#whether watson is gay or not

[dog-botherer]

Ok why did no one tell me how gay the original Sherlock Holmes stories are. I though BBC Sherlock was just gay out of nowhere, I didn’t realise it was just following the source material

[queeringclassiclit]

Sherlock Holmes & John Watson

from the Sherlock Holmes series by Arthur Conan Doyle

[super-who-locked-me-in-here]

Pieces of media my mom has seen and the popular MLM ships in them that she doesn't think are gay:

MCU - Stucky (note that she does get a kick out of Stony stuff and she believes wholeheartedly that those two hate fucked in a not-filmed scene of Avengers 2012 so this is not about her thinking "oh Captain America is so straight-laced because he's the ideal American man" or anything)

MCU - Poolverine (she's fully aware and accepting of the fact that both Logan and Wade are canonically queer characters but she thinks all the flirting Wade did with Logan in the newest movie didn't necessarily mean anything because "he talks like that to everyone". Side note though: while she believes Wade should be with Vanessa, she does think that Logan can and should shoot his shot with Wade after Vanessa inevitably dies since he and Wade are both immortal. It's just that she thinks Wade should get his happy ending with Vanessa first.)

MCU - Lokius ("Mama have you ever seen a man fix another man's tie like that" "No but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen! I wouldn't know though; it's been like 15 years since I worked a corporate job.")

Sonyverse/Marvel - Symbrock ("They literally have a symbiotic relationship. That doesn't make them gay." So I showed her the comics where Eddie calls Venom "love" and gives birth to Venom's babies and she said "Fine you win but please never show me alien man birth ever again."

Supernatural - Destiel ("They're like Steve and Bucky! They're brothers in arms! They've been through hell and back together!" Note that she only watched through season 5 but she does know about a lot of their later interactions because I told her about them)

House M.D. - Hilson ("Dot I watched that whole show and they were never anything more than good friends" "What about when House admitted to thinking about Wilson during sex? What about that whole episode where they pretended to be gay for each other to prove a point to a neighbor and Wilson proposed? What about that whole episode where Wilson had to furnish the apartment and House told him not to let a woman tell him what to do but Wilson let House tell him what to do? What about the whole ending?" "Why can't two men just be close enough friends to joke about that stuff with each other?"

Real life - Me and my best friend of the same gender orientation who I've kissed multiple times and have had a requited crush on for years that neither of us have ever persued for logistical reasons (I literally used me and this friend to try and prove my mom wrong about Stucky and Destiel. I asked her if she thought me and this friend were like brothers and she said yes with a straight face)

Sherlock - Johnlock (to be fair this is the BBC ship name, but she doesn't think any iteration of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are the slightest bit gay. "They're business partners and roommates.")

Our Flag Means Death - BlackHands (Should go ahead and say that I'm not really a BlackHands shipper myself; we both really enjoyed Stede and Ed's romance in the show. BUT it takes so much away from Izzy's character and his development if you don't acknowledge that he was jealous of Stede and in love with Ed, at least a little. My mom thought Izzy was just an extremely loyal first mate.)

Also, for the record, I'm not trying to call my mom out as homophobic. I'm queer and so are two of my siblings and she's very supportive of us. There are gay romcoms she enjoys like Our Flag Means Death and Red, White, and Royal Blue. The reason I'm making this list is because I think it's really funny how she doesn't understand the concept of queerbaiting (not that all of the above listed ships are queerbaiting). She thinks things are either explicitly straight or explicitly queer (whether it's gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc) and cannot comprehend the idea that some character relationships are deliberately pushing the boundaries of straight friendships into queer relationships to get more minority viewers and I think her explanations are funny.

[thoughtlessthinkythoughts]

As we celebrate public domain day and the start of Letters from Watson, I just want to say....

All queer Holmes headcanons are good.

All of them are meaningful to a multitude of people, and everyone finally has free reign to explore them in published works.

And I want to see all of them. They aren't in competition with each other.

I love explorations of what it would be like to be gay in Victorian society and all of the intricate historical connections people make. Both the painful ones and the ones that say fuck it, let's show some joy.

