will make this pretty later
—-
welcome! this is my swc megathread, which has *most* of my writing from *most* sessions
__

swc november 2021:
dailes:
11/08/21: Mystery Cabin Fanfic
weeklies:
weekly #1: Characters
weekly #2: Fiction and Non-Fiction
weekly #3: Cliches, Tropes and Literary Devices (unfinished)
weekly #4: SWC Fanfiction(unfinished
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc march 2022:
dailes:
weeklies:
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc july 2022:
dailes:
weeklies:
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc november 2022:
dailes:
weeklies:
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc march 2023:
dailes:
weeklies:
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc july 2023:
dailes:
weeklies:
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc november 2023:
dailes:
11/13/23: Cabin Intro Prompt
11/16/23: Synopsis
weeklies:
words wars:
writing comp:
miscellaneous:

swc nov 2021-weekly #1

Part 1: Character Voices

My characters are Winter and Ruby.

“Alright girl,” Ruby ordered. “You are going to go in there and tell him how much you love him.”

“Ruby!” Winter shivered. “Don’t say it so loud!”

Winter and Ruby stood outside the gymnasium, where the boy’s basketball team was having their final match of the regular season. They were currently winning 112 to 96. Carrying the team to victory was Xavier, the team’s star player.

Also known as Winter’s crush since pre-school.

“The game’s almost over,” Ruby pointed out. “Once it’s done, you’re gonna waltz in there and do your thing.”

“So I just stumble over my words and get completely embarrassed?” Winter rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

Ruby shook her head “You and your sarcasm. You’re never going to win him over with that attitude. You’ve got to be confident and proud of yourself.”

“Like you?”

“Like me.”

Winter just sighed. Ruby was right. For once she had to stand out and be proud of who she was.

Otherwise Xavier would never notice her.

Suddenly, the buzzer went off. The Sunset Grove Chargers, Xavier’s team, had won it 120 to 100.

“Now’s your chance!” Before Winter could protest, Ruby was pushing her into the gym.

Winter wanted to bail out, but it was too late. Xavier was walking up to her.

Okay, don’t be afraid. Just tell him how you feel.

“Winter! You’re just the person I wanted to see.”

“R-Really?!” Winter yelled, a bit too loud, then closed her mouth. “I mean, hi Xavier.”

Xavier laughed a little. Ruby snickered.

“So anyway,” Xavier continued. “I wanted to tell you something.”

“I wanted to tell you something too!” Winter blurted out

The two looked at each other, then yelled at the same time:

“I love you!”

287 words

Part 2: Character Motivation

“Winter, can I come in?”

“Permission denied.”

“Too late girl, I'm coming in.” Ruby opened Winter's bedroom door to find her laying on the bed, tears streaming down her pale face.

“Ruby, did you not hear what I said?” Winter quickly tried to wipe away her tears. “Get out.”

“Oh my gosh, you are a complete mess,” Ruby gasped. She sat down next to Winter and patted her head.

Winter didn't have the energy to complain. “Ruby…”

“It's okay love,” Ruby reassured. “It's okay. I'm here for you. You can tell me.”

That was what Winter needed to hear to start ranting.

“I don't get it Ruby! What did I do wrong?! I thought Xavier loved me. If he lived me, then he would understand and stop being a jerk. He called me clingy Ruby! Clingy! And even if I was, it was because he started texting with another girl! I hate him so much!”

The pain was too much for Winter. The memories of her and Xavier's falling out were just too much.

“Hey,” Ruby sighed. “Don't you think you're overreacting?”

“Overreacting?!”

“I know it doesn't seem like it,” Ruby continued. “But ever since you and Xavier started dating, you've been, well, a tad too attached to him. You're always surveiling him, you rarely let him talk to any girl other than you, and you always want to be with him. I'm sorry but if I was Xavier, that would even drive me insane.”

“I-I…” Winter felt like she was choking on air.

“Winter, honey, if this relationship is becoming too much for you, then I think it's time you let go.”

Winter didn't respond. She looked to the floor, her tears falling faster.

“Sometimes it's best to take the harder path in life,” Ruby mumbled. “And maybe, in this case, breaking up with Xavier is that path. So if-”

“No! I won't!”

Winter abruptly stood up, to Ruby's surprise.

“I… love him,” Winter exclaimed. “And I won't let a stupid argument break us apart. I won't.”

“Winter! Wait!”

Too late. Winter had dashed out of the room, leaving Ruby behind.

352 words

Part 3: Villain

Arghhh!

Why is it always her! Why did she have to have him? Xavier was supposed to be hers!

Ruby punched her room wall.

Earlier that day, Winter and Xavier had made up and were back together. Disgusting.

Another plan failed! Another one! Why did all her plans keep on failing?!

Ruby looked at her reflection in the shattered mirror. Her mascara was ruined, running down her cheeks. Her face was turning red. Her blonde hair is in a mess with bits of food stuck in it.

“Winter… I'll get you,” Ruby whispered. “I'll get you and take back what was supposed to be mine. I promise.”

107 words

Part 4: Putting it Together

Every year, Sunset Grove held a year- end party to celebrate the end of the school year. It was one of the biggest events ever.

Winter checked herself one more time in the mirror. Her white gown matched her long white hair, and she wore a snowflake pin. She was like the snow queen.

“Oh. My. Gosh. Girl, you look so pretty!”

Ruby walked into Winter's room. She wore her silk red dress along with red gloves and her hair done in a braid.

“It's nothing,” Winter blushed. “Do you think Xavier will like it?”

“Oh I know he'll like it. Now come on! He'll be here soon.”

Xavier was picking up Winter and Ruby for the dance that night. The two girls rushed downstairs and slipped on their shoes. That's when the doorbell rang.

“He's here!” Winter opened the door.

Standing outside was Xavier, wearing a blue suit and yellow tie. His messy orange hair for once looked really clean.

“Woah,” he gawked. “You both look like queens.”

“Oh shush you.” Winter pecked him on the cheek. Ruby, from afar, did her best to hid her frown.

“Ok, I think we're all set. Let's get going!”
————————
By the time the trio got to the party, it was already in full swing. A DJ was playing some tunes on stage while volunteers served food and drinks to the attendees. Many were on the dance floor, dancing their hearts out. Some were in the photo booth, while others got face paintings.

Xavier had excused himself from the girls to help one of his friends set up some party games. So it was Winter and Ruby alone together.

“Winter! Could you come with me for a sec?” Ruby needed a favor.

“Sure,” Winter agreed. “Whatever you need.”

Ruby led her friend across the school, passing many people until they reached the kitchen. It was dark, one of the only things illuminating the room was the light coming from the big freezer

Winter looked around. “Ruby, why are we here?”

“Oh, well,” Ruby looked flustered. “You know how the school kitchen has this big freezer? I was hoping you could help me bring out some stuff. The teachers wanted me to bring out some extra food in case we needed more.”

“Hmm? Okay then.” Winter turned her attention to the big freezer. Ruby unlocked the door using the keys she had brought. Winter leaned inside, searching for food.

That's when it happened.

Winter felt herself get forcefully shoved into the freezer. Before she knew it, Ruby was locking the door.

“Ruby?!” Winter shivered, her body beginning to freeze. “What's happening?! Let me out!”

All Winter heard in response was Ruby's mocking laughter.

“Let me out! Please!” Winter banged in the door.

“Aww, poor Winter is stuck,” Ruby cackled. “Good for you honey.”

“Ruby?!” Winter didn't believe what she was hearing.

“You know,” Ruby deadpanned. “You've been quite annoying to deal with these past months. I'm surprised I held back, especially after you took my future boyfriend for yourself.”

“Wait, Xavier?! Ruby, what on earth is wrong with you?!”

“Shut up! Shut up!” Ruby cried out, screeching at Winter. “I loved him! He was supposed to be mine! Then you took him away! You took him for yourself! Do you know how much you broke me?! How much you split me apart?! All of a sudden I was a third wheel, a lackey following the new couple on the block. You acted like I was nothing! I tried countless times to destroy your love with Xavier and failed too many times! You ruined everything!”

Winter couldn't speak. She could no longer find her voice.

“So now,” Ruby continued. “You're going to freeze while I go and take back what was supposed to be mine. Have fun Winter.”

“Ruby, wait!”

Winter was far too late. Ruby had already gone, leaving her former best friend to freeze.

Winter cried out, yelled for help. But nothing worked.

She was stuck.

And she was doomed.
—————————-
Xavier had spent the last ten minutes looking for Ruby and Winter, but to no avail. He simply couldn't find them.

Suddenly, as he began to lose hope, Ruby appeared, smiling.

“Xavier! Just the person I wanted to see!”

“Where's Winter?” Xavier practically ignored Ruby's presence. “Where is she?”

“Yes, I need to talk to you about her,” Ruby mumbled. She then whispered in his ear: “She left.”

“Huh?” Xavier was confused. “Where?”

“She had an emergency come up, so she needed to leave. She said I should tell you.”

“Oh,” Xavier slumped his shoulders, disappointed.

“I'm very sorry,” Ruby apologized. “Do you want to leave?”

Xavier dismissed that idea. “No, it's fine. Besides, I have you around with me.”

Ruby giggled as Xavier smiled at her, pulling her closer to him. Ruby finally felt at peace, knowing that now she could make her final move.
—————————
Winter kicked the door once again. Once again it didn't budge.

It had been around 5 minutes since Ruby trapped her inside the freezer. 5 whine minutes.

Winter could feel the cold spread through her body. She felt scared, knowing what would happen if she didn't escape…

Ruby. How could she have done such a thing. They were best friends! Best for since pre-school. How could Ruby do this? Just for a boy she'll never have?

Winter was starting to lose feeling in her fingertips. She needed to get out of there. Fast.

Summing up all her energy, she focused on the freezer door and landed one final strike.
————-
“I love this song.”

Ruby hummed softly as she and Xavier danced together. The DJ was playing a romantic song, one made for couples.

“Me too,” Xavier agreed.“I really enjoy it.”

Ruby smiled. Finally,she was getting what she wanted. Finally, her time and come. Finally, she could be with her love. Finally, she was rid of everything that kept them apart.

This is what she always wanted. This is-

“Stop the music!”

A voice suddenly boommed across the whole gymnasium. Everything came to a halt. Xavier'w mouth dropped open. Ruby looked like she was about to burst.

No… I got rid of her! I got rid of her!

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Winter looked over the crowd. Her arms were folded. “I'm here to tell you that Ruby LaPointe, the girl we know as popular and caring, is a monster!”

1,063 words.

swc nov 2021- daily 11/08/2021

I opened the door of the cabin slightly, peeking through the opening. As always, Mystery Cabin was eerie and mysterious, but this time it felt darker. Much darker. Something I, for one, had never liked.

I creeped through the cabin. No one seemed to be here, and they hadn't bothered to make their beds before leaving. Bedsheets and pillows were scattered across the floor.

Mystery Cabin wasn't the cabin I'd wanted to be in. I was hoping to land myself in Fairy Tales or at least Mythology. But no. With my rotten luck, I, Butter, got into Mystery.

The campers weren't so bad. They were actually kind of nice, but mostly energetic and crazy. Mar, Phoenix, Brissy, Sweety, Jade, I'm looking at YOU GUYS.

The cabin leaders were kind of good too. Fi and Minty, the co-leaders were nice and super helpful. Whenever I have a question, I ask them for help.

And then there's Gigi.

Gigi's our cabin leader. He practically runs the place, keeps things in order and stuff like that.

That's not the only things though. As cabin leader, Gigi also makes Mystery Cabin, well, Mystery Cabin. So he's did stuff like make pretend crime scenes, give us clues to solve murder mysteries and make the cabin seem like it was the perfect place for a detective.

Now, I didn't have a problem with Gigi, no no no. What I had a problem with was the Mystery Cabin as a whole.

Mystery was my least favorite genre. Even though the SWC hosts had said that we could write a different genre than what cabin we were in, I still had a problem doing that. Especially with the mystery theme in our cabin. That's why I did most of my writing outside.

My thoughts suddenly came to an end once I tripped on a out of place pillow. I crashed to the floor.

“Ouch!” I cradled my hurting foot. “Jeez people, learn to clean up a little!”

Of course, no one heard me because no one was there. I growled and got up, dusting off the dirt that had nestled on my black leggings. Then I grabbed the pillow I had tripped on and looked it over from side to side.

That's when I saw it.

Red. A dark red stained was planted on the back of the pillow. It looked like a paint splatter, but more different. My heart did a great big somersault.

“It's just ketchup Butter,” I murmured. “It's just ketchup. Someone was just eating one of the hot dogs that Birdi made this afternoon and dropped some ketchup. That's all. Nothing more. Nothing-”

“Nothing more, you say?”

“Gahh!!!” I shrieked as Fi, one of the co-leaders came up behind me.

“Sorry Butter, didn't mean to scare you,” Fi apologized.

“Never do that again.”

Fi smiled. They pointed to the door, the one I had left open. Oops.

“That always has to be closed,” Fi reminded me. “Just so no intruders waltz in here.”

I turned my gaze to the floor, overcome with embarrassment. “Sorry about that. Anyway, where is everyone?”

“They're all at the camp sing-a-long. I came to get you but you were busy writing away like a mindless robot.” Fi paused to laugh a little. “So, that stain on the pillow?”

The pillow. I suddenly remembered it.

“Y-yeah, this one,” I mumbled. “I honestly don't know what to to think of-”

“Ketchup,” Fi interrupted me. “It's just ketchup. I know because I saw Minty drop her hot dog on her pillow this afternoon. Nothing to worry about.”

“Oh thank goodness.”

I thanked Fi as they turned to leave. Then they looked back at me and said:

“Have you seen Gigi? I've been looking for him everywhere.”

“No, I haven't,” I answered. Suddenly I felt uneasy. “Sorry.”

“Ok then. Give me a holler when you see him.” With this, Fi left the cabin, closing the door behind them.

And once they left, I heard a deep grunt coming from under one of the beds. I froze, my blood running cold as I realized the sound was coming from my bed.

swc nov 2021-weekly #2

1: Warmups

Prompt 1: Secret Origami Expert
Xula Fujisaki is a secret origami expert living in Tokyo, Japan. She works for the SOA(secret origami association) and is eighteen years old. Her job is to transfer knowledge and intel about the art of origami to many other agents like her without being caught by the police since it’s a crime. Xula is very serious and loyal to others. If you hurt one of her own…well… that wouldn’t end well for you. Xula lives with her single mom and nine year old brother, Kota. She is always ready to protect them at all costs. Xula has short black hair, red eyes and is rather tall.

108 words

Prompt 2: About the Printing Press
A long time ago, in Germany, the first printing press was created. It was made by Johannes Gutenburg around the year 1400. Before the printing press was invented, people had to copy books by hand, which could take nearly two years! This new invention, made during the Renaissance era, made writing easier. And it was a huge success. By 1500, over two millions books were printed throughout Europe. Thanks to the printing press, scholars, scientists, and educators who lived during the Renaissance could share their ideas with others like them much easier. This is why the printing press helped shape and spread the Renaissance a lot.

