#pre-Sherlock's return?

[jxwatson]

🔫

That familiar click--the cocking of a gun--the barrel of which appeared in front of him. The metal shined in the lamp light. It cloudy night in London, and on this particular side of the street it was too dark to make anything out other than the figure seemed to be wearing a hoodie. John raised his hands, "Let's just keep calm, what is it you want?" He was expecting to be asked to relinquish his wallet, mobile, and any other valuables he had, but the figure stepped forward into the light, lowering his hood as he did so.

John's stomach dropped and his mouth went dry. His hands lowered slowly back down to his sides. His Adam's Apple bobbed as he tried to swallow, to produce saliva so he could speak again, "You're dead. You're--you're supposed to be dead." Sherlock had--Sherlock had fucking died, yet this prick was still alive. He balled his hands into fist, his breathing became heavy, and his eyes darkened. "You better fucking shoot me because if I get my hands on you," he said with a growl.

@kingofthewebxxx

[jrow]

May Prompts (27)

Day 26 here. Start at the beginning here. Day 28 here.

Jealous

He isn’t jealous.

If anything, he feels pity for Sherlock.

Unlike his brother—who was pre-occupied by getting home and ensuring John rest—he would rather get on with work. Not be distracted by sentiment.

Unlike his brother—who sat flush against John, practically snuggling, in the back seat of the town car—he prefers having the full passenger seat to himself. There’s more room when you’re alone.

Unlike his brother—who is now at home, probably suffering through tea and biscuits with the Watsons, Mrs. Hudson and Dr. Hooper—he is preparing to interrogate the man responsible for the chaos of the last week. Being productive.

He isn’t jealous.

He could easily hand off the interrogation of the constable, now identified as a Rhys Wright, to any of his agents. Hell, even the imbeciles at Scotland Yard could handle the blubbering mess. But, he promised Sherlock.

To most, it may appear as if his brother has learned to let go of his anger in situations like these. But, Sherlock has simply grown more strategic in channelling his anger and ceding control. And today, Sherlock is trusting him to ensure Mr. Wright is far from comfortable.

So, they made a deal. He will be locked in a room with Wright for the rest of the day. Then, he will ensure the man stays under the jurisdiction of MI5, with their … ahem … rough interrogation and incarceration techniques, for a bit longer. Only then will Wright be handed over to the Metropolitan Police, case wrapped up like a bow. Conviction guaranteed.

In return, Rosie and co. will join him for brunch and a trip on the Eye tomorrow.

He isn’t jealous.

And tomorrow night, he will arrange for movers. Because, unlike his brother, it appears that John is finally planning on actually saying something. The rest is inevitable. Maybe it always was.

He’s happy for his brother. Truly.

Anthea is being ridiculous. He isn’t jealous at all.

@keirgreeneyes @raina-at @totallysilvergirl @meetinginsamarra @jolieblack @phoenix27884 @friday411 @calaisreno @lisbeth-kk @safedistancefrombeingsmart @momma2boys @helloliriels @dapetty @quimerasyutopias

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: August 23/24

Happy Friday everyone!! Finally going on my 2 week holidays, so I'm glad I have some great fics I can read if I get bored!! Check out what's on my radar this week! Enjoy!!

RECENT MFLs

Serenity After the Turmoil (Part 2) by jawnscoffee (G, 2,467 w., 1 Ch. || Dreams, Nightmares, Sherlock's Violin) – John had always been someone with a vivid imagination - especially when it came to dreams. Nightmares, to be precise. This causes him a lot of trouble, especially after returning from the war. The only thing that calms him down is when Sherlock plays his violin. When John wakes up one night from another nightmare, he hears Sherlock playing the violin and decides to keep him company. Maybe he can't sleep either. Or maybe he's just playing the violin for John...

You Don't Live Here Anymore by elwinglyre (E, 3,104+ w., 1/5 Ch. || WiP || S4 Fix It, Angst, Bees, First Time, Third Person Alternating POV) – The lyrics of a song John introduced to Sherlock, haunts him. Sherlock leaves 221b because he can’t bring himself to live there alone without John. Mary is dead, and John still blames Sherlock. It takes a small tragedy to shake John into action. Will he come on home?

A Thrill Failed To Deliver by J_Baillier (E, 9,897+ w., 3/25 Ch. || WiP || Pre-TRF Divergence, Angst, Medical Hurt/Comfort, Serious Illnesses, POV John, Brain Cancer/Tumour, Medical Conditions, Romance, Slow Burn, Doctor John, Miscommunication, Meddling Mycroft, Everyone is a Mess, Harry Watson, Friends to Lovers, Strooppy Sherlock, John's Identity Crisis, Clueless Idiots in Love, Vulnerable Sherlock, Mental Breakdown, Sherlock Whump, Medical Realism) – When The Work is replaced with chemotherapy and restaurant dinners with radiation treatment, will a new, devastating normal bring John and Sherlock closer, or drive them apart — as Sherlock seems convinced it will?

Holy Wine by Silvergirl (E, 36,699 w., 13 Ch. || Sherlock/OMC & Johnlock || TEH Divergence, Addiction, Alcoholism, POV Sherlock, Mutual Pining, Sex Replacing Getting High, Angst with Happy Ending) – After Sherlock fails to amaze and delight John at the Landmark, he learns that John’s cut contacts and left London. Sherlock has to start his life over, without the man he gave up everything to save. Sherlock's version of the events of A Case of You. Part 2 of A Case of You

GOOD OMENS

how do we turn on the light? by moonyinpisces (M, 229,988+ w., 18/22 Ch. || WiP || Post-S2, Romance, Slow Burn, Angst with Happy Ending, Light Humour, Supreme Archangel Aziraphale, The Second Coming, Christianity, Drug Use, Book of Life, Death Threats, Suicidal Thoughts, Sex in the Bentley, Duke of Hell Crowley, Character Death) – Aziraphale ascends to the highest level of the Archangels. And he remembers—well. It’s not important what he remembers.

[lisbeth-kk]

May Prompts (14) Eavesdropping

The Luckiest Girl in the World (chapter 14)

Summary: When Rosie wakes, the pain tells her that this day will be horrible to endure. She's forgotten that she has a caregiver waiting for her downstairs to ease that pain.

Fourteen Years Old

Two months before my fifteenth birthday, I woke and just knew this would be a shitty day. My period had turned up during the night without any pre-warning. Like a tiger sneaking up on its prey. The pain was like sharp claws digging into my abdomen. I curled around myself before I realised that the evidence probably was visible on my pyjama bottoms and the sheets.

“Fuck!” I exclaimed and slammed the door on my way downstairs to wash myself in the bathroom and soak my clothes and sheets to avoid permanent stains.

My parents had learned to leave me alone on mornings like these, but I could always rely on breakfast being ready for me when I emerged from the bathroom. 

Dad probably had to eavesdrop to the sounds I made to time it correctly. Papa, on the other hand, seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to me and Dad and how long it took us to shower, walk from the tube station, do the grocery shopping, or returning from a visit at Nana’s.

