on mun's reluctance to throw him into memes

[i_o_u]

Awwww. Is somebody scared? Am I intimidating? Big Scary Jim?

You shouldn't have called me here if you were only going to slink away the moment I arrived.

You really shouldn't.

Comments

[consultingsociopath]

[He's avoiding the obvious height joke.]

They always take on more than they can deal with.

[Not that he has anything in common with you, obviously.]

[i_o_u]

They'll do anything to prove just how ordinary they are. It's almost funny - but it's an old joke. See the punch line coming a mile away. [Don't we, Sherlock?]

[consultingsociopath]

I find people rarely have to expend much effort to prove it.

[Not that he's agreeing with you. ...Exactly.]

[i_o_u]

'bout as natural as breathing, but even that's got to stop sometime.

D'you think it ever will?

[consultingsociopath]

Breathing? [He's on the verge of quoting Mycroft, but-- No. He'd sooner stop breathing right now than do that.] Breathing's boring anyway.

As for muns proving their worth: no. But you of all people don't need me to tell you that.

[i_o_u]

I was DEAD!! The last-ditch solution, and now I don't even have that. It's enough to make you want to kill yourself all over again, provided it would stick.

...but at least we've got each other, eh old son? You and me. C'mon, tell me - did I surprise you?

[consultingsociopath]

If it was the last ditch solution, shouldn't you be relieved to have another shot? Or are you just complaining because your hands are tied this time around?

You'll probably end up with more of me than you can handle, if the pattern holds.

[He debates whether or not to say anything. Hmm. Decisions, decisions. How much does Jim remember, exactly? He's not sure, but he suspects lying is probably going to look like a weakness.]

Yes. ...Of course, I surprised you, as well-- or I would have, had you stuck around.

[i_o_u]

[Sneeeering at that first set of questions. What do you think?]

Yeah, I heard about your little trick. [Ceding a point. Maybe:] Good one. You got me. 'Course you also got everyone else. Had to. Had to make it convincing.

Wish I had seen it.

[consultingsociopath]

[He thinks... He thinks you hate having your hands tied~ (Mostly because he does also.) He also thinks that you're miserable about having to find ways to amuse yourself again, and that you're furious about having been cheated out of your good reason to die.]

I had other reasons too, as I'm sure you can imagine.

How perversely base of you.

[i_o_u]

[Right on, boy-o. You know him so well.]

I like to be entertained just as well as the next man. Probably more. And by all accounts we put on quite a show.

Only to wind up here. I do loathe an anti-climax.

[consultingsociopath]

[He isn't the world's only consulting detective for nothing~ And... Jim isn't his opposite number/nemesis for nothing, either.]

That depends on your perspective of what's 'entertaining'.

...Well. [He can't really argue that, can he?] I'm sure you shan't be trapped here for long. [Baiting? Perhaps.]

[i_o_u]

[Mmmm... nope. Not buying it.] You don't know that. Yooou don't know everything~

Though I will find a way out eventually. Or maybe they'll throw me back on the dust pile. Either way~

[consultingsociopath]

[Probably wise.]

There is no way back. Once we're here, we're-- here.

[Disgruntled about that? Sherlock? No.]

[i_o_u]

[Squinting at you now. Is that supposed to mean something else, or is Sherlock having him on, or...]

What, for good?

[consultingsociopath]

[He's being... mostly straightforward?]

'For good' is a very unspecific definition.

Muns can die, after all.

[Outside of that? He's not so sure.]

[i_o_u]

[Yeah, starting to get that now.]

Somebody tell me there's more to do here than talk.

[consultingsociopath]

...That depends.

[i_o_u]

On munnie's whims?

[Aaah, but you're just as trapped as he is, aren't you Sherlock?]

How's that working for us?

[consultingsociopath]

There is no is in this instance, Jim. Different muns; different whims.

[So not as well as he'd like, basically.]

[i_o_u]

[Mmm-hm.]

Well, somebody must be happy to see me. Perhaps I can finally make things interesting around here. Would you like that? Bet you would.

[consultingsociopath]

I did manage to entertain myself for a good many years before you showed up.

[But how many of those little bits of entertainment could be traced back to Jim, either directly or indirectly? More than he'd like, most probably, though perhaps not as many as he fears.]

...Though I doubt you'll lack for clientèle.

[i_o_u]

Never have.

[He grins, slow and shark-like.]

I'll be seeing you.

[consultingsociopath]

Will you.

[Not that he can say much there; neither he nor Jim really have that at their discretion.]

[battlesuited]

Shouldn't doesn't mean won't. That's merely the wa they work, darling.

[i_o_u]

Nooo. Really?

[battlesuited]

Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit you know.

[i_o_u]

Maybe I'm feeling low. We're all entitled to it, once in a while.

[womanwhobeatyou]

Not going to threaten to turn them into shoes for wasting your time, Jim dear?

[i_o_u]

[He seems to be thinking carefully about that.] ...no. Can't be predictable in my threats. They'd start to lose their bite.

Although I could use some new ties.

[womanwhobeatyou]

[She doesn't point out that following through would also make his threats more biting, because she likes being alive and out of his reach, thank you.

It doesn't keep her from being very amused though.] You'd rather have the little mundanes around your neck? Interesting choice.

[i_o_u]

Not everything needs to be a metaphor. Although in all honesty, I wouldn't. Leather ties are tacky.

[womanwhobeatyou]

Admitting there's something you can't pull off?

[i_o_u]

A very few things are beneath me. Not much, but all the same...

[womanwhobeatyou]

I did wonder about that.

[willfixitforyou]

They never do know what they're getting themselves into.

[i_o_u]

[...Hello there. He's giving other-Jim a look, acknowledging his existence, but beyond that, what needs to be said?]

Rather see them jump in feet-first than hovering on the sidelines, frightened. Do something. Make a decision.

Otherwise you're no more than the other rodents.

[willfixitforyou]

[Well, he'll answer that nod, but they've got an understanding if nothing else.]

They're all rats in a maze in the end, but surely by some means or another we can get the desired reaction. Encouragement is key.

[Probably not shoes this time, in any case.]

[i_o_u]

Positive reinforcement? Is that what we've been reduced to?

[Sneer.]

Whatever gets results.

[willfixitforyou]

[Tut, tut. Surely you can read yourself better than that.]

Don't be ridiculous, now. You're assuming despite knowing better and it doesn't suit you.

[Nobody said anything about 'positive'. Deterrent from one course of action obviously serves as encouragement for another, which obviously is 'any means necessary'.]