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#(and yes this is based of my HLB series)
lightarin · 1 year
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Island of Legends
A/N: Even as a pirate Riddle follows the rules :)
About this AU: This is a Pirate AU inspired by Cater's Halloween card quote that mentions HLB having pirate costumes the previous year! It will be a series of reader inserts that are very loosely connected. The HLB members are part of a pirate crew lead by the 'Red Tyrant' (Riddle) and the others have codenames based on their card suits! (Very original I know <3)
They fics do not have to be read in order, and reader is NOT the same in every fic. The only thing that stays consistent is the background of being on a ship together and being an infamous pirate crew!
It started with one random brainrot and became a series, but I hope you enjoy!
Pirate AU: Cater Diamond; Deuce Spade; Ace Trappola; Trey Clover
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"We're finally here."
"Are you sure you want to go alone?"
Riddle turned to look at his childhood friend, a determined look blazing in his silver gaze.
"Yes."
"It's going to be dangerous."
"That's why I have to go alone."
Trey sighed, closing his eyes in defeat as the ship came to a halt.
Thisavrós Island.
The island of legends. Rumors said that it held the a secret item with the power to fulfill one wish of any traveler. That is, if you could reach it alive.
There were whispers of the many dangers of the island. Monsters you couldn't imagine. Forests that tricked you. Magic that trapped the mind.
But none of the dangers could discourage the Red Tyrant from going after that treasure.
After all, it was the treasure every pirate dreamed of.
With a nod to the rest of the crew, he left the ship, prepared the face the dangers that lay ahead. He followed the map to a tee, following the rules that he had gathered from the stories and the rumors.
Were all of them necessary?
He wasn't sure.
However, he knew that it was better safe than sorry and that rules brought order to all things.
Why would the island be any different?
Despite all the dangers of the island, he reached his destination, the mouth of a large cave facing him.
"Finally."
A breathless whisper left his lips as he took a step forward. Only to feel someone tackle him head on.
"What-?!"
He raised his sword with a scowl, anger starting to tinge his cheeks red as he stared at his assailant. You frown back at him, one hand your hip as you point a finger at him.
"Are you insane?!"
"Excuse me?!"
He stared at you in shock, unable to process your attitude. No one had ever spoken to him that way before.
And yet, here he was, on the ground, with your judgmental gaze on him.
"Do you not know who I am? You dare challenge the Red Tyrant?"
You scoff slightly, crossing your arms over your chest as you plant yourself in front of the cave.
"I don't care. Red Tyrant or whatever they call you, I'm not gonna standby and watch someone walk into a death trap."
"I'll take my chances."
He stands up, brushing himself off as he faces you with determination.
"No you won't. There's nothing there anyways."
"You're lying. Why would you stop me from going then?"
You throw your hands into the air in exasperation, shaking your head in annoyance.
"Because no one comes out of the cave alive! Every single one ignored my warning! And look what happened!"
He pauses at the genuine frustration in your voice, confusion gracing his features.
"So then why do you stay?"
You pause, your gaze finally faltering as you look to the ground.
"Because I have no other choice."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't break the rules. I can't leave until..."
"Until?"
The silence in the air is tangible, weighing heavily between you as unreadable emotions flicker through your gaze. You merely shake your head, your arms falling to hang limply by your sides.
"I can't tell you."
"If you won't let me into the cave, the least you could do is have dinner with me."
"You're... not going to go in?"
He sighed, taking your hand in his has he leads you away from the cave, leading you back towards the way he came.
"I wouldn't want to break the rules."
You blink at his sudden change of heart, surprised at how willing he was to leave behind the rumored treasure.
Finally. Finally. Finally.
Finally, someone had listened to your warning.
Finally, you would be able to leave the island.
With each step towards the shore, your steps become lighter, and you miss the way he looks at you curiously. In all his years of traveling the seas, he had never met anyone like you.
There was no hidden malice, no hidden greed. Just the pure wish to truly save a life.
Along with a sadness that swam in the depths of your gaze. A sadness that seemed to match his own. A sadness that seemed to be lifting the farther you were from the cave.
And for some reason, his desire for the treasure seemed to fade with each step as well.
You get to know one another, starting of with an exchange of names and ending with the two of you telling stories of your lives. You tell of the adventures on the island, the ones that don't threaten lives. He tells of the lands he's traveled to, the treasures he's discovered.
When you finally reach the shore, reality comes crashing down. You still hadn't explained things to him. How you once traveled to. How your greed had landed you here. How you had been cursed to stay here until you were able to save someone else from the cave of greed.
