Slashy Nominations 58: In Short Measures Fic May Perfect Be

[thefourthvine]

I never cease to be astonished at what writers manage to do with a handful of words. Or, in some cases, a few handfuls.

Best Two FFs That Prove That Everybody Does Indeed Have a Story to Tell: Fault, by alestar, and The Fisher King, by c_elisa. X-Men movies, Bobby Drake (Iceman) gen (or, potentially, very mild implied slash in one case). I did not like Bobby Drake in the comic books, and it was pretty easy to transfer that emotion to the Bobby of the movies. I just let my expectations take over. I ended up seeing the Iceman I expected to see - the good-natured, characterless dork who smiles too much.

I can't tell you how glad I am that other people saw more. Specifically, the people who wrote these stories saw way more. These are both about Bobby in the wake of X2, about his way of failing to handle what happened in that movie. (It turns out, if you were actually paying attention to his storyline, that a lot of interesting stuff happened to the smiling dork in that movie. If, as I say, you were paying attention.) These stories make him a real person. I find it fascinating that they so clearly describe the same person - the writers use different methods, yes, and tell different stories, but they're showing you the same guy. Now that is what I call being in character, people.

Best FF That Proves That You Really Can't Go Home Again, Because Even If They Have to Take You in, They Don't Have to Wait for You: Stanley Raymond Vecchio, by Cara Chapel, whose homepage does not appear to be working at this time. Due South, Ray Vecchio/Stella Kowalski with tiny hints of Ray Kowalski/Benton Fraser. Yes, I am recommending a story about Ray Vecchio that is sympathetic in nature. No, I am not currently being remotely controlled by alien creatures. This is another story that completely changed the way I saw a character. In this case, it's Ray Vecchio. I've always been pleased with the way Vecchio ended up, which I pretty much summarized as "permanently out of the loop, but happy." It took Cara to show me that Ray Vecchio's ending is not necessarily happy; it's cosmic justice, pure and simple. And it isn't altogether pleasant to be the recipient of cosmic justice, folks. I don't necessarily like Vecchio any more now than I did before I read this story, but I sure do have more sympathy for him. And now I realize how significant it is that Vecchio went south.

Best Two FFs That Prove That the More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Mirror, by kassrachel, and Drabble #5¹, by minim_calibre. Batman (and assorted Robins), Dick Grayson (Nightwing) mild implied slash. You know, I always sort of thought the endless parade of Robins was irritating, even though I liked Robin III a lot. Once again, two great writers prove me wrong. See, the whole point of the Batverse, as far as I can tell, is angst. Plus angst. And some more angst. In my under-construction DCU Fandoms I Have Loved, I describe Batman as the King of Pain. And you know what? Everyone who gets involved with him is a citizen of the country of Pain. (I assume they hand out passes to newcomers: "Welcome to the DC Universe. Your first traumatic life event is on the house!") So, clearly, anything that brings additional pain and/or angst to the Batworld is entirely appropriate and necessary. The Robin succession certainly does that, which is what we see here. Dick's moved on, but he'll never be able to stop looking back. (Side note: is there something about Dick Grayson's voice that causes people to write really great closing lines?)

-Footnote-

¹ Authors, recommenders ask for no better gift from you than an actual title for every damn thing you write. Please, people, I'm begging you. Do you KNOW how many stories I've got in my database under "Untitled"?

Comments

[flyingtapes.livejournal.com]

You just recced my best friend, minim_calibre, on her birthday. That's kind of cool. :)

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Oh, that is cool. It's LJ synchronicity!

And may I say? If her fic is anything to go by, and I think we can all agree that is, you have excellent taste in best friends.

[flyingtapes.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to agree. :)

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

Excellent short stories. I'm most partial to the X-Men ones, because I was always intrigued by Bobby (most likely due to the actor's guest appearance on Smallville, where he was excellent). Each of those was like a punch to the gut - so much regret.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Each of those was like a punch to the gut - so much regret.

Oh, definitely. I don't know why I didn't realize before that Bobby and guilt went together like two very compatible things. I really hope that we see this kind of Bobby in X3 - someone who is making himself pay for things he didn't do, things he could not have stopped. In the comics, he's the eternal boy; I think the movies should show us a Bobby who grows up hard and fast. God knows he's got cause.

And I really, really wonder what it is about XMM that gives rise to such remarkable short stories.

[thepouncer.livejournal.com]

I think I was predisposed to see Bobby/St. John in X2, because I'd read Jenn's Love and Lust at Mutant High the previous winter. That's narrated by St. John, who is in love with Bobby, so I was desperately excited by the movie. And watching his home life disintigrate, and his best friend leave, made me feel so bad for Bobby!

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

Well, see, you were wiser than I, because I resisted the whole concept of St. John/Bobby forever, until well after X2, in fact. Right up until someone on a messageboard forced me to read Wax Jism's "Overture." After which I wept briefly for my lost innocence and added St. John/Bobby to the list of pairings I'd be reading more of real, real soon.

And since I have refused to see X2 again - I refuse to do way too many things, apparently - I have never had the opportunity to look for actual canon hoyay, aka subtext, aka the stuff that slash is made of.

Reliable sources tell me it is there, however.

In which case, wow, it sucks even more to be Bobby.