An Ill-Timed Joke
It’s time for Friday Fictioneers again! As always it’s hosted by Rochelle, and our task is to write roughly 100 words on a photo prompt, which this week has been supplied by Al Forbes.
I had major word limit problems with this one (plus a lack of ideas, if I’m honest) – hopefully it still makes some sense! It was going to be all dark and spooky (whooo!) but it turned out, well, neither dark nor spooky.
You can read the other entries here – it’s updated all the way through to Tuesday as new posts are added so be sure to check back. You could even have a go yourself!
Copyright Al Forbes
The head gazed out over Athens.
Aethon gazed out from the head. He’d been stuck in that damn head for aeons.
He’d been joking about how Hermes was the “errand boy” of the gods. How, when in important conference, Hermes was the one they sent out for baked pita with extra feta and a side of olives (hold the anchovies).
How was he to know Hermes was two tables over, drinking with Dionysus?
Gods can’t take a joke.
Once he’d adorned Hermes’ greatest temple. Now he adorned the “Parthenon View” guest house.
Aethon almost smiled. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
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draliman on life 
May not be dark or spooky, but it was funny, lol 🙂
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Thanks!
I’m sure he’s not the only one to pass a comment about someone only to find out they’re standing behind them. It was just Aethon’s bad luck it turned out to be a god with no sense of humour. Hit a nerve, maybe? 🙂
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I guess that explains the look on his face 🙂
Your story was great–the cutting/editing problems you described did not affect the quality of the final version. I enjoyed the story very much.
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Yes, still wide eyed from his transformation after all this time!
I’m glad you enjoyed it. Before I published I changed some little bits to try to make what I was left with hang together as coherently as possible 🙂
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HAHA I love that
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I’m glad! Thanks for reading 🙂
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You’re welcome 🙂
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Loved it, especially the bit about baked pitta.
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Glad you liked it! I thought maybe that was the ancient Greek version of takeaway pizza 🙂
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Clever and well written.
Cool.
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Thanks for reading and enjoying 🙂
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I thought this was a decent, funny story. Politics and personality god squabbles. Great stuff. The ‘Parthenon View’ is still one of the best guest houses in Athens though.
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It is one of the more upmarket establishments. In keeping with all “Sea View” guest houses the world over, however, you can’t actually see the Parthenon from it 🙂
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ha…guess like Mom use to say…if you have nothing nice to say….well…. I enjoyed this.
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I’m glad you liked it! This was definitely one of those times when he should have taken mum’s advice!
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lol! the gods really cant take a joke..:-) poor guy.glad he got some tiny satisfaction in the end
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Yes, at least he got to see his antagoniser relegated from “living god” all the way down to “myth”.
Of course, in some fashion he’s been demoted along with Hermes!
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What a fun read-loved the humour:-)Well written!
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Thanks for reading and commenting, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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🙂
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Great story! Now I’m hungry for baked pita with extra feta and a side of olives. Give it to me! Pronto! 😉 I like Aethon – he’s funny. 😛
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I’m hungry too now. And it’s only 0735 😦
Maybe the adventures of Aethon will continue at a later date – I’m sure he’ll find a way to escape somehow…
Thanks for stopping by 🙂
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that flowed nicely despite any problems you had cutting to the word limit. Well done.
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Thank you!
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Dear Draliman,
Your story was light and funny and a breath of fresh air in the garden of talking heads. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Hi Doug,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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Dear Draliman,
Drat the pesky word limit! Glad you chose humor instead of spooky. That pita with extra feta whets my appetite. Nice one.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle,
There simply weren’t enough words for me to explain an adequate spookiness. I noticed others managed quite well though 🙂
It makes a change from my usual dark stuff anyway!
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Lol! Nope, the gods couldn’t take a joke. But you know what they say, “Pride goeth before a fall.”
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Hermes should’ve spent more time looking after his worshippers and less time getting blotto with his godly chums!
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Too right! Ah well, it was his loss. :p
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Oh, I just have to laugh. It’s a good laugh. thank you!
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I’m glad you had a good laugh and enjoyed my little story 🙂
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I thought this was really funny. I like how Dionysus made an appearance drinking with Hermes. It figures! I enjoyed this a lot.
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Dionysus is a bad influence on the others!
I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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Very cleverly written portrait of the comeuppance of a jokester. At least he has not lost his sense of humour.
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I think his sense of humour is the only thing that’s stopped him going crazy over the years!
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