rthstewart | Three Sentence Ficathon 2021

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Three Sentence Ficathon 2021

We have now opened a new post, for new prompts! Please leave all new prompts there. You may continue to fill existing prompts here. If you didn't get a prompt filled here, feel free to post it on the new post!

Welcome to the Three Sentence Ficathon!
2 Feb. 2021 See important edit below regarding where to find unfilled prompts.

What is the 3 Sentence Ficathon?
This is an open exchange where you answer a prompt with a fic consisting of only three sentences. It's open to all fandoms and you can post and fill as many prompts as you like, as many times as you want.

What do I do first?
You can start 3SF by posting prompts! When posting a prompt please format it this way:

fandom, character(s), prompt word/sentence.

Only one prompt per comment please. So, for example,

Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi, I don't like sand."

Open ended and anthropomorphic fills are popular too, such as:

Any, Any, "I don't like sand."

or

Earth geography, sand, "I don't like humans very much, either."

What happens after that?
You answer other posters' prompts in three sentences (or more if you can't stop yourself) and fill as many prompts as you want, as many times as you wish. If you see that a prompt you loved has already been filled, go ahead and fill it again! Multiple fills of the same prompt are allowed and even encouraged! (We get really fun stories going this way).

Can I still post if I need more than 3 sentences? Or should I just abuse grammar in ways the English language never contemplated?
Yes. Yes.

But I'm not a member of Dreamwidth
No problem. You can comment anonymously or through open ID

I'm really overwhelmed by all the prompts and how much there is and how fast it goes. I can't read 1,000 prompts and fills. It's too much.
I hear this a lot and it keeps a lot of people from participating. The 3SF is big and it moves fast, especially at first. I get overwhelmed, too, and I'm hosting the thing. With 2020 and 2021 sucking so badly you don't want something that's supposed to be fun cause you anxiety. I have a couple of suggestions for managing the 3SF volume.

First, really, you don't have to read every prompt and fill on every page. You can start at the last page of this and just go forward, or back a page or two. It's fine.
You can come and go as time and energy allow, you don't have to participate the whole time, and it drops off quite a bit by mid-February.
Even after the 3SF and new prompting end, people fill prompts all year long.
You can fill an already filled prompt and you can can leave a prompt that's already been prompted before. People do it all the time.

Always make sure you're looking at top-level comments only, not threaded. That helps a lot. Your screen should look like this.

But shouldn't I read everything to see if someone already prompted the same prompt I want to leave if someone already filled it?
No. Prompt as many times as you want, as much as you want. It doesn't matter if someone prompted the exact same prompt. Go ahead and prompt again!

I left a prompt and no one filled it. Can I prompt it again?
Absolutely!

Can I spread the word?
Yes, please. I generally fail at creating banners and embed codes but if you create one and make it really idiot-proof, I might be able to post and share it. Feel free to cross-post this entry. If you create your own banners or icons, let me know and I'll share!
Please share the 3SF with your followers, friends, and any channels and comms you are active on. I'll post on fandom calendar, Tumblr, and Twitter, but I don't have many connections in other spaces such as Discord.

How long will it go?
The 3SF closes to new prompts on February 28, 2021. The entry stays open permanently and people post fills all year long.

Are there any rules about cross-posting?
Nope, you can post wherever you want, whenever you want. A lot of folks collected their responses together and posted them on AO3 under the 3 sentence fiction tag. 3SFs are a terrific prompt for remixes and could be helpful for Yuletide bears, too.

What about spoilers, content and archive warnings, triggers, pairings, ratings, tags, and squick?

I thought a lot about this. It boils down to reader beware. In my experience, this typically gets too big, moves too fast, and the stories are too short for content warnings and ratings to even apply. It is too big for me to moderate in this way. You should assume spoilers are fair game and that the initial poster and the responder have opted to use no content warnings or tags. This means AO3 content warnings for dubcon, violence, canon character death, underage, etc. COULD be present. I've found personally that I can skim and scroll by stuff that, from the prompt, I can tell isn't my favorite flavor of delicious cake. Use your best judgment and be prepared to skip over things that aren't your thing. In this format, the obligation is on you, the reader, to protect yourself from triggering content.
Some posters do include warnings and spoiler tags in subject lines or include spoiler space, but they don't have to do so.

