Merlin & Sherlock recs
Long, LOOOONG overdue rec post for lizzywinks, even if she's too busy to read much...
Of course, should anyone else stumble onto it: I hope you find some stuff you like.
Though I think everything I rec here is more or less a fandom staple anyway.
First off for both Merlin and Sherlock:
I HIGHLY recommend downloading all the glorious podfic Pandarus aka FayJay has recorded. It's all here: Sherlock/ Merlin). Seriously, she's amazing. And she has awesome taste in fic. I found a lot of my all time favourites through her. So even if you don't like podfics it's worth taking a look at the list for the links.
(She also recorded J2 fic! Unfortunately her SN stuff is all Dean/Cas ^^, her only podfics that I haven't listened to yet. But I might cave at some point. She's that good.)
Now for the Merlin recs:
- Astolat's Beltane Cycle (especially fics no 3+4. I really consider the first 2 rather loose prologues, that you don't actually need to read before the others. They're still good, of course.)
no3: "That shall achieve the sword": Arthur had just started to get really irritated, as opposed to the low-grade and permanent Merlin-is-late-again irritation that somehow managed to be endearing -- and how exactly Merlin had managed that, Arthur would really have liked to know, mostly so he could work out how to use it on Uther. (preslash)
no4: "An Excile in Albion": Arthur in Ealdor was like a tame lion at the dinner table: you weren't necessarily worried you were going to get torn to pieces, but it was still dangerous, decidedly out of place, and made the neighbors nervous.
Notes: Astolat's Arthur may be my favourite of them all :)...
(Fayjay recorded the whole series!)
- So they are all, all honourable men by seperis
Summary: Considering Arthur's future wife will be chosen less for compatibility than for her political value, Merlin may be the only marriage he'll have that won't end in bloodshed or a great deal of fortifying wine.
Notes: The summary makes it sound funnier than it is really. Basically Merlin ends up getting challenged by a knight to fight to the death. > Lots’s of protective Arthur :).
- In time of trial by shinetheway
Summary: Uther fears his son's power, and Merlin has helped Arthur flee to escape imprisonment. Now the two of them must fight to regain Arthur's rightful place in Camelot.
(also recorded by FayJay)
Notes: EPIC! I swear!
- The world under heaven, here all is lent by takadainmate
"You think I was going to let you wander around the forest with some... thing... on the loose on your own?" Arthur scoffed. "You wouldn't last five minutes."
Merlin rolled his eyes, contemplated ignoring Arthur then thought, no, why should he; he was cold and tired and he'd dragged Arthur's royal heavy carcass halfway across the forest and sort-of fixed his leg and servant or not this was most definitely not in his job description.
Notes: One of my favourite "Arthur finds out" fics :D. I love it when they get stuck in scenarios where they only have each other to rely on.
- In want of a wife by syllic
Summary: When Merlin first hears that Arthur has been betrothed, his ribs pull inwards with an odd little hitch, and he only allows himself a second-which he needs in order to coordinate spinning in place without falling on his face-before he’s running to Arthur’s chambers.
Notes: Syllic is an absolute MASTER of character development. Basically I rec everything she’s ever written!! One of my favourite Merlin fics is one of hers that’s still a WIP, so I won’t list it here, but you should go check out what else she’s written!
- Treason to us by janne_d
Summary: Arthur finds out. And he does not react well.
Note: Unlike another one I rec'ed further down this comes with a happy ending :).
- All the laughter from before by waldorph
One story goes like this:
“There was an enemy sorcerer whose son Uther had killed, and who was desperate to make Uther feel the same pain. And so the sorcerer wove a spell around Prince Arthur, and it killed him slowly over the course of a season. From May to August, Arthur had faded. And then Arthur’s manservant, Merlin, realized that it was no ordinary illness and he, being a great sorcerer himself but good and kind, defended the prince, and saved his life.
“But alas, King Uther could not abide magic of any kind, and Prince Arthur’s protests and the physician’s pleas and Merlin’s explanations fell on deaf ears. Merlin was killed that very night-burned alive for saving the prince, and the prince was locked in the dungeons, where he could not help his friend.”
Notes: This is... sort of a deathfic, so... precede with caution. A great story though! I definitely recommend it!
