Overview #9 - Multifandom No Dialogue

This was both fun and hard! It was fun trying out some fandoms I'm admittedly not that good at, as well as exploring others I know and love. However, writing without dialogue was bloody difficult. It can make for shorter writing and some more pithy humor, but dialogue seems to be my forte and a couple of times I sat down to write and then realized I'd included dialogue. I find that what characters say is often one of the best ways to develop a character, and so having to write without it, even for some of the more quiet characters like Squall, Farfarello, and Nagi, was harder than I'd initially thought. Still, it was a good challenge, even though the holidays ended up making me a little backlogged. Good times to be had all around! I do think fandom challenges are pretty simple when we know we might be busy.

Porject Assignment # 10 Picture

Oops oops and oops... This weeks challenge is a picture.

Chose a picture and write a short story about it. It can be just a character description or a scene, dialogue between two people.

If you can, include a picture that you have written from. It is not required though. Lets set the limit at 500 words.

Gravel

The gravel crunched quietly under his feet, this would make for an interesting time of it. After all, stealth was to be desired when you were an assassin. He shifted his weight and the pebbles ground under his foot. He was pretty sure that he had not been heard; but it was imperative to be sure.

Wishes in the Night

Percy looked with longing on the woman that he loved, the woman that he adored, the woman that he would die for. She sat beside him on the long drives that he liked to take at night, the darkness enfolding them. He wanted to reach out and hold her, to caress her and to whisper in her ear how much he loved her. He knew that he should not, that she could still be a traitor. After all, she had sent the Marquise family to the guillotine.

He allowed himself the slightest pleasure as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear that had escaped from her perfectly coiffed hair. He could live a while on that one touch alone.


(Based on the book The Scarlet Pimpernel.)

Death of a Foe

Edmond would not let Fernande get away from him this time. Last time he had not the skill to stop his enemy, but now he was powerful, he could not be stopped this time. He would not let him get away. Suicide would be to quick and to easy. He had expertly orchestrated his opponents downfall, it could not be stopped, not for Heaven or for Hell. And either way, Edmond would have his revenge.

****

Fernande looked up at the man standing in the doorway, heard how he had cause all his current misery, and felt it, sharply, as the bullet found his breast. Dimming eyes showed him his old rival, the one that Mercedes had chosen over him, he who had ended his life. And he could not fault him for it.

(This is based on the book The Count of Monte Cristo)

Ronon off his Game

Ronon growled in frustration as John landed several blows in rapid succession. It was just nonsense, stupid Earth nonsense about bad luck, he did not believe in such things, but the evidence seemed to contradictory. It was not possible that an innocent act could cause any of this to happen. And yet John had scored three of the last five sparring matches.

Not only that, but McKay was actually making sense to him, that in itself was a bad sign. He also had not hit a single target dead center the whole day. Ronon had even gone as far as to see Dr. Keller, to see if she could determine some sort of illness that could cause him to become suddenly uncoordinated.

Ronon found himself back in the infirmary with a broken nose. Teyla had opened the one door in Atlantis that swung rather than slid, and had nailed him in the face.

Later when Teyla came to see him she did not see him in his room until a slight sound gave him away. Bending over Teyla looked under his bed and saw him curled up in the fetal position.


He swore to himself that he would kill the next black cat that he saw.

(The characters are all from Stargate Atlantis. Ronon is a big guy, weapons expert, and also an expert in combat, not afraid of anything... that type of guy.)

Night World versus Twilight

They stared at the book, wearing expressions of horror and amusement. Well, Thierry looked amused, but Ash supposed that after two thousand years of being a vampire he’d heard all the legends and took them in stride. Quinn was disgusted and all for having Iliana set the thing on fire; even though he’d broken from Hunter Redfern and was soulmates with a vampire hunter he had fierce vampire pride. James was still horrified and kept blinking and staring at his own hand as if expecting it to burst into sparkles at any moment. Delos’ mouth was twisted into a moue of distaste, and he prodded the spine of the book with one long, aristocratic finger. His other hand was twitching, possibly for the rapier he always wore at his side, as if he were planning on running the book through. Ash was both amused and disgusted. He was a lamia and so didn’t think there was much horror in being a vampire, but then the books had it all wrong - there was no need to kill a human for feeding. As for the blood lust - well, James had turned Poppy with little to no trouble. Oddly enough, it was Timmy who was puzzled over the inconsistencies of the book, insisting that this Carlisle person, even if he’d been a doctor in his own day and age, would still have been too old to endure the change. Then again, Timmy had been enamored of Claudia from that awful book, Interview With a Vampire. Of course, his ardor for her was understandable, having been changed as a child himself, but still. Thierry was right - this book was dangerous, because it meant that mortal girls would be more susceptible to vampire machinations.

Still, the book was stupid. Ash turned and called for Iliana.

(300 on the nose, fandom notes in the comments)

Things Learned from Old Tobias

He was seventeen and barely free from school, from the stupid teachers, from Potter and his marauding friends - and yet he felt empty, incomplete. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, listened to the hum of the pub around him. It was filled with working men from the local mill where his father worked. His father was probably among them, but Tobias wasn’t one to acknowledge his freak son. After Mother died last summer, Tobias and Severus said nary a word to each other. Tobias wanted Severus to get a job in the mill, do something useful with himself, make himself a man, but Severus refused. He’d done well enough under Slughorn’s tutelage that he could sit his exams, attain his potions mastery, and be useful to the Dark Lord. Severus didn’t know why he’d bothered to come back to this place, why he hadn’t taken Lucius up on his invitation to spend the summer at the manor, but he knew he had to finish things here before he moved on.

A fist thumped down on the table in front of him, and Severus opened his eyes. The other boys he would have gone to school with, soot-stained from working in the mills all day, stood over him. Severus gazed up at them, impassive, as they spewed long-used and tired, repeated epithets, and when they were done he rose up. They wanted a fight, and they would get one. Severus had learned a thing or two from old Tobias. He shrugged off his coat and rolled up his sleeves, drew his fists up like a boxer. The boys took one look at the Mark on his arm and backed away. Severus smiled grimly and rolled his sleeves back down. He had work to do.

(Word count: 298)

Office of Unfettered Omniscience

The team had made it a general rule not to profile each other. However, there was no moratorium on betting on each other, so most of the team sat at a table together and watched Reid navigate his way across the dance floor to the bar to get them a round of beers.

Morgan had money on Reid tripping and spilling some drink on a hot girl, and his clumsy attempts to clean her dress would earn him a slap.

Hotch had money on the bartender - who was an attractive redhead - hitting on Reid and Reid totally missing it.

JJ had her money on Reid being charmed by some ruthless seductress and ending up silly-drunk because he hadn’t drunk in college and was clueless about jello shots.

Prentiss had money on Reid finding a table of clueless college boys and robbing them blind in a game of poker.

Rossi’s money was on Reid leaving in a half-hour to watch Star Wars at home.

Unsurprisingly, it was Garcia who had twenty on Reid dancing with a hot girl and taking her home.

All were possibilities. Only one happened.

Later that night, after Reid and his girlfriend left (she’d asked him to dance after the third toast), Prentiss asked Garcia how she’d known.

Garcia replied that she worked in the office of unfettered omniscience.

Birthday Conspiracies

Squall didn’t look up from where he was cleaning Lion Heart when he asked how Zell was doing, but then he was bad at eye contact.

Selphie fretted and mopped Zell’s brow; he moaned and clutched his stomach.

Irvine ducked into the tent, shotgun slung casually over one shoulder. His prediction was right, that Zell had eaten too many hotdogs trying to impress a girl and was sick.

Quistis, ever the instructor, informed Zell that he shouldn’t be lying down, that he ought to walk it off. Squall’s contribution was to order Zell to march the outer perimeter for a half-hour and watch for monsters.

Selphie insisted Zell was in no condition to fight, but Squall was Commander, so Quistis helped Zell up. Irvine shoved him out of the tent.

As soon as Zell was out of earshot, Selphie opened her mouth to scold Squall, but everyone else was moving, all military efficiency and precision. Quistis opened the med kit and pulled out of the stasis bag not transfusion blood but a birthday cake.

Irvine reached into his coat and drew out his box of ammo, inside of which were candles instead of rifle shells. He counted nineteen of them onto the cake.

Squall sheathed Lion Heart, set it aside, and brought presents out of the armor box. According to Irvine, it was Zell’s birthday. Selphie felt awful for forgetting, but Irvine reminded her that the GFs had stolen her memories and it wasn’t her fault.

Once the birthday spread was laid out, Selphie went to call Zell back, but Squall shook his head. Then he and Quistis short-sheeted Zell’s cot. Selphie said it was mean, that it was Zell’s birthday, but Squall, ever the commander, reminded her that there had to be repercussions - for all the hotdogs.

(Final Fantasy VIII post-game universe, no Rinoa because she bugs the snot out of me)

After

"After the ball was over, she took her glass eye out, kicked her false leg in the corner..."

Ron's drunken warbling was obnoxious.

Stephanie smiled indulgently and plunked another shot glass down on the bar in front of him. He'd had enough vodka that he wouldn't be able to tell that the next six shots were nothing but water. Most nights Stephanie would feel bad for stealing, but when he was drunk he tipped well, and if she saved him from alcohol poisoning, well, that was his money well spent.

First Sight

Lirael drew on the hated garment, the blue that meant that she still didn't have the sight like her sisters, and rolled her eyes at her Aunts hurrying her along to the ceremony. Yet another of the sisters had gained the sight. Every Watch saw new sisters joining their ranks. Lirael wished that she could go and hide, so she would not have to be humiliated again.

She marched with the others, bored and wishing to be anywhere else, she didn't even pay attention when the Watch started to call the names of the new visionaries, and one by one they came to the front to receive their robes and circlets. Lirael was startled out of her self misery when the entire body of women turned in her direction. Lirael felt her aunt nudge her sharply, and motioned her to walk forward.

