Larch finds a small note inside her vodka bottle. It reads: Just ask him out. Guys are too dumb to notice. ~CC Really, it was all that damn god’s fault. Without him, she’d still be in blissful ignorance. But the note on her vodka bottle sent her bone pale then puce with rage, and she […]
Kellid names are as brusque and percussive as their Hallit language, and most use two or fewer syllables. Second names are rare and typically limited to those who distinguish themselves through some great deed or draw from an especially significant lineage, though Kellid clan members hold their clan’s name in even higher regard than their […]
Tymon. She had faith- complete faith- in him. She knew he was going to win. Larch dropped five hundred gold on him without a thought, and the only reason she didn’t drop more was that she didn’t want to see hungry for money in front of the others. She was, but still, it wouldn’t […]
Doc Sharpe waited in the Arena holding room, a place where a number of gladiators were preparing themselves for their next bouts. The alchemist stretched, and bounced up and down on his toes, keeping himself loose. A group of four gladiators were further down the hall, practicing on the training dummies, keeping themselves ready. Nice […]
This hospital has good bones, Larch thinks. She traces the grains of wood with callused fingers, the whorls and patterns. Old bones, but good- the solid dark wood is somber but goes well with the walls and interior he has furnished. The Doctor’s style was simple, functional, almost spartan: everything had a place and was […]
Happiness buzzes under her skin like friendly bees as Larch carefully tends the Firework Snapdragons in her wagon. They are a culmination, proof of concept, solid evidence that she can do it, that she was strong enough, smart enough to do on purpose what she had done once before, filled with rage and wild power […]
She doesn’t tell them what she’s doing. If Larch did that, she’d have to explain, and she honestly doesn’t know if she could. They aren’t her tribe. This isn’t her home. The shaman reminds herself of that, ineffectively, as she carefully plants seeds around one abandoned house in particular. It’s lost a corner, and […]
In the aftermath, Larch worked. She used her spells, first, repairing flesh and wood alike where fire had charred and blades had cut. This was the first raid she’d dealt with in a long time; the last she could remember had been when she was… nine? Something like that. But the principles remained. First, […]
“…Why did you even tell me that?” “Don’t whine. It’s not becoming. One or another, however you decide, you should know what he is. Informed decisions are the basis of smart plans,” Flower said, both ruthless and kind. She licked a paw and groomed her left ear. Larch laid her head on the […]
Larch sat on the bed, feeling bone deep weariness in every line of her. The baths had been nerve wracking. Hot water to soak in was a balm to body, mind, and soul, but sharing them… She was not body shy on any sexual level. Her body was just a body, a meat shell […]
It was impossible. Reprehensible. Absolutely one hundred percent straight fucked up. Larch regarded her list with the air of someone regarding the time and date of thier execution. This should not be. I still have dreams at night of the research room. My scars ache when the weather changes. And this- it is […]
Larch nearly slipped off the branch of the tree and somehow, didn’t fall. Flower, next to her, laughed in cat fashion with a little mrrp, amused eyes watching her. They remained the same purple as all those years ago, when they were both young, and Flower just a sprout with a tiny amethyst bloom. […]
Mild Content Warning: Horrific imagery The woods were dark, and the mist was thick. Looking for these hags was difficult, even with his enhanced vision. For some reason, everyone had split up. Then the mist had rolled in, and he’d any hope of tracking the team without some kind of noise or aid. […]
(Content warning, body modification/light horror/self harm) It happened on the trip back, after dealing with the Tatzelwurm. Something clicked on in Doc’s mind, a rush of information, things falling together. He’d been doing things all wrong, things weren’t quite meshing as well as they should be. He started scribbling furiously in his notes, new […]
((Content Warning: Alluding to the vivisection of a creature. Proceed only if you feel comfortable with dark content.)) “Ah, you’re awake. That chitinous hide of yours certainly is tough.” Helen’s multifaceted eyes looked about, as her neck strained to move. She focused blearily on Doc, who was just selecting the next scalpel for […]
He was about to close up for the night, when one last patient walked in. Well, stumbled. Holding her side and back, she was sweating and pale, and her hands were stained red with her own blood. A human. Oh well. Not unique, but always good to have the practice. “No questions asked?” […]