New F/K Story: The Cold Equations (R)

[arrow00]

Title: The Cold Equations
Author: arrow00
Pairing: Fraser/RayK
Rating: R (blink and you miss the sex)
Wordcount: 2,858
Warnings: functions!
Categories: ER (sorta), Ray H/C
Summary: Ray tries to do the math.
Notes: Yes, I know I'm writing too much.
Been watching eps and avoiding spring cleaning.

UPDATE: Now Podficced by zabira!


The Cold Equations

By Arrow


Ray has never been the best at math (except that one semester Stella was in his geometry class) but even he can figure the equations up here in the Areas, as he likes to call them. Cold plus alone equals dead. See? Math is easy.

All except for the dying part. Which he's pretty sure he's going to do any minute now unless Fraser finds a way to get to him fast.

Ray's worked out some other equations on their adventure, such as dry plus socks equals happy feet, and Dief plus field kibble equals stinky farts squared, but his very favorite so far is tiny tent divided by (Ray plus Fraser) minus long johns equals serious-fucking-hotness. Equals Fraser saying Ray's name over and over in this breathless whisper. Equals Ben squirming underneath him, looking up with these shocked eyes as he comes so hard his ass is like an iron trap trying to squeeze the life out of Ray's cock.

Not that Ray minds.

During the day Ray learns other stuff, like how to harness the dogs properly so they don't get hot spots (Ray plus Ben minus sled equals dead) or that it's important to always keep a weather eye on the sky—(Ray plus Fraser minus tent) times blizzard also equals dead. In fact, it's amazing how many fucking things equal dead up here in the Northern Areas.

Including calling them the Northern Areas, since Fraser's evil eye gets more and more hairy every time Ray does it.

"Honestly, Ray, you've been here long enough at this point to get it right."

"Get this—I'm a slow learner, Fraser."

What he doesn't tell Fraser is there are two reasons he still gets it wrong on purpose. The first is, this way he feels like he's a little more in control of this GIANT FUCKING WASTELAND, which is how it should be marked on the map instead of THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, because territories implies someone owns them or something, which is obviously totally untrue. Nobody owns this place. It owns them. If it doesn't kill them, which—see above equations just for starters.

The second reason Ray doesn't use the right term is a little more mean. He doesn't like it that Fraser loves it up here so goddamned much. It was in the impossible grin on his face from the first second they fell off the plane (Ray insists in his head that they fell, because who in their right mind would jump out of an airplane without a parachute?)

More proof that Fraser loves the Areas—he's loose up here, easy in his body. Fraser walks in snow shoes like he's dancing. Which sounds weird, but isn't. Up-here-Fraser is the guy who rolled next to Ray in their tiny tent and hugged him all night when Ray was shivering. And it wasn't buddy-hugging, neither, which Ray figured out when Fraser's nose started burrowing into his neck the next morning (and another part tried to burrow through two layers of long johns.)

What happens to Up-here-Fraser when they're done with the quest and are back down in Chicago? It's a question Ray tries real hard not to think about, but it floats in his mind like two hard-edged pieces of something that just don't fit and are hurting him when they grate against each other. He brings it up every so often, thinking to wear them smooth.

"Man, I'll bet you'll be glad to have Dief back on an all-donut diet," Ray says when one of Dief's cosmically smelly farts fills the tent.

Fraser just grunts.

Or, when they stop at an outpost and get the news—"Now that the Ice Queen is off playing spy-versus-spy, maybe you'll end up with a cooler boss at the Consulate."

Fraser doesn't even grunt at that one, just gives him an odd look and asks him if he thinks they need more pemmican.

It's not that Ray is stupid, or bad at math. He would have figured it out if the pieces of the equation just didn't hurt so fucking much. Fraser into The Areas equals right. But Ray plus Canada equals not-a-cop and cold to the factor of N (where N equals Nuts.)

So he doesn't think about it. And keeps making these stupid comments as if he can wish it all away, and Ben starts to look sadder and sadder, until finally Ray does it once too often—

"You know, that submarine thing really made you Mr. Popular. Maybe they'll make you the big boss at the Consulate. Except, I bet you'd make yourself stand guard duty anyway."

"Ray." Fraser puts down the little piece of leather strap he's mending (because the guy can't relax even over breakfast) and folds his hands together. Tight, so his gloves are all bunched.

"Yeah, what?" Ray looks away.