I love when characters are allowed to be bisexual and all of their relationships are treated with respect. I love when Watson gets to love Mary and Holmes, and when this isn't made out to be some competition.

I love aro and/or ace Holmes, and I beg certain corners of the fandom to remember that these explorations are not the same as simply not addressing the subject of Holmes' sexuality. They are so much more, and these interpretations are fundamentally queer. I love explorations of what it means for a queerplatonic partnership to be the most important relationship in someone's life, especially when they don't have the words to explain it.

I love explorations of Sherlock Holmes and gender. Whether it is someone concealing their gender to play a certain role in society or it is an exploration of being trans historically. All possibilities have something different and interesting to say.

Sherlock Holmes and the relationship between Holmes and Watson appeals to so many of us for a reason, and there are so many stories we can tell. There are so many ways authors can now say "I have always seen myself in this. Let me show you why." There is no limit.

I guess what I'm saying is this. Sherlock Holmes is now legally allowed to be kind and compassionate (and treat female characters well).

Here's to fandom doing the same.

[lisbeth-kk]

Sherlock fandom.

Urban Life

Being London born and bred, she knew the city’s sounds by heart. Cars honking or backfiring. Large groups of tourists chatting and laughing in the famous sites of the city. Shouts and arguments from the pubs. Swans and ducks cackling in St. James’s Park. They were all a part of her, which became apparent every time she visited her grandparents in the countryside. 

As a little girl, she slept through everything, sound or no sound, but as she grew older, she had trouble falling asleep without all the bustle from the streets of her beloved city. It used to pass after a day or two, though.

When she was nine, her teacher gave the class an assignment about sounds, smells, or tastes and what one or more of them, reminded the children of.

She asked her father for advice on what she should choose, or whether she should go with all the subjects.

“It’s really up to you, love,” John said. “Perhaps avoid the smells. You know far too many disgusting ones that might be difficult to explain. And your teacher might think you’re exaggerating and making things up.”

He looked over at his husband who were currently measuring something green with…well, something foul smelling.

Rosie’s papa didn’t notice any of this, because his sole focus was on the delicate experiment that could solve the case he was investigating.

“Yeah, I think I will go for the sounds,” Rosie said after a few moments.

“Good decision,” John praised just as steam rose from Sherlock’s concoction, and a terrible stench made John and Rosie run to the sitting room and open both windows while coughing loudly.

***

Rosie’s teacher was not entirely satisfied with her assignment. She made her stay in the classroom after she had excused the other children.

“This task was supposed to be truthful and not fictional,” she said.

“I know that. And it is,” Rosie protested. 

“You can’t seriously mean that police sirens and lights remind you of your parents and your uncle.”

“Why not? It’s the truth.”

“I refuse to have a lying pupil in my class! I’ve called your father and he will be here any minute, so we can solve this,” the stubborn teacher said.

Rosie rolled her eyes and wanted to tell her teacher, who was new, that calling John or Sherlock would do nothing to help the woman’s cause.

As it where, both her parents came to their precious girl’s rescue, and left a befuddled and slightly dazed teacher in their wake.

“How was I supposed to know that her parents are the famous detective and that doctor, and that the uncle is a DI at the Met?” she complained to one of her colleagues later.

She didn’t get much support.

“If you hadn’t been so reluctant to learn the kids’ surnames, you wouldn’t have found yourself in this mess. Watson-Holmes is a dead giveaway in my book,” the colleague grinned. 

@flashfictionfridayofficial @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @helloliriels

@raina-at @meetinginsamarra @safedistancefrombeingsmart @gregorovitch-adler @topsyturvy-turtely

@jolieblack @peanitbear @phoenix27884 @bs2sjh @brandiwein1982

@meandhisjohn @a-victorian-girl @221beloved @ninasnakie @shy-bi-letsfuckingdie

@lhrinchelsea @missdeliadilisblog @salmonsown @oetkb12 @jawnscoffee

@gay-ass-bitch @acumberlockedgirl @williamholmeswatson

(Tell me if you want to be tagged or removed from the list)

