ds_flashfiction | Movies Challenge: The Fellowship Goes South

theodosia.livejournal.com posting in

With a title like this, you might think crossover, but you would be wrong. I still like the title though, because it works in a couple different ways....

About 1996 words, some of them even necessary.

The Fellowship Goes South

"We used to come here for the Christmas show when I was a kid," Ray said, looking around the huge gilt lobby. "Only it was pretty shabby then… I sure don't remember the murals." Their line moved ahead by another three people.

"It's your favorite book, right, Fraser?" Frannie said.

"Among them," Fraser said. It hadn't been in the plan – Fraser had been anticipating this movie for months now – but Frannie had off-handedly mentioned how she never got out to the movies anymore what with the babies, and Fraser had leaped at the chance to be gallant.

"Ray, you haven't read the books either, right?" Frannie said. "I'm not the only one here."

"I tried in junior high," said Ray. "Stella liked them, but I couldn't get past the first two chapters."

"They do improve," said Fraser. "Tolkien started out writing a sequel to The Hobbit, and it was only after a few chapters he realized it was a very different tale."

Ray would have loved to ask why the writer-guy didn't rewrite the beginning then, but their line started to move again. "I'm going to get some popcorn, does anybody want some?" said Ray.

Frannie definitely did, so Ray left them to find seats while he braved the concession stand for an extra-jumbo popcorn bucket. Frannie had packed sodas in her big pocketbook, plus a Snapple Iced Tea for Fraser, so it was the popcorn and some candy for him – he patted the pocket where he'd concealed the extra-large bag of Smarties.

When Ray entered the auditorium, the trailers had already started. He looked around the fringes, sure that Fraser would have let them be politely maneuvered into a corner with bad sightlines but perhaps that eerie if erratic Fraserian luck at work – they had nice aisle seats about 3/4s of the way down front.

"I'm so excited," said Frannie. "I hear that it's really romantic."

"It's three hours, anyway," Ray said. "So we've got to make the popcorn last. And don't drink too much or you'll have to run out when the kissing starts, right?"

"I doubt there'll be much kissing," said Fraser genially. He'd been deep in conversation with some freak in the next row, dressed in a cloak and fake ears. Ray guessed opening night was going to bring out the real fanatics. As long as they didn't talk through the whole movie, it would be OK.

"There's gotta be a love story," Frannie said happily. "They wouldn't release a big movie like this one if there wasn't."

"The original book—" Fraser started to say, and then the lights started to dim as the last trailer ended. "Ah," he said. "Well, we'll talk about it later." Ray had to grin.

Ray sighed to himself as the movie started up, and it was some long-winded English chick talking about long-ago history with funny-named people, but at least the special effects were good – if the whole movie was like that, he'd be sleeping through the next three hours. But things picked up with some hi-jinks in the Shire place with a birthday party and a magic ring, even if the actors were too boy-ish for Ray's tastes – pretty, for sure, but the Fred guy couldn't be more than 20.

Even so, he smiled big-time when Sam – at least that guy had a real name – stopped in the cornfield and said it was the furthest from home he'd ever been. I've been there, buddy. Have I ever! It gave him something to identify with, and sometime after that – Ray wasn't quite sure – he fell under the spell of the movie. Maybe it was the hunky scruffy guy at the inn, or the big bearded blond who joined the party later, but he was sucked right in.

Well, almost entirely. Frannie sighed or gasped or gave a little start now and then. She broke down crying when the wizard guy fell down fighting the demon and the hobbits were all forlorn, but Fraser was Johnny-on-the-spot with his handkerchief, and Frannie, bless her, tried to sniffle silently. Ray gave her hand a squeeze and was rewarded with a brave smile.

Frannie cried again when – what's-his-name, big blond and bearded – got shot down, which Ray had really not expected – nor had he expected the movie to end just as Sam and Fred finally set off alone to destroy the ring. As the lights came on and they all stood up, he was aghast. "You mean we don't get to find out what happens?" he said.

Frannie dabbed at her eyes. "No, we gotta wait a whole year," she said. "There's another two movies to go."

"A whole year?" Ray said, looking over to Fraser.

Fraser sighed. "That was… extraordinary," he said. Ray had to smile at the expression on his face. "Yes, there will be two more movies."

"There'd better be more," said Ray. "The two little guys with the least – magic, firepower, whatever – they're heading off by their lonesome. And what happens to the other little guys?"

"Ah," said Fraser. "Perhaps we'd better move outside, we're blocking the aisle."

Ray had to admit that was practical, because otherwise he'd be grabbing Fraser by the lapels and making him tell what happened next. And it gave him a chance to reconsider as they followed the crowd out into the lobby, whether he wanted to know what was going to happen next.

"I don't know about you guys, but I have got to visit the lady's room," Frannie said.

"Actually, I'd prefer the men's," Fraser said with a too-innocent smile. Ray realized that he was in fairly urgent need himself, so they adjourned to the nearest restrooms, where he was amused to overhear several of the ubiquitous nerds hotly debating the absence of a character named Tom Something-or-other. They'd obviously never heard of the "do not talk in the bathroom" rule.