"You must realize...I can't...I won't be returning to a post in Chicago." Fraser says it like it's tearing his throat out.

Oh. Fraser isn't coming home. Fraser is staying here. A lump of ice hits Ray in the guts. He looks at Fraser's face, at the way it's so thin and still. But Ray can't take him hurting about it, and anyway it's his goddamned fault, isn't it?

"You son of a bitch," Ray says low.

"Ray—surely you knew—"

"I know shit," Ray yells, getting up and circling the fire. He's so furious he can feel the snow melting under his feet. "Because you tell me shit. You bastard. What the hell we been doing all this time?"

It's easier to pretend he didn't know all along, because it's good to be mad—the ice-ball is melting, too, and all he can feel is pure rage at the stupidity of the universe and Fraser, who was fucking using him when he knew—

"What, you thought you could just get a little action without any strings? That it?"

Fraser looks totally shocked, and then he turns red, but not with embarrassment, oh no.

"I wanted what I could get," he says tightly.

"Yeah? Well, you shouldn't've fucked me if you weren't gonna to keep me."

And that's a perfect exit line, really, so Ray takes it and goes tromping off. He's not wearing his snowshoes, so it's not a very decisive exit, more like a step-ploosh, step-ploosh as he stomps past the dogs and tries to put a little space between him and Fraser.

Not too much, though, because Ray isn't an idiot, and Ray minus Fraser plus wasteland still equals dead, dead and dead.

There's a little bit of a rise, and then a bunch of rocks heaped around a small cavern—kind of pretty. He sits on a rock and contemplates his navel; or, more specifically, how much he will miss having Ben's tongue there, and having him to bitch at and get them into trouble and, shit, he thinks of the two-seven and going back there without Fraser, just to find Vecchio sitting at his desk (except Vecchio is on vacation in Florida, last he heard.) And Ray's thinking about all this stuff instead of the fact his fucking heart is bleeding out in the middle of his chest because he loves Fraser. He loves him. Fraser made him need him, and now he won't let him have him.

It's so goddamned cold.

He hears an approaching scuff-scuff, which means it's been a while and Fraser is coming after him, of course wearing snowshoes, and Ray isn't ready. He stands up and walks over the rise, passing down the back to keep Fraser out of sight in a dumb little game of hide-and-seek.

Ray's standing there, still frozen with the stupidity of everything, the perfect cruelty of the universe, when he hears Fraser come up behind him.

"Ray. Don't move," Fraser says in this terrible voice, this voice that's dead and too calm and horrified all at once.

Having learned his lesson from last time, Ray doesn't move. But it doesn't fucking matter, because just breathing seems to be enough to make the snow disappear from under his feet, and suddenly he's falling, falling, tumbling and scraping against ice until he comes to a sudden, thudding halt.

He's wedged in tight, almost upright, and his arm is numb, which is bad because it means maybe broken, and there's a little hollow over his head, and a little crack of blue through it, but otherwise it's dark and closed. He's buried.

"Fraser!" he tries to yell, but there's no room to get a good lungful of air to yell with. How's Fraser going to find him?

It's funny, thinking he could just die here anyway, like none of it mattered after all. Like maybe it doesn't. So Fraser was right about taking what you can get, because now Ray gets jack but a face full of snow when he tries to yell again.

And it's all so cold. So cold.

><

He's not sure how long he's been stuck here in the dark, but he starts to hear this scraping sound, cautious and quiet. His first thought is ice rats, and he must be pretty far gone by now because that's just loony.

No, it's Fraser, of course. Found him somehow, is digging down patiently, and all Ray has to do is not die before he gets here.

Ray can do that. He tries to wiggle his toes and can't tell if he succeeds. More snow plops down onto him and he shakes it out of his hair. His hat is long gone, and he's pretty sure his ears have frost-bite. And he still can't breathe so well, but he's not breathing as much, anyway.

One last plop and then scrape-scrape and there's a familiar mitten running over his head.

"Ray?" Fraser's voice is hoarse and soft and scared.

"Yeah. M'here."

"Oh, thank God. Ray, thank God!" And if Ray wasn't totally in la-la land he'd almost suspect Fraser is crying, only Fraser doesn't do that.

Maybe Ben does, though.