Why is 3SF split among several posts? That seems confusing.
It is confusing and we always lose momentum once we have to move to a second post. The reason is because at 5,000 comments to a single post, DW installs a human test CAPTCHA, which is a pain for users. So, once this entry gets to the upper 4,000 comments, I open a new post. If you've been waiting until things slow down to participate, when we open a second post is often a good place to join.

If I have questions, what do I do?
I'm rthstewart everywhere, here, Twitter, Tumblr, gmail and AO3.

A special thank you to

conuly .
Last year, Conuly started logging all unfilled prompts.
This year's (2021) unfilled prompts are here.
Last year's (2020) unfilled prompts are here.

Conuly asks that you not reply, as they want to be able to edit and add more prompts to the list.
Conuly does this just because they are an awesome person but should you want to write them fic in thanks, you can find a birthday wish list here.

Here is the 3SF 2021 Friending Meme to show of your new DW account.

Here, have some icons and banners and let me know if you've created your own!

text box you can try to cut and paste

<a href="https://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/166704.html" _fcksavedurl="https://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/166704.html" _fcksavedurl="https://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/166704.html" _fcksavedurl="https://rthstewart.dreamwidth.org/166704.html" target="_blank"><img src=" https://imgur.com/f3B21LX.png?2" _fcksavedurl=" https://imgur.com/f3B21LX.png?2" _fcksavedurl=" https://imgur.com/f3B21LX?2" _fcksavedurl=" https://imgur.com/f3B21LX.png?2" alt="" /></a>

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Any, Any, I led the revolution in my bedroom / and I set all the zippers free

Any, Any, There is a crack in everything / That's how the light gets in

"Nevertheless," Tobirama said icily, interrupting Madara's maudlin muttering, "if you pull such a disastrous ploy again, I-"

"He's dead, that doesn't seem terribly likely, sensei . . . right?" Kagami asked, edging a little closer, looking between them cautiously; Tobirama was unavoidably reminded of dozens of evenings when he had been so much younger and smaller, edging up to them and squeezing between them.

"He was dead the first time," Tobirama said dryly, "it did not particularly mitigate the problem. Any of the problems . . . even if they were not all his fault."

She watches from the trees, her eyes on him as he meanders through the woods. This game they sometimes play, this catch and release, this game of tag, is something they rarely do, not like this.

Persephone bares her teeth, dropping down from her perch and giving chase, laughing as Hades takes off like a shot. She knows she'll catch him, knows she'll tackle him to the ground, laughing and grinning and digging her nails into him. She can be a fierce little thing, a hungry beast in the skin of a goddess.

But he loves her anyway, and she loves that he'll let her chase him down and throw herself at him like this.

When she does catch him, when they're both breathless and smiling at each other, she pushes him into the snow, pressing her body against his own, and kissing him hard on the mouth, her teeth grazing his lips before biting down. His blood blooms against her tongue, six little droplets that she licks away, greedy and delighted all at once.

"What the hell happened?" Sasuke demanded almost shrilly, coughing out a bit of rock dust and sweeping a searching look over the battlefield, failing to find any sign of the attack that had been bearing down on them.

"Oh? Even with the Sharingan you're still lagging behind?" Sakura asked with a sharp grin, hopping up out of the crater and tugging her gloves on more securely. "Blink and you miss it," she turned her back, lifting one hand in an idle wave as she went; a crackle of lightning flickered from her fingers across the metal plate on the back of her glove, gone almost too fast to see, "abandon your village and your team, and you miss out on even more."

