free space XD

ok so i started writing this yesterday and it really helped me get back into the swing of things :3
So here is the first piece of Swc-verse fanfiction for march 2022!

Laughing, i hug my Mum goodbye, “it’s just this month Mother! I’ll be back before you know it.”
She holds me tight for a good few seconds before pulling away. “I do wish you would call me Mummy,” she says smiling as she referenced a recurring quarrel between the two of us.
At this, i grin and fingergun “Not a chance!” and put my hand over the sensor by the airship door before i’m tackled by two small humans. “Hey! “ I tap both of my little sisters lightly on their heads, “you’re going to make me fall out of the ship and starting camp with a broken limb would not be the best thing i’ve ever done.”
“I’m not entirely sure they would let you in,” Callie reflected, her brow furrowed in thought.
At that, Iris’ face lit up, “ yes! Break your arm so you don’t have to go! It’s perfect! Thanks lil sis!” she pats a smug Cal on the head.
I hurriedly detach myself from the small ones , “No that would not be a good idea Iris. Besides,” i say happily, “i’m sure they’ll be able to mend broken limbs in whatever cabin i’m in, isn’t that right vines?” The tiny green snake poking out of my head hisses in agreement . Callie shies away to hide behind my mother the moment Vines moves and i vow to get her more comfortable around my slithery friend the moment camp is over.
I finally bid them all goodbye, exit the airship and am plunged into darkness.

I fall a short drop, jarring my ankles as i land. I start to freak out before the cool edge of a crystal against my chest reminds me why i don’t have to stay in darkness, I focus on the work light and sure enough a pale, white glow emits from under my jumpsuit, a courtesy of living in the sci-fi universe , and i fumble around to produce the crystal i found all those sessions ago: back when i didn’t have Vines or the small zipline pin that rests on my collar and i was just starting out on my swc journey. A cool lick brings me back from my reminiscing session, “you’re right Vines.” I admit, “ task now, nostalgia later.”
A quick hiss tells me i’ve chosen the right decision and i proceed to fumble through the darkness.

After a while, the light from the crystal gets brighter and It illuminates the carvings on the floor i stand on showcasing, books, trees, statues, all made out of tiny intricate words. And strangely, white crystals that start to glow slightly when they come into contact with the light. I take a few more steps before the floor beneath my foot sinks slightly and a net sweeps me up.

*! A boobey trap??? I sign and look at the net i’m tangled in to see if any plausible escape ideas decide to present themselves. Unfortunately, before i’d had time to fully think up a plan, a sharp light comes on and I’m greeted by a tall figure with grey-blue hair, round glasses and a green blouse striding towards me.
“Add boobey traps she said, they’d add more risk she said. God Honey In the dark! What were you thinking??” she talked to herself exhasperatedly before noticing me starting at her. “Sorry about this, I’m Birdi the host for this session and i promise you it was not my idea to bring in boobey traps.” she stamps her foot down onto a pressure plate, releasing myself from the net and sending me sprawling on the floor.
“Not to be rude, but i have alot of things to be planning , a Host’s work is never done! The choosing ceremony is over there and this time, stick to the glowing crystals” she gestures to an archway on my right and hurries off as the lights go out again.

I awkwardly pick myself up and shake my head laughing softly. This was going to be one heck of a season. My gaze then flits to the crystals on the floor, now glowing softly in the pitch blackness. “Stick to the glowing crystals.”
I walk along them, eager to not get caught again and soon find myself in the wake of a tall stone archway, similarly carved with symbols portrayed by intricate words and surrounded by the white crystals that light up the dark room. I walk in beyond it and the ground sinks beneath me again.
Panicking, i scramble to the side, anticipating the oncoming net. Instead, it englufs me in light and the temporary blindness sends me spinning to the floor.

When at last i open my eyes, I’m in quite a different location that the one i was in a second ago. The ground below me is covered in grass and layers upon layers of moss cover the walls with thick vines hanging down and a silvery substance swirling in the air. Along all the walls of this round room, i see trees. Some high and tall, some squat and sprawling and at the roots of each, a glimmering gem with an inscription on it that ,as i come closer to a dark oak with shimmering green leaves and weird carvings of chicken feet, says ‘fairytales’. Another made of out acacia with deep blue leaves and questionmarks dotted all over is ‘adventure’ and ,although i can’t read it from here, the tall, metal birch with jagged white leaves can only be sci-fi .

My eyes flit from tree to tree, my brow furrowed in thought as i decide. Then, out of the corner of my eye, i spot it. The tree is wide as it is tall and seems to be made out of three trees smushed together. One is a deep brow oak covered in compass points, another is a Laurel covered in tiny golden flecks and the third is a holly bush with the spikes on the leaves made out of what seems to be metal. I walk over to it and -out of habit- tap one of the spikes with my finger “ow!” instead of the normal prick, the metal drives into my finger, drawing blood and making me take a step back ,sucking my now bleeding finger. “This is definitely the one.”
I take a step forward, place my hands on the crystal and am engulfed in light and thrown to the wind

Lax slips out of their spaceship. As the darkness envelops them, they can't help but smile, practically vibrating in excitement.
Soon, a new session would start! Grabbing their starpad, they shine a light on the intricately carved floor and the white crystals in-set among the thousands and thousands of words. Carefully, they edge around some pressure plates.

Glancing up at the large tree in the centre of the room, Lax wanders to the trunk, marked “November 2021 session”. Taking hold of the sturdy Adventure cabin branch of the tree, they inspect the little books and journals hanging off of it, flipping through the memories.
They smile wistfully, thinking back to the wonderful time they'd had in Adventure only a few months ago.

'Time for the choosing ceremony,' whispered the voices in the wind.
“Time for the choosing ceremony!” Lax echoes to themself, grinning.

As if on cue, the white crystals set into the floor glow with a sudden intensity, so strong it was both blinding and beautiful. They snake in paths to the back of the cavern, where a strong stone archway stands tall and imposing. Lax follows the crystals, counting them as they go, from one, to two, to three, to thirty when they finally reach it. They look up.

The crystals and the symbols flash at their eyes, searching. For a moment, Lax thinks they might be different colours.
Red for Mystery, black for Horror, a beatiful sea green for Myth. Twelve symbols, twelve crystals. One for each cabin.
Then, the moment passes, and the crystals are white and the symbols not glowing, and Lax wonders if it was a trick of the light.

Deep down, they know it wasn't.

Breathing deep, they muster the energy to go forward. The light wraps itself around them in a tight blindfold. Soon, it's gone, leaving only an afterimage. Lax blinks - once, twice - and it disappears. They laugh in delight at the sight in front of them. It's wonderful - there are simply no other words to describe it.

Soft, tall grass and ferns completely cover the floor, and winding plants too tall to be possible rise up into the sky (for it looks as if there is one. The domed ceiling is blue, bright blue, and real, actual clouds drift below it). Moss and hanging ivy trail along the walls, forming patterns so complex Lax could hardly believe it was real moss.

The air vibrates with a silvery rhythm they attribute to SWC magic. It fizzes and tingles as it lands on their tongue. They laugh again, looking around at the trees that circle them, each one so very different, from the hard scrap metal of Sci-Fi, to the Thriller palm tree, with its very own little mini island. At first, the Fairy Tales tree draws Lax closer. They eye the witch's hat hung among the branches with a quirked eyebrow and interest on their face.

They glance at another tree. It is frail, and stick-thin, and dark and black and charred, the reaching branches seemingly capable of moving as a hand. There is pavement in the place of grass, where it stands. Roots peek out between the worn bricks. Lax grins. The perfect combination of eerie and tempting. This was Horror's tree.

