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Chinaren
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 Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 8:20 pm Post subject: Chinaren's Christmas QuEasy competition! **Vote now!** |
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I was going to do a SoaP, but my time is a bit limited atm, and people will probably be busy with Xmas stuff too, so instead here is the second of my patented Quick and Easy competitions, special Xmas edition!!
This is a city sponsored competition. The prize will be paid by the treasury, assuming we can get Lordy to cough up the key to the strongroom.
Enough waffle already! How do I play?
All you have to do is a paragraph or maybe two, describing a simple event. It's free to enter, so all you have to do is post below!
When I deem there is enough entries, or enough time has elapsed, I'll put it to the vote.
The competition is to see who can come up with the most descriptive and vivid description!
Easy!
So, the Xmas QuEasy comp is:
The opening of a (Christmas) present!
You don't have to write any background, who's sent it or even who's opening it, just the opening of, and probably what's inside. I'l leave the details to you!
Last time I was amazed at the imagination of the entries, so let's see what you can come up with this time.
Winner will get 499 Fables from the Treasury. ...and an award in their honors, which will also be displayed in Chinaren Hall.
Roolz.
Only one entry per author please.
Whilst there is no word limit as such, remember this is supposed to be QUICK and EASY!
The competition is about the best, most vivid description, as well as the most imaginative idea so whilst a one word entry is still valid, it's unlikely to be the most memorable.
Chinaren may disqualify entrants he deems unfit at his whim.
In case of dispute, Chinaren's decision is final.
Rules may change with no notice, or be added to in the future.
Last edited by Chinaren on Fri Dec 14, 2007 5:45 am; edited 1 time in total
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Mephistopheles
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| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 4:00 am Post subject: |
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The bright, shiny red foil slowly reflects the light back into her eyes as she tenderly peels it from the slim box. The clear tape clings to the box, refusing to resist the pull of her gentle hands as they attempt to unveil the latest gift from her love. She pulls harder, stretching the thin plastic strip further. It mocks her efforts with every slip of her hands on the slick covering that hides her desire.
"Screw you!" she screams at the package, her loveliness betrayed as she stands abruptly. Parcel in one hand, she strides over to the kitchen counter. Pulling the largest knife she can find from her custom mahogany block, she stabs into the package, an evil grin stealing across her lovely mouth. Her lips pull back from her teeth as she stabs repeatedly, over and over, the blade penetrating into the box, pinning it to the counter on her final downward stroke.
"Take that!" she shouts in triumph as she tears the foil off maniacally. Shreds of red rain down upon the counter, the floor, her hair, as if a blood snow were falling within her humble abode. She jerks the knife out, tossing it onto the counter as she finally succeeds in opening the fancy green box. She looks in. There, before her eyes, are the sexiest panties and bra that she could have ever hoped to have. Her eyes dull, her smile falters as she sees the many holes in the silken articles. Tears fall from her eyes as she turns to her lover.
"Do you think that there is any way that I can exchange these?"
hope you all like it! Merry Christmas
_________________
Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
I don't know, it's just the way I am.
eminem
without the threat of death,
there is no reason to live at all
marilyn manson
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Aponi
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| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Perdy picked her way through the trash and crumpled papers piled on the floor around the tree, and knelt in front of it. One finger traced the remains of an ornament, a red glass ball with a jagged hole in the side, showing the silver interior, the little pile of dirt and dead insects inside.
She saw it then, a dirty white bundle shoved to the farthest corner behind the tree. Ignoring the shards of glass and skittering roaches, Perdy slid under the tree and grasped the edge of the object. Something from the tree above fell on her back and rolled off as she pulled the bundle towards her.
It was light, and she could feel the object's texture through the wrapping, hard and jointed like a small skeleton. The coarse cloth crumbled under her fingers, releasing a musty odor that made her sneeze. Threads from the edges frayed as she peeled away the layers.
A face emerged, absurdly round blue eyes and a blood-red mouth, the pale paint of the skin crackled over the blushing cheeks and upturned nose. The doll's hair was brown and frizzed where it had been protected by the cloth, and black and sticky where the damp had reached it. Around its neck was a shred of yellowed lace.
Perdy closed her eyes, but still the doll's face lingered in her mind. The painted eyes knew her secret, but the lips would never tell.
