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- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
The mouse paused, their tail flicking back and forth on the hardwood floor. Its nose twitched, its whiskers seemed almost to vibrate.
A single beam of moonlight streamed in through the window, hitting the floor and forming a puddle of light on the floor, which the mouse was careful to avoid.
On the counter, there sat a perfect piece of swiss cheese. It was almost as if the humans that frequented this house were begging for the little mouse to come out and eat it.
First, though, was the matter of reaching the counter.
The mouse’s eyes darted over the furniture, assessing all possibly treacherous situations and ways to avoid them. Eventually, it mapped a path through the kitchen, to the cheese.
Taking a moment to appreciate the moonlight streaming in through the window, and the beautiful carved wooden chairs, and, of course, the wonderfully yellow swiss cheese, the mouse departed on its journey.
Its tail reaching out for balance, it scurried onto the nearby carpet, careful to avoid the tassels on the edges, so it didn’t trip and fall. Walking around one of the carved chairs, it found a small shelf built into the side of the kitchen island. Getting a running start, the mouse leaped onto the highest shelf it could reach, and proceeded to jump onto the knob of the nearby cabinet, scrambling for purchase on the smooth metal surface.
It was only a hop away from the counter, and when it reached the smooth marble countertop, it breathed a sigh of relief. It had made it the entire way. Careful to avoid the power cords that were wound up on the countertop, the mouse made the short hop onto the swiss cheese plate.
Its nose twitched in delight, and it took its little paws and wrapped them around the cheese. Digging it, the mouse enjoyed its midnight snack.
monthly (0/5):
- Go to bed before 12:00 a.m. 3 days in a row (1/3) (1.3.24)
- Complete 15 dailies (2/15)
- RP with someone from your cabin (If you roleplayed for a daily and earned points for it, you can't count it for the monthly challenge) (0/1)
- Complete 2 weeklies (0/2)
- Enter the MB Cover contest (0/1)
A single beam of moonlight streamed in through the window, hitting the floor and forming a puddle of light on the floor, which the mouse was careful to avoid.
On the counter, there sat a perfect piece of swiss cheese. It was almost as if the humans that frequented this house were begging for the little mouse to come out and eat it.
First, though, was the matter of reaching the counter.
The mouse’s eyes darted over the furniture, assessing all possibly treacherous situations and ways to avoid them. Eventually, it mapped a path through the kitchen, to the cheese.
Taking a moment to appreciate the moonlight streaming in through the window, and the beautiful carved wooden chairs, and, of course, the wonderfully yellow swiss cheese, the mouse departed on its journey.
Its tail reaching out for balance, it scurried onto the nearby carpet, careful to avoid the tassels on the edges, so it didn’t trip and fall. Walking around one of the carved chairs, it found a small shelf built into the side of the kitchen island. Getting a running start, the mouse leaped onto the highest shelf it could reach, and proceeded to jump onto the knob of the nearby cabinet, scrambling for purchase on the smooth metal surface.
It was only a hop away from the counter, and when it reached the smooth marble countertop, it breathed a sigh of relief. It had made it the entire way. Careful to avoid the power cords that were wound up on the countertop, the mouse made the short hop onto the swiss cheese plate.
Its nose twitched in delight, and it took its little paws and wrapped them around the cheese. Digging it, the mouse enjoyed its midnight snack.
monthly (0/5):
- Go to bed before 12:00 a.m. 3 days in a row (1/3) (1.3.24)
- Complete 15 dailies (2/15)
- RP with someone from your cabin (If you roleplayed for a daily and earned points for it, you can't count it for the monthly challenge) (0/1)
- Complete 2 weeklies (0/2)
- Enter the MB Cover contest (0/1)
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
The cat watched from its perch on the windowsill, tucked into the shadows. It knew that if the mouse saw it, it would run. And watching the mouse was almost more entertaining than catching it.
The kitchen was a familiar place, with a cat tree in the corner, a familiar tassel rug, and a marble-covered kitchen island that the owners thought the cat couldn’t reach, but was easy enough if the cat got a good running start.
The owners had gone to bed a while ago, and the cat watched as the mouse looked around for anything that might pose a threat. The cat slunk further back into the shadows. The mouse’s eyes passed right over it. It was a comfortable feeling, being hidden in the shadows. The cat could watch everything, but nobody could see it.
That not every creature could become invisible filled the cat with pity. Pity for the humans that loafed about the house, pity for the poor little mouse who just wanted a piece of cheese.
The mouse seemed to be evaluating the area, looking for the best path to reach the swiss cheese sitting on the counter. The cat smiled a toothy grin, thinking about how easy it was for the cat to navigate the familiar kitchen, and how the mouse was overthinking things. It really wasn’t that hard.
The mouse finally decided on a plan, the cat could tell by the way the mouse’s eyes glowed slightly more than they had in the dark.
The mouse started scurrying across the dark-wood floor, keeping to the shadows, but not so well that the cat’s trained eye could not spot it.
The cat watched as the mouse headed for the kitchen island. The cat rolled its eyes at the other animal’s cluelessness. The best way to get up was to scale the legs of the wooden chair. Any smart animal would know that. But the mouse wanted to do things the unconventional way.
The mouse backed up, getting a running start as it leaped onto the shelves built into the kitchen island. It almost slipped, for a second, and the cat tensed its muscles, ready to pounce if the mouse did not make it. But the mouse managed to get a grasp on the shelf, and pull itself all the way up.
The cat nodded in silent approval of the animal. It sure had instincts, there was no disputing that.
The mouse seemed to be calculating the distance to the doorknob of the nearby cabinet. The cat never would have considered that a path, but the mouse seemed confident that it could pull it off.
The cat’s eyes brightened, watching the other animal in interest.
The mouse jumped up onto the knob, its paws scrambling for purchase against the smooth, unforgiving metal. The mouse’s tail flicked out for balance, and it managed to gain enough control over its situation to leap onto the marble countertop.
Racing towards the plate of bright yellow Swiss cheese, the mouse dug into its hard-earned meal.
Amused by the creature, the cat decided to let the mouse live. The creature had done something the cat would have considered impossible for a mouse to accomplish. That alone was enough to earn the cat’s approval, ensuring survival for another day.
The prey would always be there, if needed.
monthly (0/5):
- Go to bed before 12:00 a.m. 3 days in a row (2/3) (1.3.24 & 1.4.24)
- Complete 15 dailies (3/15)
- RP with someone from your cabin (If you roleplayed for a daily and earned points for it, you can't count it for the monthly challenge) (1/1)
- Complete 2 weeklies (0/2)
- Enter the writing contest (0/1)
- Enter the MB Cover contest (0/1)
- Win 4 word wars (0/4)
- Write a 200 word minimum JWC fanfiction (If you wrote a JWC fan fiction for a daily/weekly and got points for it, it can't count for the monthly challenge.) (0/1)
The kitchen was a familiar place, with a cat tree in the corner, a familiar tassel rug, and a marble-covered kitchen island that the owners thought the cat couldn’t reach, but was easy enough if the cat got a good running start.
The owners had gone to bed a while ago, and the cat watched as the mouse looked around for anything that might pose a threat. The cat slunk further back into the shadows. The mouse’s eyes passed right over it. It was a comfortable feeling, being hidden in the shadows. The cat could watch everything, but nobody could see it.
That not every creature could become invisible filled the cat with pity. Pity for the humans that loafed about the house, pity for the poor little mouse who just wanted a piece of cheese.
The mouse seemed to be evaluating the area, looking for the best path to reach the swiss cheese sitting on the counter. The cat smiled a toothy grin, thinking about how easy it was for the cat to navigate the familiar kitchen, and how the mouse was overthinking things. It really wasn’t that hard.
The mouse finally decided on a plan, the cat could tell by the way the mouse’s eyes glowed slightly more than they had in the dark.
The mouse started scurrying across the dark-wood floor, keeping to the shadows, but not so well that the cat’s trained eye could not spot it.
The cat watched as the mouse headed for the kitchen island. The cat rolled its eyes at the other animal’s cluelessness. The best way to get up was to scale the legs of the wooden chair. Any smart animal would know that. But the mouse wanted to do things the unconventional way.
The mouse backed up, getting a running start as it leaped onto the shelves built into the kitchen island. It almost slipped, for a second, and the cat tensed its muscles, ready to pounce if the mouse did not make it. But the mouse managed to get a grasp on the shelf, and pull itself all the way up.
The cat nodded in silent approval of the animal. It sure had instincts, there was no disputing that.
The mouse seemed to be calculating the distance to the doorknob of the nearby cabinet. The cat never would have considered that a path, but the mouse seemed confident that it could pull it off.
The cat’s eyes brightened, watching the other animal in interest.
The mouse jumped up onto the knob, its paws scrambling for purchase against the smooth, unforgiving metal. The mouse’s tail flicked out for balance, and it managed to gain enough control over its situation to leap onto the marble countertop.
Racing towards the plate of bright yellow Swiss cheese, the mouse dug into its hard-earned meal.
Amused by the creature, the cat decided to let the mouse live. The creature had done something the cat would have considered impossible for a mouse to accomplish. That alone was enough to earn the cat’s approval, ensuring survival for another day.
The prey would always be there, if needed.
monthly (0/5):
- Go to bed before 12:00 a.m. 3 days in a row (2/3) (1.3.24 & 1.4.24)
- Complete 15 dailies (3/15)
- RP with someone from your cabin (If you roleplayed for a daily and earned points for it, you can't count it for the monthly challenge) (1/1)
- Complete 2 weeklies (0/2)
- Enter the writing contest (0/1)
- Enter the MB Cover contest (0/1)
- Win 4 word wars (0/4)
- Write a 200 word minimum JWC fanfiction (If you wrote a JWC fan fiction for a daily/weekly and got points for it, it can't count for the monthly challenge.) (0/1)
Last edited by Strawberry-Lemon (Jan. 5, 2024 23:09:46)
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
842 words ((might add onto this later))
“Mother, do I really have to attend the party?”
My mother yanked on my hair, twisting it into a braid behind my head, “Violet, we discussed this. No arguing, and I wouldn’t make you go to another party for the rest of the year.”
I didn’t remind her that the new year was only a couple weeks away.
Finished with my hair, my mother moved onto my dress, tying the ties tighter, if that was possible. The dress itself was stunning, dark red with black lace, a hat that was red fabric with black lace dotting the edges. The not-so-desirable part was the bodice felt like it was personally trying to strangle me.
My mother looked me up and down, repositioning the hat. “Remember, Violet, keep your words in check, and everything will be perfect.”
I scoffed, and she shot me a look that could -very possibly- kill. My sharp tongue was my one feature that my mother did not find desirable. I tended to make sharp or witty remarks when men tried to approach me. Most of the time, they deserved it.
My mother, as usual, looked stunning. She wore a robin’s egg blue dress that ballooned out around her waist, sinking to the ground in lairs of silk and white lace. Her hair -naturally curly, which I envied- was tied back neatly, every hair in place.
“Now, Violet. Remember what we discussed.”
I heard voices downstairs, and took that to be a signal that the party had officially started. I could hear the loud, rumbling voice of my father, and the higher-pitched, gentle voice of Mrs. Miller.
I felt my breathing even out. The Millers were here, early as usual. That meant Jane was here, and everything would work out.
Since the Millers were my parents' close friends, me and Jane had practically grown up together. I was a year older than her, but that hardly mattered. My parents liked to joke that Jane acted older than me, anyways, so we were even.
Slipping my feet into the dainty heels my mother had set out for me, I attempted to be graceful, but in reality probably looked like a fish trying to walk on land.
When Jane saw me, her eyes lit up. She was wearing a green dress and delicate silk gloves, her golden hair pulled up, her green eyes sparkling with warmth.
Mr and Mrs Miller did a quick once-over on me, and nodded their approval. Jane’s little brother, Joshua, smirked.
I would say nobody liked Josh, but I would be lying. Half the girls on the block were crazy for him. He had all the looks, close-cropped blonde hair, the same green eyes as his sister, a lithe and agile frame, often used for chasing me and Jane through my parent’s gardens.
Josh was four years younger than Jane, five years younger than me. It seemed as if ever since he was born, he was trailing along behind us, wanting to talk to us or getting involved in our games. As time wore on, he became less like a lost duckling and more annoying, bringing his friends along to try to charm either of us. Josh almost had a sharper tongue than me, enjoying witty remarks and making fun of anybody doing anything.
I ignored Joshua now, turning my attention to my best friend. She turned toward her parents. “Can me and Violet go into the gardens until the rest of the guests arrive?” She asked, her green eyes pleading. Nobody could argue with Jane’s eyes. Believe me, I have tried.
As expected, her parents nodded in approval, and of course Joshua followed close behind us. In a world that was constantly changing as I got older, Jane and Josh were the only two people I could completely count on. I wouldn’t tell Josh that, though, as it would contribute to his already gargantuan ego.
The garden was something of a safe place, with the heavenly scent of roses and orange blossoms filling the space.
Jane grinned and ran off, abandoning her heels on the ground. I slipped my feet out of mine, and ran barefoot after her. I heard the steady patter of dress shoes that could only be Josh, tailing after us as usual.
It was our ongoing game, one that I hoped never stopped. Jane almost always won, sometimes me. Whoever managed to get behind the other first and tag them won. I spotted Jane’s green dress around a corner, and I raced to follow her. Before I could turn, though, I realized Josh was not behind me.
Looking around for him, I felt a tap on my back. “You win, Jane.” I said, laughing. But when I turned around, it was Josh, smiling his usual smirk.
“Actually, I do, Violet.” He said, and for a second, something felt… different between us.
Then there was a crash, coming from somewhere in the house, and a high-pitched scream.
Jane.
Before I knew what happened, I grabbed Josh’s hand, and we sprinted towards the house.
“Mother, do I really have to attend the party?”
My mother yanked on my hair, twisting it into a braid behind my head, “Violet, we discussed this. No arguing, and I wouldn’t make you go to another party for the rest of the year.”
I didn’t remind her that the new year was only a couple weeks away.
Finished with my hair, my mother moved onto my dress, tying the ties tighter, if that was possible. The dress itself was stunning, dark red with black lace, a hat that was red fabric with black lace dotting the edges. The not-so-desirable part was the bodice felt like it was personally trying to strangle me.
My mother looked me up and down, repositioning the hat. “Remember, Violet, keep your words in check, and everything will be perfect.”
I scoffed, and she shot me a look that could -very possibly- kill. My sharp tongue was my one feature that my mother did not find desirable. I tended to make sharp or witty remarks when men tried to approach me. Most of the time, they deserved it.
My mother, as usual, looked stunning. She wore a robin’s egg blue dress that ballooned out around her waist, sinking to the ground in lairs of silk and white lace. Her hair -naturally curly, which I envied- was tied back neatly, every hair in place.
“Now, Violet. Remember what we discussed.”
I heard voices downstairs, and took that to be a signal that the party had officially started. I could hear the loud, rumbling voice of my father, and the higher-pitched, gentle voice of Mrs. Miller.
I felt my breathing even out. The Millers were here, early as usual. That meant Jane was here, and everything would work out.
Since the Millers were my parents' close friends, me and Jane had practically grown up together. I was a year older than her, but that hardly mattered. My parents liked to joke that Jane acted older than me, anyways, so we were even.
