#nmfic — Public Fediverse posts

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 9.1: 2024 Arkam Mass. (Side Story)

#Wss366 Dominant / International Left Hander's Day/Bon JP #TimeTravelAuthors 08/13. Advice your character would give about time travel

Professor Henrietta Dubois looked out over her class. Not one student looked like they were worth her time. Some were there because they thought it was a joke. It wasn’t. Others were there for an easy grade. They were going to be disappointed. A few may have thought it was a literature course. They would be let down as well. And some were just flakes. None of them would make a promising metaphysics student.

“Time-travel,” the professor started. After all, it was the subject of the class. “How many of you would visit another time if you could?”

Half the students raised their hands.

Ms. Dubois nodded. "According to 'Faustus Pact,' 'Pompilius Spiegel,' and the anonymous 'La Main Tauche du Temps,' at least one of which will be required reading, the #dominant belief among time-travelers is that those of you with your hands down are the wise ones."

The professor paused, letting those who could decipher what she had said ruminate on the arcane names and reading requirements. “Let’s make sure they know this is no joke but a serious and rigorous class,” she thought.

She continued: “In other words, don’t.”

Note: “La Main Tauche du Temps” means “Time’s Left Hand.”

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Serial

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 9.1: 2024 Arkam Mass. (Side Story)

#Wss366 Dominant / International Left Hander's Day/Bon JP #TimeTravelAuthors 08/13. Advice your character would give about time travel

Professor Henrietta Dubois looked out over her class. Not one student looked like they were worth her time. Some were there because they thought it was a joke. It wasn’t. Others were there for an easy grade. They were going to be disappointed. A few may have thought it was a literature course. They would be let down as well. And some were just flakes. None of them would make a promising metaphysics student.

“Time-travel,” the professor started. After all, it was the subject of the class. “How many of you would visit another time if you could?”

Half the students raised their hands.

Ms. Dubois nodded. "According to 'Faustus Pact,' 'Pompilius Spiegel,' and the anonymous 'La Main Tauche du Temps,' at least one of which will be required reading, the #dominant belief among time-travelers is that those of you with your hands down are the wise ones."

The professor paused, letting those who could decipher what she had said ruminate on the arcane names and reading requirements. “Let’s make sure they know this is no joke but a serious and rigorous class,” she thought.

She continued: “In other words, don’t.”

Note: “La Main Tauche du Temps” means “Time’s Left Hand.”

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Serial

Book Wives Forever!

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Just
Desc: Hannelore, just married. Has her bad timing struck again. (Last EP)

“Excuse me, I have research I wish to finish.” Duke Ferdinand said to Hannelore and Rozemyne. Then he turned his back and left.

Most people would have considered his response extremely rude. After all, he had #just married Hannelore of Dunkelfelger, but Rozemyne, his first wife, was used to it, and Hannelore knew the wedding had only been to please Rozemyne.

“Don’t let it worry you,” Aub Rozemyne said. “He’s like that—Shall I show you the library?”

Hannelore blinked. They had barely returned from their wedding, and neither of them was acting like it was a big deal. Surely Rozemyne at least would be clingy and mushy; after all, she’d been the one sending romantic gifts. “Could I have been wrong about the whole thing? Was it just a political match? What about love and romance? It’s my cursed timing again, isn’ it!”

“No, that’s the old me,” she thought. “But I’m not ‘Cry Baby Hanne’ anymore. This is my reality, and I’m going to make the best of it. If she doesn’t love me, I’ll pin her down and do quests until she does!”

“Sure, I would love that,” she said.

“Great, Book Wives Forever!” Rozemyne pumped her fist and led the way.

[FINIS]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Book Wives Forever!

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Just
Desc: Hannelore, just married. Has her bad timing struck again. (Last EP)

“Excuse me, I have research I wish to finish.” Duke Ferdinand said to Hannelore and Rozemyne. Then he turned his back and left.

Most people would have considered his response extremely rude. After all, he had #just married Hannelore of Dunkelfelger, but Rozemyne, his first wife, was used to it, and Hannelore knew the wedding had only been to please Rozemyne.

“Don’t let it worry you,” Aub Rozemyne said. “He’s like that—Shall I show you the library?”

Hannelore blinked. They had barely returned from their wedding, and neither of them was acting like it was a big deal. Surely Rozemyne at least would be clingy and mushy; after all, she’d been the one sending romantic gifts. “Could I have been wrong about the whole thing? Was it just a political match? What about love and romance? It’s my cursed timing again, isn’ it!”

“No, that’s the old me,” she thought. “But I’m not ‘Cry Baby Hanne’ anymore. This is my reality, and I’m going to make the best of it. If she doesn’t love me, I’ll pin her down and do quests until she does!”

“Sure, I would love that,” she said.

“Great, Book Wives Forever!” Rozemyne pumped her fist and led the way.

[FINIS]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 12: Post 124,

#Wss366 capitalize #TimeTravelAuthors 08/11. distinguishing mark

The sphinx stood right in front of me, so I decided to investigate it first. Its very sight tickled my memory in a way that the trampled circle and path didn’t. Besides, they weren’t going anywhere.

I started by walking around its verdigris-covered base. At times, I had to push through the ferns and rhododendrons, or navigate around majestic old trees. The base, of bronze panels, rose above my head. When I tapped on them, they rang hollow. Time and corrosion had distorted the bas-reliefs decorating them. Again, I was struck by a sense of familiarity, but as hard as I concentrated, all I received were vague impressions of dim passages. Perhaps I had already been inside the statue.

I wasn’t the first person to examine the sphinx, as evidenced by the scratches and handprints. In one spot, it appeared someone had beaten on the base in a fury. Further, between the sphinx’s forelegs, I found a place where the panels had been opened in the past, disturbing the tarnish.

Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out how to open them myself. However, I found a plaque. Its familiarity was tantalizing. I had seen something like this recently, but where? There must be a way to #capitalize on this.

Rags! I would need some to rub away the verdigris. Once the images became clear, I was sure I would remember something. Yet I was loath to tear my robes into swatches.

Grass initially worked well, and the loosest green flakes rubbed off, revealing an indistinct form of a person and writing. But as I scrubbed harder, the grass tore uselessly, leaving green streaks. How I wished I had rags.

When I turned to find dry grass or something sturdier to polish the bronze, I almost tripped over some white cloth lying on the path behind me. It couldn’t have been there before. I would have seen it on my way in. Why did this seem so normal to me? Could it be fairies? After all, there had been that trampled circle.

The fae theory didn’t strike any bells and seemed too fantastic to be believable. Right now, though, believability wasn’t a convincing argument against anything.

The cloth on the path was finely woven white robes with a simple gold pattern embroidered along the hem. They reminded me of the Grecian gowns I’d seen in pictures. My robes, on the other hand, were made of rough cotton, serviceable but uncomfortable. They would, however, make excellent rags to brush off the plaque.

After checking if anyone was around, which was a silly thing to do, I changed clothes. Exposing my bland white Caucasian skin, a crooked little toe, and an appendix scar to the world was embarrassing.

All of this is trivial, except for the fact that I had a flash of memory: my mother looking down on me while I waited in a hospital. Her face held concern and sympathy. She stroked my head and whispered, "Henrietta."

So that was my name.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 12: Post 124,

#Wss366 capitalize #TimeTravelAuthors 08/11. distinguishing mark

The sphinx stood right in front of me, so I decided to investigate it first. Its very sight tickled my memory in a way that the trampled circle and path didn’t. Besides, they weren’t going anywhere.

I started by walking around its verdigris-covered base. At times, I had to push through the ferns and rhododendrons, or navigate around majestic old trees. The base, of bronze panels, rose above my head. When I tapped on them, they rang hollow. Time and corrosion had distorted the bas-reliefs decorating them. Again, I was struck by a sense of familiarity, but as hard as I concentrated, all I received were vague impressions of dim passages. Perhaps I had already been inside the statue.

I wasn’t the first person to examine the sphinx, as evidenced by the scratches and handprints. In one spot, it appeared someone had beaten on the base in a fury. Further, between the sphinx’s forelegs, I found a place where the panels had been opened in the past, disturbing the tarnish.

Try as I might, I couldn’t figure out how to open them myself. However, I found a plaque. Its familiarity was tantalizing. I had seen something like this recently, but where? There must be a way to #capitalize on this.

Rags! I would need some to rub away the verdigris. Once the images became clear, I was sure I would remember something. Yet I was loath to tear my robes into swatches.

Grass initially worked well, and the loosest green flakes rubbed off, revealing an indistinct form of a person and writing. But as I scrubbed harder, the grass tore uselessly, leaving green streaks. How I wished I had rags.

When I turned to find dry grass or something sturdier to polish the bronze, I almost tripped over some white cloth lying on the path behind me. It couldn’t have been there before. I would have seen it on my way in. Why did this seem so normal to me? Could it be fairies? After all, there had been that trampled circle.

The fae theory didn’t strike any bells and seemed too fantastic to be believable. Right now, though, believability wasn’t a convincing argument against anything.

The cloth on the path was finely woven white robes with a simple gold pattern embroidered along the hem. They reminded me of the Grecian gowns I’d seen in pictures. My robes, on the other hand, were made of rough cotton, serviceable but uncomfortable. They would, however, make excellent rags to brush off the plaque.

After checking if anyone was around, which was a silly thing to do, I changed clothes. Exposing my bland white Caucasian skin, a crooked little toe, and an appendix scar to the world was embarrassing.

All of this is trivial, except for the fact that I had a flash of memory: my mother looking down on me while I waited in a hospital. Her face held concern and sympathy. She stroked my head and whispered, "Henrietta."

So that was my name.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel

Students and Teachers

#FanFic #NiaListon #TheMercilessMaiden (Post Volume 10)
#Wss366 Saber

Manga/Anime Spoilers

“What do you mean by entering the Mech Pilot’s Tournament?” Miralle yelled, charging into the General Studies classroom. The other students shrank to the edges of the room, except for the target of his outburst, the Fourth Princess Shylrane, her bodyguard Akshi, and, of course, #NiaListon #TheMercilessMaiden.

Shylrane remained calm and answered. “Nia urged me to enter, and I decided she was right. I may lose, but I’m going to give it my best try.”

“You don’t have a mech knight, and even if you did, you abandoned us. All for that foreigner!” Miralle shot Mia a disgusted look. His red face, flying spittle, and wild gestures made it clear that he was the least stable student on the mech knight track. The school would have expelled him long ago if he hadn’t been one of the top students. Few pilots rivaled his skill with the behemoth constructs.

“I intend to take you all down with my bare hands.”

“No one but that foreign freak can take down one of our knights unarmed!” he yelled. Enraged, he drew the #saber at his side, a move that nearly cost him his life as Askshi moved to protect the princess. She would have killed him too if Nia hadn’t intervened. Before anyone even registered her motion, she threw Askshi and sent her sword flying across the room.

In the silence that followed, everyone could hear Nia say, “If she can’t deal with this threat, she has no business being my student.”

Askshi, still on the ground, didn’t have time to respond before Miralle screamed, “Awwwh,” and charged Shylrane.

The fight was over as fast as it had begun. There was a clang, and the saber flew across the room, joining Askshi’s sword.

The princess ignored her stunned opponent and ran up to Nia, grabbing her hands. “Mistress, I felt it. The chi! I felt it. It moved.”

“Of course, the threat of death is the best teacher,” Nia said.

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #FanFiction

Students and Teachers

#FanFic #NiaListon #TheMercilessMaiden (Post Volume 10)
#Wss366 Saber

Manga/Anime Spoilers

“What do you mean by entering the Mech Pilot’s Tournament?” Miralle yelled, charging into the General Studies classroom. The other students shrank to the edges of the room, except for the target of his outburst, the Fourth Princess Shylrane, her bodyguard Akshi, and, of course, #NiaListon #TheMercilessMaiden.

Shylrane remained calm and answered. “Nia urged me to enter, and I decided she was right. I may lose, but I’m going to give it my best try.”

“You don’t have a mech knight, and even if you did, you abandoned us. All for that foreigner!” Miralle shot Mia a disgusted look. His red face, flying spittle, and wild gestures made it clear that he was the least stable student on the mech knight track. The school would have expelled him long ago if he hadn’t been one of the top students. Few pilots rivaled his skill with the behemoth constructs.

“I intend to take you all down with my bare hands.”

“No one but that foreign freak can take down one of our knights unarmed!” he yelled. Enraged, he drew the #saber at his side, a move that nearly cost him his life as Askshi moved to protect the princess. She would have killed him too if Nia hadn’t intervened. Before anyone even registered her motion, she threw Askshi and sent her sword flying across the room.

In the silence that followed, everyone could hear Nia say, “If she can’t deal with this threat, she has no business being my student.”

Askshi, still on the ground, didn’t have time to respond before Miralle screamed, “Awwwh,” and charged Shylrane.