[the-lgbtqsmp]

reminder:

ccPhil is NOT qPhil

don't ship ccs with each other, that's weirdge

really, for any cc, as long as you don't shove shit in their faces, it's fine! there will always, inevitably, be something that a cc (or a viewer) would rather not see

so, don't like = don't interact = block if you need to

qPhil, whether you think romantically or just as a friend, is in love with qMissa. qPhil has expressed so much sentiment and is so patient with qMissa. So, let them be gay. Let ccPhil decide what he wants to do with his own character, and don't worry about how other people will interpret it

so,

if Phil didn't want us to ship his cubito with Missa's cubito, then why he act down bad for him 🤨 🤨

p.s. one google search says "Kristin Rosales Watson"

[i-dont-talk-for-days-on-end]

important subtext: Jeremy Brett smoked 60 cigarettes a day and went out of his way to break nonsmoking area rules to do it

Mr Brett what do you think you're confirming here

(I think this was about this post - sorry, my notifications don't work.)

Oh yes, absolutely! Another piece of important context is that Jeremy Brett left his first wife for a man, and was in a relationship with actor Gary Bond from 1969 to 1976.

Now, I do not think that you can necessarily say that because Jeremy was a queer man, he had to play a queer Holmes. But I am sure that -when he thought about whether or not he thought that Holmes was queer for himself - he came up with a better explanation than 'He and Watson couldn't kiss because of the smoking'. I mean, this man made up an elaborate headcanon about Holmes's childhood to understand how to play him. Personally, I think that he probably saw Holmes as too isolated and emotionally repressed to act on any feelings he might have had for anyone. He has this wonderful friendship with Watson who by some miracle (and lots of patience, I'm sure) just understands him, and who doesn't even marry in the Granada adaption. It is perfectly clear the are 'exclusive', in every way the viewer choses to interpret their relationship. They are together and they always will be. (Oh no, now I'm thinking of the Lost Beekeeping Footage again ...)

I also think that Jeremy often was uncomfortable because he felt Holmes and he were very different and he struggled to get him 'right', and at the same time that Holmes was coming too 'close' and took over too much of Jeremy. I think there is a possibility that Jeremy deliberately tried to separate his own experiences and feelings from what he believed Holmes to have experienced and felt.

When he made that reply about the pipe, I think it is relatively certain he came up with that on the spot. It is clear that he could not have said 'Yes, I think Holmes and Watson are gay' without causing a massive scandal which would not only have meant trouble for Granada, but also journalists digging through his private life. In that light, it was possibly even brave to say "I think it's unlikely" and "If it cheers the gays up I'm thrilled". I think it was possibly necessary to frame it as a joke, first by citing David's "Well, we're not" and then by coming up with that stuff about smoking.

But it does look a bit suspicious from a man who has been chainsmoking throughout the whole interview, I agree. ;)

[remuslupinslefteyebrow]

The Infantilisation of Aziraphale and Why It’s Such An Awful Thing.

Hii there, I'm Teddy and um this is my yap because this is a very close to my heart subject as you probably will be able to tell upon reading. Sorry if theres any repeated points or errors, I did my best to edit it. Anyways, enjoy! <3

The infantilisation of Aziraphale undermines his whole personality as an age old being, one who is incredibly powerful, strong, and intelligent. Far from infantile, he's made rational decisions and at times let his emotions influence them, yes, but this is no way an excuse to chalk him down to childish. Infantilising Aziraphale also jeopardises his relationship with Crowley, someone just as old and intelligent as he is, yet he is rarely infantilised. Although Aziraphale’s decisions may be more ‘pure’ than Crowley's, influenced by his ideas of rules and obligation, pushed on him from his very creation, they don't display naivety or the foolishness depicted in many infantile decisions. (for the most part)

People often infantilise him to purposefully further the effeminate, ‘cutesy’ stereotype of gay men, specifically gay men that don't necessarily conform to society's very strict beauty constructs whether it be through age, appearance, nationality, disabilities all these things can affect it. 

A lot of gay men face either infantilisation or hypersexualisation and the way some of the good omens fandom treats Crowley and Aziraphale is exactly this stereotype.

They strip down the personalities of crowley and Aziraphale to something that may be only  a small fraction of their personality, like Aziraphale’s softness being turned into this shy, mouse of a person, relying on crowley for everything, helpless, pathetic, crowley’s sometimes suave, cool manner turning him into a ice-cold, smooth-talking often masochistic alpha male fucking sex god. Neither of them are these things. 

