Fic: Hecate's Collar: Gen
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holmes_minorTitle: Hecate's Collar
Rating: Gen
Length: 500
Notes: this is a supernatural AU in which Holmes is a vampire and Watson is a werewolf. Hecate and Sylvie are OCs.
Summary: A clean collar is a clue to the disappearance of a young woman.
“Look at this, Watson. What do you see?”
“I don’t know what you see, but I see an exceptionally clean shirt collar.”
“Precisely. A remarkable state given what we know of trade of the room’s inhabitant. We would expect his shirt collars to get very soiled, indeed, in the course of an ordinary workday.”
“Are you saying the collar doesn’t belong to him?”
“No, I think it does.”
“By all appearances,” I surveyed the room, “he left in a hurry.”
“Yes! I think this collar was left behind by accident. This drawer is remarkably cumbersome. In his haste to pack, the collar became accidentally wedged along the side runners, and I am grateful that it did. Does it look familiar, the collar?”
“No, well, yes, I mean, it looks like a collar, like my collar, or yours, or that of a host of other men’s. It’s as clean as mine, but of course, I have a special…oh.”
“Yes.”
“Oh! Do you think our old friend Hecate, witch and char woman, did this young man’s laundry?”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps she can give us a clue as to who did. Regardless, it’s worth an inquiry, don’t you think?”
“Aye, Silvie!” called the zaftig char woman when Holmes and I found her surrounded enormous vats of bubbling laundry. “Look who’s come a-calling! The bat and his dog or the dog and his bat!”
A forehead and two curious eyes appeared from the side of a doorway. The eyes took on an amused glint, and then the head disappeared entirely.
“Hecate, do you know anything about this?” Holmes showed her the collar. “It looks like your work.” He added, “Too fine to be anyone else’s really.”
“An artisan always like her craft to be appreciated.” Her shrewd eyes flitted to my collar, and she nodded. “Yes, it’s mine. Pity he left it behind.”
“He’s left?” I asked. “He’s taken the girl?”
“Taken?” barked Hecate. “Love’s young dream, doctor. That father of hers kept her under lock and key and worse.”
“I was hired by the young girl’s father to find her.”
“I shan’t help you. Sweet pair, they make. I wish them well. I helped ‘em, you know, passing notes and what not, just like, uh, the apotha-apotha-apot-eh?”
“Apothecary,” came the voice from inside.
“That’s right,” said Hecate. “Like in that Romeo and Juliet. Chemist. But better because I’m not daft enough to give ‘em draughts to off themselves. Or get my messages mixed up.”
A throat was cleared somewhere.
“Well, actually, Sylvie helps with that last lot,” admitted Hecate, scratching her head.
Holmes sighed, and I understood his predicament.
“What are you going to tell the family, Holmes?” I asked.
“I suppose…the truth,” said Holmes.
“You sure it was a love match?” I asked Hecate.
“Certain,” replied Hecate. “How long it’ll last, well, who knows? But she won’t go back to her cage.” She plucked the collar from Holmes fingers, and with a wave, it turned into a white dove and flew away.
Rating: Gen
Length: 500
Notes: this is a supernatural AU in which Holmes is a vampire and Watson is a werewolf. Hecate and Sylvie are OCs.
Summary: A clean collar is a clue to the disappearance of a young woman.
“Look at this, Watson. What do you see?”
“I don’t know what you see, but I see an exceptionally clean shirt collar.”
“Precisely. A remarkable state given what we know of trade of the room’s inhabitant. We would expect his shirt collars to get very soiled, indeed, in the course of an ordinary workday.”
“Are you saying the collar doesn’t belong to him?”
“No, I think it does.”
“By all appearances,” I surveyed the room, “he left in a hurry.”
“Yes! I think this collar was left behind by accident. This drawer is remarkably cumbersome. In his haste to pack, the collar became accidentally wedged along the side runners, and I am grateful that it did. Does it look familiar, the collar?”
“No, well, yes, I mean, it looks like a collar, like my collar, or yours, or that of a host of other men’s. It’s as clean as mine, but of course, I have a special…oh.”
“Yes.”
“Oh! Do you think our old friend Hecate, witch and char woman, did this young man’s laundry?”
“Perhaps. Or perhaps she can give us a clue as to who did. Regardless, it’s worth an inquiry, don’t you think?”
“Aye, Silvie!” called the zaftig char woman when Holmes and I found her surrounded enormous vats of bubbling laundry. “Look who’s come a-calling! The bat and his dog or the dog and his bat!”
A forehead and two curious eyes appeared from the side of a doorway. The eyes took on an amused glint, and then the head disappeared entirely.
“Hecate, do you know anything about this?” Holmes showed her the collar. “It looks like your work.” He added, “Too fine to be anyone else’s really.”
“An artisan always like her craft to be appreciated.” Her shrewd eyes flitted to my collar, and she nodded. “Yes, it’s mine. Pity he left it behind.”
“He’s left?” I asked. “He’s taken the girl?”
“Taken?” barked Hecate. “Love’s young dream, doctor. That father of hers kept her under lock and key and worse.”
“I was hired by the young girl’s father to find her.”
“I shan’t help you. Sweet pair, they make. I wish them well. I helped ‘em, you know, passing notes and what not, just like, uh, the apotha-apotha-apot-eh?”
“Apothecary,” came the voice from inside.
“That’s right,” said Hecate. “Like in that Romeo and Juliet. Chemist. But better because I’m not daft enough to give ‘em draughts to off themselves. Or get my messages mixed up.”
A throat was cleared somewhere.
“Well, actually, Sylvie helps with that last lot,” admitted Hecate, scratching her head.
Holmes sighed, and I understood his predicament.
“What are you going to tell the family, Holmes?” I asked.
“I suppose…the truth,” said Holmes.
“You sure it was a love match?” I asked Hecate.
“Certain,” replied Hecate. “How long it’ll last, well, who knows? But she won’t go back to her cage.” She plucked the collar from Holmes fingers, and with a wave, it turned into a white dove and flew away.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-08 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-08 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-06-10 09:50 pm (UTC)I kind of like Hecate's pragmatism too. The young couple may or may not live happily ever after, but what's important is that the young woman has the chance to be free and make her own choices.
no subject
Date: 2023-06-11 02:33 pm (UTC)Yes, exactly. It doesn't have to be a fairy tale just her own choice.