Sandy-Dunes wrote:

booklover883322 wrote:

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

MC Daily 3/10

I rewrote a bit of Bookie's work to fantasy! This doesn't really work ahaha, but I tried :')
607 words

snip

:0000000 I love it! This is literally amazing! (Totally not shrieking in happiness)

Aww, thanks! I tried to find the best names for the characters and make the whole thing less sinister ahaha, it was super fun!

Yay! I'm glad to hear it was fun. Sorry if the whole story was way too long-

booklover883322 wrote:

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

booklover883322 wrote:

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

MC Daily 3/10

I rewrote a bit of Bookie's work to fantasy! This doesn't really work ahaha, but I tried :')
607 words

snip

:0000000 I love it! This is literally amazing! (Totally not shrieking in happiness)

Aww, thanks! I tried to find the best names for the characters and make the whole thing less sinister ahaha, it was super fun!

Yay! I'm glad to hear it was fun. Sorry if the whole story was way too long-

It's alright! I really liked reading it, even if I didn't have time to rewrite the whole thing

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

booklover883322 wrote:

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

booklover883322 wrote:

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

MC Daily 3/10

I rewrote a bit of Bookie's work to fantasy! This doesn't really work ahaha, but I tried :')
607 words

snip

:0000000 I love it! This is literally amazing! (Totally not shrieking in happiness)

Aww, thanks! I tried to find the best names for the characters and make the whole thing less sinister ahaha, it was super fun!

Yay! I'm glad to hear it was fun. Sorry if the whole story was way too long-

It's alright! I really liked reading it, even if I didn't have time to rewrite the whole thing

: DDDDDDD

Adventurers' first task

101 words!

Birdi raises her binoculars, staring intently at the Island Ravens. She takes mental note of their graceful swoops around the island, their intelligent and somewhat sinister beady black eyes focused on their prey. They’ve been breeding more frequently these days, the population on the island slowly making a revival.

That’s good, very good.

A few Ravens land on the mansion, loud caws penetrating the silent air. As if they were hiding something, or rather, helping to hide something. Once again Birdi thinks about the mystery and the investigation the Islanders were undertaking. She wonders what would come out of it all.

I rather regret entering this, but what's past is past :')

The comforting dampness hovers all around as my feet squelch through the springy soil of the rainforest floor. Overhead, the splatter of sparkling sunlight spills through the thick canopy onto the rich green leaves of the undergrowth. I've come out here for an expedition, which I thought would go with ease; all I have to do is retrieve some material, and then go back to camp. Following the trail that my teammates had carved out, I traipse merrily through the vast span of life in the environment around me.

After a mere couple of yards, I feel my leg twitch briefly. Strange. I peer at it more carefully, but it seems like it was just nothing. Hesitantly, I try taking another step, but nothing happens. It wasn't anything significant, I'm sure. In any case, I would have to proceed with my mission.

Soon I’m back at base. At a higher part of the rainforest, the spot looks down on the flourishing habitat. Around me, everyone goes about their business. It is a glorious day like any other.

But then suddenly, my feet kicked out from underneath, leaving me flat on my back and my limbs flailing about. And the spasms keep coming, rocking me to and fro.

This can’t be happening!

And yet it is happening right now, in front of my own eyes.

In this moment of desperation, I look up. The sun shines through huge gaps in the canopy, and up at this height I am so close to the open sky, so tantalizingly close. As if I could simply fly up and escape right now.

No, no. I am at the very edge of the ledge overlooking the rainforest below. I will not, could not, soar to the skies above. And with one twitch, I plummet through the air, buffeted by the breeze.

When I land on the damp and shady forest floor, I straighten up. But it was not me who has done so, and my hands and limbs are not mine, and as I scurry into the dark something screams inside me, something that must… get… out.

But not yet. Not yet. It is too dry, too wet, wherever I go. And I will climb back up, higher up, the slick rainforest trees.

And that is exactly what I proceed to do. I climb up, then out to an adjoining branch. Holding on tightly, I chomp down with all my might. And the thing that clutches my brain now pulsates with more ferocity, bringing more pain. It never ends, until it does, and the world recedes into darkness forever.



Time passes. Days, weeks, all of it is indistinguishable in this tiny corner of the rainforest. And then slowly, a mushroom-shaped fungus pushes out of the ant’s head, spores drifting farther and farther away on the breeze.



The sun rises over the Amazon River on Manaus. It is another bright summer day for the Brazilian city, and many people are enjoying themselves at the various parks and beaches.

