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Better not

Stefan: I have this feeling like we should be mates.

Dira: Yeah, and sometimes I have a feeling like I should start using catnip, but then I think ‘mmm, better not’.

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[Photo ID: “You pity it.”

Slowly, Dira turned to look at the elf studying him.

“I’d pity any creature’n a place like this.”]

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Words: 1000 (2 to 8 minutes) | Content Notes: swearing, non-graphic torture

Dira short intro story (yes, he's different, yes, there's a reason)

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One Day Left on the June Patron Poll!

For current and prospective patrons, just a reminder that there’s one day left to vote in this month’s poll. 

Details on the original works listed:

Noyo short story intro

Holmes Academy story preview

Virgil Alviro preview

Join at $1+ to vote on monthly patron-only content and get other exclusive rewards!

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Learn more about ‘em here:

Noyo

Mari

Loren

Dira

Emotions

Send me one and I’ll tell you about my muse when they’re…

☕ RELAXED ♒️ IRRITATED 💘 LUSTING 🌦 LONGING ☘ HOPEFUL 🍃 CONFUSED 🎡 AMUSED 🌞 HAPPY ⚡️ ANGRY 💧 SAD 💕 IN LOVE ❌ JEALOUS 💔 HEARTBOKEN 🏝 LONELY 🌙 EXHAUSTED 👻 AFRAID 👐 SURPRISED  

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Into My Shadow calendar

The calendar in Into My Shadow is influenced by various factors associated with the central leading cultures of the region, among other values. 

Part of it is in connection with celebrations, part is due to a sky-centric main belief system, and part is due to harvest. 

I personally like keeping the 12-month system for a dash of familiarity! You can unlock more lore behind these months and their cultural or social practices by pledging $5/creation as a patron (and you set the spending limits):

Renewal (January)

Love’s Retreat (February)

Rebirth (March)

Sun’s Tears (April)

The Blossoming (May)

Prosperity (June)Searing Kiss (July)

Radiant Dance (August)

Coming Frost (September)

Darkening (October)

Sky’s Slumber (November)

Fallen Stars (December)

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That’s 100% a Dira move, but if Mari is with him, they’ll end up competing and volleying off each other until no one can take it anymore, haha.

Which oc regularly makes a whole bunch of puns?

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Main OCs as GIFs

Noyo

Mari (realizing it’s time to change jobs probably lololol)

Loren

Dira

Learn more about ‘em here:

Noyo

Mari

Loren

Dira

Support their story on Patreon | Tip the writer on Ko-fi

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Loren: Don't do anything stupid

Dira: Both you and I know that's asking too much of me.

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Learn more about ‘em here:

Noyo

Dira

Mari

Loren

Support their story on Patreon | Tip the writer on Ko-fi

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Dira: It’s nice to be wanted, you know?

Mari: Not by the law!

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Learn more about ‘em here:

Noyo

Dira

Mari

Loren

Support their story on Patreon | Tip the writer on Ko-fi

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Meet Loren

Word count: 800 (2 to 7 minutes) | Rating: T | Story: Into My Shadow

Note: Fantasy races (common), magic, post-apocalyptic

Read Dira’s character introduction

Read Noyo’s character introduction

Read Mari’s character introduction

Radiant Dance of Year 1: Shrouded Era

Not as bright as it once was, the summer sun still burned its way through the smog surrounding them to warm Loren’s skin. Maybe it would feel different when she was out there for real, not training in some course hastily set up next to the runners’ base.

Her braid swung out behind her as she leapt over the simple fence in her path, using that momentum to roll over her shoulder beneath the next fence after it. Loren barely cleared that when a training staff came down from her right flank. Raising her wooden shield, it caught the blow in her stead with enough force to ripple down her arm. She pushed off from her crouched position to stand and force the staff away—which shouldn’t have worked half as well as it did. He was going easy on her and they both knew it.

No one asked him to.

He stepped into a wide, bracing stance, and narrowed green eyes at her as he squared his shoulders. If she struck, he was ready for it. And she was ready for that. Human men were generally muscular, well-built, and sturdy. Nothing like dwarves, but a far cry from elves like Loren. But she knew how to leverage her lithe build in her favor over his staunch one. That skill was years in the making by then. He jolted the staff’s end towards her to break her guard, Loren parried that end aside to make an opening, and he spun the other end of the staff up at her head. Ducking again, she jabbed her sparring sword upward towards his chest. With his relatively tall height for a human, that could be enough to stagger him, even without the rules of their training leaving him “wounded” by the blow.

All that, and it was the soft-tipped arrow zipping by her to bounce off his chest that took him out of their mock run.

“Loren,” her trainee-in-arms called out, only barely looking out from behind his cover. Dwarves were hardy, but he knew better than to stand out in the open even if he could take the hit. As one of the defenders in their crew, that was more her job anyway.

With a sharp nod, she darted across the small field to his hedge.

“Thanks,” she offered and he smiled, knocking another arrow.

“Who’s counting?”

“They are.” Noyo, of course. As one of the first runners in Brook Mills, they helped prepare others for the transformed world. That was only two months ago now. It felt longer. They weren’t the most capable runner, according to the village, but they were the best teacher. Patient but firm, they were both realistic and encouraging in their lessons. The townspeople would have to agree to disagree with Loren on the first part.

Noyo waited on the porch, still decorated from the building’s days as an inn, and sand fell through an hourglass next to them on a weathered handrail.

“Right.”

“Wait—” Too late, Loren reached for him as his path sent him tumbling into one the shallow pitfall traps the trained runners set up. Shallow for her, anyway. She could just barely meet his worried gaze, brows knit and forehead smeared with dirt from his fall.

“Don’t go.”

He’d never make it out of there alone. Glancing up to the hourglass, Loren couldn’t make out how much time was left. Not a good sign. The third trainee had gone ahead from the very beginning, and she was already waiting at the end goal, tossing a magic ball of light back and forth in her hands as she waited. Loren frowned at her. If anyone deserved to fall into a ditch, it was that woman.

“I’ll get you out.” Grabbing some rope left on the ground as part of the mock wreckage they could find out there, Loren tied a quick knot, familiar from so much repetition, and tossed the rope down to him. Reaching down, she explained the first step. “The bow.”

He wasted no time passing that up, then climbing his way up as she stood guard. No one was left to threaten them, but that wasn’t the point of this test. She had to prove herself a good runner in all circumstances. So Loren would defend him until he was safe, and the fence post anchored him much better than she ever could.

“Thanks,” he breathed, taking his bow from her.

“Let’s go.”

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To support the story, you can also tip me on Ko-Fi.

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Dira: I love disasters.

Noyo: Self-love is a healthy thing.

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Learn more about ‘em here:

Noyo

Dira

Mari

Loren

Support their story on Patreon | Tip the writer on Ko-fi

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Mari: I don't have anyone. I don't need anyone. I don't deserve anyone.

Loren: Bold words for someone within hugging range.

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Learn more about ‘em here:

Noyo

Dira

Mari

Loren

Support their story on Patreon | Tip the writer on Ko-fi

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Dira: In my defense, I was left unsupervised.

Loren: Wasn't Mari with you?

Mari: In my defense, I was also left unsupervised.