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amediaStory title: No Heteronormativity Here, Please link to AO3
Author: Amedia
Fandoms: due South/Guardian
Rating: General Audiences
Characters: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio, Ray Kowalski, Shen Wei
Pairing: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan (background), Ray Vecchio/Ray Kowalski (by the end) (maybe) (I hope)
Summary: Fraser can do many things, including speaking Mandarin, but can he get Vecchio and Kowalski to like each other?
Word Count: 400
Author's notes:
It wasn't every day that an unusually good-looking, well-dressed man came into the police station and asked for help in Mandarin Chinese. Fraser was relieved; this arrival gave him a break from trying to keep Vecchio and Kowalski on a civil if not amicable footing. Turning to Francesca, he asked, "Would you please find an interpreter who speaks Mandarin?" he said. She nodded and went out.
He could hear the other two in the background. "Hey, how'd he know that was Mandarin?" asked Kowalski.
"Don't tell me you're surprised," said Vecchio. "Fraser's basically a walking encyclopedia."
"Ya got me there," said Kowalski.
At least they agree on something, thought Fraser. He gestured to a chair near his desk, and the man seated himself. Calling upon the lessons he had taken years ago, Fraser spoke slowly and carefully in Mandarin, hoping that he really was welcoming the visitor to Chicago and asking how he might be of service.
It appeared he was successful, as the visitor responded immediately, enunciating slowly and carefully for Fraser's benefit. Fraser nodded, pulling out a form and a pen.
"What'd he say, Benny?" asked Vecchio.
"My grasp of Mandarin is most rudimentary—" Fraser began.
Kowalski rolled his eyes. "C'mon, cut to the chase," he said.
"--But his name is Shen Wei, and he is looking for the love of his life, who is lost somewhere here in Chicago. I'm sure the interpreter will help us to garner more details."
"The love of his life, eh?" said Vecchio, looking interested. "Sounds like a good story. What's her name?"
"Please, Ray," said Fraser, "Let's not be heteronormative. Since spoken Mandarin lacks gendered pronouns, there is no reason to assume the person in question is female." He turned back to Shen Wei and spoke to him again, hesitating over vocabulary, and finally sketching a rectangle in the air.
Shen Wei looked at him for a moment, then said, "Ah," nodded, and pulled out his wallet, from which he carefully extracted a photograph. Fraser smiled and held up the photo for the others to see.
"Well, hurray for not being—that thing you said," said Kowalski, visibly relaxing. "Hetero-something."
Vecchio looked at Kowalski. "Wait a minute, you too? Why didn'tcha say something?"
"Well, why didn't you?" said Kowalski.
Fraser smiled. "Looks like this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," he said quietly to himself.
Author: Amedia
Fandoms: due South/Guardian
Rating: General Audiences
Characters: Benton Fraser, Ray Vecchio, Ray Kowalski, Shen Wei
Pairing: Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan (background), Ray Vecchio/Ray Kowalski (by the end) (maybe) (I hope)
Summary: Fraser can do many things, including speaking Mandarin, but can he get Vecchio and Kowalski to like each other?
Word Count: 400
Author's notes:
- Prompt fill for cruisedirector, who requested, "Anything with Fraser and both Rays. :)" I took considerable liberties with that "anything"!
- This ficlet takes place in a strange little universe in which, at the beginning, no one is in a relationship with anyone (well, except for Shen Wei and Zhao Yunlan).
- It also takes place in a strange little universe in which people from the planet Seastar can visit the planet Earth, as long as they don't show off their cell phones or other advanced gadgetry.
- due South folks, please let me know if I've made any egregious errors!
It wasn't every day that an unusually good-looking, well-dressed man came into the police station and asked for help in Mandarin Chinese. Fraser was relieved; this arrival gave him a break from trying to keep Vecchio and Kowalski on a civil if not amicable footing. Turning to Francesca, he asked, "Would you please find an interpreter who speaks Mandarin?" he said. She nodded and went out.
He could hear the other two in the background. "Hey, how'd he know that was Mandarin?" asked Kowalski.
"Don't tell me you're surprised," said Vecchio. "Fraser's basically a walking encyclopedia."
"Ya got me there," said Kowalski.
At least they agree on something, thought Fraser. He gestured to a chair near his desk, and the man seated himself. Calling upon the lessons he had taken years ago, Fraser spoke slowly and carefully in Mandarin, hoping that he really was welcoming the visitor to Chicago and asking how he might be of service.
It appeared he was successful, as the visitor responded immediately, enunciating slowly and carefully for Fraser's benefit. Fraser nodded, pulling out a form and a pen.
"What'd he say, Benny?" asked Vecchio.
"My grasp of Mandarin is most rudimentary—" Fraser began.
Kowalski rolled his eyes. "C'mon, cut to the chase," he said.
"--But his name is Shen Wei, and he is looking for the love of his life, who is lost somewhere here in Chicago. I'm sure the interpreter will help us to garner more details."
"The love of his life, eh?" said Vecchio, looking interested. "Sounds like a good story. What's her name?"
"Please, Ray," said Fraser, "Let's not be heteronormative. Since spoken Mandarin lacks gendered pronouns, there is no reason to assume the person in question is female." He turned back to Shen Wei and spoke to him again, hesitating over vocabulary, and finally sketching a rectangle in the air.
Shen Wei looked at him for a moment, then said, "Ah," nodded, and pulled out his wallet, from which he carefully extracted a photograph. Fraser smiled and held up the photo for the others to see.
"Well, hurray for not being—that thing you said," said Kowalski, visibly relaxing. "Hetero-something."
Vecchio looked at Kowalski. "Wait a minute, you too? Why didn'tcha say something?"
"Well, why didn't you?" said Kowalski.
Fraser smiled. "Looks like this is going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship," he said quietly to himself.
