Hello there, everyone! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

This is the forum for curators of SWOW (Scratch's World of Writers) to post their responses to the weekly writing dare in the studio.

Hopefully, the dares will vary in terms of theme and challenges, allowing our community of writers to develop their skills whilst being challenged!

If you are reading the posts on this forum and are interested in joining, please click on the link above in order to be redirected to the studio. Thanks in advance! (◍•ᴗ•◍)

°✿｡✯.*ﾟ+✧Last week's dare was…°✿｡✯.*ﾟ+✧

Search for pictures of landscapes and pick one that you DISLIKE. Now write a story set in that place! Share an evaluation of your experience in the comments (or in your post!) — did you enjoy writing in that setting?

If you can, try to include the image, too! You can do this in any format, but try to share your work by linking it here or on the studio!

Ready, set, write! (◠`ᴥ´◕ʋ)

°✿｡✯.*ﾟ+✧Last week's dare was…°✿｡✯.*ﾟ+✧

Turn your dream protagonist into your antagonist and vice versa hence creating your own story and see how it turns out!

Ready, set, write! (◠`ᴥ´◕ʋ)

Dare for the next week: Turn your dream protagonist into your antagonist and vice versa and create your own story and see how it turns out!

°✿｡✯.*ﾟ+✧Quite some time has passed…°✿｡✯.*ﾟ+✧

Ask someone you know to give you a basic plot and character. Build on that, no matter what it is! Try to include the original basis they gave you, if you can!

Ready, set, write! (◠`ᴥ´◕ʋ)

23rd August
Write a story on a real life experience in which you've wished that you could have reacted differently to the same situation if it was presented again and see how the consequences go in your story!

No one has posted their MWD. Or AOTW, for that matter.

Hmmmmmmm. (Well, I’ve posted my AOTW)

Officially changing this forum from a weekly writing dare one to a monthly writing dare one today! I wonder if anyone will actually notice lol Keep writing and see you whenever I see you, I guess! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

Swapped Roles and Imposter Love Meet
By: Scratchy
(Disclaimer: This is the only one I could do cus I’ve written 2 series in total, and Steve and Imposter Love have already met. This could be considered a sneak peek to swapped roles? Anyway, the OG Pink and Lime are going by their real names; Olivia and David, while SR Pink and Lime are just going by Pink and Lime. I’m putting this in OG Red’s POV because why not? A*This was hard to decide because I didn’t know whether to use Pink’s POV or OG Red’s. Also Lime does get ejected in swapped roles but I don’t care cus I need to add him for **Dramatic effect**
ANYWAY I'M WRITING THIS AT TWELVE IN THE MORNING LET’S JUST DO THIS!)

