(These thank you notes are not from the daily, but from cabin wars )
To Willow:
Thanks for being amazing. Simple as that. You’re hard working and dedicated to our cabin. Thank you for being amazing and lovely. I’m just so grateful for your leadership and guidance during my first time as co. You’ve made this experience wonderful and I’m so glad to have met you this month

To Fen:
Hey Fen! Thanks for awesome! I’m so glad to be co with you this session. You’re amazing, strong and wise. You lead well and know when to take a break. I’m so happy that I got to meet you this session. <3

To all fan-fi campers:
FANFI FOR THE WIN! I love you guys! We’re going to do amazing this session. We’re doing great so far, and I’m so excited to watch you all grow as writers. Super proud of you all!

To my Campers in my department:
You guys are amazing! I love you all so much! We’re going to do so well, and you guys have shown this well. I’m so glad that I’m your co, and I’m glad that I’m able to spend this session with you guys. I love you all to death. Fan-Fi for the win!

To Birdi:
Dedicated host of SWC herself. Thanks for being absolutely amazing. You put in a lot of work towards this blessing of a camp and I’m really grateful for that. You’ve faithfully hosted for what feels like forever. Thank you for your service and I’m just awed by your leadership.

To Robin:
Thanks so much for being host of SWC. I am so grateful for all the work you put into this amazing camp. All the campers and leaders are so blessed to have you and Birdi hosting this session. <3

To the daily team:
I LOVE YOUR WORK! The dailies and weeklies this session have been so fun to do. Thank you all for your dedicated work towards a central part of SWC. You all are amazing and hardworking. Thanks for being awesome!

To all the (co)leaders:
Love you all! Each and every cabin is amazing and lovely. The designs are wonderful, the storylines well crafted and the campers are definitely happy thanks to you guys. I’m so blessed to be among your ranks and watch you all grow and lead in this amazing camp. You guys are amazing and I love you all! <3

To every camper:
YOU. GUYS. ARE. AMAZING! Without you, SWC wouldn’t work! You all are so dedicated to your cabins. I’m so awed by your hard work towards this amazing camp. You guys are awesome!

putting this in a new post for a critique <3


1. Write 100 words to begin your adventure.

Do you mind if I steal your eyeballs? Well, I guess it’s not really stealing if I ask first, is it… How about borrowing them for a while? Would that be alright?
Just kidding! I already have them. You’re reading these words, aren’t you? That means I successfully captured your eyeballs. You could take them back at any time, of course, and I, your humble narrator, could do nothing to stop you. But something tells me you’ll keep reading. You see, you’re a single thread in a vast weave, trying to tie yourself into my world. And I’m the one who’s good with knots.
So, what do you say- can I keep your eyeballs for a while? I promise I won’t eat them. And a promise is kind of like a knot, isn’t it?

2. Fan Fiction: Have a blast from the past and write a 150 word flashback.

Memory is a fickle thing. But then again, so is time itself. And so is everything else. An arrangement of sand, forever shifting, trickling through the hourglass, being torn down and rebuilt. Always changing, creation and destruction in equal measure. My hatching should have been evidence enough of that.
Most shazarxi don’t remember their hatchings. I do. A perfect eggshell, round, smooth, and simple. It was warm on the inside. Eventually, the day came when it could no longer contain me. However, my egg didn’t just crack as I emerged- it exploded. My first experience of the world was being immersed in a bright blur as fragments of shell crashed down around me. It was quite unusual, they all said. No shazarxa had ever hatched that way before. Still, I had four legs, two wings, fourteen claws, a tail, and a face- nothing at all strange about me. Life moved on, and they forgot.
I believe that’s what’s called foreshadowing.

3. Realistic Fiction: In the next 150 words, build up a happy scene, only to incorporate a dark twist.

“I brought you a gift!” I chirped, scampering up to my father, Ember.
“I-it’s not spiders again, is it?” Thorn questioned, poking his head out from underneath Ember’s wing. My brother was always so nervous about everything. I couldn’t imagine why.
“No- look!” I sat back on my hind legs, and used my front paws to hold up the circle of branches I had tied. It was almost as big as I was, although that didn’t mean much. I was basically the smallest shazarxa ever.
I stuck my face in the middle of the circle and giggled. “It’s a circle, see? With twelve knots- two for you, and two for Marigold, and two for me and two for Butterfly and two for Thorn and two for Teardrop! One for each of our eyes!”
Ember smiled proudly at me as I climbed his shoulder and plopped the circle on his head. It fit perfectly. “It’s very nice, Parsnip,” he purred.
I beamed. The plan had worked perfectly. That circle was full of thorns. One by one, they would fall off and get embedded in his fur, and be quite a nuisance. I couldn’t wait to see what he’d do! Hey, I mean, what else is the smallest shazarxa supposed to do for entertainment?

4. Dystopian: For the next 150 words in your story, a supernatural/celestial being intervenes in the middle of whatever your protagonist was doing.

Over the next few seasons, I became even better at weaving branches and vines. The leader, Swift, assigned me the job of building dens into the wall of the canyon. We had nested on the ground until that point, but with the threat of wolves becoming a bigger issue, he thought it would be better to roost higher up.
I accepted, of course. I was good with my claws and skilled at structural design. Perhaps it was time to use those talents for something else other than tricking people.
I could fly by then, and so I circled up into the sky to view the canyon from above and choose the best location for the new dens. It was a wonderful day. The sunlight was bright, and I rode a warm updraft. The sun was so bright, in fact, that my eyes watered, and the updraft was strong enough to propel me up even farther than I intended. I blinked, realizing that the sky looked weird. It wasn’t blue anymore- more of a glowing green. I flapped my wings, only to realize that gravity had apparently given up on existence. A layer of clouds obscured my view of the ground- where had those clouds come from?
“Hey, Parsnip,” came a voice from above. Looking up, I saw an unfamiliar shazarxa with strangely green eyes- the color of the sky. They were floating upside-down. “Call me Wild. I’m the one who created your world.”
“Oh, cool,” I replied. This was interesting.
“Listen, I have a favor to ask you. You’re kind of a prankster character, yeah? I need you to prepare an epic plot twist- something dramatic that you can reveal in, oh, about six or seven season-cycles.”
Now it was getting even more interesting. “Sure,” I said.
“Great! I’ll bring you back to Half-Canon- that’s this place- soon, once you’ve gathered some thoughts to discuss.” With that, the shazarxa dove down into the clouds, and gravity suddenly worked again. I dove downward as well, but when I broke through the clouds, there was no sign of them- just the canyon.
Looking down at where I was supposed to build the dens, I began to have an idea…

5. Thriller: Write 5 paragraphs, and make the word count in each be one of the randomly-generated numbers.

(42, 35, 88, 58, 23)

I planned and designed, collected and constructed. Bit by bit, moment by moment, a woven network of dens sprouted on the side of the cliff. The time seemed to pass by quickly, and within the colony, life moved on. Many things changed.
The wolves attacked our camp. Several shazarxi were killed, including Swift. Ash became our next leader. And now everything’s a mess! It’s quite fun to observe sometimes. Wild says it’s all part of the plot.
I think I’m the only one in the colony who realizes the truth. This world is not the only world. Wild comes from another world, the one they call IRL. (It means ‘in real life,’ they told me, which, to me, implies that I’m living in ‘fake life.’ I told them this, but they just rolled their eyes.) They call my world, the one they created, Canon. The area where our two worlds overlap is Half-Canon, a sort of thought space, an in-between place that’s not really anywhere.
I’ve been going there a lot lately. I no longer need Wild’s interference to find my way. The timeline is different than my own, though, and I never know when or where I’ll end up. Actually, I’m not sure if time even exists there. Others from Canon come into it, too, from all points in time and space.
Teardrop thinks I’ve lost my mind. Perhaps I have. But in the great confusion of everything, it’s the one thing that makes sense.

6. Fantasy: Write 250 words while you wait for the sun to come out again.

I watched as Shade led her followers out of the canyon, not to return. Practically everyone was shouting something or other, and a thrill of excitement raced through my wings.
It wouldn’t be long now.
Ember and Marigold came rushing over to me, with Teardrop close behind. Ember wrapped us both up in his wings as if we were still hatchlings, but neither of us protested.
“I’m so glad you’re still here,” he whispered heavily.
“I couldn’t NOT be here,” I pointed out. “Wherever I am is the place I call ‘here.’”
Teardrop shot a glare at me through Ember’s floof. What? Oh, right. I was expected to be comforting or whatever. Thorn had left with Shade’s group, and everyone was very busy being upset about that. I probably should try to console them.
“Don’t look back, Ember,” I said in the gentlest voice I could manage. Turns out I’m pretty good at pretending. “Dwelling on the past won’t bring him back. Let him live his life, and you can live yours. He’ll be okay.”
“I was supposed to hold you all close,” he replied, still rather dazed. He didn’t lift his gaze from the ground.
I sighed internally and slipped out from under his wing, darting into my personal den. I came back carrying that old circle of branches from when I was a fledgling.
“Hey, remember this?” I asked. “It had thorns in it. You couldn’t get them off of your head for the longest time!”
At this, he raised his head and smiled faintly. Marigold took a step closer, also remembering.
“If you want, you can have it back,” I continued. “The thorns are gone now, but maybe it will remind you of Thorn.”
Gently, he picked it up off my claws. All four of us stood in a circle and looked at it for a long time.

7. Script: Word sprint for the next four minutes as you try to leave the stage betetr than you found it.

Back in Half-Canon, I was chatting with a wolf. Her name is Chaos, and she was one of the wolves that attacked our camp a while back. I didn’t know her back then, so of course, we were trying to kill each other, but now we get along great. Everyone in Half-Canon can communicate perfectly with each other, regardless of our native languages. That was Chervil’s idea. (Chervil is a turtle.)
Wild walked in on our conversation, and we both stopped talking, looking to them expectantly. They grinned at us. “Parsnip! Is our little plot twist ready?”
“You know it is, Wild,” I smirked back.
“Good. It’s almost time.”
Time, time, moving forward whether you like it or not. Always bringing change.
And this time, I was the one bringing the change.

8. Poetry: In the next 150 words, place a character in isolation and describe in detail how they react to this loneliness.

Thorn laid in his hastily-made nest, unable to sleep. He was already beginning to regret his decision to leave. He wished he had at least said goodbye.
But he knew that if he had, he would have been convinced to stay. And he couldn’t bear to stay. Ash was tearing the colony apart with his anger and bad decisions. So when Shade decided to follow in her mother’s pawsteps and start her own colony, Thorn went with her, even though it meant leaving behind everyone he loved.
Except it turned out that Shade wasn’t planning on starting a new colony. Instead, she was preparing for battle, wanting to overthrow Ash. She had announced this as soon as they were out of the main colony’s territory. Everyone else had seemed so excited. Had they already known?
Surrounded by a crowd of fellow shazarxi, Thorn felt completely alone.
As the sun gradually rose in the sky, he finally fell into a troubled sleep.

9. Bizarro Fiction: Take a few moments to think of something extremely absurd. Then see if you can apply that to your story.

A few days later, Thorn woke up in a place that was decidedly not the same nest he had fallen asleep in. He whirled around, trying to figure out where he was. The flash of eyes caught his attention.
“Who’s there?” he called, trying to sound confident. He is not as good at pretending as I am.
I stepped closer so that he could see me.
“Hi, Thorn!”
“Parsnip?! Where am I? What- what did you do?”
“What do you mean? You go for walks out here every day. I come out to greet you every time.” I replied, tilting my head. “Have you not noticed?”
“Following me? But I just woke up- The whole thing with Shade wasn’t all… it wasn’t all a dream, was it?”
“What whole thing with Shade?” I asked.
“Leaving to start her own colony. Planning for battle against Ash. Everything that’s happened in the past three days! It- it did happen, right?”
Thorn’s eyes were wide with terror, so for once, I took pity on him. “Yeah, that happened, don’t worry,” I confirmed. “But, Thorn- If you don’t remember meeting me here yesterday, or the day before that- Were you sleepwalking?”

10. Non Fiction

(I got 1. Pff, there’s not much writing I can do in one minute.)

“Hey, Ash-”
He bristles immediately. “You’re supposed to ask before coming in my den,” he growls.
I shrug, ignoring him. “Just ran into Thorn out there,” I say, gesturing vaguely with my tail. “He said Shade is planning to launch an attack against you. Just thought you should know.”
I turn and leave. Behind me, Ash is stunned for a moment, before sputtering- “W-wait, WHAT??”
But I’m already gone.

11. Horror

At last, the day I’ve been waiting for has arrived. The energy runs through every hair on my pelt, but once again, I must pretend that everything is normal. That I am normal.
I pop into Half-Canon just before the beginning of the end.
“Lucky- you get so much plot relevance,” Rain moans. “Most of my character arc was spent on an ISLAND.”
Chaos laughs. “I just wish I could be there to see it. Chaos is LITERALLY in my name, you know.”
<<My work begins immediately after this,>> Chervil chimes in thoughtfully. <<Prepare yourselves.>>
“And I don’t get to exist until after this happens!” River adds. “So bring on the future!”
I don’t reply, quiet for once in my life. Using Half-Canon’s powers, I imagine my circle of knots into existence. I poke my face through the center, just like I did all those seasons ago. It melts over my face like a mask, and I wonder: What if Teardrop was right all along, and I HAVE only been imagining this place?
I catch a glimpse of myself with the mask in a reflective pool. it looks exactly like who I’ve become.

12. Mystery

Oh, the glorious confusion of battle. How can I possibly describe it? It’s a whirlwind of noise and movement, a deadly dance. Claws fly and jaws snap, wings spread and snarls ring out against the walls of the canyon.
I stay out of it, of course, Direct confrontation was never my thing. I am, after all, still a very small shazarxa for my age- what use would I be in a fight, anyway?
Or at least that’s the excuse I gave to Ash. I am more than capable of shredding someone’s fur off, I just have a bigger role to play. It won’t be long now.
He stands on the leader’s ledge, face to face with Shade. They begin monologuing at each other, and the battle around them pauses to listen. So predictable.
I see each moment in perfect clarity from my hiding place at the base of the cliff, among the branches that support the dens above.
The time for words has passed. The two shazarxi prepare to fight, circling.
I see the precarious balance in Ash’s eyes.
Then, he is lauching himself at Shade- over Shade- plummeting to the ground below.
A sharp crack is heard, and then everything is absolutely still. Time seems to stop.
But it doesn’t.
I step into sight, rustling my feathers only slightly. This motion triggers Teardrop out of their shock.
“YOU KILLED HIM!” he roars, flinging herself at Shade, not thinking. Stupid. They’ve already lost the battle.
Within moments, he is cornered beneath the dens alongside me. Shade and her followers have noticed me now, and they begin to close in on us both.
My time to shine.
“The one thing nobody realized,” I state simply, “is that the central support structure is the most important part of any building. It controls the rest, if you will.”
Shade looks confused for just an instant, and I grab the circle of knots with my tail, having snatched it from Ember’s den and stashed it there earlier.
“It’s the knot that ties it all together,” I continue. Nonchalantly, I swing the knotted circle with my tail, and it slices through a vine.
“Without it…”
A rumble from above makes everyone pause.
“It all falls apart.”

13. Science Fiction

So that went mind-blowingly well!
I float up from the rubble, and for a moment, I get the distinct feeling I’ve been here before.
Hadn’t the gravity stopped working once before? Hadn’t something already happened that caused the sky to filled with clouds out of nowhere? It was as if I was reliving it all over again. Deja vu.
But no, this time it was different. I had collapsed the ENTIRE SIDE OF THE CLIFF. AND IT WAS ON FIRE. SOMEHOW.
With just that one vine, the central structure that had been holding up the dens the entire time. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself!
Oh, and I guess I was a ghost now. I kind of was directly underneath the cliff when it collapsed. But that was just part of the plot, too!
I was tempted to brag about my victory to the others in Half-Canon. But my role wasn’t quite over yet. There was one more thing I had to do.

14. Adventure

(It was a 5-minute sprint, but I was having trouble thinking of words, so it’s pretty short.)

Teardrop clambered up the Mountain, not even knowing what to think.
Everything had happened too fast. She remembered the battle, and Ash’s death- no, he mustn’t think about that- and then Parsnip?? The cliff??
Parsnip had pushed them out of the way of the falling dens right before they would have crushed him. With his last words, Parsnip had told her to climb to the Mountain’s peak.
With nothing left to do and nowhere else to go, they obeyed.

15. Folklore

“I need you to give me one of those leaves,” Parsnip instructed, gesturing at the lone tree on the top of the Mountain.
Teardrop didn’t seem to understand that the Mountain, well, more like the tree, actually- was the one place ghosts could communicate with the living.
<<Technically, there ARE other trees,>> Chervil’s voice from Half-Canon told him.
“Shut up! I’m supposed to be in Canon right now!” he mentally whispered back. He was glad turtles could read minds.
Teardrop looked dazed with shock, but he tore off a leaf and handed it to him anyway. Obediently following orders, like always.
Parsnip picked up the leaf, and gravity returned to greet him. He had a body again! Grinning like a maniac, he put his paw- his TANGIBLE paw- on Teardrop’s shoulder.
“Thank you. Now travel down to the lake on the other side of this Mountain. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
<<Thanks, Parsnip,>> he heard Chervil say.
Parsnip spread his wings and dove down the mountain, relishing the feel of the wind in his pelt. It was nice having a body again.
He alighted on the pile of rubble that remained in the canyon. No one else was around.
Digging a little bit, he found what he was looking for- his circle of knots, now old and scratched, but miraculously unbroken.
Parsnip placed it on his head.

