#Pahrak writes stuff

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Right of Law, Section XXXV, Amendment I

Hey, so, 2024 fucking sucked, eh?  Something else that fucking sucked: the ending of Section XXXV.  I went back and rewrote it, so I wanted to let y’all know; if you want to skip right to the new stuff, it starts after the Sand Lord sees the other two Vorox get knocked out.  So hopefully that sucks less now!  Have to take what victories I can at this point.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

"My novel will include a scenario where humans are treated literally as livestock, to really sell the horror of this world ruled over by man-eating spirits."

*remembers that Tumblr exists*

"...People are going to turn this into a horny thing aren't they"

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Rivers Branching (draft part c)

Ash wriggled slightly in Marisol’s grip, cherishing the feeling of her rough palms, weathered from her years of loving toil in the garden.  “Bah, alright.  Where do we start?”

“You want to go after the Codex, don’t you?”

His first instinct was to avoid the issue, but Zoe tugged his thoughts back on-course.  “Yeah.  I do.”

Her grip tightened just a bit.  “Have you thought this through?”

“I was planning to get around to that sometime today.”

“Wasn’t I just saying I don’t want you pulling any more stupid stunts?”

“I don’t think it’s a stupid stunt!  It’ll be an organized operation, with other people there backing me up.  Completely safe!”

Marisol paused and stared—giving him a chance to reconsider, he realized.

“…Comparatively safe!”

“It sounds like right now your only ‘backup’ is a certain person I have ample reason to doubt has your best interests at heart.  You really want to be stuck in imperial territory with only him for company?”

Ash looked up at the ceiling, watching one of the lights flicker.  “No, I think I’d rather saw my pinky toe off with a toothpick, but the difference between the two is that this hellish task leads to destroying the empire.”

Just for a moment, lines of tiny thorns poked out down the length of Gabriela’s vines.  “You’re taking what he says at face value.  The Commander didn’t seem all that convinced.”

“But Okagami sure did!  Doesn’t that count for something?”

“Not enough on its own!”

Zoe’s leaves rustled as Ash huffed.  “Alright, then let’s see what else dear old Dad comes up with.”

“Ash…”  Marisol sighed, and Gabriela shook her petals before folding them up.  “Why are you so eager to believe him?”

“Because I want the empire gone!”

“And?”

“What do you mean ‘and’?”

“I mean I don’t think that’s all there is to it.”

“Yeah, well…”  Ash half-turned and looked at Zoe: she had already slinked out of the pool of UV light to sit behind the lamp, peeking out at him with her blossom hanging low.  “Maybe I just gotta know.”

Marisol followed his gaze.  Switching off the lamp, she asked, “Know what?”

“I need to know if this book is all it’s hyped up to be.  It’s the reason Dad left, it’s the reason Oren died—I have to see for myself whether or not it was really worth it all!”

She clenched her teeth.  “It’s not.  Of course it’s not!”  Vines covered in thorns began to sprout from Gabriela’s stem.  “There’s never a good reason to abandon your children!”  Noticing the vines, she pressed a hand against their base, stopping their growth.  She then glared in the direction of the door.

A part of Ash felt frustrated, but Zoe pushed back against it and encouraged him to take a deep breath.  “Sorry…maybe that wasn’t the best way to put it.”  He took a few seconds to think.  “It’s like…this is the only way I can really understand why everything happened the way it did.  It’s like closure, I guess.  Do you get what I mean, Mari?”

Marisol kept glaring.  Soon, Gabriela’s vines began to slowly recede.  “Slipping ‘Mari’ in there isn’t fair.”

Ash gave a short laugh.  “Sorry.  I’ll review the terms of engagement again.”

Marisol fidgeted for a moment before getting up to return the lamp to its cabinet.  Zoe went back to Ash’s wrist, angling her half-closed blossom up toward him.  He smirked and blew lightly to shake her petals open; she shivered, made a little flourish with her leaves, and then shrank rapidly and disappeared into his arm.  Before Marisol sat back down, Ash noticed the envelope she had left on the console.

“What’s that?”

“Hm?  Oh, something Okagami gave me.  Not sure exactly, he was rather cryptic about it.”

Ash stroked his chin.  “You gonna open it?”

“He suggested I wait until I was alone.”

“I can step outside for a minute.”

Marisol chuckled and took up the letter.  The wax seal bore an emblem in the shape of an eight-pointed star, with the point that extended straight down enlarged to turn the other seven into something like a crown atop it.  She broke it gently, unfolded the paper within, and then began to read.  Her eyes nearly doubled in size.

“Uh…you alright…?”

She gestured for him to wait.  Eventually, she lowered the letter and covered her mouth with her free hand, staring forward at nothing in particular.  Ash was just about to ask again when she said, “It’s from the Duchess of the South.”

Ash’s spine went rigid.  “The Duchess?  But she doesn’t…I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of her doing anything.  At all.  Why now?  Did she finally get sick of us meddling with the Earl’s operations?”

“No, nothing like that.”  She looked back at the letter.  “She, uh…invited me to work on a project with an imperial scientist.”

Disbelief stunned them both into an extremely long silence.  Ash finally leaned forward and said, “Sorry, what?”

“It says ‘To the esteemed caretaker of the scorch-wither primroses: Salutations and’…well, there’s a long stretch of formalities, actually.  After that, ‘Having heard stories of what your magnificent primroses are capable of, it occurs to us that they may possess a most fascinating potential: could their water-absorbing abilities be implemented on a grander scale, they may provide a method of lowering the overbearing sea level brought about by our horribly-misaligned climate.  Since such an outcome would prove most desirable to both kappa and humans, we wish to propose a collaboration between our two species to explore the viability of this solution.  Expertise with these primroses is something only humans possess, and should you be willing to lend it to this cause, we are prepared to make arrangements for you to work alongside one of the empire’s brightest minds.  Of course, we understand that this proposal may incite an excess of caution, and expect due negotiations to be conducted to create an environment in which both parties involved feel truly safe.  Our scientist has similarly been informed of the potential risks and has accepted them.  Provided no harm is inflicted upon him, you have our most sacred word that you shall also not come to any harm as a result of this collaboration.  Should this be acceptable, or should there be further questions you wish answered, it is requested that a reply be delivered via The Honorable Former Burgrave Okagami Urataki.  With most sincere regards: Her Grace The Most Noble The Duchess of The South.’”

Ash scratched his head.  “The sea level?  Why the hell would the kappa want to lower the sea level—it’s one of their biggest advantages!”

“No, it makes sense,” Marisol said.  “Kappa originally thrived in freshwater—it was only because of the rising oceans that they underwent mutations that included adaptation to saltwater.  It’s not that strange to think some of them might have a preference.”

He grimaced and crossed his arms.  “Okay, but I still don’t buy it.  It’s a trap.  There’s no way this is not a trap.”