If Dad was home, there would be grilled cheese sandwiches and tea. This Monday, Dad had an early shift, so it was Papa who treated me with French toast and my favourite smoothie. He’d also procured a glass of water and paracetamol.

“That bad?” Papa inquired and scanned my face.

It almost brought me to tears this care and thoughtfulness. His low and soft voice did the rest. I didn’t hesitate for a second when he opened his arms but went willingly and clung to him while he stroked my back. We stood in silence before I went to blow my nose.

“Thank you,” I murmured and seated myself at the table.

“Of course, Bee,” Papa said. “Do you need a note for gymnastics?”

“No, it’s fine. We’re going to the gym today. Lifting weights and such. We’re free to do whichever exercises we want, so I’ll just choose those that aren’t too straining and painful,” I told him with a grimace.

For a moment he looked kind of fragile and lost. He didn’t cope very well when one of his Watsons was in pain or ill.

“I’ll be fine, Papa,” I assured him after I’d eaten and swallowed the painkiller.

“I don’t like seeing you like this, my heart,” he whispered.

“I know, Papa. It’s a natural thing though, and I’m lucky to have you and Dad to care for me,” I retorted and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

After I’d put on my yellow Converses, I reminded Papa that I wouldn’t be home until late.

“Babysitting at Pinkerton’s,” I elaborated when he looked puzzled.

“Is that a good idea today, Bee?” Papa asked, his voice concerned.

“Well, these babies have to be paid, you know,” I said and pointed at my shoes.

“Bee! I told you, there’s no rush to pay us back. In fact, let’s say they’re fully paid as of…”

“Sherlock Holmes! A Watson never cheats,” I tutted.

“Watson-Holmes,” he muttered under his breath.

“I heard that,” I laughed, gave him another hug before I ascended the stairs to the front door. The pain from an hour earlier was just a fading memory. For now.

Also available on AO3

@calaisreno @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @helloliriels @raina-at

More tags in the replies

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island

[david-talks-sw]

Why do a lot of SW fans dislike the Prequel Jedi?

This was going to be the conclusion to this answer about "why a lot of people dislike Mace"... but it's just too long, so I decided to make it a post in its own right.

So why is Mace-- scratch that, why are the Prequel Jedi considered to be "unlikable" by a big chunk of the fandom? Especially when compared to Anakin "I killed a group of children twice" Skywalker.

Overall... I'd say it's three things.

1) Some fans had different expectations.

I touched on this in a recent post: older fans, who are now at least in their 40s, grew up seeing Luke as the ultimate Jedi.

He's Campbell's Hero With A Thousand Faces, up there with King Arthur and Superman. He's, for lack of a better term, the chosen one.

So when the Prequels were announced and they knew they'd get to see the Jedi Knights in their heyday, they expected to see something like the Knights of the Round Table.

A collective of errant warriors who go on exciting adventures, providing aid from place to place. Like Luke Skywalker.

Instead, they got this:

"A bunch of monk/diplomats who sit around talking about taxations and trading routes and measure the Force based on cell organisms."

"They're nothing like Luke Skywalker! What the hell?" (I address why this is inaccurate here)

Then the second film comes out:

"Wait, Jedi can't get married now? So were all those EU books about Luke and Mara Jade bullshit?" (also addressed in above link)

Then the third film comes out:

"Palpatine is right there, why can't they sense him or read his mind? They're Jedi!" (explanation why here)

Also Luke is no longer the Chosen One apparently? Anakin is? How does that work?

Plus, the way they speak, their jargon, is waaaaay too formal, gone are the OT characters talking informal English with American accents and quips. Even the way these new characters speak - and not just the Jedi, the Queen too - seems detached from reality and makes them harder to relate to. (but we're talking about diplomats and royalty, so how else would they be talking?)

2) How adult audiences perceive "morally pure" characters.

Even if one didn't have the pre-concieved notions about the Jedi... they don't seem to impact the adult viewers the right way.

Then again... neither does Barney the Dinosaur.

Many are the conspiracy theories and negative discourse surrounding him (there's even an upcoming documentary about it). You know why? Because he's not meant to be a character for adults, who have outgrown morally black or white characters and are unable to relate to them... his target demographic is children.

They see him and go "I love you, you love me". We see him and go "What the fuck is this guy hiding? What darkness lies beneath that mask of optimism and joy?"

Same goes for the Jedi.

So I'd say what we have, here, is a similar situation as the one in the recent Rick and Morty episode, "Juricksic Mort".

In the episode, a bunch of dinosaurs return to Earth and it turns out they're incredibly selfless, diplomatic, moral and spiritually advanced (kinda like the Jedi!)

Rick's reaction is - you guessed it - "what the fuck are they hiding?"

The dinosaurs turn Earth into a utopia, ending all wars, removing all conflict, bringing about world peace and giving everyone the chance to go on vacation... and everybody hates them for it and eventually wants to see them fail and step down from their pedestal.

The writing emphasizes their superior virtue so much that they actually come across as uptight and patronizing. This is done intentionally, so that it's difficult to find them likeable out-of-universe, and we relate to the earthlings in-universe who react the same way.

Why do the audience and the characters react this way to characters who - again - are good and moral?

Because as Moriarty says in Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows... hidden within the unconscious is an insatiable desire for conflict.

It's why the presence of conflict is so crucial in storytelling.

It's why every scene in good movies presents some form of internal, external or philosophical conflict.

It's why protagonists need flaws to be interesting and relatable. Because we're flawed as well.

Also, the protagonist will eventually have overcome their flaws through an arc.

More importantly, the basis of all conflict, in storytelling, comes from something being out of balance.

And the Jedi are trained to not be that :D !

So on the one hand we have Anakin, a flawed, conflicted character who struggles with his inner balance, and on the other we have the Jedi, who are essentially presented as flawless and balanced.

What will a chunk of the audience do? They:

Won't like the Jedi.

Will project a flaw onto them (more on that in the next section).

Side with Anakin, the one that's as imperfect as the audience is.

Sometimes all of the above.

But the thing is, though... the Jedi we see in the Prequels are not flawless or perfect.

They are, for the most part, characters who have already completed their character arcs, characters who have already confronted their own inner flaws and overcome them.

And whenever these flaws resurface? Well, they've conquered them once, and they have the training, so they do it again.

Example, here's Yoda confronting and overcoming his hubris and inner fears:

Has he done it before, in his almost 900 years? Probably, yeah. But it's not a one-and-done sort of thing.

But the Prequels are not their movies. They're about Anakin.

He's meant to be the more interesting character. And they're meant to be the ones with less flaws, because they're mentor archetypes and the Prequels show an interesting situation wherein the protagonist fails to listen to the mentors and fails to overcome his own flaws, which leads him to - instead - be doomed by them.

3) Issues with the writing.