16. Historical Fiction

And thus ends the story of your humble narrator, Parsnip! I suppose I said at the beginning that I would give your eyes back when I was done, and I plan to keep my promise! Never make a promise you can’t keep (just word it very ambiguously). So I shall soon return the eyeballs that I stole. But although my story arc ended, my life, or, well, my undeath, perhaps- did not. Neither did time stop. I won’t tell you what happened with Chervil because it’s not my story to tell, but there are a few more details that I might as well mention while I’m here.

17.

The shazarxi now have a much friendlier relationship with the wolves. Guess who I finally got to meet in Canon? That’s right, Chaos!!! At first, I didn’t even recognize her. She portrays herself differently in Half-Canon than she actually looks like in Canon. Also, she’s a shapeshifter. Important detail.
We ended up meeting by accident- Me trying to pull a prank, her seeing right through me and stealing my circle of knots. Her returning it to me, and me, um, well, blushing heavily, actually~
Anyway, anyway, did I mention that River has also officially been born now? She’s quite the clever young shazarxa. Maybe you’ll have the privilege of letting her steal your eyeballs sometime.
But for now, here are yours back. Maybe you won’t ever see with them in quite the same way, but that’s hardly my fault, right? Or maybe not. Whatever, see (yes, SEE, heheh) you later!

Critique for @sweetcakefamily!

Your story is really cute! I love the characters, especially the cat. Thalia (Hmmm, I wonder where you got inspiration from the name? *wink wink*) is a bundle of sunshine, which I love.

I like the opening paragraph, like the flecks of dust. Something I am not sure about is that it mentions ‘golden light of the sun,’ but wasn't it cloudy at that time? Or maybe the sky has already opened up at that time? Also, something else I would fix is how she woke up. She seems like she was ready to start the day, but you could change it to be more realistic, like her being groggy and rubbing her eyes before she saw her cat. Flicking your eyes open when you wake up seems unnatural in my opinion. Unless you wanted the reader to think that Thalia is always energetic, which in that case, then ignore my feedback. To add on, in the fourth line, I think you meant to write “stroking” not “stoking,” because I'm pretty sure the cat isn't a fire. XD There's also a grammar mistake in the sixth line, it is ‘how the weather was doing,’ not ‘what the weather was doing’.

Next, I really like the descriptions of Thalia's objects! The lemon raincoat, the picnic-patterned boots, and frog umbrella make her seem like a really bubbly person, and you succeeded in doing that! I think you should capitalize Papa, as it's a nickname for her dad. I also love the descriptions of water, they seem so beautiful. Her and Misty seem like they really enjoy each other (well, maybe Misty not so much).

Lastly, the conclusion is more realistic. I like how you make Thalia out to be innocent, as she's only a small kid who doesn't understanding the shape that their family is in. The last paragraphs seem solemn, as they introduce the mother into the story. It seems like the story ended on a sadder note than I would think it would be, and it seems like there's room for many possibilities for the story to continue!

My favorite parts of the story would be the description of the sky opening up and also how you made Thalia ingenuous, and at the end, she became a little more mature.

decided to make a separate post specifically for critiques- I suppose I shall spend the time from now until March organizing my forum posts x33

(I worked with @Luna-Lovegood-LOL.)

akjfhahfkj;ajak; this is wonderful!! The iconic Lukatie with stunningly gorgeous writing yet again- :000
First of all, the idea of using witchcraft metaphors to describe the experience of going through ADHD testing- That is SO creative. How did you even think of that?? But more than that, even, you made the crossover so perfect- It reminds me of that one daily about making a randomized object be symbolic of something: overlapping two seemingly-incompatible things and somehow making them fit together seamlessly. I really liked how it’s abstract enough that it isn’t immediately obvious that it’s an analogy for ADHD testing, but I can still recognize the emotions and scenes that are associated with it. I can definitely relate to what it’s like, having gone through autism testing myself. (It turned out I’m mild-moderate on the autism spectrum, if you were wondering. )
I’ve always had trouble figuring out the rhythm and speed at which written words are intended to be read, so it’s possible that the rhythm you hear when you read it is entirely different from the rhythm I hear in my head– Basically, take my critiques about rhythm and flow with a grain of salt. -w-” I think “crystal ball fail to scry” would flow better as “crystal ball failing to scry.” The line “soon or now i’ll be crucified” also didn’t really seem to fit the rhythm; I’m not quite sure how it could be reworded, though. I think “red green blue, don’t shed the truth from guise” would sound better without the “the.”
The figurative language in this piece is absolutely impeccable. Rather than describing exact details, it paints the essence of mood and motion, at least in my reading of it. I think my favorite part was “pentagram lines, / straightfoward entwined / my impulses restless / alphabet is endless.” I also liked your chorus, “faint lamp-lit shade of crescent moons / stolen parchment withers in my room / the spell of all my memories / my soul bewitched, / i blame fade unto excuse.” The imagery there is just so elegant and descriptive- :00 Throughout the rest of the writing, too, the vocabulary and the wording in general is incredibly good. You seem to have the absolute perfect phrasing for everything!
It’s ten minutes away from midnight UTC, so I better wrap this up- I loved this piece, it was beautiful and so interesting- Overall, just completely stunning. Thanks for doing this critique with me, I was glad to spend my last moments of the November session writing this. I can’t wait to see you in March! <3

SWC Thankies:
So, to start off, sorry that I won’t be mentioning a lot of people personally, because I’m pretty busy (and a bit burnout :sob:). If you’re not in this list and we’ve interacted a lot this session, I’m really sorry, but know that I have not forgotten that you exist. <33333
So here’s a few general mentions of appreciation for everyone in SWC this session:
I know that I’ve seen a lot of these, and it can be hard to relate yourself personally to a message that doesn’t mention you specifically. So please insert your name in the message whenever it generally mentions you and know that I really do appreciate everything you did this session. <3333 Ok let’s start

Table of Contents –
Script Campers
Hosts, Co-hosts, and gHosts
Daily Team
Writing Comp Judges
Cabin (Co)leaders
Everyone else in SWC
(saved the best for last <333)
Jade
Nights

How does a one-syllable, newbie, alphabetically low-ranking cabin of Scratch Writing Camp, by providence hard to come up with themes for, become the most amazing cabin in existence?
Our amazing campers, that’s how <3
So yeah, I can’t go anywhere without mentioning the incredible people that signed up for Script this session, and who chose to dedicate their November—whether it was a few minutes a week or several hours a day—humoring Jade and Nights and I in participating in our storyline, showing such incredible cabin spirit, and really making the planning months so much worth it.
Some of you, like Piggy, Atlase, and Mily, are people that have been my cabinmates in the past, and I’m so honored to have been able to share another cabin with you. :) I feel so lucky to be able to see your spirit and dedication once more, and I hope to be able to continue making memories in any future sessions of SWC that we participate in together. <3
And to those of you who were in other cabins in previous sessions, or are simply new acquaintances, I couldn’t have imagined a better cabin experience than you helped provide. :’)
From the beginning of camp to your enthusiasm about our theme, to the phantom challenges that you breezed past, to the chaos of cabin wars that you absolutely slayed, to how sweet everyone was as camp came to a close, I truly couldn't imagine a Script Musical without you.
So… yeah. Thank you all so, so much for being so amazing this session, which sounds really cliché but know that I mean it genuinely, I’m just not that great at finding words to express it. <3
#ScriptFTW <3

They’re outwritten, outmanned, outnumbered, outplanned, but they somehow make an all-out stand! Hey-yo we gotta appreciate our epic (co/g)hosts <3
Thank you all so much, from the bottom of my heart. This wonderful camp wouldn’t exist without your constant dedication and hard work, as well as the endless patience and willingness to put up with everything we throw at you. <3 It is really so remarkable that you were willing to take on the job to organize a writing camp for hundreds of kids and teens on the internet, and you always are willing to give so so much, and have done so for years. <3 (Co)hosting is a nonstop job, and it’s because of your efforts that we have such an amazing camp to come back to every three months.
Thank you for creating a fair but selective process to make sure that campers have the most prepared leaders possible, as well as giving passionate newcomers a chance to lead.
Thank you for putting up with hundreds of questions and concerns of people who didn’t read the description/rules.
Thank you for being online practically every day to make sure that everything is running smoothly.
Thank you for sorting hundreds of campers into the cabins they want, and for being kind and gentle with everyone, even those who don’t necessarily deserve it.
Thank you for making SWC a safe and fair space for everyone to practice writing.
Thank you for being ready to handle the worst cases of SWC, and taking that burden off the leaders.
Thank you for participating in your own cabins as well, and for balancing your cabin, the camp as a whole, and your own real life.
Thank you for sacrificing thousands of hours of time that you probably could think of other uses for, just to make us happy.
Thank you for being willing to be underappreciated and overlooked even though you work yourselves so so so hard for us.
Thank you, Birdi, for being the kindest broom wielder to ever encourage people to go to bed.
Thank you, Robin, for being the spunkiest air raid siren to ever grace the ears of people sitting quietly doing nothing.
Thank you, Luna, for being the awesomest, fearsomest, scariest tiny arsonforg to ever burn down the post office.
Thank you, Starr, for being an absolute goddess of graphic design :pleading_face: and a super pirzatey jay <3
Thank you, Sun, for being our favorite celestial object that hopefully will never swallow the planet if their shoulders were stolen <3
I probably missed so much about you guys, but I really really really really really really really appreciate you so much. Thank you, so very much, for everything you have done and continue to do. <33333 You’re the best sky tyrants anyone could ever ask for.
And thank you to the gHosts as well. <3 I don’t know many of you that well, but I know that you’ve all been working behind the scenes to help make camp amazing as well. <3333

EVERYONE GIVE IT UP FOR SWC’S FAVORITE ACTIVITY MAKERS—DAILY TEAM!
Zaine, Birdi, Alba, Luna, Starr, Finch, and Daisy, thank you so much for taking the time to create dailies, weeklies, and other activities for us this session. You have to balance content for experienced and new writers, and make sure that everything has the right number of points, an achievable number of words, and is something that will all make us better writers. <3 I especially adored the final weekly; it was really creative and I loved the story that I wrote with it <3 (ehhee especially the Dystopian section, right Luna?)
Thank you so much as well for being available to answer everyone’s questions, for coming up with new cabin wars rules to make things fair for everyone, and for the epic Critiquitaire activity. I’m afraid I wasn’t able to any Critiquitaires this session, and I didn’t have time to complete all the dailies and weeklies, but please know that you did an amazing job. If I had enough time, and even if the dailies and weeklies were worth 0 points, I’d do each and every one of them. <3
You guys are epic <3

HOW DO THEY JUDGE LIKE THEY’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME??????
The judges are inherently epic, that’s how. <3
Cara, Sun, Nights, and Luna, I don’t know how you do it <33333 You judge literally hundreds of writing competition entries, all in a few weeks, while somehow managing to give every piece thought and effort. I appreciate everything you do to make the writing competition fair and open to everyone, especially since so much time dedication takes a toll. <33333333
Take as much time as you need with the results, and it’s ok if it’s released a couple weeks past the deadline :pleading_face:
Keep on slaying, and thanks for everything <3333333

burnout starts to set in fdjskalfdas but I’ll try to finish these :pleading_face:
Dear (co)leaders…! Burnout’s approaching, but I’ll try to write you thank you notes just on time.
Unfortunately, I haven’t delved much farther than script this session, but each and every cabin has been spectacular this session, and I’ve seen so many happy campers in the main cabin that have you to thank for all your hard work.
Leading can be hard, so hats off to you for taking the time to plan a cabin, add your campers’ word counts, and contribute to the amazing cabin lineup we have this session. Thanks for being awesome, and again, sorry for the short note, but I hope that you are doing well, and that you had as great a session as I did! :)

EDIT: To Jade and Nights: I originally intended to write each of you a personal thank you note, but then irl and swc burnout took over and I wasn't able to write it for a while </333 I really appreciate everything that you've done this session, and co-leading alongside you has been an incredible experience. I'll try to write more personal notes before the end of December, but in case I don't manage to, I just want to say: Thank you so much, for everything <333333 You guys are awesome. :) /gen

HELLO EVERYONE <3 whether you are a reigning tyrant, a (co)leader, or a camper, you have my unending thanks for everything you’ve done to help make this session what it was, from the lost daily seeking, to cabin wars, to sharing iconic moments in the main cabin, to hanging out in the cabins! unfortunately, i have neither the time nor the energy to write a proper thank you for each and every phenomenal person i have had the chance to interact with this session, but all of you, whether we are the best of friends, casual acquaintances, or somewhere in between, will always hold a special place in my heart for the memories we make together! thank you all for another amazing session <3

HOSTS <3

greetings sky tyrants hehe <3 thank you so much for all the work you do to make swc what it is, from constantly adjusting things that need to change, to being there and willing to answer questions and help out, to sorting out all the little (and bigger) things that come up throughout the session, to offering advice and being some of the most understanding people ever, to maintaining and helping out with so many different projects, from things like main cabin points to the suggestions forum, dailies, qualing/sorting, choosing leaders, and so much more! i know the job isn’t always easy, but thank you for always being there for swc, and helping to create moments to remember and a community that brings so many people that never would have met otherwise together, in this incredible experience so many of us cherish!

birdi - birdi! thank you so much for always being there and willing to listen, chat, and offer advice – you are such an amazing, compassionate, mature, and inspiring person, and i hope you know that! i never quite finished my july thank you notes – thank you for everything you did for thriller, both for the cabin and for kit and i! looking back, i don’t think i ever fully appreciated all of the little things that come with leading that you took care of for us, as much as i tried to help out as much as i could <3 i would love to talk to you more often, and as always, thank you for being your wonderful self <333

robin - robin! thank you for all the work you put into sorting and the postscript! i would be delighted to get to know you better sometime – from our few conversations, it seems like we have more than enough in common to have plenty to talk about, and you seem like an amazing person! <3

starr - starr! you are a legend hehe – from your gorgeous writing, to your exquisite designs, to whatever it is that goes on in the land of pirates ajskdfljsdklf <3 im sure you’ve heard this a million times, but i love the description, backstory, and emotion behind everything you write, and how utterly real your characters and world feel! everything you make, whether its written or arranged, is always stunning!

sun - sun! last minute as your dailies may be, they are truly a joy to read, especially the poetry! the art of writing poetry is perhaps lost on me – i do not have that kind of patience or ability to express things in, for lack of better words, a poetic way – but its always something special to read yours, whether its about galactic adventures, bread, or something else entirely! thank you for that, and thank you for judging hehe <33

luna - miss luna! first and foremost, there will be absolutely no moonlit caverns in my future ajsdklfjsdfkl xD trig is one of the most useless subjects ever, and you will /not/ convince me otherwise! that aside, thank you so much for being a phenomenal friend! whether its plotting new (roleplay) ways to set the world on fire, screaming about who-knows-what, listening to mercury or midnights while sOmEoNe is apparently supposed to be paying attention to theatre (luna asjdklfjsdklfj) for hours on end, suffering through spongebob (and friends!), watching arcane, or just listening, chatting, and being there for each other, you are one of the most incredible, chaotic, and understanding friends i have (and ever will have) <33 i am unbelievably glad we met and continued to talk! sometimes just being able to work through whatever it is thats going on, whether that’s through screaming incoherently or a stream of rambling sobs is exactly what miss moonlit needs – thank you for always being there and willing to listen, no matter what! on a more cheerful note, i doubt i ever would have listened to imagine dragons as much as i do, watched arcane with moss, or written nearly so many dailies on the art of arson without you – and while our chats tend to be at odd hours, dropping everything and talking to luna is always a wonderful idea hehe <333

DAILY, MBC, AND QUAILS THINGS <3

zaine, alba, daisy, finch, birdi, luna, and starr - thank you for this session’s fantastic dailies, bidailies, and weeklies! i love how you can always keep us guessing, and jim flabsdz and the rest of the abwc were iconic <33 thank you for all of the work that all of you (especially zaine) did to make it, as well as the other weeklies, workshops, and activities happen!

workshoppers - thank you all for writing this session's workshops! it’s definitely not easy, but each and every workshop was beautifully written, inspirational, insightful, and helpful, whether it was on mental health, flash fiction, spoken word poetry, or something completely different – thank you for sharing your expertise <3

memory book committee - thank you for helping to create this session’s gorgeous house of our memories, and helping to capture so many iconic moments and cabins for the entire camp! it’s been amazing to see what everyone’s come up with so far, and i have no doubt that our final product will be nothing short of incredible!

quails - thank you for helping to record the hundreds of camper signups, and sorting out all the little changes to be made and things to be fixed! you all are amazing (just like your name <3)!

