#james j moran | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kunikame · 2 years ago

Text

in another life. - w. j. moriarty

just a lil something that's been in the drafts for a while now.... 😇

warnings : mtp anime end + manga spoilers, cussing, stabbing & other mentions of killing/violence, sherlock is called a bastard twice (2 times), reader is called "beautiful" once (1) but no pronouns otherwise, ignore the "- divider -" it wont let me add the pic for some reason

w/c : 1671

maybe it was the way he carried himself, or maybe it was his selfless nature; you never knew the exact reason why you fell for the crime lord in disguise. it just.. happened.

you wouldn’t call it effortless, but you can’t call it hard either. loving william might have always been easy, but loving him never was.

loving william in a physical way was horribly hard. he was always overworked and tired– or working– and most importantly, on his merry way to rid england of the corrupt nobles. he was doing a great thing, you told yourself (the ‘but the wrong way’ remained unsaid, as always), and you couldn’t wait to see the nation become one he’s always dreamt of. a place where people feel safe, and, most importantly, equal.

only, you wanted to see it with him by your side.

yet as your eyes follow his figure and that of the accursed detective he’s grown so fond of– sherlock holmes, the bastard, that should be you– falling into the thames river, you realize that maybe, maybe he hasn’t told you the extent to how far he’s willing to go for this nation. maybe you were too naive, maybe you missed the signs, or maybe he simply didn’t trust you enough to tell you about his plans. now you’ll never know.

you remember one time you overheard the brothers arguing, liam saying “you don’t know what it’s like walking alone every step of the way” then apologizing right after, only to be met with silence. a few moments passed and you heard louis reply “you don’t know what it’s like either, brother. we started this journey together and have walked the path together, as a team. it’s only the destination you insist on reaching alone,” and now you realize, maybe you should’ve inquired about the meaning behind his words.

except, you didn’t. you thought if it’s something important, liam will tell you sooner or later. spoiler alert, he didn’t.

now all you feel is the betrayal settling in your heart because while everyone else knew, they never thought about telling you. no “oh hey, by the way, your boyfriend is going to sacrifice himself soon, but no worries we got sherlock on the job”– a plan which backfired since both of them jumped– nothing. what hurt the most was not even liam thought to tell you.

and here comes the guilt baring its teeth, biting into your heart and lungs and suddenly you can no longer breathe or hear anything other than the ringing in your ears– you never even got to say goodbye. he was just going to die without saying anything. he just.. left you there.

when you saw their bodies splash into the river you felt like a part of yourself drowned with them. with him.

the days after the incident were a blur. you don't quite remember anything through a whole month after they jumped. everyone around you slowly realized you knew nothing of the plan. albert couldn't talk to you about it very long as he got locked up. moran disappeared off the face of the earth soon after. all you had were fred, james and louis, and perhaps they were all you needed. every step of the way, they stood by your side.

you were a team after all. since your younger days. there were more of you back then, but, maybe the 4 of you could go on until you reunite with albert– and hopefully moran– somewhere down the path.

3 months. 3 months have passed.

days turned into weeks, weeks into months.

you missed william dearly each day, but you are not as depressed as you were anymore. louis has been made leader of m16, albert was still sitting in his cell, moran was still missing and fred was tending to his flowers. some things just don't change, you chuckled.

thanks to louis' new position you had responsibilities and jobs to carry out again. you'd say it's with less people but that would be a lie. herder has finally wormed his way into the actual missions– technically.

things start getting crazy from there. 1st a mission regarding moran, next a briefing with the older holmes, next the younger one– the absolute bastard– shows up. without william.

you take a step back– maybe you weren't over it after all, but if you stabbed him right now mycroft would kill you. louis verbalized the thoughts you all had, ".. that day, you fell down the river thames with brother william.. and now, you're the only one standing in front of us like this. can you.. please explain?"

sherlock goes to tell the story of how he awakened on a boat heading for america with bandages all over him and william both. met a guy called henry (also known as billy the kid, apparently), who was the one to patch them up and watch over them and blah blah blah– you stopped paying attention halfway. you only zoned in when he mentioned the blond.

".. i got a telegram from liam; 'help m16 for me' he said. and that's how i ended up back in london, in secret."

when you opened your mouth to speak, fred stole the words right out of your mouth, "mr. william is .."

it hit you then. not like a punch in the face, more like a direct run in with a truck. he didn't die. he's.. he's not dead. he's alive. for the love of god, he's alive.

uncontrollable tears were streaming down your cheeks. it wasn't just a dream, wasn't just something you made yourself believe to cope with his 'betrayal'. it's real. he's alive.

the room broke out in chaos once the news registered in herder's brain. he reminded fred of his new roses, and you of your one wish coming true– it didn't last long however, as louis got right back to the point of the briefing.

"you really are just like liam."

"mr. holmes, may i have a moment?"

you couldn't help yourself, you rushed to the door after it closed behind the 2 men.

