ADVENTURE FTW!!!!


Daily 2 - Magic 8 Ball

Le question: Will the character in my story by trapped in a video game?
Answer: As i see it, Yes.
477 words
Another question: Will the character break free?
Answer: Outlook, not so good…
Ivory sat down, relaxed in his beanbag that filled the dull, empty corner of his room. Suddenly, he jolted upright, remembering what his father got for him the day before. He had said “it'll help you make some friends!” Ivory had doubted it, but he reached over to under his bed, where the Second hand Nintendo switch laid. As he fumbled with it, he felt another shape under the bed. Reaching again, he finally got it. As he pulled his hand back, he lost his balance. Bang! Ivory winced. His head had a big bump , he felt dizzy and it hurt. a Lot. As he rubbed his head, he turned the shape over to reveal a “Minecraft” Game for his Nintendo switch. not thinking much of it, he put it in his switch.After about 2 minutes of making a Minecraft account, The terms and conditions page popped up. Skipping past it and hitting ‘accept’ like anyone else would he felt even more dizzy.


Black. That's all Ivory could see. Terrified, Ivory randomly opened his closed eyes to reveal a … a…. what is that? He thought as he looked at green blocks in the distance. Oh ! it hit him like how he hit his head. He is IN minecraft! He recognized the game from watching his elder brother watch youtube, thought he never thought much about it. Looking around the place, there seemed to be a… Village?




*Timeskip because i am l a z y to do all of the details twt*



Days had passed. Ivory had learnt how to play, as he was suited in iron armour, not dying as he was scared of not coming back. Will he ever go back home? No-one knows. But oh well back to living. As he made trades with villagers, created a wolf army from scratch, even saved the vilage from a raid he thought about his elder brother and his dad. As days went passed, he made progress. One day he woke up, remember of another world in minecraft from the tiniest memory. Maybe if he got there he would somehow get out? he had tried to talk with villagers but it never worked. they all seemed to make a ‘Hmmmm’ noise. All he remembered was that there was a world with heaps of lava and to get in there he needed some purple black/rock, light it up with fire (Somehow) and go in.

*he makes the portal* *i am to lazy to make that part TwT*
As he stepped in, there was a surge of pride in his chest. He had made it to the lava world! He impulsivly made a big leap as he went into the portal. Bad idea! He glitched on a one block spawn, leaping off and landing into a sea of lava. If only Ivory had read the terms and conditions…



ADVENTURE FTWW!!!!

Lag's spot!
<–<< >>–>

Dailies:
July 2nd: “Will good win over evil?” “My answer is no.”
Word count: 400 (Exactly ^_^ )

The scorching sun illuminated two solitary figures on a plain that stretched in every direction.
Dressed head to toe in shimmering gold armour, a figure stood. A red horse-hair helm covered the entirety of the figure’s face and a massive cape bellowed behind, fastened by a gold chain.
A distance away crouched another figure - clad in black armour. She was breathing heavily and stood injured. She had short-cropped chestnut hair and hazel eyes glittering with hatred.
“Eryian, you will never get away with this!” She cried, rushing at the gold-clad figure. The two clashed swords in an otherwise empty and soulless plain. The dust was stirred by their heavy footsteps and the grass was flattened in their path, but the two battled on without regard.
With a metallic clang, Eryian’s helmet was knocked from the head and long, auburn hair was revealed. Coppery eyelashes framed dusky eyes and he glared, wiping a small gash on his cheek.
Eryian scowled and cried, “You could have joined me, Lirya! Brother and sister—we should have fought for the same side, yet here we stand!”
Fiery anger burned in Lirya's eyes, “You chose your side and I chose mine. But you had no right to take my loved ones! This coming war is on you!”
“Lirya!” He growled, his face pulled into a frown and he swung his sword at her neck.
They were done playing around. It was getting real.

She ducked and launched a flying kick, which caught him in the midriff, driving the air out of his body and throwing him back several steps. She chased after him, pinning him down before he had a chance to regain his breath and swung her sword in a quick and deadly arc. Eryian kicked her knee, causing her to hiss in pain and loosening her hold enough to roll to the side, narrowly missing a brush with death. Quickly he reversed their positions and delivered a quick blow to her temple, rendering her unconscious.
With a sigh, he stood up slowly. He stood silently for a moment before undoing the buckles on his armour, letting some of the heavier pieces drop to the ground with a clang. The shining golden armour had a duller tint to it.
Eryian began to laugh, his voice hard and eyes cold.
“Yes, Lirya, I caused this war,” He said softly, “Because you’re too soft to do it.”

Daily #2 2/07/2022 Magic 8 Ball

Will there be a dog in my story?
Signs point to yes.

Nova was gone when I woke up; it wasn’t particularly abnormal for her to disappear in the morning. She was, after all, a creature with a mind of her own. That dog was a free spirit; she did what she wanted and couldn’t be bossed around by anyone.

Usually, I would never have worried over her running off and doing her own thing. Theo on the other hand could fret over her for hours at a time. Nova was, after all, his dog. As much as I adored her, Theo would always express more love for her than I ever could. At first, I wasn’t worried about her. I was up for a good half an hour before I heard it. The sound of birds singing to each other and chattering away stopped abruptly as barking echoed through the new silence. That's what terrified me. Nova, as free as she might have been, was a quiet dog, not the kind that would bark at birds or possums. If we were not running from the obscure, maybe I could have waved it away as a once-off, not giving it a second thought. Because if we were not running then we would have been at home, safe and happy. But the Barking didn’t stop, and we certainly weren’t at home or safe in any way.

I stumbled over to Theo, the floor of the tent, cold against my bare feet. I leaned over him before nudging him gently and shaking him awake. I watched as he began to stir, looking up at me with a yawn. I grabbed his wrists and dragged him out of bed before he could start to dwaddle, hastily walking across the tent towards the door as he stumbles behind me. I turned around to study him before shoving a pair of boots toward him. He put them on quickly; no explanation needed. I grabbed the laces on my own boots and began to tie them up, knotting the frayed rope into a bow. We slid outside, pulling out our coats tighter as the cool air bit at our faces. We looked around, cautiously, walking forward. Theo pushed past me towards the distant sound of novas barking. I had just begun to follow him when we heard it. The blood-curdling scream of a man followed by the deafening sound of a gunshot ripping through the air. I ran without thinking, Theo attempting to grab me as I sprinted for the treeline. I slipped past him, the thump of my heartbeat pulsing in my ears as my legs pounded into the earth. I could hear Theo chasing me down; he certainly put up a good chase, but I was far ahead, darting between the thick trunks of gum trees and tripping through the undergrowth.

I broke through into a clearing, sliding to a stop. I froze, a man, much taller than Theo stood in front of me, rifle in hand. He snapped around, looking back at me with something that could have been surprise. A grin slid onto his face as a devilish look danced in his eyes.

I flung myself at him as Theo staggered through the trees behind me. A stone whizzed past my head, hitting the man squarely on his forehead, causing him to stumble. I dove toward the man, knocking him over and silently thanking Theo’s aim. I ripped the rifle from his hands as his head lolled sideways. Theo ran past me as I began to pummel the man with my fists, the sickening crunch of bone echoing through the air. I abhorred men like him, the ones who had hurt us time and time again. I hated him and the obscure, but terror washed over me as I stared down at him. Looking at what I had done, what I had needed to do. A cry shocked me out of my daze. I spun around to see Theo kneeling over Nova. He sat next to her, whispering words of comfort too soft for me to hear. He looked up at me grimly as she began to whine. I moved toward them and sat myself down, studying her injuries. I could see where the bullet had grazed her, right across her flank. I looked back toward the man, inspecting him with more care than before. Find his leg decorated with the bite marks and blood that Nova had given him. I stroked her, gently, assessing her side as Theo whispered praise to her. The damage from the bullet, although painful, was something we could fix; she would live. I exhaled softly and nodded to them, watching as a smile spread across his lips. Nova would be alright.

786 words

repost bc i accidentally did it someone else’s thread thinking it was here, i have deleted that one since but ASLDKJFLSKDJFL still feel embarrassed

Cecil sighs and drums his fingers on his jacket. He’s deep in thought. I fold my hands together and look down.
His head perks up. “Hey, I have a question. If it’s alright for me to ask one.”
I nod. I still want to hear him talk to me for some reason.
“Why do you always hide your face? At first I thought it was just a fashion choice with the scarf and all but you always find a way to hide it. You don’t have to answer this, if it’s too uncomfortable. At all. I was just wondering.” He’s sweating, afraid he’s crossed a line or something.
I mean, I don’t really mind my face. It’s just dangerous to show other people, so I don’t. But I still see it every day. And, I don’t know. It’s not that bad.
But I can’t answer with THAT. He’s good about boundaries, but if I just dropped him with ‘Oh, it would be really dangerous for me to show people’ he’d start worrying about whatever I am. I’d be too.
So I’ll just throw out…
“I don’t like it.”
Silence.
He purses his lips and looks to the side. Maybe he’s not convinced.
“I don’t think you’d like it, either.”
I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional.
I really don’t like it. I hate it, in fact.
It’s just evidence that I have no one to blame for my messed-up living situation. I really am the only person that made this happen.
Each time I see it there’s flashes of people. People I’ve hurt. Me. I did that. All of those things are my fault.
I don’t know what to do with myself anymore…
Cecil only cares because I lied to him. I lied about who I am and what side I’m on and acted like I’m some sort of savior.
“I haven’t seen it, but…”
My thoughts vanish. I just tuned out everything for a second. How long was I out for?
“…I don’t think it could be that bad. Because your eyes…they’re nice. I like the color. And they’re kind, but also cool. Like you can handle anything.”
What?
I blink and he’s still standing there. He doesn’t have an awkward or embarrassed look on his face. He seems…genuine.
It’s been 30 seconds, but it ticks by like 30 years.
“You really mean that?”
If he knew everything he wouldn’t mean it—
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?”
Because this entire person you see is a lie. None of what you see is actually me.
But…what if he knew? Would he have said that? Would we still be friends? Would we even be something more than that…?
I’d like to be something like that…
I shake my head, which startles him.
He pales. “D-did I offend you or something? I’m sorry—”
“No. Thank you, by the way. I just need to go right now.”
I run past him. I feel his hand reach out to me, but he misses.
No, I still want to be with him. I don’t want to leave. I still want to feel like a normal kid. I still want to hear his voice.
I roll my eyes. This is the right thing to do. FOR HIS SAFETY.
I never should have even talked to him in the first place.

july 2nd daily

Question: Does the main character have any unique abilities? – It is decidedly so

(tw: talk of death, fire, etc.)

I wake up choking on smoke.
At this point, I definitely shouldn’t be surprised. Of the last seven times I’ve managed to get any sleep, this was the fifth time I woke up to a fire. I’m out of control, and I have been for months.
At least there’s nothing valuable in here. Just four walls, a low ceiling, a hard floor, and me. No windows, no people, no light. Nothing. Not even a door. Just a hole in the wall that my parents occasionally shove food through.
At least, I’m assuming it’s my parents. They’d never let anyone else find out about me.
They’ve always had a story to use. The fire that took my sister 1074 days ago was caused by a faulty stove. The forest fire 1553 days ago had nothing to do with us—probably a tossed cigarette or a campfire left unattended, but certainly not us. The school burning down 1925 days ago was because of the horrible wiring. It was an old school, after all.
No one can know the truth. I agree with that.
But still, some sick, twisted part of me wishes I got the credit for every fire. All the harm caused, all the people killed—that was me. Me, not some spontaneous spark that came out of nowhere.
We’ve been forced to move between 5 houses and 11 apartments because of me. The cops have been on our backs for years because of me. Hospitals were filled because of me.
People have died because of me.
Maybe I deserve to be locked up. Maybe I deserve the cold leftovers and isolation and constant darkness.
I’m a monster.
I wave my hand around until the smoke clears, revealing blurred shades of glowing red and orange all over the opposite end of the room. I know I’m too exhausted to cool down the room, but does it really matter? The only one who has to deal with it is me. Frankly, I’m lucky the fire was across the room from me. I’d be dead otherwise.
And who knows? Maybe that’s what they want.
I’m still trying to breathe normally when the room shifts. I back into the corner of the room instinctively. My eyes are unfocused and teary from the smoke. When I’m finally able to blink the haze from my vision, one of the walls is gone.
There’s a person standing where the wall used to be. They have light hair and a falsely confident stance that I know all too well.
“Dad?” My voice is hoarse. Timid. I’m not sure how to use it anymore.
“I’m sorry, kid,” is all he says.
After lifetimes of silence, he has only three words to offer me.
The world goes dark again, this time with no embers to light it. I’m alone with my thoughts. My panic and fear.
I shouldn’t be afraid. I can’t be afraid.
The fear doesn’t last long before my consciousness crumbles away, burying itself in the ashes of everything I’ve destroyed.

501 words

TandiaTES wrote:

july 2nd daily

Question: Does the main character have any unique abilities? – It is decidedly so

(tw: talk of death, fire, etc.)

I wake up choking on smoke.
At this point, I definitely shouldn’t be surprised. Of the last seven times I’ve managed to get any sleep, this was the fifth time I woke up to a fire. I’m out of control, and I have been for months.
At least there’s nothing valuable in here. Just four walls, a low ceiling, a hard floor, and me. No windows, no people, no light. Nothing. Not even a door. Just a hole in the wall that my parents occasionally shove food through.
At least, I’m assuming it’s my parents. They’d never let anyone else find out about me.
They’ve always had a story to use. The fire that took my sister 1074 days ago was caused by a faulty stove. The forest fire 1553 days ago had nothing to do with us—probably a tossed cigarette or a campfire left unattended, but certainly not us. The school burning down 1925 days ago was because of the horrible wiring. It was an old school, after all.
No one can know the truth. I agree with that.
But still, some sick, twisted part of me wishes I got the credit for every fire. All the harm caused, all the people killed—that was me. Me, not some spontaneous spark that came out of nowhere.
We’ve been forced to move between 5 houses and 11 apartments because of me. The cops have been on our backs for years because of me. Hospitals were filled because of me.
People have died because of me.
Maybe I deserve to be locked up. Maybe I deserve the cold leftovers and isolation and constant darkness.
I’m a monster.
I wave my hand around until the smoke clears, revealing blurred shades of glowing red and orange all over the opposite end of the room. I know I’m too exhausted to cool down the room, but does it really matter? The only one who has to deal with it is me. Frankly, I’m lucky the fire was across the room from me. I’d be dead otherwise.
And who knows? Maybe that’s what they want.
I’m still trying to breathe normally when the room shifts. I back into the corner of the room instinctively. My eyes are unfocused and teary from the smoke. When I’m finally able to blink the haze from my vision, one of the walls is gone.
There’s a person standing where the wall used to be. They have light hair and a falsely confident stance that I know all too well.
“Dad?” My voice is hoarse. Timid. I’m not sure how to use it anymore.
“I’m sorry, kid,” is all he says.
After lifetimes of silence, he has only three words to offer me.
The world goes dark again, this time with no embers to light it. I’m alone with my thoughts. My panic and fear.
I shouldn’t be afraid. I can’t be afraid.
The fear doesn’t last long before my consciousness crumbles away, burying itself in the ashes of everything I’ve destroyed.

501 words

wow…

Tori's Notebook (for SWC July 2022)

Word Count

12400 (innacurate)

Dailies

・❥・↬ July 2nd - MC Daily
・❥・↬ July 3rd - MC Daily (no evidence)
・❥・↬ July 4th - MC Daily (incomplete)
・❥・↬ July 5th - MC Daily (incomplete)
・❥・↬ July 6th - MC Daily

Weeklies

・❥・↬ Weekly #1
・❥・↬ Weekly #2
・❥・↬ Weekly # 3
・❥・↬ Weekly #4

Others

・❥・↬ Writing Contest Entry

This is a showcase of Icy's writing during SWC
#fairytalesftw

Daily 2-
As I was doing my homework in the kitchen, A small blurry lilac figure shot across our garden. I jumped up, startled. My mother, who was making breakfast, glanced at me.“What's wrong, Ava?”
“Oh..it's nothing,” I replied, and slightly smiled at her. I was most definitely not going to tell someone I saw something lilac fly through our garden, not even my own mother. I sat back again, but my focus had shifted to the kitchen window. “Breakfast's ready!” My mother called, and then looking at me,“Can you fill Aery's food bowl? And also put your books in your room.” I nodded, and packed up my books, and trudged upstairs. When I came back, My father was sitting on the table. “I've rented a cottage in the woods for a couple weeks.” He announced, and I cheered.
When we reached the woods, I noticed that there was lilac strewn about the place. It was as if it was a shrine for pastel colors, I observed. The flowers were beautiful, there was lilac and light blue petals everywhere! It was so magical! I continued to look at the sights, when suddenly the car thudded to a stop. We got out. “It's not that bad,” My father was saying,“I can fix it myself. But it will take some time. I know the cottage isn't far from here, it's just two miles away. We should be there by evening if we walk.But if I stay to fix the car, we'll be there by nighttime.”
We chose to walk, obviously. It turns out dad was right, with all our luggage, we reached there by evening, and began to unpack.
The next morning, I decided to explore around. Dad had said something about a bunch of colored forest trails around, and I thought of going on one of them. After a quick look around, I found a lilac colored path I decided to follow. It was littered with petals and leaves, which was just magical. I had a bunch of stuff packed into a bag, just in case. After a while, I heard some murmuring. I followed it quietly, and I saw smoke. Deciding to not advertise I was around, I peered through the bushes, and I was enthralled at what I discovered. A cottage of pretty lilac fairies! But they seemed slightly..odd. They carried sharp objects…for a reason. I decided not to think too much about it. But I accidentally stepped on a twig, and they all turned to look at me. And they flew at me, brandishing their knives.
I just ran. I got cut a lot by their knives, but I certainly wasn't fast enough. The blood made me feel dizzy, but I still ran across the lilac path, which didn't seem all that pretty anymore. As I was almost home, I fainted.

And I woke up in a hospital bed.

Word count - 481
Points earned- 600
Cabin- fairy tales
Thanks for reading <3
#fairytalesftw


Daily of 5th July
“Argh!” Icy growled in frustration. “Nothing I'm writing makes sense,” she muttered to herself darkly. Her phone rang, and Icy looked at the bright screen. Swiping to accept it, she greeted the caller.

“Hellooo icy! Its me your friend Twilight.”
“Oh. Its you.”
“Yes! Its me! How ar-”
“Stop the formalities, Twi, and get to the point.”
“Well, Someone's impatient today.”
“I need to do the SWC weekly in two days, and I barely have time to write.”
Twilight groaned. “Ah well, That's too bad. You're doing the daily now?”
“Well, yeah, but I don't have the inspiration I need to write. I can't do this!”
“Sad. But let me get to the point. I'm calling you to ask if you wanna go to Amber's house tomorrow. She said she's got a surprise in store for us.”
“A surprise? What do you mean?”
“I dunno, she didn't say much. All I know is that we have to meet a frack's house tomorrow,”
“Oh oki! I'll be there. When are we supposed to be there?”
“4pm in the afternoon.”
“Okay, Bye!”
Icy cut the phone.

“Hey Icy! Over here!” Amber called, And Icy jogged up to her.
“Hewo, Amber. Twilight told me you have a surprise for us?” Icy asked, glancing at Twilight.
“Not me, really. Frack has a surprise for you. She told me to tell Twilight, who could tell you.”
Amber rang the doorbell, and Frack opened the door.“Come in, Come in. I have called you to show you my brand new painting!” She grinned, and ushered them into her room.
She pulled out a picture.

It was beautiful, and all Icy felt entranced by it. This picture conveyed a thousand ideas, so many tales waiting to be written.
Needless to say, they all exclaimed over the picture.

When Icy came back home, she sat down to write. The picture had helped her tremendously, and several ideas came to her, waiting to be typed out.

Icy was able to finish the daily and weekly the following afternoon.Quite amazing with all she'd written, she felt as if all of this was because of Frack's painting.
Word count-355
Points earned-400
Thanks for reading <3
#fairytalesftw!

Daily of 6th July

Sky woke up grudgingly. The wind was howling today. It would be very difficult to get to school today, she thought to herself. “Sky! Today's a holiday because of the wind. A bit of the school got damaged because of it during nighttime.” Her mother informed her, and she grinned. Opening her window slightly, she let a bit of the wind in. It turned out to be a big mistake. Her homework zoomed around the room, and she quickly shut it. Not risking loosing my homework, she thought to herself. I worked hard on it last night.
After Sky got dressed and had breakfast, she opened her phone. Scrolling to the bottom of her contacts, she looked at the name.

Zerin


Typing out a quick hi, she sat down at her laptop and opened youtube. Sky planned to be lazy that day.
Little did she know, secrets would be unveiled that day, and mysteries would be solved. Reaching for her locket, which she loved to fidget with, Sky almost jumped as she realized it wasn't there.

Her phone beeped. It was Zerin. She had replied to her message.

I know where your locket is.
Meet me in the park in five minutes.

Sky stared at her phone. Zerin had always been slightly creepy, but this was terrifying. The locket was very important to her, though. I'd better sneak out now. She thought to herself, and quietly slipped out the back door.

“Zerin! Zerin!” Sky called, and the dark haired girl appeared before her.

“If you want your locket, you will need to listen carefully. Today is a special day. This wind, it isn't normal. It's magical. Dark magic. I have your locket, I'm trying to keep it from them.” Zerin whispered.

“Who's them?” Sky asked loudly.

“Shh! Keep your voice down or they'll know we're here. They are the pack of werewolves. They want to know the dark magic, and your locket has a crystal that makes it able for them to hear it.” Zerin replied, and suddenly, a loud howl came from the distance.

“Sky, we must run.”


Sky and Zerin fled the park to the warmth of a nearby cafe, which was packed with people. Finding a spare table, Zerin told her to sit down and handed her the locket. “Here, take this, And also take this book. It's filled with..Stories you might want to know about,” Zerin gave her the book.“I must go now, The wolves are waiting.”

“Wait a moment. The wolves? You're going to give yourself to them?”

“Yes, In that way I'll be able to buy you some time. Go to the library, It's the only place you're safe. I'll be fine. Now go.”

Without question, Sky ran outside, and crossed the street to the library. She picked a table and sat down, book in hand.

She opened it, and skimmed through the worn pages.

She shuddered as she heard another wolf howl in the distance. Today definitely took an unexpected turn, she thought to herself.

Sky woke up grudgingly. The wind was howling today. It would be very difficult to get to school today, she thought to herself. “Sky! Today's a holiday because of the wind. A bit of the school got damaged because of it during nighttime.” Her mother informed her, and she grinned. Opening her window slightly, she let a bit of the wind in. It turned out to be a big mistake. Her homework zoomed around the room, and she quickly shut it. Not risking loosing my homework, she thought to herself. I worked hard on it last night.
After Sky got dressed and had breakfast, she opened her phone. Scrolling to the bottom of her contacts, she looked at the name.

Zerin


Typing out a quick hi, she sat down at her laptop and opened youtube. Sky planned to be lazy that day.
Little did she know, secrets would be unveiled that day, and mysteries would be solved. Reaching for her locket, which she loved to fidget with, Sky almost jumped as she realized it wasn't there.

Her phone beeped. It was Zerin. She had replied to her message.

I know where your locket is.
Meet me in the park in five minutes.

Sky stared at her phone. Zerin had always been slightly creepy, but this was terrifying. The locket was very important to her, though. I'd better sneak out now. She thought to herself, and quietly slipped out the back door.

“Zerin! Zerin!” Sky called, and the dark haired girl appeared before her.

“If you want your locket, you will need to listen carefully. Today is a special day. This wind, it isn't normal. It's magical. Dark magic. I have your locket, I'm trying to keep it from them.” Zerin whispered.

“Who's them?” Sky asked loudly.

“Shh! Keep your voice down or they'll know we're here. They are the pack of werewolves. They want to know the dark magic, and your locket has a crystal that makes it able for them to hear it.” Zerin replied, and suddenly, a loud howl came from the distance.

“Sky, we must run.”


Sky and Zerin fled the park to the warmth of a nearby cafe, which was packed with people. Finding a spare table, Zerin told her to sit down and handed her the locket. “Here, take this, And also take this book. It's filled with..Stories you might want to know about,” Zerin gave her the book.“I must go now, The wolves are waiting.”

“Wait a moment. The wolves? You're going to give yourself to them?”

“Yes, In that way I'll be able to buy you some time. Go to the library, It's the only place you're safe. I'll be fine. Now go.”

Without question, Sky ran outside, and crossed the street to the library. She picked a table and sat down, book in hand.

She opened it, and skimmed through the worn pages.

She shuddered as she heard another wolf howl in the distance. Today definitely took an unexpected turn, she thought to herself.
Sky woke up grudgingly. The wind was howling today. It would be very difficult to get to school today, she thought to herself. “Sky! Today's a holiday because of the wind. A bit of the school got damaged because of it during nighttime.” Her mother informed her, and she grinned. Opening her window slightly, she let a bit of the wind in. It turned out to be a big mistake. Her homework zoomed around the room, and she quickly shut it. Not risking loosing my homework, she thought to herself. I worked hard on it last night.
After Sky got dressed and had breakfast, she opened her phone. Scrolling to the bottom of her contacts, she looked at the name.

Zerin


Typing out a quick hi, she sat down at her laptop and opened youtube. Sky planned to be lazy that day.
Little did she know, secrets would be unveiled that day, and mysteries would be solved. Reaching for her locket, which she loved to fidget with, Sky almost jumped as she realized it wasn't there.

Her phone beeped. It was Zerin. She had replied to her message.

I know where your locket is.
Meet me in the park in five minutes.

Sky stared at her phone. Zerin had always been slightly creepy, but this was terrifying. The locket was very important to her, though. I'd better sneak out now. She thought to herself, and quietly slipped out the back door.

“Zerin! Zerin!” Sky called, and the dark haired girl appeared before her.

“If you want your locket, you will need to listen carefully. Today is a special day. This wind, it isn't normal. It's magical. Dark magic. I have your locket, I'm trying to keep it from them.” Zerin whispered.

“Who's them?” Sky asked loudly.

“Shh! Keep your voice down or they'll know we're here. They are the pack of werewolves. They want to know the dark magic, and your locket has a crystal that makes it able for them to hear it.” Zerin replied, and suddenly, a loud howl came from the distance.

“Sky, we must run.”


Sky and Zerin fled the park to the warmth of a nearby cafe, which was packed with people. Finding a spare table, Zerin told her to sit down and handed her the locket. “Here, take this, And also take this book. It's filled with..Stories you might want to know about,” Zerin gave her the book.“I must go now, The wolves are waiting.”

“Wait a moment. The wolves? You're going to give yourself to them?”

“Yes, In that way I'll be able to buy you some time. Go to the library, It's the only place you're safe. I'll be fine. Now go.”

Without question, Sky ran outside, and crossed the street to the library. She picked a table and sat down, book in hand.

She opened it, and skimmed through the worn pages.

She shuddered as she heard another wolf howl in the distance. Today definitely took an unexpected turn, she thought to herself.


This is very rushed because I didn't have a ton of time <3

Word count- 502 words.
Points earned- 800
Thanks for reading <3
#fairytalesftw



SWC Weekly (incomplete)

Part 1- Fake crime Article.

MANGO THEFTS INCREASING, POLICE IGNORE.

SWC Weekly

As the mango season is starting to trickle in, SWC campers can be seen everywhere in mango stalls, eagerly discussing with each other. The sale in mangoes has increased tremendously over the course of a few years. With the increase in demand, Mango prices have started to go up. Mango sellers are getting rich it seems. But, successes of mangoes set aside, we must face today's problem. With the hike in Mango prices, mango thefts are also much more common these days. “It is easy to stuff a few mangoes into your bag when the shopkeeper isn't looking,” Says Twilight, a fantasy camper. “Many people are taking advantage of the crowd in the stalls, which make it easier to steals mangoes.” I personally would like to say that shopkeepers find rolled up pieces of money amidst mangoes in their baskets, meaning that some of these so called ‘thieves’ are innocent after all. Whilst some of these ‘mango thieves’ are innocent, others aren't. Mango heists have also begun to pop out all around the place. “These thieves are a problem, they are.” Hans, a mango seller who has been heisted against recently. “These thefts which you call heists are nothing but a bunch of people coming in a picking up loads of mangoes. The police can't do much to help either.” He informed me yesterday. It seems like the police don't give significance to these thefts. “They'll steal mangoes one day and the other, gold!” Hans rightly Several other townspeople are quite aware of the thefts going around them. Lincoln, mango priest, says: “Mango stealing is the highest sin.” And quite a few people agree to that. The amount of awareness against them hasn't stopped the mango thieves though. A few days ago, A thief was caught in the act of slipping a few mangoes into his bag. Despite many people screaming and shouting, he easily got away, much to the anger of the mango seller. “The police must take action against this. Even the smallest fine would do, they just need to be punished.” I heard a few days ago, and I do agree. Even though most of us have been through this stage in life where all we want to do is steal and not work hard for it, a lot of people have overcome this stage and buy their mangoes. Shopkeepers selling mango products also have huge crowds, though thefts are not common. Some police officers are showing an interest in this situation, though. While talking to one of them last saturday, I got a few valuable names of Major mango thieves. Sofi, A script camper, and Brave, A real fi camper have been spotted frequently at robberies, making them a major suspect. The Police are doing nothing to catch these criminals, sadly.
These mango thieves are bruising the economy. One dozen of mangoes costs about 12 dollars, and roughly fifteen to sixteen dozens of mangoes are stolen each day, meaning a loss of 192 dollars per day. Even the most minor things can result into major problems if allowed to continue.
“They should go to jail for taking mangoes!” Says Lexa, a famous gamer. “And it's the police's job to ‘Prune practices that ought to be prohibited.’ It's their job to stop such things, not dismiss them as minor thefts!” This can also encourage other thieves to enter the city, because no interference by the police is a major attraction for them. Sadly, The police aren't taking note of all these important facts and are still ignoring this issue.

