Welcome to the Christmas Challenge 2005 a very special year for us all! This year we will be trying something a bit different in offering awards, judging stories instead of pulling scenes.
The beautiful and talented Kav has written four (4) YUP, you heard that right, four wonderful scenarios for you to choose from for your entries. You will find all four pinned here for browsing....the choice is pretty tough!!!
The Categories for Awards are as follows:
1) Best Short Story (5,000 words or Less)
2) Best Romance
3) Best Inspirational Story
4) Best Story By a New Writer **
5) Best Story By a Junior Writer (Age 18 and/or Under)
6) Best Comedy Story
7) Best Christmas Message
**To Qualify as a New Writer, you must have no more than 2 stories on the board at the time of entering the challenge.
The Challenge opens immediately - as soon as the options are posted and runs through New Years Day 2006 at which time the challenge will close and shortly thereafter voting will begin.
To enter, simply select the Challenge you are going to write - Option 1-4 - place your name in the title and make sure and copy the beginning of the story into your first post for members to jump right in with.
Enjoy the Holidays!!!
Jen
P.S. If your date of birth is not in your profile and you qualify for the Junior Writer category, please send a quick PM to justme_jp3 as soon as possible so we can be sure to include your story in that category for the voting. Thanks!!
(A final note: When posting these stories elsewhere - first and foremost, your story always belongs to you the writer. We at no time have purchased nor request any proprietary rights over your work. Since the introduction to this challenge, hence the premise, was written here... please credit the author, as you yourself would want to be credited for your work, with their name and a link to this site http://www.romancefanfiction.net . Thank you.)
Full Version: Christmas Challenge 2005
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Have any questions or comments regarding the challenge? Here is where to ask!!
Option #1 -- Journey into Elf Discovery
Friday December 2, 4:59 p.m.
“As the ambassador of Bullpen Good Cheer I gather you all to the first and hopefully annual Christmas Spirit meeting,” Tara who was decked out in a Santa hat announced striding across the room, the bells on her shoes jangling merrily. Her destination: the garland festooned white board she had been busily decorating earlier.
Jack glanced at the clock. “Now?” he asked in a tone very close to a whine.
“Ah, Tara, luv, its closing time on a Friday…” Bobby gently pointed out as he headed for the door.
“Freeze Koala Boy. As Head Elf of Good Cheer I expect your full cooperation,” Tara told him firmly, fixing him with a look that was anything but cheerful.
“Who appointed you head elf?” Myles asked suspiciously.
“I’m elf-appointed,” Tara said, tipping her nose in the hair to make her short frame measure up to the two agents who were now glowering on either side of her.
“She thinks we’re going to let that one slide by,” Myles observed in an unusual show of solidarity with Bobby.
“Well if she’s elf-appointed head elf, then I’m self-appointed Scrooge. And since I’m bigger and meaner, I win out. Who’s with me for weekend kick-off at Clancy’s?” Bobby asked eagerly.
Tara ignored this remark and the pointed glare she shot around the bullpen silenced anyone else’s protest.
“Sue would you be a dear and hand these out?” Tara asked sweetly, passing her a glittery gift bag.
Sue peeked cautiously inside, but pulled out the plush Santa hats with a wide grin on her face. Each one had a name etched in gold glitter.
“It has come to my attention, that more than one of you has not embraced the full spirit of the season,” Tara said in a shocked stage whisper.
“It’s a bit early on yet to…” Jack began to protest, but was silenced by a glance from Sue. He threw his hands up in resignation. “Go on, give us your best shot, Williams.”
Tara beamed and nodded to Sue. “Distribute them, please.”
Sue stood up and walked over to Lucy who gamely donned her hat at a jaunty angle. “Very becoming.” Sue complimented her roommate before heading for the two agents who were still trying to make a timely getaway. “Myles, Bobby,” she dangled the hats in front of them.
“I’m not wearing that,” Myles sniffed, refusing to even pick up the fluffy concoction in a garish shade of red.
“Come one, give it a try,” Sue coaxed, “it will match the colour of your nose when you leave Clancy’s later this evening.”
“It’s a mandatory uniform for all bullpen elves,” Tara said sternly from where she was fussing with the whiteboard.
Grumbling under his breath, Myles grabbed the offending article of clothing out of Sue’s hand and clamped it on his head.
“Tsk. Tsk, Myles. I think any more talk of that nature will get you a lump of coal in your stocking,” Sue teased, enjoying the aristocratic agent’s discomfiture when he remembered, too late, that she could read every word.
“Ohhh – you’ll have to fill me in later, Sue,” Tara said with avid interest.
“Bobby, you haven’t taken your hat yet,” Sue prompted, but the Aussie agent stubbornly folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “Well, if you’re sure,” Sue said with a wink directed at Tara who had quietly climbed up onto the desk Bobby was leaning against. Sue threw the hat to Tara who promptly plopped it down over Bobby’s head, nearly blinding him in the process.
Jack, who had been laughing at his friends’ expense, soon sobered when Sue approached him next. He tried to ward her off, but she anticipated his reluctance and compensated for his maneuver. Unfortunately this threw her off balance and though Jack did end up wearing the hat he also ended up with a furiously blushing Sue in his lap.
“Whoohoo, way to go Sparky – a hat and the girl, talk about helping your elf,” Bobby applauded.
Jack ignored the office humour, well aware that all eyes were on them as he reluctantly helped Sue off of his lap. His hands lingered a tad longer than necessary at her waist and he hoped that fact would go unnoticed. Sue laughed good-naturedly, her cheeks flaming nearly as red as the hat she placed on her head.
