Bear Necessity

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Fanfiction
Title: Bear Necessity
Author(s): O Yardley
Date(s): 1980s, 1995
Length:
Genre(s): slash
Fandom(s): The Professionals
Relationship(s):
External Links:

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"Bear Necessity" is an 83-page The Professionals story written by O Yardley. It was originally published as a circuit story in the 1980s and later offered in zine format in Printed Circuits in 1995.

first page

It is a story on The 1985 Hatstand Express Top Ten Lists. And it was among the first "favorite Pros novels" mentioned on the Virgule-L mailing list when it launched in October 1992, along with Injured Innocents, Camera Shy, Of Tethered Goats and Tigers and Rediscovered in a Graveyard.[1]

Series

It is the first part in the Bear Necessity series:

Reactions and Reviews

1985

And I can't omit "Bear Necessity", which explores aspects of both characters that would need to be dealt with if a relationship were to last.[2]

"Bear Necessity"/"A Necessary Evil" ...gives us the possessive/macho Bodie with the possessive/sweet Doyle. It's cute, it's sweet and mushy and I ADORE it! Also like the slow sure way the relationship builds up. And oh those relatives! It's really terrific.[3]

1988

"Necessary Evil" and "Bear Necessity" are two more stories which portray alternative Bodie and Doyle characterizations, but the manipulation and head-gaming involved during their budding relationship and the slightly gone awry romance, which comes right in the end, are immensely enjoyable; and digging up Doyle's childhood teddy bear, buried in someone else's back yard, was a lovely touch.[4]

While the two guys portrayed in O. Yardley's "Bear Necessity" and "A Necessary Evil" do not really match my own personal concept of series Bodie and Doyle, they are greatly appealing, just the same.[5]

Somebody recently complained about "Bear Necessity" and "Necessary Evil", saying that the Bodie in them wasn't the way she sees Bodie. Tough. That Bodie wasn't quite "my" Bodie either, until I'd read a few pages and become so absorbed by this Bodie and his refreshing P.O.V. that it was irrelevant. This Bodie's descriptions of Doyle are a delight upon each reading. His understanding of his partner's manipulative character, his maturity and his skill at forcing Doyle to be honest — all handled with a sense of humour that I don't tire of reading. "Injured Innocents" and "Journey's End" must also be noted as stories that are rewarding, satisfying, and with no loose ends. Different P.O.V.'s, different problems dealt with, all recommended to new fans who ask where they should start with so many to choose from.[6]

(much too long for its content) [7]

1992

Recommended: Bare Necessity -- warning, 1st person (and avoid the sequel) [8]

These two novellas chart the course of B and D’s sexual relation- ship from the very start to when they decide to tell Cowley. It has been some time since I read them in depth, but I think I enjoyed the first one (told from both points of view) by a narrow margin, as it concentrates on their relationship more, the second one [Necessary Evil] including more outside details and a CI5 case.

the first tale, 'Bear Necessity', they spend virtually all the time alone on a camping trip, and their sexual relationship, initiated on p4, isn't fully settled emotionally until p65 or so. In varying degrees they experience very realistic reactions - uncertainty, guilt, fear, misunderstanding; and Bodie deals very well with Doyle's half-conscious manipulation of him at the start of the relationship.

Oh yes, the 'Bear' in the title is Doyle's childhood toy, buried in his mum's garden, and that fact leads to a scene that ends the first tale on a humorous note. [9]

1994

everybody tells me they're really good; I can't read them because they're in the 1st person [10]

In defense of 1st person stories...two words: Bear Necessity. No it's not deathless prose (much less Deathless Prose), but it has, over the 4 or 5 times I've read it, given me hours of reading pleasure...[11]

I read all 80-something pages of the damn thing. And enjoyed them. Now, this thing, which, BTW, is a circuit story, doesn't even begin to register on the 5-star angst scale. Bodie and Doyle go on a camping trip, and discover the joys of each other. That's the plot in a nutshell. It's sweet. The only thing that keeps it from getting syrupy is the narrative, which is told from Bodie's POV, and which is consistently and hilariously entertaining. Bodie's mind turns out to be a wonderful place to hang out. The downside to the story is Doyle's characterization - he spends much too much time being sweet and coy and ragamuffinish, and is far too apologetic ("please don't be mad at me, Bodie...." over and over); fortunately, he gets better in the second half. And there's lots of sex. Almost as much as in a Jane novel, but better written. The explanation surrounding the title is great fun, too. Okay, so now I can't say I hate first-person fanfic anymore. So sue me. My only question is, does this mean I have to read some more of it? This thing has a sequel called "Necessary Evil" - am I going to like it, too? Do I *have* to? [12]

1996

.....I think is not particularly good, but, since a) there are *many* sex scenes in the first 40 pages, and b) in many of those sex scenes, Bodie is confused as hell (a kink for me), the story makes me hot.[13]

1997

The story that hooked me on the fandom was O'Yardley's "Bear Necessity." I was at the first CaliCon in San Diego and a friend and I were back in our room reading. She kept giggling and, when I asked, she began to read snippets. It ended up our both reading the story. She passing the pages to me as she finished. Fortunately, she read faster than I did. [14]

1998

"Bear Necessity" is actually the story that hooked me on Pros. A friend

and I were at the very first CaliCon in San Diego. She was on her bed giggling maddly. I got curious and she started reading out loud. It ended up that we both read it - fortunately she was 5 or 6 pages ahead of me and reads faster. It remains one of my favorites. There are so many scenes that make me smile...from the moment that Bodie reaches up and strokes a most prominent part of what he thinks is a sleeping Doyle in the upper bunk... to the midnight raid to recover Doyle's buried childhood Teddy Bear in what Bodie falsely assumes in the Doyle backyard, I still laugh.

Yes, it is silly and fun and light and frothy. But it shows a side of Bodie and Doyle away from their work where they can be little boys.

[...]

I think O'Yardley manages to capture this side of Bodie and Doyle quite well. On the whole, I have enjoyed almost everything she has written because she does offer a counterpoint to some of the heavier, most angst-ridden stories.[15]

References

  1. ^ Sandy Hereld's email "My god, it's working..." dated October 21, 1992, quoted with permission.
  2. ^ from The Hatstand Express #6 (1985).
  3. ^ from The Hatstand Express #7
  4. ^ from The Hatstand Express #17 (1988)
  5. ^ from The Hatstand Express #16
  6. ^ from The Hatstand Express #17
  7. ^ a comment by the story's author in The Hatstand Express #17
  8. ^ from Sandy Hereld -- part of Two Pros Primers.
  9. ^ from Be Gentle With Us #5
  10. ^ comment by Alexfandra on Virgule-L, quoted with permission (September 27, 1994)
  11. ^ Sandy Herrold posting to the Virgule-L mailing list on September 25, 1994, quoted with permission
  12. ^ from Alexfandra writing her tongue-in cheek review at the Virgule-L mailing list on December 1, 1994, reposted with permission
  13. ^ Sandy Herrold to a private Pros mailing list dated 11/25/1996, quoted with permission.
  14. ^ from a fan on Virgule-L, quoted anonymously (February 14, 1997)
  15. ^ from Kathy S. posting to the CI5 List mailing list January 28, 1998, reposted with permission
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