The fandom also tends to deliberately remove Crowley's femininity which historically has been a large part of his character, just look at his portrayals throughout the years. Like why? All for the sake of some Colleen Hoover style fuck boy?? Hell to the fucking no.

They often turn Crowley into a total slut as well, mindless and perpetually horny, neither of those things is he, especially not mindless. He’s proven himself to be clever, cunning and wily, as per his demonic heritage, but tends to do things a little…. Undemonically. 

Oh well.

Aziraphale’s femininity, his softness and joy, his purity isn't an excuse to reduce him down to singularly those things. He is a well rounded character, with so many layers of personality and history and all these things that if you take away these elements it's no longer Aziraphale. It might as well be someone’s random OC. (well technically he’s Neil Gayma- ahem i mean Gaiman’s oc but yk elementary, my dear Watson)

The points people tend to zone in on in their quest to baby their dear sweet Aziraphale who ‘must be protected at all costs’ are usually these:

His innocence, particularly about human culture (though admittedly he knows more about certain things than even crowley does)

His love of soft, sweet things

His emotional dependence on crowley

is reluctance to rebel against authority

His politeness

People forget Aziraphale is completely capable of defending and taking care of himself. He’s not your ‘uwu soft boy’ who needs to be looked after. No, he’s far from that. The whole ‘infantilisation thing’ is also just an excuse to dumb down and baby gender-nonconforming people which in itself is atrocious. As my very good co-writer Kris said, he’s “the angel of the fucking eastern gate for crying out loud.” He wields a flaming sword, can produce strong miracles and can resist temptation. Oh, did I mention he also helped avert a whole FUCKING APOCALYPSE??? AS IN. END OF THE WORLD. FIRE AND BRIMSTONE. OH NO, BOOHOO, WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE TYPE APOCALYPSE?????????? HMM?

HIS KINDNESS IS ALSO WORTH NOTING.

He's also proven himself to be perfectly capable of making his own decisions with his own mind, has proven himself to have a conscience, a strong sense of right and wrong that he formed partly alone, sometimes deviating from heavens set ‘code’ for beliefs and behaviour, has proven himself to be able to deal with the guilt and confusing emotions (to a certain degree) that come alongside with finding yourself deeply involved with someone that you know the very institution that created you despises. 

Aziraphale’s sense of fashion and general propriety  also furthers the ‘effeminate’ stereotype, making him seem overly vain and prudish, he can be these things, he can sometimes even be petulant, but this further proves his well rounded character as being shown to display a wide range of emotions.

Using direct quotes from the book here are some lines people may use to zone in on Aziraphale’s femininity, and then of course, you find another reason for his infantilisation. (Women are dumbed down and infantilised, OBVIOUSLY.)

Aziraphales effeminate qualities:

“Aziraphale spread his elegantly-manicured hands.”

“Tartan is stylish.” 

“Angels had certain moral standards to maintain and so, unlike Crowley, he preferred to buy his clothes rather than wish them into being from raw firmament. And the shirt had been quite expensive.”

“Many people, meeting Aziraphale for the first time, formed three impressions: that he was English, that he was intelligent, and that he was gayer than a tree full of monkeys on nitrous oxide.”

Aziraphale has also been shown to be able to be thoughtless, careless and at times even selfish. 

In season one, a dove used for magic dies in his coat pocket due to his thoughtlessness, though he ressurects it soon after its discovery. 

I ALSO FUCKING FUCKING FUCKING DESPISE WHEN PEOPLE TWINKIFY AZIRAPHALE.

LIKE.

WHY.

His appearance goes hand in hand with his character. It HIGHLIGHTS elements of his character. He’s gluttonous. A quality we shouldn’t really see in an angel, but regardless we do. Because of this quality, he's plump. And? This doesn't affect his personality or character and is in fact still essential to it. 

