#mastoprompt — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #mastoprompt, aggregated by home.social.
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I warily eyed my companion's face. "That is a truly #fearsome smile."
"Thank you!" His voice quivered, and smoke leaked from his nostrils. "I hope the princess likes it."
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"We must #fly!" cried the mage as they ran up the hill, a wave of pursuers on their heels.
"What d'you think we're doing?" gasped the rogue. "We can't flee any faster."
"Not faster, smarter." With a grin, the mage floated upwards. "Coming?"
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"We must #fly!" cried the mage as they ran up the hill, a wave of pursuers on their heels.
"What d'you think we're doing?" gasped the rogue. "We can't flee any faster."
"Not faster, smarter." With a grin, the mage floated upwards. "Coming?"
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"We must #fly!" cried the mage as they ran up the hill, a wave of pursuers on their heels.
"What d'you think we're doing?" gasped the rogue. "We can't flee any faster."
"Not faster, smarter." With a grin, the mage floated upwards. "Coming?"
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"We must #fly!" cried the mage as they ran up the hill, a wave of pursuers on their heels.
"What d'you think we're doing?" gasped the rogue. "We can't flee any faster."
"Not faster, smarter." With a grin, the mage floated upwards. "Coming?"
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"We must #fly!" cried the mage as they ran up the hill, a wave of pursuers on their heels.
"What d'you think we're doing?" gasped the rogue. "We can't flee any faster."
"Not faster, smarter." With a grin, the mage floated upwards. "Coming?"
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"Him?" The detective frowned. "We went to school together."
"Oh." The rookie studied the photo. "Er, were you friends?"
"No, we weren't close. He used to chew the end of his #pencil."
The rookie bit his tongue. He *wasn't* going to make a lead-poisoning joke.
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#MastoPrompt May 9th: #fly
To fly in the face of adversity, I'd be that fly on the wall when the soulless commune to conspire to eradicate the liberties of those worthless others.
As that fly on the wall, I'd be more likely to survive their efforts than way too many others who have already been killed, and yet more who are dying or have been designated as targets for their callous, inhuman activities.
And I'd delight in testing their eugenicist ethics with whatever disease I could pass on.
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#MastoPrompt May 9th: #fly
To fly in the face of adversity, I'd be that fly on the wall when the soulless commune to conspire to eradicate the liberties of those worthless others.
As that fly on the wall, I'd be more likely to survive their efforts than way too many others who have already been killed, and yet more who are dying or have been designated as targets for their callous, inhuman activities.
And I'd delight in testing their eugenicist ethics with whatever disease I could pass on.
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"That was great!" As they climbed off the roller coaster, the rookie beamed.
"Just part of the job." The detective took a few wobbly steps. "Following the victim's trail."
"Didn't he buy two tickets? We'd better do it again."
"On you go, lad." His face took on a greenish tint. "I'm heading for a restorative #brandy."
"Was that where he went next?"
The detective glared.
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Agnes sniffed. "She's holding us up."
"And for a basic ingredient." Moira pursed her lips.
Shrieks and thuds came from outside, followed by a resounding crash.
The door banged open.
"Sorry I'm late," Glenda panted, hauling a limp velociraptor into the cottage. "Here's the lizard toenails you wanted."
Agnes swallowed. "We're going to need a bigger #cauldron."
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"An old haunt of mine," the detective remarked as they strolled along in the shadow of an imposing building.
"#Fond memories, sir?"
"Not exactly." He pointed down an alleyway towards a demolition site. "The office was there."
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Trying to sleep got me no-where so I wrote this:
It is related to a story I am begining to write on Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/409963491?utm_source=android&utm_medium=link&utm_content=story_info&wp_page=story_details_button&wp_uname=TessiaEliseKirkShaw
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#MastoPrompt
#broom
#writing
#smallstories
@stevencudahy -
#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch
Mikaeri Zaka/Look Back Ridge (Sumika POV) Post 25
#Wss366 Swear #MastoPrompt SlamAs we hiked to Mikaeri Zaka, I began wondering if this was a good idea. I’d never done a test of courage before, but I wanted to do one before leaving Japan. Now I was scared. The trail was gloomy in the evening light, and once off the main path, the brush seemed to reach out to grab me.
I also remembered why I didn’t like Sis’s friend, Mori-san.
