Ahoy! The Collected Mutineer here. The Collectress has taken the majority of this week off in preparation to post her epic DCBB tomorrow. As such, this may be my only chance to have a go at Fanfic Wednesday. So of course, I chose not one, but three Sherlock fics. You’re welcome.

I love a good Johnlock. I love a good Johnlock even more when the author has a definitive grasp of Sherlock Holmes’ point of view. That may seem like an obvious requirement, but it can be difficult to write the world’s only consulting detective, and remain in character. Whenever I find a story that captures him properly, I bookmark it, regardless of tags, genre, WIP, pairing, or warnings. Give me a proper Sherlock Holmes, and I’m a happy girl.

The Progress of Sherlock Holmes

Author: ivyblossom

Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Word Count: 62,006

Author’s Synopsis: Sherlock is head over heels for John, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. First-person present-tense series of short scenes from Sherlock’s point of view, borrowing heavily from Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories.

My Thoughts: This is the king of Sherlock POVs. If you’ve read ivyblossom’s The Quiet Man, then you know how freakishly good she is at first person present tense. She immerses you so well into the mind of the character that you almost forget you’re just reading a story. And on top of it, she manages an easy-to-read stream of consciousness that isn’t confusing or bogged down by unimportant details. In this narrative, we get a fantastic look at the inner workings of Sherlock’s constantly engaged mind. We fall in love with his brilliance all over again, and of course, get front row seats to him falling in love with John. This story is beautiful for so many reasons, and one to which I will undoubtedly return.

Pattern Behaviour

Author: SilentAuror

Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Word Count: 14835

Author’s Synopsis: Sherlock doesn’t even know why he resents John’s dates so much. Until the day he does know. Slight angst, unrequited feelings.

My Thoughts: This helping of Sherlock’s inner monologue comes with a dose of humor and feels. Sherlock tries very hard to make John happy—he replies to conversation even when unnecessary, he goes to dinner even when not hungry, and he lets a ninja into to their flat so that John can beat something up. And at some point during the journey, it dawns on him that he is in love with his best friend. SilentAuror portrays Sherlock in much the same way that I believe the show would if they could have a running soliloquy of his personal thoughts, as seen in the excerpt below.

Not for the first time, I ask myself silently and fruitlessly why I do this, play this little game to keep John Watson happy with me. It is surely the most pointless and futile exercise I have ever engaged in, to the point that I surprise myself. Ever since having returned, disrupting his life again after an eight-month absence, I have been aware that I work somewhat consistently toward this simple goal. It should be easy, I have often thought. John Watson is not a complicated being. But then, he is. He is full of contrasts and contradictions. A doctor with a gun. Case in point. A man with trust issues who, albeit not yet trusting me (has he ever?) shot a man for me. (Have never forgotten this. Seems significant. Not entirely certain how. Have not deleted; may be important later. Add to file of other things not yet understood about John Watson. Title of file: A Study of the Pattern Behaviour of the Elusive Dr Watson in his Natural Habitat. Natural habitat being, of course, 221B Baker Street. He still thinks of it as a flatshare, I am all but certain. Uncertainty: how to transform this notion into home. Permanence.)

Luminosity

Author: what_alchemy

Pairings: Sherlock Holmes/John Watson

Word Count: 2466

Author’s Synopsis: John and his daughter come to live at 221B.

My Thoughts: This story is a breeze to read—partly because it is so short, but mostly because of the ease with which what_alchemy portrays a Sherlock who loves children. Ever since we saw Sherlock interact with Archie in “The Sign of Three,” I have had a thing for the idea of him interacting with kids. We so often write him off as not having a clue about what to do, but I do not think that would be the case. If you like fluff, and the thought of Sherlock being involved in the life of John’s offspring, then this is the ficlet for you.

If you know of other great Sherlock POVs, let us know in the comments below, or come chat with me @ImpalaMutineers.

Happy reading!

The Collected Mutineer