Lax's SWC Weeklies and Writing

Galaxy_Awesome

MC Daily, Nov. 9! “Wow- it’s been so long since SWC has started! Have there been any iconic events going on in your cabin? Maybe there has been a rivalry or someone said something iconic in your cabin! Maybe you’ve imagined a scenario that would happen in SWC! Either way, write an SWC fanfiction of 600 words for 700 points! 200 extra points if you share your writing!”
Words: 301
Unsubmitted/Done Late!

I faceplant hard onto the rocky ground, groaning. It's been a long day of trekking up this gigantic mountain in the shivering cold - which was probably even worse than falling over. And, I have to hike up with hands and feet. So far, they're the clumsiest and hardest to control limbs I've ever encountered. I really do miss my tentacles.

“Come on, you can do it, Laxy!” someone above me holds out a hand to pull me up. It's Pika, one of our leaders this session and my former fellow statue from the Gorgon's Garden.
I smile. “Thanks, Pika,”
She nods, and hurries off to help the other struggling campers. “Don't worry!” she calls behind her back. “We're almost at the top!”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I fall into step with the few campers nearest to me. Air - my best friend - is at the front of the group, but maybe I can try talking to some other people for once.

“Hey, you're Lax, right?” one of them asks, adjusting her cat-themed backpack. I nod. “Cool! What do you think you're going to do with the treasure once we get it?”
I push my slightly foggy glasses up my face. “I don't know,” my voice comes off a bit broken. Maybe I should drink some water. “Maybe I'll just save it for the future? You know, to prepare,”

Another girl walks up to us: Moss. “That's fair! I think I might use it to buy better writing materials,” she grins.

“We're here!” someone shouts from the front of the group. A chorus of gasps later, we're all huddled on the top of mountain, in front of an entrance to a cavern. Flecks and reflections of gold splatter the walls, and it almost feels as if the cavern is glowing.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 10, 2021 00:14:23)

Galaxy_Awesome

In-Cabin Challenge, Nov, 10! “Have you ever thought about a brand new color or sound that's never been seen/heard before? Write 200 words about what it would look/sound like!”
Words: 224

In fact, I have! The only thing is that I've been a bit reluctant to use them. One of those is a “splitter” sound. From how I imagine it, it's somewhere between the sound of a crack and a splatter, vaguely similar and kind of like the sound you hear when you crack an egg too hard and the yolk ends up coming out right away. That's still not wholly accurate, but it's the closest you can come to hearing an actual splitter. The best way to ‘hear’ the sound of a splitter (is that how you phrase it?) is just to imagine it!

You can use splitter in the same way as splatter, grammatically speaking! For example:

“It landed on the ground with a small splitter.”

“The thing splittered against the wall.”

“The object collided, splittering on the wall.”

As for colours, I don't have any, and haven't really thought about making any, since they're a little harder for my brain to comprehend, and a little harder to make up. The best I can do regarding fictional colours are just personificate them or compare them to something - by using a simile, I guess. Metaphors would work pretty well too.

I have, however, tried using fatigue templates to see impossible colours in the hopes that it would inspire me, but it's never worked, haha!

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 10, 2021 10:17:38)

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 10! “All right, if anyone is sore, then you should be. If anyone isn't in extreme pain, I am mildly concerned, but oh well. So! As I don't want to overwork you, I'm going to start making things easy. Out trail to day is probably only around five miles, but there are plenty of switch backs and such. Stay alert for snakes and Intensities. I've got a feeling it'll be pretty clear skies. Alrighty, let's get moving!" {Write 200 based on this to earn your steps}
Words: 219
Late/Unsubmitted

Rella's “feeling” wasn't even close to right. practically the moment we hit our halfway mark, the clouds started coming in and it rained. there was a little bit of hail too. we had to take cover, but there wasn't much to take cover under. so a couple of us (including me, I'm proud to say) got up and made an emergency covering over our heads. only thing was, the Intensities also got stuck in the storm. and since they didn't have any one who could make any shelter for them, we had to share. which really ruined a lot of moods. not mine, though. I'm not even sure why everyone's so against them.

they haven't done anything to us so far, and they're pretty good at adventuring themselves. they have my respect at least.

the storm didn't last very long but the clouds didn't clear away at all. by the time we got to our campsite they'd only gotten thicker. that menas that tomorrow will probably have bad weather. maybe even worse than today's.

on another note, I finally have a name for my goat. from now on, his name is Fuzz. not really the most original, but it's still great. I like it. I think he likes it too, actually. might go see if he responds to it.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 11, 2021 01:06:50)

Galaxy_Awesome

In-Cabin Challenge, Nov. 11! “What's your favorite genre? Combine that with adventure and write a 300 word story! Share in the comments ;D (if your favorite genre is adventure, just use your second favorite genre)”
Words: 786
Genres: Supernatural + Adventure

Alaric screamed, vaguely aware of legs pounding on the ground, uneven breath, and pulling someone along behind him. Voices - no, a voice shook him out of his panic.
“Alaric!” the voice shouted rather annoyedly. “Let go!”
Face pale, he nodded, skidding to a halt and letting go of her arm. “Sorry, Moira,”

The selkie harrumphed, then pointed behind them at the dark, towering castle. Inside it was the one thing that would get the rulers of their community to listen to them and do something about all the problems they'd never bothered to fix. “Why'd you just run off? We were so close, Alaric!”
“There was a guard wraith,” He said, looking away pointedly.
Moira raised an eyebrow. “We could've taken them, ‘Laric. Don’ tell me you're scared of some ghostie?”
Alaric glared at her. “What do you think?” he questioned.
“But we could've just grabbed the book n' bolted! You're a vamp, I'm a selkie, both of us could've taken ‘im out easy peasy!”

