New Friends
Sasha stared at the rain dripping down the cafe's window. “It's just been a long time since I've made any new friends, y'know?”
“Oh, we're not enough for you, now?” Gary asked.
Like Magic
“It's magic!” Kelila shouted, clapping her hands.
I glanced side-long at her. “Pfft. Don't be insulting. If I was doing magic, you'd know.”
Puzzles and Farewells
“There's only a few minutes left,” Joey said. I could tell he was trying to keep his voice calm, but some panic leaked through.
“We've almost got it,” I said.
Pillow Talk
“Did you notice the tentacle count on that last grue?” Harry asked, slightly out of breath. He rolled from on top of me to my side, still holding on with his legs. I giggled as he forced me to flip with him.
Life and Dreams
When are dreams made, and why? As we grow up, and even as adults, we are told to “follow our dreams”. Leaving aside the direct conflict this has with the message of “grow up” and “get a stable job”, it brings the question of what these “dreams” we're supposed to have are, anyway.
Exciting Stuff
Blah blah blah. Whine whine whine.
More filler so I can keep pretending that I've actually written something today.
Exploring the Cave
Isabella's cave theory had panned out. Though she had lost track of how long she'd been moving, the cold, stone ground had met up with ragged walls some time back. She had continued along the left wall, following various side passages both small and large. Not one had given her a hint of light. There was no way she was close to the surface.
Anger
As fine ash drifted into her hair, Aurora felt very, very glad that this area was largely untraveled this late in the evening. Even so, the Council was going to have an awful lot of explaining to do. She cringed at the thought. At least there wasn't a crater this time. Hell, the radius was even down to... well, maybe a thousand feet on the outside? Maybe she was learning.
Girl Scout Training
Isabella's eyes opened to darkness. Complete darkness. The air had a chill, muggy quality to it. If she was still anywhere near where the apartment had been, she couldn't be anywhere connected to the outdoors. Even the buildings weren't kept this cold. That's assuming she was still on Galavaria. Of course, if she wasn't, she expected to be reeling from nausea like the last two world-transfers she'd suffered through. Besides, only Council-folk could transfer, and they were all on the same side.
Emergency Contact
“Um, Councilor?” a voice asked from outside Raeth's chamber. It was a young voice. One of the children, perhaps, making themselves useful. Sourceformers rarely emerged that young.
“Yes, child,” Raeth replied, looking up from their newest pile of documents. “Speak.”
Knowing Better
“You know, Councilor,” a voice said from the woods. “You really should know better.”
Aurora spun around, her nerves lashing tight around her power. It was always worst when she was startled or afraid. There was a figure standing in the dark of the trees, hidden by the deepening shadows of twilight. She could make out that it was cloaked, which already marked it as not native. At least not to this part of Galavaria.
“So you know who I am, I guess,” Aurora said. “Care to return the favor?”
Another Night
Another night crying myself to sleep. I am such a damn whiny, useless, fragile little girl. I am 30-freaking-years-old. I should have my life together. I should own all this crap. And here I am, going on two weeks, shuttering myself up in my apartment and drifting off with more tears on my pillow.
Isabella in Galavaria
“You're enjoying this, aren't you?” Isabella asked. She was having a hard time keeping her hands down at her sides, not covering up the taboo bits that would have gotten her arrested on Earth.
Final Duel
“This is you last chance, Mister Sebastian,” Telroy said. He flipped his wand idly, mockingly in his left hand. “Last chance ever to beat me in a duel. How does it feel, knowing you'll lose. Knowing you've lost to me every time?”
Magic These Days
Magic is just so different now, y'know? It used to have some class, some artistry. The great masters of the Renaissance really knew their conjuring. I still feel like the best work of human history all came before 1900.
Now it's all prefab cantrips, pop magic you can buy at the store, pick up in an afternoon.