Confused, Lirael stood and walked towards the front of the assembly. The Voice of the Watch, waited for her. Her steps faltered as she realized what this meant. The two powerful seers draped her slim form in the white robe of a seer and placed the moonstone circlet on her brow. Two tears slipped down her face as she Saw for the first time.

(Character is Lirael from the Abhorson Trilogy by Garth Nix. The spin is that she actually gets the sight, when in the books she never did.)

Dance Dance

On any other night, they would have been wearing black body armor and carrying assault rifles, knives, and grenades. Quatre’s pale hair - and Zech’s too - would have been jammed under black knit caps (knit thoughtfully by Relena, so lumpy and uneven), and Duo would have had black paint smudged all over his boyish face.

Tonight, however, was no mission night.

Still, five gundam pilots watched, as intent as on any surveillance job, while the sixth member of their ranks put some of his training to use.

It had been Trowa’s idea, oddly enough, and even more odd was that Wufei had supported him. Quatre was on the bandwagon easily enough once Wufei threw down some philosophy to back up his point. As soon as Duo learned what the endgame was, he volunteered to handle the majority of the training. Zechs, unsurprisingly, had been the hold-out.

After some strong convincing (wheedling and puppy eyes from Duo, some smooth politician maneuvering from Quatre), Zechs relented, and so there they were, standing on the edges of the dance floor, watching Heero ask a girl to dance. For the first time. For totally non-mission-related purposes. Zechs and Quatre had handled dance lessons, with Trowa putting in his two cents about fighter grace being the same as musical grace. Wufei had selected practice candidates, including Noin, Sally, Relena, and Hilde - they’d all unanimously agreed against Dorothy. Duo had handled the conversational aspect and covered all matters of charm.

Heero had thrown himself into his new civilian training with the same doggedness with which he’d pursued his Preventers training, and there he was, out on the dance floor, asking a random girl to dance.

All five men held their breath without realizing it.


And then Heero tugged the girl close for a waltz.

(300 on the nose; Gundam Wing; technically Zechs was a gundam pilot because he piloted the Tallgeese, which was the original prototype for the other five gundams)

X-Poker

It’s one of the more vicious stalemates they’ve come to. They sit in a circle, cards held close to their chests, eyeing each other warily. Scott is down his boxers, and his expression is even more unreadable. Remy wonders if Scott has peripheral vision with those ruby quartz shades of his. He darts a suspicious glance at Jean, who is down to her bra and jeans, and he wonders if what she says is true, that his kinetic potential energy prevents her from reading his mind. Across the table, Warren has his wings folded about himself to preserve his modesty, but he’s not blushing - he’s staring intently at Kurt, whose expression is also suspiciously blank. Remy thinks Hank has it made, because no matter what he takes off, no one will notice anything but that he’s completely furry and blue. Remy wonders, briefly, if that’s why dogs aren’t embarrassed that they’re naked, and then he feels ashamed for comparing one of his teammates to a dog. It is, oddly enough, Bobby, whose naked form is modestly cased in ice, who has the biggest pile of poker chips. Remy’s not sure how they ended up playing for chips as well as clothes, and he thinks that the bottle of booze Storm brought is to blame. She’s down to her underwear, but she also seems unbothered by it all. Remy is surprised to realize that, for some odd reason, he’s the only one uncomfortable with his state of deshabille.

His discomfort isn’t at issue, however. 

What matters is who’s showing their hand first.

A muscle twitches in Scott’s jaw. Warren flexes his wings ever so slightly. Kurt’s tail lashes like an angry cat’s.

Jean settles it with a flick of her telekinesis.

Remy strips off his boxers and folds out of the game.

(300 on the nose; X-Men canon characters but in no particular universe, except possibly Ultimate-verse wherein all the characters have at least made one appearance and may or may not be young and foolhardy enough to play such a game.)

Circles

"We're going in circles," Henry insisted.

Randolph snatched the map from him and flicked on his torch. "We are not - see this right here? That's the church we passed ten minutes ago."

Liam said, "We also passed that church an hour before that."

Henry sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "How long until the locals realize that we escaped the jail?"

"Not long enough," Liam said, and drew his pistol.

The townsmen shuffled toward them, zombie-like, bloodlust in their eyes.

Trust and Betrayal

I should have trusted him, should have known he would never betray me, and here I have betrayed him. I thought that he didn't mean what he said. I didn't trust myself. I didn't think that he could love me, I didn't know that he did. And now I have hurt him worse than he could ever have hurt me.

He looked at me with such pleading in his eyes, a desire for me to understand, but I would not. I could not, and now it is to late.

And now, I could never get back what I never had.


(Okay it seems to me a little convoluted, but inner thought often are. This is JJ's thoughts about Reid after he told her that he loved her. I know it's not exactly cannon, but...)

Circles

Follow in the circles I dance, round and round we go.
No beginning and no end, we circle for eternity.
Spin about and once again follow in my rounds.

Overview #8 Writers Tennis

This was a bit more tricky than I counted on. I agree with Master in that there should be some sort of end point in mind when writing in conjunction with another person. I did enjoy not knowing what was going to happen though. Someintes it was a bit difficult to decide where to take the story when I didn't know what my writing partner was going to do.

All in all I enjoyed the challenge.

Breaking the Rules

He watched her standing in the fury of the storm, wild and untameable. His eyes darted back and forth, making sure that there was no one else around. Walking with stealth he stole closer to his target, closer to victory.

She twitched her blond hair out of her eyes, still facing into the storm, letting the rain mingle with her tears. She jerked to full alert when she heard the sound of a footstep behind her. Quick as lightning she turned on the person behind her; years of military training coursing through her body. She shifted into a fighters crouch.

The military man backed up a step, raising his hands to show he meant no harm, a warm smile flashed across his craggy and weather worn face. He inched closer.

The woman straightened up; snapping off a sharp salute to the man in front of her, though her eyes were hard, mocking and empty. She swallowed painfully, sadness flashed in her face when she remembered all that she wanted, and all that regulations said that she could not have.

The superior officer returned the gesture and then, dropping all pretenses, he closed the gap and pulled her into his arms, whispering vows never to let her go.


(characters are Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter from Stargate-sg1)

The Wrong Profile

The profile, according to local police, was a man in his late thirties or early forties who had been perfecting his skill for many years. The confidence, strength, and knowledge of physiology suggested a medical background, and a large man, at least 200 pounds, and probably of local stock, Chinese or Mongol.

So when the officers cornered the killer in the alley and forced him into the light, they desperately hoped they were wrong even though they knew they weren’t. They didn’t understand how they could be right, because the killer was nothing like the profile. He was young, twenty at best, and wiry, whipcord thin but slick with muscle, skin slick with blood. And he was white - startlingly so, with frost-white hair - he was too young for hair that color - and feral golden eyes.

And his mouth was wide, pretty, blood-stained. His hands were bloodstained, too. The screams the officers had heard weren’t knives in flesh from neat, efficient evisceration. The screams were as from a dying beast, and when they’d rounded the corner they’d come upon the glory of Victoria Bay, Hong Kong island - and the horrific tableau of a man tearing apart another man with his bare hands.

The officers had their guns drawn, but it didn’t matter, because the man was bleeding from a shot to the shoulder and still grinning, still laughing.

Just as the lieutenant was about to give the order to open fire, to cut the man down with every round they had, a child appeared, slight, fluffy-haired, blue-eyed, Japanese-faced. His conversation with the blood-covered man was calm, casual, in a rolling tongue the officers had never heard. And then the boy turned, scaled the alley wall with casual elegance, and helped the murderer escape with him.

(Words: 300 on the nose; fandom: Weiss Kreuz; Characters: Farfarello, Nagi, random useless OCs)

Project #9: No Dialogue

This week's assignment is to a write a scene, 100-300 words, with no dialogue. This does not mean that one can fall back on telling and not showing, because a story can be well-written without dialogue, and some moments in a story need no words from the characters. Since this is Christmas week and we all have important family time to spend and we may or may not be able to carry through our solstice inspiration from tonight, I'll offer this - seven days, seven fandoms, no dialogue. Every day a different fandom, pick your own fandom, feel free to use common fandom acronyms, pairing systems, or whatever; state full names if using obscure characters.

Joyeux Noel.

Notes: the Dagaz does not count as fandom. Keep the crossovers to a minimum.

Overview #8 - Writer's Tennis

This was an interesting exercise. Sometimes I could tell where Madness was going with what she wrote, and sometimes I had no clue where she was taking her angle. It was an interesting interplay between writers. I sensed that we had different senses of drama, romance, and even the characters we wrote (though Angela was clearly the protagonist and we came to a fairly early consensus on Kenneth). This exercise has proven to me that, for all the fun that it was batting the ball back to the other side of the net and sitting back, Schadenfreude at the ready, to see what the other person came up with, for two writers to properly collaborate there needs to be an endgame plan at the ready, some sort of agreement for events and happenings and who will handle what to have a consistent narrative. Still, it was good times, building a world together. I do confess to having serious Schadenfreude moments of thwart! in me, but all the same, writing with a friend, and actually working with each other as opposed to merely occupying the same corner of cyberspace, was a fun ride.

Writer's Tennis 14

Kenneth was pacing a circle behind the camera. His expression was tense - brows furrowed, eyes dark, and he and Eddie were deep in conversation. Angela averted her gaze politely - she had no desire to read their lips and see any more than she had to see. So she paused by the table where the blue screen crew was set up.

Oddly enough, the blue screen crew for this film was a group of nervous, young Japanese men who spoke little English but ignored their translator more often than was helpful. Angela had once done deep cover with a group of otaku who were hacking government computers and selling data to the highest bidder, so her Japanese was good. At first the techs looked nervous, but once Angela settled back into the rhythm of the foreign language, they opened up. She played ignorant about the blue-screen process, as this was technically her alias’s first big visual effects film, and the men scrambled to explain it to her.

Before things could really get interesting, however, Eddie called things to order.

