Apocalypse Daycare

You’re a daycare worker, watching over toddlers, when the imminent end of the world is announced. It becomes increasingly clear none of the kids’ parents are going to show up as the end inches nearer. Story by Bixby the Martian More fiction by Bixby: https://bixbythemartian.tumblr.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bixbythemartian Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/bixbythemartian Art is free use from Pixabay Concept by writing-prompt-s https://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/ https://www.instagram.com/writing.pro... Read by John Payton If you want to hire me as a voice actor, contact me via this channel. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... License Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

The Mimic

You’re a mimic. You were disguised as a chair in a dungeon when an adventurer decided to take you as loot. You’ve actually enjoyed your life ever since as furniture in a jolly tavern. So when some ruffians try to rob the now-elderly adventurer’s business, you finally reveal yourself. Story by Bixby the Martian More fiction by Bixby: https://bixbythemartian.tumblr.com/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bixbythemartian Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/bixbythemartian Art "Chairald the Chair Mimic" by Lisa Hall More art by Lisa: https://www.Instagram.com/thisislisahall Gaming loot by Lisa: https://www.instagram.com/level1gamers/ Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thisislisahall Concept by writing-prompt-s https://writing-prompt-s.tumblr.com/ https://www.instagram.com/writing.pro... Read by John Payton If you want to hire me as a voice actor, contact me via this channel. License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... License Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed)

Forgotten Gods 1: Allie

An audio recording of the story by Sarah Blackwell (@dycefic).

Again, I hope I've done it justice.

Again, published under the same terms as the OP. If you want to donate to anyone, donate to them.

I'm planning on moving my voicework to YouTube, to make it easier to find, including my two previous interpretations.

2021 Hogswatch Letter

 Greetings, friends and family.

This year was much like the last - not a lot got done, not a lot changed.

I auditioned for a few plays, but did not land any parts.  I did more recording for librivox.org, and have enjoyed it enough that I'm considering making voicework a side-hustle after retirement.  To that end, I'm clearing out the "hobbit room" upstairs and turning it into a studio.

If anyone is interested in looking up my work on librivox, the finished works that I've contributed to so far are "Black'erchief Dick," "T. Tembarom," and "Mary Ware's Promised Land."  I'll also keep a copy of any of my work on my media server, for those who have or want access to that.

I continue to livestream an hour of "bedtime reading" every week on Facebook.  I pick one of our family favorites and read from that.  At an hour a week, it will be a long while before I run out of things to read.  I save those files, too.

Arthur wrapped up the third "season" of his online game.  Kyrie has started up one of her own, giving him an extra-long break to set up the next twist in his campaign.  And I recently learned that my granddaughter wants to run a murder mystery game during the holiday visit.  I'll be playing the butler, so I think I'm in trouble.

This year, plants decided to grow in my yard.  Along the front walk, three mullien stalks sprang up, making it look as if I had planned it that way (I didn't).  And in the back, a pumpkin vine crawled out of one of the ash stumps, producing four pumpkins before frost took it.  One of these rotted away because I didn't know you were supposed to harvest them as soon as they turned orange, and two of them never did turn orange.  But one - the smallest - became the main flavor in a pumpkin cheesecake.  If it springs up again next year, I'll be ready.

Kyrie had quite a fright this year.  While taking a break from decorating her yard for Halloween, she heard a terrible crash outside: a drunk driver hitting first a power pole, then the fence in front of her house!  No one was hurt, not even the driver, but only minutes before several people were out in her yard, hanging decorations.  Insurance only recently paid on the damages; as of this letter the fence is still scrap in the yard.

We have started a monthly newsletter.  If this is something that interests you (and you're not already getting it), drop me a note.

Every week, I pick a box from storage and clear it out.  That means that, theoretically, I should have cleared out about fifty boxes from the basement last year.  It does not look as if I have done that.  I have a long way to go.

Plans for next year include joining Arthur as he picks up his RenFaire circuit again, provided the Omicron variant doesn't send us all back into lockdown.

Stay safe out there, folks.

John

Haiku

White and black kitties 

Contentiously share my lap. 

Furry shoulder sprites.

Novtep1c5l2mber 14g, 20r13ed1g 

Drawlloween 2021 (31) - Trick-or-Treat

 

I got my treat basket stolen from my front porch

Drawlloween 2021 (30) - Zombie

Thanks to the Tipsy Bartender for making this one easy for me

 

Drawlloween 2021 (29) - Nightmare

I couldn't think of anything scarier

 

Drawlloween 2021 (28) - Lantern

Kinda top-heavy. Must be a DC heroine.