The fight was over as fast as it had begun. There was a clang, and the saber flew across the room, joining Askshi’s sword.

The princess ignored her stunned opponent and ran up to Nia, grabbing her hands. “Mistress, I felt it. The chi! I felt it. It moved.”

“Of course, the threat of death is the best teacher,” Nia said.

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #FanFiction

Edelweiss Entwined #4

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 sovereign

The Aub waved to a servant to take the food away. “Send my daughter in.”

Hannelore soon appeared, apprehension etched into every line of her face. But unlike when she was younger, there was no sign of her wilting. She was prepared for whatever her parents had to tell her.

Her father waved to a seat, and when his daughter complied, he said, “It’s settled. You are to be Duke Ferdinand’s second wife. It’s slightly beneath your station, but a good match nonetheless. It will bring our two duchies closer and ensure preferred access to Rozemyne's innovations. A good marriage is the #lynchpin of long-term diplomacy.”

The tension in Hannelore’s face eased. “I welcome Versprechredi's blessing. At last my timing has been good.”

“Indeed, the goddess has blessed you,” her mother said. “We were worried you would settle for a loveless marriage. Kenntrips and Rasantark are fine men, but you were never taken with them in that way. I am overjoyed that you have found a useful and loving match. It's a surprising and somewhat unusual arrangement, but Rozemyne is an unusual woman. Take care to stay in her favor; you can expect only what duty demands from Ferdinand.”

“It surprised me as well, but I think I can be happy with Rozemyne,” Hannelore replied.

“Good, good.” The duke rejoined the discussion. “Ferdinand sent engagement presents.”

The girl looked at the books her father had passed her. A wry expression came to her face as she read the titles: “The History of Ahrensbach,” “Ahrensbach Legal Codex,” and a new volume called “The Legislative Decrees of Aub Rozemyne.”

The Aub coughed. “He said they would be useful to you since you’ll be living in Alexandria soon.”

“The man doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body,” Sieglinde said. “But Rozemyne sent this,” passing her daughter a manuscript titled “The Romance of Vegalinde and Altairhart.” “She said you would be the very first person to read it.”

“Don’t forget the other present,” Werdekrf added. “It's much better than those old books. It will look wonderful on you.” If anyone had doubted his feelings towards his daughter, his fond smile revealed his deeper feelings.

The item he handed her was a headdress featuring a new design of tiny lace edelweiss intertwined with cornflowers. Its net-like cap was set with pearls, and a dyed silk train flowed down the back.

Her mother looked from the hairpiece to her daughter. She too had a soft smile. “It will look lovely at your wedding. You'll be quite the trendsetter.”

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Edelweiss Entwined #4

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 sovereign

The Aub waved to a servant to take the food away. “Send my daughter in.”

Hannelore soon appeared, apprehension etched into every line of her face. But unlike when she was younger, there was no sign of her wilting. She was prepared for whatever her parents had to tell her.

Her father waved to a seat, and when his daughter complied, he said, “It’s settled. You are to be Duke Ferdinand’s second wife. It’s slightly beneath your station, but a good match nonetheless. It will bring our two duchies closer and ensure preferred access to Rozemyne's innovations. A good marriage is the #lynchpin of long-term diplomacy.”

The tension in Hannelore’s face eased. “I welcome Versprechredi's blessing. At last my timing has been good.”

“Indeed, the goddess has blessed you,” her mother said. “We were worried you would settle for a loveless marriage. Kenntrips and Rasantark are fine men, but you were never taken with them in that way. I am overjoyed that you have found a useful and loving match. It's a surprising and somewhat unusual arrangement, but Rozemyne is an unusual woman. Take care to stay in her favor; you can expect only what duty demands from Ferdinand.”

“It surprised me as well, but I think I can be happy with Rozemyne,” Hannelore replied.

“Good, good.” The duke rejoined the discussion. “Ferdinand sent engagement presents.”

The girl looked at the books her father had passed her. A wry expression came to her face as she read the titles: “The History of Ahrensbach,” “Ahrensbach Legal Codex,” and a new volume called “The Legislative Decrees of Aub Rozemyne.”

The Aub coughed. “He said they would be useful to you since you’ll be living in Alexandria soon.”

“The man doesn’t have a romantic bone in his body,” Sieglinde said. “But Rozemyne sent this,” passing her daughter a manuscript titled “The Romance of Vegalinde and Altairhart.” “She said you would be the very first person to read it.”

“Don’t forget the other present,” Werdekrf added. “It's much better than those old books. It will look wonderful on you.” If anyone had doubted his feelings towards his daughter, his fond smile revealed his deeper feelings.

The item he handed her was a headdress featuring a new design of tiny lace edelweiss intertwined with cornflowers. Its net-like cap was set with pearls, and a dyed silk train flowed down the back.

Her mother looked from the hairpiece to her daughter. She too had a soft smile. “It will look lovely at your wedding. You'll be quite the trendsetter.”

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Polymorphous Perverse

#FanFic #TitanicVoyage @juliebihn
#Wss366 Principle #ScribesAndMakers Polymorphous #TimeTravelAuthors 08/8. What ever
Desc: Rocky, Rocky, Rocky. (Prequel to Titanic Voyage)

“Hey, put on some clothes.”

Liam’s shout startled Rocky. Looking down at his attire, he saw no problem: a tatty t-shirt bearing an image of a decade-past rock idol, and cut-offs that might be a tad short, but they kept him cool. The ride’s control room was air-conditioned, but the Arizona summer heat still crept in.

“Oh, you mean those,” he said, gesturing to the figures on the computer monitor. “I stole the models from ‘Poly and Murphy’s Grand Adventure.’ It’s not like they have genitals or anything.”

“Yeah, those. Guests are complaining about naked figures in the staterooms.”

“Wow, did they escape containment! That will teach me to take a shortcut and use CoderGX2 to help develop my new game.”

Rocky looked over his code and quickly spotted the error and corrected it. “Good thing I hadn’t launched the exe. That one…” He pointed to the buxom, genitalless female figure. “I call her #Polymorphous Perverse. She can change form and can cause her opponents to regress in age.”

He laughed. “That might have caused an uproar. But the publicity would have boosted attendance. I can see it: ‘Naked Superhero Appears on Titanic Ride.’ or maybe ‘Immaculate Births on Titanic.’”

“Put clothes on her!” Liam insisted.

“Why? No one but me will see her. Besides, little girls play with dolls that look like this all the time. No one complains except about Poly’s bust size.”

“It’s the #principle.”

“Geez, Liam, get a girlfriend and leave me alone.”

#MicroFiction #TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #SliceOfLife #Ecchi

Polymorphous Perverse

#FanFic #TitanicVoyage @juliebihn
#Wss366 Principle #ScribesAndMakers Polymorphous #TimeTravelAuthors 08/8. What ever
Desc: Rocky, Rocky, Rocky. (Prequel to Titanic Voyage)

“Hey, put on some clothes.”

Liam’s shout startled Rocky. Looking down at his attire, he saw no problem: a tatty t-shirt bearing an image of a decade-past rock idol, and cut-offs that might be a tad short, but they kept him cool. The ride’s control room was air-conditioned, but the Arizona summer heat still crept in.

“Oh, you mean those,” he said, gesturing to the figures on the computer monitor. “I stole the models from ‘Poly and Murphy’s Grand Adventure.’ It’s not like they have genitals or anything.”

“Yeah, those. Guests are complaining about naked figures in the staterooms.”

“Wow, did they escape containment! That will teach me to take a shortcut and use CoderGX2 to help develop my new game.”

Rocky looked over his code and quickly spotted the error and corrected it. “Good thing I hadn’t launched the exe. That one…” He pointed to the buxom, genitalless female figure. “I call her #Polymorphous Perverse. She can change form and can cause her opponents to regress in age.”

He laughed. “That might have caused an uproar. But the publicity would have boosted attendance. I can see it: ‘Naked Superhero Appears on Titanic Ride.’ or maybe ‘Immaculate Births on Titanic.’”

“Put clothes on her!” Liam insisted.

“Why? No one but me will see her. Besides, little girls play with dolls that look like this all the time. No one complains except about Poly’s bust size.”

“It’s the #principle.”

“Geez, Liam, get a girlfriend and leave me alone.”

#MicroFiction #TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #SliceOfLife #Ecchi

Stegosaurus Ice cream

A #TimeTravelingGhost Side Story
#Wss366 Chief #TimeTravelAuthors 08/7. If your work was an ice cream flavor, what would it be?**

Ahead of us, the Jurassic jungle thinned, and the land sloped up. The trees were more widely spaced, but they still obscured my view of the cliffs we were heading towards.

I was grateful to be walking on fallen leaves rather than slogging through the mud. The ferns were still thick in patches, but I threaded my way through them with minimal effort. However, the #chief hazard remained: the native behemoths.

The stagnant air of the swamp was replaced by a gentle breeze blowing through the trees, and my thoughts strayed.

“Ice cream would have been a delightful addition. Hmm, what flavor would my recent adventures be?” I wondered, my fancies taking full flight.

“Something tropical: Mango or peach. Yes, mango would be pleasant. I’d enjoy that. Champagne cocktail flavor would be more appropriate, but do they even make that flavor? Okay, no cheating. How about horehound? That had a nice, old-fashioned sound. I guess that would be cheating too. Sarsaparilla then. That was an old-timey name for root beer, or at least I think.”

I should have paid more attention, as I received a nasty shock when a stegosaurus burst from behind a grove of trees where it had been hidden.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a carnivore. The only damage I sustained was a near-heart attack as the immense beast lumbered past. It was almost comical, with its plates rattling and its tail striking trees as it thudded past. There was a chipped plate midway down its back. It was only funny because I was far enough away that the tail posed no threat.

A minute later, Emily landed and apologised for not spotting it.

She looked nonplussed when I asked her, “Do you think a stegosaurus would like sarsaparilla ice cream?”

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Dinosaurs #Humor

Stegosaurus Ice cream

A #TimeTravelingGhost Side Story
#Wss366 Chief #TimeTravelAuthors 08/7. If your work was an ice cream flavor, what would it be?**

Ahead of us, the Jurassic jungle thinned, and the land sloped up. The trees were more widely spaced, but they still obscured my view of the cliffs we were heading towards.

I was grateful to be walking on fallen leaves rather than slogging through the mud. The ferns were still thick in patches, but I threaded my way through them with minimal effort. However, the #chief hazard remained: the native behemoths.

The stagnant air of the swamp was replaced by a gentle breeze blowing through the trees, and my thoughts strayed.

“Ice cream would have been a delightful addition. Hmm, what flavor would my recent adventures be?” I wondered, my fancies taking full flight.

“Something tropical: Mango or peach. Yes, mango would be pleasant. I’d enjoy that. Champagne cocktail flavor would be more appropriate, but do they even make that flavor? Okay, no cheating. How about horehound? That had a nice, old-fashioned sound. I guess that would be cheating too. Sarsaparilla then. That was an old-timey name for root beer, or at least I think.”

I should have paid more attention, as I received a nasty shock when a stegosaurus burst from behind a grove of trees where it had been hidden.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a carnivore. The only damage I sustained was a near-heart attack as the immense beast lumbered past. It was almost comical, with its plates rattling and its tail striking trees as it thudded past. There was a chipped plate midway down its back. It was only funny because I was far enough away that the tail posed no threat.

A minute later, Emily landed and apologised for not spotting it.

She looked nonplussed when I asked her, “Do you think a stegosaurus would like sarsaparilla ice cream?”

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Dinosaurs #Humor

Edelweiss Entwined #3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 sovereign

“Dither, dither, dither!” Sieglinde's words echoed in the private dining chamber where she sat with her husband. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her next words. “Are you an idiot?!”

Werdekrf wilted in his chair, his dinner half consumed. His wife had held back the whole time the Archduke’s Conference was underway. But her cold fury had been evident. Now that they were home, it looked like she was going to let loose.

The Aub was pleased when she continued in a more reasonable tone. “We’re lucky Duke Ferdinand didn’t walk out on us. You know his views on dither.” Sarcasm crept into her voice as she imitated her husband’s voice and words. “‘We really can’t consent unless there is a wedding dither match.’ Would you make Hannelore Eifersuneid’s daughter?” (The goddess had unrequited feelings for Chaocipher, the goddess of chaos.)

“It seemed an excellent opportunity, and I gave it up as soon as he resisted.” The Aub pushed away his food and pretended to study the tapestry depicting a dither match.

“What if he had taken offense? The #Sovereignty had approved the proposed engagement. The Zent wouldn’t have been pleased if this match had fallen through. More importantly, Hannelore is excited. Just think how it would affect her if she were thrown over a second time. Has Jugereise not visited her enough?” (Goddess of Separation, associated with lost love and separation.)

“You are right, of course. Sometimes you win dither by playing the long game. Hannelore can teach them the love of the game once she is there.”

