For whatever reason, picturing Orida as a toddler/small child is very cute to me, maybe at a time in her life before her "shadoweyes" started making her feel so different and isolated.

And yes, I just imagine that look of smug self-amusement on Sumner's face that dads (and I) get when they (we) tell a particularly bad (good) pun.

Thanks for reading!

I like this. It's a very nice sentiment, and exploring Elphimas's feelings is always an interesting pursuit, considering how very the character is. I like this use of (I'm presuming) Jack, too, because owing to the format, it's a very small moment that of course means something much bigger, and I like the effect.

For some reason, this triggered a bizarre thought chain that made me wonder what Jack and Sharaka would think of each other.

Jack: *crosses arms* Decent training and versatility. Too much of a risk-taker and lacking experience and focus, but you could have been a fine Liberator in time.
Sharaka: *tilts head* Army and armory in a single person, and deadly as an avalanche. Wouldn't want to cross blades with you, dude, but you're crumbling. Also, craft yourself some humor, will ya?
Jack: *moves head in a small circle to represent an eyeroll* Yes, I'm ancient, but my body hasn't reached middle age yet, I have centuries of fights ahead of me. That is, if I don't find a way to completely stop aging.
Sharaka: *shrugs* Whatever you say, man, but I was talking about your heart. I know the damage it gets by fighting for the wrong reasons.
Jack: *scoffs* Wrong reasons? Even idiots can see I save whole planes from destruction and enslaveme-
Sharaka: -which is all nice and dandy, but that's not the reason why you're fighting! You're hiding from yourself behind your ideals and taking out your frustration on **** because you can't figure out how to piece yourself together! Can't artifice that up, huh?
Jack: *taken aback* You don't know-
Sharaka: I don't need to know "jack" ****, man, spare me the tragic backstory! Empath, remember? *laughs* You've got a hell of a familiar smell, I'll give you that one for free.
Jack: *opening and closing fists* ...Get. Out. Of my face.
Sharaka: *shakes head and waves goodbye* Don't need to tell me twice, grandpa, have fun cleaning rust with blood!

...that got out of hand.

Great line.

To be completely honest, it was lifted from Berserk. A shout-out, one could generously say.


Oh, and a bit off-topic, but you remember in Kyewdz' introduction, the thing about the thieving twins having to gift some of their hard-earned money to the community? I eventually realized where it came from:

Still not enough juice to tackle something bigger, but baby steps, right?

How many other failures?

Intriguing little flash here. It definitely makes you wonder what exactly is happening, and how serious it is. On one hand, it could be children playing a game of hide and seek, but a word like "cronies" reads more like older goons with a more sinister intent.

There's a part of me that just sort of wanted Daneera to be sitting there, minding her own business, on the other side of that tree.

Oh, yes, I was very happy to include that word. Sometimes I love the fact that English has such an excessive vocabulary to play with.

Speaking of which, I just learned that "facetious" didn't mean what I thought it did.


That would certainly have changed the story! But Kelsamin has waited a long time for an introduction, and I wouldn't want to derail things just yet...

That's a sentiment I highly agree with. So many words, and each with their own sounds, denotations, connotations, and quirks.


I think that's a word that people misuse quite a bit. Another one is "Fortuitous." Although with that one, they usually use it correctly, but it doesn't mean exactly what they think it means.


I sort of picture this little exchange as happening before her first Rid. I imagine that Sage is taking her to one of the Ridder offices to sign her up or something. I really like the idea of Sage becoming a sort of positive centaur role model for Scar, considering those centaurs we know she knew before Red's Ranch were not a positive anything for her.

But I think you, and the story you link here, provided the main inspiration for that. When I wrote "Shades of Red," which introduced Scar, I dropped in a line that indicated that it was talking to Sage that gave Scar the idea to Rid. But I hadn't intended it to go any further than that. In fact, I had assumed that Sage had permanently retired from the Ridders after the events of "Seven Spineless Angels." But your scene showed him as still an active agent for them, so I've sort of run with that since.

I really like these little Scar pieces. I just really like Scar.

The world grew silent once again, the deafening roar of devastation and last lingering cries grew still in the air. The lone figure left gazed out over the lifeless realm and barren, shattered city.
"Well, that went well," the Shifter said as the manic smile on his face grew wider.

Ooo, nasty! Love the absolutely mundane line in the chilling highlight of Shifter's triumph.

Thanks!
I actually kinda like this as a juxtaposition to Reflections from waaaaaaaay back.

Aww. It took me a moment.

I'm sad to say that I wrote this a long time ago, but by a bizarre coincidence, the very day I wrote it but before I could post it, the inspiration for the story showed up and posted something here. I felt that was a good sign.

I finally posted it yesterday, hoping cosmic irony would align the stars and cause it to happen again.

(I couldn't decide whether the sentiment deserves a smilie face or a frowny face, so I split the difference...)