#reading the final adventures of Sherlock holmes
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
I've just read "The Story of the Man with the Watches", a mystery story by Arthur Conan Doyle. If you're ever mildly convinced the queer undertones in Sherlock Holmes stories are coincidental, I think Doyle clearly had a fascination with different kinds of love
"Then one day he dressed himself as a girl, and carried it off so well, and made himself such a valuable decoy, that it was their favorite game afterwords."
"You lived your brother, I've no doubt, but you didn't love him a cent more than I loved him, though you might say I took a queer way to show it. Anyhow, it seems a mighty empty world now that he is gone."
#Sherlock holmes#arthur conan doyle#sir arthur conan doyle#acd holmes#acd canon#queer history#queer coding#reading the final adventures of Sherlock holmes
180 notes
·
View notes
Text
LeVar Burton Vs. Jeremy Brett


Propaganda
LeVar Burton - (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Roots) - as well as his wonderful performance as geordi laforge in next generation, levar burton had his breakout role starring as kunta kinte in the 1977 miniseries roots which set records for television viewership (its finale was estimated to have been watched by 130 million+ viewers, more than half the U.S. population at the time). he also directed numerous episodes of tng, ds9 (including the one where rom unionizes quark's), voyager and enterprise, and promoted literacy with his beloved pbs show reading rainbow, which he hosted for 23 years!
Jeremy Brett - (The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, The Three Musketeers, BBC Play of the Month) - "Listen, I fell in love with One Man when I was 16 and have never regretted it. Jeremy Brett is Everything. Handsome, charming, sweet, amazing voice, delightfully eccentric. Shakespearean actor best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 80s, he is widely considered the definitive Holmes and for good reason. Bisexual and bipolar, devoted husband, he was known to serenade friends at restraunts and hold scavenger hunts in his home, where he hid the plunger in a chandelier. Often pigeonholed into period pieces, he owned them. He was a pretty young man who became not just handsome but arresting. He was one of those people who walked into a room and instantly commanded attention, and I for one have never regretted giving him my attention." Full text propaganda included below the cut
- No Negative Propaganda Please -
Master Poll List | How to submit propaganda | What is vintage? (FAQ)
Additional propaganda below the cut
LeVar Burton:





Jeremy Brett:

“The superbly handsome Jeremy Brett, the regularity of his features made dramatic by a broken nose, the mellifluousness of his voice made arresting by a slight vocal impediment, presented a ravaged and romantic Holmes, a man who had suffered deeply and whose recourse to the syringe was the compulsion of a self-destroying temperament. His relationship with Edward Hardwicke’s transparently decent Watson was that of a drowning man clinging to a raft. The authenticity of the performance was unmistakable.” — “The man who created a monster; Conan Doyle hated the fame of his suave hero, but he couldn’t kill him”, Simon Callow, The Times, 18 December 2009.


youtube



Listen, I fell in love with One Man when I was 16 and have never regretted it. Jeremy Brett is Everything. Handsome, charming, sweet, amazing voice, delightfully eccentric. Shakespearean actor best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 80s, he is widely considered the definitive Holmes and for good reason. Bisexual and bipolar, devoted husband, he was known to serenade friends at restaurants and hold scavenger hunts in his home, where he hid the plunger in a chandelier. He also practiced archery in the middle of London. He could sing, he acted alongside Audrey Hepburn twice. He wanted to be a jockey when he was young but then grew a foot too tall. He had rheumatic fever as a child and was told he would never climb stairs. Dear Reader, he jumped over couches on film. In War and Peace he is very clearly the only actor riding a real horse, and is one of few actors who played both Sherlock Holmes and Watson. Often pigeonholed into period pieces, he owned them. He was a pretty young man who became not just handsome but arresting. He was one of those people who walked into a room and instantly commanded attention, and I for one have never regretted giving him my attention.



236 notes
·
View notes
Text
So we tied. And for the starting blog:
Favorite underrated Sherlock Holmes stories, and why you should read them!
1) The Five Orange Pips: Look. I am a sucker for examinations of consciousness, and this was like the first time we've seen Sherlock Holmes feel and seem human. Be vulnerable. Be angry, despairing, haunted, even. He's lost a client, and as far as we know, that's the first time that's ever happened to him. It's the first time he's failed at this magnitude.
And his rant to Watson before he goes to chase down Openshaw's killers is definitely a worthwhile read.
2) The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb: After doing the research for the fic, and finding the terrifying Paget drawing for this one, yeah, this one's good. It's a little bizarre, given the ending, but the implications of Colonel Stark still being out there, and maybe doing this to other people is chilling. If you like... well, horror, definitely worth a read.
3) The Adventure of the Naval Treaty: I don't see this one talked about a lot! I find the cottagecore aspects appealing, and the interwoven political intrigue and little bits of back story for Watson are fun, too. An absolute bonus is the ending: I would also be jumping up and down if I got my important document given to me for breakfast, and the monologue with the rose... also a plus!
4) The Adventure of the Lion's Mane: I do like cottagecore Holmes, I guess! I love this little story, especially that Holmes, despite being retired, still immediately rushes in to help solve this mystery. I feel like it's a great demonstration of Holmes's humanity and kindness, rather than just his logic and rationality.
5) The Problem of Thor Bridge: I can't say that this... elaborate plan made sense, but it was deeply intriguing. I love how again, it's a great showcase of Holmes’s humanity and kindness, and the woven cold blooded rivalry, and plotting made for an intriguing short story in the long run. Extreme bonus points for the Granada adaptation: Jeremy Brett strutting across the bridge was an incredible image.
And finally:
6) The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter: I really don't see people talking about this one, either! There were bits of mystery that were deeply intriguing, such as the papers that were left about, and it's a very bittersweet tale, but also as a deeply human tragedy. There's no real villain here(apart from Lord Mount-James), but there is death and despair with the death of Godfrey's young wife. If you like an angsty read, this is worth it.
And that's my two cents.
#sherlock holmes#acd canon#acd holmes#acd watson#acd stories#and why you should read them#the five orange pips#the adventure of the engineer's thumb#the adventure of the naval treaty#the adventure of the lion's mane#the problem of thor bridge#the adventure of the missing three quarter#underrated Holmes stories
112 notes
·
View notes
Text
Sherlock fandom.
Signs
They were subtle. You needed to pay close attention to see them. Most people didn’t, but that was not important. The pair that mattered, when it came to perceiving these signs, had learned to read them as others read the newspaper.
***
It started not long after they met at Barts. They walked down Baker Street from the tube station. Sherlock’s expression soured when he saw the black door.
“What is it?” John asked, already fine-tuned to his flatmate’s moods.
They tended to have a ripple effect on how the rest of the day went.
“My brother is here,” Sherlocks said darkly.
“How do you know that?” John asked and looked up to see if anyone was standing by the window upstairs.
Nothing.
“Look. Observe!” Sherlock demanded.
“Oh,” John said after a few seconds. “The knocker is straight.”
“Good man,” Sherlock praised. “I always keep it askew to know when he’s here. He can’t stand to see anything out of place.”
“So, he always straightens it before he comes in,” John finished with a chuckle.
“Indeed,” Sherlock beamed. “Knew you’d get there.”
***
A cup of cold tea at the table beside his chair, or on the kitchen table, was another sign. Even if Sherlock forgot he’d asked for tea or said he wanted a cuppa when John asked him, John always provided them without fail. He never complained that Sherlock forgot.
It’s alright. I know you’re busy, but I want you to know that I’ll make as many cups as you’ll like. Because I care.
***
Hot baths when the weather was damp and cold, and they’d been out solving crimes for far too long. Without even asking, Sherlock filled the tub with scolding hot water for John.
Here, I’m proving that I’m not a sociopath. I would be lost without you. Now, let this bath heal your old wound so you’ll be fit to follow on my heels when a new adventure comes our way.
***
After a while, a sinister ploy almost forced them apart.
“Run, Sherlock! Save yourself. I’m a soldier. You’re not. Run, for Christ’s sake. Save that brilliant brain of yours!”
Eyes locked. An entire conversation took place over a span of seconds.
I’m not going anywhere. I will go to hell and back with you, John Watson.
“Told you you had a heart, Sherlock,” a sing-song voice echoed through the tiled room.
***
Frantic movements, thoughts of a loved one’s demise if you weren’t quick enough made hands tremble, heart racing, tears flowing. Finally, the parka with the bomb was torn off John and flung across the floor.
“Are you alright? Did he hurt you? Answer me, John!”
Hands roaming over a body he’d barely touched before.
“Fine, Sherlock. Not hurt, just a bit shaken. Stop it! Breathe, Sherlock.”
A hug, so tight it made it hard to breathe for both of them.
“I thought I’d lost you.”
“People will talk.”
“I don’t care!”
A tentative kiss, turning desperate.
I have loved you for so long. Please, don’t let this scare you. I need you in my life. To function. To thrive. To feel whole.
***
At a crime scene. Deciding on the next cause of action. A nod, eyes meeting, a ghost of a smile showing off a dimple.
Ready? Always. Follow me, then. Right beside you.
***
The ripple effect of their extraordinary relationship reached far and wide. Every newspaper in the country at first. They told the story of a consulting detective and his loyal blogger, his doctor, his soldier. It didn’t feel right to say one name without the other anymore. They were an item now, in every capacity of the word.
When there was a crime unsolvable to the police, the tall and handsome detective appeared like a whirlwind. By his side, the unassuming blogger, doctor, soldier radiated calmness. But by now everyone knew that hidden behind that collected façade, was a man ready to run after the mad detective, protecting him from harm’s way, kill if necessary.
News travel fast, and before long the entire world had heard of the great Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson. A pair every criminal feared, and yet some of them always thought they could outwit them with their ingenious scheme. To date, no one has been successful in their endeavours.
--------------------------------------------------------------
@flashfictionfridayofficial @totallysilvergirl @keirgreeneyes @calaisreno @helloliriels
@raina-at @meetinginsamarra @safedistancefrombeingsmart @gregorovitch-adler @topsyturvy-turtely
@jolieblack @peanitbear @phoenix27884 @bs2sjh @brandiwein1982
@meandhisjohn @a-victorian-girl @221beloved @ninasnakie @shy-bi-letsfuckingdie
@7-percent @lhrinchelsea @missdeliadilisblog @salmonsown @oetkb12
@jawnscoffee @gay-ass-bitch @acumberlockedgirl @willamholmeswatson @whatnext2020
@mydogwatson @redmondcollege @thegildedbee @ilovegayangels @elizabethhood
@xmengal03 @riversong912 @givemesherbet-blog-blog @couldbecannibal @2old2b-fangirl
@dw91165 @jonkwatson @binx72
(Tell me if you want to be tagged or removed from the list)
#flash fiction friday#sherlock fandom#sherlock#john watson#bbc sherlock#johnlock#sherlock fanfic#FFF281#ripple effect
101 notes
·
View notes
Text
I've been thinking about how I could contribute to the ACD/Granada Sherlock Holmes fandom for a while, seeing as I'm neither an artist, a writer, or anything actually useful lol. But then I realized something I myself always treasure are curated fic recs, which I could actually do! I've read probably like 25% of all the h/w ACD and Granada fics on ao3, so I compiled a short list for anyone who is just starting out with the fandom. Without further ado, may I present
Eden’s Top Picks for Beginning ACD/Granada Fics:
(edit: i made a second list here!!)
The Adventure of the Doctor's Heart by mistyzeo 12k | Rated E Summary: Holmes has observed much of Watson's habits and tastes over time, which is why it surprises him when his friend objects strangely to a folk song sung at the conclusion of a case. Disturbed by the Doctor's unexpected display of emotion, Holmes becomes determined to lift his spirits by any means necessary, with mixed results. Notes: obviously if you're going to read canonverse h/w, you are going to read mistyzeo. this one is just so good and angsty and features music (!!). it's got some steaminess but it also has wooing. basically it has everything you ever need. this is my odyssey, my iliad, my hamlet, etc.
Cameo by what_alchemy 8k | Rated M | For Archive Users Only Summary: Holmes and Watson become embroiled in a case Scotland Yard refuses to acknowledge. A soulmate AU. Notes: i honestly skipped over this fic for a while, since i'm not the biggest fan of soulmate aus. do not make the same mistake i did, because this shit HITS. this fic has hit after hit: soulmate-mark based case for our main duo, angst, hiatus feels, MORE ANGST, and ofc a happy ending. ugh. read this fic if you enjoy being happy.
A Tide That Does Not Turn by tweedisgood 3k | Rated T Summary: Holmes is a very bad patient with a devoted doctor who adores him. Watson wishes it was safe to speak up, but his friend is a tide that does not turn. Notes: do NOT read this if you don't like angst... ok now i'm sensing a pattern. anyways this is the first hurt/no comfort fic i read for this tag and i literally have cried more than enough tears over it. poor, poor watson :( iconic author though, read everything they write!
The Adventure of the Glad Outlaw by radondoran 7k | Rated T Summary: While Sherlock Holmes solves the mystery of a student's disappearance, Dr. Watson is more puzzled by the changing dynamic between his flatmate and himself. Notes: cute pastiche! a nice little mystery and a nice little get-together. ahhhhhh.... this fic is like cotton candy to me, so sweet and fluffy. defo recommend
Hands by MinorObsessions (draculard) 1.4k | Rated T Summary: Naturally, there are some things Watson thinks about Holmes that don't make it into the books. Notes: i'm also in the star trek fandom, so if you know anything about that then you know that hands are kind of A Thing in both circles and ergo i now Have A Thing about hands. so this is a nice little ode to holmes' hands, featuring some doctoring by watson AND a nice reverse appraisal at the end. it's so sweet :)
Conductor of Light by ColebaltBlue 1.4k | Rated T Summary: A Victorian stiff upper lip won't prevent you from falling in love, but it might prevent you from realizing it. Notes: they finally get their shit together! honestly i would recommend this fic to anyone just starting out with h/w fics in any medium. the characterization and dialogue is A1, and their argument is really realistic to me, idk. also features the iconic HOUN quote for its title so props to that!
