#into actually liking Kembleford

[leupagus]

Update: we've watched season 10

[sidneycarter]

heyyyy do u have any hcs for sullivan & sid /cartivan??? <3

oh anon..... i have MANY i will try and filter them down for u now

EVERYONE in kembleford knows about cartivan being a thing before cartivan know its a thing... its an Open Village Secret that the police inspector and Father Brown's semi-feral adopted son have massive silly crushes on each other

As a result, every time they have one of their little flirting sessions arguments/squaring up to each other moments everyone is just rolling their eyes silently in the background

When they inevitably get together its actually Sullivan that makes the first move - for unspecified reasons everyone got very drunk at the Red Lion and Sullivan just dumped all of his feelings straight out onto sid

the next day sid goes to the police cottage to "check that sullivan has survived the hangover" haha yeah of course that's why and sullivan is MORTIFIED but can't deny any of what he said and sid is like.... oh

to start with sid is doing most of the leading because he's *ahem* far more experienced in the art of romance and other things

but sullivan's confidence really grows in the time they're together and it turns out that behind that icy facade is a very sweet and soft man

sullivan is very big on the old school romance, slow dancing, hand holding etc so when he comes round to the idea that he can have a boyfriend that loves him he goes ALL OUT

sid plays it cool but deep down is still a little bit stunned that he's managed to pull sullivan. like sully is handsome, hes accomplished, he's actually kind of funny when you get to know him and sometimes sid feels a little bit behind in his country boy ways

sullivan however loves sid's semi feral tendencies (sometimes) and goes BRIGHT RED whenever sid teases him with wiggling eyebrows an makes comments about being sullivan's bit of rough

[jxmieswxnter]

okay but for s11 we should definitely get Mrs Devine's son popping up for an episode

he's come home to visit his mum - maybe with a girlfriend/fiance/wife idk - and it's all nice and he's happy to see her. they're close, and became more so after her husband/his father died. and then he sees his mum with Sullivan - they aren't together together, just talking - and of course he can see right away they like each other

the son then becomes this protective figure of his mum, and "you better treat her right" and "don't mess her around" and "it's been hard for her after my dad died." and Sullivan becomes this awkward - more awkward - man, trying to straddle the line of 'the fact that he does actually like her and wants to spend more time with her' as well as 'he must now also be likeable to her son in the way boyfriends/prospective boyfriends are to a woman's father'

and I just think that's hilarious because all this going on with the usual Kembleford murder too

[slusheeduck]

Dubious Associates

Sid’s always had a feeling there was a little more than just antagonistic, insufferable lawfulness when it comes to how Inspector Sullivan feels about him, and he’s proven right exactly twice: once under extreme duress, and once right as they say goodbye.

Chapter 1: Evidence

Chapter 2: Conclusions

At the end of the day, Sid was a simple sort. Yeah, yeah, it was a bit of fun when he got to go to the hoity-toity shindigs—mostly because the sorts in Lady F’s circles never knew what to make of him, though the food and booze was a close second—but a nice day, some good fishing, and a lazy smoke next to a fire were really what made life worth living in his eyes. So, as he did just that, he figured life was pretty good.

He’d just tipped his hat over his eyes for a quick rest in the sunshine—rare for a spring day in Kembleford; he needed to move somewhere warm one day—when he caught the sound of footsteps approaching his caravan. He hoped against hope that maybe the Father had decided to forgo Bucephalus, but…no. No, he knew those steps.

He groaned as they came to a stop beside him, and he was already glowering as he tipped his hat back up. “What is it?” he asked brusquely. “Fishing without a license? Illegal campfire? Loitering?” He scoffed as he sat up to look up at Inspector Sullivan properly. “Or is it just a slow day for crime?”

Sullivan took the jabs without a fight, eyes flicking over the caravan and fire while notably not looking at Sid. Unusual for him—suppose he was still a bit on edge after that Illuminati business. Sid frowned, leaning forward and resting his arms on his knees as Sullivan took a breath.

“I…have some news for you. I’ve just been to the presbytery.”

All at once, Sid’s heart dropped down to his stomach. He pushed himself up to his feet. “Oh, my god. Did something happen with Father Brown?”

Sullivan quickly shook his head. “No, no. Nosy as ever, all’s well there.” He shifted back and forth, legs shifting restlessly. “I just…thought I should speak to you in person.” His eyes flicked up to finally look at him. “Off-duty.”

Sid had gone weak with relief that it wasn’t one of those visits, but that just left more questions. He set his hands on his hips, looking over Sullivan. “Well?”

The inspector stayed quiet for a moment, then took off his hat. His chin lifted, and he finally met Sid’s eyes dead-on. “I’ve taken a position in London—not one I can speak about, I’m afraid.” He paused, then added, “I’m leaving Kembleford.”

Sid’s brows drew together, and he glanced away before looking back to Sullivan. “You came all this way to tell me that? I would’ve figured it out when I could go a week without you breathing down my neck.”

Sullivan shrugged, a wry smile crossing his face. “Well, I figured you’d be happiest to hear it. And, believe it or not, I do actually enjoy delivering good news in person.”

Sid stared at him. Was that a joke? Could Sullivan joke? He knew—probably better than anyone, given what happened in the evidence room—that there was a great deal simmering below the surface of Kembleford’s most self-righteous inspector, but…

Oh.

The tense hold in his shoulders, the way he was struggling to meet Sid’s eyes, the restless shift in his legs…he was practically crackling with that same energy he’d had in the alley. A slow, slightly smug smile crossed Sid’s face, and he tilted his hat back.

“That really why you came here?” he asked.

Sullivan’s jaw clenched, hands white-knuckled as he gripped his hat. Sid stayed quiet, eyes fixed on the inspector’s but smile not lessening in the least. Sullivan’s mouth twitched, his head lifted as if he was about to start blustering or threatening, but all that came out was a hissed-out “God damn it” as he tossed his hat to the side. And, in two quick steps, his mouth crashed against Sid’s.

