Fic Rec: The Shadow Boys are Breaking

[methylviolet10b]

Title: The Shadow Boys Are Breaking
Author: Morgan Stuart (morganstuart
Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing: None
Length: 2,184
Rating:  She doesn't say; I'd give it a PG or PG-13, for distressing circumstances
Author's Summary: When Sherlock and John broke that morning, Lestrade picked up the pieces. Now who would pick up the pieces of Lestrade?
Historian's Note: This takes place after (and refers to) the Sherlock episode "The Great Game."
Warnings (Highlight to Read): Semi-graphic description of injuries


Reccer's comments:  A beautiful character study, heartbreaking and heartening in turns, this fic takes place entirely within the confines of 221 (with some flashbacks that occur outside the flat), but not with the characters you might expect. This is not your typical post-TGG tag fic.  I'm sure this story must have been rec'd before, but morganstuart's beautifully crafted fics can never get enough rec love.

Open Recs Day no 2: At Home

[tanpopo03.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the second open to all recs day on 221b_recs. As already mentioned, our theme this time is "At home", so as long as the story takes place at the home of any of the characters appearing in any of the SH verses, you're good to go.

I'll start us off in a little bit.



The facts:
Make your recs today, September 28. The comm will be open today to all posters for recs on the above theme--if it's Wednesday where you live, the comm should be open for your post (doing our best!).
Fic, art, and vids may be recced. All versions of Sherlock Holmes sources are eligible for recs. Recent WIPs or RPF for actors or crew in the various series are not eligible.
Previously recced works are eligible.
Please follow the recs guidelines. One rec per post, please, unless you're reccing a series.
Please tag your posts with at least the minimum tags required (verse, slash/gen/het genre, and pairing if relevent) plus "theme: at home".

If you have any questions, please ask in comments to this post or in PM to a mod.

Thanks so much! We're looking forward to your recs.

Fic Rec: In The Land Of The Blind

[tanpopo03.livejournal.com]

Title: In The Land Of The Blind
Author: entangled_now
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 12,679
Rating: R
Warnings: -
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock's been acting strangely for days. There's a claustrophobic silence to the flat, experiments tossed aside or abandoned, cases ignored. It's almost as if nothing matters any more. John's determined to know why.

Reccer's comments: I have a sort of love/hate relationship with apoca-fics. They can be so very bleak and more than one has left me feeling rather gutted. But on the other hand they tend to bring out the best in the characters, if written well, and make me realize that most of my problems actually aren't that dire.

This does both. Reading it through John's eyes and realizing what's going to happen, without being able to do anything about it at all, gives me chills. But the way his relationship with Sherlock transforms because of it is just amazing. Every word is true to the characters and I probably don't need to advertise entangled_now's writing.

There are references to John being at work a couple of times, but no scene actually takes place there. The fact that everything happens at 221B adds to that feeling of unease and claustrophobia imo, so I think this fits our theme prefectly. :)

Fic rec: Numina

[brighteyed-jill.livejournal.com]

Title: Numina
Author: thisprettywren
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: 10,000
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: BDSM, knifeplay, breathplay, self-destructive behaviour, general darkness
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John's never really been one to shy away from responsibility, but some are easier than others.
Reccer's comments: This fascinating, suspenseful, and tender tale examines what too much being at home does to Sherlock, then turns 221b Baker Street into a small battlefield as Sherlock races to solve an important puzzle.


So, John had left tools. Clues. Something. Where, though? He turned, looking for obvious signs (disturbances, things shifted from where they’d been that morning) but he couldn’t see anything, but he’d been distracted, wrapped up inside his head—the whole problem, stupid— couldn’t remember how things had been before now that it finally mattered.

Art rec: In Spring

[brighteyed-jill.livejournal.com]

Title: In Spring
Artist: joursapres
Pairing: Gen, or Sherlock/John
Length: n/a
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Artist’s summary: Whew! Started this one last month and despite the fact that NOTHING in this illustration is accurate, it's the most fun I've had since...well, the last Sherlock thing I painted. :) Drawing the clutter in 221B is pure unmitigated joy!
Reccer's comments: Scroll down to the third piece in this art post to see a charming view of John and Sherlock having breakfast at home on a spring morning. The fly-on-the-wall point of view makes the viewer feel like she's observing an unguarded, happy moment between the Baker Street boys. The light here is also lovey. Be sure to check out the bigger version.

Fic Rec: A Misty London Sunday, by Monkeybard

[methylviolet10b]

Title: A Mistly London Sunday
Author: monkeybard
Fandom: Sherlock
Pairing: Nothing overt. Can be seen as bromance, friendship, or J/S, depending on how you want to look at it
Length: 1,523
Rating:  PG for language
Author's Summary: John arrives home to a very bizarre scene.
Author's Note: Unbeta'd and utterly insane, not to mention plotless and silly. But it sure was fun to write!
Warnings (Highlight to Read): Singing plastic robots. Sugar high behavior. Silliness. Dubious amounts of fluff.

