[closed] A Sensible Drink.

[the_good_doctor]

Who: The two Watsons, doctors & the_good_doctor -- open to Holmes!
What: The obvious thing to do when you've been kidnapped by legends and faced with an unbelieavable set of circumstances? Get a sensible drink, of course!
When: The evening of Watson's arrival, Day 36.
Where: A pub in Thor district.
Rating: PG ?



Granted, Watson hadn't known, when leaving their Baker Street rooms that morning, that he would end in being kidnapped to another world by legends that were -- rather uncomfortably realistic. Holmes could provide an explanation, of course, but Holmes wasn't there.

And by extension, neither was Watson's chequebook.

Brooding over these facts as he made his way through the streets of Thor district towards the pub that the other Watson had suggested -- and there was a coincidence! Imagine -- to have the same name and the military was one thing, but a doctor as well? The odds against it ... well.

Watson paused. Speaking of odds, was that the rattle of dice ... ? He glanced down the small alley, hearing the raoucous roar of laughter with an expert ear. A gambling den, if he was not very much mistaken.

He was early, having left himself plenty of time to navigate the grey streets of Asgard. And it would be presuming rather too much to intrude upon an acquaintance's generousity so early in their relationship. Yes, seeing about procuring some change would be the gentlemanly thing to do ...

Not much over ten minutes late, Watson sauntered into the pub where he and his namesake had agreed to meet, a self-satisfied swagger to his walk, limp barely noticable, and his pockets jangling pleasantly. Not a bad effort, not at all. Now, where was his companion ... ?

Comments

[doctors]

And (the more recent) John Watson is already at the bar, fiddling around with the holographic screen from his bracelet while he's waiting. When he spots the other man, he quickly closes the screen and stands to greet him.

Lucky for both of them, John's been saving his money. He'll take the tab for this one if needed.

[the_good_doctor]

"Dr Watson." Watson savours the irony even as he reaches out to shake the others' hand. Finding yourself in a incredible, fairytale city, you'd expect to meet any manner of fantastical companions, but instead he managed to run into a man with the same name as himself -- and significant personal history in common by the sounds of things. It would be akin to taking a cruise to take a break from London life and the first person you met onboard was your London neighbour.

Though in the flesh, it was clear to see there would be plenty of differences. His companion was clad in the clothing Watson was coming to associate with a future era, and the ease with which he banished the video screen indicated that such devices were not unfamiliar to him. Clearly Watson would have a lot to ask him.

"Nice place you've found here."

[doctors]

"Dr Watson." he replies, smiling and meeting the other's handshake with his own. The grip is firm, almost a mirror of his. These coincidences keep building, and there's a voice in the back of his mind saying that this is getting quite suspicious... but he's choosing to ignore it for now.

He quickly looks over the man's clothing - 19th century, from the looks of it. You don't have to be a consulting detective to see that he's not from modern times, in both dress and the way he speaks.

"Being around here for a few months gives you time to explore."

[the_good_doctor]

A few months? That was not good news. "I hope that I won't be here so long. Nothing against the place, of course," Watson remarked, taking a seat. "But I'm rather looking forward to getting married next week."

He paused.

"That's not another coincidence, is it? You don't have a fiancee called Mary, do you?"

[doctors]

"It depends with a lot of people. Some are here for a week, some a few months. I wasn't too fond of it from the beginning either, but it tends to grow on you."

When the bartender comes, he quickly orders two beers to start. He chuckles at the question.

"That's where we differ, then. Never been married or engaged. Congratulations, though."

[the_good_doctor]

"No? That is a pity -- but I thank you. Mary is -- well, I'm glad to have found her."

Somehow, the other's question had done little to dispel the concerns at the back of Watson's mind. Ever since that conversation with the man who'd introduced himself as Sherlock he'd -- well, he had a rough idea of the situation. That didn't mean he wanted to know if it was right. About to ask, Watson's question was fore-stalled by the arrival of the two beers. Lifting his tankard in toast to his companion, Watson nodded.

"Again, my thanks. You've done me a great service."

[doctors]

"Good for you, mate. Hopefully I can do the same in the future." He hasn't had much luck with dating in the recent past... thanks to his flatmate giving them the wrong impressions and outright insulting them, among other things.

