i watched the great mouse detective recently and it was AWEESOME!!!! i'm overdue for making fanart so have some quick doodles of my favorite characters!!!
Basil of Baker Street from The Great Mouse Detective based Girlflux, Graysexual, Fictosexual, and Fictoromantic flags! ^^
For @groovyfluxie c: Hope you like these!
This is the rough draft for chapter one for my TGMD fanfic "Eight years and nothing has changed". This chapter is not finished yet and will have another rewrite or two. I hope to have the full chapter out in a week or so.
I am posting the fanfic here to get a feel of how this will look on mobile. I have not actively written fanfiction since my drarry days back in my late teens. Do people still post their rough drafts to tumblr than their final drafts to FF.net/Ao3? That used to be semi common back in the day, at least with the writers I followed.
General notes and the fic summary will be under the read more.
General notes: This fanfiction was inspired by some of my nieces headcanons, this episode from Bones https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0529894/ , and my love for single dad AUS.
Basic summary:
Eight years ago Basil's life was flipped upside down. One day he was working on a dream case along side his lover and the next he was thrown into single fatherhood after the sudden passing of his sister and her husband.
In the end gaining custody of his niece changed Basil's life for the better.
But now after eight peaceful years demons of the past are forcing their way back in. How will Basil react to working with his ex lover? Will he be able to protect Olivia from forces that killed her parents?
~~~
Chapter one: The offer
The chill of November settles into the ancient streets of London like an unwelcome guest. One day it is a perfectly pleasing day for long walks or eating lunch outside, and the next day it is a downpour with wind that strikes your bones. No matter what crack or hole a mouse hides away in the frigid change of weather will find them.
Parents across the urban and surely the nearby rural landscapes bundle up their children in jackets, scarfs and mittens. The famous detective of Baker Street is no different, this morning he ensured his niece was perfectly prepared for a very windy fall day. Brand new mittens that match her signature massive crimson bow, almost as if the two items were made as a set. Only once he was positive that she would be safe that he set her off to school.
“If the wind is to strong this afternoon to walk home safely what do we do?” The detective asks as he gathers packages and envelopes from the mailbox.
“I go to Oxford street station and take the pipe cart home. I know what to do uncle, you worry too much.” The little girl looks up and down the sidewalk as she answers her uncle. Once she spots a group of girls in similar outfits she waves goodbye and rushes to join them.
“I do not worry too much.” The older mouse says under his breath with a small chuckle.
He waits by the front door until the group of girls are out of sight. Only once a strong gust of hits the older mouse does he retreat inside. The packages are left by the front door to be looked at on a later time. From past experience the only items of interest that come in the mail for his work come in envelopes. The three envelopes that arrived in the mail are set one by one on the detective’s desk.
Now, does the same amount of love and care the directive showed to his niece earlier this morning transfer over to himself? No, not in the slightest. The fireplace within his office doesn’t even have a single flame within it. His favorite mulberry colored robe is made of thin cotton, perfect for the summer months he adores but horrible for the current season. The cold has yet to bother him enough to bundle up more. In truth, the endless chill is helping him focus on his work.
The first envelope is a light pink and addresses him simply as ‘Basil’, he doesn’t even have to look at the sender to know who it is from. His beloved childhood best friend Catherine, who is more commonly known by the public as Ms. Kitty, has used this envelope for countless years now. For now he can set her letter to the side, if she needed him immediately she would call by now.
The second envelope has a royal seal on it and addresses him in a proper formal manner. Basil lazily picks it up as if it is any average and possibly ignorable request for detective work. Years ago he would have been honored, ecstatic even to receive such a high ranking request, but those years have passed by. After his solved cases had been reported on more times than he cares to count Basil has grown pickier on the cases he takes on.
Before Basil has a chance to read the letter he hears a knock at the door. He sets the letter down on the desk, lingering long enough to give the house maid Mrs. Judson a chance to answer the door. Interpersonal skills such as small talk and answering doors have never once been a strong point of Basil. Unfortunately for Basil, a second knock can be heard and he knows that he must be the one to answer.
“Yes, yes, coming” Basil grumbles under his breath as he starts walking out his office.
