Sule Skerrie

Fanfiction
Title:	Sule Skerrie
Author(s):	Shoshanna
Date(s):	1990 circuit story, 2003 (archived online)
Length:	59k
Genre(s):	slash
Fandom(s):	The Professionals
Relationship(s):
External Links:	Sule Skerrie, Archived version, Sule Skerry (Ao3), Archived version
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Sule Skerrie is a Professionals slash story by Shoshanna.

Synopsis: "No true land, that, but the abode of selkies and such. It comes and goes, and there's tales of girls lost and never seen again, when it appears. Mind you stay away."

Summaries

In 2000, two fans Cassie Ingaben and Dagger compiled an index of many of the circuit stories. They also wrote brief summaries:

• "Dagger: Raymond's a simple fisherman, with a soul longing for more than can be had in his present life. Bodie's a selkie, seal-man, who saw him singing to the sea and fell in love."
• "Cassie: D is a fisherman in the middle ages. B, a seal-man, is in love with him and wants them to live together. Despite fears and trouble from the villagers and priest, D goes."

Author's Comments: 1994

The author commented upon the ending in this story:

I find that I'm rather suspicious of "joy," and really prefer a more problematic working- through; although I can enjoy a gloriously happy ending, it's very difficult for me to write one. (Sarah can tell you about having to explain to me why "Sule Skerrie" worked; I didn't believe the ending while I was writing it.)

Reactions/Reviews

1994

I would still have loved that story with any ending you put on it, because the story itself had joy (not to mention it was a beautifully poetic piece of writing).

2007

A beautifully written, strange yet compelling story. One of the most enduring impressions I'm left with after reading Sule Skerrie is how strong the atmosphere is - an atmosphere which reflects the pervasive presence of one of the story's main characters, the sea - dark, brooding and powerful. And yet there’s a quiet to this story and a certain serenity which is reflected in the character of Raymond: a solitary, lonely, unfulfilled young man whose life and expectations are dominated and almost mirrored by the black void which is the ocean.... until one day he encounters a beautiful sea-creature emerging from the deep..

Oh, I adore this story, and you're right, so much of its wonder for me is to do with the atmosphere that's created, you can feel the times, and the sea, and the need they both have to break out of that world. It's so gorgeous! It reminds me of another story, atmosphere-wise, by Irene, which is only available in Roses and Lavender 2, sadly. There's the same sort of... brave-innocent atmosphere to it, I think, the idealism of Doyle turned to a kind of innocence, perhaps, just waiting for Bodie to give him the excuse he needs - the overwhelmingness of their need to be together - to escape from the world that he's forced to live in by that innocence (Doyle's ideals?) Hmmn - as usual I'm making this up as I go along, but I was trying to think why such AU characters should still ring true to me, and I think that might be it: Bodie is the more worldly wise, although it doesn't make him any smarter or able to avoid danger etc, Doyle is tied to the different worlds by his idealism/beliefs but that doesn't make him less smart or prone to danger - they're suited because they complement each other so well.

And, sorry to be the odd one out here, but I really didn't enjoy it at all! I couldn't relate these characters to my B&D, I could quite see the appeal of the atmospheric writing but it could have been standalone fic about two other characters for me. I've seen other people say that about other stories which I don't have this problem with and it is unusual for me not to get into an AU at all, but no. Just didn't press my buttons! Thinking about it, this may be partly because I realise that I don't go much generally on stories where either character transforms into animals/werewolves/vampires/cats. My mind started to shear away the moment I realised where the silkie/Bodie link was headed!