Like before, he was all tense energy and years of repression. His teeth found Sid’s lip, and one hand sought out the warmth of the other man’s neck. But there was no time frame this time round, so Sid had no qualms coaxing him into something a little deeper, a little slower. Yeah, a good frenzy was all well and good, but this was a goodbye, wasn’t it? Might as well give him something to really remember him by.

Sid was the one to pull back first, leaving Sullivan gasping for air. They’d wound up flush against each other, breath mingling as they stared at each other. He took care not to keep too tight a grip on Sullivan, just in case he wanted to pull back. As obvious as it was what he wanted, he wouldn’t be the first bloke to get scared at this point. But, to Sid’s great surprise—and, even more surprisingly, to his delight—he stayed right where he was, heart hammering so hard Sid could feel it in his own chest.

Without a word, Sid glanced at his caravan, head tilting toward it ever-so-slightly in a silent question. It took a moment, but finally, Sullivan gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Well. No sense waiting, then.

Sid pulled him back in for a kiss, deep and hungry and maybe just a little victorious, and expertly guided him up and through the door without breaking it. Then, with just a quick glance to ensure no nosy sorts were around, he shut the door behind them.

~

“So do you actually have a name, or is it just Inspector?”

The question was mumbled out around a fresh cigarette, and Sid looked over at Sullivan as he lit his match. Sullivan was prone beside him, eyes shut, hair mussed and face smushed against the blankets. Quite a different look than the cool, composed inspector, and by far the most relaxed Sid had ever seen him. He liked him better this way.

It took a moment for him to register that he’d been asked a question, and while he didn’t lift his head, he had his characteristic dryness as he asked, “What?”

Sid shrugged as he lit his cigarette. “I mean, I wouldn’t put it past you. Though I want to know if you changed it or if you were born with it.”

Sullivan gave a deep sigh, shaking his head the little he could. Sid chuckled to himself as he took a drag, leaning back against the pillow.

“It’s Edgar.”

Sid looked down at the mumble, eyebrows raising. “No…you’re saying I could’ve been calling you Eddie this whole time?”

“I can still have you arrested, you know.”

“Not without your trousers on, you wouldn’t.”

That finally got Sullivan to raise his head, blearily looking up at Sid as he propped himself up on his elbow. Sid offered the cigarette, and Sullivan took it, taking a long drag before passing it back. He looked about.

“If you’re looking for contraband, I keep that in my other caravan.”

“Ha.” Sullivan finally pushed himself to sit up, combing at his hair before he leaned his head back against the wall. Sid had figured he wouldn’t be one for pillow talk, proud as he was. But he had to admit, he was surprised he hadn’t hopped up and left the moment they were finished with a hasty comment of getting it out of his system. He took another drag, watching as the inspector took a long breath through his nose, eyes shut.

“No train to catch?”

“Not until tomorrow. Should I leave?”

“Nah. Though you might have to hide under the duvet if Mrs. M comes round—she has a knack for popping over when I have company.”

“Does she come over often?”

Sid shakes his head. “Not if she can help it. But she currently owes me a pie for fixing up the pipes at the presbytery. If she does come round, I might even share—if you ask nicely.” He grinned up at Sullivan, whose mouth twitched. He took another drag. “This’ll stay between us, by the way. You don’t need to worry.”

“I appreciate that.”

They sat in silence for several long moments. Finally, Sullivan lifted his head and looked down at Sid. The usual tension had all but evaporated from him, leaving him loose and relaxed. His eyes were half-lidded, though the brightness of them were still present as he looked over Sid’s face. Stiltingly, awkwardly, his hand moved up to comb Sid’s hair out of his face—just a quick brush, though his fingertips lingered for a moment longer than they needed to.

Dalliances with blokes were always a touch bittersweet—what else could they be?—but this felt…different. Like there was a whole world they’d missed out on by being at each other’s throats. Not that either of them would be caught dead admitting it, of course. But maybe in another life, another time…

Ah, well. No point dwelling on that.

Sullivan seemed to come to the same conclusion, finally breaking his gaze with Sid to rub his face. “I still have some loose ends to tie up,” he said, pushing himself up off the bed. “Make sure Goodfellow can manage until my replacement comes in, get the last paperwork in…”

“Yeah, yeah, ‘course you do,” Sid said, playing along with the awkward excuse. He sat up, taking a long drag as he watched Sullivan get dressed. “You should write, you know. Give us updates on the new job,” he added suddenly.

Sullivan glanced over his shoulder as he pulled his trousers on, one eyebrow arching. “I told you, it’s not the kind of job I can exactly talk about. Especially not with the likes of you.”

“I know.” Sid smiled around his cigarette. “But you’re a shit liar. I figure it’ll be good practice with MI5 or wherever it is you’re off to.”

Sullivan puffed out a laugh as he leaned down to grab his shirt. “I’ll do that if you promise to be an upstanding citizen for the next inspector. No trouble for him, not a bit.”

“I swear it,” Sid said, holding up his right hand with his fingers crossed. He looked up at it, feigning surprise. “Oh, hell, that was supposed to be the other hand.” He glanced up, catching Sullivan trying very hard to look stern as he pulled on his coat.

“I mean it,” he said. Sid waved him off as he stubbed out his cigarette, going to pull his own trousers on before pushing himself up to his feet. For a moment, the two of them stood very still, uncertain of what to say. Sullivan swallowed, then lifted his head with his usual poise.

“Well. You’ve been a nuisance, and a public menace, and nearly as much of a pain in the neck as Father Brown. With any luck, I won’t have to see you on the other side of a jail cell.” He made his way to the door, opening it and stepping down to the grass below as Sid leaned in the doorway. “But all the same…” He looked up at Sid, the softness in his face not completely erased just yet. “Goodbye, Carter.”

Sid’s mouth twitched. “See ya, Eddie. Just use the address for the presbytery for my postcard, yeah?”

Sullivan smiled, shaking his head, and lingered for just one moment more before he stepped away. Sid watched as he picked up his hat, and by the time it was on his head, he was all business as usual as he strode away.

