Yuletide Letter

[estelraca]

I have never done this before, but I'm asking for only a few fandoms this time, all related, so let's give it a go!

Art in the Blood, short story by Brian Stableford, found in "Shadows Over Baker Street"

The short story itself is a well enough done Lovecraft/Holmes pastiche, but what I am fascinated by is the basic premise, which unfortunately doesn't get enough chance to breathe: that the Diogenes Club is a front for dilute-blood demigods whose role is to protect the Earth from the eldritch horrors, and Mycroft is deep in it, but hasn't told Sherlock the truth yet.

And really that's all I want. I want dilute blood demigod Sherlock and Mycroft solving eldritch problems! I am fascinated by the Diogenes Club as a place not just for autistic/neurodivergent/already deeply Weird people, but for people who are Weird because they're not entirely human. Like, yes, obviously there are Issues with "autistic/etc. people aren't actually human" storylines, but also I kind of love the idea of it here? Like Percy Jackson for the Victorian times, but also with eldritch horrors.

I'd love to see the case where Sherlock actually gets informed of everything. Or Sherlock and Mycroft fighting eldritch monstrosities together! Or something goes wrong in one of the Diogenes Club experiments, and Sherlock has to save Mycroft.

My favorite relationship between the brothers is "functional and built on love if a little Weird" (with a side order of "we're queer autistic Victorians, we need to support each other" if that's how your headcanons roll), but a second favorite is "dysfunctional but built on love"; I could see this Sherlock and Mycroft going either way.

I would adore John being here, or any other characters from the short story or ACD canon, but obviously it's not necessary.


A Study in Emerald, short story by Neil Gaiman, found in "Shadows Over Baker Street", free to read online

I am so fascinated by this universe, with its darker and edgier take, but also its eldritch monsters that can be taken apart with a scalpel.

I would love anything exploring how John goes from a military doctor to involved with Sherry and the Restorationists. Another hunt would also be a delight! Sherry being a dramatic actor would be a delight. John writing another play, and what it says about their world. John and Sherry arguing about how best to write/perform a play!

If you want to bring in more canon characters, I would kill to see Mycroft in this universe. Or perhaps what the Irene Adler case ends up being; was she dating a Royal?

I am also fascinated by the juxtaposition of Watson and Moran, and Holmes and Moriarty. More about their mirroring, or the four of them fighting, would be a delight. What exactly damaged Moran in Afghanistan, in the dark? Just another Royal-type creature, an old god of Earth, something else entirely? Did John undergo something similar?

There are a few lines that hint at Moriarty maybe knowing about the multiverse of Holmes canon; if you wanted to dive into that I would love it!

Sherlock Holmes (1984), wherein Jeremy Brett is Sherlock Holmes

I absolutely adore this interpretation of the canon. Jeremy Brett brings such distinctive and perfect physicality to his Holmes, and the disguise montages are amazing. There's so many nice little callbacks between episodes; if you wanted to include the model ship or "five minutes" or anything else I would love it.

I do ship this version of Holmes and Watson too, though I am also perfectly happy with them in a QPR, being bachelors together at 221B with Mrs. Hudson forever. Mrs. Hudson puts up with so much and loves her boys so much.

I love this Lestrade, and the friendship that he and Watson have, if you want to bring him in; I would also be fine with Holmes/Watson/Lestrade, especially in those awkward immediately post-Reichenbach days.

Mycroft is forever a delight for me; he is more than welcome to appear.

I tend to appreciate more mundane stories (more cases! fights! travels to the Continent!) in this, with a few exceptions. The directors adore their use of mirrors and reflections; if you wanted to lean into that in a supernatural way go for it! There's also at least one director who was Very Determined to imply some psychic powers for Holmes; feel free to run with it. I am also fine with leaning into the "Brett played Dracula" thing like the show does on a few occasions, and I will always be fine with Watson being a werewolf.

If you wanted to bring in canon-era spiritualism/occultism, either for Holmes to debunk or for them to find Actual Ghosts (I have received TWO delightful ghost!dog fics and would love even more), then also feel free to do that.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, aka The Video Game That Owns My Heart

I am fine with a story having only Sherlock and John, or having only Sherlock and Mycroft, though if you wanted to give me all three I would love you.

