July 9th Daily: The Hero's Journey

Hero's Journey
Ordinary World: In a world so full of magic it's commonplace and often taken for granted, the protagonist Unnamed starts on his adventure, exploring the backyards of his childhood home and learning some tips for the road ahead.

Call to Adventure/Refusal of the Call
The Herald (Yes I've studied the monomyth) of the story is an injured stranger to the town, depicting events that happened to their home kingdom. It's a trivial issue and it doesn't explain the injuries. Because of this distrust, Unnamed does not want to go. However, they are compelled to eventually in search of adventure.

Meeting the Mentor
In this story the Mentor is “the friends we made along the way.” But literally. Unnamed will meet many companions on his journey and learn different things from each of them, as well as teach them some things as well. No one is /particularly/ full of wisdom, but they help each other with what they have

First Threshold
The first area Unnamed explores is a frost covered but festive wasteland. The conditions are harsh, but the people there are grateful for what they have. The hero has to learn how to regulate their body temperature or meet a new companion with pyrokinesis in order to get past a certain area of the land to progress.

Initiation
Tests: The Heroes are tested by both harsh conditions, physical obstacles, and your general RPG style enemies. The Shadow of the story doesn't reveal themselves unless a certain string of events happen.

Allies: In this story, allies are completely optional. The hero can work with others, or pridefully go his own way to challenge himself. Allies the hero may travel with are an Arctic wolf, a mouse goddess of music, a clever rabbit magician, and a tank of a robot.

Enemies: Most enemies are what you would think of as typical RPG enemies. Slimes, lesser dragons, chunks of rock, things like that. As the adventure goes on, however, the enemies get more and more complex, to the point where the hero questions why they're fighting in the first place. Which leads to-

Approach to the Inmost Cave
The final challenge the hero faces takes place in a place beyond reality. Some who enter witness illusions of memories and visions dance about them. Others have their worst nightmares howling at them from just out of sight. One by one the heros looses their allies to the darkness, snatched suddenly by… something… or someone… Unnamed's resolve weakens.

Ordeal: The hero goes deeper into the darkness where he finds… wait… why is it so… cold… can… can you hear me?
It's dark… I'm scared…
I shouldn't be here…
This… doesn't feel right…
Is this real…? Am… am I even real…?
What was that? Who's there? No, no, stay back!




I… I think I'm safe… What was that thing… Something isn't right…
I
AHHHHHHGHHHTHHHHAAAAAHHH
HELP!!! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!!! HELP M-

The Reward
…




The… Reward…?










The Return
Unnamed never returns home, deciding to build a community with his friends that he'd made on his quest. With their combined abilities, construction is a breeze to make themselves a clubhouse kind of building for each other. The hero… tries… not to think about what happened in the abyss. The hero is happy now. He has his friends, and… he doesn't need to go back. He… felt like he was missing something, though. Like…
he'd…



Left something behind…



(573 words)

Weekly #1 ✧

Part 1: Passage of Time

150 words of a scene

He had promised her that this was a place where time didn’t run. It, of course, initially made sense, as the island was where the clocks didn’t chime and the children stayed young forever. However, and here was her thought, in all the theories she had read that claimed time was a construct, never had they proposed it could be stopped. Here was where he had said, with a twinkle in his eye, that a little bit of magic came into play.
She looked down at the soft brown dirt she knelt in, where she had buried the wildflower seed she spent the day looking for. It was always daytime on the island, which, as he had explained once to her, was to keep the monsters of the night away from their paradise.
“If there is a before and after, there must be time,” she muttered, patting the dirt. “If the waterfalls still run and this seed grows, that must be true.”
“Still don’t believe it, eh?” said his cheery voice from behind her.
She turned around to see the ragweed boy who was responsible for it all, ambling up the hill and chewing on a stalk of grass.
She shrugged and got up, brushing off the dirt from her apron. “The analytical mind will not rest until its theories are proven true.”
He raised his eyebrows childishly at her. “Or false, right? If you want there to be time so bad, why don’t you just ask to go back? You can do that, y’know.”
Frowning, she unscrewed the cap of her water tin and poured a little over the planted seed. “If time runs all elsewhere, who’s to say it doesn’t run here? We are still affected by the changes it brings, even though we don’t witness them.”
She paused, a look of worry settling on her face. “The idea of going back scares me. I’m unsure of what changes I’ll find.”

323/150

Swap and write 10 years into the future

Swapped with @ArtisticOne111

“In the heart of a bustling city, time flowed like a river, swirling around the ancient clock tower that stood sentinel over the town square. The tower, its intricate stone carvings weathered by centuries of wind and rain, chimed solemnly as the sun dipped below the horizon. Shadows lengthened across cobblestone streets, where vendors packed up their stalls and children's laughter echoed off the walls of old buildings.

Amidst this scene stood Maya, a young artist with paint-streaked overalls and a perpetually messy bun. She sat on a worn bench beside the fountain, sketchbook in hand, capturing the fleeting beauty of the fading light. Her gaze flickered up to the sky, where streaks of orange and pink melted into deepening hues of blue.

Around her, people hurried home, their faces etched with stories of their day. The air hummed with the rhythm of life—cars honking, voices murmuring, footsteps quickening—as another day slipped quietly into history, leaving behind traces of its passage in the twilight.

Seagulls were everywhere, making a racket overhead. They sounded like they were chatting about some secret they wouldn't tell anyone. The waves splashed against the docks, making the whole scene feel alive.

As the sun peeked over the horizon, the town started waking up. The sky turned all sorts of pretty colors—pinks and golds—that made everything seem peaceful and full of possibilities. It was like the start of a story you just knew would be amazing.”

Maya thumbed through one of her old sketchbook pages, smiling at the simple plein air paintings inside. Her watercolors seemed to capture the daily hustle and bustle of the city perfectly, and pictures of passerby, sunsets, and buildings filled the pages. It felt like such a simpler time – when she let herself experiment and grow. Taking a trip through her old sketchbooks always inspired her.
She paused as she flipped the page, recognizing the next spread. It was dated just a little over 10 years ago, and she was surprised so much time had already passed. She still remembered the day perfectly.
A vivid sunset filled most of the page, pinks and blues contrasting as, in the foreground, the city folk slipped away into the night. The tall, ancient clocktower made an appearance on the page alongside cawing seagulls and the faces of pedestrians.
That was the day, she recalled, that everything felt right. The day her art finally felt right.
Maya glanced at the unfinished painting laying on an easel in her studio. She had been putting off working on it for a while now. The ideas and inspiration no longer came easily to her, and she wondered, as she looked back at the spread in her old sketchbook, if perhaps she had lost sight of it all.
She stood and straightened up her overalls. Perhaps it was time to revive that old habit and go out into the city again. Perhaps it was time to immerse herself in the slipped away days, the sunsets, the people, in her art again.
She picked up her watercolor set and sketchbook and headed out the door and into the night.

279/150


Part 2: Dual Timelines

200 words for each timeline

Present day.


“May I look through your photo album, Miss. Anne?” Hunter asked, looking at her with those puppy-dog eyes of his.
She instinctively opened her mouth to say yes, but then paused. There were things in that album she wasn’t sure if she wanted him to see, people she knew he would have questions about. It might lead them to a long, uncomfortable conversation, one she wasn’t sure she wanted to trouble the boy with.
Hunter shifted, taking her silence as reason to speak more. “I just want to know more about the circus and its history. I thought it would be cool.”
She swished her tail and jumped down from her perch.
“Of course, dear,” she said, sitting down on the floor near the shelf. “Bring it over here so we can look through together. I haven't seen those pictures in a long time.”
He would find out more about her one way or another, she reasoned. Best just see what the album held in store for them, maybe have a laugh or two, and face any questions that came up.
Hunter took the large photo album off the shelf and plopped down next to her. It was titled, in girlish, curlicue letters, “MY Photo Album”. He ran his hand over the faded cover and shivered.
“We’re about to get a human Anne reveal,” he joked.
“Now this was a long time ago,” Anne said teasingly. “I was just a bit older than you, so don’t go making fun of me.”
He grinned at her and dramatically opened the cover, going painfully slow. When he caught sight of what lay on the first page, though, he slammed the cover shut and giggled.
“What?” she asked, pawing at the album. “Let me see what I’ve done.”
Laughing, he opened the album and showed it to her.
“Ah yes. I remember this.”
Pictures of her younger self posing ostentatiously for the camera filled the page.
“Y’know, I didn’t really peg you as a blonde,” Hunter said, grinning. “More like, a grandma with nice, white hair.”
“Everyone was a child once.” She smiled at the old photographs. “And I was a child with a camera, which was clearly too much power to give me.”
“Mmhm.” Hunter flipped through the pages.
He stopped a couple in, examining a spread of her and a similarly aged boy. He tapped his finger on a faded photo of them standing in front of the circus tents, grinning with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
“Who’s that?” Hunter asked, as she knew he would.
Anne’s face fell. “He was my best friend.”
“Was?” Hunter asked. “What happened to him?”
She sighed. “He decided he could never have what he wanted. So he gave up.”


Summer, 1964


They sat in silence as the train car rocked. Anne watched him stare lifelessly out the window.
She looked back at her book, but couldn’t focus on the page as the thoughts swirled around her.
Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore, and blurted out her question.
“Why are you so upset? And don’t brush me off like you did earlier – tell me, really.”
He sighed and turned back toward her. “I just … didn't really want to leave.”
“Oh.” She frowned slightly. “But it's circus season. You know we’ve got to get on the road someday.”
He didn’t say anything.
“Well, aren’t you at least excited? Think of all the places we’ll go and the things we’ll see!”
She shut her book and stared expectantly at him.
This time he frowned. “Sure, it seems like a good time, but, I don't know, it's silly.”
She tilted her head, concerned. “You can tell me. I won’t say anything, promise.”
He sighed again and slumped back in the seat. “I just wanted what you have.”
Looking away, he continued. “I want to go to a real school, and go to dances, and be normal, just for once. Then we could hang out more, or something.”
“Oh,” she said again. She had forgotten that whenever she left him behind for real life – that boring existence outside of the summer months – he was still stuck in the fantasy. Maybe that’s why he always seemed a little more jaded about the romance of the circus.
“Well it's not all that it's cracked up to be,” she said finally. “You’ve got tests, and mean girls, and ugly school clothes your aunt is always trying to force on you.”
He smiled a little, her joke working to lighten the mood.
“Still,” he said, turning to look out the window again. “There’s something in that. Something I hadn’t thought I wanted until now.”

