#or robecca steam !!! that would be cool too !!!!!!

[simulacraswagshowdown]

simulacra swag showdown !!

hello everyone ! welcome to the simulacra swag showdown !!! you may refer to the mod [that's me !!] as neptune [he/ae/cog]

first of all, what is a simulacrum ? - simulacra OR simulacrums [singular form - simulacrum] is "an image or representation of someone or something" according to google. - by this definition, things like robots and gargoyles are simulacra ! here is the simulacrum wikipedia page if you need more help. - so basically anything "man-made" that looks like or is someone or something

now let's go over the rules ! 1. fictional characters only please !! since simulacra can range from reenactment places and statues, uhh ,, yeah ,, Don't submit them !! unless the statue is fictional. that's okay [i also meant like. real people that have like simulacra personas or something,, i hope you know what i mean] [more clarification here] 2. don't submit the same character multiple times. look i know that we love seeing our blorbos be in these brackets but please do not play dirty <3 3. yes, you CAN submit multiple characters, but one submission for one character !! i'm enabling multiple responses per user !!!! if you still submit more than one character in one form, i'm just counting the first character listed !!!! 4. if two or more characters from the same piece of media get a lot of submissions OR get an equal amount of submissions, they will have a preliminary poll to decide who gets into the main bracket. yes, this also means that there will be ONE character per piece of media. i'm sorry fellow monster high fans 5. absolutely NO harry potter. that's self-explanatory.

also i'm gonna clear something up here ,, i'd prefer it if robot submissions would be toned down ? since there are already robot tournaments happening i Feel like they would dominate the competition kind of sorta, you know ? i'm most likely going to try to put robots that haven't Won something yet

with all of that said and done, HERE is the nomination google form ! the submission deadline is on march 20, monday at 12:00am pst !

one final thing before i end this post !! frankenstein's creature / frankenstein's monster will be automatically in the bracket !

happy nominating !

inspired by the following tournaments / showdowns - @mad-scientist-showdown ; @autismswagsummit ; @alphabetbracket ; @qpr-competition ; @robot-swag-competition ; @the-ghost-games ; @graveyard-gambit-tournament ; @fashiondisastertournament ; @ultimate-poll-tournament

[delightfully-deranged-dagur]

So out of curiosity I went to the Monster High Wiki to find out how many dolls the Mansters have gotten.

Results are, interesting.

Deuce Gorgon : 6. You'd expect Cleo's boyfriend and the 6th person in the Theme song to have more.

Clawd Wolf : 6. Same as Deuce. But again, he's dating Draculaura and she has the most dolls out of the main Cast. So why does Clawd have to settle with 6?

Heath Burns : 2. This is just dissapointing.

Jackson Jekyll : 4. Okay, what about Holt?

Holt Hyde : 2... Why does Jackson get 2 more? Shouldn't they have an equal amount? And whose idea was it to never make a doll Half Jackson-Half Holt?! That would've been a perfect comic-con exclusive!

Gil Webber : 4. Though I know for some of you that's 4 too much.

Invisi-Billy : 2. What's weird is that one of them is in a random 5 pack with Draculaura, Clawdeen, Spectra and Gigi. Not even a two pack with Scarah?

Garrot Du Roque : 1. Kinda sad. They could have made a lot more considering he's a fashion designer.

Finnegan Wake : 1. Okay so he was the winner of doll vote and he earned it. Probably the most unique doll out of them all.

Neightan Rot : 1. Just like the other hybrids. Sad really, they could've done a lot more with all 4 of them.

Hexiciah Steam : 1. Kinda cool that he actually got one. And a comic-con exclusive two pack with Robecca at that.

Hoodude Voodoo : 1. Love that he's just a ragdoll. Another comic-con exclusive. Seems fitting. Also comes with Scarah.

Manny Taur : 1. Another comic-con exclusive. This time in a two pack with Iris.

Kieran Valentine : 1. Say it with me folks, "comic-con exclusive two pack" with Whisp. And from the looks of his diary, it wouldn't surprise if he was planned for another two pack with Spelldon Cauldronello. But of course, corporations are homophobic so we don't even get to see what Spelldon would've looked like.

