[open] Time goes by, and I lose perspective

[astudyinviolet]

Who: Sherlock and others
Status: Open
Where:Eltrut, MANTA Locations
What: Jan. 1 is when a certain two met for the first time. Jan. 6 is someone's birthday. Sherlock has a sad week. Also MANTA quest stuff for the month
Warnings: none at the moment...

Missing: One Birthday Boy

[ Early in the morning of the new year, Sherlock slipped from his apartment above the Surasthana Cafe and out into the streets still waking up or falling to sleep after a night's festivities. He left the peregrine falcon tracker pin on the table next to the Winterstide gift Kaveh gave him (a stained glass Sumeru rose in a vase and mechanical puzzle that turned into a little falcon when solved).

There is no sign of his disappearance being a permanent one; most of his belongings remain in the apartment. Although, there is no sign of a Magic Pocket that might house two special, enchanted plush. That suggests that he's going to be away for at least a few days. Similarly, there's nothing to suggest his disappearance is case related or from nefarious means.

Sherlock's birthdays have never been happy ones, having spent the majority of them alone with only Jon for company. The start of the new year is also a stark reminder of what he had, gained, lost, and stands to lose. And now, he's been in this world longer than he's known John. What does that mean for their friendship, his tender feelings towards the other, Sherlock's future in general? Does he hold out some hope for someone out of his reach? Does he move on as if that chapter of his life has ended? He's made friends in this world, but they are from other worlds. Some have already left, and he cannot pretend more people won't leave in the future. Is he doomed to lose the people he cares about? The pattern exists and holds strong.

Therefore, Sherlock does the only thing he can think of: hiding away from people until he can manage his emotions better and continue as usual or find answers to his questions. He doubts the latter will happen, so that leaves falling into a black mood until enough time has passed to break himself free of it.

As much as Sherlock pretends he wants to be alone, he absolutely doesn't and hasn't exactly hid his tracks or worn a disguise. Basker can certainly be employed to sniff out Sherlock's location by anyone Basker would deem a friend and who is willing to be pulled around by a large, horse-sized three-headed hound. A number of store owners are familiar enough with Sherlock to point out where he has gone. He's nowhere particularly dangerous or remote, likely to be lost in a crowd but alone within it. ]

Found: Time to celebrate or at least distract and give hugs

[ However, someone (or someones) eventually finds Sherlock and drags him back to company or where he can easily be found and checked up on in his black mood. Bundled up in a blanket, he looks up at the person approaching him. His grey eyes lack their usual sharpness, as if he focuses on something behind them instead of at them. ]

Hullo, do you need something?

MANTA General: Good Boy: Eltrut, haunted estate

[ Eager for things to occupy his mind and distract him, Sherlock jumps at the chance to investigate the haunted estate. He collected a number of reports to reference. The only thing left is to see the place with his own eyes. He downs the polymorph potion as quickly as possible before he convinces himself out of it.

Sherlock makes an adorable little black cat with grey eyes, and his previous transformations into this form means he skips the fascination (or fear) at his change and goes straight into investigation mode. Human, animal, whoever is with him better keep up. ]

MANTA General: Live Free or Pie Hard: Eltrut

[ Sherlock has no idea how he got into this situation. However, now he's here and floundering as one of the enthusiastic bakers rattles off questions faster than Sherlock can keep up with. ]

I think I heard about some roasted chestnuts recently? Is any pumpkin still around? Or maybe you could try ice cream or kulfi? Can that even go into a pie?

[ Asking him about food things is an interesting choice, but at least the chef isn't trying to make Sherlock help bake the pies. That will be pure disaster. ]

MANTA General: name: Beneath the Ink Once More: Eltrut shores

[ Just like he had with the bread curse, Sherlock takes samples of the ink to experiment with. He brought his field chemistry kit and tests the ink on different substances and observes under a microscope. He's not much help when the phantoms come out, but once the dangers are gone, the science begins. ]

Don't let your fingers touch the ink substance. That'll contaminate the sample.

