#AND THE SAME GOES FOR WATSON

[bumblingest-bee]

earlier this year when i got tickets to the les mis tour, i was looking at the cast list and kept thinking the dude playing javert looked really familiar. then i realized i had seen him as robert grove in the play that goes wrong like six years ago, and let me tell you, it is very hard to take someone seriously as javert when you've seen him doing this

[cornley-amateur-drama-society]

Queer Cornley Headcanons

(in alphabetical order, and will feature my own family relations hcs for some of the cast)

By Heresy <3

Under the cut just to not clog up y'all's dashboard <333

Annie

Gender: fluid

Pronouns: any, but mostly she/her, though they/them is also appreciated

Sexual Orientation: bisexual, but leans towards women

Romantic Orientation: biromantic, but leans towards men

Additional Notes: She had a slightly difficult time coming to terms with the difference in who she's romantically attracted to vs. who she's sexually attracted to, and how that interacts with her own gender (or sometimes lack thereof). It got easier after her older sister Alice came out as trans, because then she had someone to talk to.

Chris

Gender: trans

Pronouns: he/him

Sexual Orientation: sex-repulsed ace

Romantic Orientation: demiromantic with no preference, technically, though he tries to ignore the fact he's attracted to men

Additional Notes: I play around a lot with Chris and his gender a lot, though it's focused on his growing up as a girl and figuring out who he really is. (@marshmellowtea has v v v good Chris realizing she's a girl with the help of Sandra hcs, though, if you've not seen them yet!) I also have mixed hcs on how he feels about his gender and sexual and romantic orientation, and how much he accepts it. For me, it's a situation-based hc and however I'm feeling that day, I shan't lie.

Dennis

Gender: queer

Pronouns: he/him

Sexual Orientation: queer

Romantic Orientation: queer

Additional Notes: I think that of all the cast, Dennis had the easiest time realizing he wasn't cishet, and that it is reflected in how he acts around others, even when he can't act on-stage to save his life. Overall, I don't think that it really affects him all that much on a personal level? Like, he never angsted over finding out he liked wearing skirts and eyeshadow or finding out that he's attracted to more than just women. And he doesn't want to deal with all of the labels and having to explain anything to anyone, because he feels he doesn't have to, so he's just. Queer <3

Jonathan

Gender: cis

Pronouns: he/him

Sexual Orientation: grey-ace, though he's generally ambivalent towards sex

Romantic Orientation: heteroromantic

Additional Notes: SO, my hc with his relationship with sex is that he used to think something was wrong with him, which I've discussed in the past, so he would go through the motions but wonder the whole time why he wasn't really seeming to enjoy it as much as his partner. After the whole Peter Pan Incident, he's decided to focus on his acting; the Drama Society; his family and friends; and especially his daughter Bennie. (Who I hc played the little girl in A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong!)

Lucy

Gender: questioning

Pronouns: she/her, but is starting to consider ze/zyr/zyrs, though she's not told anyone other than Max and Annie yet.

Sexual Orientation: grey-ace, though generally ambivalent

Romantic Orientation: aromantic

Additional Notes: I think that Lucy is closest to Max and Annie out of the whole cast, aside from her Uncle Robert, but she hasn't told him yet about the gender questioning because she isn't sure how he'll take it. Annie and Max have assured her that he would be supportive, but Lucy thinks there's a difference between using your A&E doctor's pronouns and finding out your niece uses them, as well.

Max

Gender: nonbinary

Pronouns: he/him or ze/hir

Sexual Orientation: bisexual, no preference

Romantic Orientation: biromantic, no preference

Additional Notes: I hc that the Bennetts are a large, but close-knit family, so I think that Max grew up with like a dozen or so family members who he saw on a regular basis that were queer. So him realizing he's not cishet was a little nerve-wracking because his older brother and older sister are both cishet. But overall, coming out was a very easy and joyous thing for him and his family.

Robert

Gender: cisgender

Pronouns: he/him

Sexual Orientation: demisexual, with a leaning towards women

Romantic Orientation: demiromantic, with a leaning towards men

Additional Notes: I think that Robert is someone who finds people attractive, yes, but doesn't really care unless the person really grabs his intellectual interest. He doesn't care much for long-term relationships with someone that is boring to him, but at the same time, he's not super into the idea of his partner being more interesting than him. He walks a thin line, and it gives Sandra a headache whenever he explains his thought process on if he is or is not attracted to somebody.

Sandra

Gender: nonbinary

Pronouns: she/her

Sexual Orientation: demisexual, with a leaning towards men

Romantic Orientation: biromantic, with a leaning towards men

Additional Notes: Sandra, I think, doesn't feel as if she has a gender, but is also very comfortable being effeminate and being seen as a woman. She just… Isn't one. It's not really something she thinks about all that often, but sometimes she'll ask Chris privately to have a role where she plays a man or someone more androgynous. She also doesn't go around slagging off with whoever, so after Peter Pan and the recordings fiasco, she was rather cold to Chris and Robert for what they said about her.

Trevor

Gender: cis?

Pronouns: he/him

Sexual Orientation: demisexual, no preference

Romantic Orientation: biromantic, with a leaning towards men

Additional Notes: I think that, like Dennis, his sexual and romantic orientations don't bother him that much. However, this is more due to his ignoring that he's not het more than it is him accepting it. He isn't as repressive as Chris or Jono, but he's also not just spouting about it the way that Annie does. (Spouting is an exaggeration used for humorous purposes in this instance.) He has only come out to a handful of people, and each time he had, he felt sick to his stomach and regretted it the entire time until he was done speaking. So far, the reactions from this handful of people have been mixed, with some good and some bad. He has not even started to think about his gender, but since Nessa came out to the Cast, it's started to eat at him more.