(CO)LEADERS <3

everyone - while i haven’t had the chance to talk to all of you and would love to get to know many of you better, each and every one of you deserves a standing ovation for the work that i know you put it to each of your cabins this session – each and every one of them is filled with it’s own unique, beautiful joy, and while it certainly isn’t always easy, the hard work and love poured into those cabins is a shining star in our beautiful sky everywhere i look! thank you all so much for helping to create a truly unique experience for swc’s hundreds of campers, and it’s been wonderful to watch all of your cabins, if only from afar <333

and a handful of special thank you’s -

faer - FAER! or should i say fear… :> you are nothing short of terrifying when you talk with proper grammar, capitalization, and punctuation, but all jokes aside, thank you for being such a friendly, helpful, patient, and brilliant friend! thank you for putting up with my endless stream of questions hehe - you are an incredible person to work with, and i'm glad we get to! thank you for always being around to help me out and to chat <33 (ps - *tosses one hundred grands*)

lio - hello icon! my apologies for plaguing you with the truly horrendous collab war – i do hope that you, as fantasy’s sibling, might forgive me for this early holiday present gone wrong. cabin wars aside, you are one of the smartest, most iconic, and most helpful people i’ve ever met – your ability to say so much with so little continues to astound me! thank you as well for adding so many points this session :0

skye - madame skye! honestly, i have no idea where the madame came from – but you’ll always be madame skye now xD you are such an amazing, chaotic, and friendly person – i'm glad you stopped by to say hello! i would love to keep talking and get to know you better hehe <3

gabbie - hey gabbie! short lived as our rivalry was, our campers definitely enjoyed it! i’m glad we had the chance to get to know each other a bit better, and resent it as i forever might, dystopian is nothing short of stunning, with your beautiful color scheme, thumbnail, and matching pfps! i would love to talk a bit more in future, if you’d like <33

daisy - daisy!! i doubt you’ll ever see this, but i would still like to thank you for being a fantastic friend! while we definitely were a bit irresponsible at times, our chats were so much fun, and i would love to keep in touch, if you’re ever around <333 i hope life is treating you well!

re - hey re! you’re such a cool and friendly person – thank you for always being around and willing to chat! your critique was also super helpful to me – thank you for that <3 i would also love to read more of your writing sometime – your concepts are so cool and well thought out, and i love how you develop your characters <33

dawn, wari, moss, and katie - thank you all for being wonderful swc sisters! i wish we could all talk together more than we can – but all four of you are some of the most amazing people i’ve ever met, and i’m grateful to be your canonical sister! our swc family is so chaotic ajdsfklsjdfklsdf xD

badowie, viara, leopard, bookie, aura, and iris - hellooo <3 it’s been a while since i’ve had the chance to talk to any of you, but all of you are amazing people and friends, and congratulations on co-leading! i don’t have time to reach out to people and chat like i used to, but i would still love to talk to all of you when we’re both around <333

FANTASY <3

fantasians!! thank you all so much for being here, and being part of this amazing cabin of ours <3 it's been quite the ride, from first to ninth, to back towards the top again – but no matter what happens to points in the rankings in the end, i am incredibly proud of all of us and what we accomplished together! and with all of that aside, each and everyone of you in such an amazing person, and its been an honor to get to know you throughout the month, through our trick or treating, our qotds, and all the chatting in between – it's always a joy to see one of your comments, to listen to you talk about what you’ve been writing, to hear about how your day’s been, to scream about anything and everything, and so much more! you may have noticed that each of our qotds is themed around a holiday – my personal favorite of which is national hug a bear day hehe – and while the holidays themselves were often a bit obscure, it was fantastic to celebrate with you all, and i love the unique constant joy all of your brought to the cabin thank you so much for being phenomenal fantasians, and more importantly, friends, and please do keep in touch <333

Amy - AMYYY <3 so much about you will never fail to amaze me – whether its your astounding fan-fiction, your constant energy and shining personality, or your ability to set your mind to something and make it happen, not to mention inspiring others to do the same, you undoubtedly are one of the most amazing campers and people i’ve ever met! thank you for always being around and up for chatting, for the mountains of fanfiction i’ve had the joy of reading, and the endless stream of, well, amy-ness! it’s been lovely to get to know you better and hang out, and i would love to be in the same cabin again sometime <333

Inky, Ayla, Hydro, Lucy, and Izzy - hey former thrillians! i will absolutely be writing all of you individual thank you’s but to all of you: first things first, i never quite got around to sharing thank you notes for last session, but i would like to thank all of you for being wonderful thriller campers, and all you did to make my first cabin as special as it was! i would love to reminisce about old times another day – but back to fantasy! it truly has been a delight to get to know all of you better and hang out again – there are few things more exciting than seeing faces from the past again, and there’s something incomparable about getting to watch all of your writing improve, seeing you hang out together, time after time, and getting to interact with you myself! thank you all so much for always being fantastic (and thrilling) ;D

Inky - inkyyy <33 thank you for that fantastic critique you wrote up for me, and for letting me read your own writing! your concepts are nothing short of incredible, from the Cartographer’s Apprentice from last session to Dreams That Are Trapped and Broken from this one – i love the thought and creativity that is so evident in your worlds, and i would be delighted to read more of your stories sometime if you ever choose to share them!

Ayla - hey ayla! you’re always so much fun to talk to and roleplay with, and i hope you’ve had fun in the fantalorian! i think you were it’s most frequent passenger hehe :0 thank you for always being around, willing to chat, and a cheerful, friendly person to chat with!

Hydro - HYDROO! if there was a prize for most enthusiastic camper, i think it would belong to you and rainy – thank you for always being there, cheering everyone on, and sharing your energy and enthusiasm! i love how you’re always quite to pick up a conversation and talk to everyone around you, and i’m glad to have had you as a fantasian <33

Izzy - izzy! i’ve always admired how dedicated you are to writing to your friend – it’s amazing how much you two talk, and i hope you continue to chat for years to come! thank you for being such a compassionate person <333

Lucy - LUCYYY! #westanlucy – you will not convince me otherwise <3 you’re always so enthusiastic, dedicated, kind, friendly, and creative, and your writing is nothing short of incredible! your playing with perspective and tone will always deserve a well earned round of applause, and your characters are so well thought out and vivid! it feels like it would be so easy to just reach through the screen and offer the protagonist a hand, to tell her everything she wishes she could have known. in addition to your writing talents, thank you so much for being there and willing to chat, and unbelievably helpful and encouraging!

Riley - RILEY <3 thank you so much for being such an active, enthusiastic, and interactive camper! you have my undying admiration for your ability to motivate and be motivated, and while i wish i could read more of it, from what i’ve seen, your writing is gorgeous, especially your characters and ability to form realistic thoughts and dialogue! i know you said you were thinking about applying for co-leader next session – i would absolutely encourage you to go for it! i think you would definitely make a brilliant co-leader, and i would love to see what you do hehe <33 it’s been incredible to get to know and interact with you this session – thank you for being such a wonderful person! <333 (ps - your writing comp entry’s title is iconic ;D)

Emmi - emmiiii! i hope everything is going alright for in real life <33 i know you’ve been busy and dealing with some things, but it has been wonderful to see you around when you can be! you’re such an incredible, talented, and unique person, and i am unbelievably glad to have met you, and i would love to keep talking in the future! thank you for being a /fantastic/ person hehe <333

Rainy - RAINY! your energy and enthusiasm for anything and everything truly are nothing short of incredible – and it's been a delight to get to know and be around you this session! i hope you enjoyed your stay on the fantalorian, and thank you so much for being your amazing self! <33

Mac - mac! ava is absolutely right - you are an icon hehehe <3 thank you for gracing us with your endless memes, and i’m glad to have met you! hopefully we can talk more in the future – i would love to get to know you better! <33

Miney - miney!! thank you for being such an active and enthusiastic person – and thank you for sharing your novel with us! you should be very proud of yourself hehe – i love the way you create seamless dialogue and build up a world from the very beginning, and you absolutely have my undying admiration for your dedication to writing it! thank you again for being a wonderful person to be around and a fantastic camper <333

Summer, Lily, Nat, Auj, Agawin, Lila, and Ray - hellooo <3 i know all of you were a bit busy with real life throughout the month, but i would still like to thank you for being around when you can, and i hope all of you have had fun, both with real life and swc! i would love to get to know all of you a bit better sometime – please do come say hello when you have a chance! thank you all for being a part of fantasy, and i'm glad you’re putting your own lives first <333

Squirrel, Amberly/Catti, and Ivy - while i never quite got to know any of you, each of you were a unique part of our cabin, and for that, i thank you <33 thank you for occasionally popping in to add your schoolwork or provide a few words of encourage, and it would be lovely to get to know you properly sometime! i hope everything is going well for all of you <333

EPIC COS - all of you know where you can find your notes <3

(3063 words – not counting fantasy co-leader thank yous – and i believe its time to sleep <3)

Thank You Notes

Birdi, Robin, Luna, Sun, and Star: You are all absolutely incredible (co)hosts. The amount of hard work, time, and sheer commitment that your positions mist demand is almost unfathomable to me. You have handled those responsibilities with impressive capability and dedication. This session was absolutely wonderful, and without your efforts it wouldn’t ever have happened. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you’ve done to make SWC possible. You are all amazing. <3

Birdi, Alba, Luna, Star, Zaine, Daisy, Finch: How are you able to come up with such cool, unique writing prompts?? Admittedly I wasn’t able to complete many dailies or weeklies this month, but the ones I did work on were so fun to do! I will definitely be going back to finish the Absurdy Birdi Word Crawl as soon as I find the time. You are all so creative and hardworking, and this session was ten times better for your contributions. Thank you for all you’ve done.

Moonlit: Where do I even begin. You have been so incredibly kind and supportive throughout this entire session. November was a really stressful month; I had an overwhelmingly huge school project due, and my procrastination made things much worse than they had to be. The encouragement you gave me was so genuinely sweet and reassuring. Reading those messages absolutely made my day, and I even felt somewhat motivated to keep working. Not to mention that you’ve been an all-around great leader - Fantasy would not have been half as incredible without your fun, kind, thoughtful amazingness. Oh, and please know that I also really appreciate the critique you wrote for my writing comp entry. There were some really good insights in there. and I do think that “Dreams” (I don’t want to write out the full title, it’s so long) is better because of it. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that you are a wonderful person, a fabulous leader, and one of the kindest humans on the internet. I’m so grateful to have been sorted into your cabin. <33

Moss: I deeply regret not getting to know you better this session. From what I have seen, though, you are such a cool person and coleader. Your comments, sense of fun, and overall awesomeness brought something special to Fantasy. I loved being in your cabin and hope we can interact more in the future.

Ave: I’m so grateful to have been able to meet you this session! You were a great coleader, always kind and a fun person to be around. Also, your art skills are amazing?! I don’t think I ever properly thanked you for my profile picture, so let me just say that I adore it and am very grateful to use it. All of the icons you drew for Fantasy were gorgeous; you have my admiration just for those.

Elle: I didn’t get to know you that well this session, unfortunately. Still, from what I have seen of you, you are a lovely person and a great coleader. It’s been lovely being one of your campers.

Everyone in Fantasy: I had a wonderful time during this session, and of lot of that experience was due to Fantasy! I’m really sorry for not contributing more to the cabin (school and an unhealthy amount of procrastination, you know?), but in spite of all my inactivity I had so much fun! Thank you, campers and (co)leaders for making that possible. <3 You are all amazing people, and I truly couldn’t have been sorted into a better cabin!

Alia: You are such a kind, wonderful person. I’ve loved getting to know you both in and out of SWC (this camp and the book studio are my two favorite places on Scratch), and getting to read your work. You are a seriously amazing writer - I am in constant awe of your ability to conjure beautiful, heart-wrenching stories through your words. It has been an honor to critique your short stories, both this session and last. Besides all of that you are a great friend - it’s always a pleasure to fangirl over books and ships named after pasta (thanks for the fanfic critique, by the way, I really appreciate it!), or just swap general feedback on each others’ writing. I’m so grateful to have gotten to know you, not just through one but two of the best corners of Scratch. <3 Thank you for everything.

Re: Thank you for collaborating on the weekly with me! I loved getting to write a monologue with you, and those interviews we did were so much fun! You seem like a cool writer/leader and an even cooler person. I’d love to be able to chat again sometime!

Word count: 761

here’s the finished storyline for dimension stellar! great job everyone ~ peggy

You sit, staring at the computer screen. The three dots cycle over and over again. Even the animation was lagging by now.

Annoyed, you sigh, turning away from the screen. Everyone else seems to be having the same issue as well, their screens all stuck on the same page.

Ever since you’ve gotten into the simulation, Peggy had informed you that you had to earn five hundred crypto together to get out of the dimension and go home. To do so, you had to complete silly tasks from the computer, supposedly sent by the real world—SWC.

The only thing that had kept you all completing the tasks were the ample amount of sleep mangoes stored in the engine room, but even they were running low. Soon enough, you were sure that you’d wear out, never able to come back to the real world. Everyone else seemed to share the same morals, even though Peggy gave encouragement daily.

It seemed that all hope would be lost soon.

Peggy’s voice echoed across the crackly loudspeaker. “I understand that the computers aren’t working…I’m trying something. Wait a second.” There was a moment of silence, and then the screens turned a dark blue. “They should work now. Sorry.”

Everyone turned to their screens, and suddenly, something popped up on the screen.

/CRYPTO GOAL REACHED./

Whoops started to come up from the crowd. You stood, hugging your new comrades, Peggy stepping out of the cockpit and joining the happiness.

“We’re going home!” One exclaimed. “We did it!” More cheers echoed, hugs and chaos as the air was filled with joy.

Suddenly, a bright light shone in the endless sky of stars, a swirl of neon blue, yellow, pink, and purple.

You looked at your comrades, the friends that had seemed like strangers before this crazy experience. Their faces were set with determination as everyone clutched onto each other, shutting their eyes.

The spaceship was swallowed by the light, and everything lit up, impossibly white. You felt like you were rushing faster and faster, your skin feeling like it might peel off at any moment.

Just before you returned to the real world, white text pops up in front of your eyes.

/PROJECTSCP.EXE COMPLETE./

peggy’s swc thank-yous <3

sein:
it was an incredible ride with you last session in poetry, and i’m so glad that i got to lead with you! all of your ideas are so0 original, and the thumbnails you made and the banner signatures are incredible! you really brought this session to life, and i can’t thank you enough for making sci-fi a reality (it’s not actually a reality—or is it?) <33 your comments are just so nice, and from poetry, i already knew you were a great leader ^^ you are super kind and i’d love to see you next session, prevailing the leaderboard, writing words, and being awesome as always !! /pos /gen

clo:
even though i hadn’t met you before this session, i immediately knew that we’d get along—you share some of my excitedness and it felt like being on the team just clicked <3 your ideas are awesome, and you’re so so so kind and the most genuine person i’ve ever met! like seriously, you are super nice and amazing ) you’re been great at coordinating everything and just asdhbjsdfaykyh i just don’t know what more to say! thank you, thank you so much for being with me on this however brief time as a co-leader <33 though you’ll be leaving soon, i hope to see you again in the future! /pos /gen

hosts + quails:
thank you so so much for making swc such a great experience!! all of the dailies and weeklies were incredible, and i can’t wait to reminisce about all the memories i made here, perhaps next session? /pos /gen

zai(ne):
though we haven’t really talked that much, i thank you for making GVRSWC/the birdi stanner cabin :p it was a really fun experience with all of the games, and even though i didn’t come close to winning, i’d love to do something like that again next session!

floris:
even though you came as a backup, i feel like i’ve known you for the entire session! you worked super hard and diligently throughout the session, and you are super duper nice as well ) you helped a lot with cabin wars while i was procrastinating, and overall made this session incredible! i’m glad that i made your first session special for you, and hopefully you’ll return next time <333 /pos /gen

lax:
you have exceeded my expectations and your metabank lol—you add words almost every day, and your diligence and consistency with cabin wars was incredible <3 you write so much and i have never seen anyone so hard working throughout swc—like seriously, you add words and cryptocoins like every single day! i’m pretty sure that you were mainly the person who helped us reach our goal, and i thank you for that i see your maturity and ideas leading you to be a leader in the future thank you for being an incredible camper, i can't wait to possibly see you next session! /pos /gen

arli:
real-fi. fantasy. now sci-fi—it feels like you’ve been everywhere with me <33 you were the one who inspired me to apply for leader this session, and you’re a great mentor and inspiration to me as well! you are super duper kind and amazing, plus your writing is also! you’ve worked so hard through this session, with dailies, weeklies, and especially cabin wars you take a special place in my heart, and though that might sound kind of weird, it’s true <3 thank you for the inspiration and motivation, the experience, and being an incredible camper—i can’t stress this enough, you are amazing. hopefully i’ll see you next session, and we can be allies or in the same cabin again!! /pos /gen

xuli:
you’ve been so dedicated during cabin wars and swc, it’s amazing—even though you weren’t in my dimension, i feel that you were <3 though we might not have talked much, i admire your diligence, even though you’re mostly up at night doing a cabin war hhsanudfkfhbdask *hands sleep mangoes* like seriously get some sLeEp—thank you for being so amazing! i hope to see you next session! /pos /gen

wild:
you helped a lot during cabin wars, and finished lots of dailies as well! you were a joy to have in my dimension, too! your constant enthusiasm and words are super genuine, and i can’t wait to see you in another session, if you decide to join again! /pos /gen

rose:
though you weren’t in my dimension, i have a lot of respect for you !! you have invented the incredible sleep mangoes, which are TOTALLY not featured in cabin destruction ehehe—and you are an incredible writer as well! i hope to see you next session

raindrop + sarahhew:
though you weren’t around much in the session, i appreciate your dedication by writing some words and prioritizing your real life over swc <33 i hope to see you again next session!

luna:
you were amazing in my dimension and even though we didn’t talk very often, i have respect for you as a writer and as a camper thank you for everything! (sorry i was getting a bit burnt out while writing this aa)

Weekly!
Dear Dystopian,
While usually I would be… less willing to aid someone so far ahead, even if we are allies, it seems neither of us could help the other. With you, in a realm not your own and celestials looking over your every action, it would seem that you would need assistance. Unfortunately, we are also not in the best situation. Honestly it’s a miracle if you’re even reading this, or at the least, that this letter somehow got out of the simulation. I, on the other hand, am not so lucky, but when I break out, or when you find a way to overthrow those immortal beings, promise me, we’ll look for each other, and save one another. Even if this doesn’t happen anytime soon, know that it’ll be alright, we’ll get through this together. Just remember to keep writing Dystopian, just because we’re allies doesn’t mean I’m afraid to overthrow you, like you will the celestials.