Marisol shook her head, tapping the letter.  “She gave her word no harm would come to me.  You know how kappa are about their word.”

“Sure, but…!”  Ash sighed, wondering not for the first time if Marisol trusted kappa more than humans.  “Okay.  Assuming it’s somehow not a trap…what are you thinking?”

Her gaze wandered upward.  “Hard to say, I guess.  My first reaction is just pure shock.”  She tapped her fingers.  “I’ve sat in on some of Doc’s ideas about lowering the sea level, and I have wondered if there was a way the primroses could help.  It didn’t get very far due to the issue of scale, but with imperial resources…yeah.  That just might make it possible—make it worth looking into, at least.”

A smile came to Marisol’s lips.  Gabriela fanned out her petals, and the line of ferns nearby swayed gently, the motion flowing down the line like a wave.  Ash’s stomach twisted.

“This is…actually a huge opportunity!  This is a chance to enact real, meaningful change that could benefit the whole planet!  This is great!”

Light was practically bursting from her, it seemed to him.  He couldn’t remember the last time he saw her so excited.  His heart began to ache.

“Ash, I…”  Her light dimmed as she laid eyes on his expression.  “Come on, Ash, I’ll be fine!  There’s no need to worry.”

“How can I not worry about the idea of you going to live and work with imperial kappa for who-knows-how-long?  That’s one of the most easily justifiable sources of worry that could possibly exist.”

“My safety has been promised.”

“But you’re…!”  He stumbled over the irony of their current exchange.  “You’re taking what she says at face value.”

Marisol cocked her head a moment.  “I see it more as an educated assessment.  It’ll be comparatively safe.”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’ll make sure things are safe when we negotiate the specifics.  And if things do get ugly, Gabriela and I can handle ourselves.”

“Yeah, of course, but…”  He reached out, gently brushing aside her hair.  “I can’t shake this bad feeling.  There’s no way to be completely sure of what’ll happen if you do this.”

She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his palm.  “Yeah.  I know that feeling pretty well.”

He basked in her beauty as he tried to find the words he needed.  Leaning forward, he pressed their foreheads together and said, “I don’t know.  I feel like I should do everything I can to stop you, but I know better than to try to make decisions for you.  I just want you to be safe, Mari…I…”

His throat ran dry.  It happened every time he tried to tell her, not that he understood why.  Marisol gently pushed him back, leaving her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him.  “We’ve both got a lot to think about.  For now, maybe it’s best if we just shelve it.  I will if you will?”

He hesitated, but then he nodded.  “Sure…we should have some time, at least.”

“Right.  And you should be spending it resting—give your shoulder a chance to finish healing.  Off to bed.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright.”  His stomach growled.  “But first, I need to eat something.  Photosynthesis might help but it just isn’t the same.  Care to join me?”

Marisol’s stomach growled back.  “Um…yes.  I think I will.”

Ash stood and offered his arm to Marisol, grinning with his teeth.  She rolled her eyes, but took it nonetheless.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Rivers Branching (draft of opening)

As he tumbled downhill, crashing against or through at least a dozen trees along the way, Ash could only hope that the plethora of SNAPS he heard came from branches rather than his bones.  He finally skidded to a stop in a muddy ditch and tested his body: it hurt like hell, but he could still move normally.  With a heave, he pushed himself high enough to grab the edge of the ditch, but froze when he realized he could no longer feel the rain.  Looming over him was a tall, lanky creature with face and shell like a turtle, its gleaming yellow eyes locked on him.  The top of its skull was indented into a circular bowl of sorts, currently overflowing with rainwater.  Stooping, it slowly extended its webbed claw.

“Terribly sorry, friend,” it said in a hoarse yet piercing voice.  “Seems I misjudged the incline on that ledge.  Looked like a nasty fall—are you still in one piece?”

Ash grunted.  “Don’t mock me!”

The creature took a step back.  “Oh no, not at all.  I apologize if I came across as such.  Let me know when you’re ready to resume.”

Pulling himself up, Ash took a quick glance at his surroundings.  There wasn’t much to see: hills towered over either side of the valley, and all he could see beyond that was a pall of gray rainclouds.  He glared at his enemy and lifted one arm; in a matter of seconds, a reddish-yellow flower bloomed from his wrist.  “Let’s go!”

A vine rapidly grew from the flower, shooting across the gap ready to skewer its target.  The creature dashed aside and stayed low, changing direction after a few steps, and charged straight at Ash with its claws spread wide.  Ash hopped forward—the end of the vine buried itself in the hillside and retracted, reeling him out of harm’s way.  He rolled into a crouch just as his anchor freed itself, seeing that his foe was still bearing down on him.  A multitude of smaller vines grew from his flower, weaving a thorned glove around his fist, and he led with his shoulder before throwing a deadly straight…that missed spectacularly.  The air fled his lungs as the creature thrust an elbow into his gut.

“One thing I will say is that you’re quite determined.”  The creature slowly circled around him as he writhed.  “A strength to be certain, though one must take care to prevent it from congealing into pure stubbornness.”

Ash stabbed at it with a lance made of vines.  His foe kicked his arm back and grabbed his face—the water dripping from its skin was nearly enough to drown him.  The next thing Ash knew, he was in a heap on the far side of the valley.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk.  Truth be told, friend, I find myself starting to wonder if you truly knew what you were getting into.  I mean really: a land-dweller picking a fight with a kappa in the middle of a rainstorm?  If your aim was to win, then one would think you’d have at least waited for the weather to clear up!”

“Oh, shove it!”  Ash climbed to his feet, wiping blood and dirt from his face.  “I’m not giving you the chance to make it back to the Earl!  One way or another, I’m going to wring you dry right here!”

He formed a bow next, sending forth a volley of arrows.  The kappa swiftly wove around the projectiles.  Just as it prepared to pounce, the next arrow exploded in mid-flight, scattering arboreal shrapnel across the creature’s path.  It managed to stop its forward momentum, but Ash didn’t let up: he kept firing arrows until he saw the kappa stumble and fall directly onto one of the thorny caltrops.  The bit of plant matter lit up, followed by a terrible shriek from its victim.  The kappa rolled onto its back and clawed at it frantically, its skin slowly but surely constricting and shriveling as the moisture was rapidly siphoned out of it.

“Got you!”

Ash ran forward, reshaping his bow into another glove.  Once he was close enough, he leapt at the kappa, summoned all his might, and slammed his fist down.  He struck only dirt.  The kappa flung itself just out of reach, plucked out the caltrop accosting it, and then smashed the human fighter’s skull into the ground.

“Haah…that was…clever…”  It rose slowly, the rain quickly restoring its body to health.  “My apologies: I underestimated you.  Allow me to rectify that mistake.”

