[open] Within this stale, monocolor night

[astudyinviolet]

Who: Sherlock and others
Status: Open
Where: Surasthana Cafe, Eltrut
What: a general catch all, recovering from crystallization, possibly the last appearance of cat Sherlock, MANTA: The Wishing Tree
Warnings: subdued and healing Sherlock, pathetic little meow meow, gay Victorian yearning (ie. should be nothing to warn for)

Continued Recovery

[ One of the safest places Sherlock feels in this world has become the Surasthana Cafe, so naturally, it's where he spends most of his time during his recovery. He does occasionally teleport to the Cosmos Conservatory or the S.H. Detective Agency, but he only stays briefly before he's back at the cafe. He's found cocooned in blankets and cushions in a corner, watching with his one working eye (and then later both once more of his crystallization is healed). Don't mind him hugging a few plush to his chest; he's been through a lot.

Sherlock is not the most sociable, but he also doesn't want to be alone. If anyone wants to check on how he's doing, he'll be surprisingly easy to find for once. He'll be in varying states of crystal recovery from still mostly crystallized to crystal free but healing from his other injuries. ]

Mrrp?

[ Sherlock wakes to find his room had grown many times larger than it was when he had fallen asleep. He struggles to free himself from under his blankets and discovers black fur covering his body.

Oh no. Not again. Sherlock is a small black cat, complete with the ribbon normally tied around his neck from which two water protection charms are strung.

He thinks about staying in his room until it wears off, but he still doesn't want to be so isolated again after his abduction. Sherlock has gotten a little better at commanding his limbs to move, having found himself previously transformed twice. However, that doesn't mean Sherlock has mastered movement as a cat. No, that just means that he's more daring, which produces more haphazard results.

Down the stairs tumbles the tiny black cat who lands onto the cafe floor with the most pitiful mewl. Well, now he's stuck down here.

So people who visit the cafe today may find a wobbly, tiny black cat. He is not among the usual ones inhabiting the place. ]

MANTA General: The Wishing Tree

[ Last year, Sherlock had been studying the blooms while couples exchanged promises and vows. This year, Sherlock stands alone, looking at the blossoms but not under a magnifying glass or with a pencil in hand. Wrapped in a blanket, one could miss that he holds a certain plush resembling a certain doctor. He doesn't know what to say or what he's doing really. He just... is. ]

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

cat

[empyrean_mirror]

[Well, Sherlock will find he has assistance. Or perhaps a demon. Because a great black void has begun to loom over him--

Oh that is Shadowlily. Who is...going to gently scruff him? Oh no.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ What? What is happening? Why has his body ceased to obey his moves? Where is he going? Why is he going?

Shadowlily is free to take Sherlock wherever because he is unable to move while in her grasp. ]

[empyrean_mirror]

[Shadowlily takes this kitten--this kitten that smells very much like Sherlock--and deposits him on the counter right in front of Kaveh.

Kaveh pauses in the middle of drying a cup.]

Wha--Lily? Where did you find--?

[She meows and hops off the counter, leaving Kaveh and the Kitten to their own devices.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Once deposited on the counter, Sherlock lays there flopped as he waits for whatever physical reaction that caused his paralysis to wear off. Only then does he attempt to get back on wobbly legs to look at and meow at Kaveh. "Ah, that explains it... Hullo?"

Grey of this shade is an unusual eye color for a cat to have, even for a human to have, but it's not solely unfamiliar. ]

[empyrean_mirror]

Hello there...

[Kaveh reaches out and strokes a finger over the little void's forehead, then under his chin to look at the collar. And the...familiar charms there...

...Hm.]

Now that's curious.

Kitty

[wherethereislight]

[Shadow will come into the cafe when things are relatively busy. Not pack, but enough people around that no one would give him a glance. He's just in and then out, no one bother him. Unless he chooses to bother them.

