we are invariably pleased to welcome tourism

[cross_and_bow]

Sherlock is usually very puncutal. He's only one minute late, but that's still not quite as punctual as usual. Bella peers out the window, not yet allowing herself outright concern.

Comments

[passforsympathy]

"I'm not the one who invited a vampire from an alternate dimension into my house," Obadiah says mildly.

[toblameforit]

"Stop deflecting," Tony says sharply. "You were like this after that other time too and it's getting really fucking old."

[passforsympathy]

"I don't know what you want me to say," he says. "The clone has never exactly been stable."

[she_sells_seashells]

"Mine's not a clone," says Shell Bell suddenly, sharply, "and I don't think she'd be arguing for you to go on living either if she were here."

[toblameforit]

Tony looks pleadingly at Sherlock.

"Okay, but—really? I mean, really?"

[eversomuchfun]

"And he wants to fuck you," Sherlock adds. "Yes. Everything I have told you about him is the truth. In my world, after I found out he arranged that collapsed road, he hired a gang of vampire assassins and concealed them in our basement. They killed you and Jarvis and turned me."

[passforsympathy]

"Am I really on trial here?" he asks witheringly.

[toblameforit]

Tony won't look at him.

"Is it true?"

[passforsympathy]

"Is what true, because again, the only vampire—"

[toblameforit]

"About my parents," he interrupts. "Is it true?"

[passforsympathy]

He sighs impatiently.

"No, Tony. It's not true."

[she_sells_seashells]

"You want another square?" asks Shell Bell, biting into her cheek. "You wanna check? Square'll give you a short burst if that, but I bet it'll let you check." She offers him the mother-of-pearl coin, not taking her eyes off Snow-Obie. "Maybe I'll get Golden or Juliet to break my arm ve-e-ry carefully..."

[passforsympathy]

"This is ridiculous," says Obadiah.

But... maybe a little nervously.

[toblameforit]

"...I don't want you to break your arm," says Tony. "But I want to know what's going on."

[eversomuchfun]

"Ask your Sherlock," Sherlock suggests.

[toblameforit]

"...That... is actually a pretty good idea," says Tony. "Fuck. Jarvis, can you get Sherry on the phone?"

[poeticterms]

"Certainly, sir."

[luminous_regnant]

Golden continues holding Sherlock, because her arm isn't tired and Tony hasn't asked for him to be set down yet.

[cross_and_bow]

Juliet... finishes her sandwich. And drops loosely into a ready pose, because while not much is likely to happen and Golden can probably handle anything that does better than she can, this seems like a good situation to be ready for other possibilities in.

[passforsympathy]

"This is not reasonable," says Obadiah. He's definitely worried now.

[bitofafiction]

"Yes, Tony?"

[toblameforit]

Tony takes a deep breath before addressing his Sherry's disembodied voice.



"Did Obie kill my parents?"

[bitofafiction]

There is a pause.

It's not long.

"Yes."

[luminous_regnant]

"Dropping or not-dropping?" Golden queries.

[she_sells_seashells]

"Do I get a vote? I vote dropping."