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betenoire_rp
Oct. 22nd, 2012 10:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
myblogwonabafta2. Character Information
Name: Dr. John Hamish Watson
Dreamwidth Username:myblogwonabafta
Fandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Image: On the right.
3. Character Information II
Age/Appearance: John Watson is a man of below-average height (5' 7" or 8") and medium build. He has sandy, greying hair and dark blue-grey eyes. As Freeman was born in 1971 and I have no information to contradict it, I'm assuming John is also 40 or thereabouts.
What should be noted about John's appearance is, essentially... nothing. He looks quite ordinary and unassuming without being either unattractive or striking.
History: Character wiki link, links to episode-specific plot history.
Headcanon supplement: John was born into a fairly typical middle-class English family and had a fairly traditional upbringing. His father's terminal illness when he was young, coupled with the manifestation of his sister's alcoholism, resulted in an intense desire in John to help those who would or could accept help. After obtaining his medical degree, John enlisted as a medic in the army, thinking he could make a difference (and help pay off the school fees). His mother, though she instilled manners and values in her children, turned out to be ill-equipped to handle Harriet's problems and at this point neither John nor Harriet has much contact with her. John stood with Harry against their mother's rejection, and has thereby gotten caught up in their mother's censure as well. He therefore avoids her, though he is not vindictive--as with Harry, he will reach back when reached out to.
Personality: John Watson would describe himself, and his experience, as "ordinary." This is both a deflection and a point of pride, depending on the context--a statement of English stoicism as well as a muffled complaint about the lack of excitement he feels he generates on his own. He has always wanted to be part of something bigger, to contribute meaningfully to the world. He's never quite known how to go about that, or been able to convince himself that he's capable of it. But after the disappointments of a boring upbringing and his perceived failure in combating his sister Harry's alcoholism, the army and then Sherlock Holmes have given him a sense of purpose he has embraced. In a way, his ordinariness is his "gift," and what makes him work with Sherlock. But coupled with this must be an idiosyncrasy that allows him to be the companion of someone so eccentric--John is neither conventional nor flamboyant, but rather able to negotiate the gulf between society and Sherlock Holmes. Furthermore, this gulf is where he is most comfortable. In a sense, he needs Holmes as much as Holmes needs him, because John is not, after all, as simple as he looks.
In the original canon, Holmes described Watson as a "fixed point in a changing age." And while he was calling back to an earlier time from the vantage point of Edwardian England, the point was this: that for Holmes, Watson is a touchstone, an anchor. The same is true for John and Sherlock. John is steady, but not dull. Though Sherlock often derides his intelligence, there are numerous examples of Sherlock relying on John for emotional, social, and tactical support. John provides a buffer between Sherlock and people, a sounding board for Sherlock's mind puzzles as well as moods and boredom, and a steady hand and nerve when they get into tight spots. He can offer a medical opinion, a crack shot, and a reminder to Sherlock of what it is to be human. John is a fixed point not because he is dull or unchanging, but because he is loyal, and Sherlock needs someone with both stability and flexibility to steady him as well as keep up.
"You're very loyal very quickly," Mycroft notes, during their first case and indeed within the first few hours of knowing Sherlock. This is certainly true in this case. Depressed and ostensibly suffering from PTSD after his war experience, John takes to Sherlock's eccentricity with a mix of admiration and a want of intimidation with remarkable swiftness. In truth, John was searching for something without really knowing it. His problem was not so much the trauma induced by war, but the inability to adjust to civilian life. This is not to say he approves of violence in and of itself, for he is not a violent man. Nor would he advocate danger for its own sake. He does not wish himself back in the war. But he misses it just the same--and the first chance he gets, he positions himself such that he is nearly constantly put into danger. Danger is not ultimately the point, however. Stimulation is. Unknown to him, John craves excitement and novelty. It's well-hidden from him consciously, because his background is ordinary, and he's always more or less "fit in." It isn't until he is exposed to war and then Sherlock Holmes' unconventional lifestyle that he blossoms in the face of uncertainty.
This can be noted in his response to various crises. When faced with danger, he does not panic. He is calm when strapped with explosives, and he maintains himself fairly well when he's been dosed with the HOUND drug. He is practical above all, and this carries through socially. Whether confronting Mycroft or Buckingham Palace--or indeed, Sherlock himself--John refuses to be impressed without cause. He is in no way arrogant: he simply refuses to give his respect until it is due. Which is not to say he is deliberately rude. In fact, he often serves as unofficial social consultant when Sherlock's abruptness gets out of hand. And at the same time, he does not reject Sherlock for that same rudeness. For some reason, he is able to maintain a sense of perspective and propriety while both admiring and admonishing Sherlock Holmes. He is quietly competent, not drawing attention to himself, drawn to greatness in others, but not likely to back down. John chooses his battles. He can, however, be pushed too far and react with a temper, either out of protective feelings or when he's reached a breaking point, though that point is usually after the crisis has passed.