So, for the people who didn't like the changes but want to like the Prequels, there's a headcanon that seemingly fixes everything:

"The Prequel Jedi... are intentionally written as arrogant, hypocritical moralists. They are meant to come across as dispassionate. I mean, isn’t that what being a Jedi is, apparently? You purge yourself of attachments aka emotions, and act only logically (which was typically-encouraged behavior for a long time, in the US). They've become too systemic and lost their way." And guess what? With this interpretation, "Luke is special again! He's like Qui-Gon in that he found a middle ground between the unfeeling Jedi and the Sith, who have become slaves to their emotions. Like, sure, Anakin can be THE Chosen One, whatever, but Luke? Luke has found the balance, he succeeded where Obi-Wan, Yoda (who wanted Vader dead instead of believing he could be redeemed) and the other Jedi failed. So that's what the Prequels are about: the Jedi's failure."

The issue is, though... it doesn't align with what George intended. (as explained here and here).

But it does use most of the ingredients the films give us. Which - short of unleashing a barrage of George Lucas quotes, interviews and videos - makes it hard to disprove.

Because - seeing as the films aren't about the Jedi, they're about Anakin and his own inner demons - we don't see enough of the Jedi's culture and lifestyle and day-to-day unless it directly relates to Anakin.

So George's very clear idea of how awesome the Jedi are is never truly conveyed or fleshed out and as a result they feel like a group of people who always say "no" to the protagonist. The flawed, passionate and more relatable (by contrast) protagonist.

We get glimpses of it in The Clone Wars, but then it's tarnished by the fact that the Jedi are at war.

Then there's the reads that could easily be disproved... had George been more explicit about what he was going for.

"The Jedi Council bully a 9-year-old." This read could've been avoided had the scene ended with the Jedi telling Anakin that being afraid is normal, but his fear must be conquered otherwise it'll lead to the Dark Side. Which, they do, but in a vague way rather one with a kind empathetic smile.

"Obi-Wan is always berating Anakin, their relationship is tense." The whole movie partially features an arc where their relationship is on the rocks, so removing the tension isn't an option. However, the interpretation that it's been like this for a decade (rather than recently because Anakin reunited with Padmé) could've been avoided if, instead of just a minute-long elevator scene, we maybe saw a set-piece of them on a mission, maybe showing them working in tandem and joking as they escape that nest of gundarks.

More could've been done to frame the Jedi in the positive light thy were meant to be seen under. But again: the movies aren't meant to be about the Jedi.

Though it seems that a lot of people wanted them to be. And maybe that explains the hate re: the Jedi.

Older audiences wanted to see Campbell's Hero they grew up with again, they had a preconceived notion that the Jedi would be wandering, exciting adventurers... instead they got a bunch of "stale" diplomats whose whole job is to avoid conflict and adventure.

So instead of taking the story for what it was - a movie for kids - they projected a "morally gray" narrative that said these characters were flawed and weren't how they were supposed to be in-universe, when the truth is they weren't happy with the characters they witnessed out-of-universe.

[justzawe]

I just came back from a VERY long Tumblr break. I was here during the peak of "hiddlestoner" mania- when Tumblr revolved around Marvel, Supernatural, Sherlock, and Dr. Who. I'm honestly not shocked at the level of delusion, racism, and sheer insanity some of these fans have exhibited when it comes to Tom and Zawe. I wish I could be surprised, but when I step back and look at the rise of Trumpism and idiots who are QAnon believers, it's not surprising that fans would twist themselves into knots to claim the baby isn't his and Zawe is holding him captive (or whatever psychotic shit they can come up with). They can be packed into the same looney bin as the QAnon people who believe we're getting injected with micro-chips and JFK Jr. is still alive to come back and assist Trump in a coup. Aside from the clear signs of neglected mental health, these people attempt to claim some sort of a delusional ownership over Tom. He will never go back to "pre-2016 Tom" you know why? Cause the "fandom" scared the fuck out of him and he realized he needed to protect himself and those he loved from the same crazies who claim to know what's happening in his private life but don't know the man from a can of paint. He's fiercely protecting his family from them because he recognizes they don't respect him or respect boundaries. I watched and listened as fan encounters grew increasingly aggressive and inappropriate. I could only imagine the fear/anxiety/discomfort he must have dealt with during some of the moments described in stories about these fan encounters. The absolutely unhinged behavior exhibited by the same lot of people who are attacking Zawe are the reason he will never return to pre-2016 Tom and I, for one, believe that's a good thing. I hope they continue to protect their privacy and peace as a family and I hope the conspiracy theory haters die mad about it.

This is so on point, anon.

You can really see how protective he is over Zawe when they’re in fan spaces. I think part of that is he wants to make sure she doesn’t get overwhelmed by the crowd since she’s mentioned experiencing anxiety in that setting before, but I definitely think it’s also because he knows how aggressive and unhinged his fans can be.

I’m thinking that after his fans went insane when he dated Taylor, he knew that if he was going to ever have something real and long lasting with someone, he was going to have to change the way he was with his fandom and the media. He’s still great with them, but you can see the difference. Good for him tbh. He has to protect his family.

[goncharov-propaganda-factory]

Mishapocalypse: what the-

Hey, former redditors! Welcome to the hellsite, we're all glad that you're here (especially you 196 folk you warm my dead, frozen heart). While on the whole you seem to be adapting AMAZINGLY fast to site culture, if any of you are confused over one of our founding myths this may help.

(or if you're a veteran tumblrina and just want to read an essay that's fine too)

(others key parts of our national identity to learn about if you're curious include Goncharov, I Love You, Color of the Sky, My Three Girlfriends, and many more)

also if you don't want to read my entire fucking essay take this and run

but if you want to know the deal with this man, read on!

Mishorigins

Supernatural is a 2000s-ass TV series that ran on the CW from 2005 to 2020. It's about two brothers, Sam and Dean Winchester, who are "hunters" that protect people from various supernatural entities. The show was originally planned to last five seasons, with an angel character named Castiel (this is important) slated to be revealed as God in the finale. Castiel (nicknamed Cass by the CW and Cas by objectively correct people) was introduced in S4.

left: Castiel, the gay angel of our collective dreams. right: Misha Collins.

The Man Behind the Mish

Misha Collins is a straight man who was forced by a cruel and uncaring god to play a heavily queer coded angel on a TV series intended for any demographic BUT gay teens (which is what it became). His performance as Castiel, and the large queer teen fanbase he drew, were a driving force behind a show would ultimately continue for three times longer its original plan.

I don't have anywhere else to put these facts so they go here

he was an intern in the Clinton administration during the Lewinsky scandal

he knows Tibetan throat singing

he was arrested for climbing onto a bank roof (he was trying to... read a book? 👀👀👀)

he probably made Jensen Ackles (the guy who played Dean less homophobic? Maybe?

he held a scavenger hunt called GISHWHES several times for his charity, Random Acts

cool guy

he later played Harvey Dent on Gotham Knights this very year (2023)

there's icebergs of this shit

he farted on an airplane once

Mishion: Impossible

April 1st, 2013 is a date that will live in mishinfamy. Tumblr a main hub of the SuperWhoLock fandom (a mega-fandom amalgamating Supernatural, Sherlock BBC, and Doctor Who), was the only place the Mishapocalypse could happen.

