Fic: Bel Canto

[rubberbutton]

Title: Bel Canto
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Sam/Gene
Words: 6,000
Warnings: nada
Notes: A million thanks to elynittria, a far better beta than I deserve.
Summary: Sam and Gene investigate theft at the Manchester Opera House.

Comments

[edzel2]

I absolutely love this story - this is my first reading of it, but I'm certain it won't be my last. I won't repeat all the parts I like (because that would be as long as story itself, LOL) but if I can refer to some of the previous comments:

Un bel di vedremo - I know that tune, I've known it for years without actually remembering exactly where it was from. Previously I've always associated it with 'Inspector Morse' because Morse was a big opera fan and it was used to great dramatic effect in one particular episode... now, however, I think it will always remind me of this fabulous story and the tradgedy that Sam and Gene's story kind of is (and definitely is if you happen to subscribe to canon all the way through to the end of A2A!). And it made the hair on the back of MY neck stand up, too...

I think Donna is a wonderfully drawn character - I don't know about you, but I always feel extra specially pleased with myself if/when I manage to create a believable OC! My OH keeps asking me when I'm going to 'stop playing at it' (writing fanfic) and 'write something you can actually sell'. I generally fob him off by telling him that fanfic is 'practise' for The Big Novel when in fact I have considerably difficulty knuckling downn to the writing of any story which doesn't have Someone Who Is Played By John Simm in it... I'm on a real LoM fic-writing kick at the moment and I love the idea of an OC having such a profound effect on Sam and Gene! (sorry for taking such a long-winded way to say how much I liked her!)

I do agree with TalkingToTheSky about Donna, acutally, too: "I ended up liking Donna by the end but for a lot of it I was so worried about her. What with Gene's paranoia at the start, the way she so easily picked up on their connection made me nervous. It seemed like she tricked Sam into confirming her suspicions and I thought she might be out to ruin them. Thankfully she wasn't!" There needs, in fact, to be a fic where this happens; or at least there should be the threat of it running through the story... Hmm... plot bunnies are getting restless again... *grins*

You replied: "I actually meant for this fic to be a lot fluffier than it came out. I wanted the boys gallivanting about, looking fine and making-out in the wings, but the tone was always off. " I have to confess that I have a bit of a problem with fluffy Sam/Gene inasmuch as I generally just can't quite believe it (there are fics which are the exception of course). The way you've written them feels so very believable to me so I have to say I'm quite pleased it wasn't fluffy... although if anyone can make fluffy Sam/Gene believable I'm sure you could! And as several readers have commented, you have their voices just right, they were so clear.

I never knew until now that what I know as 'rocket' is in fact 'arugula'. It made me smile (once I'd Wiki'd it to find out what it was) that Sam would (naturally) use the proper name - although I doubt if Gene would even know what 'rocket' was, since he strikes me a the kind of man who wouldn't touch salad with a barge pole...

Welcome to the fandom - better late than never, as they say! I'll definitely be looking out for your work from now on!

[rubberbutton]

Aw, thanks so much, dollface! I had a lot of fun writing it -- I'm glad you enjoyed it.

I never knew until now that what I know as 'rocket' is in fact 'arugula'.

I never actually knew it was called anything other than arugula. I didn't grow up eating much besides iceburg lettuce, so my exposure was pretty limited.