Edited (neatening phrasing) 2021-02-04 05:18 (UTC)

It's a truism among the powered set that you don't attack the Archives; their basement lair is as close to neutral ground as you can find in a world of heroes and villains, providing information to anyone who can afford to pay their price -- and even if they just helped your sworn nemesis achieve victory, even if you feel inclined to hunt down all accomplices and salt the earth around them, the Archives are off limits.

Most newbies ask why, eventually. What's so scary about information brokers? Why haven't any heroes or villains set up shop as a dedicated source for their own side?

The few who remember when the Archives broke free from their indenture to Mister Magnus -- who have seen the Archivist burn an intruder to ash under his pitiless glare, watched a trusted friend stab an ally in the back and flash the Changeling's quicksilver smile, waded through the carnage left behind by Stoker's axe, fought free of Blackwood's web of friendly, isolating lies -- shake their heads and say only, "Test them if you want; it's your funeral."

Most listen. Those few who don't, who dare to call the Archives' bluff? None are ever seen again.

The Archives always collect their price.

Ow, poor Adrien ;_;

Still woozy and reeling from the effects of having been caught in a net, stuffed in a box, hauled off to a small, brightly lit room, and drugged senseless, Gato Peludo scrambled frantically away from his captors. Hiding under a scraggly bush in the alley where he had lately been spraying the scent of his lust widely, and yowling in the vain hope of attracting suitable companionship, he took stock of his ravaged body and wondered why the urges that had consumed him yesterday were no longer so compelling. Finding no answer, he disconsolately began licking the bare patch between his hind legs that he had not recalled having previously, before curling up into a ball and falling asleep.

"Sweet Caroline!" Q warbled louder than necessary, not realizing that microphone he held would amplify his voice.

The Traveler had promised to show Wesley things he could not imagine. Not in a million years did Wesley think this would be one.

"Come on, everybody!" Q encouraged the audience to sing along, but was ignored. Wesley pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting a growing headache.

When the young of Cair Paravel pushed their Minotaur Cook to retirement, Susan had expected it would be difficult to find a replacement – after all, in a country where so many of its citizen didn’t need to eat cooked food, it had been impossible the first time around to find someone both knew how to cook, and understood the positive battle plan that was required in Narnian meal planning. Former Cook’s faun and dwarf assistants had taken over the cooking at first, and they were doing an adequate enough job that Susan was contemplating just having a team of cooks working in cooperation rather than one single chef in charge; after all, it was a huge responsibility, cooking for the diverse population of the Cair, and Cook’s departure proved that it was too much responsibility for one person.

Then the fauns and dwarves began to notice little changes made to their meal preparation and the lists of supplies that were being prepared for their troops preparing to go on the road. As the changes were all positive and made the cooking and prepping more efficient, it didn’t seem like whoever was making these changes had any nefarious intents, but soon the mystery of it all bothered Susan enough to set the Rats on finding out who it was. It began to become even more suspicious when her famously efficient Rats failed to locate who had been making these edits and changes to the kitchen’s process. It was beginning to bother Susan more than she liked to admit when Willa wondered out loud, “Maybe the reason we can’t find who it is because the one who is making these changes is also the one doing the looking.”

“What do you mean?” the Queen asked.

“It occurred to me that, though there are no paw prints to prove anything, the edits being made on the meal lists look like they were being made by a Rat or Mouse.”

“You think the reason the Rats have not found who is doing this is because the one doing it is actually a Rat?” Susan asked. “Well, this is intriguing, indeed.”

“Perhaps it is time I get on this mission myself, Queen Susan.”

To Remy’s credit, he evaded Willa’s formidable skills for another fortnight before Willa managed to gather enough evidence to confront him.

“It’s not that I’m not happy with my work with the Mischief, Queen Susan!” the young Rat said earnestly, who was curiously standing on his hind paws, preferring to keep his front paws off the ground. “And I was perfectly happy before with just making suggestions to Cook whenever she asked us to sample her food. But then, you remember that visit from the delegation from the Seven Isles that included their chef – Gaston – “

“ – Gusteau,” Susan corrected, but she was intrigued.

“Yes, him. He said something that I haven’t been able to shake off since.”