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Kalanna Rai
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| Posted: Tue Dec 04, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject: |
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It sat alone under a rain of green needles, each of which released the fragrance of the Christmas pine from which they fell. It's edges were soft, muted by the delicate silver foil which swathed it in layers of protection from eagerly prying eyes. The lights from the tree above were reflected as tiny points, like the glowing flecks of a rainbow, from the foil's metallic surface, shimmering and dancing across ripples and ridges in it's otherwise smooth surface. The streamers of light tangled and twisted, breaking as they tried to follow the looping curves of the shimmering green ribbon that was twisted into a bow on the box's top, flowing across that flat surface and down each side like a peaceful river of emerald hue. Here and there, lost strands of tinsle mingled with the fallen needles like a strange form of snow.
With trembling hands the tag was read, the name inscribed upon it called out in a youthful voice full of mirth yet tinged with the barest hint of jealousy that the beautiful package was not for the one who had found it. Transfered with great anticipation and unintentioned carelessness to it's rightful owner, it sat for a moment in all it's shimmering holiday splendor. Then, slowly, the ribbon was pulled and unfurled in great looping undulations so that the box was now unbound. Slowly, the lid was lifted to reveal the gift within. It was the gift of worlds, untold and countless in their number. Limited only by the number of soft, creamy pages in the hard backed journal, the droplets of ebony ink in the pen, and the imagination of the young girl who gazed at them with such unabashed wonder.
_________________
"It's not just about living forever...the trick is living with yourself forever..."
"Music makes you braver."
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NeverNeverGirl
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject: |
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He held her in his arms, cradling her gently as she gazed up at him. The blue of her eyes reflected the lights on the tree and her lips were arced in a sad smile. Her blonde curls were downy soft and he stroked them tenderly remembering all the times he had sat watching her brush them. Her golden skin seemed to glow more brightly than ever and her hands lay in her lap, gently crossed.
A tear spilled forth and trailed down her cheek. He quickly wiped his eyes, removed his tear from her cheek and kissed her brow softly, before laying her back down on her cushions under the tree.
'If this is what you really want then i will do it.' he whispered quietly.
She nodded slowly, the movement making her grimace and the pain was echoed throughout her every limb. Tears sprang to his eyes anew.
Her face turned towards the christmas tree, decked out in it holiday finery. It had always been her favourite time of year - until the accident - now it was a painful reminder. Her useless limbs lay still and she looked at him pleadingly, the words unable to form on her lips any longer.
'Father accept my daughter up unto You. Cradle her in Your arms so that she knows pain no more.'
Kissing her tenderly once more he said his final goodbye and placed the soft downy pillow over her face - his final gift.
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Lilith
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 7:37 pm Post subject: |
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What is going on? It's all dark except for a few specks of light here and there.. I can't see anything... Wait! I heard something!
A soft thump is heard as two small feet skip the last two steps of a carpeted stairway and land on the floor with the same material. A larger, heavier set descend a bit more slowly and with quite a bit less impatience.
"Quit teasing me Daddy! What did you bring me?"
"This darling."
Who do those voices belong to? What is that crinkling noise?
"A collar, Daddy? The tag, it says Shawna..... Daddy, did you really???"
"Open the silver box and find out."
The smaller feet make a mad dash for a tall tree in the corner of the room, decorated with colored lights blinking at timed intervals and shiny bulbs reflecting all patterns of light all over the room. The feet stop and a rump plops on the floor as arms reach for a medium-sized box wrapped in silver, shiny paper and a big blue bow on top. Two dainty hands slip over the paper, fingernails digging in to rip it off as one finger presses a bit too hard and punctures a hole underneath.
There's a tearing sound, the light specks are getting brighter....
"Try just taking the lid off sweetie."
The hands move to the lid of the box and remove it with ease, tossing it directly behind, the release and snap of the small wrist sending it flying across the room without a care.
Agh! Bright light from above! I'VE GONE BLIND!
"Oh Daddy! She's so cute!"
The hands move once again, this time inside the box to scoop up a ball of black furr with two blue eyes and one very cold wet nose.
There's something curling around my tummy and lifting me up, towards the light!
The bundle of fur is squeezed and hugged and kissed affectionately, as the voice repeats "Shawna.." over and over again.
Well this is nice... I wonder what Shawna means?
