↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

◪ Word War 3
Wordcount: 410
Person warred: Snuggle1267
Win/Loss: –
Prompt used: No
Time: 5 minutes
Cabin: Bi-Fi

Yes, okay, Leah kept unlimited mangoes in her closet. In her opinion, unlimited mangoes were better than no mangoes at all. Sometimes she thought it was weird; she could just think of the yellow furred fruite, and it could spawn in the middle of the piles of shirts and pants in her white cupboaar,d but it was honestly a boon when she thought about it. If a guest came home and her mom ran out of mango slices to give them, Leah would rush into the kitchen and plant the fruit in the fruit basket, gaslighting the poor 50 year old woman into believing her glasses were needed to be changed. She had already visited the eye doctor three times this month- Mrs. Cherry was starting to get tired of her mother and her rambles about the mysterious mangoes and how bright they had been, yet she had somehow missed them. Mrs. Cherry had almost recommended a schizophrenic specialist instead, because Leah always denied that there were any mangoes her mother had missed at all. She felt guilty sometimes, but mangoe bearing warriors with mango bearing super powers needed to lie sometimes in order to make sure that their mango spawning super awesome powers were put to good use, even if it meant gaslighting your own mother into believing she was going insane. Honestly, the guest's reactions were pretty funny most of the time. Her mom would come out and apologize for running out of snacks before entering the living room in a few minutes with a bewildered expression, holding out two platters of fresh yellow ripe juicy tasty yummy looking mangoes, wondering where the heck they had even come from. And dont get started on her unlimited eyelash jar- everyone was always like, “oh my god my eyelash fell otu I can use it as a wish thats so awesom!” leah didn't need tow ait for her eyelashes to shed from her grey eyes at all- she could just pick up and eyelash from her jar and wish. The problem with her jar was that it had a cooldown of five days- so it wasn't really unlimited. And sometimes she only had ten seconds to think so she made really stupid wishes, like having a basket of mangoes. How stupid could that be? And then she couldn't even take the wish back because she had already made it, and now she couldn't take it back no matter what.

✎ daily #6
570 words

I’ve always liked looking at the stars, even when there weren’t any. As a kid, they were everything to me—but not the same sky from long before I was born. When I was six, I kept counting constellations and just frowning when they didn’t line up with the maps from the books. Because it only didn’t make sense, then.

It was only a few years later until I couldn’t tell a star from a satellite.

My teachers all said the stars had been gone for years—but their light holds fast, waiting to reach us to finally blink out. But they are not dying, not dead, I know this.

All because we wanted their light for ourselves, we made our own lights, all around the world, for centuries and centuries, but the fluorescents just weren’t enough. Not for us. So now we are still hungry, poking at a world that was long eaten up by our casual indulgence.

What ignorance, to look at all these stars that have lived and will live longer than we will. But the lights are dimming and we need to rest in the selfishness of our earth.

Ma says it will all end tomorrow. But I’m still not convinced.

You lie here beside me, in the dark. I can’t see you but I know too well the silence between us, the shock as we watch probably the last meteor shower we’ll ever see.

And then they’ll go. Or we will.

The stars have been disappearing for decades, long unnoticed, unchecked, but now that there’s a last patch left we have to love it.

My first love was the stars. I could lie and say I love you the same, but when there’s something beautiful and you know that so soon it’s going to be taken away from the world, you just have to hold it close until it’s gone. Or until we’re gone from this ruinous world we were born into where there was nothing else we could do to save it.

Like the faint flickering of a light blinking out, they should be missed—immortal as they are, beauty diminished by the fragility of their lights we covered up, and now they are truly and really going out.

“I think I’ll miss them,” I whisper.

“I know,” you say.

We reach for each other’s hands at the same time, and I’m startled at how well we can see each other in this pitch black, and your eyes glowing with the same stardust falling from above.

But we can’t speak, not to ruin the silence of this moment. Your fingers twist into mine and I just exhale. And then, somehow, we are clinging to each other, waiting. Waiting.

“Think it’ll hurt?”

“I hope not.”

As the stars fall, and they really are, because it’s the last we’ll see, the world is ripped into darkness. I wonder where they go, if they fall on lawns or turn into angels.

I close my eyes so I won’t have to see the darkness. Your breathing is steady but my heart is moving fast against yours. This is the end, a voice says in my head. It is.

The world erupts in noise, screams of neighbors and the final fireworks of the delinquents down the street. When they go up, I can almost see the lights beyond my eyelids and pretend they are stars.

Almost.

set in a not-so distant future - inspired by the poem “rural boys watch the apocalypse”
my main thread

A sharp movement to the right. She froze. It was the only thing she was taught to do. When the hunters come, freeze. Out of the grass comes someone else. Someone with a tattoo of a dolphin on her shoulder. Both of them relaxed.
“Dolphin marked?”
“Snake marked?”
They laugh and bow to each other, palms touching. They part ways. She continues walking through the grassy plains. Further down is a snake nest. She bends down to it, hissing softly. A golden-green snake comes out, hissing as well. It climbs up her outstretched arm, coiling itself around her neck and shoulder. She lets her hair out of the braid as it covers the snake from the back. She begins to hiss and spit as she talks to the snake.
“How was visiting your family?”
“Not as nice as usual, they don't like the fact that we're matched.”
The girl rolls her eyes, the never did,
“Well, who'd they want you to be matched with?”
“They hoped the princess was a snake.”
The snake doesn't have to say more. She was a peasant. Of course the snake family wanted to be with the royals. Unfortunately, the princess got Falcon. She waits until she's absolutely sure that no one is following her before she opens the rift. She quickly enters it and closes it behind her. If anyone saw her outside the protected lands, she was a goner. The hunters had created a place for people like her, while they lived everywhere else. She wasn't supposed to be leaving the protected lands, the only place without hunters. But then, telling her that there was a way out probably wasn't the best idea.

Once she arrived back in the protected lands, she quickly braids her hair again and her snake coils itself in a more comfortable way. She goes to her home, putting her snake in the special home it has. She looks at the other two animals in the home, a fish and a leopard. She then lays down on the ground and lets her tears loose. She knows the truth. The dolphin girl isn't real. The two of them were close friends when they were young and one day when they went out to the other world, she was k!lled. She swore to never leave this world. But that was broken when her snake came along. The body was brought back to the protected lands by the hunters saying she left and was k!lled. No one else knew it was her fault.

That's when it happened. The hunters burst in, grabbing her and dragging her by her arms down the street. People watch silently from their houses, not saying a word. The girl watches out of the corner of her eye as her snake follows her. The hunters bring her to the ex3cution pole. She holds her breath.
“She is a dangerous one for the outside world. End her now.”
Our tribe k!ller bows his head, explaining that there were no other snake marked in the tribe yet and they couldn't k!ll the only snaked marked that was there. The hunter slaps her and she doesn't flinch. Her snake glows in anger. The snake comes over and hisses. The girl's eyes widen and she says,
“No! You can't!”
The snake glows more and more and everyone watches as the sky turns dark and the snake turns into stars in the sky.

574 words

Elly’s Weekly (1)

↳ part 1 - 631/350 words ༉‧₊ language + culture
this is my sixth time this session sneaking a little Hamilton reference into my work by accident lol
im not a scientist so- correct me if i’ve got anything wrong! this is kind of giving dystopian lol

The Crater Cities are what it is - a collection of busy, futuristic cities filled with humans situated on the Moon, primarily in the craters. The year is 4025. It’s been two thousand years and human society has FLOPPED. Global warming has made the Earth inhabitable and the human race has evacuated into space - living on the moon, looking down at the planet they once called Earth die slowly.

That’s okay, though, because water systems and soil and technology have made the crater liveable. All the buildings are futuristic and spacey and the population is around 2 billion - after time, living style has developed to make staying in space easier. It’s mainly grey but there’s quite a bit of greenery that’s been growing, especially nearer to the Centre Grid. The residents of the Crater Cities hope to move back to Earth after it’s been given time to heal, if it ever does - they can’t stay on the moon forever, resources are running out.

Some examples of the new space culture are:

Sport
Quite an obvious one, really. New sports have been created and abandoned due to having less gravitational force and gyms look.. (a lot!) different.

Clothes
Since you’re in space, there are necessary precautions you need to take to make sure you don’t freeze to death or burn yourself from the heat of the sun. Face masks (similar to the ones used nowadays and in the pandemic) are used instead of astronaut helmets when outside and huge jackets plus trousers (similar to ski gear) are substituted for astronaut suits. This makes outdoor sports quite hard.

Holidays
“Days” last for a month on the Moon, but you still go by Earth days - 24 hours. Months are every full moon - when the sun is behind the moon and years go by Lunar New Year. Christmas has changed, and is sparsely celebrated. You no longer look up to see Santa’s sleigh fly by the Moon because, well, you /are/ on the moon.

The moon is split like a grid. Each grid goes for a different country and language just like how it was on Earth. It’s placed sort of like how the countries were placed on Earth - with continents and an equator. The Centre Grid is where the most important parts of Earth are preserved; like seed banks, historic scripts and all the big parts of nature. UN is held there too. There’s no official language for the centre grid, but New English and Russian is used a lot.

Of course, it’s way smaller. It only takes a week to drive around the Moon non-stop but it takes nearly 20 days to drive around the Earth (according to sources). There’s not much interesting landscapes on the Moon, but there are the prettiest sunsets and jaw dropping night skies. Stars feel closer on the moon, so close you could just reach out and grab a sprinkle, the planets are majestic giants and the Earth, the main attraction, is devastatingly beautiful.

It’s all very strict- each separate square in the grid is blocked off by barbed wire. The only allowed way to get to the Centre Grid, where /everyone/ is allowed, is through the tunnels, or by rocket ship if you’re rich. Loitering is forbidden in the tunnels.

