he gets off on country music 'cause disco left him cold

[primroseburrows]

If you're depressed or in a bad mood or just had a bad day, go here. You won't regret it.


Also? I've found Fraser's favourite radio station.

Go here and click on 'Inuvik'. I mean, really. They broadcast the weather in Inuktitut. And play hokey country songs. And have a spot featuring an Inuit woman storyteller talking about cooking moose and caribou over a fire and how her husband used to go hunting and trapping for days at a time.

A lot of this stuff is really interesting. Especially the storyteller. I LOVE storytelling. I'm kicking myself for yet again not going to the Johnnycake Storytelling Festival. But hey! I can go to this one.

And woah. There was this song contest where they played a song and asked the listeners to call in if they knew the artist and lyrics. It was 'Take It On The Run' by REO Speedwagon. I got it in one, but managed to talk myself out of calling Inuvik to win a cookbook. It would have been way cool, though. Okay, now I'm slapping myself for NOT calling.

You may want to know, also, that the ferries could close up at any moment. Y'know, in case you were on your way. Me, I'd stay home and listen to Inuit stories instead.


Also, npirie, I posted the link to the picture you need in a comment somewhere, but I'm not sure where. If you want me to, I can post it again.

tea_and_snark I haven't forgotten you. Your music will be sent. :)

*reviews post*

*headdesks*

*adds "beginning sentences with prepositions"* to my interests list*

Comments

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

Gold star to you, for referring to Inuktitut. Not everyone has the wherewithal to work that into an LJ post ;D

Like most canucks, I've never been to the "real" north. I really should go some day. Even though 24 hours of darkness would drive me out of my mind. I could always visit in June, of course, but would that be the "real" north? *ponders*

[inmemoriam.livejournal.com]

yeah i got that link, however i don't need it because you said you were going to reformat your layout.............???

I SO CONFOOOSED!!!

if you want me to format your layout, i'm happy to do it indeed -- but i need your password. if you want to do it yourself, i emailed you the instructions to your yahoo account. if you have not received them, OH DO tell me and i'll resend!

lemme know what you wanna me to do, eh! :D

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I have trouble with Rhode Island in October. Snow and cold and I are not friends. If they were, I'd be in living in a house on the Cabot Trail right about now.

I want to see the Northern Lights once before I die. Everyone who has tells me that it's impossible to a. take a picture that does them justice, or b. accurately describe them. I'm not sure if they show up in June, though.

I've been thinking about a cruise to Alaska for years. That's in the summer, so I won't freeze to death.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, I did say that. I was as confused as you, apparently. I'll check the email. *g*

This comment was brought to you by the letters A, D, and D. *headdesk*

[topaz7.livejournal.com]

I want to see the Northern Lights once before I die.

I saw the northern lights in southern Ontario once. That's not much further north than you - I wonder if they'd be visible that far south. Admittedly, they were not too exciting, or bright. Just a green blob fading in and out.

A trip to Alaska would be fab. I've heard nothing but good stuff about those cruises. And you'd see Vancouver! (and me!)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

songdog and I have been talking about a trip to Vancouver. Not sure when, though; right now it's just been: Her: Where should we go? Me: How about Vancouver? Her: Neither of us has ever been there, w00t!

Well, okay, songdog didn't actually say w00t, but you get the picture. :)

When I was living on Block Island, someone said that the Lights were supposedly visible there one summer night. I looked, but didn't see anything. I can only imagine what they'd look like in Churchill or someplace like that.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

You, my friend, are a giant giant dork. :-)

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

So they tell me. :)

I'm beginning to realise that this is not necessarily a BAD thing. I think.

[patchfire.livejournal.com]

Life is pain. No Kelly, no new CSI:.

*drowns sorrows in bottle of Hardcore*

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

I thought you said you'd be Gone tonight.

*signs on*

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

Oh, he SO listens to that, and talks to Ray about the weather, and Ray thinks ruefully that you're really turning Canadian when you start finding that interesting.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

But Ray listens when he gets home from work on days when Fraser's gone on some overnight Mountie trip because it makes him less lonely, and if you ask him he'll deny he ever listens at all.

But Fraser can tell because when he gets back he finds Ray knows exactly what the weather was like where he'd been on his trip, and sometimes there's something new for dinner he's never tasted before.

He lets Ray go on denying all he wants, even though he teases, because it means that Ray thinks he's turning Canadian himself, and that makes Fraser happy.

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

And a few months after he starts listening, he finds himself telling ACTUAL Inuit stories that he heard on the radio and Fraser thinks it's the greatest thing ever.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

The first time is spontaneous, rattled off over breakfast like a tale from Ray's college days or something he'd heard from the guys down at the garage. Ray can't understand why Fraser's gone so quiet, or why he's staring at him like he was first prize in the blanket toss.

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

'Ray, if I'm not mistaken, that was an Inuit story.'

Ray rubs his cheek. 'Huh. Guess it was.'

'It was, ah, beautifully expressed, and very relevant.'

'Uh, thanks.' Fraser's still staring at him, starry-eyed and half-smiling. 'Hey, Fraser? I didn't... you know, hypnotise you or something, did I?'

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

'Hm? No. No, Ray. At least no more than you always have'.

'Oh. Oh, well, good, then.'

Fraser hasn't moved, and Ray still doesn't get it, but he's used to Fraser being, well, Fraser, so he figures he'll wait for the explanation. If there is one. Anyway, it's not like looking at Fraser looking like that is exactly a chore or anything.

