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Mon Nov 02, 2020 12:49 am
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Chaser says...



Maji Nobuna


"It must be nice to be your own boss," Tetia said, smirking at Holt. "Not answering to anyone?"

"I'm still the leader of this team," Holt said with cool indignation. "But for now, we'll all answer to each other."

"That's right!" Maji said, drumming her hands on the table. "So, what should our team name be?"

They all thought for a moment. "Something to do with the claw, maybe?" Berkeley suggested. "It's a little on the nose, though."

"Independent missions are recorded as 'orders,'" Holt offered. "That would make this the 'Order of the Claw.'"

"Oh, that's good!" Tetia exclaimed. "Like we're a troupe of knights."

Holt smirked. "Then it's settled; we're the Order of the Claw."

"Alright!" Maji exclaimed. "Hands in." The four of them laid their hands on top of each other, over the now depleted bowl of spaghetti. The steam was still rising up, and it warmed their hands, sealing a pact or maybe just sweat.

Maji grinned, then her mind blanked. "Uh, we should say something. What should we say?"

Tetia tapped her chin. "The Library's creed is 'Discover and dream,' right?"

Holt frowned. "No, it's make the world, shape the world, dream beyond the world."

Maji blew a raspberry. "Too long. Let's go with Tetia's thing."

"Fine, then." Holt pressed on top of the pile of hands. "Discover and dream. Well, there are worse things you could say."

"Like what?" Maji asked.

Holt raised an eyebrow. "I'm not about to say them."

Maji cocked her head. "That's a shame."

254 words
The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.





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Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:26 am
winterwolf0100 says...



Berkeley Thuso


Berkeley's feet tapped under the table as they ate, feeling himself grow restless even as they talked about the mission. Why did they need to talk about it? Couldn't they just go and do it? But he knew they couldn't.

He cleared his throat. "So what are your pronouns?"

The captain, Holt, turned to look at him, eyebrows drawn down. Berkel shifted in his seat under the stoic gaze. "Pronouns?"

"You know, she/her, he/him, they/them," Raji interjected, her orbs whirring through the air excitedly. She turned to study one of the customers at another table with long spikes of hair, then dragged her hands upward on her head, creating spikes, before smoothing them out again, as if she had already forgotten the people she was sitting with and the conversation she was in.

"He/him," The captain said, clearing his throat, frowning in slight disapproval as he watched Raji.

"She/her." Tetia leaned back against the chair she was sitting in, arms folded behind her head as she studied Holt, the captain, with mild amusement.

Berkel nodded. "Nice to know. This may not be something any of you are used to, but I'm genderfluid, so I ask everyone what their pronouns are when I meet them."

"What're your pronouns?" Tetia asked, seeming to catch onto the idea.

"Currently?" Berkel asked, then tilted his head. "He/him. If I'm wearing this necklace, they generally are. If I'm not, she/her."

Holt's eyebrows shot up as if he were surprised, but he said nothing. After a few seconds, he cleared his throat. "You're using he/him currently? And yet you're in a dress."

"I like to mess with people's gender perceptions," Berkel said smoothly. "Just because I feel like wearing a dress doesn't mean I feel I'm a girl."

Tetia smirked. "Well I think that's awesome, love."

308 words
he/she/they


winter you are an adorable bean and I love your bad social awareness xD ~Omni
omni played robin hood, stole winter's brain cell ~Silver
winter is the only person who would survive the machine uprising ~Europa





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Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:27 am
winterwolf0100 says...



Berkeley Thuso


Berkel smiled, his gaze shifting across the other customers then back to the group. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way-- I hate to get us back on track, but what's our plan? Where and when do we start?"

Raji turned to look back at the group, her three spheres spinning rapidly through the air in excitement. "Aren't you the expert on chasing elusive things? You were brought on for evocation or something, right?"

Tetia turned, suddenly interested. "What kind of expert are you?"

"I'm not sure if I'd say I'm an expert," Berkel said, "but I follow lightning."

