The Mask - Challenge #353 Transfer
The Mask
By Franscats
Spoilers for The Debt
This is rated PG for implied slash situations
Blair inhaled deeply his eyes closed as he sat cross legged on the floor of his warehouse. It really was very difficult trying to meditate in the cavernous space. Though it was certainly dark enough for the candles to create the soft lighting that would relax his mind, it was way too cold. Heat just didn’t disperse correctly with the high ceilings and cement walls and so the pervasive cold remained despite the four space heaters that circled the living area. In addition, every time he began to relax, to focus and get beyond the cold, he would hear the snap of a rat trap and it would bring him out of the meditation with a jolt making him stare around the dark space with some concern. And Larry, his current roommate, his incessant chattering didn’t help but Blair couldn’t exactly explain to Larry that he needed quiet for meditation. Larry, a Barbary ape, wouldn’t understand.
As an alternative location Blair had tried meditating in his office at Rainier but that had proved just as impossible. Too much noise and too many interruptions got in the way during the day and after ten o’clock at night when most students and staff were gone the security guards did not take kindly to him being in the basement storage area of the building sitting on the floor surrounded by candles and soft tribal music.
Blair jumped as another snap invaded his conscious and then gave up on trying to meditate this evening. It wasn’t going to happen. The rats seemed to be invading his space more and more as if something was driving them out of the neighboring warehouse. Also, he could swear he was hearing other noises coming from the empty warehouse next door, mostly at night; nothing loud, just banging around. Maybe some homeless person had moved in or the plumbing was acting up.
Sighing he blew out the candles and stood stretching the muscles in his back. He had a lot to think about. Foremost among his thoughts was the fact that he had found a sentinel. Truthfully, one of his girlfriends had found the sentinel and, despite the fact that it was a breech of patient confidentiality and ultimately against the law, she had faxed Jim Ellison’s records to Blair.
The tribal gods must have been smiling on Blair that day because when he confronted the detective instead of being hauled off to jail for larceny and invasion of privacy he had convinced the hard nosed cop that he knew about sentinels and could help him and Jim had agreed to the partnership. Blair hoped beyond all else that he could figure out ways to help Jim and not just because Jim would be the star of his doctorate dissertation. No, Jim was a decent guy and Blair more than anything else wanted to help him get a handle on his senses.
Glancing around the room restlessly Blair’s eyes fell on the copper mask that rested on the table in a place of honor as a display for all to see. It was a Peruvian fertility mask and the mask and Sir Richard Burton’s book, The Sentinel’s of Paraguay resting on the shelf in his office were the two most valuable objects Blair owned. Actually, they were the only valuable things Blair owned. Walking over the anthropologist ran a hand over the mask feeling the cool hammered out surface as his eyes inspected the formal headdress that adorned the top. It had been a gift from a tribal shaman in Cerro Blanco Peru. At the time, Blair had wondered why a shaman would give him something so sacred and valuable but the shaman had insisted with a strange smile. Blair didn’t have a great command of the native language so perhaps he misunderstood when the shaman told him that the mask would help him identify his life partner and he would give the mask to his life partner to keep and hold for him as a symbol of their union. Oddly, enough Blair had found himself accepting and believing the shaman but so far none of Blair’s girlfriends (or boyfriends) had ever shown the slightest interest in it, much less picked up the mask so Blair guessed none of the ladies or men he had dated were meant to be his life partner. For one more minute Blair let his hand slide over the copper surface as his thoughts turned yet again to Jim. Jim had spent 18 months in Peru.
Finally, Larry’s chattering brought him out of his reveries and Blair turned walking over to Larry’s cage. Opening the door he fed the Barbary ape before starting to work on his own dinner. There wasn’t much to eat, shopping was not high on Blair’s to do list but he quickly made a stir fry of veggies and tofu before settling with a bowl of popcorn next to the television to watch some old violent movie. He was, after all, studying the effects of violence on primates.
