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May. 21st, 2003 12:27 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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ds_flashfictionTaking advantage of my Atmosphere class, canonical vagueness about geography, and my boss's absence...
Ray tilted his head, his wondering gaze fixed. “They really do look like curtains, huh? I thought that was just an expression.”
Fraser smiled, and didn’t take his eyes off Ray. “Well, like many things, it became an expression because it has some basis in truth.”
Ray nodded, his lips slightly parted, and went on staring up at the aurora. Fraser didn’t even spare it a glance; he’d seen it a thousand times before, and if he cared to, he could see it a thousand times again. There were pictures, videos, television programs, innumerable ways he could look his fill at the dancing lights. He would only have this one chance to see Ray see the aurora for the first time, staring at the sky, filled with wonder, and Fraser was determined to make the most of every second. “Okay,” Ray murmured, licking his lips, still not looking away, “so tell me again how it works.”
Fraser smiled, free to be amused by Ray’s boundless curiosity as long as Ray wasn’t looking, and said, “All right. Along with light and heat, the sun sends out a stream of charged subatomic particles, what’s called the solar wind. When those particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere, it blocks them from traveling further, which is good for us because otherwise we’d be irradiated, and the energy transfer from the collision releases a burst of light, which is refracted by the atmosphere in different wavelengths depending on the particular molecules involved.”
Ray nodded without looking over or closing his mouth, much as he had after Fraser’s original, much longer, explanation. Then suddenly he grinned, and tore his gaze from the sky to look Fraser straight in the eye. “Fraser, do you realize what we’re doing here?”
Fraser blinked. He thought about saying, ‘Do you?’ but he feared for the answer.
Apparently he hesitated too long, because Ray chuckled and looked back up at the sky. “We’re those guys I never wanted to be, Fraser. We are laying here on a spring night, staring at the bug zapper.”
“The...”
“Bug zapper. Y’know, electrical current thing, bugs are attracted to the light and then they fly into it and it makes this little zap, and you see a flare of light if you’re watching.” Ray raised a hand, and waved it toward the awesome spectacle of the upper atmosphere. “That up there is the bug zapper of the world, keeping us from getting eaten alive by little thingies from the sun.”
“Ah. In essence, yes.”
Ray nodded, and looked back at Fraser, and suddenly it was imperative to look up at the sky. The aurora was mostly red tonight, and very curtain-like. “Y’know,” Ray said slowly, “I really... I really never do want to be that guy. Sitting in the backyard, drinking beer, staring at the bug zapper and yelling at the kids not to touch it. I mean, I thought I did, I think. But now, being up here, maybe going on an adventure... I don’t think I’m cut out for that anymore.”
Fraser held his breath, and stared hard at the sky. Funny to think that all that beauty came from the earth shielding itself, blocking out the things that would kill it while it took in the things without which it could not live.
“On the other hand,” Ray added, and there was a rustle of nylon that suggested he’d turned his head away, and was watching the sky again, though Fraser dared not look, “if you were there, watching the bug zapper, I bet... I bet you could tell me all kinds of weird things I never knew about it. Like, you could tell me exactly what kind of bug it was from the sound of the zap.”
Fraser did steal a glance then, but Ray’s eyes were steady on the sky. “I’m touched by your faith in my entomological expertise, Ray,” he said softly, “but I imagine you’d be the one who would have to explain it to me; I have no experience of the ordinary kind of bug zapper.”
Ray looked back, and his steady gaze held Fraser still. “Well, at first, maybe. Yeah, I could do that.” Without looking up, he waved a hand toward the sky. “And, if I stuck around here, you would have to teach me all about those wavelengths and particles and things, so I would know what it means when it looks like this.”
Fraser nodded. They weren’t talking about bug zappers, on any scale, anymore, but he couldn’t quite believe that they were talking about what he suspected they were talking about. Then Ray smiled, and leaned up on one elbow, and kissed him, lips parted, breath mingling, but this was not about survival, and this was not a symbol, except in the best sense. It was a kiss, and Fraser made the most of it.
When he lifted his head again, Ray was grinning. “So it’s a deal, then?”
Grinning back, Fraser nodded, and Ray said, “Good.” He laid back down, settled his head on Fraser’s shoulder and said, “So then why’s it purple over there?”
Ray tilted his head, his wondering gaze fixed. “They really do look like curtains, huh? I thought that was just an expression.”
Fraser smiled, and didn’t take his eyes off Ray. “Well, like many things, it became an expression because it has some basis in truth.”
Ray nodded, his lips slightly parted, and went on staring up at the aurora. Fraser didn’t even spare it a glance; he’d seen it a thousand times before, and if he cared to, he could see it a thousand times again. There were pictures, videos, television programs, innumerable ways he could look his fill at the dancing lights. He would only have this one chance to see Ray see the aurora for the first time, staring at the sky, filled with wonder, and Fraser was determined to make the most of every second. “Okay,” Ray murmured, licking his lips, still not looking away, “so tell me again how it works.”
