Tropes, tropes, tropes

[kateoftheangels]

After pitching head-first into Man from U.N.C.L.E. (TV) fandom, and inhaling a half-century of fic across a variety of websites, it surprised me to learn that there was a dearth of fic featuring more recent fandom tropes!

While MFU (TV) fandom practically wrote the primer on hurt/comfort fic (and a superb body of work it is, too), I didn't come across many soulmate stories, or woke-up-married fic, or that current fandom staple, omegaverse. Also absent was my favourite, the bodyswap trope, which - - in this fandom of mission hijinks and problem-solving and a troubleshooting spy duo who are ostensibly as different as chalk and cheese - - you would really have thought the fic would be primed to delve deeply into...

…Anyway, nature abhors a vacuum, and the heart wants what it wants. And, as such, behold my latest chaptered fic! Involving bodyswapping, and also discussions on the nature of the soul, Napoleon's body wearing a turtleneck, Illya's body wearing exploding underwear, dogs, seduction, boys in peril, and more pining than you could shake a stick at. (COMPLETE.)

The Turnabout Affair (…because The Bodyswap Affair would be too on-the-nose ;-) )
Napoleon/Illya, [Mature]. No archive warnings apply.
On a mission, Napoleon and Illya accidentally trigger a mind transference device, and discover something they should have known all along.
Beta by timemidae and vysila.

I will say, MFU (TV) fandom does a good line in injuryfic! Here is my own there-was-only-one-bed injuryfic - - if you were into something smuttier, and also complete. Written for smut4smut.

The Dangerous Pleasures Affair
Napoleon/Illya, [Explicit]. Depictions of aftermath of violence.
Illya has rescued Napoleon from the usual dangers of THRUSH captivity. But there’s nothing more dangerous than having to take care of his partner in the way Napoleon wants him to.
Beta by sparky955.

Come join me in the MFU (TV) handbasket, and enjoy 60 delicious years' worth of fannish output! Or, you know, create your own ;-)

ETA: Turnabout is now complete! With an explicit scene that you may skip and not lose plot or outcome, if that was your preference.

Comments

[philomytha]

A shortage of bodyswap fic in MFU fandom? I agree, they're absolutely perfect for it, you could hardly imagine a more perfect bodyswap partnership. I will definitely be following yours :-D

[kateoftheangels]

Heh, thank you! It is the most perfect bodyswap partnership. Now in the delicious flavour of [spoiler] banging to switch back!

[vysila]

Yay, you are starting to post! I'm excited for you. Have you posted in any of the communities, like Canteen or muncle as well, to possibly get more exposure? Or on LJ, if you have an LJ account?

Although honestly, you should not list me as a beta, kind as that is of you. I did very little for you.

[kateoftheangels]

I deleted my LJ account when I fled from it lo these many years ago, but perhaps I shall brave the old wilds again in order to post there (although I'm not sure if the LJ settings permit non-logged in user posts). I had not joined the canteen here on dw! I shall do so now!

And I am very grateful to you for your help and support! As far as I'm concerned, beta help comes in different shapes and sizes and scopes, and the beta help I needed most was the validation you gave (as well as the confirmation that there were no eye-wateringly dreadful canon or continuity errors). Seriously, so grateful! Though if you would be more comfy being referenced as reviewer (or an alpha reader! Which I understand is an actual term of art, heh) we can absolutely do that as well.

[vysila]

There is not much activity in any of the LJ/DW MFU communities, sadly, but people do still have them on their lists, so would probably see any postings. I'm not sure about non-user LJ posts myself.

LOL! I didn't mean to make this into a referendum on what credit I should receive - I just don't think I should appear in your gratitude list at all. But if you want me there, then whatever you feel I deserve. I do feel I failed you, but am pleased you believe I was of some use. And your story is delightful, with all credit to you.

[kateoftheangels]

Heh, a fic referendum sounds like a much more fun kind of referendum than the usual political kind! Please don't feel that you failed; it's so not true <3 I mean it, I'm very grateful, and I'm also thrilled you found delight in my story. The bodyswap trope is delightful, I'm having such fun writing it, and for these delightful guys <3

I did post to the Canteen! Thanks for the suggestion!

[dancingpony]

If you like body swap fics, you’ll probably enjoy this one if you haven’t read it. It’s short and comedic, so it’s probably far different than your new story.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35242474#kudos

I can actually only recall one other MFU body swap story, and I can’t even recall the author or title. All I remember is that the first swap was between Napoleon and Illya, but then there were several subsequent swaps … in one of which, Napoleon ended up as a woman.

[kateoftheangels]

Ah, I have not read this one! And, yes, it seems very different from what I was going for. Shayheyred is a really good writer, I really enjoy her writing, and I'm sure I will enjoy this story, too.

What I like about the bodyswap trope, apart from the comedic value, of course, is the fact that it's a forced intimacy device - - two people get to live for a day in each other's bodies, learning first-hand how the other one feels and what it means to be responsible for the other, etc etc. Napoleon and Illya are perfect candidates for this kind of thing, I'm just surprised no one seems to have been hit with the same inspiration before!

The many subsequent swaps story sounds like a blast! I hope someone swapped with Waverly, or Angelique (and that would be quite a swap, heh).