He catches a small fuzzy creature weaving about the cafe floor to avoid getting stepped on. Probably got in here when it shouldn't have. The workers can deal with that. He attempts to keep going up to the counter until the creature passes him, a cat. Was he imagining it or was the brand on his hand starting to hurt? A quiet sigh, considering. He proceeds to go and scoop up the cat from behind before someone nearly trips over them.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock thinks he has walking down somewhat. He isn't falling down every step anymore. Dodging the feet of people is harder, but if he plans accordingly, he can find a way to avoid crossing their paths.

But then he gets scooped up and a strong burning sensation follows.

Sherlock hisses and tries to flail his limbs. "Let me go!" ]

[wherethereislight]

[His grip is firm despite the cat's flailing. Maybe the cat gets a few scratches onto his glove, but Shadow doesn't flinch, busy in thought. He isn't imagining it. His branded hand started to hurt more once he picked up the cat. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle, not an intense pain, just a subtle throbbing one for now. Hm.

Keeping the cat at arm's length, he starts to move, looking for a vacant table. Once he does, he sets the cat down onto it, staring. Is this really a cat...?]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Shadow won't have to worry about any tiny claws digging into his gloves or poking holes into the fabric. Sherlock has not figured out claws, so he merely baps his limbs in a feeble attempt to break free.

However, the moment he's on the table and able to see who picked him up, Sherlock hisses, and his fur puffs up. "Leave. Nothing remains for you here. The bounty was claimed by the very people who wrote it in the first place." ]

Catte

[crystalrepose]

[Once she'd been released from mandatory bed rest (and didn't need to be reminded more than a few times a day that rest was still important), Miriam had started wandering again. She didn't stray far from cities and populous areas, but staying in one place too long made her feel restless. There were still bandages on the worst of her silver burns, along with most of her arm; most of the new crystal had receded under the gauze. The petal-like Shards remained.

The cafe was one of the places Miriam ended up today, during one of the quieter lulls in activity. She had planned to just rest here for a bit, at least until an ink blot tumbled down the stairs in front of her. A rather cat-shaped one, albeit one seemingly all uncontrolled limbs and with the saddest little noise.]

Oh, no. [Though...there was a spark of familiarity in the back of her mind. Quieter, being in her right mind and human shape.] Are you hurt?

[She walked over to pick the cat up from where it was all flopped there, if it'd let her.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ The tiny cat is all too easy to pick up. Sherlock's head spins from his tumble, and he has a hard time getting his legs back underneath him.

"Wait, what--?" After the fall, Sherlock does not expect to rise into the air. "Who has me?"

He's just going to squirm a little to try and figure out what is going on. It's not enough to break out of any hold. He has never figured out claws, so at most, it's the tiny bat of limbs from a small, skinny cat. ]

[crystalrepose]

[Goodness. This cat seemed especially boneless, even for a cat. The little baps from a paw barely registered on her arm; she flinched a little when one landed close to a burn scar, but even the pressure of clothes did that. Her scarf was especially loose fitting today.

The bigger surprise was the voice; tiny, almost a squeak. Indignant, though. And--

...surely that wasn't Sherlock. But cats weren't exactly known to mimic voices like any of the dozen parrots she passed on the way here.]

Miriam. You fell down the stairs, I think.

[She had to be sure she wasn't hearing things. Even if it meant looking a bit silly, talking to the gangly cat in her hands she was still holding up as if waiting for him to walk off. It continued not doing so..]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock knows that voice. He stops squirming and tries to crane his head to glimpse Miriam. (He's so used to looking down at her due to his height. The different viewpoint is strange to say the least.) She looks more like herself this time and much improved.

Meanwhile he is... "Yes, that sequence of events I am well aware of."

He hasn't quite realized that she can understand him. ]

for Faulkner

[astudyinviolet]

[ One of Basker's heads noses the cold crystallized parts of Sherlock as if that would help him heal faster. Another head keeps a vigilant eye on the gate, and the last head watches for any nearby danger. Sherlock leans against him. Basker had grown large enough to do so easily.

