Things I Like (in the Autumn): Standing Outside the Fire

I really enjoy the vid Standing Outside the Fire by kat-byrd (sc_fossil). In particular, I admire the way that the vid gives its song an additional meaning. Within the vid "the fire" means the pursuit of love, as was the songwriter's original intent, but it also means Bodie and Doyle's fast and dangerous life in CI5. I think it's probable that the Lads do value their job as something that makes them feel alive. Indeed, I've been hoping to make a vid with a similar premise, myself, to balance the angstiness of a lot of my other vids.

MFU Fic Bingo: N is for Nor Heed the Rumble...

G is for The Growing Up Affair, V is for The Vodka Affair

Late last week, I finished Nor Heed the Rumble by utopiantrunks, which elmey brought up when I was seeking recs of long MFU fics back in February. This story begins with Napoleon plagued by recurring dreams and unfolds from there. It is excellent. The plot is suspenseful and based on solid insights into the characters of our two heroes. The action writing is outstandingly vivid, but the emotional scenes are also memorable. Basically, everything about it is good. I'll be checking out more fics by utopiantrunks as soon as I've gotten all my bingo cards finished. 39,187 words. NS/IK slash. Particularly recommended.

I was not feeling well this weekend, so I comforted myself with two familiar fics that I knew I liked, The Growing Up Affair by joolz and The Vodka Affair by paulaH.

I particularly enjoyed The Growing Up Affair this time around. This fic has an original POV character through whose eyes we see the events of the story as well as Napoleon and Illya. Both her observations of them and her own character beats are enjoyable. The story has a lot of heart and just enough action to season it. 9,364 words. NS/IK slash. Particularly recommended.

The Vodka Affair is just fun. Napoleon appears only at the end, so we do miss the interactions between him and Illya, but the story is a wonderful showcase for Illya's character. I love the way it highlights both his pragmatism and his flair for the dramatic. (I'm not certain the events described are actually physically possible, but that never stopped the show's script writers.) 13,178 words. Gen. Particularly recommended.

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