But he hadn't gone in. Would you finally be able to leave? And even if you could, how? Would he let you go with him?
You hesitate at the end of the shore, watching as he steps into the water, preparing to go to his ship.
He pauses, his hand still holding yours as he notes the way you nervously bite your lip. You look up at him at the way he gently squeezes your hand.
"Can you still not leave?" "I don't know."
"Will you try? There's space on the Heartslabyul for you."
Hope lights up your gaze as you give him a tentative smile, stepping into the water carefully.
"Really?"
"Of course."
A breath of relief leaves you as you find that there's no barrier stopping you from leaving the island.
You give his hand a returning squeeze, a grateful smile gracing your lips.
"Thank you."
He smiles back at you, guiding you to the boat without hesitation.
"Thank you, for saving my life."
"Thank you for believing me." "Always."
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fantasticalleigh · 3 years
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devotion
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nightingveilxo · 7 years
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The Blue Carbuncle, TAB, John’s Blog, and Granada: The Musgrave Ritual
[Originally part of Justifying Holmes/Watson or Johnlock as a Player in the Drama (Part I)]
NEW OPENING (VICTORIAN) TITLES (with a Victorian twist to the theme tune). Close-up on an issue of The Strand Magazine.  Nearby, a news vendor is calling out to the passing pedestrians.  He is holding newspapers and another copy of The Strand with a small red sleeve around it on which are the words “SHERLOCK HOLMES” and an in-profile white silhouette of the detective.  Offscreen, carollers can be heard singing “Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing.” NEWS VENDOR: Papers!  Papers! (A hansom cab approaches along the street.) NEWS VENDOR: Papers!  Papers! (The cab slows down as Watson leans out of the window a little and gestures to attract the attention of the vendor.) WATSON: Here. (The cab stops.) WATSON: How’s ‘The Blue Carbuncle’ doing? NEWS VENDOR: Very popular, Doctor Watson. Is there gonna be a proper murder next time? WATSON: I’ll have a word with the criminal classes. NEWS VENDOR: If you wouldn’t mind. (He points towards the figure sitting next to Watson.) NEWS VENDOR: Is that ’im?  Is ’e in there? (Holmes, mostly obscured from the vendor’s view, apparently kicks Watson, who grunts.) WATSON: No.  No, no, not at all.  (He tips a finger to his hat.)  Ah, good day to you. CABBIE (to his horse, shaking the reins at it): Walk on. (The cab sets off again.  The news vendor calls after it.) NEWS VENDOR: Merry Christmas, Mr Holmes!
The Blue Carbuncle. This is interesting, because that case isn’t on 21st century John’s blog. According to John, it wasn’t a case interesting enough for Sherlock to take on, and they go through a series of comments about Bond films and cat videos. [Side Note: In Granada, The Aluminium Crutch and the “Singular Affair of Ricoletti and His Abominable Bride” were cases Holmes did before meeting Watson.]
The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone was one of two instances where the original canon story was written in third person. It was based on a play, and Watson was barely in it. The other story was His Last Bow (HLB). The action in TAotMS all takes places in one room, rather similar to the beginning of TAB. The plot twist comes that the play has been what Holmes has overheard of a conversation between two criminals. Now, apply this idea to the one that Sherlock is still unconscious in hospital, but capable of overhearing and processing what is heard around him. It echoes Sherlock’s comment in TAB about his MP being able to do things more than what Mycroft knows, and Mycroft agrees.
Be sure to read @jenna221b meta about how the cases are twins, and fixes are being added in as well as Sherlock S4 as Epic Theatre.
In Terror By Night, which we know Mofftiss used in MHR, includes aspects from TAofMS. In Granada adaptations, this case was merged with The Three Garridebs, which were practically absent in S4 of Sherlock.
Mofftiss would have us believe all we got was the three men hanging around at the mercy of Eurus, but I’ve been working with the idea that Moffttis is re-enacting the post Reichenbach behavior of Holmes and Watson from Granada. Hardwicke replaced Burke after TFP (comparable to Sherlock TRF), and Johnlock wasn’t the same afterward. It takes several episodes before it returns to the warm, close physical proximity, flirtatious pairing we see before Holmes “dies” and Burke was replaced.
