Million-Word Challenge: Y is for You came back, I is for If There Be Vampires and Werewolves...

[tinturtle]

W is for White Knights, B is for Broken




Today I have one longish and three short fics to write about.

The first of the short fics is You came back... by anotherdiana, a fic based on The Phantom of the Opera (the Lloyd Webber musical). Last week, I watched the recording of the show's 25th anniversary production at the Royal Albert Hall. As I often do after encountering a piece of original fiction, I then headed online to see what the fanfic was like.

I learned a couple of things about Phantom fanfic. The first is that a large portion of it concerns Christine reuniting with the Phantom post-canon, one way or another. While I could have predicted that, it's not a narrative choice I find appealing. I think the emotional impact of the play rests on the fact that, despite the intensity of their artistic bond and although, in the end, he proves to be capable of genuinely loving Christine, the Phantom is also too broken for them to be together. Erasing that conflict feels to me as if it weakens the original story. Perhaps there is a fic that would change my mind about that, but I don't know how to find it.

The second thing I learned is that, besides the dominant Phantom/Christine and the secondary Raoul/Christine, there is in Phantom fanfic a tertiary pairing of the Phantom and Raoul. I can sympathize with the desire for a slash pairing; I much prefer homosexual pairings of either type to heterosexual ones, for an array of reasons. This one seems contrived, though. The Phantom and Raoul have no positive interactions in canon and nothing in common aside from their heterosexual love of the same woman. Moreover, the criticism that female characters tend to be boring is fair in the case of the Phantom musical; its use as a justification for a slash ship does not apply, however, since the only character in the work more boring than Christine is Raoul.

All that said, when I sorted the shorter Phantom fics by kudos and found a Phantom/Raoul soulmate marks AU at the top, I thought, "What the hell, if I'm already being tacky enough to read (a) fanfic about (b) the Phantom of the Opera musical, I may as well go for (c) a kitschy AU trope using (d) an unsupported slash pairing." So I did. And it was not good. It played with the soulmate marks AU conventions in some mildly interesting ways, but did nothing to justify the connection of Raoul and the Phantom. That's really all there is to say about it. 1,570 words. Phantom/Raoul slash with het.

(I made a start on several longer Phantom fics, but none that engaged me enough to finish them. My dabbling in this fandom may be at an end.)

I also read If There Be Vampires and Werewolves by Slantedlight (byslantedlight), a Professionals fic. This is the type of story in which a picture of what has happened comes together slowly. In a few places, I found myself a little more confused than I think was intended, but overall that structure was effective. This fic also provided a lot for the reader to think about, even apart from the mystery element. It was meaty. 8,925 words. Bodie/Doyle slash. Particularly recommended.
Comments with spoilers:

One of the most notable things about this fic is its moral grayness. There are (metaphorical) monsters, but there are no angels. I liked the way Bodie and Doyle's deception in hiding their relationship led them to further questionable actions. That isn't a feature frequently seen in Pros fic. I was also intrigued by the contradictory actions of Peter, who helped Bodie and Doyle avoid exposure for the sake of principle but also blew up a crowd of more-or-less innocent students.

It is too short to go on the challenge board, but I also read White Knights by LilyK (sc_fossil), another Professionals fic. It's an older Lads story written for the occasion of last week's coronation. It has some nice interplay between the Lads and is generally cute. 272 words. Bodie/Doyle slash.

Broken by AconitumNapellus (aconitumn) is a Man from U.N.C.L.E. fic in which Illya and Napoleon are trapped in a collapsed building. One of AconitumNapellus's gifts is imparting her characters' states of mind vividly to her readers. This fic showcases that gift to good effect and is an absorbing read. 4,240 words. Napoleon/Illya slash.

