#that tld tag is because i want these in there

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hi!! Love your acc, it's really useful for fics <33 I was wondering if you knew any fics that elaborated on the morgue scene (the one where john beat up shrelock) bc i always felt it was very brushed over in the series and frankly i think it needed to be elaborated on more.

Hey Nonny!

Ahh, yeah, I think I've been asked this a few times and I've just not ever posted a proper list. So because I need a list for this week, here's all of my TLD-adjacent fics I found doing a tag-search AND from old replies to other asks! Hope you enjoy, and add your own if you have them, friends!

TLD FIX-ITS / AFTERMATH of TLD 

BOOKMARKS

Bridges by sussexbound (M, 6,602 w., 1 Ch || Post-TLD / S4 Fix It, Love Confessions, Mending Relationships, Moving Back In, Pining Sherlock, POV Sherlock, Past Abuse, Shaving) – The silence between them is deafening, interrupted only by the hum of the traffic outside, and the soft click-clunk of the plastic cups Rosie is playing with on the floor beside them. It is the first time they have been alone together, since Sherlock’s birthday. It’s only been two days, but it feels huge, important, like there is a precarious bridge stretched out before them both that they need to at least attempt to traverse.

The In-Between by blueink3 (M, 10,679 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Parentlock, Fix-It Fic, Canon Compliant) – Beginning in a Chinese restaurant and ending at the bottom of a well, what about the moments we didn’t see?

Drawn to Stars by Silvergirl (E, 109,272 w., 60 Ch. || S4 Compliant to TLD / TFP Doesn’t Exist, Sherlock’s Italian Adventure, Sherlock/OC and Johnlock, Jealous John, Mutual Pining, Misunderstandings, First Kiss/Time, Idiots in Love, 3 Part Story, Slow Burn, Inexperienced Sherlock, Bottom Sherlock, Introspection, Multiple Alternating First and Third Person POV, Separation and Reconciliation, Emotional Love Making, Love Confessions via Letters, Angst with Happy Ending) – After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being.  Part 1 of the Drawn to Stars series

MARKED FOR LATER

toasting to grief by slylyaddictedtostories(T, 181 w., 1 Ch. || Poetry || Post T6T / TLD, Missing Scene) – John mussing over a drink about (missing) Sherlock and everything (he) they lost

Reconciliation by standbygo (T, 221 w, 1 Ch. || TLD Missing Scene, 221B Ficlet, Fix it Fic) – A missing scene from S4E2, "The Lying Detective". The hug was beautiful, but I wanted to add to it. My mother once said to me that you can forgive on your own, but you need to reconcile together.

My Heart Beats For You by jalexandria (M, 1,212 w., 1 Ch. || Hanahaki Disease AU || TLD Divergence, Angst, Non-Canonical Character Death, Sad Ending, Drugs, Pining Sherlock, Hurt John, Death Fic) – Things go very, very badly when John makes a horrible mistake.

Sherlock chooses himself by thewallflower07 (G, 2,035 w., 1 Ch. || Post TLD / No TFP, No Parentlock, Dialogue Heavy, Sherlock is a Mess, Sherlock and Feelings, John is Not Good, Angst) – Sherlock is a physical and emotional mess after John beats him bloody during the Culverton Smith case. He visits his therapist, who tells him to be selfish for the first time in his life. When John appears with his daughter and asks him to move back, Sherlock has to make a very difficult decision.

Reasons Wretched and Divine by Anyawen (G, 2,218 w., 1 Ch. || TLD Fix-It, John Has Issues, Admissions, Apologies, Explanations, Conversations, Emotions, Injury Recovery, Hurt/Comfort, Sick Fic, Drama & Angst, Declarations, Suicide, Assault, Marriage, Death, Drug Use, Guilt) – In the aftermath of Smith's arrest, John faces his anger and his regrets, exposing his vulnerabilities to Sherlock. They find ways to heal together.

Antiseptic by LipstickDaddy (G, 3,599 w., 1 Ch. || S4 / TLD Fix-It, Unseen Moments, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional / Psychological Abuse, Mutual Pining, Love Confessions, Protective Mycroft, Protective Greg, BAMF Mrs Hudson, Requited Unrequited Love) – What did John hear on that secret tape from Culverton’s hospital?

It Is What It Is by SpookyPorg (T, 3,874 w., 1 Ch. || TLD Fix It, Angst, Hug Scene, Love Confessions, Pining, Happy Ending, Making Out, Grief, First Kiss / Time) – After the very traumatizing events at the hospital, and John's heroic last-minute rescue, Sherlock is recovering at 221B. Doing his part to keep Sherlock under strict supervision, John pays a visit to his old flat for the first time in months. Reconciliation leads to confession.

The Tragedy Of Us by LipstickDaddy (G, 3,898 w., 2 Ch. || Post TLD, Angst, Romance, Tragedy, Hurt / Comfort, Emotional Hurt / Comfort, Miscommunication, Requited Unrequited Love, Ambiguous / Open Ending) – John reflects on his relationship with Sherlock while the man is convalescing in hospital— twice.

wires Series by highfunctioningsociopath (M, 5,000+ w. across 2 works || Series WiP || Post T6T / TLD, Angst, Hurt / No Comfort, Loneliness, Mind Palace, Survivor Guilt, Mental Health Issues, Drug Addiction / Abuse, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Sherlock POV, Missing Scenes, Introspection, Psychological Trauma, Abusive Relationships, Grey Mary, Withdrawal, Depression, Self-Esteem Issues) – The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, after all. It just so happens to be lined with self-destruction.

I Want to Hear You Say It by LollipopCop (M, 8,000 w., 2 Ch. || TLD / S4 Fix It, Suicidal Thoughts, Heavy Angst, Love Confessions, Suffocation, Crying, First Kiss, Pining Sherlock, Happy Ending) – Instead of making Sherlock say he doesn't want to die, Culverton Smith forces Sherlock to repeatedly confess that he loves John before his death.

The Waning of Withdrawal by LoloLolly (E, 8,248 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TLD Fix-It, First Kiss, First Time, Mentions of Abuse, Mentions of Alcoholism, Mentions of Drug Addiction, Sexual Identity, Panic Attacks, PTSD, Sherlock's Scars, Bed Sharing, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Grief, Guilt) – Sherlock holds a weeping John in his arms and… does something that will forever change things between them. For better or worse. He fears the latter.

Slowly Suffocating by meet_me_in_samarra (M, 9,500 w., 7 Ch. || TLD Fix It, Suffocation, Hurt / Comfort, Whump) – Getting suffocated took some time. Enough time for Sherlock to ponder what went wrong. Hopefully also long enough for John to arrive and rescue him. Culverton Smith applied more pressure, impatient to turn Sherlock into a dead thing. A continuous story written for Whumptober 2023, following the 31 prompts for each day.

And Then There Were Two by NimWallace (T, 10,194 w., 20 Ch. || Post S4, Mutual Pining, Case Fic, Slow Burn, Angst, Grief / Mourning, Mystery, Cults) – It's quiet at Baker Street. Too quiet. It's been a year since Mary died, but only a few months since the events of the Final Problem, and Sherlock and John have fallen into a state of despairing and monotony. So when a case involving a vicious cult on the English Country side appears, they quickly jump to go undercover as Sean Harmony and John Wales. But how can Sherlock keep a delicate John from breaking? And how can John come to terms with his love for his detective? Most importantly, what really happened the night of the Final Problem?

The Death and Resurrection of a Beekeeper by shiplocks_of_love (M, 12,922 w., 1 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || TLD / S4 Fix-It Fic, Sherlock’s Retirement, Sussex / Seaside, Brief Mentions of Suicidal Thoughts, Emotional Trauma, Angst with Hopeful Ending, Estranged Friends to Lovers, Partial Epistolary, No Eurus) – Sherlock escapes London for a quiet, solitary life in Sussex, exhausted after the whirlwind of drama following Mary’s death. One day, a letter arrives.

A Midnight Clear by khorazir (T, 13,120 w., 1 Ch. || Christmas-Carol Inspired || Post S3/Post-TLD / TFP Doesn't Exist, Christmas, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Canon-Typical Violence, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, Implied / Referenced Drug Use, Magical Realism) – It’s Christmas Eve, and Sherlock is working. Because that’s what he does. He doesn’t need Christmas, or holiday cheer, or even company. He’s fine on his own, thank you very much – until a series of strange encounters on his way back to Baker Street makes him reconsider.

The Ashes on the Ground by 221Beloved (M, 13,545+ w., 5/22 Ch. || WiP || Post-TLD, Miscommunication, Pining, Depression, Angst with Happy Ending, POV Sherlock) –What happens after? After the fire has burnt down and left nothing but ashes? Roughly two and a half years after what happened at Smith's hospital, things have settled. But have they really? Or is it all still hovering. And what if someone whirls up the ashes again? An old acquaintance. Can something new arise from cold ashes? Something stronger?

