✿ March 6th Daily ✿
▸ I worked with @mynameisleafshine (Lemond)
▸ The prompt was: You get a summer job working as a gardener for a mysterious lady in the forest. The more you water the plants, the more secrets they let you in about her.
▸ It was a total of 510 words

✿ My Writing ~ 510 Words ✿
Sixteen year old Roxanne Mendoza looked at her phone's directions as she drove towards the house of the elderly woman who had hired her for the next few months. She had put out an ad on Instagram to see if anybody needed someone to do any odd jobs around the house for them. Roxanne had done it so she could get some extra pocket money for the summer, and because she enjoyed having stuff to do with her free time. Soon after she posted the ad, she was contacted by an elderly woman named Cecile who asked if Roxanne would be able to come to her house daily and water the plants in her garden since she was getting older and didn’t have anybody else to come and help her out.
She pulled up to the woman's house, and it was a quaint, cottage-looking house; however the only weird thing was that it was located in the middle of the forest. It was in the middle of nowhere. Though there was a really nice garden, Roxanne could tell why the woman needed help maintaining it. Especially considering she was elderly. It looked like a garden that would take a lot of work to keep looking nice.
Roxanne got out of her car and grabbed some gardening supplies she had brought from home from the back of her trunk. She walked up to Ms. Cecile’s front door and knocked firmly. A few minutes later, the woman opened the door and smiled at me. She was an old woman with white hair pulled up into a bun on top of her head. She looked like a nice lady.
“Hello there!” Roxanne grinned “My name’s Roxanne, I’m here to help you with your plants?”
“Yes! Welcome dear!” Ms. Cecile smiled and walked me to her garden “If you could just water the plants and pull up any weeds that you see? That would be great! Thank you so much dear!” Then the woman went back inside, leaving me to my work. That was fine, I wasn’t here for conversation after all.
…
As I continued watering Ms. Cecile’s plants for the next few months, something weird began to happen. Whenever I watered the plants, I heard an odd whispering in my head. For the first couple of days I was sure that I was going insane. But eventually, I came to realize that the plants were speaking to me! They told me all about Ms. Cecile. She used to come out and tend to her garden every day, until her husband passed. After that, she had lost a lot of interest in her plants and started spending more time inside. She didn’t have any grandchildren that lived near her, so she was all alone now. It was honestly kind of sad, and I knew that I was going to make it my mission to help this woman while I was here. In any way that I possibly could. I was going to make sure that when I left, she was a happier person.

✿ Lemon's writing ~ 551 Words ✿
“I've got you a summer job!” Mom yells from the kitchen as I scroll on my phone.

I jump out of bed and head downstairs, praying that it isn't something embarrassing like working at a fast food restaurant.

“There's a nice old lady a mile from here who needs a gardener to water her flowers,” Mom says. “The schedule is every day from 3 - 6 pm.”

Who has that many flowers that they need someone to water them for 3 hours? I wonder to myself

“I'll take it,” I say, despite my doubts.

“It starts today,” Mom says.

“What?” I exclaim, but she's already heading out to the car.

I sigh and have no choice but to follow.

We arrive at the tiny cottage at exactly 3:00 pm, and an odd looking woman who appears to be in her eighties. She's wearing a straw hat with beautiful lilacs and roses, and a flower patterned sun dress. Her boots are light brown and perfect for outdoors. Her skin is wrinkled, but despite that, she looks… happy.

My mom waves as she leaves us, and now i'm alone with a stranger.

“Come right this way,” she says with a smile, and we venture across a hill. Beyond that hill is her garden.

I stare in shock. It's a stretch of land, 3 times bigger than my house, bordered with a white fence. The grass is a lush, bright green, and there's a beige colored windmill just beyond the flowers. The flowers themselves are breathtaking. At least 10 long rows of rainbow colored arranged flowers, all of different varieties.

“What did you say your name was, dear?” she asks me.

“Charlotte,” I reply.

“Well then, you'd better get started,” she says. “There's a hose near the house that's as long as you need.”

Then she walks off.

I sigh and wander to the back of her house, grabbing the hose and wondering how it's possible that someone finds a hose that's 800 feet long.

Aside from that, the experience is strangely relaxing. The flowers have a calming aroma, and the rhythmic noises of water are like music. The flowers shine in the sun after being watered, and as i'm about halfway through I hear a sound in my head.

I pause. It's a soft and quiet melody and I have to turn off the hose to hear it.

It almost sounds like the flowers are speaking to me.

To test my theory, I bend down next to one, and the music gets louder.

The flowers tell the tale of the woman, and how for years she's tended to the flowers. They tell me how each of them represent a loved one in her life, and she's the last one left.

I wipe a tear from my eye, not even realizing that I had started almost crying.

“That's so… sad,” I wonder aloud, and continue watering.

Once i'm at the end, there's a big flower. It's the color of a midnight sky, and as i squint, there's a note:

“To my beloved granddaughter”

I make sure to water it carefully.

Now that all the flowers are done, I head off to the lady and try not to show any emotion.

She thanks me for watering them and hands me a rose of my own to plant.

As my mom arrives and we drive away, I realize that this is just the summer job I needed.

✿ Comparison ~ 81 Words ✿
The first thing that I noticed was that I wrote in the third person whereas Lemon wrote in the first person. Second, my character found the job on her own, however Lemon's character is given the job by her mother. Something similar, is that the woman is left by herself because her family is all gone. And of course, the other similarity is that both of our characters work as a gardener watering a woman's plants, since that was the prompt.

Back to my writing (Includes my story, link to my partners story)
Feedback On The 3/6 Daily:
First off, after the first sentence I could tell that Piper was in 3rd person limited, past tense, whereas mine was first person, present tense. (fun fact, I used to write in that style!) Similarly, the two stories both talked about money from the summer, but mine was set during the summer, and hers before the summer. A difference was that her character got the watering job from an instagram ad, and mine was from the character's mother. (another detail, mine actually was supposed to have the house described as quaint, which we both had in the story, but I forgot to describe the house and was too busy describing the old woman!) Both of our stories ended up being about the flowers telling a story of the woman losing loved ones.

Soft, billowing clouds caught me in midair, strong and light as yarn flowing though my fingers as I knit a cowl. I bounce once, twice, and a third time before landing on a sunrise-shadowed cloud, bouncy and dense after years of collecting water particles in the very air. The thin air billows around me, and I watch a droplet of water fall from a particularly dark cloud. The towering cloud of thunder most likely has been forming for years, and millions of people might've had the chance to look up at the sky and see the heavy cloud, full of thunder, lightning, air and water. I catch a small cloud on my fingertips, weaving it into a soft hat. Another, a horse, and yet another, a pumpkin. Weaving clouds is my job, and the people who look up at them see it as a mere game, choosing their own perspective of the shape. I encourage this, yet continue to make it not a hobby, but as my only job. Other passing clouds chase the woven ones, and I grab one and spin it into the shape of a frog. A human might not see it, but to me, it feels like a light balloon floating on the air, dragging my worries away. Speaking of which, hundreds of balloons, untethered, drift up into the sky, unable to be molded into a unique shapes of its own. What a waste of a well-thought-out substance! Rubber could keep its shape for years, making the clouds inside drift to the earthly people, rendering them able to catch the clouds. Alas, my attempts to catch a upside-down falling balloon has failed, and I resort to watching them glide though the air. I move slowly- what's the use of moving fast when your life is so long? I look at a perfect canvas, floating right beside me as I think about my job. I catch it, splashing it with pink, gold, blue and purple. And shaping it into a floating balloon, a child's hand catching it in delight. It might not be what everyone sees when they look into the sky, but it's what I see when I look down into the planet beneath me- happy thoughts.

Rainbow cranes.

