Fic: No Length of String (In the Flesh, Simon/Kieren, R)

[westernredcedar]

Hi all! My love of In the Flesh has spawned some fic. I know this is a long shot read for many of you who haven't watched the show, but I have solution for you! Watch! It's only 9 episodes! If you missed my original sales pitch for the show, it's here. /pestering

Here's the fic. It's Part 1, with Part 2 coming in the next day or two, on AO3.

Title: No Length of String
Author: westernredcedar
Summary: The most shocking thing about being alive again is that Simon doesn't hate it the second time round.
Rated: R
Pairing: Simon/Kieren
Length: 2700 words, so far
Warnings/Tags: Simon POV, Character study, Drug abuse, Suicide, Past violence, angst, kissing, missing scenes
Notes: This was my first attempt at airing some of my Simon and Kieren headcanon, and the angst-fest that is Simon's life. Enjoy!

Hope you are having a lovely summer, my dears. *hugsflist*

Comments

[bk7brokemybrain.livejournal.com]

I loved it, and wanted to say that here, too. I think one does not need to know the show at all to read your fic. You did a fantastic job of making it about Simon, not about that 'verse, so once one knows the basics, reading and enjoying is easy.

As an aside: Does anyone else get weirded out by the thought of dead people having sex? Not the emotional/mental aspects, but the physical mechanics of it all? There are different kinds of dead people, zombies, vampires, but all of them are dead, don't eat, don't drink, don't produce fluids or moisture or lubrication in important places. I try not to think too hard about it, but can't stop myself, and I get a bit squicked. I try to take the MST3K way to relaxation, but the very literal part of me can't get over it.

On the good side,
SPOILERS
it seems our PDS sufferers may be getting better! Yayz! So I am very interested to see what happens culturally and politically to these people who have been stripped of their human rights once they are human again.

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Thank you again, my dear.

On the aside: Oh my, yes. The whole dead people, intimacy, sex, even kissing/touching is very tricky to wrap my head around. I mean, I was already working overtime in this short thing to have Simon experience all this sort of "sense memory" feeling, or something, just to make it even work at all. I mean, they HAVE NO SENSE OF TOUCH, Amy is very clear on that point. I'm going to fight with this in part two, because in my mind, after the lunch at Kieren's house in ep. 5, I am sure that these two boys do some version of intense physical intimacy...but it's got to be something kind of weird, and not fluid related, and non blood flow, so...yeah, It's just a show, I should really just relax. BUT, it's also fun to try and imagine options for them. Oddly, I find it less squicky because they are both dead, rather than say, Buffy/Angel, where only he is dead, and I'm like, isn't he weirdly waxy and cold to the touch?? Does he have spit? Do you really want to snuggle up with him? How does he smell? Etc.

But yes, Spoilers: can you imagine if they've been kind of "making do" for a while in their sex life, and then they get real feeling back! *eee* Holy hotness.

[bk7brokemybrain.livejournal.com]

can you imagine if they've been kind of "making do" for a while in their sex life, and then they get real feeling back!

YES! *blinks blankly like Liz Lemon* "I want to go to there..."

I can imagine if zombie love is all mental and emotional, not so much physical, how true those attractions would be, and how rare. I don't think the PDS have no sense of feeling at all, do they? Otherwise, how do they walk, apply makeup, navigate the world, hold tools, hold a pen? I know Amy said she could now feel the cold, etc., but I guess I don't understand/remember the rules of this affliction well. It's always a mistake for a world builder to get too specific, unless all the details are worked out. Let the fanfic writers decide that stuff, lol.

Also, I really love your title and the quote it came from. How are you acquainted with that writer? Is it something you studied, or came across and it stuck with you?
I do monthly quote searches to illuminate my event listing for a munch I host, so I scan lots of great quotes. Hard to pick only one sometimes.

[westernredcedar.livejournal.com]

Darling, I will be your Jack Donaghy and pour you a stiff drink to go with your blank stare. *jams it into your hand*

All of your questions about zombie sensation are also my questions. They'd just be flailing around, helpless, with no actual sense of feeling at all, hence my attampts at some middle ground with this sort of unsatisfying random feeling and memory of touch. I do think this is an example where either Amy as a character is exaggerating, or the show writers didn't totally think a plot point out to its full implications.

I wish I had some deep connection to this quote, but I actually just did a quote search using the key word "listening" and found this one. It's actually a much longer, wonderful metaphor about communication and string and cup phones. I should find out what the context of the original is, though! I really like the writers voice. I love finding a good quote to match an idea, sounds like you get to do that every month!

[bk7brokemybrain.livejournal.com]

Make mine Maker's Mark, three rocks, a little water.
I shall imbibe while I ponder ITF.