A Case of Identity: Watson, Velvet Fist in an Iron Glove

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Canon Story: A Case of Identity
Rating: Teen (for language; implied BDSM; dom!Watson/sub!Holmes)
Summary: Watson champions truth.

“Hafiz, Horace, and Holmes the Horse’s Arse! You will tell her the truth!”

“Or?”

“That,” I said, snatching the hunting-crop from his hand, “is mine, and you will separate that girl from her delusion in as kind and as gentle a manner as possible, or I shall resist every urge—and request—to paint your pale hindquarters red!”

“Yes, Captain."

Comments

[gardnerhill.livejournal.com]

YES. Watson has a hell of a lot more respect for women than Holmes does. He would absolutely champion her right to know the truth.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

And use Holmes's weakness and his own position as leverage. Definitely.

[scfrankles.livejournal.com]

Hafiz, Horace, and Holmes the Horse’s Arse! That did make me smile ^__^ And the fact Holmes' punishment would be not getting punishment. It's certainly a clever and original interpretation of why the crop was there ^_^

The end of IDEN always feels so odd and unfinished. Holmes is usually interested in justice (however unconventional that may be). Just letting Windibank go and not telling his victim is almost bizarre behaviour. He does demonstrate mercy on occasion but here he acknowledges Windibank is a bad'un who will go on and commit worse crimes. And also, Windinbank has got what he wanted - his stepdaughter and her money staying at home for the foreseeable future. I hope that Watson did push the issue and insist Holmes tell Miss Sutherland.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's a very disturbing story. That Holmes blithely lets this poor girl continue to live ignorant of all the evil and weak forces about her is callous to the point of cruelty. He's found ways to persuade all kinds of people (the King of Bohemia comes to mind) of all kinds of things and to just let it go at 'she wouldn't believe it' when he knows he could find a way to make her believe smacks of that he just doesn't care. Which is kind of sad. I'm going to have my go at this one, probably in the Bloody Balzac! collection and re-write it to my satisfaction.

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

It would surely not have been beyond the abilities of the great Sherlock Holmes to engineer it so that Mary Sutherland discovered some of the truth for herself, when the choice of how to behave would have been hers.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Precisely my thought. Such a student of human nature could figure out something. To just drop the matter and flit to the next curiosity strikes me as horribly callous.

[debriswoman]

Well...the opening sentence is not one I come across every day:-p Holmes has an odd idea of justice and completion sometimes. Interesting method of persuasion...

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

When I wrote it, I anticipated a 'Goodness' from you :) And you can blame the persuasion technique on my absorption of Gibson's
The English Vice: Beating, Sex and Shame in Victorian England and After. Holmes would definitely want a birching every now and then, I think.

[debriswoman]

That was my first thought:-p
Can't say I have read that particular book...but can see how it might have inspired...

[sanguinity]

YES VERY MUCH SO. She deserves to know that the people she lives with cannot be trusted. (And if Holmes really does think Windibank is headed for the gallows...! I boggle, boggle.)

And seconding Frankles: that is a magnificent opening line.

[okapi1895.livejournal.com]

Yes, she needs a champion and I nominate Watson. It is a WTF Holmes?! moment. As you say, if he is a career criminal, he will surely take the mother, Mary, and others down with him and for Holmes to just disregard it is callous to the point of cruelty.