March 15th Daily || 447 words

Needing a break from my usual SDS duties, I enter that one place online where I finally meet people who show the same interests in writing as me. It’s so special, that it’s completely different, not even online…
I enter the online place, and suddenly, a portal opens up, filling my whole computer screen. Good, it’s still working. I enter through the portal, landing on the ground, almost faceplanting. I can never stick the landing. I get up, some dirt on my face, and find all of the cabins surrounding me, each one of them with completely different surroundings. One that’s filled with wizard-like magic, another that was a battleground, even one that seemed very similar to Alice in Wonderland. I look at the large cabin, 10 times bigger than the rest of them, and know that I’d have to go there first.
Inside of the large cabin, the main cabin, there are hundreds of people reading the daily challenge, lining up to submit weeklies, and looking at the leaderboard. I took a quick glance at the leaderboard and found that my cabin was in 4th place. Nice! After a few minutes of roaming around, remaining silent, I exited the cabin and headed over to my cabin, non-fi.
“Heyo!” I announce as I enter the main non-fi cabin. A couple of people currently in the cabin turned around and waved over at me.
“Hey, Mango!” Waterfall, one of the co-leaders of the cabin said. I waved back, grinning. Closing the door, I notice there are very few cabin mates actually in the cabin.
“Hey, Waterfall…” I said slowly. “Where’s everyone else? Is this just inactive currently…?”
“No, everyone’s out in the back,” Waterfall responded, pointing to the back door of the cabin. What were they doing out there? Usually we only use that door to reach the 3 smaller non-fi cabins. I went out that door to find quite a few people just standing outside with shovels. One was digging, and Glow was watching. The person finished digging.
“Next!” Glow announced. Another person stepped up and said a few numbers. Then they started digging. What the-?
Waterfall was pretty close behind me. “Yeah, they’re having an excavation, because someone betrayed us…” she said, sighing a bit.
“Oh my, that isn’t good. Who did it?”
“We don’t know, that’s what we’re figuring out, because apparently, there are clues right here,” Waterfall answered.

I left the non-fi cabin and wandered around a bit. Who could have betrayed us? Bi-fi? Fantasy? I didn’t know, but I was going to find out. The first place I was going to check though, was a place that was great at solving mysteries, Mystery.

back to main post

March 15th Daily
The fanfiction features my leader Moonlit, my co-leader Reese and also two cabin mates with the name of Pinky and Sun

Moonlit had gathered a meeting. Something terrible had happened. “Ris had just kidnapped one of our cabin members. However, why is there only four of us meeting up?!” Moonlit demanded, shocked that even though the alarm had sounded, only Reese, Sun and Pinky had been alerted. “Well, last night we were all busy finishing the weekly. So that's why some campers are too tired to wake up.” Pinky answered. Moonlit sighed, “It's okay. But we need to find a way to get Marbles back. He's been held hostage at the horror cabin since cabin wars. But we don't know where.” They all stood still in silence but Sun remembered something. “Wait! I remembered that during cabin wars, I decided to stalk the horror cabin members and found out that their base is in a cell or something.” (This ain't true but I'm just writing this for fun lol.) “That's great! We can go find him now!” Reese immediately grabbed essential items and left with Moonlit to go search for their lost camper.

“Argh, it hurts. Wait, where am I?” Marbles moaned. He was blindfolded, so he couldn't see anything. Both his arms and legs were tied too, so he couldn't free himself or run away. “You woke up? That was earlier than I expected.” A sneering voice spoke to his ear. “Ris, please let me out. Why did you do this to me?” Marbles pleaded. Ris cackled, “Isn't it obvious? Dystopian and Horror are enemies. Besides, you mentioned that you like Horror and that's why I wanted to take you away.” Marbles grunted, trying to break free of the knots tying to his wrists, badly scratching the rough ropes against his skin. “What do you want from me?” he asked. “I just wanted to ask you, do you want to ditch Dystopian and join us, Horror, instead?” “Huh?” Marbles was perplexed. Sure, he actually planned to go either Horror or Dystopian this session, but halfway through to betray his friends? But what if this cabin has more interesting activities… he reconciled, now Marbles was hesitated. Ris smiled, she knew what dilemma he was facing. Marbles had to come down with a final answer, “I think I'll-” he was disturbed by a thought, this caused him to tear up slightly. He was depressed. That's why he wanted to join Dystopian in the first place. “No, I'll stay at my cabin. Final decision.” Marbles replied confidently. “Oh really? That's nice. But you'll still have to come with us.” She kicked him on the face, which made Marbles passed out again. This time, she gagged his mouth to prevent others from listening, but it was too late.

The wall broke open, they had arrived. “Marbles, wake up! Are you okay?” Moonlit rushed to his side, who had just woke up. “Ouch, not again… Oh? Moonlit, you're here!” Reese, Sun and Pinky were cornering Ris. “You shouldn't have done that to one of our campers.” It was the Dynastians' moment to sneer this time. But Ris giggled, “Do you really think I had come here alone? I had backup.” All the members of the Horror Rebellion came out of their hiding spots, trying to get the Dynastians. Most of them were trying to get Marbles and Moonlit, who was attempting to free Marbles' knots. Reese and the others were defending them and backing the Horror members off. “C'mon…” “Ouch! Why do these things always happen to me…” Marbles mumbled, looking at one side and saw a Horror member fell to the ground, a dagger in his pocket. “Moonlit, wait! There's a knife right there.” he pointed out. Moonlit snatched the knife and sliced the ropes off easily. “Quick, let's go!” Pinky motioned, they were all about to leave when they realized there was one person undefeated. “Oh no, I'm not letting you go away that easily.” Ris shot at Moonlit, but Marbles managed to deflect it by using a stool that was conveniently at his side. He also knocked out Ris with the same stool. “Wow, that was quick.” Sun said. They decided to tie Ris up but not take her as hostage, because of Marbles' constant pleading, “Why? She also took you away!” Moonlit asked, Marbles simply replied, “Well, I don't want others to feel the same I did, so that's the reason.” He told them as they left to go back to their cabin.



“Hey, Ris. Wake up! You've been tied up by the Dynastians!” A camper woke Ris up. “Oh no! But it's lucky they didn't take me away. And it's also lucky we had a backup knife entrusted to one of our campers! Wait where is it?” Ris asked. The camper admitted that Moonlit still wanted Ris to suffer a little, so she took away the emergency knife. “Wait, what?! Quick, help me untie these knots!”

THE END

806 words

2nd weekly

Total Word Count: 785

Part One Word Count: 117

I went bowling, as I do every Saturday, since I’m part of a league. I had a fun time, my best friend was there, and I was happy to find out that we’re still on the same team.
During league, I felt… empowered isn’t really the word I’m going for, but it’s the best I have. So, empowered, because I remembered that bowling is in my blood. I can do this. And it feels really good.
It also felt somewhat bittersweet, because this season will be ending soon, and it’s my last one as a youth bowler. I already know I’m really going to miss it, so I tried to appreciate the time for all it’s worth.

Part two word count: 150
Listening to “In A Heartbeat” by Frankie Rodriguez always makes me immediately feel happy, and this time was no different. Hearing it reminds me of how I felt when I first watched the episode that it was in, and relive those feelings of joy, and even relief.
The song is about how, even though Carlos and Seb’s relationship is different than what most people are looking for, even though it makes them different, the Carlos -the one singing- is forever glad that Seb is who he gets to share it with. How he would chose Seb, again and again.
I love the lyrics, and that theme of choosing the other person. About making that choice to stand by him, no matter how hard things may get, or who may say they’re wrong, or what may get in their way.
All while listening to this song, I just felt very happy.

