Witness (Blake's 7 story)
| Fanfiction | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Witness |
| Author(s): | Jane Baron |
| Date(s): | April 1990 |
| Length: | |
| Genre: | slash |
| Fandom: | Blake's 7 |
| External Links: | online here |
Click here for related articles on Fanlore. | |
Witness is a Blake's 7 story by Jane Baron.
It was first published in Oblaque #4 and has been archived online.
Reactions and Reviews
Again delving into the deep dark waters of Oblique here. Jane Baron is a masterful writer, as you can see from the previously recced "Fugue" saga. This piece is all about Vila angst, *sniffle*. A thief soon learns the best hiding places in even the most advanced spaceship, but what he discovers while doing so can break his heart. Avon and Blake's relationship is twisting the knife in his heart--and Jane Baron knows how to bring that across in the most sob-worthy way possible. While we have massive angst here, we also get one of the IMHO hottest, best sex Blake/Avon sex scenes out there. It's very subtly done, seen through Vila's eyes--the sensuality and the eroticism are breathtaking. And that, of course, brings out Vila's memories of Avon in a holding cell, something entirely different to what's going on with Blake and Avon.
Melancholy but sweet, enjoyable for the angst, the gorgeous writing (I melted at some of the metaphors and descriptions here, brilliance) carrying you through it easily all the way to the bitter end.[1]
Jane Baron's only Avon/Vila scene is in this story, a bittersweet piece imagining that Avon and Blake are in love and Vila is watching sadly from hiding.[2]
In "Witness" a lonely Vila hides away to watch Blake and Avon making love, and remembers what happened after Avon rescued him from would be rapists on the London. The flashback scenes are especially well done, with both characters eminently recognisable. The writer uses stock phrases of the "shut up, Vila" variety to great effect rather than as easy options.[3]
MUSE OF FIRE RESPONSIBLE: Jane Baron
HAS POOR VILA BEEN DRAGOONED INTO THIS SHITSHOW? Vila
WHY ARE BLAKE AND AVON DOOMED THIS WEEK? They can be together! Good for them. Bad for Vila. Oh well, so long as someone’s made miserable! ****Oblique****
EDITOR’S NOTE: no
PROSE: good
OVERALL: I don’t think this does Vila any favours, and I think he’s cooler than this, but it’s NICE sex writing and kind of unusual for the pairing/an interesting outsider perspective. It’s decent to Blake even while being too SPECIAL SPECIAL AVON!!
This feels like it COULD be post-Fugue? Possibly? [4]
References
- ^ from Crack Van, recced by snowgrouse, July 29, 2004
- ^ 2002 comments by Predatrix
- ^ review by CB at Judith Proctor's Blake's 7 site, Archived version.
- ^ review by Erin Horáková as part of a series: see Oblique Reviews -- Oblique Reviews #11, Archived version (January 23, 2017)