IDEAS ON TUESDAYS 159

Each Tuesday, rather than a POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAY, I'd like to both challenge you and lend a helping hand. I generate more speculative and teen story ideas than I can ever use. My family rolls its collective eyes when I say, "Hang on a second! I just have to write down this idea..." Here, I'll include the initial inspiration (quote, website, podcast, etc) and then a thought or two that came to mind. These will simply be seeds -- plant, nurture, fertilize, chemically treat, irradiate, test or stress them as you see fit. I only ask if you let me know if anything comes of them. 

Popular Fantasy Story/Series: Harry Potter, et al

Trope: none

Current Event: none

Zoe Raven Jefferson a Nobody of Nobody, tried focusing on the hovering obsidian sphere as meditations proceeded, finally and slowly calming her turbulent head games, when a cry went up from outside, “Syzhin devils!”

The assembly leaped to its feet as the land raid siren began its mournful wail, echoing even to the depths of the Kylslithe University; everyone rushing to defend the battlements against the scourge of the world. Andre Xavier Xavier, a Bryshwyn of Bryshwyn grabbed her hand, yanking her to then end of the bench before Fendwyri  Alyn Wader – whose family opposed Xavier’s in everything – could take her with him. Even so, she tore free of him and ran with the rest of the students, teachers, workers, villagers, and soldiers garrisoned there and rushed to the battlements.

Raven raced up the stairs, but started when Xavier grabber her arm again, this time yanking her from the ground. She screamed, “I just want to walk!” as a whirlwind lifted them up to the top.

“Just say, ‘thank you’ and let’s defend the school!” he shouted.

Raven shook her head, shoved him away and ran to one of the magnifiers. Looking through it, she could see the boiling cloud far out over the Chapatti Plains of massive syzhin devils. Birds the size of pigs with immense wings, they flew because of a bladder filled with hydrogen ballooned over their backs and held them up. She scowled, shouting, “There’s so many!”

Heading for the garbage dump on in the foothills of the Jag Mountains east of them, Xavier shouted back, “Scavenging must be bad on the Plains.”

“Not as bad as it’s going to be now they they’re here!” said Fendwyri. “Those are UL-42s. Light, fast, but with semi-rigid wings.” The flight of ultralights armed with infrared lasers hummed overhead and out to meet the scavengers.

As the flight closed in, the cloud of devils suddenly expanded. “What are they doing?” Xavier said. The jovial good mood of those on the battlements poised to watch a routine battle where humans came out the winners shifted abruptly. Voices faded as the flight kept on straight as an arrow but the syzhin devils expanded around them.

The flight broke up as the ultralights attacked the targets enveloping them. Fendwyri said, “That the wayk are they doing?”

Someone on his far side elbowed him. He yelped as a girl’s voice said, “Watch the language! There are educated people on these battlements.”

Raven laughed but Xavier stared at the flight as they broke formation to soar and glide in every direction. He said, “No one’s ever flown against a flock of syzhin that’s not a standard head-on collision of forces. The pilots are targeting individual birds without considering the three dimen...”

Raven elbowed him as the ultralights sliced through the first syzhin, lighting the bladder and watching it explode. But while the pilot was shooting one, a second dropped down from above, shredding the wing’s metallic fabric. Spiraling wildly, the ultralight fell out of control along with four others down to slam into the earth and explode in a ball of flame as oxygen met fuel and hot laser parts.

The University battlements were silent now. The other pilots had stopped firing and were fleeing in complete disarray, just trying to escape the shrinking globe of sharp beaks and hooves as the aerial battle dissolved into chaos…

Names: ♀ Popular African American name, Australian Capital Territory, Common African American last name; ♂ Popular American name, Brazil

Image: http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/141/media-141186/large.jpg

IDEAS ON TUESDAYS 154

 

Each Tuesday, rather than a POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAY, I'd like to both challenge you and lend a helping hand. I generate more speculative and teen story ideas than I can ever use. My family rolls its collective eyes when I say, "Hang on a second! I just have to write down this idea..." Here, I'll include the initial inspiration (quote, website, podcast, etc) and then a thought or two that came to mind. These will simply be seeds -- plant, nurture, fertilize, chemically treat, irradiate, test or stress them as you see fit. I only ask if you let me know if anything comes of them.

