Floral Arrangement

Fanfiction
Title:	Floral Arrangement
Author(s):	M. Fae Glasgow
Date(s):	1992
Length:
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	The Professionals
Relationship(s):	Bodie/Doyle
External Links:
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Floral Arrangement is a Bodie/Doyle story by M. Fae Glasgow.

It was published in What If....

The author notes it is "Happily plagiarised from the Brazilian film 'Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands.'"

Reactions and Reviews

I don’t call this type of story a death fic because no character dies during the story. I call it a “post-death” fic. Bodie is dead from the start, and we soon find this out. It’s 5 years after Bodie died and only now is Doyle ready to take the final step to move on completely, giving himself a distinct moment to mark as the time when he finally relinquished Bodie to the past.

I’m only a couple of pages in, but I’m not liking this. The description of D at B’s funeral, having to hide the fact that they were lovers, feeling like a liar and a cheat and a betrayer, holding all the feelings inside… is so sad. I’m tearing up. So I skip to the end to see if this story is worth reading. I’m glad I do because --

-- it’s just about now that B shows up. And it’s our Bodie – charming, funny, loving, irreverent, playful – and naked. Only he’s a ghost! Poor D doesn’t know what to think! Did Murphy spike his drink with a drug? Is he going insane? I love how D tries to keep it together while B explains how it is that he’s come back, albeit a bit late.

B’s idea of heaven is to be with D wherever he is – awwwwww. So sweet! He is so earnest and loving. He is “immolated” by D’s momentary rejection. Though who can blame D for being skittish? It’s just overwhelming for him. Plus, he’s creeped out by the idea of having sex with a spirit. To give him credit, he doesn’t want to hurt B either. He still loves B.

Enter Murphy into the picture; we find out that D and M have been lovers for a while. We come to the crux of the problem – D’s dilemma. It’s been 5 years since B died. D has moved on and made a new life for himself. He loves M, who has been nothing short of wonderful to D. He owes M so much, including his life. But B wants to resume their former affair. What should he do?

Now, here’s the thing. I am definitely a B/D OTP kind of gal. Normally I won’t touch any other pairing with a barge pole. I can’t stand the thought of either of our lads with someone else. I didn’t say I like this story. But I find it memorable for many reasons... I don’t always like where M Fae takes our lads, but I think she’s a wonderful writer. I love her use of the language in making a scene come alive

Thanks for the excellent review - I enjoyed that more than the story.

It raises plenty of questions for me, I'd be interested to know what you think. Not being an afficionado of ghost stories I wonder if there's generic things I'm missing (LOL at Bodie returning to earth in Australia and being unable to cross water - but I wouldn't have known that piece of ghost lore if it hadn't been explained).

F'rinstance, is it coincidence that Bodie appears at the very moment Doyle has resolved to 'bury' him, or does Doyle somehow summon him then?

I agree with pretty well everything you've said, in fact. The ending seems like a happy resolution, but it can't last, can it? Murphy is bound to tire of sharing Doyle. Then he'll leave, and Doyle won't have to feel he betrayed M, but it would still be Doyle's responsibility. Still, D & M might have parted anyway, or M might be killed in action.

On a shallow note, I find it offputting that Bodie is now permanently naked. Bodie nekkid is of course an excellent concept - in its place. Like most characters, Bodie is defined to some extent by what he wears and how he wears it. In his case, the ever fascinating paradox of the man who has a great body he works hard to maintain, but seems averse to uncovering it in public. So a Bodie going about in his birthday suit, sans polo neck, leather jacket and flares, seems somehow incomplete and a bit weird.

Yep! M.Fae Glasgow and me had very much fun with this story! ;-)

To tell you the truth, I don't much like stories with ghosts or any supernatural element. But it's news to me that ghosts can't cross water. I chalk that up to an authorial invention to further the plot. If it's accepted ghost lore I'd love to know!

Likewise, I think that B's appearance just as D has resolved to "bury" him is a convenience for the plot - there's no indication that D somehow summons him.

I do fear for the future - mainly for D's sanity as he tries to juggle his relationship with B and M.

Interesting point about a permanently naked B being incongruous. I hadn't really thought about that. Again, I accept it as contributing to the comedy of the piece because of its ludicrousness.

I was deeply touched by the description of Bodie’s funeral. I think it’s heartbreaking beautiful how M.Fae Glasgow describes Doyle's grief. It’s so bittersweet, without ever changing to 'pathetic'.

Of course I knew what prosficspoiler 'spoiled', and I’ve read the end first. Otherwise I would NOT enjoy something like that!

I think it IS a death fic although nobody dies in this story. A serious meant workup of the death of Bodie or Doyle that happened before the story starts, wouldn’t change anything in the finality of the fact that one of them is gone. I would avoid that in any case!

This story, I would call a happy death fic. It’s not serious. It’s a comedy and a ghost story. OK - if you look behind the funny surface it is a tragedy. As you pointed out there are so many problems waiting for the three of them, and not just Bodie has in fact really lost his life and love, and everything now has to be a compromise. But nonetheless it is very funny written and somehow you trust them to make the best of it, no matter what!

Not to forget the aspect of absurdity! Yes! I really could enjoy this fic without questioning reality, future, probability or other clever restrictions.

Yes! I love this fic!

I could think of at least 4 reasons not to like that story, OK 5, if you count that you two don't like the Bodie 'dressing' as well:

1. A ghost story - but this one is a funny ghost story 2. A death fic - but without finality and it's a funny death story 3. Not OTP - I'm still chewing on that... 4. A M.Fae Glasgow story - you must be prepared to love or hate it - but there is a big chance that you love it!

5. Bodie is naked all the time - but there is a naked Bodie all the time! :-)

If I recall correctly, the cover of What If? featured a Suzan Lovett cover of a naked Bodie tugging a fully dressed Doyle toward him by his necktie. All the stories in the zine (Boyhole for one) incorporated that scene as a prompt. It was fun to see all the different ways the writers had worked the scene in.