#hint: its about sherlock holmes

[nyoomfruits]

hello there

your fics are so so so so SO good. So good in the sense that I clicked on it randomly, knowing very little about F1 but had some bad news and needed a distraction and read all the good main fics in my fandoms and got a huge upgrade by reading yours. thank you for that.

I think you might have written some of the best fics I've ever read. Have you ever considered writing a book because I would 100% buy it?

Uhh just thanks because your fics are perfection. I mean it. Despite how it might sound, I'm quite picky, so thank you and just woah you are incredible at writing. and awhw I get the soft gooey feels of cuteness when I read your work.

You've also got me into F1 so thanks for that?

I left guest kudos but I forgot my ao3 password but I needed to get my feelings through somewhere so cheers

(guess what fandom I'm originally from there is a hint somewhere :))

seeing as i also got into f1 through fanfic this feels v full circle lmao <3 anyway!!! welcome!!!! i hope you enjoy your time here :) also thank you for loving my fics i appreciate it <3

[poppypirate]

things this episode that are making me grin to myself like an idiot

1) sherlock doing nice things for john and mariana, though thats making me cry more to be honest, the fact that he feels he needs to do that... it just proves carol's point from the last episode and yep, im crying now. but also. john saying sherls!!!!

2) john moustache!!!!!!! i thought he already had one but oh well better late than never. also side-note i feel like they shouldnt change that doorbell. the abrasiveness is iconic atp

3) SHERRINFORD HOLMES HAHAHHH. there IS indeed a cultural reference you're missing sherlock darling

4) sherlock deerstalker!!!!!!!!!!

5) sherlock saying "ta-la" instead of "ta-da" literally made my day

6) sherlock following john to barthes because hes worried about him. my HEART. the short jokes are getting kind of old though (says the short person. its not too bad i'll take it)

7) this is turning into commentary because erm. "Baker Street is BUSTLING with life this morning, Watson!" *cryptic dramatic music starts playing* IM SORRY ARE YOU COMMUNICATING SOMETHING TO ME HERE

8) STRAIGHT IN WHAT SENSE??!! ARE YOU COMMUNICATING SOMETHING TO ME???!!!

9) i cant tell if sherlock's joking around with the sexual innuendos or if he just cant tell (i want to believe the latter. i live and breathe johnlock with all my soul.)

10) im crying again at sherlock being over-familiar with the words wild child - i need to know more about his past!!!!!

11) yeah uhhhh the whole milverton thing and all the moriarty discussion wiped any hints of a smile right off my face. i wish john would've killed him instead of just knocking him out

so yeah i am vey full of feelings right now

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Elements of a Mystery Story

Mystery stories revolve around a main character on a quest to solve a crime.

Also known as a whodunit or detective story, a mystery creates intrigue by revealing the identity of the antagonist only at the climax of the story.

Mystery writers drop clues throughout the plot to invite readers to join in the investigation.

A murder mystery novel can be categorized as a subgenre of crime fiction or detective novels.

The mystery genre has been entertaining readers for hundreds of years. Edgar Allan Poe was a master of mystery writing, with works such as his short story “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” from 1841. A good mystery has certain literary elements to intensify the suspense and build up to a big finale. These elements include:

A strong hook: A great mystery should invite the reader to try to solve the crime, and a great opening is critical to piquing their interest. A mystery should start with just enough information about the crime to build intrigue from the first line. This is the defining moment when a reader chooses whether or not they want to continue. If the dramatic element is missing from the beginning, the reader expects the rest of the book to be the same. The first chapter should initiate the mystery, aligning the reader with the central character on the crime-solving adventure.

An atmospheric setting: Stories in this genre should create an ominous, uneasy mood through setting to support the anxiety of an unknown antagonist lurking in the shadows. Think of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes slinking through the London fog in search of a killer. Settings in mysteries also offer opportunities to plant clues and red herrings.

A crime: A crime is the event that fuels the plot in a mystery novel. Revealed in the first chapter, a crime creates the central conflict that launches the investigation, sending the main character on their quest and spurring the narrative arc.

A sleuth: At the heart of every mystery is a main character determined to solve the crime. Mystery writer Raymond Chandler created private detective Philip Marlowe to be a crime solver in his novels. A writer can raise the stakes by making the detective personally invested in solving the crime. Mysteries can center around an amateur investigator—an average citizen who solves the case. The character development of the sleuth is important; they need a backstory that connects them to the crime or the killer, and a motive that explains why solving this crime is important to them.

A villain: A mystery is often called a whodunit because the culprit is unknown until they’re caught at the end. The story follows their movements, which propel the story forward. The main character and the reader discover the criminal’s identity as the plot reaches its climax.

Narrative momentum: A mystery plot is in constant motion thanks to a cat-and-mouse narrative thread. The pacing will quicken the closer the plot moves towards the climax and the closer the main character gets to solving the crime.

A trail of clues: Clues are the literary element that allows mystery stories to engage readers on a deeper level than other types of fiction. The reader becomes an amateur sleuth, following the trail of clues to try to discover the identity of the culprit. When writing mysteries, an author needs to have an organized writing process in order to keep track of what clues they’re creating, when they appear, and who knows what in order to make sure the plot lines make sense.

Foreshadowing: Mysteries often drop hints of things that will happen in the future. This is known as foreshadowing. A writer can hint at a future event with a small clue or through character dialogue. Writers can be more or less direct with foreshadowing, either subtly hinting at future events or explicitly stating what will happen.

Red herrings: A good mystery throws the reader off track. Red herrings are an essential element in mysteries. These false clues build tension by creating other suspects and distracting the detective—and the reader—and leading them away from the real culprit. A writer creates red herrings by placing extra emphasis on an object, event, or character that catches a reader’s attention, making that element seem more significant than it really is to the storyline. In Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, there are 10 characters who are all potential suspects. Christie creates red herrings by killing off each character one by one, creating plot twists that send the reader into new directions in search of the killer.

A satisfying ending: At the end of great mystery novels there is the big reveal—the sleuth discovers the identity of the culprit. An ending should also provide an alibi for any other suspects to strengthen the identity of the real killer and eliminate doubt, tying up loose ends.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs A "Convincing" Mystery ⚜ Detective Story ⚜ Mystery Novel ⚜ Word List: Mystery

[hopelesslyprosaic]

I feel like The Six Napoleons is one of the best Granada episodes, and part of why is, of course, That Scene.

By which of course I mean this one:

All genius, but of course, even more specifically, the bit starting at about 5:52. You know the scene I mean, and if you don't by all means watch it!

Honestly, it's an in-a-nutshell demonstration of the greatness of both canon and the Granada adaptation.

Here's the scene from the book:

“Well,” said Lestrade, “I’ve seen you handle a good many cases, Mr. Holmes, but I don’t know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than that. We’re not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there’s not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn’t be glad to shake you by the hand.” “Thank you!” said Holmes. “Thank you!” and as he turned away it seemed to me that he was more nearly moved by the softer human emotions than I had ever seen him. A moment later he was the cold and practical thinker once more. “Put the pearl in the safe, Watson,” said he, “and get out the papers of the Conk-Singleton forgery case. Goodbye, Lestrade. If any little problem comes your way I shall be happy, if I can, to give you a hint or two as to its solution.”

And here's the dialogue from the show:

Lestrade: I’ve seen you handle a good many cases in my time, but I don’t know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than this. We’re not jealous of you, you know, at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there’s not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn’t be glad to shake you by the hand. Holmes: Thank you! Thank you! Would you get down the Conk-Singleton forgery case please, Watson? Goodbye, Lestrade. If any little problem comes your way I shall be happy, if I can, to give you a hint or two as to its solution.

Not many differences! ACD knew what he was doing- he knew how to write a good yarn, he knew how to write good characters, and he knew how to write a good interaction. Granada wasn't filmed in canon order, so we don't get to see the progression of Holmes's relationship with Lestrade per se, but after a number of excellent, more "foiled again!" type Holmes-Lestrade interactions since A Study in Scarlet, ACD decided to do something cool and different here and pulled it off beautifully.

And when the director and writer of this Granada episode put this one together, they decided that the relationship between Holmes and Lestrade should be a focal point in this episode, and not only did they barely need to change a dang thing in the ending to do it, what small things they did change were all beautifully in the service of the tone of the original ending, taking advantage of the brilliant material they had to work with. I was just relistening to the excellent episode of the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast discussing The Six Napoleons, and one of them points out that one of the few text changes is removing the word "very"- going from "we are very proud of you" to "we are proud of you." And it works so well- it accentuates the contrast with the previous suggested notion that they would otherwise be jealous, between what Holmes might have expected to hear (and, indeed, perhaps expected to WANT to hear) and the actuality, and how much more meaningful it turns out that is to Holmes.

The creators here- and I of course include the actors, as both Colin Jeavons and Jeremy Brett act the fuck out of this- are so smart with how they pull this off. They know that what they have on the page is gold, but they also know how they can buff it up for a stronger shine. They know that Brett will absolutely eat up all of ACD's stage directions about his response, he knows the character inside and out at this stage, so let's keep the scene the way it is and, instead, build the rest of the episode around setting up this scene in such a way that it will have maximum impact as written.

