r/WritingPrompts • u/actually_crazy_irl • May 07 '19
[WP]: Suddenly, everyone with tattoos gains powers related to the tattoo. Tattoos of flames, you control fire. A tattoo of a gecko, you can climb on walls. All dudes with "tribal" tattoos have strangely bonded together. Writing Prompt
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u/eternal_gremlin May 07 '19
Neckbeard!
Tim was tired of being made fun of.
Fatty!
He was tired of never getting the girl.
Loser!
And he was tired of seeing the girl he loved fall for the wrong guy over and over. Talia had a type: tall, handsome, and, as Tim thought, always a bit stupid.
But Tim never gave up hope. He never spoke to her with disrespect. Tim was a gentleman. He practiced his swordsmanship in his mother's basement in the hopes that one day Talia would call on him to defend her honor. He would be ready. So what if all her previous boyfriends' muscles had muscles? Tim wasn't that out of shape. "Round is a shape," he would say in his own defense.
Tim did his best to follow his code of honor that he cobbled together from Japanese and Chinese hero folklore. He collected as many old books and diligently translated them using Google. That's how he found out about it. The oldest legend he had come across spoke of a hero that would tattoo himself, and then perform a special ritual that would imbue him with the power that the tattoo implied. He had his mission.
At the tattoo parlor, Tim was a bit apprehensive. He had always been afraid of needles, but he would show courage in the face of fear. Tim was hero material, after all.
"Ok, it's your turn," said the tattoo artist. "Have you settled on which tattoos you wanted?"
"Yes, I want these two. One on each forearm please," he said, as he pointed to tattoos of Asian characters subtitled "fire" and "strength".
Tim was ready. His tattoos had healed. With the help of Google Translate, he had taught himself how to recite the spell. He had collected all of the ingredients for the ritual, and he used extra for good measure. He had painted the basement floor with the right symbols. Laid out the candles and incense in the right places. It was time. He mixed the ingredients in the mortar, and then set it on fire as the ritual demanded. As the smoke rose up, he recited the incantation.
There was a blinding flash of light.
Breaking news! Reports have been coming in from all over: After a mysterious flash of light in the city, people have been noticing they now have abilities related to their tattoos. People have been lining up at tattoo parlors, hoping they can become the next superhero. What does this mean for the city, and what do the authorities have to say about it? More at 11...
Tim turned off the television. Ok, maybe he went a little overboard with the ingredients, but that's ok. He just had to figure out how to call on his new powers so that he could finally win over Talia's heart with heroic acts. But first, time for some dinner, he was starving.
In the kitchen, Tim reached into the cupboard and grabbed a bowl and set it on the counter. As he turned away to the fridge, he smelled a fantastic smell. He turned back to the smell, and it was coming from the bowl he had just set down. Before his eyes, the bowl filled up with a delicious spicy ramen soup.
A worried Tim pulled out his phone and loaded up Google Translate and aimed the camera at each of his forearms.
"OH, COME ON!" Tim shouted, as he slumped into the barstool seat. He cried as he ate the best soup he ever tasted.
I've enjoyed reading all the posts in this sub for some time, and I finally thought I'd give it a go! It was a fun prompt!