His vanity affects his appearance greatly. He’s said to have soft hands, ‘neatly manicured’. He typically doesn’t grow facial hair, opting for a clean shaven rather cherubic appearance. We know he greatly prides himself on his clothes, keeping them in pristine condition for hundreds of years, taking painstaking care with them. We see him greatly disappointed in season one when his jacket is shot by a paintball and he’s reluctant to wash or even magically remove it because he’ll ‘still know it’s there’, so in the end Crowley removes it for him, after which Aziraphale seems quite satisfied. He doesn’t mention about ‘knowing it’s still there’. Gay much.

We keep seeing qualities in Aziraphale that aren’t usually typical or desirable in an angel, adding more layers to his character and personality. If he didn’t have these things, he’d be like any other angel we see. 

These angels aren’t necessarily cruel, or callous, or mean. They have no concept of such things. They simply follow orders to the extent they do not question or care what the thing is they’re being ordered to do. They don’t have an internal moral battle over whether this is right or wrong. They don’t believe that their actions could possibly be wrong or misguided because they literally take God at his every word. Get an order, complete it. Simple as that. 

It’s because of the traits he’s developed by himself over time that make him so likeable. Do you honestly think he’d be popular at all without these things? Then how can he be stripped of these things so frequently people are starting to forget his original character completely? It’s such a shame.

In fact he really isn’t a very good angel at all. He’s far too human. But you see, that’s what makes him so powerful. He does have a conscience. It influences him. He has a sense of right and wrong. He rebels, because he thinks. He thinks and therefore he decides things are wrong. And he decides not to obey those things.

Off topic as I round my points up:

In reference to the appearance quirks of the angels, someone in a reddit post three years ago (user has been deleted) put it wonderfully:

“I believe that the gold make-up and highlights on Uriel and Michael’s face, Sandalphon’s diamond-studded grill with a crucifix, and Gabriel’s violet eyes were design choices to communicate their ethereal natures to the audience.

The way they did this with Aziraphale are his white outfits, gold angel themed jewellery, the cherubic curls, but most of all, his halo. The director put a lot of effort into always backlighting Aziraphale’s blond hair to give the appearance of a halo, as well as placing him in well lit areas. The result is that Aziraphale practically glows in every scene he’s in. Michael Sheen put a ton of light into Aziraphale’s smile as well, in a way probably no other actor could have done.

If we’re going to settle on something as an ethereal quirk for Aziraphale, it’s his radiance.”

Anyways, thank you so much for reading this giant yap, I’m very honoured. 

anyways gang this is the other half of this post written by my very good friend, Kris. ( @anth0ny-c0wl3yy )

Enjoy! <3

[ogsherlockholmes]

After all the discourse over whether Watson was a woman (thanks Rex Stout), if Holmes was a trans man, if they’re both gay men, one day ACD is going to rise from the dead and say ‘they’re both lesbian girls, duh’

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Five Fics Friday: January 12/24

Happy Friday everyone!! I hope you had a wonderful week, and are ready to enjoy some more fic recs to get you started on the weekend! Enjoy!!

RECENTLY BOOKMARKED

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

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...

MARKED FOR LATER

Hand Me the Salt, Love? by topsyturvy_turtely (G, 554 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Pet Names, Flustered Sherlock, Cooking, Developing Relationship, Established Relationship, Fluff Without Plot) – John is cooking. Sherlock is not helping. Until...

Locked Room by Calais_Reno (T, 8,346 w., 2 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting AU || Pool Scene, Mystery, Near Death Experience, Drug Addiction, Serious Injuries, Temporary Amnesia, POV Alternating, Love Confessions, Happy Ending) – John wakes up in a locked room, unable to remember how he got here. The last thing he remembers is his hands covered in blood, trying to keep a soldier from dying. His roommate also seems to be suffering from amnesia, and has decided that John is a delusion. Part 33 of Just Johnlock

Walk of Shame by 72reasons (E, 14,355+ w., 9/? Ch. || WiP || Alternate First Meeting AU || Meet-Ugly, Bisexual John, Gay Sherlock, Alternating POV, Sad John, Suicidal Thoughts, Casual Sex, Strangers to Lovers, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Threesome, Hand Jobs, Blow Jobs, Frottage, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex) – John is just back from the war and wanders the city wondering what he’s going to do. One of his distractions is having casual sex with a beautiful, but annoying, woman. Sherlock usually refrains from sex, but in trying to stay sober he indulges in it now and again. Sherlock meets John on the street and sparks fly. Casual sex is one thing, but what about something more?

