bakerstreet | The Meet And Greet Meme For Characters

The Meet And Greet Meme For Characters

The Meet and Greet Meme
For Characters
This is the IC version of the The Role Call Meme

[The Rules]

1. Find the thread for the canons/fandoms of your character. If you don't see one, make one!

2. Post with all of your character accounts. Yes, all of them. Throwing in your entire musebox is totally fine in this meme. (Please write down the name and canon/fandom of the character in the subject line, and also if they're canon, AU, crossover or OC, etc.)

3. AU characters are totally OK. Crossover/fusion characters may post at all the fandoms/canons their crossover/fusion is derived from. Fandom OCs may post at their fandom/canon's thread. Original Story/Universe OCs will have their own thread.

4. Tag around all over the place - Canonmates, non-canonmates, everything is OK!

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"Not precisely ... but it shall do for now." One corner of his mouth twitched again.

He swirled the drink in his hand, giving the man his fair due. He was very, very good at being casual. He wasn't sure of the relationship, but there was one. Mycroft would play along, it was a party after all and he was supposed to 'try and have fun'.

"So what do you do, Mr. Adler? Something boring and predictable?"

He would not flinch at that suppressed smile, anticipating the blow only brought more. Aware of what, or rather who he was dealing with, he also knew when he was being played with. Unfortunately, revealing what he did would tip that card, but anyone with access to a search engine could find him, provided they spelled Aodhagán correctly.

"I like to think so," head tilting at the temporary allowed escape. They would come back to Irene, of that he was certain. "I am a psychologist with a specialty in counseling." Immediately distracting and diffusing, "But not taking appointments with household or farmyard pets. And yourself?"

Edited 2014-05-08 20:00 (UTC)

Mycroft tutted softly, as he brought his drink up to his lips again. He swallowed, then spoke smoothly, his expression carefully neutral and charming. He could do this better than you, Aodhagan. He did it in his sleep.
"Would you really call the study of human behavior boring, Mr. Adler? Tsk. It is perhaps the most fascinating field of science there is."

He waved his hand, "A minor position in Government, not anything as interesting as the mind, of people, not of animals."

Minor? Would bet his inheritance that wasn't true, not when Irene was gloating that she finally had his attention. She didn't play with minor officials, not for the last five years prior to faking her own death [the first time].

Neatly avoiding answering, as the same time it appeared he did, "It depends on the person, does it not? Mrs. Waddles was quite dull. I believe her dog was the more interesting of the pair."

What he was confronted with was notable, however it appeared Aodhagán was being read as well, a fact that doubled his curiosity and attraction to the subject at hand at the same time he knew he ought to excuse himself.

Interesting deflection - which might indicate that his business with psychology might simply be another cover. Or he really did not want to speak about his work either. Why would he be interested in a minor government official? Well, only if a close relation told him he was into something else.

"Well, he probably would have been a much more fascinating conversationalist, at any rate." He smirked, faintly, before giving him a more piercing look, "So tell me, what is your specialty, or do you not talk shop at parties?"

Aodhagán flashed a grin over an imagined conversation with a rat dog, showing that he had a sense of humor, before quickly sobering under that eagle's gaze.

"Counseling as I said. My great-grandfather set up and developed Adlerian Psychology. It involves taking into account the patient's whole environment, including the people the patient associates with." Speaking of work was not the problem, discussing individuals was.

Rat dogs are fascinating conversationalists, once you get past the rather grating tone of voice. He was pleased, silently, that he got that grin. It was a rather charming one. Genetic, most likely.

"I see ... an interesting field of study. How far have you progressed on his work? Any breakthroughs?"

"I am disappointed in how many people wish to be told what to do so that they can rebel and then tell me that nothing is working," a shoulder shrugs easily in the slim tailored wool jacket. "Once those weeks are wasted, then usually we can move on to something more productive. But you mean new theories to further the practice. That's actually the point of Grandfather Alfred's philosophy, there is no one size fits all." Aodhagán rubbed the side of his head, which only encouraged waves to relax. "Everyone is different. Common sense really. A breakthrough would be finding that we are all the same," humor rumbling in the tenor.

That was a very nice jacket. The tailor was excellent, and it suited his lines perfectly. Mycroft wondered idly if Aodhagan used his body as a weapon as his sister used hers, and decided yes. He was probably fairly good at it.

