if_inconvenient: (<= I know it sounds absurd)
Sherlock Holmes, after a fashion ([personal profile] if_inconvenient) wrote2011-02-02 01:11 pm
Entry tags:

(no subject)

Conversations with Mr Mayer are always so delightful. Sherlock returns home happier than he left, just like last time, resolves to look into that fellow's collection of mysteries—just like last time—and reluctantly shelves the project in favour of more pressing matters. Just like last time.

At least, on this iteration, the pressing matters are much more pleasant. Cal should be arriving any minute now.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah," Cal says. "Me too."

He looks back over at Sherlock.

"Plus he'll be out of the house, so that doesn't suck."

The subtle undercurrent of unease that Cal's anxiety about his uncle ultimately settled into has never quite gone away. Maybe it never will.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 07:50 pm (UTC)(link)
- Cal pauses for a second to catch up.

"Oh. Yeah. It's just a tape, he doesn't have any other copies. Jarvis checked."

Cal had mostly forgotten about that. Once he'd established that Mr Mayer didn't want the tape going public any more than Cal did, it had stopped being important.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 08:19 pm (UTC)(link)
Cal shrugs a little.

"Yeah, I could live without it, but as long as we're all on the same side, it's not a problem."

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Cal laughs.

"Now there's a surprise," he says. "How do you know all this stuff, anyway?"

Because Cal never brought it up. As he is just realizing.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 09:12 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah," Cal says thoughtfully. "He's really good at the fake teacher thing."

Which is to say: his classes are too boring to be memorable, and while he's friendly with his students, he doesn't make much of an impression. Cal would never have looked at him twice if he hadn't come around the corner at the right moment that day.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Cal looks pleased.

"It doesn't really look like a fake till you see him for real," he says. "First class I had with him after I talked to him about the tape, I was like, 'Holy shit, are you kidding me?'"

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 09:38 pm (UTC)(link)
. . . that is an obvious connection Cal never made.

His expression says as much.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
Cal rolls his eyes a little and shakes his head.

"Yeah," he says. "Sorry I didn't mention the tape, I just completely forgot about it. There was a lot going on."

And he hadn't been talking to Sherlock. Which -

Whatever, that's over now.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 09:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"But I think I might've freaked him out a little when I told him not to worry about Stane," Cal continues.

In retrospect, he could have picked his words a little more carefully. His anger toward (everything) Stane had boiled over more than it should have in that moment.

He'd certainly made his point, though.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
"I may have used the phrase 'evil bastard,'" Cal says, a touch ruefully. "He said something about it being a horrible way to go and how he wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy, and I just - I don't know. Didn't want him to worry about it, I guess."

Didn't want him digging any deeper into Obadiah Stane's life. Wanted him to forget the whole thing had ever happened so that Cal wouldn't have to worry about him knowing. Wanted to point out that Stane was, in fact, someone's worst enemy.

Wanted to say out loud that he'd deserved it, and Sherlock hadn't been there to say it to.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Cal pauses. That hadn't occurred to him.

"Yeah, I guess it really didn't sound that good," he concedes.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 10:14 pm (UTC)(link)
"If he was gonna do something about it, he would have already."

Mr Mayer - the real James Mayer - hadn't struck Cal as the type to bide his time.

"Anyway, if he was gonna get himself killed anyway, maybe I should have. I mean, something else, the Hellmouth thing is way too elaborate."

It's partly a joke. Partly not.

[identity profile] americas-son.livejournal.com 2011-02-02 10:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Cal snorts.

"Well, one of us should have," he says. "It would have saved some trouble. And watching someone gets sucked into the Hellmouth is not as fun as it sounds."