Archive | March 20, 2012

Silent Song

Mar20

To Friendly Anon’s commissioned prompt and @Inventrix’s request, the second half of a continuation of Porter Needs a Girlfriend (LJ), after Siren Song (LJ).

Porter fell.

He’d been pretty sure he was going to, but knowing you were going to and suddenly falling were different things.

He flailed, kicking his legs and shouting. The floor seemed a long way down. Why were the levels so far apart in this school? What if he broke something…

He landed while he was still worrying, both feet hitting the floor by some freak chance, and stumbled backwards until he fell into something.

He was… on a soft carpet, surrounded by bookshelves. In the Library, then? He slapped both hands over his mouth. He’d been shouting in the Library! He was going to catch hell for sure!

What was worse… he’d fallen into the Library. In the middle of the Library. If someone didn’t find him, he was going to end up late for dinner. Late for Timora’s mystery dinner date with hopefully-a-Ninth-Cohort.

And, really, to be pragmatic, he could be trapped in here forever, or until he found a door or a Door that got him out. Priorities.

A sign appeared in front of his nose. Please remember to remain quiet in the Library. The font was frilly, and the little sign was bordered with little purple flowers.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. “I just…”

The sign vanished, and another appeared. Please refrain from lewd activity in the Library.

“Wait, what?” he asked in a hurried hiss. “I…” He was leaning against something, wasn’t he? He twisted to look behind him. “…Oh. Sorry.” The statue in whose embrace he’d been cuddled looked as embarrassed as Porter felt. “You should get her some clothes. Look, um,” the signs were from the Librarian, right? “Um… sa’Librarian?” That might work… please? “I didn’t mean to drop in like this, but I’m a little lost…”

A third sign appeared. Please refrain from becoming lost in the Library.

“I’m trying, I really am, but there was this Siren, so I dove overboard, and overboard happened to be here…” He flailed. “I open Doors, you see. But this place doesn’t come with a decent floor plan.”

The next sign that appeared was hand-written, still florid but without the decorations. “You open… Doors. Show me. This way.” And then a sign with an arrow.

“I, uh…” His dinner was getting further and further away. “Yes… ma’am? Sa’Librarian. What do you want me to show you?” He wandered in the direction of the arrow, avoiding the eyes of the statue. “Hunh. History. I’ve never found this section before.”

A sign appeared: a flower-wreathed stop sign. Porter stopped obediently, hoping that, somehow, this would lead to dinner. Somehow.

He was standing in front of a section of blank wall, about the size of a doorway, something he’d never before seen in the Library. The arrow appeared again, pointing at the wall.

“You want me to open this? All right, I can do that. I hope,” he added in a mutter. “But do you know what’s on the other side?”

The arrow simply pointed again and, sighing, Porter opened a Door and stepped through.

Next: Iridium Hole, LJ

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/303624.html. You can comment here or there.

Reality, a story of the Black House for the March Giraffe Call (@rix_Scaedu)

Mar20

From rix_scaedu‘s prompt. This comes directly in order with the rest of the Black House story (see tag), right after Orientation (LJ).

Content warnings: no sexual content, but definite d/s.

The girl who had been Yaminah, On-Time-Chime, who was now Pretty oro’Gregori, had heard stories, all through school, of her new Keeper.

She had heard about the Kraken, about his tentacles, about the way that he had, his first year of school, held off three older attackers and ended up walking away from Hell Night having almost killed someone three years ahead of him in school. She’d heard second-hand stories, stories Damaris had told Ackerly. “This is how a Kept is treated. This is how my Keeper’s Keeper treated her.” She’d heard the way the teachers said his name – half anger, half awe.

Nothing had prepared her, any more than any situation that her power had gotten her in had, any more than being Kept by Ackerly had, for the reality of being in his house, in his possession – or in his arms.

He was gentle, for one, as inexorable as his hold was, stroking her back, comforting her. “It has to be frightening,” he murmured, when the sobs had calmed enough that she could hear him, “to have a power that takes you over like that. To be out of control of your own life.”

“Sometimes?” she admitted weakly. “Sometimes it’s useful. Sometimes I end up knowing things, getting things I wouldn’t, otherwise. But I miss my children.” She slapped her hands over her mouth, mortified, and peeked at him, only to find him smiling.

“I don’t blame you. I miss mine, too.” He smoothed her hair gently. “And your power thinks you will be safe here?” He set her down on the carpet. “Come. Let’s get to the bedroom.”

She waited until he stood, then followed his heels down the hallway. “I wonder,” he mused, “what it is your power wants me to protect you from?”

Next: First Day of Work (LJ)

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/303541.html. You can comment here or there.

Alder by Post: Mailed

Mar20

Yesterday I mailed Alder by Postcards to:
Eseme
srmaclin (3 months)
JanetMiles (3 months)
Lilfluff (2 months)
My parents
Inventrix
kelkyag (2 months)

Tonight I will mail I’ve mailed! the international ones – Becka, Rix, and @theladyisugly

I still have a couple available for each month, if you’re interested!

Contemplating a double issue *laughs* either next month or for Issue 6. Issue 6 would make more sense…

Alder by Post
1 Issue, US $2.00 USD
I Issue, non-US $2.50 USD
1 year, US $20.00 USD
1 year, non-US $25.00 USD
2 Issues, US $3.50 USD
2 Issues, Non-US $4.50 USD
3 Issues, US $5.00 USD
3 issues, Non-US $6.00 USD

This entry was originally posted at http://aldersprig.dreamwidth.org/303227.html. You can comment here or there.