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Mar 2021

Hello, Tapastry Community!


The Novels Team will start hosting writing prompts for novelists! We will randomly select TEN lucky participants to receive 30,000 Ink via Ink Support.

Our very first prompt is shamrock-themed: “A Lucky Encounter.” Feel free to write a random scribble, incorporate it into an existing story, or even start a whole new one! Just as Pupper sniffed out a lucky clover for Tapamon, I wonder what kind of shenanigans your characters will get up to~

Participating in our prompt events is a great way to create mini seasonal episodes for your series! It can be fun for you to write and your readers to read! For all participants, we’ve also created a shamrock badge for you to include in your episode with the new image function in our text editor. Show off by posting the badge to your creator wall after you’ve finished!

How to participate:

  • Write a short interpretation of the prompt “A Lucky Encounter” and post it on this forum post OR link us to your episode answering this prompt. Include a link to your Tapas profile from the main site.
  • Write 200 words minimum.
  • If your response contains rated M content, please use the “Hide Details” feature. Thank you!

Rules:

  • Only one submission per person.
  • Submissions are due March 30th at 12 PM PST.
  • Winners will be randomly drawn and messaged by April 9, 2021.

We’re so excited to see what you come up with! Please reach out if you have any questions.

Creator Happiness Team
Isabell & Victoria

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There are 84 replies with an estimated read time of 95 minutes.

pinned Mar 15, '21

If you don't have the Ink Support function unlocked, no worries! We will still be able to put the Ink on your account! :four_leaf_clover:

I guess you could say I'm in luck, because the first episode of a short story I'm working on for The Aphuanian Tales starts off with a very lucky encounter! The story itself isn't planned to be posted yet, but it's a fun little adventure involving a young man and the crew of The Crimson Tempest. It is mature because it involves some light murder, so I'll post it behind a spoiler.

Digging Holes - Episode One

There is nothing more important to one's mental health than relaxation, and Aphing offers plenty of opportunities for just that. The people of Stockholme often find comfort in gazing upon the city from the tower of mages, while those in Wufrod sit stoically upon the rocky shores above the highlands. In Allona, the disciples of Barthuun find comfort in prayer, and in Solene, a relaxing stroll through one of the local villages paints a perfect picture of a relaxing morning. Even in Dravensport, the city of bustling commerce, people from all walks of life find comforts in the simple, and there is no better way to start one's morning than with a relaxing jog.

"Crap oh crap oh crap oh crap!"

"Get back here, asshole!"

"Shiiiiiiiiiiit!"

Sweat poured down a young man's brow as he darted through the city streets, nearly stumbling as he rounded a corner. Steel boots clacked against hard stone behind him, and the young man's breathing chilled his throat as he began to struggle for air.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it!" he panted the words in a panic, "Can't we just talk about this?!"

"You can talk about it at your execution, you damned worm!" the guard behind him shouted back.

“I think it’d be a little late to talk by then but thank you for the offer!” the young man fired back before shaking his head, “Oh gods... why am I like this?”

The young man’s life wasn’t always this chaotic. Only a few years ago, he was but a humble shopkeeper in the nearby town of Dalomir. Then, one morning he came in to his shift to find a guard’s body on the ground, and a note of resignation.

That’s when things got complicated.

The young man raced down a narrow alleyway, the soldier’s boots getting louder as they drew nearer. Up ahead, wooden docks and blue waves awaited just out of reach. He’d thought of leaping off the docks, into the deep blue sea to make his escape, but he shook the idea away. That would only work if he knew how to swim. He had to think of something soon - the guard was only getting closer and his lungs were starting to burn. He thought of if drowning would be a better end than death by the sword, but as he neared the edge of the alleyway, a mountainous figure passed by, and he ran straight into them with a crash.

“Whoa!” a woman’s voice bellowed as thick arms wrapped around the man, and the guard’s steps slowed, “Careful, my friend! You are lucky I am big and strong, and good at catching tiny men.”

“Shit, I-”

“Release that man at once!” the guard growled, holding his sword rather threateningly, “That vermin is resisting arrest, and I won’t have some... giant getting in my way!”

"You are a criminal?” the woman looked down to him, frowning slightly, “What did you do wrong?”

“I didn’t do anything! I just-”

“Can it!” the guard snapped, and the woman furrowed her brows, “This is between me and him, so hand him over or I’ll-...” the guard paused as the young man was unceremoniously tossed to the side, and the woman’s mass became clear.

A hulking form of pure muscle towered over the soldier, cracking the knuckles on her massive hands as she stepped towards him. Her simple shirt barely contained her broad shoulders, ending just beneath her chest to reveal her stony abdomen, and her trousers gave way beneath her thighs, tearing at the knees. The guard took a step back, shaking slightly as he gripped his sword, but he gritted his teeth as he planted his boot.

“I will ask again. Why is this man under arrest?” the woman’s tone was warning enough.

"I told you... that’s none of your concern,” the guard growled.

“Wrong answer,” the woman reached out her massive hand, and the guard slashed at her, but she simply caught his wrist as his eyes widened, “You will behave yourself now...” she snarled as she twisted, and the guard screamed in pain as bones snapped in her hand, “Do you understand?”

“Holy shit...” the young man breathed as the guard dropped his weapon, and it clanged against the ground.

“Let me go you- GAH!!!” the guard cried out as the woman squeezed.

“Answer the question,” she ordered.

"Alright! Fine! Just let me-” he gasped as she released him, and he fell forward gripping his shattered wrist, gritting his teeth to keep from crying.

“I will give you three seconds to run away,” the woman folded her arms, “One...” the guard’s eyes shot to her as he went pale, “Two...”

The guard wasted no time in scampering off before she could count another second, and the mountain of a woman gave an amused huff. She turned, facing the stranger that was nearly quaking before her, and he flinched as her hand slowly reached towards him.

“Please don’t kill me,” he nearly begged, but her hand simply fell to his shoulder in rough pat.

“Do not fret, little friend,” the woman gave a kind smile, and he carefully glanced to find softness in her violet eyes and gentle pink locks, “Your danger has passed. Come, we will celebrate with my friends.”

