#mason if giving characters facial/body hair was a job

[gammagoop]

i did 3 of these because i couldnt decide on just one :P very happy with how they all came out though! (the template is by @/sunnydionysus!)

[palmett-hoes]

Do you have any fan casts or strong takes/feelings on the foxes’ appearances? Fandom tends to use the same Pinterest models, which feels wrong to me.

i do in fact! i've actually been meaning to make a post about how i choose to write all of the foxes' ethnicities anyway

but yes i absolutely agree that the typical pinterest model types u generally see on edits is not how i see any of them. nor is reece king or froy gutierrez or lucky blue smith one of my FCs for anyone

for a lot of them i don't necessarily have a single specific FC so much as i have like,, a general impression of features that i will see on various different people, who all may look wildly different from each other or who may not even look how i see the character as a whole but do have a specific feature i associate with them. mostly it boils down to the Energy i get tbh and that's just a Feeling i cant even explain

fun fact im a tiny bit face blind so that might account for some of why i'm so all-over about this

may as well go chronologically. some of them i definitely have more thoughts on than others

1. Dan

ethnicity: Afro Native (Sioux)

features: medium dark skin. buzzcut, killer fade. she often styles it in waves. she's very butch, wears a lot of basketball and cargo shorts, tank tops and flannels and jerseys, hiking boots. skinny but muscular, with a very rectangular body shape. defined jaw. probably like 5'4 or 5'5

FC/Energy: sometimes i get some dan energy out of janelle monae but more butch. lotta dan energy out of samira wiley. lashana lynch

2. Kevin

ethnicity: a lot of things tbd, but he's pretty multi-ethnic. i like the idea of kayleigh being half- or a quarter-japanese in addition to irish because it gives her more of a reason to go to japan for her undergrad. wymack is from d.c. which is a majority black city for its actual residents, but i also like the idea of him being Pasifika/Hawaiian. HOWEVER - and this is pretty important to my read of kevin's character - he's white passing, and has been mostly treated as a white guy who tans his whole life, like occasionally asked if he's italian maybe. learning that his father was a Distinctly Not White Man was a big shock to him.

kristin kreuk, lindsay price, phoebe cates, and marie digby are all half-asian actresses i base kayleigh on

i suppose i base his story partially on broadway actress carol channing, who revealed publically that she was a quarter black when she was like 80 years old. though maybe wentworth miller, a biracial actor who knows his father is black but also doesn't know him, is more accurate to kevin's story. then keanu reeves is a white passing actor with asian ancestry

also none of these people look anything like how i picture kevin lol. kevin is just like,, a guy. handsome ig. but kind of in a CW character kind of way

actually

kevin looks exactly like young jason momoa

3. Andrew

ethnicity: kayin/karen from myanmar

features: fat and muscular, very wide and heavy. this blog is basically all andrew body type refs. medium-olive skin, has a bit of a greyish tinge that makes him look a bit eerie or unhealthy. deep set, droopy eyes; looks so tired. flat face with a low-bridged nose. crooked teeth, especially his canines. natural hair black-ish but he bleaches it light blond. has the beginnings of martial artist punching callouses in his knuckles

FC/Energy: holy shit the characters i feel have Andrew Energy are all over the place. pedro pascal. babe ruth (yes fr). oddjob (harold sakata) from goldfinger. the jinn (mousa kraish) from american gods. gaear grimsrud (peter stormare) from fargo. takeshi kovacs (joel kinnaman) from altered carbon. and i wanna be clear, it's these characters specifically, and generally NOT the actors outside of that specific role. except pedro ❤️

4. Matt

ethnicity: cuban

appearance: matt has more of an Energy than specific features to me rn. that energy is Warm. he has that Warm bro jock dude energy. kind of a marvel hero build, hunky and muscular. very rectangular face. has this haircut:

5. Aaron

i get to cut myself some slack and not go AS in depth about aaron because he and andrew are identical twins

ethnicity: kayin/karen from myanmar

appearance: similar build to andrew, less confident and casual posture and body language. less apathetically murderous and more emotive expressions. better teeth bc his mom took him to the dentist. yes also bleaches his hair

celebrities: probably a lot like the difference between the characters and the actors. andrew is the characters and aaron is how the actors actually look. idk ive never looked at someone and thought 'hey! looks like aaron!'

