Reading Room - Theme IV - Older Lads Stories

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Discussion was a bit quiet in the last Themed Reading Room, so I thought we might have a break for a bit - but the next theme on our list (as voted for by you! *g*) was Older Lads Stories.

Can anyone think of stories to add to the list below, and - more importantly - would anyone like to volunteer to rec/review an Older Lads Story one Thursday in June (if you fancy starting tomorrow, it should probably be a very short one!)?

I wonder what we mean by "Older Lads" too - old enough to be retired, from the streets, or from CI5 in general? Then again, there are some "older" CI5 ages quite obviously working the streets (hah! *g*) in the eps, and it's really only our cult of youth that says "younger must be faster, stronger, better and you're no good to anyone after that"... How long could our lads go on, I wonder? Alot of fic has it that they don't expect to live long in CI5 either - again, contrary to evidence from the eps that there are a fair number of older agents still active, and really a relatively low agent body count, considering the number of bullets that fly around, rooves that are scaled and bombs that are defused...

Older Lads Storylist (so far... *g*)
The Acorn Syndrome by Georgina Kirrin
As Perennial as the Grass by Callisto
The Beautiful Year fics by Verlaine
Bodie's Letter by Ellis Ward
The Cards stories by Georginna Kirrin
Careful Cultivation by Bistokidsfan
The Chameleon's Dish by Kitty Fisher
Contretemps by Josey
Devices and Desires by M.Fae Glasgow (second part of Summer's Outing)
Each Day is Valentine's Day by Verlaine
Fire Held High And Far Away by Miriam Heddy
Hold Till the End by PFL
iLads by AngelCI5
Leftovers by HG
A Lovesome Thing by O.Yardley
Old Fears and Temptations by PFL
Old Lions by Verlaine
The Path Not Taken by Meridian
Older Lads and BDSM by Castalia
Quick On The Draw by HG
Rice Pudding Stories by Irene, PFL and Elizabeth O'Shea
Roman Candle by Magenta Blue
The Sentinels by Castalia
Soul Survivor by Lizzie
Still Crazy After All These Years by LilyK
The Story of My Life by PJ
Taking Time by Kitty Fisher
The Tangled Web by Jack Reuben Darcy
Two on a Treasure Island by Slantedlight
Who Caught and Sang the Sun by Slantedlight
With Age Comes a TOG Sticker and When I'm 54 by Lizzie
Zeno's Paradox by Miriam Heddy

What d'you think? Shall we play? *g*

Comments

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Your list omits those two mere trifling ficlets "Who Caught and Sang the Sun" and "Two on a Treasure Island". *vbg*

'Older lads' is not my favourite theme. But v. interesting that you ask what we mean by it - could be just a few years post canon, in their 40s or any time thereafter.

Another fic of which I can't recall the author or title is a short one where B & D are quite elderly but still manage to foil a robbery in their village post office - from the POV of a rather unworldly young woman neighbour. great fun!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - so it does, it must be a while since I've updated that one! *g*

And hmmn - I'll have to think about the PO robbery story, it's kind of niggling in my head (is it recent, maybe?) but...

So - since you don't like "older lads" fic particularly - what do you consider to be "older lads"? And what is it that doesn't appeal...?(*g*)

I must admit, I'm quite surprised that I do like older lads so much, but I think I like them more and more (surely not "as I get older"?!)

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

And what is it that doesn't appeal...? sorry, I didn't mean to ignore your question, but in fact I should probably keep my ramblings for any future discussion. My short answer is that "older", say past 40-45, is too much like real life! Part of the appeal of Pros for me is that they are so very in their prime. I like it that canon Bodie and Doyle are not mere striplings, in fact I'm happier with the actors' real ages (early 30s) than the ages Brian Clemens gave them in the brief 1977 (about 27 and 29). So they've seen and done a lot and gained some wisdom and judgement, which compensates for a slight loss of physical performance compared with themselves 10 years ago.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - I'd been hoping we could have some discussion here, since the next posts will be fic-specific. Ah well, it's not to be... *sighs sadly*

I know what you mean about the lads being so in their prime too - and I totally prefer to think of them as their "real" (MS/LC) ages as well... But I do have a soft spot for older lads, strangely - it doesn't seem at all me, I suspect it's a manifestation of they-must-have-lived-happily-ever-after-if-they've-reached-older-lads-ness... Kind of an automatic happy ending, no matter what else has gone on! *g*

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Another fic of which I can't recall the author or title is a short one where B & D are quite elderly but still manage to foil a robbery in their village post office - from the POV of a rather unworldly young woman neighbour
One of my favorites! "The Acorn Syndrome by Georginna Kirrin. (Sorry, can't find the link right now!)

