#Mystrade plot bunny

[johannadc]

Mystrade plot bunny: Brandy

When "Brandy" came on the oldies radio station, I suddenly had this Mystrade AU idea...

Mycroft has wound up working in some coastal dive bar. He'd gone searching for Sherlock, who'd run away to follow a ship's doctor, and ran out of money. Plus, the bar was a wonderful source of information, as sailors came through, swapping gossip about a strange, gawky cabin boy who saw everything.

One night, a silver-haired captain comes in for the first time, and he's taken by an attractive young man, reading in a corner by candlelight. The light flickers off his brandy-colored hair, and the captain strikes up a conversation with this unusual man. He clearly is too well-educated and well-spoken for this place, which only makes him more intriguing.

I gift it to the universe, in case anyone wants to write it.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey Steph,

lots of love for your content on here, it's always a joy to browse through your posts!

When I first saw your response to that ask about plot bunnies I felt more seen than ever before! Yes please, we need ALL the video game crossovers/AUs. I have a Witcher AU and a Zelda AU for Sherlock living rent free in the back of my mind and if I just had like … 12 more hours each day they would sooooo be written. And the Detroit Become Human one??? It's CLEARLY meant to be!

On that note, do you have any Sherlock video game AUs that you can recommend? I feel like I have stumbled over at least one or two before, but I have no concrete memories or bookmarks that I could find.

Thanks for all your great and fun work here!

(referencing this post)

AAAAHHHHHHH I'm SO GLAD I'm not alone in wanting Sherlock supplanted into a Video Game AU!!!! I have SO MANY of them ALSO living rent free in my mind, I just... don't write fast enough these days nor the ability to form a coherent full story for them. I'd LOVE to write them otherwise.

You know, now that you mention it, I don't really know for sure?? I know of only one Pokémon AU fic and it's a Mystrade one:

First Gen. Problems by Eva (G, 12,102 w., 6 Ch. || Mystrade Pokemon AU || Crack) – Mycroft's Articuno fell in love with Greg's Growlithe. It was awkward.

The CLOSEST I can offer are a couple fics on this Gamer AU post from a few years ago, but again, I am not immediately recalling any video game AU fics I've read.

I'd love some for sure. In the meantime I'll continue to jot down my ideas for each of the AUs I'd love to see; maybe one day I'll write them, LOL. I've got even more games that I want a Sherlock AU of LOL.

If anyone has any, please do send them our way! <3

[helloliriels]

2022 Year of the Crack Fic: WRITING ✍️ CHALLENGE

Break out of your usual mold! Write something you think is silly! I challenge you, be wild! be free! (your plot bunnies will thank me!)

What wild idea could you smash into a fic? What unhinged headcanon would make a masterpiece? What would be ridiculous for *you* to write? We want a piece o’ this insanity! (Worried your fic would be ToO CrAcKeD ...?? you can always blame it on me!!! 😁)

CRACK FICS WANTED! Any Length, Any rating! Johnlock, Mystrade or Sherlock content all welcome!; post to AO3 collection ’2022_Crack_Fix’ by Dec 32nd, 2022 to qualify! Accepting WiP as long as it gets cracky before 2023! (Please properly tag your entries!) Fic does not require a pairing. ACD sherlock welcome!

Let’s fill some inboxes with SMILES and spread a little cheer! 🥳🎉(Can’t stop, won’t stop! ‘til the new year rings!)

WARNING! Crack fics are not for everyone. Use of Crack Fics may result in uncontrollable laughter, incoherent giggling, unresolved happiness, and the need for more absurdity! If you use Crack Fics more than thrice daily, your threshold for seeing possible humorous plot points in everyday fics may improve. Use crack fics at your own risk. Side effects may include: the overwhelming urge to write crack fics; an excessive use of hyperbole; an uncontrollable desire to read more crack fics; and in some rare cases, a desperate pleading for authors to post another chapter to their current crack fic! Stop reading crack fics if you feel your toes going numb (Seriously, we’re still not sure what is causing that one … ) 🤔⁉️

Read CrAcK Fics | Submit CrAcK FiCs | RuLeS? WhaT RuLeS?

(accidentally deleted the OP! haha, so here it is again!) 💋

@johnlocky @chinike @rhasima @whatnext2020 @janetm74 @ohlooktheresabee @fluffbyday-smutbynight spread the word!