".. thank you. for that time.. and all the way until now, for not forsaking my brother.. for saving his life.. from the bottom of my heart, thank you."

william and albert went around greeting everyone in order. you stepped away and chose to gaze out the huge window while you waited. eventually, you were the only one left.

you smiled softly then; you can imagine how much those words meant to louis. they were true, though.

- divider -

yet another mission is over, and now moran is back among your little no-longer-criminal-organization group. it took fred almost being shot, a poker card from william, and a lot of convincing, but he's home. you're back to bickering and teasing each other, just like old times.

barely 2 days later, william and albert showed up, sending the tea cup fred was holding shattering. the idea of letting the 3 brothers have their reunion first was a collective agreement so you pushed louis into the hallway and shut the door softly.

with a soft sigh, you avoided listening in on their conversation this time (much unlike the other occupants of the room; specifically herder, who went tumbling the moment the door opened).

taking the cue, the others slowly filed out of the room, leaving only you and william, who was staring at your back intently.

"you have an eyepatch now i see," you said, turning to face him.

the sun behind you illuminated your figure just right. you looked exactly like an angel would. maybe this a sign, he thinks.

"i do indeed. you've grown even more beautiful than i remember."

"flattery will get you nowhere, pretty boy," you sighed, "why didn't you tell me?"

"i couldn't, i'm sorry. you looked so happy. i couldn't bring myself to ruin it for you. for us. i thought, in the end, if i shouldered the responsibility myself, maybe you'd realize i was a monster all along. tainted, with hands covered in blood. i didn't deserve to hold you, love you, the way i was."

"you're very wrong about that. you were, are, and will always be the most beautiful and selfless soul i know– even if that whole bridge jump scene was very selfish, if i do say so myself," you move closer to him to cup his cheeks (still as soft as you remember, though slightly more bony) and caress them softly, "you deserve everything and more, liam. if the stars would make you happy i'd go and pick some for you. you should've talked to me, relied on me a little more. i thought we were a team, an unstoppable duo, you know? i can't be a duo on my own; neither can you."

"i know now. i'm sorry. are you still mad?"

you looked at him as if he hung the sun and stars himself and he believes he has an answer to that question, "i'm not mad at you. i can't be. i love you too much for that."

the love in your eyes is mirrored in his vermillion one, the burning intensity of it almost swallowing you up like the flames in a burning building, yet the warmth is friendlier– gentler – the last rays of a summer sunset by the ocean.

"never do anything like that ever again, alright blondie? promise me."

"i promise."

you remove your hand from his cheek, placing it in the small space between you and raise an eyebrow in amusement, "do you pinky promise?"

he can only chuckle and hook his pinky with yours, "i pinky promise."

the deal is sealed with a kiss filled with 3 years worth of words and emotions left unsaid.

perhaps it was meant to be like this. is this what "in another life" means? most likely not, yet still. he's a new person and so are you. your lives are not what they used to be.

maybe this is your "another life".

ੈ✩₊˚TAGLIST : @gabirii @sunaaa @menhwa-pdf @arkangelee (if you're in bold i can't tag you. ask/comment to be added/removed or fill form . )

298 notes · View notes

sakuplumeria · 1 year ago

Text

Moriarty the Patriot / Yuukoku no Moriarty Ask Game - Alternate Universe Edition

Choose a number for a character and an alphabet for a scenario, and put it in my ask box! I’ll answer the question. Feel free to reblog if you want to answer questions too :)

Pick a character:

1) William James Moriarty

2) Albert James Moriarty

3) Louis James Moriarty

4) Sebastian Moran

5) Fred Porlock

6) Zach Patterson

7) James Bonde

8) Jack Renfield

9) Von Herder

10) Moneypenny

11) Sherlock Holmes

12) John H. Watson

13) Miss Hudson

14) George Lestrade

15) Mycroft Holmes

16) Irene Adler

17) Henry Antrim (Billy the Kid)

18) Mary Watson

19) Wiggins

20) Adam Whiteley

21) Charles Augutus Milverton

22) Favorite character

23) Other character (mention in the ask)

Choose a scenario:

A) Lives in modern times. What kind of vehicles does the character ride?

B) Goes out to space. What does the character miss the most from earth?

C) Turns into an animal. What animal does the character turn into?

D) Has magical powers! What powers does the character have?

E) Creates a Tumblr account. What does the character like to post?

F) Is in the orchestra! What instruments does the character play?

G) Spends time in the theme park! What attractions does the character play?

H) Lives somewhere outside the UK. Which country/city/place does the character live in?

I) Bodyswaps with another character. With whom does the character swap with?

J) Signs up for an RPG. What is the character’s username?

K) Signs up for an RPG. The character can be a rogue, a warrior, a mage, a trickster, an archer, and a priest/healer. What class does the character choose?

L) Lives in modern times. What phone does the character use?

M) Has elemental powers (for example fire and water), Which element does the character control?

N) Is in a restaurant/bakery/coffee shop AU. What does the character do?

O) Is in a hospital/medical AU. What does the character do?

P) Goes to Hogwarts and is currently wearing the Sorting Hat! Which house does the character get?

Q) Is a serial killer in the modern world. What weapon does the character use?

R) Is suddenly the most famous person in the world. What is the character famous for?

