I don't suppose anyone wants to help me work through my big bang plot, do they? I'm meant to have the first draft in next weekend and I have about 900 words, so far.
Oh, no - Mycroft literally warns him to stay home and tells him he's being watched.
I'm thinking maybe John stays at home twitching, over night, then goes to Mike Stamford to ask him what he knows (which isn't much, although he does mention that Sherlock studied at St John's College) and then off the back of that, he goes to (reluctantly) to Sebastian and asks him for information. I'm trying to decide how much Sebastian tells him, but I think what he says is what ultimately makes John go to Cambridge. Perhaps after going to Sherlock's room and finding the photograph of Sherlock and Victor as teenagers.
We all know how well John reacted to that last time XD
Makes sense--besides Mycroft, I doubt anyone knows anything about Sherlock from back then. Mike and possibly Lestrade know him on a more professional level, the latter likely having been around when Sherlock was still getting himself cleaned up, so how much he knows is debatable. Sebastian is more forthcoming, but I doubt that it's for any beneficent level. He'll give a generous hint at the Incident but not blurt all of it out, not for any fond feelings for Sherlock, but because John may look into it and come to the same, less-than-charitable view of Sherlock on his own.
Would Sherlock's room still be in use? Maybe a cordoned off, disused section of Cambridge. Or if it is, the photo is well hidden.
I hadn't considered Lestrade, actually. I wonder if he'd go to him first? I think he'd tell John some of what he wanted to know, but still sort of protect Sherlock's privacy in a sense. He wouldn't tell him about how he first met Sherlock, really; he may have started working with him five years before, but in his younger days, before he was a DI, he would have known Sherlock as this obnoxious, disgraced, crackhead aristocrat. It would only be when he'd gotten himself clean and Mycroft directed him to Sherlock yard with his information on a case that he was stuck with Lestrade.
I definitely think you're right about Sebastian not giving it all away, but giving Sherlock just enough rope to hang himself, in John's mind.
All of this makes it very hard to show Sherlock's side of things, though... maybe I do need to write in his POV more.
Between John's sections and the flashbacks, you could have a few parts where we see what Sherlock is doing, concurrent with John? If Moriarty brought him to Cambridge to show him something, there could be little investigation scenes where he's trying to figure out what Moriarty is on about.
Yup, and Moriarty's trying to prove that Sherlock was responsible--there's got to be a purpose to luring him there :) Unless the little shit is going to be there?
I like! :D Lestrade and Mike only know/will say so much, so when John's hitting a dead end, Moriarty sends a little gift, and maybe that reminds him about Sebastian? Then whatever Seb says prompts him to go, etc.
Maybe he sends him a photo of Sherlock and Victor - the one I'd talked about. Maybe on the back is the date and location, like people used to do when we still printed photos.
"Victor T. + Sherlock H., St John's College, 1995."
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on 2010-10-17 04:28 pm (UTC)I'm thinking maybe John stays at home twitching, over night, then goes to Mike Stamford to ask him what he knows (which isn't much, although he does mention that Sherlock studied at St John's College) and then off the back of that, he goes to (reluctantly) to Sebastian and asks him for information. I'm trying to decide how much Sebastian tells him, but I think what he says is what ultimately makes John go to Cambridge. Perhaps after going to Sherlock's room and finding the photograph of Sherlock and Victor as teenagers.
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on 2010-10-17 04:54 pm (UTC)Makes sense--besides Mycroft, I doubt anyone knows anything about Sherlock from back then. Mike and possibly Lestrade know him on a more professional level, the latter likely having been around when Sherlock was still getting himself cleaned up, so how much he knows is debatable. Sebastian is more forthcoming, but I doubt that it's for any beneficent level. He'll give a generous hint at the Incident but not blurt all of it out, not for any fond feelings for Sherlock, but because John may look into it and come to the same, less-than-charitable view of Sherlock on his own.
Would Sherlock's room still be in use? Maybe a cordoned off, disused section of Cambridge. Or if it is, the photo is well hidden.
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on 2010-10-17 05:22 pm (UTC)I definitely think you're right about Sebastian not giving it all away, but giving Sherlock just enough rope to hang himself, in John's mind.
All of this makes it very hard to show Sherlock's side of things, though... maybe I do need to write in his POV more.
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on 2010-10-17 09:39 pm (UTC)no subject
on 2010-10-17 09:43 pm (UTC)I could have Moriarty start sending John clippings or emails, I suppose...
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on 2010-10-17 09:53 pm (UTC)I like! :D Lestrade and Mike only know/will say so much, so when John's hitting a dead end, Moriarty sends a little gift, and maybe that reminds him about Sebastian? Then whatever Seb says prompts him to go, etc.
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on 2010-10-17 10:00 pm (UTC)"Victor T. + Sherlock H., St John's College, 1995."
And an obituary.