And, bizarre as it was to admit to himself, Sid really, genuinely hoped it wasn’t the last he’d see of the inspector.

[edgarsullivans]

where i see the father brown characters in twenty years

felicia - she divorces monty, and becomes the cool mysterious aunt who is the peak of fashion and glamour, occasionally stopping and meeting up with old friends, but she mainly ends up living in paris for the rest of her life.

father brown + flambeau - he waits as long as possible to get retired, but eventually he does. when he retires, flambeau also ‘retires’ from a life of crime and they travel the world together. Of course, neither of them will every really stop, and their lives still mainly consist of Father Brown trying to guide Flambeau away from stealing things or getting him out of sticky situations.

mrs m - she goes back to Ireland to make up with lost time with her siblings, but she writes to her old friends every week. i also see her ending up as a mini ms marple for her tiny village in ireland.

bunty - ive said this before, but ill say it again, she defo ends up as a british spy in London in a 60s spinoff called the “right honourable” where she has a sherlock holmes + dr watson relationship with her assistant or smth

sid - he buys himself a canal boat and lives the rest of his life going from dock to dock exploring local sights wherever he visits, occasionally dropping in on mrs m to check shes okay <3

sullivan - i see him having a midlife crisis and doing so work on what he actually wants to do in life and he ends up leaving the police force and becoming a non- fiction writer of historical books on really obscure eras living in a flat in Baker Street ( bunty + him totally end up being friends after a while )

valentine - he ends up taking early retirement to the countryside and becomes the new father brown of kembleford, meddling with the people he once was + trying to make up for police injustices. him and father brown exchange letters every week or so.

goodfellow - becomes the inspector of the kembleford constabulary, stays being a great guy and tries his best to work with valentine just like valentine did with father brown.

mallory - retired and now lives in durham to spend more time with his family as he felt bad for missing out so many important moments in his l children’s lives.

[montabeau]

ok i feel like this’ll be an unpopular opinion, but here it is: i honestly wish father brown hadn’t been renewed for a tenth series.

this doesn’t mean i’m not excited for s10 — i’m actually really looking forward to the new eps, and will no doubt be as concerningly obsessed with s10 as i already am with s1–9 — but the thing is, s9 ep10 was such a perfect stopping point for the show. it was the big hundredth episode, featuring the vast majority of the recurring characters (plus monty having a physical appearance at last), nicely tying up character arcs, and ending with kembleford finally breaking out of the 1953 time loop that’s been going on since the start. it was, effectively, the end of an era.

not only this, but s10 has had so many changes to the core cast in order for it to exist (especially mrs m being replaced) that it just feels to me like a desperate attempt to cling onto something that should’ve been allowed to go out on a high note at the end of s9. and although i’m sure the new episodes and new / newly-returning characters will be great, continuing the show in this way also means there’s now more and more risk of it ending up in the all-too-familiar descent into bad writing and unnecessary plotlines that shows often end up with if they go on too long with no thought for an ending

[hekate1308]

Fictober 2022, #10

Prompt: “It’s  my name on the line“

Fandom: Father Brown

Rating: G

Pairings: Sid/Sullivan

He had grown so used to hiding who and what he was that a part of him must have started to believe that, as far away from London as he was, no one would ever know. He had not had a slip-up in years, so how could anyone possibly guess? As for looking for companionship… there were some things that were not meant to be, and not too many single ladies in Kembleford who were chasing after him, thankfully. Even lady Felicia had stopped her match-making attempts, which he had put down to her believing him to be a confirmed old bachelor by now.

As it turned out, he had been rather spectacularly wrong about that.

It all began with Carter fixing the roof of the police station. Now, Sullivan personally wouldn’t have picked him for the job, but since it had started raining onto Sergeant’s Goodfellow’s desk, and there was no one else available, and so he’d gotten the job before Sullivan was even asked.

But well – he figured as long as they kept him away from the evidence (this time around, it was just a question of keeping Father Brown away from the cases – luckily, Carter was currently not implicated in anything) there should be no problem with all of this.

But instead, he soon found that, whenever he left his office, Carter would find a way to… not be working on the roof. If he didn’t want a cup of tea, he was talking to Goodfellow, or was bringing in some material he’d later need; and always, always would he insist on speaking to Sullivan as he did so.

That in itself he could have believed to be yet another  way of Carter’s to annoy him, but instead, he couldn’t help but notice that the other man’s eyes would… linger on him, no matter what he did; and once he brushed past him, casually touching his arm.

He told himself, as he had done many times when Carter was involved, that those were not butterflies in  his stomach. Or if they were, he knew how to deal.

But there were other things he couldn’t ignore so easily.

Yes, he had suspected for a while – almost from the beginning – that Carter didn’t much distinguish between the sex of his partners as long as he found them attractive – but that didn’t mean – it couldn’t mean – or rather, he couldn’t allow it to mean –

There was no reason to  expect this behaviour to continue, he told himself. Carter probably just wanetd to have a little bit of fun at his expense, thought it was amusing to rile him up a little bit. He most likely didn’t even suspect a thing. Why should he?

But things continued. After the roof had been fixed, Carter would still find possibilities to throw himself in his way, and – well –

Sullivan had to admit to himself that he wasn’t bad company, when he didn’t feel the need to strangle him, which admittedly still occurred on a regular basis.

So really, they had still bantered and occasionally laughed together, and maybe Carter had managed to get him to the pub once or twice, but that had been it.

Until today, when they had been having a cup of tea in the kitchen after dinner, and Carter had kissed him out of the blue.

Naturally, he’d pushed him away and run out of his own home, and so he’d ended up here, sitting in his office, late at night, his head buried in his hands.

He should perhaps have expected Father Brown to show up.

He didn’t even say anything; he simply sat down.

"Father, don’t” When he still  kept silent, Sullivan added, “It's my name on the line."

It was an understatement, of course. There was so much more on the line than his name – for example, his job, his freedom and, in the end, his life. He had heard stories, he had seen the law enacted. He knew what to expect.