[inkstainedpetulance]

I just a Mystrade plot bunny I want to read is Greg taking Mycroft to his first midnight showing of Rocky Horror. Holy gaucamole that thought kept me entertained for hours.

Anyone? @mottlemoth @anotherwellkeptsecret

[johannadc]

This is such a genius idea. And a wonderful punchline.

please somebody write a story where greg and mycroft are married but whilst on an arrest greg gets injured & put in a medical coma to keep him safe

when he wakes up mycroft is beside him--the doctors said gregs memory would be temporarly gone whilst he recovered but now greg wont stop hitting on mycroft and its getting to the stage were its increasingly difficult to keep a straight face when talking about medication

"owch hey mister cute umbrella can u move the pillow abit:)??"

*mycroft fixes pillow inches away from gregs face*

greg: *whistles* "i'd kiss u so hard right now if i didn't have six broken ribs, a punctured lung + a fractured hip."

myc : gregory your parents are in the room

--

mycroft: ah- the doctors have given me some more pills, these ones are a bit large so hopefully you wont have much trouble swallowing them"

greg: *takes a look* nah its fine im good a swallowing....uhhh big things *wiggles eyebrows half asleep* geddit

mycroft: gregory MY parents are in the room

[ewebie]

2022: An Author’s Review

I've gotten in the habit (over the past 9 years) of posting an author's review of what I've done on AO3. Since I started my Patreon, I've been posting it here and sharing across Tumblr and Twitter. I think it's good to take stock, be honest about what was possible and look and what I want for the next year. So here it is:

2022... I must say that I had higher hopes for you. It was a busy and productive year, but I did spend a lot of my time healing from the past 2 years and dragging myself, kicking and screaming, into a healthier place.

I was forced to take time out of work for my own mental health in 2021, and kept a lighter schedule going into 2022. It was very very needed. And 2022 from a society perspective was not what I had hoped for. Hubs and I made a (temporary -- one year only) move back across the Atlantic, and I learned a whole new job (clinical adjacent... research).

Even with all the chaos of a move and work and... *gestures at everything* I did manage to accomplish a few things.Summary of writing in 2022:

I set out with the goal of posting something every month, and I succeeded through August. I settled down after that to really plow through some of my WIPs and get ready for a big push in Jan '23.

In January '22, I spent some dedicated time torturing giving Paia everything she's ever wanted. And kicked off a series of works of Papa Lestrade (and his 3 kids). Series became When You're Fast Asleep, the first one written called Deep Inhale.

February brought two more installments to When You're Fast Asleep: Foundational and Counter Riposte. Also very much targeting Paia. Because if I cannot lob fully completed fic attacks back at her for all the rabid plot-bunnies she sneaks into my DMs, then what's the point of our friendship?

For March, I broadened my attack to hit Moth as well as Paia... An indulgent little praisekink AU that hit up a few important interests, called Praise Worthy. And I finished the NYE fic I was working on that specifically used receipts from Moth and Paia that's just suit worship and proud indulgence: Silver and Gold. I also got Jinxed by V in the MRC and added a chapter to Safety First (my Kiss Kiss Bang Bang shorts collection) called G is for Grooming... because toilet plungers???

Though I technically finished posting in May, the April fic was another When You're Fast Asleep called How Your Heart, and I absolutely adore it (and attacked myself with it). And while that was posting, I was working away on the May-Mystrade (Maystrade challenge).

So that brings us to May - when things started to get really busy as I prepped to move, and the Mystrade is Crime collection, to which I submitted Bait and Switch (since KKBB and Sometimes I Feel... were already in existence and I wanted to go full evil).

June and July were mental... packed up 16years of life on one side of the Atlantic, moved to the other, got COVID, got better, and made my way to a State that I'd never lived in before, started a new job in a new environment, dealt with family health issues, celebrated a major birthday. A lot of stress... not a lot of writing.

August I put up Where To Draw the Line, because sometimes I cannot control myself.

September, I fell off the wagon. Not that I've not been writing, I've been writing continuously. But I went all in on some of my WIPs and committed to finishing Hayloft, which is due to start posting on Fridays in Jan...

