#mizjoely talks about her fics

[mizjoely]

I finally completed a WiP! The last chapter of "The Golddigger and the Gigolo" has been posted for your reading enjoyment. (Unbetaed and likely riddled with mistakes, lol!)

[sherlollyandspoilers]

We’re worth it

Holy crap my nerds! I am finally starting to post my Sherlolly therapy fic that is the companion piece to Here Be Dragons. I have most of it written, but its going to take me some time to post as each session is going to be a separate chapter on AO3 (made the most sense) - I hope you enjoy!!!! 

P.S. This is definitely dedicated to @simplyshelbs16xoxo and @mizjoely both who commented on every single one of the chapters for HBD. (Extra shout out to Shelbs for having read that fic at least twice and commenting again.) Both of your kinds words made me want to keep writing for this universe. 

March 15th, (This session takes place right before their first session that is documented in Chapter 11 of HBD)

Sherlock watched Molly apprehensively as she got ready for bed. Mary had been on edge during Rosie’s birthday party and Molly hadn’t been much better. He felt like all of them were walking on eggshells, simply waiting for the other shoe to drop. But on what exactly, he couldn’t say.

“Molly?” he said quietly as he sat down on the edge of the bed, brow furrowed.

“Yes?” She stopped what she was doing and turned to him. “What’s wrong?” she asked upon seeing the worry on his face.

“There is something I want to ask of you, but I am not sure how you are going to feel about it.” He knew he was in no position to make requests, but he felt this was the one exception he could make. He held his hand out to her and she took it, sitting down next to him.

“Go on.” She squeezed his hand.

“I was talking with my recovery therapist about everything that has been going on and she suggested that you and I might want to explore couple’s counseling.”

She scrunched up her face in confusion. “Is there something you think we need help with?”

Sherlock was taken back by her comment considering everything that had taken place over the last year. “A lot has happened between you and I,” he finally replied.

She looked down at their hands for a while before nodding, “Okay, Sherlock. If that is what you want.”

[writingwife-83]

I posted 2,294 times in 2022

345 posts created (15%)

1,949 posts reblogged (85%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@msuolo

@these-are-the-first-steps

@mizjoely

@therealbucky05

@theunsinkablemollyholmes

I tagged 2,237 of my posts in 2022

Only 2% of my posts had no tags

#reylo - 615 posts

#sherlolly - 470 posts

#star wars - 252 posts

#sherlock - 139 posts

#ben solo - 121 posts

#lol - 99 posts

#kylo ren - 93 posts

#medieval au - 62 posts

#writing things - 58 posts

#wifey answers things - 57 posts

Longest Tag: 104 characters

#that way everyone can enjoy what they like without feeling like there’s storm clouds constantly circling

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

There’s something wrong with people if they’re publicly spewing hate about a little girl who’s just doing her best to play one of the most iconic roles on screen. I want to be real clear that I see any such nastiness on my dash- bye! 👋🏻

And for the record I think she’s absolutely nailing it, it couldn’t be done any better than this, and Carrie Fisher would be incredibly proud.

322 notes - Posted May 31, 2022

#4

Just over here cackling to myself about how Leia is so consistently like, “you’re here to rescue me? Are you even qualified for this?? And this is your plan???”

431 notes - Posted May 31, 2022

#3

Outlining my new fic and knowing most people probably won’t be interested in it, but still enjoying the concept all on my own lol

542 notes - Posted March 29, 2022

#2

Bouncing off this post because I’ve seen a lot of people adding this thought in the reblogs.

Don’t ever be afraid to read way back in time (I’m talking many years!) through someone’s AO3 works, and leave kudos and positive comments along the way. I promise it’s not weird or creepy or any of the things people sometimes worry about! This should be your rule of thumb-

If an author chose to leave a fic on AO3, no matter how old, they want it to be read and they want to know when you’ve enjoyed it! 👌

1,228 notes - Posted September 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I’m know I’m not the first person to say this, but any newbies on tumblr really need to understand how different this is from a lot of other social media. Particularly tiktok.

I just saw a creator on tiktok reminding followers that it’s actually a problem when someone goes back to the earliest post and watches all the posts chronologically, liking and commenting along the way. The stupid app recognizes it as spam or something and then kinda puts a halt on their account? Literally punishing people for positive engagement?? 🥴🤦‍♀️

I’ve already heard people saying years back how they don’t want to be “creepy” and go through a persons blog, liking and reblogging tons of stuff. But think how many more people are going to be worried about it now, thinking they might do actual damage! Most people, especially younger people, are so used to the way tiktok works now. So please, do not ever worry about this on here. Just remember-

You will never do any harm if you go on a like and reblog fest through someone’s tumblr blog! The only risk you’re taking is to make the blog owner weep for joy!! 😭🤣

101,444 notes - Posted August 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[miz-joelys-sherlollilists]

Hi Mizjoely,Is your Torn Series complete?I really loved it..But the 2nd installment seems to be incomplete also A Question of Honour?I really love your writing😀

Hi! Thanks for asking. Alas, no, I haven’t finished the second one - and actually am contemplating a serious revamp of the last couple of chapters because I’m really not happy with them. I mean, once the Bad Guy dramatically jumps out a window, Sherlock really should chase after him. And Molly needs to tell him that...so yeah. I want to finish it but I have to fix it first.

[amyreadsandstresses]

Sherlock Fics Rec: Parentlock Edition

Or, a list of some Parentlock fics I really like

*Creepy Camp by Imjohnlocked87, RRipley

12k, 5/5, Johnlock, Rosamund Mary "Rosie" Watson, Molly Hooper, Case fic, Established Relationship, Fluff & Humor, Angst with a Happy Ending, Camping

Sherlock Holmes faced the most bloodthirsty killers impassive. He remained undaunted in front of the barrel of a gun, even when he was unarmed and could stand weeks of torture without losing his lucidity. But in front of these fourteen pairs of eyes fixed on him, his mouth dried up and his brain went blackout. He was terrified.

*All My Sins Remembered by MizJoely

25k, 11/11, Sherlock/Molly, Parentlock, R/NC, James Moriarty, Angst, Kidnapping, Happy Ending

Post-HLV. Before his exile, Sherlock goes to Molly, who makes a request of him that he gladly fulfills. However, Moriarty is back and Sherlock isn't his first target.

*Mycroft Holmes, Foremrly of Ice by ATouchOfCommonSense

2k, 1/1, Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Rosamund Mary "Rosie" Watson, Mycroft Holmes, So much fluff

Mycroft, despite never having cared for a child before, offers to take Rosie for a day. He discovers a few interesting things about himself in the process.

*"If you're going to pester, do it well," saith the Holmes boys by Auzzie

4k, 1/1, Johnlock, Parentlock, Mrs. Hudson, Mycroft Holmes

For all that Hamish is like John, he is definitely Sherlock's son, too.

A series of small experiences.

*in quiet rooms by Magiclaire

1k, 1/1, Johnlock, Post The Final Problem, Fluff, Fix-it

Sherlock and John are back to living at Baker Street, but nothing can ever be the same. And maybe that’s okay.

*all the good things to come by weneedtotalkaoutparentlock (Paradoxe1914)

1k, 1/1, Johnlock, Rosie, Parentlock, Fluff

“Truth is, Rosie, I’m not really good at this kind of stuff.”

She seemed to relax a little bit in his arms, and not knowing what to do next, he decided to sit down on the floor. Leaning against the crib, Sherlock put her on his lap for her to see the full-blown starry night illuminating the room.

*Take Up The Charge by hitlikehammers

3k, 1/1, Johnlock, Baby Watson, Parentlock, Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Post Series 3

When they talk about love, they talk about this.

*The Men Who Talked Between the Words by Odamaki

463k, 30/30, Johnlock, Rosie, Mycroft, Holmes Family, Lots of ANgst, Lots of fluff, Molly Hooper, Mrs, Hudson, Greg Lestrade, Bill Wiggins, Like 3 seasons in one book, novel length brilliance

John expected to be a father some day; he expected to have the house, and the wife and the nice suburban job. Sherlock never expected to have children, in part because he never expected to make it past 30. As it turns out, you don't get a choice. Crammed into Baker Street with a baby, John struggles with single-parenthood and his own fears, while Sherlock treads the fine line between doing too little and saying too much.

Part 2 here

I have plenty more, but I figured I would use this ones for now :)

[dragonnan]

Last Line Tag

Tagged by the devious and fascinating @disappearinginq to post the last line I wrote and tag as many people are there are words in the sentence. (HAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAA!! C’mon Son!)

....Well fuck me squared.  Given that I literally JUST posted I actually don’t have a most recent bit of writing lol! I have a blank document (several actually) waiting to have words added but as of yet nothing to report.  SO I shall have to cheat a bit on this with some older in-progress something...

So this is a little “shared PTSD” fic idea about both Tony and Peter struggling with their crushing anxiety after all they’ve been thru.  They talk things out and find they have some very common ground.

He'd visited the man, Toomes, after personally visiting the kid the day after the crash.  Happy had only told him that the kid had saved the shipment from this Big Bird sky pirate.  He figured he'd owed the kid a slap on the back.  May was the one to greet him at the door - told him Peter wasn't feeling up for a visit and could he maybe come back a couple days after never? He'd been willing to honor the request - figured he could catch up with the kid after classes or something but... something in her eyes...

"May, what's going on?" The flirting and jokes had dried up.  He wasn't Tony Stark, in that moment - billionaire playboy and mentor to teenage geniuses.  He was Iron Man; defender of Earth and trouble seeking Spider children.  May blinked; mouth working before she looked down at her hands.  "He's... He's in his room.  But Tony..."

