#sherlolly questions

[stlgeekgirl]

sss!

1. music! fair enough on that last one... may i ask what some of your favorite christmas songs are, then?

2. christmas! any favorite christmas movies/tv episodes?

3. random! umm... favorite color and animal. go!

Ack! Sorry about this! Favorite Christmas songs? Okay, my favorite one is an older one "Another Auld Ang Syne" by Dan Fogelberg After that it's New York Christmas by Rob Thomas Favorite Christmas movie? Love Actually. Which, I know it's cool to hate on that now, but I still love it. Um! Blue and Cats. Tada!!! 3 more days to go!

[sherlollyappreciationweek]

Sherlolly, Questions, Part 4

Do you think that Sherlock and Molly are the type of couple to get married or are they life long partners?

[sillygirlsmindpalace]

In Quiet Moments

Do I really know you?

Is the question I ask every day.

I wish my idea of you were true,

But it is my mind with which you play.

Who would befriend such a man,

Who whips corpses for "experiments"?

He's one of a kind, not part of a clan,

Solving cases without any payments.

She calls him a freak; she has enough proof.

The verdict hasn't changed her at all.

And there he goes, all the time aloof,

But no lipstick makes my mouth too small.

He has his saviours, for whom he died;

His bitterness always leaves them in doubt.

I knew he was safe, but still, I cried,

It was hard to believe I really did count.

You mask your wounds for none to see;

Your pleas are taken as manipulations.

Christmas called for belittling me—

Forgiveness became my consolation.

It wouldn't work out, I knew in the end.

I fooled with the doppelganger.

At times, I did seem like a friend—

I was tired of the cliffhanger.

Why did I ask you to have dinner,

When you were ready for the usual?

The moment you thanked me was a glimmer;

Calling me John was just your ritual.

You offered me some fish and chips.

It was something so out of the blue.

Was it you or my heart playing dirty tricks?

Till date, I have no clue.

"Not everybody is a sociopath,"

You pecked me and left me there.

A genius can't do this simple math;

"Just my type," I whispered on the stair.

They all beamed at the bride and groom;

He played the violin, falling apart.

No one danced with him in the crowded room;

I could have stopped his early depart.

I don't put up with you ; it's my pleasure.

So please, don't seek refuge in the haze.

The day the world lowers your celeb measure,

It's my heart that'll still be amazed.

I send, amidst all the hatred,

From far away, a little love and care.

You know you'll find me, amongst the dead,

Or in my abode, which you call your spare.

_______________________________________________

It's bad I know.

So here's a little poem from Molly's POV, that has been in my notes ever since I've started to re-watch the show 🫠

This poem has events till Season 3 because I still haven't started watching Season 4, so it may seem a little incomplete, but here it is 🙈

Hope all Sherlolly enthusiasts enjoy it! 💕

_______________________________________________

[sherlollyandspoilers]

Undercover

Sherlolly Appreciation Week 2024, Day 3 Trope : Fake Dating Barely proof read this, so sorry for any mistakes lol, enjoy!

“No.”

“Yes.”

“Sherlock, I said no.”

“Molly, you agreed to this.”

She stared at the man sitting across from her, annoyance radiating through her body as she stared at him. She crossed her arms tightly over her chest. “I am not dancing with you.”

Clearing his throat, he stood up and straightened his jacket before walking around the table to extend his hand out to her. “Yes, my dear, you are.” He stared down at her, a mask of control. “Molly,” he dropped to a whisper, “this is the best chance for us to be close to the masterminds…it’s for the case.”

She huffed out a sigh through her nose and dramatically slapped her hand into his, rising to her feet.

“Fine. But only for the case.” She fixed a soft smile on her lips and allowed herself to be led to the hotel dance floor.

“Remember, you’re in love with me,” he whispered, letting his lips graze her ear. “We need people to believe that.”

She shook her head as she gave a disbelieving laugh, her fake smile selling the “love” façade. “You’re ridiculous.”  

“How so?” He kept his voice low and face close to hers, but his eyes remained locked on their targets.

“I told you I was done with this fake relationship stuff for cases…yet here we are.” She knew her anger towards him was only partially justified – she should have backed out as soon as he said the word fiancé – but being angry at him was easier than admitting to herself why she kept saying yes to him.

“You’ve enjoyed helping me with previous cases," he said as he continued to gently move them around the dance area. “I am not sure why this case is any different.”

She shook her head before resting her temple on his shoulder, looking away from him. “You know why,” she muttered, feeling tired.

Sherlock’s swaying stopped for a moment before he started moving again. “I assure you, I do not.”

She pressed her eyes tightly together and took a deep breath. Centering herself, she lifted her head, this time a genuine smile, although sad, sat on her lips. He looked at her, slightly taken a back by the abrupt change in demeaner. “What did you say the masterminds were looking for? Happy couples?”

“Delirious with infatuation and out of touch with reality, specifically,” he responded.

“Well then, happy we shall be.”

...

“My goodness!” The woman slapped the table as she giggled. “You two are just the most delightful creatures! Do you think we’ve met any other couples as delightful, honey?” she asked as she turned to the man on her right.

“No, you are right my dear. These two are some of the best people we’ve yet to meet here.” The couple shared a look that was not missed by Sherlock or Molly. “I say, we would love to have you two join us tomorrow night for a special gathering we are having.” He slid a card across the table to Sherlock. “9pm.”