Sloman "Slo-Mo" Mortavitch : 3. I'm sorry what?! Why does Slo-Mo get 3 dolls?! Heath only got 2! But Slo-Mo gets 3?!?

Johnny Spirit : 0. I wanna sue. This is illegal. He has nothing! Nada! Zilch! This is unacceptable. Not even a comic-con exclusive two pack with Operetta. Honestly any kind of two pack with Operetta would have been perfect! But no. Instead we get 3 Slo-Mo's.

[mhdiaries]

Wave 4 Venus McFlytrap Diary

9*9

Today I got in trouble for not paying attention in class. It’s not like I wasn’t interested in what Mr. Hackington was saying but after a week of clouds and rain the sun was calling my name. Shouting it actually - “HEY VENUS - YEAH YOU MCFLYTRAP! DON’T JUST SIT THERE LIKE A POTTED PLANT GET OUT HERE!” I HATE IT WHEN THE SUN SHOUTS AT ME; SO RUDE AND STISTRTACTING. Plus Mr. Hack’s classroom is so cold and dank. Not exactly the kind of place where a ghoul wants to put down roots. Good thing I knew I knew the answer to the question Mr. Hack was asking, even if I didn’t hear it the first time he asked me. “Photosynthesis!” “That’s correct Ms. McFlytrap… did you know or guess?” What I wanted to say was, “Oh, was that the answer?” I though I was placing my lunch order.” Instead I just pointed to my notes, which seemed to satisfy him for the moment. Mom always says, “Be a flower not a weed.” Of course the difference between a flower and a weed depends on the gardener. Whoa. I’m not even sure what that means but next time mom tells me not to be a weed I’m going try it out on her and see what happens.

9*15

I went outside to eat lunch today and saw Operetta sitting under a tree playing her guitar. I walked over to ask if she minded me sitting down to listen and she immediately stopped playing. She looked up at me and wrapped her arms around her guitar like she thought I was going to try and take it from her, “This guitar was made for me by my best friend out of ah hard rock maple tree that blew down in a storm and I ain’t about to apologize or give her up for one made from recycled plastic bottles so you can just save your speeches.” She really hurt my feelings but I wasn’t about to let her see me wilt so I yelled back, “I don’t care what your dumb old guitar is made of I was just going to ask if I could sit here and listen to you play!” She looked surprised at first then she threw her head back and laughed! “All right, all right pull in your thorns ghoul friend and have a seat.” I sat down and she played. She is scary good. I told her being a plant monster means I get all my nourishment from the soil, air and water around me so living in a clean environment is important. I know it may seem selfish but I bet if other monsters saw garbage being dumped into something they were about to eat they’d be all up in claws too and it’s not like I want to build a big fence around the outdoors so no other  monsters can enjoy it cause that wouldn’t be fair either. But I don’t think it’s too much to ask for monsters to throw something that can be recycled into the recycling bin and not treat the environment like their own personal trash  can. Operetta said, “I reckon I see your point but I’ve also seen you do that pollen think to monsters who don’t agree with you an no monster wants to feel like they’re being manipulated into doing something even if it’s something good and that’s why some of ‘em run whey they see you coming.” Whoa. Then she told me why she doesn’t sing in front of audiences. “Monsters who hear me sing live will believe and do whatever I tell ‘em to just like they do for you – only they’ll keep doing it till I tell them to stop.” I almost laughed but I realized she was dead serious. “Now I reckon I could be the biggest music star in the monster world with that ability but I’d rather my music be listened to cause it really is the best not just because I tell monsters it is.” I guess I see her point too.

