Archives

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 →

Purchase Negotiation: Collared

May19

Okay, this has been bugging me for a bit.  Leander sort of magically gets collared on the drive.  Oops!

So here’s his collaring scene.  This happens in the middle-beginning of Chapter Five. 

🔐

Mr. MacDiarmad led him out of the garage and through a long hallway that seemed to be there for the sole purpose of being a hallway.  That led out into a wide living room – leather and brown-tones, wood and wide windows opening on a generously large yard.  

“First things first.  If you would kneel?” Continue reading →

101 Apocalypse Nights, XVII

May18

The next morning found the warlord’s staff moving around with warm drinks and warm pastries.  Everyone had their share; the children had enough to be over-full, and they all found themselves awake and aware as they stepped into the Warlord’s audience chamber, ready for the first tale of the morning.

The chamber was tall, as tall as five or six men on each other’s shoulders, and at one point the ceiling had been painted magnificently.  The paint had chipped and peeled, but you could still, if you peered, see the scenes that had outlasted the end of the world. Continue reading →

MerMay: Family

May18

Addergoole, sometime after year 9

“I don’t, uh…”  He wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, something more like amused and a little awkward.  “I mean.  That is.  Girls…?”

The last time this had come up, he’d gotten punched.  Not by the girl; by her brother.

This woman – this girl?  This Valkyrie with the horns curling out of her head and eyes like shadows themselves, she just smiled at him. “Conveniently, I don’t do guys.” Continue reading →

Spoils of War VI: Trail

May17

First: Spoils of War I: Surrender
Previous: Rest Stop

The horses seemed to be in good shape, well-rested and well-fed, and were willing enough to be loaded up and mounted.  Nikol did a final sweep of the building – someone might be able to tell the place had been occupied, if they looked closely, but they’d shoveled dirt over the coals and put most everything else back where they’d found it.

“You’re really worried, aren’t you?”  Aran was eyeing her sidelong. “I thought it was just, let’s get out of here, that sort of thing, but you’re really worried someone is going to come after you.”

“Us.”  She rubbed her arms and looked off over the destroyed neighborhood.  “Yeah. Yeah. I was fine fighting for money until, well. Until I saw what the Mountain did.  Then I tried to turn in my banner and leave. Merc, you know. You fight when you want to. But they wouldn’t let me.  So running, well. It’s the best option, but I still don’t really believe it will work.” Continue reading →

A New World: The Hoija

May16

First: A New World
Previous: Two Kael

⚗

Everyone knowing about the Hoeraija is your fault.

Kael raised her eyebrows at this scholar, this Dennor. (Hightower.  Had his family been potion-masters? That was something for another time.)

“I beg your pardon?”  she demanded archly.

He flapped his hand, amused.  “That’s ‘your’ fault.” He dropped quote marks in the air. “Your namesake.  Because she settled among the Hoija, because she built her tower there – here, because she, foremost among the old wizards -”

“Wizards?”  Her potion provided a meaning, but it wasn’t one that made any sense to her. Continue reading →