Constable Benton Fraser (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
maintiensledroit) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
singillatim2024-02-09 12:17 pm
maintiensledroit) wrote in singillatim2024-02-09 12:17 pm
[open] the lamp is burnin' low upon my table top, the snow is softly falling
Who: Benton Fraser, Diefenbaker, and you!
What: Woodworking, guitar playing, ice skating, and more
When: Through February
Where: In Milton, at the basin, in the woods, others tbd.
Content Warnings: mention of animal butchery, hunting, others tbd.
i.
[ Even in this icy weather, it's a good idea to preserve meat rather than simply stashing it, raw, in the snow, and so Fraser can be found in the first weeks of February in the woods, seeking out a likely-looking tree trunk, either fallen or still standing. Once found, he brings tools and begins hollowing the thing out, working steadily with Diefenbaker either lazing beside him in the snow or off in the woods, hunting for himself.
When the log is hollow, he hitches Dief in a jury-rigged harness attached to leather straps around the log and together they haul it back to the house where he's been staying with Heartman. Once back in town, Fraser can be found hammering nails and hooks inside the hollowed trunk, humming quietly to himself as he works. He'd be more than happy to answer any questions, should someone stop by to ask what he's up to. ]
ii.
[ Before he found the right trunk, while he was out in the woods, something else had happened in the early days of the month. Diefenbaker had gone stock-still and focused at his side, and when Fraser looked up, he'd seen the thing that had so caught the wolf's attention: a dog, enormous and mossy, watching them from among the trees.
No amount of calling and cajoling brings the best toward them, but when the dog had begun walking off Dief had followed without hesitation, leaving Fraser to come along or no as he would. They'd followed the strange animal on what began to feel almost like a path through the woods, strangely clear and easy to move along despite no signs of having been cleaned or kept up by man. It was hardly a surprise at all when the path led to a cabin he'd never seen before, sitting empty and cold but neat and sturdy for all that. He'd left Dief outside with the strange dog and gone to look for any signs of life.
There were none. The cabin was empty and mostly bare of supplies, but in the bedroom he found an impossible treasure: an old six-string acoustic guitar, tucked carefully away into its case. Even better, when he'd carefully lifted the thing out to inspect it, he'd found the case contained even more riches: extra packets of strings, a few picks, even a somewhat stiff capo.
Now, when he's finished work for the day, Fraser can be found on the porch steps of the house on Thompson's Drive with the guitar in his lap. On the first evening, he'll be there stringing it; on subsequent evenings someone might hear the rippling sounds of a fingerpicked accompaniment and a pleasant baritenor voice singing along. ]
ii.
[ But the Mountie isn't always in the woods. After an excursion to what remains of the outdoor gear store, he can also be found down on the frozen Basin, accompanied by the hissing sound of his hockey skates over the ice as he makes long loops or short sprints or simply skates backward in long, graceful swoops. Or perhaps someone nearby might hear the smack of a stick hitting a puck and the muffled thunk of said puck driving into a snowbank.
There's another stick and more pucks on the bank, just in case anyone would like to join him in his games. ]
no subject
You've done plenty already, believe me.
[ More than he would expect from a virtual stranger, even one who's gotten to know La'an. Not just that he's taken the time to talk to Jim, but that he gave him something that must mean something to him as well. Not everyone would— Jim is pretty sure he wouldn't, in his place. ]
Just need some time to process all this. [ Yes, he knows he might not get the luxury of time here. He's also aware that the question he's about to make will likely work against that, but he has to know, so. ] The more recent Darkwalker attack. Is that— what happened to her?
I think we can probably fade this out soon if that works!
[ It's far from a pleasant thing to recall or speak about, but Fraser pushes that discomfort down and away, focusing on the facts. The tightness in his stomach, in his chest, when he thinks back to that horrible morning is his own burden to bear, not something to put on this man. ]
She appeared to have walked out to meet it... the autopsy showed she hadn't eaten in a day or two. There was no immediately visible cause of death.
[ Her heart had simply... stopped, whether from fear or some other factor, he has no idea. ]
I'm sorry... we still don't know much about it or how it attacks. If there had been a way to protect her... I would have.
Sounds good! Please let me know if this works
[ Jim doesn't know why he knows, why he's so sure that this guy he's only just met gives off an immediate sense of trust. He's also always been good at reading people, for the most part anyway. At the very least, he knows when to trust his instincts when it comes to people. When to believe them, when to keep some distance just in case they end up proving to be something else entirely.
But he feels alright, with Fraser. Feels like there could be an ally here, maybe even a friend. He'll need the former, if he ends up being here for long. ]
Actually, if you've got a bit of time to spare, I also have a few questions about this place to ask?
[ It just seems unnecessarily painful for them both to keep talking about La'an. They will undoubtedly circle back to her, mention her other times, but Jim just needs the time to process all the information, and bombarding Fraser with the topic won't help either of them. There is, however, plenty else about this place he wants to know, and if Fraser's willing to indulge him while they share their coffee, then all the better. ]