characters: All By Myself (John Barrowman). Miriam was a loner when she was in school, and she didn't mind it then, but now she's tired of always being on the edges, never completely in the circle.

Felix, when he and Adrian are just starting their relationship: Hardest of Hearts (Florence + the Machine). The singer is talking about how se's making a fool of hirself for this other person, but this other person doesn't know how to/can't express the love se holds for the singer. These are Felix's feelings about Adrian.

Felicia, when Lumiere and their parents were fighting over how much independence Lumiere should have: Handlebars (Flobots). The song is saying, "Look at me, look at me," and Felicia was feeling pretty ignored at that point in time; she wanted their parents' attention, and Lumiere had all of it.

Caelan, after Simon died: Without You (RENT). Simon was the most important person in Caelan's life, and when he died, Caelan just sort of…stopped.

Lumiere, when he was just learning how to control the Sight: The Sounds of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel). His perception of reality is getting seriously warped, and he's having trouble telling what's a vision and what's actually happening.

Simon, when Caelan is pining after Lumiere: Love Disease (Luka). The song is about a yandere whose object of affection is interested in someone else, and the yandere will do anything to keep that from being true. (Simon was originally intended to be a villain, fyi. Yeah.)

Arthur, when he's just discovering his magic: Fireflies (Owl City). Just go look up the lyrics. Arthur thinks that magic is the coolest thing since something really cool, and he loves to play with it.

Character Development: Day 26

2012-05-13T07:08:59Z

26.) Second day of favourites! Favourite comfort food, favourite vice, favourite outfit, favourite hot drink, favourite time of year, and favourite holiday.

I hope the formatting's understandable!

Adrian: udon with egg (although this isn't so much comfort food as it is let-all-your-feelings-out food), sleep/alcohol, a dark blue short-sleeved button-down, baggy jeans, and a baseball cap, green tea, winter, labour day.

Felix: tomato soup with grilled cheese, video games of the mindless variety, jeans, t-shirt, neon green sweatshirt, and trainers, hot coffee with nothing in it, spring, Halloween.

Alex: spicy crisps, rpg games to ridiculous extents, his "+20 Shirt of Smiting" and a pair of jeans, coffee with everything in it, winter, new year's.

Kaylee: chocolate ice cream, ice cream in general, a short black skirt and a hot pink tank top with flip-flops, hot cocoa, summer, Christmas.

Miriam: caramel-covered popcorn, writing about horribly gory things happening to people, a big baggy jumper and a big pair of jeans, cappuccinos, autumn, winter solstice.

Aya: saltine crackers, smoking, black turtleneck and black skinny jeans, espresso with a lot of sugar (she gets very, very wired when she drinks that), autumn, Easter.

Mikaela: chocolate-covered hazelnuts, hurting people/herself, white button-down and slacks with tie, tea (raspberry), winter, thinks holidays are a waste of time.

…I did not know I knew this about them. Mostly their vices, but the comfort foods too. Fascinating, what they'll turn to in times of stress.

Also, sunburn can go fuck itself with a cucumber. You would think I would learn to put on sunscreen. You would be wrong.

Character Development: Day 25

2012-05-12T05:43:09Z

25.) Describe your characters' hands. Are they small, long, calloused, smooth, stubby?

Lumiere's hands are fairly large and long-fingered, and he generally takes good care of them.

Caelan's hands are small and delicate, with short, slim fingers.

Felicia's hands are strong, with long fingers and broad palms.

Simon's hands are striped across the palm with rope callouses; his hands are rough with work and very, very nimble (feel free to interpret that in any way you'd like ;)).

Arthur's hands are very small and very delicate, with long, slim fingers.

Watched the episodes "The Empty Child" and "The Doctor Dances" today. So much creepy, and then so much adorable. Also, Captain Jack Harkness.

"Rose! I've just remembered! I can dance!"

Nine/Rose are the most adorable couple ever. I ship it :D.

Character Development: Day 24

2012-05-11T03:32:20Z

24.) What might your character’s ideal romantic partner be like?

A complicated one this time…let's see if I can answer it. :)

Mikaela is shaking her head, waving her hands, and shouting NO at me. Her ideal romantic partner (if she absolutely had to have one; she'd really rather not) would be one that treated her as a friend, not in a romantic way.

Aya's ideal romantic partner would be a bit argumentative and feisty, but willing to acquiesce to things after some persuasion.