Entitled by Ranowa (T, 14,023 w., 2 Ch. || TLD Timeline, Canon-Typical Violence, Drug Use, Paternal Lestrade, John’s a Bit Not Good, Sherlock is a Mess) – Lestrade draws a line, because he knows Sherlock won't. 

Hope is a Subtle Glutton by isitandwonder (E, 15,753 w., 1 Ch. || No Johnlock, Sherlock/OMC, Racism, Aftermath of Violence, Happy Ending) – This is a story about Sherlock Holmes finally finding love and the happiness he deserves - just not with John Watson.

Angry Men by FawnHickory (M, 16,975 w., 16 Ch. || WiP || Post TLD Morgue Incident, Hurt/Comfort, Domestic Violence, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Self Examination, Big Brother Mycroft, Past Abuse, Sad Sherlock) – Greg gave John some things to consider in Destroy Him. John faces some uncomfortable truths about himself. Part 2 of the A Good Man and An Angry Man

What It Can Be by amaruuk (T, 18,310 w., 1 Ch. || Post TLD, Healing Friendship, Mutual Pining, First Kisses, Cake) – "Which is why we're all taking it in turns to keep you off the sweeties." With the help of his friends, Sherlock is healing from drug overuse and physical injuries. He is also trying to salvage his friendship with John with the hope that, perhaps, they can make it something more.

Hot Water Bottle by khorazir (T, 18,436 w., 1 Ch. || Post TLD / TFP Doesn’t Exist, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Communication, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Autumn, Bed Sharing, Developing Relationship, First Kiss) – A case in one of the remotest corners of the Lake District, a storm, an inn, a broken boiler, a room with two beds but only one hot water bottle, and two men who have a lot to sort out between them – all of this makes for a night to remember.

Contrition by sussexbound (E, 18,556+ w., 5/? Ch. || WiP || Post-S4/TFP Didn’t Happen, Rosie Doesn’t Exist, T6T/TLD is Canon, Year After TLD, Light BDSM, Soft Dom Sherlock / Sub John, Punishment, Light Bondage, Light Masochism / No Sadism, Love Confessions, First Kiss, Tenderness, Aftercare, Forgiveness, Edging, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Mutual Masturbation, Hand Jobs, Anal Fingering, Rimming, Frottage, Communication, Sexual Negotiation, Sexual Tension, Spanking, Head Injury, Anal Sex) – “You’ve been tense ever since we got back, itching for a fight, all your usual tells, but why…?” The truth strikes like lightning. “Oh… Oh! You’re not angry at me. Not this time. Well—maybe a little. But mostly, mostly you’re angry at yourself. Why? For falling behind? For not being there in time. For not taking Wilkes down fast enough?” Sherlock waves a dismissive hand. “It doesn’t really matter.” He lifts a finger to his swollen cheek and cut eyebrow. “You blame yourself for this. And you offered to fix it. But I wouldn’t let you, and… But that’s not what you really want, anyway, is it?” John looks stunned, a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming lorry, frozen, waiting for the lethal strike. “You don’t want me to let you help. At least not right away. No. What you want, what you really want is—punishment.”

The Nearer Your Destination by Silvergirl (E, 18,949  w., 6 Ch. || Post-TLD, Established Relationship, Wedding, Venice Honeymoon, Parentlock, Jealousy) – After a December wedding, Sherlock takes John to Venice for a February honeymoon. It's absolutely perfect, up until the moment he hears John growl, "What the hell is Zanardi doing here?" Part 4 of the Drawn to Stars series

Repentance by LollipopCop (E, 19,782 w., 2 Ch. || Post-TLD/Post S4 Fix It, Not TFP-Compliant, John-Centric, Angst, Self-Loathing, Hugging, First Kiss/Time, Rosie, Love Confessions, Crying, John’s Issues) – John cannot understand why Sherlock even wants to look at him after the horrible way he acted, and his guilt is destroying him. Why doesn’t Sherlock snap at him, scream at him, treat him the way he deserves?

The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Misfortune by Sherlockwatsonholmesblog (M, 20,455+ w., 4/7 Ch || Post TLD, Five Stages of Grief, Estranged Friends to Lovers, Implied / Referenced Suicide, Self Hatred, Slow Burn, Emotional Trauma, Recovery) – There seems to be something tragic in a friendship so coloured by romance, for they have loved each other immensely. However, Some Days, love isn’t enough. Sherlock and John persevering, as always.

Becoming Us (A reunion in three parts) by addicted2hugh (E, 23,207 w., 3 Ch. || S4 Fix It, Pining Sherlock, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Sherlock, Hurt/Comfort, Protective John, First Time, POV Sherlock, Virgin Sherlock, Light Parentlock, Bottom Sherlock, Self-Harm, Drug Addiction, Sherlock is a Mess) – After watching Mary's last message, Sherlock and John try to be the "Baker Street Boys" again. Rebuilding the destroyed flat is the easy part. Will they manage to rebuild their friendship as well? And what did Mary mean when she said: "And if I'm gone, I know what you could become."?

Danger Nights by khorazir (T, 23,591 w., 3 Ch. || Post-TLD, Friends to Lovers, Mentioned Parentlock, Pining, First Kiss/Time, Winter, Folklore, Wales, Spooky Elements, Bed Sharing, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Spooky Elements) – According to folklore, the nights between Christmas and Twelfth Night are the most dangerous of the year. During them, the Wild Hunt rides, and ghosts and demons come out to haunt unsuspecting and misbehaving folk. An investigation of a series of strange occurrences leads John and Sherlock to Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh Marches, to face ghosts weird and ancient as well as close and personal – and perhaps to start the new year on a more hopeful note than the previous one.

the silence of your words by dyingofangst (E, 27,326 w., 6 Ch. || Post TLD / TFP Isn’t Canon, Case Fic, Estranged Friends to Lovers, Kidnapping, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Angst with Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Bed Sharing, Night Conversations, Self-Esteem Issues) – Three years after John decided to distance himself from Sherlock, Rosie is kidnapped and John asks for Sherlock's help. But they're not what they used to be, and even if they learned how to heal on their own, there are still many things left unsaid between them, things they'll have to put aside to focus on finding Rosie, while both hoping it's not too late.

under the burden of solitude by subtext-is-my-division (E, 27,947 w., 5 Ch. || S3/S4 Fix It/Post TLD, Angst, Grief/Mourning, First Kiss, Mentions of Rape, Hurt/Comfort, Pining Sherlock, Sherlock POV, Fantasies, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Suicidal Thoughts Mentions, Five and Ones) – Five times they shared a bed platonically, and one time they didn't.

Entangled by missselene (E, 29,044 w., 13 Ch. || Original Male Character, One-Sided Johnlock, Online Dating, Lonely Sherlock, Dancing, First Kiss, Oblivious John, Dev. Rel., Jealous John) – Sherlock knows John will never return his feelings. So what if he decided to look for love elsewhere? Part 1 of the Sherlock & Sanjay series

Lessons in Astronomy Series by CaitlinFairchild (E, 31,164 w. across 3 stories || Angst, Post S3, Grief/Mourning, Mildly DubCon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Physical Abuse, Oral/Anal Sex, Unrequited Love, Pining, Sibling Incest (No Actual Holmescest), Masturbation, Accidental Voyeurism, Drug Addiction, Romance, Dev. Rel., Trust Issues, Happy Ending) – In a different time, a more naive time, Sherlock thought he was the star and John the satellite, circling him in worshipful orbit. He knows now that was never true. John was always the sun, bright and fierce, and Sherlock was the pale, cold moon, his only heat coming from the light he reflected. And then his sun went into supernova. Moriarty said he would burn him and he has, and John is the fire, his rage and grief incinerating Sherlock, burning the heart out of him in the end, turning him into nothing but cinder and ash. And now the supernova is collapsing, a black hole born where there was once warmth and heat and love, and Sherlock is being pulled down, down past the event horizon, into the endless frozen void where nothing can ever escape.

A Case for Domestic Propinquity by SilentAuror (E, 32,308 w., 1 Ch. || Post-TFP / Post S4 Fix It, Romance, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, Domesticity) – As Sherlock and John renovate Baker Street with Rosie underfoot, Sherlock can't help but wondering how he could possibly convince John to just stay indefinitely... [TRANSLATIONS: 中文-普通话國語] | Русский]

Afghan Bullets, Beards, and Unlocked Bedroom Doors Series by addicted2hugh (E, 38,761+ w. across 2 works || WiP || Post-S4, Bearded John, Porn With Feelings, Friends to Lovers, First Time, Virgin Sherlock, References to Canon, Flashbacks, Mutual Pining, Hurt/Comfort, Drug Use, References to Suicide, Grief/Mourning, Top Sherlock, Reunion) – Set after series 4. The boys are living together again, and John's new style drives Sherlock crazy. He's trying to keep his besotted heart and over-excited libido a secret, but John has other plans. Lots. Of. SEX. And love.

