February Writing Prompts 2019

[iam_senpai]

It's already February! Holy crap, January flew by didn't it? Well, it's that time again. Notice: prompt 1 is going to link back to last month's writing prompt for continued Winter Event Prose and PSLs. Please post anything that happens in February under that prompt. If you haven't I highly recommend tracking the post if you like to spy read.

Disclaimer: I never close old writing prompts from previous months. People can and should be encouraged to post on old month's prompts and I highly encourage players to track these posts to catch stragglers or new people writing on old prompts.

Now. With that out of the way, onto this month's prompts.

February's Writing Prompts

1. The Night is long, the weather cold. Stay a while and tell us a story, won't you? (do not post Winter event prose on this post, follow the link to where it should be posted.)

2. I'm not scared anymore

3. Choosing a side

4. Coming home

5. An unexpected guest

Bonus image prompt:

Comments

3. Choosing a side

[rogueinladysclothing]

Thoughts for Amelia's most beloved companions.

[the_rebel_son]

5. An unexpected guest A good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit

5. An Unexpected Guest (Ziggyverse AU)

[willoftheblackbird]

It had been a whirlwind since the tour started. At the same time that Kuro was traveling, opening for various bands - usually Svarte Ravner but sometimes Hexed or the Hammers - their first single was being mixed, mastered and produced. In between shows, they caught red-eye flights back to LA for music video shoots, and that too, went into production. It was exhausting and exhilarating, all at the same time.

And it was all leading up to this.

Ansgar and Mikkel spent the entire morning getting the booth decked out in the Agora Theater lobby. They’d rented screens, which were now playing a silent cut of Kuro’s first music video on an infinite loop. Several new t-shirts hung on the rack behind them, along with patches, stickers, bone jewelry and more. New posters from the cover art shoot, freshly signed, were stacked in one corner, along with copies of their first single, “Coffin,” on vinyl, disc and recording ball.

Jake, not to be outdone, had even shipped them the prop coffin that they used in the desert scenes. It was made of simple wood, sturdy enough to hold a person, but light enough to be carried easily. For the shoot, it had been fitted with hydraulics to make opening and closing both halves of the lid easier. Those were still there, but for tour, Jake also added a small bench inside for Dee to sit on, to take the weight off his legs during what could be a long VIP session.

“I can’t believe it, guys!” Johan exclaimed. “Our first single!”

“And our first solo VIP experience.” Rex echoed proudly.

It was a big deal. And to their surprise, they’d sold a bunch of tickets for it. Missy had been promoting it to the Hexed fanbase for the last couple of weeks. Press releases had dropped. Coffin was already getting airplay, but this would be the first time anyone could buy it. And if they came to the show, they’d get an autographed poster along with their copy, and a photo op with the entire band.

“How much time before doors open?” Jay asked.

Mikkel looked down at his phone. “About twenty minutes.”

He bent down to Dee, carefully planting a kiss between the warpaint. “You want to go ahead and get in the coffin?”

Dee nodded with excitement. “Yeah… We’d better.”

Johan helpfully lifted the entire lid, exposing the special seat inside. Jay wheeled Dee over, helping lift him up into it. That initial step was about as steep as the stairs inside the tour bus, which were still a problem for Dee. (And had now become part of his physical therapy regimen.) But once he was in it, the seat Jake had made was surprisingly comfortable. Johan unlatched the two pieces, and closed the bottom half of the lid. It was wide enough inside, or perhaps Dee was just thin enough, that he could slide his hands up and down without issue. He crossed them over his chest, trying not to obscure the bone necklace.

“…How does it look?”

Johan took a step back, and the others joined him. The dark red curtains made everything stand out. There were smiles all around.

“Like you’re about to rise back up and relive your glory.” Jay answered with lyrics to one of their songs, which made Dee grin.

Ansgar stashed the wheelchair behind the table along with the other chairs. And after a few costume adjustments, makeup checks and a quick redundant rundown from Tom on how everything was going to go, Damien signaled his team to open the doors. The line of fans made their way inside.

