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writingsofawheel · 3 years ago

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“A Half-Demon Christmas” Secret Santa for mikitheswiftie!

Hello everyone~! Merry Christmas to all you all! No matter what you’re doing today, I hope it’s an absolutely amazing Christmas!

And to you, @mikitheswiftie I hope you enjoy! I’m sorry it’s a little late! I meant to have it up last night or at least this morning, but this time of the year got so hectic! All the same though, here’s your Inuyasha Secret Santa fic!

My personal blog is @princesshalfdemon, but given this was a fic, I decided to upload it unto this blog!

Can also be read on AO3! Located in the post’s Source at the bottom!

(Tagging for the sake of archival purposes: @iyfss @inusecretsanta )

___

“It’s a holiday in the future! It’s called Christmas! … Ehehe, so that’s why I went to go get this tree…”

Moroha and Setsuna blinked at what the white-haired girl had done, and the small tree she had cut down and brought back to the village. “... So you’re telling me we’re not gonna use this perfectly good tree for kindling?” Moroha asked, puffing her cheek. “Towa-chan, seriously? It’s cold! Come on, let’s use it for firewood!”

“No! Just… listen, it’s my first Christmas away from the Higurashis, alright? I just wanna… I dunno. Have some kind of link to them,” Towa explained with a sigh. “Come on, just let me have my tree!”

“... So this holiday, ‘Christmas,’ relies on cutting down a tree?” Setsuna asked. “What an odd holiday. That era is filled with such strange practices…”

“Yeah! We decorate the Christmas tree, and then put presents underneath!”

Once again, the hanyou and shinhanyou blinked. “Are you like, sure we can’t just use it for firewood?” Moroha asked, Towa once again sighing in response. “What? That sounds more practical than putting crap under it!”

“I just… want a little link back home, you know? It’s not a big holiday in Japan, but the Higurashis always thought sharing gifts and putting up a tree and decorating it was fun…”

“I don’t understand celebrating winter like this. It can become bitter cold and food can be scarce if not prepared,” Setsuna admitted, but Moroha shrugged.

“Considering how much food that era has and how warm the houses are, it must not be that big of a problem for them, right?”

“Yeah! In the modern era, as long as you have money, there’s no risk of starving or freezing; and we’re not rich or anything, but the Higurashis do pretty well,” Towa said with a smile. “Souta-papa said when he was a teenager he spent a Christmas in America -a country across the ocean- once, and he liked it enough he made it a thing in his family.”

“... Definitely weird,” Moroha commented.

“Absolutely,” Setsuna agreed.

“Come on- at least give it a chance!” Towa puffed out her cheeks in frustration, earning an amused laugh from Moroha. “It’s my first Christmas away from them in ten years!”

“Alright, alright! So… Christmas. You said something about presents? … Is it money?” Moroha asked, her eyes lighting up. “Can you give money as a present!? I’d like money as a present!”

“I mean, you can! Gift cards and stuff… but it’s usually seen as a little lazy, ya know? Not that it’s a bad thing!” Moroha slightly deflated, but nodded. “Usually it’s stuff like… toys, jewelry, books, stuff like that. Souta-papa and Moe-mama always used to get me a toy growing up- last year they got me some new dumbbells for working out! Really nice ones, too…”

“... Still an odd practice,” Setsuna said, looking at the tree. “... But, it’s something that helps bring people closer together, right?”

“Yeah… spending Christmas with your family, or even friends or lover… but of course, I always spent it with family, and… I know things are chaotic, but we are family, so…”

“Yer a sap and it’s adorable, Towa,” Moroha said with a grin, wrapping an arm around her neck, earning a smile from Towa. “Christmas, eh… oi, you should’ve let us know you were doing this ahead of time! How were we gonna get eachother anything with such short notice?”

“I didn’t think we actually would! I just… you know, wanted a tree was all,” Towa admitted, scratching the back of her neck. “Really, we don’t need to do anything, don’t worry! Just… lemme have this, alright? That’s all I want. As weird as it sounds, let me keep this tree up.”

“Eh, it won’t be a problem,” Moroha figured. “Right, Setsuna?”

“Yeah. For now, let’s just rest.”

Night descended upon the yashahime, and Towa slept soundly through the night. Meanwhile, a certain quarter demon decided to talk to her cousin.

“I mean. It sounds a little fun, you know?” Moroha commented with a shrug. “Just saying, if we didn’t have to worry about Kirinmaru and all that crap, I’d give it a try if she actually told us about it.”

“I just think it’s a waste of time,” Setsuna said. “It’s just a cold winter day. To do what, put presents under a tree? Why even?”