A Thing With Peas by khorazir (M, 39,5537 w., 3 Ch. || Post-S3/Post-TLD/TFP Doesn't Exist, Fluff and Angst, Communication, Demisexual Sherlock, Asexuality, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Pining, Idiots in Love, Friends to Lovers, Developing Relationship, Implied / Referenced Drug Use, Parentlock, First Kiss) – Sherlock does the laundry. John cooks a thing with peas. They talk. Finally.

Limerence by SherlockWatson_Holmes (NR, 41,763 w., 17 Ch. || S4 / TLD Fix It, Character Death, Drug Use, Slow Burn, Angst with Happy Ending) – Limerence (noun); The state of being infatuated or obsessed with another person: typically characterised by a strong desire to maintain a relationship with the object of love and have one’s feelings reciprocated. S4 fix-it, starting on the tarmac.

Nocturne by SilentAuror (E, 47,927 w., 1 Ch. || Post S4 / S4 Fix It, Trauma, Bed Sharing, Friends to Lovers, POV John, Sherlock Whump) – When Sherlock is injured at a crime, an avalanche of suppressed trauma opens up. John ends up moving into his bedroom to ward off the nightmares, hoping against hope that this arrangement can last indefinitely. This is a story of nights spent together, trauma recovery, and John finally learning some truths long hidden.

The Night Is Darkest by missselene (E, 48,461 w., 8 Ch. || Post-TLD, Extremely Dub Con, S4 Rage Monster John, Insecure Sherlock, Self-Esteem Issues, Sexual Exploration, Healing, Self Care, Self Acceptance, Sexual Exploration, Casual Sex, Gentle Sex, Sherlock/OMC, Threesome with 2 OMCs, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Communication, Internalized Homophobia, Relationship Negotiation) –  Sherlock Holmes would do anything for John Watson... and that includes letting John do whatever he wants to him. What would it take for Sherlock to stand up for himself and finally start taking care of his own needs?

Borrowed Ghosts by DiscordantWords (M, 57,216 w., 10 Ch. || TLD Divergence / TFP Doesn’t Exist, Minor Lestrolly, Pining Sherlock, John’s a Mess, Heavy Angst with Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Ghost Mary, Guilt, Forgiveness, Drinking, No Hug Scene) – In the aftermath of the Culverton Smith case, John spent one painfully stilted afternoon hanging out with Sherlock. He counted the minutes, finished his tea, and left for home without ever clearing the air between them.And once he'd left, he found it very hard to go back.

Lost In A Good Book by khorazir (M, 68,552 w., 6 Ch. || Magical Realism / Discworld Elements || Post TLD, Miscommunication, L-Space, Developing Relationship, Parentlock, Demisexual Sherlock, Bisexual John, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Bookshop) – After chasing a criminal into a poky second-hand bookshop, John and Sherlock find themselves not only stuck in the building, but in L-space itself. With things still raw and unsettled between them after the events surrounding the Culverton Smith case, this adds another dimension to their predicament, which not only constitutes of finding a way out of the shop (while avoiding getting murdered by the criminal), but also to finally address the issues between them.

This Would Make You Happy? by Ranowa (M, 71,217 w., 10 Ch. || Post-TLD Fix It, Past Viclock, Past Sherlock/OMC, Therapy, Protective John, Drug Use, Pining, Autistic Sherlock, Angst with a Happy Ending) – John, more than anything else, wants Sherlock to be happy. Sherlock, more than anything else, wants to make John happy. These two goals are not as in sync as one would think.

"Merry Christmas" I wrapped it up and sent it with a note saying "I love you" by starrysummernights (E, 135,132+ w., 30/31 Ch. || WIP || Post S4, Slow Burn, Mary is Not Nice, Christmas, Fluff, Smut, Angst, Parentlock, Past Torture / Rape) – John has moved back into 221B with his daughter Rosie after Mary was killed, but things are not exactly comfortable between him and Sherlock. After everything that has happened, they are trying to become friends again...and maybe something more. What better time than the Christmas season?! Takes place after TLD.

Limitless Ocean by angel-loving-star (M, 150,730+ w., 21/36 Ch. || WIP || Post-TLD / S4 Fix It, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn, John's PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, Sherlock Whump, Alcohol Abuse, Past Drug Addiction, Fluff, Parentlock, Coming Out, Nightmares, Panic / Anxiety Attacks, Dissociation, Alternating POV, Suicidal Ideation, Self-Harm Ideation, Internalized Homophobia, Closeted John, Angst, Insomnia, Domestics, Cuddling / Snuggling, Gay Sherlock) – Sherlock is recovering from the Culverton Smith case. But there are some things that time or body can't heal. When John and Rosie unexpectedly move back in 221B the day after Sherlock's birthday, nothing is as it used to be. Both he and John are treading on thin ice. It is only a matter of time until the first cracks appear. Until they begin to sink into the freezing waters of the ocean beneath, and are forced to face their demons, each other, and what has been lurking in the dark for far, far too long. Until it is only them, the promise of sky above the surface, and the limitless ocean flooding into their hearts.

The Chemist by TheGracefulBlueCat (M, 158,385 w., 46/? Ch. || WiP || TLD Fix-It, Drug Use and Withdrawal, Hurt/Comfort, Doctor John, Protective Mycroft, Sick Sherlock, Medical Procedures, Grief/Mourning, Sherlock’s Mind Palace, Nightmares, Mental Health Issues, Victorian Sherlock, Asperger’s Sherlock, Sherlock Is Not Okay, Papa Lestrade, Drunkenness, Autistic Sherlock, Synesthesia, Insecure Sherlock, Angst, Sick Fic, Case Fic, Asylums) – Sherlock returns to Baker Street and faces detox. But he feels too exhausted and bad to go through it fully conscious, so he - once more - uses his mind palace to distract him with an old case. But due to his drug issues and the tension between him and John things don’t work as smoothly as everyone hoped they would, confronting Sherlock and all his friends with more of their demons than they would have liked to.

Radioactive Trees In A Red Forest by Maribor_Petrichor (E, 280,251 w., 73 Ch. || PODFIC AVAILABLE || Post-S4, Suicidal Ideations, Alcohol / Rx Drug Abuse, Coming Out / Bisexual John, Seizures, Past/Referenced/Implied Child Abuse, Hallucinations, Rehab, Celibacy, Sobriety / Relapse, Slow Burn, Friends to Lovers, Grief/Mourning, Psychological Trauma, Nice /Not Anti-Mary, John’s POV, Parentlock, First Time, Angst, Switchlock, Angst with Happy Ending) – John Watson is what happens when a man can no longer see a reason to go on. John Watson is what happens when a man starts to let go. "It is what it is." John Watson is what happens when what "it is" becomes too much to bear. This is a story of the life, death, and resurrection of John Hamish Watson.

[topsyturvy-turtely]

20 questions for fic writers

thank you for tagging me @gregorovitchworld! 💚

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

13 🙃

2. what's your current ao3 word count?

73.611 (not that bad i guess but i wish it was more)

3. what fandoms do you write for?

only bbc sherlock for now but i am thinking of writing for good omens too :)

4. top five fics by kudos?

-> Rosie's Elephant in the Room

-> Human Urges

-> JOHNLOCKed in a Closet

-> Let Me Fix You

-> Halloween

5. do you respond to comments? why or why not?

yes! i respond to every single one (unless it is only an emoji... but even then i do it most of the time)

why? because i fucking LOVE connecting with my readers! and i wanna make them keep commenting on fics. because comments are so fucking important!!! they are what keep us writers going!

6. what's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

aaah probably Missing (but that will be happy again!)

so in the end it is THE LONELIEST

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

JOHNLOCKed in a Closet, i'd say

8. do you receive hate?

thank goodness i don't!

9. do you write smut?

nope. i write some subtle sex scenes, but never long ones or intensely described. i just don't feel comfortable with it.

10. do you write crossovers?

nope. seems too complicated to me 😂 i don't really read them either so ig i don't have the urge to write them. ooh, wait i wrote a short freebatch/star wars/johnlock kind of crossover once. prompt: "geeking out over something" (day 14 of my otp challenge! that i might have ignored for about a year now... whoopsie)

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

3 times that i know of. novelhd dot com is a bitch. they stole JOHNLOCKed in a Closet (JLiaC), Strawberries and Cigarettes (S&C), and my oneshots on wattpad. it is fucking heartbreaking and really made me lose some trust in humanity as well as my motivation to write for a long time... DO NOT STEAL FICS!