9*19

I guess I’m getting adjusted to Monster High but it hasn’t exactly been easy. Probably cause I’m really not very good at going along just to get along. Even when I was just a little sprout I wanted to do things my own way. Like one time these monster aphids infested my whole class but instead of using that nasty shampoo or letting my mom comb them out of my hair I totally pruned my head. I looked like a dandelion that had lost its seeds for a while, but at least I didn’t have aphids anymore. I even decided the pruned look was scary cool so I kept it that way on the one side. At my old school all the classes were taught outside so that we were always in our element so to speak. Being indoors all day was really making me droopy but I didn’t want any monster to think that I was some kind of fainting violet cause I’m not. Lagoona must have noticed though cause she told me that I should go talk to Headmistress Bloodgood and let her know I was having a problem. I was like, whoa. I didn’t really want to cause the last time I had to go see her was when she caught me using my pollens of persuasion to make Meowlody and Purrsephone pull aluminum cans from the regular trash and put them in the recycling bin. I got a very long lecture on the need for self-control, and assignment for an even longer paper on the ends not justifying the means, and I had to apologize. Lagoona kept bugging me until I finally made an appointment with the Headmistress. She told me her old assistant was a plant monster and she turned a supply cabinet into a special grow room with lights that mimicked the sun . Headless Headmistress gave me the key and said I could use it any time I was feeling droopy. Amazing,… just amazing.

10*2

I had my meeting with Mr. D’eath, the school guidance counselor today. He wasn’t there when I got there so I had to wait for him. I wasn’t really looking forward to it at all. He always seems to be sighing about something and he cracks his knuckles… a lot. It sounds like dry branches snapping which is like claws on a chalkboard to me. The other day I overheard Miss Kindergrubber telling Mr. Hackington that unlife had not been very kind to Mr. D’eath this year and that lately he was looking more gaunt than usual. I’m not sure how that could even be possible. Of course Miss. K. is always telling some monster to eat cause they’re just “skin and bones”. Guess it must be a prerequisite for her job. Anyway, Mr. D’eath’ss office always smells like herbal tea… can’t really even think about that… and his walls are covered with motivational posters. There’s one with this troll sitting on top of a bridge instead of underneath it that says, “Don’t be afraid of a new perspective.” Whoa. Deep. I’m sure they’re supposed to be profound and encouraging but they’re really not my kind of fertilizer. There was also a picture of him and some other teachers white water rafting down the River Styx. It would take a pretty penny for me to do that. He finally came in with my records, sat down and started flipping through them:

Hmm… okay… I see… oh ho! Well Miss Yelps I think you have a bright future and, if I may confide in you for a moment, over the years a job like mine can make one rather brittle. It gets so discouraging when students don’t listen to my advice especially after all my years of education and seminars which I am beginning to suspect are taught by monsters whose last interaction with students was back in the day of the quill and inkwell. You mention something as simple as an iCoffin and they look at you like you’re speaking zombie… no offense.

He went on about how according to my permanent file I, (Ghoulia), could go to any poison ivy league school that I wanted. He said some other really nice things about me (her.) and then gave me a bunch of college brochures. He told me it had been a real pleasure and that I could come back any time. I didn’t have the heart to correct his error so I just moaned and shuffled out. I’ll probably get in trouble for it later but I’ll sit on that bridge when I come out from under it.

10*15

I got some new art pencils today so I did some sketches of Chewlian who wasn’t being very cooperative. I think he was mad that I closed my window when I went to school. He likes me to leave it open in hopes that lunch will come creeping, crawling or flying into my room. I don’t like bugs nearly as much as he does though and sometimes I forget and close it. I finally had to tell him that I’d let him spend the day out by the compost heap if he’d be still. He was pretty good after that and I was happy with the results.

11*15

When I got called into Headmistress Bloodgood’s office, last week, I was thinking it was because she found out about my appointment with Mr. D’eath but it turned out to be an “opportunity for growth” that would involve me rooting myself in a face painting booth at the middle school carnival. So today I sat in a booth with Draculaura turning werewolves into zombies, vampires into skeletons, zombies into Dead Fast… okay that was just Ghoulia… and cute little ghouls into “scary” normies. Draculaura was happy to do all the kittens, bats with pink bows and the occasional full on mini-makeover although it was mostly the moms who requested those. It also gave me a perfect audience to talk about the importance of keeping the world around us clean. Then we got to watch Robecca, who is a wonder of sustainability, do an amazing stunt. Whoa. It was really scary cool. I think every monster from that time on wanted me to turn them into a robot. Lagoona and Gil even came by and Gil let me paint his helmet to make it look al steam punkish. Not sure I did any growing but I got to spend time in the sun with my beasties, use my art skills and maybe plant some seeds about taking better care of the world around us.