"I thought you said you took up small jobs! Following lightning sounds much more cool," Tetia said, tilting her head slightly to the side.

Berkel laughed. "I take up small jobs to pay for food and the occasional rent of a living space for longer jobs. Lightning is my real occupation, though I really wouldn't say I'm an expert at it."

The captain, who had been silent through the discussion, finally spoke up. "I knew I had heard your name somewhere, though I couldn't place it before. Berkeley Thuso. You're the leading expert on lightning in the five dimensions."

Tetia grinned. "Now that you mention it, I do think I remember hearing about you. You have a really cheesy nickname, the flickering strike, or something."

"The wandering strike," Berkel winced, "though that's not much better."

"I thought the academy made you up," Tetia said matter-of-factly.

Holt frowned at her. "What would be the point of that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, to scare us? Like, if you don't complete all your office hours, the lightning dude will strike you dead!"

Holt glared at her but didn't say anything. Berkel blinked. "Why would my name even come up at the academy?"

Holt glanced at him. "They routinely go over all well-known individuals and guilds of power in the five realms. Keeping track of them makes our jobs easier."

"If we actually got to do our jobs," Tetia scoffed. "I swear, you would think we were an accounting agency from the amount of time we spend at our desks."

360 words
Last edited by winterwolf0100 on Mon Nov 02, 2020 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
he/she/they


winter you are an adorable bean and I love your bad social awareness xD ~Omni
omni played robin hood, stole winter's brain cell ~Silver
winter is the only person who would survive the machine uprising ~Europa





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Mon Nov 02, 2020 5:27 am
winterwolf0100 says...



Berkeley Thuso


"Back to the subject," Berkel said, surprising even himself, because the way their conversation was shifting and changing quickly was starting to make even Berkel's head spin. "Where do we start? We go back to the Library and then what? We get briefed?"

"We already got briefed," Holt said stonily.

"That was not a briefing," Berkel said. "That was, at best, a teaser to a briefing. They have to give us actual information in order to do our jobs. They can't just show us an image and expect us to find a rune based on it, let alone figure out how to protect that knowledge from others."

"That must be all the information they had." Raji shrugged as they all looked at her. "It's not a lot, but why else would they not just tell us today? That would be stupid."

Berkel thought about that. It wouldn't have made sense to withhold any information they had, but if that was all the information they could be given... he sighed. "This will not be easy. It’s difficult to find things when you don’t know where to look.”

“Well, love, aren’t you an expert on that?” Tetia asked. “Lightning isn’t exactly easy to follow.”

“Storms have signs, there are clues you can follow. I’m not an expert because of my finding skills, I’m a supposed ‘expert’ because of what I can do with the lightning. If they wanted an expert on finding things, they should’ve gotten someone else.”

“There’s no use stressing now,” Raji smiled. “We just have to wait until tomorrow morning! Then we can stress out.”

Berkel sighed. Unfortunately, Raji was correct. They couldn’t do anything about it right now. “Alright,” he said reluctantly. “We should call it a night then. Now: do any of you know a cheap place to sleep?”

306 words
he/she/they


winter you are an adorable bean and I love your bad social awareness xD ~Omni
omni played robin hood, stole winter's brain cell ~Silver
winter is the only person who would survive the machine uprising ~Europa





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Sat Nov 07, 2020 7:15 pm
winterwolf0100 says...



Berkeley Thuso


Berkel handed the coins to the Tiefling behind the counter of the run-down motel he had found,who was currently sitting on a stool and staring at a deck of cards laid out before them. Berkel wasn't about to blow a ton of money on a good room when he could literally sleep anywhere. He carried his bag that contained the few things he took everywhere-- some toiletries, extra clothes, and a single photo of his family from when he was young, but other than that, he didn’t need anything else to be satisfied usually. The Tiefling looked bored, handing him a key on a string and muttering, "Don't lose the key. It'll be the third one we'd have to replace this month."