Sieglinde rolled her eyes but said no more. Arguing with her dither-crazed husband was futile.

[Continued Sunday]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Edelweiss Entwined #3

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 sovereign

“Dither, dither, dither!” Sieglinde's words echoed in the private dining chamber where she sat with her husband. Taking a deep breath, she swallowed her next words. “Are you an idiot?!”

Werdekrf wilted in his chair, his dinner half consumed. His wife had held back the whole time the Archduke’s Conference was underway. But her cold fury had been evident. Now that they were home, it looked like she was going to let loose.

The Aub was pleased when she continued in a more reasonable tone. “We’re lucky Duke Ferdinand didn’t walk out on us. You know his views on dither.” Sarcasm crept into her voice as she imitated her husband’s voice and words. “‘We really can’t consent unless there is a wedding dither match.’ Would you make Hannelore Eifersuneid’s daughter?” (The goddess had unrequited feelings for Chaocipher, the goddess of chaos.)

“It seemed an excellent opportunity, and I gave it up as soon as he resisted.” The Aub pushed away his food and pretended to study the tapestry depicting a dither match.

“What if he had taken offense? The #Sovereignty had approved the proposed engagement. The Zent wouldn’t have been pleased if this match had fallen through. More importantly, Hannelore is excited. Just think how it would affect her if she were thrown over a second time. Has Jugereise not visited her enough?” (Goddess of Separation, associated with lost love and separation.)

“You are right, of course. Sometimes you win dither by playing the long game. Hannelore can teach them the love of the game once she is there.”

Sieglinde rolled her eyes but said no more. Arguing with her dither-crazed husband was futile.

[Continued Sunday]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Rocky’s Treat

#FanFic #TitanicVoyage @juliebihn
#Wss366 Paramount #TimeTravelAuthors 08/5. bitter/sour/mean #WritersCoffeeClub

“I think it’s funny,” Clara said.

She stood wide-eyed in front of the counter at a small café at one end of the town’s only mall. Clara had adjusted to the mall more quickly than Liam had expected. ‘It’s just like a shopping street in New York—brighter, cleaner and covered—but not that different.’

The movie they had gone to, “Lieutenant Nightingale,” was quite another thing. She had been stunned.

“I saw ‘The Miser’s Heart,’ and that was nothing like that movie,” Clara said of the film. “I prefer the kind of moving pictures Mary Pickford used to star in."

"They were so casual about the 'you know what.'" She blushed. "But I liked that Miss Nightingale wasn’t a poor little thing. Little Kathy was so useless in ‘Miser’s Heart.’ But Barrymore, the thief, was dreamy. But this had so much color and sound; you could hear what they said.”

They had just left the #Paramount film “Lieutenant Nightingale,” a superhero film picked by Rocky. “I pay, I pick um,” he had said.

Liam was just happy that his friend had settled on a film featuring a female superhero. If he had had more money, he would have taken Clara to something more romantic, but being unemployed and the expense of setting Clara up in an apartment had drained what little resources he had. It was all he could do to treat them to a drink at the Mesa Café.

“What’s funny?” Rocky asked.

Clara pointed to a candy jar on the counter. “Penny candy that cost a quarter.”

“It’s just a saying,” Liam explained.

Meanwhile, Rocky picked out a pink gummy worm and paid for it. “Here, Clara. Bet you’ve never had candy like this.”

She looked dubiously at the long pink thing he handed her.

“Go on, take a bite,” Rocky prompted.

Liam opened his mouth to protest, but too late. Clara took a bite, then made a face. “You’re so #mean, Rocky! It’s #sour!”

“What did you expect?” He pointed to the label on the jar, which read “Extra sour peach gummy worms.”

#WritersCoffeeClub Aug 5: Share a small selection of something you wrote recently that you're satisfied with.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #SliceOfLife #NMWCC

Rocky’s Treat

#FanFic #TitanicVoyage @juliebihn
#Wss366 Paramount #TimeTravelAuthors 08/5. bitter/sour/mean #WritersCoffeeClub

“I think it’s funny,” Clara said.

She stood wide-eyed in front of the counter at a small café at one end of the town’s only mall. Clara had adjusted to the mall more quickly than Liam had expected. ‘It’s just like a shopping street in New York—brighter, cleaner and covered—but not that different.’

The movie they had gone to, “Lieutenant Nightingale,” was quite another thing. She had been stunned.

“I saw ‘The Miser’s Heart,’ and that was nothing like that movie,” Clara said of the film. “I prefer the kind of moving pictures Mary Pickford used to star in."

"They were so casual about the 'you know what.'" She blushed. "But I liked that Miss Nightingale wasn’t a poor little thing. Little Kathy was so useless in ‘Miser’s Heart.’ But Barrymore, the thief, was dreamy. But this had so much color and sound; you could hear what they said.”

They had just left the #Paramount film “Lieutenant Nightingale,” a superhero film picked by Rocky. “I pay, I pick um,” he had said.

Liam was just happy that his friend had settled on a film featuring a female superhero. If he had had more money, he would have taken Clara to something more romantic, but being unemployed and the expense of setting Clara up in an apartment had drained what little resources he had. It was all he could do to treat them to a drink at the Mesa Café.

“What’s funny?” Rocky asked.

Clara pointed to a candy jar on the counter. “Penny candy that cost a quarter.”

“It’s just a saying,” Liam explained.

Meanwhile, Rocky picked out a pink gummy worm and paid for it. “Here, Clara. Bet you’ve never had candy like this.”

She looked dubiously at the long pink thing he handed her.

“Go on, take a bite,” Rocky prompted.

Liam opened his mouth to protest, but too late. Clara took a bite, then made a face. “You’re so #mean, Rocky! It’s #sour!”

“What did you expect?” He pointed to the label on the jar, which read “Extra sour peach gummy worms.”

#WritersCoffeeClub Aug 5: Share a small selection of something you wrote recently that you're satisfied with.

#MicroFiction #TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #SliceOfLife #NMWCC

Sal: Sniffs the air and looks #puzzled. Then the light dawned! "I see you bought those ribbons you fell in love with."
Sally: "You noticed!"
Sal: "How could I miss? You cheaped out on candles."

#Mastoprompt #Tallow #Wss366 Puzzle #FlashFiction #TootFic #NMFic

Sal: Sniffs the air and looks #puzzled. Then the light dawned! "I see you bought those ribbons you fell in love with."
Sally: "You noticed!"
Sal: "How could I miss? You cheaped out on candles."

#Mastoprompt #Tallow #Wss366 Puzzle #FlashFiction #TootFic #NMFic

#TimeTravelingGhostV2 EP 12: Post 123, 1,802,701 CE, Middlesex, UK

#Wss366 Puzzle #TimeTravelAuthors 08/3. Where does your main character live/where are they from?

As the images from my dream faded, I began to panic. The earlier questions haunted me: “Who was I? Where was I? Where had I come from?”

I had the strange conviction that I wasn’t from this time or place. That knowledge had been lost somewhere in the mists of time. What an odd way of putting it. Surely I meant lost in the void of my memory?

No, I meant the former: “Lost in time.”

I shook my head and struggled to my feet. I wouldn’t find any answers lying there. It was of the utmost importance that I learn more.

There it was again: that feeling of almost knowing. I knew the fate of the world depended on my piercing this veil of ignorance. That conviction burned in my mind.

I took stock of my surroundings: the Sphinx, crop circle, path into the forest, tiny wild strawberries winking at me in the grass. I #puzzled over what I should do first.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Sapphic #Slowburn

#TimeTravelingGhostV2 EP 12: Post 123, 1,802,701 CE, Middlesex, UK

#Wss366 Puzzle #TimeTravelAuthors 08/3. Where does your main character live/where are they from?

As the images from my dream faded, I began to panic. The earlier questions haunted me: “Who was I? Where was I? Where had I come from?”

I had the strange conviction that I wasn’t from this time or place. That knowledge had been lost somewhere in the mists of time. What an odd way of putting it. Surely I meant lost in the void of my memory?

No, I meant the former: “Lost in time.”

I shook my head and struggled to my feet. I wouldn’t find any answers lying there. It was of the utmost importance that I learn more.

There it was again: that feeling of almost knowing. I knew the fate of the world depended on my piercing this veil of ignorance. That conviction burned in my mind.

I took stock of my surroundings: the Sphinx, crop circle, path into the forest, tiny wild strawberries winking at me in the grass. I #puzzled over what I should do first.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Sapphic #Slowburn

Edelweiss Entwined #2

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 puzzle

After the greetings, Eglantine’s maid sampled the food and drink to assure everyone that nothing had been poisoned. Tea and snacks were soon in hand, and the Zent began: “I hope you will pardon Schutzaria’s hand in our affairs, but swift winds are required to obtain Gebordnung’s blessings.”

Rozemyne knit her brow as she #puzzled out the meaning: “Pardon the sudden summons, but it is necessary to maintain order.” Even though she was used to it, she still wished nobles would speak clearly rather than masking everything behind metaphors.

Eglantine continued, “I understand, Duke Ferdinand, you will seek Versprechredi’s blessings. This comes as a surprise and has stirred up the other duchies, especially Korinthsdaum where Eifersuneid whispers council. So, to avoid Chaocipher attendance this year, I would ask if this is true.”

Rozemyne decoded the message again. Understanding what Versprechredi’s blessing meant was easy; Duke Ferdinand would seek a wife. Next, Eifersuneid was the god of jealousy and whispered in Sigiswald, ruler of Korinthsdaum’s ear. No surprise there. Finally, Chaocipher was the goddess of chaos, which meant Eglantine wanted to avoid the council descending into disarray.

Ferdinand put down his tea with a slight clink, showing his irritation, but spoke calmly. “My wife, the Aub, has expressed a wish to cement our relations with Dunkelfelger by making Lady Hannelore my second wife. Her friendship with Rozemyne leads me to believe it would be a good match. The Aub has been handling all the arrangements. We have exchanged gifts, and I received the following.” He laid the handkerchief embroidered with intertwining cornflowers and edelweiss on the table. “We didn’t think we needed to consult with the Sovereignty first, but I assume we have your approval, Zent.”

Eglantine didn’t react to the jab or the slight inflection on her title. Instead, she looked at Rozemyne. “I didn’t realize. I knew you were friends, but without Schicksantracht, I had not foreseen Versprechredi.”

She turned back to Ferdinand and said, “You have my blessing, of course. I will make sure the other duchies know you have my approval. Have you formally spoken to Hannelore’s parents yet?”

“That’s next,” he replied.

[Continued Thursday]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Edelweiss Entwined #2

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 puzzle

After the greetings, Eglantine’s maid sampled the food and drink to assure everyone that nothing had been poisoned. Tea and snacks were soon in hand, and the Zent began: “I hope you will pardon Schutzaria’s hand in our affairs, but swift winds are required to obtain Gebordnung’s blessings.”

Rozemyne knit her brow as she #puzzled out the meaning: “Pardon the sudden summons, but it is necessary to maintain order.” Even though she was used to it, she still wished nobles would speak clearly rather than masking everything behind metaphors.

Eglantine continued, “I understand, Duke Ferdinand, you will seek Versprechredi’s blessings. This comes as a surprise and has stirred up the other duchies, especially Korinthsdaum where Eifersuneid whispers council. So, to avoid Chaocipher attendance this year, I would ask if this is true.”

Rozemyne decoded the message again. Understanding what Versprechredi’s blessing meant was easy; Duke Ferdinand would seek a wife. Next, Eifersuneid was the god of jealousy and whispered in Sigiswald, ruler of Korinthsdaum’s ear. No surprise there. Finally, Chaocipher was the goddess of chaos, which meant Eglantine wanted to avoid the council descending into disarray.

Ferdinand put down his tea with a slight clink, showing his irritation, but spoke calmly. “My wife, the Aub, has expressed a wish to cement our relations with Dunkelfelger by making Lady Hannelore my second wife. Her friendship with Rozemyne leads me to believe it would be a good match. The Aub has been handling all the arrangements. We have exchanged gifts, and I received the following.” He laid the handkerchief embroidered with intertwining cornflowers and edelweiss on the table. “We didn’t think we needed to consult with the Sovereignty first, but I assume we have your approval, Zent.”

Eglantine didn’t react to the jab or the slight inflection on her title. Instead, she looked at Rozemyne. “I didn’t realize. I knew you were friends, but without Schicksantracht, I had not foreseen Versprechredi.”

She turned back to Ferdinand and said, “You have my blessing, of course. I will make sure the other duchies know you have my approval. Have you formally spoken to Hannelore’s parents yet?”

“That’s next,” he replied.

[Continued Thursday]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Edelweiss Entwined Part 1

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Friend / International Friendship Day

Zent Eglantine’s chief scholar, Roswitha, greeted Alexandria’s arriving rulers. If the pair hadn’t been expecting her, they would have been stunned by the arrogance of the “invitation” she offered. As it was, Ferdinand frowned throughout Roswitha’s speech. They weren't even being allowed to settle in before being rushed off to meet the Zent.

