Let it flow…. “You’ve no idea how bottled up a 6 word sentence has left me for the last 3 weeks.  Seriously! =p”  I’m not usually this explosive, but I can’t help but vent to Wilf about how angsty this latest writing assignment has been. 

Wilf smiles and nods his sooty head as he turns back towards the kitchen.  I so want to reach out and pet the soft fur, right where the ear bases are, but I don’t.  I sigh as I watch him head for the sturdy oven.  When he was a kit, he loved being snuggled and having his ear tufties rubbed, but now he’s reached a teen phase, it’s a no go.  “No touchie MOM!” or at least in front of the other lads.  Speaking of…

“Wilf, where are your buddies tonight?”  I stifle the urge to ask about his homework since it is a Wednesday night.  I’m glad he’s got buddies, and they seem a couple of reasonably well behaved lads, but boys will be boys.  It’s better to keep tabs on them.

“Rbmmpptff the niiighhhbbbpt.”  comes the reply.  All I can see are his black fluffy haunches and back.  His gold markings gleam in the glow of the kitchen lights, his head stuffed towards the oven door.

“What was that?”  I get up and head for the kitchen where he’s pulling out a tray of freshly finished chocolate chip cookies from the oven.  “Mmmmmm!!!!!”  I say automatically as I breathe deeply.  Vanilla!  Chocolate!  They look gooey in the center and crisp just at the very edges.  This is definitely Wilf’s gift.  I see the beginning smile curling at the corners. 

“I said, they can’t come over tonight.” he repeated.  “Mrs. McFluff gave us an extra assignment today.  I got mine finished during study hall, but they were umm… preoccupied, so”  he shrugs, “so they didn’t get to it and have to do it tonight.” 

Wilf slides the cookies onto the wire rack to cool.  He turns abruptly and I’m tackled in a warm black fluffy hug <3 “Thank you so much for the extra bit on my profile Mom!”  He buries his head in my chest.  “I know it was hard to do, but I really really appreciate the extra attention.” 

I smile as thoroughly enjoy the impromptu hug, needing it so badly.  It’s been a long slog, but this, this makes the struggle worth it.  “I’m glad you liked it Wilf.  You do so much around here, so it’s nice to give you something in return.”

I can’t wait for the cookies to cool.  They’re definitely worth the wait.

*cookie image credit to queenof1000days

on nights like this
and wonder why he
is so far away his
beauty so hard to reach

This is based on this geness, particularly the relationship between Rocky & Khione. I based this on the moment they first spoke, falling for one another instantly. The story can be read in more depth on both of their pages.

The water gurgled gently as Spark watched it flow by. Such a strange thing water is, they ponder. All living things need it to survive, yet just yesterday it almost took the life of young ineki when the river raged out of control. So easily it could deliver life or death.

The river flowed onwards, unaware of the ineki’s thoughts.

Amaterasu The mirroring technique that you was really amazing in showing how both characters had similar desires, while also highlighting the futility of their situation. It is very clever!
Riaa You did a great job of portraying your character’s struggling tone. It brings up a lot of interesting dynamics occurring in the character’s thoughts!
Titan Fantastic use of fire imagery. Your poem is short and intense, just like a real fire!
raus When I finished reading your piece, I really wanted to know more about the protagonist. You did a great job of drawing the reader in and garnering their curiosity.
Azurrys Your character is facing a fascinating struggle. They’re alive on the page!
ddyyuu This was really clever and funny. The shift in tone at the end had me cracking up like nothing else.
Loon I loved the funeral scene. The contrast in colors that you used had a powerful impact.
teatree The double meaning in your letter was surprising and excellent twist. Great use of a paradox!
Malis Reading your question made me want to know the answer. I like how you raised questions in both the character’s and reader’s minds simultaneously.
Dracogryph The differing reactions to the sprout that the characters had spoke volumes about their personality in a very condensed amount of team. That was wonderful to see!
DelightfulDragon I like the last sentence, how you mentioned such thoughts were useless. It really jives with the length of the piece. The character only pays them mind for a moment, and the length encourages us to do the same. It really enhances the shared experience the reader has with the character.