Interestingly, the cases that do show it, are the ones where Mofftiss borrowed the most from Granada. Granada The Devil’s Foot, Sherlock S4 Imagery, and Moriarty or Mortimer & A Little Glimpse Into Granada’s ‘Eligible Bachelor’ by @ebaeschnbliah (Also interesting that we posted these meta within hours of one another, without having talked about the influence factor at all.) As you can tell from the second meta, Eurus had an obvious reference in EB (although The Musgrave Ritual–which is used in Sherlock TFP), also gave a visual hint via Rachel, the one that allowed a man to die down a hole, and it showed the coming revival of Johnlock closeness–although it wouldn’t happen until TDF. If you don’t think that’s important, remember that Moffttiss said TD12 as a name only happened, because the name they wanted to use was taken. While writing this, I found a similar meta to mine about TDF by @devoursjohnlock Maybe I am helping connect dots…
From this meta by @may-shepard we see that Doyle’s story The Parasite, coincides with S4, and the also the dates from the story fill in the missing dates on John’s blog.
At the end of TLD, John and Lestrade are discussing the morgue incident. They specifically mention HLV (HLB in canon). It seems like they are wrapping up those loose ends Sherlock doesn’t like to have on his watch, but he’s been in hospital, even though according to what Sherlock and Mycroft know from T6T–the loose ends from HLV are already edited and he’s free of that.
According to TAB, all the modern elements we know of from Sherlock, are all lunatic fantasy…or metaphorical flights of fancy…Holmes theorizes it could come to pass, but only after the echo of the idea of having proper murders. Moffttis was adamant that Mary had to die, because that’s how it was in the stories, but it isn’t. We’re never told what happened to Mary.
TAB
Shortly afterwards, the car pulls away and drives off along the tarmac.  As the scene fades out, the familiar ‘Pursuit’ music starts … and almost immediately grinds to a halt. The screen remains dark for a moment and then … WATSON (offscreen): Flying machines; these, er, telephone contraptions … (The screen fades up to reveal Holmes and Watson sitting in their armchairs in the sitting room of 221B.  Each of them is smoking a pipe.) WATSON: What sort of lunatic fantasy is that? HOLMES: It was simply my conjecture of what a future world might look like, and how you and I might fit inside it. (Watson nods.) HOLMES: From a drop of water, a logician should be able to infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara. WATSON: Or a Reichenbach. HOLMES: Have you written up your account of the case? WATSON: Yes. HOLMES: Hmm.  Modified to put it down as one of my rare failures, of course? WATSON: Of course. (Holmes looks thoughtful for a moment.) HOLMES: “The Adventure of … the Invisible Army.” (Watson looks upwards, considering it.) HOLMES: “The League of Furies”?  (He leans forward, smiling.) “The Monstrous Regiment.” WATSON: I rather thought … “The Abominable Bride.” HOLMES (sitting back): A trifle lurid. WATSON: It’ll sell.  It’s got proper murders in it, too. HOLMES (pointing his pipe at him): You’re the expert. WATSON: As for your own tale, are you sure it’s still just a seven percent solution that you take?  I think you may have increased the dosage. HOLMES: Perhaps I was being a little fanciful … (He looks down thoughtfully.) HOLMES: … but perhaps such things could come to pass. (He stands up.) HOLMES: In any case, I know I would be very much at home in such a world. (Watson chuckles as Holmes walks across the room towards the right-hand window.) WATSON: Don’t think I would be. HOLMES: I beg to differ. (He looks out of the window.) HOLMES: But then I’ve always known I was a man out of his time. (He puts his pipe in his mouth and continues to look out of the window.  The ‘Pursuit’ theme starts again, this time with a Victorian twist to it, as the camera slowly pulls back.  Down in the street below, customers are going into SPEEDY’S Sandwich Bar & Cafe while more people – all dressed in modern-day clothing – walk past, and the road is busy with cars. A black cab passes a number 11 bus – destination Baker Street – as they drive past 221B … … where it is always 1895.)  
Transcript ( x )
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nightingveilxo · 7 years
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Justifying Holmes/Watson or Johnlock as a Player in the Drama (Part I)
What if you’re trying to justify John’s place in Sherlock’s life, but you can’t do it via the meta or screenshots we use? If you’re any of the actual players in the drama (and this makes it possible to pair with trance or EMP theories), you have to quickly push it all together to tie up those ‘loose ends’?
John’s odd blog jpeg from T6T is shown above. Nappies, which means diapers he shouldn’t even be needing yet (unless this is a projection *coughs*) or it also means a large circular platter (if your thoughts run to reflective items and circles of thought--which they should--read the linked meta. We already know that S4 is basically the previous seasons, done backward.)
