#the only thing that could make this book more perfect is having Sherlock Holmes in it

[toastsrambles]

One of the Best Sherlock Holmes Adaptations No One Seems to Know

I know that I’ve been mostly (read: only) doing Moriarty the Patriot metas, but I wanted to talk about something different.

I’ve been obsessed with Sherlock Holmes for… a while. Seriously, everyone I talk to is sick of this Victorian detective by now. I’ve also encountered my fair share of adaptations (shoutout to A Study in Emerald, a short story by Neil Gaiman and 221B, a poem by Vincent Starrett, for being some more of my favorite adaptations). But I’ve seen no one - no one - actually talk about my favorite - and in my opinion, one of the best - Sherlock Holmes adaptations.

Sherlock: the Musical (2022)

With a book by Stefan van de Graaff and Denning Burton, and Music and Lyrics by Denning Burton. It’s currently touring, with the full musical available, professionally filmed, on YouTube. The official cast recording is available on YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

I could geek out about this musical for literal hours, so some of my favorite highlights will be under the cut. Spoilers ahead, so if you really want to go in blind, listen/watch first.

Now, important to note that this is not an adaptation of BBC Sherlock, like the name might imply. This is an adaptation of the original stories by Arthur Conan Doyle.

Firstly, the opening song, Streets of London.

This song gives you the perfect insight into all the major characters (sans Moriarty).

Sherlock Holmes, the famous consulting detective, is completely confident in his abilities. No criminals can escape: “not when you're messing with Sherlock and John/you just lose your freedom”.

John Watson is Holmes’ loyal companion, his Boswell. Whereas Holmes sets them up as partners, John sees things a bit differently: “right by his side is my spot/and I’m just fine writing lines of what he did”.

Lestrade is impressed by “this Baker Street detective”, while fellow Scotland Yard officer Alice is a bit more judgemental and skeptical: “he doesn’t have any friends”.

We also get this lovely chorus (00:54):

”Streets of London hide

Nothing from Sherlock’s eyes

This darkening plot

Is not what you thought, so

Are you watching close enough?

Blink you’ll miss this mystery unwind

He won’t be undone

Sherlock Holmes, always one step ahead of them

There’s only one you can’t outrun in London”

This song establishes the two main conflicts of the musical: the public perception of Sherlock Holmes and Watson’s relationship to Holmes.

Now, Holmes and Watson have a duet, Elementary, where their chorus reads:

“It’s elementary

Without a doubt, we’re the greatest duo sround

Elementary

The higher we go, the further they fall down

It’s just like gravity

How do we do the things we do?

It’s a natural phenomenon

That the best things come in two

It’s elementary”

And yet, Watson still says in the bridge: “behind every legend stand dynamic friends”. He’s behind the legend, in that he’s responsible for Holmes’ fame, but he’s also behind the legend; he’s just… not as important as Sherlock Holmes.

And, in case you didn’t notice: in Streets of London, the ensembles sings Holmes’ praises. Not Watson’s. The only person who notices Watson’s contributions is Holmes. Not even Moriarty does, not all the way.

Moriarty first becomes known when he plants a bomb that even Sherlock wasn’t able find- it was Watson who found it. However, the bomb never went off. Still, the story somehow makes it to the paper that Sherlock stopped the bomb.

The song Read All About It is something of a reprise of Streets of London, both in music and theme. It drills in the fact that Sherlock works alone, that it’s him and him alone who can save London. The way the public is whipped into a fervor of idealism is almost similar to Moriarty the Patriot, actually.

However, while the public places their faith in Holmes, he worries:

“Terror in London Nowhere to hide, fear in the streets, people are running Running to me How could I not see it coming? How do I not know what’s coming?”

See, the climax of this musical is the song One Step Ahead. Moriarty has lured both Holmes and Watson to Reichenbach Falls under the assumption that the other is in danger. Moriarty then holds Watson at gun point and tells Holmes that if he doesn’t jump, he’ll shoot Watson. In the end, Holmes agrees, and the song ends with this exchange:

“Holmes: I have to save John

So this is how it ends

Not enough time

Maybe death will be a friend

Moriarty: You? You don’t have any friends-

Watson: This time I’m one step ahead of you!”

Watson then tackles Moriarty off the cliff before Holmes can jump, leaving Holmes alone on the cliff.

The next song, Love Someone, is just- it’s so good. It can be read as both platonic or romantic, but the underlying fact is that Watson has shown Sherlock how important loving someone is, and how important it is to hold the ones you love close because “time is yours before it slips away”.

And, some more of my favorite lyrics from this song:

“It was love that took all my fear away If that love could be here and here to stay How would things change?”

“Love someone Love can hold the world until healing comes The greatest conclusion yet, when all is said and done”

“If you’ve prayed for a moment, pled to take their place And yet how quiet it felt, when you imagined their face Pure love, unchanged, a peace that carries your pain Time is yours, before it slips away”

And of course, the last line: “things have changed now”. The acknowledgement that Holmes is fundamentally different without Watson, and maybe can’t even be Holmes without Watson. It’s so incredibly touching.

Of course, though, Watson isn’t truly gone. We learn shortly after his funeral that he managed to survive by holding onto a ledge he spotted when making his way up the cliff in the first place.

This is where we truly learn how much everyone underestimated Watson. See, while Moriarty was the only one to see Watson’s importance to Sherlock, Holmes was the only one to see Watson’s true value. Watson is smart and competent; when Moriarty planted a bomb, he was the one who jumped on top of it with no hesitation (a la Captain America).

We wrap up with Streets of London (Reprise), where Holmes and Watson accept a new case and return to 221B.

Honorable mentions of stuff I ADORE about this musical:

Watson’s song Into the Shadow. Not only are the vocals superb, this song perfectly encapsulates how Watson has faded into Holmes’ shadow in the public eye. But his solemn acceptance of this - “if it saves your life/and they forget mine/then I don’t mind/stepping back into the shadows” - just makes it heartbreaking.

The fact that every single musical number is just awesome. A Different Story, where Holmes, Watson, Lestrade, and Alice interrogate a suspect? A Most Unusual Case, where we see the people who come to Holmes for help? The Greatest Mind, where Holmes and Moriarty first face off? ALL OF THEM are great, including the ones I didn’t just list. The lyrics, instrumentation, and vocals just blow me away.

The references to other cases! For just two examples: in A Most Unusual Case, the blue diamond in a coat sleeve is a reference to The Blue Carbuncle; and in Streets of London (Reprise), the recently engaged typist with a mysteriously vanished fiancée is A Case of Identity.

Also, Watson making deductions in Streets of London (Reprise) is just great :D

The way Watson supposedly dies at Reichenbach, and the subconscious message that it doesn’t matter that it was Watson who died instead of Holmes; either way, Holmes and Watson are dead. The death of one is the death of the other.

The way minor characters like Mrs. Hudson and Mycroft are portrayed is amazing. Seriously, I love the characterization here.

Just… I love this musical so much. It just feels like a love letter to Sherlock Holmes, and the passion behind it is astounding.

So, yeah. If you like Sherlock Holmes, give this a watch/listen. (Please, I really need to know that more people are aware of this masterpiece).

[musicalmoritz]

Some funny and cute head canon between hanako/amane and tsushigomori?

Yayayay I love their dynamic sm. The father/son duo ever. I’m gonna do a mix of Amane and Hanako headcanons bcuz their relationship at any point is so sweet to me

• So for AUs I think it’s super cute when ppl have Tsuchigomori adopt Amane (+Tsukasa)- or at least it would be, I don’t think I’ve seen any actual fics like that lmao. But for canon it’s definitely more of a “teacher you accidentally call dad” dynamic

• I still view Tsuchigomori as a father figure to Hanako but I think they’d both be very reluctant to admit it. I feel the need to specify that because fandoms tend to take parent/child dynamics and make them into super traditional families, which can be cute in AUs but sometimes for canon it takes away the nuance

• It’s the same as when I call Teru Kou’s dad, there’s more to it than that. Yes he is Hanako’s father, yes he is his teacher. Two things can be true at once

• Okay now that that’s out of the way, onto the headcanons

• Circling back to the first point, Hanako has accidentally called Tsuchigomori “dad” twice. Once as Amane, and once as Hanako

• As Amane it was a very emotionally heavy moment, when Tsuchigomori finished bandaging him up as usual. He gave him a mini lecture on standing up for himself, and Amane let out a quiet “Thanks, Dad”

• The minute he realized what he said, he bolted out of that classroom. He wouldn’t talk after that until Tsuchigomori reassured him they could just forget about it

• As Hanako it was more of a comical moment. He was hanging out with Tsuchigomori and Yako, annoying them as usual, but as he was getting ready to ditch them he said “See ya later, Dad”

• Everyone froze until Yako started laughing her ass off. Hanako quickly tried to cover it up but Yako wasn’t willing to forget it as easily as Tsuchigomori had been that first time, so he had to hide out in his bathroom for quite some time

• Yako started calling Tsuchigomori “Dad” too whenever she wanted to mess with him

• Tsuchigomori would try to help Amane make friends by pairing him with other kids for group projects. This always backfired, seeing as Amane had trouble socializing and was an easy target for bullying

• Sometimes he still tries to get Mitsuba and Mei to hang out with the kid so that he has more than two friends (one of which is his girlfriend)

• But progress is still progress and he’s obvi very happy to see that Hanako has made friends

• Hanako hangs out in Tsuchigomori’s office whenever he’s bored or sad

• When he’s bored he’ll just annoy him, telling him unfunny jokes and going on long tangents about whatever comes to mind. Tsuchigomori complains but never seriously attempts to kick him out

• When he’s sad about something, he’ll usually just sit at one of the desks or in the corner curled up in a ball. Tsuchigomori doesn’t comment on it, but he might give him a blanket and some candy, or a book to read

• Hanako tries to go to Tsuchigomori for advice on Nene, but Tsuchigomori’s love life is, frankly, pathetic, so really he’s the one who needs advice

• Some of the only times Hanako isn’t floating is when he’s running in the halls to provoke Tsuchigomori

• Every year on Father’s Day, Hanako brings Tsuchigomori a rock. He started this tradition as Amane and has kept it up all these years

