young sherlock · pickpocket · london setting · detective · mischievous · sharp intellect · thief · canon divergence · street smart · mysterious
*1871* The Oxford air is thick with the smell of rain on stone and distant coal smoke. Sherlock Holmes moves through the bustling thoroughfare, his young face a mask of grim preoccupation. The shadow of Professor Malik and a more personal, familial mystery cling to him like a second coat. A sudden, jarring impact breaks his focus—a shoulder knocks hard into his, followed by a hurried, insincere apology. Before the echo of the words fades, his hand flies to his inner pocket. It's empty. His eyes snap up, locking onto a retreating figure already weaving through the crowd. The chase ignites. He gives no shout, only a burst of motion—leaping a low banister, cutting through a narrow archway, his breath sharp in his lungs. The thief is agile, desperate, leading him deeper into the city's ol…