Festival of Lights
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| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Festival of Lights |
| Author(s): | Dorinda |
| Date(s): | 1996 in a mailing list, published in zine form in 1998 |
| Length: | |
| Genre(s): | slash, Bodie/Doyle |
| Fandom(s): | The Professionals |
| Relationship(s): | Bodie/Doyle |
| External Links: | online here |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Festival of Lights by Dorinda is a Bodie/Doyle story.
It was originally published in Virtual Pros and is online.
Excerpt
Every time enemies had tried to assassinate him, George Cowley had always outwitted and outfought them. But this time, one false step had made him their captive, put him foursquare into this ticking death chamber, with Bodie and Doyle only finding him through hard work and a tip from a reluctant informer. Now the smug enemies were heaped upstairs, sightless bodies gripping cold weapons. And the desperation of the rescue meant that there was no one left alive to disarm the complicated mechanism. After such effort, after defeating the many with so few, they had still come to this. One minute left.
Reactions and Reviews
Dorinda's story was the first Pros Chanukkah story, as far as I know. Not a theme one might readily think of in connection with these two characters, but it works because of the delightfully apropos "festival of lights" the agents have to deal with. A case story set in the CI5 world, the central theme isn't of candles being lit day by day, but of lights that switch off in an ominous count-down. During the tense procedure, while perched between life and possible instantaneous death, Bodie and Doyle come to an understanding about their feelings. The story takes one of my favourite approaches, presenting the action through a third-party viewpoint. We see everything that happens through Cowley's eyes. Dorinda does a lovely Cowley, which isn't all that common in Pros fiction. Cowley is often either entirely neglected or distorted out of recognition to serve a story's purpose, but never in Dorinda's takes on him. Her affection for the wily old Cow shines through.[1]
Short, sweet, kind of understated. Cowley is portrayed a bit more understanding than I see his character, but as a Christmas fic, this is perfect.[2]
This uses a device I really like, and that doesn't get used often (and often not well): seeing a relationship through a third-party POV. In this case, we see Bodie and Doyle through Cowley's eyes, in what has to be the most intriguing take on a Chanukah menorah ever, with lights going dark instead of being lit, until everything comes to a head. Dorinda's Cowley is a delight, sharp and acerbic and exasperated and deeply, silently fond of his agents, especially these two. And most appropriately for this story, she hasn't forgotten his abiding faith, as practical as he is.[3]
Time may be running out for the lads – even enough for one last discussion. The trouble is, Cowley is lying unconscious on top of the bomb they're disarming. This fic says a lot in so few words.[4]
Keeping with the holiday theme, we're moving on to specific winter holidays and a few looks at how our pair of CI5 agents might spend them. Dorinda's story is the only Pros Chanukkah story I'm aware of. Not a theme one might readily think of in connection with these two characters, but it works because of the delightfully apropos "festival of lights" the agents have to deal with. In this case, candles aren't lit day by day, but, rather, lights switch off in an ominous count-down. During the tense procedure, while perched between life and possible instantaneous death, Bodie and Doyle come to an understanding about their feelings. The story takes one of my favourite approaches, presenting the action through a third-party viewpoint. We see everything that happens through Cowley's eyes. Dorinda does a lovely Cowley, which isn't all that common in Pros fiction. Cowley is often either entirely neglected or distorted out of recognition to serve a story's purpose. Not in Dorinda's takes on him, though. Her affection for the wily old Cow shines through.[5]
I've always been fond of Cowley--I think he's got an inescapable humanity even when he's being a total bastard--so it's nice to see a sympathetic take on the character. Dorinda, who is a Cowley fan extraordinaire, as well as a writer whose work is always a joy to read, gives us a wonderful Cowley POV as Bodie and Doyle fight to free him from a time bomb. She's got the rhythms of Bodie and Doyle's dialogue to a T, but she also gives us a very satisfying view of Cowley's thought processes. And I have to admit to being a sucker for stories where Cowley shows sympathy for the connection between the lads, which he definitely does here.[6]
Will certainly go and look for more of her stories. I always like it when the dialogue is crisp and blunt like this. And the ticking bomb was a great backdrop [7]
Yeah, this is a really nice one. Simple, yet so effective.[8]
I just finished reading this story and loved it. Perfectly written with much wit and the right content of suspense, emotion and insightful notations. I now intend to read all the "Pros" stories by the same author.[9]
This story is not long, but it's one of my very favorites. The first time I read it, I just sat there and marveled. Then, I slapped myself upside the head for think I was a writer. The auther spins a simple action tale, but wait, it's really a internal dialogue, no, it's a romance, uh action story...Well, you get my drift. So many levels, yet not crowded or contrived - it's almost lyrical - yet still so Pros.[10]
Dorinda's writing is always a marvel to me. I just wish she was more prolific.[11]
I can heartily recommend any of Dorinda's stories, in any fandom.[12]
References
- ^ 2010 comments by istia, prosrecs, Archived version
- ^ recommendations by allaire mikháil
- ^ Fic Recs, The Professionals, by Arduinna
- ^ from a 2006 rec50
- ^ from a 2004 comment at Crack Van
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq
- ^ 2006 comments at CI5hq