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ci5hqTitle: With a Dark Lantern
Author: Callisto
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle – pre-slash
Link to story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/215591
In “With a Dark Lantern” Callisto gives us a very real picture of Ray’s recovery following “Discovered in a Graveyard”. He is not a happy lad and Bodie’s patience with him is wearing thin.
Bodie stood at the front door and knew that all was not well in the world. It had finally come down to him not wanting to go in. Plain and simple. He steeled himself and stuck the key in, knowing that nothing in his life was plain and fucking simple anymore. Except, ironically enough, the food they were eating these days, since it was just one more thing about which Doyle did not give a shit.
Callisto’s writing, her descriptions and her perfect understanding and portrayal of Bodie and Doyle make every one of her stories a special treat. The lads here are “canon” – hard men and tough as nails, yet the reader can feel their care for each other, their closeness, their need for each other without their ever having to spell it out. They don’t need to say the words; their feelings are subtly revealed through Callisto’s deft use of expression, banter and action.
My favourite scene in the story – one I found very moving – demonstrates Callisto’s light and clever touch with the lad’s emotions: Angry at Ray, Bodie had left the flat to go out to spend some time with Murphy:
Feeling less like throwing Doyle through a window, Bodie had felt even less like it when he opened the front door on his return, to find his partner sitting at an odd angle in the hallway, one arm in a jacket sleeve and a face pinched with strain.
"What the bloody hell are you doing, Doyle?" The shock of it made his voice angry and sharp as he froze, keys in hand.
Two pain-filled eyes looked up. "Thought I'd catch the milkman, stop you hogging the cream of the milk for once."
Bodie read between the lines of the defiant whisper, and shook his head. He exhaled and crouched down, examining the pale figure before him.
"Pillock." Said with an impossible stretch of a smile, his first in quite a while.
"Says you." Doyle tried to smile back.
Which somehow made all the difference in the world.
A hand reached out and fastened onto Bodie's sleeve. "Felt bad...y'know, thought I'd have a go at making things right. Only..."
"Only you couldn't quite sprint out the door, could you?" … “More hair than sense."
… He gripped Bodie's arm harder and glared at him. "You, y'prat. Was going to the pub to find you."
And that was what always took the rug out from under him. Just when he had himself all set to leave the obnoxious sod to wallow in his own juices, Doyle would do that. Would hit him with something so fierce and intense that Bodie would feel winded. And then calmed. And then sure of his place and importance again. He watched Doyle concentrate, both hands white-knuckled now on Bodie's forearm while he steadied his breathing.
Bodie bit his lip. So fierce, Doyle, in all ways. In declaration, in defeat, in recovery. And in apology, which Bodie knew this was.
As they wound their way through the darkened flat at Doyle's pace, Bodie felt the sideways press of his partner's head onto his, just above the temple. He swallowed, but said nothing. A ferocious sniff then sounded in his ear... And that night something other than scar tissue had softened in the bath water.
Simply beautiful!
And the tie-in to Fall? It’s November 5th and at the Guy Fawkes celebration Bodie finally learns what’s been troubling Doyle. Doyle realises he’s been behaving badly. The resentment and anger give way to understanding and forgiveness and those emotions are neatly tied up in a warm, red scarf. (I’m hoping that will tease you into reading to find out more!)
It’s the characterization of the lads that makes this story so good. The hurt and stroppy Doyle is almost unlikeable, until we realize why he’s being so difficult and then his dark moods and lashing out make sense. The patient and puzzled Bodie is trying to figure out why he’s staying with his less than appreciative partner (and so, honestly, is the reader). Their seemingly harshly teasing exchanges protect the underlying tenderness they would never admit to, and yet the reader can easily see how much they mean to each other. Wonderful, skillful writing.
A terrific story. But I’ve gone on long enough – what did you think of this one?
Author: Callisto
Pairing: Bodie/Doyle – pre-slash
Link to story: http://archiveofourown.org/works/215591
In “With a Dark Lantern” Callisto gives us a very real picture of Ray’s recovery following “Discovered in a Graveyard”. He is not a happy lad and Bodie’s patience with him is wearing thin.
Bodie stood at the front door and knew that all was not well in the world. It had finally come down to him not wanting to go in. Plain and simple. He steeled himself and stuck the key in, knowing that nothing in his life was plain and fucking simple anymore. Except, ironically enough, the food they were eating these days, since it was just one more thing about which Doyle did not give a shit.
Callisto’s writing, her descriptions and her perfect understanding and portrayal of Bodie and Doyle make every one of her stories a special treat. The lads here are “canon” – hard men and tough as nails, yet the reader can feel their care for each other, their closeness, their need for each other without their ever having to spell it out. They don’t need to say the words; their feelings are subtly revealed through Callisto’s deft use of expression, banter and action.
My favourite scene in the story – one I found very moving – demonstrates Callisto’s light and clever touch with the lad’s emotions: Angry at Ray, Bodie had left the flat to go out to spend some time with Murphy:
Feeling less like throwing Doyle through a window, Bodie had felt even less like it when he opened the front door on his return, to find his partner sitting at an odd angle in the hallway, one arm in a jacket sleeve and a face pinched with strain.
"What the bloody hell are you doing, Doyle?" The shock of it made his voice angry and sharp as he froze, keys in hand.