Ash’s head throbbed.  He flopped a few inches away, short vines from his flower swiping blindly, but it did him no good as the kappa strode over, picked him up, and bit into his shoulder.  Pain shoved aside all other thoughts as the creature’s powerful beak cleaved flesh from bone, keeping firm its grip even as the kappa pulled back and spat.

“Mrrmm…that’s right, I forgot.  Those primroses of yours leave some truly dreadful seeds throughout the host’s body.  Pity: a waste of perfectly good food.  In that case…”

It bared its claws.  Ash did his best to push through the pain, to dig up some last reservoir of strength, but only a single thought came to his mind: Marisol…

The kappa turned sharply; another arrow was flying towards it, and it slashed through the bolt.  A cloud of spores burst out of the splintered arrow.  Gasping and choking, the kappa dropped Ash and stumbled backward.  Ash hit the ground hard but got right back up.  He began to lift his arm once again, but someone stepped in front of him: a young woman about his age wearing an armored wetsuit identical to his own but with patches of red rather than gray.  Sitting in her hair, glowing brilliantly, was a flower like the one on his wrist.  “Don’t be stupid—get back!”

“M…Marisol?”  He winced.  Vines from his flower were wrapping tightly around his shoulder to staunch the bleeding.  “You’re here already?  How did you stop the other one so fast?”

Marisol didn’t answer.  She kept her gaze fixed on the kappa, who cleared its throat one last time before wiping its beak.  “Well now…that was a bit underhanded, don’t you think?  In any case, I should introduce myself.”  It spread its arms and bowed.  “I am Kamikawa Getsumaru, Baron of the Western Antarctic Islands, here by request of the Earl of the Southern Waters.  And you are?”

Marisol stepped back.  “Not alone.”

A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky just then, striking Kamikawa dead-on.  It shrieked once again as the electricity surged through its entire body, leaving it charred and smoking when it had passed.  Ash’s eyebrows went up.

“I’ll give you one chance,” Marisol said.  The flower in her hair fanned out its petals, slowly extending four long vines covered in thorns.  “Leave.  Now.”

Ash reached for her shoulder.  “Mari, wait, we can’t just let it go!  We—ow!”  A vine lightly smacked his fingers away, making him recoil.

Almost groggily, Kamikawa looked around the valley, but ultimately it took another bow.  “I think…I shall accept your gracious offer.  Well-played, humans.  I look forward to our next meeting.”  And with that, it was gone.

Ash grunted.  “…Thanks.  I owe you one.”

Marisol whirled and grabbed him by the collar.  Her teeth were clenched, and orange light burned in her eyes.  “I’m real fucking tired of you owing me!  How have you still not learned to avoid getting nearly killed in the first place?!”

“I didn’t…”  A range of emotions flipped through Ash’s mind, but beneath it all he could feel a layer of shame providing a foundation.  “It’s…not…”  He took Marisol by the wrist—she was trembling.  “…I’m sorry, alright?”

“No, it’s not.”  She gave a long sigh as she let go of him.  “But…now’s not the time.”

Ash then realized they were not alone.  Standing nearby was someone new: another human, middle-aged if Ash had to guess from his white bear and frayed gray hair.  He wore badly scratched glasses that hid his eyes, and the trench coat he wore looked to be made more of dirt than of cloth.  Ash’s eyes settled on the massive tome tucked under his arm.

“Is that a spellbook?  I guess you’re responsible for that bolt, then.  Thanks for your help, mister, uh…?”

The ragged stranger slowly adjusted his glasses.  Marisol fidgeted too, which made Ash feel very uneasy very quickly.

“It’s been a long time, Ashton,” the stranger said.  “…I do apologize for that.  My name is Garrick Blackwood.  I am your biological father.”

Ash blinked.  He turned to Marisol, who nodded.  He looked at his primrose, which stood eerily still.  Looking back up at Garrick, he began to feel faint, and blurted out the only thing he could: “…What?”

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

Ash lay on his back in the tent serving as a makeshift infirmary.  His shoulder was properly bandaged but still bleeding, so he had been instructed not to do anything too strenuous.  That order was impossible to fulfill, however, since Garrick perched like a gargoyle on a chair next to his mat.

“Are you in pain?” Garrick asked.

Utter anguish, asshole, Ash thought.  Out loud, he instead answered, “I’ll be fine.  Something like this should only take a day or two to heal.”

Garrick glanced at the flower on Ash’s wrist.  “Ah, yes.  I’d been told that enhanced healing was one of the advantages granted by the scorch-wither primroses Laverne has been employing.  Remarkable specimen: there have long been theories about sapient plant species, but the idea of one being psychic seemed ludicrous.”

Ash shifted, watching the flower sway gently.  “…Zoe.”

“Pardon?”

“Her name is Zoe.”

“Ah.  I see.”

Rain drummed against the sides of the tent.

“Ashton, I—”

“Why don’t we just cut to the chase?  Where the fuck have you been?  You abandon Oren and me before I’m even a week old, and now, twenty years later, you suddenly decide it’s a good time to drop by for a visit?”

Garrick took a long pause.  “I was searching for something.  I knew it would be too dangerous to bring the two of you with me, so I left you in Laverne’s care.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“If there were any other option—”

“Raising your sons wasn’t an option?  What was so damn important you had to drop everything, huh?”

Garrick opened the book he carried.  “A way to defeat the kappa regime once and for all.”

Ash lifted his head.  “…What?”

“I had a lead,” Garrick said, flipping through pages.  “In my studies of magic, I had gathered enough evidence to suggest that an exceptionally powerful grimoire was involved in High King Kuzenbo’s plan to seize control of the planet.  It stands to reason that, if this grimoire can so completely change the state of the world, it can also be used to undo that change.  But I needed more information: exactly what I was looking for, an idea of where to find it…”  He paused before flipping the next page.  “It took far, far longer than I was expecting.”

After turning the page one last time, he held the book out for Ash to see.  Spread across the open pages were a few photographs of a book changing hands and copious hand-written notes he couldn’t entirely make out.  At the bottom, in large, clear letters, was printed “WUKONG CODEX".

“It exists, without a doubt.  And there are several accounts claiming that, among the eclectic list of spells it details, it contains information about chaos magic—highly effective in dismantling a world-spanning order.”  He snapped the book shut, giving the closest thing to a smile Ash had yet seen.  “With this, we can take them down.  I’ve tracked it and believe it to be somewhere in the vicinity of the Eurasian Delta, so I felt the time was right to share my findings with Laverne and secure her assistance in conducting an extraction.”

Ash stared at the book, dead-silent.  Garrick stiffened.  Before either could say anything more, the tent rustled and Marisol stepped inside; a large, flat leaf had grown from her primrose to shield her from the rain, and it flicked the water outside before retracting back into the flower.  Marisol stayed near the door squinting at Garrick.  After a moment, he rose.