A cough came from the trees above them, and both of them looked up to see a gargoyle staring amusedly down. Eyeridge-carvings raised, it pretended to stuudy its claws.
“I can hear you two talking about your little scheme very clearly, you know,” it remarked, gravelly voice dry as sand.
Alaric drew back, hissing warningly, at the same time that Moira offered a wary wave at it.
The gargoyle laughed. “If you wanted to steal something from the castle, you could have gone to me,”
“We don’t even know you,” he growled under his breath. At that, the gargoyle tapped its chin thoughtfully.
“Oh, right.” it said. “Even so, I know all the ins and outs of that place. Used to work there, actually! I already have an idea of what you kids-”
“We're not kids! We're already on our second century!”

It rolled its cracked stone eyes. “Still kids. As I was saying, I already have an idea of what you want to steal. So let's just get right to the point. There's a back pass to the castle. All you gotta do is cross a bridge and climb over a wall, and you'll be inside. Got it?”
Moira saluted and shoved Alaric with her elbow when he narrowed his eyes at the gargoyle.
“Come on, let's go!” she pulled him away.

.

A minute later, both of them stood at the edge of a very shaky, very flimsy, very wooden and ordinary bridge. Then they were faced with a problem: Neither could in any way cross the bridge together without it collapsing. Which meant doing it one at a time. Which also meant there was the risk of one of them plummeting to their death.
“D'you think you can levitate across above me? Then you can catch me right away if I fall,” Moira asked. Her friend shook his head - he wasn't strong enough to maintain his levitation for that long. “'Kay. Looks like we're doin' this the hard way!”

Taking a deep breath, she put on foot on the bridge. It swung and creaked, but it held, and that was enough. Moira put took another step forward. Then another, and another, and another, until-

Snap!

The bridge ropes snapped, sending the bridge down, down, down, and taking a screaming, flailing Moira with it. Alaric's nonexistent breath hitched in his chest. Leaping forward as far as he could, he grabbed at Moira, catching her wrist. Together, they were now suspended in mid air by a levitating Alaric. Usually, he would have turned into a bat and just gotten it over with, but there was no way a miniscule bat could hold up a seal-in-human-form.

“Swing me back ‘n forth,” shouted Moira. At his hesitation, she added, “Jus’ do it!”

And so he swung, back and forth, until the momentum was strong enough for Moira to jump and land on a nearby ledge. Alaric sagged in relief, popped into bat form, and flitted over.
“I thought we weren't going to make it, for a second,” he said. “Are you okay?”
Moira waved him off. “'M fine, no worries! Jus' a lil' shaken,”
“Good, because now we need to get up this cliff and to the wall,”
“Challenge accepted,” she grinned.

“Wait, that wasn't-”

.

Within seconds, Alaric had crawled over the edge, and not long after, Moira followed. They looked up at the tall wall in front of them.
“Stick to the plan,” he told her. “Get over, trick someone into inviting me in, then give me the signal and get straight to the main hall,”
She grinned, clambering up onto the stone bricks that jutted out slightly.
“Got it. See you in a min', 'Laric,”

With that, their adventure finally started.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 11, 2021 11:50:49)

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 11! “ATTENTION! Yes, PLEASE WAKE UP! We have reports of a missing Survivalist. I'm not sure how well everyone knows her, but her name is Katya. She's thirteen, red hair, last seen in a green jacket. We'll look for her until we find her - NEVER leave one of your own behind. There's clouds there in the distance, so expect heavy rainfall. Break into search groups, let's MOVE MOVE MOVE!" {Write 400 words based on this to earn your steps}
Words: 565

theres a survivalist missing. none of us knew when it happened. none of us knew when she just, just poofed! just upped and disappeared. no one saw her. weve been searching for hours. none of us can find her. we looked everywhere. her tent, her sleeping bag, the caves, even the treetops. theres been no trace of her since last night. its like she just vanished off of the face of the earth. but thats not possible right? its not. something must have happened while we were sleeping. something must ave made it so that she's suddenly untraceable in the morning.

someone must have taken her.

but who? was it the intensities? they cant have. they would never, why would they even do it? money? they already have it. and the treasures the reason were all here in the first place. besides wouldnt someone have noticed? we didnt see them at all after we separated when the storm stopped yesterday. we found a few in the woods an hour ago but they said they didnt see anything either. but if it wasnt them then who did it? why did they do it? there was no reason for anyone to do it in the first place. so why? and who?

katya wasnt even anyone special. she wasnt rich or poor or famous. if she really was kidnapped, the people who did it had no reason to pick her. she didnt have any special talents either. she wasnt the fastest or the strongest or the smartest or our leader. she couldnt hold her breath long or make shelters out of anything or climb the highest. she was just that. ordinary. why pick her out of all of us? why not rella or cecilia. there was nothing in her journal that gave us a clue either.

she was good at rockclimbing, though. and geography. and first aid. but still. those werent exactly skills that stood out. maybe ill go look around again. i know its close to hopeless but maybe just maybe ill find her,

i dont know what i was thinking. i saw this person on the trail. dressed in all black. they were sneaking around like they didnt want to be caught. so i thought hey, it cant be that dangerous. i have a pocket knife. it could come in useful. and i could always call for help. so i followed him.

now i'm stuck hiding in this, this campsite full of intensities. they really are the ones who took katya. shes not far away, tied up in ropes. i wish i could get to her, but that would just put me in risk too.

its been two hours. i dont know how long i can stay awake or keep hiding in this cramped hole. i dont even know if my pen scratching against paper might be too loud. it shouldnt be. oh no, i can feel my eyes drooping. i have to stay awake. i cant sneak back out of here without being caught. i dont even know the way back to our campsite. all i can do is wait. i really didnt think this through as much as i should have.

i cant face up against a whole group of people with just my pocket knife. why did i do this?

stay awake, i need to stay awake, stay awake staya wekk, stayaaane weake…

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 11, 2021 12:17:32)

Galaxy_Awesome

MC Daily for Nov. 11! “Choose one of your characters or a character from a piece of media who lives in a different world or time period to us and write 500 words in which that character encounters something from our world that doesn't exist in theirs. 700 points, and 200 extra if you share your writing!”
Words: 540

“So…” Quill began. She grinned. “Now that we've gotten off of the island… ever been to a cafe before?”
“A what? Is that a type of torture chamber? If it is then-”
She cut him off, staring with appalled eyes. “You don't know what a cafe is?!” laughing, she grabbed her phone and pressed some buttons, the meaning of which Mordred couldn't understand or make out at all, despite the extra height possessing Rin gave him. “Looks like the demon doesn't know everything after all!”
“Sod off, Quill,” Mordred grumbled.
That only made her laugh more. “Rin, if you can hear me, tell him what a cafe is! In the meantime, I'm going to go find one,”

Mordred could hear Rin struggling not to giggle in their shared subconscious.
'Cafes are this, uh, place where you can get drinks and snacks and things. Kind of like a restaurant, but smaller. And less food.' said Rin.
'Weird,' he told him, only to be jolted back to reality by Quill, who was… talking to her phone?

