Archive | November 13, 2011

Mother Knows… a story of Rin & Girey, for the Giraffe Call @inventrix

Nov13

For kelkyag‘s prompt.

This is in the Reiassan Setting, which has a landing page here (and on LJ). It comes after everything else I’ve written in timeline for Rin & Girey.

Short version of the story – Rin has been at war, acting as a healer in the Callanthe army. The Callanthe beat the Bitrani (this time), and she took as a prisoner of war the Bitrani noble Girey. Hijinks ensue.

Rin’s father had pulled Girey out of the room the minute they’d arrived, with something that sounded like “I want to ask you about this ancient Bitrani artifact.” It had left Rin and her mother alone, sipping tea and staring out her parents’ large picture window at the city below.

“What was it like?” Watching her mother’s face, Rin was reminded that the older Princess had never left Lannamer, much less gone to war. She’d come of age in a rare time of peace and been married before battle was declared again, busy producing heirs for the throne.

“It was… dirty,” she offered. “Busy, dangerous, sometimes too cold and sometimes too hot. But mostly it was dirty.” She wondered if she was trying to make it sound more unpleasant than it had been for her mother’s benefit.

“But you stayed long past your first tour of duty.”

“They needed me. They needed healers, and I’m a very good healer.”

“You could have led them.”

“I could have, but there were other people suited to leadership. There weren’t that many suited to healing.”

“And what are you going to do now?”

Rin plucked at her formal qitari. “I’m going to attend Elin’s wedding, and smile, and wish her well.”

“That will do for the next three days. Are you going to rejoin the army?”

“I thought about it,” she admitted. “But…”

Her mother smiled at her. “I know that expression. Forgive a mother meddling, dear, but I have some suggestions for you.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/173935.html. You can comment here or there.

Uh-Oh… A story of #Addergoole, for the Giraffe Call

Nov13

For cluudle‘s prompt.

Wren is a character in Addergoole, a Fourth Cohort student who, last year, was Kept by Phelen, also a Fourth Cohort student. They have a small story, “Poaching,” in Other Sides, the weblit anthology.

For more on Wren and Ray’s father before their birth, see Too Human

Addergoole Year 5, not at Addergoole
Life wasn’t as fun since Wren had gone away to school.

Raylan wandered around the neighborhood, watching the leaves fall, mumbling incoherently to himself. A reputation for being just as crazy as his sister had kept the bullies off of him, even if, unlike her, he had to fake it.

He wondered if she’d come home for the holidays this year. She hadn’t, last year, and Dad had made a couple closed-door phone calls and come back to say, seeming content, “your sister is very involved with her new boyfriend. I’m sure she’ll snap out of it eventually.”

“Eventually” had been the last week of summer break, with a small baby in tow she didn’t want to talk about – and Wren who was self-possessed, sad, but comfortable in her skin in a way she hadn’t been before she left school. Ray wasn’t sure what he thought of all that, either, but Raven was pretty adorable for a nephew. If he had to have a nephew when he was fifteen, and all.

And Dad thought it was fine. Ray stomped around another block, trying to figure out what was going on with Dad. And with everything. No boarding school for Ray, though Dad was pushing him to pick a good college. No worries about Wren’s pregnancy, or the new boyfriend her letters went on and on about. No worries as to how Raven’s unnamed father was going to help Ray’s sister raise a kid, or how Wren was going to juggle the kid and college. No worries…

“…Well, hello, aren’t you handsome?”

That was not what he’d expected to hear, eight blocks from home at the edge of the suburbs. Ray looked up, then up some more, to find a very, very pretty woman who looked very, very dangerous looking down at him. She tch’d and brushed her hand over his chin. “No stubble yet, not even all the way ripe. But handsome.”

He found his voice. “…Excuse me?”

“No excuses needed. You’re not the one I was looking for, but you look good enough to do as a bonus. Come with me.”

“Um… no?” he backed up quickly. “No, thanks, ma’am.”

“So sweet,” she chuckled. “But you’re coming with me.” She reached out her hand, and he found that he was floating a few inches off the ground, floating towards her.

“Hey!”

“None of that,” she smiled. “Stay quiet, and this won’t hurt much.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/173366.html. You can comment here or there.

Thicker Than… A story of Stranded World, for the Giraffe Call

Nov13

For rix_scaedu‘s prompt, combined with ankewehner‘s prompt

This is in the Stranded World Setting, which has a landing page here (and on LJ).

Mellie’s roommate was fighting with her mother again. They could hear it from the other side of the room, easily, so the three of them had headed into the hallway.

“I’d say it gets worse around the holidays,” Mellie murmured, “but it’s hard to tell. I’d need a decibel meter to get an accurate read.”

“That’s…. pretty awful,” Bishop frowned. “How long has it been going on?”

“As far as I can tell, since the first week of school. I’m not sure what’s going on, exactly, but it seems like her mom has a new complaint every week.”

“Damn.” Bishop shook his head. “My roommate fights with his folks, too, but it’s not that bad.”

Summer pursed her lips thoughtfully. “I have an idea.”

“You always have ideas.”

“Callie’s a nice girl. And Jacob has been really patient with us all year long. I know we’re going to Melinda’s family’s house for Christmas – but the rest of the vacation. Let’s make a holiday here for them. Jacob and Callie, my roommate doesn’t really like me, but I know Basil’s having a hard time, and the Californian twins.”

“What about their families?” Melinda offered cautiously. “Won’t they be mad they’re not coming home? Family’s important.”

“Blood’s thicker than water, etc,” Bishop murmured.

“Well, they can be mad all they want. What it comes down to is that we like these people, we’re nice to them, and they like us, or at least they’re nice to us. Let’s give them a family dinner the way we know it ought to be.”

Bishop nodded, slowly, Melinda echoed it. “We can do that.”

“Yeah. The dorm kitchens should be pretty empty. We can make this work.”

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/173138.html. You can comment here or there.

Morning!

Nov13

It’s morning, and before I start mudding, sanding, priming, and all that fun stuff, I’ll spend a couple minutes on the Giraffe Call.

The call is still open:
On LJ – http://aldersprig.livejournal.com/316593.html
and on DW – http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/170868.html

The incentive linkback story continues here – http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/171652.html and on LJ – http://aldersprig.livejournal.com/317185.html

I received a mystery donation, not from the Giraffe Button, not sure if it was an Addergoole donation or a Giraffe donation. If that was you, please let me know. 🙂

That donation aside, we’re at $25 right now.


$10 to go to get to the first incentive level!

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/172835.html. You can comment here or there.