Popular Fantasy Story/Series: Harry Potter, et al

Trope: Allergic To Evil

Current Event: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/03/20/satan_dinosaur_chickens_hell/

Andre Xavier Xavier, a Bryshwyn of Bryshwyns, the turban on his head release more than its usual curl of very pale, very curly hair. The curls sprang out all around.

As well, a line of monks striding in loose exercise uniforms keeping cadence happened by at that moment. Andre used a vulgar word that made even Raven Zoe Jefferson, a Nobody of Nobodys blush in embarrassment. The lead monk called a different cadence and they set off at a faster pace. Zoe said, “If I’d shouted that, I’d be in the gym for the next forty hours.”

“That’s not true!” Andre exclaimed.

Fendwyri  Alyn Wader, whose family enabled music to communicate in addition to entertaining, walked by and said, “Of course it is, Bryshwyn! If it wasn’t for our kind, the Vacancy would be permanently filled with evil.”

“I thought you were allergic to evil, Wader?” Andre shot at the older boy.

Fendwyri spun around, eyes narrowing to slits as he shot back, “Aren’t you late to meditation?”

“Aren’t you?” The musician opened his mouth to snarl a reply then turned and ran.

Andre muttered the first syllables of another enablement.

Zoe kicked him in the shin, turned and sprinted after Fendwyri, snapped, “No more!” She passed the older boy who, once he thought he was out of their reach had slowed down to a jog. Now he exclaimed and tried to speak an enablement over her, so she spun, swept his feet out from under him and sprinted into the Canis Abbey proper, barely out of breath. She skipped to a halt, then strode to the front, plopped down on the bench then lifted her eyes to contemplate the slowly turning obsidian sphere hanging from the Abbey’s vaulted ceiling. No one noticed her because as she sat, Andre and Fendwyri came in.

The whispers started at the back of the nave and swept forward. Zoe ignored them until the older boy abruptly appeared next to her. She didn’t know if he enabled the floor to carry him faster than he could walk, but it didn’t matter as, glaring down at her, he whispered, “That’s the last time...”

The air around them grew cold and squeezing her eyes tightly closed, she only assumed her breath exhaled in a white cloud. A booming voice said, “All students will be seated and silent during meditations.” It was a standard warning. The University surveillance system could easily have generated it. However, it would not have added, “Masters Wader and Xavier and Mister Jefferson will please report to the commissariat following meditations.”

There was a faint rustle – though with the building now all ears no one dared actually speak – as everyone moved at the same time. Zoe kept her eyes closed as someone passed in front of her and sat down and someone dropped down next to her on her other side. She opened her eyes, but focused on the sphere instead of trying to look left or right.

The knees on either side of her gave them away as the colors were obviously Wader Green and Xavier Sable. Her own colors were Poor Girl Whatever. Instead of fear though, anger welled inside of her. What right did these two boys have placing her in between their familial feud? What right did either of them presume that she would be on “their” side in an arguments. Fendwyri was nice enough to her when they were alone. She considered Andre a good friend.

Her real enemy lived up the hall from her in the women’s dorm – Semolina Nyanchi Fieldthwaite. The girl with the amazing hair and the attitude to willingly flaunt it. The source of her control over enabling the growth of anything from snowflakes to Tower Trees, she was also a member of a family that had once shared the power of filling the Vacancy.

Now she just annoyed Raven and constantly made snide remarks. She tried focusing on the sphere again, finally and slowly calming her turbulent head games, when a cry went up from outside, “Syzhin devils!”

The assembly leaped to its feet as the land raid siren began its mournful wail, echoing even to the depths of the University; everyone rushing to defend the battlements against the scourge of the world.

