Crackfic memo to self
26 August 2025 10:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
igenlodeI realised this morning, on coming across a copy of "Jo's Boys", that I couldn't actually *remember* the crackfic idea that I'd had for a crossover of something or other with Jo's school set-up in "Little Men" -- who were the couple I'd vaguely envisioned as filling in for Amy and Laurie as the generous rich relations, and what canon had it been?
Light suddenly dawned again in the middle of my singing practice tonight (concert in a week and a half, alas). It was of course the crackfic idea about Athos' school for gentlemen:
And I think it was Porthos and his elderly spouse who would have played the role of descending upon the chateau with treats for all... or possibly have played the Meg & John Brooke role of parents of the non-orphan pupils, the brother and sister Daisy and Demi (or presumably Jean and Marguerite? ;-) Unfortunately this canon is a little under-endowed with actual marriages; Aramis would make quite a good art-loving uncle in the Laurie mode, but can't very well supply a wife and daughter, although he might quite conceivably put forward a 'patroness' from among the noble ladies of his broad acquaintance! Porthos has no canonical children, but I feel he ought to have some, as he would enjoy them (and probably be great fun as a father) -- the Soviet film had the right idea in cheerfully invoking a future involving a string of "round, charming, tiny Portosiki": Porthoslets :-D So I would have no compunction whatsoever in endowing him with a pair of adored and anxiously watched-over twins, courtesy of crossover parallels.
What the idea never did have, of course, is a plot, although possibly in a one-shot crossover crackfic you can get away with just establishing the setup and leaving it at that.
(Also, where is the actual Raoul in all this? He can't very well turn up at the gates like Nat -- though someone will have to, in order to establish the set-up -- since the whole idea was that acquiring one foundling was the stimulus for setting out to educate them en masse...)
Light suddenly dawned again in the middle of my singing practice tonight (concert in a week and a half, alas). It was of course the crackfic idea about Athos' school for gentlemen:
Dumas could have just as easily have had him simply choose to adopt a genuine foundling: going by Athos's attitude to the much younger d'Artagnan, he does have a pent-up need to protect and educate, but since he is emotionally far too messed up to want to remarry, it would be not implausible for him to have taken on a child -- or a whole group! -- of his own accord. I can actually see Athos setting up a 'school for gentlemen' somewhat in the spirit of "Jo's Boys", with the aim of taking in the unfortunate or undisciplined young, and turning out perfectly educated youths who would improve the general standards of courtesy and chivalry ;-p
And I think it was Porthos and his elderly spouse who would have played the role of descending upon the chateau with treats for all... or possibly have played the Meg & John Brooke role of parents of the non-orphan pupils, the brother and sister Daisy and Demi (or presumably Jean and Marguerite? ;-) Unfortunately this canon is a little under-endowed with actual marriages; Aramis would make quite a good art-loving uncle in the Laurie mode, but can't very well supply a wife and daughter, although he might quite conceivably put forward a 'patroness' from among the noble ladies of his broad acquaintance! Porthos has no canonical children, but I feel he ought to have some, as he would enjoy them (and probably be great fun as a father) -- the Soviet film had the right idea in cheerfully invoking a future involving a string of "round, charming, tiny Portosiki": Porthoslets :-D So I would have no compunction whatsoever in endowing him with a pair of adored and anxiously watched-over twins, courtesy of crossover parallels.
What the idea never did have, of course, is a plot, although possibly in a one-shot crossover crackfic you can get away with just establishing the setup and leaving it at that.
(Also, where is the actual Raoul in all this? He can't very well turn up at the gates like Nat -- though someone will have to, in order to establish the set-up -- since the whole idea was that acquiring one foundling was the stimulus for setting out to educate them en masse...)