The Anywhere But Here Challenge
Oct. 3rd, 2004 03:33 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
sam80853.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ds_flashfictionI hope it doesn't sound like a history lesson but I always get carried away talking about Scotland.
Thanks for my friend![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stormymouse for beta!
Legends, Monsters and History
By Sam80852
I’m not a museum history kind of guy if you know what I mean but this was Fraser asking me to go with him to Scotland. And so I’m standin’ in front of Edinburgh Castle now, my travel guide in hand and already asking myself why I bought that damn thing in the first place. I’m travelling with Fraser here, I won’t need it.
"So, is it raining all the time here, Frase?" I’m lookin’ up at the dark sky.
"Certainly not, Ray." Fraser stands beside me like he isn’t even aware that it's raining at all. "I can assure you that it doesn’t always rain in Scotland."
"You mean, like it never rains in Seattle or somethin’?"
Fraser smiles at me.
"Our motto, Ray, is 'All my hope is in God'."
I laugh at him and head for the entrance, mumbling "I thought it was 'Maintain the right'."
I’m sure he heard what I just said with his bat ears and all but instead of responding he starts his lecture about Edinburgh Castle.
"To the right you’re seeing a statue of Robert the Bruce," Fraser is tellin’ me. "And on the left side William Wallace who…"
"You mean the Mel Gibson guy? I saw the movie."
"Mr. Gibson in fact produced an excellent movie about William Wallace. You know, Ray, one of my ancestors, Sir Simon Fraser, fought for Wallace at Rosslyn in 1302, defeating the English. While fighting for Robert the Bruce in 1306 he was captured and, like Wallace, was executed in the cruellest style, being hung and quartered."
"Great."
Fraser raises an eyebrow while looking at me.
"I meant the fightin’ thing not that being hung and quartered thing."
"Indeed, Ray."
We’re entering the courtyard now and Fraser is whispering facts in my ear while he points in different directions. I’m not gettin’ half of it ‘cause I feel his breath on my ear, on my cheek, everywhere and no one can concentrate under torture like that. I can barely stand it for a minute or so before I step back lookin’ at him suspiciously.
"Why are you whispering?"
Fraser shifts a little uneasily, a look of guilt on his face.
"To be honest, Ray, it’s not allowed to guide around here." He points at a party right beside us with a Scottish guide wearing a kilt who looks at us warningly.
I give the guide my best 'you trying to piss me off?' look and he trots further, his party at his heels.
"Ray!" Fraser shakes his head.
"What? I don’t want him to tell me stuff, I want you," I tell him ‘till I realize what I just said. "… to tell me everything about that Stuart woman."
Fraser cocks his head to one side and smiles at me.
"You’re obviously speaking about Maria Stuart, Queen of Scotland."
Since I did a little research myself I have to interrupt.
"Wasn’t she killed by that Elisabeth woman?"
"Elisabeth I., you mean?"
"Yeah, that Elisabeth woman, wise ass." I smile at him.
"Elisabeth I. was, in fact, her cousin, Ray, a very courageous woman in a difficult time. And she didn’t killed her herself. She signed her death sentence in 1587 which was an exceedingly difficult decision for her."
"She got her own cousin killed, is that what you’re sayin’? Bitch!"
"Ray! Ray! Ray!"
"Don’t 'ray' me, Fraser! She killed her cousin, family. She will always be a bitch to me!"
"Understood."
~::~::~
I’m drop dead exhausted as we finally arrive at out hotel with Fraser having dragged my sorry ass through the town all day long.
Princes Street. National Gallery. John Knox House. Palace Of Holyroodhouse where Maria Stuart's supposed to be lover or whatever he really was got killed by her husband just to get killed himself, probably by Maria – the Scotch.
Last sight was the Scottish Tartans Museum and I’m fallin’ asleep with a smile on my lips picturing Fraser in a kilt with nothing under it ‘cause that’s a tradition and Fraser would never break something important like that.
~::~::~
God, I can't even try to describe how much I love to be here. In this country. With Fraser. Thousands of miles away from Chicago, our usual life where it’s mostly me the cop and the Mountie. And a half wolf.