Names: ♀ Popular African American name, Australian Capital Territory, Common African American last name; ♂ Popular American name, Brazil

Image: http://regmedia.co.uk/2014/03/20/satan_chicken_dino.png

IDEAS ON TUESDAYS 151

 Each Tuesday, rather than  a POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAY, I'd like to both challenge you and lend a helping hand. I generate more speculative and teen story ideas than I can ever use. My family rolls its collective eyes when I say, "Hang on a second! I just have to write down this idea..." Here, I'll include the initial inspiration (quote, website, podcast, etc) and then a thought or two that came to mind. These will simply be seeds -- plant, nurture, fertilize, chemically treat, irradiate, test or stress them as you see fit. I only ask if you let me know if anything comes of them.

Change of pace for a bit – I’m going to look at elements of EXTREMELY popular SF, F, and H; break them apart and use each element as a jumping off point for a story idea…

Popular Fantasy Story/Series: Harry Potter, et al

F Trope: A “magical” academy

Current Event: http://www.miripiriacademy.org/

Far below Andre Xavier Xavier, a Bryshwyn of Bryshwyns and Raven Zoe Jefferson, who called herself a Nobody of Nobodys, the evening meditation tone sounded. A cross between a buzzer and an ancient longhorn, the instrument was blown by a family with a tradition as deep as Andre’s. The young man said, pushing his turban back up on top of his head where it promptly released a curl of very pale, very curly hair, “There’s Fendwyri tooting his own horn again.”

Raven shook her head. He turban was always perfectly wound. It was the only thing that could control her wild kinks. She loved it for that. The turbans gave everyone a similar look – even though in the dorms, certain girls made sure to see how long, and straight, and silky black THEIR hair was. She said, “You have nothing to be jealous about.”

 “I’m not jealous!” he exclaimed.

Smirking, Raven headed for the stairwell that would lead them five stories down to the courtyard. “Come on, we need to hurry or we’ll be late.”

“We’ll be late if we take that way,” he said.

Raven spun around and said, “No!”

Ignoring her, Andre lifted both arms and said, “Jheregi SSothimazhu,” the stones around them began to glow red and tremble in their mortar cradles. Andre moved his hands slowly, seeming to grip the air. The temperature around them dropped precipitously until Raven could see her breath. Andre said, “Forginiway thoomITas herogiNOMUL!”

The stones leaped into the air, drawing their ability to form steps from the energy in the once sun-warmed air. Andre grabbed Raven’s hand and leaped to the first step.

Four stories above a stone courtyard, Raven knew better than to fight. Instead, she followed Andre as the stones assembled themselves into a flight of stairs switch-backing at a comfortable angle and leading them downward as they hurried for meditations. “We’ll be on time…”

They were still two meters above ground when the bricks that had been hastily assembling themselves into stairs and glowing in the deepening shadows of the courtyard as they ran down…suddenly turned the color of bricks and fell into a pile directly below them. Andre shouted in surprise, then cried out, “FeshET siMAYlee!” Immediately the air below him gained the ability to roar up and buoyed him the last meter, setting him gently on the ground.

Raven tried the enabling, but couldn’t pronounce the words correctly, and instead fell on to the pile of very ancient – and very hard bricks at a rate determined not by ability  but mathematically by velocity and time, specifically where a= Δv/ Δt. Not that either of them knew that in this world. But not all students in all worlds were equally naïve.

Either way, the sound and the abrupt stop would been identical whether it had been caused solely by ability or solely by gravity…

Names: ♀ Popular African American name, Australian Capital Territory, Common African American last name; ♂ Popular American name, Brazil

Image:

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/hello/1328287/700/Nihang_Sikh1-2005.07.19-17.40.37.jpg, http://ynaija.com/teen/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/turban-y.jpg

IDEAS ON TUESDAYS 148

Each Tuesday, rather than a POSSIBLY IRRITATING ESSAY, I'd like to both challenge you and lend a helping hand. I generate more speculative and teen story ideas than I can ever use. My family rolls its collective eyes when I say, "Hang on a second! I just have to write down this idea..." Here, I'll include the initial inspiration(quote, website, podcast, etc) and then a

thought or two that came to mind. These will simply be seeds -- plant, nurture, fertilize, chemically treat, irradiate, test or stress them as you see fit. I only ask if you let me know if anything comes of them.

