(no subject)

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Ahem, ignore the last thing I said about shipping Jeeves and Psmith. A thought has occured to me. (Oh, I am relieved, miss.)

If not actually slashing Psmith and Jeeves, would it not have been an ideal circumstance if the latter was actually employed by the former?

In 'Bertie Changes His Mind', Jeeves said that: "Mr Wooster is a young gentleman, with practically every desirable quality except one. I do not mean brains for in an employer brains are not desirable. The quality to which I allude is hard to define, but perhaps I might call it the gift of dealing with the Unusual Situation. In the presence of the Unusual, Mr Wooster is too prone to smile weakly and allow his eyes to protrude. He lacks Presence. I have often wished that I had the power to bestow upon him some of the savoir-faire of a former employer of mine ....."

While reading Leave It To Psmith, I kept thinking back on this. All things that in a mind like Reginald Jeeves's would be undesirable in a fellow like Bertie, were righted in Psmith's character; and all the things that were desirable still remained.

Psmith wouldn't dream of buying purple socks, Etonian spats or alpine hats; or start playing the banjolele on a lark. He's a perfect gentleman of (usually) impeccable manners and can cope with any situation you fling at him.

But would Psmith be too intelligent for Jeeves? I don't particularly see him as the scholarly, learned type, but he's smart enough. If brains are not desirable in an employer, would Bertie's bumbling weigh up against Psmith's sharp mind?

Put it like this, and I'll ask you a question. Suppose for a second, that one day Mr Psmith showed up at Number 6, Crichton Mansions, Berkely Street, W. Suppose he offered Bertie a too generous to be passed up sum of money for Jeeves. Suppose Bertie left Jeeves to decide (which he probably would anyway). Which do you think would look a more appealing employer from the valet's point of view?

Comments

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

I still like the idea of Jeeves and Psmith as a fashion crime fighting team. Once you've got that established, though, they just cry out to be slashed, like every other crime fighting duo ever...

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

*blinks* I wonder if there's Jeeves/Psmith slash out there. I'm going on a hunt for it.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

I don't think I should've said to ignore that there's a definite possibility for slash. Hell, they're Wodehouse canon, most of them are congenitally slashable for that reason alone. I was just putting the slash bit aside for a moment, I guess.

I still think Psmith would be a most suitable employer for a man like Jeeves.

Of course, Jeeves might (rightly) think Bertie couldn't do without him and would most likely end up affianced to some horribly unsuitable girl within the next two weeks.

*G* Or it'd be like having to give up the puppy you got for Christmas. It'll do things wrong every now and then, but only from the noblest or most bird-brained intentions, and you wouldn't want to trade him in even if he did wear green ties. ... er.. wait...

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

Let us know what you find!!!
The world needs more Jeevesslash.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Alas, no dice.

I've got precisely thirty J&W fics bookmarked at the moment, but all of them (save one, which is Bertie/Rocky) are Bertie/Jeeves.

Pity, I'd been hoping to find some Bertie/Bingo as well. Damn this fandom for not having more writers. And damn me for not being able to churn out more than two sentences or else I'd do it myself.

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

you must persevere! I can only churn out two sentences at a time too, but I have managed a couple of passable fics.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Aha! But you actually have experience writing fic. I myself have only experience reading fic.

But damn those bunnies.

All right, I'll gove it a shot, but don't expect any grand results too soon. I need to get the old cerebellum fired up properly first.

Did you write a J&W one?

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

What makes you so sure I have experience writing fic???
Yes I have written mainly J/W. List the fics you detest and I'll tell you which ones I wrote!! Heehee.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

;) Because I had a look at your lj and the first entry was a fic.

I'm looking now which you wrote. I was thron off track by your lj-name. I have the NY drabblets and 'Newt' by you.

Bwee! I just re-read Newt yesterday. ^_^ And 'Cute' is the most adorable thing ever.

How dare you allow the women of this city to make free with your person with impunity?”
“When in Rome, Sir.

HEE! I'm sorry, I'm all giggly now.