And in the midst of this bustling city, Dr. Meng and Professor Hartski, two biochemistry researchers, get off a cab. But they are not here to go on a swashbuckling adventure through the rainforest on the other side of the Amazon. No, they're here to research the most diverse habitat on earth.
Specifically, the fungus Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.

They carry various lab equipment as they enter the National Institute of Amazonian Research and pass the various faculty and staff. Hartski, who teaches at the Institute, knows the area well. The two take their equipment and specimens to their assigned lab. It was rather small; large counters and sinks lined two of the walls, and a huge storage closet took up a third. There were various machines for incubation and synthetization, and white fluorescent light shone overhead. In the middle of the laboratory was a large desk for all of the experiments and tests performed.

O. unilateralis has been researched extensively, but its medical potential could still be explored further. And here in Brazil, at the edge of the rainforest habitat and its wonders, is the perfect place to do so.

First, the two colleagues observe the specimen brought to them. It was an ant, and a dead one at that, but this was no ordinary ant – it was a carpenter ant from the rainforest, and from the fungus above its head, it was easy to deduce what had happened to it.

The O. unilateralis fungus is very special as well. Its spores are close to the ground, easily picked up by ants that must come down to the forest floor. The fungus infiltrates the exoskeleton of the ant, and then lodges close to the brain. Not inside the brain; right next to it, where the chemicals released by the fungus control the ant’s muscles. Convulsions of these muscles knock the ant down the canopy, and the ant is forced to go to a spot where certain conditions, very specific conditions, are met for the fungus to reproduce perfectly. The ant bites down on a leaf, it dies, and the rest is history: the fungus pierces the ant’s head, and it releases more spores into the world.

So now the two scientists stared down at the specimen of a certain ant, their aloof scientific curiosity tested by horrid fascination. It was difficult to comprehend what pain, what knowledge, what the ant felt as the fungus gripped its brain, marching into certain death. And yet the same chemicals that were used in this operation could be used for the treatment of cancer, diabetes; it could boost the immune system, possibly saving the millions suffering from the global pandemic.

So many possibilities can stem from minuscule tragedies.

Dr. Meng and Professor Hartski continued to work with the fungus sample extracted from the specimen. They carried test tubes filled with synthesized cell matter, examined the Petri dishes, separated the various naphthoquinone derivatives from the fungus.

And finally, after a few bustling hours of hard work and fervent note-taking, they glanced at the clock at the opposite wall of the lab.

“We’ll perform more tests tomorrow,” Dr. Meng concluded.

And with that the two scientists took their leave, the specimen of the ant left behind in the darkening solitude of the lab.

A/N
⠀⠀⠀⠀Hello! Thanks for reading my story. In this A/N I’ll like to talk a bit more about this piece and explain its backstory ^^
⠀⠀⠀⠀So this is about Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, the “zombie ant” fungus. I read about it in a National Geographic magazine when I was 9, and I thought it was fascinating, if not a tad gruesome. And so when I was seeking a plot twist device, this was the perfect idea! Like with my fanfic, it took a bit of research, and then I finally got the details sorted out. A short explanation about the fungus’s working is already in the story, but if you'd like to find out more, feel free to do more research!

⠀⠀⠀⠀Now, about the other aspects of the story. The National Institute of Amazonian Research is real, the two characters are not; they’re my own characters. I suppose the ant’s thoughts were far too sophisticated, but it was necessary to create some sort of suspense xD and besides, I’ve got an unofficial artistic license, hehe.
⠀⠀⠀⠀The style of writing for this story was inspired by One Eye Open, a work of interactive fiction that’s at least as gruesome as (if not far more so) than O. unilateralis, so I strongly advise you not to play it :0 (That being said, if you’ve done so before in the past and have gotten all 9 endings, can you tell me what all of them are? I only have 8, and I think I’m missing the Easter Egg ending, unless it’s “The House Always Win”.)

⠀⠀⠀⠀But anyways, on for the critique credits: I would like to thank the amazing Vivian for giving me feedback for the piece; it had really helped me with editing my rough draft, and I'm very grateful :>
⠀⠀⠀⠀And that’s all! Once again, thank you for reading ^w^

Edit: THIS WON BEST PERSPECTIVE A;SDLFKASKFLASDFA I DID NOT EXPECT THAT but I'm still really happy :>

Critique Sheets
Hello! These are the critique sheets for my two comp entries this session.
Please be brutally honest with everything; it’ll really help me improve! And it would be great if you can suggest specific changes as well

Please comment your sheet(s) here in this forum; it'll be easier for me to see!

The Journey We Must Take (Fanfiction Entry)

1) General critique?
Just do whatever critique you’ll like here (both general and line-by-line work for me); the next questions are more specific ^^


2) Were any sections confusing?
For example, maybe you mixed up the characters (which is completely fine; I’d expect that most of you critiquing haven’t watched the show) or don’t know where everything is.


