#transgender fiction

[acoupofowls]

A little bit cozy and a little bit creepy...

Our Autumn 2024 issue is now online, featuring:

The Nursing Home by Sarah Das Gupta

有緣無分 byEuan Lim

The Elegance of a Venus Flytrap by Christine Wolfram

The Sea Inside by TT Madden

One Condition by Arvee Fantilagan

The Nature of Nurture by Jenna Brook

Grieve for Us, O Gentry—We Are Skipped by Phillip E. Dixon

Cover Image by - Beatricenius Cover Design by - A Coup of Owls Press

Read or download here!

[zackprincebooks]

There is no god in the forest. There's nothing in there but animals and trees. Sometimes there is a deer, which is sometimes a wolf, and sometimes a fox. But there's no god. The town of Foxton is everything a town should be: devout, proper, and orderly. Everyone goes to morning service to hear Speaker Burton deliver the word of the Light Above, and then the ladies go to brunch to discuss town news. Lucy Keating tries to fit in, but living under Mother's disdainful gaze after Grandpa Sandy's death, she doesn't feel like she's living. After two men are killed by wolves on the night of the Flower Ball, fear and faith rattle the community. There is something in the forest hunting the people of Foxton, but it can't be a god. It must be a monster--or are the people turning into monsters? What is Lucy turning into?

To celebrate the spooky season, all mainstream chapters of Godhunt are public for anyone to read without a Ream account! That's right; chapters 6 and 7 are no longer locked to Followers-only, and everyone will be able to read them. If you are a Follower of my Ream page, you'll find that recipes and Lore and Cosmology posts are now available to you!

If you like:

-Fucked up deer -Quasi-historical settings -Tea parties -Fancy lesbians -Baking (the bread kind) -Trans and nonbinary characters -Jealous forest gods -The horror of mundanity -Small town mystery

Then Godhunt may be for you!

What's that? Do you prefer vampires? What about T4T Victorian vampire romance?

[kavalyera]

𝒔𝒆𝒊 𝒎𝒊𝒐 𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐 ( 𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒊 𝒊𝒓𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆 )

paura di uscire, anche se non accade | trans mtf!gianna d’antonio

⟢ a/n: la mia prima volta a scrivere in italiano scusate se ci sono errore :[

version on ao3 for quick translation | wc: 1090 | divider by @/benkeibear

Il buio gelido della mezzanotte che albeggia sulla casa della Famiglia D'Antonio, l'odore della polvere depositata su ciottoli e marmi, la puzza di un qualcosa di dolce, l'odore del mare che circonda l'Italia. Un mare freddo di notte. C'è un sentimento, quello disgustosamente opprimente dell'empatia. Non essere spietati per qualcuno, nientemeno che per Gianni stesso. Gianni D’Antonio. Il figlio d’oro. Il favorito della famiglia.

Santino è avido, è sempre stato un uomo avido, avido. Tutto quello che voleva, e anche di più, lo pretende da tutti gli altri. Lui è così.

Vuole tutto e ancora di più. Lui, è avido. Ma mantiene una facciata di elequonza.

"Gia", chiama Santino bussando alla stanza del fratello. La risposta? Silenzio. Santino bussa ancora, prima di decidere di aprire la porta a se stesso. “Gianni?” La stanza è buia, fredda. Molto freddo. L'odore del profumo—

Aspetta.

Profumo? Santino si guarda intorno nella stanza del fratello. Profuma di ciliegie e di odori dolci e femminili. Qualcosa che Santino si aspetterebbe dalle sue ragazze— e non dalla stanza di Gianni. Oro e ornamenti finemente lavorati sono sparsi ordinatamente per la stanza. Alle pareti sono appesi quadri, la collezione d'arte privata di Gia.

Santino invidia Gianni, da cose semplici a una comprensione molto più complessa. Il suo aspetto, la sua sicurezza, il suo carisma, il modo in cui si comporta; Santino vuole sentire che, la falcata sicura di Gia.

Un’altra cosa: è differente. Più morbida. Le coperte che drappeggiano il letto sono morbide, foderate di pizzo insieme ai cuscini. Fiori in vaso: sul comodino, nell'angolo, accanto all'armadio.

Ora che è qui, forse può rubare l'auto di Gianni per un'ora o due. Santino apre uno dei cassetti di Gia sulla scrivania per le chiavi dell'auto. Lo trova quasi subito, ma sotto c'è un piccolo quaderno. Suscita il suo interesse, così lo raccoglie rapidamente e si siede sul bordo del letto di Gia."Non gli dispiacerà se ho dato un'occhiata ai suoi pensieri,” Santino pensa che mentre sfoglia le pagine. Le parole non lo interessano, poiché si tratta soprattutto di come Gia racconta la sua giornata e le cose che ha fatto. A Santino non importa nulla della sua vita.

Ma c'è qualcosa che cattura lo sguardo di Santino.

‘Non mi piace essere un uomo. Vorrei essere una donna. Prima a Roma ho comprato degli oggetti che mi aiutano a sentirmi meglio.’

“Santino!” Santino ha appena il tempo di accorgersi che Gianni è tornato nella sua stanza. Rapidamente, Gia strappa il taccuino a Santino. “Cosa hai letto?”

“Niente!” Santino promette, mentre prende le chiavi della macchina e le infila in tasca. “Posso avere la tua auto?”

“Non dirlo è papà, per favore, Santino.” Gia sa che Santino sa. “Qualunque cosa leggiate qui, non diteglielo.”