Invited or not there was something dumping adrenaline through his limbs and he'd given no thought to striding through the tiny apartment towards the door marked with the radioactive symbol.  Cute.  He knocked.  "Hey kid, it's Golden Globes time.  Come on out."

Nothing.  Okay - something... shuffling and a muffled cough.  Then... "Sorry, uh... not feeling good, Mr. Stark.  Maybe another time?"  So that wasn't at all alarming.

Tony knocked again - a rapid four beats.  "No can do, Padawan.  Need proof of life.  Give me a peek at that baby blues."

There was another cough followed by something that sounded suspiciously like a groan.  "Um, my eyes are brown..."

Tony nodded.  "See?  I'm already forgetting.  Come on, Pete, I'm an old man.  My memory is like a sieve.  Just ask Pepper."

tagging: Yeah an’t NO way I’m following that many people lolol! @sgam76 @villaniouslyawesome @itsjustdg @silentsaebyeok @kitcat992 @mizjoely and all others who want to play!

[lilsherlockian1975]

"Spoiler!"

Okay, I’m sure this ‘spoiler’ thingy is probably geared more for WIPs, but my WIPs make me sad... just sitting out there, unfinished and angry. So, I’m gonna use this as an opportunity to post previews (spoilery ones) of nearly complete crap that’s sitting in my docs file (equally unfinished, but slightly less angry). I fully realize this isn’t the true nature of this ‘thingy’, but I need a kick in the butt and I’m hoping this helps. Anyone who wants more hit me up! And thanks, Miz. (Psst -This is the one we were talking about the other day.)

*   *   *

This is from a fic currently titled The Last Words of Mary E Watson in which John receives several DVDs from Mary after her death. He cannot figure out who is sending them and he has tried - went a little mad trying to solve the mystery, as a matter of fact. Warning, it’s very sad at times and also (because I’m me) a bit silly. But I promise good fun and a somewhat pleasant ending (it’s me, remember!).

   *   *   *   *   *

Each DVD has something written on it; literary quotes - hints as to what he will find inside. He doesn’t actually consider the quotes as titles, per se, more like his wife’s odd sense of humour. Video number one reads: “time is an illusion, lunchtime is doubly so”. God, that woman loved Hitchhiker's Guide! That video is quite personal and it takes John three days to get through it. He never shares its contents with a living soul. 

The one he’s holding now says, “to love or have loved, that is enough” written in her loopy handwriting. With a great sniff, he tries to force his tears back, but it’s no use. Thankfully, Rosie is visiting his sister today. Raking his hand over his damp cheeks, he walks to the television full of both dread and hope. 

Every time he watches one of his wife’s little movies, he can’t help but hope that at the end will smile and tell him it was all an elaborate ruse. Who could blame him with Sherlock Holmes for a best mate?

Once the DVD is safely inserted into the player, he walks to the kitchen and pours himself a large glass of scotch. Settling down on the settee, he says, “Okay, Mare, what do you have for me today?” as he aims the remote, takes a deep breath and hits ‘play’.

Her smiling face appears on the TV. “Hello again.” She draws a deep breath. “Well, we’re at the end, my love. I know you’re sad. I’m sure I would be too, if I wasn’t dead.” Giggles. “Listen,” she leans forward, “this is my final request - assignment, really - you must do something for Sherlock.”

“Sherlock, then. Wondered when we were gonna get ‘round to him,” John says, picking up the remote he pauses the video and takes a large pull from his glass. Somehow he knew this was coming. 

Her second video was fairly mundane; full of instructions about bills, household items and a few things he’d neglected at the clinic. Not for the first time, John had wondered if his wife had been prescient. She’d been right, of course, he hadn’t touched her filing system and it was a complete mess. She’d called that one “never laugh at live dragons” and he had indeed laughed. 

Video number three (entitled “when everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you without flinching -- they are your family’) was about reconnecting with his long-estranged sister. Excellent advice as it turned out. Harry had been reaching out to him for months, since Mary’s death, and John had ignored each and every attempt. 

Number four was Rosie’s video. It had been the hardest one to watch by far. Entitled: ‘don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened’, John had started crying immediately, knowing as soon as he’d read his wife’s words that he was about to hear her thoughts on their precious child. A child that would grow up without her amazing mother. She’d instructed him to watch it about halfway through. The rest was for Rosemund. 

One more drink and John aims the remote back at the DVD player and presses play. 

“He needs you, John,” she says.”By now he will have pulled you from whatever self-imposed hell you relegated yourself to. He did that, remember that as you listen to my request.”

“Great,” he says with a sigh, leaning back on the settee.

“As much as he needs you, he needs someone else even more. What’s worse, he doesn't even know how much he needs them.” She shakes her head. “If I was there I’d take care of it myself. Should have, actually, but there was never time.” She pauses, looks thoughtful for a moment, then says, “You’ll have to make the time, though. Sherlock Holmes doesn’t deserve to be alone. Oh, I know he has you, even if things are strained now - or maybe you two are just fine…” she trails off, sounding oddly unsure. “What I’m saying, John, is that he deserves love.” 

Her eyes are suddenly imploring and John’s quite confused. “Let me be perfectly clear, our boy is not in love with that Adler woman - yes I know she’s alive, wasn’t hard to figure out! I believe if you think… really hard, you’ll figure it out who he really loves…”

John gasps. “Molly Hooper?”

“Got it yet?” his dead wife asks with a smile. “Yes, Molly Hooper is the love of Sherlock’s life; he just doesn’t know it yet.”

“Of course!”

“Now,” the woman on the screen says, “what are we gonna do about it?”

“I don’t buggering know!”

“It’s okay, love, I have a plan!” She smirks. “Well, I have several, actually.”

*   *   *   *   *   *Okay, that’s enough. I’d love any feedback on this and thanks again @mizjoely ~ Lil ~

[holidaysat221b]

2018′s Halloween at 221b - A Sherlolly Celebration Master List

To help get you in the Fall/Halloween spirit, here are all the submissions we received during the 2018 Halloween Fest.  Please give them another look, leave a comment or a kudo (or both!), and show a little love to the creators who took the time to participate in 2018.

We’ve listed where the works are archived, mult-chapter or not, complete or not, and rating.  In progress fics are marked in bold as a reminder for a mod to periodically check for updates.  Tumblr accounts have been tagged where possible, some could only be linked to, and some are completely unknown to the mods.  As always, the complete Master List for all years can be found here.

Alice in Wonderland/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo And through the looking glass we see she’s painfully returned. But now off with her head I fear is everyone’s concern.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

All Souls - Written by @geekmama The rain had nearly stopped by the time they reached the village of Grendon and the house where Molly had grown up, and where her mother still lived. He’d been there once before, a few months ago, not long after the Sherrinford/Musgrave debacle, and the house hadn’t changed. Still quite undistinguished from the other residences in this thoroughly middle class neighborhood. For the second time, Sherlock found himself wondering that the unique creature beside him, his beloved, could have sprung from this thoroughly mundane environment. Of course, it had taken him an unconscionably long time to realize exactly how unique Molly was. It seemed irrefutable proof that, while he was very quick in most areas of perception, he could be slow to the point of idiocy in others – and some of them rather essential. It was always possible, Sherlock reflected, as he pulled the car into the drive, that there was more to Molly’s childhood home, too, than first contact had suggested.   (On Tumblr, Complete, Rated G)

By the Light of the Moon  - Written by @mizjoely Annabellioncourt on tumblr said: There’s a lovely old English myth that if someone who truely loved and trusted the werewolf called it by name that it would turn back to human. Others include throwing their human clothes at it and it’d turn back but that’s a bit less romantic. This is my response to that prompt.   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated G)

Corpse Bride/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Yet I feel my heart is aching Thought it doesn’t beat it’s breaking And the pain here that I feel Try and tell me it’s not real I know that I am dead Yet it seems that I still have some tears to shed   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Crimson Peak  - Created by @myqueenismollyhooper  (On Tumblr, Complete)

Dead Man Walking  - Written by @willsherjohnkhanAn alternate reality. Halloween-ish companion piece to The Familiar Stranger…   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated T)

Devoted  - Written by @the-sapphiresky She loved Halloween. It was the one time of the year she could go all out, no holds barred on her morbidity, and no one would bat an eye. She traded her jumpers and comfy trousers for tight leggings, fake blood, bat wings, whatever struck her fancy that year. But this year, the temptation to be morbid wasn’t as alluring as usual.   (On Tumblr, Complete, Rated G)

Edward Scissorhands/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo (On Tumblr, Complete)

Happy Sherlolly Halloween  - Created by @darnedchildA Sherlolly kiss pumpkin  (On Tumblr, Complete)

I Had A Dream, Molly  - Written by @thehiddenlawyer Sherlock and Molly, in a rough patch in their relationship, are investigating a mysterious death at infamous 50 Berkeley Square in London, when a thunderstorm rocks the house, and Molly walks away with new abilities.   (On Ao3, Complete in 13 Parts, Rated M)

It’s no secret that Molly Hooper loves Halloween  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo It’s no secret that Molly Hooper loves Halloween, but it is something Sherlock finds endearing about her. They spend the afternoon walking through cemeteries, and the evening at her flat, watching cliché slasher films, and handing out candy to children who happen upon her doorstep. That’s when the activity begins. First it’s footsteps here and there, but then it escalates to objects being thrown, and the lights flickering. Turns out the thrift shop mirror Molly purchased for Halloween decór is a portal for spirits. And by the looks of the I.O.U. being painted on the glass, it seems Moriarty is back for revenge.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Jack the Ripper/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Jack the Ripper is on the loose, but Sherlock and Molly are on the case. They set out to find the identity of the ripper, unaware that they’re closer to the answer than they think…Sherlock’s cousin, H.H. Holmes. With hesitance, they attempt to acquire help from criminal mastermind, James Moriarty, who is imprisoned. He knows the identity of the ripper, but will only speak in riddles.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Life in Death  - Written by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Molly Hooper finds an antique pocket watch in a thrift shop, resulting in her being haunted by the ghost of a Victorian Era Sherlock Holmes, who happens to have once been a tenant of her flat. Follow this annoyed-at-first-sight story full of witty banter, eventual romance, and an attempted murder most foul.   (On Ao3, Complete in 8 parts, Rated T)