About forty of the paper birds were taped to the ceiling of the room looking down on the sleeping child below. The ceiling fan was turned on making them gently move along to the currents of the wind. Careful and kind hand movements were put into each one of them resulting in beautiful works of art. The goal of making 1000 of them by the end of the year seemed daunting, but the child was sure that she would be able to complete such a task. Despite the fact that the army's numbers were low and pitiful, there were slowly increasing as the weeks passed. Tomorrow, she would continue working on her project. But for now, she's going to rest.
~~~
Words: 122
Time: 3 minutes

3/6 Daily | 361 Words

Prompt: There had never been so much silence in my life.

February 28th, 2005 11:56 PM

Dear Diary:

I don’t know if anyone will ever see this notebook, or ever see me, but I have to try. I have successfully figured out how to warp time into creating a two-day gap between the 28th and the first. I was halted by the leap year, but everything is going smoothly now.
You know, I thought of sending someone I hated into the warp for a test run, but I decided against it. If they’d gotten lost in there, I would’ve felt terrible. I’ve always had a problem with having too much sympathy for my enemies, and now is no exception.
It’s 11:58 and the machine is ready now. All I have to do is wait.
Oh, by the way, Mx. Whoever-comes-across-this-book, would you please go ahead and rip out the dumb drawings in the earlier years of this book before showing it around? Thanks. Those were from when I was five. I never want to see them again. And also, if we meet, tell me if anything happened when I left.
Speaking of that, I wonder if time will feel any different while in the warp. Speaking of that, it’s 11:59:27. I can’t tell if time is going slower, or if I’m panicking.
Nothing’s happening, other than the seconds passing by. 30. 37. 52, 59…

February 29th, 2005 12:00 AM

The warp was successful. Everything seems to have stopped. Even the wind has stopped blowing, the cars in the distant roads have stopped, there’s no music coming from the buildings, everything’s stopped. I think I’m going to go check and see if anyone got in here with me.

February 29th, 1:42 PM

I can’t find anyone. I checked everywhere. No animals, either. I found a fly in midair, which was interesting. And two cars about to crash. I thought about moving them, but there’s too many cars here to ensure that they wouldn’t crash into another one. Nothing will stop the two cars as the clock strikes twelve. I doubt these aren’t the only two cars, either.
There has never been so much silence in my life.

Daily, March 6th
Today, you'll have a chance to interact with your fellow SWSers*! For this daily, pair up with someone and agree on a writing prompt you both want to use! Then each separately write a 300 word story using the prompt. When you're done, compare your story with your partner's. How were your stories similar? How were they different? You must comment on what aspects were different in your stories along with your word count to each receive 600 points! *Scratch Writing Swamp

Prompt: “You stand there and accuse me, but where were you at the time?”

“You stand there and accuse me, but where were you at the time?” My sister-in-law asks, tears welling in her eyes. I want to respond, but deep down I know that my excuses won't cover for my actions. "Where were when your own daughter needed you? Where were you then?“

”Julia, I-“

”No, don't. She's in there, Ray. She could be fighting for her life because you couldn't be bothered to pick up her calls,“ she interrupts me, crossing her arms.

All I can do is hang my head as she continues, ”what was so important that you couldn't answer one measly phone call, Ray? She called me because I was her last resort, and I got there as quickly as I could, even though…“

Her voice trails off, and a year tumbles from her eye. She fiercely wipes it away though, before looking up to glare at me. ”Don't you dare accuse me of not being there for her when you even couldn't be bothered to pick up your daughter's phone call.“

I give my sister-in-law a pleading look, but can't find it in myself to say anything. I'm about to sit down when a voice catches my attention.

”Where is she? Where's my baby?“

My wife, Annette, was walking down the hallway hurriedly, barely able to keep herself from running. She was holding the hand of our youngest, Zoe, and her eyes were brimmed with tears.

”Annie-“ I start. She raised her hand in gesture to silence me, avoiding eye contact. ”I'm sorry, darling, I… I don't think I can talk to you right now…“

Zoe walks over to me, her eyes wide and a little frightened. ”What's happening, Daddy? Mommy said we're here to see Mya, but I don't see her anyway, and this place is scary…“

It's all I can do to lean against the wall, force a smile, and pat my daughter's head reassuringly. ”Don't worry, you'll see your sister soon. Okay?“

She nods, and I lift her up, giving her a squeeze to let her know that I was there, and that everything was going to be alright. Even if she didn't really understand what was going on.

Zoe rests her head on my shoulder, clinging to me tightly as a doctor walks into the waiting area.

”Mr Elkavee, if you'd like to come with me…"

An elderly man gets up to follow the doctor and only then I realise that I had been holding my breath. I sigh, sitting down on the chair behind me.

How had it come to this?

All I'd wanted was to do something nice for my daughter. All I'd wanted was to get her gift. Instead, I'd ended up causing her to be in a hospital…

I wonder…if I had picked up the first time, instead of waiting for a moment and calling her back, would things be different right now…?

I can't stop the thought from crossing my mind.

We'd probably be at home, all four us. The girls and I would be deciding what to make for dinner whilst Annette got some rest in preparation for her night shift. I would've given the girls the gifts I'd gotten for them, and they'd both love what they'd been given. Then when Mya asked why, out of nowhere, I was buying them presents, I'd come up with a cheesy reason like-

"Ray? Ray.“

My wife's voice interrupted my thoughts. I realised, without looking up, that a doctor had come to take us in.

I put Zoe down, gesturing to Julia. ”Why don't you stay with Aunt Julia for a while, Zoe? Mommy and I will be back soon, okay?“

”Will you bring Mya with you?" I don't respond to the question, instead planting a kiss on my daughter's forehead before leaving with Annette and the doctor.

I hadn't told her my reasons for not picking up the phone call yet, but I couldn't help but push down the guilt.

It was only when she reached out to hold my hand that I thought, just maybe, things would turn out all right.

I really hope they do.

688 words, comparisons in comment currently…

3/6/22 daily!

“Um, hello?” I called into the empty field, but the only sound was the soft padding of my footsteps on the grass, and the only thing I saw was, well, grass. A week ago, it had been bustling with noise, crowded with people who had come to buy fresh vegetables and honey and other things at the farmer’s market, going in and out of colorful booths. I had bought a plant at the market then. It was beautiful, and I’d never seen anything like it – long, rainbow-tipped leaves like spikes stuck out from the base of the stem, and a sunset-colored flower sat on top. The petals bent down and were just as spike-like, and they looked kind of like teeth.

Theeeen I brought it home and it ate my cat. I’d heard of carnivorous plants before. I was kind of awestruck by them. But they eat flies and other small insects, and even the biggest ones can’t eat anything more than a large frog. That’s why I had returned to the market, or, where the market used to be, to ask a few follow-up questions on why the plant, which I had been told to ‘just give plenty of sun and water weekly’, had eaten my beloved 17-pound Maine Coon. I had come home from high-school one day, while my dads where still at work, and my younger sister was still in school, and found his fluffy cream-colored tail hanging limp from its beautiful, terrifying petal-y jaws.

Ugh, why wasn’t it here? The market was supposed to be here every Saturday between 11 to 4. It was 12:39 on a Saturday, and I would've seen it if it was canceled.

I walked up to one of the park signs, where any events were displayed. There was a paper about an easter-egg-hunt from weeks ago, and one about the upcoming summer-reading program at the library next to the field. Nothing about the farmers-market me and my family had been going too for years, and had almost never been canceled.

“Hey, August. What are you looking for?” A friendly voice from behind me asked. I turned and saw it was my favorite librarian from the library, Ms. Briar.

“Oh, hi. I was looking for if the farmer’s market was happening? It was supposed to start over an hour ago,” I answered.

She frowned at me. “Farmer’s market? There’s never been a farmer’s market here."

Partner: @PoppyWriter

Prompt: You were playing video games, all you ever did. It's not like you had anything else to do. Then, suddenly, everything around you started shaking. You blacked out. You wake up in a land that looks like your very own favorite video game.

I was downstairs on the couch when it happened. I was peacefully playing my favorite video game, Animal Crossing New Horizons. Then suddenly everything around me started to spin and shake. I fell off the couch. I had jelly legs. I wobbled around the room, trying to regain my balance, but I couldn't. I then blacked out, I don't know what happened.

I woke up in a bed, in a room, in a house. I looked around the room, it seemed oddly familiar.