(Right, Elly, you’ve got to get this back on track lol-)

The inhabitants speak the same language as whatever country they or their ancestors lived in. There is a New English, a new form of English with different words for new technologies and more bre-ations. (abbreviations.)

Since lots of space equipment is made in Russia, Russia is one of the of the more common languages. Sign language has also started being taught at schools because it’s you can’t hear in space.

↳ part 2 ༉‧₊ geography + landmarks
you can find the moodboards here

↳ part 3 - 595/500 words ༉‧₊ conflict + technology

When the human population (and some animals!) first moved to the Moon, they couldn’t help looking back at the Earth.

Staring at it.

It was home. They wanted to return there to stay, but they couldn’t.
It was too dangerous, the most time they could spend there would probably be a couple of hours before a storm or an earthquake or a heatwave happened.

That worried them, what about everything they’d left behind? The cultural treasures, the projects in the making.. they needed a way to go back, if they ever needed to or had to, even if it was only for a short time.

Rockets were out of question, how on earth could you make a fully reusable rocket? Partially reusable rockets /have/ been developed but no, they’d have to land perfectly and still have enough fuel to soar back up again.

There had to be an option, a path they hadn’t looked down yet..

Yes! A road! Tethered at both ends of the Moon and the Earth, floating free-ish in the middle. It would be a great asset to the citizens of the Crater Cities, don’t you think?

Scientists and Engineers started designing the road, before they finally presented it at a massive meeting with all the country leaders.

There were questions.
“How are you going to tether it at the other side of the Earth?” a leader had asked.
“Everything will be pre-made. It”s going to be a quick process but the builders will rocket down then travel back up the road.” replied a scientist.

“How long does it take to drive up the road?” another questioned.
“It is a really fast ski train sort of replica that is taking them. We’ve made it out of rocket compartments to mimic a rocket’s design so they can travel faster. I’d say, hm, 2 days. There would be enough food and water for the builders, though, don’t worry.”

Okay, so since this world is set in space (on the moon) a new technology has been developed- a road from the Moon to the Earth (I know this isn’t realistic, but I’m running out of ideas.) There’s been a lot of conflict about this because lots of grids/countries would rather keep their resources and money to prioritise living on the Moon, whilst some others want a sort of passage so you can travel back to Earth and get supplies.

Furthermore, there are arguments on where the road will connect to, who will get passage on it and how. Every grid wants to have their leader be the first back in Earth so they can get supplies, but only 3 people can travel on the road at all times.

The road is so unstable it cannot be used more than 6 times. This is why the workers are asking for more money to reinforce the road (yes, there are factories on the moon).

To sum it up, there is conflict over these things:

- money to make the road
- where the road will connect to
- who gets to use the road

Pros:

- a road will make travelling to Earth to get supplies if there are any way easier
- It will help a lot in the long term
- you can’t get stuck there like you potentially could with a rocket
- everyone wants this but no one wants to fund it
- people need to learn how to share lol

Cons:

- it’s expensive and time enduring
- you can go by rocket ship (more wasteful though)
- it’s limited with weight and endurance

↳ part 4 - 853/800 words ༉‧₊ introduction story
Dear 2025,

Hello, old fashioned people.
It’s me. Cassie. You’re probably wondering what the future is like. What space is like.

Well, I grew up on the Moon. I know what it’s like. Let me tell you.

My name is Cassie, short for Cassiopeia. I grew up in the United Kingdom grid. I’ve never been a grid that wasn’t the United Kingdom or the Centre Grid, so I have nothing to compare to, but it’s pretty grim.

If you’re wondering, the Centre Grid is a communal hub sort of space. It’s the only grid where everyone is allowed into without a passport or identification or anything.

Everything is really strict. How much oxygen you use, what you eat, where you go. No one wants to get lost on the moon. There are barbed wire fences restricting us from getting out. Exploring. The only way to travel for someone in middle class would be walking or driving moon buggies through the tunnels.

The tunnels are an underground network connecting all the grids. You aren’t allowed to loiter in the tunnels, you must always return to your grid or get to the grid you are trying to get to as quickly as possible. Staying in the tunnels overnight is prohibited, unless you are a guard, of course.

The entrances to the other grids are also really strict. You need to bring a passport and get searched for proof you aren’t going to steal the moon or whatever the minions guy wanted. That’s an ancient movie, anyway.

There is one exception, though- underneath the Centre Grid, there is a marketplace. It may as well be my second favourite part in the whole Moon. I’ll get to my first favourite later. People from every grid gather here to eat and just chill. It’s the ultimate hang out zone, though there are police officers everywhere making sure there aren’t people digging into the moon or breaking something.

I like the marketplace a lot but the water tastes fake and you feel light headed often.

You’re probably wondering why there’s so much secrecy. If you weren’t, you are now!

That’s what I wondered, too. And that’s also why I’m here now.
To get things straight, living on the Moon is nice. Good. Great. Whatever. But we haven’t really been given a reason except for “Global Warming.” Huh? If global warming makes the Earth so inhabitable, why are you still trying to build a road to get there? If we can live on the freaking Moon, we can survive on Earth, no sweat!

I knew something was off.

More than eight billion people don’t just /disappear/. Everything about the situation was so hush and plainly weird. So, I set out to find out why.

I had some advantages. Firstly, at that point I was working for the construction company for the road. Technically, I could volunteer to rocket down and build it if I wanted to. At least I would be able to breathe and hear sound outside down on Earth - so that’s what I did.

It was like.. coming back to a home I’ve never been to. It was beautiful.

Up in space, the prettiest thing is the view. The view of the stars scattered across the sky, of the other planets in the far distance and of the Earth, the beautiful, colourful, dying Earth. Looking down on the Earth was like a splash of colour in a vast greyness.

But down on the Earth, there is no prettiest thing. Everything was breathtaking- RIVERS!! Yes, flooding, crashing, alive rivers, I’ve never seen water just like that. And trees! Although rare nowadays, vibrant green hues and that awesome leafy bark smell. I’d never seen anything just like it.

Why would we voluntarily give up and leave this planet? There must be some other reason. I was quite confused about this matter until I saw something.

I was forming some bricks for the road when I flopped on the grass- (YES! I LOVE TOUCHING GRASS!) and stared at the sky (YES! THE CLOUDY MUSTY /SKY!!/). I looked to the side and caught.. well not /eye/ contact, but I saw something- hidden behind a bush was a.. camera. It was recording, too.

I was confused- I had thought the buildings were the only humans on the Earth at that point.
I had been with my colleagues the whole time. No one had gone near that bush. So who was here with us? Who would be /spying/ on us?

I thought back to my time on the Moon. The barbed wire fences and the tunnel patrollers. The regulation clothes and masks we had to wear for our ‘safety’. The lessons at school where they taught us how to sign, not speak. The restrictions from going outside the whole of the grid squares, or into any other grid squares for the matter. The discussion of making a path back to Earth. They wouldn’t even need that, unless they were planning to exile people or bring people on the Earth here..

But that wouldn’t be possible, because there aren’t people on the Earth. Right?

weekly 01

Part 1: Language and Culture (407 words)
Meriatris is a planet inhabited by people who are a lot like us. The people of Meriatris are taught at an early age about the importance of treating others the best they can, as well as maintaining peace and respect. They believe that having harmony in a community is essential and are always trying to preserve that harmony. The people use democracy as their form of government, a system they believe to be the best for everyone, as it includes all citizens in every decision. However, as Meriatris is very highly populated, they use a system of representative democracy instead of a direct one.
Meriatris’ population is diverse, with many people speaking different languages. The people of Meriatris are considered advanced in their language structure and word usage; their most commonly spoken languages are Brinaeis, Noratrese, and Mayish, which are all letter languages, each with at least 30 letters in their alphabet and with a wide range of vocabulary and grammar structures.
Unlike Earth, the planet’s overall color appears a light color of purple and pink when seen from space. Meriatris is known for its brilliant landscape, including its gentle pink sky, rolling hills and rushing waterfalls. The people live in houses, apartments, townhouses, etc. It mostly looks just like the world we live in, but with a touch of magic. The people of Meriatris are each gifted with a small but noteworthy amount of magic, for reasons that are unknown to them.
There was a time, a very long time ago, in Meriatris when people were allowed to use their magic freely. But today, using one’s magic is strictly forbidden.
This is because, during the time magic was allowed and people were actively casting spells, it was quickly discovered that having too many spells at one time could result in disastrous consequences, due to no rules being enforced. The most tragic consequence was called World Catastrophe #1, which was when five hundred spells collided, clashing into each other and hitting a building with a huge force. This made the entire building collapse into rubble, along with the inhabitants inside it.
There were no known survivors, many people lost their loved ones, and the next day, the president signed a bill outlawing use of magic. “Magic sensors” were to be put up in every street, at every house, and at every location. The sensors were designed to detect any current use of magic at the specific location.