As a matter of fact,. Shouldn’t Father Brown as well, he suddenly realized – seeing as the Catholic Church not only seemed to entirely agree with the law on this issue, but actually  be somewhat stricter, considering what the Bible said? (At the very least, he couldn’t imagine that the Catholic Church was more lenient than the C of E, rather the opposite).

But Father Brown was only looking at him with a strange mixture of pity and – was that something like fondness? But why should it be? – in his eyes. “That may be, Inspector, but I firmly believe there comes a time in everyone’s life when he has to decide between – let’s call it his name – and being happy.”

And he got up and left.

Sullivan continued to sit in the darkness for a few minutes, then slowly got up and walked home.

When he reached his front door, someone – Carter of course – cleared his throat behind him.

He took a deep breath and thought about what Father Brown had said.

Then he unlocked the door and simply stated, “You should come in.”

[rose-edith]

Sullivan arresting you for drunken behaviour and you just being so flirty with him and over the top at the police station because you do actually really fancy him

Hope you like it!

Inspector Sullivan arresting you for drunken behaviour would include:

•the last thing Inspector Sullivan expected as he did a foot patrol around Kembleford was to come across you and Sid singing lewdly and drunkenly on the village green with a crate of beer beside you, particularly as it was the middle of the day!

•upon seeing the moody faced Inspector coming towards you both Sid scrambled away, he was a little bit more sober than you so he managed to actually get away- meanwhile you kept falling over every time you tried to get up.

•in the end Inspector Sullivan pulled you to your feet, and you were swaying so dangerously he had no choice but to keep an arm around your shoulders to keep you upright and guide you towards the police station. He didn’t want to arrest you for being drunk and disorderly and causing a bit of a public nuisance, but that was his duty. So he set to it.

•the young man was relieved to get to the police station, he carefully helped prop you up on the police reception desk as he started filling out forms. He didn’t notice how your previously unfocused gaze and never ceasing chatter had stopped. Now you were staring directly at him, and your mouth was hanging open a little bit.

•you were so intoxicated and your judgement was so impaired that you felt no fear or embarrassment when you started flirting with him. You told him how beautiful you found his eyes, how sweet he looked when he bestowed his rarely there smile, how you wished he’d give you a very thorough pat down/body search with his strong looking hands- you’d attempted to wink here, but it was actually more of an odd looking blink with both eyes.

•Inspector Sullivan was positively scandalised at your words! The poor Inspector goes bright red and can’t help but let out an awkward little cough.

•Sergeant Goodfellow meanwhile is doing his best not to show his amusement at the situation, and he’s failing miserably. He’s biting his lips and if you were sober enough to have noticed you’d have seen how his shoulders were shaking with glee.

•the Inspector abandoned the paperwork and hurried to put you in an empty cell. He evaded your grasping hands as you tried to tug him in with you, and he quickly locked the door.

•you woke up a few hours later with a raging headache and no recollection of where you were. And when Inspector Sullivan opened the door with a loud clatter you couldn’t help but wince at the loud sound and gulp at the stern faced man in front of you, somehow you didn’t think the story of how you ended up in a cell would please you.

[winterboobbear]

I want to know everything about your Father Brown OC!

Omgggg

Okay so to preface, I am trans-masc, pansexual and polyamorus, (lmao I would NOT make it in the fifties 😂) so OC is too.

Basically, he meets Sullivan in London, post-Kembleford, and they become good friends, possibly lovers, but definitely falling for each other.

Then one day OC gets the absolute shit beaten out of him, either for being gay or trans, and since he has now been outed, he needs to get out of London. And he could use some clean country air and quiet while he recovers, so Sullivan actually offers to take him out to Kembleford until he's healed, and he says yes.

So they move to Kembleford and are living together at least at the start so Sullivan can keep an eye on him and help him out bc seriously he was almost beaten to death, dude's got broken ribs, left arm fractured, right wrist sprained, his face is so messed up and swollen at the moment that he can only open his right eye like half way, the other is too black, nose is probably broken, and he's definitely having nightmares. So. He's not really able to be on his own rn.

Father Brown and part of the gang run into Sullivan while he's out buying something and are obviously quite shocked to see him, especially since he pretty much showed up out of nowhere. He explains (some of) the situation to them, and they ask if there's anything they can do to help them out. Sullivan is about to say no, but has a thought, and mentions to Mrs. McCarthy that his friend is actually a baker by trade and absolutely suffering with not being able to make desserts for himself for a while, and she promises to bring them over some Award Winning Strawberry Scones, (they bring way more than that, lmao.) And so part of the gang come over later on and bring them stuff to help out and meet OC, and they seem to like him a lot. He's intrigued to meet the infamous meddling Priest, as well as some of the others that's he's heard quite a bit about from Sullivan. He also feels kind of bad about having to lie to them about why he was hurt so badly, (it's a small town and he's really not looking to out himself in front of a bunch of Catholics, even tho they seem lovely,) saying that he'd gotten in the middle of several guys trying to take advantage of a couple of lovely young women trying to have a nice night out. This is not way too much of a stretch bc this is absolutely something he'd do anyway, "My brother's always joking about how I've got a heart bigger than my brain."

So that's how he meets a few of them, and others in the gang end up visiting over time as they all pitch in where they can while he gets back on his feet. Once he's back to being able to do most things on his own Sullivan goes back to working with the police, (high key bc he thinks Mallory is not suited to running them,) and OC ends up hanging out a lot with Sid and Bunty, and thus, ending up embroiled in the shenanigans and solving of murders and such. (Lmao, at some point either Sid or Bunty end up asking how someone as nice and fun as OC ends up such good friends with a working stiff like Sullivan. OC laughs and lets them in on a secret in that "under about six layers of tough outer shells he built up to protect himself, he's actually a pretty sweet guy." But says no more, bc they are absolutely Just Friends.)

Over time we learn more about OC, like how his Mom died giving birth to him, and he and his brother took after their Mom so much that their Father couldn't stand them, (he was also VERY displeased with his 'daughter' acting too much like a boy, etc.) He became an alcoholic and gambled away most of their money, and at 9 and 12 respectively, OC and his brother literally ran away with a circus.