Santino è silenzio, la sua lingua diventa secca. Gia espira pesantemente.

“Perché?” Santino chiede. Santino ridacchia a mezza voce. “E’ uno scherzo, vero?” Gia è silenzio stavolta. “No..?” La voce di Santino si disperde mentre guarda Gianni, osservando l'espressione del volto del fratello.

“No, Santino.” Gianni dice. “No. Vorrei che fosse uno scherzo. Vorrei. Così posso ridere con mia madre quando chiedo di andare in altri posti. Ma non. Fa male desidare qualcosa che non si avvererà.”

Santino guarda Gianni con attenzione, in attesa di qualcosa. Non si sa bene cosa stia aspettando, ma tra i due fratelli c'è silenzio. Sorella? Forse.

Schiocca la lingua prima di passare silenziosamente davanti a Gianni per andarsene. Santino non aveva intenzione di fare nulla. Ma ora lo fa. Gli costerà molto, ma non gliene importerà nulla.

Sono passate quattro o cinque ore da quando Santino è tornato alla villa e ora è di nuovo qui!

“Quello stronzo ha preso la mia macchina.” Gia sussurrò sottovoce mentre vede Santino scendere dalla sua auto. “Cazzo,”

Quel coglione sta tornando a casa dal garage con le borse in mano. Probabilmente un regalo per la sua nuova ragazza. Esibizioniste.

Gia ha un sapore amaro in bocca mentre guarda Santino che torna verso la porta d'ingresso della villa. Il palmo della mano sotto il mento, guardando con i suoi occhi verdi. Gia sospira, la mano gli accarezza la testa mentre lui sbuffa per lo stress. È in difficoltà. Il suo cuore batte forte e i suoi pensieri corrono più veloci dei cavalli in fuga. E se Santino lo avesse detto al padre? E se lo avesse detto a tutti? No, no, no. Cazzo. Non avrebbe dovuto scriverlo, non avrebbe dovuto—

“Gianni!” La voce di Santino è forte dall'altra parte della porta bianca. Bussa, con forza.

“Vattene.” Gia grida dall’altra parte. “Vattene, Santi, Vattene.”

“Le chiavi…?” Santino dice di entrare. Si lascia convincere e Gia ci casca. “Le chiavi dell'auto, le ho prese io. Se non apri questa porta, la tua macchina è mia!”

“Questo fastidioso parassita…” Gia borbotta sottovoce. “Mio dio,” Gia apre la porta, ma Santino entra a forza con un sorriso fastidioso. “sei irritante, Santino.”

“Sì, lo so, cara sorella.” Gia deve ammettere che quelle parole di essere chiamata sorella le hanno dato un po' di felicità.

Santino ha in mano delle borse. Gia è un po' preoccupata per l'interno delle borse. "Santino, che cazzo hai in quelle borse?" Gia chiede, indicandole.

"Sei molto eccitata, Gia." Un'osservazione sarcastica e sciocca di Santino, che si siede sul letto di Gia come se fosse suo. Santino apre la borsa che ha, prima di richiuderla e lanciarla a Gia perché la prenda. “Ho graffiato la tua auto. Non voglio pagare i danni.”

“Certo che hai danneggiato la mia macchina, insolente, disordinato, irritante stronzetto....” Quando gli occhi di Gia guardano la borsa, le sue parole svaniscono mentre elabora ciò che sta vedendo e che suo fratello le ha appena comprato (sacrificando la nuova verniciatura della sua auto). “Cosa?”

L'incredulità colpisce Gia.

“Cos’è questo, Santi?” Gia chiede a Santino che sta scegliendo delle scarpe di Gia che molto probabilmente vuole portare con sé.

“Ha?”

“La borsa, Santino.”

“Sì, è?”

“Gli abiti di seta sono per le donne.”

Gia dice, mentre Santino raccoglie le scarpe— "Non toccarle.” Lei dice severamente.

“Non ti ho ancora comprato un vestito o dei tacchi. Dato che potresti dover iniziare dal primo livello. Bisogna entrarci lentamente.” Santino fa spallucce.

"Non so cosa dire" Dice Gia mentre si siede e guarda l'accappatoio.

“Grazie mille?”

“Benvenuti,” Gia dice che è un modo per colpire Santino.

“Dovrebbe essere il contrario, Gia.” Santino dice.

“Hmmm….. no.” Dice Gianna prima di lanciare un paio di scarpe a Santino. "Ora vattene"

“Hey!” Santino osserva le scarpe. “Puttana.” Sussurra prima di andarsene, posando le chiavi sul letto di Gia.

( wickblr pride anon if you see this i love you )

[constance-mcentee]

Saturday, 2 November 2024

I just finished reading A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. At last! A book featuring a transgender character where being transgender wasn't a part of the book's conflict!

[roanrosser]

Pre-order now open! Release Date August 6th! Part of the Friends of Gaynor Beach Animal Rescue MM Romance series.

https://books2read.com/RuffStart

Sawyer

I’m deathly afraid of dogs, so why am I signing up to volunteer at an animal shelter?

When my therapist sends me to the newly opened Safe Haven Animal Rescue to get up close to a dog in a safe environment, my nerves almost get the best of me in the lobby. But a run-in with a handsome employee makes putting up with the terror worth it. I’m so besotted, that before I know it, I’m signing up to be a volunteer at the shelter.

Neil

Crushing hard on my first volunteer is not a good way to start my new job as a volunteer coordinator.

