if_inconvenient | (no subject)

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So. Alec Carrow.

Sherlock is aware that social boundaries apply to this situation, and that he is currently breaking them all. He doesn't much care. He is wholly capable of discretion, but he is not at all capable of remaining ignorant in the first place.

Start with finding the obituary. Work from there. How did he die? When?

(Tony doesn't know about the conversation with Alyce. Tony doesn't know about a lot of things. Tony has been spending more time than usual ensconced in his workshop with the door locked, hacking Stark Industries records like he doesn't remember that Jarvis won't keep secrets between the two of them. Sherlock is a little surprised that it seems Tony was on the level about arming him more formidably.)

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"Ooh, dusting is good. Flame throwers work well, too. I took out three at once on- uh-"

She should probably not talk about Tom's rescue. That's information that isn't necessary to share.

"On a rescue mission. A while back."

"I won't ask," he assures her, because he can't reasonably pretend not to have noticed.

"I believe I will always prefer the range and precision of the laser, myself."

"We're not always acting with evil intent," she explains. She's glad he won't ask, though.

"And I suppose I could be adaptable. I mean, I'd prefer being able to kill them with my brain, but until I have that kind of power, I'll stick to hand held objects and hope none of them knock it away."

"Yes, there is always the danger of being deprived of one's weapon." He shrugs. "And that is why it is useful to know a few things about unarmed combat."

Not that fighting vampires without his laser pointer is in any way fun. In fact he sincerely hopes he will never have to do it again.

"Spells can do that. I mean, magic's like unarmed combat. For me."

It's not so different. Sort of.

He grins.

"Chacun à son goût," he says, shrugging. "You have your areas of expertise and I have mine."

"If we're ever out walking together and get attacked by vampires, I'll save you and you can save me."

Sunnydale - bringing people together with survival strategies.

"Happily," he agrees.

This time she doesn't hesitate to believe his sincerity. But she's still shy, and a little awkward, and maybe just a teeny bit scared by this whole thing. She hasn't done much thinking for herself, well, ever, and she never thought she'd have a friend outside the coven.

"So, um, am I keeping you from anything important? Because, you know, this is great, but if you had plans or anything. But hanging out is really nice, too."

Her drink's been finished a while now.

"I did not have plans," Sherlock reassures her. "If I had something to do that was more important than this conversation, I would be doing that."

This sounds callous, and maybe it is a little, but really it's just the way Sherlock's mind works.

It does sound a little callous, and it takes Alyce a moment to parse whether or not it should be worrisome. She decides, since he's still smiling, that it's honesty, instead, and that's refreshing, too.

"Cool."

Belatedly realizing how that probably sounded, Sherlock looks a little relieved that she did not take it amiss.

...Now he's stuck for conversational topics again. But he has a solution this time!

"What else do people talk about? Besides baseball?"

"Well, we got vampires out of the way. And I'm thinking magic isn't a good topic. Gossip isn't the same when school's out. Oh, I know. How about... do you like to watch movies? Or, um, read books?"

She watches a lot more movies than she reads books, but she does read. Sometimes.

"I read some books."

He grins wryly.

"I am sure you can guess which ones."

"Ummm... Romances?"

Oh. She hopes it's okay to tease a little.

Sherlock's grin widens.

"Your deductive skills may need a bit of work, Miss Carrow," he informs her.

Phew, good. Teasing is okay.

"Maybe you should help me with that, Mr. Holmes. Sunnydale High never offered an elective in detective work."

Thoughtfully: "I don't see why I shouldn't."

"Oh."

She blinks. She'd not meant it like that, but...

"I was- I mean- I don't think I'm smart enough. I mean, for real detective kinds of things. I have to work hard for Bs, and last year, I barely scraped by."

This is another reason she's always followed along instead of done her own thing. She's not as smart as the people around her. At least, that's how she's always felt.

"If academic performance is required for detective work, I am quite doomed," he says cheerfully. "The main part of it is learning how to pay attention. Everything else follows."

"Really? I'm good at that. I think."

If it's similar to the kinds of observations that keep you safe growing up in a place like Sunnydale, then she's even better than she thinks. She just needs focus.

"And, um, you do know you can call me Alyce. If you want to."

Maybe he prefers being that formal, but she's not used to that kind of thing.

"Alyce, then," he agrees. "And," as much as he likes hearing the words Mr. Holmes directed his way, "you may call me Sherlock."

He smiles.

"Would you like to learn whatever I can teach you about observation and deduction?"

She nods her head.

"Yes. I would like that, Sherlock."

She might have said yes to any kind of lessons, so long as he was teaching them. If it gives them reasons to see each other, she's all for it.

"Well then."

Sherlock leans back in his seat a little, considering where to start.

"It has seemed to me," he says slowly, "ever since I began discovering these principles for myself, that really most people exhibit an incredible neglect for what their senses can tell them about reality. I am sure you have noticed it yourself—particularly in this town—the way that most of the population refuses to perceive what is in front of them."

"That's because they don't want to. They'd rather believe in bizarre disease outbreaks or wild animal attacks or random falls on barbecue forks than witches or demons or vampires."

That's why the coven has stayed hidden in plain sight for so long. Even she knows that.