#past sherlock/victor

[buckingham-ashtray]

Your Little Pirate Ship.

- A BBC Sherlock fanart by 梨塔寐里

This is one of the most stunning piece of fan arts I've ever laid eyes on, not just because of the absolutely extraordinary techniques and aesthetics but the details and conception design behind it. Take a moment to truly look at the symbols, the intricacies, and the sheer conceptual genius of this unbelievable creation.

*Disclaimer: This fanart belongs to 梨塔寐里 and her only, please do not repost or commercialize without her direct consent. Support provided directly to her by using the source link below is much appreciated.

[colonelmajorkepler]

victor trevor when he finds out the most earth-shattering revelation he could ever have about his father is in the one podcast episode that john decided to experiment with background music

[lukasadss]

Oh pod Sherlock is making me bawl,,

[helloliriels]

A MASTERLIST of this years FANDOM TRUMPS HATE 2024 works for our community: BBC Sherlock, Johnlock, and Mystrade! a.k.a. things I wanna check out (and don't wanna lose track of!)

🌹 Unremarkable by discordantwords for Podfixx :: It's an unremarkable day. John has a date. Sherlock has a case. And Mycroft & Rosie have just been shoved into the boot of a car.

🌹 Open Line by anyawen for sherlockian4ever :: Greg & Mycroft have front row seats to a spat between Sherlock and John.

🌹 There's Nothing in the Rulebook by avalanching_effect for bluebellofbakerstreet :: In which Lestrade rolls with the punches, Sherlock's body betrays him, and John is completely normal :)

🌹 Mimetidae by avalanching_effect for 796116311389 :: Magic has to make everything so complicated, doesn't it?

🌹Another Fortnight Lost in America by Biana_Amberly_Vacker for Silvergirl :: Sherlock gets offered a New York City vacation by a wealthy client. John thinks he's hiding something more, though.

🌹 The Disappointed Optimist's Guide to Sharing a Flat with a Madman by Calais_Reno for LHR_etc :: John Watson has a bit of luck when he meets Victor Trevor. Taking over his lease.

🌹 You Don't Live Here Anymore by elwinglyre for Jim88 :: Sherlock leaves 221b because he can’t bring himself to live there alone without John. Post-S4 Mary death.

🌹 In the Arms of the Ocean by standbygo for Silvergirl :: Sherlock and John are gifted an Atlantic cruise. Will either one of them finally get their heads out of the sand?

🌹 John Watsons Big Adventure by mydogwatson for Silvergirl :: There is a wedding in his future, but John Watson wants to have an adventure first. He gets his wish, but will he survive it?

🌹 The Part of You that Stays by holmesian_love & Accident for helloliriels :: Sherlock comes home a broken man and after serving as John’s best man, seemingly has a mental breakdown.

🌹 Cover for The Murder of Sir Emory J. Amat [Art] by bluebellofbakerstreet for ChrisCalledMeSweetie :: inspired by the fic. also

🌹 [Podfic] The Murder of Sir Emory J. Amat by semperfiona_podfic for ChrisCalledMeSweetie :: a podfic audio recording of the fic!

🌹Show Me Your Flaws by holmesianlove for Lock_John_Silver :: A talented stranger crosses his path and suddenly life isn’t boring. But how can John win over someone like that, when he's so flawed?

🌹A Minor Detail by meetinginsamarra for Katiegee444 :: Sherlock has found the perfect flatmate for sharing 221b Baker Street. If only there were not that minor detail in the small print of the lease ...

🌹Wasteland, Baby by LoloLolly for ShakespearelovedLadyMacbeth :: Things hadn’t felt right in 221B since John and Rosie moved back in. If only Sherlock knew it was about to get worse ...

🌹Scheherazade of the Thrift Shop by standbygo for thegildedbee :: Sherlock, cut off by Scotland Yard and desperate for something to do, decides to try deducing in a thrift shop.

🌹 Meet Ugly by jrow for 72reasons :: One encounter with a gorgeous madman is a good story. Twice is crazy coincidence. Three times might just be fate.

🌹 Cover for The Murder of Major Sayer [Art] by bluebellofbakerstreet for ChrisCalledMeSweetie :: inspired by the fic

🌹 The Mile High Club by elwinglyre for Silvergirl :: All they wanted was to get married without a fuss. Sherlock has more on his mind.

🌹 Johnlock on Holiday [Banner Edit] by a-victorian-girl for Silvergirl :: for the collection of FTH 2024 fics Silver prompted!

🌹 A Magical Holiday by PipMer for Silvergirl :: He had wanted to wait until after the new year, but it seems John needs a pick-me-up.

🌹 Never Trust to General Impressions [Cover Art] by helloliriels for thetimemoves :: a.k.a. Never Judge A Book By Its Cover (unless its cover is smexy)

🌹 What if John never disposed of the gun he shot the cabbie with? by safedistancefrombeingsmart for khorazir :: a story told in GIFs.

🌹 Shadows of the Fallen Oak by sherlockian4ever for luckettey :: Rosie Watson is kidnapped by a vengeful criminal from Sherlock's past. Their rescue mission tests their bond and reaffirms their love.

🌹 Always a Soldier by Lock_John_Silver for Silvergirl :: Mycroft arrives at Baker Street with disturbing news Sherlock can’t ignore.

🌹 The Cavern by elwinglyre for Katiegee444 :: Sherlock doesn’t believe in magic, he believes in making rock & roll history. His best chance is with John's band.

🌹 Full of Life and Full of Love by anyawen for ChrisCalledMeSweetie :: She watches over them. Still.

🌹 Bloods Tracks & Love Attacks by topsyturvy_turtley for Katiegee444 :: Six people enter a chairlift at the bottom of the mountain. Only five arrive at the top. All of them dead. Casefic.

🌹 Confirmation Bias by thalialunacy for Silvergirl :: A casefic featuring Harry Watson, knights, con men, and body farms.

🌹 Fan Edits for The Secret Writer by emilycare for Lock_John_Silver :: This is a collection of edits inspired by the story.

🌹 The Pillar Upon Which England Rests [Art] by khorazir for thetimemoves :: based on the fic by discordantwords.

🌹 36 Views of London by helloliriels for thegildedbee :: A patchwork image of John & Sherlock’s London, as seen through their eyes.

🌹 and back again by anyawen for helloliriels :: a book familiar and meaningful to both men offers guidance and hope.

🌹 Take My Hand by her_ladyships_soap for Mouse9 :: A tale of closeness, moving fwd, and finding comfort in unexpected places.

🌹 Minuit te va si bienby fireandhoney a translation for ChrisCalledMeSweetie

🌹 The Case of the Missing Patty-Pan by ChrisCalledMeSweetie for chainedtothemirror :: When Mrs. Hudson invites Sherlock to tea, his own cleverness gets him in trouble. Fortunately, Dr. Watson is eager to come to his rescue.

🌹 Every Song Reminds Me of You by ChrisCalledMeSweetie for alexxphoenix42 :: Music hath charms to help John acknowledge his feelings for Sherlock.

🌹 The Campari by CorvidCordelia for Silvergirl :: Technically, it’s a forced vacation for Sherlock, but when wouldn’t it be?

🌹 Sleeping Irene by Khorazir for ChrisCalledMeSweetie :: Cover for the wonderful fairy tale inspired fic

🌹 Pretty in (A Frankly Alarming Shade of) Pink by helloliriels for thetimemoves :: a Rock Out edit prompt from 80's album.