Berkel filed that information in the back of his mind because he was definitely the type of person to lose a key, but he didn't want to make this person more miserable than they already seemed to be. He gave a small smile and nodded briskly. "I need wake-up service an hour before the sunrise for tomorrow morning."

The Tiefling stared at him, completely emotionless, before muttering, "Gotcha. Wake-up service an hour before dawn." The Tiefling did not sound pleased, but Berkel knew he needed the wake-up service because otherwise he would sleep through the meeting.

"...Okay then. Goodnight," Berkel said awkwardly, walking down the hall towards the room number.

"Have a nice stay," the Tiefling called half-heartedly after him, already going back to staring at the cards set up in front of them in mild disinterest, as if a game of solitaire would never be enough to fully occupy them.

"Thanks! You too," he answered, then stopped and blinked. He really just said that. Apparently, 121 years of life still couldn't combat the embarrassment of answering "you too" to a service person.

308 words
he/she/they


winter you are an adorable bean and I love your bad social awareness xD ~Omni
omni played robin hood, stole winter's brain cell ~Silver
winter is the only person who would survive the machine uprising ~Europa





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Sat Nov 07, 2020 7:16 pm
winterwolf0100 says...



Berkeley Thuso


Sighing, he finally reached his door and slid the key in, turning it and pushing the creaky door open. The room smelled dusty, and there was barely enough room to move around the single bed in the middle of the room because of how tiny it was. There was a communal bathroom out in the hall. It was small, inexpensive, and just what he needed. Nobody here would question what they perceived to be a man wearing a dress or a woman wearing a suit. He wouldn't need to explain his choices to anyone here because these types of places were completely loyal to customers. In fact, Berkel was almost positive he could go out, murder someone, come back, and if the hotel staff was questioned, they would say they'd never seen him in their lives. They'd probably even erase his name from the hotel record books. Aside from the fact that his neighbors for the night might be thieves and killers, it was the perfect place to stay.

He dropped his bag onto the floor, closed the door behind him and collapsed onto the bed. It was firm, so firm it almost felt like concrete, but Berkel was used to sleeping outside, so if anything, it made the room feel more cozy to him. He laid there for a few minutes, eyes open, staring at the ceiling, before he forced himself to stand again to take off his heels and dress. After neatly folding the dress into his bag, he pulled out a simple t-shirt and pants to sleep in. He brushed his teeth and finally turned off the light, watching the bed he was about to get into. He hesitated because he knew the last step was taking off his necklace. It always felt weird to take it off after a long day of wearing it, even if it would've felt weird to sleep in it too. He reached his hands around to the back of his neck, unclipping it and gently placing it inside his bag, before tucking the bag under the bed. He liked this hotel, but that didn’t mean he trusted the locks on the doors to actually keep people out of his room. Finally, he laid down and drifted off to sleep.

378 words
he/she/they


winter you are an adorable bean and I love your bad social awareness xD ~Omni
omni played robin hood, stole winter's brain cell ~Silver
winter is the only person who would survive the machine uprising ~Europa





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Sat Nov 07, 2020 7:17 pm
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winterwolf0100 says...



Berkeley Thuso


Berkel woke up to the same Tiefling from the night before knocking on the door. "It's an hour before dawn," the Tiefling said, glaring at him when Berkel finally got up and opened the door.

"Oh, okay. Thank you." Berkel walked over to the bed and pulled out the bag, rummaging around before pulling out some coins. "Here." Berkel dropped them into the Tiefling's palm, who looked at them, surprised, before giving a small smile.

"Thanks," they said gruffly before walking back down the hall towards the desk. What an awful job, stuck doing things in the dark hours of the night without being able to move or shift your routine, Berkel thought, going over to the bag again and pulling out her necklace, then she froze. Interesting. It seemed it was definitely not a he/him day. She put the necklace back in the bag, pulling out a pair of pants and a simple t-shirt instead, much like the ones she had slept in. When she was ready, she pulled her bag over her shoulder, closed the door, and walked to the front desk, dropping the keys off and feeling particularly proud that she remembered to do so. She pushed open the door of the motel, walking towards one of the train stops. The sky was completely black, no traces of the sun that should be rising in a few minutes. She saw a storm along the horizon, and a distant lightning strike, barely visible. She smiled.

