Art Rec: Portraits of Sherlock and Mycroft

[chapbook.livejournal.com]

Title: Two Untitled Portraits of Sherlock and Mycroft
Artist: amisplacedlonelyheartsad
Pairing: Gen
Rating: G
Warnings: none
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: I’m not entirely pleased with how these came out, but I’m tired of fussing with them, so here they are: Sherlock and Mycroft, an attempt at the style of Frederic Dorr Steele. Drawn in Photoshop CC.

Reccer's comments: Two striking portraits, one of Sherlock, one of Mycroft. Sherlock is seated in his chair at 221B, concentrating on someone who is not shown. Attired in a trenchcoat and resting his hands on his trademark umbrella, Mycroft is poised to travel, but where? Are the Holmes brothers facing each other (those similar backgrounds!), or looking at someone else? I leave that to you, o viewer.

I chose this pair of images because of the bold, sure linework and the textures of the rich colors. The contrasting personalities of Sherlock and Mycroft are ably evoked in their postures and facial expressions. Both pieces are wonderful homages to the turn-of-the-century Holmesian illustrator Frederick Dorr Steele (1873-1944).

Fic Rec: Military Intelligence

[nox-candida.livejournal.com]

Title: Military Intelligence (Remix of For Queen and Country by Persiflager)
Author: innie_darling
Pairing: John Watson/Mycroft Holmes, John Watson/Sebastian Moran
Length: 3,152
Rating: Mature
Warnings: NA
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: The only fly in his ointment was that John remained John, though a more closed-off, careful version; Watson lived nowhere but in his imagination.

Reccer's comments: I'm going to admit up front that I'm a sucker for John being a badass and capable. The original fic by Persiflager was right up my alley in that respect, and the remix is just as wonderful but in a different way. The most fascinating (and rewarding) spin on the original is an insight into the fantasy life of Mycroft Holmes. This is one of the main draws of this fic. Mycroft was present for, but not the focus of, the original; here, he takes front stage and what's truly outstanding is how he manages to simultaneously be a stand-in for the audience when it comes to the BAMF!John trope and yet completely write off and underestimate John Watson as a whole. He builds up this imaginary Watson character throughout--something more Jason Bourne than James Bond, but obviously influenced by Mycroft's rampant military kink, possible overexposure to spy novels, and the boredom of his everyday life--which is so obviously a caricature that Mycroft feels comfortable overlooking the real man the fantasy is based on.

The denouement--where John overwhelmingly upends the Holmes brothers expectations of him--is beautifully done, especially when Mycroft is so stunned that he isn't even sure what to call the man--John - no, Watson; no, some unholy hybrid of the two. The fact that the whole episode substantially affects Mycroft's perception of John--and yet Sherlock does not undergo a similar revelation--is yet another wonderful element, feeling entirely in character as both brothers are presented in the fics and in the series.

There are some other, rather wonderful, features of this story: John's awful puns, used to great effect in Persiflager's story, are continued here and are giggle- and groan-inducing in equal measure; the last scene between Moran and Mycroft is just dripping with promise and drops a few nuggets that make me wish there was more fic to explore them, and lastly (but not least) is the constant juxtaposition between John and Watson and how Mycroft has no one to blame but himself for being wrong. Despite his observations of John, and his admission that he finds the man fascinating, he completely misses the mark and it's beautiful to behold. This is an absolutely wonderful, fun, funny fic that fits really well with Persiflager's story and yet explores brand new territory--everything a remix ought to do.