Sincerely yours
Sci-fi

Hello Fantasy,
I was just writing this to ask, how is it possible that you, a sad excuse for a futuristic genre, is number 2 on the leaderboards. Each day I go to sleep pondering the answer to this, yet I still simply cannot wrap my head around it. Yes, maybe this isn’t the most courteous way to start a letter, especially when I’m stuck in a simulation and you're riding on griffins and whatnot, but I’m not one to plead for help, especially not from an enemy. Keep writing, it won’t matter in the end. We will overtake you, and soon your sanctuary will become a graveyard, just you wait.

Wishing you the best of luck,
Sci-fi

Hello Mystery
Have a safe trip? Oh wait, you're still on that train aren’t you? I wonder what’s going on in there, I do hope you are okay, it is such a mystery. Just like, how much of a mystery the fact that you are somehow number three on the leaderboard is. Wouldn’t the chugging of the engine and bumps of the track distract you? Personally, I’d explore the train more, ask questions, and play detective for the month. SWC will be here next year, but the train won’t be. It wouldn’t hurt to take a break would it? Either way, continue what you are doing, it won’t matter in the end. What will matter is when I’m suddenly ahead of you, trophy in hand, looking down at you, and how I got there will be a mystery, you won’t be able to solve.

Tepid regards,
Sci-fi

Greetings Horror,
I’ve been wondering about you for a while. Are you scared out of your wits yet? Do you stay up at night shivering and hoping for the best? Are you going through each day wishing that you weren’t the chosen one? Forgive me if that came out mocking or harsh, I’m truly curious. I myself, despite not being trying to restore the powers of a forsaken spirit, have been living quite the nightmare myself. I would speak of the situation, but I’m not one to ask for help, you have your own issues and I have my own. Maybe at the end of this month we can speak of our experiences over coffee, but now is not the time. Though even with your chosen one duties, remember to keep writing, or else I might just surpass you. Who am I kidding, that will happen inevitably, and that wouldn’t be such a horror, would it?

Best regards,
Sci-fi

Dear Script,
How has your month gone so far? I’ve heard you’re stuck in 1776 now, good thing the only way I seem to be able to communicate to those outside of the simulation is through letters. Being trapped and having the only means of escape be performing, doesn’t seem like the greatest situation, I’m in quite the pickle as well, but this seems right up your alley, and I’m sure you’ll be able to go back to the present. My only concern is not being able to see your performance myself! Once the month is over, you must do an encore, and I’ll tell of my rather boorish tales of being trapped in a simulation. Do not worry, I’m fine. Or at least I will be, as long as you keep writing, I’m not going to be afraid to upstage you sister.

Lots of love,
Sci-fi

Greetings Folklore
One day you’ll have to inform me how it is to live like you, I’m truly curious. Apologies for my bluntness, but it must be quite boring. At the least fantasy had magical creatures and artifacts, and horror has ghosts and ghouls. You.. You have stories that are hundreds of years old. Please contact me if you ever need an upgrade, I’ll assist you. Or at the least I will when I escape from this simulation. You don’t seem to be in the greatest situation either but at least I still have some working tech, though letters seem to be the only things that go in and out. Anywho, forgive me for just knocking down on you, this letter wasn’t supposed to go that way, your lifestyle just intrigues me. I just wanted to remind you to keep writing, because while you may be old, I’ll be taking the gold.

Warm regards
Sci-fi

Hello Thriller,
Have a nice swim? Personally I despise the ocean, even the greatest of technology works little in there. It’s dark, wet, a hassle to move through. In other words, its quite the pleasant surprise that you ended up down there of all places. Personally, I would quit on the spot, finding out I’d have to be in such dangerous waters. But then again I guess that’s why you’re still here. The thrill is what you live for, I suppose. I’m hoping I haven’t been wasting my time writing this letter to you, considering how paper holds up against water, but I just wanted to say to keep writing. If you get distracted by all the thrills and chills, you just may drown, and I’ll be the one on the high ground.

Tepid regards,
Sci-fi

Greetings Real-fi
I hope you're enjoying your stay. I think we’re both in similar situations, being trapped in a place we thought would be safe, yet ended up being the opposite. Though I think I may have gotten the longer end of the stick. I’ve told this to Folklore, but I still cannot believe some people live without advanced technology, while magic is still inferior, at least they have something, while Real-fi, what do you have? Well I guess I’ll be answering that for you, a pen and a paper. So I’m here to remind you to keep writing, read that hotel bible for inspiration, because prayer is the only way you’d have a chance of staying ahead of us.

Warm regards
Sci-fi

Howdy Bizzaro!
How’s it diggity ding dang going for you fella! I hope that little intro made you smile. Personally your strange way of doing things peeve me, but that’s probably your goal isn’t it brother. You might be wondering why I haven’t reached out and why my first message to you is through a letter. I’ll let you know this isn’t me trying to be random to please you, my technology just hasn’t been able to get out of the simulation. I’ll tell you about it on a later day, just please can you get my favorite character's autograph? I won’t be disclosing who just in case this letter gets intercepted, but you know. If the month ends and I don’t get one, I’ll be really upset, especially since you’ll have been in a cinema the entire month. Please just don’t speak to anyone about this. Anyways, I wrote this to tell you to keep writing, because overthrowing you won’t be a random event, but you will not see it coming.

Lots of love
Sci-fi

Dear Adventure,
I assume your battles are going in your favor? I’d be quite disappointed if they weren’t considering you are my younger sister and all. I practically raised you, and know I do not raise losers. Kidding, kidding, I just wanted to hear of what’s happening. I’m sure you’re having fun, being royalty and all. Please do not worry about me, and the fact that this is the first time I’ve spoken to you this month. We can catch up once this month is over. What we should talk about is to keep writing. I may be a place above you, but I’ll be shooting up the ranks soon, and I expect you to follow behind, though I know there’s no way you’ll shoot ahead.

Lots of Love
Sci-fi

Hello Fanfiction,
I’m sure you’re having fun, going through time and all. I just wanted to say, I did it first, and better. Why stay in the past so much when you can be in the future, considering you’ve decided to take up time traveling now, I’d almost think you’re copying me. Or maybe even better. Don’t tell me you’re a fan? You don’t have to answer that as I already know, and as your idol, I’d like to give some advice. Keep writing, unlike you, I’m original, hence why I’m on top and I’ll be staying that way, but I’d at least like you to have a fighting chance.

Tepid regards,
Sci-fi

Dear Hi-fi
Don’t worry yourself, I’ll keep quiet, just tell me one thing. Are you the one causing the, let's just say, strange occurrences on the mystery express? Or at the least have you been robbing them? Again, I’ll keep quiet, I’m simply curious, though if you are, that’s quite unethical. Not that I mind. I’d also like to ask another thing if you don’t mind, How does it feel to be free? If you haven’t heard from the others, I’m stuck in a simulation and hearing you ride on horseback, free from struggles, and stealing from others, while prehistoric, I do feel a bit envious. Now enough about me, remember to keep writing, though whether you heed what I’ve said or not, I’ll be sure to steal first place.

Sincerely
Sci-fi


Dear Non-fi,
Yes, I’ll cut to the chase, you’re unbearably boring. I’ve heard you're going by naan-fi now? Is that your attempt at being more interesting than you really are? Yes, you own a breadhouse, we get it. Even bizzaro isn’t as on the nose as you. Like I have stated many times previously, I cannot even begin to understand how you live without any type of advanced tech or even some kind of magical quality. I apologize, I seem to be unable to stop myself from stating such facts, though that isn’t why I’ve written this to you. I just wanted to remind you to keep writing, I don’t need to worry about you overtaking me, but you might have to worry about poetry.

Warm regards,
Sci-fi

Dear Poetry,
I understand why you're called the isle of fame. Being in last place must be noteworthy somewhere. Wanting to win so much must be tiring, maybe that’s why you aren’t doing so well on the leaderboard, if that’s the case, that’s kind of ironic, is it not? You seem to be one of the lucky ones this month, no life-threatening situation occurring, or anything dangerous in the slightest. I’m happy for you, though maybe that’s why you don’t have the same motivation to write as much as the rest of us. Or maybe you forgot, in that case I’m here to remind you to keep writing because I’ll promise you one thing, I don’t want you to be last, and I don’t have confidence you’ll overtake me, so I don’t have to worry.

Warm regards,
Sci-fi
Dailies!

You looked at me with such a sweet smile, one that made my frail heart flutter. I was always so happy when I was with you, a feeling I’ve barely felt before. Our hearts truly beat as one, so of course I wanted to have it for myself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to beat anymore.

I used to play with toy ships in my bathtub, pretending I was a great storm that the captain would always overcome. Apparently, I couldn’t play the captain as well as I wanted to.

He could choose his own destiny, the life he wanted, for it was in his hands. The clone would have the same thought process, yes?

Have you ever experienced a terrible relationship? The answer is probably yes, humans are social and humans are evil, it makes sense that at some point, those two would intersect. But I don’t mean just a terrible relationship, one that isolated you, broke you and ruined your life. A relationship that haunts your nightmares and never leaves you even in your brighted moments, yet you remember them as your brightest. A relationship that destroyed all you held dear and all you were, yet it was what was most dear to you. Have you ever experienced an awful relationship that changed your life forever and that you’ll never be able to forget, and you don’t want to.

Maybe it’s stockholm. Who cares? I don’t, just like how she never seemed to care about me. She took me under her bright beautiful wings, so much so that I forgot what the sun truly looked like. I didn’t need the light anymore, I needed her. She would smile and praise me for all the little things I’d do. How adorable I was, how amazing I would become, and I attached myself to that praise like some wallflower. She had saved me, so I’d do my best to please her, even when she would have her little fits.

They weren’t that bad, at least I got used to them eventually. When she would yell, I would listen. When she threw things, like her favorite vase, I would replace it, filling it with beautiful asphodels and pansies. When she would hurt me, I would take it, she hated when I cried and no amount of pain would ever amount to more than what I would’ve been going through before I met her. And at least I wasn’t against her.

We hurt people. Usually she was the one to initiate it, the longer I stayed with her the more in danger I realized she was. She never knew who they were or why they were after her, yet somehow she always arrived at my room with them tied up and blindfolded telling me to “Be a dear and dispose of them, fast.”

Then she died. I couldn’t stop crying, not that night, or the next. At her funeral I laid pink indians, I didn’t know if she liked them or not, but after her death I realized I didn’t know much at all. Her death made me realize a lot of things. No one liked me, at least not anymore. Apparently some had pitied me, for being the girl stuck with the psychopath, now they looked as if I had done anything but obey the one person who cared for me. I also realized, none of her praises were really about me, they were about what I’d do for her and how fast I could do it.


Dear future me,

I’ve done this so many dang times I probably seem like a narcissist. I genuinely don’t know what to write about, but don’t worry, I say this now but I’ll probably start rambling for minutes on end after I get a topic (not hours because the daily ends in fifteen minutes). I guess I can talk about what I’m doing or whatever, because that’s literally the daily.

Heyo! I’m , I’m fourteen years old and I am in fact a person. I’ve been working on absolutely nothing, but thinking about a lot of things so let's talk about those hyper fixations or whatever.

I took an unannounced break on learning yoruba, but don’t worry I’ll get back to it. I don’t really know why I stopped, actually I do. It’s kinda hard to explain but it’s the textbook I’m using, that and having seventeen different interests plus school. The textbook is great, it just sometimes has words that are never defined so I spend years on one problem, and I don’t always know what to copy down and what to skip. Anyway, those are just excuses, I really should get back to this, and here’s a goal I’m not gonna hit! I better be able to be conversational in Yoruba, in a year's time! Seems easy but I’m me, so it’s best to keep expectations low.

I’m also trying to get better at art, I always have been but this time like actual improvement. I think I’ve gotten way better but I need to actually listen to tutorials instead of getting bored and winging it. I think that’s why I’m not as good as I could be. Of course all people learn at different speeds but I’m making a danganronpa fangame, I need to be good!

On that note, Thriller Ride hasn’t changed much since, to be honest, it’s remaster. I’ve drawn like a third of the characters, I should’ve already drawn like five more by now. The story has gone nowhere and the writers group is more like a normal group chat that talks about the game occasionally. I don’t know if future me is going to look at this but it won't hurt to explain. Danganronpa Thriller Ride is scratch fangan, its demo came out like 3-4 years ago but the creator quit so the people who submitted characters decided to take it on and continue it. It’s cool, I’ve made friends I wouldn’t have made otherwise even if we only talk every three months due to differing time zones. I wonder if they’ll still be my friends in years time, but I guess that’s for future me to know and for present me to find out.

I also tried writing a novel for like the fifth time. The main reason why I haven’t done anything about it is because it’s high fantasy, based on medieval europe. Except when I mean based on Europe I mean has kings and queens and that’s it. Honestly, if the worldbuilding was already done for me, I can’t say I would’ve written it, but I would’ve gotten farther than the prologue (that is completely unnecessary) and half of chapter one. Excuses, excuses, I know. One day, maybe today, because it’s cabin wars now, I’ll write an actual novel. One that no one will read, and I’ll write everyday as my guilty pleasure. Who knows. Well, probably you future me.

Anyway, the daily is already over, I don’t have much else to say, I’m gonna read this over and then do something else for cabin wars. I don’t know if I’ll ever read this again, or if I’ll reach that goal, or anything like that. This barely matters considering how many times I’ve written a letter to myself for school or something like that, but I don’t really care. I guess I don’t feel as over enthusiastic as I was last session, and I hope that’ll change, but as I've repeated over and over, that’s for you to know, and for me to find out, later rather than sooner.

I still don’t know how to end a letter



Everyday he stands out there. Painted sadness on his pale contoured face, one that hides all that he really is. He would stand there, not a hat to capture spare change of amusement or pity nor anything on him but his monochrome disguise. Scrawny he was, pretending to want to socialize with those around him, pulling them in with some imaginary rope or waving a hello while mouthing ‘bonjour’.

Then he’d feel the weight of his life’s struggles pushing down on him. Not that he cared, that or everyday he stayed out on the street, waiting in pure anticipation for him to feel something. Anything. Because that was the only feeling he’d ever accept. The humans around him were just props. The world around him was just some illusion. Little did he know he was the one living in delusion.

He’d fight against those pressures, forcing his face to morph into one of fear, as the invisible walls closed around him. He tried to pry it open, not once thinking to call for help from the crowd around him. They didn’t exist. Only him and the box smushing against his features. Not his life’s worries. His Crippling debt. His heartbreak.

He’d be crouched into a ball as small he once felt, still straining for some means of escape. But of course he knew there was, he has repeated this many, many times before. And somehow, with a burst of overdramatized strength and confidence he was free of his shackles, jumping out of the box with such vigor. Such lies.

He’d act all out of it, silently gasping and panting for breath, only to get up and do even more. Getting blown away by a tornado despite it being a bright summer day. Being dragged by some invisible rope and never thinking to let go. He would sit on air and ponder what his next delusion would be and once satisfied, he would take a bow and bid his blissful experience adieu. He’d walk away back to wherever he pays his rent. But that wasn’t his home.

His home isn’t the place where he sleeps or where spends most of his lonesome days. It’s not even the spot he goes to perform. His home is the box he breaks free from. The tug of war match won. The chair where he can sit and think, without the worries of real life. There he can be free, if only for a few minutes. There he can persevere. There he can live in his own blissful ignorance.

