Riposte, Counter, Disengage

Fanfiction
Title:	Riposte, Counter, Disengage
Author(s):	Laura Mason
Date(s):	11 July 2004
Length:	1811 words
Genre:	backstory
Fandom:	Mary Renault
External Links:	archived on MRF
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"Riposte, Counter, Disengage" is a short story by Laura Mason based on Mary Renault's 1953 novel The Charioteer. It is set shortly before the main action of the novel, and features two members of the Bridstow gay scene, Bim (a fighter pilot) and Bunny (Ralph's lover, who is an instructor at the local naval base). The story fills in the events behind Bim's curious knowledge of Ralph's history with Laurie.

Synopsis

Out on the town, Bim encounters Bunny and dutifully offers him a lift home. However, Bunny is too drunk to be left alone—and turns out to be disturbingly talkative.

Background

"Riposte, Counter, Disengage" was beta'ed by thorne_scratch and oleander9999.

Comments

The story received a number of favourable comments, including the following:

• "As before -- this is absolutely amazing. In some ways, more amazing, because you are dealing with less sympathetic characters. Love the bit about missing the people he had hated in training -- rings very true [...]"—comment by tehta
• "This is soooooo good. It reads like a missing bit from the book, just spot on in every way.
  So now I have to <3 Bim in addition to Ralph, Laurie and Andrew. Rats. Give it a little something next time, won't you? Poor guy. Loved how you used the diary reading here. Such a simple structure too, a cab ride, a walk up the stairs, a drink, and putting Bunny to bed -- yet there's so much complexity woven into it. Loved it."—comment by baranduin