“That's weird,” I mumbled to myself aloud. I looked around, it looked like ACNH. I shook my head and walked around the room everything was the same as my room. I walked out the door, into the main room, it had a TV, leather couches, a carpet, a lamp, juice bar, everything I had in Animal Crossing. I walked out the front door, confuzzled. I looked around, only to see animals walking on their hind legs! I looked around shocked. There was a pink cow in a dress, an aqua unicorn, a cat that looked like an orange, a blue deer, a pink hamster, and about five more. Each one came up to me and introduced themself.
“Hey, I'm Norma,” introduced the pink cow.
“I'm Bruce,” the blue deer said.
“Hi, I'm Julian!” announced the aqua unicorn.
“Hey hey, I'm Tangy.” said the cat that looked like an orange.
“Hello, my name is Apple.” introduced the pink hamster. One by one, they all introduced themselves. They all had unique looks, personalities, and styles. I couldn't wait to learn their ways, meet, and spend time with them all. We partied late into the night, eating pears, peaches, and coconuts. But eventually, it got late, and everyone went back to their house. I went back to my house, on a hill in the middle of the island, Nightlight. When I went to my house I looked in the mirror. I realized I had lost weight and was sleep-deprived. I ate some more fruit and went to bed.

I woke up on the couch in the basement of my house. It was all a dream, I thought. I walked up the stairs to the upstairs of our house and ate some real food. I was going to do something better with my life. Time is limited.

Kenna's 3/6 daily:
(Total of 452 words)

“What is your character's biggest fear?”
(121 words)

Seven's biggest fear is definitely losing herself. She fears losing her personality, as she currently can’t control the constant shifts in her personality. Even when nothing happens, one hour she would be very sad, and the next she would be very cheerful. She fears that one day her entire personality will disappear, and she’ll be left with nothing. It isn’t only her emotions, though. She’s scared of losing her interests. She’s very passionate about many things, and if she loses the things she’s good at, she thinks she’ll be no one. Throughout my story, Seven gets really really close to making horrible life-changing decisions, and the thought of that scares her. If one day, she’ll lose herself and do something unthinkable.

“What is one life-changing event your character has experienced? How has it changed them?”
(116 words)

When Seven found out the one she loved murdered her family, everything changed. After she found out, she went into a deep and endless hole of depression, which caused so many things to happen. The murder she loved ran away as well, and everything got so much worse. Seven didn’t know what to do, as she depended on the one she loved, so she ran away from home to search for her. Her running away from home was the main journey of my story, and it changed her emotions and decisions drastically. It caused her to lose trust in everyone including herself, and caused her to no longer choose happiness and being with her loved ones.

“What does your character value most in a friend?”
(101 words)

Seven values a lot in a friend. However, the biggest thing she values in a friend is loyalty. She thinks that if a friend is perfect in every way, but will leave her eventually, there’s no point in being friends. Loyal friends also hit home for Seven because she’s been betrayed a lot, and it’s traumatic for her to lose someone she loves. Throughout my story, Seven experiences a lot of flashbacks of memories with her past friends, who she thought was loyal but ended up leaving her. This also leads to Seven having trust issues, and her being mainly independent.

“What is your character's greatest weakness?”
(114 words)

Seven’s greatest weakness is being lost in all the things she wants and needs to do, so she loses sight of the things that truly make her happy. Throughout my story, Seven faces many obstacles and decisions that tear her apart. The ones that “tear her apart” the most are the ones that make her choose from success and happiness. Of course, being both happy and successful would be great, but that’s impossible in the world of my story. Every time Seven faced a decision like that, she would pick success. In the end, she didn’t succeed, nor was she happy. I suppose it isn’t truly a weakness, but Seven doesn’t value happiness enough.

Weekly For Dystopian!

Sorry its so long lol

Poetry…

Poem 1: Ocean Voyage (Haiku)

Lost ocean voyage,

Mighty waves break over the bow,

Seas churning fiercely.



Poem 2: Sea (Free Verse)



I am a giant,

Existing vast and deep,

But just a harmless splash of water,

As you foolishly believe.



I will summon armies,

Of bold and beautiful things,

Things that dwell below,

Far out of one’s reach.



I made the blue kingdom below,

The swirling waters you see,

The currents that pull you in,

Far out where no one else can see.



And now you stand before me,

Standing tall and strong and brave,

Could it be? Just maybe,

I’ll let you have your day.



Poem 3: The Woodland’s Fate (Ballad)



Far way in a land across the sea, an enchanted aroma sweeps the sky.

Where the Fairies once frolicked, Centaurs pranced,

And where Dragons blocked the skies, snapping into flight and uttering their fiery cries.

Though all remains hidden, shrouded by a wraith of gloom,

And so, illusion veils this wilted wood.

And with no soul to carry out with the creature’s dooms,

Pixies Pranked; Goblins gambled.

Though when the day does come,

When masses of thunder resonate,

From the fuming rolls of clouds and ash,

The day that may tie the woodland to its fate.

Begone, the days, and take hateful form,

And the sky is cloaked by raging storms,

When all is knocked down to its knees,

Not all may be saved.

Mermaids left their waters blue and Dragons snorted up flames and fury.

Trolls, Dwarves, and Giants moved on

And Gryphons spread their feathery cloaks to fly off elsewhere,

Away from the land of which they once called home.

And oh, how the trees and wood may wail and scream,

How the leaves may shriek and howl,

Though the darkness shall not resign.

And while all may not be saved,

Peace is still obtainable.

And while we all have good and bad days,

There will always still be a fire to kindle.



Poem 4: Flickering Flames (Octave Poem)



In the piercing wind,

It flickers into night.

And is this really all we do,

To use our little light?

To wield the heat of flames,

Is not to keep but to give.

And whatever we have of strength,

May we be assured that one more flame will live.



Poem 5: Dragons (Cinquain)



Dragons.

Roars stir the land.

Flames throw light on their leather cloaks.

Their days of glory have swept by.

Forsaken.

Word count: 407



Essays…

Topic: Mental Illness

Introduction

Now more than ever, mental illness appears to be taking a much greater toll on society. But how can we define mental illness? In short, mental illness is a health problem of which can significantly affect your behaviour, thoughts, feelings, and how we interact with one another. Though this is only a very brief description, and actually there are over 200 classified forms of mental conditions. Though there are seven main conditions, those being…

Depression

Anxiety

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Bipolar Disorder

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Schizophrenia

Personality Disorders



For example, Anxiety is the mind and body’s reaction to potentially dangerous, stressful, or unfamiliar situations. It could be the feeling of distress and panic before a big event, or the uneasiness you may feel in an unfamiliar situation. A certain level of anxiety is good, its natural to be nervous, and it helps us stay alert. But too much anxiety and stress can be unhealthy, therefore we need to be careful.

We know the very basics of mental illness now, but we can go into depth and explore all the different types of disorders. There’s much more to it than just Anxiety and Depression.



The DSM



The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) is current up to it’s fifth addition. The DSM-5 lists about 20 major categories of psychiatric disorders and roughly 300 separate conditions. The major categories are…



Neuro-developmental disorders

Schizophrenia

Bipolar disorder

Depressive disorders

Anxiety disorders

Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Trauma and stress related disorders

Dissociative disorders

Somatic disorders

Feeding and eating disorders

Elimination disorders

Sleep-wake disorders

Sexual dysfunctions

Gender dysphoria

Disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders

Substance-related and addictive disorders

Neurocognitive Disorders

Personality disorders

Paraphilic disorders

Medication-induced disorders



It’s a wonder what the DSM categories may look like in 50 years’ time, but for know we can only ponder that question. But there’s bound to be some categories removed and perhaps some behaviours of which we think are pretty common now but may be considered as a disorder in years to come! 50 years ago, and sadly, even now, perhaps, people commonly believed that someone with a mental condition was simply just lazy, and in the case the patient was a child, the blame will be placed on the parents. Though we have come a long way from that, some still believe we have some work to do.



Types Of Mental Illness and Diagnosing It



The conditions listed above are the 20 main categories, but what does having a Bipolar disorder or Neurocognitive disorder actually mean? Having a Bipolar disorder could mean you are frequently suffering from excessive mood swings. If you’re addicted to something, it could mean you’re constantly relying on it and suffering without it. Depression could be diagnosed after the patient experiences persistent sadness and lack of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities. Someone with a trauma or stress related disorder may experience serious psychological reactions following exposure to a stressful or traumatic event. While we cannot go through the definition of every disorder ever listed, hopefully that gives you a glance at the bigger picture of mental disorders.