“…I suppose I should let you rest.  We can talk more on the way back to headquarters.”  He raised one hand, hesitated, and then pat Ash on his good shoulder.  “It is…good to see you, Ashton.  Sleep well.”

Ash stayed quiet as Garrick left.  Marisol came to his side and crossed her arms.  “…How do you feel?”

He tried to put it into words.  In the end, all he could do was shrug one shoulder with a sweeping gesture.  Marisol smiled.

“I guess that’s to be expected.”  She reached out towards his primrose, lightly brushing it with her fingers.  “Zoe seems flustered too.  We really need to get her some sunlight ASAP…”

“Did we bring a UV lamp?”

“Nope.  Didn’t think we’d need it since we weren’t supposed to do any fighting.”

“Ah…right.”

She crossed her arms again; he could hear her foot tapping.

“…Right…”

Marisol looked up at the ceiling.  “I don’t want to press the issue right now, but…can I just ask what you were thinking?”

“Oh?  Well, first of all, thank you for assuming that I was thinking.”

She rolled her eyes.

“Haha…I, um…I thought I had an opportunity, really.  I didn’t see that kappa had backup, so I saw a chance to take it out and prevent whatever intel it had gathered from making it back to the Earl.”  He scratched his bandages.  “Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

Marisol’s foot stopped.  “Hm.  And, did you think at all about who else your actions might impact?”

“Yeah, I consulted Zoe, made sure she was okay with it before—”

“That’s not what I mean, Ash.”  She leaned over him, their gazes locking.  “Did you think at all about how the rest of us would feel if you died?”

His heartbeat quickened—he winced as the increased bloodflow seeped out of his wound.  “I…it wasn’t my plan to die, but…if I did, then at least I was helping to keep you safe.”

“So no.”

“I just said—”

“No, that’s not thinking about how we’d feel.  That’s not thinking past the situation you made for yourself!  I would still have to wake up tomorrow knowing that you were gone—I would still have to carry that pain for the rest of my life.  But you never think about anything beyond the fighting!”

Ash scowled.  “Hey, that’s not—”

“No?  Okay.  What if we toppled the kappa regime tomorrow, then?  What would you do with yourself after that?”

Ash averted his eyes.

“You haven’t thought about it, have you?  At all.”

“Alright, what’ve you got, then?”

Marisol turned away, sitting on the side of his mat.  “Plenty!  I’ve already begun gathering samples of various plant life and roughly plotted out where they need to be grown to repair the Earth’s biodiversity.  I want to learn to cook—I could start now, sure, but it’s not like we have the resources for me to learn much other than different ways to grill fish.  And little things: I want to visit an old-fashioned beach, sail on calm waters, run through a field of flowers so big I can’t see the end of it…”

Ash looked up at her.  A dull ache began to form in his heart.

“…I want a house.  Two-story, somewhere rural, with a greenhouse for my botany studies.  Some sort of pet, I don’t know what.”

Ash picked at his bandages.  “…And, uh…any other humans living in Marisol’s Dream Home?”

She turned her head.  “That mostly depends on you.”

He nodded.

“Ash…I know things look bleak.  I get that fighting against the regime is the only way you feel like you have any control—I don’t want you to stop.”  She gently took his hand.  “But the only way any of us are going to get through this, if we want to keep even a shred of our souls intact, is to have something to hope for when the fighting is over.”

The ache grew stronger.  “…Okay.  I’ll give it some thought.”

She smiled.  His pain vanished for a moment.  She lifted his hand, kissed it, and said, “Rest up.  We’ll head back in the morning.”

“Okay.  Good night.”

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Rivers Regalia

The hallway ended in an open dock of sorts, sloping down into the ocean.  Near its edge stood a kappa with icy blue skin and close-trimmed navy hair, clad in a reflective blue coat accented with water-resistant gold leaves.  From his belt hung a scabbard inlaid with a haphazard rainbow of gemstones, each more garish than the last, and he rested his hand upon the pommel of a golden hilt emerging from it.  A smile just as garish as his gems sat proudly on his beak.

A shape slowly emerged from the fog over the ocean: an iceberg roughly the size of a one-person sailing vessel, its outline unnaturally smooth.  Carved into one side was an eight-pointed star design, with the point going straight down enlarged to turn the other seven into something like a crown atop it.  Out from beneath it emerged four kappa outfitted with insulated armor, each connected to the iceberg by a long chain; they pulled the frozen monolith as close to the slope as they could and nodded in unison.  Suddenly the surface of the iceberg began to undulate, as if rapidly melting and refreezing, its outer shell splitting open and reaching out like the petals of some massive flower.  Inside was a throne of solid ice, and upon it sat a sleeping kappa with snow-white skin tinged faintly blue.  She wore a long-sleeved kimono that glittered like diamond dust, with an ocean-gray boa hanging from her shoulders; as she opened one eye, she brushed back her long, smooth black hair, and then drew a folding fan embroidered with lines of kanji before finally standing.

“Her Grace The Most Noble The Duchess of The South,” announced one of the chain-bearing kappa.

The garish kappa bowed deeply—the water in the bowl of his skull spilled out, but he did not react.  “It is our great honor to welcome you here, Your Grace.  I am Tsuminami Numachihiko, Earl of the Southern Waters.  It is a privilege to bear witness to your noble visage.”

The Duchess smiled.  “Thank you for your fine greeting, my esteemed compatriot.  You may stand.”  She gently swung out her fan as he did.  A thin steam of water reached up out of the ocean, twisting through the air to refill the dish of the lower-ranking kappa.

“If it pleases Your Grace, I’ve prepared a tour of our facilities,” the Earl said.  “I am confident you will find our operations to your liking.”

The Duchess disembarked, slowly fanning herself with each step.  “Perhaps later, thank you.  The main reason for my visit was actually to discuss a project I’ve been contemplating.”

“A project?  What sort of project might that be, Your Grace?”

“You can think of it as extending an olive branch to the humans.”

The Earl’s eyes widened.  “The humans?”

She covered the lower half of her face with her fan.  “My, what a sudden shift…”

Snapping to attention, the Earl said, “Ah, um, no, that…my apologies, Your Grace, I was simply shocked, I would never mean—”

“OH-ho-ho-ho-ho!  Be at ease, Lord Tsuminami; I am aware of how shocking this idea may seem.”

The Earl cleared his throat.  “Y-You are most magnanimous, Your Grace…”

The Duchess continued down the hall, saying, “I hear quite frequently of these most peculiar plants utilized by that human militant faction in the Andes—some manner of primrose, I believe?  A mere touch of their vines can drain all moisture from a kappa in a matter of seconds.  One cannot help but wonder what other applications such an ability might have.”

