July 2010 Writing Challenge - TIEBREAKER POLL

[Culhwch]

My sincere apologies for not setting this up sooner - work interfered. I tell you, if they didn't pay me...

So to the tiebreaker poll!

Firstly, congratulations to both The Judge and Teresa for writing such exceptional stories that the good voting public of the Chrons couldn't seperate them!

The stories, for your consideration, in order of posting:

THE FOUNTAIN OF FAIR-SEEMING
by Teresa Edgerton

Two meet by chance before the crystal basin
Lavinia, neat and plain; wild Rosabella, her hair a crown of flame.
Suspicious, Rosabella hesitates, for fairy gifts are unreliable.
Lavinia -- breathless, ardent -- stoops and laves her face,
And so acquires beauty to pain the heart.

In rustling silks, Rosabella kneels upon the grass
She does not know -- but will know soon enough -- the waters rinse away
Disguises wealth, rank, and circumstance bestow
Revealing what lies beneath.

Consequences – Terrifying rape of yesteryear fuels a long, long siege
by The Judge

A god he comes, and male, but not a man,
Concealing brutal lust from jealous eyes.

He strikes. Cruel beak engrasps her neck,
Heedless of her pain as Leda cries.

Pale naked body laid between white wings;
Webbed feet, as black as pitch, subdue the ravished thighs.
A savage thrust, and honour dies.

Illium thrown down, great Hector slain,
Ten years of war, of death, of blood-filled lies,
For momentary pleasure in a swan’s disguise.

Please vote for your favourite in the poll above, and best of luck to both TJ and Teresa!

 

[Boneman]

erm... aah... nothing... (shuffles off embarrassed - was going to say it didn't say when the poll closed, and then I saw it in the headed bit)...oops

 

[Erin99]

When you're a guest there is no poll closing date. I just discovered that. So to all those who can't see it: "This poll will close on 1st August 2010 at 02:23 AM".

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

No, it depends on your time settings. For me, it says 6:23 pm, on July 31.

I conjecture that Culhwch added an extra hour and twenty-three minutes to the usual 11:59 pm GMT, to reflect the fact that he was a little late setting up the poll.

 

[Erin99]

Ah, okay. Well, mine's UK time, then, for anyone who doesn't know where I'm from.

It is a weird end time, here. I'll likely be in bed and won't find out the winner until the next day. The anticipation!!!

 

[Culhwch]

No, it depends on your time settings. For me, it says 6:23 pm, on July 31.

I conjecture that Culhwch added an extra hour and twenty-three minutes to the usual 11:59 pm GMT, to reflect the fact that he was a little late setting up the poll.

That, and the fact that the forum software only allows you to close threads in x days, rather than controlling the exact hour one will close. But we budget for two days of tie-breaking, so that's not a huge issue...