A (Mis)fortunate Man by sans_patronymic 1.5k | Rated T Summary: December, 1880. Watson writes a note which may be his last. December, 1899. Watson writes back. Notes: READ THE TAGS BEFORE READING. this was a gut-wrenching read but god i cried at the end for watson. don't worry, this one has a happy ending. ugh now i wish there was a second chapter where watson lets holmes read the letters. to sum up: oof, my heart
The Second Smartest Man in London by FairSinner 73k | Rated E Summary: Dr John Watson returns from Afghanistan to Victorian London, wounded, traumatised and alone. When he meets Sherlock Holmes, his life begins to seem worth living again. But Holmes is a man who despises sentiment and Watson cannot seem to expunge it from his heart. Notes: congrats, you've made it to the end!! so now i must confess that it's been a loooong time since i've read this fic, but the private note i left on my bookmark was just "holy shit", so i'm sure it's a banger. i'm also sure it has angst because i love angst and i love bookmarking angst so i can read it again and again and suffer infinitely. enjoy :)
anyways, now that i've put these all here i realized how much i enjoy angst and hurt/no comfort fics. if any of you guys have a favorite fic you want to link or want to plug your own writing, feel free to!
#i hope this is coherent#or at least helpful to someone lol#sherlock holmes#acd holmes#granada holmes#granada johnlock#acd johnlock#fic rec#acd johnlock fic rec#granada johnlock fic rec
369 notes
·
View notes
Text
🔎🐝 This is a master post of my Sherlock Holmes fanfiction which you can also find on Ao3! 🐝🔎
For details and warnings, follow the links to AO3, it's included in tags there.
*********************************
The Absolute Truth of the Matter
On the way to Rosenlaui, Holmes falls behind to face Moriarty alone. When it is instead Watson who encounters the Professor at the Reichenbach Falls, events take an unexpected turn.
Or: Watson does a few ridiculously courageous things and there is a crack in Holmes's lens.
The Case of the Lost Cat
Annie hesitated, nervously turning the apple in her hands, lowering her gaze. “I must tell you first,” she mumbled, “that I can’t pay your fee, Mr Holmes, b-but I can help in the garden, or –“ „Oh, but lost animal cases are always free of charge,” Holmes said casually, folding the newspaper and throwing it onto the floor next to his armchair. He is, as I have often stated, really a rather brilliant man.
After the Great War, Holmes and Watson are living a quiet life somewhere in Sussex. The days of great detective work lie in the past, but when a distressed young client asks them for help with finding her lost cat, Holmes and Watson have to solve a case that might turn out to be just beyond their limits.
Flowery Prose
Holmes rarely read to me, and never like this.
The Return of Dr Watson
I think of myself as a practical woman. I am proud to say that I have always been able to manage my household in the most efficient manner, purchasing only what is of good quality without requiring any unnecessary expenses. I have one possession, however, that is an exception to that rule. This is the story of how not only one but two of my tenants returned to Baker Street, and how I came to own one of London’s finest tea services as a result.
Mr Holmes returns. Dr Watson leaves. Mrs Hudson realises that London’s greatest detective might require a little assistance with winning the good doctor back.
The Adventures of the Amorous Amateur
Five times Sherlock Holmes is bad in bed and one time Watson is too.
The Heart's Desire
In which Watson learns how to make love to Sherlock Holmes.
The Adventure of the Lost Footing
“You have been in this particular mood for months,” Holmes stated. “You are in pain, but worse than that, you feel useless. You would clearly be more comfortable – and productive – away from London. Therefore, it seems a permanent relocation is in order.”
When Watson is no longer able to keep step with Sherlock Holmes, he expects to be left behind. As it turns out, Holmes has already devised a plan.
Of Seeing London Again
I had dreamed of London day and night, and now I had returned, but I was not home yet. It would not be until Moran was caught and I could finally reveal myself to my old friend Watson that I would be able to find a modicum of peace.
A Kinder Heart
“Holmes?” The pipe clattered to the floor and there was tobacco scattered all around it, but it passed like a flash before my eyes because I had spun around to face whoever had entered the room. It was Watson, of course.
The Return
“Watson, will you keep this?” I extended my hand and offered the cigarette case.
From the Flowers
Holmes loves flowers. Watson loves Holmes. Mrs Hudson loves to meddle.
#sherlock holmes#john watson#dr watson#acd canon#granada holmes#sherlock holmes fanfiction#masterpost#my writing#jeremy brett#edward hardwicke#david burke#sherlock holmes fanfic#pinned post#qpr#holmes/watson
173 notes
·
View notes
Text
A-Z Sherlock Fan Fiction Tropes Bingo
Ahhh, so I saw this Fanfiction Bingo Card by @swissmissing going around, and even though I wasn't ever tagged, I wanted to do some recs of my own because, like, that's my whole brand LOL. I hope no one minds...🙃 I needed to have a list ready for this Sunday, and this was perfect, LOL.
And because I'm always trying to overachieve on these challenges, I'm going to do full black out, BOTH tropes in each square.
This will be a Combination of my read fics and "to read" fics [to fill in spaces I don't have tags for], which I will append the latter with (MFL) just like so, for those of you who only want fics I've personally read. And apologies, I had to remove some of my standard links to fit them all within Tumblr's link limits, so author names aren't clickable AND I've removed all series' links, so be sure to check out other stories by the authors!!
AND FINALLY, this is a rare list that I DON'T have in word-count order, just so y'all know! I hope you guys like the fics I've pick for y'all. Literally random picks from my lists, based on tag searches, LOL.
AU: A Further Sea by i_ship_an_armada & ShinySherlock (E, 125,492 w., 23 Ch. || Historical Pirates AU || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Doctor John / Pirate Captain Sherlock, Sailing, UST / RST, Masturbation, Action / Adventure, Mild Angst & Peril, Romance, Shaving, Molly/Janine, Bottomlock, Hand / Blow Jobs, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Mild Violence, Facial Shaving, Happy Ending) – Here be a tale of adventure for both body and soul, but beware if ye be not of stout heart, for this be piratelock, ya savvy? Luckless ship's surgeon John Watson takes a chance, and finds himself eye to eye with The Ghost, the scourge of the seven seas and a definite thorn in the side of the blaggard, James Moriarty. But when John finds there's more to this most cunning pirate than be meetin' the eye, he has to choose... is it a pirate's life for him?
Amnesia: I Need You To See Me by Mssmithlove (E, 12,625 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Amnesia, Soldier!John) – After going back to war, John is yet again invalided home, this time with a broken ankle and a chunk of his memory missing, unable to recall the last five years he's spent being Sherlock Holmes' partner and husband. Part 9 of Happiness Awaits
BDSM: Lock and Key Series by 221b_hound (E, 59,509+ w. across 14 works || Series WiP || Post-HLV, Tattoos, First Kiss/Time, Anal, Hand Jobs, Captain John, Cuddling, Sherlock's Scars, Possessive Johnlock, Exhibitionism / Voyeurism, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Masturbation, Sherlock in Panties, PWP, Dirty Talk, Sexual Fantasies, Restraints, Photographs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Light BDSM, Assorted Kinks, Sherlock in a Sheet, Sex on Furniture, Domestic Fluff) – John has been back at Baker Street for a year, following the debacle that ended in Mary's death. Things are good. Back almost to what they used to be. Sherlock might wish they were something else, now, but he only has himself to blame, he thinks. It's too late, now, for the things he first denied before he'd ruined any chances he might have had. Sherlock also thinks that people who get tattoos are idiots. But perhaps he's about to learn a thing or two, not least of which might be it's not as late as he thinks it is.
Bodyswap: Inexplicable by emmagrant01 (E, 34,664 w., 6 Ch. || Body Swap, TSo3, Magical Realism / Artifacts, Infidelity, Angst) – So what was in that matchbox, anyway? John and Sherlock find out, the hard way.
Crossover: Perdition's Flames by i_ship_an_armada (E, 63,435 w., 21 Ch. || Star Trek Fusion || Established Relationship, Genetic Engineering, Angst & Fluff, BAMF!John) – Sherlock would do anything to save him. Risk anything. Give anything. His money, his life. His soul. What he does, though, is change both of their destinies forever. Genetic re-engineering is the only option left. It turns out researchers underestimated the life expectancy and potential abilities of genetically re-engineered subjects. The British government and what would eventually become the United Federation of Planets, however, had not. Part 1 of PF Universe
Crack: Fucking Cake by Random_Nexus (E, 12,965 w., 1 Ch. || Pre-Slash, Humour/Crack, Inanimate Object Smut, Frottage, “For a Case” / “Experiment”, PWP / Kinky, Mutual Pining, Fluff) – Sherlock brings home a chocolate cake, John finds him about to have sex with said cake, then exceedingly weird hijinx ensue. Part 1 of "Fucking Baked Goods" - Sherlock BBC
Domestic: Back to the Start by slashscribe (M, 14,088 w., 1 Ch. || Sherlock’s Violin, Pining Idiots, Fluff, Domestics) – Sherlock hasn't played the violin since John's wedding (which is long since over), and when John returns to 221B, Sherlock relearns the violin as he and John relearn each other. Post S3 fic with an obscene amount of pining, idiocy, and attempts to pawn off tea duties.
Disability: Breakable by MissDavis (E, 117,627 w., 34 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Established Relationship, Major Character Injury, Fluff/Angst, Depression, Paralysis/Disabilities, Hurt/Comfort, POV Sherlock, Mental Health Issues, Drug Use, Happy-ish Ending) – After John is seriously injured, Sherlock struggles to figure out how to help him, keep himself sane, and maybe, just maybe, get their life back to the way it's supposed to be. Part 1 of Breakable Not Broken
Established Relationship: Caught In The Act Series by ShirleyCarlton (E, 9,217 w. across 7 works || Established Relationship, Unintentional Voyeurism, Alternate POVs, Humour, Blow Jobs, Walking in on Someone, Switching, Public Sex) – This is a series of six scenarios written from the points of view of six different people as they accidentally walk in on Sherlock and John having sex.
Enemies to Lovers: Synchronicity by Calais_Reno (T, 46,424 w., 10 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Case Fic, POV John, Bullying, Coming Out, Forgiveness, Drinking/Bars, Boarding School, Drunk John) – John and Sherlock meet again, years after they were school boys together. John hasn't forgotten why he still hates Sherlock Holmes. (MFL)
Future: Uncharted Territory by J_Baillier (T, 19,603 w., 4 Ch. || Dystopian Future / Black Mirror AU || Alternate First Meeting, Angst, Drama, Homophobia, Bisexuality, Technology, Humour, Romance, Near Future, Happy Ending) – The System puts people through a series of assigned relationships in order to determine who their Perfect Match is. John believes that it works; Sherlock really, really doesn't. One of them is probably going to be wrong.
Fluff: A Lifetime Together by LondonGypsy (M, 8,886 w., 1 Ch. || Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Falling in Love, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Pining Idiots, Alternating POVs, Domestics, Retirement) – John and Sherlock falling in love.
Gen: Octopus by glass_rose_paperweight (G, 705 w., 1 Ch. || Established Relationship, Fluff, Bed Sharing, Limpet Sherlock) – A week after Sherlock and John finally get together, and John is finding sharing a bed with Sherlock Holmes to be ... difficult, sometimes. If not downright suffocating.
Genderswap: Cockscomb by birdie7272 (E, 115,302 w., 32 Ch. || Femlock / Gender Swap || Light Dom / Sub, Sensual Play, Cocks, Lace, Safe Words, Pining Sherlock, Case Fic, Truth or Dare, Slow Burn, Feminism, Relationships, Sexuality Crisis, Cheating, Power Play, Manipulation, Control) – Lace, whiskey, and a case full of cocks leads to a brand new kind of adventure. AKA The One With All The Cocks… When There Are No Cocks (MFL)
Historical: Enigma by khorazir (M, 289,667 w., 23 Ch. || Codebreaker / WWII / Imitation Game-Inspired AU || Case Fic, Espionage, Period-Typical Homophobia / Sexism, Pining Sherlock, Inexperienced / Virgin Sherlock, Implied / Referenced Drug Use, Non-Graphic Violence) – It’s the autumn of 1941, war is raging in Europe, German U-boats are raiding Allied convoys in the Atlantic, the Luftwaffe is bombing English cities, and the cryptographers at Bletchley Park are working feverishly to decode their enemies' encrypted communications. One should consider this challenge and distraction enough for capricious codebreaker Sherlock Holmes. But the true enigmas are yet waiting to be deciphered: an unbreakable code, a strange murder, and the arrival of Surgeon Captain John H. Watson of the Royal Navy. (MFL)
Humour: Equine Arse Anonymity by Kayjaykayme (E, 3,834 w., 1 Ch. || Established Relationship, Public Sex, Coming in Pants, Humour, Halloween, Hand Jobs) – Sherlock needs to speak with suspects at a fancy dress ball. He chooses a couple's costume for himself and John. It is logical, practical and well thought out. John doesn't agree and exacts sweet revenge.
