Slashy Nominations 67: Three Merry Boys Are We

[thefourthvine]

Or, in some cases, two merry boys and one merry girl. Yes, it's another round of threesome FF. And this time, instead of triangulation or triangles or other things that merely involve three people, I'm going back to my roots: true threesomes. Three people, one bed, and fewer complications than you'd expect. Provided you're already fairly cynical.

Best FF Touting the Value of Threesomes As Therapy, Though Whether It's Recreational Therapy or Occupational Therapy I Cannot Say: Every Which Ray, by Ineke Meyer, aka ineke. Due South, Ray Kowalski/Benton Fraser/Ray Vecchio. You know, this totally illustrates why I am not a fan fiction writer. If someone had suggested this pairing to me, I would've said, well, no. Or, OK, maybe, in the sense that I can sort of see how it would happen, but it'd take, like, a minimum of 20,000 words to explain everything before these three got into bed together. Turns out there's another solution: skip straight to the sex. See, the guys here are totally in character, believably in character, so I was happy to suspend my disbelief (in the case of this story, it's only appropriate that my disbelief was suspended from the ceiling in a vibrating electronic leather swing). I got to the end, said "wow" in appropriately awed tones, and started working on persuading my disbelief to return to me (it sort of got, um, enthralled with the vibrating swing, and we will in fact probably have to go into mediation now), and it was only then that I realized that this story has to stand alone. I can hardly imagine what would come after this sequence, except that I'm sort of worried that it involve RayK punching RayV in the mouth. I absolutely can't imagine what led up to this. And yet it works. It really works. And that, people, is why ineke is a way cool writer, albeit one apparently (and, one hopes, temporarily), sick of thinking about Fraser's cock, and I am merely a recommender, albeit one happy with her lot. (Happier, anyway, than I am with my disbelief at this moment.)

Best FF That Demonstrates That We Really Shouldn't Limit Ourselves Just to Baseball When It Comes to Sports Metaphors for Sex: Two-Player Game, by Bone, aka thisisbone. Sports Night, Danny Rydell/Casey McCall/Stacey Kerr. This story illustrates both why Danny is a dangerous, dangerous friend for Casey, and why Casey totally needs him. Because Casey is, by default, the good boy, even when he wants to be bad. And Danny can persuade him to do anything. Well, OK, maybe that last part is only true in my sick little mind. But I - and I am so insanely proud of this, I can't even begin to tell you about it - I have just finished watching the scene involving Stacey Kerr in the actual show, thanks to the Queen of Fandom Pimps, fanofall, and I can completely believe that this is how it ended. (Side note, also gleaned from the same scene: Casey dances like a great big geek. Seriously. I will be nominating him for lifetime membership in the Dances Like Gits society at our next annual meeting.) Actually, I'm willing to make an argument that this is how the series finale should've gone. Although I understand the network might've had something to say about that.

Best FF That Gives Us Another Metaphor for Arwen's Choice to Be Human. And I for One Think This Is Way Better Than the Whole Book-Dropping Scene, Which Was, Face It, Pretty Lame.: In the Silent Forest Listening, by Cathain, aka casapazzo. Lord of the Rings, Arwen/Aragorn/Boromir. Aragorn/Boromir writers often neglect the whole Arwen thing in favor of the hot gay sex. And, hey, I'm all for hot gay sex, but that doesn't mean you get to ignore the pre-existing canon relationship. My favorite way of coping with this builds on Arwen's elvishness; when you live forever, how does some minor mortal need really bother you? It's not like it's going to last. This story, though, goes the other direction, and turns out that totally works, too. Here, Arwen's showing her human side, being insecure and just the weest bit blindsided. She's got an answer to her problems, too - and it is just such a human one; she going to hop into bed - well, OK, hop into a forest glade, but that doesn't have the same ring - with her betrothed and his boyfriend. Hey, I'm sure the Relationship Knowledge Base documents this solution somewhere.