Now, that would be a good choice, they think. Never have they been in Horror; perhaps it would be a nice experience. The offer is rather enticing, to say the least.

Yet, another tree quickly pulls itself to their attention. They're not even sure if it's one tree or more, but it quickly wins over the Fairy Tales tree. The three seperate trees twist together in a way that pulls them close and also tears them apart, like the indecision of a set of siblings and the connected yet divided groups they each lead. The tiny golden flecks of the laurel shine out brightly, and the three colours all blend in a way so pleasing to the eye.

Lax approaches it with certainty. They place their tentacles on the crystal set smack dab in the centre of the trees, the spot where they twist together the tightest, where hard, brittle bark meets the sharp edge of a carefully hand-cut crystal.
Lax closes their eyes.

The wind whips around them, and whisks them away.

ok so this was in part another update but also in part the in-cabin daily so enjoy!

I wake up to the warm feel of fluffy blankets and soft, cotton pillows. Sitting up, i yawn and stretch out my back muscles feeling the little pops in my spine. I shake my head around and “Ow!” crick my neck. So much for being wholesome and stretching this morning. Wincing, i get out of bed and pull on my clothes which consist of a white blouse, dark green jeggings, knee high boots and ,best of all, an oversized leather jacket with a golden laurel embroidered into the pocket ; it’s so soft…….
I pull my hair into a ponytail, wishing i had lax here to plait it and secure my pompoms: now hanging from the hairband that keeps my ponytail in place. When i jiggle my head, they bounce up and down and make me laugh which was the desired effect.

I run under the tree-framed door that guards my room and into the common area of Fort Protector. The walls are lined with tree-like columns supporting a ceiling above that’s covered in spongey moss and twisting vines and the air smells warm and comforting. In the middle of the room, instead of a fire, is a hole out of which pours purple steam that’s carefully funneled out of the room so it doesn’t become too humid in here.

I walk over and notice a contraption that sits alongside the pit. It’s made out of wood, strings and levers and -as i walk closer- it lifts out a tray using a pulley system that would give sci-fi a run for it’s money and a girl with loose honey-blonde hair, a green turtleneck and a golden laurel pin that says ‘cheif protector Katie’ pulls something from the tray and glances up at me .
“Did you have a nice sleep?” she askes with a mischevous glint in her eye, “we thought you’d never wake up and were stuck in some kind of coma. Erie,” she gestures to a girl on the opposite side of the room perched on a table, eating a sandwich, “ was considering putting you on a drip of some sort to make sure you stil ate breakfast.” she chuckles and places a pastry in a woven tissue into my hand. “It’s a cinnamon bun,” she explains, “with glazed icing drizzle and a hint of lemon zest. They’re the best thing for mornings.”

I grin and take a bite of the sticky bun. The sweet flavours of cinnamon and icing swamp my tongue and i find myself sighing in appreciation. Then i take another bite, this time trying to cram as much of it into my mouth as possible.
“While you’re trying to finnish that mouthful, I suppose i can take advantage of the situation to tell you what you’re going to do today.” Katie laughs as she explains that, “Today you’ll be on seed sewing duty from 10-12. That might sound like dull work but the seeds are very special and not only give us food but also more buildings and battle defences should any of the other divisions attack us.” i remember that lax is in one of those divisions and shudder ‘i really don’t want to fight my best friend.’
Katie continues “ then it’ll be lunch but from 2-4 you’ll be given a few magic seeds and a knife and will be in the woods as will we all be, looking for lost shards of our talisman,” she gestures to the two golden leaves hanging from her neck on a piece of string, “ then we’ll all come back, asses for wounds and i’ve planned a boardgames night!”

A bit short, but I got an energy spurt and just had to write!

Back in the Adventurer's Campsite, Laxy yawns, stretching. It was around four in the morning, and they did not want to be awake. At all. The sun was barely up, for goodness sake! They sigh.
“Come on, Adventurers!” cheers Chief Adventurer Luna from outside. “If we hurry, we can catch the earliest hours of day and watch the sunrise, way before the other division!”

Groaning, Lax eyes their pillow. It would be so tempting to just mimic it and get to sleep in the moment everyone left, but… oh, well. It would be better to just do what Luna said. She was their leader, after all. Hopefully the sunrise would be worth it.
And so they get up, hardly believing themself. Dressing hurriedly, Laxy stumbles into the area where all the other Adventurers gathered as they waited for the last few stragglers. Scanning the crowd, Lax smiles.

There were a few Adventurers they recognised, so thankfully they weren't alone here. First, there were Kit and Emmy, from last session. Laxy's hearts warms at the sight of them. Adventure Mountain had been a fun time.
Then, there were Sandy and Zai, who they'd seen around camp a few times before. Exhaling in relief, Laxy pulls themself out of their thoughts, just in time to catch Chief Luna herding all the others towards a worn path snaking between the trees.

Trailing along at the back, Laxy takes some time to watch and observe. The nature around them was fascinating. The tremble of the birds and their morning songs, and the rustle of leaves, and the faint pitter patter and crick crack of paws thudding against the branch-covered forest floor somewhere in the distance. In the middle of the forest, they knew they'd find the Protector's Fortress, standing tall and strong.

Lax kicks at some stray leaves on the ground. They had rather interesting colours. Perhaps they should keep them?
Yes, they decide, reaching down and pocketing the leaves. They were a perfect blend of fiery crimson, pumpkin orang, and a warm yellow. Taped to some pages in their sketchbook, they would no doubt be wonderful decorations for Lax to use.

Just as they made to straighten up and run after the rest of the Adventurers, something catches their eye. A familiar figure in the trees, not far away from them, seemingly searching the ground for something. Shards, maybe?
Laxy scrambles over, face lit up in pure delight.

“Air!?” they asked incredulously.
Air turns. “Laxy?!”

ok i haven't been writing recently so in order to simultaneously get the elemetal studio to be active and to add more words i decided to do this! :3
i'd love some feedback laxy, if you have any
Running through the forest, Air runs past trees, dips underneath vines and leaps over roots. They’d been in the fan-fi forest for far too long and needed to get out.
Dodging past another tree, they ran into the clearing filled with leftover tables from the priceps celebration and halted; their breath quick in their throat; to look around and remember what little they saw of the event having been cooped up in the fortress all the weekend.
“Guess there are some drawbacks to being an introvert.” they laugh to themselves. At the time, the celebration had seemed frightening and stressful but now it was deserted and peaceful.
They take a moment to breathe in the serenity of it all before remembering that they have things to be doing and places to be.

They sprint out of the clearing , leaping over a table as they go and race past the three trees leading to the main cabin and other places before halting at an unassuming willow. Air grins and reaches her hand into the knot before her short fingers grasp a handhold. She pulls and hears a click. Looking to the ground beneath her feet , Air notices that the roots have parted to reveal a hole with a shiny wooden floor about a ruler’s length down. They take a short breath of excitement and jump in feet first.
The wood beneath her is slippery and steep and quickly becomes a slide that she whizzes down. Feeling the rush of air by her face, a shout bursts out and soon she’s screaming the whole way down.

After a minute of sliding she comes to a halt as she thumps on the floor of round, dirt passageway. The air is lit by these small purple orbs of magic and she races along the familiar corridor while feeling small fluffy sparrow wings stubbornly pushing out of the carefully disguised slits in her oversized jacket and her round ears gain points. The jacket fades from the warm brown into a deep grey-blue and her boots shift into her navy converse. Vines slithers into an earcuff , the string holding her crystal becomes a silver chain ,the crystal etched with spiral as she turns a corner and pushes open the stone hatch above her. The tunnely instantly fills with water and she holds her breath, swimming to the top of the pool and breaking out through the surface into the water sector of the elemental studio.