“All right, let’s get this baby blocked and then shot. Angela, Kenneth, start over here!”

Angela moved to stand opposite Kenneth on one corner of the set. The lights overhead had been filtered to give a nighttime effect. Angela resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the thought of a kiss in the middle of the night and followed Eddie across the set. The blocking was simple and, Angela thought, artful. She and Kenneth were supposed to exchange blows and arc down diagonally across the open room, and once the fight came to a head - with Angela pinned up against a wall, and she could never imagine a boy like Kenneth actually being able to pin her - the kissing would begin. The closer they got to the wall, the more pale Kenneth became.

“You clear with that?” Eddie asked.

Angela nodded and headed back to her corner of the set. Kenneth settled in opposite her, and then it came, that fateful cry,

“Action!”

Angela leapt at Kenneth and started into the fight choreography, careful to pull her hits. They followed the blocking across the set, and then it came, the fateful pin. Angela saw terror flash across Kenneth’s face, but he leaned in to kiss her.

And then someone yelled, “John Henricks, get on the ground! This is the FBI!”

Broken

"It's not broken," Jennifer insisted.

Tom poked at her wrist. "Well, can you move it?"

"No, but --"

"Then it's broken."

Jennifer gazed back out at the softball field. "The championship game is this weekend."

"It's no use aggravating an injury," Tom said, but his tone was gentle. "Come on - let's get you to the ER. I'm sure the other girls on the team will sign your cast and make it all bright and pretty. Better than a yearbook, seriously."

Writers Tennis part 13

"Right there." Kenneth pointed out the part in the script which called for a kiss. Not only a kiss, but a passionate kiss.

Angela swallowed. It was getting more and more difficult to keep her thoughts focused when it came to Kenneth. Angela briefly read over the part and smiled, putting on a show. "Well, I hope it won't be to bad for you to have to do this."

Standing she stretched; it was time to get back to work again. "After you." Angela held the door open for Kenneth and followed him back onto the set.

"Action!" Eddie yelled when everyone was in place. Angela went through the motions of the scene but was concentrating more on how she would get information out of Johnny without him realizing it and without him getting to jumpy.

Johnny was a skittish type of person, she could tell that by looking at him. He was not the type to lead, he was a follower, doing what he was told, and not asking why. He had probably been in the wrong place at the wrong time and had gotten mixed up with the wrong people.

The next day dawned bright and clear; Angela was unreasonably nervous about the scene today. Arriving on set she went through the motions of make-up and costume, some sort of artfully ripped clothing, and finally props. Johnny was hooking her up to some gizzmo or other. She took the moment to see if she could get any information out of him.

"Hey Johnny, did you hear the news this morning? Apparently there has been another kidnapping." She flipped her hair out of her face, putting on a dumb blond routine. "They are saying that it is a home-grown terrorist cell, but of course who would believe that. What do you think?" She looked at him briefly; his hands were shaking and a bead of sweat ran down his neck. Definitely nervous. "I mean where would you keep people here in America if you wanted to hid them?"

Johnny mumbled something unintelligible, his hand slipping as he hooked up something.

"Personally," Angela continued, "I would hide them in the desert, or perhaps the mountains." She watched Johnny's face carefully. He blanched ever so slightly when she mentioned the mountains. She went on, "Now, East or West coast would be tough, The West is less populated so that would make more sense. Perhaps the Sierra-Nevada's." Here his hand trembled so violently that he dropped what ever he was working on. Angela decided not to push him further. "Oh well, who would believe any of that anyways, I certainly don't." Johnny finished what he was doing and Angela smiled at him, "Thanks Johnny, you're great." Angela patted him on the back and walked away towards the set. She would have to find a way to get Thomas the information he needed.

Angela placed a brief call on her way to the set, relaying the important intelligence that she had gathered.

Writer's Tennis Part 12

Angela sank down on the small sofa. After Kenneth hovered in the doorway for a few moments, Angela gestured to one of the smaller chairs opposite her.

“You can sit, you know.”

“Are you sure? I mean, Eddie’s been grumbling about us being behind schedule anyway,” Kenneth said, but he closed the trailer door and sat down anyway.

“I’m sure.” Angela reached up to massage her temples. Global war and domestic terrorism were the last things she needed on her plate. She wasn’t sure if this day could get any worse, but she wasn’t holding off on her bets yet.

“So...did you get tomorrow’s call sheet?” Kenneth asked.

Angela opened her eyes. “Pardon? Tomorrow’s call sheet? No. I’ll get it tomorrow.” She laughed, keeping her tone light, and let her hand drop to her side to check that she still had Thomas’s sidearm. She had to find a way to arm up, and she had to do it alone. “What makes you ask?”

“Well, I’ve got my AD to keep a day ahead on the schedule for me,” Kenneth said, and he dropped his gaze down and to the right. So this wasn’t a lie, this was...more of that inscrutable guilt.

“That’s nice of your AD,” Angela said. She sat back and studied him more closely this time, for an entirely different reason. In their three weeks on the set she’d become utterly familiar with his every gesture, smile, expression, but this was the first time she noticed how very frail he was. Thin. He’d been a model before he’d been an actor, or so the government dossier said, and those dossiers were rarely wrong. If things went south with Johnny - and she had to get a handle on him in the next twelve hours - the Kenneth would be a risk. She couldn’t protect him and herself, and she couldn’t trust him to protect himself, could she? Still, the boy was unerringly beautiful. She thrust that thought aside and focused on his current mood once more. “You nervous about tomorrow? What’s tomorrow?”

“My, er, first screen kiss,” he said.

Angela felt her world tilt on its axis. Hers, too. But she couldn’t let him know that.

“Oh. Just - go with it. It won’t be that big a deal.”

Kenneth lifted his gaze. “It’s with you.”

Angela blinked. “What?” Then she scooped up her copy of the screenplay. “Where?”

(At this rate, if we both post tomorrow, we'll be open for a new challenge on Sunday!)

Writers Tennis 11

Everyone was clamoring for information.

"What was that about?"

"Are you alright?"

"Are you free now?"

One voice stood out from the others, Kenneth's voice. "Angela, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, it was just a misunderstanding. Apparently they were looking for another actress that went by the name of Angela Carslile. I guess she's into some pretty serious stuff. I explained that it was not me, and they let me go."

Everyone milled around, still astonished by what had happened. Angela discreetly looked around and spotted Johnny walking back to the props area. She would keep an eye on him.

Kenneth was still hovering nearby, waiting to make sure that she was fine. Angela looked over at his beautiful profile and smiled, "Really Kenneth, I'm fine. I will however, be changing my screen name. Do you have any suggestions? I don't want to be confused for this other Angela in the future, especially if it is going to involve the FBI or other police force."

"I will have to put some thought into that Angela. The name must be as beautiful as you are." Kenneth blushed as the words came out, feeling sure that she think them corny. "Can I walk you back to your trailer?" Kenneth offered his arm to her and was thrilled when she took it.

"Thank you Kenneth," Angela said simply, slipping her arm into his. together they strolled back towards the trailers. She was trying not to develope feelings for him. It would be unprofessional, and unethical.

Toast

She bit into her toast pondering over what had happened; the secrets, the lies, what she had been forced to do. she didn't like what she had done, but it had been necessary for all concerned that she kill him without delay. she could not fathom him being let loose again to wreak havoc.

Toast

"He's gonna be toast!" Keith roared. His hands curled into fists, and he lunged.

Tobias lunged at the same time, caught him around the waist and dragged him back. Keith snarled and writhed, trying to get free. Tobias yelped when the sleeve of his jacket - his favorite jacket! - lit on fire.

"Gabriel, a little help here!"

From behind his comic book, Gabriel nodded absently - and the fire went out.

A slurry of curses in Irish from Keith.

"What did you do?"

"Put a telepathic hold on your gift until you behave," Tobias said tartly. "So behave."

Writer's Tennis Part 10

“You’d better make this fast,” Angela said. She glanced over her shoulder to where some of the other agents were holding off Eddie and some of the ADs. It was the betrayed look on Kenneth’s face that stung unexpectedly.

But Angela had to keep her head in the game.

Thomas nodded his understanding. “Don’t worry - we have a couple of federal prosecutors on hand to counteract anything the studio lawyers try to pull.” He thrust something into her hands - small, a microchip; she’d have to look at it later in her trailer. “Another victim went missing today; that’s ten American hostages in total. If we don’t figure out where they’re being kept in the next seventy-two hours, we risk sparking outright global war.”

“Why isn’t the NSA or CIA handling this?”

“Because this cell is homegrown,” Thomas said. “Your mark is part of a sleeper cell, possibly an Omega, so he hasn’t been in this alone.”

“How do you know?”

“The last victim went missing while he was on set.”

“That explains why the timing on his squibs has been off. He’s been antsy.”

“By the time he gets his synchronization on those back in line, it may be too late,” Thomas said. “Do you have your firearm?”

“No, but I could steal one from props in a pinch.”

Thomas shook his head. “Collateral damage is more than the Bureau is willing to risk.” He unbuckled his shoulder holster - he always carried two pieces on him, shoulder and ankle - and handed it to her. “Keep an eye out and see if you can corner him. We need information, and we need it fast.”

Angela nodded. “All right. What do I tell the others when I get back on set?”

“Tell them that the Angela Carlisle we were looking for was a washed-up actress and recommend to your agent that you pick a new screen name.” Thomas smiled tightly and opened the car door.

Angela slid out and made a big show of tossing her head and smoothing her clothes, indignant. Then she headed back onto set. Immediately, she was surrounded by producers, Eddie, and a cadre of worried make-up girls. Oddly enough, the one who seemed most concerned was Johnny, still clutching the triggers for his mis-timed squibs.

Sigh

"Stop sighing so much," Jennifer said. "You're getting on my nerves. This isn't a melodrama class, you know." She didn't look up from her book.

Across the aisle, Emily said, "That's Spencer snoring, actually."

