i ask you leave a penny for the watchman, and one in penance for the hearts you break

[frith_in_thorns]

I have nothing interesting to tell you today, sorry. I'm just playing with a meme instead, stolen from rabidchild67.

Give me a prompt, and I will write a drabble for it. Provide pairing or central character, a scenario or starting line, and I shall give you WORDS! Because this seems totally more productive than poking one of the other things I've started and got stuck on. Or writing depressed!Neal.

So anyway, just prompt me. I'll actually try writing pretty much anything, even if it's something I don't usually write.

Fandoms: White Collar, Eternal Law, SGA, AtLA, Discworld (minus the wizard books), Hunger Games, NY, Criminal Minds, other things you know I like but I've forgotten to list

Comments

[frith_in_thorns]

"What are you watching?" Sherlock demands. He flops down onto the sofa without waiting for an answer. "Is it a crime show?"

"Hence the dead body," John says. "I thought you hated crime shows."

"Nothing better to do."

"Well, lucky me, I guess."

Sherlock looks sidelong at John, who is already apparently back to being engrossed in the TV, so he decides he should probably stop talking. He's working on being more considerate today. It's an experiment.

After a few minutes, however, he starts to fidget. John doesn't seem to notice, so he keeps doing it.

Eventually John turns to glare at him. "What? You know, being all silently passive-aggressive is actually more annoying than you not shutting up."

"This show is ridiculous," Sherlock says.

"It's CSI, not War and Peace. Of course it's ridiculous. No one wants to watch scientifically accurate crime shows where they discuss the analysis of tobacco ash for an hour."

Sherlock pouts. It's a shame John isn't looking at him. "Well, those two people are clearly sleeping together. Why hasn't anyone noticed?"

"No, they aren't."

"They are. And that man's having serious financial trouble even though he's hiding it with expensive clothing."

John blinks a few times, and chuckles. "Sherlock, I think you're mixing up the characters and the actors."

Well, that's just unfair, really. "Isn't that what directors are for? To hide all those things? How are you supposed to tell which are real clues?"

John sighs. "I don't think anyone apart from you is picking up those things. Okay, not the sleeping together bit — I'm sure the internet is full of people who'll agree with you there."

"God, people are so stupid," Sherlock mutters, slumping down.

John rolls his eyes. "And yet you're the one who can't tell what's real and what isn't. Is this why you only watch chat shows?"

"There's no point watching this," Sherlock argues. Although John really does seem to enjoy it. And he's supposed to be being considerate. "Alright, how do you know which are the clues you're supposed to notice?"

John sighs again, but he's looking more amused than annoyed now. "Well, have you noticed the clues which are so obvious it's like you're being hit over the head with them?"

"Of course, but I've been discounting those. They're just unrealistic."

John chuckles. "Those are the ones you're supposed to notice. Try and ignore everything else. Pretend you're as stupid as the rest of us."

Sherlock tries. He really does. But it doesn't make sense. Still, they're nearly at the denouement, which — "But that doesn't make sense! I have no idea how they drew those conclusions!"

John turns off the television. "Welcome to how the rest of us feel when you're around," he says. "Want some tea?"

[rumrouz.livejournal.com]

Poor Sherlock

[frith_in_thorns]

:D Thanks!

[imbecamiel.livejournal.com]

Heeee! Oh, thank you, thank you for writing this! So much love - just exactly the sort of thing I've been wanting to read. :D

Among other things, this - "He's working on being more considerate today. It's an experiment." - totally cracked me up. So Sherlock. And of course, his idea of "being considerate" is a little... different from most people's. XD And I just loved John's explanation of the clues you're supposed to be following on crime shows.

Thank you for the lovely fic! \o/

[frith_in_thorns]

:D Thank you! Woah, it's always kind of strange writing something in a fandom you haven't written for in ages. But Sherlock's slightly odd way of thinking is really fun to write, glad it came across as being in-character! And it was a great prompt :D