Assistance Requested

[3potionproblem]

In the interest of an unbiased study into muggle behaviors and cultural discrepancies, I require a ^muggleborn female student to associate with me or at the very least permit me to engage in observational behavior including but not limited to tailing, watching from the shadows, and keeping close records on all activities, correspondence, and so on. Do not waste my time if you are already well aware that you are annoying and generally distasteful.

Please respond to this message with your interest. I will select the best candidate once all volunteers have come forward.

-SH

Comments

[3potionproblem]

Assumptions are the basis of my entire thought process. Though it's really not a fair term. I make deductions.

[3houseswatson]

Well, your deductions might need a little polishing, since I still fail to see why you'd think my only problem with your incredibly shady-sounding voyeur project is your blood status.

[3potionproblem]

Not your only problem but a large influence. Considering I specified muggle women as my choice and the overwhelming amount of people who decided to term that behavior stalking, you're instinct to protect the fairer sex from the ethically uncertain scientific practices of an unknown wizard proves you to be a man of moral character. You don't know me, you don't know my intentions, but you do know that--if what you read is as bad as it can be interpreted--you will have to become involved. That is why you made your comment: a non-confrontational method of declaring your disapproval and required but undesired involvement should I be less than moral. Given the climate of prejudice in the recent past, a muggle man is much more likely to feel himself called into action on behalf of hypothetical muggle women. And a muggle man who is so quick to become protective is one used to pureblood prejudice against him and thus interprets events and interactions through that bias.

[3houseswatson]

[There are a few inkblots. Sherlock hit a raw spot with that last sentence, and John tries to force his hand from acting up.]

That's... really impressive, actually. Aside from a couple of things.

[3potionproblem]

[.... Sherlock doesn't know what to write for a minute. He might be blushing up in his room.]

I'm still adapting the technique. Once I've done more muggle studies, I'll be better able to extract detailed information.

What did I get wrong?

[3houseswatson]

I don't know why you kept calling us Muggleborns "Muggles". If we were, we wouldn't even know this school existed in the first place. It's that kind of thinking that keeps blood purists thinking we don't actually count as witches and wizards.

[3potionproblem]

It's a cultural distinction. Even halfbloods can still be muggles if they were raised in the muggle world as far as my purposes extend. Rather like a squib is not a muggle despite not having magical abilities. They're still culturally a wizard.

[3houseswatson]

That's a fair enough distinction, I suppose, even if I still don't agree with your terminology.

What exactly are your purposes?

[3potionproblem]

Current distinctions in blood are useless. Blood means nothing. A muggle born wizard can have abilities surpassing a pureblood's. What matters is how one interprets and interacts with the world. And right now, there are two words: the world of muggles and the world of wizards. I want to be able to walk between them both without standing out. I want to possess a muggle identity that is capable of blending in without fault.

[3houseswatson]

Did you ever consider actually, y'know, befriending Muggleborns instead of just observing us like we're weird lizards in a zoo? That way you could just ask about that kind of stuff instead of watching from the shadows. Maybe even visit their homes during the holidays. I guarantee people don't act naturally when they know or even suspect that someone's watching them.

[3potionproblem]

I only bothered to consider that which was likely and achievable.

[3houseswatson]

Refusing to even consider certain options because they're tough isn't terribly scientific.

[3potionproblem]

Sixteen years of research on the subject has proven friendship impossible--not tough. Observation is the better form of research anyway. Becoming involved compromises the study.

[3houseswatson]

If you're always saying things like you did at the start of this entry, I can see how you'd reach that conclusion.

Still, I've known some pretty big gits challenging people who managed to have friends. Don't see what makes you so different in that regard.

[3potionproblem]

I'm a sociopath.

[3houseswatson]

Oh, pull the other one.

[3potionproblem]

You don't believe me? Why?

[3houseswatson]

There are a couple reasons. First being, has anyone ever actually diagnosed you as such?

[3potionproblem]

Yes.

[No. But it sounds better than Aspergers and gets a similar enough point across.]

[3houseswatson]

Huh. Well, that's me told, I suppose.

Sociopaths aren't actually interested in others even if they pretend to be, and your whole Muggleborn fixation thing seemed like genuine - albeit kind of creepy - curiosity.

[3potionproblem]

[Well, shit... someone's smarter than he first suspected in an interesting field for someone at Hogwarts....]

Why the interest in psychology?

[3houseswatson]

[A serious twinge shoots up John's leg, severe enough that he needs to shut his eyes and breathe deeply for a moment. Frustrated, he uses extra pressure when he writes.]

I want to be a Healer or a doctor someday. You need to know that kind of stuff. That's all.

[3potionproblem]

What do you suffer from?

[Because he knows what that change in handwriting dictates.]

[3houseswatson]

[Oh no, not this subject.]

Just a bad leg and sometimes a wonky hand.

[3potionproblem]

Psychosomatic? Tourettes? Can't be completely physical or you wouldn't have looked into psychological dysfunction.