3) Were any sections boring?
I know that some of the narration dragged on for a long time, so you can propose to cut some of it! I think I’m over the word limit anyways.


4) Can you spot the central themes?
For this piece, some of the themes are rather ambiguous, while others are very pronounced, and I really would appreciate some feedback about all of this!


5) Finally, could you spot any grammar/syntax mistakes?
I proofread the piece, but I might have missed some parts ;D

Higher Up (Normal Entry)

1) General critique?
Same as above ^^


2) In your opinion, did I utilize suspense well in the beginning?
I was sorta going for something like The Tell-Tale Heart, and I was wondering if I did it well ;3


3) What did you think of the plot twist?
Self-explanatory; I’m curious to hear about what you thought of its execution


4) Grammar/syntax mistakes?
Also self-explanatory!

I think that would be all! If you do critique one or both of my pieces, you’ll get a shout-out in the A/N of the respective piece(s) :>

MC daily 3/21

The sea is the sky
The sky is the sea
Birds swim and fish fly
Clouds and whitecaps meet

Higher Up , I think you did well describing the ant emotion, however, can you tell me how the lab looks like? Really good job overall!

Huihui06 wrote:

Higher Up , I think you did well describing the ant emotion, however, can you tell me how the lab looks like? Really good job overall!

Alright, thanks for the feedback!
I'll add in a few sentences of description for the lab

I was really intrigued by your story (the fanfic entry)! It’s a great narrative with a lot of facts that have been pulled well from history, and the ending was very conclusive and satisfying. I have a couple minor things to point out.

• To start, in the fourth paragraph when you introduce Fernand, after you say where he arrived from maybe include some information about his experience at the camp, because the transition from that sentence to the next on his perception of the Red Army leaves a kind of gap in there that you could fill up.
  
  
• Also at the beginning, other than shock, there is a sort of absence of other emotions, so perhaps you could include some comments in his thoughts about how he feels hopeful for the new future and grateful of the Russians’ service?
  
  
• When the two are traveling and you detail how they start talking more, (and this is personal preference) I would typically use something along the lines of ‘the frequency of their conversations started increasing’ rather than “sparking up”.
  
  
• After Karel departs and Fernand is left in his seat in the train, I’m not sure that the last sentence of the section is necessary (“it is time for the end of his journey”) due to that paragraph not being the last one in the story. Instead, you could leave it as is with ‘they would see each other again’ or include sentence that serves more of a transition role.
  
  
• Something I wanted to point out was that some of the tense words were slightly misleading – you use past tense and then some terms that signify a present progressive tense, such as “they have left behind a group” (as an alternative you could use ‘had’ rather than have) and “right now” (you could use ‘at the moment’).
  
  
• At the end, he seems to have walked a very long way – perhaps you could include some thoughts about reflecting on the meaning of finally getting to rest, while he is either in the train or on the walk back to Grangeville.
  
  
• And finally, I think it could be meaningful to include possible dreams that he might have had when he fell asleep on the train; perhaps he dreamed of better times, symbolizing hope for a brighter future.
  

Lastly, I recognize that you have a word limit so these critiques probably can’t be applied to the entry itself, but these are just made with the intention of improving the story, and they are in no shape or form necessary for you to include xD Your story was lovely to read, well done <33

Bellevue91 wrote:

snippppp

Tysm, Birdi! I was focusing more on the plot/themes of the story when I was writing/proofreading, but pointing out the more minor details really helped!

And about the paragraph at the end – I think I might have found a strategy for cutting down on the entry (I'm at 2050 words for my edited version) to focus more on the themes of the story and the relationships between characters (mostly Karel and Fernand). The things that you pointed out are quite relevant to what I was shooting for, so there's a good chance that I'll be able to address them!

Once again, thanks for the critique :>

Bellevue91 wrote:

And finally, I think it could be meaningful to include possible dreams that he might have had when he fell asleep on the train; perhaps he dreamed of better times, symbolizing hope for a brighter future.

In an early version of the fanfic that I wrote in February, I actually did have Fernand have some slightly chaotic dream on the train xD but then I removed it, and now I can't even remember why…
So I think bringing it back is a really good idea!

Weekly 3 (UNFINISHED)

Part 1: Inspiration from Music

1) Ruina Imperii

Turns out this is actually pretty close to what the song is about!