Vysal This is really sad! It paints a really vivid picture though — I like it a lot! :D
[@brighteyedbeast] I happen to be a pretty big fan of gory imagery, so this was super up my alley. Sure makes me feel for Harvest, though!
[@espurr] This gave me a really good idea of Perseus’ character in very few words! Great job!
Condor I’m assuming the poem part of the profile is your entry? I really enjoyed the mythology you weaved together about the three goddesses! Do you plan on adding the third to the geness someday? :D
Juneberry I’m not sure which character this is about, but it’s really nice! :> It makes me want to learn more about the character(s).
[@zodiac] This is a really elegant depiction of death. Very serene! I’m not sure which of your characters this is about, but it makes me curious about them!
esque This is so cute. ;; The images with just the single line of text; old people in love are one of my greatest weaknesses!
Watchdog Aww, this is a really sweet memory! It’s always really neat to read from the point of view of something that’s not human!
Zukana This is so sad. D8 Poor Fell. The colors you used are very nice though! I really like how she’s sinking into the darkness with the light far above her!
-Sid Ooh this is interesting! It seems very forboding to me — makes me curious about Condor’s character and circumstances!
diaveborn Oh, what a unique entry! I really enjoy how the colors go quite nicely with Lyn, and the patterns you’ve used in the background are really cool!
[@Deddo] Aww, it’s sweet how they need each other to kind of be complete. :) You did a really good job of invoking a strong feeling while being succinct!
Hecate A simple, but very touching sentiment! :D This makes me want to learn more about the referenced characters!
Arintol A very relatable experience for a lot of Mycenians! You’ve done a great job capturing the feelings behind a Sprout’s arrival and growth!
talicinx This type of short piece is really fitting for wandering thoughts! Spark is quite observant — and I can’t help but wonder if they are the one who pulled that young ineki out of the river. :D

thewordeater Ohhh no, poor Nicco. D: I like how concisely you described their history and goals in one - I hope Nicco finds their family or companionship!
OregonCoast Oregon you’ve made me so hungry, I can’t stop drooling over the thought of warm cookies now. I get the feeling that Wilf is just as gooey and sweet as the treats he bakes!
[@courier] What an awesome library! You did a great job capturing just how massive (and still cozy ahh) your custom’s collection is. The candles added a nice touch!
Madara Kain looks so gentle and happy here - your 6 word entry made me curious about their history, and I’m glad to see that perhaps despite contrasting backgrounds, they are at peace!
miirshroom What a wickedly cool design. I love the simplistic, swampy color scheme and glowing eyes. They’d give me a fright if I ran into them in a cave!
Knight I love the contrast here! My eyes immediately lit on the flower - it looks so lonely. This could easily tie into a neat story - you should let us know if you come up with something!
Vely These remind me of those art toys in the 90s where you would scratch through a layer of black paint to bring out a lit rainbow of colors beneath - what a cool effect! I’m partial to the darker one for that reason, and I think it’s a cool representation for a light mage. Great work!
Quwilly You have me very curious as to the appearance to this mysterious he now, Quwilly. ;) But in all seriousness, this has a great vibe - that quiet longing for the unattainable is hard!
Gabriel Tien noooo! Gabs how sad, I just want to help Tien feel better. :( She can have a hug any time she needs - I hope that she finds happiness soon!
Jordii I am particularly fond of the distinction you made between feeling loved and being loved, Jordii! I’m so glad that in this instance, it was both <3 what a great feeling, I am happy for your characters!

Pumpkin did not have good days anymore. He didn’t have days, period. He merely had tolerable nights. He had not had a good day or night since he was alive, and not the living dead. For some reason, he woke up this evening feeling good. Perhaps it was the feed he had the night before, and the rest he had had this morning. The fact that it was Winter, which means less sunlight is definitely a contributing factor. In fact, tonight Pumpkin felt so good that he decided it was time for his once a century decade cleanout.