Of course Susan remembered. Gusteau, being a quite famous chef in the known worlds, had wanted to visit the Narnian monarchs’ kitchen, and at first, Susan had been hesitant. After all, their Minotaur Cook tended to strike fear in the hardiest of warriors, and that was even before considering what other Humans usually thought of the idea of all the Rats, hair, and feathers in the kitchen. But Gusteau had been delighted to see Cook, and with Cook’s food. “Anyone can cook!” he had declared, taking the fact that this particular cook was a minotaur in strides.

It had moved Cook to tears that a celebrated chef had so loved her food. However, it was clear that Cook was not the only one so affected.

“Remy,” Susan said, making a decision, “the changes you made to the kitchen these last few weeks had been quite clever. You seem to love cooking – “ and food, but then, he was a Rat, that was a given – “how would you like to work in the kitchen from now on?”

Remy’s eyes widened, which would be quite alarming if one was not already in familiar and constant proximity with Rats. It was clear that such a job would be a dream come true to Remy, but nevertheless, he looked towards Willa.

“It would be splendid, actually, to have a Rat actually cooking in the kitchen,” Willa said. “He knows the Rats’ taste and would season things properly.”

“Well then,” Susan declared, “it’s settled. If you do well, Remy, I might see what that you become the new Cook.”

Edited 2021-02-04 02:24 (UTC)

Nice. I like how Draco's due for a little introspection at the end.

Not in a million years did Wesley think this would be one.

I laughed. Nice :)

People talk a lot of nonsense about baking with love to explain why homemade is better and draw attention away from the subtle social calculation of, 'I put effort into this so you'd better reward me with appreciation,' as well as the unspoken message of, 'I'm improving office morale so pushing me aside or, god forbid, firing me, would be a terrible mistake.'

I don't bake with love. I don't bake with ingratiation, either.

What my cookies and brownies and almond pastries say is, 'Give me a 10% raise or suffer the consequences.'

My boss has been eating them for months.

I'm feeling pretty good about my year-end review. :)

Edited 2021-02-04 02:28 (UTC)

Malachor is a bad place for a -- for a Force user who isn't dark. The air, the buildings, even the earth itself is full of whispers, hints, even the smell of some long-ago evil: of thousands or tens of thousands of evil acts and brutal intentions, layered over themselves and prickling at her skin as she winds her way through the shadowed landscape.

It's horrible and she hates it; but at least these ghosts are unfamiliar, and she does not know their voices: not like the ghosts she heard when last she was on Coruscant.

*dies laughing*

Oh, that's great!

Thank you.

"Ugh," Midna groaned, "Don't you have any pride?"

Link ignored her, because they both knew the answer to that: not much. Not the kind a princess would care about. Not the kind that kept Link from belly rubs. Townfolk knew less about what a wolf looked like than the more knowledgeable Ordonian villagers, and with the right body language and a playful attitude, even Rusl threw sticks for Link. What kind of wolf waltzed right into a city, tail wagging, tongue lolling, barking and licking hands and ready for play?

Midna scoffed at Link, because she knew better, saw every time Link tore out a throat with bared teeth, licking their chops clean of blood, using the memory of hands to use those claws to tear into enemies. Yet, here they were, surrounded by some castle town children all jostling to get a chance to pet their soft fur. One girl had even tied a bow around their neck.

Honestly, she was just being silly. The first dogs were descended from wolves, everyone knew that. Link had guarded livestock and people alike all their life: why would they be less careful as a beast?

Heh, that's so River, I love it. So cute, thank you!

I love the wild imagery here, how savage she is and how he just allows her to be what she is. And the blood droplets at the end are a nice touch.

Rose shouts "How is Adrien supposed to know you're thinking of him on his fifth name's day if you don't—" and Ladybug and Chat Noir barrel through the knot of girls on the Trocadéro, Ladybug shouting "Voyage!", and Ladybug drops Alya and Marinette on the floor while Chat Noir sets Alix on her feet and lets Adrien un-drape himself from Chat's shoulder.

