221b_recs | Entries tagged with content: sociopathy

Title: (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea
Author:

DiscordantWords
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 39968
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary:

Baker Street is very much the same. Only different.

And Sherlock is just trying not to drown.

Reccer's comments:

The smiley face was wrong.

No, not wrong exactly, it was impossible for such a thing to be wrong but—

Perhaps different was the better word.

The smiley face was different.

It had been a good effort. An excellent effort. He'd found replacement wallpaper in the same design as the original. John had even gone out and purchased a can of Michigan hardcore propellant in the proper shade. He'd gotten the placement mostly right. Sherlock had provided the bullet holes himself.

And yet it wasn't quite the same.

The differences were subtle. The yellow paint intersected with the wallpaper pattern slightly lower than it had before (likely due to John's shorter stature.) The paint had been applied with a heavier hand, a more measured, controlled spray compared to his own broad bored sweep all those years ago.

The effect was—unsettling.

Full disclosure: I bid on this author for the Fandom Trumps Hate charity auction on on Tumblr and this is the story that came out of it, so I have a very personal connection.

This amazing post-S4 story deals with the aftermath of all that has happened, particularly the events in The Final Problem, from Sherlock's perspective. To crib some of what I've said about this fic elsewhere, I love how this story ties together so many of the loose ends we were left with once the series ended. This story approaches TFP from a canon viewpoint: TFP is real and this is what happened during and after. It has some of the most chilling scenes (featuring Eurus Holmes), some of the most heartbreaking (featuring Gloria Trevor), and some of the most uplifting (featuring Sherlock and little Rosie Watson).

This is a beautifully written story that runs an emotional gamut from anxiety and unease and fear, to healing and warmth and brotherhood and so much love. We come full circle with Sherlock as he works to heal himself and to make Baker Street truly home. Yes, it's Sherlock/John endgame, but the focus is more on Sherlock and how he deals with all that has happened. I don't hate TFP as much as some- in fact, I found much to love- but this story has given me answers I needed, the emotional closure I craved, and it has made rewatches that much more enjoyable.

write_out

Title: Heirs and Assigns
Author:

splix
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2541
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Major Character Death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Uncle Rudy sits Mycroft down for tea and a chat.

Reccer's comments:

Uncle Rudy reached out with one blunt finger and pressed it against Mycroft's chest. "About Eurus - guard your heart and soul. Do what you must to protect yourself and Sherlock."

This brilliant story not only gives us a quite plausible backstory on how the secret of Eurus comes to be Mycroft's responsibility, but it also gifts us with a deeply moving look at young Mycroft and his relationship with his beloved Uncle Rudy. Eurus might spend most of the story off screen, but her chilling presence is felt throughout and we learn just how frightening she truly is. Uncle Rudy is brought to magnificent life here as he prepares a young Mycroft for what lies ahead; the love and respect between them is both incredibly touching and ultimately heartbreaking in light of all that awaits them.

SPOILER: Just to reassure anyone who might need it before diving into this story, the character death is not Mycroft's.

swissmarg

Title: Smile Like A Paper Cut
Author: J_Baillier
Pairing: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson
Length: 37,708 words
Rating: Mature
Warnings: None
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: Many serial killers are capable of leading outwardly normal lives, hiding in plain sight as husbands, wives, scout leaders, doctors, policemen, soldiers and employers. What if Sherlock is one of them? And what if John discovers his secret?

Reccer's comments: I’m going to need to read a lot of fluff after this to re-calibrate my Sherlock sensors back to the not-really-a-high-functioning-sociopath setting. Because boy, does this present a chilling and convincing picture of the Sherlock from Sally Donovan’s initial warning to John. It is scary how easy it is to imagine a Sherlock like this, and the author has done a fantastic job of making him an object for both sympathy and horror.

The story is excellently told from alternating POVs of an OC policeman and John, and paradoxically, the fact that we know (more or less) what is going to happen only makes the whole thing more suspenseful as you wait for the final shoe to drop. This doesn’t have a happy ending, but there is no major character death, and although it’s not slash, somehow the depth of John and Sherlock’s connection is even more profound here than if they were having sex on every surface of the flat.