When he starts flirting with me, I shut him down despite his pushing all my buttons. Yet the more time we spend together, the more my crush deepens, and the more I regret staying so professional. But even if I do jump despite the consequences, will he still be interested when he finds out I’m trans?

Ruff Start is a slow-burn gay romance novel between a work-a-holic corporate professional and a laid back artist who needs to learn when to ask for help.

[umabreakdown]

Late for tdov but it's just short of my 2 year hrt anniversary (which is 420) and after a pretty horrible period of low self estime this is the cutest picture I've got of my self in a while. Thanks to my partner for making the slacks, and the low sun at this latitude.

[ritualoftheancients]

Ritual of the Ancients Chapter 14: Unexpected Connection

by Roan Rosser

This is a chapter of a complete vampire novel with a trans-masc main character and a gay romance subplot. New Chapters are posted every Sunday. If you like the novel and want to support the author, ebook and paperback copies can be purchased here.

*****

Jack and Stacy waited for me in the parking lot when I pulled up in Jack’s destroyed car. Jack did a double-take, his mouth dropping open as I pulled up to park alongside them.

“What the hell happened?” Jack cried as he got out of the passenger side of a red convertible Porsche that I assumed was Stacy’s. He was wearing another set of the shapeless, baggy sweats from the office rather than the clothes I had seen him in last.

“Drive-by shooting,” I said, futilely pushing at the driver’s-side door, which was refusing to open. “Sorry about your car.”

Jack came around and grabbed the door handle, and with both of us together we managed to pry it open. I got out, and to my surprise, Jack leaned over and wrapped his arms around me. “I don’t care about the car. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

I leaned into the hug, sniffling. “You too. I was so worried when they called me to ransom you.”

Jack’s arms stiffened around me. “Everett, you’re bleeding. Were you shot?” Jack looked down at me in concern.

I frowned, confused. “What? No.”

“The back of your leg,” Jack said. “Stacy, will you take a look?” Jack turned sideways, turning me with him.

Stacy got out and walked around the front of her car to come over, her heels clacking on the pavement. She glanced down at my back and nodded. I looked down, twisting back to see. The back of my right pant leg had dried blood running down it.

“I don’t feel anything,” I said, staring with fascination at the blood.

“From the flush in your face, it looks like you fed well tonight, so it would have healed near instantaneously,” Stacy said, looking me up and down with narrowed eyes, her lips pressed tightly together. The expression made me uneasy.

“Fed?” Jack asked with alarm. “You didn’t—”

“I didn’t kill anyone…” I protested automatically, and then trailed off as I realized that maybe wasn’t true. I had killed that vampire, hadn’t I? Or had I? I didn’t know. Jack was looking at me with wide eyes. “I think. It’s complicated,” I said as my eyes met Stacy’s. “How do you tell if a vampire is dead?”

Stacy glared at me. “What kind of a question is that? And we don’t have time for this.”

“What about my car?” Jack asked, eying the wreck.

“Leave it. I’ll send Zoe or Ted over later with a tow truck.” Stacy walked back around and got in the driver’s seat of her convertible.

Jack opened the passenger side door and gestured at the back seat. The top was down, but I hesitated, glancing down at my bloody leg and then back at Stacy’s immaculate car.

“Don’t worry about the blood,” Stacy said, glancing at me over her shoulder. “There have been far worse things on my seats.”

Shrugging, I climbed over the side and into the back. Jack shut the door and vaulted over the side and into the back next to me. I gave Jack a shy smile.

“May I? Jack asked me with his hand hovering over my shoulder.

I nodded, trying to not to blush as he snaked his arm around the back of my neck. I relaxed back against him.

Stacy started the car, and the automatic top began to unfold up and over our heads as she pulled out onto the road. By the time we approached the nearest stoplight the top was up, encasing Jack and I in the tiny back seat. It was surprisingly intimate.

As she drove, I caught Stacy glaring at me in the rearview mirror. When she noticed me she didn’t stop or look away, and if anything her glare deepened. I remembered what Jack had said about not trusting the vampires. I wished Jack had brought someone else with him.

“How’d you get away?” I asked Jack as Stacy wound her way through the maze of tight St. John streets, avoiding the major roads. I guessed she was trying to throw off any tail that might have followed me here from MLK Street.

Jack chuckled, his white teeth flashing in the dim light when he shot me a smile. “They were humans, and they didn’t know I was a shapeshifter. When it finally got dark and they left me alone, I shifted to my jackal form and slipped right out of the ropes.”

I leaned against Jack, enjoying his warmth along with the feel of his strong chest against my side, and the press of his arm around my shoulders. It made me feel safe. “I was so worried. I didn’t know what to do. What did they want?”

“They asked a lot of questions about where you were and how you’d survived, but I played dumb.” Jack shrugged. “You did the right thing by bugging out and not trying to play the hero. Alerting Dave and Stacy was a smart move too. Where’d you hole up during the day?”

“Your place.” I bit my lip, looking down. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Like I said, good instincts. I’m impressed you managed to day-proof my place so fast with only the minimal instruction I gave you the other night.”

I blushed. “I had a good teacher.”

Stacy glared at us in the rearview mirror. “Try to keep your pants on in my backseat.” Her tone was dry, but held an undercurrent of anger. I got the feeling she didn’t like me much.

Jack laughed. “No promises, but we should change the subject. Ev, you mentioned they called you about ransoming me. What did they want?”

