Believe You Me by Speranza (R)

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Author on LJ: cesperanza
Author Website: Speranza’s Fiction
Why this must be read:

This is my last rec (*sniff*), so I decided to pick one of my old favorites, one that I’ve returned to many times.

Narrowing it down to 12 recs has been…a bitch, to put it plainly. There are so many wonderful authors and stories in this fandom, and for every fic I’ve recced there’s been another one I really really really wanted to do but couldn’t fit in. My list has undergone sooo many changes over the course of this month.

This story has been on there- and stayed there- since day one.

I know, by now it’s pretty redundant to rec Speranza (blah blah blah amazing, blah blah blah brilliant, blah blah blah so talented it makes it makes the rest of us lesser mortals weep…), but Believe You Me is one of her shorter flashfiction stories, so it doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. The set up: Ray and Fraser are out at a bar with most of the ensemble cast of the show. At first, it seems like it's going to be just another of Speranza’s lighter pieces. (Of course, it’s Speranza, so by “just another” I mean deft and hilarious.)

"Hey, would I lie to you? Is this the face of a liar?" Dewey split his face into a gigantic, mug-ugly smile. "Believe me, guys--I'm speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the--"

There was more laughter, and Ray looked from one face to another, trying to figure out the joke. He shot another glance at Fraser, but Fraser was just sitting there, watching them.

Then Frannie turned to Elaine. "Elaine," she said, looking really, really serious now, "I just love it when Lieutenant Welsh chews me out. It's an honor. It's a privilege. It's a growth experience ," and while Elaine was keeping a straight face and nodding, Diane from Records was giggling behind her hands like a schoolgirl. "It makes me feel respected ," Frannie added, slamming her palm against her chest for emphasis. "It makes me feel like part of the team --you know, being patronized and humiliated."

"Oh, believe me, I know ." Elaine set her beer bottle down hard on the table. "Like, don't you love how Haroldson always stares at your chest? It makes me feel so appreciated . Like I'm not just a police officer. I keep meaning to thank him."

"Haroldson looks at my chest, too," Huey said with a shrug. "He's just strange like that."

"Man, I love stakeouts," Dewey said, grinning madly. "And the coffee we got in the station. And how Tony Ryan smells--he smells like roses, that man, doesn't he?"

"Your stories are hilarious," Huey told Dewey. "I never get tired of hearing them. Particularly the one about the time you won that bet with Antonelli over the Brauer case. That story never ever gets old, man. Please, keep on telling it."

Ray lifted his head. "My name is Detective Raymond Vecchio," he said, and the entire table burst out laughing.

But then- hold on to your hats- Speranza takes this simple comedic device and runs with it in an unexpected, moving, absolutely brilliant direction. And yeah, it’s all backwards, but it just proves the words of Paul Gross’ character in Wilby Wonderful (which I feel justified in referencing as it is due South’s shiny new Canadian baby sister fandom): sometimes the backwards way is better.

I don’t know how often I’ve re-read this one, but it’s still funny and powerful and hot every time. Stories like this...well, it's all the reasons why I love this fandom.

Believe You Me


That’s it for me! I’ve had such a great time doing all the reading, agonizing, and writing for this rec set. Hope you’ve enjoyed it as well. *waves*

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

You did a great job! Have you ever compiled a complete list of recs? How about posting one in your LJ if you havn't already, so we can see the other recs? Did you ever find a DS fic you found bad or even horrible, btw?

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

I do have a list of recs in my lj here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/merelyn/52610.html). It's a little incomplete- I need to update it, or post a Vol II, or something. And it doesn't really have a lot of reccing explanations. And I need to look at the, uh, 21 pg Word document that contains most of my rec lists and drafts that I should incorporate into it.

Did you ever find a DS fic you found bad or even horrible, btw?

*giggle* I guess I'm kind of a gushy reccer, aren't I? :) I guess I fall into the "If you don't have anything nice to say..." school of feedback and reccing. (Con crit? What's that?)

To answer your question: well, yeah. There are a couple of popular authors in the fandom I don't particularly care for. And of course I haven't done a lot of trolling through every story in every dS archive bit, and most of my knowledge of the older stuff comes from recs lists. So I guess I'm a little protected from the bad stuff.

However, that doesn't change the fact that there are a helluva lot of great authors in dS. I keep with current stuff pretty well (hell, I stalk this fandom like it's my job) and there are so many fabulous established writers, and most of the new people coming in are very promising. (Everyone's really friendly, too!) It's not like say, Harry Potter, where you've got 12 year old Mary Sue writers abounding.