- A chuisle by exlibris-tenisu
It wasn’t a spell that Merlin knew; the words hadn’t been pre-planned or rehearsed. In fact, he could very well claim he hadn’t really been in charge of all (or any) of his faculties at the time. All he knew was that, as he watched Arthur single-handedly face down a group of attackers with all the stupidity and tenacity of which he was capable, Merlin couldn’t allow it to end like this.
Notes: More or less broke my heart. I love the story, but it's really rather depressing, and Arthur is a lot darker than in canon.
- The history of two conversations on paper by takadainmate
Summary: Arthur/Merlin. Books are defaced. But it's all for a good cause. Really.
Notes: This is absolutely hilarious :)!! If you wait a bit you can listen to it in a podfic version recorded by such-heights, who I won in the Help_Haiti auction, and who's agreed to record this for me. :D
- The weight of words by waldorph
Summary: Merlin is not the only one for whom words have power.
- No loyal knight and true by i-claudia
Summary: Neither of them can resist; neither can turn away.
Notes: Ok, this is NOT a happy fic! [I didn't even realize I liked so many dark Merlin fics. hmm.] I think it actually made me cry - and I hardly ever cry when reading fic. But it's also one of the few stories that kept me awake at night thinking about it... high praise in my book :).
- Obeisance by casspeach
Summary: It's not that Arthur won't share his toys, just that he expects to get them back undamaged.
Notes: Hurt!Merlin and protective!Arthur in spades... That’s really more or less all the plot there is ^^. (yay)
- The common touch by lamardeuse
“I'm hungry,” Arthur said.
Merlin pointed at a small tent a couple of dozen yards away. “There's a fellow selling sausages in a bun over there.”
Arthur frowned. “Selling.” He hadn't thought to bring any coins with him, perhaps because he'd never needed to bring any coins with him.
Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, then smirked and reached in his doublet for his purse.
Notes: Basically Arthur trying to pass as a commoner... ^^
- Leashed by riventhorn
Written for the prompt: In the fashion described regarding the treatment of Damane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damane) in The Wheel of Time, rather than killing all sorcerers, Uther has a select few "leashed" and enslaved to the service of his armies. Merlin is leashed and Arthur is his master.
Notes: This is a slave!au, which I know is definitely not everybody's cup of tea... BUT, it's also so much more than that! The fic doesn't exploit the concept of slavery to get more sex into the story. Rather it explores the premise of how their friendship would have developed if Merlin had been forced to stay with Arthur from a much younger age. Really tugged at my heart strings!!
- The student prince by Pandarus
Summary: A modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love... This story was inspired by the thought of Prince William of Wales studying at the University of St Andrews; it is also, as the title suggests, at least a little inspired by the operetta 'The Student Prince'.
Notes: Oh God, I wanna draw sparkly hearts all over this story *___*. Modern day prince Arthur meets Harry Potter Merlin at university. My favourite Merlin AU by a long way. They're all perfectly in character and the whole story is just so much FUN!! (Also available as podfic)
- When trust is a thing not given by aelora
Summary: Arthur just wants Merlin to trust him. Merlin thinks that he does.
Notes: What the summary says really. Not so much a plotty fic, but spot on characterization. And lots of delicious ANGST :D!
- I also loved the sequel: Water is taught by thirst
- The Mirror, the sworrd and the shield by aelora
The Wyrd Sisters, for that is how they are known among the men of Albion, gather round the shallow pool of glimmering water, intent on the struggles playing out before them. They are known as the spinner, the weaver and inevitability, but to each other they are Wrencan, Wefan, and Gewiss, and their true forms have never been glimpsed by mortal man.
Notes: Another epic Merlin BigBang fic!
What looks like crazy by hermette
Summary: Three years after being diagnosed with HIV, Merlin Emrys is managing, if not quite coping. Enter Arthur Pendragon, the man who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.
Notes: Modern AU... obviously this is not the happiest of fics since it's centered around a terminal illness. But I love how the author wrote the characters. I have no personal experience to draw from, but it seemed realistic to me.
~~~
Sherlock recs:
- Thought experiments by entangled-now
Summary: Thought experiment: an attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination.
John can't remember the last time he came back to the flat and had to ask a normal question. It's never 'do we have any milk?' or 'where's the post?' No, these days it tends to be 'why are there eyeballs in the microwave?' or 'why are all the walls covered in dead butterflies?' or 'where did this 40 gallon tank come from?' Or, on one particularly memorable Thursday, 'why are you tied to a chair?'
