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Worlds and Stories => SSSS & ARTD Board => Topic started by: Jitter on September 04, 2020, 01:35:19 PM

Title: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 04, 2020, 01:35:19 PM

Today’s page, with its double cliffhanger and discussion about them on the comments section inspired me to wonder. How many cliffhangers could there actually be on one page? Assuming current crew, and the different cliffhangers can’t negate each other (as in one character can’t be telling two different stories to generate a double cliffhanger).

So present your scene or collection of simultaneous scenes with maximum number of cliffhangers! Points are awarded for humor, originality, Minnionly interest and artistic presentation. All contestants are awarded with praise.

And... go!

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 04, 2020, 01:46:30 PM

I’ll start with a partial example to demonstrate the idea:

Emil is bleeding badly. He slumps forward into Lalli’s arms. Their faces are now very close. Lalli stumbles, hitting the bucket which falls into the well noisily. In the well, immediately next to which they are standing, is the thing that is in a well when Emil is nearby. Weakly, Emil mutters to Lalli: “Before I die, I need you to know one thing.” In the background, “shuffle” can be heard among the bushes.

I count six and I’ve only used two characters in this warmup.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: wavewright62 on September 04, 2020, 09:46:46 PM

Hrm, hrm. There is an existing Cliffhanger Appreciation thread, but that was mostly centered around your *favourite* chapter end cliffhanger (as at Adv. 1 Chapter 12). I'm not sure this line of thought meshes with that thread or not.
I could make a decision to merge the threads as a mod, but I can see either side. Here's that thread. (https://ssssforum.com/index.php?topic=927.0) Hrm, hrm...*more Ent noises*

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 05, 2020, 05:41:25 AM

I meant this as a quick pastime, akin to e.g. the riddle time thread, so it shouldn’t merge. It doesn’t seem to spark interest though so maybe we’ll just let it to sink to oblivion :)

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Róisín on September 05, 2020, 05:56:26 AM

Dunno, I like the idea, but haven’t had much time to think in the rushed bedlam that is currently eating my life.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Mirasol on September 05, 2020, 09:56:35 AM

Quote from: Jitter on September 05, 2020, 05:41:25 AM

I meant this as a quick pastime, akin to e.g. the riddle time thread, so it shouldn’t merge. It doesn’t seem to spark interest though so maybe we’ll just let it to sink to oblivion :)

No, please don´t let it sink into oblivion! It sounds like a fun challenge!
I have in fact made one, though I didn´t manage that many cliffhangers, I counted 11 I think?

So, I originally wanted to draw it, but I think that would take quite a while, so I´m just going to describe the layout of the page:

On the first two panels, Onni (plus Tuuribird), Kitty and Emil are waiting outside of a building the rest of the crew is currently investigating as Lalli went inside a while ago and hasn´t come back. Emil was originally supposed to guard Reynir too, but he ran inside because he had found something. Kitty is very concentrated digging something up on the ground quite close to the spot where Reynir found his thing, as Tuuri watches with huge interest.
Emil gathers his Finnish knowledge to try and say something to Onni, he gets up to "I think-", then the ground underneath him breaks and he falls.
Scene change, now inside the building. Mikkel just opened a box he found, and looks decently surprised at its insides, which is already a remarkable reaction when it´s coming from Mikkel. But before he can share his discovery, Reynir pokes his arm saying "I think I just saw movement over there..." The Icelander is still holding his own find in one hand, not having shown it to anyone.
Mikkel looks up, looking straight into the eyes of a troll right in front of him, so far we only see its claws. One of them is placed on a notebook labelled "insights of a new pandemic, by"- the name is hidden under the trolls foot. "I see...", Mikkel says, taking hold of his shotgun.
Mikkel doesn´t realize that Reynir did in fact not mean this bit of movement, but the one something on their left made.
From a room on their right Sigrun shouts: "Have you found the pipsqueak yet? I think he should see this..."
Above them, carefully watching through a hole in the ceiling is a red eye suspiciously reminding one of Dream Sea Serpant (http://www.sssscomic.com/comic.php?page=939).

I´m sure someone else could get a lot more cliffhangers out of this. Well, I tried. :'D

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 06:54:33 PM

Gah, *all* the cliffhangers! Okay, I doubt I can match that total, but let's think.

We see our crew from a perspective through the trees in a forest, centered on the large pack Mikkel is carrying on his back, which appears torn. There is a crow amongst the branches, ignoring the dripping leaves. The crew (who appear dry) is walking away from us, although we can see Reynir and Emil have turned their heads to look to one side. Lalli is in the front, with his hand in readiness on his puukko. Kitty is sniffing at a pile of rocks next to the trail, with her tail just beginning to take on bottlebrush proportions.