Regardless, he lifts his own glass as well.

"It's a pleasure, honestly. I'm glad I had the opportunity."

[the_good_doctor]

"Here's to better luck in the future then." Watson took a hearty swig of beer. Not quite the beverage he was used to -- but far from unpleasant. Definitely worth the wait.

Setting his glass down, he considered his complanion. "Not every day you meet a man with the same name and profession as yourself," he said deliberately. "And -- it seems the similarities don't stop there."

[doctors]

Oh hell yes. He hasn't had a good drink in awhile, and this is just what he needed.

"Definitely not." he raises an eyebrow at the second comment. "Really? What else have you noticed?"

[the_good_doctor]

Watson hesitates. They're on the brink of it, and yet he still doesn't want to say it.

He settles for taking his card case out of his jacket pocket. Sifting through the calling cards therein (bigger and more ornate than the modern business card), he eventually finds one of his own cards and holds it to Watson. A professional card, it is plain, bearing only his name, qualification and his address -- 221B Baker Street. If his hunch is right -- it's how he met Holmes after all.]

I've just moved my practice to new rooms in Cavendish place, but this is my old card.

[doctors]

He reads, and as her reads, his eyes go progressively wide.

John Watson, M.D
221B Baker Street
London, United Kingdom

"Well, that definitely is a similarity. That's my home back in London."

And then, he thinks. It couldn't be... but this was just too strange to not ask.

"Did... you have a flatmate, by any chance?"

[the_good_doctor]

Watson's smile was decidely ironic.

"Holmes."

There were so many questions he wanted to ask -- but the other hadn't had the forewarning he had, would need time just to adjust.

ignore that other one split up comments doesn't work so well for prose LFDKSFJ

[doctors]

It takes him a moment to process that. That was the last thing he was holding onto to dismiss this as strange coincidence, and it's been thrown out the window.

"Watson is a fairly common last name. Holmes isn't."

no worries!

[the_good_doctor]

"His first name is Sherlock. He has a brother, Mycroft. He is London's only consulting detective." Resting his beer on the table, Watson folded his hands together. "He plays the violin well, poisons the dog on a regular basis, and we met through the offices of an old friend of mine."

Pause.

"Please stop me if this begins to sound familiar."

[doctors]

"Oh, you're way past familiar, save for the part about the dog. Everything else is sound."

This is starting to get creepy.

[the_good_doctor]

"Does Gladstone simply not exist or have you found a way to curtail Holmes' scientific curiousity?"

The remark was perhaps a little sharper than he meant it to be, and Watson took another swig of beer. "Apologies. I -- well, I'm sure you appreciate the bizarreness of the situation. What was that you were saying earlier about different worlds?"

[doctors]

"No, it's fine - I understand completely." This has to be as strange for the other as it is for him. "Never had a dog at... 'our' Baker Street."

He takes another drink of his own beer; he needs the alcohol in his system for this one.

"Yeah, a lot of people here come from different time periods, universes, things like that. It's something you'll have to see to believe."

[the_good_doctor]

"Perhaps that is just as well -- and Mrs Hudson?"

Watson sets his beer down once more. "I think -- I am looking at it now. How else do we explain -- this?"

His hand motion encompasses the both of them, their very different appearances -- and the similarities they share.

[doctors]

"Mrs Hudson seems to be a universal constant." He chuckles. He kind of missed his landlady/mother figure.

"I dunno. Taking everything that this place can do into consideration, an alternate universe is my best guess. You know, that paranormal stuff where the world is pretty much the same but with a few differences."

[the_good_doctor]

"The most obvious of those differences being the time frame?" Watson leaned back in his chair to regard his companion with interest. "It's 189[?] for me -- I gather that puts me in the minority in this place."

[doctors]

He nods. "I'm from the year 2012. A lot of other people here seem to be pretty modern as well.

But you never know about this place. For all we know, 'your Sherlock' could show up at the beginning of next month."

[the_good_doctor]

'My Sherlock'? Watson raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. After all, how were they to differentiate between them?

"I met your associate," he said instead. "We spoke briefly. It's uncanny. Not the resemblance. The mind, the -- methods." He paused thoughtfully. "A hundred years ... London must have changed a lot."