Since the Police fail to take action against them, we ourselves must do something. But what exactly? They should be ex*c*t*d, some people argue, while others say that such severe actions can't be performed. A small fine will do. But who will enforce this fine? After much discussion, a society was created, called the ‘Mango Laws’. People who are a part of Mango Laws will be enforcing these fines and all this money will either be donated to the poor or will be used for the betterment of the city. Mango laws will also be checking the produce of mangoes and monthly inspections will be taken. If you would like to be a part of Mango Laws, they are looking for Mango Enforcers. For more on becoming a Mango Enforcer, turn to page 4. Mango enforcers will be checking the export quality, and apart from that, they are also going to be looking for banned chemicals in Mango based products. The idea of the Mango Laws society is truly genius and will hopefully help us solve several mango related problems in the future. The chairman on Mango Laws is currently a task all mango priests are sharing, but elections for the position will be held soon. There are also other minor positions that will also be later appointed.

Notes/credits-
A bunch of people helped me out here. I'd like to thank @b10_hAzard for Lincoln the Mango priest
@Fantastical_Words for being Sofi the mango thief
@23Braveheart for being brave the mango thief
This is also very rushed hehe Writing 800 words abt mango thefts was very difficult for me

Part 2
Warrior Cats, A book review.
Warrior cats is a fiction novel series written by Erin Hunter. The story is centered around a House-cat who decides to join the clans of wild cats living in the forest. There are four clans: Thunderclan, Shadowclan, Riverclan, and Windclan. In the clan everyone has a special role. There is a medicine cat, who takes care of the cats with wounds. The Queens take care of the kits. When the kits are more than six moons old, they become apprentices. Apprentice names end with paw Warriors act as mentors to the apprentices, and they teach them how to hunt and fight. Finally, when the apprentice is worthy enough, they become a warrior. They get their warrior names, which is unique to themselves. The leader of each individual clan's name ends with ‘star’. The leader appoints a deputy, who assigns patrols and makes battle plans. Each leader has nine lives. If the leader looses all their lives, they die. And if they die, the deputy becomes the leader. There is a fifth clan, star clan. Star clan gives prophecies, omens, and warnings to the leaders of all clans. Cats which are wild but not a part of the clans are called Loners. The cats call humans ‘Twolegs’. They call cars ‘monsters’ and a road which is built right next to the forest the Thunderpath. I loved absolutely loved this series. It's such a long series with several extra books which are amazing! It's very thrilling and action-filled, but there is always time for simple things like two friends sharing a mouse. These books have kept me hooked and I like how it continues the story, keeping old character, but adding new ones at the same time! It's very well written and imaginative. Erin hunter is an inspiration for me and I want to write like her someday.

Chronicles of Narnia, A book review
Chronicles of Narnia is a beautiful fantasy series comprising of seven books written by C.S lewis in 1950, and the series overall is slightly deep but mythical. I like how CS lewis describes everything as ‘out of this world’. It is mostly centered around four children, Lucy, Edmund, Susan, and Peter. They all stumble across a wardrobe that leads them to the magical land of Narnia, where the White witch has taken control and made it always winter and never christmas. The children fulfill a prophecy and rule over Narnia for several years, until they find the wardrobe again and come back into their world, where no time had passed at all. In the next book, they come back to Narnia again and help a Prince earn his crown. In later books, their Cousin, Eustace, was introduced, and he was first described as a sulky boy. Eventually, he developed to become a rather nice person and helps the Narnians rescue their prince from a witch who has taken him. In the Last book, the Land of Narnia ended and a newer world was opened, where everyone enjoyed the rest of their days. The novel is filled with amazing characters and lively animals, I loved how magical it was and the beauty was described wonderfully. There are things as the end of the world, and tricks are played and stories are revealed. I love how CS Lewis has bound the magic throughout all the books, making it a truly magical experience for you to read. I highly recommend this book for avid Fantasy and Fiction readers who like to read fairy tale type stories. Lewis has also written several other religious books that are also very good, all in all Lewis was a one-of-a-kind writer whose books will be read and cherished for centuries to come.
The cry of the icemark, a book review.
The Cry of the Icemark, written by Stuart hill is the first book of the Icemark series. It has three books in total. The first book is wonderfully well written and descriptive. It's about a fourteen year old girl whose father dies in battle with one of the most fiercest generals on the planet who has never lost a war. That general himself aims to capture the Icemark and rule over it, but the fourteen year old girl emerges as queen of the Icemark and makes allies in the most unlikeliest places. Bravely leading her troops into battle, she defeats the so-called invincible general and drives him out of her country. I loved how magical and realistic this book was at the same time. This book will make you laugh and cry, its packed with emotions and burdens but its action filled at the same time, it was thrilling to read about her taking her troops into battle. I felt like I was watching it at the same time and I was a citizen of the Icemark, or a soldier of her Army. It's a whole package, as some people put it.
Advice Column

My dog dug up a strange necklace shaped like a mango. What should do?

Dear anonymous person I forgot the name of, (sorry)
Observe the object carefully. Be wary of touching it with bare hands as it might be fragile. It could be an artifact an SWC camper dropped a long, long, time ago, when the first session of SWC begun. Send it to your nearest museum to see its value. Keep it carefully or sell it to a collector. Try dig up its story. The more research you do, the more you know about it. Mango necklaces are of extreme value in SWC so beware of thieves. Try your best to preserve the necklace. Maybe keep it in a treasure box. Our history is important.

I think my cat wants to kill me. What should I do?

Dear Smalltoe,
I would strongly advise you to have a small therapy session without any sharp objects in your cat's reach. Communicate with your cat to understand why she wants to k!ll you. Then, spend some time with her and also get her checked for any disorders such as
Cat K!llr disorder, which might make her want to mrd*r her loved ones. If she happens to have that disorder, get her therapy and medication immediately. Keep all sharp objects out of reach until this abates. Make sure to love your cat even though it wants to kill you.

I can’t seem to make any good cookies- whenever I bake any, everyone who eats them falls down dead. Help!

Dear Smalltoe,
One of the major reasons this might be happening is an overuse of ingredients. Try to not use too many poisonous ingredients to bake your cookies and make sure your grocery store isn't selling anything poisonous. Also avoid mixing anything not included in the recipe, and I would especially advise you to ask for advice from a few chefs at the Real-fi restaurant. They ought to have some solutions to help you. Also, check the recipe you're using for any weird substances that might be causing these d**ths. Cherry pits, rhubarb leaves, and elderberries can be quite toxic. Test out a few different mixtures and recipes to figure out the perfect recipes.

Will my parents get mad if I buy Fifty one puppies?

Dear Superpandagirl1234,
Parents have a tendency to get mad when you do such things. Smuggling fifty one puppies is going to be troublesome, but don't worry. Let your friends into the secret. Maybe let them take care of the puppies when you can't. Find small empty buildings and a nice place for your pups to play in. Also, try to start stealing mangoes and reselling them for a lower price to earn money to take care of them. I hope these suggestions will help you.

Dear -Rosybliss-,
This is a very intriguing question. I would advise you to probably hold a yard sale and give them away for free. Maybe conduct some rituals to wash away the curses. There are some really helpful books on this matter that I hope will be able to help you. Cut of a strand of the doll's hair and burn it. Cleanse it thoroughly with a herb mixture before immersing in smoke. Then take the doll and give it to someone you despise. Make a potion with rhubarb, elderberries, and remains of the doll's hair. Mix it in cookies for a poisonous mixture. You can give these cookies to your enemies along with your dolls
Part 4:

New bookstore in town!

Welcome to Ether's books, a huge bookstore on Kyle's road. We sell books of all kinds! No genre is left out in our vast collection. When walking into the shop, you are first met by our Mango stand, which has the most delicious mangoes straight out from our Mango farm! There are several displays set up around the store, and we also hold writing competitions with hefty cash prizes! Apart from that, we do a book voucher raffle once a month, and you just need 1$ to sign up for a chance to win a voucher worth 100 grand in books! We have a collaboration with Mango farms for own new upcoming movie, “Writers Love Mangoes.”,and exclusive tickets are being sold here! With every five books you buy, you get a chance to win an exclusive ticket to this exciting movie! Ether's books is partnered with several publishing brands, and winners of writing competitions get to get their book published! We have offers of

50% off on Sci fi books 20% off on Realistic fiction 60% off on Non Fiction !


Apart from this, Buy one get one free for fantasy and fairytales! You can also get offers on our mango shop for good quality mangoes in a lower price! Come visit Ether's bookstore now!


Weekly 3 :
Part 1.
Brainstorming:
Mountain setting
Queen takes care of all lands
Rustic aesthetic.
Magical industry
Books are regarded as supreme.
Best profession is librarian or writer.
Fire as a symbol of evil.
Proverbs and Idioms commonly used.
Chaotic people are highly respected
Hard Magic system, always used and practiced.
Studying is considered important and every child is supposed to know basics.
Magic is natural.
Everyone born there has the ability to use and practice magic, it is very common, even peasants can use it.
Light blue color is considered magical.
Large bakery chain, with slightly strict rules and superb products.
People have a tendency to often have mood swings
Bakers are considered strict and angry
Owls and cats are said to be supreme
Mangoes are easily found in the cold regions.
Diversity is encouraged and everyone aspires to be unique

Descriptive (224 words)
Far away, hidden up in the mountains is the world of Cliffia. The Queen rules over these peaks, sending down showers of stardust among her people. Being unique is highly encouraged, and people similar to each other are cast aside by the society. The country is not quite populated, with a population of two million people. Despite diversity being encouraged, there is a spirit of unity binding these people to the mountains. The Queen has many magicians and scholars who study magic and help protect and develop the nation.
There is a large variety of jobs among the people, the most prestigious being a Librarian or a Writer. These jobs do require some training and polishing of the skills, but people born with talent are the only ones who work in such important positions.
Chaos is never frowned upon. Chaotic people are highly respected.
Mangoes are very common, despite the chilly climate.
Magic is very commonly used and practiced, even the poorest know spells. Unique to this region, everyone born there has the ability to use magic and practice it, making it a staple among the people. Light blue spells are said to be most powerful.
When it comes to animals, owls and cats are loved throughout the land. These creatures are familiar with magic and enjoy living among the people of the mountains.

Narrative (419 words)
Picking up a bunch of snow, Icy threw it at someone's head. Before they could turn their head, however, Icy quickly flew away on some stardust, laughing. Reaching the town square, where snow was falling, with a bit of stardust, making everyone float. As she squeezed through the people, who were performing spells, buying items, and bargaining, she finally arrived at the bakery. It was a rather famous bakery, for it was the first bakery of the huge bakery franchise, but no one went there much as there were many bigger bakeries that sold the same products. Stepping into the shop, she was immediately overcome by cats and owls. Several owls were in the process of fluttering out, as the unfortunate girl was going inside. Cats slinked past her legs, and she was quite glad to finally get a seat. The sheer amount of animals in the bakery was overwhelming. Cats were neatly seated on the tables, and owls were enjoying baked goods on their perches. After ordering a brownie and a croissant, Icy crossed her legs, and exploded some stardust. Leaning her head against her seat, she took out the book she had been studying.
Elementary stardust spells
Flipping through the aged and worn pages, she finally settled for a promising spell. ‘En-magicking stardust’ she read. At that moment, her order arrived and she was very happy to find that everything tasted amazing. Leaving the library, she caught a few proverbs being quoted by owls. She grabbed a bit of snowy stardust and blew the snow out, leaving the magical particles in her hand. Throwing them down to the ground, she flew again, before noticing something that made her jump. A fire was drawn in the sky, and she quickly got rid of it, for flames were considered evil among her people. She flew swiftly to her house, and decided to pick some ripe mangoes on a tree. She had a few visitors that evening in her humble home in a corner of Cliffia. Icy had a berliner for lunch, promptly opened the door for an owl who entered her house.
“All that glitters is not gold,” He announced upon stepping into the threshold of her house.
“Just like you to set the ball rolling, Fin.” Icy grinned.
“I did not have the heart to let you start our conversation.” The owl said primly, before bursting into laughter, “Here, Have a doughnut. ” Icy offered.
“There is no greater gift than friendship.”
Icy collapsed into a fit of laughter.

Part 2:
Answer 1- Magic is used commonly, and its limits are being stretched every second of the day. Magic is Infinite. The limits are impossible to reach, while Magic can't give life, money, and food, It can give you emotions and feeling. Magic simplifies common everyday tasks and saves a ton of time. Potionmaking is an art always used. While there are several limits to magic, it is still regarded as infinite, for new discoveries and experiments and spells and brews are being made and invented every second of the day.

Answer 2- The magic originates from the moon, clouds, and snow. These elements are regarded as supreme and are worshiped with mangoes.
Places with more snowfall and mountainous areas in general are places sorcerers and witches commonly build near. Different creatures with other magic also prefer to live in such areas, as the strong elements are very enriching for magical beings. This also protects them from people with no magic at all, as these areas are easier to enchant with protections and precautions.

Answer 3- A most significant symbol in the world is a leaf on fire. This represents danger. The leaf on fire is a symbol all children are taught how to cast, so that they can use it during emergencies. The symbol is used to warn people or alert them. The leaf represents a magical individual while the flames licking the leaf shows how the person is slowly dying or getting injured badly. There are fines for misuse of the symbol, as most people will ignore it if used for false alarms too often.

Answer 4 - Magic is viewed a boring normal. It has become so common that people do not realize its value. Even though complex magic is very rare, people still view it as something common anyone can do if they want to. This is actually false, as magic in general needs to be learnt. The people easily breeze through this basic learning, in fact they do not even consider it as learning. People can be slightly careless with magic, and accidents with spells are common and they are easily taken care of.

Answer 5 - I take a lot of inspiration from my thick book of fairy tales/folk tales. I've taken inspiration from a German folkI tale called the twelve brothers. I loved how the flowers represented the spirits of her brothers and how she had to undergo seven years of utter silence for her brothers to be free. I incorporated a little garden of life, which is filled with every magical soul. Even though it means destroying this world is much easier, it also shows how someone's actions can deeply affect another person.
Answer 6- Materialistic things cannot be produced by magic, such as food and money. Magic also can't give life nor can it tamper with someone else's magic, for the forces are similar and the propel each other. Magic can't make things age very fast, so aging spells are very slow. Nature is the mother of magic, therefore, it can't do anything to Nature. A few magical elements used in potion making are also immune to magic, reaching the conclusion that magic can't enchant anything that gave birth to it, but it can enchant most of the things apart from that.

Answer 7 - Some people do feel magical sensations when they perform magic. Some can hallucinate, others get their vision blurred, some get blotchy hearing, but these all last only for a second. Magical side effects also can give clearness, like better vision and better hearing. Sadly, even this lasts for only a few seconds. It depends on the nature of the spell for the side effects to happen. The roots of the person also play a vital role. For example, if they are half vampire, they will have unfavorable side effects to light spells.

Answer 8- The characters learn magic, obviously, with some simple subjects such as maths and science. There are even more non magical options but Mathematics and Physics are the only one mandatory. It does depend what sort of school you go to, as there are some magic specialization schools for children over seven. Their basic childhood education until the age of seven is not required, but parents are expected to teach their children some of the basics. Huge schools don't deal with specialization, and they are much more popular as they teach every kind of magic.

Answer 9- When magic gets out of control, other magic is developed to take control of the situation. Magic is best repelled by magic, so it is exactly what they do. Containing the forces inside someone or something is also an option. There are highly trained people do such jobs, and the others are evacuated to safety. These people call themselves the hands, because of their ability to restrain magic when it gets out of hand. Several plans and shelters have been developed over time for magical crisis.

Answer 10- They have different daily jobs, like patching up leaky cauldrons, and their shopping lists are packed with supplies. Despite magic making things easier, it also adds some more things to do. Daily schedules are also very different, as most wizards and witches stay up at the witching hour at least once a week to replenish their magic. Starlight must be drank every month in order to keep the magic working properly. Lack of starlight can make a witch feel tired.

Part three-
Dystopian fantasy : t was long since I'd seen any humans. In my little castle, I kept my fangs to myself. I did live with a bunch of vampires, but we all stuck to our jobs. As much as I loved the castle, I longed to be free, flying through pine trees of the beautiful forests. But the circumstances I lived in had never allowed me to do so. It used to be better before, when we vampires lived freely and happily, but those times were long gone. Magical races were all killed in massacres when they entered our peaceful city. heard someone calling my name, and I quickly grabbed a torch and went toward them. “Gloom!…There you are. Today's your turn to get us food,” My brother handed me a cloak. “R-Really?” I stammered, confused. I was never called upon to get food.“Yes,” He smiled at me. “Since today's your first day, I'll be coming with you. Be ready at sunset.” He grinned, showing me his polished fangs.“You're so vain,” I remarked. “Did you gel your hair?” I asked jokingly. But my brother had left, leaving me with the cape and torch in my hands.

That evening I was very excited. My brother took me out and we flew around the castle for a few minutes, warming up our wings. Then he shot towards a small ranch, and took out some dog hair. Scattering it about, he explained.“This is to make them think wolves have hunted them. Go ahead, kill one.” Quickly dragging my nails around the neck of a sheep, I bit into it with my fangs, savoring the fresh blood. “Still not as good as human blood,” I remarked. And suddenly, we heard noises. Picking up the mass of blood, my brother flew away. But my wings, not used to the flying I was doing, took some time to take off. And someone hurled a stake at me, just as I was getting away, and it injured me severely. Bleeding, I quickly took flight, and upon reaching the castle, I fainted.

Hidden worlds fantasy : My people were of the underground. So when I stepped into sunlight for the first time, my first instinct was to bolt back to the tunnel that led to our city. But I didn't do that, because all the other kids would jeer at me. My teacher patiently explained why we couldn't go wandering off. I was nine years old and short for my age, but very fast. After I got used to the sunlight, our teacher showed us some common things and I picked up a pretty blue thing she called a flower.
When I came back home, I put the flower on my desk. “How was your day?” My mother asked,whilst she was combing my hair.“Did you enjoy your trip out?”
I nodded.“It was fun, and we saw tons of new things. But I didn't like the sunlight at all.”

“You didn't wander anywhere, didn't you?”“
”Yes mom, but why can't we live with the people of the surface in peace?“
”The people of the surface aren't magical like us, sweetie. They'll use us for evil if they find out we exist. We cannot accept their ways and they can't accept ours. We must remain hidden, and we use our magic to protect our caves.“ My mother explained, and I nodded.

Now I'm twenty two, and my mother is fifty years old. And I might've accidentally murdered a human when I was eleven. And so we were being more cautious than ever, but we were easily able to cover it up and blame it on a wild animal. But I had been forgiven for that incident, but I still regretted it. Ah well, there was nothing I could do about it now. I went out during moonlight often now, because I had the job of getting news from the upper lands, as I called it. Some people lived there, and we got our news from them

Urban fantasy : Living in a huge city like New york was difficult. Marilyn was constantly trying to catch up with the city. Despite living there for five years, she still hadn't got used to the fast paced city. She lived in a small house in the German district, and her favorite place was the New York public library, probably because it was one of the few places where she was able to practice magic. Pulling a strand of magic towards her, she weaved it into a spell, and made one of the books float. Marilyn sighed. The magic in this world was a lot weaker, and in her world, a single strand of magic would have been enough to weave an intricate spell. Ah well, she thought. It's not like thinking about home will take me there. I wish I didn't…Life would've been better, for the entire world. Now we're ruled by a cruel government, who no one dares to overthrow. Pressing her locket to her heart, she opened the tear between the two worlds, and careful not to step into the void, she walked to her own world. Emerging in a small alleyway, I pulled in some moonlight and hungrily devoured it. The moon in that world was too weak, she thought to herself. This is much better, she sighed. Creeping out of the alleyway lightly, she peeked around. Most of the houses had lights on, and there were soldiers on the street. She warped to the overthrowers headquarters, a small basement. There was a woman in there. ”How's life?“ she asked nonchalantly.
”It's fine. Living there is like torture, but I guess I deserve it,“ The twenty-year old replied. The woman sighed.”I hate to this, but this all your fault, kid. But there's something you can do. I know you want to help, and I know exactly how you can. I just needed to make sure if your ready.“ She stuffed some papers into her arms. ”Here,Marilyn. You must find someone. They're stuck in that world, but they're the only one who can save us here. Marilyn, I need you to bring him here.


Weekly 4 -
I was really bored that evening. There wasn't really much to do, the weather was rainy, and I was very sleepy. But of course I couldn't sleep because my mother would not allow me and set me to study so I was pretty mad. After a while of looking out the window I got so bored that I began to do some origami. I was not the best origami, or so I thought. My finger easily caught the folds and nimbly managed to fold a peacock. Proud of myself, I displayed the peacock. And out of sheer exhaustion, fell asleep.
I heard my name being called by an angelic voice. Much like Cinderella, I thought to myself. I heard gruff voices as those of dwarves, and lastly, I heard Zeus laughing. Confused, I Looked around. The people were dressed strangely, as though they'd come out of a fairy tale. I saw a coffin being carried through the street, lugged by seven dwarves. Everyone jumped out of the way. “Fairytale in progress..” They would mutter, and then go back to doing whatever they had been doing.I was confused and felt out of place. Eventually, I got into the rhythm of things, but I did not have much to do apart from move around and look at things. I had a silver thimble and my origami peacock, which were just about my belongings. I found a shop and sold my thimble there for a large sum of money. Weird, I thought, as I bought a backpack. I got some food because I would need it and some other basics. I was not looking forward to the first night here. I found a hotel and took the night's rest in it, also booking myself for the entire week. I got myself an entirely new outfit to match the others. I looked amazing and felt amazing. Everyone seemed to think I was one of them, and a few even complimented me. I was getting popular, I guess. I was good at sewing, so I decided to maybe secure a job until I found a way out. I got a job as a mender in a small girls school and I settled into the town, but I still wanted to go back home. Though something told me I'd be at home soon, so I shouldn't worry about it. I made several friends in town and I was happy with my progress, and now many people knew my name. I worried a lot more about going home now, and I found some books of portals. I was now used to seeing many fairytale and mythological characters strutting up the street, and everyone making way for them. My heart began to ache for my home and I decided to do something drastic. Jumping up on a shopkeeper's stall, I demanded everyone's attention. “Attention, Everyone. I would like to say that I do not belong here. I come from another world, and I need help getting back home.” My tone was slightly forlorn and people looked sympathetic. Many shared their sympathy but said that they were not experienced in things of this sort. Eventually I found a few people willing to help me, and I was glad. Some people, though, were very spiteful and malicious. They turned their nose down on me. I felt awful under their gaze, but fortunately I managed to avoid most of them. I made myself comfortable here, and was known as a organized person. There were sweet people, and with some work, we managed to create a banner that was supposed to be the portal back home. I would need to fly, so they gave me gliders. I had some disturbing dreams of someone smothering me large piece of cloth after that, but later they stopped. I had to eat something bitter before I could take flight. It was complicated, though. I preferred walking, but I soon the hang of flying. They also mentioned something about a lamp. Even though my life was good, I still felt a hanging feeling of dread over me, that something drastic was going to happen soon. And boy was I right. A big heap of trouble was heading for me, but I didn't know when.
I asked a friend about it, and she consoled me, saying that such things were common and mostly didn't come true. But my life took a bend and went downhill next week. A friend of mine was in an accident and she was knowledgeable in magic, if I wanted to get home I would need her. I caught a cold, but was fine the next day. Though another person also caught the cold, and she came down with a fever. She was teaching me flying. Then I was also in an accident, and had a fatal injury. The doctors were unsure whether I could ever leave the hospital. But after a few days I was doing normal things, but I wasn't completely healed. A month later the doctors gave an all clear, but then I went down with the flu. It seemed like the world didn't want me to go, I observed sadly. Luckily, my friends told me a lot more about the processes and we began to work on the scientific things instead of the physical ones. Gliding was easy, they would say, and we would continue brewing our potion. I wanted to go back home as soon as possible, but there was still so much to be done. I realized with a jolt that I'd never thought about my will. I would be leaving the world forever, so my possessions ought to go to someone. I pondered about it for a while, and after a bit decided to go to the library. When I walked into the bookshelves, I was surprised to hear snapping and tearing noises, so I peered out of the door. The books were snapping at each other, and the librarian was severely torn and scratched. Ignoring my brain, I ran inside, and somehow managed to get hold of the librarian, pull her toward the exit, then glide away. “What was that?” I asked her, confused. “The books!” she shrieked, and I jumped at her volume. “Whoa, there, calm down. Explain the situation. ” The librarian, shaking, confessed that the books were in a rage, and they weren't calming down. “Usually, they listen to me,” She sobbed. “I don't know what happened today.” She looked so pitiful that I handed her a napkin, and she wiped her tears. “Stable, Erin.” She soothed herself, and looked determinedly at me. “I'll go confront them.” She smiled at me, and I grinned. I gave her a healing potion though, for her scratches. “You might want to cast a protection charm.” I suggested, and she nodded. “Thanks for everything. I'll go handle those books now. Any books you want?” I nodded.“One on wills, please.” Thanking me profusely, she left. I whistled. What an exciting day! Helping the librarian, seeing snapping books, and finally gliding on my own. I was so caught up in my rescue that I did not notice I glided almost perfectly, did not have a crash landing, with my injuries, which meant I was done with my gliding learning! Happily I took into the skies, ignoring my injuries, feeling happy after a long time. After my difficulties, It was all worth it. I saw some doves sailing in the sky, and I happily watched them flying, lying on the grass. Another step closer to home, I thought to myself. And even the birds wanted to celebrate with me. I took into the skies, and my white attire fit right it with the birds. I spotted a friend of mine in the park, and I flew right down the greet her. She jumped. “You startled me!” She smiled lightly, and I grinned back. We both walked together, and my eyes suddenly blurred. One of my head injuries started aching, and I fainted. When I woke up, I was in the hospital again. My memories felt blurred, and I looked around, and everyone seemed so distant. “Where am I?” I jumped up. “Take me back to my hotel room!” I shouted. One of my first friends came forward. I recognized her, and asked her where I was. “In the hospital, of course!” She made me go back into my bed and I waited for the nurse to arrive. She arrived with a doctor, and soon it was announced that I had short-term memory loss. I sadly looked around, and the people around me, who claimed to be my friends were actually people I had never seen before. Despairing, I looked around, pondering on what to do. I thought to myself whether I would ever recover. My despair lasted for a while, I was still in a shocked state. Always priding myself on being an introvert, I felt like all these friends was very weird. But deciding not to question my future self, I went on with life until I regained my memories. Regaining them was painful. I regained a few a couple days after the incident, and I screamed for my life. The pain lessened soon, and the doctors gave me medicines to stabilize myself.
A few weeks later, I regained my memories, bit by bit. I was soon discharged from the hospital, but then I feared that I would fail in my quest to go home. The moment I reached my house, we began with the scientific work, my physical training was done. I sealed out most entries through the portal that day, any creatures or people being accepted by the portal would cause chaos in my world. Despite the progress, I was still afraid of failure and each day I kept thinking someone would say this all was hopeless. Sadly, I reflected on all my attempts. Suddenly, I felt positive. Why am I thinking like this? I'm not going to fail, I'm not working with the best scientists in the city for nothing! I would reach home, I vowed to myself, no matter what happened. I then abruptly fell asleep.
I felt like I had been sleeping for centuries when I awoke. I had fallen asleep on my desk, and my hair was all in a mess. Does this mean it all was dream? But wait! Most of my things here matched the things I owned in the other world, except they were placed differently. This has to be a dream, I thought to myself as I looked at my desk. My mother called me, and I ran down the stairs eagerly. Same old mom. Nothing new, I thought to myself. I'm home again! But does this mean all those wonderful people and all those incidents and memories were just a dream. Despite my happiness at being home, I felt a rush of sadness for the world, which I had grown to love without realizing. Maybe this was like Narnia, I convinced myself. It wasn't a dream, and I would find my way back eventually. I reflected on my adventures, and all the new things I learned. Life had been good there, but there was no place like home. I was finally back, with my family and friends. But a small part of me feared that really, this all had just been a dream. I went to my friend's house, who confirmed my theory that the world existed. She and I talked about it a lot, and I felt a lot more warmer toward her. We became close friends and spent all our time together. I loved my life then, and it progressed slowly, to say the least. Life in the other world was extremely fast paced, I decided. One day I was visiting my friends house when she gripped me tightly by the neck, and said she was done with pretending. “What're you talking about?” I asked her, confused. She looked at me, and directly said that she wanted me to tell her how to get back into the world. “Tell me, or I'll suffocate you.”
“I-I don't know!” I stammered,“I fell asleep on my desk and that's how I got there.”
“Take me to this magical desk of yours. I'm a witch, and I want some magic from that world to terrorize this one.” She sneered, and I leaded her anxiously to my house. She promptly nodded off on my desk, and I picked her up. And for good riddance, I flung her in the sewers. Thinking to myself about the events of the past month, I walked home.