Two pain-filled eyes looked up. "Thought I'd catch the milkman, stop you hogging the cream of the milk for once."
Bodie read between the lines of the defiant whisper, and shook his head. He exhaled and crouched down, examining the pale figure before him.
"Pillock." Said with an impossible stretch of a smile, his first in quite a while.
"Says you." Doyle tried to smile back.
Which somehow made all the difference in the world.
A hand reached out and fastened onto Bodie's sleeve. "Felt bad...y'know, thought I'd have a go at making things right. Only..."
"Only you couldn't quite sprint out the door, could you?" … “More hair than sense."
… He gripped Bodie's arm harder and glared at him. "You, y'prat. Was going to the pub to find you."
And that was what always took the rug out from under him. Just when he had himself all set to leave the obnoxious sod to wallow in his own juices, Doyle would do that. Would hit him with something so fierce and intense that Bodie would feel winded. And then calmed. And then sure of his place and importance again. He watched Doyle concentrate, both hands white-knuckled now on Bodie's forearm while he steadied his breathing.
Bodie bit his lip. So fierce, Doyle, in all ways. In declaration, in defeat, in recovery. And in apology, which Bodie knew this was.
As they wound their way through the darkened flat at Doyle's pace, Bodie felt the sideways press of his partner's head onto his, just above the temple. He swallowed, but said nothing. A ferocious sniff then sounded in his ear... And that night something other than scar tissue had softened in the bath water.
Simply beautiful!
And the tie-in to Fall? It’s November 5th and at the Guy Fawkes celebration Bodie finally learns what’s been troubling Doyle. Doyle realises he’s been behaving badly. The resentment and anger give way to understanding and forgiveness and those emotions are neatly tied up in a warm, red scarf. (I’m hoping that will tease you into reading to find out more!)
It’s the characterization of the lads that makes this story so good. The hurt and stroppy Doyle is almost unlikeable, until we realize why he’s being so difficult and then his dark moods and lashing out make sense. The patient and puzzled Bodie is trying to figure out why he’s staying with his less than appreciative partner (and so, honestly, is the reader). Their seemingly harshly teasing exchanges protect the underlying tenderness they would never admit to, and yet the reader can easily see how much they mean to each other. Wonderful, skillful writing.
A terrific story. But I’ve gone on long enough – what did you think of this one?
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no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 08:54 am (UTC)A great story to begin the Autumn theme - thanks for giving the reminder to go and re-read this treasure.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 07:13 pm (UTC)And you've described it beautifully as well:
"Callisto’s writing, her descriptions and her perfect understanding and portrayal of Bodie and Doyle make every one of her stories a special treat. The lads here are “canon” – hard men and tough as nails, yet the reader can feel their care for each other, their closeness, their need for each other without their ever having to spell it out. They don’t need to say the words; their feelings are subtly revealed through Callisto’s deft use of expression, banter and action."
I just can agree! :-)
Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 07:39 pm (UTC)Thank you.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:19 pm (UTC)The wind gusted, biting its way through the jacket he’d left unzipped. Bodie turned the collar up and hunched into it. His eyes were resolutely on the headstone in front of him as a drop of mist made its way slowly down his nose. Typical. Couldn’t have managed this in spring, could you, sunshine? It was a dark and inappropriate thought, but then as Doyle had loved to tell him, so was he. He let his lips curve at that.
and
This was the only anniversary he did. Not for them the sentimentality of firsts – first kiss, first fuck, first night, first anything really. But he did have a few lasts now. The last breath, sighed into Bodie’s neck as he’d screamed for Ray to hang the fuck on, the last time he’d said I love you and meant it, the last cock inside him as he’d held his breath and tried not to come, and the last time he had ever held a man’s face in his hands, and not seen it for the tears.
Beautiful - sad, but beautiful writing. But that's a whole other story!
Thanks for joining in!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-13 07:43 pm (UTC)Just connected up the Kindle for some downloading!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 08:00 pm (UTC)Two pain-filled eyes looked up. "Thought I'd catch the milkman, stop you hogging the cream of the milk for once."
Bodie read between the lines of the defiant whisper, and shook his head. He exhaled and crouched down, examining the pale figure before him.
I’m not a writer and I can’t explain why those particular lines hit me in the solar plexus, upsetting me in the best possible way but they do. And Bodie ‘crouching down’ to Doyle really gets to me as well. That simple image says so many things without laboring the point. I can just see Bodie, crouching down to Doyle’s level, managing to empathise, connect and understand without running the danger of patronising Doyle - so Bodie and such clever and touching writing. [That scene reminds me slightly of the scene in Takeaway when Bodie accompanies the deceased boy’s sister on the sad journey to collect the boy's meagre belongings. Bodie has very little to say but he’s with her all the way, trying to offer some kind of comfort and support with his strong, silent presence.]
And this quote is another one I remember from the story and I love it for the way it manages to encapsulate how they can be together, squabbling yet always the best of friends:
“What the fuck are you smirking at?”
And there it was, his starter for ten for the evening…
For me, that is so canon because I’ve seen those very same thoughts on Bodie’s face a dozen times.
A great story and choice and thanks for the reminder!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:57 am (UTC)Bodie can be even for strangers - if he allows it.
no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:22 pm (UTC)And "Takeaway" - yes!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 08:22 pm (UTC)Thanks very much for the rec!
no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-08 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-11-09 03:25 pm (UTC)