As they (the ape and Blair) watched the movie, Blair took notes on Larry’s behavior and thought about Jim Ellison. The detective was about as far removed from Blair’s world as a person could get. Where Blair was an easy going academic, rolling with the punches and open to new experiences, the true son of a flower child, Jim was anal retentive and extremely closed. A former black ops ranger and straight laced cop, the man exuded establishment. But Jim was approachable. Blair smiled thinking about it. Despite his set jaw and closed body language Jim was a caring individual willing to put his life on the line to save someone else. He was the epitome of a sentinel protecting his tribe and Blair wondered if that was an inborn trait of sentinels.
He was still considering this comparing and contrasting the detective’s attitude, job and actions with those of tribal warriors when the doorbell rang and said sentinel was let into the warehouse.
“Hi Jim,” Blair jumped up excitedly as the sentinel carried in a video camera and tripod. “Wow you got it!” Blair practically bounced on his feet as he began setting up the tripod aiming it at Larry.
“So where’s the big project?” Jim asked before warning Blair about the care of the camera he had borrowed from his ex wife’s department.
A half an hour later the three - Larry, Jim and Blair were watching television and eating popcorn when all hell broke loose. Jim had gone to get some beer and suddenly yelled a warning before a wall in Blair’s home blew up debris flying everywhere. Fortunately, all three survived with little more than some bumps and bruises but Blair’s belongings did not fare as well.
Standing outside the warehouse with Larry’s cage perched on his car, Blair watched in a still almost vacant way, shock having long since set in, as the fire department moved around inside hosing down potential dangers. Beside him, Jim noticed the slight shivers that went continuously through the younger man as his adrenaline levels that had kept him going dropped and reaching over put an arm around Blair’s shoulders and pulled him close, hugging him and rubbing his back soothingly. Blair closed his eyes for one moment leaning into that strength, fighting back the tears swimming in his eyes. He didn’t know what he could salvage from the wreck that had been his home and where he could go. And he had to consider Larry. Who would take in a Barbary ape?
Two hours later, Blair was allowed back into the warehouse to gather what he could. As he picked through things trying to find clothes, Jim inspected the warehouse next door where the fire had begun, the bomb squad and other departments already moving around speculating on the gangs involved. They were there for some time before deciding to meet the next day and then Jim went to check on Blair.
The anthropologist had gathered everything he could find and bundled it outside in four very small boxes and two suitcases. Jim looked over at pathetic amount of stuff and then at Blair’s stricken face. The anthropologist was in his late twenties yet all that was left of his life fit into the back of his car. Giving in to the inevitable Jim agreed to let him stay at his loft while he got back on his feet and the two had gone home.
Late that night Jim could hear Blair tossing and turning on the futon in the room beneath the loft stairs, short little breaths telling the detective that his guest was to upset to sleep. Not even thinking over his actions Jim came down to check on the young man. Blair looked up at Jim’s entry, self consciously wiping at tears streaking down his cheeks as he faced the reality that he had no cash and no home. “It will be alright, Chief,” Jim promised as he took a seat on the edge of the bed and held the younger man in his arms rocking him gently as Blair buried his head against Jim’s chest saying nothing, knowing things wouldn’t be alright. “I’ll help you get settled,” Jim promised aware of just how worn out Blair had to be after the ordeal. “But right now you need some sleep,” he slowly settled the you man on the bed lightly massaging his shoulders and back to relax him, rubbing at the tense muscles, Jim’s sensitive fingers finding and unknotting the tight muscles until the grad student fell into exhausted asleep.
Looking over the sleeping young man, Jim reached down and let his fingers glide through Blair’s hair one curl sliding around his finger enjoying the soft silky feel. Jim knew himself and knew he could get used to having Blair here far too easily, or not exactly here but upstairs. The only drawback, Jim was sure Blair was straight.
Shaking his head, Jim returned to his own bed thinking he should go in the morning and check Blair’s warehouse for anything that might still be salvageable. With his senses he would be more likely to find something. Yes, he decided, he would do that first thing in the morning before Blair even got up.