“Hey Siri,” she said. “What's a cafe?”
A short pause, then a voice came out of the speaker as she held the phone in front of his borrowed face.
“Here's what I found,” it said robotically.

Mordred fainted.

.

“You should really get out of Rin's body,” someone said. He squinted at the light. The voice sounded familiar - Quill, maybe? “All your freakouts about technology have got to be taking some strain on him,” Okay, definitely Quill. Only she would see someone faint and berate him for putting strain on the body he was possessing instead of asking if he was actually alright.
“You're one to say. I'm stuck in here, I can't get out. And what was that?” he asked. “That voice. How did you trap it inside your tiny metal slab-phone-gadget-doohickey? Might a human be in there?”

Quill rolled her eyes, while Rin smiled in their subconscious. “No, idiot, it's not a human in there! Why do you always come to the most morbid solutions? That's just a Virtual Assistant,”
Glaring, Mordred crossed his arms. “You know I haven't a single clue what that means,”
“It's- it's like, this digital person who helps you with stuff! It answers your questions and tells you what you want to know,” she sighed.
“Like a soul-bound servant?”
Appall crossed her face, and her mouth twitched. Whether in disgust, shock, or disturbance, he couldn't tell. “I- I guess you can say that, yeah,” she frowned in thought.

He wrinkled his nose. “Why don't you humans just get one, then? It isn't very hard,”
'That's illegal here,' said Rin, thoroughly put off.
'Why?' he asked. Rin sighed.
'I don't think you'd get it, Mordred,'

He opened his hypothetical, mental mouth to reply, but was stopped by Quill pulling him roughly up to his feet. “Come on, we're going to that cafe I was going to take us to earlier, right before you fainted,”
“Fine,” he said, allowing himself to be dragged along.

She called back to him once they'd found a good walking rhythm.
“Oh, and Mordred? Try not to pull too much attention to yourself,” Quill reminded, grinning. “Now let's go, I can already see it up ahead!”

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 11, 2021 07:17:38)

Galaxy_Awesome

Cabin Wars
1,135 words out of 1,000

Alaric wakes up. He looks around, sees darkness. His coffin lies lonely, and as he wanders around the woods, he pauses. It's been a long time since the last time he was awake, he feels. Time didn't mean much to him anymore, but a hundred years was still a long time asleep, at least for a vampire as young as him. He feels… lonely, he realises. Like there was some part of him that missed walking among people, talking, and chatting. So he journeys through the forest for another few years, coffin under his arm and looking for someone, something to talk to.

Moira wakes up. She casts panicked glances, knowing that any day, any moment, she could wake up in a net or without her seal skin. She dreads it. When she is first born, there are hundreds, maybe thousands of others. But years pass, and now she wakes up everyday as more and more of them go. The surface is an interesting thing, for her, but it's too much risk. She sighs. All alone, and lonely, lonely, lonely. Part of her yearns for adventure, and life. The other part of her, the part that feared the world and everything in it, lessens in power the more time goes by. One day, enough is enough, and she steps her first steps on the warm sand.

.

For the first time in all the years after he wakes up, Alaric steps foot in a small village. It sits by a series of rolling hills and steep cliffs, overlooking the valley and rocky mountains. He stands at the entrance, looks around, sees light. It shines from the sun, from the glistening flowers, from inside the hearts of the smiling townsfolk. He takes a step inside. The townsfolk see him, covered head to toe, and despite it all they smile.
“Welcome!” they say. He nods.

It doesn't take long for Alaric to get thirsty. He eats food, drinks water, anything to try and bury the hunger he knows he should satisfy himself with. These townspeople have done nothing to him; they don't deserve it. He won't drain them, he won't. Days pass. The hunger gnaws on his insides, eats away at his conscious, grows and grows until it churns in his stomach, until it's the only thing on his mind.

He fights it, then stumbles over to the nearest herd of cattle. The townspeople don't deserve this either, but he has to, he has to, before the hunger completely takes over.

No cows are left standing that night. Alaric stumbles into his room at the inn, refreshed.

.

Moira falls onto her butt the moment she steps out of the ocean. It's embarrassing, she knows (her cheeks flush a flaming red), but it's fair, considering it's her first time. She is, quite literally, a fish out of water (at this point, she laughs at her own joke, then laughs again for laughing at her own joke. Then dissolves into a fit of giggles). Water is coughed out of her lungs, but despite it she holds firm.

“Hey, who're you?” someone asks. She scrambles to her feet. There's a fisherman, in front of her. Danger, danger, danger! Screams her brain.
Danger.
Moira looks around wildly, runs backwards, terror washing over her eyes. Her breath comes in sharp jolts, each sending a burst of air she isn't used to to her lungs. She runs.

Days go by. She can't tell exactly how many, but she knows it's been a while. She drinks out of rivers, scavenges clothes from farmers. It's a rough life, but eventually Moira comes to enjoy it. It's nothing like being trapped in her little cove, with no one to talk to and nothing to do. It's different, and she loves it.

She loves jumping over snakes, scaling up trees, letting the gravel and rocks touch her feet. She loves the air, and the people - the nice ones, that she comes across eventually.

This is how it feels like live, Moira realises. This is how it feels like to be free.

.