He chuffed a quiet noise of amusement, "Well, I know that is statistically impossible ... but I find that fascinating. So what makes up a stable environment, for an individual to grow with ... little to no emotional scars?"

Call it professional curiosity. Or personal. Either way, he was interested to hear the answer from this man's opinion. Effacing, almost modest. Humorous. Very unlike Ms. Adler. Which might make him more like her ... able to shed masks easily. Hm.

"There are Five Basic Mistakes as defined by Harold Mosak: Overgeneralizations, False or Impossible Goals, Misperceptions of Life and Life's Demands, Denial of One's Basic Worth, and Faulty Values. Avoid those and your children should be fine, Mister Holmes," Aodhagán grinned. The joke was that answering the question in such a way was an overgeneralization that provided no real information.

"Are you usually interested in getting inside people's minds?"

"Well, thank goodness I have no hypothetical children to make sure I am not turning into tiny murderers." Mycroft murmured, but he did note all of those. How interesting that this man's sister - he was sure of it now - didn't follow any of these. "And do not think I missed how much of a generalization that was, Mr. Adler."

One corner of his mouth lifted. "Oh yes. Constantly."

A rolling chuckle caused Aodhagán shoulders to shake, genuinely amused. No wonder Irene had such contrary feeling towards this man. Counting coup would have been very difficult. Looked like she had gone through the wringer after that meeting too.

"No children, no Missus," doing his own bit of deduction. "You obviously belong and feel significant. What is it that give you your individual happiness? This minor position that you downplay neatly? Or is it something outside of that, where you have this societal outreach and validation?"

Ah, and that was a lovely laugh as well. Mark it, the Adlers were born to charm. They did know what people liked. Which was why Mycroft's cool blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully, but he gave a quiet smile.

"No, and No." He nodded, sipping his drink, before he looked around, "Well, being the smartest person in the room always has its perks."

"And modest as well," rays extending from the corners of his oceanic blue eyes as he smiled.

No, he didn't miss the sidestep to the question. Nor the implication of what he was playing with. Aodhagán never said he was overly brilliant, he most definitely knew when he was in over his head, and at the moment he was proceeding cautiously.

"It appears that being the most intelligent also has its disadvantages." Old enough to have several children, perhaps multiple spouses, on the edge of having grandchildren. Not everyone was motivated or suited to having a family.

"Modesty has it's place. So does the truth." What an interesting shade of blue. He could recall a half a dozen paintings with that exact shade of blue.

He watched as Aodhagan lightly stepped and danced around his statement, moving to other questions, and other directions to probe again in the direction he wanted the conversation to go.

So, Mycroft gave him a little, "If you are stating that my intelligence makes me lonely, I suppose that is true. Still, there are worse things."

"There are always worse things, just as there are better," agreeably. "However, I pass no judgement about your state. Being troglodytic and being forlorn without companions are two very different states." Aodhagán made a vague gesture which included the attendants at the party as well as what might be outside of it, "Watching you move through the room and the number of people who wish to speak to you despite their hesitations to do so, you are not in solitude, no man on the mountain, yet they are no close acquaintances either. The leaves us with friendless, however, as you are a pleasant conversationalist and well read, I can only guess that your state is chosen and not an accident of nature."

And that was curious.

Mycroft lifted his glass in silent salute - that was a fine piece of deductive logic. Not hard for a trained psychologist, but there was something more interesting to that statement. He sipped his drink again, before quietly speaking.

"Why Mr. Adler, just how long have you been watching me this evening?"

"Not long enough," surprising himself with how blunt that sounded.

Or too long given that statement. The reminders to be cautious had not been heeded by his tongue. Took a long slow inhale and was able to stop himself from adding, 'Circle the room a few more times, if you like. I'll let you know when I am done'.

Recovering neatly, "Just a first impression. Further study tends to yield better results."

Amusing sparked through those cool blue eyes. Well, look at that. The man could be bashful, modest, even retiring. Put something in front of him that he might want and he became quite forward. In a good way.

He gave him a considering look, as he tried to parse what Aodhagan wished to find out about with his flirtations.

"Such a pity you will only be able to discern your data from one evening meeting."

"That is a shame. Tch, good thing I do some of my best work under tight deadlines."