“But, Your Grace…uh, if I may.  The inherent danger possessed by these primroses is not to be underestimated!  Giving the humans even the smallest opportunity to use them against us could prove fatal!”

The Duchess hummed.  “That is a key risk to keep in mind.  Yet I imagine the humans would also have similar hesitation.  If we can assure them no harm will come to them, surely they would see to it no harm comes to us.”

The Earl tightened his grip on his sword.  “A logical thought, Your Grace.  However, I must advise against trusting the word of a human: deception is their lifeblood, and good manners the farthest thing from their nature.”

“OH-ho-ho-ho-ho!  I see you’re quite adamant!  I shall keep your recommendation in mind, Lord Tsuminami, but please take no offense if I continue to consider the issue.”

“No, not at all, Your Grace.  If I may ask…did you have some end in mind, were it possible to unlock the secrets of the primrose?”

The Duchess took a long pause, glancing back at the ocean.  “Have you become accustomed to saltwater, Lord Tsuminami?”

“Ah…I suppose so, yes.”

“I have not.  It’s such a dreadful brew, unpleasant to the eyes, the skin, the tongue.  I should like to see less of it.”

The Earl inclined his head.  “Then, you think the primroses’ prodigious thirst may help to lower the sea level?”

“That is my hope—or that they might in some other way help us to address the lingering effects of our disastrous climate.  It’s something the humans want as well, which is what leads me to believe their cooperation is possible.”

“I see…”

“But if you are so averse to this prospect, then I shall cease for the time being.  Let us have a chat about what you’ve been working on, hm?”

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

what is the MLA-approved way to represent the ojou-sama laugh in written dialogue

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Rivers Branching (draft part b)

Even with the extraordinary heights the ocean had risen to, the Central Andes Mountains still managed to tower above it proudly.  Ash, Marisol, and Garrick followed a narrow path across the rock face that skirted the water’s edge.  Thick rainclouds and thicker silence hung over the travelers, until a boulder up ahead shifted and something stepped out.  Garrick’s dull eyes flashed to life.  “It’s a kappa!”

This one was far less imposing than the Baron they had just made the acquaintance of: he stood at a mere four feet, give or take the hunch on his back, and a sea of wrinkled green skin churned beneath long, scraggly white hair that hung from the sides of the dish in his head and from his face in an unkempt beard.  Garrick opened his spellbook immediately, but the kappa only ducked behind his walking stick with a cry of “Oh, goodness!”

Ash grabbed Garrick’s outstretched arm and pulled him back.  “Hey, cut it out!  He’s not our enemy!”

Garrick’s brow furrowed.  “Beg your pardon?”

“It’s true, Mr. Blackwood,” Marisol said as she positioned herself between him and the creature.  “This is Okagami-san—he’s been a close ally of Commander Willow’s for a long time now.”

Okagami quietly cleared his throat.  “Ah, good morning!  Ever so sorry for frightening you; somehow I always forget to give newcomers a wider berth.”

Garrick kept his eyes locked on Okagami.  “Hm.  That’s right, I forgot that Laverne won this place from a kappa official.”

“Kyeheheh,” Okagami chuckled.  “She’s quite the formidable shogi player.  I never had a chance.”  He perked up.  “Oh?  Ash, are you injured?”

Ash grimaced.  “It’s, uh, nothing serious.  Speaking of Commander Willow, is she available, do you know?”

“Oh yes: she actually sent me to collect you three.  If you’ll follow me, please.”

Marisol and Ash were quick to comply.  Garrick waited a few moments before closing his spellbook and heading after them.

Carved inside the mountains were great, intricate tunnel systems lined with electric lighting and filled with countless humans.  The path leading outside was rough-hewn, but the walls smoothed out gradually, with the larger chambers more finely detailed with artistic intent.  After crossing four such chambers, the party ascended a spiral staircase to a floor with one open wall supported by pillars that turned into an outside balcony; rather than step out, however, they came to a set of massive double doors that opened with a knock from Okagami’s staff.  The hall beyond was coated in polished tiles, and empty save for the desk opposite the entrance.  There sat an older woman, tall with deep brown skin and dreadlocks in various shades of green, who rose at their arrival and straightened the emerald jacket of her uniform as they came closer.

“Reporting in, Commander Willow,” Marisol said.  “We are ready for debriefing at your leisure.”

The Commander gave a low hum.  “Debriefing.  Right.  Where to even begin…”

Garrick stepped forward.  “Greetings, Laverne.  You seem to be doing well.”

She looked him up and down.  “Wish I could say the same.  But then again, I’m just shocked to see you’re still alive.”

Willow then turned to Ash.  He swallowed hard.  “Uh, ma’am.”

“There’s plenty we could discuss about your behavior on this mission.”  She pinched the bridge of her nose.  “But.  Now probably isn’t the time.”

Ash let out a long breath.

“First of all, how are you healing?”

“Fine.”  He set a hand on his wounded shoulder, and his scorch-wither primrose sprouted from his wrist.  “Zoe’s been taking great care of me, nothing to worry about.”

“That’s good.”  Willow glanced at Garrick.  “And how’re you doing…otherwise?”

Ash cast his gaze aside; Zoe wilted in the same direction.  “Eh…I’ll let you know when I figure it out.  Um, Commander.”

“On a related note, if I may,” Marisol said.  “Healing Ash has used up a lot of Zoe’s energy, so if possible, I would recommend we keep this succinct in order to get her under a UV lamp as soon as possible.”

Willow nodded, but before she could reply, Garrick said, “The bottom line: I’ve discovered the general location of the Wukong Codex, and request additional support in retrieving it.”

Okagami’s long eyebrows went up.  “The Wukong Codex?  Well, well, well.  If we could wrest that from Kuzenbo-sama’s control, it would be a devastating blow to his empire.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Willow said.  “Garrick, when you say ‘general location’, what exactly do you mean?  How general are we talking?”

Flipping through his book, he said, “I’ve confirmed it to be in the Eurasian Delta, but nothing more concrete than that.”

“I thought as much.  Now, I know you’ve been gone awhile, but tell me: do you think we have the manpower to comb through the entire Eurasian Delta?”

“It needn’t be the entire Delta.  I imagine a team of approxima—”

“Missing the point.  What I’m saying is that we’re already stretched thin, especially now that the Earl of the Southern Waters is ramping up attacks on this base.  Even sending a small team would carry a lot of risk, and without more to go on, I’m not sure it’d be the right call.”

Garrick frowned.  “But…Laverne.  This could change everything.  The Codex is our best bet at overthrowing Kuzenbo and freeing humanity from the kappa.  Is that not worth the risk?”

Ash shifted his weight.  Marisol glanced at him.