Vanessa

Gender: nonbinary

Pronouns: she/hers and It/Its (It is always in caps to help differentiate from Itself and what It is talking about.)

Sexual Orientation: demisexual, no preference

Romantic Orientation: biromantic, no preference

Additional Notes: She Does Not Think about it. For the longest time while she was growing up, the idea of liking girls in more than just a platonic sense wasn't even on the radar. And the idea that someone could just... Not be the gender they were born as? Fucking mindblowing to It. When It finally came out to the rest of the Cast, It was greeted with such an outpouring of love (Sandra, Max, Annie, Dennis, and Jono) and more muted, but still positive responses (Trevor, Chris, and Robert). When It is using It/Its pronouns, Ness is the preferred way to call It. When she's using she/her, Vanessa and Nessa are fine, though she has no issues with Ness, either.

[hechiima]

Every Holmes I've seen so far falls into either the "has killed for their Watson" or "would kill for their Watson" camp glad to know that this is such a consistent character trait.

[ineffabletwaddle13]

Lestrade’s cousin Inspector MacDougal lets Holmes and Watson see the rope involved in the case they are investigating, because Lestrade asked him to. “He tells me you’ve been a wee thing useful to him down there in London from time to time”. Holmes and Watson struggle not to laugh. After a few minutes with Holmes, Inspector MacDougal remarks “Mister holmes, I’m beginning to have a great deal of sympathy for my cousin Lestrade, to say nothing of the entire London police force!”

[iridescentoracle]

#sherlock: watson takes so many tangents instead of just talking about the case :/ #sherlock when writing a case: first of all let us start with a long tangent on how great watson is (via gilgamushroom)

Ok catching up with letters from watson and blanched soldier makes so many of watson's narratives SO hilarious in retrospect líke

Watson's POV: So yeah! I'm always loyal to Holmes even though he doesn't care about me that much :/ but it's alright cause he has a High Intellect and therefore no room for human emotions. Honestly half of the time I'm not even able to keep up with him it's a wonder he sticks with me but I suppose it's part of his habits as a Genius. One time I was briefly sure he had feelings and it made my entire year

Holmes's POV, right off the bat: So I'm recording this case and today I learnt that writing is so hard? Watson is SO good at keeping the public interested. He's so good at so many things. He's smart and incredible and delightful and the ideal helpmate and he's too humble to ever talk about this!! >:( He's my old friend btw. And Biographer. One time he got married AND LEFT ME ALL ALONE IN THE RAIN O SO CRUELY AND SELFISHLY but i forgive him because that's literally the only bad thing he has ever done in his entire life <3 I miss him so much when he's not here :(( Have I mentioned he's my friend? Where was I going with this. Oh yeah. Case.

[niteshade925]

April 20, Beijing, China, National Museum of China/中国国家博物馆 (Part 1 - Dehua white porcelain exhibition/德化白瓷展):

Aaand finally, the National Museum of China/中国国家博物馆! I was lucky enough to see the famed Dehua white porcelain exhibition/德化白瓷展 here. Some of you may recognize some of these pieces already, since pictures and shorts of them have been circulating online way before I went on this trip, but there are many many other pieces too. The pieces I post here are only a small portion of the entire exhibition, so if you ever get a chance to see the exhibition elsewhere in person, don't hesitate. This stuff is amazing.

First up is one of the two that has been gaining popularity online, the piece named 神话 or "Legend".

The first time I saw a porcelain piece like this, I thought that the clothing part was made with paper? But no, the light fabric of the clothing, the hair, it's all porcelain. Keep in mind when looking through these pictures: every part of every piece is porcelain.

This piece is the other one that was becoming popular, the piece named simply 纸, or "Paper". If you don't look up close and see the glossy surface, you can't tell it's actually porcelain. I cannot for the life of me imagine the kind of magic that was used to turn clay into this

Anyway, this is a good point to introduce Dehua porcelain a little bit. Dehua porcelain is a regional specialty of Dehua/德化, which is located in Fujian province, and is known for its expressiveness and white color. For this reason it's also known in the West as "Blanc de Chine" (French: "white of China"), and this should be the reason why this exhibition is named 中国白, which basically means the same thing. The history of Dehua porcelain goes back to Song dynasty (960 - 1279), and it is still being produced today. Many of the pieces I'm posting here are modern pieces.

But Dehua white porcelain can be colored too (I imagine the color must be painted on later, because the white comes from the clay itself), and when it is colored, it looks like it came right out of a painting

This piece is especially amazing to me. Look at the texture, look at those details. Zoom in and you will find that there are actually a bunch of porcelain ants on this porcelain tree stump. Porcelain ants. I never expected to use porcelain as an adjective when describing ants. Wtf. It's like a manifestation of a scene from an older animated movie.

Peanuts are called 花生 in Chinese, which literally means "flower grow", and because it also has a long shelf life, it symbolizes longevity and a happy marriage. Also a fun fact: because Watson of Sherlock Holmes is usually phoenetically translated as 华生 (huá shēng) in Chinese and sounds similar to 花生 (huā shēng), you will find that many in the Chinese SH fandom refers to Watson as "peanut".

