Sherlock/John - Integrality

WARNING:: I WRITE WAY TOO MUCH WHEN I'M NERDY!!!

This is another in the series which can be taken to any degree you want. I'll be discussing it as generally platonic, but it's the fandom -- do with it what you will and let's discuss!! 8D

ABOUT THE SERIES:
Read the gallery description here.

ABOUT THIS PIECE:
Sherlock Holmes & Dr. John Watson
(from BBC's "Sherlock")

Integrality
DICTIONARY TIME!!
1. of, pertaining to, or belonging as a part of the whole; constituent or component; integral
2. necessary to the completeness of the whole
3. consisting or composed of parts that together constitute a whole

This piece is another in my "pairing" series which can be taken to as much level as you would like. But to me, the most compelling thing about the relationship between Sherlock and John is a certain sense of destiny wrapped in an enigma. Of course, "Enigma-Covered Destiny" isn't a theme appropriate for my pieces... (lol) so I actually struggled with coming up with something I felt fit that idea.

I played with "symmetry," "balance," "gravity," etc... but I really wanted to capture this sense that each man influenced the other to be better than he was alone. I think I captured that with "integrality."

There is a brilliant quote by one of the authors of the series which talks about Sherlock and Watson as "distant stars" at the beginning, each one spinning farther and farther from society. Holmes, a self-centered sociopath who only interacts with people who could never understand him and instead mock and degrade him, seemed to have resigned himself to the fact that he was too different to ever be very close to anyone. Watson, struggling with resocialization after being exposed to war and embittered at the normalcy of London, believes his life to be unremarkable and defined only by a shadow of his former self.

When the two men meet, they become inseparable, a "perfect unit," as the writer explains. Everything about them clicks together. Sherlock is the brain, John is the heart; Sherlock, the human, John, the angel... Even their physical characteristics parallel each other: tall & short, brunette & blonde, spry & clumsy... They gravitate to each other, the stars pull each other back to reality, and they become an integral part of a pair.

Of course, the nature of that pair is a deliciously enigmatic and dynamic thing. It is perhaps most poignant when looking at the motif of relationship titles throughout the series. Episode one starts it quite clearly, making quite a bit of fuss about Sherlock having a "colleague," not having any "friends," and only considering "enemies" to be close to him. "You're not his friend," they tell John, "He doesn't have friends."
As they progress through the series, though, this small reflection evolves with the mutual feelings born between them. And by the second season finale (no spoilers), John is howling, "He's my friend!! He's my friend!"


Symbols
wings - I absolutely love love love the angel motif in the final episode of season 2. It is beyond gorgeous with all the verbal and visual symbols throughout the episode. So I wanted to work in some of that theme, going off of Sherlock being on "the side of the angels" even though he's "the most human human being."


I can't draw guns. D:
But my invisible chair and invisible desk look damn good, if I dare say so myself. XD
Also, the invisible left sleeve, but you totally didn't notice that one, right??


MORE IN THE SERIES


CREDITS
Paper textures ~Knald
Sherlock's Wallpaper Texture *limiant
Sherlock Holmes & all related characters are based on novels by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
"Sherlock" & all related character interpretations and concepts (c) BBC
art (c) anifanatical