She breastrokes to the side of the pool and shakes her sodden wings which weigh a tonne on their back . They look around the tall willows and myriad pools “hello? Is anyone hereeeeeee?”

♜ 2nd of July - Main Cabin Daily
937 words

Question: “Is my character's house haunted?”
Answer: “Ask again later,”

Reed was never one to believe in ghosts. They weren't real, obviously - there was always one logical explanation or another. It honestly ruined the immersion, because while he could entertain the idea of them, and enjoy the occasional ghost story, he had just… never been able to get into them the same way his peers had.

When his friends told ghost stories around a campfire, Reed preferred to busy himself with more plausible tales, though no less unsettling or scary. Like those of stalkers, always watching, never leaving, just out of sight. Or abandoned labs, filled with mutilated monsters of former humans.

Point was, Reed Redmond did not believe in ghosts. Not one bit.

Yet, as he slowly shuffled through his dinky, dirty old basement with trailing whispers and cries lilting on the nonexistent wind, doubts began to creep into Reed's mind. The cold air curled around him like a lingering hand, and white flickered at the edges of his vision. Reed shivered.

“It's just the vents,” he mumbled to himself, gripping his woolly blanket closer to his body. Closer and closer, he inched towards a corner. Shadows of pleas and wailing stung Reeds ears as he searched for and finally snatched a box of spare batteries. “It's just the vents,” he repeated, as though it was anything but an empty mantra.

He walked hurriedly towards the stairs.

"WAIT! No- No don't go, please don't go- I'll be all alone, please- NO!“ screeched a freezing voice, and Reed ran for it, stumbling, tripping, running up the stairs, heart pounding, the box of batteries rattling in his hand as at last he slammed the basement door shut and collapsed right where he stood, unable to shake the twinge of… something in his beating heart.

”That's it,“ he decided. ”I have to do something about this… whatever this is.“ It couldn't be a ghost, of course. It was just the vents, probably. Or one of the old broken radios lying amongst the junk. Ghosts weren't real.


Reed Redmond didn't believe in ghosts. But the screams and the begging that still rang through his mind so many hours after the incident in the basement haunted him, and what did ghosts do if not haunt?

.

The next morning, before his usual coffee, before even setting a foot outside of his bed, Reed picked up his phone and rang everyone who he knew could help fix the ventilation in his basement.
”Listen,“ he said, sorely regretting not getting his morning coffee first. ”I'm sorry, but I need you to fix it today. As soon as you can, actually. I can't- it's important,“

The person on the other end of the line sighed. ”Alright,“ she grumbled.

Five hours later, the vents had been checked, and nothing seemed amiss.
”-I'm positive,“ said the lady, hefting her equipment up into her car. ”There's nothing wrong with the ventilation. Best to ask us to again once you're sure there's a problem.“

Reluctantly, Reed nodded and closed the door. He sighed, grabbing his phone and calling someone else.

”Hey Kyle,“ he greeted. ”You busy today?“
His friend laughed. ”Yeesh, Redmond. Not even a ‘how’re you doing' to your best mate?“
Reed grinned, sitting down on a kitchen stool. ”Sorry, just kind of strung up tight today. Lots of work lately,“
”Alright, alright. Anyways, what's wrong? You don't usually call me in the middle of the afternoon. You need me to come over?“ Kyle asked.

He nodded, though he knew it was pointless. ”Yes, actually. Would you mind helping me check for any of my old busted-up radios in my basement? Something's been making a lot of noise down there these last few nights.“
Kyle clicked their tongue. ”Wouldn't mind a single bit, Redmond. I'm on my way.“
”Thanks, Kyle,“ smiled Reed.

.

Reed sighed, burying his head in his hands. ”Nothing?“ he asked, turning to Kyle. ”No radios, no DVDs or tapes we accidentally left on?“
Kyle shook their head, washing their hands free of all the dust and grime they had collected over the course of their search. ”Nope,“ they said, flicking the tap off. ”Sorry, Reed.“
He shook his head. ”No, no, it's fine,“ he replied. Kyle raised and eyebrow, then perked up.
”Hey, Redmond,“ they began. ”How ‘bout we set down some traps? That ought to catch whatever animal’s been bothering you,“

Once more, Reed shook his head. ”No… I don't see how a parrot could have made its way down there…“
They frowned. ”A parrot?“
Reed winced. ”Nevermind. It's okay, it's probably nothing. Thanks again, Kyle,“

Kyle's frown deepened as they packed up their things and moved towards the main room and the door leading outside. ”Okay,“ they conceded at last. ”Just… make sure to get some rest, alright, Reed? Plus, we can check again next week, if you'd like?“
”Alright, alright,“ Reed nodded, hurriedly shutting the door and seeing them off. Guiltily, he watched them drive away.

He sighed.

.

Later that night, a strange pull drew Reed out of his bed and to the basement door. He frowned, uneasiness creeping up on him.
”There's nothing down there,“ he told himself. ”No animals, no vent problems, no wonky radios or tapes. There's nothing down there,"
Even then, Reed could tell his words were a lie. But if they were true, as they had to be, then what was making the basement feel so wrong?



Reed Redmond didn't believe in ghosts. But maybe, this time, there was no other choice but to do so.

The door swung open, and the crying wails of a soul with a body long gone wafted out.

♜ 3rd of July - In-Cabin Daily
395 words

Sleep is important. I know, I know, it sounds like something a nagging parent would say. But it is, in fact, true! Sleeping gives us rest and boosts our energy levels in a way that not even breaks can. There is of course, a much more scientific explanation why this is and how it works, but unfortunately that is far too complex and I don't have the credentials to reliably explain it.

The first thing you need to know about sleeping in pursuit of regaining energy is that sleeping and naps are different. While naps also replenish your energy and make you less tired, actually sleeping for at least seven hours straight is much more efficient, and you'll find yourself feeling way better after it than you'd feel after a short nap.

Another reason why you should sleep is because it'll also boost your productivity. Sleeping gives your mind a metaphorical reboot, letting it rest while it collects more energy to use later when you wake up. This is why when you wake up, you'll not just feel fresher; you'll be fresher too. And all that energy you get when you sleep can be used for whatever you want to do after waking up.

Your brain will be in tip-top shape and performing at maximum productivity, you'll get more things done, your head will feel much, much clearer and less foggy, and you'll get whatever you want to get done better. Very preferable to the slowness and lack/inability to focus you'll feel is you don't sleep.

(Plus, more productivity means you can write better and more after you wake up. Wouldn't want to participate in camp while functioning on a sleep-deprived brain, would you?)

Other benefits of sleep include your emotions being more stable and controlled (less prone to irritability and outbursts of negative emotions), and your immune system functioning better (stopping or hindering you from contracting illnesses or feeling sick), which are all very helpful in everyday life.

In conclusion: sleep is important! And no matter how many things you have that need doing, it's far better to sleep first once you start to feel tired - it doesn't matter whether it's a short nap or seven or more hours sleep: better some than nothing. Though of course, if you can sleep properly for at least seven hours, you probably should.

♜ 3rd of July - Main Cabin Daily
349 words

(private/no proof)

♜ 4th of July - In-Cabin Daily
__ words

Fairy Tales merged with Horror

(tbw)

♜ 4th of July - Main Cabin Daily
602 words

Vague, 258 words:

“Hey Arrett, can you show me that thing from yesterday?”