For boring deets I'll redirect you to the KnowYourMeme page but these images should sum it up.

left: a list of Tumblr users, circa 2013. right: a fine example of Misha culture

There are two takeaways here:

You cannot outrun Misha.

You will become him.

On April 1, 2013, a significant portion of Tumblr changed their avatar to the now-iconic Mishapocalypse photo and their handle to "Misha Collins", followed by similar waves of Mish across other social media sites.

above: the modern Prometheus

This beautiful event was emblematic of pre-Dashcon Tumblr, an era as far away from us now as 1200 AD was from 1208 AD. You'll be pleased to know that the Mishapocalypse returns every April 1st to grace these ancient halls, a small group of pilgrims tracing new paths on the well-worn floor of the Church of Misha.

(this isn't to say the Supernatural fandom is dead, it's just somewhat diminished from it's glory days.

Thanks for reading! Reblog if you liked. I'll leave you with a bunch of Mishimages of my own that I posted for Mishapocalypse 23 (the 10th anniversary). Shameless self-promotion!!!

in clockwise order:

The Mona Misha

Mishius

Misha's extra hour in the ball pit

The Mishian (with Mish Damon)

Future ideas include Salvator Misha. Feel free to ask any questions you have, and I hope you enjoy Tumblr.

Happy Mishing!

ps I have not actually watched supernatural you just learn all of this via osmosis

[timetragic]

Sherlock S3 Finale Idea pt 2.

So I've ditched the idea of the key, here is what I'm thinking. Starts Pre S2E3

Moriarty needs help to steal the crown

He asks Magnussen because Magnussen can pull strings

Magnussen wants something in return

Magnussen wants to take over/control of the country

Moriarty tells him how he can take over (aka manipulating Mycroft)

Magnussen learns Mycroft's weakness (aka Sherlock)

Magnussen helps Moriarty steal the crown. He also contacts Mycroft on what Moriarty could do

He helps Mycroft help Sherlock survive the fall (So he can manipulate him better)

Mycroft realizes Magnussen is about to do something bad, so he hides Sherlock and tells him to take down Moriarty's (Now Sebastian Moran's network)

(Also Sebastian Moran will be a character, but tbh he is more of like my OC, so he will probably be very out of character from the fandom. I got into this fandom pretty late, and well, yeah)

Sherlock is pretty much facing two issues at once during the 2 year-long gap. Sebastian Moran's network + Magnusen's Network

Magnusen is like trying to Capture Sherlock or something

Anyway, stuff happens, and Mycroft decides Sherlock would now be better off back in London.

Brief tangent to talk about Sebastian Moran

Sebastian Moran was Moriarty's second in command. He was also supposed to kill John in S2E3

Moriarty found him in the army, and convinced Sebastian to join him because

- Good Pay

- He gets to help the good criminals (He's kind of like Moriarty the Patriot in this regard) or so he thinks

- He gets the thrill of the chase

He respects Moriarty to a degree because of his smarts, but as time goes on, his respect lowers because of the horrible things Moriarty does, but he continues in his job because of the details above.

When Moriarty died, he took over.

He changed the network to focus more on helping good criminals Ig like in Moriarty the Patriot

He also needed someone to look over London while he focused on maintaining control and switching things up.

The person he hired was Mary

He gave Mary good pay, and a chance to just live a normalize life without fear.

However, someone out there (ehm Magnussen) still has Mary's blackmail, while Moran can protect her, it is only so much. The only way the threat will be gone would be if she confronts Magnussen.

Mary took the job

She met John, fell in love, Sebastian Moran was fine with it, as long as she still did her job, and things didn't get in the way

S3E1

S3E2

After S3E2, there will be a 2ish year long gap, so Rosie will be like 1.25 years old

Magnussen, during this time, needed to get more resources and form a better plan to take over.

I have somewhat of an idea how thw next part will play out, but I'm not for sure yet. Pretty much, similar events to S3E3, but with different turns, and hopefully more stakes. Down here is a plan I thought up, but it is very susceptible to change.

• Magnussen arrives to London cause his overall evil plan which is ________

• Sherlock hates Magnussen, so he goes to do something

• Sherlock gets behind because reasons.

• Mary shoots John in the leg

• Secrets get revealed.

• Magnussen escapes and abducts Mary

• Magnussen is closer to world domination.

End of part 1

• Magnussen already knew Mary was coming, but didn't expect John and Sherlock

• Mary got deliberately abducted by Magnussen

• Sebastian told Mary that he can find a way to remove her blackmail, but she gotta do something first.

• John is dealing with the aftermath

• Sherlock is dealing with the aftermath

• Mycroft is investigating, and he figures out Mary's current employer, Sebastian Moran

• Sebastian was Moriarty's right hand man. Also, the guy who was gonna shoot John

• Sebastian case mini

• Sebastian doesn't like Magnussen because he threatens the current way he wants to do things

• Sebastian finds Sherlock and John annoying.

• Sebastian has a plan to remove Mary's blackmail, while Mary is in abduction, and to hurt Magnussen's plans, but he sadly does need the help of Sherlock, and John

• They are so close to finishing their plan, and while Magnussen was stumped a bit at first, he was able to easily get things undercontrol, take the last piece he needed to Control London, and execute his plan.

• He kills Mary

• Magnussen plans to just change the hierarchy or social order of things, like a Dystopia.

• Sebastian still has a network, but it is severely damaged.

• Mycroft loses his Job.

• New Rules suck, They find it difficult to follow

• They get used to some of the rules.

• They work with other people to figure out what to do.

• They find a point of entry

• They start the arc

• High tension, Sherlock out smarts Magnussen by the end.

• Britain is restored

• Reformation happens.

• Epilogue part 1

• Epilogue part 2

I've thought of including Johnlock, but it might have to happen in a sequel story or in the epilogue. This will probably pre-slash.

So yeah, hopefully I continue progressing this story lol.

