Just another SWCer passing by lol… don't mind me ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

Daily: Nov 2nd

I've never gained much from being a pâtissier.

At first, it was just an easy way to get a treat when my father baked. A sweet aroma would dance on the air whenever that happened, and my siblings and I would dash into the kitchen, begging him to let us help.

We were in it for the benefits, really.

But that quality time together — that time that's now long gone — is something I wish I'd cherished more back then. Perhaps if I had-

“So, Ms Cook, what inspired you to get into baking in the first place?”

Right.

The interview. Something that was part of the real world, the world in the here and now.

Whatever had happened in the past, there was no point in looking back in it. After all, there's nothing you can do to change it, right?

“I suppose, even from a young age, it was always something I was drawn to,” I answered, putting on a smile. “My father used to love baking too, you see.”

“You could say it runs in the family then, right?” The interviewer grinned, turning toward the camera. "It is in the name, after all!“

We both laughed. Mine wasn't genuine, and though I knew his wasn't either, it was hard to tell at a glance.

”Well, I suppose that's all from us then. Ms Cook, we'll all be looking forward to the launch of your new business expansions!“

”Thank you," I managed another smile, pointing it in the camera's direction.

In a matter of minutes, we were done. I heaved a sigh of relief, lifting my arm slightly to check the time on my watch. I really can't be late again, so I-

“Ms Cook! Thank you for your time!” A voice interrupted my thoughts, and I plastered another smile onto my face.

Admittedly, I didn't really recognise the woman in front of me. I'd seen her earlier, but I couldn't recall who she was or what conversation we'd had. Which made me feel a little guilty, but oh well.

“Of course,” I responded, maintaing my expression. “I'm glad I got this opportunity — it was a great experience.”

“Ah, really? I'm happy to hear you say that!” The woman laughed, before glaring in the interviewer's direction. Her gave fell, and though I didn't know much about how the work environment usually was, a shiver dashed down my spine. "Unfortunately, not everything was up to my standard…“

I glanced behind me, registering the look of alarm on the man's face. With a sigh, I blocked the woman's line of vision, this time giving a deliberately tight smile. ”I'm sure you strive for excellence, then.“

”Naturally,“ she furrowed her brow, sending her hand out for a handshake. ”As I'm sure you know, Ms Cook, everybody has a different way of going about such things. Excellence, and the like.“

”Oh, yes,“ I nodded, clasping her hand. ”I'm sure you encourage and inspire all your employees, Mrs…“ I took a quick glance at her name tag. ”Monterins.“

”Please,“ she spoke through gritted teeth, letting go of my hand. ”Call me Phoebe.“

I moved slightly, taking another glance back. The interviewer wasn't in his seat — I couldn't blame him for fleeing the scene — and just about everybody else was staring at us, whispering amongst themselves.

”Well, Phoebe, it was a pleasure meeting you and having this opportunity,“ I smiled. ”I'm afraid I have to go now, though. Have a lovely day.“

”And you, Ms Cook-“

”Lianda,“ I interrupted. Mrs Monterins gave me a light smile, correcting herself. ”Take care, Lianda. I look forward to seeing you flourish in the near future."

We nodded at each other, eyes narrowed, before walking in our separate directions. I kept that welcoming smile plastered on my face, pretending that I hadn't noticed that everyone was gossiping and whispering around me.

If you're going to do that, at least try to make it less obvious.

I sighed, glancing up at a clock.

One twenty eight.

If I hurried, I could still make it on time…that's not wishful thinking, right? It's possible. Maybe not early, but on time. That would be enough for me.

But I'd have to get there first.



One thirty six.

I practically fell into the car, frantically shoving my bag to one side. “Ryan, we need to-”

“Woah there, relax a little,” he interrupted me, glancing at me via the rearview mirror. “You're not usually in such a rush, Lia. Is everything okay?”

“Well yes…no…it should be,” I stammered, reaching for my seatbelt. Ryan frowned, wrinkling his nose. “I'm not following you.”

"It's just…I was hoping to get back home by two thirty. It's my Vinny's birthday-“

”Li, that's absurd,“ Ryan gaped, his eyes widening in disbelief. ”There's no way you'll be able to-“

”You never know until you try, right?“

Ryan frowned again as he started the engine. ”You know, he's grown out of that nickname. ‘Vinny’, I mean. Are you going to keep calling him that?“

I chuckled softly, gazing out of the window. ”Maybe only to myself. But what he doesn't know won't hurt him."

The conversation dwindled quite a bit after that. That's how it'd always been between Ryan and I — sometimes we'd chat for hours and other times we'd sit in silence and contemplate something or other.

In this case, I think he was just trying to give me some space.

I had very few friends, I was beginning to realise, like Ryan. Friends who knew when to talk and when I wasn't in the mood. Friends who knew how to cheer me up and when I needed some time alone.

It made me wonder, 'am I good friend'?

I wanted to be a friend to my kids as well. I wanted them to feel like they could confide in me, and to know that I cared.

Somehow, though, I don't think it was working out the way I'd hoped it would.

“Vinny- Vincent? Are you awake?”

“No,” a muffled response came from under the duvet, and I couldn't help but laugh a little as I settled on the edge of the bed. “Was that supposed to be convincing?”

“I'm tired,” Vincent yawned, peeking out from a gap in the duvet, which he'd wrapped around himself. “Are you leaving?”

“I…I have to be somewhere,” I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. It was too hard, knowing he'd be disappointed. I knew how much he'd been looking forward to today.

“You promised you'd clear your schedule,” he frowned, slowly sitting up.

My throat ran dry, just as my heart began to throb in my chest. "I promised that I'd try. And I did. I really did try.“

No response.

I glanced at my son, my fingers twitching nervously as I spoke. ”Vin? Are you mad at me?“

”Go away,“ his voice was muffled again, and he turned away from me. With a sigh, I stood up. I reached out to tousle his hair, then thought better of it, pulling my hand back.

”I'll…try to be back by two thirty, okay? Is that alright with you?"

This time, he moved away from me as well, practically pushing himself against the wall. I wanted to say something else, but in a situation like this, what could I say?

“Happy birthday, sweetie,” I murmured. I hadn't meant for it to come out as a whisper, but it had.

It wasn't the only thing I wished I could've changed.

“Li? Are you alright?”

“Hmm?” I moved away from the window, rubbing my eyes as Ryan answered, “you were crying. But I think you were half asleep…?”

“Oh,” I sat up properly, wincing as I noticed a small ache in my neck. “I guess I dozed off for a moment.”

My gaze automatically moved toward my watch, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw the time.

Ten past two.

“How far-?”

“I really don't think we'll be able to get there on time, Li,” Ryan spoke slowly and quietly. “I'm sorry. I didn't want to let you down, especially with how stressful things have been for you lately, but-”

“Don't apologise; I understand,” I sighed, managing that award-winning smile again. “I set unrealistic expectations for myself.”

Ryan didn't say anything, and I could tell he was thinking. Even so, he didn't end up saying anything.

In a way, I somewhat wished he would.

Being alone with my thoughts didn't seem like a particularly welcoming idea. Not at the moment, anyway.



Two fifty five.

I'd already thanked Ryan, dropped my keys thrice, and stumbled into the house.

My heart was pounding in my chest, almost as though to remind me of how many minutes late I was. A tear trickled down my cheek, not out of guilt, but out of pure despair.

Then footsteps.

I moved away from the front door, a pang of hope jabbing at me. “Vinny?”

“Mom?” It wasn't my son's voice that reached my ears, but that of my eldest daughter, Scarlett. Her brother followed behind her, and they both frowned at me.

"Have you been crying?“ Vincent asked, after a moment of silence. I tried to respond, but my lower lip was quivering and I'd seemed to have lost my voice.

My kids glanced at each other, their eyes widening. ”Mom, what's wrong?“ Scarlett started, walking toward me. ”Did something happen? Why won't you say anything? You're scaring me…!“

”I'm sorry,“ I blurted out, pulling them both in for a hug. ”I'm okay. Don't worry about it.“ They seemed confused, but didn't object, enjoying the moment.

I breathed a sigh of relief, moving away.

Why had I been so worked up? Did I think they'd hate me, or push me away? Shouldn't I know my own kids better than that?

”Are you okay now?“ Vincent asked, linking his arm with mine. I managed a smile, nodding. My son grinned at me leading me down the hallway. ”Good. I was worried that we wouldn't be able to give you your surprise.“

”My surprise?“ I frowned as Scarlett linked her arm with my other one, winking at me as she did so. ”It was Vin's idea.“

”But…But Vinny, it's your birthday-“

”Just close your eyes,“ Vincent smiled. I did so, just as he continued, ”usually I'd tell you not to call me Vinny, but it's okay for today, I guess.“

”Hmm?“ Now that I'd calmed down, it was easier to take note of my surroundings, even with my eyes closed.

A familiar aroma danced on the air, and I smiled softly, transported into my childhood for a moment, remembering a time in which my father, mother and brothers were laughing and smiling at the dinner table.

Then I gasped, opening my eyes.

”You didn't-?“

”I just wanted to see you today,“ Vincent glanced at the chocolate cake on the kitchen counter, smiling. ”…Is that too cliche?“

”Oh, you two are so…“ My voice trailed off as I struggled to find the words. I frowned, studying the cake. ”Isn't that the family recipe style? How did you-“

”It's a secret," my kids grinned in unison.

For the first time in a while, I couldn't help but give a genuine smile.

Daily: Nov 4th

Line: It's too cold.

If you had to choose between looking out for yourself and looking out for the people you care about, what would you do?

Maybe you'd like to think you'd put others first.

Perhaps you actually would.

Then again, people — even if unintentionally — tend to look after themselves first. If I can't even keep myself safe and healthy, we think to ourselves, how can I expect to keep someone else safe and healthy?

I glanced at my brother as he handed out mugs of hot chocolate, smiling brightly at each customer as he wished them a good day.

The smallest of frowns settled on my lips.

I didn't want him to surround himself with so many people. I didn't want him to get accustomed to the idea of caring for someone means they'll care for you, because it doesn't and frankly, it never ends well either.

“Your brother's doing much more for the community than you are,” a voice observed, snapping me out of my thoughts. I tried to keep myself from frowning as the person sat on the cobblestone, beside me.

Ah. None other than Claire, the granddaughter of the founder of our so called ‘town’.