Letters I've Satisfied: #, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

Total Points: 857
#: 5 points
1991 by SkyborneVeggies (1 point; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
4 Vignettes With No Kissing & 1 Ex-Yacht by captain_starcat (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
1918 by rabidsamfan (1 point; Sherlock Holmes x Lord Peter Wimsey)
4 People Who Saw and 1 Who Observed by nottoolateforthegame (1 point; Sherlock Holmes)
A: 85 points
*All the Kasha They Could Eat by Jest (7 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
*After the World Went Awry by teaspoonnebula (22 points; Sherlock Holmes)
*The Afterlife of Doctor John H. Watson by flawedamythyst (31 points; Sherlock Holmes)
Adagio by Sebastian (25 points; The Professionals)
B: 23 points
*The Bronze Metal Lover by stew (15 points; The Professionals x The Silver Metal Lover)
Brave Little Rabbit by jj_minerva (2 points; Raffles)
Blind Man's Bluff ? by fiorenza_a (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Broken by AconitumNapellus (4 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
C: 24 points
*Cold War, part of the Dirty Computer series by jat_sapphire (1 point; The Professionals)
A Christian Perspective on Slash Fiction by Marnie (2 points; meta)
The Cost of the Erection: Slash and Gayness by Executrix (2 points; meta)
The Curly-Toed Boots of Justice by McSwain! (1 point; meta)
Coming Home by shadowycat (17 points; Sherlock Holmes)
Can't Answer that Question, Sir by castalia (1 point; The Professionals)
D: 15 points
*Dreamed That Man Was I by Taliesin (14 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Dream a Highway by marginalia (1 point; Pancho and Lefty)
E: 23 points
*The End Where We Begin by Ingu (21 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (movie))
Every Time You Bleed by SummerKnight717 (2 points; Marvel)
F: 33 points
*The 'Fine and Private Place' Affair by Taliesin (32 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
foray by dangerousinlove (1 point; Sharpe series)
G: 45 points
The Gyptian Caravan Affair by Taylor Dancinghands (20 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x His Dark Materials)
*The Gemini Factor by Russ (25 points; The Professionals x Who Dares Wins)
H: 94 points
*The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz (94 points; Sherlock Holmes)
I: 68 points
Island Innocents by Glen Fiddich (54 points; The Professionals)
*If I Should Die Before I Wake... a short A-Team fic by Tessa54 (1 point; The A-Team)
*Into the Light of a Dark Black Night by lomelinde (5 points; The Professionals)
*If There Be Vampires and Werewolves by Slantedlight (8 points; The Professionals)
J: 7 Points
Jungle Book by Sebastian (2 points; The Professionals x Tarzan)
Just a Kiss by Sebastian (5 points; The Professionals)
K: 22 points
The King Must Die by murphybabe (22 points; The Professionals)
L: 30 points
*Lefty Sings the Blues by MirrorMasque (3 points; Pancho and Lefty)
An unnamed fic starting with L (27 points)
M: 26 points
*More Deaths Than One by Taliesin (24 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Monkey Suits With Satin and Lace by Joana Dey (2 points; The Professionals)
N: 19 points
The Not Exactly Affair by dancingpony (2 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
No wonder, no wonder by regshoe (1 point; Willy o Winsbury)
*No Lothario by Francesca (5 points; The Sentinel)
Never Say No Strings by Barbara Thomas (9 points; The Professionals)
New Age Woo by Mab_Browne (2 points; The Sentinel)
O: 18 points
Once and Future by oliviacirce (2 points; Winter Solstice, Camelot Station)
On Track by ML Mead (3 points; The Professionals)
*Ours But to Do by Bardicvoice (7 points; The Professionals)
The Other Tenant by tweedisgood (6 points; Sherlock Holmes)
P: 58 points
*Portman Square by afterism (5 points; Raffles)
Purgatory by PR Zed (1 point; The Professionals)
*Professional Dreamer by Pamela Rose (52 points; The Professionals, inspired by American Dreamer)
Q: 2 points
Quaint by kathkin (2 points; Doctor Who)
R: 19 points
Rift by MonkeyBard (1 point; The A-Team)
*Run, Rabbit, Run by PR Zed (1 point; The Professionals x Blade Runner)
The Rest of the Affair by Daylyn (17 points; Sherlock Holmes)
S: 47 points
*Spiderweb by Cord Smithee (12 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
*The Singing of Many Wires by teaspoonnebula (18 points; Sherlock Holmes)
The Steppes of Central Asia Affair by Taylor Dancinghands (13 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E. x His Dark Materials)
Survived By by Linda Cornett (4 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
T: 18 points
*Time-Crossed Lovers by Jane Carnall and Ann Johnson (2 points; The Professionals)
*These Layers of Charnel Air by Slantedlight (16 points; The Professionasl)
U: 17 points
*Unit I, Series LYA: Press to Activate by Orockthro (3 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Untitled by Russ (2 points; meta)
Under the Jewelled Sky by regshoe (12 points; Raffles)
V: 32 points
Voyages of the CI5 by hutchynstarsk (32 points; The Professionals)
W: 87 points
*Wicked by Cord Smithee (4 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)
Walking Wounded by Linda S. Maclaren (2 points; The Professionals)
Winter Solstice, Camelot Station by John M. Ford (1 point; Arthurian legend)
*Written in the Blood by methylviolet10b (2 points; Sherlock Holmes)
*Written in the Mind by methylviolet10b (17 points; Sherlock Holmes)
Written in the Bone by methylviolet10b (16 points; Sherlock Holmes)
*The Waters and the Wild by Slantedlight (44 points; The Professionals)
What Happened to the Thunder and Lightning Brigade by Slantedlight (1 point; The Professionals x Back to the Future)
X: 6 points
Xander Harris, Greek God by Vacillating (1 point; Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
An unnamed fic starting with X (1 point)
An unnamed fic starting with X (1 point)
An unnamed fic starting with X (3 points)
Y: 22 points
An unnamed fic starting with Y (21 points)
You came back... by anotherdiana (1 point; The Phantom of the Opera (Lloyd Webber musical))
Z: 13 points
The Z-7 Affair by pfrye2 (13 points; The Man from U.N.C.L.E.)

* = Particularly recommended.