Rozemyne recalled Ferdinand’s thoughts when they were first informed that an invitation was pending: “This is just what I was afraid of. Give a person the crown, and they will begin to throw their weight around. Be prepared, if she tries to bully us, I’ll flatten her.”

Rozemyne replied, “Eglantine is a #friend. She’ll have a good explanation for this.”

“She had better. You would be advised to remember that friendship has no place in royal politics. Nor should it in inter-duchy relations. Her job is to ensure the welfare of the Sovereignty and Yurgenschmidt. Ours is to look after the interests of Alexandria. Please remember that.”

Rozemyne nodded. Any other response would have precipitated a full-on scolding.

That conversation had taken place in Alexandria, but now they were at the Royal Academy for the Archduke Conference, faced with a “tea party.” She always dreaded these gatherings, and this one sounded worse than usual with Ferdinand in a bad mood and some serious, unknown business at hand.

Fortunately, Roswitha gave Rozemyne little time to worry, instead leading them straight to a meeting room richly decorated in the current Sovereignty style. Thick tapestries covered the walls illustrating various religious scenes. A centuries-old oak table lay in the center of the room, surrounded by chairs with luxurious cushions. A selection of tea and treats was laid out, including old-fashioned, heavy, sugary pastries, as well as many of Aub Rozemyne’s lighter creations.

Under other circumstances, Rozemyne would have been delighted to see the Zent display her goods, but not today. This wasn’t a friendly social tea, but something serious.

[Continued tomorrow]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Edelweiss Entwined Part 1

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Friend / International Friendship Day

Zent Eglantine’s chief scholar, Roswitha, greeted Alexandria’s arriving rulers. If the pair hadn’t been expecting her, they would have been stunned by the arrogance of the “invitation” she offered. As it was, Ferdinand frowned throughout Roswitha’s speech. They weren't even being allowed to settle in before being rushed off to meet the Zent.

Rozemyne recalled Ferdinand’s thoughts when they were first informed that an invitation was pending: “This is just what I was afraid of. Give a person the crown, and they will begin to throw their weight around. Be prepared, if she tries to bully us, I’ll flatten her.”

Rozemyne replied, “Eglantine is a #friend. She’ll have a good explanation for this.”

“She had better. You would be advised to remember that friendship has no place in royal politics. Nor should it in inter-duchy relations. Her job is to ensure the welfare of the Sovereignty and Yurgenschmidt. Ours is to look after the interests of Alexandria. Please remember that.”

Rozemyne nodded. Any other response would have precipitated a full-on scolding.

That conversation had taken place in Alexandria, but now they were at the Royal Academy for the Archduke Conference, faced with a “tea party.” She always dreaded these gatherings, and this one sounded worse than usual with Ferdinand in a bad mood and some serious, unknown business at hand.

Fortunately, Roswitha gave Rozemyne little time to worry, instead leading them straight to a meeting room richly decorated in the current Sovereignty style. Thick tapestries covered the walls illustrating various religious scenes. A centuries-old oak table lay in the center of the room, surrounded by chairs with luxurious cushions. A selection of tea and treats was laid out, including old-fashioned, heavy, sugary pastries, as well as many of Aub Rozemyne’s lighter creations.

Under other circumstances, Rozemyne would have been delighted to see the Zent display her goods, but not today. This wasn’t a friendly social tea, but something serious.

[Continued tomorrow]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 12: Post 122, 1,802,701 CE, Middlesex, UK

#Wss366 August #TimeTravelAuthors 08/1. Introduce your story (optional: use the word "wish")

For a long time, all I could focus on was the blue sky. A single, wispy cloud floated there. Then, my eyes drifted down to a marble sphinx that loomed over me, wings folded at its sides. I examined, uncomprehending, the weathered stains and moss growing in the creases of its sides. Ferns grew on its paws, along with a solitary scrubby bush. I felt heavy, and my brain was fuzzy. Then the questions occurred to me: “Who am I?” and “Where was I?”

The situation was dimly familiar. Hadn’t I forgotten everything before? Right, there had been that alley with the graffiti of the Eye of Providence, or was it a pink coral pyramid with giant azure dragonflies? I #wished I could remember, but it was all a jumble.

“Think! Think!”

“Rabbits and Templars. I had been fleeing them. Why? A meeting… Cyprus… 1191. That must be why I’m wearing medieval priest’s robes. And something about their calling a meteor to destroy humanity.”

I shuddered at the image of a flaming ball crossing a blue sky. Suddenly, a hot flash caused me to flush, leaving me uncomfortably damp with sweat.

I parted the grass I lay in, looking for Emily, but I was alone in a forest of #august oaks: gnarled trees whose branches brushed the Sphinx’s sides. Tall ferns crowded its bronze base, a path threading through them.

“Emily?” I muttered. Then, turning my head to look for her, I saw an open meadow sloping away from me. In its center lay a large trampled circle where feet had beaten down the grass.

“Fairies?” I asked myself. But that was crazy.

It must have all been a wild, vivid nightmare. Who’d ever heard of fairies or rabbits with rifles? The vision of them in Nazi uniforms and Templar surcoats flared in my mind and then faded.

A dream? It all had to be a confused vision, and Emily must be a figment of my sleeping brain. Why did that make me want to cry?

A tear ran down my cheek.

Welcome to volume two of “Bijou the Time-Traveling Ghost.” We open in the far future, 1,802,701 of the Common Era, and with poor Bijou only vaguely remembering Emily, the Lapin Cabal, the Illuminati, Templars, and the Covenant of Judas.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 12: Post 122, 1,802,701 CE, Middlesex, UK

#Wss366 August #TimeTravelAuthors 08/1. Introduce your story (optional: use the word "wish")

For a long time, all I could focus on was the blue sky. A single, wispy cloud floated there. Then, my eyes drifted down to a marble sphinx that loomed over me, wings folded at its sides. I examined, uncomprehending, the weathered stains and moss growing in the creases of its sides. Ferns grew on its paws, along with a solitary scrubby bush. I felt heavy, and my brain was fuzzy. Then the questions occurred to me: “Who am I?” and “Where was I?”

The situation was dimly familiar. Hadn’t I forgotten everything before? Right, there had been that alley with the graffiti of the Eye of Providence, or was it a pink coral pyramid with giant azure dragonflies? I #wished I could remember, but it was all a jumble.

“Think! Think!”

“Rabbits and Templars. I had been fleeing them. Why? A meeting… Cyprus… 1191. That must be why I’m wearing medieval priest’s robes. And something about their calling a meteor to destroy humanity.”

I shuddered at the image of a flaming ball crossing a blue sky. Suddenly, a hot flash caused me to flush, leaving me uncomfortably damp with sweat.

I parted the grass I lay in, looking for Emily, but I was alone in a forest of #august oaks: gnarled trees whose branches brushed the Sphinx’s sides. Tall ferns crowded its bronze base, a path threading through them.

“Emily?” I muttered. Then, turning my head to look for her, I saw an open meadow sloping away from me. In its center lay a large trampled circle where feet had beaten down the grass.

“Fairies?” I asked myself. But that was crazy.

It must have all been a wild, vivid nightmare. Who’d ever heard of fairies or rabbits with rifles? The vision of them in Nazi uniforms and Templar surcoats flared in my mind and then faded.

A dream? It all had to be a confused vision, and Emily must be a figment of my sleeping brain. Why did that make me want to cry?

A tear ran down my cheek.

Welcome to volume two of “Bijou the Time-Traveling Ghost.” We open in the far future, 1,802,701 of the Common Era, and with poor Bijou only vaguely remembering Emily, the Lapin Cabal, the Illuminati, Templars, and the Covenant of Judas.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn

#Wss366 #mastoprompt

The coast guard emerged from the hold of the #coaster, pushing a handcuffed crewman ahead of him. One of the guards shouted to the lieutenant, "Good news, we'll make our #August quota."

"What we get?" the lieut shouted back over the dull thud of the helicopter rotors. "Coke, porn, [redacted slur]?"

"Contraceptives and woke propaganda."

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic

#Wss366 #mastoprompt

The coast guard emerged from the hold of the #coaster, pushing a handcuffed crewman ahead of him. One of the guards shouted to the lieutenant, "Good news, we'll make our #August quota."

"What we get?" the lieut shouted back over the dull thud of the helicopter rotors. "Coke, porn, [redacted slur]?"

"Contraceptives and woke propaganda."

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 121, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia

#Wss366 Brandy #TimeTravelAuthors 07/31. Author's choice/promo

The canister held by the Grand Marshal’s attendants was bullet-shaped, the size of a large artillery shell, and dull black like anodized aluminum. No twelfth-century smith had forged this futuristic object.

“I present Simon Magus risen from the dead,” said Sir Sablé with reverence.

A murmur swept through the room. Near me, a man muttered, “Magus? What heresy is this?”

Sablé’s hands passed over the container, and the front slid back. The vessel was definitely not of twelfth-century origin. It couldn’t even have been constructed in my own era. A head with a short, curly beard, and Palestinian features was revealed. His skin was an unhealthy color, blotched like ivory that had been buried for centuries.

Another murmur arose, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Montferrat’s hand clench; knuckles white. Was his displeasure with this conclave the true reason for his assassination?

Simon opened his eyes and spoke, “Silence, for on your account I have risen; that I may guide the lost sheep and hasten the coming of our Lord.”

“But wait,” he continued. “I sense one who is not of you: a spider garbed as a holy dove.”

His eyes, the color of #brandy, burnt into me, and he began spewing Latin. “Te maledico ut sis terrenus. Alae tuae mihi caeduntur.”

I grew heavy, and the room seemed to be bathed in light. Knowledge flooded my mind: the bishop was Philippe de Dreux of Beauvais, hated by King Richard; and the Grand Marshal’s attendants were Gilbert Horal and Brother Aimery, Marshal of the Temple. I had come to the Holy Lands after my wife, Mary, had died in childbirth.

I suddenly understood Simon’s Latin. “I bind you. Ensnare you in your own web,” he chanted.

Emily was rushing towards me, but I felt weak and sick. I had only moments to react. I was being bound to this time.

“In the sacred and forbidden names of the Lord, be cursed…”

I wished to be far away, safely beyond the reach of the Lapin Cabal and its allies.

The lights flickered, and I felt as if my soul was being torn from my body. Then darkness descended.

When I awoke, I was lying in tall grass. Above me stood a weathered marble phoenix, perched on a bronze base. I looked around. I was alone. Emily was nowhere to be seen.

Thus ends Volume I of “Bijou the Time-Traveling Ghost.” We have traveled from the birth of a spirit robbed of all memory of herself to the discovery of an eon-old conspiracy to destroy the world as we know it. An illustrated and revised version of this story is currently being serialized at:

PIXIV Link:
AO3 Link:

If you would like to catch up or are interested in reading an improved version, please join me on one of those sites.

Nara Moore

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar #Templars

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 121, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia

#Wss366 Brandy #TimeTravelAuthors 07/31. Author's choice/promo

The canister held by the Grand Marshal’s attendants was bullet-shaped, the size of a large artillery shell, and dull black like anodized aluminum. No twelfth-century smith had forged this futuristic object.

“I present Simon Magus risen from the dead,” said Sir Sablé with reverence.

A murmur swept through the room. Near me, a man muttered, “Magus? What heresy is this?”

Sablé’s hands passed over the container, and the front slid back. The vessel was definitely not of twelfth-century origin. It couldn’t even have been constructed in my own era. A head with a short, curly beard, and Palestinian features was revealed. His skin was an unhealthy color, blotched like ivory that had been buried for centuries.

Another murmur arose, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw Montferrat’s hand clench; knuckles white. Was his displeasure with this conclave the true reason for his assassination?

Simon opened his eyes and spoke, “Silence, for on your account I have risen; that I may guide the lost sheep and hasten the coming of our Lord.”

“But wait,” he continued. “I sense one who is not of you: a spider garbed as a holy dove.”

His eyes, the color of #brandy, burnt into me, and he began spewing Latin. “Te maledico ut sis terrenus. Alae tuae mihi caeduntur.”

I grew heavy, and the room seemed to be bathed in light. Knowledge flooded my mind: the bishop was Philippe de Dreux of Beauvais, hated by King Richard; and the Grand Marshal’s attendants were Gilbert Horal and Brother Aimery, Marshal of the Temple. I had come to the Holy Lands after my wife, Mary, had died in childbirth.

I suddenly understood Simon’s Latin. “I bind you. Ensnare you in your own web,” he chanted.

Emily was rushing towards me, but I felt weak and sick. I had only moments to react. I was being bound to this time.

“In the sacred and forbidden names of the Lord, be cursed…”

I wished to be far away, safely beyond the reach of the Lapin Cabal and its allies.

The lights flickered, and I felt as if my soul was being torn from my body. Then darkness descended.