6. Seth

ethnicity: have been going with half-vietnamese. considering looking into various south asian possibilities like pakistani

appearance: string bean build. that's all i have to offer

7. Allison

ethnicity: allison's very up in the air for me. she and seth are the two foxes i feel fine with being white, but im committing to having no white foxes sooo. i would say i generally see her as either half-middle eastern or chinese

appearance: plus sized and hourglass shaped. heart shaped face. taller, like 5'8 or 5'9. she has a pretty fraught history with her appearance and her parents payed for/pressured her into getting a nose job to have a 'prettier' nose. she also bleaches her hair blonde. she gets it done at a salon tho the twinyards do it in their bathroom

FC/Energy: elle king and nadia aboulhosn are my main inspos for her, esp body type but nadia esp in Vibes

8. Nicky

ethnicity: multi-ethnic. his mother is southern mexican Indigenous, possibly oaxacan. his father is mixed white/kayin

appearance: definitely takes after his mother while his father is white passing. dark brown skin, warm undertones. slightly stocky build. tall ovular head and thin aquiline nose. he's kind of just,, the opposite of the twins ig, so like their facial features look very different, which is a big part of why people don't make the connection between him and the twins alongside the difference in their skin tones, heights, and builds. nicky's build and features are very vertically-oriented, with a tall head, narrow-set eyes, thin nose with a high bridge, etc. the twins are horizontally-orienged, with broad, flat faces, wide-set eyes, wide noses with a low bridge, etc.

FC/Energy: yalitza aparicio, not a guy but one of the few Mexican Indigenous stars in the film industry and i really like her features for nicky. she's oaxacan

9. Renee

ethnicity: Black. african american

appearance: plus sized, circular/apple body shape. round face. dark skin. microlocs to a bit past her chin, bleached white and dyed at the ends. she and allison go to the salon together. femme but plain style, a lot of blouses and long skirts, practical shoes. knuckle callouses. about 5'6

FC/Energy: dominique fishback. tracie thoms, esp in RENT. gabourey sidibe. nicole byer, but not in Energy. brandy, for some reason, probably bc i think she has very serene Energy and is a little bit otherworldly. like if brandy played arwen or galadriel from lotr it would make perfect sense to me, and that's the Renee Energy™️

10. Neil

ethnicity: mixed. Black/Jewish on both sides. his father is polish ashkenazi and afro-brazilian. his mother is Black British and algerian jewish

appearance: very... sharp. like sharp all over. does that make sense? sharp features, sharp face shape, sharp angles to his body. he's got what i vaguely think of as a 'basketball build' not meaning tall but meaning very rangy and angular and lean. all limbs. seth has a similar build. lighter brown skin. he has waardenburg syndrome which is actually where he gets he gets his eye color, and his eyes are very large and widely spaced as well. freckles freckles freckles. freckles everywhere. 4a hair but at least during canon it's not very healthy and thus the curls aren't well-defined. he grows it out long enough to tie back and starts taking better care of it in post-canon. wonky, slightly crooked teeth, with a gap between the fronts

FC/Energy: now neil i actually have a ton for. mostly models which im a lil ashamed of bc i do try to draw more from athletes. alton mason is a main body type ref. mugsy bogues is good to see what i mean about the basketball build without the height. here're the boys: cykeem white, luka sabbat, désiré mia, Leo Hoyte-Egan, dylan hasselbaink, this beautiful stock photo model i've never been able to track down

i think about him every. goddamn. day.

in terms of like,, real ppl and not models: corbin bleu, especially during Jump In. figure skater elladj balde. rayan "ray ray" lopez from mindless behavior. A$AP Rocky a lil bit, maybe i just like his hairstyle idk

two more models i think are important: carissa pinkston and ralph souffrant

[afurrybutthememekind]

Cap Hawthorne

Cap is another one that is kinda weird for me. For starters I almost never do female characters in games. That’s usually because in a lot of video games that have a voiced protagonist I dislike the voice actor for the female, even if I like said actor as another character. But I also find it hard to relate to female characters a lot. She’s also strange because while I usually do a more carefree character she’s carefree in a more ‘life’s only boring if you let it be boring!’ kind of way and not a ‘I simply do not care because it doesn’t directly affect me of my loved ones and therefore it is not my problem’ kind of way.