“There’s one more, Sue,” Tara prompted.
“For D?” Sue asked, looking inside the bag. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see D standing next to her.
“Actually, I was lucky enough to get mine earlier today,” he pointed to the pompom festooned hat with Chief written across it. “Supervisor has some privileges,” he explained with a grin.
“Then who?” Sue fished into the bag and pulled out a smaller version of their Santa hats. “Levi!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Come here boy, Tara got you one as well.”
Levi obediently trotted over and allowed Sue to tuck the elastic under his chin. The girls gushed over him: “Doesn’t he look cute?” and “Red is his colour!” while the men cast him conciliatory looks.
“Now – our meeting can officially come to order. Please make sure you wear your uniform to each Christmas Elfploration meeting. They’ll all be held each Friday in advent, starting with today.”
“Elfploration?” Bobby asked in resignation. “What does that mean?”
“I would have thought it would be elf-explanatory,” Myles chided in his superior way.
“Don’t be elfish, Myles, share.”
“Will you two clowns cut it out? You’re cutting into refreshment time,” Tara said crossly.
“Tucker? I didn’t know there would be tucker at these meetings. All right then – let’s take it on the road. To Clancy’s – minus the hats.” Bobby made a beeline for the door.
“Manning!”
She has a loud voice for the little bit of a thing. And an imposing presence, he thought as he stopped his retreat and plunked down into a chair next to Jack’s.
“Did you put her up to this?” he asked suspiciously.
“Nah! I was trying to keep the holidays on a low key so we didn’t set her off,” Jack whispered back. “I think it might have started with the Christmas Carols Lucy played at lunch yesterday.”
“Don’t blame me for this, Hudson,” Lucy said frostily, “I wasn’t the one humming O Come All Ye Faithful all afternoon.”
“Your music put it in my head,” Jack protested, “and I don’t hum.”
“Does he really hum?” Sue asked with interest.
“Tunelessly,” Myles agreed. “He is not blessed with the vocal pipes of a virtuoso or the rich baritone of a…”
“Oh and you are,” Lucy said rolling her eyes in disbelief.
Myles glared at her haughtily. “I’ll have you know I have an excellent ear for music and excellent pitch.”
Their banter was interrupted by the piercing moan of an inexpertly played bugle.
Tara wiped her mouth on her hand; her lips were still buzzing from her attempt to bring the meeting to orde. She fixed the team with her best ‘bad cop’ stare.
“I’ve been thinking,” she began.
“That’s definitely not a good sign,” Myles muttered to Bobby.
“I thought she was too busy with her computer to think. Why doesn’t Jack give her more stuff to look up so she doesn’t have time to think?” Bobby complained, eyeing Jack irritably.
Jack threw up his hands in resignation. “Why is it always my fault?” he complained.
“Because it usually is?” Sue teased with a wink.
He grinned back, enjoying the merriment in her eyes.
“If I can have your attention…I don’t want to keep the elfkies waiting much longer. It’s got to be nerve wracking,” Tara announced worriedly.
“What’s an elfkie?” Lucy asked in confusion.
“The refreshments,” Tara said, indicating a cookie platter of gingerbread elves, all neatly lined up in a row.
“They’re so cute!” Sue squealed.
“Too cute too eat. I out did myself,” Tara moaned. “It’s a new recipe and it turned out to be quite successful. Look at their sweet little faces and their little belly buttons and they’re cute little mitts and….Bobby!” Tara looked like she was going to cry.
“What?” Bobby asked unrepentedly through a mouthful of elfkie. “Tasty little blighter, you outta try one.”
“You’re supposed to eat their faces first so they don’t see you nibbling at their appendages,” Tara told him mournfully, clearly shattered at the barbaric demise of one of her first born ginger babies.
“Tara you made them for us to eat,” Lucy pointed out reasonably.
“Well, that was before I got so attached to them…”
Bobby was beginning to feel a little guilty about devouring the cookie.
“Tara, what’s the purpose of this elfploration?” Sue diplomatically turned the conversation to safer ground.”
“Oh, right, well, as you know Christmas is four weeks away and I got to thinking that especially in our kind of job, it’s easy to become cynical at this time of year. So I took to heart the sermon at church last week when Pastor Wilkes talked about Peace in these troubled times. He asked a lot of thought provoking questions and I thought they bore closer examination…by all of us,” she glared at Bobby in particular. “So I’ve prepared a thought-provoking question for us to examine each week.” She ignored the audible groans from around the bullpen. “Your assignment is to take a journey into elf-discovery by pondering all week the answer to a simple question. This week its,” Tara turned and quickly wrote on the whiteboard in cheery red marker: What would peace look like to you?
She turned back to them beaming. “Simple, isn’t it? I guarantee if you choose to take this elfploration into elf-discovery with me this advent you’ll be astonished at what you can discover. That’s it for this week…we’ll share our observations next week when we met again. Now, you might as well put the rest of these poor blighters out of their misery,” she ended cheerfully, passing around the elfkies.
The Challenge:
Continue on with the story using the following questions for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week of advent.
How do you find peace?
What can you do to create peace in our world?
What image represents peace to you?
Friday December 2, 4:59 p.m.
“As the ambassador of Bullpen Good Cheer I gather you all to the first and hopefully annual Christmas Spirit meeting,” Tara who was decked out in a Santa hat announced striding across the room, the bells on her shoes jangling merrily. Her destination: the garland festooned white board she had been busily decorating earlier.
Jack glanced at the clock. “Now?” he asked in a tone very close to a whine.