He headed into the basement, looking at all of the boxes. Looking back on it, it probably wasn’t wise to waste his very rare good mood, but hindsight is always 20/20, and it is of no use to dwell on the past. He started going through box after box. Most of it was rubbish. Lots of old clothes that were out of style (Through his long, infinite lifetime there have been a lot of different styles. Most are terribly hideous.) Box after box, he sorted through them. Now is when he got to the painful stuff – old memories.

He had never cleared this out. Never had the urge to touch it. It was too painful to look at things from his previous life. All of these things were from when he was alive, as he had not bothered to document any of his current life existence. It was not memorable enough.

The first box he opened was all baby stuff. Happy memories he didn’t mind keeping, besides the fact that all of the people he saw with him in the pictures are now dead. This was the first setback in his day; the first of many that would destroy his good mood. He sorted through them, deciding that all were worth keeping. It is the only photos he has of his family, as he is the only remaining heir.

The next box was full of high school memories. Sweaters, report cards, year books. Not much was of any sentimental value, but he flicked through them for entertainment factors. This was his next mistake. His report cards were nothing special – he was an above average kid. Polite, kind and involved in extracurricular activities, but nothing extraordinary.

Next were the year books, which is where any good mood he had was destroyed completely. At first, he flicked through fondly of the friends he once had. They had been good friends, and he had been a good friend to them. He had good memories with them, from when he was a child until… the day he changed. After that, he couldn’t trust himself around them.

Then he got to it. Her. The one who had grabbed his life, turned it upside down, and made it eternal. He had no good memories or thoughts about her. She is, or rather, was, pure evil. And she had made him exactly like she was. He scowled at the picture of her, scratching her out with a large x, and tossing the book aside. Calming himself down, he went further into the box. There were letters.

These letters were also from her. Unable to control himself, he read through them. Sentence by sentence, the memories of her came flooding back. It hit him like a train. Unable to control his emotions, he tore the letters into tiny pieces and tipped the box over. He grabbed everything he could and took them upstairs. He lit a fire in the fireplace, and tossed everything into it. Watching it burn, he remembered when he had destroyed her. Although this was generally a happy memory, any thought of her made him scowl, and want to break down. This had shaken him. Unable to keep his mind off of her, and the awful experience, he set out. He needed to hunt, take his anger and frustration out on someone. Perhaps tomorrow would be a better day.

April 2016: A Bad Day at Work, starring Sylph

    Sylph faced the crowd, made up mainly of Ineki, and Drasili, though there were a few humans in the mix. They filled the small cavern. “I-if you could just make a line please.” she said. Her voice didn’t rise above a whisper.
    No one heard her. The Myceneans before her continued to elbow and push one another, each vying for her attention.
    “The stream running through my cavern is overflowing!” A small kitten whimpered.
    “My district hasn’t seen rain in months!” A burly human shouted.
    “The pipes in my house are blocked!” Said a fox.
    That isn’t even a magic problem. That’s a plumbing problem! Sylph thought, in exasperation, but she didn’t say that to the fox. Instead, she managed to raise her voice just a tiny bit. “I can help you all, if you all could just get into a line.” The noise of the crowd blocked her out yet again.
    Kelph couldn’t sweat, or cry. There was simply no need for it underwater. Right now, however, Sylph wished she could do both. This was only her second day on the job, and she wanted to quit. But that would mean she had failed the High Priestess, and that thought sent Sylph into a panic. She was supposed to facilitate the interactions between the Order of the Water Nymphs, and the citizens of the Cave, who often called on the Nymphs when the Cave’s magically-fuelled water cycle went haywire. Which, clearly, it had.
    The High Priestess had assured Sylph that this was the perfect job for her. It was supposed to use Sylph’s natural gift for conflict mediation, as well as get her more comfortable with interacting with strangers. But this was a far cry from the little tiffs Sylph’s Nymph sisters got into. This was a war zone.
    Six hours later, Sylph rushed the final customer out the door. Her paws ached. Her skin felt dry and cracked. She’d barely managed to schedule half of the Myceneans who had come to her for aid. She’d been shouted at, pushed around, and someone had accidentally stepped on her tail. And, worst of all, she’d have to do it all over again tomorrow.