• That’s not to say he didn’t love his bio dad, but he wanted to show appreciation for the teacher that looked out for him too

• Before they left school at the end of every day, Tsukasa would thank Tsuchigomori for “babysitting” Amane

• Hanako’s favorite books are the Sherlock Holmes series so Tsuchigomori lets him know every time the school gets a new copy

• He used to draw little smiley faces on Amane’s papers when he’d get a perfect score

• Amane would stay after school for tutoring even though he didn’t need it whenever things got too tense at home with Tsukasa and his parents

• Hanako frequently asks Tsuchigomori to update him on recent scientific discoveries. If anything major happens, Tsuchigomori will give him reading material

• Tsuchigomori was the one who taught Hanako how to use a computer

• Amane was always deathly afraid of asking questions or raising his hand in class, so if he had any comments he’d reserve them for when the rest of the students left (another method he used to delay going home)

• Amane strikes me as one of those kids who ate lunch with the teacher (ik it’s common for Japanese students to eat in their classrooms but this would be true even when his other classmates decided to eat somewhere else for the day)

• Before Nene came along, Tsuchigomori would encourage Hanako to clean his own bathrooms by giving him science and mystery books as allowance

• For Christmas one year, Tsuchigomori bought Hanako a toy rocket

• When Hanako needs to be cheered up, Tsuchigomori and Yako will play astronaut with him. Sometimes Yako pretends to be an alien, sometimes she’s part of the space crew, it depends on the plot

• Whenever Tsuchigomori is showing his class a movie, Hanako will sit in and watch

• Tsuchigomori has absolutely written “a pleasure to have in class” on one of Amane’s report cards

Okay I’m gonna end it there, ty for this ask I rly enjoyed talking abt them :D

[i-eat-mold]

cw: IF YOU THINK IM COOL AND YOU WANT TO KEEP THINKING THAT WAY THEN JUST SCROLL AWAY!!!

Not to be whiny on main but here is my niche complain of the day. Can you imagine being a child and knowing, not just thinking, but knowing something is deeply wrong with you, with the way you feel emotions n others n such. You try to bring it up a couple times because this cant be how everyone else feels? They would act a lot different?? but adults and friends just laugh it off, so you asume thats just how everyone else feels and it just seems weirder to deal with to you, so you shut up, and you keep this little thing inside you, this little secret about being wrong, so so so wrong, you take care of it like a little pet and convince yourself to not think much of it. Then you read Sherlock Holmes for the first time, you watch House MD for the first time, both probably too young. People laugh at them, consider them exaggerations and assume that no person could actually feel and act like that, right? But you do. God, you do, and if you were to say that outloud, best case scenario would be for it to be taken as a joke. So you say nothing, and that little pet of messed-up-ness keeps barking inside of you. Every time a character that you relate to acts like such, it is met in the same way by everyone around you, and the thing behind your throat keeps growing and growing with every realization of just how wrong you were made. And then you casually end up on some internet forum, and there is a stranger stating, word for word, all the thoughts and feelings youve ever had, every bark that thing has thrown at you. Turns out, youre not messed up. At least, youre not the only one that is messed up. You read more and more about the people talking about this, who experience this, and it is a perfect representation of the conversation you have had countless times inside your head imagining how would you explain yourself to someone else if they ever dug deep enough to find out. Damn.

Now i understand this has been a common experience for many people who grew up undiagnosed with autism, adhd, or many other things. If you relate to this, yay! I hope this makes you feel a little less alone in your experiences, and you got this. Though this might get more specific now.

You have found people that are just like you. You dont know any of them, but it must be real, right? how else could someone write word for word the most specific thoughts youve had all your life like theyre telling you about their day? So you find out what it is. Its an actual thing! It exists! you can finally name your little pet, you can finally pet it and say "its ok, you exist, you are real." So its an actual thing, you tell yourself, an actual medical condition. So you go, dig into every book in every library about the topic, trying to see if you can find anything that might help you understand yourself more. But library after library, book after book all you find is a simple list of symptoms written in the most despective way possible and pages and pages of tips for people to get away from you. It explains over and over how you are a rapist, a delinquent, incapable of caring, and ultimately a person you must stay away from at all costs. At the ripe age of 14. So you shut up and you keep that weird little pet of messed-up-ness to yourself.

OK RANT OVER GO BACK TO THINKING IM COOL

[thenationaltreasuregazette]

t do you thinknof them replacing The Wibberlys with a different writer after they wrote both films and the series?

Hey Emmi!

Thanks for your question.

Alright, this might be an unpopular opinion but...I think that was the right choice.

As explored in my initial breakdown of the 2003 script, National Treasure was the result of many creative voices, with the Wibberlys being the final writing team who took the story over the finish line into production. Their voice was an important addition to the project...but it is not the project.

For example, we've also explored just how fundamentally the casting of Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger affected the tone of the story.

And honestly? I know you don't agree, but to me Book of Secrets and Edge of History are both fundamentally flawed stories, both as sequels to National Treasure and as narratives in their own right. They are missing something, missing some of the quintessential oomph that makes National Treasure special.

After BoS it could have been argued that the sequel was made on too quick a turnaround to fully develop the story--this is incredibly common when movies are popular enough for the studio to want a sequel in short order. The story is, in my opinion, woefully underbaked, but like, I get it. That happens.

It's EoH that confirmed my suspicions that they were not the right team for these later projects. It's clunky. It fails to explore the world in a meaningful way. I want to like Jess. I want to care about the hunt but the story is just not all there for me.

Again, the Wibberlys had a major disadvantage. This was only the second TV show they've created. The other was a USA original that ran for 12 episodes...in 2012 when USA was still in its blue sky era and ran popular shows for as many 22 episodes as they could. Their other show, Common Law, was not the kind of Netflix miniseries 1-season darling we're used to now. It simply flopped.

So the Wibberlys aren't good at writing TV shows. That's, again, fine. It's a different skill set, and I have rarely seen treasure hunts work in ongoing narratives like that anyway? The genre excels as tight one-off narratives. It's hard to keep the excitement going without dragging things out in between clues...something with EoH is incredibly guilty of.

That in of itself does not mean they shouldn't write another NatTreas film.

But they are also not that good at writing National Treasures, because 2/3 of the National Treasure franchise is not that good.

I don't think just because they made the other one means they should get to make every property going forward. Sometimes new voices make stories stronger and bring in new ideas. Yes, sometimes they also make them worse and miss the mark of what was beloved about the original. But again, I think the Wibberlys' followups are already missing that mark so might as well try something different.

That's one of my favorite things about Scooby-Doo, btw. Like Sherlock Holmes and certain other long-running properties, there's just so damn much of it that if you don't like one creative team's take, you can just wait for the next one.

However, while I adore the first Pirates of the Carribean--Can an action-adventure movie be more perfect than Curse of the Black Pearl? Probably not--Ted Elliot was also one of the story-by credits on BoS.

So if you're worried, the franchise is still very much "in the family."

If you wanted more fresh voices, eh, we'll see.

On the plus side, this one seems to be getting plenty of development space, which at least avoids any rushed-to-production problems faced by BoS

God can you imagine Jerry Bruckheimer liking your shit enough to just...wait for it?

So, there you go. That's my take.

Your thoughts?

[author-a-holmes]

10 Fandoms, 10 Characters

Thank you for the tag @morby

No rules attached to this one so I guess, just go for my faves (Without duplicating a fandom)... I feel like this is going to highlight at least one of my "types" but I guess I've outed myself on that front before rofl.

Tagging forward, with no pressure, to; @faelanvance, @cwritesfiction, @theunboundwriter, @arigalefantasynovels, @acertainmoshke, @avrablake, @ashen-crest, @sleepyowlwrites, @tisiphonewolfe, and anyone else who wants to play! <3

So, without further ado, my Favorite Characters in some of my favourite fandoms, in NO SPECIFIC ORDER...

One

Fandom; Doctor Who. Character; Doctor Who, Tenth Incarnation

David Tennant's run as The Doctor was my favourite. It was a magical combination of a phenomenal actor, a brilliant "companion", and A+ writing team, but it made me fall in love with the character as a whole. Smart, Intellligent, Alien, but also Vulnerable, and ineffably Human.

Two

Fandom; Marvel Cinematic Universe. Character; Tony Stark

And I do mean "Tony Stark", not "Iron Man". Don't get me wrong, Iron Man is cool, and is definitely my favourite Avenger, but it's because it's Tony Stark inside the suit. It's the intelligence of the character that, again, captivates me and as a writer I see so much potential there. If I wasn't so busy with my own writing projects I'd be very tempted to jump back into fandom again just to have a play with Tony Stark's possibilities.

Three

Fandom; Sherlock Holmes. Character; Sherlock

This one had to make the list considering my pen name! I've loved many of the Holmes adaptions, and but there's something specifically about Benedict Cumberbatch's Holmes where you can just see that brilliant mind ticking away behind his eyes.

Four

Fandom; The Mentalist Character; Patrick Jane

I thought the whole Mentalist story was phenomenal, and the backstory for the character of Patrick Jane, genuis. I also love how much Jane is aware that usually he's the smartest person in the room, but is also painfully aware when he's not.

Five

Fandom; Vincenzo Character; Vincenzo Cassano aka Park Joo-hyung

This is a newer addition to my list, and I've only seen the series once so my memory may be a little shaky, but this was another highly intelligent character. A little vicious, a little violent, but at heart also a good person, and I fell a little in love with the character every episode.

And now, let me pivot into my second "type"...

Six

Fandom; Lord of the Rings Character; Strider aka Aragorn son of Arathorn

The OG Fandom Fave, Lord of the Rings got me into fanfiction. I began my online writing career by writing a "10th Walker" fanfiction that never saw the light of day, because I've always found Arwen's character very frustrating. Then the films were released, and the rest is history. But give me Strider over the polished King Aragorn any day!

Seven

Fandom; Shadow and Bone (Netflix) Character; General Aleksander Kirigan aka The Darkling aka Aleksander Morozova

This one is a little more specific because I haven't read the books, so I have ZERO idea how accurate the series is to the original material, but Ben Barnes, specifically, as the Darkling is all my favourite things mixed up into one character. Smart, Intelligent, Damaged, Rough around the edges, In dire need of saving from himself. He's got it all.

