Another Make a Story Thread

[hissy]

Now that I am feeling better I need to start stretching my mind. I had an idea about a story only this is different. Here is the idea. One person will start it by NOT starting a story, but supplying instead six (6) words. The next poster will take these 6 words and make a paragraph out of those words keeping them in the order they are listed. We did this on another board awhile back and it was great fun. It helps to activate your head (and I need that mental stimulation right now) It also helps that some of the words are not ordinary so the person has to think how to bring the paragraph together. If you are game, here we go...........

thrive
schoolhouse
confess
feline
early
swagger

At the end of this exercise these paragraphs should read as one continuing storyline.

 

[adymarie]

Once upon a time, in a far away land there lived a princess. Her name was Princess Simone. Simone wanted her land to thrive. She got her father to build a new schoolhouse for all of the kingdom's children. When asked why she cared, she said "I have to confess, I love my people with all my heart!" To show their love, her people brought her the most beautiful feline early one evening.
She loved that little kitten and announced a competetion to name the cat. First prize was 1 million gold pieces. A man came thru town and saw all the people standing around the town crier. With a swagger in his walk, he approached the group.

(Do I get to pick 6 words next or just go one from here?)
If I have to pick words then they are:
gourmet
groping
hearty
contact
religion
joyful

If not then just continue.

 

[hissy]

"I am Preposterous, the gourmet chef of the town of Swaggersville" he boasted while groping his hands along the backside of a voluptous maiden who was standing beside him. She emitted a hearty shriek, and backed quickly out of reach. Preposterous, began to bluster and apologized for the unruly contact. He tried to explain that his religion, advised this sort of contact brought you closer to God, but none of the crowd was buying his story. Instead of a joyful welcoming, he was quickly getting a cold shoulder.




hugger
arguement
humbug
magnetic
dump
mixed

 

[adymarie]

"Please call me Prep - all my friends do!", he said. Prep was raised as a hugger and attempted to hug all he could see. This started an arguement amongst the townfolk, who were shy - they argued who had to be the designated hugger for the group. They picked an old decrepit man and Prep thought "humbug - I wanted to hug the pretty maid". He tried to use his magnetic smile to attract the girl to his side. She dumped the jar of water she was carrying over his head. It was a mixed blessing as it was a hot day.
stinky
lampshade
Oriole
registered
runaround
riverbank

 

[badhabit]

The old man was a bit stinky, his clothes were shabby and when he smiled the fact that he needed extensive dental work became quite apparent. He wore a old dusty hat that was much too big for his head and had looked something like an old lampshade. Perched upon his shoulder was his pet Oriole named Pestri that never left his side. No one knew the man's name they just knew he was registered with the town as a known fellon and with this fact it caused the town's citizens to ostracize him. When he came to live in this town he was given a big roundaround about where he could live but then it was agreed that he stayed on the riverbank far enough away from the towns people's homes.

Blot
Target
Communicate
Interest
Feedback
Carry

 

[jeanie g.]

The hovel given to the old man was an ugly blot on the lovely landscape. So the old man and Pestri, his Oriole, soon became targets of the people's wrath. "Listen, people!," he yelled, trying to communicate his interest in the good of the kingdom. The only feedback he received was a bag of his ragged clothes thrown out the door with him and Pestri. The old man picked up the small bundle, which he intended to carry to the princess. Soon these people would know who he really was.

Apple
Lake
Boisterous
Educate
Vehicle
Ruffled

 

[badhabit]

So the old man set off with his small bundle of clothing, Pestri and an apple he had picked on his way into town. He traveled down a path way that traveled over some hilly terrain and overlooked a lake. He walked quietly amoungst the boisterous flock of birds that were seated high above the path in the surrounding trees. "If only there was some way to educate those people about who I really am," the old man softly said to Pestri as he took a small bite out of his apple. The journey ahead was going to be long and he thought that if he could find some kind of vehicle to get him to his destination quicker the sooner he would be able to rejoin their society. Just then Pestri ruffled his feathers and squaked a bit alerting his master to what he eyed ahead.