Little Red Riding Hood/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Once upon a time, a girl named Molly wandered into the woods in her red hood, only to come across the large black wolf everyone hides away from at night. The first thing she noticed was the strange, but beautiful, cerulean eyes. The wolf, she learns, is in fact a man who can shift into the large beast; a man named Sherlock. Upon finding out that the wolf who attacks her village isn’t him, but another shifter by the name of James Moriarty, Molly begins to set up a trap to catch him. This angers him, and Moriarty bites Molly before he is taken by the men of the village. Sherlock takes care of her through her transition into becoming a wolf herself; a beautiful copper coat covering her. The more time she spends with him, the more she falls in love with him… and he with her.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Nightmare Before Christmas/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo My dearest friend, if you don’t mind, I’d like to join you by your side, where we can gaze into the stars, and sit together, now and forever. For it is plain as anyone can see. We’re simply meant to be.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

The Phantom of the Opera/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Close your eyes, start a journey to a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Close your eyes and let music set you free. Only then can you belong to me. Floating, falling, sweet intoxication. Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation. Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in. To the power of the music that I write. The power of the music of the night.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #1  - Created by @mel-loves-all Sherlock woke in a hotel room without any memory of how he got there. A case had led him to erotic underground clubs the night before. Flashes of hauntingly lonely brown eyes, skin soft as satin and ecstasy so pleasurably intense, it bordered on pain, bombarded him as the scent of crushed berries and sex lingered on the bed sheets.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #2  - Created by @mel-loves-all Dreams. Fevered, erotic, all consuming. A woman whose beauty takes his breath away. Sherlock doesn’t ever want to wake up.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #3  - Created by @mel-loves-all Mysterious murders lead Sherlock Holmes to the front door of a leading Historian of Witches and Witchcraft. He doesn’t believe in the supernatural but the beautiful professor’s smile could definitely be described as magical.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #4  - Created by @mel-loves-all On Halloween night, there’s a murderer on the loose and Molly’s been kidnapped. Sherlock saves her and finally gets his head out of his arse and kisses her from relief and love.)   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #5  - Created by @mel-loves-all Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #6 - Created by @mel-loves-all Who would have thought Molly and Sherlock both had a taste for the macabre on the scariest night of the year? lol, date night.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #7  - Created by @mel-loves-all What started out as a fun ugly jumper purchase of Molly’s for Sherlock turned into a Halloween themed party where Mrs. Hudson took the grand prize for her “Frequent Flyer” sweater.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #8  - Created by @mel-loves-allMoriarty. Even in death his presence lingers. All Sherlock can do is be there for Molly as she comes to grips with the remembered horror of the man.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #9  - Created by @mel-loves-all Was she going insane? This was the urgent missive Sherlock Holmes was sent. A woman in danger. A woman who was being systematically poisoned and driven towards madness. He would not allow it. The beautiful widow, whose vulnerability, but incredible inner strength, drew forth Sherlock’s protective instincts like no one else before.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sherlolly Moodboard #10  - Created by @mel-loves-all “They talk to me, always…whispering all the things they wished they had time to do…all the things they want me to do…for them" He looked around the morgue, and for one terrifying moment, he could hear them too…”   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Sleepy Hollow/Sherlolly Mashup  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo The Pickety Witch, the Pickety Witch, who’s got a kiss for the Pickety Witch?   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Spellbound  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo A trailer for both stories in my Spellbound Universe.   (On Youtube, Complete)

Spellbound: All Hallow’s Eve  - Written by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Sequel; takes place a year after the epilogue of Spellbound (I suggest reading that first). Sherlock and Molly encounter a man who’s out for revenge at the Watsons’ Victorian themed Halloween party. Meanwhile, there’s a woman roaming around London, impersonating Emelia Ricoletti. Magic, Mayhem, Mystery, and a Murder (or two) Most Foul.   (On Ao3, Complete in 7 Parts, Rated T)

Spellbound: All Hallow’s Eve Edit  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo An edit created to accompany “Spellbound: All Hallow’s Eve”.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Universally Monstrous - Dracula  - Written by @darnedchild It’s Molly’s voice. The woman he had buried just six days prior.   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated T)

Universally Monstrous - The Hunchback of Notre Dame  - Written by @darnedchild “The Quasimodo Killer?” Sherlock scoffed. “Really, John. That’s the best you could do?”   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated T)

Universally Monstrous - The Phantom of the Opera  - Written by @darnedchild It was a well-known secret that New Scotland Yard was haunted.   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated G)

Vampire Edit  - Created by @simplyshelbs16xoxo Post tfp. Sherlock has opened his eyes when it comes to matters of the heart. A passionate snog in the morgue showed Molly exactly how he felt about her. But there’s danger lurking around the corner… Moriarty never died on that rooftop. He’s a vampire with an agenda… to sire Molly Hooper. By doing so, it will make her undyingly loyal to him, and in turn, burn the heart out of Sherlock. Molly is on the run whilst Sherlock tries to track his arch nemesis down. He finds out that Moran has found Molly, and Sherlock will do anything to save her, but time’s running out.   (On Tumblr, Complete)

Veils of Memory Infected With Dreams  - Written by ALC_Punk (@lyssisbored) Molly was dragged into joining a search through the woods, or so she remembers… Yet the fog is growing ever deeper, and she can’t quite place what she’s supposed to be doing.   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated G)

Witchy Woman - Written by @mizjoely Sometimes a witch just wants a night with a hot demon…what’s so wrong about that?   (On Ao3, Complete, Rated E)

[sherlollysecretsanta]

Friends To Lovers, Finally (Sherlock; Lestrade x Sally)

This is a mod gift for @mizjoely with the pairing Lestrade/Sally. It’s an explicit fic so part of it is here and the rest is up at AO3.

Friends To Lovers, Finally - Greg reflects on the night before with Sally before trying to make her breakfast in bed.

He stared down at the woman sleeping next to him. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined she fancied him. But as soon as she got her promotion and he was no longer her superior, she’d started flirting. And he had been flattered but he had brushed it off.

At least until last night. No alcohol had been involved, really, except about half a pint each. But it had been a conversation at the pub while they were celebrating a colleague’s birthday that had changed everything.

“You do realize I’ve been flirting with you for months now, right? I’m about to give up so we can go back to just friends because you’re obviously not interested.”

“I didn’t think you were serious, Sally. I mean, I’m...me. And you’re you. And you deserve better than an old man like me.”

“I know what I want, Greg. And what I want is you. But just say the word and I’ll stop flirting and we can just be friends if that’s what you want.”

“What if that isn’t what I want at all?”

“Then what do you want?”

“A chance to make up for ignoring all the flirting.”

The grin on her face had been so wide, she’d been beaming. There hadn’t been a kiss just then, though he could have given her one, but they’d decided then to go back to his place and have a more private conversation. They’d sat close to each other in the cab since neither had brought their own cars to the pub, and she reached over to hold his hand and play with his fingers and he was filled with a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time.

Then they got to his place and went inside, sitting on the sofa and just talking for a bit. Oh, it wasn’t as though they hadn’t done that in the past, but it was different this time. This time he had the feeling it would lead to something more intimate. And when she kissed him, softly, hesitantly, he knew he was right. When he had kissed her back he hadn’t expected more than a bit of heavy petting and snogging on the sofa, but soon they both got hot and bothered. When she moved her lips to his neck, teasing him, he knew he wouldn’t care in the morning if there was a mark.

He hadn’t felt like this since the heady days of his relationship with his wife, but in this case, it was better, as he and Sally had been friends for ages and they were coming from that place with each other. He knew so much about her, and vice versa, and it made the bond tighter, the connection better. He remembered unbuttoning Sally’s shirt to reveal her brassiere and was amazing at how gorgeous she looked, half-dressed, breathing heavily with a sexy smirk on her face.

READ THE REST @ AO3

[youknowmymethods]

Content Creator Interview #1

In the very first of a series of interviews with authors and artists in the Sherlolly and Sherlock fandoms @theemptyquarto chatted to @hobbitsdoitbetter about dark Anglo-Irish humour,  how she got started in the fandom, cultural influences, and so much more. 

I hope you all enjoy reading what they have to say as much as I did.

Hello Tumblr!

Back before Christmas 2018 I sat down (metaphorically, in a shared google doc) with the lovely Hobbitsdoitbetter.  Hobbits has been working in fanfic at least since 2006, but came onto the BBC Sherlock scene in 2013, oddly enough (or maybe not that oddly, if you have read her sensitive and universally female-positive fic) getting her start as an Adlock writer.  She switched over to Sherlolly with the brilliant, “Be Near Me When My Light Is Low,” a graceful and touching story dealing with domestic partner abuse.

 After that she was off to the races.  Since then, she’s written many of the most beloved stories in Sherlolly fandom, including: “The Boyfriend Experience,” which yours truly got to beta-read, set in an AU where Sherlock is a high class escort; “Little Goldfish,”a deeply sexy story dealing with the healthy (and unhealthy) use of BDSM in relationships;  “The Rudest Man In London,” a rollicking Victorian AU adventure; and others too numerous to list here.  Currently she’s publishing “Bliss,” another sweet Victorian AU in which Sherlock and Molly have to find their way to one another as partners in a marriage blanc, and a joint fic with Mizjoely called “The Poison in the Honey, the Sting in the Sweet,” featuring crimelord Sherlock, MI5 agent Molly, and an early-1980s setting.