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

no, because i don't feel comfortable with it. probably because of the shit that happened to me described above.

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

nope, but i would be up for the challenge:)

14. what is your all-time favorite ship?

the answer is obviously johnlock lol.

15. a wip you doubt you will ever finish?

all my wips. no idk. i've got lot of wips and i will never completely give up on them. maybe just forget them, haha.

16. writing strengths?

writing about feelings, dialogue, inner monologues, two-person interactions

17. writing weaknesses?

well, smut lol. writing long intense plots (i am a fluff writer xD) - but i hope to get better at it. i have big hopes for Missing.

18. will you write a dialogue in another language?

never say never! but only after i have checked up with someone who speaks/knows said language well!

19. what was your first fandom?

*sigh* bbc sherlock, my babes. ;)

20. what's your favorite fic you have ever written?

first thought of day 9: hugging of my otp challenge. it's an alternative ending to TLD. it's a bunch of big emotions, big words and and big moments. - ghost mary actually is one of the big reasons they finally get together!!!

tagging (if you have already been tagged, feel free to ignore this and/or tag me in the post you already answered those questions): @totallysilvergirl @lisbeth-kk @gaylilsherlock and man who else??? anyone! anyone who wants to join the fun!

[donner-mathis-official]

I think I’ve got answers to both of these. Addressing the second point first: the spray paint in game makes a little marker on the map, and you can use charcoal from fires to draw the map out. It doesn’t tell you where you are, unfortunately, but it does help. It took me so long to figure out that spray paint made a map marker.

As for the flashlights, I have two theories. The first is that they don’t work because alkaline batteries (the kind used in flashlights) can be overloaded. Like if you try to recharge one in one of those docks meant for rechargeable ones, it will recharge a bit, but it also can create a gas buildup that will, eventually, destroy the battery (and also potentially explode battery acid all over you, so please don’t do this). A geomagnetic storm like the ones in the game will cause an induced current, so it is possible that the induced current in the wires within the flashlight destroyed the batteries in this fashion. My second theory, which seems more likely to me, has to do with the fact that batteries do not withstand cold very well. Alkaline batteries left in cold places will lose charge pretty quickly. It’s likely all the batteries are just dead. This would mean that the small capacity for recharge these batteries have is allowed by the induced current of the aurora, which would explain why they can be used during it. Also because it makes for a convenient gameplay feature.

wait. flashlight batteries aren’t plugged into any electrical outlet, so how come flashlights are useless in The Long Dark?? i understand they wouldn’t be rechargeable but they DEFINITELY should be able to work.

on that topic, if there were EVER a game in need of a map where i could mark a destination, it’s this game. i get SO lost. i know that’s part of the appeal but cmon.

[noctivagant-corvid]

ive been using your pd fake dashboard simulators as lilke.... a litmus test(dont know if thats correct phrasing at alll) for how much i know of pd(only just started watching it, but i scrolled through the tag a lot before watching because i love spoilers i thrive on spoilers) so every few days ill go and reread the posts just to see how much i understand. like on my first read through i knew almost nothing about pd. but by this read through(5th time i think?) i understood most of it. still no idea what half of the stuff is referencing(no idea who the autism ear headphone post is about. is ashe really a streamer? again no idea.) but i have read your chatfic of the deadwood guys and when i saw lethe on one of the posts i was like omg Lethe From The Fic. anyway just wanted to let you know

TLD;R your pd dashboard simulators has formed a substantial amount of my PD knowledge

HSHRHEHEB HOLY SHIT????? HI THIS IS SO FUCKIN COOL

ashe is NOT really a streamer, its just a semi popular headcanon. shes also a dude in canon

autism headphones post was abt ashe + dakota!!

im ao glad you like the sims and lethe, this seriously madr my day holy shit

[argisthebulwark]

13, 15, 16, 17 for the asks?

! thank you these actually made me think and i enjoyed them :) tag game

13. Recommend a fic (can be your own!) that features something you wish was written about more Shamelessly linking my own fic because touch starved Miraak is so GOOD. I know we've discussed it before but we should probably talk and write about it more because you know know he's repressed and needy after all those years stuck by himself.

15. A topic you never get tired of discussing Evil/morally grey TLD. Dragonborns who choose their love over saving the world, especially in Miraak/TLD fics. Dragonborns who aren't perfect heroes or choose happiness over safety. I love that shit. I love "he could make me worse". Dragonborns who are fucked up and evil. I adore them.

16. One of your favorite tropes  I'm gonna keep answering this one because I love romance tropes sorry in advance. I love Soulmates or Fated Mates. Yeah I read Throne of Glass and fell in love with Rowan. Idk man the idea that there's one perfect person fated to be with you, someone who loves you down to their bones is everything to me.

17. Something you love that you don’t often share because you’re worried what others will think I love regency/royalty type AU's!! I don't post them because there's like, no demand for them, but someday I want to sit down and write a good one. Probably about Miraak or Brynjolf because I feel like I know those characters well enough to put them in a new setting, but yeah! I love them and fantasy romance is 1000% of what I read in actual books, I'd love to write one.

[queerholmcs]

i personally love that tfp is, for tjlc, not a harrowing and traumatic memory but a source of enjoyment. wish i found it funny ;____;

i will start by saying i absolutely feel for you and everyone for whom this is true. i did have a period of about three years after s4 aired where i could not touch those episodes myself; i scrolled back through my tags and found that up through 2019 or so i was mistagging tld scenes as tfp because i couldn't keep any of those episodes separate in my head after having watched them all of once during that train wreck of a january 2017, and it was all absolutely the fucky problem, wasn't it.

i think it wasn't until 2020 or 2021 i even gave s4 another watch at all, and it was rough, even with the post-s4 metas i had read from some others to keep in mind (amy @garkgatiss's poetry or truth being one of the major ones). took me two or three tries to get through tld.

and somehow, after all that, with my tjlc mutuals doing their own rewatches and s4 posting, in late 2021 or 2022 my brain locked in on it and decided this is it, these are The Episodes of All Time, this is brilliant media, i love every second of it. even if s5 never does actually happen (though i am holding out for it, for the record), i appreciate s4 for all its absurdity and all its contributions to the show as a whole.

(i do also feel i would be remiss to say anything about my feelings on s4 here without also citing the video essay series rebs @victorianpining did last year, a better story, which helped me greatly in providing the words for my thoughts on the show as it stands today.)

if you ever want to give s4 another go (however hesitantly), brilliant; if you want to pretend the show ended after trf or hlv or tab, i absolutely respect that; and even if you never want to touch a single episode of bbc sherlock or anything else from those creators again, i hope you've found other media that does bring you comfort and joy. 💕

[lololollywrites]

Thank you for the tag, @discordantwords!💜 I don’t have many fics quite yet - just six in the Sherlock fandom - so excuse some repeat answers here.

Most Hits/Kudos/Bookmarks: Most hits is Genius is a Star Whose Light (Is Soon to Sink in Endless Night), which is also the longest fic I’ve ever written and the one that’s therefore closest to my heart (the planning alone took me months!): Sherlock’s previous Serbian captors make their way to London again. It’s newly-established Johnlock (the fic that technically comes before it in the series is a first-kiss fic) and comes in at 51,826 words. I truly can’t understand those of you who meet and even surpass 100k... I bow down.

Genius doesn’t have the most kudos, though, which I think tends to happen with longer works. Most kudos and bookmarks is The Waning of Withdrawal, a oneshot that takes place during the hug scene in TLD (rated E) and that clocks in at 8,249 words.

Most Comments: Most comments is again Genius is a Star Whose Light (Is Soon to Sink in Endless Night), though part of that is surely because, at 11 chapters, they can more easily add up. 

The fic with the highest average comments per chapter (author replies excluded) is again The Waning of Withdrawal, though Never Been Better comes close and has the second-highest number of comments in total. It’s my take on a Sherlock-leaves-the-wedding-early fic, relatively short at three chapters and 16,109 words.

Fourth-Most Kudos: Interestingly (and a little sadly), Genius has the fourth-most kudos. To put another title in here, fifth-most kudos is Pressure Points, my most recent work and FTH entry for @discordantwords. It’s a rewrite of TEH in which John and Sherlock are *both* put into a deadly situation that gets a bit... chilly. It’s four chapters and sits at 19,892 words.

Most Words: Genius, as I previously stated, is my longest fic by far. I’ll likely attempt another novel-length fic eventually, but it took soooo long that I’m a bit fearful of another such ordeal. Either way: When fics come to me at night and ask to be written, I am powerless to stop them.

