Title: Unsettled
Fandom: Sherlock BBC/His Dark Materials
Pairing: John/Sherlock
Genres: AU, Fusion, Sci-Fi, Drama, Angst, Romance, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Long (33,879 words)
Warnings: Past child sexual abuse, torture

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: AxeMeAboutAxinomancy @ AO3

Author's Summary:
Sherlock's dæmon hadn't settled. Once John realised that, so much made sense. Though so much else didn't, because it practically wasn't possible.

Review:
I absolutely love daemon!fic. Seeing what reasons different authors give for their decisions about what daemons characters should have is something I find interesting in and of itself, and daemon-related angst and hurt/comfort pleases me even more. The presence of daemons gives an extra dynamic to any drama, being an obvious physical avatar to look at matters of the psyche and the soul through.

It's HDM canon that intense trauma can cause a daemon settle early, or in this fics case not settle at all. John struggles with his growing feelings for Sherlock as he finds out just how strange the man and his daemon are. As expected, Sherlock's daemon is far from normal, even aside from being unsettled, and the gradual revelation of all their idiosyncracies was a compelling read. I loved all the daemons in this fic, and thought that the authors 'casting' decisions for them were fitting and well-reasoned. The inclusion of a daemon-specific crime to solve adds a new avenue for drama, and is just as tense and horrifying as it should be when we're talking about toying with peoples souls. The romance is gradual as Sherlock's past and with it the reason for his daemons unsettled form are revealed. The author is careful to show that not all wounds can be fully healed, and the ending is all the more heartwarming for its realism.

Unsettled