“We’ll be there!” Sherlock took the card and slipped it into his jacket pocket.

“Sounds lovely!” Molly nodded in agreement.

“Well, looks like we should be turning in.” The man gestured to the clock on the wall. “Honey?” He held his hand out as he stood and she took it.

“Oh, yes.” She smiled brightly at Sherlock and Molly. “I look forward to seeing you both there tomorrow.”

“Wouldn’t miss it!” Molly said, only letting the smile drop from her face after they were out of sight.

“Come on.” Sherlock stood and ushered Molly back to their master suite.

“I think that went well,” Molly said once they were back in the room as she started to take off her heels.

“What did you mean when you said, you know why?” Sherlock’s question caught her off guard and she struggled to not slip as she worked her heels off.

“Sherlock…” she trailed off, not sure what to say as he stared at her. Finally, she shrugged and sat on the end of the bed. “You know, I just had a long week and this case was kind of bad timing.”

“No.”

She gave him a questioning look.

“Last case…I kissed you while we were undercover.” He took a couple of steps closer to her.

“Yes,” she whispered.

“But I’d done that before.”

“Yes.” She shifted uncomfortably on the bed.

“And those didn’t bother you.” He moved so he was standing directly in front of her and she had to tilt her head up to look at him.

“Sherlock?” She was unsure where his line of questioning was going.

“This kiss was different because…” this time he trailed off and she could tell he was replaying that night in his mind.

They had been colleagues turned friends for a long time, but Sherlock didn’t often open up about his private life and on that case he had. She had then shared back and something had shifted between them. And while she had always enjoyed kissing Sherlock, even just for pretend, this kiss felt different. The next week she told him she could no longer be his undercover dating partner.

Dropping to his knees, he took her hands in his. “It was different because…I was different?”

She nodded silently. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off. “It wasn’t that you were actually different – you were still Sherlock. But you were Sherlock who let me in…which you so rarely do.”

His eyes flicked to her lips and he hesitated a moment, before leaning in and kissing her. It was soft and gentle but still made her head rush and when he pulled back, she smiled brightly at him. “I’ve always liked kissing you,” he admitted. “When you told me you couldn’t be my undercover dating partner anymore, I am ashamed to admit the disappointment I felt at the idea of no longer having an excuse to kiss you.”

He captured her lips again and kissed her soundly until both their hands were tangled in each other’s hair. Breaking apart, Sherlock slid into the spot on the bed next to her before kissing her again. And again…and again.

When they finally broke apart, Molly spoke, “Maybe we don’t have to pretend to be together anymore.”

[sobeautifullyobsessed]

Happy Valentine's, and you asked me a question, I will answer it, so please do not ignore.

"Unless you mean to say that the ship itself should be his beloved?" You are 3000% correct. As for what drove me to lash out at you before, just ask yeaka.

I'm still not entirely sure what you're aiming to accomplish, hon - but if it's to accuse me of plagiarism, you are seriously barking up the wrong tree. Likewise, if you're angry that I dared to write Khan with an Original Character rather than someone from canon, I truly don't give a fig.

I work in a field where I have to deal with strangers being dishonest with me nearly every day. So much so, that I know a lie within a few moments of our conversation starting. When I share with other folks the myriad ways that Liars have devised to rip off a retailer in the course of returning something, they (as I used to be) are shocked to learn the many ingenious means of deception. My reply is always, 'Well, you wouldn't think of something like that because you're a honest person'. And likewise, it never occurred to me to look up the word 'yeaka' as I figured it was a typo, rather than a basis for an accusation.

However, one of my dear tumblr friends thought to look it up and discovered it's an AO3 penname of someone who writes Khan fic, shipping him with various canon characters. For the record, I don't recall ever reading anything of theirs - nor have I visited their works now out of curiosity. I didn't think to look for myself as some means of defense because I am simply NOT A PLAGIARIST. Every fic I've published is based on my own imagination, including those that resulted from RP with partners who granted me permission to write them.

If on the other hand, you simply can't tolerate shipping Khan (or any canon character) with someone non-canon, I'd advise you to keep to your own lane and block tags for fics that may raise your ire. If you're curious, though, you might discover there is a wealth of fics featuring OCs, as well as stories featuring crossover characters from completely unrelated fandoms. Make a quick search of 'Khanlolly' alone, and you'll find many, many stories featuring romance between Khan and Molly Hooper from BBC Sherlock, basically because he wears Benedict's face. Khanlolly is an offspring of the Sherlolly fandom.

In short, fan fiction Authors are free to play with whatever characters they want in whatever manner they choose. As of today, there are no fic police to restrict what can and cannot be written. If you don't like, don't read. That will ensure peace of mind for everyone involved.

