THX 0477's posted comments

  1. On Master Magic:

    posted 38 minutes ago

    Very unique little idea here and well told with some great, magical visuals/imagery.

  2. On Escapism:

    posted about 6 hours ago

    great trick with the window. Very cool with a nice, brisk pace to it.

  3. On Not The Standard Procedure:

    posted about 6 hours ago

    very exciting! I like it when smug people get hit.

  4. On I Want To Be A Hero (When I Grow Up Challenge):

    posted about 10 hours ago

    Very reasonable. I probably should have had that realization years ago. Eh, screw it; I can be a hero if I want to. Heehee, I know just what you mean, and I swear I did grow up…mostly. Still, I’m always one to at least want to say, “Chase that dream.” I did, and after a detour or two, things turned out okay.

  5. On Woken Up:

    posted about 10 hours ago

    Sequel finally done, and guess what. I actually like it! Couldn’t resist the little set-up you left (intentionally or not) at the end of this one…just seemed to fit the character. Hope the interminable waits aren’t getting to ya’ too much.

  6. On Woken Up:

    posted about 10 hours ago

    I liked the unmentioned swears added after the ‘no’. Not quite sure I get why Chris got him, other than to pester him cause he can. But still an endearing interaction between the two, in a tough guy sort of way, of course.

  7. On Above All:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Cute example of geekdom. Would have loved to see it tied to or worked into a story.

  8. On Awakenings in the Dark:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Another killer last line and a very telling scene that our would-be post-apocalyptic hero fell asleep on the job.

  9. On Waiting for dinner:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Great last line and more of this guy’s unique character. Very funny to picture.

  10. On Weihnachten in Hamburg:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Very rich and mysterious, especially with all the German terms, none of which I know except the one for Christmas tree. I like the mention/clarification of his outward appearance and that it is not a reality.
    LoA

  11. On Lifeless, Inches Away From You:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Well-described moment. Bit of a twist there with someone else in the car (?). Tragic and kind of romantic maybe.

  12. On A Day in the Death:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Hilarious continuation. I love the fleshing out of this world in which voodoo and zombies are so commonplace as to be debated blandly and rotely. Loved it.

  13. On New(re)born:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Great take on the zombie mythos from the zombie’s perspective. And her calm demeanor says it all, really sets up the world in which you’re putting your protagonist. I was thinking he was a vamp, but zombie works too.

  14. On A Convergence Of Events:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    I like the frustrated diva moment here, and him nipping it in the bud. Could have done without the italicized dialog. Quotation marks suffice, and that way you can leave the italics for something that really needs the special emphasis.

  15. On The Object of her Desire:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Very nice in-her-head sort of moment with lots of questions still out there. It could be everything from deviant acts to…well, ficlets even! Nicely done.

  16. On Demihumans Discussed:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    a little weak maybe on her reaction to it all, which felt rushed, but I think it’s a great premise and storyline. Great last line too.

  17. On Unplanned:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    great twists and lots of reasons for angst from janine here, previous teacher who is now a doctor? Could fit really, like maybe a chen or bio TA who was premed.

  18. On Older and Bolder:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    cute start leaving lots of questions. I liked all the details, like the sound of the nails on the keys.

  19. On Washed Brilliance, part 1:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    Genius with a poor memory perhaps. I thought the whole girl genius idea was really cute!

  20. On Play Dough Powers:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    very cute and even endearing style in this series…makes me think eric idle should be doing the narration.

  21. On The Man Behind the Curtain:

    posted about 11 hours ago

    reminds me a bit of dr. Who, but still a neat dynamic.

  22. On Prologue: The Corporation, Incorporated:

    posted about 23 hours ago

    Poor guy, really makes us feel for him as he is coming to grips with what he’s done to survive. Kind of makes you ask yourself what you would do to survive.

  23. On Why Don't You Open Up That Safe?:

    posted 1 day ago

    Completely detestable characters, when you considered she just killed someone, and now she’s picking a costume like a kid at Halloween. Chilling stuff. Maybe felt a bit rushed at the end, that darn character limit.

  24. On Six Words: In Memoriam for Roy. RIP:

    posted 1 day ago

    Can’t believe I missed this gem. Great tribute, classic line, nicely chosen.

  25. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM:

    posted 1 day ago

    Solid continuation, still treading the line between fantasy and reality, especially with the last exchange there.

  26. On The First Time [Make Me Laugh Challenge]:

    posted 1 day ago

    Little bit of childhood fantasy and imagination maybe? Cute and disorienting.

  27. On Up to Spec:

    posted 1 day ago

    I’d have to echo John on the authentic, gritty feel to it all, not at all dressed up for the sake of drama but left ‘as is’.

  28. On The Boy:

    posted 1 day ago

    I like that it’s a very human/typical sort of scene overlayed onto alien monsters of some sort (picture didn’t show up for me). Very fun, very humanizing of the ‘monsters’.

  29. On Protecting the Movement:

    posted 1 day ago

    Good job spinning off in a what is perhaps a slightly different direction that Yoda meant while still keeping consistent with his prequels to this point. Great mystery, intrigue and fear elements.

  30. On A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood [Make Me Laugh Challenge]:

    posted 1 day ago

    I liked the sense of a gradual spiral into more and more absurd elements, like if the scene kept going we’d have dancing camels and a musical number with penguins.

  31. On Cave Kill:

    posted 1 day ago

    Very intense and nicely portrayed. I liked the subtle hints at the fantasy elements (seeing heat, orc), all very casually as if we should already know it.