Part three word count: 518
Charlie was sitting at the bowling alley, glancing impatiently at the door. Practice would be starting soon, and Samuel still hadn’t shown up. He was quickly growing impatient, he missed Samuel and had been looking forward to seeing him. Though they /had/ stayed up pretty late texting the night before, so it was possible he overslept…
Just then, a dark haired boy walked in the door, interrupting Charlie’s thought. He grinned and stood up, waving enthusiastically. Samuel waved back, offering a tired smile.
Charlie immediately checked to see if Samual was wearing heels. Nope. Even so, Charlie only came up to the other boy’s chin. Considering Charlie was the older of the two, he found this very unfair.
“Regretting our choice of staying up last night?” Charlie asked. He knew he was, they’d both probably less than five hours sleep, but unlike Samual, he was a hyper mess. He probably should’ve drank less caffeine.
Oh, who was he kidding? He needed more caffeine.
Samuel just nodded, already busy putting his bowling shoes on.
Practice started, and Charlie hurried to get a few throws in. Samuel was a little slower, but they both still got a decent amount of practice in.
It was a few frames into the first game when Charlie threw his first strike of the day. He knew it was going to be a strike before the bowling ball even left his hand. He’d taken a few extra moments to line up, taking a deep breath before starting his approach towards the lane. It was a series of movements he knew well, could practically do in his sleep.
One step.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Slide and release the ball.
Only after his bowling ball had passed over the arrows on the lane did he allow himself to look up, just in time to see it barreling into the pins, sending all ten flying. A perfect strike.
Charlie grinned as he turned around, trying not to look cocky, but feeling proud. That had felt really good. Strikes like that were what he lived for, what he was born for. There was something undeniably empowering about feeling that adrenaline coursing through his veins. Bowling ran in his blood.
“I’m glad we’re still on a team,” Charlie told Samuel as they were gathering up their things after bowling was done for the day. “This wouldn’t be nearly as fun without you.”
“Do you really need me, though?” Samuel asked earnestly. “If you could have your choice of anyone here, would you really pick me? There are so many better bowlers than me. We both know you’re only bowling with me because I’m the only one you know.”
“That’s not true,” Charlie said, placing his hands on Samuel’s and lacing their fingers together. “Even if I’d gotten to choose teams, I would have chosen you to be on mine. I’ll always choose you, and I don’t just mean when it comes to bowling. You’re the person I’ll always keep running back to. I love you.”
Samual smiled, his eyes glassy. He gave Charlie’s hands a gentle squeeze. “I choose you too.”

Nickname- Ava
Content- March 15th Daily
Word Count- 265/200
Topic - SWC FANFICTION
Cabin - Horror

LET'S GET STARTED

It all started on a bright summer day when Ava and Twi were trying to pelt each other with Percy Jackson knowledge even though they knew that Ava was going to win either way.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

Twi: *falls on knees* *pants*

Ava: *smug*

Twi: *looks up in admiration* How do you know so much.

Ava: *has a golden aura around her* *kneels down* *pats Twi on head*

Twi: *looks at Ava*

Ava: I can…

Twi: *cuts her off* Would you… teach me?

Ava: *slightly smiles* I can, my fellow Percy Jackson stanner

Twi: *tears in eyes* Thankyou-

Ava: Halfblood. Call me halfblood.

Twi: Thank you, master half-blood.

A few weeks later, Twi read through the first Percy Jackson series with the help of the power of Half-Blood Ava's help. everyone was surprised but AVa merely shrugged and said:

Ava: *shrug* you can do better

Twi: *bow* I will try.

A few days later she had finished the first book of the Heroes of Olympus Series. Ava pushed her to read faster and absorb more knowledge. The day Twi pulled her first all-nighter, Ava was very proud.

Ava: I gift you this medal for pulling an all-nighter.

The medal shows a picture of a book on one side and a child on another. Twi starts tearing up.

It took a bit more time, but Ava had finally trained Twi.

Twi: *bow* thankyou, Half-Blood.

Ava: There si no need for you to call me that now.

Twi: *confused*

Ava: You are now, my partner.

Ava and Twi hug as Twi cries.

Moral: READ PERCY JACKSON.

weekly 2

part 1

As weird as it might sound to some people, cleaning the kitchen can sometimes be so relaxing. Sure when your family is on your back about cleaning it it just gets stressful, but I was home alone earlier and it was nice and quiet and that was a great time to clean the kitchen while I listened to some music. It was a great way to feel productive while procrastinating on more challenging and important things like homework (though of course cleaning the kitchen is important) I didn’t get the kitchen that clean so it wasn’t really as satisfying as it could have been but it was still a nice break and I could still see the dent it made and it made me feel good. I enjoy it because it makes me feel productive and so my brain at least for a few minutes can’t stress about me being unproductive even though I’m not really doing what I should be. But hey, we need a clean kitchen. Also listening to the music which was mostly songs by the strumbellas made me think of some characters in my stories while I worked and it gave me some ideas.

198 words

part 2

I chose to look at Wassily Kandinsky’s composition VII which is an abstract painting from 1913. There is a phenomenon which I forget the name of but basically it says that humans are hard-wired to see faces where they are not and so perhaps this is why I saw so many faces in this painting. But there were many things wrong. The eyes were too big, the mouths were too big. Like they were constantly watching you and judging you and ready to yell at you. Some faces close to each other looked like they were squabbling. There were certain things that looked like a mess of food just everywhere and the suggestion of what might be a table. And so to me this painting looks like a huge argument at a family dinner. Perhaps thanksgiving. I’ve been very stressed and kind of felt like I was fighting a battle in my head lately and just overwhelmed by pressure, so perhaps that is why I interpreted it this way. There are also places where it suggests that drowning is happening and I think this adds to this symbolism of stress and pressure. In some places the colors are bright and loud suggesting that this is a cheerful scene and yes perhaps getting a little crazy, but I cannot stop seeing those faces or ignore the gloomy and foreboding grays and blacks. So perhaps the family arguing in this is trying to hide it, but bright colors cannot hide the fighting. Then again, maybe the bright colors mean that the family has learned to accept and enjoy this darkness of their fighting. Maybe it only seems so dark from an outside perspective. Perhaps to those at the table it makes dinner more lively. Perhaps the fighting is all a joke, but there does still seem to be stress at that table. Maybe then the joking fighting helps ease that stress. I cannot say which is true, for humans are complex. There is what appears to be a window looking out onto a golden field. In that field is a mountain and beyond it the sun. I think those symbolize the small hope of escape from this turmoil. That window seems like it isn’t supposed to be there, more like somebody tore a hole in the wall because sometimes somebody has to show you there is a sun out there.