 Before I get into our chat, I’m going to post two reader questions submitted by OhAine pre-interview, since the actual discussion spins off both of them.  

So with thanks to Aine:

(1) You write a very strong Molly, never more so than in “What the blackbird sang.” Can you tell us a little about the process of writing that story, and how difficult was it to walk the line between such a harrowing backstory and the love story you were developing?

 It’s interesting to talk about “What The Blackbird Sang,” and the fic which preceded it, “Be Near Me When My Light Is Low.” It was the first Sherlolly piece I actually wrote, and I was still finding the characters’ voices. Getting John’s voice, in particular, proved a trial; it wasn’t until I wrote him telling someone off that I felt I had him. (I also wouldn’t make Mycroft so heartless if I wrote it today.) I was feeling my way through the Sherlockverse, and when I read the fic now, that’s really the only thing I can see, lol.  

 I was very aware of the morality of discussing something which affects people in real life, and of the ways in which some behaviors are presented to young women as welcome or romantic in popular culture when they’re actually creepy and controlling. Domestic violence is often presented in fanfic as an excuse for a character to be saved by another (male) character, or as an excuse for whump, angst or hurt/comfort, and I didn’t want to write anything like that. I wanted it to be realistic, and to be respectful of the experiences of people who have suffered from it. (I do know a couple of people who have survived DV, and I know their kids). I also wanted to show some of the things which younger readers should look out for as red flags, and give accurate information on what resources were available to them if they were in a situation which was dangerous. In short, I wanted the story to be useful as well as entertaining.

 In order to do that, I looked a lot at real life cases of DV; almost everything which Molly’s ex does to her in the story is based on something from real life, including leaving the little bloody dolls on her doorstep. I also looked at the ways in which people with PTSD deal with panic attacks and flashbacks; I wanted to be honest and respectful, as I said, and I wanted to make sure that nothing I wrote glamourised or romanticized the abuse or the trauma. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and I know how difficult it can be to try and manage someone else’s reaction to your illness, as well as your own: that’s why I chose to give Sherlock prior experience with dealing with panic attacks. Writing the story itself wasn’t difficult; because I had given myself an obligation to be realistic, I had an in-built set of brakes. I couldn’t put in anything too fantastical, and that certainly helped. As for writing the romance, well... I think one of the things I like about Sherlock is that he’s not led around by his libido. I figured that if anyone would be willing to give Molly a chance to heal before things become physical, it would be him. I also felt that, given how bewildered he is by interpersonal relationships sometimes, he would be able to sympathize with someone who was also feeling emotionally vulnerable. And dealing with the physical abuse helped Sherlock grow up a bit, because he couldn’t just charge in on a white horse and then disappear off: if he wanted to help, he had to stick around and do some things which he felt uncomfortable with, like being emotionally open. It meant that he had a through-line in the story which wasn’t just about being strong or powerful. He had to change and grow, and I felt that was important. It also meant that he had something to do besides be in love with Molly, and I do think that helped keep the story from becoming too saccharine or concerned with romance.  

 (2) I often think when I’m reading your Victorian stories that there’s a very certain quality that Molly shares with Irish women, that there’s a quietness and dignity to her strength that I saw in women of my mother’s generation: rather than being given it, they took power where they could find it. How much of your characterisation of Molly has been influenced by the women in your own history?

 It’s interesting that you mention the women of our mother’s generation as regards Victorian Molly, because I do think there’s an element, not so much of quietness (I come from a long, LOUD line of Northside Dublin matriarchs) but I do think there’s an element of, as you say, taking what power you can rather than waiting to be given it. (Because if you’re waiting to be given anything in life, you’ll be waiting a long time, and it can always be taken back). Maybe it’s the feminist in me; I am painfully aware that surviving as a woman in the past was not easy. It was a great deal more than pretty dresses and dashing men in carriages. Poverty had dire consequences, and you had to be tough if you were to survive, particularly when you had no legal rights. So I do think that I bring that attitude to writing about the past: I’m a bit cynical about it.

 I also don’t like writing passive characters: one of the things I like about Molly is that while she may be quiet, or shy, or sweet, or clumsy, she isn’t passive. (I suspect that’s the influence of Lou Brealey on the way she’s written, but that’s just a personal opinion.) Molly does things, actively: she decides to help Sherlock, she orders him to say ILY first. She’s not waiting to be saved, or to be loved; she accepts life and gets on with it. She has a sort of sweet stoicity that I like. And again, that stoicity may relate back to the women of our mothers’ and grandmothers’ generations, and that get on with it mentality that they had.

 And with these tantalizing tidbits, I sat down with hobbitsdoitbetter for our chat.

 Quarto:  Hi Hobbits!  Thanks for joining me!

 Hobbits: I am here whenever you’re ready!

 Quarto:  Awesome.  So, let’s get started with a spinoff of one of the questions OhAine submitted and that you’ve already answered.  You started writing Sherlolly with “Be Near Me When My Light Is Low,” which deals with domestic violence and in which the love story is really more of a side subject.  Can you talk about how you got the inspiration for this fic?  What in the show led you to create the material?

 Hobbits: It’s an odd one, that, because I don’t really remember deciding to write it. I do remember reading a piece of fic online by a very young writer, who was still learning her craft. She was doing that thing we all do at the start, which is ramping every reaction up to 11! But because she was talking about Molly feeling unhappy with how Sherlock spoke to her, she didn’t seem to realize how it came across. It came across, I remember thinking, as if Sherlock were being verbally abusive. A lot of it was in the reactions written on Molly’s behalf; one person’s sarcastic banter is another’s hurtful barb, and there didn’t seem to be a recognition of the difference. I messaged her privately and asked her about it, and she didn’t seem to see the difference (again, starting out and making a common mistake we all make). But there was a lot of stuff about Molly putting up with shite from Sherlock that I just didn’t see her putting up with, and which seemed to me to be quite… Let’s say unhelpful.

 Quarto:  I think it can be difficult to balance that sort of stuff in fic, particularly when you’re writing for a show like “Sherlock” where the wit is so pointed and exaggerated for dramatic effect.  In the context of the show it’s funny but then when we try to capture it in fic it comes off like it would IRL, as “Wow, these people are massive assholes.”

 Hobbits: Well, some of that is, I think, cultural differences. British and Irish people will say stuff to one another messing that the rest of the world is horrified by. We have a dark sense of humor as a matter of course. BUT the big thing is how the person you say it to reacts; Mycroft and Sherlock don’t get upset at how they speak to one another and they can be sarcastic little bitches. But if, for example, you say something to someone (as Sherlock does to Molly in the SIB Christmas scene) which hurts them, the appropriate response is to apologize and not do it again. I think that’s why we stick with Sherlock through so much, because you can tell that he just blurts stuff out, or gets so wound up in his own cleverness that he doesn’t stop to think about how it sounds. But if you’re portraying someone as upset, and that that’s a normal or desirable reaction to a character because they’re Just That Awesome, then I look at it a bit askance. In fairness to that writer from long ago, I don’t think it had occurred to her how it sounded; that’s something that comes later in writing, I think, when you no longer have the massive panic attack that is trying to finish something and put it out there, which is the first, scariest and bravest step.

 Quarto: I’ll want to get back to the experience of authorship in a minute but before I do I’d like to talk a little bit about culture and how its influenced you as a writer, which also ties in with one of the reader-submitted questions.  I wish I still had that email chain we did when you were writing “The Boyfriend Experience” but in one exchange we had that I recall, you disagreed with me (an American) that the story was dark.  And you attributed your perception of it as not dark to your Irishness.  And I kinda… have to stand by my original opinion of your writing, which is that you definitely operate a bit more on the grim end of the spectrum (with obvious exceptions).  Do you think that your heritage and your culture are really determining or influencing the things you choose to write?

 Hobbits: I remember that! I was terribly worried I had offended you :-( But I do think that the cultural assumptions that come from being working class and Irish determine your world-view, and what you think of as dark. (Infamously, Irish writers and playwrights are always writing dark plays and I have spent the last ten years working in a theatre, lol). But also, the reason I didn’t feel “The Boyfriend Experience,” was dark was because I didn’t necessarily feel prostitution or working through trauma were dark, they’re just facts of life. I do have stories I feel are dark, because they’re about hopelessness: Be Near Me… is one, as is Little Goldfish. I would say they’re dark because they take place primarily in very dark places where there’s no light coming in. Molly is being abused, Sherlock can’t move past his own hang ups and traumas. Those seem to me to be dark. But other things, where there’s a bad experience but people are managing to survive, or thrive, those I always find really life affirming. The other thing is that, as someone who deals with depression and anxiety, putting a label on something as dark has always seemed to me a way of making it seem more frightening and debilitating. But if you write about bad stuff that happens, but people survive it then I find that much more life affirming, particularly if you, The Reader, are dealing with some of those things yourself. It’s my way of saying, hey, this doesn’t define you. You aren’t helpless, you can get through this. Not “you must, because if you don’t then you’re weak,” but more, “even if you don’t entirely beat this, there are things you can do. You are more than a label.” Sorry, I’m not sure if I’m getting my meaning across there :-(

 Quarto: Nah, you’re doing fine:)  And at the point I made the original comment I don’t believe I knew how you were going to end the story… which you did with “recovery,” basically, rendering what comes before it a necessary process rather than “Oh fuck that’s a downer.”   When you’ve tried to write horror, though, I will say that you do very well with it, possibly because of that attitude.  The “Eurus thing” ficlet you wrote in “Bumping Back” is one of the creepiest short pieces I can recall reading in this or any fandom, and the bleakness of it is definitely part of that.