The next day, I saw her again. My heart was gripped with fear when I saw her eyes peeking at me through the lockers, and I seemed like a rabbit caught in a clever fox's trap. I couldn't ask anyone for help, for there was no one. I stayed close to someone random, and I never let myself be alone. I asked my close friend to walk me home, and she agreed. I begged my mother to not go out that evening, and lock all the doors. Anything to stop her, I thought to myself. I felt like my heart would jump out of my throat any moment. I lived for a few days like this in this fashion, when she finally caught me alone. “Meet me at the park today, Or you'll suffer.” She'd leered at me, and I nodded, afraid. I took a knife and a few other weapons with me, and I wore my running shoes. I had money to easily flag a taxi, and went to meet her in the park, though to many I seemed like a child going to a funeral. I was going to have a funeral soon, I thought miserably. “Your way didn't work. I wasn't surprised when you through me in the sewer, even I would've done that. But I would've expected to see you again, if I had done that.” She grinned. “Seems like you're not that smart after all. Didn't you hear when I told you I was a witch?” I nodded defiantly. “I did. I've never dealt with a witch before, but I certainly can do enough magic to duel with you.” I replied. “Is that a challenge, sweetest? Well if it is, I must say I accept.” She laughed maliciously, and my heart was gripped with cold fear. What on earth was I doing? I thought to myself. Why did I bring the concept of a duel in the first place. I scolded myself quietly, and I realized this was do or die. Racking my brain for offensive spells, I fired the first spell. She didn't dodge it, and it was a simple spell. She laughed, and fired an equally easy one back. I knew she was playing with me, like a cat with its prey. I fired basic spells, until I pulled out some advanced magic. She clearly hadn't been expecting it, and my protection spells kept me safe whilst she struggled to dodge my spells. I was casting so fiercely she barely had time to jump out of the way. I noted to my self satisfactorily. But then suddenly my eyes began to blur. Forcing myself to focus, I shot several more spells, and she was now looking desperate. Grinning, I looked at her . She seemed afraid of me. I was having a headache, this was depleting me. Replenishing my magic with stardust, I fired more vicious spells. My eyes blurred again and this time I couldn't control myself. I crashed to the ground, unconscious.
2604 words

ᵛᵉʳᵃ'ˢ ᵈᵃᶦˡʸ ⁻ ⁷/²/²²

My question: Will my character be trapped in a place/time where everything is an endless black void? Magic 8 Ball: Answer hazy, try again.

word count: 448

My eyes opened slowly. There was nothing around me but black. Black nothingness. I tried to sit up, but I winced in pain. The stab in my leg was too much to handle. Was I dead? Was the war between human and monster over? Is this all a dream? Something told me it wasn't a dream. I looked around, and I couldn't see anything. There weren't any stars, there wasn't any nature, and there weren't any humans around. Or so I thought. I stared around in awe and fear when a girl about my age stepped out of the darkness. She was wearing a beautiful light pink shawl wrapped around her shoulders, and her black boots went "clunk, clunk, clunk“ as she walked towards me. I knew I should have been scared. I was already injured, and she could kill me easily, for at the moment I was very vulnerable. But for some reason, I wasn't scared. Something about this girl made me think that I was safe with her. ”Hello“ she said, in a voice like air. ”I am Rose.“ ”Rose.“ I said, ”don't kill me.“ ”Kill you?“ Rose laughed lightly, then became serious again. ”I'm here to help you.“ She held up her hand to help me up, and I would've taken it if I hadn't been injured. ”Can't,“ I muttered, and pointed to my leg, which was steadily bleeding again. ”Oh!“ Rose said, ”Don't worry about that. You'll be fine!“ Then she kneeled down and pulled her left hand out of her pocket. Circling her hand around my injury, a small blast of white light shot out of her hand. The light circled my leg for a moment, then it absorbed into my leg. I watched my leg as the cut (and the blood!) slowly disappeared. ”You…you…you're a witch!“ I claimed. Rose smiled, ”No! I'm a sorceress-in-training. I'm learning from the best.“ Rose looked very proud. ”Waitwaitwaitwaitwait. We're still trapped in an endless black void of nothingness! Or at least I am. You might be able to get out.“ ”Oh silly!“ Rose said, laughing, ”This isn't an endless black void. The monsters won the war! This is Earth.“ My eyes grew wide and I was scared to speak. ”What do you mean, this is Earth? The monsters won the war? They turned it into this void of nothingness? But…but… Earth is supposed to be a place of wonder, with nature, and kind people, and… and…" I was at a loss for words. And then suddenly, I realized that Earth as I knew it, was… was… gone.

July 2nd Daily
prompt: Will I meet the mermaid? Concentrate and try again. (404 words)
“Will I meet the mermaid?”
I know you're probably a little bit confused, and possibly concerned for my sanity, so let me explain.
Someone had been following me. And that someone… was a mermaid.
Yeah… I definitely sound insane. And that's not even the worst part!
It wasn't even real! Well, kind of. It followed me…
in my dreams. No, I'm not five years old. And I'm still not insane, (hopefully) so I might as well begin when it started.
It was a hot, humid, day. I was sticky and sweaty, and my clothes might as well have been glued to my skin. I was at the beach. Normally, you would consider the beach to be relaxing and fun, but that wasn't happening at all with this weather. In fact, I wasn't even sure why I was there. All I knew was that I needed to go into the water. I had a strange sort of urge that was pulling me closer and closer until my toes felt the shockingly cold water lap up against them. It felt bitter and unwelcoming, though I had no idea why. Then I had the strangest feeling that someone was following me. I quickly turned around. The silhouette of a mermaid was up against the rocks.
“Hey! Who are you?” I yelled, still shaky from the bizarreness of it all. The mermaid noticed me. They quickly jumped up and performed a gorgeous dive into the water.
“Wait!” I shouted, desperate to have someone with me. Wait… wait… wai… wak… wake…
I woke up sticky, wet, and cold from sweat.
Then it happened the next night. And the next, and the next, and the next, and soon enough it had been a week with the same eerie dream. I was tired of it, (Literally, it didn't even feel like I was sleeping!) So I was here.
In my room. Trying to summon a mermaid. (Still not insane.) I had taken some shells from my mom's shell jar, and rocks from our backyard and arranged them in a circle, which was definitely giving off summoning vibes. I closed my eyes…
And realized I had no clue what to say. So I just asked.
“Will I meet the mermaid?” And…
nothing happened. So I asked again, this time with more confidence and less of a half-joking feeling.
“Will I meet the mermaid?”
Then, a smooth, silky, voice calmly answered back.
“Yes.”

The Trials

Main Cabin Daily, July 2nd: Remember when you used to ask questions to a Magic 8 Ball? Here’s a project in which you can do that! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/710721692/ Today, ask the ball a plot-related question, which will be related to your prompt. The outcome will then influence what happens in the story. For example, I could ask “Will I meet aliens?” and the answer could be “Most likely”, and then I could write a scene about meeting aliens. For 500 points, write at least 400 words with this prompt, and 100 extra points if you provide proof of your writing!

458 words

“Are you nervous, Kyrie?” her master asked, gripping her shoulder to stabilize her.

Very doubtful, the apprentice thought, steeling herself against the floor of the platform with her staff. She traced her fingers over the meticulously carved wood, letting her mind float back for a few moments to the years she had spent transforming the unruly branch into an elegant weapon.

“I’m ready,” she replied aloud, feeling a rush of adrenaline warm her body as the platform took them upwards, speeding towards the challenge that would decide her fate.

Master Tahlo frowned, his piercing gray eyes scanning over her face, armor, and finally settling on her staff. As his gaze lingered on her weapon, his scowl deepened, making the weathered wrinkles on his face even more prominent. Although he hadn’t spoken a word, his disapproval was deafening.

He doubts my abilities. Kyrie pulled away, glaring determinedly at the wall. She’d spent years training, obeying Tahlo’s every wish and whim, only for him to betray her in the most crucial moment of her life. She wasn’t sure what her master had told the council as they had discussed her readiness to undergo the Trials, but it had almost cost her the chance to compete.

Tahlo just wants me to be his apprentice forever, so he doesn’t have to do his busywork himself. Kyrie wondered if he had ever truly cared about her. Currently, all signs pointed to no, but a tiny flicker inside her still held out hope.

Then she shook her head, expelling the thoughts from her mind with a deep breath. She needed to be focused for the challenge ahead, or she wouldn’t survive. As if on cue, the platform slowed to a stop, pressing against her feet firmly. A second later, the doors slid open, giving way to a long hallway with the flickering orange glow of the torches lined against its walls.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Tahlo asked softly as Kyrie took a step forward. She glanced back. Was it just the light, or was there a shimmer glistening in her master’s eyes?

“I’ve prepared my whole life for this.” Some part of her had meant the words to be comforting, but they came out rough and jagged. “Nothing will stop me now.”

Forcing herself to keep her eyes forward, Kyrie stalked off the platform and down the hallway. The silence behind her said that Tahlo hadn’t followed. Good for him, she thought, but a tiny part of her shriveled up nonetheless.

I don’t need him, she reminded herself. I just need to stay focused, and soon enough, I’ll be a master myself.

She tried to hold on to the thought as the torches slowly flickered out. The challenge had begun.

MAIN CABIN DAILIES


July 1

Prompt: Hello and welcome to SWC! Use today to introduce yourself and get to know your cabin. SWC starts as soon as it's July in *your* timezone! When SWC has started for you, write something (anything literary!) and add it using your cabin’s word adding system to make sure you’re on top of how it all works! Please also check out this forum post for guidelines to follow throughout SWC: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/6391551

Response: Hi everyone! Call me Wild (they/she pronouns please). This will be my second time participating in SWC, and I'm thrilled to be writing alongside some old friends, as well as seeing some new people here! I'm in the Horror cabin, which I discovered is the only cabin name without the letter ‘t’ in it. :0 I'm in the Pacific timezone, but then again, I'm currently writing this at almost 4 am, so just assume my sleep schedule is located in whatever timezone I feel like. Some of my favorite activities besides writing are drawing, animating, reading, daydreaming, coding, getting distracted by cool-looking clouds, and obsessing over turtles. My favorite webcomic is xkcd, any other xkcd fans out there? I also have way too many fandoms to keep track of. (And I'm always looking for more, tell me about your favorite series!) Anyway, the long wait of three months is over, let the next SWC session begin!!


July 2

Prompt: Remember when you used to ask questions to a Magic 8 Ball? Here’s a project in which you can do that! https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/710721692/ Today, ask the ball a plot-related question, which will be related to your prompt. The outcome will then influence what happens in the story. For example, I could ask “Will I meet aliens?” and the answer could be “Most likely”, and then I could write a scene about meeting aliens. For 500 points, write at least 400 words with this prompt, and 100 extra points if you provide proof of your writing!

Response: (Question: “Will Dandelion ever forgive Ash for being a terrible father?” || Reply: “Cannot predict now.”)

Ash never asked for a second chance. Dandelion never asked to be reminded of her past. And yet, here they were.
“Please, Dandelion. At least come see him,” Clover pleaded.
Dandelion sighed, turning to face her sister. Clover hovered in the entrance to Dandelion’s den, one paw raised hesitantly. They were nothing alike. Dandelion had dark fur that was perpetually disheveled and full of dirt from all of her adventures. Clover’s pale gray pelt was well-groomed, and she never had a feather out of place. And yet, Dandelion knew there was more to her sister than the quiet, perfect, obedient exterior. They had both experienced the conflict that had torn apart their community, the conflict that was started by their own father, Ash. They had both suffered as a result of Ash’s expectations for them. And then, they worked side-by-side to rebuild after the battle, the battle where Ash had finally been defeated for good.
Well… apparently not “for good.” Some shazarxa from distant lands had arrived recently, bringing with him the discovery of a way to allow spirits to interact with the living world. This was great, everyone said. Now not even death can keep us away from those we’ve lost!
/Yeah, great,/ Dandelion thought. /Unless the one I’ve lost was someone I never wanted to see again./
Still, Dandelion walked over to join Clover, who blinked in relief. Dandelion folded her wings tightly against her sides. “All right, fine. But just this once.”
Clover led her along the main path leading out of the canyon, into a small clearing. The grass was soft under Dandelion’s paws, and a breeze rustled the leaves of the bushes around her. In the center of the clearing stood two shazarxi. One Dandelion recognized as the small, spiky shape of her brother, Claw, and the other…
Dandelion gritted her teeth. She never expected to see that all-too-familiar ruff of fur again. However, her stride didn’t falter as she marched up to Ash, Clover following behind her. Claw and Ash turned to face her as she approached. “I’m not going to say I missed you, if that’s what you wanted to hear,” she stated.
She sat, glaring at Ash. His form was still slightly ghostlike, blurring at the edges and the forest behind him faintly visible through his body. His fur wasn’t moved by the wind, and there was no sign of the scar that once stretched across his chest. Unconsciously, Dandelion brushed her own scar with the tip of her tail. It had been slashed across her face by Ash himself, on the day that Dandelion had finally rebelled against him. She had been young at the time, but she would never forget that moment. Still. She had gotten over that a long time ago. She didn’t need old wounds to be reopened.
To her surprise, there was no sign of the old anger in spirit-Ash’s empty orange eyes. They were gentler, subdued, almost regretful. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “I know. I- I realize now…” He paused. “I didn’t deserve the role of a leader, and I didn’t deserve the role of a father. I left you behind and never looked back.” He lifted his gaze to include all three siblings. “I know you don’t want me to be here, so I-”
He jumped as Clover placed her paw on his arm. Dandelion was mildly impressed; this might just be the first time Clover had ever interrupted someone. “I can’t speak for Claw and Dandelion, but I… I forgave you. It took a long time, but I healed, and… Maybe this can be a new beginning for us?” Clover looked to her siblings, her expression anxiously hopeful.
Dandelion eyed Claw, who was twitching his tail, looking distinctly uncomfortable. “Um. This is a lot to comprehend.” He growled softly. “I don’t think I’m ready for this yet.”
Dandelion rose to her paws, addressing Ash. “There was never any reason for me to grieve for you. I don’t need to forgive in order to heal. Yet you’ve made it this far, so- anything goes at this point, I guess.” She stepped closer to stand face-to-face with Ash. She couldn’t read the emotion in his blank, ghostly eyes. “It wasn’t my choice to give you a second chance. But it seems you’ve got another future. What comes next- well, no one can predict.”
She stepped back and turned around, feeling the others’ gazes watching her go. She had meant what she said. Now, only time would tell.


July 3

Prompt: Today is Compliment Your Mirror Day! We all have good things we’ve done in our lives that we should be proud of, and acts of kindness are one of them. So today, for 400 points, write at least 300 words writing about a time you helped someone! No bonus points for proof today.

Response: I spent hours making that gameboard. Because I’m an overachiever, I had decided to make it 3D, with raised pathways for the playing pieces to move along. It was SUPPOSED to be a group project, but I’ll admit, I took on most of the work. I knew when I signed up for it that the board was going to be the hardest part. The assignment was for English class, and we had to make a board game based on the book we read. My other group members were working on the playing pieces and cards, but those were simple tasks compared to this. The Ferris wheel in the back ended up being the most difficult part, but also the best-looking. Overall, it was pretty impressive. I had taken on the hardest part because I knew I was the most skilled at 3D construction out of all the people in my group, and, honestly, I didn’t trust anyone else to make it as good as I wanted it to be. I started with a vision, and it worked out well, even if it took a lot of time on my part. My group was amazed, as was the rest of the class. I got a lot of compliments on it. Because of my hard work, my group’s game was one of the best in the class, and they all thanked me for helping make ours stand out. But I have to give my group some credit for the success, too. They all came through with their parts of the project, and I’d like to think that we all helped motivate each other to make our board game awesome. I still don’t like doing group projects, but I have to say, it was nice to know that my group valued my skills and hard work. It was fun to build, and fun to help my team.


July 4

Prompt: Have you ever seen a sentence that could be interpreted in two or more ways? That’s ambiguity. However, that's different from a sentence that just doesn't have the details necessary to understand it, which is vagueness. The difference between the two is what we will be focusing on today. Today, write two dialogues, one where a character is being vague, and the other where a character is being ambiguous. Each dialogue must be at least 250 words long, for 500 points. Sharing your writing will earn you 200 bonus points!

Response: Breeze thought about how he had been saved from being killed by Chaos. “So… who was she?”
“Chaos was… well, she was a lot of things, I suppose,” Legend murmured, uncharacteristically quiet. “Some of us saw her as a hero, some as a villain. I think she knew better than any of us that it was all a question of perspective, really. But she was always on my side, my closest ally. I’m not sure what that says about me.”
Legend lifted his head and looked Breeze in the eye. “I don’t know where you came from, boy, but you seem to be running from something. I’ll tell you now, some things you just can’t escape. She haunts me every day.”
“Oh, but you just don’t know how true that is,” a voice came from behind Legend. “And in fact, it isn’t true at all. I’ve been haunting young Breeze here for the past several days.”
Legend spun around as a shape materialized, slinking out to stand beside him. “I- What- C-Cha- No, you’re-”
“I am nothing more, nothing less than what I am,” Chaos’s ghost answered, her sharp teeth gleaming in a grin.
Seeing that the two siblings would have some catching up to do, Breeze backed away. “I’ll, uh, be by the river if you need me,” he informed them.
Cocking her head playfully, Chaos replied, “And where will you be if I don’t need you?”
“…Thinking up a better response to that question, hopefully?”
Chaos laughed. “All right, then. (Or all left, if you prefer!)”

Parsnip yawned, relaxing. He had learned to do this long ago, and in doing so, figured out the reality which no one else seemed to notice. “Hmm. Should have been me for the ambiguity part. Remember the whole eyeball scene?”
No comment came in reply. Meh. Vague, well, he could do that too, he supposed.
Parsnip shook himself, returning to the original place. He opened his eyes to find Thorn rushing up to him. Panting, Thorn gasped, “The mushrooms- they aren’t there! Did you move them?”
“Maybe.”
Thorn made an impatient growl. “Where are they?”
“Have you looked in the other place?”
“Which other place?”
“Oh, y’know, the thing under the thing?” Parsnip clarified. Helpfully, he added, “The thing that’s over by that one weird thing.”
Thorn lashed his tail. “Hhhh. Be specific! WHAT THING?!”
“The thing where we sometimes keep mushrooms.”
“But where is it?? Won’t you just tell me already?”
Parsnip considered for a long time. “No,” he concluded.
“ARGH. Talking to you is impossible.”
“Well, then, congratulations, you are currently doing the impossible.”
Parsnip blinked, faintly amused, as Thorn made an incoherent screech of frustration. Some shazarxi were just too easy to mess with. Thorn huffed his way out of the den. “Fine, I’ll just go look around again.”
Parsnip smirked, glancing down at the mushroom that had laid between his paws the entire time. No one ever noticed the details that he already knew. “Sky is not blue,” he reminded himself.
Spearing the mushroom on one claw, he twirled it around. Flicking it upwards, he caught it in his mouth and ate it. Tasted like… mushroom. What else were you expecting?


July 5

Prompt: Ah yes, proverbs. We all have in some way heard of these pieces of wisdom passed through short sentences. Today, we will be using them! For 400 points, write at least 300 words of a story that takes inspiration from a proverb (perhaps using it as the story's moral, perhaps incorporating it into the story somehow - it's up to you).

Response: (“If you play with fire, you’ll get burned.”)

Smoke tainted the air. Emerald’s paws pounded the forest floor as he attempted to outrun the rapidly approaching flames. Desperately, he looked up, searching for an escape route, but no, the trees above him were on fire, too. There was no room to take flight. Galloping as fast as he could, he headed for the river. The heat pressed in behind him, grabbing at his tail, trying to swallow him whole. Almost there- he didn’t dare to look back. Skidding across the ground, he turned sharply to avoid a flaming branch falling from above. Suddenly, he almost ran into a fallen tree. He dodged around it, only to find his path blocked by a barricade of branches, somehow already burning despite the conflagration still being behind him. There was no way out. The deadly heat closed in from all sides. In one final attempt to survive, Emerald launched into the air, beating his wings against the blazing branches, tearing himself upward even as the smoke choked his breath away. But it was no use. As he fell, through the tiniest gap in the smoke, he saw a familiar silhouette flying far above him, looking down.
“Flood?” he wheezed. But then the smoke rolled back over him, stealing his last gasp of air, burying him in oblivion.
Far above the billowing smoke, Flood glided, a cold smirk on his face. It had been done. Angling his wings, he turned in the air and flew away from the blaze. Spotting movement below, he dove down to land among the other shazarxi, who had evacuated the area and made it across the river. His mother, Drizzle, was waiting for him.
“Did you find him?” she implored, her voice tight with fear.
Flood hung his head, looking somber. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see anyone escape. He must have been caught in the fire.”
Drizzle made a sound of despair, turning away.
“Emerald was a good shazarxa. He will be missed,” Flood said softly. When Drizzle remained silent, Flood decided this would be a good time to leave.
He found a secluded spot away from the temporary camp the other shazarxi were building. Once out of sight, his mournful demeanor switched back to a sinister grin. He had done well. “I’ve always liked to play with fire…”
He brushed the ash off of his feathers, unaware of the small shazarxa that had appeared, peering at him from behind a leaf. The little one was too young to understand what had happened, but he would learn the truth in time. Breeze’s story had only just begun… And that same fire would one day return to Flood.


July 6

Prompt: Do you believe in horoscopes? Today, find your sign’s horoscope at https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/711163750 and use it as a writing prompt! Write at least 500 words to earn 600 points for your cabin, and earn an additional 200 points for sharing proof of your writing. If you would prefer not to reveal your zodiac sign, you can choose a random horoscope. If there are other reasons you are uncomfortable with this daily, contact someone on the daily team (see bottom of description) and we’ll give you an alternative prompt.

Response: (I used Scorpio for this. I’m not actually a Scorpio, but I prefer to use my reverse-birthdate for horoscope-related things, and also the character I’m using is a Scorpio, so yeah-)

River woke up with a bad headache. This was irritating. It was difficult to be productive when every movement was painful and she had little energy. Her brain still fuzzy with sleep, she looked around the den, searching for Comet, before remembering that he would be away for a few days. She would have to do everything herself today.
Not one to sit around feeling sorry for herself, she stood up and began sweeping out the den. She brushed the excess dirt and leaf litter out the entrance with her tail, then stepped outside to see the other shazarxi waking up as well. It was early evening, and the sun had already almost sunk below the treeline. A crisp autumn breeze wafted past, bringing the scents of the forest through the shazarxa camp. River closed her eyes momentarily, her spirits lifted by the gentle wind. This was her favorite time of year- the shortening days, the cooler weather- all of it a reminder that there was much to do to prepare for winter. Yes, today would be a productive day after all.
“Hey, River!” She heard someone call her name, and she turned to see who it was. Orbit was heading her way. He had his wings tucked loosely at his sides, and he waved his tail in a relaxed manner.
“Hello,” she replied. “I was planning on reinforcing the walls of the den today. Want to help?” It might be nice to have a second pair of paws, especially since she wasn’t quite functioning at her best.
However, Orbit’s tail stiffened and he looked to the side, not making eye contact. “Um. Sorry, no, I have, uh, stuff to do…”
River restrained herself from rolling her eyes. Orbit rarely wanted to help her with anything. Possibly because he could not keep up an intelligent conversation about star patterns, or the biology of ferns, or anything INTERESTING.
“All right, then. See you.” She flicked her tail at him dismissively.
He padded off, casting one awkward glance back at her. She turned away and began getting to work. The den walls would need to be stronger in order to support the weight of any snow that might fall this winter. Some of the dens that were tucked into the walls of the canyon were more sheltered, but she and Comet had built this one out in the open because they needed more space to perform their experiments. Also, it was farther removed from the other dens so that, in the totally unlikely event that something caught fire, the flames wouldn’t spread throughout the rest of the camp. Better to be safe, River reasoned.
The world was on the brink of nightfall when a disturbance from somewhere on the other side of camp distracted her from her task of weaving some sticks into the side of the den. Hopping down from where she was perched, she went to go check it out. As she got closer, she could make out arguing voices- Shade and Swift, from the sound of it, as well as a few others.
Ah. She wasn’t yet near enough to make out the words, but she guessed it was the same old argument again. Shade was the shazarxi’s current leader, and Swift was one of the previous leaders. Although Swift respected Shade, and Shade often turned to Swift for advice, there were a few things they disagreed on, and one of those things was Comet, or more accurately, Comet’s greatest invention. He had figured out how to use the properties of the leaves of the Ziptorix Tree to allow shazarxa spirits to interact with the living world, and it was by far the most controversial topic of the modern day. Everyone had an opinion, and everyone had a different reason for believing they were right.
River actually enjoyed the debates most of the time. It wasn’t a subject so emotionally charged that it led to violence, but it was also interesting enough to be the hot topic of many conversations. Comet himself rarely participated in the discussions, however, and River typically followed his lead.
As she joined the crowd, Brook leaned over to her. “They’re discussing whether there should be a set of rules in place for who should be allowed to get the Ziptorix amulets,” Brook whispered. “To avoid another Blossom incident.”
River nodded. Blossom was an angry spirit who had used her newfound ability, granted by a Ziptorix amulet, to take revenge. But the majority of shazarxi agreed that occurrences like that didn’t mean all spirits should be denied the amulets- Brook herself was a spirit, as well as many of the other citizens of the canyon camp. River wondered if the spirits outnumbered the living at this point.
“So, what do you think?” Brook inquired. “How should we judge who gets one?”
River thought for a moment. She knew how she felt about this issue, but she had never shared her thoughts about it before. She had a feeling Brook wouldn’t agree with her. In this case, she decided it was best to keep it to herself, there was no point in starting another argument. It was all just gossip, anyway. She shrugged. “Comet and I, we just make discoveries and design the things. It’s up to everyone else to decide what they want to do with that.”
“Fair enough,” Brook relented.
“Well, I’ve still got a den to strengthen,” River said to Brook, exiting the crowd of shazarxi all watching Shade and Swift. “Let me know what their decision is, okay?”
“Okay!” Brook promised, curling her tail cheerfully.
River returned to her task, her earlier headache now nothing more than a mere tingle. It had turned out to be a productive day, after all. It mattered less how much energy she started with, and more about knowing where to focus that energy to get something done. As she wove the last sturdy branch into the back wall, she stepped back to admire her work. It hadn’t been the most interesting task, but it would be beneficial in the long run.


July 7

Prompt: Today we’ll be doing the classic three-word stories daily! Comment three words to start a story, and reply to other people’s comments to continue their stories using only three words per comment. You can not comment on the same story twice in a row! No points will be awarded for this daily.

Response: https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/31668456/comments/#comments-189561854 https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/31668456/comments/#comments-189571492 https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/31668456/comments/#comments-189571694 https://scratch.mit.edu/studios/31668456/comments/#comments-189573381


July 8

Prompt: Today is another classic SWC daily — copy and paste a song into Google Translate, translate it into a few different languages, and then translate it back to English and use the messed-up lyrics as a writing prompt. Write at least 400 words to earn 500 points for your cabin. Also, make sure to prepare your cabin for cabin wars tomorrow!

Response: (I used the song Mine Turtle. I translated from English, to Basque, to Frisian, to Somali, to Hungarian, to Corsican, to Latin, to Twi, to Hebrew, to Quechua, to Kazakh, to Greek, to Afrikaans, to Hmong, and then back to English.)

ORIGINAL:
Mine Turtle!
Mine Turtle!
The Mine Turtle (Hello!)
Mine Turtle!

Mine Turtle's on the prowl, llama whipping by
Mine Turtle's got a smile sweet as pie-flavored pie
Skater kid tells a cop, “You can't tell me what to do!”
Watch out! When Mine Turtle says hello to you! (Hello!)

Mine Turtle!
Mine Turtle!
The Mine Turtle! (Hello!)
Mine Turtle, whoa-oa-oa!

Mine Turtle's traveled ‘round the world, from Cairo to Madrid
Saw gun-holding potato and the I Like Trains Kid
Visited Desmond on the Moon with his flying machine
Fight the aliens- “Throw the cheese!”

Mine Turtle!
Mine Turtle!
The Mine Turtle! (Hello!)
Mine Turtle, whoa-oa-oa!

TRANSLATED:
My bedroom!
My bedroom!
Misi (hello!).
My bedroom!

My turtle ran, muddy
My turtle tastes like cookies
At Christmas, they sadly say, “You can do nothing!” he said.
Be careful! When my friend picks me up! (Remember!)

My bedroom!
My bedroom!
Cat Disease (Hello!)
Let your turtle enter!

The dog traveled around the world from Cairo to Madrid
I saw a father with a guɲ, I needed a train for the kids
Desmond was visited regularly during the flight across the moon
Do not know the battle - “Get the unknown!”

My bedroom!
My bedroom!
Cat Disease (Hello!)
Let your turtle enter!