This piece is titled 春色满园, or "garden filled with spring scenery". This is also a common 4-character word used to describe gardens in spring. I'm guessing the figure depicted here is one of the flower gods. It is one of my personal favorites because of its superb depiction of movement, it's as if the flower god will really fly away on clouds at any moment

More depictions of traditional Chinese deities, specifically Chang'e/嫦娥, the moon goddess. That moon rabbit is too cute.

Depictions of what I'm assuming is the Four Heavenly Kings/四大天王, based on the items they are holding. The Four Heavenly Kings are Buddhist deities.

Look at her clothing! That porcelain is so thin it's almost see-through! Also is it depicting Li Qingzhao/李清照, the famous female poet from Song dynasty? She does have a famous ci poem that's about paddling a boat in a lake full of lotuses while drunk

The piece titled 锦绣前程, or "future as vibrant and prosperous as silk brocade". This is also a common 4-character word used in well wishing. The figure in this piece is holding a xiuqiu/绣球, a ball made of silk, which was usually seen as a token of love

Somewhat more modern-themed pieces:

Among the hundreds of amazing pieces, this one caught my attention for its unique texture. When everyone else was trying to turn the clay into these thin sheets representing fabric or paper or flower petals, this artist took the noodle approach. Not many visitors seemed to like it, but I think it's pretty cool

Piece titled 运势如虹, or "fortune like the rainbow", also a 4-character word used in well wishing. Traditionally horses symbolize vitality and success, hence why many people use the words 马到成功 ("horse's arrival brings success") and 龙马精神 ("vitality of dragons and horses") in well wishes during Year of the Horse

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Dehua white porcelain exhibition!

[unfinishedslurs]

de-aged bruce wayne and the worlds most thrilling game of clue

Mini-Bruce stares at Tim, and hands him a doll. 

“We are playing Detective Barbie,” he announces. “You can be Ken.”

Affection rises in his chest. He’s just so tiny. Some of the panic eases too. Barbies. He can play Barbies. “Is Ken the Watson to your Sherlock?” 

“Ken is dead.”

Never mind. He barely resists the urge to groan. What is he supposed to do if he’s dead? He’s so bored. He can’t leave the room, he’s supposed to watch Bruce. And if he tries to take Bruce with him to a different room, he has no doubt the kid will slip him somehow. 

He knows exactly what he’s doing, too. Trying to make it clear that Tim isn’t welcome. Welp, sorry, Mini-Bruce, but if your adult self couldn’t get rid of me, this eight year old version of you has absolutely zero chance. 

Tim’s like a termite. He has gotten in the foundations of the house, and there is no getting him out. Still, he doesn’t want to just be playing Dead Ken. 

“Counter offer,” he suggests, and Bruce stares at him flatly. God, it’s weird how much like Damian he looks. Not that adult Bruce doesn’t share a resemblance, but it’s even more obvious when the baby fat hasn’t faded to a sharp, square jawline and five o’clock shadow. They’re not identical, different shapes to the nose, different eyes, but the scowl he’s leveling at Tim sends him right back to when Damian first moved in. “I play the murderer.”

Ha! It was barely there, but he caught it. A small flicker of interest in Bruce’s eyes. 

“That sounds dumb,” he scoffs, but it’s too late. Tim has smelled blood in the water, and he’ll press his advantage until Bruce has no other choice but to let him win. He’s not too good to use the same tactics he uses for Ra’s and the board of Wayne Enterprises on an eight year old. “How would that even work?”

“I’m so glad you asked.”

He has Bruce blindfolded with a pair of bat-grade noise canceling headphones on in the center of the room, and goes to work picking out props and setting clues around the dollhouse. 

He lays Ken in the middle of the mock police tape (the decorative stuff that seemed to spawn in every artsy girl’s pencil pouch in school but never actually stuck to anything) and spends a few minutes contemplating which Barbie he wants to use as the murderer. 

No offense to Ken, but there was only one in the bucket. Plus Tim really wanted to be Barbie. 

“Are you done yet?” Bruce complains loudly. Tim flicks him in the back of the head, since he wouldn’t be able to hear his response anyways. “Hey!”

Tim pulls one of the headphones off his ear. “Patience, padawan. I’m wrapping it up.”

Bruce huffs, but settles again. 

It’s all worth it when Tim has him finally take the stuff off, and Bruce’s eyes widen with excitement as soon as the blindfold falls away. 

It’s almost like a Cluedo setup in the dream house, with several possible murder weapons strewn about, different suspects in different rooms, and Ken laying face down the middle of the kitchen. 

“There’s been a murder,” Tim announces gravely as Bruce whips his head around to him. “Your goal is to figure out which Barbie is responsible for the death of Kensworth Footsworth, a wealthy heir of a washing machine company. There are seven possible suspects, each with their own motives-“ he pulls out the informational cards he made with a grin “-and alibis. One of these cards also has a description of the victims injuries. Your goal is to figure out the perpetrator, the murder weapon, and the motive. You get three hints. I will be acting as the different suspects, trying to throw you off the scent.”

Could they have just played Clue? Probably, but the 3D aspect of things is kind of exciting. Tim is actually really looking forward to this. 

Bruce just stares at him. “Kensworth Footsworth is a stupid name.”

“Maybe that’s why the perp killed him.” Tim’s smile slowly fades as Bruce just keeps staring at him, expressionless. “We don’t, uh, have to play if you don’t want to. Obviously. I just thought it might be fun like this…”

Bruce finally looks away, something flickering over his face. “It’s fine. We can play. But you’d better not go easy on me!”

Tim smiles again, a little more strained. “Great!”