Fraser smiled, free to be amused by Ray’s boundless curiosity as long as Ray wasn’t looking, and said, “All right. Along with light and heat, the sun sends out a stream of charged subatomic particles, what’s called the solar wind. When those particles collide with Earth’s atmosphere, it blocks them from traveling further, which is good for us because otherwise we’d be irradiated, and the energy transfer from the collision releases a burst of light, which is refracted by the atmosphere in different wavelengths depending on the particular molecules involved.”
Ray nodded without looking over or closing his mouth, much as he had after Fraser’s original, much longer, explanation. Then suddenly he grinned, and tore his gaze from the sky to look Fraser straight in the eye. “Fraser, do you realize what we’re doing here?”
Fraser blinked. He thought about saying, ‘Do you?’ but he feared for the answer.
Apparently he hesitated too long, because Ray chuckled and looked back up at the sky. “We’re those guys I never wanted to be, Fraser. We are laying here on a spring night, staring at the bug zapper.”
“The...”
“Bug zapper. Y’know, electrical current thing, bugs are attracted to the light and then they fly into it and it makes this little zap, and you see a flare of light if you’re watching.” Ray raised a hand, and waved it toward the awesome spectacle of the upper atmosphere. “That up there is the bug zapper of the world, keeping us from getting eaten alive by little thingies from the sun.”
“Ah. In essence, yes.”
Ray nodded, and looked back at Fraser, and suddenly it was imperative to look up at the sky. The aurora was mostly red tonight, and very curtain-like. “Y’know,” Ray said slowly, “I really... I really never do want to be that guy. Sitting in the backyard, drinking beer, staring at the bug zapper and yelling at the kids not to touch it. I mean, I thought I did, I think. But now, being up here, maybe going on an adventure... I don’t think I’m cut out for that anymore.”
Fraser held his breath, and stared hard at the sky. Funny to think that all that beauty came from the earth shielding itself, blocking out the things that would kill it while it took in the things without which it could not live.
“On the other hand,” Ray added, and there was a rustle of nylon that suggested he’d turned his head away, and was watching the sky again, though Fraser dared not look, “if you were there, watching the bug zapper, I bet... I bet you could tell me all kinds of weird things I never knew about it. Like, you could tell me exactly what kind of bug it was from the sound of the zap.”
Fraser did steal a glance then, but Ray’s eyes were steady on the sky. “I’m touched by your faith in my entomological expertise, Ray,” he said softly, “but I imagine you’d be the one who would have to explain it to me; I have no experience of the ordinary kind of bug zapper.”
Ray looked back, and his steady gaze held Fraser still. “Well, at first, maybe. Yeah, I could do that.” Without looking up, he waved a hand toward the sky. “And, if I stuck around here, you would have to teach me all about those wavelengths and particles and things, so I would know what it means when it looks like this.”
Fraser nodded. They weren’t talking about bug zappers, on any scale, anymore, but he couldn’t quite believe that they were talking about what he suspected they were talking about. Then Ray smiled, and leaned up on one elbow, and kissed him, lips parted, breath mingling, but this was not about survival, and this was not a symbol, except in the best sense. It was a kiss, and Fraser made the most of it.
When he lifted his head again, Ray was grinning. “So it’s a deal, then?”
Grinning back, Fraser nodded, and Ray said, “Good.” He laid back down, settled his head on Fraser’s shoulder and said, “So then why’s it purple over there?”
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no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 01:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 08:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 01:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 08:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 08:52 am (UTC)I love this:
He would only have this one chance to see Ray see the aurora for the first time, staring at the sky, filled with wonder, and Fraser was determined to make the most of every second.
And Ray's comparison of the aurora to a bug zapper -- and then the way it becomes clear that they're not exactly, or not just, talking about bug zappers anymore.
:-)
no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 01:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 08:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 09:16 am (UTC)Just ... awwwwwwww. Sweet.
no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:15 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-05-22 09:35 am (UTC)Re:
Date: 2003-05-22 01:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 10:01 am (UTC)The stories I like the best are the ones that show how Fraser and Ray have two completely different world views, and when they try to talk about something they're as far apart as the aurora and a bug zapper--and yet somehow their differences bring them closer. Nice story!
no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 02:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-05-21 04:24 pm (UTC)Like, you could tell me exactly what kind of bug it was from the sound of the zap
That's kinda frightening.
(You put them up north again! With a light show! I so love you for this!)
no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:18 am (UTC)But you know he'd be able to, after a while.
(You put them up north again! With a light show! I so love you for this!)
::grin:: It's a sickness. But hey, who wants to get better?
no subject
Date: 2003-05-22 05:32 am (UTC)so THAT's what it was...
Re:
Date: 2003-05-22 09:34 am (UTC)