Mhahaha, this is hilarious! Anderson cannot be trusted with anything... Love the last picture...

This really explains so many things. Among others why Anderson lost his job as crime scene specialist whatever it was he was doing. Never let him get close to... anything.

All they Needed

I haven't been able to keep up and read all the fics here, but this one was lovely! This was really my cup of tea, I felt Sherlock in particular was very belivable. (I LOVED him putting the "best friends break glasses on purpose" on the pro side in his Mind Palace). And of course the John-chair-shaped hole. 

Something precious
 
Touching and heartwrenching fic. This story beautifully filled up all the gaping holes and scenes which were so desperately missing from the final cut of HLV. Sherlock´s weakness and debilitating pain after the shooting which nicely emphasised that it was no joke when Mary so gravely injured him. Quiet and yet so very moving moments of domestic comfort of Baker Street and hints of intimity slowly being born between Sherlock and John. When John finally took his courage and dared to take that last step separating him from his lover, I almost had tears in my eyes, that scene was very poignantly written.
 
It was a nice touch from you, unknown author, to complicate things a bit after that and to bring short but painful separation of our heros to your story again. It only brought home the idea that these men belong together and that it´s so wrong to see them parted from each other. John´s rightful anger after Sherlock´s return from his 4-minute exile honestly scared me into thinking that now it´s all over with the Johnlock romance. But then I was pleasantly surprised by the interestingly thought up happy-end. Althrough that Mary-John showdown creeped me out, it was like a scene from a dark antic tragedy (Medea maybe) and it was horrifing to see how the emotions between the former couple suddenly turned that ugly.
 
I absolutely loved how every scene was perfectly contained within a stand-alone chapter because it gave a sense of poignancy to every beautiful moment contained within it. The alternating POV between Sherlock and John and the sympathetic portrayal of Harry were also a big plus.
 
How Sherlock Holmes met Greg Lestrade
 
When I started reading this little gem, I was afraid that it would slide into some stereotypical potrayal of Sherlock as a raving junkie. But it flourished nicely into a charming and playfull little vignette about the first meeting of our detective and Greg Lestrade.
 
The description of Sherlock´s junkie routine was interesting and slightly wistful. Althrough it accurately depicted why Sherlock´s druggie-lifestyle was unsustainable in the long term, it still managed to capture that anarchistic streak of Sherlock´s character and his stubborn independence for which he is so loved around the globe. I could almost see him, lone but strangely calm and content figure in the long dark coat standing in the park, smoking and relishing the sight of the moon. Almost nostalgic, magical scene.
 
And then that dreamy magic turned into a funny and lively romp when Lestrade appeared (Yay! I´m so glad we have at least one Lestrade-centric story this year!). I enjoyed their light, easy-mannered banter, entirely free of hysteria or Lestrade threatening Sherlock with his badge or a similar thing which usually mars this kind of a story. It was all just a witty stream of Sherlock´s brilliant deductions (which are hard as hell to write, so kudos to the author for being courageous enough to create these, they were clever and funny) and Lestrade being his constantly puzzled but kind self. Wonderful way in which their camaraderie was instantly felt and which marked the beginning of their future friendship just crowned this story with a beautiful, whimsical end.
 
All they needed
 
Another story with the fateful love-triangle of Sherlock, John and Mary. Lighthearted and cute in the beginning, then pleasantly thrilling and intense at the end. I liked the depiction of Sherlock´s gentleness with Mary and John´s daughter at the very start of the story – not a role we see him play very often, but quite sympathetic and endearing here. The next scene with the mind-palace was downright hilarious and it was the higtlight of the entire text, I´m still chuckling over Sherlock´s list that appeared right there. John´s impulsive love confession, Sherlock processing the fact that he is loved within himself for a few hours and their subsequent love-making in front of a fire-place were fantastically romantic and gave me a feeling of Christmasy cosiness for some reason.
 
Then suddenly comes Mary and bam! All that cosy atmosphere comes down with a crash. I must confess, I was a bit amused by Mary´s attitude here, it was so 19-th century: I discovered my spouse being unfaithful with another person and now I must shoot them both! Bang, bang! But I guess, Mary´s slightly psychotic, very possessive attitude we saw in HLV implied that she definitely has it in her to act in this very manner.
 
Mrs. Hudson is a BAMF in disguise! I knew it! (I absolutely loved the way in which she came to the rescue like the heroical cavalry.)
 
And the ending just dissoved me into a smiling mushy puddle spilled on the floor. I am a sucker for such happy ends.

Just managed to read the last 2 fics ... Bam! there's the next one. I am stressed.

Well ... here are my comments for
How Sherlock Holmes met Greg Lestrade
Really liked this fic. It was interesting to read about this possibility of the first meeting of Sherlock and Lestrade.
The description of the drug habit was brilliant and disturbing. And I wish I could write deductions like you did, dear unknown author.

And for:
All they needed
Oh yes, also all what I needed. A lot of Johnlock and "solutions" for Mary and the baby. The idea with the lists, Sherlock's long stay in his mind palace, THEM in front of the fireplace, Mrs. Hudson as knight in shining armour.
Love this story!!!
 

Last edited by gently69 (December 18, 2014 10:08 am)

Billy, psychopaths and stupid idiots

Oh dear!

I HATE Bill in the show, but I couldn't help liking him in this one.
“But you do need to talk.  I mean your assassin wife, who I actually always thought was weird by the way, not that the great Sherlock Holmes would ever listen to me!” 
Yeah, very tactful and very sensitive. He's got a great career in counseling ahead of him, hasn't he?

I thought it was really, really clever to tell what happened on the fateful last day of Mary's life through the secret service report! I love that deadpan, telegram-style tone to describe events that must have been unbelievably dramatic and traumatic. Delightfully ironic.

The tiniest nitpick in this context: If Greg was promoted as a reward for helping to hush the matter up, he's Detective Chief Inspector now. Making him Sergeant would actually mean to degrade him!


I really enjoyed John's rant to Mycroft, and then after that, that completely matter-of-fact every-day tone in which John asks and Sherlock agrees to have him move back into 221B. How it's not a  big, tearful moment at all.

Thanks for a good laugh, unknown author!
 

Last edited by La Jolie (December 18, 2014 1:11 pm)

As predicted, I don't have much leisure at the moment (which was the main reason why I couldn't moderate the fic exchange this year). I more or less caught up with reading by now however, and I have to say we do have a great selection so far!
For my part, I'm not a fan of Mary being evil in order to get rid of her, but the stories which this refers to have been good reads nevertheless.
Billy Wiggins is a character which is difficult to write I imagine because he's so quirky, but the author absolutely nailed it. The only issue I had with this particular story was the fake pregnancy belt- wouldn't John have felt it's not real?
All apart from that, we're doing fine, methinks.
 

Kerkerian wrote:

All apart from that, we're doing fine, methinks.
 

Is this a competition, Kerkerian? If yes, who are we up against?
 

And I wasn't being serious, Gently69. Must remember to use those smileys.

And I was going to add, especially in a thread full of Germans.
But I suppose if I say that, I can never show my face in here again, and that would be a shame.
So consider it unsaid.


 

Last edited by La Jolie (December 19, 2014 11:54 am)

LOL, I know, dear.  I'm - roughly estimated -  about 69,78 % German, too, but I like to think that the remaining 30,22 % give me the right to make fun of national characteristics...

Last edited by La Jolie (December 19, 2014 12:08 pm)