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Beyond the ‘Basket, a story for #3ww

Nov12

Written to the Three-Word Wednesday Prompt: Crucial, malignant, yearning
Also written as a tiny character study for my next piece of my #nanowrimo: The Despot of Santa Roux Finds Love.

“Listen, it’s crucial that we get this shipment across the ‘basket.” Marie frowned at the steamboat driver, because she had yet to find that smiling did any good.

“And it’s ‘crucial’ that I get paid.” Marcus Wainwright grinned back at Marie, which he could get away with because he had the boat and what she had was a pile of fruit and wheat and a deadline.

“And we get paid at the other end of the ‘basket. Mar- Mr. Wainwright, we’ve been doing this for months. Years.”

“And that was all well and good, because you always paid. But then when my boat got attacked by bandits – well, I was out two good boat hands and the price of your shipment. I need to get paid, Miss Tanner.”

Marie took a breath. Marcus Wainwright was the most vile businessmen, the most malignant tumor on the face of the river, the most obnoxious handsome smile that she had ever seen. But he was the captain they had, the only captain that was willing to traverse the dangerous and bandit-and-slaver-ridden ‘Basket. Or, at the very least, he was the only one still alive. “If I can get you two more boat hands for this route, will you do it?”

“Where are you going to find two boat hands on this short of notice, Miss Tanner? I’ve combed every river town this side of the ‘basket. Have you been hiding them up your skirt?” He leered nastily in her direction.

She set her jaw. “In a manner of speaking. The boat hands I’m mentioning would be my brother – who I suppose people might think had hidden behind my skirts, although it’s a lie – and myself.”

If nothing else, it was worth it, whatever may come, for the stunned look on Marcus Wainwright’s face. And maybe a trip on a riverboat would solve this stupid yearning she could not seem to get rid of.

And it would, for all time, get her brother rid of the rumour that he hid behind her skirts.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/847047.html. You can comment here or there.

Just a fragment of Luke visiting Doomsday

Nov10

Please note I’m very tired and I’m not entirely sure about… like 9/10 of this piece. After Discoveries about Doomsday.

Luke leaned against the hallway wall for a minute, his wings splayed from a portrait of George Washington to one of Geronimo. He found his hand reaching for a weapon he’d politely not carried into town, and pressed his palms against his thighs instead.

Nehara’s gaze caught it all. “Sir?” She tilted her head, her voice softening. “Is… everything all right?”

Carefully, he folded his wings. Damnit, he had better control than this. “Learn something new every day.”

“As long as you live, my grandfather likes to say. And, being fae, that can be a long time and a lot of learning. Or so he says.” She bowed her head. “Sorry. I know, I’m just a kid.”

Luke know he wasn’t the most observant of guys – if nothing else, this new revelation rubbed that in – but he could tell that was out of as much character of Nehara’s as he’d been able to pick up already. “Hey.” He flapped his wings at her, just enough to get her attention. “I’ve been best friends with a succubus for centuries. I can notice a thing or two.”

Her lips curled, just a little bit. “We don’t have many, here. Succubi.”

“Jut you.”

“Well. Ah. You noticed.”

“I noticed.” He coughed. “I can notice something, once in a while. Even if I missed…”

“Something we’re pretty sure sa’Feu Drake meant everyone to miss?” She flashed him a bright smile. “Their crew is called ‘Boom’ for more than one reason, sir.”

“And we’ve been waiting for the explosion for decades.”

“Sonic boom, sir. I think that’s what it’s called.”

“Sonic…” He closed his wings tightly. “By the time we hear the sound, the explosion is already past.”

“Pretty sure you’re standing in the ‘pit’ sir.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/846578.html. You can comment here or there.

An outtake from my story: 95 words about hair & shoes

Nov9

I challenged Capriox to write 25 words about hair as a warm-up and, um:

Avery didn’t think about her hair, more than you had to to keep it from falling off of your head. It was there. Brown, a little bit greasy when she ignored it too long. Hair. Kendra’s hair, on the other hand, was a thing of beauty, twists and turns, braids and beads and the whole thing looking like a modern art project. On the other hand, Kendra didn’t like her shoes, not at all, and Avery had bought every single pair of shoes in her size at the goodwill, the Salvo, and the Thrifty Shopper.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/845339.html. You can comment here or there.

Nano Day Five: First and Last lines of yesterday

Nov7

First Line of Yesterday: It was the goose they had to go after, though, no matter how wild.

Last Line of Yesterday: “…And then a storm came up.”

I wrote 2,540 words yesterday, for a total of 15,150.

This is where I was going to be done with this story. <.< I think I can wrap it up in about 1000 more words.

Par for yesterday (my style) is 12,500, so I’m still maintaining my one-day-ahead lead.

At this rate, I will finish on 11/24/14! (probably still won’t)

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/844819.html. You can comment here or there.

Nano Day Five: First and Last lines of yesterday

Nov6

First Line of Yesterday: “You really hate her, don’t you?”

“You know why.”

Last Line of Yesterday: …no signs that anyone or anything had lived here since the buildings fell. Maybe they hadn’t. Maybe this was a wild goose chase.

I wrote 2,515 words yesterday, for a total of 12,612

Par for yesterday (my style) is 10,000, so I’m maintaining my one-day-ahead lead.

At this rate, I will finish on 11/23/14! (no I won’t.)

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/844312.html. You can comment here or there.

Eee! A Gift in the Mail!

Nov5

Got a lovely package today from [personal profile] kelkyag! Thank you so very much!!

(The card is on my bulletin board right by my desk now <3)

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/844118.html. You can comment here or there.

Nano Day Four: First and Last lines of yesterday

Nov5

First Line of Yesterday: “Ah, but then you wouldn’t get your fee.” Guisswin smirked up at her.

Last Line of Yesterday: “Definitely boredom. I would rather die of staring at your face all night than be rescued by [name name2].”

I wrote 2,518 words yesterday, for a total of 10,095

My goal is 2500/day with skip days; I wrote on my Sunday skip day so I’m one day ahead, almost exactly.

Names Needed
You, miss. Are Emilia [dadslastname], [motherdaughter].

(Emilia Carina, daughter of Arcelia.)

And

“…are you trying to cheer met up, Carlotta [last name] [motherdaughther2]?”

(Carlotta Novara, daughter of Larettia)

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/843776.html. You can comment here or there.

Nano Day Three: First and Last lines of yesterday, names needed.

Nov4

First line of yesterday: She shoved Guiesswin to the decks as the streaks of silver dove from the sky.

Last line of yesterday: “If you say [name name 2], I will drop a rock on you and leave you here for the Blanks to find.”

I wrote 2506 words yesterday, bringing my total to 7,577.

People & Places named/Need Naming:
…  So four hundred [town town] dollars…"

are now Wyvian dollars, from the town of Wyverness.  Thanks, Sky!

[Name Name], who brought Guiesswin over the mountains, and [Name Name 2], another who does Emilia’s job, are still unnamed.  Rix suggested a surname of Morgernstern for one of them. 

In Addition

I need a [west place], equivalent to the eastern edge of the Breadbasket, and another name for Boston. 

And now I write. 

Note: RTF editor in Dreamwidth is SO not worth not typing in <>.

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/843659.html. You can comment here or there.