His association with Sherlock has allowed John to explore the world in ways he perhaps did not realize he could. He becomes a popular blogger, and seems to revel in that notoriety (though he also cautions Sherlock about fame). He gets to play at being James Bond, which he also clearly relishes. He gets to admire Sherlock and make fun of him. In a sense, this is simply a continuation of the slightly paradoxical nature which led him to be an army medic: John wants life and death together, contradictions complicating his life rather than wishing to simplify things. He is a moral person, but he is not a by the book moralist. He seeks out contradiction and yet seems untroubled by the questions raised, which is to say he is decisive rather than wishy-washy.
Like Sherlock, John reacts poorly to boredom and stress. But he reacts in a very different way. John becomes withdrawn and depressed. Like many great partnerships, John and Sherlock work well together because of a combination of similarities and differences: similarities in interests, for example, but with opposing and yet complementary motives and talents. John can take a lot from Sherlock, but stand up for himself when he needs to. He provides a calm, rational voice, but can also act fast and will not hesitate to kill to protect himself or others. He has experience with addicts, and both a clear-eyed view of the realities involved as well as a cautious optimism. John and Sherlock represent different humors and intelligences, working together.
For the most part, they are good for one another. But their partnership is not without its problems. For one thing, the fact that it's nearly all one can talk about when it comes to John--both in canon and outside it--is an indication of how unusually all-encompassing it is. By the second series, John does not seem to have another job. He's named as Sherlock's "live in PA," and even if that's said jokingly it seems to be the case. John, while clearly interested in women, cannot maintain a relationship with one. Partly this is Sherlock's fault--the man can't seem to allow John to have anything to himself, whether it's conscious or not. But partly this is John's own decision. Sherlock comes first. Sherlock has come first from the moment they met. Any woman he's dating is going to come after that, and this leads to a string of unsuccessful relationships. The women he dates are attractive and capable, so it's clear he's able to attract partners with potential. He's incapable of keeping them, however, because so much of his attention goes to his flatmate. Eventually, he appears to stop trying, but only after the problem has been pointed out to him. John could leave. He does not. And this indicates that there is something here that he needs, that he himself is, in a sense, addicted to.
There are worse addictions. It is, perhaps, preferable to the nightmares and depression and psychosomatic limp. If alcoholism has been inherited, perhaps he would have fallen to that temptation if left on his own. Sherlock gives him purpose: both adventure and something to write about. A way to contribute, and a purpose he was not able to find elsewhere. The practice of medicine no longer seems to be his end game. Where this eventually trips him up is when Sherlock decides to fake his own death, without John's knowledge. For all John knows, Sherlock did die, and this has left a void in John much as the war did. Indeed, 18 months after they first met, John is back with his therapist, in the same place he'd been two years ago. Alone, without hope, and without direction.
On his own, John is a man of extraordinary qualities, many of which manifest because he is quietly confident and unaware of them. John is full of contradictions, but not necessarily dangerous ones. He is attracted to the chaotic when he is certain of its good, which is why he is with Sherlock and not, for instance, Moriarty. But these decisions and processes are largely unconscious. Unlike Sherlock, who considers all angles, John has beliefs that carry him through, that he will follow despite others' lies or the word of law. He knows what is right for him, without charting out all the options. And he is that unique personality who can put up with Sherlock Holmes while retaining his sense of self, because they think so differently. And he is that unique personality Holmes can put up with, because they tend to bring out the best in one another without imposing it from without. Each sees the other as the truest version of humanity they have yet found, and that says more about their own characters than they know.
Sexual Preferences/Orientation: John is a fairly average heterosexual male in the modern Western world. He dates women, and he does not feel the need to wait for marriage to engage in sexual activity. As a man nearing middle age, he has had varied experiences with women. However, his recent experiences must also be taken into account. His tenure with Sherlock shows a marked propensity towards homosociality, in the sense that he gets along better with men in a long-term setting, at least at this point in his life. This could have been exacerbated by military life. It could simply be a manifestation of his lingering trauma, or just his personality. Nearly everyone assumes Sherlock and John are gay. Even girlfriends who have evidence of John's heterosexual desires must come to the conclusion that Sherlock is, at least for now, John's mate, with or without sex. I do not think they are in a sexual relationship, nor do I think one is likely given canonical circumstances. I do think that they have a tacit partnership which means that John is more or less resigned to a sort of sexless, homosocial "marriage" because Sherlock is far more important to him than any of the women he's dated. For this reason, John does not so much mind the lost sexual opportunity, nor does he feel a strenuous need to correct mistaken assumptions anymore, partly as it has proven futile. He is not homophobic.