Sherlock made a point to visit Basker at the Cosmo Conservatory every day for at half an hour the moment he was able to. The Cerberus pup had been so worried about Sherlock's prolonged absence, and when he finally returned, Basker tacked him. (It hurt with his still healing injuries.) His human hadn't abandoned him. He was taken! He was hurt!

The repeated visits would someday put Basker back at ease, but he is very protective of Sherlock for the time being. Sherlock cannot fault Basker for his behavior; he's still a bit uneasy being outside of the cafe after all. ]

[withermarked]

[For whatever reason, this happens to be the first time one of Sherlock's visits has lined up with one of Faulkner's feeding rounds.

He spots Basker at some distance, and gives the Cerberus pup a little whistle to get its attention.]

Oh, there ya are, boy. You're usually hungry by now. If you don't hurry it up, Angel's gonna eat your whole lunch for you, y'know--

[Faulkner trails off suddenly, stopping in his tracks as he realises several things at once: that he's prattling on at a dog in front of company, that said company is someone he hasn't met, and last but not least... that he's used to Basker looking a whole lot friendlier than the Cerberus does right now.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Basker senses the moment Sherlock's heart begins to beat faster, and he locks onto the reason soon enough. Placing himself firmly between Sherlock and Faulkner, Basker growls in warning.

Somewhere in Sherlock's mind attic, Faulkner's face is a little familiar. Ah, a shellphone post asking about things Sherlock didn't know about. Still, that means little when someone he recognized, even worked with on something, had wanted to turn him in for a bounty.

Sherlock places a hand on Basker's back and keeps Basker to his crystallized blind and deaf side. ]

Can I help you?

[withermarked]

[Faulkner stays where he is, and raises his hands in a way that's meant to show he's non-threatening; not that difficult, given he's not exactly an imposing person. There's a reason people tend to underestimate him.

And he might be a little shaken, but he reminds himself he's been close to much scarier things than an angry dog, even a somewhat monstrous one.]

Easy there. I was just feedin' the dogs. Is he... yours? I know he's the one that has an owner. But I didn't get the chance to meet too many folks before, well, y'know.

[It's possible the rambling is at least somewhat a conscious choice now; he likes to come off open and easy-going.]

meow meow!

[book2thehead]

[Heizou has maintained a certain distance from the cafe for a while now. Which he has his own reasons for, of course. The closest he gets is only when he periodically goes to check in on Sherlock. And what with the recent abductions and all... Well, this is one of those times.

He tends to pass through the cafe proper very quickly on his way to get there, too. But this time just as he's about to go up the stairs, he pauses to stare at a peculiar black cat. Its movements are... odd, as if it's just been born, except it's already too big to be that young. And so Heizou stares, curious.]

meow meow!

[astudyinviolet]

[ Heizou, get a max level Ring of Returning and make one of the teleportation locations Sherlock's apartment. Easy to skip the cafe. Problem solved.

Sherlock struggles to roll onto his front to try and get his legs back underneath him again, cursing all the while in pathetic meows. He finally manages it. Next is the concentrated effort of moving and balancing one leg at a time.

Ah! He's got it again. Now, one foot after the other...

Flop.

"Damn it." ]

[book2thehead]

[Not the worst idea, honestly, maybe he will--

Heizou just watches the cat go through that whole ordeal, and... Well. Being from a world where magic is basically real, and now being in another world where magic is even more fantastic, Heizou can safely conclude that this is not really a cat. And judging from where it is at the moment...

He smiles a little, moving to crouch down nearby and continue to observe in a very unhelpful way.]

Man alive. Aren't you a cute little thing~?

[Maybe he'll feign ignorance for a little while.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock has his place, the Cosmo Conservatory, and S.H. Detective Agency now. Maybe he'll find a spot on Elah, so he can avoid getting seasick on the trip over finally.

When Sherlock hears Heizou's voice he shuffles around haphazardly to look up at him. (Heizou's the tall one now) Maybe he's saved. Heizou can figure this out quickly. There is plentiful evidence to suggest who this not-a-cat might be: the location, the familiar color of his fur, the color of his eyes, the ribbon and charms around his neck... It would be harder for Heizou to not think this his friend and detective partner.