I warmed at the nickname. Normally I hated people trying to shorten my chosen name or make it cutesy, but for some reason I enjoyed hearing it from Jack. The question Jack was asking, however, turned my insides cold. I didn’t want to reveal the amulet to a vampire after the other attack, and I doubly didn’t want to admit to Jack, the former cop, that I was a thief.

“You never answered my question about vampires, Stacy,” I called to the front seat in an attempt to change the subject. I could feel Jack’s gaze boring into the top of my head, but I ignored it and kept my eyes on the bit of Stacy’s face I could see past the headrest. “If a vampire looked like, let’s say a desiccated, dried out corpse, would they be dead?”

Stacy slammed on the brakes, stopping in the middle of the road. Jack and I were thrown forward, and my seatbelt dug into my stomach for a moment before I fell back into my seat. Stacy twisted around to glare at me. “What the fuck, Everett? Of course a vampire’s dead if it looks like that. Are you fucking stupid? You’re a vampire, you should know these things.” She huffed, giving me one last glower before straightening back up and hitting the gas again.

I crossed my arms and bit back a reply. I agreed with Jack’s assessment that I needed to keep my true situation from the vampires for now, especially given that I’d killed one of the locals. I wondered if Stacy had heard about that death yet. The PCA, as the enforcers of the supernatural world, would likely get word of it eventually. I kicked myself for saying anything at all to her. Oh well, nothing to do about it now.

The rest of the ride passed in awkward silence.

Stacy pulled up to the curb in front of a nondescript house and hit a button on her dash. The automatic top began opening. Once it was all the way down, Stacy turned to glare at Jack, studiously avoiding looking at me.

“I’m only doing this for you, Jack. I didn’t like it when I found out you lied for him, but I was willing to put that aside because I know how passionate you are about helping people. That was, until he put your life in danger by dragging you into his mess. It’s clear by his jokes about dead vampires that he’s not taking this seriously enough.”

“That’s not—” I protested, but Stacy kept talking over me.

“I want him gone by tomorrow night.” She jerked her thumb at me. “Now both of you, get out of my car.”

Jack climbed over the side of the car and offered me a hand. I took it and got out. We began walking up the sidewalk, me still clinging to the comfort of Jack’s hand. Stacy peeled away before we’d taken two steps.

“Sorry,” I said to Jack. “I don’t mind her being mad at me, but I didn’t mean to ruin your relationship with your boss.”

Jack shrugged. “She’ll get over it. Besides, she doesn’t know that you never got shown the introductory Powerpoint presentation.”

I snorted out a laugh at Jack’s serious tone. “Powerpoint? Don’t be… Wait, you are kidding, right?” Jack’s wry smile made me cautious.

“I’m afraid not. Shapeshifting and You: Exploring Your New Body.” Jack made air-quotes with his free hand as he said the name. ”Got bad clip art and everything. I’ve never seen the vampire one, but I imagine it’s similar.”

“Oh. My. God.” I shook my head in disbelief as we went up the steps to the door.

Jack let go of my hand so he could retrieve a key from his pocket. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. “After you, sir.”

“Thanks,” I said with a laugh. “What is this place anyway?” I asked, looking around the living room. The decor could have come right out of an Ikea catalog.

“A safe house, of sorts. We put newbies up here when a situation demands. Like if they have a roommate, or are having trouble adjusting and need time away.” Jack closed the door behind him and flipped the lock, then went around the room, closing the blinds and curtains. “Only PCA employees know the address, plus it has light-proof rooms for vampires.” Task done, Jack flopped onto the couch and patted the spot next to him.

I dragged my feet over and sat down on the other end of the couch, as far from Jack as I could get. I hugged my legs to my chest, putting my feet on the cushions—I didn’t miss Jack’s wince at seeing my shoes on the furniture—and rested my face on my knees.

“Is this about that vampire you mentioned to Stacy?” The couch creaked and I felt Jack’s weight settle in next to me. There was a light touch on my shoulder.

“Yeah.” I shuddered and leaned into Jack’s touch. “I think I killed him, Jack, but it was an accident, I swear.”

“I know Stacy thought it was a bad joke. I’m sorry, but I could tell you were serious. Do you feel like you can tell me what happened?” Jack moved his hand over and began rubbing my back.

Jack’s tone was very even and nonjudgmental, and I found myself telling him everything, starting with realizing he was gone and ending with the hostage exchange. I left out all mentions of the amulet. In my story, the vampires demanded I leave the territory and attacked when I refused, and I said that Lady Ann wanted me in exchange for him. As I talked I felt himself relaxing more and more, until we were cuddled up together, with me leaning back against Jack’s side with his arms around my waist, and his head resting on mine.

Jack hugged me close, and I heard the frown in the distressed tone of his voice even though I couldn’t see his face. “How long after the phone call before the shooters showed up?”

I paused and thought about it for a moment. “Maybe ten minutes?”

“Sounds like you were on the phone with her long enough for her to trace your call’s location to the nearest cell tower. But for them to get there that fast, she must have had people combing the city for you.”

“You think it’s Lady Ann trying to kill me.” He confirmed what I’d already suspected.

“I don’t know the why yet, but yes, there’s a good bet that she’s the one that set up the hits on you. That’s also why she wanted to have you trade yourself in for me. When you hesitated to send her the selfie that was probably when she sent those thugs to kill you, thinking you’d rethought the deal. What I can’t figure out is the vampire angle.”