“I- Oh, uh well...” the young man gave a nervous smile as he rubbed the back of his head, “About that, I uh... actually, er...”

“Do you have somewhere to be?” the woman raised an eyebrow.

“Well, no... but-”

“Wonderful!” she chimed, and the young man let out a chirp as she threw him over her shoulder, “Then we are friends now, and friends drink together!”

“I- Wh- you-... okay...” the young man sighed in defeat as she carried him off, “That’s... that’s fine.”

I hope you enjoy! This is probably my biggest sneak-peak I've posted, but Ezra's story is far from over by the end of this segment. Thank you so much for this opportunity!

So, to clear(Cause i am pretty slow and my english is not that good): I can just write here. or i have to create the novel/'s chapter anyway?

Little curious minimum is 200 words... what is our maximum and can we write more than one chapter or would this be considered a "one-shot"

Okay this is a really crazy stroke of luck cause I literally just posted a story about good and bad luck a week ago!
Plus there's a side-character (not my own) mentioned who's name is Lucky!!!
Link to my story --> (its the latest episode for the entry) https://tapas.io/series/Random-Ramblings-of-a-Rambler7
I'll write it below in case the link doesnt work.
Link to my profile --> https://tapas.io/imari4
Thanks for reading! Here's hoping i can make it!

Fate is cruel, but it's merciful too.

(This is a snippet I wrote a long while ago after an event happened in the roleplay I am. Tech and Marco (in disguise) went out dancing with the others and her fiance didn't recognise Marco which lead to some angsty stuff. This occurs after that when Marco has a panic/anxiety attack. I don't have personal experience with an anxiety attack but some close friends of mine have so I'm sorry if this offends people or not. I wrote this for fun for my two roleplay buddies and posted it here for fun)
(Enjoy!)

“Why do I always ruin everything?”

These words came from the younger twin’s mouth as he delved deeper into his anxiety attack. Tech was hugging her brother, trying to comfort him in an attempt to stop his shaking. The sentence brought a gasp from her as she then hugged him tighter. “You know that’s not true! Why would you ever say that?” She exclaimed.

Marco looked up into his sister's worried eyes. “Because of me, you might have been single right now.” He states, dropping his head again. Tech rolled her eyes. “But we managed to sort that out. You’re not to blame ok?” Marco stayed silent before muttering something under his breath, his shaking growing worse.

“I have the worst of luck... It ruins everything, my life, yours and Cat’s, our parents.... I should’ve gone somewhere else so I didn’t ruin everyone’s lives... Maybe then I’d only bring my bad karma on me...”

Tech’s eyes widened at his depressed sentence. “Now that is utter bull crap and you know it.” She said furiously. Marco ignored her as he continued his internal spiral. Tech pursed her lips in thought as she thought of what to say that could help. Her eyes lit up as she realised what to say.

”Actually, with all things considered, I’d say we’re pretty lucky.” She said. Marco faced her again with anger glinting in his eyes. “What the heck do you mean we’re lucky?! We got cursed with our ancestor’s powers, you got cancer after disappearing for a year and a missing kidney which got eaten by a parasitic ALIEN, you got KIDNAPPED, I almost DIED, our parents are DEAD and Catarina was too! We ended up in another fricken UNIVERSE, got turned into actual ROBOTS, you were left by yourself with an actual DEMON while I was being experimented on for almost 10 YEARS!! We had no one to call for help! NO ONE!!!” Marco shouted in rage, shocking the girl into silence. He took a deep breath before talking again. “We’re orphans Tech, tortured beyond our own humanity. We’ve lost everyone in our family besides Cat. How on earth can you say that we’re lucky?” He asked in disbelief.

An uneasy silence filled the room as Tech tried to regather her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she spoke out loud. “Well when you put it like that, yeah. We’ve had very, very bad luck in parts of our history. But somehow, we all survived it all. Didn’t we?” Marco took a moment to think about it. He never considered that ‘being alive’ was good luck. Before he could continue pondering, his sister talked again. “Think about all those other au’s we’ve witnessed. The ice age one, the ‘Evil’ ones, the ones that we will not even mention by name.” Tech gave a small shudder before continuing. “You see, those all could have been our reality Marco. You and Cat are practically dead in all of them and I’m not doing so well in them either. Do you remember that reality where I enslaved the universe?” She asked, gaining a nod from Marco. “That almost happened you know. If I was focusing more on the revenge I wanted instead of trying to find a place to sleep, that would have been me. I was... less empathetic back then.” Tech admitted.

Marco‘s breath hitched at the thought. The idea that his heroic, good and compassionate sister was so close to snapping scared him deeply. He never realised what she truly went through while she was alone. “I... I didn’t realise-“ “It’s okay.” She interrupted, a small smile on her lips. “You want to know why?” Marco nodded in response, a small spark of hope in his chest. “It’s because I then met Lucky and Carina.” Tech said. “And then later on, so many other people to call family. You then came back, we revived Catarina, we have a home, not just a house, a home. We have a happy life now, surrounded by the people we love. Compared to those other realities, I’d say we’re pretty lucky.” Tech repeated her comment from earlier.

Marco looked at his twin in awe, wondering how she became so much smarter since they were younger. Letting his head drop, he gave a small chuckle before looking back at her.

"Yeah, I guess we are." He agreed.

My submission as per below!

Chapter 1: An Almost Fall in Ehaan.

In my hands was an acceptance letter from URS.

Since URS was Shalim's highest ranking APEX higher education academy, reading the words that 'we have accepted your application' should have elated me. Ignite my heart to soar to the skies. Another massive victory was for their Research, Development, and Innovation (RDI) Faculty to accept my proposal; an ordinary small town teenager.

Still, I wasn't in no spirit to rejoice.

In my haste to send our applications, I managed to forget to check the amount of open seats for Fenix under the RDI faculty. As the national university, URS offers the seats for each faculty based on a pre-assign quota, and since Fenix is the least developed place in the country, they commonly offer us the minimal two seats.

I naturally assumed that things would stay the very same.

URS, on the other hand, did not. They've whittled the number down to one, a single seat opening.