398 words

part 3 (warning includes a bunch of toxic people and bullying)
Koharu leaned against the counter rubbing her forehead as she tried to get her head unjumbled. So much had been going on this week and now her relatives were coming over soon which brought a whole new wave of stress. Some might call Koharu’s relatives fun and boisterous, but she didn’t think a lot of their “games” made very good games. She looked around the kitchen. Oh grandma would criticize this and she would criticize that… Koharu wasn’t in the mood for the lectures so she set about setting up the kitchen just so. how grandma would like it. She heard her parents bedroom door open and Mom came down the hall. “Oh koharu, what are you doing up?” she asked with a yawn as she poured herself coffee. “I can’t sleep,” Koharu said. “How can anyone sleep when the relatives are coming for dinner.” Mom sighed and nodded. “I get what you mean. Mama is not feeling too good about this either, but we can make this work.” She ruffled Koharu’s short black hair. “Let’s make some mochi.” “But then we’ll have to share it with our relatives…” Koharu pointed out. Mom chuckled. “I know you’ll pile as many as you can on your plate, regardless of whether or not the relatives judge you.” “but they’ll judge you and mama, and I care about that.” Koharu sighed. “I still wanna make mochi. Actually can we make zenzai?” “That sounds delicious. And I think Uncle Yoshio will appreciate us making his favorite food.” “or say we didn’t do it right,” Koharu muttered. Mom sighed. “Oh Koharu, sometimes I wish you hadn’t inherited Mama’s pessimism.” she kissed Koharu on the cheek. “They are going to love it and we are all going to have a wonderful dinner together.”
Four hours later, everything in the house was ready for the relatives to arrive. Koharu, her moms and her little sister Toshiko were all eating lunch and talking. “I like it better when Grandpa Phil comes,” Toshiko grumbled. “He takes me to fun places like the zoo.” “I agree, can;t we ask Grandpa Phil to come instead?” Koharu asked hopefully. “Why are you three so against my family anyway?” Mom asked. “We love your family,” Mama assured her. “But we don’t like having them at this house.” “Just please try to be welcoming hosts.”
At 4:15 the first of the relatives arrived. Mom’s little brother Uncle Yoshio, his wife Sakura and their son Daisuke. They welcomed them in and invited them to sit in the living room. Daisuke was about Koharu’s age and as soon as they were all sitting in the living room and the adults had gotten to discussing the adult things like money, he looked at her with narrowed eyes. “You’re not gonna let her do anything funny like last time, are you?” he asked, jabbing a thumb toward Toshiko who was playing with her my little pony toys. Koharu was a bit confused. “You mean you’re like everyone else in this family and you expect a five year old to act like she’s fifteen? You know what you and all your stupid-” she stopped short when he started laughing. “It’s just a joke. Learn to lighten up.” well it didn’t sound very much like a joke. Mom shot her a warning glance and gestured for her to get the door. Koharu remembered the incident last year. Toshiko had been acting like any kid would, eating her favorite foods without self control since the adults were too busy to watch her. Of course, taking that many desserts wasn’t good, but Great Uncle Benjiro had spent a good twenty minutes lecturing them about it and it had felt very personal. He hadn’t said it directly, but he may as well have called Mom and Mama bad parents. And honestly considering his barely hidden homophobia, it made sense. She sighed then opened the door and welcomed in her Grandma. She bowed to her and took her bag and jacket and then led her into the living room. As they walked, Grandma asked her, “so are you still into those silly video games?” Koharu was silent and grandma pinched her cheek. “Oh lighten up. You know we all know that you have no hope of getting a good job, so you wasting your time with video games isn’t a problem. You have no potential.” Tears welled in Koharu’s eyes, threatening to spill down her face but she managed not to cry. She bit her tongue to keep from saying anything. “Ah, I’m just teasing,” Grandma said. It didn’t feel like just teasing.


780 words

The Meeting of Earth Citizens'
An SWC contest Entry by @coolgirl100-

Elephant paced up and down at the clearing, waving her trunk up and down, waiting for the citizens to come.
“Hello, Tortoise,” She muttered, nodding to the stroll of a tortoise who was the first to come.
“Good evening, Elephant.” Tortoise greeted back. “My, we haven't had one of these meetings since… oh…the last extinction event?”
“Indeed, and this time we are getting all of the citizens from every habitat in every continent. From the Giant Squids of the Unknown Waters to the Toucans of the Tropical Forests to the Penguins at the End of the World.”
"Well, that would take ages for everyone to get here.“ Tortoise rolled his eyes. ”Well, it'll be worth it when we all hear your wise words.“

Hours passed. Days passed. Weeks passed. It was only a whole month since everyone has flocked to this famous speech Elephant happened to be giving.
The citizens met at the clearing of the forest, (far away from ”distraction“, as an eagle said to his friend.) and the animals sat down and started to chat about their journeys.
”'Went on a motorway!“ A pigeon chuckled. ”I followed one of the human cargo trucks out to sea!“
A tapir groaned, ”Didn't take me long to reach the end of the Rainforest.“
”I heard that some of the fishes had a hard time navigating the oil spills,“ A narwhal chatted.
”You do not want to know about the amount of buildings I have seen.“ A panda mumbled to a nodding giraffe.
Suddenly, the bustling audience quietened down. As the sun hid behind the shady trees, Elephant stumbled onto the stage. She glanced at all of the arrived animals, staring at her with too-curious intent, and silently gasped at a shocking jolt in her nerves.
”Greetings, Citizens of the Earth.“ She started nervously. ”Before I start, may I say- how wonderful it is for all of you across our world to reach this very clearing here! I am just amazed by all of the different animals I can see before myself today.“
The citizens all looked at one another and mumbled in agreement.

”Now, the reason why I wanted to gather everyone around today is to discuss the developments of… yes… Humans.“
A collective gasp rose from the animals. Ibexes bleated. Parrots cawed. Armadillos curled up into balls.

”Humans are EVERYWHERE!“ Fox cried.
”They could be watching us RIGHT NOW! Gazelle shrieked.
Elephant hesitated and tried to carry on. "Y-yes. Exactly. This is what we need to discuss today so we can plan our further opinions and actions to ensure that Earth is in top condition. And well, as you all know, when it comes to that, humans can be a… controversial subject.”
“Controversial,” A falcon chuckled to her sister.

“But, just to re-clarify, humans are still one of us. They are still a citizen of Earth. We cannot distance ourselves from them,”
“But we are talking about them behind their back!” Orangutan exclaimed.
“Yes, the reason why humans are not present in this meeting is just for practical safety issues. Such as… well… if they attack us and eat us and sell our pelts and everything else. But, let’s get back to my point: Within this Earth, humans had built so many dens and nests it has become an artificial habitat that has proven to be dangerous.”
“Indeed!” a gecko piped up. “Their habitats overpower ours! An invasive species is one thing, but an invasive habitat is certainly a whole other!”
Crocodile groaned. “Not even the dinosaurs were this bad.”
“Yes, and-“
“Don’t forget that humans are apex predators!” A fawn wept. “They even wear our skins! And decorate their shelters with them!“
”They have whaled our whales!“ Dolphin called.
”They have put the Big Cats to shame!“ Snow leopard sighed.

A turtle shook her head. ”These humans have been carelessly throwing monstrous carcasses at my newborn children… It is a DISGRACE! It’s immoral, unethical, and DOWNRIGHT BRUTAL!”
Big brains come with even BIGGER egos! Who do they think they ARE!?” The bears growled.
"They obviously need to be regulated!" Shark snapped.
“Indeed,” Elephant turned to the ground in grief. “They have disrespected my kind as well. Our proud, all-knowing species have been put to humiliation.” She staggered up. “And that’s why we need to take action.”

Everyone perked up, suddenly inspired, their anger fuelled.
“INVADE THEIR HABITATS!” Gorilla and Rhino bellowed.
“Chuck debris at THEM!” The seagulls squawked in malicious glee.
“RIOOOOOT!!” The orcas snarled.
The forest clearing was a clamour. Every single citizen hollered and squawked ideas of how to take revenge on the humans. Some might've said it was too foolish. Others said it was needed.

“WAIT!” A voice suddenly boomed. The citizens halted, a sudden desire to listen more. But it wasn’t Elephant speaking.
It was Tortoise.
“We can’t attack the humans.” He began, as slow as his walk. “It’ll be just despicable to go down to their level.”
The citizens nodded, suddenly ashamed of their immoral behaviour.
“Good point,” whispered Wren. “But then how will we defeat them and make sure they are not destructive ever again,”
Tortoise glanced up at Elephant. It only took a minute for her to remember her cue.
“Well… As mentioned before, some humans do have an awareness of the meaning of Earth citizenship, and there is a rapidly growing number of them trying to fix their old ways. They call it “environmental action,” but I like to use the term “common sense,”
Pigeons shrugged. “As a city kinda guy, I did see loads of that going around. Like how their monstrous steeds, “cars” aren’t stinking up the place so much anymore.”

“Correct, and there is another surprise in store,” Elephant noted. She pointed up at the sky and the sinking sun, “The humans have been discussing amongst themselves,” she began breathlessly. “About flying into the night sky and living on one of the planets,”

A pause. Not even the crickets chirped.

