#Irene adler

[hottopic-wannabe]

Irene just gotta be one of my fav characters. She showed up, absolutely humbled Holmes and then fucked off to the US and was never seen again. Such an icon

[moroniccats]

Reread The Illustrious client, and

KITTY WINTER.

You agree?

(I was thinking SHE’S SUCH A QUEEN, and then I got the Barbie And The Twelve Dancing Princesses birthday queen song stuck in my head.

🎶We sing for you miss Violet,

And sashay for you, Irene.

We pirouette for Kitty, and we bow before the queens!🎶)

[remysrogue]

what if...? galactus transformed rogue (2024) by ann nocenti and stephen byrne

[blueberri-chee]

「 ✦Siren✦ 」 (pt.2)

"You enjoy making me squirm, don’t you?" The thought seared through my mind as I peeled off the wet shirt clinging to my body like a second skin. Her gaze was scorching, drilling into my back even though I refused to meet it. Every move felt deliberate under the weight of her eyes, as if she were savoring the moment, letting it stretch unbearably thin.

“You are staring a lot,” I muttered. The suite's glass bathroom—so chic, so luxurious—suddenly felt like the cruelest design choice, offering no real privacy. Every outline of me was visible, every motion exaggerated by the soft light spilling in from the room. My skin prickled, equal parts exposed and defiant.

“I’m not the type to waste a good show.” Her voice was a low purr, curling through the air with the same sly confidence as her smirk. I didn’t need to turn around to know she was leaning back lazily, a predator with no intention of hiding the satisfaction etched into her features. Her tone teased and provoked, but there was a precision to her words that made my pulse quicken.

“Why do you even have a honeymoon suite?” I asked, turning over my shoulder, clutching the wet shirt to my chest. I walked to the tap to fill the tub, hoping the steam would fog the glass.

“Curious, and it has a jacuzzi,” she said, leaning back on the bed with a grin that screamed she wasn’t telling the whole truth.

“Got curious?” I chuckled, shaking my head. “Should’ve guessed.” I turned to the sink, undoing my hair and removing my makeup. “What other ‘perks’ does it come with?” I tried to keep my voice casual.

“Free wine, chocolate-covered strawberries—usual honeymoon stuff.”

I rolled my eyes, catching her smirk in the reflection as I leaned closer to the mirror. The cool water against my skin contrasted sharply with the heat of her presence, a mix of physical warmth and something intangible—an emotional pull that I couldn’t quite name. It was the kind of heat that seemed to radiate from her every movement, her gaze heavy with intent, setting my nerves alight. I tried to focus on the water, its soothing chill a lifeline, but the magnetic tension in the air made it impossible to ignore her presence entirely. I could hear the bed creak as she shifted, her movements deliberate, amplifying the tension in the room.

“And do you bring people here often to enjoy these perks?” I asked, feigning nonchalance.

“No,” she said, her voice deliberate. “Only when the company is worth it.”

Her words made me pause, my hands stilling mid-motion as a sudden warmth spread across my cheeks. I bit the inside of my lip, willing the heat to subside, but the flutter in my chest betrayed me. My fingers hovered over the sink, desperate to keep moving, to distract myself from the way her words clung to the air like an unspoken challenge. I fought the urge to glance at her, afraid of what her gaze might reveal—and worse, what mine might betray. My chest tightened, a strange mix of irritation and something warmer bubbling to the surface. Her tone felt too precise, as if she could see through the careful façade I had been holding onto all night. Part of me bristled at her audacity, but another part—a quieter, more dangerous part—wanted to hear more.

Clearing my throat, I busied myself with undoing my hair, letting the damp strands fall over my shoulders. “Enjoying the perks?” she teased, her tone playful but laced with something deeper.

I glanced at her reflection. She lounged on the bed, her frame stretched out, eyes fixed on me with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. I hated how much I liked it.

