nc_ooc | September 2021 Writing Prompts

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September 2021 Writing Prompts

August was a super heavy super busy month for a lot of us but bow howdy I was not ready to realize it was already gone! September is here. The end of summer, the turn toward the holiday-heavy year end approaches. Let's see summer out with some new prompts to fire the imagination and get folks back into writing shape.

And As always--

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.

September's Writing Prompts

1. What’s a taste or smell that will always remind your character of their childhood?

2. One last hurrah before the weather turns.

3. “Do you know how far I had to travel to get these?”

4. A sudden upheaval.

5. “So... now what?”

Bonus image prompt:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“Do you know how far I had to travel to get these?”

Their first year away from home had been quite the adjustment. Isamu, of course, had thrown himself into his studies, making high marks in the both the core curriculum and his beginning engineering classes. Minoru had thrown himself into one job after another, and was currently bored stiff working register at a local grocery store. Coming home for the New Year celebration was a welcomed break, but by the time spring came, they were feeling the homesickness yet again.

That was, until Minoru walked in after a painfully dull 6 hour shift…

“Woah.” He perked up the minute he opened the door to their tiny apartment. It was unmistakable - that rich, yet mellow aroma of spices, the lightly roasted smell that comes from frying flour in oil, the fragrant scent of freshly sautéed vegetables. He kicked off his shoes and hurried over to the kitchenette. “That smells just like Mama’s curry!”

“I would hope so.” Isamu smiled, looking up. “It is.”

“Man, that smells just like home.” He grinned, leaning over the counter. The pan was full of thick, meaty mushroom slices and colorful chunks of kabocha, eggplant and asparagus.

“I know our birthday is not for another couple of weeks, but I did not have any afternoon classes today, and so I thought, why wait? You looked like you could use the pick-me-up of an early present.”

“Thanks, Bro…” Minoru closed his eyes and just took in the scent. He could almost taste it. “You know, I still remember when Mama made it like that for the first time.”

“Indeed. We were eleven. It was the first dish she made after you announced to everyone that you were now a vegetarian, three days before Christmas, mind you.”

Minoru laughed. “And Papa eagerly offered to take my portion of the fried chicken if I didn’t change my mind.”

Isamu chuckled as well. “You did not change your mind.”

“Nope…”

Isamu knew how much the meal (and the memories) meant to his brother when, on their birthday, instead of a book, he too received a present that involved a well-loved scent: A candle that smelled like books.

The past few months had been quite the blur.

When Isamu was home, he buried himself in books. When he wasn’t, he was at the University lab conducting research on xenobiotics and neurotransmitter systems, examining and cataloging various neurotoxic effects. He presented his graduate thesis, with Minoru hiding out in the hallway just to congratulate him when he obviously passed. He received his degree, with family coming not only from across the country but across the world. He now had his pick of doctoral programs at multiple prestigious universities.

Which meant, he now had quite the decision to make.

For Minoru, aside from a few celebrations and getting the cops called on him for parkour-related trespassing again, it was mostly business as usual. The most intense thing he’d done was let his supervisor know that he was probably going to be putting in his notice during the summer, depending on when Isamu picked his doctoral program. His team was going to be disappointed, but where his brother went, he planned to follow. That wasn’t up for negotiation.

But it still came as a bit of a shock when, instead of the standard University brochure, Isamu showed Minoru a pamphlet for something called the Institute for Research and Interdimensional Studies.

“Nexus… uh, Nexus… is that in Canada?”

“Well, it is technically international.” Isamu clarified. “Though, using that word might be a gross understatement.”

“Uh, come again?”

By the time Minoru could wrap his head around Interdimensional - and if his brother wasn’t explaining it in excruciating detail, he would have sworn this was some kind of movie plot - Isamu’s mind was made up. The opportunities were endless. The chance to collaborate with scientists from other planets, other galaxies, even other universes. The freedom to define his own research and pursue any number of fantastic topics. So many things to learn. A traditional Ph.D. program seemed so constrained, so dull in comparison. But…

“I would still need to apply for a research grant, and likely set up residency within the Nexus in order to do so. There is no guarantee. However, should I be approved and accepted, the contributions I will be able to make in the name of science will be nothing short of extraordinary. I cannot even fathom the possibilities! It’s just…”

“What? It sounds like that’s definitely where you want to go.”

“Well, yes. And that’s it exactly.” Isamu sighed a little. “So… well… now what?”

Minoru slid over and pulled his brother into a one-sided hug. “We tell Mama and Papa where you’ve chosen to study and then start packing, of course.”

“This is not simply moving to another state.”

“Bro, I don’t care how fancy the science is, we’re still gonna need boxes.”

“No, Actually, yes, I do still need boxes. Quite a significant number of them to cover the books I have accumulated these past six years.” He nodded, then shook his head. “What I mean is, Minoru, you… you intend to come with me?”

“Of course!”

