Some Ramblings from WhatHaveWeDone

It's that time of the year again! 31 days of writing prompts. You have two prompts each day, meant to give you a choice if one of them doesn't speak to you, but how you handle them is up to you. Whether you work with only one of them, put both prompts in the same fill or write two fills, one for each prompt.

This even is open for all forms of writing. Original stories, fanfiction, poems, haikus, drabbles or novel lengths. We don’t dictate what you write or how you write it; all fandoms, all ships and all themes are welcome in our event. AI created content is strictly forbidden.

Some important links: Rules (more detailed) | FAQ | AO3 Collection 2026 | Discord Server

stars | cave

family | clearing

plants | river

horse | field

beauty | forest

war | festival

brave | night

fire | beach

sun | workshop

thunder | home

healing | garden

strength | boat

message | hall

wise | wilderness

music | well

moon | mountain

strategy | sea

pleasure | sky

marriage | mechanic

thief | cabin

wealth | vineyard

light | graveyard

justice | underworld

memory | sunrise

death | grove

hunting | castle

snow | spring

kindness | Atlantis

dog | lake

wind | island

Today I learned that Nick Park is writing a Tell-All memoir from the perspective of Gromit and it's perhaps the fastest I've ever preordered anything.

Making Gromit speak is a terrible idea that ruins the character. Having Gromit write a book where we get to hear everything that goes on in his head is the most in-character thing I've ever heard.

And if that wasn't enough the excerpt clinched it:

"Yes. I’m a dog. And you’re reading a book written by a dog. Which of us is the odder? I guess we’ll just have to get used to it. Now, this is supposed to be Wallace’s story. And maybe, at some point, he’ll finish building the machine he was going to write this book with. Currently he’s stood on top of the dining table and wondering why he fitted a typewriter with wheels and a flame-thrower (we made an agreement for new inventions – there’s even a list on the fridge, and 'No Flame-Throwers' is at Number 3). Until then, this is my story. The tale of what goes on behind my eyes. And I really do know where all the bones are buried. So. I guess it’s time I spoke."

Also his author bio:

"Gromit is a talented knitter, baker, and gardener. He has twice received awards for his marrows in competition. Although he is widely read, this is his first book. He would like you to know that he is a good dog."

Ohhh help help! I'm hurt need help...

FUCK BRIAN GET LOST...

ROUND 1 — Match 143 of 276

Erik/The Phantom (The Phantom of the Opera)

Problematic because: "Kidnapping, blackmailing, murders, planned a mass murder, had a torture chamber in his house and used it on people, tried to force Christine to marry him." Propaganda: "Brilliant in different areas, but rejected by society for his appearance. The guy's ultimate dream was just normal life. Also interesting to read about: wild and unpredictable."

vs. Rand al'Thor (Wheel of Time)

Problematic because: "Slowly goes mad because of his powers. Conquers a lot of kingdoms/countries, ruins a people by splitting them in half and leading thousands into despair and depression, has to be ruthless to survive until the final battle" Propaganda: "He knows that he will probably destroy the world and actively works towards leaving things (like a university) behind so that the people that are left after the final battle can rebuild! He is constantly at war with himself and his morals, but he HAS to give up large parts of himself (like his sanity) to save the world. He basically needs the world to see him as ths monster they believe the dragon reborn to be, he needs the power and influence that comes with it. But it is also the ultimate price he has to pay… sacrificing himself until there is barely anything left of him"

I didn't take this post for the glory. There is no glory in this.

I swore an oath before I knew what oaths cost. I have been paying ever since.

You should not be in this part of the city at this hour. I will not ask again.

My loyalty belongs to the crown. 

Stand down. All of you. I said stand down! 

I have kept this city's peace for fifteen years. You have undone me in fifteen days.

You come to me with this now. At this hour. With blood on your hands and no explanation.

The gate closes at sundown. You knew that. Why are you only arriving now?

There are things I have done in service of this city that I will not speak of. Not to you. Not to anyone.

Lower your voice. These walls remember everything said within them.

I have followed orders my entire life. I am looking at you and wondering, for the first time, what it would mean to refuse one.

You are not safe here. 

My men did not see you. As far as this watch is concerned you were never here tonight.

I have held this post through three rulers. I will not compromise it. Not even for you.

The city does not sleep. Neither do I. We have that in common, at least.

Tell me what you know and tell me quickly. I have neither time nor patience for half truths.

I understand sacrifice. What I do not understand is being asked to sacrifice you.

Nobody passes through this gate without my leave.

I have drawn this sword in service of causes I did not believe in. I will not draw it against you.

You ask me to look the other way. You do not know what you are asking.

A commander does not have the luxury of doubt. I have been doubting since the moment I met you.

The fog comes in heavy off the river at this hour. Stay close.

I know every shadow in this city. I know every place a person might hide. I will find who did this.

You should fear me. Most people do. The fact that you do not is either very brave or very foolish.