Yes, Berkel could already tell this day was going to be so much fun.

262 words
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winter you are an adorable bean and I love your bad social awareness xD ~Omni
omni played robin hood, stole winter's brain cell ~Silver
winter is the only person who would survive the machine uprising ~Europa





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:37 pm
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kairamorgan says...



Tetia Lisrath Vernathil III


Tetia is sure that if Captain Holt ever saw her place, or even where her place was, he would be surprised. Probably. Tetia likes to think she doesn't look like the kind of person who lives in the Asphodel Hostel of Orduna. Well, they're called hostels. The actual hostels are about two train stops away and they're lovely. Asphodel is something else.

The street was as pleasant as always to walk through, the smell of urine, booze and a little tang of iron permeating the grimy cobblestones. Going through the blacked out windows of the automatic doors into the glorified warehouse still gave her the same feeling of unease. No matter how much Tetia pretended to be a hard knock, the thought of walking into another fight made her stomach churn. Not after the day she's had, this was a good day and Tetia doesn't need it ruined.

On first glance, it didn't look like it would be. The stalls were all up, everyone was going about their business all well and good, no fights. None of the beds seemed to be on fire. Now for the person scan. Squirrel, Maddock, Saber, crazy centaur dude... the usuals, it's all fi-

"Evenin', twinkle toes!" a coarse, rough cockney echoes through Tetia's pointed ears, a shiver crawling down her spine, "You got any tips for your dear old sis?"

Tetia turns on her heel, putting on a fanged smile. It was imperative that she kept her cool. "No," Tetia says sweetly, her sharper and well pronounced accent contrasting with the rougher tone, "and you know as well as I do that you're not my sister, Blake."

The human woman was older, in her thirties, big bags prominent under her brown eyes. Or rather, eye, one of them was covered by a patch, though said patch didn't quite cover the gnarled scar. Half shaved scruffy blue hair was pushed aside, the thin smile that gives Tetia chills present.

Word count: 325





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:39 pm
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kairamorgan says...



Tetia Lisrath Vernathil III


"C'mon, Tets," Blake says, hands clapping together as she moves ever closer, "you know what happens. You give me the tip, you get to eat and sleep."

"And you know how often I take you up on that," she shrugs, folding her arms to stop the slight tremble. She could hear the silence. That deafening silence.

Blake's hand lightly slaps Tetia's shoulder, landing there as the smile falters, analysing the tiefling's face before voicing her analysis as a thumb wipes some ruined eyeliner from Tetia's cheek, "You been crying on me, twinkles?"

Scoffs and snickers echo from behind, the ever familiar hot bubble beginning to form in Tetia's chest, her teeth beginning to clench. Stay calm. "It rains, love, and even I in my magnificence get caught in it from time to-"

A squeal escapes Tetia as the hand on her cheek moves faster than she registers, yanking her curled horn close, head throbbing. "Cut it out," the tone in Blake's voice is just as quiet and calm as before, "and just tell me somethin' worthwhile. Then you can be on your way, love."

The hot rage forming in her chest turns to ice, her throat feeling like it was about to close up, but Tetia knew the drill. "Don't you know how to ask nicely?" her words were brave, but she knew she couldn't keep the shaking out of her voice.

That earns her a punch to the stomach, another cry escaping as the trapped horn kept her held upright. "I'm always nice. But, if you haven't got anything useful, should I call Boulder to get your toes to twinkle again?"

Her blood felt like it was matching the now-frozen rage bubble. Come on. Stay. Calm. "Just the toes? Are you going soft on me here?" She would kick herself if she didn't already know there was one lined up. Calm. Clearly, Tetia knew the meaning of that word.

