Distant Minds {{Sherlock Rp with Circledude5}}

[Shadow Cat]

Use this for Rp

 

[Circledude5]

Sherlock could hear John speaking to him, he just wasn't listening. At all. In fact, the only word he had actually registered from John's mouth had been "Sherlock," before tuning him out.


This was because his acid experiment was really so much more important at the moment. Because though he wasn't listening to John, he certainly knew what he was talking about: their last case had finished, they were out of milk, they were running low on edible food, did he want anything in specific from Tesco's, Mrs. Hudson would have a fit as soon as send seen what he was doing on the kitchen table. Yes, yes; it was the usual lecture after every finished case. In fact, John had gone through it so many times that Sherlock could probably say some version of it perfectly, word for word, by heart. Even though he'd never actually listened to the full thing.


But this time...


Through the cloud he'd voluntarily placed over John's voice, Sherlock caught a phrase he had not been expecting at all.


"...cousin needs a place to stay,"


"What?" Sherlock responded instinctively, snappishly, rudely. Because now he was listening to John.


"I said, 'my cousin needs a place to stay.'"


"Oh," Sherlock said. He sounded mildly surprised, though that may have been because he was in the process of disengaging himself from his experiment to focus instead on the conversation. "And? What does he have to do with anything?"


"I was saying that she would be staying with us," John informed him pointedly, "and that you should do you best not to be a total git. We've already had this conversation several times."


"Really?" Sherlock couldn't recall when John might have mentioned this previously. "When?"


"On both Saturday and Tuesday, and -"


Sherlock decided that this was not a matter he needed to be worrying about at this moment and again tuned John out. That was, until...


"I'm leaving to pick her up from the airport now."


Before he could reply, John had already left.

 

[Shadow Cat]

Ciera was sitting on the plane with a champagne glass on her TV tray as it approached the airport and slowed its engines to land. She glanced out the window as she sipped on the champagne, watching as the ground gradually approached to meet to aircraft, the wheels squealing on the pavement as breaks were applied.


Before she knew it, she had been through the gate, luggage, and was now standing in the midst of a large crowd of people, trying to spot John.


She had recently had a nasty fight with her sister, whom she had roomed with. She figured it would be nice to get out of the house anyway and see family. Which was why she was here to stay with John until she got back on her feet.


John had invited her to come stay with him and his flatmate. Sherlock, she thought it was. John had told her in no uncertain terms that his flatmate had no filter, and that no offense was meant by it. She had explained that if she couldn't take a few offhanded remarks, she wouldn't have stayed with her sister for so long.


"John!" She called out as she finally spotted him. She weaved in and out of the crowd until she reached him and threw her arms around him in a hug. "It's been much too long." She said happily as she pulled away.

 

[Circledude5]

Sherlock wasn't pacing.


He also wasn't playing Mozart's 5th Violin Conerto in A so fast that his fingers were essentially blurs.


Had he really tuned John out so often that he missed the fact an entire new person would be coming to stay? Apparently he had. And now...


No, he can't have more people here! What would they think? Of him, his experiments, of John? This was John's cousin! She'd probably leap upon the chance to get John to leave him, that weirdo Sherlock Holmes, who blows up eyeballs in the microwave and dissolves thumbs in acid and cheers at the mention of serial killings. Yes, anyone in their right minds would try and get caring, good-natured, John away from the mad man.


As soon as he saw a black taxi pull up, he turned away from the window and sat in his armchair. He switched from his furious tune to a new, calmer one. Maybe playing the violin would make a good impression.

 

[Shadow Cat]

Ciera smiled and thanked John as he walked around to open her door. The building stood just in front of them, the number 221B printed on a gold plate just beside the door. She waited on John to lead the way before following him in with her suitcase in tow.


As soon as she walked in, a soft tune floated down the stairs. So he was a violin player. She followed John to the stairs as a woman who introduced herself as Miss Hudson turned the corner. After a brief chat, they said their goodbyes and Ciera walked up the stairs, leaving John still conversing with her.


The first thing she noticed as she walked in was how messy it was. The kitchen table was cluttered, a fine layer of dust over everything, and a skull over the fireplace. That was interesting. She turned her attention to the man playing violin near the window. He was dressed in a rather tight purple button up shirt with the top few buttons undone. His hair was curly and messy, hanging down to the center of his forehead.


"You must be Sherlock," She finally spoke. "I'm Ciera, John's cousin." She said as she looked back down the stairs to where John was still speaking with Miss Hudson.

 

[Circledude5]

Boring.