Reccer's comments:  Full disclosure: I gave monkeybard the prompt that ultimately led to this utterly fluffy, silly, delightful bit of ficcery, so I'm completely biased and utterly unreliable in regards to this. But if you're looking for a light-hearted antidote to angst, or something to put a smile on your face after a cruddy day, I can't think of anything better than this tale of Sherlock, a jumper, a jar of marshmallow fluff, and a particular (if somewhat obscure) American TV show set on a space station not so far away...

Fic Rec: Day of Rest, by livia_carica

[unovis.livejournal.com]

Title: Day of Rest
Author: livia_carica
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: about 2500 words
Rating: PG
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: John and Sherlock spend a lazy Sunday in bed.

Reccer's comments: Yum, yes they do. This is a fine, warm, glimpse of a day at home in bed; there's a little case-solving, some shifting of laundry piled on the bed, napping, and dining in. It's toast and tea. It's cozy and fond, without being overly sentimental, romantic, or pornish.

Sherlock and John in bed is a (happily) common theme in Sherlock fic. There are lovely scenes from longer works, but I think this is my favorite one where bed is the real estate for the whole story.

An Interesting Little Problem by Cimorene

[rabidsamfan.livejournal.com]

Title: An Interesting Little Problem
Author: Cimorene
Pairing: Holmes/Watson
Rating: NC-17
Verse: Granada
Author's summary: film canon sequel to 'the empty house,' the episode in which holmes returns.
Reccer's comments: When Cimorene refers to 'film' here, she means the Granada series, because this story dates back to 2004. It's a beautiful piece of PWP, with an indelible characterization of Brett!Holmes as seen through Hardwicke!Watson's eyes. The narrative voice is as close to canon as possible, and yet we see more of Watson here. This story also has one of the best variations I've ever seen on the theme of Holmes as virgin, coming to recognize that what he wants from Watson is more than simple friendship.

FIC: Synthetic

[sussexdowns.livejournal.com]

Title: Synthetic
Author: aslipperysloth
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: ~2,000
Rating: pg-13
Warnings: major character death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Written for the prompt on the Sherlock kink meme here: John is the best blade runner ever to have worked for the London police. Mycroft calls him out of seclusion to track down and retire one especially slippery replicant that used to be an invaluable asset to them in solving crimes, but over time began to believe that it was human. This replicant’s mind has deteriorated to the point where it now believes that Mycroft is its brother, and that it is a consulting detective.

Reccer's comments: This is a crossover with Blade Runner and it is freaking amazing. Featuring John as a Deckard-type, as awesomely fucked-up as the original...or possibly even more. The John/Sherlock relationship is handled beautifully and the whole fic is SO SAD. So be prepared for sad. But also awesome.

Fic Rec: First Breath, by havocs_roman

[unovis.livejournal.com]

Title: First Breath
Author: havocs_roman
Pairing: Sherlock/Lestrade
Length: 1229 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Loneliness and shared slumber are an odd combination.

Reccer's comments: To be honest, I don't know whose home this takes place in. When I first read it, I assumed it was Lestrade's, as Sherlock in Lestrade's home is a particular love of mine. But maybe not. It's someone's home, and it takes place entirely on a couch, which is home for Sherlock, or at least home base.

The author calls this a little "snapshot" of the two of them, without context. I'm not sure where they are, why Lestrade's hair and collar are wet, or why Sherlock is "wrecked." It might be nice to know. I'm reccing it for the writing, though, for the conceit, and for the sheer smoky sexiness here, where Lestrade is drawn to Sherlock's breathing.

Contains tobacco, the really good cigarettes. You might doubt how well this could work if it were described outside the story.

Fic Rec: The Christmas Box, by carenejeans

[unovis.livejournal.com]

Title: The Christmas Box
Author: carenejeans
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 1670 words
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: "It is a singular thing, but I find that a concentrated atmosphere helps a concentration of thought. I have not pushed it to the length of getting into a box to think, but that is the logical outcome of my convictions." -- Sherlock Holmes, in "The Hound of the Baskervilles"

Reccer's comments: I was a beta for this story, full disclosure, and I loved the idea. Also everything by Carene, so.
There's a tiny bit that takes place outside of 221B, which I forgot about, so technically it doesn't qualify as an "at home" theme rec. It is, however very much an at-home solution to any number of domestic problems which result in a sort of home within home, at that. It has a warm but not cloying humor. Plus Christmas gift, curiosity killing the Sherlock, Mike Stamford's helpful ways, Mrs Hudson's knowing nods, Lestrade's rumpled brow, fruitcake, and Scotch whisky.