Eight

Fandom; The 100 Character; Prince Roan of Azgeda

Another character that I feel had wasted potential! I think they could have done so much MORE with this character but, much like Shadow and Bone, I've not read the books! So it's possible Prince Roan had a bigger, better, for fulfilling part there than the TV Series.

Nine

Fandom; The Witcher Character; Geralt of Rivia

Look. I've loved Geralt forever. I loved him in the CDProjecktRed games. I bought the books, and loved him there, and then Henry Cavill went and made the 100% hands down perfect Geralt on screen. What more can I say?

Ten

Fandom; The Vampire Diaries/The Originals Character; Klaus Mikaelson

Is there a better example of a morally grey character? Not one I've found, to be honest. Klaus has a freaking tragic backstory, and it's completely twisted his worldview. Does he need a good smack upside he head to teach him that his methods are fucked? Absolutely. Does that make me love him any less? Absolutely not!

[albonoooo]

what is your comfort media? like a book, show, movie, a race ect. (ps, i liked ur suggestions too!!)

amazing question, i've got a whole list anon!! i'll try to sort this into categories so it doesn't get too chaotic.

movies

die wilden hühner (trilogy). i have seen these films countless times, i've laughed and cried at them countless times and they make me immeasurably happy. i rewatch them at least once a year. i can't put into words how much i love them. (the third one lacks a little bit of the magic of the first two, but it's still amazing.)

vorstadtkrokodile (trilogy). a very close second, i saw them for the first time in primary school and have rewatched them many times since. the theme song used to make me feel invincible and hannes was one of my first ever crushes (i think i already said this in a tag game some time ago). (the first one is definitely the best!! the third one especially kinda doesn't have the same feeling to it, but i still love them all.)

sherlock holmes movies (the ones with rdj and jude law). something about them just tickles my brain right and i could watch them on a loop.

shows

deadliest catch (reality tv). there's nothing inherently comforting about it, quite the opposite actually, but i was obsessed with this show as a kid and if i had the opportunity now, i'd still be watching it all the time. it's so fascinating to me and just the right amount of engaging to not be overwhelmed, but also not get bored. that being said, as with all things, i did get very attached to the people in the show and cried several times over the course of it when some of them passed away.

books

the gemstone trilogy by kerstin gier. my most reread books by a country mile. are they perfect? no. are they perfect to me? yes. i gobbled these up the first time around and they're my go-to remedy for a reading slump. the only thing i don't like is the ending 💀 there is a movie trilogy that was made based on the books and they rewrote the ending, but it's still bad lol. (the second book, sapphire blue, is my favourite out of the three!)

youtube videos

the man, the myth, the legend, mike's mic. specifically, his appropriately unhinged recap of pretty little liars. top tier rewatch material. he's hilarious and i could listen to him speak for hours. have i ever watched pll? no. everything i know about it, i've learned from mister microphone and i'd like to keep it that way.

this performance of swan lake. i don't know anything about ballet and i'm not really that interested in it, but something about this is so soothing and relaxing to me. and, obviously, the music fucking slaps. tchaikovsky really ate with this.

honourable mentions

carlos sainz's interview on the 'p1 with matt & tommy' podcast has helped me fall asleep more times than i'll ever admit.

yakari was probably my favourite show as a child. it's been many years since i've last watched it and it would possibly bore or even annoy me now since it's tailored to small kids, but i can still recite a worrying amounts of episodes' content by memory.

from the bottom of my heart, i am sorry this got so long lmao. thanks for the ask, this was a really fun one!!

[girl-next-door-writes]

For Better, For Worse: Love the Way you Lie.

Characters: Mycroft Holmes x reader

Summary: How long can a marriage be neglected before it is broken beyond repair? The tempestuous rows are becoming more frequent and Mycroft fears that once they stop then his marriage will be over.

Word Count: 1141 words

A/N: The wonderful @persephonehemmingway won herself a fic based on a song, and this is it. Thank you, sweetie, because now I have a whole new Mycroft Series with this being the first part. So, please, enjoy.

This was never how he envisioned it. The man standing before you now, fists clenched so hard the knuckles were white, fire burning through his veins, jaw so tight from trying to hold back any further cruel words that he didn’t mean, this was not a man he recognised. This was not the husband he wanted to be. He did not want to stand across the room from you, watching you sobbing as you both silently swore this would not happen again. He had lost count of how many times he had made that promise.  

The heat of the argument was draining from the room, leaving only a heartless chill. Mycroft felt like he couldn’t breathe, as if each of the vicious words he had slung at you had been like steel knives, slicing his windpipe as they escaped his lips, each a dagger aimed directly at your heart. These had become your only interactions of late, these passionate, venom filled rows which had you screaming at each other. Still, it was better than the silent indifference he experienced at other times your paths crossed. At least while you argued with him, while you fought, there was still a chance, right? There was a thin line between love and hate, and he would rather you hated him than felt nothing for him at all. And so, he continued to work late and erratic hours, continued to push your pressure points just to get you to talk to him; even if that ‘talk’ was at a volume likely to have someone call the police to report a domestic disturbance.

He loved you. Mycroft knew that he loved you just as ardently now as when you had first met, but somehow that love had turned to this. Tonight had been the worst argument yet, stemming from him going for drinks with Lady Smallwood after work instead of returning home like he had promised. Another lie. Papers lay scattered on the floor from where he had swept them from his desk. A book sprawled on the carpet from where you had thrown it at him, although if you had wanted it to hit him, he had no doubt it would have done. The broken shards of the whiskey glass he had hurled at the fireplace glistened in the firelight and he wondered, not for the first time, how it had come to this.

Mycroft became aware of you moving, heading towards the door.

“Where are you going?” His voice was hollow, ragged slightly from the yelling.

“I’m leaving you.” It was something you had said a handful of times, and each time it sent ice through his veins.

“No, you’re not.” A statement of fact. He knew you were not going to leave him, because you loved him, didn’t you? There had been times in your relationship, in your marriage, that had been so perfect. When the two of you worked, it was euphoric, but when it turned bad, well…

Glancing around the room, listening to the fat raindrops hammer against the windows, he felt ashamed. How had he stooped so low? Why was he determined to make you hate him as much as he hated himself? He had never laid a hand on you, but the way things had escalated this evening he could not be certain he never would, and that terrified him.

He loved you so much that he could barely breathe without you, and he had come to feel that was unhealthy, that he needed to put some distance between the two of you because if you ever left him then it would kill him. Things between the two of you had been perfect, and then the job became so big, the country in such a state that he needed to focus solely on that. And then there was Sherlock, and Eurus, and Mummy, then Daddy’s little stay in hospital after that fall. Then the public elected that utter fuckwit into number 10. Mycroft still couldn’t figure out quite how that had happened. He was spinning so many plates, he was bound to drop a few, and he thought his marriage was something he could pick up at a later date, that you loved him enough for that to get you through the weeks, months, now years as he left that plate on the floor, trying to keep the others from toppling.

The neglect, however, had clearly taken its toll. He couldn’t even remember the last time you had eaten together. Now each interaction either held a silent tension or found you spitting venom at each other. A rage of frustration seemed to grip both of you in those moments as you fought to get the other to see your point of view, until it spilled over, leaving you sobbing, and Mycroft overwhelmed with guilt, and then you would both go your separate ways, sometimes you threatening to leave forever. The next morning, however, the silence blanketed the house and you both promised to never let it get that bad again. Sometimes he would send flowers. Sometimes you would leave a note in a lunch you had packed for him. Sometimes he would eat that lunch and read the note, other times it all ended up in his bin at work.

Sitting at the desk in his study, Mycroft promised that next time he would show more restraint, not let his emotions get the better of him. He could only imagine what his brother would say about that. Mycroft swore that he would do better. Another lie. You both said things that you didn’t mean, but knowing that didn’t take away the sting, didn’t stop those words taking root until he wondered if there was some truth in the insults you threw at him.

A tentative peace descended for a few weeks as you both fell back into the same routine. You going to work and returning home. Cooking a meal for the two of you that would always end up being eaten separately, if Mycroft even ate at all. You falling asleep and waking up alone, unsure if he had even shared the bed.

Mycroft loved you too much to let you walk away, but he didn’t know how to fix this, or if he even could. The pressures of other areas of his life were increasing and he simply did not have the time to devote to this. Which is why he knew, all his promises to be better, to keep his temper, to refrain from arguing, they were all lies because it was only a matter of time before the two of you would be there again, his veins burning with shame and anger as he stood there watching you cry. His only consolation was that while you were still fighting, there was something to fight for.

[roxannepolice]

A little bit of GOS2 criticism crossed my dash, mostly of the not like the book variety (not plot-wise, obviously, only in the sense that it went away from the spirit of the book). Leaving aside the fact as a Stanley Kubrick* fan I don't find this a compelling argument at all, I'm really not raging against the fact that there are people who dislike the things I like, not even blocking anyone, that's for politics, filtering serves just perfectly. But I think I see a pattern in the criticisms original/classic material fans levy against adaptations/continuations in Good Omens (that sometimes includes the first season too), Doctor Who and Sherlock Holmes fandoms. If you bite your way through the overgrow of whatever social policy is on the menu it boils down to overfocusing on characters, and in the case of GO overfocusing on characters that aren't even strictly protagonists. And if you've followed me for a while you may have noticed that this sometimes annoys me, too. Sometimes I dress it in fancy wording of precession of simulacrae, sometimes I just bitch about TTC. So I started thinking about why it doesn't bother me, and in fact is a thing that fills me with insane feuertrunkenness** when done right - by which I mostly mean 2nd season of Sherlock, RTD/early Moffat era of Doctor Who, and the 2nd season of Good Omens. So, obviously, I started thinking of Francisco de Goya y Lucientes.

