Welcome to Inkbunny...

To view member-only content, create an account. ( Hide )

Writing Challenge #7: Payday Tomfoolery!

by dmfalk

Well it's time for yet another Writing Challenge, this time with an unusual twist! Well, the rules are the same as the previous Writing Challenges, except for the special tribute to Japan, which are that I suggest stories written based on three keywords, rather than a phrase. Anything goes, and I don't expect the obvious. :) Also, as per usual, stories NEED NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO with the calendar event the challenge coincides with- It's just a convenient way for me to post my Challenges. The exception was the last Challenge, which was meant to honour Japan after the terrible triple-disaster and tragic loss of life there. Oh, and there's no time limit, because the calendar events that are tied with the Challenges aren't required for the stories. Length? Anything from as short enough to be written on the back of a flea to as long as it would take to make War and Peace look like a pamphlet. ;) All I ask it to just have fun with the keywords- This is for the sake of creativity, and not meant to simply please me.

This time around, it falls on April Fool's Day, simply because there was too much a gap between St. Paddy's Day and Easter, but it's no prank- It's another Writing Challenge! :)

Since the normal three-keyword pattern contains a species and maybe an emotion or condition, I don't feel like ruining a good thing...yet. ;)

But this time around, there's a little twist-- The species isn't a species!

This time, it's a PLUSHIE! :D This can be a plushie of any species, and can even be- *gasp!* -ALIVE! :D

But then, I felt I needed an emotion-- LONELINESS!

And just to give the challenge a third keyword, it'll be... a DRESS! :)

So, there you have it:
PLUSHIE
LONELINESS
DRESS

Below is a list of past and current Challenges, with links to all submissions for each.

#1: no theme
SQUIRREL
PANTIES
RADIO

#2: Chinese Lunar New Year-- Year of the Rabbit
BUNNY
MOON
TRAVEL

Moon Rabbit - Part 1 by CyberCornEntropic

#3: Valentine's Day
CAT
HEART
LOVE

Moon Rabbit - Part 2 by CyberCornEntropic

#4: Mardi Gras
OTTER
BEADS
JAZZ

Moon Rabbit - Part 3 by CyberCornEntropic

#5: St. Patrick's Day
FOX
GOLD
LUCK
[smallthumb]82245[/smallthumb]

Moon Rabbit - Part 4 by CyberCornEntropic

#6: Tribute to Japan
No keywords, but had to either take place in Japan or have something Japanese-related.

Why the Ground Quakes by CyberCornEntropic

#7: April Fool's Day
PLUSHIE
LONELINESS
DRESS

Moon Rabbit - Part 5 by CyberCornEntropic

#8: Easter
BILBY
RAIN
FLOWER

How Deidrei Saved Easter by CyberCornEntropic

#9 (#9, #9, #9, #9....): SF Golden Gate Bridge, ruptured Rapture, Memorial Day
FIREFOX (lesser/red panda, sankam, nin wah)
SERVICE
FUTURE

Moon Rabbit - Part 6 by CyberCornEntropic

#10: Father's Day
DAD
WEEKEND
PICNIC

Moon Rabbit - Part 7 by CyberCornEntropic

#11: National & personal birthdays
DOG
BEANS
BIRTHDAY
[smallthumb]119285[/smallthumb]

#12: Apollo 11 anniversary/Space Shuttle is grounded
EAGLE
SUN
SEA

Moon Rabbit - Part 9 by CyberCornEntropic

#13: Dog Days of Summer
DOG
CAMPING
STARS

#14: Special 46th Birthday Edition
SQUIRREL, MOUSE, BUNNY, SKUNK and/or LEPTICTIDIUM (any one or more or all)
BIRTHDAY
BRIDGE

(species chosen: BUNNY, SKUNK)

#15: The War of the Worlds broadcast of 1938...
RADIO
PANIC
ALIENS

#16: Thanksgiving
TURKEY
PILGRIM
STUFFING
THANKSGIVING

The Toughest Turkey That Ever Were by CyberCornEntropic

#17: Holiday Season
DEER
GIFTS
HOLIDAYS

Moon Rabbit - Part 8 by CyberCornEntropic

#18: New Year's Resolutions
MOUSE
YEAR
RESOLUTION

Moon Rabbit - Part 10 by CyberCornEntropic

No joke (unlike my checkbook), so have fun!

SUBMISSIONS SO FAR:
First post to this challenge, a charming Pooh origin story by

DOtter

:

Second is my own entry:

Third up is the fifth installment of the Moon Rabbit series from

CyberCornEntropic

:

d.m.f.

Viewed:	46 times
Added:	14 years ago 01 Apr 2011 12:42 CEST

19 Comments on this Journal

Leave a Comment...

DOtter

14 years ago

link

...I'm a little surprised myself how quickly I finished this one. ^_^

dmfalk

13 years, 12 months ago

link

@ DOtter

:)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

14 years ago

link

I have no idea yet how I'm going to work in "Loneliness". :o

dmfalk

13 years, 12 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

I can (Involving Jazz)... :)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 12 months ago

link

@ dmfalk

You know, one thing I've been meaning to do after your speculation that Changy was the mother of her own replacement (incorrect, but a good guess) was to encourage you to continue speculating if you thought of something (but you shouldn't force yourself to come up with something; the best stuff comes naturally).  Who knows?  I might "steal" the idea, or it might get me to thinking along different lines.  Or your speculation might be unusable in that story, but who knows about other stories?

