A Cure for Boredom Art

[emmagrant01]

The amazing Doublenegativemeansyes over on Tumblr posted this very gorgeous,NSFW, and aptly titled piece called Cinnamon today.

The SOUNDS that came out of my mouth when I saw this. I mean seriously, OMFG. Not only is it incredibly hot and gorgeous and evocative, but it actually had the effect of showing me something I hadn't really seen in my OWN freaking fic. I think that because I was inside John's head for that entire fic, a lot of it didn't read to me as hot or even all that kinky. It was more about the emotional journey John was going on and the lengths he was willing to go to in order to be closer to Sherlock. He enjoys the things that happen to him, but mostly he enjoys the effect it all has on Sherlock, and so he's not thinking about himself so much, if that makes sense. So I saw this art this morning and had a moment of 0_0 at the thought that that is what people see in that scene. It's hard to explain, but I really hadn't thought about Sherlock sitting there coolly observing and this random unidentified guy hovering sort of dangerously behind John, because I was John when I wrote it, and I couldn't see any of that. That probably makes no sense. :-P

It's still such a strange thing to me that this fic is so insanely popular because I don't really understand why it has wide appeal. When I first wrote it I really thought a handful of people would enjoy it, but the fandom would mostly ignore it because it's not all fluffy-happy Johnlock love. It's sort of cracky and a bit dark and kinky and involves lots of casual sex in many variations, and I really thought that would turn most people off and they wouldn't actually read the love story underneath it all. I'm still sort of boggling about how it's got a life of its own, completely separate from me at this point. Very weird, but also very cool. :-)

But that art: Isn't that amazing? Gah.

Comments

[shadowfireflame.livejournal.com]

Hnnnnnngh, so hot, so very very hot, and John's the one something sexual is happening to but all I can see is Sherlock sitting there, looking kind of rumpled and so invested at what's happening by his feet. Gorgeous. You are lucky so have received such beautiful art! :D

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Indeed, the hottest of it all ( and EVERYTHINGis HAWT) is the look on Sherlock's face.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I know, right? So lucky!!

[swissmarg]

Yes, that is truly gorgeous. When I read that scene, I also saw it very much from inside John's head, but the look of intrigue on Sherlock's face here is mesmerizing.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

That was what I found so powerful about this art. I was really blown away by seeing it from an outside perspective!

[hechicera.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. So wonderfully complex.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I know! So amazing! I don't know how she decided to arrange Sherlock or how to depict his expression here. I haven't written that scene from Sherlock's POV yet, but I have a feeling this is going to influence me. ;-)

[hechicera.livejournal.com]

You know, I had an interesting conversation with Mr H about porn last night. We had received a "sampler" DVD as a bonus in an order of toys from Adam & Eve (sorry about the TMI but I feel compelled to explain how we came to be watching this DVD) and watched it for a lark...or at least we started to. It was IMO absolutely unwatchable. Just one clinical shot after another of bored-looking people sticking their body parts in and out of each other. There's a fair amount of M/M porn (both photographic and painted) that crosses my tumblr dash as well, and it leaves me absolutely cold. Worse than cold, actually--it actively turns me off. I find it icky.

But I absolutely love illustrations like this one, or TV shows like Lip Service, which Mr H and I have started watching. I find them quite erotic, and I like watching and reading erotic stuff. I'm not a prude, you know?

I think for me the essential element is story. I've got to engage with the players, or it's just a bunch of body parts. And that picture has SO MUCH STORY crammed into a small space--there's so much information there in posture, in facial expression, in composition. It's really wonderful.

And very erotic.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

LOL, so not TMI. This is me, you know? ;-)

Yes, me too on the story embedded in the porn. I think that's one of the things I love about certain types of fanart. When there's clearly a story behind the art I'm incredibly drawn into it, and it's even hotter.

[hominysnark.livejournal.com]

Well, there's a reason 50 Shades of Grey ended up a bestseller, and I dare say ACfB is better-written and has more plot.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Y O Y NO "LIKE" BUTTON HERE?

