Advent Drabble 11 - Tinsel

[earlgreytea68]

Requested by rifleman_lincoln 

“But,” said Oliver, “what is it made of?” He held a piece of tinsel up to just beyond his nose, squinting at it closely.

“Aluminum,” Sherlock said. “Coating polyvinyl chloride. We can look at it under a microscope.”

“Oh! Yes!”

“No,” John said sternly. “Not now. Now is not the science time, now we’re trimming the tree.”

“You know,” Sherlcok continued, “if we could get some vintage tinsel it would be even more instructive.”

“Why?” asked Oliver avidly.

“Because it used to contain lead. It was poisonous.”

Oliver’s eyes lit up.

John gave up on the idea of the tree.

Comments

[rereader]

I literally LOLed at this--it's so exactly right!!!

[brunettepet]

Sherlock and Oliver being so gleeful that tinsel was once toxic made me laugh out loud.

[lessonsinescapology]

Poor John. No normal Christmas for him XD

[rifleman_lincoln]

Thank you so much - that's delightful!

And also educational - I had no idea of the 'properties' of tinsel present or past!

Poor John - although I guess he's used to it by now.

[chocolamousse]

He held a piece of tinsel up to just beyond his nose, squinting at it closely.
Like father, like son.

Now is not the science time, now we’re trimming the tree.
If you listen closely you can hear Sherlock and Oliver inwardly shouting, "ANY TIME IS SCIENCE TIME!"

“Because it used to contain lead. It was poisonous.”
SHERLOCK: Also I remember this woman who strangled his unfaithful husband with tinsel. I'm sure I could find and get it. John, wouldn't it be perfect for our tr—
John (firmly): No.

[earlgreytea68]

Haha, even as I wrote it I was thinking, EVERY TIME IS SCIENCE TIME IF YOU TRY HARD ENOUGH lol

And Sherlock would definitely know about a tinsel murder.

[earlgreytea68]

Neither did I! I totally Googled for the purpose of this drabble lol

[earlgreytea68]

Never. But honestly he wouldn't have it any other way!

[earlgreytea68]

For them this is the true spirit of the holiday lolololol

[earlgreytea68]

Ha! Thank you! :-)

[charisstoma]

My grandmother still had some when I was a preteen. It was more interesting than the shiny light tinsel you could blow on and have it waft up into the air. You could fold it over itself and it stayed that way, heavy, and didn't straighten out by itself or tear too easily.
Grandma came from a time when you saved things, if they were still useful. Learned from living through the depression.
Lead tinsel was interesting!

[rifleman_lincoln]

*grin*

It's true what they say : "you learn something new every day!"

[earlgreytea68]

Ooooh, that sounds fascinating!