 Hobbits: Well, one of the things about writing horror is it’s the only genre I give myself permission in to go to town with the darkness, lol. Every other genre, I always try to have some light at the end, but with horror it’s like, nah, bring it on. I also love writing horror to do with children, because it’s immediately making the adults uncomfortable- Nobody wants to imagine a child in that position. And of course the scariest things for most of us have roots in childhood; Pan’s Labyrinth scared the Bejayzus out of me, Crimson Peak not so much. And it’s because the things which imprint on us in childhood carry that same massive emotional weight throughout our lives. So if you tap into that with a reader, you tap into the child that reader was, not the fully grown up and confident person they’ve become. You can really up the ante emotionally in that way. I’m glad you liked the Eurus Thing btw, though my favorite of that series is probably The Other Tenant, just because I loved the idea of Mrs. Hudson having her own life which is every bit as interesting as her boys’. That’s how I like writing side characters, and I learned that in the XMen fandom: write everyone as if they have something just as interesting going on just off camera/page… Mwah ha ha!

 Quarto: It’s a crime that there’s not WAY more Huddersfic.  She’s had a fascinating life and there’s almost infinite room to give her adventures.  Can we talk about how your life in the theater influences your writing a bit?  You work as far as I can tell exclusively in the present tense… is that a reason why?

 Hobbits: Mmm, that never occurred to me, but you may be right :-) I suppose I got used to writing in the present tense when I first started writing fanfic, because my earlier attempts at writing stories or novels (I emphasize attempts) were all in the past tense, so when I started in fanfic I wanted to experiment, and that was one of the experiments that worked for me. I loved how immediate it made everything. It’s funny, now, twelve years later, that I write so much more fanfic than I do regular prose (I mainly write plays now). I mean, I started in fanfic as a way to experiment with voice, since I had trouble with it when I was younger. I had a tendency, even then, to just write dialogue and nothing else, so I started writing characters I knew well, but who weren’t like the talkative characters I created. That’s one of the reasons I loved writing Logan in X-Men, for example: He’s so bloody gruff and uncommunicative. And then what started as a writing experiment became not only a place to learn my trade, but also a place to experiment with form, to make friends, and to write the sort of things I wanted to write without having to please anyone except myself. It was incredibly liberating, and really important in helping me find my voice and my confidence. I can genuinely say that I wouldn’t have had the confidence to have written my plays, or put them on, without the support of the fanfic community.

 Quarto: You do have a very distinctive authorial voice.  As someone who has been mistaken for MizJoely, Gettingovergreta, and Sunken_Standard on multiple occasions, I am slightly envious of this.  Do you have any authors, fan or professional, who you think have influenced your style?

 Hobbits: Well, in terms of style I can definitely cite Miabicicletta and OhAine as influences, in terms of the way they write and the subject matter they choose. Out here in meatspace, I love writers like Jim Butcher, Ben Aaronovitch and Leigh Bardugo, because they’re experimenting with genre and making it their own. I also love playwrights like Marina Carr and Mark O’Rowe, who again have that authorial voice down pat. As soon as you hear a speech by Marina Carr, you know it’s her. Same with Mark O’Rowe, a man whom even I think writes some dark stuff.

 Quarto: I’m not familiar with him, but I’ll check him out.  And now that you say it, the gritty modern-day fairytale vibe of the Dresden Files does definitely have some hobbitsy nature to it:)

 Hobbits: God bless Harry Dresden, saving the world one random act of destruction at a time!  

 Quarto: Let’s talk shipping a bit.  You started off with Adlock, and one of the things that I have liked about your fic is that you have preserved the importance of that relationship to Sherlock even though you’re obviously writing Sherlolly.  What made you switch?  And when did you start?

 Hobbits: Well, I was asked to write an Adlock fic, which is how I got into the fandom. I had just finished a Darcy/Steve Rogers fic which was about them experimenting with D/s and Wicked Wanton got in touch with me on ff.net and asked me to write about Sherlock and Irene’s first time, specifically because I had written domme!Darcy. Once I wrote that, I started reading stuff around Sherlock and basically stumbled across Sherlolly, which I then fell in love with as a ship. I also felt that Irene, as much as I loved her, wasn’t the sort of person who would have a traditional HEA with Sherlock; my feeling about them was that they would kill one another, long term. Irene is nobody’s love interest, and I couldn’t really make stories which featured her in such a role fly with me. She seemed far too big a character to fulfill a role like that. Whereas with Molly she could have that sort of relationship with him, and not feel constricted. It wouldn’t be out of character for her, which I felt it would be for Irene. But I like Irene as a character, and for that reason I like having her in stories, and I treat her and SHerlock’s past together with respect. It’s entirely possible to love someone and know you can’t live with them. It doesn’t mean Sherlock loves Molly any less, or that he’s settling, they’re just a better match.

 Quarto: Sort of going along with what you were saying earlier about wanting to fill in the stories of the supporting players more than the principals?

 Hobbits: Yeah. I also found Molly more relatable in some ways, because she is the girl next door in a way that Irene isn’t. Molly is extraordinary, and a very specific type of female character who tends to get piled on by certain elements of fandom, so I like writing her. It’s partly wanting to give the side players more space and partly the fact that I loves me an underdog. And the reaction to her character was also soooo tied in with some of the issues fandom has had with misogyny (in the same vein that people reacted to Mary) that I wanted to write something which was pro-woman and pro-ordinary woman. We treat female characters as if we need an excuse to pay attention to them: either they’re naked or suffering or sexy. If they’re not fitting into any of those very specific niches then they get treated like they don’t deserve our attention or respect.

 Quarto: It can indeed be difficult to relate to Irene “Stupidly beautiful, ten steps ahead of everybody, wearing $10,000 outfits” Adler sometimes.  So let’s talk about your Molly a bit… you relate to her being the most “ordinary” woman in the show.  Martin Freeman talked about how John is the “ordinary” man, but is in fact quite accomplished and has had a very interesting and adventurous life.  Do you think something similar applies to Molly?

 Hobbits: Yeah, absolutely. I think that when we talk about “ordinary characters,” in the Sherlock universe, it can be helpful to think about them, not in terms of who they are but what they want. John, Molly and Greg are all normal people who are very good at their jobs/have an amazing skill set, but they want relatively normal things. Happy home lives, a comfortable living. Their version of happiness would look a lot like us viewers’ version. Whereas Sherlock, Mycroft, Mary (to a certain extent), Eurus and Irene all want extraordinary things, as well as being extraordinary themselves. Sherlock wants to be able to tell the truth of someone just by looking at them; Mycroft and Eurus both want to be able to fit this massive, messy world into a box of order which they can understand. Irene wants to see just how far she can push everything, (something she has in common with Sherlock). John, Molly and Greg are ok with having lives more like us other poor schlubs, so long as they’re happy. (Of course, there’s a whole can of worms to be  gone through whether John actually wants that, or thinks he wants that and deep down doesn’t). But I do think Greg and Molly are certainly happy to be Extraordinary Ambitions Adjacent, rather than having those ambitions themselves. They’re not quite so… grandiose, lol.

 Quarto: I can’t believe I’m actually going to type these words, but… I’d argue that Molly is a John mirror (ughhh, m-theory) in some regards.  Because Molly had the opportunity for “normal happiness” with Poor Tom Who Did His Best, and for somewhat ambiguous reasons ended it. Much like John thought he wanted a normal domestic life and accidentally married a superagent?

 Hobbits: I so sometimes hate how much of what should be straight-forward fandom theory has been co-opted. I don’t know if I see her as a mirror for John, because I think if anything she’s a mirror for Sherlock. She’s who Sherlock might have become, had be had a different, more normal set of circumstances. (IE not being the sibling of The British Government and The Greatest Criminal MInd of The Millennium.) Whereas for John, I do think he doesn’t realize that he’s a weirdo like the Holmeses, until it’s staring him in the face. Molly isn’t an image of who he is, so much as who he thought he was, and in that way so are Greg and Stamford. A true mirror might be Sherlock himself, in his addicted-to-danger guise. Hmm, not sure that makes sense… :-/

 Quarto: No, it makes sense, but it’s not a point of view I’ve seen many people espousing, even in Sherlolly fandom.  When you’re writing them do you use the idea that Sherlock and Molly are recognizing some sort of internal similarity to themselves as part of their attraction/interest in one another?

 Hobbits: I do think there’s an element of that, because a lot of what I write has Sherlock being a bit bewildered by emotion, particularly things like tenderness or attraction. Like, the purpose of the whole in-show thing with Irene was that The Woman was dangerous and not to be trusted, which is the message that Mycroft has always seemed to give Sherlock about feelings. So for me Molly represents for him a gradual realisation that feelings aren’t always big and terrifying; they can be sweet, and welcome, and kind, and they can add to your life. They can be safe. The concept of safety gets a bum rap in modern culture, but I think it’s a fundamental part of loving someone, and being able to be with them. Sure, it’s exciting to wonder whether your partner is going to put a knife in your back, but it’s a lot more pleasant (not to mention workable) to be with someone you trust.

 Quarto: Mind if I ask a follow-on question about some of your sexy writing?

 Hobbits: Sure, shoot :-)

 Quarto: You’ve written several BDSM-themed fics with this pairing, I think exclusively with domme!Molly… does that go along with your ideas of “safety” as a critical component to their relationship?