Slipping my feet into the dainty heels my mother had set out for me, I attempted to be graceful, but in reality probably looked like a fish trying to walk on land.
When Jane saw me, her eyes lit up. She was wearing a green dress and delicate silk gloves, her golden hair pulled up, her green eyes sparkling with warmth.
Mr and Mrs Miller did a quick once-over on me, and nodded their approval. Jane’s little brother, Joshua, smirked.
I would say nobody liked Josh, but I would be lying. Half the girls on the block were crazy for him. He had all the looks, close-cropped blonde hair, the same green eyes as his sister, a lithe and agile frame, often used for chasing me and Jane through my parent’s gardens.
Josh was four years younger than Jane, five years younger than me. It seemed as if ever since he was born, he was trailing along behind us, wanting to talk to us or getting involved in our games. As time wore on, he became less like a lost duckling and more annoying, bringing his friends along to try to charm either of us. Josh almost had a sharper tongue than me, enjoying witty remarks and making fun of anybody doing anything.
I ignored Joshua now, turning my attention to my best friend. She turned toward her parents. “Can me and Violet go into the gardens until the rest of the guests arrive?” She asked, her green eyes pleading. Nobody could argue with Jane’s eyes. Believe me, I have tried.
As expected, her parents nodded in approval, and of course Joshua followed close behind us. In a world that was constantly changing as I got older, Jane and Josh were the only two people I could completely count on. I wouldn’t tell Josh that, though, as it would contribute to his already gargantuan ego.
The garden was something of a safe place, with the heavenly scent of roses and orange blossoms filling the space.
Jane grinned and ran off, abandoning her heels on the ground. I slipped my feet out of mine, and ran barefoot after her. I heard the steady patter of dress shoes that could only be Josh, tailing after us as usual.
It was our ongoing game, one that I hoped never stopped. Jane almost always won, sometimes me. Whoever managed to get behind the other first and tag them won. I spotted Jane’s green dress around a corner, and I raced to follow her. Before I could turn, though, I realized Josh was not behind me.
Looking around for him, I felt a tap on my back. “You win, Jane.” I said, laughing. But when I turned around, it was Josh, smiling his usual smirk.
“Actually, I do, Violet.” He said, and for a second, something felt… different between us.
Then there was a crash, coming from somewhere in the house, and a high-pitched scream.
Jane.
Before I knew what happened, I grabbed Josh’s hand, and we sprinted towards the house.
Last edited by Strawberry-Lemon (Jan. 6, 2024 17:47:31)
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Research
Salem Witch Trials
223 words
In January, 1692, 9 year old Elizabeth Paris and 11 year old Abigail Williams began having fits of contortions and outbursts of screaming. A local doctor diagnosed bewitchment.
More young girls in the community began having similar fits.
The girls accused women of bewitching them, and those accused were arrested
One of the women confessed guilty, and said that there were other witches working with her with the devil.
Began in the spring of 1692
In May 1692, a court was assembled to hear and decide the fate of witchcraft cases
The idea of the devil giving people power to harm others began originally in Europe in the 14th century.
Fueled residents’ suspicions against friends and neighbors.
The first convicted witch was Bridget Bishop on June 2nd, 1692. She was accused by Ezekiel Cheevers and John Putnam for bewitching five others.
Five more were hanged in July, five in August and eight in September
Eighteen others were h!ng after Bishop on Salem’s g@llows hill.
150 more men, women, and children were accused.
By September of 1692, most were done with the trials, and the public turned against it.
Increase Mather said: “It would be better that ten suspected witches may escape than one innocent person be condemned.”
Trials continued, however, until early 1693. By that May, Governor Phipps released everybody in prison for witchcraft.
By January 1697, Massachusetts General Court deemed the trials unlawful.
History.com, Salem Witch Trials
Wikepedia, Bridget Bishop (very little information used, fact-checked)
Essay
451 words
The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692, lasting through much of that year, continuing into the next few years, before finally being deemed unlawful in 1697, but not before it had cost many lives and disrupted trust and balance throughout Massachusetts.
The trials first began when 9 year old Elizabeth Paris and 11 year old Abigail Parris of Salem Town, Massachusetts, started having fits of contortions and uncontrollable screaming. A doctor diagnosed them with bewitchment. After being diagnosed, the two accused three different women of bewitching them. The three women went to court for the claims.
One of the three confessed guilty, against what the other two were claiming. She said that there were others helping her complete the work of the devil, causing widespread panic and hysteria.
In May 1692, a court was assembled for dealing with cases of witchcraft and bewitchment. This further fueled resident’s suspicions and distrust of outsiders and even those who used to be friends.
The first witch hanged on Salem’s Gallows Hill was 60 year old Bridgett Bishop, accused by Ezekiel Cheevers and John Putnam, convicted of bewitching five others.
She and many others convicted of witchcraft were hanged on Salem’s Gallows Hill, which is now a place with much de@th surrounding it. Five more convicted witches were hung in July, five in August, and eight in September. In total, eighteen more were hung after Bishop was convicted, turning the Witch Trials into an event that held many casualties.
Along with the eighteen that were hanged, 150 more were accused, including men, women, and even children.
By September of 1692, most of the public had turned against the witch trials, no longer finding them necessary or ethical. Trials continued still, but not without those who opposed them strongly. The amount of trials for witchcraft, however, decreased significantly.
Eventually, Increase Mather made the statement: “It would be better that ten convicted witches escape then one innocent person be condemned,” which echoed what much of the public was already thinking.
However, trials for witchcraft still continued until early 1693. But in that May, Governor Phipps released all who were convicted of witchcraft or bewitchment from the jail.
Even though all those who had been convicted were released, it took until 1697 for the court that had previously been in charge of dealing with the witch cases to deem the trial of people for witchcraft and bewitchment unlawful.
In conclusion, the witch trials were a horrible event that caused many casualties and changed the way that people thought about those they had once trusted. Now, though, we can look back at our past mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated today or in the future.
Salem Witch Trials
223 words
In January, 1692, 9 year old Elizabeth Paris and 11 year old Abigail Williams began having fits of contortions and outbursts of screaming. A local doctor diagnosed bewitchment.
More young girls in the community began having similar fits.
The girls accused women of bewitching them, and those accused were arrested
One of the women confessed guilty, and said that there were other witches working with her with the devil.
Began in the spring of 1692
In May 1692, a court was assembled to hear and decide the fate of witchcraft cases
The idea of the devil giving people power to harm others began originally in Europe in the 14th century.
Fueled residents’ suspicions against friends and neighbors.
The first convicted witch was Bridget Bishop on June 2nd, 1692. She was accused by Ezekiel Cheevers and John Putnam for bewitching five others.
Five more were hanged in July, five in August and eight in September
Eighteen others were h!ng after Bishop on Salem’s g@llows hill.
150 more men, women, and children were accused.
By September of 1692, most were done with the trials, and the public turned against it.
Increase Mather said: “It would be better that ten suspected witches may escape than one innocent person be condemned.”
Trials continued, however, until early 1693. By that May, Governor Phipps released everybody in prison for witchcraft.
By January 1697, Massachusetts General Court deemed the trials unlawful.
History.com, Salem Witch Trials
Wikepedia, Bridget Bishop (very little information used, fact-checked)
Essay
451 words
The Salem Witch Trials started in 1692, lasting through much of that year, continuing into the next few years, before finally being deemed unlawful in 1697, but not before it had cost many lives and disrupted trust and balance throughout Massachusetts.
The trials first began when 9 year old Elizabeth Paris and 11 year old Abigail Parris of Salem Town, Massachusetts, started having fits of contortions and uncontrollable screaming. A doctor diagnosed them with bewitchment. After being diagnosed, the two accused three different women of bewitching them. The three women went to court for the claims.
One of the three confessed guilty, against what the other two were claiming. She said that there were others helping her complete the work of the devil, causing widespread panic and hysteria.
In May 1692, a court was assembled for dealing with cases of witchcraft and bewitchment. This further fueled resident’s suspicions and distrust of outsiders and even those who used to be friends.
The first witch hanged on Salem’s Gallows Hill was 60 year old Bridgett Bishop, accused by Ezekiel Cheevers and John Putnam, convicted of bewitching five others.
She and many others convicted of witchcraft were hanged on Salem’s Gallows Hill, which is now a place with much de@th surrounding it. Five more convicted witches were hung in July, five in August, and eight in September. In total, eighteen more were hung after Bishop was convicted, turning the Witch Trials into an event that held many casualties.
Along with the eighteen that were hanged, 150 more were accused, including men, women, and even children.
By September of 1692, most of the public had turned against the witch trials, no longer finding them necessary or ethical. Trials continued still, but not without those who opposed them strongly. The amount of trials for witchcraft, however, decreased significantly.
Eventually, Increase Mather made the statement: “It would be better that ten convicted witches escape then one innocent person be condemned,” which echoed what much of the public was already thinking.
However, trials for witchcraft still continued until early 1693. But in that May, Governor Phipps released all who were convicted of witchcraft or bewitchment from the jail.
Even though all those who had been convicted were released, it took until 1697 for the court that had previously been in charge of dealing with the witch cases to deem the trial of people for witchcraft and bewitchment unlawful.
In conclusion, the witch trials were a horrible event that caused many casualties and changed the way that people thought about those they had once trusted. Now, though, we can look back at our past mistakes and make sure that they are not repeated today or in the future.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Full-length version is 2,920 words.
This section is 926 words
Look, I know you think you know my story. I’m the poor little girl who got lost in the woods, unable to help or repress her curiosity as she came across a big bad wolf who she thought was perfectly nice and kind. She was stup!d enough to tell the wolf where she was going, and ignorant enough not to realize that the wolf had eaten her granny, and got eaten herself. There she waited, perfectly helpless, until a hunter came and cut her out of the wolves stomach, taking all the credit.
I’m sure you’ve heard the wolf’s point of view as well, claiming that all he wanted was a “nice, tasty meal” and I was “an ignorant little girl.”
In reality, my story is the greatest screw-up in my fairy tale career.
See, I wasn’t even supposed to be a fairy tale at all. I’m in what they call the Fairy Guard, which basically means I stop big bad wolves from eating actual innocent little girls. Because, dear reader, the entire world is full of fairy tale creatures, and the Fairy Guard is the only thing stopping you… yes, you! From getting kidnapped by witches or eaten by wolves.
And I was supposed to be the best at my job. And I was, until a screw-up came in the form of a tall teenage shapeshifter.
Oh, I should probably clear up something else. I’m not a little girl either. I’m sixteen. The Storymakers didn’t think that people would take very kindly to a teenage warrior who screwed up a mission to be a very good fairy tale, so they changed a few of the details.
So, after this specific wolf blew down three houses (and was not, in fact, boiled in a pot, but three adult men eaten by a wolf doesn’t make a very good story), the Storymakers sent me after him to end him once and for all.
My mentor, a kindly older woman named Marabeth, lived in the woods. We had reason to suspect that the wolf was going after her next, since she had trained many of the greatest fairy tale warriors, including Jack (who took pride and joy in his giant-slaying), and Rapunzel (who didn’t need a prince to escape her witch captor).
So, using the excuse of visiting her, I sharpened my double-swords, prepped my bow and arrow, and got ready to do some wolf slaying.
Hansel, my best friend since I had joined this strange world (he, though, had been a kid when his parents abandoned him and his sister in the woods, and had been training since the fairy tale community took the two of them in) was informed of my mission, and was standing by in case something went wrong. I didn’t expect it to. I was supposed to be the best.
‘Supposed to’ is the key word here.
Gretel, of course, wasn’t far away from her brother. As I got ready, she wandered in. “What’s the big occasion, Red?”
Yes, my name was Red. The Storymakers aren’t creative enough to entirely make up the ‘red riding hood’ gig.
I gave her a tight smile, trying not to hide my annoyance. “Mission.” I responded curtly
Hansel could feel my irritation. “Gretel, now isn’t the best time.”
She stalked closer to me, and I felt all my muscles tense. “When isn’t it the best time to hang out with my brother and his pity project?”
Did I mention my strong dislike for Gretel?
Hansel was irritated now as well. “Gretel. Go away, please.”
Gretel smirked, and left. I felt like I could breathe easier when she was gone.
“Sorry about her.” Hansel said, ducking his head.
I rolled my eyes, but not at him. “When will you get over apologizing for her mistakes? The fact you have a cr@ppy sister isn’t your fault.”
Hansel sighed. “Red, she isn’t cr@ppy. She just has had such a hard time adjusting to this life.”
“She’s had eleven years. I think she should be over it now. She hasn’t even gone on a single mission. You’d think she’s either a slack-off or a future Storymaker.” I wrinkled my nose. I had nothing against Storymakers, technically, except that they thought they owned us warriors and were probably the least creative creatures on the planet.
Hansel dropped the subject, guessing there was no way he or his sister could win this argument. I still didn’t understand why he protected her, now that she was so obviously a brat. He keeps trying to convince me there is a side of the story I’m not seeing, and he’s probably right. I just don’t have the patience to hear it.
Slinging my pack over my back, I looked at him. “You’ll be waiting if I need it?”
Hansel gave me a small smile. “Since when am I not?”
He was right. The first time I failed a mission, the first troublemaker I k!lled, distraught that I had ended a life, the first time I had broken a bone, the first time I had won a contest, he was there for all of that. He would stand by me, no matter what. I liked to fantasize he would stand with me instead of his sister, if it came down to it. But it had never come to it, and I kind of hoped that he would never be forced to make that decision, for the sake of his well being.
So there was nothing else to do but go into the woods.
This section is 926 words
Look, I know you think you know my story. I’m the poor little girl who got lost in the woods, unable to help or repress her curiosity as she came across a big bad wolf who she thought was perfectly nice and kind. She was stup!d enough to tell the wolf where she was going, and ignorant enough not to realize that the wolf had eaten her granny, and got eaten herself. There she waited, perfectly helpless, until a hunter came and cut her out of the wolves stomach, taking all the credit.
I’m sure you’ve heard the wolf’s point of view as well, claiming that all he wanted was a “nice, tasty meal” and I was “an ignorant little girl.”
In reality, my story is the greatest screw-up in my fairy tale career.
See, I wasn’t even supposed to be a fairy tale at all. I’m in what they call the Fairy Guard, which basically means I stop big bad wolves from eating actual innocent little girls. Because, dear reader, the entire world is full of fairy tale creatures, and the Fairy Guard is the only thing stopping you… yes, you! From getting kidnapped by witches or eaten by wolves.
And I was supposed to be the best at my job. And I was, until a screw-up came in the form of a tall teenage shapeshifter.
Oh, I should probably clear up something else. I’m not a little girl either. I’m sixteen. The Storymakers didn’t think that people would take very kindly to a teenage warrior who screwed up a mission to be a very good fairy tale, so they changed a few of the details.
So, after this specific wolf blew down three houses (and was not, in fact, boiled in a pot, but three adult men eaten by a wolf doesn’t make a very good story), the Storymakers sent me after him to end him once and for all.
My mentor, a kindly older woman named Marabeth, lived in the woods. We had reason to suspect that the wolf was going after her next, since she had trained many of the greatest fairy tale warriors, including Jack (who took pride and joy in his giant-slaying), and Rapunzel (who didn’t need a prince to escape her witch captor).