Change of pace for a bit – I’m going to look at elements of EXTREMELY popular SF, F, and H; break them apart and use each element as a jumping off point for a story idea…or better yet, a continuing story idea…maybe writing myself a novel or something!

Popular Fantasy Story/Series: Harry Potter, et al

F Trope: An Oppressed young person; Death (JK Rowling says: “My books are largely about death.” (11 Jan 2016, The Daily Telegraph London))

Current Event: Immortal Cells (The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, 2010)

Andre Xavier Xavier scowled as he looked to the battlements of Kylslithe University, a balcony that jutted from Canis Abbey standing at its center. Below men and women practiced their ability with the sole intent of learning and perfecting the technology that allowed humanity to influence events and produce marvels by tapping into veiled force secreted by nature in hundreds of places, objects, and people. He said abruptly, “What if there was no such thing as ability?”

Raven Zoe Jefferson was intent on enabling sunlight stored in the upper stones of the Abbey to escape. She’d tried to enable a brick she’d set out three days ago, but it stayed stubbornly dirt-colored. Sighing, she picked up a palm-sized, smooth stone she set out a week ago. It was one her little sister had painted with a happy face. Holding the stone at eye level, she said, “Tremen lay, elleemah!” She sighed as she stared at the dirt-colored stone and said, “It wouldn’t make much difference in my life.”

Andre shook his head, stared at the stone and snarled angrily, “TreMEN lay, ellEEmah!”

The stone flared to daylight brightness then faded to a mellower glow. Raven sighed again and said, “I don’t know what you’re complaining about. You hardly ever study, you know exactly what to say to something to call out whatever force is stored in it. All I want to do is to be able to enable one thing!” She tossed the stone over the battlement.

Andre said, “You didn’t even listen to my question.”

“Yes I did, you asked the wide, unlistening world – and incidentally me – what would everything be like without any kind of ability.” She shook her head and watched as the glowing stone hit the ground and bounced into a senior’s kneecap. She leaned backwards just as he looked up. She didn’t feel like being the target if he chose to enable the stone to find its origin. “I noted that nothing would change for me.”

“Yeah, but for me...”

Raven cut him off, “Would it be OK if we don’t bemoan your poor lot in life tonight for the next three hours? I’m not really in the mood.”

“We don’t spend that much time...” Raven snorted. Andre said, “I listen to you complain, too!”

“What did I complain about last night?”

There was a long pause, then he said, “That your parents are thinking of pulling you out of university to go work in their boot factory.” She turned to him, mouth open in startlement. Andre sniffed, “I know I’m self-centered.” He shook his head and went to the Abbey’s balustrade and said, “It sort of comes with the territory – ruling family and all that kind of stuff.” The stone Raven had tossed over the edge arched into the night air. He enabled its inertia to flow into the cool night air and reached out to pluck it before gravity regained its hold. Handing it to Raven, he said, “I know it’s impossible for anyone to imagine that I’m tired of being an enabled freak and ‘holding the hopes and dreams of everything it means to be Bryshwyn’.”

Raven leaned on the balustrade, looking down. “But if your family weren’t gifted enablers, who would keep the Vacancy full?”

He shook his head, “Somebody else can enable forces to fill it. I’m tired of it.”

“That’s what I figured when you asked what would happen if there was no ability.”

“But what would the world be like?”

Raven sighed. “I might not be able to enable anything here, but I can’t imagine what good would come of no one being able to keep the Vacancy full.”

“Would there even be a Vacancy in such a place?”

Raven pondered the enablers practicing below then finally said, “If there was no Vacancy, I’m sure there’d be some other…thing or thought or way of being that would contradict ability.”

“I can’t imagine what that would be!” Andre said.

Under her breath, Raven muttered, “That would be the point of having a place like that. Maybe people like me would be the ones to keep the Vacancy – or whatever – full.”

Names: ♀ Popular African American name, Australian Capital Territory, Common African American last name; ♂ Popular American name, Brazil

Image: http://www.travel-watch.com/images/images-part9/palsis3.jpg