I ignored her, turning back to the tub. The steam curled up in languid, sinuous tendrils, clinging to the glass like whispers of tension, blurring the world beyond into soft, unrecognizable shapes. It mirrored the dynamic between us—veiled, charged, and impossible to fully grasp—offering me a fragile, fleeting sense of privacy while also amplifying the unspoken electricity that hummed just outside its reach. It felt like a fragile barrier between us, a fleeting sense of privacy. I folded my stockings neatly, trying to focus on the simple task instead of the way my heart raced.

“You know,” she said, her voice cutting through the quiet, “you don’t have to work so hard to avoid me. I’m not going to bite.”

“Unless I ask nicely, right?” I shot back, surprising myself with my boldness. Her soft, rich laugh filled the room, and I bit my cheek to keep from smiling.

The tub was nearly full, so I stepped into the fancy looking bathtub. The warmth of the water melted the night’s tension, the jets gently massaging my back as soft ripples caressed my skin. The subtle scent of lavender from the bath oils mingled with the steam, creating an intoxicating cocoon that dulled the chaos of the evening. The sound of the water cascading from the ornate faucet echoed softly against the marble walls, a symphony of luxury that felt almost surreal. The gold accents on the tub’s edges glinted in the dim light, reminding me of just how out of place I should have felt—but somehow didn’t. Every detail of the bathroom, from the heated tiles underfoot to the faint glow of candles lining the shelves, worked to draw me further into a state of reluctant comfort, even as I knew she was outside, her gaze capable of piercing even this mist-filled sanctuary. The steam cocooned me, shielding me momentarily from the charged air waiting outside.

"I hope you’re enjoying yourself in there," her voice floated into the bathroom, smooth and teasing, breaking through the tranquility of the steam-filled air. My eyes blinked open, the serenity of the bath momentarily shattered.

"What are you doing?! Get out!" I sank deeper into the foamy water, the bubbles rising around me like a shield. Snatching up the nearest loofah, I hurled it in her direction, though it barely grazed the edge of the doorway. "At least knock, you idiot!"

She laughed, the sound rich and unapologetic, and casually placed a folded T-shirt and something else on the dry sink. "No need to get violent, bubbles," she drawled, her grin maddeningly smug. "I’m just being thoughtful and bringing you some clothes... though I won’t mind if you decide you don’t need them."

I glared at her, my cheeks burning, but she only winked at me before tossing the loofah back into the water with practiced nonchalance. "Relax, bubbles," she added with a smirk, backing out of the room and leaving me alone once more—baffled, flustered, and very much aware of the mischievous energy she’d left behind, lingering like the steam in the air. 

Bubbles?!

[morgangalaxy43]

All I want is for various families in Marvel to be happy, I want Erik to be with his kids, I want Logan to a good dad and I want Mystique to be happy with her wife and kids

[aveline-amelia]

The only certainty that is displayed is that Irene says she’s gay, that she mainly works with women, and that she’s in a relationship with Kate. These are the only unquestionable elements about Irene, and I should add also her sense of ‘playing the game’, she enjoys doing what she does.

How are these things something we know with uncertainty? How are they unquestionable?

The majority of Irene's clients mentioned in the episode are men. And the Kate thing is something I only see people use as to why she can't be in love or in a relationship with Sherlock.

All that line hints at is that at some point Irene did BDSM activities with her assistant and is possibly still doing them to that day, not any kind of ongoing relationship of romantic commitment.

I will not address the rest of the argument because those are valid as a reading based on your headcanons about Irene and Sherlock's relationship, as long as we acknowledge it's your reading (and of everyone else who shares it) that I can't objectively prove is wrong.

magialuna

a réagi à votre photo

“propergenius: Please end my suffering….. he also took Mrs. Hudson’s…”

I don’t think that her being gay precludes her loving a man. I think the type of love is different.  I think they had a mental attraction. They fascinated each other. They’re both quite vain & in a sense, they’d met themselves-that had to be intriguing.  I think Irene did lie to John, as it suited her purposes,& played up her fascination as “love.” I think she was attracted to his mind.  (&he respected hers so he saved her.) All very different 2 John & Sherlock’s love. On the Kinsey scale, there’s room for flexibility in sexuality. People like to see the world as black & white-haired and there are places on the scale for Very gay, no attraction to other sex. But there are also people in between bisexual and gay. They’re really gay, but could have a slight attraction to other sex, or really straight but could be attracted to same sex. (I don’t have the numbers memorized. I just remember this from Human Sexuality course in college.)