106 words

2: Exploring Fiction

Prompt 1: Character POV
It’s been two years. Two years since the accident that took you away from me.

I will never get over it. Never.

Never can I just get over the fact that you’re gone. Never can I heal this broken wound in my heart. It’s too much. So much that it hurts.

Your picture still sits on my nightstand. You look as lovely as ever, in your white gown. The flowers in your hair make you blend in with the field of flowers you stand in. Your red hair braided perfectly. Your smile. Your happiness. It’s all captured in this photo.

And now, as I stare at this picture, I can feel the tears fall down from my face. I try to wipe them away, but they won’t go. They’ll never go.

Why did you leave me? Why did you let sickness take you away? You said you’d never leave me! Why did you lie?! Why did you lie to me Elizabeth?!

It should have been me. I should have taken your place. You didn’t deserve this, you didn’t deserve any of this.

I still remember seeing you lying in the hospital bed. Your skin was pale, your eyes struggling to stay open. You were in pain, yet you still tried to make me feel happy. You always saw the best of the situation, no matter what it was. You were always positive and cheerful.

How I wish I could be like that now.

I take your picture and stare at it again. Even though you’re gone, I can hear you saying “I love you, Micah. I love you.”

“I love too, Elizabeth,” I whisper. “I love you too.”

Elizabeth, you’re my one and only. The love of my life. I’ll always love you. Always, and forever.

And I forgive you.

Prompt 2: Same scene, different moods

“This is horrible,” Shea cried. “Just horrible.”

“This really can’t be happening,” Dana shook her head in disbelief.

The two sisters looked at each other in horror after realizing that the birthday cake that they’d made for their 8 year-old sister May, was now on the ground, destroyed.

How did it happen? Maybe it was because the table wasn’t positioned correctly. Maybe it was because Shea bumped into the table. Or maybe it was because Dana didn’t catch the falling cake in time.

Either way, the cake was destroyed. And May wasn’t going to be happy.

—————

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me.” Shea exclaimed.

“So this is really happening, huh?” Dana shrugged in disappointment

The two sisters looked at each other with mixed emotions. The birthday cake that they’d made for their 8 year-old sister May, was now on the ground, pulverized. Great.

So how did this happen? Probably because the table wasn’t in a good position. Or probably because Shea, like the klutz she is, bumped into the table. Or maybe it was because Dana couldn’t even bother catching the cake in time.
Regardless, the cake was gone, smashed into bits. May’s going to be ‘super happy’ about this.
————————

“Well, time to clean up!” Shea declared.

“Let’s get to work,” Dana added.

The two sisters looked at each other, determined. Determined to clean up the now destroyed birthday cake that they’d made for their 8 year-old sister, May.

How did it happen, you ask. It could be that it was because the table had not been in a good position. Or because Shea had accidentally bumped into the table while carrying some decorations. Or because Dana wasn’t able to catch the cake on time.

Either way, there was no use debating now. The girls had a mess to clean, and a new cake to bake, to make it up to May. Surely, they could do it.

318 words

3. Exploring Non-Fiction

Prompt 1: Inside the SWC Cabins!

Good morning readers! For today’s special report, we’re taking you on a journey inside the SWC Cabins! Many of you have been particularly interested in this for a while, so we brought in a special team of reporters and journalists to explore what happens inside the cabins of SWC.

First of all, what is SWC? It’s a writing camp for anyone to participate in, and it takes place three times a year. In this camp, campers are put into cabins named after certain genres(fairy tales, mystery, contemporary, etc.) Each cabin has one leader and one or two co-leaders. During the camps, campers set writing goals they want to accomplish by the end of camp, complete daily and weekly challenges, and make friends along the way!

So what are the cabins? They are as mentioned here:

-Science Fiction
-Poetry
-Mystery
-Adventure
-Thriller
-Fairy Tales
-Dystopian
-Contemporary
-Mythology
-Non-Fiction
-Horror
-Realistic Fiction
-Fantasy
-Fanfiction

Now that you know the cabins, let’s get exploring, shall we?
—————————-
Sci-Fi Realm

This cabin’s theme is based on a terrible tragedy. The world’s facing armageddon, and you’re doomed to be destroyed. Until three inhumane beings offer you salvation in exchange for performing tasks for crystals, which you can then use to buy parts and build a portal leading out of Earth. The leader and co-leaders are Aria, Misty, LJ and honorary member Banana.

In this cabin, campers complete tasks like dailies, weeklies, winning word wars and completing their writing goals in order to get crystals. Crystals earn them things like matching profile pictures and parts for their portal.

As you can tell, this cabin’s pretty serious and competitive, with one goal in mind: winning.
~~~~
The Celestial Poetry Grove

Unlike Sci-Fi over there, this cabin’s more solemn and peaceful, putting you at ease. The leaders and co-leaders in this cabin are Elfie, Sun and Poem, otherwise known as the astronomers.

This cabin isn’t too competitive, and doesn’t have a specific point system like crystals. So if you’re someone that just likes to write in a peaceful and calming spot, this ones for you.
~~~~
Mystery:Murder on the Orient Express

There’s been a murder! Poor Amy has been killed, and we need your help to find the murderer! Can you solve the case?

In the Mystery cabin, campers try to solve this puzzling case. For every 10,000 points mystery has in the main cabin, they earn themselves one new clue. The staff? Mystery cabin leader Gigi and co-leaders Fi and Minty.

Now, put on that Sherlock Holmes hat, and let’s get mystery solving.
~~~~
Adventure Mountain Survivalists
You’re climbing Adventure Mountain, when suddenly a goat(yes, a goat) leads you to a group that calls themselves the Adventure Mountain Survivalists. The leaders of this group are Pika, Pandora and Vivi.

For this cabin, they have an in-cabin point system called steps. Anyone who completes daily, weeklies, word wars and in-cabin dailies can earn steps. And if you contribute 200 steps, you’ll be assured a piece of the big prize the whole cabin can earn! Sounds fun, eh?
~~~~
Thriller Detective Agency

You’re lost in a forest, when soon you black out, only to wake with three girls standing in front of you. Who are they? They’re Soki, Luna, and Sai, and they’re a part of the Thriller Detective agency.

Like Sci-Fi and Adventure, this cabin also has an in-cabin point system, which you can use to earn prizes.

Your goal in this cabin? Find and capture the infamous cybervillian Z, and crack their plans.
~~~~
Fairy Tales Night Garden

Just reading the title gives you a relaxed feeling. Welcome to Fairy Tales Night Garden, led by fae warrior Faer and tree elf Birdi. Campers in this cabin are split in three clans: yemoi, uyo and mugii, and are called majees, meaning those who practice the art of divination.

The point system here is crowns, and you can earn crowns from dailies, weeklies, word wars, etc.
~~~~
Dystopian: Is it really over?

The rebellion’s finished. Those who survived the war begin to rebuild, but the government's mark on you is still there,hidden and invisible, and you can’t rid yourself of it. Unless you collect enough scraps to uncover what is hidden…

The rebel leaders of this cabin are Bookie, Bakie and Pia. Campers here are known as survivors.

The point system for the Dystopian cabin is scraps. Collect enough scraps, and you could see your mark once and for all…
~~~~
Mythology: Stuck in Greece, 762 BC

You don’t know what happened. You don’t understand. One minute, you were in a library. Now you’re standing in front of three goddesses. Amy, goddess of gay, Frog, goddess of swords and straws, and Sai, goddess of… well, that’s to be determinded.

You have till the end of November to find your way out. Collect tridents, clues and solve puzzles to navigate your way back to the present. But hurry!
~~~~
www.nonfiction.com

Hands shaking, you type in the website address your friend gave. As soon as you hit enter, you’re greeted by a professional looking webpage. Pretty good, huh?

You select the ‘About Us’ section. You begin reading the bios of the website staff, Zura, Pi and Fern. You also see a list of all the users on the site.

Apparently, the site has a currency as well. By completing tasks, you can earn pixels, which can be traded in for matching profile pictures and your very own webpage?!

That’s enough convincing for you. Smiling, you click the ‘Sign Up’ button.
~~~~
Horror Typewriter

It all started with that message. The typewriter seemed to have written it on it’s own. How strange.

The message? ‘Horror Cabin. Awaiting input. Message from Polar. Kel, Qui. Begin Writing.’

Spooky! If you're someone that loves bone-chilling stories, then this ones for you. I’m passing.
~~~~
Real-Fi Film Studio

Ever wanted to be in a movie? Now you can with director Robin, production designer Starla and cinematographer Hop.

Earn film pieces, this cabin’s in-cabin point system, to create a film scene! Careful though, there’s only a one in three chance the take wil work, and they need twenty scenes by the end of camp! Ready to get filming?
~~~~
Hi-Fi Empire

Welcome to the Hi-Fi empire! Come along to meet the emperors: Elle, Daisy and Juli.

The point system here are coins! Get coins by completing tasks(both writing and mental health related). Save up your coins so that by the end of camp, if you have the most, you earn undying respect and bragging rights.
~~~~
Fantasy Forest

The monster chasing you is fast approaching. You don’t think you can run for any longer.

And you’re right. You trip on a log and turn to see the beast on its hind legs, ready to eat. Is this it?

Not yet! Suddenly, someone pulls you to safety. You’re taken to cover by three girls: Fawn, Scarlet and Tandi, the guardians of Fantasy Forest. Finally safe, you sigh in relief. But the adventure isn’t over yet…
~~~~
Fanfiction Library

You were told to wait for your leaders right here, inside a nig library, with books everywhere you turn. Where are they?

Suddenly, a girl pops out of nowhere. She’s followed by another one, and another one.

These are the librarians of the Fanfiction Library. Mac, Mia and Rockie. They lead you upstairs, to even more books on the shelves. Woah. This library sure is huge.
~~~~
1066 words

Prompt 2: All about Zebras

Zebras are mammals with black and white stripes. They are wild animals that can’t be kept as pets. They are herbivores. Which means they eat only plants. Zebras have strong hooves.

Zebras have excellent eyesight. Like most ungulates(hoofed mammals), a zebra’s eyes are on the sides of its head, giving it a wide field of view. Zebras also have night vision, although not as advanced as that of most of their predators.

Zebras have excellent hearing and have larger, rounder ears than horses; like other ungulates, zebras can turn their ears in almost any direction. In addition to amazing eyesight and hearing, zebras also have brilliant senses of smell and taste

Zebras communicate with each other with high-pitched barks and whinnying. Grévy's zebras make mulelike brays. A zebra's ears signify its mood. When a zebra is in a calm, tense or friendly mood, its ears stand straight up . When it is frightened, its ears are pushed forward. When angry, the ears are pulled backward. When surveying an area for predators, zebras will stand in an alert posture with their ears up, head held up high, and staring. When tense, they will also snort. When a predator is spotted or sensed, a zebra will bark or bray loudly

It was once believed that zebras were white animals with black stripes, since some zebras have white underbellies.Science, however, shows that the animal's background color is black and the white stripes and bellies are additions. The stripes help the zebras to confuse their predators. This is called a motion dazzle. The zebras go around a zebra being attacked. This confuses the predator, making it hard to pick out a target

When a zebra is attacked, other zebras circle around the wounded zebra to keep the predator from hurting it even more. Unfortunately, zebras are not doctors, and within 45 minutes-1 hour, the wounded zebra dies. Only 20% survive this. Another way zebras protect others is sleeping in shifts. They take turns sleeping, so that they can see if predators are coming.

Zebras live in grasslands. They also live near lakes and rivers because where they live is really hot. Zebras live mainly in South Africa. Although, some gravy and mountain zebras live in Kenya, but not plain zebras.

Zebras like to eat all sorts of grass. They also eat berries and shrubs. It’s hard for them to get water because it’s the number one spot for predators to hunt zebras. This is why zebras always go in a group when getting water to drink. It keeps them from being eaten!

Baby zebras are called foals, whether they’re male or female.During the foal’s first two days of life, the mother keeps him close and doesn’t go close to the other zebras so that the foal learns to identify her mother by sight, smell and sound. However, those single-toe hooves were made for walking, and within 15 minutes from birth, the foal is able to stand up on his own. Within an hour, he is walking and able to join his mother as she rejoins the herd.

Because young zebras are particularly vulnerable to predators, the ability to run so shortly after birth is crucial to his survival.

Zebras can live in zoos. They live up to 20 years in the wild and up to 40 years in zoos. But it is hard to get a zebra in zoos. A zebra kick can seriously injure or kill a human or lion!

EXTRA! Zoe the Golden Zebra
Zoe was born on Molokai in 1998 to a mare named Oreo. Her golden coloring is because she has amelanosis, giving her golden stripes instead of the usual black, and blue eyes. The condition occasionally occurs in the wild, but it means the zebras with it are easier targets for predators. Until Zoe was 11, she was the only living golden zebra. Today golden zebras are practically extinct,only 24 are left. Unfortunately, Zoe died at the age of 19 on August 9, 2017.

668 words

swc nov 2021- weekly #3(unfinished)

Weekly #3
Part 1: Write!

My sprites were dress, boombox and takeout(I kinda did food delivery instead)

The ballroom of Chanallier Castle was decorated in a special color theme of blue. The carpet, the tablecloths, the drapes, they were all tinted in a certain shade of blue.
Around the castle, maids, servants and cooks worked around the clock to clean and polish the castle, prepare the food, invite the guests and take on other tasks as well.
Some of these tasks were easy, some hard. An example of a hard task would be the one given to a special set of maids: dress up Princess Estella in her sparkling blue dress.
Trust when I say, this was not a simple task.
“Princess,” the senior maid, Wendy, was practically begging the princess. “You must try this dress now, so we know what changes could be made. Also, it's your mother's orders.”
Estella Chanallier looked up from her phone and frowned at Wendy.
“Wendy,” Estella deadpanned. “You know I don't listen to my mother's orders.”
“But princess-”
“That's that,” the princess interrupted her. “You can tell my mom that I'm not stepping foot in that stupid dress or that stupid ball.”
Wendy, defeated, sighed and shook her head. She led her fellow companions out of Estella's room. As they were leaving, a young man dressed in a red shirt that read “Boston Pizza'' entered carrying a pizza box.
”Hi,“ he mumbled. ”Is Miss Estella here?“
”That's me.“ Estella jumped out of her bed, her big brown curls bouncing along with her. ”Estella Chanallier at your service.“
The boy looked the girl up and down with his blue eyes, confused.
”You're Estella? You don't look like her.“
Estella looked down at herself. Currently, she was sporting ripped jeans, a black sweater and black beanie. No wonder this boy was confused, he obviously expected a pretty girl in a dress.
Well, he got none of that.
”Oh,“ Estella chuckled. ”Let me guess, you were expecting a girl with no freckles, in a puffy pink dress and wearing tons of makeup, right?“
”A-Ah well,“ the boy blushed, flustered. ”I guess so…“
Estella giggled and grabbed the pizza from the delivery boy. ”It's fine, lots of people get that impression.“
”What's your name?“ Estella cocked her head in curiosity.
”Um, it's L-Lune.“
”Lune? That's French for the moon,“ Estella recited what she'd learned from her homeschooling teacher, Mrs. Dame. ”I think that's a cool name. Also I like your hair. I've always wanted blonde hair.“
Lune blushed and covered his eyes with his hat. ”T-thank you.“ Then something caught his attention.
”Hey,“ he mumbled. ”Is that a boombox?"
Lune pointed to a black and pink boombox sitting on a huge desk. Estella nodded her head and smiled.
“Yeah, it’s great, isn’t it? My cousin got me one for my 14th birthday.”
The blonde didn’t say anything back, just stared off into space. The princess waved in front of his face, but he didn’t blink. So she went up to his ear and hollered:
“Earth to Lune! Come in Lune!”
“Ah, sorry!” Lune snapped out of his daydream. “Anyway, that’ll be 4$ please.”
Estella fished through his pocket and brought out a pile of coins. Thankfully for her, they totaled up to exactly 4$. She handed it to Lune.
“There, 4$.” Estella proudly put her hands on her hips.
“Thank you. Well, I should be going now. I have tons of orders to deliver.”

