020. [video]

[whatsolarsystem]

[Welcome to the sight of Sherlock's room - needless to say, it is a mess, as it often is. Outside of the norm, however, there is the sound of... what the hell is that sound, anyway? Is it an oboe? It sounds a bit more like someone trying to strangle a goose.

Suddenly, the sound stops, and Sherlock's frustrated voice is heard from off-screen.]

Blast

Comments

[missthewoman]

[Oh my goodness her ears.
This might be the closest Irene's been to tears in a while. Congratulations.]

The orchestra will simply have to do without, and I'm sure they will thank you.

[whatsolarsystem]

[HIS PRIDE....]

Thank you for that, Irene. As always, you are ever so helpful.

[missthewoman]

What would you have me say? I hardly think you would wish me to brandy words over this.
I cannot help you learn the oboe, and barring a miraculous intervention you will not be ready in time for your performance.

[whatsolarsystem]

[The very fact that you say he cannot do it just frustrates him more, thank you.]

Your faith in me is astounding. Of course, you were never one to mince words; and if you did, I would have reason to be suspicious.

In any case, blame the Guide. I did not sign up for oboe.

[missthewoman]

[Either be goaded to success, or give up before you make more ears bleed.]

Far be it for me to give you reason to be suspicious.

[A quip is on the tip of her tongue over his blaming the Guide, but she pauses. She has been on the receiving end of such malfunction, and realizes it could have been her in an equally impossible job.]

Of course you did not. It would have been lovely to hear you perform with your violin in the orchestra.

[whatsolarsystem]

[Ears bleed? How dare you. 8| ]

Which is what I ironically - or maybe not so ironically, given the habits of this device - signed up for originally, only to be given the task of performing with an instrument I care little for.

[Only because it does not come as naturally to him as violin does. Only because perhaps he easily loses his patience. It is a wonder how he ever became so good at the instrument he does play, at times.]

[missthewoman]

[[It's true. :| ]]

Infernal device. I have been told that modern machines posses artificial intelligence - clearly it is of the most nefarious kind.

[whatsolarsystem]

[I do not see your ears bleeding, Miss Adler. :| ]

Artificial intelligence? Either the most nefarious kind, or they possess a sense of humour that I do not find amusing.

[missthewoman]

I find it hard to believe that a machine can truly have intelligence, even less so humour.

[whatsolarsystem]

Mere programming, at its best. Or should I say worst? Either way, it presents itself as nothing more than inconvenience.

[abrupt subject change time. not that Irene would be used to anything less.]

I'm sure you've noticed the absence of a second Doctor Watson?

[missthewoman]

[That's quite all right. She changed the subject from the music, after all.
Her answer is in a tone that is fully contrite-]

I have. [And she keeps it at that for now. She wagers that he would want to hear an offer of condolences as much as Holmes would.]

[whatsolarsystem]

[A simple enough answer (and one that he already knew the answer to, undoubtedly. How does a woman like Irene Adler not notice the absence of Doctor Watson?)]

Our room of four is now a room of two. Space, space, space.

[missthewoman]

Out into which will flow your [mess, mess, mess] experiments, no doubt.

[whatsolarsystem]

With no good Doctors flitting about and cleaning up what they deem unnecessary messes, it will be only a matter of time.

[missthewoman]

[Should she fear for the state of their rooms-? Yes, but more to the point, should she trouble herself to do anything about it?]

Will it also be merely a matter of time before the flat becomes uninhabitable?

[It would be interesting to see what they would do if they were forced out by their own devices.]

[whatsolarsystem]

Uninhabitable? [scoff!] There was never a time when I lived in a place uninhabitable. Controlled chaos, Irene. You know there to be a difference, surely.

[Interesting? Surely you do not give the tenacity of the Holmeses enough credit, Irene.]