 

Drawlloween 2021 (27) - Campfire

Campfire, Fireside, what's the difference?

 

Drawlloween 2021 (26) - Spider

I nearly put in too many eyes

 

drawlloween 2021 (25) - Voodoo Doll

Yes, I really hate Mitch McConnell that much

 

Drawlloween 2021 (24) - Skeleton

 

That counts, right?

Drawlloween 2021 (23) - Witch

GNU Terry Pratchett

 

Drawlloween 2021 (22) - Faerie

Technically, she's a pixie, and lives in the city.
With 7 deadbeat roommates.
And needs a backstory.

 

Drawlloween 2021 (21) - Vampire

I'm sure there are more

 

Drawlloween 2021 (20) - Murder Mystery Party

Colonel Mustard, in the library, with the revolver

 

Drawlloween 2021 (19) - Crystals

 

Hatched

Drawlloween 2021 (18) - Gothic

 

I slipped

Vernados' Journal - Bad Week

(game date: 8/7/2021 - 8/14/2021)

 Bad day today.  Last of five hives failed.  Lost my temper, smashed them all.  Haven't lost my temper in a long time.

Repaired one of the hives.  Might be able to fix three more.  Not all of them.  Now I need to find a swarm, or buy one.  Tomorrow I will see the village elder.  Maybe she will know where I should go.

Drawlloween 2021 (17) - Scarecrow

 

Drawlloween 2021 (16) - Fortune Teller

...showing the future; the past...

 

Drawlloween 2021 (15) - Among Us

 

Drawlloween 2021 (14) - Ghost

 

Laundry day

Ascension (Æstas season finale)

(game date: 9/23/2021)

Technically, we rested.  I can't speak for anyone else, but my sleep was fitful.  Were it not for chemical aid, I doubt I'd have slept at all.  Anticipation, you know.

I'd purchased enough military-grade explosive to load up all six Kourier drones, and a new pair of grav boots, both for myself and for Ŝtelita.  If all went as planned, I expected Parker to have control of that drone by the time the battle started, and most of the fight would be aerial.

I'd also conferred with the group about our pre-battle prep.  EllieRocks seemed confident that she could work protection from radiant energy into a pre-battle concert, which she would perform prior to our departure from the city.  Working together, Vamir and I managed to place a regenerative healing upon the entire platoon of volunteers that showed up.  There were well over a hundred (Is that a platoon?  Squadron?  Company?  I wasn't lying when I said I'm not a military man) led by General Lord himself.  Hilda and Cecily also rode along -- they held a grudge against the golden mech for the loss of their ship.

And that was about all I could think of to make this as safe as a war could get.  We headed out under cover of magic and tek invisibility.  I had to admire their coordination and discipline.  No one got lost, no one broke radio silence.  

Drawlloween 2021 (12-13)

 

Please don't squeeze

Call me Prometheus

Drawlloween 2021 (11) - Cat

 

Fog was my model

Drawlloween 2021 (9-10)

Radio Demon

Full Moon

Drawlloween 2021 (8) - Extraterrestrial

 

War of the Worlds

Drawlloween 2021 (7) - Catacombs

 

Don't get lost

Drawlloween 2021 (6) - Eyeball

Beauty is...

Eye of the Storm

(game date: 9/9/2021)

There was precious little that could be salvaged from the Crystal Pilot, considering the space and weight available on our return trip.  The storm seemed to part just enough to allow us to leave, giving the impression that, on some level, the ancient sorcerer holding the palace in stasis still retained some awareness of his surroundings.  

Conversation was sparse, with each of us wrapped up in our own reactions to what we'd just seen.  I did
ask Ms. Blackrose what prompted their serendipitous exploration in this particular direction, and it turned out to be exactly that: luck.  One of the water features in our "game map" had a real-life counterpart in the south.  Cecily was simply helping out with the search, while simultaneously satisfying her own curiosity about one of the ancient cities.  The one spitting out the golden drones, as it turns out.

She did, however, also offer up a useful bit of information.  The energy weapon used by the golden mech drones not only threatened to torch her ship, they also made the interior uncomfortably warm.  That sounded like radiant energy to me -- the SunBaby Special Attack.  It was something to ponder.  No armor enhancement available protects against radiant energy.

Drawlloween 2021 (5) - Underwater

an octopus' garden

 

Drawlloween 2021 (4) - Costume

Costume

..and this hat, which needs reblocking...

