#like the level of depth and detail there. *chef's kiss* I could still stare at it for hours

[fullscoreshenanigans]

All of these are so great but of the ones that haven't already been shared

TPN fans! Before the year ends, please share a Norman drawn by Posuka that you adore!

[humdinky]

hey all! i just wanted to take a minute to stand on my little soap box and tell you about a manga i picked up last december. it has gotten much more attention since then, but i'd still like to throw my thoughts into the mix.

on the surface, the summer hikaru died explores a pretty common horror trope: what if a person you loved changed into something unrecognizable? do you reject them, or try to connect to the person that they have become? of course, this fear is twisted into something more threatening in a supernatural horror format. what if they literally died and came back as something else that could potentially harm you and your family?

we follow two teenage boys: yoshiki and his best friend (and one sided crush) hikaru, who goes missing in the mountains for a week and miraculously reappears unscathed. he looks the same as ever, but yoshiki can tell that what came back is no longer the hikaru that he once knew. now, yoshiki must come to grips with the fact that something sinister has taken over his friend’s body - and that it has a strong attachment to him.

that's the basic premise, but this manga is still ongoing and there are plenty of different directions it could take. if you haven't read it yet, it's worth experiencing firsthand. beyond the body horror are themes of grief and repressed homosexuality, as well as subtext to read into. i'm not going to be spoiling any explicit plot details, but i'd encourage you to stop reading this and go check it out if a bl manga with gorgeous art, toxic but engaging romance, and body horror sounds appealing to you.

the first thing you'll notice about this manga is that *chef's kiss* gorgeous art! it is uncanny, as you would expect, but it is drawn with so much care. the heavily detailed background art and visual horror create a rather oppressive atmosphere. the author also really excels at conveying character emotions through facial expressions, and there's a lot of very subtle bits of information that you can pick up from them.

being a body horror manga, this aspect is of course given extra care. when it gets supernatural, it takes on an oddly surreal quality. i'd even say that the transformations of hikaru take on an air of eroticism. that sounds out of place, but the author understands that the line between fear and attraction is thin. there is one scene in particular that would be very sexual if not for the absolute nightmare scenario unfolding before my eyes.

one of my favorite things about this manga is the confidence the author has in the reader. yoshiki having had feelings towards' the previous hikaru is never outright stated, it's just assumed that the reader will pick up on it. the village yoshiki lives in views homosexuality as some kind of curse, and the insecurity this creates in him is shown very subtly. the camera's gaze and the little things he says all convey this, like his apparent guilt over staring at hikaru shown through the shadow on his face. his fear of and attraction to hikaru's transformations also conveys this idea. he's also coping with grief in an unhealthy manner, and this is shown through the almost experimental way he's sometimes drawn. but yoshiki is not the only important character, and hikaru also has some depth. his character is harder to parse, but there's more to him lurking below the surface. he's more delicate than his outgoing demeanor would suggest. hell, it's understandable - being a literal monster means his position in yoshiki's life is extremely tenuous. our two main characters form a codependent relationship based on a fear of being alone, something very human and compelling in a messy sort of way.

something that i do not see being brought up quite as much is how tshd uses horror elements to discuss the fears around coming out and dealing with same-sex attraction. so much of hikaru’s internal struggle is such a wonderful metaphor. many of the moments between him and yoshiki serve as a dual narrative - the surface-level narrative but also this very delicate story about two boys from a rural village who realize they have feelings for one another. the whole story in fact is one giant metaphor for dealing with the anxiety losing who you thought you were and embracing concrete truths about sexuality and love.

overall it left me with some very strong first impressions. it is both an excellent horror manga and a nuanced exploration of loss and sexuality. i also find it very refreshing that their relationship isn’t built on any sort of deception or lies, and that yoshiki is aware that he’s an imposter, just not the extent of what exactly he is or what is happening in the town.

[inevitably-johnlocked]

hi!! im wondering if you have any long (over 50k words) johnlock fics with no smut..? thank u !

Hi Nonny!