Isamu stared for a moment. The response was both surprising and entirely predictable.

“I said I’d go with you, wherever you went, didn’t I? So what if it’s in another dimension. The’ve got to have at least one hospital I can apply for a job at, right? You apply for your grant, I’ll get a job and we’ll take care of each other just like we always do.”

“You are certain?”

“Just like we always will.” He emphasized, squeezing Isamu tightly. “…but you’re driving the moving truck. I hate those things.”

“All right, all right. That sounds more than fair.” He laughed, and Minoru returned the smile.

“Look out, Nexus. Here we come!”

Thunderous applause only died down to allow the crowd to start chanting ‘One more song! One more song!’ The Spiders had just left the stage, but they’d be back for an encore. Maybe two. Minoru had been to more than enough concerts to know what to expect.

This show, though, had been particularly impressive. There was a palpable aura of emotion over the whole venue. Minoru, hidden up in the rafters above it all, could feel everything - Ziggy’s love, the energy of the audience below, the heat of the lights in front of him as they signaled that the encore was about to begin. It was the perfect night.

And then suddenly, it wasn’t.

Minoru didn’t know what pulled his attention from the stage, maybe a stray click or a bit of movement in his peripheral vision. He glanced to the right, and quickly realized that he wasn’t the only person hiding up in the rafters.

There was somebody else crouching on the middle set, carefully staring down the barrel of a gun…They were watching, waiting for the curtains to part so that Ziggy could make one last grand entrance. The first few notes of Mick’s guitar felt like daggers in Minoru’s chest. Excited screams rose like bile in his throat. They all knew the song. It was ‘Rock n Roll Suicide.’ Ironic, the papers would say. Tragic…

Minoru didn’t think. He didn’t have time to think. Taking what little running start he could get on the narrow catwalk, he leapt into the air. He caught a bar above him, swinging again to close the distance between him and the gunman. He might have screamed. It might have been someone below. A string broke. Minoru came up short. Miraculously, he managed to snag the assailant’s left leg as he frantically grabbed for anything he could reach. The gun went off, but into a stage light. And time, instead of taking a cigarette, seemed to stand still.

Screams turned into silence, and then into an entirely different sort of screams. Minoru held on. The gunman, pulled from the rafters, dropped his weapon to catch the ledge. He almost missed, but somehow managed to hold on too, his chest slamming against the metal and knocking the wind from his lungs. Minoru felt the jerk, but didn’t fall. People trampled over the discarded gun and broken glass, pushing and shoving in every direction. It was chaos.

But dangling 25 feet in the air, everyone moved in slow motion. The sounds were blinding. The arena lights were deafening. A few words cut through the rising panic, or maybe Minoru just imagined them. Everything was far too intense to be real.

“Everybody stay calm!”
“Security!”
“Where’s Ziggy? Get the Spiders out of here!”
“Minoru!”

He swore he heard his name.

As Damien and the other security personnel fought their way through the stampeding crowd, Minoru fought to hold on. The gunman, of course, was desperately trying to pull himself back onto the catwalk. He kicked his legs, but Minoru tightened his grip. His pants sagged, and Minoru felt himself drop several inches. When he tried to climb, the ledge was just out of reach.

“Minoru!!”

Someone was definitely calling his name.

He turned his head, narrowly missing the assailant’s other kneecap as it swung forward. Most of the crowd was still running, but some had stopped to watch. Security had made a hole, and Damien was standing in it.

“Hang on!” Someone shouted.

But the Diamond Dog screamed louder. “Jump!”

Minoru didn’t think. He didn’t have time to think. He simply jumped. When the gunman kicked his feet, his fingers slipped, but Minoru had already let go.

For Minoru, time finally took that cigarette. For everyone else, though, the two and a half story fall must have stretched into eternity. The gunman flailed, smacking the other ledge of the catwalk, but failed to grab onto it. He screeched like a dying bird, his limbs thrashing in every direction like four broken wings. He hit the ground with a sickening crack, his back and neck completely shattered upon impact. Minoru, on the other hand, felt his entire body relax. He didn’t resist the fall. Instead, he broke it, spreading out the impact over as much of his body as possible as he slapped the ground and rolled to a stop. Neither men moved.

One was dead. What remained of the crowd was dead silent.

Immediately, the security guards swarmed the body. Damien bolted to Minoru’s side as the traceur tentatively wiggled his fingers and flexed his ankles. Minoru was shaken, but conscious. Bruised, most certainly, but not broken. He was vaguely aware of Damien’s hands inspecting him for injuries, almost positive he heard someone mention a medic was on their way. He sat up just as they told him not to move, and turned to face a veritable army of stunned faces.

“Ziggy?” Minoru gulped. “Did he…”

“Everybody’s safe.” The Diamond Dog confirmed, and Minoru felt his heart settle back into his chest. He very nearly laughed out loud in relief. That was an encore they’d hopefully never have to repeat.