One day, Alaric finds himself in a city. The bustling streets and loud crowds bewilder him; he hasn't ever been to a place like this before, not in a long time. He gets himself a room at a cheap but good inn, to sleep and stay in. The other people there pay no attention to the new arrival. There are many people in the city far shadier than him, which serves to his advantage. For a second or two, he dares wonder if there are any other vampires, or undead, or any other creatures in this city, hiding in plain sight.

Then, he shakes his head. Trying to find out would be far too risky. One wrong move, and he would end up with garlic in his throat and a stake driven through his heart.

Alaric walks out of the inn, donning his usual attire. The city is bright, brighter than any town he's ever come across.

.

Moira enters a city, a big one that she has heard much about but has never been to. She looks at the seal skin tied around her waist and the simple clothes she'd taken from various farmers, and then at the city. Maybe she should try exploring it. After all, she was no longer that scared little seal who had run away at the sight of a simple fisherman. She knows more, now, and is far braver than she was years ago. Exploring a city was tame. perhaps it would even be fun! She could, of course, use more experience in terms of talking and being around humans.

She grins, then begins to wander along a random street.

This is going to be interesting, thinks Moira. She takes a right at an intersection.

.

Alaric catches a glimpse of grey clothing and a person standing at the window of his inn. He doesn't know who it is, not really. But a sneaking feeling in his gut tells him that that's no normal person. He approaches carefully. It wouldn't be of any use to scare her off, not before he gets to talk.
“Hello?” he calls out to the woman. She whips toward him, startled.
“Oh,” she says. “Hi,”

A long, drawn out silence envelops them. Then,
“You ain't human, are you?” asks the woman, squinting suspiciously. Alaric takes a wary step back, because even though his suspicions were correct, it didn't mean he was safe. A warning growl builds up in his throat. At this, the woman holds up her hands. “'S fine, you can trust me!”
He raises an eyebrow, then straightens, but doesn't drop his guard. “Okay,” he says.

“I'm Moira,” introduces the woman. Moira, apparently. “An' I have a feelin' I can trust you too,”

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 16, 2021 07:41:42)

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 12! “Guys, I know you didn't get much rest last night, and I know it's the crack of dawn, but we NEED to find our missing Survivalists. Hopefully clear skies today. Anyway, I got a good feeling about this. Stick with someone, and look EVERYWHERE. Good luck guys, let's MOVE!” {Write 200 words based on this to earn your steps}
Words: 293

TW: Sedation (by pill)

Eon woke up in cold sweat. Ropes cut into his wrists and ankles, and his throat burned dry from lack of water. Where…? Everything rushed back to him. Searching for Katya, getting lost, hiding out, stuck in the Intensities's camp, falling asleep, rough hands finding him, binding his wrists and ankles, and stuffing a gag into his mouth.
They must have found me while I was asleep, Eon thought. Wait- where's Katya?
He raked his eyes through the campsite, sight eventually falling on a pole at the far side, where said girl was trussed up and tied to. She looked like she was still asleep - or knocked out, he couldn't tell.

Again, he searched the ground for anything useful that could get him out of here. Nothing. He should have known. The Intensities were most likely far too smart to just leave anything lying around in wait for him.

Speaking of Intensities, one came up to him, holding a packet that looked suspiciously like a medical pouch. Eon flinched back, then glared at them.
“Now?” they asked someone out of his line of sight.
“Now,” that person agreed. The Intensity took out a pill, examining it carefully before taking out his gag.
“Open your mouth,” they said.
Eon shook his head. “No way,” he managed to rasp out.
The Intensity frowned. “Either this, or the hard way. Do you want to know what that is?”
He shook his head again. The easy way was certainly better than the hard way, especially in this situation. He opened his mouth and swallowed the pill.

As his head began to swim and his vision darkened, he realised how they'd managed to keep Katya from waking up and calling out for help for so long.

Through sedation.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 13, 2021 07:30:40)

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 13 (Actually 15 because I missed some days)! “Good news! I've err… negotiated with the Intensities about some things. The missing Survivalists could come back at any time, but for now they're with the Intensities. So for now, let's just focus on climbing to the top! It's a twenty mile hike today, and we'll be going fast. We have a lot to make up. Clear skies I think, so let's get going!”
Words: 215

right so apparently I'm stuck hiking with the Intensities for a while. I don't know what happened but I do know Rella came over and sorted… something out with them, though I'm not sure when. it's a little disappointing that she didn't try to get me and bolt back to camp. then again, I think the Intensities moved me somewhere else in their camp, because now I can't see Katya or anyone else. maybe she couldn't see me. they untied me from the pole in the morning and made me get ready for the hike, all with my arms tied up in thick uncomfy ropes.

I overheard the Intensities talking about Katya. they said something about a rescue and “pesky meddling Survivalists”. I don't understand. what are they talking about? was Katya rescued? she probably was, because now that I think about it I haven't seen her anywhere even while we were hiking up. and Rella did come over, so… that must mean that Katya really was rescued. the Intensities looked at me weird then and they must have realised I heard them, so they told me to move faster. but it's not like I could get much faster, considering how my wrists are tied up.

why didn't the other Survialists come get me too?

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 16! “Good morning, good morning! We're happy to have some of our Survivalists back, but we must remember to still be weary of the Intensities! Anyway, if my calculations are correct, we should reach the top in about six days or so! Let's get there quicker by hiking fifteen miles today. We'll be crossing lots of rivers and jungle lands, so hopefully it doesn't rain too hard! Let's move!”
Words: 250
Late/Unsubmittable

so I'm back with the other Survivalists. to be honest, it does feel good to be back. it was basically like I was never gone in the first place. we all threw a small campfire celebration for me and the other missing Survivalists. Fuzz looked pretty happy to see me. they asked me a couple of questions about the Intensities's camp, of course. I couldn't answer much, and neither could Katya. we were sedated for quite a while, so logically we couldn't see anything worthwhile. and the Intensities are smart, I'll give them that. they placed us in the least suspicious spots possible and kept practically everything out of our reach or hearing range.

it doesn't feel right, though. not the questions, I mean coming back. it doesn't feel right. it's not like I don't want to be with the Survivalists anymore, I do. they're practically my family now, after all we've been through. but nothing about today feels right (other than Fuzz making goat sounds at me very early in the morning). I think I'm just disappointed in them, maybe. I'm not really sure. it was bad with the Intensities. they sedated me and kept me tied up and all. but somehow I think I would have been more satisfied staying tied up than being left there for an extra day after Katya got rescued.