Illness: Only To Be With You by SinceWhenDoYouCallMe_John (M, 40,768 w., 4 Ch. || Black Mirror / Future AU || Character Death, Future Technology, Sickness/Cancer/Illness, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, First Person POV John, Pining John, Heart-Wrenching Angst, Promise of Forever) – I tell myself that next time I’ll come near this same place again. Wait around for the mysterious stranger in his coat to dash past me, hot on the heels of a new criminal in black. I think this all the way back to my Exit, planning where I’ll wait and what I’ll say when I see him. Scheming on how to get his name. It’s only once I reach the Exit Point door that I realize two hours and forty-five minutes have passed, and I realize that this won’t be the last time I Visit. It won’t be the last time at all.
Imprisonment: THERE BUT FOR THE GRACE OF JOHN WATSON by skyefullofstars (T, 110,758 w., 24 Ch. || Hurt/Comfort, 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
Jealousy: The High Tide Series by stardust_made (E, 15,269 w. across 3 works || OMC, Angst, Jealousy, Developing Relationship, First Time, Romance) – A little favour Sherlock stupidly agrees to do for Mycroft leads to John meeting a handsome, afluent man, who is going out of his way to woo him. Sherlock struggles with the situation and with his own reactions to it.
Jilted: Love Is Series by SilentAuror (E, 36,903 w. across 2 works || Post S3, Alternating POV Each Story, Angst, Unrequited Love, Rejection then Reconciliation, Romance, Mary Divorce, Eventual Happy Ending) – At Mrs Hudson's urging, Sherlock finally decides to tell John how he feels about him.
Kids: The Baker Street Nativity by SwissMiss (E, 99,662 w., 23 Ch. || Nativity! AU || Teacher Sherlock / TA John, Pining, Sherlock POV, UST, Angst, Christmas, Music/Song Fic, Anal / BJ’s, First Kiss / Time) –Fusion between Sherlock (BBC) and Nativity! (2009 movie starring Martin Freeman). Sherlock is a primary school teacher and John is assigned to be his classroom assistant. Together, they are charged with putting on the school's Nativity play. What could possibly go wrong? Part 1 of The Baker Street Nativity Verse
Kink: John and Sherlock's Kinky First Times Series by wendymarlowe (E, 247,051+ w. across 45 works || Series WiP || Short Stories, Assorted Tags with Assorted Genres, PWP) – A collection of short imaginings of how Sherlock and John might finally allow their relationship to become physical. Don't be afraid of the giant cloud of tags - each fic stands alone and you can read them in any order.
Long: Free Falling by twistedthicket1 (M, 203,574 w., 38 Ch. || Guardian Angels AU || Guardian Angel John, Fluff and Angst, Humour, Kidlock / Teenlock, Light Mystrade, Passage of Time, Possessive John, Drug Use / Overdose, Victor Trevor, Graphic Bullying, Big Brother Mycroft, Hard Drug Use, Depression, Possessive Sherlock, Possessive John, Panic Attacks, Nightmares/PTSD, Pining, Healing Abilities, Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Blow Jobs, Virgin John, Emotional Development / Attachment, Mortality, Happy Ending) – All Guardian angels are born with a Chosen human. When this child is born, the angel comes into being to protect and care for them during their life on Earth. For John Watson, all he cares about in the world revolves around his Chosen, Sherlock Holmes. Watching him grow up though, the angel soon learns that God must have had a sense of humour the day he decided to make Sherlock, as trouble seems to follow him like a magnet wherever he goes. John can't decide what's worse, the idea of losing his Chosen one, or the fact that he may be breaking the most taboo law of heaven as he disguises himself as a human to better protect and befriend the beloved detective he's always watched from afar. He was meant to care for him. But what happens when caring evolves into something more? What happens when an emotion an angel is supposed to be incapable of possessing comes to life suddenly and viciously inside John's chest?
Love Triangle: Isosceles by SilentAuror (E, 56,609 w., 7 Ch. || Post-S4, POV John, Original Male Character / Sherlock Dates Another Man, Love Triangle, Jealous John, Virgin Sherlock, Sexual Coaching, Angst, Romance, Domesticity, Unrequited Feelings, Miscommunication, First Kiss/Time, For a Case, Friends With Benefits, Bottomlock, Love Confessions, Spooning) – After solving a case for a major celebrity, Sherlock gets himself asked out. When John asks, he discovers that Sherlock has no intention of going, at least not until John agrees to coach him through whatever he might need to know for his date...
Magical Realism: The Frost Child by twistedthicket1 (M, 9,994 w., 2 Ch. || Frozen-ish AU || Magical Realism, Christmas, Angst, Fluff, Powerful John) – In a world where people are born with a Gift of varying levels, simple John Watson is the last person one might look at when thinking of any strong Magick capabilities. Hiding comfortably in the shadow of Sherlock's brilliant deducing abilities, John is content to keep it that way...
Major Character Death: I Think I've Come A Long Long Way To Sit Before You Here Today by ArwenKenobi (T, 18,251 w., 3 Ch. || Grief/Mourning, Passage of Time, Major Character Death, Alternating POV, Sherlock Whump, Pining Sherlock, Hospitalization, Coma, Revenge Murders, Hallucinations, Love Confessions, Brutal Accident, Mystrade, Ghost John) – One year after John is killed Sherlock starts to wonder whether John has actually gone anywhere.
NSFW: Caves in the Mountains Are Seldom Unoccupied by starrysummernights & TheMadKatter13 (E, 7,925 w., 1 Ch. || Were-Creatures || Werebear John, Pseudo Bestiality, Rimming, Dub Con, Rough Sex, Come Inflation / Eating, Size Kink, PWP, Bratty Sherlock, Rutting) – “This isn’t something to play at, Sherlock,” he snapped. “If it doesn’t work out- what you’re asking of me- we can’t shrug and say 'oh well, at least we tried'. If we do this… I could seriously hurt you. Do you understand? I could lose control. I could… I could kill you.”
Next Gen.: If Equal Affection Cannot Be by blueink3 (E, 31,156 w., 3 Ch. || Post S4, Family, Retirement, Grown Up Rosie, Angst, Reunion, Loneliness, Sussex, Fluff, Sexy Times, Happy Ending) – Sherlock fled London a couple of years after John left him in hospital with nothing but an old walking stick and a half-hearted goodbye. Rosie grew up thinking that Sherlock died when he committed suicide in front of her father by jumping from Barts' roof. So it's somewhat awkward when they run into each other in a Sussex general store between the loaves of bread and the Mars bars... (MFL)
Omegaverse: A Fold in the Universe by darkest_bird (E, 152,869 w., 26 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Omegaverse / Prime Universe Crossover || OmegaJohn / AlphaSherlock, First Kiss / Time, Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Dubious Consent, Humour) – Alpha Sherlock and Omega John are in a relationship. Prime Sherlock and Prime John are not. So what happens when a freak fold in the universe switches one John for the other?
Only One Bed: The Cure for Snoring by Goddess_of_the_Night (G, 1,278 w., 1 Ch. || Sleepy Conversations, Bed Sharing, Cuddling, Fluff, Domestic, Platonic / Sleepy Cuddles) – Sherlock and John spend the night in Scotland after finishing a case. The sole Inn in town only has one room left...one bed. This would be fine - if not a bit awkward - if Sherlock hadn't developed a habit of snoring loudly. John suffers through many hours of sleeplessness before he discovers that skin-to-skin contact stops the noise. Part 1 of Dreamscapes
Parenthood: Iris by slashscribe (E, 11,948 w., 1 Ch. || Parentlock, Pining Sherlock, Post-S3) – Sherlock does his best to make John happy when John comes back to 221B with his new baby after the events of Season 3, but Sherlock has a track record of getting things wrong in this area. This story is an exploration of their gradual shift from friends to lovers, told from Sherlock's perspective, full of a lot of pining and lack of emotional awareness.
Platonic: The Green Blade by verityburns (T, 72,929 w., 15 Ch. || Case Fic, 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...
Queer: Rupert Street by WritingOutLoud (M, 27,262 w., 9 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting || Case Fic, Sexuality, Demisexual Sherlock, Drugging, Smart John, Sherlock Has Internalized Biphobia, Fluff, Angst with Happy Ending, Gay Bar, Flirting, John Manipulates Sherlock to Eat, John Deduces, Arguments, Kidnapping/Torture, Hospitalization, John Whump) – Discharged from the war with nothing but the clothes on his back and a realisation of his bisexuality, John Watson has to learn who he’s become. He can’t afford London on an army pension, but the city is the only friend he has. In an effort to understand his newfound queer identity, he heads to a bar one night, where he stumbles across a mysterious stranger who turns his life upside down. ‘I dug around inside myself, and I'm not quite sure what I found, but it was beautiful and terrifying all at the same time.’
Quest: Licence to Kiss by fellshish (T, 13,739 w., 4 Ch. || Post-ASIB, Sort-Of Bondlock, First Kiss, Love Confessions, Mutual Pining, Angst and Humour, Bed Sharing) – Sherlock loves John, and John loves... James Bond. He only made Sherlock watch every single film. Tedious. And now John's birthday is coming up. Sherlock can't tell him how he feels, but he can organise an amazing gift: John's very own spy adventure. Sherlock begs Mycroft for a real case with some extra gadgets. And perhaps some actors pretending to be criminals. What could possibly go wrong?
Retirement: Through the Clouds by Mazarin221b (E, 20,004 w., 6 Ch. || Retirement, Sussex, Bees, Home Improvement, First Time, Romance) – Sherlock takes a remarkably early retirement at 47, and convinces John that a change of pace would do them both good. They buy an old cottage on the South Downs, and exchange their nonstop life in Baker Street for quiet contemplation, bee studies, and book writing. They might go completely insane, but sometimes it takes stepping outside of the life you're living to find the life you want. Part 1 of Through The Clouds
Road Trip: Hitting the Water at Sixty Miles an Hour by what_alchemy (E, 30,568 w., 5 Ch. || Fake Rel., Road Trips, Slow Burn, Mummy Holmes) – “You love your mother, Sherlock?” John watched the muscles in Sherlock’s jaw jump. He nodded in one sharp jerk. “Then we’re going to her party and making her happy.” John let out a resigned sigh. “As a ruddy couple, you bastard.”
Soulmates: The Heart On Your Sleeve by flawedamythyst (T, 5,441 w., 1 Ch. || Soulmate AU || Sherlock POV, Heartmarks, Pining, Fluff and Angst, Semi-S1 / S2 Canon Compliant, Reunion) – Sherlock stared at the imperfect circle on his left wrist in horror, then sat down on his bed with a bit of a thump. After over thirty years, his heartmark was finally showing activity. This was not good.
Slow Burn: Tomorrow's Song by agirlsname (M, 24,645 w., 5 Ch. || Post-TRF, POV Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending, Virgin / Repressed Sherlock, Love Confessions, Slow Burn, Pining, Jealous Sherlock) – How can he think a relationship with me would be a good idea? I am the sort of person to take a break from my life and when I come back after two years, I expect to find it exactly as I left it. In reality I find it shattered to pieces. (I actually equate you with my life. When did I start doing that?)
Teen AU: The Sky is Full of Fiddles by agirlsname (T, 25,659 w., 6 Ch. || 1895 Teenlock || Romantic Fluff, Bed Sharing, Swedish Folk Music, Dancing, Sherlock’s Violin, Poetry, Skinny Dipping, Summer Love, First Kiss, Proposals, POV John, Gay Surprise) – It's 1895 in the heart of Swedish folk music and dance. During certain weekends, boys are allowed to visit girls at night, wooing them with fantastical poems. If a girl lets a boy into her room they can share a bed all night, fully clothed, to talk and eat caramels together. John is seventeen and looking for a girl to marry like everyone else. He's very surprised when another boy suddenly stands outside his door, wanting to share his bed… (MFL)
Time Travel: The Engine by stitchy (T, 8,294 w., 1 Ch. || First Kiss, Post-HLV, ASiP Do-Over, Sci-Fi, Time Travel) – Shortly after the events of His Last Vow, Sherlock has an opportunity to revisit the night of A Study in Pink and get some perspective on the destiny of he and John's relationship.
Undercover: The Skin Over My Heart by standbygo (E, 8,849 w., 1 Ch. || Post-Hiatus, Fake Relationship, Case Fic, Dog Tags, Military, Homophobia, Gay Bashing, POV First Person Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss / Time, Declarations of Love, Undercover, Haircuts, Flashbacks, Touching, Pining Sherlock, Hospitalization, Metaphors, Introspection, Hand Jobs, On the Couch, John’s Past, Angst with Happy Ending) – Sherlock and John are still trying to adjust to Sherlock's return from his hiatus when John's friend Bill Murray brings them a case. Someone is targeting the LGBTQA+ members of Bill's unit. John and Sherlock go undercover at the unit, but when they end up having to flirt to flush out the suspect, Sherlock realizes he's in over his head.
Unrequited: Love Is Series by SilentAuror (E, 36,903 w. across 2 works || Post S3, Alternating POV Each Story, Angst, Unrequited Love, Rejection then Reconciliation, Romance, Mary Divorce, Eventual Happy Ending) – At Mrs Hudson's urging, Sherlock finally decides to tell John how he feels about him.
Vampires: Bleed Me Out by antietamfalls (E, 87,987 w., 14 Ch. || Vampire AU || Bonding, Vampire Sherlock, Fluff & Angst, Hurt/Comfort, John Whump, Magical Realism) – John isn’t exactly surprised to discover that Sherlock isn't human. His vampirism doesn't pose a problem, even when their relationship gradually grows into something more. That is, until a deadly revelation about John’s blood sends their lives spinning dangerously out of control.