[psychnerd47]

Monster College Part 3

Rating PG, warnings mentions of underage drinking (not portrayed positively), and prescription medications (used as prescribed). 

Characters: Deuce Gorgon, Jackson Jekyll, Operetta, Cleo de Nile, Invisi-Billy, Frankie Stein, Robecca Steam, and Toralei Stripes

   After convincing Jackson to come out from hiding, Deuce decided to go back to his dorm room to meet his overly clingy girlfriend, Cleo de Nile. She insisted on spending every free moment with him.

The mummy princess laid sprawled on her back on Deuce’s bed. “We are totally going to Operetta’s party tonight, and then we need to have to throw one of our own,” Cleo told her boyfriend.

Deuce sighed, “Things are different now. I am going to have a lot of homework for my culinary arts degree. I also am going to have bi-weekly labs I need to be prepared for, and I still want to play basketball with Clawd and Heath sometimes, so I won’t always be able to be at your beck and call,” the gorgon boy explained.

“But Deuce,” the mummy princess cried, “we always do everything together.”

“Not everything,” Deuce countered.

“You know what I mean,” Cleo looked like she was about to throw one of her famous royal hissy fits.    

        Before Cleo could escalate, Jackson burst in through the door. Catching both Cleo and Deuce by surprise. Deuce turned towards Jackson and whispered, “Thanks, I owe you bro,”

The nerdy human boy shrugged his shoulders and sat down at his desk, he began to pull out the note books where he had written down all his homework.

“You’re just going to let him sit there, while we are in here?” Cleo asked Deuce with disgust.

“Well it’s his room too,” Deuce explained, “I’ve been thinking Cleo, it might be best if we have some space from each other.”

Cleo got a dumbfounded expression on her face. “I give you space,” Cleo was horrified that her boyfriend would make such a statement.  “I always give you space,”

 Deuce clicked his tongue, “No you don’t, when we were in high school you would barely let me leave to go to the men’s bathroom.” Deuce knew he wasn’t going to win this, but he could make it sound less bad. “I’m not breaking up with you, I’ll even go to Operetta’s party with you. I just can’t spend all my time with you,” the gorgon boy explained.  The look Cleo got on her face suggested that she might have actually understood him.    

                  *                                                 *                                          *

 “I didn’t realize you were throwing a party,” Invisi-Billy admitted.

 “Well, Johnny and I thought it would a clawsome way to start the school year before we hit the grind. You can invite Scarah, she’s still your huckleberry, ain’t she,” Operetta shot Billy a sassy glance.  

 “Um, yes. I just don’t know if this kind of party is really her thing.” The disappearing boy admitted.    

“You don’t have to worry. It’s not some crazy party, just some cool music played by Johnny and me and some pizza and soda pop. There absolutely will not be any booze, everyone but Johnny and Valentine are underage. I may not like rules, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my days doing the jail house rock.”  The Phantom’s daughter gave Billy a great big smile as she started to walk away she called out one more thing with a laugh, “Be there or be square,”

Back at the dorm Deuce and Cleo were helping Jackson decide what to wear to Operetta’s party in hopes of impressing Frankie. “Jackson, why are all your clothes almost the same,” the mummy princess said with disgust in her voice. Jackson awkwardly shrugged his shoulders. Cleo pulled a pair of blue plaid shorts and a yellow polo shirt from Jackson’s dresser, “These will be prefect.  Put them on a see how they look,” Cleo ordered the human boy.

“Just don’t look while I change,” Jackson snapped.

Jackson felt awkward in the clothes, “I look stupid,” he lamented.

“You look amazing,” Cleo gushed, “now we just need to slick back all your out of control hair.”  The mummy princess sprayed some sort of gel like substance in Jacksons black hair with yellow tips that were caused by a lab accident. She pulled hard with a comb until his hair finally slicked down. “Do you have any contacts?” she asked him,

Jackson sighed, “No, my eyes are to sensitive for that. But I do have prescription sunglasses,” the nerdy human boy offered.