Overall, I published shy of 50k words (though, I wrote just over 80k... there are some big WIPs in the works) with 16k hits and I now have 360 user subscriptions and 6000 bookmarks. It was a solid effort and I've spent the year only writing Mystrade -- though... I've expanded my reading ships (I'm looking at you Moth).

Plan for 2023: Starting in Jan, I'll be posting The Hayloft (aka "The Farm AU"). One chapter a week... until done... Which... will be midyear. There’s a few bigger projects that I’ve back-burnered or have been plodding along with, including "the sad one" and "the Pretty Woman one" and some complex, multichapter things. Trello has been excellent this year to keep my bunnies sorted and in some sort of order.

Working titles of a few:

Lesser Things

Used Books

The Marshmallow Experiment

Huff and Hush

The Time Has Come

Attack the Cheese Block

Of Legwork and Dogs Bodies

Make Yourself

I hope to keep adding shorts to Safety First and Badges and 'Brellas. And I have 2 birthday pieces that I'm working on, and hope to get out in Feb/March. I'm not going to aim for monthly new works, since Hayloft is going to take a lot of attention, but I do hope to publish more words than 2022.

Many thanks to everyone who has beta'd works for me through the year (this year was mostly Paia -- many times for her many many sins). Thank you to the Asylum (nee Jail) - you're all gremlins and I-A-Door-You! Thank you to the MRC for being just... whatever it is you are. And the OGC - because intercontinental chat groups are their own, special nonsense!

I want to thank everyone that has left kudos and comments and reblogs and likes. Anyone who has dropped me a message or a thought and has generally enjoyed or encouraged my writing this past year. ILY all!!

[mystrademystery]

Dedicated to the best Mycroft I Adore. @bats6425

Prompt: Valentine's Day

"Sometimes, you can't help who you fall in love with."

When Greg came to the Diogenes club, he expected it to be lonely, obviously the said British government wasn't festive or was he sentimental but nevertheless, the silver fox arrived to see at least vases with roses, probably Anthea's touch, kudos to that sweet secretary.

That being said, Anthea appeared looking grim, Greg would of asked why but she beat him to it "Mr. Holmes is brooding, Greg, hasn't even touched his tea, third one this afternoon.." she sighed softly, Greg sighed too "I'll handle it hun, leave it to old Greg to get him functional, yeah? But I need you to do me a favour... Cut off anymore paperwork, he's mine for the rest of today and the next, yeah?" The officer gave her his best cheeky chappy smile.

Anthea gave him a raised brow before shyly smiling, already knowing what gears are turning in the DI's head, thus she nods and swears she would, ushering him to the double oak doors to work his miracle.

Greg couldn't help but silently laugh and actually went in, not that he ever knocks knowing Mycroft was going to be deep into work, and he was right, quietly he walked in and raised an amused brow at what the said British government greeted him with.

"Anthea? Could you send me a copy of that report for the United Nations? I don't seem to be able to access it.." the ginger said as he waved a hand,facing the wall, Greg guessing that he was rubbing his face.

Gently wrapping his arms around the taller male, he chuckled softly "don't think I can or am I pretty as your PA, Posh." He copes and gave him a kiss on the jaw as he plucked the laptop off his lap and placed it on the desk beside them, knowing he shocked the ginger at being there when he was supposed to actually be in Scotland for something, it only made the DI smile wider at the other's spluttering. Oh how he loved his posh, he was so cute.

Oh yes it caught the other off guard that his Gregory was hugging him and was already back from the supposed week long conference. And that he didn't think he was pretty. That's..

"that's absurd Gregory. Your charm surpasses any- I was not suppose to say that out loud.." Mycroft said, mumbling as he rubbed his face yet again, fatigue sinking in now that he relaxed as the DI was back and that was a sure sign he had missed the silver fox.

Oh the irony of not being the sentimental one...

As he watched the other get lost in his head, he slowly held the others head close to his chest and played with the little fluff of hair on his head "c'mon posh. Enough work. Knowing you, while I was away you'd gone back to that horrible habit of over working, and I won't let ya. It took me ages to crack 'at." He said as he kissed the top of his head, hearing a mumbled apology. "Posh.. what did I tell ya? Is okay.. do I have to remind you all over again..? Hmm?"

Mycroft shook his head despite slowly holding the other with an arm, tucking his face on the other's shirt.