Acorn Syndrome

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

https://sites.google.com/site/jessinengland/pros

All the stories are very well worth reading.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh well done! I don't remember this one, so I'll take your word for it that it's older lads - and print it out tomorrow for re-reading... Bad memories can be brilliant... *g*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I love that story!

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Oh, and another three to add, if you wish: The Pudding series by Irene, PFL, and Elizabeth O'Shea. "Rice Pudding Again" (Irene; zine only); "The Proof of the Pudding" (PFL-online at The Hatstand), and "Stir the Pudding and Make a Wish (Elizabeth O'Shea, zine only for now, but will be online soon!)

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh, I never think of those stories as "older lads" - which all comes back to how we define "older lads", I guess... No one's biting to give it a go, yet... what d'you reckon? *g*

[msmoat.livejournal.com]

Huh. The Pudding stories take place in about 2000. I'd've thought that meant "older" lads!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Lol - being set in 2000 would no doubt make them "older lads"! I don't remember a particular date the stories were set - though grown up rice-pudding-girl obviously makes them later, and so the lads are clearly older... *g* Clearly time for a re-read... *g*

[hagsrus.livejournal.com]

I did a short bit of fluff When You're Sixty-five

http://archiveofourown.org/works/102317

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, older lads!! *claps hands*

I love established relationships and reading of them still together.

Missed this!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Yeay! Would you care to volunteer to rec a story one Thursday...? *g*

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

*EEEP* ME??
Are you sure??

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Why not, if you'd like to give it a go?! Only if you'd like to, though... *g*

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, only because it´s slow for volunteers...
And without any guarantees!

Can´t decide on a story, would you pick one for me?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

You don't sound at all happy about the idea! Tell you what, we'll have a vote for 3 stories tomorrow, and if you fancy reccing one then you can volunteer in the post after that! *g* And if you don't, that's okay too... *g*

[milomaus.livejournal.com]

I´d love to recc, I´m just totally and utterly afraid of mangling the thing with my germenglish.
I love voting!! *g*

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Your germanglish seems pretty good to me - and so much better than my non-existant engligerman... *g* But mostly - yeay that you'd love to recc! And yeay for voting on a Friday too - voting is always fun... all that tick-y tick-y tick-y... *g*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I love older lads.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I do too... Fancy volunteering to rec? *g*

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

Maybe after the new year! LOL! I'm up to my neck with this big bang but I'm thrilled to be writing a nice, long fic so it's all good.

[siskiou.livejournal.com]

I could do one in the second half of the month, once school is done for the summer.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Excellent - thank you! Looks like we're very slow for volunteers, still - hmmn...

[nypagan.livejournal.com]

I like older lads! I could list a bunch that I have read, but I would have to go find the links, which I can't do since my pc is out of commission and my new laptop doesn't have my favorites list. Yet.

One that I remember and enjoy is "Circles", by Anonymous 1, at the CA. Its B&D twenty years together. There is another, I can't remember title or author, with a visiting nurse who goes to Doyle's home, with Murphy possibly? Doyle is older and has 'forgotten' that Bodie is deceased, and talks to the nurse about their life together.

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I don't think I know Circles, I shall have to go and read that one. The other one we have on the list - The Story of My Life by PJ... *sighs* And thank you, though eep for your pc (and hurrah for a new laptop!)!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I've just read the start of Circles (http://www.thecircuitarchive.com/tca/archive/12/circles.html) - what gives you the impression it's Older Lads?

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I'm just warming up to 'older lad' stories. I love the lists you create. This most recent one shows me I have many new (to me)stories to read. And I loved 'The Story of My Life', even though it made me cry!

I'll volunteer to do a rec!

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent! It took me a while to get into older lads stories too - just like AUs, but there's something so cosy and happy-ever-after about them... *sighs happily*

And yeay for volunteers, thank you! Would you like to volunteer for a particular story, or to see what stories people vote to read and talk about? *g*

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

I'll wait for the vote.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

Actually, if you want a rec for this coming Thursday (16th), I can take on PJ's 'Story of my Life'. I just re-read it and I'm sure I can up with something! Let me know if someone else is on for the 16th?

[byslantedlight.livejournal.com]

I ended up going out today, hence no voting papers yet - and I also suddenly thought that perhaps I should ask volunteers what they fancy reccing, and/or people what they fancy discussing rather than present a list of 5000 stories for voting, so... let me go and do that now.

And I'll put you down for Story of My Life for the 16th - yeay, and thank you!