“They say there’s a woman with her head on backwards here,” Mori-san said, trying to sound spooky. “And there's an old man. If he calls your name, don’t turn around or he’ll cut your head off!”
I clutched my blankets tightly to my chest and grabbed my sister’s hand. “What if it’s true?” I thought.
“I #swear, you’re such a baby, Sumi-chan,” my sister said. “Those are just stories made up because it’s called ‘Mikaeri Zaka’ (Look Back Ridge). If people found headless bodies up here, it would be on TV.”
“Wow!” I thought. “High school kids are so smart.”
“Here we are,” Sis announced. “We can camp behind those bushes. If anyone comes, they won’t see us there.” She pointed to a thicket just beyond a ginkgo grove where the tread almost petered out.
Having company seemed unlikely to me. The branch trail we had followed was barely more than an overgrown animal track. More than once, we’d scrambled over or around fallen trees.
The image of an oni or tengu using the path came to me unbidden. This was just the kind of place where tengu would love to hide.
One thought led to another, and before long, I found myself worrying whether I was still small enough for a tengu to carry me away or leave me stranded in a treetop.
The “shrine” itself was in the ginkgo trees. In their shade were the rotting remains of a shrine box. At least, I assumed that’s what it was. A single board protruding from the loam was all that remained. There certainly wasn’t a bell or any offerings.
However, there was a weed-choked spring nearby, so I rinsed my mouth and hands in the water. I was a good girl and knew what to do when visiting a shrine.
The ginkgo grove was cool and made my skin tingle oddly when I entered. I faced the board, clapped, and sprinkled the rice I’d brought on the ground in front of it.
Behind me, Mori-san snickered. “It’s just some old, abandoned kami. No one cares about it.”
I ignored her. Even a forgotten deity deserved respect. That’s what I thought.
“You should wish for a husband as dumb as you are,” Mori-san continued, #slamming me again.
I placed my mom's money on the board and picked up a golden ginkgo leaf that caught my eye. It would be my charm. I clapped again and bowed.
“Maybe when I grow up, I’ll be your miko and dance for you,” I whispered and then joined the others in our little camp.
#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #SlowBurn #Yuri
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#MastoPrompt
#slam
#writing
#smallstories
@stevencudahy -
The Mad Frank's Dreams: Post 9 Of Garrotes and Battle Plans
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Hinge #MastoPrompt MendMao eyed the garrote in Chue’s hand, then the cell, and finally Chue herself. Mao waited for her companion to explain.
“I’ll strangle the one with a cudgel while you throw the blanket over the other. Hold on to him and don’t let go. Everything #hinges on whether you can keep him busy until I've dealt with the first one. Can you do it?”
Instead of answering, Mao nodded and asked, “How long until they come back, and what if there are more than two?”
“Who knows how the bones will fall, but the moon hasn't turned its face from us yet.”
Mao clicked her tongue at the courtly language but said no more.
With the plan settled, the two waited. Mao held the blanket in her lap while Chue pretended to entertain her with the flags or to #mend the pennants. Each of them listened and watched the door, waiting.
The hours crawled by, and the light that crept through the boarded window dimmed. Mao had slumped, and her face had turned a sick green. Another one of Chue’s candies helped, but Mao’s hands still shook, and her eyes were dull. When Chue felt her forehead, it was hot, and her hair was damp with sweat.
“You should sleep,” Chue said.
Mao shook her head. “If they come, I need to be ready.”
“As you will, but only until there is no light. Then, go to sleep. I'll wake you if I hear anything.”
Mao nodded again. As much as she hated to admit it, sleep was the only reliable remedy for a head injury like hers. She would just have to hope there was no internal bleeding.
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"I thought you were vegan," I said. I didn't mean to be rude, it just slipped out because I was so surprised. It wasn't a splash of milk in her tea - she was eating a large, rare, juicy steak.
"I am most of the month. But I need this for a few days. I hope that doesn't sully my reputation in your eyes."
"Oh… every month. So, you mean, something about… losing blood?"
"Why are men so nervous to discuss periods?" she laugned. "But no. It's the moon."
"You renege on your vegan principles for the moon?"
"You know I'm a werefold, right?"
"So, you have a desire to eat meat around the full moon?"