Lumiere would like to have a romantic partner who's fairly quiet and who doesn't expect much in the way of physical affection.

Caelan would not like a romantic partner, thank you very much. If he must have one, they would have to accept that they would come second to Caelan's god.

Simon would like a partner who's adventurous and willing to try new things/go new places/meet new people.

Felicia would appreciate someone who neither treats her like she's made of glass nor treats her like she's invincible. She doesn't want someone who's super-sappy; she'd rather have someone with whom she can joke around and tease.

Arthur would like someone who appreciates him as a person, not just for his family or his abilities. He'd like a person who doesn't treat him like he's made of glass.

Alex wants someone fun and entertaining, who makes good jokes and with whom he can laugh, who'd let him be a bit old-fashioned and chivalrous.

Kaylee wants someone who'll treat her nicely, who'll joke with her and kiss her sweetly. (Yes, Kaylee is an incorrigible romantic.)

Miriam wants someone who'll cuddle with her, hold her tightly and let her drip feelings on them. She'd like someone with whom she can be herself, nothing more and nothing less.

Felix wants someone funny, sarcastic, and good-looking. He's not particularly fussy.

Adrian wants someone who'll accept him for who he is, if he absolutely had to have someone. He definitely doesn't want someone who'll treat him like a delicate flower.

Character Development: Day 23

2012-05-10T06:46:13Z

23.) Is your character superstitious?

Lumiere: Hell to the yes.

Felicia: Sort of, sometimes.

Caelan: Not particularly.

Simon: A bit, yeah.

Arthur: Not at all.

Alex: Not really.

Felix: Not at all.

Kaylee: Yes, some.

Miriam: On occasion.

Adrian: Sometimes.

Aya: Only once in a blue moon.

Mikaela: Not in the least.

Character Development: Day 22

2012-05-09T00:48:47Z

22.) If your character could time travel, where would they go?

Mikaela would go back to Revolutionary America.

Aya would go as far into the future as she could.

Character Development: Day 21

2012-05-08T04:02:16Z

21.) What would your character’s cutie mark be?

(So none of these make sense. I don't care.)

Lumiere: An eye.

Caelan: A red triangle.

Felicia: A mallet.

Arthur: A blue spiral.

Simon: An orange.

Alex: A pair of specs.

Felix: A tomato.

Kaylee: A firework.

Adrian: A computer mouse.

Miriam: A snail.

Aya: An acupuncture needle.

Mikaela: A flame.

Character Development: Day 20

2012-05-07T04:19:13Z

20.) Does your character have any irrational fears?

Alex has this massive fear of spiders.

Kaylee's terrified of the dark.

Adrian and Felix are both terrified of rejection.

Felicia fears water. (Bit weird, I know, since she married a water mage, but w/e.)

Simon is terrified of someone peeling back all the masks he wears and finding his real self.

Mikaela is completely sent into "NO" mode by the very idea of a relationship, although given her past I'm not sure that's irrational.

…I think that's it.

Character Development: Day 19

2012-05-06T05:54:43Z

19.) What’s your character’s preferred means of travel?

Kaylee prefers to travel by bike. She also loves aeroplanes, although she hates airports.

Alex likes to travel by bus or underground.

Felix prefers to travel by car.

Adrian doesn't care, but he rather likes trains.

Miriam likes to walk or take the bus/underground.

Also, saw the Father's Day episode of series one of Doctor Who. FEELS ALL OVER THE PLACE. SO MANY FEELS. FEELS OF THE VERY SAD KIND.

Character Development: Day 18

2012-05-05T05:14:16Z

18.) Is your character a good cook? What’s their favourite recipe, whether they’re good or not? (Microwave mac-and-cheese applies.)

Felix is not a good cook. Not at all. His favourite recipe is tinned soup heated up or microwave mac-and cheese.

Alex is a decent cook; he can make pancakes, does occasional baking (biscuits, cakes, that sort of thing), and in general is comfortable in a kitchen, but anything more complicated than "mix ingredients together and apply heat" baffles him. He's usually the one stuck with cooking duties. His favourite recipe is apple pancakes.

Kaylee can cook decently well; she makes elaborate concoctions and tries to surprise Alex with random gifts of sweets that she's baked herself. Her favourite recipe is cheesy potatoes.

Miriam is an excellent cook. Her favourite recipe is over-easy eggs on toast, because it's simple and quick and filling.