In the city, I can see him having encounters with women should the opportunity arise. I do not see him having casual sex with men, though given their particular bond and the potential conflation of feelings whenever a partnership is so all-encompassing, I can see the city heightening sexual confusion as well. John is not particularly sexually attracted to Sherlock, but his devotion and love are fairly total. I can see the potential for circumstances or some nefarious effects of Bete Noire or its denizens to put John into a situation where these feelings are further muddled and manifest sexually. I'd put him at a 1 on the Kinsey scale, with a dispensation for Sherlock given the correct (and possibly mind-altering) incentives.
Powers: No supernatural abilities. John is trained as a doctor with some military training. He is also a crack shot (when compared to others in his environment, including DIs).
Reason for playing: The thing about John Watson is that I never considered playing him until this series. I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I first saw Jeremy Brett when I was 9, and I see a lot of versions. It's been a long time since an adaptation felt both so true and so fresh to me, and has made me feel that someone has finally given Watson equal partnership. The thread of friendship appeals to me, as does John's need for Sherlock which is equal to Sherlock's need for him. The homosocial bond is fascinating, as is the ways in which it stretches and is interpreted. Bete Noire is my home game, and I am already familiar with Ronen's Sherlock. Further, a pan-fandom game like this gives John ample scope to try to find a place for himself: Sherlock will be there, but will it be like it was? Or will John have to seek out alternative forms of support? Will he even need Sherlock, and vice versa? The city could either heighten his depression OR his attraction to danger and risk. It could split him and Sherlock, or bring them closer together, complicating things further. John tends to form loyalties quickly, and does not strongly question actions which protect his loved ones. I can see this, too, becoming even more pronounced as he struggles to remain Sherlock's moral compass as his own begins to falter.
5. Samples
First-Person: Dear Mun thread with Sherlock.
Third-Person: John stared at the blinking cursor. He knew he had to write something. He'd started this blog. He'd helped make Sherlock Holmes nearly a household name. He was the only one who knew the truth. And yet he sat here, watching the vertical line appear and disappear as if mocking him. As if trying to catch it at something. As if, one of these times, it wouldn't come back.
He snapped the laptop shut and got up, turning and walking outside without grabbing a coat. He didn't noticed this until he was a block and a half down the street, though, and his hands started getting cold and his leg started to twinge. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking. None of it mattered. He thought, not for the first time, that what he really needed was to move out of the flat. But it seemed too difficult. He couldn't sleep, wasn't really eating, and he couldn't write. But packing up his things, finding a new place... it reminded him far too much of an idle question he'd asked Stamford. An idle question that had started this whole thing. And he wouldn't have changed that, he wouldn't. He wouldn't take back the past year and a half. But the next... the next was just as bleak and mysterious to him as it had looked back then. The wallpaper was different that was all. The dream changed from gunfire and blood to a bit of plastic pressed to his ear and his own scream ringing as he arrived too late, over and over.
He'd been hoping to get to a bit of London that didn't remind him of... well, anything. And it had worked this time. Funny, he thought. He really didn't observe, did he? None of this looked familiar at all. Sherlock would be--would have been--disappointed. John looked around, interested in his surroundings for the first time in days. And only gradually realizing he had no idea where he was.
Third-Person #2: John had always been popular with the ladies. It wasn't so much a looks thing, though indeed being somewhat unassuming and unthreatening helped. In fact, it helped so much that women tended to let their guard down around him, develop affection for him, and respond well to his attempts to get to know them better. It helped, too, that he was straightforward without being presumptuous. Woman liked that. So yes, John was something of a ladies' man. Or he had been.
Then came the war, and yes of course that was a bit of a dry spell, and then came... Sherlock. And not in the way that he knew everyone was snickering about behind their hands. Sherlock ruined everything. Every date, every relationship, every--Well he wasn't going to ruin this.
Janet was a lovely girl. A lawyer. He thought. Maybe a paralegal. Anyway she was nice and a bit forward and driven and very sexy, and she seemed to like John. Enough to invite him back to her place after their third date, and John was a modern guy. John was also someone whose relationships had been getting shorter and shorter, so it was prudent to, well, strike while the iron was hot, as it were. And conversation had lagged a bit during dinner--John had been thinking about some shavings they'd found at the scene of the Davis murder--so they both seemed relieved to have something to do.