Life’s a game made for everyone and love is the prize.

Cap gets bored easily. She’s always looking for something new to learn or do. Most people are surprised to find out she’s fiercely loyal and caring, often more than willing to go to bat for the people she cares about. She has a tendency to come off as just an irresponsible party girl but when push comes to shove she’s more than capable of buckling down and being responsible. She’s surprisingly neat and tries to keep things tidy but has a tendency to make a mess when she becomes engrossed in something. She’s used to people being dismissive of her because she comes off as so overly dramatic but likes to rise to the challenge of proving that she’s actually incredibly capable and smart.

Pets:

One very well-trained ferret named Swiper. Whenever anyone new enters the apartment she has to stress the fact that he can and will steal anything he can get his little paws on. 

Stats:

Charming 63% - Intimidating 37%

Impulsive 64% - Cautious 36%

Sarcastic 74% - Genuine 26%

Friendly 50% - Stoic 50%

Easygoing 73% - Stubborn 27%

Traits:

Heart 77% - Mind 23%

Optimist 67% - Pessimist 33%

Team Player 52% - Independent 48%

Skills:

People/Psychology 39%

Combat/Physical 15%

Science/Technology 57%

Deduction/Knowledge 32%

By the Book 38% - Bend the Rules 62%

Professional Relationships:

Mayor Friedman: 1

Police Captain: 0

Personal Relationships:

Rebecca - Not a very close relationship, though I understand her absences - 64%

Bobby - College ex. A memory that still irks me. Jerk.

Unit Bravo:

Adam-Teammate

Nate-BFF

Felix-RO

Mason-Teammate

Description:

Eyes - grey

Hair - strawberry blonde-long

Height - 6′0

Age - 23

Facial hair - none

Tattoos - smiley face on her wrist from a friend in high school

Clothes - slightly too big graphic tees, skinny jeans, sneakers

Perfume - only on very special occasions

Glasses - no

Body type - tall and toned, but no well defined muscles

Voice - loud, happy, musical

Apartment:

bright

Book 1:

Did shoot Adam.

Joined Wayhaven PD because it seemed easy.(When she says it’s easy she means more in a ‘I can use my knowledge to help people and it’s easy so why wouldn’t I?’ kind of way.)

Went out to the bar and saved Douglas.

Excited by vampires.

Did blood tests.

Did get bit by Murphy, on the wrist.

Murphy escaped.

Inside Cap’s apartment:

Cap likes everything to be bright and colorful. She wants people to feel happy and comfortable in her apartment.

Her bedroom is surprisingly tidy for the most part. Just don’t be surprised to find that she has never folded a piece of clothing in her life and her dressers and closet are just full of haphazardly thrown in clothes. 

She survives mainly off take-out and frozen meals. The only thing she uses her kitchen for is making obnoxiously colorful mixed drinks. She has very little food in her kitchen but she does have countless bottles of colorful liquors. 

Vision for the Future:

Cap doesn’t really think about the future. She lives in the here and now, which can become a problem when she has a bad idea and simply does it without thinking of how it’ll affect her future. The only thing she is sure about is that she is going to be with Felix for as long as he’ll have her. 

She’s mostly just excited about learning everything she can about the supernatural world and experiencing it all. Cap is more than happy to stay exactly where she is but would also willingly give it all up to stay with Unit Bravo if she had to. Despite not getting along with Mason and Adam she already thinks of them like her older brothers and would happily do anything for them. She’s eager to prove to them both that she’s not just a party girl and is very capable at her job. 

Past:

Much to most people’s shock, Cap was a straight A student. She had perfect attendance and always helped tutor anyone who needed extra help. She was often referred to as a ‘secret nerd’ and keeps that side of her hidden away from most people in lieu of seeming more carefree. Despite being very smart she displays a severe lack of common sense and got in trouble with teachers and parents for being a ‘bad influence’ because she tends to do anything ‘fun’ on a whim. 

In college she continued to be a remarkable student all while never missing a party. The only person that knew just how stressed she always was was Bobby. Her relationship with Bobby is the only real regret she has. She usually believes herself to be a phenomenal judge of character and is disappointed in herself for falling for him. She hates lying and secrets more than anything and will likely never forgive herself for falling for Bobby’s lies. Otherwise she doesn’t dwell on mistakes, or the past in general. 