Jennifer's head came up; she stared.

Emily laughed softly. "Hey, just be glad he doesn't snore like Morgan. He sounds like a freight train when he's got a cold."

Somewhere from the back of the jet came an indignant, "Hey!"

Writers Tennis part 9

Angela went for her gun in a knee-jerk reaction. When she realized that it was not there she felt exposed and vulnerable.

Everyone on the set looked up in shock, stopping where they were.

Agents came swarming out of nowhere, pointing their firearms at everyone, almost daring someone to move. One agent, Tharen, walked out from behind the others. "Angela Carlisle?"

Angela raised her hand slowly, making no sudden moves. She knew that they would shoot to kill if provoked.

Agent Tharen walked towards Angela. "Angela Carlisle, you are under arrest." He withdrew a set of steel cuffs from behind his back and placed them on Angela's wrists behind her.

"May I ask what this is about?" Angela looked like she was in shock.

"We will discuss that on the way." Tharen said. He placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her forward.

Everyone on the set stared after them in complete shock, not knowing what was going on. They watched the agents place Angela in the back of black car with tinted windows, Agent Tharen sliding in after her.

"Sorry about that Anggie." Thomas reached over and un-handcuffed her. "I hate to pull you out of your cover like that, but we need you."

"Angela rubbed her wrist for a second. "What about my mark?"

"Don't worry, we have it covered for a short while, and then you will be back. There should be no problem in explaining the situation; especially for you. No problems with your cover."

Angela nodded to her superior. "What is going on? Why do you need me?" She was in full agent mode now.

Course

"Let the anger run its course," Aaron said. "He'll talk to you tomorrow."

Derek didn't look like he believed it, but he packed up his gear and headed home anyway. So when he woke in the middle of the night to find Spencer standing over his bed, Glock in hand, blank fury in his eyes, he thought Aaron was right about the course but wrong about its destination.

Derek smiled and said, "What up, pretty boy?"

Spencer didn't even blink before he fired.

Belong

Where do I belong? Where do I fit in, in this world? Where is there acceptance and friendship.

Shane shook his head, clearing his thoughts away. Now was the time to smile, now was the time to be like the other lemmings. Now was the time to not be himself. Now was the time to lie.

Rules v. 1.3

Life Events: during life events, huge time-consuming holidays that require a writer's presence in the real world, or other such things, a challenge may be extended to last two weeks, and after that challenge expires, the next writer will post her challenge in regular turn. For all intents and purposes, a writer may not pass or forego her week to issue a challenge, except in cases of direst emergency (such as sudden illness or a death in the family).

So, this week's challenge goes for another week, or at least until completion.

Belong

"You belong to me," Joey sang, swaying in front of the mirror.

Steve grabbed the comb he'd been using as a microphone and ran it through his hair.

Joey scowled. "Hey! I was using that."

"You can have it back when I'm done, crooner," Steve said. He checked his reflection, smoothed down his shirt, straightened his tie, and started for the door. As an afterthought, he tossed the comb back to his brother. "Happy singing, kid! I've got a hot date."

Writer's Tennis Part 8

Kenneth broke her concentration. He must have seen her agitation, and Angela took a deep breath, hoping her next words would be quiet, calm, level. Jennifer had been her best friend, and she’d made the right choice that day, the only choice - but that didn’t mean Angela hadn’t felt hurt.

Betrayed.

“Hello,” Kenneth said, turning to Jennifer. He was smiling brightly, his Hollywood starlet smile, acting as though Jennifer hadn’t shouldered him aside the way bullies had done to him at school for years and years. He extended a hand, the gesture utterly cordial and sincere. “I don’t think we’ve met before. I’m Kenneth Arlington, Angela’s co-star. What brings you to the set?”

It was gratifying to see Jennifer, the ever-cool Agent Halladay, looking flustered when those bright green eyes were gazing at her. Jennifer shook his hand politely; Angela had the feeling that the gesture wasn’t nearly as confident as Jennifer usually made it.

“I’m an old friend of Angie’s,” Jennifer said, and Angela did her best not to flinch. Only Jennifer had ever called her that, and after leaving the Bureau Angela had done her best to discourage anyone else from ever calling her that.

Kenneth’s smile brightened. “It’s good to meet you. If you like, one of the ADs can give you a tour of the set. Unfortunately, Eddie’s called us back to start shooting.” He reached past Jennifer, smooth as any other Hollywood lothario, and hooked an arm around Angela’s waist, tugged her out of the trailer.

The other two agents, Bartlett and Gallow, looked suspicious, but Angela just cast them her sunny starlet smile and followed Kenneth onto the set.

“Thanks,” she said, as soon as they were out of earshot of the agents.

Again with that sweet, crooked smile. “Think nothing of it. Couldn’t leave you hanging there, could I? Would’ve been cruel. Besides, you looked uncomfortable, and we need you alert for the next scene.”

Johnny, the lead effects manager, came over to help the costume girls fix a new set of squibs beneath Angela’s shirt. Once the fussing was done, Angela scooped up her prop gun and took her position along the south side of the wall.

Eddie yelled, “Action!”

Someone yelled, “Freeze! FBI!”

Writers Tennis part 7

"Truth be told, Angie, we need you." Jennifer said, glancing back over her shoulder at the other agents. Agents Gallow, and Bartlett shifted a little uncomfortably. "Can we talk Angie?" Jennifer asked as she turned back towards her friend. "Please."

Angela's eyes had gone wide when Jennifer told her that they needed her for a case. Only the love for her friend made her stop at all to listen. "Yeah," Angela jerked her head towards her dressing room, "We can talk in there." Turning back to Kenneth, Angela offered a small smile, saying, "Perhaps another time Kenneth."

Angela didn't look at the others, walking rapidly towards her trailer. Opening the door, Angela gestured Jennifer inside. "Please wait outside, Bartlett, Gallow." Angela said, motioning them to stop at the door. She was more at ease with her old friend. "So what do you want Jen?"

A short while later Angela had the whole story. "I can not believe what you are asking me to do." Angela was dumbfounded. "You know what happened to me! You know why I left!" Her voice was rising now. "I can't. There is no way that I could do that."

"Angela, there is no other way." Jennifer stated firmly, taking her friends hand. "I know this will be hard for you, but we need you. I need you to be there with me. Help me now, my friend."

Angela took a deep breath, pushing back thoughts and memories, trying to focus just on her friends need.

Writer's Tennis Part 6

Kenneth shifted his weight from foot to foot. Angela’s mind spun with textbook information that had been gathering dust in her memory. Some of what she’d learned was still good for acting school, and some of it was better lost to the annals of time.

In short, however, he was nervous. His posture, though nervous, was still faintly relaxed, his shoulders back, so he wasn’t feeling - guilty. Good. No awkward propositions, then.

“Say, Angela, me and some of the other lads - some of the stuntmen, actually, were thinking of going out for a pint - er, drink after shooting ends for the day. Would you like to come along? Play some darts?” He lifted his head, and Angela saw the smile that no paparazzo had ever caught. If girls loved him for the fake Hollywood grin he offered whenever he was in front of a crowd, they’d follow him to the ends of the earth for the sweet smile he was offering her now.

She swallowed hard and tried to think up an excuse. Her mind spun with memories - more memories of hanging out in a bar after work, grinning into her mug while Agent Holladay took down a group of strangers at a game of darts. Of course, Agent Holladay was so beautiful that the men didn’t care how soundly they’d been beaten - a beautiful woman was talking to them, after all.

“Kenneth, as much as I’d love to, I have to --”

“Angela Cuaron?”

Angela went still at the familiar voice. One hand twitched for her sidearm - but it wasn’t there. Kenneth jumped and spun around.

Agent Jennifer Holladay looked just as good now as she had five years ago when she’d only been the team liaison. Now she walked more confidently. Angela noticed the slight emphasis on her right side when she approached and knew she was carrying a government-issue sidearm.

Had it been anyone else, Angela would have run - or struck out in anger, but then whoever had sent Holladay knew that.

Holladay pushed past Kenneth and pulled Angela into a hug. “It’s been so long! How you been, girl?”

Angela looked over Holladay’s shoulder and saw that several other innocuous agents had ordered security to stay back.

“I’ve been good.” Angela resisted the urge to hug her one-time friend and stepped back. “What brings you to the set?”

(Word count: 393; thought I'd stick to Kenneth as a name)

Writers Tennis part 5

Brendan looked up at Angela with gratitude. "Thanks, you make it seem so easy. How do you know this stuff?" His lilting British accent was adorable.

Angela shrugged, "oh, I pick it up here and there." She was not up to relating her past to anyone, she didn't even want to think about it at the moment. Angela looked up as Brendan handed her back her prop gun; and taking it, she thought about replacing it with a real gun, just so that it would feel right.

Walking back towards the set, Angela was trying to remember why she had said yes when asked if she would play this roll. For her, it was starting to hit a little to close to home for comfort. The only benefit she could think of, was that she could call a halt to the action when she needed to.

Eddie was back behind his camera again and everyone was in place. "Action," Eddie called, and the scene was run from the top one more time. Angela performed it flawlessly.

Heading back to wardrobe and her dressing room, she tried to put the days work behind her, to shake off the memories. She heard steps behind her, and smiled, she could already identify Brendan's pattern of walking. "Yes, Brendan?" She asked before he even opened his mouth.

Writer's Tennis Part 4

Angela sipped from a mug of coffee one of the bustling personal assistants had brought over from catering. If she closed her eyes, she could see them - bodies strewn across the floor, life spilling out of them while the suspect got away. She supposed it was some sort of pathetic irony of life that she’d left the Bureau one of the top commended agents and ended up as...an actress. A fast-rising Hollywood starlet, or so her agent liked to gleefully tell her over the phone after he’d read through the press reviews for the day. Angela looked down at the prop gun they’d given her - it was too light, too plastic to be real - and decided that the next time she took on a project it would be a romantic comedy. She was a good actress, she knew that, but then that was what came of being an undercover agent.