“This is going to be a long discussion, I’m sure,” Willow said.  “We’ll save it for later.  Marisol, Ash, you’re relieved.  Go take care of Zoe.  As for you, Garrick: I’ll set aside some time for us to talk things over properly.  In the meantime, take the chance to rest.  It looks like you could use it.”

Willow returned to her seat.  Garrick lingered a moment, but ultimately left with the others.  As they neared the door, Okagami tapped Marisol’s arm, saying, “Pardon me, but before I forget again: there’s something I have for you, dear Marisol.”

Marisol tilted her head as Okagami produced an envelope: the paper was gold-colored, with flowing designs etched into the corners and some sort of wax seal keeping it shut.  Taking it, she said, “Um…thank you.  But, what—”

Okagami held a finger to his beak.  “I might recommend opening that when you’re alone, my dear.  It’s something I imagine will come as a bit of a shock.”

Marisol nodded slowly as she and the others exited Willow’s office, closing the doors behind them.  Garrick said, “I don’t understand her hesitance.  I’ll just have to be more persuasive, I suppose."

"Right," Ash said, “well, good luck with that.  I have to go, but I’m sure someone around here can help you find a place to stay.”

“What about your brother?  Where is he?”

Ash and Marisol both went still.  Clenching his fists, Ash took a deep breath and turned around—

—just as a woman came running out of nowhere to punch Garrick off his feet.

“You’ve got a lot of nerve showing your face around here, old man!” she said, removing the black jacket of her uniform before cracking her knuckles.  “Come on, get up!”

Ash did his best to stifle a chuckle.  “Uh, thanks, Brenda, but I’ve got it under control.”

She swiveled to face him.  “Huh?!  The hell you mean, kid?  If I’d seen you taking shots at him I wouldn’t’ve interrupted, but—”

Garrick groaned as he picked himself up.  “My word, what is going on in this place…?”

Brenda started to move, but Marisol grabbed her wrist.  “Brenda, that’s enough for now!”

“Not even fucking close!  I ain’t quitting until this deadbeat is on death’s door!  It’s the least he deserves after abandoning Oren and Ash!”

Garrick adjusted his glasses.  “I was away longer than anticipated—I grant you that.  But who are you?  And where is Oren?  I’d like to—”

“He’s dead.”  Ash dug his fingers into his bandages.  “…He died a long time ago, Dad.”

Garrick’s face went blank.  Brenda huffed, then took Ash by the shoulder and led him down the spiral staircase, Marisol just a few steps behind.

“…Seems you got banged up pretty good, kid,” Brenda said a few floor later.  “Zoe probably needs to recharge, I’m guessing?  You, uh, want company?”

Ash rubbed his neck.  “I appreciate it, but…”

“Sure, no worries.  But if you do wanna talk, come find me, okay?”  She ruffled his hair a little, kissed the top of his head, and then stopped at the nearest landing, while Ash and Marisol continued on.

“Have to admit,” Marisol said, “I didn’t think she’d go right for him like that.”

Ash scoffed.  “You kidding?  She used to put me to bed by telling me stories about all the different ways she was going to injure him if he ever came back.”

“Heh, yeah, I believe it.  How often did she repeat herself?”

“It was a shockingly rare occurrence.  She’s very creative.”

Eventually the two of them disembarked on a lower level and reached a small laboratory.  As the lights flickered on, Ash sat on the one available stool next to the room’s island console, while Marisol opened a cabinet and rummaged a bit to find a small lamp.  Setting it on the console, she angled it carefully and reached towards Zoe.  The flower perked up, extending her stem so she could slither forward and wrap around the base of the lamp, which bathed her in ultraviolet light when Marisol turned it on.  She spread her petals and twirled slightly; Ash could feel her elation as if it were his own, bringing a smile to his lips.

“Didn’t take long for Doc to make a mess of this place,” Marisol grumbled as she cleared a second stool.  The primrose in her hair also slowly snaked her way towards the lamp, settling next to Zoe and lapping up the rays.  “Don’t smother her, Gabriela, she’s exhausted.”

The two flowers basked happily as Marisol finally took her seat.  Ash placed his chin on his knuckles, saying, “You worry too much.”

She raised one eyebrow and gave him a dull look.  “Am I supposed to take that seriously, my most frequent patient?”

“Hey, sometimes I’m not even hurt: I just come for the bedside manner.”

“Hmm.  Well if you keep pulling stupid stunts like this one, you’ll be seeing a lot less of me at your bedside.”

“Noted.”  He turned to look at the wall, a row of potted plants sitting against it in a neat line.  “Those ferns are already looking a lot better.”

Marisol leaned against the console.  “They’re resilient.  All they needed was some fresh air pumped in.”

“Don’t sell yourself short!  I dare anyone to find a better psychobotanist in the whole world!”

She rolled her eyes.  “I’d settle for just another psychobotanist.”

“See?  Your skill is unmatched!”

“Heh…well…flattering as all this is.”  Marisol’s tone turned somber.  “I think we need to talk seriously, at least a little.”

Ash sighed.  “Probably…but do we have to?”

Marisol took his hand.  “I’m asking you to.”

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Genre Sampler Platter

Young Adult:

This world really is a little slice of Hell, huh?  Won’t stop me from burning it down.

Romance:

“Love isn’t something you have to deserve, okay?  All that matters is choosing to love someone—and I choose to love you.”

Speculative Fiction:

“Please: if we don’t update the software in their implants, they’ll die!”

“You should have been more proactive in finding a way to pay for it, then.”

Contemporary Fiction:

“So…how about that weather?”

“Shush, I’m doing my taxes!”

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

River's Rebuke

“The hell were you thinking?!”

Ash flinched.  “I was…just trying to—”

The woman in front of him held up a hand.  She was tall, with deep brown skin and dreadlocks sporting various shades of green.  Straightening her emerald jacket, she rounded her desk and sat down before looking back up at him.  “You were there to gather intel.  I remember explicitly telling you not to attack.  What part of that didn’t sink in?”

Clenching his teeth, Ash said, “It wasn’t my plan!  I saw an opportunity, so I took it!  I thought the chance to take out Earl Tsuminami was worth the risk!”

“That was not your call to make!  Do you have any idea how lucky you are to be here right now, rather than digesting in a kappa’s stomach?”

He hung his head.  “Commander Willow—”

“No.  Of course you don’t.  If kappa weren’t so obsessed with their sense of manners—if Baron Kamikawa hadn’t just happened to have promised not to interfere, you’d be fish food!”  She sighed, gently massaging her temples.  “…I am glad you made it back safe.  But for fuck’s sake, Ash: you need to dial it back before you get yourself killed.”

Ash thought a moment, but no words came to mind.  He simply nodded.

“Good.”  Willow flipped open a folder on her desk.  “I want you to stay on-base for the time being.  Here: take these documents to the lab, then go get some rest.”