S) Is forced to have a date for a prom. Who will the character ask to fake date?

T) Is in the Olympics sports AU. What sports does the character play?

U) Is a solo traveler. What things does the character always bring with him/her?

V) Lives in a parallel universe where London is peaceful and doesn't have social gaps. What does the character do in such a peaceful world?

W) Is born from a Greek god/goddess. Who are the character’s parents and does the character have any powers?

X) Is a mythological creature. What creature does the character live as?

Y) Is created as a droid. What does the character programmed to do?

Z) Is a YouTuber. What kind of videos does the character upload?

#yuumori au asks #yuumori asks #ask game #yuumori #moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #have fun!

29 notes · View notes

rayne-astrophile · 1 year ago

Text

William j. Moriarty x Fem! Ranpo! Reader Part 2

William's pov

Honestly, he's a bit scared of you now

Why? He might have misheard it, but he hears you say 'lord of crime' before you leave

He should definitely be careful, you're the greatest detective after all

Three days have passed since then, and every person in moriarty manor already knows about his worry

But his job must stay active

Currently, he's on his way to the abandoned house with Louis, Fred and Moran

He receives a telegram about a request, so he needs to continue his job

When they arrive, the other side where the client's place is dark, but he just shrugs it off

After a good three minutes of silence, he realises that he needs to start talking first

"...Mr. Fyodor Dostoyevsky?" He calls out the russian name. Louis and Moran look at him confusedly, their gaze asking why would a russian be here, in london. William shrugs, he himself is confused. That's when you speak. "William James Moriarty,"

To say that they are shocked is an understatement

In fact, they're flabbergasted

Moran clicks his tongue at his carelessness, which leads to William in danger

He immediately, but quietly makes his way to the other side; your side

"First of all," you speak calmly. "Loosen up, I'm not here to catch you or anything." William narrows his eyes as he stays silent. Louis and Fred are on each side as they prepare for any outcome. "I told you I mean no harm, but suit yourself, I guess." You say nonchalantly. "I want to make a deal with you. Meet me outside, under the big tree, in five minutes. Don't be late,"

The moment moran arrives at the other side, you are gone. Well, thanks to dazai of course, or you would just let moran see you

They did arrive five minutes later.

You are leaning against the tree when they see you, and william widens his eyes.

"Miss Edogawa...?" William says in shock as you raise your hand at him, a grin spreads across your face. "Yo, lords of crime." You greet them. Moran is ready to take out his gun when he realises that it is no longer there. Click. The gentle sound of the loaded gun behind them catches them off guard as they turn around only to see your colleague, dazai. A sly, dangerous smirk is on his face. "Let's not make this hard for us, yeah?" He smiles with his eyes closed. "You give cooperation, no one will hurt. Easy as cake, hm?" Moran clicks his tongue as William assures him. He then looks at you, who is struggling to open your lollipop. "Miss Edogawa, can you explain this?" He asks softly. You let out a hum before groaning. "Dazai, open this!" You throw the lollipop at him, which he swiftly catches with a low 'oof'. Then, you finally turn to the blonde in front of you, your eyes always closed. "You must be wondering why us, detectives from japan are here, right?" You ask as william nods his head. "The queen asked for our help to get rid of you." You say nonchalantly as dazai walks up to you and gives you the lollipop, which you happily plop in your mouth. Louis, Fred and Moran go stiff at your words. How can you say such a thing so carelessly? Knowing you, the greatest detective in the world, you should know better than to tell them that. They are about to attack you until you continue. "But we're not here for that." You say softly. "Plus, it would be a big loss to lose someone like you, william." You approach him and lean in, trespassing his personal space. You open your eyes, revealing your emerald orbs and smile, and william feels his heart skip a beat. "You caught my eyes." You admit shamelessly. You close your eyes again and lean back. "That's why, let's make a deal." You offer. "We will help you create a new world without the royal's interruption, and as payment, after you reach your goal, join us." "Join the detective agency..?" He mumbles as he thinks for a while. You then step back, and whisper something into dazai's ear, who needs to bend slightly as you're shorter than him. Then you turn back to the lords of crime. "Take your time," you take the lollipop from your mouth. "In two days, we'll know your answer." You and dazai start walking away when william stops you again. "Wait...!" You halt your steps and turn back, closed eyes looking at him. "..will we meet again?" "..." you stare at him, or at least he thinks so. Slowly, you open your eyes, and he feels his heart leap in his chest. "Of course, Will. We'll always meet again."

After you leave, moran looks at william, dumbfounded.

"What the hell, william? Don't tell me you catch feelings for that detective?!"

William only smiles at him.

He doesn't really know, actually. But he finds himself loves meeting you, hearing your voice and looking into your beautiful eyes.

Maybe he did catch feelings for you.