But how do we diagnose conditions? How do we know that a patient has a trauma or stress related disorder rather than Anxiety? The DSM has been criticized in the past for being a cookbook approach to human suffering, where symptoms are ingredients and specialists must try and match the recipe to the meal in front of them.

It is not meant to work like this at all—there are huge overlaps between various disorders, and there have always been scenarios where someone could be diagnosed with multiple disorders, so we need a guide to diagnose a primary disorder.

A famous problem-solving principle known as “Occam’s razor” is often used for medical diagnostic decisions. The primary disorder is like the umbrella, and under the umbrella sit lots of different individual conditions…



Organic Disorders

Psychotic Disorders

Mood Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Behaviour Disorders



For example, Depression would fit under the Mood Disorder umbrella, and so would a Bipolar disorder and dysthymia. Dysthymia is like Depression, but with longer lasting effects.

Hopefully this gave you a much better understanding of mental illness!



Word count: 724



Script Writing…



Welcome To Hell



(See original story in non-fiction writing section)



The train station is packed in. Drey and Lee push their way through clusters of distraught citizens and rebels alike.



Drey

“And who are we this time?



His voice is drowned out by the crowd’s shuffling and shouts. Lee strains her ears to hear him.



Lee

“Desperate citizens caught up in the rebel’s havoc.”



Drey thinks over the role as he and Lee sprint out of the station and across the intersection.



Drey

“It no longer matters who we are, because by the time we reach the next block, nobody is going to be looking at faces. The rebels stop for no one.”



Lee nods. Rebels flock to the avenue, taking cover in doorways. The refugees, unarmed and clearly disorientated, are taken aback by the guards marching closer.



Lee

“Blood…Blood everywhere.”



Another gunshot goes off.



Drey

“No time. Come on.”



A bomb goes off. Lee glances over the barrel of her gun and pulls the trigger. The bullet hits a rebel. Blood splatters across his chest, staining his suit red.



Drey

“Nice shot.”



Lee does not care to answer, only running ahead after Drey.



Lee

“Where are you going?”



Drey

“The palace.”



Lee

“Are you mad?”



Drey shrugs. A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips.



Drey

“Maybe I am.”



A bomb goes off before Lee can answer. The bomb releases a gush a steam. The victims drop dead, their skin an odd intestine-pink colour. Lee regains her balance and shakes her head furiously.



Lee

“Guard, rebel, citizen, refugee, it doesn’t matter. Everything that moves is a target, an enemy.”



Drey

“And?”



Lee’s heart pounds in her ears, blood roaring, adrenaline pumping through her.



Lee

“They will find you, and they will kill you. You are no exception, Drey. People shoot reflectively. You are mad.”



Drey

“I think I’ve already admitted to that.”



Lee hesitates, then nods, but not so sure of herself.



Lee

“Fine”



Lee knows that she’s just unleashed even more chaos on herself, and potentially this entire city as well.



Non-fiction writing…



First piece of writing…



One word—run.

The moon—a glowing sphere of silvery light tucked away in the corner of the sky—casts silhouettes that bounce off the petrified crowd. Along with Drey, I advance through clusters of distraught citizens and rebels alike.

“And who are we this time?” Drey asks, but his words fade into the background, and only a whisper escapes.

“Desperate citizens caught up in the rebel’s havoc.”

Drey is obviously mulling over the wisdom of this latest role as we sprint across the intersection. But by the time we reach the next block it no longer matters who we are. Who anyone is. Because no one is looking at faces. The rebels are here, and they stop for no one.

Teams of rebels pour out and onto the avenue, taking cover in doorways, behind vehicles, their guns blazing, hoarse voices yelling commands as they prepare to take on the army of city guards—the enemy. And caught up in the crossfire are the refugees. Unarmed, disorientated, wounded, and in the path of guards marching nearer. Strange scents envelope them. The sharp, metallic smell of blood. Blood. Blood everywhere, saturating the sombre environment with red.

Welcome to hell.

I look over the barrel of my gun and take aim. My finger squeezes the trigger, and the bullet hits a guard. The man stumbles, taken aback. Blood has splattered across his chest, staining his suit red.

“Nice shot,” Drey says, but I have no care to reply.

A weapon—gun, bomb, I’m not sure—is activated just ahead of me, releasing a gush of steam. My eyes sting and tear pellets drench my cheeks. The victims—all citizens—drop dead. But when the steam clears, I notice that their skin is not pale nor dark, but an odd intestine pink.

Drey yanks me forward, towards the end location. The only way to go is straight ahead, and no looking back. I formulate conversation in my mind with Drey, but nothing escapes. It only reverses to form a heavy clump of a boulder in my stomach. I am silenced by the rebel’s havoc, unable to string phrases together.

”Where are you going?” The words come out more as a strangled cry than a question. But Drey, with his seemingly enhanced ears, hears just fine.

“The palace.”

I blink. Once, twice. “Are you mad?”

I’m going to kill them all.”

I stop dead in my tracks, shaking my head at Drey furiously. “Guard, rebel, citizen, refugee, it doesn’t matter. They will kill you. Everything that moves is a target, and everyone is your enemy.”

“And?” Drey drawls.

Heart pounding, blood roaring, adrenaline pumping through me, I continue. “And they will find you and kill you. You are no exception, Drey. People shoot reflectively. You are mad.”

A small smile tugs at the corners of his lips. “Maybe I am.”

I’m not sure what I just got myself into, but I do know one thing for certain: I am about to unleash hell on myself, and potentially this entire city.”



Word count: 501



Second piece of writing…

There was something in front of Zoi - her own faint reflection. She touched it, and her fingers found glass, cool and smooth under her touch. She pressed harder against the wall, banging her fists, but she is sealed in.

Zoi stood in ankle depth water, crawling up her arms, her legs, like hands trying to grasp a hold of her.

The water slid up Zoi’s calves, cool and soft. It wasn’t coming from anywhere, really, only emerging suddenly out of the bottom. She banged her fist against the wall. 

“Help!” she screamed, but there is no one to hear her plead. She slapped her hand across the glass.

I will die in this bottle

Zoi dragged shaking hands through her hair.

Her body rose, weightless in the water. Floating closer to the top, she tilted her head back as the water covered her chin. Zoi thrashed, pressing her face to the glass above her, body fighting for every last bit of air.

Blood roared in Zoi’s ears and her thoughts scatter. She screamed, and water filled her mouth, swallowing her whole. She screamed, again and again, shoving the walls with her palms. She kicked the wall, but the water only makes her movements sluggish and unproductive.

her lungs burn, screaming for air, the pain enveloping her. 

Zoi tilted her chin up, letting the water rise, embracing the pain.

I am going to die.

The glass shattered.



And now we enter a never-world of time change. The changes are rapid as we leap between worlds and decades. We see not individual scenes, but fragments, shards that show the constant progression of time. Soon, fifty years has passed. We look at Zoi in her current self…



They cannot see me. I am non-existent, unnoticeable, immune to their touch. Their actions do not affect me as long as I keep to the shadows. I could keep on running forever, and they’d never notice, not even if I kept hidden under the tips of their noses.

I am an essence of evil, destruction, and mischief. I am an outcast of society, feared for what I am capable of. They locked me up, isolated me, tried to drown me. They fail every time. Though they tend to exaggerate my abilities. I can fade into shadows, disappear completely with nothing more than a half thought. But never, never would I spread such terror and destruction amongst the humankind. That was the intention of those that have come before me. I vowed off such things long ago.

Though I suppose I used to be one of them. Its true, I wasn’t always like this. I was once only human. I was just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. I can’t blame them for that part, I suppose. I was nothing more than an experiment to them. Experiment does sum up what they did to me quite well, actually.

But sometimes I wonder what it would be like to stay visible, with never anywhere to hide. What would it be like to lack such immunity to danger, to be that vulnerable? But I cannot remember ever knowing otherwise, never known what it would be like to have no veil, of which is not even visible to myself, to hide you.

But with the gift of invisibility, I know I will never be able to see any such beauty in this world. Even just knowing of what you can do gives you the constant need to hide from everything, to isolate yourself, never be able to free yourself.

Outcast. Feared. Destruction. Invisible.

Word count: 597

Total word count: 2,594



Author’s Note

That was fun, I’ve gotta say

Word war with Dawn

3 minutes, no prompt

Word count: 150

