vilakins | Five five-minute ficlets

I took up kerravonsen's challenge, but lacked the confidence to try for two minutes. Instead I allowed myself five. If you are braver than me (which wouldn't be hard) accept the two-minute challenge.

Here's what you do:

You need a timing device which can tell you when two or five minutes is up, and a way of getting a random word. I used a dictionary and a pin.

Think of a character, get your word, set the timer, and write a ficlet using the character and word. You've got five--or two--minutes. When the time is up, you can now only correct for typos and punctuation.

I listed my characters up front: Blake, Jenna, Vila, Avon, and Cally, then did them in turn. Now I only rejected one word--the first one I got for Blake, which was 'borough'. I couldn't see how to use it, nor do boroughs exist in the Federation as far as I know. The rest really are words the pin landed on, and by the way I used the actual word, not the definition it appeared in. They were oddly appropriate in some cases.

***
Blake: damned

"I agree with you, Blake."
Blake stared at Avon in astonishment. "Well, I'll be damned!"
"Very probably."
"Then I shall have to take care on this mission, won't I?"
Avon raised an eyebrow. "It worries you?"
"Eternally arguing with you certainly does."

Jenna: drunk

Jenna stepped quickly aside so that the charging mutoid hit a tree (possibly the one she and Blake had spent the night in) and crumpled, concussed. "Sorry," Jenna smirked, "but I don't see the point in being drunk."

Vila: damsel (honestly, I got these from stabbing a dictionary!)

"So you rescued a damsel in distress, Sir Vila?" Tarrant grinned.
Vila looked away and muttered, "Something like that."
"A damsel?" Cally frowned. "I thought that was some sort of plum."
"No," Vila said sadly. "She was a peach."

Avon: apathy

"You could show a bit more sympathy." Vila rubbed his injured hand which had been squashed under the heedless boot of a trooper. "In fact, some would be nice."
Avon turned and looked at Vila expressionlessly. "I believe I am out of stock."
"Yeah." Vila glared. "Just antipathy these days, isn't it?"
"That, Vila, would imply that you mattered. The correct word is apathy."

Cally: devices

"Hello, Avon. Are you working on another one of your gadgets?"
"Regardless of what Vila says, they are not 'gadgets', Cally."
"Perhaps you would prefer 'devices'." Cally put her head on one side. "It would be appropriate. You take such pleasure in it, it is probably a vice."
***

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ooh, cool! Those are a weirdly appropriate batch of words, and I'm very impressed with how these came out! The Jenna one made me laugh, the Vila one made me go "awww" sadly, and the Avon one was just so very, very... cold. Brr.

I really want to try this now, myself! Hmm, I wonder how I could get away with doing it at work without annoying the guy sitting across the room by having the alarm on my watch go off every two (or five) mintues...

Thanks, you've cheered me up a bit!

The Jenna one made me laugh

Yeah, I didn't want to opt for the obvious--Vila. Did you get the point of the word 'point' too? [wince, ouch] :-)

the Avon one was just so very, very... cold. Brr.

Yeah, I know. It's S4 Avon (just after 'Games') who really doesn't care about Vila (or perhaps is doing his best not to). It was what I thought of with that word though; I didn't have time for a happier one.

Yeah, I didn't want to opt for the obvious--Vila.

I'm glad you went for the non-obvious -- and much more punny! -- option.

Did you get the point of the word 'point' too? [wince, ouch] :-)

Oh, man, that completely passed me by the first time! [wince, ouch], indeed. :)

It was what I thought of with that word though; I didn't have time for a happier one.

Oh, I'm not complaining! You're talking to the angst-fan, remember? I thought it was a great portrait of a cold S4 Avon.

Now you'll have to take up the challenge! I bet you'd ace it in two minutes with your brilliant ficlet experience. B7 or Farscape, or a mix--go on!

OK, I just did a few, of the 2-minute variety. Had something of a difficult time with them, as I had to watch the clock instead of setting an alarm. And I so totally did not get appropriate words. I don't think they really came out very well, but it was an interesting exercise, anyway.

I'll post my results on my LJ in a bit... I've got to get some food and do some work-related stuff first.

Very nice; I especially liked Cally and Vila. I did groan a bit on Jenna's "drunk", possibly because I've used that pun in fic myself and am still not sure I should have done.

I do think after such success you should up your confidence and try for two minutes now.

;-)

Maybe sometime soon.

You liked the Cally one? Huh! That one gave me the most trouble; I used up the whole five minutes and still wasn't happy with it.

Yes, I stole the use of 'drunk' from THHGTTG, but I thought it was better than the usual drunken Vila scenario. How did you use it BTW?

You liked the Cally one? Huh! That one gave me the most trouble; I used up the whole five minutes and still wasn't happy with it.

I might drop the "Hello, Avon" and have it start in the middle of the conversation somehow, but I thought the exchange from there on was very much in tone with some of Avon's and Cally's banter. It suits my taste in Cally, I suppose, and I don't see that particular Cally very often. Mostly the Callys in fic are IMO either too warm and understanding or too consistently righteous and judgemental. This particular exchange makes her come across to me as observant, insightful, and humorous without falling too far on either side of the line. FWIW.

Yes, I stole the use of 'drunk' from THHGTTG, but I thought it was better than the usual drunken Vila scenario. How did you use it BTW?

I don't recall the Hitchhiker's usage, but it's been too long since I read it. The way I used it was that I had Buffy tell a vampire she was fighting that she'd promised her mother to never get drunk. Jenna's fighting mutoid-vamps in the previous scene; I suspect that's why the recognition bell rang in my head.

Yes, I've never much liked the nurturing earth-mother Cally; there's precious little evidence of it in the series except for her administration of medication. I admit I've used it and the moralistic Cally in humorous fiction as the characters are more caricatures there anyway. I regret the wimping down of warrior Cally myself.

IIRC the HHGTTG exchange went something like this, before Ford's first hyper-jump or whatever they called them:

"What's it like?"
"Like being drunk."
"That doesn't sound so bad."
"Tell that to a glass of water."

I always thought that was a very vivid way of describing the sensation.

I regret the wimping down of warrior Cally myself.

I completely agree.

I love you both.

Ooh, I regret it, too! [waits eagerly for declaration of love]

;)

Don't do things like that when she has a gun in her hand. I might be tempted to make her use it. :)

I don't recall the Hitchhiker's usage, but it's been too long since I read it.

Ford to Arthur when Zaphod's ship was about to go into infinity drive

Ford
It's rather like being drunk
Arthur
What's bad about that
Ford
Ask a glass of water

Or words to that effect, It's been a long time since I read, watched or listened to HHGTTG

I liked the Jenna one, too!

Those are rather good. I am impressed.

Gina

Yay! You did it!
Cool stuff.

As others have said, yes, the Avon was spot-on in the brrr stakes.

I think I like the Cally one the best. Just that touch of tease; nice.

Yeah, I didn't enjoy writing the Avon one, but that was what I thought of. Poor Vila.

Five five-minute ficlets

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject