Reading Room: Neon Nights

[tinturtle]

Welcome to the Reading Room discussion of Neon Nights by Elessar. Below are a summary of the story and some questions to get things started.

Summary
Doyle has been arrested for taking a bribe as part of an operation Susie assigned him by Cowley. He has been denied bail and has been waiting in jail for his trial, at which he will certainly be convicted, as Cowley is not going to speak up for him.

The opening paragraphs of the story find Bodie waiting at night along the route of a police car that is transporting Doyle. Bodie has put in motion a complex plan to rescue Doyle that culminates when he stops the car using caltrops and incapacitates its occupants (including Doyle) with knockout gas. He then loads an unconscious Doyle into a car and heads for an airfield where a small plane is waiting for them. At this point, Bodie does not know whether Doyle will be willing to flee with him or will insist on staying to stand trial. He intends to run even if Doyle does not accompany him, though, since he has broken the law by rescuing Doyle.

When Doyle wakes up, he decides he will go with Bodie into hiding. They hug and Bodie remembers the first time they had sex: in the wake of Keller's betrayal, after Bodie had exhausted himself hitting a punching bag but still couldn't settle. After that they continued to have sex periodically when they needed to relieve stress. It's mentioned later in the story, though, that after the last time, Doyle had declared they shouldn't any more.

Bodie flies the small plane to France. On the way, he explains to Doyle that he has an old mercenary comrade who is now head of a local office of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in western Canada. Bodie has arranged for them to go to work there under new identities. When they arrive in France, they meet another old comrade of Bodie's who takes them to a seedy motel. There Bodie cuts Doyle's hair and they take photos for their forged passports. (Bodie has already bleached and dyed his own hair.)

While waiting for the forger to do his work, Bodie and Doyle remain in the motel room. Doyle begins to feel overwhelmed by his situation, and he and Bodie hug again. This leads to amorous touches, and they discuss the fact that Doyle had called for an end to their sexual relationship. It turns out that Doyle did this because he wanted exclusivity but didn't feel he could ask for it. Bodie feels the same, and they agree to be an exclusive couple. Then they have sex.

Later, they board a plane for Canada. In the epilogue, Cowley discusses Bodie and Doyle's disappearance with Susan Fisher. He discourages her from working very hard to find them.

Questions
How did you like this story? What did you find notable about it? Did the structure, with its multiple flashbacks, work for you? Would you have liked more details of Bodie's plan? Fewer? Do you think Doyle would agree to run away with Bodie? If their positions were reversed, would Doyle try to break Bodie out of jail? Would he succeed without Bodie's contacts? What about Cowley? Do you think he was in character? At the beginning? At the end? How do you think the Lads will fare in their new lives in Canada?

Comments

[tinturtle]

I liked this story. I enjoyed reading all the details of Bodie's escape plan and was impressed by how thoroughly Elessar had thought it through. There were a couple of places where I would have liked more information, but I think the level of detail was about right overall. I also liked the dynamic between the Lads. There was a good balance of care and snark, I think. And of course, there was the big act of devotion of Bodie giving up his whole life to rescue Doyle. (Happy sigh.)

I'm really not sure whether Doyle would break Bodie out of jail if their positions were reversed. Exactly what the heroes of my fandoms would be willing to do for each other, and whether the answers go both ways, is a question that always interests me. As I said, though, I'm not sure in this case. I think Doyle is more of a respecter of laws than Bodie is. On the other hand, he does have his vague, less law abiding past to show that he doesn't have to be that way. I will be interested to read others' opinions.

I buy Cowley's behavior at both the beginning and the end. He is willing to sacrifice his operatives in pursuit of his goals, but outside of that he has their best interests at heart. He would not feel the need to find Bodie and Doyle once they had become irrelevant to his plans.

I think Bodie and Doyle might find life in the RCMP in a small Canadian city a bit dull after being in CI5. They can take up some exiting wilderness sports, though. And maybe by and by they can appear in some Due South crossovers. :)

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

I read the story last weekend and really enjoyed it. Elessar is a great writer.

The different moments in Bodie's life, told in that way with neon signs emphasised, took me deeper in the story, I think.

...plan and was impressed by how thoroughly Elessar had thought it through
Me too.

I'm really not sure whether Doyle would break Bodie out of jail if their positions were reversed.
I am pretty sure Doyle would do the same to get his partner safe. Bodie would have done nothing illegal, so Doyle would.

I think Bodie and Doyle might find life in the RCMP in a small Canadian city a bit dull after being in CI5.
I am not happy with this ending. It feels like the end of Pros.

And they lived happily until the end of their last day......

Thank you for this reading room. I wouldn't have read a second time. Got problems when I've read it the first time.

[tinturtle]

Do you think Doyle would rescue Bodie from jail if Bodie actually had done something illegal (without orders from Cowley)? Would Bodie rescue Doyle in that case?

I'd say yes to the latter. As long as Bodie thought whatever Doyle had done was justified, I don't think it would matter to him whether it was legal or not. I am not sure about the other. It could be an interesting subject for a fic.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

I like the story. Flashbacks don't bother me when a writer clearly defines them, and this story did for me. I'm glad Bodie got Doyle out. I don't like the idea of Doyle going to prison even if he feels he's doing the right thing. I'm so glad he went with Bodie, and I liked that Bodie loved him enough to do this. His plan was a good one and it worked. I'm a bit surprised they picked Canada, which isn't far enough for me. They should have run to New Zealand or Australia! LOL! But we know Cowley isn't looking for them so it's fine. I like Elessar's writing over all anyway and I was happy with the story.

Thanks for doing this!

[tinturtle]

Would more distance have made them harder to find? I don't feel like it would now, when the world is so interconnected, but perhaps it would have in the 80s.

Bodie says he did consider a sheep ranch in New Zealand, but thought Doyle would prefer to stay in law enforcement. I admit I'd rather read the sequel where they join the RCMP than the one where they become sheep ranchers.

[merentha13.livejournal.com]

This story has everything I love in a Pro’s fic – action, a believable case-like plot, hurt comfort, partner worry and great banter. The characters were true to what we see in the episodes.
I like stories with flashbacks. These were well placed and were relevant to the story.
Bodie would definitely do everything in his power to keep Doyle safe. I thought he planned the rescue and their escape to Canada very well. I think enough information was provided.
Given the circumstances – jail or escape – Doyle would agree to go with Bodie. If positions were reversed, ‘my’ Doyle would do the same for Bodie. (But I’ve been told that the Doyle I write is a bit softer than the one we see on screen! ) I’ll be curious to see other’s thoughts on Doyle saving Bodie. Doyle probably has contacts too. The plan would definitely be different, but I think Doyle would manage as well as Bodie did.
As we’ve seen in the episodes, Cowley is a hard man and dedicated solely to saving Queen and Country. The author did capture that. This story initially made him very unlikeable. But we learned of his actions from a very biased Bodie. In the end, he did let them go. He does show (us, not the lads!) a soft-spot for them in some episodes.
I have real trouble seeing them as ‘Mounties.’ Maybe because I keep seeing the old cartoon character ‘Dudley-do-Right’ ( from Rocky and Bullwinkle – showing my age here!). Doyle would probably be ok with being a law officer – but Bodie doesn’t hide his feelings about policeman. I don’t think he’d last long.
Thanks for the recce of this story – it was fun to go back to it. And thanks for hosting! :-)

[tinturtle]

I don't think that whether a version of Doyle would rescue Bodie is a matter of softness, really. There's a fic in which, in revenge for someone hurting Bodie, Doyle intentionally paralyzes them by breaking their spine with his bare hands. (I know the title of that fic. I'm just omitting it here to avoid spoilers.) That Doyle is not soft, but would definitely try to rescue Bodie from jail.

I think the most important variable is how committed a version of Doyle is to following the law. (Obviously spine-breaker Doyle is not.) How much Doyle cares about Bodie in any particular fic would also play a role, I suppose. There are some stories where Bodie loves Doyle, but Doyle does not love Bodie.

You make a good point about Bodie not wanting to be a cop, when that is what he would be as a Mountie. I wonder what he and Doyle would do next if they decided that life was not for them.

[jinkyo.livejournal.com]

Errr — could you drop that title via email/DM. I'd very much read that Doyle!

[jinkyo.livejournal.com]

I love the idea of Doyle rescuing Bodie! I think he might be slower off the start because Doyle might try to exhaust all of the "legal" means first. He'd try to work within the system. I do think, that while he's holding out for Cowley to do the honorable thing, Doyle might start planning in small ways. I think about the episode, Fugitive. Doyle played within the system up until he had a clear opportunity to save Bodie. He didn't go off half-cocked on his own rescue plan. (Bodie goes off on rescue plans much more often in the show).

Still, at some point, Cowley would prove false and Ray would know it was time to act; he'd start calling in favors.

Rocky and Bullwinkle form the bulk of my Mounties knowledge too. Yes, I've seen a few eps of DueSouth. No, I still don't know how the Mounties work, lol! I wish I knew more about Mounties. What kind of policing work does that force do? For me, that part of the story really morphed into — they're going to Canada to live in a snowy cabin in the woods and ride horses — and I was okay with that skewed reading. The happiest of endings!

Thinking about your comment though, I can't imagine there are lots of international terrorists or Cold War spies on the Great Plains. They might get bored. They might get homesick. They might fall prey to modern prairie madness.

[tinturtle]

The Mounties are the Canadian national police, so some of the stuff they do is like the FBI: counter-terrorism and combating organized crime. They also provide local policing in many places, though, where they deal with more run-of-the-mill crimes. The story doesn't make clear which end of that spectrum B and D would be operating on in the small western city. It does seem more likely to be the everyday stuff, though.

(Also, even though they are still called "mounted police" they don't usually ride horses anymore. I'm not sure about in the 80s.)

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

Doyle would probably be ok with being a law officer – but Bodie doesn’t hide his feelings about policeman. I don’t think he’d last long.

That's an interesting point.

He had already changed, thanks to Doyle :-), I think, and he would do everything to make him happy. But I don't know much about Mounties, maybe after some time they would go back to start their own security company in a big town like Vancouver.

Anyway, I am struggeling with endings like that so far away — feels like the end of Pros :(

And they lived happily until the end of their last day...... not that I wouldn't wish them well :-)

[tinturtle]

Starting their own security company is a good idea for what they could do if they got bored in the RCMP.

[jinkyo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for hosting this! Neon Lights is a new read for me. I just went back to check and see that it is only tagged Bodie/Doyle, so there's I good chance I'd never have found this save a rec list or reading assignment!

I enjoyed the read. I'll use the prompt questions to guide my writeup and see where it goes from there.

How did you like this story? I liked it. As a fan of Lads burning the world for each other, Cowley triple-think, and the procedural aspects of CI5, this hit lots of my buttons.

Did the structure, with its multiple flashbacks, work for you? The flashbacks were clear enough and added to Bodie's backstory and motivation. I found the first flashback — Bodie's instincts telling him that Amsterdam was the end of his merc career — that scene was gorgeously realized and my favorite of the story. Walking away from the brothel/breaking Doyle out of gaol, Bodie's instincts have saved his life many times

Would you have liked more details of Bodie's plan? Fewer? The detail became overwhelming at some point and I started to skim. Hear me out: I greatly enjoyed all the details of Bodie's plan slowly falling into place. The story starts with a mystery for me — why is Bodie staking out this pub? Bit by bit the details of the plan are revealed and this is a great plan! Everything from the breakout to arriving at the airfield was an exhilarating read. The plan (the plans through the entire story, to be fair) illustrates Bodie's strategic mind.

Where things started to bog down a tiny bit for me was the plane ride to France. Instead of the details fleshing out the story, for me, the details started to overwhelm and revealed, for me, a touch too much of the 'writer did research' hand. Bodie telling Doyle all of the details of how he engineered Doyle's capture, how they'd create a life in Canada, it was a lot of exposition and it pulled me out of the story a bit.

Do you think Doyle would agree to run away with Bodie? — For this story, yes. Earlier in the story, I had confidence that Cowley had a plan. As more details were revealed, it was clear that Cowley did not have a plan to spare Doyle from prison. From the story, I felt Doyle understood that too so running was highly logical.

If their positions were reversed, would Doyle try to break Bodie out of jail? Would he succeed without Bodie's contacts? — My initial thought is, yes! I thought about this for a bit because sometimes Doyle wallows. I think Bodie was putting together a plan as soon as Ray got locked up. Doyle may have dithered around with Cowley, rules, and regulations first before he started planning his Bodie heist. The fact that Bodie had such an international cast of contacts was a definite help. Doyle's contact might be more city-based so his plan might not get them very far (A ferry across the channel, a hideout in the country, for example). The two of them might improvise or call on Bodie's contacts to finish out a Doyle-led escape.

What about Cowley? Do you think he was in character? Cowley let me down in this story. I understand *why* he used Doyle, I'm not mad at him from a holistic stance. Cowley is going to root out corruption using whatever tools he has at his disposal. Our bosses are not our friends. A saving grace for the man was, as Bodie recounted how he spent his time while Ray was locked up, I could infer that Cowley was giving Bodie access to whatever Bodie might need to do whatever Bodie might do. Cowley had to know Bodie would act. Turning a blind eye gave Bodie room to maneuver.

[tinturtle]

Hello. Sorry I took a while to reply to this.

I also liked the flashback to Bodie abandoning his merc life that night in Amsterdam. I enjoy reading different authors' versions of why Bodie came back to England. That's an advantage of a show that leaves a lot of blanks.

I can see how the exposition of Bodie's plan during the plane ride could feel explain-y. I'm not sure what I'd have done about that, if I were the author. How about you?