#moriarty the patriot #william james moriarty #yuukuko no moriarty #albert james moriarty #louis james moriarty #yuukoku no moriarty #x reader #ranpo edogawa #dazai osamu #bsd #crossover #anime crossover #fanfiction

39 notes · View notes

wilsons-limped-husband · 1 year ago

Text

As I saw others do

And so preper for the doom

✨Facts about me (a lifeless writer)✨

Name Gregory James but I also go by William and Tyler (or for fun jimmeh)

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Nationality: Romanian

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

MBTI: INFJ

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

I'm a transmasc, queer (I'm just confused), grey-aromantic

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Pronouns: he/him

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Sports I practice: figure skating

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Fandoms: Sherlock, HouseMD and Star Trek, Hamilton (both the historical and the musical), Stargate:Atlantis, Dead poets Society

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

The ships I ship: Too many to count

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Fave colors: grey, white, black

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Bored most of the time so I'll either reblog, post hella random thoughts or just exist and piss of everyone

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

I have a House ask blog (go check it out) : @ask-dr-lawsuit-magnet

And a Moran (from Sherlock) ask blog:

@consult-sebmoran

And a writing side blog:

@a-world-with-many-words

And a side blog for nothing on my tablet

@startrekker2011

I also have a vent blog (plz don't look at it):

@suicide-tendencies-perry

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

My moots (tell me if you want to be removed):

@asclexe

@h0l0gramglasses

@maybemoltenlava

@fangirlshipper

@deanbane

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Random shit 'bout me

My Spotify

⭐️ alone only child, please talk to me i love chatting

⭐ I'm a sad theater kid 😭😭

⭐️professional idiot, certified yapper

⭐pulled so many suicide moves I'm starting to think I need therapy, but I won't tell anyone about them

⭐I realized I was trans when I was 2 or 3 years old (how the hell, don't ask)

⭐Actual writer (writing my second book but, shhh)

⭐I'm bored like always and I have a lot of free time in my hands

⭐I'm 170cm (I think this means 5'8")

⭐I'm constantly wearing headphones so please don't take offense if I'm wearing a pair when I'm talking to you. I just want to cancel some of the noise that's around, not you ml

⭐ my tag for my stuff: #greg j. rambles , #greg j. answers #silly 🥝 , #pinga

⭐ if I don't answer your ask, it means I like it a lot and want to keep it as a memory but I usually do

If you got here you should know that I sign my anon messages with:

-T.

(Shhh.🤫)

#me #asexual #'bout me #transgender #greg j. answers #greg j. rambles #silly 🥝#pinga #aroace #aro #bi/pan #bob bella #sincerely a lifeless writer

20 notes · View notes

justcallmedoz3 · 2 months ago

Text

OH MY GOSH, FINALLY IM DONE WITH ITS :3

(kinda ugly? idk)

★New Persona

(just changed the color)

If you want to know more:

CLICK!

5 notes · View notes

doctorcorby · 11 months ago

Text

The Departure of the Great Returned Soul (29488 words) by Overlord_Mordax, VickytheSnake Chapters: 8/8 Fandom: Raffles - E. W. Hornung, Raffles (TV 1977), 大逆転裁判 | Dai Gyakuten Saiban | The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (Video Games) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Bunny Manders/A. J. Raffles Characters: Bunny Manders, A. J. Raffles, Minor Characters, Gina Lestrade (Dai Gyakuten Saiban), Tobias Gregson (Dai Gyakuten Saiban), James Moriarty, Sebastian Moran, Barok van Zieks Additional Tags: Mission Fic, Post-Canon, During Canon, Fix-It, Major Character Undeath, Victorian Attitudes, Partners in Crime, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person, Screen Reader Safe, Crossdressing, anachronistic disdain for imperialism

Summary:

After returning from the war, Bunny Manders' pseudonymous publications have made certain that the villain AJ Raffles was dead, in the mind of the public, giving the genuine article just the wiggle room needed for he and his companion to disappear from the eyes of the law.

But certainly they can't depart from their beloved London town without one last heist, as much for old times' sake, as for a cushion to aid them in establishing their new lives. And what better opportunity than the upcoming Great Exhibition? Certainly all manner of strange characters are likely to turn up there. But most importantly, Bunny and Raffles, once more bound for hell or glory, arm in arm.

(Technically a crossover with Great Ace Attorney/Dai Gyakuten Saiban, but can be easily read blind for that fandom.)

---

And here we come to the gentle end of our narrative. Bunny and Raffles last great adventure in old London town comes to a close. Chapter 8 of 8.

6 notes · View notes

justacanofcorn · 7 days ago

Text

quam amiterre ludum (losing the game) James Moriarty x OC

Chapter Five: cannes belli

Chapter Four

Description: Anora makes a discovery. Anora took a job. war dogs

“He wants to talk to me?”

Anora gawks at Holmes and Watson as they sit in the drawing room of 221B.

“According to the man himself,” Holmes says. He stares out the window over Anora's shoulder but seemingly at nothing, as he plucks mindlessly at a violin against his chest.

“He tried to kill me. He either wants to try again or he's completely turned around. Or he's just feeling mean.”

“You wouldn't be alone with him,” Watson offers. Anora shoots Holmes a look.

“Not him. That…feels dangerous.”

Holmes shrugs his shoulders, his face unchanging.

“I don't mind,” Watson says.

