#nmmp — Public Fediverse posts

Sweet Tea (甘茶)

Part 3: Thief (泥棒) Part 1

#Wss366 #Mastoprompt 7/22
#FanFiction #TheApothecaryDiaries

Mao had the name of the thief now. In a way, it didn’t surprise her. He wasn’t above short-changing clients and bought obviously stolen materials. All petty stuff, and stealing the Gān Cǎo fit the pattern.

She swore he was hiding from her. His spot in the market alley sat empty. It was clean, as far as alleys went. She wouldn’t eat there, but she wouldn’t catch anything walking in. Just as important, the worst you’d find here was a second-rate pickpocket. The vendors likely chose this location for its low rent, and because it wouldn’t scare off decent townsfolk with a little coin to spare.

On one side, a vendor with a thin #stock of secondhand clothes spat and shrugged when she asked about his neighbor’s whereabouts. The fortune teller on the other side was more forthcoming, if not more useful.

“I know not,” she said, “but for twenty wen I can send a spirit to seek him out.”

For a moment, Mao considered saying that “Five wen was already too much.” But five seconds spent on the woman were already more than her services were worth.

Rather than waste more time, she headed back to the apothecary. She had an inventory to finish and other work to do. There was a better way to find the thief than the #taxing . It might take some time, but it was surer than any spirit desperate enough to visit that alley.

On her way to the apothecary, she stopped to talk with Ukyou. He was at his usual place. Most of the women were still sleeping, so he could sit and soak up the sun, sip tea, and think his private thoughts. Madam sometimes complained he was wasting time, but he did his job well, defusing most irate customers and throwing the rest into the street without a fuss. He never forgot the face of a problematic client. He greeted everyone with a smile and made even the once-a-year splurger feel seen and welcome. Whatever Grandma paid him wasn’t enough, so all she did was grumble about him enjoying the late morning sun.

Mao smiled at Ukyou. Like all the other women at Verdigris House, she liked him. “Ukyou, when you see Chou-u, tell him I need to find someone. It’s a twenty wen job.” Her “adopted” son would be happy to earn a little extra money. He pinched wen as hard as Grandma did.

“I will, and thanks for helping Amacha,” he replied. “She’s a little better today. She even had time to complain about your interfering ways. I think she likes you.”

“She ought to,” Mao said aloud, but privately doubted it. People never like the person who gives them bitter medicine.

“The day is going well, even though I haven’t found my target,” she thought. “Maybe I’ll splurge on a pork bun for dinner.”

(Continued in Part 2)

#TootFic #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP
#薬屋のひとりごと #ApothecaryDiaries
#LightNovel #Manga #Fantasy #Mystery
@yon @bytebro

#wss366 & #MastoPrompt 06/27

Return to the FATE GEAR

Chapter Seven: Band on the Run

#FanFiction #OthersidePicnic #FateGear

The Fate Gear surged forward as the crew #hit their riffs and licks, producing thundering music that assailed the sky. The anti-grav generators surged in time to Haruka’s drums. With every drum hit, it soared higher and higher.

Sorawo and Toriko began hearing heavenly music above them. A chiming of the celestial spheres and crystal stars surrounded them, bathing them in soft, melodic music.

“Is that Muzak?” Sorawo asked.

(“What would you expect of the heavenly host?”) they heard Fate Gear say. (“Bland, inoffensive, conservative; don’t make waves; don’t talk on the elevator—buy so the wheels of the economy never stop grinding—music.”)

Yuri’s fingers flew over her keyboard, and an announcement boomed from the bass amplifiers. “Alert. Alert. Incoming…”

The rest of the words were drowned as ‘the rain exploded with a mighty crash.’

The masts creaked, and the ship bucked under the onslaught of wind. Fate Gear’s engines whined at an inhuman pitch.

With Yuri’s fingers flying across the keyboard, new announcements boomed out. Even over the roar of the wind, the bass orders rang out, “Reef the sail. All hands to their stations.” The rigging screamed in the wind, and the sails groaned under the strain, their seams ready to rip. As the sailors took in the reefs, the groaning receded, leaving only the singing of the rigging.

Mina stopped playing and said, ‘But the band played on.’

“They just hit us with their best shot,” Mina said, smiling just before the ship surged forward, finally catching the solar wind as they breached the stratosphere, sending crystal shards flying as the spheres of the heavens cracked and buckled.

“‘And the first one,’” Toriko said, pointed to herself. “‘Said to the second one there,’” and pointed to Sorawo. “‘I hope you’re having fun.’”

Sorawo groaned. How could Toriko be having so much fun at a time like this? This was serious.

Toriko continued singing, accompanied by the Heavenly Host:

‘Band on the run’
‘Band on the run’

“Must you?” Sorawo said. “And anyway, how do you know the words?”

“It was a hit song,” Toriko said.

“And garbage,” Mina said. “#Vending machine bubblegum pop.”

“Please stop,” Sorawo added.

“‘And the jailer man.’” Toriko pointed at Sorawo. “‘And Sailor Sam,’” she pointed at Mina.

“Stop!” Sorawo and Captain Mina said together.

Barely heard, Mina added, “‘Before we fall into the sun.’”

Band on the Run by #PaulMcCartney and the #Wings (All opinions are the characters and may not reflect the views of the author.)

#MicroFiction #NMPrompts #NMV366 #NMMP
#UraPi #Steampunk #Pirates #UraPiFanFic #Metal #JMetal #Satire #PoliticalSatire #ReturnToTheFateGear #NMRTTFG

@yon @Kingu