I just wish they'd come and gotten me too.

wait, I have to go, Fuzz wants me to… do something, I don't know what.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 17, 2021 03:58:53)

Galaxy_Awesome

(free space)

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 17, 2021 08:35:00)

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 17! “Well, that rainstorm last night was rather… intense - hehe, see what I did there? Yeah, sorry, sorry. Anyway ten miles today, first half is uphill, second half is trekking through a very thick forest. There'll be a lot of flora and fauna and mosquitoes and all that good stuff. No idea on the weather! Also, keep an eye on the goats, please! I'll give y'all another five minutes, and then we'll head!”
Words: 655

today was pretty easy by both yesterday and my own standards! which is good, because according to everyone else and my friend's doctor I need to rest and lie low after that many sedatives. not fun for me, but good for my body. apparently. the uphill part of the journey wasn't that hard, surprisingly. it was basically just like the first few days of our long route to the treasure at the top of the mountain. I did almost fall though, so that was pretty fun. I decided to back up the more long winded way after that, just to spice up the hike.

the forest part was where things got more frustrating. there were gigantic mosquitos with purple dots on their body everywhere, and we kept tripping over vines and things. we did get to see a couple of impressive deers though. there were little flower buds and patterns in their antlers and I could have sworn their eyes had little star constellations swirling around in the pupils. no one else believed me when I told them. as expected. there was also this very big, very suspicious, very flashy and very smelly flower thing. it smelled like corpses. we all bolted out of there as fast as we could just in case the stink wasn't just a quirky biological aroma.

we ran into the Intensities sometime before we got to camp. a couple of us were really upset at them, including Katya and her friends. mostly they were mad at them for the whole kidnapping fiasco. I was a bit * too. they did kidnap me and Katya and sedate us. though from their point of view it must have just been a logical decision - they're obviously a bit shady, and two Survivalists coming across their camp and potentially finding out about whatever plans they have would definitely not be a good thing. so they did the logical thing and captured us to make it look like we went missing on purpose, and so on.

not long after everyone else went to sleep (I was too busy cleaning up one of Fuzz's messes), one of them came over and hid just in the border of the trees. I tried to ignore them. it was always best to let people assume you didn't know they were there, so they'd drop their guard. that's what one of my professors told me, at least.

unfortunately, that plan failed because they'd noticed that I'd noticed. they gestured for me to come over, but I shook my head. no way was I going to come with them a second time. the Intensity gave up and turned back to the trees. strange, considering how determined they usually were.

okay, I'm back in my tent and ready to sleep. only thing is, is that there's a piece of paper (a note, maybe?) on my sleeping bag. and since I don't knw anyone else who would sneak into my tent instead of talk to me, I'm willing to bet it's from the Intensities. so I opened it, because despite curiosity killing the cat, satisfaction brought it back (my friend says that, but I think the cat just had an identical twin).

We apologize for kidnapping you and the other Survivalist (Katya, was it?). It was a hasty decision and we shouldn't have done that.

In return, you're welcome to visit our camp anytime. The place will be revealed every night to you in case you might want to come. There should be a piece of paper with the location under this note.

Again, sincerest apologies,
The Intensities.

that's what it said, anyways. weird. what are they even planning to do? ambush me? I guess I'll write a reply or something and stick it on Fuzz's horns.

Eon's reply:
no thanks, I'd rather not be ambushed. and don't come into my tent without permission, which you'll never get.

go away,
from Eon.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Dec. 2, 2021 00:48:04)

Galaxy_Awesome

MC Daily for Nov. 18! "Go to https://www.chosic.com/random-songs-generator-with-links-to-spotify-and-youtube/ and generate a random song! Listen to the song and find a phrase or lyric that you like and use that as your prompt!! Write 600 words for 800 points!“
Song: Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
Phrase/Lyric: ”But there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew"
Words:

Moira backed away slowly. No, no, no, no, no.
This can't be happening.
The human, mundane man in front of her smirked toothily. The sight of it made her blood boil, and she clenched her very human fist.
“So, Miss Moira…” he drawled. Moira wanted to punch his teeth out, but she held back. He had her sealskin - if anything happened to it, she'd be doomed. Somewhere in the trees behind her, the sounds of Alaric popping back to a humanoid form reached her ears. “Looks like this is your skin, eh?” the man said.

She glared at him. “Give it back, right now.” she demanded in her steadiest voice. He shook his head and whistled playfully, leaning on a tree.
“Nu-uh-uh, I don't think so, Missy,” holding it up like it was simple trophy and not a key part of her being, he swung it around, water dripping rhythmically onto the grassy floor. “You know, my wife and I have been in need of a new servant lately… who knows, perhaps you'll get the job!”
“You can't force me to do anything against my will. It's a violation of my world's laws,” said Moira, looking him straight in the eye, as if challenging him.

The man laughed mockingly. "Silly, silly, little seal… have you forgotten that I'm not a part of your world?“ he rolled his eyes, turned on his heel, and began to walk away. As Moira stayed rooted to her spot, he muttered a curse under his breath and waved her sealskin threateningly. ”Come on, Missy Moira, we haven't a long time to ready a spot in the servant's barracks for you!“
She shook her head. No way was she going to be some rich couple's personal helper. Not unless she did it of her own accord. The man opened his mouth, about to order her to come immediately, but was cut off by a low growling.

”That's enough," said someone, stepping up behind her and fixing a furious look at him. Alaric. Moira grinned down at her best friend. Truthfully, Alaric was usually not that intimidating, but this time he'd mussed up his shoulder length hair, bared his fangs, drawn himself up, and tried to make himself seem as wild and scary as possible. Plus, he hadn't had any blood for a week or so, so there was a slight light of hunger in his eyes.
Moira was grateful nonetheless.