[whispers-soundtrack-project]

Sherlolly

Fanmix Part Four

Part One * Part Two * Part Three

Link to the Spotify Playlist is at the bottom of the post

All of Me (John Legend)

What's goin' on in that beautiful mind? * I'm on your magical mystery ride * And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me * But I'll be alright

Thank You For Loving Me (Bon Jovi)

Thank you for loving me * For being my eyes * When I couldn't see * For parting my lips * When I couldn't breathe * Thank you for loving me

C'est La Mort (The Civil Wars)

Swan dive down eleven stories high * Hold your breath until you see the light * You can sink to the bottom of the sea * Just don't go without me

Always On My Mind (Willie Nelson)

And maybe I didn't treat you * Quite as good as I should have * If I made you feel second best * Girl I'm sorry I was blind * You were always on my mind

That's As Close As I'll Get To Loving You (Aaron Tippin)

I won't be there when you need holding * But I'm sure that he can pull you through * But I can sing this song to everybody * And pretend it's not about you

The Scientist (Coldplay)

I was just guessing * At numbers and figures * Pulling the puzzles apart * Questions of science * Science and progress * Do not speak as loud as my heart

Never Knock (Kevin Garrett)

You are in my head * When my heart's at war * And if I'm ever scared * I'll breathe the air * In front of your door * And I will never knock * But that's as far as I'll go

You Don't Know Me (Alison Krauss)

You give your hand to me * And then you say hello * And I can hardly speak * My heart is beating so * And anyone could tell * You think you know me well * But you don't know me

She's Got a Way (Billy Joel)

She's got a way about her * I don't know what it is * But I know that I can't live without her * She's got a way of pleasing * I don't know what it is * But there doesn't have to be a reason anyway

Sally's Song (Amy Lee)

What will become of my dear friend? * Where will his actions lead us then? * Although I'd like to join the crowd * In their enthusiastic cloud * Try as I may, it doesn't last * And will we ever end up together?

[superlc529]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @esmealux ❤️❤️

How many works do you have on AO3?

I have 29 works on AO3. I've been working on a new Lucifer fic for the past 2 years on and off (mostly off) and that'll be my 30th on the site. However, I do have 63 works on ff.net (29 of them are the same) from various fandoms.

What's your total AO3 word count? As of right now, I have a word count of 179,925 words on AO3. I know that total is sometimes some writers' word count for a single fic. ;)

What fandoms do you write for?

Right now, it's mainly Lucifer (and Supernatural). I've been writing fanfics since I was a sophomore in high school. On ff.net I have written for (in no particular order): Bewitched, The Big Bang Theory, Castle, Doctor Who, Forever, Heroes, Jimmy Neutron, Lucifer, Smallville, Supernatural, Timeless, and Will & Grace.

Top five fics by kudos:

The More Things Change... (Lucifer): 1,090 kudos

Been Down This Road Before (Supernatural): 621 kudos

A Unique Guilt Trip (Lucifer): 548 kudos

Trick-Or-Treating Revelations (Lucifer): 543 kudos

Thanks For Listening (Lucifer): 449 kudos

Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I try to respond to every comment if I can... at least on AO3.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't actually write angsty endings. All my fics have happy endings actually. ❤️

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Oh, wow. Since all my fics have happy endings, it's hard to choose just one... for the ones I wrote over a decade ago, honestly, I can't remember... LOL. Read them if you so choose and pick your own. ;)

Do you get hate on fics?

I would get hate on fics on ff.net but thankfully (not so far) on AO3. When I first started writing fanfics, I interpreted some helpful advice AS hate, but it really wasn't. Thankfully the response is mostly positive on my writing. Sometimes I'll still get some "hate" on ff.net, but I still feel an obligation to post there for consistency since I cross-posted since getting an AO3 account.

Do you write smut?

No. (But I read it).

Craziest crossover:

The only crossover I have written was a Castle & Forever crossover that can be found on ff.net and AO3 called Ties That Bind.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think somebody wanted to translate one of my older Smallville fics back in the day. Honestly, I can't remember which one or if it came to fruition.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not to my memory, but I used to beta all the time for Smallville. And I was a "consultant" on a fanfic on AO3 from a friend for a Forever and Quantum Leap crossover fic. Plus, I bounce ideas off with fandom friends in the Lucifer fanfiction world. ❤️

All time favorite ship?

Uhhhhhhhhhh... I can't say an all-time favorite ship because I love all of my ships equally. But I'll settle for my top two: Clois (Clark Kent and Lois Lane) and Deckerstar (Chloe Decker and Lucifer Morningstar).

What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I've had a WIP for Sherlock/Sherlolly in my documents for quite a few years. It's a time travel one where Sherlock from post S4 gets sent back to the time between the end of S1 & beginning of S2. I don't think that one is ever gonna be finished to be honest. I never post fics until they're finished anyway, so at least there won't be anybody disappointed. ;)

What are your writing strengths?

I try to pride myself on the characters being written in-character - where the reader can actually picture the actor's expressions, mannerisms, etc - like they're watching an episode. Dialogue is definitely where I excel.

What are your writing weaknesses?

I really suck at descriptions. I'm not gonna lie. I have tried to work on setting the scene and character movements, etc but I still struggle with those factors.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I'm not really great at it. If the character is known to say words or phrases in another language, I might write it in a few times, but nothing that needs a long translation.

First fandom you wrote in?

Jimmy Neutron (on ff.net) when I was about 16 years old.

Favorite fic you've written?