He took the folder and was gone in a second.  His pace then slowed dramatically, and he trudged his way down the sun-drenched stone hall, nearly missing the girl waiting at the top of the nearest staircase.  Dirty blonde hair fell in waves over her shoulders; the uniform she wore was similar in style to the Commander’s, only strawberry-colored, and she wore steel-toed boots that beat out a furious tempo as she tapped her foot.  Ash both was and wasn’t happy to see her.

“Ah…Marisol,” he said with a weak wave.  “I, uh, take it you heard how things went.”

“I did.”  Her foot went still.  A reddish-yellow flower sat in her hair, its petals slowly stiffening into points like quills on a hedgehog.  “…Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.  A little soreness, some wounded pride, but…fine.”

“What about Zoe?”

Ash raised his hand, and a flower like the one in Marisol’s hair bloomed from his wrist.  She brushed her fingers against it, tilting her head for a few seconds, and ultimately gave a satisfied nod.

“We should get her some sunlight.”

“Uh, I have to head to the lab first.”  Ash motioned with the folder.  “Commander Willow wanted me to deliver this.”

“I see.  I’ll go with you, then.”

They descended the giant stone staircase, its spiraling path completing one, two, three full loops before Ash cleared his throat.  “I did consult Zoe.  Before I…went off-plan.  Just so you know.”

The flower in Marisol’s hair rustled.  “And why do you want me to know?”

“Huh?  Well…I didn’t want you to think I put her in danger without thinking, is all.”

“Right.  Better that you put her in danger knowing full well what you were doing.”

“That’s not…”  He shook his head.  “Nevermind.”

Two, four, eight loops.  Marisol stopped and, without turning to face him, said, “You’re both so eager to take risks.  I guess that’s why you bonded.  I know you didn’t act without thinking, Ash.  But there’s so many things you forget to take into consideration.”

He continued down the stairs.  “Like what?”

Something pulled him back and spun him around—vines, two long, thin ones that had sprouted from Marisol’s flower.  She jabbed one finger forward and said, “Like what?  How about the way the rest of us would feel if you died, idiot?”

Ash tugged at one of the vines.  “It’s not like I was planning to die!”

“But you knew you could!”

“I know I messed up!  Alright?  I’m sick and tired of all of us having to hide from the kappa like this—I can’t stand leaving them in control!”

“Everyone’s sick and tired of the kappa, Ash!  That’s no excuse for you to abandon common sense!”

Vines slowly grew from Ash’s flower, trying to gently wrest him free.  “Alright!  Alright.  Okay?”

Marisol glared at him a bit more before recalling her vines.  They walked the rest of the way to the lab in silence.  A bell sounded when they opened the door, and instantly someone started yelling at them.

“What is it?!  What’s happening—are we under attack?”  A short woman in a tattered lab coat leapt from a cot in the corner of the room, brandishing an empty beaker.  “You’ll never take me alive, you turtle-faced fucks!  Let’s dance!”

“Cool it, Doc,” Ash said.  “The only one you’re gonna hurt is yourself.”

A vine grew from Marisol’s flower to smack him in the back of the head, while the girl greeted, “Good evening, doctor!  We’re terribly sorry for waking you.”

The woman squinted at them, blinked a few times, and then turned to survey the lab.  “Oh…must’ve been a dream.  I was just trying to catch up on some shut-eye until I heard back from Laverne.”

Ash rubbed his head as he stepped forward.  “Uh, yeah, she said to give you this.”

“Hm?”  Doc took the folder and began to examine the contents.  “Ah, yes, this is it!  I had some new hypotheses regarding lowering the sea level, let’s see what she thinks…”

Ash looked up at the screen on the wall, glancing over the charts and figures displayed and wondering what they all meant.  “I didn’t realize we were still trying to do that.  Will it really help that much?”

“Of course!” Doc said, tossing the folder onto a low table.  “If we can find a way to repair the damage done to the planet’s climate over the past few generations, the sea should recede, taking away the kappa’s advantage and giving us more dry land to work with!”

“Sure, but don’t they still hold sway over the weather with that demon magic or whatever?  Dry land won’t help if it doesn’t stay dry.”

“Bah, of course I’ve thought of that!  Countering the kappa’s influence on the weather is already a part of our operation.”

“So you have a plan?”

“Not yet!”

Ash sighed.  Marisol said, “I’m more concerned about the way the kappa have mutated.  They originally needed freshwater, but now that they’ve been forced to adapt to saltwater, they’ll never be as contained as they once were.”

“Yes, yes, but the first step is the most important!” Doc said.  “Now then, did you need something?”

“Uh, no,” Ash said, “just making that delivery.”

“Then shoo!  I’m very busy!  Go on, now!”

Doc ushered them out of the lab and locked the door behind them.  Once he felt he had his bearings, Ash turned to Marisol and asked, “They used to need freshwater?”

Marisol nodded.  “Mm-hm.  Historical accounts refer to kappa strictly as river spirits.  It’s thought to be the main reason why they remained endemic to Japan prior to the ocean rising.”

“Huh.  Makes sense.”

“Yeah.”  She walked back over to the staircase.  “That’s all you had to do, right?  Let’s head to the garden so Zoe and Gabriela can get some sun.”

The two flowers swayed excitedly.  Ash contemplated making a protest, but he thought better of it.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

I have so many fic ideas that are just unrealistically ambitious that I think I should shift gears to writing fics that are more like bullet point overviews of an AU, it’d let me get so many more ideas out there and maybe even finish them in some capacity

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Sunflower and Waterlily

The entire sky was pouring down, and still, she couldn’t get a single damn second of silence.  Cars honked their horns, pedestrians shouted, and in the middle of it all, Savitri stood on the curb under a never-ending sheet of rain.  Her long black hair pressed against her face in a wild lattice of clumped strands, making it difficult to see much of anything.  She couldn’t care less even if she had the energy to actually try.

“Hey, what are you doing?!”

Ordinarily, the question would’ve just faded into the background noise around Savitri, with the assumption it was meant for someone else if she gave it a thought at all.  On this particular occasion, she was shocked into focus by the rain’s dance upon her head abruptly ending.

Savitri turned slowly.  A bright pink umbrella was responsible for shielding her from the weather, held by an out-of-breath woman with short, curly red hair.  After taking a few more gasps, the stranger said, “You’ll get seriously sick if you stand out in the rain like that!  Ah, you’re already shivering…”

That was news to Savitri.  She blinked her dull gray eyes, still unsure what was even happening let alone how to react to it.

“Here—come with me.”

She took her by the arm and led her into a nearby restaurant before Savitri processed a single step.  All of the sudden she was sitting in a booth, the other woman’s coat wrapped around her shoulders and a piping hot coffee in her hands.