In theory you’re right, but like I said earlier, all of this is interpretation on the fact she seems to have fallen for Sherlock, and also on the hints she works with men (therefore have sex with men). The clues that lead us into this interpretation can be interpreted in another way, and that’s basically what makes it questionable.

The only certainty that is displayed is that Irene says she’s gay, that she mainly works with women, and that she’s in a relationship with Kate. These are the only unquestionable elements about Irene, and I should add also her sense of ‘playing the game’, she enjoys doing what she does.

Apart from it, yes, without talking about the Kinsey scale (which I don’t like tbh, because it precisely lacks nuances and quantifies something that shouldn’t be, but that’s not the problem here), there is a difference between sexual and romantic attraction just as the attraction for a gender can be very thin (still means the person is bi or pan, tho), like, using myself as an example, if I may: I’m bi but mostly attracted to women.

So, we can actually see that in Irene, I agree, but I repeat and stand on the fact that’s interpretation, while the fact she’s gay isn’t.

And that’s an interpretation we make because she apparently falls for Sherlock, but who says it’s the case? She plays with him, she enjoys it, and the fact she is thrilled by the challenge of playing with someone as clever as he is is thrilling. That’s not sexual nor romantic attraction, that’s just her being excited by the challenge. The fact people see it as sexual or romantic is again only a matter of interpretation.

And it’s quite normal, that’s the point, we are meant to see it this way. Because the writers have taken in purpose to display a story viewers won’t expect. Beyond that their point is to play with heteronormative expectations. The wide audience of the show isn’t people who are already informed about the subtleties of lgbt+ matters, they do it for the ones who expect a woman to fall for the lead male hero. So the intent is for us to grasp on the fact she seems to be attracted to Sherlock, but without interpreting what she does, she isn’t.

The only certain thing we see is that she is impressed by Sherlock cleverness, she admires him, and she knows very well Sherlock pretends sentiment is foreign to him - and take for a challenge to defeat him, to make him fall for her. The fact she does all that in a romantic/sexual perspective is the audience’s interpretation, not more.

Because that’s the game she plays, she tries to seduce Sherlock in order to make him fall at her feet.

None of that says she’s in love or attracted to him, Sherlock only deduces it because she’s good at playing her part, and because Sherlock was expecting it (just like viewers were), he was expecting her to fall for him, but the clues that leads him to that are subject to misinterpretation. Her pulse and her dilated pupils: she was excited by the game, and scared of loosing. She enjoyed the game way too much, and boasted by being too confident in herself.

We only see it as sexual or romantic attraction because that’s what we are expecting to see.

And the fact she is thrilled by Sherlock cleverness isn’t a sexual/romantic attraction, it’s a preference. I don’t know if this is what you meant but she’s not attracted to Sherlock because she likes him being clever, she just likes the fact Sherlock is probably the only one who’s capable of challenging her. Defeating him is thrilling in this regard, she is thrilled by the fact she can outsmart him.

Just like the cabbie was in ASiP, though no one will ever tell he was attracted to Sherlock.

So, yes, you’re right, Irene is fascinated by his intellect, but I won’t equate this to love or sentimental attraction.

Nothing actually says she is attracted to Sherlock apart from Sherlock and John who believe she is, but that’s how we interpret it, because that’s what we are supposed to do.

Yes, in theory - and in real life - things are full of nuances, but the show is simpler, it widely works on the audiences assumptions and expectations. Things in a show don’t work exactly as they do in real life, that’s the case here.

