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anarionTitle: Man errs, till he has ceased to strive.
Words: 221
Rating: PG-13
Pairings : Sherlock/John
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: ‘365 days of 221Bs’ challenge: a prompt a day, given by
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atlinmerrick.Previous 221b: Lessons learned
Today's prompt: the kitten's name
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Man errs, till he has ceased to strive.
“Did you ever name anything?”
“I named my cat.”
“You had a cat?”
“Obviously, since I named him.”
“What did you call him?”
“I called him ‘cat’.”
John opened his mouth but Sherlock beat him.
“I was three years old. I named him ‘Mephistophilis’ when I was six.”
“Mephistophilis?”
“It’s a name from a German legend. Goethe wrote a tragic play about it. It’s about a man called Faust who gives his soul to the devil – Mephistophilis. My great-great-aunt Anna read it to me.”
“Your aunt read you a tragic play written by some German author when you were six?”
“Five, actually. Why, what did your parents read to you?”
“Not tragic plays by German authors. And before you ask: No other tragic plays either. So why did you name him Mephistophilis?”
“People kept saying that I had no soul because I never cried or laughed. And that I was a devil’s child because I knew too much. Faust gave his soul away for knowledge, amongst other things. I thought if I was Faust, he could be Mephistophilis.”
Sherlock turned back to his laptop and John let him.
He wondered how some people could still not see Sherlock's soul when he was willing to remember all that pain just to not delete a kitten called Mephistophilis. They really must be blind.
Next 221b: Ronda
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AN:
Today's prompt was 'the kitten's name' and refered to The Cat Is Out Of The Bag where Sherlock got his kitty.
Title is -of course- a quote from 'Faust', Goethe's tragic play.
Everybody! My dear friend
arianedevere wrote a story for the book that was published to raise funds to help save Undershaw, Arthur Conan Doyle’s former home, from redevelopment. There’s a vote on the Save Undershaw website for people to indicate their favourite story. Hers is Distraction. Go read and then vote for her here!!!.
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Date: 2012-07-04 06:48 pm (UTC)(Already voted and you know what? Since the stories that are number 1 and 2 currently only have 321b words together, I think they should let both win. Just saying.)
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Date: 2012-07-04 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-04 07:23 pm (UTC)Oooh, it's going to be philosophical and intellectual.
*reads the prompt*
Or not.
“I called him ‘cat’.”
Well, it's straight and logical, it suits Sherlock. (Hey, don't misquote me, I didn't say Sherlock was straight! God forbid.)
“People kept saying that I had no soul because I never cried or laughed. And that I was a devil’s child because I knew too much. Faust gave his soul away for knowledge, amongst other things. I thought if I was Faust, he could be Mephistophilis.”
Oh dear. It was funny and light, and now... It's not anymore. Poor child. You can sense so much grief hidden behind Sherlock's casual words... Hug him right now, John! Change this "hurt without comfort" for a "hurt and comfort" one! But I love your "sophisticated title is sophisticated" tag. :D
Pst! In your post to
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Date: 2012-07-04 07:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-04 08:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-04 09:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-06 05:50 am (UTC)This is heart-hurtingly beautiful.
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Date: 2012-07-06 03:32 pm (UTC)Lovely story is lovely and sophisticated title is indeed sophisticated :)
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Date: 2012-07-08 11:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-07-11 04:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-08-12 04:38 pm (UTC)