Prompt Puzzle Reveal! March 2018

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

What: Prompt puzzle for March 2018.

Why: For inspiration, accomplishment, and glory!

When: To enter the contest proper and receive a banner, post fics to puzzleprompts by 11pm EST, Saturday, March 31st. Give or take 12 hours for emergencies. Otherwise, puzzles may be posted wherever and whenever you want, as long as you include a link to puzzleprompts, thanks!

Content Reminder: Fics must be newly completed! If these prompts help you finish a stalled fic, that’s what we’re here for. But please, don’t submit fics completed months ago that happen to fit this month’s puzzle. Entries may also be answers to other comms' prompts.

Author Notes: Please use notes to clarify how you are using the pieces. Especially for long fics, metaphorical uses, and fics from original or small fandoms.

Mod Note: This puzzle is a little more complicated than usual. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask below, or PM me if you feel more comfortable.

Rules and Guidelines

You are welcome to archive your fic in our AO3 Collection for 2018 at any time.

*All powers and attempts at magic/sci-tech, etc. can go horribly wrong, or simply not succeed, and still count.

*Possible interpretations are not limited to the below. These are just examples to intrigue your muses.

Creature Feature: Sylphs, Sirens, or Fairies.

Only one of these needs to be in the fic to count.

Can be earthly, alien, robotic, changeling, etc.

Can be an original creature, as long as it’s similar to below.

Fairies must be butterfly/insectoid/ birdlike or otherwise fly in some way.

Ex: fairies from The Magicians count, but not True Blood.

Sirens must be aquatic, seductive, and/or mesmerizing birds of some sort.

Ex: Veela count because they are seductive, mesmerizing, and birdlike.

Sylphs can become corporeal, but must be described as air spirits/rulers/elementals of some sort.

Mythological/fictional/original creatures/deities/demons with similar features count.

Ex: angels and demons with wings, air djinn, Orizaba the Moth Fairy from Elena of Avalor.

Power Hour: Aerokinesis

Control, manipulation, or creation of air, gases, or wind.
Can be magical, sci-tech, alien power, etc.

Ex: a leaf blower, an air bender, a wind witch, farting as a super power, etc.
Creating tornados, cyclones, hurricanes, sand storms, etc.

Creature Feature must actually use aerokinesis in the fic to count for both prompts.

What’s My Line: Exorcisms by Bella Morte
Anything from the video or lyrics below can be used to count, including themes and imagery.
Use Author Notes to tell us exactly how you are using this prompt.

Adulting Sucks and The Classifieds Section: Travel or transport bureaucracy

Angst, conflict, and/or excruciating boredom must be present to count!

Bureaucracy (officials/offices, clerk window, etc) of some sort must also be present.

Can be from either end - the employee or the customer.

Both sides can be used to count for two prompts if both pov’s are shown and are miserable.

Adulting Sucks = customer

Classifieds = employee

Can be on earth, alien, in space, or another dimension.

Can be for vehicles other than cars, like space port office.

Ex: The DMV, passport office, Fed Ex, toll booth line, airport, train, cruise check-in/out, customs agent/cy, travel/cargo transportation permits, the Heavenly or Hell front desk/waiting room.

Forever love if someone uses the waiting room from Beetlejuice!

Mother Nature: Wind

This is the MN piece, so must be ‘naturally’ occuring to count!

Can be on earth, an alien planet, or solar winds in space.

Can be inside a naturalized space ship/station like in Orville, Star Trek,  Doctor Who or Rendezvous with Rama.

Using aerokinesis and MN wind together will count as two prompts, only if they are used separately, or a person/creature is using aerokinesis to control already naturally occurring wind.

Random Object: Shield

Does not have to be made of vibranium.

If something made to act as a shield, then does not need to be shielding during the fic.

Ex: a storm/flood wall, umbrella, helmet, particle field, car’s windshield, an actual shield.

If not a shield, must be actually used as shield in the fic.

Ex: a cardboard box in the rain, a dead body shielding gun fire, etc.

Random Descriptor: Square

Can be used geometrically, or as slang for a boring, ‘normal’ person.

What’s My Line Extras:
Warnings: Mild violence and mildly disturbing imagery in video.

Exorcisms Lyrics:

A monster finds life within

A darkness inside

With little left to defend

No one to defy

The eyes of disorder

Stare in to watch over

To be sure that none will survive

We're dying as martyrs

Delivered from torture

To turn back the tides

Light this fire and burn what has been

Leave it behind, let go

Scream in to the sun

Let it begin

There's the blackest soul

Possessing my mind

Fall down from the cross now

Wipe blood from my brow and

Leave it behind

Stand up, ignite this fire

And burn what has been

Leave it behind, let go

Scream in to the sun

Let it begin

Comments

[luminations.livejournal.com]

Ooo this one looks tougher, yeah! We'll see if the muse gets any ideas.

One question -- do the fairies have to be real? Might be able to do something canonical with that prompt because Ellie has this cute line in the game about fairies creeping her out :) but, you know. No actual fairies in this 'verse.

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

Damn, I"m sorry I haven't answered this yet!

It's tough but understandable, right? And not gobbledegook?

Fairies may not exist in her universe, but she could be having a dream, nightmare, or sexual fantasy about one...;-) And if they're not real, then how can they creep her out...(hint nudge)

[luminations.livejournal.com]

That would be a departure from my norm for these -- omg Ellie fantasizing about a fairy would be AWESOME! Alas, I don't think the muse wants to cooperate :(

Yes it's understandable! and omgomgomg REBELS

[katleept.livejournal.com]

God, I LOVE YOUR PROMPTS!!!! As usual, I had NO IDEA what I was going to write for this month's puzzle up until a couple days ago when the merest of idea began to play in my head. Rereading the prompts this morning helped me to build on the story, and now I am SO THRILLED with the story I managed to write!!!! =)

And I know so totally owe you some replies, and so totally love your feedback and am very sorry for not getting to them yet (RL can be a bitch), but thank you for the glowing praise, the fantastic awards, and the inspiring puzzles!! Thank you for all you do here!!!

Also, just a quick note on one of those needed replies, the story I wrote with Jack Frost is actually kind of a prequel for some of my older works and RPs. Little Crys grows up to be quite the woman!

[dancingdragon3.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! It makes me feel so good to hear you like the prompts and what I do. Really, it helps my brain HUGS

now I am SO THRILLED with the story I managed to write!!!! =)

That is great to hear!

And I appreciate your contributions! I love the nature loving fantasy stories you come up with.

Oh no, I owe you a huge reply for that special awesome fic you wrote months ago about how to get through hard times. I had it up in a tab, then lost it, then found it, then lost it again. You know me, I hate leaving a comment before I've had time to read the fic, and I started it, then...see above. But it meant so very much to me that you wrote something with me and hand holding in mind. Thank you xoxo

[katleept.livejournal.com]

I love your challenges and always find them inspiring! :)

I'm going to be brutally honest and admit that I had no idea of the story to which you were referring here. Then, in trying to get my E-mail list of readers caught up on LAST YEAR'S stories while I've been out, I came across it! Did you ever manage to read it? Because I can probably find it again from there if you still need it. :) I like to help however I can, and I definitely think exchanging phone numbers for us is a good idea! I've had my adopted sister holding my hand over the last few weeks, and two weeks before I went into surgery, I was holding another dear friend's hand through texting. So yeah, I definitely think it's good!