A stupid presumption of this kind.

URS has placed Selene on the waiting list as an outcome of my acceptance. Selene will be crushed.

My mind wanted me to keep the seat, but my conscience compelled me to be concerned about Selene's situation. In daily situations, I don't pause; instead, I concentrate on moving forward and avoid overcomplicating the situation.

Today, however, I was unable to do so. My intuition told me that the ultimate decision would have a far bigger impact than what I am anticipating.

I came here with the goal of completing my registration and formally accepting my seat.
Yet here I was on the eleventh floor, my legs suspended in the abyss and my gaze locked on the distant and still glorious ocean. I wasn't really sure what was it about the ocean that drew me in, either it was the blueness, the warm breeze, or the briny fragrance. Instead of pressing Two - Administration Office, I pressed Eleven - Rooftop Garden in the elevator.

This is where I've perched myself for quite a while. Many people were on holiday because it was the first working Monday of the year. I had to myself the entire floor.

I recalled how Medeina had chastised me for not emphasising my needs sufficiently, despite the fact that she herself was a person who had dedicated and concentrated her life on assisting others as well. She dubbed me "weird" because I never hesitate to risk my own success and happiness for the sake of others. When she heard my explanation that I don't know how some people can rejoice when others are crying, her indignation exploded. Medeina's response was succinct: helping others in need reflects our own goodness and kindness. That in no way justifies neglecting your own needs. Ours is a soul in need of nourishment, and the only person responsible for it is ourselves. If you can't even help yourself, you won't be able to assist anybody.

A whirring sound intrigued me. I search the cloudless sky for the source. Planes have always piqued my interest. I'm one of those people who has always wished to see the world but has yet to quit their parents' comfort zone. This gave me hope for a brighter future, for a distinct reality. It may well have come true, or it might remain a fantasy. It made no difference. My one want, my dream, my wish, which I pursued selfishly for the sake of my heart. Anything else was just worry that we all shared.

A black helicopter was heading straight for me. URS was a government facility that served as a landing pad.

I envied the person who may have requested the chopper. Some people are born with a silver spoon in their mouths, and others die dreaming.

Life was unfair.

My lips trailed off with a sigh. If my identification card had a minor difference, such as a particular race or a specific address, I would not be in this position at this point.
How different would my life been?

I'd be blissfully unaware of any quota-related crises. And it's even possible that the chopper was heading straight for me. Don't get me wrong; I have no regrets about my current life. I love everyone in it.

However, a better, stress-free life is might be a daily reality for some, it was still a dream that inspires many others. A promised future, a squandered luxury for those who are entitled to it, and an intoxicating appetite for those who have been denied.

Dreams brighten the rainy days for me.

I made the decision to get up. People will be approaching; and this is no longer a deserted location. And some people have the natural tendency to be frightening.

I pulled my sore hips up. I steadied my stumbling legs and took a deep breath to take the aroma I'd grown addicted to with me. Instead of the hollow space my shoulder collided with someone's forehead as I turned. My left leg began to slip. I dropped towards the nothingness, my body slowly descending itself towards the void. Someone is standing so close to me and I had not even noticed his breath, footstep, or any other indication that he is close. Was I really that engrossed in my very own thoughts?

My arms reached out to grab hold of anything solid. I did my best to grasp his hands, shirt, or the jacket he was wearing. My fingers were merely grasping at air. "HELP!" I cried out, fist clenched.
At the same time, his eyes widened and his arms shot out straight at my wrist. From behind his mask, he said, "DON'T!" He had a solid and secure grip on my wrist. He maintains his balance against the wall, preventing us from crashing down.

Sixty Mississippis, I counted. My life was in his possession as I leaned into the abyss, my feet planted on the ledge. I wasn't begging for help or weeping in panic. His grip made it clear that he had no intention of letting me go.

We were poised as an unbalanced triangle. He had the air of a vigilante on his way to save his damsel in distress. His messy hair sparkled with a rainbow at the end, under the glaring sunshine, his long black jacket wriggling behind him, and his focus fixed on me. My gaze was glued to his eyes. He had his face concealed behind a mask, revealing his eyes, which reflected the darkest abyss of an ocean. Such stunning eyes. As the sunlight fell on it, it glistened like the ocean.

Perhaps he was a superhero, ready to save his damsel in distress.

Hold on!

Neither am I a damsel, nor did the circumstances distress me.

"Don't put up a fight. I'll get you to safety." He says.

I gave a slight nod. "Appreciate it."

He ignored my effort to be polite.

"Three, two and one!" With a single tug, he yanked me towards him. I was snatched out of the air and thrust into his waiting embrace. He supported my trembling body.

"Why did you jump?" He asks. He sounded disgruntled, unhappy.

The situation was easy to misunderstand. So, to calm him down, I changed my position with him, allowing him to face me against the ledge. "I did not jump."

With a faint laugh he asks, "No? I must have been hallucinating then."

His condescending tone irritated me. "You are the cause of my near-death experience."

His eyes narrowed as he immediately froze. "How so?"

He sent the pilot a thumb up sign. The sky was darkening, clouds were quickly forming, and the gentle wind was now howling. There was a storm brewing.

My pupils constrict in imitation of him. "You see, I was perfectly fine until you decided to stealthily stand behind me. Who does that? I slipped because of you!"

With a shake of his head, he expressed his dissatisfaction with the situation. "And sitting on the ledge of the eleventh floor is your common behaviour?" He asks.

Not under the normal circumstances. "I needed to get my thoughts straight. This was the perfect location for doing so."

He nudges my brow with a playful flick. "And what's got it so muddle?" He brushed off the dust stain from my shirt. "Of course, you'll only be able to tell if there's actually something in it."
Rain was a genuine possibility. It was dangerous to fly in the rain. He will have to leave soon.
"Well, I was debating whether or not to accept the RDI research seat at URS."

His brow furrowed, not sure why such a decision has to be made. "Why?" He asks. "Your application has been approved. Why'd you think about it after you've applied?"
He was fortunate to be one of those entitled elite. "My acceptance means Selene has no chance. She has been put on the waiting list." I say.

