Fandom Half-Drabbles
About a month and a half ago, ylla posted a meme to following_sea that piqued my interest. Well, I finally sat down and did it for myself, and now I'd like to share the results/invite you to do the same.
The rules
1: Pick five fandoms. List them in alphabetical order.
2: Visit this site to find your first RANDOM POEM OF POWER. Write down the 5th line (yes, even if it's an E.E. Cummings poem and you wind up with an apostrophe). Repeat five times and - you guessed it - list 'em in alphabetical order! (No cheating, mind! This is a challenge and it's always been about creativity.)
3: I think you can see where this is going. Write a very quick 50-word half-drabble for each fandom (try to do it all in one sitting - make your brain explode!), using the line from the poem as a prompt. You don't have to include it in the half-drabble - it's just inspiration.
4: Bravo! Have a cookie.
Since I wasn't quite sure if they meant to list the lines or the poems in alphabetical order, I wound up doing it both ways. And then, because I can never do things by half, I decided to do two (or technically, four) different sets. One set would be for other fandoms I'm fond of. The other...well, my username should be the tipoff.
WARNING: There are a few SPOILERS lurking in here.
ROUND ONE
1. Amazing Grace (“Shut then the other eye”-Before the Game, by Vasko Popa.)
Wilberforce opened an eye at the sound of birdsong. A bird stood outside his window, welcoming the morning. He closed his eye again, hoping to fall asleep once more.
Opening his other eye, he saw the mounds of paperwork, a reminder of his duty. Sighing, he got out of bed.
2. Fantastic Four (“If this presumptious seems, God, may I be forgiven”.-Dedication, by Ranier Maria Rilke.)
Reed Richards had never considered himself a religious man. He’d learned very quickly that The Big Bang and Genesis just didn’t mix. But now, staring at the wreckage of his ship, at the transformation of his friends, a transformation that he’d caused, he was feeling an overwhelming urge to pray.
3. Forever (“Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron”-Sunflower Sutra, by Allen Ginsberg.)
Henry had to wonder how he got into these situations. He was all for broadening his horizons, but he was skeptical about the pill he’d been handed, and even more skeptical at the nonsense the chap beside him was spouting, while others looked at him as though he was profound.
4. Hornblower (“The position of the Early Christian Church”.-Sunt Leones, by Stevie Smith.)
Hornblower had to wonder how, despite being more versed in sailing, mathematics, and Ancient Greek texts, he was currently debating theology with his guest. Well, at least it kept the man from declaring they were all going to Hell for fighting a war. He had to appreciate the little things.
5. Titanic (“For then my thoughts, from far where I abide”,-Sonnet 27, by William Shakespeare.)
Lowe awoke with a start before wincing and drawing the blankets closer. He wondered how long it would take before his dreams stopped being haunted by visions of ice, cracking metal, and a sea of silent bodies, staring at him in silent comdemnation. He feared the answer would be never.
(In the interest of fairness, I will acknowledge that I had to skip The Abominable Snowman by Odgen Nash because it was only four lines.)
ROUND TWO
1. Amazing Grace (“As if I asked the Orient”-As if I Asked a Common Alms, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Do you think this happens in the Far East?” Wilberforce asked bitterly; another failed speech in Parliament had left him introspective.
“Perhaps not this exact problem,” Billy said gently, “But I wouldn’t be surprised if they had slaves too, and equally dedicated people trying to stop it. You’re not alone.”
2. Fantastic Four (“But say, you never heard of how he aimed my gore to spill”-Montreal Maree, by Robert Service.)
“I’m glad I found you,” Sue said, rubbing Reed’s shoulders, “Otherwise, Doom would have broken all your bones.”
“It was worse than that,” Reed said, shivering, “He told me that, when I was cold enough, he would shatter me completely. He couldn’t have someone smarter than him around, after all.”
3. Forever (“I forgive you for what you did not do”.-My Friend, My Friend, by Anne Sexton.)
“Henry?” Jo said softly.
Henry looked up in surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
Jo sighed, closing the door, “That’s why I’m here. I just want you to know that I understand why you kept things hidden from me. You can rely on me to keep it hidden too.”
4. Hornblower (“Of her salamandrine fires,”-Lines on the Loss of the “Titanic”, by Thomas Hardy.)*
Hornblower stared up at the fireship, hearing the flames roar, threatening to destroy anything they touched. For one moment, he hesitated, unsure if this was a wise idea. Then the thought of the Indy blown to pieces flashed before his eyes, and he set his jaw and made the leap.