An hour later, Tim thinks this may be the most fun he’s ever had. Bruce is actually smiling. A real, bonafide, ear-to-ear grin that hasn’t shown up the whole time he’s been de-aged. It’s somehow the same and completely different from older Bruce’s smile, the one Tim always feels so proud of whenever he’s the one to make it appear. It still invokes the same feeling from an eight year old, apparently. 

Bruce slams a character card down, beaming. “I’ve got it! It was Balloon Beauty Barbie, in the kitchen, with the stiletto!”

“And why did she do it?”

“Because Kensworth Footsworth stole her rightful place as heir, and she’s still next in line for the fortune when he dies!”

“Yes!” He jumps to his feet, raising his hand for a high-five. “Dude, you got it! That’s awesome!”

Bruce bounces on the balls of his feet, eyes lit up with a child-like eagerness that is still so weird to see on his dad. Tim would do pretty much anything to keep it there, probably. 

“We’ve gotta celebrate,” he decides. “Do you like ice cream? I think we have ice cream in the freezer.” They always have ice cream in the freezer. 

He’s being dragged out of the room before he even finishes his sentence. 

“Alfie!” Bruce shouts as soon as they enter the kitchen. “I won detectives!”

The butler turns around, and his eyes widen slightly at Bruce’s beaming face before the boy collides with his leg. They both stumble from the force of it. Bruce seems caught off guard by this, but Alfred steadies them quickly enough that Tim doesn’t have to keep them from falling over. 

“Is that so?” He asks, hand coming down to brush his fingers through Bruce’s hair. The questioning glance he sends Tim is full of affection and something he doesn’t know how to name. Gratitude, maybe, but he doesn’t know why. 

“Tim showed me this game you can play with the Barbies, where you start out blindfolded and the other person makes cards and there’s a dead body and a bunch of weapons—“

“Oh?” The next look he shoots Tim is a little less fond. He smiles sheepishly. 

“I basically made Clue into a 3D Barbie game,” he explains. 

“It was Ballon Beauty Barbie, in the kitchen, with a stiletto,” Bruce recites dutifully. “Alfie, we need to play! It’s kind of like your spy games!”

“Spy games?”

“Master Bruce has always enjoyed mysteries, as I’m sure you’ve figured out by now.”

“I hadn't seen young Master Bruce smile like that since…” Alfred trails off, then shakes himself briskly and turns a fond smile onto Tim. “You boys have always been very good at showing him the light in the darkness.”

“You know me, Alfred,” Tim says. “It’s what I’m here for.”

[lowliest-manifestations]

Holmes brothers make me absolutely insane.

Mycroft is extremely stable, he goes through the same routine at the same time every day. He has carefully built a life well suited to himself: he has his job, his community, and his hobbies all in the same quiet and contained place. While I would argue that his is by no means anti-social, (he likes people! He really really does!) he obviously has some difficulty adjusting to the outside world at large. But he’s smart as hell so he’s figured out a way to have everything he needs.

Sherlock has had to do the same thing but as someone who just can’t do stability. He needs adventure, purpose, intrigue. He has built a career for himself, found a home and a partner, and is really, really fucking good at what he does. But he can’t keep any of it. Watson gets married, Sherlock fakes his own death, and he leaves behind everything. He returns of course, his life shattering and reforming into similar shapes over and over, but for those three years he’s back to the most basic constants of his life. He has his mind, his competence, and Mycroft.

It’s heartbreaking that Sherlock does not confide in Watson during those three years, but on the other hand, if it could only be one person, who else could it be? Who else understands him without explanation? Without judgement? Mycroft has known him his whole fucking life, in all likelihood he could see Sherlock’s hiatus coming from a mile away.

Mycroft is the most consistent thing In Sherlock’s extremely inconsistent life, and vice versa. When Sherlock needs stability he looks to Mycroft, and when Mycroft needs energy/adventure he looks to Sherlock. They just get each other.

[marshmellowtea]

trevor is my favorite in the way i scream "TREVOOOOOOR" every time he comes on screen

dennis is my favorite in the way that he brings me unbridled joy when i see him onscreen. chris is my favorite in that i want to put that man in a blender and see what happens to him psychologically

[carneliancorax]

One of my favourite exchanges thus far in the Granada Sherlock Holmes show are in The Man With the Twisted Lip.

The context is that Holmes was supposed to go out with Watson that evening, but he's "disappeared without a trace" hunting down clues. Instead, Watson receives a visit from a friend whose husband has been gone for a concerning amount of time. Watson goes out to find him, and when Mrs. Hudson asks what she should tell Holmes if he comes home, Watson replies, "Tell him that I have disappeared without a trace."

Later, Watson finds Holmes in disguise in the same opium den as his friend's husband, and is quietly disapproving, though Holmes assures him it's only for the case. Holmes explains that a very respectable gentleman, a good husband, affectionate father, etc. has gone missing, and thus follows my other favourite exchange --

Watson: A veritable paragon.

Holmes: Watson, there is a hint of skepticism in your voice, which does you no credit.

Watson: I expect Mrs. St. Clair came to you saying that her husband has disappeared.

Holmes: Exactly!

Watson: Well, that seems to be a continuous thread in life's fabric.

Holmes: Watson, what is this? I shall ignore your air of resignation to the world's frailties and continue.

Watson: Oh, please do.

[cynassa]

we were twenty for such a short time

Nightwing found him. It unnerved him, because he hadn't expected to. Red Hood was sitting on a crumbling ledge, helmet off, cigarette stuck in the corner of his mouth. He didn't look like he was out of his mind, or going to go for a gun or knife.