"Heizou! It's me! Sherlock!" Sherlock meows at him.

But what if Sherlock's wrong? He never did tell people about what happened to him... ]

crawls in belatedly (normal recovery shenanigans)

[indispensable]

[There's no denying the fact that Sherlock has been through a lot (to put it very lightly), and by this point he's not exactly a stranger to Sherlock's various ways of self-comfort—those pillow forts of his aren't exactly hard to miss, after all. For the most part Alhaitham has left him alone, simply watching from afar (or well, across the cafe to be more precise) just to make sure that he doesn't do anything to neglect his health. As if having to keep an eye on one neglectful individual wasn't annoying enough as it is...

In the early stages of his recovery Sherlock has been pretty good with keeping himself ed and hydrated, but as he gets better the old habits of ignoring his needs for food and water are quick to come back. Usually it doesn't take too much pointed coaxing for the detective to get some food and water into him, but he must have been especially distracted or otherwise today, seeing as how the food that Kaveh had placed out for him is close to getting cold and stale.

Biting down on a sigh, Alhaitham puts down the book he'd been reading and leaves his own usual nook to go over to Sherlock's pillow fort, crouching down once he's close enough to catch sight of the detective that's burrowed himself within.]

Your food's going to get cold if you don't eat it soon.

[You better eat it Sherlock!! Don't waste his husband's hard work!!]

[astudyinviolet]

[ In the beginning of his recovery, Sherlock followed everyone's instructions. Exhaustion plagued him, and he was too weak to put up any resistance. He only wanted to be in the company of people, to not be alone. As he grew stronger, he did fall back on his poorer habits. Still, a little pushing, and he'd start eating his meal.

Sherlock looks up at Alhaitham, grey eyes bleary with one slightly tinted green when it was clearer the other week. He had relapsed in his recovery. His treatment ended too soon to fully counter the ritual done on him. (It has since restarted.) ]

The idea of eating makes my stomach turn. I do not think I could manage.

[ He pulls a blanket tighter around himself. He can't seem to get warm. ]

[indispensable]

[Even if Alhaitham had been observing from afar, it was impossible to not notice the relapse as it was happening. Though Kaveh had certainly tried to do what he could to prevent it, there is only so much he can do in the end, especially with Sherlock being as awfully obstinate with his self-care as the architect himself. Yet Alhaitham knows that Kaveh learning from this experience is something close enough to a pipe dream at best.

Regardless, there is no use in admonishments since it will do nothing for the situation, so Alhaitham simply bites down a sigh as he gets back up and takes the plate of now cold food to bring away with him as he steps away from Sherlock—though not for very long, as he soon returns with water and a new plate, this time holding a few plain biscuits (and two coated with sugar).]

You're still going to need something in your body to recover. [He takes a second to place the water and biscuits at the table closest to the pillow fort, then turns back to Sherlock and gives him another cursory look.] ...do you need help with getting up?

[astudyinviolet]

[ One would be forgiven to think the pair could learn about taking better care of themselves from the other's pitfalls. However, that has yet to be the case.

When Alhaitham takes away the food, Sherlock lets out a sigh that is somehow both one of relief and guilt. When he doesn't eat Mrs. Hudson't cooking, Watson was right there to take his fill, and she'd also try to keep the leftovers in case Sherlock did decide to eat. Also, it was part of his rent. Right now, Sherlock has no rent to pay, and food was never part of this arrangement. (Sherlock is also very wrong about what this arrangement is.)

When Alhaitham returns with a different plate of food and water, Sherlock frowns but doesn't argue. That would take an energy he doesn't have. ]

... I might.

[ He admits. Sherlock lets the blanket around his shoulders fall, so he can avoid being tangled in it. He leaves the plushies in his little mess of cushions and blankets, already missing the comforting feeling of being held from the Moon Pal's enchantment. He gets to his feet, and his balance wobbles sideways as if the crystallization has effected his inner ear. ]