The Veiled Lodger: Point of View

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

Canon: The Veiled Lodger
Title: Point of View
Author: hisietari
Rating: G

Call me cold if you like, my dearest doctor, even incapable of feeling. I do, however, grant myself the ability of trying, if not succeeding, in seeing the world from the point of view other creatures might take up. I watch their emotion, I smell their pain. It is not as if I had always been free of either myself.

Comments

[debriswoman]

Nicely done, and in character. I can imagine him feeling a little hurt at being regarded as completely uncaring and unable to see the world through other's eyes.On a practical point, he would not get very far as a detective without this ability.

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

Thanks! ^^ There are a lot of stories, actually, in which Holmes doesn't just display emotion, but also empathy and pity, and a high stand on morals, which is why I'm always a little sore when Watson unwraps the pointing index finger. VEIL is a beautiful story because of its end, and it's Holmes who brings it along. He can read other people's emotions for his work, but he can also understand them if he chooses to do so, at least when it's a set of emotions he's encountered before.

[debriswoman]

Well put:-)

[tweedisgood.livejournal.com]

*Nods* Canon Holmes really does try.

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

If this character was a real person, I'd definitely like him a lot. That's why I chose to write this little hommage to his not-so-obvious qualities as a human being. He may not show them quite so often, but to me that means that I can trust them to be real, which is as good as gold.

[spacemutineer.livejournal.com]

Mmm, I like this one quite a bit from a character perspective. Even if he doesn't feel these emotions himself often, "I smell their pain". The detective is observant, even if he isn't emotive.

Excellent.

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think in this case Holmes could relate - he didn't start being addicted to drugs because the sun was shining so merrily. But he allows himself to relate, and to feel to a certain extent what the victim feels, and that is extraordinary. Not a lot of us do that.

[ennui-enigma.livejournal.com]

Lovely! I do believe Holmes realizes others' emotions. He doesn't always show such. But, yes, as debriswoman remarks, he wouldn't be a good detective if he couldn't read emotions. And, there are definitely multiple references to Holmes integrity, moral character, empathy and kindness in the canon.

[hisietari.livejournal.com]

I agree with you completely. To be honest, I'm not particularly good when it comes to emotional stuff, and so it bums me quite a lot when Holmes gets bashed for being a "machine", and "cold", and I don't know what. He's always honest in his emotions, and I can usually understand why he is the way he is, which isn't as easy for me usually, so... bit irritated by common reactions.

Oh God, my gibberish sounds so cheesy. XD;;

[ennui-enigma.livejournal.com]

No worries! I'm sure Holmes understands :-D

60 for 60, week 58: The Veiled Lodger

[livejournal.livejournal.com]

User spacemutineer referenced to your post from 60 for 60, week 58: The Veiled Lodger (http://dispatch-box.livejournal.com/189147.html) saying: [...] by Point of View [...]