I look around, staring at the mirror. Why was it here? Why did he do this? My brain spins with the ideas, thoughts, and treachery. I look blankly at my reflection in the mirror, cracked like my feelings. I blink, not knowing what to do next, feeling empty. He left me all alone, and just, leaves me. If he had planned this, why now? WHy me? Why now? I think about this before getting up. I have to do something besides sitting around and doing nothing. My only point in life had fled. I have nothing else to do but find another purpose. If I could just get to it. Arg. I need to reach the tower before he has a chance to escape, or at least get to the country border. Maybe then I could change his mind. The tower, the tower. It’s still up on the mountain. I’

daily 3/6/22 - 445 words

If your character could receive their deepest desire (wealth, health, love, success etc.) in exchange of betraying a friend, would they do it? (117 words) - My character, who shall remain unnamed, would definitely betray a friend in exchange for her deepest desire, since she's just that type of character, and is very ambitious. In fact, she does do something similar to this at some point during the story, (*spoiler alert*, which is why I'm not sharing which character this is or what story) although she pretty much just betrays everyone in general, not just her friends specifically. I'm actually not completely sure whether she has any friends, since she certainly doesn't have any that were mentioned in the story, and she's not exactly the friendliest or the most likable type of person, seeing as she has a bad habit of being evil.

What kinds of music would your character like? What types of clothing? (100 words) - My character generally doesn't listen to music, since it distracts her from more important tasks (*cough cough* taking over the world and other everyday activities like that), but when she does, she listens to both classical music and rock music, despite the evident difference between the two. She doesn't really care what type of clothes she wears, although she typically wears skirts and sweaters while at work to continue her disguise of being a good, ordinary citizen who intends no harm whatsoever to the world. However, she also likes to wear costumes, especially when trying to take over the world.

What is the one thing that makes your character tick? (109 words) - The one thing that makes my character tick is when something doesn't go her way. For example, if someone doesn't listen to her, disagrees with something that she says, or ignores her orders and/or advice, (also usually known as orders, just given slightly more politely (sometimes), for further context) she becomes even more angry and annoyed than she usually is, and often fires that person while screaming loudly, breaking the eardrums of anyone nearby. If (when) she gets defeated, she also gets very angry because things didn't go her way. When she is in an angry mood, it is usually best to run away as soon as possible.

How would your character solve the trolley problem? (119 words) - My character's solution to the trolley problem would be to let the train run over the five people, particularly if they were her enemies, but even if they weren't. She would never do anything to save people, no matter how easy it was, unless one of those people were herself, since she is very vain and doesn't think anyone matters except for herself. However, if some of those people were her allies, then she might consider diverting the train, but she still probably wouldn't, since, again, that would be too much work, and she would also end up saving people who were not her allies, and could potentially hinder her plans to take over the Earth in some way.

Daily for dystopian >:]



“What is your character's biggest fear?”

WC: 117

Felicity’s greatest fear is probably the fear that someone isn’t going to like her. She’s got a lot of normal fears- darkness, heights, drowning, et cetera- but that’s likely her biggest one. She tries her best to be friends with everyone and be the best she can for everyone else. Deep inside, Felicity battles her own flaws- like her anxiety and paranoia- but she tries to make sure that everyone she comes across feels loved. She once met a vampire (in roleplay), and, even though she thought she was a tad bit loony, she showed her lots of love. She’s quite good at reading people and rooms, so she tries her best to respond to context clues.

“How would your character solve the trolley problem?”

WC: 101

Considering there are many different versions of this problem, we’ll just focus on one: The one in which you don’t know anyone on the tracks, where there are two tracks and where there are three people on one and one on another. In this scenario, Felicity would likely consider every possibility and pray very, very hardly as she steered off the rails that held three. Then she would likely close her eyes, hide, freeze and sob. She’d probably be shocked as someone tried to force her off the trolley, and she’d be haunted by it for the rest of her life.


“If your character could receive their deepest desire (wealth, health, love, success etc.) in exchange of betraying a friend, would they do it?”

WC: 110

Felicity’s deepest desire is simple: She wants to be able to remove everything that makes her unstable and ‘weird.’ However, she is not desperate enough to do it in exchange for betraying a friend. She would consider all the options, think about it for weeks. By then, the offer would either be outdated or she would realize that those are the things that make her… her. She would then go to her friend and apologize over and over for ever having considered it, and beg to be forgiven. She’s the type who clings at every mistake they make until it gnaws away at them, and the only cure is apologizing.

“What kinds of music would your character like? What types of clothing?”

WC: 103

Felicity is very into shoulder pads, feminine suits, long coats and heels. She dresses a lot like Dana Scully in the X-files. She’s very reporter-y, wearing lots of blouses, collared shirts, and stockings. She prefers blue or teal suits and skirts. However. In the context of casualwear, you’ll likely see her in loosely-fitting, (but not oversized) flowy shirts with lots of floral and fall patterns, platform sandal-heels, long, flowy skirts and/or tight-fitting legging-pants. As for music, she’s probably into a lot of soft rock- lots of Journey, for sure. She probably likes uplifting, girl-power pop music- like Rachel Platten and Alessia Cara.

“What does your character value most in a friend?”

WC: 107

Felicity isn’t very particular with her friends- she tries to be everyone’s friend. She does particularly like when they’re on the friendlier side of things, when they like the same things as her, or when they have the same style. She has a lot of friends that aren’t, though. She’s friends with Kazina the fairy, who spends all her time on a phone and is not particularly interested in anyone or anything. She’s friends with Rosa the vampire, a positively loony girl who has the mind of a six-year-old. Most of her friends are reporters, like her, however- mainly because they’re the people she sees every day.

3.7.22 Daily
My character: Amy, aka me from the SWC universe But also not me since I'm a bit different from her-

Question 1: What is your character's biggest fear?
Okay, so Amy's greatest fear would probably be either letting her cabin down, or people figuring out what she truly is. Amy is very motivated(which I'm afraid isn't me xD) and she wants to do everything in her willpower to help her cabin succeed in this session. But she feels like if something bad happens while she isn't there, she might be reluctant to blaming it on herself. Even though she knows it isn't her fault, most of the time she doesn't care. She'll still take the blame willingly.

Also she really doesn't like people questioning her, especially over her appearance. Even though she looks human, SOME PEOPLE*cough* like to question her. Amy keeps stuff, mostly about her personally, to herself and doesn't really tell anyone. But she vows if anyone finds out- well, do you really wanna know? Overall, Amy doesn't tend to dwell in her fears, but rather push them aside and try not to think about her. What she might find helpful might just be a good friend to talk to…

or not :D (jk, jk)

Question 2: What does your character value most in a friend?
I think it would be their trust. As stated above, she isn't an open book. But if someone attempted to open her book in just the right way, she might allow it to happen. What Amy could really use is someone to trust, and when she's looking for friends that's a thing she takes into consideration. She also tends to prefer friends that are able to make her laugh. She likes people she can hang out with without feeling some sort of pressure or restrant, she just wants to feel happy in that one moment.

Since her character dynamic can go back and forth at times, she needs a friend who can balance her out. An up-beat character as a friend would really be amazing for Amy. Also anyone who can balance out how determined she is, and try and help her slow down, I think would make a good friend for her. Her ideal friend would be someone who she can work aside with, and keep up with how much she likes writing. Then later, that same friend could help her enjoy herself in her free time.

Question 3: If your character could achieve their deepest desire, in exchange of betraying a friend, would they do it?
Amy's deepest desire would to have major success. Her work is something she takes pride in, and achieving that would mean everything to her. However, I think the answer to the question is no. Amy strives for success almost every moment of the SWC session, but she wouldn't want success at the expense of a friend. Amy really values friendship, and she wouldn't do anything to hurt her friends. She knows that if she doesn't have a friend along side her while she works, she can't really be successful, and that's what matters to her.