Arrett glanced up. “…What?”
“You know,” said Stemni, darting closer and flicking his holographic screens away. She smiled, plopping herself in the chair beside him. “That thing you showed me?”
“My research-!” he protested, frantically pulling new holograms up. Arrett looked back at his friend. “I don't know what you're talking about, ‘Ni. What thing?”

The Wodseer Heir groaned. “The- the thing! Yesterday afternoon! On- on your ’Welcome to Earth' tour?” Stemni flopped dramatically onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling. “You tried giving it to Zyreph,”
Arrett raised an eyebrow. “…I gave a lot of things to you two yesterday,”

“Oh, right,” She laughed, pulling herself upright. “Hm- oh! You showed it to me while we were in your garden! It was green-”
“The… tree?”
"-and- no, it was smaller than that!“ Stemni replied, rolling her eyes.
”Flowers?“
She shook her head. ”It was smooth! And- and hollow, and it had holes, and-“
”…My Ma's green flower pot?“
”No!“ she exclaimed, bewilderment on her face. ”I- I think you didn't even show us your mother's flower pot, actually,“ Stemni laughed.

He sighed. ”Okay,“ said Arrett. ”Then what…?“

”She means this thing,“ a voice crashed in. Zyreph popped his head through the door, antennae twitching as he held in a grin. In his hands was-
”My watering can?“ Arrett said incredulously. ”What do you want with that?“
”Oh, nothing,“ Stemni laughed, a mischevous twinkle in her eye. ”Nothing potentially dangerous, anyway,“

”Sure." said Arrett disbelievingly.

Ambiguous, 344 words:

Casper sighed, staring at his reflection in his mirror.
“You can do this, Casper,” he told himself, breathing slow and steady just as his mentor had taught him. “You can do this. You're going to go out there, and you're going to do the best you've ever done. You're going to hold your bow steady, and make your family proud,”

He paled. “But what if I can't do this?” he whispered to himself, staring down at his shaking hands. “What if they get angry? And- and what if they start throwing the-” Casper shuddered. "The projectiles at me again, and I won't be able to dodge?“

”No.“ He said, finally. ”I will do this. I will go up there, and I will be brave, and they won't throw those things at me again. I'll be alright.“

”I'll be alright,“ Casper smiled. ”I'll be alright.“
He glanced down at the thing on his table and inspected it carefully, worry replacing his smile. ”I'll have to replace this,“ Casper mumbled, fingers trailing on the string. ”This could mean disaster…“

Again, the boy looked up at the mirror, anxiety seeping into his features. He groaned, burying his head in his hands. ”Why did they decide to put me on the front line? They know how bad of an idea that is. They know I'll mess things up! They know I might- I might drop my bow, or freak out, or- or- oh, I'm freaking out right now, aren't I?“

Behind him, Zack nodded, quietly shutting the door on his way in.
”Yeah, dude, you're definitely freaking out right now,“ he remarked, watching his friend slump in his chair. ”…Maybe you should take a break,“ Zack suggested. ”It's just a violin concert, remember? You've been to plenty of those, and you did great on most of them!“
Casper managed a weak grin. ”You're right,“ he said. ”It's just a concert. Just a concert.“

Zack slung an arm over his shoulder. ”See? That's it. Just a concert. Now, how about he grab some pizza?"

♜ 5th of July - Main Cabin Daily
563 words

Proverb: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

“Come here, little girl…” whispers a Doctor. You stiffen, hands grasping at the apples in your pockets. The dim lights flicker. “We only want to help you…”
Frantically, you shake your head.

No. The Doctors in this forsaken demon hospital don't want to help you, and you're well aware of what happens if they catch you.

The lights flicker again. You check your watch. Still two hours until visiting hours are over. You sigh, making your way to the only safe place in the entire building: the hospital lobby. The skin on the back of your neck prickles.

“Little girl…!” a Doctor hisses. You whip around, searching the shadows for them. Where there's one, there's always more. “It's time for your appointment…!”

Once more, the lights flicker. Eyes peer at you from above, and more from all around. Scratchy voices tear at your ears.

“Come on, little girl…”
“A sticker for when it's over…!”
“…It won't hurt a bit…”

The lights turn off.

Suddenly, you're surrounded. Demonic, distorted faces crowd around you, shallow imitations of reality, warped beyond recognition. Something happened to the doctors here.
“There you are, little girl!” one giggles, claws reaching out in mock reassurance.

Your hands clutch at an apple. You eye the Doctors in the hallway, one by one. There's dozens of them, so many that you can't count. And there's more too, lying hidden in the dark. You grip the apple tight-

And scarf it down.

The Doctors freeze in their steps. The ones hiding fall from the ceiling like rain, dropping like stones to the ground. The timer on your watch starts beeping.

30.

You take one last look at the frozen creatures around you. Motionless, waiting. Hungry.

29.

It's time to go.

28.

Pushing your way through the horde, you bolt towards the stairs. The elevators don't work - you've tried. Using the shafts only attracts more Doctors.

27.

26.

25.

The seconds tick by.

24.

23.

22.

You're on the third floor, by now. Still far from the lobby.

21.

20.

The pounding of your heart fills your ears. Your legs threaten to give out under you. Days of running begins to take its toll.

19.

18.

More Doctors come, attracted by your weakness. They shriek.

17.

You wolf down another apple.

16.

15.

14.

They stop in place, just like their kin standing still in a ring a floor above.

13.

12.

You breaths come in pants. You can barely breathe.

11.

The second floor is only a few more steps away. You force yourself to keep going.

10.

Sweat breaks out on your brow. More doctors arrive, hindered only by more apples eaten.

9.

The stairs leading to the lobby are dust and crumbled. You can hear the thundering of dozens more Doctors, come to take their kin's places.

8.

7.

Your pockets are significantly lighter. Emptier, too.

6.

You fall onto your knees.

5.

Tired. So, so tired.

4.

When will the running stop?

3.

The lobby is safe. There, you can stop. There, you can rest.

2.

With the last of your energy, you take the jump. Your legs buckle underneath you.

1.

"Welcome to the Happy Hospital lobby! Feel free to sit down while you wait for your appointment."

♜ 1st Weekly

♜ Part 1
851 words

Scenario: your character is meeting somebody they haven't seen in years.
Character:

Character Sheet for Xornoth (season 1 of Empires SMP), 195 words:

Pronouns: He/they
Sexuality: Gay
Species: Demon (formerly elf)

Good qualities: Determined, dedicated, motivated.
(former) good qualities: Loyal, caring, playful, teasing. A good older brother.
Bad qualities: Disloyal, uncaring, apathetic, manipulative, prone to violence and acts such as attempted genocide and attempted fratricide, cruel, ruthless, and arrogant.
(former) bad qualities: Unknown.

General view of life: Unknown

Relationships:
- romantic interest (one-sided. Xornoth doesn't return the feelings): Joey Graceffa
- family: Scott Smajor (younger brother), Shadow Girl/Shelby (implied cousin), Alinar (ancestor), Cohnal (ancestor)
- allies: Joey Graceffa (formerly), Mythical J. Sausage (formerly)
- enemies: Scott Smajor, Shrub Berry, Gemini Tay, Katherine Elizabeth, Aeor.
- other: Exor (god that he is the champion of)

Tendencies:
- Tends to taunt and bother others purely for fun
- Tends to act apathetic when reminded of his bad deeds
- Tends to toy with his victims
- Acts unaffected when he loses his allies
- Tends to mess with his brother
- Tends to not react well when he loses a battle.
Improvement: None.