Part 2: Geography and Memorable Locations (15 images, 0 words)




Part 3: Technology (537 words)
After magic and its usage were banned from Meriatris, magic sensors were set up to detect any current magic spells being cast. If a sensor detected anything, it would immediately alert everyone nearby by sounding loud, high-pitched noises and flashing bright red lights, much like the police’s sirens or fire alarms on Earth. The president and his officials would also receive a call and a notification, telling them the time the spell was cast, its exact location, and the person suspected of casting it.
However, the magic sensors were never needed. Every citizen remembered the consequences of World Catastrophe #1, so they complied with the rule. Magic was no longer used.
But since magic had been outlawed, people needed a replacement for some of the most important tasks magic had formerly done for them. So, in order to carry out the tasks, they turned to developing the tools they already had even more.
This led to further development of technology, and because of this, the people of Meriatris are now very technologically advanced.
One of their most popular inventions is the teleporter. If used correctly, it allows a person to travel any distance from one place to another. Although scientists consider it one of the greatest inventions since it makes going to places much more convenient, the teleporter is very expensive. Plus, the technologist who invented it recommended only using it to travel for very long distances, such as across the world.
Leslie is a young girl who lives in Aieland City. Both of her parents are technologists. They spend their time handling and experimenting with technology. Today, both of them called Leslie, saying that they were fixing a problem with the teleporter and that they were expecting to arrive home late.
Since it’s around the time when she normally eats dinner, Leslie decides to call Giordano’s Realm, a restaurant whose main dish was a savory pancake very similar to the pizza found in restaurants from Earth.
Leslie picks up a device similar to a phone and says, “Call Giordano’s Realm.”
The device flickers. “How may I help you?”
Leslie recognizes the voice of her friend Betty, who works at the restaurant as a waitress. “Betty! It’s so nice to talk to you.”
“Leslie! Hi!” Betty replies. “Are your parents coming home late?”
“Yeah, that’s right,” Leslie says.
Her friend laughs. “Would you like Giordano’s special dish?”
“Yes.”
“Okay! That will be 15 dollars.”
“I should have that somewhere. Give me a sec.” Leslie finds her money card, quickly swipes up on her device, and says, “Pay.”
“Great! Oh, wait — Leslie?” Betty seems confused.
“Hm?”
“Your money card isn’t working.”
“What? That’s weird,” Leslie responds. What could have happened? She glances down at her card, wondering if there had been a glitch, a crack across the card that might’ve broken it, only she would have noticed if it had —
“Oh my gosh.” Her mind races. “Betty? This isn’t good.”
“Oh no! What happened, Leslie?”
“Oh my gosh!” Leslie sighs. “I can’t believe it. Oh no, oh no oh no —”
“What?”
“I used the special card meant for my parents’ teleporter!” Leslie shrieks frantically. “I remember Mom specifically told me never to confuse it with the money card.”

Part 4: Incorporating Your World Into Your Writing (1557 words)
The link to Part 4 should be here! <3

total word count: 2501 words

Daily 6

Constellation: Delphinus

I gazed out at the sparkling ocean, a smile dancing on my lips. The sound of music was still ringing in my ears as we sailed along the rippling sea, occasional gusts of wind buffeting us forwards. We were returning from a concert tour of Southern Italy, where we had sung and played and recited poetry. It was wonderful. Now we were heading home, and I could feel a bubble of happiness growing inside me. Life couldn’t be more perfect.
A murmur of chatter hummed below me, as I heard my fellow sailors talking animatedly as they mounted the stairs.
“Stupid Arion!”
“That idiot’s asleep! The cheek of it!”
“And he’s left all his money out here on deck supposedly! Right?”
“Come on, just take it! We’re almost back!”
I froze. What were they talking about? A shiver ran down my spine. I slowly swivelled around and marched up to them. Their smirks turned to frowns, the spark of malice turning into anger and fear.

“What are you talking about?” I asked tentatively.
They looked at each other nervously. I stepped forwards.
“I said, what are you talking about?” I asked more forcefully.
They nodded at each other, and drew their swords. The metal glinted in the blazing sun as they pointed their swords towards me.
“Give us your money or die. And die, to be honest,” one of them said.
My heart dropped. The people I had travelled with for so long were just turning on me? Why? I thought I could trust them. I swallowed a lump in my throat. They were probably just having a laugh.
“Ok, guys, nice joke!” I laughed nervously.
They scoffed. “Not a joke! Give us your money! Now!”
They stared at me desperately and I could feel myself giving in. I grabbed my money and flung it at them.
“Cool, you got what you wanted! You can go now!”
I gave them a sarcastic smile and strode off.

A hand gripped my neck.
“No way you’re just walking out of here unharmed. Alive. You’ll get us in trouble.”
He drew his sword and balanced it at my throat. My lip wobbled.
“Please. Just give me one more song. Then you can take me.” I pleaded, fear running through me.
He nodded curtly.
“Whatever.”
I breathed in shakily. I would find my way out. I scrambled in my bag for my lyre and pulled it onto my lap. Slowly, I ran my fingers across the strings, sweet soft music floating out from them. Then I started to sing. The notes drifted through the air, magical. A feeling of relaxation flowed through me. I was one with the music. I disappeared into the notes, which were weaving a delicate web in the air, of melody and harmony.

A cold feeling on my throat brought me back to reality.
“Hey!” I said, forcing brightness, hoping they would come to their senses.
He stifled a laugh. I rolled my eyes. This was going to take a while.
“Can you let me go now?”
I heard faint splashing from the side of the boat. My head snapped up, the sword grazing my neck, as I spied a few dolphins leaping into the air. I smiled softly.
Then I realised it. How could I have been so stupid? I could swim. I had been learning from the age of 3. Who says I couldn’t just swim to land?
“Bye!” The crew member exclaimed.
Now was my moment. Now or never. I sprinted to the edge of the boat and jumped. Higher than I ever had. I hit the water, the cold seeping into me, dragging me further and further down into the depths. Already I could feel my lungs begging for air, but my muscles refused to work. What if I didn’t make it?

All of a sudden, a dark shape appeared out of the depths and underneath my legs. A dolphin. It sped through the water as spots clouded my vision and appeared at the surface briefly. The moment I reached the air, I passed out.

Apollo sat astride his throne, gazing at the events playing out beneath him. Delphinus the dolphin swiftly carrying Arion back to the shore. He nodded proudly. Delphinus had done a good job. Now he had to reward him. He scratched his chin.
“Aha!” He yelled excitedly. “Those mortals love constellations, and for some reason, being turned into them as well! That’s exactly what I’ll do!”
And so, Delphinus took on the form of a constellation, to be seen by the rest of the world forever (hopefully).

PART : 1 (of weekly )

The first weekly :
In my world, as glorious as it is utopian, the inhabitants would surely never want to leave it because it possesses an unrivaled beauty in this world, just like its cultures and its language, which are as respected as they are spoken by its people. Their language is called “Dramofis,” and it is very easy to learn since there is no feminine or masculine. Moreover, there are only three tenses in total: “pastis,” “pretis,” and “futis,” which correspond to the past, present, and future.This language is mandatory in school because, from a very young age, all children must know how to speak it. Common words like hello, goodbye, tomorrow, yesterday, and today are translated as: “hellouis,” “al sillis,” “dylon,” “holon,” and “tolon.”This world is currently called “Ledenomia,” but before the era of interdimensional wars, it was known as “Everelementia.” This name came from the fact that many of its inhabitants possessed elemental powers and were called “Aunia.” These individuals mastered different elements such as water, lightning, ice, fire, earth, and more.
However, there also existed the “Alynia,” individuals who controlled either time or space, making them incredibly powerful. But one should not underestimate the Aunias, as they managed to protect this world multiple times by uniting their strengths.
Now, it is time for me to tell you how the interdimensional war across all these distorted space-times began. To understand it, we must go back 1,000 years, to the moment when a wielder of space-time accidentally strayed into our dimension. It was then that they had the idea to create an extraordinary world—one that would house both Aunias and Alynias as future inhabitants, preparing them for the inevitable battle against the “Destroyer of Dimensions.”
This enemy was the sworn nemesis of “Anilostias,” a world of peace that safeguarded the prison of the 101 souls of the Destroyer. If he were to reclaim all of his souls, he would become unstoppable, and no one would be able to defeat him once and for all. Thus, this magnificent world was created with the purpose of preparing for the coming battle.
Unfortunately, a crucial detail had been overlooked—one that would cost the lives of many Alynias and Aunias. The world that was created would eventually host other wielders of space-time, beings so powerful that they surpassed even the gods themselves. These individuals were called “Masters Elementias.” Their immense power could easily corrupt them from within, turning them toward darkness without them even realizing it.
Normally, we had ways to control them by crafting an antimatter glove for them at a young age. This glove was created using our elemental technology(a unique kind of technology powered by elemental abilities from those who no longer wished to possess their powers.
In their culture, it is strictly stated that a family member with a power must teach the younger one how to control their magic to prevent it from spiraling out of control and must also equip them with the antimatter glove. (501 words )

Part : 2
Link for part :2
Part: 3

This world has a unique technology, unlike any other, as it relies on elemental technology, which far surpasses ordinary technology! They also use this technology to create antimatter, the opposite of matter, as it allows them to control elemental powers permanently. However, this process requires vast amounts of elemental energy. That is why they are forced to acquire the power of an elemental being—meaning they must take their power! But they only take it from those who no longer desire it.
Unfortunately, 100 years ago, a war broke out due to this technology. After a few years of using it, the device suddenly stopped functioning, leading to the unexpected emergence of the dark side in every Aunia and Alynia. As a result, many people aligned themselves with evil. Later, it was discovered that a space-time master had also joined the dark side because of the glove’s malfunction. Eventually, it was revealed that there was a reason behind all these failures: the manufacturers of these gloves had run out of elemental magic. That’s why they resorted to using regular technology, which was far less effective, explaining all these temporary failures!
This is why a new space-time master initiated another war, leading to the deaths of countless people. Since Aunia fought against Aunia and Alynia against Alynia, the conflict turned into a thousand-year war. Fortunately, during a battle between the two Elemental Masters, both sides tragically vanished from this world. At that moment, they were teleported to a dimension where no one can enter—except when two opposing sides clash with two different Elemental Masters. The resulting shockwave is so intense and powerful that it is equivalent to the explosion of two Big Bangs!Unfortunately, during this war, a little less than a third of half of the inhabitants are currently missing! During the war, we created a new weapon! This weapon is an elemental pistol that can cause colossal damage if used properly!
Today, we still have the idea in mind to go find our companions in the other dimension. That is why we have once again called upon the manufacturers, asking them to redeem themselves by creating a permanent portal that would allow us to go there and return at our leisure. However, we specifically asked them to use only space-time magic, without drawing power from the Master Elementias.
Additionally, we also required that the portal can only be opened and closed from our dimension to prevent unwanted individuals from invading and ravaging our world!One year later, we discovered a new technique/technology that allows a person’s power to be multiplied a hundredfold. This “thing” is a compressed armor created from the explosion of two Big Bangs.
Unfortunately, we currently have only three of them, which is why we gave them to one Master Elementias and two Aunias. Thanks to these incredibly powerful armors, we will be able to travel to the other dimension and fight our enemies!
However, this armor is extremely dangerous because it requires us to create an unstable universe that constantly generates energy. This is highly risky, as the unstable universe could explode at any moment if not properly control (524 words )

