Fanfic_Whore, Of Bedknobs and Smokesticks, White Cortina

[fanfic_whore]

Title: Of Bedknobs and Smokesticks
Author: Fanfic_whore
Pairing: Sam/Gene
Rating: White Cortina
Word Count: 1335
Summary: Erm angst I think. A little early morning snapshot of Sam and Gene’s relationship.
A/N: I was hoping for something resembling happy but I guess this is the result of my twisted brain’s attempts at catharsis and distraction.

Comments

[liquorishflame]

Sad :( Reminds me of a line from 'This Song Has No Title' by Elton. 'I'm an innocent young boy sharp as a knife.' This is lovely characterization, don't put yourself down. Sam is so naive, and that blinds him to the years of heavy knowledge that Gene has. And how Gene just knows how it is, and how it's gotta go, but Sam dosen't get it yet, and may never. I liked this very very much :)

[fanfic_whore]

Thank you for this lovely comment. That is the way I'm seeing them at the minute, both of them stuggling to hold onto the other, Sam with his naive idealism and Gene with his weary cynicism, and yeah, they may never get it.

[dorsetgirl]

But this is beautiful. I can feel the silence, the weight of all those tears and thoughts and desperate hopes that are crushing Sam. You have described that room, that cold early-hours loneliness, so well.

And Gene - he couldn’t explain to such a young whippersnapper what twenty years of familiarity felt like. Oh God, I've been there, and I still think in some ways it's harder to be the one trying to decide to leave, than the one being abandoned. It does take great strength. And Gene is carrying that burden and you've caught it wonderfully.

You've got so much imagery packed in here. I really liked Bare legs trailed invitingly upward, their promised prize hidden by the tails of a shirt. His shirt, Gene realised. A gorgeous picture of Sammy, combined with the idea that he's has chosen to wear Gene's shirt rather than his own. That says so much and you've dropped it in so delicately

[fanfic_whore]

Wow. It always suprises me when people find so much in what I've written. The image of Sam in the shirt smoking his way through the early morning was the very clear picture I had in my head when I started this. Everything else kind of grew around it, so I'm really glad you liked that image.

Oddly enough I'm that young wippersnapper, my longest realtionship is in the months, not the years category, but I've seen those kind of marriages my whole life and watched them ebb and flow over the years. And I don't think I've ever seen one where anyone found the guts to leave. Not in that generation bracket anyway.

But really glad this touched you, hope it didn't depress you too much!

[sytaxia]

This was so beautifully done - just wonderful. You definitely did not butcher the characters at all. One of the most interesting things about Sam and Gene is that they're not only archetypes, each one is an archetype that exemplifies and era: Sam is entirely wrapped up in talking things out and using logic and science to ferret everything out, he's from a world where not being able to adequately describe your feelings is a failing, not the status quo, and it just seems like it would be so hard for him to comprehend Gene in this type of relationship - not only is it 20 years of "something horrifically comforting" (oh, what a great line - this was just so fantastically written, very poignant) that Gene is dealing with, but all of his reservations about what their relationship means, and what manhood means - not being able to adequately describe your feelings is status quo and so much more for him, it's like a rock to hide behind, and Sam's never going to be able to drag him out from behind it, because it's a part of him, and part that

[dorsetgirl]

Sytaxia, your analysis of Sam and Gene as archetypes of their respective ages is awesome, and you're right, fanfic_whore (great name) has laid this out on the page so clearly and lovingly.

not being able to adequately describe your feelings is ... like a rock to hide behind, and ... it's a part of him ... that so much of his strength and stoicism comes from

I hadn't thought of it quite like that, but I absolutely agree. These people would never have made it through the War with their sanity intact if they'd approached things Sam's way.

[fanfic_whore]

Okay so I think you've managed to put your finger on what I was trying to do, but couldn't quite get my head around it last night. It's those archetypes that draw them together so powerfully because they both fill in the gaps in the others personality and yet its those same things that are pulling them apart, because they are too different, too strange to each other. As you say, each drawing strength from what the other can’t accept, Sam drawing strength from his emotions and Gene from his stoicism.

But very glad you enjoyed this.

[hambelandjemima]

I agree with what the others have said. This is sad, but not depressing. It's beautiful, especially the image of Sam in Gene's shirt :)

I sort of get the impression that they have this conversation every now and again, simply because Sam has to. Things get promised, but nothing changes, and they both know and accept it.

Gene has spent half of his life with his wife; that's not something you give up easily, and Sam won't be able to understand that, because he's never been there.

I, too, will put up my hand and say that I love this comm and the people on it :)

[fanfic_whore]

Yeah I think they do have this conversation every now and again, largely cos Sam wont let it go, has to keep picking at it. And I don't know whether Sam accepts it or if he just keeps hoping that one day things will change. I think he can have that kind of dogged eternal hope. The triumph of optimism in the face of experience kind of thing.

But thanks for taking the time to write such a ncie comment.

[northern_rain]

Wow.

I think what has been said before sums up my reaction...sad but not depressing. And oddly hopeful too...And Sam probably had the remaining years

I just love the picture you painted here.

[sytaxia]

Popped back in to re-read this before heading off to bed, and saw your comment, and I just have to say: ICON LOVE! Usual Suspects is one of my top ten favorite films of all time *g*

[fanfic_whore]

I'm glad you could find some hope in there, I didn't want it to be a depressing peice, just a contemplative one.

And like the image of Sam in the shirt this is one of the lines that was knocking around my head, begging to be written. Glad you liked it.

Oh and I agree, Usual Suspects is genius.