Meeting Byron

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Fanfiction
Title: Meeting Byron
Author(s): weavinghugo
Date(s): 6 March 2007, 4 May 2009
Length: 2522 words
Genre(s): backstory
Fandom(s): Mary Renault
Relationship(s):
External Links: "Meeting Byron";
also continuation (both on MRF)

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"Meeting Byron" is a short story by weavinghugo (aka LadyHawksShadow) based on Mary Renault's 1953 novel The Charioteer. It is set some time prior to Chapter Three, in the period when the hero, Laurie Odell, was a student at Oxford. The story describes his first encounter with Charles Fosticue, mentioned several times in the novel as offering Laurie entré into the gay student subculture.

Synopsis

In "Meeting Byron", Laurie literally runs into Charles as they both shelter from the rain; and Charles takes Laurie's copy of the Phaedrus as a cue that he is gay. There is an untitled sequel (or perhaps more accurately, continuation) over tea back at Charles' rooms.

Comments

The story elicited a number of comments, including the following:

  • "I think this is our first Charles/Laurie fic and I'm enthralled - I love the way Laurie is drawn into his net, all the while sensing danger..."—comment by trueriver
  • "I think what struck me first is Laurie's ambivalence - his gut reaction to run, and run fast, played against his desire to explore that 'new world'...you've done a beautiful job of capturing that moment of decision...I liked, too, the weather forcing them into contact, creating that small circle, and the way it echos the sense of looking for shelter...lots of layers that I'll need to spend some time with!"—comment by my_cnnr