Part 2: Cliches
list:
Bad boy x innocent girl romance
Love triangle with best friend, introvert girl and charming boy
Evil, fat tyrant
Crazy cat lady
i’ll be using the ‘evil tyrant’ cliche
———————–
Gooseman sat on his golden throne, stuffing a big, fat and juicy turkey leg into his mouth. He groaned in delight.
Part 3: Tropes, Stereotypes and Generic Characters
Part 4: Literary Devices + Putting it together

swc nov 21- weekly #4 (unfinished)

Featuring @Luna-Lovegood-LoL(Luna), @-AMETHYSTQUEEN-(Amy), @booklover883322(Bookie), @KenzieTentay(MacKenzie), @KOtLCpenguin(Pen) and @ButterPopcorn8(Butter)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I lay on the grass, watching the birds fly through the sky. I sighed.

Scratch Writing Camp was coming to an end in 2 days, even though it felt like it had only been a few days. And so far, nothing interesting has happened.
Of course, there were cabin wars, and trust me when I say: that was chaotic. But ever since, it seemed to be the same old same old. At least for me, that is.

I closed my eyes. “I wish something exciting would happen.”

Turns out those ended up being famous last words. Because that’s when something hit across my face.

Surprised, I opened my eyes and sat up. I ran my hand down my left cheek, and when I pulled it away, bits of cracker were stuck to my hand. I looked down. There were cracker crumbs and pieces that had fallen into the grass.

What kind of maniac would throw a graham cracker out of nowhere-

“Ah, sorry Butter!”

I turned around, and saw Luna from the Thriller Cabin waving at me from the very top of the hill. In her hand was a box of crackers.

“I was aiming for someone else,” she added.

I was confused. Wasn’t I the only one here?

My question was answered only seconds later, when another mysterious object hit the back of my head.

“The enemy!” Luna cried out to me. I looked down and at my feet, was a lychee.

Ok, what’s with all the food?

“Attack!”

Luna began throwing graham crackers at the pond. I, for one, was about to leave, exhausted from Luna’s craziness when I witnessed something… crazier.

A girl started to emerge from the water. Upon seeing her, my heart did a nice 180. Her eyes were burning with anger, and in her hands were several lychee fruit.

“You’ll pay for this!” The girl howled and sent lychee straight at Luna. I soon recognized the girl as Bookie from the Mythology Cabin.

“Bookie?!”

“Oh, hi Butter!” Bookie saw me immediately. “I suggest you move out of the way, this will get messy.”

She didn’t have to tell me twice. I was already sprinting away from the fight, looking for safety. Finally, I hid behind a nearby tree.

“Phew, I’m sa-GAHH!”

I screamed and fell over as I saw two other people, Pen and Amy from the Adventure Cabin, loading a catapult full of cookies and bars of chocolate.
“Pen? Amy?!”

“Butter, it’s nice to see you!” Amy lifted me up to my feet. “Are you here to help us out?”

“With what?!” I had never been so confused in my life.

“Food wars,” Pen explained. “We’re battling it out to see which food is better. Luna thinks it’s graham crackers, Bookie says it’s lychee, and me and Amy say it’s chocolate and cookies.”

Part 2: Alert! The non-fi server is down!
Part 3: Murder on the orient express
Part 4: The Mystery of Mystery cabin(part 2)

swc nov 2023- 11/13/23 daily

And just like that, you’re being dragged away towards the broken clock tower.

You don’t even have time to react, nor comprehend what’s going on. The girl has a firm grip on your hand, so you can’t escape. And even if you did, where would you go? You had no idea where to hide, and everyone in this weird place looked way too sketchy. So, you decide that being taken away by this girl was probably better than whatever would happen to you at the hands of these hoodlums.

As you approach the tower, you find yourself realizing how weird it is that there was a whole tower in the middle of a poor neighborhood. Perhaps the poor people only came after the tower had been built, sort of like how poverty camps worked. But if that was the case, then why was the tower built in the first place?

“It was built because it once had a purpose.”

Your eyes get wider and wider. “H-How did you know what I was thinking?”

“Intuition.” The girl winks at you. “I just trusted my gut. Anyways, this clock tower was built as part of this project the city was developing. The Cultivation Project.”

“Cultivation project?”

“Yep. It was huge, although no one really remembers the details now. The city abandoned the project after the incident. The clock tower was left in shambles. This area slowly became a place for people like me to live.”

“What’s this incident you’re talking about?” You ask.

“Alright, when we get inside, don’t talk to the others,” The girl says, completely ignoring your question. “Make sure not to bother anyone or they’ll be super *.”

“Wait! Why are you even dragging me there? What do you want?”

The girl smiles.

“You’re special. We need someone special like you.”

“How?!” You cry, perhaps gaining too much attention in the process. “Why am I the special one? I’m just a person who got lost here!”

“We’ll deal with that later,” the girl says. “Right now, you have to meet our leader. He’ll be so happy I found someone like you.”

“Enough!” You finally pry away from the girl and jump back, surprising her. You put your fists in the air. “Answer the question! What do you want from me?!”

“What do I want…?” The girl shakes her head. “No, it’s more like… what does the world want?”

“Huh?”

“You… we need you to save the world.”

(408 words)

swc nov 2023- 11/16/23

Title: Where Her Sword Lands

Louisa’s okay.

In fact, she’s fine. It’s been exactly ten years since she left that party with multiple injuries, wondering if she would even survive the night. It’s been 9 years, 11 months and 9 days since she watched her peers throw their hats into the air from afar, ready to leave school life behind. It’s been 7 years, 10 months and 15 days since she was last home. She didn’t talk to her parents or brother, just gathered the last few things she needed, without even saying goodbye. Her family never saw her again.

It’s been 6 years, 7 months since she decided to stalk her ex-friends. All 5 of them had become successful and famous. None of them admitted to what they did to her.

It’s been 4 years, 2 months and 28 days since the idea first popped into her head. 4 years and 1 day since she made up her mind about it. It had been 3 years 11 months and 18 days since she began planning. 2 years since she recorded their addresses, phone numbers, relationships in her book. 1 year 3 months and 17 days since she had bought the house and made the arrangements. 9 months since she had begun waiting. A week since she had called all of them for a reunion. 3 days since all of them had agreed. 2 days, 1 hour and 3 minutes since her old friends, all five of them, had shown up with worried looks on their faces

And it had been 1 day, 11 hours, 7 minutes and 5 seconds, since Louisa had taken them all hostage.

Louisa’s doing just fine.

(273 words)

Weekly #2

Part 1: Script

Chiaki sits on a bench just outside school. Lunch is almost over, and people are starting to head inside. However, Chiaki is completely focused on the game she’s trying to beat.

Chiaki (playing a game, mumbling): Ah… I’m so close… One more hit…
Hajime (walks up to Chiaki): Oh, there you are Chiaki.
Chiaki doesn’t respond.
Hajime (taps her shoulder): Chiaki!
Chiaki (startled, jumps up. The game screen flashes “game over”): Hajime! Man… I lost.
Hajime: Sorry Chiaki. There’s just something I want to ask you.
Chiaki (sighs, but then smiles): Alright. What do you want?
Hajime (bluntly): Do you think I like Nagito?
Chiaki: Yes.
Hajime (surprised): Y-You weren’t supposed to say that!
Chiaki (confused): Based on your reaction, you definitely like him.
Hajime (looks away): But… How am I in love with a guy?
Chiaki (shrugs): You’re built differently.
Haijme: That’s not funny.
Chiaki (sighs and thinks to herself): Man, didn’t Nagito ask me about the same thing about Hajime? I think these guys are definitely oblivious
Hajime (waves hand in front of Chiaki): Chiaki! Chiaki!
Chiaki (snaps back to reality): Sorry, I was thinking about how oblivious you are.
Hajime (disappointed): Why do I feel like you aren’t lying…
Nagito (walks up to both of them): Hey you two! What’s going on?
Hajime, blushing, waves a little and looks away.
Chiaki (waves at Nagito): Hi Nagito. We were just talking about the movie we were going to see after school today.
Hajime (glares at Chiaki): What?!
Nagito (surprised): That’s cool! If I may ask, what movie is it?
Chiaki: The FNAF movie. Hey, do you want to come with us? I have an extra ticket.
Chiaki holds up three movie tickets. Hajime gawks at her.
Nagito (surprised): Wow! I don’t know why you’d invite someone like me, but I’d love to come!
Chiaki (hands Hajime and Nagito their tickets): Good.
Chiaki then rips up the last ticket. Hajime and Nagito gasp, shocked.
Hajime: Ch-Chiaki?!
Nagito: Huh? What’s going on?
Chiaki (stands up): After a lot of deliberation, I’ve decided that I won’t be going, because I don’t feel like third wheeling. Have fun on your date.
Chiaki smiles and walks away, leaving Hajime and Nagito both super red and flustered. She is on her way to class, when someone bumps into her.
Kazuichi (gasps): Chiaki! You’re just the person I wanted to talk to.
Chiaki (deadpans): You’re going to ask me about your feelings towards Gundham, aren’t you.
Kazuichi (shocked): What?! How’d you even know that?
Chiaki (sighs): Trust me when I say, you are not the first person to try and ask me about this.
Kazuichi (pauses, then cries out): Huh?! You mean, does anyone else like him? Who?! Is it Sonia?! Tell me!
Chiaki (facepalms): Man, guys sure are stupid.

(465 words)

Part 2: Song Parody

Song: Rude by MAGIC!

Monday morning, woke up in bed, and put on my school dress.
Got on the bus and slept all the way, all the way to you
Opened the class door with doom on my mind, for you to ask me a question.
‘Cause I know that you’ll never leave me alone, yeah, yeah.

Can you help me love him for the rest of my life?
Say yes, say yes, ‘cause I need to know.
I say you’ll never get my help until the day I die.
So good luck old pal, but the answer is no!

You say,

Why you gotta be so rude?
Don’t you know that you’re my friend too?
Why you gotta be so rude?
I need to ask him out anyway.

I say,

Ask out that boy, ask him out anyway
Ask out that boy, don’t ask me about it
Ask out that boy, and you’ll never bother me.
So how am I being so rude to you?

I hate to do this, you leave no choice, but I can’t help you
Gather the courage, go up to him, take him to the movies.
Then maybe you’ll kiss and fall in love, like how it’s supposed to be.
But you’re too scared to try and ask, so it’s hopeless at this point.

Can you help me love him for the rest of my life?
Say yes, say yes, ‘cause I need to know.
I say you’ll never get my help until the day I die.
So good luck, good friend, ‘cause the answer’s still no!

You say,

Why you gotta be so rude?
Don’t you know that you’re my friend too?
Why you gotta be so rude?
I need to ask him out anyway.

I say,

Ask out that boy, ask him out anyway
Ask out that boy, don’t ask me about it
Ask out that boy, and you’ll never bother me.
So how am I being so rude to you?

I just want to love him for the rest of my life.
So perhaps I’ll ask, ‘cause I need to know
I say you’ll always be my friend until the day we die
I wish you luck, best friend, ‘cause the answer is yes!

(369 words)

Part 3: SWC Fanfic

Countdown to Cabin Wars: 24 hours.

I gazed upon the board with dread. It really was that time of the session.

Cabin wars happened two times every session, during the second and fourth Saturdays of the month. It was an excellent time for people to add a ton of words to their word counts, and a great time for cabin bonding, regardless of the amount of words that need to be added.

The thing with cabin wars though, is that I hated to lose.

I knew the feeling all too well. For the past three sessions, my cabin had been at the bottom of the leaderboard. And Cabin Wars never helped at all. We lost more wars than we won them, and people were merciless with handing out wars

That will end today. I exited the main cabin amidst the excited chatter, and made my way through the tree aligned path. The path ended at a large cabin, with gears plastered on the walls and a clock at the top of the cabin. Instead of the usual clock hands and tick marks being there, they were replaced by the words “Clockwork Abbey: Steampunk Nov ‘23”. I smiled.

I walked up the steps and opened the metal door. Ah, the place was still a bit messy, but I was used to it by now. There were no bunks here, those were in the word counting cabins.

When I walked in, only Lily was there, looking at the announcements on the board. The only thing there was about the scavenger hunt.

“Hey Lily!” I tapped her shoulder. She jumped a little, then turned around.

“Hi Luka!” She smiled. “Sorry, I was just looking at the scavenger hunt hints. These are kinda hard to figure out.”

I laughed. “They were crafted by yours truly. Hey, where’s everyone else?”

“Willow took some people out to the lake,” Lily answered. “Red went to go catch up with Jas, and the others ran out of here after they solved a couple of hints.”

“Ah, I see.” I smiled. It was nice to see that my campers were finally bonding. It had taken a while, and a whole lot of moments spent in silence. But it paid off in the end.

“Hey, do you want to go to the Main Cabin with me?” I asked. “I kind of need help adding points. There’s a whole stack of dailies and word wars in the Main Cabin that need to be filed through, and I can’t do it alone.”

“Woah, really?” Lily’s eyes sparkled. “I’d love to!”

:::::

Countdown to Cabin Wars: 23 hours…?

An hour later, I was back at the main cabin. I added up multiple points on my laptop, and double-checked a lot of word counts. Lily had left half an hour ago to go for a swim at the lake, which was fine by me. After all, I wanted my campers to have fun, not sit around and do nothing.

I decided to read through a few of the dailies at random. I looked through the dailies of Wynter from Script, Chuey from Real-Fi, Squeak from Myth, Violet from Adventure, Koki from Folklore, Bella from Illu-fi, Kit from Fairy-Tales, and Nova from Lit-fi. Some were rushed, some were detailed, but all of them were amazing. Part of the reason why I loved being at SWC. I got to read some of the best stories ever, and possibly get some ideas for my own.