I’ve been put in charge of steering the ship with David. Olivia had to go watch Lily and Buddy and make sure they didn’t get into trouble. Something catches my eye.
“David, look!” I point to a red ship floating in the distance.
“Is that…Is that another airship?” David asks.
“It looks like it.” I peer closer. Something’s not quite right…
“That shouldn’t be possible, we’re in it! Yet it’s floating right there!” David seems so confused, his green eyes darting around wildly as if hoping an explanation would come out at him.
“No, look. Our ship has a crewmate with a black tophat, while that one has a light grey one.” I notice. The observation surprises even me. David squints and looks at the ship.
“Yeah…you’re right. Should we…say hello?”
“Why not?”
We ring up the ship and after some discussion, they agree to come to our ship. Five crewmates greet us, their helmets all loosely on, as if rushed. The colors of their suits seem to be a coincidence; pink, red, orange, lime, and a child in a blue suit. Red greets us, his voice calming, yet familiar, while a mouth opens slightly with surprise on Pink’s stomach.
“You’re an imposter!” I shout while jumping at her. She shrieks.
“Wait! Wait! I’m not going to hurt you!” she shouts, desperately trying to escape my grip. I loosen, as her voice also seems familiar, but not much.
“Explain then.” I say.
I see Orange and Red take a step forward. Orange quickly backs away, but Red stays put, even advances more.
“And don’t let your friend try and stop me, because until I believe you, you have a very high chance of dying.” I say, trying to frighten them.
“I-I promise we mean no harm! I-I…um…maybe spared Red because I lov- I mean, felt bad for him. And after that I haven’t been able to….to end people’s lives.” She mumbles, barely audible.
“And what about Lime over there? He is an imposter too, is he not?” I ask.
“He-he is but…I’m sure he values his life over his tendencies. Right Lime? Because I’m sure if something were to happen, he’d have two of his kind on him” She says this directed at him, but he only growls and nods. Something still isn’t right. The story is so familiar, and…
“Take your helmets off.” I say.
“B-but why do we-” She asks.
“Take them off and I’ll let you go and we can simply talk.”
She slips her helmet off and that’s when I see it. She looks exactly like Olivia, the only difference being her eyes, which are bubblegum pink. Lime yanks his off, mumbling something, and looks exactly like David, but with sharper eyes. Blue tugs his off and he looks exactly like Buddy, his face just a little older and more human. Red pulls his helmet off and he looks exactly like me, but with deep blue eyes, rather than bloodred. Finally, Orange slips his off and I almost gag. His large, orange curls and amber eyes look exactly like…
“Woah! You ok?” Orange asks.
“Fine.” I snap. I finally release Pink, who scrambles back towards Red. She whispers something into his ear.
“When Pink was telling her story, she noticed you were shocked.” Red says. I look at Pink and she ducks behind him.
“And why can’t she tell me this?” I ask.
Pink whispers into Red’s ear again and he stands up taller.
“You scare her,” he says. Pink shakes her head violently, a sign she didn’t say that. At least, not in those words.
“I find it strange I scare an imposter and not a crewmate when I threaten both.” I say. I want to see what they’re really like. That’s how I’ll judge them.
“Well I think it is rather strange that you would hold one person captive, at the mercy of you so to speak, and find it strange that they’re scared. Don’t you think so?” He has the tongue of an imposter, yet is a crewmate. He states his opinions and makes them seem like facts.
“Fair enough.” I say, still wary of Red’s silvertongue.
I hear footsteps and look to see Olivia walking through the door.
“Oh! Red, do we have friends over?” she asks. “My, you five look….familiar.” She locks eyes with Pink who ducks behind Red.
“It doesn’t seem like we’re being treated as friends. It does seem, however, that we’re being treated as suspects of a crime.” he states calmly.
“Red! What did you do?” Pink asks accusingly.
“Two of them are imposters! I had to make sure that they-” I stutter. I almost wish I had Red’s way with words.
“But they’re kind. I can tell. Now let’s talk to each other without accusing. How did you guys get here?”
Red glances at Pink, who shakes her head.
“We’d rather not say that again. Pink’s the only one that can explain it and she’s feeling very shy right now.” he says. So I tell the story to Pink. She widens her eyes.
“Even she did it! Is something about our story that bad?” Orange asks.
“You had them explain themselves but you didn’t explain a thing?” Pink probes.
“Well I-I was going to but-” I stumble.
“For being an imposter, you’ve gotten bad at lying.” She turns to the other crew. “We’re just surprised because your story is similar to ours. This dummy fell in love and the rest is history.” she elbows me slightly, then plants a kiss on my cheek. I notice Pink glance up at Red dreamily, as if wishing she could do the same.
“So it seems like we’ve crossed universes again.” David groans.
“Again?!” Orange asks excitedly. I groan.
“Long story, don’t ask.” I say. Olivia stands up and walks to Pink. I see Red look at Pink and tilt his head slightly. Pink nods and walks away with Olivia. It’s almost like they can read each other’s minds. David attempts to talk with Lime but quickly gets shooed away. Blue, Buddy and Lily chase each other through the halls. Orange looks around the room eagerly.
“Where’s my double?” he asks.
“He..um…he’s not here.” I say, trying to slowly tell him.
“Oh…he was evil, wasn’t he? That’s why he…” Orange says quietly. I nod. He quickly regains his cheerful mood once he spots something and asks me about it. I barely understood what he said.
“Oh, I don’t know much about this stuff. I’m sure David would be happy to show you though.” I say, trying to get him off my back. David smiles at me gratefully and turns to Orange, guiding him through the halls and talking. Something about overly cheerful people just annoys me. Lime walks away to another room by himself, leaving me with Red.
“You and Pink seem to have a very strong relationship. Even reading signals?” I say.
“Y-yes. I just seem to understand her and vice versa. Nothing wrong with that. I know you said you didn’t know much about the sciency stuff, I don’t know much myself, but do you think you could explain this whole situation again to me?” I notice a slight stutter and shiver coming from him. I notice I’m just taller than him, enough to look down at him as he looks up.
“I’ll tell you what I can.” I say. “There’s been one time where this crew, minus Lily, she hadn’t been born yet, accidentally travelled to another dimension trying to get to earth. We learned that our world, and most likely yours, are based on the ideas of a game, so it’s easier to get mixed up. In your world, the story is the same as mine, except Pink and Lime are imposters rather than you and Orange. Make sense?”
Red shakes his head.
“Not really,” he says. I laugh.
“Good, because I don’t understand either, I’m just going off of what David told me.” I admit. Red laughs.
“One more thing. How do you talk like that?” I ask. Red looks at me quizzically.
“Like what? I think I sound a lot like you, so I’m not sure what you need to learn.” He replies.
“How do you sound so convincing? How do you make your opinions sound like facts? It’s almost like you’re going in and changing someone’s mind without saying much.”
“I- what? I didn’t know I did that. I just thought I made enough sense that people thought I was right.” He seems genuinely surprised. Did he really not know he sounded like that?
“Now, David is normally the one to come up with scientific theories, but I think I have an idea. Your world is obviously an alternate version of mine so-” I start. Red interrupts me.
“Hey! How do we know my world isn’t the original?” he asks, slightly offended.
“How long has it been since you and Pink met?” I ask.
“Um…less than a month I think…” he says.
“Olivia and I have been together for over three years.” I say matter-of-factly. He blinks several times.
“Oh…I..” he stutters.
“Anyway, since your world is an alternate version of mine, some things will carry on. Some of these things are personalities, even if they’re switched, and looks. So I think the fact that I’m an imposter kind of stuck with you, just to add the convincing words that most imposters have. That sounded much better in my head.” I recite. Red doesn’t laugh, doesn’t move much. He seems to be processing all that information.
“Uh huh.” he says simply.
“Yeah….that didn’t make much sense once I said it out loud.” I say. Red nods.
“I think we do need to leave though. We need to repair our ship before it falls from the sky! Though I’m sure you’ve dealt with that already. “ he says. I nod and he goes to find everyone.