The rest is kind of a nightmare jumble of Fraser trying free enough space to reach him, trying to thread something under his arms, which are still trapped, and then Fraser's frantic, hoarse yelling to the team, telling them to pull, pull, Goddammit! and Ray has never heard Fraser curse like that. If Ray were in his right mind it would've terrified him, but for some reason it makes him laugh weakly instead, and once they are up and out and clean on top of the snow where they belong, Fraser pulls off his mittens and puts his warm hands on Ray's cheeks—so warm they burn. Fraser burns him.

Then Fraser is babbling at him, kissing his face, telling him all sorts of things—that it's all his fault, that he loves him, that he needs him to live, that he'll do whatever Ray wants—which proves that Fraser isn't in his right mind, either.

Apparently Ray plus hurt equals insane Fraser.

Ray has never been so cold, and then he's too hot, and he knows he's sick because everything has that fever cast to it, and he drifts for a while then, aware they are mushing across the snow, aware that Fraser is panicking in a controlled way trying to get them somewhere safe and warm.

They must get there eventually, because Ray wakes up in a big, fluffy bed. He's drenched with sweat but he feels cool finally, except he can't stop coughing. And his arm is in a splint.

"Ray." Fraser moves into his sight line, and who would've thought you could make one single syllable sound so terrifyingly grateful?

"Yeah, Ben. You okay?"

Fraser laughs, an ugly laugh, like bleeding. "I'm fine, Ray. You're—it's you who've—"

"I'm fine, too." Except he's really not, yet, but he's not dead, and neither is Fraser, so that's something.

That's everything, really.

He's not sure where his rage went, but he just feels calm now. Fraser's hand is on his forehead pushing his hair back. Maybe he was pretending to take Ray's temperature that way, but his hand is staying, thumb stroking a little.

"I've been thinking, Ray."

"Yeah?"

"There must be some way—"

"There isn't.

"But we can try—"

"It sucks," Ray croaks. "But it's the way it is."

"I can't accept that." Fraser's voice is still soft, but totally determined. He moves away for a second and comes back with some ibuprofen and a glass of water that Ray swallows down gratefully. It cools his chest, too, which feels like an alien has recently busted its way out of it.

"I should tell you, Frase...thing is, I'm an asshole. I knew. I knew but I didn't want to know, so I took it out on you."

"It's all right, Ray. I knew why. Do you think I'm any less...upset by the circumstances?"

"You mean angry."

"Dissatisfied."

"Angry. Torqued off."

"Frustrated." But Fraser is biting his cheek.

"Furious."

"Furious." Fraser nods. "Out of my head. Enraged that fate can't be kinder. But not...surprised."

No. Fraser wouldn't be surprised. He must be kind of getting used to it by now—life handing him crap and telling him to suck it up with a smile.

It makes Ray mad for him. For both of them, because Ray is supposed to be protecting him. And how is he supposed to do his job from three thousand miles away?

"I can't do it from three thousand miles, Ben. I couldn't even stand living across town from you. I was planning on moving you straight into my apartment. You and me and Dief and Spud the Wonder Turtle. We were gonna be a family."

He's lucky he has delirium as a ready excuse for the sap, but it looks like he doesn't need it, because Fraser just softens right up—Ray's never seen him so wide open. And then his face twists and Ray knows it's no good. It's no fucking good at all.

There's no escaping the math.

But Fraser looks thoughtful. He gets that frown he gets sometimes when he's about to suggest something impossible ("Of course we can swing from that chandelier directly behind Mr. Givens and catch him by complete surprise") and Ray almost gets hopeful, because if anyone can defy the laws of physics and trigonometry and stuff, it's Fraser.

Fraser says slowly, "What about—a time share arrangement of some kind?"

"Time share?"

"I've heard in the past about officers splitting their posts—usually it's older officers who are trying to escape the poorer weather months. But perhaps I could spend six months in the Territories and six months in Chicago?"

Rays heart beats crazy for a second. But six months is still not enough. That's half the year. Half a year apart would be awful. He starts to shake his head.

"And do you think...Ray, I hate to ask this, but during the summer months the weather really is quite beautiful here—"

Jesus, he shouldn't be making Fraser ask him. He should've thought of that. Ray clears his throat painfully, and Fraser passes back the glass of water. Ray notices Fraser's hand is shaking, so he talks quick.

"I could ask Welsh. I mean, maybe we could swing some sort of 'In the Interests of International Cooperation' deal. Or I suppose I could just take the time off without pay. As long as there'd be a job for me to go back to..."