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

Heh. It's quite fun having stuff I wrote quoted back at me, because it's so long ago I'd forgotten.
It's probably too late for this, but don't bother reading Lift, it's crap. Am working on a third one that should hopefully be ok.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Too late, darling, much much too late. ;)

Whee! More fic. There seriously needs to be more.

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I'm just finding it really hard at the moment to retain the style while trying to write hot sex.

[anima-mecanique.livejournal.com]

....I'm having trouble imagining hot Wodehousian sex myself, but it could concievably be the best concept I've ever heard.

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

When it is good, it is very, very good, and when it is bad....it is het fic, in my experience. *Shrugs*

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

BWAHA!

I'm sorry, that just almost made me splorfle my chocolate milk.

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

*g* no worries. So glad this community is finally getting some action!!! ;~)

[anima-mecanique.livejournal.com]

Hah! All too often true.

[anima-mecanique.livejournal.com]

I found the following phrase in the document that contains my drabbles:

“It’s awfully odd, Jeeves,” I said,

Clearly I started a Jeeves and Wooster drabble, but damned if I know what Bertie thought was so odd. :/

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

You've no idea how many starter sentences I have like that. It usually has about five or six lines and then peters out.

[dryadwoman.livejournal.com]

Ha, that's great. I just had the experience of returning to an old unfinished fic with no recollection of how the plot was going to pan out...

[soupytwist.livejournal.com]

I say Bertie, cause Jeeves is liek omg so totally in luuuurve! has a lot of affection for him which I don't think Mr. Psmith would be able to compensate for. Also, Bertie shows proper appreciation of Jeeves' awesome prowess (*ahem*).

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Ah, but he doesn't know Psmith yet. He's a most amiable gentleman, and I really think Jeeves would like him.

... Of course, Psmith is rather more perfidious than Bertie, who wouldn't even know what perfidious meant. With B. you know what you're getting, Psmith is rather more unpredictable. Not as sincere, I mean to say.

Good point on the appreciation bit! I'm not prepared to go as far as to say Psmith wouldn't appreciate anything Jeeves would do for him, but he certainly wouldn't be as earnestly thankful as Bertie (and wouldn't have reason to be).

Hm, yes. Jeeves/Bertie still stands strong.

[anima-mecanique.livejournal.com]

Hmm...well, the main issue with Jeeves being Psmith's valet, I think, would be the clash of wills. Bertie might claim he has an indomitable will, but he's frightfully easy to control when it comes down to it. Psmith, I think, would be quite a bit less susceptible to being dominated by his valet. And Jeeves likes to have his way. Also, Jeeves and the Tie That Binds seems to suggest that Jeeves doesn't have any intention of leaving Bertie out in the cold, money or no money.

If Jeeves and Psmith were acquainted BEFORE he engaged himself to Bertie, however...hmmm. They'd not be a pair to trifle with, that's for sure.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Good point. Though I think Jeeves would be highly put out to hear you saying all that about him. ;)

The question is, of course, whether Jeeves continues domineering the household for Bertie's own good, or simply because it is in his nature.

[anima-mecanique.livejournal.com]

The thing is that Jeeves always ends up being right anyway, so there's almost no way to distinguish between the two ^_^

Hm...Psmith is also seems to be prone to odd fancies, which might not sit well with Jeeves (q.v. the banjolele incident). But having once had a neighbor who played the banjo with somewhat less than perfect skill, I can safely say that such endeavors would drive away even the most imperturbable of people, so there you go.

I still doubt that Jeeves could be convinced to leave Bertie (he can't even tie his tie on his own...it would be like tossing a kitten out onto the street and expecting it to fend for itself), but I really fancy the idea of Psmith being a former employer of Jeeves...

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Which leaves the question, why did Jeeves leave him? Or, why was Jeeves fired?

It seems kind of unthinkable that Jeeves could be fired from a job.

[anima-mecanique.livejournal.com]

Hmm...well, it could be as innocent as Psmith not being able to pay him any more...he did cut himself off from a fortune, after all.

[tootsiemuppet.livejournal.com]

Hm, you're right.

*ponders on this*