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crack_van2011-07-01 10:16 am
byslantedlight.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2011-07-01 10:16 am
Entry tags:
Tale of a Tail by Magenta Blue (PG)
Hello, I'm Slantedlight, and I thought it was about time I took a turn at driving the van. I also thought the clutch looked a little slippy it was going to be difficult thinking of favourite fics that haven't been recced here before, but it turned out not to be a problem, because Pros is just so good! (If you've not come across The Professionals before, our fandom overview is here). I'm going to try and mix it up a bit this month, but I thought I'd start with a fab example of a case-fic - the lads doing what they do best - getting on with the job.
Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: bodie/Doyle
Length: 16,575 words/90k
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
magenta_blue
Author Website: Links to Magenta's Prosfic
Why this must be read: Tale of a Tail could easily be one of the Pros episodes we didn't see. Magenta writes the lads and CI5 and London with such a deft touch that reading her fic really is like watching an ep, right down to knowing that there's a little bit more to the lads than the directors let us see (*g*). Not only that, but we can hear and feel and almost touch the world the lads inhabit - we could meet her original characters in our own towns, she makes us feel straight away Oh I know someone just like that!, just as Pros did by including the kids kicking a football around, the nosy neighbour and the crowd at the bus stop applauding Bodie for his heroics.
As far as the story goes, there's a lovely foreboding for us as the audience, again echoing what we see in the eps where we know, but the lads don't - he's behind you! In this case the lads are needed to help with security for the Queen's Silver Jubilee parade, with all the action and potential mayhem you might expect. Finally, Magenta has the comedic touch just right: Pros isn't a cartoon or a comedy programme, we're not supposed to laugh at them, but there's a delicious sense of humour running through it, and Magenta has captured that beautifully - you'll find yourself smiling not only at the lads' usual teasing of all and sundry, and interaction with the other agents, but then again when you're least expecting it...
Excerpt:“I want all of you to remember that this is a public day of celebration, we want minimum fuss and certainly no casualties! Everyone stay on channel two frequency and I want this entire operation over as soon as possible. That way we can all sit back and enjoy this special day.”
Cowley looked as likely to do that as he was to take up yoga.
“Right, let’s get going then.” Cowley was distracted by Betty, who came up to talk to him quietly.
“So where’s Lucas?” Doyle checked the sight on his gun and put it back in its holster.
“He’s got a massive bandage around his head, wouldn’t exactly be discreet. It’s alright though, Paul said he’d swap jobs with him today.”
“Only ‘cause he fancies the Queen, he told us earlier.” Bodie grinned maliciously at Anson.
McCabe spun around, a new morsel to play with always went down a treat in CI5. “You fancy old Lizzie, eh? I bet she’s a goer…”
“Oh shut up and let’s get on with the job in hand, shall we?”
“That’s the line he’d woo her with,” Bodie nodded at McCabe, pursing his lips.
The link below takes you to the archived story, but I'm going to try and encourage feedback to some of our Pros authors by also linking to an original lj or author's post (where one exists!) - Feedback link for Tale of a Tale. Do let our authors know they're loved!
Tale of a Tail
Fandom: THE PROFESSIONALS
Pairing: bodie/Doyle
Length: 16,575 words/90k
Author on LJ:
magenta_blueAuthor Website: Links to Magenta's Prosfic
Why this must be read: Tale of a Tail could easily be one of the Pros episodes we didn't see. Magenta writes the lads and CI5 and London with such a deft touch that reading her fic really is like watching an ep, right down to knowing that there's a little bit more to the lads than the directors let us see (*g*). Not only that, but we can hear and feel and almost touch the world the lads inhabit - we could meet her original characters in our own towns, she makes us feel straight away Oh I know someone just like that!, just as Pros did by including the kids kicking a football around, the nosy neighbour and the crowd at the bus stop applauding Bodie for his heroics.
As far as the story goes, there's a lovely foreboding for us as the audience, again echoing what we see in the eps where we know, but the lads don't - he's behind you! In this case the lads are needed to help with security for the Queen's Silver Jubilee parade, with all the action and potential mayhem you might expect. Finally, Magenta has the comedic touch just right: Pros isn't a cartoon or a comedy programme, we're not supposed to laugh at them, but there's a delicious sense of humour running through it, and Magenta has captured that beautifully - you'll find yourself smiling not only at the lads' usual teasing of all and sundry, and interaction with the other agents, but then again when you're least expecting it...
Excerpt:“I want all of you to remember that this is a public day of celebration, we want minimum fuss and certainly no casualties! Everyone stay on channel two frequency and I want this entire operation over as soon as possible. That way we can all sit back and enjoy this special day.”
Cowley looked as likely to do that as he was to take up yoga.
“Right, let’s get going then.” Cowley was distracted by Betty, who came up to talk to him quietly.
“So where’s Lucas?” Doyle checked the sight on his gun and put it back in its holster.
“He’s got a massive bandage around his head, wouldn’t exactly be discreet. It’s alright though, Paul said he’d swap jobs with him today.”
“Only ‘cause he fancies the Queen, he told us earlier.” Bodie grinned maliciously at Anson.
McCabe spun around, a new morsel to play with always went down a treat in CI5. “You fancy old Lizzie, eh? I bet she’s a goer…”
“Oh shut up and let’s get on with the job in hand, shall we?”
“That’s the line he’d woo her with,” Bodie nodded at McCabe, pursing his lips.
The link below takes you to the archived story, but I'm going to try and encourage feedback to some of our Pros authors by also linking to an original lj or author's post (where one exists!) - Feedback link for Tale of a Tale. Do let our authors know they're loved!
Tale of a Tail