“Ah, Tara, luv, its closing time on a Friday…” Bobby gently pointed out as he headed for the door.
“Freeze Koala Boy. As Head Elf of Good Cheer I expect your full cooperation,” Tara told him firmly, fixing him with a look that was anything but cheerful.
“Who appointed you head elf?” Myles asked suspiciously.
“I’m elf-appointed,” Tara said, tipping her nose in the hair to make her short frame measure up to the two agents who were now glowering on either side of her.
“She thinks we’re going to let that one slide by,” Myles observed in an unusual show of solidarity with Bobby.
“Well if she’s elf-appointed head elf, then I’m self-appointed Scrooge. And since I’m bigger and meaner, I win out. Who’s with me for weekend kick-off at Clancy’s?” Bobby asked eagerly.
Tara ignored this remark and the pointed glare she shot around the bullpen silenced anyone else’s protest.
“Sue would you be a dear and hand these out?” Tara asked sweetly, passing her a glittery gift bag.
Sue peeked cautiously inside, but pulled out the plush Santa hats with a wide grin on her face. Each one had a name etched in gold glitter.
“It has come to my attention, that more than one of you has not embraced the full spirit of the season,” Tara said in a shocked stage whisper.
“It’s a bit early on yet to…” Jack began to protest, but was silenced by a glance from Sue. He threw his hands up in resignation. “Go on, give us your best shot, Williams.”
Tara beamed and nodded to Sue. “Distribute them, please.”
Sue stood up and walked over to Lucy who gamely donned her hat at a jaunty angle. “Very becoming.” Sue complimented her roommate before heading for the two agents who were still trying to make a timely getaway. “Myles, Bobby,” she dangled the hats in front of them.
“I’m not wearing that,” Myles sniffed, refusing to even pick up the fluffy concoction in a garish shade of red.
“Come one, give it a try,” Sue coaxed, “it will match the colour of your nose when you leave Clancy’s later this evening.”
“It’s a mandatory uniform for all bullpen elves,” Tara said sternly from where she was fussing with the whiteboard.
Grumbling under his breath, Myles grabbed the offending article of clothing out of Sue’s hand and clamped it on his head.
“Tsk. Tsk, Myles. I think any more talk of that nature will get you a lump of coal in your stocking,” Sue teased, enjoying the aristocratic agent’s discomfiture when he remembered, too late, that she could read every word.
“Ohhh – you’ll have to fill me in later, Sue,” Tara said with avid interest.
“Bobby, you haven’t taken your hat yet,” Sue prompted, but the Aussie agent stubbornly folded his arms across his chest and shook his head. “Well, if you’re sure,” Sue said with a wink directed at Tara who had quietly climbed up onto the desk Bobby was leaning against. Sue threw the hat to Tara who promptly plopped it down over Bobby’s head, nearly blinding him in the process.
Jack, who had been laughing at his friends’ expense, soon sobered when Sue approached him next. He tried to ward her off, but she anticipated his reluctance and compensated for his maneuver. Unfortunately this threw her off balance and though Jack did end up wearing the hat he also ended up with a furiously blushing Sue in his lap.
“Whoohoo, way to go Sparky – a hat and the girl, talk about helping your elf,” Bobby applauded.
Jack ignored the office humour, well aware that all eyes were on them as he reluctantly helped Sue off of his lap. His hands lingered a tad longer than necessary at her waist and he hoped that fact would go unnoticed. Sue laughed good-naturedly, her cheeks flaming nearly as red as the hat she placed on her head.
“There’s one more, Sue,” Tara prompted.
“For D?” Sue asked, looking inside the bag. She felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see D standing next to her.
“Actually, I was lucky enough to get mine earlier today,” he pointed to the pompom festooned hat with Chief written across it. “Supervisor has some privileges,” he explained with a grin.
“Then who?” Sue fished into the bag and pulled out a smaller version of their Santa hats. “Levi!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Come here boy, Tara got you one as well.”
Levi obediently trotted over and allowed Sue to tuck the elastic under his chin. The girls gushed over him: “Doesn’t he look cute?” and “Red is his colour!” while the men cast him conciliatory looks.
“Now – our meeting can officially come to order. Please make sure you wear your uniform to each Christmas Elfploration meeting. They’ll all be held each Friday in advent, starting with today.”
“Elfploration?” Bobby asked in resignation. “What does that mean?”
“I would have thought it would be elf-explanatory,” Myles chided in his superior way.
“Don’t be elfish, Myles, share.”
“Will you two clowns cut it out? You’re cutting into refreshment time,” Tara said crossly.
“Tucker? I didn’t know there would be tucker at these meetings. All right then – let’s take it on the road. To Clancy’s – minus the hats.” Bobby made a beeline for the door.
“Manning!”
She has a loud voice for the little bit of a thing. And an imposing presence, he thought as he stopped his retreat and plunked down into a chair next to Jack’s.
“Did you put her up to this?” he asked suspiciously.
“Nah! I was trying to keep the holidays on a low key so we didn’t set her off,” Jack whispered back. “I think it might have started with the Christmas Carols Lucy played at lunch yesterday.”
“Don’t blame me for this, Hudson,” Lucy said frostily, “I wasn’t the one humming O Come All Ye Faithful all afternoon.”
“Your music put it in my head,” Jack protested, “and I don’t hum.”
“Does he really hum?” Sue asked with interest.
“Tunelessly,” Myles agreed. “He is not blessed with the vocal pipes of a virtuoso or the rich baritone of a…”
“Oh and you are,” Lucy said rolling her eyes in disbelief.