Ohhhh, gosh I ABSOLUTELY do! I love long emotional connection fics! I’ll stick to my K, G, and T-Rated fics since those I can guarantee has no smut, and I’ll also include M-Rated fics, so if you’re not okay with brief mentions of sex (not graphic details, just “the next morning after a love session” kind of description), then you can skip those :)

SMUT-FREE FICS OVER 50K W.

K to T-RATED

A Love with No Name Series by aceofhearts61 (G to M, 49,955 w. across 20 stories || Asexual Sherlock / Straight John, Est. Rel, Queerplatonic Relationship, Romance, Cuddling, Fluff, Platonic Romance, Domestics) – In which Asexual!Sherlock and Straight!John are platonically in love life partners.

An Experiment in Empathy Series by belovedmuerto (T, 62,397 w. across 13 stories || Empath AU || Psychic John, Psychic-by-Proxy Sherlock, Empathy, Psychic Bond, Romance / Bromance) – In which John is an empath, Sherlock is Sherlock, and an epic bromance happens. In the aftermath of The Great Game, John creates an unexpected bond between himself and Sherlock. Now they have to learn how to deal with it. John is better at this than Sherlock is.

You Have Drawn Red From My Hands by J_Baillier (T, 67,085 w., 17 Ch. || Three Garridebs, Heavy John Whump, Hurt / Comfort, Pining, Heavy Angst, Case Fic/Adventure, Slow Burn, Sick Fic, Injury, Guilt & Depression, Just Talk Already Please, Medical Realism, PTSD) –  John getting injured leads Sherlock on a path of guilt and revelations.

The Green Blade by verityburns (T, 72,929 w., 15 Ch. || Casefic, Bromance) – As a serial killer hits the headlines, the police are out of their depth and the next victim is out of time. With faith in Sherlock Holmes at an all time low, this is a case which will push loyalties to the limit…

Darkling, I Listen by You_Light_The_Sky (T, 73,254 w., 8 Ch. || Fairy Tale AU || Loosely Based on Beauty and the Beast, Magical Realism, Suicidal Themes, Romance, Creepiness, Adventure) – No one who enters old London ever comes out. They say that the beast devours them. When his sister disappears, John ventures into the dead zone beyond the wall, and finds a brilliant madman under a terrible curse… Part 1 of Darkling I Listen + Extras, Deleted Scenes

A Case of Identity by jkay1980 (T, 91,009 w., 22 Ch. || Post-TRF, Fake Relationship, Case Fic) – John and Sherlock have succeeded in rebuilding their friendship after Sherlock’s fake suicide, but an unusual case puts their relationship to the test. They pretend to be engaged and attend a marriage counseling workshop. Under the pretext of the case, Sherlock turns out to be a master of seduction, and John finally learns he might like Sherlock more than he thought. Slowly, John discovers that he loves Sherlock not only in a friendly, brotherly way, but both men have to fight their own demons before they can think of taking their relationship to a new level…

Definitions by siennna (T, 101,528 w., 12 of ? Ch. || Dev. Rel., Pining, Fluff and Romance, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Fluff, Cuddles) – Sherlock’s journey in defining his flat mate and stumbling through the muddled world of emotion. {{This feels complete; the chapter count is listed as ? but I feel like it is done}}

between each beat are words unsaid by darcylindbergh, hudders-and-hiddles (T, 107,998 w., 215 Ch. || Epistolary, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Angst, Happy Ending) – On their wedding night, John and Sherlock gift each other with the things they each said when the other could not hear, the things they each put down where the other could not see: a collection of writings that illustrate the way their love for one another has grown over the years. Part 1 of between each beat

THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF JOHN WATSON by skyefullofstars (T, 110,758 w., 24 Ch. || H/C, Kidnapping, Angst, Violence, Whump, Nightmares, Murder, Drug Addiction, Torture) – While Sherlock grapples with his new-found feelings for John Watson, he faces a very real threat: John’s kidnapping and shooting at the hands of James Moriarty. And the knowledge that the love of his life is being used to test an addictive drug - at the risk of John’s sanity and life. Prequel to THE BOYS OF BAKER STREET. Part 1 of THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF JOHN WATSON

The Swan Triad Series by Pennin_Ink (T, 121,660 w. across 3 works || Swan Lake AU || Magical / Fairy Tale AU, Romance, Falling in Love, Pining, Psychological Torture, Transformation) – Sherlock and John grow up spending every summer together. Their mothers’ attempts to play matchmaker only fuel their mutual resentment and scorn. But then, one summer.