Drawlloween 2021 (1 -3)

 Started late.  I don't usually do this at all, but am going to try.

Pumpkin

Amulet

Haunted House

Audition/Acting tips

(this article first appeared in issue #5 of The New Cloud City Gazette)

 I wouldn't call myself a professional actor except in the very strictest sense (I've been paid), but I've been doing the community theater thing for a long time.  When I audition, I tend to get cast.  Today I'd like to share a few audition & acting tips.

Storming The Castle

 (game date: 9/2/2021)

Gordi slipped into the half-open door of the Crystal Palace, and quickly exited.  "More zombies," she reported.  "A lot more."

No one could say that they were terribly surprised by this news.  Nor were we terribly concerned.  We'd come loaded for sun-babies, and the undead horde that we'd faced did not exactly present a "Rising Day" challenge.  Even so, we felt it safest if the youngest held back for a bit.  Since Cecily and Hilda were already low on ammunition, they volunteered to keep the kidlets busy with salvaging what they could from the shipwreck while the rest of us delved into this structure.

Speaking from personal experience, I would bet on those two, even unarmed, against practically any opponent, and the rugrats weren't exactly helpless themselves.  However, if it should come to pass that we needed to beat a hasty retreat, it would be nice if we didn't have to pause to pack first, so this wasn't wasted effort.  I left two of the Kourier drones with them, in case we strayed out of BANlink range.

Tempest

(game date:  8/19/2021)

We circled the storm.  Only a flat expanse lay on the other side, unbroken by debris.  It was starting to look like the Crystal Pilot did not escape that maelstrom.  Katrya switched on Frank's scanners.

Behind the whirling wall of wind and rain, there was...something.  Something big, and stationary -- much too large to be Cecily's ship.  But down, towards the ground, the scan revealed two heat signatures.  Now we just had to find a way in.  

The storm didn't quite touch the ground, so it seemed logical that we might be able to just roll under it.  But when we dropped down low enough to do that, we couldn't find a way into the funnel of the storm, plus we lost the blips -- they were obscured by the base of that huge object inside.  

We would have to go in from the side, or over the top.  The tac-van began to climb...

Riders On The Storm

(game date:  8/12/2021)

Hilda appeared, looking into the camera, shouting. "-not safe! Again, do not go to the Cities." She glanced back to Cecie, standing at the helm. "I don't think this will work, Cecie, we're too far away!"

The view shook, and a loud boom sounded!  Cecie, busy with piloting, called back, "Hold onto something! I'm going to try and lose them in the storm!"

In The Hall of the Mountain King

(game date: 8/4/2021)

The gnomish leader of the band directed everyone around the side of a rocky outcropping, wherea rough-hewn entrance into the mountainside lay , hidden behind some cleverly placed foliage . Some of the taller group members had to stoop to get in, but once inside the hallway proved large enough to accommodate everyone.  .

The floor of the entryway gives way to a drop-off further in, with steps carved that lead down into an oddly-shaped cavern. One side was slanted at an angle, smoothly hewn, while the stairs descended to a less-skillfully carved floor.  Peeking through these rough carvings were large, arched patterns that seemed to extend from the slanted, smooth wall.  A large set of double doors lay at the end of that hallway, but they oriented with the wall as though it was a floor.  The effect continued beyond that door, as the gnome led them deeper into the mountain.

"Huh," said Katrya.  "Is all sideways."

Big Job

(Game date: 7/29/2021)

Oi you lot!

Ya member that jobber inna Cagelist ay went after?  Well, ay gottit, an' yer nivver gonna belayve this shite!

First off, the addy was that posh luxe-haus where alla anthros went onna fritz an' doiced up alla pedos. 
Y'know f'r certain, ay dinna jump tha fence.  'oo knows wot kinna bug-zappers they got onna propertay, roight?  So's, ay push th'button, anna gray ol' foxie steps aout ta lemme in, squintin' loik 'e canna see may.  So ay buzz up in 'is foice an' tell 'im whoi am 'ere, an 'e woks me up tha path ta that big ol' 'ouse.

Soon as we get inna door, 'e 'angs a left and puts 'is 'and onna Dee Enn Ay lock, an' hopens a door to the rummiest room ay ever did see.  Thairs haltars on foive soids, anna big 'un inna middle wif a yooman kid standin' onnit, wearin' all cere-moan-eeyal robes an' shite, an ay'm aboot ta buzz off, onna 'count of ay'm thinkin', mebbe this job izza bein' a sackrifoice, or summat, when this kid just shrinks on doon ta pixie-soize, an' sez, all fancy-loike, "Greetings. I am Ama. Thank you for coming."