Least Words: I decided to submit a fic for Flash Fiction Friday almost a year ago for the prompt “Leap of Faith” called Step. Jump. Leap. Step. I turned it into a bit of a prequel for Genius and its preceding fic (actually my first in the fandom, called Of Sweat, Sociopathy, Scars, and Secrets). It’s a drabble in which John decides to come back to Baker Street post-S4 and is only 774 words.

I’ll tag @jrow, @7-percent, @topsyturvy-turtely, and anyone else who wants to join!

ao3 stats game!

I was tagged by @tiltedsyllogism. Thanks for thinking of me!

Rules: Give us the links to your wonderful words with the most hits, most kudos, most comments, most bookmarks, most words, and least words.

Most Hits/Kudos/Bookmarks: (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea, my answer to S4 which sees Sherlock processing what he's endured, and recognizing that change can sometimes be for the better. Written as a Fandom Trumps Hate gift for @thetimemoves

Most Comments: White Knight, a fake-relationship fic that has Sherlock and Janine teaming up to get married for a case, much to John's dismay. The fact that John knows it's all fake doesn't comfort him at all.

Fourth-Most Kudos: Another Auld Lang Syne, a holiday advent fic that has John unexpectedly receiving an out of town job offer and finding himself at a crossroads.

Most Words: Out There, an X-Files fusion that casts Sherlock as Mulder and John as Scully, clocks in at 131,695 words and is BY FAR the longest thing I've ever written. This one merges my two most beloved fandoms and, in a lot of ways, feels like the fic I was born to write.

Least Words: Excluding the myriad ficlets I've collected in Little Contributions, my shortest individual fic is Cake, a Sally-centric piece that is 2,420 words long and recounts the horrifying circumstances surrounding her first meeting with Sherlock.

I'll tag @khorazir @thetimemoves @insistentbass @lololollywrites @totallysilvergirl @bertytravelsfar @viridiandecisions @vulgarweed @keirgreeneyes And of course, if you see this and want to participate, consider yourself tagged!

[musingsofmyown]

Alright, bored as hell in the hotel room because nobody is up-

Here's a list if Sherlock fanfics that I havent gotten around to writing:

teenlock fic: John is a transfer from Edinburgh (idk if that's a thing but it is now) to London Academy because his mom finally left his dad and they moved to london. Sherlock is known as the weird freak who hates everyone. Though in their first block class (chemistry) John sits next to Sherlock and they become friends by the end of the day. Apparently they live pretty close to each other so they meet up after school every day, and they eventually start dating.

kidlock/magic au fic: John and his family move to a cottage that their dearly departed grandmother left for them. And its next to these woods. And there's a family of cats that live there as well. long story short, John (10) meets Sherlock (8 in human years) in cat form one night and he sleeps on John's chest. John proceeds to take care of the cat until one day in the woods, a boy in a black coat appears and introduces himslef as Sherlock. Yada yada, Sherlock trusts him enough to tell him that he's the cat. Then John takes Sherlock with him to university, but when he leaves for the army, he leaves Sherlock with Mrs. H who already knows about him. Mycroft chose to stay in human form more often and he occupies his position in the government still. Until he decides to take a stroll as a cat and a particular DI picks him up and takes him home.

Piratelock au: need I say more? (also Sherlock is blackbeard and John finds the inaccurate descriptor hilarious) ((John was a british navy captain before getting captured by Sherlock))

Gardener Sherlock with next door neighbor John who is infatuated with the curly haired man

Fic where Sherlock looses a bet and has to do a drinking truth or dare game with John and Greg. But ends up confessing his nightjob during university (spoiler alert: He wad a stripper and his stage name was Midnight) idk why but this amuses me

Enemies to lovers: Serial Killer John vs. Consulting detective Sherlock. We love to hate it.

Alternate meeting: Greg insists taking Sherlock to a bar, and that night, John and his army pals are in the same bar (wearing their fatigues) everyone gets wasted and Sherlock ends up taking John to 221b and they have smexy smexy times

Soft fic: John dreams that Sherlock got mortally wounded and his last words were "I love you". Once he wakes up, its about 2-ish am and he goes to check on Sherlock. He's not asleep, but reading a book in lamplight and asks what's wrong. John simply climbs into bed with him and lays his head on Sherlock's shoulder. love confessions and no smexy times because Sherlock says "romance first then sex"

Sherlock buys a bunch of stuff over the course of a month (ice cream that John cant touch, blankets, lamps, books, dvd sets, various snacks, cocoa mix, etc) and John wonders what the consultant is procuring these things for. Then one day after work, he sees that Sherlock had set the sitting room up to be a giant pillowfort. Once John changes into pyjamas, he joins Sherlock in the middle. "Im not very good at this- but could I have a date... with you?" John doesnt reply, but he simply places a small, light kiss on Sherlock's lips.

Sherlock wears bright red high-top converse in honor of the tenth doctor and John finds it adorable

FIX IT FIC FOR TLD

Mycroft and Greg get married, Sherlock is a good brother, Greg and John have a heart to heart about the Holmes boys. Fluffy fluff that will make you cry

If anyone wants to use these or if these exist please please pleaaaase tag me or let me know. I put these out because I love them, so like, yes. I love you all and I adore every single one of you.

[onthecrosslook]

The Fics I’ve Written

(I borrowed a bit of @inevitably-johnlocked’s tagging system for this- I hope you don’t mind, Steph!)

༺═──────────────═༻

Note: The list goes from oldest to newest, so my older fics aren’t great and aren’t Johnlock. There will be a clear divide in when they become Johnlock again.

Not Johnlock/Read at Own Risk

Prior Engagements

(M, 2,084 w., 1 Ch. || Canon Divergence, Angst, Semi-Canonical Character Death, Warstan-ish)

Summary: What if Sherlock had never died? What if he never jumped off of the roof of St. Barts Hospital and instead successfully defeated Moriarty? What effect would it have on John and Mary?

He Fell

(M, 1,427 w., 1 Ch. || Post-Reichenbach, Angst, Sherlolly, Pining Molly Hooper, Bathing/Washing, POV Molly Hooper)

Summary: The aftermath of Reichenbach from Molly’s perspective.

Poison

(E, 5,933 w., 6 Ch., WIP || Graphic Depictions of Violence, Slight Non-Con, Canon Divergence, Angst, No Reichenbach, Abusive Tendencies, Blackmail, Sheriarty, Angst with an Unhappy Ending)

Summary: Sherlock is kidnapped by Moriarty, and must face a tireless onslaught of abuse as he attempts to break free. (WIP/Sort of abandoned.)

Not Until It’s Gone

(M, 4,109 w., 5 Ch., WIP || Fluff, Warnings Don’t Apply Because It’s Abandoned, Straight John Watson, Sheriarty)

Summary: Sherlock Holmes and Jim Moriarty have what one might call a complicated relationship. Chips, bombs, and poolside chats are their ideas of 'romantic'. They're basically each other's addiction. Unfortunately, addictions are almost always bad for you... (Abandoned.)

Johnlock/Better Written

A Bug in Baker Street

(T, 1,525 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Poor Mycroft, Naughty Misunderstandings, IKEA Furniture, Mycroft’s Meddling is Detrimental as Usual)

Summary: Mycroft bugged Baker Street. Sherlock and John are there alone…Well, what did he expect?

The Wedding

(T, 2,474 w., 1 Ch. || Canon Divergence, Angst, Drug Abuse, Ambiguous Ending, Minor Warstan, Sherlock-Focused, Mrs. Hudson Cares a Lot)

Summary: Sherlock Holmes can't bear to see John get married. Unfortunately, he's powerless to stop it.

The Fall

(M, 2,214 w., 2 Ch. || Angst, Deathfic, Pining John Watson, Requited Love, Happy Ending Because I Was Threatened, Canon Divergence)

Summary: John is finally ready to go meet Sherlock. (Edit- Now has a second chapter because my friends hated me for the original ending.)

Three Acts

(M, 5,799 w., 5 Ch. || Canon Divergence, Angst, Minor Warstan, Series Three Fix-It, Post-Reichenbach, POV Sherlock Holmes, Canonical Character Death, No Rosie)

Summary: Mary is not who she seems. (Series three fix-it/Alternate ending)

The Blue Scarf

(M, 734 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Ambiguous Ending, Mourning John Watson, Post-Reichenbach, Character Death)

Summary: John Watson, immediately post-Reichenbach.

I’m Right Here

(T, 3,027 w., 1 Ch. || Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, John Watson/OFC, Humour, Sherlock is Bad at Feelings, John Goes on Dates)

Summary: So, John keeps going on dates, even though Sherlock is. Right. Here. What’s he doing wrong? And why does John always end up back at Baker Street?

My Heart Beats For You

(M, 1,212 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Unrequited Love, Unhappy Ending, One-Sided Johnlock, Canon Divergence, TLD Rewrite, Hanahaki Disease, Major Character Death)

Summary: Things go very, very badly when John makes a horrible mistake. (The Lying Detective canon divergence.)