5. Titanic (“Springing so forthright from the heart”-Ernie Pyle, by Robert Service.)
“We waited too long.”
He hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Still more guilt and fear was the last thing anyone needed. But it had come out involuntarily, as if speaking it aloud was the only way he could comprehend the magnitude of both the loss and his crime.
*This amused me immensely, though tragically, there was no way I could have arranged it so that the poem went to the right character.
ROUND THREE
1. Bloodrayne (“I reason, we could die-”-I Reason, Earth is Short, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Severin asked in Rayne’s earpiece.
“And why wouldn’t I?” she answered, flicking her blades out in preparation.
“Well, for one thing, there are about fifty vampires in there. For another, the sun’s coming out soon.”
“Works for me. I like a challenge.”
2. Hellsing (“Groaning dream,”-Lying in Grass, by Hermann Hesse.)
Alucard’s eyes snapped open in irratation at the sound of the moaning coming from the opposite coffin. Reaching out, he rapped on the oak lid. “Police Girl, if you can’t be quiet, either sleep elsewhere or go on patrol. At least one of us needs to be in peak condition.”
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (“Or rap-at Paradise-unheard”-Should You But Fail at-Sea, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m living up to the Hippocratic Oath,” Bashir said, “Helping to destroy an enemy like this.”
“Come, come, Doctor,” Garak responded, a hand on his shoulder, “I’d say on the whole, you do much more good than harm. I certainly wouldn’t turn you away from Heaven.”
4. Star Trek: Enterprise (“Loving offenders, thus I will excuse ye:”-Sonnet 42, by William Shakespeare.)
“Oh!” Crewman Vicks looked flustered as she broke away from Crewman Ives and started smoothing her uniform, “My apologies, Lieutenant. We just…needed a quiet place to have some time to ourselves.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “Next time, don’t choose the Armory. You’re lucky I turned the lights on first.”
5. Treasure Planet (“This morn of Rome and May?”-Two in the Campagna, by Robert Browning.)
Amelia stood on the Legacy, breathing in deeply. To others, all they would have smelled was the soot and smog of the spaceport. But if you knew what you were looking for, you could catch a whiff of violets and fresh earth. She smiled slightly; spring was here at last.
ROUND FOUR
1. Bloodrayne (“A ruin of the War it was,”-My Chapel, by Robert Service.)
Rayne looked around the remnants of the hall, where seventy years ago, Beliar had nearly risen to power. There were still cracks on the floor where he’d stepped, and bullet holes in the pillars where she’d shot at him. Well, at least one of us is still here.” she smirked.
2. Hellsing (“by the dreamless face of Maria Concepcion”-The Schooner ‘Flight’, by Derek Walcott.)
Alucard looked up at the stained glass window, featuring the Virgin Mary and her child, gazing down on the room beatifically. It was as if she blessed all who were there. Then he looked around at the piles of corpses and pools of blood scattered all around, and started laughing.
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (“If we had ventured less”-We Like a Hairbreadth ‘Scape, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Do you think we could have prevented this?” Ezri asked, looking out at the wormhole, “If we hadn’t poked around in there, do you think the Founders would have gone after us?”
Bashir put an arm around her. “Maybe not. But sometimes, you just have to explore, consequences be damned.”
4. Star Trek: Enterprise (“It aims once-kills once-conquers once-”-‘Twas Fighting for His Life, He Was-, by Emily Dickinson.)
Malcolm was always aware of the whispering from the crew. He knew they were simultaneously horrified and in awe of his prowess with a phase pistol, and his willingness to use it. Well, let them whisper; maybe the aliens who dared threaten the Enterprise would start to believe it, too.
5. Treasure Planet (“Paris could not lay the fold”-Pygmy Seraphs-Gone Astray, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Paris?” Amelia said, “Why would I want to take my leave in Paris?”
“You know…” Arrow said, waving a hand, “The sights, the food, the romance…”
“That, Mr. Arrow, is distinctly frou-frou nonsense that I will have no part of,” Amelia scoffed, “I believe I’ll go to London instead.”