Today was officially the worst day of her life. Not only was it cold, dark, and abnormally gloomy, but it was the one day her work required her to go outside of the facilities. Normally, Dahlia had a nice, cozy, quiet indoor job as taking care of the flowers cultivating in the Abuege Gardens. Today was the one day of the year that she was required to accompany a researcher outside and collect samples of natural flower populations to bring back and test. Dahlia hates this. She much prefers being inside attending to her sick plants and flowers; her specialty.
Now, not only was being outside an issue, the normally sunshine, warm state has had a cold spell. She was shivering the whole time and was for sure she’d catch a cold. As she worked, another one of her favorite things happened. It started raining. No, scratch that; it started pouring. This was just her luck.
~*~*~
Grumbling to herself, she made her way through the facility, tracking dirt and mud the whole way. Finally, at her station she dumped the contents out of her bag. As she started organzing the various samples, a hand grasped her shoulder. Her heart jumped, she shrieked, and whipped around hastily… dropping one of the samples on the floor.
“Woah, why so jumpy?” Briar asked, completely unaware of the damage she had done.
“Briar Rose?” Dahlia said sweetly with a forced smile, “Get out.”
Taking in the disaster on the floor, and the state Dahlia was in, Briar made the correct decision to get the hell out of there with a hasty, “See you at home!” as she fled.
Not not only was she wet and dirty, spending the day outside, but she also had one less sample. She would have to go back out and get another uncontaminated one. Worst day ever.

“Are you serious?”  Ness gave an exasperated sigh to her best friend and usual hiking partner.  “Nah, if you’re mom says you gotta go, there’s no discussing it.”  That was at breakfast when she got the bad news the hike they’d been planning for over a month was suddenly off the agenda.  Case closed, but now what?  Ness really had wanted to go on the hike, and debated going solo.

That’s when she spied her other friend Patti putting her jewlery tools away, and looking around brightly for friends to visit with.  Hmmm… Patti was a little on the soft side, but surely she’d like to come along for some fresh air, right?

Patti indeed brightened at the idea of spending some time chatting with Ness and strolling along for a walk.  It had been awhile since she’d gotten to chat with Ness, and it would give her fresh ideas for jewelry for blues, turquoise and paler colour pallete customers while getting a little sunshine.  Patti smiled at the idea of the fresh air and sunlight, so the two set out on the path north from the village. 

At first the path presented nothing too difficult.  Patti was thoroughly enjoying the saunter while talking with Ness.  Ness however, was about to gnaw off a leg.  How slow could a person walk?!  She half smiled, half gritted her teeth at Patti’s prattling. 

“Mhmm.  Mhmm… Patti watch it!”  Oh dear, the warning came too late as Patti side stepped the mud puddle but then caught her fur on the blackberry bramble.  A few minutes later while Patti remained still and practically not breathing, Ness bloodied her paws to free her friend.  She heaved a sigh, but still, it was her own fault.  If it wasn’t for her, Patti wouldn’t be out here on this hike.  Onwards and it couldn’t get any worse than this, right?  Oh dear…

“Ummm…Ness?” Patti began, as she glanced around at the shrubbery pushing in on the trail from either side, “you do know the trail, right?”  Silence in return.  “Ness”, she called again to the shadows ahead, hoping to see her friend.  The bugs sounded menacing with their barrage of calls and chirps while she waited. 

