Oz FlashFiction #29: A Kiss is Just a Kiss?

[severina2001]

Title: A Kiss is Just a Kiss?
Prompt: 29 - Dance, Pinocchio, Dance! (manipulation)
Characters: Keller, Bonnie
Timeframe: Season Three
Word Count: 512
Authors Note: Also written for the Kiss-a-Thon over at oz_wishing_well. Crossposted there and to hardtime100, because I'm all about the killing of two birds prompts with one stone fic. :D

Comments

[levitatethis]

I love this. I can absolutely see this unfolding. Chris comes across so strongly here. There's the need disguised beneath manipulation, near certainty almost teetering but then getting exactly what he wants. You capture the bit of vulnerability Chris is pretty good at masking, but can also cause a knee-jerk reaction and you never know which way it's going to go.

I also like that you get his selfishness here, but that he also genuinely digs Bonnie. His motivations may be self-serving, but he can justify it as them both ultimately getting something out of it.

What really takes this up another notch (if that's possible) is the bit with Sister Pete at the end. The comic book Pig Pen imagery is perfection (I always loved her reaction to Chris' ex-wives visiting) and how Chris is ever mindful of her presence, her reaction to him, Bonnie, to the whole damn thing, and he's playing with it.

That Chris is quite the multi-tasker :-)

[severina2001]

Ohhh, thanks very much. Getting back into the writing groove is difficult! I was really trying to work Chris and Bonnie on a couple of different levels here, and I'm super-pleased that you think it worked. It's interesting that all we know of the ex-wives is what Chris tells us, and who knows how much of that is true!

Thanks again! :)

[amelialourdes]

I love this. I love that bit at the end because the relationship that he had with Sister Pete was absolutely something else! He completely got to her, got under her skin as he does to most people he comes in contact with. I could totally see this entire interaction playing out in my head. Awesomesauce.

[severina2001]

Awww, you read my Oz-fic! *feels all goopy* I'm really glad you liked it, too! I would have loved some more about Keller's wives in canon.