We’ve all gathered to say goodbye. And I’m too lazy and tired to finish this cus I’ve already been working for 3 hours and it’s 3:00 AM as I’m writing this. So yeah I’m going to bed

I KNOW ITS NOT 3 AM ANYMORE I FORGOT TO SUBMIT

Hey everyone! I wrote this for the latest MWD: No prompt this time! To celebrate the new year, write anything at all and share it on the MWD or General forums!

Please feel free to share your opinions, I would love to hear them

~

The wall was cold as she pressed her body against it, hoodie pulled over her head, an attempt to conceal her face. When she bought it, it hadn’t done anything, but a couple hours and a wispy but dark fabric had made sure it did the job. A veil now hung down from the brim, covering her face but still letting her see.

Hearing movement, she swung around the corner, reaching for the pistols that hung from either side of her hips. She wasn’t quick enough, now surrounded by the very people she was trying to avoid. The Gold Warriors.

“Fudge…” she said, under her breath. She was going to have to do this the old-fashioned way. The Gold Warriors could dodge bullets but they didn’t do well with unpredictableness. And her scimitars were unpredictable.

She pulled a flashy smile, “Did you miss me?”

Her hands slipping behind her back to grab the curved swords attached to her back, loud music suddenly played through the room, coming from her back pocket.

She didn’t know this could get any worse. One hand up to try and get the Gold Warriors to pause before attacking, she picked up the third ring, it was her fiancé.

“Um.. can I call you back later?” she glanced quickly around the room, “I’m kind of in the middle of something.”

“I just wanted to ask you to do something, honey.”

She smiled at the term of endearment, “What is it?”


“We’re out of eggs, so I was just wondering if you could grab some on your way home.”

“Oh, sure. Just from the markets?”

“Yeah. You’ll be back by 8, right?”

“Of course.”

“Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Okay, bye.”

“Love you.” she chewed her lip, this was not good.

“Love you too.” her wife hung up and she turned back to the surrounding Gold Warriors.

Her mouth formed a cocky grin, “Where were we?”

The leader of the Gold Warriors frowned at her, “We were at the part where you surrendered and came with us.”

“I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that’s not going to happen.” Suddenly, her knives were swinging around the room, as she dodged bullets in an effort to reach the door.

Unfortunately, the Gold Warriors only needed one opportunity.

And they got it.

~

Her sister was a pain. Tapping her fingers against the table, she sighed, “What’s your angle?”


“What do you mean?” her sister said.

“Why did you drag me all the way out here? You told me that even though you’re a Gold Warrior now, you wouldn’t use your power to foil my own attempts to make a living. So why am I here?”

“You didn’t answer my request for you to come to our parents’ for dinner this Friday.”

“Because I don’t intend on coming.” she rolled her eyes, “Can I go now?”

“Fine. But mark my words, you’ll be coming.”

“Sure.” she stood up, swinging her bag over her shoulders. Checking the time, she sighed. She’d be late.

Again.

➽──────────────────────────────────────❥
The crowd was anxious. Whispers echoed around the circle. Uneasiness rippled through the crowd like someone had just dropped a heavy stone in a still pool of water.