So, using the excuse of visiting her, I sharpened my double-swords, prepped my bow and arrow, and got ready to do some wolf slaying.
Hansel, my best friend since I had joined this strange world (he, though, had been a kid when his parents abandoned him and his sister in the woods, and had been training since the fairy tale community took the two of them in) was informed of my mission, and was standing by in case something went wrong. I didn’t expect it to. I was supposed to be the best.
‘Supposed to’ is the key word here.
Gretel, of course, wasn’t far away from her brother. As I got ready, she wandered in. “What’s the big occasion, Red?”
Yes, my name was Red. The Storymakers aren’t creative enough to entirely make up the ‘red riding hood’ gig.
I gave her a tight smile, trying not to hide my annoyance. “Mission.” I responded curtly
Hansel could feel my irritation. “Gretel, now isn’t the best time.”
She stalked closer to me, and I felt all my muscles tense. “When isn’t it the best time to hang out with my brother and his pity project?”
Did I mention my strong dislike for Gretel?
Hansel was irritated now as well. “Gretel. Go away, please.”
Gretel smirked, and left. I felt like I could breathe easier when she was gone.
“Sorry about her.” Hansel said, ducking his head.
I rolled my eyes, but not at him. “When will you get over apologizing for her mistakes? The fact you have a cr@ppy sister isn’t your fault.”
Hansel sighed. “Red, she isn’t cr@ppy. She just has had such a hard time adjusting to this life.”
“She’s had eleven years. I think she should be over it now. She hasn’t even gone on a single mission. You’d think she’s either a slack-off or a future Storymaker.” I wrinkled my nose. I had nothing against Storymakers, technically, except that they thought they owned us warriors and were probably the least creative creatures on the planet.
Hansel dropped the subject, guessing there was no way he or his sister could win this argument. I still didn’t understand why he protected her, now that she was so obviously a brat. He keeps trying to convince me there is a side of the story I’m not seeing, and he’s probably right. I just don’t have the patience to hear it.
Slinging my pack over my back, I looked at him. “You’ll be waiting if I need it?”
Hansel gave me a small smile. “Since when am I not?”
He was right. The first time I failed a mission, the first troublemaker I k!lled, distraught that I had ended a life, the first time I had broken a bone, the first time I had won a contest, he was there for all of that. He would stand by me, no matter what. I liked to fantasize he would stand with me instead of his sister, if it came down to it. But it had never come to it, and I kind of hoped that he would never be forced to make that decision, for the sake of his well being.
So there was nothing else to do but go into the woods.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
443 words
When I awoke in the morning, I was surprised to see a black car outside of the window. Normally we didn’t get visitors this early.
I saw a porch light go on, and my mom walked outside -still in her pajamas, the sun hadn’t even risen yet- and the window of the car rolled down. My mom tensed, and said something. It was too dark to see who was in the window.
I jumped out of bed and pressed my face to the glass. When my mom finally finished talking to whoever it was, she went back inside, but the window stayed down.
From the darkness, two bright yellow eyes glowed, clear against the night. They were, without a doubt, staring at me.
I gasped, and jumped backward, terrified. I closed the shutters and leaned back against my bedpost, rubbing my eyelids, trying to forget what I had just seen. I crawled back into bed and let my dreams wash it away.
When I finally awoke, the sun was already high. It was about 9 AM, and I had slept a whole four more hours. I went downstairs, but when I saw my mother’s expression, I remembered what had happened last night. I hoped, I prayed that it had been just a bad dream. But with the way she looked, that was seeming more and more unlikely.
“Mom, are you okay?” I asked her, and my mom’s eyes met mine, wide and scared to death. They were glassy, like she was in a different world.
She shook her head, slowly. “Just keep your phone on you when you go over to Bree’s tonight.”
I nodded, though I didn’t really know why she had to tell me, since I always brought my phone everywhere.
So I finished my homework and got my stuff packed to go to Bree’s house. Viola and May were already there. The three had been my best friends since I was little, even though we couldn’t be more different.
For a second, I thought about telling the three of them what I had seen last night, and my mom’s reaction this morning. But I decided that was something I didn’t need to know.
It wasn’t long after I had gotten all my stuff in Bree’s basement guest room for the sleepover that my phone dinged. It was a text from my mother.
“Get out of here. NOW. Bree’s parents know what to do. I can’t come with you. I’ve made a mistake. You need to get out of this town as soon as you possibly can. I love you, Emma. That is never going to change, no matter what happens.”
When I awoke in the morning, I was surprised to see a black car outside of the window. Normally we didn’t get visitors this early.
I saw a porch light go on, and my mom walked outside -still in her pajamas, the sun hadn’t even risen yet- and the window of the car rolled down. My mom tensed, and said something. It was too dark to see who was in the window.
I jumped out of bed and pressed my face to the glass. When my mom finally finished talking to whoever it was, she went back inside, but the window stayed down.
From the darkness, two bright yellow eyes glowed, clear against the night. They were, without a doubt, staring at me.
I gasped, and jumped backward, terrified. I closed the shutters and leaned back against my bedpost, rubbing my eyelids, trying to forget what I had just seen. I crawled back into bed and let my dreams wash it away.
When I finally awoke, the sun was already high. It was about 9 AM, and I had slept a whole four more hours. I went downstairs, but when I saw my mother’s expression, I remembered what had happened last night. I hoped, I prayed that it had been just a bad dream. But with the way she looked, that was seeming more and more unlikely.
“Mom, are you okay?” I asked her, and my mom’s eyes met mine, wide and scared to death. They were glassy, like she was in a different world.
She shook her head, slowly. “Just keep your phone on you when you go over to Bree’s tonight.”
I nodded, though I didn’t really know why she had to tell me, since I always brought my phone everywhere.
So I finished my homework and got my stuff packed to go to Bree’s house. Viola and May were already there. The three had been my best friends since I was little, even though we couldn’t be more different.
For a second, I thought about telling the three of them what I had seen last night, and my mom’s reaction this morning. But I decided that was something I didn’t need to know.
It wasn’t long after I had gotten all my stuff in Bree’s basement guest room for the sleepover that my phone dinged. It was a text from my mother.
“Get out of here. NOW. Bree’s parents know what to do. I can’t come with you. I’ve made a mistake. You need to get out of this town as soon as you possibly can. I love you, Emma. That is never going to change, no matter what happens.”
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Based on ‘Beauty and The Beast,’ I was obsessed with it when I was a kid || I wrote this because I think this accurately portrays me, the person stuck as a teapot, unable to make people understand how dangerous others are || 307 words (not including introduction) ||
I had always thought that I would be the hero in my story, the princess, the person that everybody loves and the person everybody fights for. I thought I would be the one to go on the daring adventure, discover what they wanted most in the world.
But, no, I was the enchanted teapot.
Look, there is nothing wrong with being a teapot. It’s just that it wasn’t exactly what I expected when I signed up for a job at the castle. Look, I don’t really know what the heck I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
And it wasn’t watching the person I was in love with fall for someone else.
We had met when I had first taken the job, before we were all trapped in this enchanted castle, never aging. He was sixteen, I was fifteen. He had come to the kitchens to get some food and stay away from his father -if you had known the king, you would have understood- and hadn’t realized there was anybody there.
His name was Prince Brocknorth, but he had always been North to me. I was the only person he let call him that. Everybody else called him Brock or Prince Brocknorth, or ‘Your Highness.’
Whenever he came to the kitchens, I always had something for him to eat, and eventually he started talking to me whenever we ran into each other around the castle. Then we became best friends, and he told me everything. And I, knowing that it was a terrible idea, had fallen in love with him.
And now I was stuck as an enchanted talking teapot, with nothing else to do but watch as he danced with the girl he said he loved.
A girl I knew would betray him.
But he wouldn’t listen to me, and that was his mistake.
I had always thought that I would be the hero in my story, the princess, the person that everybody loves and the person everybody fights for. I thought I would be the one to go on the daring adventure, discover what they wanted most in the world.
But, no, I was the enchanted teapot.
Look, there is nothing wrong with being a teapot. It’s just that it wasn’t exactly what I expected when I signed up for a job at the castle. Look, I don’t really know what the heck I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
And it wasn’t watching the person I was in love with fall for someone else.
We had met when I had first taken the job, before we were all trapped in this enchanted castle, never aging. He was sixteen, I was fifteen. He had come to the kitchens to get some food and stay away from his father -if you had known the king, you would have understood- and hadn’t realized there was anybody there.
His name was Prince Brocknorth, but he had always been North to me. I was the only person he let call him that. Everybody else called him Brock or Prince Brocknorth, or ‘Your Highness.’
Whenever he came to the kitchens, I always had something for him to eat, and eventually he started talking to me whenever we ran into each other around the castle. Then we became best friends, and he told me everything. And I, knowing that it was a terrible idea, had fallen in love with him.
And now I was stuck as an enchanted talking teapot, with nothing else to do but watch as he danced with the girl he said he loved.
A girl I knew would betray him.
But he wouldn’t listen to me, and that was his mistake.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Based on ‘Beauty and The Beast,’ I was obsessed with it when I was a kid || I wrote this because I think this accurately portrays me, the person stuck as a teapot, unable to change the way things are, unable to reach their best friend as they fall in love with a dangerous person. || 373 words (not including introduction) ||
I had always thought that I would be the hero in my story, the princess, the person that everybody loves and the person everybody fights for. I thought I would be the one to go on the daring adventure, discover what they wanted most in the world.
But, no. I ended up being the enchanted teapot.
Look, there is nothing wrong with being a teapot. They are pretty. They pour tea!
It’s just that it wasn’t exactly what I expected when I signed up for a job at the castle. Look, I don’t really know what the heck I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
And it wasn’t watching the person I was in love with fall for someone else.
When I had first gotten a job at the castle, I was fifteen. I knew nobody and was scared half to death. That first night, I was working late hours in the kitchen, cleaning up after whatever huge meal the king had eaten that night. That’s when he came in, seeking a midnight snack after -knowing North- skipping the meal with his father. Trust me, if you had known the king, you would want to skip meals too.
He hadn’t been expecting anybody to be there, and he was surprised when he saw me. We introduced ourselves, him as Prince Brocknorth, me as Azalea. Every day after that, I made snacks for him at night, and we talked for hours, at times. I started calling him North, he grew into my best friend. I was the only person he let call him North. To everyone else he was: ‘Your Highness,’ ‘Prince Brocknorth,’ or, with his very close friends, ‘Brock.’ I, against what I knew was a good idea, fell in love with him.
I thought he loved me, too.
But then she came along. She was everything I wasn’t. Kind, pretty, docile, perfect in every freaking way. Of course, he fell in love with her. Who wouldn’t?
And now I was stuck as an enchanted talking teapot, with nothing else to do but watch as he danced with the girl he said he loved.
A girl I knew would betray him.
But he wouldn’t listen to me, and that was his mistake.
I had always thought that I would be the hero in my story, the princess, the person that everybody loves and the person everybody fights for. I thought I would be the one to go on the daring adventure, discover what they wanted most in the world.
But, no. I ended up being the enchanted teapot.
Look, there is nothing wrong with being a teapot. They are pretty. They pour tea!
It’s just that it wasn’t exactly what I expected when I signed up for a job at the castle. Look, I don’t really know what the heck I was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t this.
And it wasn’t watching the person I was in love with fall for someone else.
When I had first gotten a job at the castle, I was fifteen. I knew nobody and was scared half to death. That first night, I was working late hours in the kitchen, cleaning up after whatever huge meal the king had eaten that night. That’s when he came in, seeking a midnight snack after -knowing North- skipping the meal with his father. Trust me, if you had known the king, you would want to skip meals too.
He hadn’t been expecting anybody to be there, and he was surprised when he saw me. We introduced ourselves, him as Prince Brocknorth, me as Azalea. Every day after that, I made snacks for him at night, and we talked for hours, at times. I started calling him North, he grew into my best friend. I was the only person he let call him North. To everyone else he was: ‘Your Highness,’ ‘Prince Brocknorth,’ or, with his very close friends, ‘Brock.’ I, against what I knew was a good idea, fell in love with him.
I thought he loved me, too.
But then she came along. She was everything I wasn’t. Kind, pretty, docile, perfect in every freaking way. Of course, he fell in love with her. Who wouldn’t?
And now I was stuck as an enchanted talking teapot, with nothing else to do but watch as he danced with the girl he said he loved.
A girl I knew would betray him.
But he wouldn’t listen to me, and that was his mistake.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Critique for @AmazaEevee
Overall, the characters felt realistic, with real flaws and worries and problems. I think the pacing was very good, and I enjoyed the use of letters to switch between perspectives while still maintaining a cloak of mystery. I mostly critiqued for character voice/word choices and grammar, but there was little else to be corrected in my opinion, the entire piece flows naturally and provided an immersive experience. Amazing work!
The council is getting worse,This sentence isn’t really clear to me, I wonder if changing it to something a bit more descriptive like “quickly deteriorating” or even as simple as “continually worsening” would help make it more descriptive, and therefore draw the reader in.
the same on land, as it is in the clouds.Just a little grammar thing, but there doesn’t need to be a comma there
I see a some of your kind down hereMore little grammer notes: this was probably just a little error, but the “a” is unnessecary.
But this is our problem, and we should try to solve it together.Another little note, but maybe italicize ‘is,’ that would help give it more of an emphasis and therefore make more sense to the reader
More information has been released about why the sudden lock down has happenedSomething I notice as I read to critque other pieces is that certain word choices pull me out of the reading. So if I make a note about word choice, please note that there is nothing bad or wrong about the choice, and you can continue to use it if it works. But I am just noting places where the word choice pulled me out of the reading. So in this case ‘has happened’ was the line that made me pause and think for a moment. Maybe make it ‘occured’ or something along those lines?
It's insane what an official statement can do to change the minds of so many.Just a quick note about character voice consistency, previously you have used educated words such as ‘stigma’ and other phrases that would be associated with the upper class. I would stick with that here, the use of ‘insanse’ seems like a shift in character voice. Perhaps change it to a more educated/posh sounding word?
The winds are crazy,Once again on character voice consistency, ‘crazy’ doesn’t fit in with the rest of the word choices.
Overall, the characters felt realistic, with real flaws and worries and problems. I think the pacing was very good, and I enjoyed the use of letters to switch between perspectives while still maintaining a cloak of mystery. I mostly critiqued for character voice/word choices and grammar, but there was little else to be corrected in my opinion, the entire piece flows naturally and provided an immersive experience. Amazing work!
Last edited by Strawberry-Lemon (Jan. 14, 2024 19:42:23)
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Based on a prompt by @SnowdropSugar || 413 words ||
The silence drips like syrup, only bitter and cold. Brayleigh looked around the room, at the faces turned unfriendly. She knew she had said the unspeakable thing. The words that could break their civilization forever.
“We should go to land.”
When she had spoken those words, Brayleigh had silenced the entire courtroom.
“I agree with Lee.”
Wynn’s voice had spoken up from somewhere in the back, and Brayleigh was endlessly grateful for her friend.
“Your highness, are you really sure that is a good idea?”
Brayleigh shot d@ggers with her eyes when the councilwoman she knew would be their biggest opponent spoke up.