Part : 4
Right now, our world is rapidly developing. We are gaining even more strength thanks to our armors. Unfortunately, in Anilostias, they have encountered a huge problem—souls have broken free from their prison. This should be impossible because their Master Elementias had placed a seal to prevent them from escaping again. However, something has disrupted the effectiveness of this protection, which is why they managed to escape!
There is not much time left before the Dimensional Destroyer comes to take revenge by destroying all these dimensions! That’s why we will need help from other worlds, as well as from Anilostias. But the problem is that they exist in a unique dimension where only Hypermaster Elementias can access—just like the Dimensional Destroyer!
That is why, right now, we must find Hylian Stone, which can only be found on meteorites from Anilostias, thanks to the incredible speeds they reach using this very stone!
Up until today, we have only managed to collect one kilogram, but we need ten!
The Dimensional Destroyer is beginning to spread everywhere, but he has not yet found our dimension. The one who created it has hidden it using an interdimensional camouflage screen. However, it won’t be long before he discovers us, thanks to his overwhelming powers!
Fortunately, we have now gathered enough Hylian Stone to create a portal to Anilostias! We have started constructing it, but it requires elemental energy to be charged! Normally, this will take just one week.
(One week later)
The portal is finally complete! We are now sending Aunias, Alynia, and Master Elementias to report on the situation in Anilostias.
The scouts have returned and informed us that Anilostias has agreed to join forces against the Dimensional Destroyer! They also reported that he has already destroyed ten dimensions, and other worlds are willing to join as well.
That is why we now have five Master Elementias! With their help, we will be able to create a Dimensional Sphere to block the Dimensional Destroyer! However, we will need 100 Master Elementias and one Hypermaster Elementias!
The problem is that a void has appeared in our sky, growing larger by the day. This means that the Dimensional Destroyer has already detected us! However, he still cannot penetrate our dimension because it is protected by a Hypermaster Elementias, who has raised a permanent protective wall powered by… something that no one knows about, except for the king and the Hypermaster Elementias! We recently asked the five Guardians to provide their energy to help us create the portal because gathering 100 Master Elementias is nearly impossible without artificially creating them—and even then, it remains impossible.
That is why each Guardian sent us 1,000 Aunias corresponding to their power. However, this is still not enough to create the portal, because we must not forget that Anilostias is a world where only Hypermaster Elementias can enter. Their power is a billion times greater than ours.
This is also why, to defeat the Dimensional Destroyer, they will all need armor and a weapon forged by a Hypermaster Elementias, which, fortunately, we have. However, this requires Supreme Steel, a metal forged by combining raw diamond and Hylian Stone. Raw diamonds are mostly found on elemental dragons, but 50 years ago, we established a law prohibiting the extraction of the raw diamond embedded in their foreheads.
Recently, however, we discovered a way to tame them. If an Aunia wears elemental armor and wields an elemental weapon while riding an elemental dragon, their power becomes equal to that of a Hypermaster Elementias.
Unfortunately, we currently only have five elemental dragons, five sets of elemental armor, and five elemental weapons. This means that only five Aunias will have the chance to attain the power of a Hypermaster Elementias. These dragons are currently kept in a special reserve, where only a few people have access. However, before anything else, the dragon must first accept the power of its rider, which must match its own—otherwise, it will reject them abruptly.
We have successfully forged the armors and weapons, and now, the only question is whether the dragons will accept their future riders. This should not cause any major issues since each dragon possesses a power that corresponds to an Aunia.
We have managed to assign each Aunia to their corresponding dragon, though it was no easy task! Now, we have several Hypermaster Elementias who are ready for the ultimate battle.
(One day later)
The portal has finally been created—we can now send our forces to fight the Dimensional Destroyer!
Our forces are battling fiercely, but the Dimensional Destroyer has gained powerful warriors on his side. However, our soldiers remain loyal and unwavering. We have sent all our Aunias and Alynias to fight, along with the five Guardians who have finally agreed to help us. The warriors of Anilostias have also joined the battle and have provided us with a large amount of Supreme Steel to forge additional armors and weapons! We did it!!!!! We have annihilated the Dimensional Destroyer! However, we have imprisoned him in a dimensional prison to ensure that he will never break free again!
(855 words)

◇ Tᴀʙʟᴇ ᴏғ Cᴏɴᴛᴇɴᴛs ◇

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Hello

‎‧₊˚✧ 03/06 ✧˚₊‧ Ancient sailors and wayfarers looked to the sky to guide themselves using the very same constellations we see today. There are currently 88 recognized constellations, so for 450 words and 350 points (plus 100 points for sharing), write about one of these starry collections for this SWClassic daily! You can write about the mythological meaning behind the group of stars, their role throughout history, or the constellations themselves—reach for the stars!

We’ve all seen and heard of the many constellations, all pictures painted across the sky in a beautiful woven tapestry. But how much do you actually know about these famed stars, and the reasons behind them? Sure, you may know the classics. Orion’s belt, big dipper, little dipper. But have you ever looked into the constellation lupus? Lupus is a gorgeous constellation in the mid-southern sky, and lupus is the latin name for what we know as wolf.

In the olden days, the constellation was thought to be an arbitrary animal, who would be killed for Centaurus, which was a constellation that Lupus was an asterism for. Eratosthenes also saw this constellation as a wineskin held by Centaurus, however the two constellations weren’t separated until much later. Many believe that this constellation is based off of the babylonian figure, known as The Mad Dog. The Mad Dog was a weird hybrid of a man’s head and torso, and the legs and tail of a lion, similar to those Egyption things.

Lupus also contains two stars with known planets, and the brightest star within the constellation is Alpha Lupi. Interestingly, Alpha Lupi is the only star within the constellation that is actually named. Alpha Lupi is fairly young, compared to other stars, however because of its brightness it only continues to grow. It is predicted that it will not be long before it goes down as a luminous supernova.

Originally, the Greeks knew the constellation not as a wolf, but as a wild animal. It wasn’t until renaissance times that the constellation was recognized to contain a wolf, although it always contained a sacrificial animal. These animals and constellations were often associated with the sun God, although many including myself may think of the wolf as more of a creature of the night.

When you look at each of the constellations, you can see how each is identified. By rotating the entire constellation by about 90 degrees, you are able to see not only Lupus, the wolf, but also the stag that stabbed and killed the wolf for the sacrificial elements of the constellation. Although the constellation took so long to be recognized as a wolf at all, it makes me wonder how people used to look at it before it was a wolf. Did they see it with awe? Or did they pity it, and its role in the sacrifice to the other constellations in the stars. While we will never know exactly what Lupus was originally used for, we can be certain that it is an amazing constellation, and one that is unique from others.

Next time you take a look into the bright night sky, see if you can spot Lupus forever painted in glory by the stars and the night. Who knows, maybe someday a new constellation will emerge, one of Lupus in its full splendor before its defeat.

weekly 1 - storybuilding the world of geo || 3155 words || back to table of contents: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8417183/


part i
Humans - Humans make up about a third of Geo’s population, at least, as far as anyone knows. Although they can be found all over, their main communities are in Lorin, Kanta, and Alonda. There are also small groups of humans found in Faeholm, Reache, and Stockfast, each with their own unique cultures.
The humans in Lorin are known for their farmland and livestock; many of them make a living by cultivating bellfruit orchards or sheep-like creatures called poofles. Their national language is Lorish, but the majority of them also speak Commerce (known as Common-tongue or Trade in some parts of the world), a necessity due to their role in exporting their produce to other countries, namely Alonda and Reache. Although their seaports are busy places, Lorin is famous for its quiet tranquility and rolling hills, interspersed with fields and meadows.
Those in Kanta are much more secluded. Kanta consists mostly of desert, and the human population roams in tribes. Despite the fact that all of them technically speak Kanna, there are so many variations, accents, and differing word meanings that it’s often almost impossible for tribes that are far enough apart to communicate. Although the tribes are nomadic, the desert is so vast that they rarely have contact with more than three or four other tribes in the area, accounting for the extreme language and cultural differences across the tribes. The Kanna tribes are not made solely of humans - they’re often a combination of humans, elves, and trolls, as well as those of mixed descent.
The humans in Alonda live alongside the elves in lavish cities and bustling metropolises, the “big city” folk of Geo. Alonda is the center of culture, the home of aspiring authors, artists, inventors, and others with big ideas - if you’ve got a dream, Alonda is the place for you. Alonda is a cultural melting pot, with many languages and cultures colliding to form a chaotic swirl of life. The most commonly spoken language is Commerce, with smatterings of Lorish and Reachese. Alondians are known for their open-minded outlook on life, as well as their patronizing air towards inhabitants of other countries (so, perhaps, not quite so open-minded after all). They believe in reaching for the sky, no matter what it takes, and promote self-centered lifestyles: in Alonda, you do what it takes to get what you want, even if it means trampling those in your way. It’s that or stand by and get trampled, and you don’t want that, do you?