Adrian is a fairly good cook. His favourite recipe is cheese on toast, because he's lazy.

Also: EX-TER-MI-NATE.

I want to build a Dalek. A life-sized one that moves and glows and goes EX-TER-MI-NATE.

Fic: I Thought One Day I'd Live Alone (And You'd Be There Beside Me)

2012-05-05T00:53:23Z

Title: I Thought One Day I'd Live Alone (And You'd Be There Beside Me)
Author: the_improbable1
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Characters/Pairing: John, Sherlock
Genre: angst, a bit of fluff, genfic
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: Set post-Return, minor spoilers for Reichenbach. No warnings.
Length: short
Summary/Prompt: Prompt here on the Meme: "After Sherlock's return, John refuses to move back into 221B Baker-street, despite Sherlock's cajoling and apologies. One evening, when Sherlock is sick with a fever, he tells John about the house he once stayed in when he visited Sussex, and how he'd dreamt of living there with John one day when they retired, keeping bees and growing old together."

It had been three years since Sherlock's supposed death. Three years of jumping at every glimpse of a long, black coat, three years of sleepless nights, three years of dodging impertinent questions and flinching at every bright yellow I BELIEVE IN SHERLOCK HOLMES, three years of feeling like a half whose other half had been ripped away, three years of wishing for just one more miracle.

And then that miracle had been granted. Sherlock had returned and, true to form, had dragged John out on a case almost immediately. That had been almost a month ago.

Now, Sherlock was trying to persuade John to return to Baker-street. John was having none of it. He'd finally got his life settled, got a steady job, a decent flat, and besides that, he was still angry with Sherlock for pretending to be dead to three years. Sherlock had had his reasons—John knew that, acknowledged that, even acknowledged that they were good reasons—but that didn't mean John was going to forgive him just like that.

Despite all this, when John got a text from Lestrade saying that he was needed at 221B, John rushed over almost immediately.

"What's the problem, Greg?" John asked upon arriving and seeing the Detective Inspector in the entry hall to the building.

Lestrade ran a hand roughly through his hair. "He's got the mother of all fevers. He's been asking for you. And Mycroft, but I think Mrs. Hudson would kill Mycroft if he showed up here."

Despite his still-simmering anger with Sherlock's deception, John couldn't help but feel his heart squeeze at this description. If Sherlock was asking for Mycroft, it had to be serious. "All right," he sighed. "I'll go see if I can at least get him to go to bed—is he still prancing about like a prat?"

Lestrade huffed in amusement. "He was when I left. Try to get some tea into him, yeah?"

"I'll try, but I dunno how successful I'll be," John sighed before starting up the too-familiar stairs.

By the time John entered the sitting-room, Sherlock was draped over the sofa in his best dramatic-Victorian-heroine pose, a blanket halfway across his lap and his eyes shut. When the door closed, he perked up slightly. "John?" he mumbled.

"Yeah, it's me," said John, unable to stop himself from going over to the sofa and brushing a hand across Sherlock's forehead. "Christ, Sherlock, you're burning up!" he exclaimed.

"Obviously," Sherlock sneered.

John scowled and shuffled over to the kitchen to flick the kettle on (after rinsing it out; he was all too aware of the health hazards inherent in that particular kitchen). Tea would be required for dealing with Sherlock. It wasn't until he heard two clinks of ceramic against the counter that he realised he'd got out two mugs instead of just one. Well, Lestrade had asked him to try to get some tea into Sherlock. He might as well. When the water boiled, he made the tea, bringing one cup to Sherlock and setting it down on the coffee table. He sat down in the chair that, even after three years away, he still thought of as his own with his own cup of tea and carefully did not look at Sherlock.

The silence was nearly tangible as both men drank their tea. Much had changed since the last time the two of them had sat together and drunk tea in this sitting-room, three years ago. The sitting-room itself, with its barely-reined-in chaos, however, was far too familiar.

"So," John began awkwardly after about five minutes. "How've you been?"

Sherlock mumbled something noncommittal, not looking up from his mug.

"Right," said John, and drank his tea.

After that, the silence remained undisturbed for perhaps half an hour, the only noise the clink of ceramic on countertop or table and the patter of the rain that had started up about ten minutes after John's arrival.

"I lived in a house in Sussex for a while," Sherlock confessed abruptly, randomly. "When I was—younger."