“I dunno! But it sounds fun! Jeez, yer such a buzzkill sometimes, ya know?” Moroha complained. “Still though, time with family… that’s something only Towa knows, at the end of the day,” Moroha mused. “Hey, Setsuna. Did you ever think about your family growing up?”

“Not particularly,” Setsuna admitted. “It was not a thought that existed before meeting any of you.”

She knew now her mother was awaiting her.

“And you, Moroha?”

The shinhanayou shrugged. “I thought about it a lot when I was younger, especially since Kouga always talked about how strong my mom was before it was time for my training… I guess as the years went on though, I just kinda stopped thinking about it so much, you know?” Moroha admitted. “I’m thinking about it a lot more now, though… my mom and dad are alive somewhere, maybe. Makes me think about it.”

“...” Setsuna went silent. She did not care about this odd holiday that Towa had sprung up so suddenly, but…

… If Mother was here, would she want to celebrate it with her? Would she be more willing to spend time with Sesshomaru in such a case?

She looked at Moroha, who was looking at the sad little Chirstmas tree as well. When this is all over, maybe, possibly, our families…

“... I have an idea, Moroha.”

___

“HEY TOWA WAKE UP IT’S CHRISTMAS COME ON COME ON LET’S GO!”

Towa practically bolted up in the hut, instinctively reaching for her broken sword. “WHAT’S HAPPENING ARE WE UNDER ATTACK- MOROHA YOU SCARED ME TO DEATH!”

Moroha laughed, patting her cousin on the back. “Oi! I thought you wanted to celebrate Christmas or something! Well, happy Christmas!”

“M… Merry Christmas, Moroha,” Towa said with a blink. She had just wanted to put the tree up to be a little less homesick as she thought the Higurashis, Moroha and Setsuna were getting into it too?

“Come on, come on, look!”

Moroha dragged her cousin outside to look at the tree. “You said you decorate it, right? Well, look, Towa-chan!”

“... On the tree…!”

“Well! You said we decorate the tree, right? So I did! Pretty cool, huh!”

There were youkai bones now adorning the small tree. “See! Now the tree looks cool and it shows how badass we are! Some youkai wants to fuck with us on Christmas? Look at our tree! We decorate it with the body of our enemies! It’ll make them think twice before messing with us and our celebration!” Moroha seemed as cheerful as could be, patting her cousin on the shoulder. “You know what? I think I’m good at this! Just gimmie more heads up for next year, we can get a bigger tree! With bigger bones! More bones for the Christmas tree!”

“. . .”

“And under our tree…!”

“I got it,” Setsuna explained, taking a few steps forward. “Some rice. And herbs to cover up a foul stench when crushed. I recall your era smelling better. It was hard, but I found some,” Setsuna explained, pointing at the small gift under the tree. “Given the short notice, we had to split the work 50/50, so unfortunately the gift has to be split between us three. If nothing else though, we did manage to hunt that boar the other day. We can have rice and meat for dinner.”

“So! Don’t ya love it, Towa?”

Towa was dead silent.

“... She hates it,” Moroha whispered to Setsuna.

“I told you those bones weren’t going to make good decorations, Moroha!”

“Bite my ass, it was all I had! … Uh, sorry, Towa,” Moroha said, scratching the back of her head. “Listen, um.. We can try again next year, alright? We just wanted ya to cheer up!”

But before they could say more, Towa pulled Setsuna and Moroha into a hug. “You two… really are the best, you know that!?”

“H-hey, come on, now!” Moroha said with a laugh, patting her back. “Ain’t no need for that! I promise, we’ll do better next year!”

“Towa…” Despite her stoicism, she also pat her sister upon her back. “It was a whim, really…”

“You two really did this for me…? You two are the best. It means a lot,” Towa said, before wiping a tear from her eye. “You know, this might be the best Christmas I’ve ever had already.”

This was her place of belonging.

She loved her family, despite the misery she felt in the modern era. But all the same, that place had been her home, and even if it was Towa’s destiny to never return there, there were things there she did not need to let go of. She was determined to see the Higurashis once more, but all the same…

… Some things could always be let go. Even with the Higurashis gone, she could think of them, while celebrating with her sister and cousin. The three of them, who were not alone any longer.

Towa was happy.

“... You know what? That sounds awesome. More bones for the tree next year!” Moroha let out a squeal of happiness. “And Setsuna! Next year; let’s try to go hunting for something big and fresh right before! We can have a feast then!”

“... That would be nice,” Setsuna said, giving a rare smile. “We’ll consider this the prelude to next year’s celebration.

“Merry Christmas, Setsuna, Moroha…”

“Merry Christmas!” Moroha said with a laugh, pulling the two into a tight hug.