This time a knee plunges into her gut, with her horn being released, Tetia falls to the ground, coughing. "You know we start low and work up. But, you're a busy lass, we might as well go full speed ahead, yeah?"

Word count: 361





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:40 pm
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kairamorgan says...



Tetia Lisrath Vernathil III


Blake had not gone soft on Tetia, that's for sure.

Another screech escapes as Tetia is held down, yet another shock of electricity hitting her toe as a couple of jeers echo, though the sound was muffled by the pain screaming in the tiefling's. Tetia could see the sympathetic onlookers through her watering eyes, the look of sorrow, but she couldn't blame them for not getting involved. Oh, hang on, she can, and does.

"Anything come to mind?" Blake asks, pulling the horn again so that Tetia's eyes landed on the human again.

"N-nope," Tetia stammers, ears still ringing. Even if she was going to give something up, what would she say?

"That's a shame." Another shock brings a scream to the surface, the lights erupting from that rune bringing stars to Tetia's eyes, the cry intensifying as she feels a snap, the fluid finally leaking from her eyes. "Anything now?" Blake's voice almost seemed to echo. No. She can't do it.

"F-fine," hiccups Tetia, "th-there's a rune. A new rune." Blaze's head cocks a little.

"You know about it?"

"Y-yes. I-It's in-" she cuts herself off. She can't do it.

A slap to the face makes the ringing louder. "It's in where, Tetia?" She can't do it

"Limnus," lies Tetia, "a small planet exploded, it was in the middle of it. N-nobody else knows where it is, apart from the Library. I-it could be useful for you guys."

Blaze's eyes narrow, leaning in slowly, hair grazing Tetia's face, breath moistening her neck. "You better have this right, or else." Tetia nods, chills running down her spine as she's released, the small crowd dispersing. "Pleasure doing business with ya, Librarian!" Tetia doesn't answer, not moving until they were gone.

No time for tears. Tetia looks at the damage. Three broken toes, not the end of the world. She can still walk. She pulls her shoes and socks on them, hobbling over to her bed and throwing all her things into a battered leather duffel bag. She can't come back here. Not now.

As she walks out, drying her tears, she managed to muster a thought to draw a smile out.

Now, to literally anywhere else. Tetia thought she knew the person to go to, and she never thought she'd ever think to go to him. But, here she goes.

Word count: 389





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:21 pm
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Europa says...



Alimer Holt



The walk to Alimer's house from the station was always short and brisk. In the underground cities of Orduna, there was no sun or moon, but the slightly dimmer glow from the luminescent crystals that substituted for the sky told him it was late in the evening. On days like today, when the caverns were relatively quiet and the air was clear and crisp, he found his commute home relaxing. Today though, he scowled and remained scowling as he unlocked the door to his home and stepped inside, and turned down the hall to his room. It was a strange fusion of minimalist and extravagance that made up Alimer's decorating style, all mixing together for a carefully calculated mediocrity. His bedroom was small, and had only his bed and dresser, a work desk, and curtains blocking off the windows, but everything was of the best quality he could afford.

He pulled his suitcase out from under his bed. Only this stood out in the pristine interior. The leather was old and mottled, the handle faded from so many years. It had been a parting gift from his father, almost two hundred years ago. Alimer sighed. Simpler times, but that hardly mattered now. He packed away his few essentials--one mission with an overfull bag was enough to teach him the values of packing light--a spare uniform and toiletries, his badge, and the small pouch of runes he was issued to carry. Last of all came the rod. Glimmering in the dampened light of the crystals, etched with the jagged tendrils of the shock rune. He laid it on top of his supplies reverently and began to close the lid, then he paused and sighed. Yes, it was probably smart to pack at least basic first aid with the band of plucky nitwits he'd been assigned. He stood, and starts to make his way to the kitchen.