Ben's face has been brightening the whole time he's been talking, and Ray is scared he's getting both their hopes up. But that's what hope is good for, right? To let you try.

"Maybe you can get me a phone—?

But Ben's mouth is busy on his right now, so Ray guesses he'll have to call Welsh later.

><

They work it out. The RCMP is so in love with Fraser at this juncture they'll agree to pretty much anything, including an exploratory post on Pluto. Fraser settles for six months in Chicago and six months in the Territories.

The Consulate in Chicago is totally chill now that Thatcher's gone. Fraser still stands guard duty, but only occasionally. Ray could almost believe he does it just to keep his statue skills all honed.

Three months, the good ones, they spend together at Fraser's posting in Fort Smith. It's almost a college town (population 2,500 or so) and mostly First Nations folk, so Fraser gets a lot of help doing his thing, and Ray lends a hand when he can do it without anyone's pumpkin pants getting in a bunch.

Fraser doesn't wear the funny pants up here, though. That's another crucial side benefit. He's always in the brown uniform, or layered up in wool and flannel and leather, and if Ray weren't already a total sucker for the guy, just seeing him all bearded and mussed up after two weeks of chasing a litterbug would do the trick.

Three months out of the year they're apart. And that sucks. So hard it hurts. So bad it's like bamboo torture. But considering the alternative, it's more than doable.

In point of fact, Ray plus Fraser equals pretty fucking happy. Times two.


.......................
2007.07.19


(The title of this story is a reference to the classic Science Fiction story by Tom Godwin.)

QOTD: "It's the live ones that make me squeamish." —Mort, Mountie and Soul

Comments

[iadorespike]

First, Arrow plus writing too much is an equation that makes. No. Sense. It's based on a faulty mathematical principle. *eyes you* That said...

OMG...I think you broke me with this fic! You are absolutely amazing, and the things you write? So, so good. *sigh*

"Yeah? Well, you shouldn't've fucked me if you weren't going to keep me."

And that's a perfect exit line, really, so Ray takes it and goes tromping off.

Ouch, and ouch again. :(

And Ray's thinking about all this stuff instead of the fact his fucking heart is bleeding out in the middle of his chest, because he loves Fraser. He loves him. Fraser made him need him, and now he won't let him have him.

And, if you were here, you could have heard my *wail*. :(

When I started to read, I just wasn't expecting where this would go. It's so, so good, but it's also so very painful. Their solution, though not perfect, allowed me to start breathing again. Seriously...this really packs a powerful punch. Thank-you so, so, so much, and I want you to know that I, for one (read: the many), hope that you write forever. *nods firmly*

Anna *hugs you tight*

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

*hugs you mo' betta* Thanks, Anna. I am often guilty of false logic (e.g., who needs clean laundry? Plenty of people wear pajama pants to work)

I'm sorry to make you wail, but I've often thought their situation (even just as friends) is untenable. Fraser so obviously belongs up there, even as much as he seems to be enjoying his time in Chicago. I think the producers themselves recognized that, because otherwise why have the guys going off on an adventure?

Makes me sad. :( Hope the solution works.

[snarkyducky.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? Well, you shouldn't've fucked me if you weren't going to keep me."
Ray trying to find someone who would keep him.. i like the way that reminds me a little of Le Petit Prince's fox..

Then Fraser is babbling at him, kissing his face, telling him all sorts of things—that it's all his fault, that he loves him, that he needs him to live, that he'll do whatever Ray wants—which proves that Fraser isn't in his right mind, either.
(;___;)
oh boys.. *smooshes them*
they deserve to be happy.. ♥
thank you for the happy ending (and no one dying)

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Oh, what a perfect comparison (Ray as Le Petit Prince's fox) YOU MUST WRITE THIS!

I'm happy not to ded either of them. Thanks, snarky. You always so swell to me.

[aftertherain.livejournal.com]

Oh, my. This was seriously fantastic.
ME + equations = FAIL, but I absolutely love what you've done with this story. I could hear the Rayness in all of the equations.
And Ray making stupid comments even though he knows things aren't going to turn out his way really struck a chord; to want something so badly and know it's out of reach that the only thing you can do is stay in denial (lalala) a little longer. We've all been there.

Ray plus hurt equals insane Fraser
This just broke my heart. But you put it back together at the end!

Thank you for writing this lovely story.
Yay for time-share mounties!