Suddenly, the Main Cabin door burst open, and a boy with bleached blonde hair came running up to me. He slammed his hands on the desk.

“Luka!” Finn sounded like he was out of breath. “Did you hear? Cabin Wars are starting soon!”

I sighed. Finn wasn’t exactly participating in SWC this session. He was more like a wanderer. If this was a sitcom, he’d play the role of comedic relief. He liked to go around and make the others laugh a lot. Either way, it was nice to have him around.

“…Yeah, it’s on the board.” I shook my head.

“Just wanted to make sure you knew,” Finn laughed. “Anyways, you ready for it?”

I shrugged. “I think so. Honestly, you never know until it actually starts. I’m just worried about being all burnt out.”

“I hear you,” Finn said. “But hey, I’m sure Steampunk will do just fine. And with you leading, you got this in the bag.”

“Thanks Finn,” I nodded.

Just then, another person made a grand entrance into the cabin. CJ stood there, holding two water guns in his hands. A shiver ran down my back. Finn smiled widely.

“You two!” CJ hollered. “There’s an emergency! Cabin Wars have already started!”

“What?!” I stood up. “But it starts tomorrow!”

“Change of plans Luka.” CJ tossed me a water gun, which I caught. It would have been a disaster if I hadn’t. “A bunch of mystery campers decided they wanted the wars to start now. So Sci-Fi decided to war them… and now there’s a great big mess. Don’t worry, your cabin is doing just fine, I checked in on them. Now, help me outside.”

CJ ran off before I could protest. I glared at Finn.

“…You knew, didn’t you?”

Finn smiled. “Maybe.”

(874 words)
—–
Total: 1708 words

writing comp entry 1: fanfiction
—
Her Red Wine, His Lost Cause
—

Lost.

That’s how she saw him. A lost boy, wandering through life with the same static expression. He wasn’t someone that stood out. Dark blue haired tied up in a short tight ponytail. Black narrow eyes and a pair of silver earrings. Yes, he didn’t stand out at all. Yet, she saw him. She noticed him, and she found it odd. They worked together sometimes, but there was no reason to pay any attention to his person at all. For some reason though, she found herself wondering about him all the time, and asking the same question: how can someone be so lost?

Himeno and Aki were co-workers, if you could even call it that. In the public safety division, co-workers weren’t really a thing, seeing how they would die almost every hour. The perks of hunting devils to Himeno. She had already gone through eight co-workers, and had forgotten the names of each of them. To her, they were all practically the same. Youngsters who thought they were ready, but fell short. How useless.

Aki was different.

As Himeno sipped her glass of red wine, she discreetly stared at Aki, sitting opposite of her. He was looking out the window, at the red, orange and yellow stained leaves fleeing from the lengths of bark and falling to the pavement. The sky was painted with a dark hue, and people wrapped in their coats walked about the sidewalk.

“It’s pretty,” Himeno murmured, louder so that Aki could hear. Aki turned his gaze back towards her with a clueless expression. “Ah, I’m talking about the trees you know. You may not know, but I’ve always been pretty amazed by how beautiful the fall season is.”

“Is that so,” Aki replied.

Himeno laughed to herself. “Sure is! That’s why I love this bar too. Feels so cozy during fall.”

Aki glanced outside. “I like the view. It makes me feel… cozy.”

“Woah, Aki actually likes something?” Himeno sat up. “That’s a first.”

“I like a lot of things.”

“Like what?”

Aki didn’t reply and fidgeted with his hands, like he hadn’t been expecting the question. Himeno took another drag at her wine and spoke.

“You don’t have to answer,” Himeno smiled. “I can understand if it’s hard to think of something-”

“I like the Public Safety Division. The people are nice.”

Himeno almost choked on her drink at first. Never, never, had she heard anyone say they liked risking their lives every second to hunt and capture the worst creatures on Earth.

“You’re surprised,” Aki pointed out.

“Oh, well I just wasn’t expecting you to say that,” Himeno sighed.

Aki lowered his gaze to the floor. “It’s true. I like working there. I have a purpose there. I haven’t had a purpose in a long time. But this place… makes me feel different.”

“I see.” Himeno said. She could see the lost boy.

“I don’t know how to put it into words,” Aki continued. “But, it’s better to have a purpose than to not have one, right? That’s why I like working in the Public Safety Division.”

Himeno contemplated those words. “Hey, can I ask you somethin’?”

“Yes?”

The girl leaned in, almost over the table. “You said that the Public Safety Division gave you a purpose, right? Well that’s sweet and all, but when you first joined, you still looked so lost. Sometimes, you still do. So then, when did things change?”

He looked over to the window once more. Aki gazed at the leaves, and as he did, Himeno swore she saw a faint smile overtake him. When she blinked, it was gone. Finally, Aki looked back at his co-worker.

He could now only faintly remember the cozy view from the bar. He couldn’t even recall the name. The only thing that was vivid was the glass with crimson wine Himeno had in her hand. He watched again as Himeno placed her plump lips on the rim of the glass. The wine followed her upwards motion, gliding up against her lips and disappearing into her mouth. As the wine slowly disappeared, Aki saw another vivid spot of red forming on Himeno’s suit.

The drink had now fully gone away, and the red spot fully covered HImeno’s chest area. The woman brought the glass away and set it down on the blurred table. Red oozed from the side of her mouth. She looked down, and began chuckling softly.

“Aki…” Himeno said. “Looks like I need to leave.”

Aki remained silent. However, the words echoed in his head. Don’t leave. I’m lost.

“You’re not lost,” Himeno answered abruptly. Did he say that out loud? “Things will change when I’m gone.”

“No. Don’t go.”

“Bye Hayakawa.”

The bar fell apart, wall by wall. The leaves broke in. They surrounded the two hunters. Shades of red, yellow, orange and purple spun around in random fashion. Aki could barely see his partner anymore. It was as if the leaves were attracted to her. Through it all, Aki could only see her smile.

“You’ll find change,” Himeno repeated. “I’m giving it to you.”

Colors flashed. The wind grew stronger, repeating Himeno’s words into Aki’s ears. He reached out, but his hand landed on nothing. The smile faded away.

She wasn’t there.

The bar wasn’t there either. Instead, he saw his apartment window. The daylight shone through and stopped on two people at the table, eating and making a mess again. It seemed like the dirty blonde was speaking to him.

“Aki!” Denji cried out. “Power isn’t eating her vegetables again! And she threw them at me!”

“Be quiet!” Power roared, baring her fangs at the man and swinging her pink hair to the side. “Power does not eat such revolting human food. You mere fools cannot force me to consume this!”

“If I have to eat them, then you do too!”

“What a foolish thought! I will never eat these things!”

Usually, Power would have never been able to get away with wasting her food. However, Aki wasn’t paying any mind to her. His eyes were still on the window, even while his two new co-workers were screaming at each other.

The leaves were falling again. It had been five years since he had been at the bar with Himeno. He had never given her an answer, because he hadn’t had one. He never did question it, but Aki had a feeling Himeno knew what needed to change all along. Now he did know the answer, but he could never tell her. He never would, so he whispered it under his breath.

“Change… I found it when you left.”

(1103 words)
—-

a/n: hi, thanks for reading this melancholic little chainsaw man fanfiction.
i wrote the first version of this for the fall symbolism daily on nov 3rd, and i was really proud of it, so i had a feeling it'd sumbit it for the writing comp. im not gonna spoil the symbolism here, that's up to you to figure out (hint: think of the death motif)
this is was actually my first time writing a piece in the form of a memoir i guess. trying to switch pov's an dthe scene was no doubt the hardest part.
also, huge shoutout to @essayist for critiquing it. it was soo helpful and insightful <33
idk what else to write here so ill just end it here :D

writing comp entry 2: non-fanction
—
until we know it's real
—
Allow me to take you somewhere. The year is 1992. There’s a lone highway, stretching far into the dark expanse, reaching for the stars. Along the way, green lights shine down from the rusty lamp posts perfectly lined up against the road. It’s not an ugly green, but it could be considered “soothing.” Perhaps that is what I will call it. The silence that was built up for so long is broken by a red Jeep, with an engine that should obviously be replaced, judging on the sound. There’s only one person inside, but their gender or age does not matter here. The window moves down, and smoke flies out, invading the air, forming clouds in the sky. A lone arm sticks out, a cigarette caught between the person’s fingers. There is no music in the car, the only sound being the terrible engine. The Jeep continues along the green-lighted highway.

The journey ends at a small building. The sign isn’t working, only the letters “M'' and “L” are flickering blue. The darkness has swallowed the rest of the letters. For the sake of the experience, I must stress that this is no ordinary motel. After all, would a motel right next to the eternal blackness of the night be considered ordinary? Therefore reader, I urge that you remember this, as our Jeep pulls up to a parking space in front of the entrance. It is the only car there.

The smoker makes their exit from the car, not bothering to lock it. It is easy to see that they are an adult, but can you tell if they are male or female now? Or maybe a different gender. Well, you will never know, and neither will I. The face is unimportant here. Nothing is important here.

Our person walks over to the trunk over their broken down Jeep. They open the trunk, and are met with a foul smell. Such is a normal occurrence, as a smoker’s car will always smell bad. But their nose has gone blind like their lungs have to the fumes, and they pull out a black backpack.

They set the back on the pavement and close the trunk. It is not heavy, in fact it looks empty. The smoker bends down and gets on their knees. The silence has gotten heavier ever since their arrival. A swift motion, and the bag is open. A look inside reveals darkness. The bottom could not be seen.

Their hand enters the bag, digging through it. If there was an audience, they would all be confused. But there is none. The universe isn’t watching. I am not the audience, as I do not care about this person. And you are not one either, because your presence is not needed for this moment. There is no audience.

Finally, the hand comes back, holding a bunch of pebbles. The person whispers to themself something we will never know. They clutch the rocks in their hand, and then with an upward motion, they toss them into the expanse. The pebbles are out of sight very quickly. As soon as the rocks had left the smoker's hand, they grab the backpack and head back inside the car. The pebbles have not fallen back down.

Window still rolled down, another puff of smoke exits the vehicle. The dark expanse begins to shrink, trembling, almost roaring. A light pokes through. Then another, and another, and another. Like balls of fire, they tear through the blackness.

As for you and me, we can only wonder what the smoker was thinking.

(595 words)
—-

a/n: hi me again.
i got this as an alterante daily, where i had to describe a scene based on a song. i chose “tales by moonlight” by tiwa savage and amaarae. this is honestely not my best work but i do at least want to sumbit something-
nothing lse to say for this one lmao <33

Writing comp entry: Fanfiction
———
i need not wake you again (oh grantors of dark disgrace)
———
“Oh grantors of dark disgrace.”

He took a hold of his gloves. Pieces of fabric that were the only barrier between him and a god. Both tossed onto the scorched ground below.

He was no stranger to monsters. He was a personal victim of the irreparable damage abilities wreaked all over the world. The tentacled monstrosity, the Guild members and their powers, the child he needed to save, none of it should have fazed him. None of it should have affected him.

Why? Why did Arahabaki clutch his soul now? An inhumane concept like him, shouldn’t have felt the fear he was trapped in.

“Since when have my plans failed?”

His bandaged failsafe hid behind the trees, waiting for the signal. His part of the plan would come later. One touch from Dazai would revert him back to normal. Such as they had always done as Soukoku, Double Black.

He felt the darkness take over again.

The pain, the sorrow and suffering he tried to conceal for so long erupted.

——

Nakahara Chuuya was a twenty-two year old Port Mafia executive. He was an ability user, a wielder for “For the Tainted Sorrow,” which allowed him to manipulate gravity to his will. He was the top martial artist in all of Yokohama and a skilled fighter. He’d fought countless battles, and was victorious in each one.

Except for one.

The war within himself. The battle between a mere seal, and a god of corruption.

Once a child, seven years old. That’s where the memories stopped, and delved into darkness. His parents' faces were a blur. Did he even have parents?

A young Chuuya, with locs of ginger hair and blue eyes. He was a child who had lived in a rural town, with a supposed family. He was “supposedly” normal. “Supposedly” had a normal childhood.

Maybe he even thought that his ability was normal. A kid that could manipulate gravity.

From there, his memories shifted into screams of agony and pain. Days, weeks, and years inside a glass compartment, tubes injecting in his arms. Teary gazes falling upon the smile of a madman with a white coat, while others around him murmured and scribbled notes.

The Port Mafia told Chuuya that the military kidnapped him for their research. They wanted to create the perfect entity, a weapon of mass destruction they could bend to their will. A seal to hold a mass of pure evil and corruption. Arahabaki.

Chuuya had no memories of those dreary days. He’d only seen it in encrypted files the Flags gave him. Albatross, Iceman, Pianoman, Doc, Lippmann, his friends and one of the first people in the Mafia he’d ever met.

(Their deaths hurt him the most. Fueled by his own brother, another entity. Paul Verlaine. The same man who set Chuuya free.)

From the day he was ‘set free’, Chuuya had always needed someone. He needed Shirase and Yuan when he needed somewhere to go. He needed the Port Mafia when those two stabbed him in the back, literally. He needed the Flags for friendship and belonging. He needed his comrades for protection.

All this had been ripped away from him because of who he really was. His true, inhumane nature.

Corruption. Arahabaki.

—–

“Ane-san, you called?”

Sixteen year-old Chuuya took off his hat and bowed. The doors behind him were closed, and the only light came from the windows reflecting the evening sunset.

He watched a woman neatly tend to her roses, which sat by the window. She cupped one of the flowers in her pale hands,

“Nature’s infamous beauty,” she hummed. “Beauty on the outside, yet sealed with deception.”

Ozaki Kouyou was a top executive of the Port Mafia. She was elegance defined, her red-white kimono and orange-red hair tying her complexion together. Being only twenty-years old, her achievements were marveled across the underground organization.

Chuuya was her protege, and he highly respected her. Not only was she skilled and powerful, but she was also wise. He saw her as a sister, which is why he called her ‘Ane-san.’

He remained in his humble position as Kouyou turned to him.

“I heard of your encounter with Verlaine. You used it, didn’t you?”

The boy tensed up. The King of Assassinations incident only occurred a week ago. Paul Verlaine came to Yokohama looking to kill everyone Chuuya cared about. It led to Chuuya having to activate Corruption multiple times. It led to the Flags being murdered.

Ultimately, it led to Chuuya learning about his past and meeting the clone he was born from.

“Yes, I did.”

“I see.” Kouyou nodded. “From what I know, Mori has Verlaine working for us now, training newcomers. The whole incident has been swept under the rug.”

“He sees Verlaine as an asset,” Chuuya murmured. “And… I didn’t want him killed. He’s the only other person in the world like me.”

