(no subject)

[katallison]

You know, there's one key thing I forgot to say in my entry last night (as usual, when I'm writing too fast)--namely, what it is that I specifically love about the whole Ray/Ray universe.

I say "universe" rather than "pairing," because those who know me know that I am not much of a one for the "pairing" concept (as I said at Escapade once, the word makes me think of matching lace doilies or something). No, the thing is, Ray/Ray to me isn't about "Hey, let's have these two guys fuck!" Rather, it's the creation a whole alternate dS universe which is, essentially, postlapsarian, after the fall. It presumes that RK and RV have each, in their own different ways, had their best shot at some sort of primary connection with Fraser (as partner, lover, best friend, whatever) -- and it fell, it fell through and fell apart, they fell short. Neither Ray could ultimately make it work.

Both Vecchio and Kowalski are, in my view of them, guys who are *deeply* fearful of not being good enough, not measuring up (ref. my long-ago entry on RK and RV as guilt- and shame-based individuals). And in this universe their nightmare came true; they had a shot at perfection, in the form of Fraser, with his unearthly beauty and superhuman abilities and unnatural politeness and decency and and inhuman brilliance--and they couldn't achieve it. They failed, and Fraser shimmered off back to the celestial north, and they're left back in the grit of Chicago.

And they discover -- it's better that way. Fraser may have been the dream, but the reality is this other guy who's a pain in the ass and a screw-up and maybe has a giant schnozz or maybe dresses like a bag lady, but it *works* in a way things never really worked with Fraser, who really when you come down to it was sort of a different species, whereas this guy is someone you *know*, someone *real*.

(This is not to deny that Fraser is a fucked-up and very human being himself, in canon and fanfic; but he's also iconic, a representation of The Ideal, and that's just as canonical as his flawed humanity.)

Anyway, to me, Ray/Ray slash is at its heart autumnal, it's about middle age -- the letting go of shiny dreams of perfection, and coming to terms with the flawed crooked broken reality of the world and other people and one's self, the relinquishment of fantasy and acceptance of reality. And *that* story is the one I love--that story, and the ability of writers to build it out an often lighthearted and wacky TV show about the pretty Mountie and the two funny cops.

[ETA: And it strikes me that this whole entry is essentially a riff on _aerye_'s You Get What You Need, which is, y'know, good by me. *g*]

Comments

[kassrachel.livejournal.com]

Anyway, to me, Ray/Ray slash is at its heart autumnal, it's about middle age -- the letting go of shiny dreams of perfection, and coming to terms with the flawed crooked broken reality of the world and other people and one's self, the relinquishment of fantasy and acceptance of reality.

And lines like *that* are what I love about fandom.

:-)

[akite.livejournal.com]

Anyway, to me, Ray/Ray slash is at its heart autumnal, it's about middle age --

Hmmm...I don't know about that. I like the Teen!Rays universe too. There's no basis at all in canon that they knew each other, went to school together, etc., but it's possible, I think.

[lynnmonster.livejournal.com]

And it strikes me that this whole entry is essentially a riff on _aerye_'s You Get What You Need, which is, y'know, good by me.

God, yes, *exactly*!

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

And ain't nuthin' wrong with that!

[giglet.livejournal.com]

Huh.

Do you think your joy in the Ray/Ray universe is a result of having written "The Road Home" -- ie, the story of the Fall?

[katallison.livejournal.com]

Well, I think my love for that whole trope of The Fall is what made me write the story *and* makes me love this version of Ray/Ray, so, yes. Although oddly enough I hadn't connected the two in my head until I read your comment -- thanks!

[estrella30.livejournal.com]

And they discover -- it's better that way. Fraser may have been the dream, but the reality is this other guy who's a pain in the ass and a screw-up and maybe has a giant schnozz or maybe dresses like a bag lady, but it *works* in a way things never really worked with Fraser, who really when you come down to it was sort of a different species, whereas this guy is someone you *know*, someone *real*

Omg - this - THIS! Is why I now cannot look too closely at Ray/Fraser, because yes. THIS is what works and makes sense to me. You said it perfectly (this post and the prior one) and I'm sticking them in my memories to have forever and ever.

You're wonderful.

[indywind]

Clicked on over here from q_skud_'s quote... character fetishist that I am, I am so, so down with the idea that really *getting* a character, that teasing him out beyond the comfortable formula, into the grimy unexpected reality where revelation is born... is definitely art. Not like painting pretty watercolor flowers art, like hammer and chisel and flat on your back under the Sistine ceiling art.

I think you called that one.

Suddenly I'm wondering though... when Fraser is being his iconic self, what does either Ray bring to the equation? Are they acting as archetypes of the Ordinary Guy who aspires to reach the icon? Avatars of the reader, acting out wish-fulfilment? Icons in their own right? I can see either Ray as an antihero. Or Kowalski being Chaos to Fraser's Order. Plenty of people have hit the intuition versus method angle already.

Thanks for stuff to think about.

[halimede.livejournal.com]

You know, I can actually think of a type of story I read where it's *Ray* (usually Vecchio, though that may have to do with when I read the most avariciously) who is the shining icon of rightness in the way that he's able to connect with people, while Fraser is stuck inside his own personal Ivory Tower, and never quite manages to get it right. They get to take turns with the Archetype thing. :)

[halimede.livejournal.com]

Now I wanna read R/R where Fraser is in the picture and happily, un-terribly-fucked-uply friends with them both. Just to see it done. *g* Or a happy-but-realistic threesome. Hey, it's not that further fetched than R/R. ;)

[planetalyx.livejournal.com]

I loved reading this. It made me all hungry for good AU stories I haven't got time to read right now, and for the new episodes that will never be, and a chance to watch the old episodes again, and filled me with Ray love and Fraser-wistfulness.

Thanks, Kat.

[laurashapiro.livejournal.com]

See, now, this is why I like these guys together, even though I can't quite get on the "so what if there's no canon to support it, this stuff's gold" bandwagon with you.

I mean, I want to. But I have...canon issues, I guess. (:

Ray/Ray is one of the very few, IMO, wholly canonically insupportable (erg, here's that word again) pairings that actually works for me, and I think it's the only one that works consistently. And it works for the reasons you've laid out above: because it's exploring who these guys are when they're *not* Fraser-appendages, when they're *not* trying to live for some unreachable ideal, when they're just, finally, relaxing into being themselves.

Plus, ya know, all the lovely heartbreak. (:

[the-shoshanna.livejournal.com]

Your insight and eloquence continue to awe and amaze me. You rock, Kat.