“Am I supposed to be doing more?” I asked, resting my head in my knees as she responded, “I guess not. But it's nice to do, isn't it?”

"Then why aren't you helping?“ I glanced at her, and she gave an awkward laugh. ”I don't know either. Maybe I should start.“

”Maybe you should.“

”In that case, don't you think you should do the same, Jayce?“ I narrowed my eyes a little at the question. ”Why should I? I don't owe these people anything.“

There was silence for a moment. Then Claire spoke again, her voice slightly softer. ”I don't think that's true. Grandpa did a lot for this place, you know. He took the ruins of a town and revived them into something new. And now, my dad-“

”Both of them have done their part,“ I interrupted, ”and now other people are doing theirs. And since they volunteered, why should I owe them anything?“

”That's not how gratitude works-“

”Then I guess I'm ungrateful.“

Claire scowled, standing up abruptly. ”You know what, Jayce? You must have a cold, lonely soul,“ she snarled, glaring down at me. ”Is there anything in your heart at all?“

I grinned a little.

There it was.

Push someone even the tiniest bit too far and they'll snap easily. Shed a little bit of light, and their true colors pour out like water from a bucket.

”Yeah,“ I answered her question, standing up myself. ”Ice.“

”Well, all ice melts eventually,“ Claire sighed, dusting herself down as she spoke. ”Most of the time, it vanishes without a trace, and to tell the truth, I'm hoping that will happen this time around, too.“

She turned on her heel and walked away after another scowl, her hair almost seeming to attempt to grab at me as it swished from side to side, almost as though it was strands of a shadow attached to her hair.

”Jayce!" Kodi's voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned in the direction it had come from.

It made me smile a little, knowing that my little brother was there. He was the only flame, in this world that had frosted me over, to shine brightly.

Or maybe, the only flame that had kept its light at all.

Everything else that I'd had a reason to hold onto was long gone. Everything.

“If you leave to look for them,” Town Leader Merrick frowned, “who will look after your little brother?”

“I-”

“I'm serious, Jayce,” Merrick interrupted, gesturing for me to sit down. "Think about it. Outside, is the real world. Inside, is the safe world that I've created. Your parents were brave enough to venture into a dangerous world to help provide for the rest of the community-“

”I know, but-“

”In any case, you're far too young to go out there alone,“ Merrick concluded. ”There's already a search party looking for them, Jayce. If they're out there, they'll find them.“

”What if they don't?“ I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms to distract me from the tears that were threatening to fall. ”What if they never come back?“

”They will,“ Merrick answered firmly. His gaze softened as he wrapped his arms around me, holding me in warm embrace. ”You just need to wait. Okay, Jayce?“

I only nodded, my lip quivering.

Then a question, a question that almost seemed to cruel to say aloud, forced itself into my head.

”What if…what if they've run away? To the Outside?“ My voice trembled as I spoke, and for a moment Merrick hesitated, seemingly holding his breath.

He sighed, exhaling. ”They'll be back soon, Jayce. You'll see.

I flinched a little, pushing the memory out of my head.

In the end, despite everything that was said and done, they didn'tcome back. And before long, Merrick was gone too.

Claire could talk and talk about how he'd founded the town and paved the way for all of us to be where we are now. She could talk about how great her grandfather had been and how wonderful it was that her father was the successor.

None of it meant anything to me.

Not anymore.

“Jayce?” I turned my attention to Kodi, managing the slightest of smiles.

Kodi, my little brother.

Kodi, who was still here, right now. Kodi who, unlike everyone that had played a part in my past, was standing right in front of me.

I inhaled, calming my breathing.

It was time to focus on what I still had. Whatever I'd had in the past, no matter how important it had been, was gone.

Nothing was going to change that.



“We're running out of food,” Kodi noted, closing the fridge with a sigh. I tapped my fingers on the dusty, wooden floor staring at a pile of dust as I spoke. “It's your turn to eat today-” I started.

One glance at my brother, though, and I could see in an instant that guilt was written all over his face.

With a sigh, I patted on the space beside me on the floor, gesturing that he join me. “It's not your fault, you know. There's never enough for everyone.”

“I know,” Kodi sat down, hugging his knees. “But I don't like eating whilst you sit here starving-”

"It's not starving,“ I interrupted, ”it's rationing.“

”It's starving,“ Kodi repeated decisively. He paused, before a small smile spread across his face. ”I guess I'm okay with it, though, as long as you are.“

I grinned, nudging him a little. ”Then hurry up and eat, before I take it for myself.“

”Fine, I'm going,“ I watched as Kodi stood up again, walking over to the tiny fridge in the corner. He hesitated at it, turning back to me. ”Hey, Jayce?“

”Yeah?“

”…Nevermind," he shook his head, seemingly amused by whatever it was he was going to say.

Maybe it was something sentimental, like ‘I’m glad you're my brother' or ‘thanks for looking out for me’.

Maybe he was going to ask, ‘how come our parents never came back?’

I guess I'll never really know. But it made me smile nonetheless, even when the room spun ever so slightly and my head went that little bit more blank.

To be honest, it reminded me of all the times I'd woken up with an extra blanket. It reminded me of all the times noticed there was just a little more food leftover from the previous day than there ought to be.

Most of all, it reminded me of all those times I'd felt alone, like the world had swallowed me up and left everyone else behind.

Those times when I was too cold and numb and lonely to feel anything at all.

“Why're you so deep in thought?”

“No reason,” I responded.

Maybe Claire was right; maybe I really did have a cold and lonely soul.

But if that were true, I wouldn't be feeling this lump in my throat, and I wouldn't feel as though my heart were about to explode. I wouldn't be wiping tears quickly enough that my brother wouldn't see them or pretending I was tired when really, sleep was an eternity away.

Because, in the end, she was right: all ice melts eventually.

I just hope that ‘eventually’ will be long enough.

Daily: Nov 5th

Dream: A school field trip to the middle of the ocean, in which there's an underwater volcano…that has a secret chamber (ㆁωㆁ)

Oh, and there are somehow ✨buses✨ driving around in the middle of the ocean too. And the water splits to let them through-

Not gonna incorporate everything into this piece of writing, but you get the point lol
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“You'll never leave this place, now that you're here,” she snarled, a hint of amusement lining the malice in her voice. “This place has been a secret for years. No-one will find you.”

"But I found you,“ Amy smirked. ”And if that's possible, then the others can find me, too.“

”I wouldn't be so sure, love,“ The Duchess stood from her seat on the opposite end of the long table, glaring down at the young teen. ”Who's to say they haven't abandoned you?“

Amy wrinkled her nose, standing from her own seat. ”They're not like you and your goons, Duchess. They're my friends, and they'd never give up on me. Not without evidence.“

There was silence for a moment. Then The Duchess began to chuckle, shaking her head. ”You know, you sound really cliché right now. Naïve and young — that's what you are.“

”Maybe you're jealous that you don't have anyone you can rely on,“ Amy frowned, walking toward The Duchess.

The older woman only smiled though, seemingly dismissive of Amy's words. ”Well, you said that they won't give up without evidence, right?“ She clicked her fingers, and Amy flinched as the doors opened behind her foe. ”Then let's give them some, shall we?"

Amy gulped.


“We can't give up on her!” Sipho repeated, exasperated. "Come on, you have to at least try to look for her, right? It's your responsibility!“

”Sipho, we have been looking. We've been looking for hours-“

”How could hours ever be enough time?“ Sipho followed after Lughton, practically begging as he continued, ”you have to keep looking. I know she's still out there. She has to be.“

”Listen, Sipho,“ Lughton sighed, turning around. ”I know it's hard to get through. But this is just something you'll have to get used to over time-“

”What do you mean?“ Sipho knew exactly what Lughton meant. But he wanted to hear it aloud; he wanted to know that he was definitely right.

”I mean that you don't that she's out there.“

”But you don't know that she's not out there,“ Sipho shot back. He sighed, leaning against the wall. ”Please. Just…just don't stop looking, okay?“

”It doesn't work that way,“ Lughton spoke quietly, lowering his head. ”People like her go off on a whim as soon as they think they're onto something. We can't even be sure whether this entire mission has been based on mere speculation or not-“

”Why should that matter?“ Sipho asked, blocking Lughton's path. ”Why should that change things?“

”Because it means there is still work to be done,“ Lughton gave a sigh, placing a gentle hand on Sipho's shoulder. ”And when there's work to be done, it has to be a priority. Even if you have to let people go in the process.“

Sipho pushed Lughton's hand away, aggressively wiping his eyes with his sleeve. ”If you won't do it as the head of this ‘organisation’, then do it for me. As my uncle.“

Lughton shook his head, continuing down the hallway.

”I wish I could."

The Duchess wasn't known for being ruthless, even though one might expect she would be.

Instead, she was known for her flawless plans. She didn't just get rid of people — she made sure they were never heard from again.

The scary part?

Rumor had it that it rarely related to death.

“You won't do this,” Amy spoke through gritted teeth, struggling to loosen the handcuffs around her wrists, to no avail.

“Won't I?” The Duchess gave a look of mock contemplation, before smiling. “I think I will. In fact, I'm quite looking forward to it.”

“You won't-”

“Get away with it?” She laughed, shoving Amy through a doorway. “Been there, done that. And guess what? I'll do it again. Like I'm about to now.”

Amy gritted her teeth, trying to think of something to buy her some time. “SHADOW will look for me,” she waffled. “They'll get to this eventually; you can count on it. And when they do, you'll finally get what you deserve.”

“Uh-huh, nice story, love,” The Duchess closed the door behind her, fiddling with the handcuffs. Amy held her breath as she heard a soft click.

The handcuffs fell to the floor. Amy spun round, glaring at The Duchess. “Oh, I hope you weren't planning on running away.”

“Let me go,” Amy had to spit the words to force them to leave her lips. The Duchess raised an eyebrow, and she continued, “If you do, I'll keep quiet about this place. I'll tell SHADOW that I was wrong.”

“You sound as though you think I'm going to hurt you,” The Duchess pouted, crossing her arms. “Why, that hurts my feelings.”

“Please,” Amy begged.

The Duchess smiled, moving toward the door. “I would. But I just can't risk it. You understand, right? I spent so many years setting this place up,” she tilted her head, studying the teenage girl in front of her. “You're one of the few people who managed to see through the volcano disguise, and you're also among the even fewer who managed to find the chamber.”

