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Oh no! While Bond was escaping through town late at night, the Evil Villain drenched him with toxic sludge. Not only is Bond's bespoke suit ruined - it's hazardous! What will he wear? Luckily, while passing by a thrift store, Bond spots a bag of donated clothing. Maybe some local has discarded an old Tom Ford tuxedo, or perhaps some tactical gear. Let's help Bond assemble an outfit from this sartorial grab bag!

Scavenger Hunt #1: 007 has gotten terribly soaked/singed/shredded (again) and needs a complete wardrobe change on the run. Put together an outfit at a local store or from your closet and snap a photo of what Bond will be walking around in for the next little while.

Some possible outfit choices:

Since photos are required, here are pictures of the actual thrift store goodies:

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So, in Spectre, Bond dresses for Day of the Dead in order to blend into the crowd. Maybe he should do the same for other holidays - so I've given him outfits here for Christmas, Easter and the Ides of March. And a couple of Regency naval uniforms for reasons. And, as a bonus, Connery's baby-blue romper.

Scavenger Hunt #37: Design 3 outfits for a Bond character or your Station character to be worn on 3 separate occasions.

Scavenger Hunt #86: Think outside the box (of clothes)! Style an outfit for a Bond character that they'd normally not wear, at least not in a Bond movie.

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Gorgeous

Prompt from @sherlockchallenge for March 2025: Shadow

When Sherlock is hit by depression, he is only a shadow of himself. After the wedding, all the light seemed to have vanished from the his existence and when he played the violin it felt empty, as if the indifferent void of the vast universe was the only thing that was real.

I am flattered if you reblog, but do NOT post my art on other sites/social media or use in any other way without my written permission.

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😍😍😍

Sherlock fandom

Repetition Doesn’t Need to be Boring

One of the first things John learns about Sherlock is that he finds repetition utterly dull and boring.

“I hate repeating myself.”

That is the detective’s most valued statement. At least one of the top ten.

He uses it on everybody – the incompetent Yarders (Sherlock’s words, not John’s), on witnesses (more than one has been brought to tears over it), on Mrs Hudson (who just rolls her eyes in response), on his brother (this does not happen frequently because of the elder Holmes brother’s extensive vocabulary – or so John assumes), and finally, on John himself (astoundingly the tone Sherlock uses then is more on the affectionate end of the scale than the cruel opposite).

It is unavoidable to hear those four words on a regular basis. John is an idiot according to Sherlock, which really isn’t saying much since he considers everybody to be one. At one point, John is tempted to tease Sherlock a bit about it – “you know that you are repeating yourself constantly, reusing the same words every time, yes?” – but he just can’t. He knows Sherlock will be hurt by it, and if there’s one thing John’s determined to forego it’s seeing agony in the man’s face.

John also learns that Sherlock does not hate being praised by the same words repeatedly – amazing, extraordinary, brilliant – oh no; in fact, he adores it. The second John realises that, he never looks back. It’s no hardship obviously since Sherlock is all those things. And more. John doesn’t even have to think through what comes out of his mouth when Sherlock deduces a crime scene, a villain, or patrons at Angelo’s – the words just spill at their own will.

“You know you are saying that out loud?”

That’s Sherlock’s response when John utters the words at their first crime scene. John feels embarrassed, but Sherlock says it’s fine, and John can tell it’s the first time someone has everpraised him like that; impulsively, genuinely, emphatically.

So, when they finally get their shit together – Greg’s words – John isn’t sure what to expect. Of course, being romantically involved with Sherlock will never be boring; nothing about Sherlock is, but John is unprepared for the tenderness, how attentive the detective is as a lover, and more importantly – how much he repeats himself.  

John loses count after fifteen I love you a day. (Sherlock most definitely keeps count, of that John is certain.) 

At first, John feels obligated to say the words back, which Sherlock quickly dismisses.

“The fact that I need to say the words, doesn’t mean I require you to vocalise them every time, John.”

John’s heart breaks a little when he understands it’s a necessity for Sherlock to tell him how he feels about him. The most astonishing part of it is how sincere he always utters the love declarations. To John, it feels like the first time over and over again. 

Sometimes, Sherlock experiments with other words – I adore you, I cherish you, I treasure you, but he always comes back to the original, and they’re both relieved when he does.

When John finally asks why Sherlock feels the need to tell him how he feels repeatedly, the detective doesn’t hesitate at all.

