Re: Like Spinning Plates pt 5/5
anonymous
September 23 2010, 01:28:01 UTC
John's father is stable by the time they get to the hospital, and a doctor takes them aside and tells them that he's going to make a full recovery. John sits at his bedside for hours, and only remembers his promise to the strange kid at the park late that night, when he is in bed, trying to sleep.
He looks for him there every day for three weeks, but never finds him. Harry calls him an idiot, and anyway, if you're going to make up and imaginary name for your imaginary friend you could pick a better one than "Sherlock." Eventually, though, life happens, sneakily and in little bursts, and he forgets.
He doesn't think about him again until almost fifteen years later, when he graduates and reflects on the day he decided he would be a doctor. He spends the whole ceremony trying to remember if the boy actually ever said his name.
This is what does happen
Sherlock doesn't want to go to school, but he will, because Mycroft asks him to. Mycroft isn't sure how much longer that reason will hold.
Mycroft always considered himself to have a precocious understanding of responsibility, but now he knows he was wrong. To feel truly responsible, one has to care, care to a degree that it overrides one's better reasoning. Sherlock is many things to him. Sherlock is unique. Sherlock is an object of curoisity and fascination. Sherlock is disorder, which Mycroft cannot stand, and spontaneity, which he holds at a distance and pretends not to admire. Sherlock is a reflection of difference and isolation and another way (he doesn't say better way, not out loud) of experiencing the world.
Sherlock is also Mycroft's brother, no less so because he chose him, and all that really matters is keeping him safe. So he puts up barriers, and Sherlock is Sherlock, and cannot do anything but push against them.
But for now, Sherlock suffers the tie around his neck, the stiff collar he dislikes and the burgundy vest he regards with faint horror before putting it on. Mycroft shakes his head and does the tie again, himself, down on one knee to fix it in place.
"That knot was appalling."
Sherlock huffs a little, and says kindly, "I try, but ties are very boring."
They regard each other in silence for a while. Then, Sherlock reaches out and grips Mycroft's lapels with small hands.
"Will they... know?"
"Of course not. People look, but they don't see, and they won't see anything but what you want them to. You, on the other hand, will see right through them."
"You saw."
"I'm not 'people'," Mycroft says dismissively, and Sherlock rolls his eyes affectionately. "We're not 'people', little brother, and we wouldn't want to be."
"No," Sherlock agrees, "We wouldn't."
This is what might happen
"But it's the solar system!"
"Oh hell, what does that matter? So we go around the sun. If we went around the moon or... or round and round the garden like a teddy bear it wouldn't make any difference! It's not like I can go back, is it? There's nothing for me there. All that matters to me is the work. Without it my brain rots. So put that in your blog... or better yet, stop inflicting your opinion on- "
"What do you mean, go back? Primary school or outer space, because I've got to say, with you it could be either."
John only taunts lightly, but Sherlock freezes, mouth half-open, then ducks his head, staring at the floor.
"Sherlock?"
"Shut up, John, I'm making a decision."
"Sh-"
Sherlock crosses the room and clamps his hand across John's mouth, and stares into his eyes. The full concentration of Sherlock Holmes is a hell of a thing to bear, and John tries very hard not to blink, or think about how there's more green in Sherlock's eyes than he'd ever thought.
"John," Sherlock says, eventually, lowering his hand. "I have something to tell you. And then we need to go see Mycroft, so he can tell you too. And then you might believe it."
"I'll believe you." John says indignantly, and Sherlock smiles, and begins to explain.
Re: Like Spinning Plates pt 5/5
anonymous
September 25 2010, 04:33:16 UTC
I loved this, anon. I really, really did. And I absolutely loved how you presented it with all the what-if's and not's and your Mycroft was awesome and ooohhh that section with baby Jim was perfect.
Re: Like Spinning Plates pt 5/5travels_in_timeNovember 1 2010, 14:58:39 UTC
Just found this! It is beautiful. I love little alien!Sherlock and Mycroft choosing him as his brother. And the Lestrade part was sad and made me glad it really didn't happen that way. (And the Jim part, of course, but that sort of goes without saying. o_O)
Re: Like Spinning Plates pt 5/5keerawaJune 3 2012, 09:46:25 UTC
That was marvelous! I particularly liked the structure of the what did, and what did-not, and what might someday happen. And Mycroft's fascination with the impossible little boy, his distant kindness, was captivating.
Re: Like Spinning Plates pt 5/5
anonymous
June 3 2012, 13:27:48 UTC
Everything was perfect I especially loved the format - the contrasts. How I wished that you kept writing until John found out... Perhaps you will continue this universe? It seems very interesting...
A very beutiful story in reply to a great prompt! Well done
What an ethereal and whimsical touch this tale has. It certainly conveys that otherworldly point of view for the dark and the light equally. Just beautiful.
John's father is stable by the time they get to the hospital, and a doctor takes them aside and tells them that he's going to make a full recovery. John sits at his bedside for hours, and only remembers his promise to the strange kid at the park late that night, when he is in bed, trying to sleep.
He looks for him there every day for three weeks, but never finds him. Harry calls him an idiot, and anyway, if you're going to make up and imaginary name for your imaginary friend you could pick a better one than "Sherlock." Eventually, though, life happens, sneakily and in little bursts, and he forgets.
He doesn't think about him again until almost fifteen years later, when he graduates and reflects on the day he decided he would be a doctor. He spends the whole ceremony trying to remember if the boy actually ever said his name.
This is what does happen
Sherlock doesn't want to go to school, but he will, because Mycroft asks him to. Mycroft isn't sure how much longer that reason will hold.
Mycroft always considered himself to have a precocious understanding of responsibility, but now he knows he was wrong. To feel truly responsible, one has to care, care to a degree that it overrides one's better reasoning. Sherlock is many things to him. Sherlock is unique. Sherlock is an object of curoisity and fascination. Sherlock is disorder, which Mycroft cannot stand, and spontaneity, which he holds at a distance and pretends not to admire. Sherlock is a reflection of difference and isolation and another way (he doesn't say better way, not out loud) of experiencing the world.
Sherlock is also Mycroft's brother, no less so because he chose him, and all that really matters is keeping him safe. So he puts up barriers, and Sherlock is Sherlock, and cannot do anything but push against them.
But for now, Sherlock suffers the tie around his neck, the stiff collar he dislikes and the burgundy vest he regards with faint horror before putting it on. Mycroft shakes his head and does the tie again, himself, down on one knee to fix it in place.
"That knot was appalling."
Sherlock huffs a little, and says kindly, "I try, but ties are very boring."
They regard each other in silence for a while. Then, Sherlock reaches out and grips Mycroft's lapels with small hands.
"Will they... know?"
"Of course not. People look, but they don't see, and they won't see anything but what you want them to. You, on the other hand, will see right through them."
"You saw."
"I'm not 'people'," Mycroft says dismissively, and Sherlock rolls his eyes affectionately. "We're not 'people', little brother, and we wouldn't want to be."
"No," Sherlock agrees, "We wouldn't."
This is what might happen
"But it's the solar system!"
"Oh hell, what does that matter? So we go around the sun. If we went around the moon or... or round and round the garden like a teddy bear it wouldn't make any difference! It's not like I can go back, is it? There's nothing for me there. All that matters to me is the work. Without it my brain rots. So put that in your blog... or better yet, stop inflicting your opinion on- "
"What do you mean, go back? Primary school or outer space, because I've got to say, with you it could be either."
John only taunts lightly, but Sherlock freezes, mouth half-open, then ducks his head, staring at the floor.
"Sherlock?"
"Shut up, John, I'm making a decision."
"Sh-"
Sherlock crosses the room and clamps his hand across John's mouth, and stares into his eyes. The full concentration of Sherlock Holmes is a hell of a thing to bear, and John tries very hard not to blink, or think about how there's more green in Sherlock's eyes than he'd ever thought.
"John," Sherlock says, eventually, lowering his hand. "I have something to tell you. And then we need to go see Mycroft, so he can tell you too. And then you might believe it."
"I'll believe you." John says indignantly, and Sherlock smiles, and begins to explain.
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:,D
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I especially loved the format - the contrasts.
How I wished that you kept writing until John found out...
Perhaps you will continue this universe? It seems very interesting...
A very beutiful story in reply to a great prompt!
Well done
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Dear authoranon, may I translate it into Russian, so my friends can read it too? Of course with all the credits to you.
Contact me if you see this comment, please.
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