Myles glared at her haughtily. “I’ll have you know I have an excellent ear for music and excellent pitch.”
Their banter was interrupted by the piercing moan of an inexpertly played bugle.
Tara wiped her mouth on her hand; her lips were still buzzing from her attempt to bring the meeting to orde. She fixed the team with her best ‘bad cop’ stare.
“I’ve been thinking,” she began.
“That’s definitely not a good sign,” Myles muttered to Bobby.
“I thought she was too busy with her computer to think. Why doesn’t Jack give her more stuff to look up so she doesn’t have time to think?” Bobby complained, eyeing Jack irritably.
Jack threw up his hands in resignation. “Why is it always my fault?” he complained.
“Because it usually is?” Sue teased with a wink.
He grinned back, enjoying the merriment in her eyes.
“If I can have your attention…I don’t want to keep the elfkies waiting much longer. It’s got to be nerve wracking,” Tara announced worriedly.
“What’s an elfkie?” Lucy asked in confusion.
“The refreshments,” Tara said, indicating a cookie platter of gingerbread elves, all neatly lined up in a row.
“They’re so cute!” Sue squealed.
“Too cute too eat. I out did myself,” Tara moaned. “It’s a new recipe and it turned out to be quite successful. Look at their sweet little faces and their little belly buttons and they’re cute little mitts and….Bobby!” Tara looked like she was going to cry.
“What?” Bobby asked unrepentedly through a mouthful of elfkie. “Tasty little blighter, you outta try one.”
“You’re supposed to eat their faces first so they don’t see you nibbling at their appendages,” Tara told him mournfully, clearly shattered at the barbaric demise of one of her first born ginger babies.
“Tara you made them for us to eat,” Lucy pointed out reasonably.
“Well, that was before I got so attached to them…”
Bobby was beginning to feel a little guilty about devouring the cookie.
“Tara, what’s the purpose of this elfploration?” Sue diplomatically turned the conversation to safer ground.”
“Oh, right, well, as you know Christmas is four weeks away and I got to thinking that especially in our kind of job, it’s easy to become cynical at this time of year. So I took to heart the sermon at church last week when Pastor Wilkes talked about Peace in these troubled times. He asked a lot of thought provoking questions and I thought they bore closer examination…by all of us,” she glared at Bobby in particular. “So I’ve prepared a thought-provoking question for us to examine each week.” She ignored the audible groans from around the bullpen. “Your assignment is to take a journey into elf-discovery by pondering all week the answer to a simple question. This week its,” Tara turned and quickly wrote on the whiteboard in cheery red marker: What would peace look like to you?
She turned back to them beaming. “Simple, isn’t it? I guarantee if you choose to take this elfploration into elf-discovery with me this advent you’ll be astonished at what you can discover. That’s it for this week…we’ll share our observations next week when we met again. Now, you might as well put the rest of these poor blighters out of their misery,” she ended cheerfully, passing around the elfkies.
The Challenge:
Continue on with the story using the following questions for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week of advent.
How do you find peace?
What can you do to create peace in our world?
What image represents peace to you?
Option #2 -- Let it Snow
Let It Snow
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
It doesn't show signsof stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
When we finally kissgoodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm
The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbying
But as long as you love me so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
The tinny broadcast of the popular carol was certainly appropriate for their own weather forecast. It didn’t show signs of stopping. Traffic was snarled, planes grounded and trains overcrowded as potential travelers were forced to put their holidays on hold. There was no doubt; they wouldn’t be getting through tonight. They’d have to make the best of it here and try again in the morning. Turning to his companion he smiled apologetically and said…
Let It Snow
Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
It doesn't show signsof stopping
And I've bought some corn for popping
The lights are turned way down low
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
When we finally kissgoodnight
How I'll hate going out in the storm!
But if you'll really hold me tight
All the way home I'll be warm
The fire is slowly dying
And, my dear, we're still goodbying
But as long as you love me so
Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
The tinny broadcast of the popular carol was certainly appropriate for their own weather forecast. It didn’t show signs of stopping. Traffic was snarled, planes grounded and trains overcrowded as potential travelers were forced to put their holidays on hold. There was no doubt; they wouldn’t be getting through tonight. They’d have to make the best of it here and try again in the morning. Turning to his companion he smiled apologetically and said…
Option #3 -- Christmas Wishes
“Has he announced it yet, then?” the newcomer asked eagerly as she jostled her way through the crowd.
“No, not yet,” someone whispered and was shushed by his neighbour.
“Shhh. He’s reaching into the bag…”
A collective gasp circled the room as every elf strained forward to eagerly hear what Santa was going to announce. This ceremony had become the highlight of their Yuletide season. Held on December 1st it represented the true meaning of Christmas; a chance to reconnect with one of their special clients whom they had lost to adulthood.
Each year, Santa reached into his sorting sack of grown-up names and drew out the name of someone who needed a special dose of Christmas magic this year. The magic saw to it that they all remembered the child now grown; every visit, every gift, the triumphs and the tears. It was always exciting to see the dear child in adulthood, though often disappointing.
“Has he pulled it out yet? I can’t see!” complained a young elf at her elbow.
“Here, let me give you a leg up,” the newcomer said kindly. “He’s just pulling out the name now.”
They all watched as Santa looked at the gilt edged parchment. He nodded his head, smiling in remembrance and then looked out into the crowd. “This is going to be a very special Christmas indeed,” Santa told them, holding up the card for everyone to see. The words magically sailed off the page and grew into a shimmering neon-lit billboard flashing a name they all knew and loved. Their minds were flooded with memories, both happy and sad and they waited eagerly for Santa’s next announcement.