John nodded and sipped from his third—or was it fourth?—cup of tea.

"Mycroft insisted," Sherlock continued, grimacing. "He was—trying to persuade me to get clean, and for some inane reason he thought that the countryside would be more conducive to his goal."

John was fairly certain now that Sherlock's fever had broken down at least a few of his brain-to-mouth filters—ordinarily, Sherlock was very tight-lipped on the subject of his past.

"It was a nice house," Sherlock said absently. "Single storey, almost a cottage, ridiculously quaint. Very quiet. There was a garden out the back, with an orchard and beehives."

"Sounds very peaceful," John commented.

"It was dull," Sherlock complained. "Dull and tiresome and boring."

John couldn't help a small smile at the familiarity of the comment. "Go on," he encouraged. "What else about the house?"

Sherlock scowled. "It's just a memory. I was—reminded of it."

"By what?" John asked. "Can't have been nothing."

Sherlock drank his tea and frowned at it like it had committed a simple open-and-shut theft that initially looked interesting. "I just—I dreamt of living there again one day, when I finally retire. Keeping bees and other such trite rubbish."

"If you even make it to retirement age," John joked, then froze as what he'd just said hit him, with all its reminders of the past three years and the empty space that had existed in his life.

Sherlock ignored him. "I visited the house again, while I was—away. I remembered the dream I'd had, all that time ago, and I realised that it was missing something."

"What's that?" John asked.

Sherlock looked straight at him, fever-bright eyes boring through John's own. "You, John. You."

John froze with his cup of tea halfway to his mouth, then set the mug down carefully. "Oh," he said, a little quiet, a little shocked, a little touched.

After Sherlock's fever broke, he denied any knowledge of the incident, but two weeks later John moved back in.

Character Development: Day 17

2012-05-05T00:50:09Z

Anyone tired of me babbling on and on about my characters yet?

17.) What’s your character’s desk/workspace look like? Are they neat or messy?

Adrian is extremely neat. His desk has several neat stacks of paper and sketchbooks on it, with pencils and pens lined up in a little row. (I did not know that Adrian drew. Apparently he does. He prefers pencil, then inking on a tablet. I now have this image of him bent over a tablet, intently focussed on his work.)

Alex is semi-organised. His desk is mostly empty, with a stack of sticky notes and a couple of stray papers. The drawers of his desk are filled with blank lined paper, very messy. His room is a bit messy; a couple batches of clothes strewn about the floor, books piled up randomly, the occasional plate.

Felix is a very messy person. When he works, he spreads his work out around him and switches between things frequently. As a result, there are little semicircles of books and papers scattered about his room.

Kaylee is normally fairly messy. In her room, there are papers, books, and clothes everywhere.

Miriam's room has books and notebooks stacked up all over the floor, but otherwise she's quite neat.

Aya is very neat. Her books are on bookshelves, her clothes are in closets, her papers are filed away in a neat little filing cabinet.

Mikaela's room is very tiny and fairly messy. She's got a desk in one corner with file folders stacked up on it and books stacked up all over the floor. She keeps her clothes hung up; there's just not enough space to do otherwise.

Character Development: Day 16

2012-05-03T05:43:29Z

16.) Are there any blood relatives that your character is particularly close with, besides the immediate ones? Cousins, Uncles, Grandfathers, Aunts, et cetera. Are there any others that your character practically considers a blood relative?

Oh god why. Why such a complicated question when I'm exhausted from a track meet and trying to write another bloody essay. Do not want. Ugh.

Whinging's over.

Arthur's pretty close with his sister. His family's very scattered and very feud-y, so they don't get together much. He was very fond of his grandmother, before she died.

Felicia and Lumiere are close siblings, and they've got an Aunt they're fond of. Felicia has a son, Chiro, of whom she is fond.

Caelan doesn't particularly care about his parents etc. He's got a daughter, Torae, of whom he is extremely fond, and Simon, his husband, of whom he is also extremely fond. Simon is also very fond of Caelan and Torae.

Alex and Felix have an Uncle they get on with well.

Kaylee has an older sister, Naomi, who she's close with. She also has several cousins a bit older who she gets along with.

Miriam isn't very close with her family at all.

Adrian is his family's greatest disappointment. He avoids them at all costs.

Neither Aya nor Mikaela deal with their families very much.

