a study in fic

a bunch of fics that i gusta and that you might gusta too. choose a fic!

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Diets are Made to be Cheated, as are Marriages to Work

Author: IronicNarwhal

Pairing: Sherlock/John

Rating: R

Summary: Sherlock Holmes is a strong woman, but love can bring the strongest to their knees. This is precisely why she is scared to fall in love. Why: Interspersed with a conversation that the reader isn’t entirely sure when it occurred (except, of course, while both John and Sherlock are drunk), this fic is a wonderful “coming-of-age” for the love between them both. I think this imagining of Fem!lock is well-rounded and well-thought out. Some lovely sentiments throughout, as well.

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From You, I Drink

Author: IronicNarwhal

Pairing: Sherlock/John

Rating: PG-13

Summary: The safest place to be during Horde Season was with a nightwalker. The only safer place to be was in the company of many nightwalkers - that is, if you already traveled with a nightwalker. They tended to get unsavory ideas when in proximity to lone, unprotected humans. Why: I greatly enjoyed this. I don’t think it’s based on any particular set of mythos, or whatever, but it’s still fascinating. The way the world isn’t 100% explained (or explainable) makes it seem like it’s “just the way things are” which, of course, for the characters, this is the way things are to them. John and Sherlock discussing “Hallow Eve” as something that happened centuries ago also lends a bit of fascination to the storyline.

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Sherlock Holmes’ Diary Author: errantcomment Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: G Summary: Sherlock Holmes keeps a diary. No one is supposed to know about it. He’s pretty sure Mycroft does though, the fat nosy git. WARNING: WIP.  Why: A fusion of Sherlock and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Just as hysterical as the original, with cracky Molly/Sherlock undertones, as well as unrequited Sherlock/John. The repeated digs at Mycroft crack me up, but the best part of this is definitely the family getting together for Mummy’s birthday. Wonderful and cracky as hell. Last updated 26 April 2012.

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Achieving the Together-Coloured Instant Author: teahigh Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: NC-17 Summary: John wonders if this is how it’s going to be: A life speaking in code, because they’re both too stupid to figure out how to say, “I love you.” Why: Exquisitely worded and written, with sex almost hotter than the sun. I think it’s kind of ironic(as does John) when Sherlock protests so strongly against John keeping track of what kinks Sherlock digs, but the way their relationship is repaired is in character for the both of them, without losing any delicious tension.

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Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour Author: what_alchemy Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: NC-17 Summary: “You love your mother, Sherlock?”

John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk.

“Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.” Why: Although the trope of “pretending they’re together to satisfy a close family member leads them to recognize their feelings for each other” is a bit common in this fandom, I still enjoy it in most incarnations. This fic is chock full of affection between Sherlock and John as well as some truly amazing epithets exchanged between Mycroft and Sherlock. The take on Sherlock’s family is one I haven’t seen before, and it’s quite interesting to read and think about. If you don’t love this fic, I think you’re broken.

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So We Go Round the Sun Author: teahigh Pairing: Sherlock/John, John/Mary Rating: NC-17 Summary: If John is the sun, and Mary the moon, then Sherlock is a dark cloud hanging over them both.. Why: Stunningly beautiful and realistic. There’s also some dark humor to “lighten” things up, but it also succeeds in making things seem completely as they would be in the show. The ending is quite open-ended, so if that bothers you, I’d probably not attempt this one, beautiful though it may be.

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The Haunting Author: peevee Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: R Summary: In an alternate, war-torn London in 1895, there are things stalking the streets after dark. A serial killer called Stitch-Face, known for the brutal, bloody slaughter of prostitutes; dark, faceless organisations whose members are rumoured to consist of the most powerful and influential; and most deadly of all, monsters known as Witch-kin. A spate of unsolved murders, a mysterious young man with a dark secret, and at the centre of it all, Sherlock Holmes. Why: peevee is usually known for his/her porn, but this fic delivers on AU and plotty goodness. It has a lot to do with Lovecraftian horror things, although you don’t need to know much (if anything) about his stuff to understand and enjoy the creepiness that happens in this story. Although the summary seems a bit generic, the story and the world are anything but. Terrific writing and pacing.