“Dewberry, I think. Yes Dewberry, I think you’re the best match.”
“Oh my goodness, that’s me!” the newcomer squealed excitedly, toppling the young elf she was holding onto the ground. “Sorry. Excuse me. Let me through please. That’s my name Santa just called.” Dewberry made her way to the front of the hall and stood bashfully next to Santa. She was still a terribly young elf for this kind of honour.
Santa squeezed her shoulder warmly. “You’ll do just fine,” he told her, passing the parchment into her hands. “Remember, your assignment is to make our Special Client’s Christmas wishes come true.”
The Challenge:
The special client is one our beloved fanfic characters. But which one? And what are his/her Christmas wishes?
“Has he announced it yet, then?” the newcomer asked eagerly as she jostled her way through the crowd.
“No, not yet,” someone whispered and was shushed by his neighbour.
“Shhh. He’s reaching into the bag…”
A collective gasp circled the room as every elf strained forward to eagerly hear what Santa was going to announce. This ceremony had become the highlight of their Yuletide season. Held on December 1st it represented the true meaning of Christmas; a chance to reconnect with one of their special clients whom they had lost to adulthood.
Each year, Santa reached into his sorting sack of grown-up names and drew out the name of someone who needed a special dose of Christmas magic this year. The magic saw to it that they all remembered the child now grown; every visit, every gift, the triumphs and the tears. It was always exciting to see the dear child in adulthood, though often disappointing.
“Has he pulled it out yet? I can’t see!” complained a young elf at her elbow.
“Here, let me give you a leg up,” the newcomer said kindly. “He’s just pulling out the name now.”
They all watched as Santa looked at the gilt edged parchment. He nodded his head, smiling in remembrance and then looked out into the crowd. “This is going to be a very special Christmas indeed,” Santa told them, holding up the card for everyone to see. The words magically sailed off the page and grew into a shimmering neon-lit billboard flashing a name they all knew and loved. Their minds were flooded with memories, both happy and sad and they waited eagerly for Santa’s next announcement.
“Dewberry, I think. Yes Dewberry, I think you’re the best match.”
“Oh my goodness, that’s me!” the newcomer squealed excitedly, toppling the young elf she was holding onto the ground. “Sorry. Excuse me. Let me through please. That’s my name Santa just called.” Dewberry made her way to the front of the hall and stood bashfully next to Santa. She was still a terribly young elf for this kind of honour.
Santa squeezed her shoulder warmly. “You’ll do just fine,” he told her, passing the parchment into her hands. “Remember, your assignment is to make our Special Client’s Christmas wishes come true.”
The Challenge:
The special client is one our beloved fanfic characters. But which one? And what are his/her Christmas wishes?
Option #4 -- Myles' Dandie Conundrum
Myles Leland III scorned the season and its festivities; the forced good cheer, the garish decorations and the ridiculous extravagance that mired his fellow workers. He would not be sorry if Tara’s cd player met an untimely end or if Lucy stopped hanging mistletoe from one end of the bullpen to the other in hopes of catching Jack and Sue unawares. He would not regret the day that Bobby took his Pin the Antlers on Rudolph poster off the common wall by their desks or when the nativity scene that Sue had arranged by the coffee pot could finally be packed away. And he definitely wouldn’t miss the outlandish Christmas sweaters Jack had taken to coming into work in – all hand knitted by his mother. Everyone was of good cheer – except himself. Bah! Humbug! Scrooge had it right….
“Excuse me sir, you’re standing on my wing.” A melodic voice intruded on his morose musings. Myles looked around in surprise. An angel stood at his side, waiting, as he was, for the light to change and he was indeed standing on the tip of one finely feathered wing.
“You should be more careful,” he complained gruffly before shifting his heel to release the wing.
The angel frowned. “I should be more careful?” she echoed. “You were the one standing on my wing.”
“It was dragging on the concrete, where feet not wings belong,” Myles retorted rudely.
“So you think that gives you license to traipse all over it?” the angel glared at him furiously.
“Not very angelic are you?” Myles smirked; wondering at the length of time the light managed to stay red. He wanted to get away from lunatics who wore angel costumes in the middle of downtown DC.
“I’ll have you know that I’m a sight more angelic than you are,” huffed the angel defensively, “and I just earned my wings. I’m not used to them yet. Besides, they gave me the wrong size. They’re too long.”
“I imagine they just make a standard size, not taking into consideration a person’s height…” Myles mumbled, wishing fervently for the light to change.
“Angel, not person. Angels wear wings. Which brings me to the point. Myles Leland III I am an angel sent by God to…”
Myles gazed at the ‘angel’ in astonishment. One eyebrow raised, and then two, before he tossed back his head and howled. And the light still didn’t change.
“That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting…” grumbled the angel.
“How did you think I would take that announcement?” Myles asked scornfully.
“With reverence, a certain awe, I wouldn’t have minded if you’d fallen prostrate on the ground like the shepherds did. Those were the good old days…” The angel was clearly miffed.
“Who put you up to this?” Myles demanded.
“Pardon me?”
“Come one – was it Manning? This would be his style. Hudson? He’d be in cahoots with somebody. Lucy still trying to get me back for…well never mind that. Or Thomas, I bet it was Thomas. You have to watch those quiet ones. Whoever it was, just tell them we had a hardy laugh and get lost.” Myles pushed the walk button repeatedly trying to get the light to change.