I have a few, but honestly I'm more proud of my Lucifer stories and my one Supernatural story, so I'd have to go with a tie between my first ever Lucifer fic: The More Things Change... and my Supernatural fic: Been Down This Road Before. And right now the Lucifer fic I've been working on for 2 years is quickly becoming a favorite too. LOL. We'll see if people like it once I've finished it and started posting. ❤️

---------

Tagging a few of my fandom friends: @my-crazy-awesome-sox, @mightbeawriter, @wendeckerstart, @kaykat666, @thewollfgang and anyone else who wants to or feels inclined to do it! And to those that I tagged, please don't feel obliged to do it. Love oo!! ❤️

[ohifonlyx33]

I was never the biggest Sherlock girlie during the peak of SuperWhoLock Era Tumblr. Just a casual enjoyer of Benedict Cucumbersnatch. In fact, when I finally gave in and watched it (during the wait for S4, probably), I didn't really think it quite lived up to The Hype around it at that time... I'm not really a crime detective girlie... I liked reading some of the meta and such. ANYWAY. All that to say, if you ask me I shrug and agree it's a fine show... But every now and then I see something sherlolly on my dash and I absolutely spiral. Like obsessed lowkey with Molly and Sherlock, even though they probably aren't even in my top 20 ships.

I just forget how absolutely fascinating those two are. Until it blinds me. They really were almost like breadcrumbs in the grand scheme of the show... But if vivisect the show and put the pieces back together, sherlolly can be found everywhere in the textures and patterns. little fingerprints here and there where it makes sense, even if it shouldn't. and some kind of crazy understated chemistry.

That being said, after watching some sherlolly videos, I want to ask the sherlolly stans a question about The Final Problem.... Euros was pretty vague in her reasoning. We know she was just doing research, but her hypothesis wasn't entirely clear... just that she wanted an emotional reaction.

While Euros is studying Sherlock's psyche, she says the impending death, as she understands it, is to be a tragedy... so much unlived life, and words left unsaid. John and Mycroft assume it's for someone who loves Sherlock, and yes they rightfully deduce coffin is meant for Molly... because everyone knows Molly fancies Sherlock. So what if the coffin was originally intended to be meant for someone loved by Sherlock. Someone who would die never knowing he loved her. Someone left alive after she died. Someone who would place that plaque on her coffin after her death... Because Sherlock would never TELL her those words while she was alive.

And Euros wasn't trying to torture Molly in particular.... She was trying to get to her brother... to see how Sherlock responds to emotional context. And she was trying to break him.

I think this is the unspoken interpretation that only Euros and maybe Sherlock really caught. IDK... thoughts?

[writingwife-83]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Thanks for the tag @bg-sparrow this looks like fun! ☺️

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

260 (and rapidly going up, because there’s a bunch more one shots that are currently still in a multi-chapter and I’m working on posting them individually)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

1,528,192 😵‍💫

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly BBC Sherlock and Star Wars. But I’ve also written a fic for The Hunger Games, Loki show, Grantchester, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, and Wonder Woman.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

(I’m not gonna include the fic that technically comes in 4th place because that’s the multi-chapter of one shots which will eventually be deleted completely from AO3 once all the one shots have their own post)

I Told You So (sherlolly)

Alliance (reylo)

Half Agony, Half Hope (sherlolly)

Zephyr (sherlolly)

For Science (sherlolly)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely! There was only one time in my life that I said I couldn’t routinely do that, and that was at the height of popularity for I Told You So. I was posting it on AO3 and ffnet, and also posting the links on here, and I was getting feedback on all three platforms. Which was amazing! But it meant it was a bit much to keep up with. Other than that, I feel commenters deserve a response since they’re giving us writers the thing we want most. ❤️

6. What’s the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

For reylo probably I’m Ready to be Heartbroken and for sherlolly I think it’s a tie between You’re Dying and Congratulations, By The Way.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I truly couldn’t say because I’ve written sooo many with happy endings that Idk what would be happiest 😆

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I’ve gotten the very occasional slightly rude comment over the years, but not what I’d consider hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I never have and I don’t plan to. It’s just not something I want to do. And besides I think there’s always more than enough of that for those who want it. If anything, what tends to be lacking is a large selection of fics without that type of content.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Only think I’ve ever done is a Star Wars AU one shot for sherlolly called Balance.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of, and I don’t know if I’d even want to know because that would be such a huge amount of stress and I’d probably be very limited in what I could do about it.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I’m honored to say that I have! There might be one for I Told You So on ffnet… I can’t remember. But definitely on AO3 there’s a Russian translation of Zephyr and a Chinese translation of For Science

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes, indeed! I’ve co-written two fics with @thisisartbylexie. Alliance for reylo, and Half Agony, Half Hope for sherlolly. Coincidence that those are also in my top 5 kudos? I think not.

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

That’s super hard but if for no other reason than the duration of my creating, I guess I’d have to say sherlolly.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

I don’t think I have an answer for this because the 2 WIP I have at the moment are ones I am definitely in the process of finishing.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think dialogue and internal descriptions for the character. And I guess describing things in a way that help the reader easily hear/see the scene in their mind, since that’s a comment I’ve gotten many times over the years.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Action and mystery. Ironic, given my fandoms lol. I am always so uncomfortable describing action scenes or situations where there’s a lot going on and it’s fast paced. And I absolutely would struggle if I had to come up with a mystery plot line!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

What an interesting question! I’m trying to think if I’ve ever even done this in a fic. 🤔 But I think it’s a great thing to include if the plot calls for it! If I did I’d ideally want to check with someone who is fluent in that language just to make sure I’m not being inaccurate.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

BBC Sherlock (for sherlolly) going on 10 years ago 🥹

20. Favorite fic you’ve ever written?

I genuinely don’t think I can choose. Sometimes I try to when I get this question, but it really is a toss up between a few fics. There’s not one particular one that stands out from the others so much that I’d call it my favorite. But some of my faves are definitely in that list of my top kudos fics that I listed in question 4.