Best FF That Shows Us That Threesomes Can Resolve Leftover Issues from Your School Career and Force You to Get Your Life on Track Again. Yay Threesomes, the Cure for Every Ill!: Sodomite, by ivyblossom. Harry Potter, Harry Potter/Cho Chang/Draco Malfoy. Yeah, you read that right. For the record, this is an aged-up fic; they're all over 18, so no squickishness there. Also for the record, this story is unbeta'd, and it does show, mostly in typos and spellchecker errors; my fellow pedants and grammar bitches are duly warned. But you know? It's worth it. It's worth it because of the characterizations, first. I mean, one of the great things about HP is that there are so many possible interpretations of every character. I can see Harry turning out this way, going passive and aimless when the Big Bad is defeated - I mean, really, how does advancing up the ol' career ladder matter when you spent your entire adolescence saving the world more often than you changed your socks? And wars do change people, especially those on the losing side, so Draco's going to be different, and I can see the potential in him to go this way. And Cho? I'm totally biased, because I think I knew this Cho, but still. I love what ivyblossom has done with her here. (Yes, I know, I sound like I'm a character decorator: "Oh, honey, I just love what you've done with her motivations - so neo-Edwardian! And look at this marvelous values treatment! Tres slut-chic, darling, perfect.") So, to sum: go for the threesome of threesomes. Stay for the characterization. And, you know, while you're there, you might as well admire the threesomes again.

Comments

[adjectivegirl.livejournal.com]

God I love Aragorn/Arwen/Boromir. It can only get more tragic-er from here, is my take on it. Oooh and Harry/Cho/Draco? Weirdly plausible and also, hot. I love OT3s on average, a third more than most pairings. I'm fickle to math like that.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

God I love Aragorn/Arwen/Boromir. It can only get more tragic-er from here, is my take on it.

Oh, completely. I'd actually never even considered that particular threesome until recently, but now I see that it can bring us beauty, tragedy, and hot sex. So, you know, go A/A/B.

Oooh and Harry/Cho/Draco? Weirdly plausible and also, hot.

I actually was stunned by mere idea of Harry/Cho/Draco, but, yes, "weirdly plausible" is exactly how I'd describe that one. And the story rec'd here has the added bonus of being extremely therapeutic for all those who came out of OotP loathing Cho.

But your mention of OT3s saddens me, for it makes me realize that I have failed as a recommender. Surely one of the truest of all OT3s is Jack Sparrow/Will Turner/Elizabeth Swann, and yet I did not include any such fic in this set. Alas! I will have to start putting together another post on threesomes.

[casapazzo.livejournal.com]

If you like A/B/A and are looking for more, check out twinkledru's community, dyinginhisname. A/B/A and nothing but.

[lite-bright.livejournal.com]

Er, I am frightened, very much so. I've never really read any good threesomes (where do you put the knees? don't the pronouns get confusing?) and I'm just... wibbling, I suppose.

Wanted to get that out, I suppose. Now, to test the waters...

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

How did the waters work out for you?

There are, yes, a surprising number of knees and elbows in a threesome - some estimates claim up to eight times the actual number of legs and arms - but not to worry; the participants are usually too distracted to notice the occasional poke in the kidneys. And, actually, we slash readers have a distinct advantage in the threesome field; the pronouns are no more confusing in 2 men, 1 woman threesome fic than in good old party of two slash fic.

To sum: do not fear the threesome fic. The threesome fic is your friend. It loves you. And, hey, if you don't love it back, you can always return to twosome fic.

[lite-bright.livejournal.com]

I've actually gotten halfway through the "Due South" threesome fic. (I keep on clicking back, all frightened.)

Well, good to know that a few pointy bits (of the non- sexual kind) are present. There seems to be a trend in making the participants in sex a bit jelly limbed, and that's just sort of...freaky.

Got it. The threesome fic is my friend, the threesome fic is my friend...

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

There seems to be a trend in making the participants in sex a bit jelly limbed, and that's just sort of...freaky.

I agree, and not just when it comes to threesome fic. I love stories in which the sex is imperfect - people don't know what they're doing, have to ask, have to learn, make mistakes, whatever. Too often we have the Perfect Sex Is Proof of Perfect Love thing in slash stories, and I'd rather have, you know, something more approximately like real life, where the sex is often imperfect and *still* fantastic.

You will overcome the threesome terror. You might actually want to start with the LotR one, because it is non-explicit and very very short and therefore a good way to adjust to the scariness.