“Merry Chirstmas,” Setsuna said, returning the embrace as the three hugged.

Home was where family was, and Chirstmas was meant to be spent with family and loved ones.

And for today, despite all the trials that still awaited them, the three princesses could rest in happiness.

#mikitheswiftie #yashahime #inuyasha #hanyou no yashahime #sengoku jidai #sengoku otogizoshi inuyasha #secret santa #inuyasha secret santa #towa higurashi #moroha #moroha higurashi #setsuna (yashahime)

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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So I know that things have been tough for everyone, but I figured I would get this out there because I’m in a bit of a tough spot right now.

With how the world has been, I haven’t really been able to work since February. First it was because the building was under construction so many of us lost hours out of nowhere, and now I’ve been home because of the COVID-19 stuff going around. I and my family are high risk, so I’ve been staying home but since it’s been voluntary, I can’t get unemployment or anything.

Long story short is that I am in need of money… Depression has been a bitch from all of this, I’ve had things I had to pay for, my stimulus check went to things I needed to pay off, food, etc… And now things have gone up again. If I can get any help, I would truly appreciate it.

Thank you for reading this if you have, and if you can’t donate, a reblog would really be appreciated!

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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Writing Native American Characters: How Not To Do A Rowling | On Demand Master Class

J. K. Rowling drew negative attention from Native people for what she did in her work Magic in North America. The mistakes she made were common–very common–and also easily avoidable. In this seminar, Native scholar and activist Debbie Reese talks about the missteps Rowling and many other authors have made, why they are a problem, and offers writers strategies for avoiding them and doing better.

Topics Include:

Native Nationhood and Sovereignty

History

Representation and Impact

Cultural Appropriation

Language and Naming

Spiritual Traditions

Stereotypes and Tropes to Avoid

Researching Native Americans for Fiction

Worldbuilding for Speculative Fiction

Price: $50

Download now

The class includes both the video recording of the live seminar plus supplemental resources and reading recommendations. All class materials are online, and a download link will be emailed to you after you complete your purchase.

youtube

Accessibility: The class video is closed captioned and a transcript of the video is available to everyone who purchases the seminar.

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#reference

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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Hello there everyone and I just wanna preface this by saying thank you for taking the time to read this.

So my work has recently been under construction and a lot of us got our hours cut. It just finished and hours are starting to slowly come back but because of the whole coronavirus issue, my work has taken heavy steps to ensure that nobody who is sick attends work until they are well. I had a fever and a slight cough and because of that I had to miss out on more work.

I have bills I need to pay and money for food yet I have not been able to work any hours due to both construction and now even a fever has prevented me from making any money.

If you can spare anything for donations, I would really be in your debt, and if not, then that’s okay too! A reblog would help if you can’t offer money. In the end, I again thank you for taking the time to read this post and help in whichever way you can.

And I know i have had to ask for money a lot recently, but these are things that are out of my control and I just really need help…

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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So I have to make another one of these kinds of posts because of some stuff happening in my life. I recently ost my grandma, which hit me kind of hard, and had to take time off of work to recollect myself from that. Because of this, I didn’t really make much money in the last few weeks because of no work. I knew that would happen, and thought things would be okay.

However, my job has been giving me poor hours and this coming week they only have my scheduled for one day and that’s it. I can’t do much about it and I will not have any money for food or anything at this rate, and will only be able to cover my upcoming bills with my next check and that’s it. I also had to use my credit card, which is already reaching dangerous levels, to cover for part of a bill for my own mother.

I hope to be able to get some help during this bad time, thank you for taking the time to read this. Reblogs help if you cannot donate, but it’s thank you regardless if you just read this.

#donation boost

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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A sentence needs no end (exercise for Elements of Style, creative nonfiction)

(Assignment: Throughout the semester, you’ll be asked to submit 3 creative arguments, each worth 15 points. They will be due to D2L before class on 2/11, 3/10, and 4/2. I also ask that you have a copy available (paper or electronic) to potentially share during class. Note that each assignment should include a 1-3 sentence introductory note that offers the context and mission of the piece. Each assignment should be 1-3 pages (double-spaced if prose), and can work in any genre: creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, hybrid, etc. Remember to title, and to number your pages. Bear in mind that each piece is worth 15% of your grade, and should go through at least some revision before you submit. You’ll have regular writing exercises in class that will offer possibilities for generating language and determining focus. I encourage you to establish partnerships with fellow student writers outside of class, so that you may informally workshop one another’s piece. What should it be about? For our purposes, an “argument” should be interpreted as discussion or discourse about a specific attribute of language. It should not be a formal essay, instead locating possibility and creative expression in the intersection of style and content. Each assignment should take conscious cues or borrow moves from—or respond to—the course readings. You are free to interpret this however you like. Above all, the language and its style should be careful and strategic, and the work should be saying something about language itself, and its relation to thinking, breathing life.)