I have given this city everything it has asked of me. Tonight it is asking for something I cannot give.

My second will take the watch. You and I need to speak somewhere without ears in the walls.

The law is the law. I did not write it. I do not always agree with it. I enforce it nonetheless.

You, of all people, came to the barracks. What has happened?

I have seen men break under far less. You are still standing. That means something.

Do not mistake my silence for approval, boy. Do not mistake it for indifference either.

I was told you were trouble the day you arrived in this city. I should have listened.

A knight serves. That is the whole of it. Serve, protect, endure. I have never wanted more than that until now.

I have enemies in every quarter of this city. I will not have you become a target because of your association with me.

The order came from above me. I am not certain it came from a place I still respect.

Put the blade down. I am asking you as someone who does not wish to see you hanged.

There are two kinds of people in a city like this. Those who are protected and those who do the protecting. I have always known which one I am.

You should not trust me simply because I wear this cloak. Trust must be earned. Let me earn it.

I will not pretend the law bends for sentiment. I will also not pretend I am without sentiment where you are concerned.

My duty ends at that door. What happens beyond it is between you and whatever gods you keep.

You are asking me to betray everything I have built my life upon.

The city watch answers to the crown. I answer to the city watch. Tonight I find myself answering to something else entirely.

I have buried men I called brothers. I have mourned them quietly and moved on because the realm does not pause for grief.

I am not accustomed to being seen. Only to being obeyed.

Ride out at first light. Take nothing that marks you as known to me. I will follow when I can.

You remind me of something I gave up a long time ago.

"The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again."

A reticulated siren (Siren reticulata) in Northern Florida, USA

so my slot was at the tail end of rush hour, and i got a fair number of listeners/callers who were on the way home from the office. And like, I had a lot of callers, who almost all wanted to request songs that really didn’t fit with the aesthetic. I had pitched a power pop show when i got my slot, but the callers were not having it; they invariably wanted classic rock.

this made sense in a way. if you think about the demographics of the people who listened to the radio for music in 2010 instead of their ipods or cds or whatever, you’d expect them to skew older right? accordingly, i quickly realized that almost all of the people who called to request songs were Dads of a Certain Age. It was honestly annoying at first - I’m all for most classic rock, but that wasn’t what the show was supposed to be.

And so one day, when i was feeling particularly annoyed with requests that just didn’t fit thematically, i came up with the joke that rapidly became the only reason I kept the show going. Per station rules, I had to play a certain number of pre-recorded PSAs during my show, and before I cut to one I was supposed to read out the song titles and artists for all the music i had played before the break. So this one day when i had to inform the world before the break that the song they just heard was, per a listener’s request, Hey Jude by the Beatles, I decided to do a goof. I said:

“and finally, that last song you heard was Hey Jude, which was of course written and performed by the Rolling Stones.”

I barely had time to get the ads going before the phone started ringing. See, I had been assuming people would realize i was making an obvious joke by claiming one of the most well-known Beatles tracks was a Stones song, but i had failed to consider that my listeners were mostly 55-70 year old dads who were irritated from a long day in the office.

And when those dads heard me, a millennial woman, get the artist of an extremely well-known beatles song WRONG???!

they HAD to call in to correct my ignorance. never in a polite way either, it was condescending and annoyed or nothing. and like, they were just SO personally insulted by my inaccurate reporting that it took a massive amount of effort for me to avoid cracking up during the call. I had never understood why some people would enjoy trolling random strangers on the internet before, but in that moment, I understood the appeal entirely.

obviously i did it again right before the next commercial break, immediately after playing Don’t Stop Me Now by Queen David Bowie.

the phone immediately began to ring.

“ARE YOU AN IDIOT?” one of the callers began, “DAVID BOWIE???? THAT WAS QUEEN!”

“I thought David Bowie was the lead singer of Queen though?” I replied with as much innocent earnestness as i could conjure.

I could hear an intake of breath as the infuriated boomer on the other end of the line struggled to figure out where to even start.

@eduards-stuff I kept doing the same joke for an hour a week for an entire year, and the dads NEVER caught on. After episode 1 of the new format I started taking the angry dad calls on air, which added another layer of hilarity to the whole concept.

My friends on campus knew that hay I was doing and enjoyed tuning in, but only one actual listener ever figured out what I was doing, and he was literally a random 30 year old guy from the netherlands with access to an early internet connection radio service. He was possibly my only actual fan. I only know about him because he went to the effort of making a skype and paying for international service so he could call in, and while I got a few calls from him, the first remains my favorite:

me: hi there, you’ve got TST-

him: *strained, wheezing dutch laughter*

me: hey, is everything o-

him: pfffHAHAHAAH YOU MAKE THEM SO MAD. THEY THINK SO LITTLE OF YOUUUUUUUU BUT THE MEN ARE THE ONES WHO ARE FOOLISH! HA! HA! HA! YOU HAVE DUPED THEM!