774/400


Part 3: Pacing

300 word story with changes in pace

1. Allergy attack - fast
2. Eating banana - slow
3. Staring dramatically out the window - slow
4. Chase - fast

Her whole face burned. Her nose. Her eyes. She could feel it coming, the inevitable –
“Ahchoo!”
She sneezed, then sneezed again and again.
Eyes watering, she stumbled over to her kitchen.
“Ahchoo!”
She scrambled to find it.
“Ahchoo!”
Pop the cap, shake one out, down the pill – there wasn’t time for water.
She braced herself against the island, nose running.
“Ahchoo!”
One final sneeze wracked her body as the allergy medicine ran its course.
“Ugh.” She wiped her nose. Allergy season was the worst.
She straightened her jacket’s lapels and ran a hand through her hair, trying to regain composure. She caught a glimpse of her watch.
“Shoot, right. Breakfast.”
The woman glanced around her kitchen, then grabbed a banana hanging from her fruit basket.
“Good enough,” she proclaimed as she opened the peel.
She lazily walked over to her penthouse apartment’s windows and gazed out them as she took a bite. Smiling, she looked down at the banana. It was perfect – ripe and rich, just the right balance of firmness and mushiness. She loved bananas, and this one was no exception.
She watched out the floor to ceiling window as she ate her perfect banana, observing the hustle and bustle of the city below her. Even though it was early in the morning, the city was full of life – pedestrians hurriedly walking down the sidewalks, cars honking at each other. She smiled as she saw the hotdog guy set up his street cart across the busy boulevard from her apartment complex. He always came at the same time - 7:00 - right whenever she’d leave the building for work.
“Shoot!” she cried. “Work!”
Tearing through her apartment, banana in hand, she scrambled to find her briefcase.
“No, no, no,” she said, looking in the kitchen.
“No, no, no!” she said, failing to find it in the living room.
“Where is it!?” She poked her head in her bedroom. “Aha!”
She grabbed her briefcase, finished off her banana, and flew out of her apartment.
“Keys,” she muttered, wasting precious time locking the door.
“Why did I have to live in the penthouse?” she cried as she waited for the elevator.
*Ding* The doors opened and she rushed inside, frantically jabbing at the buttons.
*Ding* The elevator closed its doors and began to descend.
*Ding* It landed on the first floor.
“I’m! Going! To be! So! Late!” she yelled as she raced out of the elevator, into the lobby, and out the high rise’s doors.
“Cab,” she muttered. “Get a cab!”
She spotted the only taxi on her street pulling away from the building.
“Hey mister!” she hollered, running down the sidewalk. “Mister, wait!”
She stumbled and mumbled, “Curse these heels.”
Flapping her arms, she followed the cab to the intersection.
“Wait!”
It mercifully stopped, and she opened the door and flung herself inside.
“Thank you so much, sir,” she said to the driver. “Now can you step on it? I’m late for work.”

492/300


Part 4: Tie it All Together

500 word story with 2 out of the 3 elements

Dual timelines + pacing changes

Present day


Time was something he had plenty of.
Plenty of time to spend in a castle alone. Plenty of time to waste on distracting activities. Plenty of time on this blasted rock, the Earth he had been inhabiting for countless years.
Sometimes he marveled at it all. He could tap his pen on his desk for centuries and still have time to finish writing. He could banish himself to nothing but a fire-lit room and play cards till he lost himself – an activity that ended in the burning of all his decks and was something he never wanted to relive. He could sew together the most detailed and extravagant ensembles for himself and still have the time to watch them wither away.
It was so bloody funny sometimes because even though he had the time, he still procrastinated and bounced from project to project. He still lectured himself for not finishing what he started quickly. He still held on to the idea of “timeliness”, as if it was actually something that applied to him.
He looked at himself hard in the eye, trying to connect the thoughts with the man he saw in the mirror.
He frowned. This was dangerously stereotypical behavior. He should just write a book about his musings to get it all out with and stop wasting time moodily staring at himself in the mirror.
It could become a bestseller, titled something like “A Philosophical and Psychological Approach to the Question of Time: What Is It and What Do We Do With It?”
He turned away from the mirror. This wasn’t any good. A title like that did not include the appropriate amount of subtle wit that he typically liked to include in his works. Best keep working on it.


An unidentified amount of years earlier


Time was something he never had enough of.
Tears pricked his eyes as the thought pounded in his head.
She squeezed his hand tightly. “Listen to me. You will be alright.”
“How can I?” he whispered, his voice cracking. “How can I be alright without you?”
Her breath came quickly now, too quickly, and he fought the sob in his throat as he watched her smile while she slipped away.
“I love you,” she just said, as if that was the answer to everything, as if that would stop time from running its course, as if that would make the hurt not last any longer than its predestined eternity.
“We must be brave, now,” she whispered, as she shut her eyes for what he knew would be the last time.
The roar of his thoughts seemed to still in that terrible moment, and all he could vaguely tell was that when her hand fell limp in his, something broke inside of him, and the tears that had threatened to spill over finally were set free.
“I’ll see you soon,” he said as he wept.
But he wasn’t sure he believed it anymore.


Present day


He stormed towards his desk. Foolish. He was so foolish with his foolish book idea and its foolish way of distracting him from a not so foolish train of thought.
He had enough time. Plenty of it. Loads of it.
“But it never felt like it,” he wondered aloud, absently twisting the ring on his finger. “Didn’t it, my dear?”

554/500

Total: 2422

Link to Masterpost: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8034365
Link to this post: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8043186/
Part One: A: 232/150 B: 267/150
Part Two: A: 223/200 B: 284/200
Part Three: 335/300
Part Four: 661/500
Total Words: 2002/1500
Date completed (UTC): 7/9/24
Time Completed (UTC): 11:37 PM
Points(?): 2000
Listeners(?): 100

Part One: A (Quick note for anyone who reads this or whoever I end up swapping with, but, uh, I have never seen actual, real court proceedings. I’ve watched like maybe one moot court debate but that’s it. I am NOT going to pretend that I know what I’m doing, so, uh, this probably won't make sense haha-)
Aspen grabbed all of the papers off of her desk, stuffing them into her bag in annoyance, “Oh of COURSE it’s Logan, alwayssss Mr. ‘Change the timeline because I feel like it’ Logan…” She threw the bag over her shoulder and stomped out of her office. She stopped, swinging back around and stomping back into her office. “Nearly forgot thisss…” She snatched her time reader off of the desk and ran back out of the door.

Aspen arrived at the courtroom and sat down next to her client, who gave her a smile. Logan snickered when he saw her make an irritated face back. “Helloooo, it’s nice to see you again.” She narrowed her eyes, “It is /very/ nice to see you. Yes, very.” “I feel like that’s just a very bad use of sarcasm.” She rolled her eyes, pulling out all the legal documents she needed. Logan tapped his fingers on the table, whistling as the judge made his way to his seat.

Halfway through the proceedings, Aspen stood, clearing her throat. “Your honor, I understand that the opposing side has provided a considerable amount of evidence that my client has done this act. But, I’d like to turn our attention back to if his actions are even considered illegal.” The opposing lawyer made a face, “He toppled an entire country, Miss. Are you sure you’re willing to make that argument?”

Part One: B (partner: @chrisluk002)
Steyxtr’s preparations were grueling, but worth it. She had spent her time well, preparing her new host. It would be wonderful, grand even. All she had needed was a bit of time, and she used that time wisely. Day after day was spent renovating her host. The kitchen was first, then the entryway, then beyond. Steyxtr had moved methodically, enjoying every bit of this maintenance. And once it was done, she couldn’t have been more proud of herself. Once neat and lifeless, the house now had true character! The walls were bent in where her sledgehammer had slammed into them. The color palette had been changed, which Steyxtr really thought gave the place new life entirely! And now, the time had come!

Steyxtr stepped back and admired her finished work, watching little specters scurry around the house, doing some final touches. She sighed in contentment. She couldn’t believe that this piece of art had only taken ten or so years to finish. It felt like only ten days, each well spent forging the host of her dreams. She reached out and touched the walls, gently admiring the texture of the slashes. Her flesh began to crawl over the walls, soaking into the drywall as if it were a sponge. Parts of her began to cling to the walls, stringing along the rooms. They swirled and spiraled, coating the organs of the house. A grin spread across Steyxtr’s face, which soon dissolved into the front of the house. The little specters watched the windows and doors close around them, leaving no room for escape.

Ah, time well spent.

Part Two: A+B (individual word counts above)
Lyric ran down the road, clutching the ring close to her chest. Her lungs sobbed, and so did she. She had to get out. Run. Hide. Anything away from that place was enough. She heard someone try to follow her, but Lyric managed to get enough distance between the two of them to escape. She skidded to a halt behind a floating dumpster, trying to collect her thoughts. She sunk to the ground, holding the ring so close that it made marks on her skin. She’d never let go of it. Never again.

Lyric glanced around the tram, yawning. She glanced at Rui, who had fallen asleep on the ride. She looked rather uncomfortable. Lyric glanced around before gently moving her friend’s head so it rest on her arm. She smiled. Ah, much better. The tram hit a bump and Rui jolted awake. “Oh-! Wha-! Sorry, did I fall asleep??” Lyric’s face was red. “Oh, um, yeah. But it’s okay, we aren’t there yet. You can rest if you need to.” Rui made a face, “Are you sure? I can stay up with you.” “No, no, it’s fine. You need the rest-” Rui sighed, “Okay, I guess so. But I’m not tired anymore.” “If you don’t want to sleep you don’t have to.” “Maybe we can talk about something else?” Lyric nodded, “Sure, that’s fine with me.” Rui tapped her chin, “Do you mind if I ask you why we need to go to this… Black Rose place?” Lyric cringed, “I… ugh. That’s a long story-” Rui shrugged, “I’m all ears, take your time.”

Lyric stalked through the supermarket, not in the mood to be there. She huffed, trying to find something small and inconspicuous to nab. She spotted a bag of chips and cringed. That wasn’t very inconspicuous. She eventually settled on sneaking a cucumber into her jacket pocket, which no one noticed, thankfully. She scrambled out of the store, glad to have gotten away with it. She felt bad, but it was one cucumber, right?

The tram came to a stop before Lyric could reply. A small girl entered the train, weaving her way through the crowd of people toward the pair. Lyric’s chest jolted as she recognized the small pendant around the girl’s neck. “We have to go.” Rui made a face, standing up, “Oh- oh- okay! Where do we go??” Lyric stood as well and grabbed her wrist, running to the end of the tram. Her eyes searched frantically for the emergency exit. The girl kept getting closer, Rui starting to freak out. Lyric huffed, “Screw it.” She punched one of the windows, red spikes appearing on her knuckles. She leaped out, taking Rui with her.

Lyric looked around, trying to take in her surroundings. She started walking, not noticing the girl right in front of her. She bumped into her, cursing as she fell to the ground. The girl looked down at her, having not fallen. “Oh, sorry! Here, let me help you up!” “Oh, thank you…?” “Rui! And what’s your name?”