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thank you, itsuki. I think we've all done that, yeah (lalala) and boy, it hurts when you hit the wall. :)

I think of Fraser as all our time-share. :) But Ray gets the biggest chunk.

[etcetera-cat.livejournal.com]

Arrow plus 'writing too much' equals unreal number!

This was seriously all kinds of awesomeness sprinkled over with fantastic and mathematics! *glee*

And, awwwwww, ending <3

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

oooh, I forgot imaginary numbers. And Ray would be so into them. :)

Thank you, sweetness.

[akite.livejournal.com]

Arrow plus Due South equals great fanfic! \o/ You just keep on watching episodes, and we'll keep on reading. *g*

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thank you, sweet pea!

[grey853.livejournal.com]

I can see Ray doing all those little equations in his head. You got his voice spot on, which is always a good thing. Pepper in some h/c and a little Ray fit and Fraser worry and it's a great read. Thanks.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thanks, grey. I love a little Ray h/c and Fraser-crinkle-brow. :)

[buzzylittleb.livejournal.com]

I really liked this. Especially the equations.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly, buzz!

[mmmarmalade.livejournal.com]

As always, wonderful, sweet, and cockle-warming. *sigh*

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

*yays*

[hurry-sundown.livejournal.com]

*hugs you even though we probably don't know each other enough for that*

This story was just what I needed today - angst and h/c and true love conquers all. btw, I did blink but I did not miss the sex.

Fraser walks in snow shoes like he's dancing.

Perfect, because you know he does.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

I feel perfectly comfortable hugging complete strangers. (This should be a Ray quote. :)

Thank you very kindly.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

This is lovely! My chest is doing that hurty-yet-awesome thing, which only happens with really good stories. *happy sigh*

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Yay! Hurty-goodness!

Thank you. :)

[meresy.livejournal.com]

There's no escaping the math.

This is another fantastic fic among all your fantastic fic. I've been reading a while, but only recently delurked to get an LJ, so hi!

I love Ray's denial of what he knows and Fraser's willingness to support that misapprehension (because that's so him) and then just the right bit of angst.

And then the actual physical drop. Excellent foreshadowing with the "equals dead" thoughts . . .

I really love the whole theme.

Keep writing too much!

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Hi meresy! Welcome to LJ. I'm so glad you enjoyed the story.

Keep writing too much!

Thank you! I hope to. It's all up to the freaky muse. :)

[viciouscats.livejournal.com]

I love your mathematician!Ray. :D

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

He has a head for these things. ;)

[bertybertle.livejournal.com]

I loved all Ray's little equations - a really cool thread to run through the story. Greatness!

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thank you, berty! Ray's crazy math brain just kinda pulled it along for me. I love his mind (or what we all collectively imagine it to be.)

[china_shop]

Ooh, this was great. Yay for a happy ending that works! (Though Dief is going to spend half his life in quarantine, I guess. But sacrifices must be made in the name of pastries. *g*)

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

And pizza~! And boys together. :)

Poor Dief. I will try to research how long he has to sit each time. I won't be able to sleep otherwise.

[j-s-cavalcante.livejournal.com]

If you'd been teaching math when I took math, I'd be a fucking mathematical genius, because I get this math! :) Arrow plus keyboard equals wonderful fic!

I couldn't even stand living across town from you. I was planning on moving you straight into my apartment. You and me and Dief and Spud the Wonder Turtle. We were gonna be a family."

Aw...broke my heart right there! (Thank you for also mending it!) *Hugs YOU bettah!* Hah. You are NOT writing too much! You are writing wonderful stuff, of which there cannot be too much! Don't stop. Do not stop!

I've been totally goofing off, playing Sims (keeping my many iterations of Ray and Fraser happy, mostly) and taking a short break from writing. I'll be back to it soon. I just got hormonal for a few days and kind of lost it, and maybe felt a teensy bit sorry for myself in the process :) ...anyway, that's boring and it's not important. What is important is that you continue to write fabulous stuff, and I continue to be totally psyched every time I fire up the computer and find you've posted new fic. Never winter and Always Christmas!!! How's that for an equation? Hooray!

