ye_olde_renault | Drabble/Drawble: Conversation Starters 101

Hullo!

We are fascinated by and more than a little invested in Mary Renault's Ancient Greece novels, but for various reasons have found ourselves side-tracked, distracted, not looking enough, definitely not as much as we want. We assume everyone here shares the love if not the distractions. Above all, we hoped (are hoping) for an open-access space for like-minds to meet. And this is one of the handful of things we have lined up to kick-start the conversation.

So, to cut the ribbons on this comm, we thought of a Drabble/Drawble Prompt Fest. Anonymous comments are enabled, come in your guise or in disguise and leave a prompt. Responses come in the form of drabbles, ficlets or quick sketches (we love stick figures! We swear by them!). Responders can also stay anonymous if they choose, obviously. Do as you will, we are too lazy to screen anything. *g*

One request: leave the fandom of your prompt and the title of your fill in the comment-header so we can figure out where to click if the threads roll up (oh thrilling thought!).

Hope the responses leave you presently-surprised-to-flabbergasted, in all the nice ways!

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From:

filia_noctis

Hephaistion's first impression of Aristotle.

fawatson

Hephaistion watched, bemused, as his friend ignored him, excited about Aristotle’s arrival. Slaves were still making the gangplank secure when Alexander handed him Boukephalos’ reins and leapt aboard, lightly running to the deck where he paused searching for his new teacher.

“There – he has found him,” remarked Antipatros. “It won’t be long now before Alexander expedites disembarkation.”

Hephaistion watched his friend charm the philosopher into abandoning his baggage to the servants. Formal introductions were brief and it was but a few moments delay until all were mounted. Alexander and Aristotle led the way, with Antipatros and Hephaistion in the second rank.

It provided an unparalleled opportunity to observe them together: bright golden youth and grey middle age. He looked like a philosopher, clearly no warrior. But he sat his horse competently, as a man should. And he appeared willing to answer questions which already Alexander was putting to him. Memories of the dour tutor his father had hired before Hephaistion joined the Court had not endeared him to the idea of yet more formal schooling. But this man smiled; that was different. Of course, sophistry and mathematics were all very well in their place, but had their limitations. Aristotle was clearly a thinker not a doer. The same could not be said of Alexander whose deeds already outstripped men far older than him. As long as the lessons did not interfere with weapons practice….