[j-femmescoli]

books i read in 2023

my goal was to read a book a week and while the timeline wasn't perfectly even, i did manage to get it to add up (and then some!). this year i focused on religion and philosophy as well as classics (of which im counting both as traditional "ancient or pre-modern famous and outstanding" types of books, but also famous more modern books). i also bolded some books that were really good in my opinion that have really stuck with me so if you are interested in the genre i'd suggest those

st joan by bernard shaw (play)

mary and your everyday life by bernard haring (theology)

theology of liberation by gustavo gutierrez (theology)

magnificat by elizabeth ruth obbard (theology)

piedras labradas by victor montejo (poetry)

the boy who was raised as a dog by bruce perry and maia szalavitz (psychology)

4 great plays by ibsen - the dollhouse, ghosts, the wild duck, and an enemy of the people by henry ibsen (plays obvi)

the night of the iguanas by tennessee williams (play)

being logical by dq mcinerny (idk sociology maybe? it was about recognizing and avoiding bad-faith arguments and logical fallacies)

the alchemist by paolo coelho (classics)

frankenstein by mary shelly (classics)

an american tragedy by theodore dreiser (classics)

is this wifi organic? by dave farina (idk how to classify this one either but it was also about recognizing bad-faith arguments, specifically when it comes to pseudoscience)

the nicaraguan church and the revolution by joseph muligan (theology, history)

catholic social teaching: our best kept secret by peter henriot, edward deberri, and michael schultheis (theology)

beowulf (classics)

sapiens by yuval noah harari (anthropology)

the church and the second sex by mary daly (theology)

mary in the new testament edited by raymond brown, karl donfried, joseph fitzmyer, and john reumann (theology)

a catholic devotion to mary by oscar lukefahr (theology)

1001 nights / arabian nights trans. sir richard burton (classics)

a house on mango street by sandra cisneros (poetry)

primary source readings in catholic church history edited by robert feduccia and nick wagner (theology)

doing faithjustice by fred kammer, sj (theology)

winds of change by isaac asimov (sci-fi)

the sound and the fury by william faulkner (classics)

una ciudad de la españa cristiana hace mil años by claudio sanchez-albornoz (history)

the glass menajerie by tennessee williams (play)

reinventing the enemy's language by joy harjo and gloria bird (indigenous women writers anthology)

the great gatsby by f scott fitzgerald *reread* (classics)

the bell jar by sylvia plath (classics)

the kite runner by khaled hosseini (classics)

one nation, under gods by peter manseau (history)

development as freedom by amartya sen (economic / political philosophy)

women in ministry: four views edited by bonnidell and robert g clouse (practical theology)

mother of god: a history of the virgin mary by miri rubin (theology / history)

a study in scarlet and the sign of four by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

adventures of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the casebook of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the valley of fear by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the memoirs of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the return of sherlock holmes by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the hound of the baskervilles by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

his last bow by sir arthur conan doyle (classics)

the fundamentals of ethics, fourth edition by russ shafer landau (philosophy)

dracula by bram stoker (classics) (yes i'm counting dracula daily)

desde mi silencio by carmen gomez (poetry)

happiness in this life, excerpts from the homilies of pope francis (theology)

the vigilante / the snake / the chrysanthemums by john steinbeck (classics)

quest for the living god by sister beth johnson *reread* (theology)

the adventures of tom sawyer by mark twain (classics)

the adventures of huckleberry finn by mark twain (classics)

the boys in the boat by daniel james brown (history)

and that's all folks, ending the year with some classics, plus my mom insisted i read the boys in the boat while im home for christmas because she wanted to see the movie lol. i got so many books for christmas so i'll be startin off strong next year too, and my goal is finishing my collection of john steinbeck, by which i mean obtaining as well as reading everything i can find by him. here's my list from 2022 and i'll see you next year

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi!! Do you maybe know of any fics that feature touch-starved Sherlock? Thank you so much in advance, and I hope you have an amazing day!

Hey Nonny!!

AHHH I DO, BUT it's in a combined list if that's okay???

And you're in luck, I'm short on a list this week, so I'm gonna also post you the second short list I have as well!! I hope you enjoy, even if it's not EXACTLY what you're looking for!!

As always friends, if you have something, please add them below!

TOUCHING / TOUCH STARVATION Pt 2

See also: Touching / Touch Starvation

Bond, Sherlock Bond! by macgyvershe (T, 631 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Kissing, Couch Cuddles, Sexy Talk with No Explicit Sex, Bond Night, Established Relationship) – John is doing a Bond-a-thon. Sherlock is ready for a night of movies and munchies. Washed down with Devil Mountain coffee. Eventually everything comes together in the best of ways.

The Skin Over My Heart by standbygo (E, 8,849 w., 1 Ch. || Post-Hiatus, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Dog Tags, Military, Homophobia, Gay Bashing, POV First Person Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Undercover, Haircuts, Flashbacks, Touching, Pining Sherlock, Hospitalization, Metaphors, Introspection, Hand Jobs, On the Couch, John’s Past, Angst with Happy Ending) – Sherlock and John are still trying to adjust to Sherlock's return from his hiatus when John's friend Bill Murray brings them a case. Someone is targeting the LGBTQA+ members of Bill's unit. John and Sherlock go undercover at the unit, but when they end up having to flirt to flush out the suspect, Sherlock realizes he's in over his head.

A Comprehensive Taxonomy of Tobacco-Ash by Silvergirl (E, 11,475 w., 2 Ch. || No TRF AU || Cranky Sherlock, Alternating POV’s, Self-Esteem Issues, Jealous John, Pining John, Confessions, First Kiss, Frottage, Bed Sharing, Sensuality, Cuddling, Touching) – A handsome academic approaches Sherlock about publishing his magnum opus on tobacco-ash in a prestigious scientific journal. Sherlock is quite flattered and flustered, and John’s nose is out of joint.In this little AU there is no Fall and no Mary. Instead, there is humor and smut. Truly a disproportionate amount of smut.

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

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.

Fade To Black by twistedthicket1 (M, 93,389 w., 29 Ch. || Split Personality Disorder / DID, Action, Romance, Violence, Implied Rape/Non-Con, BAMF John, Fluff and Angst, Baskerville, Human Experimentation, PTSD, Implied Self Harm, Trauma Amnesia, Past Child Sexual Abuse, Protective Sherlock, Smoking, Meddling Mycroft, Past Victor/Sherlock, Gay Sherlock, Sherlock’s Past, First Kiss/Time) – John Watson believes one day he'll just fade. That he'll drown in the black spaces of his mind, and that one day he will no longer exist. It's always been like this, the dark spots marking out moments in his life he can't remember. Where for just a moment he's someone else. Having a Dissociative identity disorder, he can't even be entirely sure he's really who he says he is. Then he meets Sherlock Holmes. A brilliant detective who when he looks at you can read your entire life story. John is immediately fascinated and afraid, half-wondering if maybe Sherlock can see the other personalities in him and half terrified of the thought of him finding out. Becoming his flatmate seems at once to be a wonderful and horrible idea. Yet as John's Blackouts become more and more severe and his other personalities begin to truly awaken and show themselves with Sherlock's help, the two soon discover that sometimes even the kindest person can harbour a demon best left untouched inside of them. Because not all of John's other personalities play nicely and some may be hiding secrets best left undisturbed...