I’ll tag @musicprincess1990 @englandsgray @love-yellow-door @strawberrypatty and whoever else sees this post and feels like participating!

[musicprincess1990]

Sherlolly Appreciation Week - Day 5

Sorry I'm late (again), but here's the promised Musician AU!

~*~

In Perfect Harmony

Very few people knew of Molly’s musical talent, let alone that it had made her a local celebrity. Her name and her eight-year-old face had been on every tabloid and newspaper in England for a solid six months, as she toured alongside the London Philharmonic. Child prodigy Margaret Hooper was on track to become a world-famous violinist, among the ranks of Heifetz, Kreisler, and Perlman. The violin was her life, her purpose, her first true love.

Until the pain started, and she was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Molly didn’t touch her violin for years, even after she had healed. Eventually, though, she picked it back up, but she only played for herself (and perhaps a few nosy neighbours who might have been listening). Never in public, nor even in front of her family. Her once legendary talent had all but slipped away, and though she was still good (as far as she knew), she certainly wasn’t as good. But the joy of simply playing again was all she needed.

She never told a soul. Not her uni mates, none of her boyfriends, not even Sherlock Holmes (although expected he knew just by looking at her). It was somehow comforting to have that secret, and to have music as an escape when she needed it.

Today, she most definitely needed it.

Molly sighed and rolled her shoulders backward in an effort to relax. She couldn’t precisely say why she was in such a foul mood, nothing bad had happened (for her, that is, no doubt the families of her post-mortems would disagree). By all accounts, it had been a perfectly normal day, and yet she felt somehow on edge… restless. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but it felt like something was about to happen.

At that point, Molly was tired of thinking, and more than ready to lose herself in music. She pulled her violin out from her closet and brought it to the sitting room. After applying rosin to the bowstrings, she adjusted the tuning, then tucked the instrument beneath her chin and began to play. The effect was instantaneous. As she coaxed the melody from the strings, all that tension at her back and shoulders washed away, and she let out another sigh. Her eyes fell closed as she slipped into a sort of trance-like state, and all but the music fell away.

As she drew out the final note of the piece, she returned to the here and now, smiling softly and feeling infinitely more at peace. She lowered bow and violin, turning to put them back into their case when—

“SODDING HELL!!”

Molly barely managed to keep from unceremoniously dropping her violin, though the bow was not so lucky, and shot across the room, clattering against a wall, then the floor. Her free hand then flew to her mouth on a reflex, due to the shock of realizing she wasn’t alone.

There stood none other than Sherlock bloody Holmes, staring at her like she’d sprouted an extra head.

Well. So much for the secret.

Molly heaved her third sigh of the night and went to retrieve her bow. “Sherlock, how many times have I asked you not to barge in unannounced?”

He didn’t answer immediately, and she could almost feel his eyes boring a hole into her skull while she put her violin and bow back in the case. When she finally faced him again, he said, “I called twice. You didn’t answer.”

Frowning in confusion, Molly slid a hand into her pocket, only to find her phone wasn’t there, and she realized she’d left it in her room. “Oh,” she said lamely. “Sorry, I… forgot I didn’t have my phone on me.”

Sherlock said nothing, just stared.

“Erm…” she began awkwardly, “so… what do you need?”

Another few moments of uncomfortable staring, and finally, he spoke, but instead of answering her question, he asked one of his own. “Why did you never tell me you played the violin?”

Not particularly wanting to discuss the whole complicated truth, Molly simply shrugged and said, “I thought you knew.”

“How would I have known?” he shot back irritably.

“The same way you know everything about everybody else,” she shrugged again. “I thought you would have deduced it.”

“Well, I didn’t,” he snapped, and it all became clear. He had missed something. By his own admission, he always missed something, but no matter how true that statement might be, it still bothered him when he did. Especially when it was something important, and this, she supposed, was important to him. And judging by the way he still stared at her, he wasn’t happy with the answer she gave him.

“I don’t tell anyone,” she finally continued. “No one outside of my family knows… except you, now.”

“Why?”

Molly had lost count of how many times she’d sighed in the last fifteen minutes, but she let out yet another. “If I’m going to have this conversation with you, I’m going to need wine.”

He rolled his eyes, but left the sitting room and made his way to her kitchen. Molly followed and went straight for the cupboard, where she opened a new bottle of merlot. She pulled out two glasses, raised her eyebrows at him in a wordless question, and at his nod, set one of them in front of him and filled both. His eyes never left her as she took a gratuitous sip, nor as he took a much smaller one from his own glass. Molly took another few swigs before setting hers down, finally ready to talk.

“I started playing the violin at two. My mum and dad told me I’d always loved watching characters and performers on telly who played, and they bought me a toy violin one Christmas. Apparently, I never let it out of my sight, and was constantly playing. At first, I expect it was just random noise, but then I started copying what I heard on telly… and I was good. Within a few years, I was old enough to start lessons, and I excelled. By the time I was eight years old, I was considered a prodigy, and was invited to play with the Philharmonic. I had a good six months as their featured artist.