  32. On Stella Star and her Long Lost Ex-Boyfriend:

    posted 1 day ago

    The absurdity continues. I had no idea it would lead to this. Nice job salvaging the monkey-love line.

  33. On Masks: The Corporation, Inc.:

    posted 1 day ago

    ooh we get to see why he isn’t keen on promotion. Creepy and well thought out stuff.

  34. On Intro: The Corporation, Incorporated:

    posted 1 day ago

    very desperate existence described quite. I like the whole duality and facade.

  35. On Rules: The Corporation, Incorporated:

    posted 1 day ago

    love the philosophizing and justification. Nice job making aslog’s more of a person but still a threat .

  36. On Advancement at the Corporation, Inc.:

    posted 1 day ago

    brutally awesome. Love that your taking into greater depth. Nice hint at aslog’s vulnerability

  37. On Stella Star and the Fight in the Sky with the Giant Flying Ape-Monkey with the Chinese Assault Rifle:

    posted 1 day ago

    ‘What have you got against monkey-love?’ Hilarious line, even if it does break with Dr. Munroe’s ape vs. monkey obsession.

  38. On Create A Mixtape For Your Fav Author Challenge:

    posted 1 day ago

    Decidedly different challenge. My mind is boggled. And I always love challenges timed to commemorate comment milestones. Congrats on 1,000…but I don’t think that will bump anyone, but I’m biased on that count. Don’t take my spot! Actually, in all seriousness, try and take it. Really. I dare you.

  39. On Icon Clash (Make Me Laugh Challenge):

    posted 2 days ago

    Kind of an odd twist, very silly. Good job on maintaining the serious tone from the characters.

  40. On Back to the salt mines:

    posted 2 days ago

    This one seems to have a nice balance between the sci-fi elements and a very real feeling of a mundane day at the office sort of stuff.

  41. On The Death Meant for Him:

    posted 2 days ago

    A little typo in the second sentence, but strong stuff from there on, right down to a killer, poetic last line.

  42. On Ok, no more Bacon-Ranch:

    posted 2 days ago

    Exciting and funny. Great visuals for the bizarre scene.

  43. On It Wasn't Funny [Make Me Laugh Challenge]:

    posted 2 days ago

    “I know better than to expect the expected.”

    Sniff, one of the nicest things anyone has ever said about my writing. Gee, thanks. And thanks to everyone else who left such lovely comments as well.

  44. On High Flying Holly:

    posted 2 days ago

    Fun, very dreamlike in her out-of-sorts pondering of what it is she’s holding onto. It’s like Mary Poppins with amnesia. Nice job vaguely but accurately describing an everyday object.
    One slip into present tense in the first sentence of that second paragraph, a little cause for pause.

  45. On A Graphite Figure:

    posted 2 days ago

    Nice. Very creepy and well paced, fitting right along with the weightless scene.

  46. On SSBS: Pirates of The Internet:

    posted 2 days ago

    Cute little tale of the downfall of modernity at the hands of a mysterious group…made me think of 12 Monkeys, though this group sounds determined and scary.

  47. On Friends for Sale:

    posted 2 days ago

    Odd, short, kind of campy. Not bad and a bit fun, but a bit pale by comparison.

  48. On Make Me Laugh Challenge:

    posted 2 days ago

    Can’t believe I missed this a few days ago. My entry is up, but, well, it wasn’t funny.

  49. On Serious Misgivings [Make Me Laugh Challenge]:

    posted 2 days ago

    Hilarious. Some soldiers just don’t understand duty and honor. I loved the line about being on board with eating the people the night before.

  50. On Incentives:

    posted 2 days ago

    I thought this was a nice thoughtful pause in the action with some believable musing about motivation.

  51. On Every Advantage Possible:

    posted 2 days ago

    Ouch, just about the ultimate cut on her husband there at the end, though it would beg the question, why did she marry him? It all hints at a disturbing de-coupling of reproductive and relational components to human nature. Boy, I hope we never get here.

  52. On Codependent Cohorts:

    posted 2 days ago

    Great portrait of some of the dysfunction behind their relationship, along with expected consequences of their lifestyle.

  53. On Money doesn't talk:

    posted 2 days ago

    Biting, stinging message…sounds like an attack on the 50’s style facade of a happy home with no substance behind it.

  54. On Revelations In An Ugly Chair:

    posted 2 days ago

    Very casual, detached reaction from the protagonist, which sort of works as a defense against the weirdness that is a resurrected family member. The ficlet has a warm, comfortable feel, sort of like the chair.

  55. On The Pool:

    posted 2 days ago

    Ooh, very serious and creepy change of pace for you from our ape nonsense. Nice job on that line between fantasy and madness, leaving it entirely open to be either one.

  56. On Second Chance :

    posted 2 days ago

    Missed a few quotation marks in there. What I liked though was a glimpse into the imbalance in the relationship, her dependence and hesitancy, both of which I think I’ve misspelled.

  57. On Running Away:

    posted 2 days ago

    Cute little pseudopoem, maybe. Almost like the set-up to a buddy-flick about a guy and his trusted horse.

  58. On Velvet's Mercy:

    posted 2 days ago

    Dangerous, very dangerous. Has a very noir feel to it, maybe?

  59. On Breaking Out Velvet:

    posted 2 days ago

    Poor Paul. I don’t like his odds, but I like his sense of fairness about it all. A willing prostitute is one thing, but a captive one is altogether different.

  60. On Paul's Story:

    posted 2 days ago

    The story seems to fit Paul, or at least how I imagine him. Hmm, maybe I should have saved all these comments for the most recent one in the series. Nah, that’s no fun.