Wynn -Prince Wynn to everybody else- stepped up next to Brayleigh, his eyes surveying the council that his father had chosen. “We cannot delude ourselves. The cloud is dissolving, little by little. We cannot keep living this way, with fear in our hearts, forever.”
The council was silent for a second, then burst into low murmurs, discussing the issue the prince and his bodyguard had brought up. Being a bodyguard, Brayleigh wasn’t supposed to speak at these meetings. But she had heard what Wynn had been muttering about for months, and if he wasn’t going to say it, she was going to say it for him.
Wynn and Brayleigh had been best friends when they were little, before they got to the age when Wynn’s father -the king- had said that there were two options: never see Brayleigh ever again, or tie himself to her in a permanent way. Wynn had opted for the third option. Brayleigh was already athletic, good with protecting herself and others. So he hired her as a personal bodyguard, so that his ‘suitors’ who, in Brayleigh’s opinion, were stuck-up brats, wouldn’t think that there was something between the two of them that never existed.
So now, Wynn and Brayleigh stood together, best friends, as the council discussed the fate of Wynn’s people. The people who were living in fear, wondering when it would be the day that the cloud beneath their homes, their workplaces, faded away, plunging the buildings into the abyss.
Suddenly, there was a noise, someone’s chair scraping the ground. It was Wynn’s father. You could see the plain shock on everybody’s face. Nobody -not even Wynn- had seen the King since the Queen -Wynn’s mother- had d!ed.
“My son is right.” Brayleigh’s best friend’s father said. “This place is no longer safe for us. We need to travel to land.”
The silence drips like syrup, only bitter and cold. Brayleigh looked around the room, at the faces turned unfriendly. She knew she had said the unspeakable thing. The words that could break their civilization forever.
“We should go to land.”
When she had spoken those words, Brayleigh had silenced the entire courtroom.
“I agree with Lee.”
Wynn’s voice had spoken up from somewhere in the back, and Brayleigh was endlessly grateful for her friend.
“Your highness, are you really sure that is a good idea?”
Brayleigh shot d@ggers with her eyes when the councilwoman she knew would be their biggest opponent spoke up.
Wynn -Prince Wynn to everybody else- stepped up next to Brayleigh, his eyes surveying the council that his father had chosen. “We cannot delude ourselves. The cloud is dissolving, little by little. We cannot keep living this way, with fear in our hearts, forever.”
The council was silent for a second, then burst into low murmurs, discussing the issue the prince and his bodyguard had brought up. Being a bodyguard, Brayleigh wasn’t supposed to speak at these meetings. But she had heard what Wynn had been muttering about for months, and if he wasn’t going to say it, she was going to say it for him.
Wynn and Brayleigh had been best friends when they were little, before they got to the age when Wynn’s father -the king- had said that there were two options: never see Brayleigh ever again, or tie himself to her in a permanent way. Wynn had opted for the third option. Brayleigh was already athletic, good with protecting herself and others. So he hired her as a personal bodyguard, so that his ‘suitors’ who, in Brayleigh’s opinion, were stuck-up brats, wouldn’t think that there was something between the two of them that never existed.
So now, Wynn and Brayleigh stood together, best friends, as the council discussed the fate of Wynn’s people. The people who were living in fear, wondering when it would be the day that the cloud beneath their homes, their workplaces, faded away, plunging the buildings into the abyss.
Suddenly, there was a noise, someone’s chair scraping the ground. It was Wynn’s father. You could see the plain shock on everybody’s face. Nobody -not even Wynn- had seen the King since the Queen -Wynn’s mother- had d!ed.
“My son is right.” Brayleigh’s best friend’s father said. “This place is no longer safe for us. We need to travel to land.”
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
I have lots of favorite subjects. Math, writing, choir… definitely not gym…
Anyways, today I am going to talk about subs. Yes, substitute teachers. You all have your memories, how you have your favorites -they let you do practically anything- and your least favorites -they’ll give you a lunch detention for asking for help- and those that fall anywhere in between.
And then you will have the ones that were incredibly memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
Look, last year, my math class was fairly chaotic. Imagine you’re me. You are sitting in the second row of desks that are in perfect lines, the whiteboard in front of you, the door at a diagonal behind you to the left. One of your best friends is sitting in front of you, the other behind you. Across the classroom, back maybe three rows, are some of the troublemakers. You either love or hate them. In my case, it depends on the day. Today, I definitely love them.
We have… let's call him Joseph. He’s the normal suspect for all chaos that ever happens around the classroom. When he gets an F on an assignment, he makes sure the entire world knows. He isn’t upset. It's astounding, really. Back a few desks, across about a row or two, there is… let’s name him Nash. He has the kind of hair that looks like he just woke up in the morning, even though you can see the gel that went into making it look that way. The two are best friends, along with… Um… Brock and Lincoln! Yeah, those are good names.
Brock is a teacher’s kid, so he obviously *tries* to behave himself, since anything he does wrong will inevitably be reported to his father. Lincoln is nice enough, cares about his grades and such, unlike Nash and Joseph.
Now, we have a sub. She has bright red hair, sounds like she has a permanent cold, her voice is nasally. We have a ‘5 minute check’ that she lets us take 15 minutes on. By the seventh minute, we are already rowdy, done and talking far louder than we need to.
She eventually attempts to quiet us down, then realizes she doesn’t know how to work the projector and walks up to the whiteboard to write down the answers. Nash scoots his chair back, and it makes a horrible screeching sound. Now, I assume he didn’t mean to do it on purpose. But the sub doesn’t even look back. She actually doesn’t even signal that she heard the sound, even though half of us have our hands over our ears, wincing. I feel bad for this sub, because the way we were acting was probably far too chaotic, and we probably all deserved lunch detentions, and we still laugh about this incident years later.
But, now they realize that she isn’t paying any attention to us, simply on the words she is spending half a year writing.
So, Joseph decided it was a good experiment to do the NPC wave that everybody found so entertaining.
And that wasn’t even the worst.
She didn’t see, or even sense, Joseph. So now everybody else is trying to see what they can do.
And the rest of us -me and my friends included- can only sit there and attempt not to laugh, so that we don’t give everybody away.
She’s only on the second answer, and already chaos is beginning. Joseph gets up to grab a calculator, and does jumping jacks in the back of the room. Nash stands up and does the griddy.
Brock and Lincoln stand up and start to do what I can only assume is their interpretation of ballroom dancing.
Then Joseph and Nash start to play football with their calculators. Yup, the whole thing. They are standing up and running around and all.
The sub is wrapping things up, and since most of this occurred completely -almost unnaturally- silently, everybody quickly finds their way to their seats.
She turns around, none the wiser to the smirks the rest of us are sharing. “Does this look correct to everybody?” She asks, and I can’t help but feel a stab of sympathy for her.
None of us were even paying attention to the words she was writing on the board, so we just nod enthusiastically and pretend we know what we are agreeing too.
“Alright, you can go turn your homework in.”
The classroom bursts into the laughter we were holding back as we walk towards the turn-in folder, laughing and joking and playfully admonishing the boys.
Yup. None of us even got in trouble. She left a perfect sub report, leaving no indication she heard any of the commotion at all.
And that’s only one of the memorable stories about our various math subs. I haven’t even touched on the meat stick fiasco, or how 2x divided by 1 equals 6, or when we had to teach the math sub how to do algebraic equations.
Of course, now pretty much all of that is behind us. Some would say we ‘grew up’ or ‘matured,’ but I just say our subs are far more vigilant this year.
Anyways, today I am going to talk about subs. Yes, substitute teachers. You all have your memories, how you have your favorites -they let you do practically anything- and your least favorites -they’ll give you a lunch detention for asking for help- and those that fall anywhere in between.
And then you will have the ones that were incredibly memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
Look, last year, my math class was fairly chaotic. Imagine you’re me. You are sitting in the second row of desks that are in perfect lines, the whiteboard in front of you, the door at a diagonal behind you to the left. One of your best friends is sitting in front of you, the other behind you. Across the classroom, back maybe three rows, are some of the troublemakers. You either love or hate them. In my case, it depends on the day. Today, I definitely love them.
We have… let's call him Joseph. He’s the normal suspect for all chaos that ever happens around the classroom. When he gets an F on an assignment, he makes sure the entire world knows. He isn’t upset. It's astounding, really. Back a few desks, across about a row or two, there is… let’s name him Nash. He has the kind of hair that looks like he just woke up in the morning, even though you can see the gel that went into making it look that way. The two are best friends, along with… Um… Brock and Lincoln! Yeah, those are good names.
Brock is a teacher’s kid, so he obviously *tries* to behave himself, since anything he does wrong will inevitably be reported to his father. Lincoln is nice enough, cares about his grades and such, unlike Nash and Joseph.
Now, we have a sub. She has bright red hair, sounds like she has a permanent cold, her voice is nasally. We have a ‘5 minute check’ that she lets us take 15 minutes on. By the seventh minute, we are already rowdy, done and talking far louder than we need to.
She eventually attempts to quiet us down, then realizes she doesn’t know how to work the projector and walks up to the whiteboard to write down the answers. Nash scoots his chair back, and it makes a horrible screeching sound. Now, I assume he didn’t mean to do it on purpose. But the sub doesn’t even look back. She actually doesn’t even signal that she heard the sound, even though half of us have our hands over our ears, wincing. I feel bad for this sub, because the way we were acting was probably far too chaotic, and we probably all deserved lunch detentions, and we still laugh about this incident years later.
But, now they realize that she isn’t paying any attention to us, simply on the words she is spending half a year writing.
So, Joseph decided it was a good experiment to do the NPC wave that everybody found so entertaining.
And that wasn’t even the worst.
She didn’t see, or even sense, Joseph. So now everybody else is trying to see what they can do.
And the rest of us -me and my friends included- can only sit there and attempt not to laugh, so that we don’t give everybody away.
She’s only on the second answer, and already chaos is beginning. Joseph gets up to grab a calculator, and does jumping jacks in the back of the room. Nash stands up and does the griddy.
Brock and Lincoln stand up and start to do what I can only assume is their interpretation of ballroom dancing.
Then Joseph and Nash start to play football with their calculators. Yup, the whole thing. They are standing up and running around and all.
The sub is wrapping things up, and since most of this occurred completely -almost unnaturally- silently, everybody quickly finds their way to their seats.
She turns around, none the wiser to the smirks the rest of us are sharing. “Does this look correct to everybody?” She asks, and I can’t help but feel a stab of sympathy for her.
None of us were even paying attention to the words she was writing on the board, so we just nod enthusiastically and pretend we know what we are agreeing too.
“Alright, you can go turn your homework in.”
The classroom bursts into the laughter we were holding back as we walk towards the turn-in folder, laughing and joking and playfully admonishing the boys.
Yup. None of us even got in trouble. She left a perfect sub report, leaving no indication she heard any of the commotion at all.
And that’s only one of the memorable stories about our various math subs. I haven’t even touched on the meat stick fiasco, or how 2x divided by 1 equals 6, or when we had to teach the math sub how to do algebraic equations.
Of course, now pretty much all of that is behind us. Some would say we ‘grew up’ or ‘matured,’ but I just say our subs are far more vigilant this year.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
WEEKLY 2 || 2663 words (not including any introductions) || Parts completed: All || Find the proof for the illu-fi here
Scriptwriting || This piece is based off of a short story I wrote a while ago, titled: “The Game” || 625/550 words (not including introduction) ||
Eight kids stand at the foot of a mansion. The Gamemaster comes out, wearing a silver mask, beautifully engraved, only exposing his eyes, nose, and mouth. His eyes are a cold silver, his mouth twisted up into a wicked smirk.
GAMEMASTER: Welcome. Call me The Gamemaster.
The kids shift nervously from foot to foot. A brunette (Aza) in the front row looks at him, not terrified, simply curious. His eyes lock on hers, his teeth showing slightly. He likes her curiosity, how she doesn’t seem to be daunted like the rest of the kids.
GAMEMASTER: This game is unlike any game you have ever played. It is, for one, much more danger0us. Which makes it more fun, in my opinion.
The kids stop moving, almost frozen. Aza simply tilts her head, her eyebrows raising.
GAMEMASTER: You may leave now, if you wish.
Nobody moves. In fact, they stay frozen, like they are scared of what will happen to them if they move. A blonde boy (Levi) crosses his arms across his chest, almost daring the Gamemaster to make him leave. The Gamemaster smirks.
GAMEMASTER (addressing Levi): That’s how it is, isn’t it?
GAMEMASTER (slightly mocking): In that case, come inside! Your parents would simply k!ll me if they learned I gave their children colds!
That elicits a reaction. The kids are here for money. Most of them don’t even have a family, much less parents. He opens the door to the mansion, and the kids follow him inside.
When they arrive in the mansion -decorated with ornate chandeliers and marble tiling- the Gamemaster is no longer with them.
Aza and Levi notice, and look around for his whereabouts.
GAMEMASTER (his voice echoing from speakers above): I see at least some of you have noticed I am missing.
The rest of the kids look around, noting that this is true.
Aza and Levi bolt from the room, looking for something.
GAMEMASTER: First five to find me get dinner. The rest of you won’t, at least not tonight.
The rest quickly leave the room, searching.
Aza turns a corner, running into Levi. She looks at him, and he freezes at her steely stare. Levi swallows. Aza puts her hands on her hips.
AZA (irritated): I don’t know how we keep running into each other, but an alliance isn’t something I want right now. So if you can just… (she motions for him to step aside, he complies) then we can both be on our way, thank you very much.
LEVI: Wait!
Aza turns around, raising an eyebrow. She is very clearly irritated. She wants to win the Games.
LEVI: We both came here with nothing, with nobody. Don’t you think it would be… helpful, at least, to make an alliance?
AZA: What did I tell you?
LEVI: Are you sure? Please, just let me help you. Let me prove that I’m useful. My name is Levi, by the way.
He’s acting so much like a little dog, a lost puppy, that Aza can’t help but accept.
AZA: I’m Aza. And fine. But you better not get in my way.
Levi smiles with victory, follows Aza.
After a moment, Levi notices something.
LEVI: Aza, wait.
Aza turns around, nearly at the end of her line with this boy.
AZA: What?!
Levi kneels by a tapestry, lifting up the bottom of it. A door is behind it.
Aza gasps, and Levi pulls the tapestry aside.
LEVI: Here you go, princess. Tell me I’m a genius.
Aza smirks, but you can see Levi is growing on her.
AZA: First, I’m not a princess-
LEVI: You act like one.
AZA (trying to hide laughter): and second, there is a *long* way for you to go before you reach genius level.
Illu-Fi || Based on a short story I wrote earlier this session, a retelling of Red Riding Hood || 286/200 words (not including introduction) ||
Look. I’m sure you think you know my story. I’m the poor little girl who couldn’t help or repress her curiosity as a big bad wolf came and ate her and her granny, until a hunter just so happened to come and cut her out of the wolf’s stomach, taking all the credit.
Let me tell you how it actually went down.
The thing is, I was never supposed to be a fairy tale at all. I’m part of the Fairy Guard, who are supposed to protect actual little girls from getting eaten by wolves. We’re the only thing protecting you… yes, you! From getting kidnapped by witches or tricked by trolls.
Oh! And I’m not a little girl, either. I’m sixteen. The Storymakers didn’t think that would make as good of a story.
So, after the wolf in question blew down three houses -three adult men eaten by a wolf didn’t make quite as good of a story- they set me on the tail of this wolf.