There is one thing that is added- and that's the handshake at the end, that Holmes offers to Lestrade. We don't know what happens after Holmes's final words in the story, but in the episode, the physical acting continues telling the story only implied in the text of the short story- Lestrade is a bit thrown by Holmes's reversion back to his old, casually cutting self, but rolls with it, only for Holmes to extend his hand to him. Lestrade seems, even, slightly surprised- this is, perhaps, Holmes's rare gesture of pride in him.

[elumish]

so i believe you said you were aiming to complete the reading challenge by the end of pride month. did you manage it? any books you particularly recommend?

I did not!

Since my last post I managed to read exactly zero new books, so I still have nine to go. (Actually while writing this I realized it might be 10 actually beause I repeated an author.)

I do have some recommendations:

If you want gay urban fantasy:

The Tarot Sequence by K.D. Edwards is one of the best series I've read in a really, really long time. The first three books are out so far and act as a complete trilogy, and then the next set of books is in progress.

The Soulbound series by Hailey Turner is much more classic urban fantasy and really gave me Ilona Andrews vibes.

Small Gods of Calamity by Sam Kyung Yoo is a horror/paranormal urban fantasy mystery set in Korea that gave me a flavor of urban fantasy I rarely get to see.

If you want fantasy romance or fantasy with strong romance elements:

The King's Weaver by Novae Caelum is a fun and interesting romantasy with a genderfluid princess and a bi king. I had a really good time reading it.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows gave me the arranged marriage book I was looking for, which is saying something because I read a ton of arranged marriage books.

The Phoenix Keeper is about sapphic zookeepers and also phoenix husbandry, and it's cute and a fun read.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland has some interesting worldbuilding and a slow burn.

The Stolen Court by Megan Derr has really good ace representation, which just scratches the surface for the queer representation in Megan Derr's books. I particularly recommend this series (Unbreakable Soldiers) and the Tales of the High Court series.

If you want fantasy with little to no romance:

The Hands of the Emperor by Victoria Goddard feels like one of those 20k oneshot fanfics that hits that really specific way, except it's 800 pages long. I've read it 4-5 times in the last few months.

The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett is a Sherlock Holmes-y fantasy mystery with some really creative worldbuilding and some dyslexia representation.

If you want sports romance:

Time to Shine by Rachel Reid is a fun gay friends to lovers hockey romance with what read to me, at least, as ace-spectrum representation (though it's not explicitly stated).

If you want contemporary romance:

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston is a largely contemporary romance with a hint of fantasy, and it's also a book I put off reading for yours and then I read it in one night and cried a bunch.

Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao is a cute trans sapphic roommates to friends to lovers romance about labor organizing that I immediately recommended to one of my friends after I finished it.

In the Long Run by Haley Cass is a sapphic romance about a woman returning to her hometown after a long time away. One thing I really liked about this one is that both characters are late 30s/early 40s, which is a nice change of pass for romance novels.

If you want romantic suspense:

The Honor series by Radclyffe is one of the quintessential sapphic romantic suspense series. I didn't love book one when I first read it, but I actually jumped forward to the last book in the series (which has a genderfluid character as one of its POV characters) and really enjoyed it, and I've been working my way through it since.

Criminal Intentions by Cole McCade is a dark romantic suspense series with a really interesting setup, where the series is organized into "seasons" with short novels or novellas essentially making up each "episode."

Tallowwood by N. R. Walker is a tight, well-written standalone romantic suspense novel, and it's set in Australia so I got to learn some stuff too, which is always a plus.

If you want historical romance:

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall is a great regency romance novel with a trans main character who reunites with her best friend who thinks she's dead.

[hwanchaesong]

━⁠☞🍽️ Seventh Course: Picture perfect revenge, the definition of the burnt dessert that is brewing inside your unhinged mind. Well, he deserves it though. 🥢

🎧: Olivia Rodrigo - Jealousy, Jealousy

wc: 816

genre & warnings: angst, non-idol au, cheating, hints of insecurity, reader drinking wine, cursing, lovers to exes, etc etc

a/n: this is a part of The Sour Restaurant series. if y'all want, you can read the other album inspired fics of other groups here.

You scroll through your phone, sipping on your red wine and laughing to yourself. Giggling like a maniac because the ridiculousness of the situation is truly astounding.

It was a magnificent occasion, one that would normally make people cry but not you.

No, you are built differently.

The discovery that you dug made you so happy you think you're about to burst in excitement.

Because finally, fucking finally! Freedom is nigh and clean air will finally clear your black lungs.

You gaze at the clock, the man that you are waiting for will be home soon, and you are so fucking ready for a confrontation.

Soon enough, your boyfriend enters your shared apartment, jumping a little when he sees your figure in the shadows, indifferently sitting there with a menacing expression.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" he frowned when you replied with a scoff, slowly walking in your direction.

The entire living room is dark, the only source of light is the one from the hallway near your bedroom. It gives an ominous vibe in the atmosphere, exactly what you want to exude.

"Y/N, seriously, I don't have time for this. I j-"

You rolled your eyes at his audacity, shoving your phone in his face so he can gawk at the evidence of his betrayal.

He is nothing but a mere asshole in the entirety of this relationship, so thank the heavens for giving you a reason to leave.

Ever since he entered your life, his presence always gave you the sinking feeling of insecurity.

Paranoia at its finest, you could say.

It was all good at first. You can even say with confidence that he was the perfect boyfriend. He makes you feel like you're on top of the world, the only girl that he loves, the happiest person on earth.

But who knows what will happen, right?

His sublime image is merely a performance for you to enjoy and hate later on, especially when you start seeing the signs.

Going home to you smelling like a girl's perfume. Lipstick stain on the collar of his polo shirt. Being secretive on whatever is in his phone.

"Must be your imagination, baby."

"Oh this? This is nothing. I'll wash it later."

"Listen, privacy is also an important aspect of a relationship."

Fuck that privacy. You merely wanted to play games on his phone because waiting in line in his favorite restaurant bore you to death. Must he be so stingy?

Stingy because the shit excuse of a man was hiding something.

You have been tolerating his bland show for a while now, might as well give him a tip for giving you entertainment despite it not being worth your time.

"Tell me I'm crazy now." you smirk, victorious in the battle where you have been wounded far too many times to the point that you can't even bear to look in the mirror without wanting to vomit.

You've had enough comparing yourself to the girls that he hangs out with.

Girls that are way skinnier, comfortable in showing too much skin, wear make up like it's an extension of their body.

Then you saw this very suspicious lady that seemed to be a bit closer to your boyfriend than the others.

You can't help but be jealous of her pretty face, lavish lifestyle, and it seems like her friends love her so much.

But hey, you may be a tad bit insecure but you ain't a raging loser, you are ready to let your inner sherlock holmes out and prove a point.

"What was it again? You are not cheating and it's just all in my head?" here you are, showing him the proof of your hard work and catching him red handed.

Did he really think that you won't see him and that girl making-out in a photo that was posted by his friend a week ago.

No matter how pixelated it was or even if your eyesight is bad, you will definitely see it.

"Y/N, that is not what you think." he tried to explain, and you do not understand the reason for his panic as you confidently push him out of the flat.

"Wooyoung, I've seen, heard and smelled enough. I think it's time for you to shut the fuck up." you give him a fake smile, finally giving him a harsh strike on his chest that got him stumbling in the front of the apartment.

"Please, hear me out." he begs but no, your heart is not made out of cotton to listen to him.

Whatever befalls him, he deserves it.

"Go spend the night with your bitch and come back here tomorrow to gather your belongings while I'm at work. Goodbye."

You shut the door in his face, not paying attention to his knocks and pleas.

Finally, some peace and quiet in your mind, heart and soul.

taglist:

@acciocriativity @iarayara @stolasisyourparent @xdannix @nsixns @heartssol @vixensss @shakalakaboomboo

[witchersmistress]

Excuse me Professor

Hello my darlings, i ended up down a very dark road for awhile, im clawing my way back but grief is just awful. so this is me attempting to come back.

Triggers: forced orgasm, semi pulbic space, thigh riding and stimulation a dark sherlock holmes, [ despite his protest] pet names and secret deals.

word count: 1.2 k

“ Emily Weaver” jolted me from my dazed sleep, shaking my head to wake myself up as I looked at who called my name. Shit I dozed off in class, worse I dozed off in his. Professor Sherlock Holmes.. He was pinning me with a glare, his blue eyes heated. “ You will stay behind after class to talk about this inexcusable behavior”  he continued on with the lecture as I shrank my seat to avoid the eyes of my fellow students and peers.

The hour dragged as the bell rang, students lingered to see what would happen. “ I said class was dismissed, that means leave.” He was holding the door open as students ran out the door, he shut it with a slam, locking it behind him and closing the curtain. He walked to the bottom of the stairs “ Emily join me in my office please” he said opening another door as i walked down the stairs and passed him into his office. He had bookcases everywhere, filled with books and awards. His desk was filled with books, open and overlapping one another. “Sit” he demanded as he walked to a bookshelf pulling off his tie and undoing a few buttons of his shirt,  while pouring himself two fingers of an amber liquor  and downing it in one go. Pouring himself another one as he spoke “ What are we going to do with you?” he mused as he turned to face me “ I.. I don't know what to say, i am so sorry..” placing a hand on my shoulder, moving his hand across my collarbone, before grabbing at the base of my neck moving up my throat to my chin and tipping my head back to look up at him. Watching him take a sip of his drink. Opening my mouth to protest him, he leaned down, sealing his mouth over mine, opening it slightly, letting the liquor into my mouth. I drank it greedily, getting hints on vanilla and caramel with a hint of a smokey oak flavor. Panting as i down the last of it, sucking on his lip for just a little more. He pulled away and smiled wickedly at me. 