Drawn to Stars by Silvergirl (E, 109,272 w., 60 Ch. || S4 Compliant to TLD / TFP Doesn’t Exist, Sherlock’s Italian Adventure, Sherlock/OC and Johnlock, Jealous John, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, First Kiss/Time, Idiots in Love, 3 Part Story, Slow Burn, Inexperienced Sherlock, Bottom Sherlock, Introspection, Multiple Alternating First and Third Person POV, Separation and Reconciliation, Emotional Love Making, Love Confessions via Letters, Angst with Happy Ending) – After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being.  Part 1 of the Drawn to Stars series

Sherlock Holmes Live by emilycare (E, 488,496 w., 73 Ch. || Theatre AU || Immersive Theatre, Romance, Slow Burn, Fake / Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Bisexual John, Demisexual Gay Sherlock, Alternating POV, Falling in Love, Eventual Case Fic, Soft Sherlock, Panic Attacks, Hurt/Comfort, Angst with Happy Ending, Pining John) –  Down on his luck John Watson answers an advert for a paid role in an experimental play. Enter William Scott with a most unusual proposition: help him test run a two person immersive experience, oh and by the way there is sex and romance involved.

[zarvasace]

Zarvasace's Four Swords Stuff

part 2

Vampire Lords AU

Appeared in Febuwhump 23, now a long series about the FS boys being vampires and running a town. Where you can find those almost-spicy Vidow bite fics

First appearance: 2-24-2023

Tag: #fs vampire lords au

Fic series on AO3

First pre- and post-vampire outfit doodles

Colored outfit references

More detailed refs for artfight

Red all cute, and Red again, Vidow dance, Vidow sitting down, Blue all cute,

various vampire doodles, more vampire doodles, some vidow bite doodles, licentious gummy bear doodle

Moodboards slash fun words 1, 2, 3

Fake anime screenshots of a bite fic quote

Spaceship AU

AKA "God-Shattering Star" AKA "All Your Tales Untold." A sci-fi AU involving BotW-inspired planets and a big old plot

First appearance: 12-29-2022

Tag: #fsa spaceship au

Fic series on AO3

First doodle, and first poster art

First planets art, accurate planets art and discussion

Still-evil Vidow doodle, Shadow art, Vidow dancing art

Fic chapter 2's dramatic art

Updated design references

Fake anime screenshots

80s AU

AKA "You Might Think I'm Crazy," AKA "I'd Pay Your Bail." A FS 80s AU focused on Vidow.

First appearance: 2-20-23

Tag: #80s au

Fic series on AO3

Cigarette comic, night sky doodle, scrunchie comic

BotW AU

AKA "Four More Champions." Where the Link is FS Link and draws the Four Sword instead of the Master Sword in BotW, and also Shadow is Yiga.

First appearance: 3-31-2023

Tag: #fs botw au

Fic series on AO3

Outfit references

Chilling on the Great Plateau art

Gathering supplies art

Poll

TotK doodles

Hyrule College of Practical Arts

Cozy boarding school magic setting, the fic was for December fluff prompts. Inspired somewhat by the mood of the Spielberg movie Young Sherlock Holmes

First appearance: 12-1-2022

Tag: #hcopa

Fic on AO3

Doodle of the boys

Art in front of the window, and a remaster

BNHA AU

What it says on the tin. Setting AU crossover with the anime My Hero Academia.

First appearance: 10-7-2023

Tag: #fs bnha au

First drawing

First doodles (and explanations)

First page of the mini-comic

Blood-Sucker's Guide to High School

Finished novel-length fic, setting AU crossover with the fun YA vampire novel Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst. Has expanded out to a modern-with-vampires-and-unicorns AU with a focus on Vidow and Malon/Zelda.

First appearance: 10-1-2023

Tag: #fs dsl au

AO3 fic series

Malon drawing

Cover art

Epilogue doodle

ATLA AU

Avatar AU made in conjunction with @/hey-adora :)

First appearance: 3-9-2024

Tag: #fs atla au

Art lineup

https://zarvasace.tumblr.com/post/750894758867648512/some-lil-sketch-comic-snippets-of-an-atla-au-some

Tumblr apparently HATES this link so you just get the URL

Not-These-AUs Vidow arts

1 (cozy)

2 (moonlight kiss)

3 (commission

4 (on the throne)

5 (Disney World vacation)

6 (kiss), 7 (goth)

8 (shadow's return)

9 (cozy again)

10 (makeup lesbians pose)

11 (on the balcony doodle)

12 (Wicked for Winter movie cover)

13 (girls art noveau kiss)

14 (kiss again)

15 (modern au kiss)

16 (mirror angst)

17 (trick or treat)

16 (modern au kiss #2)

17 (original world crossover au)

18 (goth club)

19 (vampire doodle)

20 (mirror selfie)

21 (apothecary doodle)

22 (valentines 24)

23 (red background doodle)

24 (lap doodle)

25 (anime-y)

26 (pretty boy has been found)

27 (top 10 anime betrayals)

28 (teef)

29 (ooh in the forest oooh)

Other Significant FS Things

Fake romance book covers (constant Vidow stuff)

Valentines 2023

Cult AU doodles

My "canon" designs, and some fun doodles for them

Vidow picrew for World Goth Day 2023

Four Swords Sanctuary art

Red AU outfit doodles, Blue AU outfit doodles

Coffee shop gang modern AU art

Vio idle animation

Mini vampire hunter comic, a gift

Vidow animatic

Red vampire/star wars art

All of the FS boys as mermaids, and the designs in various ship doodles

[sandcobangevent]

Please Don’t Say You Love Me

Written by @ratinavan, Illustrated by @silliestofg33sevik

Read Here on AO3

If this was how the podcast was going to end, so be it. Don’t let John be the one to stop it, obviously The Great Sherlock Holmes is just too good at what he does to want to associate with the likes of poor old John Watson. It doesn’t matter that he worked damn hard to get them where they were, it doesn’t matter that he hung onto every word that fell from the detective’s mouth, it doesn’t matter that he would throw his life away for that bastard man. None of it matters because the detective decided that the cases were the only thing that needed his consideration, the only thing that warranted even a scrap of his attention.

John had done everything, everything for this man. He followed that tall silhouette wherever it may go for weeks, months, God! He had watched that back for nigh on a year and what did he get in return? Abandoned, kicked to the curb like he was a bloody dog - homeless, broke, and heartbroken. Sherlock is- no, was , his everything. His reason to keep going after being shipped back from Ukraine, his reason to get up in the morning, his reason to not grab as many of those stupid chemical experiments and shove them down his throat when his own mind got too harsh. All of this - all of this - and it got him the sum total of nothing. His dedication, his life, his everything, had been turned away in disgust by the detective.

“Sherlock I-”

“I don’t want to hear it, Watson. I wish to end our acquaintance here, you may have a week to find alternative lodgings.”

The blood rushing past John’s ears at this moment was definitely unhealthy, but he was too busy trying to both stay upright and prevent himself from vomiting all over the living room floor. What had he done to deserve this, you may wonder? Well, the answer was simple. He had believed that Sher- Holmes would reciprocate, or at least not hate him for, his feelings toward the younger man.

Oh how wrong he was.