“I can’t say it enough, John. There have been too many days I couldn’t say them, because of who we were back then – you; not gay, I; married to my work – so I am making up for lost time.”

This brings John to the brink of tears, and he hides his face in the crook of Sherlock’s neck, inhaling the familiar scent greedily.

“I love you so much, Sherlock. More than I can ever tell you,” he murmurs into his beloved’s skin.

“You tell me every day, John, and not only with words, but how you know exactly how to brew my tea, always ensuring my favourite marmalade is available, how you shield me in the line of danger, the way you rearrange my scarf when some of my skin is bare to the cold wind, how you look at me when you think I don’t see, the way you kiss me…I could go on forever, but I think you get the gist of it,” Sherlock says softly against John’s temple. “I love you too. So much I am about to burst from it. Hence my constant…announcements.”

John claims his perfect lips then, which is also a thing the world’s only consulting detective finds worthy of repeating quite regularly.

@flashfictionfridayofficial @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @raina-at @meetinginsamarra @safedistancefrombeingsmart @gregorovitch-adler @topsyturvy-turtely @jolieblack @peanitbear @phoenix27884 @bs2sjh @brandiwein1982 @a-victorian-girl @221beloved @ninasnakie @shy-bi-letsfuckingdie @7-percent @lhrinchelsea @missdeliadilisblog @salmonsown @oetkb12 @jawnscoffee @gay-ass-bitch @acumberlockedgirl @willamholmeswatson @whatnext2020 @mydogwatson @redmondcollege @thegildedbee @ilovegayangels @elizabethhoodstyles @xmengal03 @riversong912 @givemesherbet-blog-blog @couldbecannibal @2old2b-fangirl @dw91165 @jonkwatson @binx72 @macgyvershe @dragoonthegreatest @kholkate @fookincarrotsandpotatoes28 @talkativeanxiousturtle @twoandahalfdimes @desi-yearning @johnlock-and-tea @llcsecret @jobooksncoffee @original-welovethebeekeeper @readingwithgwen @gomielka @rosemelodyshah @221biandconfused

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Thank you to the lovely @sugareey-makes-stuff , who made a winning bid in Fandom Trumps Hate and requested johnlock tarot. Thank you for you generous bid and for a brilliant prompt!

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Here's a prompt list for Inktober 2025. Enjoy!

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Love 😍

Flash fic I

These are from the writers' retreat, we did two flash fics together with the Canadian crowd, which was great fun!

The first one was for the prompt 'Write an argument', and I drew John and Rosie as characters (so, easy mode, really).

*-*

“No.”

“But, dad-”

“I said no. No is a full sentence.”

Rosie stomps her foot, then flings herself to the sofa in a very good imitation of a Sherlockian strop. For all that she’s not biologically related to Sherlock, she surely has a lot of his mannerisms. John sometimes feels like he’s living a nature versus nurture experiment, and he’s not sure he always likes it. Sometimes he wishes his cooler head to prevail over Sherlockian drama queen tendencies, but then again he thinks he wouldn’t love either of his two drama lamas as much if they weren’t as high maintenance as they are.

“You’re no fun at all!”

“Shockingly, I can live with that,” John says dryly, sticking the kettle on as he waits for Rosie to start her next round of attacks.

Ten minutes later, when she’s no longer in the mood to maintain a strop that’s being pointedly and masterfully ignored, she approaches John’s chair.

“Daddy,” she says in her sweetest voice. “Please.”

Oh, so it’s manipulation time, John thinks and hardens his heart. He’s not immune to Rosie’s big blue begging eyes, as little as he is to Sherlock’s more direct manipulation tactics.

“Sweetheart, we’ve talked about this. I’m not letting you move in with Aunt Harry and her new girlfriend just because they happen to own horses.”

Rosie stomps her foot again. “Give me one good reason why not!”

John sighs. “I’ll give you five. One,” he enumerates on his fingers, “your aunt has known this woman for about six weeks. She shouldn’t move in with her, let alone take you with her. Two, you’d have to switch schools in the middle of the school year, and that’s neither fun nor easy. Three, I know you love Harry, and so do I, but she can barely take care of herself, let alone a kid. Four, Mrs Hudson would murder me in cold blood if I let you leave Baker Street before you’re grown, and even then I think it’d be best to wait until she’s died. Five, can you even imagine what Sherlock and I would do without you? We would wither and die without you here to keep us right.”