Mary Ware's Promised Land.

Another project that I worked on has been published at Librivox.  

Mary Ware's Promised Land

Annie Fellows Johnston (1863 - 1931)

In this latest and most delightful book Mary's desire to visit "The Locusts," the old home of the "Little Colonel," is gratified, and the environment of green fields and spreading trees and all the charm and freshness of the beautiful Kentucky country itself throughout the entire story. In the end will Mary's "Knight Come Riding"?

This is the last book in the "Little Colonel Series", and the third featuring Mary Ware. (Summary adapted from an an original advertisement)

Genre(s): Family

Language: English

Group: The Little Colonel Series

LibriVox

The Tale of Elenya (because dryads don't have tails)

I want to talk about Elenya.  Keeping in mind that my memory may be faulty, here's how I remember things.  Those who were there, feel free to correct me.

When our Ilvantar group (the original Samaritans) were starting out, one of our first missions together was to investigate why no one had heard from Bipton (a nearby town, relatively new) for a while.  Turns out that it had been raided by dog-headed fur-folk.  Chaloli, Arthur's game.  Gnolls, in traditional D&D.  Many of the settlers had been killed; the survivors had been enslaved.  

Our party consisted of Maxwell, an older human arcanist (played by Robin), Cage, a robust human archer (played by John), Somura, a sneaky felinoid (played by Kyrie), and Rosa, a gnomish bundle of energy (played by Anita).  I don't think that the kids had joined the party yet.  If I recall correctly, we had with us an NPC human male named Ames, a decent fighter and member of the Slayers Guild.

We camped in a nearby orchard to discuss our options and make plans.  Knowing that we were outnumbered, and that we were likely to run out of Power for healing, Maxwell thought that it would be a good idea to establish a regeneration point.  He centered it upon the fruit tree that we were camping under.

I may have mentioned that Robin turned out to be a bit of a power player?  Maxwell...never did anything by half measures.  He expended all his Power, and possibly some of his Will, turning this peach tree into Health Central, providing Practically Permanent Regeneration.  (If pressed for specifics, I believe that those people within the area of effect would regenerate 78 HP per round, and the effect would last for Millenia.  If you're wondering how the heck he managed that, especially at mid-lower levels, keep in mind that Arthur's game system has been in constant development/tweaking since then.)  Then Maxwell took a long rest while we planned our attack.

(We saved Bipton, captured and adopted one of the gnolls and named him Peaches Butthead Doge The First.)

Fast forward to Ilvantar, Season 2: Exploring the Basement.

The Fog has lifted, and now we can see the other floating continents...and also the land below, from which they were all ripped.  A batch of new Samaritan recruits has been granted a new airship (The Worldsaver) to explore what been called the Floor, or the Basement.  Again, my memory is a little fuzzy - I know that on this expedition, I'm playing a martial artist named Spence (hello, Leverage character ripoff), but can't swear who everyone else has.  By now the kids have joined us.

When the continents were separated from the rest of the planet...many, many trees were killed, and by direct corollary, many dryads were killed as well.  And here's a horrifying little fact about dryads (in this game, at least): if a dryad outlives her tree, if she does not die, then she becomes a Sundered

Woman - nearly unstoppable, extremely powerful, and very, very mad.

Our airship crew encountered one of those during their exploration.  

Did we panic?  Of course not!  We were Samaritans!

Okay, maybe we panicked a little bit.  She was in the eye of a storm that she had created, one of many that drifted across the barren landscape.  And we were the B-team.  We'd been fighting packs of wild dogs and the occasional wolf.  What did we have?

Well, my friends, we had a sack full of fresh Maxwell Peaches, that's what we had.

Everybody grabbed a peach, and we spread out.  Slowly, we approached the grieving ex-dryad.  Spence, in a moment of inspiration, began executing a series of calming katas.  His pet wolf, not quite tame yet, stayed by his side and whined a little.  

When the Sundered Woman caught a whiff of the peach, her madness abated somewhat.  She let us get near enough that she could grab and consume a peach.  When nothing remained but the pit, and even that had been sucked dry, she was able to converse rationally.  

We took the dryad (Elenya) in our airship back to Bipton.   Throughout the trip she nibbled peach and

stroked the wolf's fur, murmuring to herself.  When we arrived at the regeneration grove, she started in awe at the tree for just a moment...then slipped inside.

