This week’s photo prompt from Madison Woods Friday Fictioneers came from Susan Wenzel. I had to do some research to come up with this though I can’t vouch for the accuracy of my efforts! 🙂
“They say pearls are moonlight-filled dewdrops swallowed by oysters.”
Eugene snorted.
“It’s not from the Ostreidae family, Becky. It’s just some common bivalve type, maybe Argopecten gibbus, or even Leavicarium laevigatum.”
She persevered.
“Others say they’re the tears of the Gods.”
“It’s not an oyster shell, Becky, note the pallial sinus. It’s porcellaneous not nacreous.”
Becky stood up.
“Shall we go sit beneath the stars, Eugene, drink champagne, eat strawberries?”
“This is your hormones playing up again, right?”
Two figures stomped off into the twilight, yards apart.
Hiding beneath a lily pad, Venus sighed, shook her head, and wandered back to her recently vacated shell.
castelsarrasin 
But I liked this. These two made me laugh. No romance in that gent.
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None whatsoever. Thanks for commenting.
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A match made under heaven, if not in heaven. Nerdy guy and frisky girl. Cute story.
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Incompatibility personified. Thanks for dropping by.
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Nice story, I enjoyed it. Mine is here http://boomiebol.wordpress.com/2012/08/09/this-image-friday-fictioneers-810/
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Thanks.
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A great story.
Some men just don’t pick up the signals – even when they in front of their eyes.
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You’re right there Mike. 😦 Thanks for commenting.
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Just the right amount of research, lightly applied.
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Thanks for commenting. Appreciate your dropping by.
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Hi Sandra,
I loved the romantic and the ultra-realist chat here, and Venus with her vacant clam really made me chuckle.
cheers,
Lorelei/Laura
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Thanks Laura. I don’t think they’ll be together for long.
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Ha. Ha. Cute story. When she wanted romance, he wanted to enlighten her with an education on the correct names or terms of every plant under the sea. Sounds like some men I know. I will not admit to being married to one like that though, Ha.
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Neither will I! Thanks for commenting Joyce.
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I read your article, was glad to find it-when blogger.com makes me go thru those hoops to write a comment an rejects them for some crazy reason, I get frustrated-I hate the way they do this- I will try to respond thru wordpress, often I read your blog, but cannot “like” or respond easily. I do enjoy your work. beebeesworld
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I’m not sure what the problem is here, I’m on WordPress and I thought you were on WordPress. I don’t see why there should be a problem commenting. I do have a problem commenting on some Blogspot sites though.
But anyway, thanks for visiting and commenting when you can, though I’d appreciate knowing what the difficulty is.
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The poet and the science/engineer person! Fortunately my husband (bwthoughts, in this group) is a computer guy with a poetic side. It works! I really enjoyed this.
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My man’s a science/engineer person – but even he’d know better than Eugene. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
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Haha. Maybe Venus could help with that argument if she hadn’t been hiding 🙂
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I think Eugene’s probably a lost cause. Thanks for dropping by.
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haha!
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I kind of wanted to head slap Eugene. How obtuse. Cute story, though. thanks for your lovely comments on mine.
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Glad you liked it.
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This guy would annoy and bore the bejeezees out of me. Hope they”re not married so she can dump him. Your Venus last line made me chuckle. Wonderful piece. Thanks for visiting mine.
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No, I can’t see them ever making it to the altar. Thanks for commenting.
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Venus. I wondered who would come up with her! She is perfect for this picture and fits into your story well. PS – Eugene sounds like a real dud!!
~Susan (www.susanwenzel.com)
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Doesn’t he just! Thanks for dropping by.
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he must be an engineer!
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Right first time! Thanks for dropping by.
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I really loved this. Why on Earth do we bother? Poor Aphrodite! You’d think that she would have given up by now!
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I wondered whether to use the Greek name, but went for the Roman version. Not often I do that. 😉 Thanks for dropping by.
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I can just imagine the frustration Venus feels at the massive differences between Eugene and Becky, perhaps she should find an easier couple to work with 🙂
http://womanontheedgeofreality.com/2012/08/10/friday-fictioneers-shell-seeker/
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I agree. Thanks for dropping by.
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Wonderful little story! When the romantic means the literal, Venus is sure to be frustrated. Brought a smile to my face.
Here’s mine: http://unexpectedpaths.com/friday-fictioneers/down-by-the-sea-shore/
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Thanks for commenting. Glad it made you smile.
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Oh this is brilliant! Cleverly constructed and really enjoyable to read – particularly the ending.
Thanks for your comment on ours. 🙂
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Thank you Joanna. Enjoyed yours.
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“Venus sighed…” Dearest Sandra, I loved your story. How on earth men like that ever bear sons is a mystery. Did your research this week I see. Good job.
Aloha,
Doug
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Thanks Doug, yes I had to get the old Wiki out for some inspiration this week.
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Some people just never learn, do they? 🙂
Great use of that photo, and the old Venus in a half-shell!
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Thanks for commenting – and dropping by.
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Love the ending! It wraps up the theme perfectly!
Here is my take-
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Thanks Susie, loved yours.
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Lovely job, Sandra, and what an artful use of the prompt. Eugene needs to go take a pill (I think you know which kind I’m referring to) 🙂
thanks for reading & commenting on mine
http://russellgayer.blogspot.com/
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It might take more than one pill, Russell… 🙂 Thanks for commenting.
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In defense of Eugene, his comment, “This is your hormones playing up again, right?”, hints at a degree of familiarity. Perhaps, if you found him in a gallery or a garden, he would be fact-challenged and his romantic side would shine.
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Perhaps… 😉 Thanks for commenting – thought your poem was very good.
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Thanks for stopping by my story, Sandra. I loved yours (and I definitely know some people like both Becky and Eugene!)
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Yes, so do I. Thanks for commenting Anne.
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This is one of my favorites, Sandra. From the first line to the last, it was wonderful. Venus has her work cut out, doesn’t she?
–Jan
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Glad you liked it Jan. Poor Becky…
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LOL. This made me chuckle. A left brained and right brained couple?! Sounds like my husband and me–AND he is an engineer. I laughed out loud when I read where someone suggested that Eugene must be an engineer. Too funny. But mine is a romantic. Really. Thanks for the education, too!
I’m here http://banterwithbeth.blogspot.com/
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Definitely coming from different planets I think. Thanks for commenting.
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Love it. I’ll admit that this prompt prompted me to some light research on shell identification & terminology. You employed the scientific so effectively here. How did these two end up together?! Really appreciating the humorous pieces today. Thanks!
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poor girl…she needs to find a guy with a tad bit more romance in his soul. Maybe Venus could flick her fingers of something 😉
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Love that last detail, Venus returning to her shell. Your research adds a great feel to the story, and contrasts well with the ending and Becky’s romanticism. What’s he thinking?!
Brian (For your readers: http://pinionpost.com/2012/08/10/the-reunion/)
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Brilliant. Venus really does have her work cut out with those two. Wonderful use of the prompt.
For your readers http://adrarasdreams.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/fridayfictioneers-blogflash2012-day-10.html
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Loved it! Believe it or not I used to date a woman like this. On an escorted hike she was telling the ranger what certain plants were. Thank you for the smile with your ending.
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And Venus rolls her eyes! Really enjoyed this, poor Becky and the lack of romance!
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The cluelessness of some men when it comes to romance never ceases to amaze me. (though I’ve met a few women with the same problem) Very nice job!
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I love all the big words!! 🙂
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Oh dear, another great plan foiled, Venus. How did she even get these two together in the first place?! I loved what you did with the characters, and how the dialogue told us so much.
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