"Something to do" turned out to be a rather violent slam up against the door as soon as it shut, Janet devouring his mouth with hers. Okay. He could go with this. He responded avidly, lips parting, tongue tangling with hers.
"Mmm," he hummed, biting his ear. "I don't think it's true at all, what they say."
"Excuse me?" he gasped, only half listening because her skin under her shirt was very warm and very soft and he was finding it very distracting. "What who says?"
"You know, they," she said, palming his erection through his trousers. "About you and your flatmate." John groaned, not sure if it was the pressure or the same old misperception that was fueling the sound. "Though maybe I'm wrong," she continued, even though he was working his fingers under her bra now to find the clasp. "I have to say, having seen him, the thought of you two together has occurred to me."
"Has it?" he said voice catching because this was ridiculous and the bra was a bit complicated. "Hadn't to me."
She just laughed and tugged at the buttons of her own shirt, so he went for his, and when they were bare from the waist up he paid a great deal of attention to the bits of her that were in no way like Sherlock Holmes. She was rounded where he was flat, graceful curves where he was lines. No similarity whatsoever. "It's all right, John," she chided. "We're all adults here, and you're a doctor. I'm sure you're careful." He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her nipple as it hardened, gentle.
"Adults, yes," he murmured. "God, you're lovely. Just... mmm." He kissed her again, cupping her breast, letting the other press against his chest as he pushed against her. Sherlock was not going to interfere this time, even though it was pretty bloody hilarious he was now intervening in the form of John's girlfriend. How long had it been? Too long, certainly. But he didn't want to push it.
"'Lovely' seems a bit tame," she said, and dropped suddenly to her knees, shoving his trousers down to his ankles and licking up his shaft. Well he had decided she was forward, after all. This was not at all a negative consequences of that. Though he did rather notice the absence of her soft flesh under his hands. Still, hard to argue with her hot mouth teasing around the head of his cock, dark eyes glancing coyly up at him as she took him into her mouth. Ridiculous, really, he thought. To think he'd ever give this up for... for what? A rude flatmate, body parts in the fridge, danger at every turn. Maybe he could have both, though. Janet seemed to think so.
"Not... tame," he panted. "Not at all. Take it back. I do, I mean, not you, I... oh Christ yes." His fingers threaded through her hair, not tugging, just needing something to touch. Something to prove she was there. But it wasn't enough. Or maybe it was too much--he didn't want it over so quickly and it had been awhile. He tugged her up, tasted himself on her tongue when he kissed her again, and urged her into the flat, towards her bedroom. He tripped over his trousers, had to kick them off as well as his shoes, but she was willing and he could touch her as she led him, and she smiled knowingly and laughed and licked her pink lips. And luckily, he thought, she had stopped talking about Sherlock. That was the last thing he needed to be thinking about now, with all of this in front of him.
He pulled her down onto the bed with him, and she took control again, and he didn't mind. It wasn't that he didn't know what he was doing, but he didn't know her all that well, and if she wanted to give him cues, he'd take them. She rolled him over, slipped a condom on, and sank down on him, her head thrown back so he could see mostly the curve of her neck, sighing as she stretched around him, hands splaying on his chest. She knew what she wanted, and she took it. John wasn't sure what he thought about that but his body knew how it felt, and it felt warm and welcomed and tight and ready. He groaned again as she began to move, and he gripped her hips, looking up at her as if afraid he'd forget her face if he took his eyes off of it. She set the pace, and he went along, rolling his hips, hand ducking between them to play with her clit, seeking a rhythm to go with hers. He was concentrating so hard on this that she came before he did, collapsing to the side with a satisfied sigh. And just as she was pushing herself up, a question in her expression, his mobile sounded. A text.
He paused.
"I'd better check that," he said, and he didn't even really have to slip out. He was already softening. He rolled over, grabbing his phone from his trousers on the floor.
Breakthrough on the Davis case. Must be confirmed tonight. Bring a crowbar.
SH
He stared at the screen, trying to find some excuse for not going, for staying here. Janet's hand snaked over his hip, playful--and then stopped.
"You should go," she said, and she sounded tired. Maybe just satisfied, John thought. He hoped. He didn't hope with much assurance.
"Right," he said quietly. It wasn't worth arguing. They both knew he'd go. They both knew, too, that he'd call again, that if they did try to go out again, it would fizzle. There wasn't really any fighting it.
"I thought you were, you know... I thought something was going on," she called as he turned to say goodbye and thank you. "I thought it was cute. I didn't think you were married."
"I'm not gay," he said, tired of the protestation he nevertheless still perfectly believed in.
"Doesn't much matter, does it?" she said.
No, it didn't really.
