Laughter. A lot of evil-sounding laughter. Better check out what the hell this is all about.
Moriarty was on the phone, absolutely delighted about something, and as soon as Becky walked into the room he stopped laughing. "Wonderful, Seb! Keep me updated" he quickly said before putting down the phone. He was grinning widely, and Becky wondered what the hell was wrong. Moriarty sometimes was in a good mood, but this was completely different. It was like his parents had given him a puppy for Christmas. Or in his case, a puppy with the permission he could do anything to the poor thing.
"Hey… Jim, why are you so…" she tried to find the most suitable word for this, but couldn't find it so settled with "delighted?" The consulting criminal turned to her and tilted his head to the side, studying Becky before answering, his grin once again appearing on his face.
"Dear Johnny-boy is in rehab. The poor pet is still mourning his master and not doing very well…" he said, voice raised and some fake sympathy added in the last syllables. Becky was confused. Why would he be happy about that?
"Who is this 'Johnny-boy' person and why do you call him a pet?" After two months of living with Jim, Becky was still completely astonished with what the man sometimes talked about.
When Moriarty saw this confused expression his grin turned into a genuine smile. Suddenly, he didn't seem delighted, he seemed excited.
"I haven't told you that, have I?" He sat down on the nearest chair and gestured to Becky to do the same. With a much darker tone in his voice he spoke again. "Let me tell you a fairy tale."
Slowly but surely, Becky sat down on the chair opposite to the one Moriarty was sitting on. She was frowning. Her flatmate was acting strange, and knowing the consulting criminal, she wasn't sure if she should listen or just run.
But Jim just quietly sipped his tea until Becky had sat down comfortably, before leaning forward and grinning again.
"This is the story of Sir Boast-A-Lot." At these words Becky started laughing. Was he serious? Oops, looking at the man's expression he was.
"Can I?" Jim asked, eyebrows raised when Becky's laughter had died out. She silently nodded and he smiled again, continuing his story. While talking, Moriarty's facial expressions changed to the setting of the story. It was just like he did this for a living. Actually quite funny, seeing Jim 'wonder'.
"Sir Boast-a-lot was the bravest and cleverest knight at the round table, but soon the other knights began to grow tired of his stories about how brave he was and how many dragons he'd slayed, and some of them began to wonder, "Are Sir Boast-a-lot's stories even true?" Oh no. So, one of the knights went to King Arthur and said, "I don't believe Sir Boast-a-lot's stories. He's just a big, old liar who makes things up to make himself look good." And then, even the king began to wonder, but that wasn't the end of Sir Boast-a-lot's problem. No. That wasn't the final problem."
At this part he stopped, smirking widely at Becky who sat in utter confusion. What was he talking about?
"Are you that Boast-a-lot fellow?" she asked, wondering why the hell Moriarty was talking about this. There must have been some meaning to it. Was he telling her his lifestory?
But at Becky's question Jim's grin fell and turned into an expression which showed he was irritated.
"Of course not, doofus!" he exclaimed. "Oh, you silly little people. This is just a story, and I am most definitely not Sir Boast-a-lot. No, that role is for someone else entirely."
Becky nodded in 'comprehension' (not that she actually understood what he meant), and Moriarty smiled again, back in story mode.
"So that wasn't his final problem. Sir Boast-a-lot realized that the only way he could save the only people he cared for, Prince Watson, King Arthur and Lady Hudson, was to disappear. So he chose the highest building in Camelot, and fell."
He made a falling noise, with a loud THUMP at the end. Becky couldn't believe what she had just heard. This was by far the strangest fairytale she had ever heard. Only thing that really showed it even was a fairy tale was the not-so-happy ending.
"So that's it? Why did he have to… die in order to save those people? If he had to disappear, why not just leave?"
Jim smirked. "Because Prince Watson would never let Sir Boast-a-lot leave if he knew he was still alive."
Silence fell over the room, and Becky stared at Moriarty, confusion still on her face but also a hint of understanding. Suddenly, Moriarty stood up and walked over to the kitchen. He had finished his story.
"Care for some tea?"