[notgonnarememberthis]

Beautiful- Chapter 9

Wow it has really been half a year since I updated this but I am back and I intend for the next chapter (after this one) to be the last of this story. I knew I wanted to wrap it up somehow but I never knew and FINALLY I have some ideas.

A big ol' thanks to Mislav for getting me back into gear and providing some ideas that I could bounce off of as well as Em for being my ever favorite sounding board and test audience when it comes to my writing.

As for the case, for a large part the profile of the killers are based on the parents (or Pride) in the show Runaways. They have some allusions like jobs, how they know each other, and how they're connected but other than that they're original characters. This case will be tied up with a nice little bow in the next chapter!!

Watson wakes to the feeling of scruff brushing between her shoulder blades. She lets out a soft hum as her body tries to give back in to the pull of sleep. She didn’t even feel the dip of the bed when he climbed back into bed. Soft lips press against her skin muttering her name. Another groan leaves her lips as she stirs back against her partner. A heavy arm draped across her hips pulls her closer to him.

“Joan,” he says softly. Her heart pounds against her chest with the affection laced in just her name. She finds herself at a loss for words.

“Don’t call me Joan,” She mumbles feeling a deep chuckle rumble through his chest. “It’s too weird,” She turns slowly finding bright blue eyes staring at her with a softness she never knew he could possess. “Holmes.”

He smiles at her teasing remark. Her heart swells as her fingers find his cheek, brushing against the corner of his smile. His eyes possess so much wonder that she wishes she could read his mind. “Morning.” He whispers.

“When did you come back?” She shifts so that she can face him. He braces an arm against the bed looking down at her. His other hand slips beneath the sheet tracing her skin with such practiced care she wonders how long he’d thought of this moment.

“I only left for a minute.” The words are uttered so quietly part of her wonders if she imagined them. That she imagined this moment. She’ll wake alone in bed to Sherlock yelling her name rather than his lips on her body.

“Good.” His forehead falls against hers and she allows herself to be swept up in the quiet moment between the two of them. His lips brush against hers and she hums at the contact.

“The Captain called, they arrested Lara Noel this morning. She confessed rather quickly to Marcus out of guilt. It looks like we won’t be needed for the rest of the morning.”

“Is that so?” She hums burrowing into the pillows. “Another hour of sleep sounds really nice.” She opens one eye at his long whine as he lays his head against her shoulder. “No.”

“Watson.”

“I’m hungry.”

“You just said you wanted to sleep.”

“I did not.” She raises her hand, arm now pinned beneath his heavy frame, stroking the fine hairs at the bottom of his neck. “I said sleep sounds nice. But then you woke me up.”

“I always wake you up.”

“I think we both know that this is far different than how we usually behave.” That seems to change the air in the room. His eyes flash up to hers searching for answers to a million questions bouncing around his mind. She swallows heavily wishing more than ever that they were able to read each other.

“Do you want this?” Again his voice is but a whisper, but this one laced with dread. Fear of rejection hides behind his clenched jaw. A broken past has long shattered any expectations of romance for the both of them. It’s too complicated to catch someone up to speed. It’s too dangerous to keep them close. It was inevitable that they’d end up here, clinging to each other in the hurricane.

“Yes.” The answer is without hesitation in her mind. Yet nothing with them is that simple. They both have a fair load of baggage in aspects of relationships. Names forbidden from the home because they hurt too much. “I trust you.”

“Good.” He pops out of bed like a spring pulling on a pair of pajama pants that weren’t there last night.

“Where are you going?”

“You said you were hungry. I’m going to bring you food.”

“Breakfast in bed?” She stretches smiling at the idea.

“It’d be more like brunch by this hour.” He teases gently.

“Well maybe if someone hadn’t kept me up all night.” He opens his mouth to retaliate when her phone ringing breaks the playful moment. She flashes him and apologetic look flipping over to grab her cell off of the nightstand. “You’re on speaker.”

“Hey. I know you guys were trying to get today off but you’re going to want to come in for this.”

“I thought Lara Noel was confessing.”

