Addelyn Lotus Crystal
 
Title : GC's Official Nephrite Posts : 8024 Join date : 2012-08-04 Age : 34 Location : Canada
![[Sanctioned][Contest] March ~ Luck o' the Irish Voting Empty](https://2img.net/i/fa/empty.gif) |  Subject: [Sanctioned][Contest] March ~ Luck o' the Irish Voting ![[Sanctioned][Contest] March ~ Luck o' the Irish Voting I_icon_minitime](https://2img.net/s/t/21/09/42/i_icon_minitime.gif) 26th March 2015, 6:00 am | |
| I do apologize for the voting being up late. I have been sick. In order to make things fair, voting has been extended to April 3rd. - Entry #1:
A week long trip to Ireland. That’s what her mother had said. “It will be good for you to learn about another culture, and we have the opportunity, since we’re already in England for the year.”
After much argument, Minako convinced her parents that Artemis was coming along. They had no idea why Minako needed to bring her cat, but bring him she did- everywhere they went. Breakfast at the hotel? There was the white cat, sitting on Minako’s shoulder. Stonehenge? There was Artemis. St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin? Minako smuggled the cat in her purse. Her parents just didn’t understand her attachment to that cat. As for Minako; Artemis was her partner and she knew if anything were to happen in Ireland, she would need him by her side.
The first few days passed without incident, but on the fourth day of the trip, that changed. MInako and her parents were staying in a quaint old inn in Blarney- her mother had originally wanted to stay at a more commercial establishment in Cork, but the inn fit their budget better. “Besides, it’s more educational,” Minako pointed out facetiously, “We’re getting immersed in the culture of Ireland this way.”
Minako was sitting in a big chair by the fireplace in the lobby with a new novel, Summer Colored Sigh. Artemis had made himself comfortable on the arm of the chair. The Lobby was mostly empty. There was a desk clerk on duty and a few members of the wait-staff bustling about, but not really many guests. When Minako was the only guest left, she noticed one of the maids approach clerk, “Hey! Eamon! Have you heard about what’s been happening up at the castle?”
“You mean the hauntings?” Eamon asked.
Minako pretended to be engrossed in her book, but she zeroed her attention in on their conversation. As far as they knew, she wasn’t able to understand English, so they spoke freely.
“Oh so you have,” She said, sounding mildly disappointed.
“Only in passing. Is it anything outside the usual ghost stories?” He asked.
“They’re sayin’ a bean sidhe’s been appearing outside the castle and wailing at night.”
“A bean sidhe, now, is it?” Eamon responded, amused.
“There’s more though,” The maid persisted, “The next morning, there’s people on the castle grounds, lyin’ there completely drained of energy. It’s happened every night for the last week.”
“Eh, Katie, you know it’s probably tourists who can’t hold their whiskey,” Eamon respond.
Katie shook her head, “No, Eamon, it’s not just tourists. This morning, Michael was found.”
“The head waiter?” Eamon asked, surprised, “What was he even doing there?”
Minako and Artemis exchanged glances. Minako closed her book suddenly and stood up. Artemis stood on the arm of the chair and stretched before leaping to the ground. They both walked out of the lobby and into the street. They walked in silence until they were in a small deserted courtyard near the inn.
Minako looked down at her partner and Artemis returned the gaze.
“It sounds like a youma doesn’t it.” it was a statement, not a question.
Artemis nodded. “We should check it out tonight. The castle’s not far from here.”
“How do you think it’s draining their energy?” She asked.
The cat looked down. “I have no idea. They all seem to use a different method. Let me think about it for a while. It would be best to be on guard and prepared for anything.”
That night Minako waited until her parents were in their room for the night. Once she was certain she would be safe, she slipped outside. Once she was on the castle grounds she pulled out her Transformation Pen.
“Moon Power! Transform!” She shouted, holding the pen above her head. In a flash, she became Sailor V. “Be careful Mina,” Artemis said, “We don’t know when or where the youma will appear.”
“I know,” She answered.
Sailor V and Artemis walked quickly but cautiously toward the outer wall of the castle. She had her fist clench as she walked, holding something tightly. She began walking the perimeter when suddenly they heard a loud keen. She and Artemis made eye contact and nodded. Sailor V hesitated just a brief moment, preparing for battle, before she took off running in the direction of the noise.
Sailor V found herself in the castle gardens. She scanned the area through her red mask. Then suddenly, she spotted the youma, standing by the Witch’s Stone. The youma had the form of a woman in a long, grey, tattered dress. Her hair was loose, wild, and shockingly red, as were her eyes. Her fingernails were long talons. The youma spotted Sailor V and screamed, “BAN-SHEEE!!!!!”
