BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Secret Santa Fic Exchange 2014

mrshouse · December 23, 2014 8:33 am

That is great, Schm....erm Santa!
Don't worry, gently, I'm also two fics behind with comments... And after the little discussion yesterday I'm all the more looking forward to the big reveal!

SusiGo · December 23, 2014 8:34 am

I am really not sure if I can tolerate such pics one day before Christmas Eve, Schmiezi.

Crown jewels, snigger.

La Jolie · December 23, 2014 8:37 am

And I do think we need an adult content warning on that thread now!

And WE weren't allowed to write explicit fic, tsk tsk tsk.

SusiGo · December 23, 2014 9:06 am

Well, after all these are just pics from the series, nothing added we did not see in TEH.

gently69 · December 23, 2014 12:19 pm

Finally made it to:

Play it again, Sherlock

A lovely short story with typical Sherlock-John conflicts and heartwarming romantic until the end. The sad parts about the chair and the coat hook. and in the end ... music makes the world go around.
Love it, dear author.

Kerkerian · December 24, 2014 11:19 am

From Dusk Till Dawn

Dear unknown author, thank you so much for this lovely and adorable fic! This is the first time in days I've sat down in front of my computer for more than two minutes, and I actually intended to catch up on reading, so this was the perfect Christmas surprise (thank you as well, Schmiezi )!
I can't even say what exactly I expected, but that doesn't matter because this story was perfect for me. I sat with my hands in front of my mouth for most part because of the suspense, and I felt deeply sorry not only because of Sherlock's despair, but also because of how his inability to deal with emotions caused all the previous misunderstandings and him to behave like a prat. He really put poor John through the ringer!
It's also one of the few times I felt something akin to sympathy for Sally Donovan, it's very clever to use her point of view in this way. And Lestrade, of course- he's appears so unshakeable, but we know better (as does Mrs Hudson- I love that she gets Sherlock to talk).
The ending was heartwarming, thank you for not having them in hospital but at home in 221B. The line "Let me try something" had me sighing out loud, and all in all, it's a very satisfactory outcome (John and Sherlock would probably agree).
The title of the story is perfect, by the way- it's not only the actual time which went by, but also the longest, darkest night Sherlock (and John) probably ever had to live through.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I wish you all a very happy Christmas!

silverblaze · December 25, 2014 9:29 am

Dear author, I just ran out of time. I'll read and comment tonight or tomorrow. Screenplay format, loving it already.

La Jolie · December 25, 2014 10:43 am

Slowly catching up...

From Dusk Till Dawn

This one had me hooked straight away, and wouldn't let go of me again til the very end. I love a bit of action and a lot of angst, so this was GOOD.

Cleverly written – I like how the events preceding the disaster at the warehouse unfold in flashbacks.

I wanted to shake Sherlock silly for treating John like that. But I can see how he'd think it would "help". I could literally hear his voice in that conversation with John, so weird and confused and full of twisted logic, and so helpless, really. Very touching.

And the image of Sherlock being sick in the bathroom and telling himself it was “just the concussion”. Ow.

I also liked Mrs Hudson's role in this – she truly is a mother figure for Sherlock, and I could hear her voice in my head as well. Just talking plain straightforward common sense, but very sensitive at the same time, and not just played for comedy as she so often is in fanfic. She really knows how to talk to Sherlock!

But easily my favourite bit in this story was the Sally Donovan appreciation! Especially since it wasn't absolutely necessary. It's nice to see a writer care enough about her to include this! She's one of my favourite secondary characters, and it irked me so much that we never saw a proper resolution to her relationship with Sherlock after his return from the dead. I really like what you picture it to have been like for her, unknown author. Very believable.

Thanks for a very enjoyable read!

And MERRY CHRISTMAS, everyone!