It was Christmas, and Misi was too busy being irritated by a tiny turtle to enjoy it. “Hello!” the turtle squeaked, standing outside her bedroom doorway. The turtle was covered in mud, and Misi could see through the open door that mud had been tracked all the way down the hallway. The turtle, however, was apparently oblivious to this. “May I come in?”
“No! This is my bedroom!” she barked. She growled and bared her teeth. Being a rather large dog, this should have scared the shell off of any turtle. However, this one merely giggled and ran in a circle just beyond the threshold to her room. Misi got up and tried to catch them, but the turtle was surprisingly fast.
Hearing the commotion, Misi’s friend, Desmond, appeared down the hall. Desmond was a sleek orange cat. Thankful to see her friend, Misi sighed in relief. “Desmond! Can you help me capture this crazy turtle? I don’t know who this is or how they got into the house, but I need. Them. Out.”
“Sure,” Desmond shrugged. He pounced after the turtle. It took a minute, but Desmond was an agile feline. He pinned the turtle to the ground with his front paws, leaving their little webbed claws to flail helplessly in the air. He sniffed the turtle curiously.
“This doesn’t smell like any turtle I’ve ever met,” he remarked. He tentatively licked the turtle’s shell. “They taste like… cookies?”
At the touch of Desmond’s tongue, the turtle froze, and a sad look suddenly replaced their previous mischievousness. “Now you can do nothing!” the turtle squeaked.
“…What?” Misi responded, but the turtle was silent once more. After a second, she shrugged it off. “Desmond, can you, like, take them outside or something?”
Desmond hesitated but then agreed. “Can do,” he said, gently picking up the turtle in his jaws. As they were carried away, the turtle looked regretful, as if they had wanted to warn Desmond to be more careful.
Having released the turtle outside, Desmond returned to Misi’s bedroom. However, Misi could tell immediately there was something wrong with him. Desmond was staggering slightly, and his eyes looked glazed. “Are you okay?” Misi asked, concerned.
“I think… That turtle may have been cursed,” the cat wheezed. “This is the punishment for not letting them enter.”
“That’s dumb, there’s no such thing as curses,” Misi stated scornfully. But Desmond wobbled and collapsed to the ground, and then she wasn’t so sure anymore.
“A sleeping spell, I think,” Desmond panted, his eyes closing. “You have to go to… Remember…”
His words trailed off, and he let out a small snore. “Go where? Remember what? Tell me!” Misi shook his shoulder with her paw, but he was silent, fast asleep. Misi sat down to comprehend everything. Curses were real? And Desmond was knowledgeable about them? She had known Desmond had some sort of mysterious past that he never talked about, but… magic? Really? Could that have something to do with this curse?
She sniffed Desmond all over, but the cat was lost deep in a dream. His sides rose and fell evenly, reassuring Misi that at least he wasn’t dying. Still, she had to find a way to wake him up. Dashing outside, she searched for that turtle, preparing to interrogate the little beast. However, as hard as she searched, they were nowhere to be found.
Six months later, Misi found herself in Madrid. She had travelled all over the world, searching for answers, but still coming up empty. This was one of the last leads that she had. “The Sorceror’s Tortoise,” read the sign over the shop she stood in front of. Pushing her way through the door, she jumped upon seeing a human with a guɲ. Thankfully, the human put down the weapon upon noticing her and welcomed her in with a friendly smile. “How can I help you?” he inquired.
Misi had answered this question at least a hundred times by now. “My friend was cursed with a sleeping spell by a turtle. Do you who the turtle was, or where I can find a cure?” She waited for the disbelieving or confused response that she always got. To her surprise, the man nodded wisely.
“An Invitation Turtle, sounds like. Rare these days, they are. Sent by someone to deliver a message. If anyone else other than the intended recipient of the message tries to interfere with the turtle, they will receive a curse.”
Misi gasped. Finally, she was onto something. “How- how can I reverse the curse?”
The human squinted at her. “The source of all magic is the Moon. Nearly all magic-wielders left Earth behind and moved there hundreds of years ago. If you want to undo your friend’s curse, you’ll need to find the one who sent the turtle. Chances are, the sender is there.”
“But how in the world do I get there?” Misi felt her hope sinking away. The Moon was so far away…
“Hmm,” the man considered, eyeing Misi. “There must be a reason a magic-wielder sent you a message. I might be able to arrange a ride for you… if you do one thing for me.” His eyes glinted unsettlingly, any trace of his previous friendly smile gone. Misi was uncomfortably aware of the guɲ still lying on the table right next to the man.
“I’ll do anything,” she promised, gathering her courage.
“Good,” the human replied. “All I need is this: a train ride for my kids. Here, you might need this,” he continued, placing an amulet around her neck. It was in the shape of a turtle.
A few days later, Misi stood, exhausted, on the edge of a cliff. The past days had been the most unreal moments of her life, even more than the cursed turtle. She had MAGIC. The amulet had somehow unlocked it, and she had created an ENTIRE train tunnel that delved practically to the center of the Earth. She didn’t dare ask the man why he needed to send his kids that far underground, for fear of him backing out of their deal.
Speaking of the deal, the ship that was meant to carry her to the Moon was supposed to arrive any moment now. She glanced over at Desmond’s sleeping form beside her, tucked into a wagon so she could transport him easily. Abruptly, the ground trembled beneath Misi’s paws as if there was a small earthquake. Right before her astonished eyes, an enormous shape materialized in front of her. It was a… giant sea turtle? She took a step back, having definitely learned to be wary of unusual turtles.
The sea turtle opened her gigantic beak. Her voice came out as a deep, gravelly throb, a sound that made the air itself vibrate. “Interplanetary Transport, Turtle Number Seven-Four-Nine,” she announced. “Next stop: Moon. All passengers, please embark now.”
This was her only chance. This was DESMOND’S only chance. She took a deep breath and grabbed the wagon’s handle between her teeth. She stepped onto the turtle’s wide, flat flipper, which had been extended out as a ramp. Upon clambering aboard the turtle’s shell, she looked around. If this whole situation hadn’t been so nerve-wracking, she might have been amazed. Strange, alien-seeming passengers of all shapes and sizes sat atop seats that had been affixed to the shell. Misi wondered for the thousandth time what she was headed for next. She found an empty seat and flopped into it, the wagon right beside her. Her fatigue caught up with her and she nodded off almost immediately.
When she awoke, there was no longer a sky. An empty void surrounded her, pierced only by distant stars. Misi didn’t bother questioning how she was capable of breathing right now. She checked on Desmond, who hadn’t stirred. The massive sea turtle continued gliding serenely through empty space. It was… rather uneventful, actually. Misi passed the time by examining the other passengers. There were a multitude of turtles, a couple of humans, and a few other species of animals she recognized. Many of the others were foreign, however, and she speculated that they had come from other worlds, other planets. After everything she had been through lately, it wouldn’t have surprised her one bit.
As they neared the Moon, she checked regularly on Desmond, but the curse’s hold remained unflinching. At long last, the sea turtle descended upon the Moon, orbiting slowly downward until she came to a stop at what appeared to be a station built for docking large turtles. Many of the other passengers began disembarking, so Misi got up to follow them. A scorpion waiting at the base of the giant turtle’s flipper ramp was passing something out to the exiting passengers. When she got to that point in the line, the scorpion clacked, “Are you an oxygen-breather?”
“Um. Yes?”
“And him, too?” The scorpion pointed his tail at Desmond.
“Yeah.”
“A’ight. Here you go. Have a nice day.” He handed her a pair of spacesuits which appeared to be enchanted to fit her and Desmond perfectly. She quickly slipped hers on, then lifted Desmond to slide his on as well. Once more picking up the wagon’s handle, she continued venturing forth into this strange new world, bustling with a kind of life she’d never seen before.
She didn’t know what awaited her here on the Moon, or what future battles she might have to face. Where should she even start from here? “Go out and get the unknown,” she whispered to herself, trying to encourage herself.
Her thoughts strayed back to her bedroom. That calm, familiar place seemed so long ago now. How could she have known that not inviting in one strange turtle would end up inviting in a whole world of strangeness?
But she had magic now, even if she still had to learn how to use it. And she had a friend to save. She could do this. There was only one way to go now- onward.


July 9

Prompt: It’s cabin wars!


July 10

Prompt: Have you completed today’s Wordle? Go to https://www.nytimes.com/games/wordle and complete the Wordle; if you can’t access the website, you can use this scratch version here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/639908378/. After you complete the game, incorporate all the words that you guessed into a writing piece. Write 400 words to earn 500 points for your cabin.

Response: (My words were STARE, TAPER, RETCH, and BERTH.)

There are some things so obviously wrong that you know instinctively not to do them. Don’t eat rotten food. Don’t stare into the sun. Don’t go through random portals that appear on strange islands. You know, stuff like that. And, I, Rain, am one of the most logical shazarxi around. So, how did I get here, you ask?
Well, it turns out that when you’re stranded on an island, you kinda get bored. Staring at clouds, watching the edges taper off into the distance… It gets old fast. Observing your sister attempting and failing to build a raft is slightly more entertaining, but, c’mon, for three months? So I explored the island, which was fairly large, too large to walk the circumference of in just one day, though small enough that I could fly its width in one trip if I tried. I’m not normally one for mapping things (I leave that to Wander), but I sketched out a rough image of it on a leaf with my claw. In what is roughly the center of the island, there’s this one weird tree that looks out of place among the smaller, lighter-colored trees.
One day, I was checking out the tree when I noticed some of the branches were shaking. I launched into the air and flew above it, but I couldn’t see anything but leaves from up there. I returned to the ground and began climbing up, noticing that there was an odd shimmering haze directly above me. The leaves right around it were trembling, as if something had just passed through them. /This is likely a bad idea,/ I remember thinking to myself. /Oh well./
I shoved my head through the shimmering barrier, and was hit with a dizzying sensation. I almost thought I was going to retch, but I pulled myself up a little farther and the feeling suddenly went away. Instead, I looked around in confusion. My front paws were definitely no longer gripping a tree branch.
I was wings-deep in a smooth, transparent platform. The substance was unfamiliar to me. Heaving the rest of my body upward, I stood with all four paws on the strange, unnaturally even ground. Peering downward, I could still see the island below me, but it was if I was looking at it through the ceiling of a giant den that covered the whole place. The place where I had entered appeared as a jagged crack, the only aberration in the otherwise flat, empty landscape on which I now stood.
“Glass, huh? That’s a new one,” said a voice from behind me.
I turned around to see a gray-feathered shazarxa sniffing at the ground. It wasn’t anyone I recognized. Had they been there before? They didn’t seem particularly threatening, but still, I gave them a wide berth as I circled closer.
The stranger looked up. Their eyes were an uncanny shade of bright green. “Hi. Call me Wild.”


July 11

Prompt: In order to connect with our characters, we writers often use their dialogue and inner thoughts as tools to convey their emotions, opinions, and characteristics. For today’s daily, however, neither of those tools will be available to you. For 600 points, write at least 500 words of an emotional narrative with neither dialogue nor inner thoughts. To earn an extra 200 points, provide proof of your writing.

Response: Sniffing around the corner, the cat noticed a disgusting stench. It smelled dangerous. He was just about to turn back when he heard a loud, harsh noise. Two hulking animals appeared at the end of the alley, their eyes glinting with malice when they spotted him. The first one charged with a growling bark, and the second one followed close behind. The cat didn’t think, just turned and fled as fast as his paws could carry him.
Down the streets and around the corners, he rode on a spark of panic. His tireless pursuers got closer. Closer. There were no fences to climb, no tunnels to hide in. Only cold, unsympathetic walls. He raced towards what was his only chance- the city park, a few blocks away.
The cat ran for his life. Panting, he glanced over his shoulder. They were almost upon him now. With an extra burst of speed, he flew towards the grove of trees. If he could just reach the wondrous protection that those branches offered, he might yet escape the snapping jaws threatening to swallow him whole.
They drooled at his tail. Their paws tore the earth in their chase, beasts hungry for the victory of the hunt. Barely staying ahead of the tide of sharpened teeth, the cat sprinted, his fear somehow convincing his exhausted legs to continue carrying him.
Rocks ahead! He swerved, almost stumbling, but keeping his footing. His lungs were burning now. He was almost there. Suddenly, he was yanked to a halt. The giant jaws closed around his tail, and he screeched in pain and terror. Scrabbling at the ground desperately, he tried to tear himself free. But his efforts were useless.
The beast shook him, and his world blurred. The trees, the buildings, the sky, all of it dissolving. With his last ounce of strength, he spun around and slashed his claws across the soft, wet nose of the predator that held him. Surprised, the jaws released their hold, and the cat tore away.
Flecks of blood streamed behind him as he covered the final few meters of ground to the nearest tree. He took a final leap. Running vertically up the trunk, he gripped the lifesaving bark as if he would never let go. The barking monsters below him jumped and snarled, but he was finally out of their reach. He clung to a branch, sides heaving as he gasped to reclaim his breath.
He didn’t know how many hours he stayed there, hugging that branch. The beasts circled for a while, but eventually left. They didn’t come back. He finally stopped trembling. The sun rose higher in the sky, and he basked in its light, glad to be alive. Everything felt so much more special now- the air, the trees, his fur. He was lucky to have all of it.
The cat closed his eyes at last. He was safe. He could rest. The fear ebbed away, allowing him to release himself to sleep. He awoke feeling refreshed, the feeling of relief still tingled in his pelt. Carefully, he eased himself down the tree trunk and stood firmly upon the ground. He had survived.


July 12

Prompt: Have you ever wondered which warm drink best fits your protagonist’s personality? How about which SWC host your story’s villain is most like? That’s right, for today’s daily you’ll be taking personality quizzes as your characters! It’s simple: take one (or all) of the following quizzes as one of your characters, then come back here to chat about the results in the comments.
Which SWC (g)Host Are You? - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/438231455
Which SWC (co)Host Are You? Part II - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/524409427/
Which Animal Crossing Character Are You? - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/160463819/
Flower Personality Quiz - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/435860987/
Which Hot Drink Are You? - https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/95692703

Response: My character, Wind, got Icy for the “which SWC (g)Host are You? quiz, which more or less fits. It fits more than any of the other people’s descriptions, anyway. For the “Which SWC (co)Host are You? Part II” quiz, Wind got Birdi, which is pretty right-on! In the Animal Crossing quiz, Wind was Rover, which was only half right. The “travel” part was correct, but Wind is not an outgoing person, nor does he strike up conversations easily. Wind got a tie between “Daisy” and “Lily” in the flower quiz, which seems kind of fitting. He got a mix of hot chocolate and coffee for the “Which Hot Drink Are You?” quiz, which is almost perfect, except for the part where it says “Sometimes your bossy attitude comes across as laziness, as you are often sarcastic.” Wind is neither bossy, lazy, nor sarcastic. Everything else in the description is accurate, though.


July 13

Prompt: Who doesn’t love a good map? Whether a fantastical royal palace, a public school and the surrounding neighborhood, or an entire new world complete with oceans and continents and nations galore, maps provide a new perspective on a story. Make a map of a setting from one of your stories for 400 points and earn an extra 100 points by sharing your map. We look forward to seeing your creations!

Response: (I'll show it to anyone who asks, but I don't want it as just a random project floating around. )


July 14

Prompt: How many hours did you sleep the night before this daily was put in? Write 1200 words about your various characters’ sleep habits and the effects they have on them for 700 points. For every hour that you slept that night, you have to write 100 fewer than the 1200—so if you slept 8 hours, you only need to write 400 words. (Caps at 10 hours for 200 words.) There are no points for proof.

Response:

Swift: Swift is an average sleeper. He has a very regular sleep schedule, which allows him to function well most of the time, but if his routine is broken, it can throw him off balance. His preferred schedule is fairly typical for a shazarxa. He gets up at sunrise, naps through the hottest part of the day, then wakes up again to be active in the evening, falling asleep only when night has fully settled in. As a result of his position as a leader, he adjusted his schedule to wake up earlier than most of the other shazarxi so that he can prepare for the day. He generally is more of a dawn person than a dusk person.
Moon: Moon is one of those shazarxi who you know must sleep at SOME point, but is rarely seen doing so. Being a private shazarxa, she does prefer to sleep away from others, and she does not like being disturbed unnecessarily, even though she is fully capable of snapping alert in an instant in the case of an emergency. She’s efficient at conserving her energy, so she is sharp at all times, regardless of how much sleep she got. She prefers dusk and nighttime to the dawn, sometimes altogether skipping the normal morning waking hours that most shazarxi have.
Forest: Forest has bad sleep habits. He doesn’t have a consistent sleep schedule, and is therefore tired a lot. His night vision is not as good as his siblings’, so the dark scares him a bit. He is prone to nightmares. However, he actually prefers to be awake at night, as his siblings are most active at that time, and he feels safe as long as he is with them. He does most of his sleeping during the day, often sleeping through the morning hours alongside Moon.
Silence: How is one to know what is reality and what is dreams? Even when awake, how do we know whether everything we see is actually real? Who’s to say that when we dream, the dream is fictional; it does not really exist? Yeah… don’t talk to Silence about sleeping.
Feather: Feather is flexible with her sleeping. She still makes sure she gets enough rest, but it doesn’t matter much to her when she gets it. When living alongside others, she usually adjusts her sleep schedule to fit theirs so as not to inconvenience anyone. However, when she’s alone, she simply sleeps when she’s tired and wakes up whenever she wakes up. She always feels refreshed after waking up from a sleep, and her favorite time of day to be awake is the morning, especially at sunrise.
Pond: Pond is a mostly sound sleeper, with a fairly regular routine. In her old age, she sleeps a lot more than when she was younger. She follows the same crepuscular schedule as the majority of shazarxi do. Upon waking up, it can take her a short while to shake off the drowsiness, but soon she has enough energy to go about her everyday business. She likes dawn and dusk equally.
Tunnel: Tunnel’s sleeping habits are very similar to Pond’s. The pair of mates follow the schedule together, and one will rarely go to sleep without the other. Tunnel is slightly more strict about his sleeping routine, though. While Pond wouldn’t be opposed to a midmorning nap, Tunnel is an industrious person who is rigid with his work hours. He does not function well when his sleep schedule is disrupted.
Rain: “Sleeping postpones death, but does not avert it” might as well be Rain’s opinion on sleeping. Whether they sleep too much or too little, it’s not like it matters much anyway, in the long run. Rain is kind of antisocial, so their preferred time to be awake is when everyone else is asleep, so that they can have room to think. Despite seeming uncaring about their sleep schedule, Rain rarely has problems with being tired. Instead, their unwillingness to do things stems from a different issue entirely. But sometimes they’ll surprise you and be super productive, who knows?
Drizzle: Drizzle used to have a pretty normal crepuscular sleep routine. However, since the death of her second mate, she sleeps a lot more, or at least lies around, wallowing in her grief. She is often unaware of the events that take place outside her den, and she does not like to be disturbed. Turning her back on everything like that did not end well for her.
Wave: Wave sleeps a lot, maybe too much. When awake, she normally accomplishes what she needs to, though. She occasionally finds inspiration in her dreams, but sometimes she also gets nightmares. From time to time, she’ll wake up in the middle of the night for no reason, which mildly irritates her. She doesn’t like to sleep alone, so she tries to stick close to the rest of the group. It takes her a while to shake off the drowsiness after waking up. Her preferred times of day to be awake are late morning and late afternoon/early evening. She has a greater affinity for daylight than most other shazarxi, so she typically wakes up later in the morning and goes to sleep earlier in the evening.
Wander: Wander is a very healthy sleeper, despite his abnormal sleep schedule. He wakes up in the morning hours like a normal shazarxa, but sleeps late into the evening so that he can be awake for more of the night. He’s an avid stargazer as well as dedicated to his projects, so when he gets into something, he can forget to sleep. He does enjoy sleeping as well, due to his vivid and colorful dreams. In fact, he is well-known for his dreams. Wander can get tired after forgetting to sleep, but for the most part, he is flexible with his routine. He’s a light sleeper who can be easily woken up without much trouble, and he doesn’t mind being disrupted, especially if it means there’s something cool to see that he doesn’t want to miss.
Spiral: Spiral is seldomly tired. They do sleep, but when they wake up, they are just as perky and energetic as ever. Their favorite time of day is the morning, much to the annoyance of Moon and Forest. They can snap to attention quickly after being woken up, and is rarely lazy, though not always particularly useful, either. Still, they’re very sweet and they try to help Forest sleep better.
Song: Song gets plenty of sleep, and normally wakes up feeling energetic. If she doesn’t get enough sleep, she does get tired, but generally, her emotions control her state of well-being more than her amount of sleep. She has a typical routine most of the time, but isn’t afraid to drastically vary her sleeping schedule for a while in order to try something new.
Ember: Ember follows a typical crepuscular routine, though he also often enjoys a nap here and there. He is patient with those who disrupt his slumber, but prefers to stick to the same old routine as he’s always had. His preferred time of day is late afternoon. He does enjoy sunlight, and will bask in it during his naps.
Marigold: Marigold follows a similar routine to Ember. She needs a full night’s sleep to function properly, and is plagued by tiredness and confusion if she doesn’t sleep well. As she gets older, she finds it more difficult to wake up and do things, though she still makes an effort. She also gets forgetful, often only remembering things in dreams. She tries to spend equal time awake as asleep. Her favorite time of day is late morning, when she can often be found dozing with Ember.
Lily: Lily sleeps a lot, insisting she needs her beauty sleep. More realistically, she is probably trying to avoid having to work on things. She’d rather observe and not get her paws dirty. Similar to her sister, Marigold, though, if she sleeps really badly, she’s a mess. She is a fairly light sleeper, so she hates it when noises from outside wake her up. She also doesn’t appreciate being disturbed during her naps.
Ruby: Ruby is a carefree soul, rarely worrying about things like sleeping. Like her friend Feather, she sleeps and wakes up whenever she feels like it. She doesn't mind being woken up, as she doesn’t get the waking-up drowsiness and she can always fall back asleep fairly quickly. Since her schedule is so flexible, she adjusts it based on who she wants to spend time with. She enjoys stargazing with Wander, but her favorite time of day is late morning. She likes the sun.
Raven: Raven prefers nighttime to daytime, just like his mother, Moon, and his mate, Wander. Raven doesn’t need a whole lot of sleep to function well. He doesn’t normally nap during normal waking hours, but will sometimes relax in a comfortable spot. He’s laid-back and flexible about his sleeping schedule, so he kind of just sleeps whenever he feels like it, within the boundaries of others’ sleeping routines. He’s typically a sound sleeper, but it can sometimes take him a while to fall asleep. When he has trouble sleeping, he hangs out with Silence, who is awake at odd times.
Shade: Shade often has to be reminded by her loved ones to be sure to get enough sleep. She has a lot of responsibility, and wants to be sure everything is running smoothly. For her, sleeping is important, but still a time in which something may go wrong as a result of her not being awake to deal with it. Generally, she’s exceptionally good at handling her job’s stress, but it can get overwhelming, especially when low on sleep. Thankfully, she has caring friends and family members to make sure she remembers to take care of herself as well as everyone else. She likes the early mornings, which are the most productive times for her.
Holly: Holly isn’t too strict about her sleeping, but she still follows the average sleeping pattern. She wakes up and goes to sleep at roughly the same time as everyone else. Being a healthy sleeper herself, she is good at telling who isn’t getting enough sleep, and she tries to help them. Although she is normally very calm, being woken up in the middle of sleeping can set her off balance a little. She has learned to get herself under control quickly in these situations, as she is currently the main healer, so she may have to deal with emergencies at any hour. She doesn’t have a preferred time of day, but doesn’t like the heat of midday too much because of her thick fur.
Ash: Ash is a troubled sleeper. He has problems sleeping soundly, and the tiredness can cause him to be irritable and grumpy. The source of his sleeplessness isn’t entirely clear, but most shazarxi trace it back to the trauma of losing his parents at a fairly young age. He doesn’t like to be woken up once he has fallen asleep, and he is drowsy for a long time after waking up. His preferred sleeping schedule allows for more daylight hours, as his night vision isn’t the greatest.


July 15

Prompt: July 15th is Give Something Away Day! In honor of this, comment a description of a strange object in your home that you would like to “give away” for someone else to use in a story. It could be anything, from an old newspaper clipping to a weird sculpture! Then, choose someone else’s object and write a short story where it is given some significance. Your story must be 500 words to earn 700 points, and if you share your writing, you can earn an extra 200 points!

Response: (I claimed a rainturner instrument from @Coco_animator. The description was “i'm ‘giving’ away an instrument called ‘rainturner’ or something- i made it for my music class. our teacher told us that the story of the rainturner is basically when in africa, it was extremely hot and they were in dire need of water- an ‘awesome’ band came in and played the rainturner, and rain finally come to africa i totally believe everything my teacher said- xD”)

You love garage sales. You got up early this Saturday just to go out and visit a few of the sales around your neighborhood. Who knows, maybe you’ll find something special! Arriving at the first sale, you get out of the car and scan the yard.
It’s a pretty big sale. Colors abound. Foldable tables have been set up all along the driveway, and more stuff rests upon towels spread out on the lawn. Boxes of things line the entrance to the garage. Several other people mill around, examining the things, though it isn’t too crowded, just average.
You quickly glance both ways before crossing the street, then glance upward out of old habit. The sky is clear and blue, the sun burning brightly.
First, you head for the pile of plush animals on the towels, kneeling down so you can dig through them. There are several teddy bears, a giraffe, some rabbits, and a frog. None of these particularly interest you. You’re mostly into turtles, cats, and dinosaurs. You ignore the clothes, instead going to look at the items on the tables. There are various knickknacks, photo frames, and tools, but as you skim, nothing really catches your eye.
You reach the garage and bend down to sort through the boxes. The person running the sale is sitting at a small table to your left, and for some reason, she seems to be watching you. Had she been doing that this whole time? You don’t make eye contact and just keep digging through the boxes, slightly faster now. You feel vaguely uncomfortable from being watched, and would prefer to hurry up and leave. The sale was nice enough, but something about the seller’s stare creeped you out.
Normally, you barely even paid attention to who looked at you. Why was this messing with you so much? You try to shake off the feeling. You’re just about to stand up when an object in the bottom of the box grabs your notice. It’s a long, narrow tube with an interesting pattern painted on it.
You reach for it and pick it up. It’s hollow, but with something rattling inside, like tiny pebbles. You turn it end over end, and it makes a pattering sound as the little pebbles within clatter downward. It’s a calming sound, and you feel strangely attracted to it. Should you get it?
The box you grabbed it from is labelled “50 cents.” Well, that’s cheap. Might as well, you think. You have a nice spot on a shelf for it. You’re not a huge collector of random things, but it would look nice among your carved wood turtles. You walk up to the lady running the sale. She fixes her gaze directly on you, and you're suddenly reminded of the uncomfortable feeling you had a minute ago.
You dig two quarters out of your coinpurse, saying nothing to the lady. It’s nothing, you tell yourself. A cloud drifts across the sun as she reaches for the coins that you placed on the table, casting a shadow over everything. “It’s a rainturner,” she mentions conversationally. “Only works in special hands, though.”
She smiles at you, and something about it is… wrong. Everything looked normal, but that sense of unease was back. You quickly say “Thank you,” and walk away down the driveway, trying to not seem in a rush to get out of there.
You’re about to cross the street again, so you look left and right to make sure it’s safe to cross. Glancing upward, you are immediately hit in the face by a big raindrop. Plop! Wasn’t it sunny when you got here? Now the sky is filled with clouds, heavy and wet. You cross the street and get in your car as more rain begins to fall.
This sucks, now all the other garage sales will close up. Where did this rain come from? You look down at the rainturner you’re still clutching. You know it’s silly, but the thought still crosses your mind: Did I summon the rain?


July 16

Prompt: Imagine if you were telling someone about yourself using only a story about a brief, two-and-a-half-minute experience - what would you tell them about? Perhaps it would be a time you helped someone up, or maybe something that helped you grow as a person! Today, think of how a character of yours would answer that question. Write a story about their vital two-and-a-half minutes in at least 300 words to earn 500 points. If you share your writing, you can earn 100 bonus points!

Response: “What was it like, coming here?” the raptor asked gently.
Eclipse thought for a while. The longer he stayed here, the less pain he felt at remembering the place he had left behind. So he called back the memory, the one that separated “then” from “now.” Or maybe “now” from “then.” Time travel was weird like that.
“It was… faster than I expected. It seemed like it should have taken an eternity, to the end of time and then over again. But it was fast, no more than two-and-a-half minutes, or at least that’s what it felt like. Instead, the part that seemed the longest was when I stood on the threshold, at the brink of no return. It was… it was limitless. One more step, and I would be gone forever. The weight of that moment…”
Eclipse tried to find the words to describe how it felt. “There were two sources of gravity. One was holding me back, the other urging me onward. Two Earths, two grounds to stand upon.
“So I connected them. One to the other. And then… I was alone. Just an empty void. Maybe I didn’t even exist there. Two-and-a-half minutes of… nothing. Pure nothing. That was the turning point.”
Eclipse turned to the raptor, tearing his gaze away from the distance. “You know the rest. In an instant, the void blurred away, leaving everything in its wake. Everything! The colors, the smells, the sounds, the existence of it all! And you. I nearly landed on top of you,” he said, smiling faintly.
The raptor gave an affectionate chirp in response. “I’m glad you did,” she answered. The shazarxa and the raptor, separated by what should have been millions of years, were together. /I may have left everything behind,/ Eclipse thought. /But it turns out there’s more everything. More than I could ever have imagined./


July 17

Prompt: The meaning of a phrase can be immensely impacted by the experiences of the person saying it, the relation of the person they’re speaking to, and the situation in which it’s said. Today, write a story in which the first and last lines are the same. How do your characters’ and the reader’s interpretations of the sentence change? Your story must be at least 700 words to earn 900 points.

Response: (I based this on the song “Always Gold.”)

“Everything goes away,” Wander whispered. “I have to do this. Go out, see the world. I’ll never be satisfied here, and we both know that.”
“Yeah, everything goes away,” Raven agreed, his voice bittersweet, but his heart filled with happiness for Wander. This was right.
The two shazarxi shared a long moment, both remembering everything they had been through together. “Come back someday,” Raven whispered finally. “And tell me all about it.”
“I will, Raven. I will.”

Ash was too shocked to know how he felt. “Wander? Y- you’re leaving? I thought you wanted to be here. That you- that you would stay forever!”
“But everything goes away,” Raven said softly, trying to comfort Ash.
Wander stood silently. Ash couldn’t read his expression.
“Yeah, everything goes away,” Ash growled in response. “But my home is here. I’m going to be here until I’m dead.”
Ash knew how he felt now. He was furious.