Here, Molly paused, taking another rather large swallow of her wine. “Then I started having pain in my wrist.” She lifted her left hand and pointed to the spot in question, just on the underside of her wrist.

“Carpal tunnel,” he guessed, and she nodded.

“My parents tried to get me to stop playing, but I didn’t listen. I couldn’t imagine not playing the violin, it was everything to me. But one night, while on stage, it got so bad that I couldn’t play. I tried—God, I tried so hard—but I just couldn’t.”

She bit her lip as the bitter memories flashed through her mind, and finally forced out, “Within a week, the Philharmonic had found a replacement violinist. I was utterly destroyed, depressed for months, and my parents were worried I would harm myself. I didn’t… but I thought about it,” she admitted in a small voice. “It took several weeks of physiotherapy, and years of counselling, for me to heal. And it took even longer before I could even think of playing again. In fact it… it took my father asking me to play at his funeral. I had to rent out a violin that fit me, I’d long since outgrown the one I played as a girl, but I played ‘Danny Boy’ for him, one of his favourite songs. I expect he knew that would reawaken my love for music, and for the violin. And it did… but I still haven’t had the courage to perform.”

Having finished her tale, Molly downed the remaining contents of her glass, then poured another generous helping.

Sherlock, who had hardly touched his wine, took a thoughtful sip. “I suppose I understand why you kept it a secret in general… but why didn’t you tell me?”

Molly shrank back a bit, wrapping her arms around her middle. For a moment, she considered lying to him, telling him that the thought simply hadn’t occurred to her. But lying had never been her strong suit, and even if it were, he would still have seen through it. Still, she knew the words she was about to say would hurt him… almost as much as they would hurt her.

“You already criticise my jokes, my appearance, my taste in men—ironic, that,” she interjected. “I just couldn’t bear to have you criticise this, too.”

Sherlock was silent for a long time, and Molly kept her gaze firmly fixed on her hands, not wanting to see the pity and derision she was sure would be written all over his face. But then she saw him move from the corner of her eye, and she couldn’t help but look up as he stepped closer to her. And in his eyes, she found no trace of pity, not an ounce of derision… but an ocean’s worth of remorse.

“I am sorry, Molly,” he said in a low, serious voice. “I have never wanted to hurt you.”

She smiled sadly at him. “I know.”

His eyes flicked back and forth between hers before he spoke again. “Let me be clear on a few things. First of all, your jokes are ridiculous and groan-worthy, but nevertheless, they’ve always made me smile. Your taste in clothing is… curious, but in fact it suits you, and believe me, you have no reason to be at all insecure about your figure. As to your taste in men…” He took another step toward her, coming within arm’s reach, and forcing her to tip her head back to meet his eye. “To own the truth… the only real problem I’ve ever had with the men in your life is that none of them were me.”

Molly’s mouth fell open. “I… you… what?”

Sherlock’s lips twitched as he fought a smile. “Perhaps I haven’t been clear enough.”

And then those lips were on hers, and his hands bunched the fabric of her jumper as they curled into fists at her back. Molly heard a breathless moan as she buried her fingers in his curls, and only belatedly realized it had come from her. His tongue poked out and sought entrance, which she most happily obliged and moaned yet again as he tasted her. She gave as good as she got, and soon he was moaning right along with her.

It wasn’t until he hoisted her up onto the worktop that they broke apart, and Molly put a hand on his chest to stop him. Beneath the layers of clothing, she could feel his heart racing in rhythm with her own, and his eyes, wide and hungry and unfocused, found hers in an unspoken question.

“Why didn’t you say anything?” she asked.

Sherlock looked down bashfully—something she never thought she would see him do. “I don’t think I realized it until tonight… when I heard you playing. I had no idea, not in the slightest, and it irked me to think I had missed it, but even more so that you hadn’t even told me.” He sighed, bowing his head. “Not good, I know… but it’s the truth. And the thought that you’d been keeping this secret from me, while the likes of Tim—”

“Tom,” she corrected him.

“—Irrelevant,” he waved her off, “or even dear ‘Jim from IT’ knew about it—”

“They didn’t, I never told them either.”

“Well, I know that now,” he huffed.

Molly let out a giggle and brushed her hands over the lapels of his jacket. “You’re adorable when you’re jealous.”

His eyes narrowed. “I am neither adorable nor jealous.” “Yes, you are,” she grinned, and before he could argue, she yanked on his lapels and kissed him again, and he responded in kind. No more words were needed as they fumbled their way to her bedroom. They were as they had been so often before: in perfect harmony.

[willsherjohnkhan]

Rogue Male: A Sherlolly Story

Chapter 4: Identified

***

LONDON

Returning to England, making his way to London, and meeting up with Mycroft were all risky decisions. But they were necessary ones, for they gave him the upper hand on those that pursued him.

England was home, and London his domain. It was here he had his own vast network to assist him with whatever he was likely to need in order to apprehend the other members of Moriarty’s criminal organisation.

*

It didn’t take long after slipping away from The Diogenes Club for Sherlock to become aware that he had been tracked down. His shadow skilfully followed his every move. Whoever they were, they were remarkably adept at keeping well out of sight.

This simply would not do. It made Sherlock doubly determined to discover their identity, exposing them, if for no other reason than to assess the level of danger his shade posed, to himself and the public in general.

The question was, how best to get them to reveal themselves.