“Did he say why he wanted to talk to me? Or what about?”

“He said…you realized, and it was too late,” Holmes says. Then, he perks up, laying the violin across his lap. “He meant your relationship with Moriarty, didn't he? But why now?”

As Anora tries to process Holmes's unraveling of her he stands and goes to his wall of maps and plots and theories. It's not dissimilar to how James used to plan.

“Is it possible he changed his mind, that he wants to give us information?”

“There's a non-zero chance,” Holmes mutters. “Could be that he only wants to harass Miss Leeds some more.”

“He could,” she agrees. “But if we don't have evidence of his ties to J- Moriarty, he'll be released, won't he? If he asks to speak to me then he's keeping himself there. Did the police find anything at his house?”

“No, but I did.”

Anora stares at Holmes in shock.

“And you buried that lead because…?”

“It wasn't the most immediate turn of events.”

“Well now it seems pertinent, don't you think?”

“There was a letter in Moriarty's hand but obviously in code. Will that be doable?” Holmes asks.

“Will what be doable?”

“Decoding the letter. I'd assume if anyone could do it, you could.”

“I'm not the resident mastermind, am I?”

“This is likely the conversation Moran was wanting to have with you,” Watson sighs.

“To ask me to decode a letter?”

“To confuse you so much you won't want to decode the letter,” Watson clarifies. He hisses the last part through his teeth and directs it at his partner. Holmes regards him briefly then returns his attention to the wall.

“How many of Moriarty's communiques did you pen?”

“I'm sorry?”

“A handful of the letters seized by the police were almost, almost Moriarty's handwriting. To anyone else it would appear identical.”

Anora scoffs. “But not to you?”

“No, not to me. The letters were missing one key indicator.”

“And what's that?”

“You're not a narcissist.”

Once the silence settles Anora sighs.

“I- I don't know that I can.”

“If you're not careful, someone might begin to suspect that you don't wish to offer your assistance.”

“Well, I was only tricked into giving it!”

Holmes raises his voice to match hers.

“I believe that you're resisting because you don't know what the letter might entail. What if it mentions you?”

“You think I'm that vain?!”

“I think you're that afraid!”

Another silence. Anora's heartbeat is pounding in her ears. Holmes is hiding his surprise at himself.

“Of course I'm afraid, and I'm not too proud to say it. You're asking me- and you're barely asking me, to face the man who upheaved my entire life. Do you not understand what that will do to me? Of course you don't understand, though, you unfeeling machine.”

“You and I both know what he took-”

Holmes stops himself. Anora knows what he is about to say, though. He was going to mention Irene. But he can't.

“Yes. Yes, I do, and I'm sorry,” she says quietly and fiddles with her nails.

“We're all afraid because he's reached all of us,” Watson says. “We all have lost and have more to lose. But we must be the ones to support each other. If we can't work together then this entire thing falls apart.”

Holmes finally returns to his chair. It must hit them all, in that moment, how tired they all are.

“I'll look at the letter,” Anora says finally.

“Any interest in taking that conversation with Moran?” Holmes asks. She shakes her head.

“No. Whatever game he's setting up I'm not interested in playing. He won't give us any leads on Moriarty so there's no other purpose he serves. Give me the letter and I'll do what I can.”

Holmes retrieves the letter from inside his vest and hands it over. Anora recognizes the paper but knows it's not one of hers. Of course not. Holmes knows as well.

“It goes without saying but do try to be quick. They can only keep him for so long.”

“I know. It…what you said was true. It shouldn't be too difficult.”

She's practically admitting that she still has reservations about assisting in the case but at least Holmes has the good graces to let it go for now. Anora says her goodbyes and leaves the apartment, heading for her own. It's not far but certainly in a different part of town, to put it kindly. The roof leaks, the locks are shoddy, and the age of the building means there's no gas powered overhead lighting. But, it's better than dormitories. She couldn't imagine trying to decode a letter from Britain's most wanted man with another girl asleep in the room. No, she needed to live alone. Even if it's bad for her, the isolation helps. There's no one around to challenge her, to criticize her. She's plenty capable of that on her own.

Anora sits down at her barebones desk and lights a lamp. She never kept any physical codex because of security reasons but even if she had, she wouldn't have needed it.

She begins with a magnifying glass, going over each letter with precision, just in case she catches something Holmes missed. It was obviously written with a fountain pen or something similar instead of a ballpoint, the latter of which Moriarty preferred since its inception. He was likely somewhere remote, then. Anora had always thought Eastern Europe was the likeliest option due to politics and the fact that everyone would expect him to return to Britain.

Everyone would expect it, and she had hoped for it.

She sits for hours, until the sky begins to turn grey. Then, at the last word, she finds the pattern. She hastily scribbles out whatever forgotten code she'd been attempting before and starts on this new one that has to be it.

She writes and writes and writes until finally the pen rolls from her hand. It isn't until she gives her eyes a moment to rest that she can fully read what she's read.

“Sebastian,

Aquire cassava. Move to the Wren's nest.

Await my return.

And to you

Honor

mox amica.”