“HORRAYYYYY!!!!” A sudden bang of clamour filled the clearing once more, every single citizen celebrating and applauding this exciting news.
“THEY WILL BE GONE FOREVERRR!” Kangaroo jumped up and down.
“WE WON’T HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THEM!” Seal clapped.
“What a stroke of luck!” Hyena cackled. “The humans banish themselves!”

“But,” Elephant grumbled, her patience wearing string-thin. She sucked another deep breath from her trunk and raised her voice a little louder and sternly. “It would take a LONG time FOR them to make the wings that would FLY them there!”
Crane called out. “How big exactly are these so-called ‘wings’? Not even Falcon or Eagle could fly as high to reach the planets,”
"Unless they aren't actually wings,“ Octopus suggested. ”I'm no expert, but perhaps the Humans had created some monstrous device that would take them,“
Elephant nodded in sudden excitement. ”Now we're getting somewhere!“
Antelope gazed around in confusion. ”So what are we supposed to do, then,“ He asked.
”Good question!“ Elephant replied, a smile spreading. ”We just give the humans a little push to help them with get up there… after all, wouldn't it benefit all of us? The humans have fun on Mars or somewhere, while we get our peace.“
”Ok, but how are we going to do that?“

Octopus crawled to the front to where Elephant was standing. She bent down and he whispered in her large ear. She stood back up again and beamed at Antelope.
”We learn the rocket science,"

(1241 words)

Weekly # 2 - NOT FINISHED :D
note: I'm not done (as you'll probably read in the intro below I still have to my second part 2 and 3 ^^).. I just posted this here as proof just in case I don't finish ^^. Will make a new post once I'm done! :D

Intro that can be skipped over <33
So, I wanted to go for an extra challenge, because why not XD (that’s literally who I am :>). That’s why I decided to do this weekly /twice/.. I mean, not really “twice”, but I chose to do two for each part, which now when I think about it, is twice as much Who knows why I did it (I’m not even aware myself ).. Maybe it’s for more words? Or maybe its because I couldn’t decide upon one source of art/media for part 2, and decided to do more XD.

Either way, if you’re reading this, I hope you enjoy! And as always, feel free to give feedback, although I didn’t really spend much time writing this, so its probably not my best work ^^’. With that said, let’s get started (side note, the intro itself was 131 words :0 – very unintentional /gen)

Part 1:
Activity 1: Going Outside for a Walk - 176 words
I decided to take a walk outside today because the weather seemed pretty nice for the first time this month. “Spring is coming soon!”, I thought to myself after I began walking down the street. My statement was true both figuratively and literally as spring was just a around the corner on March 20. The gleaming sun always manages to brighten my mood now matter what, maybe its the thought of being able to go outside with a coat and endless amount of layers on - or maybe its because summer is just fun. No reason needed. That being said, this walk was exactly what I needed to relax - the sun up high in the sky, with a gentle breeze pushing past my face. Although it may have seemed like a warm day, it was still a bit cold - I tried not to push as after all, summer months were just making their way along. Nevertheless the roads were clear, shining bright (if that even makes sense), and I felt at home, happy, in a safe place.

Activity 2: Car Ride (long distance) - 126 words
The view outside looks super elegant - although it’s extremely frigid outside, the temperature in car is nice and toasty. Squished in-between our luggage, I managed to turn on the heater to heat up my seat. I was super excited! We were going on a 6-hour road trip to meet friends and family! My brother had already fallen asleep, and I was beginning to drift off. The radio was playing in a loud, eyt subtle manner, and I was nodding my head to and frow to the beats of the song. I titled my head towards the window, watching as the cars pn either side passed, I then closed my eyes. The music still playing, which I can faintly hear as I slowly drift off to sleep.

Part 2:
Dandelions by Ruth B. - 236 words
The opening theme gives me nostalgic vibes, a rush of warmth and memory that is comforting any time I’m feeling down. The first couple of verses in the song talks about an unknown person who you find special to you - although it does not necessarily explicitly state this, I have taken the meaning as such. Countless would listen to this song, and think of it as a longing feeling or missing sensation of love. Someone who you adore dearly, so much that you do not call it love, you can just feel it deep down inside. Listening to this beautiful piece of music I believe that it can be used to explain a person dear to you that has passed away - moved onto the next world. It signifies how much you love them, and what they truly meant to you. The part erferring to “wishing on dandelions all of the time, all of the time”, has a truly hidden, yet heavenly meaning. I believe that that portion of the song (basically the majority of the chorus) is trying to convey that you’re wishing that your lost love (someone who was close to you through it all) would come back one last time. Although this may not have been the true purpose or meaning the song was expressing, this is one of the ways I have reflected and analyzed the meaning behind the impactful lyrics.

Part 3:
A Dying Wish - 528 words
Walking down the empty street gleaming with sunshine, I’m trying to forget all my sorrows. But it is too hard.. I couldn’t imagine living without them but now she’s gone - never to come back again. Although it's warmer than usual, I decided to wear a black laced up hoodie. Hopefully this would protect me from any more coldness that was about to make its way into my life - both literally and figuratively. I want to look up, keep my head up high, and pretend that nothing is wrong. I just can’t.. It’s too much to ask anyone, let alone me, a person who normally takes their emotions, gathers them up, and pushes them down further.

I don’t really have many friends, the one that I did have is gone - lost to the wind. I hope that I’ll see her again one day - she was too innocent to live in this world. Raina would always tell me to open up, and I would. Only to her though. My secrets and worries were too much of a burden for anyone else to carry, which is probably why Raina’s no longer standing. I felt responsible for her tragic passing - although I had nothing to do with it, I felt as if I could have done something to prevent it.

These thoughts continued to swirl through my head as I walked my dog, Ivory down the path. I often liked to wonder what he thinks of the world, what his worries are, and.. I honestly don't know. Tears suddenly began to trickle down my cheeks in large pools, and I hastily wiped them away with the sleeve of my hoodie. The droplets seeped through my hoodie and made by hand wet - it felt icky, but I managed to carry on.

In a distance not too far off, I noticed a patch of dandelions. Scratch that, a field filled with them. Although they were weeds and harmed plants at some rate, they were so beautiful. I convinced Ivory to run and we both rushed towards the blooming field. I let Ivory out of his leash, and he began to run free. I slowly began to walk towards the grassy field, and decided to watch Ivory play while I sat under an oak tree for shade. Feeling my surroundings, I noticed an abundance of dandelions - the white ones, not the yellow ones. Raina always believed that making a wish on a dandelion would always come true. I, of course thought it was nonsense, but at the present moment, it was the only thing I wanted to do.

I picked a dandelion up from the grass, and held it up to my face. I closed my eyes, and muttered. I wished. Wished that Raina would come back, alive, and healthy. That should be there for me through my troubles. At least for one last time. I know it may seem selfish, but she was the glue that held me together, the one that motivated me to wake up the dreadful world every day. But now she was gone - and this was my only chance at getting her back, no matter how silly it may seem.