Whipping around, the shocked man frowned unhappily. “Oh, and who might this be, eh?” he asked her. She huffed at him, stepping forward to reclaim her skin, her body, the thing he had no right to be holding in his hand and using as a bargaining piece in the first place. He moved backwards, hand reaching for his pocket. Alaric hissed.
“Well,” he said boldly. "I happen to be Moira's friend.“
The man rolled his eyes. ”Her friend, you say?“
The vampire took a deep, deep, steeling breath. When he opened his eyes again, the bloodlust in his eyes had grown to a stewing storm. ”Yes, her friend. And if you don't give her skin back right now, you have much, much worse things to worry about than lack of servants,"

Moira watched with bated breath as the stupid, foolish man in front of her pulled out a pocket knife. He held it close to her, her sealskin, ready to cut into it at a moment's notice.
That monster.
In normal circumstances, Moira would have been the first to pounce, to snatch it back. But these weren't normal circumstances; a man had her seal skin and she would be nowhere near fast enough to grab it before he stabbed the knife into it. So this time, Alaric took the lead.

In barely a flash and a blink of an eye, her friend was lunging at the man, sending the knife flying out of his grip and the two of them tumbling onto the grass. The man cried out in pain, but didn't have time to as Alaric rammed his knees into his chest, sharp nails slashing. The human gasped in pain.

And Moira only watched as a hidden, feral side of her best friend come to light, apparently triggered by her being put in danger.
If this is what it takes for Alaric to be less reserved, she commented internally. Then maybe I should do dangerous things more often.

Last edited by Galaxy_Awesome (Nov. 18, 2021 13:00:29)

Galaxy_Awesome

Character Notes:

Alaric
List of abilities:
- Turning others
- Wall/ceiling/roof crawling
- Turning into a bat
- Natural healing
- Heightened senses, speed, strength
- Low-effect/light charming/hypnosis
- Levitation

Weaknesses:
- Fire
- Garlic
- strong UV light
- Hindrances (counting impulsively, needing an invitation, water)

(tba)

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 19! “Woah, sorry guys I forgot to wake you up early. It's ten AM… Wow this is so weird… I'm rested? Anyway, we're getting insanely close to the top! We're so close to the treasure - but so are the Intensities. I'll pass out some simple weapons today, ONLY use them if you have to. Just another ten miles, I want us to save our energy just in case we need it for something. Alright, let's move!” {Write 200 words based on this to earn your steps!}
Words: 497 words

today was a pretty slow day. only ten miles, nothing more. the only interesting things are that we woke up at ten AM, and one other thing. Oh, and Rella told us that we needed to be “extremely protective of our goats”, which is also what she said yesterday. And that was all a little uncalled for, really, because the goat fiasco wasn't that serious. Fuzz is fine. well, as fine as he can be when I'm pretty sure he has brain damage from how eggheaded he acts. he think my hair is grass! it took me an hour to get all the slimy goat drool out of my hair! hm, it's getting a bit long now, maybe I should cut it.

oh, and that one other thing was that Rella wanted to talk to Katya, alone. privately. I don't know why, but it's a little unfair. it was obviously something about the Intensities. I think. but why wasn't I talked to too then? I got kidnapped as well. I got kidnapped while looking for Katya. what's up with the exclusion lately? that was yesterday, though, and not today. I didn't have enough time to write last night.

Rella gave us weapons. small, simple weapons, and smart just in case the Intensities decide to do something, but a bit of a stupid decision. half of us aren't trained in using weapons, and most of us are minors. I don't know much about American laws, but isn't it at least a little bit against the law? or is it only against the law to use them?

on another hand, the Intensities gave me another two notes. they ignored mine, but I know they've read it. they stuck them in my bag though, which is better than before. all the first note had was a set of directions leading to the location of their campsite, plus a few more apologies. I still don't know what they're trying to do. the second note told me they needed help finding and making a shelter in their campsite, since apparently one of them lost their tent.

is it still an ambush? why would they do that when it's clear I know what they're up to?

maybe it's not an ambush. I don't think it is at this point. I guess going over to help would be fine. I'm not that mad at them. not mad enough to leave some guy to have to squeeze in in another person's tent and not have comfortable sleep until they get off the mountain, at least. I'm not dumb either, though, so I'll leave a trail just in case.

okay, I'm back. it turns out they really did just want help. aside from asking me a few weird but not suspicious questions and telling me a few weird things, (“maybe you should come here more often, you're pretty skilled,” - what was up with that?), everything went pretty smoothly.

I'm still a little upset at them, though.

Galaxy_Awesome

In-Cabin Challenge for Nov. 20! “Close your eyes! Now, open! The first thing you see is your only weapon against a powerful dragon. What will happen? 350 words and share in the comments to get your steps!”
Weapon: A baseball bat
Words: 516

I look up at the huge, towering dragon in front of me. It roars and scorches white hot flames onto the roofs of the houses around. That's the moment I realised. I would never stand a chance against a creature that majestic and powerful with a mere baseball bat as my only weapon. Perhaps it would be better to talk to it instead, or simply run away. It lands in front of me before I have a chance to decide, dust and smoke billowing like curtains.
The dragon tilts its head. “Might you be the legendary hero foretold to bring me down?” it asks. “You seem awfully small and easy to burn,”

I bite my lip and glance around. No one is there to help or bail me out of this situation. “Uh,” I say, fiddling with the wooden, flammable bat. “Yeah, I think I am,”
The dragon laughs heartily, throwing back its head. “You are not very sure, are you, spindly one?”
Frowning, I cross my arms. “I'm not- I'm not spindly! You're just huge!” I gasp out.
“Mhm,” it hums, flicking its claw at a house, sending it crumbling down. Its snout looks rather punchable at that moment despite the size. A noise makes its way out of my throat, and I grumble annoyedly.
“I wouldn't be able to fight you anyway,” I reason, slowly inching away. Maybe I can escape before it mauls me. “Only thing they gave me is a baseball bat,”

The dragon snorts. “Of course it is,” it booms. “You're welcome to climb on my back, you know. I would be honoured to carry you out of here,”
That was unexpected. “What?”
“I am not without honour, spindly one,” Great. That nickname again. “I would not hurt an innocent person,”
What a hypocrite. I scoff. “You literally burnt this village do-”
It cuts me off. “But I have made sure all the innocents and children are not currently here. Think: have you seen kids about? It is the Elderin of this village wo have done me wrong, taking my belongings and hunting my family down,”
“But… they said you massacred thousands of other villages!” I retort, gripping my bat. “They said you were a threat to humanity!”