Villain POV: Genesis by pasiphile (M, 19,521 w., 1 Ch. || Graphic Violence, Moriarty’s Past) – Before he was Jim Moriarty, he was just Jimmy, a street kid with more pain in his past and more ambition in his head than he could handle, and only one other person he could bring himself to trust. Part 6 of This Life Is A Trip (When You're Psycho In Love) (MFL)
Whump: Trapped and Upside Down on the M6 by BootsnBlossoms (E, 4,256 w., 1 Ch. || Whump, Car Accident, Hurt / Comfort) – Everything felt wrong. His hair was going the wrong way. His arms were bent in ways he wouldn’t choose to bend them. His neck hurt and he couldn’t really feel his toes. Something was dripping on his face – and rolling up. A car crash. He had been in a car crash.
Werewolves: John Watson’s Moon by patternofdefiance (E, 11,314 w., 1 Ch. || Supernatural Creatures || Werewolf John, First Time, BAMF John, First Time, Anal, Fleeting Depictions of Violence) – Sherlock finds out John is a werewolf and wants to see the transformation. It, uh, gets really kinky.
Xenomorphism: Forest King by Elphen (E, 141,856 w., 27 Ch. || Magical Realism / Omegaverse AU || Mythical Creatures, Group Sex, Body Worship, Drinking / Impairment, Dubious Consent, Anal Fingering/Sex, Transformations / Shapeshifting, Mpreg, BAMF John, Possessive Sherlock, Celtic Mythology, Paganism, Sherlock’s Violin, Frottage, Illnesses, Caring Sherlock, Netherworld/Underworld, Coping Mechanisms, Paternal Lestrade, Defensive John, Big Brother Mycroft, Insecurity, Self-Esteem Issues, Misunderstandings, Mild Jealousy, Pregnant Sex, Male Lactation, Birthing, Emotional Support, Parenthood, Family History) – After falling out with his sister, John ends up in a Cornwall Midsummer’s Eve celebration in the middle of a forest that’s rather…different. After the hazy night of magic and passion with a pale-eyed man, he goes home to London. He’s in for a surprise when his stomach starts growing and buds appears on his head. Not one to just accept things, he returns to Cornwall to demand an explanation. When he meets the forest king, Sherlock, again, he has to come to terms with not only what’s happened to him but what kind of magical world he’s been thrust into. Plus, there’s the questions of whether he trusts the antlered man and how he'll survive being apparently pregnant. Sherlock isn’t much help. That doesn’t mean he isn’t trying to somehow make John understand his feelings, however, even if he’s greatly hampered by being Sherlock. They slowly move forward but problems beyond their control may arise from an act done with the best of intentions. How will they cope, separately and together? (MFL)
Xmas: Our Enthusiasms Which Cannot Always Be Explained by withoutawish (M, 32,961 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Post-TRF, Case Fic, Mild Gore, Sherlock Whump) – The list that is tacked haphazardly on the refrigerator of 221B reads, ‘Kidney(s), and/or a full cadaver (preferably male, late 30s, under six feet tall), bag of fresh toes, sixteen cow’s eyes (corneas retained), dual exhaust hand –held flame thrower, an unopened first edition copy of Joseph Conrad’s 'Heart of Darkness', and no less than ten abhorrently gruesome murders in the upcoming month.” The one neatly hanging next to it simply reads, “Sex.” One of these lists is not John Watson’s. If John Watson were to put what he really wanted in list form, to live in a land somewhere beyond ‘almosts' now that Sherlock Holmes has indeed returned to him, he would never be able to look his flatmate in the eye ever again.
Zombies: The Hollow Ones by antietamfalls (M, 100,244 w., 23 Ch. || Walking Dead Fusion || Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, Slow Build, Emotional Constipation, Protective John, Hurt/Comfort) – The dead walk. Mangled corpses of the deceased rise and mindlessly feast upon the flesh of the living. John wakes up, alone and confused, into the remnants of a city gone mad. He will search for answers. He will find Sherlock at any cost. And he will learn that the living are far more dangerous than the dead. (MFL)
Zoomorphism: How to Build a Heart out of Ashes by Teumessian (E, 144,931 w., 31 Ch. || Changeling AU || Slow Burn, Drug Use, Mentions of Child Abuse / Bullying, Mentions of Student/Teacher Relations, Uni-Age) – In an AU where a small number of the population become Changelings at a young age, at 17 John Watson believes he's destined for Normal life but then the Change takes him and he is sent to the Baker Institute. There he meets Sherlock Holmes.
100 notes
·
View notes
Text
I realized a lot of people don't know what order to read the sherlock holmes stories in. Honestly it really doesn't matter, as long as you read the first two correctly. but here's the order I would read them in.
Most importantly you need to read A Study in Scarlet first. It introduces Holmes and Watson and the art of deduction and everything else important.
Next you should read The Sign of (the) Four, which introduces Holmes's drug use and also Watson's future wife
After that read The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, then, the Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, then read The Valley of Fear. After that, read The Return of Sherlock Holmes, then His Last Bow, and finally, the Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.
Let me know what order you read it!
60 notes
·
View notes
Text
:: February 28 :: Selection for Week 9 of 2025 :: 🐝 "the adventure of the six napoleons" (1904) from sherlock holmes: a year of quotes* 🖊️
Lestrade and I sat silent for a moment, and then, with a spontaneous impulse, we both broke out clapping, as at the well-wrought crisis of a play. A flush of colour sprang to Holmes's pale cheeks, and he bowed to us like the master dramatist who receives the homage of his audience. It was at such moments that for an instant he ceased to be a reasoning machine, and betrayed his human love for admiration and applause. The same singularly proud and reserved nature which turned away with disdain from popular notoriety was capable of being moved to its depths by spontaneous wonder and praise from a friend.
Watson's lovely description of how deeply-gratified Holmes feels at his friends' admiration pulls me right in; Doyle somehow contrives to have Watson enclose the reader in the scene as well, as another who shares the sentiment of approval by the two men, and then is allowed to witness Holmes -- literary creation though he be-- being caught off-guard (as he so rarely is) by "us."
"The Adventure of the Six Napoleons" is a story that is suffused with a glow that emanates from amongst the pleasure taken by Lestrade, Watson, and Holmes in each others' investigatory companionship. The very first sentence of the story makes this clear: "It was no very unusual thing for Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard, to look in upon us of an evening," and in the paragraphs that follow, Watson's images and phrasing provide charming glimpses into conversational gambits of cordial regard that set the story in motion.
This is also the story that contains one of the most famous passages in canon, one that underlines this esteem in the penultimate paragraph:
“Well,” said Lestrade, “I’ve seen you handle a good many cases, Mr. Holmes, but I don’t know that I ever knew a more workmanlike one than that. We’re not jealous of you at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are very proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there’s not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn’t be glad to shake you by the hand.”
I've always had a special place in my heart for "The Adventure of the Six Napoleons," for how it features Lestrade, Watson, and Holmes as a trio of overgrown boys at play across the London pitch. If you haven't read it, give it a lookover :-) (I guess I should have said before now, but the Holmes stories can be found in many places on the internet, given that they are in the public domain -- huzzah for the public domain! -- such as here, for T6N.) It's one of the clutch of stories that come hard on after Holmes's resurrection by Doyle in 1903 in "The Adventure of the Empty House," which recounts Holmes's return from the Reichenbach hiatus. Doyle was famously ambivalent about the success of the Holmes stories, because he believed that they overshadowed his high lit ventures, and so, to be rid of him, he became the man who murdered Sherlock Holmes in "The Adventure of the Final Problem" in 1893. And that's one of the reasons that I find T6N so eminently huggable: I picture Lestrade standing in for Doyle himself as we begin again, placing himself front and center as an habitue of 221B, and ready, with a twinkle in his eye, to take on an adventure as a comrade-in-arms with its residents. The appeal that the mind-set and feeling-set that T6N has for me is one of the reasons that I found BBC Sherlock's "The Six Thatchers" so dispiriting. The series belongs, of course, to the writers to do with as they wish, and while, like any (disgruntled) fan, I can list off with asperity things I think went amiss, in the end, it's their vision, and thus and such, and so on, and etc. etc. etc. It's their rulebook, so what they do with canon in creating their canon is cricket.
And yet . . . "The Six Thatchers" has such a poisonous atmosphere in regard to John and Sherlock, and an indifference to Lestrade (unless as aligning more toward John's antipathy), that I really do think there's a case to be made for taking legitimate offense that they enacted grand theft auto on T6N as the canonical vehicle with which to slam on the brakes regarding Holmes and Watson's special bond, and to ignore the Lestradian dynamic Doyle layers into T6N. In my cynical view, I don't even think it's just happenstance that they used T6N in this way, essentially perverting it -- I think it was something of an intentional slap in the face to the Sherlockian fandom (BBC and more generally): it was a way of throwing a bit of a tantrum about to whom they believe the story really belongs, take note, you out there in audienceland, make no mistake. It's a vague feeling that solidified after the last episode of the fourth season, with the throwaway scene of "the three Garridebs" as a visual joke in "The Final Problem." Doyle's original canonical tale, "The Adventure of the Three Garridebs," is noted for another famous passage, this one about the depth of feeling Holmes expresses for Watson when he fears for his life. BBCS' authors, in taking T6N, one of the warmest of Doyle's stories, and appropriating it for an icy plot which ruptures Holmes and Watson, and then devaluing another of the stories, T3G, that demonstrates the special relationship between the two, by treating it as a jape -- well, "not good, no, really not good," in my book.
...................................................... *Levi Stahl and Stacey Shintani, eds., U of Chicago Pr, 2019
& bespoke notifications as requested :-) [thanks for reading!]: @totallysilvergirl and @winterdaphne2 and @keirgreeneyes and @calaisreno
#re-considering BBC Sherlock by dipping into ACD canon#quotations#reading between the lines#john watson#sherlock holmes#sherlock fic#weekly sherlockian epigraphs 2025#by me :-)#thegildedbee#february
22 notes
·
View notes
Text
so you want to read Sherlock Holmes?
the canon of Sherlock Holmes as published by Arthur Conan Doyle consists of 56 short stories and 4 novels. that’s a lot. I think most of the issues people run into with reading Sherlock Holmes can be broken down into three questions:
what order do I read them in?
where do I find them?
are there other ways to experience them?
I’m going to tackle these one at a time and I’m adding a cut to save your dash. be forewarned.
1- what order do I read the stories in?
there isn’t really one good answer to this. the stories themselves were not published in chronological order, and Conan Doyle himself was notoriously inconsistent with dates. the red-headed league is a particularly egregious example of this (the month inexplicably changes from June to October in the space of a page).
there exist several timelines made by Holmes scholars over the years, of which William Baring-Gould’s is probably the most well-known. you can find it here. (this website, the Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia, is also a great resource for learning more about Sherlock Holmes stories and their many adaptations.)
(Baring-Gould’s chronology gives Watson multiple marriages; only one wife is ever mentioned by name in the stories, but it is difficult to make a coherent timeline where Watson is only married once.)
another method is to read the stories in publication order. this is the easiest way, since the short stories were published in 5 collections after being printed in the Strand Magazine. these collections are:
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, containing stories published from June 1891 to June 1892.
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, containing stories published from December 1892 to December 1893.
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, October 1903 to December 1904
His Last Bow, 1908 to 1917
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes, 1921 to 1927
including the 4 novels, publication order would be:
A Study In Scarlet
The Sign of Four
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
His Last Bow
The Valley of Fear
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes
a third way, and probably the most popular, is just to skip around and read whichever stories catch your interest. given the lack of an official chronology and varying levels of popularity of the stories (the hound of the baskervilles is quite well-known, but have you ever heard of the valley of fear? probably not) which can affect how easy it is to find them, this approach might be the most practical.
I’m also going to be totally honest: you do not need to read all 60 Sherlock Holmes works unless you want to. the stories vary quite a bit in quality, and Conan Doyle is a much better short story writer than novelist. to that end, here’s my recommended twenty stories and the year they were written. the order listed corresponds to the chronology I made myself, but it’s only a suggestion, unless otherwise noted.
A Study in Scarlet (1887) note: if you are going to read this, it makes most sense to read it first, since it deals with how Holmes and Watson first met.
The Adventure of the Gloria Scott (1893)
The Adventure of the Resident Patient (1893)
The Adventure of the Speckled Band (1892)
The Adventure of Silver Blaze (1892)
The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter (1893)
The Sign of Four (1890)
A Scandal in Bohemia (1891)
The Boscombe Valley Mystery (1891)
The Adventure of the Red-Headed League (1891)
The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle (1892)
The Adventure of the Copper Beeches (1892)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901)
The Final Problem (1893)
The Adventure of the Empty House (1903) note: read this right after the final problem, otherwise it won’t make much sense
The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton (1904)
The Adventure of the Abbey Grange (1904)
The Adventure of the Dancing Men (1903)
The Adventure of the Illustrious Client (1924)
The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place (1927)
2- where can I find the stories?
as of last year, all of Conan Doyle’s Holmes stories are in the public domain, which makes finding copies of them online much easier. I really love Project Gutenberg, which is an archive of over 70,000 ebooks, including all of the Sherlock Holmes stories! you can download pdfs from that website, or just read them online. the Arthur Conan Doyle Encyclopedia, linked in the previous section, also has the text for all of the stories.
honestly, because it’s all public domain now, just searching “[story] pdf” should get you a lot of good results. if you don’t want to read them online, the Holmes stories are obviously quite well-known, and asking for a novel or short story collection at your library is a good bet. your library might have audiobooks or ebooks of these stories too.
as for translations, Sherlockian.net (another great website) has links to translations in Esperanto, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish. Project Gutenberg has Polish, Dutch, and Finnish versions of some of the stories, though the selection is quite limited. these are all the links I have at the moment, but the stories have been translated into over 70 languages, so I’d be happy to look for more if anyone asks.