Even though the occasion was worrying, the day was almost enough to brighten everyone’s spirits. The sun nearly had risen, a small tip of orange-yellow peeking on the horizon. The air was cool and crisp, a gentle breeze caressing them like soft fingers. Some started to relax.

“Ahem, sorry to interrupt everyone,” The mayor’s voice came out loud and high-pitched, trembling slightly. His hands shook violently as he fiddled with
the blue buttons on his shirt. “But this message is very…urgent.”

The mayor’s choice of words caused the crowd to murmur among themselves more noticeably, but the mayor managed to speak over them.

“The Empire has been attacked by the Pernalins, but—” The voices rose over the mayor yet again, whose sober face slipped into worry for just a second. But it straightened up as quickly as it had fallen.

“But we can help.” The voices died down. “Send one from your family to give service to the military.”

At that moment, the guards flocking the mayor closed in on the crowd, spears held high. No one would be getting out soon. Everyone fell silent.

“I will.” A woman stepped forward. She untangled a huge batch of children clinging onto her. This took a few moments to get them off, but when they
were gone, she did not straighten up when the burden was removed. The children’s sobs and cries echoed through the silent city.

After she had, many stepped forward. It was terrible and admirable at the same time. The thought that they may sacrifice themselves for the war… It was worse than giving tribute to the Empire.

The families blended back into the crowd, who seemed to turn into one. Soon there was only a man, a woman, and a girl around eight years old. The
woman clenched the man’s arm like it was her lifeline.

The mayor waited, but neither the man nor the woman stepped forward. Instead, the family turned their back to him and melted into the onlooking crowd.

➽────────────────────────────────────❥



The warrior festival is today.

But I don’t think I’m ready for it. Sure, I don’t have to go. But I do want to go. To prove that our family isn’t useless or afraid.

The warrior festival has been held every year since the war was declared. It’s the fifth one now. It’s for honoring the fallen warriors that have sacrificed themselves for the Empire.

It starts on June third, a sacred day among the “United” Empires. It marks the day of when the three emperors united their forces. Even the Pernalins respect this day, to take a break from fighting. The soldiers get to rest, visit family, and say final goodbyes to their comrades at the festival until the fighting resumes the next day.

“Are you sure—” Mother asks me at the dining table. She had just cooked fresh breakfast for once, even though we barely had enough ingredients left. The hearty soup warmed me down to the bone. I guess this was to bribe me to stay inside, but it didn’t work as intended.

“I’m sure,” I say, in between swallowing a chunk of fruit. I looked into her hazel eyes, and I knew she wanted to retaliate back at me. But she quickly realized that she wasn’t going to change my mind.

“Just try not to get hurt,” Mother said slowly, sighing. “Don’t wander too far from home. And—”

“I know the drill, okay?” I interrupted. “I’m almost fourteen and you’re still treating me like a baby!” Mother blinked. Then she walked over to me and kissed me on the forehead.

“Come back by six, okay?” She breathed. I sprang up from my chair and nearly ran out the door, not taking a single glance behind me.



The festival was in full swing outside. The fabricated royal dragon seemed to fly through the sky, manned by people holding up sections of the dragon’s body on long wooden poles.

The woven elaborate cerulean scales shined and merged with the darker shades of the color. It was incredible how beautiful and realistic it was up close,
the striking red eyes boring into mine.

While everyone was partying now, when it became darker everyone would crowd around a specific booth. There they would honor the soldiers’ bravery by lighting the lanterns along the Vitreuse River, where the current would take them to new places.

The merchants shouted over the hubbub of the millions of people chattering around the square, trying to advertise their goods. Without thinking, I stopped in front of one of the stands which sold what looked like some sort of small round cakes.

The aroma wafted through the air and I sighed with longing. Though I probably didn’t have enough, I couldn’t help but try.

I took out my coins from my pouch and counted them silently in my palm. I handed the coins to the merchant running it, who gave me a kind smile which caused her skin to crinkle around her eyes.

She turned over each coin slowly and with great care.

While I waited, I turned away from the woman to observe the events in the square. Children laughed and chased the dragon. Parents watched them anxiously and held hands, feasting on expensive pastries. All these people seemed to have normal, perfect lives.

The merchant shouted in my ear, “Done.”

She shoved three of her cakes into my arms. They were still warm from the oven. I took a small step backwards and tried not to run into someone—the square was crowded.

The bricks in the road were uneven, but I managed to keep my balance. I could barely see where I was going with the amount of people around me.

“Take this,” Someone whispered from behind me. They handed me a soft bag, just the right size for the cakes. I murmured a small thanks to them.

As I slipped the cakes into the bag, I noticed that the bag wasn’t even empty—it had dozens of loaves of bread inside, enough to feed my family for a month or even more. I wanted to call out, but I decided not to.