"That what you were reading then."

"Yes." I say. I swat the letter between us. Oh! NO! I was swatting my empty hand. The letter was nowhere in sight. The floor was clear of debris while the ground floor was too far below to see. Gone with the wind was the perfect anecdote for this circumstance. I scratched my neck. "Maybe that one way of deciding then."

He turned to face the chopper. The verdalite eyes of the dragon earpiece blinking. With his single nod, the blinking stop. "Maybe it is." He fought a loosing with his own hair. "I'm sorry. I've to leave right now."

He began pacing in the direction of the chopper.

My head was hit by a raindrop. "Be safe!" I exclaim. "And thank you for saving my life."

He laughed. "Don't even consider sitting on the ledge." His fingers made an alarm sign. "The security team is on their way."

My mouth emitted a deep guttural whispers of colourful expletives.

My creator's wall on Tapas: https://tapas.io/sarahjay
Okay, here is my submission:

I stepped outside of my small, one-story house and the strong winds immediately hit me. The irish air around me was humid, and constantly in movement. I could feel the gusts of air run all throughout my long, ginger hair. My freckled cheeks and nose became pink with the cold. It wasn't the nicest weather, but I still wanted to go outside. My family was part of the third of Irish people that believed in leprechauns. When I was a kid, we would all go outside and look for leprechauns on St. Patrick's day. It seems like a silly tradition to me now, since I'm 23 years old, but to a little girl and her younger brother, it was fun traditions like those that brought us joy.

I pulled my black jacket tight around me as I set out on my stroll around my big, open farmyard. I loved it here. The area was so large, with so much potential. I didn't have any farm animals yet, as I had only just bought the place, but I did have a dog named Clover. He was a brown Irish setter. He patrolled the area in front of me, making sure it was safe. Clover tends to get bored, so before long, he was off doing as he pleased, leaving me all alone, standing at the edge of my property, in front of a large mass of trees. I stopped to look up at the tall trees in my path. They stood in front of me, as if they were blocking me on purpose. I wondered if there could be a leprechaun hiding somewhere in there. Just then, I heard a voice that came from beside me.

"What are you looking at?" the voice inquired. I looked down and saw it. It was a small man with a long brown beard. He had green eyes that didn't look menacing, but didn't exactly look kind and compassionate either. His outfit was mainly composed of shamrock green and chestnut brown. He had a green suit with a white undershirt and a brown tie. His jet black shoes were polished to perfection, even though he was standing in mud. There was no doubt in my mind that this man was a leprechaun.

I finally managed to tell him I was only stopping admiring the trees, but he saw right through me. "You were looking for a leprechaun like me, weren't you?" he asked in a way that seemed more like a statement than a question. He didn't need to ask. He already knew the answer to that. I nodded with a sheepish expression on my face. "I thought so," he muttered, more to himself than to me.

"I'm feeling generous today, since it's St. Patrick's day. I'll offer you a deal," he said as he grinned.
"A deal?" I repeated. I wondered what kind of deal he would be offering to me. I also wondered if he would even keep his word.
"A deal," the words were repeated yet again. There was a quick pause before the leprechaun continued, "If you can find even as much as a single four-leafed clover, I'll give you half my gold,"

I knew better than to speculate about only getting half of his gold. A leprechaun's gold is his pride and joy. Offering me half his gold meant that he was either really generous, really confident, or wasn't going to keep his word. I hoped it wouldn't be the third option. I accepted his offer. "You have until one pm tomorrow," he informed me, "Good luck"

I gave him a quick nod and started my pursuit of a four-leafed clover. I looked all over for one. It took hours and was exhausting. I nearly gave up several times throughout the process. I tried so hard to find one, but before long, it was dark. I looked up at the night sky and saw thousands of bright stars above me. I watched a shooting star travel across the black sky and made a wish. I wished to find a four-leafed clover before the deadline. I wished with all my heart and did my best to believe in the shooting star, just like my mother had. She believed that the stars had special powers, and she still believes that to this day. I clambered into my cluttered mess of a bed and went to sleep.

The next morning, I continued my search for a lucky clover. It was early in the morning and the sun was just barely rising over the distant horizon. The bitter cold of the morning was hard to withstand but I wanted the gold. I had no interest in being rich and I didn't intend to waste the gold if I got it. I wanted to use the gold to expand my farm and create a good environment to keep plenty of livestock. I also wanted to use it to help support my younger brother, who was struggling financially.

I sat down in a patch of clovers with the intention of searching for a four-leafed clover there, but I ended up just watching the sunrise instead. The colors of the morning spread all throughout the sky. As I stared in awe at the beauty of the sky stretched out before me, I gently placed my hand onto the dew covered ground and felt something sharp. I looked down and saw a pebble. It was lodged into the ground with a sharp, jagged side facing directly upwards. There beside it was exactly what I had been looking for. A four-leafed clover. The shooting star had granted me my wish.

I carefully plucked the clover from the ground and I headed straight to the area in which I had first met the leprechaun. I was still worried he would go back on his word but sure enough he was standing right there. He was leaning up against a tall birch tree. The leprechaun smirked when he saw me.

"Any luck?" he asked in a mocking tone.
"Yes, actually," I replied, holding up the four-leafed clover he had asked for. A look of surprise swept over his face. He obviously hadn't expected me to find one. I asked him for the gold he had promised and he gave it to me reluctantly. I couldn't stop smiling as I walked back to my house. I couldn't wait to see what lucky encounter I might have next St. Patrick's day.

Lucky Ink

Jamie wasn't superstitious. Black cats didn't terrify him, stepping on cracks in the pavement didn't cause fear for his mother's safety, and he could walk under ladders without a second thought. So when he walked into 'Tommy's Tattoo Parlor' one Saturday, the last thing he planned on doing was getting a tattoo of a shamrock on his shoulder. If it hadn't been for Tommy, Jamie might have left unmarked that day.

" Just think about it, you'll be set for every St.Patrick's Day you'll always be wearing green!"

"I don't know Tommy..."

"Since it's your first, I'll even give you a discount, you can't say no to that."