“What were you doing out there?  Are you in some kind of trouble?  Do you need a ride?”

A long silence passed.  The stranger let out a breath, relaxed her shoulders, and sat back.

“…Sorry.  I’m probably overwhelming you, aren’t I?  I swear I’m not trying to be pushy, I just saw you out there and…well, anyway.  My name is Kelda!  What’s yours?”

Savitri just stared.

“…Um…that’s okay, if you don’t want to tell me.  Is your coffee good?  Can I get you anything?”

Her thoughts finally catching up to her, Savitri set aside her remaining reluctance and raised both hands, signing, “This isn’t going to work.”

Kelda inclined her head sharply.  “Oh…oh!  You’re mute?”

Savitri nodded.

“Ohhh, I see!  I, um, uh…sorry, but I don’t actually know sign language…”

Internally, Savitri reflected on how unsurprised she was to hear that.

“…Ah!  I know!”  Kelda fished her mobile phone out of her purse and smiled at Savitri.  “How about texting?”

Savitri cocked her head.  At this point, she realized, she had developed a morbid curiosity to see just how long this stranger would keep going, so she took out her own phone and exchanged numbers.

>Savitri: Are you always so quick to kidnap people?

She watched Kelda shrink back behind her phone.  “Mmm…”

>Kelda: So sorry! >_<  I panicked and got carried away!  I just wanted to help, honest! :D

Savitri raised an eyebrow.

>Savitri: You know *you* don’t have to text, right?

“Oh, right!”  Kelda giggled.  “Habit I guess!”

>Savitri: Why does your text look like that??

“What?  It’s cute!”

>Savitri: If you say so…

“Hmph…well, anyway.  What were you doing standing out in weather like this, Savitri?”

Savitri glanced out the window as she thought about her response.

>Savitri: I was hoping the rain would drown it all out

“Huh?  Drown what out?”

>Savitri: All of it.  It’s all just so loud and chaotic and irritating.  I was chasing relief, not that I found any.

Kelda opened her mouth but stopped before any words came out.  She took quick looks at Savitri, her phone, the window, and the empty booths surrounding them, and eventually typed something.

>Kelda: I’m sorry I interrupted you. “-_-  Is it any quieter in here at least? ^_^

Another long silence.

>Savitri: Yeah.  I guess it is.

Kelda grinned and slumped back into her seat.  To Savitri’s surprise, she started smiling too.

***

Savitri and Kelda stood on the curb as a never-ending sheet of rain poured onto their shared umbrella.  Cars honked their horns and pedestrians shouted, but Savitri found that the closer she pulled Kelda, the farther away all the noise seemed.

With a glance over her shoulder, Kelda signed, “Look!  It’s where we had our first date!”  She added meaningless little flourishes and elegantly wove each sign into the next; Savitri watched each move closely, enamored with the “voice” she had developed.

“Oh,” she signed back, “you mean the kidnapping?”

Kelda pouted.  “I did not kidnap you!  Honestly—”

Savitri cut her off by gently weaving her fingers into the hand she was signing with.  With her free hand, she signed, “I’m glad you did.”

She tried to hold her sour expression, but Kelda had her smile back in seconds.  She kissed Savitri’s hand, then Savitri kissed her cheek, and finally their lips met.  Strength momentarily failed Kelda: the umbrella slipped from her hand, and she and Savitri laughed together under the relentless rain.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Ow.  Here I am again.  Ow.  Five years we’ve been living here, but every time I look down from the roof of the complex, the sights that greet me have never changed.  Ow.  Vast, rolling slums stretch out to the horizon, dotted just a bit too sparsely with streetlights to give you any meaningful details if a cloud steps in front of the moon.  Ow.  Off to one side is the ocean of rusty scrap they call the “industrial sector”—damn thing can give you tetanus just from looking at it—while across from that a pristine chrome monolith of a building watches over the rabble from on high, doing everything it can to burn your retinas in record time.  Ow.  A crane swings slowly over a scaffolding, but after locking in place for a moment, it jerks, trembles, and crashes down into—OW!  “FUCK!”

I more or less throw myself onto the floor as sparks burst from my right arm.  Jian, bless her heart, scoops up the extinguisher in an instant, and in a few seconds I’m out, curled up in a smoking pile like the world’s prettiest bundle of firewood.  Soon I’m able to take a look at my arm: the charring on the casing looks like a tattoo artist got drunk with their pen in-hand, and the wires within were twisted together into a sickly lump that would’ve made my stomach churn if I still had one.

Jian crouches down next to me.  “Are you alright?”

“Peachy.”

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t—”

“It’s okay…it’s okay.”  It hurt like hell.  “No reason to apologize for an accident.”

She takes my shorted-out arm so gently it makes me want to sob.  “Still, I…I know my way around these implants, I shouldn’t…”

With my left hand, I grab my right shoulder and pop the prosthetic out of place.  “C’mon, it’s not like they were ever made to last this long.”

She already has her tools back in her hands, poking and prodding and prying my arm’s circuitry and panels and whatever the fuck else is in there.  I glance up towards the industrial sector: sirens wail as a massive fire slowly spreads over the dilapidated buildings and decommissioned machinery.  What a night, eh boys?

“Jian.”  I reach for her arm.  You’d have to be pretty generous to characterize my clumsy grasp as ‘gentle’.  “I can go a day or two with one arm.  Let’s go to bed—you’re going in early tomorrow, right?”

She doesn’t look up, just slowly turns a screwdriver.  “It’s alright, Tam, I think I’ve got it this time.  Just give me an hour or so to—”

The arm briefly sparks again, flailing itself out of her grip.  While she’s still stunned, I yank her onto her feet and give her a push towards the stairwell.  “Bed.  Now.”

The flames reach up high.  They’re still utterly dwarfed by that damn chrome skyscraper.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

*sword in hand, covered in blood but standing tall*

“RIGHT OF LAW SECTION XXXV IS REAL!”

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Cyborg plant people! Cyborg plant people? YES! Cyborg. Plant. People. Beautiful, unhuman, probably not within the top 10 list of common fantasy species. Cyborg plant people it is! Maybe. For now? Cyborg plant people, hm...

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Novel draft is finally complete and I want to wait a bit before making a serious editing run so Right of Law just became my top priority

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

I write some good lines on occasion

F i n a l l y  completed my read-through, thank God, and only have about 20 unresolved comments left on the document.  Plus, I want to revisit a list of concerns I made back when I finished the draft—I’ve ignored it until now because I thought it’d be better to approach with as fresh a perspective as possible.  If I can settle all those issues, I guess next would be getting a plan together for submissions, maybe seeing if I can get some beta readers…that feels extra weird with an original ~67k work though lol.

But hey, I can realistically say there’s a chance I’ll be submitting Ethernet Admin to publishers in a matter of months!