Amy said nothing, avoiding The Duchess' gaze. The woman continued, “unfortunately, you don't get the award for discovering the contents of the chamber. Only one person managed to do that,” she paused, before adding, “he died. But that's beside the point.”

"What is the point?“ Amy asked. The Duchess grinned, replying, ”the point is that it's time for you to join the others."

Amy's heart skipped a beat.

She wanted to go home, back to her family and friends, and for once, she wanted her brother to tell her annoying she was. She longed for Sipho to tell her ‘I told you so’. To say, ‘I knew it would be too dangerous. You owe me an ice cream sundae’.

She wanted things to go back to the way they were two years ago.

But, if anything was clear, it was that that wouldn't happen.


Sipho flopped onto his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He didn't want to get up; it would be better if he could stay there forever.

Maybe that would make the ache go away.

Things, though, are never that easy.

He felt as though he wanted to scream and cry, but no sound left his lips and no tears left his eyes.

Instead, he was left alone, surrounded by a quiet that was too painful to bear. Even so, it somehow managed to soothe the much larger pain he was feeling. Or, at least, the pain he was trying to ignore.

Sipho closed his eyes, exhaling into the pillow.

He was surrounded by a daunting silence. Perhaps his uncle was right; perhaps he ought to deal with it and move on.

Would it be okay for him to that, though?

He didn't know anymore.


Amy let out a long sigh, staring blankly through the ‘window’, watching the fish swim by. It was strange, now that she though about it.

Two sides of a building.

On their side, they were deep within the ocean, and they were free. On her side, she was deep within the ocean and she was trapped.

'The others' bustled around her, talking to each other, laughing and somehow enjoying life.

They had everything they needed; food, beds, even a roof over their heads. But none of it was by choice. Maybe, over time, they'd gotten used to it.

Would she?

"The Duchess is dangerous, Amy,“ Sipho protested. ”Even if you're right, and she's been planning something, it's not your job to deal with it. Leave it to the higher ranking-“

”If I do that, they'll nevers stop her in time,“ Amy narrowed her eyebrows, getting into the boat. ”If you don't want to join me, fine. Do what you want. But don't try to stop me either, Sipho.“

”That's not fair, and you know it,“ Sipho huffed. ”I'm just looking out for you.“

”You're either in, or you're out."

It didn't take a genius to tell that Siphobwas hurt by her words. He flinched taking a step back.

Deep down, Amy knew that he was right.

But the fact was, she was right too, and though he was her best friend, she couldn't put their friendship over the lives of innocent people who wouldn't even know they were suffering.

Or rather, the innocent people who were going to suffer.

Possibly.

“Sipho, I know I promised not do this again, and I'm sorry for trying to break that promise, but…this time I-”

“-Have to,” Sipho finished quietly.

Amy nodded, avoiding his gaze. “You…You understand, right?”

He walked away without saying another word, and before long, he had disappeared into the night.

Amy sighed, leaning her head on the window.

If only I'd listened…

Sipho buried his head further into his pillow, almost blocking off the air.

If only I'd tried harder to convince her…

'If onlys', though, have no impact on the real world. They didn't change the past, nor the present, nor the future.

They could only express the regret of what you'd wished you'd done.

Sipho finally got it.

Amy understood that now.

"...I'm sorry."
___________________________________________________________

Welp, I tried…

It didn't really work out as a story story, but I tried, okay? Don't come for me ಥ‿ಥ ʕ´• ᴥ•̥`ʔ

This piece was inspired by a certain (sub)genre. I wonder if anybody's read stories in it. If you have, I wonder if it's the same ones I've read~ (◠ᴥ◕ʋ)

Daily: Nov 6th

Words: trust, town, tainted, typical
________________________________________________________

The Final Darkness

A baby grows into a child;
Grows into a teen;
Grows into an adult;
Grows into an older adult;
Then grows into
An even older adult
Before perishing.
And in this time of many years,
People will shed many tears.

From childhood, we are naïve
There are things we want to believe.
And if we can't have them, we make them up
A magic unicorn; a talking pup.
And trust, so great,
Served on a plate
To the rest of society,

Is tainted by the time we call ourselves teens.
Are we misunderstood, or are we mean?
Perhaps we are both.
We start to learn more about the world;
We start to learn more about ourselves.
And sometimes we like what we see
Sometimes it's news to you; news to me.
We don't always like this news.
Not at all.

But adulthood comes soon,
Much sooner than we'd thought it would.
Now you have to make a name for yourself
Start the game for yourself.
Keep up with all the friends
Who are getting ahead.
Move out of your hometown,
Leave some memories behind,
And start making new ones.
Sometimes you're glad.
Sometimes you're sad
To be leaving.
But life doesn't wait around
For you to catch up.

A few years pass,
You're older now.
Wiser.
Typical, isn't it?
You think. They say you get wiser,
As you get older. But sometimes,
I feel I don't know very much at all.
It's not frustrating like your teen years,
In which you had to know
All there was to know.
You weren't trying to be the best
Anymore.
Not at that, at least.
Instead it was somewhat amusing —
Or it crossed your mind
And you realised you
Didn't really care.
In any case, you had more time
Now.
Time to move from town to town,
And see the world if you so wished.
But the question is,
'Do you have the money?'

Time is money.
You see it now.
Or rather, time is riches.
Riches — somehow.
You think back on your life;
Think of those regrets.
Sigh about things you
Wished you'd done differently.
Smile about things
You won't forget.
Life is short.
Live, laugh, love.
Enjoy it

Before it's too late.
Before it closes it's gate.
It won't be long,
They say,
So love. Don't hate.

And so, the final darkness falls
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Wrote a poem this time OωO Maybe an 8/10 for faithfully sticking to the task, but it was pretty fun to write! ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ

I actually put some thought into the structure and language of this one — notice how the stanzas increase, then gradually decrease in size? Or how some rhyme more than others? It's intentional for once XD.

This is so goodd!!!!!!! You are an amazing writer!

JollofRice123 wrote:

Daily: Nov 6th

Happy Nachos Day! YUM NACHOS! We all enjoy topping our chips with a variety of ingredients to make it our own. Post four random words in a comment. Then find someone else’s comment and claim their ingredients! Make sure each word is central to your story and write for a total of 20 minutes about these ingredients. There is no minimum amount of words, but it’s worth 500 points. 200 extra points if you share your writing!

Words: trust, town, tainted, typical

forinahlovesanimals wrote:

This is so goodd!!!!!!! You are an amazing writer!

JollofRice123 wrote:

Daily: Nov 6th

Happy Nachos Day! YUM NACHOS! We all enjoy topping our chips with a variety of ingredients to make it our own. Post four random words in a comment. Then find someone else’s comment and claim their ingredients! Make sure each word is central to your story and write for a total of 20 minutes about these ingredients. There is no minimum amount of words, but it’s worth 500 points. 200 extra points if you share your writing!

Words: trust, town, tainted, typical

Only seeing this now :O Thank you so much! ʕ·ᴥ·ʔ

Daily: Nov 12th

Prompts (◕ᴗ◕✿):
• “I’m not asking for your good graces. I’m asking for your throne.”
___________________________________________________________

I held my head high as I marched down the hallway, each stride demanding wariness and respect.

There is always more to people than meets the eye, and there's always more to the story than what is told. For example, upholding your position in society is hard work. And, unlike in the fairytales, hard work isn't always rewarded.

At least, not fairly.

“Lady Valerie Kionde, daughter of the late–”

“We get the point,” I interrupted the announcer, walking through the doors as they were fully opened for me.

I paused for a moment, quickly looking around the room. The Queen Mother was there, and so was a distant cousin of mine — Rowan. He'd come to visit whilst the Royal Festival was still taking place or something. I continued into the room, maintaining my posture.

Upon entering, it was obvious that the Queen Mother — well, my grandmother — disapproved of my presence. In fact, she didn't hesitate to hide her distaste, readjusting herself in her seat as she wrinkled her nose at me. I walked toward her, unfazed. “Your royal Highness,” I bowed, flashing her smile. Rowan gave me a nod of acknowledgement, but said nothing, standing silently by my grandmother's side.

She frowned at me with an exaggerated sigh. "Lady Valerie. Really, dear, must you wear those horrendous…boots?“

I glanced down at my boots, smiling. They were black with a golden rim and a belt that wasn't actually functional, but made for a nice touch.

Oh, and they had the slightest heel. Just to make me look a little taller. Looking talk, somehow, made me feel authoritative.

And I liked that feeling.

”What's wrong with them, ma'am?“ I asked. ”I think they have a lot of character.“

”Character…yes, that's certainly one way to describe it,“ she muttered, averting her gaze for a moment. ”But even without mention of the boots, your choice of clothing-“ instead of finishing, she simply gestured. I raised an eyebrow at her, crossing my arms. ”In this day and age, your Highness, people should be allowed to wear whatever they want to wear. Isn't that right?“

”Of course, I wasn't- I just-“ she stumbled over her words, before glaring at me. ”You know what I meant. The upcoming occasion is important, Lady Valerie. It would be appreciated if you could attempt to at least look formal.“

”I-“

”Goodness knows how you'll manage that in an hour," she continued, cutting me off.

I couldn't help but frown. It was fine for me to cut off other people. Other people cutting me off, though, wasn't something I enjoyed, even if they were of a higher social standing.

But I suppose that's how double standards work, isn't it? Some people are allowed to this, some people are allowed to do that.

In the end, you can't have everything.

“Just go,” the Queen Mother sighed, looking away. “My grandson — uh, your cousin — is waiting for you.”

I gave her another smile, bowed again, and began to make my exit when a glint of metal caught my eye.

Before I could examine it further, though, Rowan began to walk beside me, falling into step. “Valerie-?”

“Yes?” I turned to face him. Of course, being considerably older than me, he was taller — but I held my head high nonetheless.

He seemed to hold in his laughter though, tousling my hair a little. “How many times have I told you to stop doing that? You look like a little meerkat,” he chuckled, mostly to himself.

I wanted to glare at him, but I'd gotten used to the joke, even if it had been running for more than a couple of years.

"You know, Valerie, the Queen Mother is right — the final days of the festival are approaching, and the entirety of the royal family will make an appearance. I think you should take her advice and at least start preparing yourself-“

”By ‘prepare’ do you mean ‘start wearing long dresses with frilly skirts and puffed sleeves’?“ I raised an eyebrow, and Rowan laughed, shaking his head. ”Maybe not that extreme. But you and I are often overlooked — this is our one chance to shine,“ he winked.