Knock, knock-knock, knock

Someone was tapping out an irritating rhythm on his door, and the simple fact that whoever it was even felt the need to drum out a tune instead of simply knocking made him reasonably sure it was Tetia. He took a breath, preparing himself mentally for the onslaught of positivity before changing direction. The knocking had changed from a rhythmic beat to a rapid rhythm that told him she was now just rapidly banging on the door with both sets of knuckles, abruptly stopping as he cracked the door open.

409 words





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:24 pm
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Europa says...



Alimer Holt

Written with @kairamorgan

The sharp do you know what time it is? he'd been prepared with died in his throat as he took her in. Tetia's hair fell in her face in tangled strands, her makeup was still streaked, but this time he could trace tear tracks in the dim evening light one side of her face had a brick pattern of grime, as if someone had pushed her head into the cobblestones.

The smile she had on her face didn't hold the same smug confidence as usual, trembling as the tiefling leaned against the wall of Alimer's building. "Ah, I hate to call at such a late time," stammers Tetia, "but, um, I may or may not have ended up in a particularly... bad situation. Sir." She quickly wipes the corners of her eyes, swallowing a little.

That did it for Alimer. Her appearance alone was concerning, but the fact that she'd actually called him sir pushed it over the edge. He opened the door the rest of the way and stepped aside. "Come in. Luckily you caught me as I was retrieving my first aid kit."

Alimer watched her painful progress through the door for a few seconds, before taking her arm and slinging it around his shoulder. The young tiefling gave a tiny breath of relief. It wasn't an incredibly long way from the entryway to the kitchen, but still quite a trek for an injured person. He sat her down on a stool. "Let me look."

She takes a brief moment of relief without the pressure on her foot before untying her now-muddy shoelaces, a squeal being concealed into a groan, then peeling her grime-covered sock off. The sight was unsettling, to say the least. Her feet were speckled with blisters, many of which had blackened, and at least three of the toes were bent into unnatural angles.

"Sorry," Tetia practically whispers, "I-I... well, I went home, and home is... rougher than I'd like to admit. It's..." she trails off, then looks at Alimer. "Are you going to severely judge me for where I've been residing?"
350 words
Last edited by Europa on Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:12 am, edited 1 time in total.





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:26 pm
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Europa says...



Alimer Holt

Written with @kairamorgan

Alimer shook his head. He judged most of the young detectives, but he liked to think he only did so on the things that mattered. Where a Librarian happened to live had never seemed that relevant.

Tetia takes a deep breath. "I just... the training cost me a lot, and so, I went for the most affordable accommodation. Which happened to be Asphodel hostel, and it's a fairly regular occurrence for the... rougher residents who have some illegal goings-on want tips on anything the Library is doing."

Wiping away the gathering tears again before they could spill, Tetia takes another breath, voice getting shakier with every syllable. "Usually, I can get by okay by giving minimal information and misleading them, but they went... more intense than usual, so I told them that the Claw is in Limnus, and Blake said - well, heavily implied - that she'd have my head if I was wrong, and so I ran. Fast."

Leaving barely any room for Alimer to talk and having given up on trying to stop the leaking from her eyes, she continues, "I understand if you don't want me here, I can go somewhere else, but I just needed to get away from there. And I'm sorry for turning up on your doorstep like some kind of lost puppy, but I didn't know where else I could go."

Alimer looked up from examining her foot. "Vernathil, I'm your commanding officer, I'm responsible for your safety. Of course I'm not going to throw you out on the street." He stood and retrieved his first aid kit from the cabinet.

A slow smile spread over Tetia's face, this one sticking a little easier. "And here I thought your heart was stone."

Alimer ignored the comment, deftly wrapping the broken toes in a bandage. "That will have to do for now. We'll have to see a doctor for proper treatment before departing. There's a guest bedroom and shower down the hall." He stood, and heard Tetia labor to her feet as well. He stopped. "And Tetia,"

"Hm?"

"I'll expect you to be in uniform."

352 words
Last edited by Europa on Tue Nov 10, 2020 2:13 am, edited 1 time in total.





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:40 pm
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Chaser says...



