Make-up challenge response
Apr. 27th, 2003 09:58 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
lmondegreen.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ds_flashfictionI'm pretty sure this must have been done already by someone, but not by me, so I'm giving it a shot. I'm using the 'make up a story' interpretation of the challenge...
"And off we went to find the hand of Franklin, reaching for the Beaufort Sea. And if we do find his hand - the reaching out one - we'll let you know."
Ray read to the end of the page, turned it briefly to check the back, then said, "That's it?"
Ben frowned. "What do you mean, 'that's it'?"
"That's how it all ends?"
"Well, yes. I thought I'd end it on a bit of a cliff-hanger like that. Fraser and Kowalski go off on an adventure together, and..." His face fell as he noticed Ray's non-plussed expression. "You don't like it."
Ray instantly looked chagrined. "I didn't say that! The story's great - I love it! It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Well, this is gonna be the last book in the series, right?"
Ben nodded. "You know it is, Ray. As an author, I feel that I've gone as far as I can with the stories and the characters, and -"
"Yeah, I know all that. It's just..."
Ben reached over and grasped his lover's hand. "Just what?" he repeated gently.
Ray looked down at their entwined fingers. "I thought they were gonna get together, that's all. Before the end."
"You mean Fraser and Kowalski?"
"Yeah. Stupid, I know - I know Fraser isn't really you, and Kowalski isn't really me, but... I just kind of hoped, that's all."
"Oh, Ray," Ben said gently. "They are together, riding off on their dogsled, off on their arctic adventure. That's unfortunately as "together" as I could get them in a book destined for the mass market."
"Well, that sucks."
"It certainly does," Ben agreed, pulling his lover into an embrace. "But until I can safely publish the further, romantic adventures of Benton and Ray in the Yukon, maybe I can run a few story ideas by you."
He felt Ray smile against his neck. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Well, there's the day they declare their undying love to one another under the Northern Lights."
"I like that one."
"And the time they were snowed in at the cabin for days and had to keep each other warm in many inventive ways."
"Tell me more..."
"And the dreadful week they lost some of their supplies in an avalanche and were without lube, five hundred kilometres from the nearest outpost."
Ray snorted, then sighed as he pulled Ben in for a kiss.
And if, someday, Ben does publish his 'Further Adventures of Benton and Ray in the Yukon', I'll let you know.
"And off we went to find the hand of Franklin, reaching for the Beaufort Sea. And if we do find his hand - the reaching out one - we'll let you know."
Ray read to the end of the page, turned it briefly to check the back, then said, "That's it?"
Ben frowned. "What do you mean, 'that's it'?"
"That's how it all ends?"
"Well, yes. I thought I'd end it on a bit of a cliff-hanger like that. Fraser and Kowalski go off on an adventure together, and..." His face fell as he noticed Ray's non-plussed expression. "You don't like it."
Ray instantly looked chagrined. "I didn't say that! The story's great - I love it! It's just..."
"Just what?"
"Well, this is gonna be the last book in the series, right?"
Ben nodded. "You know it is, Ray. As an author, I feel that I've gone as far as I can with the stories and the characters, and -"
"Yeah, I know all that. It's just..."
Ben reached over and grasped his lover's hand. "Just what?" he repeated gently.
Ray looked down at their entwined fingers. "I thought they were gonna get together, that's all. Before the end."
"You mean Fraser and Kowalski?"
"Yeah. Stupid, I know - I know Fraser isn't really you, and Kowalski isn't really me, but... I just kind of hoped, that's all."
"Oh, Ray," Ben said gently. "They are together, riding off on their dogsled, off on their arctic adventure. That's unfortunately as "together" as I could get them in a book destined for the mass market."
"Well, that sucks."
"It certainly does," Ben agreed, pulling his lover into an embrace. "But until I can safely publish the further, romantic adventures of Benton and Ray in the Yukon, maybe I can run a few story ideas by you."
He felt Ray smile against his neck. "Oh yeah? Like what?"
"Well, there's the day they declare their undying love to one another under the Northern Lights."
"I like that one."
"And the time they were snowed in at the cabin for days and had to keep each other warm in many inventive ways."
"Tell me more..."
"And the dreadful week they lost some of their supplies in an avalanche and were without lube, five hundred kilometres from the nearest outpost."
Ray snorted, then sighed as he pulled Ben in for a kiss.
And if, someday, Ben does publish his 'Further Adventures of Benton and Ray in the Yukon', I'll let you know.
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Date: 2003-04-27 07:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-27 07:13 am (UTC)This makes a surprisingly amount of sense, actually: Fraser just wasn't teling the whole story because, oh...Standards and Practices wouldn't allow him to. *g*
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Date: 2003-04-27 08:18 am (UTC)This is so totally adorable.
"They are together, riding off on their dogsled, off on their arctic adventure. That's unfortunately as "together" as I could get them in a book destined for the mass market."
"Well, that sucks."
You said it, Ray.
Re:
Date: 2003-04-27 08:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-27 10:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-27 10:28 am (UTC)SHAY
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Date: 2003-04-28 11:30 am (UTC):: ntamara snorts ::
Very nice, very original. Good one!
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Date: 2003-04-28 06:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-04-28 07:55 pm (UTC)