#but I can't simply leave it to languish in my drafts

[pix-writes]

I'm not sure if this will make it into a Sherlock Holmes fic I'm writing or not, if I'm honest probably not - BUT I'm incapable of keeping something so funny (to me) by myself! so here is the excerpt that made me giggle at my drafts today:

Holmes’ out-of-context conversation starters had become something I expected, though they still often surprised me, I was no longer bewildered or startled by them, as I had been when we first started our acquaintance. My friend’s mind could drift anywhere and alight on the most minute and intricate of matters, which would escape the notice of the general population. Though, I can hardly put into words my astonishment of what his opening words were when I entered 221B that afternoon. “Bees, Watson!” “Bees?” “Yes, bees. I have become intrigued by their structures, Watson – it is most fascinatingly detailed, and I must gather more data on the subject.” Holmes stood by the window, face turned at an angle, for the benefit of addressing me whilst still being able to watch the passers-by below, pale afternoon light highlighting his profile. As I set down my things and settled into my chair, he stayed there, pensive, I observed, given that his hands were steepled under his chin. “Is this for a case?” I asked, wondering if there were connections I had not yet seen.

[outeremissary]

Balthazar and Tristian - Resting

Releasing this from draft purgatory, where it languished so long it has a note apologizing for a power outage induced delay...

Left to their own devices, both Balthazar and Tristian have terrible habits of staying up absurdly late engrossed in a project or trying to get just one last thing done. For Tristian it's motivated by a guilty sense they aren't doing as much as they need to as often as it's more simply being lost in something or going a little farther than needed trying to be helpful. It's so easy to think that there's just one more thing that can be closed up, or something that can be made a little more ready so no one else has to worry about it. On Balthazar's side it's often driven by the obsessive need to feel like he's in control of whatever he's taken on- he'll keep chipping away at something searching for a breakthrough to satisfy himself. He needs to be sure he's picked a topic clean before moving on. Although he's also just a night person to begin with. Different reasons, but they produce the same effects.

Together they balance each other out (at least a bit)- it's that mutual "it's fine for me to do that, but you have to take care of yourself!" At which point you get the classic back and forth: it's almost done, why are you still up anyway, you should be going to bed, that can wait until tomorrow, I'm almost done with this, on and on. The process of one trying to tear the other away from a project usually requires the compromise of also calling it a day. It's the only way to make sure the other one stays put. Honestly, this probably does wonders for both of them actually getting enough sleep.

And a bonus one because I also kind of think I posted that other one before at some point even though I can't for the life of me find it on my archive blog. Perhaps it's off theme, but I am certain that Tristian is almost always up before Balthazar. It became clear quickly enough that Balthazar tended to fret about waking up alone if Tristian didn't return after getting up. So Tristian started to leave something behind when leaving- some small token, a little thing from the room relocated to the pillow visible and in easy reach. A book from the nightstand. The scarf that had been forgotten on the chair the night before. A trinket from the bookshelf. A somewhat awkward gesture to indicate they haven't just vanished without a thought. As silly as it is, it does reassure Balthazar (though it doesn't deter him from clinging to Tristian in ways that make it a daily challenge to get disentangled getting up).

[prompt]