Nervous footsteps interrupted her musings, and she looked up. Her co-star, a lovely-faced British tween star whose handlers thought they could break him out of a stereotype by putting a gun in his hands, hovered in front of her, looking nervous.

“I’m not sure why I’m doing this,” he confessed. His voice was lighter, sweeter when he dropped his American accent. Angela would have killed to get a boy like him to look at her back when he was in high school. “It’s just - I don’t even like guns, and I’m always afraid I look like a fool when I’m holding one.”

This Angela was comfortable with. She straightened up and offered her mock-Desert Eagle. “I’m sure the principles of actual shooting will help with pretending to shoot,” she said.

Kenneth eyed the gun warily. “They tried to teach me how to shoot, before filming began. And they made me go to the gym and do all sorts of other horrible things to look - look right for the part. I used to play at Stratford. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

Angela smiled gently and told herself that he was just like a nervous trainee instead of an international heartthrob. “It’s pretty simple,” she said. He took the gun. Angela moved to stand behind him. “Keep both hands on it, and remember, squeeze, don’t pull. Keep both eyes open, too. It’s pretty simple - sight, steady, and follow through.”

“If you say so...” He fired.

(400 on the nose. Sorry I got us behind - I had a test today and I have to study for my test tomorrow. If we get a bit behind, we can double-post until we get caught up.)

Writer's Tennis part 3

"Yes, from the top, and Johnny, do it right this time." The director called, ducking back behind the camera again.

Angela had changed shirts and had placed herself behind the wall again, squibs in place under her costume. Closing her eyes, Angela tried to get back into character. She focused on anything terrifying that she could think of.

Images flashed in her minds' eye; and her breathing spiked, her heart racing. Blood, flashes of light and dark, pain and terror. Everyone thought that she was a fantastic actress; calling any emotion forward as needed.

Swallowing hard, her eyes snapped open when the director called 'Action!' She played the scene again, and this time, the squibs went off on cue.

Angela stood up again, "I need a minute Eddie," She called to the director.

"Alright, fifteen everyone!" Angela passed Eddie on her way to the break area. "Thanks." Angela tried to collect herself, tried to push the thoughts from her mind.

No one knew the memories, the images, were real.

Writer's Tennis Part 2

Almost certain wasn't good enough, not when her opponent was a former army sniper. A bullet whizzed through the air just beside her head and she cursed, threw herself back down behind the wall. She closed her eyes and listened as another bullet sang just over the wall. She forced herself to take a few deep, calming breaths, and continued to listen. If she could hear them before they heard her, she had at least one advantage. The shooting had given him away. If he had any brains on him - and he must have, to have made it this far without the Marshals catching up to him - then he would have moved as soon as he'd fired his last shot. Only a fool would stay in place.

She counted to ten and wished she had a Mac-10 or an AK-47 or something that fired faster than her handgun. Then she threw herself across the gap toward the next wall, firing off shots. She heard a bullet sing mid-air, saw a red stain blossom on her shirt - and then someone yelled,

"Cut! Johnny, where's your head today? The squibs weren't supposed to go off until she hit the ground on the other side!"

Angela opened her eyes and dragged herself onto her feet. Instantly, three costume girls swarmed her, dusting her off and fixing her hair. She resisted the urge to bat them aside. "We gonna take this scene from the top?"

Overview #7 - Closed-form Poetry

Ah, this was an almighty challenge, one that I perhaps should not have issued upon myself in the weeks preceding second year's fall session of exams. Still, it was fun to do. I was probably far more lazy about certain things, like meter and perfect rhyme, than strictly calls for, but I confess I am little of a poet, and this exercise was interesting. Even though I'm awful at writing poetry, I've read enough poetry to know the difference between good and bad poetry and to have a sense of how to make meter and rhyme function. It was difficult not to have the same theme in every single poem. I noticed there was a lot going on about the unspoken - in the triolet, in the rondeau, and even in my final cinquain. I wonder what that was about. Probably because I have a tendency not to say things others think I ought to say. The best sonnet I ever wrote was in ninth grade and had perfect meter and rhyme and was about vampires, but I lost it a long time ago and was very sad, I attempted to recreate it, though I know this was nowhere near the same poem I wrote at thirteen. Perhaps the poem I was most pleased with is the Sestina, because the structure of the piece is much harder than at first blush. I enjoyed the almost ballad quality to the final piece and was amazed that I survived. I learned that it's not cheating to use the same word the same way twice in one poem. I did enjoy the haiku - it's not the first bilingual one I've written. (I confess, that's half the reason I wanted to learn Japanese, so I could write proper Haiku). All in all, this was a good stroll down memory lane, back to high school creative writing classes as well as to college, where I remember learning about poetry and came to respect those who can work within a closed form.

Cinquain

And I have touched the sky
Where the living dancing with the dead
Who watch with unwavering eye
Every thought to pass through every head
And know the danger of words unsaid.

(Form is the Cinquain; sorry I got so terribly behind.)

Writers Tennis part 1

She tucked her body behind a low wall, ready to either run or fight. Her heart pounding in her chest, she tried to still her breathing, it would be a dead give away to her location. Slowly she levered herself away from the wall, crouching low, she began to slink away. Keeping low to the ground, her grip slightly unsteady on her Desert Eagle. Glancing around, she was certain that she was in the clear.




(I don't know if we should add a Tag specifically for Tennis stories... you can decide that. Also let me know if I made any mistakes, and I will fix them. Cheers mate!)

Project Assignment #8 - Writers Tennis

This week is a collaborative project.

One of us writes a few paragraphs of a story. It can be about anything. You then pass it on to your writing partner, who then writes the next paragraph and so on and so on.

So at the end of the week we should have an interesting short story.

Overview #7 Closed-Form Poetry

I had a good time with this project. Some of my poems didn't really make sense, but then again, it doesn't always have to. Closed form is enjoyable in that you have a definite structure to follow, but also confining when you have ideas that would go beyond the bounds of the structure.

I noticed that I leaned on angst, and while angst can make for powerful poetry, I should probably branch out more. Angst just flowed well this week, so on my final poem, the Villanelle, I purposefully chose to focus on something other than heartbreak or anger.

The Triolet: I love the tight rhyming schemes of the closed form, and it was tough to say all you wanted within the confines of the set form. In the Villanelle and the Triolet I liked the refrain repeating, almost making it a litany.

The Rondeau: Again the tight rhyming and the repetition of a few lines really made them have a greater impact than a poem that never repeats a line. Death, anger, loathing... are we seeing a pattern here.... ha. I am actually feeling none of these. The poem probably would have been more powerful if I actually was.

The Tanka: This one was interesting. Trying to fit what I wanted to say within the syllable count. But the simplicity of the Haiku and the Tanka are wonderful.

The Cinquain: Okay I know this one didn't make much sense, so I will be re-writing it at some later point.

The Spencerian Sonnet is a derivation of the regular English sonnet, except that it ignores the meter. Only the rhyming is important. I did notice that I avoided poems that had a set meter.

The English sonnet was a pleasant one to write, nice and familiar in form.

Want

"What is it you want? A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy?" Her tone was sarcastic.

"All of the above, I am a fool, and I'll take what I can get."



(short I know, but sometimes that is all you need to get your point across.)

Villanelle

(okay, ever since I read yours, I have wanted to try it, and since today is the last for this week, I wanted to do one today.)


Spirits of nature, set me free.
Lift me up upon the wind.
Release my soul from lock and key.

Sing me sweet and dance me fair, into my endless bowery.
Refuse me not, saying, I have sinned.
Spirits of nature, set me free.

Set my life to dancing, under star and tree.
Spin me into the wild crosswind;
release my soul from lock and key.

Whisper promise, and court me coyly;
you, whom with my minds' entwined.
Spirits of nature, set me free.

Let roses sing and I'll bring my dowry;
and let you wander through my mind.
Release my soul from lock and key.

Bid thoughts and dreams, to blend and spring, from every passing fancy.
If thou would be so kind.
Spirits of nature, set me free.
Release my soul from lock and key.


(This is of course a Villanelle. I know some of the rhymes are more of a slant rhyme than a true rhyme....

And no, no one needs their legs broken my dear friend. Angst seemed to flow well this week for me.)

Muse

"I am waiting for the muse to move me."

"You know, I could grow old and die, waiting for you to finish this, or at least make a start.".

His eyes brightened, "Thanks Tony, that was it!"

"What was?"

Paint quickly flowed onto the canvas. "voila!"

"Oh, ha ha, Mark, very funny."

"I thought it was." Turning the painting to the light one could see a man that had been killed with a paintbrush.

(I know I have been slackerish with this one, so I thought I better get it out there.)

Want

"What is it that you want?" she asked. "Money? Fame? Popularity?"

"Acceptance and understanding," he said. "It's not that difficult to understand."

"It's hard to understand you when you're half my age and twice as smart as me," she said.

He peered up at her. "Is that weird?"

"For now. Give yourself a few years and I'll look you up."

"What does that mean?"

"It means you'll be hot in a few years, kid, and I'm patient."

Triolet

When you said you loved me,
I know now, that you lied!
My heart was given just to thee;
when you said you loved me.
Those words they set my spirit free;
now suffer the wrath of wounded pride.
When you said you loved me,
I know now, that you lied.




(This of course is a Triolet.)

Haiku

Romaji: ore no uta / wa kage no yume to / natsu no yoru

Kanji (if you can see it):
俺の歌
は影の夢と
夏の夜


Translation: My song / is the dream of a shadow and / summer nights

(I make no warrant as to the accuracy of my Japanese; form reference is here)

Muse

"Stop asking about it," she said, and dragged a hand through her hair. "Until the muse strikes, the best I can do is scribble on and hope some sort of plot evolves for me."

"Forget the plot," he said. "What you need are characters. Make your story character-driven, and they'll make the plot for you. Because people do that - make life have a plot. But only cool people. Like me."

