Happy New Year! The first prompt of 2014 is: regret Looking forward to what everyone comes up with!

Thanks for starting the year, RB! P.S. I regret that I haven't come up with anything yet, but I'm sure I will be inspired!

Originally posted by Daniella T Thanks for starting the year, RB! P.S. I regret that I haven't come up with anything yet, but I'm sure I will be inspired!

Oh, DT, in spite of the hydrocodone I've been taking, I found that to be PAINFUL!

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Aw, poor Jinpei. Here's to hoping he feels better soon.

KT ... yep ... poor Jinpei! But, who can resist chocolate cake?!!!!

Typical kid move- I wonder if Jun made the cake? *grin*

Springie - LOL, depends how the prompts go.....

I would definitely eat the entire chocolate cake... and not regret it!

even if it was one of Jun's 'creations'?

Not such a good start to the New Year for Jinpei! Nice one, KT!

Didn't think anything was going to come to me this week, but, here's my contribution: *********************** Staring into the mirror and checking himself over, Joe cleared his throat, and straightened his tie with a grease grimed hand. It felt like a noose around his neck and he grimaced. He hated monkey suits--give him a T-shirt, jeans and a leather jacket any day. But he had to admit, as he caught his reflection over his shoulder, he did scrub up pretty well. Well, aside from the grease that had been ground into the knuckles of his right hand, and under his fingernails. No amount of scrubbing would get it out, and he was running late already. With a sigh, he shrugged into his jacket and grabbed his keys. Joe stepped out of the trailer and turned slightly to lock the door behind him. It was cold out, and his breath plumed in the air in front of him. Cursing under his breath, he hastily made his way to the G2 and started the car. While letting it idle, he picked up the flyer that was sitting in the passenger seat, studying it. The glow of the dashboard lights cast a green tone over the paper. Shaking his head, he snorted at the rather large woman with long blonde braids and the horned helmet in the advertisement. He was going to kill Jinpei. The runt won tickets to the opera a few weeks back--how or why he entered a contest to win them was beyond Joe, but Jinpei had promised to take Jun, since she was so fired up to go. Well, the squirt managed to get himself sick somehow, and had to beg off. And of course Jun didn't want to go alone, she wanted to drag someone else along with her. Ken paled at the thought, and he stammered out something about needing to be up early the next morning to take care of a backlog of air deliveries. As for Ryu, the big guy was suddenly nowhere to be found, only a half eaten burger and the Snack's door closing was left in his wake. That left him. He had been lounging in one of the booths, drinking coffee and reading racing magazine, half listening to the conversation up at the bar. Before he knew it, Ken was gone too, having fled for parts unknown, and Jun turned her big green eyes his way. Joe tossed the flyer back onto the seat next to him, throwing the G2 into gear. He just knew he was going to regret this. Yeah, Jinpei was dead meat.

LOVE this! Oh, the imagery of Joe in that "monkey suit" has me swooning (even with the grimy hands)! I am cracking up about the opera, too! For some reason, I am imagining him getting a bit soppy/sentimental during the opera (in spite of himself- fat lady vikings make him cry), trying to hide it from Jun, and when he can no longer hide it...blackmailing her not to tell the others about it! LOL!

at least Jun will be able to watch the performance in peace, and won't have to worry about Joe showing her up... I can't imagine Jinpei would have enjoyed it so much!

Springie: Aw, thanks! It's a continuation from Prompt #101 (if you want to read how Jinpei got those tickets). LOL. And yes, Joe in a suit..... KT: Yeah, you have a point. Even though he's running late, he won't back out on her.

You guys have missed the point... Joe is taking Jun on a date...

Originally posted by Transmute Jun You guys have missed the point... Joe is taking Jun on a date...

I'm sensing romance between Joe and Jun just round the corner! Maybe in a future instalment, RB! Love it, RB!

Originally posted by Transmute Jun You guys have missed the point... Joe is taking Jun on a date...

I'd have thought if Joe was taking her on a date, he would seem a bit more pleased about it. It looks to me like he's only going under duress....

Originally posted by Transmute Jun You guys have missed the point... Joe is taking Jun on a date...

Really? Doesn't seem like it to me, sounds more like he'd been cornered into something he didn't want to do. 1)He hates his clothes. 2) he's ticked that his cohorts have all either begged off, or bailed... AND--Jinpei doesn't count cuz he is sick, and why on earth would he be mad at a sick little kid.. However....You've got some nice description, although it gets a little heavy at times...AND a lot of Opera's are sung in Italian...and as KT just pointed out to me in our discussion on this particular fic, that would give Joe at least the opportunity to either be sucked into the story or at least serve as translator...however the horned woman seems to reference Wagner's Ring Cycle- which I think is sung in German...although I am sure they would provide subtitles...

I was being tongue in cheek with that post. Clearly Joe's not excited about the excursion. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't the opportunity for him to enjoy it more than he thought eh would... for a variety of reasons...

KT -- I so totally sympathise with Jinpei!!! RB -- Who knows, maybe Joe will decide he likes opera after all -- he's probably not listened to any opera before, has he? Excellent piece of description of a teenager rebelling against his tie and suit! And I LOVED the image of Ryu dashing out and leaving his burger behind!