***

LONDON UNDERGROUND

Without warning Sherlock ducked into the Hollborn Underground Station, quickly buying an all-day pass before inserting the ticket into the machine and gaining access to the platforms. Once through he immediately made his way to the escalator that took him to the Central London Line.

Luck was on his side as a train had just pulled onto the platform.

While passengers on the train disembarked, and those waiting on the platform moved forward intent on getting onboard, Sherlock used the brief interlude to scan the crowd in search of his quarry. But to his growing frustration they remained irritatingly elusive.

The train was about to leave the platform when Sherlock jumped onboard, only to immediately turn around and hop off.

He ran for the stairs that would get him to the Piccadilly Line. As he began his descent he had the satisfaction of hearing someone having to force the train doors and leap out just as the train took off.

A brief glance over his shoulder was enough for Sherlock to identify his pursuer.

“Gotcha,” he murmured triumphantly as he made his way hastily down the steps.

*

His name was Parker, a short, stocky, yet powerfully built man, essential in his line of work. He was a garrotter by trade, and a member of Moriarty’s inner circle.

He was definitely the type you should be prepared for. Knowledge of your opponent was an invaluable asset.

With the distance between them and Sherlock’s longer stride that allowed him to reach the platform first, giving him a few precious moments to decide which car to enter, and find somewhere to sit.

The innocuous babble of schoolchildren that crowded around him, either sitting or standing, was only made bearable by the fact that they kept him shielded from the frantic searching gaze of his pursuer, who was forced to abandon his search in order to get on the train just as it took off.

Sherlock had no intention of staying put for long, but he also didn’t want to reveal his whereabouts if at all possible.

*

The obvious advantage for getting on the Piccadilly Circus Line was that it would take him to the Baker Street Station. But there was great risk in doing so, but as things stood at the moment, this was the best and quickest option. Sherlock could only hope that his run of luck thus far would continue.

When the train began to slow as it pulled into Baker Street Station, Sherlock was relieved to see the platform overrun by a mass of schoolchildren.

A number of passengers on the train began making their way towards the doors, all bracing themselves for the inevitable impact as the unruly hoards of children forced their way onto the already packed train car.

Sherlock made certain to be right in the middle of the mayhem, giving as good as he received in the pushing and shoving in order to get off the train as quickly as possible.

*

His luck held, with Parker this time unable to make it out of the door before the train left the station.

Using the few precious minutes before Parker could catch another train back, Sherlock made his way to a locker he had at the station. From it he retrieved items he had left instructions for a member of his Homeless Network to leave there: a backpack loaded with supplies for living off the grid, and a sleeping bag.

Then, using a public phone he rang a former client, who had offered his assistance should Sherlock ever require it, and made arrangements for where he was to be picked up.

***

ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF LONDON

Sherlock unfolded himself from the cramped confines of the man’s mini, and headed off without a backward glance.

His plan, to remain concealed from prying eyes for as long as possible, in order to give him the time he needed to get his plan of action up and running.

To that end he immediately left the road and headed over to some overgrown woodland that would help to keep him hidden and well out of sight.

Time was of the essence, for he knew that with their resources Moriarty’s operatives would soon track him down. So he needed to keep one step ahead of them for as long as possible, and use what time he had to set a trap.

***

[stlgeekgirl]

hi! happy holiday season from your sherlolly secret santa!

i will be trying to check in as often as i can while trying to work on your gift, but please be patient if i fail to do so. i always try and ask questions, some to get to know my recipients and others just for the heck of it, so here's my first one.

in your form, it said you also like doctor who. do you have a favorite doctor? companion? villain? feel free to infodump, i love hearing other people's thoughts. :)

Hello secret Santa! No worries, I'm forgetful with my stuff too. Doctor Who. Have you seen the newest episodes? They've been sublime. Anyway, favorite Doctor. My first Doctor was 4. My favorite Doctor is 8 followed closely by 12. Favorite companions. Always Sarah Jane. Because she's timeless and should be a Time Lord in her own right. In modern, I would say Amy and Rory. Bill Potts. And if River counts (which she should) her as well. As for villains, I don't really have one but I would say Missy. Only because I miss the Rani and Missy is the closest the new series has gotten. My extremely unpopular opinion is always the relationship between Samantha Jones and 8 in the old Big finish books. Not very many people know about them but, God! I loved Sam so much and I hate that everyone glosses over her as one of 8's companions. (I know the later the Big Finish book series went on the more convoluted it got but no more convoluted than the series so...)

[sherlollyappreciationweek]

Sherlolly Appreciation Week 2024

Get excited Sherlollians because a new appreciation week is on its way! This will be our 10th year in a row of celebrating our favorite science nerds – I can’t believe we have been doing this for 10 years!!! My little nerd heart is so happy you are all still here celebrating with me!

This year we are focusing on your favorite Sherlolly moments, both canon and those headcanons or moments found in fanfics and fanart. Please feel free to use the prompts however you are inspired, meaning the canon prompts do not have to lead to creations that are still canon compliant, nor do you simply have to “answer” the question of the Headcanon prompt…let your creativity fly! I want to see all of the meta, GIF sets, photo edits or manips, fanart, and fanfiction pieces you can create!

Keep an eye out for the tag: ‘sherlollyweek2024’. I will post any updates or news about the appreciation week under that tag! That will also be the tag that you use when you post your response to the daily prompts. Can’t wait to see what you lovelies come up with!