Ness popped her turquoise head out.  “What is it Patti?”  she was frowning, but quickly changed her expression to concern as Patti looked genuinely frightened by the rambunctous greenery.  Patti shrugged away from the vine to her left, only to have the mulberry bush on her right lodge into her beaded headdress.  She windmilled her paws around her ears, trying to dislodge the bush from her finery, beginning to wear a frown herself.  “I said you do know where you’re going, right?”

Ness dropped her gaze, then looked back over her shoulder.  On the maps she and her other friend had been poring over, this looked like a dry gorge.  It should have been easy goings, but now she was out here and exploring, somewhere the map had ...well it lied.  Either that or she was lost, which wasn’t something she was willing to empart to Patti. 

Ness looked up at Patti, “I do know where I’m going, but I think with the new growth, the path looks different.  I’ll tell you what.  You stay here and I’ll scout ahead and come right back.  I’ve got longer legs than you do, so I can go faster if we’re not together.  Is that okay?  You can stay right here in the sunshine and just rest a little.” 

In truth, Patti was relieved to sit and rest her paws.  They were hot and becoming sore.  When Ness had mentioned going for a hike, she’d not realized Ness meant a real hike.  Patti was envisioning a stroll. “Okay Ness, I’ll wait here for you.”  And with that she flopped on the ground, propping her pawpads up to see if she could find a breeze.

“Cool!  I’ll be back soon!”  Ness bounded out of sight, the shrubs bouncing back into place as she went. 

‘Soon’  was ambitious.  The further down the ‘path’ Ness foraged, the less it became a path.  Overgrown shrubs gave way to sticker bushes and prickly thorns.  She stopped, the brambles tearing at her fur, leaving white cotton tufts.  No, this wasn’t right at all, she clearly couldn’t bring Patti this way.  In truth, maybe it was better to head back?  This whole hike had been a mismatched disaster.  Patti was moving as quickly as she could, but she was at the speed of a stunned moth.  Ness had managed to burn off some of her excess energy by running down the path to see if she could find the real trail, and now she was turning back, hunger and thirst were beginning to kick in.  She rounded the curve where she’d left Patti….. to find an empty space! 

“Patti!  Patti I’m back!”  Ness held her breath, and felt her heartbeat rock her body while she strained to listen for her friend.  Nothing, no signs.  She glanced around and then at the ground where she thought some small pebbles might spell out words, but nah!  it was her mind playing tricks.  Where on earth could Patti have vanished?  Then her blood ran cold.  Aside from losing her friend, what would she tell everyone else??  Patti was no hiker, others would hold Ness responsible for the delicate Ineki’s disappearance.  It added to the cold feeling in her stomach.

Ness shook out her fur, scanned the little clearing for one last time and then trotted down the path, hoping to catch up with her friend.  No joy, at the fork in the trail she came instead to a clearing with a little house and a strange family of Fox Inekis.  They were laying around the yard, playing marbles, hanging up wash and doing other small chores.  The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.  She’d never seen these Foxes before.  She truly was lost, and didn’t her mother warn her about greeting strangers in the woods? 

Ness shook her head, she had no choice, she simply had to find Patti.  She tipped her nose up and strode right into their backyard like she’d done it a million times.  To her complete surprise, they said no, they hadn’t seen anyone like Patti, but they would certainly help look for her.  They were a flurry of activity as called to one another, pairing off.  A lanky teenage girl grinned and told her they would pair up and soon the two were trotting back to the clearing where she’d left Patti.

The teen took in the scene, called out yet again to her brother in the distance and with a whoop…‘seriously?’  thought Ness, who ‘whoops?  Who are these people?!’  the teen turned to her with a “Keep up!!!  Pretty sure we know where she is.” 

By this point, Ness was exhausted and followed along, the Fox’s feetpads showing rhythmically in front of her, until they burst from a clearing.  Sure enough, high up over the small creek sat Patti.  She waved and called out to Ness enthusiastically.  “You got my message didn’t you?”  she smiled. “The rocks, you read them right?”

“What’s she talking about?” asked the Fox. 

“Not a clue” replied Ness with a huge grin.  “I’m just happy you found her! Thank you!!!!”