"I'm going to tell you anyways. I'm not mad at ya for going back to old habits but ya gotta break them, it's bad for ya. Hmm? And I care. I care about you, no I'm not having it" he takes when he heard the other deny it, instead the ginger asked why and it made Greg smile softly as he kissed the crown of his head again "because, posh, sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with."

"and that's just the start of it, I love you posh, I care, I don't care that you run the country and all that crap, Care about you, yet health and safety." Greg went on, not meaning to return to old roots and his accent.

"and I won't 'ave it that you'll work your pretty arse off, tire yourself and neglect it, you're important, to a lot of people, to Sherlock, to 'thea and specially to me." He said softly as he felt the other nod, slowly, he hooked the rose he kept in his back pocket and placed it on his darling's ear "and.. if you don't take care of yourself.. there's only one posh in this world, won't have anyone else if I lost ya.." he whispered softly, feeling the other's cheeks burn "now c'mon.. got lasagna back at your apartment, Thea's cut your work off and I'm in charge to take you home and I can continue reminding you and telling you what else and why I love you." He copes as he heard the other give him a soft okay

"Joyeuse saint Valentin.. posh." He whispered as he rubbed the other's cheek as he held him "course I'll always come back to you, promised you I would.." he chuckled softly "stop brooding now and let's go home."

"Home.." Mycroft parroted

"yes home"

"Home is where the heart is, Gregory, and that's you.."

"and that's you too"

"Then I'm already home.."

"Guess I am too."

"that you are, Gregory, Welcome home."

[amezzlove-blog]

Mystrade Plot Bunny

Which someone who is not me should totally write. 

I often wonder what Mycroft Holmes would be if he hadn’t been placed on the path to politics and civil service - what other pursuits might he have excelled at? 

And I keep going back to symphony orchestra conductor. Someone who sees the patterns and beauty of the music and gently, powerfully, draws the best performances out of his artists.

One day he’s hurrying through the airport and hears this..

He’s drawn to it - and to the pianist, (who is not what he appears, at all).

Mycroft misses his flight. 

[stellacartography]

Now listen.

Hear me out.

The mutton chops age him, but Charles Gray (b. 1928) was kind of a silver fox in his day.

And Colin Jeavons (b. 1929) was only a year younger (he's still alive btw).

I could take that crackfic seriously. The two of them take off to Mycroft's place in the country. Little retirement fic, little "it's never too late" romance. Lestrade stops dyeing his hair, tries to convince Mycroft to update his look a little, keep it a bit easier to maintain. Maybe Lestrade helps him shave... 😏

my favourite thing about media that has many reiterations is that i can take people's headcannons from one and see how they'd apply to another. they don't usually fare well, but that's the fun part. for example, bbc sherlock's mycroft/lestrade ship but it's these two

that is absolutely bonkers

[johannadc]

Mystrade Plot Bunny

Bit of angst here.

Given how many countries still criminalize gay acts, what if Mycroft, once he starts dating Greg, feels that he has to decide between his job and his relationship? What if he's so unsure about their future that it's a difficult decision for him, upending the life he's always known? What if rumors put him in danger while traveling? Does he disavow his partner and his nature for safety?

I feel like someone has to have written this, but I can't recall.

[paialovespie]

Just Mystrade Thoughts

Mycroft is a bored chaotic neutral supervillain who just aims to cause some shenanigans. He makes puzzles just for Greg because he likes him.

[themirokai]

When Mystrade Met Rinch

Ok so @ambi-apocalypse got me to watch Person of Interest, and apparently I've now gotten @musicismagic-writes to watch it. And previously the ship that the three of us had in common was Mystrade. So this Mystrade to Rinch party gave me crossover thoughts, but those crossover thoughts would be a much more ambitious story than I'm actually ever going to write, so I figured I'd just post my plot bunny/outline here. If anyone wants to adopt this and actually write it into a story, have at it, but please let me know if you post it!

Most of it under the cut cause it's kinda long...

Finch and Reese are working a number and figure out that the dude is a freelance assassin. He’s clearly the perp but for some reason they’re not able to take him out, so they’re trying to figure out who his next target is.

Mycroft is in New York for a meeting at the UN. Greg, his husband, has decided to tag along and make a holiday of it.

