EnigmaticPenguin (of death)

I thought this £250 million house up for sale looked a bit familiar. It might blow a hole in the wealth of just about anyone short of the British government, but it would be such a convenient commute to one’s club. And you’d have some very quiet neighbours.

Just read a most excellent and rather different Johncroft fic, wanted to rec it to spread the love.

Irezumi by Haldane on AO3 here [x]

3,415 words, Johncroft, rated M, labelled as PWP with no warnings

Summary: “From a kinkmeme prompt: Underneath the stately, well-dressed demeanor, Mycroft is covered head-to-toe in glorious tattoos, Yakuza-style.”

I didn’t know I needed a Johncroft fic where Mycroft is covered in full body tattoos; tattoos that are lovingly described in quite a bit of detail during John’s exploration of them with more than just his eyes. If that sounds like it could be relevant to any of your interests or even if you’re thinking ‘Mycroft with a tattooed bodysuit, where are the pinstripes?’, I heartily encourage you to read this.

He reached out with one hand, but hesitated, as he would before touching a painting or a statue. Mycroft took his wrist, firmly but not unkindly, and placed his hand flat against his breastbone. “I won’t smudge,” he said.

I issue or reblog the odd fic recommendation now and then; these can usually be found in my fic rec or fic recs tag (when I remember to tag the posts properly). My dear Wifey was seeking some further ficcy recommendations and so I have delved back into my bookmarks and disorganised brain to see what I can find.

These are all Mycroft-centric or at least Mycoroft featuring, because you’ve seen my blog, right? There’s no particular theme and she was open to all pairings (even Mystrade, bless her!) so this is a bit of a grab bag of all sorts - hopefully she may find one or two new things here to enjoy, and I extend the recommendation to all who read these here ramblings.

Cold War (13K words) and Undoing Fate (30K words) by sator_square - both Mycroft/Jim fics, although neither is straightforward. In the first Mycroft is held prisoner by Jim and is essentially psychologically (and freezingly) ground down into seeking closeness from his captor, and the second is a fantasy AU where Mycroft attempts to go back in time to prevent Sherlock from dying - but a young Jim keeps getting in the way of his plans, and they start to develop a rather difficult to define relationship as a result. Both have always stuck with me and are on my regular re-read list.

An Unconventional Affair series by Bold_as_Brass (25K words) this might initially seem a bit like Johncroft PWP, but across the four fics so far (I believe it may still be ongoing?) there is very noticeable plot indeed, plus some really good porn. Whether your interests lie in Doctor John and his unorthodox medical examination style, or Mycroft’s a-glass-of-good-scotch-and-John’s-arse way of ‘relaxing’, unexpected uses for Mrs Hudson’s hand cream or a post-Reichenbach self-destructive tryst in a Diogenes Club linen closet, there will be something here for you.

Hiding in Plain Sight D/s series (40K) by Kalimyre - this is both Mystrade and features Mycroft as a sub, so it may not immediately appeal to some (*cough* Holly *cough*) but I encourage even those who would not usually choose such fic to give this a go, because it changed the way I often looked at Mycroft as a character and opened up a whole new area of feels for me. “D/s AU where everyone is either a dom or a sub. Mycroft is a sub but has managed to hide it, considering his position. Then he meets Lestrade who is so obviously a dom that he’s almost undone. Lestrade persuades him that being a sub isn’t a weakness.”

Redivivus by cathedralcarver (5,000 words) This is Johnlock and PG, I know, scary, but I love it. I can’t really describe this fic fully without spoiling it, but the summary is “There are so very many different ways to die.” If you have seen the X-Files Monday or Star Trek TNG Cause and Effect then you have the right idea; it’s a trope that I have a great weakness for in a feels-inducing way.

The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor (2,600 words) by NoirRosaleen - this is just some rather adorable Mycroft/Molly sweetness, through the medium of Victoriana and flowers. “Mycroft Holmes was a perfect gentleman. Molly had no idea how much so.”

Holding Patterns by daasgrrl (10K words) - Cabinlock AU - one thing there is not enough of in this world is Mycroft/Martin Crieff fic. While I don’t read a lot of CP fic Martin seems characterised perfectly to me, and Mycroft manages to be both amazingly creepy, seductive and sad all at once, bless him. Daasgrrl is also the author of such delights as the Sherlock/League of Gentlemen AU No Place Like Home. That all earns many gold stars in my book.