That conversation had been dreadful . There was no screaming or shouting. There had been no objects thrown. Just a curled lip and quiet scorn, both of which hurt more than if there had been physical retaliation. So now here he was, shoving his meagre belongings into his duffle bag and attempting to plan his next steps now that his life was over. He had already convinced Mariana to continue to care for Archie - if he was going to be out of a steady home for a while, he was in no position to give the poor boy the life he deserved. She had tried to say no, tried to convince him that this was just one of Holmes’ black moods and he would never truly wish him to leave. It was no use. She hadn’t seen the look on his face after the confession, the deep-rooted hatred that surfaced from seemingly nowhere. 

Maybe the detective had never liked John as much as he had assumed, maybe he was just tolerating him to fill the hole of a companion -  someone to worship the ground he walked on. Well. Not anymore. John was leaving, he refused to live with someone who had such an issue with his sexuality.

Did he feel like shite? Yes. Was he going to miss everything that they had developed in the past years? Absolutely. But he could already tell that his mental health was taking a nosedive back to pre-221B levels and he refused to sit around and let Holmes witness his downfall. If that meant leaving everything and running away? Fine, he’d rather be a coward than a cripple.

Sherlock was busy running through another one of the menial experiments that he was using in an attempt to push all thoughts of Wat- John from his mind. It had been just shy of a week since the Doctor had disappeared from the flat and the detective had devoted himself to his work. Eating, resting, anything that wasn’t one of his experiments had been thrown to the wayside and were only partaken under the scornful gaze of Mrs Hudson.

Sherlock knew why she disapproved, he knew that he had messed up by rejecting John, by doing anything other than falling at his feet and assuring him the feeling was reciprocated. He should have screamed it from the rooftops, posted it in the papers, told anyone and everyone that would have listened. But he didn’t. Instead, he had emotionally broken the best man the world had ever given him. He had done it without a second thought and with the ease that came only from someone as self-assured and arrogant as himself.

As he continued to experiment, his phone began to ring from its place on the coffee table. As usual, he ignored it as the ringtone indicated that it wasn’t the Yard calling. If Lestrade didn’t have a new case for him, he was in no mood to talk. Leaving the call to ring out, he turned his attention back to the samples, however, much to his dismay the phone began ringing again. An irritated sigh escaped his lips, but he made no move to answer it. After three more rings, Mariana barged through the door to 221B with a face like thunder.

“Dios mio, Sherlock! If you aren’t going to answer it, at least leave it somewhere so that it doesn’t echo down to my flat!” The woman stomped over to the phone and picked it up, “Hello, how can I help?” A pause, “He’s here, can I ask who is speaking, please? My name is Mariana, I’m… his flatmate.”

Presumably, the person on the other end replied. Sherlock spotted Mrs Hudson turning to look at him from the corner of his eye - she had gone pale, so pale the detective thought she might faint. 

“Sit down, Mrs Hudson, and hand me the phone.” Sherlock guided her down onto the sofa and pried his mobile from her trembling hands.

“Hello? Sherlock Holmes speaking.” He was now invested in what could have caused such a reaction from the usually strong-willed woman, almost like a pseudo-case.

“Oh, hello, Mister Holmes. My name is Miss Haye and I’m calling from Saint Bartholomew’s Hospital.” Well, this was unusual, how did Saint Bart’s end up with his number? Why would they need to be calling him?

“I see, and what do you need from me? Scotland Yard usually contacts me directly if there is a body that needs examining.” 

“Unfortunately, Sir, this is not a business call. I’m calling regarding Mr John Watson? You’re listed as his emergency contact and he was admitted late last night after being fished out of the Thames in what we presume was a suicide attempt.” Sherlock understood now why Mrs Hudson reacted the way she did. He was sure that he was in much the same state. He reached out behind him to steady his way to sitting, not trusting his legs to support him for the rest of the phone call.

“O-Okay.” He coughed, rueing the tremble in his voice, “Is he still there? What is his condition? Is he allowed visitors?” The questions continued to fall from his mouth in quite possibly the worst case of word-vomit he had ever experienced.

The guilt Sherlock was feeling was insurmountable, this was his fault. If he had just been honest with John rather than prioritising his image of stone this all could have been avoided. Why could he not just admit that John’s affection scared him - Sherlock was so worried about disappointing his podcaster that he immediately shut down any chance of a relationship. He had let John leave, blocked his number, and denied him any chance of contact with him in a fit of unexplainable terror.

“Yes, Mister Holmes, he is available for visitors but he is currently unconscious so may not be responsive by the time you arrive if you plan on coming over immediately.” Sherlock jumped, he had almost forgotten about the woman over the phone. He was quick to finish up the conversation, assuring her that they would be there promptly before hanging up the call.

“What have I done?” Sherlock murmured into his fist, staring at his phone. He navigated over to his contacts and, after a steadying breath, unblocked John’s contact and put his phone face-down on the table.

Immediately, the tone of John’s messages began to come through one after another after another. Each ping of the phone, each vibration against the table only worked to further embed the spear of guilt further into Sherlock’s chest. Nothing had ever gotten to the detective as acutely as this had. He knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t help himself. He picked up the phone and read the texts.

John: Why did you have to hate me, was my love really that horrible?

John: I miss you, y’know? And I miss Archie and Mariana…

John: I don’t know what to do with myself now, and my phone is going to die soon

John: Not easy to charge your phone on the streets haha

John: I’m sorry, I wish I had never said anything. If I could take it all back, I would.

John: I won’t bother you anymore, I love you, I’m sorry.

Sherlock barely made it through the first messages before his eyes clouded over and tears were carving paths down his cheeks. The consequences of his inconsiderate actions were finally starting to unravel, and he would have to do some serious legwork to even begin fixing what he had done.

The next hour felt more like a daze. Both Sherlock and Mariana managed to flag down a cab and direct it to Saint Barts, all without really registering doing any of it. Climbing out of the cab and approaching the front desk, the woman from the phone directed them to the correct ward with a small smile, informing them that John had woken up just five minutes prior so may still be groggy.

This news spurred the pair of them to hurry in the correct direction, only getting lost once on their way there. When they finally made it to the door of John’s room, Sherlock stopped short, hesitating just before the door could open. “I- I don’t think I can do this Mrs- no, Mariana. I don’t deserve to see him like this, you should go in without me.”

Mariana grabbed him by the shoulders and forced him to look her in the eye. “You listen to me, Sherlock Holmes. You will go into that room, you will face your best friend, and you will tell him how unimaginably sorry you are, AND you will tell him about your feelings. Those are the reasons we’re in this position in the first place.” The no-nonsense tone was enough to force him through the door, stopping a couple of paces inside and locking gazes with the groggy Doctor.

His hair was a mess, his usually well-kept facial hair was now much less flattering than usual, the bags under his eyes were several times the size they should be, and the amount of weight he had lost in just over a week was more than concerning. John’s softer belly was one of Sherlock’s favourite things to admire - it was both effective at disguising his underlying strength and at being the best replacement for Sherlock’s hugging machine.