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I hope it's better-written. If not, I should quit now. :-P

[hominysnark.livejournal.com]

I'll never know for sure, since I'll never read 50 Shades, but it does seem a very safe bet. :)

[tea-for-lupin.livejournal.com]

*breath taken away*

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

I KNOW.

[tea-for-lupin.livejournal.com]

Now I need to read ALL of ACFB again....

[bluebellanon]

I saw that art. Just gorgeous. I love that it looks slightly soft and sketch like around the edges.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

YES. *rolls around on it*

[secretsolitaire.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is gorgeous and hot.

[emmagrant01.livejournal.com]

Gah, so hot!!

[pern-dragon.livejournal.com]

It boggles my mind that you can't understand how amazing your fic is. It's just... so REAL and LUSH and captures both the heart and the imagination. It's so much more than the sum of its parts, darlin. Own it! ;D *hugs* <3

[shanna-souzou.livejournal.com]

Its funny but I know that personally, I've embraced the dark and kinky fics in this fandom like I never had in other fandom. Its sort of inevitable when you have a character like Sherlock who is so dangerous at naive at the same time, or even a character like John who seems so normal and safe, but really how sane can he be when he's so loyally following someone like Sherlock about?

I saw that art on my dash and almost fell out of my chair. I've developed a bit of a love affair with doublenegativemeansyes' art (I could get lost staring at how they draw sherlock's curls) so to see them do A Cure for Boredom fanart...it almost broke my brain. I wasn't quite sure why it affected me so much but I think you're absolutely right about how powerful that shift in perspective is.

Especially since its the safeword scene. There is such a softness to how they've drawn Sherlock, in his face and his posture. Its powerful in its own way.

[ltco.livejournal.com]

Very, very beautiful. And I totally understand what you mean by the story being John's POV but here we see Sherlock's. You wrote John so well!

I absolutely adore Doublenegativemeansyes' art. So very hot (and some funny).

Can't wait to read Sherlock's POV on that scene! :D

x

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

You are SO deserving and that is freakin' gorgeous!

[chibinecco.livejournal.com]

It makes PERFECT sense. I had the EXACT same reaction to the scene when reading it, and to this image. It's PREFECT and everything still feels... 'vague,' like John knows that's what's happening, so he can picture it, but he can't SEE that's what's happening.

When I came out of that chapter, I was half-startled that I could see. It was SO perfectly well done. I just love that whole story and universe. I've only ever had one other story, "The Cay" by Theodore Taylor, give me the 'ho-crap I can see' reaction; the perspective character is blind. It's REALLY well done. I recommend it if you haven't read it before.

[holyfant.livejournal.com]

It is very amazing, and you are very amazing! <3

[aprilstarchild.livejournal.com]

When I try to think about why people might like your story, I think about why I like that story.....and I think the main thing is that it's so different. John and Sherlock get over themselves and get in bed together a billion times in slash, but yours is the only one I've seen that has them finding out how they feel about each other by having John try everything with other people.

There are stories out there where John fucks other people and Sherlock gets jealous and that's what drives them together finally, but nothing where John has sex with other people so Sherlock can watch and he's in charge of it. It's just a different dynamic from anything else out there.

I mean, in some stories they have sex too fast and in some it just drags on for too long, but in yours the UST between them is burning like the goddamn sun for a good long while before they finally have sex, and it doesn't seem forced one way or the other.

And we get all that yummy UST between John and Sherlock even while there's a shit-ton of hot sex. Where else can you get both at once?

Also, people just like to read stories about sex. Duh. Your story allows us to read about multiple kinds of sex with lots of different people while still maintaining a core pair of characters we know and love. It's just not often that you really get to do that in slash. And it just works.

[akemi42.livejournal.com]

I think that because I was inside John's head for that entire fic, a lot of it didn't read to me as hot or even all that kinky.

I am one kinky bitch and your fic is definitely kinky. :)

You know I am a huge fan of this fic. I think the it has wide appeal for a number of reasons...
-John is written really well
-Sherlock is written really well too...although yes, the reader is in John's head throughout the fic
-There is lots of sex and it is all good
-Sex clubs are something we all wonder about but not many folks explore them in real life, it's fun to do it in fic