It is a foggy morning. The empty city streets are barren, uncomfortable, alien, and I peer out warily. The silence is pressing into every corner, but it is also strange; though I could hear nothing, there seems to be a vibration underneath, something rocking the core of the earth. Rhymathic, unstoppable. What could it be? There is no such thing I know of that possesses such immense power, such will! So I open the shades and peer out the window. Nothing at first. And then I see it.

A whole column of marching uniformed musicians – or are they soldiers? I can not tell from this distance. Slowly, I head downstairs, stairs creaking below me, and throw open the windows. A gust of wind flies inside, carrying the sound of music with it. Mournful and haunting, it sweeps me up in its ferocity. And with conviction, I head out the door and make a beeline for the column, crowd, band; whatever it is, I know that it is a group, unified by their emotions and husky voices ringing out into the grayness.

I now wander through the marching procession, the noise around me growing in volume. They seem to be determined, staring straight forward at something I cannot see. I chant with them, following the same music I’ve heard back at my house, but now with more power. And now I slowly absorb their sense of purpose, heading towards the destination with just as much gusto. A mixture of hope and dread settles in me, as if what greets me at the end of the procession would be both a great and terrible secret.

Caught up in the flurry of chaos surrounding me, I march along, following the direction of the group. Where are we going? I wonder. But a small part of me already knows the answer. We are heading for a dreadful storm, a steep cliff, a bolt of lightning, bringing me up but down at the same time. We are not there yet. But almost.

The people around me are a huge wave, carrying me to some ocean. So the voices grow and I follow. Everything is fine, fine, fine. I put trust in the chaos, and find solace in the hurricane.

A wrong choice. Because with no warning, the band emits one last cry, musicless, full of raw grief and despair. And then I plunge into the dreadful abyss.


2) Paganini Caprice 24

I didn't finish ^^' but the music was so cool!

She fervently shifts the pieces around, trying to complete the puzzle. Her brain works furiously, trying to identify the vibrant colors and piece them together into a coherent work. The picture she is trying to make is of a brilliant meadow of flowers – beautiful, yes, but at the same time it was so difficult to complete because of its complexity.

And finally the pressure slows down, and she slides the last pieces into their spots. The 1000-piece puzzle completed in a mere hour. This is a feat that most would gasp at and admire, but to her it was a disappointment; her record is 36 minutes.

Her hobbies are all done like this. She works on what makes her happy, and her actions are whimsical but determined. An odd combination of traits, to be sure, but this is her personality. Could anyone possibly change that?

“Dinnertime, Lisa!”


Part 2: Inspiration

I had really cool plans for this piece and I was originally going to continue it in Part 3 too :') the old man was going to get a book about WWI from Selena since he fought in Vietnam and his grandfather fought in the first aforementioned war. And then Bernard and Tiffany and Simon exist, hehe. Unfortunately, that never happened, but I really do want to continue this in the future!

I walk across the dreary office, gray and quiet. There was little light save for the dim and nauseous screen of computers, and the clattering of keyboards and the printing of papers grounded on my ears. Inside the cubicles were the many other secretaries and clerks, all cooped up in their cells in this bleak prison.

Many of them are bright and young, not seeming to mind this hard work, hopeful for a better future once they have finished their job here. But for me, it is already too late; my old bones creak inside and my breaths come out in ragged huffs, and I take a walking stick wherever I go. I fend for myself, live for myself, alienated from my family and acquaintances and the cruel world around me.

So here I am, working far beyond my “retirement” age. The younger interns jeer at me often. You wrinkly geezer! they yell and spit at my feet, then run off laughing while I fumble for my walking stick and shake it at them. Such juvenile delinquents, disappointments to society!

And yet I turn away, helpless to deal with these outside forces.

I get off of work at five. It is a warm spring afternoon, and the sun is still shining at this time. A soft breeze sweeps past as I head to the nearby park. It has been a customary tradition of mine to head to the park each day. There are children there who know me well, who greet me cheerfully as their parents look at me and wonder. I can tell what they were thinking as they take in my threadbare jacket and shoes with their numerous holes and the worn walking stick. Pity, suspicion, fear, apathy? All of these. But the children have no such reservations. To them, I am simply a cheerful old man – or as cheerful an old man could be under his circumstances.

Today I look up at the trees. The pines and spruces were as stoic and unchangeable as ever, but on some other trees, new leaves were budding. Small spots of vibrant green against the hazy brown and gray bark.

A/N for The Journey We Must Take
⠀⠀⠀⠀Hello! Welcome to the Author’s Note for The Journey We Must Take. This is going to be a bit rambly and spoiler-ridden at some parts, so I apologize for that in advance. Also, my writing fluctuates from somewhat formal/serious to very informal and chaotic, so that's a good thing to bear in mind too
⠀⠀⠀⠀Anyways, this A/N is divided into sections, and I hope that by reading you’ll get a better understanding of everything behind this fanfic. Let’s start!