Character Development: Day 15

2012-05-02T06:27:50Z

Ugh, I'm tired. Thank goodness it's a simple one this time.

15.) Is your character an early bird or a night owl?

Caelan: early bird, especially in the winter

Lumiere: night owl

Felicia: night owl

Arthur: early bird—he likes to watch the sun rise and runs out of energy relatively quickly

Simon: early bird—he's a dockworker, he has to be

Kaylee: early bird

Alex: night owl

Felix: night owl

Adrian: night owl

Miriam: early bird—she likes to sit in the quiet before the sunrise and sip her cup of coffee (I think she likes cappuccinos) and wait for the world to wake up

Aya: early bird

Mikaela: night owl

Fic: The Adventures of Little Blue Scarf

2012-05-01T19:29:41Z

Title: The Adventures of Little Blue Scarf
Author: the_improbable1
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Characters/Pairing: Sherlock, John, Lestrade, Moran, Moriarty
Genre: fairy tale
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: none
Words: <2000
Summary/Prompt: Prompt here on the Meme. It was for the Sherlock characters as the cast of a fairy tale.
Notes: This used to be longer, but it was dragging on and I was getting bored, so I condensed it. It's more fairy-tale style now. This is complete.

"Molly, Molly, Molly!"

Molly glanced over at little Adrian, who was looking up at her with the huge eyes he used when he wanted something. She smiled fondly and picked him up to set him on top of the stack of finished paperwork on the kitchen table. "Yes, Adrian? Isn't it your bedtime?"

The six-year-old scowled at being treated like a baby. "I wanna bedtime story."

"All right, then," Molly agreed. Babysitting Adrian had never been a trial, and she was always happy to do her friend a favour. "What sort of story do you want? Snow White? Cinderella? Sleeping Beauty?"

Adrian shook his head. "Nuh-uh. An adventure story! With dragons an' knights an' kings in! But no princesses or squishy stuff like kisses or nothin'. That's icky."

Molly sighed. Most of the stories she knew were the romantic type. She'd have to come up with something new. The storyline probably wouldn't be a problem—she'd read enough fantasy novels in her teens. As for the characters…

She stifled a giggle as she realised that the people she knew would make excellent faerie-tale characters. Sherlock would undoubtedly be extremely annoyed if he ever heard of it, which only made the prospect more intriguing.

"All right," she said. "Go and get ready for bed, and I'll tell you all about the daring escapades of Little Blue Scarf and his best friend, Sir Golden Doc."

Adrian nodded eagerly, hopped off the table, and ran to do as bid.

Molly hummed quietly to herself, scribbling down ideas for names and storylines as she waited.

Once Adrian was settled in his room with the covers pulled up to his chin and his stuffed penguin clutched close, Molly, perched on the edge of the bed, began her story.

Once upon a time, in a mystical land named Lun-Down, there was an adventurer named Little Blue Scarf. He was a consulting adventurer, which meant that when the adventurers hired by the ruler of the kingdom, King Silverfair, were unable to solve a problem, King Silverfair would ask Little Blue Scarf to help. Little Blue Scarf was very good at solving problems, so he was very smug most of the time, and frequently said unkind things. King Silverfair despaired of getting Little Blue Scarf to cooperate with the adventurers hired by the crown.

Then, one day, Little Blue Scarf met a man named Sir Golden Doc, who had been a soldier for the kingdom of Lun-Down before he got hurt too badly to continue fighting, and was now a doctor. Sir Golden Doc admired Little Blue Scarf's skill at solving problems, and such kind attention mellowed Little Blue Scarf a little, so he was slightly less cruel.

Some time after that, King Silverfair came to Little Blue Scarf with a problem his adventurers were having difficulty with. There was a dragon, called the Sniper Dragon, terrorising the villages of the kingdom of Lun-Down. There was nearly nothing known about the Sniper Dragon, so Little Blue Scarf was forced to ask his brother, Lord Umbrella-Doom, to consult the Texting Oracle for him. Little Blue Scarf and Lord Umbrella-Doom did not get along well, so Little Blue Scarf was very reluctant to consult his brother, but Sir Golden Doc talked him into it.

The Texting Oracle told them that the Sniper Dragon had been sent by the fiendish Lord Westwood and that it could only be defeated by an attack from a sword wielded by a man of brave and valiant heart.

