The Mighty Boosh Christmas Special of Glitter - Chapter 1

[bluestocking79]

Title: The Mighty Boosh Christmas Special of Glitter - Chapter 1
Pairing: Howard Moon/Vince Noir
Summary: In which Howard is plotting, Vince is worrying, Naboo is partying, and Christmas is coming-er, arriving-very soon.
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 2800
Notes: I’m SO sorry for needing a whole week to get the ball rolling, but I hope the fact that it

Comments

[hobbit_feets]

So! Here I finally am, and let me just say first of all what a fantastically rich first instalment this is for the fic, and how entirely, hand-rubbingly delighted I am to be taking it on from you. You've set up so much here! And what a great idea to carry it on from the Hallowe'en Special.

You always hit the nail right on the head when it comes to a good third person limited narration, and this one is no exception, how you set up the situation from both of their perspectives, and of course it makes perfect understandable sense to each of them the way they're perceiving it, but the reader, seeing both, is just going DAMNIT BOYS, GDI, YOU'RE MAKING THIS MORE DIFFICULT THAN IT NEEDS TO BE.

Howard and his thoughts about their relationship just make me want to hug him. Being all satisfied at the ~symbolism of the box with its noble simplicity contrasted with the glittery bow, and being alright with Naboo and Bollo thinking his dopey smiles are creepy, because Vince seems to find them endearing and that's the important thing. His smug conviction in his own cleverness about his ~sneaky planning, and: There weren’t a lot of things that Howard got right, but for once in his life, he was going to make sure that Vince’s Christmas was perfect. Oh, Howard. There's Howard, under his beaten-down s3 self, knowing that he doesn't often get things right BUT DAMNIT HE'S GOING TO DO IT THIS TIME. The irony is a bit wrenching.

And then the switch to Vince, oh boy. You really do get right into his insecurities and confusions and write them in the most fantastically visceral way. The way he constructs this Catch 22 for himself, where, yeah, those outcomes are not impossible, or even unlikely, in a worst-case scenario, but he's so convinced that he knows exactly what Howard will do and hasn't quiiiiiite yet got his head 'round the idea that there are other ways to work these things out.

Just: Vince’s face felt hot and his heart started beating as fast as a hummingbird’s wings and his stomach and throat clenched up into a huge horrible knot that was hard to breathe past, and he just generally felt the urge to squirm and curl into a ball like he’d used to do when he was a nipper, as tiny as he could make himself, and hide his face and not be seen by anybody, not even Howard

GOD, MY TWISTY ACHEY CHEST. My own heart nearly starts racing in sympathy.

But it totally rings true for Vince that he... basically always assumed he'd spend the rest of his life with Howard, even before they started dating, but all the Expectations and the weight of what he imagines marriage to mean are terrifying. Those aren't things he's good at, and of course he freaks out at the prospect.

BUT THEN, oh my god, the final third, with the adorable banter and so many delightful little details. Stationery Village decorated for the holiday, the shamans off on a holiday retreat getting blitzed out of their skulls, Howard's Beard Experiment! Recalling, surely, your thoughts on how Howard would only ever grow a beard if he either was feeling much more confident in himself or so miserable that he just didn't care anymore. And then, oh, Howard with his awkward hopefulness and vulnerability and terrible dorky jokes (which he then explains. With fingerguns!) is perfect. And the little beat where Vince notices that Howard's kept the tinsel boutonnière and never complained once, and that's what decides him-- oof. OH VINCE. That's just heartwrenching.

Anyway, yes, all that is to say everything happening here is great, and I am super excited to continue it.

[bluestocking79]

Ahhhhh, thank you! You wonderful reviews always make me want to ramble back forever, because they give me so many thoughts! *rolls around in the goodness*

You totally nailed what it is that I love about doing those very strictly limited 3rd person POVs! I adore the challenge of writing them, because everybody's interpretation of things and their assumptions make perfect sense to them, even though it's all distorted through their insecurities and fears and hopes and experiences; it's only when we look at all the perspectives from the outside that it's obvious where all the flaws and biases are. And that's where all the miscommunications and misunderstandings happen.

I am so glad you approve of Howard's thoughts about their relationship! I feel like, in Howard's mind, he's so insecure about his own issues and hang ups and inexperience that it's never actually occured to him so far that Vince also has plenty of insecurities and hang ups and issues of his own, and doesn't actually have any more experience at this sort of relationship than Howard does... and probably feels less prepared to handle it. Howard's kind of blinded by his own self-consciousness at the moment. And he tends to be almost childlike in his belief that those things just work out, like fairy tales. Vince is much more aware of the potential for actual disaster. But he is so, so determined to get it right this time! In his mind, he wants to make up for demanding so much of Vince by demonstrating how special he really is to Howard and how much Howard appreciates him... unfortunately, he's missing some critical insight there.

And yesssss, yes, Vince is totally terrified of the formalities there, because he is so very convinced he'll fail. He'll inevitably disappoint, fail to live up to those grand expectations and responsibilities. He feels like he's not even competent at caring for himself, so how can he be a Married Person well? He's never seen that kind of behavior modeled; it's a mystery to him. But I am so, so thrilled you like the description of the insecurities and emotions in a physical way. I tend to sometimes experience my own emotions in a very physical way, and it seems like something that would be very true for Vince, that he'd be intensely aware of the physical experience of the feelings without immediately being able to identify the feelings for what they are or realize what's triggering them.

And you are right about Howard's Beard Experiment being inspired by that conversation! This Howard felt confident and settled enough to want to explore that territory. Vince was telling me that Howard's cheek was bristly when he kissed him, but it took me a bit to figure out why.

And the little beat where Vince notices that Howard's kept the tinsel boutonnière and never complained once, and that's what decides him-- oof. OH VINCE. That's just heartwrenching.

Perversely, this makes me so happy! I mean, it was intended to be, but I'm glad it was that to you. It's only now that I realize why it was that that decides Vince, and it's because it illustrates what Vince is thinking about love being about compromise and sacrificing a bit so the other person can be happy... as though wearing a tinsel boutonniere without complaint is on the same level as swallowing all your gut-wrenching terror and fear about commitment. Oh, VINCE.

I can't wait to see what you'll do with it, and I am so excited to read how it'll be continued! This is so much fun.