Uh, so a *lot* of rambling on my part. What I'm trying to say: the quality of writing in this fandom is very high. Yes. I heart it muchly. *g*

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Gush away! Fic love is contagious.

I've read some terrible stories, even in this fandom. Going to Due Slash reading randomly can be...startling. *g*

The fans are really friendly in this fandom, aren't they? Even the "biggest" writers are likely to respond to a newbie. It's why dS is my favorite fandom.

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

Going to Due Slash reading randomly can be...startling. *g*

Yeah, I seriously ventured there once. I clicked on the random story button a couple times. I haven't been back to explore since. *g*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

That was the reason I asked *g* I once surprised my flist a lot when I said this was my favourite fandom, as I had never shown or voiced any indication of that, but that was simply because there was nothing to rant about, just my quiet love for it, and now my slight surprise that even by my way of finding stories - which is dinosaur and simply means googling for it - I have not encountered the disappointing depressive dreck I wade through (and gave up on) in other fandoms :D

Will save your email and check out your recs later, thanks!

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Did you ever find a DS fic you found bad or even horrible, btw?

Butting in here:

The DS fandom has an incredible number of really fine writers, to the point that the ratio of good to bad writing is unusually high. It's not hard to get sucked into the fandom due to the great stories out there on the Web. (There are some good zine-only stories in the fandom, but those eventually get posted on the Net.)

That said, there's some scary stuff out there too: slave Fraser or Vecchio or Kowalski, death fic, really strange chracterizations.

If you stick to ds_flashback for old stuff and dsfalshfiction for new, you will be suppiled with copious amounts of good reading.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Oops--that should've been ds_flashfiction.

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

Right on! It's really just a matter of hanging around the right places. :) I'm still relatively new around here, and frankly I just don't have the time to go very far off the beaten path (ds_flashback and ds_flashfiction and ds_noticeboard and the like) for fics. Fortunately, there's enough good stuff there to keep you occupied for a looong time.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

I should explain that that was the reason I asked - I have not encountered badfic in DS, while I hardly like any QAF fics, and all other fandoms I know have more weeds than flowers. I don't want to read bad DS fic, I just wondered where it is, illogical, I know.

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

I didn't think you were searching for it. :D

I do think due South badfic's out there, but the odds are good of your not finding it for a while.

I hardly like any QAF fics, and all other fandoms I know have more weeds than flowers.

I have a lot of experience in many fandoms, and believe me when I say that dS has more good stories on average than other fandoms. There are more long stories of quality, too.

I started out reading QAF fanfic, but I moved on fairly quickly, actually. I cut my fannish teeth on BtVS/AtS slash, and I got quite hardened to the badfic problem. I actually got quite a taste for "bad" stories (i.e,. cliched or Mary Sue-ish or OOC or melodramatic) that were still fun (perhaps unintentionally, hee!). That tolerance was handy when I wandered into the SV and HP fandoms...

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

*lol* same here again, I started in Buffy, but strangely enough (google really is a filter, eh?) I did not encounter any badfics until I searched on archives! Then the unfiltered teen-angst washed over me, with only a vampire there to understand and save the poor MS ... So far, HP had the worst fics, followed by QAF (on another level, less the rape-murder, more the married-Sue), and I won't even mention my depressing search for Monk or Snicket fic that is readable :))

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

So far, HP had the worst fics I won't disagree that some of the very wrost fanfic I;ve read has been HP, but that fandom also has some of the very best slash and gen stories I've ever read.

I won't even mention my depressing search for Monk or Snicket fic that is readable :))

When one has an obscure fannish love, one must be tolerant. :) I have a few fandom loves of my own in which I'll read pretty much anything with gratitude...

[sperrywink]

Nice rec! If I was going to pick a Speranza when my turn comes around again, this is the one I had in mind.

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I heart this one so much. It's short, but it's practically perfect. :)

[raveninthewind.livejournal.com]

Narrowing it down to 12 recs has been…a bitch, to put it plainly.

Wordy McWord.

I love this story, too, and it's satisfying every time. Good final choice!

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I'm sure you know the feeling: "Oh, I really like this one, but this one is really good, so maybe I'll take that one off, oh wait, maybe I'll put it back on, oh wait, maybe my head will explode..."

Thanks! Savin' some of the best for last. :)

[brooklinegirl.livejournal.com]

yay! i'm so enjoying going back through your recs here, and this is wonderful. I love this description:

And yeah, it’s all backwards, but it just proves the words of Paul Gross’ character in Wilby Wonderful (which I feel justified in referencing as it is due South’s shiny new Canadian baby sister fandom): sometimes the backwards way is better.

so much! Wonderful!

[merelyn.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!