"Why'd you do it?" Nightwing asked, carefully maneuvering himself out of the way of the heavy-looking desk that could be flung at him.

Red Hood grunted. "Don't suppose you've got antiseptic in there somewhere?"

Nightwing shrugged, letting it ripple all over him, where, it should be eminently clear, there was no place for a first-aid kit.

"Figures," Red Hood muttered.

Nightwing set his hip against the wall, not close enough to get in range of Hood's vicious front kick, but close enough to throw an electrified escrima stick at him if necessary. Black Bat was ten minutes away, as was Robin with the Batmobile. Ideally they would get this sorted before Batman was finished and could become involved. He just had to stall for ten - no, nine minutes now. With an on-edge Hood who had killed - no, executed - executed three people.

Hood nodded at the table.

Nightwing raised an eyebrow.

"Why I did it," Hood said. "Since you asked. I'd offer tea and scones with 'em but whoopsy, seems like I'm all out."

A quick flick of his eyes showed three neat nondescript folders. He'd have to put his back to Hood to read them.

Eight minutes.

"Not much of a reader, me," Nightwing drawled. "Why don't you give me the Sparknotes version?"

Hood snorted. He finally lit the cigarette. "Cappello's wife begged me to," he said.

Nightwing tensed.

"Had a porn ring, she said. He's a cop though, so she couldn't get away. Then her girl got old enough to contribute and she just wanted him dead," he said, sounding... exhausted. "Watson was a pimp too. The women told me that he was okay for a bit and then he got greedy and things got worse. Tried putting the fear of Hood into him at first but he'd heard that I was with the Bats, so he just beat them to shut them up after I left. Had some Family connections too, FBI fuckers wouldn't touch him."

He stopped, took a puff at his cigarette.

Seven minutes

Dick was abruptly tired. The Rogues were one thing. But this. These horrors of America's crime capital were unending. A man could die trying to hold them up.

"And Stewart? He was in jail," Dick said.

Jason smoked his cigarette slowly. It was a Marlboro Red Long. Still the same cigarette.

Six minutes

"Stewart, Danny M.," Jason said. "He'd been in juvie, you know? Got off after three months on 'count of good behavior. Kept the connections though. Plenty of connections in his jail too, enough to keep his little racket in the juvies running. And who cares if some street rat with a record goes missing from time to time. Mayor probably called it housekeeping when he took the money from him."

"And so it's got to be you who actually cleans house instead?" Dick asked, wishing he could throw his sticks at Jason, wishing he could put them down and- and?

"Who else do they got?" Jason asked, squinting at Dick. "I tried doing it the other way for a bit, y'know," he said, almost sympathetically.

"Right," Dick said. "For all of five minutes."

Five minutes

Jason shrugged. "Bit more'n that. But yeah, people would come to me and beg me to help them, rescue them, and I'd get these fuckers sent to places that would -- like, pedos don't last long in jail, y'get me? Or sometimes I'd just bribe the jail catering to give them something. But then people stopped being afraid of me, and it all got worse. Twice the effort for less than half the results. I didn't have any control over the trades here anymore, arms trafficking had gone up, they'd started human trafficking again."

Jason had just been killing people anyway. Of course he had.

"You thought that was the other way? Bribing other people to kill..." Dick wanted to bash his face in. "You thought that was right?"

"I'm not the one who does the right thing," Jason said. "That's on you, Big Bird. I'm just the one filling in the gaps the light doesn't reach."

"That's an easy fucking excuse," Dick bit out.

Four minutes

"All these people suffering, and I was sitting with my thumbs up my ass because I wanted a family, while they were losing theirs, how was that right?" Jason continued, like he hadn't heard Dick. "I'd been brought back to do one job, and I couldn't do it, because I was desperate to--" there was a tear at the end of one eye.

"That's not-" Dick gasped, "this isn't what you were brought back for! That's not true."

Jason shook his head. "You don't know that. You don't know how I was brought back."

"Neither do you!" Dick snarled at this nonsense, now wishing he really had just bashed his head in.

"Nah, but I know what it was for," Jason said, oddly peaceable. "I know what I gotta do, and then I can die."

"You can still stop," Dick pleaded, afraid suddenly, of something he couldn't name.

Three minutes

"Nah," Jason said, sad but placid. "There ain't no way but this for me anymore. Sorry, Big Bird. I'll miss you though. I'll miss most of you, I think."

"And now I've got to bring you in," Dick said, voice cracking. "Did you think of that? That now I've got to-"

"Can't let you do that, 'm afraid, still got a job to do," Jason said, half-smile on his face, turning to him finally, pushing off the ledge and moving forward, dropping the cigarette on the table.

Two minutes

Dick squeezed his sticks but didn't raise them. Jason moved swiftly, grabbing his face roughly and leaning down - because he was taller now, because he wasn't the little wing yearning to reach five foot, because he had died - to roughly kiss Dick's forehead. "Take care of yourself, Robin," he whispered and then shoved Dick back.

Dick had tensed in preparation but was still shoved back by Jason's sheer strength. By the time he leapt forward, Jason had thrown himself out of the window. The red Bat wasn't on his armor anymore.

Dick glanced out of the window just long enough to see Jason tumbling into a red moving truck. Then he sensed something and abruptly looked up to see the cigarette had lit up the files unnaturally well, as if they already had a flammable coating. This seemed to trigger some other mechanism, and the building slowly started going down - making a groaning noise as if in warning.