“ I was right, you are her my wicked girl” my heart dropped into my stomach..fuuuck he figured it out. He swung around the chair pulling me up by my neck as he sat on the edge of his desk pulling me between his spread thighs. He growled as he took  my face in his hand. “Tell me, is that why you are so tired in my classes? Because you are out dancing every night, making men crazy as you dance on that stage under the ultraviolet lights." His other hand made its way down the front of my blouse, undoing the buttons as he went, moving down to my skirt, he dragged my skirt up to my waist, exposing my garter belt and thigh highs.

He chuckled wickedly as he began to pluck at the straps holding up my thigh highs, as I pressed my thighs together, trying to surprise my desire, he  hummed in satisfaction, moving one of his thighs to separate mine. With minimal effort he wedged his thigh between mine until I was straddling his thigh, pushing it up into my throbbing core. I failed to conceal my whimper as I bucked my hips once before going still. He brought my face closer to his, removing the hand from my throat to the other side of my hip, as he began to move my hips  back and forth applying pressure ever so slightly. Pro.. profess..sser” i struggled with my words as he hummed wickedly “ yes my wicked girl” he crooned, his eyes darkened with lust and desire. My mouth went dry and I couldn't speak. I tried but nothing was coming out. Moving my hips faster, I began to whimper helplessly  as I watched the impressive bulge in his dress pants grow bigger. I could feel myself getting wetter by the second. 

“ i've know for a while now, watching you both on that stage and in the halls, you may be innocent but you can't fool me” i could feel the approach of my impending orgasm as he continued on “ part of me wanted to be good but my wicked Emily ,” i  nodded quickly not sure how long i could hold the tidal wave back. He slipped on of his long nimble fingers into my dripping pussy, i groaned and rolled my head back as he took that finger out and began to circle my clit in a slow and tortuous circle “ the devil on my shoulders wants to know if you’ve ever cum with my name on your lips” moving my arm to his shoulder to support myself as he leaned back, picking up speed as he continued to circle my clit. “ Yes.. yes.. Almost every night” he smiled was down right sinful and delectable. “  i want to hear you” i was at my breakpoint and i did not care that i was going to sound like a whiny girl begging for a new purse or phone. “ please, professor” he tsked me several times cocking an eyebrow as i tried again “ please sherlock” i could feel the dames break., i leaned forward into his neck and buried my face in his neck as he continued to finger my pussy relentlessly, just as my first orgasm ended, another one was right behind him as i pulled back from his neck, grabbing his face between my hands, pulling him close, kissing him as i rode out my second orgasm. He swallowed my moans as if he was a starving man, greedy and wanting more, my legs began to shake as he withdrew his finger, pulling away from our kiss, he licked his finger clean before pulling me back on for another kiss, grabbing both my thighs he wrapped  them around his waist as he stood,. Turning around and depositing me on his desk. 

Breaking our kiss, resting his forehead against mine as I begged for my legs to stop shaking. His hands where still on my thighs as he began to lower himself, moving my now wet panties to the side, flattening his tongue starting at the bottom, he licked upwards in  slow strokes and circled my clit with the tip of his tongue, before standing up and smiling at me like the cat that ate the canary. Moving my panties back into place and pulling down my skirt for me as he looked me in my eyes. “ You’ll only ever dance for me now, understand? Every night at 5pm you will meet me at my car and ill bring you to my home, were you will dance for me till i cant keep my hands off you and I’ll fuck lick and suck that pretty pink pussy till ive had enough. Do you understand me?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me. I nodded “ Yes sir” . Something dark flashed across his features as he handed me my bag and scooped me up bridal style carrying me to his car. Buckling me into the passenger seat, I asked “ Where are we going?” a deep rumble echoed from his chest “ My wicked girl, i'm not done with you yet” he smiled as he drew a knuckle down my cheek, placing a soft kiss on my lips “ I expect you’ll miss your classes tomorrow" he winked, chuckling as he closed the door.

[avelera]

A Doylist Argument for Why Alice, Daniel's first wife, is NOT Armand in "Interview with the Vampire"

So I know the IWTV fandom has more or less made up its mind about "Armand = Alice" but I have to say, I am still not convinced. In my opinion, the discussion of how Armand knew what Alice was thinking that night was because Armand was spying on Daniel and Alice as a powerful telepath, all things we've known Armand to do, not because he was somehow Daniel's first wife and at no point did Daniel, an investigative reporter, in the present day recognize that Armand was Alice, his first wife who he would presumably have photos of.

Anyway, let's start from a Doylist angle. Doylist means, "from the creator perspective, analyzing from the point of view as the work of art as something created by people outside the universe of the story, ie, Arthur Conan Doyle wrote Sherlock Holmes, not John Watson who wrote the book in-universe."

First of all, it's pretty unusual for a show to outright lie to the audience. There used to be a whole script writing rule about it and if you look closely, it's very unusual in most TV shows for a character to outright lie unless the story is a mystery and unless the fact they're lying is well supported as being something the audience should be on the lookout for. But even when characters lie on tv, there's usually a bazillion neon signposts going, "The guy twirling his mustache and cackling is a liar!" and we're usually introduced to the actual truth at some point within the story.

Ok, all of that aside because I could talk about when and how and where and the nuances of writing liars into stories and why it's best generally avoided (unless it is the entire point, because audiences tend to take what they're told by a character at face value unless they're specifically told not to, etc etc.), IWTV by contrast with most tv shows is notorious for playing with lies and truth with this in very interesting ways.

Truly, I don't think I've ever seen a show lie to the audience as much as IWTV but even then, IWTV lies in very careful ways.

So, let's examine how IWTV depicts lies and subjective truth, and why I think this makes it unlikely that "Alice = Armand", which would be an absolutely gigantic lie to drop on the audience.

We always know that lies are going to be part of the story in IWTV. There's tons of support and scaffolding to the fact that the audience should know that this is a subjective story, that facts will be misrepresented and misremembered.

For example, it was an entire plot point with a long pay off that Lestat shouldn't have been able to communicate telepathically to Louis after he was turned and it was used to highlight that we should not take anything that happens in the flashbacks as objective truth. This has been told to us over and over and over again in this story.

This is so they can avoid the cheated feeling of a, "Gotcha!" Audiences do not like to be lied to but they do like to solve mysteries. If you're going to lie to the audience, you need to give them a chance to solve it. Generally speaking you accomplish this by telling them ahead of time what they should be looking out for and that there's a mystery incoming, you don't just "Rocks fall, everyone dies," dump it on them out of nowhere then laugh that they were too stupid to figure it out. That enrages audiences.

Now, it might seem like I'm contradicting myself here. "Avelera!" You might say, "We have it well established that something fucky is going on with Daniel's memories! A big red flag was raised that Armand has messed with Daniel too in the flashback to the 70s! We know from the books that Daniel and Armand had a relationship and the show is at least teasing that they had one in the show canon too! Isn't that enough to establish that Alice = Armand is a reasonable mystery that is being hinted at within the context of the story?"

And to this I answer, sure, it's reasonable. I think the number of people who are speculating that Alice = Armand is actually a point in favor of it being true, because a good established mystery should have enough hints that people can begin to put it together before it's confirmed.

But here are my personal hang ups about why it still doesn't feel quite right to me.

We have the fact that Daniel has ruined two marriages. This is set up early. Like, super early, in episode 1, before we even see the vampires. We also establish that Daniel's two marriages are with (presumably mortal) women and that he has 2 daughters. This is set up long before the themes and ideas around the subjectiveness and falsehood of memory are introduced. Generally speaking, you don't introduce a mystery before you introduce that there is a mystery. To my eyes, we were meant to see the details of Daniel's marriage and family life as objective truths about him that inform his character before the interview starts.

Even when we do get into Louis' interview, there is a strict dichotomy to the dreamy, subjective world of Louis' story and recollection, and the sharp reality and harsh brutalist lines of the apartment in the present day.

To my eyes, the meaning is clear: All flashbacks are suspect and subjective, but scenes that take place in the modern day are objective. They are really happening. We can speculate about what things like what the decor tells us about their mindsets and the way Armand and Louis present themselves to Daniel mean, but this isn't a dream or a lie or a framing device happening here. Modern day = objectively true.

Daniel talking about his two failed marriages and his daughters is not presented within the framework of the subjective interview flashback world. These are not facts we've been asked to question, these are the objective building blocks that tell us, objectively, where Daniel is coming from and why he's the bitter old man we see instead of the bright eyed interviewer seen in the IWTV film or books.

The very AU premise of IWTV from the books is that we are in a canon divergence world where Daniel was allowed to grow old, have a family, and have a successful professional life even if he never had a successful personal life. It is the way we are objectively meant to understand his point of view and other elements like his saltiness towards the vampires. It's how we're supposed to understand him as different from his book counterpart. I think it would be cheap to then pull a "gotcha!" about those, personally.