"Not in human form, no. It's just that if I eat a large portion of red meat in the hours before changing, then I'm not hungry. And people out there are safer."
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#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch
Mikaeri Zaka/Look Back Ridge (Sumika POV) Post 24
#Wss366 Ghost #MastoPrompt DramaThe year before I moved to the U.S., I was in the sixth grade and didn’t live far from Mount Tenran. That was when I visited the shrine and saw a #ghost for the first time.
But I’m doing it again, showing not telling, so let’s go back.
“Mom, can I spend the night at sis’s friend’s?” I asked.
My mother looked up from packing kitchen stuff. We were selling most of our belongings, but there were still a lot we were shipping to the US. We didn’t know how long Dad would be assigned to the San Francisco office.
“Are your clothes packed? And when have you wanted to spend time with those girls?” came her tired reply. “There’s so much #drama around them.”
“They’re visiting a shrine, and I want to go one last time.” It wasn’t a lie, nor was it the whole truth. It was a test of courage, and the place we were going had long been abandoned. There was a story that if you found the ruins and offered the kami rice, they would grant you a wish. Not cooked rice, raw grain, and lots of it. If you didn’t offer enough, he would cut off your head.
“You can go if all your stuff is packed, and I mean all of it. And we can visit a major shrine this weekend, where you can get a last look at the mikos. They don’t have them in America.”
“Yay!” I loved mikos. As a sixth grader, I dreamed of being one when I grew up. Shrine maiden uniforms were so cute, and they got to speak to the kami.
“Just a moment,” Mom said, leaving the kitchen. When she returned, she handed me some money. “For an offering and to buy yourself a charm.”
“Can I take some rice?”
“Sure, it’ll be done soon.”
She gave me a funny look when I took some uncooked grain and put it in a bag. Then, before she could ask questions, I ran out of the room, shouting over my shoulder, “I’m going to check that all my stuff is packed!”
#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #Crow #SlowBurn #Yuri
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he calls it love
but nothing adheresI keep placing my hand there
as if warmth could takeas if the word might remember
what it was meant to holdbut it does not resist me
does not receive mejust an absence
shaped like a promiseand I—hesitant—
begin to learn its edges#MastoPrompt
#lacuna
#absence
#writing
#poem
@stevencudahy -
#mastodon #citadel #writing #scifi #fiction #mastoprompt
I remember writing something like this a few years ago. The cast were similar to those in my shitty scifi love story thing... but they landed on this snow covered planet.
The planet was huge, completely snow covered and long ago there was this large military spaceport. Just rows of hangers and barracks all delicately built into this mountain range.
Eventually it was left but not forgotten and repurposed into this hub of community.
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Stormy Weather (#TimeTravelingGhost Side Story)
#Wss366 #Blues / #BillieHolidaysBirthday #MastoPrompt Citadel #TimeTravelAuthors How seriously do the characters take time travel
I watched my time-traveling friends leave. It was the second time spirits had visited me. First, a visitation by my mother, and now I’d met myself accompanied by a strange, abrasive woman. They were a serious pair. If only they had shared the results of my experiments. There was information they were withholding, as ominous as Erebus’s silent #citadel.
“So, what do you think, Rindy?” I asked the papillon plushie sitting in the guest chair. My visitors had dislodged its green St. Patrick’s Day hat. I straightened it and then gave Patroclus some more rat food. While I was at it, I poured myself a second drink.
“Alexa, play some Billie Holiday. Something soft but not too sad.”
“Carelessly,” came on.
I turned the picture on the desk toward me. Ms. Sarah Lockwell smiled back. I wondered what would happen if I traveled back in time and tried to make things work with her. She was already cheating on me by the time we traveled to Ireland, so probably not much. I would just relive those desperate times again, wallowing in self-loathing while desperately refusing to give up on someone who had tossed me aside. I would have been okay with sharing her, but she didn’t want that. Nor was she brave enough to tell me to get lost, just as I hadn’t had the self-respect to give up.
“All of Me” came on and I sang along. “You took the best, why not take the rest?”
The last of my drink burned as I swallowed it in one gulp, and I poured a third.
“Sigh, guess this is it,” I said. My visitors hadn’t been very informative, but I could read between the lines. “Stormy Weather,” I announced to Rindy and Patroclus.
Alexa switched the music to that track.