The Circus was like a family and as many of them were in the Circus bc they were 'Freaks' themselves, they let OC live as a boy and were fine and supportive of both he and his brother not being straight. (Brother is Gay AF.) They lived with the Circus for like 12 years, during which they became an acrobat/gymnast-y act, OC became a tiger tamer, (loved the tigers to death, treated them with so much love. [PSA: This was the 1950s, and things we're different, tigers are not pets, and should not be kept for things like circuses, we know better now, do not do that.]) They also picked up a lot of other skills and types of performing.

Eventually around maybe 18 and 21 they left and settled in London so Brother could study to be a Doctor. (Idk if he actually goes to medical school, bc money, but he definitely trains with them for years.) and OC becomes an apprentice at a Bakery.

Once healed up completely and between all of the trouble and murders of Kembleford, OC ends up working for the Bakery in town, eventually inheriting it as the elderly owner is happy to retire now that he finally has someone to pass it on to.

Due to their many and varied skills, OC comes in handy pretty often in cases and just around town in general. I think at some point brother and his boyfriend move into town as well, (posing as brothers so people don't question them living together. Yikes, but Gays gotta do what they gotta do in that world.)

And while Sullivan is absolutely the initial romantic partner, they might end up seeing Sid, (and possibly Bunty,) as well too. (An open and honest poly thing, no cheating involved.) Also they end up doing a fair amount of flirting with Flambeau as well bc they are both Pan disasters.

In the end the gang do all find out about him being trans and pan, and still take him into their crazy little family. (Doing their best to help cover for him as well, bc this is 1950-something, and other than his brother having pulled off a pretty successful top surgery on him, there's no testosterone or anything, and he's quite short, so he struggles to pass sometimes.)

Also I torture him a bit extra by having him, (and his brother,) be raised as Catholic but having given it up when they couldn't handle being called sinners and abominations anymore, and working with Father Brown definitely makes them feel guilty about leaving sometimes.

Oh, and he's like 27-28ish. And he adores animals. (He takes the spiders out of the house for Sullivan bc he's secretly very scared of them, and he has to go remove any snakes or lizards Mrs McCarty finds in her garden, even tho he keeps trying to tell her that they're helping control pests that would otherwise be eating her plants.) Also he is definitely not Neurotypical. Probably ADHD, as well as like anxiety and depression, etc. Which is part of the reason Sullivan took to him quicker than he does most people, bc he understands a lot of what Sullivan goes through with his Autism. (Idk who the originator of Autistic Sullivan is, but I owe you my life, I love him so much.) He's also super open with his emotions, (as much as he can be,) and is super sweet and friendly and comforting, so he's not only fantastic during meltdowns, but has actually worked with Sullivan a fair bit on reading some social cues and trying to be more sensitive when talking to upset people, and such. Also helps him learn to talk about his feelings more and helps him unwind a bit over all. (Sid and Bunty helped with that too.)

Uhhhhh so yeah.

That's what I've got.

Thanks for reading all of this, I think I've been typing for like an hour. XD

[himbo-the-clown]

Okay yes I’m Jewish Father Brown posting again but I don’t yet have the time/energy to write my Jewish Inspectors fic and I want to project my Jewish Feelings onto these men so hear me out

Not only are all the inspectors Jewish, but they all deal with being Jewish in a heavily Catholic post-war small village in a different way

Valentine:

He’s kind of come to terms with the fact that antisemitism is just... part of his life. It’s gonna happen. He won’t actively antagonise anyone or flaunt that he’s Jewish, but he’s also not about to pretend to be xtian either

Yes he’s an atheist, yes he’s Jewish, no those two aren’t incompatible and he will be pissy about it if you ask him how he can be both. He’ll answer you, sure, but he’ll make it Very Clear he doesn’t appreciate it

Generally, he’s Not Here To Educate the xtians about Judaism

When he first meets Sullivan there’s a sort of moment of Recognition. He makes sure as he’s leaving to drop a hint that he’s also Jewish. Just so Sullivan knows that he’ll at least mostly be safe there

Okay so side tangent Sid headcanon that will become relevant: Sid’s Jewish. He was sent away during the Blitz (I’m estimating based on vague calculations that he was about 15 or so at the time) to an xtian family, and when his parents died he just sort of had to stay. So he was raised xtian and was never allowed to acknowledge that he was Jewish. I mean, most people can sort of tell and he gets stereotyped a lot for it, but he doesn’t know why because he’s just totally oblivious and the family he stayed with were Very Insistent that he was a good xtian boy and not a Jew and he ended up pretty much forgetting. He’s kind of heard hints of it from his grandmother when he gets to see her, but she wasn’t in a position to raise him and she thinks he’s probably safer not knowing

Anyway Valentine is very protective over Sid cause he sees this young Jewish guy who doesn’t even know that he has a whole culture, a whole family of people all over the country. A family who are collectively grieving. Sid doesn’t know what horrors have befallen his people (he knows what happened, but not that they’re His People). Valentine’s heart aches a bit whenever he thinks about it and he sort of vows to protect Sid in his own gruff way.