Part Three: A
Running a Race, Fast Paced
Jane glanced around at her fellow opponents. She got into running position as she heard the official spout the same old “READY, SET, GO!” As soon as the word left her mouth, Jane shot off like a bullet. Her feet struck the pavement and left it again moments later. She felt on top of the world, but soon came crashing down as her foot caught on what felt like nothing, sending her tumbling down to the ground. The ground scraped against her knees and face as she tried to recover, but her opponents had passed her. Jane grit her teeth, getting up and attempting to catch up, but there was no use. She shot into second to last place, which was utterly humiliating. As soon as she crossed the line, Jane skidded to a halt. She muttered something under her breath as she attempted to catch it. She glanced at her knees and grimaced when she saw the scrapes. She stuck out her finger and wiped a bit of the blood off, grimacing when it stung.

Part Three: B
Passing Out, Slow Paced
Jane had more to worry about. Her vision began to become hazy, torturing the girl with waves and warps in the objects around her. The world began to slow and fade out. Her hands reached up and touched her face, feeling a mixture of sweat and blood run down her face. How hard had she hit her head in that fall? She shook her head. No, this was fine! She tried to walk over to the benches on the side of the track but didn’t get very far. She took a singular step before falling face-first. The world faded to black as Jane cringed from the pain in her face. She didn't fully register what happened until she woke up facing upwards. She blinked, focusing on the movement. Huh, at least her eyelids didn't hurt. She wasn’t so sure about the rest of her face though. Someone shined a light in her eye, “Miss? Miss? Are you alright?”

Part Four:
Lapis pointed at her brother, “I challenge you to a duel!” The five-year-old looked up and made a face, “Wha-?” Lapis repeated herself, pointing a pink paw at him, “I challenged you to a duel!” “Why…?” “Because I feel like it!” Riley glanced at his toys in the sand box. “Can we make… the toys duel?” Lapis pursed her lips, “Uhh, sure!” She bent down, grabbing one of the toys, a caped blue man with blond hair. Riley whined, “Can I have that one? He’s my favorite!” Lapis looked at the other toy, a purple woman with short green hair. “Uhhhh… sure?” She handed the toy to him and snatched up the other one. “Okayyyy, here we go! Who’s going to be the hero?” “Can I?” Lapis nodded. “Okay! I’ll be the villain.” She cackled, trying to be an incredibly villainous five-year-old, “You can’t stop me! I will rule the world! I will fill it all with puppies too!” Riley tilted his head. “Why puppies?” Lapis shrugged, “It was the first thing that I thought of.” “Oh, okay. Why not kittens too?” Lapis perked up, “Ooh, yeah! Them too!” She donned her evil voice again and continued to monologue, soon challenging the hero character to a duel. Riley played along, smiling at his sister’s antics.

Riley tapped his pen on his desk, trying to figure out what in the world the calculus mumbo-jumbo was trying to say. He sighed, pushing his chair back and standing up. He needed a break. The deep blue Lucario started making his way to the kitchen, where he smelled something burning. He wrinkled his nose, going to check it out. Each step creaked as he descended the steps toward the kitchen. He spotted his sister at the stove, freaking out about the boba she was cooking on the stove. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh-” She clapped her paws together, transporting the burnt blobs into a bowl. She looked at the residue on the bottom of the pan, cringing. Riley came up next to her, “Do you need help Lapis?” Lapis jumped back, slamming her back into the counter. She groaned, “Yessss- Can you do the little time reversal thingy thing? To when all this was the dough before I cut it? I didn’t add enough starch…” Riley nodded, taking the bowl of the burnt mass of boba and reversing it back to its dough state. He set the dough back down onto the counter. “There we go. Is that okay?” Lapis nodded, hugging her twin, “Thank you! Yes! That’s great!” He smiled, patting her head, “Glad I could help.” She beamed. “Could you also reverse the potttttt??” Riley nodded and did just that, the burnt residue disappearing completely. Lapis immediately moved to add more tapioca starch. “Want to watch?” “Oh- sure.” He sat on one of the stools opposite Lapis. She started spreading out the dough and laying it flat, taking the starch and kneading a bit in at a time. Riley reached out, nabbing a bit of the dough to snack on. When he reached out to grab more, Lapis smacked his paw, “Hey! That’s enough! You can have some when I give you the drink /later/.” He huffed, “Okay, fine, I’ll wait- Are you making a drink for everyone?” “Yeah, though Ryan said that he didn’t want any boba in his drink. Apparently he doesn’t like the texture.” Riley made a face, “Huh, okay.” “Yeahhh- Also Penny’s coming over today and I wanted to surprise her!” Riley smiled, “Aw, that’s nice of you.” Lapis sprinkled more tapioca starch over the dough, “Thanks- I know she really likes it, so I thought that I’d do an experiment and see if she likes it or not.” Riley nodded, “Sounds nice.” He got up after a bit more time had passed, “I’m going to go back upstairs. I have a bit more homework to get done.” Lapis nodded, waving, “Have fun!” “I will… do my best-”

Daily 9: Monomyth Bi-Daily (Part 1 - Outlines)
word count - 293 words

Original World:
At the very start of the story, the exposition will begin (where characterization and setting development will take place) - here elements of setting (milieu - village from lower class and older standards with biases, atmosphere - calm and peaceful until the conflict arises, time - Imperial Dynasty, location - rural community next to cherry blossom trees and valleys) and characterization (eg: establishing the protagonists beliefs and what they think of themselves at the starting of the story) will begin. The story will be focusing on a character that seems flat (almost static) at the start, but is actually one that is dynamic and will experience a lot of change throughout the text. The MC will start off the story with feeling little to no purpose, until they find the potential they have to harness a new found ability and destroy the structure of power once and for all.

Call to Action:
Once the exposition has begun, the protoganist as well as a few side characters will be introduced in a timely manner. From there, they will sense trouble lurking throughout the dynasty. Although most continue to act oblivious to the darkness that is fighting from within the shadows, the protagonists notices something awry and.

Refusal to Action:
The protagonist and their sidekick (pet) venture out in the unknown where they receive a plea for help from an unknown source . The world as they know it is going to end, the the MC needs to find a harness the strength of a warrior to end the battle that started centuries ago. The Wise One comes with advice, but the MC begins to question if the prophecy was right in the first place.

Introduction of Mentor:

daily 8: monomyth bidaily part 1 (984 words)

Ordinary World: Lilybelle Allen lives in a small, tight-knit village called Kaleila, where humans coexist with mysterious Fay - creatures who live in the nearby Cursed Forest and curse or bless anyone brave enough to search for them. The Fay are ageless (but not immortal) shapeshifters who can grant wishes or place terrible curses, and most of the people in her world believe that they are too dangerous to mess with. However, Lily has always been curious about them.

Lily lives with her ailing grandmother, elder brother Kris, an angry young delinquent, and younger sister Alix, who is mute and has crippling social anxiety (although, of course, nobody in the village realizes that and instead refer to Alix as the ‘ghost’). The entire family despises Fay, but Lily doesn’t understand why.

Call to Adventure: A gorgeous Fay with golden hair, feathered wings, and mysterious tattoos visits her bedroom and steals her mother’s necklace (her last remaining item of her mother’s after she passed away - Lily thinks her mother died giving birth to Alix). She is tempted to follow him, but he flies out of her room and into the night before she can decide.

Refusal of the Call: Lily, fearful of her family’s fate and uneasy about the Fay’s reputation, is conflicted about whether to seek out the Fay. She can’t stop thinking about the Fay’s wicked smile and shining golden eyes, though, and her unbearable curiosity and fierce desire to have her mother’s necklace wage war with her caution, until she realizes that she can’t make this decision alone.

Meeting the Mentor: Lily seeks out the town’s fortune-teller, an old woman named Agatha who is considered insane by the rest of the town, but has always given Lily help and guidance. Agatha convinces her to leave and gifts her a Attera-sphere, an item that can be traded to Fay for someone’s life if they find themselves captured or in the clutches of a Fay. This sphere is spelled to control a person’s thoughts until it is the sole object of their uncontrollable desire, and the victim wants nothing more than to have the sphere for themselves.

Crossing the First Threshold: Lily says goodbye to her family members, making sure that they have everything they need to stay safe. She then leaves her village for the first time, journeying into the Cursed Forest and leaving everything she knows behind.

Tests, Allies, Enemies: On her way through the forest to find the mysterious Fay who stole her necklace, she encounters terrifying monsters who feed on her dreams, spirits who almost trick her into giving up her blood (a human’s blood is a powerful currency in the realm of monsters, and it can be used to control the human) by pretending to be her mother. She is also followed by an evil Fay who tries to kidnap her, but she is saved by the golden-eyed Fay who stole her necklace.

Approach to the Inmost Cave: She confronts the Fay, who she learns is a rouge Fay named Alister, and he tells her the truth: her mother is actually a Fay-hunter who bewitched the evil Fay king into falling in love with her. She then stole his necklace, a magical key that contained all of the Cursed Forest’s power (the only thing keeping them safe from the wrath of the humans who wished to kill the Fay) and used it to turn herself immortal, which destroyed the Fay king’s palace and killed most of his innocent people. In return, he cursed her entire bloodline and forced her to live out the rest of her immortal life in a Fay prison. Alister tells her that the only way to break her family’s curse and free her mother is to kill the Fay king to steal his power, and use it to break the curse. They travel to the castle and, along the journey, begin to fall in love.

Ordeal: Lily tries to sneak into the Fay king’s palace. She eventually gets past its defenses and convinces the enchanted door to let her into the palace, where she sneaks into the throne room and quietly poisons the guards with a sleeping potion Alister gave her.

Reward: Lily stabs the sleeping king in the heart, using his death to restore the necklace’s power. She transforms into a Fay and feels her curse break.

The Road Back: Concerned and confused by how empty the castle feels and the fact that nobody seems to notice the dead king, Lily searches the castle for her mother. She eventually finds her in a prison cell and uses her newly Fay royal blood to open the lock and finally talk to her mother.

Resurrection: Lily tries to speak with her mother, but her mother is terrified by the Fay in front of her and has gone slightly mad from her years in prison. Eventually, the woman realizes that the Fay in front of her is actually her daughter, and just as she leans in to embrace Lily, she steals Lily’s knife to stab her in the chest, disgusted that her dearest daughter was now a Fay. Alister races into the prison and takes Lily’s necklace to create an enchanted sword with the power to kill immortals (which destroys the entire Fay kingdom) The ground around them crumbles as they fight, and Lily uses the Attera-sphere to distract her mother, while Alister kills her. Alister rushes over to her and heals her with the necklace’s remaining strength, dying in the process (but not before they confess their love for each other).

Return with Elixir: Victorious, but haunted, Lily makes the long trek back to the village alone. However, when she finally returns home, her family greets her, all healed from their curses. Trying to forget, she buries herself in her family’s arms, but she can’t stop seeing Alister’s golden eyes when she closes her own.