[sherlockianscholar]

From The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes dir. Billy Wilder, 1970

This scene absolutely kills me. The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes broke barriers depicting Holmes as gay. Here, Mycroft is referring to Holmes' and Watsons' female client, implying that Holmes and the lady were ~involved~. As soon as Mycroft says that, Holmes' (portrayed by the lovely Robert Stephens) entire everything changes. It's hard for me to describe in words what Holmes is thinking/feeling at that moment, but every time I watch this scene, my heart breaks.

His face slipping from amused to suspicious to askance to landing on unsettled. His head freezes and looks out with staring, un-blinking eyes. The way he carefully unfurls himself, walking slowly forward with a controlled reserve. Unintentional I am sure, but the lighting in this scene casts a shadow directly over Holmes' right eye making it look bruised. An almost physical representation of how Mycroft has wounded him.

The movie is unclear (or maybe, I just wasn't paying enough attention) on whether Mycroft knows that Holmes is gay. If he does know, it lends an amount of cruelty to this scene.

[theadventuresofjamiewatson]

10 YEARS OF TAJWASH

"Ask Sherlock Holmes," the first video of "The Adventures of Jamie Watson (and Sherlock Holmes)," premiered 10 years ago today on August 10, 2014. The official first episode, "Hello Hannah," premiered a few weeks later on August 31.

TAJWASH was a labor of love, filmed over the course of two years, between college classes and other film shoots. We made zero money (probably lost a lot of money) and had few views. But we got to work with fun people and learn valuable lessons.

"It was a pleasure to create something inspired by the Sherlock Holmes series that means so much to me. As 'bonus canon' proves, I can never let go of our interpretations of the Sherlock Holmes characters. And as fandom proves, we can never let go of Holmes and Watson in general. They endure." - Shannen

"I miss our gay murder show. Made for a weird but unique college experience." - Sara

The production of TAJWASH brought us life-long friendships and memories. It also brought us to @221bcon, which became an annual vacation.

Thank you to everyone who helped TAJWASH come to be. And thank you, readers/followers/viewers — whether you watched one episode or 100 — for being part of the TAJWASH experience.

Stay tuned for the continuation of our #TAJWASH10 reshare of every video and transmedia post, as well as future announcements about @remarkablesingularcurious productions.

[hawkogurl]

I know you are mostly a parksborn shipper but I didn't know where else to go with this, so. In a world where Harry actually got to pursue his passions and became somewhat known (at least in New York) for his art, years after his death a collection of previously unseen paintings is discovered. They're all of the same two subjects, a man and a woman; sometimes alone, sometimes together, some are posed portraits and others seem done from memory, but it's always these two people Harry painted again and again over the years. The woman is quickly identified as Broadway actress Mary Jane Watson, Peter takes them a bit longer to identify, but very quickly a debate starts among the art/art history people of the city about whether or not Harry Osborn was in some kind of clandestine, passionate longterm love affair with both of them. Many bitter arguments are had between art snobs for years to come.

I am mostly a believer in gay Harry/aroace Harry/mostly just don’t think he’s into women but I like this and feel compelled to share it with the world.

[olderthannetfic]

If it's not too invasive or disrespectful, can I ask a personal question? What franchise/series/etc do you first remember as being your entry to "fandom," as something that made you want to form lasting (or fleeting) friendships with others based on this shared enjoyment and form community?

--

I was arguing about whether Holmes read as more gay for Watson or more on drugs at some dinner party with my parents' friends when I was a little kid.

I don't remember which friends. Probably the one who used to dress up in period costume and throw bread rolls at her fellow Jeeves & Wooster fans at their fanclub meetings.

My first taste of fanficy fandom of the type I'm in now was probably alt.tv.x-files during the first season back when I was 13. I was mostly there for the canon discussion, but it did expose me to a lot of norms of older US tv fandoms (and some home-grown, all new X-Files fandom stuff that went on to be the future norm).