Rosie, who looked ready to argue the first three points, completely deflates at point four and five. “You’re such a spoilsport,” she grumbles. “Can I at least spend the weekend with Aunt Harry at the farm?”

John considers. “Tell you what. Harry can bring her new girlfriend to dinner. If Sherlock approves of her, then we can talk about you spending the weekend there. Provided they’re even still together then.”

“I never get to have any fun!” Rosie complains loudly, flinging herself into Sherlock’s chair. “You always let Sherlock do crazy things, but if I want to do something, it’s always ‘It’s too dangerous,’ or ‘You’re too young for a firearm’, and ‘This is actually highly flammable’.”

“Do you know how many times I’ve told Sherlock he couldn’t do something?” John asks, snapping his paper in a mildly irritated way. “I swear to god, the only reason any one of you is still alive is because of me.”

“Dad, I love you, but the only reason any of us are still alive is Mrs Hudson,” Rosie says, having one of her twelve going on forty moments she sometimes surprises him with.

John concedes the point with a shrug. “You still can’t move in with your aunt, and your curtains are still flammable.”

Rosie sighs. “All right. Fine. But I’m getting ice cream this weekend.”

“If that’s what it’ll take for you to never mention this to me again,” John says, holding out his hand for his daughter to shake.

Rosie puts her small hand into his, and grips it with surprising force, grinning when he winces a bit. “Deal.”

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Oh, this is beautiful 😍💙

Avoiding Secrets✨

by helloliriels

John stepped into the large marble hall, gazing around in wonder at the great expanse. At one end of the vast room was a raised dais above a winding set of stairs, and out the window beyond, the stars - the stars! - too numerous to count, shone through the window brighter than they should at any time of night.

He knew he must be dreaming.

The room was empty, and he took the opportunity to tiptoe up those stairs - eager and somehow anxious to see the stars from a better vantage.

How were they so bright?

.

"Beautiful, are they not?"

John turned at the sound of a deep voice, echoing off the walls in the large chamber.

"Yes, they-" his mouth fell open as he turned around, and the ceiling above them was washed away to reveal a night sky so close, you could touch it.

He was still standing in the throne room. But the clouds - the clouds! - were now swirling around his feet.

"How are you doing this?" John asked quietly, "am I dreaming?"

The pale being that stepped from the fog, tall and gorgeous with vacant eyes that carried inside of them the stars also … was emerging.

"You are in my realm," the Sandman replied, and John nodded. He knew at once who this was. The dream lord. The shaper. He had many names. 

 .    Dream of the Endless

His voice was now inside of John's head as he spoke.

 .     Would you like to know your future?

He asked. But John looked at him, warily.

 .     Do not worry …

the dream king re-assured:

 .     I will not tell you all.

John closed his eyes. Remembering where his body was right now. Bleeding out on the hot desert sands … and nodded. 

 .     warning

 .     pen

 .     deep sadness

 .     involved

Each word entered his mind, and with it came a flash of images:

 .     Two identical buildings and a cab parked between …

 .     A bookstore where John was signing autographs …

 .     A glass of whiskey and an empty flat …

 .     A tarmac and a handshake that somehow should be a hug …

John had not seen a face … or a name … but something told him that all of these things were tied to one person. Someone he did not yet know.

 .     He is waiting.

.

Dream confirmed.

John did not know why, but he felt a deep sense of relief.

.There was a future. With him.

.

.      If you want it …

John started. What do you mean? … if I want it? He asked.

.

.       My sister is quite willing to take you today,

. if you no longer have the will to go on.

.

John realised suddenly, that he was.

Ready.

There was a man out there somewhere that needed him, and he must get up.

.

Yes ... his future was clearly going to hold more pain, anger, sadness, and perhaps if he was lucky ... some success.

In what measure and means, he could not fully tell. But at the end of that suggestion sat …

.      Hope.

The dream lord had come up beside him, joining him in staring out at the stars.

.      He will need you.

Dream continued:

.      as you will need him.

John felt warmth pour through him at those words.

Will we be happy? He found himself asking. Turning with his request.

A brief pang told him his question might be impudence.

But when he looked up into the Sandman's eyes - dark and silent as the void - he saw inside … a sparkle.

.      You will be happy … once ...

. you both stop avoiding secrets.

Dream answered.

John nodded.

.

He drew a deep breath.

.        It was time to go.

.

I want it. He answered. I am ready to go back.

.

Dream of the Endless turned and looked him over. Lifting his head in acknowledgement of the decision made. 