(Argument: As a writer who often uses many ellipses… dashes- (parentheses) and comas, I decided to write a little piece to show how a period is only necessary when the author desires to when they write creatively, as well as showing off alternative uses of punctuation creatively to show they have a place in writing as well. I had a big writer’s block on what to do for this, but after the last class it came to me.)

___

Merriam-Webster succinctly defines a period as such: "A period is a point used to mark the end of a declarative sentence or an abbreviation," but I have removed the period from this statement for who says a sentence need never end, a sentence need never pause—

I have seen many people argue that excessive use of commas is overrated, that you must break down the sentences, that you must use a period to break up long statements, divide them further, and further, and further still, to kill the sentence for the sake of grammar, take a knife on the train of the thought and slice it up into pieces, pieces to be eaten, pieces to be consumed separately—

… In truth, I somewhat agree… I agree that after so long a period is appreciated… doesn’t that sound right… does it not sound right to you, that when something is so long it becomes necessary to—

Jesus Christ, a spider- its huge- what the fuck- goddamn what the fuck- its so GROSS- I HATE things like that- why can’t they all just die Jesus- is that thing poisonous- what the hell is—

my apologies, I lost my train of thought in my disgust, spiders give me heebie jeebies, as they do for so many, arachnophobia crawling on your back as you recoil in the horror… but while we’re at it, who says sentence even needs to be broken up who says that this statement needs to be broken up at all there’s no reason to what just because it’s easier for the reader really now who says I need a question mark right there you can tell that statement was a question -I mean people can read- so there’s no need to break it up -unless you can’t read in which case I’m so sorry- after all you can read all of this right sure it might be a little fast in your head because they’re no breaks but you can do it in your head like right here after “your head” can’t you just put the comma in yourself can’t you just break it up in your mind who do I have to do it for you fuck you -no disrespect ma’m you’re my professor- screw people who don’t want to do the work none of this -and no disrespect to my peers in this classroom in case this gets passed around- if I don’t want to use a period that’s my choice if you don’t want to read it do it read something else even if I wrote 200 pages like this that’s my choice you can read all the words maybe I’m tired or cranky and I want you to do a little of the work so what if this is actually harder for me and I’ve wanted to use multiple periods and commas in this the longest paragraph of this creative argument there’s nothing in this you can’t read coherently you just have to do a little work yourself ansadkfl;jaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

… my apologies once more, my cat got on my keyboard (you can’t prove he wasn’t) … that was embarrassing (you can’t prove that wasn’t embarrassing for me) … that was so mortifying for me (I might have to talk to my therapist about it even) … something like that happening on my assignment (that I totally spent hours and hours writing you know) … God how embarrassing I have to turn that in for my grade (who says that error needs to be taken out) … my damn cat (isn’t this the worst attempt at pulling on your heartstrings you’ve ever read) … he’s like a monster (I love him to death) … It’s like a horror show- its something terrible- I care about this assignment’s quality and it’s been ruined- like a never-ending cacophony of horror and despair ringing in my head- how can I ever go back to speaking of a period now… my brain is all foggy now, the meaning of a sentence is fading me, the horror (sheer terrors) inflicted on me by this spider -a big spider to boot- and my cat (my precious son) and the TV and the like distracting me -the idiot box distracting- and the fact this is worth 15% of my grade oh God Jesus Christ Lord in Heaven have mercy on me (despite it all you have read everything between dashes or parentheses while still understanding what I was saying) and most importantly you were able to read all this yes, you read every word fluently, perhaps quickly in your mind, perhaps slowly, perhaps even confused but you’ve read all of this without a period yes you have—

the sentence needs only a period when one desires it, a sentence need never end, a writing may never end, I thank you for understanding this, perhaps it is confusing, perhaps it is absurd, but a sentence need never end, unless the author so chooses to, perhaps you don’t agree but you did not write this, a sentence need only end when it’s writer desires to, the power of the ellipses, dashes, and commas should be respected, and the writer’s decision to use them, I thank you for your time, and now, at last, my argument finished, myself satisfied with this work by my own choice and my choice alone, at last, a sentence may come to an end.

#creative writing #creative nonfiction #short writing #writing exercise #original writing #feedback appreciated

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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“School-Love!” (Oneshot) (Yandere, Dark Fic) (Gakkou Gurashi/School-Live!)