The Horse and his Doctor by khorazir (T, 129,003 w., 13 Ch. || Horse / Vet AU || Magical Realism, Horses, Vet John, Horse Sherlock, Implied Alcoholism) – Invalided after a run in with a poacher in Siberia, veterinary surgeon John Watson finds it difficult to acclimatise to the mundanity of London life. Things change when a friend invites him along to a local animal shelter and he meets their latest acquisition, a trouble-making Frisian with the strangest eyes and even stranger quirks John has ever encountered in a horse.

Mise en Place by azriona (M, 161,004 w., 28 Ch. || Restaurant (Kitchen Nightmares) AU || Sherlock is Gordon Ramsay / Celebrity Sherlock, Restauranteur John, Harry Plays Prominent Role, Alternating POV, Mutual Pining, Cranky Sherlock, Bed Sharing, Slow Burn) – John Watson had no intentions of taking over the family business, but when he returns from Afghanistan, battered and bruised, and discovers that his sister Harry has run their restaurant into the ground, he doesn’t have much choice. There’s only one thing that can save the Empire from closing for good – the celebrity star of the BBC series Restaurant Reconstructed, Chef Sherlock Holmes. Part 1 of Mise en Place

Fallen Series by Belladonna_Q, mamishka (T, 222,094 w. across 3 works || Winglock || Angel!John, Angels & Demons, Faes, Christianity, Changelings) – In a world where myth, mystery, and the supernatural flourish beneath the veneer of modern civilization, Sherlock is a master of magic as well as science and deduction. But there are some things that he cannot see, riddles he cannot unravel, even when they walk right beside him in the form of one John Watson…

M-RATED

The Homecoming Series by sussexbound (M, 51,744 w. across 12 stories, WIP || Domestics, PTSD, Love Confessions, Hurt/Comfort, Cuddling, Jealousy, Family Issues) – Sometimes home is all you need. After three years of horror, betrayals, and crushing loss, John and Sherlock find their way back home to one another, and together find new footing in a world that has changed forever.

John Watson’s Twelve Days of Christmas by earlgreytea68 (M, 53,464 w., 14 Ch. || Christmas, Holmes Family, Fake Relationship, Alternate First Meeting, Falling in Love, Fluff and Angst, Hardcore Pining) – It’s the holiday season. John Watson needs money. Sherlock Holmes needs something else.

Wars We Fought, Things We’re Not by blueink3 (M, 55,204 w., 10 Ch. || Post S3 / Post TAB, Parentlock, Fluff & Angst, Kidnapping, Whump, Post-TAB, UST/URT, 3G, Mild Peril, Slow Burn, Couple for a Case, Protective Mycroft, Infant Death Pre-Story, Friends to Lovers) –  Five months after John’s world has fallen apart, Mycroft sends the consulting detective and his doctor on a case that neither is prepared for.

floating through a dark blue sky by Lediona (M, 58,966 w., 15 Ch. || Notting Hill AU || POV John, Celebrity Sherlock, First Date / Time / Kiss, Past Drug Addiction, Angst with a Happy Ending) – Of course, I’d seen his films and always thought he was, well, brilliant – but, you know, a million miles from the world I live in. Or, when John is the owner of a travel book shop and the famous Sherlock Holmes stops in one day.