For the sake of pretending that he doesn't know who Mycroft Holmes is - that and there is Irene's advice, 'Always leave them wanting more, but drugged to the gills, or so sated they can't move,' neither of which he's prepared to do, except for the leaving Mycroft wanting more - Aodhagán slipped his card out of his pocket and handed it to the man as he met his gaze, still smiling offering a slight bow.

Aodhagán Adler
Doctor of Psychology, Counselor
Private Practice

With his phone number below.

Keeping his voice free of stress, especially as he was taunting the very Dragon of London, "Should you desire further dialog, or are willing to adjust your availability, I would be happy to continue my assessment."

Edited 2014-05-12 04:59 (UTC)

"Well, I do like to see people work to their best potential to get what they want..."

Mycroft murmured, as he took the card and gave it a cursory glance. He memorized the scant information, including the telephone number, before he tucked it into his breast pocket of his tuxedo.

Then he looked up at Aodhagen, before speaking simply, "Of course, I could never see you professionally, so I suppose I am to be something of a case study? Sort of a base line for your studies of ...what is normal, and what is not?"

Testing, always testing.

Baseline? Baseline for what? The next One Percent Difference? Or, more accurately, the Five Percent Difference. Aodhagán had already been warned that neither of the Holmes were 'normal', Irene had used the word hyper-intelligent. Although she would have found that useful, she was much more interested in power and what she could use it for, persuade it to do for her. Perhaps with them she was finally beginning to branch out?

"As you wish," keeping nonchalance as his foundation. "I do not believe you would put yourself under a microscope to be dissected. Rather, I expect that you might seek a second opinion on a troubling internal matter." Another double entendre.

Say what you wish. Justify it however you desire. You were the one wishing to cut this interview short.

Irene had played her games with Aodhagán too, after all, older siblings always seem to torture the younger ones, just as the younger ones learn to poke back. His sister's games were not typical however, as she was often left in charge and he was admonished to do whatever she said, that gave everything a new twisted dynamic. It was a joke that people went into psychiatry in order to diagnose their own problems, and jokes always have an uncomfortable grain of truth.

Well, Mycroft thought more along the lines of 'see just how normal everyone else was next to a Holmes', and really, he had been joking. Ah well, sometimes his humor was too dry for even the most intelligent of minds to grasp. As for his sister, she found his power quite attractive - but it was Sherlock's mind that was the greater draw. She liked the raw potential to manipulate, Mycroft had always thought.

Ah, now there was a rather clever joke. Mycroft's lips curved up at the corners, before he leaned in, just slightly, "And just out of curiosity, mere ... speculative curiosity ... what sort of trouble, internal matter would you like to offer your second opinion on?" He paused, tapping his finger to his lips. "And ... what is said opinion?"

Mycroft know what it was to have an annoying younger sibling, and that to keep them in check sometimes you had to be cruel to be kind. Or sometimes you had to be cruel because they were annoying the life out of you. He would have had to wonder how Aodhagen annoyed Irene so much that she would use him in her games ... and what games he had learned to play.

Aodhagán had heard the self-depreciating/comparative joke, but as he was unwilling to put himself in the monkey category, that opened up a whole different level of consideration as well as again confirming that he was playing with something rather dangerous.

"Two very good questions, Mister Holmes." Both of which require you to make some deductions about me. "I greatly admire a man who offers to first test his creativity." Not answering either question.

Between secretaries at the moment, as in years between because Irene had taken the last one for herself, Mycroft would end up leaving a message. Or stalking him, that he could see too.

"In the meantime, it was a pleasure to -" finally "- meet you."

Well yes, Aodhaegan, but that was half the fun, wasn't it? Mycroft had to admit that was why he lingered in the conversation as long as he had. Something rather dangerous, to play with.

"I see. Well, then I suppose if I decide to contact you at this number... I can leave you the answer to both of those questions." He tutted softly. "Dear me, you are quite a bit of work, aren't you?"

Both would happen, Aodhaegan. Just so you know.

"The pleasure is mutual, Dr. Adler. A good evening to you .... avoid rather bosterious women with small dogs and I shouldn't need to save you again, hm?" He smiled, blue eyes gleaming, before he peeled himself away.

(no subject)

aodhagan - 2014-05-12 19:00 (UTC) - Expand

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