Weekly #1
Part 3
321 words
Prompt 1: Take me on a walk - Slow-Paced
Prompt 2: That’s when I noticed the house was on fire - Fast-Paced
“Hey, wanna go for a walk?” Sam asked me.
We are sitting on the couch in my living room, doing nothing, because my mom said she didn’t want us kissing in front of my brother.
I nod. “Sure.” Anything would be better than this.
He stands up and I follow him outside. It’s winter, so on the way out I grab my coat from the mudroom.
My suburban neighborhood is mostly quiet, and we walk in silence for some time.
A fierce wind blows, chilling me to the bone. Sam notices me shivering and he takes his arm out of his pocket to wrap around me.
I nuzzle into his embrace, and we continue like this for a while.
On the way back, Sam stops and kisses me. I smile into his lips for a few precious seconds until he pulls away. “Just wanted to do that once before we got back to your house, with its stupid no kissing rules.”
I laugh. “So did I.”
That’s when I noticed the house was on fire.
Sam immediately pulled me away.
Screams came from inside the house.
Sirens sounded nearby.
Everything was happening too fast to process.
Sam grabs my hand. “Let’s go.”
But I stay rooted to my spot.
The fire in front of me is mesmerizing.
“Millie.” Sam’s voice is in my ear. “We have to go.”
Panic is slowly creeping into my mind, paralyzing my senses.
I can’t move, until I’m thrown up in the air.
Sam is holding me. I breathe a sigh of relief.
The sirens are closer this time, but they don’t sound as scary now. More like the rescuers that they are.
My eyes stay frozen on the fire until it’s out of sight.
“Thank you.” I whisper in Sam’s ear.
“Anything,” he whispers back.

7/9/2024
Mission 8! First Bi-Daily! Write an outline of a story utilizing your new knowledge of the hero’s journey and post part of the outline in the comments, for 150 points!

Ordinary world: The hero, as a placeholder lets call her Elizabeth, lives in an orphanage in a poor town, and the entire world is in achromatic, completely black and white. The world is pretty dystopian, ruled by a dictator god called the Sovereign who exploits smaller towns like Ashtown and is trying to expand his reach, conquering city after city and he’s said to be the one who drained color from the world. Despite this, Elizabeth is optimistic and just tries her best to make every day in the orphanage happy for her ‘siblings’, knowing they were never going to be adopted, she’s stayed for years, she tries to make the most of her life.

Call to adventure: On her 16th birthday the orphanage owner, who she considers a mom, gives her a gift Elizabeth’s biological dad left for her, a red violin. Elizabeth didn’t know it actually existed, but it’s said there are 7 instruments, each correlated to a color of the rainbow that when played together can bring color back to the world. The orphanage owner doesn’t expect her to try to fight against the Sovereign, but explains her dad, like her, tried to spread joy like she does everyday and she can make of the gift what she wanted.

Refusal of the Call: Elizabeth immediately knew she wanted to somehow bring color back, now that she knew that the instruments were real, she wanted to make a change. Despite this, she can’t just leave her family at the orphanage behind. All of them were close and she couldn’t bear to leave them, and if she did leave, it would be her first time actually leaving Ashtown, and she didn’t even know where to find the other instruments. She would practice playing but for a long time never actually searched. Until she read in the news someone with the yellow lyre was found and imprisoned, and she was going to be executed in a week's time.

Meeting the Mentor: Completely rash, Elizabeth decides to break into the prison and after a bunch of luck and close calls she finds the holder of the yellow lyre and breaks them out. This person knows way more about the ‘Heavenly Instruments’ then Elizabeth does and though they have a tense relationship, she eventually finds out they know where the next instrument, the green drums are, and they have to leave Ashtown.

Crossing the Threshold: Because of Elizabeth's not so well planned prison break, security has tightened and the two have a hard time escaping, almost getting caught many times but eventually escaping and embark on their journey to the countryside where the holder of the drums supposedly are.

Test, Allies, Enemies: The two spend a lot of time finding each instrument holder, each with different views on life, the Sovereign and what it means to be chosen (as the instruments can only be played by one person. This leads them all around the Sovereign's empire, and finally to the capital, where they look for the final instrument, the purple flute.

Approach to the innermost cave: Here all the holders do their best to work as a team despite their differences, and Elizabeth who basically self appointed herself as leader, is feeling the pressure of holding everyone together. Then they find out the person who has the last instrument is the Sovereign’s child and the general of his army.
Ordeal: After much trouble and fights, they bring the Sovereign’s kid to their side, after finding out they were never related and that the person was just brainwashed into thinking that so they would never fight back against the Sovereign.

Seizing the Sword: Finally with all of them together, they play a song together and color comes back to the world. Despite this, the world isn’t suddenly saved, the Sovereign is still in power and will do anything to crush them, especially the holder of the purple flute, considering them switching sides being betrayal.

The Road Back: The group stays together and try to find a way to permanently defeat the Sovereign, realizing they haven’t won until his empire is defeated completely. They do this by learning how to hone their instruments which have powers of their own (the yellow lyre has light powers, the blue instrument has water powers, playing together merges them etc), as well as helping out in towns they pass through.

Resurrection: The final confrontation between the Sovereign and the holders of the Heavenly Instruments. After a harrowing battle, they come out victorious with the Sovereign's reign ended. The empire is brought down and the holder of the purple flute stays at the capital to try to help rebuild as best as they can.

Return With Elixir: With color back and the Sovereign’s dictatorship ended, the holders go back their separate ways, all staying friends but returning to a more colorful life. Elizabeth goes back to the orphanage happy to bring smiles to the faces of her siblings and continues trying to help those around her, playing her violin.

PART 1: Passage of Time

(I partnered with @-sweetchocolatte- and the first part is here: https://scratch.mit.edu/users/-WildClan-/#comments-337632906 )

The cycle of turmoil had turned, and for now, life could thrive. The caldera opened up to the clear blue skies, the fiery destruction that had formed it slumbering far below the ground, not to be awoken again for eons. Greenery had returned where there once had been only bare, black volcanic rock, and plants grew lush around the lake in the caldera’s center. Animals came back, too- and while they weren’t all the same ones as before, there were new species ready to fill in the niches that the old ones once occupied. Mammals burst forth in abundance, dominating the landscape. Some built new societies on the ruins of the old, the ancient temples of birdsong now crumbling beneath the reign of paws and fur. The technology of the past was left to decay. Only the turtles, all but unchanging in the flow of time, were left to remember how it had been before. How it had all gone wrong. Maybe this time around, the balance could be maintained…

There was something to be said for adaptability. Lily never thought she’d survive a month in that prison, but here she was, ten years later, still alive.
The days had bled into each other, and the passage of time became a blur. She kept track of the seasons only by the slim view she was afforded by the barred windows. The once-intimidating figures that lined the hallways of the prison had become familiar faces, each one with their own story, their own pain. Lily had learned to navigate this world of concrete and steel, finding moments of humanity amidst the darkness.
She had formed a fragile alliance with some of the inmates, including the prisoner with the striking blue eyes and the scarred mouth. Their name was Ryla, and they had a sharp wit that cut through the oppressive atmosphere of the prison. Over the years, they had exchanged stories, dreams, and plans for a future beyond the prison walls. This was the closest thing to friendship Lily had ever had.
One day, a new warden arrived at the prison, bringing with him rumors of reforms and changes. Unlike his predecessors, he seemed genuinely interested in the welfare of the inmates. He organized educational programs, workshops, and even therapy sessions to help the prisoners rehabilitate and prepare for life beyond incarceration.
And Lily and Ryla were both scheduled to be released today.
At last, they could reclaim their lives and create a future filled with possibility. The outside world was waiting.

PART 2: Dual Timelines

Sheer watched Courage sparring with another wolf, his movements precise and powerful. She felt a pang in her heart, knowing that his dedication to becoming a warrior meant there was no place for her in his life. She tried to talk to him, but he dismissed her concerns. “Legend was a hero, Sheer. I need to be strong like him.”
But Legend died, Sheer wanted to say, though she knew she couldn’t. Sheer couldn’t bear it any longer. Leaving the Pack was her only option. She needed to find herself away from the shadow of Courage and the memories of Legend.

Brook perched on a high branch, watching her mother, Drizzle, with Emerald and his sons, Ash and Breeze. Flood was fuming nearby, his anger palpable. “They’re taking over our family,” he snarled. Brook tried to calm him, but it was like trying to stem a flood with a single feather.
Brook’s tail drooped. She wished she knew how to make everything alright again.

Sheer prowled the forest, hunting to survive. She heard yowling in the distance and soon caught sight of a strange, feathered creature. It seemed distracted, and she caught it in her jaws with ease. But it struggled far more than she expected, and in her pursuit to hold on, she slipped and tumbled into the river. The current was strong, and Sheer struggled to keep her head above water. Suddenly, she felt something pulling her to safety.
The feathered creature had saved her. She lay on the riverbank, gasping for breath, while the creature watched her warily.

Brook had no time to react before the wolf descended upon her. Slobbery jaws clamped around her fur and she was carried away from everyone she loved. Flood howled his rage at her back.
Thrashing and kicking, just like the fighting moves her parents had taught her, she managed to unbalance the wolf, and they both plummeted into the river below.
Brook swam to the riverbank with ease, but the wolf seemingly could not swim. Before she could think, Brook dove back in and dragged the beast to shore.
Brook couldn’t believe she had just saved a wolf, the very predator she had learned to fear. Yet, something about Sheer’s desperate struggle had compelled her to act. She stayed close, observing Sheer’s recovery, unsure what to do next.

Sheer appreciated Brook’s quiet presence. They couldn’t speak the same language, but they communicated through simple actions- sharing food, signaling danger. Sheer taught Brook how to hunt more efficiently, and in return, Brook showed Sheer hidden safe spots in the forest.
One day, Sheer realized she had found a new kind of pack, one that didn’t rely on words but on mutual respect and trust.

Brook felt a sense of belonging with Sheer that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She could finally breathe without the weight of her family’s turmoil pressing down on her. Yet, she knew she couldn’t ignore her responsibilities forever.

Returning to the Sliver Pack territory, Sheer felt a mix of anticipation and dread. She knew she had to face Courage and her past to truly move forward. With Brook by her side, she felt stronger, ready to reclaim her place and make peace with her choices.

Neither of them was expecting for things to have changed so much while they were gone.

PART 3: Pacing

Prompt 1: The colony is splitting in two, and a family is town apart
Pace 1: Fast

Thorn's heart pounded as he flew through the canyon, the wind whipping against his feathers. He landed near the nest, where Holly was gently turning their two eggs, her eyes soft with love and care. His stomach twisted with guilt, but he knew what he had to do.
“Holly,” he called, his voice strained.
Holly looked up, her eyes widening as she saw the turmoil etched on Thorn’s face. “Thorn, what’s wrong?”
“I… I have to leave,” Thorn said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “The colony is splitting, and I believe Shade’s path is the right one. I have to follow him.”
Holly’s face fell, her wings drooping. “But what about us? What about our eggs?”
Thorn’s eyes burned with unshed tears. “I don’t want to go, but I have to. Ash’s leadership will keep you and the eggs safe here. Shade needs me, and I can’t ignore that call.”
Holly shook her head, a mix of anger and sorrow in her eyes. “How can you leave us, Thorn? How can you abandon your family?”
“I’m not abandoning you,” Thorn said, his voice cracking. “I’m doing what I believe is right. Please, understand.”
Holly’s silence was deafening. Thorn stepped closer, touching his beak to hers one last time. “I’ll come back. I promise.”
With that, Thorn spread his wings and launched into the sky, the weight of his decision heavy on his heart. He glanced back once, seeing Holly watching him go, her figure growing smaller and smaller until it was just a speck on the canyon floor.