Fandom: Gakkou-Gurashi/School-Live!

Genre: Horror, Suspense

Pairings: Yuki Takeya/Kurumi Ebusizawa (one-sided)

Words: 18,717 (45 pages in word doc)

Tags for TW: Yandere, Major Character Death, Obsessive Behavior, Body Horror, Psychological Horror, Zombie Apocalypse, Hallucinations, Fate Worse Than Death, Depression, Suicide Attempt

Summary: Yuki hated going to school, and Yuki hated being alive, yearning desperately for love in her life. But one day the world changed, and she discovered a person she wished to protect, no matter the cost. If she had to make a few sacrifices along the way, then so be it. Her perfect school life and romance would prevail, no matter the cost. True love would always prevail, right?

Author’s Notes: In chapter 55, the scanlator (Waterflame) kind of mentioned Yuki had a yandere-ish line in chapter 54 and held a mini contest for people to draw Yandere!Yuki stuff. The idea just wouldn’t leave my mind. At 45 pages its the single longest chapter/oneshot I’ve ever written, but DAMN was it fun. I hope you enjoy it!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22359286

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13483388/1/School-Love

#gakkou gurashi #school-live!#yuki takeya #yandere #fanfiction #as a heads up the ending is. very dark

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writingsofawheel · 5 years ago

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“Hear The Ringing Echoes” Chapter 3: Faith

Fandom: Gakkou-Gurashi/School-Live!

Genre: Horror/Adventure, Zombies, Rewrite

Status: Incomplete

Summary:

“There’s no need for goodbyes or funerals, when we have each other’s love and memories in our hearts. And as long as we can pass down that love and happiness to the people we care about and to the next generations, I think we can live forever, in a weird way. Love is the most important thing though. If we pass on love… I know the world is going to become a better place, no matter how hard it is today. So… pass on love and hope, not hate.” - Shidou Kei’s final words and will.

9 months after the initial Outbreak, the graduated School Living Club was forced to abandon the relative safety of Megurigaoka Private High School after a helicopter crash rendered it no longer safe, and embarking on a quest to discover why their world was stolen from them, meeting a mysterious DJ and then rescuing Rii’s little sister from a hellish school. And from there the quest to investigate the Randall Corporation shall continue onward, with these girls unaware of the brutally painful road in front of them…

Author notes: So, last chapter was SUPPOSED to be the end of the Prologue Arc, before heading to St. Isidore and beginning the University Arc. However, I made the decision to extend the prologue by two more chapters. This plot bunny is one that’s been in my head regarding GG for literally years now, and I couldn’t not write it given the opportunity. This was just going to be one long, 20+ page chapter, but considering the tone of the first half I decided to split it into two. That being said, enjoy!

Links (Current Chapters):

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13442477/3/Hear-The-Ringing-Echoes https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602848/chapters/52727908 https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/hear-the-ringing-echoes-gakkou-gurashi-school-live-zombies-rewrite-from-post-hs-arc-onwards.806515/#post-63874913

Or, read it from the beginning!

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13442477/1/Hear-The-Ringing-Echoes https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602848/chapters/51510694 https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/hear-the-ringing-echoes-gakkou-gurashi-zombies-rewrite-from-post-hs-arc-onwards.806515/

#gakkou gurashi #school-live!#school live #fanfiction #gakkou gurashi fanfiction

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writingsofawheel · 6 years ago

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“Hear The Ringing Echoes” Chapter 2: Silence

Fandom: Gakkou-Gurashi/School-Live!

Genre: Horror/Adventure, Zombies, Rewrite

Status: Incomplete

Summary:

Author notes: And with this ends the Prologue Arc! Man, I did a lot for less than three days! There’s gonna be a little break after this while I focus on updating Honoka’s Bizarre Adventure again, and some school stuff. But, this was fun tow rite, and helped re-ignite the love I once had for Gakkou Gurashi. More than that I got a chance to write Ruu; and I love Ruu and writing her, so that was especially a treat.

Links (Current Chapters):

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13442477/2/Hear-The-Ringing-Echoes https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602848/chapters/51635983#workskin https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/hear-the-ringing-echoes-gakkou-gurashi-school-live-zombies-rewrite-from-post-hs-arc-onwards.806515/#post-63114448

Or, read it from the beginning!

#gakkou gurashi #school live!#school-live!#fanfiction #ruu wakasa #just gonna tag her since she was such a major part of this chapter #hear the ringing echoes

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writingsofawheel · 6 years ago

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“Hear The Ringing Echoes” Chapter 1: Lockers

Fandom: Gakkou-Gurashi/School-Live!