Sherlock didn't bother to turn around. He both wanted to make a good impression and get rid of her as fast as possible. So, he could either purposefully be a massive jerk...or do his best to be a pleasant person. He weighed the options in a matter of seconds:


If he tried to be polite, she'd be more likely to approve of him, wouldn't try and influence John to leave. But then she might be inclined to stay longer, keep in touch.


If he tried to be a jerk, she'd definitely disapprove of him, might tell John it's better to leave. But she'd leave sooner, he'd have to deal with her for less time.


It all came down to whether he trusted John enough to stay. Whether he trusted faithful, honest, loyal John.


And he made a decision.


He ignored her, didn't even glance at her, kept playing his song.

 

[Shadow Cat]

Ciera raised an eyebrow. John certainly wasn't wrong when he explained Sherlock's general attitude toward everyone. Through John hadn't mentioned what Sherlock did for a living. Perhaps he did something interesting, unlike most people she met. Maybe he was an adrenaline junkie and went sky diving every afternoon. That would certainly be interesting.


"No interrupting violin playing, got it." Ciera remarked as she walked further into the room.


As she was scanning the room again, John finally ascended the stairwell. "You can't ignore her forever Sherlock." John said as he entered and saw that the two evidently hadn't spoken."I'm going to go shopping. As hairbendingly difficult as it might be for you two, I want you to actually speak with each other while I'm gone." Before either could reply, he had left again.


Ciera raised an eyebrow at where John had been standing only moments ago. She wasn't exactly big on small talk. And if she had to guess, Sherlock wasn't either. "What do you do for a living?" Ciera asked out of nowhere.

 

[Circledude5]

Sherlock continued to ignore the "mystery woman" behind him, but deduced her from what data he had collected.


Tall, probably around 5'10", based on the amount of time it took for her to take three steps and come level with John's armchair. He could feel her presence, her location in the room. To-the-point and a practical traveller (he'd only heard one suitcase come thunking up the stairs). Fairly anti-sociable.


Sherlock had just begun to consider the answer he might provide to John's already fairly irritating cousin when he heard an infuriating scraping noise from the mantel. He'd been so invested in his thoughts, he hadn't noticed the woman cross to the fireplace. That sound meant that she was holding his skull. His skull. And that was not okay.


Before he could stop himself, he'd tore his now from the strings, creating a high-pitched shriek on his instrument, and whipped around. He pointed his bow directly at her. "Put. Her. Down. Now." He growled. He was inflamed to see that there was a small smirk playing around her lips.

 

[Shadow Cat]

A small smile played on Ciera's lips as he finally whirled around and spoke. "He speaks." Ciera said as she placed the skull back on the mantel. She raised an eyebrow with a grin.


"You gonna talk to me now or keep ignoring me?" She said as she crossed the floor and sat in the chair she assumed musty be John's. "I'm assuming this chair is John's?" She crossed her legs as she looked at him. "I mean, there are a few pieces of grey hair on it that would math his color. They definitely aren't yours." She pointed out with a grin.


"You're awfully particular about the skull, so I would hate to see what you would do if I sat in your chair." She said as she raised an eyebrow in curiosity.


He was certainly more interesting than she had anticipated. Mysterious, annoying yes, but still intriguing in his own little way.

 

[Circledude5]

In one swift motion, Sherlock leapt over the back and into the seat of his armchair, his violin and bow resting in his lap.


"Well, I suppose I'm saving you the displeasure, then," Sherlock said. It appeared John's cousin would be a little more interesing than originally expected. That, or she was just really, really, really annoying. And obviously, being a cold, untouchable, unconversational person was not doing anything to make her dislike him. Time to switch tactics.


"What do you mean 'do for a living'?" Sherlock asked. But he didn't really ask. He said it in a tone that made it clear he was going to continue, answer his own question, rather than her. "You mean what do I do as a job, where do I work, what do I get paid for. Well, then. The answer is simple: I'm unemployed. And I'm not looking for a job or another person to be here. So do yourself a favour and find somewhere to work so I don't have to pretend that I enjoy your presence any longer."


"I don't think you've enjoyed my presence at all," she countered, "But no matter."

 

[Shadow Cat]

"I was simply asking because sitting around here all day seems especially boring. You can't just play the violin constantly for entertainment." She pointed out as she leaned forward. "You must have something you do for fun." She said with a grin.


If she was going to stay here then she needed a source of entertainment. John wouldn't be of any help, as his idea of fun was doing the daily crossword puzzle in the paper. Maybe this new individual would have a little something up his sleeve.

 

[Circledude5]

"Oh yes it can be. But I can easily get lost you see, the violin helps that." Sherlock said nonchalantly. "That and the drugs."


He saw her eyes widen just the tiniest bit and knew he'd found a mark.