Now, there is a mystery introduced as far as Daniel's memory, recollection, and possible falsehoods in his own understanding of his life but those are questions like: "What happened after Daniel interviewed Louis the first time?" Which is part of the broader question of, "Why are we returning to the interview now?" Which also plays a bit into Daniel's broader questions of, "Am I going to survive this interview?" which is connected to the question of, "Why did I survive the first one?"

But those questions are generally raised and addressed within the flashback to the 70s, because flashbacks, as we've established, are (within the story of the IWTV show) where these doubts about objectivity are allowed to exist.

Note, that Daniel's 2 marriages and the existence of his daughters are not discussed in the flashbacks. What is discussed is, "Why did I survive that night in the 70s?" And we learn that Daniel's memories of that time have been tampered with, there's more to the story that it appears, and he had a moment of connection with Armand that he did not recall.

"But Avelera!" You say, "Is this not further proof of Alice being Armand if we establish that Daniel doesn't have the whole story and that he and Armand had a connection that he doesn't fully remember??"

I think it is a point in favor of the theory. I think it's a point in favor of the theory being a valid one to explore, but I'm still not sold because of a few reasons.

Armand has never:

Presented himself with feminine pronouns, never cast himself in a feminine light, never associated himself with the feminine.

Furthermore, Armand has never disguised himself as a woman. Disguise is a theme in the show, Daniel talks about how people put on disguises before he finds the truth of them. But if "Alice" is a way for Armand to disguise himself in Daniel's memory, it is not a disguise that bears any resemblance to the other disguises we've seen Armand wear throughout the show. It is not a theme for Armand, it is not related to his story. Armand is many things to many people, but he's never ever associated himself with the feminine.

Armand would not need to disguise himself as a woman in Daniel's memory for Daniel to plausibly remember having a relationship with Armand, because Daniel recalls having queer experiences in the 70s. If Daniel remembered a relationship with "Andrei", I'd be more inclined to believe he's substituted himself in Daniel's memories with a mortal. Going so far as to say, "Of these 2 women Daniel told us in the objective present that he's been married to, one of them was a man who was also Armand," just seems a bridge too far in tricking the audience for no apparent reason. To me, that feels like a cheap trick on the audience.

Now, what about those weird things Louis and Armand say about Alice when they're shaming Daniel with the memory of her?

Specifically: what about Armand knowing what Alice is thinking the night she turned Daniel down?

This is my biggest point of difference with those who theorize that Alice = Armand. After all, how could Armand know what Alice was thinking that night unless he was Alice?

To put it simply, I think he knows because he was stalking Daniel that night.

I think we are meant to go, "Wait, what??" when we hear that Armand knows what Alice was thinking that night. That conversation is mean to be a red flag when we're invited to notice that Armand and Daniel have more history together than we, or Daniel!, have been led to believe.

But we also know Armand is a powerful telepath. This is a hugetheme throughout the show.

And, personally, I'm big fan of Queen of the Damned the book. It is my personal theory that IWTV the show takes place in a world where Armand and Daniel had their "Devil's Minion" whirlwind romance in the 70s, but instead of Armand turning Daniel as he requested, he wiped Daniel's memories and then let him go.

IMO, Daniel continued life thinking that he'd lost his memories of the 70s due to drug binges, and then from the 80s onward lived a relatively normal life with his two failed marriages to mortal women, his two daughters, and his award winning career. That's the divergence point.

To me, it seems much more plausible based on everything we know about Armand, that after he "freed" Daniel from their relationship and "allowed" him to live a mortal life instead of "cursing" him with vampirism, that Armand continued to stalk Daniel. Because that's what Armand does. Even in the Devil's Minion chapter of QotD, he's constantly stalking Daniel to the point where all Daniel needs to do in a particular city to have Armand swoop in to save him is think about him really hard.

So to me, what I think that line of dialogue was setting up was not "Armand = Alice" it was, "Armand continued to stalk Daniel after their relationship ended and that is the red flag you're supposed to pick up on from this dialogue, not a convoluted masquerade where Armand replaced Daniel's memories of the relationship with a woman named Alice who at first rejected Daniel but then eventually agreed to marry him."

To me, Armand = Alice just seems too convoluted. It also seems too easy to disprove given that Daniel is an investigative reporter. You're telling me he doesn't have any photos with "Alice", his first wife? You're telling me that if Armand was Alice, Daniel's first wife, that he never looked at "Rashid" or Armand and said, "Wow, you remind me of you my first wife?" Because to me, that's the sort of line you drop (in a more subtle manner) if you want people thinking about Alice = Armand but there is nothing along those lines in the show.

Now, what about the line, "You felt safer holding her hand in Paris."?

That one is a bit of a head scratcher. That one I think does lend to the possibility that "Alice" was male, that "Alice" was Armand, because Paris is discussed as more queer friendly (even though we also have scenes of Louis and Armand receiving homophobic comments while in Paris so... idk, "more comfortable" doesn't mean it was truly accepting, much like Louis felt "more comfortable" being a man of color in Paris even if racism was still rampant, but I digress).

But I didn't take it as a comment on Paris being queer-friendly (and therefore Armand = Alice) at the time when I first watched that scene.

I took Louis statement there as much more of an attack on Daniel's hatred of Paris. Paris is the city of love. America is the country where Daniel lives and works and has his identity as a hard-ass American reporter. In Paris, though, he was able to relax and be in love, far away from his work. Daniel has now grown to hate Paris because Paris was the place where he was young and in love with his first wife, a relationship that ended badly.

I felt that Louis was more calling out Daniel's changing attitudes towards Paris, rather than implying that Paris was more queer-friendly so Daniel could be openly with his lover Armand.

TL;DR: Look, I think the theory of Alice = Armand has a lot to recommend it, but I still have my objections to it. I think it's too big of a trick to pull on the audience to say that investigative reporter Daniel Molloy wouldn't recognize Armand as his first wife upon seeing him. I think it's too big of a trick to pull on the audience because the identity of Daniel's wives has never been presented as a mystery to be solved. I think it's much more plausible that they were setting up that Armand has been stalking Daniel very closely over the years, not that he insinuated himself into Daniel's life under false premises as a woman, a disguise and identity he's never used before.

I think Alice is real. I think Armand is a stalker, and that was meant to be our take away from that conversation.

[dranfran]

a thorough clothing analysis - ex and bee

NB: very very much inspired by @/thalfox's analysis on the obey me cast's casual outfits. clothing has a way of showing a hint of personality about the person wearing it, and a lot more about of their background and their demeanor. it's the first thing a person might see before saying "hello", so their dressing styles really do count! SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 - YOU'VE BEEN WARNED

For each and every character, we'll be starting from the top and working our way down the outfit, and talking about any garments that might have specific connotations, as well as theorizing whatever could have prompted such a choice.

EX: sophisticated, numinous, distinguished

There's this sort of classy, Sherlock Holmes inspiration with his outfit, though with its own bold hues.

The overall dark colours aided by hints of juxtaposing cooler reds and blues show that he means business. Though, this outfit could be considered arguable too self indulgent; if Ex truly wanted to be a "formal", would he not wear a plainer black suit with no accents? It's more tailored: flashy and personal, with the contrasting collars encasing what appears to a clerical shirt with a tab collar; it's distinctly related to clerical dress and most typically worn by members of the Roman Catholic Church (54% of South Americans are Roman Catholic, so it makes sense). From the crosses on the palms of his gloves to the scarf-like belt with tassels; it is clear that Ex is deeply religious, and his childhood living within the church has clearly influenced him. His outfit, in a sense, is priest like; he is acting out a communion, but what is sacrificed as such?

His blazer has a rose pattern on the sleeve with the stems pointed upwards; keeping with this religious interpretation of his outfits, roses represent passion (suffering) and martyrdom. Is Ex himself a sacrificial lamb for the greater good of the world in his sense too? Yes, his blood is the only weakness that Blodgrim will never be able to combat, but I wouldn't be surprised if in the eyes of everyone else, he is meant to shed his own blood to prevent Blod's reign of domination and terror around the world; I mean, he literally had a patten akin to blood splatters near the bottom of his blazer.. I would never ever be surprised if he is given a justified death at the end of the series.

Keeping in line with this more numinous perception of his outfit, one of his blazer collars is furred?..

I'm just as confused as you are, but perhaps they aren't mere furs and feathers, but metaphorical wings. As a dhampir having a sole wing, this mutilation is a symbol representing the lost and the lonely, the inevitable of the fall. Perhaps Ex feels a sense of incompletion, frustration, abandonment yet aspiration; recovering from being a fallen angel with perhaps, another half of wings from another person, will allow him to fly again.

BEE: comfortable, athletic, informal

As the protagonist, Bee's design as an assistant detective stands out as scarily casual; his V-neck shirt, jeans as well as running trainers all scream that his work is more child's play; there's no separation between his work and play, rather they're synonymous with each other -- so the question lies, does he really take this seriously? Or rather, is this subverting casualness a sign of being undercover, hiding who he truly is in order to appeal or comfort to those who may reject him for his roots? It's worth questioning.

His glasses which are worn in most official art are tinted yellow, which can be worn to reduce eye fatigue, and block harmful UV rays, which probably is worn for a reason adjacent to his sensitivity to light as a vampire, but could arguable be a sort of fashion statement (as another vampire we know about doesn't wear sunglasses, but we'll get to that.).