“I had some thoughts about that,” I said, remembering my investigator’s notebook. I sat up and pulled it out of my back pocket while Jack gave me a curious look. The pages were a little crumbled from the run and the car ride, but still legible. “Your Detective Pikachu poster gave me the idea,” I said, holding up the page labeled “Clues”.

“That one is in my office.”

“I know. Why hide it there? What, you a closet Pokémon fan?”

Jack waved his hand. “Not important. Anyway, what do we have here?” He leaned over me to look at what I’d written. “You think the vampire turning you is a different person than whoever tried to kill you? I agree.”

“But what I can’t figure out is, why turn me?” I sighed.

Jack scooted away and turned to face me, putting one bent leg up on the couch.

I mirrored his pose, closing the notebook and clutching it.

“I don’t know, and I don’t think I can speculate. Let’s ignore that for now and concentrate on the humans after you. You don’t have any idea why this mobster wants you? You sound like you know her. How?”

“I don’t really want to talk about her right now.” I crossed my arms and turned to sit back on the couch, covering my face with the notebook.

“I’m sorry to bring up bad memories, but you heard Stacy. We only have tonight to figure this out.”

I groaned, but Jack had a point. “I… work for her. Or I did. Obviously not anymore.” I snorted, and imagined I could feel Jack’s disappointment and disapproval, though I couldn’t see his face from behind my paper shield.

“Doing what?” Jack’s voice was low.

I sighed and lowered the notebook, but kept my gaze fixed on the far wall so I wouldn’t have to see Jack’s judgment. “I was a dual major in archeology and art history at the University of Oregon. I got a few loans, but my parents were paying for most of my education. Until I came out to them. They totally cut me off, and I ended up homeless.” I let out a shaky laugh, trying to keep from crying. I thought I’d gotten over this, but talking about it still hurt.

“Geez. I’m sorry, Everett.”

“At least it happened between semesters. Glad I listened to the people online in the support groups.” I sighed. “I guess Lady Ann found out somehow. One of her people contacted me on my cell phone before my parents had it shut off. They set up an entry level job for me at the art museum, in the restoration department.”

“And in return?” Surprisingly there was no judgment in his tone, just compassion.

“She wanted me to steal things for her. Little things, here and there, from the storeroom. She always paid me for them, on top of my wages.” I twisted the notebook in my hands, curling it up into a tube.

“So she’d ask you to steal specific things?” Jack shifted over closer and put a hand over mine until I let go of the notebook with one hand, and took his hand. I didn’t know why, but it made me feel better.

I shook my head. “No, she just said to use my best judgment. Her only requirements were nothing new, gold and other precious metals preferred, and to make sure they were authentic. I think that was why she hired me.” I hesitated, and ran the sweaty palm of the hand Jack wasn’t holding along my pants, feeling the amulet in my pocket. Jack had done nothing but help me, and I owed him the truth, no matter how much I didn’t want to. “It had been that way for almost a year, until a few weeks ago.”

I risked a glance at Jack, who was smiling gently at me. “What changed?”

“She wanted something specific. My contact described the amulet they wanted perfectly, even knew the lot number. But that store room is a mess. Parts of it haven’t been touched in almost a hundred years, and the lot that amulet was in was from the 1920s. I couldn’t find it.” I shuddered, remembering the stressful phone calls I’d had with my contact. “She was getting impatient. I never dealt with her directly, but my contact was starting to threaten me, and calling me daily for updates.”

Jack nodded. “I’ve seen this before. Those early thefts were tests, to see if you’d do what they wanted and if you could do the job without getting caught. Then, when they were sure they could trust you, they had you go after what they really wanted all along.”

I frowned and ran my thumb along Jack’s hand. “But why threaten me?”

“I’d guess they thought that you were holding out on them. The attempts on your life make sense, at least if we ignore the vampire angle.”

I stared at Jack, the pieces coming together at last. “I get it. The mugging. The thief stole my pass card so they could get in and search the storeroom themselves.”

Jack nodded. “And killing you ties up the last loose end. I’m guessing that no matter what, after this job they’d been planning to kill you.”

“What?” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut against the tears that blurred my vision. “Even if I’d given it to them like they wanted?”

“That’s how these guys operate.” Jack slid off the couch to crouch in front of me and took my other hand in his. “Look at me, Everett.”

My head spun at the revelation I’d just been a tool—and a stupid, gullible one at that. I clutched Jack’s hand as I opened my eyes, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Why hire me, if they just broke in anyway?”

“I’m guessing that they would have preferred the theft go unnoticed, but they thought you forced their hand.” Jack reached up and gently wiped a tear away and then cupped my cheek with his palm for a moment before dropping it back down. “It’s not your fault, Ev.”

“That makes sense.” I did my best to gather my swirling thoughts. Jack’s presence both helped and hindered, making me feel better about being manipulated, yet at the same time making my stomach do excited flip-flops about the intimate pose. I was suddenly distinctly aware of the fact that Jack was pressed up between my thighs. I pushed the thought down, focusing on the facts about the storeroom. “With a break-in the contents of the storeroom will be audited, and the thefts discovered. But if I died—”

“Especially if they made it look natural or accidental, like a car accident…” Jack added in.

“Then they might not find out anything was missing for another decade. Or more, judging by the dust in there.” I swallowed, surprised my nose wasn’t running like a faucet like it usually did when I cried. A small benefit to being a vampire, I was guessing.

