Archive | May 2018

Weekend, with planting and… other things.

May29

So, I had a nice 4-day weekend, what about you?

We saw Deadpool 2 (not quite as good as Deadpool 1, but a lot of fun, and Domino was absolutely awesome).  

We planted: 7 tomatoes (2 varieties) 5 peppers (3 varieties), 1 eggplant, 6 kale, a tarragon and a parsley (having planted three roses before the weekend).  We cleared out 4 bags of drywall and insulation from the attic. I cleaned the house. We shopped for cars…

*record scratch*

Oh, yeah.  So I uh. My car and I had a small disagreement with a large truck (someone turned in front of him, he stopped fast.  I stopped…. less fast). My car is — was — a 2008 Yaris. The truck got way the better end of the deal.

So now we’re looking for a fuel-efficient Japanese or Korean car tall enough inside for my 6’4” husband and comfortable for my arthritic bones.

We’ve got it narrowed down to about 8 models…

Anyway! We went to the farmer’s market, grilled outside (asparagus from our own garden!), chilled out a bit and generally had a good time.

How was your weekend?

Spoils of War VII: Hostile

May28

First: Spoils of War I: Surrender
Previous: Trail

Nikol was beginning to be a little sick of Aran’s attitude.  “I didn’t say, ‘get down there and hunt me some sewer alligator.’  If you don’t want to, we have stores enough that you don’t need to.”

“I didn’t say I didn’t want to!  Just that…” He trailed off, muttering.  “This is stupid.”

“It is,” she agreed.   “We’re not in safe territory.  Let’s save the fight for when we’re off in the countryside again, why don’t we?” Continue reading →

A New World 20: Drinks

May24

First: A New World
Previous: The Hoija

⚗

Kael didn’t need the potion to tell her what he was asking; what she did need was some way to tell her if she wanted to agree to his proposition.

“Maybe not tonight?” she offered, hoping that would go over as she meant it.

From the rueful look on his face, probably not.

“I just moved in here,” she tried.  “And I don’t even know where everything is yet.  In a week – next Yorday? – I’ll have drinks to offer you that aren’t potion reagents.” Continue reading →

Beauty-Beast 36: Time

May24

First – Previous – Landing Page – Next

🔒

He wasn’t quite sure what to do with that permission, but, after considering it, he decided to split his hour three ways and do the three things that Timaios had suggested.

Twenty minutes in the gym wasn’t much, but it was enough for him to feel a pleasant burn in his shoulders and chest. It was nice to not have to rush, to not be looking over his shoulder.  He could be here.  He had permission; his Owner had told him to do it.  He could do anything here he wanted.

He spent the next twenty minutes lying on his back, down to his underwear (he had considered stripping naked and then, thinking of the number of people who worked for Timaios and decided not being naked was probably better).  The sun was warm on his skin, and he wondered what his actual color looked like. Continue reading →

Tootplanet: Explorers’ Logs Planet 7-12-1

May23

Planetary Date 317

Among the interesting things that we have discovered lately, there have been:

a mutation of the puffball creatures (the Vernal line) that explode.

They don’t exactly explode, technically, but the end result is something that destroys itself violently around maturity.

Sadly for us, that “around” means that some of them mange to breed before exploding.

It took us a month to get the problem contained.

In the meantime, in addition to the green dog-ponies, we found something that most closely resembles a very long-legged mountain lion, except it’s patterned mostly in pink and blue.

 

 

 

Target: Bully – an Aunt Family Story for Patreon

May22

“Now remember, this is not going to be a cure-all, and it might do something you don’t expect.  Be careful, and don’t get caught.”

“Thanks, Aunt Eva.”  Chalcedony slid the little vial into a side pocket in her purse, ignoring the looks her brother was giving her from the passenger seat of her car.  “Thanks for waiting, Stone.”

“Still better than the bus.  What…?”

“Olivia.  More to the point, Dan Williams.”

“… Chalce…?”  Stone raised his eyebrows.  She ignored him, or at least pretended to, as she got her car onto the road and headed towards school.

She wasn’t going to be able to ignore him forever.  When she turned onto the main road, she cleared her throat and tried to answer.

“Olivia.  She doesn’t have what we do.  She just got here, she doesn’t have family, she doesn’t have -” Continue reading →

Addergoole West-Coast 2: The Adults

May22

After Addergoole West-Coast: a beginning.

🐟

“Remember me?”

Rosmarina’s father had gone very still.  “Yes,” he said slowly. It sounded like the words were being dragged from him.  “Pontius. Of course I remember you. You… yes.”

The man held up both hands.  “Peace. We grew up. I grew up.  You want to fight about it, we can do that later, one we’ve got Rosmarina settled and have you and Muirenn and your family all set.”

“Dad?”  Rosmarina tugged on her father’s sleeve.  “What’s he mean?”

“It’s a school, starfish.  You’ll stay at the school, remember?” Continue reading →

MerMay: Breathing, Barely

May21

So Chanter-Greenie asked for a continuation of Under Water, and it turned out I already had 500+ words written on that, so voila!  

Aelia screamed.  The secretary screamed some more.  The man gasped, screamed, and spat up water all at once.

“Call an ambulance,” Aelia repeated.  Her voice at least sounded like her voice.  “I’m Aelia Hartman. I know I look – funny, sure – but this is the guy who just tried to drown me.  I fought back. He’s breathing but I’m worried about him. Please call 911.”

The secretary, staring, pulled out her phone and dialed 911.  Once she had gotten through the phone call – full of shaky words and not a small amount of gibbering – she looked at Aelia again.  “Are you really-”

“Yeah, sorry.  I don’t know what happened.”  She poked the man in the chest.  “You. Stay there. You need medical attention, and also, I think you’re a murderer.” Continue reading →