Artemis’ ears flew back as he winced in pain. Sailor V was unfazed. She faced the Banshee youma and shouted, “Defiling a popular tourist attraction and draining the visitors’ energy is unforgivable. The Pretty Guardian of Love and Beauty, Sailor V, has arrived! In the name of the Moon, I will Punish you! Crescent Beam!”
She shot a ray of light at the youma, but it dodged. Suddenly the youma was eye to eye with Sailor V. She jumped back as the youma screamed once more, “BAN-SHEEE!!” But she was unaffected by the youma’s attack. “Sailor V Kick!” She yelled, as she kicked the Youma in the stomach. The Youma doubled over and groaned “ban… sheeeee….”
Sailor V produced her compact and yelled “Crescent Boomerang!”
The boomerang sliced the youma in half and then returned to Sailor V’s hand. Artemis bounded over to her. “Good work Mina!”
She did not respond. Artemis walked around to stand in front of the girl.
“Hey Artemis! Looks Like I managed to get rid of this one, pretty easily, huh?” She said. She was talking way too loud.
“Mina… I think it’s safe to take them out now,” Artemis said.
Sailor V looked confused. “What?” She shouted.
Artemis sighed in frustration. “Take them out Mina!” he yelled back.
“Hold on, Artemis, I’m gonna take out my earplugs!” Sailor V shouted.
She reached up and pulled the earplugs out of her ears. “Now what were you saying?”
Artemis looked down, “Nevermind, it wasn’t important.”
“You know, that was a really good idea,” She said, “What made you so sure that it was the youma’s voice that was draining the victims’ energy?”
“Ah, just call it the ‘Luck of the Irish,’ I guess,” Artemis responded.
The two companions shared a laugh as they headed back to the inn.
- Entry #2:
“Hey Ami, what does Luck of the Irish mean?” Minako asked. The girls were all sitting at a booth table at the Crown Fruits Parlor, studying for the High School entrance Exams coming up.
“It usually refers to having bad luck,” Ami said, not looking up from her physics book. Minako frowned.
“Wait, but I thought the Irish were supposed to be lucky, like four-leafed clovers, and the color green, and that one cereal with the marshmallows in it…”
“Well...it can also refer to having a positive attitude in a bad situation, like focusing on the silver lining.”
“Silver lining?” Rei sighed from her spot next to Ami.
“It’s another saying, Minako. It just means to look on the bright side of things,” she said, before taking a sip of her tea.
“Alright, then what kind of stuff would just bring good luck?”
“What’s all this talk about luck?” Makoto asked, sliding into the seat beside Minako.
“I was just asking what a phrase meant.”
“Oh, so you weren’t looking for a way to not study for the test and still pass?” Mako teased. Minako stuck her tongue out at her.
“Hey, I am studying, see?”
“Sure you are…”
“Well...you’re already lucky, so you can’t talk!” Minako accused her. Mako blinked in surprise.
“Where’d you get that idea from?” she asked.
“Ami, the color green is definitely lucky, right?” Minako said.
“In Irish culture, at least. It can mean a variety of things,” she answered.
“I’m still kind of right then! Mako, green’s your color, so give me some of your luck!” Minako pulled her into a hug, and Makoto struggled to get out.
“Minako, cut it out!” Mako got a hand in between them and started prying her blonde friend off.
“You guys are really making a scene…” Rei said, irritated already.
“Ami, tell her she’s wrong!”
“Actually, Jupiter is considered the luckiest planet.”
“That’s not helping!” Mako said. Ami looked up and blushed.
“Er, sorry…”
“Mako, stop being selfish and share your luck already!”
____________________________________________________________
The next week, Minako sat in her room with a study guide. The test was going to be tomorrow, and if she didn’t get a high enough score, she wouldn’t be able to get into Juuban High School like Usagi, Ami, and Makoto.
“I better pass this exam…” Minako fell back on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Did she study hard enough. She always hated preparing for tests and liked playing around until the last minute, but would it backfire on her this time? The doorbell rang, and Minako sat up again. It was probably a salesman…
Not in the mood to deal with other people, she went to answer the door, if only to get them to leave.
“I’m not interested in whatever you- Makoto?” Minako opened the door completely, letting her friend in. Why was she here this late?
“Sorry for not calling,” Mako said, placing a medium sized box on a table. “I, uh...didn’t wanna ruin the surprise. This is for you.” Minako quickly locked the door and went to go see what it was.
