Malik: [act]to FMG, rolling up sleeves[/act] So now all we have to do is...
[act]Suddenly, the chandelier flickers, then dies. The Ballroom is hurled into darkness. Guests stumble around, knocking into each other and trampling the band’s instruments. After only a few minutes, however, the lights come back on and everyone begins to settle down[/act]
[act]The Doctor and Reuvan haven't moved from their positions on the ground; they continue to lie with hands behind heads, but now look rather trampled[/act]
Doctor: [act]conversationally, to Reuvan[/act] What I find really strange is the fact that the whole cavern went dark. Isn’t this place supposed to be naturally powered by the crystals? Why would they be affected by an electrical surge?
Reuvan: Hey, yeah, when you think about it, it doesn’t make much sense...
Firefall: [act]pops up next to them and points dramatically at nothing in particular[/act] Look, a conveniently distracting crisis!
Everyone: [act]conveniently distracted[/act] What?
Firefall: My guest is missing!
Malik: What?! Damn you, mutants – you’ve foiled my plans again!
Min: Calm down, Chieftain Snarky. We had nothing to do with it.
[act]Firefall calls the SCP over, mutters to him for a minute, and sends him out. Moments later, he returns and squawks something into Firefall’s ear, before resuming his place at the door[/act]
Firefall: [act]waving arms dramatically[/act] Attention, please, everyone! It seems that both Ariadne’s and Deb’s mystery guests have disappeared as well. [act]she produces an oversized magnifying glass from somewhere[/act] This looks like a job for—
Avialle: Aren’t you supposed to be supervising the Ballroom?
Firefall: ... [act]droops[/act] Oh. Right. Well, in that case...Plan B. [act]with a flourish, she tucks away the magnifying glass and produces an oversized scroll instead. Clearing her throat, she reads aloud from it, voice echoing off the crystal walls[/act]
Writing CompetitionThe hostesses’ three mysterious guests have disappeared during a power outage, and it’s up to those left to figure out who the guests are and what has happened to them. Since the Ball began, your hostesses have been dropping hints about the identities of their dates; now is your chance to piece together the clues and figure out which science fiction-related fictional character each hostess had. Along with that, explain—in 400 words or less—what happened to the guests during the blackout, and where they can now be found.
Your guesses don’t necessarily have to be right for you to win. In this time of abandonment, your distraught hostesses are eager to be cheered with humorous and creative entries, so what and how you write is just as important as whether you’re correct.
One entry per member, in 400 words or less. Please PM your entry to Glowworm by 5pm on March 22. Firefall: [act]rolls up scroll[/act] There you have it, everyone. Get writing!
Someone at the back of the crowd: What if your dates just stood you up? Maybe they saw an opportunity when the lights went out, and ran.
Firefall: [act]narrows eyes[/act] Did I mention I’ll be judging this competition? [act]nobody looks particularly intimidated[/act] And that there’s a prize for the winner?
Voice from back of crowd: ...Quick, let’s find those poor, lost dates!