Once they’d scrambled to the top of the knoll, Patti explained she’d spelled out the message with the rocks.  She’d seen the clearing over the creek on the hike in, and it seemed a much more pleasant place to wait for her friend.  Her blue eyes showing not the least bit of concern when Ness explained she’d had no clue where Patti had disappeared to ~ for hours on end.  Instead she was thoroughly grateful to the Fox Family who were so pleased with their afternoon’s entertainment, and proud of the fact they’d located Patti for Ness.  After many thank yous, the Foxes pointed out the very short path back into the village. 

When they reached the outskirts, both friends turned to one another and said “Let’s never do this again ~Ever!”  and then laughed as they realized they’d said it in unison.  Ness mused, “When bad days go bad, it’s one thing, but man when bad hikes go seriously wrong ~ yeeeshh!”

Patti laughed, “At least you got one, and I got some fresh air, and some new designs for my jewelry, but no…we shouldn’t do this again.” 

The day wasn’t going very well. First she had gotten separated from the crew, then chased by a swarm of bees. Once it started raining, Myth decided it was officially the worst day ever. Or at least the worst day of the month. Then she decided it was the worst day of the year after slipping down the embankment of the the stream and getting covered in mud. Yup, definitely a bad day.

A bad day in Viola’s life.

Viola was tired. She was already for weeks walking through the cave, with little opportunity to replenish her water and food. In the morning she had eaten her last piece of bread, leaving her with only a few nuts. The water too was little, barely would last until the next day. And the fatigue was so much, she wanted so badly to be at home with her wife Ava.

But she couldn’t get carried away by these feelings. She needed to find Mellie, her beloved niece. She probably had been carved and was alone and scared somewhere in the cave. And it gave strength for Viola to continue. Soon she would find Mellie and then she could go home, enjoy her life with just herself, Mellie and Ava, as a family.

Even so it was hard to keep going. Viola had a map, she always took care to not get lost. But the cave itself seemed to want to hold her there. The map didn’t look anything like the tunnels in which she walked. And every time she tried to go back by a tunnel, everything was completely different, as if the cave changed its entrances to keep Viola in the way that the cave itself wanted.

Viola was so tired, but it would not be safe to sleep in an unknown location, where she was completely lost. Not even a little nap she was allowed to have. Then Viola continued, but she felt her speed decreasing at every step. She didn’t exactly was surprised when a heavy rain began to fall. Viola knew well that when things were bad, they could always get worse.

“For what it’s worth to live in a cave if you still have to deal with this type of not foreseen meteorological event,” Viola complained to herself.

She felt a twinge of hope when she saw some plants that formed a convenient shelter for the rain. Viola ran there and put herself to think, taking advantage of the lack of rain falling on her body, despite the occasional splash she received, since the shelter was not as big as she expected. Generally plants like that, especially trimmed to form a shelter, meant that someone lived nearby.  Someone with a house and possibly a warm bed.

It was possible to wait until the rain stopped, but maybe it took too long and the possibility of bed and hot food made the idea of enduring a little more rain not so bad. Then it was decided, she would stand a little more of that unbearable rain so her near future would be a little better. And the rain brought a benefit: safe water. Now she just needed food and a place to sleep. Maybe things would be better if she tried to just look more positively to the situation.

As she prepared to run through the tunnels to wherever this house was, a loud noise made her froze where she was. Despite the rain, she could see the tunnel where she would go on falling apart, stones covering what was her way to food. Viola groaned, putting her paws in her rumbling stomach

Viola ate her remaining nuts and filled her water bottles. She hadn’t much to do but lie down and wait for something better. The cave had taken the decisions for Viola and she couldn’t do anything about it. If Viola allowed herself to stop and think, that day was very close to what she could consider the worst day of her life. But Viola preferred to think of how the next day would be better than this one. So allowing herself a small smile, she fell asleep. If today was the worst day of her life, tomorrow could only be a better day, and of that Viola was sure.