“Aw, you got me a present? You shouldn’t have! But...what’s the occasion again?” Was there a holiday she forgot about?
“I know you’re worried about that exam we’re having, so….I made you something. Open it up!” Makoto stepped back and waited. Minako opened the lid, and saw a small cake with green frosting, still warm from sitting in the oven.
“Makoto…”
“Think of it as your own Luck of the Irish. If you don’t pass the test, you still have something good waiting for you at home. And if you do pass, you also have cake!” Mako grinned, waiting for Minako’s response. Silence stretched across the dining room. “Uh...Mina?”
Minako almost tackled her to the floor with a hug, and after stumbling, Mako hugged her back.
“Thanks…” Minako said, looking up at her. She looked like she was about to cry, but she was smiling. “But I don’t think that’s how that kind of luck works.”
“I know, but you’re definitely going to get in with us, so it doesn’t matter, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
- Entry #3:
Ami kept a brisk pace to her cram school – she’d never been late before and she wasn’t going to start now. She’d had the unfortunate luck of being chosen for classroom cleaning duty on the one day that her cram school was doing an early mock exam. The air was crisp and autumn leaves danced around her feet as she hurried along. “Let’s see, she thought, there’s my calculus test tomorrow and I have that paper due on precolonial African social castes - Her train of thought was interrupted by a screeching sound just around the corner.
Jogging up to the intersection, she saw it – a large, wolf-like youma complete with gnashing teeth and, disturbingly, slobber. Her eyes flitted to her watch: ten minutes left until class and her cram school was just around the corner. Should she call the others to take care of this? No. Ami wasn’t one to leave a person in need, and every senshi had to face sacrifices – it was part of the job. “Mercury Power, Make Up!” she shouted. Transforming into the heroine Sailor Mercury, she quickly flipped on her visor and did a preliminary analysis of her target. Aha! Ami zeroed in on a weak spot on the left ankle, His Achilles heel! She thought. Her line of attack quickly targeted, she raced beneath the great, snowy beast and blasted it from below belting, “Shine Aqua Illusion!” The creature’s legs were now frozen solid to the street.
Ami’s internal chimer sounded – 5 minutes left until cram school. One more attack and a quick run down the street and she’d be in business. She carefully prepared her next blow “Mercury Aqua Rhapso–” A tail? Where had that come from? Ami’s last thought was swallowed in a blinding flurry of white, as the youma’s large tail swept wildly toward her, batting her aside. The world went dark.
When Ami awoke, every part of her ached. Have I been in an accident? Lifting her eyelids, she saw that she was in her bed; her foot bandaged and propped up on a pillow.
“AMICHAN!” wailed Usagi, flopping roughly on top of her. Ami flinched at the sudden weight of her friend.
“Be careful you klutz!” snapped Rei, “She’s been injured!”
Usagi grabbed her hand, “Oh, Amichan! What were you thinking taking that youma on by yourself?!”
Ami became bashful. She had been in a hurry, and it had clouded her judgement, an embarrassing oversight for the senshi of intellect. “Well – I…” she stammered. She was saved from responding by a resounding crash from downstairs. Rei put her head in her hands. Moments later, a frazzled Minako and Makoto entered the room.
“Surprise!” called Mina, sloshing in with a tray of porridge.
“We made you something to get your strength up!” Said Makoto, “It went okay… sort of.”
“There was a pitcher of fresh orange juice too but… well, that wasn’t a very expensive pitcher… was it?” twittered Minako anxiously.
Ami’s eyes traced over her friends: Usagi’s eyes huge as saucers, welling with tears, Rei’s forehead pulsing with stress, Minako, slightly crisper than she might have been before cooking, and Makoto behind her, caked with a healthy coating of spilt orange juice. Suddenly, Ami laughed. It was the kind of bubbling laughter that couldn’t be controlled. It poured over her like rain, bubbling up and over from her mouth, tickling her sides. Ami laughed until she was out of breath. Her injuries throbbed but her heart was thumping with joy. How lucky she was to have friends like these. Wiping joyful tears from her eyes she managed, “I’m sorry everyone, for making you worry.”
- Entry #4:
Diana had just accompanied her pink haired friend to school and was making the trek down the concrete sidewalk back to Usagi's house. She often liked to follow Chibiusa, no matter where she went, she loved being with her! As she walked her usual path through an alleyway, due to learning to avoid other school children who liked to pet and play with her. But something was different on this day. Instead of the area being barely lit like usual, it was instead shining with various colors of the rainbow. Diana blinked trying to clear the image from her head, but it didn't work. The rainbow was real! She didn't remember seeing one when she had entered.