Writing the fanfic and original plans
⠀⠀⠀⠀I believe I started writing this fanfic in mid-February, though I’ve had the idea for some time before that. Originally, I wanted to include Henri Lefebvre from Liberty’s Kids, partly because of how well LK and TLLH fit together, but I dropped the idea quite early on. You see, I’ve been planning to enter the fanfic in the writing comp even before I started writing it, so I was just worried about the word count. That, plus the fact that I quickly lost enthusiasm for the crossover idea, led to its demise.
⠀⠀⠀⠀But anyway, I started writing the fanfic, and I mostly jumped around from one section to another, working based on my spontaneous and very random preferences :’) which honestly wasn’t too bad most of the time, but it did make it hard to focus and write a lot in one sitting. I also procrastinated a lot, and more than half of the fanfic was actually written after the writing comp project came out. I originally also had a longer version, with a lot more details of Fernand’s interaction with the Grangeville people, but afterward I abandoned it since it was getting way too long and cumbersome to finish – at least for the writing comp. If I have the time and energy in the future (I doubt that I do) I’ll consider continuing the older version.
⠀⠀⠀⠀As for the version that eventually got adopted to the fanfic you’ve just read, it was initially more than 2300 words long. I’ve done a good bit of research on the history around what I wrote, but sadly (as is the case with a lot of research info) much of what I’ve learned wasn’t implemented in the fic. But anyways, I’m 300 words over the limit, and I’d also need to proofread and perhaps add even more words to reach a more complete story. Now how will this get solved?


Editing the fanfiction
⠀⠀⠀⠀After I finished writing about 4 days before the deadline, I started reaching out for critique requests as well as self-editing my story. The thing is, TJWMT is very plot- and theme-centered, which aren’t the best traits for a competition with a word limit. Moreover, I’ve received some feedback from Birdi pointing out a bunch of minor things I could improve on. So I was faced with the difficult dilemma between improving the quality of my fanfic and keeping more of my intended plot and themes.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I managed to settle the problem well enough, in my opinion. For the feedback that I received from Birdi and myself, I tried to resolve everything in the least possible number of words needed. I also focused on some key themes, plot points, and characters/relationships, then trimmed away the words that didn’t have much to do with it. Unfortunately, that meant I had to “kill my darlings,” namely the tidbits of historical information that I scattered around the fanfic. I'm still kinda sad about it ;3
⠀⠀⠀⠀But as my English teacher says, although sometimes a writer will never feel completely done with a piece, there really is a sort of a limit for editing and improving on a draft, and I guess this is mine!


Themes
⠀⠀⠀⠀I can safely say that the theme of family/friendship in war is so obvious that I could’ve literally put a big, red, bolded message at the beginning that says, THIS IS THE THEME! Subtleness and originality were just tossed out of the window, and it was completely intentional too! And this theme is pretty much exactly what the old Colette narrator says in the last 3 minutes of the show.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Aside from that, however, there are also quite a couple of less obvious themes, but I’ll leave them up to you to decipher. I mentioned one very briefly in passing near the end of the story.