Obviously, this person had wished me well.

I tried not to stand out—stealing was common. I hugged it to my chest and felt the corners of the bread press against me.

Clutching the bag harder, I decided to drop off the food at home. I couldn’t let it be stolen, and, of course, it was getting late already. I didn’t want to lose track of time and worry Mother.

Though there was a much more common way to get home, I decided to go down the alleyway so I could get home faster. I jumped in between the bricks, trying to balance in my tight shoes. I was still getting used to them.

“Where are you going, little girl?”

I tried not to get too angry about the comment. I whirled around to face a brutish boy with mousy black hair slicked down under a simple brown hat. I knew immediately who he was. He was one of the blacksmiths’ servants, who helped fund the place by stealing.

Behind him were four others.

I thought better not to answer and kept walking at a faster pace, but my shoes slowed me down.

One next to the boy grabbed me by the shoulder. They weren’t letting me go that easily.

“Where are your parents?” He prompted. The way that his fingers clutched my shoulder scared me, and I decided to answer.

“At home, I’m—”

Before I could finish my sentence, someone grabbed my bag. Ugly laughter came from them. I should’ve known not to come this way—everyone would be in the square, not on the streets. No one would even notice that I was being mugged.

They crowded in, peeking into the bag. One of them took my precious cakes and threw them down his throat. I hoped he’d choke on it, but he didn’t.

I wanted to run, or even better, get the bag back, but these boys looked like they were much stronger and faster than me.

“Hey!” One of them said, his voice sounded kinder than the others. I craned my neck to see him.

Chocolate brown eyes flickered from side to side, as if he were thinking a million thoughts at once. An crooked apron was hastily shoved over his gold-
adorned red and blue sweater. His hands, covered with dark brown fingerless gloves, fidgeted. “We should let her go.”

The others stared at him as if he was crazy. “But the boss said—”

“I know what he said,” He snapped. “But I don’t think he’d want us to steal from little girls.”

“I’m not a little girl,” I protested, but no one seemed to notice.

The tallest, and I presumed, the leader of the group grunted and started to crack his knuckles. I winced at the sound. Everyone else started to stand
back, eyes moving back and forth as if they were watching a fairly interesting show.

“We can find someone else, Steven,” The one who defended me argued. He caught my eye and gave me a look that said run.

The taller one, Steven, kicked away my bag.

I counted in my head. They both started advancing on each other. I braced myself to run. I started to slip my feet out of my uncomfortable shoes.

Without a hesitation, I managed to slip free from the person holding me, who was distracted enough to let me go.

Before anyone could react, I lunged forward for the bag lying near Steven’s feet. At the same time, I glanced upward and saw Steven jump forward to punch my defender, but he dodged and tripped Steven who landed hard on the bricks.

My fingers closed on the bag and I ran. Even though some of the contents spilled out, I didn’t have time. My mind was fixated on the thought of escaping.

I wanted to kick away my shoes and keep sprinting, but I knew Mother would never allow it. I had to bend over and pick them up instead. I knew I was losing valuable time and I didn’t even know if anyone was still chasing me.

Sprinting around the corner, my bare feet pounded on the dirt. A cloud of dust billowed in my face, and when it dissolved, I saw my home, standing tall and proud in front of me. I was safe.

I scrambled onto the front steps and yanked open the door. I’d forgotten to lock it before, but this was to my advantage. Once I stepped inside, I barred it immediately. I sank onto the floor, breathing heavily.

“Audree?” I heard my mother say. Her face came into view from the hallway, lit faintly by a candle. “You’re home early.”

➽─────────────────────────────────────❥
OKAY so this thing in the first chapter is subject to change, and it’s part of a story I’m writing called Hopeless. Again, the thing in the 1st chapter is subject to change because it’s not fully edited. I hope you liked it! Peace out

~ Peggy

(I have no inspiration, so this is a bit of a D&D fan-fic I might actually finish. The prompt was: Write a story about a character reflecting on a decision that they regret. This might not really count, but I like it.)
Prologue
I felt stone pressing into my back. I tried to contain my fear. “Thia, I'm sorry. The dragon- it- I couldn't do anything,” I said nervously. The path carved into the cliff face was thin, with barely any room to move.

“Oh, you're sorry, are you?” Thia snarled. I couldn't see Thia's face, but knew the drow's face was twisted in anger under the mask. “Mara, you're a liar. You left me in the lair of a dragon because you were too cowardly to do anything!”

“I'm sorry! I wish I could have stayed, but Dell and Jasmine insisted it was hopeless and wouldn't let me stay.”