3- are there other ways to experience these stories?
yes! this youtube channel, The Sherlock Holmes Radio Show, has audiobooks for most of the books, the BBC’s radio drama adaptations of the stories, and the radio show adaptation done by Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce. if you prefer your stories in audio format, I highly recommend looking through their videos.
one of the most beloved screen adaptations of Sherlock Holmes is the Granada Studios tv series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. often referred to as “Granada Holmes”, the series starred Jeremy Brett as Holmes, and David Burke (seasons 1-2) and Edward Hardwicke (seasons 3-4) as Watson. it ran from 1984 to 1994, and was renowned for its commitment to accuracy.
the earlier episodes especially are about as close to one-to-one text to screen adaptations as it’s possible to get. they didn’t adapt every story, and they made some changes (they do not adhere to any established chronology, and Watson never marries), but if you don’t have time to read a whole story, chances are there’s a forty-five minute Granada episode you can watch instead. you can find a youtube playlist of all the episodes here.
finally, I wanted to mention a podcast called However Improbable (link goes to their website). every other week, they air an episode reading one of the stories out loud, and then an episode discussing it. they use Baring-Gould’s chronology, and the podcast is enjoyable both as a new and a long-time Holmes fan. I also like the flexibility that their format offers. if you only want to listen to the stories, you can do that! if you want to read the story on your own and then just listen to the analysis, you can do that!
it is an ongoing podcast, and as of posting this, they’re up to the adventure of the naval treaty.
—
and that’s all I have for now! thanks for reading this, and good luck in whatever you decide to do with this information. if you have more questions, I would love to answer them. I’m always down to talk about Holmes.
also, please let me know if any of this information is wrong or if any of the links are broken.
#solreefspeak#sherlock holmes#acd holmes#bold text included for my convenience and hopefully yours#this is the promised guide to getting into holmes!#hope it’s helpful :)#also if you think this is long just know i considered tackling pastiches too and decided against it
42 notes
·
View notes
Text
A Study of the Heart and Brain (Book 4) Epilogue
Father Figure! Sherlock Holmes x Teen! Reader
Epilogue: Brave Heart and Clever Brain
Summary: It's time for the rest of (Y/N)'s life to begin.
Mouse Note: And it's a wrap for A Study of the Heart and Brain. Wow. I can't believe so many years of this story have already gone by! Purple, Sherlock, and John have been so close to my heart for so long that it's sad to say goodbye, but I'm happy to say that they have happy lives in front of them. Thank you so much for all the support you've given to me over the years! I'll miss you all and hope to see you back for future projects! Thank you! This has been an amazing experience!
“John’s calling,” said (Y/N) as they put a new skull on the mantle of the rebuilt 221B. It had taken time and effort (and money they blackmailed Mycroft into getting), but the flat was back. Their home was back.
“I hate answering calls,” said Sherlock.
“I’m going to answer it,” said (Y/N). They pressed the accept button. “Hello, John.”
“Sherlock, (Y/N),” said John. “I think you better get round here.”
Sherlock and (Y/N) exchanged a look.
l
John held the disc that read “MISS YOU” on the top. Solemnly, he put it into the DVD player, and the TV turned on.
Mary’s face greeted them once more. She smiled. “P.S,” she said.
It was the next part of her original message. Sherlock, John, and (Y/N) leaned forward.
“I know you three,” said Mary. “And if I’m gone, I know what you could become. Because I know who you really are. A junkie who solves crimes to get high. The doctor who never came home from the war. And the teenager who is too smart for their own good. Will you listen to me? Who you really are, it doesn’t matter. It’s all about the legend, the stories, the adventures. There is a last refuge for the desperate, the unloved, the persecuted. There is a final court of appeal for everyone. When life gets too strange, too impossible, too frightening, there is always one last hope. When all else fails, there are three people sitting, arguing in a scruffy flat, like they’ve always been there and they always will. The best and wisest people I have ever known, my Baker Street family, Sherlock Holmes, (Y/N) Holmes, and Dr. Watson.”
(Y/N) smiled.
l
“Congratulations!” cheered Lestrade, Mrs. Hudson, and John. Rosie babbled in John’s arms. Mycroft lifted his drink but didn’t cheer.
(Y/N) grinned and proudly held up the signed adoption papers. They had already been part of the Holmes family for years, but this just made it even more official.
“That’s my kid!” said Sherlock, smiling ear-to-ear.
He hugged (Y/N) tightly, and they hugged him back. Their home was whole once more. 221B was rebuilt. John was back. Even Eurus had started to smile when playing, and Mr. and Mrs. Holmes had gotten to hear her play with Sherlock and (Y/N).
They were going to be okay. They were okay. The Holmes family was together.
A knock at the door. (Y/N) turned to it.
“No one else was invited,” said John, frowning.
“I’ll send off the client,” huffed Mrs. Hudson.
“No, no, it’s a guest,” said Sherlock.
“Who?” (Y/N) tilted their head.
“I invited them to dinner.” Sherlock smiled.
(Y/N)’s eyes widened, and they moved to the door in a moment.
“Who—” John watched (Y/N) throw the door open.
“Good evening, everyone.” Irene Adler smiled, dressed in purple dress and heels.
“Irene,” said (Y/N), smiling.
“Oh, god,” groaned Mycroft.
“You texted her back,” said John, grinning at Sherlock.
“For (Y/N),” said Sherlock.
John shook his head fondly.
“Thanks for coming,” said (Y/N) as they walked to the living room with Irene.
“Of course,” said Irene. She looked at them. “Are you doing alright? I heard about what happened. I thought the call was strange.”
Mycroft sighed, knowing one of his men had been compromised and told her everything, but (Y/N) was just happy.
“I’m doing fine,” said (Y/N).
Irene patted their cheek. “Good.” She leaned in briefly. “And I meant every word.”
(Y/N) ducked their head. “I did, too.”
Irene smiled at them. “I’m glad.” She turned towards the table. “How is everyone feeling?” She looked at Mycroft and smirked. “I’ve heard your position as the ‘clever one’ of the family has been usurped.”
“It has not,” said Mycroft indignantly.
“I’m smarter than you,” said (Y/N), looking at him and smirking. “I’m the smartest Holmes.”
“I agree with them,” said Sherlock.
Mycroft rolled his eyes and looked at Irene. “You are quite daring to return here.”
“Am I?” remarked Irene innocently, sitting down.
(Y/N) watched their family begin to interact with one another and smiled. They looked at Sherlock. “You actually invited her.”
“Your whole family is here,” said Sherlock, smiling at them.
(Y/N) hugged him. “Thank you, Dad. Thank you so much. For finding me, for teaching me, for loving me.”
Sherlock hugged him back. “I’d do it a thousand times. I love you, (Y/N).”
“I love you, too, Dad,” said (Y/N). They had everything they needed. Love, family, a brave heart, and a clever brain. They had everything they ever wanted.
l
Years later…
“You be good for Mrs. Hudson, alright?” John looked at a now toddler Rosie with a smile.
Rosie nodded. “Uh-huh.”
“And if Sherlock told you to see what would happen if you do…anything…don’t do it,” said John.
Rosie just smiled, and John groaned. Unfortunately, he couldn’t help looking at her fondly.
“(Y/N), you ready?” said Sherlock.
An adult (Y/N) nodded as they entered the room. They pulled on a long purple coat. “Of course.” They smirked. “I’m always ready. After all…” They tossed Sherlock’s deerstalker to him. “The game is on.”
Taglist:
@stilesstilinskiforlife-blog
@im-making-an-effort
@ilse235
@schrodingers-intelligence
@awsedrftgyhujikol
@lxserthxngzzz
@forever1313
@mentallyunstablemanlover
@roo024
@ohimjustagirlidrathetnotbe
@snowy-violet
@jaguarthecat
#a study of the heart and brain#x reader#gn reader#nb reader#x gn reader#x nb reader#x teen reader#x teen!reader#found family#found family trope#father figure#sherlock x reader#platonic sherlock#sherlock fanfic#sherlock bbc#sherlock holmes#bbc sherlock#sherlock & co#sherlock x teen reader#sherlock x teen!reader#anonymouse#platonic sherlock holmes#platonic x reader#platonic
39 notes
·
View notes
Text
Kinktober 2023: Day one
wearng leather for Sherlock :)
1k words, short but I love it.
Kinktober masterlist
He didn’t know what he was doing on this website, he was reading, well judging, John's blog when this ad popped up. He was mesmerised by the woman’s outfit, a black leather bra with a silver zip down the middle barely keeping in her breast. He thought about you, he thought about how good you’d look, how he’d like to run his hands through the textures of your skin and leather he then looked down at her legs. The panties were again leather, held on by straps wrapped around her thighs, he wanted this on you he wanted to delicately peel it off your sweating skin, he wanted to rile you up to the point of no return and have you like he had so many times. His cock twitched in his trousers just imagining it. He didn’t hear you come in, he didn’t hear you drop your bag to do your usual of greeting him with a kiss.
“Sherlock” you laughed “what are you doing?” He jumped and closed his laptop screen
“I- i uh was reading johns blog and then.” He looked back at the screen “and then”
“And then you manage to end up on the boux avenue website?” You looked down a little “and got a little excited.” You laugh at his bulge
“Well I was thinking about if you wore this?” He opened his laptop, “I'd like that” he said quietly. Your hand rubbed the back off his shoulder as you smirked.
“Then order it.”
Within the next week your parcel had arrived, Sherlock had become fixated on his latest case which gave you time to prepare for the evening you had planned. You showered and styled your hair smiling at the way it bounced as you walked. You put on the bra and zipped it up and spent a couple of minutes cursing over the thigh straps of the panties before finally getting them correct. You covered yourself up with a silk black robe just incase anyone visited before sherlock got home.
Shit, that was the perfect way to describe Sherlock’s day, his case was boring, was not the adventure or high he assumed it would give to him. The only good thing was now he was coming home to tou, he had already planned to fuck you sensless but when he entered the living room to find you in nothing but that exact black leather lingerie he hadn’t gotten out of his head for a week sat in his chair, he dropped to his knees. Like physically, fell on his knees between your thighs. He ran his fingers along the thigh strap pulling it so it would snap back on your skin.
“You like it Mr holmes?” You laugh leaning forward making sure to push your chest in his face, which of course he doesn’t push away. He takes your tits in his hands feeling the cold leather running his thumb over the bulge you nipple was creating. You hum happily as he trails his lips along your collarbone. You ran your hands through his dark curls as his hands rubbed along your tits, he pulled down the zip and licked the crevice between each breast, he pulled off the bra and then pulled you to your feet. He took your hand and led
you towards his room pushing you down onto his bed as he caged you between his arms.
“Need you, been thinking about this all week.” He exhaled as he ran his lip down your stomach towards your soaked core. He, as expected, managed to undo the straps of the panties very easily, sliding them off in one quick motion before diving into his meal like a dog on a bone. His tongue started by licking a long stripe up your core before settling nicely in a circular motion around your throbbing clit. The sensation caused you to squirm under his grasp, he grunted and pushed your legs down gently holding you in place and thrusted his tongue into your hole using his thumb to tap your clit.
“Fuck, Sher- too much. God'' you cried out as your muscles sized causing you to spill your juices into his mouth. He licked vigorously making sure to catch every drop. He got on his knees pawing himself through his now tight jeans watching you come down from you high.
“You always cum so quickly huh.” He laughed as you lifted yourself to your elbows rolling your eyes. You looked down at his painfully hard crotch and pulled yourself towards it.
“Only for you, it's so annoying, I want to leave you wanting to know you can’t cum without me.” He hissed at the motion of your hand dragging up his covered length towards his buckle, undoing it quickly and pulling down his trousers as he took off his shirt, discarding it somewhere in the room. He flipped you around and jerked himself as you positioned yourself on your knees, you slick begging for his cock. He grunted as he ran his tip through your folds to your cunt.
He pushed in with a single thrust, his hands instinctively gripping onto your waist. He tried to support your body as he pounded into you, he pushed your face down into the mattress. He fitted into you so well, he filled all the gaps and reached all the places other men just always seemed to miss, not that there were many other men.
F-fuck, feels s-good.” You hummed as he brought his thumb down to your twitching clit. The bed creaked and squealed with you, it wasn’t the most sturdy thing.
“Fuck, good girl. You gonna cum for me?” He rested one hand on your lower back. You tried to speak but were only capable of muttering some inaudible phrases so just stuck to nodding. His thrusts became more infrequent and harder and your thighs began to shake. Your orgasm ignited a final push in him causing him to force himself even deeper in. The sound of the final screw falling from the bed frame didn’t deter him. He let loose as he pulled himself from you cumming in your lower back and flopping on the bed beside you leading the left side to drop to the floor.
“Fuck me.” You said through breathless pants
“You broke my bed.” Sherlock said, panting himself
“We broke your bed.” You correct “again” you sigh
You look at each other and laugh, you lie there laughing for a moment.
“Thankyou.” Sherlock presses his lips to yours.
“I just want to make you happy.”
“You always do.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Taglist: @rmoonstoner
(there was somone else but when i put in your user i couldn't find it)
#bbc sherlock#benedict cumberbatch#sherlockbbc#kinktober#kinktober 2023#october#sherlock x reader#sherlock holmes x reader#sherlock holmes x female!reader#sherlock fanfic
164 notes
·
View notes
Text
It seems like y'all have a propensity to tie polls on my Tumblr.
So... for the first blog, "Gee Clear, why DO you like The Dancing Men so much?"
The answer is two fold.
On every technicality, it was my first Sherlock Holmes story. But not in the way you think.