They were both born of code. 2835 lines of code scientists fused together and implanted inside them to create an anomaly, a singularity.

Verlaine was created with a beast as well. Guivre, the monster that nearly consumed the city had it not been for Arahabaki being released.

Kouyou gazed at the boy. “I was told that you refused to meet your birth parents as well.”

“They’re not my parents. Their real child died.”

The clone dissolved in the arms of its creation.

“Chuuya, do you know what a rose is?”

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s a flower, Ane-san.”

Kouyou smiled, picking up one of those roses and smelling its sweet fragrance. “Indeed. However, it’s a symbol. Some will call it a symbol of love.”

She then put the rose down, and held up her finger. Chuuya realized that it was dripping red with blood.

“I see it as a symbol of pain and suffering. Do you know why?”

Chuuya looked at the roses. “Because of its thorns. They pricked you.”

“Correct,” Kouyou said, gesturing to the roses. “Roses are symbols of love. Their vibrant color attracts nature, giving off the feeling of peace and affection. Yet, when they’re touched, they cause harm. A rose will love Chuuya, but it will never feel love from others.”

She approached Chuuya with grace in her movements. She moved away from the light and met Chuuya in the darkness. Then, she proceeded to retrieve something from her pocket.

“Give me your hands, lad.”

He did as he was told and extended both his hands. Kouyou unfolded the fabric in her hands and slipped two black gloves onto his hands. Chuuya looked at them in silenced fascination.

“Cover your thorns, Chuuya. Use them not for chaos, harm, or protection, but for something, or someone, worthwhile.”

She let his hands leave her grasp. “Beauty on the outside, yet sealed with deception.”

————-

No. No, I don’t understand.

“Isn’t this a mission I can take care of on my own?” Chuuya said, clenching his fists for stability.

Ougai Mori shook his head. “If it was, I would have sent you alone. However, for Q and the Guild members to be neutralized, Dazai-kun will need to assist.”

Osamu Dazai left the Port Mafia on his eighteenth birthday, with a bomb placed under his car as a gift. The former part of Double Black, or Soukoku. He had defecated to a new organization, the Armed Detective Agency.

For the Port Mafia boss to resort to using a traitor to the mafia, the situation had to be dire. Even if that meant pairing two enemies back together.

“Q’s ability is being used by the Guild to control the city,” Mori continued. “Therefore, our efforts should be geared towards saving him first. And to do that, we have to come to a ceasefire with the Armed Detective Agency. You and Dazai are the only ones who can take on this mission.”

Chuuya knew that part well. Dazai was the only person who could nullify abilities, so he was the ideal candidate for the job. Along with Chuuya’s fighting skills, they could easily take down the enemy. With one thing.

Which is what Chuuya was worried about.

“Boss, is there another reason why I’m working with Dazai?”

“I don’t see another one.”

Chuuya lowered his gaze. “I see then.”

He turned around and walked away, passing by Mori’s daughter, Elise on his way out. The eight year old girl was happily scribbling away on the floor a red crayon.

She tugged on Chuuya’s pants. “Chuuya-san! Look at what I made!”

The man bent down and stared at the rose Elise had colored.

“It looks good, Elise-chan. Like the real thing.”
——

“I need not wake you again.”

Instantly, it consumed. He felt himself being split in two, the seal being ripped apart. A monster unleashed upon his enemy.

It would keep on going until he breathed his last. Or until Dazai finally grasped him and pulled him from the nightmare.

He was losing himself, losing the one thread of humanity he had managed to hold onto for so long.

The last thing he saw was Dazai’s uncertain gaze as he blacked out.

—–

“You are not human. You are nothing more than a string of characters. You are a simple equation without a soul. That is what true loneliness is. No one can save you from your isolated chamber.”

Isolated.
Isolated.
Isolated.

No longer human. Never human.

Chuuya tried to grab onto something, anything. He couldn’t see himself, nor anything in front of him. It was only the voices.

Verlaine’s voice echoed again: “You are not human. You are nothing more than a string of characters.”

2385 lines of code.

I’m human. I’m human I’m human I’m human!

(What is humanity? He'd asked himself this many times)

“Live how you want to live! Destroy what you want to destroy! Because there's only one thing we needed to do, and that was to not be born!"

Verlaine spoke again. His voice resonated, until it became distorted and shifted into the sound of another.

“I was in charge of Project Arahabaki, and N was the nickname the military gave me. N being the first initial of Nakahara. In other words, I'm your father.”

The researcher. The man who used him. 2385 lines of code.

“A rose will love Chuuya, but it will never feel love from others.”

Love. Hurt. Pain.

Please stay. Love me. Don’t leave.

A rural town. A family of three. A boy and his parents.

A clone. A clone missing the scar he had.

Not human.

Human.
.
.
.
.
——

“That’s enough.”

One touch, and Arahabaki was sealed again. Chuuya felt his senses coming back to him. The voices were gone. Before him lay a path of decimated forest. The tentacled monster no longer a threat, and the Guild members out of sight. Q lay on the ground, unconscious but safe.

“Dazai…” Chuuya breathed, hazy eyes falling on the bruised face of his partner.

“Shh, don’t overdo it,” Dazai said. “You used it for a long time.”

Chuuya exhaled and slumped against Dazai’s chest, his legs finally failing him. Dazai took hold of him and carried him bridal style off the pile of rubble where he stood.

“Sometimes, I wonder why I even do this for you,” Dazai said with a hint of laughter. “You’re hopeless without me.”

“I’m the one… that took care of them… idiot…”

Dazai gently laid Chuuya next to Q. From his pocket, he took out a pair of black gloves and placed them onto Chuuya’s hands.

“Hey mackerel…” Chuuya murmured.

“Hm?”

“I get it now. Use it for someone worthwhile… Worth everything… everything…”

He gazed at the night sky. “I was the real one… I'm… human…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence, as his world went dark once again. Dazai simply smiled and stroked the ginger’s hair.

“I know. Sweet dreams, Chuuya.”

1960 words

——-

a/n: ahhh i thought i wouldnt have time to get something in for the writing comp but here we are B)

so chuuya from bungou stray dogs is one of my favorite characters, and he's a pretty complex character, so i wanted to do a little anaylsis of his character through this piece ^^

if you don't know, bsd (bungou stray dogs) is an anime where the characters are based off of real-life authors. so all the characters mentioned here are irl Japanese(French for Paul Verlaine) authors and poets, and their abilities are named after their literary works. chuuya's is “for the tainted sorrow”, and dazai's is “no longer human.”

the chant chuuya says to activate corruption is a line from one of his irl poems. anywayy, the series is super interesting and you should totally check it out.

well, thanks for reading!

july 1st 2024(daily)

You look around. No one's nearby, and yet there's a black notebook buried underneath a pile of weeds and dirt. You pick it up and dust it off, coughing as you forget to close your mouth.

There's no name. The cover is pretty worn but not too vintage either. It's one of those unnecessarily expensive notebooks you'd probably find in the stationary section at a bookstore.

You open it up to the first page to see if the owner wrote their name, but it's not there. Instead, there's a bunch of stickers. Hearts, diamonds, smiley faces and also stickers of characters you've never seen before, all of them arranged like a collage.

Clearly, this person didn't bother to realize the possibility that they'd lose their notebook. You think of asking around, but with the amount of people in SWC, that would take ages.

So you decide that there might be a clue hidden deeper in the journal. You find the nearest bench (that really needs to be replaced. It's practically like the leaning tower of Piza now) and you start flipping pages, full of doodles and unfinished stories, until you finally get to a page that catches your eye.

AHHHHHHHHH

Yeah. That's the first sentence, scribbled at the top.

I can't believe SWC started! Finally, ugh, I hate waiting for so long.

Relatable.

So anyway, today's daily is obviously just introducing ourselves. So I wrote a short one and posted it on the bulletin board like we're supposed to. But then I saw a group of people huddled together at one of the tables, and they were waiting WAY more than a short intro. So I asked them and they said they were doing the 1k intro challenge.

You begin to wonder if you were one of the people at that table, since you wrote your 1k intro earlier. But, you can't remember anyone coming up to your table and asking about it.

So I've decided to attempt it for once. Even though I've been in 9 sessions, I've never bothered to try writing 1k words all about myself. But thinking about it now, it's probably similar to writing leader app answers, so why not try this out? Plus, I did say I'd do every daily challenge.

That's it for that page. You flip over to the next one, and it has a LOT of words. You flip a bit further ahead, and the intro still goes on. You wonder just how long this person talks for in real life.

You start reading again.

So, how do I start this?

Okay.

My name is Luka, I use she/her pronouns and I live in the very superior MST time zone! I'm leading Script(the best cabin) this session, and speaking of sessions, this is my 9th one, and it's been three years since I first joined SWC. Fun fact, I used to think that I’ve been in 8 sessions, but apparently I miscounted whoops

Since we're on the topic of SWC, I think it's only fair I include my resume, and by resume I just mean the list of things I've done in SWC until now:

Starting with July 2021, my first session was, well, I don't really remember it because I was kind of inactive, but I signed up for SWC because I was getting into writing, and it popped up on my “Projects loved by Scratchers I’m Following” section.

I was pretty new on Scratch still, so I didn’t know too many people, but I did want to try doing a scratch camp, and I’d already tried doing SAC as well (was in Graphic for anyone wondering), so I signed up for SWC

I was sorted into Fan-fi which was led by Gigi (@ Imacreamoo) @ amyfarthing- and @ solarsea (cant remember nicknames), and I think I was kind of inactive but I did enjoy that session nonetheless.

My second session was in November 2021! Fun fact, I tried going for leader for this session, which resulted in my first and worst and my unaccepeted leader app, but I did love the theme of it (a detective mystery). Unironically, I also ended up being in Mystery that session, with my leaders being Gigi again, Fi ( @ Firetender) and Minty (@ -DancerRJV-). I LOVED THAT SESSION and it was the first session where I actually got to know people and actually get into writing <3

Third session, March 2022 was with Mystery (again) but as a co-leader this time! I co-lead with Vi (@ -JadeFox-) and Birdi (@ Bellevue91)! It was a super fun and immersive experience being on the leadership team for the first time. And I think this was the first time that I “placed” in the writing comp (honorable mention). Sadly, I had to be inactive for the last week or so due to irl, but I still loved this session nonetheless

July 2022, session number four, was my first time leading. I definitely didn’t expect to be accepted, but I was, and I got to lead Dystopian! I led with Star ( @Starrial), Fi and Gen ( @ 2GS6). Like I mentioned, it was my first time leading a whole cabin, and it was pretty confusing overall, but I did enjoy it (even though we got last whoops-). I was also in the MBC!

After that, real life got in the way of Scratch, and I left for a while (3 months). I missed November 2023, so that brings us to March 2023! I came back, remembering SWC, so I decided to sign up as a camper, and I was in Bi-Fi with @ gooseful, Veni (@ -vanillamochabear-) and @ cocomelon45. Was pretty inactive this session expect for doing some dailies, a weekly and some cabin wars

I signed up again in July 2023, and I was in Illu-Fi. At this point I hadn’t actively been in SWC for a while, so a lot of stuff was new to me. Anyway, my leaders were @ xc-egg and Fi. There’s literally no time during this session I was active, except near the end, where I actually got back into the community a bit. Thanks to that week, I decided to keep doing SWC, and actually start being active!

This brings us to November 2023, the BEST session ever, and by ever, I mean EVER. I got to lead Steampunk with Willow (@ cceaneyes) and Red ( @later-gators), and literally every aspect of this session was amazing! We got third along with Mystery and Fantasy (Mystesypunk <3), and I also placed twice in the writing comp and got to know a lot of people! That session was the most memorable session of my life <3

In March 2024 I led the first ever Utopian cabin (TCTWNW) with Mabel (@ cinnamncnx) and September (@ SemptemberSong)! I was so happy Utopian ended up in the cabin lineup that session because when I tell you I advocated for it, I ADVOCATED for it. Anyway, it was really fun session (Gurtle!!!) but thank to real life, again, I couldn’t be active for a lot of it, which sucked </3

And then we arrive at this session, July 2024! This session I get to lead Script with Yume (@ yumetopia), Blau (@ BlauHourglass) and Maia (@ wolfiebear-). Cabin planning has already been super fun so far, and I’m sure this session will be the best one yet

Ok, now we move on to the non-SWC stuff (sorry I yap for WAY too long).

I’m a girl that’s been subjected to summer school just to get spares in Grade 11 </3 I did full AP this year and I’m doing it again this year, which I have no idea why I’m just bringing myself more torture. At school I’m a pretty talkative person around friends and strangers. But I talk nice with friends, and whenever people snap at me, I dont hesitate to snap back, which is why most people know me for my rudeness. But my goal is to be nicer to people next year (yes, even those boys. ugh.) Anyway, my favorite subjects in school is English (duhhh) and Sports Medicine. Next year I’ll be a trainer, meaning if anyone gets injured while playing sports, they come to me first if they need an ankle taped or stuff like that. I even get paid!


You probably already guessed this from me liking J-pop, but I also like watching anime I don’t really watch the most popular ones like Naruto, One Piece and Dragon Ball, etc. The ones I enjoy are Bungou Stray Dogs, Chainsaw Man, Jujutsu Kaisen and Blue Lock (i feel like im forgetting one…). The most recent one I watched and read was Blue Lock, which is a soccer anime, and if you know sports anime, they are FRUITY /hj


One of my hobbies is art. I’ve been drawing ever since I joined Scratch (the whole reason I joined in the place was to upload art). Anyway, in 2021, my art wasn’t really the best out there. Okay, it was kind of atrocious, but very, very, very slowly, I’ve been improving (after gingin up like ten time haha) And this month, I’m doing my very first artfight(Team Stardust ftw ;D)


So-

You’re about to keep reading, when the notebook is snatched away from you by a girl with tan skin, blonde hair with pink highlights, a white shirt and pink jean shorts. She eyes you suspiciously.

“You were really interested in my journal, weren’t you? I’ve called your name ten times already.”

“Ah, uh, sorry,” you immediately apologize. Honestly, you should’ve stopped reading as soon as you saw the name, but you and the nosey voice in your head just couldn’t stop. “I was only reading the daily, I promise-”

“Haha, no problem!” The girl, name Luka, laughs. “Thanks for finding my journal. Now I gotta run and go count all this for words. See ya!”

She sprints off, tripping on a stray root on the way. She gets up, dusts herself off and keeps going like nothing happened and like you weren’t there at all.

(2002 words)

july 2nd 2024 (daily)

Dear future self,

Aka the future me in like thirty ish days. If I had to guess what you're doing right now, you're either rushing to submit your writing comp entry after you even got an extension, or you’re listening to music while playing Mafia or Clocktower. You might even be doing a last minute attack on someone for Artfight. Whatever it is you're doing, I hope life's been great for you so far <3

Tomorrow I have summer school, and I'm not exactly sure if I'll do well since Social is literally my weak point when it comes to school. Thankfully my friend is in my class + some people I don't really want in my class, but I hope things work out. Let me know if we end up having to take an exam because I REALLY don’t want to take an exam.

