Reading room, X - Crossover Stories - The Discovered in a Congo Prison Affair by jj_minerva

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

This is a Professionals/Man from UNCLE crossover. The initial action is in the present (canon-ish) time (1975) with Bodie and Doyle on surveillance duty. As Illya Kuryakin emerges from the house under surveillance Bodie recognises him and so begins the jump between the present and ten years earlier when Bodie first encountered both Illya and Napoleon Solo while he is a young and impressionable mercenary in Africa – at the time in a Congo prison defending his (non-existent) virtue.



Having sprung him from jail, Illya and Napoleon persuade Bodie to carry out a mission on their behalf. With teenage dreams of joining UNCLE as a secret agent (and possibly carrying on his affair with Illya) Bodie is devastated when he is left behind in Africa with only a letter of introduction to, the then unknown, George Cowley and an air ticket and a new pair of shoes both of which he plans to sell.

Back to the present and Bodie is used (in all senses of the word) by Cowley and as a result of this mission, Doyle listens in to Bodie and Illya’s bedroom activities. This then leads to Doyle acknowledging his curiosity about male/male relationships which in turn brings out Bodie’s desire, which has been suppressed until then, and their mutual love blossoms via a relatively circuitous route – the path of true love, of course, never being straight or easy. Having said that, there is an element of speed from a tentative suggestion in Doyle’s mind about homosexual relationships to full blown sodomy which leaves one gasping for breath and slightly unsatisfied (although the boys clearly aren’t – unsatisfied, that is).

There is a degree of brutality in this story, but not, I felt, in a gratuitous way as one has to assume that life as a mercenary is unlikely to be much fun. There is also the question of CI5 agents being required to use sex as a tool of their trade and the morality, or lack of, in this practice. I have found that the more fanfic I read, the more blurred the division between canon and fanon, but there are examples of Cowley exploiting his agents (Operation Susie and Backtrack probably being the obvious ones) even though on occasion they fight back (Slush Fund, The Ojuka Situation are two examples).

My memory of The Man from UNCLE TV series is hazy (it was thirty years ago!) and would never have included anything remotely homosexual. However, I can see the attraction both between the two main characters – even if it is one-sided on this occasion – with the same degree as that developed – through fandom - between Bodie and Doyle.

I really liked this story as a good, long read, beautifully written. It provides a plausible history for Bodie (and through that an insight into the development of his character), a good rhythm between the two time zones which was for me perfectly distinguishable and hints of Doyle’s jealousy and morality. Needless to say, a happy ending!

Comments

[constant-muse.livejournal.com]

Thanks for a great review. I did find this a successful cross-over.

Like you my memory of Man from UNCLE is a bit hazy. It appeals to me now for its cool 60s styling, and that's the abiding image I have from this fic. Solo and Kuryakin are stylish and sophisticated - so much so that they turn young Bodie's head.

jj_minerva is an extremely accomplished writer. iirc she had Bodie being required to use sex as a tool of their trades in another fic. Sometimes she makes the lads tend to wallow in misery a bit too much for my taste, but that's not the case here, this fic moves along at a brisk and exciting pace - like the canon from both shows.

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Thank you for taking the time to comment - and glad you liked this crossover. I've read it more than once and really enjoyed it.

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

I recced it in crack_van some time ago.

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

I followed the link to your recc in the crack van. I couldn't decide from your comments whether or not you enjoyed the story .. even though it's two of your favourite fandoms. Hopefully you did.

[franciskerst.livejournal.com]

I had mixed feelings, but I don't remember why.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

I have been so lax in getting to the reading room recently - although I think I have read all the stories - and I apologise to the people who have been introducing things so assiduously. I shall go back and comment, I promise. Erm. I hope.

But anyway, I made it here. And this is one crossover I really do enjoy. I went back to it after reading a couple of other of the author's stories, although I have only the vaguest memories of Man from UNCLE. All I remember is "sixties, stylish" and add "gadgets" and "Napoleon's supposed to be the urbane one" into it (I think I may be confusing him with Steed in the Avengers). Light-hearted. Campy, even.

And in fact, it's all using people and betrayal and the ends justifying the means (or not - not sure Bodie would agree there...) Bodie is utterly shafted all through this one really: Krivas kills his girlfriend, he's in jail for it, Napoloen and Illya mislead him totally about what he'll have to do and what they actually want (he even double-checks that what they want is the papers - Napoleon and Illya exchanged looks. "Yes," Napoleon answered. - the liars) - and even Cowley uses what he knows "Perhaps ask him back to your flat to talk over old times" and is willing to hazard Bodie.