This is truly a masterpiece of a psychological study, and well worth the wade into the dark places.

chapbook.livejournal.com

Title: Sherlock’s Disguise: On Believing in a High-functioning Sociopath as a Higher Power
Author: stephisanerd
Pairing: Gen
Length: 2,485
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: IRENE: D’you know the big problem with a disguise, Mr. Holmes? However hard you try, it’s always a self-portrait.
SHERLOCK: You think I’m a vicar with a bleeding face?
IRENE: No, I think you’re damaged, delusional and believe in a higher power. In your case, it’s yourself.

Irene, here, is seemingly talking about Sherlock’s obvious disguise—he’s dressed as a vicar. She’s talking about that, but she’s also talking about another disguise that Sherlock uses—one that he never acknowledges is a disguise.

SHERLOCK: I’m not a psychopath, Anderson. I’m a high-functioning sociopath. Do your research.

Reccer's comments: One of the things I admire about this meta, beyond the insights into Sherlock's character, is that both Sherlock and John here come off as complex and flawed. If Sherlock so assiduously hides his humanity, we cannot blame John for not fully accepting its existence. If John hides from those flashes of Sherlock's humanity, we cannot condemn Sherlock for thinking that John only stays for that "higher power". Both men fail to see and observe what is in front of them in order to protect what they have, but those attempts at protection and preservation have failed and will need to razed to the ground before they can make progress as partners. When you understand this, it is easier to retain compassion for both characters, even when you are intensely frustrated with them.

andrea-deer.livejournal.com

Title: Cake and Other Sins
Author: Indybaggins
Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Length: 100.673 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: none
Verse: BBC
Author's summary: AU. Sherlock and John meet as competing bakers on The Great British Bake Off. There’s intense baking, lush recipes and enticing food. Mycroft, guilt, past sins in chocolate and gingerbread. And love. That too.

Reccer's comments: I've read the summary and I've read the warnings and neither had prepared me for this fic. There is crack in this fic, yes. But there's also plenty of angst. It's way more intense, disturbing and serious than you'd think upon seeing it's a Great British Bake Off AU.

I freely admit that while I appreciate this threesome and how John somehow balances things out, and I also quite enjoy Johnlock in here, this fic for me is won by holmescest and quite probably the most fascinating description of this relationship in fandom. Almost all fics that describe Holmes' brothers relationship somehow touch the subject of food, diets and fat jokes, but this is the one ties it all up into one perfectly twisted mix.

I feel I have to say that even if these pairings are your cup of tea, this fic might not be, might be too much in the wrong direction. However it just might hit all of the right buttons and you will realize what a gem it is and how quite possibly it's the most perfect, most twisted love story ever written. Plus, there will be cakes.

dioscureantwins.livejournal.com

Title: Series: What He Likes
Author:

solojones
Pairing: Sherlock/Irene
Length: about 65,300 words
Rating: mature
Warnings:author has put up warnings in the summary. Reccer has included those.
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Six months post-Reichenbach, Sherlock approaches Irene with an unusual job offer: he wants to shoot up, and he needs someone to mind him. But can she remain detached whilst Sherlock spirals deeper and deeper into his addiction? This series spans 5 different escalating encounters Sherlock and Irene have over the course of eleven months. This is a dark and frank character and relationship study, and a look at the terrible pull of addiction. M for pervasive drug use, some language, and sexual content.

Reccer's comments: This series is everything the author promises it to be and so much more. It is indeed very dark, and a frankly terrible read at times. However, thanks to both the beautiful and precise language and the thorough examination of the motivations and actions of both Sherlock and Irene the reader becomes committed to the fic, and decides to push on regardless, thus mirroring the main characters’ approach to life and the trials and tribulations they have to confront.

Here be dragons. Sherlock’s addiction pulls Irene irresistibly towards territory she’d rather not explore, but, just like he can’t resist the drugs, she can’t resist him and together they spiral ever deeper downwards to confront his demons, and maybe, ultimately, hers as well. Layer after layer is peeled away, until, in the end, two naked, vulnerable people remain, who have just discovered that in choosing the other, they might actually make it through the rest of their lives.

