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Chatterbox: Inkwell
SOLO WRITE!!!!!!!
The world is Earth. The city, New York. You are a normal kid. Or at least, what passes for normal in New York. You go to school, come home, go to sleep, and do it all over again tomorrow. But no matter what you think, what you tell yourself, you long for adventure, deep down. But adventure evades you. You can’t find it, and it won’t come to you. Until, of course, it does. And once it takes you into its grasp, it won’t let you go for anything.
~~~
Yup. It’s a solo write (if the thread name didn’t make that clear). And also yup, it’s my first one *crosses fingers*. The maximum number of people is six. I know that’s not much, but any more, and I won’t be able to keep track of them all. Enter a new OC only, please, using the character form below. If you have any questions, ask away! The six slots will be open until January 30th, two weeks from now. If you reserved a spot, you’ll have until then to submit your sheet. I’ll start on the 31st. Hope you enjoy!
~~~
Name:
Age (Must be between 12 and 15):
Gender:
Skills and abilities (No powers, please. You have to be fully human):
Appearance:
Favorite color:
Personality:
Friends and Allies:
Hobbies:
Likes:
Dislikes:
Fears:
What would you do if you were alone at home, and all the power went out only in your apartment?:
submitted by Snazzycakes, age 12, female, Dancing in the rain
(January 16, 2021 - 10:30 am)
(January 16, 2021 - 10:30 am)
This solo write is now CLOSED. All spots have been filled. I will start the 30th or sooner, depending on when Darkling submits her sheet.
(January 18, 2021 - 6:10 pm)
(January 19, 2021 - 8:04 pm)
(January 23, 2021 - 4:01 pm)
@DARKLING! I would like to remind you that you only have 3 days to submit your character sheet. I am planning to post the first piece on Sunday. Please know that if you haven't submitted it by Saturday, I will start without it. I'd rather not, but I will if I have to.
(January 27, 2021 - 5:12 pm)
Don't forget to submit your sheet! You only have *counts on fingers* three days, I believe.
Also, top.
(January 28, 2021 - 8:28 pm)
Okay, so I'm working on writing the first section; I'll probably post it today or tomorrow :). @Darkling, I've realized that since half the characters won't appear in the first section, yours might as well be one of them to give you a little more time. I'll be able to extend your deadline to the 5th, which is when I'll start writing part two. Got it?
(January 31, 2021 - 9:12 am)
top! I'm so excited for this to start :D :D :D :D :D
(February 2, 2021 - 8:42 am)
(February 5, 2021 - 9:14 am)
(February 7, 2021 - 11:25 am)
Ack sorry! This is way later than I meant it to be... I had an unsusally large amount of homework last week, plus I was trying to write a lot. So for the future, it'll probably be lots of little pieces instead of some large chunks. That all right?
On a similar note, I promise I will not let this fizzle out or be forgotten. I will keep adding parts until we're finished! Buuuuuut I am human, so if I forget, please remind me!!! I probably got swept away in a tide of homework. :(
Anyway, here's the first part!
~~~
Part one
Vivi brought her mug of coffee to her lips as she stared hard at her computer screen.
As Laurel leaned up against a tree, the light from the setting sun glinted off something smeared on the leaves, Vivi typed, brows furrowed. “Detective?” Laurel asked, trying to keep the squeak out of her voice. “Is that… blood?”
Vivi stared at her last sentence for a second, then shook her head and deleted it. Placing her fingers on the keyboard, she tried again.
“I think I just found another clue,” called Laurel, gesturing vaguely.
Yes, that was better, Vivi thought. More in-character. She drummed her fingers against the table.
She loved this story, and she wasn’t even half-done. It was the latest in a series of Jasmine Hunt Mysteries, and was so far, Vivi thought, the best. She’d built Jasmine to have her own thoughts (which often caused trouble) and her own stakes in her cases.
Her gaze wandered as she took another sip of coffee.
