Guy/Allan

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Pairing
Pairing: Guy of Gisborne/Allan a Dale
Alternative name(s): Gullan
Gender category: slash
Fandom: Robin Hood (BBC 2006)
Canonical?: only a dream
Prevalence: minor
Archives:
Other: common element in threesomes
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Guy/Allan is the slash pairing between bad guy Guy of Gisborne and outlaw turned spy Allan a Dale in the 2006–2009 incarnation of the Robin Hood legend.

In Canon

Allan is captured and, after some Obligatory Shirtless Torture Scenes, becomes Guy's spy on Robin. When his treachery is rumbled, he turns to Guy and becomes his Chief Sidekick(er of Peasants), but eventually betrays him to save Robin and the gang from yet another Brush with Certain Death. The pair are reunited when Guy joins the outlaws, though fans of the characters lament the Blink and You'll Miss It nature of their subsequent interactions.

Despite the children's nature of the show, there's a weird dream sequence where Guy's fantasy of Marian morphs into Allan to give canon fuel to this pairing. Slash capital is also made out of Allan grinning when Guy asks where he's going to sleep after joining the outlaws.

In Fanon

The Guy of this pairing is often less obsessed with Marian and capable of at least friendship. He has often been initiated into m/m sex as a young esquire and is keen to pass on the experience. Allan is often portrayed as happy to bed anything breathing, though sometimes he lacks prior experience with men. Stories span the spectrum from comedic to quite dark and twisted, but are usually sweeter and lighter on the angst than many Guy pairings. The relationship often starts during the time Allan is spying for Guy. One common trope is sex turning into love. Mild non-con, master–servant dynamics and not entirely consensual BDSM are common elements.

Sometimes the relationship is part of a threesome with Marian; these normally start while Allan is Guy's lieutenant and are often played for laughs. Threesomes involving the Sheriff or Prince John usually fall into the dark and twisted category; in the case of the Sheriff, they generally presuppose an existing relationship between Guy and the Sheriff. Robin is another possible threesome participant.

Fan Reactions

On their canonical relationship...

I do think that Allan and Guy have some sort of a friendship – not a great one, not a friendship of equals, but definitely . . . something. There is some connection between them that starts even before Allan leaves the gang, which is partly why I think Allan turns to Guy in the first place. The idea that Guy planted during the torture scene, that they are both somewhat alike in making their betters look good and not getting the credit, turns out to be true for both of them, which I think they must acknowledge to themselves.

I also think there is something about Allan that Guy enjoys, beyond just having his own little minion or whipping boy. Why else would Guy have taken him on and even appeared rather horrified that the sheriff wants to hang him? (Of course, he doesn’t stop it either, but it’s still early on.) There are just these smirks that Guy gets on his face when dealing with Allan sometimes that seem to indicate the other man amuses him. That’s definitely a softness in Guy we don’t see much with other characters.

For his part, Allan has a rather extreme familiarity with Guy (or Giz), and he gets away with it more or less. I think some of that is certainly Allan pushing the boundaries, trying to see how far he can get with things (what does he say, I don’t really do horses?). And often he just gets a smack, but he doesn’t stop doing it, which shows he’s not particularly concerned or scared of Guy. Over time, his familiarity becomes less cheeky and Guy’s reactions less violent.

They still aren’t equals, and Guy still continues to take things out on Allan, but he also starts to trust him. They work very well together, especially when the sheriff isn’t around, like in Walkabout. Here Guy speaks to Allan like a comrade. He doesn’t yell or belittle, there is work to be done, and he expects Allan to do it, and Allan steps up and does it without complaint. I would argue that in some ways Guy shows Allan more respect and places more trust in him than Robin ever did.

So while Guy and Allan aren’t going to go out and talk about their girl problems over a drink, or reminisce about the last time Robin tried to kill them (do you men do that anyway?), I think there is a definite connection between them. It’s as close to friendship as Guy is going to come, and I think it would be actual friendship on Allan’s part if Guy would allow it. Guy’s lack of trust prevents this, as well as the fact that the sheriff seems to undermine all of his relationships. (sylvi10)[1]

I think there really was a friendship there, though I'm not sure either of them recognized it ... and I think it was more on Guy's part than Allan's. It's interesting that when Guy recruits Allan, he actually appeals to a sort of kinship between them as under-appreciated henchmen: "You and I, we're the ones who make our supposed betters look good. They take us for granted. But what happens when we move on? Then it's our turn." It's also interesting that Allan almost immediately establishes himself on a very familiar footing with Guy -- in 2x03, he's already calling him "mate." (Though Guy sort of puts him in his place by smacking him in the face "for believability." ) I think Guy kind of likes the fact that Allan is not intimidated by him, and in a way he can talk to Allan more openly than he can to anyone else (even if he sort of knows Allan isn't entirely trustworthy). Also, I think that to some extent he sees Allan as his ally in the castle, "his boy" rather than the Sheriff's ... The fact that Guy's dream in 2x12 features not only a "dream Marian" who gratefully and pliantly accepts Guy's protection but a "dream Allan" who is completely loyal to him suggests that Allan's friendship does mean something to Guy on a personal level (slashy implications aside). And I do think that Guy was quite hurt by Allan's betrayal -- obviously his resentment about that was subsumed in the Marian drama, but I think some of the hurt remained. (LadyKate63)[1]

Example Fanworks

Fanfiction

Threesomes

Fanvids

Recs

Communities

Reference

  1. ^ a b Robin Hood Fan Community: Allan and Guy (accessed 20 June 2013)
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