MFU fic: Sublimierung

[xparrot]

This is slash, but the sex is het. Yeah, I don't know. Blame Napoleon. Thanks to utopiantrunks for catching my typos, the little_details comm for Russian advice, and Wikipedia and Google Maps for the rest.

MFU: Sublimierung {~3,100 words}
PG-13 (non-explicit sex); het, slash
"I'm sorry you're missing your date," Illya said, at four thousand feet over the South China Sea.

( She started work in U.N.C.L.E. New York, Research section, on Monday; Napoleon had his social calendar cleared by Wednesday evening. )

Comments

[kleenexwoman.livejournal.com]

very well-written--the dialogue in particular is great. loved
Illya had recently been rereading Freud, and applying it to their foes with unsettling conclusions. A THRUSH-man's Oedipal complex was not something Napoleon cared to contemplate in detail, especially not when he had met some of the mothers in question.
this line especially. have saved this one to memories. :)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

So glad you enjoyed it! Their dialogue is such fun...(and it is rather disturbing to apply Freud to the various creative bondage Thrushies are into ^^;)

[bistokids.livejournal.com]

Lovely dialogue, and the parallel sections device worked beautifully. I really enjoyed reading this - thanks. :)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, very glad it worked for you!

[tanndell.livejournal.com]

You made me read het, and love it. I read the title and went 'Nietzsche hmmm.' and the fic fell into place. It was wonderfully vivid and marvellously canon.
I've been immersing myself in the mfu fandom recently, and the number of fics from Napolean's pov, mostly from people who fancy Illya is interesting. I wonder if it's because Napolean is easier to write, or because we all want to see Illya from the perspective of someone who loves him? Must go be thinky about this.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee - I don't know why I'm writing het! But very glad you enjoyed it.

I've written 4 fics so far, 2 from Napoleon's POV and 2 from Illya's (though the long one I'm working on is Illya's.) Illya's my favorite but I find Napoleon a fascinating char to try to get into the head of; he's got more layers than are readily apparently. And yes, it is appealing to be able to "look at" Illya from Napoleon's eyes...

[spike21.livejournal.com]

awwwww. wonderful. I love the way Napoleon does and doesn't say the things he feels here. I love that he truly enjoyed his date and the sex with the beautiful agent -- it didn't lessen one iota the truth of his devotion. He wasn't faking it for either of them -- he was honouring them both in a weird way. I really liked this.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

So glad you enjoyed it!

I enjoy Napoleon's seductions, because he's so very...hmm...honest? about them. He doesn't fall in love, but he doesn't claim to; he's a hedonist and loves pleasure, but giving pleasure is as appealing to him as getting it. He seems to like best the women who know the game as well as he does, and play by the same rules...all in good fun and no one gets hurt. It's oddly innocent, and appealing for it.

[spike21.livejournal.com]

This is so true. For a while I was *very* into the books and the date Napolean has in The Copenhagen affair might appeal to you. It's with a beautiful swedish agent who mysteriously always wears gloves and the whole thing plays out very nicely and has a bittersweet quality that fits with that idea of what Napoleon appreciates in a woman. Or a partner.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I do have to check the novels out (I've found some of them online, very convenient!)

(The funny thing is, I'm crazily OTP about Napoleon/Illya, but Napoleon is so carefree about sex that his dalliances never bother me. They don't really have any bearing on his commitment to Illya, because that's of such a different nature. So I find myself liking the Innocents, more often than not. And hey, Napoleon's kind of goofily awesome, when he turns on the charm...)

[jessebee.livejournal.com]

OMG, a het MfU fic that I not only liked, I re-read. You score! Seriously, this was very nicely done, although one has to concentrate so as not to lose track of the sections. Oh, Napoleon, I don't think you're actually fooling anyone but yourself....

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it, het and all! (I don't write het often myself...Napoleon, what are you doing to me?)

And yes, I wonder if he's even fooling himself...

[theladyrose.livejournal.com]

The parallel structure works beautifully here; there's that balance of teasing exchanges and implied wistfulness that gently skirts the heart of the matter. Umm, that comment made more sense in my head, but all these intertwined moments felt authentic. Lovely work as always!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

So glad you enjoyed it! I am way too fond of writing around things rather than delving into them head-on; I like to feel my way...

[quoshara.livejournal.com]

"Ah, of course. Sublimation. Yes, that's it."

Oh my. Oh, Illya. *bites lip and giggles* So astute on so many levels and needing to loan Napoleon his clue.

This was lovely!