Trolls - Trolls are similar to humans in shape, although they tend to be taller and more muscular. Their skin is scaly, and their “hair” is actually a grouping of tentacles that grow in much thicker strands than human hair. Their ears have a slight point, although not as much as elves, and like chameleons, their skin can take on different hues, although the change is involuntary and triggered by their emotions. They’re fewer in number than humans, but still more numerous than elves, fae, or sirens. Most trolls live in Reache and Stockfast, with smaller populations in Kanta and Alonda.
Trolls in Reache are mostly fishers, living alongside the local sirens. Reache is known for its seafood, as well as siren-made exports due to the active trading that goes on between the trolls and sirens. Reache pearls are especially treasured because of their rarity and unusual sheen, held by some cultures to be mystic gifts of the gods and by others to have properties of healing or control over water. Despite the stories, no one has proved that the pearls contain any abilities other than looking gorgeous in any setting, but perhaps the day will come when some new property is discovered about them. The language most commonly spoken in Reache is Commerce.
The trolls living in Stockfast, on the other hand, live in steampunk-esque cities constructed from giant machines. Those coming from Stockfast are generally held to be quirky and superstitious, a belief that’s not entirely unfounded in reality. Although there are a few humans and elves living in Stockfast, the majority of the population consists of trolls. Stockfast is renowned for its gems, and many of the trolls work as miners, selling some of their finds but keeping others to create marvels like the Crystal Keep, a mobile fortress made almost entirely of different kinds of quartz. The other thing Stockfasters are famous for is dragon riding. Stockfast is home to several different varieties of dragon, and Stockfaster dragon products are held up as the standard to which all other products are compared to, especially products manufactured in Crystal Keep. Stockfaster dragon riders have a unique bond with their dragon, and have worked out agreements with them to send a small number of dragons to other dragons to start colonies there. So far, all countries but Faeholm have at least one colony of dragons living there now, each of them hand-selected for the needs of the population living in that area. Stockfasters speak a mix of Crae, Lorish (because of their proximity to Lorin), and Commerce.

Elves - Elves are very similar to humans at first glance, but their ears are elongated and pointed at the tips, and their skin tone fluctuates with the amount of sunlight they’re exposed to. Much like plants, elves depend on light for part of their sustenance, although some have adapted to more or less light exposure. The majority of them live in Alonda and Kanta. They are tall and have delicate bone structures. Elves are not as rare as sirens or fae, but they’re nowhere near as common as humans or trolls.

Sirens - Little is known about sirens due to their seclusion from the other species. The trolls in Reache are the only ones they interact with with any regularity, and even then it’s usually only the communities living near shore that bother to surface. Their appearance varies based on their location - shore sirens tend to have hair and skin in human-like shades, few scale patches, minor webbing, and duller teeth than their deep-sea relatives. Their height is indistinguishable from a human’s, and their ears have very slight points. Deep-sea sirens are shorter and have hair and skin tones in blues and greens. They have more webbing between their fingers and toes, fish-like fins, and have large patches of scales, sometimes being almost completely covered. Their teeth are sharper and longer, and their ears are noticeably more pointed. All sirens are carnivorous, and their most effective weapon is their voice, which carries through water - they can use it to paralyze their prey.
Sirens have no country - if asked, they would say their country is the ocean. They tend to live in small groups or clans, and there are very few siren cities. Shore siren sometimes interact and trade with people living near the sea, namely Reachens, but given that they have snacked on other species in the past, they’re often viewed with suspicion and even hatred. They have to take special measures to surface for longer than a few days - although equipped with both lungs and gills, their lungs are weak and they require frequent salt-water soaks to be able to function properly on land. Sirens have only been heard speaking Commerce; any other languages of theirs are unknown.

Fae - Even more mysterious than sirens, fae are thought by some to be nothing more than legends. They haven’t been sighted for hundreds of years, and some even speculate that they’ve gone extinct. They retreated to Faeholm centuries ago for long-forgotten reasons, and have made no contact with the outside world since. They are thought to be like the reverse of elves, feeding on darkness instead of light, but stories differ in opinion on their exact appearance. Although several legend hunters have tried to journey to Faeholm, none have succeeded in finding it yet.

part ii
https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/1119332505

part iii
Although most innovations and advances in technology in Geo come from Alonda and Stockfast, it was actually a young troll from Reache who discovered a way to engineer a device that would allow sirens to stay on land more conveniently for longer periods of time: a collar that could be filled with salt water and worn around the neck, where the gills were, with a system for replenishing the oxygen in the water periodically. Although the first models were bulky and heavy, it was later refined to a sleek, gleaming collar that fit snugly under the chin and wrapped around the shoulders, stopping at the collarbone. And with this invention came controversy - lots of it.
Most of the protests came from Alonda and Stockfast, possibly because they were the countries with the least contact with sirens, possibly because the money from the collar wasn’t going to them. Either way, they did their best to shut it down, claiming that giving sirens equipment to breathe easily on land was like unleashing a weapon on the world. Everyone knew sirens were violent creatures that would kill and devour everyone in their path, after all. It was a good thing they were chained to the sea, otherwise they would have laid waste to the world long ago.
When the unrest became political in nature (or, well, more political than it already was), Reache’s government officially shut down further production of the collar, knowing they didn’t have the capacity to take on either Alonda or Stockfast, much less both. Unofficially, they turned a blind eye to the new collar smugglers that were beginning to pop up - some rumors even whispered of bribery or juicy cuts from the profits. The most daring said that the government was actually assisting the smugglers across borders.
It was several years before Alonda caught on to the increasing population of sirens in Reache and Lorin, and in fact it wasn’t until sirens began to surface in Alonda’s glittering cities that they refocused their efforts on eradicating collar usage. In retaliation, siren sympathizers and smugglers redoubled their efforts, and the relationship between Reache, Alonda, Stockfast, and at times Lorin has been strained for years.
And the land-dwellers aren’t the only ones with mixed feelings - some sirens believe that their destiny lies under the waves, and to interfere with land species who clearly don’t want them up there is to spell out their own demise. They resent the other species’ opinions of them as mindless predators and have recently even been known to persecute known collar users, ironically siding them with their enemies. In this, at least, they are united - sirens belong under water, not above it.
As for the collar wearers and siren sympathizers, they believe that everyone should be able to walk where they want, regardless of whether they were born in or out of the sea. They see the collars as ways to bridge the gap between species and further unite the population. It remains to be seen which side will prevail.

part iv
The waves whispered on the shore, drawing back and forth and leaving only smooth stretches of sand to mark where they had been.
Boots splashed through the foam, disrupting the peace of the night and sending sand and spray up to spatter against the runners, causing quiet cursing, followed by desperate shushing.
A light was suddenly bobbing and down, gleaming as the shadows flitted along the shoreline.
“Pull your hood up!” one of them said, raising their voice enough to be heard.
“I CAN’T HELP IT!” the other shouted, and then the light seemed to slam into the ground as one shadow tackled the other and wrestled something over the source.
“You’ve got to be more careful,” the first one hissed, standing back up.
The second one muttered something and stomped away, only picking up the pace again when yells sounded behind them.
“I should- have just- left you- behind.”
“You never- would have made it- without me!”
The first shadow smacked the second and then yanked it to the side, apparently into a cliff face.
There was no noise for several minutes other than that of running and panting, until finally the first shadow slowed.
“Okay. We’re good now. You can take it off,” they said, and the second one immediately threw off their hood, revealing the face of a boy in his mid-teens. Shaggy blond hair hung in his eyes, the source of the light.
“I hate wearing that dumb cloak,” he complained, taking it off completely and kicking it into a corner. “It’s so hot.”
“If you could turn off your nightlight head there, you wouldn’t have to,” the first shadow said. “Besides, cloaks are good for obscurity. I wear one.”
“That’s just because you’re creepy,” the boy huffed, limping over to a wall and sitting against it. “I think I twisted my ankle when you crashed into me like a troll back there.”
“Oh, hush,” the first shadow said irritably, beginning to remove their gear. In the pale glow of the boy’s hair, another face emerged from the shadow of the cowl, a pale-skinned girl with hair so dark it was nothing more than an indistinguishable mass of black. “What else was I supposed to do when you started shouting back there? You’re a total idiot.”
“Thanks,” the boy snapped. “I really try, you know.”
“Shut up.”
Relieved of her cloak, the girl copied the boy, leaning against the opposite wall. “I don’t suppose you can turn your hair down at all? It’s hurting my eyes.”
“Everything hurts your eyes. And no.”
“Not everything,” she replied, digging through a leather pack. “Aha, I knew I still had some bellfruit in here!”
The boy snapped to attention. “Bellfruit?”
She smacked his hand away. “Wait, won’t you? Good grief, you’d think you’d never had a bite to eat since the day you were born.”
“I like bellfruit,” the boy protested, biting into the round golden fruit as soon as she tossed it to him.
“Yeah, well, there you go. Maybe that’s what makes your hair glow - eating too much bellfruit,” she mused.
“If that were true, everyone would have glowing hair,” he argued.
“Maybe they do, and they just control it better.”
“For the last time, I cannot control it and you know it. Besides, you’d go blind if you had glowing hair. Yours is like the opposite of glowing. Like…uh…the opposite of light.”
“Dark,” the girl deadpanned.
“Oh, hush.”
They lapsed into silence, the girl tilting her head back and closing her eyes. Her features were delicate and thin, black lashes fanning out against her cold, pale cheek. Her companion twisted a lock of luminescent hair between his fingers, studying her. “Goodnight, I guess,” he mumbled before retrieving his cloak and spreading it over himself, closing his own eyes.
“Did you secure the package?” the girl said, still with her eyes closed.
“No. I swear, you’re the creepiest person I’ve ever met. No one else can see with their eyes closed while they’re sleeping.”
“I don’t see with my eyes closed,” the girl said as the boy got up and began shoving something around in the dark. “I just…know.”
“Creep,” the boy repeated, although without any malice. The conversation had the well-worn feel of one that had been repeated several times before.
“Yeah, yeah. Go to sleep. And put your hood back on, I can see the light through my eyelids.”
“And you swear you can’t see anything,” the boy said, but he put the hood back on.
Neither of them were awake when the sentries arrived.