Best
Member
Crying
Game
Behavior
Salary

 

[whisker's mom]

Princess Simone emerged from her hiding spot. At first, she attempted to find the best possible getaway route. She was frightened. He had, from the moment he passed through her town, fascinated her. Who was he????She was intrigued and wanted to know more. Perhaps, if she were to introduce him to at least one member of her family, then they could find out because, you see, she had this terrible problem with shyness and there was no way she could ask him who he was and what he wanted for fear of being reduced to crying in the presence of a stranger. That was not a proper thing for a princess to do. He approached her slowly, afraid, in his own way that he was frightening her. It reminded him, for a split second, that this almost seem like a cat and mouse game. Would she run away? And if yes, would he even attempt to follow? What did she want anyways? Her behavior puzzled him because it was her who had snuck up on him and she was the one that was frightened. God, he wished there was a different way to make a living. The meager salary that he took home each week just was not worth all the trouble that being a messanger had bestowed upon him. To heck with the king....he had had it! What was he going to do about her now????


Kindness
Suffering
Humingbird
Food
Warmth
Time

 

[adymarie]

Meanwhile, back at the town square Prep was drying off and said to the young maid "you should show kindness to strangers and should not dump water on my head!". The maid, Killara, gave him a suffering look and said "good sir, I am tired of men thinking of me as only a pretty face - I am much more then that!". Prep replied, "but you are like a flower - if I were a hummingbird I would fly around you!" Killara shook her head and turned away in tears. No one would ever understand her dreams. She would probably end up some one's wife, cooking his food and sitting by the warmth of a fire with 10 children for many a bitter winter. Only time would tell if her dreams would come true. Maybe if she could win the contest and get the gold she could follow her dream!

expectant
stargazing
exhausted
carnival
blacksmith
attitude

 

[hissy]

Before Killara could enter her father's dwelling she had to pay a visit to an expectant mother by the name of Hagatha. Hagatha was known throughout the village to be surrounded in secrets and majic. She was known to cast spells upon people who looked her full in the face and yet many a noble man and woman would seek her out, for she had extraordinary stargazing abilities and could forsee the future. Killara was already exhausted from the day's event, but she knew that she was the only one in the village that Hagatha would even speak to. No one knew the identity of the woman's child-to-be and there were times when Killara wondered, if her father was the culprit?

"Oh stop this!" she muttered to herself, that idea is prepostrous indeed. And so with those thoughts cast aside, Killara began the longer trek out to Hagatha's house.

As she neared Hagatha's cottage she noticed an odd sight way off in the distance. Straining to see over the tops of the houses that dotted her path, she could only make out a long line of horses and caravans. Grabbing her skirt up toward her waist, she climbed up to the top of Hagatha's well and leaned over to see what was approaching the town. What could it be? Could it be a carnival? She had heard Mockington the town blacksmith talking the other day about the possibility that a circus was coming to town. Well this certainly brightened up her attitude! She didn't even really know what a circus was, but it looked like fun!



strumpet

stabiltity

imminence

solution

fireplace

gusty

 

[badhabit]

Meanwhile.. The old man took a step forward and gazed upon the princess. He didn't know who she was and she gave no clue about it either since her designer gown had been torn and tattered leaving her looking like a cheap strumpet. If she had a little stability in her life she would not be here right now looking the way she did and staring silently at a stranger.

The imminence of danger was all around her, lurking within the forest so why was she out here, the old man wondered. From the looks of things it seemed as though she was looking for help or was in some kind of danger... Maybe he could help her find a solution?

Right about now the princess wished she was back at home, curled up in front of the fireplace with her cat but after what happened she was scared to go back home. The day had grown dark and gusty and she was certainly not dressed for the weather. Without a word, the old man pulled out a thick wool blanket from his bundle and offered it to the shivering princess with a friendly smile.