Valentine is proud of being Jewish but in a very quiet way. He’s not going to change himself to fit xtian society but also he’s sensible enough to know it’s a pretty bad idea for him to be Too Loud about it in Kembleford

Sullivan:

Oh this man fakes everything. He has never been authentic a day in his life. He pretends to be xtian, he pretends to be cishet, he pretends to be neurotypical. Nothing about how this man presents himself is authentic

He’s valid though, he knows the dangers of being different and he’s not about to give people a reason to hurt him

He’s from the East End of London, so he’s actually not used to hiding his Judaism as much. He’s from a heavily Jewish community and he was terrified when he got transferred to a small village

Why does he wear so much hair gel? Curls. Big springy Jewish curls. He can’t let people see them. He’s very very very strict about having hair gel in any time he leaves the house. Enough hair gel to keep his hair straight, which is a lot

He’s sort of... trying. To pretend to be xtian. But he’s really not very good at it. Like I said, he grew up in a heavily Jewish neighbourhood, he doesn’t know much about xtians other than, y’know, all the times they’ve oppressed the Jews. So he sort of goes to church when he remembers and tries to copy everyone else, but it doesn’t work very well. And he’ll pretend to celebrate Christmas but it doesn’t make much sense to him and he’s very uncomfortable

Most of his hostility towards Father Brown is because of the big alarm bells that go off in his head when he sees a priest in general. At all times he’s half expecting the Father to start talking about the “hypocrites in the synagogue” or some other equally thinly veiled antisemitism. He’s had Bad Experiences, he’s traumatised, and he’s having a Very Bad Time

He’s half envious of Sid and half pities him. Part of him wishes he was as ignorant of antisemitism and Judaism as Sid is, part of him wishes that Sid was as painfully aware of it as he is. But all of him feels a weird attachment to Sid because they’re both queer nd Jews, even if Sid doesn’t know it

He also sort of hates the Father for hanging out with Sid because he’s heard all the stories of priests stealing Jewish children to raise them xtian and while it’s not Quite the same situation with Sid, it’s a painful sort of echo of it, and he just desperately wants to save Sid, to teach him about who he is. And because of this mental association, seeing Sid do anything xtian feels like a punch to the stomach for him because it reminds him that Sid doesn’t know he’s Jewish

He got this sort of painful gut wrenching feeling when he saw Sid dressed as a priest. Like he felt physically sick even once he realised it was just an undercover job. It just hit way too close to home, especially with Sid not even knowing he’s not xtian

He’s calmed down a lot and is less jumpy by the time he leaves. He even thinks it’s a little funny when he finds out that the man taking over for him is also Jewish. He thinks about Valentine, he thinks about himself, he thinks about Mallory, and he thinks about how they’re sort of like a family. Almost like three generations, like being the Inspector is a family business. It makes him feel kind of warm and fuzzy in a way he hasn’t felt since his last Passover back in London with his whole family sitting around the seder table, and he can’t wait to have Passover with them again soon

Mallory (beloved bastard man):

He leans into it hard

Yeah, he’s Jewish, and what the fuck do you plan to do about it?

Durham has never really been known for it’s Jewish community, so he’s more than used to being the only Jew around

Part of why he’s such a horrible little bastard man is that he’s come to just accept Jewish stereotypes. His thought process is a little something like “if you’re going to accuse me of it anyway, I might as well do it”

He’s a stubborn guy, so he just decides to embody all the stuff people think he should be. Sure he’ll be annoying and rude and immoral and promiscuous and weak and all the other horrible things xtians think a Jewish man is

No he will not participate in xtian things if he can help it. He will not go to church, he will not celebrate Christmas unless he has to, he will not call Father Brown “Father”

He calls him “padre” because he refuses to call a priest “Father” it’s just too weird and xtian to him

He does NOT like Sid. He hates Sid a lot. He kinda blames Sid for not working harder to hold on to his Judaism (he’s Not valid for this, but it’s how he feels)

Anyway I’m not saying any of this is Good, but like.......let me have my Bad Jewish Representation

Also I like to think he speaks Yiddish :3

Anyway, one day I’ll write my Jewish Inspectors fic

[mystery-and-history]

Sullivan in WWII

So, I was thinking about what the Father Brown characters would have been doing during the war(s) and how it would have affected them. Then I remembered that in season 3 episode 4, “The Sign of the Broken Sword”, some characters have medals, with Father Brown and Inspector Sullivan being the only main characters to have them. I don’t know much about medals, but the internet is a wonder and I decided to figure out what they mean. 

(Also I have no idea if anyone else has already looked into it and talked about it, so sorry if this has already been done.) 

I decided to look into Sullivan’s first, mostly because Father Brown only wears his in a few scenes near the end and Sullivan’s was the first to pop up. (Also we have barely any of Sullivan’s history and I know we’re all frothing at the mouth for it). 

I do plan to research and do a separate post for Father Brown, too, but for now, let’s jump in:

The picture quality’s not great, but you get the idea. I’m getting most of my info and all the pictures from Wikipedia, so thanks, Wikipedia!!

The first one is the 1939-1945 Star:

This bad boy was created in July of 1943 and would cover the whole duration of the war. To receive this medal, you basically had to serve 180 days in the navy, army, air force* (air force crew/ground crew), or merchant navy. It’s also not specific to any theater of war. 

So, this one doesn’t really tell us much. All it confirms is that Sullivan served for quite a while in any of the above mentioned forces in... anywhere the war was going on. 

*In the RAF, you could qualify for the medal after only serving 60 days rather than 180.

The second one is the France and Germany Star: 

A quick note on this one: the colors on the ribbon in real life were blue, white, and orange, while the one on Sullivan is blue, white, and red. However, I could not find a medal that matched the one in the picture exactly, and aside from the orange/red thing, everything else matches up perfectly. I feel pretty confidant that this is it, but please correct me if I’m wrong. 

Anyway, as you may have guessed from the title of this medal, this one was given to forces who served in “France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands or Germany and adjacent sea areas between 6 June 1944 and 8 May 1945” (Wikipedia). There are very specific boundaries for this, which I’m not going to put here, but feel free to check out the article if you wish. 

This one is more specific, which is nice! Sullivan spent his active duty at least partially in the European theater. The only question is, which force? 

The medal could technically be awarded to someone in the army, navy, or air force. However, based on the fact that there’s a special Air Crew Europe Star, which Sullivan does not have, I think RAF is ruled out. There is also an Atlantic Star, which conflicts with someone earning the France and Germany Star (don’t ask me why the medals conflict; I don’t understand it either). I guess someone could be in the navy in Europe-adjacent seas but not the Atlantic? 

Personally, based on those facts, I’m leaning towards Army for him, but there’s nothing to completely rule out the other two.  

The third one is the Defence Medal: 

This one is very general. It could be given for a huge range of things within the armed forces and civilians could earn it as well if they were in war-adjacent services. So, nothing really here. 

