Just don´t make the mistake as I did and don´t read the sequel called "Apology". It literally turned my stomach.

Uhm, so John Watson misuses the emotionally conmpromised and vulnerable Sherlock and extorts him at first to strip and then he wants to punish him for TRF with enforced sex, knowing very well that Sherlock can´t say no in his current situation. Because apparently when you are the righteous John Watson, you can get away with rape just fine, it´s appropriate "repayment" for the lie that saved your life. Great. Just great.

Can´t imagine the author writing the same scenes with Mary in place of Sherlock - but obviously, if the victim of abuse is male, he is fair game.

Oh yes, John got it after a while that what he´s doing is wrong - but the damage was done already and I was fairly disgusted with the work as a whole. Also, the characters were quite OOC in this - this emo dishrag protagonist was in no way Sherlock and this robot with an empathy of a prison warden was in no way John Watson.
 

 

Just had a look. 785 Kudos for this sh**? 

Vhanja wrote:

Wow, that's not how I read it at all. The author explicity states in a comment that she doesn't like that kind of thing. But this might not be the thread for discussing fanfics, I guess.

I've never seen a fanfic that has so many fanfics written about it as this one, though.

Maybe it´s just me, of course. But really, I don´t remember being this disturbed by a fanfiction for a long time.
 

One of the comments after the first chapter of Apology asked exactly if that was where she was going,

using sex as a way of punishment

. And she replied saying that she wasn't, she didn't like that herself. So that was never her intent. 

Also:

I think it's clear from John in the fic that he doesn't either. He starts by asking if Sherlock meant what he wrote and he was still up for it. Sherlock agreed, and wasn't really forced to do anything. John stopped the moment he saw that this was too much and apologized.

Last edited by Vhanja (February 10, 2015 9:15 pm)

nakahara wrote:

Just don´t make the mistake as I did and don´t read the sequel called "Apology". It literally turned my stomach. 

This is the sequel to Dear John?

I started Dear John and lasted 2 chapters. I found it boring.
Also can't fathom why the author felt it necessary to tell her readers that William was actually Sherlock. Twice. Twice she has that in the beginning. OK, OK, I got it.
But that's all right, it didn't interest me anyway. Diff'rent strokes, I guess.

 

I'm a big fan of Dear John, absolutely loved it, got excited about every update. The Apology is... just not my cup of tea. It's just... I expected them to talk about it, sort themselves out, finally share a first kiss, gentle and emotional, you know? So, um... well. I don't know what to think about it, I guess I received the exact opposite of what I was expecting, but does that make it bad? No, definitely not.
And what was going on in the comments section of Dear John was extremely entertaining, I loved it, and I think it deserved the attention it got!

I don't know if there's been an update since I last looked, but there's no actual rape going on in The Apology, is there!? It's about control, perhaps humiliation? The stripping, John being extremely angry and rough and so on? I suppose it should have a dubcon warning, but I wouldn't generally reject it. Many people like it, it just doesn't work for me because I'm into extremely fluffy, romantic stuff. Personal opinion.

Last edited by Atiki (February 12, 2015 9:24 am)

Yes. But it is simply not my cup of tea. 

Last edited by SusiGo (February 11, 2015 9:35 am)

It's fine that you find the story boring or OOC, I was thinking more of those who were very upset with the happenings of chapter one and made what seems like conclusions based on that alone.

Vhanja wrote:

Have you guys read the second chapter of Apology? That would answer a lot of your questions and worries.

I have read both chapters yesterday, but as I already wrote, the first chapter absolutely spoiled the rest of the story for me. Not only was it a very abrupt cut from quite nice "Dear John" into a dark dubcon, but I didn´t like the overall message of the story which was sexual exploitation presented as something acceptable.

"Exploitation is a kind of abuse or taking advantage of the vulnerability of others, taking advantage of an unpleasant situation someone is in. It involves unequal bargaining power being used to extract promissory claims from another so as to legitimise the unequal relationship of domination."

If John only tried to scare Sherlock a bit through his intimidating behaviour, if they only traded lie for a lie (and if Sherlock was his usual cheeky self), then I could maybe find it OK. But in the story they ended in bed - while under the circumstances described in the text it was very clear that Sherlock - weakened, emotionally compromised and finding himself at John´s mercy - was in no state to give his free consent to that in his current situation and John was taking advantage of him through emotional coercion. Sex consumated under such circumstances would border on rape. Thankfully they didn´t end there, still, it left unpleasant taste in my mouth. I really don´t think John would ever pray on Sherlock in that manner - he is no such a man and it would be under his dignity to force somebody into bed through such techniques. Also, Sherlock is a proud man - he would ask for John´s forgiveness, but in no way would he sell himself in such a pitiful way.

Well, in my land we have a saying about the "hollow in the weeping willow" - the place into which you can whisper things that bothered you, so that they don´t dwell on your mind, suffocating you from inside.

I believe forums such as these are such "weeping willows" where I can discuss similar things with likeminded people. Or are we only allowed to speak about things we like?