Every Time

Fanfiction
Title:	Every Time
Author(s):	Laura Mason
Date(s):	14 November 2004
Length:	1013 words
Genre:	journal entry
Fandom:	Mary Renault
External Links:	archived on MRF, archived on Laura Mason's Fanfiction
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"Every Time" is a short story by Laura Mason based on Mary Renault's 1953 novel The Charioteer. It takes the form of an entry in Ralph Lanyon's journal, written during the period when Laurie is a patient in the hospital in Bridstow. (It is canon that Ralph keeps a journal.)

Synopsis

In his journal, Ralph is free to write down the way he feels about Laurie, and the reservations he has about their future.

Background

In her notes, the author says:

Thinking about journals made me start writing in Ralph's -- a very mushy, no-one-else-will-ever-see-this Ralph, mind you. Don't expect stiff upper lips or British restraint here!

And yet it's still G-rated. Sigh.

The story was posted to maryrenaultfics as well as to the author's own site.

Comments

"Every Time" elicited a number of comments, including the following:

• "As buttoned-down as Ralph is, I can imagine him pouring these kinds of feelings out on paper (and maybe burning them later?). That's part of what makes their love so tragic; he knows it's not going to last. [...]"—comment by brightest_blue
• "Ooh, lovely.
  It's really quite fascinating to read something from such an intimate Ralph-POV -- I think you've used just the right touch with this. *sigh* He's such a poor, sweet, tortured romantic. ^^"—comment by argyleheir
• "After reading about Ralph through Laurie's eyes, it is so wonderful to see Laurie through Ralph's eyes. Not because we learn more about Laurie, but because we learn what Laurie means to Ralph. It's wonderful the way Laurie's hero-worship inspires Ralph to be the person Laurie wants him to be. Laurie inspires Ralph to reclaim ideals Ralph has reluctantly abandoned. But Ralph's basic insecurity leaves him certain that he'll fall short.
  I also loved Ralph's degression on the unfairness of life in that they are forced into a closeted existence--not so much for his own sake, but for Laurie's."—comment by mysid