Blair woke late the next morning and getting up embarrassed at his emotional state the night before went into the kitchen to apologize. He figured Jim must think him some kind of wuss. Jim wasn’t there but it was obvious Larry had been fed and there was coffee in a hot pot and pastries from the bakery downstairs laid out on the table. Sitting down and taking a bite of the food he tried to consider what he would to do and was still lost when Jim opened the door.
“Hi Chief you feeling better?” Jim asked as he hung up his jacket and came to the table to get a good look at the anthropologist. Blair nodded his face turning slightly red aware that Jim’s senses were trained on him.
“Sorry about last night, man,” he answered. “I guess the whole thing just got to me.”
Jim smiled. “You had cause,” he answered more gently than Blair expected a hand gently squeezing his shoulder before he stepped back. “Listen, I went back to the warehouse and looked through it for anything salvable. I only found this,” he held up the fertility mask. “I figured you’d want it.” Jim regarded the mask thoughtfully. “I grabbed it and held onto it as the CSU worked around the warehouse. I wanted to keep it safe for you.”
Looking up into Jim’s blue eyes, Blair’s smile was way out of proportion to the small favor as he suddenly realized that things just might work out far better than he had ever hoped - if the shaman was correct. “Thanks Jim, maybe you could hold it for me. It’s valuable.”
“Sure.” Jim glanced again at the mask. “I’ll keep it safe or maybe,” he glanced down at Blair, “we could hang it up on a wall until you move out?”
Blair’s smile got even bigger and he glanced up at the detective, his eyes traveling discretely over the man’s incredible body before settling on his face. “That really would be great Jim. You know no one every really owns that mask. It is usually passed from one tribal member to another at important life events. As a matter of fact I’d like to transfer ownership to you as a thank you for all your help,” he answered before letting his eyes take in his new home and what might be his life partner.
“That’s not necessary Blair,” Jim answered but the anthropologist only smiled shaking his head.
“Oh yes it is, Jim and boy am I glad to offer it to you.”
By Franscats
Spoilers for The Debt
This is rated PG for implied slash situations
Blair inhaled deeply his eyes closed as he sat cross legged on the floor of his warehouse. It really was very difficult trying to meditate in the cavernous space. Though it was certainly dark enough for the candles to create the soft lighting that would relax his mind, it was way too cold. Heat just didn’t disperse correctly with the high ceilings and cement walls and so the pervasive cold remained despite the four space heaters that circled the living area. In addition, every time he began to relax, to focus and get beyond the cold, he would hear the snap of a rat trap and it would bring him out of the meditation with a jolt making him stare around the dark space with some concern. And Larry, his current roommate, his incessant chattering didn’t help but Blair couldn’t exactly explain to Larry that he needed quiet for meditation. Larry, a Barbary ape, wouldn’t understand.
As an alternative location Blair had tried meditating in his office at Rainier but that had proved just as impossible. Too much noise and too many interruptions got in the way during the day and after ten o’clock at night when most students and staff were gone the security guards did not take kindly to him being in the basement storage area of the building sitting on the floor surrounded by candles and soft tribal music.
Blair jumped as another snap invaded his conscious and then gave up on trying to meditate this evening. It wasn’t going to happen. The rats seemed to be invading his space more and more as if something was driving them out of the neighboring warehouse. Also, he could swear he was hearing other noises coming from the empty warehouse next door, mostly at night; nothing loud, just banging around. Maybe some homeless person had moved in or the plumbing was acting up.
Sighing he blew out the candles and stood stretching the muscles in his back. He had a lot to think about. Foremost among his thoughts was the fact that he had found a sentinel. Truthfully, one of his girlfriends had found the sentinel and, despite the fact that it was a breech of patient confidentiality and ultimately against the law, she had faxed Jim Ellison’s records to Blair.
