Still The Addict

Listen, dear fandom, These past two months, I’ve been deep in the dumps. March and April, are the months both of my partner’s birthday and the day that I lost him. Haven’t been able to read, and am just getting back to finish The Enormous Hound.

These two, however, continue living rent free in my heart. Seeing these recent pictures of them, how they are aging so beautifully makes me crave for them. And I’m not a fan of real person Fic. But there were some authors, back in the day, that wrote it so tenderly, and lovingly. I don’t believe I could pull it off, so, just asking - am I the only one craving a reunion fic? Can anyone write one? I’m more than grateful for all the wonderful Johnlock fanfic, but just one story with the both of them looking as they do now, getting together for a pint, or tea, talking to each other and smoothing things out?

Tagging some people, just to see if there is any further interest, if not, enjoy this rough pairing of photos I took from recent posts and do not plan to share in any other place, just did it to see them together ♥️♥️

The Annotated 221b

The prop newspaper headline is “United We Stand“ (Lookit how the camera zooms in on it!)

Fernando and Humberto Campana “Blow Up” fruit bowl

The safe (appears in ACD canon)

A shadow box of labeled ammunition. (You can’t see it here but Sherlock has 2 .50 calibre browning machine gun cartridges over by John’s chair.)

The seltzer bottle (a nod to the gasogene in ACD)

Green decorative glass — hourglass shaped

Samsung LE32B450 32-inch LCD HD TV 

Tizio lamp (1972) designed by Richard Sapper

Bronze hound statue like this one (x) (decidedly not gigantic)

Romeo y Julietta and Monte Cristo cigar boxes

Ali Miller tea service

A skull

A taxidermy box with bat and insects

Lotto scratch cards

Leatherman Charge AL Multitool and SH’s correspondence

Qin Dynasty archer

Glass on glass mirror (with Zoffany Navarre wallpaper from the Nureyev collection)

Sherlock’s books! All the books! Click here for a full list)

SAMTID Floor/reading lamp, Ikea

Leather chair inspired by Le Grand Confort by Le Corbusier (1928)

Chrome desk fan (like this x)

Black coral (Go fake! Here’s why.)

Touch table lamp with chrome base

Lots of stuff on the desk you can’t see in this view. A lot of it is here (x) and here (x)

Mid-century Danish modern chairs and table

iPhone

Cordless phone 

Here are my annotations for:

The S2 Promo Shots

The Desk in ASiP

Sherlock’s decorative green glass

Some of my fave desk props

The Syrian octagonal table on the far side of John’s over-stuffed chair

The mushroom chromolithographs and the bird prints in the curio cabinet

Three Times - (2024)

trump revoked executive order 11246, which prohibited discrimination.

trump put all dei employees on leave to be fired.

trump blamed the dc plane crash on dei.

trump banned all lgbtq+ flags from being hung in government buildings.

trump ordered the pentagon to cancel celebration of mlk jr. day, black history month, women's history month, holocaust remembrance day, asian american pacific islander heritage month, lgbtq+ pride month, juneteenth, women's equality day, national hispanic heritage month, national disability employment awarenessmonth, and national american indian heritage month.

trump proposed removing all palestinians from gaza, turning the area into a vacation resort called “riviera of the middle east”.

trump rolled back biden’s executive order to lower prescription drug costs for people using medicare and medicaid.

trump rescinded the $35 cap on insulin, and prices are expected to rise to $1500 a month.

trump ordered the national institutes of health to cancel their review panels on cancer research.

trump ended the guidelines to prevent ai misuse. the guidelines prevent many things, but notably it prevents production of ai child pornography.

when sean hannity asked trump about the economy, he said “i don’t care”, after campaigning with the economy as his main talking point.

trump has withdrawn the us from the world health organization.

trump is ordering health agencies to stop reporting on bird flu and halt publications of scientific reports.

trump has pardoned over 1500 people who stormed the capitol on january 6th.

trump changed denali back to mount mckinley.

trump signed an executive order to rename the gulf of mexico to gulf of america.

trump shut down cbp one, an app which granted legal entry to 1 million+ immigrants.

trump is allowing ice raids at churches and elementary schools.

trump announced plans to declare a national emergency at the us-mexico border.

trump signed an executive order to expand the use of the death penalty.

trump disbanded the school safety board that works to prevent school shootings. it was comprised of survivors, educators, and gun violence prevention advocates and formed after the school shooting in parkland.

trump has threatened to invade panama to claim the panama canal.