.     Goodbye then ... John.

Then with a whoosh and a gleam of gold, he was re-entering his body.

Wide awake and gasping for a breath that meant

.                                             he was alive.

.

Flash fic writing exercise from the Fic Writers Retreat 2025.

Also posted on AO3 - Avoiding Secrets and sharing with:

@inevitably-johnlocked @friday411 @ghostofnuggetspast @totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @stellacartography @blogstandbygo @hubblegleeflower @fluffbyday-smutbynight @missdaviswrites @thalialunacy @yorkshireteabagging @cirquedereve @antheiasilva @fearlessdiva930 @amindamazed @thegildedbee @thetimemoves @otter-von-bismarck @pippen-frodo @thetimemoves @dragonnan @sgam76 @janetm74 @solarmama-plantsareneat @raina-at @chriscalledmesweetie @naefelldaurk @peanitbear @missdeliadili @arwamachine @discordantwords @khorazir @kettykika78 @meetinginsamarra @aquilea-of-the-lonely-mountain @jedi-muaddib @gomielka @gregorovitch-adler @justanobsessedpan @topsyturvy-turtely @johnlocked-swiftie @keirgreeneyes @call-me-tindo @enterthetadpole @scrub456 @chinike @a-victorian-girl @7-percent @sarahthecoat @holmesianlove @mydogwatson @notjustamumj @inatshej @actually-a-girls-name @impalaparkedat221b @gaylilsherlock

Lemme know anytime if you want tagged/removed. k😚✌️

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My dear Watson …

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Morning self-reblog...

Six character, continued...

Not sure how, but this one is a first for me (I know, I know). Edward Hardwicke as Doctor John Watson from Granada Holmes.

I was nervous to post this one, because I wanted to do well by this beloved portrayal and actor.

If you like what you see, you can find me on AO3, or consider buying me a cuppa on Ko-fi. 💙

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o^o

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Six characters, continued...

Not sure how, but this one is a first for me (I know, I know). Edward Hardwicke as Doctor John Watson from Granada Holmes.

I was nervous to post this one, because I wanted to do well by this beloved portrayal and actor.

If you like what you see, you can find me on AO3, or consider buying me a cuppa on Ko-fi. 💙

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A while back I asked for suggestions for one of these things...

I got a bunch of different suggestions from a lot of sources (some I won't be tagging here... for reasons), so I'm trying to work through as many as I can. So, here's the first one, Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson from 'Parks & Recreation.'

I don't know how many characters I'll end up doing, but if you have a suggestion, let me know!

And if you like what you see, you can check out my other art and fic on AO3, or buy me a cuppa on Ko-fi (both are always appreciated!). 💙

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New Muchalock Master Post

An explanation for the flora in the top of each frame: Mycroft is shown with roses, partly because roses are a symbol of England, but mostly because I couldn’t resist the visual pun of having Mycroft standing literally under the roses when everything he does is sub rosa.  Sherlock is shown with laurel, which symbolizes victory but also pride; John is shown with English oak , which symbolizes strength and courage;  Lestrade with irises, which are associated with faith, valor, friendship and wisdom.

Sally is shown under the tansy flower, which symbolizes hostile thoughts.  Anthea is under a blackberry.   Molly is shown under the shy violet, a symbol of humility - apparently it doesn’t think it counts.  The brambles over Anderson’s head are prickly and intrusive - but you could probably use them to feed your pet dinosaur.

Henry has wolfsbane over his head. Let’s hope that it keeps the monsters away. Mrs. Hudson favors lavender, a universal symbol for hominess and little old ladies, but it is also a tough and hardy plant which can thrive in a wide variety of environments (though it doesn’t do well with damp; that may account for the trouble with the hip.) Mike’s peaches are a symbol of abundance, but are there mostly just because he’s peachy.  Sholto’s red poppies symbolize fallen soldiers.

Kitty is shown under hellebore, which symbolizes calumny and scandal.  Janine is shown under jasmine (Certainly not a play on the actress’ name) which is associated with sensuality.  Bees like it, too.  Bluebell is shown under carrots.  Billy Wiggins stands under geranium, which stands for folly, envy or unexpected meeting.

Magnussen is pictured with hemlock.  Mary with the flowers of the Judas tree.  Irene is shown with green willow, which is very flexible and willow rods are sometimes used for discipline.  Jim is, of course, shown under deadly nightshade.