"So, what did you think?" Ray said, once they were safely out in the lobby. The line now stretched outside the lady's room, so he presumed Frannie might still be waiting.

"It was… better than I'd hoped," Fraser said. "Much better, in fact."

"Almost as good as the books?" Ray said.

Fraser looked off in the middle distance, and Ray knew he had scored. After a pause, Fraser said, "In its own way… it was quite extraordinary."

"It was fuckin' fantastic," Ray said. "We are so definitely getting this on DVD."

"Oh, yes, Ray." Heh – this was one purchase that Fraser wasn't going to bitch about, even at Canadian prices. "I was wondering if I can find time to view it again while we're in Chicago… perhaps at a matinee."

Ray grinned – Fraser really liked the movie. "Mom and Dad will understand if you want to duck out on a family afternoon," he said.

"I had hoped you'd accompany me," Fraser said.

Ray could have kissed him if Fraser didn't have his thing about PDAs scaring the children and the horses. "That could maybe be arranged," he said. "Though maybe we'd better alibi it to old precinct business or something."

Ray was saved from Fraser's lecture about white lies and their proper use by Frannie. She was practically floating, her eyes alight. "Was that the most romantic movie ever?" she said. "She was so elegant, I think I'll kill myself!"

It took Ray a second to remember there'd been any women in the movie. "Right!" he said. "Though I think she was more scary than elegant."

"Arwen, scary?" Frannie gave him a look which indicated to the inch how far off his rocker he was.

"Perhaps Ray thought you meant Galadriel," Fraser said.

"Oh, her," Frannie said. "Yeah, it was scary when she went all white and that voice…. Anyway, I mean Arwen, you dope!" She whapped Ray lightly on the arm. "She was so brave, with the horse and the river and all that, and Aragorn was so in love with her!"

You mean more than the big blond guy? Ray thought, but kept his lip zipped.

"Who was your favorite character?" she said to Fraser. "I liked Frodo, he was so sweet and brave, and Gandalf! I'm going to have nightmares about him and the demon!"

"There were so many," he said. "The one that was the biggest surprise was Boromir."

"Who was that again?" Ray said. "Don't look at me that way, they all had funny names."

"Boromir was the man who showed up at the Council of Elrond," Fraser said. Ray must have looked blank, because Fraser added, "the big meeting where they decided to take the ring to Mordor."

"Oh, right," Ray said, "'I will take the ring to Mordor, though I do not know the way.'"

"Frodo was so brave and sweet," Frannie said.

"They all had flaws, didn't they?" Ray said. "I mean, they were all good guys, but they each had problems they had to fight every step. The little hobbit kids were impulsive, the dwarf was suspicious, the elf guy was too perfect, the Strider guy had all that stuff with his ancestor screwing up…. Except maybe Gan—" he paused, trying to get the name right "—Gandalf, but even he didn't dare take the ring."

"Exactly, Ray," Fraser beamed.

"Aragorn was a Ranger," Frannie said. "That's a lot like a Mountie, isn't it?"

Ray couldn't help it, he laughed. "Like the world's scruffiest Mountie."

Frannie whapped him again but she was smiling. "In essence, what the Rangers did was protect the North," said Fraser, "so… it's not a bad comparison."

"So, Strider and Bor-o-mir – they were like one of those 48 Hours deals, teamed up to fight crime, or at least the Saw-Ron guy," said Ray. "Same diff."

"I – yes, that works," said Fraser.

"Who was your favorite, Ray?" Frannie said.

"Huh," Ray said. He hadn't thought of it that way. "Well… I'd have to say Sam, because he doesn't get a magic sword or a magic ring, he just keeps on, trying to help his buddy." He thought about Sam wading into the water, refusing to let his friend go on without him. Now, there's a guy who'd buddy-breathe for you.

"Do they make it?" Ray said, after a moment of silence. "I mean, do they make it to the volcano, and not die?"

"Yeah, Fraser?" Frannie said. "I mean this Tolkien guy, he kills two of his best characters in the first book! So anything could happen!"

On the drive home, Fraser refused to let on what was going to happen in the next two movies, "although you could read the books, you know." But he was happy to answer all the questions they had about the background, and when Frannie found out that Fraser knew how to speak Elvish she insisted that he recite some of the poems from the books.

When they got to the Vecchio house, they briefly said hello to Mama and the rest, collected Diefenbaker, and drove off to their hotel.

"So… Sam?" Fraser said, once they were safe inside their room. He had a very saucy grin. "I wouldn't have seen Sam for you. Does that mean you see me as Frodo?"

"Well… you're not short enough." Ray pushed Fraser up against the wall. "The name kinda fits… but you know, the way he was all reserved, his face, the way he cared for Sam…."

He kissed Fraser long and deep, and when he came up for air, Fraser said, "I saw myself more as Boromir, trying so hard despite my flaws, with Aragorn at my side."

"Noble beneath the scruffy, huh?" Ray rubbed his beard stubble against Fraser's smooth cheek.

"A gem in the rough," said Fraser. This time he kissed Ray hard, and when they stopped, he said, "'I would have followed you, my friend, my captain, my king,'" and there was nothing more that Ray could say to respond to that, other than to show Fraser exactly how much he loved him, body and soul.