Sigrun is saying, "I've never tasted blueberries like that before."

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Vulpes on September 05, 2020, 07:15:27 PM

Quote from: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 06:54:33 PM

Sigrun is saying, "I've never tasted blueberries like that before."

You really need to expand on this one! :))

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 07:16:19 PM

Quote from: Vulpes on September 05, 2020, 07:15:27 PM

You really need to expand on this one! :))

*points at title of thread*

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Vulpes on September 05, 2020, 07:18:24 PM

Quote from: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 07:16:19 PM

*points at title of thread*

Doesn't mean you can't use one as a jumping-off point for a fic! It's blueberry season here, I guess I'm keenly attuned to all things blueberry.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 07:20:46 PM

Quote from: Vulpes on September 05, 2020, 07:18:24 PM

Doesn't mean you can't use one as a jumping-off point for a fic! It's blueberry season here, I guess I'm keenly attuned to all things blueberry.

(It is a seriously missing scene in Adv. II. The crew need to pig out on blueberries at some point. Or, Emil picks a bunch & is reallly happy until he remembers that Lalli doesn't like them.)

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Vulpes on September 05, 2020, 07:24:54 PM

Quote from: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 07:20:46 PM

(It is a seriously missing scene in Adv. II. The crew need to pig out on blueberries at some point. Or, Emil picks a bunch & is reallly happy until he remembers that Lalli doesn't like them.)

Hm... I just learned how to make a falling-off-a-log easy blueberry dish and figured it'd be a good thing for Mikkel to make, should they be in the Finnish forests in the right season. Perhaps I'll post it in the food thread, if it's not too long dormant.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 07:36:52 PM

Naaah, go for it! And it should be blueberry season-ish in Finland at the time of the current adventure, no?

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: thegreyarea on September 06, 2020, 06:13:21 AM

I love the idea for this thread and I'm sure we will have more contributions. I can't make one now but along the week I'll do it, after I open this curious ancient box that I found. :)
I managed to open the intricate lock! Now let's see what's inside.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challeng
Post by: Jitter on September 06, 2020, 12:39:05 PM

I’m glad you are amused by it after all!

I built further in mine and even sketched it to see if it would fit into one page. The sketch is really bad but it’s under the cut.

Spoiler: show

Top row: two panels as already described. Emil is bleeding badly and slumps in Lalli’s arms. They end up embracing, their faces really close together. Emil says “before I die, you must know...”. Lalli knocks a bucket on the well edge. In the bushes behind them, a *shuffle* is heard. The third panel is a close up of the well, showing the bucket fall and make a very loud noise. Two horizontal tunnels are seen to lead into the well, but they appear empty. In the bottom of the well there is something resembling lots and lots of hands.

Second row: Sigrun is leaning onto a tree, she has a big wound in her stomach. She says “I hope that was the last one”. Mikkel is looking at her wounds and says “At the moment I worry more about your injuries. Try to stay awake”. Next panel, Sigrun is unconscious, lying against the tree. There is a pool of blood under her. Mikkel is looking in the opposite direction and asking “What on earth is that?” Unseen by Mikkel, sickly looking tendrils reach from the tree canopy towards Sigrun.

Lower part: In panel 6, Reynir is holding a brownish filthy looking rag. The rag looks like there are some markings on it. “Look Onni, do you know what this is?” Kitty is looking somewhere out of the panel, all puffed up and going Mriiiiiiiii. Next panel Reynir and Onni are lying on the ground unconscious. The rag still looks like someone was holding it. Does it move?

Final panel, Dreamworld. Reynir is standing on the water surface. Onni is is the water, Reynir is trying to pull him out. There is no land visible. In the water with Onni are things with hands and tendrils. One of the hands is grasping Reynir’s ankle. The sky and the dream sea bathe in a reddish pallor, seemingly emanating from a red light source in the background.

Somewhere with room there is an insert panel showing Tuuribird (yes, it’s her, not a dream duck) looking startled as a black smoke or fog seems to encircle her.

I think I counted 16? Do you agree?

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Vulpes on September 06, 2020, 05:37:48 PM

Quote from: wavewright62 on September 05, 2020, 07:36:52 PM

Naaah, go for it! And it should be blueberry season-ish in Finland at the time of the current adventure, no?

I've lost track of comic time... and reality time, come to think of it. I thought it was more mid-summery in-comic, but here (similar enough climate, I think) blueberries are only really getting ripe in abundance now.

Off to post about campfire-friendly blueberry dishes!

