For Sherlock of some flavor or another

[tofightinjustice]

There's a heavy bag hung up on one of the trees at the edge of the Milliways forest. It's a little off the beaten path, which is nice, and Bryce finds that working in the cool not-Scottish air is a lot less dehydrating than working in the California sun.

For her size (she's middling tall but not very bulky), she's giving the bag a fairly thorough beating.

Comments

[tofightinjustice]

"Sounds like a fun guy."

[sicaria]

"He is, actually. He's brilliant; I love him. But I have no illusions about the kind of damage he could do if I brought him here."

[tofightinjustice]

"I see."

[sicaria]

"There's an alternate of him around here, but he's much more benign. You might have met him—Jim Moriarty."

[tofightinjustice]

"No. I'll keep an ear out for the name."

[sicaria]

"I like him, too. And he follows the rules of the bar, which mine wouldn't."

[tofightinjustice]

"They're not much, as rules go," she comments absently.

[sicaria]

"No," she agrees.

"But my Jim would probably see if he could break all three at once, just for something to do."

[tofightinjustice]

. . . Bryce frowns and tries to figure out how one could do that.

[sicaria]

"Combining sex and violence is easy; it's the third one that's tricky, because it's so open to interpretation."

Although she can see an obvious solution or two.

[tofightinjustice]

". . . Well, if you're the only person he knows in the bar, it would have to involve you."

This is logic!

[sicaria]

She blushes.

[tofightinjustice]

--Bryce looks startled.

"I'm sorry, I -- didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

[sicaria]

Sherlock laughs.

"It's fine, I promise."

[tofightinjustice]

Given Bryce's seriousness up until her now, her sudden awkwardness is kind of incongruous.

"Okay," uncertainly.

[sicaria]

"Really. I was surprised, that's all."

[tofightinjustice]

"You blushed."

[sicaria]

"Yes, but not uncomfortably."

[tofightinjustice]

". . . Okay."

How does one tell the difference?

[sicaria]

Well, Bryce could always ask... not that Sherlock is looking forward to explaining, but she'd try.

[tofightinjustice]

After a moment, hesitantly: "What's the difference between an uncomfortable blush and a surprised blush?"

[sicaria]

"I'm not sure I can describe it in a way that's externally meaningful," she muses.

"In either case I don't think the blush itself is a reaction to being either uncomfortable or surprised; the distinction rests on other factors."

[tofightinjustice]

She nods.

"I suppose that makes sense."

[sicaria]

Wryly: "In this particular case I was blushing because I wouldn't entirely mind if Jim were to enlist me in such a scheme."

[tofightinjustice]

"--Oh."

Bryce plays through that scene in her head again.



Now she looks a little pink.