I'm cackling at the idea that this is invasive too. People ask me crazy shit about my medical and personal history all the time. Asking about fandoms is just normal.

[unethicallypleistocene]

hello, me again :) seems like summer is kicking ur ass. i would feed u summer fruits myself but since i can’t, eat them for me? 🥺 but no you’re not ending anything (asks or otherwise) on a depressing note, not on my watch. so! answer some more: 3, 12, 17, 27, 30. also, i love ur ask box title. truly feels like i’m dropping a letter for a dear friend

P.S: thank u for ur unwavering support of my holmesposting & denethorposting! 💕💕 i hope u know that i’m the same w ur cherikposting + can’t deny that they’re v amusing & so is ur commentary on them lolll

aaaaaah I am smooching you platonically!! I actually like summer quite a bit more than winter, but I suppose I have a good amount of Dread coloring my experience. Rest assured that I am consuming summer fruits at maximum velocity! Just this morning I horked down an unadvisable amount of mango (although there really isn't an amount of mango that's unadvisable besides. none) and I hope you're doing the same!! The horrors persist but so does fruit. And thank you for complimenting my ask box! I quite like it too, I really wish I had a similar cozy-looking mailbox irl that was full of the lovely messages from friends I have here! Also: ofc I will always be rooting for your holmesposting and denethorposting! Recently I've been debating whether I prefer holmes/watson as a qpr or a romantic relationship (both. both is good. they might be in a sam/frodo situation here). Thank youuuu for supporting my cherikposting as always! They're so silly and I hate them but that's why they're special to me <333

also. me learning you read my cherik commentary and find it amusing:

On to the actual questions!!

3. What are some of your pet peeves?

Time to get meta with it: when people ask for my pet peeves. I'm never able to come up with something Normal so either I say something actually true that's kind of niche and end up getting weird stares, or I panic and just make something up that's not true and end up spending time feeling bad for lying even though, really, who cares. My autism's kryptonite: pet peeve questions.

12. Something you want to monologue about?

Since I'm still in cherik prison, it looks like there's only one option. Sigh. There's something really tragic about ideology, especially ideologies that are more-or-less aligned, tearing people apart. When an ideology has the power to interfere with a (GAY) relationship, it thereby cements itself as a part of the self. It's more than identity, it's more than a motivator, it forces characters to become figureheads. Of course this is obvious for Charles and Erik specifically, that's been their purpose in the comics since the 60s (and this is especially important in the symbolism/allegory heavy world of x-men comics). Unfortunately for me, I just think their conflict is so much more interesting when they're actually together! They're constantly forced to deal with the cognitive dissonance of the most important person in their lives representing an obstacle to their deepest beliefs. And that's fascinating! I don't think they have to constantly be at the brink of divorce to be at odds, either. From my perspective, they probably increasingly like each other the more they fight, those absolute freaks.

17. Space, enchanted forest, magical kingdom, or underwater city?

Enchanted forest! Let me be an ent!! Let me shepherd the trees!!!

27. What fascinates you about humanity?

A passion for knowledge (of any kind!). People can spend decades studying a single topic, people can spend hours upon hours writing nonstop about a character. That love is so mysterious and beautiful to me.

30. What is your favourite way to create?

I love brainstorming writing ideas by listening to music. If someone opened my brain during my near-daily music session they'd find cumulative hours of animatic-style storyboarded narratives mapped onto songs. I know other people do this too, which makes me SO happy.

[mariana-oconnor]

The Illustrious Client pt 1

“It can't hurt now,” was Mr. Sherlock Holmes's comment when, for the tenth time in as many years, I asked his leave to reveal the following narrative.

Both Holmes and I had a weakness for the Turkish bath. It was over a smoke in the pleasant lassitude of the drying-room that I have found him less reticent and more human than anywhere else.

Right, yep. That tracks.

I had asked him whether anything was stirring, and for answer he had shot his long, thin, nervous arm out of the sheets which enveloped him...

Is this an actual Sherlock Holmes story, or is it porn? I'm finding it very difficult to tell at this point.