It was like an assembly line. Mikkel made sure each person had their poster and single - and did his usual fantastic job selling additional merchandise at the same time - and then they had their turn with the band. A few just posed for photos, but some asked questions or told little anecdotes about how they learned about Kuro. The band answered them all, completely in character.

There were a few other wheelchair users too, both ambulatory and not. They all exclaimed that they’d never seen a disabled artist on a major tour before, and were excited to see the show. One of them, who was barely a teenager and there with his parents, was even wearing warpaint to match the Prophet. Dee did his best not to choke up as he tried to impart some encouraging words of wisdom about never giving in or backing down. He ended up taking his feather earring out of his left ear and giving it to the boy. That family would cherish that moment for years to come. Kuro likely had a fan for life.

This went on for over an hour before the line finally started to wind itself down. And then, it was done… almost.

“Hang on, you’ve got one more!” Mikkel shouted from the table. “Just have to ring up a few more things!”

The band glanced over. The middle-aged couple may have been last in line, but they made up for it by purchasing at least one of everything! The woman was even putting on one of the new shirts over her own. Rex and Ansgar shared an excited fist bump. Jay grinned, and turned to Dee, “I knew we hired the right…”

Jay froze as the color drained completely from the singer’s face. The Prophet looked like he’d seen a spectre. Or, perhaps, was about to pass out.

“Shit… What’s wrong? Are you all ri…?”

Jay slid closer, reaching in to put a hand on Dee’s forehead. But before he could, the hydraulic lid to the coffin snapped shut. He yanked his hand back reflexively. If the rest of Kuro hadn’t heard the Mystic’s worried question, they all heard the coffin close.

“D…” Jay stumbled over his name as the couple approached for their photo op. “…Prophet?”

Ansgar looked at Jay worriedly. Rex did too, and then looked back at Johan.

The Tiger, being the naturally outgoing one, stepped in to shake their hands and invent a quick cover. “Sorry, looks like a wild magic surge. The energy of incredible fans like you was just too much!”

The couple nodded awkwardly, clutching their bags of Kuro merchandise. They looked like an average Midwestern couple, a bit shy compared to the rest of the fan base. Both were tall and thin. The man had short salt and pepper hair, which matched his button-up shirt. The woman had long and limp chestnut-colored hair, which had come loose when she put on the Kuro shirt.

While Johan kept them occupied, Jay was trying his best to lift the lid. But unfortunately, he got a surprising amount of resistance.

“Maybe it’s stuck?” Ansgar whispered.

“That never happened during the shoot.” Rex countered, leaning close to the seam. “Hey - If the button doesn’t work, can you just push? There’s a handle by the right side. We can help you lift it.”

Jay tried to lift it again, only to brush his fingertips along the back of Dee’s hand before the coffin lid squished them. Fortunately, it wasn’t hard enough to cause any lasting damage, but it did smart. Jay pulled his hand back, shaking it and just barely stringing together a Kuro universe-appropriate explicative. “Fu… by the Blackbird!”

The others were at a bit of a loss, and time was of the essence. Rex and Ansgar offered the couple the chance to take a photo with the rest of them. Which they accepted, albeit with visible disappointment in their matching blue eyes.

Mikkel, thinking quickly on his feet, pulled a different autographed poster out from under the table, and handed it to Ansgar with another pen, gesturing to the couple. The rest of the band caught on quickly.

“Here, let us personalize one for you… free of charge. It’s the least we can do to make up for the Prophet’s… um…”

“Wild magic surge.” The Tiger inserted again. “I'm sure the roar of the crowd will break the seal and set him free."

Those D&D nights on the tour bus were coming in handy.

“Who should we make this out to?” The Skjoldånd asked politely, putting the poster against the coffin to write.

The couple looked at each other, and then back to the musicians. The woman looked a bit embarrassed, and simply bit her lip. The man finally replied, “…George and Mary… Ferguson.”

...