I managed a smile. He had a point — we were the members of the royal family who were often forgotten.

We ought to have our chance in the spotlight, too.

”You'll consider it at the very least, right?“ Rowan checked. ”Getting yourself a little more prepared, I mean.“

”Sure,“ I gave a small nod, and before I could add anything else, Rowan was ruffling my hair again. ”That's the little meerkat I know,“ he chuckled. His voice clouded over a little as my grandmother called for him. ”Well, duty calls. Say hi to our cousin for me, yeah?"

I nodded again, but he was already leaving.

'Our cousin'. Rowan had always been a little bit weird about family but-

Another glint…? my memory was cast back to a brief moment of sunlight hitting an object, and I turned in the direction of where the same thing had happened the second time.

A dagger of sorts, laying on some sort of coffee table that had been pushed into the far corner. Why was it there?

I paused, observing it. There was a nice golden rim to it — a perfect match for my boots. I also took note of a pattern that had been carved onto it, a flower — perhaps rose? — that continued up the handle. The same pattern was on the case, except with gemstones of some kind.

…Interesting. I'll study it later, a small smile passed across my face as I grabbed the dagger, before pushing another set of double doors open.

Closing said doors behind me, I shoved the dagger into my back pocket and looked around, searching for my cousin.

The Royal Library. That's what this place was.

Part of me was tempted to call out, but libraries were supposed to be quiet. Even I didn't need to disturb the peace for the mere sake of it. Not this time.

“Val? Is that you?” A voice whispered from nearby. Footsteps approached, and I turned just as my cousin came into view. "It is you. What took you so long?“

”Our lovely grandmother,“ I answered, resting my elbow on my cousin's shoulder. He scowled somewhat light-heartedly, pushing me away. ”Don't talk about her with that tone, Valerie. She's-“

”Blah blah blah, Leroy. You don't need to dwell on it,“ I dusted off the sleeve of my shirt as Leroy sighed. ”Hurry up. We're running out of time.“

I followed him through the endless labyrinth of books, somewhat deep in thought.

He'd discovered, one day, by flicking through a book, that it was possible that the palace contained old passageways within it.

Of course, he'd tried to hide it from me and keep the discovery to himself.

A sneaky little rat — that's what he was.

”It should be somewhere around here,“ Leroy's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I peeked over from behind his shoulder, puzzled.

”How can you tell?“

”It was in the book,“ Leroy answered simply. He seemed a little more relaxed now, and he turned around so we were face to face, grinning. ”Once we find it, we should see where it leads to-“

I couldn't help myself from raising both eyebrows. ”That's…a little much, even for you.“

”It'll be an adventure,“ his eyes seemed to sparkle, and I felt myself involuntarily roll my own eyes. ”Who knows what we'll find?“ He continued. ”If we find something valuable, we'll be able to donate it toward helping poorer citizens…!“

”Mhm," I gave him a tight smile.

My cousin wasn't bad but he was a bit of a dreamer. Naïve. Those so-called donations would only go toward improving the lives of the rich, not the poor.

Change required action, not promises.

I narrowed my eyes as Leroy continued to search for an entrance of sorts.

If I were the heir, I would make sure our country thrived. I'm not like my cousin — I wouldn't rule in the hope that my idealistic intentions would change the world for the better.

Instead, I'd become someone who was reliable. Someone my people could depend on.

Someone who was willing to do whatever it took to accomplish their goals.

I sighed, refocusing my attention on Leroy. “Hey, have you-”

“There's something here,” he spoke at the same time as me, peering underneath a bookshelf. His voice was lined with excitement as he resumed, “if I can just reach it-”

“Wait-”

A yelp interrupted me, and within moments, Leroy had disappeared. My heart skipped a beat as I took a large step forward. “Leroy?”

“I-I'm down here,” my cousin's voice came. I looked down, only just noticing the square hole in the ground. How had I missed it?

I rushed over, kneeling over to look in. Leroy was holding onto some sort of rope-like ladder, swinging gently — but still dangerously — to and fro.

My heart sank.

It didn't seem to be that far down to the bottom, but Leroy was terrified of heights. Even if he could probably jump down and land safely, he probably wouldn't do it.

“Take my hand,” I reached out, and he grabbed my wrist with his free hand, gazing up desperately. “Don't let go, Valerie,” he whimpered. “Please don't…”

“I won't,” somehow, I heard my voice grow a little softer. Despite everything I did or didn't think, I loved my cousin. I couldn't deny that.

I inhaled, before putting all my strength into trying to pull him up. He flailed around, countering all my efforts with his panic, and I sighed.

“Lee, I won't be able to-”

“No, don't say that! Valerie, you've got to help me!” He tugged at my sleeve, and I yelped as I barely managed to keep my balance.

I gritted my teeth, forcing a reassuring smile.

Why did he have to be so scared? If he calmed down even a little bit, I'd be able to pull him up, we could end the whole ordeal much faster.

But…if I just let him fall… a voice entered my mind, diverting my attention. If I just let him fall, maybe I'll get everything I want…maybe I'll-

"No!“ I gasped, pushing the thought out of my mind.

It was only as I lost my balance that I realised that I'd let go. Even as I was tumbling over, all I focus on was the terror on Leroy's face, the tears streaming down his cheeks, the way it seemed as though he was screaming, though no sound left his lips.

But the ground flew up almost much faster than we fell down, and within seconds we had collided, all three of us, with one another.

My arm ached.

Had I landed on it? Possibly.

I groaned, forcing myself up. ”Leroy? Are you okay?" I glanced over at him, and it was immediately obvious that he was out cold.

Something told me that the impact wasn't exactly the cause.

I crawled over to him, trying to lightly shake him awake. All to no avail, and I couldn't say I was surprised. I was clueless. Cluelessness is equal to helplessness, and helplessness is equal to uselessness. A never-ending cycle. I sighed, looking up at the ceiling-

…Huh?

Lights. Not just any light, but light bulbs that weren't a couple of decades old and that, more importantly, were on.

There's…there's no way someone's here right?

Footsteps. They approached the second that that thought had left my mind, and I clenched my fists, ignoring the increased rate of my heartbeat as I stood up.

“Who's there?” I called, keeping my voice as steady as possible. The footsteps hesitated round a corner, before resuming, slower this time. “…Do you have a weapon with you?” A voice asked. My hand instinctively went to my back pocket, but I shook my head, untucking my shirt to conceal the dagger. “No. Do you?”

“No,” the voice paused. “I'm walking round the corner. Don't move.”

The footsteps continued, in sync with the beating of my heart. I moved over a little, so that Leroy would be blocked from the view of whoever was round the corner.

A boy came round the corner, holding his hands up in a way that resembled surrender.

His expression, though, didn't seem so much as nervous in the slightest, and I narrowed my eyes. To what extent was he trustworthy? Would it be wise to engage in any further conversation?

After all, I had lied about not having a weapon — who's to say he hadn't done the same-?

I wrinkled my nose, realising something. “Why did you ask about weapons before you'd even seen me?”

“Bad personal experience,” he shrugged. It wasn't a particularly satisfying or convincing answer, but it was too early to allow myself to come off as suspicious, so I didn't say anything else. The stranger looked me up and down, a frown settling on his face. “You're not alone.”

“As you can see,” I took a step forward, trying to avert his focus. His gaze stayed fixed on Leroy, though, and the frown didn't leave his face. “…Dead?”

“Maybe,” I answered. “What would you do if he was?”

“I'd run,” the boy replied. “But he's not dead, is he? So there's no need to make up hypothetical situations, right?”

I gave him a tight smile, just as I noticed that Leroy was stirring. Finally. It was good, but until he was fully awake, I wasn't going to let this…stranger get any closer.

“So, who is he anyway? Friend? Neighbor?” The boy opposite me narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms, an eyebrow raised. “Family member?”

I didn't give away any sign of emotion, and instead allowed my face to warp into an expression of disgust. “How about none of the above?”

“Oh?”

“What are you doing down here?” I asked. The boy tilted his head, clearly studying me before replying, “exploring. There's a whole load of tunnels down here, you know. I take it this is your first visit, eh?”

“Something like that,” I spoke slowly, following his gaze to the ladder — or, at least, what was left of it — nearby.

“What's up there?” He gestured to the hole above us, a look of curiosity passing across his face. “It's one of the few I haven't been able to get up. It seemed locked…so how did you open it? Is there a key?”

“No,” that part was true. "It was boarded up. We wanted to know what it was hiding. I wasn't expecting this, though.“

Okay, so it's a half truth. He didn't need to know that.

He didn't need to know anything about us.

”Your little friend is waking up,“ the boy noted, nodding at Leroy. I glanced over my shoulder before turning back to the stranger. ”About time. We'll be going soon, and I suggest you do the same.“

”No way,“ he grinned. ”I've been coming back here for months, and all I've ever reached is a dead end! But now…-“

”But now you're getting out of here, right?“ I flashed a half menacing smile, and this time he took the hint seriously, backing away a little. ”Hey, calm down. I was just saying…“ His voice trailed off, but he seemed to have come up with a new idea. ”Do you wanna see what's on the other end of these tunnels?"

I hesitated, thinking it through.

Truth be told, I was a little curious. But did I trust this boy even the slightest bit?

Not at all.

“You know what? I'll go to the end of this tunnel and wait. Just keep walking straight down — don't take any turns,” he studied me once more before turning to leave. “I'll be waiting. Hope to see you there.”

I was about to reply when he stopped himself mid stride, turning back to look at me. “I almost forgot — what's your name?”

A simple question but, I was realising, an important one.

If I ended up going to the rendezvous, there was a pretty good chance that I wouldn't be recognised as a member of the royal family. If Leroy decided to explore, though — and I had hunch that, despite everything, he would still want to — there was a decent chance that he could be recognised.

I gave half a smile, reaching a conclusion. “People call me VK. And you?”

The boy grinned again. “Oliver. But just call me Oli.”

*****

Leroy had never been particularly loud, but he had never been particularly quiet either — and his lack of conversation was starting to get me worried.

“Lee? Are you okay?” I asked for the upteenth time.

He just nodded, turning away. I let out a quiet sigh, sitting on the ground beside him.