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challeng
Post by: Vulpes on September 06, 2020, 05:41:17 PM

Quote from: Jitter on September 06, 2020, 12:39:05 PM

I think I counted 16? Do you agree?

Okay I have nothing to even approach this! How did you come up with so many? I love the sketch, who cares about finesse, it's well layed out.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 07, 2020, 09:43:59 AM

Ok Vulpes, I listed them for you. I came up to 18 now that I did.

Spoiler: show

BTW I was tempted for Mikkel to say "I'm more worried about you and the baby" but that would have been a bit more un-canonical than I was hoping for so I left it out :)

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Vulpes on September 07, 2020, 03:26:12 PM

Quote from: Jitter on September 07, 2020, 09:43:59 AM

Ok Vulpes, I listed them for you. I came up to 18 now that I did.
[...]
BTW I was tempted for Mikkel to say "I'm more worried about you and the baby" but that would have been a bit more un-canonical than I was hoping for so I left it out :)

Okay I'm even more in awe, I had just taken you at your word that there were 16 (or so). I get as far as thinking, "What would be a good cliffhanger?" and my brain goes blank. This is why I am not a writer!

Your alternative Mikkel comment above is pretty funny, but yes, I see why you omitted it.

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 07, 2020, 03:48:21 PM

Well, yes, my word is based on things :)

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Grade E cat on September 07, 2020, 03:56:34 PM

I may have something of decent quality, if not quantity.

Earlier in the story, there was a battle involving trolls in an Old World lab that was working on various strains of the Rash found in Finland. Cut to the story's present time, the group is on the way back to civilization and one of the immune characters decides to have a bath in a nearby lake because their shirt has been feeling itchy. They take their shirt off, and they have a familiar-looking rash on their shoulder.
[Coming up with horror stories that are much scarier than I realize isn't a bug, it's a feature >:D]

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 07, 2020, 04:26:08 PM

Whoo that would be terrible!

Everyone do post yours, they don’t need to always have even more cliffhangers! Originality, fun, terror and other features are important too!

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: wavewright62 on September 07, 2020, 04:52:27 PM

Siv files her most recent test results. She picks up the old snow globe, a souvenir from the Old World, left on the file cabinet in the lab, and gives it a shake.
"Let it gooooo"
What an odd idea to pop into her head, she thinks. She looks around, but there's nobody else in the lab. Only
the tanks.
She watches the glitter settle to the bottom of the globe for a moment. She hears an odd humming behind her.
One of the tanks has developed a crack, with ice crystals pushing out from it.
Siv runs to pull the containment alert alarm, but slips and falls on ice that has formed on the floor.

Spoiler: show

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: thegreyarea on September 07, 2020, 05:51:30 PM

Quote from: wavewright62 on September 07, 2020, 04:52:27 PM

Siv files her most recent test results. She picks up the old snow globe, a souvenir from the Old World, left on the file cabinet in the lab, and gives it a shake.
"Let it gooooo"
What an odd idea to pop into her head, she thinks. She looks around, but there's nobody else in the lab. Only
the tanks.
She watches the glitter settle to the bottom of the globe for a moment. She hears an odd humming behind her.
One of the tanks has developed a crack, with ice crystals pushing out from it.
Siv runs to pull the containment alert alarm, but slips and falls on ice that has formed on the floor.

Poor Elsa! It seems that the Rash can get fairy tales characters too! Things on Storybrooke https://onceuponatime.fandom.com/wiki/Storybrooke (https://onceuponatime.fandom.com/wiki/Storybrooke) must have been a mess...

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Jitter on September 08, 2020, 04:47:57 AM

Combining on my discarded idea and Grade E Cat's:

The troll hangs on Sigrun's shoulder by its many teeth. Additionally it has a sinuous tail with some kind of stinger in the end. Just as Emil cuts through the thing's ribcage forcing it to let go of Sigrun, the creature takes one final thrust and stings Sigrun's abdomen with the tail. Luckily the wound is small.

Next, Sigrun is sitting on a bed and Mikkel is patching up her shoulder. She says "that's just a flesh wound! And the sting in the stomach was really feeble, it's not really even bleeding! Just put some bandages on the shoulder and I'll be good as new!"

Mikkel sighs and looks at her with visible worry in his normally cool eyes: "We don't know whether the baby is immune".

Title: Re: Cliffhanger Challenge
Post by: Mirasol on September 08, 2020, 10:34:44 AM

Oh, these are getting more and more intriguing! I very much enjoy reading this thread! :))

The Stand Still, Stay Silent Fan-Forum

Worlds and Stories => SSSS & ARTD Board => Topic started by: Jitter on September 04, 2020, 01:35:19 PM