She also wouldn't do the deal because she knows that if she keeps trying, she'll be successful one time around. Amy keeps on working and writing, and she doesn't plan on stopping until she has what she wants. But she wouldn't trade her success for a friend any day. She rather keep her friends and achieve success one day, rather then have it now and be friendless. Since Amy prefers having friends around her and not being alone, she doesn't know what she would do without them.

Question 4: What types of music would you character like? What types of clothing?
Answering the first question first. So I think Amy would really be into Lo-Fi or pop the most. Lo-Fi is really good to listen to while your working, or in Amy's case writing. This music genre is literally made for her. Also since sometimes writing a lot can be stressful, and the calm beats of Lo-Fi can be relaxing. Maybe Amy can take advantage of that and use it to her advantage. I think she might also like Pop since she can be upbeat and very playful at times. Pop really expresses those emotions perfectly, and Amy can reflect the music throughout her actions.

I think Amy would be into wearing casual clothes. Since she's working a lot, she wants to be comfortable. Big hoodies are ideal for her. I think she also might have an aesthetic girl theme to her, since the theme is simple but also very cute and not too over the top. She cares a lot about what other people think of her, so not standing out a lot is ideal for her. Amy might wish at times to be a bit more fancy, and put on something nicer looking, but for the most part she's going to wear similar clothes every day.

——
Word Count: 809
~Thanks for reading!||back to contents~

Blue's March 2022 SWC Bread Crumbs

Follow the bread crumbs and you'll find my main thread! Wow! I promise I absolutely will not be recreating Hansel and Gretel. I swear. I am not a candy witch in the forest. Yet.

>> Blue's March 2022 SWC Content Log <<

March 07, 2022
Main Cabin Daily Writing Prompt:

Prompt: Answer at least four of the following questions about your character with 100 words or more to earn 600 points.
a. What is your character's biggest fear?
b. What is the one thing that makes your character tick?
c. What is one life-changing event your character has experienced? How has it changed them?
d. How would your character solve the trolley problem?
e. If your character could receive their deepest desire (wealth, health, love, success etc.) in exchange of betraying a friend, would they do it?
f. What kinds of music would your character like? What types of clothing?
g. What does your character value most in a friend?
h. What is your character's greatest weakness?

Word Count: +1,065

Character: Tokori

Question A:
Tokori would be lying if he said he wasn't afraid of anything, although if asked he would undoubtedly be liar. Tokori is currently most afraid of Kennen being seriously injured during their travels. The man is well aware of the dangers of his work; when he entered the business he lost two two of his fingers when he underestimated the peril of the situation. Knowingly dragging Kennen into that world scares him, especially when he considers the incompetence of the boy to survive on his own and the boy's general scrawniness. However, Tokori is ambitious and abandoning his work would be like shattering his soul and spreading it's pieces to the depths of the sea. Instead, Tokori has been dutifully training the child in anything he'll potentially need to survive on his own, especially in the occurrence Tokori one day fails to have luck on his side. The hopefulness that emerged as Kennen quickly learned these skills has helped him cope with his fear. Though sometimes, while they camp in the depths of a murky forest or take shelter in damp caves, watching Kennen's fear spike sends shivers down his spine. On those nights, he takes special care to keep the fire bright.

Question C:
Finding and taking Kennen under his wing is arguably one of Tokori's most life changing moments. His time spent with the voluntarily mute child has changed him in many regards. On a large scale, Tokori has begun to take more heed of his own limitations and the limitations of others. Prior to their meeting, Tokori would enter any dangerous situation armed with a partial plan and the hunch of a looming victory. If he profited, he would accept any treasure hunting or bounty job. Since Kennen's addition, Tokori has considerably become more aware of his, but mostly, the boy's safety. He began to take less bounty hunting jobs, or in the rare occurrence he does, he leaves the boy at his rented space at Minka's shop. His treasure hunting gigs became generally less life-threateningly (exempting one) and any dangerous situation he entered, especially when Kennen is involved, would be backed by strategic planning, research, and the overall tediousness. On a smaller scale, Tokori has found himself changing smaller habits of his to be a better caretaker for his much younger charge. One of these, for example, would be his complete and utter abandonment of smoking. Tokori has always been a loyal individual, but he's found that he's particularly willing to walk through fire and back if it meant keeping Kennen - the weak, small boy he found by accident, safe and happy.

Question E:
Tokori is a treasure hunter in every sense of the word. He can be spontaneous at times, but he's grounded himself for the sake of Kennen, who he is currently keeping under his wing. However, Tokori desperately seeks a treasure surrounded in vague legends, the supernatural, and an overall unpleasantness that has discouraged many potential adventurers. In this regard, he's of a single mind - stubborn and unbreakable. His goal is this fabled treasure and not even the loss of a limb would stop him if he had anything to say about it. Mind you, however, any of his more self-centered tendencies are minimized by two factors - both almost untangleable. The first is that he is currently employed by Minka - a well respected pawn shop owner. He rents a room in the back of her shop which serves as his base when it is pointless to return to his cabin. Betrayal of a coworker, assistant, or temporary adventure partner would without a doubt make it back to her, possibly ruining her image. The gamble would be too large, which leads into the second point. Tokori is ambitious and loves adventure, but he is,undeniably, a logical fellow. If he ruined a connection the possibility of losing future connections, exponentially increases. The chance of losing an adventure would be more of a loss to him, then the temporary victory.

With that in mind, it also important to recognize that Tokori is a loyal lad. His pool of friends and trusted people is a very small one indeed and sacrificing one would be immensely damaging to him. For better or for worse, though, Tokori very much so loves his adopted son, and he is characteristically blindly loyal to his family. A large aspect of Tokori's story involves working behind Kennen's back to reunite the boy with his family - even though said child dodges the topic. Tokori is aware at some point that he may break the boy's trust, but Tokori, ever the stubborn one, still aims to accomplish this goal while remaining on the search for treasure. The day he discovers the truth is something he looks forward to and loathes.

In short, if he betrayed one of his few trusted companions it would have to meet two requirements: a) he would have to genuinely believe it to be for the best interest of another and b) it would have to pose little to no risk of harming his career. As it can expected, the circumstances for these two requirements to occur are extremely rare. Therefore, even despite his ambition, he is very unlikely to betray another, even if it were at the risk of delaying the acquisition of his greatest desire.

Question H:
As mentioned in a previous response, Tokori is incredibly driven and incredibly loyal. He's trusted and been betrayed, and his power of pure will can only carry him so far during some expeditions. Moreover, while he adores Kennen, he's found that the boy can be a burden at times. However, his ambition, more than anything, is his greatest fault. Ambition, afterall, is what fuels his adventurous spirit, not out of greed for money or glory, but out of the fact that he can appease himself; the joy of carrying a treasure home, the relief of crashing in a warm bed after escaping a treacherous situation, and so many other small victories that make up the whole of an adventure. He is a junkie for such small experiences and his ambition supports it fully. His ambition led to his current commitment to finding the previously mentioned supernatural treasure and due to his ambition, it is very unlikely that he will give up. If there is anything to leave with though, it is that his biggest strengths are, in equal parts, his greatest weakness.

March 7, 2022

Word count: 413

“What is your character's biggest fear?” (101 words)

Evelyn is claustrophobic. I made that up just now but it seems like her… to me. She doesn’t like tight spaces and would rather be in wide open spaces; tight spaces make her feel trapped and she panics. She doesn’t necessarily have bad memories, but just doesn’t like being in tight areas without space to move comfortably. Evelyn loves being and feeling free, out in the open. Not feeling this way is way out of her comfort zone. That’s why she does things outdoors, like tending to the flowers, rather than be in a being in a stuffy cubical all day.

“What is the one thing that makes your character tick?” (100 words)

Evelyn absolutely hates when the flowers get messed up on Thriller Island. She doesn’t particularly like having to rearrange them and fix them up, especially after continually reminding others that they are not to be disturbed. She also doesn't like goats, for well, their stubbornness and love for eating up the flowers. She can get really annoyed and it causes her to let out contained emotions. Evelyn also doesn't like loud noises. She prefers to not be disturbed and likes things to be peaceful. Loud noises don’t really mix with her and she can get easily agitated by loud noises.