  61. On Believing Velvet:

    posted 2 days ago

    ‘This is creepy’ Bit of an understatement, but Paul doesn’t seem like the sort of guy prone to hyperbole. Again, nice details.

  62. On Velvet's Escape Tale:

    posted 2 days ago

    It’s kind of like in her lack of hope she has abandoned strategy…not the kind of story to tell a prospective savior and all. Neat touches, the gunshot, the cadillac, the whole crazy wedding plan.

  63. On Stella Star and the Flying Monkeys with Chinese Assault Rifles:

    posted 2 days ago

    Very exciting and tense, despite the outrageousness of it all. Kind of funny how I think we’re all picturing drastically different airplanes here, another quirk of the cooperative process.

  64. On Stella Star and the Great Ape Escape:

    posted 2 days ago

    Definitely keeps to the over-the-top and campy fun of the series, even with a little line about the .38 sliding across the floor when she needs it most.

  65. On Stella Star and the Queen Spider-Monkey:

    posted 2 days ago

    Taking it one step further into the bizarre and grotesque, but Stella keeps her cool. I liked the quiet addition of another side-ape, Zorro. Curiouser, and curiouser.

  66. On Breaking the Silence:

    posted 2 days ago

    Very nice telling of a disorienting dream and then an equally disorienting wakening.

  67. On Sad truth, so get smart:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very nice skewering of the whole, sordid fame cycle and what we sacrifice to get what we think we want. Loved the lines about writing it and vomiting daily during the process.

  68. On The Second Dream:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very eerie, dismal. Maybe a little too much repetition on the cold and gray stuff, but I could go either way on that point. Still evokes very powerfully the drab, sad existence of this place and the life of this character.

  69. On Losing Some Heat:

    posted 3 days ago

    Disturbing casualness to their ventures further and further into the darkness of crime and violence. Well told.

  70. On Never Grow Up ,Not Me.(Saint Chuck's When I Grow Up Challenege):

    posted 3 days ago

    Funny how what we are exposed to as kids shapes what we expect from life. You saw honest, hard-working sorts of people doing straight-forward, honest jobs. A lot of these entires are great in that respect, they give us a glimpse into part of what it was like growing up in a different environment.

  71. On Set in Stone:

    posted 3 days ago

    Disturbing and effective end (?) to your sordid little, mind-twisting tale.

  72. On Don't Muck with Tara's IPOD!:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very unsettling combination of sex and violence. I’m a bit queasy, but it’s a fair return to how the series really started.

  73. On The Upper Hand:

    posted 3 days ago

    Ooh, dastardly and brilliant. What girl could resist The Cleve? And awesomely cheesy last line.

  74. On Okay, But It's Gonna Cost You:

    posted 3 days ago

    What a friend. I love the combination romantic advice with making sure the paper doesn’t suck. Typical guy stuff, right down to the gay ploy.

  75. On Island Life [When I Grow Up Challenge]:

    posted 3 days ago

    Um, hello. We’d eat coconuts. Coconuts, bananas, and lots of fish. I had it all worked out, maybe even a little sugar cane crop or some yams maybe.

  76. On Be Cool, Man, Be Cool.:

    posted 3 days ago

    Heehee, just cause I thought it would be funny, I did a sequel to yours but from the girls’ point of view.

  77. On Be Cool, Man, Be Cool.:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very fun continuation. I like all the back story and added meaning to the interaction, as opposed to just a random hot chick sitting down and firing questions.

  78. On Tongue-Tied:

    posted 3 days ago

    Funny situation, loved the line about being on AIM instead of real life. Amazing the personas that people can adopt in the chatting world.

  79. On Punk Rocker Alter Ego [J.B. dream challenge]:

    posted 3 days ago

    I get it, and sort of the moral of the story I tried to fit into an entry (and which I utterly failed to do, thus it never saw the light of day). Great scene/visuals either way.

  80. On The Stand:

    posted 3 days ago

    Nice set-up, very tense and exciting…lots of possibilities. Gives her a kind of gritty feel overall.

  81. On A Winner Is Me:

    posted 3 days ago

    The joy of getting mail with the suspense and mystery of that mail being so monumentously important as to command such respect and awe as expressed here.

  82. On An Empty Tomb:

    posted 3 days ago

    Classic sci-fi suspense sort of stuff…you nailed it.

  83. On Saint Chuck's When I Grow Up Challenge: Montage:

    posted 3 days ago

    Ah, the fantasies of youth. Nice rundown on the stuff that kept you occupied…or maybe what still keeps your mind going?

  84. On Surveillance:

    posted 3 days ago

    Interesting, albeit sparsely fleshed out, addition to the featured ficlet.

  85. On Surveillance:

    posted 3 days ago

    Interesting, albeit sparsely fleshed out, addition to the featured ficlet.

  86. On Unfinished Business:

    posted 3 days ago

    Fun twist from classic, horror-camp (I mean, really, trip on a twig and hurt his ankle?) to intergalatic feud of somewhat longstanding nature. A little loosely put-together overall though.

  87. On Video anomaly:

    posted 3 days ago

    Funny glimpse into that moment of disbelief and apprehension when things start going wonky. Made me think back to St. Patrick’s Day when we admitted a leprechaun to the psych ward. Okay, so it was just a relatively short manic guy in a green suit, but it was still funny!

  88. On How Do You Think He Does It?:

    posted 3 days ago

    Shades of Pinball Wizard, as Mycroft alluded to. I thought it was a nice nod to how we admire different people in our youth, sometimes for the right reasons, and sometimes for silly ones.