Maya jerked awake, instantly on alert. Something was wrong. Her hand instinctively reached for her pack, where the packages were secured. Yes, here it was - under a pile of supplies.
The shadows were chased away with torchlight, flickering on the walls and bathing the cave in an uncertain red glow. The sound of booted feet echoed off the cave walls.
Sargon’s eyes fluttered open, and he yawned, trying to figure out what was going on. “Wassgoinon,” he slurred, wiping drool off his cheek. “Yech.”
“I think we’ve been found,” Maya whispered. “For goodness’ sake, keep the hood on.”
Sargon tucked a few strands of blond hair under the hood and glanced towards their cargo as the patrol clunked around the corner, holding their torches out.
“What are you kids doing back here?”
Maya shielded her eyes from the light, blinking as though she’d just woken up - which, in fact, she had. “Oh,” she squeaked, letting some of her genuine fear seep into her voice. “I swear, we didn’t- We’ve been very- We wasn’t bein’ bad, sir.”
The patrol consisted of two humans and a troll. The humans, both females, looked faintly amused, but the troll crossed his arms. “Would you care to explain what you’re doing here?”
Sargon glared at Maya before launching into his speech. He hated this routine, but it was the best explanation they could come up with for why two unaccompanied teenagers were in a place like this. So far, they’d only had to use it twice before, once on their first run together and once when Maya slipped up and accidentally dropped off their cargo at the wrong point.
“It was the only way,” he said, scooting closer to Maya. “Our parents never liked each other…but we just couldn’t spend another day apart. It was killing us.”
One of the humans snickered. “Aren’t you two a little young to be lovebirds?”
Maya’s lips quivered, and tears filled her eyes. “T-that’s just what they said,” she sobbed. “T-that we were t-too young to r-ruin our lives. B-b-but I love him so much…”
She dropped her head onto Sargon’s chest and sobbed, hoping they would buy it.
One of the humans, the one who had asked, and the troll did, looking a bit less stern, but the other human frowned. “Running away, then? You’ll break your parents’ hearts, the two of you. Get up and get your stuff. We’re clearing this cave out for security reasons. We’re going to need to inspect it.”
Maya felt her throat tighten, and it wasn’t because of her emotional act. If she didn’t think of something quick, they were dead.
Luckily, she didn’t have to.
Something exploded outside with a boom she could feel in her bones. As one, the patrol’s heads snapped up, and two of them ran out of the cave. The suspicious human hesitated, but left after scowling at Maya and Sargon. “Don’t go anywhere, you got it?” she called. “We’ll be right back.”
Sargon went into action as soon as she was gone, packing up their stuff and shoving Maya’s pack towards her. “Come on let’s go let’s go,” he said, pushing her towards the exit.
“Going going going!” she gasped, running as fast as she could. She didn’t know what was going on at the beach, but she intended to be out of there long before it was resolved and the patrol came back.
In her pack, safe and sound, ten gleaming, gorgeous, and extremely illegal collars had crossed the border.

‧₊ ˚ ⊹ ࣭୨ ASSIGNMENT 6 ୧ ⊹ ˚₊‧

There are currently 88 recognized constellations, so for 450 words and 350 points (plus 100 points for sharing), write about one of these starry collections for this SWClassic daily!

CONSTELLATION USED:
Corona Borealis

You were the queen, and I was your servant. I was a guide amongst the dark, the light that shone through. You had riches, jewels and gems, while I was a simple servant earning their keep. I had no business to be close to you, to talk to you in any way. I was only there to serve you, and serve you I did. It was a title I would upkeep.

And it would be a title I would die upholding.


It was the late hours, servants were folding the princess’s clothes and began to clean. I was amongst them, though I was the only one to notice the princess’s absence.

"Where is her majesty?” I asked my fellow servant, and they shrugged.
“Perhaps she’s at the stables?”

I nodded, walking to the front door, “I shall be excusing myself then. It is my duty to protect the princess after all.”

I opened the door, the cold attacking my senses. I shivered, before walking towards the stables. Once I walked over there, I frowned. Not a sign of the princess. Though, there was a small trail of footprints, leading into the forest. I shook my head.

“Oh princess…”

I followed the footsteps, leaving behind my own trail. It didn’t take long for me to find her.

“Princess? Is something the matter?”

Her head snapped up, a sharp breath escaping her throat. She visibly untensed before she realized it was just me.

“What is the matter?”
“It is none of your business.”
“I am your servant, it is my job to keep you safe.”

I walked to sit by the princess, crouching down so she’d be at the same level as me.

“Your majesty, please. I only wish to help.”

Unexpectedly, the princess toppled down onto me, sobbing and crying into my arms. All I could do was rock her back and forth and draw circles on her back. Noncoherent mumbles were the only explanation I was given by the princess.

“Princess, I can’t understand what it is you are saying. Please, tell me what is the matter.”

The princess stared up at me, red and puffy eyes.

“I- I keep getting visions, something telling me that something terrible will happen today.”

I held her hands, clasping on to give her comfort.

“My lady, as long as I am by your side, there will be no harm coming your way.”

A small smile curled on her lips, before frowning again.

“I can’t- it’s just, this strange gut feeling. It just won’t leave me alone!”

After a chorus of ‘it’ll be okay’ and ‘I will protect you.’ We both sat in comfortable silence, the only noise being the wind blowing between the trees. That is, until the bushes began to rustle.

“My lady! You must go, now!”

A noble young man walked forward, being revealed by the moonlight. He spun a sword around in his hand.

“No moving. Just hand over the crown, and we’ll be good here.”

I turned to the princess, she was cowering behind me.

“Your majesty! You must leave, go!”
“But you- I can’t!”
“Go! Hand me the crown too, that way he won’t have any reason to chase after you.”

When the princess didn’t move, I simply yanked the crown from her head and pushed her forward, forcing her to go.

“Run!”

When the princess was out of view, I turned back to our assailant.

“Hello there.”

Clang!
Bash!
BANG!

I toppled back onto the ground, the taste of copper annihilating my taste buds. The sword was held up to my neck.

“Hand over the crown, and maybe I’ll let you live.”
“Never.”

Everything went black, and I died.

—

Nobody knows where the crown is to this day. The servant had hidden it somewhere no one else could find.

After all, no one would’ve thought to check the sky.

| ♞ | ୨ 642 words

daily vi. the story of pisces || 615 words || back to table of contents: https://scratch.mit.edu/discuss/post/8417183/

This is Aphrodite: graceful, tall, with half her copper-colored waves caught back with a pin of silver and the rest left to ripple gently down her back. Beautiful is not the right word; she is perfect, with full pink lips, wide blue eyes, a small, straight nose. She is fittingly indeed named the goddess of love and beauty.
This is Eros: no less gorgeous than his mother, in fact maybe more gorgeous, with dark hair swept back and tousled, a face both young and strong, Aphrodite’s intense blue eyes. He is muscled but not bulky, tall but not hulking. Like his mother, he seems to have struck the exact balance between too much and not enough - his expression smolders without scorching.
(Yes, I get it, you’re very pretty. Please move on to the good part.)
(What do you mean? That’s literally the best part.)
(Uh-huh.)
An interlude follows filled with noises that sound suspiciously like kissing.
Ahem. So one day, this gorgeous god and his mom are out for a walk. They’re talking about some things when suddenly, BOOM, this giant ugly monster comes out of nowhere.
(Typhon?)
(Typhon. Boy, was he ugly. Like, mega-ugly. Nowhere near as handsome as-)
(Darling, are you telling a story or looking in a mirror?)
(Oh, fine.)
So anyways, this big ugly guy ruins their day with his fish breath and serious hygiene problems. Like, did he ever even see a bar of soap in his life? The god and goddess obviously have to hightail it out of there or they’re going to keel over from the stench.
(What did he look like?)
(I told you. Ugly.)
(Honey, I want details.)
(UGH, FINE. I swear, you’re so pushy.)
(Too bad you love me anyway.)
Typhon is…big. Really big. So big he blots out the stars, the sun, and sometimes your life if you can’t run fast enough. He’s got hundreds of heads, and each and every one of them is more hideous than the last. His wings could knock down mountains when he unfurls them. His hands - well, I don’t want to think about the last time he cut his fingernails, or so much as thought about washing them. The most terrifying part about him is how grimy he is. I’m pretty sure half his bulk comes from that greasy muck.
(So, scary?)
(Yeah. You could say that.)
Luckily for this son and his mom, there’s a river nearby, and the clever, not to mention stunningly handsome, god had some string in his pocket. They tie themselves together with the cord so they won’t get separated from each other, jump into the river, and become fish.
(Who’s got fish breath now?)
(Hey, no fair. It was the only way we had to get out of there.)
And that’s pretty much the end. The other gods and goddesses were so impressed with their escape that they made up a new constellation just for them: two fish attached to each other.
(I’m totally calling you fish breath from now on.)
(I’ll never make you breakfast in bed again if you do.)
(GAH - I take it back.)
(Good.)
(So what were the god and his mom talking about, anyway?)
(Something.)
(Something like me?)
(She doesn’t hate you, Psyche. Okay, well, she kind of does, but…)
(It’s not a bad thing that Typhon showed up then, is it? He unified you two again.)
(Maybe, but if it takes a giant, smelly monster to reunite me with my mother, I’d rather stay estranged, thanks. Besides, I have you.)
(Always and forever.)
Silence descends on the scene as two lovers embrace, one glad of his safe return to her, the other just glad she’s his.