Name: Dr. John Hamish Watson
Dreamwidth Username:
myblogwonabaftaFandom: Sherlock (BBC)
Image: On the right.
3. Character Information II
Age/Appearance: John Watson is a man of below-average height (5' 7" or 8") and medium build. He has sandy, greying hair and dark blue-grey eyes. As Freeman was born in 1971 and I have no information to contradict it, I'm assuming John is also 40 or thereabouts.
What should be noted about John's appearance is, essentially... nothing. He looks quite ordinary and unassuming without being either unattractive or striking.
History: Character wiki link, links to episode-specific plot history.
Headcanon supplement: John was born into a fairly typical middle-class English family and had a fairly traditional upbringing. His father's terminal illness when he was young, coupled with the manifestation of his sister's alcoholism, resulted in an intense desire in John to help those who would or could accept help. After obtaining his medical degree, John enlisted as a medic in the army, thinking he could make a difference (and help pay off the school fees). His mother, though she instilled manners and values in her children, turned out to be ill-equipped to handle Harriet's problems and at this point neither John nor Harriet has much contact with her. John stood with Harry against their mother's rejection, and has thereby gotten caught up in their mother's censure as well. He therefore avoids her, though he is not vindictive--as with Harry, he will reach back when reached out to.
Personality: John Watson would describe himself, and his experience, as "ordinary." This is both a deflection and a point of pride, depending on the context--a statement of English stoicism as well as a muffled complaint about the lack of excitement he feels he generates on his own. He has always wanted to be part of something bigger, to contribute meaningfully to the world. He's never quite known how to go about that, or been able to convince himself that he's capable of it. But after the disappointments of a boring upbringing and his perceived failure in combating his sister Harry's alcoholism, the army and then Sherlock Holmes have given him a sense of purpose he has embraced. In a way, his ordinariness is his "gift," and what makes him work with Sherlock. But coupled with this must be an idiosyncrasy that allows him to be the companion of someone so eccentric--John is neither conventional nor flamboyant, but rather able to negotiate the gulf between society and Sherlock Holmes. Furthermore, this gulf is where he is most comfortable. In a sense, he needs Holmes as much as Holmes needs him, because John is not, after all, as simple as he looks.
In the original canon, Holmes described Watson as a "fixed point in a changing age." And while he was calling back to an earlier time from the vantage point of Edwardian England, the point was this: that for Holmes, Watson is a touchstone, an anchor. The same is true for John and Sherlock. John is steady, but not dull. Though Sherlock often derides his intelligence, there are numerous examples of Sherlock relying on John for emotional, social, and tactical support. John provides a buffer between Sherlock and people, a sounding board for Sherlock's mind puzzles as well as moods and boredom, and a steady hand and nerve when they get into tight spots. He can offer a medical opinion, a crack shot, and a reminder to Sherlock of what it is to be human. John is a fixed point not because he is dull or unchanging, but because he is loyal, and Sherlock needs someone with both stability and flexibility to steady him as well as keep up.
"You're very loyal very quickly," Mycroft notes, during their first case and indeed within the first few hours of knowing Sherlock. This is certainly true in this case. Depressed and ostensibly suffering from PTSD after his war experience, John takes to Sherlock's eccentricity with a mix of admiration and a want of intimidation with remarkable swiftness. In truth, John was searching for something without really knowing it. His problem was not so much the trauma induced by war, but the inability to adjust to civilian life. This is not to say he approves of violence in and of itself, for he is not a violent man. Nor would he advocate danger for its own sake. He does not wish himself back in the war. But he misses it just the same--and the first chance he gets, he positions himself such that he is nearly constantly put into danger. Danger is not ultimately the point, however. Stimulation is. Unknown to him, John craves excitement and novelty. It's well-hidden from him consciously, because his background is ordinary, and he's always more or less "fit in." It isn't until he is exposed to war and then Sherlock Holmes' unconventional lifestyle that he blossoms in the face of uncertainty.
This can be noted in his response to various crises. When faced with danger, he does not panic. He is calm when strapped with explosives, and he maintains himself fairly well when he's been dosed with the HOUND drug. He is practical above all, and this carries through socially. Whether confronting Mycroft or Buckingham Palace--or indeed, Sherlock himself--John refuses to be impressed without cause. He is in no way arrogant: he simply refuses to give his respect until it is due. Which is not to say he is deliberately rude. In fact, he often serves as unofficial social consultant when Sherlock's abruptness gets out of hand. And at the same time, he does not reject Sherlock for that same rudeness. For some reason, he is able to maintain a sense of perspective and propriety while both admiring and admonishing Sherlock Holmes. He is quietly competent, not drawing attention to himself, drawn to greatness in others, but not likely to back down. John chooses his battles. He can, however, be pushed too far and react with a temper, either out of protective feelings or when he's reached a breaking point, though that point is usually after the crisis has passed.