After having dwelt amidst so much dank and dark despair that tentatively hopeful ending feels almost like a catharsis.

Not the easiest of reads, but definitely worthwhile.

swissmarg

Title: Law Like Love
Author:

PlaidAdder /

idairsauthor
Pairing: John/Sherlock, John/Mary, Harry/Janine
Length: 50K
Rating: Teen
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Six months after Sherlock didn't go off on that mission to eastern Europe after all, all is well at 221B Baker Street. Little Rachel is just beginning to sleep through the night. John and Sherlock are sleeping with each other. Charles Augustus Magnussen is alive and unwell and just about bankrupt. And Mary is nowhere in sight. Obviously the events of "His Last Vow" were not what they seemed. What really happened? How did we get here from there? Well, we're going to find out. Backwards.

Reccer's comments: "Dear Moftiss: I used your underutilized female characters for you. They were awesome. It wasn't that hard. Love, me." This is one of the author's end notes, and it's so true. Janine and Harry in particular are fantastic, but Lady Smallwood and Mrs Holmes have important parts to play as well. It's very much an ensemble piece as everyone works together like cogs in a clockwork machine to bring the plan to fruition that is at the heart of this fic: getting Baby Watson to Baker Street with John and Sherlock, and taking care of Magnussen - who just won't stay dead - once and for all.

As we know how it 'ends' - we're shown in the first chapter and it tells us in the summary anyway - and we know most of what came before from HLV, you'd think there wasn't going to be much in the way of suspense, but you'd be dead wrong. The fun - and it is a great deal of fun - is in the systematic reveal of how the plan came about, who contributed what, who was faking it and who was being genuine, and, finally, why it had to be done this way. (Spoiler: love. It was for love.)

At the same time as the machinations are gearing up, we follow back the thread of the main characters' relationships. (There is vaguely referenced infidelity but nothing is made explicit.) Janine/Harry was a delightful surprise to me, and I really liked the fact that John struggled with his feelings throughout. It is never easy for him to make a break, even when he finds out … what he finds out about Mary.

One of the most powerful aspects of this story for me, though, was the exploration of Magnussen's and Mary's characters, just what a psychopath is, what they feel (or don't feel), how they see others, and what, in the end, they actually want. Fair warning: Mary doesn't come off well in this story.

( Excerpt... )

frozen_delight

Title: L'Esprit de L'Escalier
Author: nookienostradamus
Pairing: None (the author labels it as "Possibly preslash" of the Sherlock/John variety)
Length: ~ 2000 words
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: Some people’s complete interior lives are made up of the things they wish they had said but did not. Looking at the uncomplicated satisfaction scrawled freehand all over Sherlock’s face, John decided for the thousandth painful time that leaving things unsaid was not a problem with which the man was burdened.

Reccer's comments: My favourite entry for the first Let's Write Sherlock Challenge, this immensely beautiful little story takes the well-known trope of "Sherlock does something uncaring during a case, leading John to think that after all these months together Sherlock still doesn't care, and Sherlock shows him that he's mistaken, at least where John's concerned" and does something thoroughly original with it.
The originality lies not so much in the content, although the common trope is well-executed, as in the incredibly vivid imagery, which manages to present our two much beloved characters and their eternal conflict from fascinating new angles. In particularly the multi-layered characterisation of Sherlock through the use of complex metaphors illustrates how even when John is really disappointed in Sherlock and thinks he's nothing but a cold-hearted bastard, he intuitively knows that there's more to Sherlock. This makes the sweet transition at the end all the more believable and gratifying.

antfarmponies.livejournal.com

Since Feeling is First by crocodile_eat_u
Length: 4440
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: None
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's Summary: It feels like falling, oddly, a dizzying sensation which bursts behind his eyes, pulling them further into his sockets until he feels like they’re going to implode violently in his skull. Sherlock is in love.