EXCEPTION TO DNW: Sherlock can be his canonically bratty self with regards to Mycroft's weight if you feel the need.  It hits different when it's siblings harassing each other, and when it's Sherlock basically giving up logical argument and devolving into verbal fight-or-flight as it is in canon.

This game has rewired my brain and I will happily read anything you write for it.

I adore the brother's relationship in this and how broken it is, despite Mycroft being so willing to burn the world down for his family. He was in so far over his head in Chapter One, and he never figured out how to dig his way out, or to give up control enough for Sherlock to not continuously run from him. Anything with the brothers trying to sort out their relationship, especially if there are Eldritch Shenanigans in the background, would make me ecstatic.

I also adore Sherlock and John's relationship. They speed-run friendship at least partly because during The Horrors John can't tell that Sherlock is calling for Jonathan instead, and that's fascinating and sad and intriguing all at the same time. John is such a steadfast friend but with enough biting sarcasm and intelligence to keep up with this Sherlock, and they're a fascinating pair. I do ship Watson/Holmes again, but also Watson/Holmes/Jonathan would be fascinating. (What is Jonathan? How would he come back? Who knows, and feel free to run with your desire! A tulpa? A fragment of John? A fragment of an eldritch something? A hallucination?)

I adore the idea of Sherlock (and Mycroft, if you want to go with that) getting caught up in more weird rituals, if you'd like to go with that! I headcanon that their pattern recognition and memory skills would make it both easy and dangerous for them (like how Sherlock falls repeatedly into ritual in the game, to the point where John has to save him).

Something dealing with Sherlock's trauma around water and his fear of drowning would also be great.

Alternatively: swinging axes. John learning about this, and being properly horrified.

One thing that really fascinates me about this world is how Sherlock (and Mycroft) balances his fear of hereditary mental illness with The Horrors.  Please go wild with that, if it calls to you at all.
 

DO NOT WANTS FOR ALL REQUESTS: fatphobia (descriptions of fat bodies as ugly or undesirable; association of fat bodies with evil; association of fatness with moral degeneracy; moral judgments about eating (medical concerns about eating disorders/not eating/nutrition is fine, but no "being so naughty having a desert")), amatonormativity (this is the assumption that everyone desires romance and sex, or the elevation of romance above platonic relationships; I do ship Sherlock/John in most 'verses, but I also love an asexual Sherlock (or demisexual; I do not mind Sherlock being romantically or sexually attracted to John!); but I would prefer for the narrative not to elevate romantic relationships above platonic ones (eg "people will only die/kill/move across country for their One Romantic Partner) or portray romance as the only happy end game for characters)


The General Workings of the Estel Brain (Likes, Dislikes, Etc):

Links to other exchange sign-ups with freeform tags that might be of interest:
Proximity Exchange
Jump Scare
Hurt/Comfort
Epidemfic

General likes: found family, cuddles, queer characters, polyamory, werewolves (mostly packs and the found family that tends to go with them, but also the fuzzy wolf forms), deep character dives, complicated relationships, relationships built on mutual respect and trust, angst with a happy ending, hurt/comfort, biology/xenobiology, bleeding from psychic injuries, bleeding in general, pregnancy including mpreg (especially if it plays into that xenobiology thing), characters shipping their friends in a healthy way, reincarnation fic, wingfic, giving/getting stitches, bandaging characters, caring for injured or ill characters, listening to heartbeats/taking pulses, psychic events, communion with alien perspectives

Porn: While I am not generally a fan of PWP, I can be 100% down with porn provided it's character heavy! I also love xenobiology in any flavor, including "this is my new pet species/supernatural creature and this is how reproduction works for them". I quite enjoy bloodplay and dom/sub dynamics and restraint; I am not a fan of scat, watersports, or body fluids other than the usual, tears, or blood. Please no degradation kink/abusive talk; praise kink is great!

General dislikes: hopeless endings, animal torture/death, child torture/death as the main point of the piece, rape without a heavy focus on the healing, incest written as a healthy and reasonable choice (fine if that's how you see it, just not my kink!)

I would love treats!

I am often slow to comment because my brain and life, but I will read and give a proper comment, and I will love whatever you make me for these fandoms.