His association with Sherlock has allowed John to explore the world in ways he perhaps did not realize he could. He becomes a popular blogger, and seems to revel in that notoriety (though he also cautions Sherlock about fame). He gets to play at being James Bond, which he also clearly relishes. He gets to admire Sherlock and make fun of him. In a sense, this is simply a continuation of the slightly paradoxical nature which led him to be an army medic: John wants life and death together, contradictions complicating his life rather than wishing to simplify things. He is a moral person, but he is not a by the book moralist. He seeks out contradiction and yet seems untroubled by the questions raised, which is to say he is decisive rather than wishy-washy.
Like Sherlock, John reacts poorly to boredom and stress. But he reacts in a very different way. John becomes withdrawn and depressed. Like many great partnerships, John and Sherlock work well together because of a combination of similarities and differences: similarities in interests, for example, but with opposing and yet complementary motives and talents. John can take a lot from Sherlock, but stand up for himself when he needs to. He provides a calm, rational voice, but can also act fast and will not hesitate to kill to protect himself or others. He has experience with addicts, and both a clear-eyed view of the realities involved as well as a cautious optimism. John and Sherlock represent different humors and intelligences, working together.
For the most part, they are good for one another. But their partnership is not without its problems. For one thing, the fact that it's nearly all one can talk about when it comes to John--both in canon and outside it--is an indication of how unusually all-encompassing it is. By the second series, John does not seem to have another job. He's named as Sherlock's "live in PA," and even if that's said jokingly it seems to be the case. John, while clearly interested in women, cannot maintain a relationship with one. Partly this is Sherlock's fault--the man can't seem to allow John to have anything to himself, whether it's conscious or not. But partly this is John's own decision. Sherlock comes first. Sherlock has come first from the moment they met. Any woman he's dating is going to come after that, and this leads to a string of unsuccessful relationships. The women he dates are attractive and capable, so it's clear he's able to attract partners with potential. He's incapable of keeping them, however, because so much of his attention goes to his flatmate. Eventually, he appears to stop trying, but only after the problem has been pointed out to him. John could leave. He does not. And this indicates that there is something here that he needs, that he himself is, in a sense, addicted to.
There are worse addictions. It is, perhaps, preferable to the nightmares and depression and psychosomatic limp. If alcoholism has been inherited, perhaps he would have fallen to that temptation if left on his own. Sherlock gives him purpose: both adventure and something to write about. A way to contribute, and a purpose he was not able to find elsewhere. The practice of medicine no longer seems to be his end game. Where this eventually trips him up is when Sherlock decides to fake his own death, without John's knowledge. For all John knows, Sherlock did die, and this has left a void in John much as the war did. Indeed, 18 months after they first met, John is back with his therapist, in the same place he'd been two years ago. Alone, without hope, and without direction.
On his own, John is a man of extraordinary qualities, many of which manifest because he is quietly confident and unaware of them. John is full of contradictions, but not necessarily dangerous ones. He is attracted to the chaotic when he is certain of its good, which is why he is with Sherlock and not, for instance, Moriarty. But these decisions and processes are largely unconscious. Unlike Sherlock, who considers all angles, John has beliefs that carry him through, that he will follow despite others' lies or the word of law. He knows what is right for him, without charting out all the options. And he is that unique personality who can put up with Sherlock Holmes while retaining his sense of self, because they think so differently. And he is that unique personality Holmes can put up with, because they tend to bring out the best in one another without imposing it from without. Each sees the other as the truest version of humanity they have yet found, and that says more about their own characters than they know.
Sexual Preferences/Orientation: John is a fairly average heterosexual male in the modern Western world. He dates women, and he does not feel the need to wait for marriage to engage in sexual activity. As a man nearing middle age, he has had varied experiences with women. However, his recent experiences must also be taken into account. His tenure with Sherlock shows a marked propensity towards homosociality, in the sense that he gets along better with men in a long-term setting, at least at this point in his life. This could have been exacerbated by military life. It could simply be a manifestation of his lingering trauma, or just his personality. Nearly everyone assumes Sherlock and John are gay. Even girlfriends who have evidence of John's heterosexual desires must come to the conclusion that Sherlock is, at least for now, John's mate, with or without sex. I do not think they are in a sexual relationship, nor do I think one is likely given canonical circumstances. I do think that they have a tacit partnership which means that John is more or less resigned to a sort of sexless, homosocial "marriage" because Sherlock is far more important to him than any of the women he's dated. For this reason, John does not so much mind the lost sexual opportunity, nor does he feel a strenuous need to correct mistaken assumptions anymore, partly as it has proven futile. He is not homophobic.