Protect
Understand
Immediately
Replacement
Furnish
Easy

 

[adymarie]

"I'll protect you little one", he said. "I understand what it is like to be alone and afraid". The princess immediately felt better from the old man's kindness. He spoke in a gentle voice to the little girl. "I'll take you to my friend Hagatha and she can find you a replacement dress!" "She will furnish you with what you need!" Unable to believe her good fortune, she agreed to go with the man. He did not recognize her as the princess. It was easy for her to pretend she was just any other little girl. This way she could find out for sure what the people in the kingdom felt about her. Plus, as a princess, she could not go to the circus! But she could if no one knew!

cryptic
lavender
perplexed
boldly
skipping
sincere

 

[badhabit]

About an hour or so of walking the old man and princess Simone neared Hagatha's house. Simone wondered who this Hagatha was since she had never heard of her name being mentioned before. She grew uneasy as they got closer because posted on crude wooden signs were cryptic messages about keeping away slovenly painted upon them. The princess started to worry about where this man was taking her.

She nervously fiddled with a torn edge of her lavender dress as she spoke, "Who exactly is Hagatha?"

The princess' sounded perplexed when she spoke and with good reason. There she was alone in the woods with a strange looking old man and his bird whom he kept talking to and they were entering the territory of someone who boldly wanted no company.

The old man kept his line of sight on the ground because the terrain started to get rocky. He took to skipping over the rocks and without looking back at her he spoke. "Hagatha is a good friend of mine but she doesn't care much for strangers but any friend of mine is a friend of hers."

His words sounded so sincere and Simone was taken aback that he considered her a friend. She had never had anyone call her a friend before.

Hallucinate
Bull
Locus
Foyer
Seize
Stow

 

[hissy]

Finally, the old man and the princess broke through the woods and stood in a clearing. Nestled in the center of the clearing was a rickety old cottage. The porch was adorned with all sorts of magic symbols and unless the Princess was mistaken (and she rarely was) growing off of the roof were gigantic toadstools seemingly just popping out in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps the journey she had just undertaken had been to tiring, causing her to hallucinate such a curious sight.

The old man extended his arm, and she saw for the first time, a tattoo of a bull in full charge on his forearm. He smiled at her for the first time that day and said, "My lady, would you like an escort to this locus? This place of deep magic, the dwelling of Habitha? Be warned her foyer is guarded by trolls and a baby dragon, but I will let nothing harm you."

His last remark alarmed the princess and she quickly seized his hand. She watched hiim stow Petri under his ragged coat. He told her, "this is for Petri's protection. And so very cautiously she allowed him to escort her to this strange abode.


encourage

meager

trio

indulge

old maid

immature

 

[mslemon]

Killara, entranced by the distant parade of people, wondered whom she might encourage to go with her. As she pondered the meager possibilities she was startled out of her reverie by approaching voices. Killara quickly hopped down of the brim of the well and dropped out of sight behind it. She peered cautiously from behind to spy an odd trio. It appeared to be a young woman clad in tattered clothing and an old man who was just tucking what looked to be a bird into his frock. She strained to catch a few snippets of their animated conversation.

"I am sure that Habitha will indulge your wish, my dear,but be careful what you wish for. The majic is strong." the old man said.

"I don't wish to ever be an old maid!" the woman replied as she pulled the wrap more tightly to her.

"Ah," said the old man, "Habitha's well. Do you fancy a sip?"

Killara held her breath. Surely they would spy her. But it was too late to find a better hiding place. Feeling like an immature and senseless child, she did the only thing she could.






brakish
ephemeral
blasphemous
dislodge
dichotomy
armament

 

[badhabit]

Killara suddenly stood up from her hiding spot and dusted herself off while offering the couple a smile and said, "Hello,don't mind me, I was just about to have a sip of this brackish water."

The old man and princess Simone jumped a little bit at Killara's sudden apperance but said nothing. They both watched as Killara cuped her hand and lowered it into the well. "This water is very good for healing you know," Killara stated as she brought a handful of water to her mouth and sipped. "I keep having these ephemeral fevers on and off and the town doctor can't seem to find what is causing them. I am hoping that this water will do the trick."