I picked up the silly red sunglasses I, the future me, had left behind, opened the middle drawer, and dropped them on top of my copy of the Mad Arab’s book.
1937 HITS ARCHIVE: Carelessly - Teddy Wilson (Billie Holiday, vocal)
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#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch
Not Easy For a Modern Witch (Airisu POV) Post 23 – 2 of 2
#Wss366 Kit #MastoPrompt Gum[Continued from previous post]
“Dōken-shin called you a reincarnated samayō miko. That’s a wandering shrine maiden. He said you used to bind spirits—now it’s your turn. Tell me about this book.”
“Book? Oh, you must mean the book I found at the bookstore.”
Sumika proceeded to relate how she had become a witch and found the Grimoire Obscuriea.
When she finished, I said, “You really are a nob. A grimoire is a book of magic, like a madousho.”
“Oh, is that why the name on the cover changed to Madousho Mōrō?”
“And that didn’t tell you there was something weird about the book?”
“It did. I’m not stupid,” she said.
I wondered, though.
“Besides,” she resumed, “a spell to summon a creature that would be bound to me had appeared in it. It would be a devoted friend and companion.”
“Sounds like a boyfriend.”
I heard her mutter, “I don’t like boys.”
“A girlfriend then, and you’ve got me. I’m a girl who likes girls.”
“You’re a crow! A rude, obnoxious bird!”
“Details, details, details.”
“Okay, back on topic,” I said. “Why did you come to Mikaeri Zaka?”
“It’s said to be a power spot and was one of the few places where I knew I wouldn’t be observed. Besides, it just seemed right.”
“I see. It called to you. So, tell me about the shrine.”
#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #SlowBurn #Yuri
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#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch
Not Easy For a Modern Witch (Airisu POV) Post 23 – 1 of 2
#Wss366 Kit #MastoPrompt GumIt turns out riding in the belly of the beast was every bit as terrifying as I’d imagined. The constant motion was compounded by a chaos of noise. I foolishly looked out a window and shrieked.
“Stop thrashing,” Sumika chided. “You’ll hurt yourself.”
I dug my claws into the seat and closed my eyes, which only made things worse as the vehicle lurched like a tree in a storm.
My eyes flew open. “I’m going to be sick,” I cawed.
“Just settle down and tell me what happened back there.” As she spoke, she touched the wound on her neck, then glanced at me reproachfully.
“Cruel, cruel mistress. Have some sympathy for your poor familiar.”
She touched her neck again, and I hurried on. “I only did it because you were going to give away the whole #kit and caboodle to that greedy kami. That would really #gum up the works. Ack…”
A glare shut down my cackle midstream, and I resumed. “Dōken-shin would have bound you in his service as a vassal. He’s not the kind of boss you want.”
“I’m a little fuzzy on what happened, so could you be more specific?” Sumika asked.
“As you command, oh great and powerful mistress. Ack, ack, ack! Mind you, this is only speculation, but Arakawa Dōken is a forgotten Edo kami who was deified to appease his ghost. ‘Hearing its voice is the time indeed when Autumn is saddest.’—ack, ack, ack—by Sarumaru Tayu from Hyakunin’shu.”
“Whatever,” she responded—no sense of poetry.
“He claims to have given you a book and now wants repayment. I merely did what any loyal servant would do. At enormous risk to my life, I came to your aid when he ensorcelled you.”
“You’re kind of rude, you know, but thank you, I guess. But why did he pick me?”
#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #SlowBurn #Yuri
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#MastoPrompt
#numb
#photographyI expected, perhaps, snow to fall over the field, to cover the broken stems, to quiet the bright edge.
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#MastoPrompt
#numb
#writing
#poem
#poetrylife
@stevencudahy -
The hotel an accident of geometry in the landscape—
a square laid into in an unbroken horizon,
its hallways aligned to catch the sun’s arrival.
Each morning, light performed its slow undoing of the dark.
I tried to hold each moment, naming
each frame by date and minute, as if
sequence could be sent, intact, to another life.#MastoPrompt
#visitor
#smallstory
#smallpoems
@stevencudahy -
Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 3 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.Mao took a sip under Lakan's watchful gaze.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Clack!
“Is it good?”
Mao shot En'en a piercing look. “Come on, woman,” she thought. “Tell him.”