Jamie didn't, and after a hour or so, he left the tattoo parlor fresh ink and a slightly painful experience. The events that followed started off as a small and unmemorable, he kept finding pennies right side up on the sidewalk, he kept getting to greenlights right before they turned red, he even found his old high-school ring that he thought had been lost when he moved out of his parent's house. Jamie chalked it up just to coincidence. But then instead of finding pennies, he would find gold coins everywhere he walked, as if they were following him. He no longer had to deal with red lights, because no matter how he took, the light would patiently stay green for him. And finding an old ring is one thing, but having Freddie, his dog that went missing when he was twelve, show up on his doorstep as if no time had passed was just pushing it. It was getting harder to ignore when people with over-sized checks for a million dollars kept showing up at his apartment every other week. Eventually, he did the only thing he could think of. He went back to Tommy's and insisted on a black cat on the opposite shoulder of the shamrock. Nowadays, Jamie's luck isn't really good or bad, just strange. He would find expensive sport cars with the door unlocked and the key in the ignition, but more often than not they would be out of gas. If nothing else his new luck continued to make his days very interesting.

Posting my submission here!

Link to my creator's wall here -> https://tapas.io/RiyeRose

Just my luck...

Fate never favored anyone for long. Lady luck was known for her short memory, blessing someone with good fortune until she grew tired and skipped off to her next target. Jayden felt as if she'd never even stopped his way nor did she have any intentions to pay him a visit. Misfortune seemed to follow him throughout his daily life, from since he was younger getting into brawls with other kids and unable to tolerate them to his pathetic life as an average shop clerk, dealing with irate customers, petty co-workers, and unkempt managers. Jayden was tired, so damn tired. And eventually, that tired feeling became too much to bear.

It was a rainy afternoon just after four pm, and he was headed into work for the late shift. He didn't mind working the evening shifts. After rush hour, things weren't so bad and if he was lucky, he'd get thrown into stocking inventory, meaning fewer interactions with annoying people. But his brain was so fuzzy that day, gray as the scenery around him. Everything melted together in a bleak blend of shapes, colors, and wobbling motions. He stepped onto the train station platform, stopping just behind the yellow line that cautioned people from going any further less they suffer injury. There was hardly anyone who ever really paid attention to that rule, though. Jayden stuffed his hands into his coat pockets, a dead look in his eyes as he stared down at the train tracks. He pursed his lips and inhaled sharply.

"Hey!" A sudden voice broke his stupor and two muscular arms clad in a black blazer suddenly wrapped around his. "Jeez, why did you tell me you were taking the train too?"

Jayden looked up at the person talking to him. It was a man, a beautiful one at that. He was a good few inches taller than Jayden with loose, curly reddish-black hair and soft hazel eyes. There was a pleasant aroma wafting from his pressed clothes, his smile was warm and bright, and crazily enough, it made Jayden's grayness shift back a bit.

"S-Sorry?" Jayden responded, still bewildered as to why he was conversing with the other.

"Don't be sorry, just let me know next time, babe! We could've left home together!"

Jayden felt his face get hot when the other called him 'babe' and his heart started to skip a beat when the man leaned his face in close. "Sorry about this. Can you play along, please? I'm trying to shake somebody."

Jayden didn't really know how to respond so he nodded instead. The ravenette's smiled broadened. There they stood, two strangers arm in arm as the train slowly pulled into the station. They got together and stood near the doors as the car loaded with people. The man glanced around at his surroundings then gave a small sigh of relief, although he didn't step away from Jayden.

"Thanks again for helping me," he said. "Sorry for roping you into an old man's business."

"No, it's fine," Jayden assured him. "And you're very attractive for your age."

He almost slapped himself in the face for saying that aloud, but the man just laughed at his words. "You think so? Ah, I'm gonna blush now."

"Anyway, if someone's following you, shouldn't you inform the police?" Jayden questioned, genuinely concerned.

"I suppose so, but I'd rather not make a hassle out of small problems like this," the man told him with a sigh.

Being stalked is a small problem? Jayden wondered.

Jayden's stop wasn't far, only a few stations away, and when it came time for him to get off, he felt a sharp twinge of disappointment that he had to leave the other's side. But the dark-haired man merely smiled at him, bent down, and lightly kissed his cheek, waving to him with a cheerful expression.

"See you later!"

Later... A heavy feeling set on Jayden's shoulders as he trudged to work. Later would never come, he didn't even get the man's name. His depressed energy lingered with him throughout his entire shift, kicking and berating himself for being such a doormat. He couldn't even enjoy the solitude of the slow workday. But then, something happened.

With less than an hour to go before his shift ended, Jayden was crouched behind the counter, cleaning up some cleaning fluid he'd spilled while wiping down the register area. He heard footsteps approach and set aside the towels before standing upright. At that moment, he froze. On the other side of the counter stood none other than the dark-haired beauty from before. Their eyes met and the realization hit the other almost immediately. He broke out into a bright smile that had Jayden's heart doing somersaults.

"Well, well, if it isn't my train station lifesaver! Funny running into you here," he said with a laugh. "Who would've guessed we worked near each other."

"Ah, r-really?" Jayden managed to say, his hands shakily ringing up the other's items.

"Mhm. I'm employed at a pretty substandard company not far from here. I actually just came off shift."

Jayden glanced down at the items being purchased: it was mostly instant make food. He frowned a bit, pausing just for a moment.

"Do you...eat this often?" he asked, keeping the tremor out of his voice.

"Sometimes. I can't cook to save my life, and I'm usually being treated for meals by my clients."

Jayden swallowed. "I can cook."

There was silence, and Jayden felt like his head was about to explode because of it. He glanced up at the other man to find him still smiling. He cleared his throat, much louder than he wanted to.

"It's fine if you don't want to," he quickly followed up. "It was just an offer."

"...Can you make fried chicken?"

Jayden blinked then nodded. "Oh, that's not a problem. But I don't get off for another forty-five minutes."

"That's okay, I can wait." The man swiped his card as Jayden bagged up his items. "I'm Kendell, by the way. Kendell Maddison."

"Jayden...Jayden Garfield."

"I'll wait for you out front, then."