Some rambling about the show & characters
(feel free to skip this if you're not in the mood to read it lol)
⠀⠀⠀⠀Quick note: There are some spoilers in this section; the very mild ones are shown but the more major ones are hidden; you’ll have to highlight some words in parentheses if you want to see them: (like this)!
⠀⠀⠀⠀The whole premise for this fanfic is an alternate universe, (where Fernand survives Auschwitz – in the canon storyline, he dies there). Me and Misty were both rather upset that (the Robinsons barely mention his death. I mean, yes, perhaps they were never sure that Fernand had died, but maybe they could’ve just mentioned him in the ending scene, or before? At least that scene in episode 9 (or is it 8?) did show that they were really sad about his absence). But anyways, I started expanding on that idea. Originally I thought that Karel (named after Karel Janoušek!) would be the whole reason that (Fernand survives), but I scrapped that idea because I wanted to have the opportunity to create and develop their relationship during the story, not before. Ultimately no explanation is given as to how Fernand manages to make it to this point, which honestly works fine.
⠀⠀⠀⠀I wished I had enough room to include more of the show’s characters. In my original version of the fanfic, I managed to include or mention more than a dozen characters, which is honestly really good. And there were a lot of reunions; I originally wanted Lieutenant Douglas to come back at the end with Rosie and Fernand’s parents. Unfortunately, the word limit and the fact that TLLH is far from a popular fandom meant that I couldn’t feature too many characters – they’ll all need context and I can’t spare them any with all of the plot that’s essential to the character.
⠀⠀⠀⠀But hey, at least I managed to get Otto in. He’s my favorite character, he’s the only remaining German by the end of the show, and he’s also a very sympathetic character (much of the fandom adores him lol). Couple that with the fact that he’s relevant to quite a couple of possible themes, and now you know he’s going to be featured. To be fair, he could have interacted with Fernand a lot more, and there’s the whole part of his character arc that’s missing. You know, all of the chaotic stuff that happened in episodes 9 and 10. But I guess a slight hint at a certain theme would be sufficient. He’s not the main character, after all; Fernand is!
⠀⠀⠀⠀Plus Mr. Herpin is really underrated – that scene with him and Robert and the other (Resistance people in episode 8 was just so awesome. And he sacrificed himself for the Robinsons too). But anyways, moving on.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Fernand’s family members were mentioned a couple of times in the show, although never by name. The fact that he was saying goodbye to his grandmother just before he left definitely shows that he cares deeply for his family, and I did try to make use of this.
⠀⠀⠀⠀TLLH is definitely really great for fanfics. It provides a lot of details, which are easy to miss (the first time watching I never caught that Fernand was from Obernai, for example). And it doesn’t leave all questions answered (what happened to Colonel von Krieger after he escaped?), which is really interesting.
⠀⠀⠀⠀Now, that’s enough for this section; time for the credits!


Credits
⠀⠀⠀⠀I know I already mentioned some of these previously in the A/N, but here’s a more extensive list!

• The Long Long Holiday, of course! After all, this piece is a fanfic of the show. All named characters with the exception of Karel (he’s my own) are from TLLH.
  
• Birdi for giving me feedback! She put a lot of effort into her critique and I’m very grateful ^^ unfortunately, due to the word count limit, I wasn't able to take some of her really great suggestions, but Birdi really helped with my editing process!
  
• Luna for offering to critique. Although she wasn’t able to finish, it was very kind of her to help!
  
• Four of my irl friendos for reading it through – some of them helped me cut down on the word count too :> I can’t name you guys by full name right here, only by K, G, R, and C. But tysm for your help!
  
• Grammarly for checking grammar and cutting down on my words, hehe
  
• “Journeys we are meant to take,” a lyric from the song Fly Away by TheFatRat. It wasn’t consciously inspired by the lyric – the title name just popped into my head one day and it took me a while to realize how similar it was to it –but it certainly deserves some credit too.
  

Two supplementary links :>
Both are on-site videos! They're kinda just additional sources for you to view, but if you're short on time you don't have to look at them.

• Episode 2 of TLLH ^^ Fernand's first speaking role in the show is at 3:15! Goodness, Mr. Herpin just went like “yOu'Re An EmBaRrAsSmEnT” at Marcel, and Jean just breaks into encyclopedia mode ;3
  
• This AMV of the show with the song Somewhere Only We Know is awesome! It would be a good idea to finish the show first, to avoid spoilers, but you can also watch the whole thing to get an idea of what's going on. (It's pretty out-of-context though, of course). 2:34-2:36 is the part where Fernand gets arrested.
  
  (Allow me to point out a few of my favorite parts of the AMV: the dead soldier scene, the plane scene, and the clubhouse scene (1:07-1:27), because it just really shows the descent into darkness after the first two episodes of the show, but the last part is just so wholesome at the same time; the scenes with Herpin and Robert (2:48-2:59) because they're just so emotional; then right after THAT THING WITH THE EXPLOSION AND THEN THE FIRE AND SOLDIERS (2:59-3:01) IT'S SO SHORT BUT IT'S JUST SO WELL-PUT AT THE SAME TIME, and it transitions quite nicely to the next part with the barn scene; after that the episodes 9-10 scenes (3:04-3:21) were really good too – they highlight the way that the climax materialized and really covered the grand finale pretty well; THEN THAT SCENE WITH OTTO (3:21-3:24) IS JUST SO SAD, AND YES I DO KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS BUT IT'S GOOD ENOUGH TO MAKE ME FORGET ABOUT ALL OF THAT; and finally from that Robinsons bicycle scene to the end (3:33-3:53) is excellent, showing the end to all of the characters' struggles in the war. The whole AMV is super well-done, especially at the choruses and in the second half of the song (I just realized that the scenes I cited made up the entirety of the last minute xDDD), and the scenes match the mood of the song really well ^^ I have a habit of rewatching it about once or twice every week ahaha.)
  

