Fic for blueonblue/pocketbookangel: Grit on the Lens

[holmesticemods]

Title: Grit on the Lens
Recipient: blueonblue
Author: marta_bee
Betas: All honor and praise to lindahoyland and sjames_centre
Characters/Pairings: Mycroft Holmes, Irene Adler, cameo by the Equerry and Anthea
Rating: Teen

Warnings:

1) There is implied sex, violence, moral greyness and general abuse of the criminal justice system in the story ahead. It's the BBC's Irene and Mycroft, after

Comments

[cherrytide]

I love this - what an intriguing idea to put Mycroft in the role of Mysterious Royal Client - the man who had had dealings with Irene and when he realised he could get in trouble for it, was prepared to sell her downriver (but of course, she got there first!). I love that this captures not only an immensely clever and canny Irene but someone with her own set of principles and moral agenda. Like Sherlock, she wanted to slay dragons, but found herself disillusioned and disappointed with the establishment supposed to help her do it. A very thoughtful and well researched canon fix it.

[eanor]

I really enjoyed this alternate canon of BBC!Irene. She stayed very much in character, considering both her appearances in the original stories and the BBC series. It was easy to see why Mycroft would be so fascinated by her - she was even more intriguing than on screen. Also, it was very interesting to get a glimpse into Mycroft's head - to see that he is caring, but just doesn't choose to show it. Now I wonder whether your Irene has also just used Mycroft with the purpose of gaining advantage or whether she actually liked him, too...
I really enjoyed reading this somehow AU character study and especially all the carefully researched little details. :-)

[xfdryad]

Ah, now *this* Irene Adler is a woman I can appreciate!

[sanguinity]

Oh, I am always up for an Irene fix-it, and this was masterfully constructed. I love how you've positioned Mycroft in this story -- he is perfectly cast as the pushy creepy controlling stalkery King of Bohemia -- and I adore that she outplayed him (she beat Mycroft Holmes!) AND that you walked us back out of that stupid Sherlock-saves-her-from-beheading ending. And she is quick and clever and perceptive, and yes, she can use sex appeal as a tool, but that's not her defining tool.

And you even addressed ACD's misogyny in that whole "the woman" business. :-)

It's just, yes. A lovely fix-it. Thank you so much for writing it and sharing it with us.

[blueonblue]

This is great! Clever and intriguing, thank you! You've captured some of the aspects of Irene that I really love from the original ACD story - she's intelligent, her strength is not just based on her sexuality, and she has a life that doesn't revolve around Holmes. Even with Mycroft's limited view, there's still the sense of a life fully lived.

Mycroft's voice is completely in character.
He would publicly scoff at the mere suggestion he felt anything akin to affection for her, never would have admitted any such intrusions into his temperament. That would have been as destructive as grit in a sensitive instrument, as a crack along his microscope's lens.
Perfect description of their relationship, but I do think Mycroft is projecting a bit. :)

Thank you - I really enjoyed reading this.