In the city, I can see him having encounters with women should the opportunity arise. I do not see him having casual sex with men, though given their particular bond and the potential conflation of feelings whenever a partnership is so all-encompassing, I can see the city heightening sexual confusion as well. John is not particularly sexually attracted to Sherlock, but his devotion and love are fairly total. I can see the potential for circumstances or some nefarious effects of Bete Noire or its denizens to put John into a situation where these feelings are further muddled and manifest sexually. I'd put him at a 1 on the Kinsey scale, with a dispensation for Sherlock given the correct (and possibly mind-altering) incentives.
Powers: No supernatural abilities. John is trained as a doctor with some military training. He is also a crack shot (when compared to others in his environment, including DIs).
Reason for playing: The thing about John Watson is that I never considered playing him until this series. I've been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I first saw Jeremy Brett when I was 9, and I see a lot of versions. It's been a long time since an adaptation felt both so true and so fresh to me, and has made me feel that someone has finally given Watson equal partnership. The thread of friendship appeals to me, as does John's need for Sherlock which is equal to Sherlock's need for him. The homosocial bond is fascinating, as is the ways in which it stretches and is interpreted. Bete Noire is my home game, and I am already familiar with Ronen's Sherlock. Further, a pan-fandom game like this gives John ample scope to try to find a place for himself: Sherlock will be there, but will it be like it was? Or will John have to seek out alternative forms of support? Will he even need Sherlock, and vice versa? The city could either heighten his depression OR his attraction to danger and risk. It could split him and Sherlock, or bring them closer together, complicating things further. John tends to form loyalties quickly, and does not strongly question actions which protect his loved ones. I can see this, too, becoming even more pronounced as he struggles to remain Sherlock's moral compass as his own begins to falter.
5. Samples
First-Person: Dear Mun thread with Sherlock.
Third-Person: John stared at the blinking cursor. He knew he had to write something. He'd started this blog. He'd helped make Sherlock Holmes nearly a household name. He was the only one who knew the truth. And yet he sat here, watching the vertical line appear and disappear as if mocking him. As if trying to catch it at something. As if, one of these times, it wouldn't come back.
He snapped the laptop shut and got up, turning and walking outside without grabbing a coat. He didn't noticed this until he was a block and a half down the street, though, and his hands started getting cold and his leg started to twinge. He shoved his hands into his pockets and kept walking. None of it mattered. He thought, not for the first time, that what he really needed was to move out of the flat. But it seemed too difficult. He couldn't sleep, wasn't really eating, and he couldn't write. But packing up his things, finding a new place... it reminded him far too much of an idle question he'd asked Stamford. An idle question that had started this whole thing. And he wouldn't have changed that, he wouldn't. He wouldn't take back the past year and a half. But the next... the next was just as bleak and mysterious to him as it had looked back then. The wallpaper was different that was all. The dream changed from gunfire and blood to a bit of plastic pressed to his ear and his own scream ringing as he arrived too late, over and over.
He'd been hoping to get to a bit of London that didn't remind him of... well, anything. And it had worked this time. Funny, he thought. He really didn't observe, did he? None of this looked familiar at all. Sherlock would be--would have been--disappointed. John looked around, interested in his surroundings for the first time in days. And only gradually realizing he had no idea where he was.
Third-Person #2: John had always been popular with the ladies. It wasn't so much a looks thing, though indeed being somewhat unassuming and unthreatening helped. In fact, it helped so much that women tended to let their guard down around him, develop affection for him, and respond well to his attempts to get to know them better. It helped, too, that he was straightforward without being presumptuous. Woman liked that. So yes, John was something of a ladies' man. Or he had been.
Then came the war, and yes of course that was a bit of a dry spell, and then came... Sherlock. And not in the way that he knew everyone was snickering about behind their hands. Sherlock ruined everything. Every date, every relationship, every--Well he wasn't going to ruin this.
Janet was a lovely girl. A lawyer. He thought. Maybe a paralegal. Anyway she was nice and a bit forward and driven and very sexy, and she seemed to like John. Enough to invite him back to her place after their third date, and John was a modern guy. John was also someone whose relationships had been getting shorter and shorter, so it was prudent to, well, strike while the iron was hot, as it were. And conversation had lagged a bit during dinner--John had been thinking about some shavings they'd found at the scene of the Davis murder--so they both seemed relieved to have something to do.