Daily: Canis Major
Word count: 1,727 | 03/06/2025
For 450 words and 350 points (plus 100 points for sharing), write about one of these starry collections for this SWClassic daily! You can write about the mythological meaning behind the group of stars, their role throughout history, or the constellations themselves—reach for the stars!

A paradox; a dog that always catches its prey, and a fox that can never be caught.
One who can do it all, and unmeetable expectations.
A retelling of the myth of Laelaps, the hunting dog that became Canis Major.

TRIGGER WARNING: non-graphic depictions of self-imposed nonexist

I run fast. Many of my friends say I run faster than the wind. Whenever I was ‘it’ in a game of freeze-tag, I’d catch more than half the other kids within seconds. My parents suggested I learn a sport, so I did. Ever since I signed up for track and field in high school last year, the trophy case in the dim hallway by the library had become much fuller.

I am smart. Most of my classmates say I could beat Albert Einstein in a quiz bee. After I kept returning perfect scores on my math tests, my parents suggested I join the mathletes. Now even the strictest math teacher calls me by my first name.

I’m a good person. I know that, since my friends say I’m sweet, like a golden retriever. I’m creative. I’m okay at other sports, like basketball and tennis. I always try my best, and I never give up. I can do anything I set my mind to. If I put in the effort, there’s nothing I can’t attain.

Right?

⋆｡°✩

I ran back home today, as usual. The millisecond I’m over the threshold, I hurl my bag onto the couch, open it, and produce a sheet of paper from within. “Mom! Dad! I’m home!” I call excitedly. “Good news! I got a perfect score on my science exam!”

From the dining room, the sound of silverware hitting a plate. My dad’s voice is gruff and gravelly. “Get to the table. You’re late.”

Without another word, I move into my seat at the dining room table. I clutch the paper and point a finger at the red number “100,” but I am met with nothing more than a quick “hm” and a polite nod.

“What took you so long today?” my mom immediately questions, her eyebrows furrowed.

“Training went overtime. Coach wouldn’t let us go until we could go under 60.” I scoop some mashed potatoes onto my plate, then smile. “But, hey, I finally beat my best time!”

They don’t answer. Although I think I heard my dad mutter under his breath, “If only you could get ready as fast as you could race.”

I lift my finger to say something. Then I lower it again.

⋆｡°✩

I watch the raindrops on the dilapidated old schoolbus’s window as they fall, tracing lines onto the glass, and imagining they’re in a race. Quite like the one I’m going to right now– the state championship, to be held in another school. I get all fluttery just thinking about it.

“Let’s hope they don’t cancel,” says the team captain, who sits in front of me. “We’d be driving three hours for nothing.”

“Yeah. My parents would not like that,” I reply, my gaze focused on the one big water droplet making its way down to the windowsill. “They’d probably get mad.”

The girl next to me pipes up. “Agreed! Plus, I’ve been raring to see that guy from the other team again. Would suck if I didn’t get to talk to him, at least.”

“Oh, boo!” exclaims the guy two rows behind me. I look over the headrest of my seat and see him making a thumbs-down sign in the air. “The dude with the highlights? He’s got no skill, and a bad attitude. Boo.”

The two devolve into an argument. I laugh as they exchange silly banter. While I listen, the team captain wedges his face in between his seat and that of the boy next to him.

“Hey. You ready for today, star player?” he asks.

“Always.” I strike my chest once with a balled fist.

“Good. You’re our best sprinter, and you know that. This is our chance to make waves. Don’t let us down.” Then he peers over my shoulder and shouts, “Hey! You! No throwing cans! Pick that up!”

I smile. But it starts to strain the sides of my mouth.

After that, the rain thankfully cleared up quickly. Once we got there they had already gotten the track dry enough to use. I find my parents waiting at the back of the line outside the spectators’ entrance, and I go up to them. We have a few minutes before call time.

“Hi Mom. Hi Dad,” I greet them.

Immediately my dad points out a rival team member in a blue jersey. Seems about my age, but much taller. “Kid, you see that?” he whispers, just loud enough for everyone nearby to hear. “That’s one of the best players in the state. Played nationals, even.”

“Yes, Dad, I’ve seen the team before.”

“Hey, your father was just trying to be nice,” my mom hisses. “Don’t act like that.”

⋆｡°✩

The sun is setting now.

The pistol fires. I stride off the starting block.

I run fast. I run as fast as I can. Yet I’m quickly beginning to hate the color blue, and the number “45.” I try to go faster. My legs are already searing white-hot. At last, I’m almost head-to-head with that tall, blue-clothed athlete.

We approach the final stretch. I close my eyes as I barrel towards it at top speed. A whistle sounds.

Along the side of the track, my team watches me. My parents watch from the bleachers. They watch in stunned silence.

Ah. So that’s how it is.

⋆｡°✩

As we get off the bus at my house, the team captain catches my sleeve and tells me, “Hey. You did well.”

“Well, I did the best I could – second place against one of the best athletes in the state, that’s honestly epic,” I reply. I place my hand flat over my chest.

“Yes. We’ll get there next time. There’s always next year.” The captain pats my shoulder. “Go along now.

I hoist my bag up on my shoulder and step off the bus. I wave as the doors close and carry the rest of my team away. Even though I’m tired, I cheer and jump around a little cheer once the bus is out of sight. I did alright. It will be fine.

Once my parents got home, we had a really late dinner. “Did you see that? I was almost there. I was running as fast as I could, and sure, they won, but I still got second place!”

They don’t respond, until my mom comments, “Well, honey, you did alright, but we know you can go much faster.”

“Absolutely,” my father adds. “Maybe you just need to train more. We’ll tell Coach to up your training.”

“But–” I begin, but I know it wouldn’t help at all. So I stay silent and smile, ignoring the stretching feeling in my skin.

⋆｡°✩

Second place. Third place. Third place. Fourth place.

Since the state championship, I’ve begun to perform worse and worse n my track meets. Sprinting has begun to feel a bit more strenuous on my legs each day, so I’ve started trying hurdles, then javelin throws. Neither of those worked out as well.

We’re in the locker rooms now. I wipe my face down with a towel.

“You did great today, I’ve never seen anyone throw like that,” are the compliments my teammates pass my way. “You really can do everything.”

I’m starting to have a hard time believing them.

They’re saying it just to be nice, I’m sure.

My grades also fell off a little bit. From perfect scores across the board, sometimes I would get 97, 96, even as low as 94. I know I’m passing, but my parents act otherwise. One time, I overheard them talking about summer vacation. “Should we still bring the kid?” my dad asked, trying again to whisper discreetly but failing. “Looking at the report card, I think we need more studying done here.”

My mom rests on his shoulder. “I know. I know. We’ll think about it some more.”

In other news, smiling is more painful now.

⋆｡°✩

Final exams season has arrived. I write fast. Fast enough, at least. Right now it is an English exam.

I blaze my way through the multiple choice section, the true and false, the reading comprehension parts until I reach the essay. The words on the page mock me. I scribble on the test paper, underlining the words on the question, drawing random shapes along the margins. I try writing an answer multiple times, but can never get past a first word.

“What does the poem on page 4 say about societal expectations?”

The words are there. The message is there. It’s all there, on the tip of the metaphorical tongue. It’s easy. Just five sentences. Why can’t I answer this one simple question?

I write one sentence. Suddenly, the bell rings. Dejected, I pass my unfinished paper forward.

I guess this means I’m not going on summer vacation this year.

I’ll say it. I’m such a loser.

I want to lie in the dirt and let the skies take me away already.

⋆｡°✩

Summer break begins. As I expected, I was left at home while my parents went to vacation at the beach. They expect me to fare well enough on my own, so they didn’t contact my grandparents, or anyone else for that matter. It was just me, alone in the house.

I was also expected to study. But when I opened a math book, I couldn’t help but hurl it against the wall. It fell just a few inches short of hitting it, though, and flopped to the ground miserably. Great, now I can’t even do that.

At this point, I don’t even know what I’m chasing anymore. All I know is that my legs are hurting.

My parents, my team, everyone… No matter how fast I run, I can’t catch them. No matter how smart I am, there’s no pleasing anyone. No matter how hard I try, I’ll never be enough. For them. For myself.

They say nice things about me. I know they’re lying.

They’re all so far away. Like a sly, swift fox destined to slip out of my grasp every time.

I can run as fast as I want. As fast as I can. Faster than the wind. Faster than the speed of light. But there’s no end anymore.

I write fast. I write fast, for the final time.

I stand on the balcony of my room.

My body turns to stone. I ascend to the stars.

Lyra is a constellation based on Opheeious’s lyre, an instrument that he played that was said to charm even inanimate objects like rocks and stones. He also played the lyre for the sirens to charm them into stopping killing people, which is extremely funny. At one point, his wife Euradiyce died because she got bit by a snake, and the guy who had the lyre went to hell to get her back. He played the lyre for hades and then he got her back because hades was very charmed by him and his music.
But. Oh no. He was that guy that Hades gave the challenge to. The one where he can’t look back the entire walk back from the underworld. He failed. And then he was left to play his lyre all alone, wandering in fields forever, rejecting the marriage offers from other women. After he died his lyre was placed in the sky by Zeus, but there are other tales of the constellation from other cultures. The arabs thought it was a falcon or vulture with its wings turned, and in Wales it is referred to as King’s Arthur’s harp. In Persian culture it is seen as a lyre (the lyre of Zurah) and in Australian culture and mythology it is seen as an animal deity. In Chinese mythology, it has a more well known meaning, represented as a black tortoise with each star in the constellation having a unique meaning.