When I was in high school, I took an Honors Forensic Science class. We learned quite a lot of everything, from Lecoq to the very first autopsy(Caesar!), to toxicology, and: The Dancing Men cipher.
This was one of the things we'd do, while we worked on learning forensics in class, and on Fridays, there was a time where we learned how to write and decode the Dancing Men cipher, while we watched Forensic Files, or worked to solve one of our final projects: solve the dead body's murder in our classroom. (Mannequin! Not actually a dead body.)
So, already, I associate the story with intensely happy teenage memories.
When I did find the story, through both the book, and Granada Sherlock Holmes, it also provided both an intense fascination into both Human tragedy, and the complex state of Victorian horror.
This is the second story where Holmes failed, in the sense that his client died before he could help. The way his despair is described is intricate and vivid, and it hits home just how much despite his insistence that he is a machine, a man without a heart:
He is not. He has one. And it bleeds openly on the page, for he failed, and his client died.
Again.
And it makes for an exquisite tragedy for all involved, especially with the added despair of Elsie, in her grief, turning the gun on herself.
For horror? There is horror here. I suppose it comes in the form of dramatic irony, that while reading through the story, knowing the cipher and knowing what it means, makes the story not of what will happen, but knowing there is an inevitability of what will happen.
That failure is quite literally written into the story. And something like that, to both a younger, teenage Clear, and an adult Clear now, is chilling.
Of course, the Granada episode is also a lovely adaptation that also drives home the Victorian horror. The scenes of Hilton Cubitt having nightmares from the Dancing Men, Elsie's turmoil, and the final, deadly confrontation, to even Holmes’s eagerness at solving the Cipher are beautifully played out.
So that is why I adore 'The Adventure of the Dancing Men,' laid out in full.
#sherlock holmes#acd canon#acd holmes#acd watson#granada sherlock#granada watson#the adventure of the dancing men#you asked why I love it#And here's my answer#Please please please read Dancing Men#It's worth it. 🙂
25 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Way Back Home (Spencer Reid x Reader) - Prologue

The Way Back Home (Spencer Reid x Reader) - The Prologue Word Count: 4001 Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Warnings: major angst, major fluff, mentions of murder, crime scenes, near-death experiences, slow-burnish romance, death, canon violence, rape, swearing, guns, knives, prostitution, canon cuteness of the team. Spoilers: Maeve's death, mentions of previous cases or canon events from seasons 1-10.
Spencer and you have an unspoken connection with one another. Nothing has ever happened between you two, especially since everything went down with Maeve, but your love has grown and overcome and is now clear as day to everyone. However, just when Spencer builds up enough courage to ask you out officially, you're requested on an undercover mission that halts your budding relationship in its tracks.
Months go by without a word from you until bodies of prostitutes start showing up in New York and the BAU is brought in to help. Spencer and you finally reunite as both your cases collide, but your lives and your love are both on the line now.
Will you and Spencer be able to find the way back home this time?
Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Epilogue
~~~
You released a tired, relieved sigh as you and the rest of the team exited the elevator and walked back into the bullpen. You'd just landed back after a week in Utah chasing a serial killer who turned out to be a mormon. He killed in the name of burning out the false children of God from humanity - literally. The Unsub managed to burn six innocent people alive before they apprehended him.
'I cannot wait to go home for a hot bath and a good glass of scotch,' Rossi said, rubbing at the kink in his neck from the sleep home on the plane.
'Ditto,' Alex said. 'James is home for the weekend, and he has promised me some home made pie that I am very much looking forward to.'
You smiled as you reached your desk, the echo of the others adding to the conversation of what they were looking forward to when they got home warming the usually busy room as they passed you. A sense of comfort and relief washed over you as you placed your go-bag on your desk. Hearing all your friends' voices back in the office after a mission was never a guarantee, so you relished every time you heard them, regardless of the conversation.
You looked up when a figure entered your peripheral vision, and that comfort and warm feeling spread further through you when you saw who it was.
'What about you, Y/N?' Spencer said by way of greeting, a soft smile gracing his own tired features. 'What is waiting for you at home on this fine Friday evening?'
You paused to think about it for a second, a content smile tugging at your lips at the thought. 'Well, unless I've been robbed in the last few days, I will be enjoying a nice glass of moscato while I order pasta from the restaurant below my apartment, and snuggle in with my book that I've spent literally months trying to finish,' you said dreamily, the thought of good food and good wine and a good book sounding almost too good to be true. But Garcia had informed the team before landing that no new cases had been submitted and so you had the weekend to yourselves.
'That all?' he asked, amusement dancing on his lips.
You chuckled, shaking your head. 'I know. First Friday night home in DC in a while and I am choosing to stay at home instead. The utter shame of it all.'
You both laughed, and it pleased you to see his amber eyes light up after the long week you'd had.
'I didn't mean that as a bad thing,' Spencer said, brushing a stray curl from out of his eyes. Even though it was the shortest length it'd ever been, some rogue curls still managed to dangle out of confinement every once in a while. 'What book are you reading?'
'Don't laugh at me, but... The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.'
Spencer's brow furrowed curiously. 'Why would I laugh? I love Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's work.'
You shrugged, casually leaning against your desk as you crossed your arms. 'I know, it just seems a little silly that a federal agent is reading some old detective stories.'
'Actually, Doyle was one of the forefathers of detective fiction, as he brought in the concept that the science of deduction isn't just physical evidence but psychological observations. He created a space where all the sciences we know today can help in solving crime, and actually paved the way for more psychological avenues to be taken more seriously in academia and law enforcement. If you think about it, without Sherlock, you and I may not have our jobs as profilers right now.' Spencer paused when he realised he was rambling, and despite your soft, encouraging smile, he saw the tired blankness in your eyes.
Spencer licked his lips before speaking again. 'What I'm trying to say is... I don't think it's silly at all.'
You nodded your thanks although you knew you didn't need to. 'So what about you?', you asked in return. 'What will entertain Dr. Spencer Reid on this "fine Friday evening"?'
His words repeated back to him kept the smile on his face, more importantly the life in his eyes. But he began to fiddle with the strap of his satchel bag, and you couldn't help but notice he slightly swayed. Like he was nervous or something. It was cute.
He was cute.
You forced the rising heat in your cheeks to stay underneath the surface to not give away your embarrassment or your inner thoughts. Thoughts you'd been having since the day you'd met him six years ago. Thoughts that you'd suppressed so as to not interfere with your work, and then later so it wouldn't ruin your hard-built friendship.
When he told you about Maeve, you'd had mixed feelings. Of course, you'd been ecstatic for him that he'd found someone he could be himself with, and even more so when he disclosed to you that no one else knew about her - just you. But you couldn't deny the twinge of sadness that pulled at your heart knowing that that someone he could be himself with wasn't you.
But you hadn't hesitated, hadn't faltered when he'd needed a shoulder to cry on when Maeve was killed. Once he decided to open up and accept help, you were first in line to help keep the young doctor afloat in his sea of grief and loss.
It's been over a year since Maeve's death now, and while she would always remain important in his heart, he had, for the most part, moved on, slowly getting back to be his usual, quirky, logical self.
The past year and a bit has only brought you two closer together, and as much as you have tried to hide how amazing that makes you feel, you've had plenty of conversations with Penelope and others on the team about finally asking the boy wonder out. It's not like you didn't want to, but if Maeve was his type of girl, you just weren't sure you were what Spencer was looking for in a romantic partner. Besides, you were happy with your friendship.
It was by far the most precious relationship you had aside from your family - why ruin it?
You quickly realised you'd both been silent for a while, Spencer still not having answered your question yet. 'Spence?' you prompted gently.
The cute doctor managed to grasp his satchel strap fiercely and ground himself back in the present. 'R-Right. I too have a book at home. The one you got me for my birthday, actually.'
'Oh yes!' The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. You'd been hooked from the first line, and by the time you finished, all you could think about was how much you thought Spencer would enjoy it. So you instantly wrapped up your own personal copy and waited for Spencer's birthday to roll around. You never told him it was yours, you just hoped he didn't notice the slight bend in the spine or minuscule tears in some pages from you flipping them too quickly. 'I've been meaning to ask you if you enjoyed it or not. I just assumed you'd read it already.'
'We've just been so busy with cases lately. I haven't had time to even consider picking it up.'
You rolled your eyes. 'Come on, we both know you could've finished that book on one of our plane rides.'
He shrugged, eyes dipping for a moment before landing back on you. 'I know. I guess... I just wanted to give it the time and attention it deserved,' he settled on, and the honesty in both his words and his eyes threatened to steal your breath.
A silence that rested between comfortable and awkward settled upon you two. This had happened many times in recent weeks although you weren't quite sure why. Regardless of your hidden feelings and the tragedy of Maeve, neither of you lost your comfortability with one another.
'So... we've both got book dates tonight,' you said in an attempt to break the silence. The rest of the team was still chatting just a little away from them, but it felt like it was just the two of you sometimes when you talked.
'Well, actually, maybe...' Spencer started, and his fingers were twitching again. 'I was wondering if maybe you'd want t-to bring your book over and... join me, tonight.'
The request wasn't an unusual one. In fact, you'd conducted your own mini book club between the two of you on plenty of occasions. Mainly because you both found out you were the kind of people that liked your personal time and space, but didn't like the thought of being completely alone. This wasn't new, but it warmed your heart all the same at the gesture.
'That sounds great, Spence!' you said heartily. 'Give me half an hour and I'll be around at yours-'
'Actually,' Spencer interrupted, 'I was thinking we could grab some dinner together first. You know, like at a restaurant or some place you can sit in at.'
'...Like a date?' you asked softly, breathlessly. The words just kind of slipped from you before you even contemplated how they would affect Spencer. It just felt natural and right.
Your heart pounded like a jackhammer between your ribs, but you were more concerned at what expression Spencer would pull in the next five seconds.
To your relief, he smiled that small little smile of his that spoke volumes of his insecurity but also of his genuine intentions. 'Yeah. I guess it is like a date,' he finally replied.
Oh my goodness. He was nervous. His words were rushed and higher-pitched in tone. but you still managed to understand him, as well as what dinner implied.
A half-smile pulled at your lips. 'Dr. Spencer Reid,' you began softly, half-scared, half-excited to speak the words you'd been holding back for so long. 'Are you asking me out on a date right now?'
At your words, his anxiety seemed to disappear, as he stopped fidgeting with the satchel strap and took a daring step closer to you. 'I guess I am.'
You couldn't stop it now, the smile of pure joy you'd been holding back from splitting your face open. After years of suffering silently, of repressing the truth, it was all worth it for that one question.
'So what do you say, SSA Y/N L/N,' he quipped cheekily. 'Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?'
The answer was right there in the tip of your tongue, almost spewing from you, when your name was called out across the bullpen for all to hear.
The globe of silence and serenity that had built around Spencer and yourself suddenly shattered as you both, alongside the rest of the team, turned to Hotch standing in his office doorway. But while you all looked at him, his hard gaze was honed in on you.
'L/N,' he called again, having your attention now. 'Can I see you in my office, please?'
You looked between him and Spencer, unsure who to answer first. In the end, you were still technically on the clock so you nodded at your boss and said, 'Sure, I'll be in there shortly.'
'This can't wait, I'm sorry.'
It was the seriousness and discomfort in his voice that caused you to throw aside your personal agenda, giving Spencer an apologetic look before quickly making your way through the bullpen, up the stairs and into his office. You tried not to look at your team too much as you did, but you felt their gazes on the back of your head nevertheless.
They were just as confused as you were, then.
'Close the door,' Hotch instructed gently, to which you obliged. He pointed to the seat on the other side of his desk. 'Have a seat.'
'Everything okay, Hotch?' you asked, taking a seat in the chair. 'Oh no. Did I make an error in one of my reports again?'
'No, nothing like that,' he reassured you, which didn't help your already built up worry. For a moment, it was just you two sitting in his office in silence; you waited for him to explain his mysterious actions, while he seemed to struggle to find the right words.
He never struggled to find the right words.
You leaned forward in your seat, worry furrowing your brow. 'Hotch. What's wrong?'
'Nothing is wrong, so to say,' he insisted, but his frown remained. 'I've just been in contact with your old unit chief from Organised Crime. They believe there is an underground operation being conducted by gang leaders in Manhattan that involves the transporting, selling and purchasing of girls and women in the prostitute industry.'
'Okay,' you drawled out, more confused than ever. 'What has this got to do with us?'
'It doesn't,' Hotch answered immediately. 'Just you. Your old unit chief wants you back to go undercover in the case.'
'What?' You stood up from your seat instead of shouting, but goodness it took all your strength not to. 'Why do they need me? They have a whole squadron of agents to choose from.'
'They want a profiler to help them find out who these people are first, then go undercover and become part of the operation's inner circle and report back to them,' Hotch explained, although his tone displayed his displeasure in saying so. 'Y/N, you have more experience in undercover missions than anyone else on this team, even before you joined us as a profiler.'
You knew his words to be true, but the reality of it all was an ever-growing weight on your chest. 'What they are asking, Hotch, could take weeks, months even. Those kind of people will not trust so easily,' you tried reasoning with him.
You couldn't help but look through the blinds to your team still standing and talking outside in the bullpen. To Spencer, who had joined the team since you had left, but just looked at the window as if he could find out what was going on behind the glass and blinds if he looked long enough. It broke your heart to think you wouldn't see him for months, maybe even years.
Because that was the thing with undercover missions. Once you assumed the life of someone else, your old life became non-existent. That meant no contact with anyone outside of the case as a safety precaution.
That meant no talking to Spencer, or anyone in the BAU, until the case ended. Or unless you were killed, in which case you wouldn't be able to do a lot of talking anyways.