"What the fuck," Adrien says, poised to fight, and "Where are we?" asks Alya, glancing around the unfamilar untidy apartment, and "A plying tool?" asks Marinette, staring at the brown splotches that have replaced Ladybug's black dots and clutching Adrien's ice-blue-wrapped present; Alix notices Chat Noir is taller than he was a couple weeks ago and doesn't have his collar bell, and she decides to say nothing.

"Two-ply yarn, just add spindle," Ladybug tells Marinette, tightening her grip on the weird-capital-T-shaped Lucky Charm, and "Italy should be far enough Hawkmoth can't akumatize him from here," Ladybug tells Alya, and "For the record, Rose won the bet," Ladybug tells Alix, and "None of this is your fault, Adrien, none of it—I am so sorry, sunshine, this might break you—Miraculous Ladybug!" and when the sparkles fade Adrien is hugging Marinette for dear life, crying, and Marinette is beckoning Alix and Alya to join in (but careful not to squash Marinette's glasses against her face); it takes a few minutes for Alix to notice Ladybug and Chat Noir are gone.

It would be easier to die, she knows - she is the last child of Jocasta, a creature that was never meant to exist in the first place. She can see how the people lower their voices and cross the room when she appears, as if the heavy burdens of a gods-cursed life can somehow fall upon them if they come too close.

It would be easier to fade away, to allow them to forget her and everything that has happened to her - to Father, to Mother, to her brothers and her dearest Antigone - and for that alone, she is determined to live.

Jon smiled as the static rose around him.

"Not everything -- I'm perfectly well aware that people can mislead by implication, or may sincerely believe and relay inaccurate information -- but by and large, yes. Now, tell me what your plan is."

For all their heedless cruelty, Panne soon learned there was more to Henry. Their determined cheer, for one, that only got stronger the less there was cause for it. Henry's ability to commune with living things, an odd ability for one so morbidly minded. Henry's loneliness, cast aside and ignored like all other pain.

"You smell like an animal" They said once, and the words that would have roused her ire were said in such a dreamy tone that she checked her anger for curiosity instead. Panne was in her beast form, and Henry was laying facedown, buried in her fur. Perhaps because the pose so reminded her of her lost little brother that she acted as she did next.

"Quiet." She nipped him, gently, scolding them as she could her own kit. Henry giggle, instantly brightening as they leapt up and gnawed on her own muzzle. She recognized the canine gesture and chuffed, nudging them off, but Henry held on, still laughing.

Soon they both were tussling for real, Henry agile as they rolled out from between her paws, but never dashing far enough to be out of her reach. Henry would bite her again, but play bites, hardly anything with their dull incisors. Panne would pin them down with a paw, never enough pressure for her claws to do any damage. It was the sort of play she hadn't done in so long, and pained nostalgia made her ache.

Later, worn out and happy, Henry would admit to the same ache. This pain they did not push away.

YES THIS!!!

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Page 96 of 222

Three Sentence Ficathon 2021

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Overrated, Overstepped, Overtaken (Naruto; Madara/Tobirama & Kagami)

Greek Mythology // Hades/Persephone // to give chase, to receive hunger

Shocks and Sparks (Naruto; Sakura & Sasuke)

Information Is Never Free (The Magnus Archives)

Re: [Miraculous Ladybug] perhaps hearts and clovers, not diamonds and pikes

Fill: no particular fandom, likely somewhere near you.

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Uhm...not 3 sentence I guess. Also, rthverse

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Tactical Ingredients (original)

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Re: Miraculous: Kneads more puns...

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Sheepdog (LoZ: Twilight Princess, Link)

Re: Firefly // Mal/River // the stealing and the stolen

Re: Greek Mythology // Hades/Persephone // to give chase, to receive hunger

[Miraculous Ladybug] but like a refugee

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Verify Your Sources (The Magnus Archives)

Fire Emblem: Awakening, Panne + Henry

Re: The secret garden - Mary + Selfishness - A Witch of the Moors