 Hobbits: Yes, in so far as I don’t think BDSM is necessary to feel safe in a relationship, but I do think that the attraction of BDSM in relationships can be that it’s rooted in safety. The submissive gives their control to the dominant, and trusts that the dominant will not take advantage, and will give them pleasure. (One of the reasons I ship Sherlolly more than Adlock is that I don’t think Irene could be trusted, at this point in her life, to do this for Sherlock). If you take that as a given, then the BDSM relationship is very up-front in its terms, and there’s very little grey area. You don’t have to interpret, you’ve already discussed what’s wanted, and where the lines are. There is also a procedure to follow if you need to pull back or change tack. I do think that all couples have elements of submission and dominance (or maybe trust and hand-over is a better way to phrase it), it’s just that D/s couples are more forthright about it. And as someone who sometimes has trouble reading social cues, both I (and, in my writing, Sherlock) appreciate the lack of ambiguity.

 Quarto: You know you bring up a very interesting point and one that I never really thought of.  Your Sherlock, consistently, needs to have trust and safety in his relationship with Molly.  BDSM-fics or otherwise.  And you wrote a lot of them before we knew that he was recovering from such horrific trauma that he suppressed and rewrote the memories of huge segments of his childhood.  What did you see in the character that made you almost prescient about that?

 Hobbits: Hmm… I think it’s because he was, from the beginning, presented to us as someone who was running from something. When you’re ok with where your thoughts are at, you don’t crave distraction in the way Sherlock does. He also didn’t seem to be able to handle his feelings, and that seemed to be tied into the way Mycroft had raised him to think of them: When there isn’t anything dark in the background of a character’s story, they learn to handle their emotions like a normal person, which neither Sherlock nor Mycroft had. It became even more pronounced when we met their lovely, slightly batty but seemingly emotionally healthy parents.

 To be honest though, even if Sherlock hadn’t had the experiences we found out about in S4, I would have thought that the way he’d been raised had traumatized him a bit. Like, Mycroft probably thought he was doing a good thing, but telling a child that their emotions- which they cannot be without, and which act as an early-warning system for abuse and trouble- are not to be trusted is going to mess a kid up. And then there was all that stuff about “do not forget me…” in TAB, and that constant visual about Sherlock being submerged in water… The visuals of the show seemed to be hinting at something even before they came out with it. I am pleased that I called Eurus’ gender before S4, but that’s about the only thing I thought was just me being clever. The rest seemed common sense- If you’ve spent any time around traumatized people, which I have.

 Quarto: You mentioned in your response to the reader questions that you now wouldn’t write Mycroft as being as heartless as you did in, “What The Blackbird Sang.”  Is that just your perception changing or the addition of new material about him to the canon?  Because that is the opposite of how I’ve felt about him:)

 Hobbits: Partly, it’s because I think Mycroft has changed a bit from how we see him in S1, so that by S4 he’s more of a tragic figure. He’s that bloke who thought he was so much cleverer than everyone else, and then you realize that it’s just a cover because he has been asked to deal with things he has no idea how to deal with. And his sticking with keeping Eurus on Sherrinford, and not telling his parents, shows that. (In my HC, Rudy was her initial jailor, since Mycroft couldn’t have been old enough to make it happen). Mycroft reacted like a little kid who has done something wrong: hide it, contain it, don’t tell anyone about it. Make sure, as far as possible, that Eurus is ok, but that’s all. He puts all this pressure on himself, because he doesn’t know what else to do. One of the things which I loved about TFP is when Mummy tells Sherlock, “everyone knows you’re the sensible one!” Because yes, Mycroft is the elder and seems so much more put together, but in that family Sherlock is actually the emotionally healthy one. He’s grown and learned over the years, which Mycroft hasn’t. And that’s a real shame, because it damages Mycroft, and Eurus, and his parents.

  (At this point in the interview Quarto ran a word count, realized this was getting lengthy, and decided to do some more rapid-fire Q&A.)

  Quarto: So where do you see your future fics going, at two years into the long (and possibly unending) hiatus?  Any things you’re wanting to write that we haven’t seen yet?

 Hobbits: Well, I suppose I’ll stop writing when I stop having ideas for fics. I mean, that’s the thing about fandom, it’s a self-replenishing medium, so even if a new piece of canon doesn’t inspire you, a new fic or piece of fan art might. I do have a couple of pieces I wish I had gone back to (The Copperbeech Identity, Red Door Black and No Capes! Are the ones which spring immediately to mind.) Obviously, I want to finish Bliss and The Sting in The Honey… And I do have an idea for a Sherlolly AU which is set in a theatre during the production of a new show. (Seriously, you wouldn’t believe some of the things I’ve seen in the last week before curtain-up, lol). At some point I’ll get to it, hopefully. For the time being though, I’m happy where I am. The only way I’d move on or step away is if I find something which grabs my attention more, and at the moment that’s not happening. So I am here for the time being, and I’m hoping that, even if I stop posting fic or fan art (something I’m dipping my toe into) then I will still be able to keep in touch with all the friends I’ve made in the fandom.

 Quarto: I’d love it if you finished “Red Door Black.”  I reread that one while prepping for this and had forgotten how much I loved it.  And I’m here for your theater AU.  Any fics you wish you’d written differently, or things you’d change?

 Hobbits: I would have written Mycroft differently in Be Near Me… as I said. I might have written some of Rudest Man... differently, because I felt it ended up being very finicky as a plot. I had so many balls in the air, I’m not entirely sure I kept them all in motion in the best way. But that’s what happens when you give yourself 4 main pairings, two villains and permission to bring in any universe elements you want, including Torchwood and Tarzan, lol. Also, Sally and Henry Knight’s day will come, I tell you!

 Quarto: Lol, I’d forgotten the little Lord Greystoke cameo in that one.  What’s the best thing you’ve written?

 Hobbits: Ah jaysus, you can’t ask an author that! I have some stories which I love, but which haven’t gotten much attention: Sense and Sensitivity, for example, in which Eurus runs away with the Guardians of the Galaxy, for example. Occasionally I just write weird stuff which makes me laugh. I think And A Garden… and What the Blackbird Sang are probably the two best structured stories. There’s nothing superfluous in them, nobody is out of character. I love the emotion of The Coffin-Maker’s Lullaby, because it was kind of like my thank you to the show; I had assumed that after S4 there was no chance it was coming back, at all, EVER, so that was my goodbye in a way. (Although, of course, then the fandom just kept going, and we found out there might be more, eventually. So it ended up being less a swan-song and more a high five)

 Quarto: The original version of that question, FWIW, was “what’s the worst thing you’ve written” but I’m being positive today:) Any tips for fic writers just in general, or for people writing Sherlolly, or Molly specifically?

 Hobbits: I have to admit, if I think something is bad then I’ll pull it. So anything I have up, I feel fairly happy with, even if I can see little niggling things I might change, not be happy with.

 I think in writing, the thing I always say is do the first draft. Do the first draft and be happy that it’s shite, that’s the first draft’s job. You only get better if you write that first draft, and then improve on it. You only learn if you do that, and it’s trial and error. There’s a Miles Davis quote I love: “It sure does take a long time to sound like yourself.” And it’s true, it does. So give yourself the time. Don’t be worried about not sounding like anyone else: you only have to sound like you. If you’re writing in fandom, don’t stay in a fandom which is nasty to you or negative; you want to be in a place which is supportive. The Clois, Rogan and Sherlolly fandoms were all supportive and kind to me, and I couldn’t have developed as I have without them. I also couldn’t have continued to write the fic I write, which is feminine-positive, in a nasty or anti-feminist place. My one rule for my fic is that one of the female characters, somewhere, must be either getting what she wants, or on the way to getting it. That should absolutely be a thing in writing, and never be embarrassed or sorry about wanting that.

 As for Molly, I think the writers have done an amazing job with her over the last few years. She went from being a walk over to an interesting, multi-faceted character in her own right. And she did it without having to become something she’s not: Molly will never be a Strong Female Character, and thank god for that! She’s more human and more interesting than that tag would ever make her.

 Quarto: Words of wisdom.  Hobbits, thank you for talking with me today!

 Hobbits: It was my pleasure. If you need anything else, just let me know… And merry Christmas from Dublin :-)

So much thanks to Quarto and Hobbits for giving their time and energy to this project.

Next week: 

Our next interview, featuring @lilsherlockian1975 and @mrsmcrieff, will be posted on Friday 22 February.

[sherlockrarepairs]

Smutty Fic Rec !!　　[part 3]　

Cheeky, naughty fics that’ll curl your toes and brighten your day!

⬡　A Rare Pair, by MizJoely [rated E]

(Sally Donovan/Greg Lestrade) A collection of one-shots featuring our favorite Detective Inspector and Sergeant, pairing up for a little extra-curricular activity when the work day ends. Ratings will vary.

⬡　Their Law, by EyeofMazikeen [rated E]

(Sherlock Holmes/Greg Lestrade, Sherlock Holmes/Jim Moriarty, Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes, Greg Lestrade/Jim Moriarty, Jim Moriarty/Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes/Greg Lestrade) Total pwp smutfest featuring just about every combination of Sherlock, Greg, Mycroft, and Jim that you could hope for.

⬡　Sway, by afteriwake [rated E]

(Molly Hooper/Khan Noonien Singh) When Khan Noonien Singh was put into cryogenic sleep the second time he never expected to wake up again, and he certainly hadn't expected to be hundreds of years in the past when he was woken up. Left without his family and trapped in a setting he isn't familiar with, Mycroft Holmes makes him an offer that he knows he shouldn't refuse, and so he accepts with one condition: that Mycroft have no actual contact with him, using the intriguing pathologist who has no reason to lie to him as an intermediary. Molly Hooper agrees, but the results of her decision end up surprising both of them as he gets brought into her world and she, in turn, learns the truth about him.