It laughs again, shuffling closer to me. I hold my ground. Someone needs to listen to its side of the story, and since no one else brave enough is around it has to be me. “Only because they too, hurt me and my children,”
I sigh. “Fine, I'll get on your back, but only if you don't fling me off!” It nods, and positions itself so I can scramble onto its scaly back amidst the flames and fires.

As we rise up, up, up above the clouds, I look down at the burning village. It's true: there aren't many people left there, only the Elderin. I meet the betrayed eyes of one who is on the clocktower.
“I'm sorry for what they did to you,” I mumble to the dragon.

It hums. “No matter, spindly hero. You have nothing to be sorry for,”

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 20! “Okay, so, it was brought to my attention many of you do not know how to use a weapon. Which means… training time! Do I care if you know how to use it? NOPE! Everyone is going to receive some training - after our five mile hike through the thick jungle. There should be a pretty neat cave where we can stay the night at and do our training, so be on the lookout for that. I actually have some… er- requirements to take care of, but I will meet you guys at the cave at noon. Don't get lost, don't be late, and good luck. See y'all soon!” {Write 400 words based on this to earn your steps!}
Words: 516

just five miles today, apparently. not much, even for everyone else. the jungle was very crowded though, so we had to move slowly and carefully, just in case we accidentally disturbed some of the animals. by the time we got out, everyone's limbs were cracking and numb from moving slower than a sloth. our goats weren't very happy either, so there's that. we had to keep shushing them. goats are very loud and a bit of a danger to the whole “silent, slow and sneaky” aspect of it all. once or twice we couldn't stop them, though. we jus hurried from the spot we were in when they bleated as fast as we could.

the moment we reached our cave a couple of us collapsed. turns out that being slow and quiet can be just as tiring as going fast or doing a twenty mile hike. thankfully Rella let us rest for a bit (she collapsed too). we all shared stories and had lunch while we did. Fuzz stole some of my sandwich even though I was hungry. is it possible to put a goat in time out? Fuzz has been misbehaving a lot recently and I can tell he really needs it. is there such a thing as goat training school? maybe I should get him signed up for one.

the next surprise came after our heavenly break time. evidently, not all of us knew how to use weapons. so our great leader Rella decided to give us training. normally it would be fine, but this is not normal. it's just a mountain and the Intensities here, and we've managed so far, so why do we need to be able to use weapons now? plus, she's teaching ten year olds (ten!) how to use a pocket knife offensively. again, I'm worried about the legality of doing this. I brought it up, of course, but she said it's fine, so there's not much I can do about it anyway.

luckily I already have a few weapons. yes, they're just a slingshot and a pocket knife, but it should manage.

the Intensities invited my to their camp again. it was a bit further this time, but no harm came out of going there yesterday, so I did it. they said something about a celebratory campfire party for how close they had gotten to the top of the mountain. since it sounded fun, I went and brought a few of my own snacks with me. it was kind of nice there, actually. I even found out why they're here. it looks like they want to get the treasure, same as everyone else.

their leader is nice. they thanked me for helping out yesterday and told me I could come over anytime. and since I don't really want the treasure, I told them they could have my share of the treasure if the Survivalists got it first. maybe I'll even be able to talk Rella into giving splitting the treasure with them.

it's only fair. after all, they worked just as hard to get up here as we did.

Galaxy_Awesome

SJE Entry 21! “Fourteen miles left~ We'll be at the top. I'll give more information tomorrow about our plan, but basically we're gonna find a base and hang out there until we locate the treasure, which might involve a journey or quest of some kind. For today, we'll be traveling through muddy, rainy conditions followed by clear skies a view of a huge bird migration in the evening. That'll be amazing, so be on a look out for that. Also, if you find a Intensity, please talk to me. There's several things going on that keep becoming more complicated, but I think I can sort it all out in a fair way. I just need information. A'right, follow me!”{Write 400 words based on this to earn your steps!}
Words: 653

I really, really don't like mud. it sticks to my fingers and legs and it's very, very uncomfortable to walk around in. of course, the terrain we had to walk through today didn't care and was all muddy anyway. it's not really the terrain's fault, though. it can't help being muddy. the only thing is, there were patches of quicksand. quicksand! a few of us nearly drowned in it! I did step in a patch, but luckily I realised soon enough and managed to get out by myself, since the other older campers are helping the younger ones get through them. the rain wasn't much better, honestly. it made walking in the mud about a hundred times harder.

Rella might act suspicious and abandon us to do her own thing and “requirements” sometimes, but she was right about one thing. the bird migration really was amazing! there were thousands of them, all flying about in the air towards north. or north-east, I'm not really sure. it's very hard to keep track of things like that on this mountain, especially since I lost my compass somewhere (even if I may or may not have a feeling a certain goat definitely not named Fuzz ate it. he has a habit of eating things that should not be eaten. maybe I need to get his eyes checked? he seems to think things that aren't food are food a lot of the time).

anyway, Rella told us to talk to her if any of us say an Intensity, which I will not do. it's a hard no to her (at least for now). I won't tell her every thing every time I even look at an Intensity, because they haven't done many things wrong (aside from the kidnappings, which they told me was a panicked mistake) and because she won't tell us everything either. she's never told us what she does when she goes off on her own for a while, and she's never really told us everything about why she's going off alone. it could be dangerous and end up with her dead, for all we Survivalists know!