[sherlollyandspoilers]

Pet Names

Sherlolly Appreciation Week 2024, Day 4: Pet Names

“Darling?” Sherlock’s voice called from the other room.

“No,” Molly’s reply came as she walked into the bedroom, “I don’t like that one.” Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she wrinkled her nose, “Makes me think of a grandma.”

He frowned at her and steepled his hands against his chin again. “Angel?” Her face scrunched in disgust. “No, then.” He tapped his chin. “I know you alr – ”

“Sweetheart is for children…not for the woman you sleep with.” She eyed him. “I’m not budging on that one.”

He gave her an exasperated look and she laughed. “What is so wrong with calling me Molly or Molls?” she raised her hands in question.

“Everyone calls you Molly,” he stated.

“Well, it…is…my name,” she said slowing, trying not to laugh. He frowned at her.

“Am I not allowed to want to call you something that only I get to call you?” he asked. “To let everyone know that you are my love?”

She smiled and stood up, walking over to him. “Why not that?” she asked as she slid into his lap. “My love.”

He wrapped his arms around her and tested the term of endearment out for himself. “My love…my love….my love,” he finished in a whisper. “I think that will do perfectly.”

[afteriwake]

For your 25th -- Sherlolly, black, 22

This was a long prompt that got picked (“I think you need to taste this for me,” Queen Molly said. She shoved the exquisite cake in her guard’s direction. Sherlock blinked. “Um.” “What, you’d rather your queen be poisoned?” "Of course not." He hesitantly took a mouthful, only to practically melt in satisfaction. “Oh my god.” It was amazing. He caught himself. “I - er - I think it’s fine.” “You should try a sip of the wine too,” Molly said. “Just to be safe. Sit, sit.” It took him slightly too long to realize it was a date.) that I used parts of verbatim. I also used a 30 Day Writing Challenge prompt (Use the words: crown, dance, smile) for this, even though I changed "dance" to "dancing."

The Royal Taste-Tester - Queen Molly has a task for Sir Sherlock.

READ @ AO3

“I think you need to taste this for me,” Queen Molly said. She was holding up a plate of cake. Not a huge slice, but enough that two people could get a decent amount out of the slice. Of course, Sir Sherlock had little experience with being the Queen’s personal guard, so he assumed it was simply a demand of hers, one of her whims that he was told about.

Sherlock blinked. “Um.” He wasn’t sure how to deal with the lovely queen. She put him off his senses. Not only was she lovely, she was smart as a whip and able to keep most of the kingdom happy. When he was guarding her he couldn’t help but stare at her in some sort of awe. And when he had to speak to her, he always tried his best not to foul it up.

As was just evidenced, he wasn’t always successful.

“What, you’d rather your queen be poisoned?” she asked him, a small smile crossing her lips. If he didn’t know better, he’d say it was a teasing smile, to go with the slightly teasing tone of the question.

"Of course not." She took up a fork and took a generous helping of the cake onto the fork, waving it in his direction, her eyes looking as though they were dancing in the dim light of her private chambers. He took a bite off the fork and nearly moaned. It was an amazing cake, light and fluffy with a blackberry filling and some hint of vanilla in both the cake and the frosting. “Oh my god. That was amazing.”

“It’s truly good?” Queen Molly asked, her smile growing and the glint in her eye matching the glint of light off her crown.

“I - er - I think it’s fine.” He was already making a fool of himself; no need to make it worse by waxing poetic about cake.

“You should try a sip of the wine too,” Molly said. “Just to be safe. After all, who knows who would want me dead?” It was just the two of them, and she patted the place to her left. “Sit, sit.”

“Isn’t that the place your consort would sit?” he asked. She gave him a Look with a capital L, and he sat. She was the queen, after all. Wouldn’t do to upset her.

---

When Queen Molly and formerly Sir Sherlock, now Prince Consort Sherlock, got married, he had a bit of the cake before pressing it into her face as she did the same, Laughingly, they took bits of blackberry filling and vanilla icing and smeared them on each other. It was the second best cake he’d ever had; the best had been the cake on their first date. A date it had taken him until the second course to realize it was, in fact, a date.

His wise, lovely Queen had gotten her way once again.

[simplyshelbs16xoxo]

For the Fic Questions about Moving Forward:

6. Favorite line of narration

11. Any unofficial soundtrack and or songs you associate with this story?

18. Any open ended questions - What was your favorite chapter ./ scene that you wrote?

First thing's first, I'm so sorry I haven't completed this one yet, but I'm not abandoning it; I just needed distance from it since I was writing it during a really difficult time.

6. This passage from the scene when Molly hugs Mycroft in chapter one sticks with me a lot:

                When she pulled away he asked rhetorically, “I take it you needed that?”

                She smiled sadly, shaking her head. “No…you did.”

11. Okay, so I do have a playlist, and I just uploaded it to Spotify so anyone can listen

*btw all of my other sherlolly playlists are also on there ;p

18. So, after rereading what I have so far, I think chapter 3 is my fave! It establishes how Sherlock and Mycroft are teetering on the edge of their perspective relationships, and there's some hurt/comfort and fluff thrown in for good measure. It's also the chapter that begins John's storyline as well, which will look very different to the Holmes's.

Thanks!

Fic Asks