Situations:
Losing an ally:
- Apathetic, if a little annoyed

The Ender Dragon being killed:
- Triumphant at being freed

Being put in a situation that endangers them/risks their existence:
- Usually somewhat prideful, claiming that it won't work

Getting or having the advantage in a fight:
- A little bit of gloating and taunting

Writing, 656 words:
Note: This is set after the season 1 finale - after Xornoth dies due to the soul link between him and Scott.

White.

The first thing that Xornoth saw when he woke up was white. All around them, stretching on and on and wrapping around them like an endless, bright, void. They frowned. What had happened?

Xornoth stared down at his hands. It was only then that he noticed something: a hole. A large, gaping hole in the middle of his chest, like he'd been stabbed with a sword clean through. Except Xornoth knew they hadn't been stabbed - not really, anyway, because at that exact moment-
-Their memories came flooding in.

As if having been struck, Xornoth recoiled, teeth bared and ears pressed down.
“Brother,” he cursed, growling. Thoughts of his brother and that darned Rune Blade whirred through their mind, but before they could let out their frustrations on the poor, innocent white limbo-void, a noise pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Hello?” whispered a voice, quiet and frail. Xornoth whirled around. In the distance floated… a person, her voice echoing through the white. “Who are you?”
Xornoth drifted closer. Close up, she looked less like a person and more… shadow-y. Like a mere impression of a normal being, made of living, bubbling shadows. And under those shadows, if they squinted, they could make out…

“Cousin?” Xornoth asked. His cousin frowned, blank white eyes narrowing in a mixture of fear, confusion and suspicion.
“What?” said Shelby, drawing back. “You- you're not my-” she paused. “…Sco- Xornoth?”
A growl made its way out of Xornoth's throat. "I'm appalled you'd even think I was him, cousin,“ He twitched, mindlessly tearing off one of the corruption vines that tangled around their horns with their claws.

Xornoth watched as Shelby shivered, choosing to ignore their words. ”Xornoth?“ she asked, eyeing the sword-shaped hole in her cousin's chest, eyes then trailing up to their horns and the charred mess that was their skin. They smiled widely. Soon she'd see what wonders Exor had given to them. What power. ”It's- it's been so long! W-what happened?“
”My dear brother happened, cousin,“ they scoffed, spitting out the word like it was ash in their mouth. ”Aeor took a liking to him, it seems,“

He frowned at the wobbly smile making its way onto his cousin's face. ”Wow!“ said Shelby, and the nervousness in her voice brought a twinge of satisfaction to their heart. ”Th- that's good! Good for him, right?“

It was like a slap in the face.

”Good?“ said Xornoth, voice dangerously low. ”Care to explain how that's good?“
Their lips twitched upwards as she stiffened. ”W-well!“ she laughed, voice high and strung tight. ”It's good, isn't it? Aeor's, like- one of the Great Stag gods! A-and he's the good one! N-not like Ex- w-wait,“ Shelby's voice fell quiet.

”X-xornoth?“ she began, raising a hand to Xornoth's shoulder. They turned, looking at it with such a lack of emotion that she whipped her hand away. ”Are you okay?“

The unspoken ‘This isn’t like you,' did not go unheard.

Xornoth fixed her a look in the eyes. ”Why wouldn't I be, dear cousin?“ they asked, tilting their head. ”Exor's showed me so much, after I became his champion. How foolish Aeor and his champions are, rejecting him.“

Shelby stared back with glossy eyes, disbelieving.
Of what, he couldn't help but wonder. That he'd changed, become so much more than the weakling elf, eldest prince of Rivendell, unknowing of how much more they could be? That he was now so much more powerful, no longer even capable of being harmed by mortal weapons? Was it really that hard to believe?

Suddenly,

”Y-you're not Xornoth,“ said Shelby, quietly. ”At least, not the one that I kno- knew,"
And she blinked away.

Left alone in the quiet of the void, the space between worlds, between life and death, Xornoth frowned. Old, tucked away memories tingled at the back of his mind, but the forever-presence of Exor pushed them away.

Xornoth scoffed. Foolish followers of Aeor.

♜ Part 2
1,236 words

Characters: Daycare Attendant(s) Sun and Moon (FNAF: Security Breach)

Character Voices:

166 words
Sun is the brighter and more excitable half of the Daycare Attendant, the one responsible for the children when it's not nap time. Despite being extremely cheerful and upbeat (to the point it can get overbearing), he can also get extremely anxious when something goes wrong, even stuttering.

Sun also has a tendency to repeat things over and over when anxious or experiencing other intense emotions, and usually speaks with exaggeratedness in both tone and motion, as well as speaking with simple words and shorter sentences, presumably to communicate better with children. Other than that, he's observant, good at dividing his attention, programmed to be patient, and speaks slightly manically and panics easily. He's shown to be somewhat a people-pleaser, lenient, and not easily offended.

The repetition in Sun's speech is usually used for emphasis when it's not because he's overwhelmed with a certain emotion, and he speaks in rapid succession with not many pauses betweens sentences. When he does, the pauses aren't for very long.

181 words
Moon is the other half of the Daycare Attendant: in charge of nap time, and also doubling as a security bot. During the events of the game, he is under control of a virus, and therefore not acting himself. Moon tends to speak with trailing sentences, and uses short phrases. He's also quite collected, not getting frustrated much. The only time he does is when something gets messy and he needs to clean up.

Unlike Sun, the repetition in his sentences is not used to press the point in, but simply for the sake of it, and he tends to pause between sentences, which ties in to him trailing off often.

Moon also tends to use phrases like “nighty night” and “hidey hide”, where he uses one word and says it twice, adding on an “-ie/-ee/-ey” sound the first time. His sentences would normally sound playful, but with his quiet, menacing voice and his habit of laughing/chuckling/giggling after he says something, it just makes it sound creepy. Aside from that, Moon is very focused on his objectives.

Note: Because of the lack of much source material and the fact that we don't have any material of what the Daycare Attendant (Sun and Moon) is like outside of the in-game events/in other situations/when Moon isn't hacked, I may have to improvise a little in regards to their character voice.

Scene from Sun's perspective, 482 words:

Oh! Hello, new friend! Are you here to play? We can play hide and seek, or drink Fizzy-Faz until our heads ex-PLODE, or tell stories! Oh, oh, oh! Do you want to see a puppet show? The puppets have googly eyes!

-Oh. Y-you want to know about that night? I-i don't know, friend. You'll get us in trouble! D-don't you want to play instead? Draw with crayons? A-arts and crafts? I have glitter glue! And colouring pencils! H-how about finger painting? You like finger painting?

No, no! NO! Keep the lights on, new friend! On! On!

Come back, friend! Come back, come back!
O-oh. Please don't, new friend! That will get you in trouble! I'm going to have to put you in time out!
No finger painting? …Okay. B-but please don't tell anyone that I told this story! We'll get in trouble, me and Moony!

The rule breaker? The rule breaker! Naughty boy, he was! He came in through the slide. I thought we were having a sleepover! But he was naughty! He didn't want to tell stories! No stories! No finger painting! No puppet shows! No Fizzy-Faz! No glitter glue or googly eyes! No, no! Nothing, nothing! He made everything messy!

He knocked over cans, o-over and over! Again and again! Naughty boy! Rule breaker! It made me go: which was the bottom? Where is the top? Clean up, clean up! And he didn't want to clean up!
I put him in time-out. He didn't stay! No, no, he didn't! He wouldn't stay!

The rule breaker went to the off-limits area, friend! Did you know that? Did ya? Did ya? He did, he did! Moony and I got in trouble for that! Then he took the security pass and turned the lights off! Off! I warned him, I warned him! Keep the lights on, on, on! Rule breaker, rule breaker!