Clack!
Onsou leaned down and whispered, “It’s a scholar’s elixir.”
The relief Mao felt didn’t reach her face. Her ally had failed her, but the enemy had come to her rescue.
Lakan watched as she took another drink. “Can I try some?” he asked.
Mao hesitated, then pushed the juice toward her father, and finally beckoned to En’en.
When En’en leaned down, Mao said in a stage whisper, "Tell him he shouldn't drink that."
“That should placate Grams,” she thought. “I tried to warn him, as if the Freak would ever listen.”
En’en repeated, “She says not to drink that.”
“Anything my daughter can drink, I can,” Lakan said, taking a swallow. “Ahg! What’s in there?”
“Sweet flag, polygala, and ginseng,” Onsou said.
Lord Kan took another sip and made a sour face. “One more,” he said, taking a gulp, then stuffed a large handful of sugared walnuts into his mouth.
Clack… Clack… Clack…
“Lord?” Onsou said, frowning at his lord’s last move.
Clack!. Mao captured Lakan’s pieces, breaking his formation.
Lord Kan blinked, picked up a piece, and then set it down again. “I need to take a nap,” he said, his head sinking to the table.
“Then I am no longer needed,” Mao announced, rising.
Once they were out of the room, Yoa asked, “What happened?”
Mao smiled. “Onsou forgot to mention the alcohol from the ginseng tincture.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 3 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.Mao took a sip under Lakan's watchful gaze.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Clack!
“Is it good?”
Mao shot En'en a piercing look. “Come on, woman,” she thought. “Tell him.”
Clack!
Onsou leaned down and whispered, “It’s a scholar’s elixir.”
The relief Mao felt didn’t reach her face. Her ally had failed her, but the enemy had come to her rescue.
Lakan watched as she took another drink. “Can I try some?” he asked.
Mao hesitated, then pushed the juice toward her father, and finally beckoned to En’en.
When En’en leaned down, Mao said in a stage whisper, "Tell him he shouldn't drink that."
“That should placate Grams,” she thought. “I tried to warn him, as if the Freak would ever listen.”
En’en repeated, “She says not to drink that.”
“Anything my daughter can drink, I can,” Lakan said, taking a swallow. “Ahg! What’s in there?”
“Sweet flag, polygala, and ginseng,” Onsou said.
Lord Kan took another sip and made a sour face. “One more,” he said, taking a gulp, then stuffed a large handful of sugared walnuts into his mouth.
Clack… Clack… Clack…
“Lord?” Onsou said, frowning at his lord’s last move.
Clack!. Mao captured Lakan’s pieces, breaking his formation.
Lord Kan blinked, picked up a piece, and then set it down again. “I need to take a nap,” he said, his head sinking to the table.
“Then I am no longer needed,” Mao announced, rising.
Once they were out of the room, Yoa asked, “What happened?”
Mao smiled. “Onsou forgot to mention the alcohol from the ginseng tincture.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 3 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.Mao took a sip under Lakan's watchful gaze.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Clack!
“Is it good?”
Mao shot En'en a piercing look. “Come on, woman,” she thought. “Tell him.”
Clack!
Onsou leaned down and whispered, “It’s a scholar’s elixir.”
The relief Mao felt didn’t reach her face. Her ally had failed her, but the enemy had come to her rescue.
Lakan watched as she took another drink. “Can I try some?” he asked.
Mao hesitated, then pushed the juice toward her father, and finally beckoned to En’en.
When En’en leaned down, Mao said in a stage whisper, "Tell him he shouldn't drink that."
“That should placate Grams,” she thought. “I tried to warn him, as if the Freak would ever listen.”
En’en repeated, “She says not to drink that.”
“Anything my daughter can drink, I can,” Lakan said, taking a swallow. “Ahg! What’s in there?”
“Sweet flag, polygala, and ginseng,” Onsou said.
Lord Kan took another sip and made a sour face. “One more,” he said, taking a gulp, then stuffed a large handful of sugared walnuts into his mouth.
Clack… Clack… Clack…
“Lord?” Onsou said, frowning at his lord’s last move.
Clack!. Mao captured Lakan’s pieces, breaking his formation.
Lord Kan blinked, picked up a piece, and then set it down again. “I need to take a nap,” he said, his head sinking to the table.