Notes: One of the fics I found through Fayjay's podfic. The characterization is pure brilliance!!
- Like bad wallpaper by flawedamythyst
Family love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern, like bad wallpaper. (Nietzsche)
Notes: John and Sherlock attend Harry's 2nd wedding. Together. Speculation ensues... ;)
- It's not the violin by Sam_Storyteller
Summary: Somewhere between Alejandro and the fistfight, John Watson became someone Sherlock Holmes would kill for.
Notes: Hurt!John ftw! :D. Also, Sherlock playing Lady Gaga on his violin will never not be awesome!
- The case of the unwelcome owl by Pandarus
"What if I told you it were an evil ninja owl in Moriarty's employ?” Sherlock asked, after a pause.
Notes: Sherlock/Harry Potter crossover \o/! Made of pure WIN!! God, I laughed SO HARD! And really, it explaines SO much XD...
And I *just* saw that she posted the beginning of a sequel yesterday! slkdflsdkjf *runs off to read as soon as this post is done* \O/!!!
- When the bough breaks by alice-day
Summary: Sherlock finds himself playing unwilling babysitter to a blond, blue-eyed baby who bears a striking resemblance to a certain doctor...
Notes: Yes, ok, it's de-aging fic. I admit I have a serious weakness for that trope... And this is so well done *___*! (And the explanation for the whole debacle is GREAT! hehehe)
This was based on a pic by sadynax who does the cutest Sherlock fanart ever!! :)
- The letter of the lore by anonymous...
Written for the prompt: Since Sherlock is so interesting in appearance, so odd and dark in temperament, so attuned to death... What if he had a fairy in his bloodline. Not a fairy like the Disney sort. No, the faeries of old legend. The ones that went bump in the night and made people afraid to go out after dark. The ones that had no particular like for humans--that used to be propitiated with offerings. The ones folks went out of their way NOT to offend. Maybe Sidhe, maybe another kind.
Notes: Utterly fascinating! :D
- Breakfast at 221B by AJHall
"Anyway. Enough of my embarrassing sibling brothel stories. Tell me yours."
A Sherlock conversation, over breakfast.
Notes: This is a great character study. Made my heart break a bit for Sherlock...:(
(Also available as podfic!)
- Paper Chase by Sam_Storyteller
Summary: One criminal consultant. One consulting detective. One serial killer. And one perhaps inadvisable bet...
Notes: Sherlock/White collar crossover. I almost didn't read it, since I don't know White Collar, but I'm SO glad I did!! It's absolutely hilarious :D!
- Forgotten by protectorgf
Summary: Watson goes missing at the climax of a case.
Notes: This is fanfic of the original series. But how could I resist fic where Watson gets burried alive? *evil grin*
- The 'An act of charity' verse by wordstrings
Drawing in a long breath through his nose, Sherlock decides to brave an experiment. He is in perfect health. He is awake, aware, quire keen. His mind is, just at the moment, entirely free of artificial stimulus. So let us, Sherlock determines, embark upon a little test. The only important test, really. The one for all the marbles.
The first such test in five years, and a terrifying one to contemplate attempting. But it's a diagnostic that needs gritting one's teeth and doing periodically, and he has life rather firmly by the bollocks just now, so it might even be successful for the first time.
The question to be tested is a very simple one.
Is it better now than it used to be?
Notes: God, I don't even know what to say about this that might do it justice... it definitely has THE most deliciously messed up, sociopathic characterization of Sherlock EVER. Gives me goosebumps!! There are four stories in this series ("An act of charity", "The paradox suite", "The death and resurrection of the english language" and "Entirely covered in your invisible name"). They're all available as podfic :D.
- Blood from a stone by mariana-oconnor
Sherlock, generally, does not believe in magic.
This is not so much an objection to the concept as the fact he has never found a provable example. It is entirely possible, he acknowledges, that there are things beyond science and mortal understanding. That doesn’t mean he believes there are though, it just means that if he ever does find a provable example he won’t exclude it based on prejudices.
It’s a similar thing with God. Sherlock’s world revolves around that which can be observed and quantified in some way. Often the things he notices seem invisible to others, but that does not mean they are not there.