The Burning by SrebrnaFH (M, 60,658 w., 24 Ch. || Reverse Reichenbach, Suicide, Depression, Hurt Sherlock / John, Separation, BAMF John, Good Big Brother Mycroft, Angst, Implied/Referenced Torture, Fake Character Death, Rescue Mission, Reconciliation / Reunion, Hospitalization, Marriage Proposal, Illnesses, Physical Therapy, Happily Ever After) – Something went very, very wrong. John had seemed, if not happy, then reasonably content with his life. Sherlock had never predicted something like THIS might have happened. Not in his worst nightmares. He was the lousiest friend ever, apparently. At least Mycroft found him something to occupy his mind with, so that he didn’t have to go back to 221B and stare at the walls and the chair, where John Watson would never sit again.

Bedtime Universe by Liketheriver (M, 65,173 w. across 2 stories || Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Angst, Humour, Case Fic) – John’s POV during Season 2 and beyond when Sherlock takes up semi-permanent residence in his bed. A collection of codas and missing scenes wrapped up into one long fic and topped with a bow that takes the story beyond Reichenbach and into happy territory once more.

The Vapor Variant by 88thParallel (CanadaHolm) (M, 72,684 w., 18 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-THoB, John Whump, Protective Sherlock, Guilty Sherlock, Anxious/Worried Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Angst with Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, PTSD John, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Suspense, Virus, Sickfic, Big Brother Mycroft) – They stood face to face in the middle of a clearing. The dim light of the moon barely allowed Sherlock to see the glassy terror in John’s eyes and the sweat that glistened off his forehead. His nose was bleeding again, blood dripping in a slow stream from his right nostril. They were both gasping for air, John’s eyes locked on Sherlock’s. There was no recognition there, just wild animal fear. Time stood still for an eternal few seconds, and Sherlock took a shaky breath. “John—”Spell broken, John spun and bolted back into the woods. Still heaving for air, Sherlock took off after him.

Summit Fever by J_Baillier (M, 78,802 w., 18 Ch. || Mountain Climber AU || POV John, Angst, Tragedy, Suicidal Ideation, The Himalayas, Mountain Guide / Doctor John, Mount Climber Sherlock, Loneliness, Drama, Suspense, Slow Burn, Injured Sherlock / Sherlock Whump, Pining John) – After graduating from medical school, John Watson followed his heart to the Himalayas. Ten years later, he’s a haunted cynic working for his ex-lover’s trekking and mountaineering company. Will leading an expedition to Annapurna I—the most lethal of all the world’s highest mountains—shake John out of his reverie, and who is the mystery client added to the group at the last minute?

The Burning Heart by May_Shepard (M, 119,150 w., 21 Ch. || Canon Divergence, Post-TRF, John’s Sexuality, S3 Rewrite, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV John Watson, John’s Gay) – When Sherlock dies, John Watson feels like his life is over too. He’s completely shut down, until Mark Morstan, a new nurse at John’s medical clinic, catches his attention, and helps him uncover the long buried truth of his attraction to men. Although he’s certain he’ll never get over Sherlock, John plans to move on, and build a new life with Mark, unaware that Sherlock is not quite as dead as he appears, and that Mark is hiding secrets of his own.

[softhaos]

FRAGMENTS OF AFFECTION

pairing – kim mingyu x reader genre – angst + slowburn + non-idolverse description – everyone knew he was too good to be true. from the way he looked at you with eyes too loving to his proximity too close whenever you intertwined hands. everyone knew except you. warning – mentions of alcohol but no consumption song rec – hard to love | bolbbalgan4 word count – 2,002 words author’s note – i wanted to post this days ago as a “holy crap thank you so much for reading my fics and leaving nice messages once in a whilef” but that didn’t work out oops but hey, better late than never !! look this is my attempt at angst,,,, maybe i should stick with fluff heh,,

When people told you that Mingyu was too perfect a boyfriend, you took it as a compliment. He gave you the world which merely consisted of a gracious amount of skinship and sweet words that reflected his overflowing adoration for you. It was a small world you lived in, but as long as he was the sun in your life it was more than enough. You were certain that the string you tied around one another wasn’t going to tear.

When people begged to differ, you were confused. Perfect didn’t exist and Mingyu was too good. They were convinced that Mingyu was the epitome of chaos behind his angelic demeanor. You assumed they just didn’t want you to be happy for once even after the countless heartbreaks and countless exes you had been put through.