When I awoke, I was lying in tall grass. Above me stood a weathered marble phoenix, perched on a bronze base. I looked around. I was alone. Emily was nowhere to be seen.

Thus ends Volume I of “Bijou the Time-Traveling Ghost.” We have traveled from the birth of a spirit robbed of all memory of herself to the discovery of an eon-old conspiracy to destroy the world as we know it. An illustrated and revised version of this story is currently being serialized at:

PIXIV Link:
AO3 Link:

If you would like to catch up or are interested in reading an improved version, please join me on one of those sites.

Nara Moore

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar #Templars

Strange Worlds: Meeting Least the World Should End

#FanFic #AdachiAndShimamura
#Wss366 Proof #ScribesAndMakers π30 Smol?

“Private Shimamura, who’s the #smol?” Staff Sergeant Hoshino asked. “Your niece?”

At the sergeant’s words, I looked up from the indifferent food the cafeteria served and was surprised by the little girl sitting on the table next to me. Not in a chair, but actually seated cross-legged on the table. It was a mystery to me how she got there without my noticing.

She was a total stranger, even if she seemed familiar. I’d remember a girl in a zebra onesie and with blue hair that gave off sparkles. They drifted in the slow currents of the room’s stagnant air. I shrugged accepting her presence: #proof of how accustomed we had become to strange things in the last few years. I quickly glanced out the window and then turned back to the girl.

Sparkles-san greeted me with a smile, dipping a finger into the pudding on my tray. “Tastes like destiny,” she said, licking her finger. Well, at least someone seemed to enjoy the glue that passed for dessert here.

My gaze returned to the window beyond her. Gigantic, brown, Zeppelin-like jellyfish floated out there, no stranger than my mystery guest. Only a few years ago, that sky would have been clear blue. That was before they had invaded Earth; the day my family had moved to Okinawa.

We would have the invaders shot down by evening, but there were always more by morning, slowly consuming anything their tentacles brushed. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had been right when he said, “The world would end with a whimper, not a bang.” I’d heard that on TV.

The sergeant turned to his aide of the day, saying, “Private Adachi-san, see that the young lady is escorted to the nursery.”

“At once, Sergeant,” Adachi-san said. She was pretty, even with her short regulation haircut and severe uniform. She was new to the unit, and I’d be seeing a lot of her in the future.

I didn’t know it then, but the strange blue-haired alien was right. It was destiny.

#TootFic #NMFic #AdachiToShimamura

Strange Worlds: Meeting Least the World Should End

#FanFic #AdachiAndShimamura
#Wss366 Proof #ScribesAndMakers π30 Smol?

“Private Shimamura, who’s the #smol?” Staff Sergeant Hoshino asked. “Your niece?”

At the sergeant’s words, I looked up from the indifferent food the cafeteria served and was surprised by the little girl sitting on the table next to me. Not in a chair, but actually seated cross-legged on the table. It was a mystery to me how she got there without my noticing.

She was a total stranger, even if she seemed familiar. I’d remember a girl in a zebra onesie and with blue hair that gave off sparkles. They drifted in the slow currents of the room’s stagnant air. I shrugged accepting her presence: #proof of how accustomed we had become to strange things in the last few years. I quickly glanced out the window and then turned back to the girl.

Sparkles-san greeted me with a smile, dipping a finger into the pudding on my tray. “Tastes like destiny,” she said, licking her finger. Well, at least someone seemed to enjoy the glue that passed for dessert here.

My gaze returned to the window beyond her. Gigantic, brown, Zeppelin-like jellyfish floated out there, no stranger than my mystery guest. Only a few years ago, that sky would have been clear blue. That was before they had invaded Earth; the day my family had moved to Okinawa.

We would have the invaders shot down by evening, but there were always more by morning, slowly consuming anything their tentacles brushed. Kurt Vonnegut Jr. had been right when he said, “The world would end with a whimper, not a bang.” I’d heard that on TV.

The sergeant turned to his aide of the day, saying, “Private Adachi-san, see that the young lady is escorted to the nursery.”

“At once, Sergeant,” Adachi-san said. She was pretty, even with her short regulation haircut and severe uniform. She was new to the unit, and I’d be seeing a lot of her in the future.

I didn’t know it then, but the strange blue-haired alien was right. It was destiny.

#TootFic #NMFic #AdachiToShimamura

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 120, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia (2 of 2 parts)

#Wss366 Boner #TimeTravelAuthors 07/29. proof/prove

Sir Sablé began winding down after the big announcement confirming the link between the book we had seen in the British Museum and the current meeting, saying, “Let the fruits of this gathering, our Garden of Gethsemane, be known as ‘The Covenant of St. Judas.’”

There were murmurs of dissent around me, and Sir Conrad's face showed his dissatisfaction. Frankly, I had to agree. I wouldn’t have been swayed either by the blatant heresy of his words.

However, the Grand Marshal was prepared for this and announced, “Some of you still doubt me. That is nothing new; even those who heard Our Lord with their own ears did not believe Him. Therefore, I shall show you the sign entrusted to me.”

He nodded to his attendants. They turned to leave, only to stop when Sir Conrad spoke. “And of King Henry?”

The Templar frowned and might have objected, but Conrad was too important a person to ignore.

“Henry is not privy to this conclave,” Sir Sablé said. “Let the Lord of England do what he does best: fight the infidels. Bois-Guilbert and Lancaster are here as John’s envoys. I have his noble word of support for our venture. Are you satisfied, Montferrat?” (So I was right; he was Sir Conrad of Montferrat. I was a tiny fish swimming with this era’s barracudas.)

“I am,” he answered. His face told a different story: grim, hard, and skeptical.

Sir Sablé’s knights left, soon returning with a metal canister. The sight turned me cold. Although the Grand Master presented it as a holy thing, I could sense its abominable nature. What fresh horror was about to be revealed?

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 120, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia (2 of 2 parts)

#Wss366 Boner #TimeTravelAuthors 07/29. proof/prove

Sir Sablé began winding down after the big announcement confirming the link between the book we had seen in the British Museum and the current meeting, saying, “Let the fruits of this gathering, our Garden of Gethsemane, be known as ‘The Covenant of St. Judas.’”

There were murmurs of dissent around me, and Sir Conrad's face showed his dissatisfaction. Frankly, I had to agree. I wouldn’t have been swayed either by the blatant heresy of his words.

However, the Grand Marshal was prepared for this and announced, “Some of you still doubt me. That is nothing new; even those who heard Our Lord with their own ears did not believe Him. Therefore, I shall show you the sign entrusted to me.”

He nodded to his attendants. They turned to leave, only to stop when Sir Conrad spoke. “And of King Henry?”

The Templar frowned and might have objected, but Conrad was too important a person to ignore.

“Henry is not privy to this conclave,” Sir Sablé said. “Let the Lord of England do what he does best: fight the infidels. Bois-Guilbert and Lancaster are here as John’s envoys. I have his noble word of support for our venture. Are you satisfied, Montferrat?” (So I was right; he was Sir Conrad of Montferrat. I was a tiny fish swimming with this era’s barracudas.)

“I am,” he answered. His face told a different story: grim, hard, and skeptical.

Sir Sablé’s knights left, soon returning with a metal canister. The sight turned me cold. Although the Grand Master presented it as a holy thing, I could sense its abominable nature. What fresh horror was about to be revealed?

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 120, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia (1 of 2 parts)

#Wss366 Boner #TimeTravelAuthors 07/29. proof/prove

“You may be seated,” Sir Sablé said. The Grand Master of the Templars’ voice was dignified, higher than one might expect, but the tone was that of someone accustomed to command. “Bishop Dreux, will you honor this gathering with a prayer?”

I recognized the priest he had called on as the person who’d challenged Sir Conrad earlier. Even though he was a bishop, he was clearly also a fighting man: strong, scarred; the bulk of his robes hinted at chain mail beneath. I didn’t understand the brief Latin prayer he led. It was a pity I hadn’t learned Latin at university.

While we prayed, Emily left my side, moving to the dais so she could hear what the rabbits were saying to Sir Sablé. It was a decision that would later #prove disastrous. A real #boner, as some of my cruder students might have said. (Why did these memories come back to me when I couldn’t follow up on them?)

Once the prayer had finished, the Grand Master addressed us. “You have been called here in the Lord’s name and shall be blessed for your piety…”

He continued in this vein for a while, and most of what he said wasn’t worth repeating. However, other parts of his speech had stunning implications.

• “Though unworthy, the Lord hath lifted me from the dust as our Lord Jesus did Mary Magdalene, and a heavenly host has vouchsafed me words. Today, I humbly bear their message for your ears.”

Behind him the rabbits made ironic bows that he couldn’t see.

• “As Saint Judas Iscariot sacrificed himself to bring about our Savior’s glorious act of redemption, we too are summoned to make the ultimate sacrifice, our honor. We may be reviled for our deeds, but we the faithful shall show the same devotion, to God’s will, Abraham did when the Lord commanded him to sacrifice his son. We will hold fast, knowing that our obedience is required to invoke the Third Coming, bringing a fiery end to this sinful race, Adam’s kin, and to call down the final judgment when the Lord’s hammer smites the world once again.”

A groan escaped me. For an instant I could see the Cretaceous–Paleogene fireball streaking across the sky, setting me ablaze. Fortunately, Sir Sablé’s speech had everyone enthralled, or perhaps they thought it was a gasp of wonder.

It was part intuition and part logic that led me to conclude that the Lapin Cabal intended to bring a meteor down on the world, as had happened in Yucatán. How or why I didn’t know. To this end, they recruited the gullible, the ambitious, and the truly wicked to do their bidding. The Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and ICE-Nine were just examples of this.

The implications were staggering, and from Emily’s face, she recognized it too.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar #Templars

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 120, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia (1 of 2 parts)

#Wss366 Boner #TimeTravelAuthors 07/29. proof/prove

“You may be seated,” Sir Sablé said. The Grand Master of the Templars’ voice was dignified, higher than one might expect, but the tone was that of someone accustomed to command. “Bishop Dreux, will you honor this gathering with a prayer?”

I recognized the priest he had called on as the person who’d challenged Sir Conrad earlier. Even though he was a bishop, he was clearly also a fighting man: strong, scarred; the bulk of his robes hinted at chain mail beneath. I didn’t understand the brief Latin prayer he led. It was a pity I hadn’t learned Latin at university.

While we prayed, Emily left my side, moving to the dais so she could hear what the rabbits were saying to Sir Sablé. It was a decision that would later #prove disastrous. A real #boner, as some of my cruder students might have said. (Why did these memories come back to me when I couldn’t follow up on them?)

Once the prayer had finished, the Grand Master addressed us. “You have been called here in the Lord’s name and shall be blessed for your piety…”

He continued in this vein for a while, and most of what he said wasn’t worth repeating. However, other parts of his speech had stunning implications.

• “Though unworthy, the Lord hath lifted me from the dust as our Lord Jesus did Mary Magdalene, and a heavenly host has vouchsafed me words. Today, I humbly bear their message for your ears.”

Behind him the rabbits made ironic bows that he couldn’t see.

• “As Saint Judas Iscariot sacrificed himself to bring about our Savior’s glorious act of redemption, we too are summoned to make the ultimate sacrifice, our honor. We may be reviled for our deeds, but we the faithful shall show the same devotion, to God’s will, Abraham did when the Lord commanded him to sacrifice his son. We will hold fast, knowing that our obedience is required to invoke the Third Coming, bringing a fiery end to this sinful race, Adam’s kin, and to call down the final judgment when the Lord’s hammer smites the world once again.”

A groan escaped me. For an instant I could see the Cretaceous–Paleogene fireball streaking across the sky, setting me ablaze. Fortunately, Sir Sablé’s speech had everyone enthralled, or perhaps they thought it was a gasp of wonder.

It was part intuition and part logic that led me to conclude that the Lapin Cabal intended to bring a meteor down on the world, as had happened in Yucatán. How or why I didn’t know. To this end, they recruited the gullible, the ambitious, and the truly wicked to do their bidding. The Templars, Illuminati, Nazis, and ICE-Nine were just examples of this.

The implications were staggering, and from Emily’s face, she recognized it too.

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar #Templars

McGruff's Bridge Part 3 of 3

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch #ThreeBillyGoatsGruff
#Wss366 Mecca

While waiting for Elaine to arrive, Saya listened to thrushes in the bush, and Sheila continued smoking, much to the displeasure of the troll, as the fumes wafted down under the stone span.

After a pause, The Adventure of Nike spoke. “I can’t believe that troll. It said that I stank.”

Picking up a spray of elm leaves that had fallen from the trees, Saya hid her amused smile behind it. “Maybe you should go back and complain.”

“Humph.”

The two fell silent again until Elaine, the Ashen Witch, strolled up to the bridge. [Again, in case you’ve forgotten who that very handsome witch who had just stepped on stage and the bridge is, it’s me.]

