Stories Where They Think About the Job fics...

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Following the Reading Room theme poll post, and this post over at Safehouse about what people mean by "Pros stories that make you think", that whole category seems to have split off into a few different sub categories, one of which is:

Pros stories about the lads (or other characters) thinking about their job.

Not about the best way for them to escape from a certain situation, or to get from A to B, or how to outwit a particular minister, but what they think about their job, or aspects of it. Fics that are rather like moments of the eps - where Bodie seems to regret what they're doing to Frances Cottingham, or Doyle feels badly that two young political extremists chose to crash their van rather than run over a bystander, perhaps the expressions on their face when they see Cowley shoot a man in the back as he runs away from them... Fics that suggest how the lads (or Cowley, or other characters) might react personally to this sort of situation, to the greyer areas of their job...

And a few of us are sure there are lots of these stories out there, but we're all being sieve-brained and can't think of titles right now, so... we're soliciting help to put together a storylist, please! There's just one so far - what other ones can we think of together?

Pros stories where the lads/characters think about their job
The Count by Slantedlight
Duty by Kindkit
Just for One Day by Mab Browne
Night Before the World Ends by Lezlie Conch
Rough Justiceby Rhianne
Synchronicity by Madelein Lee
Whisper of a Kill by Lois Welling

Comments

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Really interesting all this discussion about stories that make you think and I’m still thinking. And this is another interesting topic which is making me think hard because so many stories seem to have their views on the job tangled up with how they feel about each other, like this example from Halotolerant’s Ghost in the Machine:

This is a job, a bad job. One I should never have taken. It’s worn me out, Bodie. I don’t know what I’m doing or why I’m doing it, and...”
“And?”
“And you’re......you’re too much like a reason not to leave

I think the same could be said for Rhianne’s Rough Justice and your story, The Count.

Perhaps a bit more clearcut is something like Lois Welling's Whisper of a Kill where we learn a bit about Bodie’s views on working for ci5 *before* he meets Doyle and how he manages to convince himself that killing for CI5 is better than killing for someone else. The same goes for Elizabeth Holden’s Destinations (unfortunately not online) where they’re both going through the rigmarole of trying to get into ci5 so their mutual feelings don’t yet come into play.

Anyway, I'll carry on thinking...


Ghost in the Machine:Halotolerant
Rough Justice: Rhianne
The Count:Slantedlight
Whisper of a Kill: Lois Welling
The Night Before the World Ends: Leslie Conch


(http://community.livejournal.com/the_safehouse/509671.html) (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/16/roughjustice.html) (http://hatstandfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=175&chapter=1) (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/12/whisperof.html) (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/5/nightbefore.html)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

so many stories seem to have their views on the job tangled up with how they feel about each other
Yes I was thinking that too - it's not as straightforward as it seems at first... I suppose people were thinking of fic where the focus of the story is on the job itself too, rather than being mentioned in passing, and there are stories where there's quite a balance of the two...

I suppose one of the big Prosfic themes would technically come under this category too - what impact on the job would it have if B/D began an emotional/sexual relationship... and yet I suspect it's not those stories that people were wanting either.

I couldn't remember Ghost in the Machine, so I had to go and read it again - I'm not sure if that's exactly what this list is looking for though, it's more... about the way they turn to each other to deal with the job, rather than about the job itself? It's that crossing place, isn't it, where the one bleeds into the other, but I think it's more weighted on about-the-relationship? Or am I reading it wrongly..?

I'd forgotten about The Count... *g* Definitely thinking about the job, but I suspect they're wanting something plottier... thinking about a job as they go along perhaps - more like Whisper of a Kill, maybe? Hopefully they'll stop by and say whether these fit, for them (I'll keep them in the list anyway... *g*)! And yeay - we've made a start anyway, cheers!

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

Yes I was thinking that too - it's not as straightforward as it seems at first... I suppose people were thinking of fic where the focus of the story is on the job itself too, rather than being mentioned in passing.......I couldn't remember Ghost in the Machine, so I had to go and read it again - I'm not sure if that's exactly what this list is looking for though, it's more... about the way they turn to each other to deal with the job, rather than about the job itself? It's that crossing place, isn't it, where the one bleeds into the other, but I think it's more weighted on about-the-relationship? Or am I reading it wrongly..?

No, I think you're absolutely right and I was just clutching at straws because I couldn't think of any story where there is a better balance between the job and their relationship! In fact I still can't but I'm sure they're out there. I suppose there are examples from non-slash stories?

[ci5mates.livejournal.com]

I can't add too much deep and meaningful discussion here but I'd like to say thanks for the list! I've spent an enjoyable evening reading nearly all of them. I think it is an interesting subject and a difficult one to isolate when most Pros stories include it to some degree.

The only story I couldn't read was Whisper of a Kill, the link didn't work for me for some reason but I am sure I could find it on line anyway. It's now 12.30 am in the bottom half of the world so it's a bit late for tonight anyway :-)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

An evening reading new Prosfic - sounds like bliss to me! Sorry about Whisper of a Kill, mea culpa - I forgot to actually include the link in the code... *headdesk* It's there now. But yeah, it's up at the three main Pros archives (Circuit, Hatstand and ProsLib) so easily findable in general!

Dream well!

[nypagan.livejournal.com]

Jaicen5's "Easy Prey" ? It brings out the darker aspects of their jobs and what one partner is willing to do for the other to make them think about staying. A quote:

“Something is going on in there,” Bodie hissed. “Something is happening to Doyle in there, we have to get him out.”

“We have to work within the law,” Cowley said and checked his watch.

“It’s never stopped you before,” Bodie pointed out with alacrity.

“I’ve managed to clean my own house without anyone else getting involved before,” Cowley snapped back. “But this was planned Bodie. Planned very well indeed."

[mab-browne.livejournal.com]

I'm possibly being presumptuously self-promoting here, but I wrote a snippet of fic that's sort of about the job - although it's also about the relationship as well.

Just For One Day (http://mab-browne.livejournal.com/137190.html) Gen, 531 words.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You're not being presumptuously self-promoting, you're answering the question! And it is a good wee one, and thank you! *g*

[rosie55.livejournal.com]

A story called "synchronicity" by Madelein Lee came up on the Circuit Archive random button and is all about Bodie reflecting on his job, how his actions affect others, quite a thoughtful little fic and a follow on to Hiding to nothing.
I don't remember reading this before, strange that it should have come up today!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

How funny that it appeared on the same day as the question! *g* And thanks for adding it - there do seem to be woefully few fics where the lads actually think about their job... Maybe because it's rarely the focus of the fic, although in the course of dealing with their relationship the lads might think about it...

[paris7am.livejournal.com]

(about ten years too late, but oh well...)

I just finished "Caravans" by Mandragora (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/9/caravans.html), and Doyle has a long think about the job, post Cookie's death.

"Once a King or Queen in Narnia (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/9/caravans.html)" by Zana also comes to mind - Susan's POV, not B or D's - but very deep thought-provoking discussion about CI5 and what they do.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

It's only eight years, not ten... *g* That's what I love abotu lj - people can go back and forwards with it, because the posts are all still there...

Thank you! I've added these. *g*