There's too many bee motifs in his design: the yellow stripes on the back of his jacket, the bee wings near the zipper, the hexagonal patten faintly stenciled near his pockets; he is a BEE alright. This motif connotes of feelings of community, working together towards a single goal as a metaphorical hive mind. focusing more on this "hive mentality", it's not crazy to assume that perhaps an younger Bee prioritized loyalty to the group in order to easily communicate with everyone, though it's probable that the same mentality is what lead him away from Blod in the first place, and what drew him to Ex instead. The deterioration of personal judgements and one's own desires fade because in the end, you will stop making decisions for yourself for the benefit of a wider institution; perhaps this is linked to the marking on his hand, a symbol of such an old allegiance that is still bares its hold on him till the present day.

Someone mentioned it before, but Bee's J-shaped leg prosthetic is used specifically for athletes who run professionally. It's frankly reminiscent of the role of a "forager" bee, who's job it is to collect nectar and guard the hive, which probably has some link to his name ("Dimongard"). Overall, Bee's clothing is indicative of a greater yearning for belonging within the wider world; a bee must be loyal to its hive, after all.

BLOD: imposing, deliberate, dignified

oh my god blodgrim bloodriven you will go to heaven. (joke.. this guy's far from it. but seriously, i love this outfit)

His outfit is very gothic, reflective of such conventions established within the 19th century; dark moody colours juxtaposed by pale skin and blackened eyes. Blod sports a black collared shirt and a slimming waistcoat stenciled with darker diamond shapes near the bottom, and a ribbon-like tie which symbolically resembles the shape of a ribcage, which is surrounded by what I assume to be two broches which resemble bones — his outfit reeks with this lingering death imagery. The sleeves of his shirt have a sort of web-like pattern, which is then cut off by a deep maroon outlining it. The web pattern near his hand gives me this vision of a spider insnaring his prey through a web — an outstretched hand is nothing more than a trap in order to be feasted on. His furred overcoat is long with spiked lapels, morphing him from just a simple man with taste to an authoritative figure, with the spikes representing this hasher, unfriendlier side of him. (A therapist is meant to be a confidant, no? This hostile style reveals a subversion of this close familiarity and reliability: it is a facade.) The lining contains patterns which resemble eyes, subtle hints of red coming back.

He's wearing Louboutins. I just know he is. Those heels which physically elevate his height have a rich red colour on their souls. Most of his design his back, but only his shoes are tainted with the deepest of the red; this idea of blood unable to touch his person due to the highest of one's self-worth lingers throughout his design. Death does not touch Blod, but it actively surrounds him to the point where he's unable to truly separate it from himself.

On his last finger is what I assume to be a signet ring, worn mostly during the 18th and 19th century, conveying a sense of power, status and independence, but were also seen as charms for communication and associated with a professional status. Perhaps as a therapist, he'd rely on such dated methods to ensure his grip and influence on a person he may be manipulating (read: Elizabeth). Bloodgrim as a character is extremely purposeful through his words, whether that be through sheer bluntness or through other implicit means.

NB: however since the 40s rings on the pinky finger have been worn by queer people as a way to come out of the closet without saying a word... take that how you will.

Just like Ex, there are many a religious allusions within Blod's own clothes through the reoccurring motif of the snake: on his cuffs is a snake pattern, as well as the heel of his high heels (which again, have red eyes). Connotations of snake include feelings of confidence and elegance, and are closely connected to medicine -- venom was assumed to have heeling and divine properties, even connections to the fabled "elixir of life". Note Asclepius, the god of medicine, handling a snake in many of his depictions. However, snakes within biblical passages are seen as incarnations of evil: to tempt Adam and Eve, Satan turned into a talking serpent. Blod is meant to be a safe haven, but his clothes show the tempter beneath, the vampire that deliberately encourages sin and evil without the fear or fretting of getting blood on his hands because of the power that he was born with.

Thank you for reading! This took a very veryy long time to prepare due to the small amount of images of them, but I do hope this was an interesting enough analysis! I hope that season 2 of Ex and Bee reveals more about our protagonists (and I hope they release more official art so that I could go more in depth with other outfits)

edit 28/4/25 - grammar+ more specific details edit 6/7/25 - minor corrections

[myveryownfanfiction]

18+ MINORS AND THOSE WITHOUT AGE IN BIO DNI

Tags: @illiana-mystery, @iobsessoverfictionalmen, @stark-ironman

warnings: swearing, smut, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it kids), slight bondage

I stood in the door to the hotel room, hotel key dangling off my finger. I shook my head with a smirk as I fought back the laugh that was caught in my throat. Sherlock stared back at me, narrowing his eyes as he took me in.

"Oh I should have known." I finally laughed. Sherlock huffed as he rolled his eyes, shifting as much as the handcuffs let him. "When John asked me to come check on you because you had snuck out to see Irene...I knew she'd do something. I knew you would end up in some pickle. One way or another. But this..." I gestured to him. "This is something else entirely."

"Yes. Well. If you would be so kind..." He gestured with his head to the pillow between his legs.

"Has the great Sherlock Holmes finally found a problem he can't get himself out of?" I laughed as I closed the door behind me. Sherlock set his jaw as he looked at me.

"For fuck's sake (Y/N)." He groaned. "Just get me out of this." I climbed up on the bed and moved the pillow, chuckling as I looked him over.

"Christ Holmes. Don't tell me you find being tied up enjoyable." I teased. Sherlock glared at me. "You see...this is what you get." I leaned in and whispered in his ear. "Running out on me. To see HER." I pulled back and cocked my head at him, settling on my haunches as his eyes softened. "Leaving me at the restaurant. Alone. For an hour and a half."

"Darling..." He breathed out.

"You're lucky I ran into John." I sighed as Sherlock stretched his legs out. "He told me what happened. How you wanted to protect her. Again. After she has proven to you time and time again that she does not need you. Nor does she want you. She does not need your protection Holmes." Sherlock hung his head with a nod.

"I know." He sighed. "Damn I know." His head hit the headboard and he closed his eyes. "Instinct is a foul creature." Sherlock took a deep breath before looking at me again. "I'm sorry luv. I'd promise it won't happen again but..." He shrugged slightly, wincing at the tug on his arms.

"We both know you'll go running the first hint of trouble." I sighed. Sherlock gave me a tight smile as he nodded. "You're too good and kind for your own good Sherlock Holmes."

"And that stays between us." He shot back, eyebrow raised. I laughed as I shook my head.

"I think Irene knows that whether she wants to admit it or not." I responded. Sherlock paused before nodding. I glanced down to Sherlock's dick. "And I think we should do something about this before remedying the situation." Sherlock shifted uncomfortably as I got off the bed, undressing as quickly as I could. He gulped as he watched me.

"(Y/N)...you don't have to..." He stuttered. I gave him a look.

"I want to." I said as I climbed back onto the bed, crawling into his lap. Sherlock moved his legs to support me as I settled over him. "This alright?" I asked as he gazed up at me.

"More than alright." He said, shifting so his knees were bent behind me. I leaned back against his legs as I gripped him and slowly sank down on him. Sherlock moaned as the muscles in his arms went taunt. My head fell back, the air leaving me as our hips met. "As much as I disdain being found like this..." Sherlock breathed out.

"We are going to have to do this again." I finished. Sherlock nodded with a slight laugh. "Fuck. Its like I can feel everything." I sighed, lifting up and slowly sinking back down. Sherlock hummed.

"The feeling is mutual." He moaned as I ground against him, repeating my previous action. "I will admit, I'm not sure I like not being able to hold you."

"Well it is what you deserve right now." I groaned as I started to pick up the pace. Sherlock panted as his eyes fell to where we were joined. "Running off after that fucking woman and all." Sherlock growled as the string finally snapped. He lunged forward and kissed me, making me falter in my movements.

"That fucking woman is the key to our salvation. Once I take out her employer, we can lead a semi normal existence again." He growled. "Even if it kills her in the process. It does not matter to me. Only the employer." I gulped as I nodded slowly, Sherlock's face softening as he saw I understood.

"Good." I breathed out. Sherlock bucked his hips, making me fall forward slightly and put my hands on his chest. "Sherlock." I breathed out as he repeated the action, meeting me as I continued to bounce on him. "Oh fuck. Sherlock."

"Come for me darling." He breathed out. "Come for me." I cried out as I sank back on him, moving slightly up his chest as his hips continued to buck underneath me. Sherlock rode out my orgasm, following me over the edge shortly after. "That's it my love. That's it." He breathed out as we came down from our high. I slowly peeled myself off him and reached up to free him from the headboard.

"You're lucky it was me and not the maid." I teased as he rubbed his wrists, letting me run my hands over his arms. I kneaded the muscles as he watched me. "I ran into her as she was coming down the hall. Something about fresh linen for the bed. At the request of the patron." Sherlock's cheeks turned red as he took a breath.

"Then I am incredibly lucky." He smiled at me, gently cupping my cheeks before kissing me. "I promise. Once this Moriarty is caught, Irene Adler is going away for a long time. Either in jail or back to America where she belongs." I nodded as he softly pecked my lips.

"And we are doing that again. Once John is off and married of course." I smiled at him as Sherlock helped me off his lap. He chuckled as we went about getting dressed.

"Why should we suffer while he has done the same thing to me?" Sherlock asked, a plot hatching as he looked me over.

