Writing challenge: Contrasting Opposites - 16 April 2021 - 21 May 2021

Question

Welcome to the recontinuation of the Meta Writing Challenges! Anyone can participate, whether you first picked up a pen yesterday or you've published 20 books.

In line with the previous one (from several years ago), this includes a topic, a prompt, and also a challenge.

• Topic
  The topic of this challenge is contrasting opposites. Meaning, in your writing, contrast two different types of people (for example, brave vs cowardly), ideologies (such as good vs evil), or something similar (like sweet vs sour).

• Prompt

[character #1] looked around the bustling restaurant. "This place brings back memories," sighed [character #2], breaking [character #1]'s train of thought

You are free to modify this as long as the general sense is preserved.

• Challenge
  Use the words "reticence" and "hubristic".

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So to enter the challenge, you simply write something, and post it below. It can be a work in progress, and continue working on it while receiving feedback, or it can be a finished work - anything goes.

And of course, if you encounter any doubts related to the writing process, don't be shy and open a question on our main site!

You can submit your entries until the end of five weeks (originally shorter, but due to lower meta participation, everyone will get some time to see this). After the five weeks, we'll assess this post's participation before deciding to or not do another one.

You can either post the whole thing here, or, if you usually post your writing somewhere else, you can put a link here - although I'd advise putting something in to get people interested.

Remember: this is not a contest. This is merely for fun, and for some practice writing. There will (hopefully) be writers of all different skill levels posting - I'm certainly not super good.

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I look forward to reading the submissions but most importantly, have fun!

The original meta post - How would having the writing challenges on Meta work out? - that started all this may be helpful. All of these challenges can be seen under the writing-exercise tag.

Answer 1

Sweet vs Sour

Estelle looked around the bustling restaurant which was packed with nosy tourists. She scowled as a whiny kid begged his mother to buy him toys. Maybe we were wrong to come back to this miserable town, after all.

"This place brings back memories," sighed Corella, breaking Estelle’s train of thoughts. “It's gonna be great to see Grandma Sally again!”

Estelle snorted as she thought about the definition of ‘Great.’ From her last visit to the Shack, the old woman was hardly even able to get up. And as far as she was concerned, the lady was a crackpot that had hallucinations of her husband serving old moldy tea.

“Oh, don’t be like that!” admonished Corella. It was the sixteenth time she said that when Estelle's hubristic pose of disdain rose like a cup of overflowing water. “Maybe this time she would finally recognize us.”

Estelle's patience was finally broken by a wave of fury. Fury for those lost tries and hopes. Fury for being naive before. “How can you be so sure? Every year, we tried our chances, and yet she couldn’t remember her own daughter, much less us!”

People turned to stare and Corella gave a little wave of apology. They dispersed, satisfied that there was at least one reticence passenger with manners.

Answer 2

Then, and Now

Erika glances around the bustling restaurant. The lights are dim, and low indiscernible chatter fills the room ahead. Instantly, she feels lulled by the atmospheric change — one step inside and she'd leave the clear outside world behind.

"This place brings back memories," sighs Luke, breaking her reverie. His eyes flit over, and see Erika's lips pursed.

For a split-second, Erika freezes. Was there something she was supposed to remember? A panic drives her mind, and she takes a glimpse around, looking for any kind of familiarity. Then she notices Luke had worn a red tie, a special tie for special occasions. Her shoulders sag in relief. Perhaps they'd gone here for their first anniversary.

"It certainly does." Erika replies as her eyes lock onto something. In the corner, there is a table below a prime source of light, and the way the light glistens against against the walls is pleasant. Luke clutches her hand and leads her to an empty table next to where a big family is sitting. The children yowl and put their hubris out on display to their parents, grandparents — anyone in earshot.

"Don't you remember this table? We used to sit here all the time," Luke grins. Erika shoots a grin a back, and stumbles down into a chair. So this isn't from their anniversary? She scratches her head in thought.

"Erika, are you okay? You seem quiet." Erika stifles a frown at hearing, and promptly responds:

"I'm fine, why?" She swallows her annoyance. Why is he putting forward small talk? Couldn't he see she was thinking?

"Erika... See, this is why I don't like taking you out. You're always so... so— reticent. You've always been this way," He quips, and looks down into his hands, as if he'd forced himself to spit out the words. Erika's brows furrow. Reticent? Why is he using that kind of word? She doesn't have a dictionary with her.

"I don't understand what you mean. Why did you just take me out, then?"

"I missed the times we would spend time with each other in the public, act as normal couple. I wanted to have some fun with you, but, but— " Luke sighs. "Never mind, let's leave. I'll remember in the future not to bring you out." He stands up from the chair, turning the heads of the young children. But their attention quickly returns to comparing their crude drawings and shoving them into their neighbors' faces. Erika doesn't hesitate to follow Luke home: she is starting to feel a little sleepy.

Answer 3

More satirical than serious, based on Colour Wheel. Albus is supposed to be incompetent, cause then it's funny. Meant to be a smart/good vs stupid/evil.

 Albus looked around the bustling restaurant. "This place brings back memories," sighed 
 Coby, breaking Albus' train of thought.
 "I must have repressed them quite a bit then."
 "Heh. I don't blame you. They weren't all that good for you."
 "They weren't all that good for you, either."
 "True." 
 Albus noticed Coby seemed on edge. "You good?"
 "Yeah, I guess. Last time I saw you, you were chasing me with a giant robotic three
headed dog."
 "And you were shooting lightning all over everywhere, what did you expect me to do?"
 "You chased me first."
 "No, I chased the other guy first, then you showed up."
 "Whatever, point is, giant robot, it got zapped."
 "Speaking of giant robots-"
 "Please don't."
 Albus presses a button on his phone while Coby rubs his forehead. "We did this two days
ago, how do you have another robot!"
 Albus runs into the street, where a robot bursts up from the street and lifts him into
the air. "Greetings, New Chroma, I am Albus Ivory, your new overlord!" The robot keeps
going higher and higher. "All will swear fealty to me, or else they will be crushed by
the might of my seventeenth new robot, Skyground! MWAHAHAHA!"
-Meanwhile on the ground-
 "Is he going to be okay?"
 "Yeah he's fine. Everyone out, you know the robot evacuation procedures." Coby begins
waving civilians away. Albus is now very high, and is getting hard to hear. 
 "All shall ball before bees!" Is faintly heard.
 "Oooh-kay. You'd think he'd learn about altitude sickness after that one time with the 
weather balloon, a mouse that does karate, and fourteen assorted car emblems."
 "Cone bill see dive!"
 "Alright buddy, let's go." Coby places his hand on the robot, electricity sparking
before it shudders to a stop.
 "What? Go! Why dust you interfere!"
 "You're gonna kill yourself, get back down here!"
 "Never!"
 "Fine, whatever. Wait there until a helicopter comes over."
-Much later-
 "You done with the robots now?"
 "For now."
 "My goodness, Albus, you're worse than Red with the robots. Try something else,
like gardening. Next time I'll have to put you in jail to keep you from building robots."
 "An excellent idea! Mutant robot plants!" Albus runs off to his secret base, the highest
and most sinister looking tower in New Chroma.
 "Why meeee?"

And that's that.