“You know pressing that button a hundred times isn’t going to do any good. You’re just going to wear it out. The lights are programmed by a computer and…”
“Okay it was Tara – you sound jd\geekish enough to be a cronie of hers.”
“You really are a rude, belligerent man,” the angel rebuked, her wing feathers clearly ruffled. “Well, that’s why I’m here. To turn your heart. It has come to my attention through the Department of Divine Powers, that you are at a crossroads in your life and frankly, you’re heading down the wrong road. Hence God has sent me to tell you…”
“Silence! We may have to stand at this infernally slow red light together but we do not need to converse,” Myles said rudely.
“I don’t believe you understand what you’re saying or who you’re saying it too…I have powers…”
Myles flashed his creds, “Yeah, well so do I, and unless you want to spend the night enjoying the fine hospitality of an FBI holding cell, I suggest you shut up!”
“Excuse me? Excuse me!” the angel levitated in her anger. Myles frowned noticing her rise to his eye level. What kind of trick was this?
“It isn’t a trick, you cretin, it’s a God given talented. It comes with the wings. And yes I can read your mind, pull out your thoughts – disgusting as they might be. Why the Department picked you out as worthy of Divine Intervention, I will never know, but here we are destined to work together for the good of mankind this Christmas season. So get with the program, buster and listen up.”
Myles turned his back and walked away. He would cross over to the Hoover Building down the block. The extra walk in the biting wind would be worth it to get away from that lunatic.
“Okay – no more gentle persuasion here. I’m pulling out the big guns,” the angel warned as a mighty wind picked up and pushed Myles backwards, pinning him to a lamppost. Myles had the presence of mind to reach for his gun.
“I am armed and…” he started to say, only to have the gun whisked from his fingers by some unseen force.
“You dare to draw a gun on an angel?” She was in a royal snit now. “Hello – you do know you can’t kill us, right? What a waste of time. And you with a Harvard education! Listen, mister, you might not like it any more than I do, but we’re stuck together with this assignment and you can either make it easy on yourself or harder. Either way, you don’t say no to God, got that?”
“You are delusional; probably psychotic and definitely an escapee from a lunatic asylum, if they have such things any more. And they should with people like you roaming the streets…” Myles said trying to struggle against the restraining wind. Why wasn’t anyone coming to his aid? There were bound to be agents out on their lunch breaks.
“No one is going to help you because no one can see us. Part of the powers invested in me by the Department. Now, as I was saying, we have an assignment. You need to sort your life out…and in the process help your friends and associates see the true meaning of Christmas. You do that, and I’ll get a promotion and you’ll go down the right road and much happier trust me. So…”
“Trust you – a violent angel? More like a Viking – running rampant through the streets, accosting innocent people…”
“Innocent is hardly an adjective I’d use to describe you Leland,” the angel scorned unangelically. “You know, you’re really annoying me. And when I get annoyed I end up doing crazy things. It’s my worse fault.”
“Is that a threat? Again totally angelic. Which side were you on again? I ‘m having a difficult time figuring that out based on your actions…” Myles felt a whoosh shoot through his body, he felt his insides churning and twisting as he spiraled downwards and landed on all fours. “Arf?”
“Much better,” the angel sighed in satisfaction. “I told you it could be easy or hard, depending on you. Guess you just chose the hard path. Here’s the deal. You want to return to your human form? Well, there’s only one way to do that. Change the tides of Christmas. Make a difference, give a gift beyond monetary value. Find the true meaning behind the glitz and I might just turn you back. Go on now – off you go. Oh and I’ll stop by periodically to check up on your progress,” the angel added, looking down at the furiously barking little dog. “Don’t even think about biting me. I’ll give you a shock,”
Myles ignored her warning and sank his teeth into an ankle. Electricity shot through his body, and frizzed his fur. Yelping he let go and watched her vanish, leaving him suddenly dodging the large and dangerous feet of people hurrying by. He scurried out the way and huddled in the entranceway of a deli. The aromas coming from the place seemed to more pungent -- much more interesting from down here. He pressed his nose against the glass and let out a yelp of surprise as he saw his reflection for the first time. That witch of an angel had turned him into a Dandie Dinmont Terrier!
Myles Leland III scorned the season and its festivities; the forced good cheer, the garish decorations and the ridiculous extravagance that mired his fellow workers. He would not be sorry if Tara’s cd player met an untimely end or if Lucy stopped hanging mistletoe from one end of the bullpen to the other in hopes of catching Jack and Sue unawares. He would not regret the day that Bobby took his Pin the Antlers on Rudolph poster off the common wall by their desks or when the nativity scene that Sue had arranged by the coffee pot could finally be packed away. And he definitely wouldn’t miss the outlandish Christmas sweaters Jack had taken to coming into work in – all hand knitted by his mother. Everyone was of good cheer – except himself. Bah! Humbug! Scrooge had it right….
“Excuse me sir, you’re standing on my wing.” A melodic voice intruded on his morose musings. Myles looked around in surprise. An angel stood at his side, waiting, as he was, for the light to change and he was indeed standing on the tip of one finely feathered wing.
“You should be more careful,” he complained gruffly before shifting his heel to release the wing.
The angel frowned. “I should be more careful?” she echoed. “You were the one standing on my wing.”
“It was dragging on the concrete, where feet not wings belong,” Myles retorted rudely.
“So you think that gives you license to traipse all over it?” the angel glared at him furiously.
“Not very angelic are you?” Myles smirked; wondering at the length of time the light managed to stay red. He wanted to get away from lunatics who wore angel costumes in the middle of downtown DC.