🌹 Every Song Reminds Me of You [Cover Edit] by a-victorian-girl for ChrisCalledMeSweetie :: for the fic of the same name!

🌹 What If I'm Not? [GIF] set by safedistancefrombeingsmart for helloliriels :: Johnlock :: for the fic of the same name.

🌹 No Going Home by emilycare for 13Monkton :: When Sherlock dies ... What if instead of John moving on, they both realized what they meant to one another when he returns?

🌹 Through The Rain by Snowfilly1 for Raechem :: A missing person from John’s past sends Mycroft and Greg on an investigation to Dartmoor.

🌹 Where It Is Always 1670 by Iwantthatcoat for khorazir :: Sherlock and John go on a diplomatic mission away from the heart of London to a little village called Adamczycha. The year is 1670.

🌹 The Red-Headed League by JRow for bluebellofbakerstreet :: Can Sherlock figure out what Rosie's teacher is involved in? And can he prevent the inevitable, namely Ms. Shea falling in love with John?

🌹 FTH2024 Artwork for A Case of You by Silvergirl by DemonicAngeling for Silvergirl :: Inspired by the fic

🌹 The Missing Half by aquileaofthelonelymountain for reveling_in_mayhem :: It was a fancy box of chocolates, the kind you didn’t get in supermarkets ... “So”, Greg said cheerfully, “you’ve got a secret admirer, then?”

🌹 Momentary by BlueMoononTheRise for StellaCartography :: Greg Lestrade has just been diagnosed with cancer. Unable to come to terms with the reality, he decides to go on a trans-Canada roadtrip.

🌹 The Beginning of Always by mydogwatson for thegildedbee :: John Watson wants to be a doctor. Sherlock Holmes wants to be a consulting detective. Most of all, they both want to be loved.

🌹 Handbook for Unrequited Love by Bluebuell33 for holmesianlove :: Life was one cruel joke after another for John. Mary lied and left him. Sherlock wanted nothing to do with him. How had his life ended up here?

🌹 John Watson and the Tale of the Bloody Finger by ChrisCalledMeSweetie for PatPrecieux :: A childhood tale comes back to haunt John.

🌹 An Ounce of Cure by BakerTumblings for safedistancefrombeingsmart :: When John needs elective surgery, Sherlock isn't at all thrilled about it. And when it doesn't go as planned. John finds himself fighting for his life.

🌹 Life finds a way. by Bluebuell33 for felinefemme :: Anthea convinces newly retired Mycroft that he needs a pet for his quiet cottage life. He comes home with more then a new cat. <3

🌹 The Rescuing by BakerTumblings for Podfixx :: Sherlock, off in Serbia, has been captured and severely injured. Mycroft recruits John to aid with freeing him and then overseeing his recovery.

🌹 A Gentleman's Agreement by Peanitbear for Enterthetadpole :: Sherlock is an alpha that doesn't want an omega. John is an omega that doesn't want an alpha.

🌹 Cover for My Pictures of You by bluebellofbakerstreet for 72reasons :: inspired by the fic.

🌹 The Murder of Sir Emory J. Amat by ChrisCalledMeSweetie for PatPrecieux :: A Sherlock Holmes mystery, as recounted by Dr. John H. Watson. Can you follow the clues to deduce whodunnit?

🌹 The Light Gets In by Raina_at for Besotted08 :: John comes back to Baker Street on a rainy Wednesday in January. He wants to feel whole again. Maybe that’s not achievable. But fuck, he wants to try.

🌹The Very Essence by StellaCartography for LittleFluffyClouds :: In which Mycroft embarks on a relationship with Greg Lestrade and is haunted by his doubts in the form of Lady Bracknell.

🌹 All the Things I Need by thalialunacy for Amaruuk :: In which John is shoved into moving forward, Sherlock actually manages to be surprised, and Mycroft turns out to be an A+ uncle.

Posting here, as not all of them yet appear in the FTH 2024 collection on Ao3, but I knew they existed! *whew*. Please let me know if I missed any???

Glad to see I wasnt the only procrasti-writer this year! (my first year offering fic) and so proud of those of you who made it to the finish line and HOLY mother of fandom those of you that wrote more than one!!! (bowing lowly to the floor). Writing for FTH made me more in love with those of you who do this every year. It's a brilliant challenge and all for charity!

[inevitably-johnlocked]

I have recently discovered Raina_at on ao3 and I am adoring their fic! Any recs for authors creating similar work? Thanks for all the gorgeous list making and fic recs!

@raina-at on Tumblr

Raina_at on AO3

====

Hey Nonny!

Oh gosh, LOL my first suggestion would be to read all of their fics!! That's the best way to get your fill!

Here are the fics I have bookmarked by them:

Spare Parts by Raina_at (E, 63,497 w., 10 Ch. || 24th Century / Futurism AU || Post TRF, Pre-TRF Relationship, Case Fic, Mutual Pining, Estrangement, Reconciliation, Science Fiction, Reunion, Nightmares, Angry John, Cybernetic John, Emotional Discussions / Heart to Heart, POV John, Scars, Past Drug Use, Forehead Touching, Emotional Lovemaking, Kissing, Apologies, Kidnapping, Rescue Mission, BAMF John, Bed Sharing, Top Sherlock) – Two years ago, Sherlock Holmes jumped off the roof of New London Hospital. Two months ago, he walked into John's clinic as if no time had passed at all. John hasn't seen him since. But then Sherlock knocks on John's door with a case he can't say no to, and while figuring out why the biggest manufacturer or synthetic limbs in the System is going after veterans, they also need to find out whether there's a way to fix what's broken between them. Part 1 of Realigning Gravity

Realigning Gravity Series by Raina_at (E, 69,159+ w. across 2 works || Series WiP || Sci-Fi / 24th Century Future AU || Post TRF, Cybernetic John, Estrangement, Reconciliation, Developing Relationship, Anniversary, Case Fic, Happy Endings, Doctor John) – Two years ago, Sherlock Holmes jumped off the roof of New London Hospital. Two months ago, he walked into John's clinic as if no time had passed at all. John hasn't seen him since. But then Sherlock knocks on John's door with a case he can't say no to, and while figuring out why the biggest manufacturer or synthetic limbs in the System is going after veterans, they also need to find out whether there's a way to fix what's broken between them.

Bakers with Benefits by Raina_at (E, 88,130 w., 14 Ch. || Great British Bake Off AU || Strangers to Lovers, Switchlock, Friends with Benefits, Mentions of Alcoholism / Past Drug Use, Banter, Flirting, Fluff, Light Angst, Semi-Public Sex, Past Sherlock/Victor, Mutual Pining, POV Sherlock, Obsessive Sherlock, John’s Bum) – Sherlock Holmes has a successful YouTube baking channel, but what he really wants is his own bakery. When an old friend sends him a call for the very first Great British Bake Off, he seizes the opportunity to finally win a sponsor for his bakery. Here's the plan: Win Bake Off, get the bakery, don't fall in love with the handsome Army doctor at the neighbouring station. Easy.

=====

It's hard to rec authors that are like other authors because I truly believe every author has their own unique style that have quirks and styles that I enjoy equally.