“It’s another thing. We’ve got eight people in here confessing to multiple murders.” She sees Sherlock’s eyes light up with curiosity, she’s sure her own did as well. She nods to him signaling that they need to leave immediately.

“We’ll be right over.”

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

“We need to keep this between us.” He speaks up when they’re nearing the precinct, their takeout nestled between the two of them. She lets out the breath she’s been holding for a while. Since the call from Marcus he’s been distant, part of her wanted to believe it was due to the odd case they’re walking into but she knows him too well. His muscles were drawn taught, eyes flashing to her only when he thought she wasn’t looking.

“I agree. It’s a liability. We need remain professional.” He finally seems to relax at her words his fingers brushing hers. She feels like a teenager sneaking out of her parents’ house. It’s ridiculous but simultaneously thrilling. He lets go as the precinct comes into sight, a mask of impassiveness sliding onto his face.

They walk into the building side by side with the case at the forefront of both of their minds. Watson spots Marcus first and he looks utterly exhausted. He’s cradling a cup of coffee listening to another detective rattle on details that she can’t hear from this distance.

“Someone order lunch?” Marcus looks up at them then with a grateful smile. Judging by his demeanor he’s been here all morning, likely called in when they brought in Lara Noel and swept up in the next case without break in between.

“You are an angel.” Out of the corner of her eye she sees Sherlock feign offense. “You’re alright too.”

“So the case,”

“It’s a mess. We’ve got several murders being accounted for but none of them know names.” Watson takes a peek at the files noting the names of each of the apparent murderers.

“You’re kidding me right?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Sherlock looks between the two of them, confusion etched in his face. “Clearly I’m missing out on something, care to fill me in.”

“The Williams, The Lees, Riveras, Jones, Murphy. These are some of the richest people in New York right now why the hell would they be confessing to multiple murders. They could wave a check and someone would confess for them.” When her explanation is met with a blank look from her partner she divulges further. “Alison and Jameson Williams own A&J Law Firm, Mae and Simon Lee are software architects building new programs currently working on renovating facial software for lie detection, Martin and Sloan Rivera are scientific analysts who study pathogenic diseases, Emma Jones runs one of the biggest volunteer profits for the homeless in New York City, and Lena Murphy she’s a software developer but rarely in the spotlight.”

“Until her husband was shot in a mugging gone wrong three months ago, I remember her name.” Sherlock nods eyes combing over the files. “What would compel all of them to confess all at once.”

“They have to be connected in some way. Personal relationships or something.”

“Do you consider children roughly in the same age group attending school together a well enough connection?” He shows a photo on his phone of six teenagers posing for a selfie. “I’d say so.”

Sherlock steps to the boardroom housing the eight potential murderers opening the door for them to step inside first. The best way to start would be to get individual accounts, make sure their stories line up. Sherlock and Gregson take the first half of the suspects and she and Marcus take the second. Her fingers barely brush Sherlock’s hand as he takes away Simon Lee. From the relaxing of his shoulders she knows he noticed without alerting Marcus or Gregson to the silent action. It’s going to be a long day after all they need all the comfort they can get.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Already into the third interrogation Watson is exhausted. She cradles a cup of coffee brought to her by another detective with a sympathetic smile. Thus far, they’d investigated Sloan Rivera and Emma Jones but they got nothing more than a cluster of botched explanations and “I don’t knows”. It was evident that they were nothing more than pawns in the murders but conspirators nonetheless. They had enough information to give descriptions of two victims to a sketch artist. They’ve already sent photos to Mason in hopes of IDing them at least.

“Hey,” Marcus places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Lunch break is up and they got Lena Murphy lined up in there for us. You ready?”

“Yeah. Sorry just running what we got so far through my head.”

“Wouldn’t take long.” She lets out a bitter laugh in agreement. “Sherlock and the captain haven’t had much luck either. From what I could overhear Simon Lee is a ‘blithering idiot for a technological genius’ and Jameson Williams is ‘more dull than a children’s crayon’.” She rolls her eyes fighting the smiling pulling at her lips. “Hey it’s his words not mine.”

“Let’s just get this over with. The sooner we get out of here the sooner I can have coffee that’s not from the station’s machine.”