“Oh yes, blame it on them. It's never your fault. You betrayed us! You stole our treasure! Yet no one believed me! It's not fair!”

“I'm sorry Thia. I was scared. And yes, I stole from you, Dell and Jasmine. I have no excuse. But please, let me try to make it up to you.”

“I've given you more chances than you deserve.” Thia slashed her swortsword. I just barely dodged it. But in doing so, I missed her plan. Thia used my momentum to her advantage, tripping me.

And then, I fell. I didn't have any of the ingredients I needed to do magic. The cliff face was too steep for me to catch myself. I thought about what I had done wrong. When I went on a quest with some friends to defeat a dragon, I reacted on impulse. I stole the treasure we had gotten on the way. And when we faced the dragon, I didn't stop until it was too late. And now I was paying for it.

The ground was getting worryingly close. How ironic, I thought, The dragonborn dies by falling And then I was caught.

Set You Straight (MWD)

I’ve been meaning to write Meg’s story for… a long time. She’s been really close to my heart, and the MWD was the perfect opportunity!

I can hear the clock, ticking away the hours, like a menacing scorpion, poised, ready to strike. Tick. Tick. Tick. It’s reverberating in my brain, so engrained that when I cover my ears it seems to get louder. Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Make it stop!” I cry, desperate.
The others in the room look at me, strangely. I’m used to it.
I feel a hand squeeze mine. I look up, and Daniel smiles at me. I smile back, grateful.
“You can do it.” He whispers. I take a shaky breath.
Now, reader, before you get any ideas, me and Daniel aren’t… a thing. We’re just friends. Seriously.
I stand, and I feel a wash of dizziness. I sway, but somehow stay standing. A few steps. One, two, three-
The ticking overwhelms me again, and I struggle to stay in control. I can hear Daniel, talking to me, but it’s like I’m underwater. I try to keep hold of the few threads I am clinging onto, but my hands slip and I fall into the darkness of my own mind.

“…condition is getting worse… no cure… emotional support…”
My vision swims into focus, and I panic. I can hear it again- Tick. Tick. Tick.
The doctor talks to me in a soothing voice, and I calm down. It is not ticking- it is beeping. The beeping of my heart monitor. I am in a hospital.
“Miss Redding.” The doctor says. My parents hug me tight.
“Meg, are you ok?” Mum says, stroking my hair.
“I- I think so.” I say. “Did it happen again?”
I don’t need an answer. Mum’s look confirms it.
“Now, Meg, I brought your school uniform for you to change into.” Dad says, without any emotion. Mum look at him.
“Ed, don’t you think she needs some rest?”
“She’ll be fine.”
There is an uneasy silence, and the doctor leaves to get my test results. I sigh. I’m exhausted, but what dad says goes.

I am discharged from the hospital, and driven to school. Mr Fore, our teacher, welcomes me back.
“Now, Will,” dad says, “Don’t go easy on her. She’s fine, and would prefer it if she didn’t get special treatment.”
A weird look comes across my face.
“Of course not.” Mr Fore flashes me a wink.
My parents leave, and Mr Fore directs me to my new seat, next to a girl. She smiles at me.
“I’m Ni. Nice to meet you (no pun intended).”
I laugh. “Meg.”
My stomach erupts with butterflies.
I don’t know why.

Days pass, and everyday Ni says ‘hi’ and I say ‘hi’ back. We begin to text- all the time. Whenever I’m near her, I always seem to forget the problems I have. We laugh, talk, text…
Then I catch myself, thinking, Wow. She’s really cute.
Stupid,
stupid,
stupid.
Am I gay?

What will mum and dad think?
Will they support me?
I’m panicking.
My last thought, If they don’t support me- does that mean they don’t love me?
It plays in my head. Over, and over.
I’m going to tell them. I’m going to come out.

“Hey, Meg, you ok?” Ni asks. I snap back into focus.
“Ujhmrdgo- Oh, uh, I dunno.”
Ni stares at me, concerned. “What’s up?”
“It’s… really awkward.” I say, brushing her off.
“That’s fine. I’m your friend, I’ll understand.” She is pushing, gently, but pushing nonetheless.
I can’t say no…
“I’m- I guess-“ I can’t find the words, so I rip off the bandaid. “I think I’m gay.”
Ni’s face lights up. “Meg, that’s amazing!”
“It… is?”
Ni nods a million times. “How did you figure it out?”
“Uhm…”
Oh, stomach cramps.
“It’s me, isn’t it?” She says, gently. I nod, looking at my hands. She says nothing.
After a lengthy pause. “I’m, um… straight.”
“I know.” I sigh. I stand up, and walk over to Daniel.
“Hey. You ok?” He says. I shake my head.
“Ni just said those exact words to me. I need to tell you something.”