But with time, you figured they had been right all along.

When you encountered Kim Mingyu the first time, namely in a small cafe just two blocks away from Subway, he didn’t necessarily catch your attention the moment he stepped into the coffee shop. Meeting him was the aftermath of yet another blind date set up by your friends who thought they’d do you a favor. Not that Mingyu wasn’t attractive – quite the contrary, he was one of the more good-looking fellas you’ve seen around, but he just looked so neat and shy and plain in that black turtleneck, same colored slacks and beige coat buttoned up all the way. At this point, you’d rather escape to Subway and go through the hassle of ordering a sandwich. Nonetheless, you refrained from doing so.

What was originally supposed to be a date over a cup of coffee turned out to be a full-hearted conversation based on mutual feelings on particularly peculiar topics over the span of two cups of coffee and five batches of chocolate chip cookies. At first, his true colors were veiled behind the natural awkwardness he possessed and unusual jokes that took you a good minute to comprehend. His gaze wandered everywhere except at you yet whenever you talked and your gaze drifted outside to stare at the pedestrians and occasional vehicles passing by, you could sense his eyes on you, the brightest star right then.

But once you tore down bits and pieces of the walls he had built around him, you caught a glimpse of the klutz that defined Kim Mingyu, the tongue-tied man he was whenever he was nervous or had too many thoughts occupying his mind simultaneously, the suddenly much more likable guy for adding cereal after milk. You noticed how pretty his eyes were, how much depth and innocence his gaze held and detected the slight lisp he held. It was the little things that made him stood out from your past romances and flings. Then again, you always paid attention to details in every person and that had been your mindset with everyone before him.

Theoretically speaking, he shouldn’t have intrigued you as much as he managed to. In the end, what he revealed of himself wasn't something you hadn't heard before. Being a great cook might have been impressive for some others, but with the handful of people you met, it was no longer mesmerizing. You heard all of his stories too many times as if the same record was playing over and over again but each time in different stereos.

There were many reasons that spoke for why Kim Mingyu was nothing more than a fling if you took the chance and way too little arguments why Mingyu would be right this time. But when you met him in the supermarket for the third time out of the three times you went grocery shopping after that not-so horrible tragedy of a date, you started to question your rationality.

Though still as plain when it came to his choice of clothing, Mingyu was definitely bolder than on your initial meeting. He was the one who dared the first step and stirred up the conversation, the one who would ask how you were doing, the one who pitched into the same direction on the way home but took a left turn at the second crossroad. His stories remained as common as ever, nothing that wowed you, yet behind his words lied the charm laced in his voice that pulled you in. At one point, he built up enough courage to invite you over to dinner and as much as your reason desperately tried to pry him off, you said yes.

You didn’t regret your choice.

Besides finding out that Mingyu did live up to his self-proclaimed title as an amateur chef, he finally showed his true colors, ranging from the warmest hue to his darkest sides he was unwilling to unravel right away. Neither of you was intoxicated by an alcohol rush – hell, all he had was apple juice, all sorts of coke and water – but if anyone were to barge in and interrupt your two-man fiesta, they would’ve staked out the entire apartment looking for some nonexistent stash. What started out as a small conversation about minuscule life updates while enjoying pasta evolved into questions about different types of potatoes as you got tipsy on water and hiccuped on vanilla and cherry coke mixed together.

That was also when you took notice of his slight lisp, his habit of tangling his fingers in his jet-black hair after a good laugh, his lips pressed together as he tried to suppress his grin. In a matter of hours, there was no longer any trace of the diplomatic Mingyu who cracked some awful puns when he was feeling humorous. Instead, a carefree and significantly more resolute Mingyu who didn’t shy away from pulling you onto the couch and spilling a bit of cola along the way took his place.