She punched his shoulder lightly. "Still angling to be a hero in my novel, eh?"

Rondeau

Surrender life to death's embrace.
Sigh a last breath and go with grace.
Sing a last song, smile a last smile,
tell a final tale, and walk your final mile
Step through to that final, last someplace.

There, things move at a slower pace.
Treading feet, they leave no trace.
Find peace at last; thou willing exile.
Surrender life to death's embrace.

Do not to me your steps retrace,
go on and forward, find your place.
Think not on past and let regrets compile.
Go onward my friend, and walk your last mile.
Repose there under your snowy lace;
surrender life to death's embrace.



(Poetic form is the Rondeau. Funnily enough, we have a large pan in cooking that is also called a rondeau. I tried to be very conscious of grammar and punctuation, but I probably still got some wrong. Let me know eh...)

Elizabethan Sonnet

On midnight feet through streets we follow, flow
As wind or winged without pure heaven's light.
Warm prey and hunger we with glee shadow,
When human horror warns you take your flight.

Our bright black eyes and siren voices sing
And draw you down as still as carved statue.
Our hands and hearts do your destruction bring
While in your arms we gently, sweetly kiss you.

Soft lips cool linger on your throat; your sighs
Are golden mead to tease and please our ears.
Then pain sparks terror in your wide green eyes;
We are the sum of all your darkest fears.

Our kiss of death brings forth the drink of life:
We walk in beauty on the edge of a knife.

(I even went for the iambic pentameter, though it's highly imperfect. Elizabethan Sonnet)

Sestina

Under the silver-blue glow of moon
A prentice lingers in a vale of shadow
With eyes on the sky, in hope of flight.
From remnants of scream-shattered dream
Out of his hay-loft bed he rose,
Pausing for warming-whiskey to swallow.

Stars fade under a winging swallow;
Our prentice stumbles, a thorn pains his palm, a rose
To pick for a fair maiden of a dream.
At his image fair maidens take flight.
Beneath a cloak he hides in shadow
And wonders of a maiden's kiss under a May Eve moon.

Velvet blue arcs across sky in graceful flight;
Our prentice tastes longing to be that swallow,
But Master's fists bury his dream.
He fears the madness of the moon,
The desperate weeping in speaking in shadow.
Our prentice smiles and plucks a rose.

As velvet wings, the petals of a rose
Along his arms would give him flight
If his heart's desire he spoke in shadow
And avian flesh he dared to swallow.
Warm blood, he moans, in fever of moon
And cold vale breeze, he prays, in dream.

Starlight and ice-wind is no dream;
His father from prentice station rose
And defied the fever of the moon
To capture the key of human flight -
Flee human form, take that of swallow,
And soar beyond a midnight shadow.

From under cloak he flings off shadow
And bares his face to cold beyond dream,
From mid-air snatches the winging swallow
And plucks it clean, just as the rose.
Its petals along his arms grant flight -
Free, and on wing he seeks the moon.

Fallen, the dream, an un-petal'd rose,
As prentice-swallow he takes first flight
In silver-blue shadows beneath far moon.

(European form: Sestina; harder than the professionals make it look)

Tanka

To death I go down,
And you have abandoned me.
The autumn of life,
of my life, in twain with thee.
Cold and barren now seems to be.






(This is a Japanese form known at the Tanka, it is similar to the Sonnet in feel, but it follows more closely to the Haiku style poem, following a 5/7/5/7/7 Syllable count. The form can be found here.)

Hover

The butterfly hovered over the drowsing girl on the ground; and made as if to land. Gently brushing her cheek it alighted on her soft warm skin and walked across her flesh.

The girl giggled and the butterfly took off.

"Hey momma, I just got a butterfly kiss."

Cinquain

Spin around in spring times rush.
Dance upon the sunlit fields.
Revel in the seasons first bursting blush.
Live for spring, winter it has healed.
Until unto winter, spring again yields.



(this is a European form known as the Cinquain. Let me know if it didn't make much sense)

Hover

"Don't hover," she snapped. "I hate it when people read over my shoulder."

"I'm not hovering," he returned, tartly. "I just happen to be crammed into the same space as you because, oh, yeah, we're lab partners. Let it go."

"Stop bickering and get a room already - maybe next class you'll be more pleasant," the girl at the next table said.

The silence that fell over their corner of the chem lab was thick enough to slice with a knife.

Then the teacher laughed.

Rondeau

And so I lie in starlit fields
While grass beneath my corpse fast yields.
I ponderous hear the nightingale songs;
Though for your embrace my body longs
My mind demands me my weapon wield.

Moonstone shadows my face do shield.
My voice, my mien so even-keeled
As with regret I speak you wrong
And to you I lie in starlit fields.

My gaze and courage I silently steeled
When for forgiveness I should be reeled
Down to my knees before the throngs
To confess my heart and spoken wrongs.
But guns and shells my soul unsealed
And so I lie in starlit fields.

(The rhyme isn't perfect - doggone plurals - but this is a European form known as a Rondeau)

Spencerian Sonnet

The end has come at last to me,
Here I say goodby.e
Do not mourn for I am free,
When it is my time to die.

Oh, sweet hours that we have spent, how quickly they do fly
to us night is ever drawing nearer
and in you arms I lie
In the moonlight here I smile, shadows dancing in the mirror

My eyes, my love are growing dimmer
I sigh a final breath
They, to loose their brightest glimmer
When I am gone to death.

Heart is warm, though body chill
I'll remember you, my love, when I am under hill.




(This is a Spencerian Sonnet and the form is here)

Triolet

How often I sought your forgiveness
For words I never spoke
Don't you know the years of earnestness
How often I sought your forgiveness?
Despite your unyielding stubbornness
To never fix what never broke,
How often I sought your forgiveness
For words I never spoke.

(Poetic form Triolet)

Aware

Are you aware of the consequences of your actions? No? Then go ahead. Follow the beautiful girl into the shadows, see how well your parents take it when your exsanguinated corpse is found the next morning. People will wonder where you went for about three weeks if she hides you well, or maybe she'll let you live and give you to her lupine brothers as a snack.

Don't trust the pretty girls, not when you look like you do.

An easy mark.

English sonnet

Tread lightly upon my heart,
you who do not intend to stay.
Make is possible to have a fresh start,
Walk along the side paths and pass me on my way.

Do not offer you hand, only to let me fall.
Do not make me wish for things that could never be.
Do not leave me waiting to hear your final call.
Do not make me to blind to see.

Tread lightly, tread lightly.
Leave no trace behind.
Always deal rightly,
With hearts that you may find.

Do not chain my soul to thee.
Teach my heart, then set me free.



(Link for the form.)

Overview #6 Shakespeare

This week was a little tougher than I thought, I came to realize that it has been a long time since I have read these plays, and some that I have not read at all. I noticed that I turned to the Sonnets, and tried to avoid my first impulse which was to use lines that everyone knows. I did use lines from Macbeth and Midsummer Nights Dream, because I love those plays and are the most familiar with them. I could not resist using some of those pieces. I have come to realize that I need to reread his works. I was also glad that I could work with Nagi on revising my work.

I noted that I used the sonnets like a conversation, or as something written. I like how the Sonnets lend themselves sometimes to a conversation.

All in all, a good writing week.

Villanelle

I never asked your soul to be my light.
My request was not in asking but in mocking.
I guide my feet with my own voice and dim-lit sight.

No mortal could attain your Himalayan height,
Not in study or fervent begging, praying.
I never asked your soul to be my light.

No angelic wing could glide in similar flight,
Nor heavenly hymn match crystalline-note singing.
I guide my feet with my own voice and dim-lit sight.

What hammer-fall could prove your acts but right?
Earthly authority will never attain just judging.
I did not ask your soul to be my light.

Though thunder rages are your perceived slight,
My mortal hands refuse the self-wrought wringing.
I guide my feet with my own voice and dim-lit light.

For all the illusions by which you paint yourself sun-bright,
At the clarion call you'll feel the trap door falling.
I never asked your soul to be my light.
I guide my feet with my own voice and dim-lit sight.

(Closed form is European Villanelle)

Project #7: Closed Form Poetry

That's right, boys and girls, it's time for a little poetry! There will be no word restrictions for this week's assignment; the restrictions will be guided by the form of the poetry alone. Write a closed form poem every day, and choose a different form for each poem. For the sake of this assignment, The Management recognizes the different forms of sonnet (terza rima, Elizabethan, Petrarchan/Italian). If the poem requires only a certain rhyme scheme, don't sweat over a meter scheme. Please be kind and post a link to a reference that demonstrates the form of the poem in abstract terms (e.g. the rhyme scheme of the Elizabethan Sonnet as ABAB CDCD EFEF GG). Don't be afraid to use a form someone else used on a prior occasion, but try not to be a lemming about it.

Overview #6 - Shakespeare

This was a really fun challenge. The difficulty for me, of course, was in resisting the urge to lines lines from all my favorite plays. I ended up failing as Twelfth NIght, Othello, and Julius Caesar all ended up on the chopping block. It was surprisingly easy to pick some of the lesser-known quotes because the famous ones don't often lend themselves to modern conversation unless used as a direct allusion. This week's project was, for me, really an exercise in dialogue. There was at least one piece wherein the quote I used wasn't spoken aloud, but then it was written in a note, which has more or less the same effect of the spoken word. I was eager to use my favorite line from Venus & Adonis, so that came first, hands down. I felt like the old-fashioned diction didn't always lend itself to the use to which I put it, and that annoys me in retrospect. I also did feel as though I was stalling out. Dialogue is one of my favorite methods of characterizations, because what people say reveals so much of who they are, and I should have stretched myself, looked for a way to hide the quote in the description of a place or thing. Maybe if we do a reprise of this challenge I can try for that. Overall, however, it was an enjoyable exercise, and I got to flex my wings a bit with dialogue.