In order to hold up his place, according to some, John would have to continue on cases with Sherlock and keep writing his blog. Lestrade becomes fixated on the idea in S4, which seemed very strange, except if you’re reviewing the blog and fitting in additional information. Also, in canon ACD and Granada adaptations, this is in keeping with why Watson began writing down the cases for publication. Most of the time, and it’s mentioned more than once, Holmes wasn’t receiving credit in the newspapers for his solving of the crimes--it goes to the multiple lead investigators. Remember this point for later.
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Lestrade is afraid...And Sherlock comments his Boswell is learning...
Not fast enough, Sherlock...
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Sherlock thought John meant him, but John says he was talking to Mary, so this fanciful solution (7% or otherwise), isn’t working out for Sherlock. Mycroft asks modern John to look after Sherlock, but the end of the special tells us that such a thing never happened, because we’re still in 1895. It’s echoed in S4, by John having a full time job, being a husband, and then also a father. TFP ends Sherlock asking Lestrade to do exactly the same thing with Mycroft, and Lestrade finally saying Sherlock is a good man (going back to ASiP).
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NEW OPENING (VICTORIAN) TITLES (with a Victorian twist to the theme tune). Close-up on an issue of The Strand Magazine.  Nearby, a news vendor is calling out to the passing pedestrians.  He is holding newspapers and another copy of The Strand with a small red sleeve around it on which are the words “SHERLOCK HOLMES” and an in-profile white silhouette of the detective.  Offscreen, carollers can be heard singing “Hark!  The Herald Angels Sing.” NEWS VENDOR: Papers!  Papers! (A hansom cab approaches along the street.) NEWS VENDOR: Papers!  Papers! (The cab slows down as Watson leans out of the window a little and gestures to attract the attention of the vendor.) WATSON: Here. (The cab stops.) WATSON: How’s ‘The Blue Carbuncle’ doing? NEWS VENDOR: Very popular, Doctor Watson.  Is there gonna be a proper murder next time? WATSON: I’ll have a word with the criminal classes. NEWS VENDOR: If you wouldn’t mind. (He points towards the figure sitting next to Watson.) NEWS VENDOR: Is that ’im?  Is ’e in there? (Holmes, mostly obscured from the vendor’s view, apparently kicks Watson, who grunts.) WATSON: No.  No, no, not at all.  (He tips a finger to his hat.)  Ah, good day to you. CABBIE (to his horse, shaking the reins at it): Walk on. (The cab sets off again.  The news vendor calls after it.) NEWS VENDOR: Merry Christmas, Mr Holmes!
The Blue Carbuncle. This is interesting, because that case isn’t on 21st century John’s blog. According to John, it wasn’t a case interesting enough for Sherlock to take on, and they go through a series of comments about Bond films and cat videos. The other option is The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone. 
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The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone was one of two instances where the original canon story was written in third person. It was based on a play, and Watson was barely in it. The other story was His Last Bow (HLB). The action in TAotMS all takes places in one room, rather similar to the beginning of TAB. The plot twist comes that the play has been what Holmes has overheard of a conversation between two criminals. Now, apply this idea to the one that Sherlock is still unconscious in hospital, but capable of overhearing and processing what is heard around him. It echoes Sherlock’s comment in TAB about his MP being able to do things more than what Mycroft knows, and Mycroft agrees.
Be sure to read @jenna221b meta about how the cases are twins, and fixes are being added in as well as Sherlock S4 as Epic Theatre.
In Terror By Night, which we know Mofftiss used in MHR, includes aspects from TAofMS. In Granada adaptations, this case was merged with The Three Garridebs, which were practically absent in S4 of Sherlock.
Mofftiss would have us believe all we got was the three men hanging around at the mercy of Eurus, but I’ve been working with the idea that Moffttis is re-enacting the post Reichenbach behavior of Holmes and Watson from Granada. Hardwicke replaced Burke after TFP (comparable to Sherlock TRF), and Johnlock wasn’t the same afterward. It takes several episodes before it returns to the warm, close physical proximity, flirtatious pairing we see before Holmes “dies” and Burke was replaced.
Interestingly, the cases that do show it, are the ones where Mofftiss borrowed the most from Granada. Granada The Devil’s Foot, Sherlock S4 Imagery, and Moriarty or Mortimer & A Little Glimpse Into Granada’s ‘Eligible Bachelor’ by @ebaeschnbliah (Also interesting that we posted these meta within hours of one another, without having talked about the influence factor at all.) As you can tell from the second meta, Eurus had an obvious reference in EB (although The Musgrave Ritual--which is used in Sherlock TFP), also gave a visual hint via Rachel, the one that allowed a man to die down a hole, and it showed the coming revival of Johnlock closeness--although it wouldn’t happen until TDF. If you don’t think that’s important, remember that Moffttiss said TD12 as a name only happened, because the name they wanted to use was taken. While writing this, I found a similar meta to mine about TDF by @devoursjohnlock Maybe I am helping connect dots...