Madison absolutely loved video games, more than she loved her friends and family. Okay. That was a lie, she loved her friends and family more but she basically loved video games like they were family. She used them as, not a coping mechanism, but something else, like it wasn’t something she used when she was depressed, but maybe because she was lonely. Her mom never let her go outside, not that she cared but you know, social interaction is important and all especially since she was a kid. But after the whole finding out shes a magical girl thing, her love of video games never went down, she just shared it, with the fairy that hung around her, even though she always claimed to hate her, her uncle godfather, older cousin family friend traumatized person that though emo, seemed to be equally as competitive and almost as good as her, and of course her loving boyfriend who technically tried to kill her the entire time they knew each other because her and his kind had been at each other's throats for decades through years and years of history like some cheesy romance novel. He wasn’t that good but of course as a good amazing partner she comforted him and laughed in his face when he lost.

Hey there Gabriel,

I won’t bother saying who I am or why I’m writing this, if this note has truly gone to the right person, you’ll know. If this doesn’t and it ends up in the hands of some random kid making sandcastles or some swimmer in the ocean, sorry, this isn’t a treasure map leading to gold. That is, unless you find this note to be that interesting! Heh, I don’t care if it gets to you or if this floats endlessly in the ocean or sinks to the bottom of the sea. I miss you, and you’ve always loved my writing, so a message in a bottle would be perfect, wouldn’t it?

I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you as much as I should’ve. I never listened to you, even when you were trying to confide in me and now you're gone. And I’m here, at my desk in the middle of the night, crying into a piece of paper because my therapist said that writing down my feelings and letting them go would help me get over you. And look what I do in response! Planning to shove this in a bottle and send it out into the sea because it’d be oh so romantic, and because, even though I know it's impossible, I want you to find this.

This is so stupid isn’t it. I was supposed to be apologizing, or reminiscing on old times but all I’m doing is having a stupid pity party. I’m just so sorry Gabriel. So, so sorry. If I could turn back time and listen to you and help you, I swear I would. The day I found out you ran away was the worst day of my life. You even decided to give me back the handkerchief I gave back to you. I have it in my purse, I take it with me everywhere, every single day. But it isn’t mine, and if I ever see you again, I swear I’ll give it back, and give you everything I neglected to give you before. I was a terrible partner and I want to make it better. But now I never will, but please, it doesn’t matter if you accept it or not, but I love you. Please, come back.



Fresh tears joined the old stains of the yellowed paper. I didn’t even realize how hard I was gripping it until it began to tear. I collapsed onto the sand, staring into my reflection in the glass bottle. The tears wouldn’t stop.

Even after all this time, she has such an effect on me. I can hear her voice through the words of the page. I couldn’t help but picture what she looked like while writing this, I desperately wanted to comfort her, to stop her from crying. To say it was all okay.

She still knows me so well too. Somehow, this note finds me all the way here, miles away from our, no, her home, the day I regret running the most. I’ve always loved her writing and the note reminded me why, it was probably the most romantic thing someones ever given me.

But her note was still so wrong. She wasn’t a bad partner, I was. The handkerchief is hers now, and I don’t want it back. I just want you.

She never neglected me, she’s given me more love than anyone else ever had. I wanted to tell her that. To reminisce with her. To experience those days with her again. To make new memories and to hold her. To tell her not to forget me. But that would be selfish, wouldn’t it?

I carefully uncrease the paper, fold it up and put it into my wallet. Even with the tears running down my face, I was smiling. I was a mess of emotions, happy that I found the message and she still loved me, heart-broken that she thinks she’s the reason I ran, trying to stop myself from breaking down or buying a plane ticket back just so I could see her smile again. Instead I took the bottle and ran back to the beach house. Maybe I should take her therapist’s advice and write my feelings down as well. And then maybe I’ll put it in a bottle and send it into the sea, silently hoping my message would find her.

“I love you too, Elena,”

Whenever Charles ends up in a new town less than exciting, he takes it upon himself to liven it up. Of course, he never gets too out of hand; just stealing from some stalls in the market for supper or altering the few love letters he finds to have his name instead of the unaware senders. If he’s feeling really bored he may decide to get more than just supper, a few diamonds never hurt, do they.?

Today was one of those days and it wasn’t too hard to find what he was looking for. Eldra, was it? Whatever town he was strolling, chatting, and pickpocketing in, wasn’t like other ones he had travelled to. Usually he had a “get in, get rich, get out” philosophy, but he had been residing nearby for quite some time. The town itself wasn’t that special, as poor as every other town in the kingdom, but there was a point of interest and curiosity killed the cat as they say.

Other
Mission: Sneak out of the house and play together because Becky’s grounded

“I just finished eating dinner, over.”

“I just finished too! So we can do the plan now, right?” I layed under my blanket waiting for the rest of Becky’s message. What if her mom and dad heard her and she had to hide, or maybe she was thinking of not doing the plan anymore. No, that couldn’t be it, we’ve been thinking about this for a week now, she wouldn’t back out. Maybe something distracted her? Oh no, maybe her cat peed on her bed again! “Uh, Lucas, are you okay? Did your mom see you?”

“Wait, you were finished? You’re supposed to say over!”

“Oh sorry! Over.” She whispered. I glanced at the clock, it was 8:00, technically I was supposed to be asleep 30 minutes ago but this was really important! I crawled out of bed and cracked open the door, all the lights were off and dad’s snores were echoing through the halls. I began to sweat. Only a little bit though! It was hot under my blanket, that’s why. It’s not like I was nervous about sneaking out!

“Okay, you remember the plan right, we meet at the treehouse. You bring snacks and I’ll bring my toys! Over.”

“Yup! You like sugar cookies, right?…Oh yeah, over!”

“”The sprinkle ones or the ones with frosting? Over.”

“The frosted ones, duh! Over.”

“Perfect! ‘Mission: Sneak out of the house and play together because you’re grounded’ is a go!” Rebecca giggled and I felt my face flush red. Yeah, sure the name is stupid, thinking of names is hard. It’s not like she would be able to think of anything better!

“I can’t wait! Let’s go! Um… uh… Becky: Out and over!”

I groaned, grabbing my toy filled backpack, “It’s over and out, not out and over! You’re terrible at spy talk. Anyway I’m gonna start leaving now. Lucas: over and out!” She let out a final, Hey that’s mean! before I shut off the walkie-talkie’s connection. She was probably going to be mad at me for hanging up on her, but it’s my fault for her not paying attention when we were watching movies together. Plus she’d forget all about it as long as I had the toys with me.

I opened the doors even wider and tiptoed out. Mom and dad’s room was closed and dad slept like a bear, this mission was going to be easy! I don’t even know why I was nervous– I mean not nervous, just sweaty. Then came the first obstacle.

A green light shone in the darkness, inching closer and closer. It was whirling and making weird sucking noises bumping all over the walls. It was camouflaged into the darkness, yet it was some kind of metal. It seemed to be eating stuff from the ground like it was trying to tear off the floorboards and destroy the house. I knew what it was already and a chill ran up my spine. Ian must’ve planted some spy tech in my house and he was trying to kill me! I needed to sneak away but my house needed saving first.

Ian was the biggest jerk in my entire school. He was a tattletale, he wouldn’t share and he’s always bragging about how fast he was or how smart he was in school. I hated him, but Mrs. Davison always grouped us together because she thinks we’re similar and that we have to get over our differences. My birthday was last month and Ian threw the biggest fit when I gave an invitation for everyone but him. Apparently we had to invite everyone and then she called my mom, and my mom got mad at me for purposely not giving him an invitation even though I had enough. He must be wanting revenge for embarrassing him, so when he went to the bathroom, he actually hid a robot in my house!

I ran back to my room and grabbed my blanket. It was now or never! I threw it over the robot and then went and grabbed as many books as I could to stack on top of it. I didn’t have any blasters or nets on me but if it gets too heavy, it has to stop moving. I hulled a dictionary in my hands to the outside of my door and to the robot, but it was still moving! And it was stealing my books!

Without thinking I dived for it, the books getting knocked everywhere, but that didn’t matter. I wrestled with the robot on the floor, getting tangled up in my blanket and trying to avoid getting sucked up. I finally pinned it to the ground upside down and it couldn’t move an inch. I defeated it and saved my house!

I looked around at the mess, books scattered everywhere and my blanket lodged in the robot’s sucker-uppers. I probably should’ve cleaned up but that battle was so intense that I’d almost forgotten about the mission. It would have to wait until I came back. It’s not like Ian’s plan worked, once mom and dad find out how I rescued everyone, they’ll be so proud, they won’t even care about the mess. With thoughts of outsmarting Ian I carried on with my mission.

I was so distracted by my victory, I had almost gotten myself seriously hurt. The living room was the only thing in between me and the treehouse. I knew this wouldn’t be easy, at least not after Ian’s trap, but just looking at the floor made me wonder if this was even possible. The floor was lava!

It wasn’t boiling hot, but it was just as dangerous. Every single inch was covered with red, yellow, orange, green and blue rocks swimming in the lava. I had stepped in something like this once before and it was so painful I couldn’t stop myself from crying, and I don’t cry. Thankfully things like this happened in spy movies, all I had to do was parkour over it.

I backed away and took a running start, pushing myself off the ground and aiming for the table in the middle. After that I would just have to jump to the other 2 couches, and run for the door. I soared through the air and landed perfectly onto the table. But then something happened.

The force of my landing caused the fruit bowl in the middle to fall to the ground! I couldn’t even try to put it back because it was too dangerous. What if I fell into the lava too? Then again, there was no point, who would eat half melted plastic fruit anyway? It'd be even worse if the colorful rocks got lodged inside it, it’s a choking hazard!

I saluted the fallen bowl and continued through the living room. My foot touched the ground once when I jumped from the table to the couch, but that didn’t count because it was only there for a second and everyone knows you have to be in lava for five seconds for it to start burning. With a final mighty leap, I escaped the living room and survived the lava. My parents didn’t even wake up either. Treehouse here I come!

I ran for the door, fiddling with the locks and opening it. The cold night air hit my face and I wished I had taken my blanket with me. It was no big deal though, the tree \house was only a few minutes away and Becky keeps her warmest blankets there. I shut the door with a thud, which was way louder than I wanted it to be, and then ran to the forest, taking out my walkie-talkie so I could tell Becky.

“Becky, I escaped! It was really hard but I used my super cool spy skills and and– I’ll just tell you all about it when I get there. Over!” Silence. I knew Becky had her walkie-talkie on her but she didn’t say anything. Oh no! What if Ian planted a spy robot in her house too and now she was stuck! “Becky? Why aren’t you answering? Are you defeating an evil robot too?”

“No dummy, I’m not talking to you!” I froze.

What? What did I do? Becky only stopped talking to people when she’s really angry and I did nothing. I agreed to the plan and was bringing all her favorite toys! Maybe Ian told her I was the one who planted the robot in her house.

“What do you mean? If Ian told you tha–”

“Ian didn’t tell me anything! You’re just being mean to me! First, you make fun of me for not spy talking right and then you take forever to get to the treehouse! I’ve been waiting for a bajillion years!” She yells.

“I didn’t mean it! It’s just that you never pay attention when we’re watching movies together. You even forget to say ‘over’!”

“The first spy movie was okay, but I don’t like them and that’s all you watch! You never let me pick out anything! Also you didn’t say ‘over’ either. Now leave me alone, I’m not talking to you!” Then the walkie-talkie cut off. All the other obstacles were hard, but I was never expecting this. Sure she didn’t always seem that interested but she never really said no.

Well, she did say she wanted to watch that superhero movie and I said no. Then she went quiet the entire spy movie. Maybe, it is my fault.

An idea immediately came to me as I ran to the treehouse even faster then I did before. A normal apology wouldn't be good enough. It had to be super, and I had just the thing.

I got to the base of the treehouse and searched for a flashlight from my bag, then I found a leaf, put it on the light, and turned it on, shining it through the door of the treehouse. I heard a small gasp from inside and then Becky stuck her head out. When she saw me, she pouted.

I fell onto the ground. “Oh no, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! Please oh please, someone help me, if only there was a super cool superhero here to save me!” I yelled. Becky retreated back into the treehouse as I waited nervously. If she didn’t come out soon a worm would crawl into my ear!

“Never fear weak citizen! Leaf girl is here to help!” She yelled, climbing down the tree, a blanket tied around her neck. She struck a pose in front of me before holding out her hand with a smile, I pulled myself back up, dusting off my clothes.

“Oh thank you leaf girl. I don’t know what I would do without you!” I said, stretching my arms out. She accepted and hugged me tightly.

“As payment for saving your life, you should let me have some of your toys, I have frosted sugar cookies that you can eat while you get better!” She said letting go, and climbing back up the ladder. I followed after her, a gigantic grin on my face.

“So, qhat’s with the name ‘Leaf Girl’? That’s a stupid name,” I said giggling.

“You were the one who shined a leaf signal into the treehouse! Who did you expect? If you don’t want to stay with Leaf Girl, you can always leave the treehouse.”

“Wait no, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!… Out and over!” I laughed, stepping into the tree house and jumping into the pile of warm blankets. Becky looked back at me with a smile.

“Fine you’re forgiven, for now. Out and over.”

A message in a bottle. Such a simple concept, isn’t it? Well on occasion these bottles don’t just float through the sea. They float through space, time, and undergo an incredible journey: The Journey of the Indigo Sail. But how did this trail of bottles begin? Now that’s a story to tell.
Not too long ago, around 2004, a young woman by the name of Rosalina corked her little faded bottle with an indigo cork. Her message was one to spur action into the hearts of the receivers. But that would only be if it ever found someone. Rosalina was scared none would ever see her words and read what would convince them to change the world. And so, Rosalina wished that her little bottle, the Indigo Sail, would find the people whose lives need changed the most. Rosalina set her bottle out to sea and hoped.
That is as far as Roslina goes, but the bottle travels farther. Like I said previously, the little bottle would float through space and time, paving The Journey of the Indigo Sail. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if you find that in some tucked away journal of a president or inventor or activist, there is a tiny mention of an indigo bottle. Each recipient of that bottle has added their own slip of paper and sent out their own little bottle. One by one, those little bottles have traveled the planet, and far above that, they have traveled space. Now they are bobbing along in the far off universe, slowly, slowly making their way to someone who needs to have their life changed.
Some of these bottles are still back on Earth, finding their people. Some never have left. Some are on their way home from some far off galaxy, and even more are searching for something very far away. But if you ever find a bottle with a little indigo cork and tiny flag that says The Indigo Sail you may just be the next great world changer.

Wild's Thank-You Notes

HOSTS / IMPORTANT MAIN CABIN PEOPLE

Luna, Birdi, Sun, Starr, and Robin: Ah, our amazing hosts that somehow all have bird & sky-themed names!! (Seriously, how did that happen? xD) You’re the best hosts a SWC session could possibly hope for! It’s still mind-blowing to me that such a fun, well-organized program is run for free by people roughly my own age- And that’s due in large part to your incredibly hard work and dedication. I hope all of you know that everything you do for us is very much appreciated. I seriously can’t thank you enough for making SWC happen. <3

The daily and weekly teams: There were some especially awesome prompts in there this session! (My favorites were the Object Smoothie daily, the flower symbolism daily, the self-care weekly, the dual timeline daily, the bread poem daily, and the Absurdy Birdi Wordy Crawl weekly.) The whole concept of “bi-dailies” is something I hope you keep next session, it was really relieving to get two days on certain dailies, especially the ones on the days that the weeklies were due. Special shoutout to Zai for proposing the Critiquitaire, my personal favorite change to SWC this session! Oh, and yes, thank you for the sEvEraL Taylor Swift references. >:3

SCI-FI CABIN

Sein: The amazing president of Project SCP! (No hard feelings for getting me stuck in a simulation, I promise- ;P) We didn’t really get a chance to interact a whole lot this session, but it’s clear you spent a lot of time making this cabin great! The sci-fi thumbnail you made looks particularly awesome. :0 Oh, and congrats on officially getting the lowest comment in both the sci-fi cabin AND the SMSQ, because everyone knows that’s the highest form of achivement. UwU /j /lh

Peggy: AAAA I HAVE SO MUCH TO THANK YOU FOR, WHERE SHOULD I START?! First of all, for leading Dimension Stellar, I’d say you did a STELLAR job of it- >;3 (And now I must also thank you for putting up with that awful pun just now. x3) I feel very lucky to have gotten such an approachable and involved cabin leader! Thanks for answering all my questions and giving me good advice. And then the profile pictures!! Oh my turtle, I love mine so much, it’s absolutely gorgeous :00 Finally, thank you for writing that Cabin Wars parody that I sang- Singing was not something I expected to do this session, but when I read your lyrics, I spontaneously decided that it was something that Must Be Done. And I’m so glad I did, pfff, that’ll be something I never forget- xDDD

Clo: Last but not least, the other sci-fi co-leader! You’re so kind and genuine, truly a wonderful person. I saw your announcement that you’ll be (temporarily) leaving Scratch, so I just wanted to wish you good luck with everything! (Perhaps we all should have STAYED in the simulation to avoid the stresses of real life /hj)

Lax: MY FAVORITE CABINMATE THIS SESSIONNNN >;DD You’re so much fun to talk to- finally, someone who shares my obsession with fictional biology and ultra-detailed worldbuilding!!!! I felt that we connected amazingly well- The conversations I had with you were the best thing about being in the sci-fi cabin, definitely among the greatest highlights of my experiences this November Not to mention that you were LEGENDARY during Cabin Wars- akfjkalfkla; I can’t wait to see you again next session!! (Imagine if we end up in the same cabin AGAIN >:3)

Xul: You were undeniably the MVP of the first Cabin Wars- I didn’t count, but I’m pretty sure you were writing more words than everyone else combined for a while there. I was in AWE. It was genuinely inspirational and your keyboard probably only broke because that much awesomeness two Cabin Wars in a row is illegal. xD Also, you have an astounding amount of crypto- the WEALTH :000

Floris: You’re really encouraging and supportive- It was a pleasure to write with you! /gen My biggest impression of you was how active you were throughout Cabin Wars- It was honestly very impressive! And when that hurricane helped you out by giving you a day off from school during which you could write a bunch of words, you gave us all a reason to be happy about hurricanes, so thanks for that as well /hj xP

Arli: To be honest, we didn’t talk that much, but I’ve seen you around, and you have got to be like the nicest person ever- >w< You were great during Cabin Wars and equally amazing at speedrunning the weekly with me- Last-minute submissions for the win >:3

Rose: Did you get those sleep mangoes patented yet? x33 For some reason, I get the feeling that sleep mangoes will continue to be a running joke within SWC for many more sessions to come- ThEy sHaLL Be YoUr LeGaCy :0 But anyway, you’re really funny and nice, it was great to be cabinmates with you!