Genre: Horror/Adventure, Zombies, Rewrite

Status: Incomplete

Summary:

"There's no need for goodbyes or funerals, when we have each other's love and memories in our hearts. And as long as we can pass down that love and happiness to the people we care about and to the next generations, I think we can live forever, in a weird way. Love is the most important thing though. If we pass on love... I know the world is going to become a better place, no matter how hard it is today. So... pass on love and hope, not hate." - Shidou Kei's final words and will.

9 months after the initial Outbreak, the graduated School Living Club was forced to abandon the relative safety of Megurigaoka Private High School after a helicopter crash rendered it no longer safe, and embarking on a quest to discover why their world was stolen from them, meeting a mysterious DJ and then rescuing Rii's little sister from a hellish school. And from there the quest to investigate the Randall Corporation shall continue onward, with these girls unaware of the brutally painful road in front of them...

Author notes: Well! This certainly isn't something I ever thought I'd write!Gakkou Gurashi was a huge special interest to me throughout much of 2016. However, extreme frustrations with the University Arc caused me to drop it; and now that its finally over, I decided I'd finally read the rest of it.... Well, I still think the first 30 chapters are a masterpiece in itself. I'm actually still pretty pissed about the whole Ruu twist, and especially how Rii was written from that point. I really felt like Gurashi stopped being something special and just became another dime in the dozen in regards to zombie literature... but re-reading the beginning of this manga reminded me of the passion and love I once had for it. So, after talking about it with friends; here it is, my long fic for the series! Special mention to @marston241 who gave me the support to go through with it <3

This is a story about remembrance. I think in any zombie story, one thing is an absolute; everything dies. It is the one fundamental truth of the real world. And more importantly, this is a story about the legacies we leave when we die. If you have read my oneshot Ozymandias, or, Ramses, the central conflict is about Ayaka wanting to lave her mark into history; and that is a story I want to write. We will all die one day, but the actions we take on earth and our interactions with others will build our legacies that can last long after we die, or until they die as well. What does it mean to be remembered by history? What does it mean to leave a legacy on this world? What does it mean to disappear into the annals of history without making a single mark on society, and what does it mean to fight that or come to peace with it? These are themes I set out to explore. I hope you enjoy it.

Links:

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13442477/1/Hear-The-Ringing-Echoes

https://archiveofourown.org/works/21602848/chapters/51510694

https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/hear-the-ringing-echoes-gakkou-gurashi-zombies-rewrite-from-post-hs-arc-onwards.806515/ i especially appreciate spacebattle replies for bumps

#gakkou gurashi #school-live!#gakkou gurashi fanfiction #zombies #fanfiction #hear the ringing echoes

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writingsofawheel · 6 years ago

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“God Spoke to the Cat” (Concept chapter 1)

So, the other day, I actually wrote this for a workshop in my creative writing class. What had originally came to me as the idea for a short story became the idea of a novella, and then the more I thought about the the realize I could write a novel-length piece on it.

... Unfortunately, due to an error trying to email it to my class, nobody really got to read it until right before the workshop itself. so! i really wanted to submit it online~

i really appreciate feedback, i think a full chapter 1 would be a few pages longer, but I’m really glad with how this came out!

I mostly wrote this listening to the following song (this isn’t a vocaloid fic though):

youtube

(animal death near the end)

Caitlyn Palmer for reasons she did not understand was unquestionably omnipotent. She did not know the reason why, nor could any force in the universe, but there was no limit to the only fourteen-year-old girl’s absolute, seemingly divine power. At will Caitlyn could do anything she wanted with absolute precision, violating every law of nature and science to carry out her will and desires. Only being (from a certain perspective) fourteen she was not all-knowing however, nor was she omniscient. She was not even that great of a student if she did not cheat with her powers, holding a mediocre C average with one or two B’s. It was an irony never lost on her, that God was mediocre teenage schoolgirl without any particular talents.

Caitlyn had groaned one Monday as her alarm rung. There were a thousand studies on teenagers needing more sleep, yet her classes begun at a cruel 7:30, with the school bus coming at nearly 6:30, meaning she usually had to wake up around five to catch the bus, assuming she wanted to have a ‘normal’ day. But she had stayed up late last night watching videos on her phone and had only gotten nearly two and a half hours of sleep. She could have simply willed it so she was no longer tired, but Caitlyn enjoyed dreaming. Like any other human she could rarely tell reality from fantasy, and so instead suspended time for the entire universe, plopping back onto her pillow and sleeping until she was tired no longer, resuming the flow of time immediately afterwards. She stretched in bed, sighing as she inspected her appearance afterwards. “Don’t wanna deal with that…” Caitlyn said as she inspected her bed hair. This time she had grown her beautiful black hair to reach down her back, the envy of her friends. In seconds it looked as if she had spent all morning working on it, and satisfied she went over to brush her teeth. She didn’t feel like eating today, so the hunger in her stomach quickly faded.