From this meta by @may-shepard we see that Doyle’s story The Parasite, coincides with S4, and the also the dates from the story fill in the missing dates on John’s blog.
At the end of TLD, John and Lestrade are discussing the morgue incident. They specifically mention HLV (HLB in canon). It seems like they are wrapping up those loose ends Sherlock doesn’t like to have on his watch, but he’s been in hospital, even though according to what Sherlock and Mycroft know from T6T--the loose ends from HLV are already edited and he’s free of that.
According to TAB, all the modern elements we know of from Sherlock, are all lunatic fantasy...or metaphorical flights of fancy...Holmes theorizes it could come to pass, but only after the echo of the idea of having proper murders. Moffttis was adamant that Mary had to die, because that’s how it was in the stories, but it isn’t. We’re never told what happened to Mary.
TAB
Shortly afterwards, the car pulls away and drives off along the tarmac.  As the scene fades out, the familiar ‘Pursuit’ music starts ... and almost immediately grinds to a halt. The screen remains dark for a moment and then ... WATSON (offscreen): Flying machines; these, er, telephone contraptions ... (The screen fades up to reveal Holmes and Watson sitting in their armchairs in the sitting room of 221B.  Each of them is smoking a pipe.) WATSON: What sort of lunatic fantasy is that? HOLMES: It was simply my conjecture of what a future world might look like, and how you and I might fit inside it. (Watson nods.) HOLMES: From a drop of water, a logician should be able to infer the possibility of an Atlantic or a Niagara. WATSON: Or a Reichenbach. HOLMES: Have you written up your account of the case? WATSON: Yes. HOLMES: Hmm.  Modified to put it down as one of my rare failures, of course? WATSON: Of course. (Holmes looks thoughtful for a moment.) HOLMES: “The Adventure of ... the Invisible Army.” (Watson looks upwards, considering it.) HOLMES: “The League of Furies”?  (He leans forward, smiling.) “The Monstrous Regiment.” WATSON: I rather thought ... “The Abominable Bride.” HOLMES (sitting back): A trifle lurid. WATSON: It’ll sell.  It’s got proper murders in it, too. HOLMES (pointing his pipe at him): You’re the expert. WATSON: As for your own tale, are you sure it’s still just a seven percent solution that you take?  I think you may have increased the dosage. HOLMES: Perhaps I was being a little fanciful ... (He looks down thoughtfully.) HOLMES: ... but perhaps such things could come to pass. (He stands up.) HOLMES: In any case, I know I would be very much at home in such a world. (Watson chuckles as Holmes walks across the room towards the right-hand window.) WATSON: Don’t think I would be. HOLMES: I beg to differ. (He looks out of the window.) HOLMES: But then I’ve always known I was a man out of his time. (He puts his pipe in his mouth and continues to look out of the window.  The ‘Pursuit’ theme starts again, this time with a Victorian twist to it, as the camera slowly pulls back.  Down in the street below, customers are going into SPEEDY’S Sandwich Bar & Cafe while more people – all dressed in modern-day clothing – walk past, and the road is busy with cars. A black cab passes a number 11 bus – destination Baker Street – as they drive past 221B ... ... where it is always 1895.) 
Transcript ( x )
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So, if you’re going through the list of cases (as one of the players), you don’t always have to be present or in the physical framed shots of the events in order to do so. Remember how John was disappearing in shots from T6T, when Lestrade and Hopkins were present, and how Sherlock was working with multiple investigators regularly--not just Lestrade? It happened against in TFP, while Sherlock is trying to negotiate in Sherrinford with Eurus.
This is more in keeping with ACD and Granada, because Lestrade wasn’t the lead on all the cases. That he should be in most of Sherlock S1-3 made no real sense, so this is someone trying to cover their bases and possibly justify John’s continued existence in Sherlock’s life, through the filter of something other than being a couple. It still works though if you’re John, Lestrade, Mycroft or even unconscious or tranced Sherlock trying to show why John’s place by his side is vital--without giving away the romantic element (because to Sherlock, the romantic part is a mystery--he’s been unconscious since S2 or HLV).
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