Absorbing the magic that Maxwell had imbued in that tree, Elenya's power grew to godlike proportions.  She set her sights on the other continents, and we truly believed that, given time, her branches would have reached them, and her roots would have extended to the Floor.

That's Elenya's Tree.  That's the Core.  

She sent the B-team back, with more peaches, to rescue her other bereaved sisters, and bring them back to join with her, each to eventually receive a new tree.  I wonder if we will encounter any of them again?

Even with all her newfound power, I think she felt a sense of gratitude toward the mortals who rescued her, and that's why she rescued them when the surface became unlivable, and put up with them draining her essence for a thousand years, and nearly died bringing them back to the surface.  

So, yeah, she deserved that "tree-hugging concert."

Working For A Living

(game date:  7/15/2021)

 It's official:  I am a workaholic.  

I'm not incapable of taking a break.  In fact, during the entire evening spent with Steff, we didn't discuss our work at all -- not even when we were nearly mobbed by reporters, bloggers, and photographers all trying to get some kind of story about my recent bid for Council Leader.  I hadn't expected quite so massive a reaction.  Hilda nearly had to beat them off with a stick.  Next time, we both go incognito.

But I can't seem to leave work alone for long, and my agenda is always overflowing.  It's one of the traits I inherited from my father, and will probably do more to shorten my life than any other.  

As You Wish

 I watched it in the theater,
On the day of release,
With my wife,
Who, when we met in college,
Introduced the book to all
With such enthusiasm,
And so many superlatives,
That no one believed
That such a tale as she described
Could be any good at all.

Every year since our wedding,
We read it together.
Every year since it hit the screen,
We watched it together.
And for every child, and grandchild,
When they turned ten years old,
We read to them the "good parts."

I lost her two years ago,
My own bride.
Now, I give the tome away to strangers,
Every year,
And recorded it, in my voice,

For future generations.

Unreachable Star

 (game date: 06/03/2021)

Lightning extended from Gipson's hands, striking the Foxkin full in the chest.  The sparks crackled all over her body, all exposed fur standing on end.

Had anyone else in our party taken that eldritch blast, we'd have been knocked unconscious, possibly even killed.  I know it hurt Katrya, but when the discharge ended, she still stood.

And she was angry.

I've seen the Foxkin in a lot of fights.  I believe I've mentioned before that she participates in Arena battles, the illegal ones.  I've seen her take a severe beating and come out grinning.  

I've never seen her angry before.

Unbeatable Foe

 (game date: 06/03/2021)

Until the mini-concert, I had been on the fence about actually broadcasting our showdown with Gipson.  Now, filled with confidence, it seemed like the best idea ever, and E.R. had just given me the perfect inspiration for how to begin it.  

When the iDoll returned with low-light goggles, Stelita arrived at about the same time.  That confused me, as I thought Ama had said that Parker was close, but I didn't think anything of it.  There was nothing more for us to do but crowd into "Frank" and go.  The tac-van flew from Chystari, straight for the city Core.

We hadn't gone far when the Crystal Pilot pulled up alongside us in the air. The comms chirped, and Hilda's voice asked, "Someone ordered delivery?"

Impossible Dream

(game date: 6/3/2021)

Now that time is not such a pressing concern, perhaps I can collect my thoughts and record events properly.  That last entry was sloppy, to say the least.  

Preparations were frantic, to put it mildly.  

My father's emergency statement had been hijacked.  The transmission ended before he could finish, and was replaced by an image of him in his office, claiming that the prior transmission was entirely falsified.  Under other circumstances, I feel certain that I could have done battle in this arena of high-tek propaganda and emerged the victor, but in the here-and-now, I had neither the time nor the energy to spare.  I satisfied myself with checking with Parker that they were still safe (the vids left their fate in question), and continued our prep work.

Confession (The Revolution Will Be Live-Streamed)

(Game date: 6/3/2021 - Campaign "season" finale)

(A broadcast entreating everyone in the city to shut down their ImagiNet BANlinks is immediately followed by this slam poem, entitled "Confession," was broadcast from a pre-recording, with a heavy techno beat track, during a live feed of a battle which took place within the city's Core Tower.  It was tagged with username "GoldenBoy". 

The livestream continues.  The plea to shut down ImagiNet, and why, continues on a loop throughout the battle.)

My first crime was privilege - born to golden crown and throne.