Alright, I’ve written 1500+ words for this A/N, and I’m going to stop here. Thanks for reading!
AND GO WATCH TLLH RIGHT NOW :000 Here’s a (hopefully) helpful guide that I wrote! (As with other links in this A/N, viewing is completely optional)


Edit: sorry for editing this after the deadline ahaha, I just wanted to add the two links ^^ since this isn't technically part of the entry I think that's allowed?
Edit #2 (April 10th PST): Fixed the descriptions for the links and the first paragraph, and also slightly edited the section about the show. It's strange how I care so much about perfecting this A/N, but I'm completely satisfied with the entry itself xD

Mc daily 3/29 (3/30 UTC)

191 words hehe

At first glance, I may not be much of a looker. Just a simple everyday school supply, albeit one that is not quite as often used as stationary. You've all used me in your various artistic endeavours, using me on paper and tape and just about anything you can not rip apart with the sheer force of muscle. When you have neither the precision nor the brains to use your fingers on something, it all comes down to me. Haven't you had the experience of trying to hunt me down, and then giving an agonizing groan when you fail? I suppose you've never really thought about how I operate, how my components rotate into a narrowing angle. Perhaps you've never even realized I had two components, two functioning parts joined by a simple screw. But please, do take the time to appreciate me more – to try closing in that angle and hear the sharp sound of friction, to snip delightedly at construction paper, to unscrew that screw and see what I'm really like. Though keep in mind your parents may not take it well if you play too roughly with me.

Task #4 for Fan-Fi
Morning

67 words!

I guess I'm feeling quite alright. Today is the last day of camp, and I'll definitely miss SWC for the next few months. But I'm also super excited for the results! Today I have a fanfic and an essay to speedrun, so I'll have to get working soon. I have a strong feeling that I'll lose motivation for the fanfic if I can't add words for it.


Noon

Just a continuation of the previous section, 73 words (I was on mobile okay-)

Today is Thursday. And it's the middle of my spring break. It's very unfortunate that I can't go to Knott's Berry Farm with all my classmates. But hey, I already went last year. And besides, today my sister is going on a field trip, so that's pretty cool. Hrm, I guess I'll just stay home and do whatever. At least tomorrow is my 6-Hour-Speedrun and I can do the TLLH Hunger Games simulator.


Afternoon

A Sherlock Holmes and Monk crossover! Which is a really bad idea since I've only read A Study in Scarlet and watched the first two seasons of Monk lol.
I tried to replicate ACD’s writing style but pretty much failed, w h o o p s.
319 words

The fog swirled around the gray London streets. Few were able to be seen out and about, but I pressed onward with Sherlock Holmes, who seemed to be exceptionally animated despite the dreary weather.

“See here, Dr. Watson, the object we are dealing with here is of an extraordinary nature,” he explained. “It's sufficient to say that we should be careful with this case, for the consequences will certainly be unpleasant if we fail.”

His vagueness did not quite reassure me, but at that moment we came to a crack in the pavement, and Holmes crouched down to examine it.

“I don't see how this could possibly be related to this case!” I exclaimed, but peered closer at the crack all the same. It was cut in a precise triangle, a work so detailed that it must have been put there intentionally.

Out of mere curiosity, I reached over to touch the triangle with my fingertip, and at that moment bright light illuminated the dark streets. Startled, I kept back, but Holmes grabbed my arm.

“It'll do no good for us to be separated.”

I closed my eyes against the blinding light, and then I crashed unceremoniously into a desk drawer.

My eyes flitted open. Holmes and I were in a small office, empty save for two men in suits who stared at us in astonishment. One was in his forties or fifties, with ruffled tawny hair and mustache. The other seemed to be younger and thinner, wearing a silvery gray suit, the expression of surprise displayed perfectly on his face. He was holding a stone with the same triangular etching.

“Sherlock Holmes?” he gasped, almost dropping the strange stone. My companion nodded amiably, pleased to be recognized in such a strange situation.

“And you must be Dr. Watson,” the mustached man inclined his head towards me, and I nodded. Then he continued:

“Captain Stottlemeyer, and that's Lieutenant Disher.”

Then, the captain turned to Disher and whispered something strange: “Call Monk.”


Evening

A scene from my TLLH fanfic, hehe (the same one I was talking about in the Morning section!). I won't show the finished version here in my forum, unfortunately.
aNgSt YaAaAy (I never made it completely explicit in this snippet, actually, but this the (almost-)execution scene </3)
245 words!

Blurred. Everything blurred, with his tears. Otto could still feel the eyes of the crowd fixed on him and the other prisoners, Marcel and Gaston staring at him with horror, and the watchful gaze of the Resistance fighters as they brandished their rifles. Wrongs have been done against France during the war, and now they will be repaid by blood.