UPDATE 10/27/15
Sometime after posting this, I was re-reading it and discovered that my brain apparently glitched out on Round 1. "Su" is supposed to come after "So", meaning that the last three poems had been given to the wrong fandoms. I decided to rectify this, while adding in two "bonus" poems that came from poems that, for whatever reason, didn't meet the requirements of the challenge.
1. Amazing Grace (“I've never seen an abominable snowman,/I'm hoping not to see one,/I'm also hoping, if I do,/That it will be a wee one.”-The Abominable Snowman, by Ogden Nash.)
“Good God, you startled me, Wilber!” Billy said, stepping aside to let Wilberforce in, “How long have you been out there? You’re absolutely covered in snow!”
“About two hours,” Wilberforce admitted, brushing himself off with a shiver, “But I figured it was high time I stopped somewhere to get warm.”
2. Fantastic Four (“‘Just dying for attention,’ you’ve been around”-The Fortune Cookie Crumbles, by John Ashbery.)
“Tell me, what’s your real motive for going into space?” Doom asked pointedly, tapping the magazine cover, “Is it to prove your grand theory right? Or is it just to try to get monetary support for your actual experiments?”
Well aware Doom was needling him, Reed kept his mouth shut.
3. Forever (“For then my thoughts, from far where I abide”,-Sonnet 27, by William Shakespeare.)
“Hey, Doc?” Lucas said, waving his hand in front of Henry’s face, “You ok there? You kinda trailed off halfway through.”
“My apologies, Lucas,” Henry said, returning to the body, “I was just reminded of something.”
(He neglected to mention that that “something” was the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1917.)
4. Hornblower (“Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron”-Sunflower Sutra, by Allen Ginsberg.)
“Are you all right, Sir?” Matthews asked.
“I believe so,” Hornblower said, wincing as a damp cloth touched his bleeding temple, “Just a little dazed.”
“That’s a relief,” Matthews said, “You were babbling all sorts of queer things when we pulled you out. We were afraid your mind had gone.”
5. Titanic (“The position of the Early Christian Church”.-Sunt Leones, by Stevie Smith.)
Lowe swallowed and bowed his head as the chaplain read out a memorial service for the deceased. He could only hope that what it said in the Bible was true, that the truly deserving would make it into Heaven. In his opinion, absolutely no one deserved a fate like this.
The rules
1: Pick five fandoms. List them in alphabetical order.
2: Visit this site to find your first RANDOM POEM OF POWER. Write down the 5th line (yes, even if it's an E.E. Cummings poem and you wind up with an apostrophe). Repeat five times and - you guessed it - list 'em in alphabetical order! (No cheating, mind! This is a challenge and it's always been about creativity.)
3: I think you can see where this is going. Write a very quick 50-word half-drabble for each fandom (try to do it all in one sitting - make your brain explode!), using the line from the poem as a prompt. You don't have to include it in the half-drabble - it's just inspiration.
4: Bravo! Have a cookie.
Since I wasn't quite sure if they meant to list the lines or the poems in alphabetical order, I wound up doing it both ways. And then, because I can never do things by half, I decided to do two (or technically, four) different sets. One set would be for other fandoms I'm fond of. The other...well, my username should be the tipoff.
WARNING: There are a few SPOILERS lurking in here.
ROUND ONE
1. Amazing Grace (“Shut then the other eye”-Before the Game, by Vasko Popa.)
Wilberforce opened an eye at the sound of birdsong. A bird stood outside his window, welcoming the morning. He closed his eye again, hoping to fall asleep once more.
Opening his other eye, he saw the mounds of paperwork, a reminder of his duty. Sighing, he got out of bed.
2. Fantastic Four (“If this presumptious seems, God, may I be forgiven”.-Dedication, by Ranier Maria Rilke.)
Reed Richards had never considered himself a religious man. He’d learned very quickly that The Big Bang and Genesis just didn’t mix. But now, staring at the wreckage of his ship, at the transformation of his friends, a transformation that he’d caused, he was feeling an overwhelming urge to pray.
3. Forever (“Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron”-Sunflower Sutra, by Allen Ginsberg.)
Henry had to wonder how he got into these situations. He was all for broadening his horizons, but he was skeptical about the pill he’d been handed, and even more skeptical at the nonsense the chap beside him was spouting, while others looked at him as though he was profound.