God (or gods - he’s an equal opportunities agnostic) is not something he has ever observed.
His theories on magic, on the other hand...
Notes: Basically Sherlock is cursed with empathy. And then gets addicted. Really not as funny as it may sound... it kinda gave me chills. Brilliantly written!
- Playing human by snake-easing
From this prompt: Sherlock is not human; Sherlock is, in fact, a daemon. Sherlock is Mycroft's daemon. After he settled, they (and the Holmes family) decides that it would just be easier if they pretended that Sherlock was their second son, because human-shaped daemons are so rare that it freaks people out. So, Mycroft and Sherlock teach themselves to be apart (like the witches) and start to live separate lives, pretending that they both have little tiny shy daemons (IDK, spiders or insects or mice or something) that are easy to hide. This freaks people out rather, but it's not totally and completely abnormal.
No one works it out until John comes along and starts spending all his time with Sherlock - and realises that he's never seen Sherlock's daemon ...
Notes: Obviously a crossover with His Dark Materials, but I don't think you need to have read it. If you didn't, just check out the wiki article on dæmons. I LOVE this so much!! The prompt alone was genius, but the fic is even better. There's now a sequel, too. (Both also recorded by Fajay)
- It feels like home when I'm with you by etothepii
Summary: John still gets nightmares about Afghanistan. That's the worst part of it all, he thinks -- he still has dreams about sand and drowning to death in his own blood. But they're more memory than nightmare.
Notes: Features ghost!John, who haunts 221B when Sherlock moves in. This fic is a bit heart-wrenching... Not exactly sad, but the way they bond even though John is dead really moved me.
- Five things John Watson will never tell anyone by raina-at
Summary: There are things about himself that John Watson will never, ever, tell anyone. Not even consulting detectives who might already know.
Notes: Great look into John's head!
So... I think that's it for now. Hope you find some downtime to read and enjoy the fics when you do! *hugs*
Of course, should anyone else stumble onto it: I hope you find some stuff you like.
Though I think everything I rec here is more or less a fandom staple anyway.
First off for both Merlin and Sherlock:
I HIGHLY recommend downloading all the glorious podfic Pandarus aka FayJay has recorded. It's all here: Sherlock/ Merlin). Seriously, she's amazing. And she has awesome taste in fic. I found a lot of my all time favourites through her. So even if you don't like podfics it's worth taking a look at the list for the links.
(She also recorded J2 fic! Unfortunately her SN stuff is all Dean/Cas ^^, her only podfics that I haven't listened to yet. But I might cave at some point. She's that good.)
Now for the Merlin recs:
- Astolat's Beltane Cycle (especially fics no 3+4. I really consider the first 2 rather loose prologues, that you don't actually need to read before the others. They're still good, of course.)
no3: "That shall achieve the sword": Arthur had just started to get really irritated, as opposed to the low-grade and permanent Merlin-is-late-again irritation that somehow managed to be endearing -- and how exactly Merlin had managed that, Arthur would really have liked to know, mostly so he could work out how to use it on Uther. (preslash)
no4: "An Excile in Albion": Arthur in Ealdor was like a tame lion at the dinner table: you weren't necessarily worried you were going to get torn to pieces, but it was still dangerous, decidedly out of place, and made the neighbors nervous.
Notes: Astolat's Arthur may be my favourite of them all :)...
(Fayjay recorded the whole series!)
- So they are all, all honourable men by seperis
Summary: Considering Arthur's future wife will be chosen less for compatibility than for her political value, Merlin may be the only marriage he'll have that won't end in bloodshed or a great deal of fortifying wine.
Notes: The summary makes it sound funnier than it is really. Basically Merlin ends up getting challenged by a knight to fight to the death. > Lots’s of protective Arthur :).
- In time of trial by shinetheway
Summary: Uther fears his son's power, and Merlin has helped Arthur flee to escape imprisonment. Now the two of them must fight to regain Arthur's rightful place in Camelot.
(also recorded by FayJay)
Notes: EPIC! I swear!
- The world under heaven, here all is lent by takadainmate
"You think I was going to let you wander around the forest with some... thing... on the loose on your own?" Arthur scoffed. "You wouldn't last five minutes."