The tribal gods must have been smiling on Blair that day because when he confronted the detective instead of being hauled off to jail for larceny and invasion of privacy he had convinced the hard nosed cop that he knew about sentinels and could help him and Jim had agreed to the partnership. Blair hoped beyond all else that he could figure out ways to help Jim and not just because Jim would be the star of his doctorate dissertation. No, Jim was a decent guy and Blair more than anything else wanted to help him get a handle on his senses.
Glancing around the room restlessly Blair’s eyes fell on the copper mask that rested on the table in a place of honor as a display for all to see. It was a Peruvian fertility mask and the mask and Sir Richard Burton’s book, The Sentinel’s of Paraguay resting on the shelf in his office were the two most valuable objects Blair owned. Actually, they were the only valuable things Blair owned. Walking over the anthropologist ran a hand over the mask feeling the cool hammered out surface as his eyes inspected the formal headdress that adorned the top. It had been a gift from a tribal shaman in Cerro Blanco Peru. At the time, Blair had wondered why a shaman would give him something so sacred and valuable but the shaman had insisted with a strange smile. Blair didn’t have a great command of the native language so perhaps he misunderstood when the shaman told him that the mask would help him identify his life partner and he would give the mask to his life partner to keep and hold for him as a symbol of their union. Oddly, enough Blair had found himself accepting and believing the shaman but so far none of Blair’s girlfriends (or boyfriends) had ever shown the slightest interest in it, much less picked up the mask so Blair guessed none of the ladies or men he had dated were meant to be his life partner. For one more minute Blair let his hand slide over the copper surface as his thoughts turned yet again to Jim. Jim had spent 18 months in Peru.
Finally, Larry’s chattering brought him out of his reveries and Blair turned walking over to Larry’s cage. Opening the door he fed the Barbary ape before starting to work on his own dinner. There wasn’t much to eat, shopping was not high on Blair’s to do list but he quickly made a stir fry of veggies and tofu before settling with a bowl of popcorn next to the television to watch some old violent movie. He was, after all, studying the effects of violence on primates.
As they (the ape and Blair) watched the movie, Blair took notes on Larry’s behavior and thought about Jim Ellison. The detective was about as far removed from Blair’s world as a person could get. Where Blair was an easy going academic, rolling with the punches and open to new experiences, the true son of a flower child, Jim was anal retentive and extremely closed. A former black ops ranger and straight laced cop, the man exuded establishment. But Jim was approachable. Blair smiled thinking about it. Despite his set jaw and closed body language Jim was a caring individual willing to put his life on the line to save someone else. He was the epitome of a sentinel protecting his tribe and Blair wondered if that was an inborn trait of sentinels.
He was still considering this comparing and contrasting the detective’s attitude, job and actions with those of tribal warriors when the doorbell rang and said sentinel was let into the warehouse.
“Hi Jim,” Blair jumped up excitedly as the sentinel carried in a video camera and tripod. “Wow you got it!” Blair practically bounced on his feet as he began setting up the tripod aiming it at Larry.
“So where’s the big project?” Jim asked before warning Blair about the care of the camera he had borrowed from his ex wife’s department.
A half an hour later the three - Larry, Jim and Blair were watching television and eating popcorn when all hell broke loose. Jim had gone to get some beer and suddenly yelled a warning before a wall in Blair’s home blew up debris flying everywhere. Fortunately, all three survived with little more than some bumps and bruises but Blair’s belongings did not fare as well.
Standing outside the warehouse with Larry’s cage perched on his car, Blair watched in a still almost vacant way, shock having long since set in, as the fire department moved around inside hosing down potential dangers. Beside him, Jim noticed the slight shivers that went continuously through the younger man as his adrenaline levels that had kept him going dropped and reaching over put an arm around Blair’s shoulders and pulled him close, hugging him and rubbing his back soothingly. Blair closed his eyes for one moment leaning into that strength, fighting back the tears swimming in his eyes. He didn’t know what he could salvage from the wreck that had been his home and where he could go. And he had to consider Larry. Who would take in a Barbary ape?