I was supposed to be the best.
We had reason to suspect the wolf was going after my mentor, Marabeth.
She schooled some of the best fairy tale warriors, like me, Jack, and Rapunzel.
“Are you ready, Red?”
Hansel has been my best friend for as long as I lived in this world.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“So, what’s the occasion, Little Red?”
I strongly disliked his sister, Gretel.
“Mission.”
“Gretel, now isn’t the best time.”
“When isn't it a good time to hang out with my brother and his pity project?”
“You’ll be waiting if I need it?”
“Since when am I not?”
“Just checking.”
So there was nothing left to do but go into the woods.
Songwriting || This song is about that feeling, when you feel like something wonderful is ending, but something even more magical is just beginning || 455/200 words (not including introduction) ||
VERSE 1
I always thought,
That when my story was coming to an end,
When the book closed on the biggest part of my life,
I would feel sad, like nothing could ever put it right again.
I always thought,
That when my storybook wrote its final chapter,
There would be nothing like it again.
But when things end,
Another chapter is just begging,
Another story begging to be told.
PRE-CHORUS
Because if you’re scared of starting over,
You’ll never truly begin again,
On another adventure that can change your life forever.
Because a story never truly ends,
There are always more problems to be solved,
New kingdoms to be conquered.
CHORUS
Castles keep falling,
Soldiers keep stalling,
But this story is forever.
This fairy tale never truly ends,
Cause there's always you and me,
Forever,
We stay the same, through the adventure,
They change for the better.
Cause we never truly end,
Forever.
We have our forever.
VERSE 2
I always thought,
That what I broke would stay broken,
What I wished would stay forever silent,
Only heard by a sparrow on the breeze.
I always thought,
That things broken can’t be fixed,
And that my story would end with heartbreak.
But beyond this story is another chance,
Another choice that could lead me to happy ever after,
Another story just begging to be told.
PRE-CHORUS
Because if you’re scared of starting over,
You’ll never truly begin again,
On another adventure that can change your life forever.
Because a story never truly ends,
There are always more problems to be solved,
New kingdoms to be conquered.
CHORUS
Castles keep falling,
Soldiers keep stalling,
But this story is forever.
This fairy tale never truly ends,
Cause there's always you and me,
Forever,
We stay the same, through the adventure,
They change for the better.
Cause we never truly end,
Forever.
We have our forever.
BRIDGE
Love is not forever
Trust is not forever
Truths can change day by day
But stories are never ended,
Even after the last page is filled with ink,
And there are always more mountains to be climbed.
PRE-CHORUS
Because if you’re scared of starting over,
You’ll never truly begin again,
On another adventure that can change your life forever.
Because a story never truly ends,
There are always more problems to be solved,
New kingdoms to be conquered.
CHORUS
Castles keep falling,
Soldiers keep stalling,
But this story is forever.
This fairy tale never truly ends,
Cause there's always you and me,
Forever,
We stay the same, through the adventure,
They change for the better.
Cause we never truly end,
Forever.
We have our forever.
OUTRO
There is always forever.
Things change for the better,
And we always have
Forever.
Scriptwriting || Prompt: the main character is a ghost and only one person can see them… but that person also happens to be the one that killed them.|| CW: Moderate bl00d and g0re, mentions of de@th and k!dnapp!ng || 603/550 words (not including introduction) ||
A hallway in a dark mansion, the sound of a kn!fe flying through the air, hitting something with a sound. A scream comes from a girl. Seconds later, there is a bright flash, and the girl reappears, only slightly see-through and glowing. The boy who threw the kn!fe walks towards her, confused.
BREE: Where-where am I?
SAUL (scared): Who the heck are you?
BREE (defensive): I could ask you the exact same question, mister.
SAUL (confused): And why are you… slightly see through?
BREE (irritated): Why are you looking at me like I have the answers? I’m just as clueless as you.
SAUL: Wait. Are you… Bree?
BREE: Saul? Who else would I be? Your mother?
Saul clearly isn’t amused by Bree’s joke. He continues inspecting her, then turns his attention to the bl00died kn!fe on the ground.
BREE (terrified): Did you just k!ll someone with that kn!fe?
SAUL (contemplatively): Yes. I did. I just k!lled you.
BREE (thinking hard): …Yeah. I think you did. But then why can you see me?
SAUL: You must be a ghost.
BREE (sarcastic): Well no dip, Sherlock.
Once again, Saul ignored Bree.
SAUL: Follow me.
BREE: You just k!lled me, dude. Why am I supposed to do anything you say?
SAUL: Because I want to figure out how I can send you away! Do you think I *want* a slightly sarcastic ghost following me around everywhere? Especially when it is the girl that I just k!lled and probably was in love with?
That gives Bree a pause. There is clearly some history between the two, and Saul just shakes his head, annoyed that he said too much.
SAUL (annoyed): Just pretend I never said that.
BREE (delighted): You were in *love* with me? Wow, thats a first!
SAUL: Just shut up, Bree.
BREE (giddy): I’m the de@d one, you can’t exactly argue with me. It’s my de@th day, get it?
SAUL: Yes, I do. Now can you please be quiet?
BREE (loudly): WHYYYY would I be QUIEEETTT if I can SCREEAAAMMM at the top of my LLLUUUNNGGSSSS
A man walks past the two of them, oblivious to Bree yelling her heart out.
SAUL (confused): Wait a minute. Bree, scream again.
BREE (sarcastic): Now you want me to scream, huh? OKKKAAAAYYYYY
The man doesn’t even look back, even though Bree should have shaken the earth with the volume of her cry.
SAUL (sarcastic): Oh, okay. So I’m the only one who can see -or be annoyed by- you. Great.
BREE: You are the only person I ever take pleasure in annoying, Sauly-poo.
SAUL: Just shut up, or I’m taking back what I said earlier.
BREE: You can’t take back lurrrveee, Sauly.
SAUL: Oh yes I most certainly can.
Saul looks like he wishes Bree would just stay de@d.
BREE: You already k!lled me. I don’t think anybody needs a declaration of ‘not love’ clearer than that.
SAUL: Shoot, Bree, it almost k!lled me to k!ll you!
BREE: Then why did you do it then?
SAUL: Because if I didn’t, they were going to k!ll my sister!
BREE (softly): Who’s ‘they’?
SAUL: People you don’t want to be involved with, Bree.
BREE (now serious): They were going to harm Lila? You could have just told me! I would have helped you. Shoot, I would have k!lled myself if it meant saving Lila. And it would save you from all this headache!
SAUL: It’s okay. We’ll get Lila back. Together. And then we’ll figure out how to spare me from all this headache.
Illu-Fi || Prompt: the main character is a ghost and only one person can see them… but that person also happens to be the one that killed them.|| CW: Mentions of c@r cr@sh, de@th, gr!ef || 212/200 words (not including introduction) ||
I didn’t mean to k!ll her, okay? It wasn’t my fault that the road was icy, snow falling down, blinding my vision. It wasn’t my fault my tires slipped, my car crashing against hers. It wasn’t my fault.
But then why was she haunting me?
“Phillip?”
Her voice, at first I thought it was a dream.
“Eva?”
“What’s happening? I thought I d!ed.”
“Heck, I thought you did too. I- I thought I k!lled you.”
“Phillip, it wasn’t your fault.”
That's what I was trying to tell myself.
“Are you sure about that?”
I didn’t completely believe myself at this point.
“I know it wasn’t. It wasn’t like you planned for there to be a snowstorm.”
“Eva, why are you here?”
“I don’t know. I assume I’m a ghost.”
“Why are you so dang calm about all of this? I literally k!lled you!”
“I told you before, this isn’t your fault.”
“Says who?”
“Says the literal person you k!lled.”
“Whatever. Eva, why are you haunting me? I have enough gr!ef already.”
“I don’t know. It’s not like I’m in control of this!”
Eva was my best friend, my everything. It was like they sent her back just to hurt me more than I already was hurt.
Songwriting || Prompt: the main character is a ghost and only one person can see them… but that person also happens to be the one that killed them. || CW: De@th, gr!ef, h@unting. || 489/200 words (not including introduction) ||
VERSE 1
Look, I know I’m de@d, I know I’m gone.
But why do I have to keep haunting you?
I see your face when you cry at night,
Why do I have to keep haunting you?
I know what I did was unforgivable.
I know the reason you k!lled me was true.
But why do I have to see the gr!ef I caused,
When it was all my fault.
PRE-CHORUS
I thought my pain would be my truth,
I thought I deserved the pain I was in.
But what I didn’t deserve was to see the
Pain that my betrayal caused other people.
Gosh, why do you have to torture me this way?
This way.
CHORUS
One punishment is enough,
Why must you give me two?
Haunting the person who took my l!fe,
When it was my fault that person’s aim had to be true.
Why must I see their tear-streaked face,
When I know that it was my fault too.
Why, why, why.
Why must I haunt you?
VERSE 2
I didn’t want to leave,
I didn’t want to go.
I spend my nights wandering the hallways,
My days following you.
You are the only one who knows I’m there,
The only one who can see me now I’ve passed.
But sometimes, the only thing that I want
Is to move on.
PRE-CHORUS
I thought my pain would be my truth,
I thought I deserved the pain I was in.
But what I didn’t deserve was to see the
Pain that my betrayal caused other people.
Gosh, why do you have to torture me this way?
This way.
CHORUS
One punishment is enough,
Why must you give me two?
Haunting the person who took my l!fe,
When it was my fault that person’s aim had to be true.
Why must I see their tear-streaked face,
When I know that it was my fault too.
Why, why, why.
Why must I haunt you?
BRIDGE
I want to leave this world for good,
I want to pass and leave the pain.
I want to wish my de@th into something better,
A chance to l!ve again.
But I’m just stuck haunting you.
PRE-CHORUS
I thought my pain would be my truth,
I thought I deserved the pain I was in.
But what I didn’t deserve was to see the
Pain that my betrayal caused other people.
Gosh, why do you have to torture me this way?
This way.
CHORUS
One punishment is enough,
Why must you give me two?
Haunting the person who took my l!fe,
When it was my fault that person’s aim had to be true.
Why must I see their tear-streaked face,
When I know that it was my fault too.
Why, why, why.
Why must I haunt you?
OUTRO
I’m haunting you,
I see the tear-streaked faces.
I’m haunting you.
Why, why why,
Why must I haunt you?
Scriptwriting || This piece is based off of a short story I wrote a while ago, titled: “The Game” || 625/550 words (not including introduction) ||
Eight kids stand at the foot of a mansion. The Gamemaster comes out, wearing a silver mask, beautifully engraved, only exposing his eyes, nose, and mouth. His eyes are a cold silver, his mouth twisted up into a wicked smirk.
GAMEMASTER: Welcome. Call me The Gamemaster.
The kids shift nervously from foot to foot. A brunette (Aza) in the front row looks at him, not terrified, simply curious. His eyes lock on hers, his teeth showing slightly. He likes her curiosity, how she doesn’t seem to be daunted like the rest of the kids.
GAMEMASTER: This game is unlike any game you have ever played. It is, for one, much more danger0us. Which makes it more fun, in my opinion.
The kids stop moving, almost frozen. Aza simply tilts her head, her eyebrows raising.
GAMEMASTER: You may leave now, if you wish.
Nobody moves. In fact, they stay frozen, like they are scared of what will happen to them if they move. A blonde boy (Levi) crosses his arms across his chest, almost daring the Gamemaster to make him leave. The Gamemaster smirks.
GAMEMASTER (addressing Levi): That’s how it is, isn’t it?
GAMEMASTER (slightly mocking): In that case, come inside! Your parents would simply k!ll me if they learned I gave their children colds!
That elicits a reaction. The kids are here for money. Most of them don’t even have a family, much less parents. He opens the door to the mansion, and the kids follow him inside.
When they arrive in the mansion -decorated with ornate chandeliers and marble tiling- the Gamemaster is no longer with them.
Aza and Levi notice, and look around for his whereabouts.
GAMEMASTER (his voice echoing from speakers above): I see at least some of you have noticed I am missing.
The rest of the kids look around, noting that this is true.
Aza and Levi bolt from the room, looking for something.
GAMEMASTER: First five to find me get dinner. The rest of you won’t, at least not tonight.
The rest quickly leave the room, searching.
Aza turns a corner, running into Levi. She looks at him, and he freezes at her steely stare. Levi swallows. Aza puts her hands on her hips.
AZA (irritated): I don’t know how we keep running into each other, but an alliance isn’t something I want right now. So if you can just… (she motions for him to step aside, he complies) then we can both be on our way, thank you very much.
LEVI: Wait!
Aza turns around, raising an eyebrow. She is very clearly irritated. She wants to win the Games.
LEVI: We both came here with nothing, with nobody. Don’t you think it would be… helpful, at least, to make an alliance?
AZA: What did I tell you?
LEVI: Are you sure? Please, just let me help you. Let me prove that I’m useful. My name is Levi, by the way.
He’s acting so much like a little dog, a lost puppy, that Aza can’t help but accept.
AZA: I’m Aza. And fine. But you better not get in my way.
Levi smiles with victory, follows Aza.
After a moment, Levi notices something.
LEVI: Aza, wait.
Aza turns around, nearly at the end of her line with this boy.
AZA: What?!
Levi kneels by a tapestry, lifting up the bottom of it. A door is behind it.
Aza gasps, and Levi pulls the tapestry aside.
LEVI: Here you go, princess. Tell me I’m a genius.
Aza smirks, but you can see Levi is growing on her.
AZA: First, I’m not a princess-
LEVI: You act like one.
AZA (trying to hide laughter): and second, there is a *long* way for you to go before you reach genius level.
Illu-Fi || Based on a short story I wrote earlier this session, a retelling of Red Riding Hood || 286/200 words (not including introduction) ||
Look. I’m sure you think you know my story. I’m the poor little girl who couldn’t help or repress her curiosity as a big bad wolf came and ate her and her granny, until a hunter just so happened to come and cut her out of the wolf’s stomach, taking all the credit.
Let me tell you how it actually went down.
The thing is, I was never supposed to be a fairy tale at all. I’m part of the Fairy Guard, who are supposed to protect actual little girls from getting eaten by wolves. We’re the only thing protecting you… yes, you! From getting kidnapped by witches or tricked by trolls.
Oh! And I’m not a little girl, either. I’m sixteen. The Storymakers didn’t think that would make as good of a story.
So, after the wolf in question blew down three houses -three adult men eaten by a wolf didn’t make quite as good of a story- they set me on the tail of this wolf.
I was supposed to be the best.
We had reason to suspect the wolf was going after my mentor, Marabeth.
She schooled some of the best fairy tale warriors, like me, Jack, and Rapunzel.
“Are you ready, Red?”
Hansel has been my best friend for as long as I lived in this world.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“So, what’s the occasion, Little Red?”
I strongly disliked his sister, Gretel.
“Mission.”
“Gretel, now isn’t the best time.”
“When isn't it a good time to hang out with my brother and his pity project?”
“You’ll be waiting if I need it?”
“Since when am I not?”
“Just checking.”
So there was nothing left to do but go into the woods.
Songwriting || This song is about that feeling, when you feel like something wonderful is ending, but something even more magical is just beginning || 455/200 words (not including introduction) ||
VERSE 1
I always thought,
That when my story was coming to an end,
When the book closed on the biggest part of my life,
I would feel sad, like nothing could ever put it right again.