She walked over to closer inspect this new wonder, her natural curiosity intrigued. Wasn't it impossible to find the end of a rainbow, or nearly impossible anyway? What was it doing in the alleyway and why hadn't she noticed it in the sky on her walk to or from the school? And where was the fabled pot of gold?! It truly was a beautiful sight and, as anyone would, she reached a paw out to touch it; wondering what would happen or what it would feel like to touch a rainbow.
Suddenly green smoke-like fog filled the air. Diana gasped and turned around to go back the way she came, but stopped in her tracks. Instead of the normal sidewalks, cars, buildings, people, and children there were rainbow colored skies, pink clouds, yellow buildings, and green flowers. She looked around amazed, and slightly terrified. Where was she? She looked around and noticed a few children working on something. She quickly made her way over to them, hoping that they would be able to explain all of this. She didn't like talking to 'normal' people, Chibiusa always warned her about that, but what choice did she have?
"Excuse me...where am I?" Asked Diana, trying to act normal and put on a brave face. The children turned around and looked at her.
"A bit too much celebrating, eh young one?" One of the children said while the other three giggled. "We're in T-aidh of course!"
"Celebrating? Celebrating of what?" The small children looked at her like she had three heads.
"It's Saint Patrick's Day!" They all seemed some what offended that she didn't know what was going on. Diana was even more confused than she was before. What and where the heck was T-aidh? And why weren't they having any type of reaction to her at all? Most people would freak out over a talking cat, but not them. They didn't even bat an eyelash.
"What are you?!" Demanded Diana. She was pretty certain there was no way that they were humans. They seemed a lot smaller than a normal child would and they wore all green clothes.
"Why, we're Leprechauns of course! Are you alright Missy?" It all had started to make sense, sort of. She touched the rainbow and was now in some sort of Leprechaun village where they were getting ready to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. She remembered Chibiusa reading her stories about magical leprechauns at the end of rainbows, but maybe instead of them literally being at the end of a rainbow...they were inside of it? Diana's head spun, with all the new and strange information she was taking in all at once she had started to feel dizzy.
"I don't...I don't feel too well." Mumbled Diana, before her vision went black.
--------
Diana sat up with a jolt, causing the pink haired girl she was sleeping on, to sit up as well.
"Diana? Are you okay?" Chibiusa mumbled sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Diana looked around. She was back in Chibiusa's bedroom, everything seemed to be normal. No green dressed people or rainbow colored skies. She slowly laid back down.
"Yeah...I'm fine Small Lady, it was just a weird dream." Chibiusa looked at her for a few minutes, giving her a few reassuring and calming pets on the back and laid back down as well. Diana closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep, while visions of Leprechauns and gold danced in her head.
- Old Stuff:
Hey guys! Welcome to the new Monthly Writing Contests for the Writing and Role playing Guild, hosted by yours truly! The purpose in these challenges is to have fun, to help improve your writing skills and to challenge yourself. I'm going to explain a bit of how this all works. But what's in it for me? That's a great question! If improving your writing skills isn't enough, we also have prizes! All participants and the winner will receive a little button they can display in their signature. Please check out the signature rules to see where you are allowed to put them in your signature. The prize stickers go from 1 win all the way up to 20! I'll give you a little sample below: Pretty cool huh? We can thank Sailor Mercury for her lovely graphics! You can also collect them all! So how does this work? I'm glad you asked! On the first of each month (I do apologize for posting this late I just found out today that I got this position!) I will announce a new writing theme! You write your entry, which needs to be kept secret from everyone, and send them to me via PM. On the 22nd of each month I will post all the entries received and I will open voting and you get to vote on your favourite entry! The entries will remain anonymous until it is time to announce the winner! There are rules so you do need to keep reading! The Rules![[Sanctioned][Contest] March ~ Luck o' the Irish Voting 1666276025](/users/2914/10/33/88/smiles/1666276025.png) Entries must be 1500 words or less. Entries must be rated PG-13 or lower. Entries must be related to the theme, but they can be interpreted however you like. This means the themes are pretty wide and have lots of room for interpretation! Entries must be newly created for this contest. There are two submission categories! One is Sailor Moon Themed and one is Non-Sailor Moon Themed. You can submit one entry for both categories! Entries must be kept secret so this means DO NOT show anyone your work or post it online until after the contest is over! This Months Theme: That's right! This months theme is Luck o' the Irish!! If you have any questions please do not hesitate to PM me or ask below. Remember, all entries are due by March. 22nd!
Last edited by Addelyn on 29th March 2015, 9:28 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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