Two hours later, Blair was allowed back into the warehouse to gather what he could. As he picked through things trying to find clothes, Jim inspected the warehouse next door where the fire had begun, the bomb squad and other departments already moving around speculating on the gangs involved. They were there for some time before deciding to meet the next day and then Jim went to check on Blair.
The anthropologist had gathered everything he could find and bundled it outside in four very small boxes and two suitcases. Jim looked over at pathetic amount of stuff and then at Blair’s stricken face. The anthropologist was in his late twenties yet all that was left of his life fit into the back of his car. Giving in to the inevitable Jim agreed to let him stay at his loft while he got back on his feet and the two had gone home.
Late that night Jim could hear Blair tossing and turning on the futon in the room beneath the loft stairs, short little breaths telling the detective that his guest was to upset to sleep. Not even thinking over his actions Jim came down to check on the young man. Blair looked up at Jim’s entry, self consciously wiping at tears streaking down his cheeks as he faced the reality that he had no cash and no home. “It will be alright, Chief,” Jim promised as he took a seat on the edge of the bed and held the younger man in his arms rocking him gently as Blair buried his head against Jim’s chest saying nothing, knowing things wouldn’t be alright. “I’ll help you get settled,” Jim promised aware of just how worn out Blair had to be after the ordeal. “But right now you need some sleep,” he slowly settled the you man on the bed lightly massaging his shoulders and back to relax him, rubbing at the tense muscles, Jim’s sensitive fingers finding and unknotting the tight muscles until the grad student fell into exhausted asleep.
Looking over the sleeping young man, Jim reached down and let his fingers glide through Blair’s hair one curl sliding around his finger enjoying the soft silky feel. Jim knew himself and knew he could get used to having Blair here far too easily, or not exactly here but upstairs. The only drawback, Jim was sure Blair was straight.
Shaking his head, Jim returned to his own bed thinking he should go in the morning and check Blair’s warehouse for anything that might still be salvageable. With his senses he would be more likely to find something. Yes, he decided, he would do that first thing in the morning before Blair even got up.
Blair woke late the next morning and getting up embarrassed at his emotional state the night before went into the kitchen to apologize. He figured Jim must think him some kind of wuss. Jim wasn’t there but it was obvious Larry had been fed and there was coffee in a hot pot and pastries from the bakery downstairs laid out on the table. Sitting down and taking a bite of the food he tried to consider what he would to do and was still lost when Jim opened the door.
“Hi Chief you feeling better?” Jim asked as he hung up his jacket and came to the table to get a good look at the anthropologist. Blair nodded his face turning slightly red aware that Jim’s senses were trained on him.
“Sorry about last night, man,” he answered. “I guess the whole thing just got to me.”
Jim smiled. “You had cause,” he answered more gently than Blair expected a hand gently squeezing his shoulder before he stepped back. “Listen, I went back to the warehouse and looked through it for anything salvable. I only found this,” he held up the fertility mask. “I figured you’d want it.” Jim regarded the mask thoughtfully. “I grabbed it and held onto it as the CSU worked around the warehouse. I wanted to keep it safe for you.”
Looking up into Jim’s blue eyes, Blair’s smile was way out of proportion to the small favor as he suddenly realized that things just might work out far better than he had ever hoped - if the shaman was correct. “Thanks Jim, maybe you could hold it for me. It’s valuable.”
“Sure.” Jim glanced again at the mask. “I’ll keep it safe or maybe,” he glanced down at Blair, “we could hang it up on a wall until you move out?”
Blair’s smile got even bigger and he glanced up at the detective, his eyes traveling discretely over the man’s incredible body before settling on his face. “That really would be great Jim. You know no one every really owns that mask. It is usually passed from one tribal member to another at important life events. As a matter of fact I’d like to transfer ownership to you as a thank you for all your help,” he answered before letting his eyes take in his new home and what might be his life partner.
“That’s not necessary Blair,” Jim answered but the anthropologist only smiled shaking his head.
“Oh yes it is, Jim and boy am I glad to offer it to you.”