Prompt 2: Characters meeting after separating on uncertain terms
Pace 2: Slow

Years had passed since that fateful day. Thorn’s feathers were now streaked with gray, his movements slower and more deliberate. He approached the willow tree where he and Holly had first met, the memories flooding back with every step.
Under the shade of the willow, Holly stood, her own feathers showing the passage of time. She turned as Thorn approached, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions—recognition, hesitation, and a flicker of the love they once shared.
“Holly,” Thorn said softly, his voice carrying the weight of the years and the distance between them.
“Thorn,” Holly replied, equally soft. They stood there, taking in the sight of each other, the silence speaking volumes.
Thorn took a tentative step closer. “I’m sorry,” he began. “For leaving, for everything. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I’ve lived with the guilt every day.”
Holly’s eyes softened, and she took a step forward as well. “I’ve missed you, Thorn. It was hard, raising our children without you. But they’ve grown into strong, beautiful shazarxi.”
Thorn smiled faintly. “I wish I could have been there to see it. I wish I had made different choices.”
Holly nodded, the sadness of the past mixing with the acceptance of the present. “We can’t change what happened, but we can move forward. Maybe… maybe we can find a way to be part of each other’s lives again.”
They stood in the dappled light of the willow, the years of pain and separation slowly melting away. Thorn reached out, brushing his wing against Holly’s. “I’d like that,” he said.
Holly smiled, a small but genuine expression. “Then let’s try.”
Under the willow tree, where they had first fallen in love, Thorn and Holly began to rebuild their bond, not as the youthful lovers they once were, but as older, wiser souls who had weathered life’s storms and found their way back to each other.

PART 4: Tie It All Together

He had no idea what was happening to him. Who even was he? He twitched on the ground, his head spinning, feeling every body part as if it was for the first time. It all felt so wrong. Something had been stretched, misshapen, put back together incorrectly.
A low groan escaped his mouth.
Without opening his eyes, he detected something- someone?- moving beside him. Its sharp, warm scent mixed with the leafy scents of late summer. With great effort, he lifted his heavy head and blinked.
Light flooded in, but the view wasn’t quite right. The shapes and colors swam before him, a result of the lingering dizziness. Had he been here before? He tried to remember what he was doing before he ended up here, but memories eluded him, flickering at the back corners of his mind like shadows, impossible to catch and hold on to.
Gradually, he adjusted, trying to shake off the confusion. He looked around and found a face staring back at him with mingled surprise and interest. “Hello there,” it said. “Welcome to the land of the living.”

Breeze shivered, curling into his father’s wings as if he had just hatched. His brother, Ash, sat alone a short ways away, staring vacantly into the distance. Their mother had fallen into the frozen river, and it was only now starting to sink in that she was gone for good.
“What’s going to happen now?” Ash spoke slowly, numbly, his words seeming to echo in the open space around them.
Their father, Emerald, didn’t answer at first. “I don’t know,” he admitted at long last. “We just have to… keep going, I suppose.”
Breeze wasn’t sure he could do that.

“What happened…?” he asked the wolf next to him. Somehow he recognized her scent as being compatible with his own, but he didn’t remember her. He couldn’t remember much of anything, really. His memories remained elusive, even once the grogginess faded away.
“I-I’m not sure,” she replied, her eyes widening at his words. “I just found you here. What’s your name?”
He couldn’t remember that, either. That seemed bad; weren’t names something worth keeping track of? “I don’t know,” he admitted. “My memories are… gone?”
She tilted her head, considering him carefully. “Hmm. Well, you can call me Chaos. You really don’t remember anything?”
He thought really hard. There was smoke… “Something about a fire?” But when he tried to look deeper, the memory was gone. “Or… maybe not… I don’t know.”
Chaos blinked comfortingly at him. “That’s okay, don’t worry about it. How about I just call you Blaze for now? That’s like a fire, right?”
“Okay,” he agreed, feeling a bit overwhelmed. What else was he supposed to do?
“Can you walk?”
He looked down and saw he had round paws with four blunt claws on each. Carefully, he placed his weight on them and pushed himself off the ground, trembling slightly. The motion felt instinctual, but also so foreign. “I… think so?”
“Good. Come on, I’ll take you to Sliver Pack; my brother will know what to do with you. He’s one of the leaders. Follow me.” Chaos bounded ahead a pace, looking back at him to make sure he was coming.
Blaze placed one paw in front of the other and moved after her, soon getting into a rhythm. His thoughts buzzed in the empty space in his mind as he trailed her through the trees.
How had he gotten here? Why couldn’t he remember anything? And who was he?

As time passed, Breeze learned to make the most of things. He found what happiness he could, always trying to look on the bright side.
Emerald did the same. He had been spending a lot of time with a shazarxa named Drizzle lately, and Breeze hoped that there was something more to their connection. That maybe everything was finally starting to heal. Breeze liked Drizzle; there was a sadness to her, too, but one she seemed to bear with quiet strength. She was cautious, but friendly. Breeze trusted her.
Ash, on the other paw, had gotten more distant. Breeze supposed he was coping in is own way, by busying himself with tasks and ambitions. He worked a lot with Swift, Emerald’s brother, as he tried to organize all the shazarxi into a cooperating colony. Breeze didn’t understand most of what they were trying to do, but it kept Ash occupied.
Though Breeze wished they could spend more time together, he respected that Ash wanted space. It didn’t matter how far apart they were; they would always have each other.

Chaos’s brother was named Glory, and Blaze liked him instantly. He was an average-sized wolf, but his big personality made him seem much larger. However, there was an intelligence behind his eyes, too, and he seemed very understanding as Chaos explained why Blaze was here. Blaze trusted him.
“There’s a vacant den over by that thicket,” Glory nodded toward it. “You can stay with us for now, at least until your memories come back. Chaos said she’ll look after you.”
There were many wolves hanging about the “Packsite,” as Chaos called it, and they all observed him with various degrees of curiosity and distrust. Blaze got the feeling strange wolves were not usually brought here. His pelt shivered uncomfortably under their stares, and he was grateful when he slipped into the privacy of the den.
“I’ll leave you here for now,” Chaos said. “You ought to get some rest.”
Of course, rest did not come easy.
Especially not when a small, oddly-shaped wolf suddenly appeared at the mouth of the den and began talking to him in an urgent whisper. “You’re the one Chaos brought in?”
Blaze jumped. “Uh- Y-yeah?”
The wolf nodded, as if confirming something to himself. “Then you shouldn’t be here.”
“What?”
“You should never have been here.”

Breeze had a new problem, and it was named Flood. Flood was Drizzle’s son from her previous relationship, and he did not take kindly to Emerald dragging a new family into his life. Emerald and Drizzle had been together for only a moon-cycle, but Flood had wasted no time in showing how he felt about it.
The brunt of his anger had landed on Breeze. With Ash away doing his own thing, and Emerald and Drizzle being busy with each other, Breeze was an easy target. He bore the scratches and missing feathers from when Flood pushed him over, but those were not nearly as bad as the scars his words left in Breeze’s mind. Every day, Breeze found in harder and harder to find the positive amidst of the pain.

Blaze didn’t see the odd wolf for a while, except in glances from across the Packsite. Had his message been a warning? Or was he just a little mentally confused?
Blaze could hardly fault anyone for being confused, not when he had to learn basic knowledge as if he were a newborn pup. Chaos taught him, mostly, carefully analyzing his ability to run, hunt, and behave properly in the Pack. Some things came naturally to him, while others were embarrassingly difficult. His absolute cluelessness about Pack structure earned him the most judgement from the other wolves- he couldn’t yet bring himself to call them Packmates- so he tried to stay quiet and keep to himself, learning from observing others and from Chaos’s patient teachings.
Slowly, he began to act like them, and they began accepting his presence there, even becoming his friends. He found himself thinking less and less about the time before he had arrived. That wasn’t important anymore. Blaze would make this place his home.

The world was in flames.
The stench of smoke choked the air out of Breeze’s lungs as he ran as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the shazarxi flying overhead. He wished he had his mature flight feathers already, like Ash did. But his legs would carry him well enough. With a huge leap, he glided into the air, just managing to clear the river where his mother had drowned a sun-cycle ago.
Wheezing and coughing, he dragged himself up the riverbank to safety. Had his family made it out, too? He looked around, desperately trying to get a glimpse of familiar fur tufts or tail shapes.
There was Ash, and there was Drizzle- but where was Emerald?
Suddenly, he spotted a shape through the smoke, staggering out of the flaming trees on the other side of the river. Calling in alarm, Drizzle saw it too. Taking to the air, she dove back toward the blaze.
Breeze wasn’t sure what happened next. In a blur of smoke and fear, he saw Drizzle drag a body clear of the flames, but it wasn’t Emerald’s. It was Flood’s.
Flood was still alive, but badly burned. His charred feathers would not be able to fly again for a long time. But where was Emerald?
“You want to know the truth?” Flood rasped, his voice hoarse from the smoke he had inhaled. Breeze’s fur spiked in alarm as he realized that the other shazarxi had flown off, and he was alone with Flood.
But he had to know.
“Y-yes.”
“Emerald died because of me.”

Finally, after seasons had passed, Blaze was allowed on the hunting parties. Hunting had been one of the most difficult things for him to master, but he had figured it out in time, and he was proud of how far he’d come.
He could feel he was stronger now, and he knew how to use his senses to their fullest extent. He had faith in his own paws, felt comfortable in his pelt.
So when Blaze encountered a feathered creature, large and juicy, he couldn’t wait to show off all he’d learned. Since Chaos was his mentor, they often hunted together, but she signalled to him to try and catch this one on his own. Heart pounding, he ran his tongue over his sharp, white teeth.
His legs pounded the ground as he sped towards his prey, and with a mighty leap, he pounced. The creature tried to fly up, out of his grasp, but its wings seemed wounded, and it was not fast enough to escape. Blaze crashed into it, dragging it to the ground, and sinking his teeth into its throat.
But at the taste of its blood, a flood of memories came pouring back. A Flood of memories…

Breeze ran.
He should have been tired, he should have returned to the safety of the colony.
But what safety was there? Flood had killed Emerald! The thought repeated over and over in his head, growing more horrific and gruesome every time as he pictured how Flood must have thrown Emerald into the blaze.
So he kept running, not even noticing the surroundings becoming unfamiliar.
He didn’t notice the animal scent marked on the trees.
He didn’t notice the eyes watching him from the bushes, keeping pace with his movement.
He did notice when the unfamiliar shazarxa emerged in front of him. “I can- help you,” they said, their words oddly accented and broken up. Maybe their voice had been messed up by the smoke as well. “I can- make it so- Flood- does not hurt- you- again.”
They reached out a paw.
Breeze took it.
And everything went dark.