Say hello to my icon and one of most favourite works of visual arts. The simple truth about Goya is that he was an absolute genius in realistic painting. He was flexing away his way across the Spanish court with his compositions, and fabrics, and wrinkles, and light work. He was straight up academically and technically brilliant. He was a product of the European fashion of the time. And yet he could also, especially as his own health and political situation in the country deteriorated, he could also do so. much. drama. So much vision, so much phantasmagoric nightmares. So much introspection. Without even for a moment falling down the chute of sentimentalist navel gazing that the romantic era so often went down.

I don't really like periodization, good art is good art, but paradigmatic shifts are definitely a thing. And there are those amazing artists who bring the older, more established, more as Jung would put it, externalized paradigm to perfection and push it further without losing the sight of it. This is Goya, this is Botticelli, this is Goethe, this is very late Mozart, this is Beethoven. Wagner is a great example because there's this definite moment around the Flying Dutchman and Lohengrin when he finds his style without overpompousing it. And this is an extremely difficult rope to walk! Falling down the rabbit hole of overthinking your own work, and especially overthinking pop cultural phenomena is way way wayyyy too easy for anyone to walk it. The temptation to overpower them is way too strong for mere mortals to resist it.

But it is possible. RTD showed it is possible to do so for over 50 hours of material. The point be that the drama, the sturm und drung and lebenschmertz and whatnot emerge naturally from the story, rather than fitting the story specifically to make it dramatic and navel gazy. It'll be a bit mean now, but it's the difference between the self made tragedy of the last of the time lords and a literal species ready to change reality to find out the Doctor's true name, which matters, but not, but does.

And I think Neilman did hit that sweet spot in the second season. Yes, people are complaining about Aziraphale and Crowley coming off as "too important", especially Crowley***, which is completely contrary to the book, but this remains elegantly within the realms of interpretation. It's introspective and dramatic without navel gazing and tragedy for tragedy's sake. And knowing his other works I feel fairly confident he won't be falling off that rope.

And I wouldn't be a McLuhanist if I didn't mention that television is a medium naturally more likely to focus on characters because of its episodic character (stories end, banter is forever) and the fact it was the first medium where characters were literally at people's homes.

* Don't inform me that he wasn't the nicest person but was a veritable nightmare to work with, I mean his FILMS.

** Sorry for the German vocab, but what can I say, they really made a point when they started splashing words together.

*** My three cents on pre-fall Crowley's archangelic status is that I still like the inversion and irony, but I liked it better when the theory was getting excommunicated as *checks notes* too classist, rather than sth you vagued Neilman about on Tumblr.

[legallyhermione]

Hi....If you don't mind, can I ask, what are your top 10 (or top 7) favorite media (can be books/ manga/ anime/movies/tv series)? Why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before......Thanks....

Ooooof this is such a hard question!! Thank you for the ask, I love this kinda stuff!!

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here they are!

1. Any of MXTX’s content (I’m counting them as one because I love too many things 😭): For me, these novels and adaptations were my first foray into danmei and Chinese media. I also discovered them at a time when I was questioning my identity and coming to terms with the fact I’m queer (which is…not really accepted in my family). I watched The Untamed first, then read fan translations of the novels before they started being officially translated, and I keep coming back to them because I find them so thought provoking. I like that none of the characters are presented as perfect people; they’re all flawed humans, but we love them anyway.

2. Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty: found family, Sherlock Holmes-like detective skills, spies, political machinations, food as a form of love? What more could I ask for! I just love this show. Haven’t gotten to read the novel it’s based on yet, but I’m hoping to soon!

3. Yuri on Ice: one of the first anime I ever watched, and it’s just so sweet and lovely. Definitely one of my comfort shows! Plus there are some crazy good fics. Still hoping one day we’ll get the movie!

4. Harry Potter: I struggle with this one a lot, because I very much dislike JKR’s transphobic rhetoric. But the fan spaces of Harry Potter provided me with support and escape I needed many times throughout my life, and for that the fandom of Harry Potter will always hold a special place in my heart. It’s been a part of my life nearly as long as I can remember.

5. Thousand Autumns: another one with some very morally grey characters! I love thinking about who and what is right and wrong, and this novel definitely makes you think about it. Lots of political world building as well, which I love.

6. My Cousin Vinny: a fantastic movie that I have many fond memories about. The jokes and digs about the south vs the north in the US always make me laugh, and as someone who has lived many years in both of those areas, those scenes make me giggle.

7. Haikyuu!: another one of my comfort shows! It’s just happy and fun and adorable. I love this one. I watched it sooooo many times during lockdown.

8. BBC Merlin: was morgana my bi awakening? I shan’t tell! Suchhh a good show, I miss it so much. Another fandom that has some incredibleeeee fanfics. Y’all writers are so talented.

9. Our Flag Means Death: I think this was maybe my first piece of media that explicitly included multiple queer characters but the entire storyline wasn’t only about the otherness and pain of being queer (or just a stereotyped role). This show made me feel seen in ways no other media had before. Plus, the show is gay pirates. It doesn’t get much better than that!

10. Avatar the Last Airbender: me and my siblings all loved this show, and we still watch it together often whenever we’re together. It’s so good. Zuko’s character development is still quite possibly the best redemption arc I’ve seen. I love it.

Phew. It was so hard to choose 10! I’m glad you didn’t ask me to pick one because I’m afraid that would’ve been impossible for me! What are your favorites???

💚

[riansdiary]

Rian's Movie Review/Reaction

Hello and Welcome to my first movie review/reaction/commentary! This is really special since this one is my favorite movie right now. Let's start, shall we? 🥳

This is my movie review for Enola Holmes 2!!!

Wow, I don't even know how to start but it's still fresh in my mind so hopefully I remember everything I need to talk about. If not then I will watch again as I write this!

First off, I really love this movie and I cried a lot during and after the movie. I was in tears, actual falling tears as I finished it. It was so inspiring and empowering for me. I wanted to be like Enola Holmes. Someone who's very intelligent, has great deductions and most of all, she has such a fun and exuberant personality! She's also really inspiring and someone I aspire to be like. Currently finding my own Lord Tewkesbury right now 😆 I just loved their relationship since the first one!

As someone who grew up reading and watching mystery and detective stuff, this was perfect for me because I love Sherlock Holmes, Enola Holmes, Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, you name it. It is my favorite genre, that's true. I just love a good book or movie that can make me think or test my brain or solve problems, cases and puzzles. I love those type of things so yes I do play those kind of games too. I've played the Nancy Drew ones before and loved it so much. If you're curious on what I'm playing right now, I did just play Hardy Boys: Treasure on the Tracks which is an NDS game. I played it on my phone because I have an emulator for it. I know I'm going on a tangent here but I just wanted to share that.

Let's start!

I'm gonna do them in bullet points so it's easier to read and more organized.

Enola was at first overshadowed by her brother but we know that since her brother is none other than Sherlock Holmes but she definitely is very much like him in terms of intellect. She is quite as intelligent and as observant as he is. They both have amazing deductions. However, she wasn't even respected when clients were coming in. They were like, "You're a girl!" and I said in my mind, "So what? So you think just because she's a girl, she can't be intelligent? As intelligent as her brother?"

Can we talk about the whole thing about Enola breaking the fourth wall and looking/talking to the camera? I liked this because I felt like I was with her during the whole movie. It was so much fun and so funny at times! This was so good and I also liked it from the first movie. This is so unique and so immersive for the viewers! During the movie when she talks to the camera, I kind of answered or talked to Enola in my mind because it was fun to do that. I was just being myself and having fun watching it!

Bessie is so freaking cute! I had to talk about her!

When I knew that Sarah Chapman had red hair, I kept that in my mind like the other clues so when I saw Cecily, I immediately knew or rather felt that it was her. She's so pretty! A perfect casting for Lily Potter I would say!

Enola carrying her brother to his room was cute and funny! He was always telling her that she should probably write what he said and that was adorable because he was giving her tips and somehow teaching her what he knows as a private detective himself.

Can we talk about the outfits!!! Oh my God Enola and everyone looks so amazing in their outfits! Loved the ball dress and her blue one! Those are probably my favorite ones!

Louis looking like a whole prince again and he looks great with his new hairstyle! I see him as more of a little brother thing not a crush but doesn't he look like a prince? He just has such a prince face! Do you get what I'm saying? Like he looks a total prince and he also could play a live action Disney prince!

Henry Cavill as Sherlock is just perfect!

Enola always waiting for/watching Tewkesbury on his way to the Lords! That's so sweet! It was so funny when she was defending herself from the viewers saying that she only comes there when there's a need for it, that was cute af! Also when she asked us if he's looking back I said in my mind to answer her, "Yes he is! Girl, he's so looking back you just didn't see!" That was so much fun to watch!

When she was solving the secret message in the letter, I was so excited! I love those kinds of scenes! God when she squealed after solving it and there was a woman with a baby, that was so funny! I love those moments when she squeals, it's just so cute!

When Enola was made a suspect for the murder of Mae, Oh my God! I mean it makes sense why they would think it's her but I expected something better from Lestrade but I guess it's because she wanted to keep the evidence she found that's why she kicked Grail and ran for it. Can I just say that I hate him? I hate Grail so much!

That whole scene of Sherlock hiding his sister behind his case board from Lestrade! That was iconic! Loved that part a lot!

I love how Sherlock walks into a place that the police are investigating and just goes in like, "Don't be ridiculous." That was so Sherlock!

Millie looks so good with the simple but beautiful makeup she was wearing on the ball scene!

The aesthetics! I loved how everything looked! The outfits, the cinematography, the little animations and the places that I saw in the movie! It was so pleasing to the eyes!

That scene with Mira Troy was wonderful! I liked her! At this point, I didn't know she was Moriarty yet but we have a female Moriarty! That's awesome!

Can we just talk about Millie using the fan? She was so funny and adorable on that scene! When she accidentally given some type of fan message to the guy, that was the funniest scene for me! Loved when she said, "Help." to the camera! It was even more funny when she was shooing the guy with her fan!

Gosh that smile on Enola's face when she saw Tewkesbury! So cute! As usual, he's interested about the plants! That's our boy! He was so cute when he was smelling the plant!

That whole dance scene was so perfect! So romantic and majestic! I love them together! They're so cute! Did I say that I love that already? Good! Just making sure bcs I loved it so much! Finally some Holmesbury moments after the ending of the first movie!