[ineke.livejournal.com]

Is it tacky to comment on your own rec? *g*. But this totally made my day, so: thank you! I'm flattered beyond belief -- if, perhaps, a little disturbed by the electronic leather swing...

I did write this to stand alone, mainly because I don't think I've got the chops to write 100k of backstory. But I do think it's a small part of a longer story -- albeit a dark, depressing story. Fraser would have to hit a horrible nadir to get to this kind of place, I think.

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

I'm sort of disturbed by the electronic swing, too. There's no telling what my subconscious and my disbelief will cook up when they get together.

Fraser would have to hit a horrible nadir to get to this kind of place, I think.

That's an interesting comment, and I'm curious about it. Is this scenario what rock bottom (pun not intentional) looks like to Fraser? Or would this scene be after the darkness and depression, some kind of attempt on the Rays' part to help him? And what kind of wretchedness could put him here?

See, I have no imagination (see also fan fiction, why I'm not a writer of), so I'm intensely wondering what might've come before this scene.

[ineke.livejournal.com]

Ah, that's the problem with in medias res -- boy, does it leave everything open to a multitude of $64,000 questions *g*.

dsudis pointed out that what makes this story disturbing is not actually Fraser's incredible detachment, but the fact that the Rays almost seem to think of it as his normal behaviour. And yet, that said, I suspect that his distancing must have progressed to the point where he just couldn't function any more: a nadir, a total emotional freeze. You've read Mia/kaneko's Fall? I didn't intend it as such, but I think this Fraser is a kissing cousin of hers. Only instead of issues with Kowalski, this Fraser never really healed from Victoria. He's pretty much a post-'Victoria's Secret' Fraser or a post-'Letting Go' Fraser, what with that horrible numbness. Or at least, that's how I've been thinking of him.

So yes, this is directly after his lowest point, and what I was trying to show was just the start of his thaw. The Rays bringing him back, just a little. -- But I feel there's a lot more of the story after this scene. It wouldn't be easy for Fraser... and it never is, eh?

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

File this one under "be careful what you wish for." Because I asked about the backstory, and now I can totally see the backstory, and it's completely changed the story for me.

Tell me there's a happy ending to the whole story. Now that I can see the painful backstory, I want to be able to see the happy ending, too.

It wouldn't be easy for Fraser... and it never is, eh?

Yup, never. That should be his family motto. Frasers do it the hard way, or something.

[ineke.livejournal.com]

I can see the general shape of the backstory, but to make it work... *frowns*. I don't know. I do think I'd like to write it, though. But an essentially S2 Fraser with S3 Rays? It'd be a nightmare of structural problems. An obvious solution might be to have Victoria come back -- similar, I suppose, to Ces's Some Strange Prophesy. Hmm.

Tell me there's a happy ending to the whole story.

The obvious progression that I see is that this story ends up F/K. It strikes me that Vecchio would never be wholly comfortable with this kind of situation. Eventually, he'd move on-- to straightness, to Stella, or what have you. But Kowalski's there for the long haul. So, yes, it's as happy an ending as you can get for this poor, scarred Fraser, I think *g*.

[casapazzo.livejournal.com]

Hey, wow, thanks for the rec! And heh, I think I'm as entertained by my nomination category as I am by being rec'd.

Looking forward to reading through your past nominations...

[thefourthvine.livejournal.com]

And heh, I think I'm as entertained by my nomination category as I am by being rec'd.

Glad to hear it. I live to amuse. Well, OK, no. Actually, I LJ in part to amuse, but the first version sounded better. Hope you enjoy the back catalog of recs.

(And if you spend much time here you'll get used to being asked this question - who is the guy in your icon? I suffer from insatiable icon curiosity, which is a terrible thing when combined with a total inability to recognize *anyone*.)

[casapazzo.livejournal.com]

I completely understand the icon fixation - there's just so many pretty funky arty pictures out there and you've just gotta know.

In this case, it's Eddie Arlette - main character of "Keen Eddie," yet another short-lived, much-beloved FOX show. "How do you like me so far?" was sorta his tag. The actor is Mark Valley.