| Title: Waltz
Author: Ariane DeVere
Word count: 221 (plus the obligatory 221B Author’s Note)
Rating: PG
Warning: No specific spoilers for Series 3, but be wary of readers’ Comments posted underneath, which might contain spoilers.
Summary: Sherlock misses his violin. A pre-series 3 ficlet. A 221B story with the mother of all DeVereian twists.
Waltz
Since faking his death and leaving London, Sherlock has missed his violin very much. Some nights, as he tries to settle into yet another bedsit, or hotel, or abandoned building during his interminable quest to bring down Moriarty’s network, the ache of being without his violin is almost unbearable.
He misses his main incentive to play. It was a few months after John moved into the flat that Sherlock began to recognise an occasional tightness in John’s face which heralded a bad night’s sleep. Not long afterwards he found that if he played gentle, soothing, lullaby-like tunes before John went to bed, John slept peacefully and wouldn’t be found pacing the living room in the early hours after a nightmare.
If only Sherlock could play such music for himself right now. But it’s not worth buying a new violin – all too frequently he has to leave a place in a hurry, unable even to go and collect his few possessions.
In a hovel on the outskirts of Jagodina he finds a pad of large white plain paper in a drawer.
Two nights later, when the loneliness becomes too much, he draws several rows of music staves onto the paper. Then he settles down, and begins to compose.
Author’s Note:
So, figure this one out. A 221B fic which ends with a word beginning with ‘c’. And it only has 207 words.
Why is that maniac DeVere claiming it’s a 221B fic? Has typing the transcripts made her lose the few marbles that she had?
Well, you see, the picture underneath the story is of that music (being vague to keep it Season 3 spoiler-free).
It’s the first 14 notes.
207 + 14 = 221.
And the 14th note?
It’s a B.
I believe that makes the story a 221B, your honour.
Spoilers for season 3 follow, so read on only under advisement.
My heartfelt thanks go to David Arnold and Michael Price for writing the tune in the key of C so that no pedantic musician would feel obliged to point out, “Actually I think you’ll find that’s a B♭”!
Can I just add that I wasn’t thinking that Sherlock was composing a wedding waltz – he was simply composing something gentle that he might have played on one of John’s bad nights. It was only after he came back that he remembered the tune and used it for the worst day of his life when the man he is totally in love with married someone else and left him heartbroken John’s wedding.
Actually, maybe unstrike that struck-out bit.
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chocolamousse - (no subject) [+13]
Why, why, why did you feel the need to remind us of
this horrible moment when Sherlock plays the beautiful piece he composed for John and John dances with someone else and in a few minutes Sherlock is going to end up all alone and forlorn and NO NO NOthe end of The Sign of Three? (You can totally unstrike that too, yeah.)*wipes her eyes*
Right. So, you've just invented a new kind of 221B. The musical 221B? The 221B-with-a-note? (Anyway it’s what people do, don’t they – leave a note?) That's clever, very original and kind of poetic. After all Sherlock too uses notes instead of words when he... At the end of... *cries her eyes out*
P.S. You know, what JK Rowling has just said about Hermione who should have married Harry, not Ron? Well, one day Mofftiss will say the same about John and Sherlock. *deludes herself like crazy*
Send friendly thoughts to the bun, and maybe she'll prompt her mum with something fluffy next time.
Oh, and I'd like slash too, please.
*puts some lettuces too*
What do you mean, "But Mary?* Oh for God's sake. Do you want to end up in a stew or what?
*adds some biscuits-for-rabbits just in case*
i LYkE KarrUTz annD LeTTiss buTT i iZ oNLi LiTTuL sEW plEEz StoPP bEEinG SkAry.
*ruNNz oFFF tOO HyDe FroMM ThE nARSti LayDee.*
And stop bullying my bun, you.
*sends little bun a big teddy bear to protect him from the evil stew threatening ladies*
Don't sulk, you know we love you!! (See Bun, I'm sweet talking her, so she won't have any more violent impulses!)
*chokes and sputters with indignation*
You... I... Rox, if you find the people who shoot you delightfully interesting I worry about your life expectancy. Stop talking nonsense and jump in there.
P.S. Fluffy (No Ariane, I'm not talking to you), if you happen to see this image I assure you it's chicken in the casserole, not, er... Yeah, it's chicken. Ahem.
Right. You're too cute to die. The problem is, someone has to end up in a stew. It can't be you (because of your established cuteness) and it certainly won't be me. So. Remember when I was talking about Mary? *looks meaningfully at the rabbit*
P.S. Ariane, I hope it's clear that I was talking to the rabbit above. I wouldn't take the liberty of calling you an adorably fluffy creature. You know me. (What?)
P.P.S. Given that you sent your "Well, now you see why I do the typing" message as an answer to your first reply, it wasn't sent to me and so I can pretend I didn't read it and I can keep on bullying your bun, aha. (Except that I won't because of the cuteness.)
And anyway, how come I can't be an adorable fluffy creature? (Well, apart from the fact that if I was, you'd sit me on the sodding stove?) I can fluff my hair in true Sherlockian fashion if I put my mind to it, and if I don't shave my legs for a few weeks I can be truly fluffy all over.
Poor Verity Bun. After the nightmares she has tonight, she'll be prompting me with all kinds of horrific and terrifying ideas and it will be ALL YOUR FAULT if I write nothing but angst and grief in future.
It looks like Barni will have his paws full with a terrified and sobbing girlfriend for the next few nights. I don't think he'll mind (well, the paws full bit, anyway). But if I end up a grandmother to baby ... whatever comes from the union of a teddy bear and a bunny ... brabbits? teddybuns? ... I'm suing you for child support.
Edited at 2014-02-12 03:53 pm (UTC)
And when she's not cute any more she'll be too tough to make a good stew so she's safe.Also, I'm not as cruel as you think I am : according to the website where I found the image it was a hare in the pot, not a rabbit. (What do you mean, "You machine"?)It’s a B."
*happy sigh* That was absolutely beautiful and really well crafted.
Yes definitely un-strike that bit!!
(Not anything to do with your story, but it really bothered me that when Sherlock left the wedding, he'd left his violin behind . . . I really hope we get to see more of his playing in Series 4).
(PS. I'm reading through your transcripts slowly now - and finding endless small sentences or words I hadn't caught before - I have to thank you once again).