MANTA Special: No Rift Out of Here: Eltrut shores

[ However, wanting to study that strange inky substance means that Sherlock has to be near it for more samples and experimentation. In one (and his final) study, a rift forms. Black tentacles writhe their way out only to then start flailing about, stretching as if they are searching for something to grab.

Sherlock's body seizes up as his eyes go wide and pale at the sight, and as if the tentacles can sense an easy target, they swerve in his direction. ]

[[ ooc: Sherlock will be losing his light magic from this, so while he can be saved for a bit, he'll ultimately be caught. ]]

Wildcard

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's journal, aviekokyre, or on Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out. ]

Comments

Wildcard: Birthday Science (lost + beneath the ink)

[empyrean_mirror]

[Here's one other way to find Sherlock he may not have considered--Mehrak. Kaveh had programmed her to recognize Sherlock's voice and vital signs a while back and hadn't really mentioned it, but it means today the suitcase finds him long before Kaveh catches up to her.

She scans the ink and begins to beep at him in concern. Brotherfriend what are you DOING?]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock is completely unaware that such a technology exists or is even possible. Science in the future (?) is amazing, and John would love that kind of technology to help his patients. Or Sherlock. Both.

He looks up when a strange shadow covers his light and sees someone unexpected. ]

Miss Mehrak, what are you doing all the way out here?

[empyrean_mirror]

Beep-beep-boop!

[She was looking for him! Since Sherlock had gone missing not long after Azul went missing, and Kaveh is having a bit of a time.

Odd, that instructions to find sherlock and ones to find signs of Azul lead to the same place, but she's not designed to ponder on that.

Anyway please take this clean flask and some GLOVES.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Oops, he hadn't realized that Azul had gone missing and that his own disappearance would send Kaveh into a state. Dad is going to be so mad at him for worrying other Dad...

Sherlock looks at the flask and the gloves floating before him and back at Mehrak. He can at least understand what she wants him to do even if he can't fully understand what she's saying. He nods and takes the offered items. After putting on the gloves, he takes a small bit of paste to apply a label to the flask, so he can mark the location and time on it. ]

Thank you. I should include some gloves in my field kit. I've worn my leather gloves in the past, but I don't wear them as much as I used to.

[ It's because he's touch starved. That's why. ]

[empyrean_mirror]

Beep-boop?

[Leather is not a proper medical glove, sir, it can carry contaminants! But it's better than no gloves.

She turns to the ink and a bright green light flashes as she scans over it. Then projects images of the Phantoms from the last time they appeared, then a recording of Khalid's post from that time, about positive emotions against the Phantoms...

And about them being attracted to negative ones. H-hm.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ What's a proper medical glove? Those will only get stained with blood? Also these gloves have a strange consistency. He's never seen gloves like these. As he scoops some of the ink into the flask, he gets distracted by Mehrak scanning the ink and then her projections. ]

This isn't a new phenomenon?

[ Sherlock watches the recording, frowning as it continues. Well... if they are attracted to negative ones... Sherlock is full of them, but he isn't the one causing this to appear. He thinks. ]

Thank you for the warning, but if all that is true, then finding a solution to deal with the matter is of greater importance. Already it is harming the wildlife, and we know what happens next.

Lost Fool

[wherethereislight]

[People in towns talk about a lot of things. What they're here to buy, what they had for breakfast, what's for lunch, why are the eggs suddenly so expensive?? Nothing but noise to Shadow. Sometimes among that noise though, there is the occasional information of worth. Whisperings of the ocean being restless, and strange ink-like symptoms resurfacing again. A certain detective that hasn't been seen going about his daily routine.

Shadow thought nothing of the detective's whereabouts at first, until the whispers became murmurs of his absence at the cafe he takes residence in. Longer than usual for the detective apparently. Hm. It's not particularly any of his concern. There are people likely already searching for him without his help.

Though if he happens to come across the detective during his own investigation, he may just happen to follow him. Unassuming and in the shadows to see where the detective has been wandering about. And why has he not returned.]