Archive | April 2018

Cloverleaf’s Library (written for Patreon)

Apr9

This is a description I wrote up for the Cloverleaf MUX Cal & I are working on, although it’s, uh, a little long and doesn’t even get you very far into the library.  But here it is!
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Hummingbird and Roosevelt (the intersection of its address)

Sitting just off of Main street in Tinco Circle, the library is a monument to Greek Revival architecture.

The stairs go up an entire story, and are flanked on either side by leisurely, carefully designed ramps that take their time getting to the top.

Once there, large pillars make the building look even bigger and taller, stomping across an open front area where six-foot tall versions of a few books – Sherlock Holmes tales, Oh The Places You’ll Go, (something else) stand ready to be read one inch-thick page at a time.

To the left side, down a much more sedate little walkway, complete with yellow bricks and poppy flowers to either side, leads through a emerald gate (but not a real green dress that’s cruel… wait.

(but not real emeralds that’d be dumb)

to a bright green door.  Inside there is the children’s library. Continue reading →

Haunted House 12: The House That Eats People

Apr9

First: A story featuring a male keeper and a female Kept.
Previous: Be Our Guest

🌳🏚🌳

The back stairs took up half of the space between the dining room and the kitchen.  “There’s also the grand stairs in front, but those are not safe to walk on. This place has an excess of staircases – not that there’s anything wrong with that,” he added hastily, as the stairs seemed to creak and shift under their feet.  “This isn’t the full tour, not by far, but it’s enough for the time being, I think. You’ve had a long day, after all.” He brushed his hand over her sleeve. “Do you want to sleep in my bed tonight, Mélanie?”

She looked at his face.  “What happens if I say no?”

“If you say no, then you sleep in your own bedroom, and both of us have slightly cold and lonely beds.” His smile took of the slight sting of his words.  “That is to say, nothing bad happens. I’d rather you be honest with me and take your time about coming to my bed then do it just because you think I want you there.” Continue reading →

A Last Conlang Word going in to April (written for Patreon)

Apr8
Since the theme for this month is Libraries and Librarians, and I got a new pen I want to try out (image coming tomorrow), today’s post is the Calenyen words around Libraries. From  December 16, 2015-

inventrix asked for books, which got handled a while back:

turnie, noun, book
turniete, 2 books
turniebe, a shelf of books
turnine, some books

So I figured I’d handle shelf and library!

Library, first, is a book-place, Turnietan. This originally referred to any depository of books. Now, a bookseller is a Liezturnie, Seller, of book and a library is a Turnietapon, a book place, scholarly.

And in the library there are shelves!

A shelf is a birtun, from a word which originally meant ledge; a bookshelf is a birtunturnie.

A collective plural of shelves is usually considered a bookcase, unit of shelves. If you collectivize that, birtunbebe, you end up with a slang word for a large gathering of shelves, a storeroom.

Yoshi Gets a Friend

Apr8

Fae Apoc, Post apoc by a generation

Yoshi was loitering.

He was leaning on a fence, looking at the new Addergoole​ graduates, a little surprised and a little relieved not to see his mother here.  He’d heard she’d quit – but then again, you heard all sorts of things. He remembered coming home one time to find a new Kept who was absolutely certain that Yoshi’s mom was a serial killer and he was her latest victim.

Yoshi might have trolled that one a bit, although he’d never admit it to anyone who asked.  But he had gotten the boy to get a new vegetable patch dug…

Today, he was here for his own Kept, although he had to rely on luck, since he didn’t have his mother’s ability to Find just the right person.  He was looking for someone with spark but not too much anger, pretty but not too delicate, the sort of girl he could keep around for a couple years.  He was looking for a companion who happened to be collared, not a pet. The last time he’d had a Kept, she’d ended up being more of a pet. Neither of them had been all that happy with that arrangement, and it had led to bad feelings and, eventually, finding her someplace safe to be. Continue reading →

Purchased: Boyfriend Experience

Apr7

First: Purchased: Negotiation
Previous: Purchased: Introduction

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Seven

Leander was surprised to find himself smiling, but let the smile fade quickly.  “I don’t do guys. I already negotiated that with your father.” Before she could say anything, he held up a finger.  “But if you want me to hold down some college boy for you while you have your way with him, I might find that entertaining.”  

Was he flirting?  He hadn’t known he’d even remembered how to flirt.

“I’ll keep that in mind.  Do you think you could do that?”

“Pretend to be an overprotective boyfriend? Depends.  Are you going to pretend to enjoy it, or are you going to pretend to hate it and push me away all the time and sulk?” Continue reading →

Tootplanet 7-16-4: Another Viewpoint

Apr6

Star Log, Sec. 7, Sub. 16-4 – another viewpoint

Slek was still watching the sky.  Slek had been watching for days now, taking every turn that was available.  

The Periln hadn’t come back.  By this point it was almost safe to believe that they wouldn’t.

They had begun rebuilding carefully, within the ruins of their lost city. They had sent out very low-frequency signals, looking for more survivors.

They could, perhaps, make a go of life again.  But only if the Periln or someone like them didn’t return.

Slek couldn’t help thinking how much easier it would be to rebuild with help, though.

 

Spoils of War II: Shelter

Apr6

First: Spoils of War I: Surrender

Their horses were tired but not injured; they were tired and they both had their share of injuries. They moved at a steady pace rather than rushing, doing their best not to look like they were running away.

Nikol heard Aran mutter Workings two more times.  The second time, the words trailed off into a string of cursing.

“Just a little while longer.”  The man had tried to hamstring her.  Still. “Just hold on a bit longer. It won’t do us any good to have survived that battle if we end up at the Mountain.”

“Aren’t the people running the Mountain your people?” Continue reading →