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Hopefully my post showed up. If y'all don't see a prompt fic from me above this post, let me know! KT: Hehe, why can I picture her finding Jinpei the night before all covered in chocolate and crumbs? Redbird: LOL, poor Joe. Serves him right for only half listening. I bet he does scrub up quite well! Wonder how many times Jun is going to whack him and telling him to stop scowling and scaring the other patrons.

k2: Oops, saw yours was there, got distracted, and posted my comments before reading it ... okay, here goes ... I find parts of this a bit confusing, but I'm not sure if it's because I'm reading it so spread out. I can't seem to recall the exact context of the previous scene. I think maybe the observation about the ladder being where it shouldn't is too coherent given the disjointed nature of the rest of her POV here. It kind of steps out of her POV. Can definitely feel her determination, here.

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Well, let's keep in mind that Ken's the one who told them where to look. He's probably been waiting for some sign that the ISO has come to scope things out. Joe's also 16 like him, so I think that build might stand out a little, at least for someone who was really looking. I kept not being able to decide how this was gonna go down. Finally made myself commit. No idea if Joe's getting out safely or not.

k2 - your piece certainly shows Iona's determination and commitment to the team. I doubt there would be many who could turn their back on their mother in such a fashion, regardless of what the mother was attempting to do..... Although, it could be possible that Iona intends to return for her when she has summoned help. Chris - I'm wondering how long it took Ken to come up with his little trick. Although I can't see Nambu being too happy about Joe getting rumbled so easily on his very first 'mission'.

KT: Very fitting! Redbird: Glad you are continuing this one. What fun! K2: Poor Iona. I hope she can find help soon. Chris - So glad to see you writing again! I can see I've got some catching up to do. --- Princess slumped on her canopy bed, pillows to the right of her, a fluffy cat peeking out from under a down comforter to her left. The tissue box was long empty; wadded kleenexes filled the small trash can beside her bed and littered a portion of the floor. Two days. Two days since the funeral and she'd scarcely noticed. How long could she keep functioning without a proper meal, without a decent night's sleep? I don't care. Go away. She swatted violently at her thoughts, waving her arms like a crazed person. Fragments of his last breath filled her consciousness: a glance toward the fatal corridor, the one she forgot to check; the sudden chill in the air; the frightening sound of bones breaking; and, finally, the smug chortle of the Devil Star, a haunting cackle that echoed long after he lay quiet, the pool of blood still warm beneath him. I can get through this. I have to. Her wrist communicator chirped and Princess struggled to focus her swollen eyes on the face of the watch-like device. "G-2 here," she rasped, and the very words choked her, filling her with regret. They were no longer a team of five. Their bond of invincibility was irrevocably shattered. And it's all my fault. "Princess, are you all right?" Tiny's voice was distorted through the device, but she could practically see his downcast expression, the corners of his eyes red from crying. She shook her head, stammered no out loud, and burst into fresh tears. Clicking off the device, she buried her face in her hands. It will never be all right again.

jublke: Wow, that was powerful ... it's haunting wondering which of them has died ... It's great to see new stuff from you! My current storyline starts at week 94. The prompts have been a good way to slowly get the brain working again.

And this time, my crazy mind went straight to the Galactor minions and captains! I'm sure some of you could come up with better lines for these "motivational" posters! LOL!

Springie: Oh man, throughout the 3 series I'm sure we could find hundreds of examples for those! At least one of those would have to be some play on "My mom was right, I should have been a ____"

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Originally posted by ChrisW Springie: Oh man, throughout the 3 series I'm sure we could find hundreds of examples for those! At least one of those would have to be some play on "My mom was right, I should have been a ____"

I agree! I'd love to see some more of these done! If anyone gets inspired, I used the Big Huge Labs website to make the motivational posters... they also have a lot of other fun apps that I have played around with in the past...*grin* Big Huge Labs

I'm not sure where the smelly uniform idea came from but once I had it, I couldn't resist running with it. Goons don't seem to be a particularly classy bunch. Whether from doing a lot of manual labor and not cleaning their uniforms often, or just not cleaning themselves often, I can see it happening ... I'd think that every once in a while throughout the war that when they need to "borrow" a uniform they might get a rather unpleasant surprise, hehe. I was deliberately not using "goon" in that one because it's pre-war and I don't see Nambu using the term with them. I imagine someone on the team must have called them goons at some point and it stuck (or they overheard someone else using the term).

Jublke - so sad, I really feel for Princess, although I'm thinking she's experiencing survivors guilt here. Would really like to know what happened, and whether it's Mark or Jason whose funeral they've just attended. Springie - so funny, although I think their biggest regret was signing up for Galactor in the first place....

