Popcorn and … Chill?

Once again I asked for prompts on the FediVerse; this one is from @Teryl_Pacieco@mastodon.social

Content warning: intoxication.

*~*

“I’m just saying, I’m just saying. I’m just saying.”

Effie stared at her hand for a moment before aiming an accusatory glance at Will. “What – what did you put in my drink?”

Will put up both hands. “I swear, I swear, it was just what you asked for. It’s a jack and coke with a big twist of cherry syrup, that’s it. Same thing I made for you three weeks ago.”

On the other couch, Selene and Drick were giggling, not a look that was all that good on Drick. “It’s not the drink. It’s not, because I’m drinking straight tonic from the bottle.” Selene held up her bottle. “And it’s thus not Will.” Continue reading →

Malina and the Border Banners, Chapter 15 (A Story for B)

Jun10

Began here.
Chapter 2 here
Chapter 3 here.
Chapter 4 here.
Chapter 5 here.
Chapter 6 here.
Chapter 7 here.
Chapter 8 here.
Chapter 9 here.
Chapter 10 here.
Chapter 11 here.
Chapter 12 here.
Chapter 13 here.
Chapter 14 here.

A sensation washed over her, a feeling like the whole land was laid out in front of her.

She’d thought of it like a big line, not all that wide, maybe the distance one could walk in a few minutes.

In front of her, the land spread out for days in all directions.

Malina gasped. “It’s huge.” No, it was more than huge. “It’s – it’s impossible. There’s not that much land on the whole continent. There’s not that much land in one place in the whole world.”

“There never was.” The cat’s voice sounded as if it was coming from a very long way away. “There never was, and yet there always has been. Forever and ever, and never, that’s the way of this place.” Continue reading →

The Bellamy, Chapter 17

Jun8

📚

Veronika considered being offended, or, at least, she thought about considering it, but there was something about the way Amanana laughed that said she meant no harm.

“Oh, oh, that is delightful,” she said, just when, despite her feelings, Veronika was about to actually consider getting offended. “That is such a beautiful way to put it. I believe I am going to write that down, if you don’t mind? If you ‘re okay with being quoted as saying that?”

The residual irritation faded. “I’m glad you liked it.” Veronika was smiling again. “Go ahead and quote me, if you’d like. I imagine I can’t be the only one to feel that way.”

“Well.” Amanana’s expression went to something slightly more serious. “Well, it’s been a while since I’ve spoken to someone new. I mean, ues, on occasion, there are new people still. But most of them don’t make it all that far anymore. You know, I’ve heard some of them don’t even make it past the front desk training?” Continue reading →

Saving the Cult (if not the World), Chapter Twenty-One

Jun5

She turned back to the tent. Inside…

She found she was blushing. Inside was easily big enough for eight people, dimly lit in a sort of orangy-pink shade, the floor covered in cushions and blankets like a giant nest or some sort of orgy den. “You… unfolded the tent.”

“Of course I did. Shoes off, clothes on, go on in, in with you. I’ll see you in eight or nine hours with a big meal.”

Lina stumbled in; Jackson followed. Dylan and Ethan were still bowing.

“Come on in, come on,” she coaxed. Dylan stood first.

“You know — you know my dad’s going to be pissed.” Continue reading →

Saving the Cult (if not the World), Chapter Twenty

May29

“You never said anything at all about the Organization,” Lina pointed out to her father, glad she was too tired to sound anything but calm. “Or about Mom being able to fold a house out of a suitcase, or about — about anything,” she trailed off. There really were a lot of people here. “Or about the way you can just — link your power to someone else’s.” She paused. She knew the woman kneeling in front of her. She loathed her. She was a business partner of her father’s, and she had always spoken down to Lina like she was younger than her brothers were now. “Camilla Stane.”

“Miz Stane,” her father normally would correct her.

Not today. Continue reading →

Malina and the Border Banners, Chapter 14 (A Story for B)

May27

Malina paced. “This is – this is strange,” she complained.

