The Hillbilly Remix Challenge - Ghosts in the Tunnels by thornfield_girl

[norgbelulah]

Remixed Author: nigeltde
Remixed Story: A House Halfway
Title: Ghosts in the Tunnels
Author: thornfield_girl
Characters Raylan Givens, Boyd Crowder
Pairings: Raylan Givens/Boyd Crowder
Rating: R
Word count: 3,666
Spoilers: Current canon, no spoilers
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: Justified belongs to Elmore Leonard and Graham Yost.
A/N: Thanks to norgbelulah and engage_protocol for being great betas as usual.

Comments

[halfshellvenus]

Ooh, interesting that you picked a quote from a different fandom. I was half-hoping my excerpt from a Hurt Locker fic would get remixed, just for that reason.

This covers several of my favorite hurt/comfort tropes, and is very true to the characters and setting. The obnoxious unpredictability of Dickie (more dangerous than he has any right to be), the wistful sadness of how Boyd looks at Raylan when the antagonism fades. And this,

A coal miner, a thug, a hard man: he is all these things. This is not the essence of him, though. These are the things he does, how he keeps living.

which is what just gets you about Boyd, that he has the potential not to be those things, but that circumstances always seem to steer him back there.

The ending is so bittersweet, because the truth of it is that Raylan and Boyd are more likely to relive those old patterns than to make new ones. Though we love the potential for that, too. :)

[engage_protocol]

God, I loved this so much.

The ending in particular really grabbed me, just When Boyd is sent on his way, he glances over and raises a hand in farewell. Raylan waves back and says, “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you.”

Boyd just laughs and walks away.

It's so them.

[nigeltde]

WOW. This is amazing! While of course it breaks my heart I love how enigmatic and estranged Boyd is here. And the voices which start out perfectly and then the whole situation gets so emotionally claustrophobic; wonderful work! I also loved the hints about their past, which seems to make so much sense.

[lymricks]

This was such a great read! I love the sensory details about the smells at the beginning.