Two random meme ficlets
14 Mar 2020 09:07 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thisbluespiritSo, I picked the meme up from romanajo123, who gave me a selection of prompts. I wrote these two up as ficlets:
Clara Oswald / Kathryn Janeway / Vila Restal - game night, 383 words.
“So,” said Janeway, surveying her hand of cards carefully, “either of you two want to explain the rules again?”
Vila gave a shrug. “I’m new to this one myself. But I pick things up quickly, so don’t mind me.”
“Not to worry,” said Clara, rearranging her cards with an exaggerated frown of concentration. “I’m pretty sure you mostly get drunk and take your clothes off. Right?” She waved a hand. “Or am I thinking of Snap?”
Vila was seriously tempted by the strip poker thing, but when it came to credits or pretty girls with their clothes off, credits were the only solid truth of the universe. “I was thinking we should play for money. I mean, small stakes to start. Seeing as how we’re all so new to this game.”
A disturbing thought struck him even as he said it. He studied his new friends closely. They couldn’t all be trying the same, hey I’m a complete novice at this, how much did you say these royal whatsits were worth again ploy, could they?
“How much did you say these royal whatsits were worth again?” said Clara, opening her eyes wide: definitely suspicious innocence.
Janeway raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Vila. He gave a small nod, and she bit down on a smile. It was a fair cop all round, apparently.
“Okay,” said Vila, putting down his adrenaline and soma and pulling his spare cards out from inside his sleeves in a gesture of good faith. Things were getting interesting. “All cards on the table. Hold off on the stakes. Let’s play a hand or two and see where we go from there.”
Clara smiled. “Hey, I’m still up for strip poker if anyone else has got the nerve.”
“It’s not about nerve,” said Vila. “I’ve got my priorities – and a weak chest. I catch chills easily. Whereas a nice pile of credits warms my heart.”
Janeway had an amused glint in her eye. “So, how about this test round before we settle on the stakes?”
“Game on,” said Vila, while double checking that he still had that one last ace up his trouser leg just in case. “And remind me: which game is it again, sorry?”
“Go Fish.”
“Happy Families.”
“And here was me thinking it was Beggar My Neighbour.”
***
Jyn Erso / Dayna Mellanby / Jenna Stannis - don't try this at home, 379 words.
The woman next to Jenna at the bar leant over towards her. “Did I hear you saying you had a ship?”
“You may have done,” said Jenna, looking her up and down. Young, dark-skinned, slim, and with a fire in her eyes that Jenna envied. “I’m not for hire, however. I’ve got cargo.”
Her companion (white, dressed in worker’s clothing and somewhat more battered) lifted her head and finished her drink. “We’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Oh?” said Jenna.
The younger woman, who’d spoken first, nodded. “You’re Jenna Stannis, aren’t you? I’ve seen the viscasts. I’m Dayna. My last but one ship was Liberator. And this is Jyn.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
Jyn pushed her glass away. “So, in a very short space of time this whole place is going to blow and we thought it’d be nice if none of us went up with it. How does that sound to you?”
Jenna glanced at Dayna for confirmation.
Dayna nodded.
“She’s got a way with explosives,” said Jyn. “I’m just good at getting into places I shouldn’t be. Like here. Wherever here is.”
Jenna hesitated, but she didn’t have much to lose. If they were lying, she’d deal with them in the usual way, and if they were telling the truth, she’d be a fool not to listen. Jenna was no fool. “This way,” she said. “She’s not the fastest ship in the galaxy, but she’ll get us off this Federation stinkhole in about half an hour, max.”
“Great,” said Dayna. “Except, um, in that case probably we should run?”
***
The ship flew out of orbit just as the Federation base exploded into a ball of flame.
“Timer was a bit off,” said Dayna. “We should have had at least ten more minutes. Sorry. I’ll have to work on that.”
Jenna headed for the flight deck. “You two at a loose end, by the way?”
“We might be,” said Jyn. “Any reason?”
Jenna shrugged. “You seem like you could be useful. Want to give me a hand with this cargo? It’s not what you’d call strictly legal.”
Dayna grinned. “Sounds good to me!”
Jyn shook her head, but said, “Okay, why not?”
“In that case,” said Jenna, “welcome aboard. I won’t have to kill you both after all.”