Second was self-centered youth, blind to all pain save my own.

I convicted my blood of crimes in my mind, without benefit of jury,

Then stole from my future, investing in fantasies, like I had no worries.

Abet a cop-killer, help a terrorist escape,

Corruption of a minor, betray a team-mate,

I've done it all, I have no shame.

Gamed the courts for private gain.  (just like a suit)

Grand theft auto?  Child's play.  I do that in my sleep.  

Give me something worth waking for - like secrets buried deep.

I'll perpetrate it.  Confiscate it.  Automate it. 

So prideful I refused a Dragon to his face.

No moldy blood-sucker put me in my place. (fool)

Faced avatars, demons, immortals, gods,

And still believe that I can cheat the odds.

I'm the biggest mass murderer since the Fall,

Except for the One who betrayed us all.

And this may be my biggest sin:  

I still believe I'm better than him;

That all my crimes are justified.  

Sanctified.  Certified.  Electrified.

Now I agitate at the Core of a corrupt state.

Against Fate, with my mates, we will open the Gate.  

History will judge us all.

For the People to Rise, the Towers must Fall.

The very first Librivox project I was involved in, is finally ready!  Link below

I have a number of chapters in this one, and am (slowly) finishing the rest for my own friends & family.

Black'erchief Dick

Margery Allingham (1904 - 1966)

This is noted mystery writer, Margery Allingham's first novel, written when she was just 18. It a swashbuckling novel of romance and adventure on a British island in the 17th Century - Summary by mleigh

Genre(s): Action & Adventure Fiction

Language: English

LibriVox

Puttin' on The Ritz

(game date: 5/20/2021, 5/27/2021)

(Normally, in these journal entries, I give more attention to each individual, because I have reviewed the events from each camera.  This one is being recorded a bit hastily, as we have little time to spare, so it mostly recounts my own part in the evening's events, and even much of that is copy/paste. 

The Gate must be opened now, and I want these events recorded in case I don't make it.)

Because of all the fuss with the Masques, the day of the 175th Annual Æxalted Fashion Festival crept up on us much faster than I'd expected.  I could scarcely believe it when Parker reminded me of the event the day before.  I hadn't scheduled a pre-briefing the week before, as had been the plan, so as to give everyone ample time to prepare.  Damn vampires, throwing everything off-schedule with their anachronistic ways.

Instead, we had to be satisfied with a quick touch-base the night before, just to be sure that we were all on the same page.  I established a conference link.

Reflections on Æstas Society - an editorial

(The following article is published on the Matrix forums under the handle "GoldenBoy" - as untraceable as Zeke can make it)

In a recent conversation with a respected elder, he conceded that I was "intelligent, but perhaps merely young."  Having acknowledged that I am not an utter fool, he now must explain my behavior in some way that does not require that he admit to any worldview other than his own.  So, he resorts to ageism.

I suppose, for my species, I am young, but it's rather limiting to assume that my outlook and biases will change as I grow older.  It's also a misconception to equate age with maturity, especially considering how brief a lifespan some races are allotted.

For all the diversity which Æstas boasts, we are, in fact, a fractured society.  We have ageism, speciesism, tribalism, ableism, and reigning over all: classism.  We're not even satisfied with these divisions; we have had to invent more factions in which to divide ourselves.  One might think that intelligent beings forced to share limited resources in order to survive would be able to put aside the law of the jungle for the duration.  Instead, we have refined it to an artform.

A Dragon For Dinner

(Game date: 05/13/2021)

We have established a bit of a tradition, after each mission, to gather for dinner at the Crystal Palace.  The dining area is arranged in such a way that any party can be guaranteed privacy if they wish, each of us loves the food, we can catch Cecily and Hilda up on our operations, and the debriefing can occur in a relaxed atmosphere.  I always try to get word to Jane Doe when we do this, on the outside chance that she will join us.  Even though we have been requesting her help less frequently, I still keep in mind that "Peaches" included her in the original team, and I believe we will need her aid in the future.

As we were settling into our private booth, a priority news headline scrolled across my feed:  

Serial Bomber Suspected

T. Tembarom

My first published Librivox project.  My chapter is 35.

LibriVox: T. Tembarom Frances Hodgson Burnett (1849 - 1924) The story of a Boy living in New York as a street waif, who sells newspapers eventually finds himself to be the heir of an ancient manor. The kids at school never understood what the "T" was for in his name, and he didn't tell them. Does that have something to do in the story? And what about this ancient manor?