Nothing is True. Everything is Connected.
Author: <span>Nicolaus Meridius</span>
Sylum Information4

Sylum Information: Due South and the Rays

I am taking this opportunity to answer the question that has been on a few people’s minds since we updated the Wiki a couple of years ago.

The Due South fandom, even after all these years, still has fandom wars over Ray V. vs Ray K.  Personally I think any fandom type war is stupid, but there it is.

When Sylum started, I had originally chosen Ray Vecchio.  I knew the character, and had begun the workings of a storyline for him.  I had stopped watching Due South after he left, having not liked how the transition played out between the two Ray characters.

I admit in the beginning, I was probably a bit too lax about giving in to other writer’s suggestions for the Sylum series.  One of them was switching to Ray Kowalski, because he was the ‘best Ray’, as it was put to me.  Considering they offered to write the back story for him and Benton – I was willing to change it.

Cue ten years later.

Benton’s history developed, making him much older than his original 200 years.  And with those changes, what he needed in a Mate changed too.  By this time the person who had originally convinced me to change the character, left the list, and any stories they had been working on were left behind.  No chances of editing or updating.

As I worked on the New Wiki, I took the time to think about a lot of the characters: why they were there, who they were connected to, and chances of stories ever being written.  I also took control over a lot of earlier storylines that gotten added/changed that I really didn’t want.

Hence Greg and Gil being de-Mated.

Changing the Riddick Twins.

Reorganizing House and Wilson to make more sense.

And we saved Diego!!

Putting Ray Vecchio back as Benoit’s Mate was another big change.

I know there is still a lot of grumbling over that change, and I get it – we all have our favorite pairings.

But I don’t appreciate the  passive aggressive comments that have been sent to me over it.

If this change upsets you that much, I can assure you that there is no one forcing you to stay.  I’m dealing with enough problems in my life, and  the last thing I need is someone bitching at me over a character.

So now you know the background for the switch in Ray’s.

In reality it was me actually putting it back to the way it was originally intended.

And as I do actually like Ray Kolwaski, and never had anything against him, he was rescued and found  a home in Tallikut with Jeremiah.

 

 

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Character Introduction / Tallikut Clan2

Sylum Inspiration: Stanley ‘Ray’ Kowalski

Tallikut: Member

Stanley Raymond Kowalski was born in Chicago, the youngest son of Damian and Barbara Kowalski, and was named after Marlon Brando’s character in A Streetcar Named Desire, but prefers ‘Ray’ to ‘Stanley’. Ray and his father were close when he was growing up,and restored old cars together including Ray’s black 1967 GTO. He became estranged from his father when he dropped out of college to become a police officer.

Ray met his wife, Stella, a Gold Coast girl who attended private school, when they were 13. They married in college, and were happy for many years before Ray’s undercover work, and Stella’s job at the State’s Attorneys office began to put pressure on the marriage. Of all the factors that led to the end of their marriage, their arguments over starting a family was the deal breaker. Ray wanted children, but Stella didn’t want to take time from her successful law career as a State’s Attorney.

Unable to deal with the failure of his marriage, Ray delved deeper into his undercover work wanting to live someone else’s live instead of his own. Beginning to suffer from burnout, he was assigned to the 18th precinct. He meets Benoit Franciscus in his guise of Benton Fraser, RCMP, in 1997 while canvassing the area around the Canadian Consulate. Benoit and Diefenbaker befriended Ray and began consulting on Ray’s cases.

When Ray is kidnapped by Rogue Vampire, Victoria Metcalf, looking for Benoit. He’s taken to the home of goth nightclub owner, Jeremiah Parks where Park’s convinces his Sire that he will hold on to Ray, and look for information on Benoit. They try to keep Ray ignorant about the existence of Vampires until Jeremiah saves Ray’s life. With no other Chosen Ones available, Ray is told about Vampires, and becomes a Chosen One for Tallikut Clan.

His kidnapping makes Ray realize he’s still living his life undercover. He retires from the police force, digs out his leather, jewelry and head kicker boots, goes to find Jeremiah at Lost Children of the Blood newest location in Chicago, and asks his new friend for a job. He becomes the General Manager, and though the two men don’t get to spend a lot of time together because Jeremiah is doing undercover jobs for Javier Esposito in New York City.

While working at the club, Benoit still comes to him asking he help people that come to Benoit with their problems. Ray, exhausted by working cases and at the club, directs Benoit to Lt. Walsh at the 27th precinct where Benoit meets his Mate, Ray Vecchio.<

After six years, Tallikut suffers through the latest round of Victoria trying to kill Ray (she still hasn’t realized Ray K is not Benoit’s Mate), Lying in a hospital bed after twice stepping between Ray and bullets, Jeremiah realizes Ray Kowalski is his Mate. Ray is Turned and Claimed before the new year.

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