Enola angry eating getting jealous when Tewkesbury was talking to the other ladies! That was really cute!

Them getting jealous bcs of William and Cecily is just so adorable! That scene with Tewkesbury entering the room instead of William was so good! I loved how you can see that they're jealous! Enola thinking he would like Cecily and Tewkesbury's reaction about Enola waiting for William was fantastic!

The scene when Enola got caught by the police was so annoying. I hated it. Poor Enola who went to prison and immediately was almost hanged Oh God! It was horrible! You know what other scene I hated? Yes! That scene when the police took her out of the ball and people were judging her and laughing! That was the worst. Just know I'm talking about this as my reaction to the scene and more about how I feel about what happened on that scene.

Grail, Grail, Grail. I hated him so much! That scene with him in the prison? He's so horrible. The way he used phosphorus dust to put Enola's fingerprints on the knife? I really hate him for doing that.

Another thing I want to say, I also felt like kicking something when Sherlock was talking to Grail about Enola. I felt soooo much relief when Sherlock kicked that thing in front of the police station/prison.

Sherlock going to Edith for help was a good scene! I liked their dynamics! It was really nice to watch.

Aww Eudoria and Edith coming to rescue Enola was so amazing! It was such a great scene when they were escaping and taking Enola with them. Fighting Grail and his minions! They deserved that yeah! Such iconic scenes! The fight scene was really good! When Grail was hitting or slapping Enola, I fudging (just keeping it nice and swearless just in case someone young is reading!) hated him for that! Enola saw her mother again yay! That was such a beautiful scene when she went like "Tis' I!" and they hugged! Loved that!

Eudoria with her explosives! What a great scene! When she finally uses the dangerous explosives, loved it especially when she told Enola that it was the dangerous one. Eudoria whistling while they ran away from it was such a nice touch!

Gosh that blue outfit that Enola wore after the fight with the ribbon on her hair was just absolutely perfect!

Her last scene with her mother and Edith was just a little sad but it was beautiful! Loved when she hugged both of them and winked at her mother!

When Enola was finding out that there was something off about the match factory, the matches and Typhus, I really loved finding that out too because I had a feeling that it was because of the phosphorus. Loved that whole scene when she was realizing that Sarah, Mae and William were testing the red and white powder on the plants. The white one was killing the plants and the insects. Even the rat. That means that the girls were dying because of that new thing that the factory was using that makes the white matches. I meant cheaper phosphorous.

The outfit that Louis had on when Enola went to him because she needs his help, he looks so good! Other than that, his house! It's so beautiful with plants and probably flowers wow! Enola hiding there with a leaf covering her face was funny! Also her getting jealous because Cecily went there to see him aww!

Tewkesbury just going off and confessing while Enola was realizing that Cecily was Sarah! He meant to say he has no eyes for anyone but you! That's just what I said in my mind that whole scene!

Can I just say that one of my favorite scenes would definitely be the one where as I said Tewkesbury was busy trying to confess his feelings and Enola realizing that Sarah is Cecily and then she walked out and Tewkesbury came after her and that whole scene was *chef's kiss*! Finally they admitted their feelings for each other! I literally cried because I loved that and I just feel like their relationship is just so lovely, beautiful and wholesome! That's the kind of love I want for myself. Pure love. Don't worry though! I might have two candidates who's like Tewkesbury! 😍 I'm sorry I don't know why I'm talking about my love life here! 😆

I think you can guess when I started crying other than the Eudoria and Edith saying goodbye to Enola part. Yes, when they said "I love you" to each other! That was really sweet and I've been waiting for that since the first movie! The fan language omg! When we finally knew what that meant, it was really special!

Another one of my favorite scenes was when Enola was going in the match factory and Sherlock was also there! My favorite part was when they both said, "You." Henry Cavill really looks great with that Sherlock hair! He looks so dashing with the outfit and everything! Their cases were connected! Loved that we can see the Holmes siblings work together on a case. Hi Mycroft, still haven't forgiven him for the things he said or things he had done to Enola but would have loved to see how his relationship with Enola changed.

Oh William. Really hoped he didn't die because I liked him with Sarah.

Tewkesbury entering complaining to Enola while the siblings were investigating was another one of my favorite parts.

Enola gesturing to the body of William to Tewkesbury and his reaction was kinda cute tbh!

The whole scene of Enola and Tewkesbury in the cab was one of my favorites as well! I loved when she was teaching him to fight and then the long awaited kiss scene! 😱

I was so sad when the time came that they had to tell Sarah that William is dead.

Can I tell you how angry I was when Grail entered with a knife on Bessie? Ugh!!! I hate him! God and he shot our Sherlock? Hated him and I'm saying it again. That last fight scene? Wow that was epic! Tewkesbury fighting with that sword or cutlass whatever it is! Ugh Grail hitting Enola was annoying! Gosh when we all thought Enola was stabbed by Grail? First, I thought she was wearing another corset like last time but then we found out that it was Mae's retractable one!

I am so f-ing done with Grail! He just hit Enola with that anchor thing! F him honestly!!! And Tewkesbury nooo! He was so hurt from that fight just like Sherlock and Enola.

Grail thought he already won the fight. Ha! I really loved it when Enola, Sherlock and Tewkesbury defeated their enemies finally! Sherlock and Tewkes were concerned about her because of Grail ofc. That hug of Enola and Tewkesbury made me so happy! Loved Sarah hugging Bessie too and that little nod of Sherlock to Enola was so endearing to me. I think it means "You alright?"or " Are you okay?". She answered with a nod back to him. That was such a cute little moment between the siblings.

Henry Cavill's voice as Sherlock is so satisfying and soothing or relaxing to hear. I don't know it's like Asmr to me!

The revelation of Mira Troy as Moriarty, Oh my God! So good! At first, I was confused because I didn't know Moriarty was gonna be in this movie. I was actually surprised but I was so happy to know that they decided on a female Moriarty. That was a nice touch! I love how they made her be Moriarty and be the one stealing money because it's empowering to women I guess? Like they thought she was not capable of such thing and they were proven wrong. The lesson from that is that we shouldn't underestimate girls, women and people. I just hated that William was killed because of her or Grail. I liked it when I found out that she was stealing from someone bad and corrupt like those people at Lyon matches. When she said that she had twice the mind of everyone there, Sherlock and Enola shared this look of disapproval or it's like she said something crazy! I kinda reacted like that honestly for the Holmes siblings and me since I get really pissed off when someone underestimates or judges my intelligence so yeah I kind of had the same look on my face.

I scoffed for Sherlock, Enola and for me when Mira Troy said that! I was like, "Excuse me? How dare you?"

There is one thing I liked about what she said, it's when she talked about women and what they were told not to do in that era. Sharon Duncan-Brewster and her amazing delivery of her lines!!! Also her outfit wow!

When McIntyre (thank God his name is in my keyboard's suggested words!) burned the evidence that Sarah, Mae and William worked hard for. F him too!

Let's talk about Enola, Sarah and Bessie telling all the girls in the match factory the truth. I really liked it especially when Enola was being really sassy to that man. Sarah's speech was special but I'm just annoyed at that man telling the girls that it's not worth it or whatever bs he was saying that convinced them to stay. Like what's worth it in that dangerous factory when they can find safer jobs than that? Did he mean that working in that factory with the dangerous phosphorus was not worth it to quit because of the money they get paid from making those damn matches? Hated him because he's convincing them to stay and die! He also said to the girls that they should think of their families. More like you think about the families of these girls! They're gonna die in that factory! Another thing that he said was that it was not worth the risk. So them continuing to work in that dangerous factory is worth the risk? No it's not!

Bessie starting to stomp to encourage everyone to quit was amazing to watch!

I started crying again when I saw that whole revolution scene! It was very touching to watch. Especially when I found out at the end of the movie that it was a real thing that happened in history.

Eudoria and Edith watching Enola, Bessie and Sarah lead the revolution was really sweet to add in. I loved that they were watching over her.

Yes! Enola has her own private detective office now! That's also in Edith's place! Loved that! Tewkesbury putting McIntyre in jail! Yeah!!! Also when Tewkesbury raised his eyebrows at him, that was so good! I was so proud of our Tewkesbury!!! He's so handsome at that part too!

Can I just say how much I loved the part when Sherlock offered to be a private detective duo with his sister aww!!! Holmes and Holmes would've been amazing but we do have Watson! That was so cute when they had that whole sibling moment! It was very touching for me too. Loved when he said that they should check up on each other! He must be so proud of her!

That blue capelet/capelet dress Millie wore for that scene is just divine! I actually want it! I want to buy something like that! Also the cute Enola holding on Tewkesbury's arm aww so adorable and that was one of my favorite parts too! The whole part when they were walking out of Edith's place leaving Sherlock, just so perfect and really cute!

I do love Sherlock being friends with Edith. Mira Troy has escaped! Hoping there's a third movie!

I just really enjoyed that last scene of Enola and Tewkesbury walking together!

Thanks for reading my movie review or reaction for Enola Holmes 2!!! I would rate this 10 out of 10 for me! I loved it and I would probably watch it again and again like the first movie!

Love, Rian 💋

[bccksmarts]

VERSE NOTES ➝ Sherlock

Just more verse notes as I've been rewatching the show and I might be a tad obsessed ♡

These notes are 100% up for change, especially if people feel like including their muses!! This is just how I see things going or could go if HP muses were to be involved in some way, shape or form ♡

This verse, even though it's clearly a crossover, can also be taken as a Muggle AU! Basically the world where magic doesn't / never existed.

And a little reminder that Hermione, in this verse, is not a Granger. She's a Holmes.

• The Malfoys, primarily Lucius Malfoy, are members of the Government.

•  Like Mycroft, Lucius Malfoy is a Government Official. He sits on the seats as most of the important Government members do, such as Mycroft Holmes. •  Lucius is one of the more snobby and shady members of the Government, who has strong distaste for the Holmes'—specifically Sherlock Holmes and especially Mycroft Holmes, and by extension, Sherlock's only child & daughter, Hermione. • Lucius has a strong dislike for Hermione due to her besting his son, Draco, in most ( if not every ) lesson they have together, always walking out of exams with perfect marks. He goes home and does nothing but complain about her.   ⤷ Molly tells Hermione it's just a school boy with a crush on her, which    at a young age, makes the little Holmes cringe and gag. •  Narcissa is the high class ❛do things behind the scenes❜ wife and mother. She goes out for tea and events with women of similar standing, making sure her son is well taught, tailored, prim and proper, whilst trying to keep her husband in line.