Reccer's Comments: The author characterizes this as 'dark fluff', which I find aptly fitting. We have a sociopathic Sherlock who kisses John and then broods about it, although it's a good kind of brooding. The author does a great job giving Sherlock's wonderfully disjointed thoughts coherency and fleshes out the plot with language that's lyrical without being showy.

Excerpt:

He’s been kissed before, merely because he felt he needed to at that time. Four awkwardly curious kisses in his life, three of which he doesn’t hold in any high regard. His first kiss was from a little Indian girl with two braided plaits when he was seven. She sat at the back of the classroom, twiddling the tails of her braids as she scribbled in her notebook. Sherlock would watch her, his mind wondering what it would be like to pull those plaits, what it would look like if she didn’t wear them and let her hair down. He asked her how long her hair was, mainly for the sake of it, because as a seven year old boy, he knew no other way to express his odd affection for the strange girl. She smiles, braids his curls for him and kisses his cheek. It was pleasant.

His second and third kisses are uneventful.

Sherlock is certain he’s deleted them.

His fourth kiss, at the age of thirty-four, is from none other than John Watson.

antfarmponies.livejournal.com

Trying to Find the In-Between series by NoStraightLine:

Length: 75,885
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Rating: Explicit
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Warnings: None
Author's Summary: DI Lestrade said Sherlock Holmes was a great man, and one day, if they were very lucky, he might be a good one. John Watson is many things, but lucky isn't one of them.

This is the story of how the impossible happens.

Reccer's Comments: So. Here's a first time author that's managed to put together a series that's hot and angsty and (believe it or not) edges into the unbelievable goodness that is The Paradox Suite. Really, it's that good. The series follows the BBC episodes before dealing with Sherlock's return. The beginning of the first story is a little bit confusingly paced, but seriously, if you know what's good for you, keep reading. Sherlock here is more than a bit not good and John is so CaptainBAMFIUnderstandSherlockBetterThanAnyone John Watson, it's almost hard to take (in a good way). The series alternates between their point of views and nails both of them. The sex is really hot and explicit and occasionally makes A Cure for Boredom look pretty tame, but also has a massive emotional wallop. Additionally, not that you need any more reasons to read this series (really, why are you still even looking at my comments), the series addresses the post-Fall issues with as much of a unique perspective as you can get with the thousands of fics out there. Amazing. Fantastic. Sherlock learns to use emoticons. What more do you need?

Excerpt:

He has PTSD. Sherlock is a sociopath who risks his life to prove he’s clever. The flat positively reeks of mental instability. Neither one of them lives well in the between times.

He comes home after an eight-hour shift in clinic once again unable to cope with the automated teller. Sherlock lies on the sofa, fingers tented under his lips, utterly unaware of John’s presence. The thought rises through the black, oily smoke in John’s mind that he misses affection. He pinballs between the mundane and the singular, with none of the daily contact that strings the two together. Conversation while he cooks. A text along the lines of thinking of you rather than Pick up small intestine at Bart’s. A kiss goodbye or hello.

He’ll have to initiate it. John has survived firefights. He can do this.

radialarch.livejournal.com

Title: A Hole in the Heart
Author: calamitybreak
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 3006
Rating: M
Warnings: Graphic violence/gore, major character death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock makes a decision, and copes in the only way he knows how. The world cracks and fractures and tiny bits of it shift, ever so slightly, then fall back into place. The picture that's left behind is Sherlock Holmes, fixed.
Reccer's comments: Well, reading this fic is like a swift punch to the sternum. This is about grief, and pain, and anger, all in a disturbing Sherlockian fashion, and the author does not soften the blow, just lays it all out clean and bare. Relentlessly chilling and very crisply written, with a number of lines that may very well break you.

swissmarg

Title: Restless Things
Author:

redhandsredribbons
Pairing: John/Sherlock, Jim/Molly
Length: 35,879 words
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Extreme violence, non-canon character death, dub-con
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary: John Watson and Molly Hooper are each paid a visit after Sherlock's fall. John, a visit from a very alive Sherlock, who's investigating the bizarre murder that's drawn him back to London. Molly, a visit from a very alive Moriarty, who only plans on a quick little interrogation—until he wonders if Molly's not quite as boring as she seems. (Johnlock first time fic/case fic.)