The Road to Inle by silverpard (1,500 words) it’s Sherlock meets Watership Down and Mycroft is the Black Rabbit of Inle while Lestrade is a death-attracting member of the Owsla. How do people come up with AU brilliance like this? And how can we as a fandom encourage more of it?

The Fine Art of Distraction by Sapphy (21K words) - not your average MyJohnLock fic but this features variously Sherlock, Mycroft and John, and a whole lot of gore. In which Sherlock has some extreme murderous impulses just barely kept in check by Mycroft’s ministrations and handy masochistic streak, then John finds himself somewhat reluctantly then strangely enthusiastically drawn into the mix. Definitely one to check the warning tags on but quite fascinatingly compelling.

The mind is its own place by auctorial (4,300 words) because Holmescest doesn’t always inspire fluff. I’m going to steal the final summing-up line as a non-spoilery summary: “he will not die of old age in bed, lying next to a person he loves, because men like him never do.” *feels meltdown*

The Haunting by peevee (21K words) This is a Lovecraftian AU that requires no prior knowledge of where it’s being an AU of - which is good because I didn’t have a clue. I just know it’s excellently written as always when it comes to peevee, very accessible and provided some really quite terrifying mental images for me. “In an alternate, war-torn London in 1895, there are things stalking the streets after dark. A serial killer called Stitch-Face, known for the brutal, bloody slaughter of prostitutes; dark, faceless organisations whose members are rumoured to consist of the most powerful and influential; and most deadly of all, monsters known as Witch-kin. A spate of unsolved murders, a mysterious young man with a dark secret, and at the centre of it all, Sherlock Holmes.”

Paternity by ibelieveinmycroft (4,300 words) one of the best takes on a Holmesian childhood I have ever read, and certainly the most rounded ‘Father Holmes’ character I’ve ever come across. Feels for everyone, sob. (P.S. you should write more fic.)

Scotch (119K words) You know how I’m always reblogging fic from earlgreytea68? That’s because her Mycroft is always ridiculously perfectly characterised. The Scotch series was one of my first introductions to Mystrade (back when I was almost reading the fic in spite of the Mystrade) because her writing is generally so well done and her Mycroft seemed so akin to how I saw the canonical series Mycroft. (By the end of Scotch I was won over to to Mystradian dark side, join us, join us!) There are over 100K words in this series of one-shots and multi-chaptered fics dealing with the aftermath of Reichenbach, and it is all lovely and I want to re-read it all again sometime soon. Oh yes, and the ongoing Saving Sherlock Holmes is a brill-tastic AU you may have noticed me reblogging once or twice before. It should be read by all and sundry.

The Least of All Possible Mistakes by rageprufrock (118K words) this was another very early Mystrade fic for me, with the slightly unusual twist that it features a female Lestrade. It is really excellently written and roughly follows the course of the series so far but then goes beyond Reichenbach into its own twisty turny plotline, and was only actually finished very recently. Georgina Lestrade is a really engaging character to view the Sherlockian world through and it’s another one to re-read in full again soon.

Sarah T writes some brilliant short AUs such as like a lost lamb returning to the fold (MyJohnLock + vampirism = yay) mutatis mutandis (Holmescest with serial killer Sherlock and crimelord Mycroft) and you’ll never be alone in the bone orchard (where John meets the other Holmes brother a day earlier and everything changes). I am very fond of all of them.

ethothepii I am always imploring people to read more of, but it’s worth mentioning yet again how awesome-tastic everything by ethothepii is. Particularly the His Dark Materials AU Asteroidea, the angels & demons AU I Used to Live Alone Before I Knew You, the Mycroft & Anthea are the same personality in two bodies ridiculously brilliant When I Look in the Mirror I See Double and the Holmescesty Westermarck.

And all my followers are probably bored of me mentioning them, but I can’t not rec my porny Holmescest and Johncroftian favourites of Bunting, A Touch Of, How To Get What You Want and Want What You Have, Soft as Pink, Practical Ethics for Beginners. Plus y’know most of the Mycroft Holmes/Sherlock Holmes/John Watson AO3 tag. And some extra MyJohnLock that I don’t think is on AO3 - Greedy and Selfish by jemisard.

I’ve just realised the following four gifs on their own make a nice undercover voyeuristic!Mycroft. Because of reasons.

Mycroft things I would like to see more of in fics:

• His version of a mind palace
• Suit porn, particularly waistcoat and braces porn
• Fur and freckles