Last edited by La Jolie (December 25, 2014 11:19 am)

SusiGo · December 25, 2014 10:49 am

From Dusk Till Dawn

I really love this one. Very convincing characters, clever structure moving forward and backwards in time. And it was a very Sherlock way of dealing with such overwhelming emotions. I also like the take on Sally very much, redeeming her former behaviour and giving her a voice. And the last scenes in Sherlock's bedroom were so lovely and carefully drawn.
Kudos from me, unknown author!

nakahara · December 25, 2014 7:52 pm

From Dusk Till Dawn

Wonderful Christmas present. Thrilling and absorbing from the very first word, with action that was one of the best I ever read in Sherlock fanfictions as a whole. The use of flashbacks was masterful in this beautiful story, it didn´t slow down the main storyline at all, but nicely added richness and depth to the situations and to the characters, enabling us to better understand them and to walk in their shoes for a while. That´s probably why all the characters seemed so realistic and believable – having their motivations explained by flashback scenes (inserted to all the right places in the story), we could really put ourselves into their positions. Especially Sherlock was simply heartwrenching. His pain, distress and numbness after the supposed loss of John were so overwhelming it was almost painful to even read about it. The scene in which he returned to Baker Street, alone, felt like a deep abyss devoid of all life, depression was practically dripping from it. And yet his confusion over sentiment was not devoid of lovely and touching kind of humour that endeared him all the more to us. Donovan surprised me too – being rather unpleasant in the show itself, here she came to as quite sympathetic, brave and professional. Once again – a very goor proof of your fantastic writing skills, dear unknown author.

The Johnlock romance, artfully juxtapositioned against the main action storyline, bloomed in the second part of this story like a fragrant flower, slowly unfolding leaf after leaf of one deep feeling after another until it reached a radiant full bloom at the end. Yet the quietness and gentleness of John´s and Sherlock´s union managed to endow this part of the fic with delicate, affecting beauty. And I absolutely loved the ending – after the cruel storm at night, at dawn our boys found the quiet harbour to rest and recover together. Definitely brought tears to my eyes.

Sherlock Holmes · December 25, 2014 8:09 pm

I'm quite behind on these fics, goodness me, but I read Something Precious today, and it was such a wonderful, heartwarming Johnlocky type thing to brighten up my Christmas Day. I was completely cheering for John all the way, and Mary was such a baddie, damn. This is like...how I want Series 4 to be.

La Jolie · December 25, 2014 8:56 pm

Nakahara, I think you've just elevated reviewing fanfic to an art form. More specifically, to a subgenre of poetry.

(I'm not sure whether reviewing each other's reviews was one of the points of the Secret Santa, but I just had to say that!)

Last edited by La Jolie (December 25, 2014 8:58 pm)

nakahara · December 25, 2014 9:08 pm

Thank you, La Jolie.

I very enjoyed this year´s stories very much, they were top-notch and wonderfully brightened my December, so the pleasure was entirely on my side. I´m already looking forward to the last ones.

nakahara · December 26, 2014 12:45 am

Variations on a Classic Theme

Oh my God, what did I just read? This was not a mere story, but a real opus magnum! A marvellous opus magnum, I must add. I am awestruck by your creativity and talent, dear unknown maestro. Your play could not only pass for a real play, but I imagine it could be actually accepted as a scenario for a TV adaptation or an adaptation at a stage, if you would sent it to powers-that-be – it has that level of quality. Your elegant and yet precise description of architecture and your wonderful usage of music terms alone tell tales about the skill and effort that went into your story. But your story is so much more than that!

It has enjoyable nods both to canon (in the magnificent personality of Victor Trevor) and to BBC version (Sebastian Wiles). It has an enchanting setting in the form of the college and rehearsal rooms and the portrayal of musical rehearsal so engaging it made me regret that I don´t play any instrument. It has personalities painted so vividly and realistically that I immediatelly fell under their spell. Your Violet was so lively and truthfully depicted as if I already met her, as a real personage living somewhere in my vicinity. I´m an absolute admirer of your Sherlock. Althrough ten years younger than we know him from the show, he has his exact mannerism, his exact methods, his unusual and tactless solutions to a problem, his carefullness of an elephant in a china shop, his cunningness and his weird but good heart all and precisely in place. I am glad that you didn´t shy from the case and from Sherlock´s deductions – and I´m still in awe how carefully and beautifully you constructed them. They are usually the hardest to write, yet they have such a natural flow here, they seem as if they sprang on the page on their own – truly remarkable! Amusing, interesting, educative, full of suspense, touching and nostalgic – all the superlatives are rightfully deserved here.

And I must not forget to mention the wonderful gems that underscore your text, dear author. The message about embracing the talents you have and yourself fully, the coy description of Sherlock´s personality hidden into an innocent speech about chess, the bittersweet nostalgia making your last scenes between Sherlock and Victor and your very last sentence so memorable and powerful... I take down my hat and bow to you, you have a writing hand of a true master.

silverblaze · December 26, 2014 9:31 am

From dusk till dawn
That first line!!!! OMG . That's what one could call a proper hook. I didn't entirely believe that John was really dead, the recipient asked for a johnlock fic, and that'd run into technical difficulties if one of the protagonists is killed, but still I was completely hooked and wanted to find out how this would resolve. Then the clever flashback structure pushed the plot forward. Very nicely done, there wasn't a boring moment anywhere.