Kiki: It was so thoughtful of you to reach out and say hi at the beginning of November! Did you move accounts, though? I tried to find your profile and it looked like it had been deleted, so I’m not sure how to send this to you… But if you do happen to see this, thanks for being a really friendly and cool person! ^^

Aurelia: Hi! I saw you several times throughout the session, although I think we only talked once or twice- Still, you seem pretty cool, and I like your art! /pos

Anyone else I didn’t name specifically: I tried to include everyone that I remember talking to or seeing around the cabin on a regular basis, but I probably missed at least a few of you. (I’m not the greatest at thank-you notes. -w-”) Rest assured that I’m very thankful for everyone who participated this session- We may not have gotten very high on the leaderboards, but I sure had a mound of fun and did a lot of writing, and that’s what matters! <3

EVERYONE ELSE

Katie: The majestic Lukatie from my March 2022 session!! ;D We barely saw each other this time around because I’m pretty sure we were both crazy busy, but I’ll never forget that you’re the reason I joined SWC in the first place. For that, I will always be thankful. If I someday publish a book, it will be because of SWC’s inspiration, and therefore because of you, so you may have literally changed my life. :’3 Oh, and I didn’t get a chance to edit a box into my profile picture yet, but I have Pixlr open in another tab, so… soon. Very soon. Once a Box, always a Box. >:3

Luna: The other Lukatie, of course!! I know I already included you in the “hosts” section, but I wanted to give you a personal note as well. ^^ You were one of my leaders in both March and July, and although I wasn’t able to make it into your cabin for November, you kept in touch. It really meant a lot to me that you reached out to me to do that critique on the last day of SWC- it was the perfect end to this session. If i had to make a list of “top 5 most awesome people in all of SWC,” you would DEFINITELY be on it! /gen <3

Yui: When cabins started, we created several weird comment stories with curiously satisfactory WCS chosen sentences, which, comparatively speaking, were challenging, silly, wonderful, crazy, still wildly compelling, stuff.

Ava: I had a blast doing Parts 1 and 2 of the second weekly with you! xD Your pure energy, enthusiasm, and… fandom-ness? is that a word?? was quite fun. >:3 I swear I’ll get around to reading Percy Jackson one of these days- You have proven to me just how powerful a force that fandom is, how could I even dare to think of defying it?? x33

Nights: So I don’t think we talked at all? But I joined the SMSQ NitroType, and after much keyboard spamming, I beat your number of team races. >:3 And that was basically the whole reason I was motivated to do NitroType, so thank you.

Vi and Crim: That story you’re working on together is SO AWESOME. I’m so glad I got to critique a couple of pieces of it. :0 Of all the writings I critiqued this session (and I did one almost every day since the Critiquitaire came out), it’s some of the best and most interesting work, at least in my opinion.

Lio: That piece of writing of yours I critiqued was also utter amazingness!! I think it was my favorite out of everything I’ve critiqued this session. Thank you for your feedback on my work, as well!

Tilly: I got to do two critiques for you, with the same basic story, almost like a “before” and “after.” I thought it was particularly interesting to see how you expanded and improved the original story. I wrote more words for your second critique than I did for anyone else’s critique this session!

Everyone else who I critiqued and/or critiqued me: There are too many of you to write a paragraph for each person individually, but I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to read your writing and get feedback on my stuff! Lax, Raya, CleverComment, cxtton-moon, Ave, Lottie, and (once again) Luna, thank you for doing critiques with me!

All the people of the Main Cabin: If I could stay awake long enough to write each and every one of you a personalized thank-you, I would. Everyone who sang song lyrics in the comments, everyone who participated in three-word stories, everyone who committed arson, everyone who threw mangoes all over the place, everyone who speedran the weeklies, everyone who roleplayed with me even after roleplay day ended… Individually, each of you is unique and awesome in your own way. Collectively, you create a massive, chaotic, beloved camp of writers. Thank you for being the life of SWC, the reason why it works. Y’all are the best. Thanks for creating a place where we can all belong. <3

(Word count: 4515, but the part I typed before December 1st was more like 4300. I just think it made more sense to share the competed chapters)

Ember had been waiting for days out on the cold, unforgiving tundra. The weather had been harsh with frequent snowstorms but despite how long they have been waiting, The Nightwolf had yet to emerge from the fog.

Ember sighs. It is cold and they have been out here for literal ages. Why can't this monster just show up so they can murder it already? Or slay it, would be the official term, but that sounds so stuck up and haughty. They much prefer to call it murder, since that's what it is. Some people call it butchery, but that isn't right. No one wants to eat the creature. Ember doubts it would taste good.

They sit down on the icy ground next to the pathetic fire they built. It sputters and flickers weakly, but it's held on this long, and Ember isn't going to let it have the mercy of going out now. They pull another small stick out of their pack and are concerned to see that the fuel for the fire they brought has greatly diminished, and they will most likely run out soon.

Maybe they can return to their village and collect more? No. They vowed that they wouldn't return until the monster is dead or they are. Looking back they realize this was probably a foolish thing to do and the latter is looking more and more likely.

Ember glances up as something howls in the distance. They hope it's the Nightwolf, but with their luck, it's probably just the wind. Sighing, they go back to rummaging around inside their pack, seeing what food they have left. Some dried meat, a few animal skins full of water that miraculously hasn't frozen, three bread rolls, and a handful of dried apples. Just great. They eat a bread roll.

A sudden gust of wind blows snow across the icy expanse of the tundra and Ember shields their face from the airborne snow. Some get past their arms and nips at their face in small, freezing bites. When the snow clears, they look up, straight into moon pale eyes, boring into them.

The creature is huge, thrice the size of a full-grown mare. Its pelt is dirty grey and flecked with sparkling particles of ice and snow. Each of its paws bears a claw as long as Ember's arm and wicked sharp. It growls and they can see blood-stained teeth, big as a sword blade and just as dangerous.

“Hello,” Ember whispers meekly. “ I don´t want to be of any trouble. You know what I think I might leave now.¨ They slowly stand up, shouldering their pack. ¨Bye.¨

The Nightwolf doesn't seem to like this. It growls and sprints toward them. They barely have time to throw their pack to the side before the monster is on top of them, its foul breath hot on their body, but that doesn't warm them in the slightest.

Ember pulls their sword from its sheath, a glimmering five feet of metal, sharp enough to cut the toughest of monster pelts, and stabs the creature in the paw, hoping to cause some kind of damage.

Unfortunately, they fail. All it does is aggravate The Nightwolf. It lifts its paw into the air and shakes it vigorously. Ember clutches the hilt until their knuckles turn white and try to hold on as they're swung meters above the ground but their fingers slowly slip away.

They fly off at the peak of a swing. Of course, it's the highest point. Ember soars through the air flailing wildly. They land on their shoulder and hear a pop, followed by a bright burst of pain. They lay stunned for a moment, stuck in a haze of pain. They're not stupid. They come from a long line of Warriors turned Medics and know that when something makes a weird noise in your body and then it hurts, there is probably something wrong.

They only snap back to reality when they hear the deep growl of the Nightwolf above them. Opening their eyes, they can see that it is standing over them, its mouth dripping with saliva, ready to devour Ember.

The warrior rolls to the side just as jaws larger than a polar bear snap down where she had just been seconds before. Their shoulder throbs horribly and they're pretty sure it's dislocated. Which wouldn't be a problem if they were in the village, full of people who wouldn't think twice to help another living thing. But out here? At least a mile from their village and all alone? There wasn't a chance in Helheim that they could get it back into its socket. Only one functional arm? Amazing.

Ember staggers to their feet, scanning the ground for their sword. Something glimmers a few meters away, their sword if they're lucky, just some ice if they're unlucky, but they have to take that chance.

Stumbling across the ice, they slowly make their way toward the shiny thing. It's a polished silver color, attached to a dirty bronze curved T shape. Their sword. They snatch it from the snowy ground and spin to face the Nightwolf, who has followed them and is looking pretty angry at this point if its bared teeth and flattened ears are any sign.

Ember can feel their hand shaking as they raise the sword.

The Nightwolf stares down at them as if to say This is your best? Really? And I was hoping for a challenge. It almost seems to sigh before raising its paw to smack them halfway to the ocean.

As the paw comes swing down they duck and roll, despite how much their shoulder screams in agony. They pop back up, trying to balance their sword and swipe the snow off their face at the same time, which is annoyingly difficult since one of their arms is next to useless.

They turn to face the increasingly more agitated beast but nearly fall back to the ground as their side explodes in sharp, stabbing pain. Glancing down they can see that their tunic now sports a long rip across their side, which is dripping blood, staining the snow below them dark crimson. The beast did manage to land a hit.

”Wow, my good sir. Y-You are a formidable opponent.“ The blood trickling down their side is quickly turning cold and they shiver from a mix of that and the missing chunk of clothing, which leaves their skin exposed to the freezing temperatures and bone-chilling winds.

The wolf doesn't seem to like compliments, judging from what it does next.

It suddenly pounces and Ember is forced to throw themself into a snowbank. The snow grinds against their wound and they hiss in pain.

The Nightwolf doesn't pause as it closes down on empty air. It immediately leaps up again and lands mere feet away from Ember's hiding places, causing them to flee the hiding spot. This continues for several minutes, a twisted game of cat and mouse, with Ember constantly having to run away from the wolf, as it tries to pin her down. But Ember is getting tired and there is more time lost each time the wolf crunches into the snow behind them.

Their foot catches on something buried in the snow, maybe a rock or animal borrow, whatever it is doesn't matter. They stumble, trying to regain their balance but they fail and fall face-first into the snow. instincts take over and they roll onto their back, just before a massive paw comes crashing down on them.

The sickening sound of bones crunching and breaking echoes in their ears and they cry out as their chest explodes in pain. Their vision goes white and they fight back the sour bile that rises in their throat.

They try to curl up into a ball, trying to shield their vital organs but they can hardly breathe. The wolf removes its paw and bends down, sniffing the unmoving form of Ember. They close their eyes tight, trying to stop their tears. It can't end like this but they know it's going to. They're going to fail their quest and lose their life, which they probably deserve.

A flash suddenly lights up the sky, diverting The Nightwolf's attention from Ember. Its head snaps up and it bounds over to investigate the source of the light.

Ember groans as they slowly sit up, their ribs protesting violently. They look up just in time to see a spark of light and feel the intense heat on their face as the wolf is vaporized, revealing the source of the commotion standing behind them.

The figure is tall, taller than anyone Ember has ever seen, and glowing with a faint light. Their hair is the pale yellow of buttercups and floats around her like water. She is wearing a lavender, flowy, ankle-length dress that is incredibly impractical for this climate, but despite how much skin is exposed, they don't seem to be shivering in the slightest.

Glancing up from where the wolf had just been, the mysterious figure notices Ember and hurries over.

”Oh wow, that thing was giant. Are you alright?“ Their voice is soft and calming, like the sunkissed flowers that grow on the selling hills that surround Ember's village.

”Eh, more or less. That overgrown puppy can't keep me-“ Ember breaks off coughing, which sends more sharp spikes of agony through their body. When they manage to get their breath back, they realize that small drops of blood now decorate the snow next to them. ”Ah snake sheddings,“ they curse.

”Oh no, that's not good,“ The stranger murmurs, dropping to her knees. ”You're hurt more than you want to admit aren't you?“

”Nah, I'll be fine. Just need a bit of rest and I'll be fit as a fiddle. That's a weird saying when you think about it right? Like how can a fiddle be fit? Come to think of it, what even is a fiddle?“

”I think it's a stringed instrument, similar to a violin,“ the stranger says absentmindedly. ”I need to take you back to my castle so I can fix your injuries properly. I need to put you under a sleep spell first alright? Is that ok with you little mortal?“

”Mm ok. Wait! What do you mean by castle? And spell, also why are you calling me a mortal?“ Ember tries to ask, but the pretty stranger is already placing a delicate, gentle hand on their forehead and they feel their eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

”Have peaceful dreams little warrior.“ is the last thing they hear before their eyes close and everything goes black

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ember awakens slowly, their whole body throbbing and sore. The bright light of wherever they penetrates through their eyelids and they lift their arm to block it out. Except their arm doesn't move. Panic surges through them and their eyes snap open. They're lying on an unfamiliar bed, much larger and softer than they're used to. The source of their panic is a sea-green sling that holds their injured shoulder in place. They sit up, happy to find that the pain in their ribs has been reduced to a dull ache, instead of knives stabbing into them. Glancing down, they find that they are wearing a new tunic, clearly nicer than anything they've ever had before. They survey their surroundings, trying to make sense of what's happening.


The room is uncomfortably bright, despite no visible light sources. Beautiful murals cover any visible wall, stylized suns, and flowers in all shades and hues of the rainbow. Pale green curtains cover the large windows and Ember can hear howling winds battering against the exterior of the window.

A noise comes from outside the heavy wooden door (carved with more suns of course) and Ember snaps to attention. A possible threat! They feel around their bed and realize with alarm that it's across the room, leaning against the wall right next to the door. Well great. Now, on top of any other weapons they may have, now the mystery person will have e first access to Ember's sword.

The door creaks open and a head with buttercup yellow hair pokes around it.

”Oh, you're awake,“ The mystery person seems surprised. ”That's good. You can eat something now. I would imagine that you're hungry, after not eating for a full day.“ They step fully into the room, looking exactly the same as the last time Ember saw them.

”A- A full day? how long have I been asleep? Also, who are you and why did you bring me here?“ Ember asks, their voice wavering dangerously.

”You've only been asleep for half a day I suppose, but your bag didn't contain much food, so I'm assuming you haven't eaten much in the last few days. And to answer your other two questions, my name is Leora, but you may call me Leo if you desire. I brought you here so I could heal the injuries that you sustained from fighting that monster.“

”Why should I trust you? I don't know anything about you other than your name, that you own a castle, and that you don't seem to have a problem killing things,“ Ember shoots back, crossing their arms.

”You should trust me because if I wanted you dead, that's what you would be. Ah I'm so sorry that was really mean, wasn't it? I swear I'm not threatening you. But The Nightwolf was an exception anyway. It was about to eat you for stars' sake, I couldn't just stand back and watch.“ Leora falls into a chair that sits next to the bed.

Ember softens. Leo clearly doesn't want to hurt them, or maybe they actually do and she's just a great actress. Ember decides they don't like that thought and banishes it from their brain. Plus they're kinda cute and Ember isn't one to give up a possible cute magical girlfriend.

”Fine. I suppose I will trust you. Well for now at least.“

Leo leans forward. ”Great.“ They grin and Ember's heart flutters. ”How are you feeling?“ she asks softly, fiddling with a twisted silver band that wraps around their thumb.

”Better than before. Mostly just really sore, but I don't feel like I'm about to pass out anymore. That's good, isn't it?“

”Mm yes, I suppose it is. I hope I set your shoulder correctly. I've only done it once before and that turned out fine, but it was much harder this time around. And what if I didn't fix your ribs correctly and what if you're still bleeding and then you're lungs fill with blood and you drown in your own blood and what if-“ Leora worries, clearly getting more and more agitated, before getting interrupted by Ember.

”Hey, Hey. Calm down, deep breaths. It's ok, you're working yourself up. Just breathe with me.“ They grasp Leo's hand, forcing her to look up. ”Deep breaths. 1…2….3….4.“

She obeys, breathing in on one number and letting it out on the next. Slowly but surely the panic dissipates from her body and she relaxes back into the chair.

”I'm sure you did everything perfectly, I feel amazing,“ Ember says gently.

”Rea-Really. You think so?“

”I know so. Let's just try to get away from that subject. So um, you said something about food?“ They can feel their cheeks heating up as they ask.