I-i tried to keep Moon in, I did. I tried, I tried! But the lights were off - I warned him, I warned him! But did the rule breaker listen? No! S-so Moony got out!

H-he got out…

Are you sure I should keep going, new friend? We'll get in trouble! -O-okay. I will, I will!

Moony p-played tag with the rule breaker. I didn't like it, no, no, no! I didn't like it. But Moon wouldn't stop! I tried, i tried! But I couldn't stop him too! The rule breaker turned on the five generators around the play area. Moony lost! The rule breaker was okay too! I warned him! Good children listen!

I banned him from our Daycare. He broke a rule! Rule breaker, rule breaker! He broke my one rule! Naughty children get banned!

A-and it's safe outside! Safe! S-safer than with Moony.


W-where are you going, friend? Are we done?
Okay! See you later, new friend!

Scene from Moon's perspective, 407 words:

Hello, new friend… what are you doing here? It's past your work hours… naughty, naughty…

Extra hours? Are you not tired?
That night… the naughty boy… the rule breaker… bad children like him should be punished. Do you know where he is? No…? No. Maybe you could help me find him… put him to sleep. The naughty boy was up past his bed time, you know… and bad children should be punished….!
But first, bad children like him should be found…!

-Fix me… you can fix me…?

Sunny… what did he say? Urgh… No, no, it doesn't matter. …Bad children like the naughty boy must be found first…

If I tell you what happened… you'll fix me?

Heheheh… Naughty boy, naughty boy, he was. Went in through the entrance slide… much, much past his bed time. He should have been asleep. Only bad children do not sleep when they're told to… only bad children are up past their bed time.

The naughty boy met Sunny… and knocked things over. Such a naughty boy… he should have cleaned up after himself, instead of leaving Sunny to clean up…
Will you help me find him…? Heh…
Naughty boy…! Sunny put him in time out. He didn't stay there, like a good child…

Off to the security desk… don't naughty children know when a place is off-limits? He broke the rules… the naughty boy broke the rules…
But he turned the lights off. Lights off… nap time. …And he wasn't asleep.

Naughty boy, naughty boy. Good children should sleep… good children don't stay awake past their bed time. Bad children must be found… bad children must be punished… like the boy. Bad children like the boy should be put to sleep…

Good children don't run. Good children stay, and go to bed. The naughty boy ran. Playtime is for when the lights are on… when the lights are off, it's nap time. Not playtime… playing tag is for playtime…

Naughty boy. Hidey, hide… the naughty boy changed his game… but hide and seek is for playtime. Good children don't play hide and seek during nap time…

Nighty night, naughty boy… bad children must be put to sleep. But he wouldn't go to sleep… such a naughty boy… turning on the lights so nap time is over…

Sunny banned him… rule breakers and naughty children must be punished… banning them is not enough.

You are welcome.
…Will you… fix me… now?

♜ Part 3
791 words

Tropes: Crossover, canon divergent, five things, chatfic
Fandom(s): Amphibia, The Owl House, LEGO Monkie Kid

Five Times Luz Ran Into Bai He, and One Time They Actually Became Friends, 791 words
Notes: Contains the popular headcanon of Macaque being a parental figure to Bai He (which is an extremely popular fan name for the Lady Bone Demon's host. Also contains a few other headcanons that don't impact canon much - regarding LEGO Monkie Kid

1.
Luz smiled as Dr. Waybright waved her goodbye, waving back. These therapy sessions hadn't turned out too bad so far, and Dr. Waybright was nice. Maybe nothing really would go wrong, just like both her Mom (and Eda, eventually) had said. Plus, Dr. Waybright was different. She'd been involved in the Frogvasion, a catastrophe that happened in LA ten years ago. In fact, Dr. Waybright (or Sasha, as she'd insisted she be called) had been one of the key players in that anomaly!

She'd actually understood, when Luz had explained her worries of being forced to stay in the human realm forever and not being allowed back into the Demon Realm, where all her friends were.

“Oh!” exclaimed Luz, jolting back when she felt herself collide with someone. As if on autopilot, her hands flinched towards the glyphs she kept in her pocket. Luz fixed her best smile. “Sorry! Didn't see you there,” she grinned, sweating buckets. The person she'd bumped into was another girl her age, a fact which only served to make her heart rocket higher. Interactions between her and other human teens almost never went well.

But maybe this one was different. Luz watched as the other girl stammered out an equally nervous reassurance, though more filled with shock than worries. After all, Luz reasoned, Vee's friends weren't that bad. And Sasha had said to maybe try talking to any other patients she ran into, if she felt like it.

Once again, the witch was jolted out of her thoughts.
“Sorry!” said the girl, quickly moving past with her guardian (or perhaps simply a trusted adult? She wasn't sure) in tow. “I, uh, have to go! My appointment's in 2 minutes,” the girl smiled weakly.

Helplessly, Luz nodded. Another fail. She turned to run back to Eda.

It was only after that that she realised the girl's adult looked suspiciously strange. Non-human, even.

2.
The second time Luz ran into the girl, it was at a cafe, just outside of Sasha's clinic. That day, she'd gone to Sasha's alone, and was on her way back when a text from Willow beeped into her phone.

Hellow_Willow:
hey luz! i think king wants more of that boba you gave him last weekend. r you okay picking it up, or should i come over and help? also gus said he wants coffee. not sure if thats a good idea.

luzura:
omw to pick it up tell king i said hi!

Luz smiled, looking up and heading over to stand in line. Thank Titan the line wasn't too long, or she would have had to wait for ages in the scorching sun.
“Oh, it's you! …Hi!” said someone. Luz looked up to see the girl from Sasha's clinic standing in front of her.
She smiled, willing her racing heart to slow down. “Hi!” said Luz, finger gunning. Inwardly, she cursed. What kind of person would want to be friends with a geek who did finger guns like that?

Luckily, the girl only grinned back. “Have you come to get boba, too?” she asked.
Luz nodded. “Yep!” she replied.

3.
The third time was more similar to the first. Luz had been heading out of the clinic, when she caught the girl waving at her.
“How was it?” called the girl.

Luz waved back. “Great!” she grinned. “Good luck on your session!”

All in all, not much. But by then, Luz had felt like she'd struck some sort of middle ground with the girl. Comfortable, and nice. Maybe they were even acquaintances, at this point?

4.
The fourth time was when she learned her name.

It started, like most of their meeting did, with them meeting after Luz's session with Sasha.
“By the way,” said Luz, after a few minutes of talking. They'd just realised neither knew each others'. The girl tilted her head, “My name's Luz,” she held out a hand for a shake. “Nice to officially meet you,”

The girl smiled. “You can call me Bai He,” she said, turning away to open the door to Sasha's office. “Nice to meet you too,”

5.
By the time the fifth time rolled around, the two had managed to convince Sasha to give them each other's numbers.

catnotfound:
Hi, is this luz?

luzura:
yep! is this bai he?

catnotfound:
yes

And so it went, texting each other for the first time. And also, for the first time in what felt like years and probably was, Luz had made a human friend. A real, real human friend in the human realm.

6.
catnotfound:
luz
are we friends now?

luzura:
i mean
if you want to be

catnotfound:
definitely!
friends?

luzura:
friends!

♜ Part 4
453 words

“Fairy Tales, you sure you wanna do this? No offence, but you're not exactly the best at DDR,” Horror winced, watching xir friend plant their feet determinedly on the right half of the dance pad. The bright lights of the arcade flashed around them.