I always thought,
That when my storybook wrote its final chapter,
There would be nothing like it again.
But when things end,
Another chapter is just begging,
Another story begging to be told.
PRE-CHORUS
Because if you’re scared of starting over,
You’ll never truly begin again,
On another adventure that can change your life forever.
Because a story never truly ends,
There are always more problems to be solved,
New kingdoms to be conquered.
CHORUS
Castles keep falling,
Soldiers keep stalling,
But this story is forever.
This fairy tale never truly ends,
Cause there's always you and me,
Forever,
We stay the same, through the adventure,
They change for the better.
Cause we never truly end,
Forever.
We have our forever.
VERSE 2
I always thought,
That what I broke would stay broken,
What I wished would stay forever silent,
Only heard by a sparrow on the breeze.
I always thought,
That things broken can’t be fixed,
And that my story would end with heartbreak.
But beyond this story is another chance,
Another choice that could lead me to happy ever after,
Another story just begging to be told.
PRE-CHORUS
Because if you’re scared of starting over,
You’ll never truly begin again,
On another adventure that can change your life forever.
Because a story never truly ends,
There are always more problems to be solved,
New kingdoms to be conquered.
CHORUS
Castles keep falling,
Soldiers keep stalling,
But this story is forever.
This fairy tale never truly ends,
Cause there's always you and me,
Forever,
We stay the same, through the adventure,
They change for the better.
Cause we never truly end,
Forever.
We have our forever.
BRIDGE
Love is not forever
Trust is not forever
Truths can change day by day
But stories are never ended,
Even after the last page is filled with ink,
And there are always more mountains to be climbed.
PRE-CHORUS
Because if you’re scared of starting over,
You’ll never truly begin again,
On another adventure that can change your life forever.
Because a story never truly ends,
There are always more problems to be solved,
New kingdoms to be conquered.
CHORUS
Castles keep falling,
Soldiers keep stalling,
But this story is forever.
This fairy tale never truly ends,
Cause there's always you and me,
Forever,
We stay the same, through the adventure,
They change for the better.
Cause we never truly end,
Forever.
We have our forever.
OUTRO
There is always forever.
Things change for the better,
And we always have
Forever.
Scriptwriting || Prompt: the main character is a ghost and only one person can see them… but that person also happens to be the one that killed them.|| CW: Moderate bl00d and g0re, mentions of de@th and k!dnapp!ng || 603/550 words (not including introduction) ||
A hallway in a dark mansion, the sound of a kn!fe flying through the air, hitting something with a sound. A scream comes from a girl. Seconds later, there is a bright flash, and the girl reappears, only slightly see-through and glowing. The boy who threw the kn!fe walks towards her, confused.
BREE: Where-where am I?
SAUL (scared): Who the heck are you?
BREE (defensive): I could ask you the exact same question, mister.
SAUL (confused): And why are you… slightly see through?
BREE (irritated): Why are you looking at me like I have the answers? I’m just as clueless as you.
SAUL: Wait. Are you… Bree?
BREE: Saul? Who else would I be? Your mother?
Saul clearly isn’t amused by Bree’s joke. He continues inspecting her, then turns his attention to the bl00died kn!fe on the ground.
BREE (terrified): Did you just k!ll someone with that kn!fe?
SAUL (contemplatively): Yes. I did. I just k!lled you.
BREE (thinking hard): …Yeah. I think you did. But then why can you see me?
SAUL: You must be a ghost.
BREE (sarcastic): Well no dip, Sherlock.
Once again, Saul ignored Bree.
SAUL: Follow me.
BREE: You just k!lled me, dude. Why am I supposed to do anything you say?
SAUL: Because I want to figure out how I can send you away! Do you think I *want* a slightly sarcastic ghost following me around everywhere? Especially when it is the girl that I just k!lled and probably was in love with?
That gives Bree a pause. There is clearly some history between the two, and Saul just shakes his head, annoyed that he said too much.
SAUL (annoyed): Just pretend I never said that.
BREE (delighted): You were in *love* with me? Wow, thats a first!
SAUL: Just shut up, Bree.
BREE (giddy): I’m the de@d one, you can’t exactly argue with me. It’s my de@th day, get it?
SAUL: Yes, I do. Now can you please be quiet?
BREE (loudly): WHYYYY would I be QUIEEETTT if I can SCREEAAAMMM at the top of my LLLUUUNNGGSSSS
A man walks past the two of them, oblivious to Bree yelling her heart out.
SAUL (confused): Wait a minute. Bree, scream again.
BREE (sarcastic): Now you want me to scream, huh? OKKKAAAAYYYYY
The man doesn’t even look back, even though Bree should have shaken the earth with the volume of her cry.
SAUL (sarcastic): Oh, okay. So I’m the only one who can see -or be annoyed by- you. Great.
BREE: You are the only person I ever take pleasure in annoying, Sauly-poo.
SAUL: Just shut up, or I’m taking back what I said earlier.
BREE: You can’t take back lurrrveee, Sauly.
SAUL: Oh yes I most certainly can.
Saul looks like he wishes Bree would just stay de@d.
BREE: You already k!lled me. I don’t think anybody needs a declaration of ‘not love’ clearer than that.
SAUL: Shoot, Bree, it almost k!lled me to k!ll you!
BREE: Then why did you do it then?
SAUL: Because if I didn’t, they were going to k!ll my sister!
BREE (softly): Who’s ‘they’?
SAUL: People you don’t want to be involved with, Bree.
BREE (now serious): They were going to harm Lila? You could have just told me! I would have helped you. Shoot, I would have k!lled myself if it meant saving Lila. And it would save you from all this headache!
SAUL: It’s okay. We’ll get Lila back. Together. And then we’ll figure out how to spare me from all this headache.
Illu-Fi || Prompt: the main character is a ghost and only one person can see them… but that person also happens to be the one that killed them.|| CW: Mentions of c@r cr@sh, de@th, gr!ef || 212/200 words (not including introduction) ||
I didn’t mean to k!ll her, okay? It wasn’t my fault that the road was icy, snow falling down, blinding my vision. It wasn’t my fault my tires slipped, my car crashing against hers. It wasn’t my fault.
But then why was she haunting me?
“Phillip?”
Her voice, at first I thought it was a dream.
“Eva?”
“What’s happening? I thought I d!ed.”
“Heck, I thought you did too. I- I thought I k!lled you.”
“Phillip, it wasn’t your fault.”
That's what I was trying to tell myself.
“Are you sure about that?”
I didn’t completely believe myself at this point.
“I know it wasn’t. It wasn’t like you planned for there to be a snowstorm.”
“Eva, why are you here?”
“I don’t know. I assume I’m a ghost.”
“Why are you so dang calm about all of this? I literally k!lled you!”
“I told you before, this isn’t your fault.”
“Says who?”
“Says the literal person you k!lled.”
“Whatever. Eva, why are you haunting me? I have enough gr!ef already.”
“I don’t know. It’s not like I’m in control of this!”
Eva was my best friend, my everything. It was like they sent her back just to hurt me more than I already was hurt.
Songwriting || Prompt: the main character is a ghost and only one person can see them… but that person also happens to be the one that killed them. || CW: De@th, gr!ef, h@unting. || 489/200 words (not including introduction) ||
VERSE 1
Look, I know I’m de@d, I know I’m gone.
But why do I have to keep haunting you?
I see your face when you cry at night,
Why do I have to keep haunting you?
I know what I did was unforgivable.
I know the reason you k!lled me was true.
But why do I have to see the gr!ef I caused,
When it was all my fault.
PRE-CHORUS
I thought my pain would be my truth,
I thought I deserved the pain I was in.
But what I didn’t deserve was to see the
Pain that my betrayal caused other people.
Gosh, why do you have to torture me this way?
This way.
CHORUS
One punishment is enough,
Why must you give me two?
Haunting the person who took my l!fe,
When it was my fault that person’s aim had to be true.
Why must I see their tear-streaked face,
When I know that it was my fault too.
Why, why, why.
Why must I haunt you?
VERSE 2
I didn’t want to leave,
I didn’t want to go.
I spend my nights wandering the hallways,
My days following you.
You are the only one who knows I’m there,
The only one who can see me now I’ve passed.
But sometimes, the only thing that I want
Is to move on.
PRE-CHORUS
I thought my pain would be my truth,
I thought I deserved the pain I was in.
But what I didn’t deserve was to see the
Pain that my betrayal caused other people.
Gosh, why do you have to torture me this way?
This way.
CHORUS
One punishment is enough,
Why must you give me two?
Haunting the person who took my l!fe,
When it was my fault that person’s aim had to be true.
Why must I see their tear-streaked face,
When I know that it was my fault too.
Why, why, why.
Why must I haunt you?
BRIDGE
I want to leave this world for good,
I want to pass and leave the pain.
I want to wish my de@th into something better,
A chance to l!ve again.
But I’m just stuck haunting you.
PRE-CHORUS
I thought my pain would be my truth,
I thought I deserved the pain I was in.
But what I didn’t deserve was to see the
Pain that my betrayal caused other people.
Gosh, why do you have to torture me this way?
This way.
CHORUS
One punishment is enough,
Why must you give me two?
Haunting the person who took my l!fe,
When it was my fault that person’s aim had to be true.
Why must I see their tear-streaked face,
When I know that it was my fault too.
Why, why, why.
Why must I haunt you?
OUTRO
I’m haunting you,
I see the tear-streaked faces.
I’m haunting you.
Why, why why,
Why must I haunt you?
Last edited by Strawberry-Lemon (Jan. 17, 2024 22:11:11)
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 1/22/24 || Basically a little story based on Beauty and the Beast told from the rose’s pov because I thought that would be a fun little thing to do
|| 448/400 words (not including introduction) ||I felt my petals start to wither under his gaze, drying out, the vibrant red fading to a dry brown. I would turn my head to observe the many petals lying on the ground of my glass enclosure, seeing time spent hating. I can see his eyes, bright blue and the color of the sky that I could lose myself in, drowning forever in his gaze.
But like everything else in this castle, I am cursed with time, cursed with too much of it. Some would call it a gift, but I have spent the past many years sitting here, watching as the crystal blue gaze of a prince turned beast watch me, remembering who I once was.
Because I had loved him, once upon a time. Who hadn’t? He was the most beautiful boy in the entire kingdom, and every maiden’s heart longed for him to love them. I had been the person who he had loved, the poor farmer girl who had happened to meet him while he was wandering the fields one day. I was the girl who taught him how to enjoy life, I was the girl who taught him how to love. But I was unlucky enough to be in the castle, the day that he had turned the sorceress out.
See, the thing is, the stories don’t do me justice. The sorceress was not some woman, not some woman who came to see if he had a heart or not. She had come to k*** me. She had come to take me out of the equation, but the prince had told her no. The prince had protected me, and look what that cost him? Now he was stuck as a monster, and I won’t say hideous because he is still beautiful in my eyes, and I am stuck as a flower, because who can love a flower?
His curse is he has to find new love, he has to leave me behind and fall in love with someone else.
If I had a mouth I could speak with, I would tell him that it’s okay. My time has passed, anyway. I have spent too long loving him, and he should go free us all from this curse. He should go find someone who makes him truly happy, more than I ever could.
And so I wait, behind my walls made of clear crystal, and try to tell him what I can with my motionless petals, my nonexistent mouth. I think, after a while, he understands. I’m not sure how, but I think he does.
I know that he loves me.
That’s enough for an eternity.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 1/23/24 || Just a little character study based on people from my friend group <33 (can you guess which one is me?) || Also note that some names are the same as the names I did in my ‘school moment’ daily a couple of days ago. This was not an accident || 571/300 words (not including introduction) ||
A girl stood, her head tilted to the side, almost as if she was daring someone to come and talk to her. She held her binders and books close to her body, yet her entire self radiated control and power. Even her laugh made people turn to look at her, wondering how a singular person could be so sure of herself.
Then, of course, there was the girl constantly at her side. This girl was the one that people’s eyes passed over, the one that they passed off in favor of the other girl next to her. This girl wore an oversized sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into two French braids. Her smile was bright and enthusiastic, but her eyes were slightly dreamy. You could tell she was present, but half of her mind was in a different world, not walking through the hallways of her school.
A boy joined them, his eyes bright and his gait excited. Both girls turned and gave him the side-eye, and he looked surprised. No, really. But the two girls just laughed and rolled their eyes, and the boy ignored them.
“So, Joseph…” The girl with the french-braids said, turning and walking backwards, addressing the newcomer, “What did you get on your science test?”
The other girl turned around as well, though she didn’t walk backwards. “Yeah, Joseph. We peasants want to know what the king scored.” She teased.
Joseph huffed, and you could see his face heat up.
You can see that the french-braid girl felt bad. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
Joseph laughed. “You’re too nice, Natalia. But I got a B minus. What did you guys get? And don’t try to deflect, McKinley. You’re better than that.”
The girl who was sure of herself -McKinley- turned back towards Joseph, smirking. “I would never dream of doing such a thing to the angel that is you.” She said with a fake smile towards Joseph.
Natalia laughed, and Joseph shot her a death glance. She pointedly ignored it.
“I got an A minus, if you want to know.” McKinley replied briskly to Joseph, continuing to walk down the hallway towards her locker.
Joseph cut in front of the two girls, forcing them to slow their pace. McKinley showed annoyance, but if Natalia felt anything, she kept it hidden.
But, unlike Joseph had suspected, it was Natalia who tried to not say her score.
“What did you get, Natalia?”
Natalia shrugged, and you could see her face heat up, but not for the same reason that Joesph’s had.
“It’s no big deal.”
McKinley rolled her eyes. “She got a hundred.” She told Joseph, in a low voice like Natalia couldn’t hear.
Natalia reached her hand up to brush a stray piece of hair behind her ear, then realized that her hair was pulled back and her face flushed red again.
Joseph said, “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Nat! You literally are amazing.”
“Oh! Thanks…” Natalia said, turning to put the code into her locker.
McKinley’s locker was right next to Natalia’s so they turned their backs on Joseph. As soon as he left, McKinley said: “I was literally just guessing when I said you got a hundred.”
Natalia started laughing again, and you could hear Joseph’s voice echo down the hallway: “You better not be laughing about me, Nat!”
They hadn’t been, but now they most certainly were.
|| 571/300 words (not including introduction) || A girl stood, her head tilted to the side, almost as if she was daring someone to come and talk to her. She held her binders and books close to her body, yet her entire self radiated control and power. Even her laugh made people turn to look at her, wondering how a singular person could be so sure of herself.
Then, of course, there was the girl constantly at her side. This girl was the one that people’s eyes passed over, the one that they passed off in favor of the other girl next to her. This girl wore an oversized sweatshirt, her hair pulled back into two French braids. Her smile was bright and enthusiastic, but her eyes were slightly dreamy. You could tell she was present, but half of her mind was in a different world, not walking through the hallways of her school.
A boy joined them, his eyes bright and his gait excited. Both girls turned and gave him the side-eye, and he looked surprised. No, really. But the two girls just laughed and rolled their eyes, and the boy ignored them.
“So, Joseph…” The girl with the french-braids said, turning and walking backwards, addressing the newcomer, “What did you get on your science test?”