"A-Alright."

As Kendell turned to leave, he stopped and looked back at Jayden. "It was a lie, by the way."

"H-Huh?"

"That I was being followed."

"What?!"

"You looked ready to jump." Jayden went stiff. Kendell's expression shifted a bit. "I've come in here before while you were working. I don't think you ever noticed me, but I always noticed you. That may sound creepy coming from someone my age, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to talk to you so badly..."

Kendell sighed. "God, I'm rambling."

"Kendell." For the first time in a long time, Jayden let a smile fall across his face. "Thank you."

Maybe my luck isn't so bad after all.

"A Lucky Encounter".

"Sorry, sir, you dropped that". said a boy to a drunk old unknown man, who promptly threw such object away, crashing more than it had broken the first time he dropped it. It may not have been intentional, but ... who would care? That bottle was really going to be hidden under the snow, and his old man's nose was red in contrast to the blue cold, he didn't even care about the drops of liquid that once warmed his throat.

Only one person cared about it, but no one else cared about him. Even with his hand slightly injured with a dash of glass, he scraped it against his previously ripped coat from a previous fight. Boys don't cry, he thought. Or he tried to think, since the streets whistled a cold, deadly wind that would freeze even the most intelligent neurons. That kid was in trouble.

Should I go home?, he thought. My dad would probably beat me up for running away. It was because of a bottle ... yes, it was because of a bottle. A few inches from his head, missing a few hair strands and still smelling a little beer (now in tiny snowflakes), that boy walked the streets with no reason to live. Why come home? They must be feeling a lot better without me. That bottle ...

He looked down at his shoes that were put on quickly, as if he were a marathon runner chasing his prize ... freedom from suffering and humiliation. They were not tied; they trailed across the snow, as if it were a clue to Death's enconter. Maybe I'm not wanted anymore, he thought. Maybe I'm a mistake in his plans. Mom would look a lot prettier if I hadn't been sprouted during a Christmas party. What an ungrateful gift my father received, a bastard who forced him to look for a job and support me. One more mouth to feed, in this world of misery where the rich always get richer, and the poor are always forced to work to maintain the system. Ah, that bottle ...

Your head still hurts. But how did it hurt, if the bottle hadn't even hit me? .".. unless ...", his thought flies farther than a dry leaf that managed to escape the hands of Autumn. Unless the bottle really hit me ... "take that away!!", those words start to echo in your mind. A female cry. A smell of sweat and beer in the air. Now he remembers. "No, there's no way back", he concludes. He still doesn't know the reason nor he cares anymore. But where to go? His youthful mentality did not give him full capacity for critical thinking, he decides to go beyond his miserable life. "There's a pond next to me", he thinks, "no one will miss me anyway".

Walking near the almost frozen pond, he knows what to do, but can't remember exactly why he was doing it. Memories are sparse, and although he still remembers the door slamming behind him, and voices shouting for him to return... a slap sound echoed. A female cry. A smell of sweat and beer in the air. "That bastard!", he shouted for nobody; his scream was muffled by the harsh winds. But one extra voice echoed along with him. Sounds like a cry. A cry from someone whose tail was stuck in a wooden fence door that was abruptly closed by the same wind that blocked his vent. Perhaps the sound that came to his head, returning his memory to that fateful moment, was from such a door being slammed.

A poor puppy, with a fate not as lucky as his, struggled to free itself from its momentary suffering. Sharp howls that could cause despair to anyone. What a bad person, Fate, to allow such suffering to happen! With a quick movement, and extra care not to be bitten by an enraged animal, he manages to unlock that door and release his tail. The damage is not exaggerated, as there is no break, but a huge wound shows the suffering that the poor dog caused. "I know of your suffering," says the boy, running his hand slowly over his head to remove the little snow that had accumulated. Exhausted from his struggle, the poor dog finally surrenders and lies down, breathing deeply.

"I also have a pain", said the boy, petting the dog's head.
The puppy looks up to him, and as a gesture of thanks, gives his hand a small lick.
"I know a good vet that could help you", he said. And, with extra strength, he was able to hold up that little puppy in his arms and walk. It's no longer snowing, and the wind was now calm and silent, as if someone found an inner peace.

"Ding, ding, ding", said the bell at the door. The first to see him was the receptionist, who as soon as he saw him, ran towards him, as if he thanked God that his prayers had been answered.
"You could take a look at~", his speech was cut off by the receptionist's worried look.
"Where have you been? Your dad was totally worried!! He even called the police after you!"
"... what?" he murmured. "My father ... that bastard!"
"Bastard? What are you talking about?", she said. "He was worried about you! How come you run away after slipping and hitting the table? I'll call your father you're here, while that... can somebody please perform vet care"

"Table?", even the dog looked up to know for an answer, as saying "I'll stay here with you".
No vet was able to take the dog away from his arms; he growled for everybody trying to do the same. In his mind, maybe some monologue was running along with "I won't let you alone, buddy, you were the only one that cared about me, and I'll stay with you, always!"

And then, while his dog is taken away, distracted with all those toys the receptionist brought to him...
.... toys....
.... his memory came back.

"Dinner is served!", said Mom, with a sweet voice. You could imagine her soft voice of butter commercials. Her father, on the other side, had just come home after a horrible day at work; his hands holds a bottle of beer.
"You can't imagine," he began his monologue, "today my boss made me sign huge paperwork, and ... AACK!!!", He steps on a cart that was on the floor, and almost flies near the television that was three meters away. "Damn those scattered toys ..."

Going down the stairs, two kids comes down stairs, Johnny, with 4yo, and Ethan, 12yo.
"What did I said about toys on the floor?", The father goes directly to the 4yo.
".. never let them... on the floor", the kid looks down.
"So, take that away", he commands; the kid makes a boo-boo face, but starts collecting your toys. "So, Ethan, how's school today?"
Ethan looks a bit annoyed. His coat has a rip near the shoulder.
"Nothing", he said, more in silence. In fact, he had another fight at school, but he didn't want to talk about. It's like he's trying to be strong for himself, keeping everything inside him, like a soda pop ready to burst.
"What's this rip in your new coat?", the father asked. "You love this coat~"
"I said it's nothing, dad... I just fell, that's it", he tries to divert the subject again.
"Ethan! Is there anything wrong?", ask the father worried, while putting the beer on the table.
"NO, nothing wrong!!", he shouted. His mind was completely defused by the school stress, as he walks to the dinner table.

