Comments | mithen: Drabble: Orpheus with a Violin

mithen

Drabble: Orpheus with a Violin

Sep 03, 2013 20:25

Title: Orpheus with a Violin
Pairing/Characters: John/Sherlock
Rating: G
Warnings/Spoilers: Post-Reichenbach
Fandom: BBC Sherlock
Summary: John has the same dream again: the cave, the music, the lost soul.
Word Count: 221

( There is music somewhere, a sweetly keening, desperate lament that calls him onward. The darkness is total, and yet he can see, walking in front of him-- )

ch: john watson, ch: sherlock holmes, fandom: bbc sherlock

Comments 16

queen0fcups September 4 2013, 01:47:50 UTC

Absolutely gorgeous. I love that of course Sherlock (or at least John's Dream!Sherlock) would have the strength of will to not look back.

mithen September 4 2013, 02:53:01 UTC

I have to confess a fandom that actually has a set form for a ficlet that requires 221 words exactly, the last one a word that begins with B, is just bizarre enough to delight me. :)

And ugh, as angry as John will surely be when Sherlock comes back, I'm a sucker for the idea that walking away to save John was incredibly hard for Sherlock to do, but of course he'll manage to do it... It was interesting to explore it a bit in semi-poetic form!

zolac_no_miko September 4 2013, 04:26:49 UTC

He calls Sherlock's name: his voice makes no sound, and yet the resolute shoulders before him stiffen, the steps falter. John sees Sherlock's hands shaking, and instead of hope, terror rises up to seize him; with a certainty cold as fangs sinking into his flesh, he knows that if Sherlock turns to look back he is lost forever.

Then the proud head lifts once more, and Sherlock strides into the dark without a backward glance, and John is saved.

IT'S A METAPHOR~! :DDDD

No seriously I love this, this is such an elegant way of, as Milton did, "justifying the ways of God Sherlock to Man."

HE HAS TO PRETEND TO BE DEAD, JOHN. SO YOU'LL BE SAFE. BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU. TT_TT

Also I saw your comment about 221B and oh my god that is great, fandom sometimes I really love you. ♥

mithen September 5 2013, 01:38:23 UTC

IT'S A METAPHOR~! :DDDD

I can't help it, they just work so well with them! :)

And "Justifying the ways of God to Man Sherlock to John" should be an established sub-genre of Sherlock fic, I do believe. *grin*

Also I saw your comment about 221B and oh my god that is great, fandom sometimes I really love you. ♥

THEY ARE SO HARD TO WRITE. Somehow it's the ending with a b-word that kills me, I don't know why but they all seem super-unwieldy! I have another written and one planned, and they just rip me up but are so fun...

arianedevere September 4 2013, 11:45:33 UTC

Oh, wow, that was beautiful.

mithen September 5 2013, 01:39:12 UTC

Thank you so much! I love ficlets and the sort of challenge to write something not TOO linear and focused...

london_fan September 4 2013, 14:30:17 UTC

What a clever use of mythology! Love this little gemstone. It's written beautifully.

mithen September 5 2013, 01:40:54 UTC

221Bs are so much fun to write, even though they totally kill me (there are not that many pretty/evocative words that end with B, darn it!) And somehow I can't help but feel John would make a wonderful Eurydice...

Thank you!

starsandsea September 4 2013, 18:19:12 UTC

Oh! Oh, this was beautiful!

I love that John is the ghost, not Sherlock (John! *hugs him tightly*) and that Sherlock didn't break and look back... *wibbles a bit*

So lovely, thank you for sharing! :)

mithen September 5 2013, 01:43:05 UTC

I love that John is the ghost, not Sherlock

That was definitely the starting point for this...that image of John dreaming and being confused to find himself the ghost, not Sherlock (he's not dead, John! And poor John is, kind of...) and ugh, the image of him conquering the myth and not looking back, being strong enough to overcome the desire to see John, just... *wibbles* Thank you so much for the wonderful comment!