Singing the Body Electric

I'm working on a compilation of Yuletide fics I've loved so far, but this is the longest of the bunch so far for the shortest canon, so I thought I'd split it off into its own post.

Penguin Diplomacy is a charming 30-minute comedic radio play from John Finnemore's Double Acts, an anthology series of two-handers that aired from 2015 to 2017. The play is set in 1948 and involves a stand-off over the ownership of a tiny South Atlantic island that leads to friendship (and maybe more if you squint at the subtext of gay penguins) between a British official named Bunning and an eccentric Dane named Søndergaard.

The full episode isn't available for free anymore, but it can be purchased as part of the series. Alternatively, the script is still online in its entirety, along with a short sample as performed by Martin Clunes and Tom Goodman-Hill.

A Friend in Need by an as-yet-unrevealed author (Bunning/Søndergaard, rated Teen, 10916 words) is a glorious sequel in which Bunning receives a perplexing radio message from Søndergaard and arrives at the island to find him ill. He contrives to stay over, leading to some truly excellent hurt/comfort, bed-sharing, and the perfectly understated declarations and domestic negotiations of two men who haven't quite settled on a mutually comprehensible code. Also, there are adorable penguins.

“You British,” Søndergaard said. “So officious, such meddlers,” but he sounded a bit brighter now, and he sipped obediently from his mug. “I don’t recall. There are some Oxo cubes left, I believe; I could probably manage a bit of broth. And you needn’t worry about accidentally domesticating me. I am utterly untamable—a lone Antarctic wolf.”

“There are no wolves in the Antarctic,” Bunning pointed out.

“I know. I’m the only one.”

“Hmm. Much more of a lone Antarctic ferret, if you ask me. Possibly an otter of some sort. Finish your tea.”