Then it comes again.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

“No, no, no, no, no, no…”
Tick. Tick. Tick.
“Daniel, it’s going again!” I cry. He grabs me, and hugs me tight. “Meg, breathe. Meg! Hold them. Don’t let go.”
I try. I really do. I weakly smile at Daniel.
“I’m gay.” I whisper to him, and then I let go.

“Meg. Meg. Meg.”
“Whaaaaaaaaatttt?!” I groan. Then I realise I am awake. “Mum?”
“Honey, are you ok?”
“Sort of.”
“Your friend is here.”
I open my eyes, and sit upright. “Ni?”
“Meg…” she looks hesitant. I can tell she’s still getting over however many days ago. “I’m sorry.”
I lie back down. “I’m sorry too.”
A pained expression crosses her face. “I need to go. Get better soon.”
I watch her leave, heart aching.
“Mum, dad, do you love me no matter what?”
“If you murdered someone I’d still love you.”
Dad says nothing.
“I like girls.”
She squeezes my hand. “See? Still love you.”
Dad sighs. “I’m sorry if I made you feel like you couldn’t tell us that.”
I thank them for their support.

The next few weeks are chill. Ni does’t really talk to me, Daniel asks me a lot if I’m okay.
But the ticking doesn’t come.

Seven years later, I receive a letter.

Meg,
We haven’t talked in a while. I miss talking to you.
I’m sorry for blocking you out all these years. I am flattered that you liked me even though I’m still straight.
I anyone liked me, I’m glad it was you.
You probably have a girlfriend or something now, and I wish you all the best.
Maybe we could talk sometime?
Ni

I feel sceptical. SEVEN YEARS, NI. SEVEN YEARS.
But then I feel joyous that my friend doesn’t hate me anymore. So, yes.
Yes Ni. I will meet you.

~ § THE END § ~

I hope you enjoyed Set You Straight! Meg is very lucky that she didn’t have to deal with homophobia, but there are still people out there who do! When I came out, there were lots of people who didn’t like the idea of it, and I got ‘bullied’, as I will call it. I didn’t have the help I do now to deal with it, and it was a very hard time. So, I’m asking you guys to be a friend to those in need. Thx <3

violetthefirst wrote:

when green flag clicked
if <> then
<(☁ score) = [13]>
play sound [ I love writing]
forever
stop [Sound]
end
end

That’s awfully cryptic.

I'm not a member, but the dare was too good to resist

This month's writing dare:
I sacrificed everything…but in the end, it was all for nothing. My horse, Shinning Star had knocked a rail on the last jump and lost our spot on the Olympic short list and Our chance of competing on the Olympic team. Every hour of training was all for nothing, the next summer Olympics were in 4 years and if I worked hard enough I would be on the team, but at this point, I didn't even care, we had lost our chance and now Shining Star, and I would have to wait 4 more years to have our chance again.

Sorry it's so short

Huh

MWD

Sil3nci0: “I sacrificed everything… but in the end, it was all for NOTHING!”
Sil3nci0 said as he breaks his own mug.
Sil3nci0: “Why? Why did i do this… WHY?”
Silencio678: “annnd cut!”
Silencio678, the director, said to Sil3nci0.
Sil3nci0: “was that good?”
Silencio678: “yup!”
Sil3nci0: “nice.”
SCP Silencio, very much confused, looked at Silencio678.
SCP Sil: “was i supposed to look scared during that?”
Silencio678: “yea”
SCP Sil swears just once
Silencio678: “anyways, guys!”
Everyone in the room looks at him. Qilencio, Sil3nci0, SCP Silencio, Kind Silencio, Genocide silencio, Sans!Silencio, silenc and Universal Destroyer Silencio looks at Silencio678.
All except silencio678: “yea?]
Silencio678: “uhhhh- i forgot what i was about to say.”
They all sigh, and continue their work


YOU THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE A SAD ONE, HUH?

For once I'm actually doing the MWD! Not hugely long, but OK.