I hadn't told him about ‘Oli’ yet. I'd had no reason to, and he didn't seem like my cousin was in the right state of mind to take in my encounters anyway. I wonder if I should go to the-

“You let go,” Leroy murmured, finally speaking. A shiver dashed down my spine as I glanced at him. “You told me you wouldn't. But you did.”

“I'm sorry-”

“Don't,” he moved away from me; I didn't try to stop him. There was nothing I could say to make it feel better, was there?

It's only in moments of regret that we remember the most important things. Like how, when we were younger, Leroy had loved anything up high.

He'd liked climbing trees, he'd like staring at the stars, he'd liked reaching for the ceiling in his bedroom.

Then one day he just…didn't.

I'd never asked why, and he'd never mentioned it. I'd just assumed that he didn't want to talk about it and left it at that.

Now I wished I'd at least asked Grandmother.

“Was it scary?” I asked, subconsciously inching closer to him. He was silent for a moment, before answering, “I thought I was dying. I really did.”

My mind flashed back to the moment I'd realised I'd let go, recalling every detail of how terrified Leroy had looked.

I gulped.

“I'm sorry,” I murmured. Leroy glanced at me. He didn't seem angry or upset. Just…relieved.

“You should be,” he grinned. “I'm going to make sure you never forget doing this to me, you know.”

I managed to smile back, and was about to say something in response when I thought I heard the sound of footsteps. I stopped myself from speaking, listening.

“Val-?”

Instead of speaking, I put a finger on my lips and stood up, creeping toward the corner. “Oli?”

“You're still here,” he walked around the corner, and heaved a sigh of relief, realising that I'd been holding my breath. “Why are you here again?”

“You didn't come,” Oliver shrugged. “I wanted to see if you were still here or not.”

I narrowed my eyes, but said nothing. Leroy had stood up behind us, and he walked over, confused. “Um…are you going to fill me in or…?”

“So you finally woke up,” Oliver commented, looking Leroy up and down. “What do you mean? V-”

I shook my head at him, hoping that he'd get what I was trying to say. Don't say my name. I don't really trust this guy, and I may, or may not, have misinformed him about some things.

“Hey, we need help getting back up-” I started. The sound of commotion above us interrupted me, though, and all three of us looked up.

I'd forgotten the hole in the ceiling had been there, but, of course, it hadn't gone anywhere. A face peered down from it, and I jumped. “They're down here!” The person called. "Meerkat, how'd you get here?“

”Rowan?“ I asked.

”Meerkat?“ Oliver and Leroy repeated in unison. I turned to glare at them, and both of them were smirking, trying to hold in their laughter.

”Don't even think about laughing about it,“ I hissed.

”Wouldn't dream of it,“ Oliver answered. Leroy nodded, and somehow noticing the similarities in their personalities irritated me.

”Hey, move out the way; a ladder's coming down,“ Rowan called. I did so, turning around just in time to see Oliver heading back down the tunnels.

I didn't think much of it. I was almost glad that he'd gone.

Turning to Leroy, I gave a small nod, taking a step back. ”You go first.“

”Are you sure?“ He asked. I nudged him forward. ”I want to be behind you. At least then, if you fall, you'll be able to get back at me, right?“

”Was that supposed to be reassuring?“

”…No?“ Leroy smiled at me, climbing up the ladder. I waited a while before grabbing onto it myself.

A cold, cold shiver dashed down my spine.

Something to me to climb faster, and I listened to my instinct, reaching the top in what felt like mere seconds. ”You're eager to get out,“ Rowan noted, grabbing my wrist and tugging me away from the hole.

My heart was beating faster, but I didn't know why. I just nodded, looking around for any indications of danger.

”You seem tired,“ Rowan commented. He pushed me toward a guard. ”Why don't you get some rest? It seems you've had quite the adventure."

I nodded again. Something isn't right. Something isn't right at all.

I glanced behind me, and caught a glimpse of Rowan and Leroy having a conversation. Another guard walked up behind me though, blocking my view.

Clenching my teeth, I shoved past both guards, taking them by surprise just as Rowan was speaking.

“I’m not asking for your good graces. I’m asking for your throne.”

“Wait-” Leroy ducked as Rowan seemed to attempt to push him back into the hole, and before I could step in a guard grabbed my wrist. “Let go off me!”

“You're better off staying out of this,” a female guard warned.

I was reminded of the dagger in my pocket. I didn't know how to wield it, but Leroy was in danger.

I gulped.

There's a first time for everything.

Cabin Wars: Write 500 words!

___________________________________________________________

A Cold War / They'll Be Free

When the sun rises,
The moon sets,
And all the world
Has no regrets,
A little boy looks to the sky.
He looks, and he starts to cry.
His home is gone —
His father too.
Why me? he asks,
why not you?
Why did war take my Daddy away?
Why did war make blue skies grey?
Why did war come at all?
He thinks these things,
But doesn't speak.
He thinks them as he starts to weep.
And as the sun begins his climb,
He remembers what his daddy did
When his daddy was there;
When his daddy had time.
I hate them, he thinks,
I hate the ones who did this.
I hate all who live in bliss.
I hate everybody who can feel glad,
Because I am here, and I am sad.
They took my Daddy away from me.
They stole him — why can't they see?
His mother said they had taken
His daddy to the stars —
His mother said he was in their hearts.
And she had cried.
She had tried;
Tried to be strong.
But it was difficult when everything
Felt wrong.
The little boy didn't understand,
So all he could do was hold
His mother's hand,
Cold as it was.
Cold as ice.
She'd squeezed his once,
He'd squeezed hers twice.
But all he could think was,
I don't want him in the stars;
I don't want him in my heart.
I want my Daddy here —
I want my Daddy near.
Near to me to read my bedtime story,
Near to me so Mommy won't worry
When the house is dark
And she's all alone.
Mommy and I hate being alone.
The sun rose,
The moon set,
And all the world had no regrets.
But the little boy could not forget
How his Daddy had suddenly left
Because ‘the bad guys had struck,
And the good guys needed to
Attack’.
He didn't care.
He couldn't care.
He just wished that the people who
Had stolen his Daddy from him would
Say sorry.
Say sorry and give him back.

At the same time,
For the same crime,
A little girl began to cry.
Except the sun set,
The moon rose,
And she was so cold
She couldn't feel her little toes.
Yes, she was cold.
Cold as ice.
It wasn't nice.
Before, her Mommy would have
Picked her up, and carried her
Home.
Back then, her Mommy
Wouldn't let her roam.
Not alone.
Not in the dark.
The little girl just wanted a spark.
A spark of hope —
Or of fire —
A spark to let her know
That, if she should tire,
A lullaby would carry her to sleep.
For in her sleep, she couldn't weep.
Right?
She walked to the fountain,
Button in hand.
She had no money;
She had no Mommy.
But it didn't matter,
Because wishing from the fountain
Made all dreams come true.
Mommy, she thought,
I miss you.
Why didn't you come home?
The sirens were loud,
They hurt my ears
I thought they would last
Years and years.
But now the sirens are gone,
And you are too.
So, Mommy, come back.
I miss you.
I miss you.
I miss you.
The little girl kissed the button
Just like her Mommy had kissed
Her hand long ago.
She wondered if there was anybody out there
Who could know.
Who could answer the question,
'Where did my Mommy go?'
But the little girl had to be brave,
Even if it was her dearest mother
That she so craved
To see again.
So she reached as far back as she could,
Threw the button as far as she could,
And watched it sink into the water.
One day, she thought, I'll come
Back here with Mommy. And I'll ask her,
'Mommy, where did you go?'
And she'll say,
'Sweetie, I went to the land of snow.
The land of crystals;
The land of icy glow.
I should've taken you too, you know.'
The little girl smiled,
Lay by the fountain,
And closed her eyes.
Maybe things will change
By the next sunrise.

A little boy;
A little girl;
A little cold
Across the world.
Even though you do not see,
The impact you have had on me,
The impact is there.
It is made first by one person.
Then two people.
And perhaps, someday,
There'll be three.

Word War!

The grass had been green once.

Now it was a ghastly yellow, as though it had been swallowed up, then spat out by the Earth. Even the trees, who had lived alongside it for centuries, turned away in shame.

Their branches touched ever so often, whispering to one another, ‘look over there. Look at how hideous it has become’.

But even the trees, despite their words, couldn't remain beautiful forever.

You see, some were cut down.

Others, in the cold of winter, lost all their leaves. And they never came back, nor did they leave a new generation in their wake.

Instead, they tumbled down, down to the long, dead grass, and joined in the weeping of the sky as raindrops fell to the forsaken ground.
___________________________________________________________
126 words (◕ᴗ◕✿)

Cabin Wars: Write 4k as a cabin!

___________________________________________________________
A White Rose

You are bird
With feathers more
Dazzling than the sun itself.
And your eyes
Sparkle so that
Even the stars
Are envious.
When you fly,
A feather falls
To the ground below.
A white feather —
White like a flake of snow.
For you are a being
So pure
That you cannot help
But glow.
Still,
Even so,
You wished you were
A bigger bird.
At least then
All the world could be
Sure of your worth.

You close your eyes,
And open them again.
Now you're a bear,
Who roams on ice.
Your fur is dull,
Compared to before,
But you're still brilliant
And your eyes
Are still bright.
Whenever danger lurks
Nearby,
Your white fur protects you,
Keeping you hidden
In plain sight.
You're big and strong;
Fearsome and tough.
But at the back of your mind,
You wonder,
'Is this ice enough'?
'Surely I deserve a plain of ice
That covers the entire Earth'.

Well, now you're not on ice,
But in the ocean.
(Well. You think
It's the ocean.
But what's the difference
Anyway?
You're a fish.
It doesn't matter to you).
A white fish —
Or a whitefish?
Perhaps you're both.
The one thing you're not
Is a human's dish.
And for that, you are glad.
Sometimes the sun
Shines through the water,
And your scales begin to
Glisten and glow.
Why they do, you'll never know.
But you like the way
It makes you look.
I wish, though, you think,
That all the world
Would make the link
Between myself
And natural beauty.
For surely all the world deserves to see,
The glistening wonder I call me.