Before any more could be said Hagatha appeared seemily from no where standing on her front lawn with her hands upon her hips. She was an blasphemous old woman who was saying things that princess Simone never imagined she'd hear in her life. As Hagatha continued to rant about a stranger being in her presence Simone tried to dislodge the lump in her throat to speak in her defense.

It was getting late in the day and the sky was darkening just enough so the moon could be seen. The old man looked up and noticed the phase of the moon was in dichotomy. It was this time that Hagatha became cholertic and the old man swore at himself because he should have known.

Hagatha grew increasingly angry by the moment and she seemed like she was armament by the way she waved the stick around in her hand.



Waif
Rely
Coterie
Platy
Quart
Garter

 

[hissy]

Hagatha raised her arms and with a booming voice she said "I demand to know who this waif is that you have brought into my presence."

The princess was insulted! How dare this horrible old woman call her a waif! Did she not know who she was addressing? Just as Princess Simone was going to spout out about her royal blood, she remembered just exactly what she looked like. The gown she had borrowed from her chambermaid was ill-fitting and tattered. It barely dragged the ground but the princess knew that she could rely on her girl's total discretion, that is why she had decided to switch clothes with her. She had gleaned this idea when she passed a coterie of woman who were chattering about the contest to name the royal kitten. Princess Simone decided she wanted to be with the people, so she had asked Penelope to trade dresses, soiled her face with ashes from the fire and tucked her long hair up underneath the back of her dress. She had also utilized the platy of minerals near the creek to help with her disguise. She had been so bored at the castle she had even thought about sneeking down into the cellar and sampling some of that funny juice stored in quart pots. But instead, she decided to go out with the people and conceal her identity. And now, she had met a funny strange old man, a woman of uncomparable beauty and this Hagatha who was still ranting on about her presence. The only item the princess had was her badge from the Royal Order of the Garter, a special club of royalty's children. She could show this badge and then they would know who they were trifling with. But on the other hand........


wrinkle
informal
compromise
grave
hollowness
toothlike

 

[adymarie]

A wrinke appeared on Hagatha's brow "It is of no matter who this child is as I can see she is pure of heart". The princess was suprised, no one had ever been this informal with her and she found that she enjoyed it. Killara was suprised as well as Hagatha would normally not comprimise herself to speak up on the behalf of someone new - "this girl must be special" she thought. Killara turned to face the grave on the hill behind Hagatha's house. There was a hollowness in her as she thought "this girl reminds me of my dead sister Krystal". From the distance the grave seemed toothlike, and Killara looked away.

winsome
official
zodiac
magnatude
tyrant
hocus-pocus

 

[badhabit]

Killara noted to herself that this girl standing before her had this winsome charm about her just like her deceased sister. She shook the thoughts about her sister out of her head and turned to look at Simone. She looked curiously familar but couldn't place where she had seen her before. Maybe she had seen her at the market place or maybe she had recognized her as one the official royal helpers.

Out of habit Killara began to fiddle with her silver pendant that was in the shape of her zodiac figure, Aries. She knew there was something different about this girl but she had no clue about the magnitude of her greatness.

Hagatha stepped forward and took Simone's hand into hers. This woman who gave off in her first impression to Simone as being a tyrant was now treating her with much respect. Quite odd Simone thought to herself, how this woman could be so angered with her presence one minute then be so friendly and welcoming to her the next. Simone considered Hagatha was trying to pull some hocus-pocus on her and never let her guard down.

Pileum
Futz
Deck
Spike
Escritorie
Chief

 

[adymarie]

Pestri stuck his pileum out of the old man coat to see what was going on. Hagatha pulled Simone with her saying "don't futz about child - I won't hurt you". Behind Hagatha's house was a beautiful rosewood deck that was overlooking the field were the fair was being set up. They could some one hammering a spike into the ground. In the middle of the field an escritoire was set up and the chief fairs' man was writing in what looked to be a large leather bound ledger.

cynosure
imagination
modification
platitude
ameliorate
penchant