4. Hornblower (“The position of the Early Christian Church”.-Sunt Leones, by Stevie Smith.)
Hornblower had to wonder how, despite being more versed in sailing, mathematics, and Ancient Greek texts, he was currently debating theology with his guest. Well, at least it kept the man from declaring they were all going to Hell for fighting a war. He had to appreciate the little things.
5. Titanic (“For then my thoughts, from far where I abide”,-Sonnet 27, by William Shakespeare.)
Lowe awoke with a start before wincing and drawing the blankets closer. He wondered how long it would take before his dreams stopped being haunted by visions of ice, cracking metal, and a sea of silent bodies, staring at him in silent comdemnation. He feared the answer would be never.
(In the interest of fairness, I will acknowledge that I had to skip The Abominable Snowman by Odgen Nash because it was only four lines.)
ROUND TWO
1. Amazing Grace (“As if I asked the Orient”-As if I Asked a Common Alms, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Do you think this happens in the Far East?” Wilberforce asked bitterly; another failed speech in Parliament had left him introspective.
“Perhaps not this exact problem,” Billy said gently, “But I wouldn’t be surprised if they had slaves too, and equally dedicated people trying to stop it. You’re not alone.”
2. Fantastic Four (“But say, you never heard of how he aimed my gore to spill”-Montreal Maree, by Robert Service.)
“I’m glad I found you,” Sue said, rubbing Reed’s shoulders, “Otherwise, Doom would have broken all your bones.”
“It was worse than that,” Reed said, shivering, “He told me that, when I was cold enough, he would shatter me completely. He couldn’t have someone smarter than him around, after all.”
3. Forever (“I forgive you for what you did not do”.-My Friend, My Friend, by Anne Sexton.)
“Henry?” Jo said softly.
Henry looked up in surprise. “I didn’t expect to see you.”
Jo sighed, closing the door, “That’s why I’m here. I just want you to know that I understand why you kept things hidden from me. You can rely on me to keep it hidden too.”
4. Hornblower (“Of her salamandrine fires,”-Lines on the Loss of the “Titanic”, by Thomas Hardy.)*
Hornblower stared up at the fireship, hearing the flames roar, threatening to destroy anything they touched. For one moment, he hesitated, unsure if this was a wise idea. Then the thought of the Indy blown to pieces flashed before his eyes, and he set his jaw and made the leap.
5. Titanic (“Springing so forthright from the heart”-Ernie Pyle, by Robert Service.)
“We waited too long.”
He hadn’t meant to say it out loud. Still more guilt and fear was the last thing anyone needed. But it had come out involuntarily, as if speaking it aloud was the only way he could comprehend the magnitude of both the loss and his crime.
*This amused me immensely, though tragically, there was no way I could have arranged it so that the poem went to the right character.
ROUND THREE
1. Bloodrayne (“I reason, we could die-”-I Reason, Earth is Short, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Severin asked in Rayne’s earpiece.
“And why wouldn’t I?” she answered, flicking her blades out in preparation.
“Well, for one thing, there are about fifty vampires in there. For another, the sun’s coming out soon.”
“Works for me. I like a challenge.”
2. Hellsing (“Groaning dream,”-Lying in Grass, by Hermann Hesse.)
Alucard’s eyes snapped open in irratation at the sound of the moaning coming from the opposite coffin. Reaching out, he rapped on the oak lid. “Police Girl, if you can’t be quiet, either sleep elsewhere or go on patrol. At least one of us needs to be in peak condition.”
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (“Or rap-at Paradise-unheard”-Should You But Fail at-Sea, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Sometimes I wonder if I’m living up to the Hippocratic Oath,” Bashir said, “Helping to destroy an enemy like this.”
“Come, come, Doctor,” Garak responded, a hand on his shoulder, “I’d say on the whole, you do much more good than harm. I certainly wouldn’t turn you away from Heaven.”
4. Star Trek: Enterprise (“Loving offenders, thus I will excuse ye:”-Sonnet 42, by William Shakespeare.)
“Oh!” Crewman Vicks looked flustered as she broke away from Crewman Ives and started smoothing her uniform, “My apologies, Lieutenant. We just…needed a quiet place to have some time to ourselves.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow. “Next time, don’t choose the Armory. You’re lucky I turned the lights on first.”
5. Treasure Planet (“This morn of Rome and May?”-Two in the Campagna, by Robert Browning.)
Amelia stood on the Legacy, breathing in deeply. To others, all they would have smelled was the soot and smog of the spaceport. But if you knew what you were looking for, you could catch a whiff of violets and fresh earth. She smiled slightly; spring was here at last.