trump withdrew from the paris climate act.

trump revoked all protections for transgender troops in the us military.

trump rescinded executive orders made by biden that benefited and protected women, lgbtq+ people, black americans, hispanic americans, asian americans, native hawaiians, and pacific islanders.

trump is attempting to make it legal to refuse to hire or fire pregnant women.

multiple state legislators are drafting bills to allow the punishment for abortion to be the death penalty.

trump pardoned 23 individuals convicted under the freedom of access to clinic entrances (FACE) act for their anti-abortion activism, including oftentimes violent protests at abortion clinics.

trump signed an executive order allowing deportation of foreign students who they believe express support for hamas or hezbollah.

trump announced that the us government will from here on out only recognize male and female as sexes. intersex is not legally recognized anymore.

the trump administration paused health communications to prevent the fda from announcing food recalls.

google and apple maps now display the gulf of mexico as “gulf of america”.

andy ogles drafted a constitutional amendment to allow trump to be president for a third term.

the us senate confirmed russell vought, one of the main authors of project 2025, will lead the white house budget office.

andy biggs introduced a bill to abolish osha and completely eliminate federal workplace safety protections.

georgia republican congressman mike collins called for the deportation of new jersey born mariann budde, the bishop who urged trump to “have mercy” on the lgbtq+ community and immigrants during a service at the national cathedral.

there is a bill named the SAVE act which would require americans to provide their birth certificate, passport, or other citizenship documents every time they vote, and would require the last name on their driver’s license to match that of their birth certificate. this would prevent married women who have changed their last name from voting.

bill h.r.1161, which is available publicly on congress.gov, would authorize trump to enter into negotiations to acquire greenland and to rename it to "red, white, and blueland".

six states (arizona, idaho, iowa, kansas, mississippi, and north dakota) are planning on challenging obergefell v. hodges, which would end same-sex marriage nationwide. about a dozen more states have representatives are also considering filing similar resolutions.

amazon revoked protections for lgbtq+ and black employees.

the cdc has removed their hiv prevention page.

the united states state department has officially changed its “travelers with special conditions” page which previously said “lgbtqi+ travelers” to “lgb travelers”, completely getting rid of the tqi+.

every single republican told us we were overreacting. trump swore he had nothing to do with project 2025 yet continues implementing details outlined in it. not a single person has the right to tell us we’re being dramatic anymore.

hope “cheaper eggs and gas” was worth it.

(referencing this post)

ASDFKLHJASKDFHKLADFHALFHD

I MEEEEEEAN......

It's the first 5FF of 2025, so let's start off the new year with this selection of fics on my radar this week! Enjoy!

RECENT MFLs

The Missing Half by aquileaofthelonelymountain (T, 12,954 w., 3 Ch. || Pre-ASiP / ASiP Divergence, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Paternal Greg, Hurt John, Yard Finds Out, Soft Sherlock, Marriage Proposal, Referenced Drug Use, Long Distance Relationship) – It was a fancy box of chocolates, the kind you didn’t get in supermarkets, but only in luxury department stores, probably at Harrod’s. Heavens, the box itself – glossy dark green with a golden, artfully tied ribbon around it – probably cost more than the contents of most other boxes. This one had been bought by somebody who wanted to impress. “So”, Greg said cheerfully, “you’ve got a secret admirer, then?” Greg is more observant than people think, and he sees the little clues that Sherlock isn't as aloof and detached as he pretends to be. It takes a fake drugs bust, however, to make him finally see the whole picture.

The Red-Headed League by JRow (T, 14,522 w., 5 Ch. || Post S4, Canon Compliant, Parentlock with Older Rosie, Jealous Sherlock, Oblivious Sherlock, First Kiss) – Can Sherlock figure out what Rosie's teacher, the lovely Ms. Shea, has gotten herself involved with? And can he prevent the inevitable, namely Ms. Shea falling in love with John?

A short Friend by 221Beloved (M, 17,711+ w., 6/10 Ch. || WiP || Supernatural Elements AU || Crack Treated Seriously, Background Case, First Time, First Kiss, Pining, Caring) – John just wanted Sherlock to take a look at the case. Any case was better than being bored to the point of jeopardising your flatmate's sanity, right?

