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crack_van2004-01-27 12:12 am
justacat.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2004-01-27 12:12 am
What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves, by Penelope Whistle (R)
Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Benton Fraser
Why this must be read:
Most of the stories I've rec'ed so far have been classics in the fandom, stories that are well known and regularly recommended. But one of the wonderful things about this fandom is its depth - there are so many fantastic, high-quality fics from less well known or less prolific authors. What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves is one of those. Though it's by no means obscure, it's not as well known as the others I've rec'ed, and though the author has written more in other fandoms (Sentinel, for example), as far as I know this is her only dS fic.
The "story," such as it is, is simple: it's Ray and Fraser on a series of semingly endless night stakeouts, with nothing to do but talk. They muse about Dief in particular: whether he loves Ray, what it means that he licks Ray's ears but not Fraser's, whether wolves can wish. But though they may not be entirely aware of it, at least at the beginning, they're not really talking about wolves at all - and as the stakeout progresses and their somewhat free-ranging conversation continues, they make a number of life-changing discoveries about themselves, each other - and about love.
Much of the story is dialogue, and it works so well because the author has an incredibly accurate ear for the crazy banter that Ray and Fraser often exchanged on the show. She's got a great feel for Fraser's deadpan sense of humor and occasional snarkiness, while still managing to reveal a bit of his well-hidden softer side, and her Ray voice is exceptional, perfectly capturing his often crazy logic and inimitable Kowalski-isms while conveying his unique combination of prickliness and vulnerability:
What We Talk About is a feel-good fic - it's charming and sweet and funny and tender all at once. But like all my favorite dS fics, it's not cookie-cutter and it's not just fluff - it's slightly (and delightfully) quirky, incredibly clever, unusually well executed, and deeper than it may at first appear (it's also amazingly well titled!!). It's one of those fics that leaves a much more lasting impact than you might expect - it sneaks in when you're not looking, gets under your skin, and sticks with you in the best kind of way.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves
Pairing: Ray Kowalski/Benton Fraser
Why this must be read:
Most of the stories I've rec'ed so far have been classics in the fandom, stories that are well known and regularly recommended. But one of the wonderful things about this fandom is its depth - there are so many fantastic, high-quality fics from less well known or less prolific authors. What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves is one of those. Though it's by no means obscure, it's not as well known as the others I've rec'ed, and though the author has written more in other fandoms (Sentinel, for example), as far as I know this is her only dS fic.
The "story," such as it is, is simple: it's Ray and Fraser on a series of semingly endless night stakeouts, with nothing to do but talk. They muse about Dief in particular: whether he loves Ray, what it means that he licks Ray's ears but not Fraser's, whether wolves can wish. But though they may not be entirely aware of it, at least at the beginning, they're not really talking about wolves at all - and as the stakeout progresses and their somewhat free-ranging conversation continues, they make a number of life-changing discoveries about themselves, each other - and about love.
Much of the story is dialogue, and it works so well because the author has an incredibly accurate ear for the crazy banter that Ray and Fraser often exchanged on the show. She's got a great feel for Fraser's deadpan sense of humor and occasional snarkiness, while still managing to reveal a bit of his well-hidden softer side, and her Ray voice is exceptional, perfectly capturing his often crazy logic and inimitable Kowalski-isms while conveying his unique combination of prickliness and vulnerability:
"Why this sudden concern over being loved?"This exchange gives a good sense of the tone of the story: it's clever and witty and at times laugh-out-loud funny, but it's poignant, too. There's an undercurrent of pain as they discuss love and loss, and a fragile, tentative, almost painful awakening of hope as the veils fall away and they face what they mean to each other. But though the depth of emotion is obvious, and it's really quite a romantic story, it's also subtle - there's no doubt that these are guys we're dealing with here. The expressions of love are oblique (though not less profound for that) - these are guys who can only talk about their feelings in the guise of talking about the wolf, guys for whom a jelly donut is a symbol of commitment. It's incredibly skillfully done, another excellent example of showing not telling.
"It's a normal human need, Fraser. Like the need for food. Shelter. Sleep."
Fraser yawned.
"Even you, Fraser. Even you have basic human needs. And now that I don't have Stella any more, my basic human love need--"
"But, Ray, strictly speaking, you haven't had Stella for a long time."
"That's where you're wrong. You are so wrong. I might not a had her in person after the divorce, but, until yesterday, I--sorta--I had her in my mind."
Fraser rubbed his forehead hard.
"I'm sorry, but I'm having difficulty grasping how Stella could be in your mind yesterday but not today when obviously you're thinking about her right now, so she must--"
"You are so--so--so...literal. I'm talking flavors here, Fraser. Yesterday she was there like a sweet ache, like a song that makes you want to cry. Something like that. Today she's there like a picture you see when you're flipping through a magazine--sorta 'hey, lookit that'--nothing more."
"Mmm."
"Hmm what?"
"Apparently, it's a matter of emotion one day, no emotion the next. Is this accurate?"
"Yes. No. I don't know, Fraser. It was more like an enlightenment after a serious endarkenment.
What We Talk About is a feel-good fic - it's charming and sweet and funny and tender all at once. But like all my favorite dS fics, it's not cookie-cutter and it's not just fluff - it's slightly (and delightfully) quirky, incredibly clever, unusually well executed, and deeper than it may at first appear (it's also amazingly well titled!!). It's one of those fics that leaves a much more lasting impact than you might expect - it sneaks in when you're not looking, gets under your skin, and sticks with you in the best kind of way.
What We Talk About When We Talk About Wolves
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Excellent analysis.
I've passed it on to Penelope -- she'll enjoy it.
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Also, I wanted to mention that I really like your icon. =)
Re:
And thanks about the icon - I make a hobby of collecting (and creating) CKR icons - I just love looking at him :-)