Illusion of Choice

(T, 1,553 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Canonical Character Death, Canon Divergence, Unhappy Ending, Deathfic, Unrequited Johnlock)

Summary: Yet another Canon Divergence from Reichenbach. This time, Sherlock does something very, very unexpected.

Miscellaneous/Current Projects

Just a Magic Trick

(M, 1,004 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, TRF Rewrite, One-Sided Sheriarty, POV Jim Moriarty)

Summary: Jim Moriarty didn’t really mean for Sherlock to die. He didn’t want this. Any of this. But it’s too late, now. Can’t he just understand that it was a game? It was just a game. Dinner, Mr. Holmes?

(M, 21,275 w., 6/11 Ch., WIP || Angst, Canon Divergence, Hannibal Fusion, Happy Ending, Slowburn Johnlock, Cannibalism)

Summary: Sherlock races to solve a string of violent, targeted, and cannibalistic murders before his loved ones are next. It’s a good thing Dr. Hannibal Lecter is there to help him solve the case. Right? (WIP.) S. Moran Interview Transcripts

(M, 1,675 w., 2 Ch. || Angst, Implied MorMor, POV Sebastian Moran, Post-Reichenbach, Canon Compliant, Mycroft Makes Mistakes, Audio Transcript Format)

Summary: Error. The recording of [redacted] you are looking for does not exist.

One Word

(T, 1,423 w., 1 Ch. || Angst, Sherlock Does It All For John, Ambiguous Ending, Canon Divergence, TRF Rewrite, POV Jim Moriarty, Implied/Referenced Suicide)

Summary: What if one word was all it took to change the canon course of The Reichenbach Fall forever?

[devoursjohnlock]

Fresh meta in about AN HOUR. It’s around, um, 15K. The main Sherlock episodes discussed are TLD and all of S3 including MHR and TAB (ok, also some other bits of S4). Some of it requires retelling plots of stories external to Sherlock, which I kind of hate to do because I’m not sure how fun that is for the reader, but I tried to do it as briefly as possible and cut them into short pieces for easier digestion. I hope that works?

Reference-wise, there are discussions of the escape room, one main Doyle story, but also a few others (not that one... no, not that one either), a play by Oscar Wilde (not that one), an Agatha Christie novel (ikr), and a couple of Granada episodes. I can’t wait to share this one! It’s been in the works for a loooong time, since the escape room, really. You’ll yell, and possibly snipe me, but I think it will be worth it. I say a lot in it, more than usual, but I still have so much to talk about.

I often get comments on my longer metas saying people had to read them more than once, and so yeah, this will probably be one that rewards repeated reading (so... I’m sorry or you’re welcome? YMMV). It’s a lot of context for different aspects of the series, including the John/Moriarty question, the nature of Eurus, the nature of Mary and how the question “Did Mary save Sherlock or shoot him in the heart?” resonates on a (subtextual) plot level, rather than a philosophical one.

ALSO, the last couple of long metas I’ve posted have been immediately flagged, so I’m anticipating that I may have to resurrect it as soon as it goes up.... kind of appropriate, really. Please be patient if that happens, I’ll be keeping an eye on it.

People asked me to tag a while back and my plan was to do that, but I am getting wiped out and really want to post, so I may do a mass tag later, maybe that will work.

[bokunoherokomikuko]

For your benefit, don't lol, it's a mess. I don't like getting involved cuz it's way too much nonsense going on. But I thought I'd at least answer your question as neutrally as I could (bias gonna show tho, it be like that lol).

Antiship = you can't ship what you want because there is morality tied to what you consume in fiction. Community policing on what is and isn't allowed to be consumed. Currently under the label of being being anti pedophilia and anti grooming.

Proship = ship what you want because fictional characters are not real. Do not harass people, tag stuff appropriately, and curate your content feed. Currently under the label of anti harassment and anti censorship.

Proship accused of: being pedophile apologists, being pedophiles, being groomers, supporting incest, supporting abuse

Antiship accused of: harassment, dissemination of csem (child sexual exploration material), cult like behaviour, sending gore/guro content to other people, suicide baiting, projecting crimes of their community onto others

Evidence on proships: often hard to find any that doesn't seem doctored or is purely anecdotal. Some have been seen engaging in verbal/textual fights with antiships.

Evidence on antiships: most are screenshots depicting antiship actions. There's a few google docs floating around to record what antiships do in a year. Many have been seen engaging in verbal/textual fights with proships.

That's where things are now. The very beginnings of these two terms started during the shipping wars of Voltron: TLD. A very popular ship at the time was Sheith (Shiro/Keith) and other Shiro ships. People who were 'anti sheith' begin making moral arguments against the ship to try and stop people from shipping it (often in favour of shipping klance Keith/lance).

Arguments against shipping sheith often were about the age gaps often involved in Shiro ships as he was 26 and many of the other pairs were younger adults (but adults nonetheless). People who shipped sheith were called many things including pedos, groomers, and incest supports.

Arguments for sheith were that it was just a cartoon, age gaps are not unusual for adults in pairings. Often many referred to the old shipping/fandom terms "Ship and let ship" "your kink is not my kink, and that's okay" that have been lost a bit in modern fandom.

You can easily figure out what side of the coin I fall on in all this, but if you find yourself agreeing with the other, that's fine, that's your own call to make. But it's important to me that you and others unaware actually know the history of the terms.

If you are curious about the evolution of these terms, feel free to message me or ask me publicly, I feel like the evolution and timeline of these terms is very important in the scope of fandom and fandom history.

This is not an open invitation for people to come at me or argue with me. I won't play. Just consider me a fandom witness.

At this point I still don't know what proship and antiship means and I'm too afraid to ask

[inevitably-johnlocked]

Hey do you have any fics where john sits in sherlocks lap? Like in any way, shaoe or firm thats just my fave trope. Love your content btw.

Hey Lovely!!

Ahhh, because of you, I started a list, so not everything nor a lot is here, sadly! I never had the foresight to consider it as something people would want, so I’ve never tagged fics, LOL. Here’s what I got that have some sort of Lap Sitting in the fic! 

Feel free, Lovelies, to add your own recs!!

LAP SITTING

The Healing Touch by inevitably_johnlocked (G, 2,307 w., 1 Ch. || Caretaking,  Domestic Fluff, Stroppy Sherlock, John Loves Sherlock, Love Confessions, Sofa Cuddles, Insecure Sherlock) – Sherlock's broken his foot and he's becoming unbearably stroppy. Good thing John has the healer's touch... ;) Part 3 of I-J's Tumblr Ficlet Collection

Where You Are by Mazarin221b (E, 2,478 w., 1 Ch. || Beach Sex, First Time, Fluff, Smut, Holidays, Pining, Lap Sitting, Stroppy Sherlock, Touching) – He can admit he’s secretly a little glad Sherlock didn’t come with him. He needs a break. Sherlock is a handful at the best of times, and the near-constant apologizing, fixing, dealing-with, and following up on is exhausting. The near-constant unrequited attraction is a bit exhausting, too, to be honest, and John could really use a tiny bit of rest from the relentless hammering on his brain and heart.

Rumpled by WhimsicalEthnographies (E, 3,601 w., 1 Ch. || Est. Rel., Insecure Sherlock, Fluff, PWP, Proposal, Bottomlock) – Then, halfway through a documentary on river otters that neither of them was paying attention to--how could John, with a gangly, limp consulting detective practically purring in his lap?--Sherlock suddenly bolted upright, looked at John with a perplexed expression and a crinkle above his nose, and blurted, “Marry me.” Part 4 of Longitudinal Cohort

To be loved by Strange_johnlock (E, 12,436 w., 8 Ch. || Post S3, Established Relationship, First Person POV Sherlock, Pet Names, Soft Sherlock, Mild ADHD, Protective John, Captain Watson, Body Appreciation, Bottomlock, Rough Sex, Travelling for Holidays, Introspection, Sherlock Loves John So Much It Hurts) – John is so deeply integrated into the work, both as my conductor of light, and as a great shot with a vicious right hook who tackles men -and women- no matter their size all in my defense. He protects me with all he can without question, and this loyalty is surely more than I deserve. Or: Sherlock is counting his blessings.

Insanity in the Middle by DotyTakeThisDown (E, 28,010 w., 8 Ch. || Equestrian Sports AU || Alternate First Meeting, POV John, Pining John, Bottomlock, Clueless Sherlock, First Kiss/Time, Passionate Kisses, Hand Holding, Caught Making Out, Bed Sharing, Spooning, Blow Job) – John is a world-class eventing rider with a gold medal and several four-star wins to his credit, but he's never won at Rolex. Sherlock is an up-and-coming rider taking the sport by storm.