“Well, they might have gotten the amulet, but at least you’re still alive.” Jack frowned, realizing his faux pas, and hastily corrected. “Or undead, as the case may be.”

I swallowed again, and reached into my pocket to finger the amulet. Jack hadn’t blamed me for the thefts, so I could tell him. Should tell him the truth. Jack was giving me a curious look.

Taking a deep breath, I gathered my courage and reached into my pocket, pulling out the amulet, presenting it to Jack on the palm of my hand. “They didn’t get it. I had finally found it the night that this all started. The mugger didn’t find it because I had it in a hidden pocket of my coat,” I said softly. “It wasn’t me. This is what she really wanted in exchange for you.” As I said it I realized why she’d asked me for a selfie with it: to ensure I’d have it with me, or go to where it was, and not use an old picture.

Jack stared at me, barely even glancing at the gold amulet resting in my palm.

“Like I said, I would have sold it to them, but then everything happened…” I sighed and closed my hand around it. Having it in plain sight like this was making me anxious for some reason. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I was afraid you’d have me arrested for stealing or something.”

Jack gave a relieved smile. “I’m glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me. But I meant what I said, the amulet doesn’t matter. What’s important is keeping you safe.”

Before I could respond, Jack leaned forward and kissed me.

[vthunder42]

TG Fiction Prompt That I Might Use One Day But Probably Won't So Maybe Someone Else Can Use It #1

Remember that Family Guy episode (hear me out) where Stewie sees his future self on the news and goes on an adventure to find him because he thinks that it's his real father but it turns out to be an adult version of him?

What if a young orphaned man runs into a gorgeous older woman very briefly, can't get her out of his head, believing her to be his long lost mother, only to track her down to realize that she is a post-transition future version of him who came back to fulfill the predestination paradox?

[lyraoctavia]

I will inject my book series into this website like a dang plague if I have to

[deadtime-stories]

“The new CEO started last week.” I ditched my bloody gear to scrub away the hours of sweat in the metal sink, splashing my face with cool water. “Some rich guy from Philly, no medical background. Those who can, do, those who can’t, get an MBA.”

“Nox.”

Jack kicked me lightly, but I stepped out of his reach. Many of Tukhone’s patients were below the poverty line, and I worried about them.

“Are we sure he can spell his name? Has anybody seen him tie his own shoes?"

-----------

“Nice to finally meet you,” my newly-minted nemesis said. “I’d shake your hand, but you’d probably need a stepladder to reach.”

He glanced at Noah and Jack, who bit their tongues.

“Was that rude?” His voice dripped with faux innocence. “Sorry, I’m just an MBA. I’m lucky I can tie my own shoes.”

[amanitaquamorphia]

Nimona is she/her but explicitly *not* a girl. She says so multiple times. Nimona is not a girl. It's about as trans as it comes without putting a big flashing label on screen that says TRANS with an arrow pointing to her.

Nimona is Queer

“Queer Coded”

“Trans Coded”

My friend…

WHAT

is “coded”

about THIS?????

Do they need to make the character get their identity tattooed on their forehead?? We are so far out of the realm of “subtext” and into the TEXT it may as well be a neon sign Nimona has around their neck!!!

Literally just a queer character, like not implied, just openly and clearly queer

It’s beautiful, and I get that it’s hard to believe you silly goose <3

[the-novel-approach-reviews]

Review: Most Ardently: A Pride and Prejudice Remix by Gabe Cole Novoa

Title: Most Ardently Series: Remixed Classics: Book Nine Author: Gabe Cole Novoa Publisher: Feiwel & Friends Length: 304 Pages Category: Teen Fiction, Historical Fiction Rating: 3.5 Stars At a Glance: This story is told with an abundance of heart, the strife and struggles both internal and external, and while I do feel there could have been a deeper dive into the characterizations—Most…

[maccamania]

The first game I started useing my preferred name in

[patheticphallacy]

anticipated book releases may 2023

2nd: The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro (hardback) In November ’22, I re-read every Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus book, and the first two Trials of Apollo books. While I have yet to finish the Apollo books I haven’t read before, and plan on doing so before I read The Sun and the Star, I’m no less excited to finally get to a book finally centred around my favourite…

[umabreakdown]

Documentation of my wierd little micro-Alternate Reality Game "The Fall Labs". LA noir, reverse Remote Viewing, follow the cat and find where you lost yourself last time agent, what's a tortoise? You know what a turtle is yeah? Same thing 🚬.

This was made using Twine, Hydra, a hand made set of geomancy cards, a nice drawing I did, and some magic words stolen from David Wojnarowicz.

The Fall Labs made for the group show "Joy of Destruction" at backlit gallery earlier in the year. Curated by Jazz Swali and Matthew Chesney, photos by Joe Horner.

[ritualoftheancients]

Ritual of the Ancients - Chapter 2: A Cop, of sorts

by Roan Rosser

This is a chapter of a complete vampire novel with a trans-masc main character and a gay romance subplot. New Chapters are posted every Sunday. If you like the novel and want to support the author, ebook and paperback copies can be purchased here.

*****

On the elevator, Jack prattled on about proper sun-proofing procedures and I only half listened to him as I ran through possible excuses to get away from him. Only when we stepped out into the hall on the sixth floor did I remember the second part of my problem: no keys.