  89. On The Truth about Writing [When I Grow Up Challenge]:

    posted 3 days ago

    It worked, the whole long pencil thing. Gave it all a sense of childhood whimsy clinging to life beneath the ill effects of growing up into an adult world. Writing is a serious thing, especially if you want to get paid for it! (just spent some time looking into getting an agent…complicated!)

  90. On Stages (When I Grow Up Challenge):

    posted 3 days ago

    Nice recap, and I love the idea of never having really ‘grown up’. I know I haven’t…as evidenced by all the time I fritter away on here. Welcome to ficlets. We don’t get many curlers on here…or anywhere for that matter.

  91. On Alone:

    posted 3 days ago

    Definitely a feeling a lot of people can relate to. I have no idea why Saint Chuck is babbling in German, but hey, life is random, right. Happy ficleting!

  92. On How long is a minute?:

    posted 3 days ago

    Great telling of that moment, the realization and the fear. I like the little promise to herself that if only it’s negative she’ll never do it again, something she’s probably thought before.

  93. On Unreality:

    posted 3 days ago

    Good job telling of this guy’s life and how it’s morphed into something he didn’t expect. It could use a ‘mature’ tag though. Nothing really lurid, but we have a lot of kids running around the site.

  94. On Dropped:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very impressive use of these inanimate objects as the point of view for a dramatic, possibly traumatic scene. Decidedly different.

  95. On Island Life [When I Grow Up Challenge]:

    posted 3 days ago

    Kind of a vague entry, I know. But I went through a phase (rather long one) where I thought it’d be all I needed to just live on some isolated island with a hot wife (why would I daydream about an ugly wife, really) and a couple of kids. I never said it was practical, but it was a dream.

  96. On I'm going to be.. (When I grow up challenge):

    posted 3 days ago

    Hilarious take on motherhood. Happy Mother’s Day, even! (okay, so a day late)

  97. On Demihuman:

    posted 3 days ago

    Great start, lots of details and possibilities suggested between the bizarre dream and the dead mom. Quite lovely, all around, right down to the hint at the protagonist’s character with the ‘feckless tomcat’ comment.

  98. On By the Coin:

    posted 3 days ago

    Greed personificatied? Depiction of mankind as ruled by one cardinal sin if not the other? Neat take on things, certainly provides ample food for deep, deep thought.

  99. On (Very) long time coming:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very high-brow pondering, which is impressive, but still perhaps not quite enough information for me to have the foggiest what’s going on.

  100. On Rattled:

    posted 3 days ago

    Ouch. That’s what he gets for waiting until the last minute. Very playful exchange, perhaps hinting that she knows more about what’s going on than is readily apparent.

  101. On Thank God for Marjorie [Realization Challenge]:

    posted 3 days ago

    Always a trick to write from the other gender’s perspective. Cute little story…very high school and adolescence.

  102. On Alone in the aftermath:

    posted 3 days ago

    Great discussion of things from the standpoint of your character. Good job getting inside his head, is what I think I mean there. Definite character, quirky guy.

  103. On Of Rakes and Reputations:

    posted 3 days ago

    Bit of a quick turnabout for the dragon, but a nice little glimpse into perhaps where everyone is coming from in this little tableau.

  104. On Untouched:

    posted 3 days ago

    Ah, the fear of the guardian, a duty neglected for a morning outing and disaster. Very human moment for the dragon.

  105. On The Many Names of Viscount Dubois:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very nice, very nice. The dragon flexes its claws. And the whole girly-giggles scene is fun, I have to admit.

  106. On Vague Impression:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very swift of you as the author to presage Candace and Isabelle’s close relationship, thus allowing for Candace’s rather un-servant-like revelation of intimate details.

  107. On Innocent Eyes:

    posted 3 days ago

    Nice job on the characterization of Isabelle, all cute and pretty but a little devious/conniving too.

  108. On Exit Dragon and Sphinx:

    posted 3 days ago

    Forceful but so swift and sly as to negate the possibility of resistance. There are different types of dragons than the fire-breathing kind, eh. Sorry I’ve been behind on the series.

  109. On Stella Star: Special Delivery:

    posted 3 days ago

    Okay, went a little nerdy on this one. Macaque is a pretty broad group, so I chose a species, assumed Stella would have knowledge of it and the associated language (cause heroes always do have that uncanny knack for random knowledge) and let it play out. Bit of a stretch? Hey, we are writing about talking super-apes, right?

  110. On Stella Star Meets Alice the Super Macaque:

    posted 3 days ago

    Very exciting, a 16 yr old girl versus a mutant macaque. And the whole scene winds up very evocative of the old serial adventure series.

  111. On Stella Star and The City of the Super-Apes: An Open Hangar:

    posted 3 days ago

    Thanks for continuing the action! Some great lines, and the monkey/ape thing turning into an intentional mocking sort of thing was priceless.

  112. On Star Trek: Generation Gap:

    posted 4 days ago

    Hmm, alternate ending to the movie. Fun to think about. I’m sure Shatner would have preferred this version.

  113. On Tara's Other Side:

    posted 4 days ago

    Bit of a reversal. So interesting all the different points of view and directions taken with this little protagonist.

  114. On Saint Chuck's When I Grow Up Challenge [100 Ficlets]:

    posted 4 days ago

    Awesome. Consider me impressed by the solid 9:1 comments to ficlets ratio. And I was definitely there with the childhood plan of being a superhero. Man, was I bummed when that didn’t work out.