Deck the Halls by itsalwaysyou_jw (T, 31,018 w., 24 Ch. || Advent Fic / Multiple One-Shots, Assorted Tags) – One Johnlock ficlet for every day leading up to Christmas. Who is ready for pining, first kisses, established Johnlock, and everything in between? This collection of stand-alone ficlets will have it all.

Kintsukuroi by sussexbound (E, 91,823 w., 20 Ch. || S4 Compliant / Post-TLD, Grief / Mourning, PTSD, Internalized Homophobia, Therapy, Past Abuse, Alcohol Abuse, Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Depression, Anxiety, Bed Sharing, Love Confessions, Cuddling, Suicidal Ideation, Masturbation, Minor Character Death, Sexting, Frottage, Inexperienced Sherlock, Rimming / Anal / BJ’s, Emotional Turmoil, Finding Each Other) – “I love you.” Sherlock sees the words hit John with almost physical force. He reels back a little, jaw twitching and eyes filling. “I love you,” he repeats, a little softer, a little more gentle, as earnest as he possibly can. Because they’ve been teetering on the brink of this thing for years, and it had become painfully obvious over the last few months that they were at a tipping point. This had to happen. Now it has. Now they can see where they end up. The tears in John’s eyes spill over, and he wipes at them angrily. “Do you even know what that means?”  

[babbushka]

Ngl Ive been considering just leaving adcu tumblr cuz i bet mfrs is gonna start posting tld gifs and i even saw one person say that they appreciate the new movie bc they have a kink for being held down as if he’s not literally r*ping her liek 😐

Idk what to do tho cuz I have mostly enjoyed being in this fandom and it’ll be sad to leave but the mental stress it’s gonna put me through to avoid tld gifs (even with filtering, people apparently haven’t learnt what tags are).

Hello my dear anon, I'm very sorry to hear that you're feeling this way. In an effort to avoid drama or controversy (because truly I mean no offense to anyone!!), I'm going to try and phrase my feelings on this subject matter as thoughtfully as I can.

I think that this situation is two-fold.

On the one hand, I agree with you wholeheartedly that it's a frustrating and upsetting thing to see a movie like this be so highly praised, considering the subject matter, and cast/crew involved. Believe me, I wish literally any other storyline had been chosen, rather than a woman being brutally r*ped and men battling because no one believes her -- you guys know how much I adore medieval history! I wanted so badly to like this movie, but I just can't. I think it's irresponsible of Hollywood to make this movie, considering the social climate of the industry and its handling of sexual assault both on and off screen, not to mention the way rape plots play into the desentization of sexual assault in real life.

However, the other side of this coin is that this is just a movie. People are entirely within their rights to make this kind of movie, to watch this kind of movie, and to love this kind of movie. Actors are not the characters they play, and actors have a right to choose movies at their own leisure and of their own interest. Whether that be because they think the subject matter is provocative or they simply want to work with a director, that's entirely within their right. So too, is it within a fandom's right to celebrate that movie.

People are going to like what they like, and that is okay. We don't have to like it, but we do have to respect it. It is a personal responsibility to curate the experience we have online, and if seeing things that are distressing to you is causing you pain, it is on you to rectify that. If that means unfollowing or blocking people, filtering tags, or leaving the fandom entirely, then that's what we must do. At this point I only follow like 5 people in the fandom, lol, because I can't be bothered to deal with anyone else, and that's okay too!

Listen, the adcu community here on tumblr and on twitter has a very bad habit of jumping the gun and quickly demonizing anyone who might go against a popular opinion. Regardless of what the context may be. And that alone can be very tiring and mentally draining. I've already seen it start to happen with TLD, people have already come into my inbox to shame me for expressing my frustrated opinions on the film.

Fandom is supposed to be fun, you have to do what will make it a safe place for you. Censoring fandom creators isn't the answer, it really is incumbent upon us to avoid the things we don't want to see, much in the same way that others might need to avoid us.

And for what it's worth, I am sorry if any gifs that I have shared escaped the tag filter (I plan on using the TLD Adam for my Knight Kylo AU), and have caused you harm.

I'm sending you all my love.

[swissmissficrecs]

Word count: 107,430 Chapters: 57/57 Fandom: Sherlock (TV) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Sherlock Holmes / OMC Characters: Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, Roberto Zanardi (OMC), Rosamund Mary "Rosie" Watson, Gregory Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes, Molly Hooper, Elena Zanardi (OFC), Mrs Hudson Additional Tags: Angst with a Happy Ending, Sherlock's Italian adventure, Jealous John, Mutual Pining, mutual misunderstandings, finally they talk about the Fall, First Time, First Kiss, Explicit sexual content but not going to list every sex act, can requited love last?, Canon compliant only through TLD, TFP never happened, Fanart, Multiple Pov, POV Sherlock Holmes, POV John Watson, POV Roberto Zanardi (OMC), POV Greg Lestrade, POV Molly Hooper, Seriously a REALLY happy Johnlock ending, Johnlock - Freeform, Idiots in Love Series: Part 1 of Drawn to Stars Summary:

“Romantic entanglement, while fulfilling for other people—” ���—would complete you as a human being.”

After the Culverton Smith case Sherlock is clean, working, and looking for a romantic partner—since John has told him that’s what he needs. Shame John didn’t mention he was interested in that role himself, before Sherlock went off to Rome with a gorgeous Italian copper to try to fall in love and become a complete human being.

======

Rec: So much angst and pain in this love triangle built on misunderstandings. As it says in the summary, the premise is that Sherlock tries to conduct a romance with another man in order to become the person he believes John wants him to be. Only of course he is wrong on all counts, and everyone suffers for it.

I know OMC pairings can be a turn-off for some readers, but genuinely this is a good guy and so well written, I *almost* rooted for him, and definitely sympathized. This made the eventual Johnlock bittersweet, but also more meaningful because it isn’t just a trite fairy tale ending, but one that rings true and is built on real emotion.

When John and Sherlock finally do find their way to each other, it’s a smorgasbord of honest communication, both verbal and physical, filled with indulgent interludes, emotional exploration, and all the joy of discovering what it means to be complete.

[discordantwords]

2020 fic year in review

Total number of completed stories: 3 (plus 4 ficlets)

Total word count: 73,185 (excluding the ficlets)

Fandoms written in: BBC Sherlock

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d expected? Less. Far less. I had so many plans for this year, so many stories I'd wanted to write, so many new ideas I wanted to explore. But... hah. This was (and maybe I shouldn't jinx it by speaking in the past tense, because we still have a few more days of 2020 to endure) just such a terrible year. The early months of the crisis impacted my productivity severely. Eventually I was able to find my words again, but there were a few things that I was absolutely certain I'd have completed this year that I just never got to.

What’s your own favorite story of the year? This is a tough one! I only wrote three, and I feel like a case could be made for all of them. Borrowed Ghosts, I guess, simply because that story has been with me for the majority of the year, and it was cathartic and rewarding to write John and Sherlock as they suffered through their time apart all the way through their eventual (hopefully satisfying) reunion.

Did you take any writing risks this year? Two of the three fics I wrote this year were pinch-hits for Holmestice, which meant a very tight deadline, so there’s always a bit of risk inherent in that I suppose. :D And one of them, EXECUTE, was a bit of a stylistic departure for me, though I'm very pleased with the end result.

Do you have any fanfic or profic goals for the new year? Sigh. I guess all of the things I meant to do this year. With any luck, maybe 2021 will be a more prolific year for me. (Okay, I should really stop jinxing myself now.)

Next up is a fic for @khorazir​ that will see Sherlock and John spending a night inside the London Aquarium. I'm really excited to work on that one, as it's been on the back burner for a while, and there are a few scenes that have been living in my head that I absolutely cannot wait to write down.

And then there’s the Twister fusion that I've been slowly drafting. It's still happening! I swear! I just write very slowly! (Also, who knew it was possible to mine so much angst out of a summer blockbuster flick?)

And the Willy Wonka crackfic that I keep promising myself I'll write one day.

Most popular story of the year? Borrowed Ghosts, my post-TLD fic that starts off imagining what might happen if John had simply left before the hug scene at the end of that episode. This one took me the majority of the year to write, which seems almost fitting as the story itself unfolded over the course of a year.

Story of mine most under-appreciated by the universe, in my opinion: Hm, for this year? There's not many to choose from, hehe, but I'll go with EXECUTE. It's a Stephen King fusion, and the kind of fic where the happy ending is a little bit uncertain the more time you spend thinking about it. Generally my fics with an unsettling or horror angle don't get nearly as many clicks as my other things. Which is cool, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea. But I am really pleased with how this one came out, and especially with the seemingly endless possibilities and moral quandaries presented by the ending.