I agree with you that, if Doyle did decide to spring Bodie from jail, he would probably take longer to decide. It could be fun to write a mirror of this story in which Doyle rescues Bodie. I can remember reading three stories (including this one) in which Bodie rescues Doyle from jail, but none where the reverse happens.

[jinkyo.livejournal.com]

This is a weekend-long party, and if *my* LJ reading habits are any indication, a reading room party that will go on for as long as this comm and post are visible for reading!

Thanks to those blanks, Pros is a dream source canon for writers and readers alike! The breakout-to-Canada plan is audacious, but believable in this world. Bodie's network of connections all read as credible — he would know these people (even if they never appeared in an episode of the show).

The story needed all of the detail, even if it overwhelmed my reading at some points. I think every writer has their own solution for doling out the necessary info. I've been picking away at a Pros / Callen shared universe fic for the past year now so it's very likely that I'm just more attuned to the detail-weaving at the moment.

I would absolutely read that mirror story! merentha13's comment planted the idea and it is intriguing.

[tinturtle]

Ooh. I will be interested to read your Pros x Callen fic. I've never seen the latter show, but I would watch some in preparation.

[jinkyo.livejournal.com]

Replying here to your comment elsewhere in the thread about the flashbacks being off-putting.

I did speed-read through the gym flashback. Structurally, I knew that flashback was designed to support many of the revelations that would come later: Bodie's abandonment and betrayal issues, the start of the physical relationship between B/D, etc.

Because I don't care or connect to Keller and never saw the chemistry between him and Bodie — not the comrades in arms, let alone in bed type chemistry — that didn't quite hit for me. Same with the sex scene. This was a loyalty fic, in my reading. I understand why the intimacy scenes are there, but I could have done without them, as I understood the story.

Bodie punching his fists swollen and Doyle being there as support was gorgeous and was the message that resonated most for me from that scene.

[tinturtle]

There are some slash fics that I feel really want to be gen. (There are also some gen fics that I feel want to be slash.) This isn’t quite one of those, but I agree it would work as well as a gen fic.

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

I think i recall reading this once before, i can't say i was gripped by the story but i did enjoy the re-read. I can only mirror what other's have said.

I think Bodie would have broke Doyle out of jail because he had already made his mind up and this is where you see the difference in characters. Bodie was able to lean on his past, no questions asked, his background with his contacts is so believable that the reader can imagine this to be true but the other way around, if it was Doyle breaking Bodie out of jail, this would have taken another route though i do believe Doyle would do it for his partner but his guilt would be at the forefront of his mind.

I'm not so sure of Cowley though i would hope he would leave the lads to enjoy the rest of their lives togethet but i can't imagine both as mounties.

Thankyou for this and like i said, i did enjoy the re- read.

[cim3745.livejournal.com]

Bodie was able to lean on his past, no questions asked, his background with his contacts is so believable that the reader can imagine this to be true
The author shows his past in a more possitive way, I likes that.

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Yes me too, anything to do with Bodie's past is always intriguing to read.

[tinturtle]

Several people have said they can't see the Lads as Mounties. What about that sheep ranch in New Zealand?

[ali15son.livejournal.com]

Possibly though it would take some convincing, it's a world away from CI5.

[queenafoster.livejournal.com]

I like this story, already had it saved from several years ago when I first read it.

I really like that Ellesar just dropped us into the middle of the plot to break Doyle out. It pulled us into the story immediately and creates a tension that I enjoy.

My favorite bit is when Doyle hugs Bodie so hard, wordlessly expressing his overwhelming gratitude that he is out. Knowing that Bodie was all in on getting him out no matter the possible consequences. That one scene just grabs me, first time I read it and every time since.

I don't know about them being Mounties, but Doyle will still be in law enforcement. That would be important to him. And Bodie knew that. I think Bodie himself would have been generally okay in a number of different situations, but he wanted Doyle to be in a job that he would like. That was more important to him than his own plans.

Cowley? Geez. Colossal bastard to risk Doyle going to jail but also very in character for what we see of him in the show. And he might not have known where exactly B&D were at the end of the story, but he didn't throw effort after foolishness trying to catch them. He had to already know that Bodie's plan — whatever it was — would not allow them to be caught. And... he probably knew he'd been a bastard and deserved to lose them both. That's the cost of doing business.

Just my two cents...

[tinturtle]

I found all of the flashbacks a bit off-putting, but it's true that without them the story would not have been able to start with Bodie lying in wait for the car carrying Doyle, which was a good beginning.

It's true that pursuing B and D would have been a waste of effort for Cowley. I think there was some element of wishing them well involved, too, though. While it doesn't stop him from putting them in harm's way, he is shown to have some affection for them.