“I’ll have you know that I’m a sight more angelic than you are,” huffed the angel defensively, “and I just earned my wings. I’m not used to them yet. Besides, they gave me the wrong size. They’re too long.”
“I imagine they just make a standard size, not taking into consideration a person’s height…” Myles mumbled, wishing fervently for the light to change.
“Angel, not person. Angels wear wings. Which brings me to the point. Myles Leland III I am an angel sent by God to…”
Myles gazed at the ‘angel’ in astonishment. One eyebrow raised, and then two, before he tossed back his head and howled. And the light still didn’t change.
“That wasn’t the reaction I was expecting…” grumbled the angel.
“How did you think I would take that announcement?” Myles asked scornfully.
“With reverence, a certain awe, I wouldn’t have minded if you’d fallen prostrate on the ground like the shepherds did. Those were the good old days…” The angel was clearly miffed.
“Who put you up to this?” Myles demanded.
“Pardon me?”
“Come one – was it Manning? This would be his style. Hudson? He’d be in cahoots with somebody. Lucy still trying to get me back for…well never mind that. Or Thomas, I bet it was Thomas. You have to watch those quiet ones. Whoever it was, just tell them we had a hardy laugh and get lost.” Myles pushed the walk button repeatedly trying to get the light to change.
“You know pressing that button a hundred times isn’t going to do any good. You’re just going to wear it out. The lights are programmed by a computer and…”
“Okay it was Tara – you sound jd\geekish enough to be a cronie of hers.”
“You really are a rude, belligerent man,” the angel rebuked, her wing feathers clearly ruffled. “Well, that’s why I’m here. To turn your heart. It has come to my attention through the Department of Divine Powers, that you are at a crossroads in your life and frankly, you’re heading down the wrong road. Hence God has sent me to tell you…”
“Silence! We may have to stand at this infernally slow red light together but we do not need to converse,” Myles said rudely.
“I don’t believe you understand what you’re saying or who you’re saying it too…I have powers…”
Myles flashed his creds, “Yeah, well so do I, and unless you want to spend the night enjoying the fine hospitality of an FBI holding cell, I suggest you shut up!”
“Excuse me? Excuse me!” the angel levitated in her anger. Myles frowned noticing her rise to his eye level. What kind of trick was this?
“It isn’t a trick, you cretin, it’s a God given talented. It comes with the wings. And yes I can read your mind, pull out your thoughts – disgusting as they might be. Why the Department picked you out as worthy of Divine Intervention, I will never know, but here we are destined to work together for the good of mankind this Christmas season. So get with the program, buster and listen up.”
Myles turned his back and walked away. He would cross over to the Hoover Building down the block. The extra walk in the biting wind would be worth it to get away from that lunatic.
“Okay – no more gentle persuasion here. I’m pulling out the big guns,” the angel warned as a mighty wind picked up and pushed Myles backwards, pinning him to a lamppost. Myles had the presence of mind to reach for his gun.
“I am armed and…” he started to say, only to have the gun whisked from his fingers by some unseen force.
“You dare to draw a gun on an angel?” She was in a royal snit now. “Hello – you do know you can’t kill us, right? What a waste of time. And you with a Harvard education! Listen, mister, you might not like it any more than I do, but we’re stuck together with this assignment and you can either make it easy on yourself or harder. Either way, you don’t say no to God, got that?”
“You are delusional; probably psychotic and definitely an escapee from a lunatic asylum, if they have such things any more. And they should with people like you roaming the streets…” Myles said trying to struggle against the restraining wind. Why wasn’t anyone coming to his aid? There were bound to be agents out on their lunch breaks.
“No one is going to help you because no one can see us. Part of the powers invested in me by the Department. Now, as I was saying, we have an assignment. You need to sort your life out…and in the process help your friends and associates see the true meaning of Christmas. You do that, and I’ll get a promotion and you’ll go down the right road and much happier trust me. So…”
“Trust you – a violent angel? More like a Viking – running rampant through the streets, accosting innocent people…”
“Innocent is hardly an adjective I’d use to describe you Leland,” the angel scorned unangelically. “You know, you’re really annoying me. And when I get annoyed I end up doing crazy things. It’s my worse fault.”
“Is that a threat? Again totally angelic. Which side were you on again? I ‘m having a difficult time figuring that out based on your actions…” Myles felt a whoosh shoot through his body, he felt his insides churning and twisting as he spiraled downwards and landed on all fours. “Arf?”
“Much better,” the angel sighed in satisfaction. “I told you it could be easy or hard, depending on you. Guess you just chose the hard path. Here’s the deal. You want to return to your human form? Well, there’s only one way to do that. Change the tides of Christmas. Make a difference, give a gift beyond monetary value. Find the true meaning behind the glitz and I might just turn you back. Go on now – off you go. Oh and I’ll stop by periodically to check up on your progress,” the angel added, looking down at the furiously barking little dog. “Don’t even think about biting me. I’ll give you a shock,”
Myles ignored her warning and sank his teeth into an ankle. Electricity shot through his body, and frizzed his fur. Yelping he let go and watched her vanish, leaving him suddenly dodging the large and dangerous feet of people hurrying by. He scurried out the way and huddled in the entranceway of a deli. The aromas coming from the place seemed to more pungent -- much more interesting from down here. He pressed his nose against the glass and let out a yelp of surprise as he saw his reflection for the first time. That witch of an angel had turned him into a Dandie Dinmont Terrier!
Question:
Can we enter in more than one option or the same option more than once ???
Thanks
Can we enter in more than one option or the same option more than once ???