Blaze stood frozen. Or was he Breeze? Once again, his identity was lost to confusion. He remembered being a feathered creature- a shazarxa- like the one whose blood now dripped from his fangs.
And the one he had just killed had been named Flood, his adopted brother. The one who had killed his father, Emerald, during the fire, leading Breeze to run… to Chaos. That unfamiliar shazarxa who had offered their help had been Chaos all along, hadn’t it?
He looked to his mentor, who regarded him with that same consideration as always- because she was studying him, wasn’t she? She had turned him into this… “Did you know this would happen?” he whispered in horror.
“Your transformation was far smoother than I expected,” she replied, flicking her tail in nonchalance. “A near-complete memory wipe and you woke up already knowing how to speak. Much better than Shard’s.”
Shard. The odd wolf who had warned him on his first day in the Pack. Another one of Chaos’s experiments.
“So what’s going to happen now?” Blaze trembled.
“Now you get to choose. I can return you to your previous form, if you wish. Or you can stay with us.”
Blaze looked down at Flood’s mangled feathers. He remembered how Flood had hurt him. Had never accepted him. But he had earned a place with Packmates who did. He had already chosen who he was, and it was right in front of him.
“I know who I am now. My name is Blaze. And I’m going home.”

daily 07.09 | hero's journey / monomyth | 674 words | 150 points

Departure

Ordinary World: Unnamed protagonist, who shall henceforth be called Apprentice, is (as aptly titled) the apprentice of her city's most famous and influential alchemist. He took her under his wing a few years back because he'd noticed her natural intuition for the subject. She's not an orphan (so not a real protagonist then, honestly), but she's nineteen and lives on her own. Bad relationship with family. Also, her alchemist mentor is kinda … funky. Her city is powerful and has a vast army and is ruled with an iron fist, but she lives under the radar for the most part, though her mentor directly serves the king.

Call to Adventure: So like, there's a war! Of course. The news reaches the city, everyone's like “oh my god we're all going to die.” Understandably so. Apprentice realizes two things. The first thing is that her mentor is planning on using an unfinished new discovery that they've worked on together to aid the king and his army. The second thing is that her city is on the wrong side of the fight, or at least the government is; they are the instigators and the issue here. They are the conquerors and the opposing force that the city is being told is “evil” is simply defending itself and pushing back against their oppression.

Refusal of the Call: At first she's hesitant to betray her mentor and the only home she's ever known. Naturally! But she figures out that wait, like, the right thing to do is to NOT let this alchemical weapon kill potentially thousands of people.

Meeting the Mentor: She steals the weapon and leaves the city. Meets another group of runaways from her city. They help her figure out how to survive on her own so she can journey to the other nation and help them, as well as get the notes and invention away from the city.

Crossing the First Threshold: That kind of happens in the previous phase, where she meets the other runaways.

Initiation

Tests, Allies, Enemies: Her allies are the runaways. Enemies appear when the city seems to catch on to the fact that she up and left, and they send soldiers after her. Surviving the trek is in and of itself a test, and there are many parts to that survival that are beyond anything she's encountered in the big city under the controlling rule of the king.

Approach to the Inmost Cave: Approaching the walls of the warring nation, weaving around battlefields and trying to avoid detection by any possible unsavory eyes or weapons.

Ordeal: Sneaking into the other nation without being flagged as a spy or intruder, and getting a confrontation with their alchemists/president so that she can warn them.

The Reward (Seizing the Sword): Compensation and glory from the other nation as thanks for her invaluable help, etc. etc.

Return

The Road Back: Accompanied by more allies and more resources than before, Apprentice has to journey back to her city with her new friends from the other nation to put a stop to the fighting and to the unholy rule of the corrupt king and his cruelty.

Resurrection: A battle of minds in the midst of a physical battlefield. She confronts her past mentor and tries to understand why he would let his work be used in such a horrendous way willingly. He does a tragic backstory villain reel. Fighting happens in multiple ways. She wins! Duh.

Return with Elixir: She returns to the city after a great journey and after having brought peace and prosperity, yippee!! She uses her alchemic genius to provide her people with comfort and innovation and refuses to create weapons that may do any pain or harm at all. She supports the democratic rise of a new leader for the city, one of her friends from the original band of runaways she met, the one that was her primary mentor figure and helper with survival. Happy ending, yay!

୨୧ word war #1

“just great,” she whispered under her breath. “just fabulously great.”
“why?” he asked in return. “what's so bad about me?” he smirked, a smile that made her want to punch him in the face.
“you don't help at anything at all,” she said in between gritted teeth. “what i want is for someone clever. you are the opposite of that.” she slumed her shoulders. “i can't even change partners!”
the boys face fell. “that's incredibly rude,” he said, crossing his arms. “i'm trying my best!”
“doesn't sound like it, with your smug and arrogant personality.”
a flicker of disgust went on the boy's face. the girl simply rolled her eyes. she pushed him to the side, and angrily stomped away.
“now that was rude,” the boy scowled. he ran towards the girl, hoping she wasn't too mad.
“wait up,” he panted. “we're stuck together, you can't change it! ha!”
the girl ignored him

153 words

First Threshold

Unnamed stood at the edge of the frost-covered wasteland, the cold air biting into his skin despite the layers he had donned. The landscape stretched out before him, an expanse of white and blue dotted with sparse, skeletal trees. The sun hung low in the sky, casting a pale, almost ghostly light over the land. This was the first significant challenge on his journey, a place where the elements themselves seemed to conspire against travelers.

He had heard tales of this place in the whispered legends of his childhood, stories told around hearth fires that spoke of both the treacherous conditions and the indomitable spirit of its inhabitants. But hearing tales and standing at the precipice of such a land were two very different things.

As Unnamed took his first steps into the wasteland, the snow crunched loudly underfoot, a reminder of the solitude that awaited him. He pulled his cloak tighter, trying to stave off the bitter chill that seemed to seep into his very bones. He had prepared as best he could, gathering supplies and knowledge, but nothing could fully prepare him for the relentless cold that greeted him.

The first few days were a grueling test of endurance. Each night, as he set up camp, he fought to keep his small fire burning against the winds that threatened to snuff it out. The cold was an ever-present adversary, sapping his strength and resolve. But as he pressed on, he began to notice signs of life amid the desolation. Small, hardy plants peeked through the snow, and the distant sounds of laughter and music reached his ears.

It was on the fourth day that he encountered his first significant obstacle: a vast, frozen lake that barred his path. The ice was thick and treacherous, with deep cracks running through it like the veins of some ancient, slumbering beast. Crossing it would be perilous, but going around it would cost him days, perhaps even weeks.

As he pondered his options, he heard a rustling behind him. Turning quickly, he saw a figure emerging from the snow-covered woods. It was a young woman, bundled in furs and carrying a staff that glowed faintly with an inner fire. Her eyes were sharp and piercing, but there was a warmth to her smile that belied the harshness of her surroundings.

“You're far from home, traveler,” she said, her voice carrying a musical lilt that seemed out of place in this frozen wasteland.

“I am,” Unnamed replied, grateful for the company but wary of the stranger. “And you are?”

“My name is Eira,” she said, inclining her head slightly. “I live in a village not far from here. We saw your fire last night and I thought you might need some help.”

Unnamed hesitated. He had learned to be cautious, but there was something in Eira's demeanor that put him at ease. “I could use some guidance,” he admitted. “This lake… it's impassable.”

Eira smiled again, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Not if you know the way,” she said, stepping forward. She tapped her staff on the ice, and a path of glowing embers began to spread out from the point of contact, melting the ice just enough to create a safe passage.

“How did you do that?” Unnamed asked, astonished.

“Magic,” she replied simply. “It's a gift we have in these parts. Come, I'll guide you across.”

Together, they walked across the lake, the warmth from Eira's staff providing a shield from the cold. As they walked, she told him stories of her village, of its people. Unnamed found himself drawn to her spirit, her confidence, and the way she seemed to embrace the challenges of her environment rather than shy away from them.
As they parted ways, she gave him a small, enchanted amulet.

“This will help you stay warm,” she said, pressing it into his hand. “And remember, no journey is meant to be taken alone. Seek out friends, and you'll find your way.”


668 words

bidaily part 2! based on zai's outline (specifically the resurrection part), which can be found here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1045911950/


Cassius skimmed his hand along the wall as he ran, turning the moment he felt the building end. Unable to detect whether the thieves were still in front him, hoping he made the right move, he continued down the street. The thieves had likely assumed he would continue to blindly run down the same avenue and taken the first turn they could to lose him. Cassius, however, was too smart for that—or so he thought.
From the pebbles on the ground beneath his worn shoes, he could tell that he was traveling along Drasir Pass, towards the bridge. He cursed to himself. There was no way that the thieves went this way—the only things at the end of the Pass are Vieux Forest and the lake, nothing more. Unless they lived under the bridge, he had lost them.
Cassius slowed his pace to a walk, then finally stopped, shoulders slumping as he turned his head to the sky. From the cool air on his face, he was certain that the sun had gone down, and though finding the thieves grew harder with every passing minute, he knew that it was best to not stay out past dark, not with his sister to take care of. He should never had chased them in the first place; it had been too much of a risk. If he had fallen, if he had injured himself further? She would have had no one left.
The air grew colder. Cassius shivered. He turned, uselessly, still unable to see what lies before him. But he knew this sensation—they had returned.
“Hello,” he murmured, a smile slowly forming on his face.
Though he couldn't see their dark outlines, casting a murky dimness on the world behind him, or hear the soft whispers that surrounded their silhouettes, Cassius was sure of it—the shadow people had found him.
Trust was easier in this state. There was no reason to fear their darkness when it had already enveloped them.
Cassius felt a soft tug on the sleeve of his tunic, and he stepped in the direction that the shadow was pulling—farther down Drasir Pass.
“Are you certain?” Cassius's eyebrows furrowed, but he continued to walk where the shadow person led, steps uncharacteristically unsure against the rocks. It led him off of the pass, taking a winding route over the soft remnants of summer's grass and the satisfying crunch of fallen leaves.
After walking for a few minutes, the shadow suddenly stopped, the frigid aura that surrounded it fading into the night.
Cassius stood still, taking in a shaky breath. He was in the forest, that at least he knew, but where? The woods were vast; the trees stretching on for miles.
Sinking to his knees on the forest floor, Cassius reached out for something, anything, that could tell him where he was. His fingers skimmed against the bark of an ancient tree, around the silhouette of a rock, across the layer broken leaves, grabbing one and crushing it to dust. A tear rolled down his cheek, its warmth quickly diminishing in the night air.
He should never have trusted the shadow people.
A droplet fell on Cassius's face. It felt thick, more so than the tear falling next to it.
It slowly moved down his cheek in a rivulet, stopping in the indentation between his lips. Cautiously, he tasted the tear. It was less salty that he expected; more metallic.
Another droplet fell on his cheek, then another. Cassius blinked, confused. His own tears had stopped; his body was not wet from rain.
The ground briefly shook in front of Cassius, a thump echoing through the earth. Something firm slumped against his knee. A shaking hand clasped his other leg, then gradually released, collapsing to the forest floor beneath him.
A chill raced down his spine—the shadow person had returned, wreathing around him like a friendly cat. Cassius winced as a jet of cold lanced into his fingers, and he opened his fisted hand. A bottle was pressed into it, its exterior coated with a sticky, semi-congealed liquid. Reaching his other hand towards the container, he ran his fingers across its surface. It was tall, thin. A cork blocked its skinny mouth.
It was the vial.
Cassius struggled to his feet, clasping the vial in both hands, never wanting to let go.

