Writer's Block #5, "Random TV Tropes": VOTING
Banner by renrenren3
Challenge: Random TV Tropes
Points: 1st/2nd/3rd/Participation Only: 50/40/30/10 points & 20/15/10/5 knuts, respectively. 2pts for voting.
Deadline: 28 December 2014, 23:59UTC VOTING until 31 December 2014, 23:59UTC
Details: Go to TV Tropes click the Random button and write a fic with the trope that pops up.
A
Title: Plans
Trope: Everything's Better with Penguins
After the war, Hermione happens upon Ron and Harry's design for a new Hogwarts emblem.
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "You've taken it too far. You can't show the rest of them that."
"What, 'Mione?" hiccuped Ron. "It's very unified. Aren't you all for house unity?"
"'Sides," slurred Harry, "it's very cute."
Hermione rolled her eyes, noting the large empty bottle of Ogden's set between them. "And the product of far too much fire whisky." She held up the redesigned Hogwarts emblem, now devoid of lion, badger, eagle, and snake. Admittedly, the rock hopper penguin in the center did look jaunty. "At the very least, you need to update the motto."
"Wha'?" said Ron, echoed closely by Harry.
"Pinguinus dormiens numquam titillandus. Or perhaps Spheniscus instead of Pinguinus, since the Greek-inspired variant captures the shape appropriately and the zoology term for penguin is Sphenisciformes."
Ron blinked slowly at her.
"How do you even know these things?" asked Harry.
She shrugged, still scrutinizing the emblem. "I read. Now about the color balance..."
B
Title: Signed, Ludo Bagman
Trope: Cuffs Off, Rub Wrists
[Ludo Bagman rubbed his wrists as he exited the chilly courtroom. He was eager to flee the site of his trial, but before he could get very far, he heard a scornful sound behind him.
"A funny thing for an innocent man to do," said Rita Skeeter, tapping her acid green quill against her pad of parchment. "The court didn't even use restraints on you."
Ludo spun around. "Ms. Skeeter! Why, I almost didn't get the chance to greet you."
Rita raised a cocky eyebrow, and Ludo tutted indulgently.
"Oh, Rita, you don't even need to ask. Here, let me sign that for you."
With a bit of force, he grabbed the pad and quill from her hands."
"Be careful with that!" she snapped as his huge hand closed around her precious quill. "What do you think you're doing?"
Ludo scrawled his name across the woman's notes, adding an elaborately messy underscore for good measure.
"There we are! Oh, and I see you've got some space on this page too - I usually don't give more than one per fan, but for you, Rita darling, I'll make an exception - "
"You brute!" she hissed, snatching back her adulterated notes. "When my story comes out, you'll wish I'd used these notes instead."
"I bet I will," Ludo said, lightly mocking, as he offered back the quill in his open palm. With a dashing wink, he strode off down the hallway, and there was an infuriating bounce in his step.]
C
Title: Company Man
Trope: Vanilla Protagonist
Eric Munch, you must understand, never asked for any of this. He was a company man through and through: clocked in at 8:30, took his lunch at noon, came back at exactly 1, and left at 5:30. He tipped his head when he passed witches and wore the same five peacock blue robes to work. He cheered for Puddlemere like most of the office did, did as he was told, and laughed along Maddock's jokes even though he wasn't sure why they were funny.
He hadn't wanted to take the night shift, when Timmy asked. He liked his sleep, and the missus liked having him home for dinner at 6 every night. But Timmy's son was feeling poorly, and the wife was at her parents'-- for the week or forever, Eric didn't know, and he didn't want to ask-- so he agreed.
He really, really shouldn't have.
"Oy! You! What are you doing-- Sturgis Podmore?"
Eric turned him in, as he should have, of course, and the next thing he knows Maddock's coming over every hour or so like he's some kind of hero, and the Prophet's bothering him during his shift with requests for interviews, and then, when Pius Thicknesse takes over as Minister, he gets requested for his security detail. Him! Eric Munch!
It was all too much his heart rate went up and his Healer told him to take it easy for a few weeks, so he packed up his bags and took the missus and the kids to Majorca for the holidays.
When they got back, Shacklebolt was Minister and the Dark Lord had been defeated. Eric's youngest, five-year-old Henry, whined.
"We miss everything!"
D
Title: This Must Be Dreaming
Trope: Second Episode Morning
She was dreaming.
She was at a party. All her friends were there. So many colors and faces. Music blaring in the background. It was hard to focus. The world kept shifting.
There was something in her hand. A glass. She lifted it to her mouth, took a taste. It burned slightly, made her head hum. She took another sip.
She was twirling in circles. Sometimes she was even screaming out loud, maybe along to the music, maybe just random words.
More faces. More colors. More noise.
And then one face in particular. Looking at her, meeting her gaze. So close to her. Strong arms wrapping around her, holding her close.
Smiling. Laughing. Dancing.
And then snogging. So much snogging.
Her head felt light, her body hummed. And then the dream changed, and they weren’t at the party anymore, but alone in a dark room. Him and her. Still snogging, but now touching and caressing and more. So much more.
Luna’s eyes flew open.
Instantly she covered her eyes and groaned. The light was so bright. And why was her body in so much pain?
Scenes from the dream played over and over in her mind as she lay there. At least it was pleasant.
Finally she opened her eyes again and turned her head to the side.
And screamed.
Harry sat bolt upright beside her. Luna screamed again. He turned to her, his face almost white.
“I thought I had the weirdest dream,” he said.
Luna didn’t answer. She just sank back down on to the pillows, covered her eyes with her hands and groaned.
She wasn’t dreaming.
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