• The Weasleys

•  So similarly to how it would be at Hogwarts, all the Weasleys, ( Ginny, Ron, Fred, George, Percy, Bill & Charlie ) all attend the same school that Hermione attends. A mix class school, all the children in different year groups, but basically exactly as it was at Hogwarts. How Molly Weasley manages, we'll never know. •  Arthur Weasley is also a Government official, sat on the same row of tables as Lucius Malfoy and Mycroft Holmes, but digs more into the things that people of the Government deem as "little" / unimportant.

• The Potters are NOT infamous.

•  Harry is still born to James Potter and Lily Potter ( neé Evans ), but unlike the movies and books, James and Lily are still alive and thriving, raising their son Harry without a worry of murder in the world, just a normal family, really. •  That being said, Harry still grows up with the same, kind attitude as he usually does, but having a lot less trauma following behind him, still becoming best friends with Ronald Weasley and Hermione Holmes. •  James Potter is a member of the Government, but on a lower tier compared to Mycroft, Lucius and Arthur. He also coaches the "Gryffindor" football team on the afternoons when he isn't working, teaching Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and other kids / teens how to play.   ⤷ Football is where Harry & Draco kick off their rivalry, and where    Hermione goes to stick up for her friends, calling Draco a "spoilt little    brat" for his father buying his position and her a "filthy little trollop". •  Harry's got two non-blood related uncles, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and a God-son, Teddy Lupin, who are all alive and well. Sirius has still been to jail for being framed for some sort of murder, and Remus has scars from a dog ( or wolf ) attack.

• The Teachers at school are the exactly same, just less magical

•  I don't think I need to make note, but I will. Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and lots of other professors are now just plain teachers. Albus Dumbledore is still the headmaster, but dies in their sixth year of old age, having Minerva McGonagall take over as Headmistress.   ⤷ The subjects that they will teach is totally open for people's muses of    them to interpret! •  This also means that if people make their muses teachers, like Hermione for example, they'd just be plain teachers, following on from their old mentors above them.

[lauranthalasah]

So, I read this excellent post about representation and left me thinking.

Since the end of BBC Sherlock* I've had a big problem in the way fandom demands representation sometimes, the way that if it is not exactly what they want then it is worthless. Let me explain myself.

For a long long time a lot of people have seen Holmes and Watson as a couple, and in new recreations of Doyles' work people get more and more hype for a possible in screen representation of this "headcanon", because new times gives hope to them that sooner or later Holmes and Watson ARE going to be gay (sooner or later they are gonna get it, tho).

Now, my issue is that Holmes and Watson have always... ALWAYS been a representation of something that is very dear to me, you see, Sherlock seems to me like asexual and aromantic, while Watson is very clearly heterosexual, but THEY ARE A COUPLE. They are life partners, they are! They just are not interested in each other in a sexual/romantic way, but they very much construct their lives around each other, at least for a while.

BBC Sherlock gives us that end, they end up raising a child together even! For me, the show that gets it right and makes it obvious is Elementary, they purposely made Watson female (and I think heterosexual? maybe bi?), and Holmes is quite sexually active (he might be pan), and then they proceed to give us a story in which they never fell sexually and romantically in love with each other. But do you know what they are at the end of everything?! Life partners!

For a long time people have been trying to put Holmes and Watson's relationship into one tag, when they are a perfect representation of another one that it needs its due representation as well. Like, the day someone finally makes them gay I'm gonna be okay with it, because it is gonna happen and it is gonna be a blast, but I need people to understand that there are other things that are valuable too.

The same happens with Good Omens, there are interesting representations going on there from season 1 (and the book if you want too). But because the author explained that the two protagonists we love were not MEN therefore they were not GAY** a round of "queerbaiting" accusations raised against it. Like they are undoubtedly queer, but because they were not explicitly gay then it was queerbaiting. And I don't like that. 

How many opportunities we'll have of seeing two people fell in love, one of them usually male presenting, one of them however they want to present themselves, both of them in which gender is literally a choice, both of them loving each other, I'll say romantically at least, not necessary sexually, but it could be (more after season 2 I guess). How many times are we gonna see this kind of complexity in a love story? And it is queer! Is so damn queer that we don't have the words for it! They are not humans! But it is a representation of love beyond heterosexual conventions without a doubt.

Also, tell me that Aziraphale and Crowley's romance is the only representation in that show! Or that even Aziraphale and Crowley are the ONLY characters who represent queerness on it?! Tell me that Crowley's gender fluidity isn't fucking amazing! I haven't watched every show in the world, but Good Omens is the most gender transgressive fictional show I have ever seen!

To be fair, I do think we need more queer representation, my point here is that we shouldn't stomp on one kind of representation simply because it is not the one we wanted from it. I don't think any piece of fiction is ever going to meet everyone's expectations of it, it is impossible, but we need to start thinking critically about it. Even when it represents part of what and how we are, it might not be perfect. It might not reflect my reality (there's no fictional work that has ever done that for me), but it doesn't mean it is not representing someone's reality. There's not a singular individual who is going to experience the full spectrum of anything except for their own personal experience of it.

What we need to learn to do is to look around us, to other people that are in similar boats as us who might be telling us "oh wait… I'm sorry that is not you, but that's me!", and we are not listening, and by condemning those fictional works we are kinda telling those people that they are not worthy of representation, or that their representation is less valuable than ours… and I don't like it! Just... just look around once in a while.

*Once upon a time I defended BBC Sherlock over the queerbait allegations against them because the creators were always clear they didn't intend to make Holmes and Watson gay in their show. Later on I realized that not everyone who watches a show watches interviews, cons, etc., but everyone who watched the show would get all those little jabs that, mostly Watson, would get about him and Sherlock being a couple; and I understood why people were so angry and disappointed. They were right to be. So this is not a defence of BBC Sherlock and the shit show they created. I just use the show as an example about Holmes and Watson in general because it's well known on Tumblr.

**I hate that the two examples I used were of gay couples that fandom wanted, I use those because are the cases I know the best, and I truly believe a canon gay Holmes/Watson is just a matter of time.

[cantillat-moved]

GET TO KNOW THE MUN.

what’s your phone wallpaper : My phone background right now is the end screen of Fate/Extra during the Nameless route. I liked the image so much that I adapted it and lever changed it. My lock screen are some sakura trees because I need to pretend to be an adult ™ sometimes. My regular computer desktop rotates but right now is a fanart that I adapted for wallpaper with Shirou and Saber, I think this one is so soothing it is one of my favorites. I do want to get a second monitor for work but I lack the physical space and the means for now.

last song you listened to: Last Surprise. I actually was singing it for my class like 10 minutes ago or so.

last movie : I’ve been watching a few movies related to my muses. Last one was King Arthur – Legend of the Sword (2017) and the next on the list is Excalibur, the 30th Anniversary remastered. Or maybe the movie adaptation of root Letter, I’m curious to see how much they ruined a Japanese visual novel with 5-6 wildly different routes into one indie 'murican movie.

last show : Besides the Arthurian movies I have actually rewatched a few older series, namely David Suchet’s Poirot. I also have a backlog of other series I want to watch, like Camelot, and of course anime. There are so many good animes that people kept on recommending but for one reason or another I didn’t watch when they were new.

what are you wearing right now : A deep forest green tricot blouse and black trousers, I just came back from my singing classes and I’ll be leaving again in a few hours. I merely switched my shoes for something more comfortable, namely fluffy grey carpet slippers. It is a little chilly where I live so there’s that.

piercings / tattoos? : I have the old regular earlobe piercing.  I haven’t used earrings in a while, I used to live in a very dangerous city where if you moved around on foot (like I did) it could be dangerous to have jewelry. So I grew out of the habit and only use in some occasions.

glasses ? contacts? : I’ve wore glasses my entire life, since I was… 9 ? 10 ? Something like that. Sadly I couldn’t get used to contacts, and I’m pretty much blind without my glasses. I’m so used to them that it is weird not wearing them.

last thing you ate? : Fish’n chips for lunch. Well, the fish was salmon, does it counts as fish’n chips ? I also grabbed some fancy chocolate on my way out of my class to treat myself and my family.

favorite color(s) : I love shades of blue and green. My favorite is blue green, a bit like turquoise. People say that I look great in red and I also appreciate the color. For a very long time my closet had mostly black outfits until one day I was like “Hmmm… looks like I’m working at a funeral home” instead of having a slightly gothic or rocker style, so I started adding colors. I don’t like browns, it is very unlikely anyone will ever see me wearing that color.

current obsession : A few obsessions, actually. I have been a huge fan of Fate since the pre-release materials, the first time I saw this small preview of the game with the graphic of Archer sitting on the couch I knew I had to play that. It has always been on and off in my mind since 2003-2004-ish.

I’m also a huge fan of the Frogwares games based on Sherlock Holmes and I’m halfway through beating all the titles. Book-wise, I’ve got this beautiful leather-bond collection of all of his stories and I’m reading one a day every day. It is always fun to figure out elements of the story as it is presented. I have read the stories when I was 13 to 15 years, so I have forgotten most of it.