Vivi also loved this coffee shop, with its brick walls, low ceilings, and not-too-bright lamps. Summertime Moon, it was called. Not to mention the coffee, which was amazing. Oh, and the muffins. The muffins were great.
She returned her gaze to her computer. Now what would Jasmine say? Something smart? Probably. Something sassy? Maybe…
Probably something smart, she decided. But she still didn't know what to type.
She let out an exasperated sigh. “Writer's block strikes again…” she grumbled, shifting in her chair. She should take a break, maybe grab a muffin. Lemon raspberry, she decided, fishing out a $5 bill from her pocket.
Vivi closed a computer and stood up, jostling the table as she did so. She grabbed the table to steady it, and heard the familiar crinkle of paper beneath her hands.
She sat back down, all thoughts of writer's block and muffins forgotten.
Sticking out from beneath the table was a tiny sliver of white, no wider than a millimeter. Vivi stared.
What was it? Carefully, she slipped her fingertips in between it and the table and pried. It came loose fairly easily, the tape holding it yielding to her efforts.
Sitting back, Vivi turned it over in her hand. It was an envelope, creamy white, with a blank face. She hadn't expected an address, but no name at all...
She glanced around, brows furrowed slightly. Had it been left for someone else? Had she disrupted some kind of mystery in progress?
Instantly, the writer’s part of her brain word to life. She realized it couldn't have been hidden for someone in particular; if any one person had been supposed to take it, it would have been really hidden, not sticking out so anyone could find it. It must be meant for a stranger to find it, why? And who had put it there?
Vivi stared at the letter for a moment, mind whirling. Then, with a quick, decisive movement, she tore it open. Besides, she thought to herself. If nothing else, this’ll give me some inspiration.
Inside, there was a single piece of paper, average letter size. She took it out, unfolded it, and read.
Soldiers, Sailors,
Grandest killers,
Face the faces,
Leftmost pillar.
Find the others
By finding me,
Eight seventeen,
Three fifty three.
Take your choice,
Leave or stay,
Pass the threshold,
Can’t turn away.
Vivi blinked. That wasn't what she'd expected. Then again, what had she been expecting?
Thinking hard, her gaze drifted up to her closed laptop, unfinished story inside.
If this was one of her stories, what would Jasmine Hunt do? Well, she'd figure out the clue, for starters. Then find the next one, and then figure out who is sending them and why. So that's what I'll do, Vivi thought.
Then her eyes returned to the letter. More specifically, the fifth line. Find the others.
Her heart sank a little. Of course there would be others. She supposed that even Jasmine never solved her cases alone.
She was still going to do this, though. And despite her whirling mind and her partial dread, Vivi smiled.
This was going to be fun.
~~~
Sooooo what do you guys think? What do you think the letter means? And who are the "others"?
(February 8, 2021 - 7:10 pm)
Yay, first part! It's great! Thank you so much for starting this. I look forward to the rest of this solowrite. Small chunks are just as good as large pieces. Write when you can and post when you can, (and don't get lost in an ocean of homework). Dont' feel pressured to write because your life outside of Chatterbox is more important.
I like the way you descibe Vivi's thoughts while writing. I can relate to a character having a mind of it's own. I'm guessing the "others" are our characters. I'm going to have to think more about the letter. But it's quite facinating and rhymes well. "Soldiers, Sailors, Grandest killers ..."
(February 10, 2021 - 12:21 pm)
Thank you! Yeah, Vivi's thoughts were pretty fun to write... I've always enjoyed writing a writer. And also yeah, the "others" are your characters... does that count as a spoiler? I don't think so. And I'm glad you find the letter fascinating! I tried pretty hard to make it obscure, yet still solvable. So thank you!
(February 10, 2021 - 6:32 pm)
Wow, Snazzy! This is super good! I'm really excited to see where it goes :) Your writing is super cool. I'm excited for the next part!
(February 18, 2021 - 9:40 am)
(February 9, 2021 - 7:50 pm)
(February 13, 2021 - 3:12 pm)