“What does your character value most in a friend?” (107 words)

Evelyn loves friends who won’t question your actions too much. She would prefer to not be pressured into opening up but open up freely when she is ready. A friend who loves to talk, but still be balanced and listen carefully. Evelyn doesn’t like making friends quickly but likes to build up relationships over a long period of time. If that trust gets broken, she sees no point in the relationship and will cut herself off to prevent the other from getting hurt. I guess it’s trust that she values the most. If you don’t show trust or have trust, you won’t be able to befriend her.

“What kinds of music would your character like? What types of clothing?” (105 words)

Evelyn doesn’t like loud noises, so rock or loud pop wouldn’t be her go-to music. She loves listening to softer pop and instrumentals. She listens mostly to instrumentals and classical music. She will occasionally listen to something different, especially if she hears a lot of others around her listening to it. As for what she wears, the colors are of a pastel color palate with muted darks for a contrast. For she wears light clothes, usually a long sleeve cotton shirt and some leggings. On top, she can usually be seen to have her gardening apron on or a light fleece when it gets cooler.

3/7: Here are some questions about your character to consider! Answer at least 4 of them in 100 words each to earn 600 points.

“What is your character's biggest fear?” (100 words exactly!)

My character Robin’s biggest fear is losing someone she loves, which is exactly why her greatest weakness is not trusting people. After losing her parents, she always fears losing someone important to her. She is also deeply afraid of what might happen to her if she experienced the same grief again, convinced that she wouldn’t survive mentally with another devastating heartbreak, as her heart was already split into a million of little pieces, with sharp, piercing edges that digs deeper into her skin every time she thinks of her parents and the vital mistake she made the night they died.

“What is one life-changing event your character has experienced? How has it changed them?” (188 words!)

removed because of mentions of death and blood hehe

“What kinds of music would your character like? What types of clothing?” (104 words)

Robin would probably like pop music, since classical would be too peaceful for her, since she’s a spy and a rebel, and I feel that rock or punk music would be too drastic, since she likes to stay independent, secretive, and in the shadows. She’d also wear jeans, since she hates wearing dresses and jeans are very trendy (plus she’d also look very good in them hehe). Robin would also probably wear dark colors or have a dark(ish) theme to help blend in, which would, in fact, be another habit from her spying days, so maybe a dark brown shirt and black jacket.

“What is your character's greatest weakness?” (148 words!)

Robin’s greatest weakness is not trusting people. Like Sylvie in the Loki series, she can’t trust people, due to a traumatizing memory from her past (explained more in depth in the question above!), which hurts her more than it benefits, like she originally intended. Her mistrust causes her not to get close to people, which is both a blessing and a curse, especially when she’s working with someone, which she does a lot, since she’s a spy. But, it also causes other people not to trust her, since they think she’s hiding something, which tends to cause most people she works with to turn against her. But, sometimes, Robin does this too, but ends up killing or betraying someone because she thinks they aren’t telling the truth, which is very dangerous, especially to the person on the other end of her blade, like her old best friend Edward.

3/6/22 - The Columbus Chronicles
Day 1: The journey
I completed the SWC daily as soon as I got home. Most of it I’d finished at 10pm last night: A moodboard full of pirated images, a drawing I’m only halfway proud of, and a bucketload of Canva. I posted it once I got home from school, and after that, got straight to packing. I’d also done most of this last night; all that was left to do was throw it all in a backpack along with my toothbrush, toothpaste, and some extra pads. At about 4:30, my mom and I got in our navy-blue Honda minivan and took off towards Columbus.
I turned our radio to the poprock channel. We have XM satellite, which makes road trips a lot easier. The dial stayed turned to channel 12 for most of the trip, with a few exceptions. Poprock makes good road trip music.
The trip to Columbus passed by, mostly uneventful. We stopped at a Subway for dinner; I got a BLT without the ‘B’ and my mom got a sandwich with literally every veggie possible. Subway’s not my first pick for a restaurant, but it was the best we could find, and that sandwich was pretty good by road trip standards. We only made one other stop: the Golden Eagle. I’d never heard of a Golden Eagle before, but apparently it’s an off-brand Kroger. Seriously; it looked exactly like Kroger inside, just sketchier. We picked up two gallons of water, a bag of pistachios, sale-rack chocolate-covered pretzels, and three bananas. I also used the bathroom at the Golden Eagle. They were cleaner than I expected, and better than the latrine that I was going to use for the next few days. I was glad I had my face mask, because my mom and I were the only ones in the store wearing them. Hopefully those KN95s are as protective as they say.
We pulled into the campsite at 7:30-ish. It was dark, but the others were waiting for us. (name), the leader of the group, unlocked the gate to the campsite and drove us to the yurts. This was all well and good until my mom got the minivan stuck in the mud. There was a bit of panic as we tried to push it out of the mud, until one of the other camper’s moms towed our car out with her pickup truck. We found an actual parking spot and settled in. The yurts had heating and electricity, but that was as glam as we were gonna get. It was so dark that nobody wanted to find the latrine, so instead we all found trees. Except me; I just didn’t drink anything and hoped that pit stop at the Golden Eagle would be enough to hold me until tomorrow morning.
I read in the evening, and the others played Roblox or listened to music or whatever it is that other kids do. I wouldn’t know. I was reading. I had a new book, ‘I Must Betray You’ by Ruta Sepetys, and I almost finished it. Then, I changed into pajamas in my sleeping bag. It involved a lot of wiggling around, but I managed it. I have the best pajamas: Pink fuzzy llama pants and a Wrestlemania t-shirt. Then, we turned the lights off. I slept terribly, partially due to one of the girls watching Liv and Maddie at 4am. Just why.
Day 2: The zoo
I woke up in the morning to chaos. It was great. We found the latrine, so the first thing I did was use the bathroom. We were lucky - because of the cold, the latrine didn’t smell terrible. I had an incredibly well-rounded breakfast: Instant oatmeal with dehydrated blueberries and a slice of cold pizza. I was ready for the day.
We drove from our campsite to the Columbus Zoo, and got there just in time for opening. I don’t feel like listing every animal we saw, but the manatees were eating lettuce, the sea lions reminded me of my dog, and the sloth bear was adorable. The tigers were still asleep and there was a baby elephant. Also there were bald eagles. I wanted to see the flamingoes, but they were on quarantine because of bird flu. This made me laugh, because it was reminiscent of spring 2020. My mom and I were the only ones wearing masks. I saw a girl wearing an Ahsoka Tano shirt and backpack but didn’t talk to her. I should’ve. There were also a surprising amount of people wearing Nirvana shirts, and a girl in our group, (name), wore her Don’t Tread on Me shirt. We all yelled at her not to, but she did anyways. She’s eleven, and doesn’t understand the negative connotation behind that shirt.
We got lunch at some sort of zoo-themed grill. By this time I was really tired, and afterwards we only did a little bit more before heading home. The grill didn’t have much in the way of vegetarian options, so I got two sides of mac n’ cheese and a chocolate chip cookie. I also ate the cherry tomatoes out of my mom’s salad. Let’s hear it for healthy eating, folks.
We did a few more exhibits, then made our way back to the gift shop. Right away, I found a shirt I liked. I don’t care much about fashion - at this point I’d been wearing the same pair of pants for a week without washing them - but I do like t-shirts. This one was maroon and (obviously) had Columbus Zoo stuff on it. I was about to get it off the rack when my mom found a shirt I liked even better. It was maroon still, but softer fabric and with a different design. It was on sale as well. We got the shirt, walked through the the vast expanse of parking lot, and started back to the campsite.
Along the way, (name) found a Starbucks. We stopped, and I got a Frappucino. Mocha cookie crumble, in case you were wondering. My mom and I also capitalized on the pistachios and pretzels we got the day before, and ate those. It was still the middle of the afternoon when we got back, so we enjoyed the lovely weather and relaxed outside. I drew pictures of the other girls and read a second book, ‘Farewell to Manzanar.’ The others listened to music. Then, we went on a walk around the campsite.
It started getting dark, so we came back for dinner. Dinner was watery soup and s’mores. I had the great idea of substituting Oreos for graham crackers, which got us all hyped up on sugar. We went to bed exhausted and ready for a new day. I didn’t sleep well.
Day 3: The museum
I woke up to more chaos. We quickly packed up. Word to the wise: Don’t ask me to fold up your sleeping bag. The other girls started back home so their mom could livestream their church service, but my mom and I had other plans. We stopped at Starbucks for hot chocolate and Panera for bagels, and headed toward Columbus. My mom had gotten tickets for the COSI Marvel exhibit, and our time slot was 10 AM.