Years had passed. Season upon season. Like the river that flowed through the canyon, time had worn away at everything Ember loved. The days when he laughed with his friends. The days when Swift had built up a community from nothing. The days that seemed so careless, so free, had flown far, far away, only echoing in memories, and even those were slowly fading.
Swift was long dead now. It had been so soon, far too soon. Ash had succeeded him as leader. Many shazarxi left then, mostly Swift’s family, including Raven. Not with celebration, as Wander had done, but quietly, decisively, in the dead of night. Ember had seen as Raven stood at the edge of the canyon, looking back just once. Ash had taken that one personally. It had changed him. He had become angry, bitter, distant, and he had been taking it out on the community that he was supposed to lead. Ember was afraid a conflict couldn’t be avoided, sooner or later.
Ember slipped quietly into Ash’s den. Ash didn’t notice. He was tearing at the corner of his nest, murmuring to himself.
“Everything goes away,” Ember heard Ash sigh. Ash’s voice held no anger, just resignation and regret. It was times like this that Ember knew that the shazarxa he once knew must still be in there somewhere. “Yeah, everything goes away. But I’m going to be here as long as I can. As long as you need me. I promise.”
Ash whirled around, his orange eyes flashing with vulnerability for just an instant before hardening into the same stern, unmoving expression he always wore. Ember expected Ash to hiss that he needed permission to enter the leader’s den. But Ash said nothing, just held eye contact until he finally dipped his head, a short nod.
Ember backed out of the den, more conflicted than before. He wondered if he’d be able to keep his promise.

Wander had returned, as he had vowed all those years ago. His body heavy with age, he trudged across the canyon that he once called home. The river rushed to his left. It still looked the same, but it was different water, he knew, and its movement took it far away, to the distant ocean from which he had returned from.
A dark shape came towards him, a larger, fluffy shape alongside it. Raven and Ember. They had reunited a few days ago, spent a long time catching up. Raven had left, too, eventually becoming the leader of his own group, before making his way back, having seen pieces of a world far larger than either of them fully understood. Ember had stayed put, collecting memories and watching life move on around him. And Ash… Ash was dead. There had been a fight, and he had lost.
Wander didn’t know that Ash. Where had his friend gone? What happened to the loyal, determined ally that he had left behind?
Ember and Raven had reached him now. The three of them sat together, no one speaking at first. Despite it all, something still just like old times. It was different, it was changed, but still there, one comfort against the world.
“I heard you say, on that day, when you left…” Ember began, addressing Wander. Wander lifted his ear tufts, listening. “Does everything go away?”
Wander closed his eyes. “Yeah. I’ll be here until forever, but it’ll still change, gradually. It always does. Everything goes away.”


July 18

Prompt: We all love SWC fanfiction (or at least I do)! Today, we’re putting a twist on SWC fanfiction: rewriting a classic fairy tale or children’s story as if it takes place at SWC. Maybe the three little pigs are campers who won’t go to bed, or the rabbit hole takes Alice to SWC! Your story must be 500 words to earn 700 points. If you share your writing, you can earn an extra 200 points!

Response: Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cinderella who liked to read and write. Unfortunately, she lived with her deplorable stepmother and stepsisters, who didn’t allow her to have any paper, pencils, or pens to write with. Despite this torture, she never complained, silently keeping all of her stories penned up in her head. However, she longed every day for a way to tell her stories, to share them with the world.
One day, her stepmother took Cinderella to the village market to do some shopping. Cinderella gazed longingly at the shopkeepers who wrote down notes with their pencils. Suddenly, she bumped into her stepmother, who had stopped at a shop selling hats.
“Stop your daydreaming,” her stepmother scolded her. “Here, carry these.” She handed Cinderella a pile of things that she had bought.
Cinderella wheezed under the weight of all the stuff, but she said nothing.
Noticing a commotion in the village square, Cinderella, her stepsisters, and her stepmother joined the crowd of people, wondering what was going on. A voice rang out over the clamor. “A message from Queen Birdi!”
The people immediately quieted down. A royal proclamation!
The Queen’s messenger continued reading the message. “In celebration of the Scratch Kingdom’s first-ever Writing Camp, a ball is to be held exactly one week from now, at the Royal Palace! At the ball, the lucky first campers will be chosen by none other than the Prince himself!”
A Writing Camp! Cinderella knew she just HAD to go to that. It might be her only chance! But her stepmother would never let her go. How could she possibly make it there, let alone get accepted by the Prince?
Overcome with despair, she sobbed in her bed that night. All her dreams were hopeless! Throughout the week, her stepsisters and stepmother prepared their finest writing to present to the Prince, hoping to win him over. They snapped constantly at poor Cinderella.
“What are you moping around for? Hurry up and wash the dishes!”
“Stupid girl, your head is empty!”
“Fetch me my writing gloves, Cinderella! Don’t you know they’re necessary for my inspiration?”
Cinderella was too depressed to respond to any of these taunts. It was the night of the ball, and she would be left behind. Watching as her stepfamily grabbed their writing notebooks and left, she finally realized that her goal of becoming an author would never come true.
“I don’t get it,” someone said, interrupting her thoughts. She whirled around, coming to face-to-face with a giant, floating… mango?
The mango didn’t seem to have a mouth, and yet it kept talking. “I mean, the door’s right there. It isn’t locked. You want to go to the ball, you just open that door and make your way there yourself. Hitch a ride with someone else’s carriage or something. There is nothing keeping you here.”
Cinderella was too confused to comprehend what the mango was saying. “Uh- You- You’re-” she stammered.
“I’m the Mango Fairy, sweetheart. Or one of them, anyway. There’s one assigned to every good writer, to give them motivation when they have the worst writer’s block.”
“W-what?” Cinderella asked, trying to regain her senses. Maybe floating mangoes were normal. It wasn’t as if she got out much. Just be polite, as usual. “I’m, uh, I’m not a writer.”
“Sure you are. There’s more to writing than making letters on paper. You have the stories, all you have left to do is tell them.”
“But I… can’t. My stepfamily-”
“Are idiots. Why do you listen to them? They know you have talent, and they try to keep it from you so that they can get all the attention. And you let them,” the mango said, wobbling in the air as if shaking its head in disgust.
Cinderella was unsure of what to say to this, but a small flame of hope sprung up within her again. “So you think I could get into the Scratch Writing Camp if I could go to the ball tonight? Are you going to take me there?”
“Oh, you definitely could make it in. But you have to make the journey yourself. I’m just a mango. All I know is that the first step requires you to open up that door and step out.”
Cinderella stood up. Could the mango be right? It was at least worth a try, wasn’t it? Taking a deep breath, she opened the door and looked to the castle. It was far away, but she was determined to make it now.
She stepped out, overcoming the hardest part of the story- daring to start.


July 19

Prompt: Settings are always vital to a story, however let’s put this to the test! How challenging do you think it would be to write a story without a setting? Get your pens and writing documents ready to try this out: write a story without establishing any setting, try focusing on the characters, dialogue, and plot You must write a minimum of 400 words for 500 points!

Response: Breeze trotted briskly alongside his pack, feeling their pelts brush his. The sensation was new to him, yet already comforting, familiar. His companions were an unusual bunch, but, he supposed, so was he. Breeze knew the wolves surrounding him without even having to look. There was Legend, the clever, brave, scrappy leader who had fought his way to the top. Rust, the grumpy yet loyal second-in-command. Shard, Breeze’s best friend, a nervous young wolf with powers he still didn’t understand. Bark, a kind, good-natured goofball with ancestors from three packs. The rest of the Briny Pack and the Sliver Pack, who had been united under Legend’s command. And Chaos, whose spirit was almost certainly nearby, even if Breeze couldn’t see her. The sly, brilliant she-wolf was the whole reason Breeze was here. He owed a lot to her.
Legend, at the front of the pack, signaled with his tail for everyone to halt. Tonight, they were on a mission, one of special importance to Breeze. With a low growl, Legend addressed the group. “Alright, we’re almost there, here’s the plan. The wolves in my group, head to the left and spread out around the northwestern entrance. The wolves in Rust’s group, cross the river and create a barrier along the southern ridge, but stay hidden. As soon as the sun sinks below the horizon, we attack. Remember, this isn’t a hunting trip. If they flee, don’t pursue them. We’re just trying to scare them off for now. Everyone got that?”
The assembled pack of wolves all gave their yips of agreement. Straightening up, Legend dropped some of the seriousness from his voice, his teeth glinting as he grinned. “Great. Teeth sharp, everyone! Head out!”
The two groups went their separate ways. Breeze, having been assigned to Legend’s group, soon found himself beside the Sliver Pack leader. Legend glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. “You sure you’ll be able to face him?” Legend whispered privately to Breeze.
“Flood,” Breeze replied, knowing immediately who Legend was talking about. “My half-brother. Believe me, I’ve been waiting to face him in battle ever since I was born.”
Legend nodded his head slightly. “Then I’m glad I have you with me tonight. We’re coming for him,” he promised.
Breeze felt strengthened by Legend’s words. Staring grimly forward, Breeze prepared for the fight ahead of him. He’d make sure that at least one shazarxa didn’t escape alive tonight. Finally, Flood would get what was coming to him…


July 20

Prompt: What’s the best way to improve, if not by getting feedback from others? We have such a great community of amazing writers here, so let’s use this opportunity to grow our own writing! Comment a piece of your own writing, an excerpt or short story no more than 800 words that you want critique on. Respond to someone else’s writing with at least 200 words of feedback for 400 points.

Response: (I'm critiquing part of a writing comp entry by @aquawrites at https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/616094/?page=1#post-6472031 )

The first thing I noticed while reading your writing was your enthusiasm about the topic, even before you stated that you had fun writing the piece. This enthusiasm is great because it is contagious, making the reader interested as well and holding their attention. However, with your knowledge of the topic, you seem to occasionally forget that the average person might not understand some of the niche vocabulary or the importance of some of the facts that you provided. Some things that may seem obvious to you may require more explanation for others, especially for those like me, who know very little about music at all. Otherwise, though, I thought it was well-written and very informative. I like that you made it entertaining by adding a few fun facts. (Hiding in a cupboard? That's a great piece of trivia xD) I didn't notice any spelling or grammar errors, except in the last paragraph where there is a pair of parentheses within a pair of parentheses. In formal writing, are typically used for a secondary inner set of parentheses. Overall, your writing is well-done, and I learned some new things from it. I hope you do well in the writing competition!


July 21

Prompt: Guess what day it is! It’s the 21st of July! Which is Be Someone Day, and in honor of this we have a roleplay day. You must talk in 3rd person in SWC throughout the day, whether that is adding words in your cabin, or just chatting with fellow SWC-ers! No points, but have fun

Response: (I keep my roleplay comments stored elsewhere; please ask if you wish to see them.)


July 22

Prompt: Oh my goodness, is it July 22nd already? Happy Mango Day! Commonly used in improvisation, the phrase “yes, and…” allows people to creatively build off each other, and encourages us to explore unique perspectives. Comment or reply with one or a couple sentences starring a story with a mango. While you don’t need to directly write “yes, and…” use this phrase to guide your replies! This isn’t worth any points, but have fun!

Response: He was riding a giant mango. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, since modern mangoes' only method of transportation was hopping, due to the fact that mangoes did not have legs.


July 23

Prompt: It's cabin wars!


July 24

Prompt: In life, our perception of the world comes from the five senses: seeing, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. Using these is what helps to bring our writing to life! Write a descriptive poem that incorporates at least four of the senses in a minimum of 100 words to earn 200 points.

Response: Blurred, hazy, liquid
Everything unclear
Down under the surface
Colors all a smear
The water swooshes past
Rushing in your ear
Muffled, smooth, and flowing
The hush is all you hear
Upon your lips, a briny tang
Like a salty tear
Harsh and bitter, close your mouth
It’s not welcome here
But before too long, you feel an ache
Must come up for air
Your lungs insist; your arms push
And the water disappears
Tastes and smells come flooding in
A raucous atmosphere
Rough and rancid and dissonant
The cacophony severe
So you duck back underwater
Trying to escape your fear
But something’s changed; the thoughts return
And you feel it draw near
The water is all gone now
No unchanging nebulous blear
To save you from the clarity
The passing of your final year


July 25

Prompt: Cabins are one of the most important parts of SWC - and thanks to the amazing leaders and co-leaders, all fifteen have unique themes reflecting the genre. In most cabins, you’ll see an introduction at the top of the studio description establishing this theme! Now, it’s your turn - come up with a theme for any SWC cabin (real or conceptual!) and write an intro for it. Your intro should be at least 100 words but fewer than 200 words for 400 points.

Response: (This is for Dystopian, or at least a cursed version of it~)

Wet, heavy thuds reverberate throughout the room as mangoes rain down upon the roof. You huddle silently, sharing tense glances with your companions, who just might be the last humans still uninfected by the mango apocalypse.
Humanity has brought this curse onto themselves. By opening a portal to the Mango Dimension, a storm of mangoes was set loose upon the planet, splattering mango onto everything in its path. Every living thing touched by a mango becomes obsessed with the fruit, a fate that has already befallen everyone else you know.
In the grips of this worldwide mango fever, you and your companions are Earth’s final hope. Shut off the portal. Banish the mangoes. Undo the curse. Restore normalcy.


July 26

Prompt: As seen throughout history, the passage of time can bring about huge changes - especially to an environment. Forests are destroyed, cities rise, buildings are torn down, wastelands develop; and these are just scratching the surface. In as much detail as possible, describe a setting and post it in the comments. Then choose someone else’s setting (multiple people can choose the same one!) and write at least 300 words describing what it’s become after 100 years or any long period of time. You’ll earn 500 points only if you complete both tasks, and 200 additional points if you share your second description.

Response: (My setting, claimed by @Rey_venclaw at https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/612345/?page=63#post-6485343 and also by @shes-a-lady at https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/562227/?page=4#post-6485486 )

A treehouse overlooks a small marsh. Once splendidly painted in shades of bright blues and greens, the paint has now peeled, and a layer of grime has settled over everything, a murky grayish-brown to match the bleak landscape. Though it seems as if it should have crumbled and fallen down long ago, the derelict treehouse remains perched in a leafless tree, its rotting beams clinging there as if by sheer will. No one has passed by this place in a long time. Its only visitor has been the lonely wind, shaking the reeds and rippling the sludgy water, making the forgotten treehouse moan with despair. It has forgotten what it once was. No memories remain of that bright paint, of who might have once climbed into its embrace. All it knows is waiting. Drawing out the days, months, years, until age finally disintegrates it, casting its particles to the wind. How much longer until there is nothing but dust?

(I claimed a setting by @-rosybliss-: “An under-the-sea coral reef, so bright and colourful. Fish of all colours and sorts are darting in and out of the reef, some hiding, some looking for food, and some peeking how to see what's happening. Seaweed sways back and forth, gently smashing into the reef, then moving again. The reef itself glows with a mishmash of colours, and it's one of the most amazing places you've ever seen.”)

Every one of us is fleeing from an inescapable opponent. Every second of our lives, we keep going, weary though we may be. We have no choice. The unavoidable truth is that it always catches up sooner or later, no matter how fast we try to swim away. For some, it comes in the form of a shark’s snapping jaws; for others, as a polluted patch of water. The lucky ones are those who swim and swim until they collapse, unable to flee another day. The reef is a maze, each of us swimming a different path through. On our journeys, sometimes we’re able to forget our constant chase for a while. We live, we find snatches of happiness, we never stop swimming until the day that time finally catches up to us. We are the fish of Rosy Reef.
The sea turtles say that thousands of years ago, there was no reef here. Their ancestors watched as the continents drifted and the seas rose and fell. They watched as our reef grew from a few patches of coral to the bustling metropolis it is today. They say that the fish of the past were never aware of their inexorably-approaching fate, living by instinct alone. They darted around the reef without a thought in their minds besides eating and avoiding predators. I sometimes wonder if those simple fish had it better. They were never weighed down by understanding, never adrift in melancholy contemplation of the inevitable. But then again, neither could they truly appreciate the beauty of this place, a beauty that only continues to grow. Our lives may be short, but they are not pointless. The rare and delicate moments between beginning and end make it all worthwhile.
We exist while we can, and time keeps marching on. Someday, even this reef will no longer be here. It will live and die along with the rest of us, changing, evolving, being replaced by something new. Swimming forward. Always forward. We all are.


July 27

Prompt: During the session, many campers have been doing word wars to earn points for their cabin. Now, those word wars are worth double! Instead of 100 points, you’ll earn 200 points if you win a word war today. Keep in mind that the one-win-per-day rule still applies during this daily. Head over here to start a war: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/700921014/


July 28

Prompt: We all love spending time convincing others of the best cabin in SWC, don’t we? Our own, of course. But today we’re putting a twist on the classic “My cabin is the best” and for the daily you must write 300 words of an argumentative piece about how one of your enemy or neutral cabins (not allies!) is the best cabin to earn 600 points.

Response: What makes a cabin the best? Is it its ranking? Its storyline? The enthusiasm of its campers? It can be really hard to judge. Truly, no single cabin can outdo the others in all respects, and so the idea of “best” mostly comes down to each of our individual perspectives. In my opinion, every cabin has something that makes it special, so let’s show some of that appreciation to Science Fiction today!
To start with, Sci-Fi is a great genre, and definitely one of my personal favorites. It can contain just as many fun fictional elements as Fantasy, but with a cool scientific and/or technological basis instead of a magical one. Because of this, it not only provides entertainment, but also often gives ideas, insights, or criticism about real-world scientific topics. It may be fiction, but it can help us expand our view of what is, and what could be, real.
Next, the Sci-Fi cabin seems to have a great storyline, at least from what I can read in the description of your main studio. It’s really intriguing and provides a clear call to adventure for those in the plot. I’d be interested to see how the rest of the storyline goes when it’s finished. The thumbnail for your main studio is also really neat; I love the art style!
Third, I think you’ve got a good Cabin Wars policy down. Being hostile neutrals with EVERYONE actually seems like the perfect strategy for being a powerful force during Cabin Wars. War everyone, and make them suffer. Allow everyone to war you, and frantically rack up TONS of words. For a cabin as bold, fierce, and diligent as yours, it’s perfect!
Finally, Sci-Fi has the honor of having some great campers and leaders. I don’t know any of you personally, but I recognize many of your usernames from scrolling through comments on the main cabin in both this session and the previous one. You all are doing great; you’re at 6th place as of right now! Can you keep going and beat Script for me? You’re really close! Take over the world; I don’t mind.
In conclusion, Sci-Fi is an awesome cabin that should be given loads of respect. The Sci-Fi campers can explore any corner of the universe and do anything they set their minds to, just like the fictional genre they are named for. With any luck, maybe I’ll be in that cabin next session!


July 29

Prompt: Today is national lasagna day in the US - a food that’s quite special to one of us on the daily team. Lasagna is a food with many layers. Today, we will be combining layers of a story. Each person will comment one vague beginning, conflict, setting, climax and ending of a story, and then mix and match from other peoples’ parts to create their own unique story of at least 400 words to earn 500 points. You must do both of these tasks to earn points. You can earn an extra 200 points if you provide proof. (Bonus: Give @Polarbear_17 some lasagna!! No points.)

Response: (Beginning: “What in the world is that thing on my roof?” || Conflict: “Um, guys, small problem- I'm being hunted by robots.” || Setting: “This is a nice forest. Except it looks like these trees are about to explode or someth- OH NO WAIT THEY ACTUALLY ARE EXPLODING, RUN” || Climax: “It's too late, there's no other option, I'm sorry. It was nice knowing you…” || Ending: “And at long last, it dissolved.”)

(I got a beginning from @Delta_doodles: “Your character commits arson ” I got a conflict from @Sandy-Dunes: “Character falls into a limbo world of oblivion, something like a dream.” I got a setting from @–kitti-kat–: “A new world full of mostly living mushrooms.” I got a climax from @MoonlitSeas: “a character steals another character’s cookies.” I got an ending from @-ChocoLoco-: “There’s spaghetti on their head.”)

Parsnip was setting things on fire. River was discovering new ways of making things catch fire. Chaos was eating the fire. An average day in the world known as Half-Canon, then.
Half-Canon was a special place, a place located in the stretch of imagination between Wild’s Shazarxaean world and real life. It was the place Wild went to talk to their characters, work on worldbuilding, or just goof around with stuff. The best part about Half-Canon was that everyone who went there was also half-real, half-fictional. It was a meeting point, the closest a character could come to real life, and the closest Wild could come to living in their own stories.
Wild hadn’t actually been to the in-between world in quite a while. They had been busy with irritating real-life stuff, leavng very little time to hang out with their characters or work on their stories at all. But today was special. It was Sysadmin Appreciation Day, the day on which Wild held a feast for the handful of characters that helped keep the in-between world of Half-Canon in order. Wild had been calling these characters their sysadmins for a while, at first jokingly, but they had adapted to the role, to the point where one of them, Eclipse, had literally created a network of computers and an internet system.
Wild closed their eyes and relaxed, allowing them to transport their consciousness into Half-Canon. They landed in Parsnip’s sector of the world. Each character had their own areas which developed along with their personalities and imaginations. Thinking hard enough about something could spawn that thing into the world. Parsnip’s sector was full of living mushrooms. Many of them were still on fire, but they didn’t seem to mind. They were probably used to it.
Before too long, River showed up, Parsnip and Chaos close behind. River was still carrying her torch. Soon after, Rain dropped in from the sky. Rain always had a knack for sensing the movement of the others within Half-Canon, so Wild sent them back out to round up all the remaining members.
Finally, the full assembly was there. Eclipse, Rain, Silence, River, Chaos, Parsnip, and Chervil. All of them watched Wild expectantly. Wild cleared their throat. “To all the sysadmins of Shazarxae,' they begin, scanning each of them in turn. ‘We’ve done well this past year! Plot holes have been fixed, updates have been rolled out to the Shazarxaean world. Special thanks to Chervil's ongoing vigilance in security, and Eclipse, for keeping Half-Canon up and running smoothly throughout the worldbuilding changes. Let's celebrate our successes! It’s lasagna time!”
A collective cheer went up as Wild focused on the image of a table loaded with lasagna and cookies. The imagined feast materialized before them. Parsnip was the first to react. He jumped into the air, did a perfect spin, then cannonballed into the mountain of food. River was the next to follow suit, gracefully shoving her face into a lasagna. One by one, everyone joined in. Even Chervil got some sauce on her shell. The group celebrated, talking and laughing.
Suddenly, Parsnip swiped a cookie out from under Chaos’s nose. She growled, leaping and tumbling into him, sending lasagna flying. Parsnip snickered, flicking food bits back at her. Rain, their face deadpan, used their tail to flip a giant cookie into both of their faces. River and Eclipse glanced at each other, simultaneously coming to the same conclusion. With the will of their imagination, they summoned more food into existence. They began flinging it at each other. Wild gave up and joined in.
By the time they were all worn out, there was a massive mess everywhere. Even the living mushrooms had kicked some food around. Wild knew it was time for them to go. They said farewell to their friends, and left happily, with spaghetti on their head.




MAIN CABIN WEEKLIES


WEEKLY 1

PART 1: Character Consistency

Character: Bristlefrost, from Warriors (specifically The Broken Code: A Light in the Mist)
Series continuing or ended?: continuing

Pronouns: she/her
Sexuality: straight
Species: cat

Strengths: brave, loyal, determined, selfless, optimistic, empathetic, cares deeply about her friends and family, open-minded, gentle, skilled fighter
Weaknesses: puts herself at risk to save others, indecisive when torn between loyalties, can be overly optimistic, sometimes lets her emotions control her actions, doesn’t always think things through

General view on life: hopeful

Tends to: Put her own safety at risk to help others.
Change: Worsening.

Tends to: Doubt her ability to make the correct choices when faced with a difficult decision.
Change: Improving.

Tends to: Allow her emotions to get the better of her.
Change: No change.

Tends to: Not think things through.
Change: Improving slowly.

Situation: A friend is in danger.
Emotions: Fear for the friend, protectiveness, anger, urge to fight
Awareness of others: Small amount, little to none for herself
Next step: Rushing into battle to save the friend without considering her own safety, and if the danger isn’t something she can fight directly, not stopping until she finds another way to fix it
Outcome: Often gets hurt but usually makes it out alright due to her skill at fighting, ignores the pain from her injuries until she can make sure the friend is okay

Situation: She is faced with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.
Emotions: Determination, refusal to give up, courageousness, hopefulness
Awareness of others: Fairly high
Next step: Not allowing others to despair, assessing the situation thoroughly so long as there’s no immediate danger, talking the problem over with others, persisting until a solution is found
Outcome: Usually able to overcome the obstacle eventually with the help of others, doesn’t typically come up with a creative approach herself, but keeps everyone from getting discouraged

Situation: Enemies corner her.
Emotions: Fear, readiness to fight, alertness
Awareness of others: High
Next step: Preparing for an attack, examining her enemies for weakness, looking for a way to escape, making sure any allies trapped alongside her are as protected as possible
Outcome: Able to adapt quickly to the unpredictable situation, she will fight off her enemies or try to reason with them, though she may get injured in the process

Scenario 1: “Your character is the leader of a rebellion and the opposing force has them surrounded.”

With a final tug, Bristlefrost managed to pull back the thorny vine just enough for Needletail to pull herself through. Her three newfound Dark Forest allies looked at the StarClan cat curiously, and Bristlefrost wondered how long it had been since they had seen a StarClan cat. Needletail almost looked more like a fish than a cat due to the starlight making her pelt shine like silver scales.
Needletail shook out her fur, staring back at the Dark Forest cats with confusion. “They’re on our side, don’t worry,” Bristlefrost told Needletail.
Needletail looked skeptical, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she asked, “Where’s Rootspring? Leafpool said she talked to you earlier, and she said he was with you.”
Bristlefrost felt a twinge of worry at the reminder that Rootspring hadn’t returned yet. “I’m not sure, we split up to escape Ashfur’s patrol. We’re supposed to meet up back here…”
“He’s a strong cat. I’m certain he’s alright,” Needletail replied.
“Of course,” agreed Bristlefrost. She hoped the gray she-cat was correct.
“So what’s the situation right now? StarClan hasn’t been able to hear anything in a long time, not since Ashfur blocked us off. What’s our next action?”
Bristlefrost felt a little uncomfortable at the fact that a StarClan cat was looking to her for orders. She was no leader; she didn’t know how to direct her allies in battle. Snowtuft may have already died trying to protect them. She immediately tried to block that thought out. The Clans needed her. Needletail was watching her expectantly, so she did her best to summarize the circumstances they were in. “Shadowsight, Rootspring, and I narrowly escaped from Ashfur and his cats a little while ago. Some of the trapped StarClan cats managed to escape while Snowtuft created a distraction. Shadowsight knew the way to this tunnel, which is when we talked with Leafpool, but Ashfur’s cats were still on our trail. The StarClan cats left so that they wouldn’t get controlled by Ashfur again. Shadowsight went to look for the Moonpool so that he could bring back reinforcements from the Clans. Rootspring and I ran in opposite directions to lead away Ashfur’s cats. I came across these Dark Forest cats and persuaded them to help-”
Maggottail interrupted, lifting his head. “We DECIDED to help you.”
“-because the Dark Forest is shrinking, just like StarClan. If we’re to save both territories, we need to defeat Ashfur and restore the connection that Ashfur blocked,” Bristlefrost continued, nodding at the thorny passage that Needletail had barely managed to squeeze through.
Needletail was about to respond when a sound made all five cats pause. “I think Ashfur’s found us,” Sparrowfeather whispered, her tail bushing in fear.
Bristlefrost scanned the leafless trees of the Dark Forest. There was a thick haze over everything, making it impossible to see anything. She sniffed the air, but the moldy stench of the place only made her nose tingle, and she quickly clamped a paw over her face to muffle her cough.
Pawsteps approached from all directions. There was nowhere to run. A patrol of Ashfur’s mind-controlled spirit cats and Dark Forest allies had them surrounded.
“It’s okay, there seem to only be a few cats, not his whole army this time,” Bristlefrost assured the others, who were huddling together, casting nervous looks at the trees around them. Let’s hope there aren’t more cats waiting nearby, she thought to herself. “We can fight them off long enough to make an escape.”
However, when the first cat stepped out from the murky mists, Bristlefrost was left speechless. “B-bramblestar?!”

PART 2: Character Voice

(Note: I changed Bramblestar’s personality a bit from canon. This fanfiction is an AU where he’s not portrayed as such a good person.)

Bramblestar’s Character Voice: Bramblestar likes to be in control. He is a strong leader who isn’t easily intimidated, so he will readily argue over anything. While he often appears calm, he has a short temper and is quick to react aggressively when he doesn’t get his way. He prefers verbal aggression to physical aggression, but he isn’t afraid to fight if it benefits him. He speaks volumes with his other actions as well, often acting distant or giving the silent treatment to cats he is close to after having an argument with them. He’s a bit narcissistic, and doesn’t like to admit when he’s made a mistake, preferring to act as if he had been in the right all along, even if he knows he was wrong. He is also ambitious and determined, not willing to give up until he possesses the thing he desires. Though he is aware of others’ emotions, motivations, and skills, he would rather use this information to know his competition rather than form bonds.

Ashfur’s Character Voice: Ashfur is a very jealous cat, who doesn’t take it well when someone does something that he feels betrayed by. He has an arrogant demeanor which covers an extremely sensitive interior. On some level, he’s aware that he’s a loser, but he is in ferocious denial about this. As a result, he does reckless and crazy things to attempt to prove himself. When this fails, he is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions, hurting others and himself. Despite his unpredictability, he can sometimes be very efficient, due to his out-of-the-box creativity. Lately, he has become very cold and bitter, to the point where he cares less about revenge on the thing that made him bitter and instead is raging for the sake of it, even if he won’t admit that to himself.