"Why, then, I cannot defeat it," said Little Blue Scarf, "for I have no heart. But Sir Golden Doc, you have the kindest heart of all. Will you help me to defeat the Sniper Dragon and thwart the fiendish Lord Westwood?"

Sir Golden Doc said he would, and the two friends set off together to find the Sniper Dragon and defeat it.

They travelled for many days before they reached the lair of the Sniper Dragon, a cave that smelled strongly of sulfur. Cautiously, they entered.

They had gone no more than three steps into the cave when a great roaring noise began.

"It is the Sniper Dragon!" exclaimed Sir Golden Doc.

"Excellent work, Sir Golden Doc!" said Little Blue Scarf. "You have a firm grasp of the obvious!"

And then the Sniper Dragon appeared, and there was no time to talk. The Sniper Dragon was swift and agile, but still Sir Golden Doc managed to strike it with his sword. He cut its head off and it fell to the floor of the cave, dead.

"Fantastic work, Sir Golden Doc!" said Little Blue Scarf.

"It wasn't anything special," Sir Golden Doc said modestly.

Before they could leave the cave to return home triumphant, there was a click...click...click of shoe heels on stone, and the fiendish Lord Westwood appeared from the back of the cave. He looked like any other man, apart from his eyes, which were dark and empty, like bottomless pits.

"Well, well, well," said Lord Westwood. "It would appear that you've defeated my Sniper Dragon. A very clever workaround you have there, Little Blue Scarf."

Little Blue Scarf scowled. "Begone, fiend," he demanded.

Lord Westwood smirked, then snapped his fingers and disappeared in a puff of chlorine-scented smoke.

"We'll be seeing him again," Sir Golden Doc predicted grimly.

"Naturally," said Little Blue Scarf. "But at least for now, the threat has been neutralised. Let us return home to tell King Silverfair of our success."

And so they did.

Character Development: Day 14

2012-05-01T04:13:21Z

I am slightly startled I've managed to make it this far.

14.) How does your character react to temperature changes such as extreme heat and cold?

Caelan hates the heat (by "heat" I mean anything warmer than about 10°C) and loves the cold.

Lumiere is happiest when it's pleasantly warm (20°C). He doesn't do well with extremes of temperature.

Felicia loves it when it's just a bit cool out (15°C), because she has heavy armour that gets really annoying/heat-stroke-inducing. She really loves the heat, though, when it's not impacting her ability to bash monsters. She doesn't do well with extreme cold.

Arthur absolutely hates the heat and loves it when it's just a bit cool out (18°C). He doesn't do well with extreme cold.

Simon loves it when it's very warm out (25°C). He really dislikes extreme cold.

Kaylee loves whatever weather it is, unless it's about 10°C and raining.

Alex prefers it warm, but doesn't mind the cold.

Felix absolutely hates extremes of temperature.

Adrian is just grumbly at whatever the weather, but he loves it when it's cool and raining when he doesn't have to go outside. He'll curl up by the window in an armchair with a book as big as his head and a flask of hot chocolate of equal size.

Miriam prefers it cool, since she likes to wear as many layers as she possibly can. She gets cranky in the heat.

Aya loves it cold (-10°C to 10°C). She strongly dislikes the heat, and gets irritable when she's sent on missions in warmer climates.

Mikaela loves the heat. She'd like it to be about 30°C and sunny all the time.

Character Development: Day 13

2012-04-30T05:16:22Z

13.) What does your character’s bed look like when he/she wakes up? Are the covers off on one side of the bed, are they all curled around a pillow, sprawled everywhere? In what position might they sleep?

Felicia sleeps very quietly, curled up loosely on her side, on one side of the bed facing the center (which side varies depending on which side the door is on; she always faces the door). She looks much younger, almost delicate, when she sleeps. When she's just woken up, her eyes are a bit unfocussed.

Lumiere sleeps lying on his stomach with his arms crossed under the pillow and the duvet piled up on one side next to him. He snuffles a bit in his sleep and breathes with his mouth open, so he drools a bit. His hair generally sticks up everywhere when he's just woken up and he's very groggy; he'll bump into things sometimes.

Caelan sleeps curled up very tightly, his chin tucked in with his forehead to his knees with his arms wrapped around his legs. He usually doesn't sleep with a duvet, only a sheet, and the sheet usually stays where it is. He doesn't move much when he sleeps. If another person is in the bed with him, he'll turn his back to them and tuck himself against their chest.

