THE SOFT OPENING

[deduction]

Art courtesy of reapersun@tumblr

What for? Who knows! Where at? Who cares! Who's paying for all this? Mycroft!!

Time for some cheer, Sherlockians! Regardless of canonpoint or verse, everyone's invited to attending a wonderful party in this beautiful chateau with drinking, nibbles, and maybe a murder or two. All dinosaurs are to be left at the door (and I mean you, Anderson). Mix, mingle, deduce which of the other guests are having affairs, discover dead bodies in the closet, hold someone hostage in the basement; as long as you're having fun, you're welcome here.




THE SMALL TEXT!
This is the official soft opening for the open Sherlock Holmes sandbox threepipeproblem. Link it to everyone, post and be merry, and pray that this works, because if it does then the whole thing will soon be open for business. AWESOME, RIGHT? GO GO GO.
And don't forget to read the rules and FAQs too.

Comments

ota / let's get some ladies all up in this box!

[ex_striking429]

[ Irene carries around a glass of red wine, but never seems to drink from it; is it an affectation or is she simply a subtle imbiber? Who knows. This is a little more raucous than the parties she's usually found at — and significantly less raucous than the other sorts of parties she occasionally attends. Mostly everyone has their clothes on her. Even she. ]

[ Still, she mingles, with coy glances and lifted chin. She touches arms with fingers clothed in long black gloves — try taking her pulse now, Sherlock Holmes. She never smiles genuinely, but she smiles. ]

[housekeeper]

Oh, I haven't seen such lovely gloves since I was a fashionable young thing.

[ Mrs Hudson is, as usual, a wide open book: slightly wine stained teeth on full display in a genial smile, eyes dotting to and fro with curious energy, and a tongue loosened with the liberal application of her own drink. A hand flicks out to touch the black material of the gloves, just a touch over-friendly. ]

[seesobserves]

God, no. Everybody here is far too cheerful. [Or they're faking cheer to cover up for some family or other personal social crisis, but nothing as exciting as a death. Sherlock could describe every one in detail, though, Lestrade, if you'd like.

He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a plastic baggie, which he hands over. Inside are flecks of skin.]

A bit more evidence for the Talbot case. I noticed you were stuck.

[Even though it's a case Sherlock hasn't been called in on. Even though the police have been giving every indication to the media that they're on the right track. Perhaps Lestrade even believes they are.]

Yep. Northern California

[blogging_mystery]

Turn into what Sherlock, a human instead of a Vulcan. [ He shakes his head but it's all fondness and only a mild amount of annoyance. ] Slowing down isn't always a bad thing. You know?

Could always find someplace that's not watered down.

SoCal here :3a

[improbable]

[John gets one of the rare blank looks from Sherlock at the Vulcan comment -- clearly he hasn't bothered at all with Star Trek. Probably deemed it irrelevant]

Or you could finish your way through those two pints and then we can find something worthwhile.

[He only grunts at the idea of voluntarily "slowing down". That's what the violin is for, John. You ought to consider picking it up yourself]

Nice might be moving down there after grad, depending on jobs

[blogging_mystery]

More worth while as in a body on the pavement somewhere? [ he half teases finishing his pint, and ordering another one. ] Or do you have other things you find worthwhile.

Good luck!

[improbable]

I don't leave the flat for just any body in the street.

[Sherlock tilts his chin with a frown. John, he does have standards in regards to his corpses and he thought that was more than clear at this point. His eyes follow John's pint, flicking from it to his friend's face]

Things I could be doing back in my lab. At least the experiments I'm conducting are interesting.

[Also possibly Nobel Prize winning, but Sherlock isn't in it for meaningless awards.]

[dontbeboring]

We can get cake on the way home.

[If it wasn't already very obvious, Sherlock has absolutely no desire to be here. The room is full of people he doesn't know, nor has any desire to get to know. And they're all doing that thing where they smile and talk about particularly idiotic things. Small talk, he believes John calls it. He's beyond caring now that this is his brother's party and it's his family duty to attend.]

ty ty. We'll see I just sent a bunch of film festival packets off.