Indeed, like the others, the local gulls had forced me out of the sky, and I was making my way to the Three Goats Inn and Tavern. The thought of their famous bread pudding and cream puffs hurried my steps. My heart lept at the sight of the bridge. I hurried across it only to have someone bellow at me from below. “Who’s that crossing my bridge?”

Turning, I found a huge, lumpy monster climbing over the span’s parapet. At four meters in height, it was a dominating figure. The leprous skin covering its enormous frame resembled lichen as much as anything else.

“I’m Elaine, and if you’re thinking of eating me, you should reconsider. Instead, I can recommend in…”

“Shut up! Two previous women promised me a luscious dinner, and here you are.”

“It wouldn’t have been those two ladies, sitting under that elm,” I said, pointing to where Saya and Sheila sat. “This is truly a #mecca for scoundrels. Even for a troll, you were foolish to listen to them. One would think a mountain goat had kicked you in the head.”

“Enough,” the troll thundered and charged toward me.

Modesty forbids me from describing how I dealt with the troll, but in the end, it went sailing over the parapet and fell into the river, where it sank like a lead stone.

As for my fellow witches, they were obliged to treat me to as much sausage, bread pudding, and cream puffs as I could eat.

[FINIS]

#TootFic #FairyTale #FracturedFairyTale #Mythpunk #NMFic

McGruff's Bridge Part 3 of 3

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch #ThreeBillyGoatsGruff
#Wss366 Mecca

While waiting for Elaine to arrive, Saya listened to thrushes in the bush, and Sheila continued smoking, much to the displeasure of the troll, as the fumes wafted down under the stone span.

After a pause, The Adventure of Nike spoke. “I can’t believe that troll. It said that I stank.”

Picking up a spray of elm leaves that had fallen from the trees, Saya hid her amused smile behind it. “Maybe you should go back and complain.”

“Humph.”

The two fell silent again until Elaine, the Ashen Witch, strolled up to the bridge. [Again, in case you’ve forgotten who that very handsome witch who had just stepped on stage and the bridge is, it’s me.]

Indeed, like the others, the local gulls had forced me out of the sky, and I was making my way to the Three Goats Inn and Tavern. The thought of their famous bread pudding and cream puffs hurried my steps. My heart lept at the sight of the bridge. I hurried across it only to have someone bellow at me from below. “Who’s that crossing my bridge?”

Turning, I found a huge, lumpy monster climbing over the span’s parapet. At four meters in height, it was a dominating figure. The leprous skin covering its enormous frame resembled lichen as much as anything else.

“I’m Elaine, and if you’re thinking of eating me, you should reconsider. Instead, I can recommend in…”

“Shut up! Two previous women promised me a luscious dinner, and here you are.”

“It wouldn’t have been those two ladies, sitting under that elm,” I said, pointing to where Saya and Sheila sat. “This is truly a #mecca for scoundrels. Even for a troll, you were foolish to listen to them. One would think a mountain goat had kicked you in the head.”

“Enough,” the troll thundered and charged toward me.

Modesty forbids me from describing how I dealt with the troll, but in the end, it went sailing over the parapet and fell into the river, where it sank like a lead stone.

As for my fellow witches, they were obliged to treat me to as much sausage, bread pudding, and cream puffs as I could eat.

[FINIS]

#TootFic #FairyTale #FracturedFairyTale #Mythpunk #NMFic

McGruff's Bridge Part 2 of 3

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch #ThreeBillyGoatsGruff
#Wss366 Hobgoblin

An hour passed, and Saya began to drowse. The water of the stream sang her a lullaby, and the sweet smell of grass lulled her senses. The troll had long disappeared from view, its camouflaged skin blending with the stone of the bridge.

“Ah,” she said and pinched herself as a witch with two long blonde braids approached. The gray road dust begrimed her white coat and brown pants. And as the Charcoal Witch had guessed, a cloud of tobacco smoke surrounded the new figure.

“Who’s that crossing my bridge?” the troll bellowed as the woman neared the center of the span. Both of the troll’s hands and a set of horns, like rotting stink horn fungus, appeared over the parapet. A lopsided head with hair like Spanish moss; gigantic, goggling frog eyes; and jagged yellow teeth soon followed.

“I’m Sheila, the Adventurer of Nike, and who wants to know?” the witch replied, blowing blue-gray smoke toward the face.

“Cough, I’m… cough, McGruff the… cough, Troll, and I’m going to eat you, Miss Nike.”

“You’re not my type, big boy,” the witch said and blew another cloud of smoke toward the troll. “But there is a fair maiden close behind me in black robes and a pointy hat, with ashen hair and amethyst eyes. Oh, and she has a witch’s star like this,” and she pointed to one pinned to her coat.

Puff, puff.

“And you might ask, Mr McRuffian, who this person is?” Sheila continued. “It is Elaine, the Ashen Witch.”

[That’s me, the Wandering Witch!]

“Cough, cough. You stink!” the troll gasped.

Shiela readied her wand. “Have at me, big boy!”

“I’ll wait.” Cough. “I’d rather eat a #hobgoblin than you.”

“Humph,” Shiela said and continued on her way. Upon reaching Saya, her eyebrows went up.

Saya waved to a grassy spot downwind of her and said, “Shall we wait and see what Elaine does?”

Shiela nodded and took a seat.

#TootFic #FairyTale #FracturedFairyTale #Mythpunk #NMFic

McGruff's Bridge Part 2 of 3

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch #ThreeBillyGoatsGruff
#Wss366 Hobgoblin

An hour passed, and Saya began to drowse. The water of the stream sang her a lullaby, and the sweet smell of grass lulled her senses. The troll had long disappeared from view, its camouflaged skin blending with the stone of the bridge.

“Ah,” she said and pinched herself as a witch with two long blonde braids approached. The gray road dust begrimed her white coat and brown pants. And as the Charcoal Witch had guessed, a cloud of tobacco smoke surrounded the new figure.

“Who’s that crossing my bridge?” the troll bellowed as the woman neared the center of the span. Both of the troll’s hands and a set of horns, like rotting stink horn fungus, appeared over the parapet. A lopsided head with hair like Spanish moss; gigantic, goggling frog eyes; and jagged yellow teeth soon followed.

“I’m Sheila, the Adventurer of Nike, and who wants to know?” the witch replied, blowing blue-gray smoke toward the face.

“Cough, I’m… cough, McGruff the… cough, Troll, and I’m going to eat you, Miss Nike.”

“You’re not my type, big boy,” the witch said and blew another cloud of smoke toward the troll. “But there is a fair maiden close behind me in black robes and a pointy hat, with ashen hair and amethyst eyes. Oh, and she has a witch’s star like this,” and she pointed to one pinned to her coat.

Puff, puff.

“And you might ask, Mr McRuffian, who this person is?” Sheila continued. “It is Elaine, the Ashen Witch.”

[That’s me, the Wandering Witch!]

“Cough, cough. You stink!” the troll gasped.

Shiela readied her wand. “Have at me, big boy!”

“I’ll wait.” Cough. “I’d rather eat a #hobgoblin than you.”

“Humph,” Shiela said and continued on her way. Upon reaching Saya, her eyebrows went up.

Saya waved to a grassy spot downwind of her and said, “Shall we wait and see what Elaine does?”

Shiela nodded and took a seat.

#TootFic #FairyTale #FracturedFairyTale #Mythpunk #NMFic

#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Himeji Castle (Airisu POV): Post 54
#Wss366 Steer #TimeTravelAuthors 7/24 What ever

The servants we were tailing gossiped about events in the castle. One woman was talking about something that happened by the well, and the others tried to #steer her away from the subject, especially as we drew near the guards at the gate.

Sumika edged closer to them, trying to eavesdrop, but all we could make out was, “Well, I wouldn’t have turned the Lord down! What did she expect?” This may or may not have had anything to do with Okiku, but it sounded ominous.

One good thing came of the discussion, though. The other ladies looked at the young gossip with distaste and tried to draw away from her. However, she was oblivious and followed them, so they ended up milling just outside the gates.

The guards seemed more interested in watching the show than doing their duty, and we slipped into the fortress.

#TootFic #NMFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #TimeTravel #Serial #SlowBurn #Sapphic #Folklore

#Airisu: The Crow and the Witch

Himeji Castle (Airisu POV): Post 54
#Wss366 Steer #TimeTravelAuthors 7/24 What ever

The servants we were tailing gossiped about events in the castle. One woman was talking about something that happened by the well, and the others tried to #steer her away from the subject, especially as we drew near the guards at the gate.

Sumika edged closer to them, trying to eavesdrop, but all we could make out was, “Well, I wouldn’t have turned the Lord down! What did she expect?” This may or may not have had anything to do with Okiku, but it sounded ominous.

One good thing came of the discussion, though. The other ladies looked at the young gossip with distaste and tried to draw away from her. However, she was oblivious and followed them, so they ended up milling just outside the gates.

The guards seemed more interested in watching the show than doing their duty, and we slipped into the fortress.

#TootFic #NMFic #Crows #Otherkin #Fantasy #UrbanFantasy #TimeTravel #Serial #SlowBurn #Sapphic #Folklore

McGruff's Bridge Part 1 of 3

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch #ThreeBillyGoatsGruff
#Wss366 #Troll

Saya, the Charcoal Witch, hurried down the road, an urgent summons by the United Magic Association in her robes. Above, wheeled the country’s red and white Gulls. “Nasty creatures,” she said to no one in particular. “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d have finished this trip hours ago! I could have been flying, not walking.” She reached back and checked that she still had the tassel tying back her black hair. “Try to steal it, would you?”

The road she was on wound through a landscape of low scrub, climbing and falling as it paralleled the sea. The gray dust of the road had settled almost invisibly on her charcoal-gray robes but stained her black boots. Ahead lay the old stone McGruff’s Bridge, and a few miles beyond that lay the Three Goats Inn. White-walled, with a thick thatched roof, the inn would be warm. Saya dreamed of its smoky common room and the hot, steaming punch they served.

“D-mn gulls! If it weren’t for you, I’d be enjoying their punch with Elaina. She’s probably already there stuffing herself with their bread pudding and cream puffs.”

She turned to look behind her. Sheila, the third summoned witch, was just a dot cresting the ridge behind her. Saya could imagine the cloud of tobacco smoke that must surround her. It was going to be an interesting night when they all finally met up at the inn.

When she turned back, McGruff’s Bridge was in sight, its stone arch thick with lichen.

Hurrying forward, she was soon on it.

“Who’s that crossing my bridge?” came a booming voice from under her. At the same time, a mottled, gray hand the size of a dinner plate appeared on the edge of the parapet. It would have been hard to tell it from the lichen-encrusted stone if Saya hadn’t seen it appear.

“It’s little old Saya, the Charcoal Witch,” she responded and readied her wand.

“Well, Charcoal Saya, I am the #troll of McGruff’s Bridge, and I’m going to eat you.”

A second hand appeared with gnarled knuckles like walnuts.

“Mr. Troll, you don’t want to eat me. I’m small and have scrawny limbs like matchsticks. I would barely make a bite for you. But in a few years when I come back I will be nice and plump. Besides, another witch will be along in a moment, and she is full grown, tender, moist and juicy.”

“She is big?”

“Much bigger than I, sir.”

“She is tender?”

“Absolutely, sir. And sweet. Her teacher fed her nothing but milk, honey, and sweet baby vegetables.”

“Then you may pass, but I will expect you back in a few years.”

Saya hurried off the bridge and found a place to settle under an elm. The tree stood on a little hill and overlooked the bridge. Its rustling leaves blended with the rippling sound of water.

“What a delightful view,” she said. “This should be interesting.”

[Continued tomorrow]

#TootFic #FairyTale #FracturedFairyTale #Mythpunk #NMFic

McGruff's Bridge Part 1 of 3

#Fanfic #WanderingWitch #ThreeBillyGoatsGruff
#Wss366 #Troll

Saya, the Charcoal Witch, hurried down the road, an urgent summons by the United Magic Association in her robes. Above, wheeled the country’s red and white Gulls. “Nasty creatures,” she said to no one in particular. “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d have finished this trip hours ago! I could have been flying, not walking.” She reached back and checked that she still had the tassel tying back her black hair. “Try to steal it, would you?”

The road she was on wound through a landscape of low scrub, climbing and falling as it paralleled the sea. The gray dust of the road had settled almost invisibly on her charcoal-gray robes but stained her black boots. Ahead lay the old stone McGruff’s Bridge, and a few miles beyond that lay the Three Goats Inn. White-walled, with a thick thatched roof, the inn would be warm. Saya dreamed of its smoky common room and the hot, steaming punch they served.

“D-mn gulls! If it weren’t for you, I’d be enjoying their punch with Elaina. She’s probably already there stuffing herself with their bread pudding and cream puffs.”

