My March April/May Madness Fic Bracket
Round 1 Match 3
Jam series by persiflager (E, 16k) Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/Greg Lestrade/John Watson; SUMMARY(part 1): Lestrade finds himself in possession of Sherlock and John's 'home movie' and doesn't quite manage to resist watching it.
vs.
Sketchy by serpentynka (E, 184k) Sherlock Holmes/John Watson; SUMMARY(series): What (and who) will be left when nobody cares about your Work? A slow-burn fic with cases, places, mistaken identities, unfair choices, essential changes, violent feels, blatant lies, fearless portraiture, family secrets, high-risk bespoke gifts, durable friendships, bedtime stories, foreign travel and tongues, sickness (and health), and the significance of things which are slow to unfurl -- but cannot be ignored. Oh, and...porn. SUMMARY (Part 1): Sherlock takes on an obvious case (barely a 4) and meets someone who will force him to re-examine what it means to see.
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Persiflager's Jam series is a set of three stories posted in 2014 (post S3). I'd call them PWP Plus--they have a leetle smattering of plot, but as capably-written and enjoyable as it is, it's really only there to prop up the three sex scenes. And that's OK! In fact, that's great!
Sherlock wants a threesome with Lestrade, so he "accidentally" leaves a DVD of him and John fucking where Lestrade will find it, and Lestrade does, in fact watch it and jerk off to it (part one); Sherlock floats the idea to John, and evidence of John's interest in the idea, uh, arises (part two); they invite Lestrade over for a three-way and even get started, but it's "too weird" for Greg so he goes home--but no worries, Sherlock calls him and they have a sexy speaker-phone encounter (part three).
This series is hot and witty, and I think it's a perfect gateway-drug to getting into the Sherlock/Greg/John OT3, since the sex is still really only johnlock, plus Greg pleasing himself. I don't remember, but maybe this is what opened me up to it (not that I can remember ever being a shipping monogamist). Long story short: hot, with gentle humour (the persiflager signature, IMO), and real affection. Love these stories, still and always. A quick read for a certain mood.
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Sketchy is the first in a series of four (gods, we are the most spoiled children!) beautifully-written, looonnnnnnggg stories posted in 2014 (post S3), set in an alternate post-Reichenbach timeline--not right after Sherlock's return; perhaps a year has passed? Notably, it is accompanied by illustrations (integrated into the chapters, if you have the bound paperback) by such brilliant and beloved fandom artists as Khorazir, SleepingExplorer, Hamstermoon, Undun, and Serpentynka herself (she was theartofforensics on tumblr at the time). Sherlock and John admit mutual affection and enter into a relationship, but interestingly, they do not move in together or even spend all their time together. One of the many aspects of the genius of serpentynka is the subtle tension this creates, and sustains. They want each other, long for each other, but they are adults with jobs and commitments--not just to each other--and the boundaries are held. It's an interesting dynamic we don't often see in Sherlock fic.
The settings and scenes are all richly described: furnishings, wallpaper, rugs, draperies; food and wine and tea and coffee; clothing (tailored, with so many fiddly buttons); weather and outdoor scenery; the quality of light, shadow, colour. Sherlock wants to learn to draw John; he meets an artist, Alex Nussbaum, who gives him lessons and becomes his friend. A friend! For Sherlock! Who isn't John! Oh, he's a lovely gentleman; you will fall in love with him. I begged serpentynka's permission to bring him in for a guest appearance in my The Jewel in the Tower fic, I love Alex so much, and he is such a good foil/friend for Sherlock. They text each other in German, Latin, and Swedish. Alex teases Sherlock in a way he would never tolerate from anyone else. Sherlock worries for Alex's broken heart.
There's plenty of smexy johnlock smex--very hot, not euphemistic but also not vulgar. They have the kinds of minor misunderstandings we expect from these two idiots, deliciously painful but also quickly resolved. The dialogue is easy to "hear" in the actors' voices and cadences. The writing is top notch, gorgeous, poetic; this fic is literature. It's just. It's perfect. And for some bizarre reason, it seems like the fandom overall kind of slept on this one. For every fan I've ever heard squeeing and swooning when I mention Sketchy, three others said, "Oh, yeah. . .never read that one." Girl. GIRL.
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A reminder that my only criterion for judgement is Which of these fics would I choose, if I could only read one of them again, forever?
The WINNER in Round 1, Match 3 is Sketchy by serpentynka. It's an absolutely gorgeous feast for all the senses, and the feels are immaculate. Plus, there's so much of it! (Four stories totaling almost 900k words) This is going to be a hard one to beat, in next-round matchups.