K2, I can see how Iona is having to rely on her instinctive training! You've painted her desperation well. Julie, this is another powerful piece. I can well imagine that Princess would be haunted by such an event, especially being present, and feeling like it was her fault.

k2: I agree with the everyone when they say Iona is a determined woman! Jublke: Ooh, I'm wondering who this involves! Perhaps Jason only because a Devil Star (or did you mean to write Galaxy Girl?) was mentioned? It could be Mark though...... Springie: Good ones! Nice to see you getting back into the prompts! That first Galactor Goon always seemed to me like he had a toilet plunger on his head. LOL. (And if you want hysterical posters--google despair.com "---I think they're great, but I have a strange sense of humor so I'm told.) And KT: Those goons are definitely regretting signing up with Galactor!

Redbird: Thanks for catching that! Yes, Galaxy Girl. Somehow I just think of them as Devil Stars. It's a better name for them.

Okay...interenet issues seem to be resolved, got a whole new cable to the house and things seem to be holding steady. So here we go! Chris- Nice addition to the tale, I like the tension build, and the general feeling that something is about to go wrong here, and fast! Only two quibbles though, Joe seems overly fussy about the stink. I think, as highly trained as he is at this point, that it would be less of an issue. He'd acknowledge it and just move on. Secondly, why did he have a bunch of camera's on him if his orders were to be to just observe from the outside? Did I miss something? Jublke-oh dear! Poor princess. I wonder if it is Jinpei... Springie-Laugh out loud funny!

KT- I wish I could pig out on a chocolate cake and get a tummy ache, but I get hives. Jinpei planned it, I'm sure. RB- I'm gonna bet Joe ends up loving the opera. he'll probably have to translate for Jun. K2- I like that Iona is using training time with Joe to goad herself on. It shows their link again. CW - This is for both 105 and 106 - Joe is showing his impulsiveness and Adam sees more than willing to feed it. Ken's joking has got Joe wondering about himself. Hmmm..... Julie - Survivor's guilt it is. I'm wondering whether it was Mark or Jason. Springie - Bozo BWAHHHHH!!! I remember Bozo.

K2: How like Joe to yell at her to say "No sir!" when she was hanging on the rope. But in the end I think her training will serve her well. Jublke: At first I thought of Jason, but then, reading K2's comment, I'm also wondering about Keyop... CW: I like it that now Joe has to trust Ken...plus I really enjoyed Ken's little joke on him! Springie:

Based on a favourite ep... //"So what are you telling me, Tom?" asked Mark tensely, his eyes looking straight at his friend. At the man he assumed was his friend, and who had suddenly appeared in his life again, with startling news. "I'm saying your father is alive, and he is on Riga." Mark took a deep breath. He could feel something wrong. ?But he could also feel an overwhelming desire to go to Riga and see for himself. "So what are you going to do, Mark?" asked Tom impatiently. "I'm going to regret this..." said Mark. "But I'm going to regret it more if I don't go...So lead the way, Tom. Let's go."//

Daniella, that makes perfect sense! Sometimes emotions override our logic and reason. Even while Mark realizes this, he still has to go.

I've really enjoyed what I've read so far! However, I think I need to point something out in regards to Julie's contribution: neither Tiny nor Keyop could have been the one killed, since they were of a lower rank than Princess. Since she'd gone up to G-2, it meant either Mark or Jason died. (Of course, I really don't like the thought of any of the birdies biting it....)

This was exactly what I was just going to say! Good point, EW.

Originally posted by ElectricWhite However, I think I need to point something out in regards to Julie's contribution: neither Tiny nor Keyop could have been the one killed, since they were of a lower rank than Princess. Since she'd gone up to G-2, it meant either Mark or Jason died.

Nice episode tie in, DT! Good to see BoTP getting some prompt time!

DT- Yeah, and he did regret it. I still wonder about those episodes- how would Tom know what Mark's dad looked like? Did Mark show him a picture at some point? How would Tom remember him?

Originally posted by ElectricWhite I've really enjoyed what I've read so far! However, I think I need to point something out in regards to Julie's contribution: neither Tiny nor Keyop could have been the one killed, since they were of a lower rank than Princess. Since she'd gone up to G-2, it meant either Mark or Jason died. (Of course, I really don't like the thought of any of the birdies biting it....)

I cried when I wrote the next installment. And for the first ten or so times I read it to edit it.

That's a good sign that the scene is working, jublke. Even if it's hard on the tissue supply.

Daniella T: Oh yeah, he's gonna regret that for sure, in so many ways ... poor Mark ... bad Chief and Cronus for putting him in this position ...

K2 .. I agree with all the others that this piece of yours is all about Iona's determination and loyalty towards the team. I hope she finds help soon and am anxious to know what happened to the Owl. CW .. your story is becoming ever so intriguing! Can Joe trust Ken? I think that not only Ken's big blue eyes raise the hairs on the back of Joe's neck but even his dexterity! As to getting into stinky uniforms he doesn't even know how many times he has yet to do the thing without a wince! Julie .. oh, such a powerful piece .. my heart is crying to reach out to Princess! Yes .. I so wish to know who has fallen in battle! Has Princess become G2 because Mark died and Jason was promoted to be the new Commander, hence everyone stepping up a scale, or did Jason die with Princess becoming G2 in his place? Springie .. those are just priceless! I bet every Galactor member regrets not having read his contract accurately before applying for the job!

DT .. that's really a very good use of the prompt!