The paper flutters from Anora's hands and back onto the desk.

Cassava- a plant where cyanide can be naturally found.

Wren’s nest- the Greenwich observatory.

Mox amica.

He knew she'd read this, and he's expecting her.

Anora arrived early when he first called on her. She made the long trek from her residence to a surprisingly wealthy looking neighborhood. Surely professors didn't make enough to live here, she thought. Not that it was any of her business, and she realized this and remembered that whatever she was being paid came from the same man who owned this home.

She rang the bell and waited awkwardly. It was a few days before Halloween and the neighborhood was busy with decorating. Meanwhile, Anora stood in her own costume, dressed casually, still as a man. She wondered if Moriarty would maintain the ruse during their working hours together. She wondered how many people he had assisting him in his operation. She wondered what his operation was. She wondered how she was becoming a part of it.

She'd been standing outside too long so she buzzed the door again. Finally, an old man opened the door. He seemed to be a housekeeper by the way he easily let her in, offered to take her coat.

“Good morning, sir. They're meeting in the dining room.”

She took comfort in the fact that she was passing as a man, but then immediately felt insecure at the fact that she had never been here before and therefore didn't know where the dining room was.

“Sorry, sir. I'm new. Could you show the way, please?”

The man moved at a glacial pace to put her coat away and turn towards the foyer hall.

“Of course, sir. Do follow me.”

They passed a study on their left and Anora peeked into a massive parlor on the right where a fireplace was roaring, heating Anora in the hall. They continued on until chatter became audible. The housekeeper opened double doors to a long dining room fitted with an appropriately long table. She saw Moriarty first thing and felt strange about seeing him in casual clothing. Next to him was a tall, lithe man with a mustache. There were others down the table, but her professor and this tall man stood at the head. Any place settings had been removed and replaced with sprawling maps and papers, held down with candelabras and carafes of water and wine. Moriarty met her eyes and straightened from where he was hunched over the table.

“Ah! Leeds, good of you to join us.”

He met her around the table and shook her hand, something that hadn't happened yet and Anora worked very hard to hide how odd the interaction felt. The other man took his time to look her up and down. Moriarty gave her a small smile and patted her on the hand. She took it to mean ‘it’s alright, take a breath, let's get to work’.

Moriarty led her to the table and returned to his spot.

“Leeds, this is Colonel Sebastian Moran. Moran, this is our newest recruit. Leeds will be taking Adler's spot for all intents and purposes.”

Moran and Anora shook hands.

“A colonel? Impressive. Where did you serve?”

“First Bangalore Pioneers, then the Afghan war. Among others.”

“The Great Game,” Anora nodded. “My father served as well.”

Moran nodded and looked as though he wanted to press for more details but restrained himself. It was at that awkward moment that the housekeeper made himself known again with a rather well needed clearing of his throat.

“Sir? Telephone for you.”

Moriarty excused himself and left the room.

Anora and Moran stood in silence for a brief moment. Anora began to peer at the documents on the table and noticed the name Blackwood scrawled on a note. That's when Moran decided to speak.

“So, how did you end up in the Professor's employ?”

Anora had found that the best way to lie was to sprinkle in as much truth as possible. This seemed to be a moment where truth wouldn't hurt.

“I'm a student of his in a tricky financial situation. He offered to help.”

Moran hummed thoughtfully. “He doesn't do that for just anyone.”

“Must be my unmitigated charm. And what about you? A colonel working in crime?”

“When you're at war, you watch the life leave so many men's eyes because of your musket in their bellies that most other things seem minor by comparison.”

Anora drummed her fingers on the table and avoided his stare that she knew she had earned.

“Are you the sort of man who keeps tally of the lives he's taken?”

He was silent, and they remained that way until Moriarty returned.

“Alright, Jefferson, Mikhail, give us the room, please.”

The other two men quickly vacated the space leaving only Moriarty, Moran, and Anora. Moriarty sighed then looked at Anora expectantly.

“Leeds?”

She stared at him. Surely he didn't mean…but it appeared he did. He nodded.

“Erm…” Anora looked between the two men, one whom she trusted and the other of whom she was fairly certain did not care for her.

“It's alright. For this to work, he needs to know,” her professor said softly. Anora took a deep breath. Moran did not seem like the sort of person she wanted to be vulnerable around, but if that's what it took to be successful, then that's what she'd do.

“At school, I go by Joseph, who was my brother. My name is Anora, and…” she caved and addressed the professor. “Is this necessary?”

“It is if he says it is,” Moran snapped.

“Sebastian,” Moriarty warned. “Now, I believe that together we can operate more efficiently than before but for that to work, we need to trust each other. Allow for transparency.”

“And how transparent are we with Miss Leeds about our operations?”

“As much as we need to be for her to fulfill her job safely and effectively.”

Moran glared at his boss and was breathing a bit more heavily now. Anora cut in.

“For what it's worth, I'm only interested in knowing what I absolutely must.”

“But you don't know what that is yet,” said Moran.

“Well, I trust the professor.”