I also hope I get to spend a lot of time with friends and family, and that my summer isn’t boring and is full of fun things to do.

For SWC, I hope I get to complete all dailies and all weeklies this session, and that Script gets 1st (we obviously will ;P). I also hope that I meet lots of amazing people, that the podcast episodes go well, and I also get to meet a lot of new people this session and I’m able to be active

Anyway, I’m in class right now (online so I’m not really paying attention oops-), so I’ll stop here. I hope when I see this letter in the future, that July will have been an amazing month!

Sincerely,

Your past self

(273 words)

July 3rd(Weekly) - Passage of Time

Part 1: Scene

Imagine a small town. A beautiful small town. A beachside town that sits by the sparkling light blue ocean, covered by the shadows of fishing boats reeling in their nets full of crab, soon to be served in cozy seafood restaurants. The closest part of the ocean, the reef, is full of boats. Fishing is the life of many in this town, the heart and soul. However, as for those who didn’t have fishing skills in their blood, they spent their time on the sandy grounds and pebble crossroads, using them to navigate to the workplace(not a big city building, but small shacks and sometimes, even staying at home.) The small school was for all grades and for the rather small population of kids that lived in the town. In the afternoon, when the teachers would finally let them out, the kids would throw their school supplies down and begin running to the beach, some of them barefoot. In their bags were swimwear, the little boys carried soccer balls, the little girl brought pails for building sandcastles, the teen boys raced for their surfboards, and the teen girls had already reserved spots to sun tan. The adults watched the children running to beahc from their patios and balconies, and the parents reminders that they needed to be home in time for dinner fell on deaf ears.

(227 words)

Scene 2 (@ cinammcnx ) Rewrite

A decade in a foreign country does a lot on a person. You finished your studies, met someone amazing, fell in love, and got married. So the minute you step out of the taxi, the cold breeze slamming against your face brings you back to an era of nostalgia you’ve never felt before. The town square was still beautiful, and you can see the lights of red, green, blue and white outilining the roofs and patios of different home. A tree now stands in the middle of the square, with various people adorning it with earrings of ornaments, necklaces of lights, and a beautiful golden star as the cherry on top. Speaking of cherry, you can smell cherry pie every way you turn, mixed in with apple and blueberry. You watch a group of children and teens have a little snowball fight, as others build a snow family. Many of the children have grown up, some now adults, yet no youthful spirit has faded away. And on a hill nearby, although having dwindled in size this year, rackety wooden sleds still enjoy its company.

No matter how many years pass, the holiday spirit will never fade.

(196 words)

Part 1 Total: 423
——-
Part 2: Dual Timelines

“Hey, is now a good time to tell you that I’m claustrophobic?”

“What-?!”

“Just kidding! But hey, did you know that the bottom of the elevator eventually falls away, and that we’ll fall to our deaths soon? Yay!”

“No! Not yay! Shut up!”

Or in other words, how Dazai and Chuuya ended up stuck in an elevator together.

—

“Kunikida~”

“Do not touch me.”

Dazai grumbled, kicking at pebbles on the sidewalk. “This is boring~ Isn’t there anyone else that can do this assignment besides me?”

“Ranpo’s on a case in Kyoto,” Kunikida started to say, not even daring to look at the bandaged menace. “Yosano’s caring for a patient, Tanizaki and Kenji are receiving files from an important lawmaker, Kyouka is too inexperienced for this assignment, Atsushi is filing information back at the office. and we need your ability to nulfilly the target.”

“But-”

Kunikida glared at him.“Dazai, don’t even try anything today. We go there, I interrogate, you nullify the target’s ability. Done and done in fifteen mintues.”

“Jeez, you’re such a stickler for timing,” Dazai complained, stretching his arms.

That’s when they passed the movie theater, one of the less busier ones in Yokohama. The showings list was pretty small for a Saturday evening, making it pretty boring.

And the perfect place to sneak away.

“Hey Kunikida, wanna hear a fun fact?” Dazai said, looking over Kunikida’s shoulder. “Did you know that watching a movie can help improve your eye performance, memory, and overall health. Especially in movie theaters, especially since the dim lights make you focus on sucha big screen!”

“Really?” Kunikida furrowed his eyebrows and began writing in his journal. “Movies… eye performance… health…”

As he did so, Dazai laughed to himself and snuck away. It wasn’t until he was inside that he heard the very loud snapping of a pen and a scream.

“Dazai, you little-!”

“And that’s my cue to run,” Dazai said to himself. He quickly spotted an elevator and ran up to it, pressing the “Up” button in the process. Behind him, he can hear Kunikida kicking the door down.

“Dazai!”

“Bye Kunikida!”

Dazai whistled as the elevator doors opened in front of him. Only to make his day worse. Fate decided to gift him a short ginger male with an ugly hat, a jacket he wasn’t even wearing probably, and the ugliest face in world.

That ugly face gasped. “Dazai?!”

“Yuck, it’s Chuuya!” Dazai took a step back, but then in the corner of his eyes, he could see a bright green light, which can only be one thing: his co-worker using his ability, Doppo Poet. The glowing, torn out journal page began to take shape in Kunikida’s hand.

Dazai only had one choice at this point. “Make way Chuuya!”

“Hey, take another elevator-!”

The bandaged menace pushed the ginger inside, getting in as well and slamming his hand on a button. The doors began to close, just as Kunikida points a stun weapon at the elevator and fires. The stun isn’t aimed directly at the people inside, but at the panel of buttons by it’s side.

In the next moment, electricity flared up, the doors closed, and the elevator rose a bit before it shook violently, making Dazai fall right on top of the most digusting guy in the world

(493 words)

—

The theater lights flash on, as the small audience cheered, watching the lines of credit slide down the black screen.

The lights revealed a crying Port Mafia executive sitting at the very back, tears rolling down his cheeks.

How could they do that to the poor dog? Chuuya cried. And the boy… he looked so sad. If I was in that movie, his dad would be dead a thousand times over by now.

“Mama, why is that short man crying?”

A little girl looked at Chuuya with a snarky smile on her face. Her mother grabbed her by the hand and led her away, not even bothering to witness such a weird even.

“Hey, I’m not short!” Chuuya yelled, but then quickly regained his composure. He didn’t need someone recognizing him and calling the police. Then he’d have to use his ability. And that would just be ugly.

He sighed and left the theater, still reminiscing about the movie. He continued to do so when he entered the elevator and pressed the main floor button.

“If my job wasn’t so dangerous, I’d definitely get a dog,” Chuuya said to himself, nodding slowly.

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened to the worst sight in human history.

A bandaged freak with the ugliest beige jacket he’d ever seen, crusty brown hair and a horrendous face.

“Dazai?!” Chuuya’s eye visibly twitched.

“Yuck, it’s Chuuya!”

Chuuya can’t even begin to process it. However, he also sees another Armed Detective Agency member surround by a bright green light. An ability. Chuuya definetly didn’t need this to happen today of all days. But he definitely wouldn’t mind finally beating Dazai to a pulp.

Fate had other plans. “Make way Chuuya!”

“Hey, take another elevator-!” Chuuya snapped, but he couldn’t stop Dazai from barging in and closing the doors. That doesn’t stop Kunikida from pointing a stun weapon in their direction and firing it. Chuuya nearly activated his ability until he realised the shot wasn’t coming for him. It was headed right for the control panel.

It was then that the doors shut close, and the elevator started to rise, until it shook violently, and the world’s most hideous man came crashing down right onto poor Chuuya.

(373 words)

Part 2 Total: 866 words

—-

Part 3: Pacing

Prompt 1: Someone drowning - Fast paced
Prompt 2: Camp activity - Slow paced
Prompt 3: Rainy weather- Fast paced
(this wheel did me DIRTY)

No, no no no no no no.

I was frozen.

“A little help here?!” Myra yells. Lexi held onto the floatie with all the life left inside her. Her small little legs flailing underwater, her mouth taking in more water than air. The rain violently poured down on everyone. Thunder erupted.

“I can’t swim! Do you really want two of us drowning right now?!” Chris yells all the way back on the dock. The campers with him are trembling and screaming as they continue to watch the terrifying events unfold out on the lake.

Myra was the most experienced conselour at Camp Lakewood, but even she looked lost. Lexi’s grip on floatie was slipping, her screams and gags coming with her. Myra’s toss many have elevated her chances, but the conselour’s canoe had three young campers on it, all of them, despite wearing lifejackets, unable to swim. And Myra’s canoe was already taking on water, and there was no way she could paddle or swim to Lexi in time.

I was only a CIT in training, and I was the closest to Lexi. But Lexi was already starting to go under, and I could barely see her chestnut hair in the downpour.

Why couldn’t I move? I had no one in my canoe. I could save her.

“Myra, take the campers back ashore! I’m going after her!”

“Justine, wait-!”

With all the noise around me, I ignore it, and I dive in.

–

It started with a little activity. Myra and Chris took the Chimpunk cabin down to the beach, and I, being a CIT, wanted to follow after them. I wanted to see what it was like to lead an activity.

The rowdy group of eight year olds scramble to the shed, grabbing lifejackets before us counselors can even give instructions.

“Okay, settle down,” Chris says, raising his voice a little. “Archie, you’re putting your lifejacket on wrong. Cici, no hitting anyone! Jannae, get back here!”

Myra laughs a bit. “Alright, listen up Chipmunks. We’ve already gone over safety rules, so I trust that you’ll follow them. Do not go past the floating dock, okay? And make sure we can see you at all times.”

“Yes Myra!”

As Chris hauls out the canoes, Lexi tugs on my sleeve.

“Can I be in your canoe, Justine?”

“Sure,” I smile, ruffling my sister’s hair.

—

Thirty minutes later is when I felt the first few droplets of rain. Chris had already brought his group back to the dock as a punishment for not listening to him, so it was just me and Myra out on the waters, along with the rest of the Chipmunks.

I call out to Myra. “Myra, should we head back?”
“I suppose so,” Myra says back. She looks up at the sky. “It’s weird though. The forecast didn’t call for rain.”

I turn to Lexi, as the rain started to pick up. “Okay, let’s head back.”

But Lexi wasn’t there.

“Lexi? Lexi?!”

“Justine, over here!”

I whip my head around to see Lexi waving at me. She was swimming around the lake, and she held up a bracelet. “Look what I found!”

The rain pours down even more. “Lexi, get back here now! You’re past the dock!”

Lexi pouts a bit, but starts to swim back, when suddenly, she stops. Confused, I look closer until I realize that her lifejacket’s caught in one of the stray branches poking up from the surface of the lake.

And that lifejacket comes right off. Thunder erupts.

(584 words)

—

Part 4: Putting it together

Elements used: Passage of Time, Dual storylines





Hi, this is Itoshi Rin, and by the time you read this, I’ll be dead.

Sorry, that was a corny intro. I’m not sure how to do this kind of stuff. All my other notes are all over the place.

Hiori said he uses his notes app to vent about his parents. He says they’re pricks, and never care about him. I told him that he should cut them off, but he still can’t find the courage to cut them off.

My parents are ok. They visit. Sometimes I like them, sometimes I don’t like them.

I think I’m going off topic.

I’m writing this because I’m going to die in 48 hours. That’s 2 days for those of who don’t know math.

You might be thinking a lot of things. I mean, I wouldn’t know for sure. You could be anybody. You could be the random detective looking through my phone for evidence. You could be the media, the paparazzi or the lawyers. You could by my friends, crying about me. You could be Isagi or Hiori. You could be Itoshi Sae.

It wouldn’t be actually. He doesn’t care.

And if it’s Shidou Ryuusei reading this, put the phone down now you.

Anyway, you’ll probably be wondering: how could such a talented footbal prodigy die so young? And after winning the U-20 World Cup too? What a tragedy!

Shut up. No one’s laughing. I’m not.

You’re even cornier than me. A disgrace.

Yet somehow, I’m the one that couldn’t handle my disgrace.

And I died.

RIP.

This is selfish of me. I’m meeting up with people tommorow. I’m buying groceries because Isagi went last time. I’m doing an interview with a local news channel. And I’m hiding everything

I’m selfish.

I want to tell Hiori, but that would be even more selfish. Why? Because then I’ll make myself a burden to him, and he’ll worry about me and never leave me alone. I’ll depend on him. I’ll be an attention seeker, a shameless one, and I’ll be addicted to his pity.

That’s real selfishness.

On the day, I’ve decided I’m going to kiss Isagi one last time before heading uptairs. So if I have to remember one sensation, it will be that. Real love. Not the fake type from fake fans and fake cameras and fake media, smothering me with obsession while lathering in the fake money made by fake stories sold on fake tabloids. Real love.

I won’t call my brother. Sae hasn’t called in months. He said I shouldn’t use him as my excuse for living anymore, so I won’t. I’m done clinging onto him. Maybe after today, he’ll finally be free from me. Have a good reason to spend every second with Shidou now that his deadbeat brother is six feet deep in the grave.

I don’t care anymore. I can’t care anymore.

I just have one request. That they bury me next to the ocean. So my ghost can float away into the sunset. It’s so calm out there.

So calm and peaceful.

Sincerely,

Itoshi Rin.

—





Hi notes app. This is Hiori Yo

I’ve never used my notes app before, ‘cause I’ve never been able to understand why people talk to themselves on their phones. By writing. But Karasu said it would help my process my thoughts. And I have a lot of thoughts.

So.

Rin’s dead.

I got a call from Bachira today. It was Isagi that found him. He hadn’t come out of the bathroom and the door was locked. Isagi picked the lock, and there he was, on the floor.

They rushed him to hospital but it was too late. He was gone. They said that it was an accident, he was faint, hit his jaw against the counter on his way down, and banged his head too. He had bled out a while ago.

I drove down to Sae’s house. I didn’t believe it. I really didn’t. When I got there, I was forced to.

Everyone was there. Isagi was crying into Bachira’s shoulder, and others were comforting him. I tried helping him too. When he saw me, he ran up to me and asked for forgiveness. For not saving my best friend.

I wanted to cry but I couldn’t. He shouldn’t be apologizing. He loved Rin. He would’ve done anything for him.

Sae, Rin’s brother, and Shidou were talking to some other people. I couldn’t get a good look at Sae, but I could see his eyes a bit. They were red and restless, and, lifeless. Shidou kept stroking his hair calmly. I’ve never seen them both look so cold.

For the next hour, all I could do was sit down and just listen to all those melancholic words. “He’s in a better place.” “Everyone’s time comes at some point.”

But that was wrong. Rin chose his time. He knew.

And that makes me hate him so much.

He left his boyfriend, Isagi, all alone. He left his brother. He left his parents. He selfishly left me. Just for some “better life” that we don’t even know exists.

