Original doodle here: .com/post/5937610495/whilst-watching-pirates-4-all-i-could-think-about-was
For the Tumblr geothebio doodle challenge.
Disclaimer: As much as I wish Sherlock and John were mine, they aren't.
Notes: Thanks for all the subscriptions! :D
"Sherlock," said John, arriving one evening at 221B. "The new Pirates is out, I'm going to go see it. You're coming."
"Why on earth would I want to pay to watch two hours of historically inaccurate pirate lore? No." Sherlock flopped back on the couch and stared determinedly at the ceiling.
"Because you haven't had a case for a week, I like Pirates of the Caribbean, thank you very much, and I'm not keen on the idea of leaving you home alone again. The wall can't take many more bullets, and neither can your checkbook."
"Very well," Sherlock grumbled. "Let me take a shower."
Sherlock and John arrived at the cinema, got tickets, and waited for the movie to begin. Throughout, Sherlock was as obnoxious as usual when it came to inaccuracies in films—"As if anyone would even have worn such impractical clothing," he scoffed at one point. John didn't mind.
All was well until about an hour later. The film showed mermaids swimming around in the water. Sherlock began to shift uncomfortably. "Sherlock," whispered John. "Sherlock, are you okay?" The scene changed and Sherlock returned to normal.
The second time the mermaids appeared, Sherlock started breathing heavily. "Holy shit, holy shit, John." he said under his breath. "Mermaids. Get me out of here." His eyes were wide and a veil of sweat covered his forehead.
"Sher-" John started, but saw that he was, indeed, actually afraid. "This had better not be some sort of joke," he whispered.
When they arrived back at 221B, Sherlock resumed his normal activities, acting as if nothing had happened. John was, naturally, concerned. It was ridiculous, really, that the only thing that the world's only consulting detective was afraid of was a mythical creature. After about twenty minutes of waiting for an explanation he knows will never come, he asks.
"Sherlock, if you don't mind my asking, why exactly are you afraid of mermaids, of all things?"
Sherlock sighs and looks at John. "I once had an… encounter of sorts with a man who studied them. Oh, don't look so surprised. There are much less believable things out there. You would be moronic not to fear them." John was stunned. Out of anyone else's mouth, he would have assumed this statement was pure sarcasm. But there was something about the way Sherlock said it. He really believed what he was saying. But- they weren't real. They couldn't be.
"Sherlock, these are mythical creatures we're talking about." He had known Sherlock to be a bit eccentric, but this… this was too far.
"John, I'm telling you the truth. Why would I lie to you about such a thing? Mermaids are a serious issue. Nobody is educated on how to escape an attack."
John shook his head and left the room, refusing to believe this utter nonsense. He tried to put it out of his mind, but somewhere, in a dusty, dank corner of his mind, Sherlock's words lurked: Mermaids are a serious issue.