I do like this earlier Bodie: out of his depth, vulnerable, determinedly trying to sound in control and still able to dream and to look at people and think "I want to be that, I want to do that". And there's some nice parallels of how Napoloen and Illya were once the talk of the MI5 corridors, and I can't be the only one to think "Oh, so like Bodie and Doyle now..." - and earlier Bodie is musing on Napoleon and his good looks, smooth talk and smart clothes Hmm...

I like the structure, the sixties and seventies parts progressing in turn. As you say, there was a rhythm to it. I am in awe of people who can do that, and make it so that it all works when you read it the first time. I'm particularly impressed that jj_minerva managed to come up with a timeline and plausible events that fit Pros backstory without too much tinkering, and found a genuine situation which Bodie might have ended up near - I presume it fitted Man From UNCLE, too. I certainly had no idea where "based on real" events merged into Man From UNCLE plotlines. And oh dear, back to the shallow end for a minute, I like the sex :)

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

I totally agree! To the 'using people', to 'the vulnerable Bodie' and to the structure of the story.
But I never would have found these words to say it. :-)

"And in fact, it's all using people and betrayal and the ends justifying the means..."
Though tough agents themselves, Bodie and Doyle are the only innocent ones in this story. Cowley even calls Doyle Bodie's knight.
I think this is very cynical! Because he can't really care for Bodie, otherwise he wouldn't allow Illya to hurt Bodie for real. No, he aimed for the place that would cause the least amount of damage, the shoulder. Bullet went right through, I’m told. A nice clean wound. He gambled that you’d attend to Bodie rather than follow him.”
That's weird! He gambles with Bodie's life. How can anybody be sure that a bullet wound would be harmless???

Yes, a very vulnerable Bodie, but very believable. And a Doyle who recognises it. A good story!

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

I do have a soft spot for Bodie (if I had to choose it would be Bodie first!) and I do feel for him in this story.

I am in awe of people who can do that, - I am in awe of anyone who can write!! There have been comments on other "flash back" based stories which have left the reader somewhat floundering and there is clearly an art to this, beautifully illustrated by jj_minerva.

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

I too love Bodie in this story and it seems to fit so well with how his character would have developed. The fundamentally hard and often (I guess) brutal life he led even for a relatively short time, would have coloured his judgement and outlook on life very much. I can totally picture him defending his honour with bravado, but inside quaking like the scared teenager he was.

Shallow end .... I didn't dislike the sex (and I don't have a fundamental issue with either homosexual sex or Bodie and Doyle sex), but I did feel that Doyle's move from what appeared to be merely a theoretical interest to full consensual intercourse a little rapid. Perhaps it was because I wanted the story to last longer?

Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful comment.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Your comment appears in the right place for me, but LJ can be very weird about its replacement of replies. I have seen it move mine about to suit its own ends. So I'm replying to this one, and you should be able to delete your other one with the same text if you want.

I can totally picture him defending his honour with bravado, but inside quaking like the scared teenager he was.
Yes, that's it exactly!

I did feel that Doyle's move from what appeared to be merely a theoretical interest to full consensual intercourse a little rapid.
Well, you could look at it as perhaps reflecting some ignorance on Doyle's part? He isn't really sure of the full range of what men do in bed, but there's one thing that everyone "knows" about two men together. I put "knows" in quotes because that's part of the point: it can be wrong. But he's not in a position to know from experience, so he assumes that everything leads up to that. And so if he's been wondering about "it" - that is, sex - that itself is the specific thing he's been wondering about and expects to happen. I am sure I have read something in Pros which looks at this, in which one of the characters pretty much says, "If we don't do that, it's just messing about, that is what it's really all about. Get on with it". I can't remember which character and I certainly can't remember the story, but the character is a bit messed up and there is a lot of bravado involved.

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Your interpretation is very valid and I think a good one. Everyone assumes that full intercourse is the be all and end all - perhaps a bit like a heterosexual relationship in fact - when we all know (but perhaps haven't acknowledged) that there are lots of other things to do which show love and commitment and can be just as satisfying.

Thank you!

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Apologies, I thought I had replied to your comment direct, but my reply appears out of order. Sorry, still finding my way around LJ/CI5HQ etc, etc!

I too love Bodie in this story and it seems to fit so well with how his character would have developed. The fundamentally hard and often (I guess) brutal life he led even for a relatively short time, would have coloured his judgement and outlook on life very much. I can totally picture him defending his honour with bravado, but inside quaking like the scared teenager he was.

Shallow end .... I didn't dislike the sex (and I don't have a fundamental issue with either homosexual sex or Bodie and Doyle sex), but I did feel that Doyle's move from what appeared to be merely a theoretical interest to full consensual intercourse a little rapid. Perhaps it was because I wanted the story to last longer?

Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful comment.

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, this isn't one of my favorite Pros/UNCLE crossovers, probably because the focus is off, almost more Bodie/Illya than Bodie/Doyle and no Napoleon/Illya. Being in both fandoms, I prefer that both sets of men end up together. :-)

It is a good read, in that it has an intriguing plot and the characters, mostly, ring true, but, still, not a favorite.

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Yes, you are quite right, the pairings are mixed, but I felt that added to the enjoyment of the crossover. I haven't read any MFU fanfic and so cannot comment on that and as I said, my memories of the TV series are hazy at best. Possibly because of my ignorance, I was able to read and enjoy without any expectations, at least for Illya and Napoleon.

Thank you for commenting.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Yes, Bodie really is badly used in this story!
And I think there is a big contrast beween Bodie and Doyle and the very cold(!) UNCLE agents!
Am I wrong, or are they more like the 'machine killers', agents in the real world are supposed to be...?
Is there one 'good' fandom and one 'bad'? And could Bodie and Doyle do the same under similar circumstances?

So there is much to gnaw on in this story.
I like it very much, and I've read it quite often.

I like all of the author's Pros stories, even if the AIDS stories surely are no light food.
And it's a pity that obviously JJ_Minerva isn't writing Pros anymore/at the moment.

Thank you for this rec!

Oh... despite all it's qualities, there is one 'silly' sentence that first comes to my mind when I think about this story:

"...hair everywhere"

*g*
I think this is the perfect description of Doyle when he is worried! :-)

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Am I wrong, or are they more like the 'machine killers', agents in the real world are supposed to be...?
mmm ... an interesting comment - I wonder. Without having done much research and only using my own knowledge of books, TV series, etc, I think there is always a "soft" side to all these types of characters. Even James Bond has been known to be emotional at times!

I'm not sure what you mean with one good and one bad fandom - do you mean that in a crossover story, one side has to be the bad part (MFU) and the other the good (Pros)? I'm not even sure if that is the case here .... Bodie certainly didn't come out well in either time zone - although he does get Doyle in the end.

This may well start a whole new discussion!

Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"I think there is always a "soft" side to all these types of characters."
Well I wouldn't love Bodie and Doyle without that "soft" side! That much is for sure. ;-)

So in this story I can't find much that speaks for Illya and Napoleon that goes further than their good looking and their skillfulness. Maybe because we never learn much about their thoughts and motivation?
'Good' and 'bad' fandom was surely the wrong description. Maybe 'favoured' and 'not so important' for the author and the readers? ;-)

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Actually, I think you can extrapolate a little.

We see a younger Bodie with ambitions for his future, and little lines like the one about Napoleon's sharp suits and suave manners chime with us because we know Bodie and the Bodie of our time (ie, Pros time) also has his smart clothes and smooth manners. So we can see both where he came from and him as he is now.

And so, if Napoleon and Illya are hard-edged when Bodie met them - as hard as the Bodie of canon and particularly fanon - we can wonder... what were they like when they were younger? What made Illya so worldly-wise with Bodie, ready to use him and yet still to consider Bodie's likely future and to write a letter to Cowley?

Admittedly, I personally would much rather contemplate Bodie and Doyle, but certainly I have room left to wonder about the others. You know, when Bodie and Doyle are off somewhere. Being... busy.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

Good point with Illya and Napoleon as Bodie's paragons.

And I would agree with your preferences! ;-)

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Or perhaps this is just what we, who are Professionals fans, actually want from a crossover. The two worlds mingled, but with our boys playing the major parts? I've read some crossovers which I have not enjoyed (rather than disliked) simply because there has not been enough B&D. I'm very much a mono-fandom and could not contemplate exploring any other (in fact it's not that long ago that I even discovered The Professionals fandom, never mind all the others!) so for me a crossover has to be chiefly Bodie and Doyle with the second fandom playing a supporting role.

As a consequence, we are unlikely to have the same level of back story, character references or exploration of the "other" characters and I did not feel that was a noticeable gap.

Thank you for your comment.

[firlefanzine.livejournal.com]

"Or perhaps this is just what we, who are Professionals fans, actually want from a crossover. The two worlds mingled, but with our boys playing the major parts?"
Exactly!
Don't laugh, but since 2007 I don't read anything else as Pros...
And really the only thing I miss in the stories, are good minor characters.
Crossovers can fill this need. But 'the others' should remain 'minor characters'! ;-)

[anna060957.livejournal.com]

Hee, hee! Firstly, I would never laugh and secondly, I'm a late developer too!! :))

I've a stack of books by my bed, but the Kindle just seems to jump into my hand every night!