I eyed Jack. Nice muscle definition was visible on his arms and chest, even through the cloth of his shirt. Plus, he was a shapeshifter, and in the movies they were always super strong. He could probably just break down the door if worse came to worse. However, plan A was that knocking on the door would wake Lindsay. She might have had her phone turned off, but she was a light sleeper. She’d be pissed at being woken up, but I wouldn’t have to pay out of my security deposit for a damaged door.

Jack, walking ahead of me, stopped abruptly, and I almost walked into his back. “Everett, you have a roommate?” Jack asked over his shoulder in a near whisper.

“Yeah, of course I do.” I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes at Jack yet again. As if a museum intern could afford an apartment on their own. I actually could have afforded it because of my little side business, but that money was for something far more important.

“Does she usually leave the door open?”

“What? No.” I pushed past Jack, unable to see past the taller man. My front door was open about a quarter of an inch. A sliver of darkness was all that was visible past the door jam.

“Get behind me,” Jack hissed, and pushed me back with one hand. With his other he reached into his jacket and drew a gun.

I was so shocked that I didn’t protest as Jack pushed me backwards. I hadn’t realized he was armed. I wondered why a werewolf—or jackal in this case—needed a gun. Jack pressed his back against the wall of the hallway next to the door and slid along it with the gun in a two-handed grip, pointed toward the ceiling. It looked like something out of a movie. Keeping his gun in the air, Jack crouched down and leaned toward the doorway. It seemed smart to me. It put his head down at crotch level, whereas anyone who was going to shoot through the door would probably shoot higher, at chest or head height.

Jack took one hand off his gun and used it to push the door the rest of the way open. From where I was standing in the hall, I couldn’t see much. Just more darkness, which itself was odd because we usually left the light in the kitchen over the sink on for midnight snack runs.

“Where’s Lindsay?” I whispered, hoping she was okay. She’d been an alright roommate, and a great friend when I’d really needed one.

“Shush,” Jack hissed over his shoulder. “Wait here, I’ll be right back.”

“Wait, shouldn’t I go first? If I’m a vampire, I’m like indestructible, right? Like in the movies?”

“It’s not that simple. This isn’t a movie, and thinking that way will get you killed.” Jack’s eyes narrowed and he whipped his head back around toward my apartment, lifting his nose and scenting like a dog. Or a jackal. Wait, Jack the jackal. I snickered. What parents named a werejackal “Jack”?

“I said to be quiet. And stay here.” Eyes wide, Jack disappeared into the dark of my apartment. I wondered why the sudden hurry after he’d urged such caution. Shrugging, I moved up to stand next to my door where Jack had been a moment before. I could still feel the heat from his body on the wall and smell his shampoo. A breeze whispered from my apartment, covering Jack’s comforting scent with a smell that I couldn’t describe, but that immediately set me on edge.

The elevator behind me dinged, and the door began to open. I glanced behind me and almost choked as I caught sight of not other tenants getting off, but two uniformed officers. When they spotted me, they both drew their guns.

Without stopping to think about it, I took two steps forward into my dark apartment, slammed the door shut behind me, and turned the deadbolt. Running on autopilot, I flipped the light switch for the front hall.

“Damn it, Everett, I told you to wait outside,” Jack yelled from somewhere farther in the apartment. “Don’t come any further.”

“I didn’t have a choice. Two cops just got off the elevator with their guns drawn and they’re headed this way.”

There was a pounding thump at the front door. “Police, open up.”

“Shit. That other guy you bit must have called them.” Jack appeared from down the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “Don’t open that. We don’t want them here in your condition, not to mention…” Jack trailed off as he got closer, and grabbed my arm to drag me away from the door and into the kitchen.

“But that happened outside, on the sidewalk. What are they doing up here?” I asked.

The pounding on the door was getting louder, more frantic.

“Questions later. We need to get out of here before they get in,” Jack said.

“Why? I thought you were a ‘cop of sorts’. Just go talk to them.” I reluctantly pulled my arm from Jack’s grasp.

Jack grimaced and glanced back the way he’d come from, down the hallway towards the bedrooms. “It’s complicated.”

Actually, it was odd that Lindsay wasn’t up, especially with the banging at the door. She was a really light sleeper, up and yelling at me for the slightest noise when I got home late from fruitlessly trolling the local gay bar for dates.

“Is Lindsay home? I need to—” I moved to leave the kitchen, and Jack blocked the exit by reaching across the small space and placing a hand on either counter.

“That’s part of the complication,” Jack said.

“Look, just let me by.” I feinted left, and then when Jack shifted, I ducked to the right under his arm. He hadn’t counted on just how short I was.

Jack tried to grab my jacket, but it was like he was moving in slow motion as I ran past him. Everything felt unreal, like a dream or a slo-mo sequence from a movie. Jack’s hand closed on empty air behind me as I bolted towards the bedrooms. Weird, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it. The strange smell I’d detected outside got stronger as I moved farther down the hall.

I opened Lindsay’s bedroom door while knocking, but stopped cold at the sight that greeted me there.

Lindsay lay on her back on her bed, her eyes open and glazed. The bed was red with pooling blood that had run down from the wide slash that ran all the way across her neck.

I tried to scream, but Jack ran up behind me and clamped a hand over my mouth, muffling my cry.

“Shh,” Jack whispered into my ear. “It’s okay, but you can see why we can’t be here when those cops come in. We need to get out of here, now.”

“Shit, shit,” I said, pushing away Jack’s hand. Now that Jack had distracted me from the body, I noticed that Lindsay’s room had been trashed. All the clothes from her closet were scattered on the floor, and the dresser drawers were all askew and empty, the contents thrown about the room. When I thought about it, when I’d run through the living room, it had been a mess too. Oh, no. My stash. I had to check on it.