“It’s at night and you don’t have Deuce’s petrifying ability, stick with the regular glasses. I’ll just put some of this magical acne cream invented by Great Uncle Tut. Then you will perfect. Frankie will be so impressed.”  

 Meanwhile, Invisi-Billy sat in his room. Heath was playing Graveyard Dash 5 on his x-box. Robecca Steam sat next to Billy on his bed. Robecca was a steampunk robot who had been built in Victorian England, though she was technically really old she was young at heart and  an amazing listener.

“I don’t know how to tell Scarah that I want to change my major?” the invisible boy asked his robotic friend, “She was so excited about me wanting to become a doctor. I don’t know how my parents will feel about it either.” A small tear rolled down Billy’s pale face.

 “If they truly love you, they will support you in whatever you choose to do educationally.” Robecca said in her in her charming British accent.  

“Thank you,” Billy said with a smile, “you are a great listener.”

                               *                                   *                                                   *

        Operetta’s party at the student union was up to an awesome start.  She was playing a gentle Rockabilly tune on her bass guitar, and Johnny Spirit accompanied her on his fiddle. The Rockabilly phantom and the ghostly greaser were taking care to not play there music too loud for Jackson’s sake. Cleo and Deuce, Lagoona and Gil were dancing in pairs to the music. Billy and Scarah were talking to each other by the food table, and Heath was trying to flirt awkwardly with Abbey Bominable.

  While all this was going on, Jackson sat by himself away from the stage. Frankie, the daughter of Frankenstein’s monster, spied him right away. She was wearing a blue plaid print party dress with a yellow sweater. Frankie’s black and white hair was styled in away that Jackson found beautiful. “What are you wearing?” she asked with a laugh.  

 Jackson gave a small chuckle, “Cleo chose this outfit.”

    “It shows. It looks a bit flashy for you,” the stitched together girl explained.

    “You don’t like it?” Jackson asked with a tone of concern in his voice.

     “I do like it, I love anything you wear, because I love you,” Frankie explained.

    “Have you been taking your anxiety medication? You’ve seen a bit more high-strung than normal.” The Frankenstein girl explained.  

 “I’ve been taking it as prescribed” Jackson explained, “I’m just having a difficult time adjusting to the changes of going away for college for the first time.”

      Frankie looked at Jackson sympathetically, she reached out and gently touched his hand, “We’ll get through this together”.

A young male vampire walked up to the stage. His was dressed in black dress coat, crimson waist coat, paired with a white ruffle shirt accented with gold jewelry, all trademarks of Valentine, a once suiter of Draculaura who had once liked to collect broken hearts. “I would like to request a song,” he called out in his Southern accent.

“Ok, sugar plum, but me and Johnny here have one more in our line up first,” Operetta called out.

The Rockabilly phantom and the ghostly greaser started to play an upbeat toon. “Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans, way back in the woods among the evergreens, There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood, And lived a country boy named Johnny B Goode,” Operetta and Johnny Spirit sang together, “ he never learned to read or write to well but he could play a guitar like ringing a bell, Go Johnny Go, Go Joh—” a loud noise interrupted the song.

It sounded almost like gunshots at first but then became it was terrible hip-hop music being blasted through a boombox. “You didn’t think you could have a party and not invite me,” Toralei the catty and conceited orange were-cat meowed.  

 Operetta grew mad, “I didn’t invite you because you remind me of a word that begins a “B” and rhymes with “hitch”, you are selfish and think it’s fun to ruin things that are important to other people.” The Rockabilly phantom was getting steamed, her light lilac color face started to turn red.

“But Operetta,” Toralei said coyishly, “ I don’t think only of myself. That’s why I had Manny bring the booze.”

A look of horror came over the faces of many of the monsters at the party. Before anyone could say anything, the large Minotaur burst in with a keg over each shoulder, followed by some fraternity goons carrying other cases of alcoholic beverages.

