Thursday Rec: a bold and brilliant sun by azurewaxwing

Fandom: 成化十四年 | The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty (TV)
Relationship: Sui Zhou/Tang Fan
Length: 7.2k
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply (passing mention of previous canon typical violence)

Author's Website: azurewaxwing AO3

Summary:

“You’re sure you didn’t do something to it? They don’t usually stall out,” Sui Zhou says. He looks away from Tang Fan, out the windshield at the endless rust-red of the planet.

Tang Fan pouts at this, and slumps down on the edge of the console, feet propped up at an absurd angle against the pilot’s seat. “You think I’d fake a mechanical issue just so that they’d send a sexy Fleet crewman out here to rescue me?” As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he giggles. “Okay, I would do that, but I promise that this time the problem is real.”

Sui Zhou, Tang Fan, and an emergency rescue in the Martian wilderness.


Review: A shorter fic really focused on first meetings between Sui Zhou and Tang Fan in universe. Includes some awesome in universe details on their background and fun hints to the world building, but definitely not the focus. Azurewaxwing has a great Sui Zhou voice which is used well in this and the author's other Sleuth fics.

I often find that for fandoms that are heavily reliant on their setting and time period, complete AUs fall flat. How do you convey the same level of detail in clothing, food, jobs, etc that are so heavily reliant on time and place? For instance their in canon first meeting where Tang Fan knows who Sui Zhou is thorough the style of his boots which are restricted to that branch of the military.

But I never felt like the characters are out of step using that same level of analysis on Tang Fan's outof place warm weather space suit, since he just transferred off a warmer planetoid. Or the use of restricted land vehicles instead of specialized horses. Its a real triumph for the writer and makes a great and immersive read despite the fics shorter length.

a bold and brilliant sun