ROUND FOUR
1. Bloodrayne (“A ruin of the War it was,”-My Chapel, by Robert Service.)
Rayne looked around the remnants of the hall, where seventy years ago, Beliar had nearly risen to power. There were still cracks on the floor where he’d stepped, and bullet holes in the pillars where she’d shot at him. Well, at least one of us is still here.” she smirked.
2. Hellsing (“by the dreamless face of Maria Concepcion”-The Schooner ‘Flight’, by Derek Walcott.)
Alucard looked up at the stained glass window, featuring the Virgin Mary and her child, gazing down on the room beatifically. It was as if she blessed all who were there. Then he looked around at the piles of corpses and pools of blood scattered all around, and started laughing.
3. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (“If we had ventured less”-We Like a Hairbreadth ‘Scape, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Do you think we could have prevented this?” Ezri asked, looking out at the wormhole, “If we hadn’t poked around in there, do you think the Founders would have gone after us?”
Bashir put an arm around her. “Maybe not. But sometimes, you just have to explore, consequences be damned.”
4. Star Trek: Enterprise (“It aims once-kills once-conquers once-”-‘Twas Fighting for His Life, He Was-, by Emily Dickinson.)
Malcolm was always aware of the whispering from the crew. He knew they were simultaneously horrified and in awe of his prowess with a phase pistol, and his willingness to use it. Well, let them whisper; maybe the aliens who dared threaten the Enterprise would start to believe it, too.
5. Treasure Planet (“Paris could not lay the fold”-Pygmy Seraphs-Gone Astray, by Emily Dickinson.)
“Paris?” Amelia said, “Why would I want to take my leave in Paris?”
“You know…” Arrow said, waving a hand, “The sights, the food, the romance…”
“That, Mr. Arrow, is distinctly frou-frou nonsense that I will have no part of,” Amelia scoffed, “I believe I’ll go to London instead.”
UPDATE 10/27/15
Sometime after posting this, I was re-reading it and discovered that my brain apparently glitched out on Round 1. "Su" is supposed to come after "So", meaning that the last three poems had been given to the wrong fandoms. I decided to rectify this, while adding in two "bonus" poems that came from poems that, for whatever reason, didn't meet the requirements of the challenge.
1. Amazing Grace (“I've never seen an abominable snowman,/I'm hoping not to see one,/I'm also hoping, if I do,/That it will be a wee one.”-The Abominable Snowman, by Ogden Nash.)
“Good God, you startled me, Wilber!” Billy said, stepping aside to let Wilberforce in, “How long have you been out there? You’re absolutely covered in snow!”
“About two hours,” Wilberforce admitted, brushing himself off with a shiver, “But I figured it was high time I stopped somewhere to get warm.”
2. Fantastic Four (“‘Just dying for attention,’ you’ve been around”-The Fortune Cookie Crumbles, by John Ashbery.)
“Tell me, what’s your real motive for going into space?” Doom asked pointedly, tapping the magazine cover, “Is it to prove your grand theory right? Or is it just to try to get monetary support for your actual experiments?”
Well aware Doom was needling him, Reed kept his mouth shut.
3. Forever (“For then my thoughts, from far where I abide”,-Sonnet 27, by William Shakespeare.)
“Hey, Doc?” Lucas said, waving his hand in front of Henry’s face, “You ok there? You kinda trailed off halfway through.”
“My apologies, Lucas,” Henry said, returning to the body, “I was just reminded of something.”
(He neglected to mention that that “something” was the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1917.)
4. Hornblower (“Jack Kerouac sat beside me on a busted rusty iron”-Sunflower Sutra, by Allen Ginsberg.)
“Are you all right, Sir?” Matthews asked.
“I believe so,” Hornblower said, wincing as a damp cloth touched his bleeding temple, “Just a little dazed.”
“That’s a relief,” Matthews said, “You were babbling all sorts of queer things when we pulled you out. We were afraid your mind had gone.”
5. Titanic (“The position of the Early Christian Church”.-Sunt Leones, by Stevie Smith.)
Lowe swallowed and bowed his head as the chaplain read out a memorial service for the deceased. He could only hope that what it said in the Bible was true, that the truly deserving would make it into Heaven. In his opinion, absolutely no one deserved a fate like this.