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee, so glad you enjoyed it! I was hoping it would come across as a little funny - they can be such idiots, they crack me up ^_^

[nangi-akki.livejournal.com]

Really enjoyed this story.

"His focused face hardly cracked a smile, but his blue eyes were sparkling, as he took the lead and reeled Napoleon in."
Loved this line on so many levels - such a gorgeous mental picture plus the whole concept of "reeling in".

"Napoleon kissed her back, ardently, saved the embarrassment of admitting he had no gin handy." A wonderfully humanizing touch
and this also:
"I have had too much," he said, the words stilted, pronounced with exaggerated care that paradoxically canceled his accent, rather than intensifying it.

I liked the disorienting way you wrote the "Which way" story since that was the way that Napoleon would have recalled it. And such a great last line to that section:
His teeth were gritted and his eyes were locked on the busy streets, and his face was as pale as if he were the one losing blood. "Which way?"

Loved Illya psychoanalyzing the Thrushies and loved that Napoleon knows Nietzsche - and in the original German, no less.

Someone made a comment on another story a few days ago about how much she loved the "grown up" stories that she read in MFU and I think that is also what I appreciate about this story.
It's been very interesting coming back to MFU as an adult, especially in regards to my feelings about Napoleon. As a teen I was completely Illya obsessed and hardly spared a thought for "the other guy". Meeting these characters now, 30 years later, I see that there's alot more to Napoleon than meets the eye. Still love that Illya, of course, but it's more equal now.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks so much for such a long, thoughtful comment! It really made my day, to know you enjoyed the story so. I'm especially glad you liked the "which way" section - h/c lover that I am, that might be my favorite part ^_^ And of course Napoleon knows Nietzche - well, I think he does, anyway. Illya knows everything but Napoleon's no slouch - he can't be, or Illya wouldn't put up with him. ^_^

It's funny, because Illya is my favorite (I never watched the show as a kid - a deprived childhood! - but I find myself reverting to teenager-hood when I watch, squealing over Illya - his hair! his mouth! his eyes! his everything else!) - but I find Napoleon fascinating. And more than anything, their relationship is what compels me to fic.

[katyabaturinsky.livejournal.com]

This is marvelous -- loved the structure, with the mirrored plot points, and the mix of humor and drama evoked the show very well. And you really captured their respective personalities perfectly!

I'm thrilled to see that you're writing MFU -- I've enjoyed your writing in other fandoms very much. (Now that both you and utopiantrunks are writing NS/IK, I suppose that means I'll actually have to resurrect my long-neglected recs page and catch up on several years of MFU fic. Drat. *g*)

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Especially that I got their personalities...always the challenge of a new fandom. And these boys have such delightful selves, I wouldn't want to do them wrong.

Also, yay recs! Your page is most appreciated - I've been trawling for good fic (of which this fandom has pleasing amounts), always nice to have pointers! (even if some are zine-only...ahh, the hazards of older fandoms!)

[elmey.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to let you know that I recced this story on crackvan today--it was hard to choose one, but I think this one's great.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Eee, thank you for the rec - I'm honored! ^_^

[georgiamagnolia.livejournal.com]

oh Oh OH!

I loved the back and forth and then Napoleon calling Illya, as if there were some sublimating going on... Well done, you! Thank you for sharing this lovely story.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it! Yes, I think there might be a wee bit of sublimation... ^^

[kanders07.livejournal.com]

Lovely. I really liked the back and forth of the scenes. Great story.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[mcicioni.livejournal.com]

I am not a big MFU fan and came to your story via someone else's recommendation - and I'm so glad I did. Love your writing style. Love the brackets device. Love it that you stay firmly in NS's pov, so that readers never find out what Za Vas! means.

Love Illya's teasing You are practiced in such practice yourself," he said. "Disciplined in lax discipline.".

Love, totally and unreservedly, the ironical layers of the last exchange.

Many thanks.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it, thank you for the lovely comment! Mmm, irony...

("Za Vas" actually is translated - it's a tradition toast, "to you" - though it's slipped in there as an aside and is easy to miss. I figure Napoleon does know basic Russian, just not enough to follow anything complex. ...er, if you were wondering ^^;)

[periwinkle27.livejournal.com]

I apologize - somehow I missed this when it was posted. I really liked it and especially liked the scenes with Illya. The counterpoint of the het/slash is well done too.

[xparrot.livejournal.com]

Hee, thank you, so glad you enjoyed it, now that you found it! I love getting comments a while after a story is posted, it's always great to know it's still out there ^_^

[periwinkle27.livejournal.com]

I was looking for mfu_shortstorie suggestions. You should get some more readers....