luka's writing thread :: for all swc sessions
id: 724071
category: Things I'm Making and Creating
posts: 13
Nov 11, 2023 21:56:09
luka's writing thread :: for all swc sessions
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will make this pretty later 
—-
welcome! this is my swc megathread, which has *most* of my writing from *most* sessions
__
—-
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:
Nov 11, 2023 22:05:13
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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.
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.
Nov 11, 2023 22:09:04
luka's writing thread :: for all swc sessions
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ButterPopcorn8
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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.
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.
Nov 11, 2023 22:15:41
luka's writing thread :: for all swc sessions
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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
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
Nov 11, 2023 22:19:28
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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
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
Nov 11, 2023 22:25:28
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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)
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)
Nov 13, 2023 23:37:44
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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)
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)
Nov 16, 2023 02:28:54
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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)
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)
Nov 16, 2023 02:32:19
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Nov 17, 2023 23:56:33
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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
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
Nov 30, 2023 16:56:17
luka's writing thread :: for all swc sessions
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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)
—-
—
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
Nov 30, 2023 17:09:04
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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)
—-
—
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
Mar 24, 2024 02:58:47
luka's writing thread :: for all swc sessions
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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
——-
———
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!