Reccer's comments: I almost didn't read it because of the Jim/Molly pairing, but I can't turn down anything with Johnlock in it, so I gave it a try, and I am so glad I did. This has something for just about everyone. You want Johnlock feels? This has Johnlock feels. You also like het? This has het. Do you want casefic with your smut? This has case. And smut. Can you not get enough creepy!unbalanced!Jim? This has creepy!unbalanced!Jim. Are you a fan of Molly? This not only has Molly, but BAMF!Molly, which. Obviously. There is even oblique Mycroft/Lestrade, although I don't want to get your hopes up on that count because it's really just a brief mention. Still.

Right, let's back up. First, a brief synopsis. As the summary says, both Sherlock and Jim survived the Fall, and both have come back to pick up their sidekicks to continue their 'game'. In Sherlock's case, it's not surprising that he's come for John, but no one was expecting Jim to choose Molly. Not even Jim. But things – and people – are not always as they seem...

( Excerpt contains unrealized threat of violence )

I loved Jim in this. Well, not that I was rooting for him or anything. He is completely bonkers. And creepy and evil and utterly manipulative and I gobbled up every scene with him.

The John/Sherlock part was a slow build-up to an eminently satisfying resolution. I appreciated that John was just as much of a dick as Sherlock, and not just the wrongfully slighted, long-suffering, secretly pansexual, all-round do-gooder. The banter between the two of them was the perfect blend of aggression and affection. And the pillow talk at the end, OMG! I was giggling so hard.

If you read this at the AO3 link, there are several wonderful illustrations embedded (this was written for the 2012

johnlockbigbang). However, they are spoilerish, so you may want to refrain from scrolling through the entire work before you read. Also, while we're on warnings, see how I put 'extreme violence' up there under the official warnings for this rec? Yeah, there's a reason for that. There was one scene that I couldn't even read all the way through. I got about halfway and said, 'Okay, I get it, the guy's toast,' and skipped to the next page. There's also torture (less graphic, but still present) and gore and basically a huge list of trigger warnings at the top of the fic, so just be aware.

The ending was another one of those stroke-of-genius things, both the main climax and then the little extra epilogue-type scene tacked on at the very end, where I just sat there for several minutes afterwards nodding and going, 'Yeah. Yeah. I can totally see that. Sequel please?'

getyourguns.livejournal.com

Title: Hands in Jars, and Other Home Accent Notions
Author: trap
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: ~4,600
Rating: T
Warnings: domestic abuse, dismembering (discussions of)
Verse: BBC Sherlock
Author's summary:

“Cold,” Sherlock says. He’s already closing his eyes. “Anyway it’s my blanket, isn’t it.” Like a switch, flipped, he’s asleep.

John stares unblinking at the smudges beneath Sherlock’s eyes. Dark like someone had dipped a finger wet with navy paint beneath each eye, at the top of his cheekbones. War grease for going into battle, absorb the light, stealth.

“I see what you’re doing here,” John murmurs. “Ninja duvet and all.”

WHEREIN: there is much John backstory and abstract musings on the distinction of life from death.

Reccer's comments:
I love dark fics that still manage to encompass a sense of romance. It seems more in-character for these two love birds than your typical dimestore romances. Since it's told from John's POV, you get a bit of believable background into John's past familial relationships as well as his thoughts on Sherlock and their life together. The last line is a killer.
I find this fic very charming and wish it would go on longer. Enjoy!

John watches Sherlock sleep. Restful. Soon, he’ll wake; and the game will be on, Sherlock’s tremendous mind having deciphered one or another clue that will break the investigation open, labyrinth untangled. While they chase Sherlock’s conclusions down, Sherlock may or mayn’t discuss what of John he would like to keep, forever, for always, their strange yet intimate game.