Merlin rolled his eyes, contemplated ignoring Arthur then thought, no, why should he; he was cold and tired and he'd dragged Arthur's royal heavy carcass halfway across the forest and sort-of fixed his leg and servant or not this was most definitely not in his job description.
Notes: One of my favourite "Arthur finds out" fics :D. I love it when they get stuck in scenarios where they only have each other to rely on.
- In want of a wife by syllic
Summary: When Merlin first hears that Arthur has been betrothed, his ribs pull inwards with an odd little hitch, and he only allows himself a second-which he needs in order to coordinate spinning in place without falling on his face-before he’s running to Arthur’s chambers.
Notes: Syllic is an absolute MASTER of character development. Basically I rec everything she’s ever written!! One of my favourite Merlin fics is one of hers that’s still a WIP, so I won’t list it here, but you should go check out what else she’s written!
- Treason to us by janne_d
Summary: Arthur finds out. And he does not react well.
Note: Unlike another one I rec'ed further down this comes with a happy ending :).
- All the laughter from before by waldorph
One story goes like this:
“There was an enemy sorcerer whose son Uther had killed, and who was desperate to make Uther feel the same pain. And so the sorcerer wove a spell around Prince Arthur, and it killed him slowly over the course of a season. From May to August, Arthur had faded. And then Arthur’s manservant, Merlin, realized that it was no ordinary illness and he, being a great sorcerer himself but good and kind, defended the prince, and saved his life.
“But alas, King Uther could not abide magic of any kind, and Prince Arthur’s protests and the physician’s pleas and Merlin’s explanations fell on deaf ears. Merlin was killed that very night-burned alive for saving the prince, and the prince was locked in the dungeons, where he could not help his friend.”
Notes: This is... sort of a deathfic, so... precede with caution. A great story though! I definitely recommend it!
- A chuisle by exlibris-tenisu
It wasn’t a spell that Merlin knew; the words hadn’t been pre-planned or rehearsed. In fact, he could very well claim he hadn’t really been in charge of all (or any) of his faculties at the time. All he knew was that, as he watched Arthur single-handedly face down a group of attackers with all the stupidity and tenacity of which he was capable, Merlin couldn’t allow it to end like this.
Notes: More or less broke my heart. I love the story, but it's really rather depressing, and Arthur is a lot darker than in canon.
- The history of two conversations on paper by takadainmate
Summary: Arthur/Merlin. Books are defaced. But it's all for a good cause. Really.
Notes: This is absolutely hilarious :)!! If you wait a bit you can listen to it in a podfic version recorded by such-heights, who I won in the Help_Haiti auction, and who's agreed to record this for me. :D
- The weight of words by waldorph
Summary: Merlin is not the only one for whom words have power.
- No loyal knight and true by i-claudia
Summary: Neither of them can resist; neither can turn away.
Notes: Ok, this is NOT a happy fic! [I didn't even realize I liked so many dark Merlin fics. hmm.] I think it actually made me cry - and I hardly ever cry when reading fic. But it's also one of the few stories that kept me awake at night thinking about it... high praise in my book :).
- Obeisance by casspeach
Summary: It's not that Arthur won't share his toys, just that he expects to get them back undamaged.
Notes: Hurt!Merlin and protective!Arthur in spades... That’s really more or less all the plot there is ^^. (yay)
- The common touch by lamardeuse
“I'm hungry,” Arthur said.
Merlin pointed at a small tent a couple of dozen yards away. “There's a fellow selling sausages in a bun over there.”
Arthur frowned. “Selling.” He hadn't thought to bring any coins with him, perhaps because he'd never needed to bring any coins with him.
Merlin raised an eyebrow at him, then smirked and reached in his doublet for his purse.
Notes: Basically Arthur trying to pass as a commoner... ^^
- Leashed by riventhorn
Written for the prompt: In the fashion described regarding the treatment of Damane (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damane) in The Wheel of Time, rather than killing all sorcerers, Uther has a select few "leashed" and enslaved to the service of his armies. Merlin is leashed and Arthur is his master.
Notes: This is a slave!au, which I know is definitely not everybody's cup of tea... BUT, it's also so much more than that! The fic doesn't exploit the concept of slavery to get more sex into the story. Rather it explores the premise of how their friendship would have developed if Merlin had been forced to stay with Arthur from a much younger age. Really tugged at my heart strings!!