Scene from Bramblestar’s Perspective: It was the worst time of my life, or, death, rather. I was furious. And powerless, which just made it worse. I wanted to yell at the whole world for having done that to me! That sly spirit, Ashfur, had charmed his way into some gullible young cat’s head, persuading him to try the most idiotic plan ever, which ended up costing me one of my nine lives. But no, he didn’t stop there. He stole my body and wore my pelt as if it was a turtle’s shell! When I woke up as a ghost, the first thing I remember was confusion. It wasn’t at all how losing a life was supposed to go! I tried my hardest to get their attention, stamping my paws, shaking the trees, even running right into them, but I couldn’t even make a dent in the snow. It was terrifying, and I am not a cat who gets scared easily. Imagine how I felt when I turned around to find my body standing up of its own accord, and my Clanmates clustering around, exclaiming happily how glad they were to have me back. No! That wasn’t me! But they were oblivious to my cries, not even questioning for a heartbeat that that imposter was leader of ThunderClan. A layer of determination settled over me, as cold as the snow which I could no longer feel. I resolved that I would take him down, no matter what I had to do. I was the REAL leader of ThunderClan, and I would find a way to reclaim my life. Ashfur. That traitor. He always was my rival, even back when we were Clanmates sharing the same den. He was moony-eyed over Squirrelflight, a feisty ginger she-cat. But Squirrelflight was mine! Even after she had become my mate, he pursued her, only to be turned down over and over. I protected her every time. Soon, his jealousy turned to rage, and he attempted to take it out on Squirrelflight by letting her sister’s kits, the ones we raised, burn to death. But they survived, and I was so angry at Ashfur that it barely even mattered that Squirrelflight had lied about the kits being hers instead of Leafpool’s. I suppose Ashfur still hasn’t given up, and this was his second try. I have a grudging respect for his tenacity, but that didn’t mean I was going to let him get away with it. My Clanmates eventually became aware of the imposter’s deceit and recognized his true identity, but not before he made a mess of all the Clans. And then he trapped my spirit in the Dark Forest! It is where I still wait, stuck in this miserable place. But I will get out. A patrol will come for me. I will stop Ashfur.

Scene from Ashfur’s Perspective: Okay, so maybe things haven’t gone exactly as well as I’d hoped. I’m stuck in the Dark Forest, having been discovered by the living cats. But this is all far from over. I have an army of cats, all of them under my control. The Dark Forest is mine! Still, that’s not what I’m after. I have to make them pay for their treachery. They ignored my suffering for so long, but I will relish theirs! The living cats are foolish to think they can stop me! I defeated them when they attempted to rescue Bramblestar’s spirit, and I will defeat them for as long as they keep coming. In the meantime, Bramblestar is mine now, too. I can control him, make him another warrior in my army. It’s so satisfying to finally be on the higher branch, isn’t it? Yet, it’s almost more satisfying to see him panic, run like a mouse from my hold. He tries to argue with me, but I only laugh. I once thought my quarrel was with him, but no, he was only a competitor in the fight to get the one thing that ever truly held power over me- Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight turned her back on me, trampled my love into the dirt. I would have died for her, done anything she asked. And she still chose that proud fluffbrain, Bramblestar, over me! It wasn’t Bramblestar’s fault that he loved her; I couldn’t help it either. I’m surprised she hasn’t turned on him yet. I’ve seen the way he treats her, as if he owns her. I would have done so much better! She could still turn around, come back to me now, and I might forgive her. But I can no longer spend my days dragged down by love. I have revenge to obtain.

PART 3: Fanfic Tropes

(The tropes I am using are the fix-it fic, the role-swap, and the enemies-to-lovers trope. Note: If you’re trying to read these parts in chronological order, Bramblestar’s POV happens first, then Ashfur’s POV picks up where that one ends. The Bristlefrost section in Part 1 happens after that, and this part happens a while later, skipping over several events.)

Shadowsight crouched in fear as the mind-controlled Bramblestar peered up into the tree he was clinging to desperately. Around the tree, a battle raged, a roaring sea of claws and teeth. The dark red glow of Dark Forst pelts brushed the star-flecked fur of StarClan. There were living cats too, the patrol Shadowsight had brought back as reinforcements. He didn’t dare look down, but he could hear the yowls of his friends, allies, and enemies alike. The sound was deafening, and Shadowsight flattened his ears against his head, straining to pull himself upward, beyond the reach of the zombie-like Bramblestar.
Bramblestar’s claws tore into the bark of the tree as he prepared to climb it. /Why me?/ Shadowsight shrieked in his head. Ashfur could be controlling far more of these spirit cats if he concentrated, but he was focusing on him? /What could possibly be special about me?/
Whatever it was, Ashfur was determined to get it. Bramblestar made a massive leap and flew into the tree. This was it. Shadowsight squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for the final blow, ready for it all to go dark.
But it never came. Instead, the mind-controlled Bramblestar picked him up by his scruff, in a motion so gentle it could have been a mother cat picking up her kitten. For a moment, Shadowsight’s confusion blotted out his terror. /Where am I being taken?/
When his sensibility returned, he struggled, lashing out his legs and trying to claw free of the large, muscly cat’s grip. However, it was like trying to push a mountain. Eventually, Shadowsight gave up. Where would he go if he got free, anyway? There was nothing here but fighting cats, dark water, and the scent of evil. He couldn’t outrun Ashfur’s minions, and he was a medicine cat, not a warrior, so fighting wasn’t an option. /Maybe Ashfur just wants to kill me himself,/ Shadowsight thought. /After everything I’ve done, perhaps it’s for the best. I’ve only been a liability so far…/
Bramblestar pushed through some thorny undergrowth, skillfully avoiding the dark water. Shadowsight knew how dangerous that water was. One touch could sap your strength and drown you in hopelessness before the liquid even closed over your head. Finally, the mind-controlled Bramblestar set him down on a mossy mound. The spot was secluded, and elevated high above the water. Shadowsight could still hear the screeches of battle in the distance though, and he thought of his friends. Rootspring, Bristlefrost, Spiresight. /I may never see them again,/ he despaired.
Bramblestar sat behind him like a bodyguard as Ashfur emerged from the forest. “Ah, good, you’re here,” Ashfur purred villainously, settling down directly in front of Shadowsight. “So nice to see you again.”
“What do you want?” Shadowsight fought back rising panic. He was uncomfortably aware that the possessed Bramblestar was right behind him. Ashfur had him cornered.
“To tell you that I’ve changed my mind. You know me better than anyone, Shadowsight. We’re connected, you and I.”
“If you’re trying to get me to join you, it won’t work.” Shadowsight bared his teeth, trying to appear braver than he felt.
Ashfur only twitched his whiskers in amusement. “I know that. And that’s not the only thing I’ve realized lately. Turns out having this floofbrain around is good for something after all.” He flicked Bramblestar with the tip of his tail. Bramblestar’s eyes suddenly cleared and he shook his head in confusion, then looked around as if noticing his surroundings for the first time.
Bramblestar, released from Ashfur’s control, stood up shakily, like a kit learning to walk. Shadowsight looked over his shoulder and locked eyes with him. /Please. Do something, Bramblestar,/ Shadowsight pleaded silently. But the ThunderClan’s leader’s eyes were cold when they landed upon him, and Shadowsight flinched back. Ashfur watched with a malicious pleasure before speaking again. “You see, in the time Bramblestar and I have spent together, we have come to an agreement. Haven’t we, Bramblestar?”
Shadowsight saw Bramblestar narrow his eyes at Ashfur, clearly not enjoying the arrangement. But to Shadowsight’s rising horror, Bramblestar reluctantly padded over to sit beside Ashfur. Whatever hope Shadowsight had left vanished when Bramblestar opened his jaws.
“I’ve made a deal,” he meowed. “Ashfur will give me my body back and call off the attack, even push back the dark water consuming everything… if you and Squirrelflight remain trapped in the Dark Forest.”
Shadowsight was stunned. “And you believed his lies? Ashfur doesn't care about promises,” he spat.
“Oh, but I don’t care about the living Clans anymore,” Ashfur replied. “I’ve made them suffer, and all this fighting no longer holds much enjoyment for me. I could destroy them, but what’s the point of that? No, there are only a few cats who still hold my interest. I don’t care for power anymore, Shadowsight. I don’t need it. I just need you.”
Shadowsight began backing away. “No. No. You’ll never be able to keep Squirrelflight here. She cared about you once. But not now. She could never have loved you. Your so-called love is rotten!”
A spark of regret seemed to cross Ashfur’s face. “So Bramblestar has told me, over and over. At last, I understand. Bramblestar has convinced me that it is finally time to move on.”
Ashfur wrapped his tail around Bramblestar. Bramblestar stiffened, but then relaxed. Was that… sympathy in his eyes? Shadowsight didn’t know what to think anymore. It seemed that maybe Squirrelflight shouldn’t have chosen Bramblestar either, if he was so willing to give in to Ashfur. /Does Bramblestar really think that sacrificing Squirrelflight and I to the Dark Forest is really the right thing to do? Is he doing it to bring peace? Or only for himself? Or… could it be that he’s starting to LIKE Ashfur?/

PART 4: SWC Fanfic

The date was June 30. The comment section had already been open for days, and the campers had flooded in. The studio was amazed. So many people, so quickly! When it had first been created, it didn’t know much about what it was destined for. Through its connection to the Scratch servers, it had learned that many studios on Scratch got abandoned pretty quickly, or filled with unrelated projects. Some even got raided! If a website could shudder, the studio would have been shaking at that thought. However, the studio waited patiently as Birdi had sculpted its description, titling it “SWC Main Cabin • July 2022.”
/That sounds like a serious title,/ thought the studio, reading its description. /A writing camp? Fascinating! My managers seem to be very organized. I think- I think I’m going to be a success!/
Being a website, the SWC Main Cabin could not breathe a sigh of relief. Still, the feeling was there. Even though the comment section remained closed for many days, the studio was confident that great things were coming. Its description promised this writing camp would start on the first day of July.
While it was waiting, the SWC Main Cabin searched through Scratch’s thousands of other studios until it found other SWC Main Cabins from previous times, now resting softly within old archives. Oh, the stories those old studios told! Though the curators had mostly left and comments came rarely, if at all, the Main Cabins said they had the grandest time, and had been left with enough comments for an eternity. Writers had gathered there once, words flowing freely, leaping from keyboards and crafting the finest of tales. There was competition too, but it was friendly, each user doing their part to help and motivate others, rallying their team for the pure joy of storytelling.
Upon hearing this wondrous news, the SWC Main Cabin could hardly believe it would soon experience this same level of gloriousness. /I must be the luckiest studio ever created!/
Several days before July 1, the campers were thrilled to discover the studio’s comments open. Their excitement almost matched the studio’s own. So much activity! So much life! The camp had not even begun, and already some remarkable dialogues were being held on comment threads, from fandom discussions to debates over which cabin would be the best. Each day until July brought an increasing feeling of suspense, as everyone prepared to kick off the new session of Scratch Writing Camp.
Slowly, slowly, the clock ticked toward 12:00 am in UTC time. And then, in a shower of mangoes, the session began! The studio shone with ecstasy. This was its purpose. This was the reason for its existence. Scratch Writing Camp was its life, and its life was Scratch Writing Camp. Could a studio ever hope for more?


WEEKLY 2

PART 1: Main Informational Article

Popular Scratcher @moss-shadow Unbanned At Last!
For fans of the #30 most-followed content creator on Scratch, this is a day for celebration! After his controversial banning almost two years ago, @moss-shadow, who goes by “Mossy,” has been allowed back into his account by the Scratch Team, despite the ban supposedly being called permanent at the time it was given. While the cause for Scratch Team’s change of heart remains unknown, this Scratcher has certainly received a hearty welcome back from the community.
For those unaware of the legend of Mossy, here’s the summary: He is a coder and artist whose ideas are heavily inspired by the popular book series Warriors, by Erin Hunter, which centers around the stories of colonies, or “Clans,” of intelligent cats who live in the wild. His West Woods series is a Warriors fanfiction which is followed by many, and he has created several games that are set in the universe of West Woods. Some of Mossy’s most popular games to date are “West Woods Multiplayer” and “Warrior Cats: Kit to Leader,” among many others.
According to our top reporter, Wanda Melon, the Scratch community’s response on Mossy’s profile has been almost purely positive. “We’re overjoyed to have him back!,” says @TurtleWorshiper, one of the first to notice that Mossy had returned. “It was so unexpected, but certainly a welcome surprise, for me and hundreds of others. I had given up hope of ever seeing Mossy on Scratch again. Today is truly a miracle!”
Another Scratcher, @Xenacanex, offers her thoughts on the impact Mossy’s return will have. “Mossy was an inspiration to lots of people before his ban, and now that he’s back, he will continue inspiring. Some of Mossy’s projects are already on the front pages of Scratch.”
When asked if Mossy’s comeback may have a downside, @Xenacanex continued, “Oh, I’m sure. Art theft, and Mossy’s reaction to it, was what got him banned in the first place. Art thieves have not disappeared since then. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of the same problems arise again. I just hope everyone, on all sides of the argument, has learned to approach the issue more calmly this time.”
So far, Mossy has shared several projects that he had been working on during his time off Scratch. As mentioned earlier, these projects hit the front pages almost immediately, signaling that Mossy’s Scratcher career was far from forgotten during the duration of his ban. What does Mossy have in store next? The Scratch community can’t wait to find out!

James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Stunning New Sights
The long-awaited James Space Telescope has sent back its first images, and the results are astounding. The images, released by NASA, present never-before-seen views into the cosmos. People all over the world are thrilled, believing this to be the beginning of a new era in astronomy.
The images, including the deepest infrared picture of the universe that has ever been taken, show features that have never been able to be observed before. “Mind-blowing,” several reviews state. The JWST is a powerful key that will allow the human race to finally unlock many of the mysteries of space.
The telescope captures both full-color images and spectrographic data, contributing to our understanding of distant worlds. With the ultra-powerful telescope’s help, we will gain insight into how stars are formed, what elements are common in other planetary atmospheres, how colliding galaxies interact, how the universe was formed, and so much more.
Already, the JWST has discovered the presence of water vapor in the exoplanet WASP-96b. It will set its sights on hundreds of other planetary systems in the upcoming months and years, increasing our knowledge about exoplanets and the place we have among the countless other star systems that fill the night sky. From a star’s birth to its death, scientists hope to understand the process on a detailed level due to the telescope’s extraordinary abilities.
After decades of work and many delays, the James Webb Space Telescope was finally launched in December of 2021. Since then, it has been travelling to its destination in space, and then undergoing months of careful calibration to make sure its equipment was aligned perfectly. Finally, the results of that labor are paying off, and this is just the beginning. The James Webb Space Telescope will amaze us with the beauty of the universe for a long time to come.
“This is a singular and historic moment,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “It took decades of drive and perseverance to get us here, and I am immensely proud of the Webb team. These first images show us how much we can accomplish when we come together behind a shared goal, to solve the cosmic mysteries that connect us all. It’s a stunning glimpse of the insights yet to come.”


WEEKLY 3

PART 1: High Fantasy and Worldbuilding

Brainstorm:
mostly mountainous setting
mountain range formed by tectonic plate movement long ago
ocean to the west, with a few small islands off the coast
thickly-forested mountains to the north
river flowing from the east leads from the mountains out to the ocean
river has carved a canyon
grasslands to the far south, with a branch of the river leading to a lake
a mountain lake at high elevation not too far from canyon
cold, snowy winters and warm, rainy summers
mostly deciduous trees in the southern portion of the mountain range, giving way to mostly evergreens in the northern portions
no human civilizations, this territory is populated by several colonies of animal species that work loosely together
the main species are the wolves, the lynxes, the turtles, the fish, and the butterflies
used to be birds, but they disappeared mysteriously
used to be frogs, but they went extinct
a new species called shazarxi have recently appeared, seemingly out of nowhere
the species all speak different languages, so they are united by the turtles, who can understand all
it is the job of the turtles to maintain balance within the ecosystem
due to turtles’ memories and long lifespans, they act as historical records
turtle culture is mainly intellectual, with plenty of philosophy, but little physical art or music
wolf society is split into several Packs, each known for their own thing
the Briny Pack is known for their tactical brilliance, yet rowdy and boisterous demeanor
the Sliver Pack is known for being an odd bunch, with a genetic curse
the Sliver Pack has cut off communication from other species ever since the frogs’ extinction due to their “curse”
wolf packs are led by an alpha and their second-in-command, the second becomes alpha when the former alpha steps down or dies if no other wolf wants to challenge the second for the position
wolves can challenge for leadership at any time, but typically, a natural leader will assume the position without a struggle
wolf packs constantly migrate and don’t normally mingle with other packs, though encounters with other packs are normally friendly
wolves are hunters, with a passion for storytelling and music, but no writing or art
lynxes are close with the turtles, but remain separate from other species, except occasionally the wolves
not as much is known about the lynxes as they are secretive
lynxes are warriors with a strong sense of honor
the fish are a very laid-back group, they kind of do their own thing
both saltwater and freshwater fish species are included here, so they go just about anywhere there’s water
they act as messengers for the turtles sometimes, but otherwise stay out of everyone’s way
butterflies aren’t paid much attention by anyone else
the butterflies have minor healing powers
they interact with the turtles, but no one else can understand them
butterflies lead short, simple lives and don’t ever accomplish anything of consequence
the shazarxi have origins that are unknown even to them, they just appeared one day
the other species aren’t sure how to react to them, and that leads to a variety of results

Connections: The land has existed since long before even the turtles remember. The tectonic plates keep moving, gradually, yes, oh so slowly, but moving all the same, pushing mountains up to the sky. Snow freezes on the peaks in winter, waiting for the spring thaw to come down, rushing, coursing downhill in the swift rapids of the mighty rivers. Grain by grain, the water wears away the rock, carving canyons into the mountainsides. Seasons come and go, mountains rise and fall, rivers carry on their journeys to the vast ocean. It is this world that the turtles are sworn to protect. Maintain the balance of change. Of course, they aren’t alone. The mountains are full of life. Lynxes prowl the moonlit northern forest. Wolves make their home wherever their paws carry them. Butterflies flit through the meadows. Fish swim the rivers and ocean. Life everywhere thrives in abundance. The turtles are the only ones who still sometimes feel the quietness. There is no chirping from the treetops, nor croaking from the marsh. It is a reminder that nothing is forever. It ebbs and flows, comes and goes, always finding a way. But then something new arrived, from the top of a mountain. There was no warning, no explanation. They just called themself a shazarxa.

Narrative: Haven liked to slip away to this spot. It was odd for a wolf to feel attached to a specific location, but then again, they weren’t exactly the average wolf. They liked how peaceful it was; no one else knew about it. A perfect retreat, a place where they could go to think. It was downstream from one of their trees, right at the spot where two rivers merged. Jutting up from the water was a cascade of stones, worn smooth by time and the ever-moving liquid. The air was misty with spray this autumn morning, and Haven felt as though they were drifting in a dream. As the sun rose above the horizon, each drop caught the light, a thousand miniature sunrises. It was a glorious sight to behold.
Beyond the rivers, Haven could see the ocean in the distance to the west, a gaping expanse of empty blue. They had been down to the coast several times, of course. They loved the tides, the cliffs, the beaches. How many days had they spent, in all varieties of forms, exploring that rocky coast? And the island. Oh, they remembered the island most of all. Haven squinted, but couldn’t detect the island from so far away. It was likely hidden by the curve of the planet, tucked safely away beneath the far-off horizon.
Instead, Haven closed their eyes and basked in the rays of warmth that fell across their pelt. With the smell of pine trees wafting through the crisp air, everything was a reminder that winter was almost upon the forest yet again, ready to grip the mountain peaks in its icy fingers. Every ounce of warmth would soon seem precious. Haven was thankful for the thick fur coat that they currently wore.
The other packs in the area had long since migrated south, chasing the warmer temperatures provided by the shelter of the mountains. Not them. They belonged to no pack but their own, and yet everyone knew their name. Haven was a little bit of everything, a fact that constantly confused the turtles and wolves alike. They weren’t even always Haven. Sometimes they went by Shatter, or Wild, or Bristlecone. Names didn’t matter much, just a small detail in a world so full of wonder. Neither did it matter what form they took to admire it in. When you’ve been around as long as they have, you’d realize how little anything you did mattered, overall. The mountains would still rise. The rivers would still flow.
At least, Haven hoped they would. If they were not there to see, how would they ever know?

PART 2: Magical Realism

“What kind of magic is used in your world?”
There are actually several kinds of magic existing simultaneously, each having a different basis. The turtles have developed telepathy so that, even though they can’t talk with words, they can communicate with each other, brain to brain. Lynxes infected with an odd bacteria are capable of levitating themselves and sometimes nearby objects. Butterflies have healing powers, as a result of the way their bodies process the nectar they drink. Fish can sense things around them without having to look because they can feel electrical currents. Birds can see into the past and future, and may even be able to slightly manipulate time with the right materials; however, not much is remembered about the specifics of their powers due to the birds’ sudden disappearance a long time ago. Frogs had a genetic trait of being able to transform themselves and occasionally others into other animal species, but they went extinct, though not right before passing the trait onto the wolves. The wolves with the trait can now morph, but with some side effects. The shazarxi can grow special trees whose leaves can allow spirits to interact with the physical world. Eating a leaf allows a shazarxa to see ghosts for a period of time.

“How is the magic in the world used in the characters’ everyday lives? What are the different abilities?”
Turtles “speak” to each other in pictures and can do the same for other animal species, making them natural “translators” because they can understand any species, regardless of their native language. Other species seek them out for their translating abilities and their wisdom. Lynxes mostly use their levitation/mild telekinesis powers for hunting and fighting. They’re not the type to think out-of-the-box with their powers. Butterflies are placed on sick or wounded individuals because of their healing abilities. They don’t really have the initiative to do this themselves, so other animals have to capture them to use their powers. The fish use their special sensing to detect predators, prey, interact smoothly with other fish, and recognize danger. Other species don’t seek out this power, but the fish are often used as messengers due to their reliability, wide reach, and speed. The birds, before they disappeared, gave their services as fortune-tellers. No one knows where they went, but some turtles have speculated that they discovered there was more to their time-related power and time-travelled away. Wolves with the genetic trait that allows them to morph can transform into other species, which is a very multipurpose trait. However, they must be sure not to do it too much; it is said that those who use it too much go crazy. After the discovery of the Ziptorix Tree’s special leaves, the shazarxi invented a way to essentially bring spirits back from the dead, and since then, living ghosts have become a normal part of their lifestyle. This ability is something that other species are beginning to take an interest in.

“What is the origin of your magic?”
The “magic” is pretty well ingrained into the “science” of my world, which follows some slightly different rules than real life. The turtles evolved to have telepathic communication via natural selection. Lynxes’ levitation comes from a type of bacteria that reproduces slowly enough that it doesn’t harm its host. Instead, it emits a special type of energy that animal cells are able to harness and use to interact with nearby objects without having to make direct contact. It’s almost a mistake that this works. Butterflies drink nectar from flowers, and in the butterflies’ digestive process, the nectar is broken down into chemicals that happen to be beneficial to healing. The fishes’ power is actually a real thing that sharks can do in real life; look it up! The birds have a mysterious power, but the old stories seem to point to the fact that they need special materials or some sort of device in order to manipulate time. The ability to alter your own DNA is a genetic trait that once developed in frogs, but was transferred to wolves by a frog who could alter the DNA of others to give them the trait. The source of the shazarxi’s power comes from the leaves of the Ziptorix Trees, of which there are few, but more than the single tree there was once thought to be. The origins of the trees are unknown; the turtles have no records of them.

“How common is magic, and are all characters aware they possess it?”
Turtles are the only beings capable of having telepathic powers in my world, but all turtles have that magic, even different species of turtles, including sea turtles and tortoises. Turtles are born instinctively knowing how to use their telepathy; however, just like humans learning to talk, they may not be great at communicating through their power right away. The only animals with levitation powers are animals that have been infected with the special bacteria. It isn’t known where the bacteria came from originally, but for a long time, only lynxes had it. Recently, a lynx accidentally passed the infection to a shazarxa, who in turn, infected several other shazarxi, but only a small group. The bacteria has to be spread through blood contact, so lynxes pass it to their offspring through a special ceremony in which a lynx kit that has come of age receives a “scratch of honor.” Since the original source of the bacteria was never discovered, the only way to gain the powers is either through this ceremony or by accident, like with the shazarxi. The magic is common among lynxes, who believe it is a good thing for everyone to have the powers, but rare outside of their species, despite the fact that any animal with blood can technically get it. Butterflies in this ecosystem all drink the same nectar, so they all have the healing ability. They are dimly aware that they possess this ability, but with their short lifespans, perhaps they don’t care too much about using it within their own species. Not all fish have the electrical sensing ability, only the species that evolved to have it. All fish characters are born instinctively knowing how to use it if they possess it. It is unknown how common powers were among the birds, or whether they had to discover that the power manifested within them. Judging from the fact that all of them disappeared, it is likely that they all had at least some sort of relationship to the power. Magic among the wolves is not as common, and is not found in any other species, now that the last of the frogs are extinct. The majority of wolves do not have the ability to transform, only the descendants of the first wolf whose DNA was changed to have the trait. These descendants are all in the Sliver Pack. However, being the offspring of a wolf with the power does not guarantee that you’ll have it; it’s a recessive trait. Wolves do not know whether they have it or not until they reach a certain age when the power matures enough to work. The Ziptorix Trees are rare, so leaves are hard to come by sometimes. Characters do not “possess” the magic within themselves; they need to own a leaf of the tree for that.

“How can you ensure the magic in your story is realistic, and is written as a normalized part of your world?”
While I do provide explanations and reasons for how the magic happens in my world (going against the workshop’s advice for magical realism), this is just background information. This extra lore is not actually mentioned much by my characters in canon because everyone knows it is just a normal part of their world, just like humans don’t go around explaining gravity constantly. My characters treat it as just another subject, or just another character trait. The shazarxi argue about the limits of their powers just as they’d argue over political opinions. Chaos is a wolf who is capable of running fast, making quick decisions, morphing into other species, coming up with brilliant plans, and thinking outside of the box. The powers aren’t treated as anything unusual unless they are unusual by in-universe standards. No one gives a second thought about a turtle being able to read minds because that is perfectly realistic and normal in my world. In fact, my characters would be a lot more concerned if a turtle DIDN’T have the power, because that is something ABNORMAL.

“What are the limitations of your world’s magic?”
All turtles are capable of sending thoughts to others and receiving messages that are thought at them, but there are variations in the strength of this ability. Some turtles can not only receive messages that are thought at them, but can also read the sender’s personal thoughts. Some turtles can “eavesdrop” on thoughts that are thought at someone else. In very rare cases, some turtles can get into someone’s head so deeply that they can make their own thoughts become the someone’s thoughts, essentially taking over the other person’s brain temporarily. The infection that causes the lynxes’ powers is not normally deadly, nor is there any limit to how often they can use their ability. However, if they’re not careful, they CAN pass on the infection to any other animal with blood, which sometimes transfers the power as well. The butterflies’ healing abilities are pretty weak, so they can’t do a whole lot with them. Other species know that butterflies’ powers really only work for minor things or in conjunction with other medicines. The fishes’ electrical sense varies in strength between fish, just like other senses. Other than that, there aren’t a lot of limitations. The wolves’ morphing powers have the most limitations. It is easier for some than others, for unclear reasons. Only the strongest can morph others. Also, the wolves, unlike the frogs, don’t have the other traits necessary to stay alive while morphing, so they have to use a substance that negatively impacts their health. The symptoms start out mild, with headaches and muscle pain. However, if the wolf continues using their power too much, it can lead to brain damage, which often leads them to go crazy. As for the shazarxi, their power’s biggest limit is that Ziptorix Tree leaves are fairly rare. Eating a leaf will only give a shazarxa the ability to see ghosts for about a day. When a spirit is brought back to the physical world using an invention involving a leaf, they no longer have ghost powers, though they still look like ghosts. It is unclear as of yet whether there are any long-term effects upon the spirits that wear the leaves.

“How is magic viewed in your world (ie. as a boring normal, as a fascinating element of their life, or as a curse on society etc.)?”
Each society views their magic, and others’ magic, differently. The turtles don’t consider any of it “magic;” it is simply part of nature. However, they do worry about the instability caused as a result of sudden changes in magic, such as when the wolves gained transformation powers, or when the shazarxi developed contact with the afterlife. The lynxes are proud of their abilities, as it makes them more skilled at hunting and fighting than any other species. They put a lot of effort into learning how to use their ability. They have accepted all other species’ powers as a normal thing. The butterflies are aware of why others want them for their healing powers but don’t take an interest in purposefully using them. They realize that they are a resource and don’t mind all that much. The fish use their powers for their own survival and don’t care what anyone else does. They do have great admiration for the turtles’ ability to communicate with other species, though. The birds are remembered for being fascinated by their powers, always eager to explore what else they could do. The rest of the details have been lost to time. Most wolves consider the genetically-inherited trait to be a curse, except for a select few, who have learned how to use it to their own advantage. The wolves tend to be wary of anyone else with powers. The shazarxi have the most internal controversy over whether it is ethical to bring spirits back from the dead. After a long conflict with the turtles over the issue, they are working to lay down guidelines for this relatively new discovery. The shazarxi were surprised by others’ powers at first, but quickly accepted all of it, because they never knew any alternative.

“How is the education system in your world? What do your characters learn (or hypothetically would learn)?”
The turtles have the point of view that one never truly stops learning. They work together as one giant council to teach their offspring about what they consider to be their purpose in life. This “education” is long and thorough. They pass the records of history along through the generations. The lynxes, while solitary animals for the most part, do train their kits how to use their powers, after, of course, actually infecting them with the power via a “scratch of honor” at a family-held ceremony. It takes a lot of work to master levitation, and for the lucky ones, telekinesis. The butterflies do not need to be educated to use their abilities, it’s just inherent. The fish don’t really need to learn, either, they know instinctually how to do things. However, schools of fish do teach each other and share experiences about various things as they pass messages along the highways of the rivers and ocean. The wolves teach their pups about magic through storytelling. They have a rich oral tradition that has been kept up for generations, comparable only to the turtles’ record-keeping. When a wolf has been discovered to have inherited the morphing power, other wolves with that power (if there are any) will usually try to help them learn how to control it. It is very important that young pups are well-informed of the dangers before they are old enough to have the power manifest. The shazarxi, as they continue to build their society, are beginning to work out systems for how one shazarxa can apprentice under another to learn or train for a skill they are interested in. Sharing knowledge and helping others to make discoveries are some of their greatest strengths.

