Day 16... a long time ago. 31, 023 words.
Last weekend writing together was fun! I couldn't post an update because I couldn't get online at Dad's house. Then, by the time Francisco and I got back to Toronto on Sunday, I was exhausted. It turned out I was getting sick and I've spent the last few days basically doing the bare minimum at work when absolutely necessary, and sleeping otherwise. I feel like I'm coming out of it now, so I'm going to do some writing this afternoon. In the meantime, sorry I didn't post this excerpt earlier!
Ruby is now on the yacht, as you all know because I cut and pasted almost 1,000 words from a yacht website. I ended up cutting it down to about 500, and interspersing with some of Ruby's observations. The scene below is from the surprise guests who were also on the yacht. Most of it was written with the help of Jill's timer, so I didn't bother to make sure the sentences actually made sense.
Dinner was a frightening affair, with so many servants around and complex rules involving the cutlery. But Ruby managed, and there was certainly a buzz in the air about the ‘special surprise.’ The partners seemed to know already what it was, and they snickered a little bit amongst themselves. Judy, the most senior partner in the firm, kept blushing and updating her website with cryptic comments, while Giles, the weatherbeaten captain, kept entering to ask if it was “time yet.”
No, it wasn’t time yet, not the first, second, or even twentieth time that he asked. But once the delicious chocolate ganache pops had been cleared from the table, Hubble guided the group onto the open deck, where a stage had been set up in their absence. It looked impressive, with pyrotechnics, lights, and some elevated sections.
As the group took their seats under the stars, Hubble took the stage, and with a trembling voice, announced the very special surprise.
“Now, for their first major performance together since their temporary hiatus was announced in 2002, we have… *NSYNC!” The whole audience, guests and crew alike, burst into uproarious applause as the five handsome men took the stage. Later, Ruby would find out that Hubble had spent a total of twenty million dollars in order to convince the supergroup to reunite. Justin Timberlake had only agreed on a promise of secrecy, and everyone present had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. It seemed he was trying to dissociate himself from his roots in his transparent efforts to become ‘serious’ and to win an Oscar.
With that kind of money, Hubble had been able to convince them to wear the infamous silver glitter suits, complete with silver makeup and frosted hair, from their March 2000 Rolling Stone magazine spread. Though older, the boys still looked great and they had clearly maintained the camaraderie that had always been evident in their career. They blasted through a number of their greatest hits with high energy, multiple costume changes, and witty stage banter that had been recycled from their No Strings Attached and Pop Odyssey tours.
As the band readied themselves for their final encore song, JC reminisced about how the song had been taken as the anthem for their organization, Boy Bands against the War (usually known as BBAW). The song’s lyrics, though usually interpreted as an angry love song, in which the disappointed lover spurns his erstwhile paramour, had actually been written as a polemic against the U.S. government’s jingoistic military policy. They launched into the powerful, emotional ballad, and it was then that Ruby saw it.
Justin was wearing the white belt. He didn’t seem to have seen hir yet, and ze planned to use that to hir advantage. Ze may not have had any clue about what to do to find Seth, but with the white belt so close by, ze could at least do something about that.
On that high note, the crowd broke up. *NSYNC went backstage and then back to their rooms. They were going to be helicoptered out the next day, unless Hubble could prevail upon them to stay longer. With all of the money at his disposal, Ruby thought that he probably could. He had confessed that he was calling the concert a benefit for the spurious Emma Darcy Foundation, so that he could use it as a tax write-off. The whole yacht trip, in fact, was being billed as a charitable event, causing Ruby to wonder (not for the first or the last time) what was really going on at the Emma Darcy Foundation. But that was a question for another day, Ruby thought grimly, when ze had found both her mother and the belt.
Ruby is now on the yacht, as you all know because I cut and pasted almost 1,000 words from a yacht website. I ended up cutting it down to about 500, and interspersing with some of Ruby's observations. The scene below is from the surprise guests who were also on the yacht. Most of it was written with the help of Jill's timer, so I didn't bother to make sure the sentences actually made sense.
Dinner was a frightening affair, with so many servants around and complex rules involving the cutlery. But Ruby managed, and there was certainly a buzz in the air about the ‘special surprise.’ The partners seemed to know already what it was, and they snickered a little bit amongst themselves. Judy, the most senior partner in the firm, kept blushing and updating her website with cryptic comments, while Giles, the weatherbeaten captain, kept entering to ask if it was “time yet.”
No, it wasn’t time yet, not the first, second, or even twentieth time that he asked. But once the delicious chocolate ganache pops had been cleared from the table, Hubble guided the group onto the open deck, where a stage had been set up in their absence. It looked impressive, with pyrotechnics, lights, and some elevated sections.
As the group took their seats under the stars, Hubble took the stage, and with a trembling voice, announced the very special surprise.
“Now, for their first major performance together since their temporary hiatus was announced in 2002, we have… *NSYNC!” The whole audience, guests and crew alike, burst into uproarious applause as the five handsome men took the stage. Later, Ruby would find out that Hubble had spent a total of twenty million dollars in order to convince the supergroup to reunite. Justin Timberlake had only agreed on a promise of secrecy, and everyone present had to sign a non-disclosure agreement. It seemed he was trying to dissociate himself from his roots in his transparent efforts to become ‘serious’ and to win an Oscar.
With that kind of money, Hubble had been able to convince them to wear the infamous silver glitter suits, complete with silver makeup and frosted hair, from their March 2000 Rolling Stone magazine spread. Though older, the boys still looked great and they had clearly maintained the camaraderie that had always been evident in their career. They blasted through a number of their greatest hits with high energy, multiple costume changes, and witty stage banter that had been recycled from their No Strings Attached and Pop Odyssey tours.
As the band readied themselves for their final encore song, JC reminisced about how the song had been taken as the anthem for their organization, Boy Bands against the War (usually known as BBAW). The song’s lyrics, though usually interpreted as an angry love song, in which the disappointed lover spurns his erstwhile paramour, had actually been written as a polemic against the U.S. government’s jingoistic military policy. They launched into the powerful, emotional ballad, and it was then that Ruby saw it.
Justin was wearing the white belt. He didn’t seem to have seen hir yet, and ze planned to use that to hir advantage. Ze may not have had any clue about what to do to find Seth, but with the white belt so close by, ze could at least do something about that.
On that high note, the crowd broke up. *NSYNC went backstage and then back to their rooms. They were going to be helicoptered out the next day, unless Hubble could prevail upon them to stay longer. With all of the money at his disposal, Ruby thought that he probably could. He had confessed that he was calling the concert a benefit for the spurious Emma Darcy Foundation, so that he could use it as a tax write-off. The whole yacht trip, in fact, was being billed as a charitable event, causing Ruby to wonder (not for the first or the last time) what was really going on at the Emma Darcy Foundation. But that was a question for another day, Ruby thought grimly, when ze had found both her mother and the belt.
I loved this when you were talking about it, and I loved it even more when I read it. I really, really wish that I could have been at this yacht party. Especially because it was for the Emma Darcy Foundation.
ReplyDeleteWell played!
That was awesome! I particularly liked the reference to *N'Sync as a "supergroup". Sadly, not everyone would agree. And whoa - white belt alert! Good luck getting it back from JT. Perhaps Michael Bolton can be of assistance.
ReplyDeleteWho knew that NSync angry love ballads were actually scathing criticisms of US military policy?? Wow. Am loving this plot twist, and am so intrigued with the relevance of the white belt.
ReplyDelete