- The student prince by Pandarus
Summary: A modern day Merlin AU set at the University of St Andrews, featuring teetotal kickboxers, secret wizards, magnificent bodyguards of various genders, irate fairies, imprisoned dragons, crumbling gothic architecture, arrogant princes, adorable engineering students, stolen gold, magical doorways, attempted assassination, drunken students, shaving foam fights, embarrassing mornings after, The Hammer Dance, duty, responsibility, friendship and true love... This story was inspired by the thought of Prince William of Wales studying at the University of St Andrews; it is also, as the title suggests, at least a little inspired by the operetta 'The Student Prince'.
Notes: Oh God, I wanna draw sparkly hearts all over this story *___*. Modern day prince Arthur meets Harry Potter Merlin at university. My favourite Merlin AU by a long way. They're all perfectly in character and the whole story is just so much FUN!! (Also available as podfic)
- When trust is a thing not given by aelora
Summary: Arthur just wants Merlin to trust him. Merlin thinks that he does.
Notes: What the summary says really. Not so much a plotty fic, but spot on characterization. And lots of delicious ANGST :D!
- I also loved the sequel: Water is taught by thirst
- The Mirror, the sworrd and the shield by aelora
The Wyrd Sisters, for that is how they are known among the men of Albion, gather round the shallow pool of glimmering water, intent on the struggles playing out before them. They are known as the spinner, the weaver and inevitability, but to each other they are Wrencan, Wefan, and Gewiss, and their true forms have never been glimpsed by mortal man.
Notes: Another epic Merlin BigBang fic!
What looks like crazy by hermette
Summary: Three years after being diagnosed with HIV, Merlin Emrys is managing, if not quite coping. Enter Arthur Pendragon, the man who doesn’t know how to take no for an answer.
Notes: Modern AU... obviously this is not the happiest of fics since it's centered around a terminal illness. But I love how the author wrote the characters. I have no personal experience to draw from, but it seemed realistic to me.
~~~
Sherlock recs:
- Thought experiments by entangled-now
Summary: Thought experiment: an attempt to solve a problem using the power of human imagination.
John can't remember the last time he came back to the flat and had to ask a normal question. It's never 'do we have any milk?' or 'where's the post?' No, these days it tends to be 'why are there eyeballs in the microwave?' or 'why are all the walls covered in dead butterflies?' or 'where did this 40 gallon tank come from?' Or, on one particularly memorable Thursday, 'why are you tied to a chair?'
Notes: One of the fics I found through Fayjay's podfic. The characterization is pure brilliance!!
- Like bad wallpaper by flawedamythyst
Family love is messy, clinging, and of an annoying and repetitive pattern, like bad wallpaper. (Nietzsche)
Notes: John and Sherlock attend Harry's 2nd wedding. Together. Speculation ensues... ;)
- It's not the violin by Sam_Storyteller
Summary: Somewhere between Alejandro and the fistfight, John Watson became someone Sherlock Holmes would kill for.
Notes: Hurt!John ftw! :D. Also, Sherlock playing Lady Gaga on his violin will never not be awesome!
- The case of the unwelcome owl by Pandarus
"What if I told you it were an evil ninja owl in Moriarty's employ?” Sherlock asked, after a pause.
Notes: Sherlock/Harry Potter crossover \o/! Made of pure WIN!! God, I laughed SO HARD! And really, it explaines SO much XD...
And I *just* saw that she posted the beginning of a sequel yesterday! slkdflsdkjf *runs off to read as soon as this post is done* \O/!!!
- When the bough breaks by alice-day
Summary: Sherlock finds himself playing unwilling babysitter to a blond, blue-eyed baby who bears a striking resemblance to a certain doctor...
Notes: Yes, ok, it's de-aging fic. I admit I have a serious weakness for that trope... And this is so well done *___*! (And the explanation for the whole debacle is GREAT! hehehe)
This was based on a pic by sadynax who does the cutest Sherlock fanart ever!! :)
- The letter of the lore by anonymous...
Written for the prompt: Since Sherlock is so interesting in appearance, so odd and dark in temperament, so attuned to death... What if he had a fairy in his bloodline. Not a fairy like the Disney sort. No, the faeries of old legend. The ones that went bump in the night and made people afraid to go out after dark. The ones that had no particular like for humans--that used to be propitiated with offerings. The ones folks went out of their way NOT to offend. Maybe Sidhe, maybe another kind.