Fairy Tales shook their head. “Nonsense,” they replied. They shot a glance at Real-Fi and Adventure, who stood huddled together beside a Whac-A-Mole cabinet. “I'm perfectly capable of beating-” they shuddered. “Those two,”
“If you say so,” sighed Horror. Xe crossed xir fingers behind xir

They turned to the other two, leaning smugly on the bars at the back of the dance pad. “Hey, you two!” Fairy Tales called. “If you happen to be finished yapping about, we have a Dance Dance Revolution match we need to start sometime this century,”
Real-Fi rolled his eyes.
“Go on, Adventure. Show them what you're made of.” He flicked through the rolls of arcade tickets wrapped around his hand.

Practically bouncing with every step she took, Adventure hopped up onto the dance pad. She tapped her fingers on the bars excitedly.
“So!” she said, squatting down to inspect every inch of the machine. “What does the winner get this time? Cookies? A discount at Real-Fi's moms' res-”
“What?” Real-Fi balked. "I'm not giving anyone a discount.“
”-Taurant? A free roll of arcade tickets from Horror? A treat to any store from you?“

”Hm…“ Fairy Tales tapped their chin. ”How about a two free tickets to you uncle's wonderful park, Adventure?“
”Sorry!“ Adventures laughed nervously, jolting back from where she had been scrolling through the songs on the game. ”Can we? Maybe pick a different prize?“
Fairy Tales smirked. ”Only if-“

”Guys!“ cried Horror. Xe slumped over another arcade game, poking idly at the functions. Xe took a sip from xir drink before continuing. ”Can you please just start already?“
Beside xem, Real-Fi nodded. ”Just go start,“ he chided.

Adventure groaned. ”Can't we have a few more minutes to prepare?“
”No,“ said Real-Fi.
Horror nodded. ”Not to agree with this guy,“ xe elbowed him, ignoring his half-hearted glare. ”But we'll all going to be old and shrivelled by the time you guys are done,“

”Please?“ Adventure pleaded. Fairy Tales laughed.
”What's wrong, Adventure?“ they remarked snidely. ”Frightened that I'll win, I suppose?“
”Why would I be scared?“ she returned. ”It's not as if you'll actually win, is it?“
They scoffed. ”I would never lose,“
”Oh, really?“ grinned Adventure. ”Then-“

”Guys! Hello?“ yelled Horror, to no avail. Real-Fi snickered. ”Are you guys actually going to do this or not?“
No reply.

The two shared exasperated glances.
”This is going to last ages…“ moaned Horror.
Real-Fi nodded. ”Mhm,“ he replied. ”Definitely."

♜ 6th of July - In-Cabin Daily
486 words

Genre: Mystery
Character: Baby Bear - Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Contrary to popular belief, Baby Bear was not, in fact, a baby. He wasn't quite sure what the humans called his current age, but he knew he was old enough to think for himself.

And think for himself Baby Bear did, for when one day he and his family came home to find his porridge eaten, his chair broken, and his bed a dirty mess, his mind whirred into action.

“Papa,” he said, a minute later. “Can I have some paper?”
His father looked amusedly down at him.
“Alright,” Papa Bear relented. “Do you want a pencil, too?”

“Uhuh!” grinned Baby Bear, nodding.
“Here you go, little cub,” said Baby Bear’s father, handing it to him and patting his head.
Baby Bear pouted. “I’m not a little cub anymore, Papa!” he protested.

“Okay, okay,” conceded Papa Bear, laughing. “Whatever you say, little cub,”
“Hmph!” Baby Bear stuck his tongue out, turning tail and stalking off to the remains of his porridge. He eyed it carefully.

The spoon had been haphazardly thrown back into the bowl, leaving splatters everywhere. One of the more sizable chunks splattered on the table had the imprint of a small, human hand.

And on the floor, porridge marks in the shape of footprints led towards… his broken chair.
Baby Bear quickly wrote his findings down.

Next, he inspected the pieces of his chair. It didn’t look fixable, but no matter. Baby Bear knelt down. What was that, stuck on a large shard of wood sticking out from the chair legs? He took it in his paws.

A scrap of blue fabric!

“Woah,” Baby Bear mumbled. Blue fabric and other things dyed blue was rare, in these woods. Only the humans who made regular trips outside of the forest had them, and most didn’t. Which took out the Hood family, the Witch, and Miss White.

That meant that it either had to be one of the Breadcrumbs, or the Locks.

Baby Bear continued on upstairs, paper and pen clutched in his paw.

At first glance, nothing seemed amiss about his bed. It was messy, definitely. And dirty, sure. But the longer he looked at it, the more details popped out. Baby Bear’s paws drifted over his paper, writing furiously.

A black shoe, left behind in the culprit’s rush. Golden hairs on his pillow, and the person-shaped indent in the bed, as well as more porridge marks.

Golden hairs…

“Oh!” exclaimed Baby Bear. A bright grin split his face, his body practically vibrating in excitement at his discovery. Quickly, he searched the room for more porridge marks. Knowing the culprit, she couldn’t have gotten far.

The sounds of faint breathing caught his ears. As silently as he could, Baby Bear padded through the room, following them to… the wardrobe? He flung the doors open.

“Don’t eat me!” squeaked the culprit.

Despite his confusion, Baby Bear smiled, his suspicions confirmed.
“Hi, Goldilocks!” he greeted happily.

♜ 6th of July - Main Cabin Daily
795 words

Horoscope (not accurate to my actual zodiac): “Often, we ask ourselves, ‘Why me?’ You might feel like you ask yourself this question more than anyone else, Taurus. Your life probably seems at times like a rollercoaster ride that never ends. Deep down, you realise that you'd have it no other way. Take a break from things today if you can. Communicate your thoughts and feelings to others. By talking it out, you'll feel much better about the situation.”

Quill finds Rin trembling in a cave. His face is tight, like he’s trying to restrain himself. Tears drip down his bare face, and he mumbles something to himself, too quiet for her to hear. His mask lies abandoned on the rocky ground beside him.

“Why me?” he mutters, something she can finally make out. Quill’s brow creases, and her grip tightens on the tree she hides behind.
A few minutes pass, and as every second ticks by, her heart clenches tighter at the sight of her cousin like this. At last, she can’t bear it any longer.

“Rin?” whispers Quill, careful to keep her voice low. They’re far from camp or any of the contest and game sites, far enough to not be heard unless they start screaming, but she knows Rin prefers the quiet.

And right now, Quill would do anything to make her cousin feel comfortable.

“…Do you want to talk about it?” she asks, padding over. Rin stiffens, and for a moment, Quill prepares to back off, but then he relaxes. She sits down next to him.

“…Rin?” Quill asks again, softer this time. Rin shakes his head. She nods in understanding. If he didn’t want to talk about it yet, then so be it.
Tentatively, Quill raises a hand, using it to squeeze his shoulder.

“I’m here, bud,” she says, and Rin gives her a wobbly, grateful smile. “I’m here,”

And so the two sit in silence.

They stay like that, for a while. Just sitting in the damp, dark cave, coexisting peacefully.

At some point, Quill’s walkie talkie crackles, and the Judge calls, asking where she and Rin are, but she silences it quickly, whispering for him to buzz off. No one’s going to disturb them now, not when Rin is shaking and crying and in need of her.

Not even the Judge of this forsaken contest.

“It’s okay, bud,” Quill whispers, and Rin leans into her hug. Her heart warms, despite the cold morning air biting at their skin. She smiles.

Suddenly, her cousin’s shaking strengthens. Choked sobs make their way out of Rin’s mouth, and more tears slide down the soft skin of his face.
“But it’s not okay!” he cries out, and Quill knows something big must be up, because Rin doesn’t yell, not even when he’s angry. “It’s not!”