“What happens when magic gets out of control in your world?”
It depends on the magic, but results vary wildly. One turtle, Chervil, was born with unusually strong mind powers, to the point where she could control others’ thoughts for short periods of time. She used this power against Teardrop, a shazarxa, during the conflict over whether shazarxi should be pushing the boundaries between life and death, though the conflict was eventually de-escalated and she is even friends with Teardrop now. A lynx could get seriously injured if they tried anything too risky with their powers, which has happened. This is why proper training is required for them. Letting other species get infected by the power could also be a problem, especially if they didn’t understand it. This almost happened with some shazarxi who the lynxes were hunting, but missed. Fortunately, the shazarxi figured it out themselves, and the only damage done is that the lynxes are now no longer the only species with the power. There’s no real way for the butterflies’ or fishes’ abilities to get out of control; any malfunction in them probably just means that the animal is sick or dying. The morphing power of the wolves is the most dangerous. Due to the tendency of health damage and risk of going insane, a lot of trouble can be caused by a wolf who overuses their power. The most notable instance of this in recent history is when Blood went on a killing spree in the form of a tiger. Many have criticized the shazarxian powers for being too likely to cause damage, though they are still too unexplored to know for sure the consequences that could ensue if something goes terribly wrong. The unknown nature of their ability is a source of worry.

“What are some noteworthy examples of problems (in your world) that characters solved with magic?”
The different species didn’t always get along. The turtles used their ability to understand and roughly translate to help avoid inter-species misunderstandings. They also look out for anything out of balance, so they can warn everyone of danger in time to save them. The lynxes once saved an injured family member by using the butterflies’ power. A wolf named Chaos morphed a shazarxa named Breeze into a wolf to save him from an abusive family situation. The same Chaos had previously saved her pack from the deranged Blood by morphing herself into a form that could take on Blood’s morph. The shazarxi have given second chances to many stories that ended too soon by bringing ghosts back to the physical world. For example, Ash got a chance to be a better person and earn his family’s forgiveness. The Ziptorix Leaves have reunited families and brought about a new way of life, which they may soon share with other species.

PART 3: Joint Workshop

Dystopian Fantasy
“Haven’t I made it clear yet? No more shazarxi are allowed to leave the canyon!” Ash snarled. “I won’t tolerate any more betrayal in this community!”
Shade hissed back. “We are free to choose who we follow. If shazarxi don’t want you as their leader, it’s hardly their fault!”
Dandelion huddled in her nest alongside her siblings, Claw and Clover. She hated the arguments. She hated hearing her father being so loud. Usually it was directed at her. But this was even worse. Shade was her friend. How dare he yell at her?
The argument was taking place right in the center of camp. Everyone was watching, too scared to interrupt, but too interested to hide. /Why doesn’t anyone do anything?/ Dandelion thought angrily. /Surely they can see that Shade is right! No one in their right mind would WANT to follow my father./
But no one in the crowd moved to break it up. Shade and Ash continued screeching at each other, getting more and more agitated. Were they going to fight each other?
“What do you think you’re-”
“No! Absolutely not! I-”
“Oh, I suppose YOU would-”
Clover curled up tighter beside Dandelion, her wings shaking as she covered her face with her paws. Claw pressed in against her, his face a mask of worry. Dandelion felt something hot and furious coil inside of her guts. This had to stop. She stood up and marched toward the quarreling shazarxi before she could change her mind.
“Where are you going?” Claw whispered frantically.
“I’m ending this,” Dandelion replied, lifting her chin and stepping closer. “STOP!” she roared, spreading her wings to look more intimidating. To her pleasure, both shazarxi went silent mid-sentence to see what had interrupted them. It was good being loud sometimes.
Now that she had their attention, she continued. “Quit this arguing! It’s not accomplishing ANYTHING, other than terrifying every shazarxa in earshot!”
Ash narrowed his eyes at her. “Go back to your nest, Dandelion,” he growled, his voice dangerously low.
Dandelion had heard that before. “Why should I? I live here, I get as much of a say in this as you do. But if you’re too scared to hear me out… Well, that makes you more than a bad leader. You’re also a terrible father.”
Something snapped in Ash’s expression. /Uh-oh./ Ash flew straight for her, landing with a deafening thump and flaring his wings. “GO!” he raged, lifting one arm and swiping it at her face.
Too frozen to duck, Dandelion felt the slice of his claws as they tore through her flesh, pain rupturing down her entire face.
For a moment, everything was silent, everyone in shock. Dandelion stood motionless, trying to comprehend what just happened. Ash paused with one paw raised, blood dripping from his claws, his eyes wide as if he couldn’t believe what he had done.
The pain cut Dandelion out of her paralyzed state. “Fine,” she whispered, barely audible. “You want me to go?” Her voice began growing in volume. “Fine, then. I’ll go!”
With a massive leap, she spun and took off, her wings beating madly against the air. They couldn’t catch her now. She wasn’t coming back.

Hidden Worlds
They hadn’t had contact with anyone in a long time. The Sliver Pack, all alone in an endless forest, alone with their curse. It was… it was dumb, Chaos thought. There’s not even a point to this.
Long ago, the storytellers said, the wolves lived peacefully alongside other animals. Lynxes and turtles and fish. Butterflies and frogs. Other wolves. But no, ever since the leader of Sliver Pack received a gift from the last member of a dying species, everyone insisted on freaking out. Constantly. Chaos was getting tired of it.
It wasn’t that she didn’t understand why they were worried. No, they had a legitimate concern. The power that ran in the blood of wolves like her mother wasn’t something to be trifled with. A lot of her pack members called it a curse. It would corrupt you eventually, they said. If you had it, and you used it, you would go crazy. Piece by piece, bit by bit, until you were a monster. It would consume your soul. We can’t let anyone else get exposed to this. So we must stay hidden. Forever.
Chaos didn’t exactly believe in “souls.” I keep myself in my brain, she thought. There is no part of the body that is a “soul.” Of course, that isn’t to say that the power doesn’t mess with brains in the same way. I know the stories about my great-grandmother. She stopped to ponder how it worked, how the power drove wolves to madness. Everyone knew the risks, but no one knew WHY.
Suddenly, she stopped and stood still. It felt as though a freezing wind was ruffling through her insides. She looked around, but the trees were still. No wind. Her fur began to bristle. A noise from behind her made her whirl around.
A figure emerged from the bushes.
It was… Oh, just Legend, her brother. He noticed her strange look, and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah… But I think… I think I’ve reached the age, and it’s starting. It’s starting NOW.”
Legend froze, his eyes going wide. “You inherited it?”
Chaos grinned, even as the invisible wind shuddered through her again. “Yes,” she confirmed. “And I think I know what to do now.”

Science Fantasy
Comet had been awake far longer than he should have. He used his tail to rub the sleep away from his face. He couldn’t rest now. He was onto something.
Once again, he examined the items in front of him. Two oddly-shaped leaves. Some vines. Some shells.
The leaves. The secret was definitely in the leaves. They had an unearthly smell, like no plant he had ever encountered before. Rain had plucked them from a tree on an island that they had had a weird experience with. Comet recalled her tale.
“I climbed up through the branches, noticing that there was an odd shimmering haze directly above me. The leaves right around it were trembling, as if something had just passed through them,” Comet remembered Rain saying to him. “I pulled myself upward, through the haze, and suddenly, I was wings-deep in a smooth, transparent platform. The substance was unfamiliar to me. Heaving the rest of my body upward, I stood with all four paws on the strange, unnaturally even ground. Peering downward, I could still see the island below me, but it was if I was looking at it through the ceiling of a giant den that covered the whole place. The place where I had entered appeared as a jagged crack, the only aberration in the otherwise flat, empty landscape on which I now stood.”
Comet recalled how Rain had then said they had met a mysterious stranger who called themself Wild. Rain thought that Wild had taken them to some sort of pocket dimension, or parallel universe, or something. Rain had collected the leaves and the vines off the tree, and the shells from around its base, and brought them back to show Comet. Rain had left again after that. They never come back.
Another wave of exhaustion threatened to overcome Comet. Maybe he should sleep. He wasn’t going to figure out the leaves in one night. As drowsiness began to take him away, he absentmindedly wove the thin vine around the stem of a leaf.
“Huh. That’s like those necklaces Song makes,” he murmured, half-asleep. Not really thinking about it, he draped the vine around himself as if he was wearing it. His eyes finally shut all the way.
And the ghosts noticed.


WEEKLY 4

1. Begin a story, any way you like, but keep it close to 100 words.

“Tell us a story, Obsidian!” Shard urged, wagging his tail. Shard’s sister, Sheer, yipped her agreement.
Obsidian looked around thoughtfully. “Okay. How about the story of how Briny Pack and Sliver Pack were united?”
“No, you’ve told us that one before,” Shard complained. “Don’t you have a new one?”
“Every story is a new story,” Obsidian replied. “Depending on who’s telling it, who’s listening, and why it’s being told. You haven’t heard the backstory of Hurricane and Blood, have you? It might change a lot about the story you think you know.”
“Okay…” Shard said uncertainly. “Tell us that, then.”
Obsidian nodded. “It starts like this…”

2. For five minutes, incorporate features of Mystery, Adventure, OR Horror into your writing. What is something you like about one of the genres? Try to incorporate that in your story. Maybe it’s the high stakes or suspense, or a specific trope within your genre (that fits your story idea)!

(If it isn’t clear, this incorporates some Adventure elements of high stakes, competition, and secret histories. I didn’t get very far into it in only five minutes.)

Blood knew the risks. In fact, everyone knew them, and they hated her for it. She was cursed, they said. Unpredictable. Dangerous. Oh yes, that, she was well aware of. Just how dangerous she was, they had no idea…
Hurricane loved stories. The latest in a long line of storytellers, he upheld the ancient tradition of the wolves proudly. It was an important job, and thus, he was respected within Sliver Pack. Respected, but not loved. He happened to have collected a rather large share of grudges throughout his years. And of course, he knew better than anyone how wolves never forgot the past.
Pinnacle was the leader at the time. Hurricane was his brother, and they could not have been more different. Hurricane was the calm one, conflict-averse, more willing to save his own pelt than die nobly in battle. Weak and lazy, in Pinnacle’s opinion. In times like this, what good were the stories that Hurricane told? Briny Pack had been repeatedly scented nearby, aggressively pushing at the edges of Sliver Pack’s territory. It was imperative that Sliver Pack continued to stay isolated. No one else could know about the curse, lest it spread. No, Pinnacle determined, words won’t help here. Briny Pack had to be taught a lesson before they could get any closer. The kind of lesson with teeth.

3. Positivity flood! First let positive emotions flood into your mind, then thank at least three people in SWC for everything they do. (Think daily team, judges, workshop creators, leaders, hosts!)

Thank you to Birdi for hosting this session! Every session of SWC is a treasure, and I’m glad you brought such a wonderful experience to my otherwise-unexciting July. I’m so sad that it’s nearly over already! :’3
Thank you to Luna for running the Horror cabin! I’m sorry I’ve been doing a terrible job of keeping my word count total up-to-date, haha. -w-” Our cabin may not be at the top of the rankings, but I’d say we’re doing well! We TOTALLY conquered that last day of cabin wars- >:3
Thank you to Katie for being the person who first introduced me to SWC! I wouldn’t have been here at all without you. Now you’re stuck having me in every SWC session from now until the foreseeable future. xD I really can’t thank you enough for bringing me here. You were an amazing leader last session in Fan-fi, and even though I’m not in your cabin this time, I’m glad I still get to see you around in the Main Cabin!

4. A character who you thought had died is now walking in front of you. “Wait, you’re alive?” You stare at them twice, before they nod. Puzzled, you begin to wonder how this is possible. For this activity, write for 8 minutes, making sure a character the main character thought was dead is actually alive.

(Note: I went way longer than eight minutes on this because I just couldn’t set up this prompt without some further explanation.)

It was nightfall in the Briny Pack when the scouting party returned. “Any sign of ‘em?” Maroon called, rising to her paws and striding away from the ruckus of the other wolves.
“Nope,” answered Slash, the patrol leader. “They’ve been marking their borders even more, but not a glimpse of a pelt. It’s like they’re purposefully avoiding us.”
Maroon growled, flicking her tail in irritation. “Who ARE these wolves? None of the signs of any of the known Packs, and they’re apparently invisible. Something is really off about them.”
Slash shrugged. “So long as they stay over there, they’re no problem, right?”
“You said they’ve been heavily marking their borders. That doesn’t seem aggressive at all? No one marks their borders very much these days.” Maroon shook her head. “No, they’re up to something. I’m going in. Personal scouting mission.”
“Wait, you’re goin’ into their territory? By yourself?”
“They’re not the only ones that can be invisible. They’ll never notice me.” Maroon began padding away. Right before disappearing into the underbrush, she called over her shoulder, “If I don’t come back, Rust knows what to do, don’t you worry.”
Upon reaching the border, she noted that the smell of the mystery Pack was indeed strong here. She rolled in their scent to disguise her own, a tactic she had learned from the previous leader. She slunk silently through the forest, putting her tracking skills to work. Sure enough, she made her way through their territory unnoticed until she reached the clearing where they were gathered.
Maroon hid herself in a thick bush, her small size allowing her to fit beneath the branches. Observing the strange wolves, the majority of pelt colors were dark brown and black, suggesting an ancestry that traced back to the northern pine forests. They didn’t seem to have the same hierarchy system as any other Pack. There was clearly a leader, but no Second, nor separate commanders of any sort. She thought the wolf at the far side of the clearing might be the Pack’s Storyteller, but she wasn’t close enough to be sure.
Carefully, she maneuvered out from the bush and cautiously circled the clearing, staying hidden from view. She got into position behind the wolf that seemed to be acting something out for several others. Yes, this was definitely a Storyteller. Maroon was slightly relieved, as this meant that at least these wolves weren’t entirely foreign. Every Pack had a Storyteller, an age-old tradition. This one was wiry and small, but quick-moving. Maroon strained her ears to hear, managing to catch a few snatches of words.
“…all the way downhill, they were chased by… couldn’t find… and so the rest of the Sliver Pack…”
Wait. Had she heard that correctly? The Sliver Pack had been dead for a long, long time. This must be a very old tale. She listened even harder.
“…our leader, Abandon, had… charged around the sides, herding them into… after that, of course… and our Pack was victorious!”
That seemed to be the end of the story, as a cheering howl went up from the listeners. They began to disperse, and Maroon decided it would be best to return to her own territory before one of them walked in her direction and noticed her.
On her way back, Maroon thought hard about what she had seen. Wolves from the north. Primitive organizational system. Stories about the Sliver Pack. A past leader’s name she had never heard of.
It all added up to a Pack that was related to the other Packs, but had had no contact with them for an extensive period of time. Maroon knew the stories. There was only one Pack with that description. Turns out the Sliver Pack wasn’t dead, after all.

5. In order to fix the elevator, stop working on this weekly and allow yourself to just listen to music, look at abstract art, or look at pictures of landscapes or scenery for at least ten minutes without doing anything else.

(I listened to a bunch of songs that relate to the characters in the story I’m writing, including The Wolf, Waterloo, Fairytale, Good in Me, Demons, Feed the Machine, and Bill Watterson. Weird combination, I know, but these are some of my craziest characters.)

6. Do you ever remember an event in the past, and wish you could experience that once again? Nostalgia, what a heartwarming yet bittersweet feeling. For 250 words, your character feels a sudden burst of nostalgia and this mood is carried through the rest of the story.

“Well of course we’re not dead!” Shard interrupted. “How come no one else knew we were there?”
Obsidian chuckled. “Sliver Pack thought it had to isolate itself in order to keep the curse from spreading. Now we know that it can only be passed down to offspring; it’s not an infection. Some wolves don’t even think of it as a curse anymore, really. But back then, they isolated themselves totally and completely.”
“That must have been pretty boring,” Shard commented.
“Oh, not at all,” Obsidian said. “Don’t forget, I grew up back in those times. As a pup, no older than you, I knew Hurricane. This piece of history is very recent, as are the changes in our lifestyle. I’m not saying that I regret that our Pack reconnected with the others, but it wasn’t so bad before that, really. Sliver Pack was individual and did its own thing. We weren’t overly structured. We each did whatever the pack needed. We went where we wanted. Living was uncomplicated, simple and easy.”
“Do you miss those days at all?” Sheer piped up.
“I suppose I do, a little…” Obsidian looked off into the distance, remembering. Then they shook their head as if to clear away the memories. Instead, they leaned down and whispered jokingly to the two pups, “I think everything was better before Rust came to boss us all around, hmm?”
Shard and Sheer giggled, and Obsidian smiled. “Now, let’s get back to the story, shall we? Where was I…”

7. In order to get the forums back up and running, come up with five reasons why you appreciate a Scratch Team member, then send it to them.

Five reasons I appreciate Scratch Team:
For creating Scratch, obviously! I found my best friend here, vastly improved my art skills, learned how to code, and joined Scratch Writing Camp. Probably none of those things would have happened without this wonderful site.
For having a good user interface, both on profiles and when editing projects. I admit, the studio update was a little annoying, but I got used to it. Even if I don’t agree with every change to Scratch, I’d rather it be continuously updated than not. Most changes improve things or add cool new features.
For always making April Fools’ Day fun! (Long live the semicolon >) The cat blocks were the most amazing thing ever; I still have one saved in my backpack.
For unbanning @moss-shadow. When that whole thing blew up, there was a lot of anger and drama going around. Maybe it was for the best that you banned Mossy for a while until it all simmered away, even if many people, including me, disagreed with the ban. I don’t know which ST member is responsible for banning and unbanning people, but I’m glad it worked out this way. Mossy is a huge inspiration in Scratch, and it’s good to have him back.
For providing a great place for people of all ages to find their communities, learn new things, and connect with others. The Scratch Team members are so helpful and dedicated. I like that many of you are very involved in the community, answering questions and participating in Scratch events.

8. Let’s get to know people in your cabin! Go to the profile of a random person from your cabin and create a new character by taking inspiration from the About Me of their profile. Now, introduce that character into your story. You must do this for 10 minutes. You can plan the character separately from the story or incorporate it. Just make sure the new character is introduced and has distinct characterization.

(I used the About Me of Sophie, @i_like_kotlc. I named the character Keeper in honor of the Keeper of the Lost Cities username, so congratulations, if I ever publish tis book, you now have a personalized character.)

Keeper was the Storyteller of the Briny Pack. She was a little awkward and out-of-place amidst the tough, rowdier residents of the Pack, but they loved her. She had a real creative talent that even the most unruly wolves had to respect. After all, who else could lead them in singing or acting out the great stories of their Pack? Keeper wasn’t the biggest adventurer themself, but they loved the tales of other Packs’ Storytellers, both fictional and historical, and they were always ready to hear another one. She appreciated how each Pack had its own way of storytelling. She especially liked the ones that acted out their stories, and the ones who made music.
Therefore, when Maroon returned, bringing news of a Pack that Keeper had only met in her oldest stories, she was excited. Could they possibly arrange a visit to swap stories, as they did with the other Packs?
But Maroon said no, they had to play it strategically. More scouting missions, perhaps, to determine what, exactly, the nature of this new Pack was, and what their intentions were. Keeper was disappointed, but they supposed that Maroon’s plan was probably for the best.
Days passed, and Maroon sent out several trackers to investigate the Sliver Pack further. Once there was a confrontation, where wolves of both Packs retreated quickly to tell their leaders without exchanging any words with each other. They were lucky to avoid a fight, everyone said. The Sliver Pack wouldn’t take kindly to intruders. Indeed, all the reports seemed to prove that the Sliver Pack was hostile and actively planning to start a battle.
Maroon was unconcerned by this. She had seen her fair share of battles and never lost a single one. She began preparing the Pack for war, discussing strategy with Rust and Slash, and training the wolves to work together in formations. Keeper, however, was worried. Shouldn’t we at least try talking to them? What if they think we’re the aggressive ones, due to our constant invasions? This could all be a misunderstanding…

9. In order to fix the lights, stop working on this weekly and take a 15-minute nap or just relax and do nothing for 15 minutes.

(I watched YouTube for 15 minutes, which is relaxing enough that I suppose you can consider calling it “doing nothing” even if it’s technically an activity.)

10. Cliche but classic is the ‘chosen one’ trope. Many fantasy books have this trope, where the main character is the ‘chosen one.’ With at least 200 words, describe the moment your character is revealed to be a ‘chosen one’ of some sort, whether the person to fight a villain, to go on a quest, or to do an everyday task.

Blood was listening to one of Hurricane’s stories. It was the Origin of the Curse story, Blood’s favorite. Long ago, the morphing ability was a power held only by a certain species of frog. For them, it was not a curse; they could do it freely, with no hidden consequences. But due to mostly environmental factors, the frogs were going extinct. The final member of the species, rather than let the power die with her, passed it on to a wolf named Lucky. Ever since then, certain wolves in Lucky’s Pack, the Sliver Pack, had received transformation abilities. Every wolf with the power could morph into any animal they had seen. Except there was a catch- wolf bodies were not able to handle the transformation without the assistance of a special substance made from a certain type of rock. It wasn’t the morphing that caused the curse, it was this substance. As for the curse? Every morph drove the wolf closer to madness, as well as causing countless health problems.
Blood had only morphed twice, and she felt perfectly fine. In fact, more than fine- ready to conquer the world. She gazed up at Hurricane as he concluded his story with a bow directly to Blood, acknowledging that she was living proof of the tale. Normally everyone kept their distance from her because of her ability. But to Hurricane, she was an important part of their Pack’s heritage. Her heart fluttered in her chest as he bowed to her.
Oh yes, Hurricane was a special wolf. And she was the carrier of a great power. They were meant for each other. Joke’s on the curse, she thought. I’ve already lost my mind for him.

11. In order to put out the roof fire, stop working on this weekly and eat something or drink water in small sips for at least 5 minutes.

(Mmm, partially-melted chocolate bars and water!)

12. Something feels off. One of the characters doesn’t feel genuine, and it feels as if they have ulterior motives. In these 200 words, a character reveals one of their main motives is to gain something. How does the character reveal this, and how do the other characters act?

Hurricane had been hesitant at first. His father’s warnings about the curse ran through his head constantly. But somehow, Blood had convinced him otherwise. They were connected, it was true. It just felt right. Blood was dangerous, yes, but it was the only kind of danger that made him feel alive. It was a curse of his own, one that he wouldn’t shed even if he could.
The others hated him for it, of course, but who were they to say what’s right and what’s wrong? Hurricane grew increasingly certain that there was no such thing. A story could be told in more than one way.
Meanwhile, the tension between Sliver Pack and Briny Pack had increased dramatically. There had been several skirmishes, small but well-placed. Briny Pack wolves were known for being uncoordinated and not the most intelligent, but they clearly had a leader who was a genius when it came to engineering battle plans. Pinnacle was outraged.
Briny Pack couldn’t be allowed to know of Blood’s abilities, he said. And because of that, she’d have to stay in a separate location from the rest of the Pack. Hurricane was horrified at first, but Blood whispered to him. “It’s okay, I want to go. Tell him that you’re going with me. He can’t refuse. It puts him in an awkward spot. If he’s truly sending me away to protect me, shouldn’t he be protecting the Storyteller too? Denying you would make him look like a bad leader- or reveal his true intentions in sending me away.”
Hurricane was a little overwhelmed, but he followed Blood’s orders and demanded that Pinnacle allow him to go with Blood. As she had predicted, Pinnacle’s reaction was discomfort and suppressed anger.
Casting an uneasy glance back at the rest of his Pack as he and Blood headed out on their own, a scrap of doubt floated in. “Why did you WANT to leave?”
“So we can finally be alone together,” Blood replied, eyes glinting mischievously. “We can do whatever we want now. Start our own Pack. Take over Briny Pack. Now that we’re free from those floofbrains, the world is ours!”
Was this the first hint of madness? Hurricane wondered, startled by Blood’s proclamation. If so, he realized, he must be as crazy as she was for agreeing with her.

13. In order to fix the rankings, stop working on this weekly and write a list of at least five achievements you’re most proud of.

Five achievements I’m proud of:
Getting a medal in the Fossil Find competition during Science Olympiad
Receiving all A+’s on my report card last school year
Establishing multiple friendships despite my social ineptness
Accumulating so many words in SWC this session
Teaching myself how to draw and animate better

14. Something your character thought was safe has now turned into something dangerous. Writing for five minutes, you must make a feature of your setting suddenly become dangerous to your main character. You can incorporate how it has become and how this has affected the main character’s reactions.

Keeper wished this constant fighting would end. The war had been going on for almost a year now, longer than any other territorial battle Keeper could think of. And she knew of a LOT.
The problem was, Maroon didn’t seem to want it to end. She was the most patient, calculating wolf ever, attacking precisely at the right time and place to throw Sliver Pack off balance. But she never went in for the kill, instead playing with them like a pup with a stick. Injuries were minimal on both sides, with no deaths. Maroon was just freaking them out more than anything. What was her plan?
It wasn’t that Keeper wanted any deaths, of course she didn’t. But couldn’t a peaceful solution have been worked out by now? There was certainly enough territory for both Packs. Wouldn’t that be better than this stalemate?
Change finally came in the form of a lone female wolf. She called herself Blood. Maroon allowed her to join the Pack, and somehow, the new female worked her way into Maroon’s inner circle, the wolves whom she consulted with when discussing strategy. Blood also slipped right into the Briny Pack social network, hanging out with the other wolves as if she had always been one of them. A while after Blood’s arrival, Keeper started noticing Maroon’s attacks becoming a bit fiercer, a little more violent. Was this Blood’s doing? Keeper wished she could listen in on those private meetings. Her role left her out of anything fighting-related.
Keeper didn’t like Blood, but they kept their thoughts to themself. Still, she recognized the clever, focused look in Blood’s eyes and the carefully chosen words as the same behavior that Maroon expressed. This was a wolf who was plotting more than she let on.
Something about life in the Briny Pack didn’t feel so safe anymore.

15. In order to contain the gas leak, stop working on this weekly and do something else creative for 15 minutes.

(I just began working on the daily instead xD)

16. For 300 words, incorporate the songfic trope by including a short song lyric in your writing. If you can’t listen to music, choose a different trope instead! Some tropes include Crossover, “Five Things,” Alternate Universes, Enemies to Lovers, Chatfic, and many more!

(I used lyrics from the song “Fairytale.” I love this prompt; I’ve been sneaking paraphrased bits of song lyrics in already, actually.)

Hurricane was lost, directionless. Nothing had gone according to plan, at least, not his plans, anyway. In planning for his and Blood’s future together, there had been disagreements, anger, reconciliation, brief intimacy, and then more arguing. Every day they started fighting, and every night they fell in love. Then Blood had gotten pregnant, delaying any sort of plans at all.
It was at this point she started to get reckless. She wanted to test out her morphing ability more, having kept it suppressed for years. But what would that do to the unborn pups, let alone Blood herself? Hurricane fought her several times over this, barely managing to keep her contained. Eventually, the pups were born, two of them, small and precious. Hurricane wished they could have been born into a better life, with a real Pack. Nothing else could make him sadder, even while nothing else could lift him so high above. Hurricane found within himself more love than he knew he could have, and for a while, there was peace. But Blood was impatient, plans of conquering persisting in her mind.
The arguments began again. One day, Hurricane didn’t even know what he was doing when suddenly, everything fell apart. Blood left on her own without a word, leaving the pups with Hurricane. She never came back. Hurricane searched, trying to follow her trail, but it disappeared, and he could not find her. In despair, he promised himself that someday, he would find her, and when he did, they’d get a brand-new start.
But in the meantime, he had pups to raise. Should he take them back to Sliver Pack? He couldn’t raise them all on his own out here. Thinking it over, he sang softly to them. “I’m in love with a fairytale, even though it hurts… ‘Cause I don’t care if I lose my mind, I’m already cursed…”

17. In order to help retrieve the lost writing comp submissions, stop working on this weekly and find a book or online article to read for 10 minutes. If you can’t access those, read someone’s writing here on Scratch!

(I read @Galaxy_Awesome’s weekly at https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/491835/?page=7#post-6480339 and it was really good! Free advertising for you, heheh.)

18. Bonjour and many thanks for swinging by Bakie’s art stand! We offer many handcrafted trinkets, look at how detailed each one is! They each have their own personality, unique in their own ways. For the next 15 minutes, work on one of your characters, and describe what makes them so special. Explore both their motivations and their fears, what drives them to do the things they do?

(If this doesn’t seem long enough for 15 minutes, I apologize. I spent a lot more time thinking than typing this time, due to this being a new character who I don’t have a lot of minor personality details for yet. I literally didn’t even name her until today.)