"Sherlock Holmes you rouge." I laughed as he pulled me close, kissing me deeply.

"Only for you luv." He breathed out, arm wrapped around me as we left the room. "Only for you."

[22ndnervousbreakdown]

Which social media would Sherlock Holmes characters have, according to a discussion I had with my friends in the middle of a night a couple days ago. This is ACD Holmes I think but leaning onto Soviet movies somewhat.

(And yes I'm aware telegram isn't popular outside of russian-speaking internet but just let it be part of the joke i guess)

Holmes: a lot of fake accounts on every website ever, but the only place that he actually posts on for himself is his telegram channel about tobacco varieties that has almost no followers. When Watson learned that Holmes has telegram, he was pissed because he thought Holmes is there to buy drugs.

Watson: he's a really popular ao3 writer. Also has a tumblr blog and an insta where he posts pictures of food, pictures of Holmes and sometimes his drawings (which he photographs with a lot of random stuff in the background for "aesthetics"). He also created a number of "official" Sherlock Holmes accounts without telling Holmes and makes all the posts there himself.

Mrs Hudson: facebook, where she posts recipes, household advices and stuff like that, and occasionally grumbles about Holmes and Watson. Also whenever they do something that really pisses her off, she would list the flat for rent, but always take it down shortly.

Moriarty: tumblr where he mostly posts about maths and a personal website to advertise as a private math tutor. Also a private telegram channel that Holmes somehow managed to follow from a fake acc.

Lestrade: EVERY social media ever. Most notably, twitter, where he always gets in fights (especially with Holmes's fake accs). He also set up an official Scotland Yard tiktok where he just makes really bad edits of policemen just walking somewhere with some music and lots of filters on.

Irene Adler: Instagram. Also onlyfans where she posts really rarely and she's always fully clothed, but she still has like thousands on thousands of followers there.

Mycroft: an official twitter that he hired someone to manage. Also facebook.

Mary Morstan: She doesn't actually exist, it's just one of Holmes's fake Instagram accs where he posted pictures of "Watson's wedding" to escape rumours.

Sir Henry Baskerville: onlyfans with only one subscriber whose username is infusoria666. Everyone but sir Henry himself knows it's Dr. Mortimer. Also Dr. Mortimer tried to set up a travel blog for him but ended up having to post there by himself.

Dr. Mortimer: tumblr blog full of skulls and also a youtube channel. He's also one of the few people who follow Holmes's tobacco telegram, and probably its biggest fan. When they met, he mentioned his youtube channel a lot, hoping that Holmes will ask for a link, but he just ignored even the most obvious hints.

Also:

Baker Street irregulars all have tiktok. They force Watson to watch skibidi toilets.

Lestrade writes with a lot of errors and uses emojis excessively.

Moriarty writes immaculately with all the capital letters and punctuation and periods in the end of every sentence. Holmes does the same but with no capital letters.

Holmes followed Irene Adler from one of his female fake accs. She in turn followed his tobacco channel from a male acc, and commented under one of his posts recommending him to follow a blog on autism.

Once Watson posted a photo of his lunch on his insta and after that a photo of Holmes with a caption "desert :)" and refused to delete it.

Holmes made a youtube channel about beekeeping when he retired.

[bakerstreethound]

A Single Touch

Relationship: Sherlock Holmes x fem!reader

Warnings: 18+ Smut, hints of soft (sub) husband Sherlock/dom Sherlock, gentle teasing, mentions of marking, tenderness, and feelings

Summary: A peaceful afternoon in 221B takes a turn when you become insistent on needing Sherlock's attention and he indulges.

All writings belong to me @bakerstreethound​ (Do NOT claim, copy, repost, or translate my works to other sites. I only publish here and on A03 under the same username) 

Word Count: 1.1k+

A/N: Hello my lovelies, I hope you are all well. I hope you enjoy this little treat for I adore Sherlock so and he deserves the love and attention even when he can be annoying. Special thank you to @strangelockd for beta reading and loving this story from its conception. She is now the official aunt of this fanfic. As always, comments and reblogs are most appreciated! Graphic by @firefly-graphics

You smile to yourself as you look around 221B, enjoying the rare peaceful afternoon on the couch, your favorite book discarded on the coffee table. Sherlock’s features are calm and relaxed and you grin despite yourself, knowing how much he hated to admit he liked this…whatever this supposed routine had become.

Your fingers ruffled gently through his curls, his breath coming steady, occasionally shuddering when you tugged harder on them to tease him. You gaze upon him fondly, watching his cheek quiver, lips pursing while he flips a page of his novel.

So that’s how it was going to be, then. You smile to yourself, for you do so love a challenge. 

Carefully you tug his curls once more, earning a raised brow in return, until you reach for the book, pulling it from his grasp, not before inserting the bookmark into place; you don't have the heart to dog ear the page like a heathen. 

“I was reading that,” he huffs, feigning annoyance, yet his eyes shimmer in mischief and mirth. 

“Yeah? What are you going to do about it? Surely you can think of something.” 

He shifts, sitting upright on the couch, watching you intently, dark fierceness flashing for a moment in his eyes. “I’ve considered no less than five options.” 

You smirk at his practicality and calculating mind, and shake your head in amusement, before you climb over onto his lap, swinging a leg over to straddle a thigh. Ever so slowly, you lean into him, pressing your lips to his forehead, relishing in the faint sigh he releases.

His grip on your waist tightens as you settle yourself fully, tracing a thumb along his lower lip. You relish in the widening of his eyes, the faint twitch of his cheek, mind, and body fighting to take over whatever impulses have him in a frenzy.

You adore the push and pull and could fall into it for eons. With him, every touch, every instinct of yours screams yes for it all is right, almost too good to be true. 

“Damn you.”

“Whatever for, dear boy?” You murmur not a care in the world, nuzzling his neck before grazing your tongue over a sensitive spot, relishing in the way his shoulders tense as he fights off a shiver. 

He says nothing else as you continue on your merry way, smirking to yourself at his reactions, the way he gripes your waist tighter, fighting off the anticipation of your lips latching on to his neck for what feels like the hundredth time.

Even if it is the hundredth time, he wouldn’t tire of it for a moment, for it is you, and that’s all he wants. 

You in every moment. 

It’s what you want as well, want to show him how much you love and adore him, how you can never get enough of him. How you deserved him you wouldn't know for he is everything to you and more.

You press another kiss to his waiting lips which accept you eagerly, your hands running down his torso, and you sigh. 

How was this your husband? 

He softly pressed a kiss to your lips and you gracefully fell into the feel of him, wanting to adore him. Your heart ached in kind, a mixture of melancholy and longing, desperation and want. It is your form of love, all because of him.

Through the years you count him as one of your greatest blessings, but the words catch in your throat when you try to speak them aloud.

You hope he knows, surely, he does for he’s the only one who braved your tumultuous shores, the depths of your heart, and still he stayed. 

He stayed unwavering and you as well through it all. Thoughts of these flood his mind, for he’s all too enraptured with your form, the way you melt into him, the way his nails dig deep into your waist. He jolts slightly at the praises that pull from your lips, a slight blush creeping along his cheeks at your words. 

“You don’t….that’s not…” he struggles to voice and you offer him a smile, kissing him once more, whispering your pleas in tandem. 

“Let me help you…” you sigh into him, tugging his lower lip, earning a low groan before shifting on his lap, his hands reading to your back, gripping you impossibly tighter. 

“Then I should help you, darling.”

You can practically hear the smirk in his voice, the teasing tone sending shivers down your spine in a delightful manner and you welcome it. You both require a reprieve and it starts with a single touch. 

One of love. 

One of need. 

One of desire. 

One of desperation. 

That’s how you find yourself an hour later on your shared bed, engulfed by sheets and the delicious heat of his lips on your own, tongue trailing along your body, his deep sonorous baritone edging you on. 

“I said every inch, my dear,” his voice rumbles from his throat igniting your body from the inside out, “Isn’t that right?”  Your shirt slides higher up your body as inch by inch your upper body is revealed to him and Sherlock smirks, delighting in the situation. 

You roll your eyes, shuddering as his hands grip you tighter, before pulling the rest of your shirt off, promptly discarding it on the floor, not a care in the world. His gaze bores into your back and you fight off a shiver to no avail.

You can feel his smirk searing to your back before he presses the gentlest kisses along your spine and you melt in kind before he sucks a mark, making you squirm. 

“Not…fair…”

“Nothing about you is fair,” he growls.

You groan in kind, letting him do as he pleases, pulling you impossibly closer to him, heat radiating between you, sending you aflame. It was only a shift of the hand, a brush against his wrist, and the tension filled him to the brim like lightning before it struck.

You shudder when his finger brushes back along your body, melting, completely undone by him and his embrace. He traces the marks he made along your spine, and you bite back another whimper, causing him to whisper in your ear. 

“I want to hear you make those pretty noises for me, alright?” 

You swallow, knowing he’s not asking and when he kisses you heatedly, you let yourself fall into the abyss and infinite as you’re made one, relishing in the warmth, and eternal bliss you fall into every time you’re here safe in his arms. 

All it takes is a single burning, aching touch. 

And you fall together. 

Down in the abyss where love and pleasure combine, something else you can’t quite fathom or remember, but it’s enough. All you could ever want and more; the gasped pleas from parted lips, hand entangled in those sinful curls, your bodies forever intertwined. 