“Maybe your heart,” Sherlock might say, sidelong and sly, making a joke of a threat, “Seeing as our friend M has promised to burn mine out of me.”

sussexdowns.livejournal.com

Last June, Caers and pulangalaw's brilliant serial killer AU, the Inverse series, was recced here. It begins with:

Title: Reinvent the Pain
Author: Caers, pulangaraw
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 25,768
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Drug use, violence, murder, minor character death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock has grown up to be a serial killer. Just how will this impact John Watson when they finally meet?

Reccer's comments: This doesn't really have anything to do with family other than some brief cameos by Mycroft, but it's necessary as a background for the other two stories in the series, which are all about the Holmes siblings. It's also creepy and clever and an amazing read all on its own. If you didn't catch it last summer, give it a shot now because it's really excellent.

WHICH BRINGS US TO:

Title: Stop and Go
Author: Caers
Pairing: Gen
Length: 4,634
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Drug use, violence, murder
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: A look at Sherlock's childhood and what caused him to become a serial killer.

Reccer's comments: This is the second installment in the series and serves as a flashback. It expands on events referenced in Reinvent the Pain, namely the death of Sherlock's mother, and its aftermath. Like the rest of the series, it's pretty dark and disturbing and completely genius.

AND:

Title: Darkness/Influence
Author: Caers, pulangaraw
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 8,519
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Drug use, violence, murder, major character death(s)
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: The Holmes family comes together for Christmas. John wonders just how he'll survive it, and the aftermath.

Reccer's comments: The third and final installment in the inverse series, and the sequel to RtP. This is a bizarre, terrifying Holmes family Christmas...even more than it would be if this wasn't a fic about murder (and lots of it). Featuring Mycroft of course, Sherringford (my favorite!), and Irene Adler as the fourth Holmes sibling. This fic is insane and bloody and amazing. It will absolutely not disappoint. As usual, there is tons of murder, general creepiness, and some major character death this time. It's not quite rocks fall/everyone dies, but it sure does come close, so prepare yourself.

jordan-frog.livejournal.com

Title: The Best of a Bad Lot
Author:

shiny_n_new
Pairing: Gen
Length: approx. 7k
Rating: Pg-13
Warnings: violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Sherlock and Lestrade meet in different, dangerous circumstances, and Lestrade ends up in over his head.
Reccer's comments: This author has some really great stuff and I literally ended up flipping a coin to decided which of shiny-n-new's stories to rec. I seriously urge you to just go read the other 2 as well, because they are just as brilliant (if not even more brilliant) than this story. As for this one, Sherlock is a serial killer and Lestrade has figured it out. What's not to like?? Even the complete absence of John doesn't take away from the entertainment value.

jordan-frog.livejournal.com

Title: Never Look Back
Author:

thedeadparrot
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: 5600 words
Rating: R
Warnings: extreme violence
Verse: Sherlock BBC crossover with H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulu universe
Author's summary: "Thus always to tyrants, then?" John says, inspecting the polished metal. Just yesterday, it had been smeared with blood and entrails, dripping a putrid, ugly green onto the floor. "I like it."
Reccer's comments: This is a companion story to A Study in Emerald set in the Sherlock BBC verse and told from a slightly different P.O.V. than Neil Gaiman's story. It's dark and violent and beautiful and worth checking out if you like your Sherlock and John with lots of sharp, shiny edges. Also worth checking out: thedeadparrot's amazing Full Metal Alchemist crossover.

ginbitch.livejournal.com

Title: The Heart and other fleshy organs
Author:

stickstockstone
Pairing: Sherlock/John
Length: c.2k
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: Originally a kinkmeme fill; the OP requested a literal interpretation of the quote "I have been reliably informed I don't have [a heart]." Other people posted with great ideas, but I was reminded of a Gundam Wing fic I read ages ago, Lost and Found by Lys ap Adin, where the heart is an object you can literally give to the one you love.

Reccer's comments: This is an a strange and wonderful fic - poignant, tender and haunting. It explores the idea of the heart being a literal gift, and what that means for the "heartless" Sherlock but Sherlock's relationship with Mycroft is also beautifully written. If you like

etothepii's gorgeous fics, you will probably like this.

pyjamapants.livejournal.com

Title: Cu Sylvatica

Author: sprl1199

Pairing: Sherlock/John

Length: 35,096

Rating: R

Warnings: none

Verse: Sherlock BBC

Author's summary: He wonders if this is the tipping point: that moment that everyone seems to be so certain will someday occur when he tosses off whatever exists of his threadbare sense of ethics to live life entirely at the whim of what is interesting and what is not.