There was a silence. The hand Moran had on the table turned into a fist. Anora wasn't sure exactly what issue he took with her but she wasn't keen on finding out.

“I'm sorry, but, if my presence here is going to be a point of contention-”

“It won't be. Sebastian?”

Moran sighed out his nose, then forced a grin. “Of course, James. Whatever gets the job done.”

“Good. So, Anora. Your first job is this: there is a woman whose husband I must create a line of contact with. However, he is bedridden and she is-”

“Incredibly paranoid,” Moran quipped.

“To put it ineloquently, yes. However, the one freedom she allows herself is Monday afternoons at the women's club in Mayfair. You are going to spend the day as Miss Leeds and deliver a letter to her for her husband. Tell her the purpose of it and who it's from and she'll receive it, because she'll feel safe with you.”

“Aren't women's clubs exclusive?”

“Very. We've gotten you a membership card, so wear something pretty.”

Anora faltered. “Oh, I don't…” She hesitated. God, if only she could just speak her mind. Moran snapped again.

“Oh for god's sake-!”

“Moran! I will not warn you again.”

Anora's heart thrummed in her ears. She saw the way the two men looked at each other and all she could think about was that no one had ever come to her defense like that, and certainly not against a friend. Anora cleared her throat.

“I don't own any nice dresses.”

Moriarty regarded her. “None of your mother's?”

“I had them sold. I didn't think I had much use for them.”

“You're very committed.”

“I have to be. No room for doubt.”

Moriarty nodded decidedly. “We'll get you a dress. Write down your measurements.”

He slid her a slip of paper and she scribbled down what she could remember.

“When do you need this done?” She asked.

“Tomorrow.”

Her hand slowed. “But that-”

“You'll have the dress in time. You'll be excused from my class and I'll talk with Harrigan. Trust, Anora. This only works with trust.”

Trust. Of course, but she could only hear and use that word so many times before it began to feel false. Still, she nodded.

“Yes, sir.”

Moriarty gestured to the door. “I'll show you out.”

He walked with her down the hall. The housekeeper saw them coming and retrieved her coat, albeit slowly.

“He's not very fond of me, is he?”

It was a polite way of putting it. Moriarty smiled.

“Don't take it too personally. He's not fond of anyone.”

“He is of you.”

“He's a dog of war. He'll follow his commander.”

Anora lowered her voice.

“A rather frightening thought.”

“War often is. I'll have the letter brought with the dress.”

The housekeeper finally brought her coat but her professor took it from him and helped Anora into it as if she were dressed as a lady. At the thought of the dress again, Anora turned a deep scarlet.

“Sir-”

“It's a job, Anora. It's only work,” he said, and put two comforting hands on her shoulders.

“Yes, sir.”

He smirked. “You don't like favors, do you?”

“Only when I'm compelled to take them. Will I hear from you tomorrow?”

“No, but you have everything you need. You're looking for Fanny Highmark.”

“What a name.”

“Wait till you see the woman,” he joked. Moriarty went to remove his hands but hesitated, then moved them a little ways further down her arms. It was a small gesture but certainly not one that went unnoticed. “You'll do fine. Better than fine. Just be your charming self.”

Anora let her anxiety out in a laugh. “My ‘charming self’ seems to have landed me in nothing but trouble so far.”

“And yet, you're in school, one of my brightest students, and nothing short of brave for coming here today.”

Anora's blush deepened so severely that she thought she'd started to sweat. Moriarty chuckled.

“Not fond of compliments either?”

Anora finally removed herself from his grasp, almost like breaking a spell, and opened the door.

“I'll see you on Tuesday, then.”

“Until then.”

Anora stepped out and closed the door behind her. She pulled her gloves from her coat pockets and put them on, warming her hands together and making her way down the street, not really knowing why she felt a little different than before.

#rdj sherlock #sherlock holmes #sherlock Holmes a game of shadows #game of shadows #james moriarty #john watson #mary watson #not a self insert #bc I'm bad at math and science #james Moriarty x oc #shut up #jared harris #hal still has jared harris brainrot

2 notes · View notes

duranduratulsa · 2 months ago

Text

Up next on my Halloween 🎃 movie marathon...Halloween Kills (2021) on amazing blu-ray! #movie #movies #horror #Halloween #halloween12 #HalloweenKills #johncarpenter #michaelmyers #theshape #lauriestrode #jamieleecurtis #jamesjudecourtney #nickcastle #JudyGreer #WillPatton #anthonymichaelhall #KyleRichards #nancystephens #CarmelaMcNeal #CharlesCyphers #ripcharlescyphers #dylanarnold #andimatichak #DIVATYLER #scottmacarthar #donaldpleasence #ripdonaldpleasance #bobodenkirk #RobertLongstreet #NancyLoomis #NANCYKYES #TonyMoran #drewscheid #MichaelSmallwood #OmarJDorsey #jibrailnantambu #lennyclarke #halukbilginer #pjsoles #michaelmcdonald #tristianeggerling #shanedonovanlewis #2020s #bluray

0 notes

anime-academia · 8 days ago

Text

Books read in 2024 (plus ratings)

江戸川乱歩/ Edogawa Ranpo 孤島の鬼 (Kotō no Oni)/ The Demon of the Lonely Isle [trans. Alexis J. Brown] (10/10) Utterly unwell over this one. The last part makes me want to cry every time I think about it. The Black Lizard and Beast in the Shadows [trans. Ian Hughes](7/10) Fun reads! The first one is an Akechi Kogoro mystery iirc. The Phantom Doctor (7/10) Also Akechi-sensei and fun, but nowhere near as brain rewiring as Koto no Oni. Japanese Tales of Mystery and Imagination [trans. James B. Harris](7/10) A collection of some of Ranpo's works. Some were good, some were mid, and some were just Junji Ito levels of weird.