When We Were Young by Calais_Reno (T, 27,230 w., 10 Ch. || Alternate First Meeting AU || First Love, Nostalgia, Pre and Post TRF, Doctor John, Angst with Happy Ending) – John and Sherlock met at school, and were a bit more than friends. But they didn't stay in touch afterwards. Life goes on, and when John returns from Afghanistan, he takes a position at Barts as a trauma specialist, working in the Emergency Department. As he reports for work one day, a man jumps off the roof of the hospital. John's world tilts on its axis.

INEFFABLE HUSBANDS

Readers, I recommend you find your favourite stories again. Go all the way back in your bookmarks. Tell the authors you appreciate them, and you love their work. I think we could all use some nice words right now. If you want to keep the story, I recommend downloading it: here’s a guide on how to do so from the AO3 FAQ. I personally have wanted to take up bookbinding for a hot second; I might print off my favourite fics for myself and figure out how to bind them. The OTW also recommends downloading your favourites - see link below.

Authors, I recommend you keep your manuscripts. Download them onto an external flash drive and save them for a rainy day four or so years from now. Even the ones you don’t like are worth keeping - I guarantee you somebody else likes them even if you don’t. (I’m speaking to myself here, too.) Project 2025 has blatantly laid out a ban of pornography, and they will take that to mean whatever they want it to; I suggest you don’t even keep your fics on a Google drive if possible it’s definitely easier to keep them all online, trust me, I know, but so does the government. Corporations do not care about you: they will sell you out to whoever is willing to pay. Remember also to turn off AI scraping wherever possible, or better yet use sites that don’t engage in that behaviour.

For further reading from people more qualified than I, here’s the OTW’s statement on what their plans are so far.

My spooky (and autumnal/wintry) Johnlock fics

The Subtenant (12k, T): When you have ruled out the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth. Hence, there can be no doubt about it: 221B is haunted. Sherlock and John set out to investigate their new subtenant and find out more than they bargained for.

Danger Nights (23k, T): 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.

Over Earth and Under Earth (196k, M): Three months after finally acknowledging their mutual feelings, John and Sherlock are not much closer to sorting out their relationship, hindered by cases, work, family issues, everyday matters and by being themselves. Will a strange case out in the Suffolk countryside bring a solution or further complicate things? (Part of the Over/Under series)

Easy Scrambling (WIP, 11k, M): According to a popular online dictionary, “scrambling” is a walk up steep terrain involving the use of one’s hands, with many easy scrambles becoming serious climbs in bad weather. The definition of easy scrambling varies greatly from one hillwalking guide – and indeed one person – to the next. For some, it’s a simple hike up and down a fell, for others it’s serious climbing bad weather or no. Sherlock’s and John’s fledgling relationship can be described in similarly vague terms: what should be an easy and straightforward progression towards greater intimacy turns out to be fraught with more difficulties than either anticipated, struggling with past hurt both physical and mental, and the inability to fully open up to their partner. A case in the Lake District brings things to a head as old wounds reopen, and unresolved issues make the two men scramble not just to return from the fells, but also to preserve and deepen their bond. (Part of the Summer Boy series)

10.28 [ ghosts ]

Halloween is just 'round the corner, so this final Friday of fic recs means it's time for the list to expire, and to join the sheeted dead: it seems appropriate, then, to give over week 4 to ghosts. Sending out wishes to one and all for a splendid All Hallows' Eve, snug in the knowledge that the ghostly presence of 1895 continues to reappear in so many variations across the future, and, most compellingly of all, due to the fabulousness of fic writers and the gifts they bestow. 👻

previous weeks 10.21: most spine-chilling adversaries 10.14: occult transformations 10.7: tricks to treats ......................................................................................... ~in order of word length~ The Haunting of 221B Baker Street by earlgreytea68 (2012), rated M, 10388 words. We know from the start that: Sherlock hasn't survived the Reichenbach Fall; is very much a (spectral) presence; and is surreptitiously resident at 221B. Unaware of the latter two facts, John has decamped from Baker Street, but when Mrs. Hudson has trouble keeping tenants because they report the flat is haunted, he comes back to investigate. Experiencing a moment of emphatic ghostly dramatics convinces him that "if anyone was going to figure out how to be a ghost just to be a pain in everybody’s arse, it would be you" -- and he promptly moves back in. 221B is something like a deserted island in which two shipwrecked flatmates -- one alive and one not -- negotiate the perplexing terrain engendered by that great divide. The bittersweet premise starts out weighted more toward the bitter, although their journey through various forms of emotion (reminding me quite a bit of the film Inside Out) eventually delivers them with a never-to-be-forgotten rightness to the other end of the spectrum. A stunningly-executed love story that takes you on a deep dive into John's and Sherlock's personalities as revealed through their interpersonal dynamics -- which is why we read Johnlock fic, yeah? -- this is a fic that is supernaturally good, in all senses of the good word good.