Arthur sleeps on his back, his arms folded over his chest. He flails a lot in his sleep, especially if he's dreaming, so the covers generally go absolutely everywhere. Since the covers go everywhere, he frequently wakes up freezing in the middle of the night and has to rearrange things to his satisfaction.

Simon sleeps curled up loosely on his side. He'll shift around a bit, especially if he's dreaming, but if there's another person in the bed with him, he'll drape his arm over them and hold them close. His covers generally slide one way or the other over the course of the night.

Felix sleeps flat on his back, one arm over his chest and the other thrown out to the side. He snores loudly in this position, but if he can be persuaded/shoved into lying on his side, he'll stop snoring. He'll generally gravitate towards sources of heat (like other people) and usually wakes up wrapped around them, arms and legs and everything. He has frequently been described as "like an octopus" when sleeping/sleepy; he'll cling and refuse to let go.

Alex sleeps curled up on his left side, his head tucked down and his hands close to his chin. He used to sleep with a stuffed bear when he was littler (he still has the stuffed bear; its name is Orange, because that's the colour it was when it was made for him; it's no longer orange) and has kept the habit of looking like he's holding onto something in his sleep. The covers generally don't move much; Alex is a quiet sleeper.

Kaylee sleeps sprawled out over whatever surface she falls asleep on, taking up as much space as possible. The covers usually end up at the foot of the bed and her pillow generally ends up clutched to her chest. She sleeps either face-down or face-up and is reluctant to move when just woken.

Adrian sleeps tucked into himself in a similar manner to Caelan, making himself as small as possible. He doesn't move much when he sleeps, although if someone's in the bed with him he'll snuggle up to them and tuck himself into their arms. He's a very light sleeper and can be awoken by the slightest noise or touch.

Miriam sleeps on her stomach, with her arms folded under her head and her legs bent slightly. The covers often end up on the floor, because she has nightmares.

Character Development: Day 12

2012-04-29T03:00:00Z

12.) How is your character with technology? Super savvy, or way behind the times? Letters or email?

…I'm not going to bother with Lumiere/Caelan/Simon/Felicia/Arthur, since they live in a medieval-style world. Whatevs.

Felix and technology don't mix very well. He's very much behind the times; him swearing at some recalcitrant bit of tech is a common sight. Adrian mocks him constantly for this. He doesn't do either letters or email; he prefers phone calls.

Adrian is extremely tech-savvy. His father works for a video game company, so he grew up around lots and lots of tech. He's very attached to his mobile phone and prefers to text rather than talk. However, he finds social networking sites such as Facebook to be a waste of time. I'm pretty sure he has a livejournal. He prefers email or IM to letters.

Alex is indifferent to tech. He has a mobile phone and knows how to use it, but doesn't do anything fancy with it. He likes email for its speed, but for serious matters he writes letters. "The feeling comes across better when you've got an actual physical piece of paper," he says.

Kaylee is fairly good with tech, especially music-related stuff. She tends to remix her favourite songs; sometimes she'll remix a remix if she's bored. She sometimes seems surgically attached to her mp3 player. She prefers email, but loves letters too.

Miriam doesn't mind technology, but she doesn't work with it much. She knows how to work her mobile phone and mp3 player without difficulties, but she doesn't do anything special. The most complicated program she uses on a computer is a word processor. She prefers letters to email.

Mikaela and Aya are both technobamfs. Why send emails when you can hack their computers and put the text directly on the screen? Mikaela hates sending/receiving letters, and Aya doesn't mind them but thinks electronic means of communication are more efficient and eco-friendly. Mikaela prefers to talk on the phone; Aya prefers to text.

Character Development: Day 11

2012-04-28T04:14:28Z

11.) Is there an animal you equate with your character?

Lumiere: A stork.

Felicia: A puppy. Specifically a German shepherd puppy.

Arthur: A hedgehog.

Simon: A garter snake.

Caelan: A raccoon.

Alex: A Labrador retriever.

Felix: A lion.

Adrian: A hermit crab.

Miriam: A rabbit.

Kaylee: A parakeet.

Aya: A black panther.

Mikaela: A badger.

In other notes, I finally watched Doctor Who. Or at least the first two episodes of Series 1, with Nine and Rose.

The Doctor is a brilliant nutter. My face is all :D right now.

And I will never be able to look at shop-window dummies the same way ever again.