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I literally gasped. This is STUNNING.

mylittlecornerofsherlock said:  1 or 100 in Sherlock and/or John of course :P

I did both of both :) 

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I've seen an uptick in posts about these topics, so I'm reblogging this just to get the info out there.

Full disclosure: life has been hard lately, and my head space has not been great. That's why what I'm about to share has me livid.

It's been a while since I checked my comments on AO3, and oh gosh, look there's a new one! I open it up to see this...

Now, I've been around for a while. I know spam/bot when I see one, so I took this screen shot, marked it as spam, and almost just moved on with my day. But then I got to thinking...

I'm NOT in a great head space. If I hadn't been aware of this sort of garbage comment, this would have DESTROYED me. Heck, if I had gotten this comment on one of my first posted fics, back when life wasn't quite so hard, it would've seriously made me consider shutting myself off and never posting again.

And that made me so unbelievably angry.

Because I just know there are other authors and artists out there who are getting these same comments. People who are young and just getting started, and easily swayed by the opinions of others. Or individuals who are struggling, for whatever reason, and every word or brush stroke is a hard won fight, and need even just the tiniest validation that their effort is worth continuing. And broken ones who are looking for any reason at all to either get up or quit. (Don't quit. Please don't quit.)

I know this type of post has been written before; I have shared it multiple times, but the authors and artists out there, just know, your voice matters, your view of the world is unique and beautiful and necessary. Don't let who you are be swayed by the opinions of others, most especially soulless spam/bots who don't know you, don't see the heart and creativity you've poured into your work, and most importantly, HAVE NOT EVEN READ/VIEWED WHAT IT COMMENTED ON.

You want proof that these vile comments are unfounded, meaningless, steaming piles of putrid sewage? The above comment was posted on chapter 27 of my Inktober 2024 collection on AO3. This is a screen shot of that entire chapter:

There are no cliffhangers, no dramatics, nothing. Just 27 chapters of fan art. Drawings. It's not in any way a cohesive story, rather an eclectic collection of prompt fills featuring multiple and varying fandoms.

The hate fueled spam/bot is just that. Not worth my time, effort, or even the brain capacity I have given it. It doesn't care who I am, it's job is to post venom and destroy. The thing is, I learned long ago to not care about it either. My main reason for this post is to try to reach the authors and artists out there who have maybe fallen victim to these types of comments, and to let them know that they aren't alone in receiving these messages. Don't fall for it. Don't let the words take up any space in your creative mind and lovely heart.

And just in case you aren't sure what you're looking at when it comes to spam/bot comments, here are a few clear clues...

1. These comments can be positive too, but look for context. Does any of what the comment says actually apply to your work? Does it address specific details? Or are the 'details' it addresses details that actually appear in your story? (I.e. - cliffhangers in my collection of drawings).

2. Is the commenter a 'guest' profile? Now, not all guest profiles are bots, there are lovely people out there who, for their own personal reasons, have opted not to create user profiles, but still love fandom. But, a lot of (though not all) spam/bot profiles are guest profiles. And you can usually tell the difference just by the content of the comment. The below comment was a guest profile also left on Inktober 2024. It's simple, specific, and greatly appreciated.

3. The spam/bot comments are usually of a longer nature, extremely vague in regards to addressing what it is that is likeable or hateful about the post, and they go overboard with the language (excessive adjectives) used to prove their point. If you want to see other specific examples to look out for, I recommend doing a Tumblr search of "ao3 spam."

4. If you receive a comment that is questionable, and there is actually a user profile attached, check out the profile. Almost all of these spam/bot profiles are brand new (like, same day as you publish), and/or completely blank - as in, no used details, nothing published, nothing bookmarked, nothing at all.

5. Good or bad, always report spam/bots. Sites like AO3 and Tumblr are aware of the situation, and any reports they receive can help them take steps to protect legitimate users.

6. If the spam/bot offers a money-making situation, offers to pay you for use of your creation, or asks for money in any way, shape, or form, report it immediately. AO3 has very strict guidelines about not using the site for monetization. Also, if it seems too good to be true... it is.

I don't know if anyone will even read all of this. But if you do, I want you to know that I am posting this from a place of vulnerability, knowing how much a comment such as the ugly one above, timed just right (or wrong), would have destroyed me. The only reason it didn't this time was because I was armed with knowledge. I hope this post helps you. I hope you have a peaceful day. I hope your words or your art come easy. I hope you know how brave you are for sharing pieces of you with an uncertain world. I hope you keep going. 💙