  115. On Realization! (MY 200 FICLETS CHALLENGE!) Challenge on!:

    posted 4 days ago

    Apparently did not stink, as I can see several entries up there. Congrats on all the ficlets, and I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself here on ficlets.

  116. On You Don't Realize (Realization Challenge):

    posted 4 days ago

    No idea what the challenge was, but I think you got across an impressive number of diads there, all setting up the classic one as your ending line. Glad you survived it, whatever it was.

  117. On Stella Starr and The City of the Super-Apes: Monkey Trouble:

    posted 4 days ago

    Did a sequel to my sequel to your ficlet, just cause Yoda egged me on. Yeah, I said it; Yoda made me do it.

  118. On Encounter:

    posted 4 days ago

    Once In a Lifetime by the Talking Heads. You should check it out—classic intellectual pop of the 80’s. Nice addition to the series, full of that sort of detached state of being and hesitant curiosity.

  119. On Needs:

    posted 4 days ago

    I had no idea this series kept going. Never ceases to amaze when things I originally thought would be a one or two-shot ficlet snowball into a series. Powerful stuff in this one.

  120. On Pretty Women:

    posted 4 days ago

    Cute, in a storybook sort of way. Good job staying consistently in present tense.

  121. On All hail the Corporation, Inc.:

    posted 4 days ago

    Chilling and disturbing. What’s worse…promotion or punishment? It seems to be in question. Odd picture too. And nice job hinting at lots of possibilities.

  122. On Semantics:

    posted 5 days ago

    Ooh, brutal! All that weirdness, and I still thought it was going to be supernatural or something. Great realistic twist to the story. You got me on this one.

  123. On The brotherhood enters the fray:

    posted 5 days ago

    Just when I think it can’t get any sillier, the door makes the freaks British.

  124. On Star Wars: A Heart To Heart:

    posted 5 days ago

    Just keeps spiraling further into absurdity, not that I mind.

  125. On Star Wars: Buns of Steel:

    posted 5 days ago

    My favorite line was ‘iconic buns’. Fun stuff.

  126. On Star Wars: Buns of Steel:

    posted 5 days ago

    My favorite line was ‘iconic buns’. Fun stuff.

  127. On Picture:

    posted 5 days ago

    Lovely and has a sense of hope and discovery despite an overall sad tone.

  128. On Velvet's Story:

    posted 5 days ago

    Certainly sets up a very desperate, exciting situation. Poor girl.

  129. On Alien:

    posted 5 days ago

    Great job dropping us into the middle of a sci-fi situation in a very personal and human way. And yeah, great set-up for a killer last line, not only surprising but so very teenager of the kid to say.

  130. On The Following Takes Place Between 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM:

    posted 5 days ago

    Intriguing line about slipping his wife the sleeping pills. He certainly seems ready for trouble. Good job taking a dark turn on a generally silly series.

  131. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM:

    posted 5 days ago

    Hilarious, once again the balance of in the fantasy and taking a break for reality…um, to watch the fantasy.

  132. On Mind Reader:

    posted 5 days ago

    Great last line there for Lady H. Nice dip into the romantic there in this one, her getting lost in his eyes and the lip thing. Enough to make a girl swoon…well, that and the fever.

  133. On Star Wars: The Lynch Mob:

    posted 5 days ago

    Wonderful and cutting, truly hurtful last line there for the mob to be chanting. They really know how to make it sting.

  134. On Star Wars: The Union Of Death:

    posted 5 days ago

    Still amusing, still absurd, still wonderfully over several lines.
    Oh, and congrats to Ana! Woohoo for comments.

  135. On the songs we feel:

    posted 5 days ago

    Long live rock and roll! Nicely put.

  136. On Eyes of Gold:

    posted 5 days ago

    Ooh, that was lovely. It’s certainly a romantic theme, fighting to save the one you love from their own folly.

  137. On A mysterious package:

    posted 6 days ago

    I liked the line about two evil corporations, let alone one. Nice tension to the whole thing, especially in the first half.

  138. On Velvet IV:

    posted 6 days ago

    Aha, there’s the Velvet. Great story, and I’m sensing a moral dilemma coming up for Paul…that or a set-up.

  139. On Star Wars: A Head Start:

    posted 6 days ago

    Nice save by Buffy, and some great lines by Borat, including the allusion to his own name. Masterful fun in this one while still keeping the story rolling.

  140. On Death to the Innocents:

    posted 6 days ago

    Ouch…very painful and personal retelling of the event from very personal points of view.

  141. On Star Wars: Dueling Heroes:

    posted 6 days ago

    Very Han Solo ending to that one. Fun, fun, fun, though for a second I thought he was going to be a bad guy. So glad he’s not, because there are lines that shouldn’t be crossed.

  142. On Stars Wars: Fully Loaded:

    posted 6 days ago

    Ooh, a cliffhanger even. And a joke from Jesus about judgment! And a creepy incest reference! This one has it all!

  143. On Lipogram:

    posted 6 days ago

    Nicely done, even around the challenge of no ‘e’ you managed to get across an interaction that serves as typical and indicative of a whole relationship.
    LoA

  144. On Star Wars: A Powerful Obsession:

    posted 6 days ago

    Saucy little cutesy Buffy setting him up for the fall. Disturbing but spot-on Leia reference.
    LoA

  145. On Got To Catch Them All:

    posted 6 days ago

    Wow, great set-up for a fantasy adventure tale.

  146. On Velvet III:

    posted 6 days ago

    Nice set-up of what the situation is for your two characters. Very believable, I think, interaction between the two.