Once again,
Change catches up to you.
And now you're no longer
A bird, or a bear, or a fish,
But a flower.
A flower.
What good is that?
As a bird, you could fly free;
As a bear you were as
Fierce as can be,
And at least, as a fish,
You would have been tasty
To eat, if anything.
But a flower?
Why, they'll shove you in
A little bouquet
And send you away!
Worse than that, you are
A rose.
Not a red rose;
A white one.
Roses aren't supposed to be
White.
Your petals droop,
And your thorns seem to frown,
As though they want to pierce
You somehow.
If you could shiver,
In that moment,
You would have.
If I'd had the choice,
Heaven knows, you think,
that I would have chosen to
Be anything but a white rose.

Fate, you've realised,
Is not on your side.
There's nothing you can do
To turn its tide.
It's pretty obvious, isn't it?
Because you're a cloud now.
You don't know how.
But you don't like it
In the slightest.
Not at all.
At least back when you were
A rose, you were
Alive.
You feel cheated;
You feel defeated.
Worse than that,
Clouds, you've discovered,
Are not fluffy.
Instead, they're full
Of water.
And when the wind gets
All huffy and puffy,
You float toward the sun
To hide it from the world.
It's not fun,
You note,
To be pushed around
All the time.
You miss being able to
Go wherever you wanted to go;
Roam wherever you wanted to roam;
Grow wherever you wanted to grow.
Even if that last one was a little
More limited than the rest.
If I'd had the choice, you think,
Heaven knows —
I would've chosen to
Stay a white rose.

All the rain has poured;
It's left you now.
You don't know if you should
Be sad or glad.
You somewhat miss being a cloud.
You sit in front of the mirror,
And hold a hand up to your face.
Would the bird, bear, fish, rose or cloud
Call you a disgrace?
You don't think so;
You think they'd be proud of
How far you've come.
You'd struggled and thought with fate,
Trying to change the game.
You forced yourself
To believe things could be different;
That they wouldn't be the same.
Because in every life,
You had seen the humans
Could do what they wanted.
They didn't have wings, but they could fly;
They didn't have paws, but they were strong;
They didn't have fins, but they could swim;
They didn't have petals, but had words like thorns;
And they certainly weren't clouds
Floating aimlessly in the sky.
But could reach for the sun.
And when water — yes, water —
Spilled from their eyes,
It was the same water
As from the cloud that they cried.

So you'd fought with fate.
You'd thought, with fate,
Things could change.
But perhaps there's a limited range
Of what that word ‘change’ may
Mean.
Because you'd gotten what you wanted.
Yes, that was nice.
But to get it, you'd had to pay the price.
Your fingers twitch,
Reaching for your throat.
There was something you'd
Refused to note —
But now you couldn't remember
What that something was.
So you sit on the bed,
Listening to the sirens wail
And the sound of hail
And the whistling gale
And the TV's tale
From next door.
It was probably one of
Those talent competitions,
With humans
Dancing and laughing
And joking with one another.
One of those contests
With the audience getting bigger
When the time gets closer
To find out the winner.
There is only ever one winner.
You'd heard of a show
In which other humans sang.
Their voices were beautiful;
Flawless as can be.
In fact,
Nothing could compare to
Their wonderful beauty.
And when one heard said voices
On the wind,
They'd often think a choir of angels
Had come to rid them of their sin.
Oh, how you wished you could sing!
But in this world,
You can't have everything.

So when the nurse came in
To check on you,
Holding flowers
That had been sent by
The sweet children
In another ward,
You only smile and turn away.
Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day.
If you'd been wiser,
Heaven knows —
You would've asked
To stay a white rose.

Cabin Wars: Write 5k as a cabin!

___________________________________________________________

The shadows were darker and colder than usual — but that was exactly how I liked it.

Moonlight floated down from above, scattering across the earth as I moved down the streets. I avoided its glow, instead sticking to the sides of the buildings.

I spotted another shadow moving on the other side of the street, much faster than I was. They moved across, almost silently, and in mere moments they had vanished round a corner.

Part of me wanted to catch up, but I knew that I didn't need to.

After all, I had time.

“You're a bit slow tonight, Fabian,” a voice interrupted my thoughts; I looked up to see a figure above me, running along the roofs of the bungalows. I raised an eyebrow, replying, “aren't we at the same pace?”

“Not anymore,” Saya answered — and with that, she was gone again.

I continued to bide my time, sticking to the shadows as per usual. There was no rush; there was no need to exhaust myself over nothing.

“By the way, Fabian,” I looked up to the sound of Saya's voice again. My guess was that she'd slowed down — I certainly hadn't sped up. I listened as she continued, “when are you going to start taking this seriously? It's not a game, you know.”

“What are you trying to say?” I asked. She sighed, jumping down from one of the roofs and standing in front of me. “I'm trying to say that it's time for you to up your game.”

“And why does it matter to you whether I do or not?” I raised an eyebrow, and she reached backward as she answered, “let's just say that somebody got me to wonder about it.”

I narrowed my eyes, wary of the katana she had pulled out. It glinted in the moonlight, and if I focused enough, I could even see the faint blue energy outlining the blade.

Looking up, I met Saya's gaze. “You mean that somebody's told you to keep tabs on me.”

“If you want to put it that way, then sure — that's what happened,” she seemed to ready herself for an attack, and I took a step back as she resumed, “just bear in mind that I take interest in things of my own accord.”

She lunged forward, and barely managed to move out of the way in time, stumbling backward. "And that means you're going to attack me?“

”Think of it as a test,“ she replied, pointing her blade at me. This time, she channeled her power through it, and before I could so much as blink, I had crashed onto the cobblestone. ”Get up!“ Saya demanded, walking toward me. ”Why are you refusing to use your powers?“

”Why are you trying to force me to?“ I asked. I opened my mouth to add something, but Says was already striking again. Thus time, though, I ducked out of the way, forced myself up, and began running again.

Don't get me wrong — it's not that I couldn't use my powers, and it wasn't that I'd sworn some sort of secret oath.

I just liked being in control of my own life.

Why was that so wrong? I was only trying to survive like everyone else was. Even so, I wasn't about to make a big deal out of it. Why was I being targeted for that?

”You never should have been accepted as an apprentice to the Scholars of the Night,“ Saya spat, lunging toward me again. I stumbled out of her way as she spoke again. ”If it were up to me, you would've been kicked out a long time ago…!“

”That's nice, but it isn't up to you, is it?“

”Then perhaps I should deal with the matter myself, instead of waiting for someone else to come along," Saya snarled, gathering all her energy and holding it within her katana.

My heart skipped a beat. Should I block the attack?

I thought it over. If I powered up now, I'd have enough time to deflect the strike with ease. But that was what they wanted, wasn't it?

I stood my ground, crossing my arms.

For a moment, it seemed as though Saya was going to go through with the attack. Then she lowered her blade, glared at me, and disappeared into the night again.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I began to walk, wincing as I clutched my side.

“Why me?” I muttered, continuing down the street with a little bit of a limp. It was strange how, even when people claimed to be on your side, they turned their backs on you.

Or jumped out of nowhere and randomly attacked you for no reason.

I paused warily, looking around me for any signs that could indicate another unexpected attack from Saya. There was nothing though — not even a breath of wind — and I heaved a sigh of relief. I'd thought I was safe.

Until a ball of light came my way.

“Hey!” I called out, gritting my teeth, as a trail of crimson slid down the side of my face. I squinted at the darkness but saw nothing at all. The only bit of knowledge I had on the identity of the person was that it wasn't Saya — she would've used her katana. “Who's there? Haven't you heard of announcing your arrival?”

No response.

The other person was getting closer though — I could tell just by the way a shiver dashed down my spine.

Somehow, the entirety of the darkness seemed to shift with their movement. Their very presence had altered the atmosphere of the world.

A world that was supposed to belong to us in the dark.

Saya dropped down beside me, reaching for her katana. “You disappoint me. Why didn't you dodge?”

“I wasn't exactly expecting a midnight visitor,” I replied, refraining from demanding an explanation — and apology — for earlier. She was calmer now, though, and I didn't want to put myself at risk of having two people coming after me instead of one. “Tch. Is this really the level you're at, Fabian? You can't even handle a single intrusion?”

I rolled my eyes.

How had it come to the point that Says treated me as though she was my superior anyway?

There are always outcasts amongst outcasts, and she had been one of those people — at least, before she'd joined our group.

From there, she had driven herself to be the best of the best and the top of the top. Everything was a challenge — everything was an opportunity to prove herself.

I, on the other hand, had no such motivation.

"Well, I guess we should teach this little visitor a very useful lesson on what happens when you cross into the territory of-“

”Blah blah blah,“ the intruder interrupted Saya, and she tilted her head at them, crossing her arms as they continued, ”I came here for a challenge. To see what all the fuss was about, you know? ‘Who are these Scholars of the Night’? That's what I'd asked myself.“

”Oh? Are you interested in joining us?“ Saya asked. The intruder laughed, and though I still couldn't see them, I could hear that they were moving forward. ”Oh, no. I came here to take you down.“

”Couldn't you have waited until after the assessment?“ I muttered. I could feel Saya's glare as she hissed, ”it's not like you were going to pass anyway.“

”I don't know what you two are talking about over there, but maybe you should focus more on the person threatening you than on your own discussions,“ the intruder called out, sending another ball of light our way.

I leaned back as Saya sliced it in half with her katana, grinning. ”I wouldn't recommend using light as a source when all you've got to draw power from is the cloudy sky," she advised, running forward.

Hmm…do I join the fight? Or sit back and watch?

A smirk passed across my face as made my decision, and I backed away, into the chilling warmth of the shadows.

Saya was right — it wasn't like I possessed her amount of skill or talent. So why bother trying to help out? I'd probably end up getting in her way; it was best to keep out of it from the beginning and avoid that situation all together.

At least, that's what I'd thought.

"Fabian, was it? Where do you think you're going?"

I tried to dodge.

But, of course, the speed of light was much, much faster than I could ever dream of being. I barely had time to wonder if Saya had made a run for it.

Before long, I found myself sinking into a different kind of darkness.

Cabin Wars: Write 4k as a cabin!

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You shiver, wrapping the blanket as tightly around yourself as you can.

Your home is long gone — you're able to at least admit that, even if you're struggling to fully accept it — and the people around are kind. Understanding.

They'd come from similar situations after all; they could relate to an extent.

You glance over to your right. A mother is trying to get her two young sons to sleep, but they seem to be complaining or asking for something. The younger one begins to cry, and the woman is embarrassed, trying her best to hush him.

She picks him up and cradles him in her arms; you're close enough to hear her say, “there, Michael. Don't cry. You're a big boy now, aren't you?”