Sir James Damery was announced. It is hardly necessary to describe him, for many will remember that large, bluff, honest personality, that broad, clean-shaven face, and, above all, that pleasant, mellow voice. Frankness shone from his gray Irish eyes, and good humour played round his mobile, smiling lips. His lucent top-hat, his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail, from the pearl pin in the black satin cravat to the lavender spats over the varnished shoes, spoke of the meticulous care in dress for which he was famous. The big, masterful aristocrat dominated the little room.

"It is hardly necessary to describe him." - proceeds to wax lyrican for 4 lengthy sentences.

Also, Watson is getting horny on main for this masterful aristocratic dom. This story is already so horny.

My mind is a bit stuck on the lavender spats, though. That is a definite choice.

“Of course, I was prepared to find Dr. Watson,” he remarked with a courteous bow. “His collaboration may be very necessary, for we are dealing on this occasion, Mr. Holmes, with a man to whom violence is familiar and who will, literally, stick at nothing. I should say that there is no more dangerous man in Europe."

Nice that he already knows about Watson, though. Strange how many people turn up and don't know who Watson is in spite of Watson writing all these stories.

“I have had several opponents to whom that flattering term has been applied,” said Holmes with a smile.

Haven't you, though?

“Mr. Holmes, I must beg you not to press that question. It is important that I should be able to assure him that his honoured name has been in no way dragged into the matter."

People in the early 20th century need to sort out their priorities. How often have we had a rich client that doesn't want to tell anyone anything because of SCANDAL, but they still want their problem solved, don't they?

“He has a daughter, Violet de Merville, young, rich, beautiful, accomplished, a wonder-woman in every way. It is this daughter, this lovely, innocent girl, whom we are endeavouring to save from the clutches of a fiend.”

What is it with girls called Violet? The others, iirc, were at least pretty smart and on the ball. Hopefully this one will be too. It's an ill-fated name in these stories, though.

Colonel Damery needs to chill out about her, though. He's getting a little excessive.

Can't believe I only just noticed he's a colonel. And he doesn't appear to be the bad guy. Will wonders never cease? Maybe ACD overcame his prejudices.

"She dotes upon him; she is obsessed by him. Outside of him there is nothing on earth. She will not hear one word against him. Everything has been done to cure her of her madness, but in vain. To sum up, she proposes to marry him next month. As she is of age and has a will of iron, it is hard to know how to prevent her.”

Guys... I think maybe you've got to let her marry him. I know he murdered his last wife and all, but there comes a point where you've just got to accept that people don't want your help.

Clearly I'm not in a very generous mood today. Lol.

"My client, however, is an old friend, one who has known the General intimately for many years and taken a paternal interest in this young girl since she wore short frocks."

Oh, it's her gay dad. OK. That makes sense.

"I rather fancy that Shinwell Johnson might be a help.” I have not had occasion to mention Shinwell Johnson in these memoirs because I have seldom drawn my cases from the latter phases of my friend's career.

New character alert.

...but as he dealt with cases which never came directly into the courts, his activities were never realized by his companions.

I really hope he's already dead, because if he's not I bet his companions are about to realise his activities pretty damn quick.

“Who knows, Watson? Woman's heart and mind are insoluble puzzles to the male. Murder might be condoned or explained, and yet some smaller offence might rankle."

"He has breeding in him—a real aristocrat of crime, with a superficial suggestion of afternoon tea and all the cruelty of the grave behind it."

Love this line.

“‘Excuse my amusement, Mr. Holmes,’ said he, ‘but it is really funny to see you trying to play a hand with no cards in it. I don't think anyone could do it better, but it is rather pathetic, all the same. Not a colour card there, Mr. Holmes, nothing but the smallest of the small.’"

Why do these villains always insist on acting like villains? Surely it's always better to pretend not to be a villain until the last possible moment.

"'You have heard of post-hypnotic suggestion, Mr. Holmes? Well, you will see how it works, for a man of personality can use hypnotism without any vulgar passes or tomfoolery.'"

He's literally just coming out with 'she's hypnotised btw'??

Holmes came in with no cards and you're just telling him everything, huh?

And then a direct threat? Twirl your moustaches, my man. Why not laugh maniacally while you're at it.

IMPORTANT ADDITION FROM THE SECRETARIAL CAT: aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaggggggyhhfd

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