  147. On Velvet II:

    posted 6 days ago

    Certainly makes one curious. Nice job continuing to give them both a bit more character. I love the description of what he was expecting.

  148. On Star Wars: Dates and Dominos:

    posted 6 days ago

    The silliness just doesn’t let up. Great job bringing back running gags (the bra, ton-ton steak) and throwing in new fun with Ensign Borat.

  149. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM:

    posted 6 days ago

    Great job on Arnold’s character and the crime scene is a hilarious visual as this kid doggedly stays in character.

  150. On Numbers:

    posted 6 days ago

    Bizarre but intriguing little study of numbers…kind of hard to separate conjecture from fact from silliness. makes for a challenging but amusing read.

  151. On Dead Air:

    posted 6 days ago

    Great continuation. I think you’ve captured perfectly the mood of complacency and drudgery that Browncoatben had suggested in his piece, the symptom of years without conflict or action. Very telling that we’re just now wondering after their being 17 hours late. Nice touch and great ficlet.

  152. On The Witch's Bidding:

    posted 6 days ago

    Ooh, wicked, absolutely wicked storytelling. Chilling stuff.

  153. On An Issue of Italian Maxim:

    posted 6 days ago

    Just when things were looking up for the poor guy, he has to go and wretch on her shoes. Good job making it as painful and unlikely a situation as possible from his the poor guy might profit.

  154. On Velvet:

    posted 6 days ago

    Yeah, that looks like brothel wallpaper…not that I’ve ever been to a brothel. I mean, I watch a lot of Westerns…not naughty ones, but…
    Funny little moment of hesitation and feeling each other out…before feeling each other.
    LoA

  155. On The Dragon Comes Home:

    posted 6 days ago

    Oh, that sounds an awful lot like a dare. Lord Windham is really amusing, and your protagonist is adorable. The dragon, eh?
    Oh, and ‘if you’re out there’? You know I’m always out there. ;-)

  156. On Sphinx:

    posted 6 days ago

    Of all the impertinence…which I have misspelled. Sort of a quietly entertaining little read, nicely paced, suited to the setting and time.

  157. On Now That You've Found "Perfect":

    posted 6 days ago

    Lovely. Kind of left me guessing if it was a romance gone wrong or just that inevitable rift in friendships when romance blooms elsewhere. Either way you get that mix of angry but still an underlying affection for the person.

  158. On Star Wars: A New Plan:

    posted 7 days ago

    Cut the tension with a ladle? Awesome. Silly. Consistently out of left field. Sir, you out-do yourself.

  159. On Star Wars: Aboard The Millennium Falcon:

    posted 7 days ago

    Over the top, bizarre silliness at it’s best.

  160. On What a Party:

    posted 7 days ago

    Killer last line, totally got me with that one. And a nice job not just with the scene but how the character views the scene, which to non-partiers is a pretty good party but to him is rather drab and dull.

  161. On Not Quite So Empty Space:

    posted 7 days ago

    Great scene and feeling between the two men. Wonderful set up for a story as a stand-alone ficlet.
    LoA

  162. On Simple Plan:

    posted 7 days ago

    See, drugs and high stakes crime don’t mix. Tragic turn a bit sooner than I was expecting it, but they certainly weren’t going to live happily ever after, were they?

  163. On Jarred And Britney's Grand Entrance:

    posted 7 days ago

    A few little errors, but very tense scene, and I thought that last line was particularly telling.

  164. On Jared and Britney Begin Their Heist :

    posted 7 days ago

    Great tale of junkie love and crime, but the tense changes were distracting. I know, my usual harping.

  165. On Defense:

    posted 7 days ago

    Sequel finally done. Sorry to take so long. Got derailed by other projects and the usual game of what I was thinking vs. what you did, the biggest challenge of a shared series, I guess.

  166. On Success and Failure:

    posted 7 days ago

    Different, more concrete take on the original. A little hard to follow for some reason. I thought he’d chopped his own hand off for a bit there in the middle.

  167. On realize:

    posted 7 days ago

    How sad, but how oft repeated in the course of human events. Here’s to second chances.

  168. On It's On There For A Reason:

    posted 7 days ago

    Cute and funny exchange. And really, who hasn’t done the whiff test a couple of times before reluctantly throwing something out.

  169. On Blue Mist:

    posted 7 days ago

    Very fun. Tells of what sounds like an unfortunate pattern and something looming in the near future as well.

  170. On The End of the Beginning:

    posted 7 days ago

    Great job putting a solid character into this extreme situation and giving us a little glimpse of what’s going through his head. I thought the cigarette tally was a nice touch too.

  171. On Somewhere Unseen:

    posted 7 days ago

    Nice descriptions and overall feel to it.

  172. On It Moves From the Left:

    posted 7 days ago

    Twisted and macabre take on life in the factory. Very disconcerting, which I’m assuming was the intent, so well done on that front. I think you missed a ‘the’ in that first sentence maybe?

  173. On Heather's revelation :

    posted 7 days ago

    Hmm, it has a nice tinge of reality to it, in all its simplicity. Seems to kind of hint at oncoming drama possibly?

  174. On Mindful Future:

    posted 7 days ago

    Nice teaser of a start, certainly leaves a lot open while still establishing several aspects of both your character and the world/reality they inhabit.

  175. On Star Wars: A New Pilot:

    posted 7 days ago

    Nice cameos there and even a bit of continuity replacing the dearly departed Goose with Iceman. Yeah, call signs are just cool.