[blogging_mystery]

I know you have standards Sherlock. I was teasing. If you want to go home to the fingers and eyes in the fridge, you can. I'm not gonna force you to stay here if you are miserable.

You at lest want a pint before you go?

[drugsbust]

I'm starting to think that there's a scheme going on, if two normal blokes like us have been invited to this sort of crowd. [He's looking around over his drink enjoying the smooth burn for a moment before returning to a point of interest.] And Sherlock didn't say anything helpful I bet.

[drugsbust]

Alright, but I'm giving you five minutes before I seek out the bloody Queen for permission to search and surround. [As far as he's concerned he should be doing that now, because if they could surround the premises, the man they're looking for couldn't possibly get away.]

[somereliance]

[Being fashionably late is one thing, but John is pushing that envelope and then some by now.

If he looks a little lost, it's because he is. Just following the unspoken promise of a shared look across the room. He wandered after a mysterious woman, only to be left without much hope of finding his way back to the main event.]

Hello? Is anyone here?

[blogged]

No, I believe he said "he'll have patches on his jacket" and buggered off. I haven't seen him since.

<3!!!

[ex_striking429]

Thank you, Mrs. Hudson.

[ The look Irene gives her is cool at first, but grows warmer even as she extricates her hand. But it's to peel the glove off with practiced ease, rolling and sliding the material and then shaking it out, the better to let the other woman admire it. ]

You're looking well enough tonight.

[bestprofessional]

The Talbot- [One day Greg will stop being surprised by Sherlock. Today, it seems, is not that day.] How on earth do you- [Oh, right. Party.

He lowers his voice, scowling.] That investigation is police only, Sherlock. And we're going just fine.

[bestprofessional]

Don't let the tea thing fool you. We like our kicks just as much as you Yanks.

[Greg's smile is easy. While he wasn't supposed to have had much to to with the agent, he'd found the man a refreshing change from most of the other stodgy British ops.] If you're able to keep a secret, I might even show you where we keep some of the confiscated stuff.

[seesobserves]

Don't take it, then.

[There's a smile threatening to start at one corner of his mouth. Still holding out the bag, by the way.]

[bestprofessional]

[He scowls, but looks furtively around to make sure no one's paying attention to them. The bag quickly dissapears into his jacket.] You'll have to come in later to fill some things in.

[Technically only if the evidence was going to be pivotal to the case. Greg had no doubt it would be. It doesn't make him any happier about it.]

[seesobserves]

[The smile ticks into place. It dials back but doesn't disappear as he turns to watch the crowd.]

Naturally, once everybody else is finished having their fun. ['Everybody else,' operative words. Sherlock takes a sip of punch and -- ah. There's John, and he's found the HR girl. Hope you're getting a proper flirt in, Doctor, because Sherlock will be ready to leave any second now.]

[bestprofessional]

You might as well have some too, now you're here.

[He raises his glass to Sherlock and has a sip.] Did John come down too, or-?

[improbable]

[Sherlock's eyes narrow slightly] If I were miserable, you would know. This isn't miserable. This is thinking.

[He thinks about it and shrugs, settling himself at the counter and lacing his long fingers together]

All right. One pint while you go through your second.

[the_new_sexy]

[of course there is. Sherlock will appear behind him.]

Don't call out for people when you're not certain, John, you'll just draw attention to yourself.

[blogging_mystery]

[ John snorts and shakes his head taking another slow sip from his glass. ] No I suppose you don't hide when your miserable do you? [ He gestures to the bartender to bring Sherlock a beer. ]

You'll get back to your lab soon enough, you know it is good and healthy to get out every so often. [ and by out he does not mean working a case, which is obvious in his tone. ]

[blogging_mystery]

[ Blink. Blink. Blink. What is this with people not being dead when he's told they are dead. He takes another sip of his pint and gives her a small smile. ]

[somereliance]

Are we trying to be inconspicuous here, Sherlock?

[He certainly hadn't been expecting his friend to show up. With one last winsome look, John tries looking over the taller man's shoulder.] ...you didn't happen to see a blonde go by this way, did you?