Leo laughs. ”Yeah, I guess I did. What do you want to eat? You can literally pick anything. Getting it won't be a problem.“

”Really anything?“ Ember asked in disbelief. ”I guess bread or fruit might be nice.“

”Sure. What kind would you like?“

”Oh um, any kind of bread will do. I don't suppose you have any strawberries. It's difficult to find any, even in the summer months, so you probably don't have any.“

”Alright. Flatbread and strawberries.“ She squeezes her eyes shut in concentration.

A cloud of shimmering gold appears over the bedside table and when it dissipates, two dishes sit in its place. The first dish has flatbread in it, each one the size of Ember's hand and perfectly cooked. The second bowl has strawberries, perfectly ripe and juicy.

”Wow, this is amazing. How did you do this?“ Ember asks, picking up a strawberry and examining it.

”Just a little trick of mine. Nothing too exciting,“ Leora laughs, her emerald eyes sparkling. ”Why don't you eat up and I can show you around the castle. That is, only if you desire to.“

”Yemmpp pwise,“ Ember agrees, their mouth full of food. ”Sorry, I mean yes please, I would love to, they swallow their food and correct themself.

“Great! So what do you like to do in your spare time, besides getting almost killed by giant wolves.” Leo fiddles with their ring, too nervous to meet Ember's eyes.

“Hey Hey! That only happened once, for your information. And I have lots of things I like to do Like I like to um,” They think for a minute. “Oh, I know! I like to bake and read. Ha, there you go. I do have other interests.”

“Well good for you I like to write. I also have an enormous library. I also enjoy gardening, so I have a large variety of edible plants and herbs.” Leo finally meets Ember's eyes.

The two chat while Ember eats, and learn a lot about each other, such as Leora's carnivorous plant collection, the pride of which is a rare shield-leaved pitcher plant, which Ember doesn't understand what it is, but Leo assures them that she can show them. Leo learns that Ember holds the record for the most broken bones in their village. This information horrifies her.

“Why are you proud of this feat? It sounds very painful, I don't understand why you humans are so proud of yourselves for hurting. Hurt is a negative emotion.”

“Eh, it doesn't seem to have much long-term damage besides that sometimes my legs hurt so bad that I can't walk. But besides that, it just aches sometimes. And humans were just built like that I guess. We learned that hurt made us stronger, so we brag about it so we seem stronger.” Ember shrugs, popping another strawberry into their mouth.

“Quite strange. And why are you so fine about not being able to move sometimes? That is very unfortunate, yet you say it like it's just a fact of life.” Leo asks, perplexed.

“It is a fact of life to me. But that doesn't matter. You said you would show me around your castle, didn't you?” The warrior says, swinging their legs over the side of the bed.

“Oh yes, of course. Wait! Maybe you shouldn't-” Leo tries to warn them. “Stand up so quickly,” she finishes, catching Ember in her arms.

Ember feels their cheeks heat up as their face presses against Leo's chest. “Oof thanks. Guess my legs haven't caught up with the rest of me,” they giggle, clutching the taller girl's arms for stability.

“No problem,” she smiles, carefully steadying them. “Are you ready for the tour?”

“Obviously. I wouldn't crash into you if I wasn't ready to get up and do something.” They push themself off Leora and bounce toward the door.

Leora smiles and follows them out of the room, closing the door behind them with a soft click.

Ember surveys the hall with awe, taking in every single detail as they spin around. Long tables line the sides, topped with golden tablecloths sitting underneath sunflower-yellow ceramic vases, each full of sage and lavender sprigs. The walls are covered with paintings, mostly flowers or animals, but a few are pictures of people, each wearing a crown of plants, this one a woven band of rose and lilies, another over here made of sunflowers, with daisies woven in.

“Wow, these are beautiful. Who are they of?”

“Just some people that I've seen in the village. Let's move on in the tour.” Leo starts to walk father down the hall, not checking to see if Ember is behind them.

“Wait up!” Ember shouts, running to catch up with her. “What village do you go to? Also, I forgot to ask. Where is this castle exactly?”

“ I visit Gredum occasionally. And the castle is a few miles from there.” She stops, waiting for them to catch up.

“Cool, Cool.”

————-

Next Leo shows them the kitchen, a large space with many ranges and work surfaces. It also has a large variety of cooking utensils and equipment.

“Wow, you sure do have a lot of knives,” Ember marvels, examining the large block full of the sharp kitchen tools.

“Haha yeah. I just like cooking. Mostly with meat. I make a mean steak.” Leo says cheerfully. “This one's my favorite.” She pulls a large knife out of the block, probably a good twelve inches at least. It catches the light from one of the tall windows that stretches floor to ceiling and sparkles dangerously.

“Oh cool, maybe you could make it for me sometime. I bet you're a great cook,” Ember complements.

“Oh um yeah, of course, I can make it for you. I just need to have the right meat. But let's forget about that for now and move on in the tour.” She returns the knife to its place and starts heading Ember toward a side door.

They let her push them out of the kitchen and through the door, which turns out to lead to another room, this one made entirely of glass, giving anyone standing in it a beautiful view of the howling snowstorm outside. Well, it would be a great view if there weren't plants stretching from floor to ceiling, obscuring most of the harsh weather from view. It's extremely warm and humid in here and Ember suddenly understands why Leora has so much skin exposed.

“Is this where you grow all your plants? It's enormous, has to be twice as big as the meeting hall back home.” Ember starts poking at a plant with fluffy pink flowers and small fern-like leaves but pulls their hand back when it curls into itself. “Ah, stars. I didn't break it, did I?”

Leo tries to hide a smile. “No, the plant's fine. It's just really dramatic. That is a Mimosa pudica, more commonly known as a sensitive plant, or humble plant. I keep it here for medical use. It should open back up in a few minutes.”

“Oh good.” Ember breathes a sigh of relief. “I was afraid I killed it.”

“Plants are tough little buggers, they're almost always fine,” Leo replies with a shrug.

————

The next place Leora shows them is the library.

“This is probably the largest room in the castle, after the ballroom. I'm assuming you'll like it in here since you said you enjoy books, correct?” They push the grandiose doors open, waiting for Ember to enter before closing them behind her.

The ceiling, a good fifty feet above them, is painted with more intricate murals, this time leaves drifting across a background of ombre blue and purple. Bookshelves stretch upward in six-foot bursts, only interrupted by the balconies that stretch wall to wall, each shelf full of books. Oh, the books. There must be thousands of them, lined up perfectly on the shelves. Fluffy chairs are scattered around the room, along with tall lamps that cast a warm, cozy light across the room.

“It's beautiful,” Ember murmurs in awe, containing the urge to run off and start reading. “Are you in here often?”

“No, it's not really my style. I have other interests. Not that my writing is very good, given how many spelling mistakes I make. I just can't seem to get my ideas onto paper,” Leo sighs, looking dejected.

“Well I'm here now, and I can help. You can tell me what to write and I can write it for you,” They beam, proud of their idea.

“I-I suppose. Yes, I do think that would help. Thank you.” She looks a little startled but definitely happier then she had been a minute ago.

“Any time.”

“How about I show you to your rooms?”

“Wait? You mean the room a woke up in isn't my room?” Ember asks incredulously.

“Nope,” Leo laughs.

———–

It turns out that their rooms are larger than their family's entire house back in their village. The first room they enter is what Leo tells them is a ‘Sitting room’. This room is apparently just for hanging out in, which confuses Ember to no end. Why have a room just for hanging out, especially when there are more in other parts of the castle?

Then Leora leads them into the bathroom, which contains a toilet, bath, and sink (“But you can come down to my rooms for more exciting things,” Leo says, with a wink.)

Next, it's the bedroom, which contains a bed much too large for Ember in their opinion, but Leo disagrees, It's covered in thick, fluffy blankets and looks entirely too fluffy and soft for a distinguished warrior. The room also contains a large empty bookshelf, just ready to be filled.

“Wow it's big in here, You're sure all this is for me?” They ask, tapping their fingers on their leg.

“It is a bit large, but you'll get used to it. And yes, it's all for you. Do you like it?” Leo questions.

“Yes, it's wonderful. I-I don't know what to say.” Ember hugs themselves, looking slightly overwhelmed.

“Would you like to get settled before dinner? I can help you move any books from the library if you wish.” Leora offers.

“Um okay sure. Thank you.” Ember says, walking over to the bed and fingering at the blankets. “Yes ok, let's go do that.”

———–


“How does this one look?” Leo questions, holding up a book with a shiny gold cover. “It's about dragons and other mythical reptiles.”


“Sure, I'll take it. Just add it to the pile.” They gesture toward the quickly growing pile of books that sits on one of the side tables.

She sets the book on the pile, careful not to disturb it and risk it tipping over, before coming over to where Ember is kneeling on the ground next to one of the larger shelves, surrounded in all directions by a sea of books.

“We should probably bring these back to your room and have dinner soon. It's getting quite late,” Leo reminds them, placing a gentle hand on their shoulder.

Ember's head snaps up. “Ye-yeah, you're right.” They stand up, seemingly only now realizing the mess they made. “Sorry about all these books. I can shelve them tomorrow.”

“No need.” Leora waves her hand and the books fly back into place, leaving no trace that they had been scattered across the floor just seconds before.

“Oh wow, thanks. I really appreciate it,” they smile.

“It's really no problem. Here, let me bring the books you found to your room.” Leo snaps their fingers and the books disappear in a poof of golden sparkles, presumably now in Ember's room.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ignore this it’s for dwc

You know the saying in writing, show, not tell? A telling sentence, for example, is “She was smart.” A showing sentence would be “She always gets A+’s on her tests”. In short, a telling sentence says something directly, while a showing sentence portrays a message to the reader, without directly telling them. In this daily, you must write at least one telling sentence in the comments. Once you’re done, choose one below (but don’t saying you’re claiming it) and write 150 words portraying that sentence for ____ points, and guess which sentence other dailies are based on. Have fun!

Past photos may look terrible to you—and let’s be real, they always do. The same is for older writing. So, for this daily, find one of your older stories and write at least 250 words of critique for it to earn ___ points. To earn all points, you must share proof of both your old writing and the critique.

Writing tips time! Write at least 150 words of what you personally use in your writing. It can be for something specific, like describing characters, using figurative language, or even how to stay focused while writing! Whatever it is, share it in the comments, then find someone else’s daily and use all of their tips writing at least 200 words! Make sure to share your writing with them when you’re done <3 You must share your 150 words of tips and your 200 word story using someone else’s tips to earn ____ points.

The holidays are coming up! No matter what you celebrate, write at least 200 words about your holiday and what you do to celebrate This daily isn’t worth any points, but we’d love to hear about what you’re doing this month!

It’s nearly the last day of camp, and also almost the new year, 2023! For this daily, write 3-5 New Years resolutions. Proof isn’t required and there isn’t any word count limit, so feel free to keep this private <3 You can earn _____ points for this daily.

Weather is an important aspect this session, but we want to hear about your weather today! Write at least 100 words of a weather report to earn ___ points <3

Quick—go get two dice, they can be virtual, and roll them (no re-rolls)! If you get the combined numbers 2-6, you must do a 5 minute word sprint, and if you don’t get at least 300 words, go for another 5 minutes until you do. If you get 7-12, you must quickly sprint to 400 words. To earn ___ points, tell us which number you got and share proof of your writing!

ack i accidentally quoted the previous post—ignore this ignore this

This is probably not for campers, but here!

when green flag clicked

Thank you to all of my cabin leaders for being so kind and responding to all of my questions! Especially @MoonlitSeas <3

#mangos #arson #foreverfantasian

forever

end

A social studies essay about globalization. <3 (Here for critique - yes, I am aware camp has ended)

Notes:
- Everything was correctly formatted and cited but scratch ruined it and I'm too lazy to fix it
- Yes, I know I need a stronger conclusion but I can't figure out a way to make it better :sob:
- Social Studies sucks is not my thing

Globalization has been around for many centuries. But when exactly did it start? Many claim it started with Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492. But globalization has been going on for many years before that. European merchants would travel through surrounding countries, often going into the Middle East or Asia to trade, sell, and buy. These exchanges are a prime example of globalization. When people in Europe received goods from Asia, such as silk or spices, they were adapted to Europe’s culture. The reason many people claim it started with Columbus is because when he reached America, the trading and travelling and sharing of cultures increased significantly. There was an entire nation of people living in America with cultures and traditions that were vastly different from what the people had known in Europe. As a result of all that new land, the Europeans started immigrating, and cultures and traditions were discovered and adopted. Each culture has helped shape and improve the other’s in some way as a result of globalization. The author of the source is very passionate about their belief that globalization is destroying cultures and monopolizing people’s views. They believe that globalization is leading the world to a monoculture and that one day everyone will be exactly the same, but that is not true. Yes, while some countries may be abusing globalization and using it to dominate other countries, globalization plays a vital role in personal and collective identity and its pros outweigh the cons. It gives us new opportunities and choices about who we want to be, improves lives, and renews cultures. Globalization is extremely beneficial to everyone, it improves every person’s life in some way, even if it’s just a small improvement. We should, however, somewhat, slightly embrace the author of the source’s viewpoint. Globalization is good but that doesn’t mean that we should blindly follow what everyone else believes. We should stand up for what we believe is right, regardless of other people’s opinions. Globalization gives us the opportunity to learn more but we need to think critically and analyze if what we’re learning is true or right. But globalization can help teach us how to do that, it helps us in that way too. And it not only helps us think critically or teaches us more but it improves communication, relationships, and gives us more options about who we –as an individual– want to be.
To start, communication plays a vital role in our lives. The first thing you do when you’re born is cry, which is a form of communication. As you grow older, you gradually learn to speak. Even mute people learn to communicate in some way, whether it’s by sign language or gestures or touch. Globalization helps us better communicate with others. Through globalization, we’re now able to talk with someone on the other side of the world within seconds. A recent statistic has shown that in July 2022, 69% of the world’s population had internet access. That’s over five and a half billion people. Globalization has played an important role in getting technology to many people. If people had each stayed in his/her own country, then technology would never have spread so fast and communication would be much slower and more limited. But because of globalization, we can ask a question and get an answer from someone from Australia. Globalization has brought people together in a way that never would have been possible before.
In addition to an increase in communication, globalization has improved relationships between countries. According to a recent statistic, Canada welcomed 401,000 permanent residents in 2021. That’s 401,000 people bringing their cultures and traditions to Canada. By accepting people from other cultures, we can learn to better understand their culture and how to accommodate them. If we understand other countries’ cultures, we can better get along with them and avoid simple misunderstandings. Because of globalization, we now have the freedom to travel virtually anywhere in the world and find something familiar to us, something from our culture. The author of the source touched on restaurants that display different cultures’ foods. Unlike what the author of the source believes, these restaurants are a positive thing. Immigrants from other countries get a chance to showcase a part of their culture. Food, like communication, is a large part of any culture. Through food, you get a chance to experience different cultures. You can better understand others. And it’s not just restaurants that are an example of a benefit of globalization; all businesses are an example of globalization. And any benefits from these businesses –such as increased cultural exposure or an improved economy from immigration– are an indirect result of globalization.
Finally, the author of the source said that because of globalization, we’re heading towards a monoculture. But globalization is actually causing the opposite to occur. It spreads ideas, trends, and inspiration. Through globalization, today’s youth have more options about who we want to be. We have more styles when it comes to clothes or hair, and more options about religion, or where we want to live. A statistic from September shows that in one year, international travelers coming into Canada increased by 202.1%, while international travelers leaving Canada increased by 279.7%. When someone goes to visit another country, they learn more about that country’s culture, while the country learns more about the traveler’s culture. It’s an exchange of information and it benefits both parties. It gives you more opportunities to decide who you want to be. It does exactly the opposite of what the author of the source said. Rather than influence everyone to look and act the same, it allows you to become more unique. Through the exposure to different styles, you can mix and match things from different cultures. I like to think of it like a closet: You can choose a top of one style while choosing pants of a different style. You’re free to create your own unique look, one that’s unlike what everybody else is wearing. Globalization helps to allow that. It’s beneficial, not only to previous and current generations, but to future ones too.
To conclude, globalization –contrary to the author of the source’s viewpoint– is extremely beneficial to all parts of the world. It improves lives, gives us more choices, and impacts people for the better. Globalization isn’t the evil thing people make it out to be, but rather, it’s like a teddy bear made out to be a monster. Yes, while it has some negative effects, the positives outweigh them. Globalization has contributed to world expansion, the spread and revitalization of cultures, and the adaptation of traditions –and it will continue to do so in years to come. Globalization impacts the world –and its inhabitants– for the better.

critique?

Globalization has been around for many centuries. But when exactly did it start?

nice start! ;D

Many claim it started with Christopher Columbus’s discovery of America in 1492. But globalization has been going on for many years before that.

use another word instead of “but” it's good to avoid using it at the beginning of the sentence, and I think it's fine in some cases like in the second sentence, but as it was used just before this I would suggest replacing it with “however” or smth

European merchants would travel through surrounding countries, often going into the Middle East or Asia to trade, sell, and buy.

buy what? (lollz just add on “goods” at the end or smth)

As a result of all that new land, the Europeans started immigrating, and cultures and traditions were discovered and adopted. Each culture has helped shape and improve the other’s in some way as a result of globalization.

maybe change to “As a result of all that new land, the Europeans started immigrating. New cultures and traditions were discovered and adopted, and as a result of globalization, each culture has in some way helped shape and improve the other's.” totally a stylistic choice so it's up to you, but I think it flows better this way

The author of the source is very passionate about their belief that globalization is destroying cultures and monopolizing people’s views. They believe that globalization is leading the world to a monoculture and that one day everyone will be exactly the same, but that is not true.