It was all so unsettling, so wrong. An eye for an eye, isn’t it just pure revenge, nothing more? Otto tried and failed to piece these thoughts together. But his mind drifted further back, as everything around him faded away.

During this dreadful war, the four years he spent in the little town of Grangeville had also been such a happy time of his life. The fresh air and beautiful beach truly made it such a blissful place. And there he met the delightful children, so lively and bright, their antics always amusing to him.

And Jeanne. Otto remembered the first day they met, when he and Hans had gone to the farm to deliver the requisition order. She didn’t like either of them at first, of course. But after Hans left and time went on, she and Otto grew closer, with their little talks and shared experiences. And despite everything, despite all of the consequences, despite all the pain it could bring, they fell in love.

I cared. I’ve done all I could.

But there was nothing he could do now. He couldn’t stay.

filly3000 wrote:

Ugh, why do I have to do this? I muttered, standing at the edge of a very crumbly cliff, that was overlooking a rapid river. “Because of the incident back at camp” The Professor snapped back. He was still mad I supposed. But I did not regret doing what I did. Even if it meant being excluded from the outing into the wild. Or trying out an invention of his that would probably not kill me but break a few bones. I remember what I had done like it was yesterday, cause it was. It all started when the gang (the anchovies) and I found this really cool

artifact outside of our camp. Well, we weren’t sure that it was an artifact, but the Professor told us when he caught us later.

“Don’t think that getting this artifact will mean that you’re Indiana Jones,” he said with annoyance when he took the scepter from us. He was obviously disgruntled because we didn’t report the artifact to him. We were merely on an expedition to collect some natural specimens; we’re not anthropologists or archaeologists! Not Indiana Jones, if we wanted to use the argument against him. So why did he have the right to confiscate the artifact from us?

But of course, he still did, and because I was sort of at the head of this business, I was the one to be punished the most severely.

“Now, you see, you’ll have to adjust the strap like so,” the Professor instructed, bushy gray mustache twitching as he talked. I grumpily fiddled with the landing gear. His substitute for a parachute didn’t exactly seem safe.

Sandy-Dunes wrote:

Fan-fi Task #1

filly3000 wrote:

Ugh, why do I have to do this? I muttered, standing at the edge of a very crumbly cliff, that was overlooking a rapid river. “Because of the incident back at camp” The Professor snapped back. He was still mad I supposed. But I did not regret doing what I did. Even if it meant being excluded from the outing into the wild. Or trying out an invention of his that would probably not kill me but break a few bones. I remember what I had done like it was yesterday, cause it was. It all started when the gang (the anchovies) and I found this really cool

artifact outside of our camp. Well, we weren’t sure that it was an artifact, but the Professor told us when he caught us later.

“Don’t think that getting this artifact will mean that you’re Indiana Jones,” he said with annoyance when he took the scepter from us. He was obviously disgruntled because we didn’t report the artifact to him. We were merely on an expedition to collect some natural specimens; we’re not anthropologists or archaeologists! Not Indiana Jones, if we wanted to use the argument against him. So why did he have the right to confiscate the artifact from us?

But of course, he still did, and because I was sort of at the head of this business, I was the one to be punished the most severely.

“Now, you see, you’ll have to adjust the strap like so,” the Professor instructed, bushy gray mustache twitching as he talked. I grumpily fiddled with the landing gear. His substitute for a parachute didn’t exactly seem safe.

“I don’t suppose you have a contingency plan for what happens if we die, do you?” the girl beside me whispered, her dark eyes twinkling with sarcasm. I

I snorted, shaking my head at Anika. My best friend tended to be rather sarcastic- but she was brutally honest as well.

“We’ll be fine,” I reassured her, not believing it myself. I peered over the cliffside, gazing at the lush landscape that lay hundreds of feet below us. From up here, the emerald tree canopies looked soft and welcoming- I’m sure they were much more prickly up close.

“Just hold on and don’t let go, and we should be there before we know it,” I said. “Then collect a few specimens, snap four or five photos, jot down a page of notes and we’ll be on our way back home!”

Anika sighed irritably, blowing a strand of black hair out of her face. “Fine. But if we die, you’re out of the will.”

“Hurry up, you two!” The Professor called from his spot on the cliffside, staring at us with crossed arms.

Fan-Fi Task #6

Introduction (59 words)
For generations, the Adventures, Protectors, and Warriors had quarreled over their ancestors’ legacy and right to power. One family, fractured into three, each faction trying to repair their talisman to gain sole control of power. But now, as we have risen together to restore the Heart’s memory, we are now united. We are not three divisions, but one forest.