***
romanajo123, who gave me a selection of prompts. I wrote these two up as ficlets:Clara Oswald / Kathryn Janeway / Vila Restal - game night, 383 words.
“So,” said Janeway, surveying her hand of cards carefully, “either of you two want to explain the rules again?”
Vila gave a shrug. “I’m new to this one myself. But I pick things up quickly, so don’t mind me.”
“Not to worry,” said Clara, rearranging her cards with an exaggerated frown of concentration. “I’m pretty sure you mostly get drunk and take your clothes off. Right?” She waved a hand. “Or am I thinking of Snap?”
Vila was seriously tempted by the strip poker thing, but when it came to credits or pretty girls with their clothes off, credits were the only solid truth of the universe. “I was thinking we should play for money. I mean, small stakes to start. Seeing as how we’re all so new to this game.”
A disturbing thought struck him even as he said it. He studied his new friends closely. They couldn’t all be trying the same, hey I’m a complete novice at this, how much did you say these royal whatsits were worth again ploy, could they?
“How much did you say these royal whatsits were worth again?” said Clara, opening her eyes wide: definitely suspicious innocence.
Janeway raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Vila. He gave a small nod, and she bit down on a smile. It was a fair cop all round, apparently.
“Okay,” said Vila, putting down his adrenaline and soma and pulling his spare cards out from inside his sleeves in a gesture of good faith. Things were getting interesting. “All cards on the table. Hold off on the stakes. Let’s play a hand or two and see where we go from there.”
Clara smiled. “Hey, I’m still up for strip poker if anyone else has got the nerve.”
“It’s not about nerve,” said Vila. “I’ve got my priorities – and a weak chest. I catch chills easily. Whereas a nice pile of credits warms my heart.”
Janeway had an amused glint in her eye. “So, how about this test round before we settle on the stakes?”
“Game on,” said Vila, while double checking that he still had that one last ace up his trouser leg just in case. “And remind me: which game is it again, sorry?”
“Go Fish.”
“Happy Families.”
“And here was me thinking it was Beggar My Neighbour.”
***
Jyn Erso / Dayna Mellanby / Jenna Stannis - don't try this at home, 379 words.
The woman next to Jenna at the bar leant over towards her. “Did I hear you saying you had a ship?”
“You may have done,” said Jenna, looking her up and down. Young, dark-skinned, slim, and with a fire in her eyes that Jenna envied. “I’m not for hire, however. I’ve got cargo.”
Her companion (white, dressed in worker’s clothing and somewhat more battered) lifted her head and finished her drink. “We’ve got an offer you can’t refuse.”
“Oh?” said Jenna.
The younger woman, who’d spoken first, nodded. “You’re Jenna Stannis, aren’t you? I’ve seen the viscasts. I’m Dayna. My last but one ship was Liberator. And this is Jyn.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
Jyn pushed her glass away. “So, in a very short space of time this whole place is going to blow and we thought it’d be nice if none of us went up with it. How does that sound to you?”
Jenna glanced at Dayna for confirmation.
Dayna nodded.
“She’s got a way with explosives,” said Jyn. “I’m just good at getting into places I shouldn’t be. Like here. Wherever here is.”
Jenna hesitated, but she didn’t have much to lose. If they were lying, she’d deal with them in the usual way, and if they were telling the truth, she’d be a fool not to listen. Jenna was no fool. “This way,” she said. “She’s not the fastest ship in the galaxy, but she’ll get us off this Federation stinkhole in about half an hour, max.”
“Great,” said Dayna. “Except, um, in that case probably we should run?”
***
The ship flew out of orbit just as the Federation base exploded into a ball of flame.
“Timer was a bit off,” said Dayna. “We should have had at least ten more minutes. Sorry. I’ll have to work on that.”
Jenna headed for the flight deck. “You two at a loose end, by the way?”
“We might be,” said Jyn. “Any reason?”
Jenna shrugged. “You seem like you could be useful. Want to give me a hand with this cargo? It’s not what you’d call strictly legal.”
Dayna grinned. “Sounds good to me!”
Jyn shook her head, but said, “Okay, why not?”
“In that case,” said Jenna, “welcome aboard. I won’t have to kill you both after all.”
***