Sure even here Fraser is the Mountie, polite and knowing all the stuff but he is different too. Lost in thoughts sometimes, sittin’ in silence on a lake shore, I mean Loch shore, looking at me longingly and not trying to hide it. But he hasn't said anything yet and time is running out for us here.
We’re at Loch Ness right now, looking at black-dark water – no wonder there is a legend with a monster - which I don’t buy at all by the way – someone’s playing at a bagpipe and I can no longer wait for him to say why we’re really on this trip through his past.
"Fraser?"
"Yes, Ray." He looks up from the water and into my eyes.
"Why did you take me here?" My voice is low and soft, I want to make him feel safe enough to tell me what needs to be said.
"I wanted to share my family history with you, Ray."
"Your history!"
"Certainly, Ray."
"You dragged my ass to another continent to share just your history with me?" I admit, I’m annoyed now, annoyed as hell.
How can he be so dense?
"I’m sorry, Ray! I wasn’t aware that to be here with me is so unpleasant for you."
Defensive mode! Apologizing. I just hate it!
"Fraser!"
"I’m terribly sorry!"
"Fraser!"
"My family history is very important to me, Ray, and…"
He’s pissed for sure and I’m softening my voice again.
"Fraser!"
"What?" he snaps.
"I love to be here with you but I kinda hoped you would like to share somethin’ more with me than just your history."
Okay, I said it. C’mon, Fraser!
"Oh."
He’s slow, so damn slow and I’m not a patient person. Never was, never will be.
"Yeah, 'oh'," I whisper and take his face in my hands, caressing his cheeks with my thumps. "I kinda hoped you would like to share your future with me."
He forms an 'oh' with his lips again but before the sound escapes his mouth I’m kissing him. And as our tongues meet I’m tasting strawberry and didn’t Fraser tell me that his origin name is fraisse?
The End
French fraisse - Strawberry
Thanks for my friend
stormymouse for beta!Legends, Monsters and History
By Sam80852
I’m not a museum history kind of guy if you know what I mean but this was Fraser asking me to go with him to Scotland. And so I’m standin’ in front of Edinburgh Castle now, my travel guide in hand and already asking myself why I bought that damn thing in the first place. I’m travelling with Fraser here, I won’t need it.
"So, is it raining all the time here, Frase?" I’m lookin’ up at the dark sky.
"Certainly not, Ray." Fraser stands beside me like he isn’t even aware that it's raining at all. "I can assure you that it doesn’t always rain in Scotland."
"You mean, like it never rains in Seattle or somethin’?"
Fraser smiles at me.
"Our motto, Ray, is 'All my hope is in God'."
I laugh at him and head for the entrance, mumbling "I thought it was 'Maintain the right'."
I’m sure he heard what I just said with his bat ears and all but instead of responding he starts his lecture about Edinburgh Castle.
"To the right you’re seeing a statue of Robert the Bruce," Fraser is tellin’ me. "And on the left side William Wallace who…"
"You mean the Mel Gibson guy? I saw the movie."
"Mr. Gibson in fact produced an excellent movie about William Wallace. You know, Ray, one of my ancestors, Sir Simon Fraser, fought for Wallace at Rosslyn in 1302, defeating the English. While fighting for Robert the Bruce in 1306 he was captured and, like Wallace, was executed in the cruellest style, being hung and quartered."
"Great."
Fraser raises an eyebrow while looking at me.
"I meant the fightin’ thing not that being hung and quartered thing."
"Indeed, Ray."
We’re entering the courtyard now and Fraser is whispering facts in my ear while he points in different directions. I’m not gettin’ half of it ‘cause I feel his breath on my ear, on my cheek, everywhere and no one can concentrate under torture like that. I can barely stand it for a minute or so before I step back lookin’ at him suspiciously.
"Why are you whispering?"
Fraser shifts a little uneasily, a look of guilt on his face.
"To be honest, Ray, it’s not allowed to guide around here." He points at a party right beside us with a Scottish guide wearing a kilt who looks at us warningly.
I give the guide my best 'you trying to piss me off?' look and he trots further, his party at his heels.
"Ray!" Fraser shakes his head.
"What? I don’t want him to tell me stuff, I want you," I tell him ‘till I realize what I just said. "… to tell me everything about that Stuart woman."
Fraser cocks his head to one side and smiles at me.
"You’re obviously speaking about Maria Stuart, Queen of Scotland."