"Something to do" turned out to be a rather violent slam up against the door as soon as it shut, Janet devouring his mouth with hers. Okay. He could go with this. He responded avidly, lips parting, tongue tangling with hers.
"Mmm," he hummed, biting his ear. "I don't think it's true at all, what they say."
"Excuse me?" he gasped, only half listening because her skin under her shirt was very warm and very soft and he was finding it very distracting. "What who says?"
"You know, they," she said, palming his erection through his trousers. "About you and your flatmate." John groaned, not sure if it was the pressure or the same old misperception that was fueling the sound. "Though maybe I'm wrong," she continued, even though he was working his fingers under her bra now to find the clasp. "I have to say, having seen him, the thought of you two together has occurred to me."
"Has it?" he said voice catching because this was ridiculous and the bra was a bit complicated. "Hadn't to me."
She just laughed and tugged at the buttons of her own shirt, so he went for his, and when they were bare from the waist up he paid a great deal of attention to the bits of her that were in no way like Sherlock Holmes. She was rounded where he was flat, graceful curves where he was lines. No similarity whatsoever. "It's all right, John," she chided. "We're all adults here, and you're a doctor. I'm sure you're careful." He rubbed the pad of his thumb over her nipple as it hardened, gentle.
"Adults, yes," he murmured. "God, you're lovely. Just... mmm." He kissed her again, cupping her breast, letting the other press against his chest as he pushed against her. Sherlock was not going to interfere this time, even though it was pretty bloody hilarious he was now intervening in the form of John's girlfriend. How long had it been? Too long, certainly. But he didn't want to push it.
"'Lovely' seems a bit tame," she said, and dropped suddenly to her knees, shoving his trousers down to his ankles and licking up his shaft. Well he had decided she was forward, after all. This was not at all a negative consequences of that. Though he did rather notice the absence of her soft flesh under his hands. Still, hard to argue with her hot mouth teasing around the head of his cock, dark eyes glancing coyly up at him as she took him into her mouth. Ridiculous, really, he thought. To think he'd ever give this up for... for what? A rude flatmate, body parts in the fridge, danger at every turn. Maybe he could have both, though. Janet seemed to think so.
"Not... tame," he panted. "Not at all. Take it back. I do, I mean, not you, I... oh Christ yes." His fingers threaded through her hair, not tugging, just needing something to touch. Something to prove she was there. But it wasn't enough. Or maybe it was too much--he didn't want it over so quickly and it had been awhile. He tugged her up, tasted himself on her tongue when he kissed her again, and urged her into the flat, towards her bedroom. He tripped over his trousers, had to kick them off as well as his shoes, but she was willing and he could touch her as she led him, and she smiled knowingly and laughed and licked her pink lips. And luckily, he thought, she had stopped talking about Sherlock. That was the last thing he needed to be thinking about now, with all of this in front of him.
He pulled her down onto the bed with him, and she took control again, and he didn't mind. It wasn't that he didn't know what he was doing, but he didn't know her all that well, and if she wanted to give him cues, he'd take them. She rolled him over, slipped a condom on, and sank down on him, her head thrown back so he could see mostly the curve of her neck, sighing as she stretched around him, hands splaying on his chest. She knew what she wanted, and she took it. John wasn't sure what he thought about that but his body knew how it felt, and it felt warm and welcomed and tight and ready. He groaned again as she began to move, and he gripped her hips, looking up at her as if afraid he'd forget her face if he took his eyes off of it. She set the pace, and he went along, rolling his hips, hand ducking between them to play with her clit, seeking a rhythm to go with hers. He was concentrating so hard on this that she came before he did, collapsing to the side with a satisfied sigh. And just as she was pushing herself up, a question in her expression, his mobile sounded. A text.
He paused.
"I'd better check that," he said, and he didn't even really have to slip out. He was already softening. He rolled over, grabbing his phone from his trousers on the floor.
Breakthrough on the Davis case. Must be confirmed tonight. Bring a crowbar.
SH
He stared at the screen, trying to find some excuse for not going, for staying here. Janet's hand snaked over his hip, playful--and then stopped.
"You should go," she said, and she sounded tired. Maybe just satisfied, John thought. He hoped. He didn't hope with much assurance.
"Right," he said quietly. It wasn't worth arguing. They both knew he'd go. They both knew, too, that he'd call again, that if they did try to go out again, it would fizzle. There wasn't really any fighting it.
"I thought you were, you know... I thought something was going on," she called as he turned to say goodbye and thank you. "I thought it was cute. I didn't think you were married."
"I'm not gay," he said, tired of the protestation he nevertheless still perfectly believed in.
"Doesn't much matter, does it?" she said.
No, it didn't really.