There was something about attending a private Catholic high school that came as a deep irony to her, bringing a chuckle to her as she checked herself in the mirror. It was a traditional uniform; red-plaid skirt, long-sleeved blouse, and a red tie. If nothing else she loved the look; she loved how ties looked quite frankly, so it made the stinginess of the academy almost worth it. Sometimes reality was rewritten so she could go to a public school and wear whatever she wanted, but as long as she liked the outfit, she decided the private academy was good enough. She struck a pose for herself in the mirror as she inspected her appearance for the last time, ready to text with friends until her bus came. Even if they were replaceable, she genuinely enjoyed their company, and enjoyed talking about their general lives, tv shows, and gossip at school. She was happy to see her friends already awake as she entered the group chatroom, frowning as her best friend Jacklyn asked a simple question:

U ready for today’s math exam? Imma fail for sure ☹

“Fuck,” God hated math and such a thing would have ruined the good mood she had built for herself already. Having relived this exam so many times, she was embarrassed she forgot the date of it. It did not matter she would know every answer by heart having done it so many times, just the idea of doing it at all felt like a drag. She didn’t even bother responding to the text, deciding today would be best spent any way other than wasting her time at such a thing. She removed the badge from her blouse with her school’s insignia as if it was never sewed on, teleporting herself to downtown instead. It would be fine; everyone would act as if she was there although she was not, and a passable grade would be produced for her. She thought of bringing her friends with her, but an odd melancholy had begun to take over and she decided she preferred to be alone for the rest of the day. She windowed browsed throughout the busy metropolis, looking at elaborate dresses and jewelry and making notes of which might be nice to add to her wardrobe. But yet the melancholy gnawed at her for some reason, and she could not find herself enjoying it. She walked through the busy traffic, her body phasing through cars and nobody paying her any particular mind as she made her way towards an alleyway. She sighed as she sat on the ground and leaned against the wall near a dirty dumpster, holding her head. Come on, not this again, she thought to herself. This feeling came now and again, seemingly at random. She had wondered if this was bipolar depression, and if God could even have depression, or if she actually knew what bipolar depression even was, but never cared enough to properly look into it. Such sudden use of these powers for specific reasons sometimes triggered, yet most of the time she could use these powers freely as she desired. Perhaps she could destroy the world and venture through the cosmos for a time being, then undo what she had done later; that usually was good for clearing her head. But she then heard a meow, and to her side saw a dirty-looking cat walk up to her.

“Hey there little guy,” Caitlyn said with a smile, beckoning it over with her hand. She did not override the cat’s will, instead letting it come over on its own accord. “Ya hungry?” The cat was clearly diseased, coughing in response. Yet Caitlyn still stroked the disgusting, dirty brown fur, even scratching behind its ears as a bowl of gourmet cat food appeared before them. The cat blinked before eating, as Caitlyn leaned against the dumpster. “Did you know I’m God? Well, I think I’m God. If God exists, He hasn’t done anything to let me know, and I can make Heaven and Hell at will. Kind of wish He’d speak up if He’s real,” Caitlyn began, speaking to her unknown audience. She could have made the cat able to understand her and speak English back to her, but Caitlyn liked how things had unfolded. “It doesn’t exist right now. Right now, every living being -even you- has a soul, but they just kinda go into suspension when they die. I made it so they relive all their happiest memories forever. Downside is all the super shitty and evil people get free passes too, maybe I’ll change that later,” Caitlyn explained. “It took a few times but I found a way to make Heaven really work. The trick is you can’t make everyone happy the same way, so you make it so every person gets their own personalized Heaven, best suited for them. Maybe you’d like a place with infinite food, huh?” Caitlyn laughed a bit as the cat continued to eat, as it rubbed against her leg. “I think I was a toddler when I learned I could do all this stuff. One day I had a huge temper tantrum and basically ruined the world. The ruins of what I did scared me though, so I wished I hadn’t done that, and it was done,” Caitlyn explained to her new companion. “I think I did stuff unconsciously before that, but that’s when I realized I could consciously do it.”