Thanks
Another question (either I'm on a roll, or my mind is missing something):
Short story os 5000 words or less ... does those include the wonderful introduction Kav made ?
Thanks
Short story os 5000 words or less ... does those include the wonderful introduction Kav made ?
Thanks
I have a question too... well, more like confirmation of my thoughts. Is it a Dandie Dinmont Terrier a dog as a four leg animal?
Questions answered:
Yes you can enter the challenge more than once and yes, you can enter the same option more than once! Have fun!
5000 words or less....guess it could go either way - but we will say not including Kav's intros......5000 words or less to tell your story.
And the Dandie Diamont Terrier is indeed a dog, also known (I've been told) as the Heebeegeebee (nickname).
Jen
Yes you can enter the challenge more than once and yes, you can enter the same option more than once! Have fun!
5000 words or less....guess it could go either way - but we will say not including Kav's intros......5000 words or less to tell your story.
And the Dandie Diamont Terrier is indeed a dog, also known (I've been told) as the Heebeegeebee (nickname).
Jen
I can't believe I'm even contemplating this, but here's mine: If one were to enter the challenge, what is the deadline and does it matter if the story is posted all in one post or does it need to broken up into shorter posts?
The challenge closes New Years Day 2006. The other guidelines are posted here, for your reference.
As for posting, you can post at any rate you wish, including one whole block, if you prefer. Do what is most comfortable for you, as the author. All the best!!
As for posting, you can post at any rate you wish, including one whole block, if you prefer. Do what is most comfortable for you, as the author. All the best!!
I have 2 questions hope this is okay and that you don't think they are stupid.
1) Does the word limit only apply to the first category of the award thing. What I mean is that the max word limit for all stories?
And 2) I am currently posting 2 stories one STFBE and one ER am I allowed to be posting more than that at any one time?
1) Does the word limit only apply to the first category of the award thing. What I mean is that the max word limit for all stories?
And 2) I am currently posting 2 stories one STFBE and one ER am I allowed to be posting more than that at any one time?
I can't answer #2, but for #1...
we can write em as long as we want, so long as its done by the deadline...but to be eligible for the "short story" category, they must be 5000 words or less.
we can write em as long as we want, so long as its done by the deadline...but to be eligible for the "short story" category, they must be 5000 words or less.
Thanks webgoof for answering my first question hopefully someone will be able to answer my second question soon. 
Can I start posting my story at any time? If I decide not to do one now but change my mind after the contest has been open for several weeks, is it okay as long as I have it all posted before the end deadline?
Thanks so much for those who are answering questions!
Thanks so much for those who are answering questions!
Yes, you can start posting your story anytime you like, as long as you have completed posting by the deadline of New Year's Day 2006. Good luck!
QUOTE(Rosa17 @ Nov 21 2005, 06:27 AM)
And 2) I am currently posting 2 stories one STFBE and one ER am I allowed to be posting more than that at any one time?
We have a limit of three WIP stories at a time on the board per author---2 maximum in the ST WIP section. Hope that helps!
Thanks that helps I am just okay then if I have one in ST WIP one here and one in ER.
If we qualify for the Junior Writer category, do we need to state our age when we begin posting the story, or is that checked in a different way.
Lizzy, you don't have to worry about stating your age when you begin posting. Stories will be sorted into voting categories once the contest has closed.
I am all done now what do I do??
Angela
Angela
Just sit tight and one of the moderators of this section will contact you after tomorrow night when the challenge has ended. 
Hi,
I would like to take a minute to concratulate the moderators on the huge success of this season Challenge! When it first started, things got rolling a bit slowly, but now see how many wonderful, different, magical stories have been written by so many talented writers!!!! Thank you!!!
Special thanks to Kav for writing the beginning chapters to 4 uniquely differtent Christmas-points of view. It seems you have inspired a lot of people to join the game. I even tried myself, but lack of talent (I know, I'll keep trying), and just enjoying reading so much more than writing stopped me... Some day, though......
Last but not least a big thank you and hugs to the fantastic authors. You inspire me to keep trying to write myself. I have enjoyed getting online in the early mornings, even before dressing to go to work, coming back at lunchtime, sometimes even during work hours, and every single night - enjoying all the wonderful Christmas stories. It's been a blast!!!!!!
Love, peace, and have a very happy new year (6,5 hours and counting....)
Mirjam
I would like to take a minute to concratulate the moderators on the huge success of this season Challenge! When it first started, things got rolling a bit slowly, but now see how many wonderful, different, magical stories have been written by so many talented writers!!!! Thank you!!!
Special thanks to Kav for writing the beginning chapters to 4 uniquely differtent Christmas-points of view. It seems you have inspired a lot of people to join the game. I even tried myself, but lack of talent (I know, I'll keep trying), and just enjoying reading so much more than writing stopped me... Some day, though......
Last but not least a big thank you and hugs to the fantastic authors. You inspire me to keep trying to write myself. I have enjoyed getting online in the early mornings, even before dressing to go to work, coming back at lunchtime, sometimes even during work hours, and every single night - enjoying all the wonderful Christmas stories. It's been a blast!!!!!!
Love, peace, and have a very happy new year (6,5 hours and counting....)
Mirjam
Question... will the voting be done by nominations like we've done in the past, only this time with whole stories, or are the stories categorized by the administrators?
We will be posting the voting system tomorrow (we hope!). The stories are being categorized by the administrators of the challenge since, obviously, not every story would fall into every category. So, we will list those eligible in each category and how the voting should be done. With so many great stories, we're just really glad we don't have to select individual scenes for voting!
Stay tuned...
Stay tuned...
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