She turned to look behind her. Sheila, the third summoned witch, was just a dot cresting the ridge behind her. Saya could imagine the cloud of tobacco smoke that must surround her. It was going to be an interesting night when they all finally met up at the inn.

When she turned back, McGruff’s Bridge was in sight, its stone arch thick with lichen.

Hurrying forward, she was soon on it.

“Who’s that crossing my bridge?” came a booming voice from under her. At the same time, a mottled, gray hand the size of a dinner plate appeared on the edge of the parapet. It would have been hard to tell it from the lichen-encrusted stone if Saya hadn’t seen it appear.

“It’s little old Saya, the Charcoal Witch,” she responded and readied her wand.

“Well, Charcoal Saya, I am the #troll of McGruff’s Bridge, and I’m going to eat you.”

A second hand appeared with gnarled knuckles like walnuts.

“Mr. Troll, you don’t want to eat me. I’m small and have scrawny limbs like matchsticks. I would barely make a bite for you. But in a few years when I come back I will be nice and plump. Besides, another witch will be along in a moment, and she is full grown, tender, moist and juicy.”

“She is big?”

“Much bigger than I, sir.”

“She is tender?”

“Absolutely, sir. And sweet. Her teacher fed her nothing but milk, honey, and sweet baby vegetables.”

“Then you may pass, but I will expect you back in a few years.”

Saya hurried off the bridge and found a place to settle under an elm. The tree stood on a little hill and overlooked the bridge. Its rustling leaves blended with the rippling sound of water.

“What a delightful view,” she said. “This should be interesting.”

[Continued tomorrow]

#TootFic #FairyTale #FracturedFairyTale #Mythpunk #NMFic

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 119, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia

#Wss366 North #TimeTravelAuthors 07/25. unite/together

Things in the council chamber soon settled back to how they had been before, with people ignoring me. I was small potatoes and, having incurred the ire of Sir Conrad, I was not someone to befriend.

Meanwhile, talk of King Richard advancing from the #north towards the Holy City was rife at one end of the room. On the other side of the room, Sir Conrad was extolling the need to #unite under his banner, emphasizing how feuding over the throne of Jerusalem weakened the defense of the lands they’d secured. I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if I warned him that he would be assassinated by the end of next year.

Silence fell as two knights entered and ascended the dais. Everyone rose, and the Templars dropped to one knee. The rest of us bowed our heads as a lean, muscular man followed them. His face was that of a warrior: short, grey-streaked hair, darkly tanned, a trimmed beard, and a scar over his left eye. A lapin dressed as a Templar page stood on either side of him.

His human attendants announced, “Sir Robert IV de Sablé, Grand Master of the Holy and Valiant Order of the Knights Templar, Lord of Cyprus.”

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn #Templar #Templars

#TimeTravelingGhost EP 11: Post 119, 1191, The Castle of Nicosia

#Wss366 North #TimeTravelAuthors 07/25. unite/together

Things in the council chamber soon settled back to how they had been before, with people ignoring me. I was small potatoes and, having incurred the ire of Sir Conrad, I was not someone to befriend.

Meanwhile, talk of King Richard advancing from the #north towards the Holy City was rife at one end of the room. On the other side of the room, Sir Conrad was extolling the need to #unite under his banner, emphasizing how feuding over the throne of Jerusalem weakened the defense of the lands they’d secured. I couldn’t help wondering what would happen if I warned him that he would be assassinated by the end of next year.

Silence fell as two knights entered and ascended the dais. Everyone rose, and the Templars dropped to one knee. The rest of us bowed our heads as a lean, muscular man followed them. His face was that of a warrior: short, grey-streaked hair, darkly tanned, a trimmed beard, and a scar over his left eye. A lapin dressed as a Templar page stood on either side of him.

His human attendants announced, “Sir Robert IV de Sablé, Grand Master of the Holy and Valiant Order of the Knights Templar, Lord of Cyprus.”

#TootFic #NMFic #TimeTravel #HistoricalFantasy #UrbanFantasy #Mythpunk #Serial #Slowburn

A #Pastiche in Time: Algernon Blackwood Part 2 of 2

#FanFic #AlgernonBlackwood
#Wss366 Ace / Baron von Richthofen / Red Baron #TimeTravelAuthors Fixing

The doctor nodded encouragingly.

“It was when I returned it happened. I own a book containing rare and previously unpublished letters by Hemingway. To my astonishment, there was one from his time during the Spanish Civil War. In it, he perfectly described me and my prediction. Nothing has been the same since. The experiences grow ever longer, and I have increasing trouble waking. It’s not as if I can avoid them. A billboard can set it off or the blurb on a food package. On one occasion, Baron von Richthofen, a World War I #Ace, almost shot me as a spy. That was due to a serial box. Another time, a billboard for rum dumped me on a sugar plantation in Puerto Rico, and I was mistaken for a worker. The conditions were terrible. The sugar company treated the workers like slaves.”

“I am terrified every time it happens,” I said.

He nodded again, “Yes, that would be awful.”

I showed him my copy of “Three John Silence Stories” and said, “You have to help me; it’s happening again.”

[FINIS]

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #FanFiction #TimeTravel

A #Pastiche in Time: Algernon Blackwood Part 2 of 2

#FanFic #AlgernonBlackwood
#Wss366 Ace / Baron von Richthofen / Red Baron #TimeTravelAuthors Fixing

The doctor nodded encouragingly.

“It was when I returned it happened. I own a book containing rare and previously unpublished letters by Hemingway. To my astonishment, there was one from his time during the Spanish Civil War. In it, he perfectly described me and my prediction. Nothing has been the same since. The experiences grow ever longer, and I have increasing trouble waking. It’s not as if I can avoid them. A billboard can set it off or the blurb on a food package. On one occasion, Baron von Richthofen, a World War I #Ace, almost shot me as a spy. That was due to a serial box. Another time, a billboard for rum dumped me on a sugar plantation in Puerto Rico, and I was mistaken for a worker. The conditions were terrible. The sugar company treated the workers like slaves.”

“I am terrified every time it happens,” I said.

He nodded again, “Yes, that would be awful.”

I showed him my copy of “Three John Silence Stories” and said, “You have to help me; it’s happening again.”

[FINIS]

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #FanFiction #TimeTravel

A #Pastiche in Time: Algernon Blackwood Part 1 of 2

#FanFic #AlgernonBlackwood
#Wss366 Brief / Hemingway's birthday #TimeTravelAuthors Fixing

“Doctor Silence, it is the most disconcerting feeling. I can no longer read. If I pick up a book, I soon enter a fugue state and am transported to that time and place.”

I was seated in a room painted a calming green. A servant had provided me with a chair that was inexplicably nailed to the floor. The doctor sat across from me listening intently.

If I had to describe him, I would first say he matched his name. He gave off a quiet air of calm, despite an eerie aura. His whole manner left you convinced he was both incalculably benevolent and knowledgeable. As for his dress, he wore a tasteful plum smoking jacket, for I had arrived at his consult in the early evening, far past normal visiting hours.

“Go on,” he said. “How did it start?”

“The first time it happened, I was reading ‘Time Machine’ by H.G. Wells. I was nearing the end when I had the most realistic dream that I was walking under a dim sun by the sea. On the beach were alien, muddy-brown crabs of enormous size. The experience was quite #brief, and I awoke presently.”

“Only it wasn’t a dream, was it?” the doctor said.

I relaxed; he understood. I knew there was an alternate chamber with padded walls for delusional visitors. That they hadn’t taken me to it should have been reassuring, but it was good to see tangible evidence that Dr. Silence accepted my bizarre story.

“No, but I didn’t know it. It seemed too fantastic to think I was actually traveling to those times and places.”

Forgetting the chair was immobile, I attempted to scoot closer to my audience. After a nervous laugh, I continued. “I had several more experiences of this nature: a visit to the Khyber Pass; Paris during the French Revolution; and a 1920s speakeasy. I rather enjoyed the dreams. They were so vivid and realistic, each longer than the last. I felt quite safe, since if anything bad happens, I’ll wake up, which is something I can generally force myself to do.”

“When did you realize?” Silent asked.

“I was reading #Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ and found myself in a crowded Spanish tavern. There was a fellow American there, and I offered to buy him a drink. We fell to talking, him about being a war correspondent. I was excited to actually be talking to a famous author and, well, one thing led to another, and I told him I was from the future and that the Republicans would lose the war. He laughed. I don’t think he believed me.”

[Continued tomorrow]

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #FanFiction #TimeTravel

A #Pastiche in Time: Algernon Blackwood Part 1 of 2

#FanFic #AlgernonBlackwood
#Wss366 Brief / Hemingway's birthday #TimeTravelAuthors Fixing

“Doctor Silence, it is the most disconcerting feeling. I can no longer read. If I pick up a book, I soon enter a fugue state and am transported to that time and place.”

I was seated in a room painted a calming green. A servant had provided me with a chair that was inexplicably nailed to the floor. The doctor sat across from me listening intently.

If I had to describe him, I would first say he matched his name. He gave off a quiet air of calm, despite an eerie aura. His whole manner left you convinced he was both incalculably benevolent and knowledgeable. As for his dress, he wore a tasteful plum smoking jacket, for I had arrived at his consult in the early evening, far past normal visiting hours.

“Go on,” he said. “How did it start?”

“The first time it happened, I was reading ‘Time Machine’ by H.G. Wells. I was nearing the end when I had the most realistic dream that I was walking under a dim sun by the sea. On the beach were alien, muddy-brown crabs of enormous size. The experience was quite #brief, and I awoke presently.”

“Only it wasn’t a dream, was it?” the doctor said.

I relaxed; he understood. I knew there was an alternate chamber with padded walls for delusional visitors. That they hadn’t taken me to it should have been reassuring, but it was good to see tangible evidence that Dr. Silence accepted my bizarre story.

“No, but I didn’t know it. It seemed too fantastic to think I was actually traveling to those times and places.”

Forgetting the chair was immobile, I attempted to scoot closer to my audience. After a nervous laugh, I continued. “I had several more experiences of this nature: a visit to the Khyber Pass; Paris during the French Revolution; and a 1920s speakeasy. I rather enjoyed the dreams. They were so vivid and realistic, each longer than the last. I felt quite safe, since if anything bad happens, I’ll wake up, which is something I can generally force myself to do.”

“When did you realize?” Silent asked.

“I was reading #Hemingway’s ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ and found myself in a crowded Spanish tavern. There was a fellow American there, and I offered to buy him a drink. We fell to talking, him about being a war correspondent. I was excited to actually be talking to a famous author and, well, one thing led to another, and I told him I was from the future and that the Republicans would lose the war. He laughed. I don’t think he believed me.”

[Continued tomorrow]

#TootFic #MicroFiction #NMFic #FanFiction #TimeTravel

Desert-Hearts: Part 4 of 4 Alexandria II

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Arabesque #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms of a barrel of monkeys?

•⋅☾A week later, Alexandria☽⋅•

“Would you be in a good mood?” Rozemyne asked Ferdinand.

It was a fair question, considering the dark circles under his eyes. He had spent the last three days in his private study. The duke met the question with a skeptical look as he took in the baked goods and an #arabesque tea-set on the table.

“I’m not in the mood for taste-testing. Ask a courtier; they’ll be happy to help,” was his reply.

“No, that’s not it. Hannelore sent these: rose-scented tea and cookies that their chief invented. They’re nice, like lemon drops. It’s like a White Day gift.”

Rozemyne’s voice trailed off. Her husband was smiling, and it sent a shiver through her. She recognized that expression. It was the smile of someone about to order the drowning of a litter of kittens.

His voice was as chilly as his smile, “I’m tired; we’ll talk later in your private room.”

Rozemyne frowned. Private discussions were never good, but later was better than now.

“She sent you a present too,” Rozemyne ventured, producing a white handkerchief. “She even embroidered it with cute cornflowers entwined with edelweiss.”

The duke sank into a chair, gulping a cup of tea, notwithstanding its temperature.

“Rozemyne, is this what you want?”

“No, it’s for you.”

“Rozemyne! Are you a total idiot!? They mistook your gifts for a marriage proposal. I knew they would. Since Hannelore can’t marry you, they assume you intend for her to become my second wife.”

“What? A marriage proposal?” the aub looked stunned.

“It’s obvious that at the next Council of Aubs, Dunkelfelger will approach me about this. If you wish to bring Hannelore here to be part of our family, I’ll agree. It wouldn’t hurt to have a stronger alliance with them. But if I accept, she becomes your responsibility. I have no interest in a second wife.”

Ferdinand rose. “Think about it. I will get your answer later.”

Rozemyne watched him leave. “Marry Hannelore? My book-buddy? Like in one of those yuri romances from my former life? Humm…”

[Continued in “Edelweiss Entwined”]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 4 of 4 Alexandria II

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Arabesque #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms of a barrel of monkeys?

•⋅☾A week later, Alexandria☽⋅•

“Would you be in a good mood?” Rozemyne asked Ferdinand.

