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If You Had Just Five Minutes, What Would You Say?

February 11th, 2011 by admin

That’s the motto of the Ignite event. Wazzer, intrigued by the “evening of speakers” trend that kept taking Willow out in the evening, asked to be brought along one night. Willow put some thought into which one would suit her happy headbanger flatmate best. Pecha Kucha‘s flickering images gave Willow motion sickness, and while Wazzer could be seen reading the shorter pieces in The New Scientist, Nerdnite seemed a little too abstruse for her.  So Ignite it was. At least one of its short, sharp topics, ranging from novel-writing to cancer survival to mayonnaise, would hit home.

They were in the event’s lobby, feeling smug as they waited to go in, having tallied up between them sightings of two burlesque dancers, three hackers, a polyamorous quartet, several prominent bloggers, and a transsexual.  “We should have cards for Wellington hipster bingo,” Wazzer was just saying, when a head of blue hair bobbed into sight.  Ulrika!

As they watch, Ulrika attached herself to one of the hackers, who steered her around to join the queue to enter the Ignite theater. Soon, the burgeoning crowd has hemmed her right up against Willow and Wazzer.

Wazzer’s grin is carnivorous. “Hiiiii! How are you? Not wearing your ring tonight?”

Ulrika, caught off guard, admits,  “He and I broke up over Christmas.”

“Ohhhh. Well, maybe if you did your hair differently –” Wazzer leaves off when Willow nudged her.

“Sorry to hear it. Should’ve told you more about him sooner,” says Willow.

This sinks in. Ulrika acknowledges it with a small nod. Just as she begins to try a smile, the theater doors are opened, and the crowd shuffles forward. Willow pulls Wazzer forward. “Poor her! The only thing worse than going out with Wayland was breaking up with him.”

Wazzer curls her lip. “Yeah, well, it’s not like she’s gonna stick around now, I bet she goes back to Europe.”

“Hm. You think?” says Willow. And they settle into some seats, each thinking.

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