Notes: Utterly fascinating! :D
- Breakfast at 221B by AJHall
"Anyway. Enough of my embarrassing sibling brothel stories. Tell me yours."
A Sherlock conversation, over breakfast.
Notes: This is a great character study. Made my heart break a bit for Sherlock...:(
(Also available as podfic!)
- Paper Chase by Sam_Storyteller
Summary: One criminal consultant. One consulting detective. One serial killer. And one perhaps inadvisable bet...
Notes: Sherlock/White collar crossover. I almost didn't read it, since I don't know White Collar, but I'm SO glad I did!! It's absolutely hilarious :D!
- Forgotten by protectorgf
Summary: Watson goes missing at the climax of a case.
Notes: This is fanfic of the original series. But how could I resist fic where Watson gets burried alive? *evil grin*
- The 'An act of charity' verse by wordstrings
Drawing in a long breath through his nose, Sherlock decides to brave an experiment. He is in perfect health. He is awake, aware, quire keen. His mind is, just at the moment, entirely free of artificial stimulus. So let us, Sherlock determines, embark upon a little test. The only important test, really. The one for all the marbles.
The first such test in five years, and a terrifying one to contemplate attempting. But it's a diagnostic that needs gritting one's teeth and doing periodically, and he has life rather firmly by the bollocks just now, so it might even be successful for the first time.
The question to be tested is a very simple one.
Is it better now than it used to be?
Notes: God, I don't even know what to say about this that might do it justice... it definitely has THE most deliciously messed up, sociopathic characterization of Sherlock EVER. Gives me goosebumps!! There are four stories in this series ("An act of charity", "The paradox suite", "The death and resurrection of the english language" and "Entirely covered in your invisible name"). They're all available as podfic :D.
- Blood from a stone by mariana-oconnor
Sherlock, generally, does not believe in magic.
This is not so much an objection to the concept as the fact he has never found a provable example. It is entirely possible, he acknowledges, that there are things beyond science and mortal understanding. That doesn’t mean he believes there are though, it just means that if he ever does find a provable example he won’t exclude it based on prejudices.
It’s a similar thing with God. Sherlock’s world revolves around that which can be observed and quantified in some way. Often the things he notices seem invisible to others, but that does not mean they are not there.
God (or gods - he’s an equal opportunities agnostic) is not something he has ever observed.
His theories on magic, on the other hand...
Notes: Basically Sherlock is cursed with empathy. And then gets addicted. Really not as funny as it may sound... it kinda gave me chills. Brilliantly written!
- Playing human by snake-easing
From this prompt: Sherlock is not human; Sherlock is, in fact, a daemon. Sherlock is Mycroft's daemon. After he settled, they (and the Holmes family) decides that it would just be easier if they pretended that Sherlock was their second son, because human-shaped daemons are so rare that it freaks people out. So, Mycroft and Sherlock teach themselves to be apart (like the witches) and start to live separate lives, pretending that they both have little tiny shy daemons (IDK, spiders or insects or mice or something) that are easy to hide. This freaks people out rather, but it's not totally and completely abnormal.
No one works it out until John comes along and starts spending all his time with Sherlock - and realises that he's never seen Sherlock's daemon ...
Notes: Obviously a crossover with His Dark Materials, but I don't think you need to have read it. If you didn't, just check out the wiki article on dæmons. I LOVE this so much!! The prompt alone was genius, but the fic is even better. There's now a sequel, too. (Both also recorded by Fajay)
- It feels like home when I'm with you by etothepii
Summary: John still gets nightmares about Afghanistan. That's the worst part of it all, he thinks -- he still has dreams about sand and drowning to death in his own blood. But they're more memory than nightmare.
Notes: Features ghost!John, who haunts 221B when Sherlock moves in. This fic is a bit heart-wrenching... Not exactly sad, but the way they bond even though John is dead really moved me.
- Five things John Watson will never tell anyone by raina-at
Summary: There are things about himself that John Watson will never, ever, tell anyone. Not even consulting detectives who might already know.
Notes: Great look into John's head!
So... I think that's it for now. Hope you find some downtime to read and enjoy the fics when you do! *hugs*