#willowgrovecreates

[elphenfan]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

The Christmas story I promised, just about in time. It’s easier to post a link to it than paste an 11k story into here. :) Here’s the summary, though:

“ It's December and Sherlock, who has developed feelings for his flatmate and is sure they're not reciprocated, is intent on ignoring everything to do with Christmas, including presents. But after Mycroft informs him that John has gone to great lengths to get a special present to say what he can't say, Sherlock decides to try and reciprocate with an equally special present for John, to communicate his feelings. It's not quite that easy, though, getting the perfect gift but Sherlock will try, no matter what it takes, to show John just what he means to him.”

Many, many thanks to @willowgrovecreates for help in working out what Sherlock’s gift to John should be. That really was invaluable.

[addigni]

Consider John as a gardener and Sherlock as a fancy pants garden designer who wants unrealistic water elements and topiaries and statues and "You want floating what now?", asks John, but somehow John still makes it happen, because he believes in this gorgeous man's vision. Later they start a business together and when they finally retire, their garden in Sussex is the most gorgeous place ever.

OMG THIS AU!!!!!! YES SO MUCH YES!!!! IS THERE ANY FIC LIKE THIS???

[elphenfan]

Because I posted the link to the first story here, I thought I ought to post the link to the sequel, too, in time for Valentine’s.

Summary: It’s Valentine’s Day, though Sherlock isn’t aware of that and they’ve nothing planned for the day. Nevertheless, he finds a gift from John to him that is once again both practical and personal. But John isn’t home and has left no card or other notes. So…why has he chosen to give Sherlock a gift on this day, after all? Why hasn’t he said anything? What does he expect from Sherlock and how should Sherlock respond?

[elphenfan]

Further musings on iconic John wear

So, I tried replying to @willowgrovecreates kind reply and it...didn’t work. So posting this instead, with the OP being here

Thank you! It’s very sweet of you to try and help me out here :D

I’ve been pondering this for a bit after posting and I think I may have come up with an answer. I was browsing around and came across silhouettes of both Sherlock and John and it kind of clicked.

They were both instantly recognizable and I asked myself ‘Why is that? What makes them so recognizable, even in silhouette? What distinguishes Sherlock? Why is this not Alan Turing or Vincent van Gogh or any other character Benedict has played? Or even any other tall, slim male in dress shoes, a coat and his arm crooked?’

The answer was, of course, that the collar and the bottom of the coat and the curly hair gave it away definitively. The angle of the silhouette didn’t make the scarf visible but it did capture the pose, a bit of a classic one for the character, given promotional material. It wasn’t anyone it could be but Sherlock.

Okay, so far, so good. Now to try and apply the same thing to the silhouette of John. His jumper isn’t visible, nor is his bomber jacket, not clearly. In fact, for all that is visible in the silhouette, he could wear a leather jacket and a pair of baggy tweed trousers. No facial details can be seen and there’s no accessories to be seen.

So, what makes it clear that it’s John and not some random person?

It suddenly clicked, then. it’s his pose that does it. You know it. Arms folded across his chest fairly loosely, body turned three quarters towards the camera, head tilted just so. John doesn’t need something to wear to make him recognizable. He manages that just by force of personality, by a very specific pose.

The fact that Sherlock is more readily recognized by something that he dons rather than something innate can probably be linked to a deeper character analysis but I am not going to try my hand at that. I majored in law and English so I shan’t try and play a tuppenny-ha’penny psychologist. This is just an observation.

All of this, though, doesn’t change the fact that I am still without iconic John-wear. You’re right, Willow, a teapot with a jumper looks silly (my step-gran would beg to differ but she knits cosies with cable-knit and roses on, so…) and the flower in the quills runs the risk of him just looking like a girl in the best Minnie Mouse tradition. What I could do was make another scarf in the colour of the oatmeal jumper and wrap it around his neck, let it tell its own story.

Do you think that might work?

[practicefortheheart]

willowgrovecreates replied to your post “I don’t want to go to class today I don’t want to do anything at all”

Warm hugs! You're awesome, whatever you decide to do or not to do.

<3

[practicefortheheart]

willowgrovecreates replied to your post “I know I need to go to class today, but I really don’t want to be...”

Warm hugs! Do you have to speak, though? Is there a way you can stay more in the sidelines? Perhaps go in at the last minute? If it's a small class and you interact a lot, maybe tell you teacher that you're not feeling too well? You don't have to be social every day Idk if that's helpful at all, please disregard if not! My warmest sympathies in any case! I'll have to teach a class today and I know the feeling. You're not alone and you're loved! Take care of yourself! <3

I did get in last minute. It’s a very small group, but there are a few people who do most of the talking, so it was pretty easy to avoid. I did feel pretty dumb today, but at least I went and paid attention, so that must count for something, I guess. 

[elphenfan]

Fic done, waiting for proofread

Right, ‘All Laced Up’ is now all done and written. I’ve sent it to my darling sherlock-and-john-getting-it-on for her to check whether it works or not, so as soon as she has the time to look and say yay or nay, it will be posted. :)

Thank you to the people who liked the snippet I posted, really was a motivator to write more and quickly. :D

@willowgrovecreates

[elphenfan]

All laced up snippet

Just a small snippet of the story, because I’m evil and anxious at the same time. Yup:

It was full body, of course, and made of a mesh-like lace that gave just enough flexibility in the fabric for him to actually get It on without tearing anything. The pattern was understated but elegant, with swirls in the shape of an S running throughout. Two swirls on the chest would curl around the nipples, partially obscuring them, yet leaving them with just enough on display to titillate. A high neck put emphasis on the length of his throat.

Working his way along in examination, he saw that both sleeves and legs were not only snug, they ended in a triangle that extended over the hand and foot, secured by a ring around the middle finger or toe. The tightness and the fact that it was truly full body gave it a sinuous feel that would fit extremely well with his figure and was very much to his liking.

When he turned it over to inspect the back, he was in for something of a surprise. The majority of it resembled the front, but when it came to the rump...there was none.

That wasn’t quite true, but a good part of it was missing. The hole that had been made was rimmed with lace edging and in the shape of a heart. A strand of lace looped across the middle of it, as well.

It was not a thing that he had in any way specified and he suspected that she might have had a hand in that, but he could not honestly say that he minded. Quite the opposite, in fact.

Licking his lips in anticipation, he contemplated when he should put it on for John to see. He wanted to put it on there and then and just wait for the look on his partner’s face when he came back home to be met with something like that.