Ocean, Moon
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| Sentinel Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Ocean, Moon |
| Author(s): | Lemon Drop |
| Date(s): | |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | The Sentinel |
| External Links: | online here (wayback version) online here (new upload) |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Ocean, Moon is a Jim/Blair story by Lemon Drop.
Author note:
Blair's sacrifice of his research and reputation obsesses me, as do the sequelae. Written in homage to the exquisite stories of the Rhipodon Society. Thank you. And as always, always for G.
Reactions and Reviews
A subdued, liquid look at Blair immediately after the series finale, as he grieves for his previous life and slowly builds a new one. I debated this rec for a while -- the first time I read this fic I wasn't thrilled with the unconventional structure (no quotation marks and the entire fic is borderline stream-of-consciousness), but after reading it a second time I'm convinced that this story couldn't have been written any other way. Most authors skim over the first few days and weeks after TS by BS, possibly because it's hard to fully express the shock and unreality of life after such a traumatic and life-alterning event. Lemon Drop goes the other route and nails the sense of loss, the surreal, uncertain passage of time, and the slow but inevitable healing. A beautiful, haunting, healing fic.[1]
The author writes, "Blair's sacrifice of his research and reputation obsesses me..." There have been many good post-TSbyBS stories, but this one stands out in a crowd.....Why you should read this story: The words to describe the assured style of this story elude me. Some have called the straightforward prose 'deceptively simple', and I think that works. Part of the fascination of the story--as one of many different retellings--is to see both the practical and emotional sequelae to the final episode presented with so little varnish. (I stole the word 'sequelae' from the author. Good word.)
What might throw you off stride: Lack of quotation marks. I hardly noticed this style choice, and when having it pointed out, realized consciously that I liked the effect--a lot. So I'll just say that other readers mentioned they found this off-putting.[2]
Another example of my fixation on the aftermath of TSbyBS. Blair is trying to deal with all the baggage that comes with catastrophic life-change. Lemon Drop has done his angst justice here.[3]
There are hundreds and hundreds of stories speculating about what may have happened after the series finale. Did Blair go to the academy? Did he become a cop? Regardless of what he ended up doing, it makes sense to me that he would grieve for the academic life he left behind.Giving up such a major part of his life - for all that it was his choice to do so - must have been a wrenching loss. And as with any loss, chosen or not, you have to grieve before you can go on. Lemon Drop writes a very believable account of how Blair may have mourned the life he walked away from.
Does this mean Ocean, Moon is a depressing story? No, I promise you it isn't. Although it deals with his depression, it's ultimately a hopeful story of Blair getting through the pain of the life-changing events of TSbBS and seeing the possibilities now in front of him - including new possibilities in his relationship with Jim.[4]
I never thought I'd recommend a story where Blair cries a lot, but in Ocean, moon by Lemon Drop it seems entirely reasonable for him to do so. It's an elegant, flowing story about what comes after a great upheaval, and how the quiet times change us as well, not just the dramatic events.[5]
I have to mention that there are tons of grammatical errors in this story (A majority is just missing quotation marks), but beyond that it is a beautifully written portrait of Blair's life around TSbyBS. Blair isn't coping well with the lead up to and the fallout from the press conference. I had to find myself from oozing right out of my seat. Every word just seemed to be charged with emotion.
This story deals with a subject I have personal experience with and I think it's handled superbly. A lot of readers have said that they don't think Blair would react like this, but I think this sort of thing can happen to anyone. I love this story because, despite the melancholy tone that permeates most of it, there is hope and it has some very sweet moments. It has one of my favourite kissing scenes in slash - I'd recommend reading the story just for that <g>.[7]
References
- ^ 2008 comments at Epic Recs
- ^ 2000 rec by eliade
- ^ "Destina's Recs". Archived from the original on 2021-01-26.
- ^ a 2005 rec at Crack Van
- ^ "the flambeau factory: recommendations 2000". Archived from the original on 2021-10-19.
- ^ "Ximeria's Lair".
- ^ Madrigal's The Sentinel Recs, January 2004