The fourth medal is the War Medal 1939-1945: 

Now, this one is actually incredibly interesting! Not because of the medal itself, but we’ll get there. 

So this one is also fairly general, a person basically had to serve in any force for 28 days anywhere the war was going on to earn it. This would tell us nothing. However, if we look closely at the picture again, there is something slightly different about this one:  

There’s a little thingy on it. At first, this threw me off, because at a distance, I thought it was a little logo or something. But upon reading further, I realized that it’s actually a bronze oak leaf emblem. Here’s what it looks like up close: 

To quote Wikipedia: “A bronze oak leaf emblem is worn on the ribbon to signify a mention in dispatches, a King's Commendation for Brave Conduct, or a King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air.” 

This tells us that Sullivan received one of those three. Which one, we can’t be sure, but let’s take a look at all the possibilities:

 A mention in dispatch is basically when a person is specifically named in a report that their superiors would write to high command, saying that that person had done something particularly brave in action. They’d get the bronze oak leaf emblem and a certificate about it as well. Before 1920, this was not a very common honor, but I’m not sure how common it was in WWII. These mentioned in dispatches would also be recorded in the London Gazette. 

There doesn’t seem to be too much difference, as far as I can tell, between the mentioned in dispatches and a King’s Commendation for Brave Conduct. Though, this one is “not in the face of the enemy”. Before 1945, this was simply known as a commendation, but they had to be dramatic and add the other few words eventually, I suppose. Additionally, these were also published in the newspapers. 

Finally, there’s the King's Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air. Which is exactly the same as the one for Brave Conduct, but obviously in the air. 

So, we don’t know which of these three it could be. I guess the mentioned in dispatches one would probably be the coolest since it’s in action, but really, I think all of them are neat and it’s interesting that he has any one of them. 

(The story of him earning this would be an incredible fic, btw) 

Now, this last one tripped me up. It’s not actually a WWII medal, but a Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal:

It took me lots of random googling to figure out what this one was. Anyway, to quote Wikipedia once more: “This medal was awarded as a personal souvenir from the Queen to members of the Royal Family and selected officers of state, members of the Royal Household, government officials, mayors, public servants, local government officials, members of the navy, army, air force and police in Britain, her colonies and Dominions. It was also awarded to members of the Mount Everest expedition, two of whom reached the summit four days before the coronation.[1] It was struck at the Royal Mint and issued immediately after the coronation.[2]” 

The coronation of Queen Elizabeth was on June 2, 1953. I would say that that places this episode after that day, but we all know Kembleford is stuck in Perpetual 1953 anyway, so it doesn’t really matter. 

So, there you have it! All of Sullivan’s medals and what they tell us about his history. 

Of course, we don’t know how much of this was the costume department having fun and how much was intentional for his character on the whole. I’m personally considering this canon, as we have literally nothing else to go on, but if you asked the people running the show, they might disagree. 

This was pretty fun to put together. I think I’m going to look into Father Brown’s medals tomorrow. Anyways, thanks for reading :) 

[ohnopoe]

Is That My Shirt? | Sid Carter

Ship: Sid Carter x Reader Prompt: Is that my shirt? Word Count: 850+ Warnings: Food mentions Tagging: @queensantiagoofthe99​ (requester)

There were several certainties you had learnt fairly quickly since moving to Kembleford. The priest always knew more than he was letting on, Inspector Mallory was quite the opposite, Lady Felicia cared less about propriety than she let others believe, and Sidney Carter was anything but a morning person. The last of these little facts had once been an assumption, based on the tardy manner in which he often turned up around town if it was anywhere before ten o’clock in the morning, but it had solidified into indisputable fact when he had started spending more and more of his evenings in your bed.

Laid sprawled out at your side each morning, a sleeping Sid was a sight to behold. Sure, his mouth hung open, and he certainly wasn’t what you’d call a quiet sleeper, but there was a look of utter calm that sat on his features as he snored away that never ceased to bring a smile to your lips.

It was often hard to leave him laying there alone, knowing how delighted he would be on the rare mornings that you could actually stay at his side until he woke, but this morning was different. This morning you had no plans, well, not until late afternoon, and you had every intention of spending a lovely day with your man, and that would start with a delicious breakfast.

You couldn’t be certain it was the smell of freshly cooked pancakes drifting through the house that woke him, but you certainly wouldn’t put it past him. With a plate of pancakes piled high in the middle of the table and a small collection of preserves and fruit to try and create some form of a luxurious beginning to the day, you were happy to admit that you had done a damn good job.

The sound of fumbling footsteps caught your attention as you settled the kettle back on the stove, and you could practically see his sleepy state even with your back turned. With no usual greeting of ‘mornin’ to break the silence, you finally turned to face him, only to find he was still some way away, having barely made it into the room, a look of complete shock etched into his features as he stared open mouthed at you.

“And a good morning to you too,” you broke the silence with an amused huff of laughter, watching as he stood completely still, trying to shake sleep away as he took in the sight of you. With a rough clearing of his throat, he sent what was most likely intended as a smile in your direction, although it came out as something of a mixture between that and a grimace.

“Is that my shirt?” his voice was low and dry, clearly the first words he had uttered since waking, and somehow the mixture of the words and tone had an utterly alluring effect; although the sight of him in only in his briefs and singlet certainly wasn’t helping either.

With a noticeable bite of your lower lip, an act which certainly wasn’t missed by the sleep addled chauffeur if the low groan he gave was any indicator, you leant your hip against the table, using your hand to prop yourself up as you met his gaze with a look of mischief. “Might be,” you offered with a playful shrug, barely holding back the grin that was threatening to emerge.

With a slow, decisive step towards you, rather like a predator stalking its prey,   Sid eyed the material slowly, taking in the sight before him carefully, deliberately, committing every inch to memory. “Right,” he spoke slowly, gaze flittering from where the shirt met your bare thighs to meet your gaze, “and what am I meant to wear then?”