bidaily part 2!! based on zai's outline (specifically the resurrection part), which can be found here: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1045911950/


Cassius placed his hand along the wall as he ran, turning the moment he felt the building end. Unable to detect whether the thieves were still in front him, hoping he made the right move, he continued down the street. The thieves had likely assumed he would continue to blindly run down the same avenue and taken the first turn they could to lose him. Cassius, however, was too smart for that—or so he thought.
From the pebbles on the ground beneath his worn shoes, he could tell that he was traveling along Drasir Pass, towards the bridge. He cursed to himself. There was no way that the thieves went this way—the only things at the end of the Pass are Vieux Forest and the lake, nothing more. Unless they lived under the bridge, he had lost them.
Cassius slowed his pace to a walk, then finally stopped, shoulders slumping as he turned his head to the sky. From the cool air on his face, he was certain that the sun had gone down, and though finding the thieves grew harder with every passing minute, he knew that it was best to not stay out past dark, not with his sister to take care of. He should never had chased them in the first place; it had been too much of a risk. If he had fallen, if he had injured himself further? She would have had no one left.
The air grew colder. Cassius shivered. He turned, uselessly, still unable to see what lies before him. But he knew this sensation—they had returned.
“Hello,” he murmured, a smile slowly forming on his face.
Though he couldn't see their dark outlines, casting a murky dimness on the world behind him, or hear the soft whispers that surrounded their silhouettes, Cassius was sure of it—the shadow people had found him.
Trust was easier in this state. There was no reason to fear their darkness when it had already enveloped them.
Cassius felt a soft tug on the sleeve of his tunic, and he stepped in the direction that the shadow was pulling—farther down Drasir Pass.
“Are you certain?” Cassius's eyebrows furrowed, but he continued to walk where the shadow person led, steps uncharacteristically unsure against the rocks. It led him off of the pass, taking a winding route over the soft remnants of summer's grass and the satisfying crunch of fallen leaves.
After walking for a few minutes, the shadow suddenly stopped, the frigid aura that surrounded it fading into the night.
Cassius stood still, taking in a shaky breath. He was in the forest, that at least he knew, but where? The woods were vast; the trees stretching on for miles.
Sinking to his knees on the forest floor, Cassius reached out for something, anything, that could tell him where he was. His fingers skimmed against the bark of an ancient tree, around the silhouette of a rock, across the layer broken leaves, grabbing one and crushing it to dust. A tear rolled down his cheek, its warmth quickly diminishing in the night air.
He should never have trusted the shadow people.
A droplet fell on Cassius's face. It felt thick, more so than the tear falling next to it.
It slowly moved down his cheek in a rivulet, stopping in the indentation between his lips. Cautiously, he tasted the tear. It was less salty that he expected; more metallic.
Another drop fell on his cheek, then another. Cassius blinked, confused. His own tears had stopped; his body was not wet from rain.
The ground briefly shook in front of Cassius, a thump echoing through the earth. Something firm slumped against his knee. A shaking hand clasped his other leg, then gradually released, collapsing to the forest floor beneath him.
A chill raced down his spine—the shadow person had returned, wreathing around him like a friendly cat. Cassius winced as a jet of cold lanced into his fingers, and he opened his fisted hand. A bottle was pressed into it, its exterior coated with a sticky, semi-congealed liquid. Reaching his other hand towards the container, he ran his fingers across its surface. It was tall, thin. A cork blocked its skinny mouth.
It was the vial.
Cassius struggled to his feet, clasping the vial in both hands, never wanting to let go.

Daily 10: Bi-Daily Part 2
word count - 446 words

prompt - “he wants to stay safe and protect charlotte, but charlotte sneaks away to fight it and he is forced to follow her” (by Crocs)

Outside fields of battle forged we hid beneath the brush. I can't risk going into battle and having Charlotte follow me. We already lost Hansa the other day, and if Charlotte I can only imagine the horrors she would ensue on the enemy. Right now, her safety is what mattered. Deep within she held the key to this century-long war and I couldn't be the one to let her sacrifice go to waste. As much as I want to tell her, the deep purpose she serves for my people, I have been strictly told to keep such matters a secret. Hansa and Charlotte's past was a messy one and I didn't want to add more to her evergrowing plate.

That night, we trekked through a damp cave in hopes of finding some sense of shelter.the rocks were soaking wet from the downpour earlier that day, but it was our new home. Or at least, where we had to stay until this gruesome war passed. As I began to clear the brush in the cave, I proceeded to its deep depths to find other potential secrets that it witheld from the outside world. When I motioned closer to the back, I noticed an array of petals dispered on the ground just beneath a hidden stone. It was almost as if someone had taken the time to place each petal with patience to create such an intricate design.

Charlotte had to see this, I just knew that she would love looking at it's beauty, and who knows.. maybe that would be a way to distract her from the war?

“Charlotte! Come over here. I found something that you'll absolutely love, I just know it!” No response. It was as if I was talking to darkness since no one seemed to reply back. I tried again.

“Hey silly! Where'd you run off to? Come check these flowers, Char!” Yet again, I was met with the same defeaning silence as earlier. As I peered from behind the huge rock that covered my view, I realized that Charlotte was nowhere insight. Guilt and fury began to rush through my body as I frantically searched around the name, calling her name. When I proceeded to the front of the cave where all of our stuff was, I noticed that the rock near the entrance had been shifted ever so slightly.

Without a second thought, I ran out the cave, yelling Charlotte's name. Tears began to trickle down my rosy cheeks as I stopped to regain my breath. If anything happened to her, I knew I wouldn't be able to survive with the guilt.

Word War - 245 words
note: very rough and rambly writing that has not been edited XD

The dark trees covered the surrounding forest and I knew I was lost. It felt like an enternity while I was searching for what was too come, but all I could do was continue to wonder into the depths of the foods in hopes of a sense of safety. I was incoherent and done.. I just wanted to sleep at this point without a worry in my mind. I wanted to breathe in the refreshing air, witness the peaceful world, and play with all the animals without living in a constant world of fear. That night, things were going to change. I was going to run away, like a butterfly flying off into the night. I was never going to come back, how could I after leaving so abruptly? I wanted a better life, not only for myself, but for my siblings too. I couldn't force them on such a long journey without knowing what is to come. I had to take this path myself in order to have a brighter future for all my people and to ensure all of us can continue to live safetly. Hunters lurk when night falls and I can feel the blood rushing through me. Adrenaline is high since I know I have to run, there's really no other choice.

When I left, I saw shadows of those that were chasing me, one seemed oddly shaped like a mango suprisingly enough. I gasped for air as my surroundings began

Daily - 7/10/24

Leia blinked as Mr. Mariacher approached her desk. The history project had been announced to everyone, and Leia had yet to decide what she should do. Mr. Mariacher was one of the few in the class who knew, and Leia's motto was not to use her unfortunate ability if avoidable. As far as the rest of the students knew, Leia had horrendous scars on her hand, or preferred gloves as a fashion statement. Never mind that she never took them off (even to eat) or that they seemed waterproof - there were few options anyway. Mr. Mariacher beckoned to Leia in an unmistakable gesture of “See me after class”. Fortunately, none of the students focused on this wordless exchange. Leia nodded at him and let her eyes drift to Estelle and Isla. Estelle was animatedly discussing something, and from this distance, it was impossible to tell whether it was the history project or her girlfriend. Isla attempted to engage but caught Leia's eye and grinned. The air abruptly exploded with noise around a table in the back, and predictably, Eddie was in the center of it. Eddie was the annoyingly attractive class clown, and Leia avoided her whenever she could. The bell clanged throughout the halls, and the class drifted out the door. Leia made a “1 minute” gesture at Isla, who nodded and pulled Estelle (still talking) out into the hall. Mr. Mariacher smiled in what he probably thought was a comforting way at Leia but only succeeded in unsettling her. “You wanted to speak with me?” “Yes! So, I trust you were paying attention?” Leia nodded uncomfortably. “Well, given your circumstances, I thought this project would be perfect for you! It's quite simple. You could merely find something historically important and know everything about it! Imagine, you could go to ancient ruins, and as soon as you touched it, you'd know all the history! What do you think?” Leia turned these words over in her head. Mr. Mariacher took her silence as a good sign. “You'll have all summer to do it - 3 whole months! I'll be * if you can't throw together a good presentation then.” “I don't-” Leia started hesitantly. “I don't like using my ability.” “Why?” Mr. Mariacher's voice was full of incredulity. “I don't know how or why you got that gift, but the fact is, you have it. It would be an incredible waste and a failing of me as a teacher if you didn't use it for this project. Have you used it before?” “No, but-” “Excellent. No time like the present. How's this - you are still going to have to do the project, but you have a choice to use your abilities or not. You may find it easier with,” he punctuated with a wink as he headed out. “Also - it's a group project, so you won't be alone!”

outline: https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1043940168/
477 words
call for action

daily 9 - bidaily part 2 (706 words)

At first Valerie doesn’t want to leave the peace and happiness of working with Alia. But when an unexplained disease starts spreading throughout the village, turning people into zombie-like creatures, Valerie decides to go to the city, where the access to herbs is better, to find a cure for the disease

Valerie’s head spun. Alia’s offer was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that could change her world forever, but… she wasn’t sure she wanted to take it.

Alia watched Valeria expectantly, fingers steepled and eyes lit with amusement as Valerie considered the offer.

“So, Valerie, dearest, what do you think? The opportunity to travel to the city and learn from the best healers and enchantresses in the world is not something to be taken lightly. I’m surprised you seem so conflicted.”

Valerie sighed and sat down, the rickety chair beneath her creaking with her every movement. She wasn’t exactly living in luxury here in the village, and she was sure that moving to the city would change that.

But… living here, working in this apothecary with Alia… she was happy and at peace. She had a family who cared for her, friends who would never abandon her, and, most of all, she had a home, which Valerie wasn’t sure she wanted to leave quite yet.