As for Sherlock now, we are also supposed to see him fall for Irene, but here again, that’s interpretation. You said it, Sherlock respects her, because she saved him, and because she opened his eyes on himself. That’s Irene who tells him he wears a disguise, that he hides his true self behind a persona. In fact Irene does it because she wants to aim at his feelings, that’s with it she wants to play. To do that she has to take off the layers of lie that cover the fact that Sherlock can fall for someone. But from Sherlock’s point of view, she cut off some ropes that maintained him in the pretending. She helped him, even if her intentions may not have been so altruistic. She also revealed John’s feelings, he is beholden to her for that. So he helps her in return, as to say thank you. What I’d like to note here - a little bit off topic -, something I already told (don’t remember the when the where the link): Sherlock seems to close up like a shell and howls in her face that sentiment is abhorrent to him, that she made a mistake by thinking he was capable of sentiments. But there’s something we often forget in that scene: Mycroft is there, he’s listening, and Sherlock doesn’t want him to see his weaknesses. He says love is a chemical defect, it doesn’t mean he actually means it, he says it because that’s what Mycroft wants to hear. He earlier doubted him on that (”The promise of love, etc” “Sorry I didn’t know”), so Sherlock is shutting his brother’s mouth. The next episode he takes a step forward and admits to John he values him as a friend, as his “conductor of light”, to put it shortly: he opens up, only as far as he can. All of this frightens him, but he owes Irene the fact he can’t hide his feelings and should be honest with himself.

Irene had a strong impact upon Sherlock, that’s not doubtful, and so he owes her. He saves her because she likes her for that, for all she taught him, for the way she shifted his beliefs. And again, we only see it as romantic because that’s what we expect.

TL;DR: we can see it as romantic. That’s the point. We can, because that’s what the audience expects. But in fact, the truth is that Irene is gay and plays with Sherlock; and that Sherlock truly respects her, because in the end, she won.

[sandwormb]

When they make Sherlock Holmes and Irene Norton née Adler have sexual tension I get so angry that steam comes out of my ears. First of all that woman has a lovely husband whom she risked her well-being and outsmarted royalty for. Second of all, she’s like Lana Del Rey to Sherlock Holmes. He keeps a photo of her in the way stan twitter has screenshots of their fav artists. This is not a heterosexual dynamic.

[thebiballerina]

Hello, Sherlock Holmes adaptation writer. I have trapped you in this room. It is fully furnished and comfortable. On the table, you will notice a copy of A Scandal in Bohemia by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, of which redistribution is perfectly legal, as the work is in the public domain. You will notice it is rather thin. You have 24 hours to read the approximately 8,550 words in this story. To exit this room, all you must do is summarize the plot of the story without referring to Irene Adler as a seductress or implying she is attracted to Sherlock Holmes. Good luck.

[contact-guy]

A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA part 3 (part 1) (part 2)! the 'goodnight Mr Holmes' illustration is a direct reference to the Paget one, and Holmes is playing Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique Symphony) if you wanna listen along. And it really is canon that Watson sleeps over at Baker St here for uhhh no discernible reason

This is in the Watson's Sketchbook series!

[ffverr]

A family doesn't need to be a husband a wife and two kids, sometimes it's a lesbian terrorist couple, a flying brick from Mississippi, a Catholic German and a Cajun thief. And I think that's beautiful

[rknchan]

the woman!

[miss-carter]

Rachel McAdams as Irene Adler SHERLOCK HOLMES 2009 | dir. Guy Ritchie

[imagodetectiveversion]

happy pride to lesbian bullies (step on me)

[illyanarasputinfan]

X-Men Blue: Origins #1 (2023) MARVEL

I know some comic book readers are upset to learn Mystique and Destiny are Nightcrawler’s biological parents, but personally, I think that it is fantastic. When I learned of Chris Claremont’s idea to make the couple Kurt’s parent years ago, I thought it was strange, cool, and would NEVER be allowed at Marvel Comics. So as a queer kid disappointed that this revelation was scrapped in favor of making Azazel Kurt’s father, I found this retcon especially delightful. Is it convoluted? Yes. Is it awesome? Also yes. Sorry, not sorry, Internet trolls. This type of inclusivity and acceptance are exactly what I’ve loved about X-Men for decades. Kudos to Si Spurrier for making it canon. 👏

[flixleoz]

doodles

[morgangalaxy43]

This is one of best retcons ever and seeing bigoted comics bros cry over this was so funny because it’s originally what Chris Claremont himself wanted to happen in the comics