Maji Nobuna


Library City's call center was the biggest in Orduna, a huge glass-walled station that threw bright white light into the surrounding lot. Maji folded her hands inside her sweater sleeves, trying to warm them up. Nearby, a thermal lantern siphoned heat from Orduna's core, spreading a thin wave of warmth throuhg her body. The hooded lantern sat atop a pole, glowing like an eye.

She made her way through the doors, bumping her suitcase on them as she stepped inside. The call center was massive and crowded, the floor flooded with people in long coats who went about themselves with a guarded pride. However valuable their time, they were all waiting in line to call. Maji took a place in line behind a tall, willowy elf with a sapphire dangling from his ear.

She waved at him as he glanced behind him. The elf twisted his earring and turned around. "Calling family?" he asked, his face nonplussed. "Or work?"

"Bit of both," Maji replied, smiling. "I'm Maji, by the way."

But the elf had already twisted his earring back, cocking his head as though listening to something else. He turned around without another word, and Maji was left in silence.

Interdimensional calling wasn't an exact magic. The waves that traveled through dimensions often came out distorted and diffracted, amplified into messes of sonic froth. Maji's parents had encouraged her to study the Send rune, just so she could call them whenever possible. Maji, of course, avoided the Send rune from there on out.

"Next," the attendant at the head of the line called. The elf was called forward to the desk. Maji tapped her heel and waited. When the call was approved, the elf would be sorted into a room with a Send rune to make his contact.

Maji always found it nauseating to be next in line. The anticipation of being addressed had never really made her comfortable, and even now, as the elf walked to the right and towards the back rooms, she felt the gravity of attention shift to her.

"Next." Maji stepped forward.

347 words
The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.





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Sun Nov 08, 2020 10:41 pm
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Chaser says...



Maji Nobuna


"I'd like to make a call to Limnus," she said, tripping the words a bit.

The attendant nodded and leafed through a paper file. "Third door on the left," she said. "Next."

Maji stepped into a long stone hallway, which extended downwards like a throat. On the left, one of the doors was marked in green, and she entered.

The Sending table was granite-carved to prevent theft. If one of them broke down, one of the diviners on duty could be called in to fix them. It sat in the center of an otherwise featureless room.

Maji stood in front of it and traced the rune with her finger. As she did, it lit up, the magic imprinting itself into her vision. She began to focus. Most people recognized each other by their faces, but for changelings, the face wasn't the most recognizable part. Instead it was the essence she recalled, the smell and sound of her parents, which she called forth into the table. The light shot up and materialized into her parents.

"Hey, Mom," Maji said, rubbing the back of her neck. "Dad."

"Oh, Maji!" her mother exclaimed. "So good to see you. Isn't it good to see her?"

"Hm? Yes, yes," her father agreed. "Good to see you."

"Good to see you too," Maji offered. "I'm headed to Raza for work, finally. You said you wanted a souvenir?"

"Darling, that's lovely," her mother said. "You're finally off to Raza. That's where the School of Seeing is, right?"

"Yep, sure is."

"Maybe you'll learn a thing or two while you're there," her father said. "Outdo your fellow diviners, eh?"

"Maybe," Maji replied. It was still the same conversation.

They talked for a little while longer, skimming the surfaces off of their own lives and exchanging them, giving lighthearted reactions. It was the same as it always was, as would be.

Maji waved to her parents and closed the call, returning to the bleakness of the call room. As she stepped out, the words of her superior echoed in her ears.

"As you can see, the Library's request is tyrannical. We can't afford to lose one of our most experienced and valuable diviners during prime insurance season!" her supervisor raged. "That's why we're sending you. Don't disgrace us too badly."

"I won't," Maji repeated to herself, as she went murmuring into the night. "I won't."

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The hardest part of writing science fiction is knowing actual science. The same applies for me and realistic fiction.








Be steadfast as a tower that doth not bend its stately summit to the tempest’s shock.
— Dante Alighieri