One minute

Dick unhooked his grapple and dived out, landing lightly on the Batmobile as the building slowly but surely came crashing down, so thoroughly destroyed that there was no way anything could be rebuilt again.

I give you back 1948.   

I give you all the years from then

to the coming one. Give me back the moon   

with its frail light falling across a face.

Give me back my young brother, hard

and furious, with wide shoulders and a curse   

for God and burning eyes that look upon   

all creation and say, You can have it.

[foreverdolly]

ೃ࿔FOREVERDOLLY'S AUSTIN BUTLER MASTERLIST

"𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚. 𝙨𝙤𝙛𝙩 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩. . . "

✶ TATTOOED HEART ONESHOT (BIKER!AUSTIN X READER)

austin is the club president of a local outlaw biker gang- a one percenter. he lies, he kills and he doesn't apologize for it. he was one weakness- you. when he gets a distressed late night call from you he's quick to come to your rescue. the only problem? your own father was in the same motorcycle club that austin now runs, and after his death you cut all contact. when you two see each other again emotions run high and things get. . . a little out of control.

total word count: 12.1k

✶ BABY BUTLER MASTERLIST (DAD! AUSTIN X MOM!READER) COMPLETED

you get pregnant while in australia, your husband still in the process of filming for the elvis biopic. this series follows you and austin as you both navigate being first-time parents whilst in the public eye.

total word count: 8.7k

✶ BABY LOVE ONESHOT (DOM!AUSTIN X SELF CONSCIOUS!READER)

you've gained some “relationship” weight since you and austin first started dating, and you find yourself growing more and more self conscious as time goes on. austin takes his time letting you know just how beautiful he finds you.

total word count: 3.6k

✶ OOPSIE DAISY ONESHOT (AUSTIN X INJURED!READER)

austin tries to protect you from journalists and paparazzi. he get's big time mad when one of them get's a little too close to you.

total word count: 2.4k

✶ ARE YOU MINE ONESHOT (EX'S BEST FRIEND!AUSTIN X READER)

after a bad breakup with your cheating ex, the last thing you’re expecting is for his best friend to side with you. at his insistence, you decide to let him accompany you to the arctic monkey concert in las vegas. what happens in las vegas doesn’t always stay in las vegas.

total word count: 13.1k

✶ FAKE DATING MASTERLIST (BOSS!AUSTIN X EMPLOYEE!READER)

you absolutely can't stand your boss. after one bad run in with him, you decide that he's office enemy number one. so when your mother breaks the news that your ex boyfriend is bringing his new fiancé to your sister's wedding as his plus one, you lie and tell her you'll be bringing your very own boyfriend along with you to greece. the problem? you don't actually have a boyfriend. so when austin butler, your arch nemesis of a boss, offers to be your fake boyfriend, you have to take him up on it. greece is a beautiful place to fall in love, no?

total word count: 21.5k

✶ TEAR YOU APART (BIKER!AUSTIN X READER)

"I want it to hurt" and "quit being such a brat"

total word count: 1.8k

✶ I JUST RIDE MASTERLIST (80's MECHANIC! AUSTIN X BEST FRIEND! READER)

it's starting to look like he might never make it out of the friend zone. austin has been in love with you for as long as he can remember, and he's terrified that you'll never see him as anything more than a best friend and protector. with the fear of you one day outgrowing him fresh on his mind, he's now hell bent on getting you to view him in a different light. madly in love and terrified to lose you, austin butler is playing for keeps.

total word count: 8.5k

✶ SHOTGUN WEDDING ONESHOT (AUSTIN!TEX WATSON X KIDNAPPED!READER)

the year is 1969 and you find yourself lucky enough to live up in the hollywood hills, spending your days dancing away to your favorite rock n’ roll vinyls in an old farmhouse and looking after your wild roommates. the only problem? you’ve caught the eye of tex watson. how does he spend his days? making moves towards finally getting everything that he could ever want. you.

total word count: 16.5k

✶ DASHBOARD JESUS ONESHOT (AUSTIN!TEX WATSON X READER)

"I can't. . .please. . . I can't take it anymore." and "good boy."

total word count: 2.5k

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"𝙖𝙨 𝙞 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙧 ' 𝙞 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣' 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 '. . . "

[joanquill]

Sherlock with Moriarty's Younger Sister II

What it's like being the younger sister of the Moriartys and meeting Sherlock Holmes. Continuation of "Sherlock with Moriarty's Younger Sister".

A/N: Sorry this took so long :') Tag/s: Fem!Reader, Familial Relationship, and maybe romance? maybe

During your afternoon stroll with Moneypenny, Sherlock was quick to catch you with Watson by his side.

Moneypenny, however, was quick to shut the whole operation, excusing you both by saying you are needed back home.

Sherlock attempted to walk you home, but Watson quickly pulled him back, apologizing for Sherlock's assertive behavior and bid you goodbye.

While walking back home, you couldn't help but laugh while Moneypenny was sighing, advising you not to meet with the great detective so often.

Being alone with a man was dangerous enough, especially with your position as a noblewoman with high society's eyes on you.

You reassured her, saying it will not hinder William's plans and you can take care of yourself and your image.

Unfortunately, it seems this reached the ears of your brothers before you even stepped inside the manor.

You sighed as you braced yourself for your brothers' lectures.

Even police interrogations don't feel as heavy or last as long as this.

Once you confirmed that Sherlock talked to you, Louis made you bathe, saying it was to decontaminate you.