******

[lowliest-manifestations]

Okay! I'm finally putting together some of my more specific Bending the Willow thoughts and this passage:

"Perhaps it was as Jeremy Brett noted: 'Women want to possess him, while men want to be him.' There is certainly some truth in that statement, but the idea is incomplete. I believe male readers not only identify with Holmes, but also experience, in the same way that D. H. Lawrence identified what he referred to as a 'blood consciousness' between men, a kind of spiritual closeness akin to love."

Is making me the kind of insane that makes me want to write like 17 essays. But in absence of the time needed to actually do that here are some of my main thoughts in a more disorganized fashion:

Overall I've noticed a really wild amount of gender essentialism within Sherlockian communities/ scholarship, and I know that a lot of that can be chalked up to the fact that even modern writings are done mostly by older white men, but I also think there's something about the text itself that encourages this. Sherlock Holmes is pretty fucking victorian about gender (Irene Adler occupies a weird space but I do not believe she is in any way exempt from those attitudes.) and I think sometimes scholars find themselves reflecting the values of a text that they do not want to admit is imperfect.

I think this passage pinpoints exactly how a lot of people gender their expectations of how reader are to interact with Sherlock Holmes and texts like it, and Sherlock Holmes in turn becomes kind of weird for women to interact with. For the most part people want to see themselves somewhere in the text, but women in particular are told that we cannot find ourselves within the main character. Some people may be fine with that, lots of people don't want to relate to Holmes and their enjoyment of the text does not come from seeing themselves in that particular character. Some women also genuinely want to relate to the text by fantasizing about being in a relationship with Holmes, and more power to them, but their feeling is not a default, no matter how hard anybody pretends it is.

The fact is that plenty of women do want to be Holmes, and they face an interesting dilemma if they are trying to hold that while still operating under the framework hinted at in this passage. Instead of projecting onto him directly they must find ways to be close to him, be a reflection of him, be him but a girl (without replacing him! don't worry!). I think that's why there's sooo much fiction out there about secret sisters, female apprentices, wit-matching lovers etc. (I myself would pretend to be Sherlock Holmes' secret daughter as a kid. I bought into this shit!)

This framework is also not particularly normal about men who may not see themselves in Holmes at all and who may, in fact, also be capable of fantasizing about having a relationship with him! Queer men exist! (within this passage in fact.) And I know Stuart Davies did not mean to acknowledge this when he wrote of "a kind of spiritual closeness akin to love." but he does put it somewhat homoerotically in a way that left me reeling a little bit.

I do understand the feeling described by Stuart Davies, even if the way he writes of it makes me laugh a little in its dramatics. I simply do not think it is a feeling exclusive to men... I don't think any feelings are exclusive to any gender. And in the end I think that's the idea that really frustrates me.

Of course this passage is also from 1996, it's a product of its time, I get it. I also know that people have had More expansive/critical/interesting ideas about Sherlock Holmes in relation to gender before and since it was written, and I don't think it reflects what everyone really believes. BUT I do think it hit the nail on the head of a phenomena I have noticed since childhood and affirmed that I wasn't imagining things. While also being. Kind of funny.

[hey-its-roseaurum]

Guilty until Proven Innocent-Part I

A/N: Hey everyone. Thank you for taking the time to look at this story. This is for a collaboration with @lainiespicewrites. She is an excellent writer and I figured it was my turn to stretch my writing muscles and put something out into the world. This is my first Henry Cavill fic, so please don't be too harsh. Anyways, enjoy!

Synopsis: After recent murders in town, You (Olivia) decide to train with Edith in the art of self-defense. In the middle of training, you got a mysterious knock on the door. Sherlock walks in, looking for assistance with his latest case. He offers you to partake in a partnership to help him in his latest case? Do you take it?

Warnings: mentions of death

“You’re progressing nicely Olivia.”  Edith smiled from above me, her elbow pinning me to the floor mat.  There wasn’t a hint of sweat along her forehead.  She had taken me down in less than a minute. The worst part was I thought I was going to land a hit on her this time.

”I’m beginning to think that you’re just saying that to soothe my pride”. I rasped out.  She had eased her hold on me and stood up, extending a hand.

”Nonsense.  Look how far you’ve come since you first stepped in these doors.  Pretty soon you’ll be able to hold your ground with me.”  She exclaimed as I grabbed her hand and hoisted myself up.  My back had long since started throbbing.

For the past few weeks, I have been meeting Edith at her office to train and learn self-defense.  Ever since the first girl went missing and was later found dead in the street I hadn’t been able to sleep soundly.  There were constant, nagging thoughts that made me question if I was going to be the next victim.  It had only gotten worse when they found the next girl a week later in the middle of an alleyway that I frequently visited.  Her throat had been cut. 

In London, it was ill-advised for a woman, especially of noble birth, to consider something as trivial as self-defense.  Women are supposed to be soft, elegant, and passive. All of the trouble and responsibility in making decisions was for the men. 

 Being passive and soft didn’t save those girls from their cruel end.

And I wasn’t going to let myself become like them.  I refuse to be the next girl that falls victim to this.  So I went to my dear friend Enola at her detective agency and inquired about a solution to my predicament.  She sent me over to Edith and had me start training the next day.  I’ve been training every day since then.

I’m still not really good at it.

”Did you say the same thing when you were teaching Enola?”  I inquired as I dusted myself off.  Edith only shook her head.

”Not exactly.  Her response was more witty, thanks to her mother.”  Eudoria Holmes, the mother, the fire starter as people liked to call her.  I’ve seen her wanted poster splayed all across London.  But I didn’t see her as a criminal.  I saw her as the woman who saved my life six months ago.

That morning had been cold and bitter.  I remember feeling my fingers grow numb while I huddled against a mailbox.  Its red paint had chipped away at its base, leaving rust behind.

Which was ironic and poetic now that I think back on it.  And let me explain why.

It all started when my father had recently passed from a sickness that left my mother and me penniless.  With no man in the house and no money to our name, we were cast out of society.  My mother and I were thrown out and the estate that I called my home.   It was sold to another noble family in the south.

We lived off the street after that.  My mother, using what knowledge she had of needlework, had acquired a job as an assisted seamstress.  I was left to salvage whatever pity people gave me and half-rotten food from dumpsters.

Eventually, we were able to afford a small cottage on the outskirts of town.  It was small, run-down, and often had a damp smell to it.  Mother didn’t like to be there for a long period.  She claimed it was because she was so busy with her duties to the seamstress that she didn’t have time to spend there.  I think it was because she missed her life at the estate and living in this small broken cottage was too much for her to bear.

That morning six months ago I decided to go into town to fill my water bucket and get bread before it got too crowded.  When I got there, I sat down by the mailbox to wait for the bakery to open.  I was particularly annoyed when I saw a lot of people around this early in the morning.

I was watching a man get onto a carriage when something shifted from the corner of my eye.  It had been a man, or what I thought was a man walking towards me with a package in their hand.  When we made eye contact I didn’t think anything of it.  I just watched them and noted how stiff they walked. They placed the package in the slot of the mailbox.  Before I knew it, I was grabbed by the elbow, hoisted upright, and pulled away from the mailbox.  

That mailbox exploded, releasing a whirlwind of fliers into the air.

The two of us had run from the police.  I was forced to since they refused to let go of my hand.  We ran until this stranger knew that they weren't being followed.  

When things settled down, the man revealed that they were a woman in disguise.  She introduced herself as Eudoria Holmes and then proceeded to lecture me about being near explosives as if she were my own mother.  All I had wanted to do was bite back, to lecture her on how she shouldn’t be putting explosives where there were people.

Instead, I broke down, not from her lecturing but because of something I couldn’t quite place. All I knew was that I was waiting for a soggy piece of bread and nearly got blown up.

In the end, I told her everything.  I told her my past, my current situation, and why I was even in town in the first place.  One thing kind of led to another.  The next thing I knew I was sitting in Eudoria’s house with a cup of tea in my hand.

I stayed in that damp cottage less and less as time passed and more at Eudoria’s warm, often chaotic home.  That’s where I became friends with Enola, had briefly met her two brothers Sherlock and Mycroft, and felt somewhat happy.  

I don’t know why she pulled me away from that mailbox.  The one time I asked her she said she saw something in me, some sort of fire in my eye.  She didn’t want it to go out along with the mailbox.

I didn’t believe her, but I couldn’t tell that to her.

“So what you’re trying to say is that I still have a long way to go,” I asked as my brain jumped back to the present.  I stepped away from the mat and made my way into her office.

”What I’m saying is you’re doing better than you think you are.  You just began learning.  Give yourself a little credit.”  Following me, she made her way to the table by the window.  A stack of teacups were messily stacked up to one side.  She grabbed two, placed them on saucers, and poured liquid into both.  

“I know.  I’m just…worried.  It’s been a week since the last victim was found and the police still haven’t found the suspect.”  I let out a sigh and sipped some of my tea.  I needed a moment to choose my words carefully.  “I just want to be…prepared.”

A heavy pause filled the air before either of us spoke.  

”Olivia…there’s more to that, isn’t there?” Edith’s words were soft and gentle.

“I mean I-“. My response was sharply cut short.

