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 August Ficlet Prompts
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| M1795537OCVirn |
Posted on 09-08-2026 19:26
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 Admin  Posts: 15491 Joined: 14.01.22 |
With apologies for lateness from Travisina... August is holiday month, and in much of the UK at the moment it's hot enough to fry your eyeballs. Meanwhile it's winter downunder. So what kind of summer/winter holiday would our heroes prefer? Chilling out or keeping warm? Relaxing or active? Next week an eclipse is taking place (on Earth). But what if our heroes encountered an eclipse elsewhere? How would that planet's inhabitants react - do they blame the gods, their visitors - or the Federation...? Plenty of scope there, ficleteers! "You're not sulking, I hope?"
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 10-08-2026 08:12
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 Alpha Grade  Posts: 7105 Joined: 14.06.22 |
Congratulations on resisting the temptation to use the word 'Blake-ation'. Must have been hard. And what the eff's an 'f scope'? Conjures up images of all kinds of unpleasantly invasive procedures. Don't want to dwell but I'm sure it's got a light on the end. |
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| M1795537OCVirn |
Posted on 10-08-2026 09:29
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Admin Posts: 15491 Joined: 14.01.22 |
Congratulations on resisting the temptation to use the word 'Blake-ation'. Must have been hard. And what the eff's an 'f scope'? Conjures up images of all kinds of unpleasantly invasive procedures. Don't want to dwell but I'm sure it's got a light on the end. F scopes are there to warn of unacceptable language, as you should already know. After all, you wrote the book on it. I will pass on your praise to Travisiana. I'm sure she will be pleased that you're pleased. I know I am. "You're not sulking, I hope?"
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 15-08-2026 10:31
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Alpha Grade Posts: 7105 Joined: 14.06.22 |
(I DON’T WANT A) HOLIDAY IN THE SUN! “ ‘Eclipse – the Holiday Firm that Puts Others in the Shade’…” “You’re not serious.” “I’ve not finished, Avon. Zip it for a minute. Let me carry on with my blurb. ‘Let all your holiday dreams come true! Cruise up the Avon! Unwind in a beach Vila! Zen out at a Buddhist monastery! And why not kick off your adventure of a lifetime with our luxury ferry from Dover to Cally…’ Yes, Vila?” “Just reminiscing, Blake. About a once-in-a-lifetime holiday I went on. Dearie me. Never again.” “We’re straying from the point. We need to generate a bit of cash, tourism’s a growth industry, so… Cally, you look thoughtful…” “Just thinking about that name. ‘Eclipse’. Don’t take umbra-ge, so to speak, Blake, but isn’t it…a little bit…….bland?” “I’ve a much better suggestion, Blake.” “Let’s have it, Avon.” “‘Fawlty Tours’.” “Carry on, Cally. You’re the only one round here I can rely on to look at things logi-cally. Practi-cally…” “Well, Blake, it’s obvious! How about…‘LIBERATOURS’!?” [Murmurs of assent] “No. No. Sorry, Cally. Absolute non-starter. I really, REALLY don’t like that idea.” “Why not?” “Because it’s not mine. Besides, we need to stay under the radar. Agreed, Avon?” “Not entirely, Blake. Surely the stealth option opens up a nightmarish scenario. You never know who’s going to rock up. What if Servalan and Travis booked a twin-bedded room – tea, TV, trouser press, torture equipment – for, say, Vila’s White Water Rafting Weekend…” “F**k off.” “Apologies, Vila. Let’s say, then, for Gan’s Luxury Spa Pamper Break… Something to say, Gan?” “What Vila just said.” “But you all take my point. Now I come to think of it, however…” “Your mind’s whirring, Avon…” “It most certainly is, Blakey boy. This actually could be a brilliant way of trapping Servalan! Advertise something like…yes! Jenna’s Hen Weekends! Lure Servie in with a special offer: ‘free bottle of Prosecco with every mass execution ordered’. We could also ensnare Travis by booking him as a male stripper, under that stage name he uses for his extensive part-time work in that grubby sphere…” “Trombone Trav?” “Exactly. Trombone Trav. Call up his legacy website, would you, Cally?” “Of course, Avon. Here it is. ‘Trombone Trav: Cor! Anglais! Blow That Horn!’ Dear oh dear oh dear. And I don’t know exactly what he’s doing in the photo but it’ll definitely affect the tone of Brad’s trumpet…” Edited by Cygnus Bazza on 15-08-2026 13:48 |
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| Paula |
Posted on 15-08-2026 21:17
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 Moderator  Posts: 5403 Joined: 15.01.22 |
CB, can I suggest a nice lie down? (Loved it, by the way, which tells quite a lot about me!)
Resist the Host
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| Lorna |
Posted on 16-08-2026 08:51
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 Alpha Grade Posts: 2984 Joined: 16.01.22 |
CB I am not sure what goes inside your brain!!!
I look behind me, what do I see? A pair of golden wings seem to be attached to me.