He wishes the concept didn't appeal to him so strongly.

Reccer's comments: As evidenced by its presence in the community tags, there have been many fics that explore Sherlock's professed sociopathy. This is my favorite, not only because the case involved is engaging, but because Sherlock really, truly wrestles with the label, at times quailing under everyone's expectations of how he'll behave. He accumulates the data from everyone, and sprl1199 handles his self-analysis wonderfully.

ars-longa.livejournal.com

Title: Indecorous and its prequel, Touchy, Feely
Author: Basingstoke
Pairing: S/J/MM
Length: 55424 words in 25 chapters
Rating: definitely NC-17
Warnings: a teeny one for violence - it's mentioned as a past event or a future possibility, but no deeds done.
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: In which John learns to balance a kinky girlfriend, an asexual boyfriend, a ten-inch cock, his sister, the neighbours, his friends, and his blog. Some are more balanced than others.
Reccer's comments: Oh, I don't know how that happened that this gem hasn't been recced yet? It's not as if the author is unknown, and it has tons of comments and kudos on AO3. Is it possible that people thought that it doesn't need reccing? I would disagree here. There's always a possibility that someone might have missed it, and it's definitely a must, must read. It's angsty at some places, hilarious in others, and flirting with crack on each page, never, though, becoming it. Just the usual madness of 221B Baker Street, being presented in laconic descriptions, snatches of conversations electronic and not, and lots of sexual relations, deviant and not. Being put together by the ridiculously talented author (really, I'd have given much to be able to write as she does, she needs just a paragraph where I would need a page!) it's quite probably one of the very best stories written in this fandom. Oh, and it has a new incarnation of Mary Morstan, up to date my most favorite one. I have a tender spot for the stories where author can make the J/S/MM threesome work, and Basingstoke definitely does.

brighteyed-jill.livejournal.com

Title: Autopsis
Author:

spikeface
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Length: ~8000
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Violence, knifeplay
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: One month, four days and twelve hours after John Watson shoots a murderer in the chest, Sherlock finally comes to understand his urges.
Reccer's comments: In this hot exploration of the sharp edge of Sherlock’s psyche,

spikeface takes on the how-they-got-together trope with skill and panache. Sherlock here has dark depths, but John is definitely a match for him: he's the opposite of a weak victim. The story includes an intriguing exploration of what, exactly, a sociopath might find irresistible about John.

One thing I especially appreciate about

spikeface’s style is her sparsity in terms of explanation. She leaves clues about the emotional details of the situation and leaves the interpretation up to the reader. It’s a lovely effect, very like a minimalist painting.

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November 2018

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221B Recs

A Sherlock Holmes Recs Community

Entries tagged with content: sociopathy

Fic Rec: (Never) Turn Your Back to the Sea

Fic Rec: Heirs and Assigns

Fic Rec: Smile Like A Paper cut

Meta Rec: Sherlock’s Disguise: On Believing in a High-functioning Sociopath as a Higher Power

fic rec: Cake and Other Sins

Fic Rec: What He Likes

Fic Rec: Law Like Love

Fic Rec: L'Esprit de L'Escalier

Fic Rec: Since Feeling is First

Fic Rec: Trying to find the In-Between (series)

Fic Rec: A Hole in the Heart

Fic Rec: Restless Things

fic rec: Hands in Jars, and Other Home Accent Notions

FIC(S): Inverse Series by Caers/pulangaraw

Fic Rec: "The Best of a Bad Lot" by shiny_n_new

Fic Rec: "Never Look Back" by thedeadparrot

Fic Rec: The Heart and Other Fleshy Organs (PG-13, stickstockstone)

Fic Rec: Cu Sylvatica

Indecorous, by Basingstoke

Fic Rec: Autopsis

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November 2018

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