I also really loved your version of Sally Donovan, she feels and sounds like the bbc canon character. She's a hard character to get right, but I think you nailed it.

Variation on a classic theme
Wow!!! What else can I say? When I was writing my prompt, I sort of expected a 1000 word scene with some banter between the brothers in 221B and Sherlock playing a few tunes. I did not expect an epos of Homeric scale! What a work that must have been. It's probably the only fic this year that has a theme (know your limits). I said I liked case fics, I didn't actually expect to get it. And, dear writer, you even include a little h/c element with Mycroft. Basically, you've written everything I asked for and more. It's huge and if this fic wasn't in screenplay format, it'd been even longer. There's even a soundtrack. Had we given you more time, there'd be a storyboard too, probably. This really exceeded my expectations.

I literally laughed out loud a few time in the first scene, especially with:
"The moment you insert this into your computer, it will blow up the entire building, leaving nothing but a fifty foot crater on Baker street as a monument for your gullibility and a warning for future generations."

I loved meeting Victor, he's certainly one of my favorites too. The practices with the orchestra were hilarious. Sherlock's:"but it's a fake", just brilliant. I stopped reading and looked up the musical pieces before I went on, totally worth it. I could imagine Sherlock playing that first part way too staccato because he thinks that's how it should be played. Also really great to see how you've created the personality of the conductor, and Sherlock's reaction to it. All buildup for the big reveil.

I loved the whole atmosphere of the story: the music, the chess, the games, the buildings, just beautiful. It's got humour and the case is deeply mysterious until the very end, every time there seemed to be a new unexpected twist. The theme weaved itself through the lives of all the different characters. Surely, the Holmes brothers must have had trouble to learn their limits.

What a beautiful Christmas present. Thank you, unknown author.

Edit: I know that when I finished this, I still left out so many other things I loved about this fic. There's so much in it. I'll absolutely read it a few more times.

Last edited by silverblaze (December 26, 2014 9:37 am)

SilverMoonDragonB · December 26, 2014 7:04 pm

Hello all! Schmiezi has asked me to post the last story today since she won't be able to, it is quite long and I don't have time right now to post it, but I will in a few hours. Rest assured I will get it up ASAP!
Thank you for your patience!

P.S. I feel bad that I haven't commented on any of the stories yet , the last month has been very hectic for me. After I post the last story, I'll be sure to get to reading the others written by you wonderful talented authors!

Last edited by SilverMoonDragonB (December 26, 2014 7:05 pm)

BreathingIsBoring · December 26, 2014 10:46 pm

*Getting really anxious*

SilverMoonDragonB · December 26, 2014 10:49 pm

BreathingIsBoring wrote:
*Getting really anxious*

Here's what I'm going to do, I have to do some last minute formatting for the latter part of the story I'm going to post so it looks alright. I was going to wait until I was done and post all of it at once, but I'll post most of the story now...since I doubt anyone will be done reading it before I'm done with the rest.
I'll just be a few minutes

BreathingIsBoring · December 26, 2014 11:06 pm

SilverMoonDragonB wrote:
BreathingIsBoring wrote:
*Getting really anxious*
Here's what I'm going to do, I have to do some last minute formatting for the latter part of the story I'm going to post so it looks alright. I was going to wait until I was done and post all of it at once, but I'll post most of the story now...since I doubt anyone will be done reading it before I'm done with the rest.
I'll just be a few minutes

That's really nice of you. Thank you!

SilverMoonDragonB · December 26, 2014 11:34 pm

BreathingIsBoring wrote:
SilverMoonDragonB wrote:
BreathingIsBoring wrote:
*Getting really anxious*
Here's what I'm going to do, I have to do some last minute formatting for the latter part of the story I'm going to post so it looks alright. I was going to wait until I was done and post all of it at once, but I'll post most of the story now...since I doubt anyone will be done reading it before I'm done with the rest.
I'll just be a few minutes

That's really nice of you. Thank you!

No problem. I've got 17 chapters posted. There are only three more, I hope to get them up soon!