Reese figures out that Assassin is surveilling this tall British dude with fancy suits and an umbrella. Reese suggests that Finch should talk to him about vests in order to get close to him. Finch informs Reese that the gentleman is wearing a waistcoat, not a vest. “When the garment is the third part of a three-piece suit it is referred to as a waistcoat.”

“See?” Reese says, “you can talk to him about fancy clothes stuff and then casually work your way around to why he’s being stalked by an assassin.”

After some digital digging…

“Ah, there he is,” Finch says. “His name is Mycroft Holmes. Looks like he’s a bureaucrat in the Department for Transportation.”

“That doesn’t add up, Finch. What’s a small time transportation guy doing at the UN? And he looks like his clothing budget rivals yours.”

“Maybe civil servants are better compensated across the pond? Or maybe he has inherited wealth?”

“Can’t you find out?”

“No. He’s remarkably off the grid.”

Reese realizes that Mycroft has a badass security detail. So what’s a well-dressed mid-level bureaucrat doing at the UN protected by a security detail? And why would the Machine give them the number of an assassin who’s trying to kill him if that security detail was up to the challenge? Something something, they figure out that the Assassin or whoever hired him has bribed/infiltrated/compromised/whatever the security detail.

Reese goes in. POW POW fight scene. Reese incapacitates like 3 dudes who were protecting Mycroft. So that leaves Mycroft and Greg.

“Listen to me very carefully,” Mycroft says, making eye contact with Reese, “there are 4 things this could be about. None of them require my husband’s involvement. You will let him go at once -“

“Sod off, Mycroft, I’m not leaving you!”

“But,” Mycroft continues, ignoring Greg, “if you harm a single hair on his head,” here he draws the sword from his umbrella, “I will open you from chin to groin.”

“Mr. Holmes I promise you I will - is that a sword?”

“A sharp one. And I assure you that I am quite good with it.”

“Did you pull it out of an umbrella?”

Mycroft barely restrains his eye roll. “Do keep up.” He turns to Greg. “Gregory, kindly go and phone Anthea and give her code gamma orange 6.”

Reese convinces Mycroft that his security was compromised by Assassin. Reese is happy to let Greg go but wants to protect both of them and cautions them against making any phone calls that could tip Assassin off.

Mycroft digests all this and then tells Reese that he wants to talk to the person in Reese’s ear. Finch agrees and they get on the phone.

“Everyone in your government is too frightened of me - appropriately - to try anything like this,” Mycroft starts off. “Your associate is former CIA but has left that employment and now has a wealthy benefactor. Your operation is quite small and so it stands to reason that the wealthy benefactor is also the person calling the shots. Who are you?”

“I’m someone with accurate information and a desire to use it to prevent harm, Mr. Holmes.”

They talk. Game recognizes game. Mycroft knows that the Americans wanted the Machine after 9/11 and has now deduced that they have it and Finch has access to it. Mycroft decides he can trust Finch and Reese and lets Reese take them to a safe house while they wait for Anthea to assemble and send a clean security detail. Reese asks if they’re sure Anthea hasn’t been compromised. Greg laughs a lot.

On the way to the safe house…

“So about that umbrella,” Reese says, looking at Mycroft in the rear view mirror. Mycroft raises an eyebrow in response. “Can anyone buy one or is it an MI6 thing?”

“If Gregory and I make it out of this situation unharmed, I would be happy to contact the purveyor on your behalf, Mr. Reese. Though I will say that this sort of weapon doesn’t seem your style.”

“Oh, it wouldn’t be for me,” Reese says with a smile. He touches his ear. “I know what I’m getting you for Christmas, Finch.”

“Mr. Reese-“

“It’s a weapon that isn’t a gun and doesn’t need to be walked!”

“Actually, it’s also a gun,” Mycroft says.

“Shh, he doesn’t like guns.”

“Walked?” Greg asks.

“Already got him a dog. But sometimes the dog is with me.”

They get to the safe house but Greg and Reese are both restless. Making sure Mycroft is safe is good, but actually stopping Assassin would be better. Greg wants to use himself as bait to lure out Assassin, then have Reese get him. Mycroft Does Not Approve. Finch trusts Reese’s judgment. Reese calls in Carter for backup. Carter and Greg hit it off immediately. Mycroft recognizes Carter as a consummate professional who has - in his opinion - a more appropriate level of risk tolerance than Greg or Reese. He, still grudgingly, gives his approval for the Greg as Bait plan.