Shakespeare The Tempest (8/10) Fun, but coloniser mentality much. Did read it in conjunction with Jane Eyre, not actually reading Robinson Crusoe, and reminiscing over Wide Sargasso Sea, so that was actually very fun for the brain. Twelfth Night (Or, What You Will) (10/10) I need to direct a production of this play so badly. Or just let me be Cesario. As You Like It (7/10) Fun but not really my vibe.

The Martian by Andy Weir (9/10) Not usually a sci-fi girlie, but this was delightful to read.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle (8/10) Delightful, amazing, BBC Sherlock can actually take the Reinbach plunge for the gross mischaracterisation of Sherlock.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (7/10) Good, it's a classic for a reason. I would recommend reading Wide Sargasso Sea along with JE.

人間失格 (Ningen Shikkaku)/No Longer Human by 太宰治/ Dazai Osamu [rather crusty pdf, I don't remember who the translator is] (8/10) Incredible. Reminded me of reading The Bell Jar. It did make me really sad tho, ngl, but there's also a sense of recognition.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (10/10) Loved this!

镇魂 (Zhèn Hún)/ Guardian by Priest (6/10) Was not vibing with the main story. Miscommunication and just general ridiculousness imo. B-plot was fun and Changcheng is so baby and sweet. I love him. 3 of the 6 stars are for him, the rest are for the other characters excluding MC and not-actually-a-professor. 2 books

川口俊和/ Toshikazu Kawaguchi [trans. Geoffrey Trousselot] さよならも言えないうちに/ Before We Say Goodbye 思い出が消えないうちに/ Before Your Memory Fades この嘘がばれないうちに/ Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe (7/10) for all. They were good, but not rent-free levels of good.

White Teeth by Zadie Smith (7/10) It was good.

墨香铜臭 (Mo Xiang Tong Xiu) [Trans: Seven Seas] 人渣反派自救系统 (Rén zhā fǎnpài zìjiù xìtǒng)/Scum Villain's Self-Saving System (9/10) So much about this one. I think about it at least once a week, probably. This was 4 books iirc 魔道祖师 (Módào Zǔshī)/ Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (8/10) Love the political intrigue. I will read this again at some point so that I can enjoy it while understanding what's happening. Everything can be explained by the answer "Jin Ling's uncle". Honestly, probably some of my favourite characters are in here. 5 books 天官赐福 (Tiān Guān Cì Fú)/ Heaven Official's Blessing (8/10) Yeah, filing and maths is difficult. Intriguing plot as well and as with MDZS, got stabbed in the heart several times. this is like 8 books long T^T

二哈和他的白猫师尊 (Erha He Ta De Bai Mao Shizun)/ The Husky and His White Cat Shizun by 肉包不吃肉 (Rou Bao Bu Chi Rou)/ Meatbun Doesn't Eat Meat [Trans: Seven Seas] (7/10) I was ready to give up, but the actual plot was interesting. and there's time travel. idk how many.. 3 or 4

女将军和长公主 (Nu Jiangjun he Zhang Gōngzhu)/Female General, Eldest Princess by 请君莫笑 (Please Don’t Laugh) [Trans: Melts and Eiko] (8/10) Plot is good. Stressed me tf out though ngl. Definite recommendation. Like watching shoujo after too much shounen. I think about this one frequently as well.

The Twelve Week Year by Brian P. Moran & Michael Lennington Idk how to rate this, but it's been helpful and I wanna try this method out this year.

Ghastly Tales from the Yotsuya Kaidan by Saitō Takashi (7/10) Wanted to kill a lot of people in this myself. That being said, the story is told nicely.

The Snows of Kilimajaro by Ernest Hemingway (7/10) Collection. Some were good, some were mid. His life was absolutely wild. Idk how Hemingway survived as long as he did tbh.

ダンジョン飯/ Dungeon Meshi by 九井諒子/Ryoko Kui (9/10) Loved this!! Suck you in with fun fantasy and then damn, the curtains are not just blue. 14 volumes

Depilautumn by Nakahara Chūya [trans. Kenneth L. Richard & John L. Riley] (8/10). Poetry Anthology, fun but not all were a vibe.

River of Stars by Yosano Akiko [trans. Sam Hamill & Keiko Matsui Gibson) (8/10) Delightful and Yosano was pretty damn amazing!

#no particular order and excluding ones from my tbr #asra reads #bookblr

3 notes · View notes