If you want similar-style stories that have the world building like Raina's, across various genres, my personal suggestions are:

J_Baillier

khorazir

SilentAuror

BeautifulFiction

patternofdefiance

Silvergirl

MojoFlower

azriona

SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John

But that's just the ones that I saw on a quick scroll through PAGE ONE of like 200 of my bookmarks. AS I SAID, it's hard for me to compare, but those are good places to start. Each of them build their worlds drastically differently, but it feels natural all the same.

I legit just want to say though, check ALL of the authors' fics I rec, because they're all wonderful and unique!!! I wish I was better at suggesting more, but I'm terrible at these "authors like authors" lists.

Mainly I'm publishing this because I wanted @raina-at to know that they have a fan who took time out of their day to tell me how much they love your work, and Nonny, PLEASE go to their tumblr and let them know, AND comment on their fics!!!!! <3

[destinationtoast]

Have you ever done an analysis of which fandoms are most dominated by a single ship?

I hadn't done so before. I just took a quick pass at doing so, but only among the biggest fandoms on AO3 as of Jan 2024 (ones with over 10K public works at that time). I sorted them by the size of their biggest ship relative to the size of the fandom. This gives us a bunch of very big fandoms with a high % of works tagged with a particular ship:

The raw data used to make this graph, including the corresponding biggest ships, is available in a spreadsheet here, or at the end of this post.

A few notes:

This is based on January 2024 data. Some things may have changed!

Not all these works are necessarily about these ships. Especially in the cases where the ships are canon, they may often be tagged as background ships.

There are undoubtedly many smaller AO3 fandoms that have higher percentages devoted to the top ship.

I removed some highly overlapping fandoms (e.g., Good Omens book fandom).

This is AO3 data only, and (as always!) AO3 does not represent fandom overall. In particular, ship popularity tends to vary A LOT by archive/platform. See some past cross-platform shipping comparisons from 2019 (comparing het vs. slash vs. gen on Wattpad/FFN/AO3), and 2014 (comparing popular ships from HP, SPN, and Sherlock on AO3/FFN). One highlight:

Raw data:

Fandom | Top relationship | % tagged with most common ship

Shameless (US) | Ian Gallagher/Mickey Milkovich | 92.5%

Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF) | Dan Howell/Phil Lester | 92.1%

Good Omens (TV) | Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens) | 83.8%

9-1-1 (TV) | Evan "Buck" Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV) | 79.2%

Hannibal (TV) | Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter | 75.6%

Shadowhunters (TV) | Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood | 75.1%

All For The Game - Nora Sakavic | Neil Josten/Andrew Minyard | 75.0%

Inception (2010) | Arthur/Eames (Inception) | 74.0%

The Old Guard (Movie 2020) | Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova | 72.2%

Hawaii Five-0 (2010) | Steve McGarrett/Danny "Danno" Williams | 71.9%

The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare | Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood | 71.2%

IT (Movies - Muschietti) | Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier | 71.1%

陈情令 | The Untamed (TV) RPF | Wang Yi Bo/Xiao Zhan | Sean | 70.9%

X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies) | Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier | 69.6%

Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime) | Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov | 66.3%

Supernatural (TV 2005) RPF | Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki | 66.0%

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) | Adora/Catra (She-Ra) | 63.9%

Deadpool - All Media Types | Peter Parker/Wade Wilson | 63.6%

The Witcher (TV) | Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion | 63.1%

Our Flag Means Death (TV) | Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet | 63.0%

[meetinginsamarra]

Fanfics I really liked in February 2025

So. Since I keep a list of what I´ve read anyway (there´s always a list), I will rec all the fics I´ve wholly enjoyed on a monthly basis. Old and new, canon or AU, big or small authors, long or short but nearly always Johnlock (-ish).

-----

The Grating Roar by Engazed @engazed

In a London we almost recognise, Sherlock Holmes is a stroppy, solitary genius shirking his civic and moral duty to care for the unfortunate and dispossessed of New Britain. So what is it that possesses him to bring such a wretched, nameless creature with a dark, unspeakable past to Baker Street? Sherlock's life is about to be turned on its head, and all the world with it.

A re-read. An epic and fantastic dystopian AU. Expert world building, loads of hurt/comfort and angst, suspense galore and a beautiful character development for John and Sherlock.

Enamoured With Poetry by Lock_John_Silver @lisbeth-kk

This is basically Holmes' musings about his relationship with Watson, and the latter's poetry. There is no exact timeline, though there are some chapters that have a continuation in the next one, which will be marked as such. At present they are retired in Sussex.

Lovely and fluffy Victorian slices of life, seasoned with poetry. Written for Fluffbruary.

If Equal Affection Cannot Be by blueink3 @blueink3

Sherlock fled London a couple of years after John left him in hospital with nothing but an old walking stick and a half-hearted goodbye. Rosie grew up thinking that Sherlock died when he committed suicide in front of her father by jumping from Barts' roof. So it's somewhat awkward when they run into each other in a Sussex general store between the loaves of bread and the Mars bars...

Rosie manages a meeting between estranged Sherlock and John. It goes really well. Awesome dialogue lines between Sherlock and Rosie btw.

The Last Shred of Truth by All_I_need @the-reading-lemon

It's Christmas time, Lestrade's birthday is approaching, and Sherlock has a promise to keep.

A re-read of part 3 to get back again into the epic "Lost Myth of True Love"- series before I tackle the final part 4. Here we have the bestest development of a deeply friendly relationship between Sherlock and Sally. And I really love this OMC version of Victor Trevor who is Sherlock's epic good boyfriend.

Coming of Age and companion piece  Public, Private, Secret by  221b_careful_what_you_wish_for @  221b-carefulwhatyouwishfor

It’s not easy growing up when your father is best friends with Sherlock Holmes. It’s even harder when you stumble across their secret.

and

To the outside world, Sherlock and John are just friends. In private, they're much, much more. They've agreed to keep their relationship a secret to protect John's daughter, but it's not going to be as simple as they hoped.

First fic is Rosie POV of John and Sherlock's relationship and its change through the years. Second fic is Sherlock and John's view.

[xgraavyx]

Very Minor SPOILERS for SIGN OF THE FOUR (Part 4)

I really like Sherlock's jelously regarding Mary and Watson. Its giving "he abandonded me for a wife" like from the books. I really like the dynamic they had in this episode (the lead 3 characters plus Mary).

Watson and Sherlock's argument about Mary/Victor and being 'too involved' in a case was super well done. I see both sides (although I kinda agree more so with Sherlock bc romancing a client). Having Sherlock's more logical "this is about the case" mindset with Watsons more emotional "settling the past and admiring personal growth" mindset is super nice to see. I am very excited to see how this progresses throughout the next episode. I have a good feeling that episode 5 will be very important (as its the end of "volume one").

I saw someone make a post about a potential Mariana and Sherlock led episode (as Watson is engaging with Mary) and I think that'd be very interesting. I doubt they'd have Mariana hold the mic (she did for a while once but I doubt they'd change narrators for an entire episode) but it would be very interesting to see.

The "I will go to protect Mariana" was super nice to see too. We've had some good Mariana and Watson moments (and some good Sherlock Mariana moments) but I would love to see more. Having them all leaving London kinda traps Mariana into the main story yk. She will be forced to be more involved as opposed to being stuck at 221a. I'd love to see more tender moments from Sherlock and Mariana. (I read this all platonic like found family but it can be interpreted however i vibe with anything tbh) I say this bc this episode seems to be going into a very 'found family' path with Watson's conversation to Mary and Sherlock's argument with Watson.

