Battle Hymn of the Republic

As she passed the last dish off to Eryl, Jane informed her, "Be back faster an lightnin with sumin ta settle ye." Then she gave the triclops a wink and walked off, headed for the back door. On the way she stopped to knock at her mother's door gently then peek in. Mama Smith was already in bed as she ...

Tanuki Issei was still kneeling, a crumpled t-shirt bundled in her hands, staring at Riley. She was so engrossed, she didn't hardly hear the AXETONNE open or Professor Caxton's footsteps. Then suddenly she was swept up, and froze, startled. Just as quickly, she melted into the embrace. "I'm okay! I ...

In Johann's bed

Johann was helpless when confronted by Drysi's irreverent behavior and flippant response.

"I-- no, yyyyyou--"

Her forehead tapped against his. He flinched sharply, and defensive instincts kicked in. His hands came between them, trying to make space. He got two handfuls of Drysi ...

In Johann's Room...
Despite all the craziness of the day, the young necromancer was more than ready to drift off. In fact, he'd been half way to dreaming when a rustling alerted him, and when another face popped out of his blankets he could have screamed! Instead, he jerked away and froze ...

Eryl's comment about Jane's mother sparked another unique response: a proud smile. Of course, the gunslinger's pride was legendary, part and parcel with her mythos. But that was revealed in the way serious way she spoke, her stern demeanor when she taught, and the gravitas that she invested ...

The talk about siblings seemed to stir Eleanor back to life. She took a deep breath and sighed. Today seemed to be a day of many emotional trials for her. She addressed the matter of druids first. "I dunno bout all that druid business, but I ken this valley keenly. Ain't none of em roun here.

"As ...

The Obliterated Festival Grounds, in Black and Gray
Tanuki had flung herself into a dead sprint-- What a dumb, perfect word. The sprint straight to your death. -- but almost immediately realized there was no way for her to close the gap with her one and only hope. The solid, inky black of ...

Tanuki frowned at her mentor's words, as though he'd handed her a particularly complex puzzle to solve. She released her handhold and was left dangling by her legs. Slowly and as gently as she could, Tanuki reached down to stroke Modeka's hair. It was clear then to both the student and the teacher ...

Lady let slip a larger smile than she might have permitted herself in other circumstances. "That's good. When it comes to our inner health, there are 3 big things we all need: people, passion, and places. It's clear you have people and places; we'll get to your passion in a moment. First, though, I ...

The stamping- and clacking?- of feet heralded the arrival of the first responders. The door was flung open without ceremony or hesitation. Three hell hounds- gwyllgi- charged in. It was the second hound that triggered the thunderwave trap. It spasmed and flew straight up. Or it would have if it didn ...