You turned back around at the sound of Hotch standing from his seat and coming around the desk to speak directly in front of you, no walls to hide behind. 'You know I wouldn't be asking if I hadn't tried to change their mind first. But even I can't argue that you are the best agent for the job.'
You nodded your understanding even if you hated to admit he was right. 'I guess it's not one of those jobs that I can decline, is it?'
Hotch shook his head regrettably. 'Head Chief requested for you personally. You've already been taken off the roster here at the BAU so you're not disturbed by other cases.'
Hearing that was just rubbing salt in the wound, and you hated the burning feeling of tears rising at the back of your eyes. You were already gone from here, like a ghost that didn't realise she was one to begin with.
Hotch's hand rested heavy on your shoulder as he comforted you. 'We can discuss your return to work when your mission is over. You will always have a place with us, Y/N.'
You attempted a smile, but it was strained as you tried to force back tears. You wiped at the strays that dribbled down your cheeks, pulling yourself back together before speaking again. 'All right. How long do I have before I am expected in the Big Apple?'
'There's someone waiting for you at your apartment already. They'll take you to their headquarters when you're done packing tonight.'
You sucked in air as you felt your whole world tilt unstably. Tonight. You had to leave tonight. Again, you found yourself seeking out Spencer through the half-closed blinds.
'So what do you say, SSA Y/N L/N? Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?'
You bit your lip as you blinked your tears away, trying but failing to ignore the cry of your heart as its strings were pulled harshly. 'Tonight?' you asked in the hope you'd misheard.
But no such hope existed, unfortunately.
'Yes,' Hotch said, that one word the final nail in the coffin of your impending suffering. 'I'm sorry. This goes without saying, but don't mention any of this to the team as you leave. Only myself and Section Chief Cruz will know where you are and the details of your mission.'
You huffed out a joyless laugh. 'Hiding truths from a team of profilers is like playing poker with a mirror attached to your face,' you said, and you didn't bother to hide your displeasure and sadness when you did. 'They're going to ask questions, and they will find out the truth eventually.'
'Let me worry about that,' Hotch said gently, letting go of you and leaving a cold mark where his hand once was. 'You've got bags to pack.'
'Right.' You sucked in a few deep breaths before making your way to the door. tears burned at your eyes again but you couldn't let the team see you like this. You couldn't let Spencer see you like this.
Because you had a job to do. And you always finished a job.
Before you could open the door handle, however, Hotch stopped you once more. 'Y/N.'
You looked at him, forcing an expression of blankness and indifference. 'Yes, sir?'
He must've seen your inner struggle, as he offered one of those genuine smiles of his that were oh so rare. 'We'll see you when you get back,' he said.
It wasn't a promise or a done deal, but it was the most hope you could ask for right now. So you smiled your thanks, nodded your goodbye, and opened the door back into the bullpen.
Immediately, all eyes set upon you and the room grew quiet. Your first instinct was to cry, then to run, then to blurt everything out because you hated keeping secrets. But you remembered what had just been said, and you whipped a bright smile onto your face to hide your despair.
'Don't you guys have homes to go to?' you asked cheerily, walking down the stairs as casually as possibly. You would've bee-lined for your bag, but if you moved too quickly they would suspect something. 'I recall hot baths and scotch were awaiting most of us, are they not?'
Thankfully Rossi took the bait, and picked up his go-bag in a huge huff. 'The lady is right. I spend enough time with you people as is, I am not wasting anymore not drinking and soaking.'
'Soaking in what? The bath or scotch?' JJ asked, also picking up her go-bag to make her way back to the elevator.
The group devolved into laughs and other jests, and you breathed a sigh of relief as you picked up your go-bag and followed them. Before you could though, a gentle call of your name halted you in your tracks, out of both politeness and frozen fear.
'Hey,' Spencer started, looking between you and Hotch's office. 'What was all that about?'
'Oh, uh, nothing super important,' you said, scrambled as you words were. 'Just a paperwork issue. Again.'
He broke out in smile that set your heart aflutter despite your inner turmoil. 'You know, you really shouldn't do paperwork on the plane when you're tired if you're just going to make a mistake. You're better off leaving it to the morning when your brain and body has rested enough to comprehend what the paperwork is asking of you.'
'Well sorry if I don't want to do a mountain of paperwork when I come back into the office,' you countered, grateful for the playful distraction as you made it over to the elevator. The others were just piling in when Spencer halted you again.
'So...' he dragged out, eyes flickering between you and teh floor nervously, '...what do you say?'
'To what?' you asked.
'To dinner. You didn't have time to give me an answer before.'
Shit. Your voice failed you now as you grasped at words - any words - to tell him. Your heart screamed yes, but there was someone waiting for you back home. A home you wouldn't be visiting for who knows how long.
Capitalising on your gaping mouth, you forced out a yawn and feigned covering it up out of embarrassment. 'Oh my goodness, sorry about that. Um, actually, now that you mention it, I am pretty beat. I'm just... going to go home and sleep it off if that's all right.'
It pained you to see his smile drop at your words, to see the hope leave his beautiful eyes at your rejection. And you knew you shouldn't say anything or make promises you couldn't keep, but you couldn't just leave him with no hope.
'Maybe next week sometime,' you offered, hoping your smile could bring some of that light back. 'You know, you've never tried the Italian Restaurant under my apartment before. We could go there. On me.'
Instinctively, you reached for his hand, relishing in the warmth it held and brought into you. To your relief, he didn't pull away. Instead, you got your smile back, and a little light returned to his eyes. You were kind of glad you wouldn't be around when the light left him completely.
'Okay,' he said softly, surprising you with a gentle squeeze of your hand in his. 'It's a date.'
'Yeah,' you replied, trying and failing to push aside the fluttering sensation his words gave your heart. You were only prolonging not only your pain, but his.
Selfish. So selfish.
'Come on, you two,' Derek called out from the elevator. 'I can't hold these doors open forever. Savannah will kill me if I miss our dinner reservations.'
You both quickly made it in to the elevator before Derek let them close on you, and then you were caught up in the chaos that was your team. You weren't sure how you got onto the topic of what scotch goes best with what foods, but you didn't care. It made you happy to know they never let the weight of a dark case get in the way of living their own lives to them fullest.
You all reached the car park and before you could make a run for your car, Spencer called out to you. 'See you Monday, Y/N!'
You turned back around to face not only him, but Derek, JJ, Penelope, Alex, and David as they all slowly went for their cars too.
You caught yourself staring at them, taking their happy faces in one last time before you left them behind. Hotch said you'd always have a place with the BAU, but you weren't sure how long this mission would take. And if you'd be replaced by then.
You forced a smile onto your face and waved them farewell. 'Yeah, see you then.'
You hated the bitter taste the lie brought to your mouth, but you managed to keep it together long enough that you got in your car and drove out of the car park without any more issues. That's when the tears came.
You wouldn't be there next Monday, and were not getting that date with Spencer next week.
It hurt you more to think that you may not get that date at all.
#spencer reid#spencer x reader#spencer reid x reader#spencer reid imagine#spencer reid x you#Spencer reid fanfiction#spencer reid fluff#spencer reid fic#spencer reid angst#romance#angst#david rossi#derek morgan#jason gideon#jennifer jareau#slowburn#aaron hotch hotchner#criminal minds imagines#criminal minds x reader#criminal minds#criminal minds fanfiction#emily prentiss#alex blake#kate callahan#mafia#detective#fbi#fbi investigation#friends to lovers#mateo cruz
237 notes
·
View notes
Text
The Sign of the Four

The one with a lot of racism in it. And I wondered why I hadn't read it before!
Sherlock Holmes and John Watson are back for their second adventure, and are entreated by one Mary Morstan to discover why she has been receiving valuable pearls in the mail. From there, a conspiracy is uncovered, and we will learn the meaning of the sign of the four...
A lot of this book has to do with England's colonization of India, and its perception of the Andaman Islands. The mystery element is one I'll get to in a second, but so much of the reveal is tied into this geopolitical atmosphere that you can't really separate this very stunted British perception from your enjoyment of the book. The subjugation of India is, surprisingly, the less egregiously bad in this book.
Now, the only experience I have with the history of England and India in any detail is from the movie RRR. So some things that are particularly wrong will go over my head; I don't know the history of the strife between the Sikh and Hindu religions, so I can't say whether the characters who displayed this animosity did so accurately or not. There is some noted disdain for the people of India by Englishmen, but much of this is filtered through the viewpoint of a murderer, and a rather cold one at that, so while it's jarring one could argue it's in-character. But there is an understanding that England is only doing what's best for India, and people are revolting and resisting them for no good reason. It feels very much of the time, sadly.
What's worse is the treatment of the Andaman people. Watson notes them as a dark, savage, brutish people, given to wanton violence and cannibalism. This last claim is just plain false, a rumor that the gullible British continued to propagate. The disdain for hunter-gatherer societies is depressing but not unexpected for this kind of book (maybe a little depressing knowing that Doyle does preach anti-racism in a later story) but the sheer viscera that Watson has for this character is unmatched, and the story treats this character, Tonga, as entirely unintelligent and incapable of agency. It's an uncomfortable portrayal, and one that will continue to age worse on Holmes' legacy.
But after the mystery itself, there's a lot here that's quite good. The mystery of the pearls unravels into something larger, a murder whose perpetrator Sherlock Holmes is able to deduce pretty quickly, but then the story turns to figuring out how to catch him. There is a boat chase down the Thames in this book that was quite exciting, not something I expected from Arthur Conan Doyle. And the methods Holmes uses to track them down feel clever, even if I don't know of their utility in real life.
We also get a hint here of the sexism that Holmes has wiped away in A Scandal in Bohemia. Though by the end of the story we do get confirmation that Sherlock Holmes is almost entirely asexual and aromantic, he also has a dismissive attitude towards Mary Morstan, something Watson notes with disgust. I would have liked to have read this book before I started reading the other Sherlock Holmes stories, because I feel like his getting duped by Irene Adler would be all the sweeter having known he was such a prig before.
The explanation of the ultimate conspiracy, the titular sign of the four, is not all that interesting. I would not find this a fault of the story - there are enough other exciting things happening in the story to draw attention - but like A Study in Scarlet before this, there is a very long explanation and story told by the criminal to Sherlock Holmes and company. It's not nearly so long, but it is 10 times less interesting.
Finally on the more minor note: Doyle can't write romance. Mary and John Fall in Love by the end of this story despite only having known each other for less than 2 weeks. It is a very dramatic, flowery, "romantic" conversation, and while I think they've got the start of a very good friendship I don't believe that they would be in love by the end of it. Might be the asexuality talking.
In conclusion: this book is uncomfortable to read with 21st century eyes. As a historical document it is disgusting and telling, but as a story for casual readers I don't think it's too important and I don't think it would be a hot take to say that you could skip past it.
#the sign of four#sherlock holmes#john watson#arthur conan doyle#detective books#Literature#classic literature
9 notes
·
View notes
Note
Heyyyyy any lists and recs for Victorian Johnlock?? Thxxx sm I love all the work u put into this
Hi Nonny!
You know what??? I haven't put up a new list in AGES, but I don't have personal updates of my own recs, BUT I also REALLY NEED a list for this weekend, so GUESS WHAT??? You're the ask that I'm going to just tag-search my MFL list and make a Part Two :) So PLEASE NOTE I haven't read any of these and I'm not 100 on if they are Victorian AUs or ACD Canon. I just go based on what people recced to me or what I saw tagged.
If anyone has any fics that they wuold like to suggest, please do add them below! Enjoy!
VICTORIAN AU Pt. 2 (MFLs)
See also:
Victorianlock
ACD Canon
Long ACD Canon (MFLs)
Granada Holmes Fics (MFLs)
Victorian Meets Modern Johnlock
Regency AU (TO READ) [I know it's a different era but this is so that people know I have a list for "a similar era"]
2 Bits by Ewebie (M, 717 w., 1 Ch. || TABlock/Victorianlock || Shaving Each Other, UST/URT) – It was the quiet moments. The peace behind closed doors and drawn curtains. At the end of a case. At the end of a long day. At the end of their ropes, but away from society’s prying eyes. That was the foundation upon which the rumors were spread. Part 11 of the Tumblr Shorts series
Happy birthday, Sherlock Holmes! by Holmes_WatsonACSAneroxiaDalt (G, 1,665 w., 1 Ch. || Victorian AU || Established Relationship, Love Confessions, Light Angst, First Kiss, Idiots in Love, Hurt Sherlock) – During the journey, Holmes was overcome by a million overwhelming feelings. Today is his birthday. His birthday. And Watson, dear Watson, his sun in the sky, his purpose in life, had not achieved this. Maybe he forgot, but he couldn't blame him. A story were Watson forgot the birthday of Holmes. Or not?
The first time I ever saw your face by Vanimelda4 (G, 2,164 w., 1 Ch. || 1895 Victorian AU / TABlock || PODFIC AVAILABLE || POV Sherlock, Fluff and Angst, Meta Fic) – "Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."
The Picture of Sherlock Holmes by CarmillaCarmine (M, 3,306 w., 1 Ch. || Victorian Dorian Gray AU || Angst, Paris, London, Travel, Painting, Major Character Death, Opera, Captain John, First Meetings) – Sherlock Holmes, a rich and frivolous man, after a lifetime of debauchery finally falls in love. His heart chooses Captain Watson.
Detectives, balls and proposals by Winxhelina (T, 5,365 w., 1 Ch. || Victorian Femlock || Genderbending, Disguised Sherlock, Misunderstandings, Falling In Love) – The adventures of Miss Sherlock Holmes and her friend Miss Watson. My attempt at writing Victorian Femlock after reading way too much Jane Austen and ACD. In which there is a ball, a case, a murder and a falling in love...