The plan works! Assassin is captured. Reese says he can take Assassin to a Mexican prison. Mycroft has other plans that involve an inescapable prison on an island. Anthea’s team arrives and takes custody of Assassin for transport to Sherrinford.

Finch and Mycroft have a conversation. Finch is concerned that someone with Mycroft’s position and resources knows about them and the Machine and his access to it (however limited). Finch is worried that Mycroft is going to want a version of the Machine for London. Mycroft assures Finch that while he respects what Finch has accomplished, the Machine is not his style and he prefers getting his intelligence the old fashioned way. He also has no intention of compromising Finch and Reese, but he would like to be able to call them up from time to time. Finch agrees as long as he can call Mycroft when needed. Greg tells Carter that if she ever wants to move to London, he’s got a spot for her at the Met.

They part ways amicably… until next time.

[johannadc]

Hmmmm... Mystrade plot bunny? 

Sherlock can’t figure out why he can out-deduce Mycroft suddenly until he realizes it’s only when Lestrade is in the room. Mycroft seems a little distracted at those times. So Sherlock starts finding reasons for them to show up at each other’s workplaces, particularly when he needs something. It becomes a running gag between Greg and Mycroft -- “Sherlock needs something again?” Which leads to more conversation and texting and laughing together and plotting against him... and when Sherlock realizes he effectively played Cupid for his brother, he freaks out... until he decides it means Mycroft owes him ALL the favors. 

My favorite dynamic in both platonic and romantic ships are “we share the braincell” or “they are both very smart until you put them together and then they’re dumbasses.”

[ewebie]

Silver and Gold

I've decided that 2022 is a year for frank indulgence... And somehow, that has evolved into me directly attacking Paia (and Moth) with fics that they've explicitly asked for. Sorry not sorry.

Was planning on this as a New Year's fic, but frankly, I was distracted and didn't manage to finish it until now. But this works out well for me -- and everyone really -- as my March fic. (I don't count Jinx Drabbles as full fics, no matter how absurd)

I'm also quite chuffed with the word count on this: exactly 4900.

Silver and Gold

Mycroft adjusted his cuffs for a second time. “Stop it,” he chided himself. There was absolutely no reason to be nervous. None whatsoever. Goodness. After their second Christmas together, edging into their third New Year’s Day, Mycroft was attending an event as a plus-one.

It shouldn’t be strange; it wasn’t. Gregory had attended a large number of social events with Mycroft. Had polished himself up and stuck by Mycroft’s side through political negotiations and high society diplomacy. There had been fundraisers and galas, embassy dinners and Whitehall functions. But for each of those, Gregory had been attending as Mycroft’s date – when he could be spared from work, of course.

[johannadc]

Trying to write fic...

I've been toying, for actual years now, with a Mystrade Karaoke series. Every time I hear a great 80s pop song on the "oldies" channel (the music of my youth is now oldies, sigh) I envision one of the characters singing it.

Yesterday, that song was Adam Ant's "Goody Two-Shoes" - I suddenly had this vision, of, well...

The folks at the Yard had come to, if not understand Mycroft's presence at their weekly karaoke night, at least accept that their boss' weird friend was sometimes part of the event. He did buy generous rounds, which went a long way.

They didn't expect, given his overly traditional manners and appearance, to ever see a playful, teasing Mycroft singing "Goody Two-Shoes". Nor were they ready to see DI Lestrade smiling at him doing it.

----

I got that far and realized that while sex kitten Mycroft flirting with Greg via playing to his imagination, that song, with its chorus of "don't drink, don't smoke", wouldn't work AT ALL for the character. Oh well. Off to the graveyard, fic idea. We hardly knew you.

[oshaskell]

I was just assaulted by this thought: Mystrade but it’s a Hannibal AU in which Greg is Will Graham (aka the profiler - detective - with incredible empathetic skills tasked with investigating a serial killer) and Mycroft is Hannibal Lecter (aka the forensic psychiatrist tasked with supervising him who is secretly said serial killer).  

I don’t know where to get started on thinking about this as I haven’t seen that show past the first season, but from what I’ve heard about it through the years, I think they FIT... The dynamic is there. Please tell me someone else has thought about this.