If air fresheners were invented, Louis definitely sprayed your whole body with it, removing every trace of Sherlock on you.

They made sure that you didn't have any cuts or injuries, even though you were just taking a walk with Moneypenny.

You just said he tried talking to you since you were a Moriarty but assured them that you didn't do or say anything suspicious.

Luckily, Moneypenny helped you and took your side.

After that, your brothers let it go but still told you to avoid the man.

Unfortunately, your brothers took it upon themselves to be your bodyguard.

Whether you're walking in the gardens, reading in the library, or even just drinking tea in your room, at least one of your brothers is by your side.

Even the letters or gifts you receive get checked by them, mostly by Louis.

Marriage proposals get burned, shredded, ripped, or straight to the trash. Most of them never even got into your hands, let alone to your knowledge.

Whenever you make a public appearance, Albert is always there and dances with you, leaving no room for other men to ask you to the dance floor.

Some of the noble ladies even coo at how protective Albert was of you, saying how sweet of an older brother he was.

You can only give them an empty smile and stop your tongue from lashing out.

You even tried to deliver lunch to William to get on his good side and hopefully light up the security around you, but it just got the opposite effect.

Now, even his students send you letters and flowers in the mail.

You can only apologize in your head as you watch William prepare their examinations with dark fire surrounding him.

Louis is the one who stays by your side the most, assigning you to the same chores he has.

Whenever he needs to buy something from the market, either Sebastian or Fred goes with you two.

Whenever you feel it's too much, you usually spend time with Fred in the gardens, go for a drink with Sebastian, or have tea with Bonde, Moneypenny, and Master Jack.

They have tried to help you, defending your case, but your brothers are relentless.

Seeing as there is little to no hope of changing their minds, you put on your disguise and decide to run away.

You DID leave a note, though.

But you can only smile when you see Sherlock's shocked expression when you end up on the doorstep of 221B Baker Street.

As much as you hate people using power and money for selfish gains, you can only do so much with your brothers watching your every movement.

You paid Miss Hudson in full for renting a room for three days, which she happily accepted and welcomed you with open arms.

When you got inside, you didn't expect to be staying in the room right next to Sherlock and Dr. Watson's, but it's better than staying in the manor for now.

You jumped onto the bed and sighed, physically and emotionally tired from the day.

Before you could even unpack, you heard someone knocking on the window.

There, you saw a frantic Fred outside, trying to get your attention.

You opened the window and listened to him, but you were determined to stay there until your brothers let you have your freedom--despite how childish it is to run away at your age.

Seeing you were resolved to stay, Fred left to let your brothers know you were safe.

Seeing as you were their new neighbor, Dr. Watson tried to greet you as politely as possible while Sherlock glared at you from behind, earning a smack on the head from Miss Hudson.

You greeted them back with a courteous smile, reassuring them that you would only be staying for a short time.

You did your best not to bump into the two men, keeping to yourself in your room and only leaving to cook, eat, and go to the market.

Sherlock has tried to visit and talk to you, seeing as this is a rare chance to meet the elusive sister of the Moriartys.

But Miss Hudson made sure no one would bother her new tenant while Dr. Watson made sure his book's titular character would not cause a scandal.

Seeing as how your presence was causing trouble (because of Sherlock), you decided to invite them for tea.

As usual, you kept your answers short and precise, not giving Sherlock the answers he wanted while also asking questions yourself.

"For a noble lady, you sure have little to no suitors, huh?"

"Why? Would you like to be one?"

"I have no interest in women,"

"I believe Miss Irene Adler stayed at your place?"

"...And where did you hear that?"

"Gossip seems to travel faster than papers,"

Before you could finish your cup, Miss Hudon walked inside with Paterson behind her.

Your brothers apparently filed a missing person report.

Dr. Watson swore he saw the air around you grow heavy and dark for a split second.

Seeing as they have now gotten the police involved, you said your farewells and went home with Paterson.

Knowing your brothers, they would have sent the MI6 next...

[austinslounge]

✨️We Stan a Versatile Man...✨️ 😏

Can I just say?  

I am so proud to be a fan of this man. ☺️  I'd love to have more discussions here on my blog about Austin and his acting. 

One thing that I love about Austin is just how versatile he is with his roles.  When you look above at the comparison photos of some of his recent roles, and you think back to how his character is in each of those projects, to me, it's almost amazing to realize that we're watching the same actor!  

The way Austin is able to literally transform into so many different characters, and even have varying looks in his roles, it really does impress upon you just how talented this man is, and how we've only just begun to see him tap into the potential that he has as an actor in this industry. 

Not only are his performances versatile, but his looks in every film are so diverse and different as well!  The way he changes his voice, his appearance, his body language, and even his energy for every single role that he does is just mind-boggling to me.  Benny is in no way, shape, or form like Elvis.  Elvis is not anything like Tex Watson.  Tex is not a single thing like Major Gale Cleven.  Gale is nothing like Feyd Rautha.  The list goes on and on! 😄  I mean, when you really sit down and think about it, Austin is really something else. I love it. I feel like more and more people will come to appreciate this incredible acting skill of his that he has, the more film roles he does over the years. He really has the potential to become one of the greats that people mention through a one-name basis if he keeps playing his cards right.

 The "Eddington" teaser trailer (which released today) is only further confirmation that Austin is going to (yet again!) transform onscreen for us right before our very eyes, and I, for one, am super excited to see it, and can't wait to experience the character that he embodies next!  😁

I'd love to have more discussions about Austin and his acting/talent/work in the future here on my blog, so if you want to join and chime in to the discussion, by all means, feel free to send in an ask! 😉

I love talking about Austin and his talent/future roles.  