This is a fan-fiction of @smalltoe's daily with dialogue: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/topic/664056/?page=16#post-7039891

“I don’t get it,” I whisper.
I stare at where my hand should be, cold tears dropping from invisible eyes. The grass is wet with night dew. I can feel my hair brushing over my face, smooth and dry. The black stone in front of me is carved in flat, grey marble, my finger brushing over the engraved name on its face.
LANA MISCH
POPULATION CONTROL NO. 57
Trembling, I step out of the shadow of imprisonment, into the dawning night. I look around, the mass of stone fuzzy through tears. Leaves crush beneath my foot, the only trace of my presence. I used to use my voice as it should be used. I used to shout and rally. There were hundreds. There were elderly people who wanted to get up and do something, adults who were sick of this world… children old enough to stand up for their rights, young enough to not entirely know what they were doing. Children. The executioners said anyone who defies the government goes on Population Control. They don’t have the right to harm the children. They don’t. No. It can’t be.
I force my feet to walk. I remember, through a blurred brain and icy tears, two teenage boys, one called Ru… I let my eyes drift over to the stones on my left, crammed next to each other in an awkward sideways pattern, names carved fresh.
RUBEN JONES
POPULATION CONTROL NO. 12
HENRY SMYTH
POPULATION CONTROL NO. 13
I swipe heavy tears off my face. It makes no difference.
Children.

xxfierroorfalafelxx more stuff

daily march 15


In the land of books, everybody was rushing around excitedly to welcome the new wave of heroes. The members of scratch writing camp were once again setting out on a mission to defend creativity and storytelling. Even the spooky cells of Horror were decorated with colorful streamers for the celebration, though if you looked too closely you might realize the streamers weren’t streamers but hey they sure looked festive. Snacks were of course being provided by the poetry coffeehouse and everyone was encouraged to see the exhibit at the museum about the first heroes of SWC. A young tree spirit recalled when she’d been created last SWC and brought to this world. Everyone eagerly awaited the new characters that would be arriving soon. At the far end of town, the daily team worked tirelessly at the daily factory, getting help from the little idea sprites as they made fun writing prompts and challenges for the new coming campers. The cabin leaders were also all busy with the various aspects of their genres, hauling logs to construct the cabins and making sure each one fit the genre properly. The arena had been cleared for word wars and cabin wars, the pencils had been sharpened. Everyone eagerly awaited the new batch of campers.


daily march 16

Black paws tread on the sweet green earth, squashing in the mud
The wisdom of a thousand ages runs through my blood
As I make my journey to that ever growing grass
I could spend forever here, eating all this bamboo, but alas
They’re coming with their machines and all their saws
Every day I feel like I lose one of my friends, they just slip right from my paws
The world thinks I am dumb and do not know enough about how to live
Why eat bamboo, they say? Don’t you understand, I eat it for the wisdom it gives
In these beautiful forests reaching high into the clouds
I the panda live far away from the human crowds
But the birds they tell me stories of how you’re always in a hurry, always in a rush
Here in this tranquil calm the spirits speak, and we hear them for we take a moment and hush
Do not tell me I need to hurry up, but take a moment and slow down.
The wisdom of the world may find its way into your heart

PART ONE: Do a Relaxing Activity

(100 words)

For my activity, I read a book (Exile by Shannon Messenger) before I went to sleep last night. It’s relaxing for me because I am laying in bed while reading, and it helps me get my mind off lots of the stresses in a day and even makes me tired. I am trying to reread the KOTLC series for a second time while I wait for the next book to come out, so I am also filling my mind with even more knowledge that I can remember after a night of sleep. Reading before bed definitely helps me sleep better.

~

PART TWO: Consume Media

(105 words)

For this part of the weekly, I listened to “When I Was Your Man” by Bruno Mars. The mood of the song and the slow tune express the regret in the words, and the rhyming is really good as well. I really love the parallel lyrics at the end, at least I think that’s what it’s called. The speaker obviously was sad and regretted not treating his lover right, but now he accepts that he can’t get her back and hopes that she is happy with someone else. I like that it connects to Flowers by Miley Cyrus as well, one of my favorite songs.

~

PART THREE: Story

- wrote a songfic based on kotlc! sorry but not sorry fitz <3
- takes place some time after stellarlune, so spoilers ig.
- also, this is a random mess, so read at your own risk!

(1011 words)

Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now
Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same
When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down
'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name

I've been feeling numb lately. It's as if all the emotions have been drained out of me.

I can still recall the time when we first broke up. I was trying to avoid everything and everyone, but it seemed like some people were starting to notice the way I had started to distance myself from her. Not that I had cared, with that throbbing pain eating away at my heart.

I still can't comprehend why she won't tell me what went wrong, or why she doesn't seem to understand or notice how much this is affecting me.

The hurt in her brown eyes, like something had broken inside, and the way she had been so angry…it's still so vivid in my mind.

Maybe it's better this way, but again, I'm just trying to convince myself of that. I’ll believe it eventually.

I know that later I'll be okay with what happened. Until then, I'll continue to navigate through this numbness and hope that someday I'll be able to feel again.

It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, ooh, hoo
Mm, too young, too dumb to realize

Looking back now, I realize that I should have done things differently. If I had understood her, she would have chosen me instead of walking away.

Even though I have regrets, I find myself standing before her, pleading for another chance. But as I gaze into her stunning brown eyes, I can sense her resistance. She's telling me to stop, to let go of the past and to move on. She already has, but I can’t accept that.

Though I’m usually someone who has obediently followed the rules, I'm tempted to break them now. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win her back and make her mine.

That I should have bought you flowers
And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance

Okay, maybe I wasn't the best for her. I was young and inexperienced in love. However, I can't help but wonder how I can convey my regrets to her. Will she ever believe me or love me again?

As I notice her staring off into space, I can't help but feel a sense of uselessness. Is she avoiding me because she despises me? I shouldn’t blame her for feeling that way. I know I don’t deserve her.

Sophie needs time to process everything, but my heartstrings still ache when she gives me a fleeting glance. I wish I could apologize and prove that I am worthy of her forgiveness.

Take you to every party ‘cause all you wanted to do was dance
Now my baby’s dancing
But she's dancing with another man

Sophie told me about her new relationship with Keefe. I understand that I should handle this news well and not let it affect our friendship, a part of me feels shattered inside.

It's difficult to ignore that she never kissed me before…

My pride, my ego, my needs, and my selfish ways
Caused a good strong woman like you to walk out my life
Now I never, never get to clean up the mess I made, oh
And that haunts me every time I close my eyes

Although it's been a while since she left me, I understand why she had to move on. She has taken a different path, and it's time for me to do the same. However, letting go is easier said than done.

I’m aware of my mistakes. I tend to lose my temper and say things I regret later. Those actions caused her to leave, and I can't take back what I said.

Now that she's moved on with him, I feel lost. Sleep eludes me as I replay our past conversations in my head, and the pain of losing her washes over me once again.

It's time for me to accept that she's moved on and focus on fixing myself. I need to learn from my mistakes and become a better person, not just for her, but for everyone around me. It won't be easy, but it's necessary.

It all just sounds like ooh, ooh, ooh, hoo
Mm, too young, too dumb to realize
That I should have bought you flowers

Today, I found myself crying for the first time in a while. It was a strange feeling, one that I had been trying to avoid. The grief that consumed me before was something I never wanted to experience again. But here I was, feeling vulnerable and exposed.

As I wiped away my tears, I couldn't help but feel foolish for letting my emotions get the best of me. I knew that I couldn't take it out on myself anymore. It was a dangerous path, and I couldn't afford to do that, especially with Sophie already dealing with so much.

I can’t blame Keefe for what had happened. It wasn't his fault, and I knew that I would regret it if I let my anger consume me again.

Biana noticed that something was off with me, but she didn't confront me. I was grateful for her understanding, but everyone was preoccupied, so I knew that I had to keep my feelings in check.

Keep the emotions under control, Fitz. Don’t let it show. You’ve done this for years, and you’ve survived so far.

And held your hand
Should have gave you all my hours
When I had the chance

I long for those days when we laughed at the silliest things, surprised each other with gifts, and held hands without a care in the world. I wonder if I'll be able to handle it when they do that, too.

I know that I have some issues, but it’s hard to address when I see them together. I feel that tug yet again, and it won’t go away. Especially when I’m aware that he's better for her.

Take you to every party ‘cause all you wanted to do was dance
Now my baby’s dancing
But she's dancing with another man

I was stupid to look past the moments when Keefe flirted with Sophie, convincing myself that he was teasing. I should have acted better to her and stopped myself from speaking my mind without thinking it through.

