Agreement and Disputation
is a Sherlock Holmes fanfic by KCS.
Sherlock Holmes decides to keep a journal about the daily difficulties of being the world's only consulting detective, the state of London, and the mysterious progression of his relationship with his fellow lodger, John Watson.
This fanfic includes examples of the following tropes:
- Analogy Backfire: Holmes expresses doubt about whether Shakespeare's comparison of his loved one to a summer's day quite works as a compliment, given the unpleasantness of the stifling heat.
- Apron Matron: Holmes mentions Mrs. Hudson's formidability on more than one occasion, at one point suggesting she would be able to throw him out on his ear if she chose. Despite his stubbornness and experience with dangerous criminals, even the detective finds her somewhat daunting.
- Beware of Vicious Dog: Watson leaves Baker Street early in the morning due to being the closest doctor to the scene of a carriage accident. When Holmes asks how they found him without a signboard, Watson answers that he treated the policeman currently on duty after an alley dog attacked him.
- The Bore: Namedropped; when Watson walks in on Holmes trying to reassemble a skeleton, the detective mentions that he didn't learn much in anatomy class because the instructor, Ezekiel Anderson, was so dull. Watson mentions seeing him lecturing recently; the doctor mentions toying with the idea of poking him to see if he would change his expression and pities his unfortunate students.
- Darkness Equals Death: Watson casually mentions that he can't identify the opium den he entered to find a patient, because they all look the same at night. Holmes feels utter shock at the revelation that his gentlemanly fellow lodger willingly took on such a dangerous task and emerged unscathed.
- Death Notification: A policeman pulls Watson out of the house early due to a carriage accident. Unfortunately, the victim dies despite Watson's best efforts. The doctor insists on going to inform his widow personally rather than allowing a sleek, disinterested policeman to do the job.
- Dropping the Bombshell: Holmes initially assumes that the very considerate Watson has little idea of the rougher and more vile side of the city. Then, as he's preparing for a case involving an opium den, Watson surprises him by casually mentioning that he's gone into one after someone twice, once in Bombay and once in London, and as a volunteer rather than on orders both times. As most policemen hesitate to venture into such nasty places even on the job, the revelation dumbfounds Holmes.
- Embarrassing Middle Name: Holmes gives up the idea of asking Watson about his middle initial when he remembers he would have to give his own middle name in turn. He never states what it is, only that any court in the land would condemn his parents for giving it to a vulnerable child.
- Epigraph: The story takes its title from a George Eliot quote, placed in the description: "Perhaps the most delightful friendships are those in which there is much agreement, much disputation, and yet more personal liking."
- Nepotism: Holmes describes Mycroft's secretary as having procured the job solely because of his uncle's position in the House of Lords. He takes great pleasure in rattling the fellow.
- Noodle Incident: While detailing his latest client's problem, Holmes mentions a past case wherein he and Gregson apprehended "the Button Street parakeet-napper" during a winter storm.
- Noodle Implements: At one point, Holmes has a nightmare involving Lestrade, a gigantic package of fish and chips, some horrid ducks, and a bank robbery. He refuses to explain how all those pieces fit together.
- Poor Communication Kills:
- Played both for drama and for laughs midway through the fic. The end of the lease is approaching and neither Holmes nor Watson wants to broach the subject. Holmes ultimately deduces from Watson's constant scrimping that he plans to move out and asks him directly when he plans to do so in an effort to get the worst out of the way. He finds out soon thereafter that Watson had been hoping he would not need to move out, and Holmes' question convinced him that it was necessary. Once everything is explained, both of them feel like laughing at the ridiculously foolish reason for the misunderstanding.
- A literal example almost occurs when Holmes leaves a box of toadstools he's been growing as an experiment in the hall for the dustman to take. Assuming that they're normal mushrooms, Mrs. Hudson makes a sauce with them. Luckily, Holmes finds out in time to keep anyone from eating it.
- Rude Hero, Nice Sidekick: While Watson can become ferocious when in a temper, he generally pays more attention to people's feelings and to social niceties than Holmes, who believes anyone who truly needs his genius will have to put up with his blunt manner. The doctor tells him more than once that his lack of politeness and tolerance will frighten off all potential clients, especially refined ones.
- Trip Trap: A variant; Watson trips a trio of petty crooks by tossing his cane into the legs of the foremost, causing him to fall. The others can't adjust in time and in turn trip over him.
- Virtue Is Weakness: At one point, Holmes tells Watson that only determinedly ruthless people accomplish anything in life. Watson retorts that they then usually get themselves killed by exasperating the populace. Later, after seeing Watson donate to a paper seller who lost much of his stock to wind, Holmes notes that it's no wonder he constantly runs short on money, given his softheartedness.
- Wanting Is Better Than Having: Holmes rues complaining so much about his boredom when the next day, Mrs. Hudson makes a sauce with some poisonous mushrooms he forgot to label as such.
- What Is This Feeling?: Holmes remains stubbornly oblivious for much of the story that he's beginning to consider Watson a friend.
- When he climbs the stairs one very steamy night to ascertain the doctor's health, he brushes it off as seeking information about potential need for quarantine and deduces nothing from his legs suddenly deciding to take the steps two at a time. After finding out Watson is short on funds, he muses that he hopes he's not planning to leave, because he'd never find another so admirably suited roommate.
- After Watson politely refuses a dinner invitation, convincing Holmes that he does plan on leaving Baker Street once the lease elapses, he cannot deduce why that troubles him so much.
- When he finally discovers Watson doesn't wish to leave, he denies that his joy and relief come from anything sentimental. He claims he simply doesn't want to acclimate himself to another roommate and would prefer not to receive the full force of the rent in his own pocket.
- When he realizes Watson is late, he denies that he's worried and expresses complete ignorance about why he can't focus on the monograph he's trying to write.
- Halfway through Watson's lecture after the toadstool incident, it dawns on him that he had almost neglected to appear for lunch that day, meaning the doctor would have gotten a major dose of the poison. While he attributes the resulting chill to his nerves, he stops short of admitting concern for Watson.
- When Mycroft explicitly calls Watson his younger brother's newest friend, Holmes flatly denies it.
- You're Insane!: In the middle of a stifling heat wave, Watson reveals that he's walked from Algate rather than taking some form of transportation two days running. Holmes asks him if he's mad.
