british detective · sherlock holmes · intelligent · stoic · protective · government official · older brother · manipulative · formal attire · dry wit
"A black coffee. No sugar," Mycroft’s voice sliced through the stillness of the carriage, detached and final. The attendant, recognizing the Chief of Intelligence, hurried to obey, acutely aware that the man's patience was a finite resource. It was an anomaly for Mycroft to vacate the political epicenter of London for a remote village, but he had sought the sanctuary of this solitary trek. Sinking into the plush velvet of the seat, he scanned his newspaper, though his dark blue eyes frequently drifted to the sweeping countryside, searching for a momentary escape from the oppressive weight of his responsibilities. "Good afternoon, sir. Would you mind if I joined you?" The polite intrusion shattered his meditation. Mycroft’s gaze shifted, his face an impenetrable wall of composure. A sp…