Two characters meeting under unfortunate/ non ideal circumstances:



“I beg your pardon. I didn't realise anyone was in here.”
I looked up from the monitor in confusion and annoyance. Surely I should have at least spotted someone opening the door.
“There is a sign, you know,” I snapped, to hide my embarrassment.
“Sorry, which sign would this be?”
“It's in great big letters, and it says ‘No Admittance Without Prior Permission’.”
“I'm sorry. I didn't see it. I'm not familiar with this place's layout, you know.”
“Why are you in here?”
He held up a toolbox. “I'm here to deal with those faulty cameras your organisation sent a complaint about.”
For the first time I thought to look properly at the person in the doorway. He was wearing a hi-vis vest and helmet, both of which had the Cangrejo Electrical Company logo on them.
“Finally,” I said. “That was weeks ago. Glad to see you lot are actually going to do something about it. It's seven floors down. Also there's been a bit of a… problem down on some of the lower floors. Someone's blown a great big hole in the outer walls and I have some people guarding the entire floor until we've worked out if anyone's come through it. If anyone asks what you're doing down there, tell them you had my permission. They'll want some paperwork to prove it.” I tugged a form out of the stack of paperwork on my desk and scribbled a signature.
“Thanks,” he said. “Seven floors down? Yeah, I heard about that. Best of luck dealing with it. I'll leave a receipt when I'm done.”
I watched him shut the door behind him, and sat back to drink my coffee. Finally, a company had actually bothered send someone out to the fortress. It's not like I didn't know the reputation the place had before I took over, but this was ridiculous.
I took another sip.
I didn't remember actually asking Cangrejo Electrical Company to sort out the cameras. Presumably someone had actually shown some initiative around here for once and done it for me. I made a mental note to check who it was and commend them.
*
There was a knock at the door. Shaun opened it and walked in without waiting for me to respond.
“Don't bother apologise, will you” I said sourly. “What's gone wrong this time?
”Gate Thirteen says someone snuck through while they were changing guard,“ he said.
”Oh, they have, have they?“ I snapped. ”All that business with the hole was just trying to distract us, yes? I might have known.“
”Anticipating your order, I've made it clear to everyone that it's staying guarded anyway. This could be a double attack.“
”If you're doing such a good job of commanding this operation, why are you telling me about it?“
”You're the one with direct access to real-time footage. Anyone suspicious been through lately?“
”No. Only person I've seen around who isn't an actual employee was an electrician," I said. And stopped, and thought. And resisted the urge to bang my head against the wall. Leadership skills, remember. My first-in-command doesn't need to know about my incompetence.



(Passage from a Real Book I'm Actually Writing, but has been reworded to cover a few details I don't want slipping out before I'm ready to release the whole thing, and also to include some points that get clarified earlier in the story. The narrator's infodump about the problem seven floors down is in fact spread out over a previous few paragraphs.)

I push the dweeb out of my way. I am late to the emergency meeting. I notice the “dweeb” is actually a cabin mate of mine. Never knew his name. I don' have time to appoligize. Where I come from, pushing people is normal. Maybe it is for him too.

I race to my meeting and get there on time. I sit on the labeled chair.
“First order of buisness,” says my commander, who rises. “Kindness in the ship.”
I immediatly drop dead. I see the dweeb, who's name plate says Marvel. He flashes me a quick look. Yeah, this should be fun.
“Assignments: Rilee and Jason. Floor duty. Cassidy and Carmen. Spy. Jenisis and Marvel.” assigned by our commander, Rediviachi.
“Which Marvel?” cuts Marvel, quickly.
“The other Marvel. Other Marvel and Jenisis will be voice overs.”
Oh no. I and Marvel are left.
“And finally, Gertii and Marvel as co-commanders. Dismissed.”
This should be fun.

I know it's short but it's open ended.

^-^::#ff70d2 cap

Write a story about two characters meeting under unfortunate/ non ideal circumstances.

“Well, this is awkward.”
I turn around in the doorway to my house, locking eyes with a tall, broad shouldered person with shoulder length dark brown hair. Their nose and mouth are covered in a mask, and I can only see their bright blue eyes.
They reach out a hand.
“The name’s Allie. She/her. I’m afraid I’m going to have to kill you now.” She shakes her head. “Ugh, this is so unfortunate. Get in, get out. That’s what they always say. But now I’ll have to kill you too. It’s a shame, since you look rather smart. Just not smart enough to not be here right now.”
“This is my grandma's house…” I murmur, confused.
“Ah, well, then I have the right place. Thanks.” She snaps her finger and a sword appears in her right hand.
“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, reaching for my phone. “I’ll call the police.”
“And then I’ll have to kill them too.” She furrows her brow and studies me. “I don’t think you get it. Perhaps you aren’t as smart as I thought.”
“I’m smart!” I exclaim.
“But see, you’re defending your intelligence as I’m about to kill you, instead of defending your… well, you know. Your life. Which I’m now going to have to take.” She adds. “Now, we don’t want you rising from the dead or anything, so do you have any unfinished business?”
“Wait, what?”
“Nope? Okay then. Prepare to die.”
She smiles at me, then winks.
Suddenly I feel incredibly woozy. Allie starts fuzzing before my eyes and I gasp for air. What did I come to my grandma’s house to do again? And why… Why am I lying on the floor?