He didn’t even tell me anything. The day it happened, I called him about whether he wanted to come over and hang out. He said he would. He masked the pain so well. And I wonder, if maybe it was actually was there, and my mind just refused to hear it.

(912 words)

—

TOTAL: 2785 words

july 3rd 2024 - daily

“Once upon a time there was a land, a land that could only be found by imagination. And this land is unlike any other land, for this land depends on the mind of the person who reads this book. Their mind is connected to this land, and anything that they imagine this land to be will appear.”

I scoff. That’s all the book said. The rest of its crisp pages were just blank. I fume and swore that tomorrow, I would go back to the market and return this piece of garbage.

What a waste of time. Usually I like to read a book before going to bed, and today I though I’d found a unique one. The shope owner somehow convinced me to take it from their hands, and somehow I did without even realizing that there was no title, no author, and without even looking inside. Looking back, I wonder how I even ended up buying this book in the first place. And why such a book even made it out of the printing press.

I throw the book onto my study, blow out a lone candle , and pull the covers over my head. The window was open, and a slight breeze was the last sensation I felt before sleep overtook me.

—

The people of the wind were peculiar and smart creatures, humans with feathered wings of varying colors and lengths. The ones with the most majestic pairs were considered to have been granted with blessings of Wind Goddess, Vindura.

The crystal castle, surrounded by sparkling diamond towers and flying ships made of the finest jewels, stood atop of fluffy clouds. A statue of Vindura stood in the city square, with offerings of vases, instruments and feathers strewn around her. The people happily made their way through the kingdom, jesting with their sisters and brothers. The city majestically reigned over the land below for ten years.

“That’s it?!” I yelled, then clamping my hand over my mouth to make sure my mom hadn’t heard me and didn’t think I was still awake. My eyes were blown wide.

I knew that shop owner was sketchy. I should have realized it when owner told me one person had already bought the book ten years ago and apparently returned it the next day.

Weird enough, the person who returned it was also the author, Sky Tempest. Maybe they just got tired of reading their own work. Of a hundred and four words.

“Cyrus, why are you still awake?!”

“No I’m not!” I yell back before racing to get in bed. I didn’t need to worry about the lights, these days they never worked properly.

The last thing I thought about was my mother’s fiery temper.

–

The last few wisps of clouds had transformed into black ash raining down from the heavens, casting shadows over molten rocks lined by bright rivers of lava.

The new people, half-humans half-dragons with their fiery gazes, were the last winged creatures around. They created their destiny with their own hands, attacking the City of Wind, burning down its people and melting their crystalline castles and ships.

On the land, the people of fire had been evolving right underneath the people of wind for ten years. And they had built their kingdom from destruction, the castle stood tall, surrounded by a moat of lava. The city was surrounded by a jagged stone wall, made of the fears of the Lords, that another nation would arise and overtake theirs.

Therefore the people were subjected to harsh labor and unjust treatment, most of the time resulting in death and exile. And as the numbers dwindled, their defenses crumbled. The Lords, blinded by their own pride and fury, couldn’t see the Reaper right in front of them.

After a decade of pride, The Empire of Fire was not invaded, but destroyed with the very hands that built it.

I sigh, flipping through the pages. There was nothing else written in here, great. So I brought the most useless book ever. That bookstore owner was definitely a cheapskate, a scammer.

Cyrus Apollo, the guy who decided NOT to finish the book ten years ago. I wonder if this guy knows what a disappointment he is.

I put the book aside. My husband is already asleep next to me, and the kids have probably already gone too bed. Sometimes I wished I could go out and work instead of staying at home like a dog. But everyone knew women couldn’t work, no matter how hard those protesting, rebellious women tried.

Turning off the nightlight, I briefly remember how tomorrow would be the first day of spring.

–

Not long after the Empire fell, the blackened soil began to heal, and soon the lava hardened. And from the cracks of the ground, a small green sprout emerged from the ground. Then another. And another. And the sprouts turned into blades of grass, and the grass flowered into plants of different colors, shapes and sizes. Certain plants learned to adapt, and other wanted to be taller. Trees.

And their growth was swiftly aided by the Earth elves, born of the ashes of the dragons. The Earth elves, pacifists if you will, were deeply rooted in the earth, connected to it. They shared sensation with the plants. When the plants cried, they cried. When the plants rejoiced, they rejoiced.

With the blessing of Mother Nature, the elves built small huts and farmed the land, taking care of it. In return, Mother Nature gave them herbal medicine to take care of the young, old, sick and vulnerable.

Earth Village had no castle, and no royalty, only a chief that represented the people fairly, and spoke on behalf of them to Mother Nature. To the elves, Mother Nature was their leader.

The people thrived. Sadly, the pacifist nature of the elves only lasted ten years, and it ended with the first few drops of rain.

“Buddy, are you getting on this bus or not? I don’t have all day.”

“Right, sorry ‘bout that,” I step onto the bus urgently, dropping some coins in the basket for the fare. The driver eyes me, and points to the basket again. I sigh and drop some more coins. It’s after that that the driver finally smiles and gestures me to sit down.

The ride home isn’t too long, but nevertheless, after a long day of classes, I’m dead tired. And all this book did was make my exhaustion worse.

I take a look at the author. Rosemary May Ellen. If the date’s matched up, that would mean a woman wrote this ten years ago. But there was no way a way a woman could publish back then, could she? Although, the movement did sow changes, finally. Although it didn’t really affect me.

Rain begins to pour down, and I silently rejoice that I caught the bus in time. That’s when my eyes start drooping, and soon enough, I’m fast asleep.

—

The rains continued for a hundred days and a hundred nights, swiftly ending the age of Earth. The land was now covered with ruthless waters.

Yet those ruthless waters gave life to another species. People with the tails of fishes, with scales of blue, purple, green, white and black. The merpeople, made of mermaids and mermen.

A beautiful kingdom built underneath the crashing waves below, where the people swam with the ocean creatures. The King and Queen overseeing their nation.

The merpeople lived in harmony with the water, the animals, and each other, for ten long years.

“Aww, that’s it,” I mumble to myself. There’d been a ten year period of each element. Wind, Fire, Earth and Water. Even though the story was short and not really connected, that’s where the author, Kai Rivers, decided to end it. Honestly, the book should’ve ended with the four peoples living in harmony, but that was just my opinion.

I only bought the book since the nice old lady that owned the bookshop said it’d fit me. But I wasn’t really sure how. It seemed like a waste of time now.

I yawn. It wasn’t even nighttime, but I was exhausted. So I leave the book face up on my desk and jump into bed. Maybe I could take a little nap, with the sun beaming on my face…

–

And ten years later, the sun beams on the land, a land balanced with lakes, forests, sky, and volcanoes. And from the sun, comes a people never seen before…

- By Sunny Goldheart

(1417 words)

july 9th bi-daily, part 1

I. She, name unknown, wakes up in a small room, with no idea as to how she got there. She’s chained up on a bed, with a clock ticking down. A voice from a speaker says that she must free herself, or she dies. She struggles and struggles, but before the countdown reaches 0, the chains magically break apart. A door opens.

II. She walks out and finds herself in another room, with fifty other people. These people also don’t remember their names or how they got there. All these people were also chained to the bed, and all of them had to find a key to get out. The girl lies and doesn’t say that her chain magically fell off.

III. A strange man wearing all black enters and announces why they’re here. Everyone in the room has been kidnapped, and can’t leave, unless they find the one person who is able to use magic, and kill them. If not, every day, one innocent person will die. The girl instantly realizes she is the target.

IV. However, if the target survives, they are released back into the world and regains their memories and identity. The target is also rewarded with riches for the rest of their life.

V. People begin to protest and try attacking the man. The man presses a button on the remote he’s holding, and instantly, half of the room is vaporized. Twenty-five people, including the target, are left.

(243 words)

July 10th - weekly #2: classic dailies

part 1: three word stories

–

“Revenge is a destructive weapon.” At least, that’s how you described it.

I told you, “Revenge is for fools. If we have justice, then we don’t need revenge.”

And then you laughed at me. You knew that I would use it, didn’t you?

–

The mission was clear. The weapon the terrorists so desperately craved, One Order, would be arriving in Japan’s airspace on an unidentified aircraft. All we had to do was intercept the plane and keep the most devastating man-made weapon from falling into murderous hands.

“Teruko, cover Runway W with Tecchou.” The old man’s voice echoes through my radio. “Jouno, meet me at the South gate”

Teruko frowned as soon as she heard her assignment, like a child trying to hide her jealousy. Well, she looked like one now. Her ability to switch ages was a confusing one. So was her obsession with Fukuchi. “Yes sir!”

She then turned to us. “One Order cannot reach the agency, at all costs. I imagine that some of their members are hiding in plain sight. Don’t be cowards and keep your eyes peeled.”

“Strong words coming from a little girl with a silly crush on our leader,” Jouno sighed.

Teruko could have killed him right there and then, of course she did have her sword on her. But the crowds of people staring at us, just wondering why the military police were here, did not help her motivation at all. So she muttered a brief “shut up” and walked away.

Jouno whistled in amusement. “Well Tecchou? You’re supposed to be going with her.”

“I’ll wait for her to calm down. Tachihara’s the one that deals with temper tantrums, not me.”

“Sure. He can calm her down from the grave.”

I glared at him, even though there was no way he could see it. “Shut up. He isn’t-”

“He’s dead Tecchou,” Jouno interrupted me with a calm look on his face. “You heard what Fukuchi said. The Armed Detective Agency didn’t even give him a chance.”

“… Tachihara trusted the agency. Are you saying his trust was misplaced?” I asked, already knowing what the answer was.

“Are you doubting Fukuchi?”

“We never saw the body.”

“The agency killed him,” Jouno repeated with a grim look on his face. Despite how calm he usually looked, he could never hide the impact these types of things had on him. Not to me. “He placed his faith in their innocence and was proven wrong. I won’t let things end on such a pitious note.”

“There will be justice once we arrest the agency,” I told him.

The words fall on deaf ears. “Justice cannot do what revenge can. We can’t remain on the defensive side.”

My eyes widened. “We can’t kill them.”

“Did they give Tachihara that option?”

“We don’t know-”

“It’s Fukuchi’s word. The agency is responsible for Tachihara’s death,” Jouno snapped, clearly irked. “And as a Hunting Dog, I will hunt the agency down and get revenge. So stop beliving in things like justice. Justice doesn’t exist in this world.”

“Tachihara would have begged to differ,” I said harshly. “Revenge is for people like you.”

“Revenge is a perfect weapon.”

“Revenge is for fools. If we have justice, then we don’t need revenge.”

A smile broke out on his face. Then he laughed, he laughed so loud that it could have been an announcement, a declaration. I had no idea how to react.

Then he walked away.

(573 words)

—

Part 2: Book Blurb

For Florian, the mirrorverse is a pretty cool place! Sure, he's lived there for like, a hundred years, but there's no way his sister will change her mind after Florian cursed their father, the king, and tried to take over the enchanted kingdom. But anyway, at least he gets to see every single mirror in the world, and see what all those pathetic humans do.

One day, a new mirror appears. A girl stares inside into it, with blue eyes and white hair, and Florian's pretty sure that’s a weird human trait. And things gets even weirder, when the girl jumps through the mirror and lands right on top of him. (111 words)

Bool Blurb scene

22 year old psychology student Kiara Moore is experimenting on how age affects the processing of trauma. For her experiment, she must select a target between 16 and 25 years old and personally arrange a trauma every ten years. 19 year old Anya Brooks just lost her left arm in a car accident. Helping her through therapy is her new best friend, Kiara Moore.

“Good morning.”

“Hello! I’m here to see Anya Brooks.” Kiara smiled, she knew that smiling at the receptionist would guarantee her a few points on the “social and polite” scale. And like always, it worked.

“Ah, Kiara Moore,” the receptionist nodded. “I’ll take you to her room now.”

Walking down the bland halls lined with room housing the sick and the injured, Kiara couldn’t help but wonder just how many of them would be candidates for her experiment.

“I hear that you’re a friend of Miss Brooks’?” The receptionist asked.

“Yes, we’re very good friends,” Kiara fibbed.

They stopped in front of a room, Room 129. The receptionist opened the door to reveal a nicely kept area, with a TV, a window letting in fresh air, and a bed, where a girl lay.

“You have 15 minutes,” the receptionist said before swiftly making her exit.

Kiara slowly made her way to the girl’s bed, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her. The girl was staring straight at the ceiling, seemingly unaware of her “best friend’s” presence.

“Hello, how are you doing?”

The girl doesn’t respond.

“Okay… well, my name is Kiara Moore. I’m here to-”

“Let me guess, my parents paid you?” The girl finally looked at her. “Look, I don’t need a therapist, I don’t need one at all. So you can leave and go tell my folks that, thanks.”

“Wow, you’re not the easiest person to work with.”

The girl rolled her eyes, then raised her left arm. At least, what would be her left arm. Instead, all that was left was a stump. “I lost my arm in a car crash. It’s just an arm, nothing serious. I don’t need therapy. Bye.”

“Alright,” Kiara shrugged. “I’ll go. But first, I want to know some things about you.”

“Will it make you go away?”

“Most likely.”

“My name is Anya Brooks,” the girl said. “I’m 19, I’m a high school dropout, I have no job, my parents are rich but won’t help me at all. I like alternative rock and surfing.”

“Really? Do you do surfing competitions?”

“I did,” Anya responded. “My last one was last month. I got second place to the worst human on the planet.”

Kiara chuckled a bit. “They’re that bad?”

“I could say a lot about him, but let’s keep this family friendly.”

“Alright, so you probably want to beat him at your next competition, right?”

That’s when Anya glared at her. “Look at me. I can’t surf ever again. My life is over.”

“Hey, that’s not true,” Kiara answered. “This is just another obstacle you need to overcome. Like you said, losing your arm is nothing, right?”

“…what if it is?”

Kiara smiled. “Then I’ll help you through it, I promise.”

(461 words)

—-

Part 3: Ekphrastic Poem

Days turn into weeks
Weeks turn to years
In a land where the sun shines
Everyday
Everlasting we say
In the Sage

Humanity
No longer a threat
Forests are our cities
Humans are our decor
Animals are citizens we say
In the Sage

The air is fresh
The wind spreading the leaves
The leaves carrying messages
Of Nature's mysterious ways
Loving ways we say
In the Sage

Nature is our mother
Enveloped in her loving grasp
A tender caregiver, supplying the earth
A wise parent, providing guidance for us
Mother Nature, the eternal mother we say
In the Sage

Humans and animals living,
in harmony with nature
The trees providing our protection
The weather just what we need
A utopian paradise we say
In the Sage

The old passes away, the new dawns
on old times and new futures,
on old traditions and new ideas,
on old survivors and new minds.
The circle of life we say
In the Sage

(160 words)

—

Part 4: Google Translate

Translated paragraph:

“Company killed her,” Juno repeated. Although calm, he could not hide his thoughts about her. But it’s not for me. “She believed she was innocent, but she was proven wrong. There's no limit to such a tragic record.”