Sometimes he truly hates how far away his office is from the front door. The office is hidden away at the very back of his family's burrow. All four of the bedrooms, two baths, living room and kitchen all come before it. Maybe his niece Olivia is correct in her suggestion of moving his office to where the guest room is currently set up.
Basil briefly stops to check his appearance in the mirror right by the front door. It is important to himself as a mouse but also for his work to always look presentable. A stained shirt or fur messy and out of place could turn off a possible client. Only once he fixes his head fur does Basil open the door.
“Hello, this is Basil on Baker Street, how can I hel- Doctor Dawson? Is that you?” A rare and genuine smile spreads across the mouse’s face at the sight of the older mouse in front of him.
“It has been a long time Mr. Basil.” The doctor chuckles softly. “May I come in?”
“Of course, of course, please make yourself at home.” Basil steps out of the way so Dawson can come inside and far away from the chilly fall winds.
By sheer habit Basil makes several mental notes about Dawson’s appearance. The doctor has gained some weight since the last time Basil saw him nearly three years ago. His clothing is rough with small rips and stitches along the edges. The briefcase in his left hand is worn down from years of travel and covered in travel patches. He also notices slight bags under the doctor’s large brown eyes. Despite all of this Dawson still feels like the gentle and kind soul he always has been.
“I am afraid you missed Olivia, she left for school a little over an hour ago. If I had known you were coming by I would have had her stay home.” Basil walks over the living room fireplace and adds an additional log to the flames. While he might not currently mind the chill Dawson might not feel the same.
“Oh…That is quite alright. I just got back from India this morning. The energy of a curious eight year old doesn’t sound enjoyable yet. She is eight now, yes?” Dawson inquires as he settles into one of the arm chairs right in front of the fire.
“Yes, she turned eight last month.” Basil sits down in the matching armchair across from Dawson.
While Dawson muses on how much time as passed Basil reaches under his chair to grab one his many notepads and pens. While Dawson has said why he is here yet Basil as a good idea it is work related. By the time he as the pen ready to take notes Dawson is digging around in his briefcase for something. Like always his intuition is spot on or that he can guess the habits of his favorite college professor correctly.
“Have you received this letter?” Dawson holds up letter from the royal guard that is identical to the one Basil was about to read just a few minutes ago.
“I have. I have not read the contents yet. This must be a very important task if you are here to discuss the contents.” Basil raises an eyebrow at Dawson sudden frown. “What is wrong Dawson?”
The doctor doesn’t reply right away. His chestnut eyes glances from the letter to Basil. His whole body stiffens as if he is in fear. It takes a long deep breath for Dawson to collect himself long enough to pull out larger thickly stuffed envelope. His mouth briefly opens only to snap shut in hesitation. It takes Basil leaning forward to get the conversation on track.
“Oh…I was hoping I wouldn’t have to be the one to explain this request to you.” Dawson passes the envelope to Basil for him to look over.
“The Queen herself is requesting your aid with ongoing case. High ranking performers of the English, French and Spanish courts have been going missing. No one knows what has happen to them, it is like they have disappeared into thin air.” Basil nods along to Dawson explanation while looking over photos from the envelope.
None of the photos are anything special or of note to Basil, at least not yet. The first few photos are of theater back stages and gathering halls. Then there are a few photos of actors who are most likely missing or are targets from Dawson explanation of the case thus far. The detective only comes to a pause at the sight of a rat appearing to help a group of royal guards understand something. In the middle of the group is a particularly large rat that Basil knows to well.
The sight of this rat after so many years makes Basil stomach twist into endless knots.
“There are many highly intelligent and talent individuals working on this case Basil. You will meet many new connections that will benefit both yourself and Olivia. I- oh…You are at that photo.” Dawson trails off as he stares at Basil’s blank stare.
It terrifies the doctor that he is unable to read the detective’s emotions. For better or worse Basil has never once had a poker face and wears his true feelings on his sleeve. Carefully Dawson closes his briefcase to use as a hand rest. It takes a solid minute for Basil to break out of his state of shock.
“Ratig- Professor Ratigan will be on this case?” Basil manages to hide the sadden shake within his voice by masking it with disgust.
“He already is, the head of the royal guard contacted him first in the hopes of his knowledge of theater could shade light on the disappearances. Something about old trap doors and such.”