The other girl turned around as well, though she didn’t walk backwards. “Yeah, Joseph. We peasants want to know what the king scored.” She teased.
Joseph huffed, and you could see his face heat up.
You can see that the french-braid girl felt bad. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
Joseph laughed. “You’re too nice, Natalia. But I got a B minus. What did you guys get? And don’t try to deflect, McKinley. You’re better than that.”
The girl who was sure of herself -McKinley- turned back towards Joseph, smirking. “I would never dream of doing such a thing to the angel that is you.” She said with a fake smile towards Joseph.
Natalia laughed, and Joseph shot her a death glance. She pointedly ignored it.
“I got an A minus, if you want to know.” McKinley replied briskly to Joseph, continuing to walk down the hallway towards her locker.
Joseph cut in front of the two girls, forcing them to slow their pace. McKinley showed annoyance, but if Natalia felt anything, she kept it hidden.
But, unlike Joseph had suspected, it was Natalia who tried to not say her score.
“What did you get, Natalia?”
Natalia shrugged, and you could see her face heat up, but not for the same reason that Joesph’s had.
“It’s no big deal.”
McKinley rolled her eyes. “She got a hundred.” She told Joseph, in a low voice like Natalia couldn’t hear.
Natalia reached her hand up to brush a stray piece of hair behind her ear, then realized that her hair was pulled back and her face flushed red again.
Joseph said, “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Nat! You literally are amazing.”
“Oh! Thanks…” Natalia said, turning to put the code into her locker.
McKinley’s locker was right next to Natalia’s so they turned their backs on Joseph. As soon as he left, McKinley said: “I was literally just guessing when I said you got a hundred.”
Natalia started laughing again, and you could hear Joseph’s voice echo down the hallway: “You better not be laughing about me, Nat!”
They hadn’t been, but now they most certainly were.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 1/28/24 || Based on @TokoWrites || 412/350 words (not including introduction) ||
I sat down on my couch, exhausted after yet another track meet. I took out my pencil, doodling on the margins of a paper that I was supposed to be doing for homework. I pulled a fluffy blanket over myself, trying to pretend like I was in a different world, past my exhaustion for just a second.
I didn’t want to look at the mound of homework that was practically exploding out of my binders, so I turned on the TV, looking for something good to watch. I saw Hamilton on Disney+, and clicked it on for a second, watching the musical and letting myself forget about everything else for a second.
I sat up, half paying attention to the TV, and went over to look through my bookshelf. I rummaged through all the books I had accumulated over the past few years, before realizing that I had left my current project at school. I sighed, heading back to the couch before taking out my folder to do my homework.
While I started my math equations, I opened my phone and flipped through all the latest comments on the JWC page, reading through conversations and such. I looked at the daily, reading through it quickly while I erased some of my messy work on the page, along with a few doodles I had done in class.
I sang along to the musical playing on my TV. “How does a ragtag volunteer…” I sang quietly to myself while tucking my homework back into my folder.
Finally done with everything, I layed back down on the couch, letting the music and lights on the TV immerse me in a different world. A world where people sang as part of their daily routine, a world that seemed almost unbelievable.
Finally, the musical ended and I stood up, my legs sore and not willing to comply after the track meet I had done earlier. But slowly, I stretched them out and managed to go upstairs, sitting down at my computer to work on the daily. The weekly hadn’t been posted yet, so I simply worked on writing. Yet another escape to an almost unbelievable world. Slowly, I smiled as my characters came to life on the page, their adventures wild and fantastical in ways that I couldn’t even begin to describe.
After I submitted the daily, I closed my computer and looked out the window, watching the sun peak through the branches of the trees.
I sat down on my couch, exhausted after yet another track meet. I took out my pencil, doodling on the margins of a paper that I was supposed to be doing for homework. I pulled a fluffy blanket over myself, trying to pretend like I was in a different world, past my exhaustion for just a second.
I didn’t want to look at the mound of homework that was practically exploding out of my binders, so I turned on the TV, looking for something good to watch. I saw Hamilton on Disney+, and clicked it on for a second, watching the musical and letting myself forget about everything else for a second.
I sat up, half paying attention to the TV, and went over to look through my bookshelf. I rummaged through all the books I had accumulated over the past few years, before realizing that I had left my current project at school. I sighed, heading back to the couch before taking out my folder to do my homework.
While I started my math equations, I opened my phone and flipped through all the latest comments on the JWC page, reading through conversations and such. I looked at the daily, reading through it quickly while I erased some of my messy work on the page, along with a few doodles I had done in class.
I sang along to the musical playing on my TV. “How does a ragtag volunteer…” I sang quietly to myself while tucking my homework back into my folder.
Finally done with everything, I layed back down on the couch, letting the music and lights on the TV immerse me in a different world. A world where people sang as part of their daily routine, a world that seemed almost unbelievable.
Finally, the musical ended and I stood up, my legs sore and not willing to comply after the track meet I had done earlier. But slowly, I stretched them out and managed to go upstairs, sitting down at my computer to work on the daily. The weekly hadn’t been posted yet, so I simply worked on writing. Yet another escape to an almost unbelievable world. Slowly, I smiled as my characters came to life on the page, their adventures wild and fantastical in ways that I couldn’t even begin to describe.
After I submitted the daily, I closed my computer and looked out the window, watching the sun peak through the branches of the trees.
Last edited by Strawberry-Lemon (Jan. 28, 2024 22:39:07)
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
JWC Fanfic || 265/200 words ||
The January Writing Camp main cabin was abuzz with activity: campers talking, completing dailies, and just generally having fun. Bumble, Avery, and Kiara from Spy entered, leaving their high-tech headquarters behind for the more relaxed log-cabin environment of the main cabin. Actually, it reminded Kiara a little bit of a greenhouse, with flowers and ivy growing out of every available nook and cranny.
Luna from Astronaut bounced up to the three of them, greeting them with a wide smile on her face. “Hi guys! How are you?”
Bumble laughed, “Amazing, thanks for asking Luna!”
Avery smiled as well at Luna’s enthusiasm. “I’m great as well.”
They all turned to Kiara, who was pretty much lost in her own thoughts. When she came to the present, she flushed and said: “I’m absolutely peachy!”
That made everybody laugh, including Kiara.
Kiara stood for a moment at the door, looking out at the different areas, and how vastly different they all were. There was the spaceship of Astronaut, the theater that was Harlequin, the airplane-hanger of Aviator, the garden that hosted Fairy, and the small, quaint house of Victorian. Kiara marveled at how this sight, these people, had been so kind and welcoming to her, and how she felt like she really belonged here. What a shame she had to wait another year to be a part of January Writing Camp again.
But she entered the main cabin, relaxing on one of the moss-covered couches, smiling at her new friends. This place was amazing, and this had been such a wonderful session. She couldn’t wait to come back.
The January Writing Camp main cabin was abuzz with activity: campers talking, completing dailies, and just generally having fun. Bumble, Avery, and Kiara from Spy entered, leaving their high-tech headquarters behind for the more relaxed log-cabin environment of the main cabin. Actually, it reminded Kiara a little bit of a greenhouse, with flowers and ivy growing out of every available nook and cranny.
Luna from Astronaut bounced up to the three of them, greeting them with a wide smile on her face. “Hi guys! How are you?”
Bumble laughed, “Amazing, thanks for asking Luna!”
Avery smiled as well at Luna’s enthusiasm. “I’m great as well.”
They all turned to Kiara, who was pretty much lost in her own thoughts. When she came to the present, she flushed and said: “I’m absolutely peachy!”
That made everybody laugh, including Kiara.
Kiara stood for a moment at the door, looking out at the different areas, and how vastly different they all were. There was the spaceship of Astronaut, the theater that was Harlequin, the airplane-hanger of Aviator, the garden that hosted Fairy, and the small, quaint house of Victorian. Kiara marveled at how this sight, these people, had been so kind and welcoming to her, and how she felt like she really belonged here. What a shame she had to wait another year to be a part of January Writing Camp again.
But she entered the main cabin, relaxing on one of the moss-covered couches, smiling at her new friends. This place was amazing, and this had been such a wonderful session. She couldn’t wait to come back.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 1/31/24 || A little poem and thank you notes <333 || 489/unlimited words ||
Look at us, we've come so far
We've shone our lights, came out the other side as stars
From every laugh, every joke, every friendly competition
We've changed.
I remember who I was when I started this journey,
Thinking I could change the world
I've come out this side different,
Knowing I can impact someone else.
I've told stories, crafted worlds with my words.
I've made memories and mistakes,
Both equally valuable
I've learned what it is to love, and learned what it is to be somewhere,
To give it your full self and have it take you any way it will.
I've learned that people can in fact like me for me,
Not for the girl I pretend to be
Because life is a stage,
But sometimes we have stop acting
And be ourselves
~ Thank You Notes ~
Everyone In JWC,
Thank you guys so much for this wonderful adventure of a month. January always seems to take forever, and I am so grateful I got to spend that forever with you guys <33 You guys have been so supportive and wonderful, this is one of the most welcoming communities I have ever had the privilege of entering. Thank you guys so much for everything, and I hope to see you around <33
To Hosts and Daily Team,
Thank you guys for keeping this session up and running with wonderful dailies, weeklies, and the like. Really, where would JWC be without you guys?
To My Fellow Spy Members,
We did it! We wrote so many words, we told so many stories, and crafted such wonderful worlds. I have had a truly wonderful experience here in Spy, and I hope all of you keep being your wonderful selves. Thank you so much for making this session great. <33
To my amazing leader/co-leader, Choco and VV,
Thank you guys for creating such a wonderful cabin, I am so grateful to be able to call you guys my leaders. Choco, you are so sweet and kind and your art skills are to be envied. VV, you were always around to provide a helpful and encouraging word, thank you for that. Thank you guys once again for supporting me and my fellow cabin members this session!
Bumble,
Oh my goodness, where do I even start? You are so nice and welcoming, I really enjoyed roleplaying during the first half of the session. You are such an incredible person, I am really glad I got to call you my cabinmate. I hope to see you around in other writing camps!
Avery,
Wow, where would our cabin be without you? You are so wonderfully kind and enthusiastic, I love and look up to your dedication. The fact that you almost single-handedly kept us going during cabin wars? Like seriously, you are so amazing. Thank you for choosing to be in spy this session, and I hope to see you around <33
Love,
-Kiara ( @Strawberry-Lemon )
Look at us, we've come so far
We've shone our lights, came out the other side as stars
From every laugh, every joke, every friendly competition
We've changed.
I remember who I was when I started this journey,
Thinking I could change the world
I've come out this side different,
Knowing I can impact someone else.
I've told stories, crafted worlds with my words.
I've made memories and mistakes,
Both equally valuable
I've learned what it is to love, and learned what it is to be somewhere,
To give it your full self and have it take you any way it will.
I've learned that people can in fact like me for me,
Not for the girl I pretend to be
Because life is a stage,
But sometimes we have stop acting
And be ourselves
~ Thank You Notes ~
Everyone In JWC,
Thank you guys so much for this wonderful adventure of a month. January always seems to take forever, and I am so grateful I got to spend that forever with you guys <33 You guys have been so supportive and wonderful, this is one of the most welcoming communities I have ever had the privilege of entering. Thank you guys so much for everything, and I hope to see you around <33
To Hosts and Daily Team,
Thank you guys for keeping this session up and running with wonderful dailies, weeklies, and the like. Really, where would JWC be without you guys?
To My Fellow Spy Members,
We did it! We wrote so many words, we told so many stories, and crafted such wonderful worlds. I have had a truly wonderful experience here in Spy, and I hope all of you keep being your wonderful selves. Thank you so much for making this session great. <33
To my amazing leader/co-leader, Choco and VV,
Thank you guys for creating such a wonderful cabin, I am so grateful to be able to call you guys my leaders. Choco, you are so sweet and kind and your art skills are to be envied. VV, you were always around to provide a helpful and encouraging word, thank you for that. Thank you guys once again for supporting me and my fellow cabin members this session!
Bumble,
Oh my goodness, where do I even start? You are so nice and welcoming, I really enjoyed roleplaying during the first half of the session. You are such an incredible person, I am really glad I got to call you my cabinmate. I hope to see you around in other writing camps!
Avery,
Wow, where would our cabin be without you? You are so wonderfully kind and enthusiastic, I love and look up to your dedication. The fact that you almost single-handedly kept us going during cabin wars? Like seriously, you are so amazing. Thank you for choosing to be in spy this session, and I hope to see you around <33
Love,
-Kiara ( @Strawberry-Lemon )
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 3/1/24 || intro daily || 1045/1,000 words ||
Hi everybody! I’m Kiara (she/her) and I am in Fairy Tales this session! This is my third session of SWC, with me participating in my first session exactly a year ago, in March 2023 in Adventure. In November, however, was the first time that I truly started to participate in the cabin as much as I have been so far, and I was in Fantasy (#Foreverfantasian #Flyon ) in the November 2024 session.
This is also my first 1k intro challenge, so here goes nothing haha.
I am in middle school and am in the EST time zone!
My main hobbies include reading, writing (ofc lol), singing, musicals, and art. My favorite musicals are 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wicked, Newsies, and SIX. This year I am going to New York and get to see Wicked and The Lion King, which is amazing. Next year my family is planning to see Beetlejuice and SIX next year in the spring with the Broadway Across America Tour. I take private voice lessons with one of my favorite people in the whole entire world, my voice teacher in New York (I do virtual lessons with her). I have participated in musicals like Matilda (in which I played Matilda), Frozen (Townsperson 3), James and the Giant Peach (Billy Bobby Cop), Descendants (Grimhilde -the evil queen-), and am currently in Mean Girls Jr. As the French Teacher.
My favorite place that I have ever visited has to be Michigan. My family goes every year to southern Michigan during the summer, and I really love everything: the cherries, the beaches, the waves, and the fun lake houses that we stay at. Honestly I really love the lake and being on the ocean when we go on cruises, Disney Cruises are so fun.
Also, I love writing, which is probably evident with me being here. I have written two full complete novels, both hitting about 50k words! Both are high fantasy, one set in a school of magic, and the other set on a variety of magical islands.
I also love show choir and am participating in my school’s middle school show choir, and hope to get into the varsity show choir when I audition. The show choir at my high school placed top 5 in Nationals in both univoice and mixed divisions.
I also really enjoy songwriting, and am currently working on a new album.
Some of my favorite music artists are Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and Taylor Swift. My favorite song by each of them are Enough For You, Common Sense, and Is It Over Now?
Some of my fandoms are Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Animal Crossing, and Inheritance Games (if they count as fandoms) As I’ve said before, I also am a huge musical theater nerd, so of course I end up in a lot of the theater fandoms in the world.
I am traveling to Japan during the last week of session, so I’ll have to miss out on a bunch of lovely mango @rs0n, sadly. But I hope that I’ll have a good three weeks of session and get to make so many lovely memories in this time I have with ya’ll.
I also really love writing and reading twisted fairy tales. Fingers crossed the twisted fairy tales comes back, because I’m working on a collection of twisted fairy tales and would love some motivation to actually write another one haha. Also, it is great with what cabin I’m in this year. I’m actually super excited, the storyline for fairy tales sounds super cool, and I’m so excited to be with some amazing people this year.