Most fun story to write: EXECUTE. I write a lot of canon compliant or canon adjacent fix-its, and so it’s enjoyable to change gears and work on the occasional fusion. Fusions always start off a bit like a puzzle for me, and I find it fun trying to figure out where the pieces of two very different universes might fit together.

Most unintentionally telling story: Between both EXECUTE and Forever Turning Corners, it seems I can't stop myself from returning again and again to the Reichenbach well. There's just so much emotion there! So many possibilities! So many things I wish had turned out differently!

Biggest disappointment: Ugh, only my own lack of productivity. But I'm trying to be kind to myself and not be too upset over it. I did what I could, and I'm very happy with what I turned out this year.

Biggest surprise: As I'm pretty sure I've said in previous years, Holmestice is always the most wonderful surprise. It's just such a delightful, fun exchange, and the works that emerge with each reveal are so incredibly creative. I pinch-hit for both rounds this year. I'm the kind of person who thrives under deadlines, so I found it tremendously rewarding to come up with something in such a short period of time.

Tagging @thetimemoves​, @khorazir​, @calaisreno​, @arwamachine​, @blogstandbygo​, @saki101​, @7-percent​ and anyone else who sees this and would like to join in on the fun!

[anchored-in-high-tide]

NEW FIC

LAY IT ON ME

Rating: Teen and Up

Warnings: None

Fandom/Pairing: Sherlock/Johnlock

Chapters: 4/4

Words: 6k+

Tags: Love Confessions, Love Letter, After TLD, The Hug Scene (TM), Repressed John, Establishing Johnlock, First Kiss, Inspired by Song, Romantic Gestures

"Romantic entanglement while fulfilling for other people--" "--would complete you as a human being.”

John is right. Sherlock has no doubt about it at this point. It has taken him long enough to realise and longer still to accept it but, with all the data at hand, there is no longer room for any other conclusion.

Yes, John is right and Sherlock has to do something about it. *Inspired by Vance Joy’s LAY IT ON ME*

CHAPTER 1: Sherlock

There really is no other way, Sherlock decides as he watches John finish his tea.

They are both sitting in their chairs, a fire happily crackling beside them, filling the flat with dancing, golden light. Rosie is perched on John’s lap, her little fingers reaching for his face and teacup. John dodges them expertly and bounces the leg she’s on. At the movement, Rosie lets out a high-pitched giggle, her mouth opening in rapture and revealing soft, pink gums. John chuckles and settles his arm more firmly around her, tugging the little girl closely to his chest.

The sight warms Sherlock more than the fire.

Rosie is growing so fast, he thinks as he watches her clap excitedly. Every time his gaze falls on her, she seems to be bigger by an inch at least, with more golden hair curling on her little head and a new sense of understanding in her round, blue eyes.

He can’t believe it’s been only a few months since her mother died. Rosie seems to be doing just fine now, but Sherlock can’t help but wonder if she notices the sudden gap in her life, if her brain can fathom the loss she has already suffered. Hopefully, she is too young to comprehend it.

John seems to have come to terms with it, at least. Ever since that fateful day at the hospital, when John had hit rock bottom as his fists and feet had met Sherlock’s body, ever since he had broken down later, on Sherlock’s birthday, at this very spot, his reins slackened enough for once to grant him weakness and vulnerability, he seems to be doing better every time Sherlock sees him.

His face tells of more sleep (even when taking the strain of being a single parent to a baby into account) and his hands disclose that he has widely given up on drinking. When he’s taken Sherlock to his check-ups at the hospital, and now, when he’s monitoring Sherlock’s recovery himself, John is calm and collected, a little more solemn than he used to be maybe, but he looks relieved, freed from a burden, as if it had taken this violent thunderstorm to finally wash off some of the dust and guilt that had settled on him over the years.

Sherlock has thought about this afternoon for the past five weeks, has replayed it in his mind palace second by second more times than he cares to count: the way John had cried in his arms. Sometimes his skin still itches with the memory of John’s soft skin under his fingers. The scent that had wafted off John’s hair, familiar and yet overwhelming, seems to linger in the air and re-enter his nose when he least expects it.

But that’s not all Sherlock thinks about.

Most of his considerable mental energy he invests in examining their conversation that day.

The words John had said to him are forever imprinted on the walls of his skull, an internal tattoo covering the grey matter Sherlock is so proud of. 

“Romantic entanglement, while fulfilling for other people...”

“...would complete you as a human being.”

Sherlock has mulled over these words, has stretched and turned and compressed them until he had wrung the last bit of meaning from them.

John is right. Sherlock has no doubt about it at this point. It has taken him long enough to realise and longer still to accept it but, with all the data at hand, there is no longer room for any other conclusion.

“Do something while there’s still a chance, because that chance doesn’t last forever. Trust me, Sherlock: it’s gone before you know it. Before you know it.”

The words had shaken something loose in Sherlock’s chest, something that had been stuck in a dark corner, eschewing the light of consciousness.

Sherlock had looked up, one of his eyes red with blood, the cut on his brow stinging as he frowned, and had wondered how John couldn’t know, how he could say these things and look at him and still don’t know.

Sherlock shifts in his seat, the teacup in his hand uncomfortably fragile. He sets it down just as John sighs with a familiar air of termination.

“Well, I best be going now. Rosie is overdue for a nap and she gets unbelievably cranky when she falls asleep on the tube,” he says and heaves his daughter into his arm as he gets up.

Sherlock ducks his head. “Yes, of course.”

“I’ll just quickly use the loo if you don’t mind.”

“Go ahead,” Sherlock waves and, as a matter of course, he reaches out to receive a wriggling Rosie.

Sherlock’s eyes follow John as he heads down the hall. Rosie takes advantage of this momentary inattentiveness and dugs her little fists into Sherlock’s curls. He gently untangles them and, as the door to the loo shuts behind John, Sherlock rises to his feet, adjusts his grip around Rosie and quietly walks over to the window. Looking back over his shoulder to check the bathroom door is really closed, he pulls open a drawer on the little cabinet next to the desk.

From underneath a smorgasbord of documents, he retrieves a tightly folded piece of paper. The edges are slightly worn already from having been handled so many times by tentative fingers.

Sherlock looks at the letter for a second. He’s written it weeks ago, has been poring over it ever since—and still can’t shake off the doubt.

“Is this a stupid idea?” he murmurs into Rosie’s silky hair but, in lieu of an answer, Rosie only gurgles wetly, a string of spit dropping onto Sherlock’s shirt. He gives her a fond smile and a little peck on her forehead.

No, he can’t go on like this, having only bits and pieces, the odd afternoon and a case now and then. Rosie is growing up and the thought that he could be nothing but a peripheral spectator makes Sherlock’s stomach clench painfully.

There is no other way. He has to act now.

Before he can lose his courage, he swiftly tiptoes over to where John has hung up his coat on the landing and slides the letter into his pocket.

In the bathroom, water is running, and Sherlock hurries back to his armchair before John opens the door again.

“Are you still on for watching her on Tuesday?” John asks as he re-enters the kitchen and picks up Rosie’s diaper bag, unaware of Sherlock’s doings.

“Sure. I can pick her up from daycare, too, if you want to,” he says, pleased to find that his voice doesn’t betray the jumble in his head.

“That’d be great, thank you.”John picks up his daughter and straps her to his chest. She struggles a little against the wrap but ultimately accepts her fate and leans her head against John. Sherlock follows them to the door and watches anxiously as John puts on his coat. “And you text me if anything interesting pops up?”

“What?” Sherlock asks absentmindedly before his brain comes back online. “Um, yes, of course.”

“Okay then.” John straightens his shoulders and gives Sherlock a soft smile. “This was nice.”

It is this smile, this fond and somewhat sheepish expression that flashes over John’s face every now and then that is driving Sherlock insane, that makes watching and waiting and wishing just not good enough anymore.

“It always is,” Sherlock replies in a low voice and swallows as John’s tongue darts out to wet his lips.

For a second, the urge to just grab John, to pull him and Rosie close and never let either of them go again is irresistible, burning in Sherlock’s muscles like wildfire.

But then Rosie whines disgruntledly, her little limbs struggling against the wrap, and John diverts his gaze.

“See you on Tuesday,” he says, adjusting the diaper bag’s position before he walks down the stairs.

“Tuesday,” Sherlock confirms a little late and John, already half-way gone, turns around and gives him another smile. It looks a little sad but maybe Sherlock’s just projecting his own sense of loss onto the familiar face.

The next second, John has vanished around the corner.

The door falls shut downstairs and Sherlock is left alone, his heartbeat echoing in the empty flat. TAGS: @itsalwaysyou-jw​ @carbonated-queer​ @benzedrine-calmstheitch​ @sarahthecoat​ @barbsiebabe​ @alexangelscuddles​ @lsop712​