⬡　Under Her Skin, by faerymorstan [series]

(Molly Hooper/Mary Morstan) A Molly/Mary series with d/s elements.

⬡　Negotiation Theory, by peevee [rated E]

(Fem!Mycroft/John Watson) In which there is An Arrangement between John and Mycroft. Set across S2. “Do keep up, John. Sex. Yes?” “Uh,” he says, eloquently. She sighs and rolls her eyes as if he’s being completely obtuse.

⬡　Methodus Pugnandi, by Rivers [rated E]

(Sherlock Holmes/Jim Moriarty) Jim and Sherlock are put in the same cell during the court case. Violence, dirty talk, dub-con, frottage, etc. ensues.

⬡　Pull, by Lono [rated E]

(Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper) She bites back a crude joke about what two shots and a snack will get him. Not out of any sense of propriety—she did just proposition him, after all—but because she wants to see what he’ll come up with unprompted.

⬡　Ulterior Motives, by raregloves [rated E]

(Sherlock Holmes/Sally Donovan/Mycroft Holmes) Life becomes interesting for Mycroft when his brother and Sally Donovan discover they have some… mutual interests.

⬡　Devices, by okapi [rated E]

(Sherlock Holmes/Mrs. Hudson, Mrs. Hudson/Mycroft Holmes, Mrs. Hudson/John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/Mrs. Hudson/John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mrs. Hudson/Lestrade) A collection of explicit Mrs. Hudson appreciation ficlets.

⬡　'cause I've read your horoscope, and now I've given up all hope, by miabicicletta [rated M]

(Sherlock Holmes/Molly Hooper, Sherlock Holmes/Janine, Molly Hooper/Tom) By now the liter or so of Saint-Émilion she'd made him drink (in some dusky, leafy corner of the obnoxious and overwrought English garden), combined with the sight of her mussed and falling hair, her rosy cheeks, the flash of pink tongue as she slid his belt from the loops...the sharp, lightning-bolt shock of desire made his mouth go dry.

[mizjoely]

A little something I cooked up for Sherlolly Screamfest 2023. Enjoy!

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Tuesday, June 18 - Wednesday, June 19

ANGELUS: Well, you're new... and a little dim. So let me explain to you how things are now. There's no belonging or deserving anymore. You can take what you want, have what you want... but nothing is yours. Not even her. WILLIAM: You're wrong. We're forever, Drusilla and me. DRUSILLA: (enchanted) Are we? ANGELUS: Ah, still the poet now, aren't we, Willy? WILLIAM: William. ANGELUS: Right. William. You know, you really should find a new name for yourself. It just doesn't strike the right note of terror.

~~Destiny (Season 5)~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

Not Just Research Girl (Ensemble, G) by badly_knitted

England Two, Colombia Nil. (Buffy, Willow, T) by steeleye

A Sheep Among Wolves (Drusilla, T) by worldstealers

Stories With Happy Endings (Tara, T, Matilda xover) by Zetared

good for me for now [Podfic] by storiesfortravellers, narrated by blackglass

That Won't Work on Me (Buffy/Giles, G) by GhostDetective

Division (Cordelia, T, Doctor Who/Glee xover) by gleefulmusings

[Chaptered Fiction]

Lil’ Ripper Makes a Friend, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by tempestt

Bleed Black, Chapter 17 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Gaia-VoidMother

Dreamscape, Chapter 7 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Holly

Let it burn!, Chapter 5 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Axell

Myth Taken, Chapter 4 and Chapter 5(Buffy/Spike, M) by Twinkles

Breaking the Habit , Chapter 3 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Red_dragon

What You Mean to Me, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, G) by pinkbox

Prophecy Fulfilled, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, E) by All4Spike

Autumn's Advancing, Chapter 1 (Buffy/Spike, M) by Cosmic Tuesdays

Civilized monster, Chapter 18 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Axell

Dreamscape, Chapter 8 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Holly

All Except One , Chapter 21 (Buffy/Spike, E) by EllieRose101

In Death, That I May Live..., Chapter 22 (Buffy/Spike, E) by Irishrose

[Images, Audio & Video]

Icons:Willow Icon by sweet_lyri

Artwork:Oz Sketches by artsying-ifer

Screencaps: Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Complete Season 3 Caps by captoit

Video: BTVS - Willow x Tara - Explosion by bigfanofbuffy

Video: BTVS - Fuffy - Live Fast Die Young Bad Girls Do It Well by bigfanofbuffy

Video: Buffy Summers | Look What You Made Me Do by usuallysunny

[Reviews & Recaps]

Where The Wild Things Are (BTVS 4.18) by buffster

New Moon Rising (BTVS 4.19) by buffster

A Buffy rewatch 4x04 Fear, Itself by ettadunham

PODCAST: S5 E7 "Fool For Love" by Buffy Virgin

PODCAST: Episode 024: "Even Ants Love It!" by What The Hellmouth?!

PODCAST: S06E14 - Keep What You Kill - Older and Far Away by Pop Culture Role Call

PODCAST: by

[Community Announcements]

Reminder time! The solstice free-for-all starts in 2 days! by seasonal-spuffy

Reminder time! The solstice free-for-all starts in 2 days! by seasonal-spuffy

[Fandom Discussions]

Spuffy Archive Search by eurydice72

Fic meme by cornerofmadness

Dawn and Buffy’s relationship is super interesting and we should talk about it by mybitca

Why Lilah Morgan is so great by asspansy

Kitten poker by mizjoely

Potential Slayer dichotomy by demandingbillydolls

The missing scene from Life Serial by ofstormsandwolves

Leaving the Hellmouth unguarded? by ofstormsandwolves

Xander and Willow by justletthembehappy and luscious2

Why do anti Bangel shippers say Buffy and Angel love is puppy love by mrsgordo84

Should there have been more scenes between Bangel? by sulietsexual

When did you start to get obsessed with Bangel? by gracenm

Buffy in Chosen by i-only-have-eyes-for-you

Why Season 4 Falls Flat by bethanythevampireslayerr

How do you think Buffy and Cordy compare? by we-pay-for-everything

As the seasons go on what makes you like Buffy less? by we-pay-for-everything

Cordelia Returning to Sunnydale by we-pay-for-everything

Spike is underrated by i-am-satan-hahaha

Thoughts on the comics by ofstormsandwolves

Quick question, the issue where Anya is all buddy buddy with Angel will be part of the Buffy comics? by buffythecomicslayer

Buffyverse and the International community by Faith 2019

Discussion of 6.06 "All the Way" by Multiple Authors

Unpopular Opinions by Multiple Authors

Who was more sexy -- Buffy or Faith by Faith 2019

What if the government had nothing to do with the initiative but the Watchers Council did instead? by Multiple Authors

African American Slayer by Faith 2019

Buffy's Happiest Season? by DeadlyDuo

Is Buffy a Republican or a Democrat? by Faith 2019

Who Would Win? by scsingh93

Watching Angel for the First Time - Darla Appreciation Post by sjsharksfan12

Something that bothers me about Giles by Sasutaschi

Small Facts about the Characters by SosaLola

Angel/Liam by fallrose11

Normal Again, again. Astrology? by LandfillLandline

Some Thoughts on "Passion" by maedocc

Spike’s Sire by _graveboy

Why didn’t Buffy go to Angel’s when on the run from Glory? by chinderellabitch

I am still not over it by ApatheticQuicksand

[Articles, Interviews, and Other News]

PUBLICATION: The Cast of Angel Is Reuniting… Without Angel by TV Guide

PUBLICATION: BUFFY Meets ANGEL in BOOM!'s First Event Crossover by Newsarama

PUBLICATION: BOOM! Studios reveals a set of new three-part connecting cover illustrations by siphen0

PUBLICATION: Angel #5 will be the official prelude to Hellmouth, the historic Buffy & Angel comic book event. by ohmymithrandir

PUBLICATION: BOOM! Teases Top Secret Buffy Comic for Hellmouth Crossover via Variant Covers by Bleeding Cool News

PUBLICATION: Buffy & Angel meet in ANGEL #5, the start of a historic comic event by Comics Beat

PUBLICATION: EXCLUSIVE: Buffy, Angel Covers Welcome Third, Top Secret Buffyverse Title by CBR

PUBLICATION: Buffy and Angel Cross Over in Buffyverse's Hellmouth Event by CBR

PUBLICATION: How Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed TV and no one noticed by Looper

PUBLICATION: Legacies And Buffy The Vampire Slayer: 5 Ways They Are Similar (& 5 Ways They Are Different) by Screen Rant

[writingwife-83]

My 2020 Sherlolly Self Interview

Thanks for organizing this fun activity @sherlollyappreciationweek! 🎉 I’ll start out with a very brief “about me” section-

I live in the northeast area of the USA, I’ve been married for seventeen years, have one teenage son, and I’m in my *gulp* late thirties now. I do volunteer ministry work and also work part time from home. Among other leisure activities, obviously I love writing! I started writing original fiction when I was a preteen, but I’ve been writing fanfic under the pen name “writingwife83” for over six years now. I discovered fanfic and the world of online fandom after becoming obsessed with BBC Sherlock in 2014 after s3 aired. I read The Full House, fell in love with the whole concept of fanfic, specifically for sherlolly, and couldn’t help but give it a go myself. And as they say, the rest is history!

Below the cut I’ll talk about some of the topics and fics suggested by followers/readers. Buckle up cuz it’s a lot lol...

Ok, first up to be kind enough to give me some feedback is @readstoomuch. You said- “what inspires you. Any story (I love them all!). Who do you love writing? Who is hardest for you? And which is that one story that you had fun doing?”