A knock pulled our attention away from our conversation and to the door.  A tall man entered from the training room and to Edith’s office.  I couldn’t place if he looked tall because of his size, or because of the giant top hat sitting snugly on top of his head.  Dark wavy strands of hair peaked through from under his hat. 

”Have you any sense what time it is?”  Edith interrogated, crossing her arms.  The man took off his hat, revealing thick brown locks.  His sculpted jawline and nose complimented the hair.  Blue, mesmerizing eyes glanced around, investigating.

But the feature that I recognized right away from him was his shoulders.  I knew those shoulders.

”Hello, Edith” His attention briefly shot to me “Olivia”  I curtly nodded, averting my eyes.

”Good evening Mr. Holmes.”  I responded softly.  “With what do we owe the pleasure of your company?” Holmes.  Sherlock Holmes.  One of Enola’s older brothers. One of the greatest detectives I’ve ever seen.

”There’s no need for formalities Olivia.”  I felt something warm begin to grow on my cheeks at his response.  He’s only being polite Olivia.  We are only acquaintances because of Enola and Eudoria.  He doesn’t like you like that.

Or does he?  

I’m not sure.

Sherlock Holmes is a difficult man to understand.

“What are you here for Sherlock?”  Edith asked again, harsher this time.  Her tone quickly pulled me back to the present and away from my thoughts.  

Sherlock cleared his throat, his blue eyes revealing some sort of inner turmoil within himself.  It was an unusual amount of emotion that I was not used to seeing.  I expected it with Mycroft, he practically wore his emotions on his face at all times.  Sherlock never did.  He’s always been composed, and proper.  Before me now he still was, but a layer of some sort had been chipped away.

”I….need your help.”  He struggled to say the words like it was almost painful to him.  A moment of silence clung in the air.  

”Is it about Enola?   Did she get herself into trouble?”  There was a hint of concern in Edith’s voice when she begged the questions.  The only response he gave was a small shake of his head. I watched as realization flashed on her face. 

”There’s something about this case-“. 

”That deduction cannot solve?”  Edith finished his thought.  He slightly nodded, setting his hat down on her desk.  That was my cue. I softly placed my teacup down and made my way to the table by the window.  I began making some tea for Sherlock while listening to the conversation.

”I may need your…skills to get information from a place I cannot enter.”

“What kind of place?”  He listed off a name that I didn’t recognize.  Edith’s face slightly reddened.

”A showgirl theatre?! You cannot ask me such a thing Sherlock, no matter how close we are.”  My eyebrows raised as I grabbed a cup and saucer and poured some tea into the cup.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t have another option.  A woman’s life is at stake.” His tone was calm, but there was something else there.

”But going into this with the possibility of getting murdered is not something I’m comfortable with.  Woman’s freedom and rights is one thing, going after a serial killer is a whole other matter entirely”

”Edith, I-“. I cut them off.

”I’ll do it.  I’ll go instead of you.”  In their arguing, I had made my way back to the two of them, Sherlock's tea in hand.  I had left mine behind.

”Olivia, do you know what kind of place that is, what situations you can get into.  You’re nowhere near ready to hold your ground”. What she said was like a punch to the gut.  

I knew I wasn’t ready, we had that same conversation not thirty minutes ago.  But I knew that if Edith went and something bad had happened to her Enola and Eudoria would be devastated.  I was different.  If I went and something happened to me, Edith would still be here training more girls like me.

”Who else is going to do it?  Enola?  She’s not expendable. I am.  And Edith, what about the other girls you train?” I took a breath, the stubbornness in me growing. “Besides, I know these streets better than anyone.  I’ve lived in them.  I know where to go in case I’m being followed.   And because of the way I look,”. I paused briefly looking down at myself, at my curvy, plump figure.  “No one would suspect me.  They would just see me as a showgirl trying to make ends meet.  I can blend in, go undercover, and get the information that he needs in order to catch this murderer.”

A heavy pause hung between the three of us.

I let what I said sink into the two of them.  I know that Edith is fighting with herself on whether she can let me go.  She believes that I am her responsibility, and I kind of was while Eudoria was undercover.  But since starting to learn to defend myself I told myself that I couldn’t sit and wait.  Sitting and worrying about who the next victim is going to drive me crazy.  If I can help and make a difference, then maybe the suspect will be caught before there’s more tragedy.  

”I promise I won’t let anything bad happen to her.”  Sherlock’s voice broke the silence and my inner thoughts.  “You have my word.”  His eyes met mine at his.  I felt something else there besides the promise.   Edith sighed,  rubbing her temples with both her index fingers.

“Okay, Sherlock.  Just…make sure she comes back in one piece.”   Edith finally concurred.  “You’re going to have to speak to your mother if you don’t.”

A smile tugged at my lips at the agreement.  I finally raised the cup of tea, offering it to him.    

”When do we start?”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: Thank you so much for reading. If you want to read @lainiespicewrites story about Paul Atreides from the Dune Sage, here is her link: https://www.tumblr.com/lainiespicewrites/747032352877903872/the-atreides-era?source=share

[lostinhistory]

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[golden-earcuffs]

Pitching Shows to GMMTV [1/?]

Here, I ramble about some show ideas that I have and gmmtv should make because I need to see them being made. Lots of fangirling and heaps of delulu logic ahead!

Tagging: @dallasthetimetraveler

1. World’s Greatest Detective

GMMTV should make a series on Sherlock Holmes and call it “The Detective and The Doctor”. He is famous, interesting, and most importantly, queer. Why haven’t they capitalised on him yet?

It’s a surprise that they haven’t made this show yet. Ever since the copyright lifted, I was expecting some production company to make Sherlock Holmes explicitly queer and in love with Dr Watson (looking at you, RDJude). But since no one has done it (apart from “Furtive Festivity” and no, “The Irregulars” does not count), GMMTV has the golden opportunity to be the pioneer. The company is known for making QLs, then having a spin on the obviously queer detective–doctor duo will be iconic. 

I also think it will be a very profitable choice? Given that Sherlock is an insanely popular character among international fans and has also been a recognized part of fan culture. It was actually his stories that introduced me to the queer media.

I know it will be yet another adaptation, but hear me out. They don’t have to copy the stories as they are. It would not be a remake so one won’t know the story beforehand. And since Sherlock Holmes is public domain, they can just upload the show on YouTube (unlike “Cherry Magic”, “F4: Boys Over Flowers” etc)

And it will be relatively easy, a new case per week, while hinting at a bigger villain in the initial episodes and then setting him up for the finale (I know “Petrichor” is doing something similar but every mystery show isn’t about the consulting detective.) Sherlock Holmes is a character that works in every era– 1890s, 20s, 90s or the modern day, if you manage to capture his essence. Sherlock Holmes can be anyone from a 90 year old British man, a Japanese woman in her 20s or a pre–teen Canadian girl. 

I know GMMTV doesn’t make a lot of 2nd seasons (“TGG”, “Still 2gether” and now “Only Friends: Dream On” being some exceptions, and while “The Enigma 2” was announced, we know nothing else about it) but honestly? If they make this show, I hope they don’t stop at only one season. Milk it properly. Gimme like five seasons with six episodes each (no, it’s not a lot. “Granada Holmes” had 36 episodes, “CBS Elementary” had 154 episodes in total, spanning over 7 seasons).

The thing is, they have enough content to make it long. Plenty of source material (4 novels and 58 short stories is no joke) and several adaptations to draw inspiration from. Asian ones too– “Miss Sherlock” and “Sherlock: Untold Stories”. I watched the former and it was so good. A Thai adaptation will be thrilling if they utilise the local stories and settings and have a good direction. 

And that’s the thing.

They’ll need a very good director (and writing team) to pull it off. Mystery and plot twists are hard to do, if I take examples, “Not me” revealing Todd as the villain wasn’t shocking (perhaps they weren’t going for it), “The Gifted Graduation” overdid it with it’s plot twist after plot twists and the secret weapon suspense in “Home School” was straight up bad.

However, I’m sure they can pull together a good team to work behind the cameras. I hope a team that actually likes the characters and is willing to tell a good story. There is no scarcity of great detective shows, what makes Sherlock Holmes special is its characters. 

I want GMMTV to make it because I know for sure that they won’t queerbait me. They won’t make Sherlockians like me cry like the BBC version or leave us hanging like the Ritchieverse. No, they’ll have Mr Holmes and Dr Watson make out hotly in 221B Baker Street as soft violin plays in the background. 

Now, onto the Fancasts, because I obviously have some.

I want to see Sing Harit as Sherlock Holmes. Call me biased but I love him AND he’s a great actor whose potential GMMTV hasn’t fully utlised and that drives me insane. I just want to see him play a serious character without being the villain or the pervert.

helppp i cannot decide on a watson fancast

Either Namtan Tipnaree or View Benyapa would make a fantastic Irene Adler. And if they want to treat fans, they can genderbend Godfrey Norton and have her played by Film Rachanun. 

I watched that last one scene from “Home School” and since then Khaotung Thanawat as Prof. James Moriarty is stuck in my brain. He’ll be effortlessly good.

Also, Ohm Pawat as Col. Sebation Moran? I’ve seen people complaining that he’s been in too many serious roles and not to typecast but Ohm would work perfectly in action roles.

This post got way longer than I expected and I got to talk about only one potential show. I’m ending it here so more parts of pitching shows to GMMTV will probably come.