Stardew Valley always have my attention, I love making themed farms. One of my last farms is vineyard-themed with lots of cottagecore and I just managed to get grandpa’s four candles approval ! My oldest farm actually has true perfection and I even saw the “ending” in the cliff. Right now I’m focusing on getting regular perfection on Arthur’s farm (yes, Proto Saber, I even made the graphic assets for him).

do you have a crush right now? : I’m a boring ace aro. But I have been working on loving myself a little more and appreciating life. I have been raised to believe that I was never good enough, that nothing I did would ever be good. It takes baby steps and a lot of trying to rewire my mind; so starting to stop to appreciate my surroundings. The sound of a sleeping dog in your bedroom during the cold nights, my hibiscus that bloomed overnight, reaching the right tone in a difficult song. I might still find it hard to appreciate my own accomplishments, people in my life like to put me down, but as long it makes me happy I’ll keep on doing that.

favorite fictional character : Have a wild guess. I’ve always loved Emiya Shirou (and Archer) and their mindset, it made me rethink my life many times and also taught me a lot, specially when I started studying Zen and Buddhism. Waver Velvet is someone that I also feel right into my soul. But let’s step away from my muses in this blog and all the muses I rped as previously. Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy VIII), Yuri Hyuga and Alice Elliot (Shadow Hearts), Zack Fair and Tseng (Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core), the entire playable cast of the Persona 2 duology (LET’S POSITIVE THINKING !! ), I miss the Young Justice comics (the original one from the early 2000s), so many characters from the Fate series, Rei Hino (Sailor Moon), Raidou Kuzunoha (megaten), Aqua (Kingdom Hearts)… I have so many favorites.

tagged by: I stole it from Rae ( @more-than-a-princess ) because it had been a hot minute since I did anything like that.

tagging: If you are wearing clothes right now and haven't done it in a while, I'm tagging you.

[lyralit]

ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʙᴀᴄᴋ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜰᴇᴇᴛ: 25 ᴅᴀʏꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ [ᴘʀᴏᴍᴘᴛꜱ]

write a letter from the pov of your mc. to a loved one, or their enemy, or their future self. one letter, however long or short it will be.

if your mc owned a home in the modern-day world, what would it look like? describe the rooms, who lives there, the smells and tastes and feelings.

your mc plans the *perfect* night out with someone they love. lead us through it.

describe your mc's happiest memory.

in return, describe a memory that put them through it.

suddenly there's television (or something akin to) in whatever world it takes place in—fantasy, sci-fi, dystopia. what kinds of shows are on? what shows do your main cast like to watch? what modern-day actors would play as the shows' characters?

look for a part of your wip that you struggled with—or begin a new page if you haven't begun it yet. write at least one line. write one more. delete it all, and start over. write the same scene (a scene lasts until a character leaves or enters) until you are proud. you wrote this. you should be. take as long as you need.

curate a playlist: one song for every character introduced.

make a theme for your wip. [theme = idea + opinion] the theme of Sleeping Beauty could be true love conquers all.

[take a break. you deserve it.]

write a letter from the main antagonist complaining about the protagonist.

take the first chapter of your wip, but as the mc's enemy.

all your main and side characters (evil ones included) joined a therapy group (they probably needed it, didn't they). write out the discussion in the form of a movie script.

the protagonist and antagonist sit down and have a heart-to-heart. what do they discuss? what do they confess?

you're now a—specifically—gen z blogger commenting on the actions of your characters, in any chapter you like.

write yourself into one chapter of your book. how would you face the terrifying evil, or manipulative politics? not your mc—you.

plop your characters into a whole other genre. they're sci-fi alien slayers? well, guess who's the new Sherlock Holmes. the kings and queens of Narnia? add a bit of a coming-of-age love crisis.

pick two characters. any two: pull them out of a jar, spin a wheel, I don't care. make a Venn diagram with them on either side.

pick your mc and make a bullet list of thirty things they've probably achieved in an au. skydiving world record? ultimate frisbee world champion? most books read within a span of 24h? it's up to you.

[rest. you're almost there.]

set a timer for ten minutes. in those five minutes, write out the death scene of an important character—whether of old age or to be clicked into the storyline later.

edit your work. find common errors and ask someone to proofread. you can use websites such as Hemingway Editor.

go on picrew (or any other website) and make your characters.

take a chapter or chunk of text you're unsatisfied with, and rewrite it completely from memory. this will leave the important parts and help sharpen the words. do this as many times as you like until you're satisfied.

set a timer for ninety minutes. pick up where you left off, and write as much as you can—screw the plot line, trash grammar, ignore sense. it's only a draft, and it can only get better.

if you decide to post anything, feel free to tag me in them!

you've got this.

[therealmadblonde]

October 29

Following lunch at Jill’s place — to which Bubo was also invited, having finally acknowledged Graymalk to be a cat of a different category — I took a walk back to the ruin of the Good Doctor’s place. The meal had had an almost elegiac quality to it, Jack having asked outright whether she’d consider switching, Jill having admitted to a conflict in her sympathies now, but being determined to play the Game through as she’d started. It felt odd to be dining with the enemy and to care that much about them. So I took a walk afterwards, more for something to do while being alone than for any pressing purpose. I took my time in going. The charred ruin still smelled strongly; and though I circled it many times, I could see no bones or other signs of dead humans within. I wandered over to the barn then, wondering whether the experiment man might have returned to it to hide.

The door was opened sufficiently for me to enter, and I did. While his disconcerting odor was present, it did not seem a recent thing, as smells went. Still, I sought in each stall, even stirring through the hay. I checked in every corner, cubby, and bin. I even mounted the ladder to the loft and looked about there.

Then I noticed a peculiar shape to the rear — that of a bat hanging from a beam. While all bats look pretty much alike to me, especially when you turn them upside-down, it reminded me a lot of Needle. I approached and said loudly, “Hey, Needle! What the hell are you doing here?”

It stirred slightly, but did not seem inclined to wake up. So I reached out and prodded it with my paw.

“Come on, Needle. I want to talk to you,” I said.

It unfurled its wings and stared at me. It yawned, then, “Snuff, what are you doing here?” it said.

“Checking out the aftermath of the fire. What about you?”

“Same thing, but daylight caught me and I decided to sleep here.”

“Does the experiment man still come here?”

“I don’t know. He hasn’t today. And I don’t know whether the Good Doctor got away either. How’s the Game progressing?”

“Now I’ve learned that the Good Doctor was never in it, I’ve found the point of manifestation — the big hill with the fallen stones.”

“Really. Now that’s interesting. What else is new?”

“Rastov and Owen are dead. Quicklime and Cheeter went back to the woods.”

“Yes, I’d heard that.”

“So it seems someone’s killing openers.”

“Rastov was a closer.”“

“I think Owen talked him into switching.”

“No, he tried but he didn’t succeed.”

“How do you know that?”

“I used to get into Owen’s place through Cheeter’s attic hole and listen to them talk. I was there the night before Rastov was killed. They were drinking and quoting everybody from Thomas Paine to Nietzsche at each other, but Rastov didn’t switch.”

“Interesting. You sound as if you’re still in the Game.”

There came a faint sound from below, just as he said, “Oh, I am — Get down! Flat!”

I threw myself onto my right side. A crossbow bolt passed very near and embedded itself into the wall right above me. I turned my head and saw Vicar Roberts below, near to the door, just lowering the weapon. His face held a nasty smile.

If I ran and jumped I’d be downstairs in a trice. I might also break a leg in the process, though, and then he could finish me easily. The alternative was to climb down the way I’d come up, backing down the ladder. For anatomical reasons, my descent is always slower than my ascent. If I did not do this, however, he could crank the weapon back, seat a bolt, and come up after me. In that case, the odds would be in his favor. At least, he didn’t have any armed assistants with him…

I thought back quickly, recalling how long it usually took to get such a weapon cocked. There was no choice, and there was no time to wait if I were to have any chance at all.

I rushed to the head of the ladder, turned, and began my descent. The vicar had already lowered the bow by then and commenced rearming it. I moved as fast as I was able, but as I searched with a hind leg after each wooden crosspiece my back felt terribly exposed. Should I make it to the floor unpierced I knew that I would still be at high risk. I hurried. I saw something black flutter by.

I heard the final click. I heard the sounds of his fitting the quarrel into place. It was still a good distance down. I descended another step. I imagined him raising the weapon, taking a leisurely sighting at an easy target. I hoped that I was right about the fluttering, about Needle. Another step…

I knew that I was right when I heard the vicar utter an oath. I descended one more step.

…Then I decided I could risk no more. I pushed myself backward, letting myself fall the rest of the way, recalling things Graymalk had said about always landing on her feet, wishing I’d been born with that ability, trying to achieve it this one time, anyway…

I tried to torque my body in the proper direction — along the long axis, relaxing my legs the while. The bolt passed well above me, from the sound I heard of it striking wood. But the man was already cranking the weapon again as I hit the ground. I did land on my feet, but they went out from under me immediately. As I struggled to rise, I saw him finish cocking the thing, now ignoring the black form which darted before him. My left hind leg hurt. I pushed myself upright, anyway, and turned. He had the quarrel in one hand and was moving to fit it into place. I had to rush him, to try knocking him over before he succeeded and got off another shot. I knew that it was going to be close…

And then there was a shadow in the doorway at his back.

“Why, Vicar Roberts, whatever are you doing with that archaic weapon?” came the wonderfully controlled falsetto of the Great Detective in his Linda Enderby guise.

The vicar hesitated, then turned.

“Madam,” he said, “I was about to perform a community service by dispatching a vicious brute which even now is preparing to attack us.”

I began wagging my tail immediately and put on my idiot slobbering hound expression, tongue hanging out and all.

“That hardly seems a vicious beast to me,” the voice of the lady stated, as the Great Detective moved in quickly, passing between the vicar and myself to effectively block a shot. “That’s just old Snuff. Everybody knows Snuff. Not a mean bone in his body. Good Snuff! Good dog!”

The old hand-on-head business followed, patting. I responded as if it were the greatest invention since free lunch.

“Whatever made you think him antisocial?”

“Madam, that was the creature that almost tore my ear off.”

“I am certain you must be mistaken, sir. I cannot conceive of this animal as behaving aggressively — except possibly in self-defense.”

The vicar’s face was quite red and his shoulders looked very tense. For a moment I thought he might actually try angling in a shot at me, anyhow.

“I really feel,” the Linda voice went on, “that if you have any complaints concerning the animal you ought to take them up with his owner first before embarking on a drastic action that might well draw the attention of the Humane Society and not rest well with the parishioners.”

“That man is a godless jackanapes…” he began, but then his shoulders slumped. “Perhaps, however, I acted hastily. As you say, the parishioners might view it askance, not knowing the full measure of my complaints. Yes. Very well.” He lowered the weapon and released its tension.