As for what inspires me, first and foremost it’s the show and characters itself. Watching those two on screen, it’s not hard to be inspired! But beyond that, I find a lot of inspiration in music and art, and just generally in other creative works and people. I think for a while I had my own internal inspiration and no lack of it, but as months dragged into years lol, I have found that the rest of the shippers are invaluable in filling the gaps when I lack inspiration and motivation. Some prompts I’ve gotten from others have taken on a life I never would have expected, and that’s pretty great. I honestly don’t think writing works best as a purely solitary activity. I know myself and although there is an aspect of my writing that will always be “for me,” that’s absolutely not all it is. It’s the fun of creating with others and it’s the fun of sharing with others.

As for who I love writing and who’s hardest, I think I’ve always felt pretty comfortable writing the main characters in Sherlock. I probably especially love writing Sherlock himself because he’s fun to break down and really dig deep into his emotions and thought processes. There have definitely been times some of the side characters have overwhelmed me and made me nervous about conveying their voices accurately. For instance, Mycroft can be tough if it involves pulling him out of his shell in a way that still feels believable and true to character.

That one story I had fun doing? Well there’s no way I can say just one. 😆 As far as reader response, there’s no other fic that can compare to the fun of I Told You So, that’s for sure. But as far as the actual plotting and creating, I think the fics I’ve had the most fun with are the multi-chapters I’ve done since becoming good friends with @thisisartbylexie. Having her as a sounding board, plotting buddy, and editor has absolutely increased my creating fun and has definitely also made me a better writer.

Thanks so much for asking @readstoomuch 🥰

Alrighty, @thisisartbylexie, you asked- if there's a fic that you ever wanted to go back to change in some way, which one would it be and why? Which one do you feel "oh wow, did I write that?" in a super positive way?

Idk how to choose just one fic. There are plenty that could use some changing lol! One I’d like to fix though, would be Pleased to Meet You. I know (because I’ve been told) that there’s inaccuracies in that one seeing as I’m not personally familiar with university settings in the UK. I did actually attempt research and I thought I got the idea, but apparently it didn’t work out terribly well. But the plotting and progression of that fic is one I’ve always been happy with, so I guess I feel like it’s a shame if it came off messy in some general ways and distracted from the rest of it. I like how I was able to weave that one into the canon of the show up to that point. And tbh it actually still fits as a uni backstory for them without any conflicts to the canon. As much as I enjoy canon divergence and AU, I also have a big soft spot for fics that simply connect seamlessly to what we’ve already been given.

As for “oh wow, did I write that?” I think one of my proudest accomplishments has been Zephyr. That fic kinda has it all lol. The tropes, the pining, the romance, the Victorian setting...ugh I love it. And there’s a climactic kiss moment in that fic that’s one of my faves I’ve written. I’m so glad I wrote it because of the Sherlolly Remix Challenge in ‘16, and at your suggestion, Lexie. But I will also be forever sad that I had to release that fic all at once on AO3 once completed. That fic would have been great fun to be writing and posting as I went along! And on top of being happy with the fic itself and how it came out, I’m awfully proud of the fact that you were excited enough about the fic to illustrate it, and that @goodshipsherlolly enjoyed it enough to record it as an audio fic. Honestly, what more could a writer ask for? 🥺

@mizjoely, you said you’d like to hear anything about The Queen’s Man. Okey doke, you got it lol!

I actually went back and read through most of that fic when I got this because it had been a long time since I’d looked at it. I gotta be honest that in hindsight...I’m a little surprised it did as well as it did.😂🙈 As some may remember, it started because I saw a magnificent manip and wanted to write something to go with it, and then because that was well received, somehow it just kept going. I did very little world building and development of characters in that fic. It was largely just one shippy, romantic, pining scene after another lol. At the end I did kinda tie it all in and wrapped the story up ok, but it was definitely one of those self indulgent fics where I didn’t feel like doing the hard parts and really just wanted to write the fun stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I loved writing it, and I’m so glad it got the positive reception that it did! But it just kinda makes me laugh because it goes to show sometimes you don’t know what’s going to do really well. You could agonize over clever plotting and world building and character development etc, and be so super proud of the finished product and all your hard work, but then you share and the response is like “meh.” And then other times you legit just throw something together with barely any careful thought, and the crowd goes wild! But aside from all that, the visuals in my head of that AU are just too drool worthy to me. Molly in Medieval royal attire? Sherlock in dark armor with a Purple Tunic of Sex™️ underneath? The two of them lingering in the dimly lit hallways and rooms of a castle and gazing endlessly in mutual pining? Yes to all.

Thanks for asking @mizjoely 😘

Ok wow, see what I mean? That was long! 🤣 If you read all the way through this whole thing, *Moriarty voice* thank you...bless you. Honestly, this ship is amazing and I don’t think I’ll ever have a writing experience anywhere else like I’ve had here. I’ve seen the other side of things in another fandom now, so I can all the more so confirm that there’s no ship quite like sherlolly. The warmth, reception, and longevity is mind blowing and I’m just awfully happy to have played a part in creating for the beauty that is Sherlock Holmes and Molly Hooper. 💕

[miz-joelys-sherlollilists]

For how sherlock fixed it between him and Molly aftee TFP ... Fanfic and shippy .. I'm dying for a happy ending but there is no problem about a little angst in the beginning :D

Fanfic and shippy How He Fixed It (mizjoely versions). Angst, smut, trips to rehab - Sherlock fixes things in multiple ways in my mind. Take your pick! 

As Simple As That (Rated K+, One-Shot)

Kitchen Encounter (Rated M, One-Shot)

Only When I’m Sleeping (Rated K+, One-Shot)

No Big Loss (Rated K+, One-Shot) 

Waiting (Rated T, One-Shot)

Wide Awake and Dreaming (Rated T, One-Shot)

[afteriwake]

The Pesky Virginity Issue (3/?)

And an update! @strangelock221b requested this fic and I thought @mizjoely and @the-consulting-strange-vidder deserved an update, so here it is. I think the idea of them as going from being set up to agreeing to being flatmates is going to be fun to explore...

The Pesky Virginity Issue - After Molly's engagement ends she decides she wants to rid herself of her virginity since that was a major cause of the dissolution of her relationship with her ex. When her friend Mary suggests she knows the perfect person, things don't go quite according to any sort of plan she may have had in her head...but it has a pleasantly surprising result nonetheless.

READ CHAPTER 1 | READ CHAPTER 3 | HELP ME SURVIVE? | COMMISSION ME?

It had been a bloody disaster. Not her and Sherlock, exactly; neither of them had wanted to speak much. But John and Mary had gotten into a row over the middle of dinner and then John had stalked out, and Sherlock had followed John out after a shared glance between her and him to help their friends sort things out. It took an hour, but Mary got her irritation out as she and Molly ate the lasagna and John came back with a peace offering of Mary’s favourite dessert, and Molly knew it would probably be a good time to leave. She picked up the plastic container of lasagna she’d packaged up for Sherlock and then put it in his hands before practically pushing him to the door.

“She’s pregnant,” Sherlock said as they got outside.

“What?” Molly asked, her eyes wide with shock.

“Doubt she realizes it. But she is.” He looked at the container in his hands. “This...didn’t go according to their plan.”

“No, not really,” Molly said with a smile. “But it doesn’t have to be a bad evening. I have a loaf of French bread at home and I can make garlic bread just as well as they do. And...there’s ice cream?”

“Do you have ginger nuts?”

“I’m going through the end of an engagement, I have a bit of everything.” She nodded in the direction of her flat. “I’m not far. Do you have anyone who might worry if you’re out for a bit?”

“I got kicked out of my flat, so...no.”

“What happened?” she asked as they began to walk.

“I had a cow’s head in the refrigerator for a science experiment. Apparently, that was the last straw for them. I’ve been on my friend Victor’s couch, but he’ll be out all night. Won’t miss me.”

“I have eyeballs.” He looked over at her, this time with the surprise on his face. “I mean, in my refrigerator. I was doing a paper on glaucoma and I have an in with the medical school’s handler of donor bodies and so I’ll have a bit of extra help when I transfer but yes...eyeballs.”

Sherlock gave her a grin. “You seem to be of like mind to me, which is...nice.”

“It is, isn’t it?” She tugged at the choker on her neck to loosen it a bit because suddenly she felt warm. He stared for a moment but quickly looked back at the plastic container, and she waited for the probing questions but got nothing but companionable silence until he changed the subject when he spoke again.

“Do you know if there’s space where you’re at?”

“Well, I have a spare bedroom, and I don’t think I’d mind a cow’s head in the refrigerator,” she said. “If you can help a bit with the rent, I think we could make it work.”

“My brother sends me money. I could probably cover the rent on its own.”

“No worries. I have some savings.”

“Neck?” She froze. “I mean, from the same reason…?”

“Yes,” she said.

He nodded and took another step, and then she followed. “I won’t ask. If you ever want to tell me you can, but I won’t ask. It doesn’t appear to be something you want to talk about. I have plenty of things like that in my past.”

“Alright. Then you tell me if I edge on one of those topics and I’ll stop.” She grinned at him. “I take it we’ve gone from commiserating about how everything went wrong to hashing out a flatmate agreement.”

“Not how I expected the evening to go, but not an altogether bad thing,” he replied. “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

“Oh, you like ‘Casablanca’?” she asked.

“That’s what it’s called?” Sherlock replied, shaking his head. “No. My brother had a habit of rewatching that particular scene over and over. I never saw the entire film.”

“Our first movie night, should you agree to one, we’ll watch it,” she said.

“I think a movie night could be...interesting,” he mused. “Though my taste is rather towards documentaries.”

“Then I’ll be in charge of the films until you decide to live dangerously.” She gave him a wide smile. “But you’re right. I do think this will be a beautiful friendship.”

“Here’s hoping.”