There are multiple stories about Orpheous’s death, but the main two involve him being killed by the large gang of women whose marriage proposal he rejected, being stoned and speared to death by them. He tried to play his lyre to get them away from him, but it did not work. The Other main theme for this death is that he failed to make a proper sacrifice to Dionysus because he worshiped Apollo instead, leading Dionysus to kill him.

My thoughts: this is a very interesting story, if not super hilarious. Upon looking up a picture of the constellation, it does not look like a harp. It definitely does not look like a falcon or vulture or any other type of bird for that matter. It doesn’t look like a harp. I would day it sort of looks like a tortoise but not entirely, and in fact I think it looks more like an hourglass or possibly a long necked creature with long legs and a tall stance, a deer or cat perhaps. The story is definitely interesting, but like most Greek mythology stories it is very random and very chaotic. I think it's objectively hilarious that he might’ve been stoned and speared by a gang of women because he rejected their marriage proposals.

⋆ daily march 5th: constellations <3 i chose canis major
(inaccuracies galore! apologies)
mother had always told me this: look to the sky, find the brightest star, and let it guide you home.
that’s silly, i had said then, young eyes bright with the kind of purity you can only find in children. how could a star know where we live? can it see me? and i’d giggled like that was the funniest thing in the world. she smiled with that motherly kind of patience and amusement. will we ever really know? she whispered mysteriously, hushing my laughter into a deep conspiracy of wonder. come, darling, she’d said, tilting my head to the sky. the air would be warm around us and the gentle sound of waves rushing to sand would drown out the cacophony of insects. moonlight glinting on navy blue sea, my mother had asked during those nights, which constellation’s story would you like to hear next?
we would sit together by the surf far past any bedtime, and i would listen.

i think of this now, well into a steady adulthood and a dedicated sailor. i know all that could possibly be known about the sky.
still, none of that helps when your entire crew has drowned and you’re left floating on some random spare rowboat. it’s molding at the bottom and smells of smoke for whatever reason, and life is currently pelting me with rocks. i have cried all there is to cry. there is sea, there is the looming blueness overhead, and nothing more - even each of the stars look the same from here. my mother is somewhere out there and i’m beginning to doubt i’ll see her again.
night falls for the sixteenth time since the Incident, and i think of the crew. laura, mary, cam, aspen… they’d all been so young, so full of life, and they were somewhere beneath the surface of my pathetic boat. i hadn’t been able to save anyone, and it stings more than anything.
i do something i hadn’t done since my days as a child - i turn to find the one strikingly bright star, and whisper a plea. maybe it really would see me here, and as i fall asleep i swear it twinkles just a little brighter.

when i wake, it’s still dark as ink, but there’s a silvery glow off above my head. i groan turning over on the comfortable sleeping surface that is damp smelly wood, and nearly fall overboard.
there is a dog. his body is made of something indescribable, and the best i can put it into words is translucent pulses of light, mixed with dust, mixed with what some would think a ghost to look like. his fur is long and wispy, and he’s skrunkly. he stares at me with pearly white irises.
“oh my god,” i mutter softly to myself. in his ghostly body lay the points of what i recognized as canis major, the star where is heart would be shining the most. i look to the sky then, and notice a very specific handful of stars missing.
my new crew member comes up to sniff my hand, tail wagging and leaving behind streaks of light. he barks once, and i’m only slightly surprised to understand the message: laelaps. a name.
“hello, beauty,” i say, trying not to cry. the dog hops onto the waves, stretching long legs that stand just above the surface of the water. follow me, he gestures somehow, and i pull out the crusty paddle.

i would go home. i would feel the land beneath my feet.

it takes a while for me to really move anywhere, but laelaps is patient. he leads me to a small island first, where i gather enough fruit to last but not so much that the boat tips. he curls into my stomach when i need to rest, surprisingly warm for something that is not technically real, shielding me from cold nighttime winds.
somewhere along the journey, i wondered if anyone else would be able to see him. i wondered if anyone would even notice the stars absent from above, and if so, what the scientists would make of it. the thought of all the nonsensical stories made me smile.

after a week of following the star-dog that ran on the sea, i arrived on a beach. the beach, the one that i still considered home after all my time spent growing up. soft hues of dawn being to paint the very bottom rim of the sky, and i breathed in the crisp air. laelaps stands just on the edge of the waves, which are gentle this time flowing like inhales and exhales. my heart tugs and i wander over delicately.
“thank you,” i whisper into his forehead, feeling warm fur evaporate and swirl upward like brushstrokes. i watch each little dot blink back into existence among its siblings, and then finally the brightest - sirius, the dog star. i turn and stare at the palms in the distance fondly - mother would likely be sleeping right now.

tell me about can– canon– cani…
the greater dog?
yes please, i’d nodded.

(i think laelaps is a borzoi, thank you for coming to my tedtalk)

↳ daily: march 6th - 464 words ༉‧₊
i didnt accidentally reference Hamilton for once lol

The Andromeda

The Andromeda constellation is made up of 16 stars and can be found in the northern sky. It is the 19th largest constellation and the three letter abbreviation is quite simply ‘And’.

It is visible to see with your eyes; you do not need a telescope to see it. Its brightest star is Alpheratz.

It has gotten its name after a princess from Greek Mythology. The Andromeda constellation contains the nearest galaxy to ours, the Andromeda Galaxy. The Andromeda Galaxy contains a trillion stars, whereas the Milky Way has about 2-4 billion.

For some reason, the Andromeda constellation is also called “The Chained Maiden” because it depicts a woman lying down, chained to rocks.

This is why:

Once upon a myth, in the kingdom of Aethiopia, there was a girl called Princess Andromeda. Her mother was called Queen Cassiopeia and her father was called King Cepheus. Cassiopeia and Cepheus were the rulers of Aethiopia.

Princess Andromeda grew up beautiful. She was so beautiful, in fact, that her mother boasted that she was prettier than the Nereid (sea nymphs famous for their beauty.)

This angered Poseidon, the god of the sea, and he sent a sea monster (Cetus) to go destroy their kingdom, Aethiopia.

Upon hearing this news, King Cepheus desperately consulted the Oracle of Ammon to see if there was anything they could do to stop this from happening.

It was said that sacrificing Andromeda to the sea monster could please the gods and the nymphs and would prevent Aethiopia from getting wrecked.

Andromeda’s parents had no choice but to chain their beloved daughter to a rock next to the sea, making her easy bait for the sea monster.

Luckily enough, the prince and hero Perseus flew past on his Pegasus that day.
He fell in love with the beautiful Princess Andromeda at first sight.

Perseus went on to defeat the sea monster and marry Andromeda.

It is told that it was the goddess Athena (of wisdom and warfare) who chose to place Andromeda in the stars, next to her husband and her mother. I find this really sweet, to think of all the (mythological) lives and how the Greeks thought of explanations to everything- it really is quite fascinating.

In Chinese mythology, however, things are significantly different. I don’t see it myself, but part of the Andromeda constellation is supposed to depict a foot of a walking man or a type of boar. It has a different name, as well. In Chinese mythology, the Andromeda has been named after a great general and his ten soldiers.

The other stars in the Andromeda constellation are supposed to depict a flying snake.

There’s lots of different cultures with many different stories for this collection of stars, but I’ll leave it here for now.

♫ 06 - 603/450 words - CONSTELLATION DAILY <3 ♫
constellation: lupus, wolf

our science teacher opens up the class period with another cringey kindergarten rap music video about astrology, then informs us that we’ll be learning about a new constellation every day for the next two weeks.
“on this lovely monday,” she begins, eyes wide. “i’ve decided to share with you lovely students about my personal favorite constellation, lupus!”
several groans ripple through the classroom, but i look up from my page of doodles and calligraphy to pay attention to what she’s saying.
“who would like to take a guess on what the constellation lupus is?”
a few hands shoot up, but they’re all jokes about the current memes and junk going around on the internet. our teacher fights to keep a smile on her face, but i can see she’s annoyed and upset that no one seems to be interested in something that fascinates her.
“a silly group of kiddos we have today, don’t we?” she laughs, shaking her head at all the incorrect answers. “no, no, lupus is actually a wolf! and if you hang with me for a few moments, i’ll tell you the story of how our wolf named lupus came to be.” the class quieted down, and our teacher began the story.
“many moons ago, there was a pack of wolves that roamed over a territory in a big forest. they were the best of best, top of the food chain, they ruled over everyone and everything in this forest. a big wolf led the pack through hunting sessions, marking the borders of the forest, and protecting the lady wolves from other predators. this wolf’s name was lupus. sound familiar? he was in charge of everyone in his pack, and all the wolves (and most of the other forest animals) respected him greatly.
“however, one day a new beast came tramping into the forest, and the wolf pack turned to their leader, lupus, for help because this monster was more powerful and strange then anything they had ever faced. this strong creature was a group of humans, and they didn’t have a care in the world for the wildlife they were hurting as they made their way through the forest. the wolf pack had already sent a few scouts out to put the humans in their place, but the scouts never returned, and after hearing a few whimpers and screams in the distance, the rest of the wolves seemed to understand what type of monstrosities they were up against.
“lupus was scared of the creatures, but he knew he had to keep his pack, and the forest, safe from the harm they were causing. to do this, he decided a battle had to be won against the humans. putting on a courageous face, he led his pack into a war against them. screams, howls, gunshots, and growling wolves echoed through the forest for an entire day, until the humans finally surrendered.
“the wolf pack, though victorious, was met with a problem. lupus was nowhere to be found. the wolves spent all night searching for him, and it wasn’t until the sun began to rise the next morning that they found him resting in the mouth of a cave.
“‘he’s injured!’ one of the wolves cried out, gesturing for the others to follow. they did all they could to save him, but lupus had gotten hurt too badly, and was beyond repair. he passed a few hours later, and the wolf pack held a ceremony for him in his memory. that night, a new set of stars appeared in the sky, and the wolves named them after the brave leader, lupus.”