“I don’t know, Alia. Thank you so much for the generous offer, but I’m not sure if I want to leave the village.”

Alia’s expression flickered, smile falling for only a second. “Have some time to think about it, dearest. Don’t make rash decisions, and get back to me… how about tomorrow evening?

“Also, dearest, don’t forget what I told you when you first applied to be my apprentice. Choosing things out of fear is not going to make you happy. I know you, Valerie. I know you’re scared to leave and nervous about what your future would hold in such a new and exciting place. I know your caution is warring with your curiosity, but remember, Valerie: You have the power to be the greatest healer and enchantress this world has ever known. But you won’t achieve anything sitting in this cottage with me forever, bottling herbs and mixing poultices. This should not be your future. You’re destined for so many great things, but you won’t achieve them if you refuse to take risks. I believe you’ll make the right choice. Just think about it, okay?

“I’ll even throw in something to sweeten the deal: I asked your best friend Esther to come with you. Her mentor has already told me she’s said yes, so now you’ll have a piece of home coming with you.”

Valerie felt overwhelmed and anxious, but as she left the shop under Alia’s searing gaze and began to walk home in the shade of the nearby forest, stars glimmering in the eaves, she asked herself if the shimmering night sky would look the same in the city.

Alia’s words echoed in her head as Valerie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as if the cracks in the water-stained boards held the answers to all of her questions.

Eventually, sleep found Valerie, and when she awoke, her world had changed.

She got dressed and ventured outside, noticing the unnatural quiet of the village as she took the short walk to the apothecary. When she arrived, Alia was scrambling to mix a potion, and Valerie noticed a young girl no older than twelve lying on Alia’s bed, with green-tinged skin and dead-looking eyes. She mumbled things Valerie couldn’t understand as her chest rose and fell rapidly. The girl was clearly sick, but not with anything Valerie had ever seen before.

“Alia, what happened to her?”

Valerie crossed the room to where Alia was furiously stirring a remedy.

“I’ve never seen this before! It must be something from the water supply, since I’ve recorded seven cases already from the poor part of the village. I don’t have the ingredients to cure them, so I have to just give them my pain-lessening potion and hope for the best.”

“Are the ingredients in the city?”

Alia nodded. “Does this change your decision?”

Valerie’s mouth set in a determined line. She knew what she had to do.

“Yes. I’ll leave at once.”

Daily 10
762 words

Anjani stepped carefully through the rubble, her face creased with lines of worry. An ominous creaking sound rumbled behind her.
“Ranji!” She cried out in alarm.
A small rusty robot tottered up to her. She had named him after the kind baker who always gave her a nice sticky bun in the morning.
“Ranji… is…having…problems.” They stuttered, their voice jittering.
“Oh, Ranji! Are you all right? Do you need h-help? Please don’t leave me!” She sobbed, a tear rolling down her cheek.
“Ranji…needs…oil.”
Anjani smiled in relief.
“Come on. The moment I find us somewhere to rest, I’ll try to get you some oil. It can’t be too far.”
She stumbled along, the sun beating down on her smooth raven-black hair. It shone out, its waves catching the golden light. Her face was set in a stubborn frown, and yet her eyes were brimming with tears. She had never known what real fear felt like. It was like a dagger, plunged into her chest.
“It…will…be…alright.”
Ranji startled her, their unblinking metal eyes staring up at her insistently. It was so strange to think that a robot had feelings. All that hard cold metal. A metal brain, a metal voice, a metal heart. And yet they understood her pain and terror.
Something freezing clutched her arm, something that chilled her to the bone. She turned her head slowly, her lip wobbling.
“Ranji! You scared me.”
Their eyes were looking straight ahead.
“We…are almost…there.”
Anjani’s brow furrowed.
“Where, Ran?” She asked, her eyes glittering with curiosity and fear and hurt and a spark of happiness.
Suddenly, the little clockwork robot’s feet moved faster and faster, until they were just a speck on the horizon.
“Ranji! Ranji! Where are you going?”
Now the little speck had stopped moving. Anjani took a deep breath and ran.

The wind rushing past her ears.


Her heart beating at the speed of lightning.


Her breath going
In

Out



In

Out


Warm arms wrapped around her
A roaring fire
A smile like rainbows that faded away
And
Down



Down


Down

Till there was nothing left
Just the faintest memory
A glimpse of the past


A hope


A dream





A wish

“Grace!” Anjani screamed, her voice raw and wild. “Grace!”
She collapsed to her knees, tears streaming down her face.
“Where are you?” She whispered shakily.
All of a sudden, Ran appeared by her side. She glanced to her side and smiled at him shakily through the waterfall of tears. He reached out a hand. She took it gratefully.
“Thank you, Ran.”
He gripped her tighter and started muttering.
“What are you saying?”
His eyes closed in concentration and his grip tightened, and tightened, and tightened until her knuckles were white as the sand back at home.
A strange feeling churned inside her and she struggled for breath. She noticed a distortion in the air beside them. It widened out to become a doorway almost. Through it she could see a sparkling aqua lake and pale ghostly sands surrounded by the crumbling ruins. Ran hurried forwards, pulling her with him. Everything went black for a moment, and all she could hear was the beating of her heart, and then everything stopped.

Anjani opened her eyes with a jolt, her body trembling.
“Grace?” She called in confusion.
Then she remembered everything. She was on a beach of shimmering white sand and Ran was standing beside her. She struggled to sit up and gazed at her surroundings. In front of her, rippling peaceful water, waving grasses surrounding her. In the middle of the lake, a swirling black hole.
“A…portal…to Grace.”
Anjani’s mouth fell open in awe.
“Grace is through there?”
He nodded mutely.
Anjani scooped up the little robot in her arms.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Then her expression wavered.
“Is it safe?”
Ran paused, his metal lips curving downwards.
“Portal…never been…used…before. Ranji scared.”
Anjani bit her lip. If Ran was scared then surely she shouldn’t do it? But… Grace was through there. She had to find her sister.
“Did Grace come through here?”
“Grace…came…through…portal.”
If Grace had done it, surely she could too? Grace might be in even more danger than her anyway. She had to find her and save her. It was her responsibility.
“Ranji can…teleport to…portal.”
“Then you can teleport to Grace?” Anjani exclaimed hopefully.
“Ranji cannot…teleport…to…past.”
Anjani sighed.
“Ok. Let’s do this.”
Ran put their arm around her and all of a sudden she was suspended in midair, the water below her frothing and steaming. She launched herself forward and tumbled into the endless abyss.

Name: Ava
Cabin: Sci-Fi
Content: July 10th Daily
Wordcount: 685/400
Topic: Claim someone's character outline and write about one subtopic

character outline
Part Taken-
Call to Adventure: One day, Ri just randomly happens to go to the town of Grangeville to visit Jeanne and her family! After trash-talking them (not related to the later events of the story) and stomping to the beach he drowns… or does he? As a matter of fact, he doesn’t!! Instead, he ends up in a void with this random alien.

Ri was, safe to say, pretty disappointed that his mother, with who he usually got his way, had managed to force him into a car and send him off to that dastardly place called Grangeville. All he could think about was Hermione Granger while he was driven there by his Butler. He hated, despised, and downright detested his cousin Jeanne. She was a good-for-nothing measly rat. Compared to his mansion, her house was probably the size of his bathroom! How dare his mother send him to such a miserable place? Jeanne's mother was the sister of his late father- according to him, they should have cut them off immediately after he died. What was the point of staying in touch with practical beggars?

The moment Ri stepped out of the carriage, his nose pointed up in disdain. The roads around him were dull and gray, with the buildings the color of rotten potatoes. There were red marks around the bases of the buildings which made him want to puke. His butler pointed to his cousin's house before driving back to his mansion across the country. Ri had a feeling he was eager to get out of the place as well.

His bright red royal clothes stood out in the dreary surroundings. He knocked on the wooden door of a small stone cottage (quickly wiping his hand on his shirt) and the door was opened by a short blonde with dark yellow clothes. Ri scowled and said stiffly, “Hello, Jeanne.” His cousin looked much more excited to see him than he was to see her. She ushered him inside and her entire family (who were all shorter than him) greeted him eagerly.

It did not take long for Ri to lose his patience.

During dinner (he had to stay over at their place for three days), his aunt served a barely appetizing meal. He ate in silence while the other family members chatted and quickly enough started asking him questions.

“Why are you dressed all funny?” Joe, Jeanne's brother asked him and a tick appeared on his right cheek as he replied. “Well, at least I'm not dressed like you, Joe.” Jeanne shot him a glare and Joe, a sensitive child had already started tearing up.

“Ri, apologize,” His aunt told him sternly and he scoffed at her. “Do you think just because you're my aunt you're allowed to tell me what to do? I don't take orders from a peasant, especially not one who can't even boil potatoes properly!” he said, the meal that had been served to him not fitting his expensive palette. Not caring about the house he left in slight shambles, he stomped off to the beach next to the town. It was the only slightly attractive part of the entire town.

Ri gingerly stepped into the water, trying only to dip his feet inside but cursing when his pants got wet. Shrugging he decided to go deeper, his pants damp now anyways. He saw a small light flash across the now darkening ocean in front of him. Curious, he stepped deeper and deeper. It was too dark to see any waves, and it was much too late to scream when a huge one engulfed him totally.

Ri could not swim. He had never learnt, so he flailed his arms desperately in the suddenly heavy ocean pullng him down into the depths. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate but could only feel water filling up in his lungs. Slowly his concious slipped away and the slow rising of bubbles floated to the surface of the water

–

Ri woke up in a flurry, coughing violently as water spilled out of his mouth. Perhaps after two minutes he looked around to see where he was.

It was all black, like a void. He slowly stood up, realising the water he had coughed out had dissapeared from the inky dark floor. He looked up and jumped back when he saw a dark green sort of human with large eyes and two long antenae, his hands unusually large.

“Greetings, Ri Breguet. I am Jikdus.”

Go back

word war with aurora (221 words)

I didn’t think you’d REALLY be silly enough to fall for my tricks. But humans are like that sometimes, eh? So distracted by my gorgeous eyes and sharp jawline that they don’t see the knife at their back until it stabs them. Because I betrayed you. Yep! Ha ha. And now you’re stuck here, stuck in a room with that stinks like heck, with ME. This is going to be amazing!

So, tell me human, what is it that you really want? Because I know it’s not that ‘I want to do the right thing’ nonsense. That’s just silly. Why would you want to do the right thing when you could have so much more?

Take me, for example. I never do the right thing. You see, I’m kidnapping you and tricking you right now! Definitely not right, if I do say so myself. But now, look! I can take this little potion right here and turn into your doppelgänger so I can steal the crown while you’re stuck in this musty, gross, stinky dungeon. I’ll be rich, powerful, AND handsome! Such a great combination. And look at where ‘doing the right thing’ has gotten YOU! *evil laughter*

Anyways, it seems as though I should drink this potion before anybody notices that you’re missing. See you! Off to take the crown!