_________________
© 2007-2019 Lilith
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:23 pm Post subject: |
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Woo, some great entries here people!! I was going to do one myself, but now I'm too scared.
Keep 'em coming, there's still room for more! 
_________________
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My Amazon page.
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D-Lotus
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| Posted: Wed Dec 05, 2007 8:49 pm Post subject: |
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Papa Yeti shook his head vigorously and the snow clinging onto his fur like white spray paint dispersed throughout the cave; the flurry of flakes was carried by the whistling, chaotic wind and floated to the soft earthy ground in accordance with its inescapable fate. Little Yeti glanced upwards at his father's entrance and emitted a high pitched squeak in order to indicate his happiness. Mama Yeti wrinkled her flat, broad, apelike nose, and furrowed her prominent brow as she sat upon her huge haunches against a large pine tree which had been brutally uprooted and carelessly tossed sideways within the dark cave. A golden-colored plastic star, torn and ham-fistedly tied to a tree branch, glittered faintly from within the pine leaves. An upside down tattered banner, covered in designs of candy canes and smiling elves hung on the cave wall. A merry X-mas to Brighton Elementary, it read.
Slowly Mama Yeti's nose unwrinkled as she detected a familiar smell. Papa Yeti dropped a large bundle on the ground, wrapped in a shell of leaves and twig bindings, and it rolled on the ground until it stopped at Little Yeti's feet. He bent down and furiously tore away the wilderness-fashioned wrapping. Leaves and snow intermingled within the cave floor until Little Yeti finally unwrapped his present. His small body shook with glee and his fur shimmered like a wheat field trembling in the wind as his stare set upon his open gift. It was a delicious human being.
_________________
 Chapter 5: The Rendezvous 
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Masterweaver
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 5:03 am Post subject: |
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And in the darkness of the tree...
The cat was the only one to notice. It was the cat's duty to guard the tree, protect the presents. It had done so faithfully for ten years, since the humans had brought it home. It had grown used to the vast plethora of shining boxes and flimsy backs, and it moved between them with a litheness not unlike that of a lion. So now, when it happened, the cat awoke instantly from his slumber. His body, though seemingly quite relaxed, was at a moment's notice able to leap into a clawed frenzy.
Amongst the vast network of bows and paper, underneath a stack of boxes, one long, wide green box had moved. The cat was not sure, but continued to watch. It twitched again. Now the cat rose and stalked to the box, patient, predatory. In all its years, it had never heard of a present attempting to escape, but if this one did, it was more then ready.
There was a scraping sound. Suddenly, metal talons pierced the box from the inside. Before the cat had any time to react, they withdrew. With a curious mew, he sniffed cautiously at the holes. Satisfied, he retracted his head.
There was a strange groaning, a strange stretching, as the box began to buckle under some force. On top of it, gifts fell off, sliding to the side without so much as a hope of altering their fate. The cat was perturbed, and backed off. Whatever it was, it would be better to wait and see then charge in.
And then, in the darkness of the tree, an arm burst out. It was a metal arm, but not of any metal known to man. It was an icy metal, more chill and hardness then actual mass. And the arm was not one of a man, or any man-like being. It was the essentials of an arm, with none of the decretory flesh and bone and blood, but merely tow thick rods with a hinge. The metal talons reached for the paper on the box, scrabbling it away frantically.
The cat hid between a pair of presents. Neither the cheery snowmen on his right nor the comical Pit Droids on his left could convince him to be anything but dead-terrified.
And finally, the box ripped open, and the being stood. It was tall, but hunched to the size of a human. It had a strange shape for a head, like a hexagon that has had on of its points pushed in. There was no face to speak of. A massive bone-white tail ending in a shape that invoked a snowflake was the only trace of anything organic. Otherwise, it was made of the icy silver metal, all edges and freeze.
Somehow, eyeless, it looked around. It noted the stockings, unfilled. It nodded. He had not been here yet.
It settled on the couch to wait. The cat, afraid, retreated to the tree's center...
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Hak
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| Posted: Thu Dec 06, 2007 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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Quietly as possible, the youth’s bare feet let out tiny taps as she moved across the floor. She knew that it was greatly frowned upon, opening a present early, but the temptation bit at her insides. Kneeling down, she searched the few packages for the one that had caught her eye three days ago, while she’d been cooking the many chocolate chip cookies. After shifting a few boxes aside, she found it. That one present, unlike the others, sparkling in its silver taunt.