“But I'm hungry…!” The kid — Michael — wails, flailing around. "I want to eat! I want food!“

”Me too!“ The older boy chimes in, tugging harshly at his mother's sleeves. ”Why won't you feed us, Mama? We want to eat!“

”Oh, I know — I know,“ the mother tries to calm her kids down, and you can sense the desperation in her voice.

If you had to guess, you'd say she was near tears. You feel sorry for her, you really do — and in a brief moment, your eyes meet, and she pleads with you to help her, even though both of you know there's not much you can do.

So you turn away, clutching on to your blanket.

This time, your gaze wonders over to your left, and this time you see an elderly woman without a blanket, shivering much more than you are.

She glances at you and smiles wearily. ”We've all got to stick together in this day and age, eh?“

You only nod.

She continues, though, seemingly more to herself than to you. ”You know, back when I was a kid, the world was a simple place. Sure, we had trouble every now and again, but mostly, everything was peaceful. And much more than that, the world was beautiful. Very, very pretty indeed.“

You tilt your head in her direction to let her know you're listening. It seems to you, though, that she would have kept going even if you weren't. ”Nowadays, you'd be the luckiest person alive if you saw a blade of grass. In fact, you'd be the luckiest person on Earth if you saw any grass at all!“

She laughed to herself, shaking her head at what was probably an old memory. ”Ah, back in my youth, the world was somewhere everyone wanted to see. There was none of…this.“

You glance at her, just in time to see her wiping a tear from her eye. Her voice breaks a little when she speaks again, pointing to you. ”Now, don't you ever forget all those good moments in life, okay? Don't you ever forget. Lord knows we need them now more than ever."

You nod again, and the elderly woman smiles at you before gently rocking herself to and fro.

You wish that words would leave your mouth, but somehow you feel as though all the words you've ever known have flown away and left your mind blank.

Then again — maybe it's just that there's not much to say. Sometimes, people sing songs or play games to pass the time, but this time everybody seems to be keeping to themselves.

It makes for a rather miserable experience.

But, to be honest, the whole ordeal was a miserable experience, and not something that any one person had been able to avoid.

The entire world had been thrown into chaos, hanging onto only a mere thread in the hopes that it would be enough to pull everyone out if the depths of despair. But during a time in which death and despair walked hand in hand, well…your trail of thought stops at a dead end.

There's no escaping something like this.

You block out the pandemonium outside and instead focus on the near silence around you. Some people are bustling around, checking on everybody; others — like you — are curled up in blankets, trying to pretend that they're actually warm.

Ah. Pretending.

That was something you did often, and you were certain you weren't the only one.

If I pretend none of this is happening, maybe I'll wake up from this nightmare and go about my daily life. Or If I pretend none of this is happening, maybe I'll be able to forget it all one day.

Your gaze settles on a little girl in front of you. She's talking to a man with a dog, and though it seems to be their first time meeting, they smile and chat as though they've known each other their whole lives.

The girl looks up to the man, seemingly asking him a question. He nods, and the little girl hesitantly reaches toward the dog.

You raise an eyebrow as she snatches her hand back at the last second, looking up at the middle aged man again.

They converse some more, and this time you try to tune into the conversation, listening to what it is they are actually saying.

“…so there's no need to be frightened,” the man is finishing. The girl gazes up at him with wide eyes, clearly in awe. “How do you do it? Aren't you scared?”

Her new companion laughs, shaking his head. “I think maybe I was, way back then. But that was a long time ago.”

“Are you very old then, Mister?'

”I'd like to think not,“ he petted his dog as he spoke, glancing at the little girl. ”I've definitely been around for a lot longer than you have, though. I've been on a lot of adventures in mu time.“

”Adventures!“ The girl clasped her hands together, her eyes sparkling. ”Mister, tell me more! I've always wanted to go on an adventure!"

The man smiles at her, before meeting your gaze. He gives you a warm smile, and you manage to smile back.

Then he's talking to the girl again, illustrating his stories with gestures and leaving the rest to her imagination. Imagination always runs a wild course.

It warms your heart a little — but the noise of the outside world reminds you of the situation at hand, and your heart sinks a little.

What was it you had been saying to yourself before?

Something along the lines of ‘if only I could forget…’

You silently hope that you will be able to forget all of this one day.

It's too much to bear — too horrible to live through. And even though, technically, all of society was carrying the same burden and supposedly carrying it together, you still felt as though you were alone.

You look around at the people surrounding you.

The mother and her sons. The old woman. A middle aged man and his dog. A little girl.

They all had their own lives within this nightmare — they all had people they were worried about, or situations that had changed their lives forever. They shared a burden with society, but they had their own burdens, too.

You wrinkle your nose before letting out a sigh.

Perhaps, you think, I really am alone in this world. I guess that's just the way it is.

Daily: Nov 14th

Favorite Fruit: Grape
Favorite Veggie: Carrot
___________________________________________________________
Grace Karrott is a girl who has always loved nature — and digging into the roots of her family's past.

And her family's past is, well…let's just say it tends to get a little dark at times.

Anyway, back to the Grace.

She could be sweet — when she wanted to be. It all depended on what kind of mood she was in, and whether you'd picked a bad day to start an argument.

People who can be sour, you see, are good at holding grudges.

Right, back to Grace.

Unlike a lot of kids, she hadn't been afraid of the dark when she was younger. In fact, she'd liked the dark, and in the winter you'd often find her snuggled up in a blanket, with a mug of hot cocoa and a good back.

But in the spring — oh boy, in the spring — you'll only ever find her in the sun.

Like she was stuck to it, forced to remain on its presence by some sort of unnecessarily strong super glue. During such times, people think to themselves, is this really the same girl who stays cooped up in the house all winter? Or does she have a twin…?

No, Grave does not have a twin.

What she does have though, is the will to reach for the stars. Or her probably overly idealistic dreams. At some point, people would've said she was probably tall enough to do the former anyway — and it wasn't that she'd shrunk — but she'd stopped growing quite so tall recently.

Oh, and has it been mentioned that people often make fun of her for her surname?

“Karrott,” they'd laugh. "Like carrot. What an unfortunate last name!"

Grace wasn't ashamed of her name, though. Sure, it stuck out a little, but doesn't everyone have at least one thing that sets them apart from the crowd?

It makes people unique.

And for Grace, well, that could only ever be good.

Weekly #2
Okay, yeah, so this weekly is wayyy too long to put into one post. For the sake of organisation — and in the name of sanity — I present the word counts and table of contents!

You're welcome (◠ᴥ◕ʋ)

Contents:

• Warmup 1: A Hundred Words, Simplified* 100 words

• Warmup 2: Say Na to Sodium 123 words

• Exploring Fiction 1: Love and Family 430 words

• Exploring Fiction 2 : One More War 327 words

• Exploring Non-Fi 1: All About Triangles! 1446 words

• Exploring Non-Fi 2: Fairy Tales are True (to an extent)! 683 words

Total word count: 3109 words

*This is called a ‘simplified’ poem because it was specifically altered to accomplish something. I'll post the original version at some point too.

A Hundred Words, Simplified (Warmup)
Info: A poem based on the following warmup: Start writing poems, and don’t stop until you’ve written at least 100 words! You could write 1 poem or 10, it doesn’t matter!
___________________________________________________________
A hundred words —
What to say?
It's like my voice
Has danced away.
Though I try;
Try to speak,
I cannot find
The words I seek.

A hundred years —
What to do?
It's far too long
To wait for you.
Still, I spend
Hour upon hour
Wondering why
Your voice became sour.

A hundred people —
Still, more come.
Some like me;
I like some.
We age, grow,
Laugh and cry.
In the end,
We say goodbye.

Goodbye with tears
That we cry.
And though
We ‘have no limit
But the sky’,
Limits exist
Where they need apply.

Say Na to Sodium (Warmup)
Info: A quick peek into the world of chemistry based on the following warmup: Pick a topic (e.g. frogs) and write 100 words all about that topic. You only have 100 words, so think about what the most important things to say are! You can include information about the topic, your opinions on it, or a mix.
___________________________________________________________

Sodium (Na) is an element in Group 1 of the periodic table (this group is also known as the Alkali Metals). The aforementioned element is highly reactive and — as the name of the group suggests — it is a metal. It is the second element in group one after Lithium, and the element before Potassium. Sodium, along with group 1, can be found on the left hand side of the periodic table.

One of the reasons Sodium is in group one is because of the similarities in properties it has to the other alkali metals. Did you know that one of these properties is the fact that it only has one electron in its outer shell? That's why it's in Group 1!

Love and Family (Exploring Fiction 1)
Info: A little bit of insight into the life of Claude, a boy growing up in the Victorian era. For reference, as this is not mentioned in the story, the random generator chose the number six. Speaking of which, here's the basis: Use a random number generator from 1 to the age of your character. Write about a memory your character has from when they were this age. If your character’s more than, say, 50, you can split their life into periods of 5 or 10 years and write about a memory from that period of their life instead of a specific year if you want. 300 words!
___________________________________________________________
“You're never gonna catch up t' me if ya don't get you a good night's sleep,” Roy teased, grinning as I crossed my arms, sticking my tongue out at him. “But I don't wanna go t' bed!”

“You said you wan'ed t' be as tall as me, didn't ya?” Roy asked, gesturing to the pile of blankets in the corner. “Ya won't grow if ya don't sleep, Claude.”

“Hmph!” I turned away, furrowing my brows. I could hear my parents' laughter, and before I could turn around to listen to what they were saying, my father had scooped me into his arms, swinging me around. “You just want t' spend time with your Pa, ain't that right, lad?”

I giggled and shrieked, pretending that I was a bird. My Ma came over, tapping Pa's shoulder with her free arm as she cradled my baby sister in her other. “You'll wake the baby,” she murmured.

Pa put me down, winking. “She loves t' worry, your Ma does.”

Roy and I giggled as Ma rolled her eyes and walked over, sitting down beside us. “Ignore him. It's time for you t' go t' sleep now.”

“I not tired,” I huffed, crossing my arms again. Ma stroked my hair, and used her free arm to pull me closer to her. “You need ya sleep, Claude. That's how t' grow big an' strong.”

“Like me,” Pa added, sitting down to join us. “Ya want t' be like your pa, eh?”

I wrinkled my nose, thinking it over.

Did I want to be more like Pa?

“Uh-huh!” I nodded, and Pa grinned. “Aha! That's my boy!”

