Prosfic Bingo - Lads doing other jobs

[tinturtle]

To fill one of the two last bingo squares, I decided to look for a fic in which the Lads are doing other jobs. For extra fun, I also decided that I would try to find at least one of them doing a job that was as different as possible from that of a CI5 agent, without removing them from their own country and time period.

The story I settled on is Lifelike by JoJo (3065 words, member-locked on AO3). Doyle is the young policeman of his backstory, who attends an evening class in life drawing. You can probably guess Bodie's role.

This fic was pleasant, though I don't think I'll find it especially memorable. I did enjoy Doyle's thoughts on his job and co-workers, and there was a bit at the end that I liked a lot. JoJo labeled this as an AU, but I wouldn't say that there is anything that strongly contradicts canon. (There is a minor conflict with the Lads’ brief exchange about life drawing in Old Dog with New Tricks.)

(While looking for a story to fill the square, I also found Tailor-Made by Helen Raven, a strange and spooky tale in which Bodie does a very different job indeed. Apparently it was Helen Raven's first ever fanfic. I don't think I'd have had the guts to begin with this, but I am not Helen Raven.)

Comments

[jat-sapphire.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't have had Helen Raven's nerve on several occasions. I actually reread the Tailor-Mede sequence, though I find the fan conversation that sje says inspired the stories to be a bit bafgling as I don't think I see the eps in this way. The stories are skillfully written, though. And yes, Bodie is, um, not at all CI5.

[tinturtle]

I find the fan conversation that sje says inspired the stories to be a bit bafgling as I don't think I see the eps in this way

It puzzled me, too. I couldn't think of which episodes might have inspired it, besides Kickback, which was apparently one of them, but which I don't see that way, either.

[jat-sapphire.livejournal.com]

I would love to talk about this more, but spoilers. Maybe we can make a little already-spoiled subgroup at a BistoCon.

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

Thank you for mentioning the Tailor-Made series. You both made me curious and I tried it. I am stunned, in a positive way. This storie is "different" and works in a weird way. It leaves me with my brain still occupied.

[jat-sapphire.livejournal.com]

...works in a weird way... yes, exactly.

[tinturtle]

"Weird" is the perfect word, really. This series is weird in the contemporary sense, the dated sense, and the archaic sense: as in "weird kids" (strange; bizarre), as in "Weird Tales" (suggesting something supernatural; uncanny), and as in "Weird Sisters" (connected with fate).

[jat-sapphire.livejournal.com]

(If you love dictionaries, and if you have ever encountered The Sentinel, I highly recommend the story "Tender" by Resonant, at https://archiveofourown.org/works/112028 )

[tinturtle]

Who doesn't love dictionaries? *g*

Thanks for the rec. I'll check it out later this week, probably.