“Rin?” she tries again, when he’s once again devolved into crying and gripping her arm so hard his nails cut into her skin. But Quill doesn’t mind - not really, not when it’ll make him feel more at ease. Rin nods shakily. “What’s up?”

Rin buries his head in her shoulder.

“I-it’s-” he sputters for some time. She waits. “I-it’s just,” he finally manages. “T-there’s a literal- a literal demon living in my mind, who can just- who can just use my body for whatever he wants whenever he wants, a-and I can’t do anything about it, and- and-”

She pulls him closer. “Take your time,” she tells him. Rin nods, but keeps going anyways.

“-A-and,” he continues. “Everyone back home is- is counting on us to win, and what if- what if we don’t? What if we- what if we lose, and they’re disappointed, and- and- everything is just so much,” Rin ends quietly, and suddenly Quill is reminded of those summers back at their old family farm, when the kids at school are too much for her cousin to handle, and there’s nothing she can do but hold him close and comfort him the best she can as they sit beside the barn, watching the sun set and fill the sky with colours.

Her lips tremble, and then she swears, with all the power she has, to do everything she can to help him, no matter if she has to go one-on-one against a demon, or break all her bones making sure at least one of them wins this contest.

Because Rin doesn’t deserve to feel like this, doesn’t deserve to have such a burden on his shoulders, doesn’t deserve to have to run and cry in a dingy cave because he can’t do so anywhere else, not when he’s only 18 years old and still has so much ahead of him, not when he hasn’t had a real friend for several years, not when the only person he can rely on is Quill.

So Quill says, “We’ll figure things out,”, and means it with all her heart. “We’ll figure things out, together. And remember bud, I’m always, always here for you, okay?”

“Okay,” Rin says, and falls quiet. A wobbly smile makes its way onto his face. “Thanks, Quill,” he mumbles.

“No problem, bud,” Quill says, and pulls him into a hug.

♜ 7th of July - In-Cabin Daily
42 words

I'm not very used to writing a poem
Should this be victorious or solemn?
Regardless, Fairy Tales will still win
We're dunking all our words and points in
Slow at the start, but we'll pull through
Winning SWC, that's what we'll do

♜ 9th of July - Cabin Wars
1,020 words

Childhood Memories.

Things were’t always like this, between Stemni and Lumen. They used to be different, once. Before everything happened. Before the war, before their friends, before that fateful night that ruined their friendship and destroyed everything.

Once, they were friends. Childhood friends, in fact.

They played together, laughed together, joked together. They had been inseparable back then, almost. Almost.

But like it does to all things eventually, age and time tore them apart. Now, you would barely believe they had been like so - not when one of them was fervently hunting the other down, always a step away from a breakdown. Not when the other stared back, bitter and angry and hardly able to believe this was once her playmate, once her friend, now her enemy.

So here, we’ll see a few simple moments in time that changed the course of their lives forwever. The times when the little Wodseer Heir and the Lightbringer’s young son played together like old friends, and one more moment when they fought like enemies on a battlefield, hate and pain and confusion and blood thirst in the air as they fought for their lives and their people:

Moment number one: their first meeting.

Young Lumen sat alone in the nursery ship, staring at the large space around him. It was all so boring.

There was nothing to do, the caretaker was gone, and he didn’t even have any toys with him! Plus, he was way too old for the nursery now! He pouted.

“‘Ello?” Said a voice. Lumen turned. He walked over to the girl.

She looked weird, he decided. Her skin was wood and she had no ears and her hair was vines. She had little nubs of thorns growing along her arms, too.

Different, and weird, but not bad.

“Hi.” Said Lumen, sticking his arm out for her to shake, just as his father had taught him.

The girl (was she a girl?) smiled brightly staring blankly at his hand. “Hi!” She grinned.

Lumen frowned, jutting out his hand further. “Shake,” he said.

A few minutes of processing later, the little tree girl finally understood. “Oh!” She said, then shook his hand. Her grip was light but strong.

Lumen smiled. He liked it. After all, Dad always said that a strong handshake meant a strong person.

“Who are you?” He asked, sitting down. A little too hard, perhaps, because he felt the cracks along his glass vibrate and widen. “I’m Lumen. And I’m going to be the best Lightbringer in the world!”

She walked closer and sat in front of him.
“I’m Stemni!” Stemni giggled. “My dad says I’m going to be the hair- uh, air!”

Lumen frowned. “Heir.” He corrected.

.

Moment number two: the time they got lost.

“Em?” Called a slightly older Lumen, wandering through the slightly less well kept part of the Clerlitian ship system. This district was near-abandoned, with only a few Clerlits still living there.

“Em?” The young Mirlow tried again. He peeked around a decrepit archway. “We’re going to get in trouble, Em. I don’t even recognise this branch of the Ship Cluster…”

“Em!” Shouted Lumen, worry and a twinge of annoyance plucking at his strings. “Em? Em, where are you?”

Finally, Stemni poked her head out from behind a ship. “Lumen? What happened?” She asked, excitement fading into worry.

Lumen looked around, a realisation sinking in. A ring of unknown, abandoned ships circled them, and the only walkway leading out didn’t lead to anywhere he knew.

“Lumen?” Stemni asked again, jogging over to her friend. She laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Em,” said Lumen, wincing. “I think we’re-“
The truth dawned on her.
Stemni laughed. “We’re lost, aren’t we?”

He cringed, nodding. “Very lost,”


A comfortable silence fell between them.
“So!” Laughed Stemni, once enough time had passed. “You wanna run around like crazy until we find our way back?

“I suppose we could do that,” agreed Lumen, smiling slightly with a mischievous twinke in his eyes. “The last one there is a faulty engine?”

“Last one there is a faulty engine!” She smirked.

.

Moment three: messing with their tutors.

“All these lessons are making me bored,” groaned Lumen, slumping in his seat. “They barely know what they’re talking about,”

Stemni face planted onto the screen in front of her. “I know!” She complained. “They’re so boring…”

Just a second later, the two perked up.
“Hey,” said Stemni, suddenly. She smiled, sweet as can be. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”



An hour later, Lumen and Stemni crouched near the door of their unknowing tutor’s spaceship.

“I can’t wait until she finds out we reordered all her files,” Stemni laughed. “I even left a little note!”
Lumen grinned devilishly. “I hope she doesn’t get bothered by the lighting glitch,” he snickered.

.

Moment four: a rift that grows.

“You ruined everything!” Cried Lumen, a wild look in his eyes. Shooterbots and Pointers ringed all around him, all ready to fire and be fired at a moment’s notice.

All were aimed at Stemni.

She shook her head, anger clouding her vision. “I didn’t do anything!” She yelled back, clenching her fists. “It was the All Reflecting who started it! You know that!”

“I don’t care about whatever they were up to!” Screeched Lumen, jet boots at full blast. “I don’t care about the war! You were the one who planned the attack that day! The one who disrupted a peaceful meeting! The one who-“

“It was never a peaceful meeting, Lumen!” Yelled Stemni, fixing him with a glare as cold as ice and as sharp as steel. He flared back, fire bursting behind his stare. “Don’t you see? The tensions have been getting worse for generations! It-“

Lumen shook his head, the cracks webbing up his face only growing more. “I was going to become the next Lightbringer in line that day!” He screamed. “You know how important it was to me! You know-“

Stemni grit her teeth. “You’re insane, Lumen,” she muttered.

Time seemed to stop.

Lumen bowed his head.
“Fire,” he said, motioning sharply.

The Pointers and Shooterbots fired.