“Actually I just sent Mayer to McGregor's to get our orders.” She gapes at him for a moment. “Don’t thank me I owed you guys for bringing me lunch earlier.”

Their amicable conversation fades away when they reach the door to the interrogation room. Lena Murphy sits on the other side of the table with one wrist bound to the table by handcuffs. From immediate character analysis she strikes her as a demure woman. Soft spoken and definitely not likely to commit a murder but at the same time she’s seen first hand at how well cons can play the people around them.

“Lena Murphy. My name is Detective Bell and this is my associate. We are going to ask you a few questions about the murder-”

“Xavier Corbero.” Her eyes flash to Marcus as the woman speaks up. “We- I killed a man named Xavier Corbero.”

“You said we.”

“It doesn’t matter if it was me and my husband anymore does it.” She wipes away the tears building in her eyes with her unchained arm. “He told me not to care but I couldn’t do it. I learned his name, his life…”

“So you’re admitting that you and your husband killed Xavier Corbero.”

“Yes.” She sniffles but no more tears fall. From what she can gather, Murphy is telling the truth.

“Why?” An odd look settles over the woman’s face. Her skin goes pale and her breathing increases ever so slightly.

“He came to us. Six years ago.” Lena closes her eyes letting out a shaky breath. “He came with blackmail material and said we had to help him with his cause.” She spits.

“Who came to you?”

“He said his name was Liam Miller but Mae looked into it and didn’t find any indication of a Liam Miller that looks like him.” She looks down at the corner of the desk and initially Watson would attribute to that action of a lie if she weren’t shaking like a leaf. “It was small stuff. We flubbed data, cut corners on safety precautions, planting evidence. But it was enough to run all of our businesses into the ground. We would have lost our life’s work. All of us.” Another deep breath. “But then he asked us to get rid of someone. Naturally we freaked. We all thought he was insane. We’re not killers… We.. weren’t killers.”

“Ms. Murphy.”

“I’m getting somewhere I promise.” She sighs. “We all tried to bail. We couldn’t even think of how to kill someone much less actually commit the act. But he-” Finally she looks up meeting Watson’s eyes with a chilling stare. “Mae’s girl, Amanda overdosed on painkillers and they found her the next morning in her bed. He all but admitted that he coerced her into committing suicide. It was a crystal clear message. We cooperate or our kids would die.”

“Why didn’t you come to the police?”

“We were too afraid. It was like he had eyes everywhere. He had detailed accounts of what my son was doing at school I don’t know how he could have possibly known. Stuff that I didn’t even know!” Her leg begins to bounce beneath the table, likely a nervous habit. “He was sick. He gave us names of people,”

“Victims?”

“Killers. Serial killers.” She rubs the bridge of her nose, likely as exhausted as the both of them. “He would give us names of serial killers and make us… recreate the crimes. If he wasn’t satisfied there would be repercussions.”

“Repercussions.” Marcus sounds as skeptical as her but she doesn’t dismiss anything yet.

“I know you don’t believe me but ask Alison. She kept records of everything. She thought we might need them in the future.”

"What changed?" She shifts, clearly Marcus had struck a nerve. Her chin wobbles for a second and Watson actually wonders if she's going to burst into tears.

"Our kids got away... ran away. We don't know where they are. But they're safer than they were here."

“And this wouldn’t have been helpful to tell us this in the first place?”

“She wanted to wait until we were all together after we were individually questioned.”

“But you didn’t agree.” Murphy stiffens all but confirming Watson’s suspicions. “The others don’t take you very seriously do they? They never have.”

“I’m done answering questions.” The meek persona slides back over her and Marcus guides her back out. Only one more to go. While peeking out the window in the door she catches a glimpse of Sherlock. He looks so focused, lips drawn tight as he cycles information through his mind once more. Before he can notice, though, Marcus and another cop have Alison Williams coming through the door. She is quickly chained to the table and they’re alone once again.

“Alison Williams, I’ve heard of your work. You’re lawfirm is quite successful.”

“I only hire the best.” From the smug smile alone Watson knows that this round will be starkly different from the last. Mrs. Williams holds herself high with confidence, that much shows in her all white attire. She’s practically calling attention to herself wherever she goes. Dark eyes turn on her meeting her with the same curious gaze. “Ms. Watson I presume? I’ve heard of your… work as well.” Great just another person ripe with knowledge of the “controversies”, as the NSA deemed them, rifled through her and Sherlock’s work.