"Oh yes," Sherlock continued. "Long, boring days, all the eyeballs reduced to pulp in the blender, violin already played for hours, not a thing to do. Cocaine does it." He closed his eyes as if imagining the sensation of the cool needle in his arm, the rush as the liquid spread through his veins. He allowed himself to let out a longing sigh.


"The shock of electricity coursing through your veins," Sherlock went on, "The instant rush, the dulled senses. So wonderful to...indulge on those days." He ran his left hand up his right forearm and back again, along the bruises no longer there from years of careful use.


"Or heroin," he said reminiscently, "That wonderful haze."

 

[Shadow Cat]

Ciera quickly moved past her surprise. He was much more complicated than she had initially expected. She looked down at her phone for a moment before glancing back up at him.


"I know what you're trying to do. But getting rid of me isn't going to be that easy." She explained with a grin. "So. Between the drugs and the violin, when do you find time to be a consulting detective?" She asked as she glanced back at her phone. "Pretty interesting stuff for such a low life." She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

 

[Circledude5]

Either John had texted her, or she'd Googled him. Given John's habits at Tesco's, the latter was more likely.


"You've Googled me," Sherlock stated, not answering her question. "And no, I'm not trying to get rid of you; simply warning you of what you're getting yourself tangled into." He wanted to get up and start pacing, but he knew that that would create an opportunity for the woman to sit in his seat, and he couldn't have that. So, he stayed put.


"People come to me sometimes," Sherlock said, "If their case is interesting, I take it. If not, I send them off. Otherwise, I'm in the kitchen."

 

[Shadow Cat]

"You don't seem like the cooking type. What do you do in the kitchen?" Ciera asked as she put her phone away. She looked back for a moment.


The kitchen was even more cluttered than the living room. Things were spread out on the table and the counters with extreme disorganization. She looked back to Sherlock. No way did anyone in their right mind cook in there. But then, this man had made it clear that he was in fact not in his right mind.

 

[Circledude5]

"Oh, lots of things," Sherlock said, "Drives John right up the wall, it does. What with explosions and scorch marks every couple days. Boiling acids on the stove, converting hydrogen peroxide to water."


Sherlock thought back to when he'd done that. John had come down the stairs and seen the brown bottle on the kitchen table, the pot on the stove, and the rag Sherlock had tied over his mouth and nose, and put two and two together. Then, he'd ran over to the window and thrown it open, all while cursing loudly and holding his shirt over his face. It had been rather amusing, especially because the entire reason why he was even boiling the stuff in the first place was for the resulting toxic gas. He'd lost his skull for a week for that one.


"You seem rather interested in me," Sherlock told her, "Though you haven't offered a single detail about yourself."

 

[Shadow Cat]

Ciera raised an eyebrow at the interesting explanation. The man seemed genuinely insane. She didn't believe that she had ever met anyone quite like him. He was quite obviously a genius of sorts, that much was obvious. But he was an interesting genius.


"You don't seem very interested in me," She countered with a small smile. "You seem very intent on talking about yourself.

 

[Circledude5]

Sherlock wasn't very...adept when it came to social interaction. But he did know many tactics when it came to careful manipulation of the conversation. Which also meant that he knew when silence was to be used to his advantage. And now was a perfect place to play it. So, he sat politely, head inclined as if expecting more, hands folded gently on his violin. He scrutinised her her pointedly like the way Mycroft had done whenever he got in trouble when he was a little boy.


He was making her uncomfortable, he knew that - he could see her suppressing her uneasiness behind her cool gaze - but he wasn't sure whether it was that she disliked talking about herself, the way he was regarding him made her tense, or a combination of the two. It was unlikely it was anything else. But what he did know was that one of them would have to talk eventually. And also that he was not going to be the one to break the silence.

 

[Shadow Cat]

((Sorry it took so long, I've been a bit busy))


Ciera gazed at Sherlock coolly, though behind the cool gaze she was becoming increasingly uneasy. She never really talked about her past with anyone. Perhaps she thought that if she didn't speak of it, then she could just continue running from it, that it would never catch up to her. She knew somewhere deep down that running from her past was futile, but that had never stopped her.


'I don't like talking about myself." Ciera said simply as she crossed her legs and knitted her fingers together, resting her chin on them. If she didn't speak of her past with even her closest friends, she sure as Hell wasn't going to speak of it with this stranger.

 

[Circledude5]

[sorry I'm realising now that I was being kind of controlling of your character at the beginning :/


Also don't worry about it. If I get really impatient I'll PM you, but we humans do have lives *looks at internet activity log* well, actually...*ahem*]


Sherlock considered her for a moment. She had given her name, but why couldn't he remember it. A file from short-term floated to the surface and played itself in his mind's eye.