Since I did a little research myself I have to interrupt.
"Wasn’t she killed by that Elisabeth woman?"
"Elisabeth I., you mean?"
"Yeah, that Elisabeth woman, wise ass." I smile at him.
"Elisabeth I. was, in fact, her cousin, Ray, a very courageous woman in a difficult time. And she didn’t killed her herself. She signed her death sentence in 1587 which was an exceedingly difficult decision for her."
"She got her own cousin killed, is that what you’re sayin’? Bitch!"
"Ray! Ray! Ray!"
"Don’t 'ray' me, Fraser! She killed her cousin, family. She will always be a bitch to me!"
"Understood."
~::~::~
I’m drop dead exhausted as we finally arrive at out hotel with Fraser having dragged my sorry ass through the town all day long.
Princes Street. National Gallery. John Knox House. Palace Of Holyroodhouse where Maria Stuart's supposed to be lover or whatever he really was got killed by her husband just to get killed himself, probably by Maria – the Scotch.
Last sight was the Scottish Tartans Museum and I’m fallin’ asleep with a smile on my lips picturing Fraser in a kilt with nothing under it ‘cause that’s a tradition and Fraser would never break something important like that.
~::~::~
God, I can't even try to describe how much I love to be here. In this country. With Fraser. Thousands of miles away from Chicago, our usual life where it’s mostly me the cop and the Mountie. And a half wolf.
Sure even here Fraser is the Mountie, polite and knowing all the stuff but he is different too. Lost in thoughts sometimes, sittin’ in silence on a lake shore, I mean Loch shore, looking at me longingly and not trying to hide it. But he hasn't said anything yet and time is running out for us here.
We’re at Loch Ness right now, looking at black-dark water – no wonder there is a legend with a monster - which I don’t buy at all by the way – someone’s playing at a bagpipe and I can no longer wait for him to say why we’re really on this trip through his past.
"Fraser?"
"Yes, Ray." He looks up from the water and into my eyes.
"Why did you take me here?" My voice is low and soft, I want to make him feel safe enough to tell me what needs to be said.
"I wanted to share my family history with you, Ray."
"Your history!"
"Certainly, Ray."
"You dragged my ass to another continent to share just your history with me?" I admit, I’m annoyed now, annoyed as hell.
How can he be so dense?
"I’m sorry, Ray! I wasn’t aware that to be here with me is so unpleasant for you."
Defensive mode! Apologizing. I just hate it!
"Fraser!"
"I’m terribly sorry!"
"Fraser!"
"My family history is very important to me, Ray, and…"
He’s pissed for sure and I’m softening my voice again.
"Fraser!"
"What?" he snaps.
"I love to be here with you but I kinda hoped you would like to share somethin’ more with me than just your history."
Okay, I said it. C’mon, Fraser!
"Oh."
He’s slow, so damn slow and I’m not a patient person. Never was, never will be.
"Yeah, 'oh'," I whisper and take his face in my hands, caressing his cheeks with my thumps. "I kinda hoped you would like to share your future with me."
He forms an 'oh' with his lips again but before the sound escapes his mouth I’m kissing him. And as our tongues meet I’m tasting strawberry and didn’t Fraser tell me that his origin name is fraisse?
The End
French fraisse - Strawberry
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no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 06:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 07:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 07:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 07:19 am (UTC)Ray loves it for sure, no doubt about it!
no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 08:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 12:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 01:27 pm (UTC)I’m fallin’ asleep with a smile on my lips picturing Fraser in a kilt with nothing under it ‘cause that’s a tradition and Fraser would never break something important like that.
Hee! Because he so *wouldn't*, would he? ;)
no subject
Date: 2004-10-03 08:42 pm (UTC)Thank you very much!
At last!
Date: 2004-10-14 08:38 am (UTC)And I really liked it - Fraser lecturing, trying to show Ray how important he is to him as best he knows; Ray seeing the family feud in the history. I loved that, in their own separate ways, history *is* family!
I'm glad I waited to read this - you used some ideas here I'd thought off, but didn't use in the end. If I'd read it first, I still wouldn't have used them, but for a different reason! And I'm quietly amused that my story could almost be a sequel to yours :P
Re: At last!
Date: 2004-10-14 10:46 am (UTC)