Maroon felt challenged by the new wolf, but in a good way. Blood had a mind to rival Maroon’s own and wasn’t afraid to suggest new ideas that Maroon hadn’t even considered. She liked that, it was a new experience for her. That wasn’t to say all the wolves in her Pack were dumb. (Well, most of them were, if she was being totally honest. But not all.) Rust was sensible and straightforward, if a bit grumpy. He could be trusted to handle the logistics of any situation. Slash had an intuitive sense for fighting, and she knew the strengths and weaknesses of every wolf in the Pack, inside and out. But neither quite matched the familiar strategic inventiveness that she saw in Blood. Blood was someone she could see mind-to-mind with.
Of course, there were a few things Maroon hadn’t told Blood. Maroon didn’t care about the territory; she had been purposefully dragging out this war just to see how far she could push Sliver Pack. Sliver Pack didn’t fight like any wolves she had met before, and so she was trying to learn from their techniques. Maroon was well-experienced in skirmishes, and they were usually over very quickly. But Sliver Pack was stubborn, especially their leader, a handsome, powerful wolf named Pinnacle. He seemed to be fighting for his pride as much as anything else. Maroon could relate to that. She was never the type to back down to anyone, either. In the numerous small fights between their Packs, some started by Sliver, others by Briny, Maroon always made an attempt to seek out Pinnacle in battle. He was one of the most fearsome opponents there was, and thus, she was drawn to him.
The attacks led by Maroon were always quick, just a short, sharp blow before retreating again. She jabbed at Sliver Pack, keeping them on their paws. Pinnacle’s were a more forceful event, but Briny Pack was always able to repel them without much trouble. A war going on for a year, and the worst injuries so far were some torn ears and a wrenched ankle. Maybe she was hesitating too much. Blood told her that she thought it was time to stop playing around. Sliver Pack had put up an interesting fight so far, but Maroon had to end it eventually. A final battle, Blood suggested. An ambush. Losing Pack has to leave the territory entirely, and winning Pack takes all.
Maroon figured her new ally was probably right. “All right,” she barked, gathering her inner circle around her. “Let’s get planning.”

19. In order to unlock the door, stop working on this weekly and write a list of ten awesome things about a person who has impacted your life significantly (either on Scratch or in real life), then give it to them.

Ten awesome things about River:
She helps me to remain productive when I’m about to get distracted
She knows my thoughts and can relate to me
She gives great advice (most of the time)
She works perfectly as Megan in my Shazarxkcd AU thing
I can never be bored when I’m talking to her
She’s a very reliable friend, almost always there when I need her
She has such an admirable personality of confidence, independence, and intelligence, with a fair bit of fun thrown in
She works hard as one of the Shazarxaean sysadmins to keep Half-Canon, and the larger Shazarxaean world, in order
I am so inspired by her accomplishments
She lights the world on fire (usually figuratively)

20. You know when you have sudden memories of past events? When characters experience them, they’re called flashbacks. For this activity, write 300 words describing your character having a sudden flashback of a previous event.

After telling the pups about Maroon’s battle plan, Obsidian pauses to catch their breath. The next part every wolf in the Pack had heard a hundred times over. It was the great battle scene. Obsidian had lived through it, and they remembered it vividly.
Briny Pack lying in wait for Sliver Pack along their main hunting trail, concealed until they were indistinguishable from the forest backdrop.
The Sliver Pack, chasing deer, unaware of the eyes watching.
The Briny Pack leaping from the bushes, surrounding the Sliver wolves instantly, as the deer bounded away in relief.
Confusion. Panic.
Fear.
Obsidian pushed against Legend and Chaos, the three of them fighting in a circle, back-to-back.
Blood morphing into the form of Hurricane, unnoticed by all.
Blood leaping for Pinnacle’s throat. Getting knocked aside by Maroon and the real Hurricane at the same time.
Pain. Pain everywhere.
Maroon and Pinnacle forgetting to be enemies as they face the fake Hurricane. The fake Hurricane tumbling into the real one until it’s unclear which is which.
Obsidian glancing to the side as Chaos breaks away and runs toward the Hurricanes.
Chaos hurling herself atop one of the Hurricanes. The Hurricane- no, this one was Blood- transforming into the most massive moose.
The Blood moose throwing Chaos to the ground, preparing to trample her. Legend racing to get there in time.
Obsidian frozen in shock.
The battle slowing to a halt. Everyone staring at the moose.
Legend clamping his jaws on the Blood moose’s leg.
Chaos- CHAOS?!- morphing into a snake. Biting Blood’s leg alongside Legend.
Blood wobbling, then falling, futilely morphing back to wolf form as she dies from the Chaos snake’s venom.
Hurricane rushing to Blood’s still body.
Pinnacle and Maroon looking at each other meaningfully.
Everyone else still.
Silence.
Blood.
Obsidian finishes the story, and they return from their memories, they realize their voice is shaking.

21. Leave your story unresolved with a cliffhanger. Write 500 words to end your story.

“So, what do you think about the unification of Briny Pack and Sliver Pack now?” Obsidian asks Shard and Sheer, who are staring at them with wide eyes.
Sheer is the first to find words. “It does seem different now,” she says. “I didn’t know about how Blood and Hurricane’s origins in Sliver Pack affected the stuff they did. It makes sense now that they both held a grudge against their birth Pack for how they were treated.” She glances at Pinnacle, who is resting on the other side of the clearing, before continuing. “Of course, that still doesn’t justify Blood’s actions. It’s better now that all the wolf Packs have decided that we mustn’t kill each other in battle.”
Shard nodded, unusually quiet. “So what happened to Hurricane after that? He helped stop Blood from killing Pinnacle, but he still grieved over Blood’s death…”
Obsidian shook her head. “That’s one story I do not know. While everyone was picking themselves up from the aftermath of the fight, Hurricane vanished. Pinnacle and Maroon worked out a truce, and in time, they went even farther. They merged their Packs, and as you know, the two leaders became mates, which they still are to this day. But Hurricane was never seen again. Perhaps he still roams these woods alone, still wishing he could have changed Blood’s fate.”
“Blood wasn’t even nice to him. They argued a lot, and then she abandoned him,” Shard remarked. “Why did he still care so much about her?”
“I may never understand that,” Obsidian replied. “Love happens in the weirdest places. Hurricane truly was just as crazy as Blood, in a way. I’m not sure any of us can accurately interpret his reasonings, though I tried my best in the story I just told you. I suppose he was a wolf of many sides. Although, aren’t we all?”
“Chaos told me about that,” Sheer said solemnly. “It’s all based on perspective. Hero, villain, neither, the same wolf is different in every other wolf’s eyes.”
“Exactly,” Obsidian praised her. “Just like stories. Never the same twice. In the end, our world, and those in it, are what we make of them. The truth becomes what we tell it, and what we believe it to be.”
“Wait a minute,” Shard interrupted, seeming a little uncomfortable, as if he was about to be sick. He shuffled his paws. “Sorry to change the topic, but- Blood was Chaos and Legend’s mother. And I’m Legend’s son. Doesn’t that mean I’m part of the cursed bloodline?”
Obsidian thought for a second before saying, “Yes, you would be. But since Legend didn’t manifest any morphing ability, it’s unlikely that it passed on to you, if that’s what you’re worried about. Why do you-”
Obsidian stopped short as Shard began shaking, as though an invisible wind was tearing him apart. “Are you okay?” they asked, very concerned. Shard shuddered again, bushing out his fur.
“It’s happening,” Shard managed to squeak out. “The curse- it’s coming to me now.”

Daily #2
*Note* I asked Will my character have a panic attack on a plane it said yes
*Note 2* This is my first time at even attempting to write someone panicking so I struggled and it’s not very good but I wanted a challenge. Also feedback would be greatly appreciated
Words:405

Internally
Boom, Boom, Boom, why are my footsteps so loud, its just a floating piece of metal that could break any second. I am standing on science, years of science I try to reassure myself. Ya this is to much the bathroom can wait. I quickly make my way back to my seat. I take a deep breath in and out, “You good?” My sister asks. Do I look like I am panicking? Wait can she tell oh no, cover it up, cover it up. “Ya I’m good, are you good? Cause I am perfectly fine and have been fine for the last half an hour and will be fine for the next hour. But will you, I don’t-“ she interrupts “Stop, please. I got it, your good. And yes I am fine.” “ok” well I guess she’s fine then. Why couldn’t we have just taken a boat, or could they bridge across the pacific? Wouldn’t that be cheaper? I go to grab my phone and oh no, I am shaking. Did anyone notice I do a quick check. It’s also around this time I realize I have been breathing super heavy for the last like ever. Oops I check again if anyone noticed. No? Good, I slide down trying to make one with the deep blue seat beneath me. I want to run and hide forever, my eyes start to water. Why, why. Water runs down my face. I panic I need to hide. The bathroom, I stand up shakily and walk to the bathroom, well more like drag myself to the bathroom. At this point I am full on crying, shaking, my breathing is not normal. I open the plastic door, step in and slam it locked behind me. I have about 2 minutes to fix myself. I grab toilet paper and wipe my running mascara that made me look like a clown. Breathe Claire, BREATHE. I can’t, why can’t I be more normal. Why can’t I have have a fear of spiders, I am sure then I wouldn’t be locked in a bathroom thousands of feet in the air. Ok 30 seconds. I grab more toilet paper wipe off my makeup and breathe. In 1 2 3 4, hold 1 2 3 4, out 1 2 3 4. I unlock the door and start walk, not drag, walk. I go take a seat still shaking. But I am fine I think. For now.

Daily 7/2
——
Does magic exist?
That was the very question that Lily wrote on her blank, crisp white piece of notebook paper several times. The thing was, she knew that enchanted life was unlikely- she was thirteen after all. But her whole life, there'd always been something so…magical about it.
Usually, Lily would just ask her mom about these types of things, but her mom actually went missing a few months ago. It turned Lily's life upside down, and now she was just left hanging, wondering. Questioning everything and everyone.
Her dad, however, is the exact opposite of her mom; he is the most realistic, logical person that Lily knows- he believes that every single thing has to have a logical explanation. And whenever Lily brings up anything to do with magic, he just says, “Ugh, that's nonsense.” without even listening to what she has to say.
Lily's younger sister, Aria, on the other hand, is a lot more open-minded. Sure, she's only ten years old, but actually knew a lot of things that most ten-year-olds don't. Sometimes, though, Aria could act more like an older sister and try to boss her around.
Just then, the door flew open and Aria walked in. “I've been looking for you everywhere. You need to do dishes, Lily.” she said.
Lily resisted the urge to roll her eyes. This was a perfect example of what she was just saying. Technically, doing dishes was actually Aria's job, not Lily's, but she wasn't in the mood to argue.
“So…you okay? You've seemed a little out of sorts lately.” Aria remarked, plopping next to Lily on her bed.
Lily glanced at her notebook –which had the question on it– and back at her sister. “Honestly, I just want Mom to be found again, to bring her back to us again. Also…don't you think that…” she trailed off, not knowing what her ten-year-old sister would say to this.
But she caught on. “Think that what?”
Lily took a deep breath. “Think that magic is real, and that Mom's sudden disappearance has something –anything– to do with it?”
Aria was quiet for a moment, and Lily took that as that she didn't know how to process such bizarre information, especially since the police were convinced it was something else. Although, after a minute, Aria finally spoke. “I don't know anymore…I think that magic only exists if you let it, by believing in it, of course. Once we can take that first step in believing in magic, nothing is impossible.” she replied, taking Lily's hand and squeezing it. Lily squeezed it back.
“I do agree with that theory, and I already have taken that first step.” Lily said, a smile forming on her lips.
“So do I.” Aria agreed.
Lily knew –really, truly knew– at that moment that she had the smartest sister in the world. Just as Lily reached out to hug her sister, she heard her dad's voice call, “Lily, Aria, time to set the table for dinner!”
They both pulled away, smiling at each other warmly. “I'll see you downstairs in a minute, Aria.” Lily said softly.
Aria nodded and walked away. As soon as Lily heard her sister's footsteps descend, she headed over to the giant mirror that was in the corner of her bedroom. She stared at her reflection for a long time, realizing just how alike she looked to her mom. Just as Lily brushed her hand against her wooden desk to walk away, her hand felt something…the notebook. When she looked down at it, she saw the craziest thing ever.
Right below where she'd written, “Does magic exist?”
it said, “It is certain.”
She was in so much shock that she accidentally dropped the notebook, but instead of falling straight to the ground, it was hovering above the floor, like it was levitating.
Oh my goodness.
Oh my goodness.
Lily was sure this was a sign that magic was indeed real, and that her mom was there with them. Always.

2nd July

Will it be a fan fiction: certainly / it is certain
Will it be a murder most unladylike one: as I see it, yes

506 words

“Daisy! For goodness sake! You can’t do that! You’ve already pretended you twisted your ankle too many times the last week. I mean, once, sure, but NO ONE twists their ankle three times a week. Honestly. You’re the ‘great master detective’, but the only way you think of to get out of lessons is testing your ankle.”. “Hazel. Have faith in me. When have I ever let you down?”, Daisy answered, trying to sound patient, but with an obvious sharp edge to her voice. “Lots of times,” Hazel thought to herself, but she wouldn’t let Daisy hear that. She decided to stay quite for the moment. “Ok. Seeming as your not answering, I’ll take that as a never. So, come along, we won’t get into trouble”. Hazel wanted to follow, but she knew she had to stand up for herself. “Nah, I’m good thanks,” she replied. “W..what why? We’ve always gone together, so why are you suddenly backing out?”, Daisy replied confused. “Or”, she said with a malicious smile, “are you scared?”, she sneered. Hazel had to stop herself from looking like Daisy had the nail on the head. She wasn’t frightened but she still wanted to be careful nothing showed. “I’m not. I’m just FED UP of me having to leave my lessons to help you pretend to hurt yourself so you can bunk of lessons to eavesdrop on people’s private conversations.”, Hazel retorted. She saw Daisy blush a bit, but she didn’t let that stop her. “I know you don’t care how badly you do. You don’t care if you’re the class clown and daily everything. But I care. And if you were a true friend you’d respect that. But you don’t seem to respect that maybe I do care. I guess this means you’ll have to find someone else who you can drag around with you”, Hazel yelled and ran out heart racing. She slapped the door closed and stopped dead. What has she done? She’d just ruined her friendship with Daisy. She’d need to go in and apologise now. Just as she was going to open the door, she felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her back. “No, Hazel”, the voice said. “She deserved that. It’s time someone put her into her place. And its more effective if someone she cared about does it”, the voice finished off. “Kitty!”, Hazel said turning around. “Are you sure I shouldn’t apologise. I mean, what is she hated me forever. You know she’s amazing at holding grudges.” “I guess this is a true test of your friendship. If she forgives you, you know you’re true friends. If she doesn’t, then you still have us. And sometimes you’ll have to do something you don’t feel comfortable doing to someone close to you to do the right thing. And I think that’s what you did there. Come on, we don’t want to miss music”, Kitty finished off and dragged Hazel down the corridor. “How great it was to have such good friends”, Hazel thought to herself.

Vera's writing:
MYSTERY FOR THE WIN!!!!!!!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
7/2/22 - 434 words
The next morning, when Willow woke up, her two cats, Tiger and Marlo had crawled into her bed and were sleeping right next to her. She sat up and yawned. Rubbing her eyes, she walked downstairs and plopped into a chair. “Good morning Mom” she mumbled, still tired. “Good morning, honey!” Willow’s mom said, who was cooking up a storm in the kitchen. “What’s for breakfast?” Willow asked sullenly, still thinking about yesterday’s dinner. “Your favorite” Willow’s mom replied, “Cinnamon french toast with whipped cream and fresh berries.” “Yum!” exclaimed Willow, perking up. “Sounds delicious.” When breakfast was served, Willow put an enormous mound of whipped cream onto a slice of cinnamon french toast with a few fresh berries and crammed it into her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the flavor of cinnamon, berries, and freshly whipped cream. When Willow had finished 6 pieces of french toast, she pushed back her chair and ran upstairs. “Where are you going?” Willow’s mom asked. “I’m going out” Willow said, “to the library.” “Alright, but don’t stay for too long. Remember, we have dinner with the Maddens tonight.” “Yes, Mom…” Willow said, rolling her eyes, since it was only breakfast, “I’ll be home soon.” In the privacy of her room, Willow got ready to go to the library. She collected a bright pink bag to put her books in, and she stuffed her to-do list in the pocket of her denim shorts. “Alright Mom, I’m leaving!” Willow said, informing her mom. “Alright, honey! Remember what I said!” Willow walked out the door and took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. How wonderful it felt to be away from the world, away from home, even just for a little bit. When she got to the library, she immediately walked over to her favorite librarian, Mrs. Miriam. “Hi Mrs. Miriam!” Willow said. “Good morning, Willow!” said Mrs. Miriam, who was an older woman with a fondness for books. “What brings you here today?” Mrs. Miriam asked. “Oh, I was just wondering if you had any books on… well… Marie’s disappearance?” Willow replied. “Goodness!” Mrs. Miriam exclaimed, “Why would you want to know about that?” “Oh, I was just curious.” Willow said casually. “Well… I suppose… if you really want to learn about that, we have a section on mysterious sightings, disappearances, etc.” Mrs. Miriam said. “Thank you Mrs. Miriam!” exclaimed Willow joyously. Mrs. Miriams squinted at Willow suspiciously through her glasses. “You’re welcome, Willow” she said, “Just promise me you won’t do anything dangerous.” “Of course, Mrs. Miriam” said Willow, feeling guilty about lying already.
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Daily 2:580 words

Question: Will Orpheus sees Euridice in a dream? - Cannot predict now…

It has been five years since he last saw her. Orpheus now wandered with a cloud of sadness hanging over his head, he trudged in bright, sunny meadows and cried softly by the sparkling streams. He wandered the bright, sunny countryside, with the deathly darkness of the underworld around him. Why, why did he have to be like this?

A piece of Orpheus was missing. And that piece was Euridice, his wife whom he loved more than his sweet music. She was kind and sweet and full of laughter and smiles. She danced in the rain, and she smiled genuinely, and Orpheus always found himself smiling widely. They both sang and danced, and were happy for a few, golden years.

Until it happened.

Their wedding day had been the best all year. Full of Orpheus' beautiful music and Euridice's bright, happy laughter. Everyone celebrated happily and Euridice danced gracefully in a wild meadow. But, a few moments later, her scream was heard. Orpheus' new wife had been fatally bitten by a snake, and as the musician Orpheus rushed over to aid her, it was too late.

Orpheus didn't cry. Not yet. He had a hard, determined look on his face. He knew what he had to do, and he knew it must be done.
He marched over to the Underworld, where all the dead went to.

He had to persuade Hades, the cold king of the Underworlds, and his queen, Persephone. Persephone would be easy to charm, as she already had a bright, happy attitude from skipping around the sunny woods for half a year. But Hades would be trickier. He wasn't horrible or anything, but he was mean and cold and did not like visitors. He stared a the young musician with a still expression and asked him what he was doing here. He answered how it was because he needed Euridice back, and Hades simply refused. So Orpheus took out his lyre and started singing and playing it. It was the best song Orpheus played. It sang of sweet, sunny joyfulness and happiness Euridice had brung to him and then drifted off into slow, sad notes of her loss and how much Orpheus wants to bring her back.

When it was finished. Hades finally agreed to let Euridice follow Orpheus back. On one condition that he does not turn around to see her. hopefully, Orpheus skipped back, trying to focus his head forward and towards the shining daylight. At the mouth of the cave, he could see the sunny flower-filled meadows outside. He was so close now, and he finally have Euridice back., he looked back at her lovingly, but then remembered Hades' one catch in getting her back.

And she drifted off, smiling sadly, off into the darkness.

Orpheus had recounted this loads of loads of times. And every time, it made tears roll down him as fast as rain falling from the sky during a storm. He laid back in the tall grass and thought: Will I see her again, perhaps in a dream?
And a clear answer came into his mind: Cannot predict now…
He imagined her, standing with the biggest smile on her face. She took him in his arms and Orpheus felt himself smiling too. She said something, her voice barely more than a whisper.
“Don't cry. I'm still there, you know, in your heart.”
Just then, Orpheus woke up and, for the first time in five years, felt a little bit better.

Artist’s Daily

Word Count: 414

Yes, Real-Fi will beat you all.

July 2

TW: Talk of death, death

Is this real life? My sources point to no.

Miria gazed at the sky from her cliff side that overhung the glorious ocean. Her eyes followed the clods as they trotted their slow journey across the sky that looked over her. She did this everyday, never once thinking to do something else. Miria’s life wasn’t perfect, but it was good. Though, to Miria, it felt to good to be true. She flipped onto her stomach, crawling a little closer to the edge of the cliff as she gazed down at the civilians walking on the sand below. Cute romantic couples, parents and their children, loners, they all were always there. Miria had never considered herself a ‘civilian’ or even ‘pedestrian’, as she was the daughter of the mayor. Miria didn’t long for a ‘normal life’ like the princesses in the stories. She was content just the way she was. But everything about her life was perfect. She felt too content. Never a second of drama. She moved yet another few inches closer to the edge, her thoughts wisps in her brain. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and breathing in the salty scent that tickled her nose from below. Miria was in the middle of rolling back over to look at the sky once more, when she stumbled a bit, causing her to start the seemingly endless plummet to her doom. But as Miria should have hit the ground, she felt nothing. Opening her eyes to look around her, she saw a gray, purple, and black void. No ground was beneath her, no sky above her. But fragments stood around her. To the left of Miria, there were scenes of her back on the cliff, being happy as if nothing happened, though it was after the plummet, Miria knew, because she noticed the clouds in the positions they would be in after her fall. She was observant like that. But…to the right of Miria… she saw scenes of her body, lifeless as the beach goers surrounded her, looks of shock and horror creasing their faces. The realization dawned over Miria slowly. The one to her left was her current life. But it wasn’t real. And the one to her right…was reality. She didn’t want her perfect life, and then was hit with the idea. She would never die if she chose the left. She would be immortal. Watching everyone else leave. She would rather die. So she swam through the void, until she hit the right fragments. And everything was black.

“Today, ask the ball a plot-related question, which will be related to your prompt.”
“Will the M/C find unicorns?”
“It is certain.”
~ 1419 words
~ July 2 daily
~ Please tell me if I need to add any trigger warnings
~ Genre: Fantasy

“Thanks mom!” I said as I grabbed my lunchbox for the day and rushed outside to the big empty backyard. I quickly shut the door behind me before hiding behind a big bush.

I looked through my green binoculars, trying my best to spot them. I’ll prove everyone wrong! They are real, I just know it! I’m a big girl now, I can do it by myself without anyone’s help. I just need the patience to find them…

I waited and waited. Come on, just give me one sign! Anything, anything at all! Please? It already feels like it’s been hoouuurrrss. I’m already bored. But I can’t give up now! I need to do this!

I waited desperately. There must be something I’m doing wrong? What do unicorns like? Do I need to say a code of some sort? Should I go farther or closer? Where are books when you need them…

I quickly glanced at my set of supplies that I brought for myself. My favorite book about unicorns, the camera my dad got for me on my birthday, the lunchbox mom gave me earlier, and of course, my binoculars that I bought for myself on a school field trip. What can I do? Well, I obviously can’t ask mom to help me of course. She’ll just say that they’re “not real.” Hmph!

I picked up the book and flipped through the pages out of frustration. I know I wasn’t gonna find any information there, I read it over 100 times by now, but I liked to believe I would. I sighed and shut it again. Half of me wanted to just give up and go inside already, but half of me wanted to prove that the thing that everyone calls “just a myth” is real. They ARE real! I’m sure of it!

I looked through my binoculars again, this time looking through the giant trees. Still nothing in sight. I wish I had a watch with me. I also wish I had brought a hat. It’s really hot in Summer… I wish I had magic to summon anything I wanted. If unicorns are real, magic must be too, right? This is so boorrriiinngg.

I closed my eyes, about to fall asleep, when I heard something in the distance. I jumped and quickly looked around. “Is anyone there?” I asked, even though I knew I probably wouldn’t get an answer. I wasn’t sure what it sounded like, but it was definitely something. I got all my stuff and sprinted towards this mysterious sound. Finally, something exciting! This is like an action movie!

I found myself going in the orchard of pine trees, trying to find the source. “Uh, hello? Unicorn? Are you there? I don’t mean any harm, I promise!” I looked around, when I heard it again. It sounded like the rustling of a bush. I continued to run towards it.

“HELLO?” I yelled. My heart beat faster and faster. I heard it once more, and rushed towards that direction. At some point, I got out my binoculars to see the thing better. It must be a unicorn, it must be! What else could it be? I mean, it could be a squirrel, mom says they’re everywhere in the forest, but I’m sure it’s a unicorn!

After running and running for such a long time and probably stepping over a few sticks, I eventually got tired. I sat down at a conveniently placed fallen log, catching my breath. I was very hungry too, so I got out my lunchbox. It contained a couple of fruits an vegetables, sugary donuts (my favorite), and a tube of water. I was about to take a bite out of an apple, when I saw something white around the corner. My eyes widened in shock.

A UNICORN!

I quickly got up, not even bothering to close the lunchbox in my arms, and ran as fast as I could. I was very tired, but I needed to at least see who this was for a milisecond. “Don’t run! Please! I won’t hurt you!” I shouted. I ran and ran for what felt like hours. After a few minutes of exploring the place, to my great astonishment…

It stopped.

I didn’t actually expect it to stop, so I stood there for a few seconds, surprised. It didn’t seem to make any violent movement or anything, so I reckoned it was safe for me to move. I slowly moved around it, observing it. Sure enough, it had a horn. A real unicorn! I can’t believe it… I knew it! I proved everyone wrong!

“So you guys are real…” I quietly muttered to myself. The animal seemed to nod it’s head. It took a while to absorb all of this information, but I did eventually. I immediately got excited. “Can you do magic? How many of you guys are left? Is there another magical unicorn world? Can you talk?” I asked eagerly, not bothering to wait for an answer.

The unicorn just stared at me, with an expression that I couldn’t really understand. Well, I guess that answers one question. I really thought they could talk.

Suddenly, everything started weirdly morphing around, inverting colors. The wind felt chilly, yet warm at the same time. The trees started moving downwards, I felt like I was rising through the air. I couldn’t express what emotion I was feeling–it felt scary, yet I feel like I’ve experienced this before.

“HELP! WHAT’S HAPPENING?” I screamed. Was the unicorn doing this? No, they can’t be, I’m 100% sure unicorns are nice! Right?.. Please, anyone, I just wanna go back down! Please!

Like if someone read my mind, I started to smoothly glide towards the ground again. Everything stopped morphing around. Although, it didn’t seem like I was at the forest anymore… I wasn’t at my house, either.

The sky was purple with little to no clouds. There was a bright clear rainbow in the sky, hovering above me. There were multiple pink and green hills surrounding the place, along with a few brown trees. I gently landed on the ground with a soft thump. I looked around, admiring the beautiful scenery. I seemed to forget all my worries in almost an instant. I felt safe. The thing is… where am I? Mom is gonna be very angry!

In the distance, a lot of things of different color that I couldn’t clearly see came rushing towards me. My first thought was to run, but as they approached me, they didn’t harm me. I looked closer, and recognized what they were.

Unicorns. Lots of them.

Before I could say anything, I heard a female voice. “Ooh! Who are you? We haven’t had any visitors in a while,” it said joyfully.

“Lilac, don’t startle the visitor,” a deep male voice said back.

I was about to ask who was talking, when I realized where the voices came from.

The unicorns were talking.

Well, that answers my question again. The unicorns began to whisper and talk to each other. Some looked excited and some looked shocked.

A female purple one with a white horn came out of the crowd. She looked very different than the other unicorns.

“Welcome, child, to the land of unicorns. I see Avery has brought you here, yes?” she looked at the unicorn I saw earlier. The so-called unicorn called Avery nodded eagerly. She looked back at me, and said, “Well then, what’s your name? I hope this all isn’t too frightening for you, I do apologize if it was a startle coming here.”

I glanced around once again, taking everything in. I had so many questions! I had to save them for later though, and replied, “My name is Sarah, Miss.” It felt weird, talking to an animal.

“Well, Sarah! We all hope you have a fun time here. It certainly has been a long time since someone new arrived here. All the other humans have left, although I can’t blame them. I would definitely miss my family if I got transported to another world.”

All the unicorns cheered. I felt slightly better as I knew there was a way back home. I knew unicorns existed, but I didn’t know there was a whole other world! This is so cool! Although, what what am I supposed to do know? Mom is probably worried… It’s probably night time already!

“Hey, uh- Miss? How am I supposed to get home?” I asked, but before I could get an answer…

I woke up.

Notes:
- Alright, just to clear up, Sarah didn’t wake up on the log from earlier, she woke up in her bed
- I just went with the first prompt that came to mind and I thought of this – it was pretty fun to write tbh, even though 300+ of the words was just Sarah waiting lmbo
- This is NOT a self insert thing, but rather a story from the perspective of a young kid named Sarah
- I got lazy towards the end because it was almost my bedtime, sorry if it’s bad :’] /lh

Vi’s July 2nd Daily

250 words im sorry

“Is the main part of this story based outdoors?” Yes
(( im pretty sure this counts as being outdoors, bc majority of this story is based outside, even though it is a dream.. so yeah?? Owo ))

Away

Her mind was racing along with her body. Away, away, I have to get away, is all that looped in her brain as she stumbled across the empty crosswalks. Tears bounced off Ri’s cheeks and dropped ever-so-silently on the rocky concrete ground ground below her. 

She slowed down.

And came to a halt.



Ri looked around the isolated city. It was quiet today. 
A car zoomed past Ri, brushing her hair away from her face, and then, it was quiet again. 
Everything was.. calm. Good. she sighed in longed relief. Finally some peace of mind. 



She heaved for air, and then took three deep breaths. She was away.
She knew she couldn’t go back. She WOULDN’T go back. All the noise of the students and teachers made her ears hurt. All of them staring at her made her head hurt. But now she was here. Away from all the voices and sneers.
She was here, in the nature, outside, with only the soothing sound of the birds chirping sweet melodies, and the cool autumn breeze rustling the amber orange leaves hanging from their delicate branches.
Without anyone or anything stressing or disturbing her. Finally.


Ri woke up to a monotonous beep, ringing her mind of all sleep. Ugh. She flung her numb arm over to her bedside table next to her and slid her phone off the surface and into her hand. Ri held it up to her nose and squinted at the tiny, bright screen. 



6:30 am,

Monday.




-Vi

#poetryftw<33