[calaisreno]

Yes and No

“Do you love her?”

It had taken them less than thirty minutes to go from the Rizla game to just asking each other random questions. The only celebrities that Sherlock knew were nineteenth-century chemists and twentieth-century criminals, which had more or less spoiled the game, and Sherlock had declared it pointless.

Then he suggested Yes or No, which at least required some deductive reasoning, and John agreed. But Sherlock was very good at this game, having deduced nearly everything about John in the first days of their acquaintance. Without asking any question, he deduced that John would choose violin, a human liver, Mrs Hudson’s nephew, and Sherlock’s old mouse-coloured dressing gown.

John gives up. “Fine. What don’t you know about me?”

Do you love her is a real question, he gathers— from the look on Sherlock’s face, which is serious and a bit sad.

The answer, which should be yes, of course I love her, instead comes out, “I’m marrying her.”

“People marry for reasons other than—“ Sherlock stops, appearing to realise he is going in a direction that can only lead to bad feelings. “Sorry, not a fair question. Better: When did you know that you loved her?”

He remembers grief. The intense pain of the days after he saw Sherlock die on the sidewalk in front of Barts. There are few details he can recall after that moment. It was as if the pain had receded just enough to let him breathe, and a kind of grey fog had descended. Pain, then sorrow.

Somewhere during the sorrow part, Mary had appeared. She may have been there sooner, but he hadn’t noticed. At some point he became aware of her bringing him coffee, talking to him, urging him to come out for lunch. Always there, cheerfully bullying him back into life. Eventually he noticed that he wasn’t quite as sad, and that she was rather pretty.

But the pain was still there, a tender spot in his memory, and most days he still felt defeated. Mary helped, though, and he thought that if she stayed, everything would be easier. He didn’t need to explain; she understood. He could keep the memories at bay when she was around.

By then he was having sex with her. He didn’t remember exactly how that had begun. Maybe it was a pity fuck one night when he’d had too much to drink. He woke up in her bed hungover, waiting for the darkness to descend like a weight on his chest, and she was there, making him a cup of tea, urging him to have some toast, sweetly solicitous and not accepting any excuses.

Does he love her?

Sherlock is still looking at him, the question in his eyes.

“She was there when I needed someone,” he says. “I just knew.”

He’d known that morning that he needed to move on, to leave what had happened in the past and live his life. And there she was.

“Your turn,” Sherlock says.

John thinks of all the things he’s ever wanted to know about Sherlock, but has never asked because it has never seemed a good time. Sherlock has a way of warding off questions with just a look. An armour that does not allow anyone in, not even John. He’s wondered about a lot of things, but asking has never been an option. Sherlock never has to ask; he simply deduces. John is terrible at deductions, as Sherlock often reminds him.

“Have you ever been in love?”

Sherlock doesn’t hesitate. “Yes. Twice.”

“That was a yes-no question, so I get follow-up. So, the first. Who was he?”

Sherlock smiles. “You’re assuming it was a man.”

“Wasn’t it? I thought… you’re… erm…”

“Gay? Yes, I am.”

“You loved a man,” John says. Obviously.

“Well, a boy. I was twelve. I suppose it wasn’t love so much as infatuation and hormones. His name was Victor. I never told him until I met him again at uni.” He gives John one of those looks that makes him feel like he is being x-rayed. “Have you ever kissed a man?”

“I’m not gay,” he says at once. “I mean, why would I kiss a man if I knew I wasn’t gay?”

“Follow-up question, then. When did you know you were not gay?”

John’s mouth may have been open for a bit. It’s an odd question. Everybody knows they’re straight until something happens and they know they’re not. Isn’t that the way it works? “I just knew. When did you know you were gay?”

“When I was twelve. I was at a stupid birthday party my mother made me attend, and we were playing Forfeit. I was asked a question I didn’t like to answer and took the forfeit. Up until then the penalties were stupid things like singing a song or doing a dance, but this time it was kissing a girl. The girl was willing, and I was curious, so I agreed. That was when I realised girls weren’t my cup of tea, so to speak. I wanted to kiss Victor.”

John says nothing, though it’s his turn. He remembers a similar party, a boy who wanted to kiss him, and feeling terrified that his parents would find out if he did. Harry had just come out, and he was trying very hard to make up for all of her shortcomings.

Sherlock asks, “How do you know you’re not gay if you’ve never kissed a man?”

“I’ve kissed lots of women,” he replies. “I don’t need to kiss a man to know I’m not gay.”

Sherlock shrugs. “I assumed that I was like everyone else, that some day I would meet the right girl, get married, and have children. That was how it was supposed to work, and I thought there was something wrong with me because I didn’t like girls that way. All my fantasies were about boys, but I thought I would eventually be attracted to girls as I got older. That kiss told me I would never love a woman.”

“You think I should kiss a man just to see if I’m a bit gay?” He laughs.

“It’s your forfeit, for not having an answer.”

“I’m not going to kiss some random bloke just because you—“

“Not a random bloke. Me. Kiss me.”

This is dangerous ground. Somewhere in his libido lies something that he’s thought about. Maybe he’s even fantasised about kissing a man. Having sex with a man. Just a lark, maybe. Don’t lots of men go through that? It doesn’t mean anything.

But, Sherlock. He lived with him for a year and a half, and they’d been friends. And he grieved when Sherlock died. Not grieved like a friend. He’d lost friends before, and this was nothing like those losses. Pain, darkness, unending regret. Even after Mary, some of that darkness remained. Moments when he remembered something Sherlock had said or done, a stab of pain. If it hadn’t been for Mary—

And it came to him. Mary was balm for his wounds. She brought him back from the edge. He is grateful to her. But gratitude isn’t love. Being in such pain for so long, and then a bit of light— that isn’t love, it’s relief. He’s seen patients in physical pain become almost giddy when given a dose of something that takes their agony away, not even enough to make them high. Relief feels like intoxication when pain has gone on so long.

If it hadn’t been for Mary, he would have understood what he’d only begun to see. She helped him, saved him even. But she was a distraction from the pain, not a cure.

He glances at Sherlock, who is pulling back, looking like he wishes he hadn’t just asked for a kiss. Maybe he’ll make a joke about their game, move them towards goodnight, goodbye, see you at the wedding.

“Yes,” he says. It’s an answer to everything— regret, grief, sorrow, love. It’s an apology for not seeing sooner, for the night at the Landmark, for his anger and cruel rejection of the man he has loved for years. “Kiss me.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Sherlock is right. The kiss tells John things he’s tried hard to forget. It tells him that has loved men before, but called it friendship, that he has wanted to touch men and kiss them, and called it lust, or fantasy, or a phase that all men go through. Women attract him too, and he grabbed onto heterosexuality like a life-raft because he was afraid of the alternative. His sister and his father, yelling. Harry thrown out of the house. His father, looking at him, saying not you too. Never you, my boy.

The kiss tells him that has already met the love of his life.

“I need to call Mary,” he says when they break away.

Sherlock looks sad. He nods. “Of course.”

“One more question,” John says. “Who was the second person you loved?”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” he says. “I’m about to call my fiancee and break our engagement just days before the wedding because I’m in love with my best friend. So please, answer the question.”

Sherlock’s face does something John has never seen. It crumples and tears fill his eyes, and then he’s laughing and crying and not able to speak.