“Please take your booze and leave,” Robecca demanded. But unfortunately, her voice was drowned out by the goons yelling, and the booming hip-hop music.

“Please stop!!!” Jackson yelled out in panic as he tried to cover his ears, but it was no use. He had already started to transform. 

tags @queenofworry

[mhdiaries]

Diary of Venus McFlytrap

Reading my diary could make me allergic to you.

9*9

Today I got in trouble for not paying attention in class. It’s not like I wasn’t interested in what Mr. Hackington was saying but after a week of clouds and rain the sun was calling my name. Shouting it actually - “HEY VENUS - YEAH YOU MCFLYTRAP! DON’T JUST SIT THERE LIKE A POTTED PLANT GET OUT HERE!” I HATE IT WHEN THE SUN SHOUTS AT ME; SO RUDE AND STISTRTACTING. Plus Mr. Hack’s classroom is so cold and dank. Not exactly the kind of place where a ghoul wants to put down roots. Good thing I knew I knew the answer to the question Mr. Hack was asking, even if I didn’t hear it the first time he asked me. “Photosynthesis!” “That’s correct Ms. McFlytrap… did you know or guess?” What I wanted to say was, “Oh, was that the answer?” I though I was placing my lunch order.” Instead I just pointed to my notes, which seemed to satisfy him for the moment. Mom always says, “Be a flower not a weed.” Of course the difference between a flower and a weed depends on the gardener. Whoa. I’m not even sure what that means but next time mom tells me not to be a weed I’m going try it out on her and see what happens.

9*15

I went outside to eat lunch today and saw Operetta sitting under a tree playing her guitar. I walked over to ask if she minded me sitting down to listen and she immediately stopped playing. She looked up at me and wrapped her arms around her guitar like she thought I was going to try and take it from her, “This guitar was made for me by my best friend out of ah hard rock maple tree that blew down in a storm and I ain’t about to apologize or give her up for one made from recycled plastic bottles so you can just save your speeches.” She really hurt my feelings but I wasn’t about to let her see me wilt so I yelled back, “I don’t care what your dumb old guitar is made of I was just going to ask if I could sit here and listen to you play!” She looked surprised at first then she threw her head back and laughed! “All right, all right pull in your thorns ghoul friend and have a seat.” I sat down and she played. She is scary good. I told her being a plant monster means I get all my nourishment from the soil, air and water around me so living in a clean environment is important. I know it may seem selfish but I bet if other monsters saw garbage being dumped into something they were about to eat they’d be all up in claws too and it’s not like I want to build a big fence around the outdoors so no other  monsters can enjoy it cause that wouldn’t be fair either. But I don’t think it’s too much to ask for monsters to throw something that can be recycled into the recycling bin and not treat the environment like their own personal trash  can. Operetta said, “I reckon I see your point but I’ve also seen you do that pollen think to monsters who don’t agree with you an no monster wants to feel like they’re being manipulated into doing something even if it’s something good and that’s why some of ‘em run whey they see you coming.” Whoa. Then she told me why she doesn’t sing in front of audiences. “Monsters who hear me sing live will believe and do whatever I tell ‘em to just like they do for you – only they’ll keep doing it till I tell them to stop.” I almost laughed but I realized she was dead serious. “Now I reckon I could be the biggest music star in the monster world with that ability but I’d rather my music be listened to cause it really is the best not just because I tell monsters it is.” I guess I see her point too.