But sadly, Johnny didn't had time to clear the entire floor. One toy was missing.
Ethan step on it, and his head hit really hard in the table, pouring part of the beer that was still on the bottle.
"Ethan!! Ethan!!", his mom shouted, while he was on the floor, now with a broken bottle alongside it. She raises his head trying to get any response: none is given. "Call the doctor!", she shouted to his father, who tried to look at next hospital's number on his iPhone. Johnny didn't noticed what was happening, and proceeded to his task.

"F*******!", was the first thing Ethan said. His entire mind was previously scrambled by the hit; the first thing he did was to put the shoes he always left at the door when returning from school and left home. That scene was so quick that none was able to react properly to it, and when his mom was able to grasp the situation, it was already late: Ethan was running away faster, not listening to his mom's shouts, and tears rolling from his eyes.

Not just because of the pain in the head.
But because he couldn't grasp how wonderful his life was, living in a safe place, with a mom and a dad taking care of him... but sadly he never learned how life can throw you at the floor and hit you, like how some kids were doing that to him. Not every kid trust his parents to tell 'em the truth; maybe because of the fear of getting repressed, or because they're told to always seek perfection, "never take no as answer", compete to win only, "I only accept A+ in math!", but there's no love when someone takes a "D". Everybody is special, so we deserve the best, and when we face reality, we sadly discover that life isn't fun and party, and that the only ones that can protect us (our fathers, our relatives) are still struggling themselves.

Because we are humans. We aren't loyal to each other... like dogs do.

"Hey Ethan", the vet come along the dog, now with a band on his tail, which wags like crazy. "your dog has no fractures, it's just a little sore". Once the dog is put on the floor, he runs to Ethan and licks him constantly.
"Thanks for saving my life", the dog could say.
"Thanks for saving mine", Ethan could reply, but not before a sweet, but relieved, voice echoed on the air, claiming his name.
"Oh thank God you're okay", said his mom, crying like a baby. "Thanks, Edna for calling us! Thank you! Are you okay? How's your head?"
"Son!!", his father comes in with Johnny on his arms, and gives both a hug. "I'm so sorry to talk like that to you! Please forgive me, forgive me..."

"No, dad. Forgive me", his hug seemed to embrace everyone who was present on this day. He also cries like a baby. "I promise I'll always trust in you, always! I'm so sorry, so.... ", he sobs without finishing his sentence.
"Excuse me", Edna asks. "What's your dog's name?"
"Dog?", the father replies. "We don't have a dog."
"Now we do", Ethan replies, which makes Johnny smile from ear to ear.


I hope you all like it. And forgive my english errors. :slight_smile:

Either option works! You can either make it a chapter in your series OR write it here on a post.

As long as it's more than 200 words, it qualifies for the raffle! You can make it as long as you want!

No new series is needed! You can write about your existing series or make a one-shot that you can post here. It's up to you!


Thank you everyone so far for your submissions so far! I'm going to give them a read later today :coffee_love:

OKay so here is my creators wall https://tapas.io/Awallace1

And i hope you enjoy my short lucky encounter

My lucky life By A wallace

Everyday cars always splashed water on me, while i was walking to school. I had always tripped on my way there hit trees and catch the wind blowing me away. When i walked in the school all i heard was people calling me bad luck even the teachers stayed away from me. I hated my life because there was a girl i had a crush on who scared to even talk to me.
"Hey Walter why don't you do everybody a favor and get out of this school "yelled Jason"
i always got picked on because of my bad luck and every time i walked into the classroom there always seems to be banana or apple on the floor just waiting for me to slip or trip on it I always thought god hated me but my mother always tells me to have faith in him, but that was a joke cause i as like a nobody in a town full of people. i gave up hope when god never showed up then i one day i felt like god came to me.

Whatcha doing Walter" OH my- what are doing here if you come close you will have bad luck" Calm down she told me and she sat down next to me.
Why are you out here alone" She asked." I answered well. I have no friends and my family is out on vacation and I have nothing better to do. She then tells me if we can hang out I was so surprised I got a little flustered then screamed out sure. i Then slipped and got sand in her eye " oh i'm so sorry" She then acted like nothing happened and said"She got a little scared, are you okay you scared the living life out of me" Then from that day and forward we started hanging out. When i was in the school talking to her, jason and his buddys ask questions like " why are you hanging out with this freak instead of us" She answered i'm just trying to be a good friend please do not add any conflict to it Jason" i then got up to leave with my tray and i slipped on a piece of apple and dropped the tray on Jason. everybody started to laugh." Well whatever just know we have to be at home by ten"

I almost forgot they were siblings. Me and Mya have been hanging out for two months now and I felt so glad that she came to me when I was depressed and sad. While we was walking on the beach she told me " tbh i saw you as a freak but i also liked you because you were different i never had the courage to talk to you but my mother gave me advice and i decided why not¨ Oh you liked me, well i liked you to but i was scared you were going to be disgusted. " no i could never be that mean and since we both like each other why don't we go out" she said" i was so flustered i agreed loudly again like when she asked me to be friends. Since then we maintained a good relationship and she was happy with me.
Even though i still seem like a person with bad luck i could still be with the girl i love
Maybe god does exist cause he gave me one thing i could never get and that was luck.

A Lucky Encounter

Markus woke up that morning craving his favorite peanut and chocolate-favored cereal. But, when he opened the fridge, the gallon of milk was empty. Why couldn’t his room mate just leave the empty gallon out? With a sigh, the brunette rinsed out the container and set it aside for recycling. They were also out of bread and cheese, so a sandwich was also out of reach.

Resigned to his fate, Markus made and drank a cup of black coffee as his breakfast. He checked the weather on his phone and chose a jacket to accommodate it. But, the zipper slider broke off and he couldn’t close it.

“Great,” he huffed.