John kisses him again.

Author note: This is an old ficlet, from Trifles, posted here.

[nexomy]

TW: Mention of death, mention of su*c*de.

I saw the description for "Psych", on Netflix. And if you don't know, it's basically about this detective helping the police who has to convince everyone he's a genius but actually he's a psychic.

So I had this idea for a AU. What if Sherlock could see ghosts? Now, when I write fantasy, ghosts already have a set of rules in my universe, that makes them juuuuust unhelpful enough that they can't fix the characters' problems, and just important enough that they haunt the narrative, quite literally. So I used those rules for my ghosts. That would mean that Sherlock, although he would have a huge advantage in solving the crimes, still wouldn't be able to like, deduce everything about you. Like he's still a genius for doing that. It's just... Now he also sees ghosts. He can't really talk to them with people around (people already dislike him, if they think he's crazy he'll lose all credibility), and ghosts don't like communicating with the living anyways, unless you're willing to trade something away. Sherlock is NOT. So, his power seems pretty useless, right?

But what if he had a ghost friend? A ghost bonded to him, haunting him, but still on good enough terms that he's willing to help Sherlock in his endeavors. His ghost friend interrogates the ghosts on the scene, asks questions, makes sure they get as much info from the other side as they can. Sherlock uses the clues to find out WHAT question to ask.

Now all that's left is to figure out just who that ghost is... The easy answer seems to be John. A dead soldier haunting 221B, Sherlock moves in, and John gets so enraptured in Sherlock's adventures that his unfinished business becomes writing about him. John uses a haunted pen to write it all, by hand.

But then, Johnlock just becomes tragic, doesn't it? Sherlock is constantly lying awake, fearing that John will finally tire of writing about him and move on to the next plane. And John doesn't want to leave Sherlock alone! He's scared of what Sherlock might do, if left behind. John is refusing himself Heaven, to make sure Sherlock doesn't end up in Hell. Sure, he had no reason to think that Sherlock would end up in Hell, but... It's Sherlock. Come on. So when Sherlock does something wrong, John is WAY more on his case about it. He's terrified for Sherlock's soul. The fic would end with the Fall, because why, pray tell, would Sherlock bother faking his death? Just join your boyfriend. Sure, he could envision a way out, but all he has to do is lie to John, "there is no other way", and John would let himself be convinced.

That's all well and good, but a story where the happy ending is "main character kills self" is not like... A GREAT moral for a story to have, especially in THIS mentally ill fandom. So you know what would be a better moral? Learning to let go of hurts past, and choosing to live. We all know Sherlock would die for John, would kill for him. What if, in this one, we make him live for him?

I propose Sherlock's ghost friend should be Victor Trevor. Sherlock's dead childhood friend never stopped haunting him, quite literally this time. Sherlock was so traumatized, his desire to grow up with Victor, to not be left alone, so strong that he accidentally tethered Victor to the mortal plane. He doesn't know he's the one who did it, of course, and Victor doesn't want to tell him. He knows Sherlock would hate himself too much for it. So, they cohabitate. They get to grow up together. At first, they think Victor is just going to stay a child, but for some reason he's able to grow older. Makes sense, since he's a manifestation of Sherlock's desire for them to age together, but THEY DON'T KNOW THAT. Sherlock isn't as bitter about being alone, in this version. After all, he still has a best friend. And no one could ever replace him.

Then he meets John.

Oh! The guilt of Sherlock, as he begins to feel things for John! Oh! The jealousy of John, for this unknowable, apparently much smarter, funnier, handsomer friend than he! Oh! The torn feelings of Victor, both fearing losing his place in Sherlock's heart, and wishing his friend would move on!

... Should I write it.

[tiger-moran]

OK, Sherlock & Co's The Gloria Scott, probably the best episode so far, also probably the darkest episode so far but it was the first episode where I've felt like the main characters really started to develop proper depth (I still like Mariana more than Sherlock or John though), but I really don't get the thing with the music. I don't get what the point of the music was both in the context of John choosing to edit music into it and the creators choosing to put all that in? Like what's the point of almost drowning Victor out with the music before it shifts to a practically unrelated later scene? And maybe there was meant to be some sort of 'dramatic irony' with the song there or something but I don't know what that song is and I can't tell what the singer is saying either so if there was some sort of symbolism there it's lost on me. And just, the tonal shift of it, where Victor's really upset, apparently Sherlock is also upset, but there's no actual resolution to Victor's story and the ending is just John making these rather flippant remarks. I mean I get why they wouldn't want to record Victor after he's shouting at Hunter to get out but if that's the last we hear of him, there's no actual resolution for his story for us. Which sucks when you've just introduced him as an actual character in the here and now, not someone who was solely from Sherlock's past as he is in the canon (also this Victor is such a sweetheart). Then the end is John rambling in a presumably meant to be humorous way about putting the music in like it was supposed to add something but the music really detracted from it for me, also about pirates and stuff but his tone felt really weird and inappropriate considering how dark the storyline was.

I love Victor Trevor anyway and overall I liked this take on him - bringing him into the present, making him canonically queer, even practically introducing him with him having a full on anxiety attack, I liked most of what they did with him but then that sort of makes it worse when his storyline doesn't have any real closure for us? (Also at least in the canon he's had time to come to terms with everything before Watson writes the story up and publishes it for the public to read. This though does feel a bit like another one of those times when broadcasting something almost right after it happens doesn't feel appropriate.)

[gayuu-the-necromancer]

Several days ago I read your post about a blind ml, AND I LOVED IT? plus it made so much sense

But it also got me thinking about what Liam and Harrison's designated rivals would be like? I'd love Harry's to be a member of the police or a detective with a Sherlock Holmes-like intellect! For Liam I would like a "businessman", similar to a lawyer or something like that? Someone who is not easily swayed by his emotions and has "feet firmly on the ground".

I said that I won't be answering any asks, but fuck it. This is my favorite game and favorite topic.

Here's what I thought about the 3 new male leads:

The blind male lead. Although I do love the idea of having an evil completely blind male lead, I don't think Cybird would really go that route. Maybe he will be half-blind. Like one eye would be of different colour, because we don't have an eyepatch guy or a guy with heterochromia in this game yet. Or maybe they will go ahead and not follow their usual Cybird trope and not introduce an eyepatch guy or a guy with heterochromia at all just like how we all thought William would be the black-haired male lead. Still it would be really cool to have a blind male lead. I want to believe this blind male lead to be the guy who brought back the Golden Butterfly that William once destroyed, because we still don't know who actually brought back Golden Butterfly, so this is a curious case. What if the blind male lead is actually Colin? William's childhood friend? Did he actually die? What if he's back to do something? When I see Colin and William's interaction, it reminded me of Gilbert and Chevalier's interaction, where Gilberts says "It's not the people who are evil, but its the circumstances that makes them evil." or something like that. This is my theory btw. Now I don't know which fairy tail villain the blind male lead is gonna be, but I'm really looking forward to it. Maybe he will be the one to make William not smile. William is always cool about everything and always smiles, so it would be cool to see a character like Colin who brings out the vulnerable side of William.