I smiled up at my father, snuggling closer to my family. I happened to glance down at my little sister — Ada — and she gazed back at me in bewilderment, her eyes wide and full of curiosity.

“Baby's awake,” I murmured, keeping my voice in case she was still sleepy.

She seemed wide awake, though, and Roy held out his finger for her to hold. Ada gripped it tightly, and the whole family peered down at her.

“If she's awake-”

“No,” Pa interrupted, knowing what I was about to say. We all laughed as quietly as we could, and I could've sworn that even baby Ada, somehow, was smiling along with us, as though she understood.

*****
I sighed, taking one last glance behind me at the (limited access (⌐■ᴥ■)).

A tear rolled down my cheek, and I instinctively wiped it away, forcing myself to continue forward.

Honestly, what had I expected?

Some things just aren't meant to last.

One More War (Exploring Fiction 2)
Info: A poem that attempts to merge the genres of poetry, dystopian and thriller. It is based on the following: Pick three genres (remember that you are not limited to genres that have SWC cabins - romance, drama, and humour, just to name a few, are all valid genres too despite not having cabins!) and write a 300 word scene blending the three genres together.
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Nightfall is upon us.
Nightfall is the key.
You run into the forest;
You run away from me.
I call out your name
And a shiver runs down your spine.
This world is not the same
As when we had time.

Your brothers and sisters left you
Long, long ago.
They decided to run;
They decided to flee;
Flee from the coming war.
And in their panic
They left you all alone.
You're all alone;
You have no home;
You have no one,
No one at all.

And I call your name with glee,
Your name with glee.
Name with glee.
As you run;
As you flee.
Yes, you run away from me.

You and I are one.
We are one.
There is none
Without us.
We were together
And now we're apart
Though I'm the other
Half of your heart.

The aura glows around you,
Like the moon has sworn
To protect you.
To say it won't forsake you,
Won't forsake you
As your brethren had done.

So you just go on
And you run
I'll have my fun;
We are one.
Yes, we're one.
You can't hide from me
You think that I don't see
That you're scared.
Stay aware.
I'm almost there,
Almost there.

Across the barren wasteland;
Across the dull, dead sand;
Across the excuse of a planet
We called ‘Earth’.
It was green,
And now it's gone.
It had life,
And now it's done.
We're at war,
This is war.

It's a fight.
More than one.
Like the sun
Against us all.
And still you and I
Are at war.
It's in our core;
Open the door —
Let me in
Just once more.
Release your tears;
Let them pour
Then forget
What you saw.

For we are one.
You saw the sun.
It had it's fun.
And now its done.
And now we're done.
This world is done.
This war is done.

We were one.
Now we're two.

I found you.

All About Triangles! (Exploring Non-Fi 1)
Info: A very informative page on triangles, based on the following: Write a 600 word piece (an information report, if you will) all about something! You can pick any topic (e.g. frogs). Include facts and lots of information, but keep your opinion out of it!
___________________________________________________________
Introduction
Triangles are two dimensional (2D) shapes that have three sides, three interior angles and — believe it or not — six exterior angles.

You can often come across triangles by slicing across another shape — for example, if you cut a square in half diagonally, you will have two triangles.

On paper, this shape is typically drawn with a ruler, to ensure straight lines.

It is also a shape that is commonly pre-drawn on computer softwares and apps, such as Microsoft Paint, so that users do not have to draw triangles themselves.

More often than not, there will also be a straight line tool on such softwares, making it possible to create triangles even without a specific triangle tool.

Triangles are all around us in our daily lives, even when we don't notice them. Often though, they'll be hidden within different shapes, most commonly squares or rectangles that happen to be the face of a three dimensional (3D) object.
————————————————————————————————–
Types of Triangles

There are, technically, six different kinds of triangles. Half are grouped in regard to a triangle's sides, and the half are grouped in regard to a triangle's angles . They are as follows:

Based on sides:
• Scalene: the lengths of all the sides are different
• Isosceles: the lengths of two of the sides are the same
• Equilateral: lengths of all the sides are the same, or equal (these will always be equiangular as well, which means all the angles are the same. In the case of triangles, all the angles will be 60°)

Based on angles:
• Acute: each angle is less than 90°
• Right angled (also known as ‘right’ or ‘right angle’ triangle): one angle is 90°
• Obtuse: one angle is greater than 90°

Triangles are not specifically limited to one type. For example, a scalene cannot be an isosceles, but it can be an acute, obtuse or right angled triangle.

In other words, in some cases you may have a triangle that fits into more than one category of the different types of triangles.
————————————————————————————————–
Right Angle(d) Triangles Section 1: Labels

In a right angled triangle, the side opposite to the right angle is always the hypotenuse (or side c, as illustrated in Pythagoras Thereom). It is also the longest side of a right angled triangle.

The other sides are ‘a’ and ‘b’ (which should always be labelled with lowercase letters, for reasons that will be further explored and explained later on), and the other two sides of the right angled triangle can be labelled these without reference to a (specific) rule.

With trigonometry, you may also come across the terms ‘opposite’ and ‘adjacent’, which will vary depending on the angle i n the scenario, also to be fully explained at a later point. Here, the hypotenuse is still the side opposite the right angle.

Angles in triangles (also more generally) may be referred to as A, B and C (angles, particularly in most — if not all — formulae for triangles, will be capital letters).

Sides or angles in a triangle may also have a variation of labels in practice or exam questions, such as ‘x’, ‘P’, ‘y’ etc.

Instead of a label, angles or sides may also be given values. For example, 80° or 12cm.

Please note that, for the most part, you will have to label sides or angles of a triangle yourself. This is rarely done for you.
————————————————————————————————–
Right Angle(d) Triangles Section 2: Facts about Pythagoras

Many mathematical formulas etc. based around triangles focus on right angled triangles in particular.

Two examples of this would be Pythagoras Theorem and SOHCAHTOA (note: this is different to the sine and cosine rules).

Pythagoras Theorem was established by Pythagoras of Samos , who was an ancient Greek philosopher. In addition to mathematics, he also made contributions to developments in astronomy and (the theory of music).

Though it is believed that his theorem was (first) known and used by Babylonians approximately 1000 years before his time, Pythagoras was the first to prove it.
————————————————————————————————–
Right Angle(d) Triangles Section 3: Pythagoras Theorem
The theorem states the following:

a² + b² = c².

Here, where ‘c’ is representative of the hypotenuse, the theorem states that, if you square the values of the other two sides and them, you will get c². You can then square root this to get c.

For example:

a² + b² = c²
4² + 5² = c²
16 + 25 = c²
16 + 25 = 41

√41 = c
c = 6.40312423743
c = 6.40 (3sf)

You may get questions in which you are asked to check that a triangle is a right angled triangle. In said questions, you will have to input the numbers into the formula.

If a² + b² = c², the triangle is a right angled triangle. However if, despite substituting the numbers into the formula, a² + b² ≠ c² ('≠' meaning not equal to), the triangle is not a right angled triangle.

Note: if you have the length of the hypotenuse ©, and need to work out the length of a different side, you will have to rearrange the formula. For example:

c² – b² = a² or c² – a² = b²

For this reason in particular, it is helpful to label the sides of a right angled triangle before answering practice or exam questions.
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Trigonometry and Labels

This section will be more beneficial to those who have already come across sine (SOH), cosine (CAH) and tangent (TOA).

For most trigonometry, labels must be used in order to answer a question correctly.

The labels we use are for right angled triangles:

• Hypotenuse (as mentioned before)
• Opposite
• Adjacent

Although the hypotenuse will always be the longest side, that is opposite the right angle, the other two labels will not always be in the same place.

In addition to a drawn right angle, you may be given another angle, which determines where the opposite and adjacent sides are.

The angle will always touch the adjacent side and the hypotenuse.

In any case, the side that does not touch the angle is the opposite side (this can be demonstrated by drawing an arc where the angle is, that touches the sides of the triangle which form its corner, if this hasn't been done already).

The hypotenuse can never be the opposite or adjacent side in regard to labels.

You should always label your triangle before starting on a question. Note that, sometimes, you may have to choose an angle rather than being given one, in which case the opposite and adjacent sides will depend on the angle you chose.
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Trigonometry and SOHCAHTOA

This section will be more beneficial to those who have already come across sine (SOH), cosine (CAH) and tangent (TOA).

The acronym means the following:

• SOH: for ‘sine’ — pronounced ‘sign’ (on a calculator, the button is often ‘sin( ’. Sine, depending on the circumstances, may be put down as ‘sin’ as well).

Note that, as represented by ‘SOH’: sin(e) = opposite/ hypotenuse

• CAH: for ‘cosine’ — pronounced ‘co-sign’ (on a calculator, the button is often ‘cos( ’. Cosine, depending on the circumstances, may be put down as ‘cos’ as well).

Note that, as represented by ‘CAH’: cos(ine) = adjacent/ hypotenuse

• TOA: for ‘tangent’ — pronounced ‘tan-gent’ (on a calculator, the button is often ‘tan( ’. Tangent, depending on the circumstances, may be put down as tan as well).

Note that, as represented by ‘TOA’: tan(gent) = opposite/ adjacent
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Trigonometry and Using SOHCAHTOA

This section will be more beneficial to those who have already come across sine (SOH), cosine (CAH) and tangent (TOA).

Sine, cosine and tangent can be used to find unknown sides or angles of a right angle triangle.

Usually, in questions, you will be expected to decide and correctly deduce which one you need to use in order to get the right answer.

To find the length of the unknown side (also referred to as ‘the missing’ side), you will need two angles and two sides, including the unknown one.

Finding missing angles is slightly more complex, and so will not be explained here. However, you have to use the inverses of sine, cosine and tangent (the inverse of sine in a calculator, for example, would be ‘sin^–1: read as sine to the power of minus/ negative one’)
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Reiterating/ Other Formulae

Pythagoras Theorem:
a² + b² = c²
(Which can be rearranged to c² – b² = a²)

Sine rule:
• sinA/ a = sinB/ b
• a/ sinA = b/ sinB

Cosine rule:
•a² = b² + c² – 2bcCosA
(a² = b² + c² – 2 × b × c × cosA)

Area of a Triangle
½b×h
(½ × base × height)

(Advanced) Area of a triangle:
½absinC
(½ × a × b × sinC)

Note that capital letters are angles and lowercase letters are sides.