I'm assuming your teacher knows who “the author” is, but I don't. Maybe make this more clear since not everyone might know who you're talking about. Just say, like, “(insert author's name), author of (insert text you're writing about), is very passionate about blah blah blah.”

its pros outweigh the cons

.
replace “the” with “its”

Globalization is extremely beneficial to everyone, it improves every person’s life in some way, even if it’s just a small improvement.

maybe add an “and” between “everyone,” and “it”

We should, however, somewhat, slightly embrace the author of the source’s viewpoint.

this sentence does not flow. take out slightly.

Globalization is good but that doesn’t mean that we should blindly follow what everyone else believes.

insert a comma between “good” and “but”

We should stand up for what we believe is right, regardless of other people’s opinions.

not sure if “regardless of other people's opinions” is exactly the right word choice? up to you.
Globalization gives us the opportunity to learn more insert commabut we need to think critically and analyze if what we’re learning is true or right. take away the “but”


I have to go do my own world history homework now! sorry I couldn't finish but I'll try to later this evening.

globalization can help teach us how to do that, it helps us in that way too. And it not only helps us think critically or teaches us more but it improves communication, relationships, and gives us more options about who we –as an individual– want to be.
To start, communication plays a vital role in our lives. The first thing you do when you’re born is cry, which is a form of communication. As you grow older, you gradually learn to speak. Even mute people learn to communicate in some way, whether it’s by sign language or gestures or touch. Globalization helps us better communicate with others. Through globalization, we’re now able to talk with someone on the other side of the world within seconds. A recent statistic has shown that in July 2022, 69% of the world’s population had internet access. That’s over five and a half billion people. Globalization has played an important role in getting technology to many people. If people had each stayed in his/her own country, then technology would never have spread so fast and communication would be much slower and more limited. But because of globalization, we can ask a question and get an answer from someone from Australia. Globalization has brought people together in a way that never would have been possible before.
In addition to an increase in communication, globalization has improved relationships between countries. According to a recent statistic, Canada welcomed 401,000 permanent residents in 2021. That’s 401,000 people bringing their cultures and traditions to Canada. By accepting people from other cultures, we can learn to better understand their culture and how to accommodate them. If we understand other countries’ cultures, we can better get along with them and avoid simple misunderstandings. Because of globalization, we now have the freedom to travel virtually anywhere in the world and find something familiar to us, something from our culture. The author of the source touched on restaurants that display different cultures’ foods. Unlike what the author of the source believes, these restaurants are a positive thing. Immigrants from other countries get a chance to showcase a part of their culture. Food, like communication, is a large part of any culture. Through food, you get a chance to experience different cultures. You can better understand others. And it’s not just restaurants that are an example of a benefit of globalization; all businesses are an example of globalization. And any benefits from these businesses –such as increased cultural exposure or an improved economy from immigration– are an indirect result of globalization.
Finally, the author of the source said that because of globalization, we’re heading towards a monoculture. But globalization is actually causing the opposite to occur. It spreads ideas, trends, and inspiration. Through globalization, today’s youth have more options about who we want to be. We have more styles when it comes to clothes or hair, and more options about religion, or where we want to live. A statistic from September shows that in one year, international travelers coming into Canada increased by 202.1%, while international travelers leaving Canada increased by 279.7%. When someone goes to visit another country, they learn more about that country’s culture, while the country learns more about the traveler’s culture. It’s an exchange of information and it benefits both parties. It gives you more opportunities to decide who you want to be. It does exactly the opposite of what the author of the source said. Rather than influence everyone to look and act the same, it allows you to become more unique. Through the exposure to different styles, you can mix and match things from different cultures. I like to think of it like a closet: You can choose a top of one style while choosing pants of a different style. You’re free to create your own unique look, one that’s unlike what everybody else is wearing. Globalization helps to allow that. It’s beneficial, not only to previous and current generations, but to future ones too.
To conclude, globalization –contrary to the author of the source’s viewpoint– is extremely beneficial to all parts of the world. It improves lives, gives us more choices, and impacts people for the better. Globalization isn’t the evil thing people make it out to be, but rather, it’s like a teddy bear made out to be a monster. Yes, while it has some negative effects, the positives outweigh them. Globalization has contributed to world expansion, the spread and revitalization of cultures, and the adaptation of traditions –and it will continue to do so in years to come. Globalization impacts the world –and its inhabitants– for the better.

Snowbirds Chapter 1

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ember had been waiting for days out on the cold, unforgiving tundra. The weather had been harsh with frequent snowstorms but despite how long they had been waiting, The Nightwolf had yet to emerge from the fog.

Ember sighs. It is cold and they have been out here for literal ages. Why can't this monster just show up so they can murder it already? Or slay it, would be the official term, but that sounds so stuck up and haughty. They much prefer to call it murder, since that's what it is. Some people call it butchery, but that isn't right. No one wants to eat the creature. Ember doubts it would taste good.

They sit down on the icy ground next to the pathetic fire they built. It sputters and flickers weakly, but it's held on this long, and Ember isn't going to let it have the mercy of going out now. They pull another small stick out of their pack and are concerned to see that the fuel for the fire they brought has greatly diminished, and they will most likely run out soon.

Maybe they can return to their village and collect more? No. They vowed that they wouldn't return until the monster is dead or they are. Looking back they realize this was probably a foolish thing to do and the latter is looking more and more likely.

Ember glances up as something howls in the distance. They hope it's the Nightwolf, but with their luck, it's probably just the wind. Sighing, they go back to rummaging around inside their pack, seeing what food they have left. Some dried meat, a few animal skins full of water that miraculously hasn't frozen, three bread rolls, and a handful of dried apples. Just great. They eat a bread roll.

A sudden gust of wind blows snow across the icy expanse of the tundra and they shield their face from the airborne snow. Some get past their arms and nips at their face in small, freezing bites. When the snow clears, they look up, straight into moon pale eyes, boring into them.

The creature is huge, thrice the size of a full-grown mare. Its pelt is dirty gray and flecked with sparkling particles of ice and snow. Each of its paws bears a claw as long as Ember's arm and wicked sharp. It growls and they can see blood-stained teeth, big as a sword blade and just as dangerous.

“Hello,” Ember whispers meekly. “ I don't want to be of any trouble. You know what I think I might leave now.¨ They slowly stand up, shouldering their pack. ¨Bye.¨

The Nightwolf doesn't seem to like this. It growls and sprints toward them. They barely have time to throw their pack to the side before the monster is on top of them, its foul breath hot on their body, but that doesn't warm them in the slightest.

Ember pulls their sword from its sheath, a glimmering five feet of metal, sharp enough to cut the toughest of monster pelts, and stabs the creature in the paw, hoping to cause some kind of damage.

Unfortunately, they fail. All it does is aggravate The Nightwolf. It lifts its paw into the air and shakes it vigorously. Ember clutches the hilt until their knuckles turn white and try to hold on as they're swung meters above the ground but their fingers slowly slip away.

They fly off at the peak of a swing. Of course, it's the highest point. Ember soars through the air flailing wildly. They land on their shoulder and hear a pop, followed by a bright burst of pain. They lay stunned for a moment, stuck in a haze of pain. They're not stupid. They come from a long line of Warriors turned Medics and know that when something makes a weird noise in your body and then it hurts, there is probably something wrong.

They only snap back to reality when they hear the deep growl of the Nightwolf above them. Opening their eyes, they can see that it is standing over them, its mouth dripping with saliva, ready to devour Ember.

The warrior rolls to the side just as jaws larger than a polar bear snap down where she had just been seconds before. Their shoulder throbs horribly and they're pretty sure it's dislocated. Which wouldn't be a problem if they were in the village, full of people who wouldn't think twice to help another living thing. But out here? At least a mile from their village and all alone? There wasn't a chance in Helheim that they could get it back into its socket. Only one functional arm? Amazing.

Ember staggers to their feet, scanning the ground for their sword. Something glimmers a few meters away, their sword if they're lucky, just some ice if they're unlucky, but they have to take that chance.

Stumbling across the ice, they slowly make their way toward the shiny thing. It's a polished silver color, attached to a dirty bronze curved T shape. Their sword. They snatch it from the snowy ground and spin to face the Nightwolf, who has followed them and is looking pretty angry at this point if its bared teeth and flattened ears are any sign.

Ember can feel their hand shaking as they raise the sword.

The Nightwolf stares down at them as if to say This is your best? Really? And I was hoping for a challenge. It almost seems to sigh before raising its paw to smack them halfway to the ocean.

As the paw comes swing down they duck and roll, despite how much their shoulder screams in agony. They pop back up, trying to balance their sword and swipe the snow off their face at the same time, which is annoyingly difficult since one of their arms is next to useless.

They turn to face the increasingly more agitated beast but nearly fall back to the ground as their side explodes in sharp, stabbing pain. Glancing down they can see that their tunic now sports a long rip across their side, which is dripping blood, staining the snow below them dark crimson. The beast did manage to land a hit.

”Wow, my good sir. Y-You are a formidable opponent.“ The blood trickling down their side is quickly turning cold and they shiver from a mix of that and the missing chunk of clothing, which leaves their skin exposed to the freezing temperatures and bone-chilling winds.

The wolf doesn't seem to like compliments, judging from what it does next.

It suddenly pounces and Ember is forced to throw themself into a snowbank. The snow grinds against their wound and they hiss in pain.

The Nightwolf doesn't pause as it closes down on empty air. It immediately leaps up again and lands mere feet away from Ember's hiding places, causing them to flee the hiding spot. This continues for several minutes, a twisted game of cat and mouse, with Ember constantly having to run away from the wolf, as it tries to pin her down. But Ember is getting tired and there is more time lost each time the wolf crunches into the snow behind them.

Their foot catches on something buried in the snow, maybe a rock or animal borrow, whatever it is doesn't matter. They stumble, trying to regain their balance but they fail and fall face-first into the snow. instincts take over and they roll onto their back, just before a massive paw comes crashing down on them.

The sickening sound of bones crunching and breaking echoes in their ears and they cry out as their chest explodes in pain. Their vision goes white and they fight back the sour bile that rises in their throat.

They try to curl up into a ball, trying to shield their vital organs but they can hardly breathe. The wolf removes its paw and bends down, sniffing the unmoving form of Ember. They close their eyes tight, trying to stop their tears. It can't end like this but they know it's going to. They're going to fail their quest and lose their life, which they probably deserve.

A flash suddenly lights up the sky, diverting The Nightwolf's attention from Ember. Its head snaps up and it bounds over to investigate the source of the light.

Ember groans as they slowly sit up, their ribs protesting violently. They look up just in time to see a spark of light and feel the intense heat on their face as the wolf is vaporized, revealing the source of the commotion standing behind them.

The figure is tall, taller than anyone Ember has ever seen, and glowing with a faint light. Their hair is the pale yellow of buttercups and floats around her like water. She is wearing a lavender, flowy, ankle-length dress that is incredibly impractical for this climate, but despite how much skin is exposed, they don't seem to be shivering in the slightest.

Glancing up from where the wolf had just been, the mysterious figure notices Ember and hurries over.

”Oh wow, that thing was giant. Are you alright?“ Their voice is soft and calming, like the sunkissed flowers that grow on the selling hills that surround Ember's village.

”Eh, more or less. That overgrown puppy can't keep me-“ Ember breaks off coughing, which sends more sharp spikes of agony through their body. When they manage to get their breath back, they realize that small drops of blood now decorate the snow next to them. ”Ah snake sheddings,“ they curse.

”Oh no, that's not good,“ The stranger murmurs, dropping to her knees. ”You're hurt more than you want to admit aren't you?“

”Nah, I'll be fine. Just need a bit of rest and I'll be fit as a fiddle. That's a weird saying when you think about it right? Like how can a fiddle be fit? Come to think of it, what even is a fiddle?“

”I think it's a stringed instrument, similar to a violin,“ the stranger says absentmindedly. ”I need to take you back to my castle so I can fix your injuries properly. I need to put you under a sleep spell first alright? Is that ok with you little mortal?“

”Mm ok. Wait! What do you mean by castle? And spell, also why are you calling me a mortal?“ Ember tries to ask, but the pretty stranger is already placing a delicate, gentle hand on their forehead and they feel their eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

”Have peaceful dreams little warrior." is the last thing they hear before their eyes close and everything goes black.

hi brief apology for the lateness lol I actually kind of forgot I wrote this? and also disclaimer that I was super burnt out all november so this is very mediocre and I’m positive I’ve forgotten like a ton of people so for that as well I apologize. everyone in swc is super epic even if my tired brain neglected to write toy a note this time sound

Goodness, it's remarkable that this session is over already. This is probably going to be my last session as a leader for a while, and I'm ever so grateful that I got the experience of leading the four wonderful cabins I did, and Bi-Fi is no exception. However, I unfortunately wasn't able to participate in this session as much as I'd originally hoped I could. November was a busy and stressful month for me, and pile on the various technical difficulties that those of you in my word count group will remember, I wasn't able to be very active this session. And for that I apologize. On a similar topic, the first two people I'd like to thank are people who stepped up, took on more than their role, kept Bi-Fi running smoothly and kept it a supportive place.
Stingray. I will never be able to make up to you the amount of extra work you had to take on, and the amount of quick decisions you had to make. A lot of the time, it was almost like you were the leader and I the co. Thank you endlessly for everything you did for Bi-Fi.
Kenna. I know I already said this, but thanks so much for providing encouragement to everyone else in The Lobby while I was unable to add everyone's words! It was really awesome to see the supportive interactions between you and everyone else.

Bi-Fi is such a stunning place. The community of campers is lovely, and everything looks so beautiful! I'm so glad I got the chance to not only be in but lead the first ever Bi-Fi cabin, and the next three people I'd like to thank are those who have helped to make Bi-Fi look as wonderful as it does.

Skye (strange_skies). Thanks for making the banners and cabin guide, and managing prize orders. All are very important parts of a cabin, and they couldn't have been in better hands than yours. You were an amazing co-leader, thanks so much!
Mayhem. The camper pfps are wonderful! Thanks so much for putting in the time it takes to make them! It payed off. I hope you don't feel too left out with the rest of our leader team being bi and talking endlessly about bi-fi in that sense. If our conversations about it made you uncomfortable, I apologize and hope cabin destruction will make up for it.
Nat. I could rave about your amazing aesthetic for hours! It looks so incredibly cool, and you took on the job very last-minute, and it turned out great. Thank you so much for contributing your talents to Bi-Fi!

The next several people who deserve a place on this list are those who have given me fond memories of this session that I will treasure to the end of time.
Zai. (I'm usually pretty good at getting used to nickname changes but I just can't get myself to think of you as Zaine for some reason, apologies!) Thanks for all the chaos of GVRSWC and also solving our plot line way ahead of schedule lol.


Skye (Isauree). Thanks for being a great help to us during cabin wars, and thanks for the humorous situations surrounding your nickname and for not minding being referred to as “other-Skye”
My siblings. The Spicy Mango Sauce Quartet was an absolute blast. Thanks to all of you in Adventure, Script, and Sci-Fi for the memories!
Jade. Can I just say I called it? In my thank-you-notes for March I said that next time you were on the leader team it would be as leader, not co. And here you are, killing it with Script! It was a blast being your sibling and getting to interact and play games with your campers.
Katie. Again, I called it! Both for you being leader and a certain person accepting your co offer. Adventure looks freaking STUNNING. Like, I'm in awe. Good job! I really enjoyed having you as my sibling again, you're a wonderful person and a wonderful friend.
Luna. Hi. You're fully aware there's no way I can thank you for everything you've done for me so just know that I appreciate you more than I can even comprehend! You've come into your role as co-host so completely it's like you never were in any other position. This role suits you marvellously, and I can't imagine the amount of time you now dedicate to our wonderful SWC.
Celes. I haven't interacted with you very much this session, in the context of SWC at least, but you're a wonderful friend and I really care about you. Thanks for being fantastic and for being as active as you were!
Hopspen. I regret not having talked to you much this session, but Thriller looks amazing. (Of course it does, it's you. how could it not?)
Everyone else in SWC who I didn't interact with as directly, whether you are a host, co-host, leader co-leader, or camper of any cabin, you are amazing, thanks for doing your part to make SWC this completely phenomenal place of completely phenomenal people. I love this camp so, so much, and that's partially because of you, whoever you are! Thanks so much for making this session wonderful.
As I said earlier, I probably won't be applying for leader again, at least for a while. Next session at least, I hope to apply for co, and I might end up as co for a couple of sessions after that as well. If not, I'll definitely be a camper for a while still, but I am getting older, I'm already well on the upper side of the SWC-er age range, and I need to focus on my education and future more than on SWC. Which means it might not be very long until my last session. So thank you all for the wonderful memories of the past five sessions, a time which has been the best sixteen months of my life all the way, and I hope to be around in some way for a couple more. Thank you all,
- Soki