  When John met Sherlock’s eyes, the only thing that escaped his mouth was, “I’m sorry…” The doctor looked so small on that hospital bed and now he was apologising?

“ Stop . Just… stop, John.” Sherlock could feel the tears building again. He looked at John, and slowly made his way towards the hospital bed. “Words can never describe the disaster that your loss would have caused me. I may-” He choked on his words, “I may be a genius, but I am also a colossal imbecile, an idiot, the worst man on Baker Street. Believe me when I say that I would never have wished this on you. I would never have wanted you to take your own life, especially not over me .” He was sobbing at this point, fallen to his knees at John’s bedside and trying to put the sheer pain of his agony into words.

“I-” Sherlock hesitated, debating on whether he should continue. A swift kick to the back from Mariana set him to rights and he carried on, “I love you, John Watson.” The pair locked eyes, suspended in time for what felt like an eternity, shame in the gaze of one and disbelief in the gaze of the other.

“Why would you say that to me, Sherlock? After everything that’s happened, why would you taunt me like this?” The doctor was crying now as well, salty tears following well-worn paths down his cheeks and neck. He raised his hands, in practice to wipe away his emotions, but truthfully it was more out of a child-like need to hide. The detective held his heart in his hands - the ability to crush or care hanging in the balance.

The detective rose, “No, no, John. You must believe me, I am not lying to you now. I see how utterly foolish I was to push you away to try and save face - I should never have thought myself above feelings, especially not your own. I will do whatever it takes to reassure you that my words are the truth, I would throw myself at your feet for another chance at us. Please, hear my words and try to find it within yourself to give me another chance. I love you, John Hamish Watson, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my days.”

Sherlock’s world narrowed to nothing but John, the look in his eyes, the words that may leave his mouth.

“You, Sherlock Holmes, are the biggest bastard to walk this Earth.”

His stomach plummeted.

“Get up here and kiss me you git.”

[dracomort]

who's cecilia 👀

For the ask game

So, Cecilia is Tom Riddle Sr's lady friend (perhaps fiancée) as seen in HBP. This fic is written from her perspective, where, while doing charity work, she happens upon a young boy in an orphanage who shares her ex-fiancé's name and appearance. This leads her and Tom Sr to become reacquainted, resulting in canon divergence. I have written 10k or so of it, but I'm not sure how much I'll keep as I think a lot of this pre-Merope writing can be boiled down to a couple of scenes. I'm also still working out characterisation for Tom Sr and Cecilia as they're almost OCs with the amount we know about them.

A scene:

“He’s the spitting image of you,” Cecilia marvelled, looking between the solemn little face in the photograph and Tommy reading a book in the very same chair, his feet just as far from the floor.

“Yes,” Tom said. He looked conflicted—a strange mixture of pride and anxiety. “But who’s to say that we’ll look the same when he grows older.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he remained identical. The resemblance is uncanny,” Cecilia said, assuming his concern was Tommy taking after his unsightly mother. She nudged his shoulder with her knee and smiled. “The same handsome face as his father.” It came out more flirtatious than she had intended. Without thinking she had spoken to him as she would have when they were at Cambridge together. But they no longer had that intimate relationship.

Before the embarrassment could take hold, Tom was speaking again. He didn’t look appeased by her words; if anything, his expression had grown more troubled. “Perhaps it would suit him better to be plainer.”

Cecilia was surprised that he would say that of a son. She could imagine herself thinking it, if she had a daughter with Tommy’s cherubic, doll-like features. Knowing well the unwanted attention that would come frighteningly early in childhood. Never had she thought that a boy might suffer the same disadvantage, nor had she ever the impression that Tom was displeased with his own features. But Tom would know better than her, she was sure. Besides, she knew nothing of the past half-decade of his life. They were all but strangers to each other.

Tommy shut the book with a loud snap.

“What did you think?” Tom asked, jovial again, poor mood forgotten.

Tommy glared at him and scuttled off to hunt down more books between the narrow aisles of the library. Strange creature, Cecilia thought. She wondered if all children were as odd as Tommy. She’d scarcely spent any time with them since she was one.

He returned a short while later with a stack of nine books including, Cecilia noted, the novel that he’d just finished reading. Much to her surprise, he plopped himself down on the floor beside his father and set them all out.

SHERLOCK HOLMES was embossed in gold on the leather of each book.

“You’ve read all of these,” Tom said, glancing curiously down at the titles.

“I hate them,” Tommy said without preamble. “They’re all cheats.”

“Cheats?” Tom repeated, sounding amused. “How so?”

“You can’t solve the mysteries before Holmes in almost all of them. I’ve checked. They keep too much a secret. That’s cheating.”

It was the most Cecilia had ever heard him talk. That he was entirely ignoring her existence did not escape her notice. Perhaps he spoke more to his father when she wasn’t there? It was only now that she observed his accent—the coarse twist of his vowels, the careful emphasis that he placed on the ‘h’ in Holmes so as to not drop it like other Cockneys. It surprised her. Her impression of Tommy had never been of an image-conscious child but, in this regard, it seemed he was.

“I suppose that’s true,” Tom said. Cecilia knew that he had little interest in fiction. She doubted he’d ever engaged critically with a novel in his life—compulsory English classes exempted. His preferred form of entertainment was the latest edition of Reviews of Modern Physics or, on occasion, visiting the pictures to watch Charlie Chaplin fall down thirty times.

[quotablefanfiction]

“Cuppa, Mycroft?” “No!” Sherlock snapped. “John, if you feed it, it will never go away!”

Sherlock apparently believes his brother is a stray cat (chp. 1)

The Return by durgasdragon (AO3) Sherlock – Teen – pre Sherlock Holmes/John Watson #Alternate Universe #Canon Divergence #Romantic Undertones #Post-Reichenbach

“Now John, while I agree that is an appropriate response—” Mycroft started to say, but John spun and punched him in the nose, as hard as he could.

Post-Reichenbach. A retelling of ‘The Empty House’.

[sygneth]

I wrote another one! I am rereading 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes' and have had so many thoughts about the post-Reichenbach interactions between Holmes and Watson..... Really, they've been in my head 24/7 and wouldn't let me sleep if I didn't put this on paper.

Details:

Length: 2173 words Rating: General Audiences Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson Additional Tags: Post-Hiatus, Post-Reichenbach, Sherlock Holmes is Bad at Feelings, POV John Watson, Gen or Pre-Slash, Victorian Sherlock Holmes, Past Mary Morstan/John Watson, (mentioned) - Freeform, Angst with a Happy Ending, not like rainbows and unicorns happy but it gets okay, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, i made them talk, Story: The Adventure of the Empty House

Summary: "An incredible ability of the human brain, no matter how lousy a man feels over the day, in the night he will feel lousier." Holmes and Watson are back in their old chambers at Baker Street. The night comes, and so do the dark thoughts (but if there's anything to make them pass away, that's a good middle-of-the-night talk).