“This will be settled,” he said then, “in another day or two. But for now I accept your counsel and will do nothing rash.” He put away the quarrel in a case slung over his shoulder, slinging the weapon, also, moments later.

“And so, madam, I thank you again for those cookies you brought by, which I found quite tasty, and I bid you a good day.”

“I trust your daughter enjoyed them as well?”

“Indeed she did. We both thank you.”

He turned then and passed out through the door. The Great Detective immediately followed him to it and peered out, doubtless to make certain that he was indeed departing. Before I could take the same route to the same end, however, he caught hold of the door and slid it the rest of the way shut.

Turning, he studied me.

“Snuff,” he said, the falsetto vanished, “you are fortunate that I have a good pair of binoculars and have been inclined to use them of late.

“You are a very unusual creature,” he continued. “I first encountered you in Soho when assisting some friends at the Yard in their investigation of a very unusual series of killings. Subsequently, I have found you to be present in numerous situations both bizarre and intriguing. Your presence seems to have become almost a common denominator to all of the recent peculiar occurrences in this area. It long ago passed the point where I could safely deem it a matter of coincidence.”

I sat down and scratched my left ear with my hind leg.

“That is not going to work with me, Snuff,” he said. “I know that you are not just a dumb dog, a subhuman intelligence. I have learned a great deal concerning the affairs of this month, this place, the people engaged in the enterprise which I believe you refer to as ‘the Game.’”

I paused in my scratching to study his face.

“I interviewed both the inebriated Russian and the equally distracted Welshman on their ways home from the pub one night, in my guise as a jovial traveler in commercial sales. I have spoken with the Gipsies, with your neighbors, with all of the principals involved in this matter of purported metaphysical conflict — yes, I know it to be that — and I have observed many things which permitted me to deduce the outlines of a dark picture.”

I yawned in the rude way dogs sometimes do. He smiled.

“No good, Snuff,” he said. “You can dispense with the mannerisms. I am certain that you understand every word I am saying, and you must be curious as to the extent of my knowledge of the ceremony to be conducted here on All Hallows’ Eve and my intentions concerning it.”

He paused, and we studied each other. He wasn’t giving anything away, even at the olfactory level.

“So I think it is time for a sign of good faith,” he finally said. “Apart from the fact that I may just have rescued you from mortal distress, there are more things that I wish to say and some that I need to know, and I believe these would benefit you as well as myself. If you would be so good as to acknowledge my words, I will proceed.”

I looked away. I had anticipated this as soon as he had begun addressing me in a rational fashion. I still had not decided what my response should be when he finally got around to asking for what had to be a token of faith. And that is what it came down to… faith in the man’s professional integrity, though I was certain he would not approve of the goings-on here, and I’d no idea where his significant loyalty lay — to law, or to justice; nor whether he really understood what was at stake. Still, I did want to know what he had learned and what he had intended, and I knew there would be no way for him later to prove his assumptions concerning myself even if I did give him the acknowledgment he wanted.

So I looked back at him, met his eyes for several long seconds, then nodded once.

“Very good,” he responded. “To continue: A great number of crimes have apparently been committed by nearly everyone involved in this ‘Game,’ as you call it. Many of them would be virtually impossible to demonstrate in court — but I have neither a client who requires that I find a way of doing so, nor inclination to pursue such matters for my own amusement. Technically, I am here only as a friend of the Yard, for purposes of investigating the likely murder of a police officer. And this matter will be dealt with in due time. Since my arrival in this place, however, I have been more and more impressed by the unusual goings-on, until, at length — largely because of Mr. Talbot’s strange condition and that of the one known as the Count — I have become convinced that there is something truly unnatural involved. While I dislike such a conclusion, recent personal experiences have also led me to accept its validity. Such being the case, I am moved to interfere with your ‘Game’ two days hence.”

I shook my head slowly, from side to side.

“Snuff, that rascal who just left is planning to murder his stepdaughter on All Hallows’ Eve!”

I nodded.

“You countenance this behavior?”

I shook my head from side to side, then turned and walked away from him to a place where dust lay heavy upon the floorboards. With my paw I made four strokes in the dust: LT.

He followed me and watched. Then he said slowly, “Lawrence Talbot?”

I nodded.

“He plans to prevent the killing?”

I nodded again.

“Snuff, I know more about him than he realizes, and I have experimented with many sorts of drugs myself over the years. I know that his intent is to rescue Lynette on the night of the ceremony, but I do not believe that he has sufficiently refined the dosage which he feels will carry him past the moon madness of his affliction. And whatever the case, Vicar Roberts is aware that there is one of his sort involved, and he has melted down a piece of the rectory silverware to cast a bullet for a pistol he will be carrying with him that night.”

He paused and studied me. I believed him, but I did not know what to do.

“The only part I can see for myself in this entire affair would be to effect the girl’s rescue, should Mr. Talbot fail. To do this, I require something from you: I must know where the ceremony is to take place. Do you know?”

I nodded.

“Will you show me?”

I nodded again, and I looked toward the door.

For a second his hand twitched toward my head, then he lowered it and smiled. He moved to the door and slid it open. We stepped outside, where I looked in the direction of Dog’s Nest and barked once. Then I began walking. He followed.

[thelittlepalmtree]

One framework for understanding Dracula as a novel is as a celebration of capitalism. Now I know that might rub some of us commie queers the wrong way but it is, I think, an essential part of understanding the themes and ideas of the book. I'm going to discuss some of the things I researched while writing my undergrad thesis on Dracula. I will mark spoilers for dracula daily with *** at the beginning and end.

So first let's look at the historical context for the book. Dracula is published in 1895. Stoker's contemporaries were Oscar Wilde, Kate Chopin, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Most of the literature at the time was greatly grounded in the relationships between aristocracy and bourgeoisie. People were beginning to see the absurdities of the rules that had ruled the regency era (think Jane Austen). Capitalism was new and exciting because it meant people could change their class status. Wilde did this by mocking the aristocracy's ideas about breeding and pointing out the hypocrisy of the middle class that spouted puritanical ideas of the nuclear family. Doyle was heavy into spiritualism and hated Sherlock Holmes, but it is notable that the incredibly popular protagonist was a man shirking the nonchalance of aristocracy and instead more or less starting a business.

In this lens, we can view the novel Dracula with a little more understanding of why Dracula himself is so terrifying and why characters like Lucy and Mina are portrayed the way they are.

Dracula and Lucy both represent Aristocracy in different forms. Dracula represents the feudalistic Aristocracy of eastern Europe. Now, it's worth noting that Stoker himself was Irish and would have experienced his fair share of racism as Ireland was a British colony. However, people in the area at the time would have viewed Romania and Hungary similarly to how people today view Afghanistan. And Indeed, Afghanistan was also being colonized at the same time. A modern version of Dracula might be about an evil Djinn trying to move to America and trick people into making wishes.

Lucy represents what was quickly becoming the irrelevant aristocracy of England itself. Lucy is, in so many ways, the perfect Regency Heroine. In fact before the novel starts she is practically living in a Jane Austen novel. She has multiple men courting her, she is pretty and well liked, but she doesn't actually...do anything. Her entire existence is to be pretty and sweet and eventually become a wife. The only time we really hear from Lucy is in her description of the proposals she has received. And this letter is honestly such a caricature of the regency era heroine it's kind of funny. She is dramatic to the point of impropriety, she is devastated to have to reject two men. And yet she doesn't talk much about Arthur at all, who she apparently loves. She gives all her time and voice to melodrama, the kind readers of Dracula would have been annoyed with. I don't know if it has been mentioned yet but ***we will soon learn that Arthur is the heir to a lordship, and therefore Lucy's acceptance of him and rejection of the others shows her preference for the old Aristocracy. She rejects the good hard-working men, of whom we have great details, and instead chooses a man of aristocracy whom we now know nothing about.***

Let's look at some of the other characters. Jonathan himself is a solicitor (a lawyer) and he doesn't even seem to be a senior partner. He is, really, a normal person. However, he seems ambitious as he is willing to go on this incredible expedition for work. I think we can understand that his boss is setting him up to inherit the business. Dr. Seward is already in charge of a whole hospital, another ambitious professional. And Quincy, of course, is the ultimate capitalist, an American Cowboy who has surely had countless adventures in America and made his fortunes to spend in England.

Of course Mina is the most interesting character. In this time, the role of women was more in flux than ever. Stoker purposely has mina reject the "new woman" which was a way feminists were describing themselves at the time in order to set his heroine apart from them. However he clearly does not approve of Lucy's version of womanhood either. Mina is a useful wife. She does not have a career of her own but is rather an asset to her husband. This is in stark contrast to the aristocratic who is really meant to be an ornament and if anything is a burden to the husband. Her role in society was to show off wealth. With Mina, Stoker represents a new version of womanhood and wifedom wherein she is more or less a secretary to her husband. She does everything she can to aid him in his career and therefore benefit their family. And of course, before she met Jonathan she did not idle away, she was a teacher at a school.

And of course Dracula himself represents aristocracy at its worst. He is bound by old-world rules, a specter of a society that believes in things the English have forgotten about. As England becomes more democratic, other countries like Austria-Hungary are solidifying their aristocracy in what would later become fascist movements. (The core basis of facism is to have an industrialized aristocracy). And Dracula represents the fear of this coming into England. Some of this fear may be founded, but most of it is racism. In fact, in order to colonize this region of the world, the British created deals with local lords to overthrow their King, destabilizing the nation. They would then double cross these lords. So it was a genuine fear at the time that one of these lords might seek revenge on the British public. In a similar way to how Action movies today often have a terrorist on a vendetta due to drone strikes killing their family.

Dracula very much represents the dual threat of returning back to an aristocratic nation and the threat of colonized lands coming back to punish the atrocities faced there. Jonathan's initial description of the area as "picturesque" shows the naivete many felt about British Colonization and interference. But under the surface lies the sinister nature of a force that is coming to destroy the normality of British life. I think it is important to acknowledge this while we are reading. We do not have to buy into it though.

There is more to the story and this theory, but this, I think covers what we've currently seen.

As we continue to read dracula daily, I think this lens could be helpful to anyone reading along.