Julius Caesar

He stood on the wooden platform. The crowd milled around the platform, standing in the mud. He hadn’t thought he’d rated such a reception, that the locals would brave the weather to bear witness to his end, but then he supposed he would be flattered - if he’d done what they thought he had.

The man beside him trembled.

“Cease your shaking,” Tristram said. “You’ll jolt us out of our boots.”

“Aren’t you afraid?” the man asked.

“Afraid of what?” Tristram fixed his gaze on the horizon. If he looked hard enough, he could see the spire from the cathedral of his home shire.

“Afraid to die.”

“No.”

The man gaped.

Tristram continued gazing straight ahead as he spoke. “Cowards die many times before their deaths; The valiant never taste of death but once. Of all the wonders that I have yet heard, it seems to me most strange that men should fear; Seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come.”

“You’re really not afraid?”

“It’s a bit difficult to be afraid of the inevitable,” Tristram said.

The man opened his mouth to ask something more, but then the bailiff stepped onto the platform, made a grand show of checking the rope collars around the prisoners’ necks.

“Any last words?” he asked, leering at Tristram. His hand was on the lever.

Tristram said, “Cry ‘Havoc’ and let slip the dogs of war.”

The platform fell out from under his feet, the rope jerked taut.

Enemy troops descended.

(Word count: 250; quotes from Julius Caesar)

Sonnet CXLVII

"I don't know you anymore."

Kim looked up from her screen for the briefest moment at Gavin, but said nothing. He would continue to speak, whether she wanted him to or not.

"You have changed so much that if I were to pass you on the street, I would not recognize you." Gavin was frustrated with his friend. She had changed not only her personality but her looks as well. He truly would not recognize her, and neither would her enemies.

"What do you want Gavin? Are you here just to try to get me to stop my downward spiral into hell?" Kim's tone was mocking.

"No." Gavin said simply. "I was just hoping that you would see what you are becoming."

"Of course I know what I am, and what I am becoming," Kim smiled, a wicked twist of the mouth, "I am becoming the Angel of Vengeance."

"But..."

"Go away."

Gavin turned to leave, his parting words, "For I have sworn thee fair and thought thee bright, Who art as black as hell, as dark as night."

With that Gavin left the room, swearing to himself that this would be the last time he tried to reason with Kim; but he knew it was a lie.

(This is Sonnet CXLVII)

Sonnet 25

"Let those who are in favor with their stars of public honor and proud titles boast," Theo declared disdainfully. "Let them glory in things that do not last, and honors that can be taken as easily as given. I care not that they take the credit, they will not be remembered in time's great wheel."

"I don't understand," Richard said.

Theo smiled a cryptic smile, "For example, The painful warrior famoused for fight, After a thousand victories once foil'd, is from the book of honour razed quite,
And all the rest forgot for which he toil'd. Now tell me Richard, all of these warriors in battles of the past, do you know their names?"

"Of course, there is Livious and Flavious of Rome, Alexander the Great, Sun Tzu, I could keep going."

"Ah yes, but here is my point. They all continued to win. Now can you name me warriors that lost."

Richard looked stymied, and Theo smiled. "Such is fame and glory. Forgotten when there is no more to glory in."

"Then why won't you be forgotten?" Richard asked, truly wondering.

Theo smiled at his friend. "Happy I, that love and am beloved, where I may not remove nor be removed. That is immortality my friend, people who love you enough to remember you when you are gone."



(This is Sonnet 25 Sorry if it is a little hard to follow, I'm not all with it tonight.)

Twelfth Night

“You’re really going in there?” Steven asked.

Claire glanced toward the door. The noise of the party spilled through the open door for just a moment until someone reached out and tugged the door shut.

“Yes.”

“How? It’s not like you can just waltz back into his life after five years and expect him to welcome you with open arms.” Steven took a deep drag off his cigarette and used it to gesture toward the large house with warm light flooding from the windows. Silhouettes dancing at the windows were the epitome of holiday merriment.

“Who’s going back into whose life? He abandoned me,” Claire said.

“He’ll hate you for what you’re going to do. Your son will hate you once he discovers what you’ve done.”

“I have six months before my son is left an orphan. I promised him I’d never let anything happen to him, and I refuse to go back on my word.”

Steven took another drag off his cigarette. “The kid’s your son, not another of your clients. You can’t mix home life and business --”

“The assassin business isn’t what’s killing me, is it?” Claire snapped. She began to pile her hair on her head, secure it with swift stabs of bobby pins. She tugged a hat on. “Put that tie on me while I do this.”

“Do what?” Steven asked, but obeyed.

Claire said, “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid / For such disguise as haply shall become / The form of my intent.”

(Word count: 250; last line taken from Act I Scene II of Twelfth Night)

Deny

"Would you deny me? Would you send me away?"

"Yes I would; if it meant keeping you safe."

"Even if it meant that I had nothing more to live for? If you were to go; if you were to die, then I would cease to be. You who shape who I am are more important to me than my own life."

"Go home, I do not want you here."

Rape of Lucrece

"What win I, if I gain the thing I seek?" Heran asked warily. He stood on the brink of a misty cliff.

"A dream, a breath, a froth of fleeting joy." came the mocking reply out of the mists. Eyes, sharp and hungry burned with an inner light that spoke of ageless power.

"Speak plainly," Heran demanded. He was tiring of these word games; though the others had warned him that this was all he could expect of the mists.


The same voice slithered out of the darkness and wrapped around Heran; demanding his attention. "Who buys a minute's mirth to wail a week? Or sells eternity to get a toy?
For one sweet grape who will the vine destroy? Or what fond beggar, but to touch the crown, Would with the scepter straight be stricken down?"

"A riddle?" Heran asked skepticly. He had come all this way to petition at the Cliffs of Fate, and all he got was a riddle?

"Yes," the voice whispered out of the dark.

Heran pondered the riddle, his brow furrowing in thought. After a few minutes a ghost of a smile crossed his lips, and he tossed his hair back from his face.

"The answer you seek is a Fool."

"Yes, it is." The voice was closer now. "I seek a fool, and it seems as if I have found one."


(This passage is from Rape of Lucrece.)

Deny

"Do you deny it?"

"Of course I do."

"Objection your honor, relevance?"

"Witness credibility is always relevant, your honor."

"Sit down, counsel. Overruled."

Celia turned to look at her father once more. "Do you deny that you killed Sharon Lewis?"

"Of course I do. I said it before."

Celia scooped up a copy of his deposition testimony and thrust it at opposing counsel. "Let the record reflect..."

Much Ado About Nothing

“I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest,” he said.

She gazed at him where he stood in the doorway, hands in his pockets, shoulders hunched, staring at his shoes as a child waiting for scorn.

“Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably,” she said.

He took a deep breath. “What did I do wrong?”


She blinked. “Jesse, what --?”

“That first night we met, you were nice to me. You were a friend - the only friend I’d had in a long time. You helped me when others would have been content to watch me fall, but as soon as I dared to hope for more, it was as if you despised me.”

She looked cornered. “I don’t despise you. We’re friends; I like being friends with you. We have fun, don’t we? Going to movies and concerts and hanging out and --”

“And the entire time I want to kiss you and I know as soon as I do you’ll recoil like my touch is poison.” He lifted his head and met her gaze. “I don’t know what I did to upset you, and I’m sorry. I’ve done my best not to burden you with my feelings, but if this goes on I’ll start to hate you. Maybe Leonard was right - men and women really can’t be friends.”

“Jesse --”

“And Thom was right. I don’t know anything about you, not really.”

“There was a star danced, and under that I was born.”

(All quotes from Much Ado About Nothing; word count at 250)

Sonnet 71 Corrected

Gavin held the paper in his hand. The ink was smeared with tears, and his hand shook as he read his friends note.

No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Then you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell:
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it; for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.

Gavin knew it was over already, but he had to try.  Kim had never backed down from anything. He drove wildly through the night, he knew where she would be.

Gavin was running towards the house when he heard a gun shot ring out through the dark.

He saw his friend in a pool of blood, and knelt next to her, held her cooling hand in his own. In her hand he felt another scrap of paper.



O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse.
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.

'Goodbye Gavin, I am going home.'

Sonnet 71

Gavin held the paper in his hand. The ink was smeared with tears, and his hand shook as he read his friends note.

No longer mourn for me when I am dead
Then you shall hear the surly sullen bell
Give warning to the world that I am fled
From this vile world, with vilest worms to dwell:
Nay, if you read this line, remember not
The hand that writ it; for I love you so
That I in your sweet thoughts would be forgot
If thinking on me then should make you woe.

He knew it was over, that Kim had never said anything that she would not follow through with, but he had to try. Driving wildly through the night he knew where she would be.

Gavin was running towards the house when he heard a gun shot ring out through the dark.

Finding his friend in a pool of blood he knelt next to her and held her cooling hand. in it he felt another scrap of paper.


O, if, I say, you look upon this verse
When I perhaps compounded am with clay,
Do not so much as my poor name rehearse.
But let your love even with my life decay,
Lest the wise world should look into your moan
And mock you with me after I am gone.

Goodbye Gavin, I am going home.

(entire text is included.)

Sonnet 116

“Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments,” Duo began.

Heero cocked the hammer of his gun.

Duo lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, but he continued speaking. “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the mover to remove.”

Heero took aim.

“O no! It is an ever-fixed mark --”

“Maxwell,” Heero growled.

“You know that’s pretty much what Relena believes,” Duo said. “Of course, she believes that you and she have - or should have, at any rate - a marriage of true minds because you two are true minds. Which you are not - you’re an amateur terrorist and she’s a spoiled prep-school brat with wild notions of saving the world.”

Heero blinked. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying we have thirty-seven seconds to jump out that window and land in the car Trowa and Wufei are keeping warm before Relena’s team of private investigators figure out where you are and she tells you that she loves you. In person. Again.”

“I thought you were here to kill me.” Heero started for the window.

“Nonsense! If I’d wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead.”

Heero paused. “You called me an amateur.”