“Then I am no longer needed,” Mao announced, rising.
Once they were out of the room, Yoa asked, “What happened?”
Mao smiled. “Onsou forgot to mention the alcohol from the ginseng tincture.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 3 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.Mao took a sip under Lakan's watchful gaze.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Clack!
“Is it good?”
Mao shot En'en a piercing look. “Come on, woman,” she thought. “Tell him.”
Clack!
Onsou leaned down and whispered, “It’s a scholar’s elixir.”
The relief Mao felt didn’t reach her face. Her ally had failed her, but the enemy had come to her rescue.
Lakan watched as she took another drink. “Can I try some?” he asked.
Mao hesitated, then pushed the juice toward her father, and finally beckoned to En’en.
When En’en leaned down, Mao said in a stage whisper, "Tell him he shouldn't drink that."
“That should placate Grams,” she thought. “I tried to warn him, as if the Freak would ever listen.”
En’en repeated, “She says not to drink that.”
“Anything my daughter can drink, I can,” Lakan said, taking a swallow. “Ahg! What’s in there?”
“Sweet flag, polygala, and ginseng,” Onsou said.
Lord Kan took another sip and made a sour face. “One more,” he said, taking a gulp, then stuffed a large handful of sugared walnuts into his mouth.
Clack… Clack… Clack…
“Lord?” Onsou said, frowning at his lord’s last move.
Clack!. Mao captured Lakan’s pieces, breaking his formation.
Lord Kan blinked, picked up a piece, and then set it down again. “I need to take a nap,” he said, his head sinking to the table.
“Then I am no longer needed,” Mao announced, rising.
Once they were out of the room, Yoa asked, “What happened?”
Mao smiled. “Onsou forgot to mention the alcohol from the ginseng tincture.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 3 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.Mao took a sip under Lakan's watchful gaze.
“What’s that?” he asked.
Clack!
“Is it good?”
Mao shot En'en a piercing look. “Come on, woman,” she thought. “Tell him.”
Clack!
Onsou leaned down and whispered, “It’s a scholar’s elixir.”
The relief Mao felt didn’t reach her face. Her ally had failed her, but the enemy had come to her rescue.
Lakan watched as she took another drink. “Can I try some?” he asked.
Mao hesitated, then pushed the juice toward her father, and finally beckoned to En’en.
When En’en leaned down, Mao said in a stage whisper, "Tell him he shouldn't drink that."
“That should placate Grams,” she thought. “I tried to warn him, as if the Freak would ever listen.”
En’en repeated, “She says not to drink that.”
“Anything my daughter can drink, I can,” Lakan said, taking a swallow. “Ahg! What’s in there?”
“Sweet flag, polygala, and ginseng,” Onsou said.
Lord Kan took another sip and made a sour face. “One more,” he said, taking a gulp, then stuffed a large handful of sugared walnuts into his mouth.
Clack… Clack… Clack…
“Lord?” Onsou said, frowning at his lord’s last move.
Clack!. Mao captured Lakan’s pieces, breaking his formation.
Lord Kan blinked, picked up a piece, and then set it down again. “I need to take a nap,” he said, his head sinking to the table.
“Then I am no longer needed,” Mao announced, rising.
Once they were out of the room, Yoa asked, “What happened?”
Mao smiled. “Onsou forgot to mention the alcohol from the ginseng tincture.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 2 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.The room looked much as it had in her recent dream. Courtesans lounged on pillows while Joka played the erhu, looking bored. The air was thick with the scent of high-quality incense. While not as expensive as the frankincense and myrrh in her dream, it was still too costly to waste on this guest. He probably didn't even notice it. There was no wine present either. At Verdigris House, it was well known that Lord Kan was allergic to alcohol; the slightest amount would render him comatose.
Mao wordlessly sat down at the Go board across from Lord Kan. Her father had already placed nine black stones on the board. Mao studied them as if they would reveal her opponent’s strategy rather than merely representing the handicap he had given her.
“Evening, daughter. I'm pleased you joined me,” Kan began.
.…
"As you can see, I have given you a full handicap. If you want more, you can rearrange them.”
With a sharp clack, Mao placed a black stone on the board.
Kan nibbled on a lotus seed cake, crumbs dropping onto the Go board. He silently placed a white piece on the board.