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| intergalactic |
Posted on 16-08-2026 11:36
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 Beta Grade  Posts: 619 Joined: 09.02.26 |
CB I am not sure what goes inside your brain!!! Voice From The Past? |
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 16-08-2026 13:37
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Alpha Grade Posts: 7105 Joined: 14.06.22 |
CB I am not sure what goes inside your brain!!! Voice From The Past? And there's no shortage of them to choose from... |
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 16-08-2026 13:39
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Alpha Grade Posts: 7105 Joined: 14.06.22 |
CB, can I suggest a nice lie down? (Loved it, by the way, which tells quite a lot about me!) Just limbering up for our upcoming Dracula Spectacular...  |
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| Cygnus Bazza |
Posted on 16-08-2026 13:44
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Alpha Grade Posts: 7105 Joined: 14.06.22 |
CB I am not sure what goes inside your brain!!! You'll have to ask My Brother Jake. Hopefully, on a Sunny Day, it didn't cause you Tons of Sobs.  |
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| Paula |
Posted on 16-08-2026 19:42
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Moderator Posts: 5403 Joined: 15.01.22 |
CB I am not sure what goes inside your brain!!! Lorna, you should check out CB and the other ones of us who do the Crud Club films. We're a royal bunch of loonies at times. Resist the Host
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| littlesue |
Posted on 20-08-2026 19:41
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 Alpha Grade Posts: 4172 Joined: 17.01.22 |
Well here goes. Only one prompt this time as I'm getting ready to go on holiday and in the middle of getting Daughter Number One sorted out for her new home. It's taking ages to sort out all the searches etc!!! And so many questions about the property. But we are getting there. Anyway, now to the prompt..... A Worrying Time “Now what do we do?” Avon slowly turned to face Vila, “We wait.” “Oh great.” “It was your idea, if I remember correctly.” “And Cally’s, don’t forget.” “Yes...Cally. How is she?” Vila shook his head, “Still unconscious. Why didn’t Zen or Orac tell us about the people on this planet?” “Possibly because they didn’t know about them...just as these people didn’t seem to know about a Solar Eclipse.” “But why did they attack us and put us in here?” “Because they didn’t understand the cause of such a phenomenon, where as, both you and Cally did, but neither of you has ever witnessed one. And you did so want to see an eclipse.” “Okay, it’s my fault...but what about Cally? If they come back...” Avon stared through the makeshift bars behind which all three of them were now imprisoned. “Well?” Avon didn’t want to answer, because he knew that the people on this planet would come back. But he had no choice. “They will come back because this planet has two moons....and the next eclipse is due soon.” “What?” Vila asked incredulously, “They’ll kill us this time. Aren’t you even worried?” “Oh, he’s worried.” It was Cally, standing directly behind them, her gun in her hand. “Now tell me, who are you? And what are you doing on Saurian Major?” “It’s me, Vila. And he’s...” “My name is Avon and you are not on Saurian Major.” “Not Saurian Major? You lie.” “No, pretty lady, he’s not lying. You wanted to see a Solar Eclipse and we came here and the natives took exception and in the struggle you got knocked out and they’re coming back....I feel sick.” “Does he speak the truth?” “Unfortunately,” Avon conceded, “Yes.” “So why don’t you affect an escape? I see that you have weapons.” “And you’ll see that they are the same weapons as the one you have and quite frankly, I can’t think of any place to go...not until Blake decides to return.” “Blake? I feel as though I should know him.” “You do know him.” Cally thought for a moment, “Staying here is dangerous. If those people do return then it would be better to find shelter up in the hills. And wait for Blake there.” Vila sprang into action, “You only had to ask pretty lady.” Later on the Liberator, the still concussed Cally was in the medical unit and Blake was being pleased with himself for his timely arrival to affect a rescue mission. “So are you happy to have seen a Solar Eclipse?” “I’ve seen enough to last a life time,” Vila said, “You were just in time. I think that second eclipse would have really upset the natives...even more-so than before.” “Is that how Cally got injured?” He nodded. “Well, alls well that ends well,” Blake concluded, “I’ll see you both on the Flight Deck once you get cleaned up.” Vila watched Blake leave the teleport, then turned to face Avon. “How did she know?” “Know? I don’t understand.” “How did Cally know that you were worried?” Avon just stared at him. Cold! You don't know the meaning of the word cold! Cold is when you have ice on the INSIDE of your window!! Sue's Book Shelf https://www.mediafire.com/folder/z1xg...Zine_Shelf Rebel Run Video https://youtu.be/8prqS-XZtLo |
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| Lorna |
Posted on 21-08-2026 07:07
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Alpha Grade Posts: 2984 Joined: 16.01.22 |
CB I am not sure what goes inside your brain!!! You'll have to ask My Brother Jake. Hopefully, on a Sunny Day, it didn't cause you Tons of Sobs. Hilarious!! Loved it!! I look behind me, what do I see? A pair of golden wings seem to be attached to me.
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