My feet practically burn. I knew wearing heels at work was a mistake, but Aliysha basically hassled me to do so. She always wanted her employees to look professional, and for women, that included wearing the most painful heels on earth.

I never understood why that was even the case. After all, we never did get any clients these days. Offices were emptier than ever, company morale was at an all time low. Less case files, more letters of resignation.

Today seemed like the usual. Almost everyone left at 1:30pm, some during lunch break. Only four people were left: me, Lopez, Claire, and Aliysha. And I was about to make it three

Until someone was about to walk in and make it five.

“Excuse me! You can't just enter without an ID!”

It came from outside the office doors

Lopez spun around in his chair to face me, a surprised look on his face. “Hey Lucy, when's the last time we had someone try to storm in here?”

“Last year,” I said, stuffing things inside my bag. “I’m not trying to be here when that maniac gets here though.”

“Excuse me! Hey! Listen to me!”

“Claire's doing a terrible job,” Lopez cackles. “Ain't she a security guard?”

“Receptionist.”

“Sir, wait–!”

The door flung open, and a man with messy red hair swiftly entered the office, dressed in jeans and a black hoodie, that clearly hadn't been washed.

However, what struck me the most were how red his eyes were. Like a homeless man that hasn't slept in years.

“Ah, I'm sorry!” Claire ran in, catching her breath. “I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen–”

“Alright, listen up,” the man slurred. “I need one of you detectives, right now.”

“Well, someone's insane,” Lopez whispered. “Get out buddy. We have better stuff to deal with.”

“Just listen to me!”

“Please leave sir, you can make an appointment with Claire at the front desk,” I said, masking my irritation.

“But–”

“Sir, you have five seconds before I call the cops.”

That's when the man glared at me. “Great, so I came here to get some detectives to solve a murder and you idiots can't even do your job.”

I couldn't get another word out.

“No way,” Lopez gasped. “I never thought I'd hear those words again.”

“What in the world is going on here?”

Aliysha stormed in, her powerful presence taking over the room. Mostly thanks to those insane heels, pounds of makeup, and a wig that looked way too heavy for her head.

She eyed the delirious looking man. “May I help you?”

“This is the Public Detectives Service division, right?” The man asked. “If I hand you folks a case, can you solve it?”

“I suppose I can hand it to Miss Blake over here,” Aliysha said with an air of amusement. She really did enjoy torturing me. “But what exactly is this case?”

“Murder. Someone at my agency murdered a co-worker of mine and covered it up.”

Lopez choked on his water.

“Well,” I tried to speak. “That's certainly the case, Mr…?”

“Juno Reeves.”

“And exactly what agency are we talking about here?”

Juno clears his throat.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

(535 words)

—-

TOTAL: 1840 words

july 10th bi-daily part 2

(outline is by @ HermioneVoiceActress! thank you for the amazing outline <3)

The waters crashed against the hull of the ship, and it was a noise Tiberius enjoyed the most. To him, it was the water’s daily “good morning” to him, welcoming him to another day of venturing out on the oceans.

Only a couple members of his crew had awoken. They never liked getting up early, a bad habit Tiberius was ready to snap out of them. From his spot behind the steering wheel, he had a perfect view of the sun rising up from the edge of the vast seas, ready to provide another day to humanity.

This view was soon ruined by something else Tiberius spotted. Or someone. Leaning across the edge of the ship, face turned towards the waters. Tiberius groaned in annoyance. He jumped down to the deck of the ship and walked towards his frail mate, slapping him on the back.

“Oi, don’t tell me you’re getting seasick again.”

The man looks up at him, quite uneasy. “Don’t tease me. You know I’ve been having a case of morning sickness lately.”

“Which is what worries me Firth. You never get morning sickness. Heck, you’re usually the most lively one out of all of us.”

“I think that honor goes to you mate,” Firth sighed. He was Tiberius’ first mate, friend and ally, and he knew the captain better than anyone. “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t see you being so energetic.”

“How can I stop when there’s lands to plunder and treasures to find?” Tiberius laughed.

“You’re so plucky.”

“And you haven’t been acting like yourself,” Tiberius pointed out. “Ever since our stand-off with the King’s Coven, you’ve been very strange.”

Firth sighed. “Come on Tib, it’s nothin’.”

“If I walk you off the plank, will you start talking?”

“Alright alright I get mate,” Firth sighed. “Look, there is something I have to show you. But promise that you won’t go blabbering, okay?”

“You know I wouldn’t” Tiberius promised. “Now spill already.”

Firth quickly looked around, before pulling Tiberius close. He then took off his satchel and handed it to him.

“Open it.”

Tiberius frowned, slightly confused. He took the satchel and opened it up, anticipating what was inside. A map? Treasure?

No. Worse.

The sun rays beamed off of its glinting surfaces. Tiberius could see his reflection off the object’s dark blue surfaces. And his reflection is one of surprise.

“This can’t be…”

“Yep, in the flesh. The Ocean’s Sapphire.”

“The… the one that Cap’n Barbeau, the Cap’n of the King’s Coven, stole?”

“Uh-huh.”

“His prized possession?!”

“Okay, now you’re making this sound like a bad thing.”

(434 words)

writing comp entry - fanfiction (no title yet lol)

fandom - bungou stray dogs (yes, again, and you cant stop me)

—-

“Revenge is a destructive weapon.” At least, that’s how you described it.

I told you, “Revenge is for fools. If we have justice, then we don’t need revenge.”

And then you laughed.

–

The mission was clear. The weapon the terrorists so desperately craved, One Order, would be arriving in Japan’s airspace on an unidentified aircraft. All we had to do was intercept the plane and keep the most devastating man-made weapon from falling into murderous hands.

“Teruko, cover Runway W with Tecchou.” The old man’s voice echoes through my radio. “Jouno, meet me near the South Gate.”

Teruko frowned as soon as she heard her assignment, like a child trying to hide her jealousy. Well, she looked like one now. Her ability to switch ages was a confusing one. So was her obsession with Fukuchi. “Yes sir!”

She then turned to us. “One Order cannot reach the agency, at all costs. I imagine that some of their members are hiding in plain sight. Don’t be cowards and keep your eyes peeled.”

“Strong words coming from a little girl with a silly crush on our leader,” Jouno sighed.

Teruko could have stabbed him right there and then, of course she did have her sword on her. But the crowds of people staring at us, just wondering why the military police were here, did not help her motivation at all. So she muttered a brief “shut up” and walked away.

Jouno whistled in amusement. “Well Tecchou? You’re supposed to be going with her.”

“I’ll wait for her to calm down. Tachihara’s the one that deals with temper tantrums, not me.”

“Sure. He can calm her down from the grave.”

I glared at him, even though there was no way he could see it. “Shut up. He isn’t-”

“He’s dead Tecchou,” Jouno interrupted me with a calm look on his face. “You heard what Fukuchi said. The Armed Detective Agency didn’t even give him a chance.”

“… Tachihara trusted the agency. Are you saying his trust was misplaced?” I asked, already knowing what the answer was.

“Are you doubting Fukuchi?”

“We never saw the body.”

“The agency killed him,” Jouno repeated with a grim look on his face. Despite how calm he usually looked, he could never hide the impact these types of things had on him. Not to me. “He placed his faith in their innocence and was proven wrong. I won’t let things end on such a pitious note.”

“There will be justice once we arrest the agency,” I told him.

The words fall on deaf ears. “Justice cannot do what revenge can. We can’t remain on the defensive side.”

My eyes widened. “We can’t kill them.”

“Did they give Tachihara that option?”

“We don’t know-”

“It’s Fukuchi’s word. The agency is responsible for Tachihara’s death,” Jouno snapped, clearly irked. “And as a Hunting Dog, I will hunt the agency down and get revenge. So stop believing in stupid things like justice. Justice doesn’t exist in this world.”

“Tachihara would have begged to differ,” I said harshly. “Revenge is for people like you.”

“Revenge is a perfect weapon.”

“Revenge is for fools. If we have justice, then we don’t need revenge.”

A smile broke out on his face. Then he laughed, he laughed so loud that it could have been an announcement, a declaration. I had no idea how to react.

Then he walked away.

—-

“Attention Flight 404, Mission Control confirms that you’ll be landing on North Runway W.”

“Clear, preparing for landing.”

The aircraft is just within sight. In just a few moments, it would touch down on the runway, bringing One Order into Japanese territory.

“Can you believe it Tecchou?” Teruko recliened against the passenger seat. “They’re really giving a mind-controlled weapon to the Commander. After that, the detective agency’s vampires will be nothing against the world’s military forces.”

“But why did the United Nations decide to give it to Fukuchi?” I asked, looking at the plane approaching the airport. The view from the truck was perfect in order to spot any incoming threats.

“Who really cares? All I know is that the Commander is the most admirable, courageous and self-sacrificing man I’ve ever met,” Teruko’s eyes sparkled as she drifted off into Fantasyland once more. “And if anyone should control the world’s army, it’s him.”

“He’s thirty years older than you.”

“Do you want me to kill you?”

Another message came in through the radio. Not a pleasant one.

“Flight 404, what is the situation on board? Flight 404?”

“Help-! …vampires! Abort-”

The radio cut off. And the sky was rocked with flashes of white, red and yellow. Teruko and I immediately exchanged glances.

“Finally, some action!”

Teruko stepped on the gas, and soon we were driving straight towards the rapidly descending plan. “Slice it into pieces, Tecchou!”

“Understood.”

I kicked open a hole in the roof and jump outside, sword in hand. The truck gained speed as Teruko gunned straight towards the burning plane, until we were just underneath it. I unsheathed my sword.

“Ability. Plum Blossoms in the Snow.”

My sword came alive instantly, extending into the sky and wrapping around the plane tightly. Tight enough for the plane to break into multiple pieces, assuring not only the death of any threat onboard, but the safety of the world.

The truck came to a fierce halt. I looked behind me, watching the parts of the aircraft crash onto the runway. Standing in the middle of the chaos was Fukuchi.

In his arms he held the box containing One Order.

He stood alone.
Why is he alone?

“Hurray! You did it Commander!” Teruko jumped out of the and ran towards Fukuchi. “The world is saved!”

Fukuchi turned towards us. I could see the fire raging in his eyes, his grip tightening on the box. “There’s a seal.”

“What?” Teruko exclaimed. “Those rotten terrorists! They sealed the weapon by using an ability!”

“No, the terrorists caused the explosion, but they did not seal One Order,” Fukuchi interjected. “It can only be sealed by a specific ability user in the United Nations. Meaning, they purposefully sealed it.”

Suddenly, Fukuchi threw the box down in fury. “The Armed Detective Agency must have intercepted the plan. They convinced the U.N not to unseal One Order until the vampires officially begin their strike. We’ve been bested.”

“Commander, is that not a good thing?” I asked suddenly. “The vampire outbreak only just began, but there’s been no reports of any attacks. The terrorists only want One Order in order to prevent the military from winning against them.”

“Are you talking back to the Commander?” Teruko yelled. “Are you insane?”

I ignored her. “If the terrorists were to attack now, it would greatly inconvenience them, as the seal would break and they lose. If they try to take One Order from us, it would be foolish. So why would the detective agency order for the seal the one thing they need?”

Fukuchi glared at me, with an intimidating smile on his face. “Are you implying something officer?”

“Have we ever considered the possibility that Tachihara was right? That the Armed Detective Agency is innocent?”

The silene was deafening. I knew that nearly everything was against my resolve. Fukuchi, his loyal dog Teruko, the real terrorists, and maybe even the world. But to me, and to Tachihara, everything made sense.

“You have a very commendable sense of justice, Tecchou,” Fukuchi nodded, despite Teruko burning with anger beside. “I wish Jouno was able to see it.”

I couldn’t move. His laughter flashed in my mind.

“What?” It was all I could manage to say.

“Jouno wondered why your sense of justice was so strong yet blind,” Fukuchi continued. “Your words right now would have proven his point.”

“Where’s Jouno?”

“Although he would have disagreed-”

“Fukuchi, where’s Jouno?”

Teruko unsheathed her sword. “That’s Commander to you.”

“Shut up!” I snapped. “Where the hell is Jouno?!”

Fukuchi bowed his head at that moment, taking a deep breath. “I knew you wouldn’t take it so well. Contrary to what you said before, there has been an attack. Jouno and I were ambushed by vampires. Officer Jouno fought valiantly.”

“No. That isn’t true.”

“He’s missing in action. The vampires dragged him away.”

“You were there,” I seethed. “You didn’t save him.”

“Use your brain,” Fukuchi sighed. “Do you think Jouno would let him choose him over the safety of the world? You know the answer better than anyone.”

“It’s those terrorists!” Teruko cried. “First Tachihara, and now Jouno! How could we let them do this?!”

I took out my blade once more. “You said they’re hiding in the airport, yes?”

“Are you doubting the words of your Commander?” Fukuchi asked.

I didn’t answer. I walked off, with Jouno’s laughter ringing in my ears.

—-

They’re just children, but brave ones. And terrorists.

The red haired girl carried the bottomless King of Vampires, Bram Stoker, like a backpack. Next to her was a blond boy in overalls who reeked of soil. As vampires attacked him, he tossed them aside like pillows. A strength - based ability user.

A mindless terrorist.

“…Mr. Headless Vampire, since you like farming, you know that sometimes sheep will be followed by wolves, right?”

I pointed my sword directly at the boy. He turned around to face me. “Well, it looks like a wolf just showed up.”

The little girl goes pale from fright, backing away slowly.

“Run away Aya. I don’t think this is a fight I can win, but you need to get away from here.”

“What about you?”

The boy smiled at her. “Another agency member will find you.”

The girl, apparently named Aya, ran off, taking the man controlling the vampires with her. I remained unmoved.

“Hello!” The boy waved at me. “You’re the man that tried to kill me on the helicopter, right? The one with the cool sword that can extend?”

“Where’s Jouno.”

“Who?”

“Jouno is apart of the Hunting Dogs like me. He’s gone missing,” I explained. “And I have reason to believe you and your gang of terrorists took him.”

The boy crossed his arms, looking pitiful. “Me and the Armed Detective Agency aren’t the bad guys. The bad guys are Fukuchi and the Decay of Angels. We’re actually here to stop Fukuchi before he unlocks One Order.”

He was just a teen, but that didn’t excuse his lies. “Then why did you let the King of Vampires get away?” I said.

“…Why did you let the King of Vampires get away?” The farmer boy repeated.

Jouno’s laugh pierced my ears.

“Usually, I would have gone ahead and captured him and the girl,” I responded. “But for just five minutes, I will place Jouno above justice.”

“You really care about him Mister!” The boy grinned. “Okay, then I can help you look for him! Then we can go stop One Order from being used!”

I smiled. “Thank you.”

My sword pierced right through him, as Jouno’s laughter echoed through the air.

(1831 words)

UNEDITED