"You must be Sherlock. I'm Ciera, John's cousin."





Ah, that was it. Ciera.


He steepled his hands beneath his chin, the violin sliding down to rest in his lap as the deductions he'd taken began lining themselves up in preparation to be let loose. He cocked his head to the side ever so slightly and smirked.


"Well," Sherlock started, "If you don't intend on offering up any information, then perhaps I can be of some assistance."

 

[Shadow Cat]

"Yeah? How so?" Ciera said coolly as she leaned forward a small bit and her eyes narrowed just slightly.


She had come here to get away from her family, the annoying members anyway. Sure it was entertaining talking to him instead of her family, but she wasn't sure if she was comfortable discussing anything pertaining to herself. She didn't have to around close family because they already knew.


Though her exterior seemed calm and in control, she was silently freaking out. Her muscles were tensed and a lump had settled in the pit of her stomach. She wasn't even sure John knew the circumstances of her past, being the distant cousin that he was. And here was this stranger that she had met mere minutes ago acting like he knew her entire life's story. What was he playing at?

 

[Circledude5]

Sherlock could see the uncertainty building in her body language. Her muscles had tensed, a hint of moisture had appeared at her hairline, and she'd doubled her efforts to appear confident. He contemplated her for a moment. Then, he opened his mouth, and the deductions started pouring out.


"I know you've been having problems recently. Most likely financial and or family. I know that you aren't close to family, and that the family you are close to, you disapprove of. I know that you've had a difficult past, and that your parents were drug users. Matter of probability, chances are you used for a time as well.


"Yes, yes. Of course. How can I possibly know? John. Let's start with him. He's an army doctor returning from Afghanistan on pension, he could have gone to family, but he ended up flat-sharing with me in Central London. He's not very close to immediate family; not even his sister. Nor is he close to extended family. He's never mentioned you before now. So why is his disconnected cousin suddenly coming for a visit? Like I said before, you have little extended family, and most you're not close with. Any family that could be considered 'close' you have you disapprove of or are not on good terms with. You wouldn't have asked John unless you felt absolutely obliged to - financial issues.


"You've been depending on someone else. Clothes like that? Phone with camera, email, and enough RAM and service to use an internet browser. If you're having financial problems, you wouldn't just toss money into things like clothes and electronics. No, someone cares about you enough to take you in while you try and get your life on track. Could be a university friend or something similar, but they wouldn't spend money on you for a smartphone and decent clothes. That says a close family member even though you're not on good terms. You thought it would be good to see family, get away, but you chose John because of who he is, not because of what he means to you. He might as well have been an old university friend; you knew he wouldn't refuse the request. He just doesn't do that.


"Then there's that you don't like talking about yourself. That speaks volumes about your past. Family problems, few close ties, financial difficulty? Reaction to my previous comments, in hindsight, means your history likely has something to do with illegal drugs. Troubled past and lack of familial bonds - that says parental trouble from an early age. Connect the two: your parents were drug users. People with difficult childhoods tend to turn to drugs as an escape, and having drug-using parents only contributes to the likelihood. Financial difficulty is a common sign of drug use too. You're running away, don't like to remind yourself of it. It's why you don't talk about it. Save yourself the trouble; it doesn't work."





The entire monologue was delivered at a blistering pace.

 

[Shadow Cat]

Ciera's gaze never wavered as he spoke. She didn't ask how he did it like most undoubtedly would have. She already knew. "Deductive reasoning." She said. "Much less common than inductive but so much more useful." She regarded him with a cool demeanor.


"Well, you aren't completely wrong. I don't speak with any family other than my sister or John. My parents were drug users from the time I was six. But I don't use drugs. Never have, never will. As for the financial difficulties, they are essentially temporary. I have a job interview tomorrow with the local police." Ciera explained with a cool smile. "I run from my past, yes, but I've also learned from it. For example, the less people know about you the better. But it's useless to try to hide yourself from someone as... observant as yourself."

 

[Circledude5]

The one thing that struck Sherlock with her statement was that she was applying to the Metropolitan Police. Tomorrow, in fact. And that meant she intended to stay in London. He had initially thought she was here to visit for a week or so because of the light packing. Although, reviewing his information, the fact that she had only brought one suitcase was probably a result of her financial difficulty.


Perhaps she wouldn't be too dull. People not willing to talk were always the best ones to figure out. "So, how long are you staying?"

 

[Shadow Cat]

"Probably indefinitely. Don't worry though, I'll have my own flat eventually. You won't have to put up with me for too long." Ciera smiled.


She had had the initial impression that he wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. In fact, he had seemed especially keen on getting rid of her as soon as possible. And here he was asking how long she would be staying, as if he didn't care either way. So what had changed?