9*19

I guess I’m getting adjusted to Monster High but it hasn’t exactly been easy. Probably cause I’m really not very good at going along just to get along. Even when I was just a little sprout I wanted to do things my own way. Like one time these monster aphids infested my whole class but instead of using that nasty shampoo or letting my mom comb them out of my hair I totally pruned my head. I looked like a dandelion that had lost its seeds for a while, but at least I didn’t have aphids anymore. I even decided the pruned look was scary cool so I kept it that way on the one side. At my old school all the classes were taught outside so that we were always in our element so to speak. Being indoors all day was really making me droopy but I didn’t want any monster to think that I was some kind of fainting violet cause I’m not. Lagoona must have noticed though cause she told me that I should go talk to Headmistress Bloodgood and let her know I was having a problem. I was like, whoa. I didn’t really want to cause the last time I had to go see her was when she caught me using my pollens of persuasion to make Meowlody and Purrsephone pull aluminum cans from the regular trash and put them in the recycling bin. I got a very long lecture on the need for self-control, and assignment for an even longer paper on the ends not justifying the means, and I had to apologize. Lagoona kept bugging me until I finally made an appointment with the Headmistress. She told me her old assistant was a plant monster and she turned a supply cabinet into a special grow room with lights that mimicked the sun . Headless Headmistress gave me the key and said I could use it any time I was feeling droopy. Amazing,… just amazing.

10*2

I had my meeting with Mr. D’eath, the school guidance counselor today. He wasn’t there when I got there so I had to wait for him. I wasn’t really looking forward to it at all. He always seems to be sighing about something and he cracks his knuckles… a lot. It sounds like dry branches snapping which is like claws on a chalkboard to me. The other day I overheard Miss Kindergrubber telling Mr. Hackington that unlife had not been very kind to Mr. D’eath this year and that lately he was looking more gaunt than usual. I’m not sure how that could even be possible. Of course Miss. K. is always telling some monster to eat cause they’re just “skin and bones”. Guess it must be a prerequisite for her job. Anyway, Mr. D’eath’ss office always smells like herbal tea… can’t really even think about that… and his walls are covered with motivational posters. There’s one with this troll sitting on top of a bridge instead of underneath it that says, “Don’t be afraid of a new perspective.” Whoa. Deep. I’m sure they’re supposed to be profound and encouraging but they’re really not my kind of fertilizer. There was also a picture of him and some other teachers white water rafting down the River Styx. It would take a pretty penny for me to do that. He finally came in with my records, sat down and started flipping through them:

Hmm… okay… I see… oh ho! Well Miss Yelps I think you have a bright future and, if I may confide in you for a moment, over the years a job like mine can make one rather brittle. It gets so discouraging when students don’t listen to my advice especially after all my years of education and seminars which I am beginning to suspect are taught by monsters whose last interaction with students was back in the day of the quill and inkwell. You mention something as simple as an iCoffin and they look at you like you���re speaking zombie… no offense.

He went on about how according to my permanent file I, (Ghoulia), could go to any poison ivy league school that I wanted. He said some other really nice things about me (her.) and then gave me a bunch of college brochures. He told me it had been a real pleasure and that I could come back any time. I didn’t have the heart to correct his error so I just moaned and shuffled out. I’ll probably get in trouble for it later but I’ll sit on that bridge when I come out from under it.

10*15

I got some new art pencils today so I did some sketches of Chewlian who wasn’t being very cooperative. I think he was mad that I closed my window when I went to school. He likes me to leave it open in hopes that lunch will come creeping, crawling or flying into my room. I don’t like bugs nearly as much as he does though and sometimes I forget and close it. I finally had to tell him that I’d let him spend the day out by the compost heap if he’d be still. He was pretty good after that and I was happy with the results.

11*15

When I got called into Headmistress Bloodgood’s office, last week, I was thinking it was because she found out about my appointment with Mr. D’eath but it turned out to be an “opportunity for growth” that would involve me rooting myself in a face painting booth at the middle school carnival. So today I sat in a booth with Draculaura turning werewolves into zombies, vampires into skeletons, zombies into Dead Fast… okay that was just Ghoulia… and cute little ghouls into “scary” normies. Draculaura was happy to do all the kittens, bats with pink bows and the occasional full on mini-makeover although it was mostly the moms who requested those. It also gave me a perfect audience to talk about the importance of keeping the world around us clean. Then we got to watch Robecca, who is a wonder of sustainability, do an amazing stunt. Whoa. It was really scary cool. I think every monster from that time on wanted me to turn them into a robot. Lagoona and Gil even came by and Gil let me paint his helmet to make it look al steam punkish. Not sure I did any growing but I got to spend time in the sun with my beasties, use my art skills and maybe plant some seeds about taking better care of the world around us.