Caitlyn had always loved cats, and despite being a very dirty animal she enjoyed the company of this feline. She sat cross-legged, and patted on it: the cat was intelligent enough to get the message, climbing onto her, purring as she played with her head again. “Wanna see something cool? Something no kitty has ever seen before?” Caitlyn picked him up gently and stood up, and soon the two stood on the moon. Yet there was now air, and she and her companion could view the world from a site that men had to train their entire lives to earn the privilege to view. “A few weeks ago I just popped up in the International Space Station and didn’t let them know me. It was soooooooo funny!” She laughed at the memory, grinning at the cat. “This dude was freaking out, right? Big ol’ astronaut guy. And there I am, some teenage girl eating ramen on their space station! Then I just went back home… I actually waited a few days to reset everything, because its not good for history to do stuff like that unless there’s serious plans,” Caitlyn explained, as her new friend began to get feisty in her arms, so she set him down on the surface of the moon. “It gets kind of boring, sometimes. I can’t just have fun without messing stuff up big time,” Caitlyn explained, looking at the dirty and likely diseased animal. “Why do I worry about that, though? I don’t even get it myself,” Caitlyn admitted. “I mean, let’s say I am God. What does it matter what people think? I can do whatever I want!” She said as she paced around on the moon, as the cat cleaned himself. “Why do I care about what people want!? I can just destroy the universe and remake it if I wanted to! … Hey,” it gave her an idea, walking over and picking up the cat. She did not understand why she wanted to talk to the sickly cat so much. She decided she likely just wanted to have an audience that could not understand her… and she liked cats, so that was a plus. “Let me show you something,” she said, picking him up with a smirk on her face.

“Everything, begone.”

A soundproof barrier formed around Caitlyn and the cat, and there was a brilliant universe-destroying explosion. The barrier dimmed the explosion so that it would not disturb the oblivious cast as all in the universe was erased. Between two billion to two trillion galaxies were obliterated in a single instant, the destruction so instantaneous that any living creature did not even notice their demise. And so God and the cat floated in the voice of nothingness that was now the universe, before a small orb of light manifested in her hand. “And let there be light, or whatever,” she said, the light becoming a new Big Bang and creating a new universe. “I don’t even know how many times I’ve done this. At least a hundred? I don’t think it’s more than a thousand,” she said, watching the universe birth before her. “If I don’t do anything to intervene history just plays out how it always has. But I can intervene and play around though. Pretty cool, right?” She pursed her lip as the cut jumped out of her arm, landing on a platform below she created. “Meanie,” she pouted, beginning an acceleration of time. “Then I just fast forward time. Makes me wonder, how old am I really? Like… it’s like… oh, I got it! The fast-forward button on your remote! I’m just speeding up to the good stuff. Still though, does that make me a teenager still, or am I billions or trillions of years old?” She wondered. “Philosophy and stuff hurts my head, so I don’t like thinking about it. Humanity is better off when I don’t mess around though, it’s never ended well. One time I made Heaven a real thing but I never watched over it, so humanity and the angels went to war. I just erased that universe, I keep their souls inside me though,” she explained, and a few seconds later the year was once again 2020 AD, and once more they stood on the moon. “I really don’t know if I’m God or not,” she admitted. “I’d really appreciate it if He or someone else spoke up. It’s kinda lonely, you know? Having this power when nobody else does? And I can’t grant it to others,” she explained with a sigh. “I love my friends, and I got a crush on a boy too if you could believe it… but it’s lonely. How can you be like this and not be lonely?” She asked, one of her ‘moods’ beginning. “I kind of wish I was normal. I’m almost jealous of you being a cat and all. No worries… hey, look over here,” Caitlyn said, glaring as she noticed the cat straying on the moon. “I… I’m talking! Hey, get back here! Little bastard- look over here!” she yelled, eyes widening in horror as she saw the cat look at her with wide open, loyal eyes, realizing that in her anger she had involuntarily overridden its free will. “Not like that, don’t look at me like that!” She demanded, storming over, hands on its neck. But still, the cat looked up with wide open eyes. “I said, stop!”

There was a snap. “… Shit.”

That Monday morning was once again 6 AM, sitting in her room in her pajamas, looking at the now dead cat at the foot of her bed. “You know… how many times have I killed you, anyways?” She asked the corpse that did not answer, only because it was her will for it to not answer her. Destroying the universe, remaking everything, destroying the world even… how many times have I killed you? My parents? My friends? Daniel?” She asked, the smallest hint of a blush forming when speaking of the boy. She was going to just resurrect the cat, as she had to so many so many times, but something compelled her to not. After all, she had a perfect audience to talk to now. She would make it so nobody could see or smell it as she carried him around… yeah. It may have been macabre, but to a being or girl like her, what did that matter?

She smirked.

“You know what? ‘Cause of your fur, I’m gonna call you Cocoa Beans.”

#short story #short stories #creative writing #original writing

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