"The cakes are excellent. Would you like one?" Lakan offered.
Clack!
“Or some sugared walnuts?”
Clack!
This went on for minutes on end, with Lakan placing his stones and chattering at Mao. The only response he received was the irritable sound of Mao placing her pieces.
This went on until the lord captured his first group of Mao’s pieces.
“This won’t do,” Mao muttered. She looked at En’en. “My drink.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 2 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.The room looked much as it had in her recent dream. Courtesans lounged on pillows while Joka played the erhu, looking bored. The air was thick with the scent of high-quality incense. While not as expensive as the frankincense and myrrh in her dream, it was still too costly to waste on this guest. He probably didn't even notice it. There was no wine present either. At Verdigris House, it was well known that Lord Kan was allergic to alcohol; the slightest amount would render him comatose.
Mao wordlessly sat down at the Go board across from Lord Kan. Her father had already placed nine black stones on the board. Mao studied them as if they would reveal her opponent’s strategy rather than merely representing the handicap he had given her.
“Evening, daughter. I'm pleased you joined me,” Kan began.
.…
"As you can see, I have given you a full handicap. If you want more, you can rearrange them.”
With a sharp clack, Mao placed a black stone on the board.
Kan nibbled on a lotus seed cake, crumbs dropping onto the Go board. He silently placed a white piece on the board.
"The cakes are excellent. Would you like one?" Lakan offered.
Clack!
“Or some sugared walnuts?”
Clack!
This went on for minutes on end, with Lakan placing his stones and chattering at Mao. The only response he received was the irritable sound of Mao placing her pieces.
This went on until the lord captured his first group of Mao’s pieces.
“This won’t do,” Mao muttered. She looked at En’en. “My drink.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 2 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.The room looked much as it had in her recent dream. Courtesans lounged on pillows while Joka played the erhu, looking bored. The air was thick with the scent of high-quality incense. While not as expensive as the frankincense and myrrh in her dream, it was still too costly to waste on this guest. He probably didn't even notice it. There was no wine present either. At Verdigris House, it was well known that Lord Kan was allergic to alcohol; the slightest amount would render him comatose.
Mao wordlessly sat down at the Go board across from Lord Kan. Her father had already placed nine black stones on the board. Mao studied them as if they would reveal her opponent’s strategy rather than merely representing the handicap he had given her.
“Evening, daughter. I'm pleased you joined me,” Kan began.
.…
"As you can see, I have given you a full handicap. If you want more, you can rearrange them.”
With a sharp clack, Mao placed a black stone on the board.
Kan nibbled on a lotus seed cake, crumbs dropping onto the Go board. He silently placed a white piece on the board.
"The cakes are excellent. Would you like one?" Lakan offered.
Clack!
“Or some sugared walnuts?”
Clack!
This went on for minutes on end, with Lakan placing his stones and chattering at Mao. The only response he received was the irritable sound of Mao placing her pieces.
This went on until the lord captured his first group of Mao’s pieces.
“This won’t do,” Mao muttered. She looked at En’en. “My drink.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 2 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.The room looked much as it had in her recent dream. Courtesans lounged on pillows while Joka played the erhu, looking bored. The air was thick with the scent of high-quality incense. While not as expensive as the frankincense and myrrh in her dream, it was still too costly to waste on this guest. He probably didn't even notice it. There was no wine present either. At Verdigris House, it was well known that Lord Kan was allergic to alcohol; the slightest amount would render him comatose.
Mao wordlessly sat down at the Go board across from Lord Kan. Her father had already placed nine black stones on the board. Mao studied them as if they would reveal her opponent’s strategy rather than merely representing the handicap he had given her.
“Evening, daughter. I'm pleased you joined me,” Kan began.
.…
"As you can see, I have given you a full handicap. If you want more, you can rearrange them.”
With a sharp clack, Mao placed a black stone on the board.
Kan nibbled on a lotus seed cake, crumbs dropping onto the Go board. He silently placed a white piece on the board.
"The cakes are excellent. Would you like one?" Lakan offered.
Clack!
“Or some sugared walnuts?”
Clack!
This went on for minutes on end, with Lakan placing his stones and chattering at Mao. The only response he received was the irritable sound of Mao placing her pieces.
This went on until the lord captured his first group of Mao’s pieces.