We arrived early, so we decided to do some sightseeing. Our first stop was a topiary designed to look like a Serrat painting. It was magical. We also stopped by the Columbus College of Art and Design. We could see the student housing from where we parked and like ten different windows had Pride flags in them. That made me happy. I don’t know what I want to do with my life, but it would be cool to go somewhere with Pride flags in the windows. After that, we went to see the giant gavel. It was exactly what it sounded like. From the look of it, it’s normally in the middle of a fountain. But the water was dry, so I climbed over the ledge and stood next to the gavel. It really was huge. We didn’t spend too much time there, because we were parked illegally.
After finding a new parking space, my mom and I walked over a bridge and made our way to COSI. We still had 45 minutes before it opened, so we decided to go geocaching.
(this next part was censored to avoid giving away the geocache location), but I found it eventually. It was very fulfilling. Then, it was 9:50 and time to go inside.
We scanned our tickets and headed straight for the Marvel exhibit. Since we were in the first time slot, it was less crowded. I don’t even have words to describe the exhibit. It was amazing. There were all sorts of things there; from comic art to props to statues you could take pictures with. My favorites were the movie costumes. They had all my favorite characters: Dr. Strange, Wanda, Natasha, Captain Marvel, and Gamora. There were more, but those were my favorites. There was also an interactive part where you acted like Iron Man, blasting drones into oblivion. It’s hard to put into words what I saw, even though that was the whole point of writing this down.
After the end of the exhibit, we found the gift shop. I saw a cool Black Widow shirt, but it was ridiculously overpriced. 40 bucks; and I could buy it at a fraction of the price on Amazon. I did find a Doctor Strange bobblehead. We got it, and it makes me very happy. It now has a spot of honor on my “I’m a pack-rat-fandom-fanatic” shelf. Hoarder tendencies for the win!
My mom and I checked out some of the other exhibits at COSI. We walked through their Cuba exhibition and their room with the energy stuff. We also shared a soft pretzel from the museum cafe. I picked out some more geocaches to do on our way back to the car, and we headed off.
The geocaches we found were both pretty easy. Once we were back at the car, I found a few more geocaches to do. The first one was at the top of a parking garage. Due to a badly worded sentence in the cache description, we thought that parking was free. It wasn’t, but it wasn’t too expensive so we paid for it anyways. (redacted geocache information) and found a limited Kamp Koral geocache trackable, which I took with me to rehide back home. The second geocache was at the top of another parking garage. This time, we took advantage of the free Sunday parking and parked on the side of the road. We couldn’t find the elevators, so we walked up seven flights of stairs. (redacted geocaching information) so we had to come back down, this time using the elevator. After getting what we needed, we were about to take the elevator back up when we saw a bunch of weird people getting on it. So we took the seven flights of stairs back up… to find those same people getting in their car on the seventh floor. Who parks on the seventh floor of a parking garage?! We did the (redacted geocache information) and took the stairs back down.
It was finally time for us to leave. After a brief stop at a Dairy Queen and a quick geocache find at Hopewell National Historical park, we set the Google Maps and were on our way. Columbus was fun, but I’m happy to be back home. I’m especially happy to have a flushing toilet again.
Word count: 1932
New total: 5276

“What is one life-changing event your character has experienced? How has it changed them?” I’m going to be using one of my increasingly favorite characters, Bee Trochilidae, a pixie. I’d say the death of her brother affected her quite a lot. He was similar to her emotional rock sort of thing, and always took care of her / was more of a parental figure than anyone else. When his mysterious d3ath means Bee is left alone in the world, it definitely doesn’t just change her life, it derails it. Her older brother, Ire, was always getting her to do ludicrous things, stuff she’d never do if she had a choice in the matter, and is probably the only reason she’s the way she is. But his d3ath not only encourages her to become more outgoing, in a less ‘forced’ way, but more confident and well, more like her brother.
“What kinds of music would your character like? What types of clothing?” Bee is a very plain person in general, with a strong love for classical music, Bee Trochilidae pretty much can be seen in her college uniform : a standard moonlight - off - white fabric resembling silk, very beautiful on the outside, but actually quite coarse on the inside. It bears her college logo, two intertwined staffs and a book in front of them, made up of various colors of blues, greens, and light purples. She also has a small band to keep her vibrant red hair out of her face, which is a dark navy blue and inscribed with the school’s motto in Elvish. She wears school colors , when off campus as well, although forgoes the headband, which almost always ends up being a bad decision, since her brother has a habit of messing up her hair every second.


“What makes your character tick?” Bee just needs motivation. A cause to believe in. When Bee first read about the so-called greatest collage of all time, she spent every waking moment, hour, second, millisecond, trying to get in, and she did. Every single thing she does in life is always towards a greater goal, meticulously planned out to get the best side of her. The most intense side of her is this one. Really, the only time she really, truly calms down, is when she’s with her brother, who has a gift for basically making her forget about most important things. And that was when, when he was mvrdered, she was incredibly fixed on finding the person who did it.

“What is your character's biggest fear?” Failure. Sure, Bee isn’t the bravest of the bunch, a few creaks in the dark or a creepy voice would be more than enough to freak her out, but her single most greatest fear, no matter what anyone says and tries to convince her of, is failing. Not failing classes, although that’s a big part of it, just failing her loved ones. Failing her parents, her brother, her friends. It’s a fear that she doesn’t want to face, ever, ever, ever. And it’s something that she’s kept locked away for a long time, only resurfacing when her brother oofed, when the fear of failing translated to not being able to avenge her brother.

Word War Proof:
527 words || 5 minutes


JK Rowling, or known as Joanne Rowling is a British author who wrote Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts and many more. She was born on 31 Juli 1965 and currently is 56 years old. She is a mom of three kids, Jessica, David, and Mackenzie Rowling. She was born in Yate, England. She graduated from the University of Exeter and moved to Portugal in 1990 to teach English. She married Jorge Arantas for 1 year (1992-1993) and married Neil Murray in 2001. JK Rowling wrote tons of books. She is known as a British writer, philanthropist, film producer and screenwriter. Her parents are Anne Volant Rowling and Peter Rowling. She also has 1 sister named Dianne Rowling. She is also known as the richest author in the world. Has a networth of over 1 billion dollars. Moneyinc said “JK Rowling currently has the accolade of being the richest author in the world and is also the first author to ever achieve this level of financial success from their writing.” She started writing Harry Potter and finished her first book Harry Potter in 1990. “The idea that we could have a child who escapes from the confines of the adult world and goes somewhere where he has power, both literally and metaphorically, really appealed to me” said JK Rowling. The story of Harry Potter is about a young wizard named Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione and Ron, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School. A lot of her books are made into movies, she has over 8+ movies from her novels. There are over 500 million copies of Harry Potter books sold. Over 180 million copies are sold in the United States. It is also the #5 best selling books of all time. At the beginning of the book, Harry Potter was rejected 12 times before they published Harry Potter. The latest book that she created is “Christmas Jack and Piggy Adventure.” It was released in 2021. Before she published Harry Potter or any of the other books or movies she made, she was poor and wanted to attempt suicide. “According to Joanne, she was as poor as you could get in modern Britain, without being homeless. She was living on state benefits and did her writing from a coffee shop that would let her sit as long as she wanted while only buying one coffee”, said Erik Hamre. But after she spent some time with her sister in Edinburgh, Scotland, it helped secure her a small apartment. JK Rowling said that she took 6 years to write Harry Potter. On “Times on India”, it is stated that JK Rowling currently has the accolade of being the richest author in the world and is also the first author to ever achieve this level of financial success from their writing. From the best selling books in the world, Harry Potter is on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th. JK Rowling was told to take a writing course by a publisher who rejected her novel. The letter F. An envelope. The idea from Harry Potter came to her in 1990 and the first book was published in 1997.