“We can go out the window,” Jack said.

I let Jack pull me away and shut the door to Lindsay’s room. The pounding on the door had gone silent, which was somehow more ominous than the banging.

“I need to check my room,” I hissed to Jack, darting past him to my door at the end of the hall. Jack chased after me, but again I was faster.

As I grabbed the doorknob, I heard the front door crashing open. “Police! Freeze!”

I couldn’t see the front door from the hall, but they’d seen me come inside so they knew someone was here.

“Go, go!” Jack hissed, pushing me into my bedroom ahead of him and carefully easing the door shut behind us. Jack turned and leaned against the door, pressing his ear against it.

I reached over to flip on the light, but Jack glanced at me and shook his head. I pulled my hand back. I could see well enough anyway. Dim light from the streetlights below came in through the windows where I had failed to fully close the blinds when I’d left for work. Was it only this morning? It seemed like it had been ages since I’d last been home. So much had happened since then.

My room was as trashed as Lindsay’s had been. My dresser drawers had been pulled out, and my closet had been emptied all over the floor and bed. Even my posters had been ripped off the wall. My eyes darted to the AC vent on the floor by my bed where I kept my stash of artifacts stolen from the museum. The vent cover was missing, and the plastic bags that I’d been using to store the items were tossed on the floor, empty. They’d been taped inside the vent, out of sight of anyone casually peering inside. Someone had either known where to look, or done a very thorough search.

I was in trouble. I owed those items to the boss, and she wasn’t going to be happy I had lost them. I physically grabbed my right arm with my left hand to stop myself from feeling for the amulet in my pocket to check that it was still there. If I was right, what I had there might make up for the missing items. If I was wrong, well, I was in a lot more trouble than I thought.

“What happened in here?” I whispered.

“I don’t know, but we need to leave before the men out there find us in here,” Jack hissed to me. “We can talk about the how and why later.”

“Fine,” I whispered back. I started stepping over the wreckage of my room. I spotted my testosterone prescription bottle in the mess and scooped it up without stopping, stuffing the little vial in my jacket pocket and zipping it closed.

Jack unlatched the window and pushed it open, letting in the cool night air. He grabbed the sides of the screen and twisted it out, letting it go to drop out into the night. It was a very long drop to the grass below. Jack grabbed my arm and shoved me at the window. I grabbed the window sill and tried not to look down, feeling a little faint. It had started raining since we’d come inside, and rain droplets pattered my face and hands.

“Jump,” Jack urged in a whisper, glancing nervously over his shoulder at the closed bedroom door.

“What? Are you crazy? I’ll break a leg or worse,” I whispered back.

“You’re a vampire. You’ll be fine. Now hurry!”

He seemed so sure of himself. Sighing, I put my hands on the ledge, preparing to climb out, but caught sight of the ground below and froze.

“Hurry!” Jack urged. “We don’t have time.”

“I can’t, it’s too high!” I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to back away, but Jack shoved me forward.

The door behind us banged open. “Freeze, police! Put your hands where we can see them and step away from the window.” Their voices were muffled. I think they were in Lindsay’s room across the hall. It’d only be moments before they found us.

I startled and would have backed away, except for Jack standing right behind me. My pulse raced.

“Shit. Sorry.”

I wanted to ask what he was sorry for when Jack’s hands moved down to my hips, grabbing my pants and lifting me up. “Out you go!” Jack hefted, flinging me up and out.

“No!” I shrieked, flailing for the window frame as the ground came into view. My fingernails scratched the paint on the window frame on my way out, but I didn’t manage to get a grip with Jack’s continued pushing at my butt and legs.

Next thing I knew I was falling, spinning through the air as wind rushed past me. I felt almost weightless as I spun in freefall, at least until I landed on my back on the grass behind the apartment building. The impact knocked the breath out of me and I felt my spine snap. It hurt, but not as much as I would have expected. I felt another pop and gritted my teeth against the wave of pain that wracked me.

I opened my eyes in time to see Jack jump straight out of the window like a superhero, sailing easily over my position. Without thinking I rolled over to watch him, enthralled by the sight. The vial in my pocket shattered as I rolled over it, and the oily residue soaked through the windbreaker. Shit.

Jack landed in a crouch that turned into a roll about ten feet away from the building. It looked as if he’d just jumped from a burning or exploding building in a movie scene, a comparison not at all harmed by his rugged good looks and muscled physique. He sprang to his feet as if he’d just done a somersault, not jumped from the sixth floor. “Follow me, I’m parked up this way.” He jerked his head to indicate the far end of the building. Without watching to see if I followed him, he jogged off toward the sidewalk.

“I can’t, I think I broke my back,” I called after him.

Jack slowed and turned, but didn’t stop, continuing to walk backwards. “You’re fine. You’re a vampire. You’re already healed.”

I sat up, and Jack was right. The pain was gone and nothing felt broken. Maybe... maybe Jack was telling the truth and I was a vampire now.

My head spun. I thought through my options and realized I had none. My work had been compromised, and so had my apartment. Jack was an unknown element. As long as Lindsay’s killer remained unaware of Jack, I might have a chance of staying safe. I also needed to keep Jack from finding out about the stolen amulet. Cursing, I climbed to my feet to run after him, wiping grass from the back of my damp jeans.