rageprufrock

He could instruct himself to be good, to stop being horrible, but it didn't matter then, because Sirius was sitting on the ground, knees dirty and crying and Remus could think of nothing else in the world he wanted more.

OKAY GET READY FOR A DUE SOUTH FRASIER/RAYK SLASH PRIMER.

This primer is for those who want to read the slash for seasons 3-4, but haven't the time to watch all the relevant episodes (yet). 

This was prompted on Tumblr by a friend who asked, "Wait...do I need to watch the show to read the fanfiction?" since there are darned good authors in this fandom and not really enough time in the day to watch all the shows we want to. Because we want to watch ALL THE SHOWS.

PS, you now know the reason this post has so much caps lock is because it was born on Tumblr. 

zweelum  got me hooked on Due South and now I have to spread the word of gay. SADLY, IT IS NOT ACTUALLY GAY, but is fairly gay in all other respects, and also delightful in its off-beat humor.

If you just want to read the (excellent) fic in this fandom, I'll have you know that I started off just on YouTube clips, though now I have watched seasons 3 and 4. This show's quirky sensibilities are amazing, so I recommend you do get around to watching it.

If you do feel like watching the show, all 4 seasons are on YouTube. S3 starts here.

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT DUE SOUTH, some of which is totes copied from Wikipedia. Key words are bolded!

1. Benton Fraser is a Canadian Mountie who first came to Chicago on trail of the killers of his father, and for reasons that don't need exploring at this juncture, he stayed on as liaison to the Canadian Consulate. (This is word-for-word how he introduces himself on the show to anyone who asks.) Fraser is amazing at just about everything, including singing, apprehending criminals, smelling and licking evidence for clues, tangents about Canada, and politely evading the many women who hit on him. Fraser is not amazing at having a personal life.

• [Optional YT vid: "Meet Fraser"]

2. Ray Vecchio was Fraser's partner and good friend in seasons 1&2, but has been now sent deep undercover with the mob. (aka Put On A Bus)

3. Detective Stanley Raymond Kowalski--just Ray--is brought in at the start of S3 to impersonate Vecchio for his own protection till Vecchio can return. (Lampshading the common trope on TV shows of bringing in a new actor after another leaves to play the same character, the two look nothing alike--RayV's super Italian, RayK is a spiky-haired blonde Polack.) This meant taking on Ray's friend and unofficial partner, Fraser, who was on vacation at the time of the "switch" and returned to find RayK at RayV's desk claiming to be Vecchio, and Fraser's confusion isn't cleared up until due hilarity ensues.  Ray's personality's as spiky as his hair, and despite a cool guy act, Ray's something of an outsider, just as Fraser is. They become true friends and partners.

• [Longish, but worth watching to at least to 6:20 or so: "Meet RayK"]

4. EXES: Ray has an ex-wife named Stella who is the DA and I guess gets with Vecchio at the end of the series? Fraser was involved with a criminal, Victoria, with whom he had a brief torrid love affair until she got herself caught in season 1 or 2, IDK.

5. FRASER'S ASSOCIATES: Fraser has a deaf half-wolf named Diefenbaker (Dief), to whom Fraser talks, and who judging from Fraser's conversations with him appears to respond. Fraser's father is a ghost who has an office in Fraser's closet (it's bigger on the inside).

6. SIDE CHARACTERS: Frannie, Vecchio's sister, who works at the station and has the hots for Frase; Thatcher, Fraser's bossy boss at the Canadian Consulate; Turnbull, a fellow Mountie at the Canadian Consulate who is even more eccentric than Fraser is, and prone to weeping when moved; Welsh, the world-weary lieutenant at the Chicago police station; Huey and Duey, fellow Chicago cops and partners.

7. At the end of the series, Fraser and Ray decide to go on an expedition to quest for some Canadian artifact. They dogsled off into the Canadian sunset together.

* There is lots of fic that takes place post-series involving #7, much of which involves huddling for warmth.

RELEVANT YOUTUBE CLIPS

• Fraser meets Ray, is confused, while Ray talks about how their relationship is a duet
• Fraser asks Ray on their first date, and his father gives his blessing
• Fraser thinks Ray is attractive
• Aforementioned holding hands
• Buddy breathing

FIC TO GET YOU STARTED

A random fic that is good and fairly short seems a place to get started: Ping! by Speranza. I say random because any DS fic by her is good. Also, any by Resonant (for example, Housekeeping is a good post-series fic).

OKAY I'M A PSYCHO I'M DONE I'M DONE NOW