Duo pushed him toward the window. “Professionals get paid. What do we get paid in? Colonial betrayal? Get moving!”

Heero nodded grudgingly and slid out onto the fire escape. Duo grinned, pleased with himself.

Heero called over his shoulder, “I hate it when you recite poetry.”

(Word count: 250. I couldn't resist me a little Gundam Wing. Full text of Sonnet 116)

Sonnet 66

Tired with all these for restful death I cry.

Kim stood in the darkness, it was the final one; the one that she saved for last. Tonight she would feel of her wrath and watch everything she held dear torn from her grasp. It was not enough for her life to be destroyed, she must know who it was; and why she were being punished. Kim had been very careful with this one, studied her for years. It was Jill Jensen now, not Jill Paqual, but it was the same woman, the same false veneer of kindness covering a vipers fangs.

Many of the others had died for what they had done, or had killed themselves, still others were now insane. Kim had orchestrated it to be this way.

Kim would let her live, to remain in the ruins of her once perfect life. Her husband, children, wealth and freedom were now to be destroyed.

Kim stood by as police officers converged on the house. Watched; as Jill was pulled into the night, arrested for a twenty year old murder. Kim only smiled an empty smile when Jill's eyes met hers, and recognition flashed for an instant before she was placed in a police car.

'I have my vengeance, and now there is no reason to continue on, no one to care if I live or die.'

Kim stepped out into the street, and pulled a small caliber pistol from her pocket.

Tired with all these from these would I be gone.

'I am coming David.'

Nestling the nose of the gun into her dark hair Kim looked on the world and her victory for the last time, and pulled the trigger.

(These lines are from Sonnet 66.)

Sonnet 36

Chase leaned down and whispered in her ear, hating each word he spoke.

“Let me confess that we two must be twain, Although our undivided loves are one.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, doll. I have to go. I love you.” He pressed a gentle kiss to her temple, then rose up from the bed and left the room.

He scooped up his navy-issue duffel bag and headed out the front door. The rest of his Sector was gathered around the bus that waited, silent and foreboding, on the street.

“Commander Scottsdale, so nice of you to join us,” Kenny drawled.

Chase headed for the bus. “Move out.”

The others blinked at his abruptness, but he ignored them. He knew he was honorable and that this was his duty. He also knew he might not come back, and this time he had someone to come back to.

***

She waited until the bus pulled away before she opened her eyes. Then she slid out of bed, slid on her uniform, and gathered up her bag of weapons. She left him a note on the dresser.

“In our two loves there is but one respect, Though in our lives a separable spite, Which, though it alter not love’s sole effect, Yet doth it steal sweet hours from love’s delight.” She signed it with a single initial, then climbed out the window.

“You took your sweet time,” Tobias said.

“Move out,” Asia said, and the others fell into line.

(I am totally making free with this place as an experimental lab for other projects. Word count: 250. Full text: Sonnet 36)

Romeo & Juliet; Othello

(AN: because I didn't post on Sunday)

“I dream’d a dream tonight,” Jesse said.

Asia didn’t look up from her book. “And so did I.”

Jesse tried to peer at her over the top of her book. “Well, what was yours?”

“That dreamers often lie.”

A wicked smile curved Jesse’s lips. “In bed asleep, while they do dream things true.”

Thom and Leonard, sitting in front of the television and going to war on the 360, exchanged glances. Leonard shook his head, amazed.

“I thought she was a computer programmer.”


“Who can match Jesse word-for-word in Shakespeare.” Thom promptly killed Leonard’s character and proceeded to blow the hell out of Leonard’s online allies.

“Hey!” Leonard mashed buttons, desperate to re-spawn.

Asia turned a page. “I talk of dreams, which are the children of an idle brain.”

“Are you saying I have an idle brain?”

“You do understand Shakespeare.”

Leonard glanced over his shoulder at the two on the sofa and shook his head, exasperated. He wasn’t sure why Asia had given into Jesse’s insistence that she spend time with them; she wasn’t giving him any leeway as far as wooing. He didn’t notice the screen as Thom sent his character up in flames. Thom hissed into his headset at Leonard’s online friends,

“That’s what you get for calling me a nancy-boy actor.”

Jesse had batted Asia’s book aside and was leaning in, close enough to kiss, but she dodged him smoothly and said,

“Speak of one that loved not wisely but too well.”

(Word count: 250; First half from Romeo & Juliet Act I Scene IV; last quote from Othello Act V Scene II)

Midsummer Nights Dream

"Kim, you have another chance at happiness, Why don't you take it?"

"And do David memory the dishonor of relegating it to the past? Never! I will never give up on him, never give them rest until the last of them has paid for his death."

Gavin looked at his old friend; the years of bitterness and revenge had eaten away at her until she was just a shell of the person he once knew. He knew what now consumed her, the all burning need for vengeance, to make them pay for what they did.

Her eyes that once sparkled with laughter were now dull, only lighting when she made her kill, when she destroyed another life.

"If you keep this up, you will become a sad and bitter old woman." Gavin warned; trying to talk some sense into her.

"So will I grow, so live, so die." Kim could not give up her vengeance, it was all that she was anymore, all that she could think about. It was all that drove her forwards, all that kept her from just lying down and letting death take her.

"They will remember him before they die." Kim vowed.

(This quote is from a Midsummer Nights Dream. Act I Scene I)

Venus and Adonis

“What are they arguing about now?” Leonard asked.

Thom chewed idly on a carrot stick. “Same old thing - Asia says Jesse deserves something better; Jesse says she’s what he wants.”

Leonard leaned closer to the glass, trying to read their lips. “What’s her problem? Jesse’s handsome and talented - he loves her.”

On the other side of the glass, Asia and Jesse were pacing back and forth, shouting at each other. For one moment, Asia had Jesse backed against the engineer’s panel, hissing invectives that made Jesse’s face go pale. Then he lunged at her, shouting right back, and she retreated, eyes wide.

“You know how in the film he’s meant to have pretty golden eyes?” Thom asked. “She’s got the golden eyes the director was looking for. Never seen another person with eyes like that.”

“You’re missing the fight,” Leonard said. “Judging by their body language during the argument, they’ve been pretty close. I can’t tell who’s got the upper hand yet.”

“I’d say Asia.” Thom lifted his chin to where Asia was standing with her back to Jesse while he tried to talk to her.

“Really?” Leonard asked.

Thom saw Jesse take a deep breath, readying himself for something drastic. He opened his mouth, and Thom saw the words start to form, but Jesse didn’t get a chance to say them.

“What follows more she murders with a kiss,” Thom said, and Leonard gaped.

The two boys stared, and then Leonard swallowed. “I’ve never been kissed like that.”

(Word count: 249; features my favorite line from Shakespeare's Venus and Adonis)

Macbeth

(okay, I had to do this one. It is to good of a line to never use. I love that line.)

"Out Damn Spot," Amara growled in frustration. She was sure that it was mocking her. Despite her best efforts the spot in her favorite jacket remained, taking on an air of invulnerability as she scrubbed at it ineffectually.

Benjamin looked up from where he sat in the old cathedral. It was a quiet little nook, one that he preferred for reading. "What's the problem?"

"This spot will not come out!" Amara had spilled some wood stain on her jacket. They had decided to renovate the abandoned cathedral and live there. It was so beautiful a place, and if someone did not care for it then it would be torn down.

Ben marked his place in the book and set it down. Standing he walked over to Amara and drew her into an embrace. "Don't worry about it," he said kissing her on the neck. "C'mon, let's go play."

"But we have work to do."

Ben smiled, "Tomorrow will take care of itself."

(Quote, as you know is from Macbeth: Macbeth Act 5, scene 1)

Project #6: Shakespeare

Okay, This weeks project is to incorporate some of the bard into your work, It can be just a line, or it can be a longer segment that is incorporated. Please reference where the quote is coming from, which play, sonnet, etc., and if possible give a link so that we can read it in context.

This should be fun, there is so much to chose from. How about upping the word count to 250.

Overview #5 Music and Lyrics

I noticed that I would scan through songs until one struck me with an idea. I usually knew what story I wanted to use or rather continue in, with Kim and David, with Garain, and with the others. Once a song came on that got the creative juices flowing, it came easier. I did notice that I usually made the story kind of match what the song was about, but I think I did one where it was simply the words I needed. I notice that I like songs with some angst in them, or else on the opposite end of the spectrum, and use songs that were all love, I didn't really have any middle of the road musical pieces. I noticed that songs can really inspire. I am still, obviously having comma splice problems, but in time that will go away. I had fun with this weeks project, but I had trouble some times limiting the word count.

Overview #5 - Music and Lyrics

Wow. This really showed my strengths and weaknesses and preferences. I have a preference - and tentatively a strength - for dialogue. Oftentimes I ended up using lyrics as lines of dialogue without any reference to the fact that they were songs, or I used them as songs someone sang as an allusion or during dialogue. I don't know that I ever went straight songfic with any of the lyrics, interspersing them with narrative to create an effect. I do like writing songs into stories, though, and was surprised at myself for not having more characters just singing. I took it as a challenge, on at least some occasions, to use lyrics from a song in a way that didn't end up fitting the song. "Here Comes the Snake" was pretty obvious and for me there's always been one way I wanted to write that song, and I finally did it. What I did with "Hands Down", "Through Glass", "In This Diary", and "IV" didn't really fit the overall tenor of the original songs, and I liked that - I liked reinventing lyrics. While I do love a good songfic where a story follows a song, sometimes lyrics taken out of context can go a long way. To be honest, some of the lyric tricks I pulled on previous posts I liked better. It was easy to give in and make the lyrics to a song almost the entire story, where in other posts I used lyrics subtly. There's room for improvement even when working with a theme, it seems. I had fun with this, hearing new songs and artists as well as hearing old songs that remind me of the good days. It was hard, but I resisted writing my favorite songs, like The General by the Dispatch and The Origin Of Love from Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I think I branched out a bit and used some songs I'd never intended to write, which was good.