He sits back in his chair and sips his tea. It doesn't happen very often, but for now, Ray can be patient.

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

But there's work to be done - litterbugs and brawlers to catch, snowmobiles to fix - so explanations have to wait, and Fraser just kisses him, holding it for a moment longer than usual before they make tracks into town.

It's pretty late by the time Ray remembers, late enough that he's curled around a half-asleep Fraser in the soft glow from the stove, and Fraser hmms for a moment before he's awake enough to answer.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

'So why were you staring at me like that?' he asks again, even though he knows Fraser heard him the first time.

'You told an Inuit story.'

Ray feels Fraser's smile, the soft kiss on his hair. 'What, you never heard that one before? Thought I reminded you to renew your subscription to Inuit Stories Weekly.' He presses closer, because Fraser's warm and because he can and because he never wants to take either one of those things for a given. 'Maybe next time you oughta listen to your partner, y'know?'

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

Fraser's arm tightens, and his voice is low, a soft brush of air against Ray's cheek, as he says, 'I always have.'

But then he smiles, and continues briskly, 'Perhaps you should think about contributing, Ray. Your story really was remarkably moving.'

'Moving, huh? I'll give you moving.'

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

And Ray does move, one arm sliding over Fraser's shoulder. He feels by turns languid and playful; this is life, he thinks, this is fucking life.

Something close to joy is starting inside of Ray, and as he lifts his eyes to Fraser's he sees it reflected right back at him, and fuck if he doesn't finally figure it out. This is the look he saw today, changed only a little by warmth and soft light.

Fraser catches Ray's hand in his own, threading their fingers together. Ray catches Fraser's mouth, a brief, warm dusting of lips. Fair trade, Ray thinks.

'So, partner, are you gonna still love me when I turn completely Canadian?' He smiles, quicksilver, does the mouth thing again. Addictive Mountie.

'What if Inuit stories are just the beginning? What if I start saying "eh" and "zed" and go around licking things?'

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

And Fraser's got a bit of the quicksilver thing going on too, because he twists his hips up, and suddenly Ray's on his back and Fraser's holding his arms above his head, their fingers still laced.

'Oh, I think it began a long time ago, Ray. You like hockey, after all. And maple syrup.' He leans down and kisses Ray, dry and quick, but his eyes flutter shut as he does it.

'What if I start saying "sorey"?'

'I'll buy you a hat.'

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

'That's because you think I look hot in yours.'

Ray makes a token attempt to free his hands, but Fraser clasps them tighter and pushes harder against them like Ray knew he would. Ray laughs and does it again. He wonders when love became this easy, this good.

'And anyway, one Inuit story doesn't mean I'm gonna, like, take up curling or anything.'

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

Fraser just smiles. 'You watch it, though.'

Fraser's breath on his ear is distracting enough that all Ray can say to that is 'Uh.'

'And I'm almost certain I heard you making tactical suggestions to the television last week.'

He can't get words out any more, can't do anything except thrust up against the warm pressure of Fraser's hips, because apparently part of being Canadian is having extra - well, Fraser would call it stamina. Must be all that healthy living.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

And Ray, Canadian or not, knows full well that part of healthy living is knowing when to argue and when to take life as it's offered. And this is his life, because he chose it, all of it, the snow and the dogs and the MacKenzie Delta, the staccato of Inuit stories told in Inuktitut, the quiet spectacle of the Northern Lights.

The unbelievable, unexpected gift of Fraser saying, yes, yes, Ray, I choose you, too, come live with me.

Fraser releases pressure on Ray's hands for a brief second, just long enough for Ray to break free of his clasp. He slides his fingers through Fraser's hair, tangling them in soft curls grown longer by necessity in winter (one of the good things about the cold, Ray never hesitates to mention). Fraser lets go a breathless sigh. Ray finds Fraser's mouth and breathes it back to him.

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

He chose this, too - if he's being honest, he wasn't thinking about much beyond Fraser's calm certainty, that damn addictive smile and the hands that roll them expertly over to range greedily over Ray's skin.

The rest of it was just a bonus, all the more precious for being unexpected, and as they push away the cold with fire and blankets and hands and nearness, Ray can't imagine being anywhere else.

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Okay, now maybe I should write this all up neatly and actually submit it somewhere? After I sleep, of course. :)

Thank you for the link to this entire thread!

[lady-sylvia.livejournal.com]

I loved this, from the mention of the radio station through to the end of the story.

The way it moves from information to comments to fiction traded back and forth is really quite lovely just the way it is - kind of like the film "Vanya on Forty-Second Street", which begins with actors walking through NYC, entering a theatre, climbing onstage, and effortlessly morphing into their characters from Chekhov's "Uncle Vanya" with no added costumes or make-up. Fantastic!

Re: Thank you for the link to this entire thread!

[primroseburrows.livejournal.com]

Wow, thanks! the_antichris started the comment fic, so she deserves the credit for its inception and half of its authorship (and she writes lovely things like this). I want to clean it up and actually post it somewhere besides here as soon as she says it's okay.

I've never seen Vanya. I'll add it to my List of Films/Shows/etc. to see. I'm a trivia geek, so once I found CBC's Inuvik radio station, I was gone, lost in utter geekdom. I've also been a Canadaphile a long, long time before I knew about fandom, so I eat up Canada!trivia with a fork and spoon. *g*