The Soldier And The Demon by LipstickDaddy (G, 8,998 w., 6 Ch. || Victorian / Demon AU || Strangers to Friends to Lovers, Soldier John, Demon Sherlock, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Protective John, Protective Sherlock, Happy Ending) – Johnlock/Kuroshitsuji AU - 1879. Captain John H Watson of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers is dying from a near-fatal gunshot wound in the Kandahar desert; until a demon saves his life. There’s a catch, though; one day, his saviour will eat his soul.
Iris by Leloi (E, 11,302 w., 1 Ch. || Omegaverse || Time Travel, Mpreg, Infertility, Virgin Sherlock, Friends to Lovers, Established Relationship, Omega Sherlock, Jealous Sherlock) –John Watson was quickly learning to hate the Victorian Era. It wasn’t just the lack of proper medical care… Although that was a rather large component. It was the filth. It was the misery and the lack of regard for human life. Ok… So maybe the lack of proper medical care was a major component. It was difficult being a 21st century medical doctor stuck with 19th century technology. There was some sort of time travel involved. The really strange part is that there was a past version of himself living with a past version of Sherlock Holmes. Ok… So maybe that wasn’t the strangest part either. He seemed to be stuck in an alternate universe.
The Reawakening of John Watson by 221b_careful_what_you_wish_for (E, 20,463 w., 14 Ch. || Historical 1800s American/Victorian AU || Artist Sherlock, Writer John, Angst with Happy Ending, Bisexual John, Period Typical Homophobia, Sensuality, Experienced Sherlock, Pining, Past Drug Use, Slow Burn, Love Confessions, Flirty Sherlock, Frottage, Outdoor Sex, Trust Issues, Minor Character Death, Sexual Tension, Colorado / London, Rimming, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, POV John) – Trying to escape his troubled past in England, John Watson has started a new life in the American West. When he meets the handsome artist Sherlock Holmes, a smoldering attraction is sparked, complicating his quiet, carefully guarded existence. Maybe taking a risk with Sherlock is exactly what John needs to feel alive again...
The Inferno Club by SwissMiss (E, 20,841 w., 1 Ch. || BDSM Omegaverse AU || Alpha / Alpha, Victorian Kinks, Case Fic, Public Sex, Wax Play, Pain Play, Collars) – "I'm easy to find," said the young woman. "Hell, London, gets me every time." The real story behind The Adventure of the Illustrious Client.
An Unexpected Proposal by black_tea (E, 21,699 w., 6 Ch. || Victorian Omegaverse Johncroft || Beta Sherlock, Alpha Mycroft, Omega John, Bonding, Courting, Sexism, Sexual Harassment, Protective Mycroft) – John returns home from Afghanistan to find himself in a difficult situation. It's not easy being an omega without a mate in Victorian England. Though highly competent, most can't seem to see past his status. To make matters worse, he no longer has access to the suppressants handed out by the army. However, a chance meeting puts him in contact with one Sherlock Holmes and leads to something even more unexpected. Suddenly John has the prospect of a better life, if he can only bring himself to take it.
You’ve Got Mail: A Johnlock Victorian AU by MorganeUK (G, 37,112 w., 17 Ch. || Victorian AU / You’ve Got Mail AU || Friendship, Dev. Rel.) – In 1881, Doctor John Watson, veteran of the second Afghan war, inherited a small but prosperous bookshop from his uncle. Against all likelihood, he embraced his new life joyfully and lived happily among his books and... other projects.This is, until the day a nearby store, Holmes & Brother, decided to add a book department to their already enormous store... Unable to find a way to stop his little shop from succumbing under Holmes’ expansion, Watson needs to find help! And who’s better than his dear epistolary friend! Part 6 of the Rom-com adaptations...
The Adventure of the Lost Boy by mydogwatson (T, 38,530 w., 11 Ch. || Victorian AU || Victor Trevor, Neurodiversity, Romance, Case Fic, Angst with Happy Ending, Time Jumps) – Sherlock Holmes makes his way through life as an outsider in Victorian England.
Silence by halloa_what_is_this (T, 44,993 w., 13 Ch. || The Piano Fusion || Victorian Sherlock, Dub Con, Voyeurism, Permanent Mutilation, Johniarty, Mute John) – In 1850, John is a mute young man forced to marry to save his father from indebtedness. His sister as his interpreter and his piano to keep him company, he travels to London to live with his husband James Moriarty. Without John's consent, James sells the piano to his friend Sherlock Holmes, who only asks for lessons from John in return. The lessons turn into a power play between the two when Sherlock proposes a deal: John may earn his piano back one key at a time, certain conditions attached. Part 1 of the Aborted Wings series
Always 1895 by standbygo (E, 45,901 w., 19 Ch. || Oxford Time Travel AU || Time Travel, Friends to Lovers, Case Fic, Victorian, Period-Typical Homophobia, Pining, First Kiss/Time, First Meetings, Slow Burn, Angst With Happy Ending) – Time travelling historian John Watson goes to Victorian era England to study, and meets detective Sherlock Holmes. He finds himself torn between the work he was sent to do, the exciting life of solving crimes, and the extraordinary Holmes himself.
All Our Gifts At Once, or, the Young Sea-man by tiltedsyllogism (T, 48,119 w., 9 Ch. || Victorian Little Mermaid AU || Sacrifice, Pining, Angst, Realistic Fairy Tale, Bittersweet, Botany, Gardens) – John Watson, storyteller and shipwright's son, walks way from his entire life in Portsmouth to follow the mysterious Sherlock Holmes to London.
Vows Made in Wine by love_in_mind_palace (E, 59,837 w., 16 Ch. || Victorian Handmaiden Fusion || Romance, Angst with Happy Ending, Plot Twists, Mystery, Child Abuse, Dubious Consent) – John Watson, a low born young man from the slums of London appears in the farthest corner of country to work as a valet for the young master living in the secluded mansion. Secrets, betrayal, conspiracy. A love blossoming in the most unfortunate circumstances.
The Courtesan by delightful_fear (M, 67,865 w., 20 Ch. || 1860′s Victorian / Prostitution AU || Medical Examination, Alternate First Meeting) – Desperate times call for desperate measures. John takes a job as a live-in doctor in the most exclusive brothel in London, never thinking he would fall under the spell of it's most infamous consort, Sherlock Holmes.
Concurrence by Calais_Reno (M, 70,876 w., 23 Ch. || Historical / Time Travel AU || Mental Institutions, Modern and Victorian Settings, Period-Typical Homophobia, Alternate First Meeting, First Person POV Sherlock) – “How did you come to be in this place?” I have no idea what possessed me. Perhaps the sheer exhaustion of transport had weakened my filter. Or maybe it was simply that as I looked at the young doctor sitting opposite me, his face calm and professional, but bored (Shares a flat with a mate, who is seducing his girlfriend. Down on his luck. Evidence: clothing and shoes are good quality, but worn. Had to pawn his bag, but could have gotten more for the watch. Sentimental…) I had a sudden whim to give him an interesting story. I decided that Dr John Watson would at least have something to tell his flatmate tonight when he arrived back at his shabby little flat. Or maybe his girlfriend, if she hadn’t left him yet. And the truth was even more interesting than anything I could make up. Part 1 of the Concurrence Universe series
Observations on Sentinels and Guides in Victorian London by RyuuzaKochou (T, 89,181 w., 13 Ch. || Victorian Sentinel / Guides AU || Action/Adventure, Hurt/Comfort, Romance) – A Victorian era AU where Sentinels and Guides are members of everyday society. Starring Sentinel! Holmes and Guide! Watson.
The Stories in Our Veins by victorianpining (E, 101,717 w., 29 Ch. || Dracula Crossover / Victorian / Vampire AU || Unreliable Narrator, Blood and Injury, Blood Drinking, Gaslighting, Mental Instability, Depression, Suicidal Thoughts, Strangers to Lovers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Angst with Happy Ending) – You hold in your hands a leather-bound book inscribed with the title The Stories in Our Veins. No author is named by the cover. On the first page, the following passage has been written in an elegant, cursive hand: A confederate who foresees your conclusions and course of action is always dangerous, but one to whom each development comes as a perpetual surprise, and to whom the future is always a closed book, is indeed an ideal helpmate. Sherlock Holmes in “The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier,” written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1926.
Fin de Siècle Series by Calais_Reno (M, 102,149 w. across 20 works || Victorian AU || Alternate First Meeting, Friends to Lovers, Alternating POV, Misunderstandings, Period-Typicall Homophobia, Love Declarations, Grief/Mourning, Victorian Attitudes, Marriage of Convenience, True Love, Loneliness, Hurt/Comfort) – Holmes and Watson meet and commit themselves to one another, in spite of laws that make their relationship illegal. Holmes confronts Moriarty at Reichenbach hoping to end his influence in the government; he falls, but does not win. Moriarty's machine continues. While Holmes tries to make his way back to England, Watson, believing Holmes dead, suffers the consequences of their opposition to Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's successor. Finally reunited after several years, Holmes and Watson work to end the corruption that has taken over Britain's government.
Riptide Lover by jinglebell (E, 114,090 w., 20 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Merfolk & Victorian AU || Mermaid Sherlock, Human John, BAMF John/Sherlock, Possessive Sherlock, Oral Sex, Hand Jobs, Mild Gore, Dubious Interspecies Consent, Stockholm Syndrome, Dark Romance, Dubcon and Morality, Rough Sex, Abstract Mentions of Rape, Size Queen, Switchlock, Foot Fetish) – The year is 1866. When John becomes swept overboard, he never expects to encounter a living creature of myth. When the merman absconds with John, the lost sailor must use every tool at his disposal to convince Sherlock not to kill him. But it seems that killing John Watson is not what the deadly, beautiful creature has in mind at all...
WIPS / SERIES WIPS
Give Him a Mask by AStudyInAlgedonics (T, 10,382+ w., 2/6 Ch. || Sentinel / Guide AU || WiP || Alternate TAB, Sentinel Sherlock, Guide John, Drug Use, Not Nice Mary, Love Confessions) – Sherlock Holmes doesn't zone. Until he does, coming back from his near-exile, so hard that he strips John Watson's shields and draws him into the Victorian enigma of the Abominable Bride Emelia Ricoletti. But what he claims is a simple experiment in the mind palace proves to be far deeper waters than Sherlock meant to plumb, and if John can't break away from the script Sherlock's set him to, this strange zone may drown them both in the dark of the Reichenbach cauldron...
To Belong Series by DrFish (T, 19,400+ w. across 4 works || Series WiP || Victorian / Mythical AU || OctoJohn, Scientist Sherlock, Attempted Kidnapping, BAMF John, Protective / Possessive John, Developing Relationship, Being Lost, Size Difference, Capital Punishment, Happy Ending) – William Sherlock Scott Holmes failed to graduate the University of Cambridge class of 1877. Adrift in London, he accepts a post as assistant naturalist on a scientific expedition to the Western Pacific Ocean aboard Her Majesty's Sailing Ship Frontier. Events do not proceed quite as planned and Sherlock finds himself cruelly cast away by his shipmates. Perhaps he will find salvation in the company of a most unlikely sea creature.
20,000 leagues under the sea: A Victorian Sherlock AU by MorganeUK (G, 30,544+ w., 15/? Ch || Victorian Steampunk AU || WiP || Scientist Sherlock, Submarines) – The Holmes Brothers are living under the sea, protected from the world violence and general stupidity… Alone, with only a small crew, they explore the world inside their submersible. Perfectly satisfied and unaware of their loneliness, until they meet Captain Lestrade and Doctor Watson from the Royal Navy.
This Land We Have Chosen by redscudery (E, 86,309+ w., 16/19 Ch. || WiP || Victorian Canadian Farm AU || Farmer John, Prostate Milking/Massage, Mutual Pining, Colonialism, Demisexual Sherlock, Complicated Relationships, Slow Burns, UST, Awkwardness, PTSD, Panic Attacks, Virgin Sherlock, Canadian Politics, Angst with Happy Ending) – It’s 1866. John Watson is a former army doctor who served in India. He left the service after a mysterious traumatic incident and has been farming in the backwoods of Canada. Sherlock Holmes is an avid botanist and possible hysteric who is a very loud thorn in his brother Mycroft’s side. Since Mycroft wishes to run for Parliament during the first Canadian election, he knows he needs his troublesome younger brother out of their hometown of Carleton before he can precipitate any scandal—and what better place for a botanist than a backwoods farm? Especially when it’s run by someone who just might be able to treat Sherlock’s hysteria? Part 2 of the The Backwoods of Canada series
Untitled Nobility Series by hannahrieu (E, 95,770+w. across 4 works || Series WiP || Victorian AU || Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Dubious Consent, Angst, Mutual Pining, First Time, Friends to Lovers) – John is a servant in Halidon Hall until a tragic accident forces him to leave his home and join the army. After being wounded in battle, he returns to England and finds work as a valet for the Earl of Cornwall's second born son, Sherlock Holmes. Very lightly inspired by Mr. Bates's limp in Downton Abbey.
Fallen Through Time by susandwrites (E, 102,041+ w., 39/? Ch. || Outlander Fusion / Victorian AU || WIP || Time Travel, First Meetings, Meet-Cute, Frottage, Blow Jobs, Anal Sex/Fingering, Riding Crops, Rough Sex, Floor Sex, Breath Play, Light BDSM, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Switching, Romance, Sex to Love) – Inspired by my love of Outlander, but not exactly an Outlander AU. Sherlock Holmes, the world's only consulting detective, finds himself in Victorian London while investigating a murder. The first person he meets is Doctor John Watson, formerly of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers and his world is irrevocably altered.
27 notes
·
View notes