The silks of her new clothing brushed across her legs with every step. The sandals made shhussshing noises on the tile floor.

That in itself was strange. Everything was different from her normal clothing, from her normal floors, from her normal shoes. The carved stone screens were like nothing she had at home. The bed, even, was made differently from any bed she’d ever slept in before last night. Everything was like living in a storybook, which –

You were named to this position. We have been waiting for you. Continue reading →

Know the Ropes

May26

Once again I asked for prompts on the FediVerse and Ciel offered me a lovely one.

Content warning: bondage.

*~*

The noise of the city vanished in Mackenzie’s lair; everything vanished in her lair. The floor was soft, the walls were painted a very pale blue, and the hooks overhead were painted to match the slightly darker blue of the very durable ceiling. The cabinets along one wall were placed so that they more or less vanished into a shadow; the door itself was hidden in the shadows of those cabinets.

When you walked in, when Mackenzie set the lights just so, you could pretend there was nothing else in the world but you, her, and the room.

Right now, Bran was feeling as if Mackenzie’s smile was its own fourth participant. “I saw you with Antony the other night, your video.” She licked her lips.

Bran raised his eyebrows. “That’s the thing Antony and I do,” he answered carefully. He and Mackenzie had a very well-defined relationship, both inside and outside of this room. Jealousy had never entered into it, jealousy for either of them. She had a boy who kept her bed warm most nights and cooked her dinner. He had Antony he tied up on camera, and Kef most weekends, in and out of the club. Continue reading →

The Bellamy, Chapter 16

May25

📚

It’s never really taken anyone forever. The woman across the table smiled around a nibble of pocket quiche.

“You know,” Veronika mused. The sandwiches looked delicious; they even smelled delicious. “None of this was anywhere in the job description. And the first half of the day -” She frowned. “It wasn’t, was it?”

“Well, it depends on how you look at it. It depends on some other things, as well.” Amanana put two sandwiches on her plate and gestured to the platter, then to Veronika’s plate. “How much do you want to know?”

Veronika picked two that looked the best. “I want to say everything, but I suppose the question needs to be what’s the danger in knowing too much?” Continue reading →

In Allen O’Dale’s

May24

I wanted something to write and, forgetting I still had a stack of prompts, I asked for prompts on the FediVerse and @Milouchkna linked me to this prompt. What came from it is definitely interesting. Little dark – content warning, blood mention, alcohol mention, some violence.

*~*

Allen O’Dale’s was the sort of place you didn’t walk into twice if the clientele didn’t want you there.

You’d think that the proprietor would complain when someone walked up to a stranger, looked them over once or twice, and said “find another place, friend,” but not the eponymous owner of the little tavern on a side road just outside a small town that itself was on the borders of a medium-big rust belt city. No, O’Dale would just tut and say “that’s good money you sent away,” not really sounding like it mattered, and the jar on the counter would fill up with coins and bills.

Any other place, someone might complain about the antecedents of the money, but not here. After all, if anyone was going to know where to spend those strange iridescent bills or the weird hexagonal coins, it was going to be O’Dale.

And nobody else was going to complain about what their change got made in. For one, you complained at Allen O’Dale’s, you had to find someplace else to drink, to play pool, to shoot darts, and to find… friends. Continue reading →

Purchase Negotiation 41: Orders

May23

First: Purchased: Negotiation

Content warning in this case – discussion of consent, the lack thereof, and of rape.

💰

Eventually, they’d gone through two movies and this moment of relaxation had to end. Mr. MacDiarmad gently moved Leander’s legs off of him so he could stand and patted Leander on the knee. “You two should head to bed. Take it easy tonight, Leander – Doctor’s orders. And in the morning we can talk about what we’re going to do about this new threat.”

Leander found himself standing up, the order moving him before he’d really managed to process it. He offered a hand to Sylviane. “Bed?” He tried to sound polite or suave or, well, anything, but he was pretty sure he sounded more like a caveman.

She took his hand and stood. “That sounds good, yeah. You need anything before we go to bed?” Continue reading →

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