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The Rope Dancer Author: holyfant Pairing: Sherlock/John (ish) Rating: G Summary: John tries to be a person again. Why: Grief is a potent thing, and this fic is quite potent. I enjoy the way John works his way through the stages of grief because while occasionally he succumbs to the ravages of grief, eventually he pulls himself on top of it. His interactions with Molly probably caused me the most pain to read, given what we (and not John, clearly) know of her involvement in Sherlock’s “death.” Powerful stuff.

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A Chronology of Unfinished-ness Author: holyfant Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: PG-13 Summary: A lifetime of things that were never quite finished, but were still complete. Why: A terrific look at John and Sherlock’s relationship as they age, through their interrupted dates. The depth and breadth of their affection for each other is easily communicated in holyfant’s relatively simple yet wonderful prose.

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how we swallow the sun Author: falling_voices Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: R Summary: Sherlock Holmes goes to pieces, and then he goes home. Why: Sherlock’s voice in this is completely brilliant. Much of the narrative reads like a run-on sentence, or, more likely, a stream of consciousness. The descriptions are absolutely clear but breathtaking in their simplicity. The way John reacts to Sherlock’s return is quite an interesting take on things.

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Negotiation Theory Author: peevee Pairing: John/Mycroft Rating: NC-17 Summary: In which there is An Arrangement between John and Mycroft. Set across S2.

“Do keep up, John. Sex. Yes?”

“Uh,” he says, eloquently.

She sighs and rolls her eyes as if he’s being completely obtuse. Why: Absolutely terrific porn. There’s a bit of plot in it, given that it spans series 2, but mostly it’s just glorious, glorious porn. I love that John gets pegged in it and that both Mycroft and John are utterly at ease with their sexuality and the different hijinks they get up to.

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Sleep Hath Its Own World Author: coloredink Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: R Summary: The Sherlock dreams were always an adventure, of sorts. Why: Not quite an AU, but still with bits of magical realism thrown in, coloredink manages to interweave the future with Sherlock Holmes in dreams with the present of John Watson with his limp, alone in his bedsit. I think probably the thing I like best about this fic is that it is circular - the beginning reflects the end.

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Mightier Than Author: emmagrant01 Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: NC-17 Summary: Sherlock once tried to learn how to swallow swords. For some reason, John can’t let this go. Why: Well-written characters and even better porn; what more could you ask for?

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What Meager Amends Author: greywash Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade Rating: R Summary: It’s over and done with, the lot of it, but that doesn’t mean Greg has no regrets. Written for alafaye as part of Holmestice, Spring 2012. Why: A very interesting casefic, but Lestrade does most of the legwork here. The relationship between Mycroft and Lestrade is just barely touched upon; the rest is the intrigue of the case and the unraveling of the story of Sherlock’s “death.” Wonderfully written, as usual.

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Simple Machines (or, five times Sherlock Holmes lost his virginity, and one time he didn’t.) Author: greywash Pairing: Sherlock/John, others Rating: NC-17 Summary: A study of the motion of multiple bodies, and other straightforward problems in practical physics. WARNINGS: underage sex, consent issues, disturbing content. Why: A very interesting look at what it means to lose one’s virginity. Sherlock’s sexuality has been the discussion of many people, and I think this is one of the most effortlessly convincing portrayals of his queerness. There’s a link to a tumblr post about what virginity means to those who identify as queer, which I would recommend.

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sehnsucht Author: 5pips Pairing: Sherlock/John, one-sided Rating: R Summary: In all pasts and presents and futures and other lives: Sherlock loves John, even when John does not love him back.. Why: Uncompromisingly anguished and poetic, this fic includes, as the author puts it, “romanticism of unromantic things” and the end result is painful but beautiful. Make sure to read the author’s note at the end, if you don’t know what “sehnsucht” means; it’ll add another level of depth to the fic.

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Hope Author: lifeonmars Pairing: Sherlock/John Rating: G Summary: In the end, John will have died for Hope. The universe has such a charming sense of humour. WARNINGS: character death. Why: The opening sentence and paragraph of this immediately snatch your attention; it’s a new and different way of imagining how John was shot and why he does the things he does with Sherlock. Seen through a romantic lens, this is heartbreaking but also terribly human.