It’s clear to me now that my foolish fantasies will never come to pass. Because I broke her heart, and she’ll never take me back.


Although it hurts
I'll be the first to say that I was wrong
Oh, I know I'm probably much too late
To try and apologize for my mistakes

As I think about my actions, a wave of apologies floods my mind. It’s too soon to say them as the numbness takes over once again. But I refuse to let it consume me.

I know now that it’s too late to seek forgiveness for the pain I have caused her. I understand that she may never take me back or believe my words. However, my intentions aren’t to win her back. I just want to say that I have accepted that I can no longer be with her again.

But I just want you to know
I hope he buys you flowers
I hope he holds your hand
Give you all his hours
When he has the chance
Take you to every party
'Cause I remember how much you loved to dance
Do all the things I should have done
When I was your man
Do all the things I should have done
When I was your man

also kind of random but i read this INCREDIBLE percabeth fanfic aa—it’s so good i love them

Here is my weekly for folklore! a total of a whopping 1,245 words lol

WEEKLY PART 1:

For my break (which ended up being 30 minutes rather than 15), I grabbed some ice water and my book, and left my phone and iPad downstairs, then went to my art desk upstairs.
To start, I got out my dip ink pens and went over a quote in my sketchbook to make the words clearer.
Being in my room with just my dog and me was really nice and calming. As well, it was very low-stress to simply go over lines I’d already made in my sketchbook.
It felt really good to be off my screen (and do work for SWC as I was!)
I drew a character and listened to some music on my Alexa, then I decided to read my book. I was in one of my favorite character’s chapters and it was good to read. Not reading this book had honestly made me feel a bit guilty, as weird as that sounds.
The chapter followed two characters having a political discussion, so I thought about incorporating that into my story for this weekly.
Then my sister came up as I wrote out an idea for the description of our comic, also with the ink pens.
Overall, it was very calming to have a break. I really liked this weekly, thanks guys!
215 words

WEEKLY PART 2:

I had The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson out on my desk, so I decided to read a chapter from it for this part of the weekly. I chose the epilogue titled “Of Most Worth”. I was already laughing at the beginning, as this chapter was narrated by one of the most comedic characters—but also one of the most interesting and mysterious. I really thought about what made me like this series so much. The world building is fascinating and the plot twists and reveals are shocking and enticing. This chapter ends with a particularly important character’s surprise return. This character’s backstory is super interesting and tragic, as he was abandoned by his friends and allies to suffer for eternity so that they may be free. Yet, this character has not—so far in the series at least—seemed bitter. He’s, well, insane, but also earnest. I also tried to think through Wit’s—the narrator—comments and questions. Wit is one for asking philosophical questions and enjoys focusing on wording and wordplay. His comments earlier in the chapter are all brought to a head in the final sentences with the reveal, which I thought was a brilliant maneuver. Sometimes, Wit’s statements can seem strange or out of place, but they always have some meaning. I really enjoyed focusing on a single creation—especially in the view of the larger work.
226

WEEKLY PART 3:

What made a good soldier?
This was the question Jessica pondered every day.
Each time another man died beside her, another ally bled out while she sat there helpless. . .Jessica wondered.
Was she a good soldier?
Soldiers were meant to fight for their homes, but Jess’ home was gone.
Soldiers were meant to fight for what they believed in, but Jessica didn’t know what she believed anymore. So much had been broken by this war, Jessica sometimes wondered if it had even fractured what they were fighting for.
Each time she doubted, Jessica would ask Beta to tell her about his childhood.
They would share stories of growing up in London, before it had been destroyed—decimated by a barrage of bombs that had killed millions. And Jessica would know that they were facing an evil worth beating.

It was dark in the tunnels. The only sound was that of Beta’s boots hitting the concrete behind her, reassuring Jessica of his presence.
Her heart beat quickly in her chest. They’d managed to avoid patrols so far, other than the one that had divided their squad, but her inability to know what was happening to her teammates worried her.
The darkness scared her, too.
What were their enemies hiding in this place?
They hadn’t been given that information, so her mind was allowed to wander.
After all, they were soldiers, not generals.
Occasionally, they heard screams, but it was impossible to tell if they were human or animal.
Each time, though, Jess would grip her gun tighter, and glance back at Beta.
His eyebrows were drawn, jaw clenched.
When he saw her, though, his eyes would brighten. Beta wouldn’t smile, but he would nod, acknowledging her concern.
After what Jessica assumed was hours walking the tunnels, not knowing exactly what they were looking for, they passed by a door that looked no different from the others.
Suddenly, a howl pierced her ears. She couldn’t describe it as a scream; this was a long, mournful howl.
And it was coming from the door they had, moments earlier, walked by without thinking anything of it.
It cut off as quickly as it had begun, and Beta sprang towards the door, back pressed against the wall.
Jessica mimicked him, making herself small on the opposite side of the door. Their eyes met. What to do now?
Beta nodded, almost imperceptibly.
Jess readied her weapon.
Beta turned, then blasted the door with his specially modified blaster.
The door exploded off its hinges. The metal scraped across the concrete floor of the room with a squeal.
Beta and Jess burst inside, weapons raised.
But the room didn’t hold what they expected.
A figure huddled in the corner, skin scratched and bleeding, sides shaking.
Beta’s eyes darted wildly across the room, which was illuminated by a line of lights along the edge between the ceiling and walls. It was empty, besides the bruised, silently sobbing body in the corner.
As Beta prowled around the room and checked for hidden doors or other clues, Jess’ eyes adjusted to the sudden light and she focused on the figure.
Rather than look at them, the person crouched smaller, turning their head away. As if not seeing made the problem not exist. A tiny whimper sounded, echoing off the hard walls.
It was a quite different sound from the howl Jessica had heard earlier, but somehow she knew it was made by the same creature.
What were they doing to this poor child?
As Jessica moved closer she could tell it was a boy. He wore no covering, though he didn’t appear cold. Bones jutted out from under unnaturally pale, naked flesh.
Jessica knelt a meter or so away from the child, laying her gun on the ground.
“Jess. . . .,” Beta murmured.
“Shh,” she whispered.
The boy finally lifted his head.
His eyes. . . .
They were vivid yellow, pupils slitted like a wolves’. Rimmed with tears, the boy’s eyes narrowed as he growled.
To Jessica, though, the sound seemed more fearful than threatening.
“We’re not here to hurt you,” she assured him.
He didn’t respond, but his snarl faded.
“Jess, let’s get out of here,” Beta begged.
“Wait,” she told him, gaze locked with the child’s. “I’m Jess. This is Beta.” She pointed to herself and to Beta in turn.
The boy blinked at her with those strange eyes.
“What’s your name?” Jessica asked, hardly daring to breathe.
The child took a breath, and his eyes faded into human ones of a deep brown. “I am Xavier,” he said.

As she sat beside the tiny, bruised body of a young boy, broken by her enemies, Jessica didn’t wonder anymore. She knew they were good soldiers, or as good of soldiers as could exist. Her squad would fight for this boy until the end. Because no one else would.