My favorite color changes daily, almost, but if anybody asks I usually say teal because it's easy. At any given time I could actually love silver, gold, lavender, baby blue, pale yellow, or sage green. I also love tropica orange (yes, it is a real color, I’ve checked) and bright blue
I actually don’t participate in many sports other than show choir (if you count that as a sport, I do but some people don’t) and also don’t particularly enjoy watching sports either. If I had to pick a college football team, I would say Ohio State because that is where my dad went to school and we cheer them on a bunch. Don’t judge me based on that though lol, I’m not biased in any way.
This session I really hope to regain a lot of writing motivation that I have been lacking ever since I finished my last novel, and I really think participating in dailies and weeklies helps me really crank out the words and get more motivation to write other things. I also hope to work on my new project with a whole lot of worldbuilding that I am really excited about but am having some trouble starting. I also hope to make a bunch of new friends and memories, and cause chaos in the main cabin like I did last year. I remember me and Pixie had a dance session that made it into the memory book for November 2023, it was some of the most fun I had all session.
I really think that this community is just something I love and enjoy, especially when I am struggling with a lot of things in my own life and just need an escape and people that are willing to make jokes or listen if I tell them what’s bothering me.
I’m also really excited to hang out with my cabin mates and (co)leaders this session, they all seem like really cool people that I would love to get to know more!
As always, if you have any questions for me or just want to talk, feel free to stop by on my profile and ask them! I will gladly answer, and would love to hear from you guys.
And I would like to bookend this session by giving an early thank-you to all the incredible hosts, leaders, campers, and the friends that I will surely make this wonderful session. I also would like to thank all the wonderful people who have supported me in my real life and on scratch through everything, and all the amazing people and friends I am sure to meet.
Hi everybody! I’m Kiara (she/her) and I am in Fairy Tales this session! This is my third session of SWC, with me participating in my first session exactly a year ago, in March 2023 in Adventure. In November, however, was the first time that I truly started to participate in the cabin as much as I have been so far, and I was in Fantasy (#Foreverfantasian #Flyon ) in the November 2024 session.
This is also my first 1k intro challenge, so here goes nothing haha.
I am in middle school and am in the EST time zone!
My main hobbies include reading, writing (ofc lol), singing, musicals, and art. My favorite musicals are 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Wicked, Newsies, and SIX. This year I am going to New York and get to see Wicked and The Lion King, which is amazing. Next year my family is planning to see Beetlejuice and SIX next year in the spring with the Broadway Across America Tour. I take private voice lessons with one of my favorite people in the whole entire world, my voice teacher in New York (I do virtual lessons with her). I have participated in musicals like Matilda (in which I played Matilda), Frozen (Townsperson 3), James and the Giant Peach (Billy Bobby Cop), Descendants (Grimhilde -the evil queen-), and am currently in Mean Girls Jr. As the French Teacher.
My favorite place that I have ever visited has to be Michigan. My family goes every year to southern Michigan during the summer, and I really love everything: the cherries, the beaches, the waves, and the fun lake houses that we stay at. Honestly I really love the lake and being on the ocean when we go on cruises, Disney Cruises are so fun.
Also, I love writing, which is probably evident with me being here. I have written two full complete novels, both hitting about 50k words! Both are high fantasy, one set in a school of magic, and the other set on a variety of magical islands.
I also love show choir and am participating in my school’s middle school show choir, and hope to get into the varsity show choir when I audition. The show choir at my high school placed top 5 in Nationals in both univoice and mixed divisions.
I also really enjoy songwriting, and am currently working on a new album.
Some of my favorite music artists are Olivia Rodrigo, Joshua Bassett, and Taylor Swift. My favorite song by each of them are Enough For You, Common Sense, and Is It Over Now?
Some of my fandoms are Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, Animal Crossing, and Inheritance Games (if they count as fandoms) As I’ve said before, I also am a huge musical theater nerd, so of course I end up in a lot of the theater fandoms in the world.
I am traveling to Japan during the last week of session, so I’ll have to miss out on a bunch of lovely mango @rs0n, sadly. But I hope that I’ll have a good three weeks of session and get to make so many lovely memories in this time I have with ya’ll.
I also really love writing and reading twisted fairy tales. Fingers crossed the twisted fairy tales comes back, because I’m working on a collection of twisted fairy tales and would love some motivation to actually write another one haha. Also, it is great with what cabin I’m in this year. I’m actually super excited, the storyline for fairy tales sounds super cool, and I’m so excited to be with some amazing people this year.
My favorite color changes daily, almost, but if anybody asks I usually say teal because it's easy. At any given time I could actually love silver, gold, lavender, baby blue, pale yellow, or sage green. I also love tropica orange (yes, it is a real color, I’ve checked) and bright blue
I actually don’t participate in many sports other than show choir (if you count that as a sport, I do but some people don’t) and also don’t particularly enjoy watching sports either. If I had to pick a college football team, I would say Ohio State because that is where my dad went to school and we cheer them on a bunch. Don’t judge me based on that though lol, I’m not biased in any way.
This session I really hope to regain a lot of writing motivation that I have been lacking ever since I finished my last novel, and I really think participating in dailies and weeklies helps me really crank out the words and get more motivation to write other things. I also hope to work on my new project with a whole lot of worldbuilding that I am really excited about but am having some trouble starting. I also hope to make a bunch of new friends and memories, and cause chaos in the main cabin like I did last year. I remember me and Pixie had a dance session that made it into the memory book for November 2023, it was some of the most fun I had all session.
I really think that this community is just something I love and enjoy, especially when I am struggling with a lot of things in my own life and just need an escape and people that are willing to make jokes or listen if I tell them what’s bothering me.
I’m also really excited to hang out with my cabin mates and (co)leaders this session, they all seem like really cool people that I would love to get to know more!
As always, if you have any questions for me or just want to talk, feel free to stop by on my profile and ask them! I will gladly answer, and would love to hear from you guys.
And I would like to bookend this session by giving an early thank-you to all the incredible hosts, leaders, campers, and the friends that I will surely make this wonderful session. I also would like to thank all the wonderful people who have supported me in my real life and on scratch through everything, and all the amazing people and friends I am sure to meet.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 3/2/24 || Compliment daily: “AHHH NICE JOB KIARA <33” -Alana (-NightGlow-) || 271/250 Words ||
“Nice job Kiara!” My best friend, Aleah, said, giving me a high-five as I put my guitar down, grinning into the microphone in the recording studio she and the rest of my friends had set up for me.
I had been a songwriter since I was little, making up new words to jingles on the radio. So for my birthday, Aleah and the rest of my friends had renovated a room in Aleahs basement into a recording studio for me, as well as set up a Spotify account for me to upload my songs onto the great wide web.
I couldn't have asked for better friends in the whole entire world.
So when I finally put my guitar back into its case, my friends were practically bouncing off the walls, waiting to hear my new song, which so far only Aleah had heard.
I still needed to work with the effects and auto tune, but the song was as good as done.
“Do we get to hear it? Do we?” Genevieve, one of my other friends asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Be patient, Gen.” Leo teased her, though I could tell he was excited too.
Gen and Leo were siblings, but they couldn't have looked more different, with Gens long, flat blonde hair and Leo's curly light brown hair. They both shared the same sharp jawline and bunny-slope nose, as well as blue eyes, but Gens were always alive with mischief while Leo's were the same blue as the mysterious sea.
I laughed and cued up the song, and we all snapped headphones over our ears, eager to hear the final product.
“Nice job Kiara!” My best friend, Aleah, said, giving me a high-five as I put my guitar down, grinning into the microphone in the recording studio she and the rest of my friends had set up for me.
I had been a songwriter since I was little, making up new words to jingles on the radio. So for my birthday, Aleah and the rest of my friends had renovated a room in Aleahs basement into a recording studio for me, as well as set up a Spotify account for me to upload my songs onto the great wide web.
I couldn't have asked for better friends in the whole entire world.
So when I finally put my guitar back into its case, my friends were practically bouncing off the walls, waiting to hear my new song, which so far only Aleah had heard.
I still needed to work with the effects and auto tune, but the song was as good as done.
“Do we get to hear it? Do we?” Genevieve, one of my other friends asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Be patient, Gen.” Leo teased her, though I could tell he was excited too.
Gen and Leo were siblings, but they couldn't have looked more different, with Gens long, flat blonde hair and Leo's curly light brown hair. They both shared the same sharp jawline and bunny-slope nose, as well as blue eyes, but Gens were always alive with mischief while Leo's were the same blue as the mysterious sea.
I laughed and cued up the song, and we all snapped headphones over our ears, eager to hear the final product.
- Strawberry-Lemon
-
Scratcher
500+ posts
Kiara’s Personal Writing Thread
Daily 3/3/24 || Anthem daily: Fairy Tales, Mythology, Poetry, Sci-fi || 164/100 Words || 195/100 Words || 135/100 words || 145/100 words || Total: 639/400 words ||
Fairy Tales: A Guide For Wanderers
There are those that wander the realms,
The castles that cannot be found on anything we know,
Those who brave the fierce dragons,
And scheming queens.
Those that we call wanderers,
Traveling the paths little-known,
Hoping to find a brave knight,
Or kind fairy.
For those who wish to be wanderers,
I give you a cautionary tale.
Though wandering, is normally fun,
There can be tough bouts of dispair.
For when you conquer, a d3@dly foe,
Or fight a fair battle,
There are those who seek to trick and treat you,
Giving you wonders beyond a whim.
And should you meet one of these tricky beasts,
I give you an advice from one tried and true,
Turn to the fairy tales you know as well as time,
Instead of those that are brand new.
For racing scorching-hot breath,
or fighting steel against steel,
Wandering pays its dues,
But I advise you,
Dear wanderer,
Do not forget,
Or choose not to see the clues.
Mythology: Hold Fast, Demigod!
Oh golly, the road’s getting bumpy,
And it seems you have too many troubles to face.
An evil creature, rising from below,
The gods who look down in disgrace.
For always trust those whom you know,
And always be wary of those you don’t,
For families don’t always help blood,
And the gods most surely won’t.
Zeus, the god of thunder and lighting,
And Ares, the god of brutal war.
Or Athena, the goddess of wisdom,
Who encourages you to think before.
And maybe you are a strong demigod,
or one of sure face.
But one wrong step, displeasing the family,
Could lead you to play your only ace.
So be careful when your hand is dealt,
And make sure to always have the right cards,
For the gods are unforgiving,
And they are not the ones you want to charge.
So hold fast, dear demigod.
And remember to trust your friends,
For your foes, and the dark creatures below,
Will surely be your end.
Unless you can find the strength within,
To battle this strange foe,
And then the light will shine from above,
Peace will be waiting below.
Poetry: Forever in the Valley
Deep in the valley,
Long forgotten,
There lay a bed of flowers,
There lay a soft green growth.
The valley, once filled with roses,
The world, alight and complete with color.
The valley, the valley we call our home,
Glowing with hope and love.
The valley long forgotten,
Out of reach of mankind,
The valley of hope and dreams,
Where those who travel always thrive,
But never remember their time.
The love, once warm,
Has since turned cold and haunting.
Waiting for those who bring it dear,
Waiting for those to restore the valley to its former glory.
Waiting for someone to remember,
Waiting for someone to care.
Waiting for someone to invest time and love and energy,
In the valley.
For now, the flowers and beds of green growth wait,
Forever in the valley.
Sci-Fi : Welcome to the Database
Welcome to the database,
Welcome to the world turned over.
Can you prove that humanity,
Is worth keeping along with you,
Can you prove that earth is worth protecting.
Can you prove that AI is plotting against,
Can you save a world you once held dear?
Welcome to the database,
Where up could always turn to down.
Where bright colors bounce in your vision,
Where the glitches across the screen make you cry out.
There is no magic here,
No mystery in the forgotten valleys or stormy seas.
No wandering, just a harsh reality you can’t escape from.
Welcome to the database,
Where everything you once held dear is gone.
Welcome to the database,
Where you aren’t sure what way is forward,
And which way is back.
Only technology,
Glaring around you in bright lights.
Welcome to the database,
Where nothing is as it seems.
Fairy Tales: A Guide For Wanderers
There are those that wander the realms,
The castles that cannot be found on anything we know,
Those who brave the fierce dragons,
And scheming queens.
Those that we call wanderers,
Traveling the paths little-known,
Hoping to find a brave knight,
Or kind fairy.
For those who wish to be wanderers,
I give you a cautionary tale.
Though wandering, is normally fun,
There can be tough bouts of dispair.
For when you conquer, a d3@dly foe,
Or fight a fair battle,
There are those who seek to trick and treat you,
Giving you wonders beyond a whim.
And should you meet one of these tricky beasts,
I give you an advice from one tried and true,
Turn to the fairy tales you know as well as time,
Instead of those that are brand new.
For racing scorching-hot breath,
or fighting steel against steel,
Wandering pays its dues,
But I advise you,
Dear wanderer,
Do not forget,
Or choose not to see the clues.
Mythology: Hold Fast, Demigod!
Oh golly, the road’s getting bumpy,
And it seems you have too many troubles to face.
An evil creature, rising from below,
The gods who look down in disgrace.
For always trust those whom you know,
And always be wary of those you don’t,
For families don’t always help blood,
And the gods most surely won’t.
Zeus, the god of thunder and lighting,
And Ares, the god of brutal war.
Or Athena, the goddess of wisdom,
Who encourages you to think before.
And maybe you are a strong demigod,
or one of sure face.
But one wrong step, displeasing the family,
Could lead you to play your only ace.
So be careful when your hand is dealt,
And make sure to always have the right cards,
For the gods are unforgiving,
And they are not the ones you want to charge.
So hold fast, dear demigod.
And remember to trust your friends,
For your foes, and the dark creatures below,
Will surely be your end.
Unless you can find the strength within,
To battle this strange foe,
And then the light will shine from above,
Peace will be waiting below.
Poetry: Forever in the Valley
Deep in the valley,
Long forgotten,
There lay a bed of flowers,
There lay a soft green growth.
The valley, once filled with roses,
The world, alight and complete with color.
The valley, the valley we call our home,
Glowing with hope and love.
The valley long forgotten,
Out of reach of mankind,
The valley of hope and dreams,
Where those who travel always thrive,
But never remember their time.
The love, once warm,
Has since turned cold and haunting.
Waiting for those who bring it dear,
Waiting for those to restore the valley to its former glory.
Waiting for someone to remember,
Waiting for someone to care.
Waiting for someone to invest time and love and energy,
In the valley.
For now, the flowers and beds of green growth wait,
Forever in the valley.
Sci-Fi : Welcome to the Database
Welcome to the database,
Welcome to the world turned over.
Can you prove that humanity,
Is worth keeping along with you,
Can you prove that earth is worth protecting.
Can you prove that AI is plotting against,
Can you save a world you once held dear?
Welcome to the database,
Where up could always turn to down.
Where bright colors bounce in your vision,
Where the glitches across the screen make you cry out.
There is no magic here,
No mystery in the forgotten valleys or stormy seas.
No wandering, just a harsh reality you can’t escape from.
Welcome to the database,
Where everything you once held dear is gone.
Welcome to the database,
Where you aren’t sure what way is forward,
And which way is back.
Only technology,
Glaring around you in bright lights.
Welcome to the database,
Where nothing is as it seems.
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