First date
Writing prompt: Write a story about someone larger than life (superhero, werewolf, sorcerer, movie star, rock star, super spy, etc.) in one of the following situations: dealing with the mundane, on vacation, on a blind date, changing sidekicks/minions/personal assistants.
This is a fun concept for a prompt. It’s easy to make it funny – a super spy picking up his dry cleaning and trying to explain all the blood stains, or a super strong hero trying to, say, pick a flower without crushing it. The basic premise has been used a lot for comedy. Back in the ’80s, Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis wrote much the Justice League International based on this sort of humor – I’m pretty sure Blue Beetle and Booster Gold spent more time on monitor duty than actually battling evil (and I love every panel of it). Joss Whedon used it a ton in Buffy. It’s a fun way to buck expectations and have characters act completely out of type. Sure we all know that Spider-Man had to sew that suit at some point, but actually watching him struggle with the needle is hilarious.
When I was writing “Shades of Red” I had a blast writing the scenes between the Scarlet Ranger and Asta. Their personalities couldn’t be more different, and the dynamic there, with the passionate and occasionally impulsive Scarlet struggling to deal with the always calm and one-step-ahead android, was a lot of fun.
I hinted at a romantic relationship in the story between Scarlet and another hero, the Chicago Defender. (I actually have a very brief Defender story here, if you want to see him in action.) The Defender is very much like Asta; distant, emotionally closed off, and quite reserved. Scarlet would just eat that sort of thing up. She would have a blast making him squirm, then become frustrated when he ultimately never really opened up the way most women would like. Hence the problem with their relationship, and why it’s not as stable as either of them would like.
Anyway, I thought I’d take the opportunity presented by the prompt to write about their first date. I’ve been struggling with it for the last couple weeks, mostly because there’s no end in sight. It’s two people sitting down to a meal. Nothing really happens. It’s boring. It’s awkward. They’re talking exposition, mostly, and revealing little tidbits about each other’s personalities. It’s starting to ramble and I have no idea what to do with it. Just like a real date, come to think of it.
I do introduce a new character, the French mystic Jasmine, who seems like she might be fun. I was tempted to use Sevastian, but I want to keep him in a separate universe. I may need to come up with a better name for her. That’s just what popped into my head for whatever reason.
I wouldn’t say I’m done with this, but I’ll just post it before it goes any further. It’s at about 900 words. Continue reading