804 words

swc fanfiction daily, inspired by the pie chaos that happened in dystopian recently <3
i also speedran this afjnskfsk
325 words

It was supposed to be a normal day. It was going to be a normal day - that is, until a mound of pies showed up on Ave’s doorstep.
She was confused, to say the least. There was no note. No return address. Nothing to show who sent these pies - and why. What possible motive could there be for sending over a dozen sweet pies to someone’s house?
Well, they can’t just stay out here in the sun, Ava thought to themself. And so against her better judgement, they picked up the pies and took them inside.
There wasn’t enough room in the pantry, so onto the table they went. The mound bent precariously over to one side, and Ave watched it lean, trying to think who on earth the mysterious pie-sender could be. But before she could come up with any ideas, they were startled by a knock on the door –
outside she went, to the doorstep, and there it was. Another mound of pies.
They looked up and down the street, trying to see who had brought them, but there was no-one there. They were gone.
Her gaze slowly descended to the pies.
They all seemed to be the same flavour, Ave noticed. Apple, possibly? It smelled sweet - was apple pie sweet?? They didn’t really know what apple pie was meant to smell like.
Nevermind. She could figure out the flavour later. For now, they picked them up (one fell to the ground, oozing pie over the doorstep) and took them to join the other mound of pies, on the table.
Two mounds of pies now. Who were they from? Why were they here?
Perhaps someone got the wrong address, perhaps they weren’t for Ava at all. If that was the case, she really shouldn’t eat them.
But they smelled so good.


Too preoccupied (preoccuPIED ) with the delight of eating them, Ave never noticed the small crow etched into the pastry on the bottom…

PART ONE: Do a Relaxing Activity (written by Lio)

How do you get to your happy place? For me, a walk around my neighborhood followed by a warm cup of peppermint tea lets me relax and reconnect with myself. Perhaps for you it’s biking, or watercolor painting, or playing with a pet ibex.

The first part of this weekly is all about relaxing activities! For at least 15 minutes, do an off-screen activity that you enjoy, preferably one that involves going outside or interacting with your friends or family. Then, come back and write at least 100 words reflecting on your activity and how it made you feel. Have fun! <33

119 words
I went on a walk for this activity, since it wasn't too harsh out and I wanted a way to relax after a long day of school. It helped me let go of the day's drama, and overall I felt better about myself afterwards. It was sort of cold, but I liked the breeze, and the numbness helped me reconnect in a way? Anyways I had a lot of time to think privately and reflect, without having anyone noticing me and asking if I'm okay haha. Daylight savings caused the afternoon to last much longer than it should've, the extra daylight was nice although I wasn't able to catch the sunset. It almost feels like spring that way,,

PART TWO: Consume Media (written by Rea)


Whether it be reading, watching a movie or TV show, or listening to music, consuming a form of art is a great way to fuel creativity. If we don't consume art on a regular basis, our creativity will dull our creativity, which will, in turn, cause our writing to suffer. Consuming creative works by others gives you the spark of inspiration you need to write.

Activity
Take a moment to read/view/listen to any medium of art you wish. This could be:
- watching a movie or show
- reading a book, even if it's just a few chapters
- listening to a song
- admiring a visual/piece of artwork

Whatever you decide to do, focus on it to the fullest of your abilities and avoid distractions to absorb every detail. After you've done that, write 100 words of reflection!

108 words
So! For this I read a few chapters of the Magnus Chase series by Rick Riordan. (His other books were my entire childhood, so I decided to pick up on it again haha-) It's very different from what I read nowadays, and very quick to get through, but I still enjoyed it very much! It radiates pure chaotic energy and the characters are really lovable. I felt a little nostalgic reading it, since Rick's writing style is very iconic and it made me miss when I was a child simply existing. Overall it was a fantastic time annnd I'm probably going to go finish the book eventually,,,

PART THREE: Story (written by Stewy)


Now that you've hopefully done some relaxing, it's time for the inspiration part of the weekly <3 Story time! Draw elements from the activity you did in Part 1 and the media you consumed in Part 2, and combine it together into a story of least 500 words.

For example: I might've gone on a walk for Part 1, and consumed a story about our lovely Pirate Queen Lulu eating the Daily Team mascot (oopsie daisy!) for Part 2. I could write a story about Lulu going on a walk and somehow ending up devouring Smarlls. Now - your turn! Have fun, heroes.

535 words of nonsense…
it all started out with nixi going for a peaceful walk. it was quiet outside, the sun just beginning to set, tinting the sky a shade of orange that was somehow both calming and fiery. soft music blasted through a single earbud, and nixi allowed herself to zone out.
she had been quite productive today, if she could say so herself. all her homework was done, she did well on the pop quiz, and she might even be able to sneak in a bit of clarinet practice. it was as if things were finally going her way, which never happened. she sent a silent thank you into the universe.

perhaps she jinxed herself.
she felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around expecting to see the worst. luckily, it was just another girl of her age, and not an elderly kidnapper.
“hey there?” nixi asked hesitantly. hadn't it been completely desert moments before.
“hi!” said the girl enthusiastically. “i'm emily! and uh, may i ask you a favor?”
“depends on what… also, where'd you come from?”
“great! so, i need you to go to the park and retrieve my purse for me.”
she blinked. “excuse me, that's not what i said, you know you could just go yourself,”
“see you at sundown!” emily ran off into the distance. nixi rolled her eyes and muttered something, before heading home.
emily jumped out of a bush, frowning.
“i said, get me the purse.”
it didn't really look like she had an option anymore.

nixi wandered in the direction of the park. ok, so fine. how bad could getting a purse be? a teenager like her couldn't possibly be able to lure her into a trap. this land was crime free. best of the best, she could get the purse and be able to go home without being stalked.
the breeze whipped the leaves into a miniature tornado. her past self used to be scared of those, thinking they were real. she almost laughed.
the sun was setting fast. she picked up her pace, hoping not to worry her mom. she could say that she stopped by her friend's house, since that was a rather common case. the streets remained a ghost town.

finally, she reached the park. it had taken ten minutes at most, which just made her think that emily was really, really lazy. there was no white van in range, not even in the shadows of the trees. once again, there was no one…
the wind caused a baby swing to rock back and forth.
lying on a bench was a hot pink purse. it was the only purse-shaped item in sight, so she assumed it must've been emily's. she walked over and picked it up. as soon as she touched it, a pile of dead leaves was dumped on her head. she glanced up to see the girl dangling on the swing set, swishing her coat dramatically.
“um.”
“you have awaken the nightmares of yada yada! it was all a trap! behold my glory!”

nixi let out a long, long sigh. there might've been no crime, but there sure was this crazy girl.
she turned around and walked home to play her clarinet.

Weekly #2: Hello everyone and welcome to our second weekly This week, we’re going to be focusing on both inspiration and mental health! Many of our best ideas can come from relaxing, and that’s what we’re encouraging you to focus on this week. Again, a huge thank you to my fellow daily team members for developing and organizing this weekly <3

Part One: The first part of this weekly is all about relaxing activities! For at least 15 minutes, do an off-screen activity that you enjoy, preferably one that involves going outside or interacting with your friends or family. Then, come back and write at least 100 words reflecting on your activity and how it made you feel. Have fun! <33

(138 Words)

For this part of the weekly, I took a break from my homework and read “Six of Crows” for 15 minutes. Reading is a great way for me to take a break and recharge, especially since I was taking a break from my geometry homework, and math is easily my worst subject. Reading helped me to not worry so much about the homework that was stressing me out and instead I got to focus on something else, in this case the story of “Six of Crows”. I got the book from Barnes and Noble a couple of weeks ago when we went after my sister's dance class and I only just now got around to starting it. So far I really like it and I can tell that this book is going to become one of my favorites.

Part Two: Take a moment to read/view/listen to any medium of art you wish. This could be:
- watching a movie or show
- reading a book, even if it's just a few chapters
- listening to a song
- admiring a visual/piece of artwork

Whatever you decide to do, focus on it to the fullest of your abilities and avoid distractions to absorb every detail. After you've done that, write 100 words of reflection!