And by the way...you have my total respect for borrowing this title from a story that many consider to be the best SF story ever written, and having said title be totally relevant and perfect for the great F/K story you gave us. I should say a lot more about the actual story, such as that your Ray and Fraser characterizations are perfect, which they are, and that I adored Ray being so mad he could feel the snow melting under his feet, which I do, and how perfect were the snarky things he said to Fraser about all the strings which were already, obviously, quite well attached. Which they were. Perfect, that is, and well attached. I LOVED all those things. And I'd tell you all about how and why I love them if I were not in total goofing-off mode, but, alas, I am in total goofing-off mode. Will return soon. I'm sure I'm just recharging. Meanwhile, I still adore you and your marvelous fic. Hugs!

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Hey J:

Sorry to hear about the hormonal. I hate the way stuff like that can drag down my mood—seems damnd unfair. Especially if it's cheating you of writing.

I totally want to meet your Sims. :)

Thanks for noticing the reference. It's really kind of a cheat because they find a way to deal, but they have to pay price to do it, so it felt right.

Hope you feel better soon and less like scruffles the clown....

step-ploosh, step-ploosh

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

That really-knowing but still managing somehow to not full know and so already hurting but still being able to be hurt feeling - that! *nods*


Hey, enjoy the writing, there's no too much.

Re: step-ploosh, step-ploosh

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

I do that, oh, I do that.

Thanks, babee.

[dessert-first.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay! Another arrow00 fic! You really had me along for the ride here. I like the thread of the equations, I like Dief, I loved the line about Ray wanting them to be a family (oh, RAY!), and I was totally freaked at Ray's drop and Fraser's controlled panic. And Ray knowing enough to take advantage of a good exit line, hee! It really was a good one. Lovely story!

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thanks, DF!

I loved the line about Ray wanting them to be a family (oh, RAY!)

I think Ray would want the whole schlemeal. And now he's got it, almost. :) Life ain't perfect, but I think they both know that already.

Thank you for the lovely note....

[spuffyduds.livejournal.com]

Aigh, I was afraid to read this because of the title. I kept looking at the header and thinking, well, it doesn't say deathfic, but--cold equations! ack!

Anyway. Finally took the plunge, and I'm so glad. Ray's equations are so funny and so bitter, and I most especially love Fraser's angry "I wanted what I could get," because it sounds almost out of character but it's so perfectly NOT, because he's just--snapped in regard to Ray, he couldn't bear NOT to anymore and he KNOWS it was unfair of him and it's KILLING him. Wonderful.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Oh! I'm so glad you took the chance. It should have occurred to me people would be worried. Sorry! I promise I'll always warn about deathfic. I'm not inclined to kill them off until they're like 90 or something. :)

he couldn't bear NOT to anymore and he KNOWS it was unfair of him and it's KILLING him

Yay! Fraser was cheating on his math test!

Thanks, buddy.

[brigantine.livejournal.com]

Right then, so I almost missed this entirely, and now I've been sitting here dithering, trying to pick out my favorite bits, but I can't *flails*, so I'll just say that I love it entirely.

Oh - but dude, "Spud the Wonder Turtle." Ray + delirium = adorable. :)

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

hey, I feel like a schmuck because I lost this and didn't respond. I'm so touched I made you dither. And you're so cute when you do that.

Thanks, sweet pea.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

This is really great. I like the voice, which makes the emotion work, and it's actually really nice to see a story treat the real problem underlying "how do these guys manage to compromise on what comes after the Quest?" without waving things away or getting overly sentimental. I love it to bitty bits!

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

sorry for the terribly late response, and thank you for the wonderful note, isis. I was hoping to see you in Toronto last weekend, but I take it you've been busy.

[keerawa.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's an oustanding piece of writing! I love the way Ray thinks through things, and Ray almost gets hopeful, because if anyone can defy the laws of physics and trigonometry and stuff, it's Fraser. made ME all hopeful, too! THanks for writing this.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

I did miss this comment the first time 'round. I think Fraser has mad physics skillz. :) Thank you, keerawa.

[ignazwisdom.livejournal.com]

I love this story. :)

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

late here: tx, Ig! how you doin', sweet pea?

[elleria.livejournal.com]

This is very good.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

Thank you kindly, elleria. Where's your dragon from? Have you read the Temeraire books?

[petronelle.livejournal.com]

The math makes me punch the air with glee.

[arrow00.livejournal.com]

\boy+boy/ = :D

[vickitub.livejournal.com]

OMG i loved this Ray is wonderful in this as is Fraser and i really felt for them both. Gosh i want more you always make me want more when you write. Excellent, wonderful out of this world job.