She held the present up to her face, wondering what could lie within. The box was suddenly being held to her chest as she protected it from whatever had blinded her with light. Her parents had awoken. They smiled at her, and sat upon the plush green couch. Gesturing to the pile, they tried to get her to let go of the silver parcel.
That gift was in her clutch all the while, as she opened all her other presents. The gifts she’d received had ranged from sweet and innocent, to the mundane, to the abnormally inappropriate. Finally, the shining present was last.
The girl set down the box, eying the shimmering blue bow. On the sides of the box were the taped up triangles holding the parchment around her gift. She stared at it for mere moments before the anticipation got to her. Slowly, she lifted her fingers under the tape, pulling it off from the wintery paper. The ribbon was then tugged off, and paper fell around a small white box.
She lifted the lid, and inside, on the soft white cotton, was a small key. It looked like the keys on her mother and father’s key-rings. She stared at her parents in confusion and disbelief. Soon, she was at the window, staring at the shining silver box with the large blue bow, its wheels shining in the morning sun.
_________________
Fear is only overanxiety over the future
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2007 5:00 pm Post subject: |
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I'll close the entry section very very soon, so if you want to compete, get something in fast!!
_________________
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Fri Dec 14, 2007 5:50 am Post subject: |
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Very well! Remembered at last to add a poll for this!
Voting is up until I remember to close it, which should be before Xmas.
Remember, this comp is about the entry that conjurs up the most vivid image, or leaves the strongest impression.
Good luck to all the entrants, they are all excellent!
_________________
Neil Hartley Books.
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D-Lotus
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| Posted: Sat Dec 15, 2007 12:01 pm Post subject: |
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Aponi's doll captured my imagination the most after the third read of all the entries. Rai's was a close second. Hmm, I suspect that a couple of people voted for themselves. Ah well, nothing wrong with that, except that it makes this contest a bit difficult, since there are so many entries.
EDIT:
By the way, Cren, Metal Monster Thing seems a bit disrespectful, don't you think?
_________________
Chapter 5: The Rendezvous
Last edited by D-Lotus on Sun Dec 16, 2007 7:36 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Aponi
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:46 am Post subject: |
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| Sorry, D-Lotus - Mesphistopeles started it! When I saw his vote, I kind of figured it was like voting for the Pirate King...
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Masterweaver
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| Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2007 11:59 am Post subject: |
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| "Metal Moster Thing?"
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 4:47 am Post subject: |
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Voting will close soon people, so poke your mistletoe into the eye* of voting.
*I assume that's what people do with Misletoe.
_________________
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Chinaren
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Crossfire
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| Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:04 pm Post subject: |
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Voted for Aponi's Doll. Yay for newbies, and secrets forever kept!
*checks self belatedly* Yay for good writing, I mean...
I've balanced the score. We'll need another vote to decide the outcome.
*wanders off, fading casually into the shrouding, welcoming void*
_________________
Thrash, dash and crash alike.
Silent eyes decide the wise and unwise - for one that lies. Let it arise.
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 3:52 am Post subject: |
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Very well! A winner has been chosen!
Aponi takes it in a tight race! Well done Po! A medal will appear in your honors section soon, as well as in Chinaren Hall, and 499Fables will be donated, just as soon as we can find where Lordy has hidden the key to the treasury.
Congratulations to all who entered, once again the QuEasies have brought out some great writing!
Watch out for QuEasy the third early next year sometime.
_________________
Neil Hartley Books.
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Mephistopheles
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| Posted: Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:22 am Post subject: |
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Congrats Aponi!
_________________
Cause I am, whatever you say I am
If I wasn't, then why would I say I am?
I don't know, it's just the way I am.
eminem
without the threat of death,
there is no reason to live at all
marilyn manson
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Aponi
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 11:42 am Post subject: |
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Thank you all very much.  It was a close one, though, and I do admit to feeling nervous when I saw all the great entries.
This was fun! When can we do another?
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Chinaren
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| Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Aponi wrote: |
This was fun! When can we do another? |
I do various random competitions on an ad-hoc basis. Keep an eye out for them!
_________________
Neil Hartley Books.
My Amazon page.
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