Sub Rosa

[prof_pangaea]

Title: Sub Rosa
Author: Professor Pangaea
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes
Disclaimer: Mr. Holmes and sundry other characters are now in the public domain, but of course I give ultimate credit and thanks for their existence to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Summary: "One of the most attractive things about the flowers is their beautiful reserve. The truly beautiful and noble puts its lover, as it were, at an infinite distance, while it attends him more strongly than ever." -- Henry David Thoreau
























































































































































































Note: The full quote of the text "High and mighty" etc. is from Hamlet, Act IV, scene vii. It is a letter from Hamlet to Claudius, and reads: "High and Mighty,-You shall know I am set naked on your kingdom. To-morrow shall I beg leave to see your kingly eyes; when I shall (first asking your pardon thereunto) recount the occasion of my sudden and more strange return."


EDIT: I want to sincerely thank everyone who has commented, both positively and critically -- I am very pleased at the amount of response that has resulted from this piece. I'm afraid that there were so many comments initially that I wasn't able to reply to each individually, as I usually do, but be assured that I have (and continue to) read and appreciate every single comment.

Comments

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

Oh my gosh. This was incredibly, incredibly cool.

P.S. ILOVEYOUMYCROFTSQUEE

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

mycroft needs love too, yes!

[tracy-rowan.livejournal.com]

Wonderful!

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

thanks!

AWESOMESAUCE!

[literatewench.livejournal.com]

This is fantastic.

Re: AWESOMESAUCE!

[prof-pangaea.livejournal.com]

thank you.

[yan-tan-tether.livejournal.com]

This is really intriguing and fabulous! The different look of all the telegrams is amazing.

[kattahj.livejournal.com]

Very awesome! I love both how very genuine the telegrams feel, and the difference in styles between the brothers.

[alphyna.livejournal.com]

a-we-so-me.
i just love how Holmes's notes are short and purely informative, while Mycroft can't cut the rhetorics. wery well-done, thank you.

[pudupudu.livejournal.com]

I know you did this ages ago but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind posting this to brother_mine (a new LJ community) as it really is quite sublime. I could link to it if you would prefer but I really think it would be great there

[jonesandashes.livejournal.com]

So, so awesome.

[incandescent.livejournal.com]

Wow. This is amazing. I'm so impressed with the technical aspects of this. You've made me love Homes once more.

[venilia.livejournal.com]

These are incredibly awesome, not least for which Mycroft's dry tone.

[kia-kirkland.livejournal.com]

Oh man this made me TINGLE INSIDE.

This is wonderful and you are wonderful and YOU SHOULD FEEL WONDERFUL.

[kkscatnip.livejournal.com]

I found this again after having lost it for *check dates* ...five years.

It's every bit as awesome as I remember!

[kuonji14.livejournal.com]

My goodness. This was amazing and fascinating. Humorous, nerve-wracking, irritating tones in turn. And where on earth did you get the telegram papers? The entire look is absolutely beautiful and authentic. Very glad I got to read this.

(via http://www.liquidfic.net/Holmes_Watson.html)

[leaperrn.livejournal.com]

One of the more powerful moments was when Holmes signed that first telegram of '94 as "SH." So much meaning in so few characters.

Very well done.

[lady-saber.livejournal.com]

Wow! This is amazing!
It was exciting to read.
There is such great detail! :D
The concern and worry that Mycroft has for Holmes really shows through extremely well.
It's quite suspensful in the way that you left that pause before the last few messages.
I really enjoyed reading this, *off to add this to memories*

[golden-orange.livejournal.com]

So much to love about this, but one thing in particular:

Mycroft's verboseness in his telegrams versus Sherlock's curtness. Priceless.

[redcoast.livejournal.com]

Mr. Holmes and sundry other characters are now in the public domain, but of course I give ultimate credit and thanks for their existence to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Actually, in the US, they won't be public domain until 2022.

[(Anonymous)]

Simply amazing. I understand how much time and effort this must have taken, all I can say is thank you. Sir Conan Doyle himself of course wrote it wonderfully, but to see it visually brings a whole new understanding and dimension to it. I am so thrilled to see that you maintained Doyle's spirit, without "hollywood-izing" it.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[crinklysolution.livejournal.com]

Really quite fantastically lovely and well done!

[nejem.livejournal.com]

This. Is. Brilliant! *_____*

[raiining.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. Very well done. Gorgeous!

[beaumontid.livejournal.com]

Должен признать, вебмастер зачетно накропал. (http://zimnyayaobuv.ru/) (http://zimnyaya-obuv.ru/)

[ramendik]

This is GREAT!

There is an unfortunate error. The telegram starting "IT BECOMES WORRYING" is on a form that says, in Cyrillic, "RADIOGRAM". Radio was not invented at the time.

[sylphida.livejournal.com]

There is more. Some of the Russian forms read in Russian "СССР," which is of course USSR. Which did not exist in 1890s. Also, another form reads the issue date as 1940s. :)

But I personally really don't mind! Brilliantly done stop :))

[shadowfireflame.livejournal.com]

This is just so incredible. I’m amazed at how you created these.

Ohhh, Mycroft’s worry. Poor man. His repeated questions and attempts to help and Sherlock’s terse responses…I get the feeling that Mycroft is happiest in his last wire to Sherlock, where he can finally do something for him.

It took me a couple wires to realize that the wires Mycroft is receiving are all nice, while the ones Sherlock is receiving are the ones from exotic lands, all beaten up and mysterious. And even the last one Sherlock gets in London is all mangled. Sherlock, you really can’t take care of your things, can you.

I think my favorite line of all of this was Sherlock’s terse response to Mycroft, “RE: DOCTOR TELL HIM NOTHING, RE: BELONGINGS I DO NOT CARE.” All those queries, and Sherlock only gives a straight answer about John. *cries*

Seriously, I bow down. This is stunning work. Thanks ever so much for sharing it with us.

[browntehu.livejournal.com]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6M_6qOz-yw