Toronto Dare Thread!

Because, you know, we`re so awesome we need our own dare thread. And I`m so daring I have to start it.

So I dare you to include one of the following in your Nanovel:

1-Green flamingos. It can be natural or unnatural depending on your world and your take on life ;)
*Bonus points if they actually play a major role in the story.

2-An old lady who sells pigeon pot pie out of a dodgy wooden stand.

3-A very rich talking cat.
*Bonus points if its name is Maurice
**Double bonus points if you know the reference.

4-A character who consistently says ``That`s inconceivable`` when something goes wrong.

and
5-A giant man-eating purple canary.

But... the Purple Canary is your friend!

Some additional Dares:

Use the names of subway stations for people and places.

Have someone ride a Centicycle.

:D Definitely going to steal some dares.

[Inspired by the one above]
Dare: Have your characters have a subway adventure.
Bonus Points: Have it be the TTC.
Double Bonus Points: Have it be the London Underground.
Triple Bonus Points: Use both.
Quadruple Bonus Points: Have your climatic battle take place inside a subway car.

Dare: Have a shrink ray show up.
Bonus Points: Spoof the fight scene from "The Incredible Shrinking Man".
Double Bonus Points: Have it be important to the plot.

Dare: Have a conspiracy run by elves secretly controlling history.
Bonus Points: They shot Lincoln. How?
Double Bonus Points: They want to assassinate your protagonist.
Triple Bonus Points: One of your characters is a mole for them.

I tip my hat to you if you use one of these. And if you do, can I read it, please? :D

Since this is the Toronto dare thread, I'll throw in a few TO-specific ones:

- Have a key scene take place at Sneaky Dee's
Bonus points: If one or more characters would normally never set foot in a place like that, and are horrified by the graffiti.
Double bonus points: If your story is not otherwise set in Toronto.

- Have Casa Loma as the villain's secret lair.
Bonus points: If the villain still lets the tourists come in by day.

Dare: Death by falling cutlery.
Bonus points: If its spoons.

I'm taking the green flamingos. Specifically, they're going to be neon green flamingos used as backdrop in a cheesy Vegas drive-thru chapel. Possibly Hawaii-themed. Definitely Hawaii-themed. And a character is going to die because of them.

Here's my dare: a happy suicide. No depression involved whatsoever. The suicidee is not intending to escape pain or seek some heavenly reward, but is still, somehow, excited and impatient to kill themselves. Yaaaaay, I get to die!
You get bonus points if: the method of self-nullification is either exceptionally bizarre, or exceptionally public.

I am going to try and incorporate as many of these as possible into my story! (Possibly out of desperation for lack of creativity on my part) I'll just make it work.
Also I think the key scene at Sneaky Dee's idea should be on a Wednesday night (90s night!). I'm sure it will add excellent atmospheric qualities to any story.

Haha! If I go with my second (random) idea, I will have to use some of these.

Also, I shall return at a later date to add a few dares of my own. My brain is currently too sleep-deprived to properly think or create. I believe I am also becoming ill. It is possible my major lack of sleep lately (in addition to the cold and wet weather the last few days) may be the cause.

AHA! I just thought of something bizarre...

I DARE you to INCLUDE:

- A Motorcycle (or motorcyles) with a human heart powering it or a human soul. More points if it's both and sentient.

I appreciate the #4 reference :D
I grew up on that movie.

And I'll try number 2!

Have a scene in which your characters eat Poutine,
-Bonus points if one of them writes something about poutine and complains about it not being in the spell check's dictionary.

I'm totally taking the green flamingo dare: a steampunk world it seems to fit that over time the shrimp they eat turn green as the algae in the water increases, and as a result the flamingos turn green.

The ultimate dare: work the word "Plunger" into your novel once per chapter.
Double points if it's every page.

I have a plunger obsession that happens when I go nano crazy. I blame this : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFOSZdkb_g8&feature=relmfu

I DARE YOU TO HAVE A SQUIRREL WHO EATS KETCHUP.
*Bonus points if it's out of those little packets
**Double bonus points if it appears at really crucial story points, spends twenty minutes breaking into the packet of ketchup, and then disappears.
***Triple bonus points if this happens more than once.
****Quadruple bonus points if you nanomail me the excerpt.

Seriously. I saw this squirrel. By my school. It was weird.

Dare:

Include one or more naked mole rats in your story
BP if they're sentient
DBP if they're evil
TBP if they are trying to get your human character(s) involved in their evil plots
QBP if they have an entire army of naked mole rats with teeny tiny armor.

A lot of these ideas wouldn't really fit in my novel, but I did turn out to be able to make use of theshapeshifter's dare! behold:

“Seriously? THIS is where you’re having the meeting?” Brett looked distinctly uncomfortable as they walked into Sneaky Dee’s, a Mexican restaurant/bar that had been a fixture of the College Street strip as long as anyone could remember. Also out of place, since he’d come dressed in what could most charitably be described as business casual, with the emphasis on the business, not the casual, and most of the other patrons were in various combinations of faded denim and black leather — it was a popular pre- and post-clubbing hangout for the alternative crowd.

“Why not?” Dag asked. “They’ve got good food, cheap beer, and the music doesn’t get too loud until a bit later in the evening. We should be done by then.” He still wasn’t even sure why Brianna had brought Brett along, but since he was technically a TERA member, even if not a very active one, he was allowed to sit in on executive meetings if he wanted to.

“This is your idea of not too loud?” Brett asked, one eyebrow raised.

“It’s at bit quieter toward the front,” said Brianna. “That’s where we usually sit. And hey, you wanted to get a bit more used to TERA’s ‘organizational culture’, I think you called it? This is as good a place as any. And it’s no worse than some of the places you’ve come out to when I’ve been doing poetry slams.

“Oh, I’m sure it’s a great place,” he said unconvincingly. “It just seems like an odd choice for a business meeting...”

(context: the conservative yuppie boyfriend of one my characters has come with her to a meeting of the radical environmental group she works with.)