Fic Rec: We Wear This Mask
Title: We Wear This Mask (also on AO3)
Author: impishtubist
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 3,700 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: DI Lestrade is assigned to investigate the murder of Mycroft Holmes; Sherlock is outraged.
Reccer's comments: Basically, the summary says it all. And at the same time it tells us very little about just how marvellous this story is. impishtubist always has an excellent grasp of the entire male cast of Sherlock in all of her stories, but here she really outdid herself. This story dealing with the aftermath of Mycroft's murder offers us profound insights into the character, history and emotional inner life of Mycroft, Sherlock, Lestrade and John, as well as some very interesting glimpses of their relationships with each other. Most of all, it thereby contains my favourite portrayal of Sherlock and Lestrade's friendship in a non-romantic setting.
It is also one of the most convincing and moving H/C fics I've read. First it creates a tremendous ache, even though or maybe because for a large part of the story the characters try to dance around the fact of Mycroft's murder and ignore just how badly upset, shocked and bereft they feel, and then when the gravity and tragedy of the situation has finally sunk in it offers us something that is too realistic to be comfort but which manages to be comforting all the same. The way Sherlock and Lestrade try to be there for each other in this unprecedented situation, always realising that it's never going to be quite enough, is incredibly sad and beautiful.
Recommended most heartily for those who like a story that encompasses the full range of interpersonal relations and that is heartbreaking in a very down-to-earth sort of way.
Author: impishtubist
Pairing: Mycroft/Lestrade
Length: 3,700 words
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Character death
Verse: Sherlock BBC
Author's summary: DI Lestrade is assigned to investigate the murder of Mycroft Holmes; Sherlock is outraged.
Reccer's comments: Basically, the summary says it all. And at the same time it tells us very little about just how marvellous this story is. impishtubist always has an excellent grasp of the entire male cast of Sherlock in all of her stories, but here she really outdid herself. This story dealing with the aftermath of Mycroft's murder offers us profound insights into the character, history and emotional inner life of Mycroft, Sherlock, Lestrade and John, as well as some very interesting glimpses of their relationships with each other. Most of all, it thereby contains my favourite portrayal of Sherlock and Lestrade's friendship in a non-romantic setting.
It is also one of the most convincing and moving H/C fics I've read. First it creates a tremendous ache, even though or maybe because for a large part of the story the characters try to dance around the fact of Mycroft's murder and ignore just how badly upset, shocked and bereft they feel, and then when the gravity and tragedy of the situation has finally sunk in it offers us something that is too realistic to be comfort but which manages to be comforting all the same. The way Sherlock and Lestrade try to be there for each other in this unprecedented situation, always realising that it's never going to be quite enough, is incredibly sad and beautiful.
Recommended most heartily for those who like a story that encompasses the full range of interpersonal relations and that is heartbreaking in a very down-to-earth sort of way.