  176. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM:

    posted 7 days ago

    Brilliant melding of their little fantasy game and practical reality, such as making sure to Tivo the show.

  177. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM:

    posted 7 days ago

    I’m with thebetweenspace…the little lapse in character works perfectly, as does his resolute retreat into fantasy. Quite the series here.

  178. On The Following Ficlet Takes Place Between 8:13 PM and 8:18 PM:

    posted 7 days ago

    Great job maintaining that line between fantasy and reality with ‘Edgar’ snapping a bit as events unfold.

  179. On 8/6/45:

    posted 7 days ago

    It was certainly a singular event in human history, still debated today.

  180. On Morning:

    posted 8 days ago

    Creepy crow. Good series that’s still disorienting as all get out.

  181. On Tug of War:

    posted 8 days ago

    Wow, you’re really having fun with the totally out there super-powers. Kind of makes me think of a great anime clash, like at the end of Akira.

  182. On Inside a head:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ooh, not a turn I expected, taking it in a sort of mystical direction which is interesting. Always fun to see what happens when a lot of hands touch a story.
    LoA

  183. On Inside the Shed:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ugly and brutal, just like we set up in the prequels. I knew it wasn’t going to be pretty, but I couldn’t write it myself. Thanks for picking up the torch and running with it.
    [please no one protest my Olympics reference…not intended as an endorsement of any national policy]

  184. On What's The Big Idea?:

    posted 8 days ago

    Very silly and whimsical. Pretty fun read.

  185. On No bad publicity:

    posted 8 days ago

    Disturbing and a bit of a jabbing finger at our current cultural fascination with tragedy. Nicely, though darkly, done.
    LoA

  186. On The Headless Rattlesnake:

    posted 8 days ago

    I like the feel to it, and the hat was a nice touch. A little inconsistent in tense there at the beginning, which is always a bit distracting. Great ending to it as well.
    LoA

  187. On Monkey See, Man Do:

    posted 8 days ago

    Bizarre and teeters on the line between sci-fi and one sad little man’s insanity. Is this a future where monkeys aid law enforcement? Or is this a stalker with several screws loose? Fun either way.
    LoA

  188. On Introduction of a troubled man...:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ooh, excellent creep factor. Sickening and pitiable. And a nice balance of information and possibility/questions.

  189. On Chastened:

    posted 8 days ago

    Nice job staying grounded in human emotion and reasonable thought processes despite a fantasy setting.

  190. On Off to the Body Bank:

    posted 8 days ago

    Must confess the idea isn’t entirely original. I think I read it in a comic book…somewhere. But I thought it fit what I was going for.

  191. On Under an overpass:

    posted 8 days ago

    Nice job giving a criminal act an emotional and even artistic face.
    LoA

  192. On A Man in the Street:

    posted 8 days ago

    Slightly different and more mysterious take on the other ficlet. Not sure I understand what happened, but I don’t think I’m meant to. Not bad at all.

  193. On Psychic Friend Network:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ah, I get it. It was a fun little interchange, the whole back and forth ‘proving’ the psychic abilities and then making it a dream, but with the last line in the dream, is it just a dream? Hmmm, nicely woven.
    LoA

  194. On The Morning After:

    posted 8 days ago

    Lovely description of a moment, and I thought the last line bespoke quite well that contented happy feeling that comes from love and paradoxically can send us back to childlike silliness and disinhibition.
    LoA

  195. On Food Down Below:

    posted 8 days ago

    Nice use of consistent present tense, always a bit of a challenge to stay in. And I like the set-up for an ominous ending there…all a very real, believable, and challenging situation for which you’ve presented a very tempting solution.
    LoA

  196. On The Room:

    posted 8 days ago

    Concrete but still somehow fitting and inclusive envisioning of the afterlife, or at least a part of it.

  197. On The Liberation of Hank:

    posted 8 days ago

    Well, I’m not sure I’d call it ‘comedy’, but the ‘nonfiction’ tag is pretty well in line with the ‘horror’ tag.

  198. On The Long Night:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ooh, great feeling and suppressive darkness to this one. Love all the potential back story and plot progression from here. Nice job putting us in her very tragic shoes.
    LoA

  199. On The unfortunate situation:

    posted 8 days ago

    I like it, all the elements of both interesting back story and potential for more mayhem or drama to follow. Excellent example of what ficlets is for.

  200. On Return to Sender:

    posted 8 days ago

    Nice continuation of both preceding stories, using bits and hints plus a dash of your own creative juices. Now I’m hungry. Great little bit of story and a nice example of what is so great about ficlets.
    LoA

  201. On Meanwhile, In The Death Star Cantina...:

    posted 8 days ago

    Eddie Izzard? Excellent choice, particularly well channeled for that last line. And now that I think of it, Luke was kind of whiny and petulant through most of the movies, so this sort of makes sense.

  202. On Dopplewho?:

    posted 8 days ago

    Great sequel. That was funny. I mean, we all get frustrated with ourselves from time to time, but this is a new twist on the feeling.
    LoA

  203. On Threshold:

    posted 8 days ago

    Great job setting the scene as possible excuse for the action, calling to mind the understandable exigencies of survival and then WHAMMO, having devolved to near madness and actually murdering our of fear and hunger combined. Great ficlet!
    LoA

  204. On "Doppelganger" Is A Funny Word [Deja Vu Challenge]:

    posted 8 days ago

    Time travel is always a trip. Funny little take on it this time. Cute stunt repeating the opening line, certainly works well for the challenge.