okay, I may have gone a little overboard with that one. I didn't mean to rant about Rella. she's not that bad, really. it's only that she can get a little frustrating sometimes. but she's still a good person and a good leader. she's smart and talented and she knows what she's doing and how to lead a whole gaggle of adventurers, treasure hunters, and wannabe's, all with extremely different skill sets, personalities, ages, and experience. I respect Rella for that, I do. I think I'm just still a little frustrated that she left me behind back when I was held hostage, but still bothered to go and get Katya back.

wait, I should get going. I just found the note the Intensities left me with directions to their camp, and this time they're saying that the real celebratory party is going to start soon. Be back later.

okay, I'm back and a little tired from the party. it was pretty exciting. I got to meet a couple more Intensities and they discussed their plans for what to do to find the exact location to the treasure. it's pretty much the same as the Survivalist's one, where we all go around and comb the area and stay there until we do. for some reason, though, the Intensities were all mud free. according to them, there's another, much safer route to take. I don't know why Rella chose the mud and quicksand path, but I hope she did it for a good reason.

the Intensities have been having some trouble with locating the possible area of the treasure, so I promised to help them as much as I can while still helping my own group.

after all, the Survivalists will still be my first priority.

Galaxy_Awesome

In Cabin Daily for Nov. 21! “What's your favorite animal? Your least favorite? Combine the two to create a brand-new creature! Write 200 words describing what it looks like!”
Favourite Animal: Blue-Tongued Lizard
Least Favourite Animal: Mosquitoes
Words: 208

I'm not entirely sure what it would look like, but maybe the lizard's belly area becomes the place where it stores blood that has been sucked from its victims? I'd imagine it's about the length of a twelve year old's arm, but much more skinny. The lizard's blue tongue becomes a glowing, shining blue mouthparts, also known as a mosquito's stylets. It practically looks eyeless, with eyes so small you can barely see them. Its bones are hollow, to make for easier flight, and the claws of the lizard become much, much sharper. They cling to you like a bird's claws would.

Its wings protrude from the top of its back, and when it flies its body slouches slightly. The wings are see through, and all four of them line the creature's back. The body itself is scaly but smooth, slick, and slippery. Striped much like most mosquitoes's bodies, it has a distinct stripe pattern, with one thick black stripe, two thin white stripes after that, one thin blue stripe, a thin black one, and lastly a thick white one following it. As far as is concerned, no other animal has this specific pattern, yet it has proven to be consistent among all known variants of this species.

Galaxy_Awesome

MC Daily for Nov. 22! “Google Translate Song Day! Take some lyrics from any song at all, and put it through Google Translate at least 5 times. Try putting it through as many times as it takes to make your song unrecognizable. Then write a short story based off of your new weird lyrics! 400 words for 500 points. 200 more points if you share your writing!”
Lyrics: “We are the jack-o-lanterns in July,
setting fire to the sky,
here, here comes the rising tide”
- The Phoenix, by Fall Out Boy
Translated (English-Indonesian-Czech-Latin-Swedish-Welsh-Scottish Gaelic-French-English): “We are the starting lanterns for July;
the air is burning
You see the tide is coming”
Words: 610

Words flashed on the screen, but Lumen couldn't focus on them. His eyes hurt, his head throbbed, and the only thing he could sense was the beat beat beat of his heart.
“Water,” he croaked out.
“Of course,” his father said, grabbing a glass of water from the nearest surface, not caring if it knocked over some flower vases. Lumen choked it down, breathing a sigh of relief as the cool, smooth water ran down his throat. Finally.
His hand moved, scrambling for his glasses. The moment they were put on, he turned to the screen, where the same words were again flashing and flickering. Normally, there would be a news broadcast at around this hour. Now, there was only a blank white screen with black phrases repeatedly appearing on it.

BREAKING NEWS: THE APOCALYPSE IS COMING. WE URGE ALL CITIZENS TO STAY SAFE AND RUN TO THE CLOSEST CITY BUNKER. AVOID BEING IN AN OPEN AREA FOR TOO LONG.

Father and son met each other's eyes.
“Lumen,” said his father. “We need to go, now.” He pulled him, up, despite Lumen's protests.
“But Dad,” he said. “Isn't it safer in here?”
His father shook his head. “No, Lumen, we need to go to the bunker,” yanking him onto his feet, his father ran out the door, only to-
BOOM!
Only to be thrown back by a violent explosion that rocked Lumen's whole body. Fire crawled through the sky and clouds, smoke filled his lungs. He scrambled at his father's body.
“Dad!” he screamed, jerking back as a burst of fire poured down from above, separating the two.

Someone ran past him. “Get out of here, kid!” they shouted, too busy running for their own life to go back and help him. Lumen took one last glance back at his father's limp body, then turned to follow. He was a loyal kid, but a smart one first and foremost. His father would only be disappointed if he got himself killed trying to save both of them.

.

Five years later, Lumen sighed, flicking on a lighter and lighting the candle inside of the lantern he held. Not many people had the resources to waste materials on making paper lanterns these days, and truthfully he sometimes didn't either. But the tradition of lighting a lantern on the anniversary of the apocalypse had become too important for most to ignore. Thousands had died that day, Lumen's dad being only one of the plentiful casualties.

A few had passed in the bunker moments after they got in, too injured to go on. Most had died outside, fighting their way to safety. Hundreds more went when an enormous tidal wave had bucketed down from the sky, drowning them.

He had been lucky to survive. Now, only either the fortunate, strong, or sneaky were left.

Lumen glanced around him at the people, regardless of all differences, who had gathered together in the city square, each holding a small lantern in their hands. This year, it was his turn to lead the ceremony.

He cleared his throat. “On this day, five years ago, many of us lost those we loved. But today, we are here to commemorate them, remember them, and make sure their legacies will live on forever. Today, I'm honoured to announce the official start of July, and the start of a day, a day where we hold the memories of the ones we loved and lost close to our hearts.”

“In three,”

He held out his lantern.

“Two,”

He raised it up to the sky.

“One,”

Lumen pushed it up, letting gravity and wind take hold. He smiled mournfully.
Rest in peace, Dad.

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