“This won’t do,” Mao muttered. She looked at En’en. “My drink.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 2 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.The room looked much as it had in her recent dream. Courtesans lounged on pillows while Joka played the erhu, looking bored. The air was thick with the scent of high-quality incense. While not as expensive as the frankincense and myrrh in her dream, it was still too costly to waste on this guest. He probably didn't even notice it. There was no wine present either. At Verdigris House, it was well known that Lord Kan was allergic to alcohol; the slightest amount would render him comatose.
Mao wordlessly sat down at the Go board across from Lord Kan. Her father had already placed nine black stones on the board. Mao studied them as if they would reveal her opponent’s strategy rather than merely representing the handicap he had given her.
“Evening, daughter. I'm pleased you joined me,” Kan began.
.…
"As you can see, I have given you a full handicap. If you want more, you can rearrange them.”
With a sharp clack, Mao placed a black stone on the board.
Kan nibbled on a lotus seed cake, crumbs dropping onto the Go board. He silently placed a white piece on the board.
"The cakes are excellent. Would you like one?" Lakan offered.
Clack!
“Or some sugared walnuts?”
Clack!
This went on for minutes on end, with Lakan placing his stones and chattering at Mao. The only response he received was the irritable sound of Mao placing her pieces.
This went on until the lord captured his first group of Mao’s pieces.
“This won’t do,” Mao muttered. She looked at En’en. “My drink.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 1 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.As soon as Mao and her party were out of the madam's earshot, Mao said, "I need to stop by the apothecary for a moment. There's something I need."
Onsou raised an eyebrow, so Mao hurried on. "If I am to play Go with that goblin, I need every advantage. I wish to fetch a 'Scholar's Tonic.'”
Onsou nodded.
“And I need fruit juice, not wine. We’ll need to stop by the kitchen.”
“I’ll see to it,” Onsou said, summoning a girl to fetch it.
Once in the apothecary, Mao announced what she was getting, making sure Onsou heard.
“Scholar’s tonic: sweet flag to clear the mind and polygala to open it. And a vial of ginseng tincture for clarity.”
“And juice,” Mao said as a girl entered with it. “Not wine, which would cloud the mind.”
She took the bottle, added the Scholar’s Tonic and the ginseng tincture, then said to En’en. “Give this to me when I ask for it.”
En’en glared but took it. Ignoring the look, Mao said, “It’s a mental stimulant. If the Freak complains, just tell him that.”
She turned to Onsou. “Since I'm forced to, I’ll play Go with the Freak, but I won’t talk to him.”
He nodded, looking troubled, but turned and led the way to the main guest room where Kan Lakan waited. No one heard him mutter, “#Cruel, cruel woman.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
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Least Kan Lakan be Forgotten: April Fools Edition 1 of 3
#FanFic #TheApothecaryDiaries
#Wss366 Fool / #AprilFools #MastoPrompt Cruel #WordWeavers April Fools.As soon as Mao and her party were out of the madam's earshot, Mao said, "I need to stop by the apothecary for a moment. There's something I need."
Onsou raised an eyebrow, so Mao hurried on. "If I am to play Go with that goblin, I need every advantage. I wish to fetch a 'Scholar's Tonic.'”
Onsou nodded.
“And I need fruit juice, not wine. We’ll need to stop by the kitchen.”
“I’ll see to it,” Onsou said, summoning a girl to fetch it.
Once in the apothecary, Mao announced what she was getting, making sure Onsou heard.
“Scholar’s tonic: sweet flag to clear the mind and polygala to open it. And a vial of ginseng tincture for clarity.”
“And juice,” Mao said as a girl entered with it. “Not wine, which would cloud the mind.”
She took the bottle, added the Scholar’s Tonic and the ginseng tincture, then said to En’en. “Give this to me when I ask for it.”
En’en glared but took it. Ignoring the look, Mao said, “It’s a mental stimulant. If the Freak complains, just tell him that.”
She turned to Onsou. “Since I'm forced to, I’ll play Go with the Freak, but I won’t talk to him.”
He nodded, looking troubled, but turned and led the way to the main guest room where Kan Lakan waited. No one heard him mutter, “#Cruel, cruel woman.”
#MicroFiction #TootFic #ApothecaryDiaries #NMFic #SliceOfLife #FathersDay