  205. On Sunset of Man:

    posted 8 days ago

    Sad, very tragic take on human nature and our eventual end. Reminds me of ‘The End’, one of the earliest ficlets.

  206. On The Runner:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ooh, very tense, eerie scene. It gives a good feel of the desparation, fear, and confusion without giving too much away. Third paragraph, ‘come’ maybe should be ‘came’ or maybe ‘had come’. Just a thought.

  207. On On the Run:

    posted 8 days ago

    I liked what you did with the metaphor, so I tried to emulate it in a sequel and maintain the style and theme. A fun little writing exercise, for which I thank you.

  208. On On the Run:

    posted 8 days ago

    Very nice touch, linking the fragile, wind-blown existence of the dandelion seed with her fugitive (?) status. Great job!

  209. On Time is On Your Side:

    posted 8 days ago

    Interesting line from Max. Great job on the descriptions of the fantastic (sci-fi) elements.

  210. On Star Wars: A Newer Hope (Casting Call):

    posted 8 days ago

    It’s like a salami and pastrami at 10 PM induced dream after an 80’s and 90’s movie marathon capped off with evening scripture study. Ridiculously silly.

  211. On Fiery Fedora:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ooh, nice kind of up and down to it all, like maybe she loves and misses him, or he likes her. Then twist and turn after clever twist. Very nice little ficlet. I love the big breakfast order just to stick him with the check…awesome dig and stunt.
    LoA

  212. On Brief Meditation on Sorrow and Joy [6-word memoir]:

    posted 8 days ago

    Hmm, makin’ me think. Not done thinkin’ yet.

  213. On Awakening {Hear Ye Challenge}:

    posted 8 days ago

    Ah, it had to be a dream. Nice way to tie the start to the end.

  214. On Partners In Crime:

    posted 8 days ago

    Modern day Bonnie and Clyde…bound to be a tragic romance. Nicely told.

  215. On Blood Amulet: Hunt:

    posted 8 days ago

    Nice job letting us in on three very disparate characters all through dialog.

  216. On An unexpected meeting [Twilight challenge]:

    posted 8 days ago

    Cute and a bit of a twist there. Shame on me for assuming the flirtatious young romancers were youngins.

  217. On A New Home [de ja vu challenge]:

    posted 9 days ago

    Neat idea and good use of the deja vu phenomenon for excellent, quiet creepy factor in your little story. Great job on the challenge!

  218. On An Unremarkable Factory:

    posted 9 days ago

    Bizarre idea, kind of gives the feel of slowing zooming in on this unassuming factory before revealing its true purpose.

  219. On Grand Prize -- 2nd & 3rd (Pen Name Challenge Wrap-up):

    posted 9 days ago

    Woohoo! I’m a winner! Many thanks to Melia for being such a good sport about being my subject. I do find that some of my best work is in response to challenges, so thanks for coming up with one that was a challenge and brought us a little closer together as a ficlets community.

  220. On Awards:

    posted 9 days ago

    Deserving winners all around.

  221. On Grim Determination + Hungry Anticipation = x [solve for x]:

    posted 9 days ago

    Ooh, great job setting both the scene and the character’s mindset. Makes you worry about his optimism and cheer him on.

  222. On Mended Fans & Unexpected Lilies:

    posted 9 days ago

    Very cute and a nice touch that Lord Windham gets to surprise her with the news of the lily arrangement.

  223. On Something Left Behind:

    posted 9 days ago

    Very suave, very suave. Though, if I were a woman (which I know is a bit of a stretch) I’d still slap him at least once.

  224. On Mirth:

    posted 9 days ago

    Great line about her cheeks being flushed and not just with fever. I’d like to see Lord Windham talk his way out of this offense. And I’m assuming he will. So I will read on.

  225. On Moving Forward:

    posted 9 days ago

    That was sweet. Nice description throughout with some fun hints and what the situation is that leads her to this walk in the countryside.
    LoA

  226. On They Sit Cross Legged:

    posted 9 days ago

    Whoa, that was dark. Impressive almost impressionistic piece, telling a lot but leaving a lot unsaid as well. I thought it was quite effective and evocative.
    LoA

  227. On Heather's victory Shot :

    posted 9 days ago

    Great moment of quiet romance, though somewhat tricky/inconsistent use of tense between past and present.

  228. On Dangerously Light:

    posted 9 days ago

    Oops, and things were going so well. Fun interaction, really giving her a bit more character.

  229. On Control Himself:

    posted 9 days ago

    Hmm, would superhuman and strange abilities be a turn-on or a turn-off? Probably varies from girl to girl. Cute interaction between the two, two of a kind.
    LoA

  230. On Splatters of Sky:

    posted 9 days ago

    Other than the one slip into past tense in the first sentence, a really nice, trippy sort of artistic exploration/thought process. Makes me want to paint. And I’m not really good at painting!
    DreamerChallenge
    Day 2

  231. On A Life-Long Ache Begins Now [6-Word Story]:

    posted 9 days ago

    Oooh, ouch, eek. Yep, that friggin’ hurts. So many maybes, so many possibilities. You slew me with that one. Now I have to go read something happy.

  232. On 300 Comment Challenge:

    posted 9 days ago

    I’m all over it. I salute the utter awesomeness of your challenge. Off to the commentating!
    Dreamer Challenge
    Day One #1

  233. On A Burning [Louise Madison's Hear Ye Challenge]:

    posted 10 days ago

    Fun. I like the last ditch effort to avoid revealing their true abilities. Really does beg the question if all those women really burned were witches, why didn’t they save themselves? Fri