“We do our best.” She defends.

“Now Mrs. Williams let’s cut to the chase,” Marcus interrupts. “Lena Murphy already told us a lot. She said you have records documenting the murders.”

The older woman rolls her eyes. “I knew she couldn’t listen.” She fixes her blouse with her free hand as she leans against the table. “I do. In my bag in your conference room. But I’d rather share them with the entire class present.”

“Who is Liam?”

“Our… employer.” She says it with a self satisfied grin filling Joan with disgust.

“Employer?”

“He didn’t pay us. Not in the traditional sense at least. We got gifts from him. Sometimes it was a connection our people couldn’t see before, others it’s a full ride scholarship for our kids to the college of their choice. If we didn’t well, then he made us pay.”

“How?” It’s no longer a question as much as it is a demand.

A cold gaze settles on Joan once more. The ice in the dark eyes has the power to send chills up and down her spine yet she doesn’t move. This woman clearly has no remorse. In fact, she almost seems to revel in the attention. “Tell me Ms. Watson, how far would you go if you knew Mr. Holmes was in danger?”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s a simple question. Would you hurt a defenseless person? Kill them? Listen to them beg for mercy and swear that they didn’t do anything wrong?” A look of almost excitement slips over her face. “Have you?”

“That’s enough.” Marcus barks.

“You love him don’t you? It’s quite new, the longing looks and passing touches. It’s sweet actually. I did everything I did for the ones I love. Wouldn’t you do the same?”

She doesn’t let her facade betray her only throwing her a look of vague confusion. Marcus, seeming as finished with this interrogation as she feels, takes Alison Williams out of the room with a strong grip. She waits three beats before she exits as well. She’s careful to keep her steps confident as she struts to the bathroom, the conversation still lingering in the back of her mind. She can’t shake the feeling trapped in her chest feeling like it’s going to suffocate her.

She pushes her way into the ladies room careful to make sure that she’s alone before letting her emotions overwhelm her. The tautness in her chest makes it hard to breathe so she unbuttons her jacket, shaking fingers clutching the sides of the porcelain sink. She’s done a lot for Sherlock and her friends in the past, guilt haunts her behind closed doors but she’d do it again in a heartbeat. Still the cold gaze of Alison Williams stays with her as she stares into the white sink trying to catch her breath.

“Joan!” Her name nearly sends her jumping out of her skin. She spins around quickly to find Sherlock looking down at her, concern etched into his features. “You didn’t answer me the first three times I called to you I thought,”

“I’m okay.” She whispers. He crosses the line first, fingers reaching to her cheek.

“What happened?” His voice feels so wrong compared to his hand on her, all gruff and threatening while his fingertips barely brush the tendrils of hair that had fallen from the tight updo. He’s so gentle with her, as if he’s afraid she might disappear if he dares to touch her more than a passing caress.

“She found us out. Alison Williams knew about us.” She turns her head finding comfort in his touch, as if the warmth of his hand could chase away the chills plaguing her. “I thought we were careful.”

“We are.” He pulls her eyes to his, now grasping her anchoring her to the earth. “Alison Williams is a remarkable lawyer. I’ve had the benefit and misfortune of seeing her in action once before. She’s like us Watson, she’s a master at deduction. Except she uses her powers for evil.”

He dips his head to leave a whisper of a kiss on her hairline. It steadies her and all she can do is cling to his jacket, holding him close to her. They remain like that until her resolve returns to her. His thumb caresses her cheek until she dares to look up at him. Crossing the short distance to place a soft, sweet kiss on his lips. His forehead rests against hers and they revel in the quiet moment.

“You don’t have long before Marcus becomes worried.”

“I know.” She sighs slowly releasing her grip on him. He squeezes her against him once more before letting go as well. They linger in the tight space between them before a knock interrupts their moment.

“Joan? You alright?” He shoots her a look that radiates with ‘I told you so’ that she elbows him lightly.

“Yeah I’ll be out in a minute.” She calls back to Marcus.

She bids Sherlock goodbye and steps out as if nothing was ever wrong. She raises her head ready to dive into the case once again.