The next one, I think it has to be someone from the Privy Council. Now Privy Council hates the existence of the Crown and cursed people, right? So I thought, it will be interesting to see a male lead from the Privy Council, who also hates the Crown and wants to destroy it. But he's also secretly a cursed one. But he hates being a cursed one because that would make him be closer to the Crown members. This male lead believes in justice and does not believe in the Crown's motto of 'conquering evil with evil'. He thinks that the Crown members assassinating the criminals is still evil. He's a guy who lives by his morals. If I have to give a back story for this one...let's assume that his hatred for the Crown was because they took something from him that is precious. What if this male lead's father or mother were some kind of criminals working for Golden Butterfly and the Crown was ordered to kill the parents of this male lead. Seeing his parents being killed brutally at the hands of the Crown, made him angry and led him to having a thirst for revenge. That would also probably be the time when his abilities starts to activate. Victor might have offered him to join the Crown but he refused and joined the Privy Council instead to bring down the Crown. But he's keeping his identity as the cursed one as a secret. For bringing down the Crown, he joins hands with the blind male lead secretly, while also planning on the side to destroy Golden Butterfly as a whole. All for world peace. That's my storyline for this male lead. A male lead who believes in justice and doesn't want to breach his principles.

The 3rd one, could be someone related to Victor? or Jude? I don't know, I have no idea on this one. Or wait, it could be Ellis...because in Jude and Ellis's past records, there is line where Ellis says "Long time ago, I used to say something like that to XXX." WHo is this XXX? We don't know...maybe he has a brother. We'll just have to find out from his route.

Another thing, Roger is said to have the hunter's curse, right? So there is a hint that he's going to betray. What if he's secretly in an alliance with the blind male lead. I don't know man, I want the blind male lead to be the Gilbert of this game. I'm desperate. It's gonna look so cool! Make him the most evil guy possible!!

[vxctorx]

You have been invited to a charming soirée at the Trevor manor. The only catch is, someone has just been found dead, and everyone is a suspect.

A murder mystery rp group

Lord Howard Hawthorne aka the victim was Victor Trevor's business partner, but Victor isn't the only one with ties to the recently-deceased. Among the guests, there are those who could have played a key role in the murder, but there is only one killer. The Detective who is also attending the event has taken charge of the situation, and will not allow anyone to leave the manor's premises until the killer has been identified. At any rate, it's not as if the guests could run very far; the manor is set amongst acres worth of empty lands and fields in the Highlands, with the nearest village an hour's drive away. It's anyone's game when it comes to hiding personal motives and scrambling for alibis, in a bid to avoid being pinned for a coldblooded murder. Needless to say, it's going to be a very long night.

And here we have the key players.

ROLECALL;;

The Detective: The main sleuth, and close friend of the host, trying to tie the pieces of this grizzly murder together. To think they wanted the night off.

Status: FILLED Name: Sherlock Holmes @shxlmes File

The Music Conductor: The leader and piano accompaniment of the string quartet which has been entertaining the guests with delightful chamber music all evening. He also happens to be Victor Trevor's loving partner.

Status: FILLED Name: Peter Smith-Kingsley @pxnandqxll File

The "Happy" Couple: A pair of lovebirds who are deeply devoted to one another, or so people think. Perhaps behind their faithful façade, all is not as it seems. Rumor has it one of them has been fooling around with a certain Young Socialite for quite a while. Or was it a Femme/Homme Fatale?

Status: FILLED Name: Aislin McLeod @fantasiesandfolklore File Name: John Constantine, alias: Charles Jonathan Cavendish @seekingsolidground File

The Young Socialite: The young and carefree socialite who’s climbing up the social ladder, and perhaps even into certain beds; namely that of the man who was alive an hour ago. They feel like the world is theirs to claim and ready to risk it all.

Status: FILLED Name: Elijah “Remington” Floquet @exquisitexagony File

Femme/Homme Fatale: A sly seducer who can easily wrap any guest round their little finger.

Status: FILLED Name: Cecelia Holmes @consultingsister File

The Staff: Never discount the staff, as they have eyes and ears everywhere. They may even know more than the host himself.

Status: FILLED Name: Sakura Tsubaki @survivics File

The Secret Reporter: Closed parties be damned. What better place to get their next scoop?

Status: FILLED Name: Richard Oliver Mayhew @richardxoliverxmayhew File

The Red Herring: A shady character who is grey to their core. They don’t seem to care whether or not they make an enemy or two this evening.

Status: FILLED Name: Tom Ripley @retrograderesemblance File

The Lawful: The supposedly lawful character (i.e. a lawyer, soldier, judge or doctor) who harbors a secret from their shameful past they’re trying to hide.

Status: FILLED Name: Illya V. Kuryakin aka Isaiah V. Kress @siberianwarriors File

RULES;;

Once every role has been filled, all members (including myself) will be assigned a number. I will then run the numbers through a random number generator, and whichever number comes out will be that of The Killer, who will then be informed privately by me as to their secret role. IMPORTANT: The Killer shall not under any circumstances reveal their role to other members in or out of character, as this will only lead to their own downfall (i.e. you will be REMOVED from the group if you do this lol just be cool. You'd be ruining the whole point of the murder mystery otherwise).

Anyone can join; All Fandoms, Canons & OCs, as long as you regularly contribute to the group's threads in character. This is going to be a relaxed thing, but completely silent members will be replaced.

OOC Drama will get you removed from the group. No exceptions.

Duplicate Fcs are not welcome; it would make things far too confusing.

Group Verse Tag is V; The Manor Mystery Track for threads and updates.

[naefelldaurk]

Sherlock Fic Recs - October 2024

Photo by Hartswood

I have spent a fair bit of time perusing others' AO3 Sherlock bookmarks over the past couple of years and have found many earlier works which don't always make it onto newer rec lists. Here are five that I highly recommend.

First up, The James Holmes Chronicles, by pretty vk (the primary trilogy ranges from T to E to M and comprises almost 300k words; there are a few additional shorter pieces, most of which review certain events through other characters' POV). In a nutshell, Sherlock completes his mission and acquires a son. This is very adult fiction; pay attention to the tags. The son Sherlock acquires is Moriarty's 12-year-old who has been sexually and physically abused since age 9 by Sebastian Moran. The Sherlock here is familiar from S1 & S2, distant, slow to understand emotions, but caring in his own way. Eventual johnlock.

One of my go-to favorites is The Trivial Sublime by mildredandbobbin (E, 54k). Post-TRF, Sherlock must cope with John's being with Mary, which situation is fairly quickly resolved. As their relationship develops, Victor Trevor enters the scene, resulting in Sherlock making a horrible blunder at an intimate moment with John. All ends well.

Another post-TRF (do you detect a theme?) is This is Not a Love Song (Except that It Is), by yaycoffee (T, 20k), with a sequel, If These Walls Could Speak (M, 6k). John is involved with Mary (who is not an assassin and is not awful), but is thrilled when Sherlock returns. At first Sherlock vies with Mary for John's attention, until he realizes he is hurting him. Lots of angst for Sherlock and John. Happy ending.

Touch by aggressivewhenstartled (T, 1.8k). Both John and Sherlock are having a bad day. My favorite line: Sherlock had been a ball of snapping, squirming eels the entire afternoon. They work it out.

Post-TAB, settling of the dust by thosewhowant (E, 12k) is a lovely, angsty johnlock. They get together but John abruptly leaves and doesn't immediately return. Sherlock fights his addiction and learns to cope. Happy ending.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi, are there any fics where John uses a cane? Like his limp is either real and not just psychosomatic, or if it is psychosomatic it just doesn't go away that easily , or it makes a comeback? I read a fic where it makes a comeback when he's stressed so something like that

Hi Nonny!!