podfic by magiccranberries

A Thousand Kisses Deep by Susan (2017), rated E, 12689 words. This fic is such an exquisitely cut gem that it is thrilling (I guarantee that sentence will make perfect sense once you read the fic). A soul-satisfyingly second chances reversal of time narrative, in which a Sherlock who is old in body and spirit is informed by a ghostly visitor one sleepless night that a wish by John is being granted -- that is, if a Sherlock returned to 2010 can set things right. The incredible amount of readerly fun that results from following Sherlock's high-spirited romp as he makes his way through his gob-smacked deductions (about his reinstated younger body, about the perfection of his only consultant in the world London life, and in aid of his race to outwit the fates), brings about an equally incredible amount of heart-melting readerly rapture at the romantic entanglement that ensues. The different bits of call-and-response literary flourishes evoked in the text lend an already deeply-layered story an extra-dimensionality that goes beyond the temporal paradoxes. The epigraph to the story is from Leonard Cohen, and is a perfect distillation of the story that unfolds: And fragrant is the thought of you / The file on you complete / Except what we forgot to do / A thousand kisses deep.

podfic by podfixx

He's Coming To Us Dead by Vulgarweed (2014), rated E, 13397 words. Part of the Bone Fiddle universe (but can be read alone), set in 1970s Appalachia, a place where enigmatic trouble-magnet Sherlock Holmes has drifted to, and to which Vietnam war vet John Watson has returned home. The two have semi-secretly taken up with each other in ways undeniably mutually satisfying, although the strain that possible apparitions place on their connection turns out to be scarier than the 'haints' themselves. This is a classic ghost story, steeped in local and Doylean lore (tragic love for the first, Baskervillean unease for the second). A fic full of questions answered and unanswered, in which Sherlock observes, "when we've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable -- is still fucking impossible." Like everything in the BF universe, this is a totally absorbing ride through the ways in which Sherlock and John reveal themselves to each other and to us, indelibly inscribed in smart, funny, captivating prose that gives us an addictively realized picture of them.

De profundis by darcylindbergh (2017), rated M, 32036 words. This is a charmer of a tale, sprung from the premise that since the age of 12 Sherlock has been able to see ghosts, and which uses that fact to ingeniously repurpose the elements of A Study in Pink in all kinds of clever ways. The ins-and-outs of what seems to be his singular ability to attract the attention of ghosts upends Sherlock's life, accompanied as he often is by the dearly-departed-although-not-yet-gone, and the fic's depiction of his inventive interactions with them -- exasperated, yet tolerant and kind and gentle -- has a winning sui generis tone that is sweetly absurdist. The chief plot point hinges on Sherlock's uncertainty when he meets John Watson as to whether or not he's alive or dead, a question that is stubbornly resistant to resolution over the course of the next day as he and John become increasingly enamored with each other as they team up to tackle the serial suicides, leaving the reader with an enticing puzzle to try and solve before Sherlock does.

The Cost of a Wish by slashscribe (2015), rated E, 102493 words. Since John Watson was a boy, he's had to contend with the terror that grips him due to the "formless spirits and ghosts that it seems only he can see," which press against him in threatening ways as a darkly massed cloud, chilling him to the bone, whenever he dares to venture outdoors. The desperation he feels one day suddenly lifts as he flees down a familiar street and ends up at the door of a building he's never seen there before. He tells the woman who opens the door that he has no idea why he's there, but the deep rumbling voice from the man at the top of the stairs gives him one word in reply: "Inevitable." Sherlock is the proprietor of a wish-granting shop, and the fascinating series of events that take place reveal the many mysteries of Sherlock, John, and the ways in which their lives have been entwined. The Sherlock series’ characters turn up in especially memorable ways, along with an enchanting cast from the Japanese manga the fic it is fused with -- including what is the most ridiculously cute animal in all of Sherlock ficdom, a Pipe Fox spirit creature, whose mysterious nature brings John and Sherlock closer in many endearing ways.

“The relationship between Sherlock and Watson is treated beautifully; Sherlock effectively falls in love with him, but it's so desperately unspoken.”

On the other hand, the author is dead and who cares about their intentions.

On the other hand, it does matter just how intentional the queerbaiting was.