(257 Words)

I listened to Breathe by Jonny Diaz and I was listening to it I felt like I really related to the song, especially specific ones such as “feels like I’m falling behind, it’s a crazy life” and “busy busy busy so it’s no surprise to see, that I only have time for me, me me” as my life is jam packed with as many activities as I could; sometimes I really love this hustle bustle but other times I also feel like I would love some times to stop and breathe, which is what this song encourages people to do. Lately I’ve been trying to find quiet time to pray and read from the Bible, but when I have a really tight schedule it’s hard. This song seems to remind me that I don’t have to make a big deal of praying or reading scripture, I just have to breathe and take a moment out of my day to say a few words or read a verse on my phone. I think it means a lot to me because I’m also a bit of a perfectionist and so remembering that things like this don’t have to be perfect and can be as simple as taking 5 minutes to be planted and focused on breathing or reading that one verse of scripture. This song is one of my favorites and I often find myself listening to it whenever I need to remind myself to take some time and stop rushing to the next thing for the entire day.

Part Three: Now that you've hopefully done some relaxing, it's time for the inspiration part of the weekly <3 Story time! Draw elements from the activity you did in Part 1 and the media you consumed in Part 2, and combine it together into a story of at least 500 words.

(642 Words)

I shoved the book into my backpack, knowing that I likely wouldn’t have time to read it but figured I would bring it anyway- if only to appease my parents who always said that I was doing too much too fast. I honestly wasn’t sure that I was doing “too much” per se; I mean sure, I was doing quite a few activities now: theatre, yearbook at school, school (of course this one wasn’t really my choice, Girl Scouts, Youth volunteering at church, and my Chinese cultural group… Okay, yes it was really a lot of activities, but ever since I had started driving, at least my parents didn’t have to drive me anywhere, since I could of course drive myself. Yes, maybe some people would argue that I was stretching myself kind of thin because I was doing so many activities that oftentimes overlapped… But I liked them all, I didn’t want to have to give anything up; I liked all of my activities and didn’t want to have to stop any of them just because I was doing “too many things.” My friends always complained that I was too busy to hang out with them, but the only thing that I ever told them was that all of these things would look really good on all of my college applications and would help me get into a better school. Of course this was true, it was the best advice that I always saw on all of the blog posts and YouTube ads, so of course doing all these activities would look good on my apps.
After I had packed my backpack and double checked that I needed everything for rehearsal, I ran downstairs into the kitchen and grabbed a banana on my way out of the door and didn’t hear my mom calling me to grab something more nutritious. I sat in the car, checking the clock as I started the car, peeling the banana and taking a bite out of it. I put it on the center console on top of a napkin and connected my phone to my bluetooth music, pressing play on my Spotify playlist before I finally started driving to my rehearsal. The first song was one of my favorites, “Stand By You” by Rachel Platten. I was singing along as I drove down the street and waited at the stoplight in my neighborhood. I loved this song and its message, as well as the melody itself. After making my way through the stoplights I got onto the freeway and started driving as the song changed.
The song that came on was “Breathe” by Jonny Diaz (which I realized after glancing down at the phone since I didn’t know what the school was) and interested by the intro I kept listening and tuned into the lyrics. As I listened, I found myself being drawn into the song, thinking of how the lyrics related to myself. The song kept talking about how we should slow down and take joy in all the little things in life. I felt myself tearing up and quickly blinked my tears away, snapping back as I realized that I was still driving and needed to be careful so that I didn’t cause an accident or anything. After the song ended, I found myself thinking about the lyrics and what they might actually mean to my own life. Was this a sign or something? I shook my head, trying to calm myself down a bit before I got to rehearsal.
When I finally made it, I took a moment to take a breath and look at the lyrics for “Breathe”. As I walked into rehearsal I found myself reflecting and realized that maybe I did need to clear my schedule; or at least take a bit of time in the day to breathe.

Welcome to Scratch Writing Camp!
The rainbow letters hung off pencil-shaped poles, which looked new and old at the same time. How were they both rusted, but also shined and polished?
I walked past the entrance, and was instantly met with additional chaos. My favorite.
For one, there were campers playing catch with fireworks that sizzled in their hands. Upon my inquiry, they said that arson was delicious. Noted, I supposed, since half the cabins were blackened and smoking.
Speaking of the cabins, they were all different shapes and sizes. They were painted in every color and shade possible, each following a very distinct theme. They were aesthetically pleasing alone, but did not blend together well considering how close they were.
In the center was the largest cabin of them all, with a yellow and black striped roof that remined me of a bee. I assumed it was the main cabin, even though the people inside were playing uno and typing on flaming laptops.
The camp also had a goat pen, for some reason. They were very oversized, and as soon as I approached, they trotted over and bleated something that sounded suspiciously like mangoes.
In conclusion, Scratch Writing Camp did not pass the security check.
It was pretty awesome though. I may have stayed for a month.

Daily 016/03, 114 Words Counting Title

Giant Pandas

The giant panda (Scientific name being Ailuropoda melanoleuca) was classified as endangered in around 1990 by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN standing for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature). That population at the time was only 1,114. In 2016, though, the population had grown to be 1,184. The status of the species was changed to ‘vulnerable’ after that.

Now, why were these pandas going extinct in the first place? They were being hunted, and habitat loss was another reason. The loss of bamboo forests also made it difficult for pandas to find a food source, which could have also resulted in a depopulation of them.



(()) Sources (())

https://www.cbc.ca/kidsnews/post/giant-pandas-no-longer-endangered-china-says/

Briefly https://www.britannica.com/animal/giant-panda

Daily 16
123 words

Pandas are classified as vulnerable, meaning that they are at a high risk of going extinct in the wild. In fact, studies have found that there are less than 1,900 giant pandas left in the wild. Fortunately, in 2016, they were reclassified from “endangered” to “vulnerable”, which means they have less risk of extinction. However, there is still a long way to go before pandas are perfectly safe. One of their main threats is habitat loss. Bamboo forests where pandas live are being separated or completely cut down due to roads, railways, and buildings. This makes it harder for pandas to find food and mates. You can help save these large, adorable bears by donating to conservation efforts or educating others about pandas.

Daily
3/16
100 points
108/100 words
————————————————–
“Today is March 16th - National Panda Day for everyone in the US! In honor of this very special day, write a 100 word poem or story about a character that’s a panda, the fluffy amazingness of pandas, or anything that relates to pandas.”
————————————————–
Please mom can you buy me one? I promise I'll take care of it!
(w)Ahhhhhhhh why won't you buy me one, you meanie!
No! I don't want a stuffed panda!
Do I want a real one? OF COURSE I DO?
Awww why can't I have oneee??!

Please please please mama!
A panda will be in amazing hands if you let me have one!
NO! I WILL NOT GO HOME UNTIL I GET ONE!!!
DARN IT! I WANT A PANDAAAAA!
Always- you said you would
Always love me. WELL I SEE THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE
ANYMORE. HMPH. I HATE YOU! GIVE ME
A PANDA! I WANT
A PANDA!!

March 16, 2023

Black on white, or white on black?
Such things people don’t typically see
On this eternity
Of an earth and
We look at each other in spite

How far we come, or come too far?
Such things we think help us
Figure out the world’s plan
Yet the black and white remain
A constant with man

Fluff or scruff, nice or tough?
Such things we won’t notice but
Upon realizing it’s
There for you to see
It’s an infinite amount of stuff

Climb and run, or daze and fun?
Such things we wonder
But don’t explore
We plunder and pillage
The green village grows
Fast, wild, or humid and mild?
Such things we know
But focus on the black
And white

Is that what really matters?
Probably not
Yet the black and white remain

134 words

Locked in a cage
Endangered and such
Heart filling with rage
News leave the stories untouched

I've got all the love
And it's for what?
They are all gone
Their cage sealed shut

They deserve better
They're all bruised and hurt
All their food gone
In my bamboo shirt

Endangered, they say
What have you done to help?
Saying that all with no concern
Do you not hear their cries and yelps?

What does really matter?
Politics and such?
Yet animal abuse
Doesn't cross your mind much

It's sad to see
The world unfazed
They all deserve
To be saved

You're truly mistaken
They are the best
Unfortunately though,
Nobody's quite impressed