❤️

[amberarmedheart]

In Defense of John Watson and the Importance of the Besotted Narrator

Every couple of years, the world as a collective likes to ruminate and come up with a new adaptation of the stories of Sherlock Holmes, every single new one promising to be either "The Ultimate Adaptation" or "Holmes for the New Era", there is no in-between. And it is understandable, this amazement and awe we hold for the beloved mysteries, they are classics for a reason.

And despite that, time and again I see creators of tv shows, pastiches, and movies, neglect the most important aspect in every single Sherlock Holmes' story: the immovable presence of John Watson. Some even going as far as turning Watson into a villain, a caricature of himself, or even erasing him completely from the narrative. "After all, the important one is Holmes, isn't he? He is the genius, and Watson is there just his biographer."

That is the capital omission to me when it comes to any of the adaptations, because it ignores the vital part that Watson plays in Holmes' life. Watson is the companion, he is the bridge between the "normal" world and the genius that is Holmes' deductive brain. He is, for a lack of a better descriptor, the translator between what jumps in judgement and reasoning Holmes' brilliant mind comes up with, and the layman's language.

There is a reason why we as readers come up with the idea that Holmes is smart beyond his quirks and his drug addiction, beyond his ignorance of anything and everything that in his opinion doesn't help him solve the cases that distract him from the boredom of normal life... and that reason is that John Watson is the person narrating the whole thing. We are not introduced to Holmes through an omnipresent, anonymous narrator which is the case with other books. We are thrown in the middle of a mystery from the start the same way that Watson is unexpectedly thrown in 221b.

What we think of Holmes, what we feel for him, it is all because Watson wishes us to experience. The stories themselves carry with them one of the best storytelling devices graciously blended into the narrative, which is the fact that Watson is an incredibly good writer, so much that the public gazes into the spotlight where Holmes is and in most cases ignores that the one shining it down is Watson himself.

Creators who like to ignore Watson and his function in the narrative tend to see Holmes as their own self-insert: a super smart man whose genius cannot compare with the mediocre world population and who can barely tolerate their stupidity, basically a gift to men from god and who has to be worshipped for it... When the reality is that every single thing we perceive from Holmes is because of how Watson sees him.

Watson is our unreliable narrator, his descriptions and impressions of Holmes are the ones that are weaved into the story; even goes as far as giving us a glimpse of Holmes' opinion about it through the way the consultant detective sometimes accuses Watson of adding too many embellishments to his narrations. If we see Holmes as an incredible genius, as someone whose intelligence is above the rest of the world, it is because Watson says so. With every passing story, we come across different characters that every once in a while whose first impression of Holmes has been influenced by what they themselves read in Watson's stories... All in all, the in-universe characters falling under the same influence we, as readers, are.

John Watson's love for Holmes is one of the main plot points in the story, we see its evolution the same way as one normally goes through different stages of falling in love. We see Watson's first infatuation, his interest in what makes Holmes what he is, first in a superficial way and later on with every new story. We see them have misunderstandings, which most of the time end up in a deeper appreciation of Holmes as a person.

All culminating in the incredible rendition of The Final Problem, which could easily be seen, without little effort, as Holmes' planning his own death. By what means we are never completely sure, to be honest, since we can only see it through Watson's deep grief. It is true that Arthur Conan Doyle's plans were to end Holmes' adventures with the short story, but even with the author's motivations being the main recourse behind its inception, there is no doubt when reading the story that the focus of the narrative is Holmes' spending his last moments with Watson.

The subsequent creation of The Empty House and further adventures after that, diluted partially the importance of the whole ordeal, but gave us a different insight of Holmes and Watson's relationship. Through that lens, we as readers witness the evolution of it, the toll that Holmes' fake death had in both his biographer and his own author, adding depth through the strain put by the facade.

E. W. Hornung made one of my favorite homages to Holmes and Watson through his stories of The Gentleman Thief, and put a greater emphasis on the strained relationship between the two characters after the fake death. He gave his besotted narrator another source of turmoil: the fact that while Raffles (our stand-in Holmes) was away living life and even having a romantic interest, Bunny (his Watson) ends up falling in disgrace after being sent to jail.

A.J. Raffles' stories lean on the importance of the unreliable, uselessly enamored narrator, to the point that Hornung didn't shy away from having Bunny refer to Raffles as handsome and attractive in many different instances. He understood how there is no Holmes without a Watson to appreciate him, how their dynamic is the fuel behind the success of the whole series.

And ultimately, that it is impossible to have a good story without a good storyteller.

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

Today I indeed woke up and chose violence, because almost the first thing I had to think of was:

Watson during the hiatus probably being barely able to stand violin music ... And imagine someone somewhere, maybe in the street or maybe at a restaurant, plays a piece that used to be one of Watson's favourites. Their technique is impeccable, but they do it WRONG ... because the beginning is supposed to be played more quietly and the ritardando broader, and there is that one key change at which Holmes used to lift his left eyebrow while playing, but now it's treated all matter-of-factly ... And the middle part used to be just a little bit faster, and the change back to minor in the end used to sound sweet and intimate to Watson, but now it only sounds hopeless and cold.

And though the world goes on, and there is still music, and lights reflecting in the Thames, and the same blend of tobacco Watson always favoured, it all is forever changed by the absence of his friend, and nobody but Watson notices.