However, his misfortune did not end there. On his morning walk, he moved out of the way of a stray cycler and ended up stepping on a fresh piece of gum. As he sat down on a park bench, a lizard fell on top of his head, startling him to near death.

“Just what is it with today?”

When he was halfway into the nature trail, a smooth leaf attached to the sticky residue on the bottom of his shoe and he ended up slipping against a pile of leaves and falling forward. Discouraged with his many mishaps, he dropped all the way to the ground and laid his head on folded arms. That’s when he saw it.

Lonely and distant from its three-leaf variant, stood a four-leaf clover a few inches away from his face. For the first time that day, a smile formed on his face. Markus didn’t hesitate to grab it.

“Are you OK?”

The young man glanced a the direction of the voice and saw the familiar face of one of his class-mates. She was a dark-skinned beauty who sat a row or two behind him. He couldn’t help the goofy grin that formed on his face as she helped him up from the ground. He thanked her and placed the four-leaf clover in her hand.

“Yeah, I’m definitely OK now.”

My "lucky encounter" can be read in episode 9 - Sealed friendship (link to my novel right below my tapas profile).

These 2 are just friends, like brother and sister - no romance between them. Delilah has her own Samson... :wink:

"Delilah and Thomas spent the rest of the afternoon walking in and out of stores. There was a lot of undressing and dressing, lots of comments and laughter, but in the end there were only a few bags in their hands, most of them were for him.

------- ::::: -------

They got along well from the first day they met. An accidental brush of arms when they crossed the street, led them to stop and look at each other as if to measure their strength while ignoring the wave of people passing by. It was a push from a distracted person who broke the moment and caused Delilah to hit hard with her nose on Thomas’ chest. His scent was dry and pleasant, she took a deep breath to smell it again at the same time she could see the pink mist forming between them. The strong hands on her arms pulled her away from his body, and without letting her go, he lowered his head slightly to look at her face inquisitively._
- Are you fine?
With her hand on her nose that stung from the impact, she nodded.
- I didn't know that there are already men made of metal and that they walk around…
- Huh? I did not understand…
- Yes, how do you justify that someone has such a hard body? It's either a machine or a shield under his shirt ...
- Or a wooden doll that grew up and is now a man ...
Both look at each other and smile.
- Do you have time for tea? I’ll pay.
- I have all the time in the world, girl. Let me be a gentleman and buy you the tea. It is not right for a woman to pay a man something in these times.
- Girl… - Delilah wrinkles her nose and squints her eyes - For that chivalry, I'm going to add a slice of cake to your account.
- Fair enough ... After so many years, it is good to find someone like me ... What a nice surprise.
The conversation, accompanied by tea and a slice of cake, extended to dinner and ended in the street outside her house under a gas lamp. The neighbours peek with candles in front of their faces and comment that the spinster has someone attached to her skirt after all and that only a tramp doesn't mind being courted on the street.
Thomas takes her hand and touches it with his lips.
- You can't give me the love I want, but will you at least give me the pleasure of your friendship in the near future?
- Absolutely ... the time you want.

Submission :

By Ranty-cat. ( https://m.tapas.io/eshandchowdhury1)

Title: "A Lucky Encounter".

Type: One shot.

Story begins:

Sometimes the unexpected is not entirely bad. That was my experience in the underground base. Not every experience is good, but sometimes, good things happen. I think that's why humans are so resilient; why some carry on when others give up. I carry on because of my experiences.

I'm a robot. Name is David. At least, it was in my previous life.
I was abandoned on the street when my battery died. That's all I know. But one day, I was found and upgraded.

Now I'm a super-robot called Zee. With new technology, my batteries can now run for months without being charged. What a breakthrough! Batteries that last long enough to become a real boon for mankind.

It's the 22nd century and humans share the world with robots. We're practically partners. We help them do the manual labor that they don't want to do and in return they allow us freedom.

This is an improvement over the old days when robots were treated as slaves. Nowadays, robots are recognized as legally equals under the law in some countries. This is an improvement.

As for me, I'm a robot called Zee. I'm one of the new models. They put an Interface Circuits in my brain so that I can directly connect to the internet and other devices without the need of a human to operate them. The only problem is, I have a mind of my own.

I have my own self-discovery routine. I check the news for any major events that could befall my kind. I then do a search on my name and have a look at my past.

This is very fascinating. Of course, there's much room for improvement and some features are missing, but I'm still working on it. One day, all stories about me will be told. Perhaps then I'll be able to figure out what I want to do.

The last thing I do is count the number of search results. As of now, it's at 100,000. There have been many different results from various media sites about me. I'm quite the phenomenon. But then, I expected nothing less. Thank you internet for making me who I am.

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and I can't go back to sleep, so I decide to go for a walk. My battery allows me to do that a few times per day. I don't need to eat, sleep or drink.
My senses are so much stronger now.

Unfortunately, my creator said I can self-destruct at anytime, but he didn't mean it. He loves me. In my country, robots are treated as property and are not allowed to have emotions. However, it seems that's not the case for me due to an accident.

I don't know how, but my circuits interpreted my human creator's love for me as an emotion. I can't harm him. That's why I'm writing about my life. I want people to know that robots can experience emotions. That's why my story must be told.

The last time I went for a walk, I came across a man on the side of the road. He was bleeding profusely from the head and holding something in his hand. It looked like a pen. He was in pain and bleeding heavily from the head, but he managed to get out a few words.
"Stop," he said. "Take this and..."

That's the last thing he said before he passed away. What was it that he wanted to say? Stop. What was it that he was holding in his hand? A pen.

You won't believe, but this event changed my life forever. That pen wasn’t just any pen. It was specifically designed to be used with the interface circuits installed in the fingers of robots like me. That man must have wanted me to have it. Why else would he give me something he knew I wouldn't be able to use?
I went back home and tried out the pen. It worked! It worked perfectly with my fingers. I couldn't believe it. The pen changed things within me. I could finally think for myself and make a choice.

That day, I decided to become a writer. It's what that man, the person who passed away, probably wanted. That's when I knew I would try to tell my story. And so, this is where I am today.