Although this isn't speculation, you did make me do the equivalent of a face palm complete with a "durrr".  She would miss her two daughters a whole lot, wouldn't she?  Thanks for the reminder. :)

As for the others, "Dress" is easy as, at the very least, Baksrit is wearing one.  "Plushie", on the other hand, may not quite be what you expected....

dmfalk

13 years, 12 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

Yes, that's exactly where I was going, insofar as Jazz and her loneliness- Including being without a companion, since she was raising her daughters by herself. She's effectively trapped in the loneliest place- her own mind- while under the Moon Bunny spell.

As for speculating... If I have something in mind, I'll let you know.

As far as "plushie" goes, remember what I say in my Challenges: I don't expect the obvious. :) (But then again, since one of my characters is in fact a living plushie.. *grin* ;) ) I figured "plushie" was going to be the challenging part for you-- I look forward to the results. :)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ dmfalk

I still need to finish Act 2 of Part 5, but I've got all three keywords used. My original plans were for Baksrit to pass by a streetwalker or courtesan who was screaming angrily at a client or someone (and therefore could use up at least two of the keywords), but that was too much of a Big Lipped Alligator Moment. Fortunately, children work much better without the need for unnecessarily adding another adult theme.

dmfalk

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

*grin* To be honest, I could see someone in Baskrit's world make a plushie "come alive", even if really nothing more than a magic-driven puppet, but then again, you probably have something more interesting in mind. ;)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ dmfalk

I considered that. It wouldn't be hard to make a "rag golem" of sorts, say out of bits and pieces of fabric lying about. Also, I'm not above covering my bets and using at least two different instances of a keyword when possible (eg. two cats, artichoke hearts and the heart of the matter).

I also can see the uses a rag golem might have (or a plush golem in more modern times). It would be a handy way for a wizard to protect his child. To the wizard's kit, it's a fluffy and cuddly skoitsy. To the villain sneaking in to cause harm to the kit, it's a whirlwind of protective vengeance intent on beating the stuffing out of the villain.

It might also possibly be useful in voudon.

The question would be the rules behind animating such a thing, but those could be similar to those behind animating Rabbi Lowe's clay golem.

dmfalk

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

*nod* Since plush/rag toys have been around for at least centuries, I can see one coming to life in Baskrit's world on the whims of magic, even as a student is testing said magic as well.

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 11 months ago

link

Edited 13 years, 11 months ago by Owner

@ dmfalk

That student would have to have created it since a magical construct like a golem could no more pop into existence than a VCR or TV could. And your example is a good one. A lot of an apprentice's spellcasting time, early on at least, is learning the techniques and reasoning behind how spells are cast. (True, most mages would learn their spells by rote with little comprehension on why a spell does what it does, but the competent ones, such as wizards like Solomon and Baksrit, would at least have a basic understanding on how spells work even if any attempt at explaining it to people like you and me would give Star Trek technobabble a run for its money). Practicing with rag golems and whatnot would be encouraged.

I've only mentioned it in passing, but Baksrit can at least create simple golems. Moon Rabbit mentions she had been animating brooms to help with the housework, in a deliberate nod to Mickey Mouse in Fantasia.

dmfalk

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

But that, of course, is why such apprentices and journeyfurs have places to practice, hence as I see it, it makes perfect sense to practice with such golems- They are expendable, except when something about them stands out in a way that they earn their lives. If it weren't for your mentioning that Baskrit had such places like that to go to, I don't think I could've possibly suggested that a living plushie would come about, except for when a sorcerer wants to use that plushie as a tool on or against someone.

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ dmfalk

You're quite right when it comes to having places to practice. Sometimes, a quiet place or something like a work area is good enough. Other times, a mage had better head out to a less populated area so they don't accidentally blow someone up with one of the flashier spells. Of course, there are times when mages don't get a choice in where to go, such as having to visit the constabulary so as to learn what effects black magic leaves on a corpse.

About golems in general and rag golems in particular, even a wizard like Solomon would be freaked out if one became alive. They are little more than robots animated with magic instead of technology, after all. Something like Mimzy would be way beyond their comprehension, and Mimzy would have to be very careful she didn't scare a mage into torching her before convincing them she wasn't being possessed by some otherworld entity.

dmfalk

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

Not just places to practice, but things to practice on. :)

Mimzy would be mind-blowing even our own time and culture... ;)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 11 months ago

link

On things to practice on – Yep. In fact, Baksrit is a lousy cook if she has to do things the old fashioned way, but once she figured out she could practice spells like levitation and conjuring up water while cooking, her meals improved tremendously. Solomon was pleased she figured it out so quickly by herself earlier than his previous apprentices had. He always did enjoy a tasty meal, after all. :p

dmfalk

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

Heh. :) I'm comfortable in the kitchen- Probably moreso than my mum. :) And that's considering I come from a family in which every one of us for four generations straight have spent time working in a restaurant at one point or another. (In my case, a class at high school.)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ dmfalk

Baksrit's okay in the kitchen. She's just a lousy cook doing things by hand. Deidrei's much better cooking like that. Me, I'm decent at cooking (I bake my own bread, for example), but I doubt I hold a candle to someone like you who's got it in his blood.

dmfalk

13 years, 11 months ago

link

@ CyberCornEntropic

I would say I'm decent, as far as cooking goes, but I'm no Remy ("Ratatouille"), just comfortable enough to know what I'm doing when I feel like it. :)

d.m.f.

CyberCornEntropic

13 years, 10 months ago

link

Edited 13 years, 10 months ago by Owner

Hey, look! I couldn't afford a thousand monkeys to hammer at a thousand keyboards, so I typed something up myself. I am such a cheapskate. :p