I DO have fics, and I just checked and I apparently also started a list for it as well, so I'm going to use this opportunity to post the fics I have; note that I don't recall how MUCH he uses the cane in these fics, as I just did tag searches. AND I am adding his Limp to this list as well, AND fics I found tagged with either topic on my MFL list!

And as always, friends, add your own fics, PLEASE!! Hope these please you, Nonny!

JOHN’S LIMP and/or CANE

Didn’t by HermioneGirl96 (K, 1,208 w., 1 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, Friendship) – Before Sherlock died, John didn’t need his cane, as he explains to the Sherlock whom he thinks is just a figment of his imagination. That is, until Mrs. Hudson confirms that Sherlock is really there. (FFNet)

Ten Hours by morningdawn202 (T, 2,242 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Friendship, Worried Sherlock, John’s Cane) - It’s been ten hours since Sherlock saw John last. (FFNet)

There's So Much Labour Just in Breathing Lately by Susan (E, 12,708 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TRF / Mentions of S3 Events, Romance, Angst, Grief/Mourning, Grieving John, Mutual Pining, Meddling Mycroft, Therapy, Ambiguous Hopeful Ending, Infidelity) – The dreams he hated most – the ones that left him a sweating, shaking mess when he woke – were the ones in which Sherlock was just Sherlock. Laughing or drinking tea. Sitting across the table from him at Angelo’s eating pasta. Trailing his open hand behind him on the way to the bedroom. “C’mon, John. I’m about to have my way with you.”

Division by MrsNoggin (E, 19,542 w., 11 Ch. || Coffee Shop AU || First Kiss/Time, Fluff, Barista Sherlock, Clingy Sherlock, POV John, John’s Limp, Bed Sharing, Fluff, Sleepy Cuddles, Sensuality, Touching, Virgin Sherlock, Insecure John) – John likes mysteries. And every morning he dips into the local independent coffee bar with his newspaper and ponders another... one Sherlock Holmes.

The Hollow Woman by ScopesMonkey (M, 51,335 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Major Character Death, Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Family, Angst, Crime, Reunion, First Kiss / Time, Nightmares, Doctor John, Jealous Sherlock, Jealous John, BAMF John, Angry John, Dub-Con, Rough Sex, Bottomlock, Possessive John, Villain Mary, Open Ending) – Forced to return to London sooner than expected, Sherlock falls into a case too close to home. Part 1 of the Hollowverse series

Bakers with Benefits by Raina_at (E, 88,130 w., 14 Ch. || Great British Bake Off AU || Strangers to Lovers, Switchlock, Friends with Benefits, Mentions of Alcoholism / Past Drug Use, Banter, Flirting, Fluff, Light Angst, Semi-Public Sex, Past Sherlock/Victor, Mutual Pining, POV Sherlock, Obsessive Sherlock, John’s Bum) – Sherlock Holmes has a successful YouTube baking channel, but what he really wants is his own bakery. When an old friend sends him a call for the very first Great British Bake Off, he seizes the opportunity to finally win a sponsor for his bakery. Here's the plan: Win Bake Off, get the bakery, don't fall in love with the handsome Army doctor at the neighbouring station. Easy.

MARKED FOR LATER

Psychosomatic by Contradictory_Bagoly (G, 2,147 w., 1 Ch. || Disability, Internalized Ableism, John's PTSD, Mobility Aids, John's Limp, Trauma, Old Injury Pain) – When a chance startling encounter on the street brings back John's psychosomatic limp, it brings complicated feelings with it.

An Authorized Biography by scrub456 (G, 2,644 w., 1 Ch. || ASiP Divergence, Angelo's, Epic Friendship, Humour, BAMF Angelo, BAMF John, Pawn Shop, John's Cane) – An account of what really  happened that night at Angelo's. It's possible maybe the biographers got it wrong. Part 2 of Reader Appreciation Prompt Extravaganza  || Part 7 of Singular

While you sleep by nat_scribbles (T, 7,347 w., 1 Ch. || Magical Realism AU || Alternate ASiP, Curses) – John Watson is a cursed army doctor with a psychosomatic limp. Who'd want him for a flatmate?

Most Ghosts Are Idiots by GoldenUsagi (T, 18,243 w. || Alternate First Meeting, Supernatural Elements, Friendship, Ghosts) – The one where Sherlock is already dead but hits it off with John anyway. John returns from Afghanistan later than he did in canon and rents a long vacant flat in Baker Street. But it has a few problems, he discovers, such as the ghost of Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock throws books about, plays the violin at all hours, and leaves ominous messages on the bathroom mirror. John settles in regardless, determined not to let a haunted flat get the best of him. Though he does wish Sherlock would stop hiding his cane. Sherlock’s not an ordinary ghost, but then, most ghosts are idiots. Part 1 of the Most Ghosts Are Idiots verse series 

Cinema by thelookyouredoingthelookagain (E, 22,411 w., 12 Ch. || Different First Meeting, Nightmares, Flirting, Cinema, John’s Cane, John’s Blog, Therapy, First Date) – John's nightmares drive him across the street to the all night cinema where the tall, dark projectionist provides in an interesting distraction.

Table For One Series by SilentAuror (M to E, 32,160 w. across 2 works || Post-TRF, Eating Disorders, Depression, POV First Person, Mental Health Issues) – Sherlock has returned to London, only to find that the John he left behind has changed. Why is he spending so much time alone in cafés, hardly eating, limping again? Why has he become so beige? Sherlock slowly begins to realise that this is not going to be as easy as he had thought.

The Weaver of Worlds by Jaye Harriet (G, 36,887 w., 8 Ch. || Coraline Fusion / Kidlock || Fantasy, John's Mother, John's Cane, Kid Sherlock, Kid John) – John Watson and his family move out of London and into the barren moors, where John meets a strange child and his not-cat. Inside his new house is a door that calls to him, beckoning him to visit a world beyond his wildest dreams. But not all is well beyond the door, and John soon finds himself in peril. Part 1 of The Weaver of Worlds

The Craving in Between by love_in_mind_palace (E, 69,349 w., 16 Ch. || Wedding Planner AU || Infidelity, Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, Misunderstandings, Sexting & Texting, Alternating POV, Mary is Not Nice) – Sherlock Holmes, The wedding Consultant. Picky about his projects and a nightmare to work with. Rejects ninety percent of the couples after just having a look at them and can predict how long a marriage will last. But when unassuming, plain, John Watson reluctantly limps his way in his office, with his more than enthusiastic fiancée, Mary Morstan, instead of dismissing the ill-assorted couple on the spot, he promptly decides that the project, and the groom.. are definitely worth working on.

[mrhyde-mrseek]

Music and SMS

(Some of these make sense, some of them are based purely on vibes. Enjoy!)

Sherlock

Artists: Sufjan Stevens, Fish in a Birdcage, Vermillion Lies, Joel Sunny

Songs: “Je Te Laisserai Des Mots” by Patrick Watson, “All I Really Want” from Jagged Little Pill, “BATTLE OF THE LARYNX” by Melanie Martinez

Lyrics: So can we pretend, sweetly?/Before the mystery ends/I am a man with a heart that offends with its lonely and greedy demands/There's only a shadow of me, in a matter of speaking, I'm dead (“John My Beloved,” Sufjan Stevens)

Watson

Artists: The Army, The Navy (that’s one artist btw), Hozier, The Lumineers, Lucy Spraggan

Songs: “The Bug Collector” by Hayley Heynderickx, “Army Dreamers” by Kate Bush, “I’ve Got A Friend” by Maggie Rogers, “November” by Sparkbird

Lyrics: I told you all about the scar on my shoulder/And you told me you're terrified of getting older (“Inside Out,” Zedd & Griff)

The Time Traveller

Artists: Cosmo Sheldrake, Cody Fry, Sara Bareilles, Ryn Weaver, The Wombats

Songs: “Wish That You Were Here” by Florence + The Machine, “New Discovery” by The Crane Wives, “Underground” by Cody Fry, “Fake My Death” by Dolo Tonight & Roe Kapara

Lyrics: If we're controlled from above/How do you explain evil?/But if it's all just a damn free-for-all/How do you explain anything, anything? (“Rainbowfish,” Abby Cates)

Jekyll/Hyde

Artists: Will Wood/Will Wood and the Tapeworms, Florence + The Machine, Autoheart, Bishop Briggs

Songs: “The Scientist” by Coldplay, “Zydrate Anatomy” from Repo! The Genetic Opera, “Strength Through Music” by Amanda Palmer, “Inbred” by Ethel Cain, “Bird Song” by Florence + The Machine

Lyrics: It goes, all my troubles on a burning pile/All lit up and I start to smile/If I catch fire then l'll change my aim/Throw my troubles at the pearly gates (“Burning Pile,” Mother Mother)

Griffin

Artists: Baby Bugs, Mother Mother, Maggie Lindemann, Penelope Scott

Songs: “Lone Star” by The Front Bottoms, “Brutus” by The Buttress, “Little Big Boy” by Madds Buckley, “Abbey” by Mitski

Lyrics: So, god forbid I'm seen just as an average human being/I mean, imagine if protagonists just died in the first scene/I'm the gap between a tragedy and comedy/Don't come at me/I'm the main character, and you have to like me (“The Main Character,” Will Wood)

Victor

Artists: Ethel Cain, Lady Lamb, PHILDEL, Sparkbird

Songs: “Boohoo Baby” by Snaggletooth, “Come Along” by Cosmo Sheldrake, “CANDLEBURN (Dorm Demo” by Rabbitology, “Bones of God” by Birdeatsbaby, “Campus” by Vampire Weekend

Lyrics: Here-here-heretic/Spit out your gum and bite your tongue/You're gonna eat your words, you're gonna finish your milk/You're gonna drop your gun (“Heretic,” Lady Lamb)

Gwen

Artists: The Crane Wives, Rabbitology, Snaggletooth

Songs: “The Well” by The Crane Wives, “Dear Arkansas Daughter” by Lady Lamb, “Rule #21 - Momento Mori” by Fish in a Birdcage, “Hanging By Your Halo” by Lauren Aquilina

Lyrics: They can't fix me/I’ve always been diseased/I feel it underneath my skin/But l'm too scared to bleed/They can't fix me I am sick terminally/I think that worms and rats are living where my brain used to be (“Diseased,” Baby Bugs)

Newt

Artists: Florence + The Machine, Lord Huron, Bears in Trees, Fish in a Birdcage, Rainbow Kitten Surprise

Songs: “LIGHT SHOWER” by Melanie Martinez, “Losing Me” by Gabrielle Aplin & JP Cooper, “Like Real People Do” by Hozier, “Sanctuary” by Welshly Arms

Lyrics: And there's a praying mantis/Prancing on your bathtub/And you swear it's a priest/From a past life out to getcha/And I digress/'Cause I must make you the perfect evening/I try my best/To put the priest inside a jam jar (“The Bug Collector,” Hayley Heynderickx)

Van Helsing

Artists: PHILDEL, Mumford and Sons, Daughter, Of Monsters and Men, Karliene

Songs: “Around the Corner” by Mike Mains & The Branches, “My Boy Builds Coffins” by Florence + The Machine, “Vampire Reference in a Minor Key” by Will Wood, “Vienna (In Memoriam)” by The Army, The Navy

Lyrics: Eleanor Rigby/Died in the church and was buried along with her name/Nobody came/Father McKenzie/Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave/No one was saved (“Eleanor Rigby,” The Beatles)

Utterson

Artists: Florence + The Machine, Ethel Cain, Amanda Palmer, The Amazing Devil

Songs: “Thermodynamic Lawyer Esq, G.F.D.” by Will Wood and the Tapeworms, “Bad Habit” by The Dresden Dolls, “Small Hands” by Keaton Henson

Lyrics: And when the rain came down/I made a vow out to the dark/Please let her live just one more day/'Cause she is so much more than all her scars (“Inkpot Gods,” The Amazing Devil)

Poole

Artists: AURORA, Birdy, Sufjan Stevens, Florence + The Machine

Songs: “It’s Called: Freefall” covered by Paris Paloma, “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, “I’ve Got A Friend” by Maggie Rogers, “Home” by Edith Whiskers

Lyrics: And god l've lived a lifetime/Because I'm big and tall/But who am I to kill for/The crime of being small? (“Vienna (In Memoriam),” The Army, The Navy)

Mycroft

Artists: The Dresden Dolls, Fish in a Birdcage, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Lana Del Rey

Songs: “Cigarette Daydreams” by Cage the Elephant, “Sun Bleached Flies” by Ethel Cain, “Brother” by Kodaline, “Merry-Go-Round of Life” from Howl’s Moving Castle, “Rule #4 - Fish in a Birdcage” by Fish in a Birdcage

Lyrics: This study cramped and musty/A coffin to call my abode/Each cold glance l've earned/Passing through me l've learned/Not to trust those that make it a home (“A Letter From a Notable Source,” Beetlebug)

Kemp

Artists: Lucy Spraggan, Billie Martin, AURORA

Songs: “Lua” by Bright Eyes, “Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)” by AURORA, “no body, no crime” by Taylor Swift, “The Wolf” by PHILDEL, “Not Alone” by Sara Bareilles

Lyrics: Lizzie, my love, is this the best that you could do?/Damned if I leave you alone for a minute/What possessed you to murder the old man too?/Made a deal, had a plan, and an axe wasn't in it (“What the Fuck Now, Lizzie?,” Lizzie: The Musical)

Edmund

Artists: Tears for Fears, Ricky Montgomery, The Beatles, Queen, The Mountain Goats

Songs: “Believe” by Mumford and Sons, “South London Forever” by Florence + The Machine, “Strange Sight” by KT Tunstall

Lyrics: A falling star fell from your heart/And landed in my eyes/I screamed aloud as it tore through them/And now it's left me blind (“Cosmic Love,” Florence + The Machine)

Walton

Artists: Gang of Youths, Sparkbird, Madilyn Mei, Of Monsters and Men

Song: “Vienna” by Billy Joel, “Ship in a Bottle” by fin, “Unsinkable” by Lucy Spraggan, “I Wanna Be a Boy” by Addison Grace, “White Winter Hymnal” by Fleet Foxes, “Eastward of Eden” by Amelia Day

Lyrics: And in the sea that's painted black/Creatures lurk below the deck/But you're a king and l'm a lionheart (“King and Lionheart,” Of Monsters and Men)