Reminiscing about past memories, slurring about precedents and laughing about disastrous ways to end a date in the hospital made the evening worthwhile. Topics that you never even thought of were brought to light and made you realize that there was something more in the vessel that belonged to Kim Mingyu. All the while as his slender fingers softly tugged on the roots of your hair and as he looked at you with so much affection it proved his soberness, he didn’t dare to delve into deeper territory. In the back of your mind, you were fairly sure the evening was going to escalate to you staying the night and waking up under the sheets in his embrace the next morning. Though once you saw his reluctance and restraint to bruise your lips (more or less), you were proved wrong.

Appreciating his self-control and the boundaries he didn’t want to cross at this early stage, maybe your rationality had been wrong about him the entire time. You enjoyed the pace he was opting for, acknowledged his effort and was utterly affected by his entirety. Throughout the night your lips never touched once, but his touches still ghosted on your skin even when he was no longer near. Slowly but surely, he became the center of your world and so did you become his. That was how you began to love him, little by little.

It was a long process to get where you were now, but the long journey made the result so much sweeter. Innocent touches and intertwining fingers in public was how you started off before Mingyu finally pulled himself together and pressed featherlight kisses on the top of your hair and cheek. The memory of your very first proper kiss in the middle of the night while watching reruns of Spongebob was initiated by you – a quick peck on his lips before he no longer cared if he looked like a tomato and pulled you into a second, deeper one. Out of your fairly long list of past lovers, nobody had managed to strike you as hard as Mingyu. Of course, he was aware of your previous relationships but that had never caused him to look at you in a different light. If not, it urged him to cherish you even more. Even though he wasn’t your first in anything, he made it feel as if he was your first.

Everything was perfectly fine. You were perfectly fine and the only trouble was the whirlwind of emotions that overcame you every hour of the day caused by him, but you wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

Kim Mingyu held your heart in his hands and you wouldn’t want to have it any other way.

You had reached the level where you confined your trust in him, where you sought comfort in him and where you saw home in him. There were no secrets kept hidden from one another and throughout the months of being together, not even a single catastrophic fight had taken place. A few playful bickerings here and there had happened but there had never been a gigantic tear in your relationship that blew it out of proportion. You knew the huge storm would come up sooner or later but you didn’t expect it to destroy everything.

The thunder resounded at a party and truth be told, you should’ve seen it coming. Though the jealousy was running thick, you chose not to intervene just yet despite your fathomable desire to give him a piece of your mind. You still didn’t say a word when you saw him feverishly kissing someone who wasn’t you as if his life depended on it. Knowing Mingyu for so long, you knew he couldn’t hold his liquor well and had impulsive tendencies when he was intoxicated by the burning rush.

But when he pulled back and gave you a perfect sight on his dark eyes which weren’t clouded by anything, but crystal clear with nothing but soberness and intense warmth reflected in them, that was when the lightning struck. You knew that gaze too well, the look he sent you every time because he was so infatuated with you and had no filter to hide any of his affection. But what differed the affection he displayed at that moment than like he usually did was that those feelings weren’t directed towards you.

The second major difference you noticed was that the unconditional adoration radiating from him was more real than the love he had ever shown you – if what he gave you had been real in the first place.

You didn’t need anyone to tell you whether what they shared was a fling or actual love that was blooming unbeknownst to you while Mingyu was supposed to be exclusively yours. Of course, it was the latter. You might’ve been oblivious to it before, how his love for you slowly died out and how hard he struggled to make it work (as pointed out by your friends once when they noticed his torn gaze lingering on you for a second too long or his posture suddenly tense for an unfathomable reason), but the only fact that mattered was that he didn’t choose to stay.

Just like that, your entire world crumbled down until only remnants of what used to be remained.

You couldn’t bring it over yourself to not feel anything for him. Mingyu left a scar too deep in you and nothing could ever stop you from being emotionally invested in him. But you also couldn’t welp in eternal sorrow and infinite lovesickness or hope that he’d come back with clean hands. It was clear that nothing could equal to your relationship before. Mingyu would never let that happen and neither would you.

If you couldn’t diminish your feelings for him, you had to change them.

And so, all timeless love you harbored for Mingyu turned into unceasing hate.