The Red-headed League: Distinctive Features

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: The Red-headed League
Title: Distinctive Features
Author: scfrankles
Rating: G
Author's Notes: ”It is your commonplace, featureless crimes which are really puzzling, just as a commonplace face is the most difficult to identify.”


“Good heavens, sir,” said Holmes. “You seem so familiar and yet… Your features are so commonplace. Undistinguished. A thought though! Perhaps if you had a decorative fringe betwixt nose and upper lip, it might…”

“Yes! Fine!” said Watson. “I simply felt like a change! But as it apparently troubles you so much, I shall regrow the damn moustache!”

Comments

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

Poor Watson! Although it is such a distinguished moustache.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's hard to imagine him without it ^_^

[debriswoman]

'Twas a fine moustache, Watson, and you know it.
:-)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I think he will probably realise he gets more admiring glances while sporting the moustache ^^

[debriswoman]

I rather think he will:-)

[vaysh]

*grins* Holmes can be so sneaky when it comes to his Watson's looks. I love how your take on his remark turns the BBC show's handling of Watson's mustache upside down. :)

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes - this Holmes prefers his doctors moustachioed ^_^ (Must say, I think Martin Freeman does look at his best clean-shaven ^_^)

[vaysh]

(I absolutely agree. Martin Freeman, especially in the contemporary setting of Sherlock BBC, does look horrid with that kind of moustache.)

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

LOL! Holmes does have such a singular way of making his points, doesn't he? I suppose there is a back-handed compliment in there somewhere.

It's a good thing Watson is so intrigued by Holmes's "dual-natured" personality that he describes so eloquently in "The Red-Headed League", and Holmes's genius in general. Otherwise I can't imagine him sticking around for long. :-p

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I suppose Holmes felt he couldn't just come out with "I bloody loved that moustache!" ^_^

And I suspect the fascination is to a certain extent mutual: "I never get your limits, Watson," said he. "There are unexplored possibilities about you." (SUSS ^^)

[tardisjournal.livejournal.com]

No, he'd never stoop to saying something so pedestrian as that! :-p

I agree, the fascination has to be mutual. Otherwise why would Holmes suffer to have Watson around so much? It can't just be for his share of the rent. After all, Holmes turns down plenty of money on a regular basis.

It's interesting, when we last read SUSS, that particular comment at first seemed lovely, but then it struck me as being very sarcastic, coming as it did right before Holmes pointed out another of Watson's shortcomings. I suppose it could be both--the way Holmes really feels, but expressed in a sardonic context. Now that seems very Holmes.

[kestrel337.livejournal.com]

The poor long suffering Watson. Though I notice he's pretty quick to take Holmes's words to heart and to act upon them.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Yes, it is highly suggestive that Watson wants Holmes to approve of his appearance... *giggles*

[mistyzeo.livejournal.com]

oh my god holmes, you can't stand a whit of change

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

I agree with Holmes - you don't mess with a classic look ^^

[mundungus42.livejournal.com]

*giggles fiendishly* One wonders if he had cards printed that read, "I didn't grow this moustache for Sherlock Holmes?"

But truly, this is a fantastic play on a great line and a delightfully hairy dilemma. One hopes the two of them will get to the bottom of it.

*tries not to make a hairy bottom joke*

*fails*

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Ah, yes, the moon is waning... And looks as though it needs waxing ^^" (You make all the hairy bottom jokes you like, dear ^_^)