Pumpkin Hollow Inbox

[maltesefalcon]

By Phone, Sending Stone, Appointment or Random Encounter

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a meeting in a bar

[lightconductor]

He almost forgot what day it is, what with one thing and another, and all the little bits of chaos of day to day life. At some point, though, he did notice the date, and grief returned in all its prickly, blinding agony.

By the end of the day, the exhaustion that comes of eternally trying to suppress everything is overwhelming. After a vague and improvised supper, Watson finds a seat in a darkened corner of the pub, and orders himself a glass of port.

He might be a little fuzzy on whether the goal is to drink it in tribute or to numb his sorrow.

[lightconductor]

It had been a lovely dream. It had been a lovely, exceptionally vivid dream, and perhaps it was rather odd in one or two ways, but then, there wasn't always any accounting for the sorts of things you dreamed. He'd scribbled down a few things about it when he awoke, in case the recollection faded, and gone off to start his day with the peace of mind that comes from having woken so pleasantly.

Of course he wasn't going to discuss it with Cerrit. What sort of idiot goes to someone he's just beginning to see, where no declarations have been made, and informs him that "oh, I dreamt we were married, and also you changed species dramatically in a way you might not find amusing and I'm honestly a little disappointed in myself about"? Not John Watson, that's for certain.

But there are rumours, and there is talk, and it's not very far into the day before it's becoming clear that this was not just a dream, oh no oh god oh no, and it is extremely essential that he is able to speak to Cerrit as soon as possible.

For these reasons, then, when Watson sees him in the street, he shouts his name and comes jogging up to take him by the elbow.

"I really think we might need to talk about... one or two things," he says, in a low voice.

VERY early March

[pineapplesalmon]

Wow, Merrymeet sure was a thing, huh?

César's coming back towards his townhouse late afternoon, dirty from a day of work at his farm. Once again, César's never stopping, always moving on to the next thing. He smiles at Cerrit when he catches sight of him and waves.

"Hello!"

A note slid under Cerrit's door

[needmetodoanyattacking]

[The note is in a heavy cream envelope on matching paper. It's written in bright red ink.]

You tried to tell me. I'd like you to keep trying.

Check the bulletin board. I'd like to see you.

-I.J.

Late April, after Watson resurrects

[lightconductor]

He hurts, and while he doesn't know if it has something to do with recently being dead or if it's entirely coincidental, it has definitely made the entire experience that much more terrible. Even worse, he'd ended up somewhere without his cane. Thus it is that Watson, newly resurrected, comes home leaning on Cerrit, and limping much more heavily than he normally does.

"Hold on," Watson says, breathless from the pain as he fiddles with the door, and then they're in. They're home, and he's more glad to see this little tenement flat than he might have expected.

Watson's apartment

[lightconductor]

He doesn't want to have this discussion. He would really rather not think about such things, and be blissfully ignorant. Unfortunately, Watson is also not the sort of person who would ever be content being ignorant about anything, if he can help it.

After dinner, the thing to do is drinks. Watson pours the drinks (in appropriately shaped vessels, of course) and brings them over to the table. Before he sits, he affectionately runs his hand over Cerrit's shoulder.

"Before I forget, I did get around to getting that second key, if that's something you still wanted." He can't just go right into it.

Sending Stone

[thethirteenthchild]

Dahlia's still not leaving the house. She hasn't in nearly a month. But she's starting to reach out to people who need to hear from her. So at last, Cerrit's sending stone chimes and Dahlia's voice comes through.

"Cerrit? Are you still--- still here?"

After the casino event is over

[xiaoxiuya]

There's a knock on the door to Cerrit's office -- the one that he inherited from Janine Kilbride. Shen Qingqiu pokes his head in, making sure that Cerrit isn't already talking to anyone on the phone or in person before he smiles and says, "Congratulations, shixiong."

He comes in, shutting the door behind him. "Apologies for not coming by sooner. I've been a little busy." With his 'leave of absence' that's actually an undercover mission. But did Commander Kilbride tell him about that before she retired?