He was close now, only a few steps away, but he paused to watch you, a goofy grin emerging on his lips as you raised a brow at him. Leaning over the table, taking your time with your movements as you knew he’d be drinking them in, you took a single strawberry from the bowl of fruit. Standing up straight once more, you couldn’t help but feel pride at the look of hunger he was now throwing your way.

“That,” you paused, taking a deliberate bite from the strawberry, delighting in just how easy it was to pull his attention to exactly where you wanted it. Slowly drinking in the sight of him, with his hair still a tussled mess from the night before, you offered a playful smirk to the man, before continuing to speak, “sounds like a you problem. I’m quite happy as is.”

If you were searching for a reaction, you were certainly pleased with what you received. A playful growl emerged from deep within him as he practically pounced forwards, no longer a hint of sleepiness within him. Before you could even think to move, he had you caged within his hold, his hands moving past you to hold onto the kitchen table.

“Fair’s fair,” he offered in a low tone, darting forwards to offer a quick peck to your lips before pulling away ever so slightly. You could feel the air from his words dance upon your lips, making you desperate to feel his lips once more, in a less hurried fashion. “If I have to stay like this, you gotta stay like that.”

[sidneycarter]

Father Brown February 

11th February

          →  Kembleford Appreciation Day

[jxmieswxnter]

father brown headcanons

- sid is bisexual (though a preference for women)

- our lovely inspector sullivan is gay with immense internalized homophobia

- goodfellow suspects that sullivan is gay - he doesn’t say anything of course, nor does he judge his boss, but he can see the torment, and he doesn’t know how to help

- actually, sully’s middle name is “edgar” not his first, but his first name is the same as his father’s and so that’s why he uses edgar

- bunty is bisexual (but with a strong ass preference for women)

- sully owns multiple sets of the same suit (because I swear he never wears anything other than that blue one, not that I mind because he looks wonderful)

- flambeau is a raging pansexual (he likes to covert pretty things)

- flambeau regularly loses sleep thinking about father brown (wait no sorry, that’s basically canon isn’t it?)

- valentine and sullivan bitch at the yard about how annoying father brown was while they were in kembleford, but having since left, they're able to be calmer about it

- sullivan is both a housewife and the breadwinner (get you a man who can do both)

[feliciamontagues]

Given the very specific fanservice we’ve gotten over the past couple series (plus the Sister Boniface spin-off we’ve been asking for for years), I think it’s pretty safe to say that the production team is aware of the fandom’s  social media presence (particularly) on this platform. So just in case someone who works on the show is reading this right now, here are a list of things I would like in future episodes.  ( Other fans can feel free to add or expand on points if you reblog.)

1. Susie to return, even just for a single episode

2. Bunty to kiss a girl or at the very least for it to be strongly implied that she has kissed a girl in the past. (I would also settle for Flambeau or Sid kissing a guy/having had a confirmed male lover .)

3. If Susie and/or Marianne return, they get to have lots of scenes with Bunty, cause she needs more female friends her age. (especially ones we can ship with her)

4. We get to meet Goodfellow’s family, who I imagine are just as sweet as he is. (I would also settle for more time with Mallory’s family. His wife and daughter seem lovely, and I’m always up for episodes that humanize him). 

5. We continue with the S8 trend of Bunty and/or Mrs. M developing detective instincts of their own. 

6. Mrs. M gets to have scenes with Flambeau and we see a mutual respect developing between them. 

7. Sid and/or Felicia should guest-star again in the same episode Flambeau does, because I live for Flambeau interacting with all the recurring characters (see also 6)

8. If Valentine and/or Sullivan guest star again, Sid guest stars in the same episode, because I miss his interaction with them. 

9. If Sullivan returns, we finally get to learn his actual  first name.  He’s the only recurring character apart from Fr. B that we’ve never gotten a first name for. (We were at least able to get Valentine’s through a freeze-frame bonus.)  Meanwhile, we have   absolutely nothing on Sullivan and all have to deal with our head canon names. (For the record, mine is “Thomas”--partly due to Tom Chambers and partly due to the “doubting Thomas” allusion). 

10. We get more recurring characters of color. There are some pretty great one-off  characters like this already  in the series, and it would be great to get to see some of them again especially in a more consistent fashion. Maybe have them show up as semi-regular guest characters and Kembleford residents (similar to how  “Blind ‘Arry” and “Canon Fox” have been handled in recent series).  Alternatively, there is also the option to create entirely new character(s) of color to establish as more regular presences. 

[bisidneycarter]

still thinking abt the pineapple saga and now i’m like, thinking. if sullivan and sid were trying a long distance relationship and wrote letters to each other and, after the whole pineapple sitch, sid’s like

“today lady felicia sent me on a quest to find a ‘pine apple’. this sent me half way to hereford (i promise you, I considered going all the way to London to say hello), where I was presented with this, giant, spiky, leafy thing which did not look anything like an apple at all. When i finally returned, victorious, to her ladyship i only go and find out she no longer wants to sing at all, and this pineapple was now of no use. Fortunately, she changed her mind, and told me to ‘pulp’ the fruit. At first i had no clue what she were on about but when i find out it just meant i had to squeeze out the juice i figured it can’t be that hard. Tommy...

It. Was. Impossible.

Of the juice that actually came out, about half of it managed to get into a glass, and this was barely, what, an inch of juice?? Do you know how huge that fruit is????? it’s probably almost the height of someone’s head??? Anyway, it’s the most juiceless fruit i don’t know how it’s supposed to be such a delicacy? I tried it. It’s stringy and sharp. Weird.

Then I finally get this measly puddle to lady f, who’s about to go on stage, and well, you won’t believe this, tommy, but she jumped (due to some noise from the stage), and the juice i’d spent ALL DAY trying to collect, launched all over me! Worst. day. ever. (didnt help that lady f sang with mrs m after this), god i miss you. I need you,

Please visit soon,

With love,

Your Sidney”

And sullivan just sitting in his flat in london reading it like “this utter dumbass i love him so much”

(Bonus points if when sullivan goes to kembleford to visit, he brings a pineapple with him to tease sid)