It was a fair question, considering the dark circles under his eyes. He had spent the last three days in his private study. The duke met the question with a skeptical look as he took in the baked goods and an #arabesque tea-set on the table.

“I’m not in the mood for taste-testing. Ask a courtier; they’ll be happy to help,” was his reply.

“No, that’s not it. Hannelore sent these: rose-scented tea and cookies that their chief invented. They’re nice, like lemon drops. It’s like a White Day gift.”

Rozemyne’s voice trailed off. Her husband was smiling, and it sent a shiver through her. She recognized that expression. It was the smile of someone about to order the drowning of a litter of kittens.

His voice was as chilly as his smile, “I’m tired; we’ll talk later in your private room.”

Rozemyne frowned. Private discussions were never good, but later was better than now.

“She sent you a present too,” Rozemyne ventured, producing a white handkerchief. “She even embroidered it with cute cornflowers entwined with edelweiss.”

The duke sank into a chair, gulping a cup of tea, notwithstanding its temperature.

“Rozemyne, is this what you want?”

“No, it’s for you.”

“Rozemyne! Are you a total idiot!? They mistook your gifts for a marriage proposal. I knew they would. Since Hannelore can’t marry you, they assume you intend for her to become my second wife.”

“What? A marriage proposal?” the aub looked stunned.

“It’s obvious that at the next Council of Aubs, Dunkelfelger will approach me about this. If you wish to bring Hannelore here to be part of our family, I’ll agree. It wouldn’t hurt to have a stronger alliance with them. But if I accept, she becomes your responsibility. I have no interest in a second wife.”

Ferdinand rose. “Think about it. I will get your answer later.”

Rozemyne watched him leave. “Marry Hannelore? My book-buddy? Like in one of those yuri romances from my former life? Humm…”

[Continued in “Edelweiss Entwined”]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 3 of 4 Alexandria I

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Graft #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms of a barrel of monkeys?

•⋅☾Same Day, Alexandria☽⋅•

Rozemyne was relieved that Ferdinand wasn’t in his lab. She had hinted that she would like to see him today, but Ferdinand was Ferdinand and work and research always came first with him. Today he joined her for the first meal of the day.

“You wanted to see me,” he said. He poured himself some tea, but said nothing more.

“It’s Star-Cross Day,” Rozemyne said.

A look of irritation flickered for an instant on her husband’s face, but was gone by the time he said, “Is it? I hadn’t noticed.”

The aub pushed a red box elaborately decorated with shimmering cut shells. “For you,” she said. Mild disappointment shadowed her face. She had been hoping he might remember and get her a book, but that would have never occurred to Ferdinand.

He sighed as irritation flickered across his face again. With one finger, he flipped open the box and looked inside. “At least they aren’t coach beetles,” he said. If Rozemyne had been expecting him to be excited, she was disappointed.

“Are you going to try them?” she asked.

He took a red, heart-shaped cookie and nibbled on it, nodded, and spoke. “Not bad. We should declare a monopoly on the sale of desert-heart leaves. I’m sure others can copy these, but if we control the prime ingredient, it will bring wealth to the duchy. And if handled correctly, we can smoke out some of the #graft in the provinces.”

He popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth, not letting a crumb fall on his outfit.

Rozemyne smiled.

The aub’s eyes gleamed as her husband took out yet another cookie. This was as good as it got in terms of receiving praise from Ferdinand.

“Who else did you give these to?” he asked.

“Just Hannelore,” she replied. Ferdinand froze mid-bite.

[Continued Tomorrow]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 3 of 4 Alexandria I

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Graft #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms of a barrel of monkeys?

•⋅☾Same Day, Alexandria☽⋅•

Rozemyne was relieved that Ferdinand wasn’t in his lab. She had hinted that she would like to see him today, but Ferdinand was Ferdinand and work and research always came first with him. Today he joined her for the first meal of the day.

“You wanted to see me,” he said. He poured himself some tea, but said nothing more.

“It’s Star-Cross Day,” Rozemyne said.

A look of irritation flickered for an instant on her husband’s face, but was gone by the time he said, “Is it? I hadn’t noticed.”

The aub pushed a red box elaborately decorated with shimmering cut shells. “For you,” she said. Mild disappointment shadowed her face. She had been hoping he might remember and get her a book, but that would have never occurred to Ferdinand.

He sighed as irritation flickered across his face again. With one finger, he flipped open the box and looked inside. “At least they aren’t coach beetles,” he said. If Rozemyne had been expecting him to be excited, she was disappointed.

“Are you going to try them?” she asked.

He took a red, heart-shaped cookie and nibbled on it, nodded, and spoke. “Not bad. We should declare a monopoly on the sale of desert-heart leaves. I’m sure others can copy these, but if we control the prime ingredient, it will bring wealth to the duchy. And if handled correctly, we can smoke out some of the #graft in the provinces.”

He popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth, not letting a crumb fall on his outfit.

Rozemyne smiled.

The aub’s eyes gleamed as her husband took out yet another cookie. This was as good as it got in terms of receiving praise from Ferdinand.

“Who else did you give these to?” he asked.

“Just Hannelore,” she replied. Ferdinand froze mid-bite.

[Continued Tomorrow]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 2 of 4 The Royal Academy

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Skip #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms or a barrel of monkeys?

[Continued from previous post]

“Can’t I say I’m too busy?” Hannelore asked.

“I’ll tell her you only have a few moments to spare. We’re in a public place, and you’re rumored to be on excellent terms with her. Your retreat would give the other duchies a hint that there are problems between you. They will try to take advantage of it.”

“Very well.” If only this were an open battle on the Dither Field, Hannelore would know what to do. But the complexities of inter-duchy diplomacy were a minefield she didn’t enjoy. Still, it had to be done, and she put a brave face on as Sorrona approached and gave the expected fulsome greeting.

Finished with formalities, the Alexandrian woman presented Cordula with a red box. Scarlet ribbons decorated with carnelian gemstone tips adorned the present. The box and ribbons alone made a stunning present. “I hear Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven your threads exceptionally short today, but when you have time, please partake of the contents,” Sorrona said, curtsying.

“Thank you,” Hannelore said, keeping her smile on. “Aub Rozemyne is more than generous. Please pass to her and Duke Ferdinand the word that Dunkelfelger seeks the wisdom of Erwachlehren. We will in due time show our proper appreciation for Brennwaerme’s gifts.”

This response left Sorrona puzzled, though she would hardly dare say so. Why would Hannelore refer to Brennwaerme, the god of passion?

While she considered this, the Dunkelfelger noble glanced at Cordula and, receiving a nod of approval, rose and excused herself. “It seems Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven today’s threads with exceptional speed and grace.”

Once Hannelore was back in her chambers, Cordula commended her. “You did well. Your parents will be pleased with your diplomacy. If only you’d done as well in the past.”

“Is the box from Wilfried?” Hannelore asked. It was a slender hope since Sorrona and Rozemyne were from the Duchy of Alexandria, while Wilfried remained in Ehrenfest. But perhaps Rozemyne was acting on her brother’s behalf.

Cordula inspected the box, and finding it safe, passed it to her charge. Inside were light-red heart-shaped cookies. Each one had a “desert-heart” leaf pressed into its surface.

“I think not,” the head maid said, crushing Hannelore’s hopes. “It’s from Aub Rozemyne, my lady. I fear you must make your feelings clear to your parents about a match with Ferdinand. The present we return must reflect the direction we wish to take. We can no longer ignore their overtures. A romantic present on Star-Cross Day can only mean one thing.”

[Continued Tomorrow]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 2 of 4 The Royal Academy

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Skip #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms or a barrel of monkeys?

[Continued from previous post]

“Can’t I say I’m too busy?” Hannelore asked.

“I’ll tell her you only have a few moments to spare. We’re in a public place, and you’re rumored to be on excellent terms with her. Your retreat would give the other duchies a hint that there are problems between you. They will try to take advantage of it.”

“Very well.” If only this were an open battle on the Dither Field, Hannelore would know what to do. But the complexities of inter-duchy diplomacy were a minefield she didn’t enjoy. Still, it had to be done, and she put a brave face on as Sorrona approached and gave the expected fulsome greeting.

Finished with formalities, the Alexandrian woman presented Cordula with a red box. Scarlet ribbons decorated with carnelian gemstone tips adorned the present. The box and ribbons alone made a stunning present. “I hear Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven your threads exceptionally short today, but when you have time, please partake of the contents,” Sorrona said, curtsying.

“Thank you,” Hannelore said, keeping her smile on. “Aub Rozemyne is more than generous. Please pass to her and Duke Ferdinand the word that Dunkelfelger seeks the wisdom of Erwachlehren. We will in due time show our proper appreciation for Brennwaerme’s gifts.”

This response left Sorrona puzzled, though she would hardly dare say so. Why would Hannelore refer to Brennwaerme, the god of passion?

While she considered this, the Dunkelfelger noble glanced at Cordula and, receiving a nod of approval, rose and excused herself. “It seems Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven today’s threads with exceptional speed and grace.”

Once Hannelore was back in her chambers, Cordula commended her. “You did well. Your parents will be pleased with your diplomacy. If only you’d done as well in the past.”

“Is the box from Wilfried?” Hannelore asked. It was a slender hope since Sorrona and Rozemyne were from the Duchy of Alexandria, while Wilfried remained in Ehrenfest. But perhaps Rozemyne was acting on her brother’s behalf.

Cordula inspected the box, and finding it safe, passed it to her charge. Inside were light-red heart-shaped cookies. Each one had a “desert-heart” leaf pressed into its surface.

“I think not,” the head maid said, crushing Hannelore’s hopes. “It’s from Aub Rozemyne, my lady. I fear you must make your feelings clear to your parents about a match with Ferdinand. The present we return must reflect the direction we wish to take. We can no longer ignore their overtures. A romantic present on Star-Cross Day can only mean one thing.”

[Continued Tomorrow]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 1 of 4 The Royal Academy

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Skip #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms or a barrel of monkeys?

•⋅☾The Royal Academy☽⋅•

Anime Spoilers

A faint shiver went through Hannelore as she arrived early in the commons. Perhaps it was a premonition of Rozemyne’s reformation of Star-Cross Day. Less superstitiously, it was that the Alexandrian’s area was busier than usual.

She’d been successful in dodging Sorrona, Rozemyne’s Alexandrian book buddy, for the last week on instructions from home. Further contact was undesirable until it was clear what Rozemyne and Ferdinand’s intentions were. Their gift of the Shumil book reader had opened a can of worms that Hannelore’s parents were desperately trying to deal with. What could it mean?

She glanced across the room again. The number of Alexandrians was a bad omen.

“What’s going on?” Hannelore fretted. Had her timing misfired again?

Elusia answered, “They are celebrating Star-Cross Day, an Alexandrian holiday. It has strange customs: the girls give the boys bugs. I hope no one sent live insects this year. There’re stories of them escaping and infecting the school.”

One of the celebrating students approached Cordula. Distracted by this, Hannelore replied vaguely. “Oh.” Dread flooded her being. She had definitely come to the commons at the wrong time. She should have #skipped coming here and eaten breakfast in the dorm.

A prediction proven true when her head maid returned, saying, “Lady Sorrona would like to approach.”

[Continued in the next post]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm

Desert-Hearts: Part 1 of 4 The Royal Academy

#FanFiction #AscendanceOfABookworm #HanneloresFifthYear
#Wss366 Skip #ScribesAndMakers A can of worms or a barrel of monkeys?

•⋅☾The Royal Academy☽⋅•

Anime Spoilers

A faint shiver went through Hannelore as she arrived early in the commons. Perhaps it was a premonition of Rozemyne’s reformation of Star-Cross Day. Less superstitiously, it was that the Alexandrian’s area was busier than usual.

She’d been successful in dodging Sorrona, Rozemyne’s Alexandrian book buddy, for the last week on instructions from home. Further contact was undesirable until it was clear what Rozemyne and Ferdinand’s intentions were. Their gift of the Shumil book reader had opened a can of worms that Hannelore’s parents were desperately trying to deal with. What could it mean?

She glanced across the room again. The number of Alexandrians was a bad omen.

“What’s going on?” Hannelore fretted. Had her timing misfired again?

Elusia answered, “They are celebrating Star-Cross Day, an Alexandrian holiday. It has strange customs: the girls give the boys bugs. I hope no one sent live insects this year. There’re stories of them escaping and infecting the school.”

One of the celebrating students approached Cordula. Distracted by this, Hannelore replied vaguely. “Oh.” Dread flooded her being. She had definitely come to the commons at the wrong time. She should have #skipped coming here and eaten breakfast in the dorm.

A prediction proven true when her head maid returned, saying, “Lady Sorrona would like to approach.”

[Continued in the next post]

#TootFic #NMFic #Serial #Yuri #GL #Bookworm